dancinghunter:

Whenever Cass was around Jason, she suddenly felt warmer like she was five years old again and running down the halls of the Temple, diving underneath people’s legs and ignoring their yelps of surprise as she dodged the shuriken launched her way in the mad version of tag that all the children there played.  She knew that most would be unable to reconcile the League of her memories with the burning force that levelled governments and countries alike from the edge of shadows but, for the most part, Cass held fond memories of her younger days in the League.  

So now as Jason flashed that hand sign that Cass had not seen in over ten years and had always associated with Ra’s arched eyebrow that spoke of indulgence and fond amusement as he pretended to be unaware of the mischievous plots of his younger ninja, Cass shared in the urge to hug Jay, holding back simply because of their surroundings. Instead, she settled on flashing the sign back, a sign of their shared allegiance and respect to the man that was once their leader.  It was a quick thing but, to them, it said more than any outward sign of affection.

Noticing Starfire’s quirk of the head at their seemingless wordless communication, Cass just shook her head.  “Old habits.”  The Outlaw simply shrugged, accepting her answer as she too turned to follow Jason into the Dragon.  Taking a seat, Cass made quick work of all the buckles on her harness as Jason and Starfire settled in the cockpit.  Watching as they fiddled with the dashboard as they set the coordinates, Cass saw the furtive glances Starfire kept shooting her way and the grim line of her mouth as she looked at Jason.  Tucking a few strands behind her ear nervously, Cass knew this wouldn’t work if there were any volatile emotions in the air.  Turning to Starfire, Cass figured it was best if she cleared the air.

“Don’t have to worry about Batman or any other Bat at the Cave.  Can’t afford to have one of us at the computer.  Too much happening.” Pausing, Cass was unsure about how much to reveal about Tim.  He was just a civilian and she didn’t want to rope him in any more than this. So for now, until Tim decided otherwise, Cass would keep his name to herself.  

“So Batman recruited outside help.  Not a Bat.  But a friend.  My friend.” Turning to glare at the back of Jason’s head, Cass let some iciness slip into her tone.  “Not involved with us.  We asked for help.  So be nice. Keep any fight with Batman out of this, Jason.  Because if you start something, I will make it my fight and I will stop you.”

Ignoring the gasp from Starfire at having used Jason’s actual name and the implications behind it, Cass sighed before softening her tone.  “Trust you, Argo.  Wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t.  But I will fight if I have to and I won’t lose.”  She knew how much of a risk she was taking by doing all of this but Cass hoped that Jason’s regard for her and his concern for his brother would keep him focused.

Patching into her comms as they neared the waterfall entrance to the Cave, Cass hoped to give Tim some warning of what was approaching. She couldn’t believe that just a few hours ago she had left Tim buried underneath a pillow fort, telling him to stay safe, and now she was bringing over one of the deadliest people she knew to meet him.  She didn’t know what his reaction would be to the Outlaws but Cass was banking on some of Tim’s old admiration towards the capes to smooth the process.

“Black Bat to Cave.  Requesting hatch access.  Flying in on… Outlaw jet.”  Wincing a bit, she knew she’d get some grief from Jason later for not using the plane’s proper name. “This is Black Bat coming in with two friendlies. Over”  

Nodding to Jason to land, Cass readied herself for whatever face Tim was going to be making at her before she hopped out the Dragon. Leading the Outlaws towards the Computer, Cass made sure Tim could hear them as they approached.  Pausing a few feet away from where Tim had stilled in his typing, Cass turned to face Jason.

“Red Hood. This is our Operator.”

Cass being near him was an odd sensation. He’d spent enough time taking care of her as a kid that it was difficult to take her seriously; at the same time, she was even more talented than him at the art of death. Somewhere along the line, however, her morality had kicked in, and she’d sworn off her calling. Which was fine, he supposed. To each their own. 

But then she had the guts to criticize him. Talking about stopping him, like she’d started to when Bruce and he fought. She’d grabbed his wrist then, turning his crooked blade away from the soft skin of Bruce’s neck. Growled a warning then, too, just before shoving him away. Starfire didn’t know about that night; he’d kept it under wraps. Still, anyone who paid attention knew that Outlaws and Bats weren’t supposed to get along. That’s what had made time with Batgirl so fun, while it lasted. Oh, Christ. She’s not gonna be there, is she? Dammit, Jason. Dammit.

He shook his head. “I’m over my fight with Batman. Burned right out. You were there, Cassandra. You saw. There’s nothing left.” He was sure Kory would have words with him after this, about the secrets that were flying in the cockpit. Why does this girl know your name, Jason? Why do you know hers? Do other Bats know about us? I thought you said your identity was secure. 

But then she was calling him Argo, a name he hadn’t been called in…over ten years. He smiled at it. The car he’d tried to steal from Talia had been a ‘65 Rolls, a Silver Shadow. Some assassin had gotten wind of that, and Jason had been called variations of it ever since. Cass had been the one to change silver to another language; Argo was an homage to that, and the story of Jason and the Argonauts that Cass had loved so much as a child.

They flew under the waterfall, landing softly on one of several flight pads. Cass unbuckled herself, and started to get out. Before she could, Jason grabbed her wrist. 

