Queen's notes: -whispers- I'm not dead _

"Normal spoken dialogue."

-White Martian telepathic dialogue-

(Green and Human telepathic dialogue, and picked up thoughts)

::Communications/radio chatter::

Chapter Two

Kindness offered

(Okay, I have milk, cream, cheeseis and jerky... damn I forgot the perogies.)

(I wonder if we'll see the Batman tonight... I hope not. At least not if it means there will be some psyco wanting to de-rail the train again. I need to ride them in a while.)

(Water, water, water... where did I put my water bottle?)

(Is the stalk market up or down today- why can't it make up its nonexistent mind for a day?!)

(Should I ask my boyfriend if he thinks my pants make me look fat... would he lie to make me feel better? I could really use a coffee.)

(-or can Green Lantern pick his nose with his power?) "Hey, sweetie, do you think Green Lantern can pick his nose with his ring?"

"What?" A blond woman turned to stare at the taller man beside her in bafflement at the random question her boyfriend came up with.

The inadvertent listener that was sitting not far from the couple smiled, trying very hard nod to giggle aloud, or telepathically for that matter. The oddness of that last thought and question eased some of the constant throb of the background chatter, of too-loud minds that were unguarded and tired at the end of the day.

A city this size, the woman couldn't stay here much longer then the week she had already been there. Thus the reason why the woman was here at the train station, ready to get out of Gotham and maybe back into the country side, at least after going back to her room. No use haring off with nothing even if she suspected that he was in or coming to the city. Might as well be intelligent about it.

She was nervous about going back north, going home, so she had headed east then down south, swinging wide in a manner of speaking, to head towards the Mexico border. Where her great aunt was living in a small village town this side of the border. No one knew about her Great Auntie Marian, they technically weren't even biologically related. Adrian had always sent post cards and letters, and really only ever kept a few letters a year from her few relatives. Her favorite ones that could fit in a slider binder, and the elder woman had only ever signed as Auntie.

So... it seemed safe.

Right?

Adrian hopped so, if nothing else she could explain things- her great aunt was always understanding, and maybe stay in a shifted state as a home nurse... or caretaker. That is if she out ran his range to safely slip away and get somewhere he wouldn't expect her to go.

The woman sighed, she'd almost out run Richard, or had thought she did when slipping into Gotham. This was a new tactic she was trying, using the cover of so many hundreds of semi-guarded and very loud minds to hide behind. To go unseen on the telepathic scale as well as the visual one with her continually developing shape sifting abilities.

Looking down at her hands, Adrian privately marveled at this gift as the wash of wide-band thoughts rolled over top her. She tried to mentally stay in the flow, not hiding completely away or going against it. Using it as telepathic camouflage as she now stared at the tinted but still pale skin of her hands. The woman was in the form of an older, not quiet elderly Asian woman with graying hair cropped short and dark eyes. Practically dressed, meaning able to take off running with no hindrances in her paints, long sleeves and sneakers. Maybe Adrian looked like she was cheating on a jogging run, riding back home.

It was hard to take a new form, even with practicing in the privacy of her hotel room. Yet once shifting to a new body, it was easier to hold that form, even when Adrian was sleeping. Another set of camouflage, though this was far more helpful. She couldn't shift into a male shape... and honestly Adrian didn't want to.

The chime sounded above, followed by an announcer that informed the milling people of the train coming, and where it was going. Adrian rose, keeping a firm hold on her purse and take out bag of food, the other hand guarded her lidded coffee. She wasn't the only person, other's had food and drinks to nibble and sip at discreetly on the train. With her large bag, Adrian knew that some guessed she was feeding several people with her order.

Hey, telepathy remember?

Only, what no one knew or guessed was that her bag of takeout that could maybe feed six, five for sure, was all for her. Thank goodness though that Adrian had found the vegetarian place on the way back. She was getting tired of just eating raw veggies.

But oooh, those veggie burgers smelled so good, and the yam fries even more! They were a much preferred distraction from the scents on the train, and it was also needed. She was a little sensitive after the accident, but there were only two stops between here and hers. So Adrian stayed in a neat compact spot, avoiding as much contact with the general public as she could, sometimes physical contact seemed to boost the mind reading.

Adrian looked out the window, it wasn't dark yet, and she stayed well out of the dark in this city. Not in fear of the dark wings that seemed to have stalked Gotham as under their protection. No it was just preventive measure, as well as if Richard had made it here too, he would be more active at night. Why, she had no idea, but her hotel was nice, and her room wasn't only a many stories off the ground, but also had TV and internet for no extra charge!

