2015-03-26 - Familial Relations

Barbara set everything up for her. Fake credentials for the Tokyo Times, even somehow got the Warden to personally

authorize this visit and interview. But the hardest thing was getting Cassandra to wear a dress-suit. A reporter.

Especially given Cassandra's problems with all things word-related. Yeah, the girl who barely talks is going to do an

interview. That's why she also included a tape recorder which was actually a monitor to check David Cain's heartrate

and temperature fluctuations, which Oracle would be able to tie into her computer as a makeshift lie detector. Sure,

if he knows - he'll be able to hide it. But with Cassandra, would he even bother to try, given her body-reading

ability?

The guard shows Cassandra to her seat on one side of the glass, then another guard leads David Cain in. He's heavily

shackled - you don't take any chances with the world's best assassin.

Meanwhile outside the prison, Kara's just waiting in midair. Oracle asked for her to stay nearby in case things went

horribly, horribly wrong.

Again, you can never be too careful when dealing with the world's greatest assassin. And with his daughter's first

close encounter with him in years.

Cassandra Lang aka Jessica Li, lead reporter for the Gotham Gazette, is uncomfortable. She hides it well, not

sweating or showing any more than a hint in her eyes. With black lipstick and pencilled eyebrows, she looks nothing

like the grungy avenger of the night that an hour ago stood in the clocktower, wincing as Oracle dabbed makeup on

her.

She steps past the FOUR heavy security guards in the outer room, armored and armed with the safeties off, and goes

through the scanners and metal detectors, to sit at the seat she has been assigned. A small room, a box really, with

two inch thick plexiglass between her and the man to be led in.

And she looks the essence of calm as the door opens, and her father is let into the room, hoping that Oracle has

managed to get her the privacy she needs and deactivated the recording device in the speaker.

Oddly, she's not worried about Kara. Kara will be there. No question on that one.

And the cameras in the room were also scheduled for a erasure. Everything's digital nowadays. David Cain sits down.

He recognized his daughter the second he stepped in, but there was just the slightest hint of a smile. "So, I'm

assuming you have some questions?" he says from the other side of the glass.

No change at all in Cassandra's eyes as she looks at her father on the other side of the plexiglass barrier. She

remembers him holding her teaching her to shoot as he sits down, in his movement as he rests his shackled body, and

sees him consider breaking them and walking out, then choose not to go.

She watches his eyes flicker to the door, then to her face, and Cassandra frowns very, very slightly as she sees the

entire sequence of events unfolding, from the very first hint of his movement she knows so well. This is daddy. Daddy

who shot a girl in front of her for her fifth birthday, then shot her afterward.

She opens her mouth, taking a breath to think, then asks, "Who...is..." and stops. She tries again, no longer caring

who hears. "Who..." Another pause.

Looking into David Cain's face, Cassandra's own features suddenly contort into anger and she snarls into the

microphone, her voice sounding rough and violent. "Who do you think you are?" she snarls, then she plants her hands

on her seat and her feet come up to double-kick right through the impenetrable plexiglass barrier, shattering it like

a windowpane.

Oracle quickly says into Cassandra's earpiece. "Cassandra, what are you DOING?!" as she was watching this through the

security cameras. David Cain might not have body reading ability, but he knew his daughter. He made her. Not just the

genetic stuff - the deeper stuff. He knew to tuck and roll out of the way. "Well, I think I'm the only person in the

world who truly understands what your purpose is. That, and your father of course."

Cassandra Cain dives through the window which is now open enough to allow her to get through, easily. She stands over

her father, repeating, "Who do you think you are?" with absolutely no reaction to Oracle's question except to wince

very slightly. Snapping a high kick into the left guard, a punch to knock out the one on the right, and a jumping

spin kick to slam the last guard in the room into the door, the three of them slump to the ground.

Then she grabs her father by the shirt and picks him up, slamming him to the wall and cocks back her right hand in a

fist, staring him in the face with actual anger glowing from her eyes. "You kill them, I kill you." It's a threat.

It's a very, very good threat.

