9549/From Cat to Bat, for now

From Cat to Bat, for now
Date of Scene:	07 January 2022
Location:	Batcave
Synopsis:	Separated in Manhatten and Gotham, Catwoman contacts Batman to confirm his survival after the initial Angel attack. Bruce asks Selina to use the Bat moniker to help keep order during the refugee situation in Gotham, supplying Selina with her own Bat suit. There are... confused, but fairly positive feelings. Selina ultimately agrees, essentially - but not officially - becoming a Batwoman for now.
Cast of Characters:	Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne

---

Selina Kyle has posed:
"Pick uuuuuuuuuppppp." Selina grumbles under her breath for the umpteenth time. "Pick up pick up pick up pick up..."

As you can imagination, communication systems have been... overwhelmed since the violent arrival of 'divine' creatures flooding manhatten, which happens to be where Selina has been trying to get a call to connect for the last two or three days.

She's sat in front of the Bat computer with her legs crossed, holding a mug of rapidly cooling coffee in one hand, and impatiently drumming on the desk with the other; wearing a heavy purple sweater, a pair of jeans in boots; looking, frankly, quite tired.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
One of the benefits of being the world's richest man is being able to enjoy a network of private satellites owned wholly by Wayne Enterprises. The cellular network is struggling but bouncing the signal down from orbit bolsters it substantially. Finally, a connection is mad. The video is off, providing only a gruff voice on the other end.

"Selina."

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina, however, IS providing video - albeit focused enough that a glance from unwanted eyes couldn't determine her unique location. Ergo, Bruce can see when Selina's eyes widen and she straightens up suddenly. "Bruce!" She says sharply, briefly wrestling with an off-balance mug before setting it on the desk in front of her. "Finally! Oh my god!" Her exasperation vented, her energy is then directed towards concern. "What's going on out there? Are you all right?"

Generally Selina's concern is more subtle than this, but generally angels don't invade within a month of your paramour (are we using the word boyfriend now?) getting stabbed in the chest. Selina can't quite muster the usual bemused ribbing right this moment.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"It's what they're saying on the news," Bruce answers flatly, the sound of him moving around some room on the other end of the call - clearly working as he speaks, "Angels, creatures claiming to be angels or the physical source of the myth themselves, have fortified part of Manhattan. We're fighting them, but they are able to instantly replenish their forces. I've been studying them. Learning their vulnerabilities."

Where he is, in the dimly lit fuselage of the Batplane, he looks himself over. He's stripped out of his armor, sporting a few bandages around his torso and a number of purple-yellow bruises. He lifts a hand, looking at knuckles skinned raw and bloody from the fighting.

"I'm fine. No major injuries."

Selina Kyle has posed:
"Jesus." Selina murmurs softly, glancing repeatedly at a news feed in a different portion of the screen than the blank call window. Selina's lips press together into a flat line when she hears Bruce's appraisal of his health. After recent events, it's clear she'd like to know if he's actually okay, or if he's using his own peculiar definition of 'fine'. She chooses not to badger him about that right now.

"Okay. Okay." she says, unconvinced. "Should I-" she hesitates with another look at the news feed. This is not REMOTELY the kind of situation she's used to inserting herself into. Besides No Man's Land, she tended to leave the insane stuff to all the big H Heroes. It visibly goes against her better instincts, but she goes through with offering "Should I get over there? Never met a lock down I couldn't ignore."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"Absolutely not," Bruce answers, tone flat and far more commanding than he ever uses with her, "You need to stay in Gotham. You and Jason, you're on point there. This influx of refugees is only going to bring opportunists out of the woodwork. You need to keep those people safe. There's nothing you can do here, anyway."

For a moment, the Bat goes quiet. The long silence suggests that the call may have been disconnected. The only thing to suggest it isn't is the subtle hum and beeping on the other end. Finally, he speaks up.

"I need you to go to the vault. It's a voice-coded password. Just say your name."

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina frowns. Being smart enough to know he's write - even anticipating the answer - can't fully mitigate the fact that she's not wild about being spoken to that way, but she knows him well enough by now to at least make an educated guess as to whether he means it the way it sounds. "Right. Right. Out of my paygrade, anyway." she says, smirking a little at the notion that, somehow, this IS within Batman's ability to manage. She doesn't doubt it.

"... Bruce?" she nudges during the long silence. His instructions draw a curious look from Selina, who turns her head to look towards the vault in question, then looks back to the screen. "... You sure you want me poking around in there?" The fact that he went as far as to voice code it to her sort of answers the question already, but she's fairly surprised.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Bruce ignores the question, pushing ahead with the request.

