The Queen's Heart Martial Arts and Gymnastics Studio is busy throughout the week, with Sundays as their one day break. Selina is the one staff member who doesn't belong to the Batfamily, but Low Town is her home and the Studio sits right in the heart of it so she likes having a hand in the place. There's days she kicks herself for having not opened it herself.
Most of their classes happen in the evening, but Ben is considering a Tai Chi curriculum for their morning opening. Tim thinks this would be a riot, seeing how Ben's feline persona rivals Selina's. All in all, Cass and Babs feel like their schedule in the last several months has come together soundly in spite of the unfortunate interruptions brought about by their affair with Hush.
Wednesday nights are Cassandra's favorite, though she really couldn't tell anyone why. In schedule, it was the same as Mondays. This particular Wednesday was special because Jesse Vanderbilt showed up. She noted Cassandra's unusual teaching method, she doesn't talk a lot but nevertheless she manages to convey her meaning well enough with her person on person style. She was like a foreign migrant still learning English, a moderately functioning illiterate. Besides that, they had just gotten their first pair of exercise machines as a gift from Bruce: a pair of Wayne Cross Country Treadmills. Versatile incline with multiple settings, a plasma touch screen screen so the runner can visualize where they are going and monitor their breathing and heartrate, and wifi with a limited internet browser to pipe in Youtube, iTunes, or similar web services with audio through headsets.
Jesse had always been impressed with the girl's athleticism, she always wondered how someone could be so capable yet so incapable at the same time. Clearly she had had an education of some sort, and yet whoever the teachers were hadn't seen fit for her to learn what was really important in the world. Most of the advice and lessons Cass offered were examples and leads, she walked her students through lessons. She made the chained movements of forms look as simple as walking with a second nature grasp of their intricacies, and clearly she was a contortionist with the level of flexibility she had. Today's forms seemed to mostly involve chained round houses and cresent kicks with intervals of what was called the 'Thai Shield': defensive raising of a knee with a presented vertical forearm on the same side. She knew she'd throw a hip if she tried this.
Ms Vanderbilt had been scared to come back around after the incident with the two assassins, especially when she found out one of them had been murdered not far away. Low Town had always been considered a dangerous place to begin with, she wasn't sure why anyone would open a place as clearly respectable as this in Low Town but the swift improvements in the community spoke for themselves. She would have chalked it up to the heightened police presence from their clientelle but she had seen the way the instuctors had handled themselves. Richard had been hurt bad by the bigger assailant but even he had made a solid accounting of himself. Cassandra had just been frightening, nearly killing the man without hesitation then standing up to the other one with the knives.
After the class, she waved to Barbara for her to come over as she walked up to Cass. She was here to speak with them about picking back up Cassandra's speech lessons. The two of them step over to the side of the room while the students wipe away the sweat. The two offduty policemen present went through practicing a couple aspects of the form taught today, but the rest were packing up to leave for the evening.
This class used to be Muay Thai, but they had cleverly devised a curriculum for Muay Boran that skirted the restrictions ordinarily forbidding it from being taught in the states publicly. They didn't teach such moves as crown strikes or neck kicks, but Cassandra personally had no problem bodyclimbing an assistant to demonstrate how to knee someone in the face from the standing mount. The reception of the schedule change had been surprisingly positive.
"Hey there, Ms Gordon. I'm sorry, I'm sure you have things to do in the evenings here but I needed to speak with...Ms Woosan is it now?" starts Jesse as Barbara walks over to her and Cassandra.
Cassandra answers with a nod, replying,"Wu-San. Mother's last name."
About that time, the devil spoken of walked into the gym. She is particularly calm in her demeanor this evening, her brow raised as she watches the two offduty cops work out. She mumbles under her breath,"My little girl's piece of Bangkok."
Jesse explains to the two Batgirls,"I'm interested in getting back into our schedule with speech therapy. I'm very glad that the trouble with that serial killer is over with, I hate that it resolved the way it did but I think we can agree that we can all move on now. Awful what they did to him in prison." She visibly shudders, obviously having seen the report about Thomas' execution.
Barbara quirks a brow when she notices Sandra standing near the door, but refrains from calling further attention to the notoriously anti-social murderess. She replies cordially,"Yes, it was scary for all of us. I'm sure Mr Wayne would be very appreciative of your concern, especially on behalf of his adopted children."
