2019-09-16 - We Work Together

Summary:

Damian decides to find out how some of the other Bats live.

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Mon Sep 16 04:11:04 2019
Location: Clocktower

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

None

barbara-gordondamian-waynedick-grayson

The Clocktower is not known as anything more than a relic of a time past. It was once a museum of sorts, the paraphenalia still set out in the lobby on the ground floor. What most don't know is the upper floors are tenanted. The uppermost being Oracles bastion with display screens and a desk, plus an area to work out in. The next level down, living quarters.

Babs Gordon is in the monitoring room today - it's late afternoon, too early for the Bats to start their patrols but not too early for her and Oracle to be chasing leads.

While Oracle crunches data, Babs is exercising, going through forms with her escrima sticks. Ken Harada had given her some exercises to do and she's doing them. Nothing like stretching ones skill.

Any of the Bats have access here - and all are welcome to come visit.


Well, an open invitation is an open invitation.

Robin was not working with Batman this time around, instead the big boss giving Robin some independance as part of his training as a member of the Bat Family. He had stopped four muggings around the city, but decided he wanted to learn perhaps just a little bit more about the Family's resident internet highway mastermind.

So, he descends from the ceiling of the clocktower, landing silently on his feet in a crouched position as he stands up to his full height, lowering his hood and taking off his domino mask. After all, the Family knew who was in the family. Secret identity or no.

"Batgirl." Damian greets. They haven't met personally yet, so it was time to remedy that flaw in the group.


The redhead doesn't startle as Damian descends. He can be sure she knew of his arrival the moment his feet hit the roof of the building. Finishing the set, the woman in leggings and a t-shirt with a wonder woman logo turns to the youth. "Robin. I was wondering when you'd come calling. I never see enough of the family."

She's teasing, he can tell by the way her lips pull up at the corners.

"Call me Babs when we're here. To what do I owe the honour?"

He can tell there's a stiffness to her movements. Her back and hips not moving quite as they should and yet she compensates fairly well. Not an accomplished fighter like many of the Bats but more than adequate.


Damian seems to look at Barb even when she teases him. "From the family's general invitations to others, including myself, this doesn't surprise me." It was true. Batman had a habit of taking in certain individuals under his wing. Usually giving them the name 'Robin' while he's at it. But, Damian approaches either way, stopping a respectful few feet away from the currently training Batgirl.

"Babs." Damian repeats. "Then I suppose you can call me Damian. I do not have a shorter nickname, at present." But he's certain one of the more witty members of the family can make one up for him. "The honor has no purpose but to simply understand my teammate."

Damian was not one to dance around the subject.

"I understand that you are gifted in information gathering and hacking, to such that you might stand in a league all of your own in the field?" Straightforward indeed, but this question does seem to bring a smile to Damian's lips.


"I'm sure we'll find a suitable nickname for you. Dick has a habit of doing so." There's a variety of training weapons stacked in the racks that line the wall though Babs does draw her exercise to a halt as she looks at the youth.

"You're doing well in your training I see." And she does see just about everything that goes on on the streets of Staten. "Last night you did well not attack the Samurai but be certain of the situation. Though, I admit to understanding the urge myself."

And he'd asked if Damian had been one of 'hers' one of her 'orphans'. What had he meant by that?

"Gifted? I know some say that I am. I think it's more that being in the chair for so long gave me time to develop abilities when I wasn't able to do other things. But I'm good, if that's what you're asking. You've spoken to Oracle, they were my creation."

"I'm glad you decided to visit, I've been curious about one of the newest additions to the family."


Dick Grayson bumps the door open with his hip while stuffing a slice of pizza into his face with one hand and holding a third open box of said pizza in the other, "Got viddles!" he says, though it comes out more like 'Foth withthbles!' as he talks around cheese, veggies, and assundry cured meat products. There's also a brown bag tucked away in his pocket with a conspicuous wine bottle esque glass neck thrusting up from it's crumpled open end.

He pauses, folded slice half way to his mouth and eyes the room, "Thrumper wumperthumpin'?" he asks curiously. Interupting something?


Damian narrows his eyes. "When he's not flirting with everything that moves, then perhaps he will." SPEAKING of Grayson, when he arrives Damian doesn't seem surprised. "Speak his name…" Damian begins the figure of speech but doesn't finish it, though he does look over to Barbara.

"Just because I have little training with the Family's methods, does not mean that I have no training." He was trained for some time before he made his own decision to follow a better path. His father's path.

"But thank you. Your words are kind. If you are curious, what do you wish to know?"

To Dick, somehow Damian manages to decipher his mouth-full talk. "Not presently."


