| Waiting in Gotham (Part 1) | |||||
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| What: Cir-El drops in on Gotham | |||||
Batman was lurking in the shadows on roof tops. Ever since Thara's changes Batman was keeping a set of binocular pointed toward the skies. Sometimes she streaked through the skies back when she had powers and Kryptonian DNA. The binoculars were able to keepo track of jet streams often associated with Kryptonians. Tonight's night was slow. This as how and why he was keeping an eye open toward the skies. His gaze dropped down for a moment after putting down the binoculars. Dark blue was draped over the majority of his costume and it still blended with the shadows.
Jack had tried to limit the events of last night to Tribeca, and Loki had repaired the damage in the immediate area, but still, it would not hurt to check other parts of the region. Well that, and Jack's death had kind of upset her, so she needs to work off some steam. She realizes, as she comes down from a long leap, that she has wandered into Gotham. She absorbs the shock of landing with her knees so as not to damage the ground and looks around.
Hearing loud noises in the distance Batman put on the binoculars and focused. He was checking to see the source. Something about that was entirely unnatural. Maybe it was Clayface or Croc starting something nasty. Zooming in and out Batman kept looking for the source of that sound.
She can hear a number of people about, mostly doing day to day tasks. Gotham may be a pretty bad place compared with most of metropolis, but most folks are still trying to make a living. She tries to sort through the sounds to see if there is anything needing her attention. Her blue cape blowing about her shoulders in the breeze...
Putting away the binoculars Batman then pulled out his grappling gun. Swapping out the hook with a tracking beacon his gaze focused where the source was. Firing the tracking device it flew. Amazingly enough nothing got in the way of the small bat-shape object that had a small red blinking LED light on it. The object went by Cir and went into a wall that was just over her shoulder. The light blinked and Cir-El could tell nothing happened. Everything about that act may have seemed like someone was trying to get her attention.
Cir-El hears the dart winging through the air and prepares to dodge, but realizes it will miss her. She figures out the origin of the sound and zeroes in on the heartbeat of the person. She sees the dart when it lands and recognizes the design, it is nearly identical to one used by the Batman in that other earth she was on. She moves suddenly, accelerating faster than the eye can follow was as to seemingly vanish, then jumps to land beside Batman.
She says, "I suppose I owe you an apology for dropping in uninvited. I am, kind of trying to get my head together."
"Talk," Batman said firmly. Although he had to admit this one apologized for showing up in his city uninvited. Some people that came wearing costumes didn't understand that Gotham was his territory. This caped person at least understood how the city worked when it came vigilantism.
She explains, "I guess you can call me Cir-El, I do not really have any other name to call my own. I am from another dimension, and from a time that no longer exists. All my memories are lies, before a few weeks ago anyway, and I have been in this world for only a few days. I am mostly looking for Superman, I have not seen him since I arrived, but I trust his advice more than anyone else."
Pressing something on his mask Batman waited. His sensors kicked in, "The energy around you is temporal. I can't get a precise readout, but that's where it's pointed. That part of your story is true. I can bring Superman to you," Batman spoke and then got on the Justice League channel. "Superman. this is Batman. I'm in South Gotham. There's a woman here that claims she needs to see you. Calls herself 'Cir-El'. Exercise caution," his gaze went to the woman. "He can respond to you."
Cir-El waits, she is sure Batman has a lot of question, but it is best to let him ask them and have her answer.
"What do you remember?" Batman asked softly. He looked at the woman wondering what her story was. Something about that 'S' made him wonder if this woman had a relation to Superman, or someone that may have been just pretending to be. Crossing his arms he waited. "What was your last memory before coming here."
Well that is an easy question, "I assume you mean before I came to this world? Well Brainiac was gloating to Superman about how he was using me to bring to Earth a techno-organic transmutational virus, and how he was sure that Superman could not bring himself to destroy his own daughter to save the world. I realizes that perhaps HE could not kill me to save the Earth, but I that could. I jumped into the Timesmith's open time portal, preventing my own future from ever happening, and I was kind of freaked out to find myself up at orbital height over this world."
She just knows he wants to know, "A couple of local metas helped me get rid of he virus on arrival, and helped me straiten out my head some too."
No emotion showed on Batman's face or within in his voice, "So you're Superman's Daughter?" he asked making sure that the story was being followed properly. The Timesmith information and virus didn't match up anything he was familiar with.
Cir-El admits, "Not really, I was created by Brainiac to THINK I was, and to SEEM to be. I am not sure who I really was before Brainiac kidnapped me and changed me..."
"And what are you looking from in this world?" Batman asked. Looking at her. His eyes were just trying to take her in details. Ears were trying to see if her voice was going to rise and fall with her own words.
She says firmly, "A place. Not only have I lost everything I ever knew, but it was never real in the first place. From what I have seen the last few days, this world has plenty of room for heroes, even teenage girl heroes with no past."
Batman tells her to wait, and vanishes into the shadows.
Cir-El is waiting nervously. Batman said to wait here and let Superman come to her, then he vanished into the shadows. So she is waiting. Hopefully the local version of Superman will not be too busy.
