Bryce M. Wayne

- @thearkhamangel (wren mun :p)

Oh?

- @thearkhamangel (wren mun :p)

Oh?

- @thearkhamangel (wren mun :p)

Oh?

- @thearkhamangel (wren mun :p)

Oh?

- @thearkhamangel (wren mun :p)

Oh?

- @thearkhamangel (wren mun :p)

Oh?

@i-am-the-superior-robin

"Mama? Oh my...Damian? Is that you, dear?"

"I'm sorry lovely, your Mama isn't here right now."

Bryce says, a little hesitant and looking the little boy over with hesitation. She can probably get into contact with Talia, she's sure the other woman would want to be here. Bryce is probably less equipped for this.

"Are...you hungry or anything?"

@i-am-the-superior-robin

"Mama? Oh my...Damian? Is that you, dear?"

"I'm sorry lovely, your Mama isn't here right now."

She has patrol alone again tonight, maybe that's also draining her. She's not sure. The mixture of everything isn't exactly great. Damian is working on something with Jon over at the Kents in Metropolis, probably some case or just an excuse to have a sleepover. She's not sure, but she doesn't mind, she's glad he's spending time with friends. Though she does…miss him a lot.

She's too off her game, distracted again, seeing things in the corners of the alleyways, spacing out while sitting on top of roofs, missing things. Bryce is able to function despite it for a good while until she got into a fight with some criminals from a gang, and was caught off guard by something she thought she saw…the glint of pearls against wet concrete, before she was harshly stabbed through a gap in her kevlar in her lower torso.

The criminal was apprehended by her not too soon after, and she'd contacted Barbara about it, not really registering the wound until she was stumbling a bit, her grapple gun shaking in her hands.

When she checked and saw blood all she did was blink a bit, surprised almost that she was bleeding. Now she clings to the wall a bit, trying to think over how to do this, she's got some first aid in the batmobile but that's a bit too far, and she's not able to really put as much pressure on the wound as she should, nor has she even begun to cover it. She should contact Babs, but Bryce for some reason doesn't, just standing there, staring at the blood on her glove as it drips down, splattering against the concrete below her.

@bryce-wayne-official

Talia is in Gotham. Again. Really, the amount of times she's come back to this place is getting a bit much, she can admit that. Though, it's not the location that keeps drawing her back to the wretched place again and again but more so the company who despite everything sees the place as their home. Damian seems to be happy here too despite everything though that is more because he.. isn't with her in the league rather than the city itself. She can hardly blame him for that.

It's the anniversary of Bryce's parent's death. A sad occasion, obviously. Talia wanted to check on her she supposes. That's why she is here. She knows Beloved does not have the best of coping mechanisms to put it lightly, the batsuit and her obsession with her goal shows that enough. It's not like Talia can judge, really. Her father is a similar man though his obsession is not fuelled by grief. Not quite like this.

She wouldn't call it stalking but she has just been following Bryce on her patrol and things are.. as she expected. That rage. It is not something she sees often from Bryce. She often notices her stopping at some roof tops and just staring into the distance. At first Talia thought it was her trying to focus on her other senses because she could feel Talia's presence but that does not seem to be the case.

She is sloppy too, taking hits that would and should have been easy to dodge. Bryce is not sloppy. And it seems all her previous precautions could not save her in this moment as Talia spots red blood dripping from her abdomen..

Talia moves to land silently behind Bryce who is clinging to the wall, approaching carefully and moving to hold Bryce from behind, not restricting but putting her hand through the gaps of the armour and applying pressure.

"Now, now. Look at the mess you've made."

"Talia?"

She mumbles, the voice changer distorting and deepening her voice a bit. She blinks a bit. The hold is real, the scent as well. She's not a hallucination then.

"Wh...what are you doing here?"

Talia replies, smiling up at Bryce when she looks back at her. She has a shawl around her hair which appears to be tied up around it and wrapped tightly so it doesn't get caught on anything.

Her clothes are also similar, resembling league attire but more to her style and rank. She also has a scarf over her top which has a nice intricate design of a flower in a deep shade of green. Even in league attire she still likes adding a pop of colour.

She continues to keep pressure on the wound, internally thinking of where to take Bryce. Definitely to the batmobile and after that probably back to the cave. Pennyworth can take care of her injuries.

"Do you have any medical supplies in your belt?"

"Oh...no, I forgot to restock it."

Which isn't exactly the truth, but it's easier to say that than to admit she had left her medical supplies with some sort of intention behind the action. She's not sure why, really. Maybe she's just tired tonight. They're close by that theater, and that alleyway. She can still see their bodies when she shuts her eyes, every specific detail that her photographic memory won't allow her to forget, even years afterwards.

Visuals were always easy to remember than the actual parts of the memory. She doesn't remember the last conversation she had with her mother, maybe it was about the movie, maybe it was about something different, like school. But she remembers the dress she wore, the pearls around her neck, the way they glinted as they fell to the ground into the puddle of blood beneath them. The hole in her father's forehead from the bullet, the way his mouth was slightly open, almost in shock, the way his eyes rolled back. The fact he had put himself in front of Bryce when Chill had approached them. She blinks, coming back to herself again, breathing slightly off and her stomach actually beginning to hurt now.

She goes to take her shawl off, her hair tied up in a bun underneath and wraps the thing around Bryce's waist for now, a bit tight but it's necessary to stop the bleeding as much as she can.

"Do not worry, Beloved. I am here. Let's go to the car then."

She mumbles a bit, staring down at her a bit dumbly. Bryce frowns a bit at the shawl, just sad to stain it really. She lets Talia take her arm, eventually putting her other hand over the wound a little as they walk. She looks around a bit wildly, just trying to make sure they're safe and not too out in the open. She tries to breathe a bit more, but she's a little panicked, though she feels a bit disconnected from the feeling.

Once they get to the car, Bryce moves to fumble with one of her gloves to unlock the car, she huffs a bit when she finally gets it, also making the tarp over it get tucked back into the vehicle by the mechanism connected to it.

"There's an autopilot...has 13 gears so it's kinda hard to drive if you haven't before."

She guides Bryce to sit in the drivers seat, leaning over to look at the controls. She glances at Bryce with a mix of confusion, disbelief and exhaustion at that but quickly corrects her face. She isn't sure what she expected but that is not the priority right now.

"Put in the address to your cave.. Where are those medical supplies you spoke of?"

"It's beneath your feet, if you press the button on the left below the bar beneath the seat the compartment should open up."

She says, coughing a little before she moves to pull off the cowl, breathing a little and rubbing at her eyes a bit. She looks like a mess, even with the makeup and general mess she tends to look before she can actually dress herself properly after patrol and all.

"If that doesn't work just kick it and it'll probably pop out, need to fix it."

She tucks a loose strand behind her ear before glancing at the screen to make sure the vehicle is making it's way to the cave before leaning over to be closer to Bryce, resting her elbows on the space between them and staring at Bryce's face without the mask for a few seconds.

"I've never quite understood the need for makeup under the cowl."

"When it didn't have lenses, made the area around my eyes harder to see."

She explains, shifting a bit to give Talia an easier way to get to the wound. She's breathing a little fast, but otherwise doesn't seem to really notice any of it.

"Then afterwards it...became a habit...I suppose. Feels bad if I don't do it now."

She hums in response, glancing up a bit at the last part. She doesn't really get what Bryce means but just smiles softly.

"I see. I suppose that would be helpful in concealing your identity. Though, it is unfortunate I can't see your face right now."

Talia says softly, noticing Bryce seeming to zone out a bit and planting a soft kiss on her cheek before continuing like nothing happened.

"I could wipe it off, but I can do that at the cave, and it'll be easier there."

She mumbles a little, looking out the windshield a bit curiously to see how far out they are from the cave, not too long given the speed and the efficiency of the autopilot. Which is programmed to ignore most traffic laws. People in Gotham tend to treat the bat-mobile like an ambulance or police vehicle anyways.

"Oh? Uh...doesn't hurt too much, I think I'm alright. Thank you, though, darling."

"Yes, you will have to do that. Pennyworth can take care of you.."

She sighs, mumbling the last part a bit and focusing on the wound, replacing the gauze with some fresh one since it's already soaked in blood and continuing to put pressure.

She probably has to leave when they get to the cave so she isn't spotted and Pennyworth can look after Bryce. It is a shame though.

"If you say so, Beloved."

She says with a bit of an exasperated sigh. Alfred had begun going to Bingo games in the city with some friends he had made, she didn't question it solely because she gave up questioning him when she was a child. Dick had asked what the point of it was and Alfred gave a fairly petty reply about keeping friendships outside of their vigilante and superhero communities.

Dick had sulked a bit and complained about his coworkers at the gym after that. Damian had told him it was a 'Skill Issue' and both Duke and Jason, who was remarkably there at the manor for dinner that night, had given the boy a high five. Which proceeded to spark a bickering argument about Jason's friends mostly being Dick's friends as well. Tim had passed by (Bryce didn't even know he was home.) and said something about neither of them having friends that weren't heroes and Jason just physically picked the younger man up and carried him out of the room in a fireman carry.

She smiles a bit at the memory. It definitely got the attention off of the fact that Alfred suddenly had a reason to be out on Tuesday nights.

"Bin..go?"

She says in a thicker accent than she would usually have, almost stopping putting as much pressure on the wound before catching herself and continuing. Talia has.. never actually played Bingo. She does not understand its popularity.

