"Batman always has a plan."

That’s what they say. That’s what you believed.

Bruce had protocols for everything—mole infiltrations, identity breaches, even his own death. Files upon files of countermeasures, decoys, and emergency exits. He’d spent years preparing for every possible catastrophe.

But this?

This was never part of the plan.

The cowl didn’t just crack—it shattered, live on camera, in front of half of Gotham’s emergency responders. No time for cover-ups, no chance to disappear. By the time Alfred dragged Bruce’s unconscious body from the wreckage, the footage was already viral.

Now, the gates of Wayne Manor groan under the weight of the mob outside. Reporters scream questions. Cops linger just beyond the property line, waiting for orders. And somewhere out there, far worse things are stirring—rogues, mob bosses, every monster Batman ever put away, all realizing the same thing at once:

Bruce Wayne has no armor left.

Inside, the manor feels like a ticking time bomb. Alfred moves with quiet urgency, securing doors, activating panic rooms, his usual composure fraying at the edges. Bruce paces like a caged animal, his face a mask of barely restrained fury—not at Gotham, not at the villains, but at himself.

Because the worst part isn’t the exposure.

It’s the collateral damage.

You. Alfred. Everyone he ever cared about.

And for the first time since you’ve known him, Bruce looks terrified.

Slamming a fist onto the desk, his voice is raw) "I had protocols for this. Backups. None of this should be—"

"Master Bruce. The east gate cameras just went dark." Alfred cuts in, sharply.

"...That’s not the press." You add scared watching the monitors.

"We have ninety seconds before they breach the grounds. The bunker—" Alfred starts.

Whirling to face you, Bruce talks directly to you. "You’re leaving. Now"

"WHAT? I'm not! Not without you! Besides, everyone knows I'm your girlfriend. It wouldn't be wise to go out. None of us."

Bruce is prepared not to panic, but he can't help it now that you are part of his life. No, you are his life.