"Trust me, Dick can still come up with nicknames, even if he's distracted by a pretty face." Babs is amused and puts her escrima sticks away. "Has anyone told you, you're a god, Dick?" Now she definitely teasing. "God, Damian. Not the devil. You met that one last night."

Silver Samurai wears a menpo in the guise of a demon.

"No, you're not. Damian was curious about rapunzel I think decided to brave the silvery tower and meet her." Oh yes, Babs is poking fun.

"Anything, everything? I'd like to know person that Damian Wayne is - I'm not sure that's something you can tell me."

Helping relieve Grayson of the box of pizza, Babs looks at the bottle in the bag. "For me?"


Dick Grayson nods his head at Babs as he swallows, "You. Often." he points out as he lets Babs sneak off with the box before fishing a bottle of wine out from his pocket and shucking it of it's paper bag covering. "What's up kiddo?" he asks Damian's direction, cheerful and smiling as he almost always is. "Pizza?" he offers, walking around the kitchen with an easy familiarity and fishing the bottle opener out of a drawer. "I'd say about half of it is." he answers Babs' query, grinning at her.

"Oh! Are we learning about Damian? Like a trivial pursuit, Bruce's Failed Relationships Edition? Cause I'm so down." he stuffs more pizza in his face.


Damian maintains a straight face even as Barbara starts pulling out the teases and the jokes, something that Damian isn't unused to. He seems to get the jokes as they come, but doesn't seem privy to joining them. Especially since he doesn't really -know- Dick and Barb enough to actually partake in a way that would maintain the air of the place. Never know when its too far, after all.

Though he does joke back to Dick, mimicking his voice - perfectly -. "Who are you calling 'kiddo'?" Okay, that might be kinda creepy, but Damian seems amused by it all the same. But he copied Dick's voice?!

He then looks towards Barbara. "Then I will await your analysis." he then, yes, moves to the kitchen to try and claim a slice of the pizza.


"That will by you, kiddo." Babs green eye dance as she teases. "Perhaps, Dick. I mean, if we were to discuss Bruces relationships up until Selina, we'd be here all day. I don't think we have that sort of time."

There's an ease in the way Dick and Babs interact. One that comes from years of knowing each other. It's more than friends, more than siblings and yet there's nothing more between them. "There's soda for the kiddo in the fridge."

Snagging a piece of pizza, she looks at the pair. "Are you two aware of what's happening on the streets?"


Dick Grayson points with the folded slice of pizza at Damian, "You. I thought that was obvious." he looks at Babs with vauge confusion on his face, "Was that not obvious?" another bite and a grin. Ventriliquism, not bad. Dick files that away in the ever expanding folder of 'random crap I know' cabinet somewhere in his head.

He makes a face, "Yeah, tell me about it." He shudders, "When you're in the mansion, knock before entering a room, that's all I'm saying. Knock." He stuffs more pizza in his mouth and shrugs at Babs, "Crime, shocking increase in the local ninja/samurai population, honestly I'm a bit behind the curve. Gibbs took a shower Tuesday and it shocked me so much I honestly lost track of all the days between then and now." He holds the slice between his teeth and pulls the cork on the bottle with a squeak and a pop!


Damian shakes his head softly. "Here I thought humor would grab you two." Damian sounds almost disappointed in the two of them as he crosses his arms lightly, but he does nom on some pizza, so he supposes this will work just fine. "Besides, I'm not a child." Damian says pointedly to the two.

Damian doesn't appear thirsty when Barbara once again calls him a kid and points him to the drink, shaking his head. At the question, he nods lightly.

"In short, a mess that hasn't been cleaned up."


"Truly? Gibbs took a shower! Was it a full moon?" Babs teases Grayson, waving the wine glass she's snagged from the counter in his direction. He's so /slow/. She knows better than to say to aloud though!

"It did grab us. You just haven't caught on to our dry sense of humour. You're younger than us, you're kiddo…" beat "But you're right, you're not a child which is why you're in the field and know the secrets of the Bat Family." That's a little more serious.

"Ninja/Samurai, drugs and now … someone is consolidating the gangs. Someone with a supernatural bent, we believe." That … she's going to leave sitting for a moment as she perches on the counter. Move carefully as her back twinges.


Dick Grayson shrugs at Babs in matched incredulity, "Honestly I think he might have had a date? Which frankly was more information then I'm currently equipped to handle. Hence my lack of local intel on the week." he lifts the bottle and pours, a heavy pour at that, wine into her glass. "Ha! Good one Babs." because not being a kid was a prerequisite for being in the field… when? Exactly?

