Homeless [open to Vi]

[ferus]

"Well, I actually did come here for a reason, but I got sidetracked," Ferus admitted, jerking his head toward Shiro. "You can call me Ferus, by the way."

His pale eyes flicked down to the weapons in Robin's hands, and a wry smirk touched his face. He was still suspicious? Not surprising. Few people trusted him on the first meeting. Something about his wild appearance put them on edge, and no matter how friendly he was, they didn't conciously contradict their base instincts. Like a human was wary of a wolf, humans were always wary of Ferus.

"Is that really necessary?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, come on, we're not about to attack you or anything."

He grabbed the strap of his swords and pulled it around his head and off of his back, holding it in front of him for a second before dropping it. It landed with a leathery thud. His eyes met those of Robin's, and his expression was steady. He showed no fear of abandoning his favorite weapons, despite the fact that Robin was armed. He wanted Robin to trust him, or at the very least, not to be so openly hostile.

[Tim Drake]

Robin nodded to the boy and his show of good faith, and lowed his glove to his belt, and slipped the freeze disks back into their pouch before he shifted his stance and placed his fisted hands on his hips, his thumbs resting on his belt; "Just a precaution, some times its hard to tell who's friendly and who's not..." he looked to the girl and gave a single, slight nod; "In a way yes, what I'm saying is that I can walk in and out as I please, but you two are in a position to be wanted for trespassing... Unless your my, guests..."

It was simple, true, and in a way, what Robin was planing on, for many reasons, the main ones being that for one reason, they really didn't belong in there, and secondly, he wanted to speak with the boy, and now the girl, and as nice and proper as the Court House was, it was hardly a safe place for the kinds of things that Robin wanted to quiz them on...

"So now then, how about the three of us take a walk?" he gestured over his shoulder, and half turned, finding that, while not all that forthcoming with details, they didn't seem hostile or secretive about anything, just,
well, in a way, lost, much like Darkbrand had been, and she had turned into an ally.

[Lillith Tiller]

Shiro really hadn't expected Robin to put down his weapons. After all, people usually didn't trust "supers." And they were trespassing. No matter how nice Robin might seem, she still believed that he thought them as trespassers, and thus probably didn't trust them at all. When Ferus -- because apparently that was his name -- put down his weapons, Shiro was glad she didn't have to put down any of hers. For one thing, carrying weapons made you stand out, and people automatically distrusted you. For another, Shiro still had her weapons, but they were hidden in any inanimate object in the room, and thus she could never surrender.

Honestly, though, all Shiro wanted to do was leave. She'd been all around the world, and not once had she met someone that was truly good, or someone that she'd want to stick around with. Sure, she'd learned from some good-willed teachers and met some nice people, but none of them could really connect with Shiro. That was why she moved around so much. So, no, she didn't want to be Robin's guest, and she didn't want to walk with him. He might be luring her into a trap, and she didn't want to let herself believe that both he and Ferus were good people. Sure, Ferus meant well, but like he had said, he really didn't care.

Still, it didn't seem Shiro had much of a choice at the moment. She wanted to spend as little time with the two of them as possible, and really, she just wanted sleep. She was exhausted, and not in the mood for talking, especially because her reflexes wouldn't be very sharp. Either way, she doubted that Robin would let her walk off. She'd go with them, but only as far as the outside of the courthouse. Then she'd leave, ad find somewhere to sleep. She nodded at Robin.

[ferus]

"Sure," Ferus said with a shrug. "I would say that it's unnecessary, but I assume that we differ on that opinion."

Deftly kicking his swords into the air, he caught the sheath by the strap and looked at it for a moment before turning to Shiro. He wasn't about to leave his only weapons behind. They were a bit... difficult to come by. In fact, they were one of a kind. The swords shared a sheath, and they were virtually indestructable, to the point that he could use them to deflect bullets. There was only one way to get them out without the guards confiscating them. And likely arresting Ferus for possessing them. That was obviously not the desired result of the situation, and he hoped that Robin wouldn't insist that he leave them behind. He wasn't willing.

"Could you disguise these by any chance?" he inquired. "I don't think security would take well to them, and I assume we'll be taking more conventional means to the exit."

