Going out to do this line of work untrained is foolish at best, but letting that stop you from getting stronger and better is worse than failure. [On one hand, he doesn’t think anyone else can do it. On the other, people who don’t try piss him off.] You don’t need special abilities to know when it’s right to save someone, or to help them.
You don’t need a special certificate or special schooling, only the will and the training. Use your mind instead of relying on some overpowered gimmick. Think smarter than the bad guys. That’s all you need to be stronger than anyone else, even more than physical skill:
[Izuku nods, expression clearing just a little. Though Damian's given him a lot to think about, some of those words ring true to what All Might had said before. Reaching out to help people, whether or not they ask for it, is what a hero does.]
...my intellect... [He echoes, pressing a thumb into his bottom lip in thought. From the way he says it, it's like he's never really had anyone tell him that is a strength, even if he's considered it before. He thinks back to all the notebooks of information he's compiled over the years.] It...it's true, I did think that analyzing everyone's quirks and finding strengths and weaknesses would be helpful before. Back...before I got my quirk... the other kids always made fun of me for doing it, though.
[And yet, here's someone who works as a hero saying that it's exactly what he should have focused on. One thing's for sure... through all this, Izuku's slowly been filled with the burning need to know more about Damian and the other quirkless heroes he mentioned.]
Robin... [Izuku hesitates, the bashful sort of look very different from the excitement and quiet melancholy from before.] Can you tell me about you and Batman? And the others you mentioned earlier. The...the ones without quirks. I'd...like to hear about them.
[His reason for asking is obvious, even if he doesn't say it.]
[For a little bit, Damian is quiet. There's a lot he can't say, but still a lot he can. Things that are relatively common knowledge in Gotham, on Earth. Things that wouldn't hurt to be told in earnest.] Batman is...
[He's never had very many opportunities to candidly talk about his father--well, or Batman. Now that he has the chance, he isn't sure what to say. He's nervous. He doesn't want to tarnish Batman's haunting image, but he also doesn't want that image to scare Izuku. Batman strikes fear in criminals, not civilians.] Batman fights for those who can't fight for themselves. It's not about getting rid of the toughest criminal, or about fighting the hardest battle.
It's about the people he helps.
Every criminal in Gotham fears his name. You can't hide from him. He will always find you. Your life of incarcerated reform begins the moment you decide to take advantage of others. He doesn't have any powers. [He has money, but listen.] He has an arsenal, and he has his intelligence.
There's one thing Batman never does, and that's kill. Not even the criminals. [Much to Damian's disapproval. It had taken him some time to not only accept this, but strive to follow it.] He knows they can be helped, too. The most hideous of evils, the most terrible of masterminds; he won't kill them because killing them means he'll be no better than they are.
[There's a long pause. Damian's lips aren't frowning, but he isn't smiling exactly.]
[Everything about this strikes a chord in him. From the part about fighting for people who can't fight for themselves, to the part about having his intelligence in battle.]
He sounds like an amazing hero. [Izuku says softly, a small, but genuine smile on his face as he looks at Damian.] It's no wonder you look up to him so much.
[Though hearing all of this means the world to Izuku, he can tell that being able to talk about Batman means something to Damian, too. He's glad that he asked, even if this conversation's thrown some of his world views into question.]
[His head tips enough that it's apparent he's glancing down, lips set in a line, brows drawn. He's not sure what to say, and he doesn't want to acknowledge the last part, or obviously that means it'll be true.]
The others are... [Like Batman, he's not sure how to describe them to someone who doesn't know.] Nightwing is the most annoying, overbearing idiot in the world. His jokes are dry and ridiculous, and you shouldn't ever hear any of them. He's a very skilled acrobat, among other things. [He doesn't think it's safe, even here, to mention they all use to be Robins. Not yet.] He's... also caring. About people.
Red Robin is a toad that should be in a swamp with Red Hood. [Hm. Even in his attempt to give astute descriptions, Damian's feelings are clear...] He's a liar and an idiot on a different level than Nightwing... but he's skilled with technology, and sometimes, his plans are logical.
Batwoman is capable. She's good at what she does, and she's not stupid like some of the others, even if she can be a little brash. She knows the risks. Batgirl...
The current Batgirl is one of the most talented, humbling people I know to ever take up any of the other mantles in the Family. None of the rest could ever dream of amounting to her skill.
[Why would he be biased to a fellow ex-Assassin tool? SURELY NOT HIM. Damian Wayne, holding up Cassandra Cain flags.]
[Wow, Damian, tell us how you really feel?? There's so much in Damian's descriptions of the other heroes that Izuku has to take a moment to just let it all sink in.]
Batman, Batwoman, Batgirl... Robin and Red Robin. [He murmurs those names to himself.] It sounds like there's a naming theme going on in here, especially for the first three.
That last one, though. Batgirl. It sounds like you really respect her. [Even if Izuku hasn't known Damian for very long, he has a feeling that level of praise is rare for him.] She must be amazing. What does she specialize in? [Since Damian had mentioned technology before.]
oh... i janked my timelines bc comics are suffering rip me
[There's a whole mess of other things he could tell Izuku, but it'd just complicate everything, and he thinks, right now, they aren't important. Like Stephanie Brown. Like Barbara Gordon. Like Duke Thomas. Like Jason Todd.] She...
