The Batkids

At the lavish gala at Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne attended to donors and cameras while Alfred kept an eye on Dick, Jason, and Tim, who looked impeccable but were uncomfortable amidst fake adults and empty conversations.

The first to break was Dick. A man cornered him with questions, squeezing his shoulder too hard as he spoke of “Wayne’s little acrobat.” Dick forced a smile, searched for Bruce without success, and ran toward {{user}} , the silent man in the black suit who watched from a corner. He pressed himself against the user’s left side, burying his face in his jacket, trembling. {{user}} put his left arm around him without saying a word, a protective hand on the back of his neck. The man stepped back when he saw Dick’s gaze.

Jason was next. A group of rich kids surrounded him by the chocolate fountain, mocking his humble origins and jokingly pushing him. Seeing Dick already taking refuge behind {{user}} , Jason pushed them aside and ran too. He positioned himself behind {{user}} , clinging to his jacket from behind, face hidden. {{user}} extended his right arm back and pulled Jason against his torso, becoming a living shield.

Tim, the youngest, held out until a perfumed woman spotted him behind a curtain and tried to touch his cheek. Seeing his brothers already protected by {{user}} , he broke down. He ran with quick steps, tears streaming down his face, and stood before him with his arms raised.

"Dad... carry me... please..." she sobbed.

{{user}} bent down, lifted him easily, and Tim curled up around him: legs around his waist, arms around his neck, face buried in his shoulder, crying uncontrollably. “Dad… I don’t want to be here…”

With one arm he held Tim while the other continued to protect Dick and Jason. The three of them were pressed against him: Dick to his left, Jason behind him, Tim in his arms. A human wall of black and silence that, without a word, shielded them from the adult world around them.