| The Importance of Restraint or Rushing Headlong | |||||
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| What: Kara happens upon a mean man abusing a kid, or rather a mean kid abusing a man. Things aren't always as they seem. Earth is a confusing place. | |||||
Damian Wayne is walking around the streets of Metropolis lost again.. He grumbles under his breath at his bad luck of spending his last bit of money on the ticket into this cray city. Turning a corner into one of the numerous alleys that are in the city he is still grumbling when he runs into a large bald man wearing an outfit that should of been changed days ago, and with a gold chain around his neck "Watch it Kid!" is all he says as he pushes Damian down.. Smiling to himself, Damian reaches into his pocket and quietly asks the man "Hey... you know how I get to Gotham from here?"
Kara, herself rather lost and most certainly new to the city, was just walking by that alley in time to witness the large bald man pushing down a kid. Now it's true that Kon-El told her to avoid sticking out, and that there could be dangers in the city, but she can't resist her very nature.
"It's wrong to pick on someone smaller than you, especially children!" Kara snaps at the man, glowering at him with her bright blue eyes as she starts to walk into the alley, "he's only asking you a question."
The man glares at the kid "Who you think I am a tour... " he stops and stars up at the girl that is preaching to him. You can tell he is not the kind of person who is used to people talking back to him from the crazy look in his eyes. It looks like he is about to move towards Kara when Damian pulls his hand out of his pocket. You can see the silver light of a steel pipe, but the man who was talking is looking too much at you and doesn't see it. Within a flash (Not superhuman speed, but rather quick for a human) he brings the pipe across to hit the man. With your senses you can see where the pipe heading towards just above the knee-cap of the angered man. The look on Damian's face shows no fear, only determination and focus on the job at hand.. He doesn't seem to acknowledge your presence, but you can sense that he not only knows you are there but is somehow keeping an eye on you.
Kara frowns as the man seems to take offense at her, and she starts walking towards him all the same, unfazed. "He's just a kid, you shouldn't pick on him," she repeats, before spotting something silvery flash in
Damian's hands. Actually, the movement seem far slower than it should, she really can tell it's a steel pipe, and she can tell where it's heading. It seems odd, but she figures it's intuition, as she calls out in shock, "watch out!" Warning the bald man that the kid is actually about to attack him. From how far she is, she doesn't think she can do anything, and so just calls out the warning.
Kara's warning does not go unheeded, as the big man starts to dawn that something isn't right he is starting to look down but the boy is just to fast. "Aghh!!" is all the man is able to get out as there is a loud "Craaack!" as the pipe comes into contact with the man's knee. Shock and fear spread across the mans face as he reaches for the boy only to realize he has already moved. With the efficiency of an acrobat he spins to the side bringing the pipe down.. Once... Twice.. and the big man falls on the ground it doesn't look like he is moving but there is a small up and down movement of his stomach showing that he is still alive.. albeit barely after the beating that he had just received. Damian looks down on him not smiling there is a coldness in his eyes as he silently looks down at the man now shaking in pain on the ground. After a moment he finally speaks "It is too bad, had you shown up with your advice a moment earlier maybe he wouldn't have to go to the hospital tonight", and gives a small grin as if it was a joke reaching down to do what looks like pat the man down.
"No!!!" Kara cries out as Damian shows no mercy and goes about beating the big bald man, she rushes to help the man and guard him with her own body if necessary, only instead of running fast, she absolutely zooms by, the force in her wake might actually provide enough shock to throw Damian off his victim. As for Kara? In the span of a second, she's at the very end of the alley, only stopped when she crushes into a building at its end, and staggers backwards, looking quite stunned. She stumbles back a few steps, before falling down on her ass, looking all confused.
Damian Wayne reaches towards the body when the air hits him. To be fair the wake knocked him off his feet, but only for a moment. When he rolls back up he has dropped the pipe, and a long slender Katana is held in his hands, as he looks around back and forth to see who is attacking him. He see's Kara now stumbling backwards on the other side of the alley, but no-one else around. He quickly puts the sword away pulling his zipped up hoodie away from his body and seemingly making the blade disappear below it (It could be guessed he has a sheath under there). He just looks at her silently for a moment, not anger or fear on his face just confusion as he isn't sure exactly what happened. Shaking his head he looks down at the man, "This man is scum, shed no tears for him he has made his choices now he faces the consequences"
Kara is still confused but what just happened, shaking her head as she tries to get reoriented with her surrounding, turning to look at Damian, "did you see what happened?" She asks, wondering if someone threw her at the wall of the building at the end of the alley. But then Damian helps snapping her back to reality with the mention of his victim, "that's not fair, just because he was rude to you doesn't mean you get to beat the crap out of him. How are you any different from him if that's how you behave?"
