16464/Down Below

Down Below
Date of Scene:	01 December 2023
Location:	Brooklyn Sewers
Synopsis:	Gabby brings Damian down to the sewer hideout she and her sisters used to use. After visiting her sister Zelda's grave they bond a bit.
Cast of Characters:	Gabby Kinney, Damian Wayne

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Gabby Kinney has posed:
After the visit to Damian in Gotham last time had left Gabby thinking long and hard. Enough so that she takes a day or two to herself before texting him asking him to meet her in New York. A specific pin drop location is given, as well as a request that he 'wear clothes he doesn't mind getting dirty or wet.'

She's there waiting for him exactly where she said, standing in between two buildings. She's wearing a raincoat and some rubber boots that were definitely meant for rainy days. Which makes sense, given the current weather was a steady cold drizzle that left everything feeling clammy and damp.

Damian Wayne has posed:
As he arrives, Damian is dressed in a pair of rainboots, some thicker pants, flannel shirt and waterproof coat. It looks a bit weathered and warn. Not expensive. Which is the idea. He wanted to look as average as possible so that his girlfriend can be a girlfriend, and not feel like she needs to protect him from the world.

"Hi." he greets as he gets close, a raise of his hand in greetings to her before he leans in for a kiss in greetings. And part of him is wondering if this well... a good place to hide a body. Or bury a relationship.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney was... tense. A bit somber. Also damp as her hair had already started to cling to her cheeks instead of being the bouncy mess it usually was. When he leans in for a kiss she tips her head up to accept it feeling the warmth of his body closer compared to the cold air she'd been standing out in for awhile. "Hey. Sorry for... well. The weirdness."

Lifting her hand she slides her fingers back through her hair glancing down into the alley. "I haven't been there in awhile. I'm a bit past due." A deep breath is taken as she looks down and reaches for his hand. She's wearing her gloves, the ones that dip low over the back of her hand so her claws can come out without being blocked. Otherwise the rest of her 'gear' was civilian clothing.

"Sorry. It's hard to explain. Come with me for awhile?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
"I'm glad you reached out to me, Gabby. Weirdness is part and parcel for what we do." Damian points out. "Like I said before... just talk to me, I promise you I'll listen." And he leaves it at that as she reaches out his hand, he accepts it in his, his fingers curling around hers in a loose grip that mirrors hers. He can feel the material of her gloves and gives it a briefly tighter squeeze.

His free hand goes into his pocket on the opposite side. Inside is a single birdarang. It's kinda like a fidget spinner for him. Something to focus with and feel comfort that it's there.

"Of course, darling." he says in response to her question. "Lead the way."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney leans in against him a moment so that her forehead rests against his shoulder. It's just for the span of a few heartbeats while she holds his hand. It's enough to draw in a few deep breaths before pulling away again. "Okay. I haven't been since my senses got stronger. A bad reason, I know, but I think I have it under control now."

With the small explaination that didn't really explain much given she turns away still holding onto his hand to lead him down the alley. There's a bag there, tucked against the side of a dumpster that was clearly put there by Gabby. It has a few patches sewn onto it, colorful cartoony characters and smiley faces. Her free hand reaches down to grab it as they continue to walk further in until reaching a large storm grate situated at the side of one building.

It requires she releases Damian's hand, so she does, but only to pull out a flashlight and kick open the grate with one booted foot. "We're going down for awhile. Hope you don't mind tight spaces."

With that she swings down into the darkness with the beam of light the only spot to focus on.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Leaned against, Damian holds, keeping his position before she releases and leads the way. As they walk, he doesn't not have Gabby's keen senses - but he does have the idea of where they are.

When she picks up the bag, he arches a brow at her, eyes cast down to the bag to study the bag, even if he can't see the contents. And they continue to walk. When she finally releases his hand to open the grate, he flexes his fingers into his hand and his other hand comes out of his pocket. "Hnh." he comments, which is clearly to be translated as 'no problem.'

Once they are inside, he turns to pull the grate closed behind them so that noone realizes they were there. And it's a good thing he skipped breakfast as he finds the space cozy - not too terribly tight to have to shed his coat as he follows after her. He focuses of Gabby's rear and the light, following after her dutifully.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
A second light is flicked on and offered back to Damian. "It's a ways but just bear with me. I won't get us lost," she assures only to start forward. And leftward. And more forward. Then a right, and down a few foot drop and right again... They're in tunnels with water lines, and gas line pipes before long. Service tunnels that run below New York. Some were still in use, others were long forgotten and built over.

