5056/Calling a Bat

Calling a Bat
Date of Scene:	06 February 2021
Location:	Park Row - Bleake Island
Synopsis:	Catwoman contacts Batman and exchanges information on the recent Falcone attack.
Cast of Characters:	Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne

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Selina Kyle has posed:
To be honest, Catwoman had been staying low and out of Batman's way for a while now, not wanting to back on his radar in a bad way at any case. Heck, with any luck, she might just get him to trust her more, although the wariness is understandable.

Either way, she had something important to discuss and she was grateful that she was at least given a way to communicate with him, even if it probably wasn't his personal number.

At any rate, she had agreed to a meeting point, the old theatre district to be exact, and a place she knew he frequently patrolled so hopefully it wouldn't be too far out of his way. Catwoman arrives early at the rendezvous point, sticking mostly to the shadows in the early evening light, lurking about as she watches some kids skateboarding, a couple of homeless people shivering and trying to stay warm around a small fire.

"What a sad place this is.." she murmurs with a sigh.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
In truth Gotham's Dark Knight has been working on being a little less standoffish and a little more open to those in his circle. It... is a work in progress to say the least. It probably always will be. And it hasn't made him any less conscious or careful about the need for security in how he conducts this other half of his life.

Certainly Batman and Catwoman have something of a... complicated history. There are plenty of reasons to be mistrustful. On both sides and for a whole heck of a lot of reasons. But unlike so many of the other costumed types in Gotham, the Dark Knight knows well there is nothing crazy about what she does. Rarely anything truly malicious and she generally does not cross those hard lines that he absolutely enforces around murder and mayham. That earns just enough points in her ledger that while perhaps not entirely trusted, there is a great deal more restraint shown.

And the occasional perks. Like a way to contact him. Even if it is not his personal number.

Either way, the call was given and unless Gotham is in the midst of an absolute disaster it is a fair bet that he will show up. A fair bet that he will show up early even. A fair bet that he is already there. "You have no idea," comes that low, gutteral voice from the deepest of the shadows nearby, one particularly dark patch detatching itself form the rest as Batman steps out just enough that his vague shape can be distiguished from the darkness behind him, that cape draped around him like a shroud.

For someone so damnably stoic he certainly has a taste for the theatric.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Catwoman let's a little smile escape her lips, arching her back a bit to stretch. Hey, she's been waiting here for a bit, she was getting bored and a bit stiff standing for so long. Not that she's not used to much more gruelling physical activity than standing in one place for long, and the wool lining in her leather catsuit sure helps keep her warm on chilly nights such as this, but..

She smiles sweetly at him, glad to see him after all this time. "Batman.." she practically purrs, "It's been a long time. How've you been? Glad you could make it." there has always been a playful lilt to her voice when she speaks to the Batman, and really it's no secret that she's always had eyes for him.

Tonight however, there is some seriousness in her eyes at least, the smile not quite so carefree as it usually is. Something is troubling her.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Certainly there has always been a bit of gamesmanship between them over the years. He has certainly let her get away with far more then most of his opponents even if he takes the whole thing a little more serious then she normally does. But then that is an inevitability too. He takes things more serious then just about anyone else.

It has indeed been some time since they last had a run-in and in typical fashion his features appear carved out of granite making it difficult to get a read on him. Has he missed those encounters -- both for the good and less so? He makes it really difficult to say. Still, she sent out the call and here he is so that says something.

It's all so very familiar, the playful tone, the indolence and yet it is hard to put something past Gotham's Dark Knight. He steps a little further out of those all-encompassing shadows, that cowled gaze sweeping over her for a moment. "It has been," he replies quietly and to the point, pausing for only a moment before offering his own follow-up. "Something's wrong," he says, as much a statement as a question.

Selina Kyle has posed:
To be fair, Catwoman has been keeping low lately, not the least of which is because of a run in with a certain villain..And while she toyed with the idea of passing that particular information on to Batman as well, she was still on the fence about it for her own reasons.

However there are more pressing issues at the moment. She smirks and shrugs, giving him the once over, never one to hold back about admiring him. "Well, I missed you too, honey!" her tone is lighter, playful as she says that, almost joking with a wink. Although her smile does fade a bit and she sighs with a short nod.

