The hallways seemed as ever-ending as before, but due to her trying to memorise the route to 'her' room. Her plan was to find the room she found them all in before and hopefully Batman would still be there and she could talk to him about her place with him, with them. She will need to train and keep up her strength and skills, as well as train with Damian, make sure he hadn't got rusty after all the years away from the The League.
Her memory wasn't the eidetic or as detailed as many of the other Assassin's, but she could retain information using her own methods. She had memorised how many left and rights Damian had lead her down and how many corridors they had passed by creating a rhyme of sorts. Kiara could best recall data by repeating words and putting them in a rhythm that she could easily sing to herself. As she wandered down the halls humming to herself and reciting the lyrics to her own song as she went. Her head bobbed on it's own accord to the rhythm as it moved around as she scanned the corridors for anyone or anything that she might 'have' to investigate.
After a few wrong turns and retracing her steps Kiara was at what she hoped was the right door, in double the time it took Damian to lead her here; maybe they could give her a map for this place or a temporary tour guide. She took a deep breath and grasped the familiarly identical door knob, squared her shoulder and pushed into the room with her head held high her eyes focused and confident for the conversation ahead.
As she had hoped Batman was still in the room, however he was bent over desk under the monitors with his fists clenched leaning on it. His head was dropped down between his shoulders, so he hadn't seen Kiara even though she thought that he would have heard the door open. It dawned on her that she would have to get his attention and notify him of her presence in the room. Her eyes slipped closed as she slowly inhaled and opened her mouth to vocalise her attendance in the room when the deep baritone voice grumbled from him; "Yes, what is it you need Kiara?".
Her eyes immediately snapped open and widened as they stared at Batman's back. Her mouth snapped closed and she cleared her throat to clear it of the lump that suddenly developed there in her panic. Still staring at his bent form that had yet to move she straightened her posture and tilted her chin up stubbornly as she demands "I need to keep training while I'm here.".
Without moving his body Bruce's head moves to the right to face her with his cowl down hanging at the back of his neck, his eyebrow raised cockily as he replied deadpanned "Naturally.". His response momentarily stunned Kiara. She hadn't anticipated him to be so agreeable, she had prepared points for the argument in her defence of why she needed to continue training. With his agreement her posture slumped down slightly and she gave him a minuscule head nod in agreement.
Holding each others gaze Kiara stated her next condition; "I need to train with Damian. I need to make sure he is still in top shape with his training.". As these words left her mouth she noticed her mistake and took a hurried step forward with her arms up and hands up in defence as she stuttered in her defence loudly. "Not that he isn't well trained with you, I'm sure he is very well trained. That's just what Talia told me to do, to make sure he remembered his training from The League.".
Bruce let his amusement show as the left side of mouth lifted in a smirk that instantly reminded her of Dick's ever present smirk. "Of course, we wouldn't want Damian forgetting how to be a blood thirsty killer.", Bruce commented nonchalantly. The comment took Kiara off guard and her quick wit had her next comment bubbling from her throat before she could think it through; "Nice sarcasm. Did Talia teach you that as well?". Her left eyebrow rose and sickly sweet smile as she lent back against the wall with her arms across her chest to accompany her brass remark.
Bruce gave her credit for her boldness and that fact she wasn't intimidated by him, it was all a good sign that she would be a good match and challenge for Damian. With Kiara being satisfied by her comeback she brought the conversation back to the topic at hand; Damian. "How do I train him or protect him when he's so difficult. I mean, he won't even look at me!". She inquired letting her exasperation with Damian show.
Bruce wasn't surprised that Damian had already irked Kiara, he hasn't become any more social or easy to handle through the years with him. The only way Damian has got used to people is when he is forced to be with them for a substantial amount of time continuously, like Dick and Alfred, Damian was not fond of either of them but over time he grew to 'tolerate' them as Damian called it. Coming to a decision Bruce informed kiara "Well you will just have to go on patrols with us, if he avoids you here he can't avoid you on patrols, he knows the risks.".
How fast she was being included in their lives gave Kiara a head rush but she appreciated it all so much. "Thank you, Batman." She muttered with her head bent down and her arms hanging loosely by her sides. "Please, call me Bruce when I don't have my cowl on. Talia seems to trust you, so why shouldn't I.". Bruce did trust Kiara to an extent but until she was more open and had been around longer to do something that solidified his trust, Bruce was going to keep an eye on her and her on a tight leash, without her knowing of course.
"Come on, you must be hungry. Let's go to the kitchen I'm sure Alfred will be thrilled to meet you, he loves guests." Bruce announced as he rose to his full height and swept out the room without looking if she was following him. At his abrupt departure Kiara blinked quickly and sped after him while trying to make sense of what he had just disclosed to her. The first thing she could make sense of was the fact that she was going to get fed. Food. Even the word made her mouth water and her stomach clench painfully. She wondered what the quality of food would be like in a rich house like this, probably the best she had ever tasted. And she knew that she would not be afraid to stuff her face when it was placed in front of her. It probably wouldn't be the most polite way to eat in a place that she was a new guest in but she was too hungry to think about the right etiquette she should have when she was half starved.
