Sometimes Heroes Stumble

I have a darker side that sometimes I let out. Sometimes I let the beast out of his cage and watch as he roams about hither and thither. Sometimes I wonder if he senses that the only shackles upon his body are those that are self imposed.

James Gordon Jr.: Why's he running, Dad?
Lt. James Gordon: Because we have to chase him.
James Gordon Jr.: He didn't do anything wrong.
Lt. James Gordon: Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.

I love that edge. Love that hard outer shell. Batman isn't like Superman. He doesn't have superpowers- can't overpower the bad guys through strength or speed. He operates in the shadows and does what has to be done to keep Gotham safe. And though he does have some lines that he will not cross, he is indeed a dark knight.

Bruce Wayne: Targeting me won't get their money back. I knew the mob wouldn't go down without a fight, but this is different. They crossed the line.
Alfred Pennyworth: You crossed the line first, sir. You squeezed them, you hammered them to the point of desperation. And in their desperation they turned to a man they didn't fully understand.
Bruce Wayne: Criminals aren't complicated, Alfred. Just have to figure out what he's after.
Alfred Pennyworth: With respect, sir, perhaps this is a man that *you* don't fully understand.

Even heroes stumble.They fail and they fall just as the rest of us do. And perhaps sometimes they fear that perhaps that they aren't enough, that they just don't have it.

Bruce Wayne: People are dying, Alfred. What would you have me do?
Alfred Pennyworth: Endure, Master Wayne. Take it. They'll hate you for it, but that's the point of Batman, he can be the outcast. He can make the choice that no one else can make, the right choice.
Bruce Wayne: Well today I found out what Batman can't do. He can't endure this. Today you get to say "I told you so."
Alfred Pennyworth: Today, I don't want to.
[pauses for several moments]
Alfred Pennyworth: But I did bloody tell you.

And if they are really lucky they have their "Alfred" to help keep them on the path- to remind them that though they may fall down there is a difference between getting up and giving up.