5284/In hot pursuit of a Cat.

In hot pursuit of a Cat.
Date of Scene:	20 February 2021
Location:	Old Gotham - Founders Island
Synopsis:	Catwoman has a run in with Batman. Information is exchanged.
Cast of Characters:	Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne

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Selina Kyle has posed:
It's early in the morning, way too early for a Saturday. Early enough that the sky is still dark and a bit chilly, but that didn't stop the loud screech of tires as some sort of activity happens in the streets of a particularly dangerous part of town.

And while this particular street is more or less empty, there are two vehicles speeding down the road, a black unmarked motorbike, sleek, with a female rider wearing a very distinct black leather catsuit, and hot on her trail is a black sedan, it's windows tinted, the sky roof open and a gunner manning a large machine gun as he attempts to blast her off the road while in hot pursuit.

Tires screech as the bike turns a corner sharply, the gunner car following her down a large alley, but it looks like she may have just backed herself into a dead end..

Bruce Wayne has posed:
While Gotham City might never truly sleep, in the last couple of hours just before night gives way to morning it comes awfully close. Even the Dark Knight is known to sometimes call it a night then -- or at least returns to wherever it is that he lairs to take care of those items that need to be addressed before sleep. Be it setting aside equipment to repair or drafting the copious reports that are so often the foundation of solid detective work.

But not tonight. Tonight he is making one last sweep through the city, the heart of Gotham in many respects when he hears the squeal of tires nearby, the osunds of racing engines, of vehicles moving much more quickly then the posted speed limits. And while catching traffic violators is not something he is all that concerned with, it does frequently indicate trouble. His grapnel is out in a flash, directed towards one of the nearby buildings before he leaps out over the empty void above the street even before those titanium tongs set. He swings in a long arc, catching sight of that sedan in pursuit of the motorcycle as they veer off into an alleyway, that swing taking him in pursuit...

Selina Kyle has posed:
She ducks, staying low on her bike, glad for her tough leather catsuit, but it's less effective against machine gun. She curses under her breath, trying to shake em off as she veers sharply to the right, but the gunner is clever, aiming at a tire, causing it to burst.

She shrieks as she crashes into a dumpster, staggering to her feet, thankful for the helmet but limping a bit as she faces her attackers. Two men in black step out, one carrying a machine gun, the other just a regular pistol. "Hand it over Catwoman, and we won't kill you.." the closer guy sneers, but he doesn't look like the type who would spare a life. Probably shoot her in the back the moment she lowers her guard.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
He is little more then a shadow in a night full of them as the crest of that arc bring him just around the corner into that unlit alleyway, grapnel coming free just in time to allow him to land with surprising dexterity on the rail of a fire escape up above. For a big man he is surprisingly light on his feet, hardly making a sound as he steadies himself on that narrow ledge, one hand gripping the steel rail to balance himself, those starlite lense inserts in his cowl piercing the gloom below with ease.

He recognizes Catwoman almost immediately. No surprise there. His vantage point does not give him a good look at the two armed men menacing her, but it is almost irrelevent. No matter what she may have stolen from them, machine guns aren't a proportional response. Nor is he about to let anyone get shot in his city, not if he can help it.

One second he is on that railing, the next he is simply dropping, a freefall through space with his cape left to slow him down. He lands on the roof of the sedan with a loud crash, metal giving way beneath creating a sizeable dent. But even as he lands he is already whipping that cape around, the heavy, weighted ends of it raking across the side of one of the gunmen's head, a half-dozen of those weighted points smashing him hard as he brings that fabric around, drapped in front of him like a shield. An additional layer of kevlar-nomex armor to shield him from any stray gunfire directed his way.

Selina Kyle has posed:
"I mean it! Hand it over!" the first thug snarls, but cuts off as Batman lands on the car, hitting the second gunner aside the head, knocking him to his knees. "Gah! Take that!" he blasts his gun at the caped figure but it does minimal damage to his armoured cape, not that it'll stop him from trying.

Catwoman yells and pulls out her whip, snapping it at the gunner's gun, yanking it from his grasp and clocking it against his face. He only manages to get a punch in her face before she yanks him out from under his feet, slamming his face into the wall and knocking him out..

