18305/Cousin to Cousin

Cousin to Cousin
Date of Scene:	13 June 2024
Location:	Penthouse
Synopsis:	Bruce visits Kate at Kane Towers and brings her back to the Batcave. The endgame with the vampiric curse is almost upon them.
Cast of Characters:	Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne

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Kate Kane has posed:
The past few weeks have seen both Kate Kane and Batwoman drop off the face of the Earth, it seems. Ever since her transformation at the hands of Mary Seward, Kate has kept low and out of sight. Despite the /wishes/ of her Sire, she has the willpower to resist, barely.

Of course, being a multimillionaire has advantages. Namely acquiring blood through discrete channels, so she has kept herself indoors and not contacting anyone.

After her first encounter with the vampires, she made sure to program her headquarters with a kill switch, so that if she did get turned... at least the vampires wouldn't have access to all the Bat-Family's information and data.

Currently, she sits in her living room, wearing a T-shirt and jeans and looking like she desperately wants to go outside.

To /hunt/.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
It was the blood.

Obviously Bruce had considered just coming to her apartment, but there were pitfalls in that kind of straight forward action. Kate was an accomplished combatant before she became a vampire, add to that the enhanced strength he's seen from these creatures, and Bruce has no intention of fighting her. At least not until he was absolutely certain that he would win. He has items given to him by the Justice League Dark that mask him from the vampiric senses and other talismen to aid in combat against them.

He genuinely hopes that isn't necessary.

    It hadn't been with Selina.

But it was the blood that ultimately brought him here.

There are only a few places one can discreetly acquire large quantities of blood without setting off a lot of red flags. Bruce has a sizable stock as well, but it was collected over many months and cryo-frozen using stolen Victor Fries technology. All he had to do was follow the trail of vitae and it led him back to Kane Industries.

Which wasn't as easy to sneak into as Selina's apartment had been.

    But he manages. He is Batman.

"Kate." He's standing outside the sliding glass windows, rain pelting across his cape draped down over his chest. He lifts his hand and points at the door. "Let me in."

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate turns her head, and looks over at Bruce standing there at her windows. "Leave the jokes to Dick and Jason, would you?" She grits her teeth, as if part of her isn't seeing her cousin, but rather... a rather juicy meal. Which causes her to clench her fists, trying her best to stay focused.

Which she does, with a great deal of effort. Of course, the fact that she knows Bruce wouldn't show up without a contingency or three to take her out if need be helps quell the Hunger inside of her. For now, anyway, as she says, "Hold on, I'll hit the remote." Because she doesn't want to get that close, yet, for myriad reasons as she presses a button on a remote. The glass panels slide open, recently upgraded it seems for security purposes.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Batman never jokes and he certainly isn't starting now. He stands there as serious and quiet as the gargoyle statues that dot the Gotham skyline, weathering the intense stare leveled upon him without fear. He's faced her mistress. While that doesn't mean he'll let his guard down with Kate, it does mean he knows they can bleed.

When the glass slides away permitting him entry, he strides in through the archway into her dark apartment. Rain rides down the cape and drips on the hardwood, across his boots. Watching her. "We have a cure." He tells her, no sugar coating or beating around the bush. It's not his way.

"So long as you haven't killed for your hunger." He knows that she's acquired a great deal of blood to stave off that hunger, but he has to hear her say it.

That, too, is his way.

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate takes a deep breath, even though she doesn't need to. "Well, I know you didn't kill the one that turned me, much as I wish you did." She shakes her head, "After the first night, when she had me take her out for a joyride... I haven't left the penthouse. During the day I'd go into the lair in the sub-basement just to make sure I didn't have an 'accident' with the Sun."

She hugs herself tight, turning away from Bruce, "But I haven't killed anyone. Fed on anyone. I've been funnelling some corporate resources into... acquiring, what I need. Though I'd rather have Guinness in my fridge than O-positive."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"I know." That she has been acquiring blood, "You did well to keep it hidden as long as you did." Bruce doesn't add that to give her a compliment, it's just a fact. Blue eyes peer around at the added security measures, the kill switches. Similar to those he has in the Batcave. Another nod, "Protecting your family even when you were turned." That, however, is a compliment.

They're rare.

Mary. Bruce grunts, "She's not easy to kill. We took out most of her remaining brood in Gotham several nights ago. She nearly killed Talia and Damian. We had superior numbers, with magical talismen provided to us by the Justice League and all we managed to do was cut off one of her arms." They 'did' cut off one of her arms though.

"Come with me to the cave. I've isolated the exact compound in blood that Vampires need for feeding and have begun synthesizing it. It wont taste good, but it'll stave off your hunger while we finish the last preparations for the cure." He looks back to her, "Selina is also turned. And there are safety protocol in place should you lose control." He says that as if it should give her a measure of comfort.

"You'll be safer there than here. There are others in Gotham, hunting vampires. I don't want you to be collateral damage in their shortsightedness."

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate considers that, then nods. "Al... alright. Let me get into costume, if we're going to the cave." She takes another unnecessary breath, "She wanted to use me... as a weapon. To take over Gotham." She grimaces, "Pretended to need me, brainwashed me, and still... it's hard to resist. Just a constant pressure, a boiling in my veins." She staggers a bit, but then straightens, making her way into the bedroom.

After a few minutes, she comes out in her Batwoman outfit. Though one thing...

No utility belt. She's going relatively unarmed. Save for her now supernatural abilities. "Okay. Let's do this." She pauses, "Long as I'm in a secure place."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"She asked the wrong questions about Gotham." Bruce says to his cousin, not letting his eyes off of her as she moves around the apartment. Unlike Selina, he can see how hard Kate is fighting. Where Selina had been feeding from mortals, without killing them, Kate has been denying the hunters urge completely. That makes her a great deal more dangerous and unpredictable. And Bruce doesn't like that combination at all. Especially not in one of his family.

"If she thought she could take over Gotham, she asked all the wrong questions."

Selina had told him that she wanted code names and capabilities, but was uninterested in the one person she should have had the most questions about: Batman.

Which is hubris, but it's a well earned hubris.

When she returns from the room in costume, without her utility belt, he notes that but says nothing. A nod and he steps back out into the rain and up to the railing. There's a low hum, a sound of like a turbine, and the Batwing glides upwards from where it had been sitting dorment. It's a smaller variant, but has two seats. Clearly he was expecting company on the way back.

A glance back at her, then swings into the open canopy, settling into the cockpit. "Quicker, less chance of running into anyone."

Kate Kane has posed:
Kate nods, "Alright, that makes sense." She moves into the passenger seat, settling in as she clenches her fists tight after buckling up. Mainly because, well, it's a /struggle/. And it would be so easy...

Really, just go to mist, and then who could stop her. She'd be free to feed, free to /hunt/.

No. Not that. Can't risk it.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The canopy closes over both of them. Most people might be concerned by that prospect, the dangers of being locked inside a small compartment with a vampire. Batman is a different breed of people. He peers over at Kate, the white knuckled grip, even if he can't see her hand, around the strap of her harness.

He nods as the batwing pulls away from the side of her building, "You're doing good, Kate."

The trip isn't a long one, but it probably feels like it is.

"This is almost over."