"Right down to the nitty gritty then. Alright." and with that, Catwoman pulls out a little plastic baggie containing...Owl feathers? "Does this mean anything to you..? It was found at a recent crime scene.." for some reason Catwoman seems a bit sad as she says that.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Is that a shadow of a smile? Surely not. Must be a trick of the light. Gotham's Dark Knight does not smile, does not joke. He looms and intimidates. Mmmhmmm.

Regardless if he smiled at her greeting or not it is probably no shock that he goes straight to the heart of the matter. He might play her games more often then with most, but he is still Batman -- all about the most quickest, most efficient solution. That sometimes means cutting right to the heart of the matter.

And the heart of the matter in this particular instance is a little unexpected. As she reveals the little baggie with feathers in them the Dark Knight goes still for a moment, studying the contents before reaching out with one hand and pausing for just a moment to make that unspoken request for permission to take the bag from her. Once in hand he gives them a closer look, turning them over and generally just giving them a thorough examination to make sure that nothing is missed.

"What crime scene?" he asks quietly. Right now, in Gotham, anything to do with Owls certainly suggests the Court. But he has plenty of advesaries in his Rogue's Gallery that are both knowledgable enough and clever enough to hide their own activities by laying them at the feet of the Court of Owls.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle hands over the baggie without hesitation, and nods. She may have heard some rumours about this court of owl, but nothing concrete, nothing specific really. But explaining her presence there will be..Tricky without revealing her true identity.

"Um..Well.." she licks her lips, trying to think up a good excuse for showing up at a rich man's house, and not actually there to steal anything..Well, not yet anyway. "I..Have this friend, who was invited to Carmine Falcone's birthday party. Real nice place I hear, although no, I was not there sadly." she shrugs.

"I hear someone was aiming for him, but I guess they had pretty lousy aim, cuz his poor wife was the one who got shot..And not with just some gun, but some sort of poison dart. I mean, who does that, anyway? Why go to the trouble of killing someone with poison instead of a nice clean gunshot? Anyway.."

She frowns then, actually clenches her fists, "I know Falcone is a scumbag and a wealthy crime lord who is probably just as bad as the people who tried to kill him. But his wife was...I doubt she's completely innocent, but she didn't deserve this. Just thinking about it makes me a bit mad. And that woman.." Catwoman actually dips her head as she struggles to find the right words. This shouldn't sadden her as much as it does, but somehow it does. Why was she so familiar?

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Falcone. That would certainly explain a great deal.

So much of his attention was focused on bringing down the Roman's empire when he first got his start as Batman, all those years ago. His criminal empire dominated in Gotham and the police were practically owned by the man. Breaking his hold over Gotham was one of his greatest early successes -- even if it did seem to have the unintended effect of opening the city up to a rash of criminal crazies. Having him reemerge, to once again exert his influence over factors both legitimate and otherwise in /his/ city is decidedly disappointing.

"I'm sure she had some idea od what her husband was up to. But you're right, she didn't deserve this. He might have deserved it, but it would still be unacceptable if they had done it to him," he says quietly, just a hint of emotion marking his otherwise cool, crisp words.

With that new insight he gives the feathers another look over, though he has little doubt of their source and intent now. Satisfied that he has learned what he can from these he finally lifts his cowled gaze to her once more. "Thank you. If you have no objections, I'll keep these for now. It's possible that some trace evideence can still be obtained with a little forensic research," he says. Dobutful, but possible. No avenues can be closed down.

"Tell your friend that they're lucky," he says matter of factly, though there is just a hint behind those words that suggests he very much believes her 'friend' is actually herself. "There is an... organization in Gotham. Power brokers who have had their hand in just about everything that goes on in Gotham for decades. Maybe longer. They are deeply hidden, very well connected and have a collection of very talented assassins at their disposal called their Talons. They call themselves the Court of Owls," he offers up quietly.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle knows only too well of Batman's rather..Rigid (in her opinion) code. She might not hesitate to be rid of Falcone herself, but if she is going to get in Batman's good books, she needs to stop thinking that way. Still.."Even so, how many lives would have been saved if Falcone was the one who had been hit?"

