"Because," says Jason, wetting his lips to stay what wants to follow. Because he loves his principles more than me, because killing the Joker is somehow more dangerous than letting him live, because he's an asshole.

"Because I wanted him to kill the man who beat me to death. Because the Joker's a murderer, and I'm the first he's killed or maimed, and I won't be the last. Because I put one gun in my dad's hands and the other in my own, and I said that if he didn't shoot the Joker, I would. I said it was the Joker or me."