EVENT ONE: JUNE 21ST-28TH

[luminals]

TAKE BACK KNOWHERE
When: June 21-28
Who: Everyone.
Where: All over Knowhere, ending in the Continuum Cortex and Observation Deck.

Event details are here, IC announcement is here.

Prose & Action brackets are both acceptable ways of posting to these comments, please be mindful of what threads you are posting under!

Comments

[uneulogized]

[At some point in the battle when he finds himself needing more information, he heads up, too. The action itself is instinctual for him as well, knowing that what he sees from up there will give him a better perspective on what's going on and help him come up with a better plan. It's a tactic that he often used with Bruce, sitting high up to come up with the next direction to take. Half their conversations were held on rooftops and ledges, and those moments aren't lost to him.

Of course, now that he's here, now that he's different, he intends to apply it differently.

Or intended to, anyway.

The moment he spots the kid in the Robin costume, his mind goes blank—or some extremely emotional semblance of blank.

There's a twisting in his stomach at the shape of the R, and he takes note of the costume: this isn't the same kid that Talia showed him. The one there looked different: he had different hair, he was a couple years older, and there's, of course, the different costume. But this kid is still unmistakably a Robin.

Once the original visceral (and very emotional) reaction passes, he tries to focus. He tries to clear his mind. Robin, whoever that Robin is, is someone he should chat with. Jason knows he should steer clear if he wants to remain anonymous, but he's too curious. The desire for intel wins out (and frankly, his impulsiveness wins out, too). If he jumped down and got away without being spotted, he could find out more later. He knows that—but Jason's not always found what he should do to a T. That's always been his problem (or so Bruce would say, sometimes at inopportune moments).

So he acts, edging along the thin metal bar in front of him before he reaches another pillar and presses against it. He keeps himself out of view for the moment, but he wouldn't be surprised if the kid spotted him. If he's trained by Bruce, he's aware of his surroundings. He has to be.]

Hey, Robin. Didn't expect to see anyone from Gotham here. What a surprise. [His voice is soft, casual, lacking any of the antagonizing qualities that it might have otherwise. He wants to engage in a conversation, even if there's a relative uncertainty right underneath the surface, as well as the fact that he's just barely keeping his emotions in check.] Space, huh? Any idea what guys like us should be doing right about now?

[Guys like us. The control over his emotions is almost undone by his own words. They're both Robins, both individuals who wore that R as kids. He inhales deeply and waits for a response, utterly focused on the conversation that's going to take place.

He seems to block out his surroundings. (A bad move. A really bad move.)]

[xuffasch]

( he's too well-trained to not notice todd's presence, even if the sight of him doesn't match up to the tone of his voice. there's something off; that much damian can tell immediately.

it doesn't help that he always has such an immediate and visceral response to the erstwhile red hood-- he hasn't known him as he's known grayson, or even drake. there's been no period to adjust, unless you count scrambling fights through gotham's streets.

(it doesn't help that so many people look at damian and see jason-- violent and unchecked, the tainted robins.)

but immediately damian's head snaps up, his eyes searching for todd's face in the semi-darkness. his lip curls and he immediately shifts-- halfway to a lunge, ready to go all the way if need be. )

There is no us, ( he spits out, forgetting anything else. ) You're on your own.

( it isn't what robin should say to someone asking for help. but damian decides this is a special case. )

[uneulogized]

[There are a lot of things that Jason has that could be counted as negative points against him, but he's pretty observant. The moment the kid's response comes, he turns to spot him, and he sees his positioning. That's someone prepared to fight. The fact that he's prepared to fight strikes Jason as a little funny, even if he knows he shouldn't be discounting him. They're all well-trained. Otherwise, they wouldn't be there at Batman's side. That's the simple truth of it.]

And you're willing to make sure I don't try to change that, huh? Why is that? [The casual softness from his tone is gone, replaced by a curiosity. He isn't forceful in his tone yet, but he is conscious of where his weapons are, if need be.

Jason's not up for a Gotham-style brawl yet. Hell, he's not even certain what measures he'd take there, and this isn't the time or place.

But he'll act in what necessary ways that the situation calls for.]

[xuffasch]

( if damian was prone to using the colloquialisms typical of his age, he might answer with "because you suck." he's never had a particularly favorable view of jason, and every encounter he's had with the former robin has only made matters worse. )

Why do you think? I don't like you.

( everything about his tone makes it clear that it's worse than that-- he despises jason. even if he ends up being the only other gothamite on this entire station-- the only other person from their universe-- damian still wouldn't be inclined to count him as an ally. )

What is wrong with you?

