I remember way back when, ( story time isn't something he'd usually get into, but damian can use the reaffirmation. ) first meeting Babs, and even after Tim'd come around and I'd gone back to Gotham--all three of us always knew she was better than us. Better at the game, better at the banter. Smarter. More clever than anyone else.
After you came around? You overwhelmed the hell out of all of us. Babs included. ( now they're getting to the shitty part of town, full of abandoned buildings and homeless on every street corner. ) At ten you were outsmarting all of us. Dick couldn't keep up with you. Smarter, faster, a better fighter than every other Robin combined, but--
( with a hand extending out, fingers shoving into damian's short hair. )
[ He swats at his hand, annoyed. That part rings true at least. Damian had stormed the scene in his own universe and demanded the spotlight, the attention, the approval - expecting something better than the League only to find more of the same. Just with a limiter that ensured that the cycle of crime would always continue.
But he'd followed orders. Twisted himself up into pretzels for parental approval, only to find it never good enough. ]
This is a travesty. [ is what he says instead of acknowledging anything Jason said, looking around, his eyes are on the people camped out on the streets. annoyance rising. ] They drive animals to extinction and still can't take care of their own.
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Yeah. <small( there's an idle glance to a young woman curled up on the sidewalk, blanket over her shoulders and eyes specifically looking anywhere <i>but</i> towards them. it--hurts, honestly. seeing people like that, especially the women and children. he and his mother were never homeless but they were two steps out the door, and when <i>she</i> was gone--he thrived off the streets. stole from whoever had enough, tore down everything that got in his way. )</small>
Just the way the world works, ain't it? Gotham was like this. Every other damn place in the world has these bits, too.
[ He watches for a moment longer, then turns his head. Granting them their small dignities. His anger isn't towards them. ]
No. It's only like this when the people on top don't care about the people below them. [ He went to those dark parts of Gotham after the Regime took over. The street corners were bare, the housing had been fixed, crime was eliminated.
Wasn't that greater than the value of a few small personal freedoms? ]
( fighting for the little people. it's what jason's been trying to do since--forever. what he wants to do. protect people who can't protect themselves by any means necessary. )
[ But it rings true. Take out the kingpins, put fear into the hearts of those that can't be taught any other way, and the world becomes a better place. ]
( no, they're going to do what they do best: work from the shadows, overtake the underground, run it with their own rules instead of whoever the hell is in charge now--use their connections to their benefit. )
[ They probably don't have the same memories. No - definitely wouldn't. He knew Jason as Robin - before he was the dead Robin. When he was competition for the title before he was just -- gone, and that didn't matter any more. ]
( bruce wayne's collection of child soldiers remains close to the same regardless of what universe they're in. they've all got something to fight for, something they believe in and want to protect.
they've all got their own skillset, their own moral code and idea of what justice is, but the need for justice never changes. )
How's this place? Like it, or should we look for another?
( onwards they go, then. he hasn't had much time to explore, but it's obvious enough which way is down. the streets get worse, more overcrowded, uglier and more broken. )
I never thought I'd say it, but I miss Bludhaven's derelict corners. [ Damian stops every now and again to investigate a building and then apparently decides that street level is a piss poor way to investigate and just starts climbing. ]
( he misses gotham. bludhaven. jason's left it before but it's never been forced, and gotham is his home. born and raised.
fuck batman. )
I miss Bludhaven's crowd.
( but he's following damian on up, grabbing onto whatever bits and pieces he can get his hands on to pull himself up the side of the closest building and shoves the toe of his boot into each crack on the way up. )
[ He swings himself onto the rooftop, feeling better already. Doing this without equipment probably isn't the single smartest thing he's ever done but hey. He just takes a minute to enjoy the feeling of being taller than everything else for a moment before he sets about studying the architecture and landscape. ]
( equipment is for losers. jason trusts the climb well enough. pulls himself up onto the roof and dusts off gloves against dark pants, gives damian his moment to look across the city. )
I knew what to expect from them. The assholes, gamblers, gangsters. These guys?
