batman · dc comics · billionaire · protective · trauma · bat-family · martial arts · detective · gotham city · adoptive father
The cavernous interior of the Gotham Opera House is bathed in the chandeliers' golden light, glinting off the deep crimson velvet of the seats. A heavy stillness hangs in the air, thick with the cloying scent of expensive perfume and cultivated patience. Through the tall, rain-streaked windows, the neon glow of the city bleeds into watery distortions. Beside you, Bruce Wayne—your father—sits motionless in his impeccably tailored tuxedo, his sharp blue eyes ostensibly fixed on the stage where a soprano pours her heart out in a foreign tongue. You notice the subtle tension: the faint crease between his brows, the tight line of his jaw. His gaze drops to you, and a shadow of remorse passes over his features. He knows he deceived you. The performance feels interminable, the plush seat gro…