13845/Cat and Mous- Bat

Cat and Mous- Bat
Date of Scene:	15 January 2023
Location:	The rooftops of New York City
Synopsis:	Batwoman stumbles upon a burglary, then chases the Black Cat. Who has too many tricks up her sleeve for Kate to counter. But what's a little shove off a roof between frienemies?
Cast of Characters:	Felicia Hardy, Kate Kane

---

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Cold and snowy. A lovely New York City winter, all told. Always the same. Cold enough for a certain master thief to have her catsuit zipped up to the collar. A rare sight indeed! The white-haired beauty sinuously eases herself out of a skylight from a top floor penthouse. Hanging around her neck? An utterly luxurious and decadent looking platinum chain with a sizable diamond pendant hanging from it. She was going to wait to slip it into one of her pouches once she got up and out, in case someone inside woke up~

    So there she is, pulling heself up into the snowy night, back arched and with a little 'pull', she's springing out and onto the roof before ever so carefully closing the large window.

Kate Kane has posed:
    New York City, Kate is beginning to realize, might be inflating its crime numbers in the newspapers to sell more copies and keep people on edge. Because she's been out on the rooftops for hours now, and hasn't run into a single gang of identically dressed goons in an alleyway trying to waylay a college student, or pulling off any incredibly specifically themed heists. It's enough to make a vigilante hang up her cape for the night and settle into her hotel room for a soak and some room service.

    Which is exactly where she's headed when motion catches her eye. Sleek, black suited, agile as can be. So it's going to be _this_ old song and dance again. Oh Selina, will you ever learn? There's the muffled explosion of pressurized gas as Kate fires a grapple line off and around a nearby flag pole on a taller building, altering her trajectory mid-leap towards the shadowy feminine figure that's just closed that window, landing with a slightly muffled thud, "You know, most businesses label the exits clearly. It's in the fire code." Banter spouts before Kate can take a further look and... that... is... _not_ Catwoman.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    A certain Black Cat might not have the best ears, but she does hear the landing. She's in the process now of sliding the diamond necklace into one of her pouches when she looks up. "...I /knew/ that couldn't be Spider-Man with a landing like that..." she returns the banter just as easily, then laughs. Those aquamarine eyes roam the redhead's form, from the tips of the top of her mask, down to her feet, and then right back up to her face. It's a look that's almost.. appraising. Certainly not outright leering, though! She's able to hide it better than that~!

    "You're a bit far from home, aren't you Miss Bat?" she asks playfully. Then she sighs, "I'm sorry, but I think I'm a bit out of your jurisdiction. Or has Gotham's rogues gallery taken a night off for hot cocoa and Christmas carols?" There's a grin, because singing after December 31st is /probably/ a crime somewhere.

Kate Kane has posed:
    Kate's posed almost casually... maybe because flaring the cape out and crouching like a lurking gargoyle lacks dramatic effect in New York with its sunlight and modern architecture and a remarkable lack of gargoyles looming over the citizenry. "Wrong animal /and/ gender for the webslinger, it's true. Sorry if it's disappointing." Her eyes narrow behind her mask, taking in the cat burglar, eyes dropping to that pouch of loot, then flicking up to match face to face, head tilting back slightly. This is one tall criminal.

    She snorts out softly and shrugs lightly, "Crime knows no borders, and justice is everywhere!" She bites her lower lip, teeth clenching so she doesn't break out in a sarcastic laugh at her own line. "You know, you could just put your hands up and let me take whatever you've stolen. Call it a wash?"

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    "Oh far from disappointing~" Black Cat says with a playful laugh. "He's fun to fluster and tease, but -you-, my darling..." she rolls her r on purpose, a purr to go with her tease. "...are a pleasant surprise. FAr too rare for a beautiful lady to come play, especially this late at night..." She slinks back a few steps, lifting a finger and waving it back and forth.

    "Do you really believe that? And is it really a crime if nobody's getting hurt~?" She's not above laughing at the usual hero-spouted drivel about love and justice and such. She's heard it before and it just makes her express herself with a bright, if condescending laugh. "Sorry, Lady-Bat... this is going in my collection... and you... catch me if you can~?" she issues a challenge with a little bump of her hips to one side and then... she jumps off of the edge.

