I Moderate (i_moderate) wrote in we_archive, @ 2006-02-09 23:58:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | barbara gordon, bruce wayne, cassandra cain |
i_dontspeak Strangers in the night
Well, that was unsatisfying.
Having a target escape, although rare, always left an uncomfortable feeling in Cass's body. It was a bit like a conversation abruptly cut off, when you knew you had more to say. It tensed her up, made her cranky. She would definitely need to find someone to take it out on. But first things first.
Any unexplained metahuman in Gotham, acting suspiciously or not, had to be reported to Batman. He didn't like them in his city. And even though Cassandra wasn't really supposed to take them on herself, she would still have to tell him about the bug-man. Hopefully he would make her help with this new guy's database file.
"Batman."
Nothing but a static-y hiss on her radio, which was odd in itself. It was usually perfectly silent. She widened the frequency a little, wary of anyone else listening in.
"Batman?"
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/09/2006 16:15:50
There was a voice coming in weakly on the wrong channels for this City, but not for Gotham; and it was calling his name. It meant someone new, probably. Bruce caught the sinking feeling in his stomach of yet another possible charge and crushed it.
First things first.
"Batman. Who is this ? "
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/09/2006 16:19:13
What? Who else would it be, on this channel? She didn't sound anything like Robin or Oracle!
"Batgirl." Maybe it was some sort of test. "Location? I...have a report."
Was that the right words? Bruce would understand it, hopefully.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/09/2006 16:24:15
Batgirl ? And it didn't sound like Barbara. Someone new; confirmed. He arched a brow at the terse speech. Someone new, who'd trained under him, who had just had an altercation of some sort.
He looked around him. This wasn't Gotham. She might not find him. "Describe your current location and status."
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/09/2006 16:32:35
Um. Good question. She peered off the edge of the building, trying to recognise something, anything.
"Not...Gotham. Somewhere like Gotham?" She recognised bits and piece, vaguely. That looked like a cleaned-up version of the bank on the edge of the East End. That looked like a row of shops from a block in Crime Alley. Cass turned, scanning the buildings on the other side.
"Oh...City Hall." That hadn't been there before, had it? "Yes. City Hall. Encountered...new meta. He got away."
The bitterness was probably obvious in her voice; she couldn't speak in full sentence, never mind hide what she was feeling as she did so.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/09/2006 16:40:25
"On my way"
Something like City Hall would be near the City center. Which meant more stability for the buildings. And the closer her got, the more likely he could triangulate and track her.
Bruce pulled the device from his belt, and set it to honing in on the signal as he easily made his way across rooftops.
He usually trusted their lines for detailed information. But she was crashing into their new line, not using a confirmed and secure channel. He wouldn't risk it. Especially if it was about a meta.
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/09/2006 16:45:37
Cass had learned to bide her time patiently, no matter what the situation. Crouching down into a typically Bat-like position, she took up watch on the corner of the building.
She knew there wouldn't be long to wait. Even in a city that wasn't truly his, Bruce would know his way around. Cass had faith in that, at least.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/09/2006 18:17:42
It took him less than five minutes and thirty seconds of that had been spent observing the Batshape below. The poise, the readiness, wariness, the belt, the costume itself.
There was the flutter of the cape and he came gliding down from a higher building, landing easily on the balls of his feet, cape draping around him, the lenses in his eyes glowing faintly white.
"Batgirl. Report."
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/09/2006 18:22:49
This wasn't Bruce.
His body language was wrong. It was different. Not injury-different, or lack-of-concentration different; those would be obvious. Rather, it was almost her Bruce, but slightly out of focus. As if he'd...unlearned something.
She fell into a defensive crouch automatically.
"Who...are you? Where is Batman?"
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/09/2006 18:27:02
He moved into the shadows, a niche between gargoyle and grime darkened rain spout. It was a casual circle, not meant to incite an attack.
"I am Batman." Head and cowled tilted at her for a moment with pure sense of purpose and determination.
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/09/2006 18:32:44
Bruce had never been an easy man to read, not even for Cassandra, but it was clear that, right now, he was anything but threatening. Interested, maybe. Wary, yes. Anxious, perhaps. And definitely Batman.
Slowly, hesitantly, she took a single step toward him. One hand raised, as if she was reaching out to touch him, to touch the center of the emblem on his chest.
"Yes...but not my Batman?"
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/09/2006 18:44:08
She moved with a fighter's grace. But the moment she'd known the difference between him and his other version, whenever that version might be from, he knew that she was in tune with both her own body and the language spoken by the bodies of others.
He tensed, this would be dangerous then, but let her get as close as she dared. "No. Your namesake's Batman."
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/09/2006 18:49:54
That puzzled her for a second; her namesake must be Babs, who'd been Batgirl before. So this was the Batman of Babs. But that didn't make sense, because Bruce was everyone's Batman, wasn't he? Unless he was the Batman from when Bab's was actually Batgirl. Which...sort of made sense.
