They've done this dance many times. Barbara knows the reputation Aegis has garnered, by now; she can't afford to be gentle with Bart. That could harm him far, far more than anything her mech can dish out. She can't shield him from the whole resistance, either; she isn't the only person who knows, but the less people who do the better.

On the bright side, Bart is no slouch at protecting himself. And she doesn't go radio silent when she's inside the mech, which means she can warn him about, say, incoming projectiles even as he dodges one of her own punches.

"Duck." It's her real voice, unaltered, low and tired. No one else will hear it.