[uneulogized]

[Jason doesn't take long to locate his gun, fingers wrapping around the butt of it, but he doesn't move to do more than that, and he sure as hell isn't going for the trigger. But he's prepared for this going ugly, because he's used to a whole lot of ugly. The fact that this little Robin knows who he is unsettles him. Had Bruce trained him by using videos of him? Had he taught him the ways to not be Jason Todd? It seems likely, because there aren't a whole lot of other ways for him to know.

But the problem is, how could he tell? And that quickly? Jason hasn't looked (or, frankly, sounded) that young in years.

There are other reasons why this kid knows who he is, and the biggest one is that his return has been announced in advance. Was it Thomas Elliot? Did he decide not to bank on using Jason Todd? Odds are in that favor, but Jason's intel still doesn't line up with another Robin. That seems like something Talia would mention, right? That seems high on the list of things, anyway.

He starts standing slowly, keeping his back pressed against the pillar as he rises up.]

Starting to wonder if this is a case of mistaken identity, Robin. [It's said quickly, but there's a certain intensity to his tone. Jason doesn't like any direction this is going in. Any of the potential realities for why this is a thing at all don't look like they're his idea of a good time. Not one bit.] So you're gonna tell me who I am, how you know that—[The intensity breaks there, becoming a touch too incensed.]—and then we're gonna deal with that.

[Maybe not now, but they would.]

[xuffasch]

( if it were anyone else, damian might be concerned that he'd been forgotten. but it's todd, so he doesn't bother to dwell on it. he certainly doesn't look the way he did the last time damian saw him, and there might be any number of explanations for that. bruce had managed to go through time, after all. and if this place is pulling them in from across space, maybe time isn't so far off...

but there's no time to think that though. todd is a threat, no matter how much he knows. and right now, damian has the advantage. so he smiles, slowly and deliberately, showing all of his teeth. )

Or what? You'll throw a tantrum?

Why shouldn't I know? You're a predecessor, aren't you?

( he's too wary of keeping up robin's identity to spell it out more than that, but he trusts that jason will know his meaning. )

[uneulogized]

I did my homework. You aren't the one who picked up the boots after me. [And added in pants, for that matter. Sure, Jason hasn't had a chance to meet the guy, but he's seen the pictures of him. He wouldn't admit it (he can't admit it), but he's memorized every inch of that face. He's looked into him, too: smart kid, does well in school, has it all worked out for him. He doesn't come from the same roots as Jason.]

Or maybe Batman is looking into an army of brats. New kids to do his bidding so he can use 'em until they bite it. Jason's careful about his phrasing, careful not to let his own biases seep in. But he's almost too careful. The words are sharp and pointed, delivered quickly, but not with the same casual ease as he might on other occasions.] Could be a new thing, but that isn't like him. That's too many people in his network, too many ties that can be cut or severed or messed with. [He shakes his head.] That just doesn't seem likely.

So it's something else. You know me. That isn't something you pick up from videos. The ageing would throw anyone, and it hasn't thrown you. [There's a pause as he pieces it together.] So, time travel.

[xuffasch]

You actually don't know. ( that's said with a bit of surprise, but mostly a kind of vindication. he can use this, can't he? he can have the upper hand for once, instead of falling to todd's chaotic nature like he has in the past. he just has to think of how to play this.

but there's another, less logical, side of him. and that side is demanding that he throw the facts in jason's face. that he says exactly who he is, and see how the other deals with it. if he can, at all.

thankfully, that side doesn't win out just yet. he only scoffs. )

I'm the best of them. Not dead, not a failure. And since you were both, I'd say that makes you the worst.

[uneulogized]

[There's an uneasy feeling in his stomach and in his head at the kid's words. Dead and a failure. That's how this kid had come to know him, but Jason can see posturing and playing around when he sees it. It might be what he thinks, but there's something more to it. There's some element of having this information dangled before him.

He just needs to keep a steady head. He needs to keep pushing this to find out what he needs to know.

(But the temptation to take the butt of his gun and smack it against Robin's mouth is very high. Some would say it's too high.

Some people aren't Jason Todd.)]

I wonder what Alfred would say to that. [It's managed more as a way of recovery.] That's the kind of egotism that he liked to take care of. Bruce, on the other hand, he's only attentive when it matters. So, how much do you matter? How much until you die next? 'Cause the guy before you, he had to go somehow, right?

[And at no point is he going to say "you're right, I don't actually no." That isn't very tactically sound.]