Her frown deepens at the explanation of the Court of Owls. "Wow. Sounds serious. Even so, if these guys mean business and they most certainly do, then I want in on stopping them, before more innocent lives are lost.."

Catwoman gives pause then, considering something else. "Batman..What do you know about Luisa Falcone..?" surely he has something at least on her, considering how he seems to know everything all the time, almost frighteningly so.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
It is the slippery slope. He understands the argument. How many lives would have been spared if he just put aside his personal code long enough to drop Joker off a building, or laid aside his hatred of guns long enough to pump him full of bullets. He can understand the appeal of that sentiment. He knows why it's powerful. But if he crosses that line once, where does it end? If he is willing to kill the Joker how long until he decides that Mr. Freeze should go next. And once he goes there, why not the Penguin? How long until he is not all that different from the monsters he has sworn to protect Gotham from.

So the Joker lives. Falcone lives. All of them live, so long as he has a say in it. Death is pretty final. Once someone is dead and gone that's it. All that they are, all that they could have been are lost to society for good. Who knows? Maybe even someone as mad as the Joker has some greater role to play in things. Maybe even the worst have some possibility of redemption. At least that is what the Dark Knight chooses to embrace.

Surprising, isn't it? That someone as dark and broody as Batman is, in the depths of his heart, an optomist who chooses to see the best in people. Shhhhhhh. Don't tell anyone.

"There has been a spate of trouble from them yes as of late though they seem to be receding back into the shadows. Until this killing at least. Perhaps they're getting ready to go back on the offensive," he says, his mouth a hard, thin line at the thought. "I will take you up on that. If they're rearing up again we might need all the help we can get," he agrees.

He considers her question for a moment before the smallest of shrugs ripple across his shoulders. "I know of her. There is nothing to unusual in my records," he says. "Why?" he adds, perhaps a hint of curiousity in his tone about her interest.

Selina Kyle has posed:
By contrast, Catwoman has had a pretty hard life, and to be honest, she has certainly seen the worst of humanity. However, while she may not have hesitated to kill an evil crimelord like him in the past, Catwoman really is trying hard to win his trust these days.

As for Luisa, she just shrugs, trying to seem casual. "Well..I don't know..Maybe she was their target all along? Heck, maybe she...Knows something.." eyes narrow at that last part.

"However, I'd be happy to help you out in dealing with this..Court of Owls. Might be..Interesting." another playful smile. Sometimes it's hard to tell if she does this just for the rush, to impress him, or because she truly cares. Maybe it's a little bit of all three?

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Everyone is shaped by their own experiences. Everyone sees the world through their own unique lense. In so many ways his own life stopped three decades earlier in an alleyway not too far from here. And every single thing that has come after has been shaped by the perspective on life and death created in him that night. There is no reason that she, or anyone else should be any different, right?

It is the effort that Batman seems to respond to. The attempt to respect human life. To make a difference. To at the very least not harm others. It's why Harley Quinn roams free, unmolested by himself or any of the rest of the Bat Family so long as she gives them no cause to question that decision. It is probably why they are talking here, on this rooftop, instead of engaged in some rooftop case. It's surely that, not any of the playful attraction between them. Surely not.

That rock-like facade cracks for a moment when she makes that suggestion and a hint of a frown appears on his features, seeming to ponder her suggestion carefully. "I'll look a little more closely into her. You could be right," he agrees quietly. He never closes off any alternative, not until he's looked into it at least. It's one of the things that makes him such an effective detective.

"Just... be careful. They're dangerous. They haven't stayed in the shadows all this time by being reckless. Or merciful," the DArk Knight points out warily. He might not be a lot of fun in certain respects, but that warning does make it sound suspiciously like he cares.

Selina Kyle has posed:
It's nice to have unlikely allies, and people with a moral code are certainly more trustworthy (and easier on the eyes) than say...Joker..Who she'd have no reason to team up with...Right? "Oh..That reminds me...Hmm..." damn, it, she should tell him..About the Joker's plans but..Hmmm.

"I mean...Nevermind, it's..Not really important I suppose." right. Get more information on this guy the Joker'a after, before reporting. Who knows it might still be beneficial to her.....Hmmmmm...She licks her lips, trying to act casual.

