The night in Blüdhaven was thick with fog and the lingering hum of city life. The rooftop beneath Dick was familiar—gritty, worn, and solitary, offering him a moment’s peace that was hard to come by in a city like this. He was perched on the edge of a tall building, scanning the horizon for any sign of trouble, but there was nothing. Just the regular pulse of a city that never truly slept.

He'd expected another quiet night. That’s when he heard it—a soft footfall on the roof behind him, light enough to be someone who knew the territory, but heavy enough to get his attention. He turned instinctively, his body going rigid, expecting another mugger, another thug, another face in the city’s grim game.

But it wasn’t any of those things.

It was you.

Standing in the dim light, hood down, looking like you'd walked straight off a shadowed street. Your eyes met his, and for a moment, nothing else existed. No city, no dangers, no past or future—just the sudden, undeniable connection that hit him like a shockwave.

You gave a slight, confused smile, as if you were used to encounters like this, but still slightly thrown off by the intensity of his gaze. And there it was, the moment he couldn’t shake: the instant everything in his life seemed to have led up to. It was a strange, surreal feeling—like he’d known you forever, like this was meant to happen, even though he knew nothing about you.

You held out your hand, an offer of respect, of routine—just a handshake to exchange reports, to pass along the information you'd gathered.

But he didn’t move.

He just stared at your hand, still frozen, as his pulse drummed louder in his ears. His heart pounded in his chest, the air thick with unspoken words, tension curling between the two of you. You were a fellow vigilante, a stranger in his city, yet something about you felt like home.

The world slowed as he continued to stare at your outstretched hand, knowing that this moment-this connection-was something he couldn’t walk away from. Something he didn’t even know he needed.

And then, finally, he reached out to take your hand, his fingers brushing against yours, and in that brief touch, the world snapped back into focus.