2014-03-24 - Stark Expo: A Family Discussion

Damian heads back to his room after collecting Carrie. He looks tense, nervous, Bruce had ordered him back to his rooms and for once he's listening. Once there he closes the door behind him, and locks it. He doesn't notice the phone, a newer model smart phone that has been left on the floor that doesn't belong to either of them.

While walking to the room Carrie had slipped her heels off to hold dangling from her fingertips. She pads barefoot through the carpeted rooms of the hotel as if she were just tired of walking in heels to those that might not realize she'd just armed herself with two spiked weapons. As soon as they enter the room she reaches out to place her hand on Damian's shoulder to get his attention. Quietly she lifts her hand to gesture to the bathroom, only to sweep her hand over to the balcony doors as well indicating that they should check things out. Already her gaze was sweeping the area. The phone is impossible to miss. Crouching she picks it up gingerly holding it up for him to see.

Damian sees the phone and his breath is drawn in quickly. This was not good. Still Carrie had a point the room needed checking. He nods towards the bed as a place to put the phone before he edges open the bathroom door to check it out.

Carrie moves along with Damian walking sideways. It's a smooth, silent motion as she keeps both him, the door to the bathroom, and other possible areas someone could hide in sight. The balcony. The small closet. Her green eyes are sharp and alert as she looks for signs of disturbances as well as anything that could be considered a trap. A trip wire. Something altered. Something changed. Still she has at least one heel in hand though her grip has changed on it to hold her fingers curled inside the toes with the spiked heel tucked up against her forearm as if it were one of the spikes from her costume gloves.

Damian checks out the room quietly, skilfully, leaving nothing un-examined before he moves from the bathroom to check the closets and then after that the balcony. All the while there's no words spoken to Carrie. He trusts her to be there behind him and move with him. When it's done the tension relaxes a little and he closes the drapes again before looking to her. "Did we miss anything? I expected he would test me."

"Just the bed," Carrie points out tipping her head toward it. "Depends how much he wants to test you. Is he likely to set any booby traps? Because anything pressure sensitive right there would just about do it. That and the toilet seat," she reasons considering anything that most people would NOT think of. Hopefully.

Damian nods. "I don't think he wants to kill me, I'm his heir, but we should check anyhow," he admits. "I will check the toilet, you check the bed," he says taking the more unpleasant job for himself. He looks to Carrie for approval before he moves towards the bathroom.

"Don't forget to check the tank as well," Carrie advises as she move to circle the bed considering how to go about this. It only takes a moment for her to fall down catching herself in a push up position to peer beneath it looking for any triggers. Between the mattress would be most likely though. Gently she peels off the coverlet to spy beneath that as well.

"Right," Damian answers before he sets to the task, stopping on the way to liberate a knife from his luggage, no make that four, he sticks a spare in his belt and passes the other two to Carrie before he gets down to work. He finds nothing.

The space under the bed and under the coverlet seems clean as well.

Carrie accepts the knives turning them over in hand. "Ceramic?" She inquires even as she goes about her task before finally declaring, "Room's clean for the most part. Haven't swept for bugs yet, but given they outright left a phone?" A glance is cast to the bed where it still sat, obviously. "It'd be pointless to hide a bug. They know we'd look. So. I guess..." She spins the knife in her grasp as she sinks down to sit just on the edge of the bed. "Your call, Damian. He's your grandfather."

Damian returns and nods about the knives. Ceramic and balanced for throwing which Carrie can easily tell. He looks pensive when he considers the situation. He twirls the knife in his hand as well, fidgeting with the blade nervously. "I think we're safe, but I still want to move rooms later," actually if he had his way he'd move up to that Watchtower Carrie had told him about. It seemed wherever he went the people from his past could find him. "Pass me that phone," he says. "Let's see what grandfather wants."

Carrie reaches for the phone again to hold it out to Damian for him to take. "I think they have guest rooms at the Tower but that's a bit far away. Have to get the Boss to decide on that."

Damian takes a breath. "We can ask Father after," he says. Then he takes the phone in his hand and swipes across the screen with his thumb. There is a pending video chat set up, he shows that to Carrie and presses the button to launch it. There is some beeping then the video blinks on, Ra's face appearing on the screen. "Grandson," says the cultured tones of one of Batman's most dangerous foes. "Forgive the method of contact but it appears my visit has not gone quite as unnoticed as I'd hoped. Are you alone, or is the Detective there as well?"

Damian's eyes flick towards Carrie of their own accord and Damian flinches. He was a /terrible/ liar. "That answers my question. Who else is there?" Ra's asks.

Carrie frowns at the videochat. The fact that it was video meant it would be difficult to trace but... Not impossible if only she had the equipment. The thought of it is put to the back of her mind when Damian starts the chat and is instantly called on it. It's her that answers though, simply, "One of the detective's proteges." It wouldn't be hard to figure out WHO she was. She has no doubt about that but she wasn't about to play games or lie either.

