01 [Day: Friday, November 19, 2010. Time: 7:00 p.m.] 01 [It's been five days since Christian found the strange batkid in the Bronx, three days since he's had to deal with Sister Admin being particularly bothersome, and one day since he singlehandedly fought off Mac the Knife. He's healed pretty well over those twenty-four hours, though, which is good, because tonight is a (date? hang out?) night with Horus, who's waiting for him.] 01 [The meeting place? The same rooftop they first started this semi- tradition, facing Tiffany's. And it's Christian's turn to bring dinner!] 01 [Session Start!] 06* Christian hops up onto the roof from the direction of the fire escape, carrying a bag with him. Well two bags. He looks about for where exactly Horus has situated herself. "Yo, special delivery." 06* Horus looks over and grins. She's set up a pair of beach chairs and is lounging in one of them. As usual, despite the cold weather, her clothes look about fit for spring or summertime, and she has her mask on along with a muted golden glow. "Smells like Chinese." 06* Christian nods. "Yup." He digs in one of the bags and gets out some paper plates, chopsticks and forks. "Here...less you wanna eat right out of the container. Dunno how hungry you are." 01 Not starvin'. Yet. 06* Horus takes a plate and fork. "Thanks." 06* Christian snorts and grins. "That a hint not to keep a girl waiting?" He flops into the lawn chair next to her and takes out the food, handing her a box and a few egg rolls. 06* Horus laughs. "You should fucking well know better by now, yeah?" She picks an egg roll out of the box and has a bite, making a sound of appreciation. 06* Christian grins again. "Hey, you know I'm a little slow on the uptake." He flops into the chair and sighs, taking out his own box and setting it on his plate. He doesn't immediately dive into it though, just folds his arms behind him and looks up at the stars, plate on his belly. 01 Ah, you ain't that bad. 06* Horus sets her eggroll on the edge of her plate and gets some fried rice and barbeque pork there, too. "Somethin' on your mind?" 06* Christian lets out a bit of a sigh. "Yeah. Little bit." He doesn't elaborate though, still looking at the sky. Kind of weird for him really. 06* Horus mmms and picks up a piece of pork with her fork, also looking out - but at the manmade lights, not the heavenly ones. 06* Christian looking a bit more at the sky too. He actually hasn't said a word or looked over to check out Horus for a while now. Now that *is* weird. 06* Horus finishes the piece of pork and picks up another one. It's only after she polishes off her eggroll that she speaks again: "You wanna talk about it?" 06* Christian sighs and sits himself up. He forgets about the food until it starts to topple and he grabs it without comment before setting it aside. He turns to look at Horus. "I can trust you, right Horus?" 06* Horus stares at Christian for a moment. "... Fuck, I hope so." 06* Christian runs his fingers through his hair a bit. "Sorry...it's just..." He goes back to being on his back, looking upward. "I ran into a kid on patrol the other day. Runaway." 06* Horus may be raising an eyebrow, but it's hard to tell with the mask and all. "Yeah?" Ain't no one knows this 'cept you an' Admin. 06* Horus nods. 01 Don't sound like somethin' worth making much fuss over. So this kid's a runaway? 06* Christian lets out a breath. "Yeah. Only she's a super. She came out and told me after seeing me in action." 12 year old kid. Freaked out by her own powers. Freaked out her *parents*. Took off, shoeless in the middle of the bad part of the Bronx. Can you imagine that? People after her parents too, apparently. God, how'd I become the magnet for sucker cases, right? 06* Horus replies automatically, faintly, "Right?" Pause. "That's rough. I mean, twelve's fuckin' young for that kinda shit, and..." She trails off for a moment, then asks, "What'd you do?" 06* Christian rubs his face. "What *could* I do? She's a hero worshipper...I couldn't let a kid like that down." He sighs. "Admin put her up somewhere. Local orphanage. In the meantime while we look for a way to protect her parents." He doesn't exactly say that he helped instigate that, but it's very much implied. 