[Text] means translated from a language

Daitan'na: Grit of Gotham

Chapter Five:

Compliance and Alliance

I'm alone. With three dragon eggs. On top of a hill.

Tears were still wet on my cheeks as the clouds finally came together after Tengoku Ryuu's departure. The ground sealed up again and Jigoku Ryuu was now back where he came from. They entrusted me with their children. Now I have a different responsibility.

To nurture dragons and try not to get killed doing it.

But why, oh why would they leave me here? This place is deserted. How am I going to be able to feed myself and these dragons when they hatch?

"[Where am I?!]" I yelled in Japanese, as if the heavens could answer me. Everywhere I looked there were mountains and mountains stretching beyond.

"[You're in Kunlun Shan of China, my dear.]"

I nearly jumped at the voice. When I turned I saw nobody. I looked down from the edge of the mountain and with squinted eyes, saw a blur of a small figure.

"[Why don't you come down? I prepared tea.]"

"Tomoe, can you please come here for a while?"

I bookmarked the tome I've been leafing through about the history of China and headed into the kitchen where Wei-san was. I sat across her at the dinner table and studied what she had in her hands.

Two empty silver lockets on simple silver chains.

"In case we are ever separated we can use these to guide us back to each other," She said, opening a locket. "These lockets are charmed to recognize a person and track their whereabouts by their blood. If you do not mind, can I draw some blood from you?"

I held out my arm. With a small blade she sliced into my skin very slowly. Once the locket was full with the thick, scarlet liquid, she closed it and took it by the chain it's on. She wore it around her neck. I wiped up the blood and put a Band-Aid over it as the same procedure followed with the cut on her arm. She encased her blood in the other locket and handed me the necklace.

As it rested on my chest I felt the locket grow very hot. I stared at it in wonder. I looked at hers and saw it was also burning a brilliant red color over her bottle green blouse.

"Amazing!" I exclaimed.

"Now we'll never lose each other."

When I woke up this morning, the bed across the room was empty. It gave me a chill down my spine. Wei-san wakes up extra early everyday but something about the empty bed told me she hasn't been in it.

I made breakfast for the two of us. Maybe she had to fetch herself some ingredients for a new brew. Her basket and cloak were not by the door. She never goes out without them. So I supposed she will come back soon.

Two hours later, still no sign of her return. I drank the tea, ate the pork dumplings by myself, and stored her meal away. I tried to focus on finishing the tome about ancient China but my mind was still distracted with Wei-san's absence. This was the first time she left without informing me. Of course I felt uneasy.

Early afternoon. I was playing with Dokutokuna, sitting on the back of Moretsuna. I found out he can just about eat anything. His stomach is bottomless, he said. A great place to hide something. Moretsuna scoffed and said the ability was useless. Dokutokuna, unfazed, said he wouldn't heal Moretsuna if he were wounded. Gankona remarked he didn't have the heart not to.

Early evening. I haven't made dinner. I became horribly worried. I wanted to go out and look for her but the necklace was producing enough warmth to assure me she was still in the country, perhaps a province neighboring Xinjiang. I sat at the table, waiting, staring at the clock, and wringing my hands. Dokutokuna was sleeping on my shoulder. He said he'd stay up all night for her return so a rest now would be good. He really is a kind soul.

Wei-san came back an hour before midnight. I was asleep but I heard Dokutokuna hissing in my ear. I didn't move until he bit on my fingers.

"Ow!"

"Tomoe?" A figure moved into the bedroom and flipped the lights on.

"Wei-san?" I said drowsily. "Wei-san!"

I flung my arms around her. "I thought you left me."

She chuckled. "I was only gone for twenty four hours, Tomoe. I'm sorry I left without telling you. I had something to do and I didn't want you involved."

"You don't need help with anything?"

"You've done just enough. Did you use the necklace?"

"No, I…It was slightly warm so I knew you were still in the country," I answered. "I was considering going out and looking for you. I was dreadfully worried."

"But I'm here now…let's get some sleep, shall we?"

"I'm here to help."