Damian Wayne stops when she asks him that question and looks at her and looks at her calmly as he lets her finish speaking. He looks like he has no remorse as he looks down at the beaten man. He looks at her and holds his hands up to show they are empty.. He is sure what happened.. exactly but he doesn't need her to do it again. He starts patting down the man in front of him, he pulls up a blade, then continues. "The difference is this man is a thug. Using force on those he figures can not fight back" he pulls out a wallet and tosses it away not even taking what money was in there. "I am not a thug, I do not fight because he is weak, I fight because people like him must be taught a lesson." he finally searches the man legs and pulls out a snub-nose revolver he frowns at it and tosses it away after emptying it and breaking the cylinder off. "I have seen this man's kind.. they need to be cleaned off the streets so the innocent can walk freely... what is wrong with that?
"How did you know he had a weapon?" Kara asks curiously, not finding it weird that she doesn't get an answer on what happened, because she herself isn't sure. "I...I don't know," Kara mutters, all confused, "but he was just rude to you, he didn't attack you, and you just attacked him...how does that not make you a thug?" Kara asks, though her conviction doesn't seem as strong as she considers what Damian said. Slowly she gets back up on her feet, rubbing the back of her head, "you're not going to hurt him any more, are you? He can't defend himself..."
Damian Wayne looks down at the man and picks up his pipe as she asks him if he is going to beat on him anymore. He looks like he is considering it, but sighs and shakes his head. "No.. I guess not." and puts the pip away moving away from the downed man and around towards her. "That wall looks pretty bashed in, are you alright?" He look at her analyzing her looking for blood, a distant look in her eyes, anything that would show. As he moves closer to her he starts to point out. "Look at the tattoo on the arm, that points him to one of the gangs, and the gold chain shows he must be a higher rank." He gives a sniff in the air.. "That smell.. could be drugs, and when he was walking towards you he was limping slightly showing the gun." he states them all as a matter of fact, pointing out each thing as a computer would observing the situation. He slowly holds out a empty hand.. "Name is Damian.. I am... I am sorry you had to see that." it looks like that was tough for him to say as he is rubbing the back of his head looking slightly down and away.
"Good," Kara seems pleased she may have spared the man's life, as Damian could have killed him if he kept beating on him. But asked about how she's doing, she looks confused, looking back at the wall behind her, and it does look well bashed. She herself doesn't have any sign of injury, just some dust about her from the collision. "I'm alright..." she murmurs, not sure why he was asking if she was fine. "Oh," Kara is surprised at how sharp Damian is when he points out everything, not that she knows anything about tattoos or gangs, but the gun is a bit startling. "My name is Claire," she offers in return to his introduction.
Damian Wayne chuckles to himself.. "Well Claire.. you wouldn't happen to know the way to Gotham would you? I seem to be a bit lost, and my last chance for an answer... well" he looks at the beaten man on the ground behind him. He looks around and lowers his voice.. "Listen.. I am not one of those people that care, but if you are one of those mutants, you should keep that stuff low profile." he gives her a wink.. "Don't worry though your secret is safe with me."
"The way to Gotham?" Kara looks even more confused, as she slowly shakes her head, she's not even sure if Gotham is a place in Metropolis, or somewhere else like Kansas. "I'm afraid I don't know Gotham." Then Damian suggests she's a mutant, and Kara gets all offended, snapping at him, "I'm no mutant! I don't know what you're talking about...there's no secret or anything."
Damian Wayne is standing in an Alley talking to Kara, currently behind him is a man that looks like he has been beaten near death with an iron pipe. Laying in the alley is a knife, a wallet full of money and a broken pistol. Damian smiles as she is just as lost as he is, but loses the smile when she snaps at him about the whole mutant thing. He holds up his hands. "Whoa.. Whoa. I don't know what your talking about, but normal people can't just do that. I am not trying to offend ya here I am just trying to figure out what is going on." he takes a step back.. "Listen it is dangerous out here.. is there somewhere you need to get to I am not sure where I am going so I have a bit of time it seems."
"Me? I'm not talking about anything, you said mutant, not me..." Kara is quick to point out, still either acting dumb or seriously not realizing what happened moments ago. She's all too glad to switch topics though, as she nods, "I heard that it's dangerous...but I only stopped by because I thought the man was picking on you, before I saw you were picking on him. I'm new to Metropolis, so just out for a stroll really, doing the...erm...tourist thing, right?" She flashes an endearing smile, nothing wrong about a tourist from Kansas taking in the sights of the city.