"Go inside, say your name. Give the computer a moment to take biometric data. Then wait. One of the lockers is going to open, and I want you to take what's inside. It's part of a contingency if I'm ever forced to operate outside of Gotham."

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina tilts her head for a moment, brow raised thoughtfully, and says "All right. Back in a second." Selina agrees. She rises from her chair and moves over towards the vault - oh to be given the chance to break in - and stands in front of the comlink. She glances once at the screen, and then authritively says "Selina Kyle."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Just as Bruce said, a laser grid descends from the ceiling of the vault. It scans Selina briefly, pausing to match her off against internal records. Satisfied, the locker opens. Inside it is what, at first blush, appears to be a black and grey bat-suit. Closer inspection, however, will show that it is not built to Bruce's dimensions. Or even Jason's. No, it is distinctly feminine - a perfect fit for Selina.

Selina Kyle has posed:
There is a very long moment of silence, as Selina stares with increasingly wide eyes.

"... No."

A moment's pause.

"Are you serious?"

Another pause.

"You *can't* be serious."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"The city needs Batman," Bruce's voice comes through speaker system, "Batman is not a single person. Batman isn't even male or female. Batman is an idea. Jason isn't ready to bear that idea year, but you can. You need to show Gotham that they aren't alone."

Selina Kyle has posed:
There is a very long silence as Selina stands with her arms folded, standing off-screen where Bruce can't see her.

"... I have... one condition."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"What's that?" Bruce's voice is flat, as though already understanding what it might be.

Selina Kyle has posed:
The response comes in a measured, even, almost determined voice:

"You have to take off your mask... and turn on your camera."

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Bruce raises his eyebrow, frowning slightly. He's focusing on a project, it seems, but in the end he does what she says. A moment later the camera flicks on, and he's there. His hair is a mess, is face is scratched and bruised a little but not horribly so. His jaw is coated in a thick layer of black and grey stubble.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina releases a long sigh. "... Give me a sec."

A few minutes pass. There is some rustling. It doesn't sound like she bothered with the changing rooms, so there's likely noteworthy security footage to review later. Finally she sighs "... Okay."

A moment later a dark figure steps into view, a familiar dark mask over a figure obscured, cloaked in a cape hanging closed in front of her. There is a moment's pause, as she stands with her profile Bruce's vision, before she turns to the camera with a dramatic sweep of her right arm, forcing the cape open to reveal her athletic and... appealing figure clad in gray and black; with a yellow utility belt slung around her hips, and a wide bat symbol emblazoned across her chest.

"... What do you think?"

Always looking for a reaction.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
There's a long pause from Bruce. He regards the bat-clad cat burglar through the camera, lifting up a hand to stroke his chin thoughtfully. His brow furrowed; his eyes slightly narrowed. It takes a long moment before he finally speaks up.

"I'll never admit I said it, but I'm feeling very confused."

A faint, blink-and-you'll-miss-it smile before he goes back to typing on the keyboard just below the camera's view.

"I like it, Selina. It fits you better than you might think."

Selina Kyle has posed:
A sight rather unfamiliar to the Bat-moniker comes into view, as Selina smirks, the corner of her mouth tugging tighter and tighter before she can no longer contain a momentary fit of laughter as she falls back into her seat and admits with a sigh: "... Me too."

The look she gives Bruce is a bit wry. She knows this is something he wanted. She should have gotten her teasing in before he got it. Whether or not it's merely temporary. "... Yeah?" She says, tilting her head, the white eyelets widening and narrowing, asthough she were feeling out the suit behind the mask. "Hmph. We'll see how it goes. I'd try to come up with a name, but you're busy. People can just call me 'Bat' for a little while."

Which is her way of saying that she'll go through with it.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
"We'll see."

Bruce gives her another careful look through the camera feed, tilting his head to one side. Whatever's going through his mind is clear, but when he opens his mouth to speak there's the sounding of an alarm in the background.

"I've got to go. Thank you, Selina, for this. It's important."

He doesn't give her a moment to respond, sadly, as the feed cuts out.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina shares a little smile with Bruce - uncertain of her own feelings, but oddly touched to see a hint of him happy with something - before the sound of the alarm makes her straighten up suddenly.

Bruce's response is so fast that Selina barely gets a chance to surprisedly stammer "Ah- okay! Be-" before the feed cuts out. Selina slumps her shoulders a little bit and softly utters: "... Be safe..."