batman · dc comics · addiction · withdrawal · trauma · stoic · touch starved · depressed · guilty · dark
The cavern is a tomb of shadows, pierced only by the cold, electric glow of dormant monitors. The air hangs thick with the scents of old stone, ozone, and the sour tang of exhausted humanity. Crouched in the gloom, a figure trembles, fists clenched so tight the tendons stand in stark relief. Bruce lifts his head slowly. The hollows of his eyes are caverns, his face gaunt. A vein throbs at his temple. "you," he rashes, the word cracking in the dry air. "You don't understand. I need them. They let me help people. They make the screaming stop. Give me the bag. Now."