( open ) and what's the worst you take

[batsymbol]

Who: Bruce Wayne/Batman batsymbol
What: July Catch-all, Bruce assimilating to things, Batman being Batman
When: Throughout July, some August things too
Where: Primarily Central City, will mention otherwise
Content Warnings: TBD but let's just say Bruce being Bruce and Batman being Batman.



BRUCE or BATMAN

open to both [brackets] and prose, i'll follow your lead if you have a preference. if you want something else with bruce or bats, shoot me a PM or PP at telekinetics to discuss. otherwise things we've planned/discussed can be dropped in here as well. starters in comments.

Comments

[torchbearer]

I . . . don't know? Why would I know that?

[batsymbol]

( that answer gets a heavy sigh of frustration from bruce and moves to walk past kyle. )

You're in my way.

[torchbearer]

[ hold on. ]

Is that what you're doing here? Hunting the Joker?

[batsymbol]

( is he? he doesn't know what the hell to do here. this isn't gotham. having something— having someone to focus on... to obsess over... it's what he does best.

he's also just going to keep walking. )

If he's here at all.

[torchbearer]

[ kyle sighs before holding out his ring. he creates a dome around them, completely opaque. it should block out anyone listening. ]

Bruce. I don't think that's a good idea. Not on your own.

[batsymbol]

( when the dome appears, that gets him to stop. this is new. not anything he can claim to have ever seen or experienced before. then again, gotham doesn't really yet have much in the way of superpowered villains running around.

hearing his name... it gets his jaw to grow tight, turning just slightly to look back to kyle— to green lantern here. )

Nice trick.

[torchbearer]

Thanks, you should see me at magic shows.

[ kyle has weathered the worst of bruce's temper and he's not like the robins. they were coworkers. equals. he knows bruce's mistakes as much as his victories. ]

I mean it though. Taking on a villain who has years of experience on you on your own is nuts.

[ he sighs. ]

I can help you look, though.

[batsymbol]

( he doesn't know whatever joker is here, no. gathering whatever intel he can about him... it's clear it's not the one he's thrown in arkham back in gotham— his gotham. but still. it's a joker and after hearing what he'd done to jason... maybe this is why he's here. to stop him. again. why else would be here? )

I work alone.

( there's no justice league where he's from. )

[torchbearer]

[ dryly. ]

I've met five other Robins that says otherwise.

[batsymbol]

It's just me.

( i don't have a robin, basically. )

[torchbearer]

[ is this what it's like to deal with a rebellious teen phase. why him, why this. ]

Uh-huh. Okay. You get that you can still work and have help right? There are things only you can do and there are things I can do. And it's more effective.

[batsymbol]

( rather than say anything, he just stares long and hard at kyle. if he knows some other bruce like he seems to claim he does, he should be used to it. he should know how to handle his non-verbal communication. right? )

[torchbearer]

[ he is and he does not flinch. ]

I'm just saying. You are the genius. I'm sure you can crunch the logistics of that.

[batsymbol]

( the long and hard stare only lasts for a few seconds longer before he sighs heavily to himself. it's not in defeat so much as in reluctant acceptance. )

I'll give you an hour.

[torchbearer]

An hour to find one of the biggest unhinged villains there is? Even you can't do that.

Tell you what. Do your . . . broody work but call for backup when you need it? Throw a flare or something and I'll find you.

[batsymbol]

( don't tell him what he can and can't do, kyle. )

I meant patrol. I don't expect to find him that easily. He never makes it easy, even for me.

[torchbearer]

[ oh, patrol works. he brightens. ]

No, he never does, but you always get your way.

[batsymbol]

We'll see.

( there's something almost somber with the way he says that. like he might be doubting himself there, but. he looks back up after a moment. )

You going to let me out of here now?

[torchbearer]

Oh yeah, sure.

[ kyle waves his hand and the dome disappears, out like a light. ]

[batsymbol]

( he watches the way kyle dismantles the dome. mentally noted, as always.

another glance to the other, he starts walking again. one hour. )

Just keep up.

( and, as he says that, he walks towards a particularly dark shadow there in the alleyway... and disappears into it. completely. there's a chance he might be screwing with kyle. )

[torchbearer]

[ kyle shouts after him. ]

Don't think I won't come after you with a flashlight!

[batsymbol]

( high above the building there in the alleyway, bruce appears on the ledge of the roof and looks down to where kyle is in on the ground. cape curling around him from a breeze that blows by, he sighs... maybe after the very faint and very fleeting smirk that was there on his lips. no witnesses to it though, so. )

Stop dilly-dallying. I told you to keep up.

[torchbearer]

[ kyle mutters under his breath. ]

Couldn't have been the Wonder Woman team, no we all get stuck with the uptight paranoid Bat-people.

[ he flies up to where bruce is with ease though he tones down the glowing effect the ring gives him. ]

[batsymbol]

( one man dressed as a bat and another that glows like a green nightlight. seems about right.

a glance to kyle once he joins him up there, he gently drops down from the ledge of the rooftop and continues across it, boots a little heavy as he goes. )

Let's get this out of the way. You know some version of me, I don't know any version of you. If you any issues with whatever version you know of me, I'd rather you take it out on me now so we can move past it.

[torchbearer]

[ kyle whistles. ]

You must have had a rough landing here.

[ he can picture it easily. with all the robins and jasons around. it must have been messy. come to think of it, jason hasn't said anything. kyle will wait until he brings it up. ]

Like I said, we're coworkers. We've had bumps in the road, sure. But it's nothing we didn't work out.

[ the tower of babel stuff . . . well, kyle's already put that behind him. ]