Jesse folds her hands across her lap as gets to business,"As I was saying, I was wondering if Ms Wu-San would be interested in resuming our previous schedule. No change in the arrangement, of course."
Barbara looks at Cass who nods agreeably to this. She remembers well enough, they had been night courses scheduled for shortly after the close of business. That placed them about 7:30 as she recalled. Cass says in her quiet way,"Sounds ok. No trouble."
Sandra chooses this moment to approach in a languid fashion. She doesn't say anything, but she's plainly curious. Barbara keeps up her composed air, but she really doesn't like this. Jesse is completely unaware that anything is out of sorts as Sandra stands off from behind her shoulder as she replies,"Wonderful. When can we start? I'm free next Tuesday. I just need to get the usual paperwork in order."
Sandra inquires,"Speech therapy? Wonderful. I'm glad to see this."
Jesse's startled as she glances over her shoulder. Sandra's dressed in her usual way, trademark leather jacket over plain but decent clothes. Barbara introduces them,"This is Cass' mother, Sandra Wu-San."
Cass offers,"Hi mom," as a greeting, her arms loosely crossed . She was wearing a black sports top with an ironic bat symbol and matching yoga pants.
Jesse smiles, regaining her composure as she offers a hand to the asian woman,"Hi, very nice to meet you. I'm Jesse Vanderbilt, and you heard right. I'm Cassandra's speech therapist. It's wonderful that you two are getting caught back up."
Sandra shakes her hand by way of cordiality, the smaller speech therapist is surprised by the firmness of her grip but doesn't say anything about it, just letting a nervous chuckle slip. Sandra says,"Yes, it's been lovely seeing what she's made for herself here. If it is agreeable, I would like to handle your salary going forward in this matter."
Barbara can't hide her surprise with the assassin's generosity, but after a moment she gets the sinking feeling that somehow it will have its own price. She doesn't question it though, one can always hope for the best.
Jesse clears her throat mildly as she pulls out her Wayne Notepad, sliding her finger across the screen then tapping it a couple times as she searches. "Hmm. I see Bruce Wayne is currently listed as handling my fee, I'll be happy to get in touch with him to make the arrangements."
Sandra cracks a grin at that, her previously tranquil demeanor dissolving for the moment,"Of course. If it's too much trouble, I could speak with him myself however."
The Vanderbilt woman raises a hand to this,"No, it's no trouble at all." She then smiles to Cassandra,"Your classes seem to be filling up nicely. Have you heard about that dojo in Bludhaven? They've only been open about as long as you have and already have a TV commercial and radio ads."
Sandra clarifies, knowing exactly of whom she speaks,"Kiba Khan's Okinawan Academy."
Jesse nods firmly at that as Barbara quips,"Kiba Khan, eh? Sounds hokey, but points for catchiness." Cassandra just shrugs at that.
"Anyways. I appreciate your time, here's a card for each of you so we can touch base if needed. I look forward to picking back up with our courses now that that awful chapter is behind us." She smiles sincerely to them before turning to step on out. Her business is now concluded.
As she walked out, the two kickboxing cops were drying off and heading out as well. Sandra smiled placidly as she turns her attention to the two Batgirls and said,"So. Kiba Khan's."
Barbara quirks a brow and asks,"Is there a reason you have familiarized yourself with that name?"
Sandra nods her answer lightly, then clarifies,"There seems to be a reason that the are doing better than you, and it isn't location."
Barbara asks the next question,"Something we can prove?"
The asian assassin shrugs lazily,"It would be amusing. Schools like that one were at one time all too common in the old days. They are blessedly rare now, and no better than ordinary street gangs."
Barbara is well aware of Lady Shiva's strange ethos. She has operated by it as long as any of them can remember. She hrms at the history lesson, inquiring,"So what are you suggesting?"
Lady Shiva answers with a smile,"Escorting her over to challenge them. Losing a match on their turf would kill their reputation and respectability. Such as it is."
Babs quirks a brow, feeling compelled to ask,"We aren't talking a death match are we?"
Sandra chuckles at the notion,"Heavens no, who do you take me for?"
The question earns a deadpan stare from Babs before she rhetorically responds in like fashion,"Assassin queen of the underworld. Slayer of masters near and far."
