Summary:Starfire gives her answer to Batman's request. And then she learns how a credit card works. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
  |
It had taken a few days for Kori to think about Batman's suggestion. To blow her 'cover', so to speak, and particularly to do so in order to… what? Bring the fight to strange invaders and enemies? Unify a ragtag group of metahumans?
To be a hero?
But in the end she *had* decided, and requested Batman meet her on the roof of a modest ten-story building near the edge of the bay. The lights of Manhattan glimmer against the dark waters, the moon hidden behind low clouds but the endless listless glimmer of headlights from thousands of cars providing a constant illumination.
She floats in midair, sixteen inches above the rough asphalt patch on the roof. Kori isn't wearing civilian clothing, for once. Silver and purple, made of some alien synthetic material that flexes like silk and shimmers like metal. Patches of missing material on the long sleeves expose her arms, but the bared midriff and exposed thigh between shorts and boots make it substantially less than 'modest' attire.
Her hair flows behind her with an utter diffidence for gravity's pull, the last few feet of her waist-length hair curling and rolling through the air like a lava lamp. Her features are thoughtful, even sternly composed as she waits for Batman to arrive.
The pneumatic hiss of a grapple line announces Batman's arrival at the tower. The line's retracted as the fluttering of the cape announces the arrival of the viligante in black and grey. Rising back to his full height, he knows he's only slightly shorter that the alien woman - but she's floating - and he reads that as he settles his arms to his side, his gaze and what's available of his face set in grim neutrality.
There's no sidekick with him tonight. Apparently he left the Bat to Teen translator at home as he puts the communicator away and waits for Starfire to speak.
Kori looks over her shoulder at the sound. Batman's given a politely regal nod and the alien pivots in the air to face him. A few moments later, she reconsiders, and lands on the ground just out of arm's reach. Asphalt *crunches* under the point of her bootheels.
"Good evening, Mister Batman," Koriand'r says with her usual courteousness. "Thank you for meeting me here." If the rooftop's an inconvenience for him, it clearly didn't occur to Kori. "I have considered your offer."
"Koriand'r." There's a chuff of breath from the man as his posture settles. "I had assumed - since you contacted me." comes Batman's response as he tilts his head to the side just a little. His lenses watch the woman as she gets situated on the rooftop. His arms don't move from his sides. "And what decision have you come to?" he asks her finally.
Kori hesitates, framing her words carefully in thought. She's a deliberate person this way, despite her seemingly flippant naievete at times. "My home star system was conquered and millions of my people displaced from our home planet and neighboring sectors," she tells Batman. "I have been living as a refugee for a long time. More cycles of rest than I can recall. Earth was intended to be a temporary delay while I moved on to the next location," she explains. "A provincial, undeveloped planet seemed too primitive for long-term plans."
A hand gestures at the skyline. "I do not wish to leave, though. I am not thinking about the next stop or how to work for transport. I am thinking about my tomato plants. My friends. My school. I do not wish to see them harmed, and there have been times that I have been able to prevent harm coming to them."
"You are a citizen of this planet. Albeit a very strange one," she tells Batman. "I believe you are an individual with integrity and a sense of loyalty. I do not believe I am the best person for this idea of a 'team', for many reasons. Yet, if no one else will do it, then the obligation of leadership falls to the one who *can* lead."
She nods at Batman. "So yes. I accept your offer."
Stepping to the edge of the building, Batman listens to the words as Starfire says them. More importantly, he's listening to the inflection of her voice, the parts of the story she may be masking or leaving out. Pieces of a puzzle to be filled in later. "Earth can be more demanding than anything you faced before, Koriand'r." he responds to her. "Out there among the stars? That was never going to be my place - but I've found myself brought into it more times than I can count."
"We've tried teams before. You'll have a good history to pull from on what works. And what doesn't. As I told you, this isn't my team. My people are soldiers. I learned a long time ago, children with powers can make terrible soldiers - but they react better with peers. I think you could be a leader. If you allow yourself to be."
Then when she says she accepts his offer, he nods. "The first thing we need to do then is find you a new place to stay. Either as your home. Or your headquarters. Do you have a plan on who you would like with you?" he asks. Already, he's lifting one of his gauntlets and opening it, to bring up a small holoscreen that brings up his database to the Batcomputer.
Koriandr's quiet at Batmans' assessment of her ability. She's playing it close to the vest, though it'd take someone with Batman's seasoned experience to get a 'read' on her. Not fear of the mantle of authority. Fear of… something else? It's vague, but profound, no matter how deep-buried.
"I have considered a few people," Kori agrees, and nods twice at Batman. "Some of them were with me when the Klenmach abducted us. They fought very courageously even when they could have made with the fleeing." She steps closer to Batman and peers at his holoscreen quizzically, leaning forward with hands behind her back. "I do not have all of their names, but I remember their faces. I can inquire with SHIELD if they will tell me who was present, if it would help?"
"It would. If they're willing to share the information. Don't push too hard. They'll assume that you're up to something. Use the social media, if you need to. Tell them you'd like to talk to them about what happened if they were there." Batman suggests, as he finishes what he was working on the small pad. "What all are you going to want for a startup?" he asks, his attention turning to her. "I have the resources and contacts to secure what you are going to need to get this off the ground, but it's going to start with you - and you're going to need seed money."
