13011/Widow and King

Widow and King
Date of Scene:	09 October 2022
Location:	Avengers Mansion - Training Facility
Synopsis:	Natasha and T'Challa have a spar.
Cast of Characters:	Natasha Romanoff, T'Challa

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Natasha Romanoff has posed:
The combat simulation room had yet to be activated, but a prepared simulation was ready. A deep rainforest simulated of the Amazon. There, two warriors would be facing one another in a game of stealth and ambush. Natasha would be ready in combat gear. Standard equipment. Her weapons ready. Without her usual firearms, just her normal assortment of gadgets.. Particularly all of her Widow's Bites.

T'Challa has posed:
What better way to test and hone one's abilities except against the very best? This goes for many in the Avengers, not to mention other groups out there with people capable of doing amazing things.

Black Panther, around Avengers Mansion for a few matters, agreed to a little sparring session. Pitting it in jungle terrain is fitting for him, featuring many ways to move about quietly and use cover to one's advantage. In this case, the initial goal was to sneak up on the other and land an attack. Simple in concept, not always such in execution.

He is on the hunt, having taken to the trees to slip through different parts of the forest quietly, tracking her through use of his enhanced senses. The suit affords an ability to blend in better with darker recesses of the rainforest.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff is moving along, ever so quietly, darting from spot of stealth to spot of stealth. Whether or not she's aware that she's already been spotted and is the hunted here.. Or perhaps she's aware of it and is waiting for the oppotune moment to turn the tables and strike? There's no wildlife over in this simulation. Why let any sort of outside intervention disrupt the training? Both of them are well too versed in using anything in the environment against their adversaries after all.
    Natasha takes a moment, pausing in her progress forwards.. Then for some reason she goes to dart around the side of a tree, bracing herself behind it as if for cover. She's facing another direction than T'Challa is..

T'Challa has posed:
That is the question: is she aware of his location, or not? Is she preparing a counter to go on the attack, or simply defend? With Black Widow, nothing is off the table.

Black Panther has worked with her enough to expect anything, and as someone who always tries to cover all possible outcomes, he can't discount any potential retaliation.

For the time being, he simply is not where she may think he is. Whether it's part of the game or keeping his distance to gauge her plans, there will be only one way to find out for sure. Just a little longer until action, but the waiting game continues as he shifts spots.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Or is there some sort of separate trick here? Or is the trick merely that she's trying to bait him over to go after her no matter where she is, and be in a position purely to lead him out of hiding thinking that she's up to something and breach it over at a point of her own choosing. She's not moving herself, just crouching against hte tree in a positionw here if he were to leap at her, she would have quick cover to simply twist around the tree to put it between her and him or be able to scramble away into the foliage.
    It's a bit of a stalemate of sorts, wtih the two crouched down and in low readiness, neither moving beyond the bare minimum

T'Challa has posed:
There is silence, and without the natural sounds of the rainforest in the background, it could be an unsettling thing.

Suddenly, there is the sound of a branch cracking just above and to the woman's right, a faint impact just before. Will it draw her attention? If she does, if she looks that way, will she see that there is nobody there, no rustling of any leaves in the canopy or sign of someone's weight having left the spot?

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
It does get attention. She moves to fling a series of quick shuriken at it. Three that are launched in quick order towards the noise. The first aimed at the center of the branch, the second over at the main connection of it to the tree, the third to the center o fthe trunk. Then she's rapidly circling around to use the tree as cover..

T'Challa has posed:
...at which point Black Panther has appeared on the other side of that very tree, arms crossed before him. "That..was a decoy. A simple diversion."

Then he lashes out with a strike, which is in truth a light tap at the shoulder whether she acts to block it or not. He's fast, remarkably so, doing justice to the type of animal he takes after in name. The King has tracked her, spotted her, and 'attacked' her. Now they will see what comes of it.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
And the Black Widow is darting out of the way as the strike comes. What her doubling around the tree had been was to set a series of the small micro-Widow's Bites along it to cover each of the angles along it. So when T'Challa goes in for the strike she takes the blow, goes to roll away and then hopefully leaves T'Challa over in the path of the rather painful, overwhelming and paralysing blasts of electricity coming through it!

T'Challa has posed:
One good surprise deserves another, and it is only the make and technology of Black Panther's suit that prevents him from being completely incapacitated from the 'stings,' no matter the fact he 'tagged' her first. His tap is nothing compared to the more usual effects of the electricity, but he gathers himself to shove away from the tree and create some distance again.

