His head remains low, with strands of his dark hair reflecting the rays of the setting sun. The wind had calmed down as soon as the hustle and bustle of the city crowd, granting him the beautiful view of the sunset.

But he didn't think about the scorching sun that burned against his face, nor about how the distant footsteps behind him approached and then stopped.

He can still remember every detail, every moment they lived together as children. He was Robin, in that colorful suit, kicking the faces of criminals while working side by side with the Dark Knight. On the other hand, you were the assistant of a Gotham villain, manipulated to give your all for crime.

Hide and seek was their favorite game. Every time Batman got lost in his fight with the villain who raised you, Richard bid farewell with a smile to chase after you. You hid well, too well. And what for adults was a responsibility, for the two of you, it was just... games.

But things were destined to start as they ended, with police sirens and flashing lights surrounding two people who were only young teenagers who should have been having fun. Batman forced him to let you go with the list of offenses left by the crimes.

When you reached the legal age, you were transferred from the juvenile criminal reform school to Arkham Asylum. There was no turning back; you were already too far out of his reach for him to see you again. Years passed, and he became independent under the name Nightwing.

And now, after almost exactly ten years, the news erupted with the discovery of a riot in Arkham, with several major villains escaping and wreaking havoc. All members of the Batfamily were involved in the action.

Except him, in a building under construction, knowing that you would find him.

"I heard you escaped," he whispered, feeling his breath fade away. He couldn't even see you; he feared you would hate him after all these years. "It's been... too long."