Sandra rolls her eyes at that,"I see my reputation precedes me. No, it wouldn't be fair or sporting. Still, that school is a blight I would be happy to see expunged."
Cassandra speaks up for herself at this point,"Ok, if no killing."
Sandra looks to her now, regarding her for a quiet moment before saying,"Just the two of us. It'll be fun, I promise." She smiles at that, a thing that strikes Barbara as oddly sincere for her.
Barbara asks after several beats have passed,"So when is this little outing of yours?"
Sandra replies,"I was thinking tomorrow. At nine, give them plenty of time to get started."
The duo nods agreeably to this, Cassandra saying,"Eight thirty, Cafe O'Malley."
Sandra raises her brows at this,"I know this place. It's two blocks from the dojo."
Cassandra smiles approvingly. She seldom got over to Bludhaven, but it was one of the few places there that she did know. James liked their coffee, Cassandra liked their lattes.
"Very well. I will see you there, right out front," Sandra speaks, then about faces to stroll to the door where she pauses to look back,"See you." Then out she goes.
Barbara glances at Cass and says,"Big day tomorrow." Then into the office she goes. Cass nods to noone in particular, because it will be.
O'Malley's is an Irish Pub themed cafe with a sandwhich shop. It offers a modest selection of caffeine, and a like selection of alcohol for the evening crowd. Mother and daughter have similar notions of timing as they both arrive fifteen minutes on the dot early.
Sandra chuckles as she spies her daughter dressed for the occasion. Sporting baggy windbreaker pants, walking slippers and, a baggy black button up shirt over a matching muscle tee. She shakes her head at her sense of fashion, wearing a similar outfit to yesterday herself.
"Well. You do look like you're ready to pick a fight anyway," comments the Lady Shiva.
Cassandra nods to her, more by way of greeting than agreement. Her absence of sleeves showed off her seemingly masculine muscle tone, something not often apparent in her usual getup. Sandra reflects how Cassandra turned their fight around at one point by simply overpowering her when she apparently realized she couldn't quite pace her.
Sandra knits her brows a little in consideration. Before she can say anything, Cass says,"Let's get food."
Not waiting for a reply, she steps inside. Cass is really hoping her mother is on the up and up with this. Hoping for the best, she bought them both continental breakfasts and herself a cup of black coffee. Sandra got a cup of plain hot tea for herself.
Sitting down at a table, Sandra is a little perplexed. She studies her daughter as Cassandra regards her in return as she sips her drink. The two sit in silence for a long moment before their meals are brought out. Sandra clears her throat and says,"Well then."
Cass and Sandra eat in silence, Sandra feeling the weight of her attentiveness. They are both well aware of the conversation taking place without words. Cassandra was telling her she isn't stupid. Sandra was answering with frustration and flailing as she quietly pecks at her plate. It would be a long breakfast.
Cassandra's gaze at her mother was accusing. Her emotions towards her were mixed, she wanted to believe her capable of more than just taking. Sandra's answer equally conflicted. It told her she didn't know half of what she believed. Cass looks down to her plate, almost embarrassed but her frustration unabated with the other. Sandra stares at her, almost coldly. Eventually Cass smacks the table with her fist and Sandra gets up to leave.
Neither finished as they dumped their plates and cups on the way out. Nary a word spoken, all had been said that needed saying for the moment. Walking down the street, they each made good time to the dojo. Sandra folds her arms as she regards the elaborate affair before them. The building itself was no more impressive than the Studio, but the sign itself was fashioned across the window like blazing flames with a tiger stalking on one end and a dragon igniting the letters with its breath as it wings over the other end. Kiba Khan's Okinawan Acadamy, they had arrived.
***
According to the sign, his name was indeed Kiba Khan. The sensei of the dojo was a broad chested squat man of just over five feet in height. Bald and clean shaven with squinty eyes, his voice rings deep to his students,"Fear does not exist in this dojo."
The students collectively declare,"Yes sensei!"
The sensei announces the next verse of their mantra,"Defeat does not exist in this dojo."
The students collectively declare yet again,"Yes sensei!"
He then declares the third verse of their mantra,"Pain does not exist in this dojo."
Once more the students declare,"Yes sensei!"
