3653/Teaching Old Robin new Tricks

Teaching Old Robin new Tricks
Date of Scene:	14 January 2018
Location:	Batcave
Synopsis:	batman drops off Caroline Ramsey at the Batcave. Red Robin tries to be a gracious host without revealing much, at least until the conversation turns to Shiva.
Cast of Characters:	Red Robin, Shatterpoint

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Red Robin has posed:
    The sounds of fists, feet, and something solid hitting practice dummies is likely something familiar to Caroline. Red Robin, in his full hooded uniform is leaving it all on the practice mat. The staff work is maybe top ten in the world, the unarmed is noticeably less expert, but its still some of the best in this world. Even the least adroit and athletic of Batman's charges is more than capable in a fight. Nerve strikes. Strictly nerve strikes. Red Robin has the mobile dummies moving. A screen is flashing combinations like a kung fu Twister game. Left foot to target right knee. Right elbow to target solar plexus. It is up to him to make he combinations happen. Some are nonsensical, but more often than not, the blows and combinations make sense, and are good fallbacks. The nonsensical ones are for the real fights-- those never go as planned. He is whirling in an elegant dance. Cape swirling, booted feet impacting, knees, gloved hands trading the staff back and forth strikes impacting. He is tiring, but he is also succeeding. It is a sight to behold.

Shatterpoint has posed:
    Caroline Ramsey has not seen anyone practice in a number of years. She's not experienced in the most... Normal of senses. Taken captive by Darkseid in the sixties, she then spent ten years as an Apokoliptian Gladiator. She's used to spending day in and day out as David to a number of Goliath-like figures in Apokolips' history.

    The last time she saw anyone practicing, it was on a living target. Apokolips didn't allow its fighters anything short of the best- and that meant that some people were used as fodder en masse to test the skills of the more... Selfish combatants.

    All the same, she's never seen anything quite like this. Weapons and combat on Apokolips are so alien that they're practically unapplicable compared to what Red Robin is doing.

    The hall doesn't even register that a new person has entered the room, and she might be confused for a dummy were it not that she looks grim and darkly, starkly different from the rest. She is not in costume- nobody's given her a codename, nor a uniform. When she enters, she's just in a turtleneck sweater and a pair of jeans.

    Batman let the machine do its work, and for a whole day, Caroline has been something of facet. She's waiting for Batman to return, so that she can leave- but for now, the only person present is Tim.

    The noise that she makes is highly unsettling. It's sort of a horrid rattle, the noise of a dying woman twisted into words and phrases. It's grotesque and frightening, to say the least, though admittedly, it's likely no member of the Bat-family is likely to react very strongly.

    "You seem to be practicing rather aggressively."

Red Robin has posed:
    Batman said to be nice. But Creepshow might be a good codename. It's a good focus test. He misses one hit in his current combo at her voice, then answers as he resumes. "Bleed in here. Not out there." He finishes the final two series, and the screen flashes 'Personal Best'.

    Red Robin's hair is matted to his face and brows. He is panting a little. "You need something to eat or drink?" His left hand makes sure his mask is sincere. "Batman says you are helping him out with something. We need to be good hosts. I know the cave is hardly a palace of creature comforts. Is there anything I can provide that might make you more comfortable?"

    His hand works a stud on his staff and with a metal clash, it collapses to a smaller form, a little under a foot long.

Shatterpoint has posed:
    Her eyes narrow- they're not just blue, they're literally luminescent. As well, by this point, it wouldn't be difficult to recognize who she is- and that she disappeared sixty years ago. She slips her hands into the pockets of her jeans, at that point.

    She looks around the room a moment, before shaking her head. "I do not need to eat, and the cold doesn't bother me anyway." she notes, her attention on the room for a short while. "I am as comfortable as I can be." Finally, though, her attention locks back onto Tim.

