Owner	Pose
Selina Kyle	Metropolis. Not usually where Catwoman would go to do a job, but you know how it is in the criminal underworld. You hear about a place, find it interesting, worth checking out, go scout it in civvies, see something you like, decide to plan a job around it, then go get the thing. Except, even the best thieves don't always come away with what they're after. There's more than one catburglar out there, after all. This particular one? Among the best, if not /the/ best. Not this night, however. She took a rental car into the city, rather than the Hyperloop or her motorcycle. Renting it under an assumed name in Gotham allowed her a safe degree of autonomy to stash her gear and leave the car in a place she could easily get back to. What she didn't count on was heavy traffic due to a few roadblocks in the aftermath of some gang violence in an area it wasn't usually found in. That had some sirens out, which would at least provide a good distraction. Problem was, she had to stash the car blocks away from where she'd planned to park it. Already in her catsuit with an overcoat to hide it while she drove, she saved a little time in donning the cowl and goggles, grabbing her shoulder bag as she decided to cut her time losses and go up to the rooftops earlier than planned. Getting across that way helped, but a few streets down came the sound of a building's security alarm. It was in the direction she was headed. Maybe it was unrelated.
Lois Lane	It was never a coincidence when Lois Lane was in the area with crime, criminals, or danger. In this particular case, though, she didn't entirely plan on being close to the action. Her hair is tied up in a high ponytail and she's dressed in dark jeans, a casual t-shirt, and a black zip-up hoodie. To the outside observer, just another average person on their way home, out for a walk, perhaps jogging. Forgettable. Which was the point. An informant had let her know that there might be some activity in the area. Something illegal being moved? They weren't specific, just that it was 'hot'. So instead of a quick jog from her apartment... she decided to just conveniently be checking the area. The alarm finds her startled, it's on the next block over, and she makes her way in that direction. Someone must have really screwed up to trip the alarm.
Selina Kyle	Screwed up, or didn't care. Maybe the alarm was tripped in order to draw attention away from something else. It was a tactic Catwoman didn't usually like to use, her ego telling her she was good enough to get in and out of any place without needing a distraction like that, but at times it was called for to get people away from an area she needed to be in. In any event, as she made her way closer, a realization dawned upon her. The alarm was coming from the building next to the one she had eyes on. To someone like her, someone who thought the way a thief did, someone who covered all the usual methods and then found two or three more besides, this was bad news. She was almost completely certain the alarm was used as the distraction to allow someone easier access to the actual target. An open window on the top floor told her all she needed to know. "God damn it," the Feline Fatale growled under her breath, a look of anger passing over her expression. So this was what it felt like to be beaten to the punch. From her rooftop perch, she at least scans the street below. The activity is focused on the other building, just what she expected to see. Nobody was paying attention to the actual place. Down streetside, one of the cops responding shouts, "Someone turn that stupid alarm off already!" as a few officers make their way inside the building the racket is coming from. They'll find nothing out of the ordinary. A false alarm, so to speak. And, Catwoman scowls.
Lois Lane	A rooftop perch seemed like a sound idea. The corner of a building could be a perfect vantage point. Lois might not have been the type to hop from rooftop to rooftop, but she certainly didn't have a problem scaling a fire escape to at least get a better idea of what was going on. So, going to the far side of the building not currently with alarms going off, she figured she'd cast her chips. The fire escape's ladder is squeaky and she has to jump up to pull it down, but eventually she tugs it far enough that she can pull herself up onto it and begin the trek upwards with the hopes that it'll provide a vantage point as to what was going on. Hard to get a story without being able to see what was going on, after all.
Selina Kyle	The alarm cut out moments before the fire escape ladder was yanked on. Coming from her right, Catwoman turns in that direction and makes a snap decision. It leads to a silent approach so she can take a quick peek over the edge and determine whether danger is on the way up or not. Most people don't use fire escapes unless of an actual emergency, after all. Once she sees it's not a cop, but still someone not immediately recognizable to her, she steps back a few paces and waits. So it is that when Lois Lane reaches the rooftop, she will see none other than Catwoman standing before her, gloved, claw-tipped hands at her hips, the right resting against that bullwhip. The expression on her face is one of both curiosity and suspicion.
