"No, we're vigilantes, we have to leave those decisions for the courts, otherwise no one would tolerate us," That's often the way Steph explains it to herself, when she needs a reminder why she can't just slit the throats of people like Zsasz, or the Joker. What they do is already illegal, but as long as they don't cross that line, the public, and the government, will let them operate.

Her expression falls a little as Ellie talks, and she reaches out again, her hand on Ellie's knee, "I don't care what the Initiative expect, you're not going to fall into ranks and neither am I, okay?" It's solidarity, an offer to stand by Ellie against the Initiative, no matter what.

"The city is our base, it's not where the fights are gonna take us, and we're-- I'm gonna need you out there," She wants to have someone she can rely on, because god knows she can't rely on the Initiative.