It wasn't just my parents, and it wasn't your responsibility. After what happened to Jason, and then we all thought Bruce died? I know I made myself distanced, unapproachable, inconsolable. It seemed like everybody was dying, and I didn't see a way to fix that. There is no fixing that. I know you were still there, but I wasn't. I don't know how to explain it. I didn't feel like myself anymore. I couldn't do what we were doing anymore. I'd idolized Bruce, and look where it'd gotten him. And I know we were young and stubborn and would have done it all even without his help, but how dare he. He was the adult, he should have known better. He knew what could happen. He knew the risks. Yet, I'm still grateful for those years, and I'm grateful for Bruce. My life became something to be grateful for. I got to make a real difference, and I had you. What we had then, it was the best time of my life, Steph. Which is why when everything began to come apart and all the people I loved began to get hurt or die, and it just wasn't letting up, it wasn't stopping [...] I don't know. I guess I just needed to turn it off. I couldn't do the hero thing anymore, I was getting innocent people killed.
I'm sorry I shut you out, but I didn't think you'd understand. Spoiler meant a lot to you, I couldn't ask you to give her up just because I was done. And I loved you too, Steph. You're the only girl I've ever loved. I can't apologize enough for the way I just split, but I was never very good with the emotional stuff and that city just became a city of grief for me. Even you were a reminder of everybody we'd lost, and you were a reminder of what I could still lose.
I didn't want to hurt you, even if we're being honest here, I knew that it would. I guess I was hoping you'd move on. [...] And look, you did. And you're better for it.