"Older...no. Younger Batman. From before." She nodded sharply. "Okay. Why?" Wait. A more important question than that. "Do you...know me?"
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/09/2006 19:00:38
"No. But Oracle might." He said simply. Then nodded out towards the City. "The meta-human ?" He prompted, wanting to get back on point.
He could take Batgirl to Oracle later, or contact her momentarily. But ever new sighting had to be documented. And if this new person wasn't with him. He'd still need the information.
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/09/2006 19:07:49
"Yes, Oracle," agreed Cass, and was then instantly back in the game. She rolled her shoulders, letting the length of her cape fold itself around her entire body.
"Average-human-appearance, extra speed and, um, reflexes. Faster than me." That was annoying. "Also...sticky? He climbed a wall like, um, a bug. And he had..." How to explain the web shooter? She held out her arms, and tapped on wrist. "Here. Like a zipline, but...coming out of his body?"
Her words were as stiff and uncoordinated as always, but that pretty much covered it all.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/09/2006 20:42:23
Ziplines out of his body ? And insectoid qualities ? That was new. But the faster than her comment caught his attention more. Did that mean she was a meta-human wearing the symbol of the bat ?
He tapped a tapered ear. "Oracle. Batman here. Two new players. One of ours. One unknown."
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/10/2006 12:21:44
"Specifics." Babs' voice crackled over the intercom. She was sitting in the cave going over video footage and making notes when Batman's voice came through the coms. She hit pause immediately, and turned to a free screen to pull up whatever it was he might need.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/10/2006 13:06:08
"Meta-human, insect or arachnid like abilities; wall crawling, biological zip lines, enhanced reflexes, speed, possibly stamina. Human appearance. At City Hall."
He nodded to Batgirl, tapped the ear of his cowl and held up three fingers, made a zero then another zero before pointing down. Batgirl was 300 hertz off a secure channel.
"Patching in new player now. Secure band 300 down if she can't adjust." Batman nodded at Batgirl.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/10/2006 13:18:03
Oh, evil meta-humans. Yay. Babs sighed to herself; she probably should have expected them to turn up sooner or later. Though, with everything else going on, later would have been preferable.
"Alright. City Hall. I'll keep on the lookout. Are you headed that way?" She said, preparing for the new channel at the same time. She keyed in, eliminated any static and then waited.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/10/2006 13:29:09
"I'm there. And so is Batgirl." Bruce nodded to the woman beside him, arms folded across his chest. She would speak to Oracle and if she and Barbara recognized each other, they could take things from there.
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/10/2006 19:50:41
Cass keyed in the new frequency on a tiny wrist-mounted control for her radio, hoping that she had understood Bruce properly.
"Oracle? Is...is this line safe?" Of course it was. Stupid question. "This is Cassandra. Cassandra Cain."
She couldn't stop her eyes, hidden behind their dark lenses, flickering to Bruce's face, scanning his features for some recognition of her surname, if not her first.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/10/2006 20:13:40
Bruce didn't seem to move, but his cape twirled around him, obscuring his legs and one arm. There was no breeze blowing in that direction.
He waited for Oracle's reaction.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/12/2006 17:36:33
"Cass?" Much to her disgrace, Babs almost dropped her computer from her lap in surprise. She caught herself quickly though, and managed to take the shock out of her voice. New players were to be expected, there was no reason Cassandra shouldn't have shown up.
Shaking her head she readjusted her headset and looked up at the larger screens, keying in her cameras around town hall. She wanted sight confirmation, though even without it Babs was quite sure it was Cassandra. No one else had that voice.
"Cass when did you get here?"
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/12/2006 17:47:37
"Um, just now. I think."
That was definitely Babs; Cass had grown very fond of the sound of that voice, calmly and patiently explaining things to her when anyone else would have just brushed her off. Cassandra, in her own way, considered Babs to be her closest friend, now that Steph was...
Gone.
"Are you...good? Is, um, anyone else here?"
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/12/2006 18:01:33
Babs nodded, even though the two couldn't see. "Tim and Dick are, Jason too, and two others who I can fill you in on later. You're alright, I hope?"
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/12/2006 18:09:43
"Jason?" Cass practically squeaked with shock. "But he is...I don't understand."
She didn't understand, but a tiny flame of hope flashed up inside her. If Jason could be here, then maybe Steph could too? They were both Robins, after all.
"I am okay...I think."
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/12/2006 18:46:20
"I'll explain everything as soon as I see you, I promise," Babs said. She was used to this response by now.
"I'm not seeing your meta-human... if they got pulled in, they're not in the vincity of the Town Hall anymore. I'll keep looking, but in the meanwhile, the Clocktower. Can I meet you there? Batman can point you in the right direction, unless he wants to accompany you. I can be there in about fifteen minutes."