Then she's running again, using her whip to snag herself up to an upper level balcony, making her way to the rooftop.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
He does not speak, not even to call out to her to hold up. Instead he just turns to deal with the second man, all grim-faced and shrouded in shadow as he is, the headlights of the car practically blinding the other man. He probably barely sees the Dark Knight as he abandons his perch atop the bent roof of the sedan, sliding down the windshield and across the hood with foot extended. As he slides right off the front of the car he kicks out at the gunman's leg -- his knee to be precise -- leaving the armed thug to cry out in pain as his leg starts to buckle and he starts to collapse. But Batman is right there to help him -- or more specifically help his head right into the hood of the car with an audible thunk. Only then does he let him full, both to the ground and into merciful unconsciousness.

The Dark Knight does not linger however, that grapnel out in his hand once more, raising it, launching it with that soft hiss of releasing compressed air. And then he too is soaring upwards in pursuit od Catwoman, rapidly ascending towards the waiting rooftop.

Selina Kyle has posed:
With the thugs both unconscious, it's likely the police will come by soon to deal with them. Catwoman would rather not be around when they come, and she doesn't stop her flight until she's at least a block away from the scene of the crime. A glance over her shoulder confirms that the dark knight is not far behind..

She could pull another fast one on him, so far Catwoman has been pretty good at evading him..But for some reason, this time she chooses not to, and in fact she slows her flight, turning around where she last saw him..And wait, breathing only lightly, clutching her arm where one of her attackers presumably grazed her arm with a bullet.Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, it's starting to sting a bit.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The police will definitely be by shortly. Probably because Batman alerted them as he swooped up to the rooftop. Normally he would have made sure they were bound and their weapons dealt with, but if he did that he honestly did not expect that he would be able to catch up with the always elusive cat burglar. Besides, he is a pretty good judge of violence and the eventual outcome by this point. They're unlikely to rouse themselves until long after the police arrive.

So he pursues her up onto the rooftop, eyes already darting about for some clue to which way she went, just how far behind he already is. Which is why it is something of a surprise to find that she hasn't gone very far at all. Nor does she seem intent on evading him. Straightening, he starts to walk over towards her, that cape draped around him now, making him little more then a patch of darkness in the still dark morning hours. "Alright. What have you gotten yourself into this time?" he asks lowly as he nears, only pausing when he takes note of the fact that she's clutching her arm, that tone perhaps softening a fractional amount. "Are you okay?" he adds. See? Not completely cold hearted.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Catwoman is casually leaning against the railing of the roof's edge as she watches him, a faint glint of amusement reflecting in her emerald eyes, a soft smile touching her lips. "Mmm, Batman, how nice of you to..Drop by.." She shrugs, hugging her arm, "Seems to be a graze, hurts like hell and messy but nothing too serious, but I'm sure you didn't come all the way up here, just to check on my well-being.."

She smirks a bit at him, but she's still breathing a bit more heavily than usual. How long had those guys been pursuing her?

"Alright..." Catwoman draws a deep breath, glancing around, "Did we lose em? Those guys..I think they were workimg for Carmine Falcone's errant son, Luigi Falcone.." as she speaks, Catwoman pulls off her mini backpack, rifling through it for something. "Call me crazy but...After getting caught in the crosshairs of a shoot out between them and a group of computer hackers, I..." she draws a deep breath, closing her eyes, shaking her head and shivers a bit.

"They were defenceless. Helpless. This wasn't a pursuit, it was a massacre. So much blood.." Catwoman is no stranger to violence, but that was a bloodbath. It was disturbing, more so than what she is used to.

"I was gonna sell this, but..Somehow it would be wrong. Blood money. I did what I could to help them flee with my smoke bombs, but there were so many gunners, so much confusion....They didn't deserve this.."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Gotham has seen more then enough trouble as of late. Of course, that's almost always the case. There isn't anything unusual about that to be sure. Still, with burgeoning gangwars wracking the city as is, it's not the best of time for members of Falcone's inner circle to go rogue. Or maybe even worse, if Luigi is acting on his father's orders the situation in the Gotham Underworld might be even more complicated then it already is.

So the Dark Knight listens to her story, stopping just short of her. That cowled gaze does dart down towards her injured arm but whatever he sees there apparently convinces him that she is not understating the matter. Not enough to require immediate medical attention at any rate. "Grim news," he finally says, giving a small shake of his head.

