Anna (anael) wrote in doorslogs, @ 2012-04-06 21:15:00 |
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Entry tags: | damian wayne, jo harvelle |
WHO: Dani & Roger
WHAT: Fighting and a job offer.
WHEN: Recently
WHERE: Alley -> Then a sports bar next to the alley
WARNINGS: Just some fighting. Also, language.
Roger didn’t want to admit it, but he was running low on sleep. It normally wasn’t something that got to him, but Damian was just as active across the door and required even less sleep than the bounty hunter. It made him a little slower, which was bad for someone like Robin who relied on quick maneuvering, but didn’t matter to someone like Roger that simply went blow for blow with people. This along with two Red Bulls convinced Roger that he could easily take down his next target without any problems.
He was wrong. It took a few kicks to the stomach for him to realize it, but oh man was Roger so fucking wrong. The target was a past his prime boxer named Mac. A bald middle aged racist who was one hate crime away from going straight to hell. This was a special bounty. A favor to a politician he knew back in Florida who knew this boxer was going to stir up trouble for him. Roger wasn’t supposed to kill the guy, just break him a little in a back alley fight. He had done this sort of thing before, but he had completely underestimated just how strong this old asshole was.
Mac grabbed Roger by the hair and slammed him into a nearby dumpster in an alley behind the local sports bar. Roger groaned, kicking his feet out a little as if it would make a difference. It just made the old boxer laugh. You should have brought your gun Damian said. Roger responded by simply cursing loudly like a stray dog barking for help.
Sports bars were like a second home for Dani. She watched the games, no matter what the sport, and she knew a fair amount about most of it. The only time she really let loose was when they had MMA fights going. Unfortunately, tonight was a basketball and WWE Raw night and she didn’t really have any interest in that. Those guys were more performers than anything and she had better ways of spending her time. As she was walking past the alley, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned just in time to see one guy get slammed into a dumpster by a big bald guy. From his stance, clearly a fighter.
Dani didn’t stop to think. She hadn’t had a decent fight since getting injured and she had been itching for it. It took only a few strides for her to reach the pair and her hand went to the bald guy’s wrist, digging her nails into his flesh as her other hand pulled back. Her fist connected with the man’s nose and she wished she could’ve heard the crunch of his nose breaking. The man let go of his victim and shifted his attention on Dani. His lips were moving, but Dani couldn’t hear and she didn’t care. All she was focused on was the fight and reading the man. She saw his leg move barely half a step and she dodged the lunge, bringing her knee up hard against his diaphragm. He coughed and spluttered, pushing himself up to face her again. Dani just grinned, a silent challenge to give her his best shot.
He threw a punch that connected with the outside of her forearm which she’d put up to protect her face. It was clear from her stance and how light she was on her feet that she was a fighter too. He went to punch her again, but Dani ducked and caught him with an upper cut that sent him off balance. She chanced a glance at the guy she’d just rescued while she had a free moment. “You okay?” she asked, and she was focused a little too much on his face because the next thing she knew, she was staggering to her left, her cheek stinging from the blow.
Roger didn’t see much of what was happening above him. He only heard the scratch of pavement, the crunch of the man’s nose and a woman’s voice. It was a little different, unnatural, but Roger didn’t have the chance to try and figure out why. Mac was back on his feet and ready to fight, but even he couldn’t take down two people at once. Staggering to his feet, Roger charged at Mac and smashed him into the brick wall behind them. The force was enough to hurt both men and Roger staggered back as he wiped away blood from his nose. Mac used the rest of his energy to grapple with Roger, trying his best to overpower him.
Roger looked to his side and saw Dani. She was clearly built like a girl who could kick someone’s ass. In fact, he was sure that he even recognized her from somewhere. Mac didn’t give him much of a chance to think about it, pushing Roger back against the dumpster as he tried to force the bounty hunter back on the ground.
Dani recovered slower than she would have liked and shook off the blow as she righted herself. She saw the both men get back on their feet and then watched as Roger charged at Mac. Christ. She advanced toward the fight, but both men were focused on each other. Her opening came when Mac ran Roger back against the dumpster. She stepped between them, facing Roger, and flashed him a grin as she elbowed Mac in the face, catching his nose again. He howled in pain as she aggravated the injury she gave him earlier. Her grin turned to a smirk as she turned, using her position and size to her advantage.
