4075/Back on up off my grill, kid!

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Back on up off my grill, kid!
Date of Scene: 15 March 2018
Location: Batcave, Gotham City
Synopsis: Cassandra is not pleased with Batman bringing Mariam in on The Secret. She decides to tell Batman how she feels.
Cast of Characters: Batgirl (Cain), Batman




Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Most of the time, Cassandra was a rather mellow individual. Odd perhaps considering the violence that was so much a part of her. She didn't often lose her temper, though it did happen from time to time. Usually it was not due to The Work. That was like breathing. It was needed for her to exist. Being grounded had almost killed her and she had done her best to make amends, putting in extra hours once she was allowed to return to the field. For her to get truly upset, it was from a place of caring and generally involved her 'family'.
    This morning, she was livid.
    Upon arriving at the cave after the night of patrol, Cassandra made sure *She* wasn't around before removing her cowl. Still in the rest of her costume, cowl in hand in case *She* showed up, Cassandra went in search of Batman. Even with the dampening tech in her boots, her footsteps were loud on the metallic gantries as she sought the man for a discussion.

Batman has posed:
    She'll know where to find him. She'd know the moment she enters the cave and sees the dimmed lighting as well as the steady eerie glow from that large bank of monitors around and above the batcomputer. It casts everything in a greenish hue, that seemingly lone source of light this late at night in the batcave. The skeletal, almost rain-like crawl of the text is reflected upon the features of the man seated there. He's garbed almost exactly as she is in this moment. His cowl is pushed back upon his shoulders, the uniform otherwise intact. He's intent, however. Intent on the data that's streaming before him.
    To her it's all garbled nonsense. Perhaps not as bad as it was some time back. But this particular saturation of data would confuse even an analyst. The corporate logo of Stockton Enterprises is prominent, however. As well are numbers. Numbers everywhere attached to the graphic of some sort of technical document.
    So when she arrives and positively /stalks/ down the gantryway, he doesn't even look to the side or look up. He knows her. He knows her competence. Knows that she has handled anything put in front of her. But that rhythm. He can tell that she is angry.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Upon arriving at the bank of displays, Cassandra walks up to the side of his chair in a space that is inside his personal bubble. She crosses her arms over her chest and simply stares at him. The glare is mighty, one she has learned from the best. When she's in full costume, she can even manage that glare through her mask, thus is the epic magnitude of the expression.
    She is trying to figure out how to express it. How to explain it. She was learning sign language at a rapid rate so she could begin that way but the words she wants to use aren't even coming to mind. It's all emotion and all out of hand. He made a decision. She doesn't agree with that decision, particularly since it affects all of them. Should she really complain after she had acted without her mask on previously? Yes, because he would so she had the right to do the same.
    She unfolds her arms in preparation to start speaking when she spots some of the displays showing the manor above. The kitchen specifically where *She* was.
    There is a snap of sound as she points her finger at that monitor, at the woman in the image, while continuing to glare at her mentor.

Batman has posed:
    The voice is a rumble that answers her as he says simply, "Stand down, soldier." That tone of his almost as effective as that glower. But then he closes a window with a tap upon the keyboard, shifting the displays to a myriad of datafeeds that she has seen before. All connected to the current police bulletins and comm channels. But he turns in the swivel chair, focusing fully on her with those blue eyes. He glances sidelong towards the monitor that she pointed out, towards the image displayed of the bodyguard. He looks back and then rises from his chair.
    "I made a judgement call. I'll shoulder the responsibility." Yes. He made a judgement call that affects all of them, and is willing to bear the weight. If not all the consequences should something happen for in truth... he is risking all of them. "If you have something to say about it, then say it."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    For a moment, Cassandra wonders if he made a joke. It's only a moment though and suddenly her hands are moving, signing in a rather broken way since she isn't perfect at this yet. The gyst of it can be figured out despite the disjointed nature of her narrative.
    <You wanted me hidden. Face covered. Then you remove mask.> He had admonished her for endangering them, for going out and fighting where anyone could see who she was. He had pointed out it was a danger to the entire family and the Secret with her doing that. So now she did not understand why he would do even worse. By revealing himself, he revealed all of them. He had given the woman access to the cave. She could run to the press any second and share their secrets, destroying the very world he had sought to protect when he grounded Cassandra for her choices. It didn't make sense to the young woman.
    She signed a single question to end. <Why?>

