A Wrinkle in Time
Part 6: Sibling Rivalry
- Martha_Wayne - Batman was known for a lot of things. To those closest to him, the thing he was probably best known for was keeping secrets. So it was no surprise that there were only two people in Gotham that knew who Marti was and where she'd come from: Bruce, and Alfred. Perched on the spire of Gotham's oldest cathedral, Marti inhaled, savoring the far-from-fresh night air. And, more than that, her freedom. There was no doubt in her mind that her long bullet hole-riddled trench coat had at least one bat-tracer in it that she had yet to find, and that this alter dimensional version of her father knew exactly where she was, but that wasn't going to stop her from the fact that she was somewhat free, after nearly a week not being allowed out of Wayne Manor. She wore no mask, instead, the paleness of her face was accented and her features further hidden by somewhat melodramatic gothic makeup. Her gloved hand smoothed out her shirt, falling on her belt. Her father's belt, actually, emblazoned with the giveaway logo, as her blue eyes trailed searchingly over the city. She was home, but she was a million miles away from home...
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Vigilantes were a proverbial thing to see in Gotham; especially when one of them was affiliated with Batman his Crew. As one of Bruce Wayne's former sidekicks as the Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson had naturally continued to save Gotham of its unpredictable crimes and nefarious masterminds behind them. Now under the pseudonym Nightwing, Dick Grayson was his own hero. No longer was he bond in the shackles of Batman or left to be known as Batman's sidekick. He was free from Bruce's cryptic shadow and way of life; and thankful for it. No rules were to be given. No restrictions. No more anything. This was his playing field and his alone. His stature remained clothed in his Kevlar-laced uniform; black and blue with a stylized separation of the two colors. A raven façade lied over his eyes and the bridge of his nose as well. This evening he had been looking for a man by the name of Jonathan Burns; one of the new renowned criminals who put the infamous faces of the Riddler and Catwoman into retirement. Darkness complimented his intentions to be in stealth-mode while in search for the man as he ran the rooftops applying acrobatic feats to his jumps. Using the best of his detective intuition, Nightwing relied on imperative information that could lead him to this man. Raven tresses flailed against the winds as he ran hastily on foot, roof after roof. He was quite use to this activity as he has been performing activity like this for some time now. As he continued he noticed a lithe figure housing itself atop of a statue of some sort. Pondering the possibilities he went to investigate.
- Martha_Wayne - "Fucking twilight zone..." she muttered to herself for the thousandth time as her eyes caught sight of a building that was a pile of rubble in her world. Her world was the screwed up one, this one was the way things should be, and she recognized that. It stung, to think that somehow her world drew the lot of going to hell and this one didn't. It stung even more to know that she was trapped here because here dimension no longer existed. A flare of temporal possibility, Jade had called it. An entire existence spun and un-spun in a matter of moments, long enough to hurl her here... She bowed her head a moment, a small flourish of acrobatic skill carrying her from the peak of the spire to the base of it, on the roof of the cathedral. The cathedral, too, was a monument to the ruination of her dimension, but it was home. Or the closest thing to. She was going to go stark raving mad if she stayed here. Batman would never allow her to continue as a vigilante here in -his- city, that was for certain. And as much as she felt the need and duty to go prowling at night, she found she didn't dare. A flicker of movement on a nearby rooftop caught her attention and interrupted her thoughts, the merest glimpse of blue on black giving away the identity to her practiced eye. "Fuck fuck fuck..." she hissed under her breath. Nightwing was still in Gotham in this time? She hadn't been expecting that, and the last thing she needed was another 'family reunion'. Batman had nearly tossed her in Arkham until the mention of Jade had convinced him she wasn't a loony imposter. She spun on one heel, sprinting full out across the cathedral roof, leaping to another building.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Richard seemed to appear out of nowhere as he appeared on another figure beside her in a semi-crouching position. Only his white eyes remained visible as the shadows reigned over the rest of his frame. It wasn't who he thought it would be. He was glad but disappointed altogether. He couldn't make out who this anonymous lurker was save for the yellow tinge touching the surface below her feet. Following this minute speck of light to the source he became piqued. Was that…Bruce's? God. And if it was how on earth did this person manage to get a hold of such a device. "Where'd you get that?" Grayson held off on his welcome sentence until some answers were given. Preparing himself for physical altercation both escrima sticks inaudibly housed themselves into the palms of his hands. Richard seemed to appear out of nowhere as he appeared on another figure beside her in a semi-crouching position. Only his white eyes remained visible as the shadows reigned over the rest of his frame. It wasn't who he thought it would be; Bruce wouldn't up and take off like that without rational excuse. Without procrastinating he took off after her with a flip leading into a spring atop another roof. Just before nearing the edge he released a tracker from a compartment in his gloves. The minute diskette was raised above his ear and launched precisely at the running figure as accurate as accurate can be. "Damn." He jumped from the edge and soared, later planting his feet into the crumbling tar-laced roof and took off again. Why did they always have to run? It made things worse when he apprehended them.
- Martha_Wayne - Running, that only ever served to make you look guilty, which was exactly the sort of thing that made one worth chasing. And while she knew she could go all night if she had to, the chances of getting seen were too high, and having 'daddy' show up to break things up would end in her being 'grounded' indefinitely. Hiding wasn't going to work, not with knowing the kind of tricks Nightwing had, which she did. Just like she knew she'd been tagged with another tracer. It wasn't something she'd felt; it was something she'd learned from experience about what happened if any of -them- got that close. A few rooftops later, Marti's pace slowed, and she crouched, bowing her head. From observation it would look like she was winded. She was far from it. She half closed her eyes, waiting for him to catch up. They were either going to have to fight this out, or talk it out. The former seemed more probable than the latter, unless...
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - A simple twist flip was applied to an acrobatic jump that helped augment his distance. Running from him like this didn't do her part any justice; it never did whether you were the protagonist or antagonist. It developed more melodramatic scenarios that weren't necessary. Finally, she stopped; or it seemed that way momentarily. Perhaps this was a trick of some sort to get him to believe this false activity. Heck. He's performed the same prosaic thing time after time again; and with his intuition gathering more knowledge and wisdom, he could almost tell from his distance. Making one last jump he landed on the tar-swathed roof and positioned himself into a front-hand flip. His movement wasn't as inaudible as he hoped it would be. With the wind howling clamorously his fluent movement could be heard. "Going some where?"
