Chapter Text
A shadow landed on the hardwood floor of an old, abandoned apartment complex with a dull thud. The sound of a baby’s cries echoed through the building. At once, the shadow moved, gliding across the walls and down the hallways, tracking the sound until it pinpointed the exact room it came from.
This was not a usual mission for the shadow. It normally dealt with petty crimes and thugs. This was different.
The shadow had not seen his eldest son in some time. Ever since an argument had escalated into a painful fallout, the boy had packed his belongings and left. A different city. Miles away from Gotham.
The shadow blamed himself, of course—for the argument, for the distance, for everything that followed.
But now, with his son safely home for the time being, there were more pressing matters to attend to.
The shadow did not believe his eldest knew of the baby’s existence. He hadn’t either, not for quite some time. Only after tracking down the remaining perpetrators had he discovered the little Grayson.
The Blüdhaven incident was contained… for now.
The cries grew louder with each passing second, prompting the shadow to search the room more quickly.
The rain outside had long since faded, leaving only the sound of footsteps and the echo of desperate cries.
When the shadow finally reached the source, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
From where he entered, to the right, a baby’s cradle sat tucked into the farthest corner of the room.
It was a simple wooden cradle, but the shadow knew it held something precious.
He moved closer, silent as ever, until he could peer over the edge.
Inside lay exactly what he had expected. A beautiful baby with tufts of brown hair and wide blue eyes, wrapped in a single thin blanket.
It must be freezing. Especially in weather like this. Gotham’s winter months were unforgiving.
Without hesitation, the shadow scooped the baby into his arms and pulled a section of black fabric from his cape around the small body, wrapping the child in warmth.
The crying stopped instantly.
The shadow exhaled softly. Cradling the bundle close, he turned and carefully made his way out of the room, disappearing once more into the dark night.