Bruce has walked through enough worlds to know about the version of himself who raises these children for slaughter, and he hates the knowledge of it. He knows there's more to it, between the injured way Grayson had flinched silent on the subject and that woman with the mask and her infant. There's more of them, he knows it. And it's completely unacceptable. Tonight is easy proof of that.

He considers expressing concern - discards it.

"The older one was more competent." Deliberate. His voice is flat, and he cuts off the edge of the violet suture thread. He doesn't want to use names; he got along with Richard. Even liked him, grudgingly. It's unsettling, now, to know that this Tim isn't the one he interacted with, doesn't know the older boy that he knew.

"You should consider a real job." He starts on the last cut.