- Martha_Wayne - Marti waited, still, until she heard him near her. Then she slowly stood, her blue eyes seeking him out. "Yeah," she said deadpan after a moment, "I just can't decide where... But I've got it narrowed down. What do you think? Beijing or Tokyo? I've always wanted to visit the Great Wall but I can't say I'm that fond of Chinese food..." Her mentors shown in her response, both verbal and physical. She mouthed off like Harley, but her body was tensed in a position akin to one Catwoman might strike.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Richard parked his shoulder against a foundationless, crumbling chimney and leaned in an inattentive manner. Bruce would faithfully go upside his head for such a position; but he was no longer under the auspices of the man. "Tokyo?" He questioned in surprise. "I'm not quite sure; but I believe Gotham isn't going to get you closer to Tokyo." the voice carried an austere-nature with a tinge of humor. For some reason he didn't believe her. Inanely it felt like she was lying; and if so, why? What did she have to keep from him? He was the good guy here. There was nothing bad about him save those past few nights he suffered from a hangover. Another feeling prematurely came to mind. The feeling that she was going to run again. Again, why? The answers would apparently have to wait, as this evening seemed to drag.
- Martha_Wayne - "You could be right about that, 'wing. You could be right. Which would seem to indicate I should exit stage left right about now, huh? But first..." Marti's hands shifted to her shoulders, and she tugged off the bullet-riddled trench coat with a dramatic flourish, her hand coming over the fabric of the coat. "You want your tracer back, 'wing, or should I just toss it....?"
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Richard blinked, blinked, and blinked some more. What was that again? Did she -just- call him by his alias? Yet he had no idea in the world who this woman was, what she was doing, who she was with, and why she was sitting atop a roof wondering if she should go to Tokyo or not in the middle of Gotham. And he had the nerve to think Bludhaven was peculiar. He couldn't even reply to something like that. Never mind the fact that she was holding out his tracer like nothing was wrong. First off, how did she know? As mute as he could he tossed that tracer onto her coat almost certain the smallest little tick of it couldn't be felt. She proved him wrong no doubt. Grayson shook his head, trying to forget just for a second or two. "Backup." He mused on this odd predicament and then decided to be a little more affable. "Exactly…how do you know me? And how long have you known about the tracer?" He quirked a brow and leaned against the chimney some more; listening to the crumbling pieces hit the ground.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti's gaze rose back up to him, and the look on her face was one of disbelieving amusement. "Ok. I realize that most people in this state -aren't- too bright, but it doesn't seem like it'd take a great leap of logic to know who you are. You're a celebrity, babe." That would go over a lot better than, 'Heya, Dick, I'm your kid foster sister from another dimension' and a rendition of the twilight zone theme sounding in the background. "As for the tracer, lets just say I know what kind of tricks you people have up your sleeve... Ah. Here it is." She plucked the tracer off the coat. "C'mere and get it, 'wing, I don't bite." She grinned slightly, "Hard."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - As her gaze raised his lowered and met eye to eye. "Right." He concealed the embarrassment and continued. Richard took the tracer and housed it back into a compartment in his gauntlet. There. Everything was said and done; and what she said made perfect sense. So why did he continue to feel like a vacant shell? Something was missing-something imperative that she opted to leave out. "I apologize if I seem haughty; but you're one of those novices aren't you? Trying to make a name for yourself in a city plagued with crime. An undying disease that has adulterated the purity it once held." Removing himself from the chimney he gradually approached the woman and continued to hold conversation as long as possible. "Coming from someone who has plenty of experience, good luck. Batman and his Crew can always use another ally to help Gotham."
- Martha_Wayne - "You have a right to be haughty, 'wing." Marti slowly slid her coat back on. He was actually wishing her luck. That was a far cry from the Dick she was used to, who had treated her like the annoying kid sister that always wanted to tag along. Even if he was just trying to keep her talking. Her own arrogantly coy look faltered slightly, as her hand, by learned nature, straightened her belt, without a thought about it on her part. Meanwhile, her gaze studied him intently. "I'm not staying in Gotham, not under -his- shadow. You know what it's like..." she trailed off. She shouldn't have said that, that last bit was far too personal of a remark, making it sound like she did know him. "Tokyo. I think I want to find my inner peace before I wander into a country being overrun by communists..."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - "Wait, what did you say?" His face pulled back a look of inquisitiveness as he became more suspicious of this woman's arrival here. He knew something was up. Something that she quite wasn't depicting well enough for him to piece the puzzle together. Not even his superior detective intuition and near-genius IQ could pull this one together. "Exactly whose shadow are you talking about?! Answer me! Quit hiding the truth and be honest." This was it. She either told the -exact- truth or he'd compel it out of her. One way or the other it was coming out and he wasn't leaving without it.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti took a step backwards. Now. -That- was more like the Dick she knew. She scowled, one of the few things habits she'd picked up from her father. As he'd directed more scowls at her than anything else. "You'd better calm the fuck down, boy," she murmured in quiet warning. "Having to lay your ass out cold is the last thing I need right now..." Marti shook her head. "Jesus. Whose shadow do you think?"
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Blinked. Who did she think -she- was talking to? This woman had better recognize that the burly physique she was staring at was Batman's younger version. "Girl…" Richard muttered. Using vulgar language at an unnecessary time was one thing; but don't you dare make a threat and expect to get away with it. Hell. If she wanted to tangle, they could tangle. Either way, he'd come out on top and expunge the bitch. "I'm not going to lecture you with platitudes and famous quotations from philosophers; but I'll sure as hell set you straight if you -ever- think about picking up a tone like that again. All I asked was for the truth, not a physical altercation. If you want I can provide both." He denoted rigorously. "Now to avoid a royal rumble on the top of this cruddy roof, I suggest you calm down and just -answer- the question like I asked." Humph.