Alfred. She wondered who that was, perhaps another young sidekick she didn't know about. She hoped he was more like Dick than Damian, then she could actually have a conversation with him, after she had had her fill of everything she was offered of course. She fell in step behind Bruce to his right and was too preoccupied by her thoughts of what food would be there to focus on her surroundings and unconsciously followed him. Her stomach growled at her relentless self torture in her thoughts and Bruce had heard the noise and glanced at Kiara and reassured her "We are almost there.". Kiara felt heat rush over her face and the flush spread from her cheeks to every inch of her face.
The kitchen door was on the left of one of the extensive corridors and was huge, the door to the kitchen left nine tenths of the mammoth kitchen to the left of the door and the small remainder of the kitchen to it's right. The kitchen was pristine and modern with different kinds of high-tech cooking appliances scattered over the black granite worktops. The worktops outlined the perimeter of the walls of the kitchen that were to the left of the kitchen door, leaving gaps for some of the appliances to slot into. All of the appliances were made of the same silver chrome coating, while the cupboards were black against the white walls. The double-doored silver chrome fridge that was in the middle of the wall facing the door to the kitchen, and looked like it could hold three people inside it. To the left of the fridge was a long deep sink with a high detachable tap. The oven was opposite the fridge on the same wall of as the door to the kitchen, and had an over top fan and two doors to open the oven with eight hobs on top of it. There was a breakfast bar connected to the worktop behind the door and went horizontally in a straight line just before the door, the six black and silver stool chairs were on the side of the bar that was in close to the door. On the right of the door there was a white door that blended in with the walls, that Kiara guessed was a storage room.
"Alfred, this is Kiara. She is apparently very hungry, would you mind making her something to eat?" Bruce inquired, standing just inside the kitchen and gestured for her to take a seat on one of the stools by the breakfast obligingly took the stool that was the second to the last one at the end of the bar, furthest from the door. Kiara had no idea who he was talking to until she heard a prim, deep, British drawl reply "Of course, Master Bruce. Miss Kiara it is a pleasure to meet you. Is there anything in particular you would like me to prepare for you?". A greying middle aged looking man in a pristine black suit and bow tie with a crisp white shirt underneath appeared from the white door behind her. From his attire and mannerisms Kiara guessed he was a butler of some sort, maybe just a chef. She guessed she shouldn't be surprised that a big fancy house with rich people had servants.
As Alfred came round the breakfast bar to face Kiara she couldn't help return his warm smile. Kiara instantly knew she would like him, he seemed like a nice warm old man, very fatherly. "It's nice to meet you too Alfred. And please don't go to any trouble, I'm so hungry I will just about eat anything." she grinned back at Alfred. She instinctively leaned forward over the counter towards Alfred, of all the people she had met in the house Alfred was the one she knew she would get along the best with.
"Oh, no trouble at all Miss Kiara. And if you are as hungry as you say you are" Alfred turned to Bruce and gave him a glare, as if to say 'You didn't feed the girl?!', "I know just the thing; quick and just want youths today enjoy.". Alfred gave Kiara one last smile and walked over to the fridge and brought out a box cardboard box, and proceeded to take out slices of pizza and put them on a plate and into the microwave.
The pizza was plain cheese and tomato, but Kiara really didn't care, it had been so long since she had had pizza and being so hungry she just wanted to eat it all. Kiara opened her mouth to thank Alfred when something came bounding into the kitchen. It was Dick. He stood with his legs far apart in a low stance as he looked around with wide eyes, Kiara's first instinct was; something was wrong, something had happened. She got ready to stand up and fight if she had to when; "Are you reheating my pizza?! Alfred you traitor! You don't even like pizza! How could you do this to me?". After his loud dramatic exclamation Dick fell to his knees with his arms thrown straight up in the air, his head back. Both Bruce and Alfred looked at Dick and sighed and dropped their heads down between their shoulders. "Master Dick, it is not I who is going to eat your pizza, it is for Miss Kiara." Alfred mediated in his calm demeanour.
As Alfred was trying to diffuse the situation Bruce slipped out of the kitchen silently and found Damian. Damian was in the corridors on his way to the kitchen as he had heard the telltale signs of one of Dick's dramatic outbursts. Bruce walked past Damian in the hallway and but as they passed each other Bruce grabbed old on Damian's left arm with his right hand. Looking down at Damian and keeping eye contact Bruce instructed Damian "Be civil with her Damian, she has done nothing wrong. She is sent here by your mother, she is just trying to complete her mission. You don't have to like her, but don't avoid her. Now she's in the kitchen with Dick and Alfred, go and be civil.". Damian stared at Bruce and took in all of what he had said and simply gave a short rigid nod in accordance. Then they both continued on their way to their destinations, with long strong steps that seemed identical.