Jimmy Olsen gets off the train in south Gotham, thinking back to his ride home last night. He has his camera, an ikon FM10 hanging from his neck, and a bag hanging from his shoulder. He looks out at the area, and he sees the girl in what is clearly a superheroine outfit. He smiles and makes his way towards her, waving. "Hello there. Mind if I interview you?" he asks.
She hears him walking up, but it does not bother her, but she is not really paying attention until she hears him speak, then she looks up and squeals, then throws her arms around him, "Uncle Jimmy, it's been so long..."
She lets him go suddenly and sobs, "Oh, I forgot, you don't know me here."
Jimmy Olsen blinks as the rather attractive woman hugs him. "Um, Yeah, my name is Jimmy, but I didn't know I had a niece. Especially not such a cute one." the last comes out of his mouth before his brain can engage. "Um, should I know you?" he asks. And his pad and pen come out of his inner suit pocket.
Cir-El sits down on a bench and sighs, "No, I sometimes forget, especially when I run into someones so much like someone from back home, but that home never existed, my memories are all fake, and the world I remember has been stopped from ever happening...and was not the future of THIS world anyway. In my memories, I am the daughter of the one they call your best friend, Superman."
She frowns, "You know, I never asked, what year is it here anyway?"
Jimmy Olsen blinks a bit. "Superman, my best friend? Really, that'd be neat." And he starts to write. "Mmmmm, so you come from the future, and your Superman's daughter?" he asks, looking a bit puzzled. "Um... as for the year, that's a great question."
Jimmy Olsen pulls a cell phone from his camera bag and he says "Um, 2015" as he looks at the screen.
Cir-El sighs, "Well, it could be worse. I am NOT really Superman's daughter, though I really was from a future. Back in 2003 it was about 20 years in the future, Brainiac created me to fool everyone into THINKING I was Superman's daughter...that included fooling me with fake memories. I guess, there might be a version of whoever I was before the memory implants around, as about an eight year old... Anyway Brainiac sent me into the past to smuggle in a virus intended to turn Earth into a robot world."
Jimmy Olsen writes all this down. "Um, I see. And so you remember things, only they aren't the real things that have actually happened. That's...odd. So, how does being used as WMD in a temporal war make you feel?" he asks. "Also, do you still have any of that virus on you? Should I maybe stand a bit further away?"
She says, "Well, a couple of local Metas took care of that, and STAR labs cleared me. As far as we can tell, the virus is gone. I was not really happy about being a WMD, as you called it...in fact I jumped into a time portal to prevent my birth so that the world could be saved. I almost killed myself again on arriving here, until I was convinced the local metas could handle things."
Jimmy Olsen nods a bit and starts scratching down some more on his pad. "Wow, that's kinda amazing. So, now that you're here do you have any plans?" he asks.
"Well, I was talking to Batman, he sent a message to Superman, but I guess he is busy. I saw Superboy, he agreed that I should talk with Superman, to try to help me decide what I should do." Cir-El adds, "I am waiting here, where I was told, hoping he will stop by.
Jimmy Olsen nods a bit and writes that town too. "mmmmm, I see, I see. I was coming over to do some research into some recent activities of Wayne industries. The public, after all, has a right to know." he states. "Hmmmm, well, I think Batman and Superman do talk to each other. Maybe I should call Mr. Kent and see if I should follow you to meet superman instead."
Cir-El says, "He might be busy, even in my memories, fake though they are, he was often busy." She manages not to react to Jimmy mentioning calling Mr. Kent.
Jimmy Olsen nodss a bit and says "mmmm, I see, I see. Well, he is fairly busy, you're right." he says. And he looks around. "Hmmmm, is there anythinig that you'd like to let our readers know that I haven't asked about yet?"
Cir-El shrugs, "I have been trying to figure out things since I got here. I have helped out a few people since I got here four days ago. I has helping out fighting a demon last night, but that was kind of a bust...he stopped the demon but Jack, the one who got us together, died in the process. Before that, I had a talk to Director Fury on the big sky ship of his, and talked to Superboy before that, and helped out with this fellow who was shrinking people out of paranoia before that."
Cir-El notes, "The thing is, Brainiac had no interest in copying all of Superman's powers, he only wanted to copy enough of the Kryptonian genetic code to fool conventional genetic tests into thinking Superman was my father. I do not have quite all his powers."
Jimmy Olsen nods and writes a bit more. "So you don't have all of the powers, what powers do you have, and, do you have something that you're going by, a name that I should put with you in the interview to publish?"
Cir-El responds, "Well, as close to a real name as I have is Cir-El, but I was thinking I might go by Superlass...I gather there is already a Supergirl in this world, and I would not want to cause any confusion. Of course, Kara is off world I hear...but I would not want to confuse anyone if she comes back."
She adds, "As to powers, mostly strength and speed, I have super hearing and, because of my strength and speed I can jump great distances. I am pretty tough also, and well I do not have heat vision, but I have something else, I call it my Red Sun Burst."
She frowns down at her costume, "I plan to change my costume, Brainiac made this one, but black just does not seem a good heroic color for me."
Jimmy Olsen scribbles and then looks down at his watch. "Cool, cool." he says. "Crap, I've got an appointment." he says and goes back to grab a train back to metropolis.