Only kids chose one or the other!
The agony in his chest burned like fire. Ra's al Ghul's words burrowed into his mind like venomous snakes-choose between Raven and Gotham. It was an impossible choice, the cruelest mockery of everything he stood for.
He could not abandon that girl. She was a life in need of protection, not a stain to be cleansed. Nor could he abandon Gotham. This city was his responsibility, the oath he would never betray.
In that desperate stalemate, a calm voice came through the nearly shattered communicator beside his ear.
"Master Bruce." There seemed to be a faint note of anticipation in Alfred's voice. "The Riot Armor is approaching your airspace. Authorization has been confirmed. It can be deployed at any time."
Bruce stared through his mask, his gaze fixed on Ra's al Ghul's face, with its mingled pity and disappointment. If he could help it, he would never use this equipment. Not because of any principle about relying on external tools, but because...
Yet reality left him no choice. Without it, he was not even qualified to stand before his opponent.
"Execute the deployment protocol, Alfred," he snapped, hesitation gone. "Now!"
Ra's al Ghul raised his head toward the night sky, stained dark red by the city's light pollution. The thunderous roar of heavy rotor blades sounded overhead.
"Still counting on your little gadgets, Bruce? They won't change..."
His words cut off abruptly.
Deep in the night sky, a black speck rapidly grew larger, accompanied by an ever-louder roar of engines. It was a heavy transport helicopter stripped of all markings, diving with almost brutal force. A massive shape covered in black canvas hung beneath its belly.
"What is that?" Even the widely experienced Ra's al Ghul showed the faintest flicker of surprise.
The