Batman's face doesn't change but I know he didn't see it coming. Jason is behind me. He took me here, a strange, dark place below the Wayne Manor. Batman doesn't respond to me and instead looks at Jason.

"What happened?"

"Another accident. The witch gave life to stuffed toys in Gotham's Toy Box, along with the intent to eat us. Tomoe here was at the scene."

"I felt her mark," I say quietly. "Like you said, Batman. The tenor, the character in the air. It really was her…"

I've been contemplating with mixed feelings all day yesterday till this afternoon. I couldn't sleep at night because even though the truth laid bare to me, I wanted to convince myself, tear through the wall of affection for Wei-san, to accept the uncompromising reality. Jason has been trying to help as much as he could but I know he kept his distance for good reasons. I had to overcome it myself. They've said enough and I believe them. I know I can trust them—for real. Jason said he isn't the most persuasive person in the bunch but what really pushed me towards going to Batman at last was his understanding. He wasn't forcing me to reach an answer, he didn't expect me to have everything worked out inside. He was just…there. I like that about him.

Wei-san might not be who I think she is. Perhaps Jason is right about that. But if that's true, then I want to know who she is. I want to ask her why she would do this. If she needed help, why didn't she ask me? If she wanted to travel across the world and terrorize Gotham, why didn't she tell me? There's good in her, I know. Five years with her, I would know. Whatever she's facing, her inner demons or actual demons, mental illness or bizarre phase, I want to help. But first, I need to know.

I look at his half-hidden face determinedly. "Let me help you get to her. I need answers."

After a few seconds of ringing silence and piercing gazes Batman finally opens his mouth.

"If you are going to work with us, you need to know some rules. You can't go revealing your identity to everyone, which you have been doing a lot. We don't know whom Wei Zhihao is working with. We don't know the people you met here in Gotham. We don't know if those people are working with Wei Zhihao. You need another identity and maybe even a mask because you are not safe. She could be sending out people to keep an eye on you or to even annihilate you."

"Then why didn't she do it herself back in China, in the seclusion of our home?" I question, raising my eyebrows. "My safety is the last of our worries, Batman, it's the city."

"We have a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe we'll get some answers from you. And I'm aware you know who Red Hood is under the mask. Though it was reckless of him to disclose that informa—"

"Batman, it was my decision. She wouldn't have trusted me if I didn't tell her and it was only fair," Jason speaks up from the shadows. "And I'm still here, you know."

"I'm perfectly fine without knowing your face under the cowl or your name without the cape, Batman," I say with a scowl. "As long as we can work together."

"You cannot tell anyone about this place or the people you work with. We work hard to protect ourselves as well," Batman turns to his big computer screen. "While we do keep our secrets, we have to find out more about you to get Wei Zhihao. Do you comply?"

"Depends on what you're asking," I frown. "If you want to know about how her magic works you're not getting much out of me."

"Fair enough. We just need to know her weaknesses, her strengths, and her…habits. But first, work on the name you will go under from now on. You must not walk the streets of Gotham like an average…person."

"Oh, um, about that… I got into this country illegally, I just realized," I point out. "Not going to rat me out?"

"No. Maybe not now."

"He's funny," I tell Jason as we walk up the stairs we came down from. "What is this place, anyway?"

"The Batcave. A hush-hush location where the real business goes down." Jason says, widening his eyes to emphasize.

"Very cool. I swear I won't tell anyone…even if I had someone to tell….So, my other identity. Does it mean I can't call myself Tomoe anymore?"

"Yup. We all got cool names here. Red Hood, Batman, Robin, Red Robin (I know, really creative), Nightwing or Agent 37 or whatever…can't be hard to name you."

We stop at the hall and he studies me from head to toe. I shift my weight to my left leg awkwardly.

"Dragon Girl."

I make a face. "Awful. Doesn't sound fitting."

"Hm, yeah you're right. Dragon Baby suits your tastes more?"

"You're a dick."

"Now that's just Nightwing."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Dragon Warrior?"

"Kung Fu Panda fan much?"

"Dragon Princess?"

