( so, yes, he did need to bring the cat. who seems entirely unbothered by the presence of ace, especially given how many other animals alfred the cat has gotten used to over the last few years.
the coffee doesn't interest him, given how bitter it is. damian searches through the tea and - wrinkles his nose when he doesn't find what he's actually looking for, but he'll put some water into a pot and turn on the stove to bring it to a boil regardless. )
[ The cat's name gets a reaction out of Bruce, muted as it is. He glances back to get a look at it before turning back to his work. It's nothing fancy. Just bending scraps of metal into workable batarangs. He doesn't have the grip strength to make them look nice, but they're serviceable. At least until he can ask the AI for some from home. ]
( while the water boils, damian pulls out a mug and a herbal tea bag, setting them on the counter for now while he - turns his attention to bruce. )
Someone here has a dangerous gemstone they're using to power a gun. A gun which, with this power source, can dissolve someone into mere particles. If that isn't dangerous enough, the person who had previous custody of it does not want to bring any more of these into existence in Etraya, but wants to experiment with the gemstone that already exists planet-side. Yet the girl who currently has it has been described as "on a crazy amount of drugs" and the person who originally had possession of it is afraid to confront her due to her fighting capabilities.
[ That...is enough to make Bruce stop his work and turn to look at Damian completely. The context is limited. Bruce would have to comb the network so he might piece together a clearer picture of what Damian is talking about.
But, simply based on this alone? ]
Find it. Disable it. Put the gemstone out of reach of either parties. If the gun's original owner cannot get it back himself because he is afraid then he can't be trusted to keep the gemstone safe.
[ Simple. And yet...]
I'm sure you already knew what my answer would be. Why are you really asking me this?
Because that is the only reasonable response, and yet Todd is arguing with me over it.
( see, he knew bruce would agree with him. of course he would. finding and disabling the weapon is the most reasonable action to take here, especially given what information they do have. what if they leave it out there, and it ends up killing someone? what if they manage to amp up it's power, and this girl takes them all out? what if he were to return it to talis, and the tinkering ended with the entire thing backfiring on them all?
damian knows what he's talking about. it's todd who doesn't. )
[ Bruce never worked with Jason and had really only known him a short time. He seemed level headed, but if that other version of him was any indication, he could be prone to letting emotion overrule his training. Bruce didn't want to dismiss him outright, not without more information.
But so far, he is not disagreeing with Damian. ]
The situation might need his kind of nuance. But that can be considered when the dangerous weapon is disarmed.
I asked, nicely, for permission to observe the weapon in question. I was denied, not only by the girl but by her father. I reached out because I assumed it would have been what Grayson would do, had he been in a similar situation.
( he regrets asking now. it would have been a lot easier to take it if they hadn't had warning. damian puts the tea back into his mug, leaves the pot of water on and walks his way over to bruce and his work. )
Now Todd is conversing with the girl's father, as if my request itself was wholly unreasonable. I hadn't even threatened to remove it from her directly, I wanted to see if I could find a way to disable it.
[ Damian is probably well aware he's messed up announcing his intentions to the girl and her allies. He shouldn't need to remind him of that. But would this really be Bruce if he didn't? ]
How do you plan to regain the element of surprise? If the girl is an addict, it shouldn't be hard.
( when what would dick grayson do? works against them, there's not really much one can do to throw off the other party again.
damian reaches into his hoodie, pulling out a few thin batarangs to drop them into the surface of the table beside bruce. they're sharp, well-made, and sturdy. it's an offering, given what the man seems to have been attempting to do. )
Now that Todd is working against me, I'll need more than to just surprise them. I'm assuming that now that I've warned them, they'll be attempting to replicate the gemstone and temporarily replace it until after I pocket the false one. And with Todd on their side, they'll have an extreme advantage over me: he's aware of what tools I would be using to examine it. If I want any chance of retrieving it, I would need to immediately approach them. Go in before they have time to prepare.
[ A sound enough strategy, especially if Damian thinks Jason is working against him. But he also did not like the thought of Damian doing this alone. Dick is gone (and it wasn't like he had any right to make demands of him, even if that would not have stopped him). The younger Jason is too much of a liability. There was the other Bruce, but they weren't on speaking terms at the moment. If Damian wants anything from him, he'd have to get it himself.
Instead, he turns away, picks up the perfectly balanced batarang, then sets it aside to continue working on his own. ]
When you get your hands on it, I'll help you figure out how to dismantle it.
( rude of bruce to blatantly drop away a gift damian was giving to him. he clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, but doesn't offer any additional commentary. instead, he moves back toward the kitchen and the boiling pot of water. )
I have a... friend, here, whose abilities would be useful in dismantling it and discerning what, exactly, it's capable of. That part I wasn't concerned about.