Then they begin their breathing exercises to commence training. At this point, the two women outside step in after having watched these proceedings with curiosity for some time. Politely they step to the back corner. After the students finish their tension breathing exercises, the burly sensei intones the signal to halt.
"We have visitors. Please, step here." the little big man gestures cordially to come forth.
Lady Shiva smiles icily as she folds her hands at the small of her back and answers,"Oh that's quite alright. We're here to address the class."
The man's squinty gaze hardens. He knows trouble well enough, he answers,"Then speak your piece."
Lady Shiva does so,"Fear, defeat, and pain have enterred your dojo. I know your game, and we're here to correct it."
The little big man grunts as he replies, not bothering to deny any unspoken allegation,"Is that so. Are we to fear the girl you bring with you?" A few of his students chuckle at that, he silences them with a harsh intonation. Lady Shiva nods to him affirmingly in answer, he gestures roundly and meaningfully. The students respond by forming a circle.
Sandra points into the circle as the sensei gestures Cassandra forward. The sensei gravely utters,"Stephens, front!"
A young man sporting a black belt springs from the circle as the others take indian seats. Cassandra hrms a little at his enthusiasm. She sees it all over these students and especially the teacher. They were all bullies and animals, he merely held a leash.
Squaring off, the student named Stephens bowed curtly and Cassandra clapped her hands together in a prayerlike gesture towards him. She would have liked to've wrapped her fists for the occasion as she plops down into the sideways squat with her fists ready posture of Muay Chaiya boxing.
Sandra chuckles a little at Stephens confusion, offering,"Don't mind her. This is her jungle boxing."
Cass groans as the young man springs forward with a low kick. While quick for an ordinary young man, he's unprepared for her experienced response as she reaches out to snatch his offered foot by the toe and heel. She steps back as she shifts to a half crouch, pulling him out of balance as she goes before twisting to send the hapless youth to the floor. She finishes the round by simulating a punch to the side of his knee that would disable him before stepping gracefully to her starting point.
"What is this jungle boxing of which you speak?" Asks the Sensei.
"Muay Boran. Chaiya style if you must know, though I suspect she has her own flavor." answers Sandra.
The man grunts, then announces,"Rufio! Front."
"My thoughts exactly, but I'm biased otherwise in this instance," says Sandra.
This round starts out similarly to the first as they square off and pay their respects. The young man tries to close more enthusiastically than his predecessor, but this time doesn't go any better than the last as she tumbles to the side before circling behind the confused young man and snatching him by the shoulders of his gi. Before he knows what's going on, she's yanked him backwards to the floor where she simulates a chop to his forehead long before he's figured out why he lost.
"Hoi...is this your daughter?" asks the sensei.
"Yes. Cassandra Wu-San." answers Sandra in an almost purring tone.
The man seems startled by something. After a moment, he asks,"And you. What is your name?"
"Sandra," she replies with a poisonous grin.
He steps forward demandingly at this point,"Why have you really come here?!" Fear is certainly in his tone, everyone hears it and the students are infected as they look at each other uncertainly.
"To make a pont," Sandra replies cryptically.
The sensei now intones,"Masha, Cheng, Peters, Front!" Then steps back to where he was.
Sandra placidly states,"Please. Embarrass yourself worse. By all means."
The trio, this time a girl and two young men, step forward and go through the motions. Uncertainty riddles their faces as they square off with the tough looking individual who had thus far humiliated all comers.
They begin by trying to surround Cassandra. This looks promising until she springs at the girl of the group and plants her heel squarely in her diaphragm before they get a chance. It's obvious at least some of them had never fought anyone but each other, unlike the first two hooligans.
This first strike had been calculated on her part. She knew that planting the girl on her behind, literally driving the wind from her evidenced her choking sounds as she lays in the fetal, the other two would come at her savage and stupid. One of them charges with his fist raised, a mean looking lout with a couple chipped teeth. She gives him a couple more with a crescent kick to the side of his head that sends him spinning to the floor. The other isn't far behind as she squares him off.
The man is shaking like a dry leaf. Cassandra is utterly expressionless as she stamps her foot, watching him jump back. She then calmly walks up to him as he tries to recompose his fighting stance. Darting the last pace, she plants a palm squarely and firmly to his forehead as she positions a heel behind his leg and shoves him to the floor.
Turning round on the sensei, she stares at him like a hawk eyeing a rabbit. Sandra grins from ear to ear as he demans,"What is the meaning of this."
