Starfire (tamaranian) wrote in musingslogs, @ 2011-02-07 14:11:00 |
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Entry tags: | nightwing, starfire |
Who: Katya and RogerNightwing
What: Katya's crime fighting and discovering her powers
When: Two days after [this], night time
Where: Streets/Alley a few blocks away from Bathos
Nightwing was sort of slacking off tonight. He knew fighting crime while listening to music wasn’t exactly in the vigilante handbook, but the streets had been so quiet after the Reaver attack a month ago. He had spent so much time looking for crime and coming up empty handed that there was this itching feeling of boredom in the back of his mind. The only way to cure that was with some kicking, energy pumping tunes. Even if it meant he wouldn’t hear some crack head turning the corner with a shaky knife in his hand like he was in Glasgow. This was a risk he was willing to take.
Most of the other masks were busy saving Nobody and since Nightwing only got himself involved in personal matters when he was asked to, he took it upon himself to patrol when everyone else couldn’t. Plus he wasn’t exactly employed in the strictest sense of the term. He had much more time to crimefight than a billionaire playboy or a- well whatever the other masks did. Tonight he was in a neighborhood where a lot of families of dealers and thugs tried to make lives for themselves. He felt just as obligated to protect them as the richer side of town and he knew for sure that most cops wouldn’t want to venture that far into enemy territory. He had just finished checking on a mother and son that he had saved from an angry pimp a couple months ago and after saying goodbye he had slipped his earbuds in and slid out onto the catwalk.
Once in the alley, he was considering calling it a night, but he saw a flash of red hair and purple. He knew the combination of those colors all too well. Reluctantly, he turned his music off and took off down the street after the vision as if he had just seen a ghost. If there was one thing that could get his attention, it was a red head.
Katya had spent her first few days settling in and getting her living and working arrangements squared away. After visiting Roger, however, she felt a longing for her patrols. Seeing him, a cop through and through, and he wasn’t actually a cop here? It made Kat wonder what kind of place this was. The way she decided to find out was to don her old costume and check out the neighborhood. Dressed in silvery knee-high boots, purple leggings, and a matching purple tank top, Katya was wandering through the streets near Hamartia. Growing up in Russia certainly had it’s perks, and she hardly felt the chill of the night air.
It was quiet for a few hours, and Katya had only helped a few people with little things like bringing the groceries inside or helping a lost kid find his way back home. As she was saying goodbye to her new friend, a scream echoed from down the block. The boy’s mother’s eyes went wide and shooed her son inside the house, thanking Katya once more before closing the door. Katya could hear the locks and dead-bolt click into place and she grew curious. Another scream reached her ears and she took off in the direction of the noise, hoping to provide some assistance if needed.
She ran approximately two blocks before she found the alley she needed. A young woman, dressed in less clothing than Kat was, was being pinned to the alley’s wall by a man dressed in all black. He had a knife pressed against the girl’s cheek and it was obvious in the dim lighting that she was crying. “Stop!” Katya cried out, causing the thug to turn his attentions on her. When he saw her, he grinned and said, “Ya ca’ be next,” in a sort of tone that made Kat’s skin crawl. She balled her hands into fists, anger filling her in a familiar way. Anger at the man for taking advantage of this woman, at this place for changing her friends, at herself for walking through some portal without knowing it. It coursed through her, urging her to step in and make him stop. With a familiar cry reminiscent of her Sambo training, Katya ran to the girl’s aid, angrily pushing at the man to get between them.
Nightwing’s pace quickened at the shrill woman’s scream followed by what sounded a lot more like a battle cry. He reached for the side of his utility belt where his brass knuckles were and slipped them between his fingers. While his current fighting style was much more based in tripping mooks up, he still had a soft spot for knocking some guy’s lights out with his fists. He was never as strong as Batman or even a lot of the other cops, but he made up for it in enthusiasm.
He slid to a stop at the end of the alley, his eyes going wide as he recognized Katya. His mouth opened to call out for her, but Nightwing quickly stopped himself. After having an entire fight with Oracle about secret identities, Roger understood the importance of trying to keep his lives separate. She didn’t need to be burdened with knowing about his secret crime fighting hobby and he certainly didn’t want her to worry about him. Being a cop wasn’t exactly the safest job in the city, but vigilantism was considerably more life threatening. Which, of course, begged the question of what the hell she thought she was doing here.
Deciding that he could catch the man in black unaware, Nightwing took off running in their direction. He would help, make sure she was okay and then get the hell out of there. The less time she saw him as Nightwing, the better.
