"Hey, aren't you coming?" he asked her as they landed in the Gotham Docking Bay.

Asami stood at the edge of the ship, her feet hesitant to step out onto the dock. She had no idea what he was saying. What anyone was saying. A month ago, she'd been running away from her sister's apartment in Tokyo. No clue where she'd wander off to next, but she knew she needed to leave. Everyday had been so painstakingly exhausting, contempt wedged further and further into her stomach until it felt like she would combust. The city and its stress was not the life she wanted; so, she had set out to find what she did.

Fast forward and here she was standing in a place she'd only read about in newspapers. Gotham City, home of Batman and his Class A Rogues. Fear curled up against her skin and she shivered. What if that one, the Joker was nearby? What if he was working with those monsters and they'd devise a plan to try and infiltrate any escapees? What if no matter what she did, she was doomed for hardship? What if -

"Hey, hey!" the boy with the orange headband stood in front of her, his hands cautiously pressed into her shoulders, "It'll be okay. These people are going to help us. Those things can't hurt us anymore. No one is going to hurt you, alright?"

Of course she didn't understand a lick of it, but she managed to stutter out, "Su-sumimasen?"

His eyebrow crooked, "Uh..come again?"

"Ano…sumimasen?" her voice was laced with just a touch of hope. Perhaps he knew her language and was just rusty.

It was quickly revealed that wasn't the case. The boy shook his head and Asami frowned, "I'm…sorry. I don't know what you're saying."

He pulled away from her and scratched the back of his head, "Hmm…maybe if I…okay," he pointed to himself, "I'm Tye from El Paso, Texas."

Pointing back at her, Asami figured it was an introduction. Doing her best with the little (little) English she knew, she said, "I'm…Asami…Tokyo."

"Oh, Japan?" he asked. She merely nodded at the familiar word; it was how foreigners referred to their country often, "Okay..well..uh. Um, here, I'll just…"

He took a step forward and gently put his arm around her shoulder. A fresh wave of nerves spread across her skin. How was she supposed to tell him this was the first time a boy besides her older brother had displayed such affection? Her protest hung on the tip of her tongue, but it was held when she realized just what he was doing. They were making their way back with the other kids and…this Tye continued to steer her through all the traffic, assisting her with everything..

It was unexpected. And kind.

He'd been doing it ever since. The small, reassuring touches helped her when she struggled to keep up with their conversations. She was able to understand a little more now, but it was still very far from conversational. And to top it off, Eduardo spoke Spanish, something she'd only heard once before. Still, Tye did his best to keep her in the loop and she was always grateful for it.

Except for tonight.

Tonight, Tye was staring out of the window of the hotel room they would be staying in for the next few days. Mr. Luthor still had to make arrangements for them at his Corporation. His fingers tapped against the windowsill, his eyes narrowed in furious contemplation. Something was eating at him and she knew him well enough to know he wasn't worked up over leaving STAR Labs.

It must be about that boy…she recalled the one named Jaime, Tye's friend from El Paso. He too had been lured in by the Reach, but…he had embraced it for whatever reason. She was certain someone like Tye wouldn't keep the company of someone so belligerent. He was practically leading them to slaughter and Tye…Tye seemed like he couldn't believe it for the world. And neither Eduardo or Virgil were around to help out. They'd run off to seemingly explore…

Before she really knew what she was doing, she walked over to the window and firmly placed her hand on top of Tye's tapping fingers. The gesture snapped him out of his daze and he whirled his head towards her, eyes wide. As though he couldn't believe she was in front of him.

She bit her lip. Maybe she should have left him alone, "Gomenasai," she rushed out, turning away from him.

But just as her hand left his, she was pulled back and whipped around. Tye's fingers curled around her wrist and his expression was hard to read, even for her.

"No…don't go," she was surprised to hear how broken his voice sounded, so unlike the deep, confident tone she was accustomed to, "Umm…what was the word…kudasai? Please?"

Despite herself, she smiled. He hadn't mentioned this, "Hai, Tye."

She kept a strong hold on his hand, making her way to sit next to him on the little couch next to the window. He didn't talk and neither did she.

The quiet was a comfort both discovered they enjoyed.