āi donāt know, i think iāll take new york over gotham any day.ā maybe that was the bad memories speaking, but stephanie was so far preferring new york to gotham city. she wasnāt sure how she felt in time, but for now it was a good change. (not much of a change, admittedly, though stephanie was telling herself that baby stepsĀ was the way to go here). not to mention, sheĀ was in new york, and she couldnāt help the urge to hunt her down after everything that had happened. she was older, differentĀ now, and while she would never be the maternal type she couldnāt help the urge to want to see herĀ at least. just once.
āyouāve gotta admit the foodās better, though.ā stephanie quickly glanced at the emblem on his shirt, and clucked her tongue.Ā āah. i see you were also unfortunate enough to know bruce.ā the insignia was a little different, though stephanie knew better than anyone who it referenced. sheād made sure this version of the spoiler suit was free of allĀ batman references, as the last thing she wanted to do was affiliate herself anymore.Ā ālet me see here. my detective skills are a littleĀ Ā rusty, but i think i can figure this out. i spent enough time in the batcave.ā and really, it wasnāt all that difficult, considering the damned memorialĀ that had been set up. unless he was a newer affiliate of the bat, and in that case, sheād take the loss.Ā āyouāre not number one, because i know him. or number three, because i knew him really wellā¦which means you areā¦jason todd. robin number two. am i right? iām totally right.ā let alone the fact that he was supposed to be dead, but technically she was supposed to be as well. things were complicated. she pulled down the mask briefly to reveal a half grin on her face, evidently not too terribly concerned with her identity.Ā āiāmĀ the very short lived robin number four.ā
mask pulled back up, she tilted her head as the man sheād kicked barely made a noise in response to the act.Ā āpeople are stupid,ā she mused as she idly gave the man another kick, this one certainly no gentler though the intention this time was to roll him over.Ā āclowns were fucking creepy beforeĀ him, and theyāre even worse now.ā crouching down, stephanie looked over the man in the street again.Ā āheās out for the count, by the way. out cold. my emphasis would be wasted.ā
āĀ ifĀ byĀ betterĀ youĀ meanĀ lessĀ likelyĀ toĀ beĀ sprinkledĀ withĀ ratĀ shit..Ā yeah.Ā itāsĀ better. āĀ Ā whileĀ hisĀ lifeĀ hadĀ beenĀ aĀ littleĀ moreĀ silverĀ spoonĀ whenĀ heĀ livedĀ withĀ bruce,Ā hisĀ lifeĀ beforeĀ thatĀ hadĀ beenĀ aĀ shiningĀ exampleĀ ofĀ gothamāsĀ underbelly.Ā Ā theĀ ratsĀ wereĀ practicallyĀ friendsĀ ofĀ hisĀ growingĀ up;Ā Ā inĀ fact,Ā heādĀ argueĀ withĀ aĀ slyĀ grin,Ā theyĀ wereĀ moreĀ presentĀ inĀ hisĀ lifeĀ thanĀ hisĀ father.Ā Ā āĀ thatāsĀ notĀ sayingĀ much. āĀ Ā garbageĀ mightĀ beĀ betterĀ thanĀ sludgeĀ butĀ itāsĀ stillĀ garbage.
theĀ nextĀ fewĀ commentsĀ hitĀ himĀ likeĀ punches.Ā Ā bruceĀ isĀ aĀ hitĀ toĀ theĀ stomach,Ā catchingĀ himĀ byĀ surprise,Ā andĀ theĀ fourthĀ robinĀ landsĀ upsideĀ theĀ headĀ andĀ hasĀ himĀ seeingĀ stars.Ā soĀ evenĀ theĀ replacementāsĀ gotĀ aĀ replacement.Ā Ā heāsĀ laughingĀ beforeĀ heĀ evenĀ realizesĀ it,Ā yankingĀ hisĀ helmetĀ offĀ sinceĀ itāsĀ clearĀ sheĀ alreadyĀ knowsĀ whoĀ heĀ is.Ā THEĀ FOURTHĀ ROBIN.Ā Ā fuck,Ā heĀ canātĀ stopĀ thinkingĀ aboutĀ it.Ā Ā theyāreĀ justĀ asĀ expendable,Ā replaceable,Ā asĀ boxesĀ ofĀ tissues.Ā Ā finishĀ oneĀ offĀ ?Ā justĀ pullĀ outĀ aĀ newĀ one.Ā Ā noĀ harm,Ā noĀ foul.Ā Ā āĀ yeah,Ā youĀ gotĀ me. āĀ Ā heĀ manages,Ā whenĀ heĀ feelsĀ lessĀ likeĀ theĀ angerĀ hasĀ himĀ inĀ aĀ chokehold.Ā Ā āĀ Ā itāsĀ redĀ hoodĀ now. āĀ Ā heĀ thinksĀ heĀ couldĀ leaveĀ itĀ atĀ that,Ā couldĀ back-flipĀ outĀ ofĀ thisĀ conversationĀ andĀ beatĀ theĀ shitĀ outĀ ofĀ someĀ pettyĀ criminalsĀ toĀ makeĀ himselfĀ feelĀ better...Ā butĀ heāsĀ curious.Ā Ā āĀ tellĀ me, āĀ Ā heĀ starts,Ā helmetĀ tuckingĀ underĀ hisĀ arm.Ā Ā aĀ freeĀ handĀ swipesĀ throughĀ hisĀ hair,Ā fingersĀ theĀ whiteĀ streakĀ momentarilyĀ asĀ heĀ speaks.Ā Ā āĀ youāreĀ numberĀ four...Ā failuresĀ oneĀ throughĀ threeĀ werenātĀ ENOUGHĀ forĀ himĀ ?Ā Ā letĀ meĀ guess...Ā replacementĀ gotĀ tooĀ old,Ā orĀ tooĀ mouthy,Ā andĀ batmanĀ tradedĀ himĀ inĀ forĀ aĀ newer,Ā shinier,Ā moreĀ compliant,Ā modelĀ ? āĀ Ā heĀ levelsĀ herĀ withĀ aĀ stare,Ā likeĀ heāsĀ tryingĀ toĀ seeĀ rightĀ throughĀ her.Ā Ā āĀ letĀ meĀ guess...Ā noĀ matterĀ howĀ hardĀ youĀ tried,Ā noĀ matterĀ howĀ manyĀ bullets,Ā orĀ punches,Ā youĀ tookĀ forĀ him...Ā itĀ wasĀ neverĀ enough. āĀ Ā heĀ smirks,Ā gazeĀ hardĀ asĀ heĀ laughsĀ again.Ā Ā Ā āĀ welcomeĀ toĀ theĀ club. ā
inĀ truth,Ā heĀ caresĀ veryĀ littleĀ aboutĀ theĀ goonĀ byĀ theirĀ feet.Ā heĀ mightĀ beĀ alwaysĀ onĀ theĀ vergeĀ ofĀ flyingĀ offĀ theĀ handle,Ā andĀ aĀ littleĀ moreĀ violentĀ thanĀ heĀ needsĀ toĀ be,Ā butĀ theĀ fightāsĀ noĀ funĀ whenĀ itāsĀ one-sided.Ā Ā heĀ likesĀ aĀ challenge.Ā Ā insteadĀ heĀ scowls,Ā shruggingĀ hisĀ shoulders.Ā Ā āĀ yeah.Ā theyĀ are.Ā tellĀ meĀ somethingĀ iĀ donātĀ know. ā