“I hate feeling this way, I don’t know how you handle it.”
“This life isn’t easy, Barbara. We can’t always save everyone, no matter how hard we try. It’s never too late to stop doing what we do. Nobody would blame you, especially not me. In fact, I would encourage it. You have a lot of your life ahead of you when you could be spending it like a normal girl your age... But it’s your choice. It’s not too late to find happiness. I’ll support your decision, regardless. You know I’m here for you.”
There had been times when he felt like he couldn’t go on. When Alfred had almost convinced him to hang up his cowl. But that was at the beginning. When he felt like he couldn’t possibly make a dent. When he’d been trying desperately to gain some kind of foothold. Back when he’d been wearing equipment that barely protected him and had little to no gear that helped him beyond his own martial arts training.
This life was hard, unforgiving, and hardly ever rewarding. One simply had to grit their teeth and bare it. If they couldn’t, they could stop at any time. Bruce would be the Batman until the day he died.
That much he was certain of.