15464/Bird and Cat

Bird and Cat
Date of Scene:	26 July 2023
Location:	Kingston - Miagani Island
Synopsis:	Catwoman gets some unexpected help from Bluebird.
Cast of Characters:	Selina Kyle, Harper Row

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Selina Kyle has posed:
It's a quiet night in Gotham's Little Italy. The clouds are low and there's a light mist in the air, just enough to make it somehow darker than night. The kind of night that's perfect for a meeting between people who don't like to be seen having a meeting. And Papa Joe's is just the sort of Italian restaurant to host such a meeting.

For those who watch the neighborhood it's pretty apparent what's going on. Two pairs of black sedans arrive at Papa's from different directions, each one parking and dropping a handful of large men in dark suits.

Up on a rooftop overlooking the door to Papa's, the drizzle doesn't bother Catwoman at all. She's quite warm in the black leather and her goggles are anti-fog. Once things are quiet again, she does an acrobatic dismount in the alley off the fire escape and steps out, casually walking across the street to the restaurant. Car doors open, and four drivers get out.

Harper Row has posed:
Through the Bat and Bird-vine, Bluebird got the tip of something serious going down in Little Italy. In particular because of whom was active, there was more than a thumb-war to try and get dibs with the other girls to pull duty as backup. The amount of things Harper had to trade and barter to be within patrol vicinity was written down in super secret ledger. More than just mopping up parts of the Clocktower.

her aerial drop-off was helpful in getting her in both the right direction and altitude. The low cloud cover made things extra exciting, and the ambience was in top form. She won't have to moisturize later when off duty. Before she's too close, Bluebird checks in over channel that she's got eyes in the sky, and then goes silent, not wanting to tip off any electronic sniffing of the airways or aether. She's heading towards a rooftop, her own sensory suite in her mask trying to pierce mist and other means of masking the situation.

Her feet connect and skid her to a halt and she disengages her wings to do a very attractive gargoyle impression. For all her stealth, she utters a slow whistle as she watches Catwoman makes her way in that unique confidence that's all hers. Her gloved hands grip the edge of the rooftop and her mouth opens as she notes how utterly exposed the woman is at the moment. Bluebird's hands swipe towards her gadgets for means of quick descent.

Selina Kyle has posed:
All four drivers spot Catwoman, of course, and all four reach into their jackets for guns. They're not in unison, however, and Catwoman is already moving towards the first one to reach. Sprinting, she moves -towards- him and covers about half the distance with remarkable speed.

<CRACK!> The automatic barely clears his jacket when her whip takes it away to send it flying. A couple of smooth walk-overs, then she's behind him by the time the other guns are out... using him as a meat-shield. The whip in a choke-hold around his throat keep them close.

"Come now, boys. I was just going to pick up an order of alfredo with a side of garlic bread. Honest."

Harper Row has posed:
Bluebird yanks forth a rapid-rapelling gun and jabs the handle hard into mortar of her building, squeezing the trigger to pile-drive a anchoring spike in with a sound that's dull and ugly. It's a noise that's in high contrast to the sound of Catwoman's deft whip, and probably slower at that. Bluebird throws herself over the side like there's something explosive behind her, and gravity hauls at her. The line attached to her squeals like a fangirl trying to get an autograph.

The momentum brings her down many flights rapidly, and it's an effort to twist around to better face the action going down with the triggermen and the Cat. Her sidearm clears the holster and the charge building in her clip fast-heats her grip like a fresh piping hot pizza pocket in the microwave. She can maybe squeeze off a brace of shots at whomever is furthest from Catwoman. Try and give them a herky-jerky electro-surprise by laying down some shots from her rapidly diminishing vantage. "Order up!"

Selina Kyle has posed:
The other three drivers are considering what to do when Bluebird makes her entrance. One manages to get partially turned towards her when a taser shot hits him. The other two look for cover behind cars, which is further encouraged when a couple more shots scorch a hood.

The driver by Catwoman goes down on one knee with a loud cry, although the cause isn't immediately apparent. She vaults over one car, does a summersault to the roof of the next, and the whip cracks to take away another gun. Before the last gunman can turn and get a bead, she's down behind another car. He turns back towards Bluebird once more, wasting precious seconds.

Harper Row has posed:
With more and more weapons out of the hands of the baddies, this emboldens Bluebird to take larger chances. When her heels are down on the asphalt, she doesn't stay still for long. The moving target that is Harper throws herself into a roll, letting her shoulder and the protective fabric take the brunt. Her next shots are merely to pepper the black sedan and make 'em flinch. It's pretty wild fire, but the bullets she fires do make pretty fireworks of electric-blue discharge. Flares of stinky ozone ploofing with each impact.

Her progress carries her along until she can lurch up and try to get around the vehicle. She'll risk a few shots her way to give the gunmen extra targets and divide their attention in her attempt to flank the vehicle and get a better shot. Her free hand goes to her belt to palm a few smoke bombs from her belt. Nothing like a few gender-reveal ba-bombs to help distract and annoy. Plus, she's got a visual filter for some of that. Harper makes a little gargling clucking with her tongue, a very poor Predator imitation, as she switches to thermal vision.

Selina Kyle has posed:
The gunman draws a bead when the <ping-ping-ping-ping> of electric blue sparklies makes him duck down instinctively. "JEZUS!" he yells. He pops back up and rubbernecks around, but by that time he's lost Bluebird completely in the darkness and the drizzle.

