Chapter 1475 Bird and Return (20) _1

When Thomas hurriedly came downstairs in his suit, he quickly took Damian, already fully dressed, from Alfred's hands. He took a step back to take in Damian's outfit and then said, "The shirt is not bad, but the overalls... well, it's not our time anymore, it's good, where's the car?"

"It's already parked at the front door, sir..."

Thomas picked up Damian and, before leaving, turned to look at Bruce, who seemed somewhat dazed on the couch, and said, "You should take care. If you're not feeling well, let Alfred take you to the hospital."

Then he swept a glance at the others on the couch and said, "You guys better study well, I'll check your homework on Friday night."

When he hurriedly left, Red Hood spread his hands and said, "I guess he doesn't have much time left to check homework."

"He and Damian are a perfect match." Red Robin commented. Then he continued, "I used to think there wouldn't be a father in the world who could accept a child like Damian. I was wrong."

"Isn't it more terrifying that he believes Damian can be further cultivated?" Nightwing shook his head and said helplessly, "I really don't know what they need to learn to be satisfied."

"But I'm sure he will ask the ballet teacher about your progress," Red Robin's comment made Nightwing's smile freeze on his face.

Nightwing was about to ask why when Red Robin said, "In a big family, it's always the oldest and youngest sons who get the most attention. Don't think you can escape attention just because Damian's here."

Nightwing deflated like a pricked balloon, grumbling, "If it weren't for the fact that Thomas would eventually visit our cosmos to see Batman, I wouldn't attend any damn ballet classes."

"Isn't that the truth?" Red Hood asked, crossing his arms. "I bet he's the type of parent who, if we skip a page of homework, would say we've never done homework in our lives."

Hey, is nobody bothered about Bruce's condition?" Barbara, sitting across from Bruce, leaned in to peer into his eyes.

Normally, this would be considered a gross invasion of personal space, but Bruce seemed a bit slow in his reactions, only leaning back to avoid Barbara's gaze after a while.

Alfred, who had seen Thomas out, returned and fetched several blankets from the cloakroom nearby, distributing them to everyone present.

The guests were confused and stood still for quite some time, not sure what to do next. Meanwhile, the kids had already put on their blankets and started moving towards the garden door. Even Dick, who was tired, did not go upstairs first but instead tagged along at the end of the line, swaying his way out.

Although Red Robin wasn't sure what they were about to do, he obediently draped the blanket over himself and followed the children's procession, asking, "Where are we going, the garden? Is there a group activity?"

"Hopefully, it's not like last night." Red Hood playfully flicked his blanket over Nightwing's head, messing up his hair. Seeing Nightwing's stiff expression, Red Hood began to laugh.

When everyone arrived at the garden, Red Robin immediately noticed something different about the garden in this universe's Wayne Manor. In the southeast corner, a special area had been designated and set up as a small plaza, complete with benches and swings.

As several children took their seats on the swings, the remaining guests had no option but to occupy the nearby benches. As they looked around at the remains of the bonfire in the center of the plaza, Red Robin asked curiously, "What are we sitting here for?"

"You'll see," Jason replied, waving his hand impatiently. "Just don't drop your jaws."

"What could possibly..."

Before Red Hood could finish his sentence, a stark beam of light flashed across the horizon, followed by an increasingly larger halo until everything they saw was bathed in a bright white light. The contours of all objects became blurred.

While this light wasn't particularly bright, compared to Gotham's usual weather, it was as awe-inspiring as the cosmos's first light at the birth of the universe. Even Morningstar, the source of the first light, marveled at this phenomenon, admitting that he did not compare.

The skies of Gotham had been illuminated.

A few birds that had been navigating through the rainy night finally descended onto the river bay filled with sunshine, the overdue sunlight making their raindroplets-glistened feathers sparkle. The wind blew through the folding reeds and dried the dampness on the birds' temples.

For many years, people living on this land had to force their hearts to beat a little stronger, pumping out more warm blood, to survive the cold nights.

When they were first covered in a warm layer of sunshine, their overheated blood made them teeter on the edge of combustion. Their blood would rush up to their brains, making them dizzy.

Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Barbara all stood up from their seats, staring in awe at the cloud-rippled sky, revealing a hint of blue, and the bright sunlight peering through the holes in the dark clouds.

The overwhelming warmth coming from within them made them long for rain. No one loves rainy weather in a city that's perennially cloaked in rain, unless they know the sun would eventually come out.

Sunshine wasn't scarce. Nightwing had spent countless days in Bruce Haven, strolling down the sunny beaches. He would always think about Gotham's rainy nights, but he never felt grateful for escaping the night and embracing the sunlight. All he felt was profound sorrow and longing.