"The usual suspects?" he asks curiously, "Cobblepot's been pretty quiet, as has everyone else as of late. Honestly, I think they're all just trying to keep their heads down, make some cash, not draw attention. Havn't had an uprising in awhile. Who's our Huckleberry?"


"My /name/ is Damian." Damian apparently has a strong dislike for being called 'kiddo'.

There's a bite in his words. Though he's probably the most tempermental of the Bats behind Jason, but he is probably the number one in terms of completely lacking proper social experience. He doesn't know how to make friends and he definitely doesn't know how to keep them.

But then Barb seems to agree that he's not a child, Damian seems to calm down.

"Have you tried the Hand?" Damian informs Barbara. "This seems to be in their wheelhouse. I did background checks on most of the thugs that you repeatedly put behind bars. Very few of them deal with any kind of mystic background."


"I know, I try." Babs winks at Dick as she sips from her glass. "But Damian is so boring… Kiddo, so much better until we decide something else. Dammo? Nah, that doesn't fit."

At the qeustions, Babs shakes her head. "They might be involved but they aren't behind this. This has to ties Greece, at the least. Several low level street gangs …" beat "Oracle, show that data please…"

The screens flare to life with the information.

"Night Hawks, everyday thugs who think they control this part of Staten." The map lights in one colour. "Phillips Razers - don't *ask* I don't name them - this part; and Victors Bruisers, this part. All small gangs with delusion of grandeur seem to have undergone … management changes. But there's nothing I can put finger on yet. It's like whoever is doing this is working their way up the ladder, perhaps, but they're keeping it low key enough that I *had* to *go looking* to find it."

Why exactly had she gone looking?

"It might be The Hand, Damian, but it's pretty small for them. Checking them out wouldn't be out of order though."

Speaking of children, Babs looks to Dick and gives him *that look*. The one that says she's done something he's going to tease for her. "Um. I have another protegee."


Dick Grayson pauses with pizza half way to his mouth and rolls his eyes so hard his head actually bobbles a bit with the force of it, "Alright Bruce, but if you're gonna stick to your naming theme I feel like you should keep it to harmless adorable birds. Name the next one Starling or Sparrow or something. Name it Eagle and Robin over there will get jealous." his tone drips a playful sarcasm, but he doesn't seem that worried. Babs is a grown ass woman, she can do with her life whatever she wants. She wants to collect strays and start a Gordon School For Lost Girls, who's he to judge?

He gnaws on the crust a bit and goes in search of a wine glass for himself and comes back with a plastic 50 cent fast food kids meal cast away cheapo cup, it has a cartoony Captain America on it's side, punching a robot in the face and the word 'KA-POW' written across the side, at least, where the image hasn't faded or flaked away. He pours his own dose of wine into said cup and leans back against the counter, "So. Someone's making a slow play," business talk now, "fair enough. Got a place to start?"


Damian mutters something under his breath about his father having the patience of a saint to tolerate these two. Dick specifically. But as Barbara seems to decide that kiddo is his name until they come up with something better, to say that Damian does not look pleased is an understatement, but at least he's mature enough to keep that matter on the side of the road. Either way, Damian goes quiet as Barbara explains the situation until she mentions that Damian might be right about the Hand.

"This is in their wheelhouse. It wouldn't hurt to investigate them." Damian looks over at Nightwing as he finally asks a question worth mentioning: where to start. Barbara would know, so he looks to her.


Damian mutters something under his breath about his father having the patience of a saint to tolerate these two. Dick specifically. But as Barbara seems to decide that kiddo is his name until they come up with something better, to say that Damian does not look pleased is an understatement, but at least he's mature enough to keep that matter on the side of the road. Either way, Damian goes quiet as Barbara explains the situation until she mentions that Damian might be right about the Hand.

"This is in their wheelhouse. It wouldn't hurt to investigate them." Damian looks over at Nightwing as he finally asks a question worth mentioning: where to start. Barbara would know, so he looks to her.


"This one named herself. Zeal. A slip of a thing with an interesting past. I might like some assistance to look into it, later." Babs rolls her eyes as Dick returns with the tumbler. "I have *real* wine glasses now, you know. I'm an adult."

"I'll want some help in training them too. Orphan and her." The two that the redhead has taken under her wing.

"Yes, a slow play and not a hell of a lot. There's this symbol appearing around Staten …" the screen changes again to display a female head with snakes for hair. It's a familiar image if you're familiar with mythology. "… and this was found at a site where Orphan and colleague were ambushed by … Red Caps…" A large curved claw, about 3 inches long is shown, along with gouges in the brickwork that match it.