- Martha_Wayne - The words 'try me' rested on her lips so obviously that they seemed to speak themselves. Still, she didn't say it, though her posture clearly did indicate she was ready for him if he chose to try it. Instead, she opted for a softly coy smile. "What question was that, 'wing?" Marti's amused look faded to seriousness. "Don't you have better things to do, Nightwing, than hanging out on this 'cruddy roof' questioning a 'novice hero' who's made it clear she's on her way out of your turf?" Yes, she really didn't want to answer anything. Too close to revealing the truth already.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Richard momentarily rolled his eyes behind his raven façade. If he had to reiterate this same question one more time, fists were getting thrown; and that was a promise. "Tell me the truth, please. That's all I'm asking. I'm not asking for a façade of lies to be thrown up against me." Richard denoted with severity tingeing his lips. His gaze lowered into her eyes and watched her intently.
- Martha_Wayne - The truth had nearly got her thrown into Arkham once. Not going there again. She just wasn't. Marti met his gaze with an unrelenting scowl. "I'm psychic. I just have the gift of knowing things I have no right to know, D.G.... That's how I knew it was you. How I knew about the tracer. How I know I need to get out of Gotham -now-. Happy now?" She turned, sliding her coat back on, stalking towards the roof's edge. Marti held her breath, listening for movement, knowing he wasn't going to let her just walk away.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Everything was still exceedingly vague; not to mention that she was barely making any sense out of this entire predicament. "Why now? What's the rush?" If she'd been thinking it she was correct. He -wasn't- going to let her up and waltz on out like nothing was wrong. There was obviously something else she wasn't mentioning. "Whatever you're hiding, whether good or bad, needs to be told in truth. I'm not one to respect those who habitually lie and make feeble attempts to façade the truth. I'm not going anywhere and if you -think- you can get away, don't count on it. I have enough energy to follow you all the way to Tokyo if I must." There. She'd better spit it out now.
- Martha_Wayne - "I have a bus to catch." She adopted a melodramatic voice, "And if that bus leaves and I'm not on it, I'll regret it for the rest of my life." Marti rolled her eyes, and then turned again to face him. She bowed, a mockery of the respectful gesture used before a karate match, emphasized with a slight flourish of the bullet-riddled coat. Her form drew into a slightly relaxed stance, her fists coming up. "I've said all I'm going to say, if you can't accept that, then let's get it over with. I don't want a traveling companion."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - So it was official. This would be the final confrontation between the both of them as far as he knew. One would be victor and go on about their business; while the other was left to feel the pain of both defeat and injury. Richard was certain of one thing. He wasn't losing. His stance was just as relaxed as hers but took on a confronting position. No words were spoken. This was no longer set up for verbal agreement. She set the stage and he accepted. Words were going to be spoken by kicks and punches. Blood was sure to be shed from the both of them. Injuries? Well, that couldn't be predicted. Hopefully for his sake she wasn't housing any super-human strength in those fists. Otherwise, he'd have a heck of a lot of gadgets and tactics to shuffle through during this. With lethal, inaudible precision, Nightwing raised his leg. With as much compelled strength as possible, a roundhouse was performed and targeted it at the woman's right knee.
- Martha_Wayne - Her mentors would become more evident as they fought, revealed by her gymnastic and mildly unorthodox movements. She twisted her body, spinning low on her right toe, her knee almost touching the ground as she turned, bringing her left leg up to use the momentum in a kick of her own, aimed to push him back away from her. It wasn't -her- Dick, she had no right to take her frustrations with the other out on this one, but this would also serve as a learning experience, a variation in all the fighting she'd done to this point. Her jaw was set, and this ambition shone in her eyes.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Her movement was fluent and swift; but he could emulate such if he tried. Richard turned on his left toe as his kick followed through the air and returned to its starting position. His white gaze followed her movement with precision as she kicked up her foot. Grabbing it exactly by the front of her foot and the ankle, he threw his arms up and took her foot with them as a counterattack of some sort. This would make her bend backwards to the point where he would have another chance at the upper hand. Regardless, he kicked up his right food and directed a snap kick towards her left side, right next to her rib cage. Force was not applied to this kick. She was just a woman after all and there was no need to severely injure her to a point where she was almost dead. His raven tresses flailed against the wind as this vigorous battle continued to take place.
- Batman_GothamsProtector -A small, dark spot appeared between the two combatants, which grew rapidly in size, stopping only when a much more tangible shadow landed there. In pointy ears. And a cape. His downward momentum gave him leverage to push Marti's foot down towards the roof. The crouch he landed him put him at an optimal height to utilize the back of his hand to arc Nightwing's kick over his head and away. His objective had been to knock the both of them off balance. He was counting on them to make good use of the following half second and clue in who had stopped them and how ridiculous it was for them to scuffle out here. He rose to his full height, his eyes slits turning to both of them in turn, the eyes and mouth beneath them narrowing in a classic scowl. He didn't say anything. His face said it all. He'd been needing to clear things up with Marti, especially after the botched inter-dimensional trip, and how she and the Green Lantern had 'conveniently' forgotten to tell him about it. It was lucky Dick had found her. Not that he'd say so.
- Martha_Wayne - It didn't take Marti quite the entire half-second to realize that a mediator had arrived. She stayed down, but she wasn't about to show defeat, and she certainly wasn't about to surrender her coy nature in front of this alter dimensional version of her father. Her lips barely concealed a smirk as she murmured, after she'd pushed herself to her feet, "He started it." Marti dropped her hands into her pockets, the amusement fading into the inherited scowl, waiting to get bitched at.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - the half-second was quite useless actually. From his peripheral he could see the cryptic shadow growing near following a pair of white slits. As his attack was negated by the gloved hand and thrown backwards, Richard performed an aerial and landed onto the ground into melee stance. With a quick toss of his head his raven tresses were thrown from his eyes and repositioned both of the figures swathed in darkness. Dropping his guard after the woman, Richard approached her and 'him' accordingly. "My fault?" His voice stricken with the shrill of surprise. "Since when did we start point fingers here? All I asked was a question." His hands rested against his waist as he adverted his eyes from her to the adjacent figure from her. "And you…" He stared at the man's white slits. "I'm no longer under the auspices of you. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't take charge like I'm a thirteen year-old kid again who doesn't know what he's getting himself into. Thanks for your faith, Bruce. It really helps me make it through nights like these." His tone was rolling with sarcasm and attitude. God. Who did he exactly think he was? Next he'd be paying a visit to Bludhaven trying to correct his wrongs.
