- "Bruce could equip the police. Bruce could use all that he learnt to teach the police modern martial arts, and he would be a really good teacher. Bruce could buy corrupt politicians, could buy other politicians and offer them confidential information on the corrupts, or even broadcast them doing things. Bruce could do so much, but his life would be in danger. In way more danger than any of us. That's what you don't understand, and I don't blame you - being immortal, impenetrable, makes you think you can outlive everything, outsmart everyone. You can't" - the caped crusader looks deeply into the eyes of Superman, trying to find understanding. He finds none, but continues anyway.

- "Super-villains are one thing. They are honest in their own way. You know they will try to kill you, in every possible way. I know some that even find excitement on trying to guess how it will be the next time. But there is something far more dangerous than everything we fight" - with a swept motion, he takes the drink from Superman's hand.

- "How do you do that? I can move faster than you and yet..."

- "You're predictable." - he smashes the drink on the table - "..far too predictable for your own good..." - from his belt, he takes a small vial, pouring a single drop into the spilled drink, with caution. He knows what's coming next, so he's already on position to catch Superman before he falls face-first on the ground

- "What... is this?"

- "Kryptonite. But disguised under a drink, magically sealed in a way that it will react with your stomach's biology, so it'll go inside you undetected. You were always weak against magic, that's why you didn't find it"

- "How.... how... did you..."

- "We saved the daughter of a politician today. I was aware of where she was for about a week now, but I had to be sure. It was subtle, but there was a small hint of something on his desperate pleas. Not her, though - she was genuinely terrified all the time. After all this time, I found nothing, but I could not endanger her anymore - it was already too much. But I knew something was not right, and that's why I told you that I wanted us to have a feast together with whatever the politician would offer to us"

- "That's... why... you knew all the time that... he would send something..." - Superman gasps for air. Fortunately, the effects are now only a mild inconvenience - "I still don't understand. Bruce... why fight with that clown? With your knowledge, the world would be so much..."

- "Before you continue with this nonsense" - Batman appears in front of Superman - "If we killed, or incapacitated, the Joker... or anyone, for that matter - people will demand more. Worse people will appear, people that don't regard for the lives of anyone. You know why countries are not destroyed when we fight people that can literally destroy a whole galaxy? Because they know we have a limit. They know that if they behave, they can live. If we kill... what do they have to loose as soon as we capture them? Why should they not just detonate themselves, wiping up the planet in the process, if they will die anyway?"

- "Thats... just one half of the..."

- "As for Bruce. You don't understand. You will never understand. You can't understand. Good for you. But this conversation is over." - Batman simply disappears in the night.

But it stuck a nerve. He walks over that theater, now long gone, under that same road. Superman was right. Bruce would do much better for the world instead of Batman.

Too bad Bruce died when he was a child, together with both his parents...

Then his thoughts drift to the other end of the spectrum. What about men like Ra’z Al Ghul? How does Bruce fight him? Joker is a loose cannon certainly, but if you cleaned up Gotham he would still go to Arkham and he might create more doctors like Harlene. How would Bruce stop that? Or what about the things that have always happened where the light Bruce Wayne might generate have happened outside of. The court might be made up of corrupt aristocratic rich and they might be dangerous in a way Bruce could fight, but the talons are a different story.

Bruce Wayne can’t fight like that.

Batman can, but should he?

The only obvious answer? Yes.

Individuals are weak and easily frightened, criminals are creatures evolved to take advantage of that.

Police can only openly identify and prosecute roughly 8% of crimes. Criminals don’t fear the police, they evolve to operate around them.

Batman might only be able to fight 1% of crimes, but he can make the major criminals fear. They don’t evolve to beat Batman, he evolves to beat them. No procedure to stop him, no probable cause to hide behind and no warrant to get. Only to hit where they live and make it hurt.

Ra’z is powerful and driven but crucially he is not after anything that Bruce Wayne’s money can put out of reach. Whether it’s magic or the league of shadows. Bruce Wayne might make Gotham better, but at the end of the day he’s a poor savior. Influential yes, wealthy also yes. But even if you donated every cent of his fortune and liquidated all his assets, the world is fundamentally gray. That’s why Batman must be both.

He wears the mask of the boy who died in crime alley, to do what can be done in the light.

But he remains Batman to do the things that must be in the dark, made all the more urgent by how the light fades a little more every day.

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

Reminders:

>* No AI-generated reponses 🤖 >* Stories 100 words+. Poems 30+ but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* [RF] and [SP] for stricter titles >* Be civil in any feedback and follow the rules

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