His sharp eyes took in the girl, noticing again the dark circles beneath her eyes and the slightly haggard expression on her face. She was obviously exhausted. It didn't show on his face, but he was concerned for her. She didn't have anywhere to sleep, and no matter where she found, it would not likely be safe. No matter what special abilities she had, she would be as vulnerable as anyone else when she was sleeping.

[Tim Drake]

"Maybe, but we won't solve anything standing here waiting to get caught in an abandoned room now will we?"

He needed to get them out of here so that there wouldn't be any kind of pointless hub-bub about something so silly, but still the biggest thing he wanted to do was get them informed about the recent dangers on the streets of Jump, namely the men working for the scientists running the underground lab, which was some how attached to the Pax-Que conglomerate...

They had snagged Darkbrand in Kansas, and while he wasn't sure of it, it would not surprise him to find out that others they had kidnapped where hidden away someplace, experiments and tests being done of them like lab rats...

Robin looked at them both then turned on his heel and adjusted his cape as he walked for the door and opened it, calling out over his shoulder; "Don't bother with it Ferus, I know that you've started to make yourself a bit of a fixture around here the last few weeks, and on your own you'd get into trouble, but just stick close to me and you two won't be bothered, at least if you look like you belong with me, so fall in line and don't talk, look like your on your way to some place important with me."


With that he walked out into the hall, and glanced over his shoulder to see if they where following...

[Lillith Tiller]

Shiro watched Ferus kick the swords into the air and catch them, and for a moment, she didn't reply. Honestly, she hadn't noticed. After she had decided to go with them as far as outside the courthouse, her brain had tried to shut down. Everything was so foggy. A few seconds passed before her eyes snapped back to the present. "Oh, you mean me?" she asked. Once she understood the question, she wasn't sure what she shouldn't answer. For one thing, no one had ever asked for her to use her abilities. For another, she'd have to remain in contact with them. But she didn't want them knowing the flaws in her power.

"Um." Shiro blinked a few times. Whatever. Ferus had helped her, hadn't he? "Sure. But... I'd need to keep a hold of them, or else it won't work." Would he understand what that meant? Probably, but hopefully not.

She reached out to touch his swords, which instantly turned into a wallet. She had toyed with the idea of turning it into a jacket, but that made her even more tired to think of how comfortable it would be to lie on...

She held her hand there on the wallet, knowing that if she let go, it'd turn back in a matter of seconds. She glanced at Robin.

[ferus]

"How else am I supposed to know that the criminals we throw in here are not going to escape from the building?" he inquired. "Official reports? I trust the government about as far as I can throw the capital building."

He eyed the wallet appreciatively. He could only hope that the swords would be fine after she switched them back. The wall had been exactly as it had been when she started, but a wall was a very simple object. However, a bed was also a complicated object, and it had come from a bracelet. He would have to trust that she knew what she was doing. There was no point in worrying about it when there were more important things to consider. His way through the halls were bound to be frought with criminals. He never allowed them to see his face when he took them down, but he didn't want anyone to recognize him consistantly. It wasn't safe.

"So, why are you here exactly?" he asked Robin, his tan eyes still ambivalent as he followed.

His instincts didn't like the situation in the least. He couldn't get past the feeling that there was danger somewhere. Ordinarily, he would pass it off as jitters from being around so many people that were criminals, but he wasn't even slightly afraid of them. There had to be something else. Something that his concious mind was missing, but his senses were picking up.

[Tim Drake]

Robin led them down a hallway and kept his pace even but quick as he retorted; "You're meant to trust the system, as imperfect and flawed as it is, to do it's job, because no one can hide from justice forever. No one."

For a split second there, Robin felt like he was Batman, the dark knight, rather than Himself, the boy wonder, and he was sure that he sounded like Batman, whoever, it only lasted for a moment and then he was Robin again, and his voice drifted back at the other two; "Be that as it may, whether or not we like the system, it's the only one we have that halfway works, so until someone can come up with some real fixes, I'm going to work this system."

He led them down the hall, and then turned at a corner, and went through a door, and down another hallway, a large wooden door at the end marked as a staff only exit.

"I was here on some business the Titans have with the state, now what where you two doing here?" he asked matter-of-factly.