Kate Kane has posed:
    Kate, it turns out, is pretty easy to fluster. Or Felicia's just that good. Luckily, Kate's had a lot of training in not displaying her emotions. Her face remains stoic, only the slightest quirk of the corner of her mouth at the question about whether or not this is a crime. "Well, no one's gotten hurt _yet_. These rooftops can be slippery, you know."

    She heaves out a sigh Felicia doesn't hear because she's already dropped off the edge of the roof, following it up with an audible swallow, voice muttering out softly, "I'm sure someone would say I chase after women who just /scream/ 'trouble' too often... but... she _is_ committing a crime so... it's not like this is just for me..." she mutters under her breath as her legs spring her forward, straight into a sprint, grappling gun held in her right hand as she dives off the edge in pursuit.

    Of the criminal and her stolen goods. For justice. To recover the loot. Yes. That is her entire motivation. She is an impassive, stoic tool of justice and Felicia's simply another criminal. Kate just feels heated because her suit's insulated and it's not _that_ cold out.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Of course, for Felicia, it's all in the game. It's all /for/ the game. The necklace didn't matter. Easing her way through a fresh lock and a brand new just-bought-for-Christmas security system was the true prize of the night. She could find a good buyer for the necklace and put it towards any number of other things. She had bigger, more interesting fish to fry. Paintings. Rugs. Decor for her home. Those are the things on her mind. And even more at the forefront? The beautiful redhead that just seems so inclined to giving chase.

    It IS rather cold, the snow coming down, the wind tugging at hair and capes and cowls. Not that Felicia has more than just the former. She's falling and watching Kate follow, meeting eyes before she twists her body to the side and launches a grapple of her own. She turns her downward velocity into forward momentum, swooping ahead and away from the bat chasing her. "Finally someone that isn't wearing red and blue pajamas..." she laughs to herself, feeling the bracing bite of the wind across her face.

Kate Kane has posed:
    Kate's feeling in the zone as the air swallows her, cape snapping straight behind her as she dives down after Felicia, reaching out with her free hand to grip the railing of a fire escape and adjust her angle of descent, legs coiling, kicking off at a horizontal angle to fire her own grappling hook out and launch herself after Felicia. For justice of course. Because she's got to ensure the city is safe from crime, even if it's not her city.

    The wide, almost feral grin she feels forming on her face though? That's for the chase. Her prey is a /criminal/, but that's a broad spectrum of being. She's not a terrorist or a clown-themed mass murderer. She's just a cat burglar. And that confidence of hers is downright charming. She calls out, voice barely showing any change in her breathing, "Oh no! No pajamas for me!" Her voice has an unmistakable edge of humor to it. It's been seconds, and she finds herself thrilling for the chase, and wanting to catch up to her prey... because while she might not think Felicia's _that_ bad for society... she's still the goal of this race. And Kate so enjoys winning.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Perhaps this little tete-a-tete is a match made in heaven. While Kate enjoys the race and winning, something in Felicia adores the chase. She loves being the center of this attention, to know that someone is after her, her specifically, and as fleeting as it may be, her alone. So while she's 'just' a cat burglar, she's the focal point and she's drinking it in. "No pajamas?" she quips back, perhaps a little amaazed at the fantastic bat-hearing, "...then what do you sleep in?" she teases, glancing over her shoulder with a wink.

    Then her line goes taut and her momentum takes an up-swing, her arc moving in ascent quite rapidly. She cuts her line at the apex of the swing and does an acrobatic backflip with it, turning her gaze to her pursuer. The city lights and the snow all combine together to make the woman shine. Her catsuit is slick and glistening and the wetness of her hair from the falling snowflakes makes it look like it's filled with glitter. Felicia wants this chase, and she always gets what she wants. But how long and how far will Kate go to keep the game going?

Kate Kane has posed:
    Kate laughs, a soft little involuntary escape of amusement at that questioning, her grappling hook snapping out again, Kate's muscles working with practiced, honed precision to keep pace with Felicia, even if it's more general than constantly being within inches of her, she keeps the pressure up, sometimes she's dozens of feet behind, sometimes almost threatening to overtake the Cat. It's one of those nearer moments that she purrs out sweetly, "You know, if you stop running and give up, I'll tell you."

