DC: 2012-03-31 - I'm Not A Clone

Robinson Park - Gotham City

Robinson Park and the Reservoir, it is a thing of beauty and fear. This large park is located right smack in the middle of Gotham's main island, also called Gotham Island. With many sections for jogging, bird watching and entertainment of children, not to mention a large pond for ducks and benches for the old folks, it seems a well cared for area. There is much to enjoy within this park, such as the Gotham City Zoo, and the Wayne Botanical Garden which is said to be a must see in the traveling brochures. Within the deep recesses of the park there is also an abandoned bathhouse that appears condemned.

Still, at night, the park becomes a dangerous and deadly place. While patrolled by Park Rangers, they agreed to allow Gotham P.D. jurisdiction inside the park as well because of their inability to keep the peace truly. At night, the park is a no man's land, for those that wish to remain safe and whole.

The old Reservoir and water plant is located toward the north side of the park and is no longer in use for its original purpose. It can still be used as a backup water sources should there be a need and has since been converted to a museum and park center.

Kendra:

There's a certain something to this young woman's appearance. Maybe it's the eyes. Green, they look a little hardened, a little suspicious at times, even haunted in ways, but still youthful. When Kendra smiles they look brighter, but more often than not it seems her expression doesn't change much from one of quiet focus. Her nose is thin, lips are full, and her dark brown hair, cut short all over, includes a few reddish highlights as well.

It's clear she keeps herself in great shape, judging from the snug shirt she wears, sleeves just past the shoulders, firm stomach left uncovered. Breasts are full but just right for her 5'9" body, and a pair of faded jeans cling close to her hips. Plain sneakers cover her feet. As for jewelry, a chain necklace can be seen with a pendant of a hawk at the end, and a small gold hoop earring pierces each earlobe.

Batman:

wrapped as it is in a form covering cape the size of this figure is difficult to determine those rare times it's seen in the light it's easy to determine that it's male and likely human. The head is covered in a dark grey cowl only the mouth and jaw are visible showing a man with a lightly tanned complexion. There is no hair to be seen and the eyes are pure white. At the side of the head extending maybe an inch above the highest point of the head are what can best described as ear pieces.

The body of the man when revealed from beneath the cape that usually hides it is that of a man who spends many hours in the gym. Every muscle well defined, yet not to the point of slowing the figure. His entire form his covered in grey the shade of which shifts subtly as the light changes. His chest bares a black mark that could pass for a winged creature, possibly a bat. His hand are covered in long gloves the forearms of which have several jagged looking barbs extending from them. To finish the costume is the man's belt, which provides the only colour to the outfit being dark yellow and containing a number of pouches.

Ahh, Gotham City. Everyone knows about Gotham City, and everyone knows about the man that patrols it. Still, there are places where, once the sun goes down, being out alone is an open invitation for trouble. Perhaps that's why Kendra Saunders is here, around Robinson Park. It's dark out, the moon mostly obscured by clouds so streetlights are the primary sources of illumination, though some are broken. Cool enough for a light coat to be worn, Kendra moves along a path and looks this way and that, a purse over a shoulder. It's all an act, an effort made to look vulnerable.

Soon enough, a couple of common street thugs with a knife and crowbar take the bait, beginning to stalk her. Out of the corner of an eye, Kendra spots them and continues along with a thin smile. "That's right. Come and get me," she says under her breath.

For almost two decades Batman has watched over Gotham. Places like Robinson Park are a reminder that his mission will never be done. There are signs of improvement the crime rate has dropped, but not enough that Batman can imagine it will ever disappear. As such he knows to include the park in most of his nightly patrols. Generally it's a simple patrol, a few muggers dealt with. Tonight it would seem is no different. He stalks the muggers even as they stalk Kendra. The signs of his presence are few enough to go unnoticed even by most who are trained to spot such things. He rests in the shadows, waiting for his moment to strike. The target of course has his attention, but that's something to consider later.

Kendra looks as she has in the past, so there's a chance at recognition if the Caped Crusader's memory is on the ball. There is a reason she's here, tied into recent events. Early in her JSA days she seemed to have a death wish and coming out here like this doesn't do much to counter that past suspicion. Once the pair of muggers are close enough to be a threat, she turns before they're actually able to touch her and regards them with a slight tilt of her head and a smile. "Oh, hey boys. Nice night for a walk, isn't it?"

They both brandish their weapons, letting Kendra see them. "Shut up, bitch, and give us that purse nice and quiet and we might just let you go," the one with the knife says. They haven't done much to mask themselves, just in somewhat bulky coats to go with their jeans.

Kendra glances down at that purse. "What, you want what's in here?" It looks a little heavy.

Batman speaks in that trained tone of his, there's no trace of humanity there, it almost manages to echo even in the open space... Sometimes it's useful to have a classically trained actor for a valet. "I don't like muggers in My City. And I /won't/ let you go. But if you surrender I won't go too hard on you." With that he appears quickly, his cape giving the impression of wings as he drops from a tree, his feet aiming to connect with the nearest muggers shoulder blades, his cape bleeding off enough force that it won't cause any lasting damage.