[Lillith Tiller]

Shiro almost smiled at the looked Ferus gave the wallet. It almost looked... appreciative? Impressed? Whatever it was, it wasn't bad, something people usually associated her powers with. They were afraid of her or disgusted by what she could do. Some extremly religious person had told her that she'd burn in hell for changing a rock, because God had made it only as a rock, and thus was destroying God's creation. Whatever their excuses were for the hatred of her powers, Shiro had tried to ignore them.

On another note, Shiro agreed wholehearted with Ferus. From what she'd seen of this city and cities like this one, the government was as reliable as the Mafia. The government didn't care about the individual, and the officials were only out for their own personal gain. Not only that, but she'd heard of those experiments. Her mother had made her study them in order to ingrain that distrust of the government into her.

As for what she was doing at the courthouse, well, it was pretty obvious. She wasn't going to say it if he didn't know.

"I'd disagree, actually," Shiro said quietly after Robin had spoken. "People hide from justice all the time. There are those that take away from others, but never have things taken away in return. Justice is nothing in the real world," she added in a lower voice. "It's an idea people hope for because they can't admit that life is unfair."

[ferus]

"Sure, the system itself is as sound as can be," Ferus agreed, "but the people running it are crooked, and until that's sorted out, I will be placing my trust elsewhere."

His tan eyes narrowed. In his view, Lillith couldn't be more correct. He didn't want to get into it with a stranger, but it was something that he felt extremely strongly about. He spoke in an urgent undertone, his hushed voice keeping others from overhearing their conversation.

"Justice is an ideal. It's something that we reach for, but isn't attainable at this point. You want to talk to me about the system, about how fairness will eventually come around? Tell it to the thirty-eight orphans that I watched die in government-run experiments to create a 'super soldier'. Where's their justice? I don't trust the government, not because of the system, but because of the morally bankrupt officials who run it."

By the end of his little rant, his low whisper was verging on a growl. It was a direct contrast to the friendly aloofness that he had been portraying up to that point. His frustration that he couldn't help the kids he'd left behind at the laboratory was showing, and the rage was directed as much inwardly as it was at the government and the ones responsible for the problem. There had been no way he could possibly escape and bring the others, and by this point, they were probably all dead. The survival rate of the experiments was minimal. Only seven of the original fourty-five had been alive when he'd escaped, himself included. Three of those had irreversable brain damage.

[Tim Drake]

Robin walked to the doors then stopped and then turned and faced them, his gaze hot and passionate and he spoke, the hallway empty of others; "And that there is the problem, while you're both right in the fact that Justice is an ideal, what you both seem to miss is that our nation, our society, our government and our justice system are built to be maintained by people, who are responsible without the need of guidance or laws, to protect others and to discipline those in need of rules. The flaw is in the lack personal responsibility and honor, without it, corruption will grow and it will win."


He looked at them for a moment longer then turned on his heel and pushed the door open as he spoke once more; "Order and Justice is everyone's responsibility, not just the governments or "others", it's yours and mine, so don't complain about a lack of justice when you do nothing to further it yourself."

Robin walked out into the fading light of day, along a small walkway of concrete that skirted the side of the building, and went to the parking lot, where the older T Car was parked, a small fob in his hand sent a signal to it, the hydrogen turbine beginning its start-up sequence.
Robin turned again and leaned on the side of the silver and blue car and looked at them and spoke as he pulled out a small folder and handed each of them a piece of paper; "This is a list of places that are safe for now, a few over night shelters, as well as youth centers where you can get food and other items you might need, on the back is a list of the areas of town to avoid, since there's been a rash of kidnappings, mostly of young supers, or anyone with powers who has little or no family or friends... I want you two to think about what I said before, if you don't like the way things are, then maybe you should think about helping to change them..."


Robin didn't owe them an explanation as to why he felt the way he did, after all, it wasn't their affair as to his past, about how he was raised and by who, it was his own business, simple a that, just like he wasn't going to dig into their past, he was not going to offer up his own.

[Lillith Tiller]

Ferus must have been one of those people experimented on. He was one of the people that her mother had warned her about and made her study in order to teach her fear. When Ferus became angry, Shiro could relate, but with less anger. She hadn't been there, and she hadn't seen the atrocities. But she had heard of them, and she was afraid of it happening to her.