They start going down however and she looks around a bit. Right, the cave. The Batcave. She does not understand Bryce's affinity for adding bat to random things such as the 'batcomputer'.

"A game night thing. He's enjoying himself. I...didn't want to worry him or anything- I thought I'd be better this year. Didn't realize I'd be...alone."

She admits softly. Bryce isn't sure if Talia knows or remembers what the date is, and how it relates to what she's talking about, but it's April, so it could mean a number of things. Losing both her parents and her son, tragedies that are years apart. She tends to spend the latter with Jason nowadays. The anniversary obviously bothers him more than her, she wants to be there for him, and selfishly she just needs to be sure he's alright. For a while he'd be hesitant about it, but he warmed up to the idea eventually, and it's nice to just hold him for a while.

Talia sighs, smiling softly though there is a bit of sadness to it. She isn't really related to the date at all so it's not like she would even be on Bryce's mind. Obviously.

She knows it is date of Bryce's parent's death. The day that everything changed and would cause the domino's to fall that would create the Batman in the future and also the only reason Bryce even went to train with the league of assasssins. But it was also the day a young child had to watch their parents get shot in front of them in an alley.

Talia experienced much more blood and death by half that age yet it was still such a significant moment. She wonders how the world would have been if on that fateful night things went different and Thomas and Martha Wayne didn't die. Would she and her father have completed their goal? Would their have been an even bigger price to pay?

She is sure Bryce has thought the same so many times after all that grief and loss is what created Batman and fuels her to this day. It is no surprise to her that it still feels just as significant after all this time.

"Regardless...I'm happy to... to see you. My first choice would always be to see them again, but that's... of course, not possible. You are...a very good choice anyways, even if the circumstances are...poor."

She moves to cup Bryce's face, remembering the blood and frowning a bit at the sight, keeping her hand hovering over Bryce's cheek. Her hands have always been blood stained from before she could even walk. It is nothing but an inconvenience when literal but never bothered her.

She ignores the feeling though, instead planting another kiss on the cheek and changing the gauze one more time, gently guiding Bryce's hands to put pressure there while she gets out of the car to come on the other side. The bleeding has mostly stopped by now but Talia will have to do stitches.

"Come on now, Beloved. Do not keep me waiting."

Sometimes she can still hear the police sirens. Someone had to have called them after a while. Bryce hadn't screamed, she hadn't even cried, she just fell to her knees in the puddle of blood surrounding them, staring down at her parents that weren't moving anymore. She tried to call out for them but of course they didn't answer. She stayed there for what felt like hours until police arrived and brought her away from it all.

Then she was being interrogated and Alfred was picking her up and fussing over her and everyone was talking about things like funerals and lawsuits and custody. Bryce didn't know what to do or say, so she just sat there, not speaking or moving much. She answered a few simple questions but that was it. She just wanted to go home. She wanted her parents to wake up so they could go home. Then Alfred was driving her back to the manor, saying that because he was Bryce's godfather that he'd be taking care of her at the manor now.

She didn't say anything and he had simply sighed, looking sad. Bryce didn't cry until she stepped into the manor and it was so empty that she could hear the wind outside. Then she couldn't stop crying. Alfred tried to get her to calm down but she couldn't stop, and eventually she cried so much she was too tired to function, and he had to carry her to her bedroom and get her changed. She fell asleep with tears on her face and blood beneath her fingernails.

It's quite easy considering she did study medicine at some point and obviously as the daughter of the Demon Head she would have extensive knowledge on how to treat wounds. Often times during training she was left injured and had to stitch herself up again afterwards. If she died or it was too grave she was simply dipped in the pit and had to repeat the session until she got it right.

Her hands have been stained with blood before countless times, sometimes her own or others but she isn't sure why only now it disturbs her. There was no time for it before as a child, she was too busy trying to survive herself. Maybe it's because it's Bryce's blood.

She moves to wash her hands first. To be more sterile, of course, and takes out all the necessary equipment, first disinfectant to clean the wounds.

"Can you take the kevlar off so I can clean the site?"

The undershirt is stained with blood however and she pulls it up even though it hurts with how the fabric sticks around the wound. She only winces a little, looking down a the wound and blood against her pale skin. She just kinda looks at it for a moment until looking up at Talia with an almost glassy eyed look, a little out of it if anything.

"Sorry."

There are also some other bruises which Talia recalls Bryce getting tonight out of recklessness as well as older wounds from just being Batman. It only reminds her of the sacrifices Bryce has had to make for her mission.

"Nonsense."

She shushes softly, bending down a bit to plant a kiss on her forehead before moving to clean the site of the blood. Most of the bleeding has stopped, thankfully, so Talia can start disinfecting.

"I am sorry for this."

Now she can see a few bruises among her body, some from taking bullets against the kevlar, not piercing anything but hitting enough to hurt. She's only bleeding from the stab wound at least, otherwise she seems to be fine besides the bruises and all.

"S'alright, Darling. I've...had much worse."

She does look back at Bryce, into her pale blue eyes as well. Her's are that almost unsettling, unnatural, bright green unlike before when they seemed to be dulled. She only sighs in response for she knows that is true but part of her heart aches that Bryce would even have to.

It's unusual considering the fact she usually doesn't have the same compassion for herself or other assassins. Perhaps because they chose this life but so did Bryce.

Talia moves to get the local anaesthetic, injecting it near the site and putting the needle away. She brushes some of Bryce's hair back, wiping away the sweat that formed there and kissing her on the forehead again like somehow she could heal it all just from that.

"Almost done, Beloved."

She breathes a bit through her nose, nodding at Talia's words and looking up a little at the ceiling. She's not even sure if it's related to the wound or just the stress catching up to her. How long has it been now? Since they died? Since she began all of this? She has so many regrets and so many things she knows she should have done better, but she can't change anything, she can't fix it all.

She walks back over to Bryce, staring into her eyes with a slight tilt to her head before bringing an arm around her shoulders and guiding her to sit up, slowly of course.

"Done. Would you like to go to your chambers now?"

"I suppose...I usually uh, use the showers down here beforehand. But if you'd...like to I won't argue."

"Hm.. It would be best not to get the stitches wet for some time. We can still clean your face and everything though."

Bryce mumbles a little, she stands fully, leaning a hint into Talia before righting herself fully and making a face when she feels light headed. It passes after a moment though so she straightens a bit, trying not to tug on the stitches too much.

"Will have to carry the rest of the gear downstairs later then I guess."

"Yes.. Let's go."

She whispers softly, taking Bryce's hand and smiling softly before continuing their way to the stairs leading up to the manor, taking it slowly and eventually making it up.

"Should change into something else...you can borrow clothes if you'd like- I don't know if I stained anything else, that's my bad."

She moves closer to crouch down in front of Bryce, wiping most of the makeup off before throwing the wipes away. She goes to get a towel as well, dampening it with warm water and ringing out the excess before using it to wipe the rest of Bryce's face, holding the others chin when she's done.

"No need.. This is surprisingly comfortable."

She blinks at her when Talia just looks into her eyes, holding her chin a bit. She just smiles a little at her eventually, just happy she's here.

"Okay...if you're sure. I just- don't want you to be uncomfortable or anything."

The last time they saw each other Talia was.. in Bryce's bed. It was her birthday which was a bit over 2 months ago. Even if Talia was tired and not the most well she still enjoyed it all the same.

"I am sure. Go change, I will wait for you in your bedroom."

She whispers softly, hesitantly pulling away and straightening so she can take her leave and wait for Bryce. She stays standing as she does so near the bed, eventually untying her hair and letting it fall down, fixing it a bit before folding her hands in front of her and waiting.

It's really just a tank top and some sweatpants, but those are really the most comfortable things she owns so it's usually her go to. She brushes her hair a bit and takes out her contacts as well, but eventually she feels a little ill from staying up right and moves to get her glasses and go meet Talia in the main bedroom.

"Do you have any ice packs?"

"In the freeze in the cave...but I'm alright. I've dealt with worse."

She tends to say that a lot, almost dismissive of any injuries because she's had worse. The pain is nothing in comparison to some of the evils and injuries she's suffered through. She's able to make it not even really register if she lets herself go enough anyways.

"Yes, you have."

She says softly, her eyes tracing one of the scars on Bryce's face before her hand comes to touch it too. This one she believes Bryce got during her training in the league. It has long since faded though, like any other wounds she acquired during that time. The physical ones at least.

Another thing she finds a bit amusing, how they met all the way back then though at the time Bryce did not see her. They only met officially long after when Bryce was already Batman.

She blinks a bit when Talia touches a scar on her face, a cut near her eyebrow. It's faded enough to cover with makeup a good amount of the time. From training, back then. Bryce remembers seeing Talia a few times, but they didn't really speak until later on. All she really thought was that she was beautiful.

She pauses at that, frowning a little and shifting a bit, moving to hold onto Talia a bit before responding.

"I...suppose."

After the last time they saw each other she supposes she missed the warmth, being held and so close. Maybe that is why she is being much more forward with this. She knows their time is.. limited. Why not enjoy it a bit more?

"Give me a moment then.."

She mumbles, not moving from their position for a while, glancing down at Bryce's arms around her waist before pressing a kiss where the scar is and reluctantly pulling away to go get the ice pack at least.

Bryce mumbles. She lays back a bit, against the pillows more with a sigh as Talia gets up to leave. She watches her go with a small frown, glancing up at the ceiling a bit as she waits.

