Notes:This... thing came to me this evening while I was in a class 
about isomorphism theorems of ring quotients. You are thereby warned.  
Anyway, I'm not sure it works quite the way I wanted it to, so feedback 
of any kind would be specially appreciated in this case. 

Disclaimer: Legalese can be lethally boring --- handle with care.
Summary: A moment inside Cass' mind, a few years back.

***

Without Words
By Marcelo Rinesi (mrinesi@fibertel.com.ar)

***

The storm raged over Gotham City, keeping reasonable people in their
homes, thugs in their hideholes, and Cassandra Cain snuggled under a
gargoyle. Under Batman's direct order to wait off the storm, she whiles
away the time remembering her past. She has no words, only the patterns
and wisdom of violence --- but those had been quite enough, so far, to
describe her world.


She thinks back to her father, her teacher, her forger. A life of
lessons and violence. *Kata*. And *pain*.

She remembers the sight of blood in her hands, a life being taken. *The
feeling of something broke inside.*

She thinks of the loneliness afterwards, of the bleak night. Of Batman,
saving her and giving her a life. *Parry*. *Punch*.

Taking the mantle. Being Batgirl. *The pumping of the heart when you
fight and win*.

Meeting Robin... 

Cassandra shifted her weight, annoyed. She didn't know what to think of
him. *An opponent eluding her*.

The radio in her cowl beeped, thrice. She was supposed to call it a
night and go back to the Clocktower. It wasn't a bad idea. *An opening
in your enemy's defense*.

A warm place. Dry clothes. Safety.  *Robin*

And so did Cassandra learn her first word.

***