20106/Age Before Beauty

Age Before Beauty
Date of Scene:	20 February 2025
Location:	Avengers Mansion - Training Facility
Synopsis:	Black Panther knocks out Natasha in a friendly game of 'chase each other around Stalingrad'.
Cast of Characters:	T'Challa, Natasha Romanoff

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T'Challa has posed:
Evening is settling in around the Avengers Mansion. Dinner has been eaten, evening assignments have been assigned, or taken care of, and now it's downtime for most of the World's Mightiest supergroup. It would seem that this evening T'Challa has decided to get in a few more reps of...whatever training it is he's up to these days. He's dressed down -- no Black Panther suit -- in just athletic gear, stretching his back and shoulders as he works out the best possible way to train on his own tonight. He starts to walk over to one of the stationary bikes, apparently it's cardio tonight!

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
And there is Natasha, going through a particularly heavy loadout as she seems to be getting ready for a training session. Sniper rifle, variety of grenades, several explosives that look like claymores and rather nasty things that are rigged to tripwires.. Along with her normal assortment of weapons. She gives T'Challa a nod.

T'Challa has posed:
Nat is given a long look, before T'Challa smiles and say, "I think we must be having a different idea about training. I was here to ride a bike. You are here to blow up a bank vault." He's saying this jokingly as he settles on the bike and starts to pump his legs, slowly. "Are you looking for a partner to train with this evening, or do you prefer to work alone?" he asks.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would give a nod to T'Challa. "I prefer combat to be as close to the real thing as possible. Physical exertion is required to maintain one's body, but it does little for maintaining instincts. Might you care to join me?" With the loadout she has with it it looks more like she's preparing for a war zone. "My intent is for an infiltrated urban combat zone that requires clearing."

T'Challa has posed:
"So long as you do not plan to shoot me with any of those guns, or blow me up with any of those explosives...I could give you a workout." T'Challa replies, still biking slowly for the time being, "Do you wish for me to ambush you and provide close combat...or would you prefer to simply spar in the open?" As he asks this he slowly gets off the bike and starts to walk over to the woman.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would glance at T'Challa, evaluating for a moment, "Under normal circumstances, they would not have the ability to significantly break your suit. I see no reason to adjust my loadout." That means she has something rather nasty in mind if she's not gonig to switch her guns and explosives around or ask T'Challa to not wear his combat uniform. "And I find sparring to reflect poorly on atual combat conditions."

T'Challa has posed:
"The guns and the explosives are making me think I should get my suit. I will not use my claws on you Natasha, but you should be prepared for what comes." T'Challa says, as he starts to walk over to one of the lockers nearby. He reaches into it, and...well...it's A version of his Black Panther suit, probably not the latest, but at least functional. He heads into the changing area, and after a couple of minutes, he returns. "Tell me when you are ready, and I will prepare my ambush."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod, "Yes, your combat attire would be better." Natasha doesn't mention anything about safeties. She never uses them after all. What's life without risk and injuries to go along wtih it to drive the point home? "I will wait for you and then review the parameters of the training session with you."

T'Challa has posed:
He comes to a stop a few feet from Natasha, and says, "Well, then, what are the parameters you would like for this session?" crossing his arms over his chest. The mask of his costume makes it impossible to read his emotions.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would go to speak, "Urban combat scenario. Two separate forces will be engaging in it. We are to neutralize one another while avoiding getting dragged into the fighting." Her initial plan was probably to either focus on one side or both sides in it. The cityscape looks an awful lot like those huge concrete residential complexes from the Stalin era.

T'Challa has posed:
"So, a bunch of bots that we have to avoid to hunt each other. It can be done." T'Challa replies with a single nod. "And what does the winner get from the loser?" he asks, perhaps a bit of mischief in his voice.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would shrug, "Nothing in the slightest. This is a training scenario." Natasha never makes wagers that she does not have the capability to win already. She is wlel aware of T'Challa's abilities and considers the potential for him winning to be too close for her to be willing to chance anything on it

T'Challa has posed:
"Perhaps next time then." T'Challa replies, and then, he's off, heading into the ruins. It's not long until he is well out of sight. And then, there's silence. Well...mostly. The scream of a bot can be heard pretty quickly after T'Challa disappears. Perhaps he found one victim already.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
And Natasha does as well. Presuming he's historically fluent, T'Challa would recognize the cityscape as one of the numerous urban centers of Stalingrad. The brutal warfare throughout the winter of the Nazi invasion, when the city was put under seige.
    Natasha vanishes as well. Artillery shells land all around, and barbed wire and minefields dot all the landscape.

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa is well aware of what this is, and where he is. He glides through the shadows, taking a long route towards where he thinks Natasha might be hiding, considering the weaponry she had on her when he left. It's a long trip, and he takes his time. Best not to run across a patrol, or accidentally set off a trap.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
There are plenty of traps. However, most of them are 'background' noise as the training room saves processing power by simulating those only close to the 'real' combatants rather than every single one throughout the zone. So there are just holographic fragments at a distance of a lower end nature. A power saving feature when not needed given the scale of the arena.
    Bypassing the combatants is easy enough. Tracking down Natasha.. Is the difficult bit.

T'Challa has posed:
It takes him a fair amount of time -- hours? probably -- to get into close enough proximity that he's sure he's found Natasha. The figure creeps along, even closer, as the sun sets and makes it easier for him to work. When he's within a few yards of where he believes Natasha to be, he springs around the corner, and leaps at the woman, moving to tackle her to the ground.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
As T'Challa moves over towards Natasha, he's able to not get the drop on her, but catchup fairly handily. Natasha, as he approaches, goes to leap backwards! She doesn't bother with firing the small arms she has wiht her - those are as she said useless against his vibranium armor. What she does drop are a pair of fragmentation mines. The type that are normally used to take out light vehicles. She's already racing for cover to nto be caught in the blasts which would ordinarily turn human flesh into slurry

T'Challa has posed:
The mines do represent a problem for him, despite not worrying about being blown up. He'd rather not lose Natasha again, and allow her to blast away at him with that sniper rifle. He leaps up onto a wall, and then across to a second, trying to keep pace with the fleeing woman as he works on staying out of range of the exploding mines. He makes another attempt to tackle Nat, diving after her.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
He does go to tackle Natasha! He's still stronger and faster than she is and she doesn't have the momentum to outmaneuver him or to engage him at close quarters. As he hits her, she's immediately snapping out with a small baton - a charged one, that has her Widow's Bite on the end of it. Trying to strike him in the chest at point blank range to unleash it at full power!

T'Challa has posed:
Well, at least he's wearing his armor. The blast to his chest lands, and it sends him flying back to crumple in the dirt. He hops up, and then is back on the chase. The Panther seems a little annoyed he got knocked off of Nat so easily, and he resumes his attack. Now he's a little warier, but...he's also gotten some charge to use with is suit against his target.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
He's met over by a pair of hurled knives that would even if they do no damage break apart - smoke grenades unless he can stop them from firing off. The air would be thick with deritus - it's rather difficult to track her, but not impossible, even with enhanced senses.

T'Challa has posed:
Enhanced attributes mean the thrown knives are little more than distractions for him. He dodges both, flipping over them before he lands and continues his chase. He ups his speed, pushing himself all out to catch up to Nat -- which, he can easily do -- and then fires off an energy dagger from his suit right at Nat's back. Set to stun, because he doesn't want to kill his fellow Avenger, but...it's going to give her a good shock.