[ He appreciates the gift, but he also values his independence. He could not and should not rely on anyone else to protect him. But Damian's batarangs will be put in reserve. Bruce continues to work. Ace is still staring at that cat. ]
Good. I really rather you didn't attempt something this foolish and reckless by yourself.
[ Bruce knows when someone is taking a jab at him. Even a subtle one. Damian seems to have trouble accepting Bruce had truly been alone for over 2 decades prior to meeting Terry. He doesn't do well alone, Damian says, but that doesn't change the fact that he was and that was how he'd preferred it for a long time. ]
I wouldn't have needed a partner in this situation. It's something I would have handled myself. You, on the other hand? [ Probably shouldn't be doing it at all. But, he figures Damian's not going to listen to him regardless. ] Should have someone with you.
You wouldn't have requested access to the weapon, either. You would have simply gone in and taken it.
( damian wouldn't have needed help, either, if he'd opted to do this the batman method of take first, ask questions later. but that would have caused enough chaos that damian opted to not go that route. if he'd been given access, he could have studied it. could have come up with contingencies for the gemstone. instead, he's going to have to fight for it.
damian gets a spoon to scoop a few spoonfuls of sugar into the tea, then climbs up onto the counter to make himself comfortable. alfred, being the cat he is, leaps up onto damian's shoulders to wrap himself around his neck comfortably while damian takes a few sips out of the mug. )
[ He's right. The second Bruce knew it was dangerous, he'd have taken matters into his own hands and fixed the problem before it became a problem. Sometimes it was easier to ask for forgiveness than it was permission, so to speak. If the Zaunites didn't like it, then maybe they'd reconsider having dangerous people wielding dangerous weapons unsupervised.
He finishes the batarang he's been working on and polishes it. He picks up another piece of metal and gets to work again. ]
What do you plan to do if you can't get your hands on it?
( there's multiple ways he could answer. ingrained training says to not accept no for an answer and get his fingers on the weapon regardless of what it costs. the little voice in his head that asks what would dick grayson do leans more towards finding an answer in between: if the zaunites don't want to hand it over, use a more peaceful resolution to develop a contingency plan against the weapon or ensure that they've put it into the hands of someone who isn't described as crazy. )
Considering your physical state, I don't see how that's relevant to you. It's not as if you could assist regardless.
( he has friends, here. companions who would lend a hand, who have capabilities beyond his own limitations. and beyond those friends, damian knows several who would lend a hand to ensure they're all safe regardless of how they feel about damian. if he doesn't get his hands on it? there are other options. )
[ That. Gets him to stop working. He sets the tools down and swivels his chair around, not to face Damian directly, but toward the open part of the room. Ace is still settled by his feet and finally looks away from the cat at Bruce.
He never liked being reminded he's in no condition to do much of anything. A sharp mind trapped in an aging cage. For a moment, he thinks about that stupid Lazarus Pit and how desperate he'd been. He'd accepted his condition then. Didn't mean he cared to have it thrown in his face.
None of the other Bats here particularly needed him. So it beg the question: ]
Then why are you here? You don't need my permission to do this. Were you just looking for someone to agree with you?
( bruce stops working. looks over to him, and damian, for a moment, considers answering the question honestly: he was looking for someone who would approve of his plan, who would justify his decision to try and get ahold of the weapon because it shouldn't just be in anyone's hands. he knew that this bruce has significantly more experience than the other, that he understands why damian would want to make sure it wasn't in the hands of someone dangerous, even if it meant angering a few other individuals.
instead of answering, damian just throws bruce a sour look, and sets his cup down so he can jump off the counter. )
[ He reaches for his cane, hauls himself upright and heads for a different part of the apartment. Somewhere that put distance and a wall between them. Damian could see himself out the same way he got in. ]
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( so, yes, he did need to bring the cat. who seems entirely unbothered by the presence of ace, especially given how many other animals alfred the cat has gotten used to over the last few years.
the coffee doesn't interest him, given how bitter it is. damian searches through the tea and - wrinkles his nose when he doesn't find what he's actually looking for, but he'll put some water into a pot and turn on the stove to bring it to a boil regardless. )
I wanted to ask for your opinion on something.
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What is it?
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Someone here has a dangerous gemstone they're using to power a gun. A gun which, with this power source, can dissolve someone into mere particles. If that isn't dangerous enough, the person who had previous custody of it does not want to bring any more of these into existence in Etraya, but wants to experiment with the gemstone that already exists planet-side. Yet the girl who currently has it has been described as "on a crazy amount of drugs" and the person who originally had possession of it is afraid to confront her due to her fighting capabilities.
