The lights were out as Tim creaked open the mahogany door. He had been waiting for that moment ever since he had been brought there to Roman Sionis' lavish villa a few days prior.

Roman and most of his men were busy retrieving a shipment of questionable cargo so security at the villa wasn't as tight as usual. He had a chance of escaping and he didn't want to waste it.

Silence engulfed him as he traipsed down the stairs cautiously, making sure not to cause even the slightest disturbance. He made it to the only exit he knew, hoping that he would manage to slip past the security measures as he carefully put in the passcode.

He was just about to press Enter when the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat behind him made him stop.

"What part of you're not allowed to leave did you not register?"

A sharp voice interrupted the silence and he spun around, alarmed to see the delicate figure in the hallway, illuminated partially by the dim lighting.

"Oh... Um, I wasn't leaving," he mumbled, letting go of the door handle immediately.

"Really?" She came closer and cocked an eyebrow at him skeptically.

"I just... I... Fresh air?" He tried to think of an excuse but for some reason, being confronted by Lorena Sionis left him at a loss of words. To him, she was very intimidating and sometimes he thought he was probably more scared of her as compared to her father.

"The front door is a stupid way to sneak out, I thought you'd know better than that," she turned back to leave and though Tim could have made his escape too right then, he paused.

She was right, he could easily get caught by the security stationed outside the house if he left through the front door.

"Do you know of some other way I can sneak out then?" He asked cautiously, knowing that his question could land him in trouble.

"So you admit you were sneaking out?"

"Just for a short while, I have to see someone. I promise I will be back before morning," he mumbled, hoping that she would take his word for it even though he knew that wasn't so likely.

She wasn't the sort of person who would trust easily. And she was certainly not going to keep his escape attempt a secret. 

Lorena had made it very clear in the past few days that they had no grounds for forming a friendship or even a tolerable acquaintanceship with each other. She treated him as a rival and spared no moment to make him certain about what she thought about him. 

So expecting any sort of generosity from her was futile.

"Well, there is one way... But why should I tell you?" She had turned to look at him briefly, a satisfied spark lighting up her brown eyes.

He had seen that meaningful glance earlier on faces other than the heart-shaped one before him and he knew exactly what it meant, "you need something in return..."

"What can a mere child as you offer?" Her words cut through him but he kept himself composed, not giving a reaction to her statement.

His lips pressed together in a slight frown, "you're not much older than me yourself so calling me a child is rather pretentious."

The corners of her mouth turned up as if she was about to smile at the petulant expression but she managed to hold it back. She wasn't done talking to him yet.

"Timothy, you are walking on burning coals already," she warned, her gaze softening for the slightest of seconds before being replaced with the haughty look he had gotten accustomed to seeing, "I don't know what deal you have made with my father but it is enough to put you in trouble. You need not make things worse by striking a deal with me too."

At that moment, Tim could not ascertain whether she had given him genuine advice that he should follow or she had been trying to frighten him again.

"What could possibly be worse?" He mumbled, his voice lowering as he turned to climb up the stairs all the way back to his room. Those four walls felt like a small cage that he badly wanted to escape from but couldn't.

"A lot," a slightly sympathetic spark flickered in Lorena's eyes as she replied although he wasn't close enough to catch her words. "It can be much worse than what you are going through if you're not careful."

***

A cold breeze blew through Wayne Cemetery as a solitary figure crouched down beside a newly erected tombstone. It hadn't been long since Bruce Wayne had lost his son and Batman had lost his second Robin in the crusade for justice.

The epitaph on the tombstone read; Jason Peter Todd, Ally and Friend.

Ever since that fateful night in Bosnia when he had lost Jason, he couldn't help but blame himself for his death. True, he had warned the boy not to go after Joker on his own, and being reckless, he had done exactly that and went against Bruce's warning. 

But he couldn't deny the fact that if he hadn't let Jay accompany him on that mission, he could have still been alive.

He could still have been pursuing his dreams instead of being buried six feet under in that grave.

Ever since that night, Batman had never been the same. He ended up isolating himself further, pushing everyone away as he felt that the people who were close to him would also come to harm just like Jason met his fate.

He decided to stay on his mission of protecting Gotham alone so that the other people he considered family wouldn't be at risk. He had even tried to convince Richard to leave the vigilante life but his eldest son refused, saying that being Nightwing was his own decision and he had to protect Bludhaven.

Therefore with Richard in Bludhaven and Jason no longer around, Bruce was unknowingly deteriorating further.

But he vowed never to adopt any other orphan because he knew that even if he tried to keep them away from the vigilante life he led, they would eventually end up getting involved just like it had happened with Richard and Jason.

And Bruce couldn't bear it if another life got risked due to him and his mission.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by the beeping of his communicator, the one he used on patrol as Batman. He checked the time, realizing that patrol hours had begun and he needed to be out in the city to protect it.

Only one person aside from his vigilantes had the coordinates to establish the link to his comm. So he answered it, knowing there was something that needed his attention immediately.

"Commissioner," he addressed the city's police commissioner Jim Gordon in his gruff voice, knowing that he had to keep the identities of Bruce Wayne and Batman apart.

"We got a tip-off about Cluemaster," the man spoke up, his voice sounding rather urgent, "I'm waiting for you at Gotham Tower."

The comm beeped again as the link disconnected so he left the grave, heading towards the portal that led to the hidden Batcave. He had to suit up and leave no matter how broken he felt deep inside. 

His city needed him, he reminded himself, Gotham was the only reason he was keeping himself going.

***