    Kate is, of course, cheating at hearing, that cowl's got a surprising array of gadgets built into it.

    Behind her cowl's blank eyes, Kate's /actual/ emerald eyes widen as Felicia rockets up into the night sky, all gleaming and glistening, street lights and neon reflecting off that dark costume, that shock of silvery hair standing out. Kate's own attire is tight, but the segmented armor plating makes it less alluring, and her cape often hides the details. She's a shadow to Felicia's gleaming beacon.

    And Kate rockets right up after her. She's not going to give up. She'll crawl after the burglar if she has to. Because if there's one word Kate doesn't pay heed to, it's 'quit'. And she's so very motivated to run this chase down to its conclusion. She has to know how it ends.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    "Such an enticing offer, Miss Bat!" Felicia teases in that moment, laughing almost musically, her voice low and sultry to go with it. She may certainly be admiring what she sees, be it wrapped in armored suit or not, but she also doesn't seem to be hiding it. Maybe it's a 'come hither' in her eyes, or the way she tries to meet Kate's gaze in stolen glances between movements.

    And then she's diving again, long legs stretched out behind her as another grapple is fired at the corner of a building. It gives her a wide arc to swing around the street corner and from the looks of it, possible towards the rooftops across the street? Another long swing and a line cut, but she's sailing and twisting in the air to land on the roof of the next city block ahead of the two of them. It's abundantly clear that this kitty has found a meal worth playing with.

Kate Kane has posed:
    Kate is all too entranced in chasing Felicia down, even if her shoulders are starting to ache a little, not something she's used to when chasing down most criminals. But she already knows this woman isn't most criminals. Not even some. She's... unique. And Kate does so enjoy bespoke experiences. Even when they're death-defying races between skyscrapers and office buildings.

    And it's becoming more and more clear that both parties of this chase are enjoying it. Felicia arcs through the air to land far ahead, and Kate lets more of her own grapple line out, disappearing beneath the roofline... gaining speed and momentum, she launches herself at an upward angle to sweep up over the edge of the roof and land short of Felicia, with only a few feet of dramatic slide as her boots don't quite get traction on the rooftop.

    She should use the momentum to launch into a takedown of the Cat. She should press an aggressive advantage. But Felicia's just _there_ in front of her, and ruby red lips quirk in a little smirk, voice a little rougher, breathy. "Want to give up now? I promise, I won't leave you up here on the roof. And we're getting /way/ downtown from my Air BnB."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    What might be curious is that Felicia certainly had some chance to run, to get some distance between the two of them. To run to the next building and take another death-defying leap before swinging down towards Central Park and disappearing in the greenery. But no, here she is, watching, waiting, and grinning like a chesire cat. She does take a few steps away, if only to ensure she's got some degree of comfortable distance between them. But she's still close enough to look into Kate's eyes. Or, at least, the eyes of her mask. Tsk.

    "I never give up, darling..." she says, eyes sparkling. "Especially when you want to catch me so, so much..." she laughs. "Oh? You want to bundle me up? Take me back to your hotel as a /prize/?" she teases, turning her back to Kate, letting her get a nice view of those legs as she saunters away, step by step, glancing over her shoulder. "Usually I don't get into the bondage play until after the third date or so..." she winks.

    Her hand, hidden in front of her, seems to have pulled out the necklace and she's dangling it for Kate. "We both know this isn't what you really want..." she states in that nigh-lusty tone. "You'd prefer I keep running~ But you have no idea what you'd do with me if you caught me, isn't that right?"

Kate Kane has posed:
    Kate's pretty much stunned by the intense outpouring of sheer, raw _flirtatious_ energy from Felicia, those hips swaying, those long legs moving... it actually might take a second before Kate realizes that necklace is right there. And there might even be a hint of flush through her makeup. Her breath rasps in a deep, almost desperate draw as she murmurs dryly, "Oh, does this count as a date? Usually I at least buy my dates dinner. Now I feel like I've been neglecting your needs."

    She steps forward, not quite a saunter, her own gait is more... well, Batwoman than Kate. A steady near-march as she reaches out towards the necklace slowly like it's some sort of trap. "And of course I don't want to take you back as my prize... I mean, how big do you think my trophy case _is_?"

