etrayalogs | ( closed ) bred, born, and raised to kick your ass

( he doesn't need to look behind him to know that damian is following along. why wouldn't he be? )

Disheveled.

( one way to put it.

reaching the middle of the stairs where it breaks before another flight is to be taken, he stands there in front of two large black doors. glances to the handles and notices the chains and lock there. hm. that remains the same.

staring to it a moment longer, he continues up the stairs then, heading for what would be his room within the penthouse which, upon entering, is very much bruce's room despite its slightly unkempt appearance. a few steps in, he looks around — looks for anything that might be out of place, then turns back around to face damian. )

( he's assuming that means bruce had either been throwing a tantrum, or someone had broken in. both are equally possible, so damian doesn't question why or how, just leaves it be as he tails bruce into what's clearly meant to be his room.

damian looks to the furniture, the bed, marking similarities between his father's bedroom and this one.

he was right before: the aesthetic is fairly on point. bruce looks to damian, and damian returns his gaze. )

Would you like some privacy?

No.

( the word is soft, mind wandering some as he stands there. gaze dropping for a moment, he starts again, intending to check beneath the tower. where wayne terminus would or should be. though he’s curious with what may or may not be there, given the fact that it isn’t as if this tower sits atop an abandoned train station as it does back in his gotham. )

How similar is this to the tower you know?

( he asks that as he leaves the room, heading back to the elevator to go down now instead of up. )

( right. back out of the room they go. damian waits until bruce has passed him to start trailing after again, a couple steps behind. he's not here to check out anything in particular, at least not this time. damian can investigate when he comes around after bruce has left. )

The penthouse was given a more modern renovation. The number of floors and shape of the building are identicial. The inside thus far looks entirely different.

( he also hasn't used the penthouse in quite some time, but that's not important. )

( at the elevator, he pulls open the gate again. stands there. waits for damian to enter first before he makes his way in after him and shuts it, pressing the button for down. )

The pictures of my parents in what’s considered to be their room in the manor are the ones that are on the dresser in their room here. ( the locked one which bruce walked by. ) I don’t know if that was intentional or a mistake.

( if they had accidentally been placed there or, they simply thought that was where it went, given bruce was still here regardless. )

The intention behind rebuilding our . . . homes hasn't been made clear yet. I suspect it's to lull us into a false sense of security, giving us things we want to make us more comfortable with our situation as they describe it.

( he's following after bruce, letting himself into the elevator and walking far enough back to leave the door, and the buttons, clear for bruce's use. this is his home, he's the one running through rooms, damian is merely here to keep an eye on him. )

It may have been intentional. Given it's your home, even if it wasn't currently by your memory. Pulling you back to your roots.

Considering why they've brought us here, my guess is making us feel comfortable by whatever means necessary is what they're aiming for. Or to simply be reminders of what it is we have to fight for.

( landmarks. places. things. all which hold some sense of familiarity or even sentimentality to them depending on the person. he wouldn't be surprised if that were the intention— the tactic they're using with places and things like wayne manor and wayne tower.

the elevator stops at the bottom and, like before, he pulls open the gate. steps out. stands there. it's not... exactly wayne terminus — he didn't think it would be what with there being no means of underground transportation he's been able to locate, but. it still holds the space. still has his little setup along train tracks that go nowhere — into a wall — and his small computer setup that, like at the manor, is more for show than anything else.

slowly, he makes his way inside — flicks on a light — and stands there as he takes a moment to see what is and isn't right. )

Their location choices could use some work if it's meant to be a reminder.

( he could clarify what he means by that, how wayne manor may hold significant meaning to damian, but he could think of at least a half dozen other places that would be a more effective reminder of what he's working to defend. and several others that would work better for drake and todd, too.

instead, he's looking out the elevator when the door opens, noting the station that - well, belongs there, even if the one he's familiar with has, )

No Bat-Trains?

( granted, he doubts bruce would be able to come up with bat-trains as good as drake's had been, even if damian won't admit to it out loud. because that'd be complementing tim, which is unforgivable.

still, he quickly lets himself out of the elevator and begins looking around what he's considering to be this bruce's cave. )

( The Look says it all, really. )

It was used as a private train station back in the sixties onward. In the eighties, my grandfather closed it down and it wasn't spoken of again.

