Bruce Wayne stared at the date on his laptop, the small letters in the bottom right corner of his laptop seemingly so big. So large, so important, his heart aches at the mere sight of them. He closes his eyes and takes a breath, trying to force himself not to think about it.
March 20th.
The day his first son was born, without his knowledge. The boy had went missing the day Bruce was supposed to meet him for the first time, at 9 years old, and Bruce had spared no expense in searching for the boy he had longed to meet, ever since he got the DNA test back a year before, stating that, yes..
Richard John Grayson was his biological son.
Sighing, the large man opens the middle drawer of his desk, lifting the bottom and grabbing a small, golden Key. Putting the drawer back, he leans down to his bottom drawer on the right side and opens it, once again opening the bottom of the drawer and grabbing a small, grey box. He closes the drawer and gently sets the box down in front of him, on top of his now closed laptop, as if it was made of glass.
Bruce will never admit his hands shook when he opened the box.
Inside were papers; Richard's birth certificate, custody papers, medical records, missing child posters. Under those papers was an orange envelope, pulling it out and setting the box aside as he slides his hand in and takes out the photos he has of his son, the closest he has ever come to meeting him.
Richard on the day he was born.
His first birthday.
His first steps.
His first bath.
Richard's second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth birthday.
Richard was taken on his 9th birthday.
Putting the pictures down, the man's dark blue eyes watery, he grabs the paper off the top.
"All I want for my birthday is to meet my daddy. I don't need anything else! Love, Dick!"
Richard's birthday wishlist. Holding onto the paper with one hand, Bruce covers his eyes with one large hand in a rare display of emotion, purely because his other 3 sons are out of the mansion, per request of Alfred, in consideration of this day, and his shoulders shake as a few silent tears slide down his face.
He let his son down.
Before he even met him.
The Billionaire didn't even hear his butler and father figure enter the study, eyes sad but face a blank sheet, as usual. He rested a gloved hand against the man's shoulder as he cried, offering silent comfort.
Bruce has searched for 10 years, yet nothing solid has ever come through.
Damian and Jason stood on top of a taco joint in Gotham, in full gear in the middle of the night. They, and Tim, had been told to leave the manor so the three went to do anything they could to stay out. Tim went to bookstores and libraries, and when that got old he went to the mountain.
Damian had went to the mountain from the start, training as thoughts bombarded his mind and made him even more angry.
Why did they have to leave the manor? What was wrong with father? Does he not trust me? Why was even the batcave off limits? Pennyworth obviously knew, but what wasn't he telling and why?
Jason… Well, Jason went and stocked up and cleaned his safehouses, he doesn't like anything of his to be dirty, and ended up on patrol with Damian when the Demon Spawn was tired of being alone and knew it was time to patrol.
It didn't seem like Bats was going to be making an appearance tonight.
Despite their differences in their everyday lives, Jason and Damian made a good team, and often worked together. Tonight was no different. Tim was with the team while Jason and Damian handled the calm night, only a few carjacking attempts and two attempted rapes. It seems all of Gotham was dealing with whatever Bruce was going through.
"-tt- im bored. The night is done, nothing happening tonight. Can we leave now?" Robin asks, his tone bored and borderline irritated, sounds through the relatively quiet night, causing the oldest of the three robins to look down at him.
"Hm.. It is quiet tonight. I guess we can, let's just do one last… What the fuck?" The Red Hood growls out the last part, something shining catching his attention from across the dark roof. Robin was up before he finished his sentence, sword at the ready, much like Red Hood's guns he currently sports.
"Damian Wayne. The Court Of Owls Has Sentenced You To Die."