"Any details you can share about the attack would be helpful," he says quietly. "I know better then to suggest you approach the police to make a statement," he adds, something close to dry humor -- or at least resignation -- present in those words. He waits expectantly as she pulls out whatever she has 'liberated' to see just what it is that has caused so much violence -- and prompted her to actually turn over something of value instead of trying to sell it off.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Catwoman chuckles a bit, shaking her head as she pulls out a small black metal object that looks like a computer hard drive from her backpack. "It seems they've been causing a lot of trouble lately. From what I've heard, Luigi is the most dangerous son of Carmine, a bit of a rebel and a black sheep. I wonder if he acted independently of Carmine?"

Catwoman hands the hard drive carefully to him, "The hackers were gonna auction this away when they attacked. All I caught was something about Project Blackwatch? Does that name ring a bell?" she stuffs the rest of the contents back in her bag, zipping it up quickly before Bats can catch a glimpse of what else is in there- hopefully. "I'm sure you'll find more information on this, it's probably safer with you anyway.."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
He had really hoped he was done with the Falcone's. That he had removed their influence over *his* city for good in his earliest days of donning this cape and cowl. But it looks just like with so many of his foes, they always come back. It might not be just Catwoman who has nine lives, or at least so it seems!

"Possible. Luigi Falcone has always marched to the beat of his own drum. Usually violently," he says lowly though his tone no less hard for that. All of the Falcone's are bad news. Luigi just might be the most violent, the most irrational of them. But like any good detective, Batman isn't ready to leap to any assumptions until all the facts are in.

Taking the hard drive from her he gives it a once over before tucking it away into one of the pouches that line his waist, giving her a nod as well. Thanks? Approval? Simple acknowledgement that she's done the right thing? This time. Who can say. Either way, it seems that her bet that it is best off with him is accurate.

"I'll find out what's one it and what could make it worth all the bloodshed so far," he says simply. And if he can't, chances are Barbara or Tim will be able to get past whatever encryptions are protecting whatever secrets the drive holds. "I can't say I've heard of Project Blackwatch. But you can be assured that I'll know whatever there is to know soon," he adds grimly.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Catwoman hmms, "Interesting, so you think this Luigi guy is more dangerous than his dad? He sure seemed pretty unhinged at that picnic gathering.." she sighs, pulling out a bandage from her bag and using it to wrap up her wound. It'll need cleaning and maybe disinfecting later but for now this will stop the bleeding at least.

"Listen Bats, I want in on this too. I mean..Carmine Falcone, what happened to his wife..And what Luigi did. This is..I dunno, wrong? I guess I'm not one to talk, but at least I don't hurt people like they do."

She draws a deep breath, "I know you'll never fully trust me but, I want the killing to stop. Something about that family.." Catwoman shakes her head, "So, I want to help bring em down, however I can. And..I'm still curious to know more about Luisa.."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"More dangerous? Unlikely. Carmine Falcone has lasted a very long time in a very viscious business. There aren't many crime lords more dangerous then him," the Dark Knight says flatly. "But Luigi Falcone seems more violent and reckless. In the short term he's much more likely to put up a large body count. His father is smart enough to pick his spots. Luigi just seems to like the bloodshed and chaos," he adds, the line of his mouth settling into a hard line. Luigi is the bigger threat right now. Carmine is a larger threat in the long term. But sometimes you have to deal with the immediate threat first. Assuming that this all isn't just Carmine orchestrating everything from behind the scenes. Definitely not something to count out.

"I understand," he says quietly. "We have our differences but you're right. You wouldn't do something like this," he agrees. In part that might have something to do with the slack he gives her. In Gotham sometimes you have to pick your battles and all things considered, she is definitely the lesser of many, many evils. "You've already helped. I'll return the favor and keep you involved," he agrees. Sounds suspiciously like a team-up, doesn't it? Who knows? Maybe it's another first step in his efforts to reform her. More or less.

He has started to look into Luisa after their last conversation. There are some... irregularities there. Irregularities that merit further investigation and not ones he is ready to share with her. Not quite yet. "I have some of my people looking into Luisa. When I know more I will let you know," he says. The important note there is 'know'. Not what he can guess at or surmise.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Catwoman hmms and nods slowly, "Right, he's definitely more reckless, but that means he's bound to mess up sometime, right?" well, one could only hope. Cat Woman smiles just a bit, happy to hear that as she steps towards him. "Well, Gotham is my home too, I want to keep it safe too..I know you don't approve of my...Hobbies, but it's better than hurting or killing people T least. Besides a cat burglar can get into places that most cannot.." she winks, a playful smile on her lips as she says that. Not like she's giving him reasons why she'd be a good partner or anything!