- Batman_GothamsProtector -Nightwing got a sharp glance for the real name-calling. He knew the Rules, despite having run off to play his own hero. "You aren't thirteen, but you don't know what you're getting into, *Dick*." And there was no reason why he would know, at that. No reason why he had to know, save that he'd probably heckle Marti. Marti was favored with her own glare. Childish quips were not the order of the day. "I presume it was your *clever* idea not to tell me that you hadn't been sent home." Not a question, that. Armstrong would be glowered at later. He and Dick griped enough as it was. Letting into him over the fight would probably push him over the top.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti kept her scowl, despite the amusement over her remark getting a rise out of Dick, who was falling prey to a joke he didn't have the knowledge to get was being made. She continued to scowl, more defiantly, as Batman's dark look fell on her in silent reprimand. She raised her chin, even, giving a 'you're -not- my father' look. She and Dick, they probably could have founded a friendship based on their resentments towards Bruce, albeit different Bruces. It was a shame there wasn't a chance of that happening. Despite her defiance, when it really came down to something she felt was serious, she did have a mature streak to show. "He couldn't send me home. So I requested it not be mentioned that I was still here. Didn't want to trouble you and the old man further... So don't go bitch at him, all right? Wasn't gonna stay in Gotham... Wasn't counting on 'wing being in this town... fucking twilight zone..."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Richard paid no attention to Bruce's look. Yes, he'd broken a sacred rule that all students under the man's tutelage must follow; but he was no longer under it, so why bother? He resided in solitude, as this conversation had nothing to do with him, though it could answer some of his questions. Ease dropping wouldn't be a bad idea. Without the slightest hint Richard leaned on the same chimney as before. Both of them knew he was there. It was stupid, not to mention senseless to -think- they didn't know he was there. Instead, he thought of it as being there, but not so much as being -right- there in the center of the altercation. Whatever the hell this is he wanted to know about. Even if it wasn't his business, he was going to be inquisitive for tonight.
- Batman_GothamsProtector -"Some might call your reality 'the twilight zone'." Something would really have to be decided. If she kept prowling around, something was going to happen, and for whatever reason, he felt responsible, even though it had been another Bruce who was her father. This sort of thing would be easier for Kal, having his Fortress to whisk people and creatures away to at a moment's notice. He'd been hoping something could have been arranged with Diana. She was definitely someone who was skilled at problems like this. She had a lot more 'open' resources than he did. If Bruce Wayne suddenly adopted a young woman, the rumors people had tittered over for both Dick and Tim would blaze anew. He needed an easier way, without dragging Marti through the mud in the process.
- Martha_Wayne - "Yeah... But I'm the one that has to live with being stuck here." She glowered slightly at the shadow that was Nightwing, he may have been silent but he was far from forgotten. Marti drew her gaze back to Batman, and sighed, her hand dropping to the clasp of her belt. "As much as I've enjoyed Alfred's hospitality, I'm leaving." There was a click, and the belt came undone, she tossed it to him. As much as she hated to give up her one connection to her father, wearing it was just a bad idea all around. "There. You don't have to worry about anyone drawing any kind of connection... So I'm not your problem anymore." She turned, and started for the edge of the roof.
- Batman_GothamsProtector -The belt came flying back, whether she was looking or no. "If that's the way you want it, then I would keep it." She'd run into the Joker first thing after getting here, it seemed. "Regardless of your origin, I wanted to find a place for you. I was hoping Diana could help, but being on Themyscira would be...sketchy. Hippolyta was made a fool of by a man. Hence her man-hating passions."
- Martha_Wayne - She wasn't looking, but her hand snapped up and caught the belt all the same. "Hippolyta and I should get along just fine then." She was very still a few moments before restoring it to her waist again. Marti felt a pang of guilt, he had been as kind to her as it was likely possible for him to be since she'd arrived, and she was typically acting like a bratty bitch. Her voice was less cold when she continued, "I think finding a 'place' is something I'm going to have to do on my own. I..." She fell silent, refusing to give in to an emotional explanation. "I guess I'll find my way to Themyscira. Again."
- Batman_GothamsProtector -Hippolyta would undoubtedly take great glee in taking in someone who had been under his care, alter dimensional or not. Diana would hopefully be a stabilizing influence in her life from the skew the Queen would aim for. It was a slap of sorts, but he knew the Amazons could likely give her a new life and focus, where he could not. "I think I can help you get there. It would be easier than the old boat Diana found near Themyscira." Hippolyta would undoubtedly take great glee in taking in someone who had been under his care, alter dimensional or not. Diana would hopefully be a stabilizing influence in her life from the skew the Queen would aim for.
- Martha_Wayne - "I don't need your help." It was a reflexive response, and not one she'd meant to be insulting, but she realized it had probably come off that way, so she turned to look at him again, and shrugged. "But if you're in that much of a hurry to get me out from under your feet, then by all means..."
- Batman_GothamsProtector -shrugged in turn. "If you'd really like to waste your time rowing around the Bermuda Triangle blindly, then by all means..." A sly smirk took form on his face. He'd planned on getting her most of the way there. Hippolyta would have him murdered by the worst possible means if he got near Themyscira, he knew.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti smirked slightly herself at his response. If she could only get over her father, she'd probably find she liked this Bruce. She wasn't inclined to try, however, not really believing the former could really be done. Marti wasn't entirely certain that she wanted to. She furrowed her brow a moment, and then said softly, "I appreciate the offer, Batman. But it's not like I have anywhere pressing to be. The rowing will do me good, and they'll probably approve of me more if I don't arrive with the help of a man..."
- Batman_GothamsProtector -nodded. Dick was still over there, likely wondering what exactly was going on. Bruce wasn't sure he wanted to give him the satisfaction though. Dick was welcome to play prodigal son, and even be sour and unpleasant. He knew he did so enough. But to be so idiotic as to use names in public, and not to mention so trigger-happy as to pick a fight with Marti for no reason, he could stew awhile. He'd probably beg Barbara for details.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson -: He came from behind the corner with staid consciousness of what was happening. Still, unconditionally, he was lost in the conversation feeling even more ignorant towards the predicament. He paid no mind to Bruce, just Marti, as she seemed to be the core of the problem. He wondered where he was in all of this. He thought most likely nowhere unless there was a future Dick Grayson he didn't know of. He'd ask but right now wasn't the time. "You know..." It came reflexive from the silence. "Barbara could help as she is female; and I know of Themyscira just as much as him." It was just a suggestion. Nothing more, nothing less; even though Bruce would go against it somehow and make it seem specious. He always did. It was him. He just had to be right 99.9% of the time if not 100 percent.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti's gaze flickered to Nightwing as he reemerged from the shadows. She looked slightly amused at the apparent need to compete. "Bitter, party of one?" she quipped. The young woman did somewhat sympathize, she supposed, sort of guessing that this Dick's relationship with this Bruce had apparently turned out like hers with her own father. "Don't throw another temper tantrum, boy wonder, but you're the last person I'd trust, given your tendency towards a loose tongue." She supposed it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, calling him on childish behavior while she was engaging in it, but she just couldn't fight the kid-sister reflex.