"TRAITOR!" Dick screamed as he pointed at Kiara, who had a bored yet slightly amused look on her face. Damian walked into the kitchen as Kiara replied with "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to point.", and used the index finger of her right hand to push his pointed finger away from her dismissively. Damian stood with his left side resting on the breakfast bar near the door, his arms crossed across his chest, ready to make a quick silent exit if needed. Alfred had took the pizza out of the microwave, as he looked up he smiled and greeted Damian with "Good evening Master Damian." Kiara's head whipped to her left to witness the young Al Ghul. He caught her gaze and challenged her with a glare, and stiff predatory posture, and Kiara countered his challenge with a raise of her head, her jaw jutting out stubbornly with her left eyebrow raised in defiance.
Alfred put the pizza and a glass of water in front of Kiara on the breakfast bar, to which she gratefully thanked him for. As she took the first bite she turned to Dick after she had swallowed and regarded him with "Thanks for the pizza, pretty boy. It's really good, you should get some.". She accompanied her quip with a cheeky smirk, to which Dick laughed and stood up and took a slice of pizza of her plate and greedily inhaled it. At Kiara's nickname for Dick Damian's posture locked up even more and his glare dropped down onto the granite worktop of the breakfast bar. "Why does everyone call him that?" Damian scoffed to himself in a gruff tone.'He's at least ten years older than her, you would think she would have better taste.', Damian bitterly brooded to himself.
After Dick had finished the bite he was chewing he loudly squawked out "That's my line!". Kiara chuckled into her pizza, that she was currently demolishing almost as fast a Dick, until Alfred addressed her. "Miss Kiara, do you have any belongings with you? Any extra clothing of sorts that needs washing or ironing?" Alfred inquired politely, which Kiara appreciated so much, he was really growing on Kiara fast. Finishing her current bite of pizza she answered him with a laugh, "I don't have anything of the sort,Alfred. Thank you very much though." she grinned gratefully at him.
"Nothing? Oh no, that won't do. We will sort you somethings out right away, but as of now I will acquire you some sleepwear while you finish your food, and then it's off to bed with all of you." Alfred announced and was gone in a very poised strut. After Alfred's abrupt exit Dick picked up two more slices of pizza, one in each hand, grinned at both Kiara and Damian and bid them a farewell before he swaggered out of the kitchen.
Kiara kept her eyes on her food, and ate the remaining pizza at a more normal rate, as she was now self conscious of the piercing stare that was upon her. As she took her last bite and gulped down her glass of water, as she put the glass down she finally met Damian's ever present stare with new determined confidence. She was not going to deal with his teenage temper tantrums, and she definitely wasn't going to let it jeopardise her mission. She was going to put her foot down and tell him what was going to happen. "I am going to spar with you and see how your skills and training is, if it's changed and how to retrain you and keep it at optimum capability." Kiara asserted to Damian, not giving him a choice.
Damian was taken aback by her forwardness, but he was not one to be pushed around, he lent forward towards Kiara and stretched his mouth in a snarl as he snapped back "I don't take orders. Especially not from you.". Damian was not going to let this girl try to intimidate him, and if she thought that she could order him around he would show the harsh truth. Kiara was not at all intimidated by his response, she had been expecting him to snap back at her, she wasn't going to let him stamp his feet and get his way, that'snot how this was going to go. "You might not take orders, but I do. From your mother, and whether you like it or not I'm not letting your bad attitude stop me from fulfilling them.", Kiara snarled right back at Damian, with her lip curled just like his.
Before Damian could retort Alfred walked in with a grey T-shirt and black jogging bottoms folded in his arms. Damian found the clothing oddly familiar, and when he realised they were his he was about to protest to Alfred giving Kiara anything of his, but Alfred cut him off and kindly instructed Kiara "Here you can sleep in these until I can find some more appropriate clothing. Now off to bed, you must be exhausted.". Kiara returned Alfred smile and thanked him and took the clothing, as she got up to leave and bid him a goodnight with a small wave she narrowed her gaze on Damian and gave him a short quipped goodnight and lifted her head up and turned on her heels to leave.
When Kiara was out of the kitchen Alfred turned to wash the plate and glass and answered the question on the tip of Damian's tongue, "Your clothes are the only ones that she can fit in, I am sure her using your clothing will not be the end of the world Master Damian. Now off to bed with you.". Alfred's statement left no room for protest so Damian begrudgingly skulked out of the kitchen bidding Alfred a muttered goodnight, to which he replied in kind. Kiara being around was not staring out as Damian would have hoped, and from her earlier comments it could only get worse.