"Yeah, now hand it over slowly or.." the one with the crowbar says with a snarl before a look of fear shows in both of them. "Oh shit, it's the Bat!" Before they can even run, the guy with the knife turns the wrong way and goes down thanks to Batman's attack, leaving Kendra to swing the purse at the other one even as she stares at the costumed man, a moment of anger flashing as she says, "This is my fight! They're mine!" There's a brick in the purse, which Crowbar finds out when it connects with his wrist. A yelp of pain and the weapon clatters to the sidewalk.

And Batman lands crouched upon the fallen mugger, his body hidden beneath his cape. At least until his hand appears, releasing a bolas towards the man's legs. "No, in this city it's /my/ fight." His voice doesn't alter, there's a rage there but it doesn't seem directed at an individual. "I don't appreciate you looking for fights in my city Miss Saunders."

Before the other one can get away, Kendra directs a sharp kick up at his head and it connects, taking him down to the ground where she pins an arm painfully behind his back while pressing her knee in near a kidney. "I had them!" is the first thing she says in response, then she pauses. Whether it's his unnerving ways or more, she blinks at him. "How do you know who I am?"

Batman begins to zip tie the hands of the muggers. Not speaking to Kendra for a moment, he hardly seems to acknowledge her. A few moments later though he speaks. "And if they'd had guns? Or just been lucky, or if you'd hit them wrong? The risks of someone getting seriously hurt were unacceptable." He finally rises, his attention finally turning to Kendra. "You were supposed to have died."

"I don't hit people wrong," Kendra retorts, ignoring for the moment the possibility of guns being involved instead of what the muggers had. "And you don't need to worry about me. I know how to handle a couple of thugs, thank you very much." Her feathers are still ruffled, aside from the fact she doesn't have any right now. Keeping her weight pressed into the guy who's just about done struggling, she frowns up at Batman. "Yeah, that's what someone else told me. And yet, here I am."

"The belief that you're infallible is one of the best ways to make a mistake." Batman looks at Kendra. "What is the last thing you remember before your... Return. And do the memories have emotional attachments?" He studies Kendra for a long moment, there's no hiding the fact that he's pretty much weighing her, taking in every detail for evaluation.

Up to this point there's been a lot of bravado from Kendra, who subtly moves back off the second guy to give Batman room to bind him as well. Now doubt creeps into her eyes, expression and even body language, the brick-filled purse on the ground a few feet away from them as she rubs at the back of her neck. "I don't know," she admits, shaking her head with a frown. "Most of it's just..in dreams and things. It's hazy." There are pieces missing.

Batman nods, not speaking his thoughts. There's the list forming though. Cloning, Lazarus pits... There are a number of ideas none of which answer the key question. "Hmm. And your first memory. What is the first thing you remember from when you... Came back?" He pauses a moment. "You don't remember dying... But I assume that you remember when you... Woke up? That there was a difference between how things seem since you came back and your memories of before?"

Those would probably be typical suspicions from Batman - scientific explanations. Kendra's arms cross in front of her and she takes a few steps back, that frown lingering. Before saying anything more, she nods toward the pair of thugs. "Do we have to do this here?" The implication is she's not too keen on talking about much of this in front of others.

Nodding Batman motions towards one of the parks exits. A tap of his belt and he's making his way in the direction. "We'll go somewhere quiet. But you'll need to give me answers." He doesn't trust Kendra... Even less than he does most people, this could be one hell of a set up.

Once the foiled muggers are both taken care of, Kendra takes steps to move with Batman, whether it's next to him, behind or a bit in front depending on how safe he feels. "If I have them. I can't give you answers to things I don't know," she answers, some of that bluntness creeping back in for a moment. "But I'll try." It'd seem beneath the exterior, there's a vulnerability present.

As he reaches the road the Batmobile arrives from around a corner both doors opening as Batman makes to get in. "Get in." He doesn't wait for an answer before continuing. "Tell me the last thing you remember from before. Give as much detail as possible. Even if it doesn't seem important."

How much of Batman does Kendra remember from her own experiences compared to general knowledge of him and his reputation? There's a pause, a hesitant look at the sleek, fast and technological vehicle that pulls up in front of them, then she silently climbs in on the other side. In a mundane moment, she looks for the seatbelt. "Look..Batman. That's part of the problem. I died but..it's not the first time it's happened, and that's why it's hard to remember things clearly. I know I was Hawkgirl, but someone else's soul was in my body. I was in St. Roch and as far as I know I was killed there. Hawkman tried to bring me back with some guy called Dr. Occult but the other Hawkgirl and I both came back and he didn't find out until a few weeks ago. Neither of them knew." Hawkgirl had been killed months ago. Further, Kendra doesn't look at him as she says this.

"Hawkman never mentioned the complication." BAtman sounds almost as though this is unacceptable. "Details. What is the very last thing you remember of your... old life?" The doors close as Kendra settles into his seat. "It's important that we establish how much of your memory is intact. It may shed some light on what happened."