Lois Lane	That's not exactly the story Lois was expecting, but it's the story she's found. As she reaches the rooftop, she takes a long moment to just... stare. Mostly because it was unexpected rather than anything else. She clears her throat, moving to step carefully out of the way, being very intentional that her movements are clearly telegraphed--she has experience making herself clearly non-threatening. "I take it you're not here for the charity bake sale. I hear they have some blueberry muffins that are to die for," she quips, turning to face Catwoman fully. "Catwoman, right? Am I to guess that alarm over there wasn't you?"
Selina Kyle	'Resting Bitch Face' could apply if not for the fact Catwoman /was/ feeling annoyed and bitchy. There was something there that she wanted, and it really was the only thing a thief would have been after in order to flip it on the black market. If she could track down where the thing ended up, another attempt might just be possible, but that's for another time. Right now? Not in the mood. Only, she has to be careful what she reveals. That doesn't mean she has to be cordial. The look on her face at the bake sale mention further solidifies the appearance of her current mood, but she no-sells that particular mention. Instead, she gives Lois a few feet of room to work with, crossing her arms instead. "That's me, but you must not know me very well. One, I don't need alarms. Two, even if I did, I wouldn't be here right now if that was me." The face of the woman before her seems familiar, but the hairstyle is all wrong.
Lois Lane	"No, I know you're better than that which is why the alarm was what had me confused," Lois glances down over the edge of the building briefly, just to make sure no one was lurking down there. After all, there's still a story to be had. She wasn't entirely sure the one on the roof would be so generous. "I feel like I'm being entirely unfair if I don't introduce myself. Lois Lane, I'm the reporter that I'm pretty sure has a 'wanted' poster up in the average thugs' break room." She peeks over the edge of the roof again. "I was tipped off there'd be a story here. So unless you feel like getting some free press, we should find whomever it is causing such a ruckus."
Selina Kyle	"Then why did you ask if you already knew?" Catwoman retorts, and there's almost a hiss to the question that shows her impatience and annoyed nature. She's not pleased that /her/ score was claimed by someone else, probably all because of the delay in getting here! The nerve of..whoever it was! Upon being given the name, a brow arches upward behind the tinted lenses. A sniff follows as she turns back toward the building where the theft actually took place. "People like you do provide a service in letting others know what people like me have done," she points out, then she sends a glare over a shoulder. "And I'm not very eager to read a story tomorrow along the lines of 'Theft in Metropolis, Catwoman Too Slow.' I guess that makes us temporary partners." Oh, the reluctance.
Lois Lane	"It was a rhetorical question," Lois says, shaking her head with the slightest bit of a smile. "My humor can be a bit of an aquired taste at times." She nods. "But you're right and you're wrong. I do make sure the people know what's going on... but I wouldn't run a story like that. I do my best not to piss off people I think would be better as a friend than an enemy." She looks around. "So I'm starting to think, if we're lucky, you can pull off a 'Catwoman Foils Robbery', maybe if you're lucky I can make a joke about thieves thieving thieves." She can, of course, help stop the robber(s), but what Catwoman did afterwards would be up to her.
Selina Kyle	Catwoman's eyes narrow. "Don't need you running a story like that, either, unless you /want/ to damage your reputation and make people think you're telling them lies. Think about it." She crouches by the edge of the roof, looking out over the building she'd planned to hit, not the one where the alarm went off. A gesture is made toward the window she'd seen open upon making it here. "Look over there. Odds are that's how the /thief/ got in. If whoever it is is smart we're already too late, not that I'd mind getting my claws on him..or her." If it /was/ her, she definitely wouldn't stick around any longer than necessary. That just tempts fate, risks getting spotted or caught. "If I wanted to taunt someone, I'd leave a sign like that. It's arrogant, but it could also be sloppy."
Lois Lane	"I don't know, it'd take something far crazier to get the general public to stop thinking I'm credible," Lois says, though she moves over to take a gander at the building, peeking over the edge. "Doesn't really scream of taunting to me. If they set off the alarm as a distraction, they likely don't have enough finesse to sneak in and out without needing a security net of some sort. They probably don't think they need to cover their tracks. Which means they won't be expecting anyone." She eyes the window. "Think they'll come back out that way or attempt a ground-floor exit? They'd risk tripping an alarm if they did, most likely. With cops still in the area, that would be risky."