( a slow turn of his head, he looks around the place — at how familiar it is and tries to remind himself that this isn't really home. )

I found it years after my parents murders. Decided to make it something... more.

( just as he's doing to himself. being the batman. )

Robin the Third used the space to develop something similar to bullet trains under Wayne Tower. They could travel through Gotham twenty times faster than the Batmobile was capable of. He employed several bots to continue digging tunnels where Gotham's architects wouldn't get in the way.

( tim is impressive, too clever, even if he's also one of damian's sworn mortal enemies. maybe not to the same extent as the likes of deathstroke, bane, or any of gotham's rogues, but. mortal enemy regardless.

the grapple gun gets shot up into the area above what he's assuming is bruce's main workstation, and damian zips off into the air - landing on the railing above with his weight balanced on the balls of his feet. squints down at the area below him. )

We should discuss your Rogues, in case we end up with more visitors from similar universes.

( he watches as damian zips off — as he steadies himself on a railing above. quiet. contemplative. then, after a moment, he makes his way over to that workstation. slowly. steps not as heavy as they could be.

standing there in front of the table, he looks down. spots something. a notebook. the gotham project. he can't help but wonder...

reaching out, he opens it. flips through a few of the pages and... his words are there. all of them. from the past two years that he's been this. that he's been the batman. blue eyes scan the pages carefully as he slowly turns them, making sure they're things he's written, even if so many times, they all bleed together.

looking up to damian above, he closes the book. )

Problematic ones.

( since he doesn't exactly keep track of unknown thugs and criminals who are just out to rip a store off or vandalize gotham city bank with their graffiti. )

( bruce settles (or, stands, but settles by his standards) at his table, and damian keeps the grapple hooked into the rail above. holds onto the grapple gun with both hands as he drops himself down until he's hanging just over the table, boots on either side of the wire to grip it as his hands release the gun and hold onto the wire above it, too. less like a bird, or a bat. more like a spider, maybe.

damian looks comfortable like that regardless, even as he's releasing the wire with one hand to reach toward the closed book. )

I wouldn't ask about the lower-level miscreants.

( damian dangles himself there above the table — reaches out for the notebook — and bruce just pulls it back with the tips of gloved fingers. quiet. blue eyes staring to him through the thick greasepaint and the cowl. )

Who are you asking about then?

( if damian has someone in particular in mind. )

The rest. Obviously.

( he's not sure how much detail he should be giving to bruce - not one this young. but damian also figures - he's asking bruce for information, he needs to give some to get any. )

Deathstroke, Deadshot, Joker, Hugo Strange, Penguin, Riddler, Zsasz, Hush, Black Mask, Bane, Scarecrow, Two-Face. ( and with the hand he had been extending towards bruce's book raising to press his index finger against the cowl, ) Man-Bat.

( some of those names ring familiar. others... not so much. )

Man-Bat.

( that's said a little more in disbelief than confirmation and he takes the book off the table with him, crossing over to inspect the rest of the workspace. )

Joker's in Arkham. ( he leads with that. ) Penguin's making money off drops while under Falcone. ( a beat. ) Riddler's who I'm dealing with now.

( rude. he wanted that book. but bruce moves away, and damian stays where he's at, scowling. )

Riddler is a nuisance. Falcone and Penguin continue to have a working relationship until Falcone begins a massive war against Penguin. Falcone gets released from Blackgate, Penguin is released by Joker when he releases the rest of the prisoners. ( the scowl deepens, voice getting a little more of an edge to it. ) I would recommend paralyzing Joker as soon as you're given the opportunity. He has led to Gotham's downfall, and your own, on countless occasions. The others are nuisances, irritants, who try to crawl out of the gutter to cause havoc and mayhem when possible. Joker will break you.

( it may not seem as if he's listening but, like always, he is. looking over the various things that have been placed about his workspace, back turned to damian. he can't help but let his gaze drop — looking down to the book he holds in his hand. )

Joker's not the one who put Alfred in the hospital.

( the words are soft. difficult for him to say and he slowly walks away from the table, setting the book down before he does. )

I'll clarify.

( legs cross, holding onto the grapple gun with his calves so damian can free both hands. )

They'll all break you. Falcone, too. They'll find your weak spots and dig into them to destroy you. But you're strong, and Batman always gets back up. Alfred will recover. Riddler will go to Arkham, break out, then come back to do it all over again.

