Chapter Text
We don't kill.
"I have to get close to him. That's the easy part—it's what he wants. He'll take me in in a heartbeat."
We don't kill.
"He won't trust me."
We don't kill.
"I can't afford to fail. We can't afford that."
We don't kill.
"You know I won't be coming back, right? This could take years. I have to lose myself. I have to become whatever he wants. No matter what."
We don't kill.
"I can never come back."
We don't kill.
"Bruce and the others will try to get me back. And when they realize they've lost me for good, we'll be enemies. They'll come after me. Again and again. Bruce will make it a priority; he trained me and set me loose on the world, he'll blame himself for anything I do and he'll make it his personal responsibility to stop me."
We don't kill.
"You can't tell them why I'm doing this. Ever. No matter how much it hurts them. No matter how much it hurts you. If they know, it will jeopardize everything. It's bad enough that you know."
We don't kill.
"Did...was it hard? The first time?"
We don't kill.
"I'm afraid that it won't be."
——
"It was."
We don't—
"The first time. And the second. And every time after that. I'll never get used to it."
We don't—
"He made me his second today. I've proven myself ten times over. I have his full trust."
——
"I have intel. I don't want to talk about how I got it. I don't care where you tell them you got it from, but you have to get it to them quickly."
…
"We're hitting another cabal tomorrow. I don't know when I'll be in contact next. This mission is risky. He wouldn't trust anyone else to lead the assault, which means he doesn't think it can be done. He knows I always exceed his expectations."
…
"I didn't...I didn't set the bomb. I didn't even know it was there. But when I noticed…
I could have disarmed it. I had time. But I'm not a hero anymore. It wasn't something the new me would do."
…
"I knew I had to lose myself. I said it."
…
"I think it's happening."
——
"We're hitting these coordinates in three days."
They—
"This is the location of the next drop-off."
They—
"I won't be in contact for the next four months."
They—
"I don't have anything for you. I had other priorities."
They—
"I think we should stop meeting. You'll hear from me when I have something."
——
"I need some information."
They don't.
"I need info. We'll make a trade."
They don't.
"I can't tell you that. I can't tell you anything."
——
"I'm sorry. I...I should have kept in touch. We can start meeting like we used to. If...if that's okay."
I don't—
"I...I didn't realize. I knew I was losing myself, but…I didn't realize how much I was drifting away.
I don't—
"It's okay. I'm supposed to gain most of the functionality in the arm back. It won't be the same, but I can manage."
I don't—
"Ra's says Damian is graduating a year early this summer. I didn't know...I didn't think it had been so long, already."
I don't—
"He's talking about stepping down for a while. Maybe permanently. I'm set to take his place. I'll know more next time I see you."
I don't—
"There's going to be a ceremony in a few months. Then that'll be it. It'll be... everything we worked for. Five years. We're almost there."
I don't—
"Five years. Five years. We've put in so much work. I've lost... so much for this. But I…No. Nevermind. I'll see you soon."
I don't—
"I did it. We did it."
——
"Do you think...do you think they could maybe...could I ever come back?"
I didn't want to.
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