Selina Kyle	However, the cops are beginning to wrap up. This presents a new angle for Catwoman to consider. "Possible whoever's responsible set the bait to get in, but is waiting to leave when the coast is clear." She stands back up and paces slowly, eyeing the police as they discuss getting donuts and coffee ("Typical," she scoffs). "I know. You're the one who used to get rescued by Superman all the time before he.." She waves a hand to finish the sentence. They both know what she's talking about, and her tone does not exactly fall on the side of being sympathetic. That right hand shifts against the whip and it comes loose for her. "Think you can keep up, or do I need to carry you with me over there?"
Lois Lane	"What, before he died?" Lois folds her arms over her chest. "Besides, you don't hear about all the times I got out of scrapes myself. The world likes a damsel, they don't want to hear how she talked a guy down from shooting her. Stories are curated. The truth gets out, but some truth sells better than other truth." She's already moving towards the fire escape again. "I can keep up. You can check out things from above, I'll get eyes on the ground below."
Selina Kyle	"Suit yourself." Catwoman notes the shift back in the direction of that ladder, so she sends the whip out to wrap around a pole that allows her to swing across the street to land nimbly atop the other roof, about a story shorter than the one they're leaving. Of note, no answer came, at this point, to talk of damsels getting out of their own distress. Perhaps once she's seen if the building still contains the other thief or not. Since neither of them have radios or other means of communicating beyond having to call out to each other, the Gothamite does not wait up. Steps progress toward that window, a low profile kept as the police begin to pile into their squad cars to depart.
Lois Lane	No means of communication was fine. If they needed to discuss something, they'd get to it, she was certain. Lois makes her way down the fire escape. She waits, carefully, behind a dumpster until the cops are pulling away before she jogs over to the outside of the building. A quick cursory glance is given around the outside before she slowly approaches, trying to see if anything looks tampered with. Inside the building, it looks like things have been cleared out. There's little that looks like anything valuable. Whatever was in there has been cleared out, gutted really. What is noticible, though, are the small parcels duct taped to what appear to be where support beams lie. It's not just a theft--it's a demolition.
Selina Kyle	"Shit." Once she's slipped in through the window, Catwoman has a good view of the main room of the place. Multi-story, open floor plan, high ceilings with landings for those windows to open up to. The first set of C-4 is only a few feet away, and she quickly follows the wires until spotting others strategically placed. What she's looking for is to see where they lead, in case there's a timer of some kind. If she can spot one, she reaches up to adjust the zoom factor on her goggles in hope of determining what kind of time there is to work with. She might have to get out quickly, but aside from the place being emptied out, there could be others still present.
Lois Lane	Wherever they left from, it wasn't the front door. Lois checks it, secured. She does peek in closest window, looking for the security system--she finds it, unarmed. Well, they certainly didn't trip this one. She makes no move to go inside, but moves around to check to see if there's a side or back door. The interior is wired, and a quick search reveals that there is indeed a centralized timer. It had probably been set for longer, but they had spent some time on the roof looking to see what might be happening. The current time? 3:21.
Selina Kyle	A frown sets in. C-4 is not something Catwoman has used, but the way it works is fairly simple: blasting caps and a trigger, and in this case a timed detonation. Good chance she wouldn't be able to get to all of them in time to disconnect the blasting caps or cut the wires to remove the power to create the ignitions, which would leave the central timer itself. Her sense of self-preservation tells her to just get back outside, drag Lois out of range, and let the place blow up, but what if it killed innocents? The area didn't look like the best neighborhood. For a moment, she flashed back to parts of the slums in Gotham, filled with people just trying to get by. Was it like that for the locals here as well? Did she even have time to think about how affluent they may or may not be? Nice places were often built in the middle of bad areas. It was easy for those with the means to come and go from the safety of their own vehicles. Spotting Lois at the front door, she calls out, "Bombs!" but it might not be heard. She follows with, "Is anyone here?" This has gone beyond simple robbery. If someone's tied up, knocked out, or whatever, it could be murder on top of the rest. Vaulting down to the main floor, she pays no mind to security cameras now. It just got bigger than being seen or not. There is a side door that might be unlocked.
Lois Lane	The security is off, thankfully, although that may not make much of a difference. On the plus side, with an open floor plan it's a lot easier to take a quick look around for anyone around the general area. If there is anyone, it doesn't sound like they're making any movement or are anywhere easily visible. Hard to keep an eye out with a clock ticking down. On the outside, Lois is at least able to see that Catwoman says /something/, likely some sort of warning. She's not sure what it means, but she's going to try that side door just to check. She tests it--unlocked. She swings it open to peer inside.