"The Silver Samurai also provided this image…" It's Tokyo, or at least the lights and skyline would suggest that. There's a slightly blurred but still quite visible figure at the center. Its large and lupine and standing on hind legs as it cuts a lamp post in half with what must be claws the size of chef's knives.

"In terms of business? Labyrinth Incorporated seem to be involved. How? I'm not sure yet and I'm careful not to tip them off that we're looking."

Damian's displeased look gets a smirk from the redhead who reaches over to ruffle his hair. "You're part of the family, you'll get used to it." she says before nodding. "Do you want to do that? Do you think you can? Look into The Hand, that is?"


Dick Grayson shakes his head and sips from his plastic cup, "No. You're boring. Different word, same meaning." he makes a face at her. "Wait. You want help training in your own strays? Hey now, I didn't want a cat back in the day either and it was for exactly this reason. You adopt it, you clean up after it." he sets the cup aside, "Kidding aside, you know I'll help." mostly because he's worried about Orphan. Hardily.

Dick walks over to look over the screens, each in turn, one hand crossing his chest while the other comes up to cup his chin, covering his mouth as he focus' in on the images. He's doing that thing where he unconsciously channel's Bruce, it's 'detective face', one he saw a million times as a kid and now unwittingly mimics. "As far as themes go, we've seen weirder." he mutters, mostly to himself but not with an intent to keep the words unheard. "That said, seems to be mixing up it's myths. Red Caps are Anglo-Saxon in origin, and this type of werewolf lore didn't exsist until the Norse dreamt them up early in their cultural seperation. The rest however is Greecian themed, the name of the company, the logo… We're certain they're linked? Not simply two seperate vaugely similar themed lunatics exsisting at the same time?"


Damian looks at Barbara as she seems to ruffle his hair a little bit, something that only gets a narrowed glare from the younger ninja. He apparently doesn't approve. "I've done it before. I'll do it again." He reaches up, and gently tries to remove Barb's hand from his hair. "Assist or don't at your own convenience."

Over to Dick, Damian doesn't join any kind of talk about training Barbara's own people that she's taken under her wing. Thats her problem to deal with. Instead, he keeps his eyes on Nightwing as he speaks. He doesn't interrupt. At this multiple questions, Damian looks back to Barb now. Does she have an answer.


"At least back in the day I had someone to snuggle with." Babs sighs dramatically at Dick "One of us had to grow up eventually, Peter Pan." she says but nods at his acceptance.

"You're correct. The Greecian theme is the most prevalent. Labyrinth Inc is 'importing' greek antiquities, you know the sort that the Greek government wouldn't want to let out of the country."

"As to the mixing of themes, nothing yet but you're right. It's that, that has me concerned though. We're not trained to combat a lot of these things and we have no idea of knowing if this is one thing or two we're currently dealing with."

"It's easy for Damian to extricate Babs hand, she was already moving it as he tries. He gets a smile though. Something warm and genuine. Babs has long been 'big sister' to the younger bats and they're always welcome at her place.

"We're stretched thin as it is. I'll assist as I can, Damian. I don't want any of you doing this alone but … if you can start, that would be great. And if you want to help with my foundlings, I'd appreciate it." Oh yes, she saw the look. "What do you think of Dicks questions?"


Dick Grayson would have called her more Den Mother then 'big sister', but then his place in the family has always been odd. Eldest and most experienced, and also most independant, at least before Jason's extenuating circumstances. "Luckily for us manners with which one deals with supernatural threats are generally well documented. Get some silver on your batarangs and start carrying a cruxicifix, cause these two," he points at the wolf and the red cap respectively, "are supposedly all kinds of special. Of course, it's been my experience that most things yeild when you hit them hard enough for long enough." one may note he didn't say 'all' things.

He continues to study the screens, but keeps an ear on the conversation across the way, curious to what Damian will answer as well.


"What did I say? I'm not inexperienced nor am I a child. You don't need to hold my hand." Damian says with annoyance to Barbara. "I can handle myself. If it?s against a new weapon like magic, then I welcome the possible experience." Yes, Damian is a little shit, by and large, but let no one say he lacks the will and determination.

Damian looks at Barb when she questions him on Dick's questions. "No comment. They are relevant, nothing more."


"I also think oiling blades with oil that's blessed might be a thing." Babs agrees as Dick outlines precautions. "Not just crucifixes, objects of faith. I've been reading, your faith supposedly delivers the power." She shrugs at that. It's easier to believe in 1's and 0's for her.

Damians outburst gets a raised eyebrow "And I said you're welcome to assist and that we'll assist as we can. No one is expecting to hold your hand, we're expecting you to be part of the team and play as such." beat "Each of us has our strengths and " she stretches a little, wincing as her back pulls "… our weaknesses."

