batmanschmatman | 130 [voice/spam]

[This whole post is backdated to after Slade's arrival post and this fight.]

Just a note for anyone who's missed this memo: people have contacted the Admiral about what happens to people who disappear before. He's said he doesn't control when they vanish any more than we do. I know we don't really have reason to trust his word on stuff like this, but I figured it's something worth hearing.

There have been plenty of tough cases who have graduated and a lot of crappy wardens who have overstayed their welcome, and the Admiral didn't get rid of them. It'd save a lot of time and energy if people could keep that in mind next time anyone starts making accusations that someone got kicked off because the Admiral gave up on them, or thinks they've been doing a lousy job.

[Filtered to the DC Wardens]

Slade's here. He was here before until about a year ago, and he was actually making progress by the time he got booted off the ship. [Sort of. He thinks. Maybe.

It's complicated.]

Try not to piss him off if you don't have to.

[Spam for Dean, after the fight]

[Dick wasn't overly pleased with how this had gone down. Bruce acting like a jackass wasn't anything new or unexpected, in so many ways, and he was an inmate. This sort of behavior was to be expected.

But Dean and Faith were wardens, and it always, always bothered Dick when confrontations between wardens turned into what was basically a playground brawl. They were supposed to be the role models here, and he got that both of them were upset, but calling names and intentionally looking to piss the other off was ridiculous. He might side more with Dean because he was his friend, and he didn't particularly like Faith, but they were both definitely in the wrong here.

He turned to Dean after the other two had left, expression and voice still level and serious rather than angry, and gestured for the other man to show him his injured arm.]

Let me see.

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[Dick shrugs.] He vanished about a year ago, and he made it sound like no time had passed for him in the mean time. If anyone's heard different, it's news to me. He was here for maybe two years before he vanished.

[A slight nod.] That's good, then. Nothing to make him backslide.

Any specific pointers on how to deal with him? You know him better than I do. [She knows everything about him, of course, but Dick is the one with real experience.]

I wouldn't go that far. This is the Barge, if people want to find a way to backslide, they'll find a way to backslide. [And, you know. There's Bruce and Jason and God knows how well he'll mesh with the new people on board, or if he'll get a lousy warden like Bourne again.]

Honestly, I just try to give him space. He doesn't like being in close quarters with us any more than we like being stuck with him, and breathing down his neck or trying to meddle in what he's doing will just piss him off more. I'm not saying don't pay any attention to him? But space is a good thing, here.

[A wry smile.] I meant before he got here. God knows there's enough opportunities now.

[She nods, swift and sincere.] Noted.

Do you know if any old friends or allies of his are still around?

No. There's been a lot of turn over since he left, there's maybe only thirty or so of us left from when he was here last.

He and Bruce are gonna be a problem.

[Barbara pinches the bridge of her nose.]

Yeah.

I - can try to talk to him. But...if anything, he's more stubborn. [Her lips quirk, just slightly, in a wry smirk. Will wonders never cease.]

Have you guys been getting along okay? [Because things have been Fucking Awful over in this camp and Dick doesn't see them getting better any time soon sooooo.]

More or less. It's...complicated.

[She considers, a moment, brow furrowing.]

He might listen to Selina, if I can convince her.

I'll take you word for it. She hasn't talked to me much.

She's...different. But not bad, really.

Bruce seems to trust her. As much as he trusts anyone, anyway.

Figures he'd go for her before one of us.

He's not so different from her Bruce, from what she's told me.

Yeah, she was confused about why I'd care about him being willing to kill people.

[softly] Probably makes it easier. She doesn't look at him and remember who isn't there.

[Dick sighs, somewhere between tired and annoyed.] I'm really tired of people giving me a hard time about being annoyed that he's here.

[Barbara shakes her head.] It's not his fault that he is - well, it is, but you know what I mean.

But of course it's hard for you.

[She's quiet, for a moment.]

...I should have - considered that, more. When we discussed his arrival.

I haven't been home in over two years, and I haven't seen Bruce for over a year. Having him around and knowing I can't trust him, and that he might hurt people I care about if I'm not watching him constantly? Is seriously just rubbing salt in a wound.

[Barbara nods, the sympathy clear in her gaze. She already misses her dad, and she's only been here a few months. To have him here, but not...]

Going home - it's risky, right? It's not certain that we can come back.

[Otherwise, it's what she'd suggest. Give him a chance to see his Bruce again. Give him a break from this place.]

Or if you do, years might have gone by on either side. I'm not really willing to take the risk that I'll be gone for five years and everyone I know on board left in that time, or to be home for years and come back to find out only a month's gone by.

No. I wouldn't, either.

[A slight, irritated scowl, there and gone. They wouldn't have to worry about this if the Admiral were more in control of things.]

If it helps - I don't think you have to worry about Wardens, at least. ...Not about them dying, anyway.

[He hesitates before responding and clicks on a private filter, just in case. He feels weird, admitting this to her, but if they're trying to be better at communicating...]

I don't want to leave Sara, if I can help it.

[Her eyes widen, for a bit, before her expression turns...touched. It means a lot, that he's willing to confide in her.]

Have you talked to her about that?

[The fact that she doesn't react badly to it encourages him to be honest about the situation, even if he's still sort of awkward turtling about the whole thing.]

Not really, no.

[It is a bit awkward, if she thinks about it, but she's long made peace with the fact that Dick has moved on. She's a bit wistful about it, from time to time, and she's not sure how she'll deal with it when she goes home, but - for the most part, she just wants him to be happy.

She doesn't think he could have been, with her. Not for long, not really.]

Maybe you should. See if you can figure something out.

Maybe. [He's been nervous about talking about the whole situation with Sara, or anyone, really, if he's really being honest with himself. He knew they both had to leave at some point, because this place wasn't home and they had jobs they needed to do, and neither one of them would be willing to leave their responsibilities for the other, even if they really cared about each other, and they wouldn't try to convince the other to jump ship.

This was kind of doomed from the start, and he didn't really want to confront that.]

It's sort of a hard subject to bring up.

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