1 | Video

[wholenewstory]

[The video reveals a girl studying the screen intently. Her hair, mussed and bedraggled, is loosely pulled back. Her outfit is odd; it looks like a form-fitting black body suit, but it's torn and tattered, stained with blood.]

Can you...hear me?

[She tilts her head slightly, brow furrowing. She doesn't like devices like this - communication without contact - but it seems like the...sensible thing to do. The sort of thing Oracle would tell her to try.]

I'm - Cassandra. Just got here.

[Her frown is, at most, mildly bewildered.]

What they told me - about the...In-Between - is that...what they say to everyone? Is it true?

[She doesn't sound particularly sceptical. Why should she? Dying is the last thing she remembers.

This next bit, though, has her eyes widening and her lips quirking.]

Is it...really a turtle?

Comments

→ video; 98% unhackable

[controlledvariable]

[A lot of things happen in Steph's suite when she sees this entry.

First, she falls off her chair. Then when she picks herself back up and tries to hit reply, she nearly forgets the encryptions and ends up sort of just mashing on the keyboard in frustration.

Eventually she has an excrypted video up and her expression can only be described as happy.]

Where are you? [it comes out a little like it's all one word.]

video; 98% unhackable

[wholenewstory]

[To call her expression stunned would be understating it. She falls back against her seat, just staring.]

Steph?

[Her voice is strained and cracked with emotions she can barely handle, and it takes her a moment to really register the question.]

Oh. Um. EA-2B.

video; 98% unhackable → action

[controlledvariable]

Who else? [If Steph were less excited about having her best friend here, she'd have properly registered that look for what it means, but...

She's not paying close enough attention right now, and Cass has told her where she is and it's close. Steph is already standing] I'll be there in five minutes. Don't - go anywhere, okay?

[Without really waiting for a reply, Steph turns off the display, briefly checks the maps she's gotten to make sure she knows exactly where she's going, and then - runs all the way to Cass's suite. By the time she's knocking on Cass's door, Steph is a little out of breath, flushed from the run, but still grinning and practically vibrating with excitement]

video || permanon

[cowled]

[Cassandra.

After the arrival of the others, hers is not surprising. She's younger. Her hair cut like she used to keep it, before Slade and Cain.

Bruce breathes. Switches on video. He's in one of the many cafés, and his signal is anonymous. He's disguised, of course, but he doesn't expect to be able to fool Cassandra even on his best day. He's aged himself with stage make-up - applied a goatee, greyed his hair at the temples and is wearing a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses.

But as much as he can disguise his body language, he still speaks Cassandra's native tongue fluently.

He shifts, just slightly on camera. Disguised. Let it be.]

It is in fact a turtle, if you can believe it. The other questions are... a touch more complicated. I'm Devin Craig. A-- ah, professor of anthropology.

video ||

[wholenewstory]

[Her eyes widen, just slightly, shock and delight bright in her expression, before her head tilts minutely to the side. Understood.]

Nice to meet you. Have you - been here long?

video;

[cowled]

[Bruce smiles in answer. It's close to genuine. More than just his cover identity. It's good to see her, and he doesn't bother hiding it.]

I've been here a month. To the day, actually.

[video]

[withoutaworld]

Ummm... yes, to basically all of the above.

Except I'm not really sure about the Between part... I don't know how that works, exactly. Some of us are dead, or close to it, but not everyone.

[ She tilts her head a little, frowning. ] Are you okay?

[video]

[wholenewstory]

[Her nod is thoughtful.]

They said - you might not be. So I think...your mind could be...wandering. Like - like a dream. Except you can't...wake up.

[She offers a faint smile, then.]

I - am dead. But...otherwise, yes.

[video]

[withoutaworld]

[ Rikki smiles back, sympathetic. ] You too? Sorry, I know it pretty much... sucks. But hooray for second chances, I guess?

I'm Rikki, by the way. Hi.

video; anonymous; 90% batcrypted

[demon_brat]

Cain.

Has anyone offered medical assistance, yet?

video

[wholenewstory]

[She frowns curiously at him, for a moment.]

No. I'm - fine, now.

[Well. As fine as the dead can be.]

How...do you know me?

[There's certainly something familiar about the boy.]

video; anonymous; 90% batcrypted

[demon_brat]

If you say so.

[Beat. Stares. Oh... great.]

Damian Wayne.

[That should be answer enough, right?]

video.

[andaway]

[He didn't spend much time with her as Batgirl, but that voice is... hard to forget. Bruce is really getting all his kids in one place isn't he?]

By now you've probably already been told it is really a turtle.

video.

[wholenewstory]

[...Another surprise!]

I - yes.

Strange. But...fun.

[That's the only word she can think of for riding a giant turtle, really.]

video.

[andaway]

That's what most people say.

Have you talked to him yet? [He doesn't think he has to say who is he referring to.]

[daughterofelysium]

Hello, Cassandra. [Wow this girl reminds her of the other cyborgs at the Agency, which just makes Triela more inclined to reach out somehow.] I'm Triela. Just got here too. I don't know about it being in-between anything, other than between us and home, though.

[Though at the mention of it being a turtle she brightens a little.] I want to go see the head! You're supposed to be able to get up there, I asked.

[wholenewstory]

[Cass gives her a warm smile.] Hello. It's - nice to meet you.

[And her eyes go wide.] Really? That - would be neat.

[video]

[stickshift]

Hey, Cassandra! I'm Asami. Welcome to Keeliai.

[She waves a little, and her smile is honest and friendly.]

I think the kedan give everyone the same talk about 'life, death and dreaming', honestly, but... so far there hasn't been any proof. Is it...

[She does look hurt, and Asami's expression shifts to concern, the slight hint of a frown.]

Are you all right? You're not injured at all?

[video]

[wholenewstory]

[Cass returns the smile immediately, despite all the emotional upheaval. Everyone has been so friendly, so far.]

Thank you.

[She shakes her head.]

I - am fine, now. [...She wrinkles her nose.] But I think - my suit is past...saving.

video

[sophos]

The in between, maybe, but I don't believe it's the afterlife.

video

[wholenewstory]

Why not?

text;

[inhisherosimage]

[Cass. They're all arriving, aren't they?] It's what they told me, too. And I'm not dead, so I suppose I'm inclined to believe them.

The name certainly suggests it is a turtle.

text;

[wholenewstory]

[She makes a few words out, here and there, but not enough for the message to be completely coherent. Eventually, all Tim gets back is:]

?

video;

[storm_warning]

Sure looked like a turtle to me. [Ororo shrugs.]

video;

[wholenewstory]

Have you seen the head?