[ kyle crosses his arms for a moment, looking away. ]
My girlfriend died. Not long after I got here. I got there but I was too late and she was gone.
[ always too late. too late for alex. too late for donna. too late for jenny. always too late. and it had nothing to do with kyle's power or his job or anything. it's just. how it was. ]
[ kyle nods, accepting that in the spirit it is given. ]
If something happens, I . . . [ will what? kyle won't lose it. his trauma isn't a marker, a trigger for his worst impulses. he's always faced his trauma head on before moving on.
but he's moved too far. if he lets go now, he won't be kyle rayner. he may not even be green lantern. it'll be ion, a god. transient as starlight. immutable, untouchable.
( this is a strange conversation to have given the things happening back in gotham for him - the things that had happened prior to his finding himself here, but. kyle's a good person. he's already picked that up from their last encounter with each other and good people, especially in gotham, seem to be hard to come by these days. or so it feels like it. )
I think you're letting your fear of going through that again get in the way.
( he can still see the but of hesitation there in kyle, and so he reaches into one of the pockets there on his utility belt, pulling a small case out. inside it, a tracker. of sorts. )
Here.
( holding it out to him. )
Things get bad or too much for you to handle, press this. I'll come get you.
( he's not meaning necessarily in a fight. he means more if kyle can't deal with whatever might happen after it. )
[ because he can trust bruce to see the big picture. to do what's right. kyle no longer has a big picture framework. it's only the people sees that he wants to help. so even if it went against kyle, he'd still trust it. ]
( there's no bat signal here for him to see in the sky nor meeting place to meet at when he's needed, so. this will have to do for now. also a way to keep an eye on the situation from a distance, but. that's just typical bruce.
( does he want to push this, is the thing. maybe it might be different if he had some sort of relationship with jason that wasn't mostly in passing and just barely there based on some other version of himself. but he's not so sure that might be a thing with himβ with either jason for that matter, but. still. it doesn't mean he wants to see anything bad happen to him, especially not after what he knows happened to him with joker. )
That going to be a problem between us?
( because it works both ways. kyle maintaining jason's trust but also bruce's. )
( bruce hands out trust in various degrees when it comes to people. the fact that he's giving kyle any at all when he barely knows him means something and he figures kyle knows that with knowing [a] bruce. so, gaze lingering on the other for a bit, he offers a hm in response before he turns some, looking out at the skyline. )
( he's not angry that the others hadn't reached out to him about it. he figures they can handle it. it's more he's wondering if the two youngest might be getting involved. )
[ kyle starts because he hadn't expected that, not so early on. but it was . . . nice. he had forgotten how nice it was when batman said that. you're the justice league's green lantern. we trust you with our lives.
he swallows it down for a moment. now's not the time to lose his head. ]
( just with this. for now. kyle hasn't given him any reason to doubt him as of yet and he'd made a rather interesting first impression on bruce the last time they'd spoke. there's also his wanting to keep himself out of whatever happens between him and jason, and bruce can respect that. )
I know.
( at that, he looks back over to kyle. )
Don't lose focus. You're not much good to him or the others if you do.
( he does notice it, even if he doesn't comment on it, but. that's just bruce for you.
turning, he gives a glance down over the ledge of the rooftop. )
You better get going. Don't want to be late.
( a fear he knows kyle struggles with, as confessed to him, and while bruce moves to disappear into the shadows [because that's what he does], he stops. looks over his shoulder some. )
I meant what I said. If it gets too much for you, I'll come get you.
( he doesn't offer kyle a good luck or anything because he's putting his faith in him to not need it, so. with all that said and done, he jumps off the side of the rooftop. and disappears into the shadows. as expected. )
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My girlfriend died. Not long after I got here. I got there but I was too late and she was gone.
[ always too late. too late for alex. too late for donna. too late for jenny. always too late. and it had nothing to do with kyle's power or his job or anything. it's just. how it was. ]
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I'm sorry.
( words soft, but very much genuine. )
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If something happens, I . . . [ will what? kyle won't lose it. his trauma isn't a marker, a trigger for his worst impulses. he's always faced his trauma head on before moving on.
but he's moved too far. if he lets go now, he won't be kyle rayner. he may not even be green lantern. it'll be ion, a god. transient as starlight. immutable, untouchable.
he shakes his head, glancing at bruce. ]
You've never held back. What do you think?
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I think you're letting your fear of going through that again get in the way.
( he looks up to kyle when he says that. )
You need to go get him. He'd do the same for you.
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Guess it's as good a time as any to go all out.
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Here.
( holding it out to him. )
Things get bad or too much for you to handle, press this. I'll come get you.
( he's not meaning necessarily in a fight. he means more if kyle can't deal with whatever might happen after it. )
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Thanks.
It is . . . really good you're here, Batman.
[ because he can trust bruce to see the big picture. to do what's right. kyle no longer has a big picture framework. it's only the people sees that he wants to help. so even if it went against kyle, he'd still trust it. ]
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which, speaking of. )
What was Jason doing there?
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What any of you would do. Investigate.
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( if kyle didn't think bruce was going to ask... )
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C'mon, man. If I spill, Jason will be mad with me forever.
You could ask the other bats. I'm sure they'll loop you in. But I can't be the one to do it.
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That going to be a problem between us?
( because it works both ways. kyle maintaining jason's trust but also bruce's. )
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Why would it be? It's not like I'm lying or deliberately keeping things from you. I just know better to cross lines when it comes to trust.
And I don't think you mind that.
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Who else knows about this?
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[ which doesn't bother him because at least he was looped in. ]
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( he's not angry that the others hadn't reached out to him about it. he figures they can handle it. it's more he's wondering if the two youngest might be getting involved. )
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[ to put it mildly. ]
We have a good team. No kids. It'll be fine.
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( because he and jason don't have that at the moment. he's more an emotional trigger to the other than anything else. at least for now.
to hear the younger ones aren't getting involved has him stare to kyle for a long moment before he looks off to the skyline again. )
I trust you.
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he swallows it down for a moment. now's not the time to lose his head. ]
I'll bring him back.
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I know.
( at that, he looks back over to kyle. )
Don't lose focus. You're not much good to him or the others if you do.
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[ it's not cocky or self-assured. it just . . . is. immutable. if bruce looks closely, he may even spot the flicker of star light. ]
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turning, he gives a glance down over the ledge of the rooftop. )
You better get going. Don't want to be late.
( a fear he knows kyle struggles with, as confessed to him, and while bruce moves to disappear into the shadows [because that's what he does], he stops. looks over his shoulder some. )
I meant what I said. If it gets too much for you, I'll come get you.
( or stop you, if it comes to that. )
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Okay.
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