Being alone feels a bit like drowning these days, and she's...been alone a lot more lately. She can't blame anyone, her kids have their own lives and she's proud of them. Her friends have their own cities to protect and lives to live, and Talia has hers. She supposes she just...wishes she wasn't doing all of this while being stuck in her head so often. It's not a very nice place, really.

She perks up when Talia comes back in, watching her carefully as she comes around and presses the ice pack down. Bryce tenses a bit on instinct, her expression souring for a moment before she corrects it. The cold is a bit shocking and the pain is definitely there. She allows the touch though, only twitching a bit.

"Thank you, my darling."

Allowing Damian to be trained at such a young age. Talia was trained similarly, without that training she would have been weak and would have never survived the world they lived in. The world she still lives in. She does not wish her own training did not happen for it was necessary for her survival but maybe part of her wishes it wasn't necessary.. That at least Damian would not have had to.

His training was much tamer than Talia's because of her weakness, not wanting him to have to go through the pain even though it was necessary. To survive. The weak do not survive their world. But now.. he is no longer in that life. He does not need to be so strong anymore.

Talia leans in as well, her head bowed under Bryce's and putting her other hand on the others shoulder.

"Where else does it hurt? The most."

"I think...this is fine."

She says after a moment, shrugging a bit, not knowing how to answer it. Sure there are bruises along her skin in many places now but she doesn't really register some of them and the pain. Mostly her stomach hurts from the stab wound and the bruise on her ribs that Talia is pressing upon. Otherwise there are other pains but nothing she finds that worrying.

Talia sighs softly under her breath, shaking her head a bit in amusement almost and just keeping the ice pack there for now.

She would like to say Bryce has become a bit less predictable when it comes to wounds but the opposite is more true. She focuses more on this injury for now as they breathe against each other.

She shivers a little at the cold, she's always been sensitive to temperatures more than anything and she's never particularly liked the cold. Alfred always used to say it was because she lacked the body fat to stay warm, when she was a child at least. Now he just says she needs to wear more layers if she's going to shiver constantly in the cold cave.

After she's done putting the ice pack on Bryce's shoulder it's already close to room temperature and there aren't any other bruises she would like to put it on so she keeps it in her lap instead, her hand still holding Bryce's arm just below the shoulder so she doesn't disturb the wound.

There are many scars on Bryce's arm as well which Talia's hands start to gently trace. Cuts, faded bruises, scratches, gunshot wounds and the like. All past injuries also created trying to achieve Bryce's goal. An impossible one, really.

Bryce has a strange relationship with the marks on her body, she doesn't particularly like how they make her look sometimes, and it's hard to hide when she has to go out of the house. She manages of course but it's difficult nonetheless and she despises having to put in so much effort.

They make her look ragged, worn down and ripped apart. Used in a way. She's not sure why Talia traces her delicate fingers against the markings, like they're something to hold gently. Like she could take the violence from beneath them and fix it. It's comforting in a way, but Bryce feels almost ashamed for appreciating that comfort. Like it's wrong somehow, to feel safe in her own skin.

She does not find them ugly, not on Bryce. Quite the opposite, actually. They are proof she survived something. Talia does not have those.. her body being healed by the pit. Corrected. Made perfect once more.

The only scars she is allowed to keep are fatal ones and the scar on her stomach. From Damian. She would call it a gift almost. She isn't sure why it is still there but part of her is happy for it since she has proof of that wound at least.

She's more ashamed of those than anything, which is why they're so hidden in the first place. Bryce had only started...cutting herself like that when she was in Highschool, she stopped when she left America, solely using her energy to hit others and throw herself into her training. Then it...came back when she was in Gotham. Like a bug, an illness coming back to get her.

She looks back at the scars, in a row. Too perfect. If Talia knows anything about perfection it's that it's usually hiding something. She thinks she knows what. Talia slowly moves to press a kiss to the scars before moving her hands to once again wrap around Bryce's neck, letting herself hide herself in Talia's.

"Beloved.."

Talia speaks and Bryce looks up at her for a moment. She looks away however, sighing and moving back to hide herself, as if Talia will forget she ever saw anything. That everything's fine. She stays quiet for a long time, just holding onto Talia and breathing.

"I'm sorry."

She was the one hurting with no one there to help her, to hold her. To stitch up those wounds. All Talia can do is be here right now and hold her.

She hesitates before taking one of Bryce's hands and guiding it to touch Talia's stomach, right where the scar is. It's similar to a C-section scar but less kind or surgical, really. Considering it was cut with a sword rather than any instruments. The goal was to just make sure Damian survived, if Talia had to be cut open then it didn't matter.

"I...wish I was there. When you were carrying him. To help- in anyway I could, I suppose."

Bryce ends up mumbling, just thinking back to when Talia had told her she was pregnant. The excitement was there, the thrill of becoming a parent and all. She remembers it clearly. Then...things happened of course. It was heart breaking, but Damian was here anyways.

She simply answers, shrugging a bit. Talia means it as a way of comforting Bryce, that no one else was there either so she shouldn't feel bad.

She was weak and no one was supposed to know she was pregnant other than a few specially picked guards and midwives. And of course.. her father. He was extremely protective of her at that time or more accurately the heir she was carrying.

Bryce says, frowning, she sits up a bit more to cup Talia's face a bit in her hand. Just wanting to look at her in the eyes. She looks sad, worried even. She only sighs deeply.

"You shouldn't have had to do any of that alone, with or without me specifically."

She rubs her thumb a bit against Talia's cheek. She knows it's been years now, and they can't change how things happened yet she still- wishes she was able to stay with Talia, that her father wasn't the man he is. Bryce just wishes things could have been different.

"He was quite late, didn't want to come out... Maybe he was waiting for you."

She mumbles softly, smiling a bit at the memory. That was the reason they had to do the C-section in the first place despite everything. She remembers distantly that she wanted Bryce to be there, to hold her hand or just comfort her because no one else was there for her.

"He's here now, I suppose that's what matters. I only wish I was there for both of you, to help you through it all."

Bryce says, kissing Talia on the forehead before just...holding her there, their foreheads touching with her eyes shut. There are so many things in this life that she regrets, but Talia and Damian are never going to be one of those things.

"I...I love you, Talia. I'm glad I have you, in whatever capacity that is. You will always have my heart."

She wishes Bryce was there too. When she was carrying him, when she first was able to hold him in her arms despite the green haze of just coming back to life and stared into those brown eyes.

For the first month she wouldn't even let anyone take him from her hold most of the time. The pit was still running through her veins and every protective instinct she had was heightened. All she knew was that she had to protect this.. blessing with her life.

Her breath catches a bit at those words. Bryce has never been one to be vocal about her feelings and emotions. It only makes her words hold all the more weight.

"And.. so do I, Beloved."

She wants to lay down with her for a while, even if she feels exhausted and her stitches are aching. Talia is a rare privilege, someone she can let her guard down around for once. She holds onto her like everything will be alright if she just stays like this for a while.

She adjusts her hair to not be in Bryce's face at least, snuggling a bit closer and resting her head on Bryce's. She just wants to take in this moment, no matter how short or how far apart they are.

She has patrol alone again tonight, maybe that's also draining her. She's not sure. The mixture of everything isn't exactly great. Damian is working on something with Jon over at the Kents in Metropolis, probably some case or just an excuse to have a sleepover. She's not sure, but she doesn't mind, she's glad he's spending time with friends. Though she does…miss him a lot.

She's too off her game, distracted again, seeing things in the corners of the alleyways, spacing out while sitting on top of roofs, missing things. Bryce is able to function despite it for a good while until she got into a fight with some criminals from a gang, and was caught off guard by something she thought she saw…the glint of pearls against wet concrete, before she was harshly stabbed through a gap in her kevlar in her lower torso.

The criminal was apprehended by her not too soon after, and she'd contacted Barbara about it, not really registering the wound until she was stumbling a bit, her grapple gun shaking in her hands.

When she checked and saw blood all she did was blink a bit, surprised almost that she was bleeding. Now she clings to the wall a bit, trying to think over how to do this, she's got some first aid in the batmobile but that's a bit too far, and she's not able to really put as much pressure on the wound as she should, nor has she even begun to cover it. She should contact Babs, but Bryce for some reason doesn't, just standing there, staring at the blood on her glove as it drips down, splattering against the concrete below her.

@bryce-wayne-official

Talia is in Gotham. Again. Really, the amount of times she's come back to this place is getting a bit much, she can admit that. Though, it's not the location that keeps drawing her back to the wretched place again and again but more so the company who despite everything sees the place as their home. Damian seems to be happy here too despite everything though that is more because he.. isn't with her in the league rather than the city itself. She can hardly blame him for that.

It's the anniversary of Bryce's parent's death. A sad occasion, obviously. Talia wanted to check on her she supposes. That's why she is here. She knows Beloved does not have the best of coping mechanisms to put it lightly, the batsuit and her obsession with her goal shows that enough. It's not like Talia can judge, really. Her father is a similar man though his obsession is not fuelled by grief. Not quite like this.

She wouldn't call it stalking but she has just been following Bryce on her patrol and things are.. as she expected. That rage. It is not something she sees often from Bryce. She often notices her stopping at some roof tops and just staring into the distance. At first Talia thought it was her trying to focus on her other senses because she could feel Talia's presence but that does not seem to be the case.

