Cass
- - -
Thinking in words was difficult. Her entire life, she had been spoken to in action. That was the language she knew fluently: What people felt and what they were going to do, how they were going to move.
What they experienced as they died.
It had been an uncomplicated life until then. It revealed an entire world of concepts and ideas that she was ignorant of. She knew someone was angry, but WHY was he angry? Why was he hurt inside? Why did he push on despite this pain?
Her father had no answers. He saw her the same way he saw his sword, his gun, his men: A tool. All for the immortal man.
So she ran, barely understanding anything outside. So many people, all with their own thoughts and goals and secrets. So many different lives.
Sneaking onto a ship had been easy. Hiding from the crew had also been easy... Until they reached another shore. Until a man in orange and brown had found her, and set his men on her.
She had fought furiously, moving among the men like a whirlwind, but always trying to avoid death to them. She had seen a man die at her own hand once. She had no desire to see it again.
Cass had brought down all of them, save for the man in orange and brown. She had advanced on him. His body language spoke of traps and deception, and she hoped to strike before he did.
But the man had been just fast enough, filling her face with gas, bright light and loud sonics. She staggered back, disoriented. She could feel the blows coming, but couldn't block them all. She was strong, she had taken bullets to her flesh, but enough hits dragged her down.
She was on the docks, fists, sticks and feet pummeling her. Still Cass fought, still she resisted...
Then there was a muffled boom. Then another, and another. The blows stopped coming and she smelled smoke. She opened her eyes, blobs staggering about. A smaller purple blob appeared, and took hold of her. The blob ran, pulling her along and her clumsy feet struggled to keep up.
Running. Crawling. The blob got her somewhere dark and quiet, and Cass's vision began to clear.
The blob resolved into a girl in a ragged purple hoodie, a black ski mask, torn jeans, a messenger bag, black gloves and scarf. She reached out to her, and Cass shrunk away- Before realizing her intentions from her body language. Intentions she spoke aloud.
"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," she said gently. She reached out to Cass, and began to clean and bandage her wounds. Cass watched her work, silent. The girl looked up at her, grimacing through the mask.
"Hang on," she murmured. She pulled down her hood and yanked off her mask. A kind, pale face with green eyes, light freckles and long blonde hair emerged. The girl smiled at Cass. She found she liked this smile.
"I'm Stephanie," she said. "What's your name?"
Cass struggled, trying to recall the sounds her father made when referring to her. Why, she didn't know, but it was nice to have a name. Even a weapon had a name.
"Cass... Andra... Cain," she got out slowly. Stephanie beamed.
"That's a nice name, Cassandra. Can I call you Cass, for short? I don't have to if you want..."
Stephanie began talking, endlessly. Yet now Cass was getting some context to her body language. Enough to put together a story:
Stephanie's father too was a bad man. He made things for bad people-Things that hurt good people . He made money, traded for food and home, for his family. But kept most of it to himself. Her mother... Slept a lot, because she took something. So Stephanie was alone. Stephanie did not like her father hurting others. She tried to stop him in disguise.
Stephanie was hurt by her father. Hurt by the pain he caused her and others. Cass stared at her, and found a question she could voice.
"Why?"
Stephanie smiled. "Because someone has to... And because it's what Batman would do."
Cass saw the reverence in Stephanie's body language when she said that word. The awe. The hope.
"... Tell me. Batman. About."
It took some time but Cass put together what she felt was the most important part: There was someone who fought to stop pain and suffering. No matter what. Someone who took on pain for others. Someone who did the impossible.
That someone was Batman.
"So... I'm trying to stop this shipment," Stephanie admitted. She sighed, and held out her bag filled with tools and other items. "But it kind of relied on those smoke bombs... And now they're looking for us.. "
Cass shook her head. "... Give up?" She asked. Stephanie shook her head.
"No. But I need a new plan..."
Cass found it in herself to smile. "... Help?"
Stephanie stared. "You are hurt pretty bad," she pointed out. Cass shook her head.
"Okay. Do?"
Stephanie nodded slowly. "Okay... We need... She leaned close to the wall of wherever they were and peered through a hole in the metal. Cass
emulated her, finding another hole.
Outside next to several shipping containers was a large vehicle-bright yellow with a bucket on the front end. Stephanie bit her lower lip.
"We could use that, but it's so slow it'll take forever to get the cargo! Not without something to occupy them!"
Cass thought. What was the word... what were the words?
"... I go," she said, trying to move her hands to explain, "and..."
"Draw their attention? Be a distraction?" Stephanie asked, and Cass nodded with a smile. Stephanie grimaced. "It'll be dangerous."
"Yes. Do anyway," Cass said firmly. Stephanie nodded with a smile.
