[Re-l's doing her usual rounds at night, making sure everything seems quiet and safe enough. No one's had any troubles so far tonight and she almost forgoes her exploration to go flying or to go in, but she just finds one of her favorite places to perch on and sit, one of the taller buildings in the city.
A flash of black catches her attention from down below and she leans over to see.]
[He goes at them like some sort of wild animal, knife and batarang out. And she goes to help him, watching his back and keeping him protected while he rips into the others. It's a disconcerting sight for her and it puts her off her game, but at least she's being conscientious of what's going on. He's pushing himself without regard to the consequences.
She rips open one monster and then flings it the ground. She keeps her back to him, always making sure he's not exposed.
The sounds she hears behind her from the way he's fighting are bordering on horrific.]
[ There's no holding back for him now, not when it's not humans he's fighting against. Bruce has been trained to kill, to rip apart, and there's enough strength in his arms to literally rip the limbs off the sockets of a human being. And that's what he's doing now to some of the monsters, catching the rope-faced dog with a hand while he grabs onto the head with another, and he cleanly and blankly just tears it into two.
It's not calming him. In fact, it's making everuthing worse, because he knows that Re-l is here and she's seeing this. That he's revealing himself to her- that he's showing her what he's truly capable of and he shouldn't, really. She's useful to him and he needs her cooperation-
(and he doesn't admit to himself this, but it is true: her opinion means something to him.)
When the last of the group of monsters fell beneath their hands, Bruce calmly folds up the batarang, slips it into his belt. He tucks the knife back into the sheathe. ]
[If he wasn't ripping apart monsters like they were nothing, she might have openly admired his efficiency or even study how he moves and works. Instead, she can just hear the ripping and tearing of flesh behind her and it almost makes her sick.
(He'd make a good Proxy, she thinks. Those sort of destructive impulses would endear him to Proxy One.)
She says nothing when he finishes. The claws are gone.]
[ Destructive against monsters is better than self-destructive- but then again, what's the difference between the two? For every monster he kills tonight, he hates himself more. He despises himself more for being so weak; for becoming something so lowly.
He wishes she would leave. This is how low he has sunk; he doesn't want her to see it. ]
Then go.
[ Go so he can continue this. Go so he doesn't have to think that if a monster overpowers him, she'll be there to save him.
[She knows a thing or two about monsters. She's watched them fight, she's watched them rip each other apart. She also knows how she looks when she's fighting and she knows that the only difference is that Batman is angry. He's destructive because he wants to be and because he needs to let it out.]
[ Oh look, people in trouble. He's beelining down, his foot catching one of the Mutates in the face, knocking it off its neck. The civilian screams at the sight of him, and his eyes widen- just for a moment- at the fact that he's causing more fear than the monsters-
How far have I-
He can't finish that thought, because he's being thrown backwards by another monster that caught him by surprise. ]
[She keeps on the rooftop for a moment and then keeps running until she gets to the ledge. She dives down behind the person and takes her by the shoulders.]
Come on, over here. It's safer under the overhang.
[The woman's just as startled to see her but at least Re-l looks human. She nods and does as she's asked. She lifts her head when she sees Batman thrown back. She rushes forward and kicks the mutate to the ground. Kneeling, she pierces it in the back with her hand and makes sure it stays down.]
[ The mistake is almost embarrassing- scratch that, it's incredibly embarrassing, because he simply hasn't noticed that monster until he was thrown. Bruce hisses quietly as he stands up again - no lasting damage, thank you, impact-absorbing plates of the suit.
He growls quietly as he stands up again, immediately diving in and taking out the last monster, literally thrusting his hand through its chest before pulling it out and snapping the neck for good measure. ]
Don't act like I'm following you or seeking you out. You know better than that.
[She stands, pulling her claws free. With her back to the woman they've both saved, it's easier to pretend that she didn't rip into the monster on her own. She turns back to the woman and tells her, gently, to go inside the building there. She turns back to Batman.]
You're not focused. Fix it before you hurt someone.
A flash of black catches her attention from down below and she leans over to see.]
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She rips open one monster and then flings it the ground. She keeps her back to him, always making sure he's not exposed.
The sounds she hears behind her from the way he's fighting are bordering on horrific.]
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It's not calming him. In fact, it's making everuthing worse, because he knows that Re-l is here and she's seeing this. That he's revealing himself to her- that he's showing her what he's truly capable of and he shouldn't, really. She's useful to him and he needs her cooperation-
(and he doesn't admit to himself this, but it is true: her opinion means something to him.)
When the last of the group of monsters fell beneath their hands, Bruce calmly folds up the batarang, slips it into his belt. He tucks the knife back into the sheathe. ]
Enjoying the show?
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(He'd make a good Proxy, she thinks. Those sort of destructive impulses would endear him to Proxy One.)
She says nothing when he finishes. The claws are gone.]
There's nothing to enjoy.
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He wishes she would leave. This is how low he has sunk; he doesn't want her to see it. ]
Then go.
[ Go so he can continue this. Go so he doesn't have to think that if a monster overpowers him, she'll be there to save him.
Go so he can spiral down further. ]
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[She knows a thing or two about monsters. She's watched them fight, she's watched them rip each other apart. She also knows how she looks when she's fighting and she knows that the only difference is that Batman is angry. He's destructive because he wants to be and because he needs to let it out.]
I'm staying.
[For better or worse.]
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[ His voice is acidic, but the exhaustion underlying it is still real, still present. ]
Or maybe you do enjoy it?
[ Leave him, Re-l, to his destructiveness. That's what he wants you to do. ]
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[Her expression never changes but her gaze hardens.]
You tell me. Do I enjoy destruction?
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[ He's ignoring the question in favour of swinging off. Yay, petulance. ]
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You didn't answer my question. You're avoiding me.
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[ Oh look, people in trouble. He's beelining down, his foot catching one of the Mutates in the face, knocking it off its neck. The civilian screams at the sight of him, and his eyes widen- just for a moment- at the fact that he's causing more fear than the monsters-
How far have I-
He can't finish that thought, because he's being thrown backwards by another monster that caught him by surprise. ]
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[She keeps on the rooftop for a moment and then keeps running until she gets to the ledge. She dives down behind the person and takes her by the shoulders.]
Come on, over here. It's safer under the overhang.
[The woman's just as startled to see her but at least Re-l looks human. She nods and does as she's asked. She lifts her head when she sees Batman thrown back. She rushes forward and kicks the mutate to the ground. Kneeling, she pierces it in the back with her hand and makes sure it stays down.]
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He growls quietly as he stands up again, immediately diving in and taking out the last monster, literally thrusting his hand through its chest before pulling it out and snapping the neck for good measure. ]
Yet you continue to dog my steps.
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[She stands, pulling her claws free. With her back to the woman they've both saved, it's easier to pretend that she didn't rip into the monster on her own. She turns back to the woman and tells her, gently, to go inside the building there. She turns back to Batman.]
You're not focused. Fix it before you hurt someone.
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