17988/Red Reign: Curiosity Killed the Cat

Red Reign: Curiosity Killed the Cat
Date of Scene:	18 May 2024
Location:	Gotham Diamond Exchange
Synopsis:	A night spent scoping out Gotham's Diamond Exchange turns south real quick. Selina can't help but investigate...by the time she realizes what's going on, her fate is sealed...and the Blood Red Moon gains a new member.
Cast of Characters:	Selina Kyle, Mary Seward
Tinyplot:	Red Reign

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Selina Kyle has posed:
Forget all that nonsense at the Smithsonian, tonight there is a visitor lurking on the roof of the Gotham Diamond Exchange. And when she has concluded her business there tonight, it will be days before anyone even knows she was there.

Welcome Catwoman, Gotham City's *PREMIER* burglar.

The Diamond Exchange is one of her regular stops, truth be told. They upgrade security and she finds another way around it. It's become like a game to her; a game of cat and mouse.

On the roof, Catwoman is testing the skylight for any changes since her last visit. Her business tonight? Reconnaissance, actually. She has heard that the Exchange will be receiving something uniquely valuable in the near future, so she's doing her homework.

Mary Seward has posed:
Underneath the skylight, inside the exchange, was a curious sight. Not because of what she saw but what she wasn't seeing. No guards seemed to be posted tonight. No matter how hard Selina looked not a single one of those glorified mall-cops dared walk on through. Could be on purpose. Could be a trap to bait out would-be thieves like her, gullible enough to take the chance.

Except, then there was a sign of life within...She'd see some strange woman in red walk on by through the exchange, as though she owned the place. No one was showing up to stop her. Strange.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Interesting indeed. Then she spots the woman in red, and curiosity gives way to something else. Outrage? Anger?

Selina may be professionally at odds with the guards, but they're almost like family to her. She knows each and every one by name, and while they don't know her identity as Catwoman, they are all acquainted with Selina Kyle.

Fingers work quickly, and the skylight opens readily for her. Checking her whip, caltrops, and bolas, Catwoman grips the edge and -quietly- descends in a smooth roll that looks to be almost in slow motion.

Mary Seward has posed:
As Selina makes her grand entrance, the woman she'd seem to be nowhere to be seen...Yet, suddenly, something even stranger happens. There's a strange trail in front of the thief. Fog? Smoke? Mist?...Whatever it was, and wherever it came from, it seemed to lead its way down the hall.

Now, if she were a certain World's Greatest Detective, how would she go about getting to the bottom of this?

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle tilts her head curiously, smirking at the sight of the mist. A hand lowers to her whip handle, holding it at the ready.

Catwoman is in the Bat communication network, and she read Talia's communication about a vampire clan in Gotham.

And she's seen all the old movies, of course.

Is this a trick of some kind or the real thing? There's only one way to find out, although as she does a mental inventory Selina is coming up woefully short in the holy water and wooden stakes department.

Mary Seward has posed:
The mist is long and thick. It almost seems just about as endless as the hallway. Through it, Selina could see some people lying on the ground. While, the smog obscured them, judging by how dark what they're wearing looked, it wouldn't take a genius to assume this might have something to do with why there weren't many guards around.

Just when she reaches the end of this seemingly never-ending road of mist, it quickly vanishes behind her. As in a rush to leave. After that, she hears feet rest against the ground.

"...Now, just what are you doing here?" A feminine voice speaks right in her ear. Again, easy guess who it may belong to.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle pads along and follows the mist as it extends down the hallway. She moves on quiet-soled feet and keeps out of sight of the cameras, just out of habit.

Bodies. Yes, she sees the bodies, and Catwoman bites her lower lip at the sight. Well this evening just went sideways in a hurry.

The mist vanishes behind her, but Selina resists the urge to turn right away. Clawed fingers flex, the whip uncoiling and held at the ready in the other. Her head tilts at the murmuring, and Selina's voice is a bit husky when she replies. "You wouldn't be Mary Seward, would you? I heard you might be coming to Gotham to visit."

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward laughs a little as Selina addresses her by name. She seems to pay no serious mind to it, nor to the presence of Selina's two weapons. She wasn't looking down to see them, but she could hear them all the same. "Oh, so you've heard of me!...I had no idea my reputation preceded me thusly amongst your kind...Word must fly fast."

She walks up to Selina's side. "Well, now it's just awkward...You know me, but I don't know you...If you'd please be so kind to share..."

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle turns slowly as Mary moves towards her side, circling and widening the distance a bit like two combatants. Goggles are down, and she sees the world in nightvision mode.

"Well perhaps your reputation preceds you, Vampiress Queen." she replies, keeping things casual. "This would normally be the part where you revealed your nefarious plans, and all that. Except we both know that's not how things work.

She gives the whip a little swirl, perhaps as a distraction. "So, looking to invest in diamonds?"

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward grins, showing off those dangerous fangs of hers. "...Aw, no, no. Though, believe me, I'm tempted." She takes a single step forward as Selina sought to distance herself, her hands going behind her back.

"Moreso here for an easy bite...maybe picking up a few new recruits...Are you?"

