14928/Tracking Cass on a Night Shift

Tracking Cass on a Night Shift
Date of Scene:	15 May 2023
Location:	Midtown - Founders Island
Synopsis:	Oriole (Phoebe Beacon) tracks down Orphan (Cassandra Cain) who is almost killed by ill-intentioned cheese (Smoked Gouda).
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Cassandra Cain

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Why did...

    Hop over a narrow alleyway, duck, tuck, roll, spring over the air conditioner unit --

    -- being a Bat --

    Skid on roof top gravel. Grapple line. Leap and swing out fifteen stories over the bustling traffic, tumble through the air and grapple again, swinging and landing on a narrow ridge beneath the windows of an office building's sandstone fascade

    -- involve so much freaking cardio and strength training?

     -- it was because they lived in a city in three dimensions. Not just the streets, but the walls and rooftops.

    All presenting an issue when tracking down the most elusive and debatably dangerous member of the Batman's family... Orphan.

    Or as Pheeb calls her 'my favorite Cass'.

    Clad currently in her Oriole armor, on bat time, the black-and-gray-and-orange-highlight clad caped crusader huffs out a breath, checking the contents of her 'special cargo'.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
There are reasons, of course. The constant need to be prepared for the worst calls for a team member to never take the easy way. To not just call an Uber, but instead to take the opportunity to be just that little bit more fit and ready. Every instant being used to be healthier, more prepared.

Don't tell Cass that, though. She's staring at a computer screen with such rigorous intensity that she might have missed even an earthquake. She's huddled in a dark corner on a rooftop, a tiny screen showing small green bars and status gauges, connected to the systems below her. She's not even blinking, her eyes dry and her focus absolute.

Gotta know that when someone's on this level of duty, they'd forget to eat. Or drink, or sweat...Cass has been up here for hours, desperately trying to pin down the timing of a security system. To the second, or better.

Phoebe would find her, huddled in the darkness. This isn't healthy.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    And if there is someone who Phoebe doesn't really consider getting attacked by taking them by surprise, mostly because Css is never taken by surprise, it's Cassandra. No matter what else happens in their lives, and Oriole makes her way over Orphan, her hood coming down and showing the dark cap she's had over her hair for the last few weeks, the blue of her domino mask's optics.

    She crouches down near Cass in that dark corner and her voice was soft.

    "Hey. Did you eat yet?" she questions.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass waves a hand, not looking up. She pauses and spritzes herself in the face with, what looks like, a saline solution? Could be anything, but it keeps her from having to look away from her screen.

She gives a little headshake, her shadow moving to match. Fun times, these Bats have. So much action and enthusiasm for their life. To be fair, she is enthusiastic. It's just hard to tell atm.

"Thanks," she mumbles. What could be so important?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gets a mildly cross look over her face before she gives an overdramatic sigh, and just flops down next to Cass. She reaches into the paper sack, and pulls out a tuppeware container. She breaks the seal, and offers it out to her. Inside?

    Grapes. Sliced melon. Carrot sticks and green pea pods. Slices of cheese and crackers and a few peeled hardboiled eggs. This is set down by Cass's feet as she leans back against the brickwork of another walll.

    "Eat. Alfred says we can't fight crime on an empty stomach."

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass leans toward Phoebe when she settles down. She shows that need for closeness by being closer, even if she's so very far away. It's a deep dive, of some sort, and the tiny cord that runs from her screen down into the building's wiring shows why. No outside connection possible, not here.

Still, she leans and bumps her head gently against Phoebe's shoulder, then blindly reaches for the container. It's a wonder that she eats at all.

"Alfred good fighter," she says softly. Almost as if she's involved in the conversation.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe leans her head against Cass's. There's only two members of the BatFam who get headbumps. Only more if you count the dogs and cats. Phoebe is quiet a moment, taking the few heartbeats of peace and quiet.

    "He is aa good fighter. And caretaker." she comments breezily. "Watching for security breaks?" she questions, looking down at the screen. It would be all Greek to her, but she reads some variants of Ancient Greek, and she's seen similar on Tim's screens.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass grunts a little, finding something that's super-yummy in her hand. She puts it into her mouth, absently chewing, and ...chokes.

She's staring at her screen, where one of the tiny little green bars just went red. She tenses, and her eyes scan the screen desperately, catching details. She hits a small button on the bottom, recording the screen capture, and then...

And then it's green again, but she slumps and leans back. Her head hits the roof, with a little thump, and she seems to smile.

Then she coughs, and thumps her own chest. And frowns. Hm, might actually be choking after all.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The Weird Stuff Batsib gives a little smile as she stretches her hands in her gloves, making sure the food actually gets to Cassandra's mouth.