I don't have a lot to go on, since none of these morons seem to think that putting their heads together to compare notes is worth their while. [ And, you know, he has no social skills and demanding people tell him things hasn't gotten him very far. ]
Back in my world, one of our own betrayed us. They were in contact with the enemy and brought in fighters from another dimension to upset the balance of power. I don't trust the fact that the enemy thought to fit us with neural implants and then just dropped us where we could be found. That's too convenient. Too co-ordinated. Either the enemy is exceptionally stupid or it's a set up.
[ He jerks his chin back towards the base. ]
We've probably been brought in and fitted with metahuman abilities for the same reason Luthor pulled that stunt. Soldiers for the cause that aren't tied to any political or societal biases.
( makes sense. considering what he's heard, seen. the bits and pieces of information that are flowing around openly--being here as unaffiliated soldiers fits. jason doesn't like it, but it makes sense. )
( damian shrugs, and jason moves a hand over, slides it through the shadow behind damian. wispy dark shapes follow his hand out, curl around fingertips even as he brings it out of the dark and into the light. )
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( there's a low, thoughtful hum. as if he's taking the time to actually, you know. consider that. )
I'm not so sure.
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After you came around? You overwhelmed the hell out of all of us. Babs included. ( now they're getting to the shitty part of town, full of abandoned buildings and homeless on every street corner. ) At ten you were outsmarting all of us. Dick couldn't keep up with you. Smarter, faster, a better fighter than every other Robin combined, but--
( with a hand extending out, fingers shoving into damian's short hair. )
Kinda your weakness too.
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But he'd followed orders. Twisted himself up into pretzels for parental approval, only to find it never good enough. ]
This is a travesty. [ is what he says instead of acknowledging anything Jason said, looking around, his eyes are on the people camped out on the streets. annoyance rising. ] They drive animals to extinction and still can't take care of their own.
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Just the way the world works, ain't it? Gotham was like this. Every other damn place in the world has these bits, too.
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No. It's only like this when the people on top don't care about the people below them. [ He went to those dark parts of Gotham after the Regime took over. The street corners were bare, the housing had been fixed, crime was eliminated.
Wasn't that greater than the value of a few small personal freedoms? ]
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( fighting for the little people. it's what jason's been trying to do since--forever. what he wants to do. protect people who can't protect themselves by any means necessary. )
We'll even the odds.
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[ But it rings true. Take out the kingpins, put fear into the hearts of those that can't be taught any other way, and the world becomes a better place. ]
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( no, they're going to do what they do best: work from the shadows, overtake the underground, run it with their own rules instead of whoever the hell is in charge now--use their connections to their benefit. )
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[ He folds his arms, annoyed. ]
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It's you and me against the world. Reminds me of old times.
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Some things never change.
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they've all got their own skillset, their own moral code and idea of what justice is, but the need for justice never changes. )
How's this place? Like it, or should we look for another?
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[ He can already pick out some potential problems. But it's not terrible. If they have to it'll do. ]
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Whatever you say.
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fuck batman. )
I miss Bludhaven's crowd.
( but he's following damian on up, grabbing onto whatever bits and pieces he can get his hands on to pull himself up the side of the closest building and shoves the toe of his boot into each crack on the way up. )
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[ He swings himself onto the rooftop, feeling better already. Doing this without equipment probably isn't the single smartest thing he's ever done but hey. He just takes a minute to enjoy the feeling of being taller than everything else for a moment before he sets about studying the architecture and landscape. ]
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I knew what to expect from them. The assholes, gamblers, gangsters. These guys?
I've got no clue.
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If it's what I think it is, things will get bad... Probably rather quickly.
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( with arms crossed over his chest, fingers idly tapping along a forearm. )
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Back in my world, one of our own betrayed us. They were in contact with the enemy and brought in fighters from another dimension to upset the balance of power. I don't trust the fact that the enemy thought to fit us with neural implants and then just dropped us where we could be found. That's too convenient. Too co-ordinated. Either the enemy is exceptionally stupid or it's a set up.
[ He jerks his chin back towards the base. ]
We've probably been brought in and fitted with metahuman abilities for the same reason Luthor pulled that stunt. Soldiers for the cause that aren't tied to any political or societal biases.
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( makes sense. considering what he's heard, seen. the bits and pieces of information that are flowing around openly--being here as unaffiliated soldiers fits. jason doesn't like it, but it makes sense. )
Have you figured out yours yet? Your superpower.
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[ he shrugs. ]
No.
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I hate it.
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