2014-07-22 - The Hunt Begins

Cassandra is sitting ever so quietly in the center of the holo-room where she's been for days. All her free time lately has been researching upper-level martial artists in detail, watching them in real-time on the recordings. She recently got a recording from Wildcat and is currently driving through the information on it: the Justice League members and some of their most skilled martial artist foes. Right now she's watching The Question fight, his fists moving with uncanny skill as he takes out random goons.

Working at table in the cave Batman was putting down the last notes on a piece of paper and a computer that was kept off the network. Pressing something in the hood of his costume he said, "Blackbat. Meet me in the cave." Yes she was in the holo room and the signal echoed in that room.

When she was out there he said in a soft voice, "I know you're focusing yourself. Retraining your body for the fight. Keep it up but know we may not have the luxury to be as focused as we should be. Sometimes time is a luxury we don't have. I'm going to need you out in the field, even before you're ready. Do you understand?" the question came out hard as he was trying to make sure Cassandra knew the gravity of what he was saying. It was not said in just nor lightly. Being associated with the Batman was serious work and the Bat himself took many of these decisions seriously. So, he waited for Cassandra's reaction before continuing.

The figure of Cassandra doesn't move, though her eyes flicker to the door when Batman speaks. She says, "Pause," and causes the lifesize martial artist to hold his position, a near-perfect right fist crossing someone's chin. Cass rises to her feet and slips around, her left heel hooking as she ducks under the fist and brushes Question's temple as she lets her hands slide through the holographic fist. It would have been a kick mixed with a wrist throw on the real thing, done so calmly she almost seems bored.

Cassandra settles her feet to the ground and sighs, waving her fingers to turn the image off. She turns to Batman and shrugs, flicking the video off. "Next," She says as she calls the computer for the next file, walking out the door while it boots up. She walks to Batman's side, her face showing slight curiosity. "Yes. I am not ready." Few words, but to the point. "Give everything I have."

"I know. Sometimes they say a passionate soldier with little to no skill is better than a skilled soldier with no passion. That will be put to the test. You have the tools but are re-learning how to use them," he pulled up what looked like new suit specs on the screen. They were definately for a female. Mostly black with bits of yellow.

"I ran diagnostics on Terry's suit. Yours will not have the strength augmentation, but more give than your current costume. It can take more damage allowing for more mistakes as you learn to readjust. The suit may even feel lighter than any other costume you've worn.

"Until you're ready and you know things are back to where they were, I need you to wear this suit. Aesthetics can be redesigned if you don't like the look. Carrie and Tim suggested the idea. After thinking on it, I had to agree," his blue eyes went to Cassandra. He wanted to be sure she was okay with it. The mask was a blend of the Tengu mask, something he saw on a Kryptonian costume and a bat. The suit he tried to pick something she may have liked picking Black and yellow. Deep down he hoped it was liked.

Cassandra Cain lifts the fabric, looking the outfit over. She lets it hang so she can really look at it, then looks down at her hips. Stretches the fabric a bit in the hip area, looking curious and intrigued as she obviously is checking to see if her butt will fit inside, and if she really has these specs. She raises her right eyebrow, looking up at Batman's face. "Try on?" She suggests, looking kind of like she likes it but wants to know how it looks.

Turning around Batman gave her privacy and waited. "The fabric needs to be calibrated. It's not ready but it's been designed to be in your size along with some give for increase in muscle mass," no this was not him saying someone had gained weight. The suit had some give to it. He stood just waiting for a signal it was okay to turn back around.

Cassandra Cain strips right there, her clothes hitting the floor, her shoulders slithering out of her sweatshirt and pants following. In boy shorts and sports bra, she figures out how to put this thing on and gets her body into the thing as the computer in the holo-room chimes that it's ready. She turns her head, then back to the outfit. Back to the room, then she gets her shoulders in and folds the seams together as they merge seamlessly into one piece. Technology in clothing.

Cassandra pulls the mesh over her face, the gloves on, and hefts the helmet. She grunts as she looks into a mirror. She poses, cocking her hips, then frowns and suddenly removes the gloves. She frowns at them specifically, then hangs them at her side. She obviously isn't a fan of that particular part of the outfit. She grabs her sweat shirt and pulls out something; a roll of white cotton cloth the type that boxers use. She takes a moment and wraps her hands like a boxer would, then ties them off roughly. Apparently she dislikes looking TOO polished, there needs to be an element of barbarism in her mental image.

Seeing the personal touch caused Batman to smirk for just a second. "How does it fit?" Batman moved to the student to amke sure it was looking like it was meant to. So far so good. He waited for reactions and for her to test it. Give the suit a real workout of sorts like she did with her other accessories. That was just Cassandra's way.

Cassandra Cain wiggles her hips in the mirror, but no longer is she looking at them as a girl. She's checking flexibility and range of motion. She says, "..Gorgeous," kind of confusedly, then shakes off the concept and strides into the holo-room, pausing long enough to slam a side-kick into the rock wall that chips bits of wall away. A nod, and she's inside to face against the new opponent.

Batman wondered if Cassandra had some form of complex about how she looked. "You look good," he tried to be supportive. It was odd to admit members of his family looked good. There wasn't exactly a guide on how to make your battle hardened children feel confident about their appearance. Moving behind her he followed her into the holo room. "How has the re-training gone?" There was a record of who she was looking up on the holos. He approved fo the inginuity.

Cassandra in her new ninja-tengu gear is standing absolutely shock-still looking at the image being projected full-size in the imaging chamber. Lady Shiva in all her skill, possibly the most dangerous person on earth, one-shotting League members. The video shows her taking out Black Canary in a single hit, circling around and throwing Robin and seemingly enjoying every second. Because that's all the time it took. Dozens of attacks on her and she's just dancing through the group like she's the one in control. Cassandra has her mouth hanging open in abject awe. "Who..."

Batman was quiet for a very long time. His only retort was a single word, "Why?" Lady Shiva he knew well. She trained many and was a firece competitor, warrior, someone that Batman even trained a little with. His blue eyes looked at Cassandra trying to read her body language.

Eyes locked on the woman's movements, Cassandra's voice is possibly the softest and most...natural it's ever sounded as she says, breathless, "I ..danced like that," with tears in her eyes. She walks over to Shiva's hologram and starts to move in on the woman, having the computer quickly eliminate the opponents from the projection so she can see just the one person. She becomes the opponent, not able to quite keep up, but she starts moving against the woman's image, trying to find a way into the impossible guard, and somehow even though it's an image Cassandra still...gets hit, the woman's fist passing through her head. Cassandra backs off after just one attempt, actually sweating after the ten-second bout against a PICTURE. "Better than I was. She's...better."

"Lady Shiva. I will take you to her when you're not needed on the field and only then. You will not be the killer you once were when she's done with you, understand?" Batman felt guilty enough over Jason. He didn't want to feel guilty for leading Cassandra down some dark path. He waited her to be the bat as she was. There was some redemption in that.

The girl's eyes are positively glowing as she simply walks around looking. It's odd, but she looks both younger and more mature at the moment, in that new outfit. It's not just the outfit though; for a moment, she's moving completely unconsciously, her entire being focused again, and when she's not beating herself up she's an animal in human form. Slinky, hidden death with hands. She walks...like Shiva. "Yes," she takes it as a promise.

Quietly Batman started to move out of the room. He didn't want to think what could happen if Shiva said the right things to Cassandra. Jason left him conflicted enough as it was. The last thing he wanted was a silent and pretorial Cassandra making his death count look laughable.