It's clear his steps aren't completely clean, however. The literal hiss of breath was a testament to that.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Now the Widow is on the hunt before her target can recover. Natasha is moving in rapidly now that T'Challa has revealed himself and the light tap he had given her had let her recover quickly. She has her long batons out, each charged with full energy. She's going to rapidly charge at himw ith intent to strike. Rapid, powerful strikes utilizing the full length of her weapons to try and drive him backwards!

T'Challa has posed:
On his back foot, Black Panther is forced to defend as he gets his wits about him again. Doing so he acts on instinct in ducking or darting out of the path of those batons. Letting them come into contact with him probably isn't what he's looking for. "I do not suppose you forgot to change the batteries in those," he says, an attempt to divert attention through dry humor.

Successful with that or not, he hops back again and, once he trusts his body to respond properly again, vaults overhead to utilize the trees for distance once more. This may teach him to simply tag someone when the other person isn't playing the same.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
He doesn't divert her attention. She's spent years having to deal with Barton and Stark, but it does get a look of mirth from her as she goes on the attack after him in pursuit. HE is however able to evade her, moving to dart away and vault up above her. He gets enough of a partial seconds lead to not be in attack range, even as she goes to leap after him.

T'Challa has posed:
There's no hiding now. Both know where the other is located, and the fight is on. It's just a matter of who will get the upper hand and hold on to it.

Black Panther perches atop the next branch, claws out to help grip the side of the tree better, crouched and staring down at Black Widow. From there he leaps again, this time to give the appearance of coming up short to leave himself in range, only to go into a handspring and vault with the intent to pass over her again and thrust with both feet to put her off balance.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
She's braced for his attack as he goes to launch at her, but is assuming that he's slower than he will be with the hits. She's expecting him to take her head on, so when he goes overhead she's not in a position to turn and strike. his attack hits her in the back and sends her sprawling, even as she quickly recovers in a roll along the ground and back up to her feet.

T'Challa has posed:
Now recovered, Black Panther's speed and reflexes more properly show up. Still mindful of the batons, he seeks to kick at least one of them away so she can't use it, but whether that works or not he aggressively pushes his advantage to grapple with her, the intent being to keep Black Widow from being able to strike him directly with either or both of those weapons. With more size and strength on his side, he seeks to use that to his advantage as well.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
The two are at a rough stalemate, but here Panther's higher strength and agility make for an advantage that neutralize the greater reach of her batons, and she can't get in a clean hit with them. So as he goes to strike at her, and moves to knock them away. She drops at least one, but keeps a solid grip on the other; but it's not at an angle where she canuse it as she goes on full defensive

T'Challa has posed:
With one down, Black Panther keeps his body at an angle so as to guard against strikes to particularly sensitive areas, planting his feet in the process. With one hand in contact with her wrist where the second baton is, he frees up a vibranium dagger and uses it to stab at the piece of equipment. If needed, he'll pay for a replacement later. "Those give you too much of an advantage in reach," he explains, matter-of-fact. "Let us see how you fight without them."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
The second one is flung away as she would grin, "One never fights without having the advantage to them." Without them, Panther is stronger and has greater reach, even if in speed and agility the two are in a stalemate. So he should have the advance now, right?
    Natasha goes to once more try and cheat by flinging a small micro-Widow's bite with a grappler on it aimed at T'Challa's torso. Presuming it can latch on and dig the grappler's into him it would just try to give him a partial charge!

T'Challa has posed:
"This is true," T'Challa answers, for he has sought to gain and hold the advantage all along, as well. When the small projectile with 'fangs' in it is shot out, sharp reflexes cast it aside by way of a swat. "I did not like those the first time. I do not wish for a repeat of it," he explains to her.

The other hand maintains a hold on her, causing a sort of dueling dance between them as he goes for her free one in order to keep her from tossing any more 'toys' his way. He isn't in that kind of mood. "Give up, and we can discuss this over a meal," he encourages.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
She's not in any sort of position now to take him out. She has no leverage, she can't strike him in any way he can't counter, and she has no ability to go for nerve strikes - he's just as skilled if not smoreso than she is, he can counter anything. She goes to hold her hand up over in a sign of her conceding.
    "Well done. Always instructive to have a spar with you."

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa relents, and steps back after shifting his grip to meet hers in the form of a grasp of agreement. "You do keep me on my toes, so that is worth the tests. My mind has been distracted as well, lately." This, he does not expand upon freely, however. It will be up to her whether to ask for more or let it be.

"Settings like these allow me to use the canopy for cover. It is a natural benefit," the costumed man explains further.