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle is light on her feet and quick as well, at least by mortal standards. Mary steps forward and Selina shifts back to keep the distance.

"An easy bite? Was it necessary to attack -all- the guards? Seems pretty greedy to me, Mary. And sloppy, too."

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward chuckles, seeing Selina's continued need to get distant. She answers in turn, with continued pursuit, walking forward.

"What's wrong with a little greed now and then?...I mean, come on, don't tell me you came here to do charity work? Dressed like that, carrying a whip around...hanging out atop a nice place full of shinies...You know how good it can be to indulge a bit. I can tell."

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle gestures along her tightly-clad form with her free hand, almost dramatically. "But I didn't bring my loot bag." she protests. "No, I'm just browsing tonight, actually. You know, shoppers looking for the best value, and all that."

"As for the whip... well a girl can't be too careful, even you would admit that much. But if you're going to leave such a trail of bodies in your wake, you'll give the rest of us a bad name."

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward grins. "So, what? A bad name's its own perk. Makes you feared. Respected, even...Worshipped in the right context." She tilts her head.

In a moment, an instant, her single step sped up, suddenly closing the distance between her and Selina.

"Besides...you don't think I'm all that bad, do you? I'm sweet, once you get to know me. Really.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Okay, not even Selina is THAT fast. The blink of an eye, and then the woman in red is right there in front of her.

It's hard to see where she is looking with those cat's eye goggles pulled down, and the steel-clawed hand reaches up towards the vampiress' throat. "Sorry, honey, but I've heard that line before. This is Gotham, remember?" she almost purrs.

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward catches Selina's swing in her grasp, as though it were a reflex. "Oh, no, seriously...I mean it..." She laughs at Catwoman, reaching out to push those goggles of her's up.

"We just need to see...eye-to-eye." Speaking of eyes, Mary's own start to glow...in an enchanting manner.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle's hand is caught, her other hand on the whip, but the vampiress is just too fast. And too strong, for that matter. Selina is used to fighting people who are stronger, but she usually has the advantage of speed and room to maneuver.

Instinct takes over, at least, and as her goggles are pushed up Selina squeezes her eyes shut tight. "Sorry, lady, but I've seen the old movies." she murmurs. Then she stomps down hard on Mary's instep, trying to swing her free elbow around to crack the woman in the jaw.

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward lets out a grunt as Selina's foot collides with her own...Seems she's open for another move, but as the elbow comes her way at it strikes, Selina would feel the woman grab onto the arm. "I'm afraid this is all too real."

Using her vampiric strength, she turns on her heel and twists, to toss Selina towards the nearest wall.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle's eyes open as she is tossed, mind racing quickly now. She tumbles as she lands, of course, although hitting the wall definitely hurts.

Selina pulls the goggles back down, her gaze shifting around to look for an escape. This isn't her first time here, and she knows the layout quite well.

Selina turns to run for it now, dropping a handful of caltrops as she sprints for one of the emergency exits. That'll also set off the alarm, which at this point is just fine with her.

Mary Seward has posed:
Selina's fast...but she's not THAT fast.

As the cat runs, she finds her own natural enemy: A dog, or a wolf rather, leaping ahead of her. As it slides against the floors, it changes shape into Mary.

"Ah, ah, ah." She leaps upon Selina.

Selina Kyle has posed:
That's one helluva leap, and it shows Catwoman just how far out of her league she really is. The wolf changes back into Mary, and Selina barely gets the whip ready when the vampiress leaps onto her.

She goes down, but not easily. Claws slash upward, striking at Mary's eyes, preferably, or at least her face. Every creature protects their eyes, after all. Then Selina is twisting and squirming, trying to escape.

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward 's idea of protection from Selina's desperate self-defense as to block her arm's movement with her own.

Yes, every creature does protect their eyes. Especially from a vampire's own. She knows this well.

Thus, when she finally releases her arm, she brings her own real claw, down towards Selina's goggles, in a move to slash, claw or break them off.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina's head jerks to the side and she grunts as the claws slashes the strap of her goggles. Now that those green eyes are revealed again, there is fire in her gaze. Fire and defiance.

And all the while she twists and squirms and writhes, trying to escape the weight and strength of the vampiress who is pinning her down.

And then... Catwoman suddenly goes limp and stops struggling. Her chest heaves and her eyes narrow. "What. Do. You. Want?"

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward smiles, at her brand new pet kitty-cat. "Well, miss....I'm gonna need you to tell me everything I need to know about this little city...But, first...Let me give you a kiss..." She leans down, fangs bared. Primed to sink into Selina's neck and feast on her blood.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle sees the fangs as Mary leans down, putting on a final burst of struggling to try and escape the stronger woman. A leg swings up, and while Selina is both flexible and skilled, she can't manage to hook it around the lowering vampiress.

She spits, hitting Mary's cheek as she hisses. "You go to hell..."

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward laughs her most mocking, dismissive laugh yet.

"You'll be joining me there..."

Her fangs plunge in. She tastes Selina's life.

Selina is embraced by darkness.