- Batman_GothamsProtector -sighed internally. What a sight this would make for. Batman, with quarrelsome protégé, and equally snide mystery girl. "If you would like to set out soon, I would recommend doing so within a few hours. The tide will be going out in an hour and a half." Machismo competitions and taunting were ignored, irritating as they were. He apparently needed to revise his teaching methods if his first 'pupil' and an inter-dimensional daughter had fallen into the same trap. With that, he was off towards the rooftop edge, grapple appearing in his hand. He was only going to make sure the two didn't start fighting again.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson -: "Bitter? Aren't you the one trying to get home?" He quipped right back. "And no one is throwing tamper tantrums, thanks. And for the record, it's Nightwing." And like he gave a rat's ass if she trusted him or not. She was hardly trustworthy herself----to him anyway. However he opted to escort her to where she needed to be just to be a gentleman unlike the fleeing Batman. A grappling hook came to his hand and his head cocked back as he eyed a building adjacent from where he was standing. "I know that you prefer I don't follow you out but I'm going to anyway. It's near Bludhaven and I need to get home. Like he said, you've only got so much time left."
- Martha_Wayne - Marti rolled her eyes, and then sighed. "I don't have a home, boy wonder. And I really think you could be a little more appreciative of where you came from, instead of acting like such a jerk..." Her tone was clearly touched with envy. She pressed her lips together a moment, then shrugged, her gaze shifting to the departing Bruce. "I'll send Alfred a postcard from Tahiti or somethin'..." About as close to a thank you and goodbye as she was capable of giving. She started for the edge of the roof. "Follow me if you want, 'wing. If you can keep up."
- Batman_GothamsProtector -actually had to smirk. "He'd like that." With the small bang, the grapple was off, and the Bat followed it a moment after. He didn't stay in view for long, of course. He wasn't patronizing Marti any more. He had things to do and people to protect.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson -: Keep up? He hoped she was joking as he's learned to swing longer than he's learned to walk. He fell right after he and whipped his cable in lasso-fashion. With the flick of his wrist the grappling hook caught onto the edge of another building and jerked on his arm. He curved his figure to adopt aerodynamic movement while swinging and tail behind Marti.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti had only been teasing about keeping up. She never produced a grapple line to slow her fall, opting instead to carry herself down to street level by swinging off fire escapes and window ledges. Her hands slid into her pockets as she made her way through the winding alleys of Gotham, trying to sort her feelings out.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson -: He released the cable and performed a triple flip through the air and grasped at a pole with lightning quick reflexes. He went around 360 degrees and flipped himself off. Following this he applied pressure along a specific focal point on his gloves and released another cable. *Thwack* A jerk in his arm let him know he was swinging securely. Rounding the corner of a skyscraper his eyes fluttered through the minute crowds below him awing in amazement. He had then spotted Marti below. Clever. He rounded another building before he came to the end of the cable's length and released, descending onto a street lamp only to perform the same technique again and again.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti didn't seem to care one way or the other whether he was following or not. She only stopped to look for Nightwing when she reached the docks, figuring she ought to at least say something, not wanting to let things end in enmity. One of the things that had stricken her about their deaths in her world. No matter how she tried to figure otherwise, her last words to her entire 'family' had been spiteful. Of course, whether he would come down and let her say anything was a mystery. She scanned the boats contemplatively.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson -: Approaching the docks and at a reasonable height he pushed off from a building and performed an aerial flip and landed perfectly. He eyed Marti, then the docks, and then back to Marti. Whether or not she said goodbye or thanks it didn't matter. What mattered was that she got there and safely. He felt a bit of concern but not much as to overwhelm him. He pulled something from his suit. "Here..." Handing it to Marti. "This is a communicator. If you happen to get in a predicament you can't get out of contact me. It'll reach Bruce if you flick the switch. When you get to there toss it. You don't want any signs of having contacts with men around the amazons." In a way that was a form of a goodbye and it sufficed for him. Approaching the docks and at a reasonable height he pushed off from a building and performed an aerial flip and landed perfectly. He eyed Marti, then the docks, and then back to Marti. Whether or not she said goodbye or thanks it didn't matter. What mattered was that she got there and safely. He felt a bit of concern but not much as to overwhelm him. He pulled something from his suit. "Here..." Handing it to Marti. "This is a communicator. If you happen to get in a predicament you can't get out of contact me. It'll reach Bruce if you flick the switch. When you get to there toss it. You don't want any signs of having contacts with men around the amazons." In a way that was a form of a goodbye and it sufficed for him. Hopefully she'd take it into consideration and not be stubborn and make claims that she didn't need it.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti eyed the communicator, then dropped it into her pocket. "Not that I need it. But I'll keep it in mind." She eyed him a moment, then offered her hand. "My name's Marti. You probably heard enough to figure I'm not from -here-, so..." Considering for a moment, she abruptly asked, "So why do you hate him so much?"
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson -: He nodded as he had overheard everything but still remained confused about the whole bit. Miffed with her following question he parted his lips to sigh. "Bruce has the tendency to continue to treat his students like children and hand them no responsibility. There's always that factor of parenting he cannot let go of once you've been in his shadows long enough. Don't get me wrong. Bru-Batman has been my father figure for sometime and I'm highly appreciative..." A fist was made so tight that the circulation of blood began to retard. "But DAMN him for trying to keep me under his shadow and remain a child. I'm more than what he gives me credit for and deserved more in my days as Boy Wonder. He's driven me to become what I am today. Not a crime fighter and not a practitioner of the martial arts, but a person who thinks nothing more than jumping rooftop to rooftop in a getup that makes me what I am. I don't have a normal life. I'm not a lawyer. I'm not a doctor. I'm not a librarian. I'm not a clerk. I'm a fucking SUPERHERO, Marti. Who goes to study Superherology in college?! Everyday I get up and wonder what I could've been if I was never adopted by that man. If I never found out his secret. If I never fell under the impression that a cape and mask would make me something." He turned his head in shame and silence fell amongst them both.