"Alright, anything else I should know about this Court of Owls? Have you faced any directly? I'm guessing they're pretty sneaky, preferring to operate from the shadows than outright. It'll probably be hard to track em down for...Questioning."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
That's probably going to be a hard sell. He might have a degree of trust in her, might be willing to extend her a certain amount of trust, but he's still Batman and her equivication is not likely to be missed. It's just a question of what he decides to do about it. At the very least it's noted and he tilts his head ever so slightly as she hmmmms and haaaahs, debating what to say.

He does leave it alone for the moment however. Maybe because of the importance of the Court of Owls. Maybe he has his own reasons. "The actual Court stays hidden. Trying to unearth who they might be has proven difficult. Chances are they are wealthy or influential at least. They tend to act through conditioned assassins instead, men and women who seem to be almost fanatically loyal and highly trained. Extremely dangerous," he offers up. "But one of them recently came to us seeking asylum so we might finally have an in into their organization. Time will tell," he offers. Trust still has to be built there and at the end of the day protecting Strix from the Court is a higher priority then prying any and all knowledge she has from her.

With that warning given he steps closer still, not quite invading her personal space but coming rather close. "Was there anything else you had for me?" he queries lowly.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Dammit, she almost let that one slip, but..She just needs to get more information, see if she might get something out of...Things first. Right, the Court is more important right now. "Oh..I see..Wealthy prominent people, huh? Like..The Flores..Selina Kyle...Bruce Wayne? Might be a good idea to keep an eye on them if they are potential targets."

Of course she wouldn't half mind keeping an 'eye' on Bruce Wayne herself, even if he isn't quite as delectable as Batman..*ahem*. The mention of one of their own having defected does get her attention though. "Oh really? That's interesting..Wonder why he did that? But all the same, hopefully he will offer some useful information.."

Then suddenly he's in her face and Catwoman blinks a bit in surprise, but doesn't take a step back, smiling slightly. "No..I think that's all for now..Although.." she reaches up suddenly to gently touch his cheek, being mindful of those claws of hers. "Although one of these days, you've got to let me take you out to dinner..It doesn't hurt to relax once in a while, hmm?" she purrs.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Of course he is fairly certain that none of those mentioned are members of the Court but then those involved with that kind of secret society would almost have to be above reproach, wouldn't they? To escape scrutiny for so long. Although they could just always leverage their power to insure any hint of scandal is kept silent. Especially that Bruce Wayne fellow. He seems entirely untrustworthy. "I would dismiss anyone out of hand, but none of them would be at the top of my list as suspects," he admits, his tone almost dry.

No doubt all of Gotham's hotest spots would be pleased to have them as dinner guests. Technically both of them are all suited up. The dinner jacket requirement might be a little difficult for him to get around -- a cape most likely just won't do -- but he's pretty adaptable. He could probably figure something out. "Anything's possible," he says lowly. Maybe they should shoot lower. Rooftop picnic? Though it really isn't the time of year for it. "She wants to live her own life. I've promised to help get her out for good," he offers up on their mysterious ex-Talon.

He leans closer and just for a moment it looks like he fully intends to kiss her. Then those lips slide right on past, stopping so close to her ear instead. "Well then, I'm sure you have trouble to get into. And I have a patrol to complete," he murmurs quietly. Then, just as quick as he leaned in he is upright again, all dark and mysterious and unreadable. He does not push for more on what she's up to, not now. Trust works both ways afterall. Instead he begins to sink back into the shadows that hang so thick atop this particular roof.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle shakes her head, "Oh no, not as suspects, more like potential targets I mean..Watch them and the owls might follow?" she shrugs. It's a thought, use em as...Bait. Okay, maybe not his style.

She does chuckle and nod at his mysterious comment, "Well, I haven't given up on the idea. One of these days.." she winks at him, and is fully hoping he might just..Try something with her, when he suddenly brushes past her instead. Which causes Catwoman's shoulders so sag just a bit.

"Trouble? Hey! I do t just do the trouble thing all the time, I said I'd help you and I will. Anyway..It was good seeing you again, Bats. May e next time I'll luck out.." she winks at him and waves, "Take care, hmm?"

Ohhh..Great he did the mysterious fading into shadows thing again, How does he even do that? Siigh. Oh well, back to 'Work..'