"All right... But you're gonna need these." She rummaged in her bag and produced a grappling hook and a length of rope. Cass took hold of them, weighing the items thoughtfully. Stephanie pulled her mask and hood back on, and stood up.
They made their way out of the warehouse, barely sneaking past a guard. They climbed up into the vehicle-A bulldozer, as Stephanie named it-and
Stephanie fiddled with the controls. The engine roared to life, and Stephanie grinned.
"All right... You sure you got this? I mean, do you even know how to use that thing?"
"Hey!" The man searching for them before pointed his flashlight and gun at them. His ugly face glared up at them. "Get down here you little-!"
Cass swung the rope and hook, and with a crack she knocked the flashlight and gun away. The man was left stunned-Before Cass's next swing clocked him across the head and sent him down to the pavement out cold.
Stephanie whistled. "Okay... That was awesome."
Cass smiled. She was pleased to see the amazement and admiration in Stephanie's body language. She hadn't seen anything yet. "Drive."
Suffice it to say, the thugs at the dock were unprepared when Cass leaped in, swinging her rope and grappling hook like a whip, bludgeoning and disarming them like a swarm of angry bees.
They were even more unprepared when a bulldozer roared into the truck they were unloading, destroying it and all their illicit cargo. The sirens of approaching police scattered the rest, and Stephanie and Cass both escaped on the former's moped: A loud, noisy thing that sputtered as it propelled them along.
Unfortunately the man in orange and brown had escaped too... But Stephanie's disappointment over that was tempered by joy.
They traveled through the city, which Cass learned was named "Gotham", to an apartment building in a dirty, run down part of town. Stephanie grinned at her, now looking shy.
"Uh... Thanks," she said. "Um... You know, if you don't... Have anywhere to stay... You can stay with me? I mean, my mom won't care. She doesn't really care about anything... But if you don't-"
Cass found words inadequate. So she hugged Stephanie tightly. Her body was getting it across better than her words:
She wanted to share her home with Cass. Not just space and food but so much more. For as long as she needed it.
"... I'll take that as a yes," Stephanie laughed, hugging Cass back tight.
- - -
DCAU Plus is basically an AU take on the DC Animated Universe begun with Batman: The Animated Series, trying to integrate the 06 Teen Titans animated series into the backstory. It really picks up around the time of Justice League. But that's for future chapters. So, hold onto your butts.
- - -
Thinking in words was difficult. Her entire life, she had been spoken to in action. That was the language she knew fluently: What people felt and what they were going to do, how they were going to move.
What they experienced as they died.
It had been an uncomplicated life until then. It revealed an entire world of concepts and ideas that she was ignorant of. She knew someone was angry, but WHY was he angry? Why was he hurt inside? Why did he push on despite this pain?
Her father had no answers. He saw her the same way he saw his sword, his gun, his men: A tool. All for the immortal man.
So she ran, barely understanding anything outside. So many people, all with their own thoughts and goals and secrets. So many different lives.
Sneaking onto a ship had been easy. Hiding from the crew had also been easy... Until they reached another shore. Until a man in orange and brown had found her, and set his men on her.
She had fought furiously, moving among the men like a whirlwind, but always trying to avoid death to them. She had seen a man die at her own hand once. She had no desire to see it again.
Cass had brought down all of them, save for the man in orange and brown. She had advanced on him. His body language spoke of traps and deception, and she hoped to strike before he did.
But the man had been just fast enough, filling her face with gas, bright light and loud sonics. She staggered back, disoriented. She could feel the blows coming, but couldn't block them all. She was strong, she had taken bullets to her flesh, but enough hits dragged her down.
She was on the docks, fists, sticks and feet pummeling her. Still Cass fought, still she resisted...
Then there was a muffled boom. Then another, and another. The blows stopped coming and she smelled smoke. She opened her eyes, blobs staggering about. A smaller purple blob appeared, and took hold of her. The blob ran, pulling her along and her clumsy feet struggled to keep up.
Running. Crawling. The blob got her somewhere dark and quiet, and Cass's vision began to clear.
The blob resolved into a girl in a ragged purple hoodie, a black ski mask, torn jeans, a messenger bag, black gloves and scarf. She reached out to her, and Cass shrunk away- Before realizing her intentions from her body language. Intentions she spoke aloud.
"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," she said gently. She reached out to Cass, and began to clean and bandage her wounds. Cass watched her work, silent. The girl looked up at her, grimacing through the mask.
"Hang on," she murmured. She pulled down her hood and yanked off her mask. A kind, pale face with green eyes, light freckles and long blonde hair emerged. The girl smiled at Cass. She found she liked this smile.
"I'm Stephanie," she said. "What's your name?"
