( he doesn't want to. damian's busy brooding and moping up here in his room with the new hole in the wall he knows he should patch up, because alfred would hate to see it.
but he clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. looks to the screen, then - gets himself up onto his feet and heads down to the cave. they know when missions are to begin, they know when they're going and how, so he's - currently out of uniform, bandages wrapped around his forearms and over his hands more to support his joints and cover the few scratches he'd gotten than anything else.
and the sunglasses he'd taken from somewhere earlier. who knows. they're not his, but they're his now. damian walks himself down into the cave and looks around for anything that appears to still need packing away. )
( He's checking over the Batmobile when Damian comes down β making sure everything's in working order and adding a couple tanks of gas into it since he doesn't have any idea whether or not gas is something he'll be able to locate where they're going.
Glancing over, he notices the bandages and the sunglasses and licks over his lips some β takes a second to look back down to the car as he fiddles with something simply as a means not to focus on something. )
( he's assuming sometime between their fight and now, otherwise it would have come up earlier. unless it wasn't relevant, but considering it is being mentioned now - damian figures bruce is bringing it up because his experience is relevant. if the question of when doesn't give him an answer, then he's certain bruce will clarify further.
and while damian waits for an answer, he makes his way over to the batmobile. opens the passenger door so he can climb inside and start inspecting what's already been packed into it. )
( After their fight, in other words. The timing had been suspicious, he thinks, given the fact that Damian as well had recently left only to return within a short enough timeframe, but. At least he hadn't been gone for too long, both here in Etraya and back within Gotham. Not like anything Damian had experienced.
He checks the cans of gas there in the backseat of the Batmobile β turns to lean against the car then with a slow breath leaving his lips. )
Riddler's been caught. A portion of Gotham is underwater.
( Licking his lips, he looks down. )
You were right. ( He gives himself a second. ) That my presence changes things. Causes a lasting effect... it's just not the one I was intending to make.
( damian's still not too sure of that himself. he's spoken to drake. to todd. to everyone he would have gone to last for comfort, because he wanted to hear them say he was right, but they gave him exactly what he didn't want: reassurance. damian turns around to sit properly in the passenger seat, head resting against the back of the passenger seat. )
( Itβs a little surprising to hear β has him glance over to Damian there settling in the passenger side of the Batmobile. Quiet. Taking a moment for himself to mull over the words β the almost sort of duty that comes with carrying such a title and responsibility to Gotham and its people.
A glance down, he sighs. )
The people of Gotham need to know someone is out there for them. Someone whoβs willing to fight for them. Protect them. But even then, some of them take it the wrong way.
( Riddler and his gang, for one. )
The Riddler and his men thought he and I were the same. That we wanted the same things out of Gotham. But I donβt. Not like that.
( A beat, he looks up β looks across the cave. )
( sounds like riddler, even if damian knows the one bruce is referring to and who he's used to aren't the same. but it's irrelevant; riddler isn't here, and damian understand what his father is getting at. )
They need hope. ( he remembers meeting his father. how angry damian had been - not at bruce, but at his mother, who decided to leave him behind. damian had asked to meet him, but hadn't anticipated being abandoned. he'd been haughty, defiant, refused to listen to anyone. bruce hadn't allowed him to have access to the internet or the world outside their manor, had made sure the room damian was in was one that could lock from the outside as he figured out what to do with the child he'd never known existed up until that point.
but more than that, damian remembers hope. remembers that through his tantrums, what he'd wanted more than anything was to be accepted, and bruce had been. . . working toward that before his untimely 'death'. grayson had filled in that place for him, replacing bruce's unflinching demeanor and strict rules with something a little softer, but it'd still provided damian with what he'd needed: hope for the future, the belief that he could be better. that he wasn't limited by his upbringing.
( It's something he's come to see himself. Gotham and its people are just as angry and scarred as he is... but he needs to be more than that. For himself. For Gotham. Even for Damian here. He just... doesn't know how to go about that, especially here.
A glance off, fingers gently fiddle with a sticky bomb before he's looking back over to Damian there in the passenger seat. )
I know.