Fuck. He's alone in the dark with at least two of those goddamm Bat-types.

And he IS alone, too. Having disarmed her second goon, Catwoman brings things in close and personal. There's a few hard, wet smacks of something striking flesh, followed by a soft <thud> as the goon falls. She blends back into the darkness.

Double-fuck.

Bluebird can follow Catwoman with her thermal vision, stalking quickly and quietly around behind the last remaining goon, who is aiming wildly at various points into the darkness. At least he hasn't opened fire yet.

Harper Row has posed:
Bluebird, tries to control her breathing. Before her vision it's almost cinema perfect for a shakey-cam film. There's the lone heroi...well, henchmen, pointing his hand-cannon this way and that, unable to see clearly what Harper does: The form of Catwoman stalking her prey. It elicits an intake of breath, because it's too cool, even with heat-vision. Catwoman looks fast and she's quiet and knows what she's doing.

Bluebird lightly steps opposite Catwoman's unseen approach. The barrel of her weapon points towards the group as she smirks. She can't resist. "Hey...over here." she whispers. She can't throw her voice, but she can be a teasing jackass. Attempts to keep her footfalls quiet aren't prioritized, and she hopes it makes a sound, but gambles on the bad visual conditions will make it a heck of a unlucky thing if the gunman's aim is true. She even adds a little laugh, teeth showing. She shouldn't be encouraging wild shots...but...Her blood is up and she's feeling like more of a troll than a gremlin. "Worst night of your life buddy."

Selina Kyle has posed:
It works, Bluebird's distraction. Whether that's a good thing or not. The goon turns quickly towards her voice in the darkness, but before he can even see what he might shoot at the whip lashes out.

Not at the gun this time, but the front foot where his weight is. Catwoman jerks it hard and he faceplants on the asphalt. She is in the air before he hits, rising up like a preying mantis about to strike...

The knee in his back drives the air from his lungs and fingers spasm out of reflex. The gun is lost in the darkness, and there is a lot of choking and gasping as the last goon tries to remember how to breathe again with a woman sitting on his back.

Harper Row has posed:
"Bellissima." Bluebird purs through pursed lips. She's not gonna drill down on why such a terrible sound from a human throat can have her feel all tingly. Something something bad guy getting some focused karma or something. But then she's not dwelling, she's darting in around the car to join Catwoman and stand over the mess the cat burglar extraordinaire has pinned like a toad to the turf. Her weapon hovers unnecessarily over one of his legs. She's just itching to hear him make more noises for daring to point pistols at them. "Smoke won't last long. You good?" Not that she saw Catwoman take a hit, but rather to fill the air with something other than the dissipating haze.

"That was ~nice~. That was really..." Bluebird hauls back on gushing and complimenting, peering towards the nearby restaurant just in case there's backup possible. "I couldn't resist jumping in." She goes down into a crouch, her fingers stroking over ties she brought in case a perp needs restraining and not just a braining.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Catwoman very casually loops her whip around the goon's throat, putting just a little pressure on it to keep him struggling for breath. "Purrrrfectly good." she replies, with a playful grin. "Some zipties wouldn't go amiss, but we have a few minutes. I just wanted to send a little message, was all."

The message that even safe, secret meetings are neither safe nor secret.

"So which one are you, again? And I do suppose that thanks are in order."

Harper Row has posed:
Bluebird doesn't have to be asked twice, or hinted at. She helpfully removes the ties and has them around ankles before doing the wrists, making them nice and tight with a little flourish at the end. She's enthusiastic when it comes to making sure the turkey's are trussed up. "If this cuts off the circulation, makes it harder to draw smooth later, consider it a learning moment." she offers to the goon as she leans in withing closer earshot.

Coming back up from almost dipping her nose in the gutter, she turns to Catwoman and has a brief second to consider how to advocate for which awesome Bird of Prey she is on the roster. "No thanks necessary." she lies, a wry grin showing that's she's pleased to receive such. "Bluebird. I bring the zap zap." She tacks on like a dork. "...And free I.T. service. Of course I know who you are. And they'll certainly know who you are. Yeah." She nods. "Pretty fearless to go at them head on like that."

Selina Kyle has posed:
Catwoman tilts her head a little, much like her namesake. "Bluebird. I'll remember." she replies. "Papa Joe's does have good alfredo sauce, but there are a lot more guns inside and no real point in crashing the party." No, let the information exchange continue. Let them think the meeting was a success. At least until they come back outside to find all the drivers tied up.

"You can consider me support, at least for the near future. HE knows how to reach me, and I've got my very own Bat-comm." She pauses, then adds. "I enjoyed this. We should do it again sometime."

Releasing her whip, she coils it neatly and looks over at Papa Joe's with a low sigh. "Looks like Chinese tonight."

Harper Row has posed:
"I could write it down if it helps even." Bluebird says with an upward, but quiet, lilt. She directs her attention to the restaurant. Her adrenaline is up, but there's wisdom in Catwoman's words. Besides, she isn't lead on this. Harper gives a light sniff, double-checking her gear and a question forming on her lips. There's a pause that settles on her asking more question like a soggy brick, attempts at prying more clarification or illumination on things get smushed down. Keep it professional.

"And you can!" Harper quips. "Because with Chinese you're...you'll be want to eat it again...and again." A swallow. "Right. Near future. Gotcha."