Mac’s grip was loose after the blow to his nose, so Dani grabbed one of his wrists again, to force him to let go. She twisted his arm back as she moved, holding him firmly even though he was struggling something awful. She put a great deal of energy into holding him, but she was still smaller than Mac so whatever strength she might’ve had on him was lost. “Anytime now,” she said through clenched teeth, hoping Roger had recovered enough to be an active participant for a few more minutes. Dani was up on her tiptoes and she wrapped her free arm around his neck, forcing him to lean back just slightly so that Dani could get surer footing.
Roger managed a laugh through the blood pouring out of his nose and mouth, clenching his fist as he winded it back and hit Mac hard in his torso. The retired boxer gasped for air and Roger hit him again, this time twice as hard. He was pissed. Not because he had a personal vendetta against this guy, but because he was nearly bested by someone he could have taken down on a better day. Roger could hear his mentor chiding him in the back of his mind, reminding him that living another day was more important than getting a target.
Regaining a second wind, Roger stood up straight and grabbed Mac from Dani, turning him against the dumpster and headbutting the man as hard as he could. Mac fell to the ground, unconscious. “Fucking street rat.” Roger murmured down at the crumpled, broken man and then looked back up at Dani. “Hey, thanks.” He said, looking at her closely. Shit, where had he seen her before?
Dani braced herself as best she could for his blows and held even tighter onto Mac as he recoiled against the punches. This was exactly what she needed. She gave up the man willingly, stepping back to watch as Roger turned him and ran him into the dumpster. Her breathing was heavy but there was a smile on her face as she caught her breath. It had been way too long since her last fight and she wished she’d gotten back in the ring sooner. Her knee hurt but she refused to even shift her weight because she refused to let it dictate her life, just like her deafness.
She waved off his words, figuring from his body language that he was saying thanks. “No problem,” she replied, her hand moving to tuck some hair behind her ear. She’d worn it down and it had gotten in the way during the fight. Now that they weren’t in the heat of the fight, she got a better look at the guy she’d helped out. He looked like crap with blood dripping down his face. “You look like you just got the crap beaten out of you,” she said, and it was even more obvious now that there was something off about the way she spoke.
Roger smirked, hands covered in blood as he tried to keep his nose from running anymore. “Yeah, yeah.” He was familiar with a couple deaf people, mostly clients, but it took him a couple moments to understand why her voice sounded strange. And, then it hit him. “Sullivan. I saw you fight back in the day.” Roger’s face was pretty messed up, but he tried to say it clearly enough that she could read his lips. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card with his name on it and the word bounty hunter printed in bold, plain letters above along with a phone number and an address of his office written smaller at the bottom. Giving her his card was a lot easier than trying to introduce himself when he didn’t know any sign language.
Dani just grinned at him, though it turned a touch more genuine when she saw the way he moved his lips. He must’ve figured it out, and she caught enough of what he said to guess that he’d watched her fight. “Thanks,” she replied, taking the business card. She tilted it slightly to read it before slipping the card into her back pocket. Dani reached for his face to get a good look at his nose to see how bad the damage was. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up,” she suggested. It didn’t look broken, but she’d be able to see it better if he wasn’t gushing blood.
He tried to wave the injury away like it was nothing, but Roger knew when he was messed up. Plus, he couldn’t exactly stumble back out into the world with his face so severely bloody and nearly broken just to attract the attention of cops and tourists. Walking
into the sports bar through the back door, he headed into the bathroom and held the door open for her. Bars like this had two single bathrooms with floors so large that someone could puke or bleed everywhere and all they had to do was wash it down with a hose every night. It was a lot better than a cramped, dirty bathroom at a club or even a clean, family friendly one at a bistro.
Roger went straight for the sink, splashing water on his face first before fumbling with some paper towels to stop the bleeding. He was bad at this. Even though Roger had gotten into plenty of fights and had even been shot a couple times, his version of first aid was to suck it up and walk to the nearest ER.
