Asami stared at herself in the mirror. The clothes that M'gann had given her felt weird. The cloths were the same as the ones she used to wear, but the style was completely different. The skirt was shorter than she was used to, but it was just as full. The dark fabric fell just above her knees, but luckily the Martian had given her a pair of black tights to cover her legs. The boots and jacket were the only articles that looked similar to the fashions she was used to, but they still had their differences. The baggy look to the knee high boots was something she had never seen before.
The confident woman was a bit nervous, not over the date itself, but because of the language barrier. Her English was getting a little better, but she still was afraid they would get to the point where they would not be able to communicate at all. Nightwing's mandarin was limited, after all.
She stepped away from the mirror, and made her way toward the door. Before she could even reach it, she heard a low knock. A small smile curled her painted lips as she opened the metal door. Nightwing took a step back once the door was open.
"You ready to see the world, Asami?" The question was rhetorical, but the woman found herself nodding anyway. He flashed a smile, and motioned for her to follow him.
Asami stared at him for a moment. Seeing him in street wear was a very rare occurrence. She did prefer the uniform on him, but this was nice. She would be able to call him by his real name, and just get to know him. Being able to see this new world was just an added plus to the evening she had been looking forward to.
"Are you going to wear those all night? It's going to be difficult to see," Asami said as she glanced up at his black shades.
Nightwing turned from her. His smile became a smirk, and he found himself chuckling. "I guess you'll have to wait around and see," he told her as he led her down the hall.
The clack of Asami's boots against the floor echoed behind them. The two were feet apart as they silently walked. The young woman was unsure of what to expect from the date. All she knew was that he was going to show her a little bit about this new world. It was more of a field trip than a date. Well, a field trip that she had dressed nicely for.
Nightwing stopped in front of the zeta-beam. She had seen the team members use it before, but she had never actually walked through the contraption. The way it worked was strange. As soon as someone would walk through the platform, they would just disappear. She had never witnessed such technology, and although it was a bit freaky, she found it so intriguing. She was an inventor's daughter after all.
The thought of her father put a scowl on her face. She clenched her fists, and her eyes narrowed slightly. She sharply inhaled air. "Let's go," she growled, unable to contain her sudden irritation.
Nightwing glanced at her, but did not say a word. He gave her a slow nod, and walked through the zeta-beam with her. A flash of yellow light immediate enveloped them, and within a few seconds, the two were crammed in a phone booth. Asami found herself laughing at how close they had suddenly gotten, before Nightwing slipped out of the booth.
Asami glanced around the phone booth. It looked very similar to what they had in Republic City. There were obvious differences, such as the color, and the dials on the phone, but everything else was so similar. It was as if she had just been transported to one of the crime allies at home.
She finally stepped out of it the booth, and out into the alley. She quickly took in the new sights. Just like with the phone booth, all the buildings looked very similar to what she had always known, but there were distinct differences.
The city lights did not allow for many stars to shine in the dark sky. The moon was full, and there was not a cloud around, however it was still chilly. The young woman put her hands into her pockets before looking up, and smiling at her companion before asking, "Where are we?"
Nightwing slipped his sunglasses off, and then placed them into one of his coat pockets. "This is Gotham. This is Batman's city," he responded. He watched her curiously, waiting to see how she felt about the new terrain. All he could see was her own curiosity as she examined the buildings.
He locked arms with her, and led her out of the alley. From what he heard, she could protect herself, but this was Gotham. He wanted her to stay close, and to keep her safe.
Asami stared up at his eyes. The blue irises were intense, and not at all what she was expecting. The black and blue contrasted so nicely, just like his suit. They reminded her of Korra's eyes. If he were from Republic City, she would have guessed he was of Water Tribe descent, and perhaps a bit of Fire Nation blood.
She quickly looked away. She was not going to linger on such thoughts. "Where are we headed?" Asami had not realized that she had switched to her native tongue. She watched the phased look cross Nightwing's expression, before finally realizing what she had done.
"There's a carnival in town," he said in mandarin, which took the young woman by surprise. She knew he had and understanding of the language, but she had no idea how much he actually knew. She smirked as her eyes narrowed slightly. This was proving to be an interesting night already.
The two were now on the street, and heading toward a parked motorcycle. Nightwing fished out the keys from his pocket.
"Is it anything like a festival?" Asami asked before she found herself admiring the bike. She released him, and sped up so she could take a closer look. She ran her fingers along the handles, then down to the seat. She tested the wheels with the tip of her boot before climbing onto it. This bike was low tech compared to the one that Nightwing had taken her out on before. It was similar to what she would test for the company.
"You have a thing for bikes," she said with a grin. "Luckily, so do I."