( Now he does, anyways. )
It's why we can't give up. Here or back in Gotham.
( his focus has been divided. he's still - wondering if the way they're going about it is the right way, but his conversation with tim did help him.. recenter himself. reminded him it's not them that's the problem, which is enough for now. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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( that's his secret: he always knows where bruce is. )
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( it's an olive branch of sorts. )
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but he clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. looks to the screen, then - gets himself up onto his feet and heads down to the cave. they know when missions are to begin, they know when they're going and how, so he's - currently out of uniform, bandages wrapped around his forearms and over his hands more to support his joints and cover the few scratches he'd gotten than anything else.
and the sunglasses he'd taken from somewhere earlier. who knows. they're not his, but they're his now. damian walks himself down into the cave and looks around for anything that appears to still need packing away. )
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Glancing over, he notices the bandages and the sunglasses and licks over his lips some β takes a second to look back down to the car as he fiddles with something simply as a means not to focus on something. )
I went home. ( A beat. ) To my Gotham.
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( he's assuming sometime between their fight and now, otherwise it would have come up earlier. unless it wasn't relevant, but considering it is being mentioned now - damian figures bruce is bringing it up because his experience is relevant. if the question of when doesn't give him an answer, then he's certain bruce will clarify further.
and while damian waits for an answer, he makes his way over to the batmobile. opens the passenger door so he can climb inside and start inspecting what's already been packed into it. )
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( After their fight, in other words. The timing had been suspicious, he thinks, given the fact that Damian as well had recently left only to return within a short enough timeframe, but. At least he hadn't been gone for too long, both here in Etraya and back within Gotham. Not like anything Damian had experienced.
He checks the cans of gas there in the backseat of the Batmobile β turns to lean against the car then with a slow breath leaving his lips. )
Riddler's been caught. A portion of Gotham is underwater.
( Licking his lips, he looks down. )
You were right. ( He gives himself a second. ) That my presence changes things. Causes a lasting effect... it's just not the one I was intending to make.
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( damian's still not too sure of that himself. he's spoken to drake. to todd. to everyone he would have gone to last for comfort, because he wanted to hear them say he was right, but they gave him exactly what he didn't want: reassurance. damian turns around to sit properly in the passenger seat, head resting against the back of the passenger seat. )
Gotham needs Batman and Robin. It always will.
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A glance down, he sighs. )
The people of Gotham need to know someone is out there for them. Someone whoβs willing to fight for them. Protect them. But even then, some of them take it the wrong way.
( Riddler and his gang, for one. )
The Riddler and his men thought he and I were the same. That we wanted the same things out of Gotham. But I donβt. Not like that.
( A beat, he looks up β looks across the cave. )
I need to be better. We all do.
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They need hope. ( he remembers meeting his father. how angry damian had been - not at bruce, but at his mother, who decided to leave him behind. damian had asked to meet him, but hadn't anticipated being abandoned. he'd been haughty, defiant, refused to listen to anyone. bruce hadn't allowed him to have access to the internet or the world outside their manor, had made sure the room damian was in was one that could lock from the outside as he figured out what to do with the child he'd never known existed up until that point.
but more than that, damian remembers hope. remembers that through his tantrums, what he'd wanted more than anything was to be accepted, and bruce had been. . . working toward that before his untimely 'death'. grayson had filled in that place for him, replacing bruce's unflinching demeanor and strict rules with something a little softer, but it'd still provided damian with what he'd needed: hope for the future, the belief that he could be better. that he wasn't limited by his upbringing.
batman isn't only justice. he's more than that. )
Just like the others stuck here do.
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A glance off, fingers gently fiddle with a sticky bomb before he's looking back over to Damian there in the passenger seat. )
I know.
( Now he does, anyways. )
It's why we can't give up. Here or back in Gotham.
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( his focus has been divided. he's still - wondering if the way they're going about it is the right way, but his conversation with tim did help him.. recenter himself. reminded him it's not them that's the problem, which is enough for now. )
And I wouldn't, here. There's too much at stake.