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/13/2006 05:42:02
"He moved fast," Cass offered, still a little sore that he had escaped at all. "Yes. I want to see you."
She glanced at Batman, unsure as to what to say. Cass was torn between wanting to go see Babs, and staying near and studying this new Bruce.
"Batman? Do you, um, need me to patrol?"
The mission came first.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/13/2006 15:40:42
He gave a sharp shake of his head. "Clocktower. Fifteen minutes. Batman out."
The cape billowed again, but this time his arm came up, and it held a grapple gun.
"This way." The line shot out to the nearest building and with a simple step off the edge, he was out into the air and swinging over, headed towards the City Center.
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/13/2006 15:49:30
"We'll be there," said Cass to Babs, before switching her radio to passive and following Batman though the sky.
The movements were second nature to her, although the architecture here took some getting used to. Nearly everything in Gotham was built in a gothic style, with cornices and buttresses that gave plenty of targets for a grapple line. Here, though, it seemed like the city couldn't decide what it wanted to be.
The journey Batman led her on was uneventful, giving her only a brief chance to try and get her bearings. It was probably precisely fifteen minutes later when they dropped onto a small ledge of the Clocktower, and ducked silently inside.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/13/2006 16:03:24
Babs pulled up to the clocktower just in time to look up and see the two vigilantes dressed in black slipping in through the window that she left open for that purpose specifically.
It took her only a few minutes to get in to the tower and up to the level that housed her secret rooms.
"Sorry I'm late." She came through the secret door quickly, and shut it behind her before taking in the scene in front of her.
Babs smiled. "It's good to see you, Cass."
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/13/2006 16:07:04
Cass practically jumped across the room, pulling her cowl off along the way, and fell to her knees in front of Babs' wheelchair. With a relieved grin she wrapped her arms around Babs, before flushing slightly and standing again.
"Bruce, this is...my Babs." She couldn't help feeling glad that she had at least one ally in this place.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/13/2006 16:15:25
He folded his arms and nodded, accepting that. Cassandra Cain and Barbara and Dick, all from within the same time-line, or close enough. Jason from a time they all knew about.
He found himself thinking about Ted Kord's words, wondering if there was a reason he'd been taken so young. How much had he changed in the future ?
"Oracle." He said. And then with a slight inflection to his words. "A Cain ?"
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/13/2006 16:22:24
"Yes, a Cain," Babs said matter-of-factly. She was still smiling, but there was a warning in her voice. He was not to make a big deal about that. Not in front of Cass, she was family.
She bent over slightly so that she could squeeze Cass just as hard. They were close, closer than Babs could explain to Bruce right now. There was a long story behind their relationship, and it deserved the time it needed. "I think she'll be staying with me."
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/13/2006 16:30:25
"Yes."
Cass took a step forward, looking back once to Babs as if for reassurance.
"David Cain was my...father. He taught me to, um." She made a broad gesture down her own body. "Read movement? Yes. But not to talk. Ever. I...I ran away when he made me..." She paused, eyes closed. "He made me kill. A man. So I left. Babs found me, found out what I could do, and told you. You gave me this." She tapped the Bat on her chest. "Because you said...I needed it."
She stopped abruptly, taking a deep breath. That was the most she had ever spoken in one go. Finally opening her eyes again, she met the lenses of Bruce's cowl with a steady, level stare.
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/13/2006 16:46:03
His hands moved up, there was a click, and then another and Bruce pulled off his cowl. The blue eyes staring down at her, however, were not Bruce Wayne's eyes.
Teaching her to read body movement instead of relying on speech explained why she'd known instantly that he wasn't the man he should have been, to her. It also explained her grace.
And if he'd given her the suit. Not Batgirl-Barbara, but him, then he must have seen something in her that could be channeled away from death and destruction, which was all David Caine would ever be good for.
And with no language, it would have had to be her actions and only her actions that made him trust her.
"Show me how you took the oath."
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/13/2006 16:58:35
"Oath...?" Cass's brow furrowed for a moment. "What...did I do to earn this?" She looked back at Babs once more.
"Cain was...shooting at Police-Commissioner-James-Gorden. I jumped in front of him. Um. Two times. I stopped Harvey-Dent-also-known-as-Two-Face. I took his coin. You..." She gave him the tiniest smile. "You liked that."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/13/2006 17:08:36
"Barbara..."
He tossed the cowl at her but in the process shifted his balance, his feet moving into a stance and Batman moved, arms and hands going for Cassandra's throat and heart. Eyes on hers.
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/13/2006 17:15:44
Now this was more like it. This was how he had tested her, spoken to her before. She understood this.
Without breaking her gaze, Cass ducked under one attack and blocked the second with her forearm, before echoing Bruce's moves.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/13/2006 17:46:06
Oh, Jesus.