Nightwing chuckled, and then tossed her the keys. "Yes. It has rides, and food," he said as she caught the keys. He climbed on behind her, and then asked, "Want to learn how to drive?"
Asami giggled and flipped her hair back. She pulled her goggles out of her coat pocket, and then slipped them on over her eyes. "I'm sure I already know how to drive this," she responded as she put the keys in the ignition. The bike began to purr. The low rumble was like music to the girl's ears. She revved the engine. The loud roars sent shivers down her spine. Her lips curled up, and she craned her body around to stare up at Nightwing. "I drive fast, Ni-Dick," she cooed.
He found himself chuckling. He put his own pair of goggles on. "We're not that far from it, but I thought you might enjoy taking this for a short ride," he began as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Just go down this road for a few miles, and then turn right when I tell you to. Drive as fast as you want, just don't hit anything," he finished with another chuckle.
Asami could feel his hot breath against her freezing ears, and the rumble of his throat against her shoulder. She gulped, and nodded. She kicked the stand up, took off the break, and then the two were flying down the street. Neither even realized how dangerous the little ride was. Neither of them had remembered the importance of helmets.
The feeling of being on a bike was one thing, but actually driving it was even better. She was in control for the first time in weeks, and it was fantastic. She felt free, and at home. She heeded Nightwing's advice as he whispered it in his advice. She slowed down when she was instructed to, pressed the different levers when prompted, and turned exactly where she was told to. This night was already turning out great, and they had just left.
The trip took barely ten minutes. Asami could see the bright lights as they raced down the new street. Large, metal contraptions decorated the carnival grounds. She smirked. At home, such festivals would have earthbenders controlling the rides. She did not expect to see ones that were self-ran. The idea was spectacular to her. She wished that her father could have thought of it.
There she went again, thinking about things that were better left in the dark.
She did not slow down quite enough on the turn into the parking lot. Nightwing adjusted his weight, holding onto her tightly as he forced the bike from doing so. She immediately stopped the bike, and took a moment to control her breathing. She bit down on her lip, and glanced back at Nightwing. "Are you alright?"
He nodded. "Are you?" His eyes narrowed, and she could tell he was concerned. She quickly looked away from him.
"I'm fine, I just got a bit distracted," she lied. She lightly pressed the gas, and moved the bike to the nearest spot. As soon as the bike was parked, she took the keys out, and tossed them back at her companion. Nightwing caught them before slipping his goggles off, and climbing off the bike.
Asami shoved her own goggles into her pocket. She followed him off the bike before he reached out for her hand. He laced his fingers with hers, and gave her hand a light, comforting squeeze. She chewed on her lip. "I keep thinking about my father," she whispered.
"We'll try to reunite you two," Nightwing told her, though she could detect a hint of sadness in the tone.
She shook her head, and pulled her hand away. "No…the last time I saw him…well, have you ever had to hurt someone you really cared about, because it was the right thing to do?" She looked away once the question passed her lips.
Nightwing nodded and let out a somber laugh. "Yeah," he said with a low voice.
"My father was an inventor," she began as she put a hand on the bike. "He invented the car, and everything else…when I see such inventions here, but improved, all I can think is that he would be able to create such a thing, but then I remember how he betrayed me, how he had been with the Equalists all along," she said. She shook her head. "Just forget it. Let's have a nice night, alright?" She forced herself to smile as she took his hand again.
Nightwing stared back at her, his brows knitted together. He ran his fingers through her dark curls. Asami could not believe how tender he was being. It was comforting. She closed her eyes and stepped closer until her head was against his chest, and his arms were wrapped around her. The smell of soft cologne filled her nostrils. She found herself enjoying it.
Asami finally pulled away. She had a genuine smile on her face, which made Nightwing grin. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she cooed in her native tongue. The man was beginning to like when she spoke Mandarin.
"That's a nice girl ya got there," a man growled. Asami peeked over Nightwing's shoulder, and spotted a group of men making their way toward them. The woman's eyes narrowed. She balled her hands into fists as Nightwing moved to block her from view.
"And she's staying here, so you should scram," he threatened. He made no attempt to walk towards the men, until he saw one reaching into his coat pocket. Nightwing lunged forward, and knocked the man's hand away from the hidden knife. He elbowed the thug, before shoving him to the ground.
While Nightwing focused on the second one, the third man made his way toward Asami. The woman's lips turned down as she blocked his arm, before twisting it. She was quick as she pulled it behind his back, and dislocating his shoulder. She kicked him to the ground.
Nightwing was staring at her, stunned by how easily she took the man down. She looked at him, her brow shooting up. "What?"
"That was amazing," he said before moving toward her.
Asami smirked, and moved back toward the bike. "I told you I could handle myself…how about we skip the carnival and just ride?"
Nightwing nodded. "Sure thing," he replied. This girl was amazing.