06* Horus purses her lips. "Assumin' you guys know where they are. I could make a point ta pass by regularly on patrol, at least. Should scare anyone in the know away." 06* Christian frowns. "Even if they're disguised as cops? FBI?" 01 Wait, what? Plus this is Admin we're talkin' about. She'll find out. You know she will. 06* Christian looks at her. "You heard me. Fuckin' messed up shit, isn't it?" 01 So... these guys after her parents were masqueradin' as *officers*? From what I got, yeah. 06* Horus flops back in her chair. "Ugh. Why." I dunno. Maybe they were legit and trying to drag her into lab experiments or something. 06* Horus frowns. "You know most law enforcement ain't like that." 06* Christian gets quiet for a moment. Then responds in a more somber tone, "I almost blew up at Admin because of that. Kid doesn't need that kind of shit..." He finally grabs his fork and starts to open the box. At least his appetite's there. Yeah. You know I don't get along with law enforcement that well. I ain't gonna suspect 'em though. FBI's another story. I can see the government pulling shit like that. 06* Christian pokes at his food with the fork but doesn't eat it yet. 06* Horus nods slowly. "Sometimes... well, generally ain't worth gettin' into conspiracy theories, but sure, I hear ya. Government's done plenty of questionable things in the past." She picks another eggroll out of its box and holds it between her index finger and thumb. Yeah. So whole thing's a mess. And...well, she's from Manhattan. And by the looks of it, pretty well off. I can't see her getting along well in the heart of the Bronx. 06* Horus tilts her head. "Probably not. Fuck, that's like two different worlds. You ever really *see* how they live there?" She laughs, then shakes her head. 01 Plus, hell, orphanages are rough even in the best places. You been checkin' in on her, I'm guessing? Going to. Haven't had a chance yet. 01 Should. You sound worried. 06* Christian sighs and rubs the back of his neck. "Kid's got a huge hero complex. Wants to save the world. Now she's got an actual goddamned superhero who's jumped in and saved her..." 06* Horus snerks. "She's a teenager, or about to be one. I know I had it all figured out when I was that age." 01 *And* she's already a fuckin' super. It probably ain't like you got her to start thinkin' that way. 06* Christian snorts and stabs a piece of pork, flicking it at her. "I know that, alright? I just don't want the kid attached is all. Otherwise I'm gonna end up with a fuckin' sidekick or somethin'." 06* Christian sighs and looks at his food. "Plus I wanna do it right, y'know? Ain't like she's the only one who just had powers thrown on her as a kid..." 06* Horus frowns a little, then asks, "Like you, right?" 06* Christian keeps looking down at his food. "Yeah. Like me." He glances over at her for a moment. "You know I was 12 too, right?" 06* Horus shakes her head slowly. Admin about too, really...I mean...whole thing's a goddamned mess. I know *I* was screwed up back then... Kid's actually doing alright, considering. Least I still *looked* human with it. 01 Wait, she don't? What's her powers? *Most* of the time she does. Rest of the time, giant bat. No joke. 06* Horus blinks. "No joke?" Pause. "Damn. That's a tough break. Can she control it?" 06* Christian snorts. "And apparently there's more of 'em out there. Undocumented. Solaris'd have a field day if she found out." Yeah, lucky break that. Least if she can't sometimes, she didn't let me know 'bout it. 06* Horus snorts. "Yeah. Lucky." And then she backtracks: "There are more and Solaris don't know? Wait, this is about the thing Sis Admin sent us about being on the lookout, right?" 06* Christian nods. "Bingo." 01 Well, she knows now. ... Sort of. I'm kinda surprised; Admin's never struck me as the sort to keep info from Solaris. 01 I mean, not *important* info, anyhow. 06* Christian sighs. "She had a hard enough time getting it from me. But I'll be damned if *I* know where to put up a kid all by myself. 'Specially in the middle of the night out on patrol." 06* Christian eats a bite and then looks distant and quiet again. 01 Nah, calling her was probably the best move. Nobody's got the connections she's got. 06* Christian pauses in his reverie to nod for a second. 01 Well... it's kinda a blessing, you know? That she ended up where you were on patrol. 06* Christian snorts. "You mean instead of getting picked up by someone like Jackie?" 06* Horus rolls her eyes. "Or not at all. Or *me*." 