Katya managed to wedge herself between the girl and the man with a bit of difficulty, but the girl recognized what was going on and used the opportunity to slide out from against the wall and run. The man tried to make a grab for her, and Kat used that to her advantage. She grabbed the outstretched arm by the wrist and pulled sharply, ducking at the same time so the man collided with with alley wall. She released his wrist upon impact, and the thug was forced to take a step back. “Wha’ the hell ya thin’ yer doin’?” he growled angrily, focused entirely on Kat. The knife had fallen to the ground when she had grabbed his wrist, but the thug didn’t need it. He lunged for Kat, and although she tried to avoid him, he managed to trap her against the wall as well, one hand trapped between them with her palm on his chest and the other free.
“Stop! Let me go!” she cried out, struggling against the man, who now had a hand wrapped around her throat. Panic was starting to bubble to the surface, despite Kat’s best attempt to focus on the battle at hand. She need to get him off of her, and one powerful shove might work. She pressed herself against the wall and focused all of her energy on pushing him away. What happened next surprised and startled both Kat and the thug. She felt something balling up in her palm, and then when she went to push him, the energy released, forcing the man back about five feet. “What on earth?” she muttered to herself in Russian, eyes wide as she inspected her hands in front of her. The thug groaned as he got to his feet, capturing Kat’s attention once more. “You are a bad man,” she informed him, her tone making it clear that she was very disappointed in him. The thug was confused but tried to lunge for her all the same. She was ready and went for the ankles. The thug hit the floor and Kat had one leg wrapped around his waist, her arm wrapped around his ankle. She held tightly and pulled in one sharp, clean pull, dislocating the thug’s knee. He let out a yell of pain and she knew it’d be difficult for him to escape while she tried to figure out exactly what to do with him. She got up and dusted herself off, taking another minute to stare at her hands in wonder.
Nightwing was just about to punch the back of this guy’s head into the fucking moon when Kat took care of him all by herself. He stopped a couple feet away and darted into the darkness just as a blast of energy emerged from the palm of her hand. He felt a mix of awe and relief that now he didn’t sound so crazy about this whole portal to another dimension thing. Hell, maybe he could even work with her if she wanted to use those powers for saving lives.
Waiting for the dust to settle, he slipped out into view and cautiously took a step forward. Part of him wished he could have actively help take this guy down with her, but it was a little too late for that. “Hey.” He said in his gruff, Nightwing voice and put a single hand up in an unclear sign that he didn’t mean any trouble. The problem was that he was dressed like a guy who would be more than happy to steal everything she and the woman owned.
Kat was so focused on trying to understand what had just happened. She had shot some sort of force out of her palm and managed to knock the guy on his butt. It was exciting and exhilarating and when another man dressed in black stepped from the shadows and raised a hand. She panicked and focused again, trying to trigger her blast again. Her hand was shaking slightly but she closed her eyes and focused, and an energy blast released from her hand, clipping the new threat in the shoulder. She winced at the miss but ran toward him regardless, ready to incapacitate him or knock him out.
Even though the energy blast only hit his shoulder, it was with enough force to make him drop to his knees. “WHAT THE FUCK, KAT.” He shouted without thinking, clutching his shoulder and looking up at her with huge eyes as if she just took a blow to his ego instead of his body. “Jesus christ, ow fuck.” Nightwing launched into a series of muttered cuss words that was pretty standard for him. Slowly removing his hand from his shoulder, he saw that the leather in his jacket was stripped away, leaving his irritated skin exposed. He made a hissing sound and went back to babying the wound.
Nightwing stumbled to his feet and swayed backwards before putting his hand out in front of him to stop her from getting closer. “It’s okay. I’m a good guy. I just came here to help.” He wasn’t even trying to disguise his voice at this point. He had already called her by name, there really wasn’t any point in pretending he could dig himself out of that one.
Katya stopped short when the man called out her name. Her nickname. Her body was tense, standing only a foot away from him. He started to curse and looked at the wound she had caused. She was curious, and the man hadn't made anymore threatening moves. She relaxed her body, standing up straight and trying to place the voice and the person. "Roger?" she asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"Oh no, what have I done?" she asked herself in Russian, sadness coloring her voice. She had injured her friend, one who she had just reconnected with. Kat ran to his side, one arm going around his waist and her head under his shoulder to help support him, completely ignoring his outstretched hand. "I am sorry! I did not know it was you. Oh I am so sorry," she said, eyes starting to water as she apologized profusely.
Nightwing seemed reluctant to accept physical contact with Kat, but slowly leaned against her for a moment. “Don’t-” He looked down at her, his teeth clenched as he tried to prove to her that he wasn’t in pain. “It’s my fault. Shouldn’t have tried to approach you. Didn’t have my head on straight.” Nightwing sounded like he was more comfortable scolding himself than her. With his good hand he reached out to turn over her palm to inspect it.