    "I have seen people hone their skills, but this... This is the way someone works when they are... Occupied. You are not -honing-, you are... Worried. Practice is practice. This life... To you and the Bat, and however many others... It is day to day. Something has disrupted that."

    It is, admittedly, just a little obvious, perhaps, that Tim might have something on his mind. Otherwise, he'd be going this hard every time, day in, day out. Her statements are a gamble, but she's clearly quite sharp. It might pay off.

Red Robin has posed:
    "You should probably worry more about your memories and that profile, than profiling me." He considers her for a moment, then quirks a quixotic grin. "It isn't a bad stab at things." He allows the compliment in a quiet tone. "You lack context. I'll help you out. New Robin? My successor? He's better than me. This isn't worry. This is remediation. Drive. Focus. Healthy competition." Red Robin's body language is easy. "How do you feel? Sensory deprivation can be difficult. Do you need to talk?"

    It is a genuine offer. His mask locks on her. "I am going to eat. I have to maintain weight." Maintaining his weight is the issue. It lends credence to the idea that he does train like that. "I'll split it with you. Assuming you can handle a pretty high in protein diet and some chemically processed electrolyte water." His left brow tilts upwards. "I other words, a chicken breast salad without mayo, on whole wheat, some vegetables, and my favorite, purple G2." He quirks a little more of a smile at that. "You have to call it purple. No grape tastes like that."

Shatterpoint has posed:
    "My memory is perfect. The profile that the machine has... Taken, of my time on Apokolips, is a land mine. Whoever views it should understand that they may not be the same afterwards." She sort of assumes that Red Robin knows. Likely he does, depending on how much the Bat tells him. Likely, it's enough to know what she's there for. There's a pause, "You're talking about the... Small one. The small, angry child."

    She begins striding closer, arms sort of languidly at her side, hunched a little forwards. Back when she was a detective, it was just the way you walked with a coat on your back. She's getting some of the mannerisms back, at least. "I have done some... Research. There have been four of you." she notes, "I assumed that the mantle passed as you grew older, and formed other lives... But now that you mention it, I would assume that there is more of an... Evolution. The first would have to be... The one that calls himself Nightwing now, right?" It's unsettling to hear her speak so many words. Her voice hitches on certain syllables, giving her this weird, corpsely lilt. It's not exactly a secret that Robin became Nightwing, but to have her line up the facts on her own might be a little unnerving, because it means she's investigating. None of the Batfam is likely to enjoy being investigated.

    "Nnnh.... There is also a second one. He seems to have disappeared. Then the uniform changes, I think that is you, right?" There is a silence, then, for a few moments, as she considers the offer. "No, you need the... Nutrition. I don't, anymore. I don't... Know what G2 is, but I'll assume it's a drink. I... Appreciate the offer." She shrugs just slightly, "How far ahead of you is the current model? Are you closing the gap?"

Red Robin has posed:
    "Don't tell him how fast I am catching up." He slants the woman a little smile. "He trained under other circumstances with other teachers and different priorities." He replies, keeping details scarce. He doesn't really confirm or deny anything. He's the one Robin she can likely talk to and appreciate it. Given who he is and how he joined up.

    The young man shows her his back. It's a gesture of respect. He walks over to the closest table. It's a big sammitch. Smells good, and a little spicy. The lack of mayo is made up for by lots of veggies and very moist pressed chicken breast. "You sure? I make a good sammitch."

    The healthy repast is ruined by the bottle of what amounts to salty low calorie kool-aid. He walks over to hop onto a table, shaking his drink. Setting his backside on the table, he takes a big bite out of his sammitch, taking a huge bite. The chewing lets her observe him for a long moment.

    "You walk like a cop." He says finally, putting the food down to pry open his beverage and take a long swallow from it. he wipes off his mouth off on his sleeve and gives a faint sigh of contentment. He openly regards her. There is no horror on his face. Given some of the people he has dealt with, he's seen way worse. Heard worse. His upper teeth worry at his bottom lip a little.

