Bruce had never crossed that line. Never once. He refused to be the one to kill anyone. But he was starting to break. The Joker just ran through Gotham. Terrorizing and killing who knows how many people. Penguin and Black Mask are teaming up to sell even more weapons on his streets. He can't help but think if, in the end, his unwillingness to kill these people is what's getting more people killed.

He would never admit it to anyone. Especially not to his kids. Dick and Tim always agreed with the way he did things. Jason and Damian call him a coward. Not able to do the right thing. He didn't want to change. He didn't want to become as bad as the monsters he puts away. But even The Bat has to break eventually.

Bruce was sitting in his chair infront of the Bat computer. Looking at old reports. Looking for a common thread behind everything that wasn't him. But the more he searched. The more he saw that he was the problem. If he became a monster to everyone but the innocents and his family. Would that actually stop people like the Joker? Would that make Gotham a safer place?

Footsteps pulled him out of his own head. Sighing he didn't even turn to see who it was.

"What do you need?" He asks coldly.