Cass struggled, trying to recall the sounds her father made when referring to her. Why, she didn't know, but it was nice to have a name. Even a weapon had a name.
"Cass... Andra... Cain," she got out slowly. Stephanie beamed.
"That's a nice name, Cassandra. Can I call you Cass, for short? I don't have to if you want..."
Stephanie began talking, endlessly. Yet now Cass was getting some context to her body language. Enough to put together a story:
Stephanie's father too was a bad man. He made things for bad people-Things that hurt good people . He made money, traded for food and home, for his family. But kept most of it to himself. Her mother... Slept a lot, because she took something. So Stephanie was alone. Stephanie did not like her father hurting others. She tried to stop him in disguise.
Stephanie was hurt by her father. Hurt by the pain he caused her and others. Cass stared at her, and found a question she could voice.
"Why?"
Stephanie smiled. "Because someone has to... And because it's what Batman would do."
Cass saw the reverence in Stephanie's body language when she said that word. The awe. The hope.
"... Tell me. Batman. About."
It took some time but Cass put together what she felt was the most important part: There was someone who fought to stop pain and suffering. No matter what. Someone who took on pain for others. Someone who did the impossible.
That someone was Batman.
"So... I'm trying to stop this shipment," Stephanie admitted. She sighed, and held out her bag filled with tools and other items. "But it kind of relied on those smoke bombs... And now they're looking for us.. "
Cass shook her head. "... Give up?" She asked. Stephanie shook her head.
"No. But I need a new plan..."
Cass found it in herself to smile. "... Help?"
Stephanie stared. "You are hurt pretty bad," she pointed out. Cass shook her head.
"Okay. Do?"
Stephanie nodded slowly. "Okay... We need... She leaned close to the wall of wherever they were and peered through a hole in the metal. Cass
emulated her, finding another hole.
Outside next to several shipping containers was a large vehicle-bright yellow with a bucket on the front end. Stephanie bit her lower lip.
"We could use that, but it's so slow it'll take forever to get the cargo! Not without something to occupy them!"
Cass thought. What was the word... what were the words?
"... I go," she said, trying to move her hands to explain, "and..."
"Draw their attention? Be a distraction?" Stephanie asked, and Cass nodded with a smile. Stephanie grimaced. "It'll be dangerous."
"Yes. Do anyway," Cass said firmly. Stephanie nodded with a smile.
"All right... But you're gonna need these." She rummaged in her bag and produced a grappling hook and a length of rope. Cass took hold of them, weighing the items thoughtfully. Stephanie pulled her mask and hood back on, and stood up.
They made their way out of the warehouse, barely sneaking past a guard. They climbed up into the vehicle-A bulldozer, as Stephanie named it-and
Stephanie fiddled with the controls. The engine roared to life, and Stephanie grinned.
"All right... You sure you got this? I mean, do you even know how to use that thing?"
"Hey!" The man searching for them before pointed his flashlight and gun at them. His ugly face glared up at them. "Get down here you little-!"
Cass swung the rope and hook, and with a crack she knocked the flashlight and gun away. The man was left stunned-Before Cass's next swing clocked him across the head and sent him down to the pavement out cold.
Stephanie whistled. "Okay... That was awesome."
Cass smiled. She was pleased to see the amazement and admiration in Stephanie's body language. She hadn't seen anything yet. "Drive."
Suffice it to say, the thugs at the dock were unprepared when Cass leaped in, swinging her rope and grappling hook like a whip, bludgeoning and disarming them like a swarm of angry bees.
They were even more unprepared when a bulldozer roared into the truck they were unloading, destroying it and all their illicit cargo. The sirens of approaching police scattered the rest, and Stephanie and Cass both escaped on the former's moped: A loud, noisy thing that sputtered as it propelled them along.
Unfortunately the man in orange and brown had escaped too... But Stephanie's disappointment over that was tempered by joy.
They traveled through the city, which Cass learned was named "Gotham", to an apartment building in a dirty, run down part of town. Stephanie grinned at her, now looking shy.
"Uh... Thanks," she said. "Um... You know, if you don't... Have anywhere to stay... You can stay with me? I mean, my mom won't care. She doesn't really care about anything... But if you don't-"
Cass found words inadequate. So she hugged Stephanie tightly. Her body was getting it across better than her words:
She wanted to share her home with Cass. Not just space and food but so much more. For as long as she needed it.
"... I'll take that as a yes," Stephanie laughed, hugging Cass back tight.
- - -
DCAU Plus is basically an AU take on the DC Animated Universe begun with Batman: The Animated Series, trying to integrate the 06 Teen Titans animated series into the backstory. It really picks up around the time of Justice League. But that's for future chapters. So, hold onto your butts.