Shatterpoint has posed:
    Her eyes almost seem to be watching him speak- how he does it, what he's saying... And so on. "Other teachers, different priorities... I spoke with him once. He seemed... Eager for brutality. You might think that his trainers were killers, and his priorities more... Murderously inclined." she notes, her attention shifting to where the training had been going on. "I didn't see you kill a single dummy." she notes, "I also spoke with a... Barbara Gordon, who remarked that there was a League of Assassins of some kind. A former student, perhaps?"

    She's just musing aloud, but... Again, she's very, very keen. She lets the silence answer his question about the sandwich, but offers a nod. "Yes. I walk like a detective." Correcting him- but only slightly, really- she continues on. "She also mentioned some woman named Shiva who was supposed to be... Very dangerous, and wandering around the city. Has she been... Handled, yet?"

Red Robin has posed:
    "That situation is well in hand." Red Robin replies. Again, no details. He is a detective himself, and he is enjoying the game. Her reasoning is impeccable. He's rather fond of her for that. She's up there with maybe Batman. Heck, she might be as good as he is, which is saying something.

    After thoughtfully chewing, Red Robin manages a hard swallow. "No." he continues after a second swallow, the bite was a little large. "I did not kill a single dummy." His grin slants at her, almost cheeky. After several long, deep swallows of the purple stuff, he allows. "That is the easy way. It's not our way. Not our code. Strict adherence to that code is what makes me a Gotham Knight, a protector. It gives me a moral imperative, and hopefully integrity. It is a distinction that has to be kept. It is a thin, hard line we walk."

Shatterpoint has posed:
    Caroline Ramsey is a very, very good detective. She is not, however, as good as Batman- but the fact that the line isn't as concrete as one might expect it to be considering how far the gap is for everyone else, is at least a testiment to Caroline's capacity for deductive reasoning. "Well in hand? I have heard of lengthier ways to say No."

    The short speech gives Caroline a lot of understanding. "You can't kill. You've all placed yourselves on this pedestal. Without a badge, if you started taking lives, it would be tantamount to murder. An anonymous force that halts... Certain activity, but never the law. A force of nature, not the deliberation of peers." she notes, offering another nod and looking to the side a moment.

    "I do not think the angry one truly shares the sentiment, but he seems to be... Giving an earnest attempt. He asked me to keep my methods more tame, but he seemed to be appreciative of them. I think the line will be harder for him than... Others."

    The secrecy, though, is telling in and of itself. Robin is playing the game of chess, but the pieces you don't show your opponent tell enough about your strategy. "Is this Shiva person that elusive? Or that dangerous? Or some combination of both, I wonder? And still, you didn't say anything about the child being a pupil of this mysterious... League. It seems likely, seeing that they deal with the Bat somewhat frequently, I've been told."

    Admittedly, were she a villain saying this, making these connections, it might actually be somewhat frightening. Caroline, though, is just good at what she does and is trying to help- hence why Babs put enough trust in her to give her a few clues to go off of.

    Oracle probably wouldn't have given her so much if she didn't think there was something worth putting one's trust in.

Red Robin has posed:
    "Or it means it's been sorted. Being dangerous is not in and of itself a crime; elsewise you and I would be incarcerated." Red Robin bandies the ball back. "Shiva? She has a code of honor. I can assure you that Shiva is in hand. She poses very little danger to anyone who is not dangerous. She's not the sort who kills the innocent. She's a warrior. She has ethics. Morals. A code."

    He regards his sandwich. "I do not think I am on a pedestal. I guess some might place me there. I do not though. My concern is with the law; and I am aware of the contradiction. If Commissioner Gordon really wanted to round us up, he could make life very difficult for us. He is a very capable man." His tone sounds earnest and complimentary. "It's about rules. I'll terrorize a drug dealer. He might fling himself at the police rather than face me. I will not kill him though, because I lack authority after I do. Once that starts, well we're just common thugs. Right now, we're a force of nature. An inexorable, relentless hound dogging the heels of criminals." He wrinkles his nose. "Uhh, a little dramatic that. But that is the feeling we project." He gives a shrug. "Batman can explain it better than I can."

