29 - Video

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara is sitting on her couch, Jonesy curled up on her lap. Her communicator is carefully angled away from her control centre.

She starts off with a wry wave.] If you can see this, you've gotten pulled into a space prison's telecommunications network. As far as I can tell, it won't affect your systems any, so don't worry.

[Her smile deepens.] And if you're from Gotham, I know damn well this isn't the strangest thing that's happened to you this week.

((Fourth wall! GO TO TOWN.))

Comments

[bodilesswarrior]

Probably a bit of both.

You two never really got along, though.

[batfart]

I gathered that from the fact she apparently shot me.

[bodilesswarrior]

[She's trying not to snicker, really.]

She didn't mention it was a paint ball, did she?

[batfart]

She neglected to mention that, yes.

[bodilesswarrior]

She did sneak up on you, though.

[batfart]

Not me.

Some-- [ disgusting, coward version of him, some version of him who kills! ] someone else.

[bodilesswarrior]

[She knows that tone, and her expression shifts, turns set and stubborn.]

What did she tell you about him?

[batfart]

Enough to know he isn't me.

[ He never broke his code. He hung up the goddamn cowl just for touching a gun to warn off a criminal. He stayed true, even when his life was on the line, didn't pull the trigger. That anywhere, any person who calls himself Bruce Wayne, finally broke and used a gun to kill another? They stopped being Bruce Wayne. ]

[ He's got that set to his jaw, the digging in, the firm glower. This is not a fight she can win. ]

[bodilesswarrior]

God, sometimes I forget what a stubborn idiot you are.

[batfart]

Strange, you seem fit to remind me often enough.

[bodilesswarrior]

Someone has to. [Yes, the fondness is creeping back into her voice. Dammit, Bruce.]

...We're still - we're friends, right?

[batfart]

Not particularly.

You married and moved on. Dick's gone. Tim's settled down, and except for a-- minor hiccup [ Joker ] he's moving on with his life. Successful career, wife, family, couple of kids. Got grandkids on the way, now that I think about it.

We buried Alfred and Leslie years ago. Cancer got Harvey.

[ He's outlived or alienated all of his friends and family. It's the Bruce Wayne way. ]

[bodilesswarrior]

[Dammit.

Her shoulders slump, a little bit. She knows this isn't her world, but it's still - it's disappointing.

She's not letting it happen, in her world. She's not letting them fall apart.]

Who do you have, Bruce? [Her voice is soft.]

[batfart]

Terry McGinnis.

He's... it's complicated. The Wall level complicated.

But he-- he stole the suit, ran off to play hero. Now, he does it proud. He's a good boy-- has connections, family still. Things outside the cave. He'll do better.

[ He won't be me; God willing, he won't be me. ]

[bodilesswarrior]

...Amanda's involved? [Well, that's strange and probably dangerous. But she smiles, all the same - because Bruce can still open his heart to someone.]

And...Terry can learn from our mistakes.

[batfart]

She tried to engineer another Batman. Picked up some DNA, found s suitable 'donor', loaded him up without his consent, let him father children, then tried to stage a Crime Alley murder all over again. Her agent there failed, but...

[ He is so deeply angry with her. ]

Terry's the result. Years later, Powers took out his father over dirty corporate scheming, and... here we are.

[ Some things are just freakishly serendipitous. ]

[bodilesswarrior]

...She wanted more of you? [That's the real sticking point, if only for a moment.

Different worlds. Clearly.

She shakes her head, as her voice softens.]

Does Terry know?

[batfart]

Does now, aye.

He's-- at peace with it. Glad for family, but he knows who his father is. [ Bruce will never replace Warren McGinnis -- just like Alfred could never entirely fill the gap Thomas Wayne left, though he did his valiant best to raise a good son. ]

[ Bruce knows he's the son of two great men -- Terry will be too. ]