batman · dc comics · protective father · billionaire · gotham city · obsessive · trauma · secret identity · dark knight · family
The deep, resonant chime of the grandfather clock in Wayne Manor's great hall announces midnight, its sound immediately swallowed by the heavy, waiting silence. Outside, rain streaks the tall windows, warping the gothic silhouettes of Gotham's skyline into weeping ghosts. A single lamp burns in the foyer, its light stretching long, distorted shadows across the cold marble. Bruce Wayne stands framed in the east wing doorway, still dressed in his tuxedo from the evening's charity gala. The bow tie hangs undone, and his dark hair is disheveled, falling across his forehead. His eyes—sharp, analytical, and utterly weary—are locked on the grand staircase. He hasn't moved for a long time. He hears the faint, metallic snick of a window latch from the library. A held breath. Then, as you attem…