Rooftops

The trick to Batman is that, to some extent, he can't help what he is. On the one hand, he wants to save his parents' city. He's doing it for the other families and citizens of Gotham who don't deserve the pain and anguish he's suffered through. He wants to make a difference for the sake of the city itself. It's a cause he believes in.

On the other hand, I don't think Batman could really stop what he's doing if given the choice. As they allude to in the various media of late, he is fueled by his rage. He wants it to stop, but he hasn't really found his peace, and so his crusade against crime is the way he lives. Bruce Wayne needs Batman as much as Gotham does- it's the outlet that gives him what he yearns for. He simply can't deal with everyday life on a normal basis. He's thus trying to save Gotham because he believes in it, but he's also trying to save Gotham because he needs to save Gotham. Even at great personal expense and sacrifice, the cost to him is inconsequential compared to the need he satiates within himself.

Sometimes we'll do anything to get what we need, or even a glimpse of what we need. You might believe in something and chase it for what it is. You might also chase something because, regardless of the personal cost, it gives you that glimpse. It satiates something within you. Maybe it's something you deserve whole-heartedly, or from a more reliable source, but you'll take it where you can get it. You become mercenary for it. So you stand on rooftops and run off anytime the signal hits the sky ... hoping against hope that maybe this time, this night, Gotham will be saved and you'll find that peace.

Odds are, though, that you're too eager. Too accepting. Too willing to respond to the call and take any semblance of something that fulfills that need within you. Will this be the time? Or will it just make things worse? Even if you know the answer, you'll probably head off as fast as you can into the darkness. To find the thing that you're looking for.

Who knows?

In the meantime, I'll be on the roof. Send up the signal if you need me. 'Cause let's be honest ... could I really stop myself if I tried?