5431/Another Talk at the Tower

Another Talk at the Tower
Date of Scene:	04 March 2021
Location:	Main Room - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Another talk helps Nightwing catch up on the Titans
Cast of Characters:	Dick Grayson, Donna Troy

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Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson is sitting on the couch with a bottle of soda on the table in front of him. Up on the big screen... is a video game. He's actually doing pretty well, and is currently very focused on what he's doing. If Gar or Victor was sitting next to him with the other controller, it would be just like old times. As the game loads the next level, he grabs a quick sip of the soda, then goes back to hammering away on the controller.

Donna Troy has posed:
    The elevator pings and the doors open to reveal Donna. Although she can fly, she usually only uses the empty elevator shaft intended for fliers (and Robins with grapple guns) when she's in a hurry. She's armored, which is not terribly unusual, particularly when she is returning from patrol or, as is the case now, has been down in the Danger Room training. The armor itself is unusual though.

    Donna and armor. While armor isn't exactly unusual among the cape set, Troia of the Titans had worn armor that looked like something out of the ancient world, and that was rather more unusual. Her black cuirass with silvered stars on it had been a trademark - when the Titans first became famous it was different enough that the media, and the makers of action figures, had loved it.

    She hasn't been wearing that armor for a few months though - not since that trip into space. Ever since then she's been a rare uncostumed hero, wearing civilian clothing into battle. Today she is armored, but it's not /her/ armor. The shape of it is identical, but it looks very different - golden in color, chased with silver, bearing an eagle symbol. A new look, perhaps? It doesn't feel very Donna-ish.

    "Nightwing," she calls out in greeting as she heads to the fridge to get herself a bottle of coke. Mexican Cola - a new favorite, which she likes to keep a stock of in the fridge. She takes the bottle over to the giant sofa and sits down, giving him a smile. "Two days in a row. You weren't kidding about spending more time here."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson pauses the game and turns to look over at her, "Heya Donna. Yeah, I try not to say things I don't mean. I've cut down my workload a little by transferring to the Gotham PD, so I'm down to just two cities instead of three. I realized I was a little too spread out, considering how much I lost track of the Titans." He looks her over, head tilted slightly, "So what's with the armor? That's not your normal look."

He waves her over to the couch, "Also, I wanted to talk to you a little more about something you said yesterday. I need to find out why my little brother walked away from the Titans if I'm going to work on getting him back with the group. He's a pain, but he's family, and I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't try. He doesn't realize it, but he needs you guys. He needs family nearer his own age, who can teach him something beyond being dark and brooding."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Armor of the palace guard," Donna explains. "We've had a few of them over here, guarding Diana while she was in a coma. The uh... captain, I guess you'd call it, gave me a set." She gives Dick a sheepish grin. "She was kind of offended I wasn't wearing armor. My old set got kind of beat up during the Warzoon invasion, and I haven't got around to getting a replacement. I actually pulled out my spare the other day - the one we keep down in the memorial room, with the replica costumes? But it didn't feel right not having it there. I guess I'll get myself a new suit eventually, but Melantha kind of insisted I should have something to use until then."

    She pulls the cap off the bottle and takes a swig. "Hmm. Robin is... I saw him the other day. Had a meeting with him his father, to discuss a few things -- including that. It's complicated. He feels underappreciated here. He hasn't exactly made a lot of friends. I think beyond me, Gar, Kate and perhaps Supergirl he doesn't have a lot of respect for the Titans."

    "I've encouraged him to try to develop a bit of a leadership role here. He has the capability. The social aspects of it escape him though. He did some good work when Cait, Vic, Terry and I were stuck in space. He and Kate did a lot to keep things ticking over. I think a part of the problem is that he feels that got undermined when we got back, that what he did wasn't valued. Perhaps he doesn't get that it takes more than showing you are competent to get people to follow you."

    "During the doppelganger crisis, there was something he reacted to very... oddly. Nadia was working on the tech that we and SHIELD use to detect dimensional intrustions, and she put a sign up on her lab door saying nobody was to enter without me clearing them first. Robin felt he was being shut out. I tried pointing out to him that we have a dozen lab rooms and that he was welcome to occupy one of them and take the exact same precautions himself, but that doesn't seem to have registered. He wasn't calling the shots, and even though it was only in Nadia's lab that he wasn't calling the shots, he considered that a challenge."

    She leans back with a sigh. "It doesn't exactly help that he and Terry do not exactly get on. They both got it into their heads that Gar's doppelganger was a problem that they individually needed to solve, and they butted heads over it."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson nods, taking another sip of his soda. "I guess that makes sense, but it just doesn't look right on you. Need to get you that replacement as soon as possible, I'd say. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help." He looks you over again, "I mean, it's not awful, but it just doesn't seem like you."