She is sloppy too, taking hits that would and should have been easy to dodge. Bryce is not sloppy. And it seems all her previous precautions could not save her in this moment as Talia spots red blood dripping from her abdomen..

Talia moves to land silently behind Bryce who is clinging to the wall, approaching carefully and moving to hold Bryce from behind, not restricting but putting her hand through the gaps of the armour and applying pressure.

"Now, now. Look at the mess you've made."

"Talia?"

She mumbles, the voice changer distorting and deepening her voice a bit. She blinks a bit. The hold is real, the scent as well. She's not a hallucination then.

"Wh...what are you doing here?"

Talia replies, smiling up at Bryce when she looks back at her. She has a shawl around her hair which appears to be tied up around it and wrapped tightly so it doesn't get caught on anything.

Her clothes are also similar, resembling league attire but more to her style and rank. She also has a scarf over her top which has a nice intricate design of a flower in a deep shade of green. Even in league attire she still likes adding a pop of colour.

She continues to keep pressure on the wound, internally thinking of where to take Bryce. Definitely to the batmobile and after that probably back to the cave. Pennyworth can take care of her injuries.

"Do you have any medical supplies in your belt?"

"Oh...no, I forgot to restock it."

Which isn't exactly the truth, but it's easier to say that than to admit she had left her medical supplies with some sort of intention behind the action. She's not sure why, really. Maybe she's just tired tonight. They're close by that theater, and that alleyway. She can still see their bodies when she shuts her eyes, every specific detail that her photographic memory won't allow her to forget, even years afterwards.

Visuals were always easy to remember than the actual parts of the memory. She doesn't remember the last conversation she had with her mother, maybe it was about the movie, maybe it was about something different, like school. But she remembers the dress she wore, the pearls around her neck, the way they glinted as they fell to the ground into the puddle of blood beneath them. The hole in her father's forehead from the bullet, the way his mouth was slightly open, almost in shock, the way his eyes rolled back. The fact he had put himself in front of Bryce when Chill had approached them. She blinks, coming back to herself again, breathing slightly off and her stomach actually beginning to hurt now.

She goes to take her shawl off, her hair tied up in a bun underneath and wraps the thing around Bryce's waist for now, a bit tight but it's necessary to stop the bleeding as much as she can.

"Do not worry, Beloved. I am here. Let's go to the car then."

She mumbles a bit, staring down at her a bit dumbly. Bryce frowns a bit at the shawl, just sad to stain it really. She lets Talia take her arm, eventually putting her other hand over the wound a little as they walk. She looks around a bit wildly, just trying to make sure they're safe and not too out in the open. She tries to breathe a bit more, but she's a little panicked, though she feels a bit disconnected from the feeling.

Once they get to the car, Bryce moves to fumble with one of her gloves to unlock the car, she huffs a bit when she finally gets it, also making the tarp over it get tucked back into the vehicle by the mechanism connected to it.

"There's an autopilot...has 13 gears so it's kinda hard to drive if you haven't before."

She guides Bryce to sit in the drivers seat, leaning over to look at the controls. She glances at Bryce with a mix of confusion, disbelief and exhaustion at that but quickly corrects her face. She isn't sure what she expected but that is not the priority right now.

"Put in the address to your cave.. Where are those medical supplies you spoke of?"

"It's beneath your feet, if you press the button on the left below the bar beneath the seat the compartment should open up."

She says, coughing a little before she moves to pull off the cowl, breathing a little and rubbing at her eyes a bit. She looks like a mess, even with the makeup and general mess she tends to look before she can actually dress herself properly after patrol and all.

"If that doesn't work just kick it and it'll probably pop out, need to fix it."

She tucks a loose strand behind her ear before glancing at the screen to make sure the vehicle is making it's way to the cave before leaning over to be closer to Bryce, resting her elbows on the space between them and staring at Bryce's face without the mask for a few seconds.

"I've never quite understood the need for makeup under the cowl."

"When it didn't have lenses, made the area around my eyes harder to see."

She explains, shifting a bit to give Talia an easier way to get to the wound. She's breathing a little fast, but otherwise doesn't seem to really notice any of it.

"Then afterwards it...became a habit...I suppose. Feels bad if I don't do it now."

She hums in response, glancing up a bit at the last part. She doesn't really get what Bryce means but just smiles softly.

"I see. I suppose that would be helpful in concealing your identity. Though, it is unfortunate I can't see your face right now."

Talia says softly, noticing Bryce seeming to zone out a bit and planting a soft kiss on her cheek before continuing like nothing happened.

"I could wipe it off, but I can do that at the cave, and it'll be easier there."

She mumbles a little, looking out the windshield a bit curiously to see how far out they are from the cave, not too long given the speed and the efficiency of the autopilot. Which is programmed to ignore most traffic laws. People in Gotham tend to treat the bat-mobile like an ambulance or police vehicle anyways.

"Oh? Uh...doesn't hurt too much, I think I'm alright. Thank you, though, darling."

"Yes, you will have to do that. Pennyworth can take care of you.."

She sighs, mumbling the last part a bit and focusing on the wound, replacing the gauze with some fresh one since it's already soaked in blood and continuing to put pressure.

She probably has to leave when they get to the cave so she isn't spotted and Pennyworth can look after Bryce. It is a shame though.

"If you say so, Beloved."

She says with a bit of an exasperated sigh. Alfred had begun going to Bingo games in the city with some friends he had made, she didn't question it solely because she gave up questioning him when she was a child. Dick had asked what the point of it was and Alfred gave a fairly petty reply about keeping friendships outside of their vigilante and superhero communities.

Dick had sulked a bit and complained about his coworkers at the gym after that. Damian had told him it was a 'Skill Issue' and both Duke and Jason, who was remarkably there at the manor for dinner that night, had given the boy a high five. Which proceeded to spark a bickering argument about Jason's friends mostly being Dick's friends as well. Tim had passed by (Bryce didn't even know he was home.) and said something about neither of them having friends that weren't heroes and Jason just physically picked the younger man up and carried him out of the room in a fireman carry.

She smiles a bit at the memory. It definitely got the attention off of the fact that Alfred suddenly had a reason to be out on Tuesday nights.

"Bin..go?"

She says in a thicker accent than she would usually have, almost stopping putting as much pressure on the wound before catching herself and continuing. Talia has.. never actually played Bingo. She does not understand its popularity.

They start going down however and she looks around a bit. Right, the cave. The Batcave. She does not understand Bryce's affinity for adding bat to random things such as the 'batcomputer'.

"A game night thing. He's enjoying himself. I...didn't want to worry him or anything- I thought I'd be better this year. Didn't realize I'd be...alone."

She admits softly. Bryce isn't sure if Talia knows or remembers what the date is, and how it relates to what she's talking about, but it's April, so it could mean a number of things. Losing both her parents and her son, tragedies that are years apart. She tends to spend the latter with Jason nowadays. The anniversary obviously bothers him more than her, she wants to be there for him, and selfishly she just needs to be sure he's alright. For a while he'd be hesitant about it, but he warmed up to the idea eventually, and it's nice to just hold him for a while.

Talia sighs, smiling softly though there is a bit of sadness to it. She isn't really related to the date at all so it's not like she would even be on Bryce's mind. Obviously.

She knows it is date of Bryce's parent's death. The day that everything changed and would cause the domino's to fall that would create the Batman in the future and also the only reason Bryce even went to train with the league of assasssins. But it was also the day a young child had to watch their parents get shot in front of them in an alley.

Talia experienced much more blood and death by half that age yet it was still such a significant moment. She wonders how the world would have been if on that fateful night things went different and Thomas and Martha Wayne didn't die. Would she and her father have completed their goal? Would their have been an even bigger price to pay?

She is sure Bryce has thought the same so many times after all that grief and loss is what created Batman and fuels her to this day. It is no surprise to her that it still feels just as significant after all this time.

"Regardless...I'm happy to... to see you. My first choice would always be to see them again, but that's... of course, not possible. You are...a very good choice anyways, even if the circumstances are...poor."

She moves to cup Bryce's face, remembering the blood and frowning a bit at the sight, keeping her hand hovering over Bryce's cheek. Her hands have always been blood stained from before she could even walk. It is nothing but an inconvenience when literal but never bothered her.

She ignores the feeling though, instead planting another kiss on the cheek and changing the gauze one more time, gently guiding Bryce's hands to put pressure there while she gets out of the car to come on the other side. The bleeding has mostly stopped by now but Talia will have to do stitches.

"Come on now, Beloved. Do not keep me waiting."

Sometimes she can still hear the police sirens. Someone had to have called them after a while. Bryce hadn't screamed, she hadn't even cried, she just fell to her knees in the puddle of blood surrounding them, staring down at her parents that weren't moving anymore. She tried to call out for them but of course they didn't answer. She stayed there for what felt like hours until police arrived and brought her away from it all.

Then she was being interrogated and Alfred was picking her up and fussing over her and everyone was talking about things like funerals and lawsuits and custody. Bryce didn't know what to do or say, so she just sat there, not speaking or moving much. She answered a few simple questions but that was it. She just wanted to go home. She wanted her parents to wake up so they could go home. Then Alfred was driving her back to the manor, saying that because he was Bryce's godfather that he'd be taking care of her at the manor now.

