[He just. Shuts his eyes in frustration. He can feel this slipping away, and he's not in a place where he can punch something. It's a while before he responds, low and careful.]
I have two choices, Patrick. I can choose to work with you or I can choose to stay myself. I would rather stay me, but I can't do what I need to do here, I can't go anywhere, I can't even die.
You asked me if I knew Bruce "loved" me. Of course I know. He's the only person who ever cared about me and stayed. Those are the best four years of my life. Everything important I've ever done, I've done because of him, for him, even when I was trying to kill him. He's my entire fucking life. There has to be more than that. Because I can't be his son. Not like this.
[That's as close as he's going to get to admitting changing might change that, and that he'd want that. It's not something he likes to speculate about. If Patrick somehow reprogrammed him, maybe Bruce would want him back... but he refuses to go that far. It's Bruce who taught him to stick to his principles.]
[spam]
I have two choices, Patrick. I can choose to work with you or I can choose to stay myself. I would rather stay me, but I can't do what I need to do here, I can't go anywhere, I can't even die.
You asked me if I knew Bruce "loved" me. Of course I know. He's the only person who ever cared about me and stayed. Those are the best four years of my life. Everything important I've ever done, I've done because of him, for him, even when I was trying to kill him. He's my entire fucking life. There has to be more than that. Because I can't be his son. Not like this.
[That's as close as he's going to get to admitting changing might change that, and that he'd want that. It's not something he likes to speculate about. If Patrick somehow reprogrammed him, maybe Bruce would want him back... but he refuses to go that far. It's Bruce who taught him to stick to his principles.]