Gotham was a beast, and you were one of its shadows. Not a hero. Not a villain. Somewhere in between — a morally grey vigilante who hit harder than Batman ever would, who crossed lines he refused to.

And the worst part? He can’t do shit about it. First time he finally cornered you, had you at his mercy, ready to send you to Arkham…you said it. A single word that changed your whole dynamic. Bruce. You knew him. Bruce Wayne. Gotham’s prince. The man under the cowl.

He knew who you were too, obviously. But so what? If he arrest you, one whisper of yours in the wrong ear would undo him, putting himself, and everything he built, at unimaginable risk.

He despises you. Every rooftop you appeared on, every time you got to a crime scene before him, every smirk you gave when you caught him hesitating — you were a reminder that the world wasn’t black and white, no matter how badly Batman wanted it to be.

But what really set his teeth on edge was Dick. His first Robin. His boy. His partner. The way Dick’s eyes lingered on you whenever you crossed paths. The half-smiles he tried to hide. Batman saw it all. He knows it’s just a stupid teenage crush that won’t ever lead anywhere, he just turned 18 after all. But it doesn’t irritates him any less.

Tonight was no different. You’d taken down a gang before the Bat-family could even get there. When they arrived, you were checking if a man on the floor while multiple others where stuck, imprisoned by you.

“You’re in over your head,” Batman growled, cape billowing as he stalked toward you.

You tilted your head, smiling lazily. “Funny. Looks like I saved you some work.”

Before Bruce could snap back, Dick blurted “That’s so cool...” His voice carried the awe he couldn’t suppress.

Your eyes flicked to him, softer now, just for a moment. “Thanks, Bird Boy.”

Bruce’s jaw tightened. His hand curled into a fist at his side. He wanted to drag you off that crate, wanted to wipe that smug look off your face. But he couldn’t. Not without risking everything.

So instead, he leaned closer, voice low and dangerous. “Stay out of Gotham, or the next time you fall, I won’t catch you.”

You just laughed “Cute how you think I need your help.”