She didn't say anything and he had simply sighed, looking sad. Bryce didn't cry until she stepped into the manor and it was so empty that she could hear the wind outside. Then she couldn't stop crying. Alfred tried to get her to calm down but she couldn't stop, and eventually she cried so much she was too tired to function, and he had to carry her to her bedroom and get her changed. She fell asleep with tears on her face and blood beneath her fingernails.

It's quite easy considering she did study medicine at some point and obviously as the daughter of the Demon Head she would have extensive knowledge on how to treat wounds. Often times during training she was left injured and had to stitch herself up again afterwards. If she died or it was too grave she was simply dipped in the pit and had to repeat the session until she got it right.

Her hands have been stained with blood before countless times, sometimes her own or others but she isn't sure why only now it disturbs her. There was no time for it before as a child, she was too busy trying to survive herself. Maybe it's because it's Bryce's blood.

She moves to wash her hands first. To be more sterile, of course, and takes out all the necessary equipment, first disinfectant to clean the wounds.

"Can you take the kevlar off so I can clean the site?"

The undershirt is stained with blood however and she pulls it up even though it hurts with how the fabric sticks around the wound. She only winces a little, looking down a the wound and blood against her pale skin. She just kinda looks at it for a moment until looking up at Talia with an almost glassy eyed look, a little out of it if anything.

"Sorry."

There are also some other bruises which Talia recalls Bryce getting tonight out of recklessness as well as older wounds from just being Batman. It only reminds her of the sacrifices Bryce has had to make for her mission.

"Nonsense."

She shushes softly, bending down a bit to plant a kiss on her forehead before moving to clean the site of the blood. Most of the bleeding has stopped, thankfully, so Talia can start disinfecting.

"I am sorry for this."

Now she can see a few bruises among her body, some from taking bullets against the kevlar, not piercing anything but hitting enough to hurt. She's only bleeding from the stab wound at least, otherwise she seems to be fine besides the bruises and all.

"S'alright, Darling. I've...had much worse."

She does look back at Bryce, into her pale blue eyes as well. Her's are that almost unsettling, unnatural, bright green unlike before when they seemed to be dulled. She only sighs in response for she knows that is true but part of her heart aches that Bryce would even have to.

It's unusual considering the fact she usually doesn't have the same compassion for herself or other assassins. Perhaps because they chose this life but so did Bryce.

Talia moves to get the local anaesthetic, injecting it near the site and putting the needle away. She brushes some of Bryce's hair back, wiping away the sweat that formed there and kissing her on the forehead again like somehow she could heal it all just from that.

"Almost done, Beloved."

She breathes a bit through her nose, nodding at Talia's words and looking up a little at the ceiling. She's not even sure if it's related to the wound or just the stress catching up to her. How long has it been now? Since they died? Since she began all of this? She has so many regrets and so many things she knows she should have done better, but she can't change anything, she can't fix it all.

She walks back over to Bryce, staring into her eyes with a slight tilt to her head before bringing an arm around her shoulders and guiding her to sit up, slowly of course.

"Done. Would you like to go to your chambers now?"

"I suppose...I usually uh, use the showers down here beforehand. But if you'd...like to I won't argue."

"Hm.. It would be best not to get the stitches wet for some time. We can still clean your face and everything though."

Bryce mumbles a little, she stands fully, leaning a hint into Talia before righting herself fully and making a face when she feels light headed. It passes after a moment though so she straightens a bit, trying not to tug on the stitches too much.

"Will have to carry the rest of the gear downstairs later then I guess."

"Yes.. Let's go."

She whispers softly, taking Bryce's hand and smiling softly before continuing their way to the stairs leading up to the manor, taking it slowly and eventually making it up.

"Should change into something else...you can borrow clothes if you'd like- I don't know if I stained anything else, that's my bad."

She moves closer to crouch down in front of Bryce, wiping most of the makeup off before throwing the wipes away. She goes to get a towel as well, dampening it with warm water and ringing out the excess before using it to wipe the rest of Bryce's face, holding the others chin when she's done.

"No need.. This is surprisingly comfortable."

She blinks at her when Talia just looks into her eyes, holding her chin a bit. She just smiles a little at her eventually, just happy she's here.

"Okay...if you're sure. I just- don't want you to be uncomfortable or anything."

The last time they saw each other Talia was.. in Bryce's bed. It was her birthday which was a bit over 2 months ago. Even if Talia was tired and not the most well she still enjoyed it all the same.

"I am sure. Go change, I will wait for you in your bedroom."

She whispers softly, hesitantly pulling away and straightening so she can take her leave and wait for Bryce. She stays standing as she does so near the bed, eventually untying her hair and letting it fall down, fixing it a bit before folding her hands in front of her and waiting.

It's really just a tank top and some sweatpants, but those are really the most comfortable things she owns so it's usually her go to. She brushes her hair a bit and takes out her contacts as well, but eventually she feels a little ill from staying up right and moves to get her glasses and go meet Talia in the main bedroom.

"Do you have any ice packs?"

"In the freeze in the cave...but I'm alright. I've dealt with worse."

She tends to say that a lot, almost dismissive of any injuries because she's had worse. The pain is nothing in comparison to some of the evils and injuries she's suffered through. She's able to make it not even really register if she lets herself go enough anyways.

"Yes, you have."

She says softly, her eyes tracing one of the scars on Bryce's face before her hand comes to touch it too. This one she believes Bryce got during her training in the league. It has long since faded though, like any other wounds she acquired during that time. The physical ones at least.

Another thing she finds a bit amusing, how they met all the way back then though at the time Bryce did not see her. They only met officially long after when Bryce was already Batman.

She blinks a bit when Talia touches a scar on her face, a cut near her eyebrow. It's faded enough to cover with makeup a good amount of the time. From training, back then. Bryce remembers seeing Talia a few times, but they didn't really speak until later on. All she really thought was that she was beautiful.

She pauses at that, frowning a little and shifting a bit, moving to hold onto Talia a bit before responding.

"I...suppose."

After the last time they saw each other she supposes she missed the warmth, being held and so close. Maybe that is why she is being much more forward with this. She knows their time is.. limited. Why not enjoy it a bit more?

"Give me a moment then.."

She mumbles, not moving from their position for a while, glancing down at Bryce's arms around her waist before pressing a kiss where the scar is and reluctantly pulling away to go get the ice pack at least.

Bryce mumbles. She lays back a bit, against the pillows more with a sigh as Talia gets up to leave. She watches her go with a small frown, glancing up at the ceiling a bit as she waits.

Being alone feels a bit like drowning these days, and she's...been alone a lot more lately. She can't blame anyone, her kids have their own lives and she's proud of them. Her friends have their own cities to protect and lives to live, and Talia has hers. She supposes she just...wishes she wasn't doing all of this while being stuck in her head so often. It's not a very nice place, really.

She perks up when Talia comes back in, watching her carefully as she comes around and presses the ice pack down. Bryce tenses a bit on instinct, her expression souring for a moment before she corrects it. The cold is a bit shocking and the pain is definitely there. She allows the touch though, only twitching a bit.

"Thank you, my darling."

Allowing Damian to be trained at such a young age. Talia was trained similarly, without that training she would have been weak and would have never survived the world they lived in. The world she still lives in. She does not wish her own training did not happen for it was necessary for her survival but maybe part of her wishes it wasn't necessary.. That at least Damian would not have had to.

His training was much tamer than Talia's because of her weakness, not wanting him to have to go through the pain even though it was necessary. To survive. The weak do not survive their world. But now.. he is no longer in that life. He does not need to be so strong anymore.

Talia leans in as well, her head bowed under Bryce's and putting her other hand on the others shoulder.

"Where else does it hurt? The most."

"I think...this is fine."

She says after a moment, shrugging a bit, not knowing how to answer it. Sure there are bruises along her skin in many places now but she doesn't really register some of them and the pain. Mostly her stomach hurts from the stab wound and the bruise on her ribs that Talia is pressing upon. Otherwise there are other pains but nothing she finds that worrying.

Talia sighs softly under her breath, shaking her head a bit in amusement almost and just keeping the ice pack there for now.

She would like to say Bryce has become a bit less predictable when it comes to wounds but the opposite is more true. She focuses more on this injury for now as they breathe against each other.

She shivers a little at the cold, she's always been sensitive to temperatures more than anything and she's never particularly liked the cold. Alfred always used to say it was because she lacked the body fat to stay warm, when she was a child at least. Now he just says she needs to wear more layers if she's going to shiver constantly in the cold cave.

After she's done putting the ice pack on Bryce's shoulder it's already close to room temperature and there aren't any other bruises she would like to put it on so she keeps it in her lap instead, her hand still holding Bryce's arm just below the shoulder so she doesn't disturb the wound.

There are many scars on Bryce's arm as well which Talia's hands start to gently trace. Cuts, faded bruises, scratches, gunshot wounds and the like. All past injuries also created trying to achieve Bryce's goal. An impossible one, really.

Bryce has a strange relationship with the marks on her body, she doesn't particularly like how they make her look sometimes, and it's hard to hide when she has to go out of the house. She manages of course but it's difficult nonetheless and she despises having to put in so much effort.

They make her look ragged, worn down and ripped apart. Used in a way. She's not sure why Talia traces her delicate fingers against the markings, like they're something to hold gently. Like she could take the violence from beneath them and fix it. It's comforting in a way, but Bryce feels almost ashamed for appreciating that comfort. Like it's wrong somehow, to feel safe in her own skin.