Sandra answers,"Take your pick. Your crop is second rate. Leashed dogs don't equal warriors. Disgraced dojos can't produce quality." Her voice becomes increasingly firm as she levels her accusations.
At that last charge, several of the students jump to the sensei's defense, including a few that Cassandra had already bested. The one called Stephens declares,"Kiba Khan isn't second rate, that geriatric has-been sent you here, didn't he? His big mouth got him hurt, and yours will too!"
Cassandra didn't wait for the round to start this time, lighting into Stephens with an uppercut into his stomach that would end his speeches for the next several minutes. Not wasting any time, she snatches the boy next to him by the back of his leg to offbalance him as she shoves him to the floor. She dodges a thrown punch from behind by plopping into her signature crouch, then rolls onto her back and into almost a handstand as she drives both of her feet upwards into the diaphragm of the young man that tried to nail her from behind. Rolling back to her proper posture she finishes him with a sweep that collapses him to the floor. The other two back off, knowing beyond all doubt now that she is out of their league.
The sensei is shaking with a mixture of fear and fury as he regards the girl who isn't much taller than he is. He doesn't miss the expressionlessness of her features as she fights, or the fluidity of her movements and flawlessness of her defense. "I heard about you, Sandra. When I was in Hong Kong, I saw you. I didn't believe..."
"Cassandra, shut him up," Sandra orders as soon as he said he'd heard about her.
Cassandra decks him before he finishes what he is saying, her fists flying faster than any of the students could witness. She hits him three times, but after this fiasco none of them would agree if she had only thrown one or two as none could follow her. She hit him first in the stomach, then the second that most didn't see was to his solar plexus. Lastly, she floored him with a blow to his jaw that knocked him out cold. Her hands were back at her sides as soon as he was reeling and she turned from him to walk back to Sandra before he'd hit the floor. She found it hard to believe that just standing in the presence of this stranger had inspired such loathing before she even knew him. In a way, he had reminded her of David.
Cassandra didn't care for what she had just done, but she understands the need to maintain secrets. The two of them leave without further adieux, Cassandra looking up at her mother as they head away from the building. After a brief stroll, she realizes Sandra is leading her back to the Cafe.
"You want to know why I brought you here." Sandra begins.
Cass replies without hesitation,"Yes."
Sandra smiles,"Partly for fun, partly as a favor. Word will get around about how you trashed a dojo whose students beat up a Korean War veteran. That man, Yoshi Katamoto, is yakuza in hiding from the Hong Kong triad, he used his influence to protect them from prosecution and to safeguard the reputation of his school. That can only guarantee worse in the future."
Cassandra only halfway follows what she's telling her, but piecing together context she understands that he's some kind of criminal. She asks,"Hong Kong triad? What's a triad?"
Sandra continues smiling as she explains,"Chinese mafia. And before you ask, the Korean War happened a long time ago, the men who fought it are old. They deserve their rest, same as any other old soldiers."
Sandra had already thought this through. The sensei wouldn't breathe a word of the incident and would tell his students to do the same, lest Sandra come to him in private as Lady Shiva. He would take his humiliation and be grateful for his life, at worst he would try something underhanded. Either way, Cass was safe from public reprisals.
This time at the cafe, they got lunch and both had hot tea. Sandra would interrogate her daughter with at least passing interest about her school, verbally. Then they'd head back there together before parting ways. Sandra to wherever it is she lurks at, and Cass to her scheduled evening classes.
In the citadel of Bane, security is far tighter than in recent days. Something big has happened, and even Lady Shiva failed to stealth her way in like she was wont to wherever she went. She was more than a little bent about it as she was escorted to the big man and his bladed accomplice.
"I leave for a pleasant morning with my daughter and come back to find you ready for war. What happened?" She starts in with an irritated edge to her voice.
Bane answers readily,"Big changes. We are a noticed force by both sides, for better or for worse."
About that time, a woman's figure rises from the murky recycled water of the river. Gasping, she steps back onto the embankment and is offered a robe,"Thank you, I feel much better."
Scandal looks back to a stunned Lady Shiva, seeing that she recognizes her,"I guess we don't need to introduce you."
Lady Shiva shakes her head. She needs no introductions with Nyssa Raatko.
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