Taking out a small card from a pouch, he inserts it into the ganuntlet computer, and starts to make an imprint. "How public or not you want to make this team is up to you. But I will tell you that I believe that it was the Avengers being as public as they were that started the first wave of registration a decade ago. I'd like to have you not go through the same."
"I know there are people who… are trying to live a 'normal' life," Kori tells Batman. "Despite this, they wear colorful masks and try to stop criminals from hurting people. Many of them might wish the comfort of a team that will help guard their identity."
"Beyond that, I am… not sure," Kori admits. "I know well the value of symbolism. The Avengers bring hope because of their prominence. But they pay for that with their openness and public charter. Would your government not frown on another such group, if we rejected that authority? We might have to trade the symbolism of the Avenger's tower for a more discreet location," she says, fretting her cheek worridly.
"That's one of the things you're going to need to decide, Koriand'r. You can't hide behind a mask. You stand out. Perhaps, in that way - you /are/ their beacon." he points out to her, as Batman pops the card out of the slot and presents it to her. It looks like a standard credit card, just in all black, except for the gold chip in it. "I was in the Avengers. There's very few people that knew who I am underneath this cowl. It's hard to balance the two."
"You are going to bring a response regardless - it is just what people will see." After she takes the card, a smile slips into that usually stern expression. It's one of sympathy, he knows what she's about to put herself into. "If you ever need me, I will not be more than a call away, though." And while he may want to offer Shadow to the team, that's not his place to do it. "You'll find fifty thousand in credit on that card. That's your start. When you find your place - your mission, let me know, and I'll prepare the rest."
Koriand'r takes the card and stares at it. It's hefted. Then she looks at Batman… and bites the corner of it.
"I do not think this is fifty thousand of anything, let alone credit cards. I think this is one credit card." She brightens suddenly. "Oh! No, I have seen these! It is one of those pieces of puzzles that you can take apart and reassemble, is it not?" she asks, and promptly starts trying to figure out how to take the card apart.
There could have /possibly/ been a smile. Batman's hand reaches out, and closes over Starfire's before she rips the card alot. "Have you ever been shopping?" he asks. "When someone asks you cash or charge." he gestures to the card. "That would be the charge. You give the person the card, they swipe it and then will return it to you. But you will need to keep up with your spending." Becuase it's a tax write off for Bruce, after all.
"I'm surprised that they don't teach this to the new aliens when they process through SHIELD." He may just have to go have a talk with them.
Kori lets Bruce take the credit card back, looking disappointed. His explanation brightens her dim expression. "Oh! It is a card of the credit!" she says, looking pleasantly surprised to discover something new. "Yes, these were mentioned to me when I arrived," she tells Batman. "But my English was very proficient and I did not understand what the placement agent. And your currency is very silly, it's all fragile paper that has no utility at all. It just seemed simpler to pay with cash for everything. /I/ keep mine under my mattress," she says, proudly.
"But this will make things much easier. Except— I am confused, you said they will steal my card from me, then return it?" she asks, looking confused. "And I do not think I could do anything but keep the upness with my spending. If I get ahead of my spending, I must have forgotten my credit card, yes?"
She blinks. "Ah-hah! But if I get BEHIND my spending, then someone must have stolen my card!"
"There, I knew I would figure it out," she beams.
"No. Someone tells you how much you are spending, you swipe the card in a machine.. and.." Batman considers, and lets out a breath. "I never thought I'd have to teach a teenager about spending." he admits, amusement on the edge of his voice. Looking down at the street, he finds what he's looking for. Some dangerous criminal? Some shadow in the night looking to be a n'er do well? "Follow me?"
He takes out his grapple and fires it, swinging down towards the street. As he lands, he does so in a crouch so that it doesn't kill his knees, as he comes back to his feet before his target.
A late night hot dog stand. On the window, it proudly displays the credit cards it takes. "I'll have two all the way." When the dogs are made, he reaches in a pouch to take out a card - unmarked, and swipes it through the card reader. It rings up the purchase, and Batman declines the receipt as he offers the hot dogs to Starfire. "Like that."
"I am unsure if the word 'teenager' applies to me," Kori confesses. She floats down after Batman and once on the ground, forgets to stop hovering for a while.
It's probably a weird day for the vendor. Batman wants two fully loaded dogs and a flying alien supermodel is tagging along with him.
"Oh, I see!" She eyes the hot dogs in her hands, then the vendor staring at the two of them, then the credit card in Batman's hand.
She opens her mouth and shoves the entire hot dog in. One go. "Aahrrhgfflfmhph." It's hard to tell if she's distending her jaw or just dislocated it, but the hot dog disappears in about two seconds and four chewing motions.
Then she does it again.
Dainty fingers retrieve a napkin and she wipes her face clean then ceremoniously disposes of the napkin in the trash. The credit card's dug out and whipped towards the vendor at the full extension of her arm.
"I will have two of the all the way dogs, with the ways all dogged," she proclaims.
Making note of her behavior, Batman can only just give a little shake of his head as the alien woman shows down on the dogs. And then orders two more. The vendor looks confused between the two of them, then finally shrugs. "Seven dollars, lady." he comments, when Starfire presents the card.
It's taken from the woman's hand, swiped through the machine and then once it's one, the card and reciept are presented to Starfire.
Once taken, he also presents the two overloaded hot dogs to Starfire for her to enjoy.
Current balance: 49,993.00.
Hopefully she won't spend it all on hot dogs.
But when Starfire turns - Batman's no longer there. Lesson's over - and she has her start up. The next moves are on her.