“Plus, that was pretty fucking amazing.” He flashed her a half smile, squeezed her hand and then let it go. “I’ll be fine. I swear.” Nightwing decided that the best thing was to hobble away from her with whatever dignity he had left. His instinct told him that maybe she needed help with this new revelation of her powers, but he didn’t think she’d even want help from someone who couldn’t take a hit from some super energy blast.
Katya’s eyes widened as he scolded himself and her confusion was evident on her face. She wasn’t sure why he was scolding himself, since it hadn’t just been him. She had shot him! With some type of blast from her hands! This place was very strange and Katya found herself wishing she was back home in Russia, surrounded by friends and playing sports. He pulled away and Kat let him, unsure of what to do with herself. She just stood there, one hand wrapped around her opposite elbow across her stomach, head down slightly. This night had been so bizarre; Kat wasn’t sure what to do next.
“Ro-” she started, but stopped herself. Hesitantly, she asked, “What should I call you?” She didn’t ask why he didn’t identify himself from the beginning, nor did she ask why he didn’t tell her when he saw her the other day. There were a lot of things Katya didn’t understand about the American culture, but she recognized a wounded pride for what it was. As much as she wanted to help Roger, she couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t want her help, and that hurt more than she thought it would.
He took a couple steps away from her and then stopped. Roger didn’t mean to be so dismissive of her; if anything he was just trying to protect her. Clenching his fist in thought he turned back around with a simple, “Nightwing.” This whole thing was getting sort of silly. Who ran around at night wearing a mask and insisting on some name he had made up as a teenager for a video gamer tag? “Listen. Don’t you think being out here is a little unsafe? What are you even doing?”
There was concern in his voice. She wasn’t trained by Batman or the police force. Sure, she could take care of herself against a thug or two (especially with her new power), but he still didn’t want to hear about her body being found in some dark alley. Just the thought of it made him angry at himself.
Kat nodded absently at the name. No doubt later, in the safety of her home, she would marvel at how imposing he looked and sounded. Nightwing. It was a good name, for a good man. Kat managed a half smile at the thought, just as he asked what she was doing. “The same thing I did back home,” she replied simply, and not the least bit defensive. “When you said you were no longer a Police, I wondered what kind of neighborhood this was,” she explained with a shrug. “It is...not the best,” she conceded after a moment, but quickly added, “It is not the worst either. Not quite so different from New York.”
She looked up at him then, eyes wide and full of life. The adrenaline was gone, but Kat still felt pretty good about herself and what she was doing. “I had to improvise with the costume a little,” she added with a playful smile, bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly. After a moment she added very sincerely, “I am glad you are not changed as much as I thought.” A soft smile played on her lips as she spoke, relief evident in her tone.
He cocked his head to the side, smiling softly under his face mask. Nightwing was glad she couldn’t see, but his eyes tended to give away much more than he liked. “I only quit the police because they weren’t letting me do what I can as Nightwing.” Which was, quite simply, fighting crime at every opportunity he had. “Are you sure you want to do this? It’s different here. People are much more dangerous. There’s men who can kill you in your dreams. Mind controllers. Mask hunters.”
Nightwing took a step toward her. If she felt as strongly about keeping the streets safe for families and people who just wanted to live their lives civilly, then he’d stand by her. That was his duty as a friend and a potential partner in crime fighting. “I’m not the only one. I can help you meet people that know more about powers than I do.” He paused and then laughed. “Hell, if you wanna use me as a test dummy more, I could use the dodging practice.”
The Police force had always been a tricky area for Katya to understand. No matter what country she was in, politics seemed to be more important than actually catching bad guys and cleaning up the streets for a number of cops. She could very easily understand the benefits of assuming an alter ego and taking matters into your own hands. She had done the same thing in New York, though not on a large scale. When he asked if she wanted to do this, she nodded vehemently. “It is dangerous for you as well, friend. I am not a bystander, it’s not in me. I will fight, and I will make a difference,” she replied firmly, determination running through her veins.
It was her turn to tilt her head to the side as he offered her help. “I would...like to know more about this,” Kat replied, her voice going from confident and fierce to small and timid in a matter of seconds as she looked down at her hands again. She was quiet for a moment, until he offered to help her with target practice. “No!” she exclaimed, perhaps a little to quickly. She stepped forward this time, reaching out to gently touch his upper arm, careful of the shoulder wound. “I do not want to hurt you again,” Katya replied, looking up at him with apologetic eyes.
