No. But investing in what are essentially forced relationships to the point where they can be used against you beyond not wanting anyone innocent to suffer seems a failure.
[Damian doesn't want anyone tortured.
Well he doesn't want MOST people tortured. He still sometimes finds that he'd make an exception for certain villains and now for the people in charge of this city. But in general, he doesn't endorse torture. And it would upset him to see anyone tortured as a punishment for him. But if his neutrality failed enough that one particular person would bother him more than the general idea, then it becomes an exploitable weakness.
He hurries over to begin paging through the folder, skimming lines and bullet points. He shrugs in answer.]
Ideally we could leave the locals to the system if they truly prefer and find a way out for those of us who were abducted. If any locals would like to experience life without a sex-based caste system, then we could relocate them. As for those who wouldn't survive at home - then it's like the multiverse. People can't all always survive. There are universes where we're all dead. If their home is one they don't survive, then that's how it has to be. Somewhere, in another universe, they will.
[It sounds callous and cold, because it is. But Damian's go-to reaction to things is to shut down emotions that aren't anger and try to react with nothing but logic. No one can truly do that, so he doesn't always manage, but it's what he does. The less comfortable he is, the more he tries to remain detached and neutral and do what he thinks is best, regardless of everyone else's opinions - or everyone else's morality. Damian's remains grayer than some of his family and his former team. That's why they are his FORMER team.]
If leaving isn't immediately possible and we have to instead dismantle the government, then there's enough powerful fighters here to subdue the gangs and we can appoint a temporary government until we manage to ensure the former regime is gone and then allow the residents to decide from there, through a voting process.
[It would hardly be SIMPLE, but to Damian - who is new to Duplicity, sixteen, and never been good at judging his own limitations, it seems possible.
He looks up from the file, green eyes narrowing slightly at the anger in his father's tone. But he just asks.]
no subject
[Damian doesn't want anyone tortured.
Well he doesn't want MOST people tortured. He still sometimes finds that he'd make an exception for certain villains and now for the people in charge of this city. But in general, he doesn't endorse torture. And it would upset him to see anyone tortured as a punishment for him. But if his neutrality failed enough that one particular person would bother him more than the general idea, then it becomes an exploitable weakness.
He hurries over to begin paging through the folder, skimming lines and bullet points. He shrugs in answer.]
Ideally we could leave the locals to the system if they truly prefer and find a way out for those of us who were abducted. If any locals would like to experience life without a sex-based caste system, then we could relocate them. As for those who wouldn't survive at home - then it's like the multiverse. People can't all always survive. There are universes where we're all dead. If their home is one they don't survive, then that's how it has to be. Somewhere, in another universe, they will.
[It sounds callous and cold, because it is. But Damian's go-to reaction to things is to shut down emotions that aren't anger and try to react with nothing but logic. No one can truly do that, so he doesn't always manage, but it's what he does. The less comfortable he is, the more he tries to remain detached and neutral and do what he thinks is best, regardless of everyone else's opinions - or everyone else's morality. Damian's remains grayer than some of his family and his former team. That's why they are his FORMER team.]
If leaving isn't immediately possible and we have to instead dismantle the government, then there's enough powerful fighters here to subdue the gangs and we can appoint a temporary government until we manage to ensure the former regime is gone and then allow the residents to decide from there, through a voting process.
[It would hardly be SIMPLE, but to Damian - who is new to Duplicity, sixteen, and never been good at judging his own limitations, it seems possible.
He looks up from the file, green eyes narrowing slightly at the anger in his father's tone. But he just asks.]
And what are you doing to shield them?