( 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

[batsymbol]

( edward nygma. so he has a name. just doesn't do much good for him here. )

He's been writing to me — killing people and leaving behind riddles every time he does.

( coming up to the light, he makes that turn. nice and smooth. )

[reneger]

I told you, Batman is a symbol. An' that paints a target on your back. People want to destroy you, 'cause destroying you means destroying the thing people look for when they're feeling helpless.

( bruce is still early on in his career, but jason's betting it falls the same. )

Right turn after you pass the next two intersections, and the park's right there.

[batsymbol]

I don't know if I'd call myself a symbol. Just trying to save Gotham from itself.

( and feeling like he's fighting a losing battle. but still, he tries. )

[reneger]

You're young. You won't see it yet.

( robin's job is to keep batman grounded. to be there for him, to always have his back. jason hasn't been robin in a long time. )

When people get scared, they look for you. When Gotham starts falling apart, it's you who they believe in.

[batsymbol]

I scare even the people I save.

( the way they look to him in fear - asking him not to hurt them when he'd just gone and saved them. freak they sneer at him.

first intersection passed. )

[reneger]

That's what the kid bouncing 'round snarking every piece of shit Bats chases after is for.

( he hates that robins exist. he also gets why. it's a hard place to exist at. )

You're supposed to be scary. People eventually figure out that you're there to help, not cause more harm.

[batsymbol]

Gordon's about the only one who thinks so.

( and he trusts him enough to work with him and, as it turns out, that goes both ways. )

[reneger]

You'll get there. You're just a baby. It takes time.

( fingers pause over one knob in , and jason--shoots bruce a grin before he's pressing it. )

[batsymbol]

( congrats, kiddo. all that does is dial up a number there on the screen closest to jason, the words CALLING ALFRED... showing up only for there to be no answer and for bruce to give a sidelong glance to him before he's sighing and looking back ahead.

alfred's not here and he still doesn't know how to feel about that. )

[reneger]

( the "call alfred" button is an important part of any batmobile. jason can respect that. but what he can't respect is an order not to touch anything, which is why he's moving on to find another button. maybe this one will be more fun, since the other one was boring as shit. )

[batsymbol]

( when jason goes to press that button, the batmobile drifts again at the intersection there, coming to a sharp halt that might just jostle jason around a little when it does. cutting the engine, he looks over to him. not amused. )

We're here.

[reneger]

( it shoves him over enough to prevent him from pressing buttons and when jason looks over to bruce, he laughs. not the kind of laugh that sounds like it's forced or fake, but a genuine laugh full of mirth. bruce isn't amused, but jason is very, very amused.

the car stops, and jason pulls open the passenger door to climb out. between sitting inside and closing the door behind him, he manages to pull himself together enough to wipe the smarmy grin off his face. this isn't the time or place for that, especially not when there's several teens and younger standing up against trees, brown bags in hand, massive old backpacks on the ground beside them or on their backs--doing generally not advised for kids shit, because what else would they all be doing gathered like this? )

You got a strategy here, Bats?

[batsymbol]

( getting himself out of the driver's seat, when they step away from it, the batmobile disappears into the darkness of the shadows, much like bruce himself had tried to do when laying out on the ground.

a glance around them, cape flowing some in the breeze that gently drifts by, he looks back over to jason. )

You said a kid went missing from here.

[reneger]

I did.

( back to work, so jason's squaring his shoulders, looking over to the groups of kids deeper into the park then back to bruce himself while he makes his way up to--where the front of the car would have been, had it not disappeared. )

You gonna talk to them? Ask them about it?

[batsymbol]

( standing there, bruce takes a moment to survey the area before he's looking over to jason out of the corner of his eye. )

I don't question kids.

( a beat. )

Why are we really here?

[reneger]

You were looking for leads, weren't you? This's the closest I've got to one.

( and sharing is nice. tim would have told bruce, eventually. jason just got it into his hands faster. he should be grateful. )

It's kids like these who've got all the street intel. What's got you so skittish? Can't just talk to someone?

[batsymbol]

It's been months. Why didn't you follow up on this lead then?

( he knows you want to find joker as much as he does, jason. )

[reneger]

I did. I came around, I asked about their missing pal. Got a bunch of shrugs, a lot of "who knows".

( did you think he just left it waiting for bruce. )

[batsymbol]

( the sigh of frustration he gives... )

Then why are we here?

( it's a dead end. )

[reneger]

( it's things like that which reminds jason that this is just a tiny, babier bruce. one who hasn't made a lot of the mistakes jason remembers, one who's still so easy to piss off. )

'cause I'm not known as the world's greatest detective, that's you.

( tim is smarter than bruce. hell, tim likely deserves the title more, but he's not saying that. )

[batsymbol]

( for a long moment, there's nothing. not a single word said or a sound made before he's just turning away and walking back towards where the batmobile is. patience is not a virtue for bruce currently. especially not when dealing with the joker. )

[reneger]

( wow, he gave up easily. jason looks forward to the groups of kids, one of which has turned to look at them, before he's turning back around to follow bruce. )

Just because I didn't find anything, doesn't mean you won't.

( but since he knows where it is now, jason figures bruce'll probably--show up, watch the park, see if he can find something else, whatever. )

[batsymbol]

( he will. he also feels like jason might be playing with him a little and he's not in the mood. not when it comes to joker. his own might not have done the many things jason's has - this one has, but he's started something between them already. something that sits there inside bruce and will probably never go away.

approaching the batmobile, the shadows drop away from it and he goes to open door. getting inside. turning the engine on immediately. )

[reneger]

And people call me the dramatic one.

( it's not surprising. jason doesn't get inside, but he stands outside the batmobile on the driver's side. raises a hand to offer a little wave. if a wave could look sarcastic, this one would. )

Later.