Inspire? How!?

My way back to the apartment has been filled with stares of pity, distrust, and almost what looks predatory and eager. I'm just now remembering that vigilantes are still extremely illegal and are supposed to be arrested.

Which makes this understandable, but who gives a damn. I did the job y'all couldn't and all it required was going outside.

"Excuse me, Sir you are under arrest." Right before I could open the door right behind me was a police officer who was staring me down.

"…..hold on for a minute." I pulled out my phone and likely due to my terrible condition he disregarded me as I did.

After a few minutes of waiting he got visibly irritated. "Hurry it up!"

"Huh? Oh I was just scrolling on twitter thanks lad." I slid into the apartment while he was choking on his own anger.

"Hey, Commissioner could you deal with the guy about to come in?" He just turned from his conversation nodding in confusion.

A minute later he busted in yelling "You're coming to the station with me you bra-

"Pipe down and stop bothering Batman's partner!" His back straightened and his arms clasped down to his sides at light speed. It was pretty interesting, but I wasn't here for that.

"Heeeey, Randy guess what buddy?" Noise could be heard running towards the door before he said "Is that you Nightwing?"

"Yep, sure is. Were the policeman nice to you?"

"Yes…no…I didn't really speak to any of them." Yeah, I thought so honestly.

"Well, guess what? I got the villain all by my self!" A gasp was heard accompanied by a "Really???" I just made a mhm noise and then after some silence.

"..thank you" this is why I wanna be a hero this right here. I'm a man of the people what can I say.

"Anytime." There was a bit more silence before he randomly asked.

"am I a bad person?" What the heck? Please don't say something that's gonna make me cry.

"What do you mean?" After some heavy breaths he confessed "If I'm being honest… at first when you spoke to me I wanted you to..unalive him just like he did my father. Does that mean I'm not fit to be a hero." Uhhhhhh what the hell do I say to that! I can't be like. Of course you can't be a hero that's a no no. When I literally was thinking about murdering him mid-fight!!

I gotta do something that'll change his life say something profound and heroic like uhhhh. Fuck hoes and get money…no that wouldn't work. Why are memes the only things I can think of from my past life right now.

Shit it's been way too long I have to at least say something.

"Well…do you still wish he was dead? Or better yet would you have killed him if you could? There will be no shame to answering I won't judge you promise." Almost like quick fire he answered.

"Of course not that's wrong!" Fuck at least say something longer and give me more time.

". . . .Then you are still able to walk down the path of a hero! Who you are isn't about your first instinct. It's all about what you decide to do about it. Everyone has bad thoughts now and then, but recognizing they're bad or selfish and then deciding what's best is all that separates us from villains."

Wait wait wait while he's still in shock at how terrible that speech was I can use a proven line that works in this world.

"So yes I know that you can become a hero!" I let it sit for a moment expecting laughter, but instead I heard the doorknob wiggling and soon enough.

"…hi" Wow he's pretty short for a nine year old. Just a small boy with white messy hair and…golden eyes? No doubt about the fact this boy would be the Main Character of a My Hero Academy that took place outside of Japan. Most likely an edgy one due to this backstory of his I can already see it now.

"Hey." I just grinned brightly and pat him on the head. I mean not really on the head because he's wearing my hood, but I at least tried it.

"What are you doing?" His blank face made me a little embarrassed honestly.

"Uh I heard this made kids more comfortable…am I wrong?" He began giggling a bit and even though he still had his small somber smile.

"What am I going to do…" He stopped giggling and began looking at the ground shifting from side to side.

Tears began forming in his eyes and I just knelt down and hugged him in silence.

"Live on. That's all you can do and see where it takes you. It won't be perfect it won't be easy, but if you can do that then it could always get better. Of course that's not the conversation for now all you need to do is let out all your feelings."

What can I say I feel bad for broken kids. They have it so bad and yet I wanted to die in my past life almost all the time even with nothing comparable to what they went through.

"I don't know if this helps, but I want you to know I look up to you and see a lot of potential in you." Technically it's not him, but people like him stronger than a fucker like me deserve it all.

It was a good few minutes of crying from him by this point the room had been cleaned up with evidence packed and most people were gone.

He finally looked up and said "Thank you Nightwing, here's your cape back." Returning the cape to me he gave me one more hug before a police officer supposedly took him to the orphanage.

"Batman's on the roof if you were looking for him." The roof? He's definitely about to say some bs at me for talking to the child. The commissioner just looked at my face and sighed "He seemed upset."

"Thanks." I walk up to the commissioner shake his hand and leave.

"Yo." He stares at me more and more as I walk towards him.

"Look Nightwing, I don't know what to say. The case was finished much faster so you did that well, but since it finished quickly we don't stop we should be gone patrolling."

"Then why are we doing this." He started frowning and protested "This is necessary."

I retorted "So was that." He sighed and started walking towards me. If he wanted to randomly kick my ass he could either way so I don't got any reason to put up a guard.

Getting close to my face he growled "Innocent live have been risked right now!"

"You didn't save that boy. I did, not just because I took down the criminal, but because I stopped him from turning into you and resenting the world. So even if you stop the criminal you save their life, but not their life. I did the job well you just do it everywhere. Here's a fix you need to keep going? Don't let me weigh you down just go and I'll catch up."

He stared me down a bit more before he said "Go get in the car." About time this whole conversation was a waste.

I just jumped off doing my…King flip onto the car. That's not a good name for my GoB trick sounds pretty lame honestly.

He did the same just using his cape as a glider…how da fuk.