With shark week starting, staying in a warm and safe hotel room to plan out where she was going tomorrow sounded better than instead of panicking and running off.

The train chimed, Adrian rose with many others. Alert for anyone overly interested in her person even in this elderly form. Just in case.

Caution was such a large part of her life now, and it made Adrian sigh as she shifted her bags, one over her shoulder and the other takeout bag in her hands. The eggrolls smelled so good when she caught the small waft came up from the bag when it moved just right. She scanned around with her eyes, and very lightly with telepathy, Adrian drifted closer to the groups and clusters of people that seemed honest, keeping out of the attention of anyone who was darker in the mind.

Not evil, but wanting to avoid anything if possible.

At least until she couldn't resist something, digging into her bag Adrian pulled out two boxes. One with veggy-fried rice, the other smaller box balanced on top with some eggrolls inside. She was the only person to stop in the flow, as much ignored as she was noticed for offering the food to the homeless man and his son, smiling as he looked up shocked, while the boy paused. It was the boy asking if they could eat that night that attracted her attention.

"Thank you..." the father breathed, hugging the food close after setting his guitar down.

"Be careful," Adrian said softly, knowing they only saw her as an aging woman, "Keep your son close if you're not leaving." She whispered that, glancing to the side pointedly in the direction she could sense some dark thoughts before moving herself. The woman could sense the man gathering his few coins and dollars, the instrument on his back and son in his arms, who was quiet while eating one of the eggrolls.

The boy gave her a small wave when she glanced back, and Adrian smiled as she turned back to the sidewalk outside the joint transport station, sky line passengers walking down the upper set of stairs and subway riders coming up from the lower entrance, all having to pass the different area for buses, cabs further down to the right, with a parking garage to the left.

The woman scanned around with her senses, quick to take the bus though the hotel was within walking distance. There was a stop right before the hotel, from the start it had just seemed safer to pay the dollar and not risk tempting anyone wanting to try to take her purse on the walk.

The 'older' woman gripped her purse tight still, like many others were. As purses and bags had to be kept small and close to the body in this city.

Adrian missed her home, missed even the time spent in Washington state, the gloom of this city was almost too much. It was almost tempting to go home, go back north but... She shook her head slowly, she had a plan, and as long as she kept her head it would work.

She hoped.

Getting off the bus with some others, Adrian walked to the hotel and caught a stray thought. Flushing she shook her head and refused to not focused on her surroundings. Adrian glanced forward and turned down an empty ally, she glanced back then taking a deep breath she put her back to the brick wall. She took another breath and took another step back, part of her awareness going behind her. Finding no minds and people she finished phasing and walked carefully to the other side of the building. He was exited out a door to the street on the other side, glad of that this was a floor of stores so no one bothered her until a few blocks away.

"Impressive trick." A soft male voice said to Adrian's right, making her flinch and jump away, the woman nearly dropping her bag of take out at what she saw. The taller male form was even taller, even in the dark with her current petite form, the dark coloration of his outfit broke up the man's outline and the crowl hid his face effectively.

Adrian's dark eyes widen, clutching her bag and then...just froze.

"We won't hurt you," The man said, shifting slightly to hold his hands palms up, fingers resting together in an attempt to not draw attention to the claws on his gloved hands. There was slight movement behind and above him, two younger and inquisitive minds, though the forms were barely seen until one shifted closer to the other, whispered words unheard. "I just want to help."

"I sorry... I know nothing," Adrain said in a way that was like broke English, her voice older, shuffling away.

The dark eyes watched the older woman from behind the crowl's optics as she started to walk away, "It's okay, miss Kingston."

Adrian froze almost mid step and stumbled, feeling herself shiver as fear crawled over her. Looking back and hugged herself, her grip on bag and purse turning white-knuckled.

"I know there's someone chasing you, not just Luther Corp." Batman said, stepping out of his shadow and was offering not only a calm demurer but also keeping his thoughts calm and projecting a wordless reassurance. "Whatever it is, has been able to track you, slowly but is still even now isn't it?"

The 'old woman' looked down and when she looked back up, her eyes were more amber then the near black/brown before, "I'm leaving the city soon…he shouldn't come here." It was barely whispered.

"But you'll still be hunted, if not by whatever you're really running from, than from others, I can help you." Batman stepped forward again, and offered a hand sensing the two youths dropping silently down. He didn't need to powers to know that his two apprentices were more than interested and would still keep watch. "So you don't have to hide."

"Why?" Adrian asked, so far not very many would offer help to her after... he started to show himself in the area.

"It's the right thing to do." Batman said firmly, and after a moment smiled as he wrapped his hand around the once from the shivering one.