She does not find them ugly, not on Bryce. Quite the opposite, actually. They are proof she survived something. Talia does not have those.. her body being healed by the pit. Corrected. Made perfect once more.

The only scars she is allowed to keep are fatal ones and the scar on her stomach. From Damian. She would call it a gift almost. She isn't sure why it is still there but part of her is happy for it since she has proof of that wound at least.

She's more ashamed of those than anything, which is why they're so hidden in the first place. Bryce had only started...cutting herself like that when she was in Highschool, she stopped when she left America, solely using her energy to hit others and throw herself into her training. Then it...came back when she was in Gotham. Like a bug, an illness coming back to get her.

She looks back at the scars, in a row. Too perfect. If Talia knows anything about perfection it's that it's usually hiding something. She thinks she knows what. Talia slowly moves to press a kiss to the scars before moving her hands to once again wrap around Bryce's neck, letting herself hide herself in Talia's.

"Beloved.."

Talia speaks and Bryce looks up at her for a moment. She looks away however, sighing and moving back to hide herself, as if Talia will forget she ever saw anything. That everything's fine. She stays quiet for a long time, just holding onto Talia and breathing.

"I'm sorry."

She was the one hurting with no one there to help her, to hold her. To stitch up those wounds. All Talia can do is be here right now and hold her.

She hesitates before taking one of Bryce's hands and guiding it to touch Talia's stomach, right where the scar is. It's similar to a C-section scar but less kind or surgical, really. Considering it was cut with a sword rather than any instruments. The goal was to just make sure Damian survived, if Talia had to be cut open then it didn't matter.

"I...wish I was there. When you were carrying him. To help- in anyway I could, I suppose."

Bryce ends up mumbling, just thinking back to when Talia had told her she was pregnant. The excitement was there, the thrill of becoming a parent and all. She remembers it clearly. Then...things happened of course. It was heart breaking, but Damian was here anyways.

She simply answers, shrugging a bit. Talia means it as a way of comforting Bryce, that no one else was there either so she shouldn't feel bad.

She was weak and no one was supposed to know she was pregnant other than a few specially picked guards and midwives. And of course.. her father. He was extremely protective of her at that time or more accurately the heir she was carrying.

Bryce says, frowning, she sits up a bit more to cup Talia's face a bit in her hand. Just wanting to look at her in the eyes. She looks sad, worried even. She only sighs deeply.

"You shouldn't have had to do any of that alone, with or without me specifically."

She rubs her thumb a bit against Talia's cheek. She knows it's been years now, and they can't change how things happened yet she still- wishes she was able to stay with Talia, that her father wasn't the man he is. Bryce just wishes things could have been different.

"He was quite late, didn't want to come out... Maybe he was waiting for you."

She mumbles softly, smiling a bit at the memory. That was the reason they had to do the C-section in the first place despite everything. She remembers distantly that she wanted Bryce to be there, to hold her hand or just comfort her because no one else was there for her.

"He's here now, I suppose that's what matters. I only wish I was there for both of you, to help you through it all."

Bryce says, kissing Talia on the forehead before just...holding her there, their foreheads touching with her eyes shut. There are so many things in this life that she regrets, but Talia and Damian are never going to be one of those things.

"I...I love you, Talia. I'm glad I have you, in whatever capacity that is. You will always have my heart."

She wishes Bryce was there too. When she was carrying him, when she first was able to hold him in her arms despite the green haze of just coming back to life and stared into those brown eyes.

For the first month she wouldn't even let anyone take him from her hold most of the time. The pit was still running through her veins and every protective instinct she had was heightened. All she knew was that she had to protect this.. blessing with her life.

Her breath catches a bit at those words. Bryce has never been one to be vocal about her feelings and emotions. It only makes her words hold all the more weight.

"And.. so do I, Beloved."

She wants to lay down with her for a while, even if she feels exhausted and her stitches are aching. Talia is a rare privilege, someone she can let her guard down around for once. She holds onto her like everything will be alright if she just stays like this for a while.

She has patrol alone again tonight, maybe that's also draining her. She's not sure. The mixture of everything isn't exactly great. Damian is working on something with Jon over at the Kents in Metropolis, probably some case or just an excuse to have a sleepover. She's not sure, but she doesn't mind, she's glad he's spending time with friends. Though she does…miss him a lot.

She's too off her game, distracted again, seeing things in the corners of the alleyways, spacing out while sitting on top of roofs, missing things. Bryce is able to function despite it for a good while until she got into a fight with some criminals from a gang, and was caught off guard by something she thought she saw…the glint of pearls against wet concrete, before she was harshly stabbed through a gap in her kevlar in her lower torso.

The criminal was apprehended by her not too soon after, and she'd contacted Barbara about it, not really registering the wound until she was stumbling a bit, her grapple gun shaking in her hands.

When she checked and saw blood all she did was blink a bit, surprised almost that she was bleeding. Now she clings to the wall a bit, trying to think over how to do this, she's got some first aid in the batmobile but that's a bit too far, and she's not able to really put as much pressure on the wound as she should, nor has she even begun to cover it. She should contact Babs, but Bryce for some reason doesn't, just standing there, staring at the blood on her glove as it drips down, splattering against the concrete below her.

@bryce-wayne-official

Talia is in Gotham. Again. Really, the amount of times she's come back to this place is getting a bit much, she can admit that. Though, it's not the location that keeps drawing her back to the wretched place again and again but more so the company who despite everything sees the place as their home. Damian seems to be happy here too despite everything though that is more because he.. isn't with her in the league rather than the city itself. She can hardly blame him for that.

It's the anniversary of Bryce's parent's death. A sad occasion, obviously. Talia wanted to check on her she supposes. That's why she is here. She knows Beloved does not have the best of coping mechanisms to put it lightly, the batsuit and her obsession with her goal shows that enough. It's not like Talia can judge, really. Her father is a similar man though his obsession is not fuelled by grief. Not quite like this.

She wouldn't call it stalking but she has just been following Bryce on her patrol and things are.. as she expected. That rage. It is not something she sees often from Bryce. She often notices her stopping at some roof tops and just staring into the distance. At first Talia thought it was her trying to focus on her other senses because she could feel Talia's presence but that does not seem to be the case.

She is sloppy too, taking hits that would and should have been easy to dodge. Bryce is not sloppy. And it seems all her previous precautions could not save her in this moment as Talia spots red blood dripping from her abdomen..

Talia moves to land silently behind Bryce who is clinging to the wall, approaching carefully and moving to hold Bryce from behind, not restricting but putting her hand through the gaps of the armour and applying pressure.

"Now, now. Look at the mess you've made."

"Talia?"

She mumbles, the voice changer distorting and deepening her voice a bit. She blinks a bit. The hold is real, the scent as well. She's not a hallucination then.

"Wh...what are you doing here?"

Talia replies, smiling up at Bryce when she looks back at her. She has a shawl around her hair which appears to be tied up around it and wrapped tightly so it doesn't get caught on anything.

Her clothes are also similar, resembling league attire but more to her style and rank. She also has a scarf over her top which has a nice intricate design of a flower in a deep shade of green. Even in league attire she still likes adding a pop of colour.

She continues to keep pressure on the wound, internally thinking of where to take Bryce. Definitely to the batmobile and after that probably back to the cave. Pennyworth can take care of her injuries.

"Do you have any medical supplies in your belt?"

"Oh...no, I forgot to restock it."

Which isn't exactly the truth, but it's easier to say that than to admit she had left her medical supplies with some sort of intention behind the action. She's not sure why, really. Maybe she's just tired tonight. They're close by that theater, and that alleyway. She can still see their bodies when she shuts her eyes, every specific detail that her photographic memory won't allow her to forget, even years afterwards.

Visuals were always easy to remember than the actual parts of the memory. She doesn't remember the last conversation she had with her mother, maybe it was about the movie, maybe it was about something different, like school. But she remembers the dress she wore, the pearls around her neck, the way they glinted as they fell to the ground into the puddle of blood beneath them. The hole in her father's forehead from the bullet, the way his mouth was slightly open, almost in shock, the way his eyes rolled back. The fact he had put himself in front of Bryce when Chill had approached them. She blinks, coming back to herself again, breathing slightly off and her stomach actually beginning to hurt now.

She goes to take her shawl off, her hair tied up in a bun underneath and wraps the thing around Bryce's waist for now, a bit tight but it's necessary to stop the bleeding as much as she can.

"Do not worry, Beloved. I am here. Let's go to the car then."

She mumbles a bit, staring down at her a bit dumbly. Bryce frowns a bit at the shawl, just sad to stain it really. She lets Talia take her arm, eventually putting her other hand over the wound a little as they walk. She looks around a bit wildly, just trying to make sure they're safe and not too out in the open. She tries to breathe a bit more, but she's a little panicked, though she feels a bit disconnected from the feeling.

Once they get to the car, Bryce moves to fumble with one of her gloves to unlock the car, she huffs a bit when she finally gets it, also making the tarp over it get tucked back into the vehicle by the mechanism connected to it.

"There's an autopilot...has 13 gears so it's kinda hard to drive if you haven't before."

She guides Bryce to sit in the drivers seat, leaning over to look at the controls. She glances at Bryce with a mix of confusion, disbelief and exhaustion at that but quickly corrects her face. She isn't sure what she expected but that is not the priority right now.

"Put in the address to your cave.. Where are those medical supplies you spoke of?"