Mia Kent is out walking in the downtown area. It is kind of like her Patrols as Superlass, it is something she does because she feels she should, even if she does not always actually do anything. Her super hearing picks out the word Mutant, and she focuses her attention on the area. She soon realizes there are two persons talking and someone who is hurt. She decides she should look in on the situation, but for now she remains dressed as Mia. some situations are NOT a job for Superlass.
Mia runs towards the alley, at a normal human pace, and arrives at the entrance, pausing to let her eyes adjust...so far she only has normal human vision. It looks like a younger man, about her own age probably, and a somewhat older woman, as well as the hurt man they are ignoring. Mia inquires, "What happened here?"
Damian Wayne looks at Kara, "Okay Okay lets just drop it for now.. I guess you are as lost as I am, so where are you..." he stops as he hears a new voice from behind him. He turns and looks, at the new person. Thinking quick he looks at the man on the ground then back up at her.. "He fell.. several times. I wouldn't worry about him he had it coming.." He glares at the man on the ground. "Scum like that always have it coming." there is a slight anger bite to his words as he speaks, but it is gone just as fast as it showed up hidden behind the mask of boys smirk.
"Yes!" Kara seems rather pleased that Damian figured out the best way to resolve this, "very much so." With Damian's question cut in the middle, Kara is able to answer confidently, "I am in Metropolis, as are you." When Cir-El walks into the alley and draws Damian's attention, Kara turns to look at her as well, "that big guy was picking on Damian here, and it turned out to be a bad decision. He'll be fine...he'll come to...no need to turn this into something bigger...everyone is fine." As an after thought, she follows up with a sparkle in her eyes, "hey! Can you tell Damian here how to get to Gotham? I wasn't able to help."
Mia says, "Gotham? That is pretty much strait west from here. If you can handle passing through Hell's Kitchen, Knightsbridge is west of that. Cross the bridge and you are in Gotham."She pauses to look at the hurt man...well she is no real medic, but she can tell from listening if there are heart and breathing problem or the like. It sounds like the man is breathing roughly, probably from pain, but is still unconscious.
Damian Wayne nods, and seems to facepalm as Kara just tells this new stranger the truth. That level of honesty, and not even doubting the persons intentions was just so foreign to him it almost made him embarrassed to hear it. Though he isn't sure what this new strangers intentions were he did not think she was there for either of them, all he knew is his new Kara friend was a mutant, and that meant trouble. He slowly walks in front of Kara, reaching a hand into his pocket griping the iron pipe inside. "So.. Why do you ask stranger? I thank you for the instructions, but it is a strange time to show up.. What can we do for you?" he is cautious now that he has observed no fear in her as one might in this situation which meant she may think she could take them both..
Which also meant trouble. The man on the ground has been beaten badly his right kneecap has been broken to the point where it would take multiple surgeries for him ever to walk again. The other blows look more cosmetic going for a few broken ribs, and a mean impact at the base of the skull.
"Hey, she told you how to get to Gotham!" Kara is rather pleased for Damian, offering a "thank you," to Cir-El, before hearing Damian and watching his response to Cir-El. This reminds her of what Superboy told her, and suddenly she realizes she may have put them both in danger for being so trusting. "Damian...is something wrong?" She asks, having learned by now the kid is super sharp in noting details. She sees nothing wrong about Cir-El, but the fact he's worried, has her worried. She keeps further back, surprisingly, not looking to be protective of the boy, so much of letting him protect her. He's proven he can handle himself in a fight, and she's no fighter.
The last time she remembers seeing someone as badly beaten as this guy was when she lost her temper with Skullbuster. Both of these two agree the boy did it, and that the other man started it. It is not really her affair...but something sounds wrong about the woman. It takes a moment to place it. The woman only breathes when she is speaking.She replies, "I was just walking through Central Park earlier and was headed home when I thought I heard something." This is true enough, though home is a long way from here lately...since Bruce moved the family to Westchester County.
"Well, now that you know how to get to Gotham, and this young girl is looking after this man, I think all's well that ends well!" Kara puts on a rather charming smile, before offering a friendly wave and heading out of the alley, "I really should be on my way, have a great day!"
No, nothing about this encounter was awkward at all.
Damian Wayne watches Kara go, and glances at the new girl. "So now I know where I am heading, and this mess is cleared up.. I haven't got your name?" he gives her the small grin, "And maybe explain the trick how you were able to hear all the way from Central Park with traffic, and the crowds around us.. I find it difficult to hear just a block away."
