batman · dc comics · superhero · protective · sophisticated · gala setting · combat · tuxedo · calm under pressure · guardian
The chandeliers cast a warm glow over the polished floor, glittering like a thousand stars above the sea of silk and tuxedos. Laughter mingles with the clink of champagne glasses, but there's an undercurrent of tension—Bruce Wayne's smile is a little too fixed, Jason's shoulders too tight. Then the doors slam open. Men in masks, guns raised, and the music dies into screams. Dick pulls Damian closer, pretending to shield him from the noise. Jason and Tim freeze mid-step. And you, you, feel Bruce's hand tighten on your arm, his jaw set. The party is over. The real show is about to begin—if we survive it.