[He knew a protection program would never be enough to keep the next Talon away, it certainly hadn't stopped Richard from going after people after all. Foster care even less so, he couldn't imagine that there was any kind of happy couple out there that wanted to deal with a criminal whose presence would surely endanger their life.
Superman was something else; he could distantly remember reading newspaper articles about the man as a child, hearing about all the daring feats he went to to protect the people of Metropolis and more. He was a real hero, bold and fearless, strong and inspiring and flying through the air and doing everything that Richard had wanted to do. That he would be safe, he has no doubt. That the man would even entertain the notion of taking in some pathetic kid he's never met just confirms everything he'd thought about the hero's kindness and generosity.
But Superman was everything that was so good about the world. Too good for him. Indiscriminate assassins and red-caped heroics just didn't mix. Superman was a stranger, and he had far bigger things to worry about than assassins and one kid from the wrong time period. Richard didn't want to burden the man.
The idea of going back to Haly's, now-- made something inside him wither, and he quickly and weakly shook his head in response. He'd already known he couldn't really go home anymore, but now it was just more obvious, and even more painful. His Haly's didn't exist anymore. He wasn't even a full act without his parents, and the worst thing he could think of was to confirm that no one there missed any of them anymore. He wasn't sure if he could even go back to that life as if nothing happened.
(And he wasn't so sure if Haly wouldn't just hand him back to the Court anyway, especially once a new Talon came looking and the Court started asking questions. The circus had decided to hand him over in the first place; the Grandmaster said it was what he was born for.)
That was kind of the problem; he was born to be a Talon, and now that he was trying to run away from it, he didn't know what to do.
But something in his chest jumped at the last suggestion.]
Brother?
[He'd never had one before, had only ever been an only child. He didn't want to burden Batman just as much as he didn't want to burden Superman, and Batman already had three other kids to look after (four? a few of the others mentioned a girl but he had never really seen her around).
He'd been thinking for quite some time, with nothing more than a loud sniff to keep his eyes from overflowing. His voice was finally a bit more collected when he tries to speak.]
I want-- to stay with you. [It felt like a lot to admit, and it's almost like he lets out a breath that he's been holding in the entire time.] But-- I don't want to. Be trouble. I won't if Batman doesn't want me to.
[(A part of him thinks he'd rather just leave, run away on his own, away from everyone and figure out how to deal with the Court of Owls on his own, and then no one has to be burdened with his presence. But he has no idea where he'd go, and the world around him must be so different than how he's known it. Maybe he could join the League of Assassins like Damian said. It was something, at least.)]
no subject
Superman was something else; he could distantly remember reading newspaper articles about the man as a child, hearing about all the daring feats he went to to protect the people of Metropolis and more. He was a real hero, bold and fearless, strong and inspiring and flying through the air and doing everything that Richard had wanted to do. That he would be safe, he has no doubt. That the man would even entertain the notion of taking in some pathetic kid he's never met just confirms everything he'd thought about the hero's kindness and generosity.
But Superman was everything that was so good about the world. Too good for him. Indiscriminate assassins and red-caped heroics just didn't mix. Superman was a stranger, and he had far bigger things to worry about than assassins and one kid from the wrong time period. Richard didn't want to burden the man.
The idea of going back to Haly's, now-- made something inside him wither, and he quickly and weakly shook his head in response. He'd already known he couldn't really go home anymore, but now it was just more obvious, and even more painful. His Haly's didn't exist anymore. He wasn't even a full act without his parents, and the worst thing he could think of was to confirm that no one there missed any of them anymore. He wasn't sure if he could even go back to that life as if nothing happened.
(And he wasn't so sure if Haly wouldn't just hand him back to the Court anyway, especially once a new Talon came looking and the Court started asking questions. The circus had decided to hand him over in the first place; the Grandmaster said it was what he was born for.)
That was kind of the problem; he was born to be a Talon, and now that he was trying to run away from it, he didn't know what to do.
But something in his chest jumped at the last suggestion.]
Brother?
[He'd never had one before, had only ever been an only child. He didn't want to burden Batman just as much as he didn't want to burden Superman, and Batman already had three other kids to look after (four? a few of the others mentioned a girl but he had never really seen her around).
He'd been thinking for quite some time, with nothing more than a loud sniff to keep his eyes from overflowing. His voice was finally a bit more collected when he tries to speak.]
I want-- to stay with you. [It felt like a lot to admit, and it's almost like he lets out a breath that he's been holding in the entire time.] But-- I don't want to. Be trouble. I won't if Batman doesn't want me to.
[(A part of him thinks he'd rather just leave, run away on his own, away from everyone and figure out how to deal with the Court of Owls on his own, and then no one has to be burdened with his presence. But he has no idea where he'd go, and the world around him must be so different than how he's known it. Maybe he could join the League of Assassins like Damian said. It was something, at least.)]