"It's beneath your feet, if you press the button on the left below the bar beneath the seat the compartment should open up."

She says, coughing a little before she moves to pull off the cowl, breathing a little and rubbing at her eyes a bit. She looks like a mess, even with the makeup and general mess she tends to look before she can actually dress herself properly after patrol and all.

"If that doesn't work just kick it and it'll probably pop out, need to fix it."

She tucks a loose strand behind her ear before glancing at the screen to make sure the vehicle is making it's way to the cave before leaning over to be closer to Bryce, resting her elbows on the space between them and staring at Bryce's face without the mask for a few seconds.

"I've never quite understood the need for makeup under the cowl."

"When it didn't have lenses, made the area around my eyes harder to see."

She explains, shifting a bit to give Talia an easier way to get to the wound. She's breathing a little fast, but otherwise doesn't seem to really notice any of it.

"Then afterwards it...became a habit...I suppose. Feels bad if I don't do it now."

She hums in response, glancing up a bit at the last part. She doesn't really get what Bryce means but just smiles softly.

"I see. I suppose that would be helpful in concealing your identity. Though, it is unfortunate I can't see your face right now."

Talia says softly, noticing Bryce seeming to zone out a bit and planting a soft kiss on her cheek before continuing like nothing happened.

"I could wipe it off, but I can do that at the cave, and it'll be easier there."

She mumbles a little, looking out the windshield a bit curiously to see how far out they are from the cave, not too long given the speed and the efficiency of the autopilot. Which is programmed to ignore most traffic laws. People in Gotham tend to treat the bat-mobile like an ambulance or police vehicle anyways.

"Oh? Uh...doesn't hurt too much, I think I'm alright. Thank you, though, darling."

"Yes, you will have to do that. Pennyworth can take care of you.."

She sighs, mumbling the last part a bit and focusing on the wound, replacing the gauze with some fresh one since it's already soaked in blood and continuing to put pressure.

She probably has to leave when they get to the cave so she isn't spotted and Pennyworth can look after Bryce. It is a shame though.

"If you say so, Beloved."

She says with a bit of an exasperated sigh. Alfred had begun going to Bingo games in the city with some friends he had made, she didn't question it solely because she gave up questioning him when she was a child. Dick had asked what the point of it was and Alfred gave a fairly petty reply about keeping friendships outside of their vigilante and superhero communities.

Dick had sulked a bit and complained about his coworkers at the gym after that. Damian had told him it was a 'Skill Issue' and both Duke and Jason, who was remarkably there at the manor for dinner that night, had given the boy a high five. Which proceeded to spark a bickering argument about Jason's friends mostly being Dick's friends as well. Tim had passed by (Bryce didn't even know he was home.) and said something about neither of them having friends that weren't heroes and Jason just physically picked the younger man up and carried him out of the room in a fireman carry.

She smiles a bit at the memory. It definitely got the attention off of the fact that Alfred suddenly had a reason to be out on Tuesday nights.

"Bin..go?"

She says in a thicker accent than she would usually have, almost stopping putting as much pressure on the wound before catching herself and continuing. Talia has.. never actually played Bingo. She does not understand its popularity.

They start going down however and she looks around a bit. Right, the cave. The Batcave. She does not understand Bryce's affinity for adding bat to random things such as the 'batcomputer'.

"A game night thing. He's enjoying himself. I...didn't want to worry him or anything- I thought I'd be better this year. Didn't realize I'd be...alone."

She admits softly. Bryce isn't sure if Talia knows or remembers what the date is, and how it relates to what she's talking about, but it's April, so it could mean a number of things. Losing both her parents and her son, tragedies that are years apart. She tends to spend the latter with Jason nowadays. The anniversary obviously bothers him more than her, she wants to be there for him, and selfishly she just needs to be sure he's alright. For a while he'd be hesitant about it, but he warmed up to the idea eventually, and it's nice to just hold him for a while.

Talia sighs, smiling softly though there is a bit of sadness to it. She isn't really related to the date at all so it's not like she would even be on Bryce's mind. Obviously.

She knows it is date of Bryce's parent's death. The day that everything changed and would cause the domino's to fall that would create the Batman in the future and also the only reason Bryce even went to train with the league of assasssins. But it was also the day a young child had to watch their parents get shot in front of them in an alley.

Talia experienced much more blood and death by half that age yet it was still such a significant moment. She wonders how the world would have been if on that fateful night things went different and Thomas and Martha Wayne didn't die. Would she and her father have completed their goal? Would their have been an even bigger price to pay?

She is sure Bryce has thought the same so many times after all that grief and loss is what created Batman and fuels her to this day. It is no surprise to her that it still feels just as significant after all this time.

"Regardless...I'm happy to... to see you. My first choice would always be to see them again, but that's... of course, not possible. You are...a very good choice anyways, even if the circumstances are...poor."

She moves to cup Bryce's face, remembering the blood and frowning a bit at the sight, keeping her hand hovering over Bryce's cheek. Her hands have always been blood stained from before she could even walk. It is nothing but an inconvenience when literal but never bothered her.

She ignores the feeling though, instead planting another kiss on the cheek and changing the gauze one more time, gently guiding Bryce's hands to put pressure there while she gets out of the car to come on the other side. The bleeding has mostly stopped by now but Talia will have to do stitches.

"Come on now, Beloved. Do not keep me waiting."

Sometimes she can still hear the police sirens. Someone had to have called them after a while. Bryce hadn't screamed, she hadn't even cried, she just fell to her knees in the puddle of blood surrounding them, staring down at her parents that weren't moving anymore. She tried to call out for them but of course they didn't answer. She stayed there for what felt like hours until police arrived and brought her away from it all.

Then she was being interrogated and Alfred was picking her up and fussing over her and everyone was talking about things like funerals and lawsuits and custody. Bryce didn't know what to do or say, so she just sat there, not speaking or moving much. She answered a few simple questions but that was it. She just wanted to go home. She wanted her parents to wake up so they could go home. Then Alfred was driving her back to the manor, saying that because he was Bryce's godfather that he'd be taking care of her at the manor now.

She didn't say anything and he had simply sighed, looking sad. Bryce didn't cry until she stepped into the manor and it was so empty that she could hear the wind outside. Then she couldn't stop crying. Alfred tried to get her to calm down but she couldn't stop, and eventually she cried so much she was too tired to function, and he had to carry her to her bedroom and get her changed. She fell asleep with tears on her face and blood beneath her fingernails.

It's quite easy considering she did study medicine at some point and obviously as the daughter of the Demon Head she would have extensive knowledge on how to treat wounds. Often times during training she was left injured and had to stitch herself up again afterwards. If she died or it was too grave she was simply dipped in the pit and had to repeat the session until she got it right.

Her hands have been stained with blood before countless times, sometimes her own or others but she isn't sure why only now it disturbs her. There was no time for it before as a child, she was too busy trying to survive herself. Maybe it's because it's Bryce's blood.

She moves to wash her hands first. To be more sterile, of course, and takes out all the necessary equipment, first disinfectant to clean the wounds.

"Can you take the kevlar off so I can clean the site?"

The undershirt is stained with blood however and she pulls it up even though it hurts with how the fabric sticks around the wound. She only winces a little, looking down a the wound and blood against her pale skin. She just kinda looks at it for a moment until looking up at Talia with an almost glassy eyed look, a little out of it if anything.

"Sorry."

There are also some other bruises which Talia recalls Bryce getting tonight out of recklessness as well as older wounds from just being Batman. It only reminds her of the sacrifices Bryce has had to make for her mission.

"Nonsense."

She shushes softly, bending down a bit to plant a kiss on her forehead before moving to clean the site of the blood. Most of the bleeding has stopped, thankfully, so Talia can start disinfecting.

"I am sorry for this."

Now she can see a few bruises among her body, some from taking bullets against the kevlar, not piercing anything but hitting enough to hurt. She's only bleeding from the stab wound at least, otherwise she seems to be fine besides the bruises and all.

"S'alright, Darling. I've...had much worse."

She does look back at Bryce, into her pale blue eyes as well. Her's are that almost unsettling, unnatural, bright green unlike before when they seemed to be dulled. She only sighs in response for she knows that is true but part of her heart aches that Bryce would even have to.

It's unusual considering the fact she usually doesn't have the same compassion for herself or other assassins. Perhaps because they chose this life but so did Bryce.

Talia moves to get the local anaesthetic, injecting it near the site and putting the needle away. She brushes some of Bryce's hair back, wiping away the sweat that formed there and kissing her on the forehead again like somehow she could heal it all just from that.

"Almost done, Beloved."

She breathes a bit through her nose, nodding at Talia's words and looking up a little at the ceiling. She's not even sure if it's related to the wound or just the stress catching up to her. How long has it been now? Since they died? Since she began all of this? She has so many regrets and so many things she knows she should have done better, but she can't change anything, she can't fix it all.

She walks back over to Bryce, staring into her eyes with a slight tilt to her head before bringing an arm around her shoulders and guiding her to sit up, slowly of course.

"Done. Would you like to go to your chambers now?"

"I suppose...I usually uh, use the showers down here beforehand. But if you'd...like to I won't argue."

"Hm.. It would be best not to get the stitches wet for some time. We can still clean your face and everything though."

Bryce mumbles a little, she stands fully, leaning a hint into Talia before righting herself fully and making a face when she feels light headed. It passes after a moment though so she straightens a bit, trying not to tug on the stitches too much.

