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[batricide]

@hafid.alghul| ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[reneger]

( something shifted in damian. the tiny child he knows wouldn't have admitted that just like--this. maybe if the situation called for it, but not. in a shady ass bar, discussing bullshit.

hell, jason wouldn't usually either. )

I'm all ears, little D.

( better to be open than to start asking him shit now, right. )

[batricide]

It's only a matter of time before we get our hands dirty and start up the family business again. [ It's fact. Because they can't help themselves. You get a taste of being good and you choke for more. ] My father's methods are flawed. I've seen first hand what happens when you give unrepentant sickos and monsters an endless string of second chances.

[ Death on a massive scale. Far more human suffering than needs to ever occur. ]

If you still follow his philosophy -- fine. Don't expect me to, and don't get in my way. Some people deserve to die.

[reneger]

I stuff heads into duffel bags and toss them to their gangster bosses.

( like a: what the fuck, damian wayne. and b: why would jason even be concerned about murders in the slightest. does he want damian doing that shit? no. that's his thing. but. he agrees: some people just need to die. )

Don't worry 'bout me.

[batricide]

Good.

[ Because he'd hate to have to add Jason to his shitlist of people who let their morality and ideology sit about human lives. ]

[reneger]

But I'd rather you leave the finishing part to me.

( leave all the blood on his hands rather than it being on damian's. )

Not gonna fight you on it, but. If one of us goes down, I'd rather it be me. You're the brains here. I can handle lockup.

[batricide]

I was raised by the League of Assassins, you were at least trained by them. We're not going to be jailed unless you have the subtlety of a rampaging elephant and have forgot how to dispose of a body in a pinch.

[ And also that's dumb. everyone knows the last hitter gets all the exp, jason, you fucking kill stealing asshole. ]

[reneger]

We don't know how this place operates. How deep their surveillance goes.

( look sometimes you just need to collect all the coin for extra items? he needs them. )

Until we figure that shit out--if you need someone dead? Really prefer it if you leave it to me.

[batricide]

Fine. Whatever. [ Is he rolling his eyes? He's rolling his eyes. ]

What about the others from home? Are they going to be an issue?

[reneger]

( yes thank you, damian. much appreciated. )

Steph's not strong enough to be a problem if she tried, ( though he does pause for a moment, clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. ) but she's not the one from my universe, so I don't know. Kara might be, but she already told me she doesn't give a shit if I put holes in the guys who are behind us getting stuck here.

[batricide]

I've spoken with her. She seems amiable enough. [ He has also spoken to Steph -- but until he has a longer conversation, sussed out her moral standing, and assessed her skills, she's not a priority. ]

There are a few here who seem decent enough to consider if we put together a team for the task. [ He considers. ] Hawkeye owes me a show of skill, though.

[reneger]

I don't want a team.

( firmly, leaning forward to rest both of his elbows against the table. )

Teams always turn to shit. We'd be better off without trying that crap.

[batricide]

[ He does have a point. All it took was Luthor throwing a tantrum for everything to fall apart. ]

Fine. But we'd be fools not to use all the resources at our disposal if push comes to shove. [ And he's not about to get the snot beat out of him on national TV for a sixth time, thanks. ]

[reneger]

If you wanna make a team, it's your call. But I'm not gonna be responsible for them.

( he doesn't want that. doesn't want the guilt of failing them, of being the piece of shit who couldn't protect people he was supposed to. )

I won't get involved with it.

[batricide]

I don't need you to be responsible for my team, Todd. [ he snaps, bristling. like jason maybe just insinuated that he's not competent enough to run it even if no such thing was said or even thought. but he's a little older, a little wiser - at least wise enough to realize when someone maybe isn't really about his shortcomings.

Maybe.

but that maybe... sounds like there's something else there.

hm.

aw, hell. ]

What happened?

[reneger]

( he gets what damian's asking even if he doesn't like it. damian's onto something, and it's something that jason doesn't want to share just yet. his big old mistake. )

I don't like teams. You should know that--despite whatever discrepancies there are in our universes.

[batricide]

You killed Amanada Waller and took her Suicide Squad in my universe.

[reneger]

That's not a team. That's a bunch of assholes I can use.

[batricide]

Isn't that the definition of a team?

[reneger]

No. Teams are people you work together with. People you trust to have your back, whose backs you'll watch over.

( god, damian. how are you this dark. )

Teams are friends. People you use are just that.

[batricide]

Teams are little more than coworkers. You don't have to be friends with them, you just have to work well together to accomplish your goal.

[reneger]

If I'm gonna work beside someone, you'd better be damn sure I trust them not to fuck shit up. That I know if shit goes south they'll have my back. That's a team. Coworkers, whatever you wanna call them.

( tbh he's not all too happy about possibly being responsible for the deaths of whoever the hell damian wants to drag in, but. )

There's respect between coworkers. An' I'm not gonna let anyone I don't respect fight with me.

[batricide]

[ i don't respect anyone but MYSELF. well, that's a lie. he'd call one of the justice league a friend. two are family. the rest are annoying, but trustworthy enough. enough that he'd care to keep them alive. ]

Hence why anyone I would recruit would have to pass rigorous testing. I'm not a novice at this. I've been at it longer than you have at this point.

[reneger]

Then I'll leave it up to you.

( with a hand raising to wave to the bartender. do they usually come over here? probably not. but he's determined. )

Just don't kill anyone yet.

[batricide]

Tt.

[ What do you take him for? A chump? He's got this. ]

[reneger]

( a child, more like. but whatever. jason waits for the bartender to come over, leans in close and orders an "AMF" along with another two shots of whisky. and once that guy's gone, his attention turns back fully to damian himself, lips pursed. )

How steady are your fingers?