Despite Damian being on the brink of an emotional outburst, Batman remained very calm. He turned his head to look at Damian, but his face showed no hint of nostalgia. After a moment, he spoke: "I know. You consider yourself to be Damian. The mastermind who designed this plan would never let you know your true identity. He would do everything possible to make you think that you are the resurrected old friend. Because if you can't even deceive yourself, there's no way you can deceive us."
"But if you were truly identical to our deceased loved ones, you wouldn't help the mastermind achieve his evil plan. People are drawn to their kind, grouped by their nature. Anyone close enough to a superhero to maintain a long-standing good relationship must be kind and righteous themselves. Such people wouldn't betray and turn against their principles."
"Unable to reveal your real identity and yet wanting you to be at odds with superheroes, there's only one way—to manipulate your emotions."
"In human interactions, it's impossible to have only positive emotions. Frictions arise, mutual grievances occur, and people might even have different understandings of significant events; all of these are normal. Adults have good emotional self-control, allowing them to manage their emotions, make rational decisions, and maintain relationships."
"However, once emotions are influenced by an external force, especially notably irresistible ones, many small emotions may suddenly erupt like a landslide or tsunami, making self-control difficult."
"At that point, everything from the past resurfaces. Those past frictions and conflicts are magnified exponentially, making people deeply feel betrayed. Those ensuing negative emotions are similarly amplified. What was initially a complaint quickly develops into resentment; what was originally dissatisfaction rapidly turns into anger."
"With no one to counsel and no means of self-control, these terrifying negative emotions completely change a person's personality, making them gloomy, cruel, and evil."
"Everyone resurrected goes through misfortune. They have witnessed too much darkness, been persecuted, killed, and endlessly tortured. When their accumulated hatred from these events explodes, they naturally hate society, despise the world, and even resent superheroes."
"So, they desire revenge, wish to destroy Earth, and eradicate everything that once caused them suffering. This inevitably positions them against superheroes. This is the core of the mastermind's plan."
"Damian, the mastermind chose you because you died young and unfairly. You have plenty to resent, like me, the Joker, Gotham, or society at large. Your first act upon revenge would be to avenge against them. It's the only thing you'd consider."
"What's wrong with that?!" Damian couldn't help saying, "Haven't you always aimed for revenge too?!"
"I'm telling you all this to clarify that while your experiences are tragic, the fault is not yours. So, your desire for revenge is entirely normal. But are your targets for revenge really correct?"
"I remember telling you that my parents were murdered when we were heading home from the movies. Since then, I have been determined to avenge my parents. I became Batman, patrolling Gotham's streets and alleys at night, apprehending countless criminals, battling cunning super villains day in and day out. I've made many sacrifices but also changed a lot."
"What you're doing is akin to me avenging the movie theater after my parents were shot—reasoning that if I hadn't gone to the movies, my parents wouldn't have died. Not only is this foolish, but also absurdly ridiculous."
"I admit that at that moment, anger clouded my judgment, resulting in an irrational decision. But the reason I'm here on the rooftop is because I want to save you. I want to fulfill both Batman's and a father's responsibilities. The Joker dropped you not because I pushed him but because he wanted to kill you; he's a madman who finds pleasure in others' pain."
"Damian, you have always been smart. You're capable of realizing that the malice you harbor against me is illogical. But you've lost your self-control—it's been taken by the mastermind. Your emotions and rationality are constantly at war, bringing you great pain."
"Regrettably, you probably can't overcome it. That's why I can't regard you as the true Damian. Because I know that when you fail completely, you'll reveal the monster's true nature. If I held onto hope, disappointment would certainly follow."
"Thus, you shouldn't be angry at my indifference. After all, I'm not controlled by the mastermind. I possess fundamental emotional self-control and rationality. Knowing there's no positive outcome, I won't waste emotions on a monster. You needn't seek me out again as it would be meaningless."
Having said this, Batman stood up and went upstairs. Damian felt like he had fallen into an ice cave, as if drenched in ice water poured over him, shivering uncontrollably.
The words of anger that he had brewed in his belly for a long time failed to come out. When he first met Batman, Batman seemed willing to persuade him, which appeared somewhat nostalgic. But now, Batman's calm demeanor was akin to a declaration from the God of Death.
Damian would rather Batman debated with him, reprimanded him, or argued over past events. But Batman merely stated a fact—his indifference wasn't because he didn't care for Damian; he just didn't consider him to be Damian.
