The moment you first put on that cape and that cowl, you knew things wouldn't always be easy. You knew there would be hard times and painful times and times when you felt like giving it all up. But you accepted that, you shouldered the responsibility and walked towards the troubles awaiting you because you thought you were strong enough. You thought you could cope. You forgot that you can't see the future and that problems always seem worse when you're stuck in the middle of them.
It didn't seem too bad at first. You could see something big coming up ahead but it didn't bother you. You didn't see the magnitude of it and carried on walking right into the middle, with your head held high.
And then, all of a sudden, you're in over your head. You don't know how it got this bad but everything seems that little bit darker. It's like all the terrible things are happening at once and you're trapped and consumed by the world you've created, alone and vulnerable. You're walking on uneven ground: every time you take a strong step ahead you stumble and fall down. Every person that crosses your path takes you by surprise and before long everyone starts to feel like they're your enemies, even the ones you know are your friends, walking along beside you. Those almost perfect days when you first started this feel so far away and there are days that you wish you could go back in time and stop yourself from ever wearing that mask, sometimes more than you wish you could go back and stop Chill. There are times when everything feels like madness.
But you keep going. You persevere: you have to. This isn't about you - it's about something much larger and far more important. You know you have to keep going if you want to make an difference to this world and you know that Batman is more than just a man: Batman needs to be infallible. So you struggle onwards, through the pain and desperation, through the darkness of the night, in the hope that you'll find the light at the end of the tunnel. Eventually the path starts to level out, and you can see that glimmer of hope, shining; waiting for you to reach it. And this time, when you get out of this mess, you'll know the problems ahead will be bad and that they'll hurt worse than anything you've endured physically. But you're ready to face that. You've accepted the fact this is something you can't give up. You know you have to keep on fighting, keep staring blindly into chaos and desolation without blinking and be able to take anything the night throws at you. Because you have to be more than a hero; more than just a man in a mask. Next time things get crazy, you won't be as naive. Next time, you'll be ready.
Why do we fall, Bruce?