Bruce W. | Oneshot

Symbols

Summary: This is short but sweet. More like a breakdown of what Batman is with a sweet twist.

A/N: ♞ represents what Bruce says

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

"Don't do this to yourself."

If I'm being honest, I know my words are meaningless. In the grand scheme of things, who am I to a man who's fooled himself into believing he's a god. He believes that one man is enough to change the world, but if we're being honest, that was always just a lie.

We look at people in history with such admiration or hate, all because as a society we agreed their actions to be just or unjust. No one person has enabled change, it's the general populace that does. Ideas are useless unless you can get people behind the said idea. And this process is what we call change.

Pinnacles in history are symbols for us to manipulate. The reason they "enable" change is because we can manipulate them to meet our goals. Batman serves as one of these symbols. Manipulated by the people as a reason to fear the dark, a reason for the GCPD to not be held accountable, and a reason for fewer criminals. He means a thousand things to a thousand people.

♞ "I have to. I'm the only one who can."

Flaws. A symbol has none, but a man, he has a million. Even gods aren't perfect, but that's the point, isn't it? To make Batman something more permanent than even a god. Make him into a belief, a force of hope for the innocents, a force of revenge for victims and a force to be reckoned with for villains,

"Just because you're the only one doesn't mean you have to do it. The world will still survive."

The Batman is all consuming, for if it is meant to remain unchangeable, then the man wearing the cowl has to believe. And eventually, that man will drown in his own beliefs until he is led to a different kind of madness, one that no one has ever encountered much less cured.

♞ "The world may survive, but it will never thrive. It will never be balanced."

To be the Batman means to make people believe you are unstoppable. On par with gods. But even gods can become monsters. I love him with all my heart, but he can never be mine. He is a symbol for everyone. He was never Bruce Wayne. Fate had made this clear. He was always Batman. Not meant for anyone but the world.

He was the sacrifice we needed but never deserved. No one can take the burdens he takes, for he is Atlas, carrying the world on his back. Except he wasn't chose to shoulder this responsibility, he chose to do so.

"That may be true, even so, you are no god. You'll drive yourself to madness, eventually, gripping at straws to keep your sanity."

♞ "Then so be it, I-"

"I was saying...As you are for the world, I am for you. I will be your hope, and I won't ever give up on you, even if you do give up on me."