Batman has posed:
    His jaw sets as he looks at her and she can see the various sentiments warring in his eyes, the expression held carefully in check but not from her. She can read each argument almost as if it were a physical thing as his eyes narrow, the corners of his mouth tighten. He doesn't break eye contact, however, as he tells her. "Through no fault of her own she had learned enough to be a problem. We were left with few options. Could have sent her running, ruined her life. Or could tell her and take the chance on trusting her."
    At that he starts walking, walking past her as he moves away, his gloved hands tightening with the creak of leather. "I believe we can trust her. If I'm wrong, then it'll be a first." A lie. Perhaps, in one or two ways. He was wrong before. With Jason. And Jason paid the price. But he also always had his doubts...
    He stops as he stands next to the display cases, next to the one that normally houses the suit of armor he wears now as he gestures towards her. "This was different than parading around without a mask in public doing only what we can do."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    As he walks, she watches from her spot for a moment. Her eyes are on his back, reading all those tiny things that are everything that she needs to understand people. It is strange to her that other people can't do that, can't see everything she sees. She understands why but it seems to her they should be able to learn. The fact that her genetics as well as her upbringing are the only reason she can do that is not something she knows at this point in her life. Certainly how her father raised her, she knows that was very different. The details of how it molded that particular talent are lost on her.
    As he gets a few feet away, she begins to trail along with him although she doesn't rush to catch up. His stop causes her to do the same, perhaps ten feet behind him.
    In her experience, he had never been wrong about who to trust and who not to trust. She stil didn't approve of him letting the Cat in the cave either but the woman hadn't come in and stolen everything after. Nor had any other villains found the place so he'd been right. Again.
    When he points out that they are different things, she gives a brief negative shake of her head. To her, they are the same. She can't see the difference. But she has to trust him, to know that he has their safety in mind at all times. He's proven it every day.

Batman has posed:
    His brow knits together and he exhales a slow breath through his nose as he focuses himself, gaining enough concentration to return his attention to her. Instead of retreading the same ground he takes a different approach and says, "Have you met her? Spoken with her?" Or perhaps her form of 'speaking'. He holds up a hand as if to stay an objection on her part even as he steps towards her and stops some five feet away.
    "She has talent, training. She can't do what you can do, but she is better than any of the others when they began their training. She also lives by a code..." He looks Cass up and down for a moment and then says, "You both are similar in some ways."
    Then again he perhaps tries to cut off another protest as he says. "I am not saying she will be part of the team or do anything than what she's been doing. But I do believe she'll keep our secret."

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    Cassandra considers that for a long time as she looks at him, reading him like a book. She hasn't actually had anything to do with the bodyguard at all. She doesn't really intend to either, despite his suggestions to do so.
    It all boils down to one thing. Does she trust Batman. The answer is a resounding yes. With her life. With the lives of the others. Some might call it hero worship the way she looks to him but the truth is right there. He would never put them in jeopardy without a good reason.
    He will be able to see she is relaxing, her shoulders not as tight, jaw not locked in place, the glare gone as she accepts that he will not betray them to someone who would do harm.
    She gives a terse nod as she lets her eyes fall to the tips of her boots.

Batman has posed:
    That silence hangs heavy between them for the space of several heartbeats, then he gives a single nod as matters have resolved. He starts to walk fowards and then to the side of her, moving around and away. For a moment he did stop to consider the uniform that Jason had worn, but then he looks back to her, gaze cast down. One hand rests on her shoulder and he gives a small squeeze, then he moves past and on.
    After a few more moments she'll hear the batcomputer spinning back up to full activity as he returns his focus to the task at hand.

Batgirl (Cain) has posed:
    With him returning to his work, Cassandra knows the discussion is over. She takes a deep breath and lifts her chin back up. The touch on her shoulder was appreciated. It showed that human side of him that he doesn't always share openly.
    She walks in the opposite direction. Time to change fully from her uniform and then move to the training room for a few hours. Her mind was too wound up for her to rest anytime soon so she would do her norm, work herself into the ground until she couldn't stay awake any longer. Then she'd crash and wake in a few hours. Only to go work out more. The way she drove herself was something he knew well.
    Silently she departs and leaves him to his work.