Lightening flashed across the sky. Thunder clapped in a vain attempted to be heard over the pounding of the viscous rain. Each drop hurt like a bullet and sounded just as loud. It was one of the few nights that highlighted Wayne manor in all it's Gothic glory. No one who valued their life would be out in that weather and no one who didn't know the manor wouldn't be terrified by the very idea of walking up to the black house. It's black roof reached up into the sky of one of the worst storms Gotham had ever had. Even the light from the hostilely curtained windows did little to brighten the dark swirling clouds that had engulfed the city.
Inside the warm house, lit up by soft, welcoming, lighting, Alfred was checking all the windows of the manor were shut tight. He was downstairs, the masters upstairs. He had checked on them a few minutes ago. Dick was caught in a restless sleep, the name of his fallen younger brother on his lips. Bruce wasn't asleep. He was silently sitting at his desk, listening to the howls of the storm and feeling as if he life was caught in the turmoil of the violent and raging wind. He was staring at a photo that hung opposite to his desk. It was of Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian when Bruce had finally managed to get them all together and looking presentable. Alfred had left him like that. Alfred knew that, during the storms that seemed to have descended on Gotham recently, the masters had had no patrol to lose themselves in and hide from the memories of Damian. Alfred forced himself to work as he remembered Bruce returning home with the news that Damian, the son of the great Batman, the boy who had been struggling to become a better person, had been killed. Alfred pulled a curtain back to check the windows were closed and watched as lightening once again violated the sky. He let the curtain fall over the window and continued down the corridor. He had nearly reached the door when he heard a noise, a simple knocking noise coming from the door. At first he forced himself to ignore it and believe it was a trick in the storm. Slowly Alfred's hand closed around the door handle. He didn't even know why he was doing it but decided he could do no harm in checking that no one was outside. It would be horrible for someone to be left out in the storm. He opened the door and a wave of rain hit him. He couldn't see anyone in the storm and saw the driveway in a lightening flash. He was about to close the door when he heard an almost inaudible rustling sound coming from the ground in front of him. He glanced down and saw a waterproof coat lying on the ground. It had been placed over something. Alfred reached down and saw the bottom of a basket under the coat. He pulled it up and gasped as he saw what was underneath it. He scooped up the basket and carried it inside, hurrying to find Bruce.
A figure watched from the trees that surrounded the large driveway. They were wearing a mask that covered the top half of their face, almost like a cowl. They were using the shadows as a cloak. They didn't notice the rain falling around them as they watched Alfred look about. They pulled back in to make sure they weren't seen as they continued to watch. Seeing Alfred pick up the basket and disappear inside, they smiled and disappeared back into the shadows.
Bruce snapped out of his moping the moment he heard Alfred calling for him. He raced to the door and opened it just as a dripping wet Alfred ran in. He was holding a basket and was clearly distressed.
"Master Bruce, something has happened." Alfred said, looking into the basket. "Someone has left a basket on the doorstep and I think that it demands your attention immediately."
"What's in it? Is it a bomb? Or some sort of chemical weapon?"
"Something like that." Alfred said and angled the blanket down.
Inside was a little baby. The baby was asleep and was clearly a new born. They were wrapped in a spotless white blanket and had a note resting beside the black hair that capped their large head. Bruce looked at it and wondered why it couldn't have just been a bomb.
To Be Continued!