Still, Cats seems to beam at his response, always eager to..Impress him, "Ooh, sounds I,e a promising partnership, hmm? I...Appreciate that. I'll also keep you informed if I find out anything new."

As for Luisa, Cats nods grimly, "Thanks, I appreciate it. I imagine when the funeral is held, things may well happen there as well. It's something to think about."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
It is a fair assessment to be sure and why he considers Carmine the more dangerous of the two. But the victims that Luigi has left and will continue to leave have little reason to care that their killer's father is the bigger, long term threat. Clearly the younger Falcone has to be stopped before he adds to the body count. "Most likely. I don't know that we can wait for him to make a mistake however," the Dark Knight adds lowly. So much of what he does is, by it's very nature, reactive. He acts to bring justice to those who have already been victimized. But sometimes they can stop one before they truly get going. Hopefully that is the case here.

So... they both might have some reasons to be wary still. But she's not wrong. He definitely does not lump her in with the more bloodthirsty of his foes. If he did they wouldn't be having this discussion, Though hey, if Harley can change her stripes so can anyone, right? "I don't, but you're not wrong. You're cut from a different cloth. This proves it," he says, tapping at the pouch where that hard drive is now safely tucked away in. "I think you will find you can get your thrills in ways besides robbing the wealthy, no matter how unscrupulous," he adds, that cowled gaze fixed upon her.

Clearly Luisa's murder has affected her. If anyone can appreciate that it would be him. "Mmmm, you might be right. We should make sure that it is properly scoped out."

Selina Kyle has posed:
Catwoman hmms, "I suppose that's true, afterall, Carmine is older and wiser, although..He sure has a lot of kids...What, twelve now?" she shrugs, "Who would have thought the grandfather of crime is also a kindly family man?" Cats smirks at the thought but nods, "I'll keep my ears peeled. Who knows, maybe the Court of Owls will strike again. Although he's not making himself as easy a target as his crazy son.." she shivers at the thought.

"Alright, I'll keep you updated on any new developments.." although touching on her hobbies does cause her to frown. "To be honest, I've considered it time and again. But..The honest truth is, I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I didn't have caring parents, an education, a place to stay. The streets were my home for most of my life and I stole only to survive, not for fun..Although I suppose the thrill of it all was certainly a bonus. Even so.."

She sighs, pacing a bit. Considering his words. Would she do it? Could she ever give up this way of life? "No..It's too late for me, Batman, all I have to give to this world is a long term criminal record and a bad case of kleptomania. I do t think there's any other place for me in that world outside of that."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Ah yes, the Court of Owls. Carmine Falcone. The Paw of the Beast. And all the other crazies out there in Gotham on any given day. There's no shortage of threats to be dealt with. And people wonder why he's grumpy? Still, the point is fair and for now at least they would appear to be on the same side. Will it last? They will just have to see.

"I will do the same if anything comes up. About the Falcones or the Court of Owls," he agrees. This 'alliance' is still new but the fact of the matter is that so far, she has shown her good faith. The hard disk is proof enough of that and if it has information about the Falcones or this Project Blackwatch it could be extremely important. He can't ask for much more then that. Well... he can ask, but it is probably not realistic.

Expecting her to change over night is probably not realistic. Clearly being a thief is what she knows, what she's comfortable with and maybe she can't walk away from it. But he is pretty good at playing the long game. "There's a difference in stealing because it's the only way you can get by and doing it just for kicks," he says quietly, for a change no judgement in that low tone. Just stating a fact. He does not push on the point any further. Not now at least.

This. This is a start.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Catwoman nods slowly, grimly and sighs. "I know..Believe me, I know. Some people have no choice though, it's the only way to survive. I help people who have nothing and no one, but hey, maybe you're right, maybe people can change..Maybe some day you'll see me in a new light too..hmm?"

And then she does something a bit risky perhaps, a playful glint in her eyes as she strides towards him, and attempts to plant the smallest peck of a kiss on his cheek. "I look forward to working as partners..See you later, Bats!" she winks at him before swinging her whip out at a nearby ledge, and just like that, Catwoman swings into the night, soon swallowed by darkness. Batman isn't the only one who can make flashy entrances and exits.