"Will have to carry the rest of the gear downstairs later then I guess."

"Yes.. Let's go."

She whispers softly, taking Bryce's hand and smiling softly before continuing their way to the stairs leading up to the manor, taking it slowly and eventually making it up.

"Should change into something else...you can borrow clothes if you'd like- I don't know if I stained anything else, that's my bad."

She moves closer to crouch down in front of Bryce, wiping most of the makeup off before throwing the wipes away. She goes to get a towel as well, dampening it with warm water and ringing out the excess before using it to wipe the rest of Bryce's face, holding the others chin when she's done.

"No need.. This is surprisingly comfortable."

She blinks at her when Talia just looks into her eyes, holding her chin a bit. She just smiles a little at her eventually, just happy she's here.

"Okay...if you're sure. I just- don't want you to be uncomfortable or anything."

The last time they saw each other Talia was.. in Bryce's bed. It was her birthday which was a bit over 2 months ago. Even if Talia was tired and not the most well she still enjoyed it all the same.

"I am sure. Go change, I will wait for you in your bedroom."

She whispers softly, hesitantly pulling away and straightening so she can take her leave and wait for Bryce. She stays standing as she does so near the bed, eventually untying her hair and letting it fall down, fixing it a bit before folding her hands in front of her and waiting.

It's really just a tank top and some sweatpants, but those are really the most comfortable things she owns so it's usually her go to. She brushes her hair a bit and takes out her contacts as well, but eventually she feels a little ill from staying up right and moves to get her glasses and go meet Talia in the main bedroom.

"Do you have any ice packs?"

"In the freeze in the cave...but I'm alright. I've dealt with worse."

She tends to say that a lot, almost dismissive of any injuries because she's had worse. The pain is nothing in comparison to some of the evils and injuries she's suffered through. She's able to make it not even really register if she lets herself go enough anyways.

"Yes, you have."

She says softly, her eyes tracing one of the scars on Bryce's face before her hand comes to touch it too. This one she believes Bryce got during her training in the league. It has long since faded though, like any other wounds she acquired during that time. The physical ones at least.

Another thing she finds a bit amusing, how they met all the way back then though at the time Bryce did not see her. They only met officially long after when Bryce was already Batman.

She blinks a bit when Talia touches a scar on her face, a cut near her eyebrow. It's faded enough to cover with makeup a good amount of the time. From training, back then. Bryce remembers seeing Talia a few times, but they didn't really speak until later on. All she really thought was that she was beautiful.

She pauses at that, frowning a little and shifting a bit, moving to hold onto Talia a bit before responding.

"I...suppose."

After the last time they saw each other she supposes she missed the warmth, being held and so close. Maybe that is why she is being much more forward with this. She knows their time is.. limited. Why not enjoy it a bit more?

"Give me a moment then.."

She mumbles, not moving from their position for a while, glancing down at Bryce's arms around her waist before pressing a kiss where the scar is and reluctantly pulling away to go get the ice pack at least.

Bryce mumbles. She lays back a bit, against the pillows more with a sigh as Talia gets up to leave. She watches her go with a small frown, glancing up at the ceiling a bit as she waits.

Being alone feels a bit like drowning these days, and she's...been alone a lot more lately. She can't blame anyone, her kids have their own lives and she's proud of them. Her friends have their own cities to protect and lives to live, and Talia has hers. She supposes she just...wishes she wasn't doing all of this while being stuck in her head so often. It's not a very nice place, really.

She perks up when Talia comes back in, watching her carefully as she comes around and presses the ice pack down. Bryce tenses a bit on instinct, her expression souring for a moment before she corrects it. The cold is a bit shocking and the pain is definitely there. She allows the touch though, only twitching a bit.

"Thank you, my darling."

Allowing Damian to be trained at such a young age. Talia was trained similarly, without that training she would have been weak and would have never survived the world they lived in. The world she still lives in. She does not wish her own training did not happen for it was necessary for her survival but maybe part of her wishes it wasn't necessary.. That at least Damian would not have had to.

His training was much tamer than Talia's because of her weakness, not wanting him to have to go through the pain even though it was necessary. To survive. The weak do not survive their world. But now.. he is no longer in that life. He does not need to be so strong anymore.

Talia leans in as well, her head bowed under Bryce's and putting her other hand on the others shoulder.

"Where else does it hurt? The most."

"I think...this is fine."

She says after a moment, shrugging a bit, not knowing how to answer it. Sure there are bruises along her skin in many places now but she doesn't really register some of them and the pain. Mostly her stomach hurts from the stab wound and the bruise on her ribs that Talia is pressing upon. Otherwise there are other pains but nothing she finds that worrying.

Talia sighs softly under her breath, shaking her head a bit in amusement almost and just keeping the ice pack there for now.

She would like to say Bryce has become a bit less predictable when it comes to wounds but the opposite is more true. She focuses more on this injury for now as they breathe against each other.

She shivers a little at the cold, she's always been sensitive to temperatures more than anything and she's never particularly liked the cold. Alfred always used to say it was because she lacked the body fat to stay warm, when she was a child at least. Now he just says she needs to wear more layers if she's going to shiver constantly in the cold cave.

After she's done putting the ice pack on Bryce's shoulder it's already close to room temperature and there aren't any other bruises she would like to put it on so she keeps it in her lap instead, her hand still holding Bryce's arm just below the shoulder so she doesn't disturb the wound.

There are many scars on Bryce's arm as well which Talia's hands start to gently trace. Cuts, faded bruises, scratches, gunshot wounds and the like. All past injuries also created trying to achieve Bryce's goal. An impossible one, really.

Bryce has a strange relationship with the marks on her body, she doesn't particularly like how they make her look sometimes, and it's hard to hide when she has to go out of the house. She manages of course but it's difficult nonetheless and she despises having to put in so much effort.

They make her look ragged, worn down and ripped apart. Used in a way. She's not sure why Talia traces her delicate fingers against the markings, like they're something to hold gently. Like she could take the violence from beneath them and fix it. It's comforting in a way, but Bryce feels almost ashamed for appreciating that comfort. Like it's wrong somehow, to feel safe in her own skin.

She does not find them ugly, not on Bryce. Quite the opposite, actually. They are proof she survived something. Talia does not have those.. her body being healed by the pit. Corrected. Made perfect once more.

The only scars she is allowed to keep are fatal ones and the scar on her stomach. From Damian. She would call it a gift almost. She isn't sure why it is still there but part of her is happy for it since she has proof of that wound at least.

She's more ashamed of those than anything, which is why they're so hidden in the first place. Bryce had only started...cutting herself like that when she was in Highschool, she stopped when she left America, solely using her energy to hit others and throw herself into her training. Then it...came back when she was in Gotham. Like a bug, an illness coming back to get her.

She looks back at the scars, in a row. Too perfect. If Talia knows anything about perfection it's that it's usually hiding something. She thinks she knows what. Talia slowly moves to press a kiss to the scars before moving her hands to once again wrap around Bryce's neck, letting herself hide herself in Talia's.

"Beloved.."

Talia speaks and Bryce looks up at her for a moment. She looks away however, sighing and moving back to hide herself, as if Talia will forget she ever saw anything. That everything's fine. She stays quiet for a long time, just holding onto Talia and breathing.

"I'm sorry."

She was the one hurting with no one there to help her, to hold her. To stitch up those wounds. All Talia can do is be here right now and hold her.

She hesitates before taking one of Bryce's hands and guiding it to touch Talia's stomach, right where the scar is. It's similar to a C-section scar but less kind or surgical, really. Considering it was cut with a sword rather than any instruments. The goal was to just make sure Damian survived, if Talia had to be cut open then it didn't matter.

"I...wish I was there. When you were carrying him. To help- in anyway I could, I suppose."

Bryce ends up mumbling, just thinking back to when Talia had told her she was pregnant. The excitement was there, the thrill of becoming a parent and all. She remembers it clearly. Then...things happened of course. It was heart breaking, but Damian was here anyways.

She simply answers, shrugging a bit. Talia means it as a way of comforting Bryce, that no one else was there either so she shouldn't feel bad.

She was weak and no one was supposed to know she was pregnant other than a few specially picked guards and midwives. And of course.. her father. He was extremely protective of her at that time or more accurately the heir she was carrying.

Bryce says, frowning, she sits up a bit more to cup Talia's face a bit in her hand. Just wanting to look at her in the eyes. She looks sad, worried even. She only sighs deeply.

"You shouldn't have had to do any of that alone, with or without me specifically."

She rubs her thumb a bit against Talia's cheek. She knows it's been years now, and they can't change how things happened yet she still- wishes she was able to stay with Talia, that her father wasn't the man he is. Bryce just wishes things could have been different.

"He was quite late, didn't want to come out... Maybe he was waiting for you."

She mumbles softly, smiling a bit at the memory. That was the reason they had to do the C-section in the first place despite everything. She remembers distantly that she wanted Bryce to be there, to hold her hand or just comfort her because no one else was there for her.

"He's here now, I suppose that's what matters. I only wish I was there for both of you, to help you through it all."

Bryce says, kissing Talia on the forehead before just...holding her there, their foreheads touching with her eyes shut. There are so many things in this life that she regrets, but Talia and Damian are never going to be one of those things.

"I...I love you, Talia. I'm glad I have you, in whatever capacity that is. You will always have my heart."