Musing Way Drabble: Bruce
Another one written for musing_way :)
Title: Then And Now
Characters: Bruce Wayne/Batman. Mention of Jason Todd.
Rating: PG
Warnings: Angsty Bat
Word Count: 377
Summery: Bruce thinks about his actions, then and now.
He hates thinking about it. Thinking about it means acknowledging the mess that he made of things. And it was his fault. He wasn't going to blame Jason for being what he is, what he was molded into. He'd done some of that molding himself, no matter how unintentionally.
But if he looks… If he takes the time to remember what the boy had been like then, he can see where a lot of Jason's anger came from. It was always there. Bruce thought he'd given the boy a way to focus that rage, to channel it into something productive. He'd not only told himself that, he’d honestly believed it. Then and now.
Belief is not enough. It's a place to start, but it's not enough. And when Jason needed him, Bruce failed him. Both times. And he doesn't know how to rebuild those long-burned bridges. He has no idea how to reach the son he once had. Or is it that he's just been fooling himself? Had he ever really been much of anything to Jason? A teacher, of that much he is sure, but has he been anything else?
The vigilante sighs as he sits in the Cave, the oversized computer chair surrounding his dark form as his gaze slides to the case. That case. A memorial. When Jason returned, he decided to leave it instead of taking it down. What it represents is still very real, but it has nothing to do with what he's told anyone else. It's not a reminder of the boy who wore that uniform. It's a reminder of Bruce's inadequacy. Inadequacy that has cost so many lives.
He wants to change. He wants to do better, to make a real difference rather than just mouthing the words. But to do that, Bruce would have to do the one things that terrifies him more than anything else. He'd have to talk to Jason.
Can he be strong enough to do that?
A flashing alert on the computer screen grabs his attention. A breakout at Arkham. Of course it is. Other thoughts are relegated to the back of his mind, as Batman pulls his cowl on and heads to the car, ready to deal with the threat to his city.
This entry was originally posted at http://aiyokusama.dreamwidth.org/23617.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Title: Then And Now
Characters: Bruce Wayne/Batman. Mention of Jason Todd.
Rating: PG
Warnings: Angsty Bat
Word Count: 377
Summery: Bruce thinks about his actions, then and now.
He hates thinking about it. Thinking about it means acknowledging the mess that he made of things. And it was his fault. He wasn't going to blame Jason for being what he is, what he was molded into. He'd done some of that molding himself, no matter how unintentionally.
But if he looks… If he takes the time to remember what the boy had been like then, he can see where a lot of Jason's anger came from. It was always there. Bruce thought he'd given the boy a way to focus that rage, to channel it into something productive. He'd not only told himself that, he’d honestly believed it. Then and now.
Belief is not enough. It's a place to start, but it's not enough. And when Jason needed him, Bruce failed him. Both times. And he doesn't know how to rebuild those long-burned bridges. He has no idea how to reach the son he once had. Or is it that he's just been fooling himself? Had he ever really been much of anything to Jason? A teacher, of that much he is sure, but has he been anything else?
The vigilante sighs as he sits in the Cave, the oversized computer chair surrounding his dark form as his gaze slides to the case. That case. A memorial. When Jason returned, he decided to leave it instead of taking it down. What it represents is still very real, but it has nothing to do with what he's told anyone else. It's not a reminder of the boy who wore that uniform. It's a reminder of Bruce's inadequacy. Inadequacy that has cost so many lives.
He wants to change. He wants to do better, to make a real difference rather than just mouthing the words. But to do that, Bruce would have to do the one things that terrifies him more than anything else. He'd have to talk to Jason.
Can he be strong enough to do that?
A flashing alert on the computer screen grabs his attention. A breakout at Arkham. Of course it is. Other thoughts are relegated to the back of his mind, as Batman pulls his cowl on and heads to the car, ready to deal with the threat to his city.
This entry was originally posted at http://aiyokusama.dreamwidth.org/23617.html. Please comment there using OpenID.