As for Robin, she did agree with the first part of what he said. But the others... "You're wrong," she told him, shaking her head. Her eyebrows scrunched as she looked at him. 'The only thing people can worry about is their own safety, and the safety of those they love. When the government officials and the others are elected, they take on the responsibilities of all. We don't do it. None of us sign up for that. We can complain; in fact, we should. It isn't our responsibility to further justice. It's our responsibility to survive."

"And I'm with Ferus," she added. "The government, the people in it, are corrupt? How should we even think to abide by anything they say? They torture and kill people? The way it is now isn't any kind of fairy tale or quest for justice. It's survival. Each person takes care of themselves, and they do whatever they need to survive. Rules don't matter, not when they're from corrupt people."

Either way, she took the paper. Of course she'd never go to those shelters; it was a sure way for people to find out who she was. They could even find out what she could do and capture her. Besides, it had always been Shiro and only Shiro. She was better on her own. "Thanks anyway," she said. She turned to Ferus. "You too." She handed him back his wallet and made it turn back into the swords. "I'll be going now."

[ferus]

"If I didn't believe that," Ferus replied to Robin, "I wouldn't do what I do. However, Lillith is also right. It's our responsibility to stay alive, as well. If we're killed, we can't help anyone."

He wasn't sure that he agreed with everything she said, but he knew that the laws that he'd broken were out of necessity. If he hadn't broken them, he'd be dead. He justified it to himself in that way, since no one else was endangered by the crimes that he committed. Unfortunately, he also wrestled with that conundrum in other areas. Should he go back to the lab, knowing that he would likely die in the process? There was always the chance that he would save the lives of the kids trapped there, but it was more likely that he would die before setting foot near them. They were expecting him, and that made it far too dangerous to attempt.

"Be safe," he told her, an echo of his former cheer touching his face. "If you need anything, send word through Robin. I have reason to believe we'll be in touch."

He put his sheath back on his back, his fingers lingering for a moment on the familiar hilt. He had missed them. They were the only possessions of his that were truly irreplacable, and he was scarcely ever separated from them.

[Tim Drake]

Robin looked to the girl and weighed his answer carefully; "Am I really wrong? Think about this, while we all have our personal responsibility's, and the people in Government have theirs, to the masses, who put them there? directly, and indirectly, we did, and if they are no longer doing their job, then we should find someone who will, or do it our self's, because personal survival is much easier when justice is present and the whole isn't slowly destroying the its parts."


He opened the door to the car and sat in it before it stared up and hummed softly, his arm hanging out the now open window; "Think of it like the golden rule, do unto others and such, life isn't as hard when your helping others, and they in turn help you... Oh, and the local government has outlawed all testing on sentient beings, supers and humans alike are protected, any testing that's done on people is done by lawless and or greedy men and women."
He hooked his seat-belt into place and then put the T car in gear, a final word of advice before he left: "Try and stay out of trouble."

And with that, he left...



{Exit Robin}

[Lillith Tiller]

"Goodbye." Honestly, Shiro didn't believe that she'd see him again. Jump City was like any other town, and like the others, she'd be leaving this one soon, the only marks of her presence being a few stolen goods and buildings broken into. And just like the other people she met, she'd forget them, and they would forget too. Shiro wouldn't contact Robin. She wouldn't contact anyone. That was how she lived her life.

Shiro turned to Robin. "If we put them there," she said carefully, her tone solemn. "Then I guess you mean that, if they aren't doing their jobs, someone has to take them down."

And she meant down. More than once she had considered assassinating someone who had committed crimes against humanity, and more than once had she kidnapped some and dropped them off in a foreign country.

But she couldn't get in this argument with someone who loved the law so much.

And then he got in the car and began to hum. This surprised Shiro. It showed... she didn't know what. Softness? Whatever it was, it made her doubt him a little less.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The phrase had never made sense to Shiro. These people tortured supers. Did that mean it was right to torture them back? She shook her head, laughing softly at Robin's farewell words. "Believe what you will," she said. "I'm not looking to change anyone's views."