- Martha_Wayne - She was surprised at the honest confession, and despite her tendency to try and mirror her father's seeming lack of compassion, her friendship with Harley had left her some sympathy to show. Reminding herself that this Nightwing was a different entity than her 'brother', she shrugged slightly. "Just because you were raised like him doesn't mean you have to let it consume your life. It took me a long time to get it through my head that no matter how well I did or how much I improved, I'd never be good enough in his eyes. Or, y'know, the him I knew... If you really wanted to have something else, you'd just do it." She paused. That had been a lie. She'd never stopped groping for approval. No need to mention that, though. Smirking, she then said, "Though I can't picture you as a librarian."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Richard blinked at her immediate response. "Hold up." Dick stopped his perpetual tamper tantrum and focused on what she said. He hoped he had heard her wrong. "In whose eyes? You don't mean him, do you?" He'd already broken the rules once as luck Bruce probably was ease-dropping in on the conversation just to make sure he didn't do anything abrupt. Dick came to the hypothesized conclusion that this predicament and its melodramatic nature had just gotten worse by the minutes and -nothing- good was going to come out of it. She was obviously hiding something deeper then what she told Bruce; and he wanted to find out.
- Martha_Wayne - "Someone's riding the slow bus tonight," Marti replied with a chuckle. "Or were you just stargazing, not eavesdropping?" Wrapping her arms around her torso, she shifted her feet a little as she pondered how much to tell him. He hadn't shown himself to be very reliable tonight, but then she had gotten him fairly riled up before 'daddy' showed to break up the fight. After a slight silence, she finally said, "I did mean him, 'wing. Just not him. I'm from another dimension. In my Gotham... I was left the mantle, so to speak."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Talk about a slap in the face. "Alternate dimension." He thought. "Now it makes sense." He wrapped his arms around his torso in the same manner she did. "But the question is how did you get here? Was there some dimensional pull or something? I'm not that literate with the time-and-space continuum so I wouldn't know all of the details." He remained befuddled and leaned on the wooden rail behind him. "This is all too much." It came from under his breath as he gave a slight shake of his head.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti scowled slightly at his question, then admitted, "I don't understand it myself. Something about my world being a 'flare of temporal possibility' thanks to someone fucking with time... I do understand one thing, though. My world doesn't exist anymore. So I'm stuck... here." She bit her lip, hearing the venom in her own voice, then scowled again. "So now you know."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Richard blinked momentarily and a slight silence fell upon the two. With a sigh he broke the silence with a quizzical expression on his face. "You have my deepest sympathies, Marti." His head hung low. "I apologize if I sound callous at the moment, but I'm guessing that means everyone in that dimension was killed, including what family you had unless they somehow got pulled through the portal too?"
- Martha_Wayne - Her blue eyes flickered to him contemplatively. He was entirely different than the Dick she was used to. Shouldn't surprise her, really, after this dimension's Bruce being easier to bear than her father. They both lacked a lifetime of involvement with her; probably just saw her as the poor homeless wanderer. "They were already dead. Not that it was much of a family." She tried to sound impartial in her reply. "Except Harl... But I guess temporal obliteration is probably a better death than what would have happened..." Trailing off, she shook her head. "Fuckin' can't believe I'm doing this..."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - He laughed. "Harley Quinn?" Another chuckle came and went through words. "I don't mean to be ignorant; but I find that funny because of who she is in this dimension." His head came to a shake with a smile on lips. "As interesting as this is, Marti, you do have a limited timeframe to get from here to Themyscira before the seas take a turn for the worse; and I wouldn't want you caught in anything completely catastrophic." It was funny how he changed just in this last hour. At first it was all animosity towards her, now he was being sincere and compassionate. Richard mused at this thought until she replied.
- Martha_Wayne - "Don't laugh. The Harley I knew was still a criminal. At least here, she's reformed...." Marti turned, pacing a few steps, then turned back. "Funny thing is, I'm not in that much of a hurry to throw myself into the company of ancient man hating feminists..." Marti smirked lightly, and then let her expression shift into a neutral one again. "And perhaps more strange, I'm... not minding the conversation."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Another chuckle came; and surprisingly he wasn't minding the conversation either. "Well, since you aren't a male hating feminist just yet, would you mind if I asked you out for coffee?" He paused as nervousness settled in his stomach. "I'd like to continue this discussion -out- of costume." With a chortle he scratched the back of his thigh. "But hey, if it doesn't make you comfortable going out then we can stay here. Personally, I don't mind." He came off of the wooden rail and stood up to angle his eyes at the splashing waves smacking against the docks. The mist rained over the both of them with its mystifying, yet enchanting feel.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti stared. Then laughed. Once she'd gained control of her self, and adopted a reasonably straight face, she murmured, "Sorry, 'wing. Coffee would be fine. Just understand straight off that I'm not going to 'fall for your charms' and spare me the habitual trying?" The humor died in her look. "The Nightwing I knew was like a brother, albeit an estranged one."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - "No offense; but I'm not interested in dating you; so believe me I won't even bother." Dick quipped and started off of the docks. A shower of mist touched him one last time as he reached the line that sectioned off the docks and the outskirts of Gotham. "Excuse me." The shadows pulled him in and he was gone. The sound of a zipper was heard and following came a thud on the ground. Movement of bushes and leaves were also heard before he came stepping out of the dark façade. "There." He had come out in civvies with his costume stashed away. He'd be back to get it after the discussion in the coffee shop. If he didn't he'd hear it from Bruce one way or another about being responsible; but enough of that. "You -did- bring a pair of civvies, right?" He quirked a brow.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti snickered. "One would think you'd be a bit better at handling rejection gracefully," she murmured in a bit of kid-sister temptation, and then dropped the teasing, moving off the docks herself. When he re-emerged, she snorted slightly at his question. "Yeah. I always pack ahead in the event of inter-dimensional travel, Dick." Her hands slid into her pockets, her scowl becoming more prominent. "I'm not a 'cape.' I don't do the quick-change thing. And I only take the make-up off when I sleep." She didn't want to chance Dick picking up on any resemblance to Bruce, but she had to admit, Dick being seen with the gothic freak, in the event anyone took notice of her later, might be bad. And knowing the price of revealed identities far too well... the scowl softened, and she pulled out a small packet of towelettes, tugging one out and removed the Goth war paint from her face. "This is the best I can offer..."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - He laughed once again and stared in amusement. "Your look is interesting, Marti. That's all I have to say. Oh, and that'll do. It's not like I asked you out to prom or something, so just relax and try to enjoy yourself. I think you deserve a break with all of this happening." He waved her down to follow. Conversation on the sidewalk wouldn't be so bad as there weren't many civilians to fend off when they pushed and shoved you out of their way. Having manners in this city was -very- foreign. You'd most likely get fined for doing such. Richard chortled at the thought and continued. "So yeah. Did you have any brothers or sisters in this dimension? Or are you an only child?"