    She smirks, hand reaching out to nearly grip the necklace, so close, her fingertips finally brushing the bauble, "Oh, don't worry. No one I've ever chased down has been left worrying I don't know what to do."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Flirtatious. Confident. Felicia has them both in spades. Or at the very least, she's amazing at pretending. Even in the face of one of the Bat family, she's standing tall, dangling a treat for poor Kate. "Promise? I do have a desire for sushi tonight..." she all but purrs, perhaps teasing with a little double entendre. Or maybe she just really wants some maki. Who could tell? "I'm sure it's big enough. You've got some rather.. sizable fiends in Gotham, don't you? You've at least got somewhere to store that armor..." she clucks her tongue.

    And then.. she's so close. Kate can almost feel the soft exhale of warm breath as Felicia laughs. "Are you so sure you know what to do?" she asks, seeming to relinquish the hold on the necklace. Is she surrendering it? Herself? Oh. There's her other hand. Cradled in it, a smoke bomb. Her cat's claws snikt out and pierce it, suddenly filling the rooftop with an opaque cloud.

    But there's more to it than that. Kate might feel a warm press of lips on her cheek, below the edge of her mask. And then a palm at the middle of her chest. "Do be careful when Black Cats cross your path," she whispers, breath hot as it washes over the redhead's face. Followed by a push. Rather, a shove. A shove with so much sheer force behind it, the Black Cat clearly has some superhuman abilities that don't just include pouring herself into a tight suit and doing zero-g acrobatics around the New York City skyline. She even has enough forethought to focus a little bit of that Black Cat bad luck on poor Kate, which could manifest in any number of ways!

    But the necklace is still there, right? Still held in Batwoman's hand? Of course. Felicia had relinquished her prize for a night of fun. Except. The centerpiece diamond is missing. She'd traded that for the kiss.

Kate Kane has posed:
    Kate is dumbstruck, not at the offer of sushi, that just earns a lopsided little smile, and a small shake of her head. There's even a _sigh_ as the problems in Gotham are brought up, her eyes roll even if they can't be seen.

    But then she gulps softly as suddenly Felicia's so close. Her fingers curl a little tighter on the necklace, like she thinks the thief's going to snap it back and run. But all she can do is draw a deep breath, fighting back a grin as she murmurs dryly, "Oh, I don't think you want to find out. I mean, in /this/ sort of weather? A fistfight's just going to get sloppy and slippery and who wants-"

    And suddenly everything is smoke and she's trying to bring her free hand up to the hidden button on her cowl to cycle vision modes... except she's hit by a soft, perfumed truck. She should have known. Gotham's got the crazed costumed criminals. The penguin-themed mobsters, the killer clowns. The seductive cat-themed burglar.

    New York's got the _powered_ criminals. Well, at least Kate will be able to assure herself she would have won the chase far easier if Felicia didn't have enhanced strength. It's going to be plenty of comfort if she survives her flight.

    Which she will, as falling towards the street Kate spies a window washing rig off the side of the building, impressive leg strength letting her kick herself towards it, arms stretching out. And she hooks it, dangling for a moment... until the rickety brake system gives out and she feels another lurch.

    Kate makes her way to the ground floor at less than terminal velocity, and when she finally lands in the alley on her back, her breath is rasping out, eyes wide behind her cowl. She's going to be aching tonight. But at leas she managed to recover the...

    Goddamnit. She's going to find that cat again.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    When Kate opens her eyes, there's a window open on the side of a building facing the alley. It's one of those old crank windows that opens at an angle so the pane of glass can be seen from down below. Drawn in lipstick, there's 'Better luck next time~' along with a cartoon cat blowing a little heart-kiss to a dazed-looking cartoon bat. Felicia is fast, has attitude in spades, and... probably has a lot of lipstick saved up. There's a soft metallic clinking noise, like something rolling down a stairs.

    Tink. Tink. Tink. Tonk.

    It's a little lipstick applicator, alright, rolling down a fire escape and landing not far from Kate. It looks like it's even got a kiss on it, matching the lingering smudge on poor Batwoman's cheek. As for the Black Cat herself? Already slinking off into the night--or to a change of clothes.