134 [video]

[batmanschmatman]

[Dick turns on the camera feed and smiles sort of sheepishly,]

So, I'm back. Checked on a few things at home, dropped in to say hi to some friends, Kirk says hi back. Doesn't sound like I missed anything too awful on this end.

[He hesitates, like he's considering just leaving it at that, because he's got a pretty good idea by now how some people take this sort of thing, but. Hey. Sometimes it's good, to remember it's actually worth it sometimes.]

I came here two years ago to save the lives of one hundred thousand and sixty eight people who were killed when a living chemical bomb was dropped on the city I'd spent years trying to protect. Part of the reason I went home was to make sure the Admiral followed through on our deal, because that's a pretty big thing to ask for, even for this place.

The city's still a radioactive wasteland, but everyone got out okay.

[One corner of his mouth ticks up in a small smile, almost embarrassed, or maybe just disbelieving, because he can still remember what it had been like, to watch it happen and run back to try and help, passing out in the wreckage of the city from the radiation, honestly not expecting anyone to get him out and maybe not even wanting them to.] You can tell me this place is awful and I'm crazy for being here all you want, but I don't care what crap the Admiral puts us through on a day to day basis. If this place helps one person - and it's done way more than that over the years - then it's worth it, and I'm not sorry I agreed to work here.

[Private to Tim]

Thanks for looking after Jinks for me.

[Private to Sara]

Hey.

Comments

[batmanschmatman]

Dick, actually. Dick Grayson. But there have been two Sherlock Holmes on board in the time I've been here.

[mistconduct]

Amazing. I bet you were the best of bros.

[batmanschmatman]

I didn't know them all that well, actually.

[mistconduct]

Fucking stellar. Great conversation so far, you should totally go into negotiations.

[batmanschmatman]

Sorry to bother you.

[mistconduct]

You know, just because you've had two goddamn years to figure everything out doesn't mean the rest of us don't feel fucking left out of the loop on occasion.

[batmanschmatman]

What do you want to know?

[mistconduct]

Well, fucking nothing now. God damn it, I don't even remember why I talk to you.

[batmanschmatman]

Look, I'm just tired of being lectured by people about how I must be an asshole or an idiot for agreeing to work with this guy in the first place, because we don't know what he's getting out of it. So far, we don't have any proof that it's anything malevolent, and until we do, I'm just going to be happy a lot of innocent people didn't need to die because some supervillains decided to try and make a point.

[mistconduct]

I wasn't fucking lecturing you, you...dick, I was trying to bounce some fucking ideas off you and maybe figure a few goddamn things out with your fucking experience! Fucking load of good that did.

[batmanschmatman]

Well, I'm genuinely sorry. If you want to ask questions, go for it, and I'll try to answer to the best of my ability.

[mistconduct]

No, forget it. I don't have questions anymore.

[batmanschmatman]

Look, I don't know what you want from me. I apologized, and I want to help if I can. I don't know how to make that more clear.

[mistconduct]

I don't need your help with anything. I don't want anything from you. That's all there is to it.

[batmanschmatman]

Okay.