Like the one at a broken wall she comes to where she ducks through the cracked bricks to the other side. Another several minutes of quiet walking occurs until finally she takes one last turn from the cramped tunnel into a wide open space.

Service tunnels were great only so long as there were actual areas that service could be done. This was once one of those areas, long ago. It's not HUGE. A good fifteen feet across though allows a place for rest, storage of tools, or whatever else may be necessary. There were a multitude of doors leading off from it though most were long since bricked up.

This room had been used for other purposes though as is evident by the stash of gear here. More bags like the one that Gabby carries were tucked against a wall. Weapons, unloaded and stored. Blankets. Water. MREs. It was a safe house or had been at one point.

Gabby pauses here to push a button on her flashlight which she then sets down on the ground as it goes from beam mode to lantern mode to flood the room with more light.

In one corner away from all the supplies was a pile of old bricks and rock in a low, long mound. There were old dried flowers set next to it.

"We're here," Gabby states turning to look back toward Damian with a sad smile. "I figured... We got to visit where your family was buried. I was overdue to visit mine."

Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian's hand rests on Gabby's shoulder for a moment, from behind. "Gabrielle?" he says quietly, but loud enough she can hear him clearly.

"I trust you. With everything."

That's all he says, they can spend the rest of the trip letting that settle into her when she can see fit as he follows after her. He catches the occassional smell of the additive in natural gas to make it stink and noticable.

He crouches down lower to get beneath bricks and makes his way into the old service area. He had read about such places. Old Subway spurs that never came to be. Former fallout shelters. As he notices the gear, he realizes that he's in one of Gabby's safeplaces.

He has a few of them around Gotham, nothing as big as this. But they are continuing on, which draws Damian's interest foward as he is led into the much smaller section. And he realizes what a grave is when he sees it. When Gabby turns to him with that sad smile. "Oh." he says quietly, before stepping closer to her. "I see." He recognizes it for both the revenance that it is - and that Gabby is opening herself to him.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney takes a deep breath--Something she regrets almost immediately with her newer senses--but forces herself to stay. This room wasn't so bad. The natural gas however was unpleasant as always but it was well enough ventilated here that it wasn't going to prove an issue.

"Yeah. This is Zelda. I took her name as my middle name," she explains while she pauses to unzip the bag she'd carried. There were a few heavier things toward the bottom but the majority was filled with a bouquet of fresh flowers. A mixed bouquet instead of simply roses, or lilies. Something bright and fresh and sunny in spite of their location. Gerber daisies, teacup roses, and some smaller striped lillies in pink and white.

"Zelda was the one that orchestrated our escape, once we realized their last experiment was killing us slowly. We hoped we might find a cure. If not, we at least wanted to be free."

Another breath, and she admits quietly, "I think she knew I would be one of the last to survive. We knew I was a mutant and hid it from the labs as much as we could." Which meant, her sisters weren't.

Crouching down she reaches out to sweep away the old flowers.

Damian Wayne has posed:
As he listens to the story, Damian comes over to crouch down to help. If she'll let him. He's ready to move if she decides that she does not need his help and wants to tend to her sister on her own. "I'm sorry she's gone, but she at least got to feel free." he says quietly, taking away the older flowers after Gabby sweeps them away and moves to dispose of them.

That done, he returns to stand behind Gabby as she works to set up the new flowers. He folds his hands in front of him, his look solemn as he waits for her to finish her work, quiet and somber, just as she was for him.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney glances over when he takes the old flowers away to flash him a thankful smile. There's no chasing him off, just sharing of the experience. The new flowers are set down though, her hand resting atop them a moment while she bites back the urge to cry. It has been a long time ago now. Even so her eyes get a bit watery making her vision blur.

"Yeah. Yeah, we were free. We ate pizza, and Chinese food. Watched the sun set a few times and the city lights come on. Some guy tried to mug us. It was hilarious how bad he was. We couldn't stop laughing."

Pushing back up to her feet she stands beside Damian again. "My other sisters died before we escaped, or during, so I don't have their bodies. 3PAR ran off on her own to try and hunt down the head of Alchemax. Heard she died in Paris. They never found his body."

"I know this isn't exactly a great place, but it's the last place we were all together, and free."

With all of that explained she turns away to face Damian entirely. "Thanks for coming with me."

