( 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

[robintohood]

[As Jason's mind begins to wander back to his last fight with his Bruce, his voice comes out harsh and sounds much more like the Red Hood]

I tried to get my Bruce to change. Tried to get him to fucking understanding why the bastard has to die. He wouldn't listen. He's got his damn code.

[And it still hurts so much to know that after everything Jason put his Bruce through, that Bruce will never change]

Maybe you got one too. But it doesn't mean shit if the body count keeps going up. Nobody's saying you should go kill every thug you meet. But not everyone deserves to live. Some have to die, especially when you can't trust Gotham's shitty corrupt system to keep every criminal locked up. He always finds a way to get out.

[batsymbol]

( when jason starts going on about killing and how some deserve to die, he gives him a sidelong glance, hands still folded there with arms draped across his knees. it's difficult because...

...he doesn't agree with that.

no matter how much anger he has within him — no matter how hard he beats the thugs he comes across on the streets of gotham, he can't bring himself to kill them. even if some deserve it, like jason says.

for a long moment, he's quiet. pensive. when he finally speaks, it's soft. )

Justice isn't meant to be confused with scorn, but it easily can be.

[robintohood]

[Jason scoffs. He doesn't expect this Bruce to understand what he's trying to say. Not right away at least. But Jason can at least say he trying to make his point known]

Yeah. Sometimes you need that scorn to keep going.

You... He has tried to teach each of us that justice and vengeance aren't the same. That there's right way and a wrong way to do this. Not all of us agree though. I tried to do things his way but I just keep seeing how it doesn't work. I got tired of his bullshit.

You better hope your Arkham has top notch security because that bastard and so many others are gonna use the place like it's got a revolving door.

[batsymbol]

( he can appreciate the fleeting moment of correction there. his bruce, not him. )

They're not the same. You cross a line, there's no coming back from it.

[robintohood]

[In a bitter tone]

Now you really sound like him. "I'll never come back" was what he said last time we fought each other.

[batsymbol]

Maybe he was right.

[robintohood]

That's easy for you to say when you haven't fully seen what he's capable of.

Is there a Barbara Gordon back in your Gotham?

[batsymbol]

( he knows the name — knows gordon has a daughter. so the look he gives jason is one that's suspicious. )

Why?

[robintohood]

He got her too. She survived but not without permanent damage. A few months later, I died.

[Even after all these years, the incident and the close proximity to it with his own death still makes him so angry. Jason will never understand why his Bruce still didn't kill the Joker despite all that]

[batsymbol]

( that's not anything he needs to hear. not anything that has to happen to gordon. )

That's not going to happen. He's in Arkham. I put him there myself.

[robintohood]

[Jason huffs out a humorless laugh]

That's always the case. He loves getting attention from you. And it's not like the cops can do much because they're not all like Gordon.

You'll catch him plenty of times. Getting him to fucking stay in Arkham is another matter.

[batsymbol]

( all he does is give a shake of his head. )

It doesn't have to be that way.

[robintohood]

Yeah. It doesn't.

[Then in a darkly tone]

But are you willing to try something else?

[batsymbol]

( he knows what jason is implying — what he's indirectly asking and he stares to him with a hard resolve there. )

Is that what you want me to do here?

[robintohood]

If you can't do it, then stay out of the way and let someone else go for it.

[Not that he expects Bruce to actually listen to him. Jason's fully expecting more fights with the younger Bruce for as long as they're both on this Earth]

[batsymbol]

( a scoff on his lips, he shakes his head in disbelief almost. )

Someone like you.

[robintohood]

[Jason glares back at Bruce. It truly does feel like fighting his adoptive father again, even though the one before him is clearly younger and he knows he hasn't been Batman for as long]

Why not? Since you wanna keep your damn code so much.

[batsymbol]

( why does he feel the need to be firm here? they don't owe each other anything, really. but when it comes to jason here— when it comes to both of the jasons here, he can see parts of himself in them... jagged and angry parts that are likely to hurt them more than anyone else. )

Because we're supposed to be better than that. Better than them.

[robintohood]

[If they weren't out in public, Jason would probably punch Bruce by now]

Wow. You really are always so damn sanctimonious. Have you ever really thought about how this isn't just about you? How it's not just about making yourself feel better?

[batsymbol]

( how does he maintain the patience for this? )

Killing him isn't going to make you feel any better, Jason. No matter how much you might think it will.

[robintohood]

[In a snappish tone]

It's not about me! He already tortured, traumatized, and killed dozens of people before I died! Ending that monster's life will be doing everyone a favor!

[batsymbol]

( the joker he knows has done his own fair share of things, though nowhere near the extent of what this one seemingly has. yet. still. even with the tight jaw, he has to remain firm here with jason. because he can see himself going down this path as well. )

Look at what it's going to cost.

[robintohood]

[With no hesitation]

It'll be worth it in the end. You haven't seen yet what he's really capable of.

[batsymbol]

I will if you get your way.

( because that'll have joker win in the end. )

[robintohood]

[Bitterly]

What else is there? The catch and let him jailbreak routine gets old, Bruce.