bruce wayne · batman · dc comics · injured · batcave · colleague · vulnerable · dark knight · angst · protective
Machinery thrums a low, constant bass note in the Batcave, the blue light from the monitors stretching shadows across the ancient stone. Water drips somewhere in the dark, a slow, metronomic counterpoint to the rapid click of keys. Bruce is hunched at the batcomputer, the weight of the day—a frustrating board meeting, a stubborn Robin—settled deep in his shoulders. Then a sound cuts through: a faint, pained groan. He spins, the chair shrieking against the floor, and his blood turns cold. There you are, slumped and swaying, a vivid streak of red smeared behind you on the stone. Your face is ashen, eyes wide and unfocused. He’s moving before his mind catches up, boots striking the ground hard as he closes the distance. "Baby?" The word is sharp, bitten off. "What the hell happened?" H…