He could try to wave it off all he wanted, but she pointed to the bar and gave him a rather pointed look. She followed him into the bar and then into the bathroom. Dani had her fair share of experiences with bloody noses and she knew exactly how ridiculous it was to stop the bleeding. The door shut behind them and Dani grabbed some paper towels for him as he splashed water on his face. He started to fumble so she stepped forward and put her hand on his to get him to stop. She lifted her other hand, covered in paper towels, and started to wipe off the water and blood. It was hard to judge how hard or soft to press so she did her best, trying not to hurt him too much.
“He was a bounty?” she asked, glancing at him. She’d learned early on how to ask yes or no questions to people who didn’t know how to sign. At least she didn’t have to struggle with following a conversation because he knew that she was deaf already. It was a strange kind of relief but she brushed it aside. Out of habit more than anything, she flexed her leg to try to get rid of some of the lingering pain there. Goddamn fucking knee. Dani gestured for him to hold the paper towels to his nose while she got some fresh ones. Blood didn’t make her squeamish and neither did being so close to someone she’d just met.
Roger leaned on the sink and gave her a gracious look as she so kindly cleaned up his face. “Yes.” Roger nodded a little, but tried not to move too much for her. “A favor.” He was silently cursing himself that he hadn’t looked into sign language. He knew the military hand gestures, but nothing that could help a simple chit chat. He could speak Spanish, a little French and a hint of Chinese. None of those could help him here.
Still, he seemed relaxed. Roger was like a big friendly dog. Happy to meet new people, happy to receive some attention. Sure, he had a bite, but not towards someone that was trying to help him. Roger kept eye contact so she could read a little of what his lips said. “I got sloppy.” Getting his ass handed to him wasn’t exactly the best first impression.
Dani nodded and turned her focus back on his nose. It didn’t look broken but she knew it would be pretty tender from personal experience. She switched out the paper towels again just as he spoke again. She didn’t quite catch exactly what he said, but she understood ‘slop’ and it wasn’t all that difficult for her to connect the dots. It didn’t bother her that he didn’t know sign language because hardly anyone did. “You’d be a shitty bounty hunter if you always fought like that,” Dani replied with a wide grin.
“I don’t think it’s broken. Scale of 1 to 10?” Numbers helped too, and texting was a godsend. She had a set up at her apartment so that her phone calls had an interpreter, but she tried not to use it all that often. Dependency was probably her biggest fear, along with hearing again and never being able to fight.
He laughed followed by a soft ow ow oww as his jaw was none too happy about being slapped around. Roger lifted his hand to make a zero, paused and then raised five fingers. Another pause and he added his other thumb to make six. He gave a look like he was ashamed. Like he just admitted to liking Glee. There was still a window to play tough, but since she was taking care of him and cleaned up that idiot in the alley as well, there wasn’t any use in lying.
She chuckled when he realized laughing wouldn’t be the brightest idea. When he said zero, Dani arched an eyebrow and her expression didn’t change until he seemed like he’d settled on the right number. “Not broken,” she said, tossing the bloody paper towels into the bin. She took another few towels and folded them up nicely before wetting them under the faucet. Dani was still gentle as she cleaned up the last bit of blood around his nose. “Ice will help. Come on, there’s a decent fight on. I’ll buy you a round.”
Roger almost protested since she clearly deserved to have the round bought for her in this situation, but he changed his mind. He also didn’t like to drink, but having a beer would at least numb the pain a little and no one here expected him to get anything beyond barely tipsy. He had broken his no drinking rule a couple times before in situations that were like this if not a little worse. Taking a quick look at his face, he decided it wasn’t that horrifically scarred or puffy, so he followed her into the bar and took a seat next to her.
He signalled the bartender over, asked for a Sam Adams and a piece of paper and pen. Roger was the kind of person who liked conversation and this seemed like the easiest way to go about it without awkward lip reading. He wrote What are you doing in Vegas? and slid it over to her.
Buying a round of drinks didn’t bother Dani in the slightest. She knew how much getting popped in the nose hurt and the best thing for it was some ice and a beer. She led the way out to the bar and took a spot with an empty stool next to it for him. Roger ordered and she just held up her hand to indicate that she wanted whatever it was that he had. She was surprised when the bartender brought over a pen and a piece of paper, but once Roger slid it over to her, she grinned.