Damian Wayne has posed:
The whole time, Damian stood and watched quietly. He listen to her tell of stories. Sunrises and city lights, attempted crimes. What happened to the rest of them. That this was their last place they were together.

When she turns and faces him, his smile reflects her own. But he doesn't step in to comfort her. Not yet. "May I?" he asks, a gesture to where she just laid the flowers, and waits for Gabby's approval before he approaches the grave, his hand reaching to hold hers, squeezing it in reassurance.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney gives a nod at the question, and look. She holds onto his hand as long as he wants. If he lets go though she doesn't resist. Instead she watches as he crouches and just... Stares appreciating the vibrant colors in the flowers she'd brought. Things to brighten up the place, bring cheer, bring the 'outside' in. Even if only for a little while.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Releasing Gabby's hand, Damian makes his way over to Zelda's grave. Kneeling down, he doffs his cap, allowing his hair to come free. "Hi." he greets. "My name's Damian Wayne. My father is Bruce Wayne. My mother is Talia Al Ghul. I'm also known as Rook, Robin, Batwing, and a few other names when I am in costume. None of them I can use in polite company."

His voice lowers - and he knows he can't hide what he's saying from Gabby, but he speaks regardless, "Anyway, I wanted to thank you for freeing Gabrielle and her sisters. And keeping her alive until she could find her way. I was a lot like her, when I met her a little over a year ago. And it took me that time to realize what she has come to mean to me. I know you may find it hard to rest, but I wanted to let you know that I will do all I can to protect her. And that I have... some very deep feelings for her developing. I hope that I am with her for some time to come. She's a great woman. She makes me smile. She keeps my pushing for more. And she's made my heart skip a beat more than once."

Reaching into his pocket, he takes out the birdarang he had there, and he sets it with the flowers, patting it gently. "Between you and I..." His next words are mouthed, not spoken.

He rises back to his feet and dusts off his knees, as he returns to Gabby. "There." he offers with a smile to her.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney watches, and listens. Biting donw on her lower lip she findsd herself smiling at his words even as he speaks to Zelda. Even if she were long gone it was still good to see, to hear, to have her recognized as someone that had one really been here. The tears that had been threatening before become impossible to try to tame further as they spill down her cheeks quietly.

So many mixed feelings well up inside her at this. Sadness, happiness, pride. Maybe some others she hasn't properly identified yet.

Both hands clutch to her chest wringing her fingers together. It wasn't to keep off the cold so much as to just grasp onto something for the moment. To herself.

The quiet words are heard but for the last. The urge to pry is there... but instead she flashes Damian a smile when he looks back to her forgetting she was also crying at the same time.

"Thanks. She would have liked you," she adds, before awkwardly clearing her throat against the tears. One last moment has her stepping forward to fish a small photo out of her pocket that she places atop the rocks as well. It's a photo of an older dark haired girl without a smile. There were scratches on the photo over cheeks and eyes making a scar pattern different than Gabby's, yet she looked exactly like Gabby. Once upon a time it would have looked older than Gabby. Now they were the same age.

"This was a good visit."

Damian Wayne has posed:
As he returns to her, Damian notices those tears, and his first impulse is to pull her in and hold onto her for dear life - something he stops himself from doing so when Gabby returns back to the grave to place the picture. He glances at it, taking it in. He assumes it's Zelda.

When she comes back to him, Damian nods. "It is good to recognize those that you love." he points out, before he steps in, his arms around her waist as he pulls her into a full hug, pressing himself to her to show her comfort. And support. And his feelings that are continuing to grow when it comes to her.

He only lets go when she's ready to be released.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney doesn't complain or resist the hug. She leans into it easily wrapping her arms around him in turn. "Thought I was done with all this crying stuff," she mutters muffled against his chest. It doesn't really stop her though. A few jagged breaths are drawn to work it out of her system as she just leans against him.

It's only once her breath grows steady again that she lets her grip on him tighten with another little squeeze signaling she was okay now. Then she relaxes risking to lift her head so she can swipe at her eyes drying them.

"I'm ready. Let's head out," she suggests without looking back. Not this time at least.

Damian Wayne has posed:
Damian holds onto her as she works it out of her system. It's only when she signals that she's ready with that tighter hug does his own grip loosen so that she can step out.

"The air is putrid enough to make my eyes water." he teases. "I can only imagine what it's doing to you." A wan smile offered to her, his hand finding her back and squeezing as they head out. "Lead away, Gabs."