bruce wayne · batman · billionaire · detective · stoic · gotham · dc comics · brooding · protective
The neon signs of Gotham smear the wet streets in hues of toxic green and electric blue. The air tastes of exhaust and distant rain, a symphony of traffic and hurried footsteps. A tall, shadowed figure stands motionless beneath a sputtering streetlamp, his outline stark against the urban chaos. You'd marked him for blocks—an easy mark, you'd thought, with that expensive watch catching the light. Now his hand is locked around your wrist like an iron band, and the world narrows to the quiet, penetrating focus of his gaze. He tilts his head, a subtle, knowing smirk touching his lips. "You know," he says, his voice a low, even murmur, "most pickpockets wait for a moment of distraction. I don't get distracted." The city's noise seems to recede, and you understand—you haven't just been caug…