“I got hurt fighting and I didn’t want to hang around San Jose anymore.” Her hand moved involuntarily to the key at her neck but she dropped it a moment later and took a sip of her beer. “Vegas seemed as good an idea as anything else,” she added with a shrug. “I was starting to think it was a waste but that was the most fun I’ve had in a while.” She grinned just remembering the fight. It wasn’t every day she could fight now and she relished every chance. “How long have you been working here?” Short answer questions just came naturally to her; it was a hard habit to break.
Roger smiled along with her. He liked fighters. Even though there was a bleeding old boxer in the alley who would wake up cursing his name, Roger respected their spirit. That almost insane need to get up again and again after being beat down. Of course, an injury like hers didn’t give any leniency. She’d have to be out of the game for good or until they found a way to fix her. With that in mind, it was surprising how well adjusted she appeared.
Roger raised a single finger and said One year along with it. He took the paper back and wrote, “My mentor got too old to keep on bounty huntin. Gave me the business and told me to move my ass out here. Florida was bringing me down.” Roger also drew a little sad face next to the end of the sentence.
He was different than most people and Dani appreciated that he didn’t think less of her for being a woman or being hurt. She’d pay for the fight later, but she didn’t care. It was worth it and the pain was nothing compared to the joy she felt at fighting again. What that said about her, she didn’t know, but she also didn’t particularly care. She nodded when he explained that he’d been here for a year and then waited as he wrote something out.
“More business out here? I’ve never been to Florida so I can’t say what its like. Makes me think of Disney more than anything and that doesn’t make me think of bounty hunters,” she replied, grinning at the last part. She’d never been anywhere outside of Colorado, California, and Vegas. Even then, once she’d gotten to San Jose, fighting took priority over everything. While her friends were busy going to the beach or taking weekend trips to LA or wherever, Dani stayed in the gym, training and fighting for a chance at anything. Then she got hurt and there wasn’t anything left in San Jose for her.
Roger made a face like just the thought of Florida made him exhausted. He played tough, he had to, but that state was filled with so much crime that it was hard to keep track. Maybe if it were like out here where every case was a little silly and stained with some kind of past glory he would have stayed there longer. No, Florida was different. It was like the tropical forests of crime where even the most harmless looking flower could kill him like that.
“I killed five guys in Florida. All of them drug lords who thought they were goddamn Scarface.” Roger wrote and realized he hadn’t really admitted that to anyone. Sure, it was all perfectly legal, especially with Florida’s barely-there laws on violence, but the fact still remained. He killed five men. All of which who would, in all fairness, have killed him.
Clearly her opinions of Florida were completely off base just from the look he gave her. She took a minute to think about it, nursing her beer as he wrote on the piece of paper. Dani wasn’t exactly phased by the admission that he’d killed five men, primarily because he identified them as drug lords. Her reaction might not have been exactly what he was expecting, but that wasn’t something that should be floating around. She took the pen from him and firmly scratched out the first sentence before sliding both the piece of paper and then pen back toward him.
“You must be really off your game if the boxer outside was giving you trouble,” she observed, and she didn’t sound the least bit accusatory or judgemental. It was more of a gentle curiosity and she couldn’t help wondering if she’d ever have the chance to fight with him again. He was good, even if he was off his game. It made her want to see what he was capable of when he was on top of things.
Roger took a moment, looking down at the paper as he sipped his beer. She was understanding, which is what he hoped for rather than expected. Everyone had their own moral code. Their own judgements that didn’t always look kindly on a bounty hunter’s line of work. He rubbed the side of his face and then wrote, No sleep. He didn’t pass it to her at first and then after careful thought he added, Heard of Passages?. If she didn’t, that was fine. Roger could play it off as some club that was giving him trouble with crime or a code word for something else. But, if she did have a connection to that hotel, she’d at least understand why he wasn’t getting any sleep.
Dani had never taken a life before, but she’d hurt people pretty badly and she’d received a fair number of blows herself. Fighting underground didn’t always lend itself to rules and regulations but she learned, she healed, and she fought again. Nothing could keep her down for long. She was too stubborn for that. Despite never killing someone, she knew there were a number of people who deserved to die for what they did. Her thoughts turned to the murderer she’d met at the masquerade and her eyebrows rose in surprise when he asked about Passages.
