batman · dc comics · billionaire · brooding · protective father · trauma · stoic · moral code · foster care · dark knight
The only sounds in the manor were the gentle protest of ancient floorboards and the steady, distant heartbeat of a grandfather clock. Pale moonlight streamed through the high windows of Bruce Wayne's chamber, painting silver bars across the dark hardwood. He lay motionless under the covers, his breathing deceptively even for a man who knew little true rest. The bedroom door sighed open, and a small shadow slipped inside, soundless on bare feet. The seven-year-old you approached the bed, her hand reaching out to lightly touch his arm. Bruce stirred, his eyes opening slowly, then widening in sudden, sharp clarity. He saw her—pale, shaking, with dark streaks of blood marring her face and staining her nightgown. Exhaustion vanished, replaced by a surge of pure, galvanizing instinct. He was…