    And then Cass grabs her capture. Checkmark one is done.

    And she falls back, slumping and thumping, and Phoebe's lips purse a moment.

    "Orphan?" she questions.

    And then the chest thump. Phoebe brings her hand up to her domino and switches view, leaning over slightly to determine if Cass's airway is blocked! Much concern!

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass sits up then. She's looking distinctly put out, annoyed, and her eyes look to Oriole. She gives a little nod, then thumps her own chest again. Then another nod, and the look in her eyes gets just a little bit urgent. Trust Cass to be the only person in the room for whom choking to death is a minor inconvenience, but it is still an inconvenience. And one that she'd kind of like help with, apparently.

She thumbs at her back, in that direction, and then moves onto one knee. Normally she'd throw herself onto her back in this situation, but she's gone to all this effort to stay quiet. Dying shouldn't ruin the job.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Dying is HIGHLY problematic in Phoebe's general field of work. Mostly because Cass would have to die via asphyxiation and that is not a fun way to die.

    Trust Phoebe on this one.

    Oriole leans over, on her knees, and she judges against Cass's costume, then brings her palm solidly against Orphan's back.

    "C'mon, cough it up, offending piece of cheese -- don't make me magic it out of you, Batman will yell at me." she offers as a mild joke to try and cover up her concern.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Given that Cass would like to live to pass on the data that she's collected, she probably agrees. Hard to tell right now though, what with the lack of speaking going on.

She looks, while not panicked, entirely annoyed. It's a look that criminals have learned to fear, though really she normally uses it for other reasons. She relaxes her muscles, as much as she can (which is a lot) and then lets Oriole work. One, two, three hits and she spasms. And then she drops onto both hands, coughing up a bit of otherwise tasty cheese onto the rooftop. Her eyes are tearing up, and she coughs repeatedly.

Panting for oxygen, she turns and looks at Phoeb. Slight tired smile time.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Take it easy. Breathe a couple times." Phoebe gently says to Cass, wrapping an arm over her after she's dropped to both hands on the rooftop and the piece of cheese is deposited and then with a flick of her hand and just the barest little bit of magic power, Phoebe sends the cheese flying off the rooftop.

    It lands on a police car down below where a detective was about to imbibe on the first donut of the night.

    "-- whut tha...--" he mumbles, looking up "... friggin' seagulls."

    Meanwhile, Phoeb keeps her arm around Cass as she flashes a smile.

    "You gonna make it?" she asks softly.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cass takes a moment, while Phoebe holds her. She breathes, her chest settling back into rhythm. Presently she sits down again, on her heels, and kneels like that. And rests her head against Phoebe's, just taking a moment like that.

It's not just Phoebe who's picky about who gets close. Cass ...well. She's her, you know.

"Job to do," she says in response. She uses so many more words these days. Though really, the way she smiles and hitches her head to the left says it all.

She has a delivery to make, likely to Oracle. Data to analyze, and then a break-in to...something. You know, she never did explain why she was here.

Though that's when she glances at the remaining food, and raises an eyebrow. Just in case another bit wants to try something..

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I'll kick it's butt if it tries to kill you again." Phoebe comments, humor in her tone as she gently taps Cass's head with her own as her adreniline eases off.

    "Go make your drop. I'll finish my rounds and then I'm heading back to the Cave. Maybe I'll see you for some practice. One of these days..." Phoeb leans a little forward, and she breathes out a huff through her nose. "One of these days I *will* trip you up and win a spar." she jokes.

    And pushes the fruit platter to Cass again.

    "Eat. Slower."

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Someday she'll have the words to explain.

Sparring for Cass isn't a thing. She doesn't really get it, her teachers didn't spar with her. The fights were all real, ever since she can remember being able to remember. Her first fight was against someone better than she was, and it was until one or the other was unconscious.

The second was to the death. Every single fight was against someone ranked higher than her, until she was the one being used to test the other girls. Girls who knew they had to beat the monster. The sparring they do with her feels weird.

But she'll explain someday. Today she just smiles, and takes a piece of melon. How dangerous could that be? Nom.

At least it's not cheese.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    It is not cheese. Melon is more friendly than cheese. Phoebe gives a nod. She knows bits and pieces. She can guess about the horrific traumas. She could try and divine or magic the answers out of the air -- but she trusts Cass enough to let her come in her own time.

    "Eat the rest or Alfred will be sad." she whispers gently to the most dangerous member of the team, and she leans forward a moment, her head tilting back, and then she breathes out, breath ruffling against the hood material, and she goes to stand up.

    "Be safe." she states, pulling up her own hood.