Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. That was me once.
But despite all my planning, I let things get out of hand. Like I want to let the fire grow bigger before I put it all out... just so I can feel more important.
[ The Magistrate's success just has a way of belittling everything he's done. Everything Bruce's done. What good was everything Batman started, everything Nightwing continued, only for Gotham to unravel at the hands of some mysterious dictator? What good was every life saved only for many more to be lost under the iron grip of the Magistrate? Dick doesn't just walk a tightrope over the increasing possibility of death, of failure. He walks a tightrope over his own despair, like nothing he's ever felt since the night his parents were murdered.
Hana may watch from below, but she's more than just an audience. Because of her intervention, she's become his safety net. ]
Time to embrace who I am. Not just the past, but the present. That's the only way forward, the only way...
[ He stops for a moment, a longing glance directed at Hana as she activates the Meka's stealth mode. ]
...to be better.
[ They both have their duties. The way she naturally navigates the Meka's ins and outs, treating the machine like second nature... it's astonishing. A testament to her talent and dedication. Her sense of purpose. Something that has never truly faltered against the might of the Gwishin, and that certainly won't falter against the Magistrate.
Dick needs her more than she'll ever know, he realizes. If he didn't take a chance on her, inviting her to Gotham on this night, where would he be? How else would he put himself in the line of fire, risking the loss of his insurgency's leader? He's been telling himself that Tim is more than ready to take his place, more than ready to run operations and make all the necessary choices... but that's selfish. Thinking he can simply die and just place this burden on someone else, like the fact of his death would mean nothing except his freedom from this life.
He owes Tim an apology. That's the first thing he plans to do after his time with Hana. Make things right for everyone else, strengthen the bonds of the insurgency in its totality. Be the leader everyone's counting on. The leader they deserve. ]
Pretty sure they're not all demolished, despite the look of things. Let's mark a new boba place as a side quest.
[ That's him trying to remind her he's played some games in his time. He'd get his ass handed to him if she took the other controller, but it's only the two of them keeping score. ]
Cloud cover? Good. Take us past the main tower. I see Deadshot and Komodo stationed on both sides, need to catch them from behind.
But leave them to me. See the troopers on the roadway? Keep 'em busy.
Focus on distracting them, not subduing.
I'll join you after I take down the marksmen... but I'll call if I need help.
Any questions?
[ He's starting to sound like everything he once was. Leader of the Titans. Heir apparent to Batman's legacy. Everything he still is, really, and more.
So as soon as Hana opens the cockpit yet again, Dick leaps out it. But it's Nightwing who descends from the clouds to grapple onto the nearest ledge of the main tower. It's Nightwing who catches Komodo's first arrow in his hand, and charges forward to parry more with his sticks. He's gonna stick to the plan, follow it to the tee, and make changes as needed.
And every step of the way, he's gonna make sure D.Va knows. Because this isn't about infiltrating a hideout, going on stakeout, or solving a mystery from the shadows. He's not gonna fight expecting her to be like another Bat. He's gonna fight expecting her to be D.Va as all hell.
Because this is war. And Nightwing must adapt to the changing tides if he hopes to out of it alive. If he hopes to take everyone with him. ]
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But despite all my planning, I let things get out of hand. Like I want to let the fire grow bigger before I put it all out... just so I can feel more important.
[ The Magistrate's success just has a way of belittling everything he's done. Everything Bruce's done. What good was everything Batman started, everything Nightwing continued, only for Gotham to unravel at the hands of some mysterious dictator? What good was every life saved only for many more to be lost under the iron grip of the Magistrate? Dick doesn't just walk a tightrope over the increasing possibility of death, of failure. He walks a tightrope over his own despair, like nothing he's ever felt since the night his parents were murdered.
Hana may watch from below, but she's more than just an audience. Because of her intervention, she's become his safety net. ]
Time to embrace who I am. Not just the past, but the present. That's the only way forward, the only way...
[ He stops for a moment, a longing glance directed at Hana as she activates the Meka's stealth mode. ]
...to be better.
[ They both have their duties. The way she naturally navigates the Meka's ins and outs, treating the machine like second nature... it's astonishing. A testament to her talent and dedication. Her sense of purpose. Something that has never truly faltered against the might of the Gwishin, and that certainly won't falter against the Magistrate.
Dick needs her more than she'll ever know, he realizes. If he didn't take a chance on her, inviting her to Gotham on this night, where would he be? How else would he put himself in the line of fire, risking the loss of his insurgency's leader? He's been telling himself that Tim is more than ready to take his place, more than ready to run operations and make all the necessary choices... but that's selfish. Thinking he can simply die and just place this burden on someone else, like the fact of his death would mean nothing except his freedom from this life.
He owes Tim an apology. That's the first thing he plans to do after his time with Hana. Make things right for everyone else, strengthen the bonds of the insurgency in its totality. Be the leader everyone's counting on. The leader they deserve. ]
Pretty sure they're not all demolished, despite the look of things. Let's mark a new boba place as a side quest.
[ That's him trying to remind her he's played some games in his time. He'd get his ass handed to him if she took the other controller, but it's only the two of them keeping score. ]
Cloud cover? Good. Take us past the main tower. I see Deadshot and Komodo stationed on both sides, need to catch them from behind.
But leave them to me. See the troopers on the roadway? Keep 'em busy.
Focus on distracting them, not subduing.
I'll join you after I take down the marksmen... but I'll call if I need help.
Any questions?
[ He's starting to sound like everything he once was. Leader of the Titans. Heir apparent to Batman's legacy. Everything he still is, really, and more.
So as soon as Hana opens the cockpit yet again, Dick leaps out it. But it's Nightwing who descends from the clouds to grapple onto the nearest ledge of the main tower. It's Nightwing who catches Komodo's first arrow in his hand, and charges forward to parry more with his sticks. He's gonna stick to the plan, follow it to the tee, and make changes as needed.
And every step of the way, he's gonna make sure D.Va knows. Because this isn't about infiltrating a hideout, going on stakeout, or solving a mystery from the shadows. He's not gonna fight expecting her to be like another Bat. He's gonna fight expecting her to be D.Va as all hell.
Because this is war. And Nightwing must adapt to the changing tides if he hopes to out of it alive. If he hopes to take everyone with him. ]