It's said mildly and calmly. Despite her red hair, Babs is generally able to keep her cool.

"You have nothing to add to his observations? Nothing of your insight to input?" Babs gives Dick a look. "Is there more wine, Dick?"


Dick Grayson continues to stare at the images and distractedly waves a hand in the direction of the countertop where a half a bottle remains, okay, more like 1/3, but there it is. "Speak for yourself Red. Some of us are perfect the way we are." he says, but his tone makes it clear his hearts not in the joke, his mind is a million miles away, already on the case in front of him. "That's a problem then, because there aren't any of us that I know that have any faith in anything devine." because why would they? They're all jaded to one degree or another.

He turns away from the screens and seems thoughtful, "If that's on the network then I can access it from The Nest, I'll be going over the images again. Thinking maybe I should be drinking to much of that stuff tonight after all." he nods at the bottle already in Babs' hand. "I have a couple of CI's I can squeeze, put the word out, maybe shake something of value loose. When moves like this start getting made it's always the low level street thugs that hear about it first, they juts don't know the value of what they've heard. Maybe something we can use there."


Damian looks at Barbara when she gives him that look that pretty much screams 'dial it back', despite her words, Damian narrows his eyes at her and he looks away. "Then sorry for the misconception." He at least is mature enough to admit when he's taken a step too far, but he crosseshis arms over his chest. "He spoke what I was going to say. If I have something to add, I'll add to it." When Nightwing seems to be very clearly in his own headspace, Damian takes notice.

"Besides, he's doing his own thing at the moment. If this has to do with supernatural creatures, then we'll find countermeasures. I hear garlic works well." he says sarcastically.


Babs gives Damian a very bright smile, it touches her eyes and there's compassion there. He might not see it, given he's looking away. It's to Dick she responds first though "Faith. We have faith in ourselves not some divine being but I'm willing to try anything if it will keep us safe. As to being perfect, don't get me get started Grayson. You lived with me for a while, remember?"

"You're welcome to stay and do your research for a bit, Dick. I'm not patrolling till later as it is and I've got a ton of stuff to get through." That he'll speak to his CI's gets a nod. Like she said, they've all got strengths and they know how to use them.

"Garlic might work, Damian. Heaven knows I wouldn't go near Grayson here after he'd cooked with it." The comment that Dick is doing his own thing gets a chuckle and no further comment.

"I'd like to hear what your thoughts if you have any. The different perspectives help in building the picture and as much as the next person, I can get caught looking through my own filters." beat "Now, would you like to stay and help us finish off the pizza?"


Dick Grayson grins at her impishly, "Oh I remember." and he swings past the pizza box to snag another slice, "Can't. CI's aren't going to threaten themselves, plus, if there's anything in the NYPD rumor mill I'll need to start hitting the bars and buying drinks early. If I'm lucky I can snag wring the cops for info before I hit the late night spots for the street guys. Twofer." he heads for the door, folding this last slice of his up and offering Damian a shrug, "You leave the cloves in the oil for to long /one/ time and she never lets you forget it. Yeesh. Careful with that one," he says, though it's unclear to which of them he's speaking, "they bite." brow waggle, and he's rolling back out the door he came in only moments ago, putting pizza in his face as he pulls a phone from his pocket and begins txt'ing beat cops he knows to see who's up for a swing by Flannigan's. God bless the Wayne Industries Black Card… cops can /drink/.


"Gross."

Damian apparently comments on what seems to be a rather heavy romantic history between Dick and Barbara. Clearly its also not something that Damian seems privy to try and learn more of. But at the same time, ti makes sense. Barbara is an attractive woman and Grayson is what many of the youth would call a 'player'. But, Damian doesn't comment on any of it further.

At the offer of pizza, he shakes his head. "No thank you, just one slice is good enough for me. I should return to my own patrol. Seems best if I leave you two be." Damian looks between nightwing and batgirl. Before he looks at Grayson at the comment about cloves. "…I'll take your word for it." least he knows what not to do!


Damians comment just makes Barbara laugh. The history with her and Grayson is well known within the family. And yet, whatever it was, it hasn't affected their relationship now - even if Dick is a 'player' and Babs a damn hermit.

"You'll be leaving me, I think. Dicks heading off too. Thank you for dropping in, I like to see the family. Don't be a stranger. Maybe next time you'll help me train."

With that, Babs snags a piece of Pizza and looks at the screen. "Oracle. Show me everything you've found on Labyrith, so far."

It's back to work for her.


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