Just like a puppet on the strings, Dick was molded and shaped to perfectly perform in every character he was cast for — Son, brother, hero, sidekick, leader, and teammate to name a few.

He’s an integration by parts, the sum of all the identities that he toes the line between, and at the end of the day? Dick still doesn’t have a d*mn clue about who he is, even with all the detective training under his belt. And no, there’s no need to add any other unnecessary constants to his life. He’s very well aware of all his pressing responsibilities, thank you.

The ambiguity of this predicament makes him feel sick to his stomach though. It’s hard to plan for uncertainty. And yes, he refuses to use a juvenile term such as ‘situationship’ despite the insistence of his friends.

But even the Boy Wonder can’t deny that he’s been off recently, a crack within the mask that needs to be repaired. All relationships are difficult in their own right. However, asking for commitment when he’s unable to devote himself entirely to any of his roles seemed like hypocrisy at its finest.

There’s only one shot at the chance of taking on whatever this is. And if he screws things up? Irreparable damage will be inflicted, and he’ll be unable to atone for his wrongdoings. Perhaps this was just a figment of his imagination, stuck in the loop of over-analyzing every minor glance and subtle brush of hands.

“You’re brooding again.”

And suddenly, Dick was torn away from the jumble of his unorganized thoughts, pulled straight back into reality — The upcoming mission, training, the last argument he had with Bruce, and…

The situation that he’s currently in.

“Pff. I’m not brooding,” he clarified with a scoff, forcing himself to meet the gaze of the person who’s been occupying an extensive amount of time in his brain recently. All while deliberating on which role might be needed of him at the moment. “I’m reflecting.”

Reflecting, that in the end, he’s just a loser who might have used a math metaphor to describe himself.