"Guys!" Babs yelled, suddenly fearing for the life of all of her electronics and equipment. This was worse than Dick perching on her desk. That had warrented a glare. This was building up to a minor heartattack at the least.
And Cass should have known better. She'd lived with Babs long enough to know that fighting amoung Oracle's equipment was not allowed.
She didn't have anyway to stop the fighting (well, there was the taser that she kept in her desk. If they knocked over a computer or a speaker, they were getting the taser) except her voice. The question was, where they listening.
Babs set Batman's cowl down on her desk. "Cass, Bruce. Stand down. There is no need for this, and if you really think there is, you can take it outside."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/13/2006 18:01:36
He blocked, noticing that her initial movements were for maiming and disabling, not killing.
Bruce maneuvered to the window. "Straight line" They could do the sequence like a fencing round, all on one line, without touching any of Barbara's equipment. If it looked like they couldn't, he would roll himself out onto the ledge; cowlless.
It would be better than facing Barbara's silent, glaring wrath. Or any other surprises she might have. He'd noticed how particular she was with her equipment.
A catch, hold, pressure applied, fingers moving to disable on a pressure point. Though they were close enough to go for something more serious.
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/13/2006 18:11:14
This wasn't Barbara's normal place, but Cass knew better than to assume this Clocktower wasn't as boobytrapped as the previous. And Cassandra could definitely control her movements.
With a faint smile she punched Bruce's hand out of the danger zone, then ducked in close. She was faster than her own Batman, yes, but this one was younger. She couldn't assume too much, so she tested his defenses, attempting a nerve pinch similar to the one he'd used, then following up with a flurry of punches; shoulder, ribs, anywhere that might stop him briefly without injuring him permanently.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/13/2006 18:53:23
Quite honestly Babs did not care in how straight a line they were fighting, or how carefuly they were planning on being. Yes, she was particular with her equipment, and there were reasons for it.
It was times like these when she wished that she could stand, step in between them and possibly flip both them over onto the wooden floorboards. She couldn't do all that, no, but she wasn't completely helpless.
Grabbing a thick, well weighted wooden staff from under the desk, Babs pushed herself into the middle of the frey. It occured to her, as she whipped the staff around so that one end was pointed inches from Bruce's chest, that he had yet to see that she could still defend herself. A small smile came to her face before she started yelling.
"I swear to God, if two don't stop right now..." The smile melted quickly into a glare which she shot the both of them. Her free hand was held palm up facing towards Cass. "It stops now. I mean it."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/13/2006 19:04:10
Cassandra was hitting hard and powerfully and fast. Faster than him, not by much, but by enough. If he changed his style he might match her, but he couldn't change his style in the confines he'd created for them.
Testing her speed hadn't been the point though, it was testing her restraint. What he saw hadn't been restraint. There'd been joy, almost. As if in fighting him, she could recognize him. And that assured him more than restraint. He could pull her off the streets and test her in the cave to assure himself of her restraint.
It was knowing that she did know him. Because with her cowl off, Batgirl looked young.
Bruce moved his hand to tug Babs' hair. It'd never occurred to him that she couldn't still defend herself somehow. The Barbara he knew was too stubborn to have anything stop her from achieving her goals.
He bent back as if to roll out of the window. But paused and rested instead.
"So, do I take this one home with me too ?"
From: [info]i_dontspeak Date: 02/13/2006 19:12:23
Cass knew the limit; when Babs actually brandished a weapon, things had gone to far. She backed off, bowing to Bruce in the right manner, one fist pressed against an open palm. Fist and palm. He'd taught her what that meant. Weapon and shield.
"Um, I stay with Babs." She glanced over and Barbara again, smiling apologetically. "Unless, um, you want to...watch me? Get to trust me? I don't know a word for, um, that."
She didn't like Wayne Manor. It was too big and echo-y. As much as she loved Alfred, she couldn't follow him around all the time.
From: [info]i_seeall Date: 02/13/2006 19:18:09
"No, I get Cass." Babs said immediately. She rested the arm holding the staff, letting it drop though it was not quite touching the ground.
Still holding the staff at ready in case they decided to go at it again, Babs backed up slightly and took Bruce's cowl from the desk. She tossed it to him in the window. "I think there's enough adolescent angst in your house. Cass and I work well together anyway."
From: [info]i_walktheline Date: 02/13/2006 19:58:13
He met Cass's eyes and bowed to her in turn, having slipped easily from a rest position to a more formal bow.
Then snaked his hand out to catch his cowl when Barbara tossed it. "Get her up to speed. I have patrol." Just like that, Bruce was gone.
"It will be good to have you here, Batgirl." He slipped the cowl on, and was out of the window before he'd fastened it, walking along the ledge.
Then there was the soft whipping sound of the cape as it hit the air.