“I wouldn’t do something that would hurt you, Cassassin. Ever.” He nodded once, knowing she couldn’t read his expression. It was as close as he could get to a promise with her. “You’re family.” He released her hand then, exiting the jet.

“Time to meet the man behind the curtain, right?”

dancinghunter:

Cass was very impressed with the way the warden stood his ground as he yelled, red in the face, at the Red Hood while said vigilante looked like he was about to splinter the handle of the hammer he was holding.  Where Jason got the hammer was beyond her but what was more unsettling was what Jason could do with that hammer and how that thought hadn’t crossed the warden’s mind as he yelled at Jason for the mistreatment of his inmates.  She knew that she should be more concerned with exactly what had transpired here that had the warden is such a tissy but Jason had a point -the last thing the city needed at the moment was a hoard of escaped criminals and that was something everyone knew from experience.  And even as she watched the diver submerge himself once again to continue looking looking for a body, Cass decidedly keptthat thought in mind.

But even in their present predicament, Cass truly was glad to see Jason again and was happy to see the feeling returned in the affectionate tone he used for his nickname for her.  “Couldn’t keep away. Not with…” trailing off, Cass simply waved her hand knowing he would understand that with all this mayhem there was no way any of them would have stayed put.  And from his next words, she was right.  Because as much as Jason tried to stay away, Cass knew he still cared -for the welfare of the people and their survival.  And even past old allegiances and shared memories, this was the reason Cass felt comfortable around him even with all her misgivings about killing.  He fought a purpose, he fought to help, and for Cass, that was enough.

Scrunching her nose at the thought of having to fight the slow moving, sickle wielding, one-armed villain, Cass shook her head, glad at having missed that.  Although at the mention of the once conjoined twin, Cass suddenly became aware of whose hammer Jason was holding.  But just as she was about to ask what had happened to Mister Hammer, she was distracted by the overwhelming beauty that was Starfire.  Cass had never seen her in person, she had only heard stories of her from the days when the Outlaws still sported three members. Curious as to Jason’s vague description, Cass gasped as she saw the pink flame shimmer in Starfire’s hand.

Eyes flicking back to Jason as the spark disappeared, Cass smiled at his words.  Don’t fuck with this one, indeed.  But even as she continued to eye Starfire in curiosity, she was snapped back to attention at the mention of Jason’s brother.

Dick.  She remembered the boy.  Shaking her head, she wondered what could have possessed him to go out during the blackout, although she was glad to hear that he was no longer in the Narrows -there weren’t many worse places to be and hopefully this meant he was bunkered down somewhere safely.

“Wouldn’t say no. Not to Dick. And not to you.”  Although Cass wasn’t entirely sure having them work together was a good idea.  Just thinking of the last time those two were in the same room together was already giving her a headache and Cass knew that if they would get nothing accomplished if they went down that road again.

“Comms are back up.  But you don’t want Bruce’s help.  He’s not manning network.”  Cass was well aware that this wasn’t a very good idea and that she’d probably be having words with several people later but if there was one person who could help them right now, it would be him.

“You should meet my friend.”

He was glad to see the short assassin, especially in these dire circumstances. She was the only other member of the League of Assassins that operated in Gotham, regardless of her new moral stance. She wasn’t just a friend, she was family. He resisted a fleeting urge to give her a hug, instead making the hand sign the young acolytes had used to describe Ra’s behind his back-a fist, pinky and index finger raised. 

Red Hood nodded when she mentioned her friend, slightly relieved that Bruce wasn’t going to be at the Cave. The last time Jay had seen him, they’d nearly killed each other, and probably would have had Cass not intervened. He’d made the young assassin a foolish offer too, one that she hadn’t accepted. To join him, assassin to assassin, and become an Outlaw. She’d declined with all the grace she could, and Jason hadn’t held a grudge.

But now, this was a mystery. Someone other than Bruce running the Cave? How many Bats were there now? Man, Girl, Woman, Black, Beyond, and now a sixth one? Jesus Christ. He supposed it could be the old man, the one who had referred to Bruce as Master Wayne, but that seemed unlikely. He hadn’t picked up that vibe from him, brief as their contact had been.

“So, the Cave?” He slung the hammer onto his shoulder. Next to him, Kory tensed, although he doubted anyone but Cass or himself would have noticed. She didn’t like Batman; his approach had always come across as sanctimonious to her. Jay cocked his head slightly at her, and she shook her head. He swiveled back to face Cass. “She’ll be fine. She’s not a fan of…him.” Turning on his heel, he strode past the still angry warden, pulling himself up into the cockpit of the two bladed machine. Kory took the copilot’s seat, and Jason opened the hatch to allow Cass in. 

“Buckle up. This thing is fast." 

With a roar, it lifted into the air, banking west as they headed to the Palisades.

dancinghunter:

Amid all the blaring car alarms and the sound of broken glass being crushed underneath heavy footsteps, the one sound that carried above them all was the auxiliary klaxon at Arkham Asylum. It was a constant among all the clamour in the Narrows, unrelenting and deafening, a warning to all the civilians in the area and a siren call to all officers.  There was a breakout in the prison that held some of the most deranged criminals in all of Gotham and in this blackout, the city would be theirs for the taking.  And Cass was still too far away to do anything to help.