David Cain gets shoved up to the wall by Cassandra, after she took out both guards in about 1.2 seconds. "Whatever

woud your new guardian say to such a bloodthirsty attitude. I'm proud of you, Cassandra. Deal- no killing."

Oracle is saying in the earpiece, "Do you understand the concept of undercover?"

Kara's earpiece is next, "Kara I might need you in there in the next few seconds. Cassandra's having .... er....

daddy issues."

Cassandra Cain thumps her father against the wall affectionately, hard enough to make his head hurt. She lets go of

him, letting him either slide to the floor or stand. His choice really. Then she turns away, listening to the guards

outside start to react. "Who is...my mother?" she asks, clenching her left fist tight enough to make her bones creak. David Cain chooses to stand after let go. "Sorry, Cassandra. Can't tell you that. I already agreed to one demand. Two

- well.... I have a reputation, don't I?"

David crosses his arms. "Of course, you could torture me to find out. I wonder how the Batman would handle that

though - it wouldnt even be killing to protect othrs. And even that, I do believe, he would not allow. So many rules.

No.... this would be you killing for something you simply want. I think you have it in you though."

He leans against the wall, rubbing his injured throat from where she grabbed her, "So would you like to prove to me

that you're definitely your father's daughter - my protege, rather than that phony's?"

Cassandra Cain responds by slamming her fist into David Cain's nose, probably breaking it. It wouldn't be the first

time, not even by her, she's broken his nose before a few times. Being against the wall, he's braced for the rain of

punches Cassandra drives into all the soft spots on David Cain's body as she really works on causing him pain. Ribs,

liver, in the joints on the shoulder, groin.

In seconds, he's bleeding, and the fact that he's shackled makes no difference. She's showing no mercy at all, save

that none of the damage will be permanent. This girl knows how to cause maximum pain on a human being and every

strike is perfect.

"Who." "Is." "She?"

Each word punctuated by a strike, as the guards try to get in throught the door.

David Cain is on his hands and knees, in pain, but tries a chuckle. It hurts and he coughs up some blood. "Good to

see... *koff* I'm still more of an influence than him..."

The only reason the guards havent burst in yet - the electronic locks have locked down the area, courtesy of a very

aggravated Oracle. "CASSANDRA. STOP IT!" is in hear earpiece.

Then in Kara's, "Kara get in there NOW before she kills him!" she says urgently. Normally the idea of one of the Bat

Family killing someone would be unthinkable - except for Jason. But Oracle really thinks in this case, Cassandra

might do it. Then she'd have nowhere to go.

David looks up at Cassandra. "Guess you'll need to *koff koff* finish me. Do your father proud.... go on..."

At which point Kara breaks through the wall and pulls Cassandra away from him, gripping her. "Okay - this family

reunion's over!"

Cassandra Cain swings one more time in the air at David's head, but it's half-hearted. She's focused but none of her

hits were killing strikes. Waving a foot in David's direction, Cassandra suddenly stops trying to do anything to her

father and glares at him, then taps her earpiece in the recognition code that means yes, affirmative.

But even held in the air by a super-strong kryptonian, Cassandra Cain's eyes are on him. She gives a small nod,

accepting her defeat, and asks quickly, "When's my birthday then?" She looks at Kara, hoping for just a second more,

her eyes begging for at least that much.

Kara Zor-El is hearing Oracle tellng her to bring Cassandra back to the Clocktower right away. But Kara looks at

Cassandra's eyes, and sighs. And waits to see what David Cain says. David is rather surprised at the question,

actually. He takes a moment to sit back on the ground, cradling his midsection. Then takes a moment to spit out some

more blood. "January 26th. Consider this a late birthday present."

Kara looks at Cassandra. "Okay, now need to take you to get yelled at." she says, before pulling Cassandra close to

her and flying out the window with her very violent passenger. "Rao, you are going to be in so much trouble. I think

I heard Oracle use swear words in my earpiece before."

Cassandra Cain doesn't argue. She gives dad a wave on the way out. They always did talk with their bodies. Got a lot

of talking done today. She smiles a bit as she vanishes into the night sky to get yelled at. Nice to see you too dad.

Love ya.