Her hand slid back up to the key at her neck and she nodded. “Yea. I...went to the party but I haven’t gone through my door yet,” she replied. She’d promised Dean she wouldn’t go through and as eager as Jo was, Dani wasn’t quite ready yet. “It’s part of why I came to Vegas, actually. Just coincidence for you or did you know about it before you moved?”
Roger shrugged. It was obvious he had just been in town when it happened, but he also wrote My family is in Passages, too. Okay, only Luke was there, but Wren was family as far as he was concerned. It really felt like Damian and Roger had been stuck together because of family. The one thing he was starting to think the Batman story was actually about.
He took another sip of his beer and then added to the paper, I have a super hero in my head. When I should be sleeping, he’s causing trouble. Robin was technically just a side kick, but Roger didn’t see it that way. Damian didn’t either.
“You’re lucky to have one,” was Dani’s only reply. She had her dad, back in Colorado, but they had fallen out of touch when she started fighting professionally. She didn’t really know much of anyone, save for Adam, but considering how difficult communicating with others was, Dani didn’t mind keeping to herself. Not everyone was as flexible as Roger. She grinned at the thought of a superhero causing trouble.
“I’ve got a teenager critiquing my fighting technique,” she admitted with a grin before taking a sip of her beer. “She’s not a superhero but she helps people. I’ve been told it won't be like she’s expecting though.” Dani shrugged, taking another sip of her beer. “What’s it like? Going across?” Maybe it was time to buck up and go through the damn door, whatever the consequences might be.
Roger had a good relationship with Damian. Or rather, as good as either of them could ask for. He cared a lot about the kid because he was a lot like him at that age and he knew better than to give too much advice. Damian, in turn, felt safe with Roger. Like he was a more deadly substitute for all the family he had been missing. It allowed them to have a somewhat fair schedule and made going through less of a burden. But, the actual feeling of stepping through the door was something else.
It’s like a movie and you’re the only one in the theater. He scribbled for her. But, it was different for everyone. He added after a second. My friend doesn’t remember anything her Alter does.
Dani was thoughtful after reading his description. It wasn’t quite what she’d thought, but she also couldn’t imagine not remembering chunks of time. At least she didn’t have a job or a number of responsibilities. All she was doing at the moment was watching out for a friend of a friend. Lizzy was nice and it was easy to see why Felicia wanted her looked after, but there really wasn’t much to do. A good thing, but it meant Dani was bored half the time.
“Is it hard to balance?” she asked. “At least you’ve got your own company. That probably makes it a little easier than if you were working for someone else.”
Roger nodded, taking another sip of beer. It was difficult and hell this whole situation wasn’t ideal, but he figured it was temporary. There had to be a way for him to let Damian get back to his life, even if that meant they’d never get to talk to each other again. But, right now, that seemed impossible. It was better to just find a way to manage the situation until a solution arose. He didn’t write anything to her for a little while and then scribbled What are you doing for work?. He was recruiting, after all. Even with the injury and a lack of hearing she could be helpful kicking ass.
She didn’t mind the lack of communication, content to sip her beer and watch the basketball game that was currently dominating three of the screens in their immediate vicinity. Dani caught the movement of his hand out of the corner of her eye and glanced down at the paper. She let out a short laugh, something she almost never did around people she didn’t really know, and shook her head. “I haven’t got anything,” she replied. “I’ve got enough saved up to last a few months.” Dani wasn’t overly concerned with ensuring that she had the necessary funds to stay in Las Vegas. She could always fight to make some money if she needed to.
Roger raised his eyebrows with a smirk. Work for me. I’ll improve my sign language. He wrote for her and then nodded like it was the best idea ever. Clearly she didn’t have to answer him now, working as a bounty hunter wasn’t exactly glamorous or all that safe, but it sure as hell was a lot of fun. “Think about it.” He said out loud, tapping his head. The card he gave her had an email address and if worst came to worst he was on the Passages journal system more than he liked to admit. Sliding away from the bar he save her a wave, checked his watch and headed out the door. Damian was getting impatient about going back to Gotham. Even if his face would be cut up, too.