She had abandoned her bike somewhere along the way -weaving through the mess that was the streets of the Narrows was not worth the impending accident.  Instead, she had taken to the rooftops, running, leaping, gliding without stop knowing that each minute wasted meant another criminal escaping to the streets.  Of all the times for a breakout, this was the worst -or when put in perspective, it was probably the best time.  The police force was stretched too tight, scattered around the city trying to manage the riots that had sprung up, all the while having to deal with radio dead silence.  Blind and deaf, gravitating to this one point, Cass couldn’t help wonder what exactly they were being herded away from as she landed with a grunt onto the pavement.

Making her way on foot as she neared the Asylum gates, Cass could hear the indistinguishable yells of the guardsmen as they waved their flashlights around, all running towards the same direction.  From the looks of it, one of the gates from the super max holding area was down and the guards were struggling to seal it off.  Heading towards the nearest to see what she could do, Cass crouched down as she felt air surge from the blast of a jet.  Looking up, she was shocked to see the Batjet hovering around the Asylum.  But as she squinted, she noticed that the design and color were all wrong.  This jet was red -bright and daunting- and she knew of only one person who sported that particular red.  

Picking up her pace and elbowing a straggler in the face, Cass pushed through into the courtyard and was shocked to see the Outlaws zip-tying the prisoners and helping the guards push them back into their cells.  It had been over than a year since the team had been seen but from the broken concrete and bullet holes peppering the wall, it seemed that they had not lost any of their fight.  Making her way towards Jason who seemed to be barking out instructions at the warden, Cass patted him on the shoulder and nimbly skipped back as she felt him tense.  Nodding at Starfire’s smile, she addressed Jason, realizing it had been months since she had last seen him sporting the helmet.

“Red Hood.  Nice Jet.”  Knowing that he was smirking underneath the hood, she tapped her temple.  “Haven’t seen you in awhile.  Picked a good night to come back.  Didn’t leave anything for me to do.”  Cocking her head and pinning him with a stare, she asked “Why did you come back?”

With an deafening roar, the Dragon landed in the clearing, its jets slowing the descent to nothing. Jason climbed up into the cockpit, making sure to stash his guns there before he talked to any police. Not like they’d try to take him in tonight-still, he’d rather like to avoid weapons charges while trying to rescue his little brother. Kory had followed him, watching his movements with a neutral look that betrayed nothing of her feelings.

His firearms safely put away, Jason headed back to find the warden, who surely would have some questions about the Red Hood’s treatment of his inmates. 

He did, and Jason spent several minutes tolerating a barrage of insults and accusations tossed his way, only Starfire’s knowing look keeping him from knocking the man unconscious. WHen the warden finally stopped yelling, Jason simply pointed at him whth the hammer. “I made a choice. Let people die, or stop the criminals. Would you rather have had more Narrows citizens get hurt?” By this time, the guards had taken over the grounds, leaving Red Hood with little more to do than direct traffic. 

“Yeah, Building C. That’s where Grundy hit the water.” The warden nodded, yelling something unintelligible to the diver floating in the Gotham River. The diver, seemingly able to translate the barked order, went underwater with a small splash, searching for the mutilated body of the gray skinned behemoth. Jason was about to ask what he had said when-

Cass was here. Jason smiled, even though no one could see the expression. Tapping his helmet, he cocked his head to the side. With a nod from Cass, Jason opened up a line of communication to her, allowing him to talk without anyone around him hearing his words.

“Good to see you, Cassassin. Didn’t expect Bruce would let anyone out alone tonight. Saw the fireworks, did you?”

With a slight smile, she replied. “Haven’t seen you in awhile.  Picked a good night to come back.  Didn’t leave anything for me to do.”

He nodded. “Gotham doesn’t seem to want to let me retire. Sorry to steal the thunder, though. I’d have left you Sickle if I’d known you were coming.” With a small start, he realized he was still holding the hammer he’d used to kill the Russian. He kept it in his hand. Never knew when you’d need a weapon that devastating. With a flick of his wrist, he introduced Kory. “This is Starfire, the other Outlaw. NOt sure if you’ve met. She’s got…powers.” Cass stared intently when, on cue, Kor snapped her fingers, bringing a pink bolt of energy to her palm. “Don’t fuck with this one.” Kory smiled, a dangerous-yet intoxicatingly beautiful-expression. “What’s this, the first time I’ve been out in a good six weeks? And shit, you’ve been gone over a year.”

Cass cut in suddenly. “Why did you come back?”

WIth a neutral monotone, Jason replied. “Dick’s gone missing.” It was stated simply enough, although the words dropped with the weight of a small bomb. “I could use Bruce’s help, if he can spare it. Last time his tracker was active, it was here. Although-” Jason swept a gaze around the island, scanning for the slight radioactive pulse of the tracker.”-I don’t think he’s still here.” He redirected his gaze to Cass. “Think the old bastard will help?”