His voice turned softer, almost playful. “I’m fast, Kat. You won’t be able to. This time you got lucky.” He crossed his arms, leaning his shoulders back in a sign of a challenge. “There’s a safe place we can train. If you somehow manage to get me, there will be plenty of first aid to heal wounds.” Nightwing rolled on the balls of his feet casually. He liked a challenge and enjoyed being playful with friends even more. She could do both and still make it a learning experience for the both of them.
Kat grinned then, as he brushed off her shot. “Luck had nothing to do with it,” she replied back teasingly. She nodded, adding, “If you are sure, then I would very much enjoy the kicking of your butt.” The teasing grin was back and she put her hands on her hips, sticking her tongue out at him in a playful manner. She stepped back and disengaged herself from him, and although her gaze lingered on his wounded shoulder, she didn’t comment further. He was an adult and could take care of himself.
“We need a code name for you.” Nightwing nodded, trying to keep the conversation on her to ignore whatever pain his shoulder was causing him. He let that side of his upper body sag just a little bit to nurse the wound. “Something I can introduce you by to the rests of the masks.” He sounded like he knew they’d like her. And, they would. There was a severe lack of optimism in their group. Nightwing tried his best to keep the mood light, but his anger sometimes got the better of him.
She smiled agreeably, hopping up on a nearby dumpster and crossing her legs under her. She leaned forward a bit, propping her elbows on her knees and her chin between her hands. "A code name...hmm," she pondered as her eyes drifted up to the night sky. It was a view she never tired of, and she noticed more stars could be seen from Seattle than New York city. "The stars, they are beautiful here. Brighter than at home." She turned her gaze back to Roger, though the loving smile meant for the stars was still on her lips. "Star," she suggested, though it didn't sound quite right. "Stars are guiding lights, but there is a burning desire to stop those who are Bad. It is a fire deep inside my soul," she explained. "Starfire." Her tone was sure and firm. “That is my code name.”
“Perfect.” He smiled up at her and nodded as if he couldn’t think of a better name. She was such a vibrant person, so a name like Starfire was an apt description. “I’ll get you a communicator. That way whenever someone needs help, you can listen in and respond if you’re in the area. And, if you need help yourself, you can contact any of us.” Nightwing explained simply. “Batman is here, too. He’s got a lot of shit on his plate, but at least we know we’re in good company.” He wanted her to feel comfortable with getting to know the other vigilantes, even though he knew deep down she would win them over just fine.
“Drop by my place sometime this week?” He took a step away from her, deciding that he’d have to get out of there in the near future if he wanted to treat his wound and wince like a little baby without her being there to see it.
Kat realized the conversation was coming to a close, but made no move to leave her perch on the dumpster. She nodded at his explanation of a communicator, but he’d have to explain it to her again anyway. New technology was always difficult to learn for Katya. “He is?” she asked softly, more to herself than Roger, merely because if Roger was saying it, it must be true. It was good to know that Batman was here, in Seattle. He was Good, and he would do Good. Having him was an asset.
“I can drop by on Friday?” she replied, tone questioning at the use of the phrase and the timing. American slang was still something she was learning, no matter how many years she had been in the US. “Thank you for...having my back,” Katya added softly, her tone only slightly questioning at the phrase. After a moment of taking in his appearance, Kat turned her gaze up to the night sky. The stars comforted her, and she promised herself then that she would do their name justice.
“I’ve always got your back.” Nightwing assured her. He still felt guilty for leaving her back in Musings. For breaking down like he did and just wandering off in hopes of never having to face the corrupt system he was part of. Still, he felt uncomfortable letting her get too close. He didn’t want her to get hurt or think that he didn’t trust her to take care of herself. It was a strange line to walk when he actually cared what someone thought about him.
Nightwing watched her gaze up at the sky and tilted his head up to do the same. He never looked up while he was patrolling. If he was on top of a building, his eyes were always cast down. If he was on the street, he usually had more dangerous things to worry about than how beautiful the sky was. Snapping out of it, he silently took a step away from her and vanished into the noisy, city night.
Kat sat there on the dumpster for a while after Roger left, contemplating his parting statement. He always had her back. That was true, once upon a time, but he had just left. He had disappeared without word or warning, and when she needed him, he was gone. She had been left, alone, to deal with a threat she hadn’t been ready to deal with. She had been on the run for a good three months and it had been difficult for her with no one to turn to. Finding Roger had been a blessing insofar as she now knew someone in Seattle, and she had found out important information about where she was, and what she had done, even if it had been accidental.
When she turned back to the spot he had been, Kat found Roger gone. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but if her friend had left, it was probably fairly late. Slowly, she slid off the dumpster and made her way back to her apartment. Her clock read 4am by the time she was stripped down and lying in bed. She fell asleep rather quickly, dreams filled with variations of the events of the night.