06* Christian blinks and looks over at her. "You?" 01 Sure. I mean, fuck. I'm a hero and all, and I like to think I'm a pretty nice person, but... *I* don't know what she's goin' through. This. 06* Horus gestures at her mask. "This is something I decided I wanted. I mean, yes, fuckin' pressure or whatever, but I chose this. And my family..." She shakes her head. "Ain't the same situation at all. You get her - that's why you're so wrapped up in this - and that means you can make sure it's done right by someone." 06* Christian grins. "You could teach her to fly. A lot better than *I* could." 06* Horus smirks. "Okay, fine. If you want me to give flying lessons, I'll do that." Hey, I gave her fighting lessons. Least you could do is flying lessons. 01 Hey, see me objectin'? 06* Christian hehs a little bit and stirs his food with his fork. "Nah. I think you'd do that with any kid. You're a mentor now. New Horus an' all." 06* Horus laughs a little. "Guess we're both mentors. Looks like there're actually people newer at it than *us*." 06* Christian grins at her. "Scary isn't it? Can you *imagine* someone looking up to me?" 01 Barely. 06* Christian sighs. "Hell if I want to mold anybody into my image though." 06* Horus shrugs. 01 Well, I ain't got no one to mentor, but... I'd think it's not so much moulding them into *your* image so much as helpin' them become what they're s'posed to be. Hopefully with less mistakes on the way, yeah? Maybe. 06* Horus grins. "Or you could mould her in your image. She could do worse." She starts on the fried rice. 06* Christian thinks about that for a moment. He then shakes his head. "Well, when you're like this, ain't like you got a choice of powers. But you got a choice on how to use 'em." He stretches his arm overhead. "Hell, I guess one good thing comin' into it is a thankless job's a little less thankless with things like that." 06* Christian snorts and stands up. "My image is the most pristine one out there. *Anyone'd* kill to be *this* badass." He grins and then laughs briefly. "Yeah, ain't gonna happen." 06* Horus waves him off. "Ain't like you're Hyde, yeah?" Yeah. Hyde actually *believes* her own hype. Or makes it up as she goes along. Hell if *I* know 01 I think she's a chronic bitch. A tragic disease with no known cure. Terminal? 01 Remains to be seen. 06* Christian sighs and stretches, fists at his back. "I gotta think of a disguise then. What eye color you think I should go for? Blue?" 06* Horus tilts her head, looking at Christian. "Yeah, blue'd work, sure." 06* Christian looks back at her. "What?" 01 Nothin'. I'm just kinda surprised you're takin' this so seriously. I mean, the identity thing. 06* Horus smiles a touch. "I remember you introducin' yourself as 'Christian' and not knowing why you'd need a codename." 06* Christian snorts. 'Ain't like I need to hide who I am from *supers*. People are different." 06* Christian folds his arms. "Besides, ain't like they're common but regular people know my face out there. I wouldn't wanna run into 'em an' have them mistake me for somebody else." 01 Sure, sure. Just sayin'. 06* Horus goes back to the pork and fried rice. It's getting cold now, but oh well! 06* Christian grins. "Just because I don't *act* like I'm takin' things serious don't mean I don't take things serious." What, ya gonna get all gushy on me for it? 06* Horus sighs. "Whatever, Christian." 06* Christian stops for a moment and goes over to pat her on the shoulder. "Hey, least you can pull *that* on me. Ain't like I can pull your name off at the drop of a hat. But I like ya anyway." 06* Horus snorts. "Thanks." 01 Anyway, blue'd be good. Make sure you hide that tattoo, too. Thought of that, yeah. And a hat for the hair. Hell if I wanna dye it again. 01 Yeah, that ain't worth it. 's too permanent; defeats the purpose. You got a name lined up? Yup. Admin got me a cover story and everything. 01 Nice. Sounds like you got it lined up. 06* Horus pokes at her rice a bit more, then sets it on the ground, stands, and stretches. 06* Christian throws his thumb behind him. "Hey, wanna race across rooftops? I found this awesome place you can look out at the bay at night." 06* Horus glances at Christian, then grins. "Sure." She starts gathering garbage. Heroes don't litter! 06* Christian helps clean up too, because what kind of heel leaves the other person to do it all for themselves? He then flashes her another grin back and takes off across the roofs. 06* Horus is taken aback for half a moment before she grins and flares, wings appearing as she streaks through the air after her boyfriend. 01 [Session End!]