- Martha_Wayne - Marti, hands restored to pockets, moved next to him, and hoping to deal with any further family questions in one fell swoop, she murmured, "Technically... Only child. My father was... well acquainted with Wayne. You and I were sort of raised together as a result. We grew out of the brother sister thing. We were fighting like cats and dogs the last time we spoke..." Pang of regret. Having rubbed the makeup off her face as best she could, and stripped off her gloves, Marti had done all she was able to assume a normal appearance. She felt naked as she sat across from Dick at a small table in the back corner of the shop, and the discomfort was mildly evident on her face. It wasn't just due to the make-up; it was sitting across the table from a ghost and trying to treat him as an utterly different person. That, and the fear of him deducing her identity, something Bruce wouldn't be happy about. Running her finger over the warm rim of the coffee cup, her piercing blue gaze fixed itself somewhere across the shop. "So...." she uttered in the awkward silence, then smirked at herself. "You can tell... I don't do this often."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - His mug was lowered just enough so that his eyes were positioned over the brim of the coffee mug. "I can tell." Richard smiled and sat the mug on the table and wiped the coffeestache off his upper lip. "Just…relax. Order another cup if you want. It's on me." His fingers curled around the mug and he tilted his head back. Mmm. Perfect. Just what he needed to stimulate the brain a little longer. Strands of raven fell in front of his blue orbs, reading the menu. "Hungry? Might as well get something to eat while we're here. I have nothing back in Bludhaven save a bag of Doritos, pop, and other essentials." He continued to read the menu, eyeing the chicken noodle soup more than once. "So…" He paused, thinking. "I have a feeling you haven't told me -everything- just yet; and we're not leaving until I hear it all."
- Martha_Wayne - "I knew this was a bad idea." She sighed, and then reluctantly moved her gaze to him. Marti started to speak, then picked up a menu herself. It was quickly dismissed. "Soup would be nice." Her gaze found its way back to him. Meeting his eyes, she smirked slightly again, changing the subject, though not greatly. "You're different than... well. What I'm accustomed to. So's he. It's somewhat disturbing to realize that one's own existence tainted the people around you so greatly..." Trailing off, the smirk faded. "You're right. There's a lot I'm keeping from you. Please try and understand, it's not out of mistrust, or malice. It's just... Not thinking about it is how I stay sane. I opened that can of worms once, and I nearly took out half the town and myself in an unforgivable attempt at revenge... I'm hoping that time on Themyscira will give me the space to figure out the difference between justice and vengeance. Maybe when that happens, I'll be able to come back and tell you everything." She half closed her eyes, and then changed the subject again. "Y'know the one thing that didn't change at all? Alfred. The old man's exactly the same..."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - "Then it's decided." He said, then threw his arm into the air and waved down a waitress. "Oh dear." He knew that look. It was the same, seductive gaze he received from all beautiful women as himself and Nightwing. His cheeks blushed, and then slowly passed with a miffed expression as she ran her hip into his shoulder. "Oh, I'll clean that up. What would you like?" A speedy glance was given to Marty and then back at the waitress. "Yeeah…" He paused, eyeing the menu. "Two chicken noodle soups. Heavy on the vegetables on one, light on the broth. Extra crackers too, please." The menu was closed and handed to her. "Will that be all?" Still miffed, he mumbled, "Two waters, and a coffee refill." She nodded, turned, and swayed her sculpted hips from side to side to place the order. "Tramp." Dick mumbled under his breath. As she began to speak, he knew he was going too far with this. Considerate he was not. It was like compelling her to speak against her own will. Aptly the right choice of words would to be apologizing; but as she got over it, it seemed unnecessary at the current moment. "Alfred? Heh. I don't think he'll ever change, regardless of alternate universes. Through endless altercations Bruce and I had, he'd always be there. Encouraging me, letting me know that everything would be okay. He's like a second father to me. That's the -only- thing in Gotham I miss. The rest of it can go to Hell." He momentarily rolled his eyes, picked up his mug, took a swig, sat it back down, and continued. "Well from the way you hint it I can tell this other…me…isn't like me at all. I don't want to go too deep into detail. I'd rather you stay sane. I want my soup."
- Martha_Wayne - Marti got that irritating kid-sister look in her eyes as she watched Dick and the waitress. When the woman had left, she couldn't help but murmur, "Want me to get her number for you?" Sipping her remaining coffee to gain control over her smirk, even if the amusement still reflected in her eyes, she finally said, "Or alternatively, the next time she comes over and oogles I'll act out the jealous girlfriend routine - y'know. Slap her and throw a glass of water in her face?" The amusement turned something wistful. "I know this is a first meeting, of sorts, but this is more the way I wished things would have been..." her eyes wandered back across the room, having clouded slightly, and she murmured, "Like the way it was when we were kids..." and fell silent.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - He almost sprayed Marti with coffee at the comment; but swallowed it just in time to catch his breath. "Do that before we leave. I haven't laughed good in a while." Another sip was taken and placed back down. Just as Marti began to talk Whore Incarnate came twitching right on over. A relaxed, yet amusing glance was thrown Marti's way and he held in the laughter. "Two soups. Two waters. Coffee refill. I'll be back in a jiffy." She batted her curling black eyelashes, planted toe in floor, and spun around all Valleygirl-esque. Dick shook his head. Tramp. He dismissed the mug and placed the spoon between his fingers. The steam rising into his face warned him of its hotness. With a bit of reluctance he managed to get in a spoonful. "Aaaaah." The spoon dropped onto the table, followed by him wiping the drooling soup coming out of his mouth. "Bitch. She could've warned me it was -that- hot." He grabbed his napkin and wiped around his mouth. That awkward feeling after getting your tongue scorched lingered on for a while after repeated sips of ice water to numb it. "Like the way it was when we were kids…" Dead silence filled the void of utter surprise. "W-wha…what did you just say?" And he thought only stuff like this was on Jerry Springer.
