They say the first impression is the last impression.

There couldn't be a quote more inaccurate than the one above.

It was a fine sunny day in Bludhaven after a long spell of rain and bleak weather. The streets were full of puddles and pedestrians, coming out of their homes to embrace the warm sunlight.

Children splashed their feet in the puddles on the sidewalk, women took care not to get their shoes soiled and men walked quickly to get to their workplaces, wary of the chiming of the clock announcing the morning hour.

That was Richard Grayson's first impression of the city when he had just moved there; a sunny day, a warm and cheerful atmosphere, and a promise of hope to everyone bustling through the old streets.

He had just joined the BCPD after completing his training and was looking forward to serving his duty as a police detective to the best of his ability.

A few weeks down the lane he could see things were not how he had imagined from that first look into a city that he felt would be quite different from Gotham.

There wasn't much difference between the two neighboring cities at all.

Crooks and scoundrels made the citizens' lives hell there as well. Bludhaven became a playing field for criminals by night and the only major difference was that, unlike Gotham, the city had no caped guardians to look after it.

So he ended up taking a huge step that changed everything for him and little by little, it was bound to change everything for Bludhaven too, a city he had started to think of as home.

His days were spent navigating the gritty underbelly of the metropolis, first as a detective in the BCPD and then as the elusive vigilante known as Nightwing. Bludhaven was a city that never truly slept, and for Richard Grayson, it meant that both his roles, detective and vigilante, were in a perpetual dance with the darkness.

If his first impression of the city had been the last, he might have still been rushing to the police department early in the morning, cheerful and refreshed as a lark to work. But that wasn't the case as now he spent his days saving the city as a cop and his nights hunting down criminals as a vigilante.

He had also stopped taking first impressions for granted. He knew very well that the first image of a person or a place was usually the facade shrouding multiple layers underneath. So it was futile to stick to only the first layer and ignore the rest.

His life was twice more fast-paced than the average citizens in Bludhaven. As a result, he hated getting up in the morning to face yet another hectic day.

That morning was the closest he could get to the first sunny morning he had seen in Bludhaven and decided to settle in that city, almost a month ago. But he had no time to spare in reminiscing about it.

He walked briskly through the city streets, nodding his head in greeting to the very few people who acknowledged him. He had five minutes to spare as he ordered his usual Americano at the cafe right next to the headquarters, took the cup, and left for his office.

Taking the elevator and returning the monotonous greetings of his colleagues, he reached the floor where his cubicle was located. He had a lot of work to do, judging by the files placed on his desk so he put his coffee down and pushed the files aside to sort through the prioritized cases first.

He was studying the witness accounts on a recent arson case that they were investigating when his colleague told him that the sketches of the suspect were ready.

He looked up and nodded, knowing he should stop by the interrogation cell where the sketch artist was finalizing the most important evidence they could have to lead them to the suspect.

His coffee had finished so he threw the disposable cup in the bin on his way out, taking the file with him as he went down to the interrogation cell.

He had been told earlier that the BCPD did not have a formally hired sketch artist. Instead, the precinct captain's cousin helped out whenever there was a need to draw sketches from witness descriptions.

"Officer Grayson, over here," his colleague, Gary Dunham, gestured to him as he stepped in and he nodded, coming to stand beside him.

They were in the room next to the interrogation cell having a glass screen that offered a clear view into the place where the witness and the sketch artist were seated.

Richard was going through the witness accounts to see which one was seated inside right then. But he paused, looking again that the blonde woman he mistakenly thought to be a witness was the sketch artist herself, her pencil working deftly over her sketchbook.

He noticed that the woman seemed to be in her early thirties and by the way she was focused on her work, it was clear it wasn't the first time for her to be carrying out that task. Her blonde hair were pulled back loosely with a hair clasp, a few strands framing her face.

The witness sitting in front of her was Daniel Sawyer according to the file Richard studied. He had been the eyewitness of the arson attack on Abagnale Pharmaceuticals and had provided a thorough description the first time his statement had been taken as well.

No wonder out of all the witnesses present, he was the best choice to provide details for the suspect's sketch.

"How long will it take?" Richard asked, checking his phone that had a reminder for a briefing with the captain beginning shortly.

"I can ask Miss Leslie. But if you have to go attend the briefing, you can. I will pass the sketch to you when she's done."

He considered then nodded, stepping out of the interrogation room. The briefing was just as important as the sketch and he trusted Gary to look after the latter.

Richard thought for a second that was the last he would see of the sketch artist and wouldn't get the chance to meet her as the clocks were turning and his daily tasks were piling high. But he was proved wrong because when he was called into the captain's office after the briefing, the woman was present there as well.

"This is Officer Grayson," the captain introduced him and Richard dipped his head politely in greeting, "he's the one in charge of the case you were called in to make a sketch for."

"It's a pleasure meeting you. I'm Erica," she smiled, handing him the sketchbook so he could see the end result for himself, "I hope you find the suspect."

"Thank you." Richard took the sketchbook and paused, seeing the fine detail that was put into the sketch she had made. Erica must be a very skilled artist, he thought, looking back at the beautiful blonde.

Her eyes were a deep blue shade and her smile made her features appear softer than the first glance he had seen of her back in the interrogation room.

"I overlayed these two sketches just to see if both witness descriptions matched or not," she explained, seeing him take a look at the previous sketch as well, "you can't be a hundred percent sure that the suspect will look exactly like the sketch but you can use these as a reference."

"I understand. It will be a great help nevertheless."

"In fact, I was telling Erica how easy it has become to track people out nowadays through a simple likeness," the captain interjected, "a copy of the sketches has already been sent to the bureau. We will receive information if there's anyone in the database who matches the sketch."

Richard nodded, knowing full well how facial recognition systems worked, "I will look into that. Sir, if that's all, may I..."

But his voice trailed off as the captain suddenly seemed to have remembered something, "oh yes, yes, there's one more thing you should do. Take Erica back to her apartment, she will give you the directions."

He paused at the unexpected task but didn't get the time to say anything just yet.

"It's okay, Walter, I can manage," Erica remarked to her cousin, knowing that the detective might already be busy with the case and she didn't want to be a burden on him.

"I would have dropped you off myself but there's another briefing scheduled right after this break," the captain checked his schedule and sighed, "I trust Grayson. Take my car and call me when you reach."

Richard felt slightly flustered but took the car keys regardless. It was slowly becoming his habit to shoulder a lot of work but right then he didn't mind escorting the captain's cousin to her place safely.

He felt there had to be some reason the captain was so intent on sending Erica off with someone and not alone. Perhaps the woman was under threat or he was just very protective of her. Still, it felt slightly weird and he couldn't figure out a logical reason at the moment.

The captain had left the office and Erica's voice shook him out of his thoughts, "I'm really sorry, Officer Grayson. I know you must be busy already and it's okay if you let me go by myself. I won't tell Walter."

He shook his head, knowing that as he had accepted the order, he had to fulfill it as well, "it's not a problem. After you."

He opened the door for her to step out, accompanying her down to the parking floor so that he could escort her to her place.

Little did they know that one meeting and the brief time spent together through an unexpected request made by the captain was going to be the beginning of a new chapter in both their lives.

***