He sighs at your news about Damien, shaking his head, "Yeah, he can be kind of touchy that way. Being told you're the top of the heap all through growing up doesn't exactly help you develop many social skills. And he was put in charge because of who he was, he never had to earn that kind of position, so I guess he probably doesn't understand much about leadership besides that people are supposed to listen to him. But at least that gives me a start to talk to him. I don't get the lab problem either, sounds like some kind of over-reaction. Now, besides Terry, is there anyone else he has any special problem with?"

Donna Troy has posed:
    "What, you don't think I make a good palace guard?" Donna says with a grin. "I am offended. I have trained with them every day for most of my life, I know I can do the job!"

    Back when the Titans had first met, Donna had been this fierce Greek warrior woman with a sword and shield, and inevitably there had been more than a few jokes about 'Xena: Warrior Princess'. It had been odd to learn, eight years later, after the reality of Themyscira had finally become known to the world that she actually /was/ a princess. There is still not a lot known about the secretive society of the Amazons, but it's clearly not a very conventional princess who trains daily with the palace guards.

    "It was an over-reaction, but I think that's a symptom rather than a cause. He didn't want to listen to explanations. Terry is the big one. Terry makes short jokes about him. He calls Terry 'that insane cat thing'. They don't understand each other, and neither seems interested in correcting it. As for anyone else - there seems to be some resentment about Nadia and Cassie. Why Cassie I have no idea. Nadia... I don't know if that's just a reflection of his annoyance on the lab issue or if there's something deeper. She was also raised by a secret evil organization as an assassin, and I can't help wondering if there's something in that. She has her own issues with socializing, but they're very different. Much less pride. She's a bit odd, but she gets on with people easily, and people like her. Perhaps he resents that."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson grins as he looks at her again, "You wear it well, don't get me wrong, but it's just not 'Donna'. Or 'Troia' if you prefer. You have your own look, and that's not it. Just like I wouldn't look right wearing Batman's outfit. Even if it fit, it's not me." He shrugs, "Just what we're used to, I suppose." He smirks, "I still say you should do the leather bustier." He waggles his brows at the Amazon, ready to dodge if needed.

After a moment the smile fades and he sighs, "I'll talk to him, but he could easily be resentful of Nadia for exactly that reason.. raised like he was, and yet she can make friends, where he's all walls and thorns. Just because he's aloof doesn't mean he can't see that people don't really warm up to him, yet they do to her. It's got to hurt, even if he would never admit it." He chuckles, "I've got my work cut out for me, he's possibly the most stubborn person I've ever known, and prickly as hell to boot." He leans forward and picks up his soda, taking another drink.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna raises her bottle to her lips, grinning around it at Dick. "You're lucky I haven't finished drinking yet, or I'd throw this bottle at your head. Saved by the Mexican Cola, Dick."

    She takes a swig and lowers the bottle, still not throwing it. "I wouldn't be surprised to see you in the cowl one day, you know. Bruce will retire one day, but that doesn't mean Batman will. You might be the one, never know. I... I considered putting on Diana's armor. While she was in a coma. You know, going out, being seen. Letting the world know Wonder Woman wasn't gone. It didn't feel right though. Pretending to be her."

    "You ever see the cloak I brought back from space?" she asks. "Used to belong to an actual, real-life space pirate. It's pretty wild. It's black, but has a star pattern on it. Kind of like my old armor, except - - well, much more realistic looking stars. Terry thinks it might actually be a map. I considered using that as part of a costume, but I don't think I'm really the caped crusader type. Long swirling cloaks look better on people who stick to the shadows. Or on Supes, but what doesn't look good on Kal. "

    She sighs a little and takes another swig. "Stubborn and prickly... yeah, that he is. But he's a good kid at heart. I like him. And he's /really/ good with a sword. I think he'll get there, eventually. But I wish I knew how to get through to him."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson nods, "Thank goodness for the Mexican Cola then, I'd hate having to dodge and watching you clean up the mess you made." He winks, then nods to her, "Yeah, I can see that. I mean, maybe if she was really gone, like I might wear the cowl if Batman retires, but yeah, not just as a temporary thing."

He seems to think for a minute, then purses his lips and says, "It might look ok with your old armor. Once you get the replacement set, you should try it out. Might add a certain something to the look. I know a few good tailors who could work with it if you want to look into it."

With a nod, he finishes off his soda, "Yeah, that sums him up fairly well. I like him too, but yeah.. I'm not sure exactly how to get through to him. He was just raised so differently, that it's hard to have a mutual point of reference when trying to explain things to him." He thinks for another moment, then says, "I probably better talk to Terry before I talk to Robin, see if I can maybe get him to lay off the short jokes, you know, have something to offer as a gesture of peace."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Good luck trying to persuade Terry to stop making bad jokes," Donna says with a laugh. "I'm not surprised he and Gar get on so well. Living on a spaceship with him for three months was... an experience."

