( He knows there's an eyeroll. He can feel it. )

Like I didn't need anyone. That I could do it all myself. Sometimes I still do.

( He stops then. Takes a moment to look around before he leads them down a more narrow tunnel, hand still holding the strap of his bag resting against his shoulder. )

I was angry — scarred, like the city I'm here to protect. I've come to see those scars can destroy us, even after the physical ones have been healed. But if we survive them, they can transform us... give us the power to endure... strength to fight. That goes with the people we meet along the way, too.