"Thank you but I'm not royalty."

"Dragon Chick."

"Now that just sounds misogynistic."

"Dragon Lassie!"

"What does that even mean? Okay, it doesn't have to have dragon in it," I roll my eyes. "Just one word would sound catchy…something you don't hear a lot."

We ponder in silence. Jason is still snickering from the names he suggested. I kick him in the shin and he stops.

"We should start calling you vixen," Jason mutters. "I'm going to grab something to eat. You coming?"

"Uh-huh…"

I follow him into the kitchen. Robin is in there, eating lunch and Alfred at the sink, washing dishes. When he sees me there he raises his eyebrows really high. He drops his sandwich and gets off the stool.

"What is she doing here?" He asks, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Chill, Robin," Jason says, sitting down. "She's with us now."

"What?"

"Oh, he said I'm working you guys now." I say but I know Robin heard Jason.

"How? Did Batman tell her—"

"I did. She understands the situation now."

"Oh, does she?" Robin sneers. "I'm not fooled. What if she's here to infiltrate? Get our secrets and go whisper it somewhere else?"

Okay, he really has to stop talking like I'm not here.

Jason coughs. "I doubt it and besides, you're the one who brought her here first."

"Yeah, because I wasn't sure whether she was involved."

"Look, Robin, it was hard for me to make this decision but I'm here now," I shrug. "We don't have to hate each other."

He scoffs and returns to his meal. "Where's your dragon anyway?"

"Dokutokuna? Right here," I say and said dragon materializes in front of me. I can tell Robin is interested in my little friends from the way he looks at them. "Do you have any friends like these, Robin?"

"One," He says. "Goliath."

I smile. "Maybe my dragon friends and Goliath can meet up some day." I notice I'm talking as if I'm staying here forever.

"Hnnh," Robin observes Dokutokuna as he nears him. He hesitantly sticks out his palm and the little dragon rests on it, staring back at him with large olive eyes. I smile, watching them as Jason chats with Alfred. Although Robin puts up this tough guy façade, he's just too on edge sometimes. I wish he'd smile more but I don't know him…what he has gone through.

"You want a sandwich?" Jason asks me.

"Yeah, sure, thanks."

"His stomach is bottomless," I tell Robin. "Wanna try it out?"

Robin grabs a spoon. "He eats just about anything?"

"Well, he swallows just about anything."

The spoon disappears down Dokutokuna's throat. The curious boy grabs another one. Down it goes. Three more spoons later Alfred says Robin will have to clean them after Dokutokuna hurls them back up. I laugh.

"Don't worry, Alfred, Dokutokuna's body doesn't work that way. The undigested substances go down the esophagus to a different chamber, not the stomach that breaks down masticated food. I just call it his stomach because I have no idea what it is so the only thing you'll have to clean away is his saliva. I've seen him cough them back up. Robin, you can drop in all the spoons you have in the house, it's simply bottomless."

"Fascinating," He comments. "How on Earth does it work? His mass or size is not increasing at all."

"Call it magic, call it unprecedented or unscientific but it's real, alright. He swallowed me before just to prove it. Came back out covered in spit," I say, glad that got something other than a glare or a grimace out of the boy. "This skill might sometimes come off as inessential to our cases but his healing powers I'm forever grateful to. The poor guy gets degraded around his siblings but I think he's special." I kiss the top of his little purple head.

"His brother and sister sure are special as well…what are their names again? More-what?" Jason asks, struggling to pronounce Moretsuna's name.

"Moretsuna, the red one. Gankona, the blue one. Long, yes, but I wanted to name them for what they are in Japanese. Moretsuna means ferocious. Gankona means tenacious. And Dokutokuna, is my unique little buddy."

"Well, aren't you discreet about favoritism?" Robin says drily.

"If you can name your dragons why can't you name yourself?" Jason smirks. "C'mon, Dragon Lassie sounds pretty heroic."

"Oh, quiet," I puff out, munching on my sandwich. "I'll come up with something. I want it to be special, to define me."

"Prudish?"

"Stop it."