    "Starting with Terry is probably a good idea, though. I don't think Robin has given up on the team quite yet, maybe he's just more... making a point. He's..." She sits there gathering her thoughts in silence a few moments. She puts the tip of her finger into the mouth of the bottle, and makes a >pop< sound. "I think he needs to do things on his own schedule, you know? Maybe it's more productive to get him to think that to try to give him advice. He's the kind of person who needs to come to their own conclusions."

    She takes another swig, then leans forwards, elbows resting on her knees. "Dick, if you're going to be around a bit more... I'm planning to take a break. Take a few of the girls to see Themyscira, probably next week. Not for long - just a few days. Could really use you being around the tower if I go. But I'll just be a few hours away. I'll bring Raven along, so if there's any big emergency she can teleport us all back and we'll be here in minutes. Don't hesitate though. Anything - if I'm needed, I'll be right here, okay?"

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson chuckles, "I don't need him to stop making bad jokes, just short jokes. I don't think the heat death of the universe could make him stop the bad jokes." He shakes his head at her, commiserating, "I can only imagine that the airlock must have been inviting a time or two."

He thinks about what she suggests, then nods, "That may be a good way to approach it. Start with what he wants, and try to make him see how he can get to that point with the team." He screws the cap on his soda bottle and spins it on the tip of one finger. "If I can get him to decide he can get what he wants by coming back to the team, that would be best."

"As for your vacation, take your trip. I can be here for a couple days, that's not a problem. Might give me a chance to get to know some of the new members I don't really know, which would also be a bonus. Hard to be part of the team when I barely know some of them."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna beams a bright smile at him and leans back into the sofa again, her armour clinking slightly. "Thanks Dick. I could really use a little break after the last few weeks, what with the doppelganger thing and Diana. Besides I suspect that mom's gonna kind of want the family together for at least a few days. It was bad enough for me when I could visit Diana's beside... must have been really horrible for mom, knowing Diana was in a bad way half way around the world. I owe you one. Just don't ask me to fill in at the GCPD when you feel like you need a break. You know I don't have the patience for detective work."

    She gives him a wink and takes another swig of cola. No patience for detective work -- that had always been one of Dick's gently teasing criticisms. She was always the impetuous one, ready to rush in. Always ready to act on instinct. It had been annoying how often that instinct turned out to be right, though the recent revelation that Donna was actually relying on some kind of mystical 'truth sense' she hadn't admitted to before was a vindication of Dick's criticism, really.

    "They're good kids, Dick," Donna says with a fond smile. "Worth getting to know better. I think they're better than we were at that age, honestly." She gives a musical laugh. "They do make me feel so /old/ sometimes though! Then I have to go and visit Diana. She's going to be nine hundred and three in a couple of weeks. That always makes me feel like a kid again."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson shrugs, "Hey, I know what it feels like to need a break, and you've had a heck of a time lately. I wasn't around to help with the mess, the least I can do is take up a little of the slack to let you recover from it for a few days. Not like it's a horrible thing for me to spend some time with the Titans."

He shakes his head, "No offense, but I don't think the GCPD could handle your methods. They're big on evidence and all, you tend to jump right to 'I can tell he's lying.'. So I'll figure out a different favor. I have the distinct feeling it may involve Robin, since you'll be the one dealing with the fallout if I get him to come back. Something to the effect of 'please try not to strangle him' will probably be to the point."

He sighs and the corners of his mouth quirk up into a rueful grin. "When did we get so old that we call them kids? I swear we were the kids not all that long ago. What happened to us?" He chuckles and shrugs, "Well, let's be honest.. they've got us to give them some advice, we were kind of winging it on our own, so it makes sense they'd have an advantage."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "We had people to go to for advice too," Donna says. "They just weren't on the same team as us. And that makes a difference. I always try to remind myself of the frustrations we had. Not being trusted, not being taken seriously, being told we were too young."

    "Robin's your little brother. Cassie's... I guess she counts as my little sister. It's hard not to be over-protective of them, but it's important we aren't. That we give them our experience and our advice, but we take them as seriously as we wanted to be taken when we were their age. That's how this works, Nightwing. Titans two-point-oh. The Next Generation. We get this right and they'll follow the model for generation three."

    She finishes the last of her drink, stands, and walks over to the kitchen area to drop the bottle into the recycling bin before turning to look back at Dick. "Well. I've rested enough, back to training for me. What do you say, Nightwing? Feel like joining me? If your bones are not creaking too loudly, that is." She flashes him a broad grin. "Well? What do you say, old man?"