The truth was that Barbara had suffered the most from his efforts. She had been so torn up in grief over his death, and he had hated that he had to do that to her. It would - he had no doubt - have put an unreasonable strain on their marriage. Adding to the rest of them, he wouldn't be surprised if she left him this time; took James and just left. Back to Chicago, or maybe Keystone--somewhere safer.
"Thank you," he said, watching Batman as though he were a wild animal that had been tamed to alight on his doorstep. He touched the badge with care, traced his fingers above his family's photograph. It was touching to watch, and for the first time it really struck him:
This man is Commissioner Gordon's best friend.
It was a relationship that had been building, but it was by no means what Jim would call a friendship at home. They worked together. They relied on each other. They trusted each other. Gordon had become protective of Batman; even when it came to Harvey Dent it had been a matter that was discussed before it came to fruition. But this man. This terrifying man, this man who was fear to his enemies, cold even to the people who knew him - and oh, he had been watching - was warm with him in a way he couldn't have predicted. Warm like the Batman he knew. Human, and familiar.
He could almost deceive himself that they were the same.
Gordon didn't take the badge back. He soaked in the silence too and let his mind run like an engine warming up, the calm before the storm of his story's conclusion.
"I couldn't tell him--he had to believe I was dead." Batman. "He almost ran the Joker down. Dodged at the last second, almost killed himself. I was still dazed but I managed to take the Joker in myself. That's when everything went wrong. Maroni kidnapped Dent and Dawes. He used corrupt officers in my MCU to pull it off--officers Harvey had warned me about, people I trusted. So I have Joker in the MCU, my DA is missing, and the clown won't talk to me."
There's a bit he skips here. Batman's interrogation, his outrage, his anger, the door locked from the inside so he can beat his prisoner half to death. He doesn't have to say it, does he?
"Two bombs, two hostages, and only one of us with a military grade vehicle and the recklessness needed to get there in time. He saved Dent, but not before half his face was burned off. We were too late. Same time, the MCU is blown to pieces."
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"Thank you," he said, watching Batman as though he were a wild animal that had been tamed to alight on his doorstep. He touched the badge with care, traced his fingers above his family's photograph. It was touching to watch, and for the first time it really struck him:
This man is Commissioner Gordon's best friend.
It was a relationship that had been building, but it was by no means what Jim would call a friendship at home. They worked together. They relied on each other. They trusted each other. Gordon had become protective of Batman; even when it came to Harvey Dent it had been a matter that was discussed before it came to fruition. But this man. This terrifying man, this man who was fear to his enemies, cold even to the people who knew him - and oh, he had been watching - was warm with him in a way he couldn't have predicted. Warm like the Batman he knew. Human, and familiar.
He could almost deceive himself that they were the same.
Gordon didn't take the badge back. He soaked in the silence too and let his mind run like an engine warming up, the calm before the storm of his story's conclusion.
"I couldn't tell him--he had to believe I was dead." Batman. "He almost ran the Joker down. Dodged at the last second, almost killed himself. I was still dazed but I managed to take the Joker in myself. That's when everything went wrong. Maroni kidnapped Dent and Dawes. He used corrupt officers in my MCU to pull it off--officers Harvey had warned me about, people I trusted. So I have Joker in the MCU, my DA is missing, and the clown won't talk to me."
There's a bit he skips here. Batman's interrogation, his outrage, his anger, the door locked from the inside so he can beat his prisoner half to death. He doesn't have to say it, does he?
"Two bombs, two hostages, and only one of us with a military grade vehicle and the recklessness needed to get there in time. He saved Dent, but not before half his face was burned off. We were too late. Same time, the MCU is blown to pieces."