- Martha_Wayne - "Well. It -is- soup, Dick, one would think..." she chuckled lightly as he sipped the water. Her amusement faded as he fixated on her previous wistful remark, and she lowered her gaze to her soup, and her voice dropped so that it would carry no further than Dick's ears. "I told you, Dick. We... He and I... were raised together from the moment Mister Wayne adopted him. Thick as thieves, Alfred used to say. Anything he learned he taught me... Until father and Bats made it clear I wasn't getting involved. Father was furious and sent me to boarding school to keep us apart. The first summer when I got back, he wouldn't even speak to me, other than what was mandated by politeness... The more I tried the harder I got kicked aside. I was furious with them all..." her voice choked, and she became suddenly intensely interested in her soup, poking at it with her spoon. Martha Wayne had no tears left to shed, but damn if the feelings weren't still there. She'd been furious with them all, and she'd responded by going out of her way to repay them misery for misery. And then they'd died. No chance to make anything up or set anything right. Ever.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - He couldn't do anything other than sit and listen. Speaking just wasn't an option. His brain wasn't catching the signal fast enough. Flabbergasted. That's just what he was. Flabbergasted. In his mind speaking to himself, it was phenomenal that something this queer and almost impossible took place. It made him think no doubt. Static under the impression that this was all too surreal. He would pinch himself, but he was immobile. His ignorant judgment on Marti was becoming amorphous. There was no enduring decision. This was the same malicious chick that he met a few hours ago that ran into physical altercation with him on a rooftop; and now they were here, at Starbucks, chatting, smiling, and laughing. How ignorant could he be? This is a girl coming from a chaotic and near unimaginable life. Who's had her entire family destroyed. And he has the nerve to make judgment on her? Gah. He started to dislike himself for such a thing. Leaving his musings alone, he came back into reality. "Marty, I want to apologize. To you, I might have done nothing…but I know what I've done, and I just need to say I'm sorry." It felt like the world was off his shoulders. Now back to the deducing. "This is all too surreal, Marty. I'm sorry, I just don't believe I'm hearing this."
- Martha_Wayne - Dick's use of the word 'surreal' made her consider for once how it wasn't just her that was feeling the twilight zone effect. "Don't Dick. Don't apologize. I should... there was really no excuse for earlier... You're nothing like him. Not as cold as he is..." she trailed off, the finally managed to raise her gaze. "Not yet, at least. And I hope you won't ever be. I'd hate to have to beat the hell out of you when I get back from Paradise..." Her look flickered to the side, and she sighed softly. "I'm half tempted to ask if I might stay..." she shook her head. "But I have to go. No point dwelling on the what-might-be's. Anyway. Thanks, Dick. Somehow all this has helped."
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - He sulked at her apology and shook his head; but opted against saying something. "Well then…" He said, excusing himself from the table. "When you get back you have to tell me about this other me. It's probably best you go to sort things out. You look like you need a vacation and I won't hold you here with my stubbornness." He didn't want her to go. There were more questions that needed answered, but he couldn't be obstinate. A gesture came forth from his arm as he flagged down the waitress. "Before you go…" He picked up his glass of water and handed it to Marty. "Amuse me." He winked, sat, and waited for the waitress to come over.
- Martha_Wayne - "It's not so much of a vacation as it is a... necessary quest..." But there was no explaining that. Marti adopted a look of innocence as she took the glass of water from him, though her blue eyes glittered with a sadistic sort of amusement. The amusement was gone by the time the waitress reached the table, and Marti looked sincerely irked by the woman's presence. When the waitress batted her eyelashes at Dick inquiring if they wanted anything else, she took that as her opportunity. What followed was quick, loud, very undignified, and ended with the waitress soaking wet and running off in tears. Trying not to let her amusement show, Marti stalked out of the cafe to wait for Dick outside.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - Dick left the payment on the table plus a tip and took off after Marti in style. A few table hops and a front flip off of the counter left gaping mouths open and then some, then he was out the door. His hand rested on his stomach as he kneeled over in a storm of laughter, trying desperately to catch what little breath he had left as he entered the open evening. That had made his week. After all he's been through he needed that laugh. "Phew." He wiped tears from his eyes and regained equanimity. "Well…" It came begrudgingly, "I guess this is goodbye. For now, of course." He nodded, having little to add to their last words together. He had SO many questions to ask, but none of them could be answered; and above all, he wanted to get to know Marti and her world better. But that would have to wait unfortunately.
- Martha_Wayne - Marti shared in his laughter. She hadn't laughed like that in years, and it felt good. But all good things had to come to an end. And it did. She found herself studying him, not quite certain what to say at first. At length, she half smiled. "I promise not to become a total femme-nazi, or whatever... Look. Don't know how long it'll be before I'm allowed to leave, if I ever am, but... I'll pay you a visit. Someday." She started to offer her hand, and then quite uncharacteristically changed her mind and somewhat awkwardly embraced him. She released him quickly and backed away, ducking her head so her hair fell to cover her slightly pink cheeks. "Sorry. I just... No reason we need to follow in the cold and forbidding footsteps of our fathers, huh? G'bye, Dick." With that, she turned and made for the docks without looking back.
- Richard_Nightwing_Grayson - He nodded. There was nothing more to say. All had been done, and there was nothing left to give. Just as she turned he reached out his arm but tentatively retrieved it. It was better to just leave it at these goodbyes and not add more wood to the fire. Sulking some, he too turned, and in Nightwing-fashion, disappeared into the darkness with a thought trailing in his mind saying, "Until we meet again, Marti. Until we meet again."