2017-09-12 - Orphan

Oracle has lost track of Cassandra. She doesn't really call her Black Bat unless it's a mission, and this doesn't seem to be one, but the fact that nobody can tell where she is, is worrying. The girl has enough trackers on her gear to find her on the moon.

But Oracle has gotten a tip that she's in Hong Kong, and that's where Nightwing has headed. Tips on the street have told him that a: he stands out a bit more here, and b: young asian girls are a bit more common than back home.

Even in civilian clothes Nightwing would be out of place here, language does not help matters as his Madarin is rusty and his local Cantonese is even worse, still he knows who he is lookign for and who Cassandra is, so he heads to the Kowloon section of the city, where Cass will likely be busting heads either as hero or as muscle as much as he hates to admit it either is a real possibility.

Many bustings of heads are happening. It's Hong Kong, and the idea of it sleeping is absurd. Nightwing is unfortunately not able to find any fights that include a late-teens crimefighter with vocalization problems though. He's forced to break out the (gasp!) detective skills, and start asking people questions! Sometimes after he gets in a little bit of practice in Chinese flavour beatdowns himself.

After Nightwing saves a nice lady from a couple of muggers, he's able to hear a hint. That Da wei, the assassin, was murdered in the south last night. Da wei...David. Cain.

Nightwing gives the nice lady his best smile, "Thank you ver much." he is off heading to the south after all where David Cain is or rather was, Cassandra is likely to be. He is cautious in his movements though after all cassandra is not wanting ot be found so he does not know what her reaction will be.

The nice chinese lady gives her best wave as the American cosplayer leaps off into the night. Nice boy, he should marry a girl here and stay.

Rumours are in the street, how the body burst into flame and vanished, and how it was a phoenix that arose, and how it was dragged off into the gutter by penguins. Unfortunately without penguins to ask questions of, there's problems in finding much of use.

Then Nightwing hears the sound of something he's know for a long time. Only his partner can sound that efficient, as he hears someone being slammed into the wall. Another strike, and a person hitting the floor. Another. It's either his quarry or a kung fu survival team.

As he so often does Nightwing moves to the sound of combat. He keeps his defenses up and ready just in case there is more trouble along the way, after all it sounds like Cass is not exactly winning friends though is likely influencing a lot of people despite that.

Coming from above, behind, or however he chooses to approach, the sound comes from an alley. Hong Kong is famous for them, and the streets are narrow enough that it's hard to tell the alleys from the main boulevards sometimes. This is a red light district. Strangely with no children being sold for their bodies.

There is, however, a long strip of pimps and enforcers laying on the ground. Guns are evident, but apparently are not a huge issue since the small figure moving among them is taking them away with her bare feet, empty hands, and then slamming them into walls with the quiet efficiency Nightwing has come to expect from his partner.

The look in her eyes, not so much. Bloodshot and tired, she doesn't look bored for once. No, she looks awful.

He waits and watches for a ffew moments but as the numbes of opponets start to dwindle he dives down to take out the last one, "You know you har not the easieat woman to track down." he says with a smile, "though I know that was likely your intent."

She's wearing a hoodie and sweat pants. No shoes, bare feet. No Bat gear, no gloves. The hood is pulled up over her head, so she looks at Nightwing as he takes her last opponent and nods. She doesn't smile back. Joking time isn't now. "Kon just left," she offers, noting that Superboy was just here too. Which is when Oracle chimes in Nightwing's comlink with, "What's going on? Superboy says he found her but won't tell me anything."

Nightwing says softly to Oracle over the comes, "Will update later." he doesn't want to interrupt the encounter at the moment. He looks to the sky though with Kon's speed he is likely far gone, "Impressed, would not have expected him to find you first." He echoes Oracle

Nightwing says softly to Oracle over the coms, "Will update later." he doesn't want to interrupt the encounter at the moment. He looks to the sky though with Kon's speed he is likely far gone, "Impressed, would not have expected him to find you first." He echoes Oracle's question, "So what is going on in Hong Kong?"

Having just done this once, Cassandra figures it's best to just deal with Nightwing now. So she leans over and backfists a guy through a window who was pulling out a weapon, then looks to Nightwing. She looks like she's been through hell, but not a war. Nobody's laid a finger on her and her eyes are open. Aware, conscious. His ability to read people is not shabby, not at all, and Nightwing's detective skills tell him that this is a girl who's seen trauma recently.

