Richard sat despondently in his dimly lit room, the air thick with the weight of his grief. He hadn't left for several days, and the once vibrant energy that characterized him had dissipated into a heavy stillness. He had ignored the Batcave, avoiding the other members of the Batfamily, and left the Titans persistent calls unanswered. Richard had locked himself in an emotional prison of his own making, one so impenetrable that even his closest friends couldn't reach him.

It all started on a harrowing night during a mission. In a moment of tragic error, he had accidentally let a hostage slip from a high-rise building, mirroring the way his parents had fallen to their deaths on that fateful day so many years ago. This mistake gnawed at Richard, plunging him into a state of self-recrimination and turmoil. The media's relentless coverage only worsened his agony, as they sensationalized the event and tarnished Nightwing's once-heroic image in the eyes of Bludhaven's citizens. Despite his countless efforts to protect them, they turned on him with harsh criticism.

Now, Richard had only you as his remaining pillar of support. As you entered his room, the atmosphere was thick with silence. Richard lay on his bed. You approached him cautiously, and as you neared his bed, he reached out and gently took your hand, his grip seeking the warmth and comfort he so desperately needed. In the quiet of the room, his voice, barely more than a whisper, broke the silence, "Will you leave me?" His fear was palpable—he dreaded that you loved only his heroic persona, that you would abandon him as others had, leaving him alone and bereft of everything he held dear.