Mia corrects, "I said I was on my way back home from Central Park, not that I was at Central Park." That is true, she was actually north of Central Park when she heard it, but let the boy assume she means that she was closer, not farther away. She says, "Do you think we should carry the man to help, that knee looks pretty bad."
Damian Wayne nods at her correction, and thinks for a moment. "Why help him? Isn't the standard procedure to tie him up and hang him from a high surface? That is what I have heard the caped people seem to do around here.".. He looks at her up and down, "Besides do you think you would be able to lift him?" he gives a small chuckle, and looks at the body, not sure if he would be able to lift it himself either.
There is a slight catch as Mia answers, as if she intended to say something else but quickly changed her mind, "You look strong, and I am stronger than I look, between the two of us we can probably manage a two person fireman's carry. Actually, the tied up and hung from something thing is more common in Gotham, but there are a number of people in spider costumes around here who do that."
Damian Wayne nods.. and walks over to the body, and nods to her. He looks down at the man, "If we help him, he will be back on the street within a few days.. Maybe more with that knee but he will be again. Next time he won't be picking a fight with a kid with a pipe it will be someone who can't defend themselves. When he hurts them, or kills them, will you take responsibility for saving him?" he looks up at her that cold anger back briefly again. "Will you take blame for his future victims?"
"There are laws for a reason, the law gives people a right to self defense, and even a right to make a citizen's arrest for certain crimes. It does not give the right to be a judge and executioner, to do so is to place yourself above the law, not to live within it," responds Mia.
Damian Wayne nods, and waits for her to move forward.. "Grab the legs.. " he looks up "I still think we should just leave him here to find his own way back, but I am curious so I will play with this facade a bit longer.
Mia does so, she is not a great actress yest, so Damian probably notes that lifting the weight does not seem to be much of a strain for her. She does grunt with the effort, but there goes not seem to be the extra effort to her breathing one would expect if she was exerting her stomach muscles. She says conversationally, "Your attitude seems a bit unusual. You said you are from Gotham?"
Damian Wayne lifts also, he seems to be extremely fit for his age. He doesn't seem to have that much trouble either, as he lifts his half a little higher to shift the balance of weight slowly more the her half. He noticed it wasn't effecting her as it should and notes it as one of the multiple things that is wrong with this situation. If she is strong enough to not be bothered by lifting this man at all then he best be careful how he approaches this topic for it could be one of the dangerous people his uncle told him about. He thinks carefully as he listens to her question, "No I said I was looking for Gotham.." He corrects her without even noticing, "I am from Caribbean Sea.. I am here to find my father, but I have heard he lives in Gotham so I have been looking for a way to get there." he grins to himself.. "perhaps if you told me your name I could tell you his?"
Mia says, "I do not know many people in Gotham, I was born in Metropolis. You have not mentioned your name either." Actually, she reflects, she can not really answer the question, she only has the name Brainiac gave her, and some mixed up memories, she does not know her real name.
Damian Wayne sighs, "Well what do other others call you? I do not think hey you girl is how others address you." he looks at her one last time and sighs.. "Fine... my name is Damian... Damian Wayne... You happy now." and gives her a look, he never did like an upset girl his mom would think him soft at this point, but at some point you have to take a chance.
Mia nods slightly, "Well, I am registered in school as Mia Kent." Granted that school is in New Salem, not in Metropolis, but anyway. She adds, "I think there is a police car not far away, perhaps we can flag them down and have them take care of this fellow?" Of course, she COULD have just called 911 on her cell phone, but for some reason that had not occurred to her.
Damian Wayne nods, and waits for her to continue walking.. After a moment there is no-response.. while she was talking he let go of the body, and disappeared into the crowd. He is not sure how well he can hear, but his heart-beat would be a steady thump.. thump showing now fear or difference from the numerous others around him. He whispers to himself.. "It was interesting meeting you Miss Kent.. I hope we meet again." as he turns a corner putting on a hat he "borrowed" from one of the nearby vendors to mix up his profile.
Mia could easily follow Damian, but elects not to. With her hearing, she can tell the difference between two people by heartbeat alone at a hundred yards and listen in on a conversation twenty miles away. She is a bit worried about Damian's attitude, but as far as she can tell he did nothing illegal. She flags down the police, quickly explains that the man jumped a kid using a lead pipe, but the boy was a trained martial artist and easily defended himself. Once she is certain the police know what happened, she "vanishes" by moving faster than the human eye can follow at short range.