( hands reach for the book once more. bruce has put it down within reach, clearly that means damian can have it. )

When Joker breaks you, he will break pieces you cannot mend. He'll leave a gaping wound as large as the one from that night in Crime Alley, and nothing will ever manage to stifle the bleeding.

( if damian opens the book, he'll find the entries to all be handwritten by bruce. one of them reading:

I'll take on the city's criminals alone so I won't put anyone else at risk. I'll need a disguise. I'll have to hide my face to people from recognizing me. A mask? And I'll need protection, like a bulletproof vest that covers my whole body. Made out of strong material-something highly durable. But, it'll have to be flexible, so I can fight while I'm wearing it. Wayne Industries?

he lingers near the spot where his car — the batmobile — would be. it's not there, but. the space for it is. hm. even while he mulls that over, again, he listens to what damian says. pushes down his own fears about what might happen to alfred. )

Like I said. Joker's in Arkham. Riddler's my priority right now.

Edited 2024-04-17 21:30 (UTC)

Edward. Last name of either Nygma, Nashton, Tierney, or Nigma. With an "I". Has gone by Mockingbird and Enigma as well. A strategist, ex-employee of Wayne Enterprises. He's assisted the GCPD during investigations while detained in Arkham Asylum. He has a daughter, Quinn Nash, who also answers to Enigma. However, Riddler considers her less intelligent than himself and has tried to kill her.

( don't mind him, he likes some light reading. damian will flip through a few pages, holding it in front of his face. )

He's an egotistical, narcissistic bottom-feeder. His inability to leave a crime scene without leaving behind a puzzle or riddle to solve will ultimately lead to his defeat.

Edited 2024-04-17 21:52 (UTC)

( listening, he only glances over to damian out of the corner of his eye for a second. catches him flipping through his book. hm. )

He's been writing to me. Leaving me cards with riddles at each murder.

( writing to the batman, he means. )

Bruce Wayne was his latest target. ( a beat. ) Alfred was the one to suffer for that.

He recognizes your wit. The GCPD can't keep up with him, Batman can.

( his weight shifts, legs still holding onto the grapple gun as damian intentionally causes the wire to swing, until he has enough leeway he can bend his legs over his head into a flip and land on his feet, without removing his hands from the book.

flips the page once he's up on his feet. )

Many of Gotham's Rogues will develop an unhealthy obsession with Batman.

Alfred will be fine.

( another page turned and another entry found. this one, a little more recent.

Thursday, October 31st. The city streets are crowded for the holiday. Even with the rain. Hidden in the chaos is the element waiting to strike like snakes. But I'm there too. Watching. Two years of nights have turned me into a nocturnal animal. I must choose my targets carefully. It's a big city. I can't be everywhere. But they don't know where I am. We have a signal now. For when I'm needed. But when that light hits the sky, it's not just a call. It's a warning. To them. Fear... is a tool. They think I'm hiding in the shadows. But I am the shadows. I wish I could say I'm making a difference, but I don't know. Murder, robberies, assault. Two years later, they're all up. And now this. The city's eating itself. Maybe it's beyond saving. But I have to try. Push myself. These nights all roll together in a rush, behind the mask. Sometimes in the morning, I have to force myself to remember everything that happened.

again, he just barely looks over to damian there. hears what he has to say. yet doesn't seem to entirely believe it. )

You don't know that.

( the words are soft, bruce staring over to the elevator where he almost expects to see alfred. )

We're not from the same Gotham.

( damian's quiet, for a moment. the notebook gets shoved into the back of his belt before he makes his way over to bruce. moves to stand in front of him. not beside him, not behind, but right in his line of sight. )

I have battled gods. I've been to Death's door. Looked into the depths of the universe. There are things I've seen that I know you won't consider being real until you have witnessed it with your own eyes. You don't have to believe me, but I want you to hear the certainty in my words when I tell you no matter what world it is, what differences there may be, Pennyworth will not allow himself to breathe his last breath while you are still so easily defeated.

( damian's not wrong. bruce feels defeated. to some extent. having not been able to be there for him — to get to him in time or see the writing on the wall of bruce wayne being the riddler's next target... he should have known. should have figured it out quicker. now alfred lays in a hospital from a bomb. meant for him. it's his fault he's there.

his gaze just barely lifts to meet damian's. drops a moment later. )

I hope you're right.

( again, the words are soft. somber. )

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