"Cain dead," she says, verifying the situation clearly. Nobody walks away from their parent dying without an effect. Not even one that tortured you for a living for most of your life.

He takes a moment and she can read a shift in his body language, he goes form professional Bat to personal Grayson, "I understand." He says and unlike many who would say it in a situation like this he actually does given his own expierence with parents. "And I heard that is part of how I was able to find you. For what it is worth I am sorry for your loss." He of course does not see Cain as much of a loss but he knows how it has to hurt her. He takes a step closer, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

The small smile she gives is all she's got right now. He didn't ask for details, didn't demand to know everything. This is why he gets a smile when Kon didn't. Offered, and he cares. So she sits down on a pile of unconscious pimps and relaxes a little. Only a little. It was the right approach.

She's looking at him in a way she never has before though, and it's more intense. Deeper, like she's giving Nightwing more scrutiny than she was before. This isn't a girl who's in shock, it's one who's woken up and is looking around with unfiltered eyes. So her language is mostly her natural one, which is harder to parse. But she offers, "Yes," as a compromise. "Let me..decide."

Nightwing nods to her, "Alright I can do that." he says, "Though people are worried, is there anything you want me to tell them." He finds a wall to lean against as they talk, "Unlike Kon I will have to say something."

Cassandra supposes that makes sense. She thinks for a moment, glad to have a refuge in silence. It's comforting in a way. But when she opens her mouth, she says, "I killed him," as the message to take home. With the subtext that she believes it, and that everything has changed.

Nightwing nods to her, "You realize that will ignite a storm right?" He shakes his head, "But if that is what you want me to say I will do it." He aks a bit softer, "the next question I have is did you?"

Cassandra Cain can't meet his eyes then. If body language is real, she's talking in it. She pushes herself to her feet, having left behind everything of the Bat. Everything. And looks away.

Nightwing nods as in his mind the question was answered, "I see, for what it is worth I can understand that as well." He almost alone aong hte other Bats can say that as well, given the events of the Joker's Last Laugh, however more resent events come to mind as he moves to follow her and he says, "I forgive you."

The eyes that turn to look at Dick are open and alive. Strange, given the circumstances. Horrified, but awake. The world around her has changed forever, and she understands that everything needs more scrutiny. Decisions need to be made, and that'll take time. She's more focused than before, but needs time to adjust to the fact that the world is bigger than she knew. It's all in her eyes, up close, to someone who knows her as well as anyone living. For Dick Grayson.

"No more," she says. A decision. But there's something slightly amused in her smile, as she adds, "Now have time to learn...to read."

Nightwing nods to her, "Yes there is time, the trick as always is to use it wisely." he steps closer, "though i will miss you having my back in Bludhaven." He takes a deep breath, "the other thing to rememebr is that when you go down a rabbit hole it is not always the same person that comes out."

She doesn't answer again. Her back is turned now, so she looks into the night. Where change happens. She can't see his body right now, just the words that she's hearing. Maybe they are important after all. But she can see already, the things she needs to learn. How to deal with robotic enemies. Insane ones. Ones who are better than you, or who give nothing to read. There might be information hidden away in words that can teach these things.

"What are you when..parents die?" she asks unexpectedly. No explanation, but she knows this is how Bruce became what he is today. Maybe she'll be different. Or it'll be the same path.

Nightwing says, "I was a child." he answers, "I was angry, I wanted vengenge, I became Robin to get it." he shakes his head, "Mostly though I think people are hurt and scared, after all it is not something anyone is ever ready for even though lucky enough to lead normal lives."

Cassandra Cain turns to look. She nods, understanding more than she ever did before. It's hard to explain to someone how they'll feel when it happens, but she places her right hand on his left bicep for a moment. Just that, a moment of thanks for everything he's done. Then she leaves the Black Bat here with him, turning away.

He might not be able to read body language like he does but he is still intuitive enough to realize what she is saying and he nods, "Be safe Cassandra." he tells her and as she moves away into the night, "You know how to get ahold of me if you need to." And while Hang Kong will not be a normal place for him to visit he will definately be keeping tabs on it more than he had.

Hong Kong will be a safer place for a while. Cassandra kind of likes it, she doesn't stick out here like she did back in Gotham. And the words they use are all liquidy...maybe they have room for an orphan. One without a name of her own.

"Orphan," she says, as she walks into the shadows. Hong Kong won't know what hit it.