How would you address this potential threat?
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But, simply based on this alone? ]
Find it. Disable it. Put the gemstone out of reach of either parties. If the gun's original owner cannot get it back himself because he is afraid then he can't be trusted to keep the gemstone safe.
[ Simple. And yet...]
I'm sure you already knew what my answer would be. Why are you really asking me this?
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( see, he knew bruce would agree with him. of course he would. finding and disabling the weapon is the most reasonable action to take here, especially given what information they do have. what if they leave it out there, and it ends up killing someone? what if they manage to amp up it's power, and this girl takes them all out? what if he were to return it to talis, and the tinkering ended with the entire thing backfiring on them all?
damian knows what he's talking about. it's todd who doesn't. )
You understand. I am surprised he does not.
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But so far, he is not disagreeing with Damian. ]
The situation might need his kind of nuance. But that can be considered when the dangerous weapon is disarmed.
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( he regrets asking now. it would have been a lot easier to take it if they hadn't had warning. damian puts the tea back into his mug, leaves the pot of water on and walks his way over to bruce and his work. )
Now Todd is conversing with the girl's father, as if my request itself was wholly unreasonable. I hadn't even threatened to remove it from her directly, I wanted to see if I could find a way to disable it.
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How do you plan to regain the element of surprise? If the girl is an addict, it shouldn't be hard.
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( when what would dick grayson do? works against them, there's not really much one can do to throw off the other party again.
damian reaches into his hoodie, pulling out a few thin batarangs to drop them into the surface of the table beside bruce. they're sharp, well-made, and sturdy. it's an offering, given what the man seems to have been attempting to do. )
Now that Todd is working against me, I'll need more than to just surprise them. I'm assuming that now that I've warned them, they'll be attempting to replicate the gemstone and temporarily replace it until after I pocket the false one. And with Todd on their side, they'll have an extreme advantage over me: he's aware of what tools I would be using to examine it. If I want any chance of retrieving it, I would need to immediately approach them. Go in before they have time to prepare.
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Instead, he turns away, picks up the perfectly balanced batarang, then sets it aside to continue working on his own. ]
When you get your hands on it, I'll help you figure out how to dismantle it.
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I have a... friend, here, whose abilities would be useful in dismantling it and discerning what, exactly, it's capable of. That part I wasn't concerned about.
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Good. I really rather you didn't attempt something this foolish and reckless by yourself.
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( it's a dig at bruce - or at least a little bit of one. given how the man seems to prefer working alone and all.
damian turns off the stove, tips the pot over the mug he'd put one of the tea bags into, and pours it until it's almost full.
and then starts sifting around cabinets for the sugar. )
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I wouldn't have needed a partner in this situation. It's something I would have handled myself. You, on the other hand? [ Probably shouldn't be doing it at all. But, he figures Damian's not going to listen to him regardless. ] Should have someone with you.
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( damian wouldn't have needed help, either, if he'd opted to do this the batman method of take first, ask questions later. but that would have caused enough chaos that damian opted to not go that route. if he'd been given access, he could have studied it. could have come up with contingencies for the gemstone. instead, he's going to have to fight for it.
damian gets a spoon to scoop a few spoonfuls of sugar into the tea, then climbs up onto the counter to make himself comfortable. alfred, being the cat he is, leaps up onto damian's shoulders to wrap himself around his neck comfortably while damian takes a few sips out of the mug. )
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He finishes the batarang he's been working on and polishes it. He picks up another piece of metal and gets to work again. ]
What do you plan to do if you can't get your hands on it?
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Considering your physical state, I don't see how that's relevant to you. It's not as if you could assist regardless.
( he has friends, here. companions who would lend a hand, who have capabilities beyond his own limitations. and beyond those friends, damian knows several who would lend a hand to ensure they're all safe regardless of how they feel about damian. if he doesn't get his hands on it? there are other options. )
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He never liked being reminded he's in no condition to do much of anything. A sharp mind trapped in an aging cage. For a moment, he thinks about that stupid Lazarus Pit and how desperate he'd been. He'd accepted his condition then. Didn't mean he cared to have it thrown in his face.
None of the other Bats here particularly needed him. So it beg the question: ]
Then why are you here? You don't need my permission to do this. Were you just looking for someone to agree with you?
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instead of answering, damian just throws bruce a sour look, and sets his cup down so he can jump off the counter. )
I'm leaving.
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[ He reaches for his cane, hauls himself upright and heads for a different part of the apartment. Somewhere that put distance and a wall between them. Damian could see himself out the same way he got in. ]