[He looks away, not in embarrassment necessarily, but in uncertainty. It's not the time or his place to talk about Cassandra. And yet, he doesn't want her legend to be unheard. She deserves better than that.] She goes by Orphan. She had the same training I did.
Some people thought they could use her as a tool, but she proved them wrong. She's an expert at stealth and combat. She could win a hand-to-hand fight against Batman.
Orphan... [Izuku's eager expression flickers again.] That kind of name sounds lonely. [He wonders if she had something to prove when she chose it, the way he did when he stuck with "Deku" in the end.]
So she's skilled enough to best a pro like Batman--that's really impressive! And...I'm glad for her, that she isn't letting anyone use her like that.
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no subject
Going out to do this line of work untrained is foolish at best, but letting that stop you from getting stronger and better is worse than failure. [On one hand, he doesn’t think anyone else can do it. On the other, people who don’t try piss him off.] You don’t need special abilities to know when it’s right to save someone, or to help them.
You don’t need a special certificate or special schooling, only the will and the training. Use your mind instead of relying on some overpowered gimmick. Think smarter than the bad guys. That’s all you need to be stronger than anyone else, even more than physical skill:
Your intellect.
no subject
...my intellect... [He echoes, pressing a thumb into his bottom lip in thought. From the way he says it, it's like he's never really had anyone tell him that is a strength, even if he's considered it before. He thinks back to all the notebooks of information he's compiled over the years.] It...it's true, I did think that analyzing everyone's quirks and finding strengths and weaknesses would be helpful before. Back...before I got my quirk... the other kids always made fun of me for doing it, though.
[And yet, here's someone who works as a hero saying that it's exactly what he should have focused on. One thing's for sure... through all this, Izuku's slowly been filled with the burning need to know more about Damian and the other quirkless heroes he mentioned.]
Robin... [Izuku hesitates, the bashful sort of look very different from the excitement and quiet melancholy from before.] Can you tell me about you and Batman? And the others you mentioned earlier. The...the ones without quirks. I'd...like to hear about them.
[His reason for asking is obvious, even if he doesn't say it.]
no subject
[He's never had very many opportunities to candidly talk about his father--well, or Batman. Now that he has the chance, he isn't sure what to say. He's nervous. He doesn't want to tarnish Batman's haunting image, but he also doesn't want that image to scare Izuku. Batman strikes fear in criminals, not civilians.] Batman fights for those who can't fight for themselves. It's not about getting rid of the toughest criminal, or about fighting the hardest battle.
It's about the people he helps.
Every criminal in Gotham fears his name. You can't hide from him. He will always find you. Your life of incarcerated reform begins the moment you decide to take advantage of others. He doesn't have any powers. [He has money, but listen.] He has an arsenal, and he has his intelligence.
There's one thing Batman never does, and that's kill. Not even the criminals. [Much to Damian's disapproval. It had taken him some time to not only accept this, but strive to follow it.] He knows they can be helped, too. The most hideous of evils, the most terrible of masterminds; he won't kill them because killing them means he'll be no better than they are.
[There's a long pause. Damian's lips aren't frowning, but he isn't smiling exactly.]
He's one of the greatest men I've ever known.
no subject
He sounds like an amazing hero. [Izuku says softly, a small, but genuine smile on his face as he looks at Damian.] It's no wonder you look up to him so much.
[Though hearing all of this means the world to Izuku, he can tell that being able to talk about Batman means something to Damian, too. He's glad that he asked, even if this conversation's thrown some of his world views into question.]
no subject
The others are... [Like Batman, he's not sure how to describe them to someone who doesn't know.] Nightwing is the most annoying, overbearing idiot in the world. His jokes are dry and ridiculous, and you shouldn't ever hear any of them. He's a very skilled acrobat, among other things. [He doesn't think it's safe, even here, to mention they all use to be Robins. Not yet.] He's... also caring. About people.
Red Robin is a toad that should be in a swamp with Red Hood. [Hm. Even in his attempt to give astute descriptions, Damian's feelings are clear...] He's a liar and an idiot on a different level than Nightwing... but he's skilled with technology, and sometimes, his plans are logical.
Batwoman is capable. She's good at what she does, and she's not stupid like some of the others, even if she can be a little brash. She knows the risks. Batgirl...
The current Batgirl is one of the most talented, humbling people I know to ever take up any of the other mantles in the Family. None of the rest could ever dream of amounting to her skill.
[Why would he be biased to a fellow ex-Assassin tool? SURELY NOT HIM. Damian Wayne, holding up Cassandra Cain flags.]
no subject
Batman, Batwoman, Batgirl... Robin and Red Robin. [He murmurs those names to himself.] It sounds like there's a naming theme going on in here, especially for the first three.
That last one, though. Batgirl. It sounds like you really respect her. [Even if Izuku hasn't known Damian for very long, he has a feeling that level of praise is rare for him.] She must be amazing. What does she specialize in? [Since Damian had mentioned technology before.]
oh... i janked my timelines bc comics are suffering rip me
[He looks away, not in embarrassment necessarily, but in uncertainty. It's not the time or his place to talk about Cassandra. And yet, he doesn't want her legend to be unheard. She deserves better than that.] She goes by Orphan. She had the same training I did.
Some people thought they could use her as a tool, but she proved them wrong. She's an expert at stealth and combat. She could win a hand-to-hand fight against Batman.
ah... comics
So she's skilled enough to best a pro like Batman--that's really impressive! And...I'm glad for her, that she isn't letting anyone use her like that.