Shatterpoint has posed:
    There is a mild shrug, then. Her posture is relaxed- it's always relaxed, really. There's something else that gives her this implacable image, likely how little she breathes, and how little she moves otherwise, that makes her unnatural. She can linger perfectly, and completely still in a way that a living being might not be able to. "That tells me that it has not been 'sorted' as much as you're waiting for her to make her move. If she had been handled properly and was no longer in Gotham, you'd have said so. Instead, you are being evasive." Has she recognized the game? Is she giving him pointers? Maybe. It could be that she's just gone senile and is incapable of keeping her thought process internal. "Morals. Ethics. A 'warrior's code' like knights of old. I am familiar with the sort." Apokolips was a horrible place full of alien monstrosities hell bent on murder- and, occasionally, there was some form of honorable combatant or another.

    "What that means to me, though, is that she is not necessarily a hired killer as much as she is a... Thrill seeker. She is here for the challenge. Has she declared her target, yet?" Caroline asks, driving right to the heart of it and making a few more solid, if reaching, logical leaps. "No need to explain yourself any further. I would say I understand this... Organization."

Red Robin has posed:
    "She's an artist and a philosopher." Red Robin quietly counters. "No matter your abilities, she is a consummate foe and an elegant combatant. To dismiss her as a thrill-seeker is to do her a disservice, and put you in danger. Ever here the Rolling Stones song, 'Sympathy for the Devil'?" He proceeds without an answer. "If you meet her, have some courtesy, have some sympathy, and some taste. You'll go far."

    He quietly continues after some consideration. "You are jumping to hasty generalizations, and that one might get you hurt. Search for more evidence, detective. as to me and evasion? I'm being evasive because you are obviously investigating us. Batman didn't leave you here because you are untrustworthy. I'm not the one who is going to tell you that Batman is actually Tony Stark, though." Red Robin has the courage to tell her it at least. He doesn't flinch or shirk from harsh truths.

    "I'm not meaning to insult you, but I do not take the secrets as something to be discarded lightly. I believe that they serve a purpose. First, for safety and security, and then there is the whole mystique and reputation. The masks serve several purposes. Just like us dropping on people does. We have a reputation that demands cultivation. It isn't ego, either. It saves lives. People give up rather than struggle with us." He tilts his head as he contemplates his sandwich. His sigh says it all; he is wishing it were a little fattier. His brow tilts. "Ultimately, if you figure it all out, so be it. I just don't want to be the one who blows it. Operation secuity, and all that. It's a thing."

Shatterpoint has posed:
    A narrowing of her eyes belies that this conversation has just gotten all the more serious. "She can have all the elegaance and skill in the world, but to me, she is a killer. With all of the capability you attribute her, to do nothing more than use it in such a way as to garner this reputation, is not worthy of respect. From me, it is not worthy of fear. If we meet, and she takes offense, then I welcome her attempting to change my opinion." There is a pause, there, and the low, almost growling way that she speaks from then on is actually... Intimidating. It's inhuman.

    "I do not feel that she will like the way it goes. It will not be in her favor."

    Then, another pause, after which she addresses the rest. "You mistake my intent. I don't care who Batman is. Rather, I do not care what his other name is. I care what kind of being he is, and what kind of person those who follow him are. To know what the face beneath the cowl is would be pointless to me. It is a name sixty years too young to matter. What does matter is the meat of the character. -That- is what I was investigating."

Red Robin has posed:
    "Investigate what you want." Red Robin replies. "I'll protect our secrets regardless. You're better off with one of the others." Something about what she said didn't agree with him. As he seems content to leave it there. He takes another monster bite of his sandwich and chews it before taking another long drink. He doesn't offer up any other words at that.