This realization shattered Damian more than he had previously understood. Batman was essentially telling him he had no right to criticize Batman's favoritism toward other children, from Damian's perspective—because he was merely a monster with Damian's appearance.
Batman is always calmer and more restrained than anyone else. He doesn't have any expectations of him, neither regarding him as Damian nor hoping he would truly become Damian. Because he doesn't care, there's no reaction.
Damian came full of ambition, angrily asking questions, leaving in a daze. He recognized a chilling truth in his heart: In front of Batman, whether one is truly him depends on whether he can satisfy him.
Batman believes Damian should be smart enough to see that the nature of an emotionally abnormal breakdown is manipulation by others. The resurrected Damian didn't see it, so he is not qualified. Batman believes Damian can overcome his uncontrollable emotions and make the right choice. The resurrected Damian didn't do it, so he is not qualified. Because he's not qualified, he isn't Damian but merely a monster.
However, this isn't right either. Damian thought: First, the change in his personality is normal since he died once, and so horribly at that. Anyone who went through what he has, wouldn't they turn into a ghost filled with resentment? Having some grievance can't be considered abnormal, can it?
Second, he's still a kid, and he wasn't exactly gentle and kind without a temper before. So why say his emotional breakdown is manipulation by others? He just lost his temper this once, and he's not qualified?
Batman is so certain he is not Damian, there must be another reason, there must be something in his behavior that went wrong.
After returning to the base, Amanda seemed very displeased. She looked over Damian and said, "Where did you go? For so long? We've finished the meeting…"
Damian ignored him and went back to his room, slamming the door. Amanda was left hanging, swearing as she left. They agreed to act tomorrow morning, and now night is deep, with many things to prepare, he must hurry.
After returning to his room, Damian still couldn't calm down. Filled with resentment, he threw things, pacing back and forth, wanting to know what exactly went wrong with him, why Batman would have no expectations, why he would believe he isn't.
He previously asked several others, especially those who had met with the Justice League, like the Allen couple. They all said that even if their relatives ultimately made a decision, they were still able to clearly see their wavering. Even the very rational Barry, the always strong Diana, they couldn't help but be distracted. There must have been a moment when they wanted to rush forward and hug desperately.
But Batman didn't at all, from the first time he met him. Damian has now come to realize: When he first met Batman, the things Batman said to him weren't like things Batman would say to Damian at all. Something like "I don't have time to mourn, you should look forward too," was completely like he was advising a stranger child, not his own son.
This time it was even more so, talking about whether the target of revenge was right, whether resentment was normal, behind-the-scenes manipulation and the like. It seemed like a father teaching his son, but in reality, it was explaining his own attitude. Plain and straightforward, without any ripples, simply like a block of stinky hard stone.
Damian thought over it but still couldn't figure out what's going on. Even though during the second meeting, he indeed was full of resentment and didn't behave rationally, not quite like his smart son. But what was going on during the first meeting? It can't be wrong before he even spoke, right?
Damian paced back and forth in the room but felt that this wouldn't lead to any results. So, he went to Shiller's room and knocked on the door.
People here generally don't know Batman well. Those resurrected have no intersection with Batman. Bruce definitely intersected with him, but Damian doesn't want to see him. So only Shiller is left. Damian seems to have heard Amanda say that Shiller used to be an agent for Bruce Wayne, should know a little about him.
Shiller opened the door and was surprised to see Damian. He said, "What's wrong, Damian? Haven't you gone to rest?"
Damian ignored what he said, directly squeezed into the room. Everyone's room is basically the same, so there's nothing much to look at, so he simply plopped down on the sofa by the window.
Shiller walked over, poured him a glass of water, placed it in front of him and said, "Anything you want to ask?"
"Tell me, what exactly is wrong with me?" Damian said angrily, "Batman just doesn't see me as Damian. How can he be so sure? What evidence does he have? Just because I lost control emotionally? But I've encountered so much, isn't it okay to be angry?!"
This is the main reason Damian couldn't calm his thoughts. He just didn't understand how Batman could be so certain. He died so tragically, coming back with some resentment is very normal, isn't it? He's still a kid, his own father is so cold toward him and has other kids, shouldn't he be angry? Why say he is a monster?
Shiller looked at his puffed-up appearance and smiled slightly.