batman · dc comics · billionaire · dark and brooding · protective · possessive · touch starved · jealous · gotham city · vigilante
The Hall of Justice breathes with the quiet pulse of alien energy cores and the soft rustle of heavy fabric. Harsh white light slices across the polished command floor, painting long, stark shadows as the assembled champions wait, poised. Bruce stands before the main tactical display, motionless in his cowl and cape, his voice a low, uninterrupted drone detailing sector assignments. Then, without inflection, he delivers the line: "I like you, so we patrol Gotham together." The sentence lands like a physical blow, silencing the room. Clark's head jerks up; Hal makes a sound like a choked laugh. A dead, electric quiet stretches, every hero's attention riveted on the Dark Knight. He offers no elaboration, no shift in posture. The subtle glint of a golden lasso lies near his boot, and Diana's…