Kendra has nothing to say about what Hawkman did or didn't bring up. Her eyes slide toward him at the prompting of more along with the reasons why and her frown deepens as she wraps her arms about her shoulders as much as she can given her position. Attention shifts to staring straight ahead before she says in a quieter voice, "Someone killed my parents and I never found who did it. I lost my way." Finally she pulls back a sleeve of her coat and shows him the wrist. Scars mark the inside of it. "You can figure out the last thing I remember from back then." Would cloning or a Lazarus Pit 'heal' scars like those?

"And the second time? Do you remember the period after your first resurrection? Your second death. Tell me what happened, what you were feeling, the last thing you saw. Give me the details. This isn't about knowing what happened, it's about seeing what /you/ know. How much detail you have." He frowns a little as he looks at Kendra, the car moving down the streets apparently without any input from Batman. "The trouble is that if we assume the soul exists then we need to understand what it is. Is it simply an unchanging signature of identity, or is it shaped, altered and defined by the existence the mind and body it inhabits has experienced? If so then there is no difference between you and Hawkgirl." He pauses for a long moment. "If not then the highest probability is that you're a clone with artificial memories, in which case lack of definition would be understandable, programmed memories always have holes and lack of detail."

"Let me think," Kendra says quietly, her hand returning to her lap with the sleeve pulled back into place. "I know I was in the Justice Society, we fought Mordru to protect Dr. Fate, I helped bring Hawkman back on Thanagar and we defeated Onimar Synn. I went back to St. Roch some time after that," she says, a focused look in place as she sifts through the fractured memories.

"Then one day I..I was responding to a call and I was ambushed. It hurt so bad, but..you know how they say your whole life flashes before you just before you die?" Shaking her head, Kendra admits, "I don't remember that. I just remember waking up somewhere else and my grandfather looking after me again, away from them. But I knew I was me again. Hawkgirl's soul was..somewhere, and I know it filled me the first time I died. When Dr. Occult did whatever he did, she came back as herself, and I came back as me." Her jaw clenches at the suggestion she's a clone, a flash of something certain in her eyes as she looks at him directly. "I'm not a clone."

"That's an emotional response. There's no evidence either way. Until there's enough evidence to know one way or the other, we'll need to consider all the possibilities." Batman pauses a moment as he studies one of the screens before him. "Your being a clone, even if a mystical clone rather than scientifically constructed clone, makes as much sense as anything else." He pauses a moment. "You should stay out of trouble until we're sure what's going on. I'll do some research and be in touch." With that Batman pulls the Batmobile over.

Kendra mostly ignores the screens. They're really of no interest to her in spite of the probability that Batman likely doesn't just give rides to anybody. There are bigger things on her mind. "It's not emotional. It's the truth. Magic or whatever, Shiera's Shiera again and I'm me. I'm Kendra, not Kendra with Shiera inside. You're not going to be able to prove it one way or the other." In that, she sounds stubborn about it, adding, "Because you can't explain magic or mystical stuff or whatever it's called." As the vehicle comes to a stop she continues to eye him. "And what if I decide I want to be Hawk.." She waves the name off. "If I want to do what I used to do again. I'm working on a degree now but sometimes I'm flying again in my dreams. I have them a lot. Are you going to tell me I can't fly again?"

As she finishes the question, there's a moment in Kendra's expression and tone that sounds apprehensive, like a part of her can't bear never flying again.

"If you're not your original body, if you've been created by artificial means then you're not Kendra, you're a clone a well made copy. Your soul has no bearing on that. If you were made the reason /why/ needs to be considered." Batman looks at Kendra for a moment. "I'm not going to tell you that you can't fly again. But if you cause trouble in Gotham. I will stop you." Batman speaks in that way he has. The way that seems to sell the idea that he's sure he can do what he's saying and what's more tends to be able to convince those he's talking to." He then frowns a little. "You can't be Hawkgirl. /You/ never were. That was someone else’s life. Move on."

"Hawkman was trying to have me brought back, but it went all weird. How else do you explain Shiera coming back, and me too? Where was /her/ body the whole time I was Hawkgirl? Can you find the answer to that one?" Kendra throws back at him in one last moment of stubborn defiance, jaw setting as she stares straight ahead again afterward. "I didn't come here to cause trouble. I needed to let off some steam and I knew I could.." A shake of her head follows as she realizes he had a point earlier. She actually apologizes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here for it. I should have just gone to a gym or something." In the end she looks at him one more time and her expression hints at a sadness. "It was my life too. I was always connected to them somehow, now more than ever." With that she opens the door and exits the Batmobile. "I just have to find my own way now. Goodbye."

"That life isn't yours. Don't chase what can't be." Batman looks at Kendra as she leaves the car. "There are moments in our life that shape everything that happens from that point forth. Chasing what you want rather than what's right is one of the worst mistakes you could make. Remember that." With that he's closing the door to the Batmobile and disappearing down the street to whatever plan he may have had.