"Ah yes, the new one. I would have thought after the last girl, he wouldn't have taken another," Ra's opines bluntly.

"What do you want grandfather?" Damian cuts in just as bluntly.

There is a noise of consternation from Ra's and he says "I see your time with the Detective has done nothing to curb your insolence. I am making contact to you let you know your father has rejected my offer of help in your current crisis with the Red Hood. If you choose not to be in the line of fire, you may re-join us if you wish. I have no desire to see you suffer for the Detective's stubbornness."

Carrie glances up at that. So Bruce knew that he was here and hadn't informed either of them. This causes her to frown with lips pursed together tightly in consideration. She doesn't rise to the bait of his response to finding out she was there. It's simply taken in stride. Instead she speaks up again asking a single, simple question.

"Should we presume that you're the one who orchestrated the ressurection of Jason Todd in order to create this 'crisis'? Or was that Talia's doing."

There is another sound of consternation from Ra's. "I raised Jason Todd from the dead, yes, but not to cause a problem but to balance the scales for his death. It did not go as planned," that may just be the understatement of the year.

"The Pits are for family," Damian all but growls.

Ra's seems unfazed. "I decide who has access to the pits, whatever you may believe. Now are you staying with the Detective or returning to your mother?"

"Jason Todd is family," Carrie points out to Damian only to shake her head. "Just not the side that raised you, Damian. We'll deal with him... I'll deal with him. Like I should have in the first place. It's my fault for giving him a chance to settle things on his own." Anger? From Carrie? There was something there but it was more guilty, hurt anger, than rage. A cool anger that didn't take control of her as it did Damian.

"He's staying with us."

Damian is surprised by the vehemence of Carrie's response. It was a side he hadn't seen from her before.

"Interesting," Ra's says to Carrie's reply. Then to Damian he asks "Is that your reply as well?"

There is no hesitation he nods to Carrie and looks down at the phone "Yes, Grandfather, tell Mother I can take care of myself. I am not afraid of Jason Todd."

Ra's takes the news in silence for a moment. "Very well. I shall inform her of your decision," he says before the video chat goes dead.

Damian looks about ready to toss the phone at the wall but he stops himself, tossing it on the bed instead. "Evidence," he says to Carrie. At least he was learning. "And thank you."

Carrie takes the phone and tucks it away for now on the dresser top. "Yes, though I doubt we'll get much off of it. It may not hurt to keep hold of it regardless. Just like your mother's contact." Had she gone through his phone or just assumed? Turning back to Damian she smiles softly before walking back toward him. Silently she slides her arms around his shoulders just pulling him close into a hug. Protective. "I found out who he was the night we spoke. I gave him a chance... and he went after Robin. I can't forgive that just yet."

Damian surrenders the phone though that she knows about his contact info for his mother makes him frown. He doesn't ask though he just says "If you haven't memorized it, do, I doubt Father would call her if I was hurt badly. I don't want to end up like Barbara." When she mentions letting Jason go, he looks at her with understanding and that same anger in his eyes. "I let him go too, twice. So I am just as guilty and just as obligated to bring him down."

Carrie her grip loosens when he looks up at her but she doesn't release him not entirely. The look of anger on her face had faded to sadness, guilt... and there was a hint of moisture to her eyes which hadn't yet spilled over. It wouldn't, not now, but the way it made her gut twist having seen what he did to Robin... At least she had gotten him to take some pain medication and sleep. Smiling at him she nods. "I hadn't looked but I didn't take her for one to cut you off entirely. She would have given you some way to get in touch. I'll memorize it," she agrees only to lean forward and press a kiss to his forehead. "In case. But you won't need it. Let's get cleaned up and get something to eat. It's been a long day."

Damian smiles when Carrie explains that she figured it out rather than snooping. "I see why you were the other Batman's heir," he says before she kisses his forehead. He reaches out to brush her cheek softly, to comfort her, even though he doesn't mention the wet eyes. The suggestion of food reminded him he had been too nervous about the presentation to eat beforehand, his tummy rumbles with treasonous weakness. "Yes, food would be good, and I'll give you the number. Additionally thinking of Babs, we should talk to her about security for the manor. I am done with unwanted visitors."

Carrie leans her head toward the touch to her cheek thankful for it. Even if he might not know how to comfort well, it was offered in his own way and she accepted it. Smiling back at him she nods in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. But first food. Do we want to go down or..." her gaze slides toward the phone with an emerging grin. "Room service?" There's a little hopeful hint to her voice at that; she'd never had room service before.

Damian takes a second to enjoy the feel of her face pressed against her hand. He removes it when that second passes and takes a moment to remove his tie while he ponders dinner. He hated the thing it was like wearing a noose. The hopeful note in Carrie's voice is noted and seals the deal "Room service," he says and nods towards the TV. "We can watch movies while we eat."