Selina Kyle	"Think, think.." Catwoman tells herself under her breath. Safest way to cut detonating cord..a shearing tool? No. The pressure could set off the detonation then and there. A knife is the way to go, for a clean slice. With claws, she doesn't even need to dig into her shoulder bag for a blade. No time is wasted in closing the gap toward the timer as it continues to count down, another minute or so having gone by before Lois even reaches the side door. Once she hears it opening - the hinges could use a good oiling - she grimaces and waves a hand toward her as if to send her back out. "Don't! Whoever was in here set the place to blow! I don't know when they did it, but we're down to about a minute here! I don't know if anyone is around but I'm going to cut the wire to stop the timer!" Yanking it out could also work, but cats use their claws.
Lois Lane	With the warning given, Lois is quick to follow through. Exiting back out the side door, she moves to the front of the building to get a look to make sure there's no one nearby. Thankfully in this case there isn't, and she retreats back across the street to put some distance in there in case it does blow. "Come on, get out..." She mutters under her breath. The timer's slowly ticking down, and at this rate it's almost gone. If she's going to cut it, now's the only real chance.
Selina Kyle	Too late to go now. Past the point of no return. This cat is fast, but outrunning a massive explosion probably won't happen. What would Batman think? Would he lament a chance lost to help someone like her reform, or would he move on with one less thorn in his side? Catwoman didn't plan on him having to make that decision. With under 30 seconds to go, she reaches the timer and checks the cords. Actually two of them, running in different directions to each corner of the building. One slice with both hands, same time, and they fall away from the device. She'll know very quickly whether it prevented the big boom or not, holding a breath she didn't realize she'd taken.
Lois Lane	With the wires severed, the timer flickers and fades off, with no motion from any of the explosives. It seems that the device was relatively simple, thankfully. Something more complex could have really spelled trouble. On the outside, Lois waits impatiently, peering at the building in hopes of seeing /someone/ come out of it, grateful that there's been no explosion so far. "Come on..." She mutters again.
Selina Kyle	That breath is let out, and once Catwoman is comfortable no big boom is forthcoming, she turns away from the spot, giving Lois a view of her back with the costume and ears standing out prominently even with about half the lights on at this time of night. She's searching for something, but upon apparently finding nothing, she approaches the front door and simply opens it. No alarms are set, after all. "Coast's clear. You're welcome," she says, sounding more self-assured than she may have felt a few moments ago. "But there is an obvious question to ask, now."
Lois Lane	Lois makes her way back closer, now that she's certain the building isn't going off. "Yes, you do have my thanks for the advance notice. I wasn't entirely sure you were going to make it out, there, so... I'm a bit grateful." She lets out a slow breath. She looks around a bit. "I don't exactly know what benefit there would be to blowing things up. Anyone know you were going to be coming?"
Selina Kyle	Catwoman does a fair job of hiding whatever her emotions are at the moment, taking an almost clinical, detached attitude in the aftermath of the near-catastrophe. Easier to cope this way, keeping up a front around someone else. Once she's back in the car, once she's back home, she can let the façade go, just a little. "I don't know, and no, I don't tip anyone off, ever." But that doesn't eliminate the question of 'What if?' /What if/ someone, somehow, knew? It's potentially troubling to think about. "I'm thinking it's time for me to be going, though. You need to get the police back out here with a bomb squad. The C-4 should be safe to handle now, but I'd leave that to the people who are trained for it. Tell them whatever you need to, that you thought there was a break-in and you checked it out, whatever, but don't mention me. It's easier for both of us that way," she explains, beginning to ease her way toward that side door.
Lois Lane	Lois gives a small nod in Catwoman's direction. "Thanks. And if things get hairy, feel free to call me at the Planet. You'd be amazed at the kind of networking I do. Feel free to call if you ever want a story to get out, too." There's the offer. "I'm sure that people would be intrigued to see what the world is like through the eyes of Catwoman." If anything, she certainly would.
Selina Kyle	"That's not really how I work, but if I do, don't bother trying to trace anything. It'll be with a burner phone," Catwoman openly shares, showing some of the precautions and safeguards she's willing to take, even if it's just to speak with one of the most well-known reporters around. "I don't think you really want to see what things are like through my eyes, though." Without another word, she reaches the doorway and pauses, sharing something that might be unexpected. "And, Lois Lane, try putting your hair up more often. I didn't recognize you at first, and it doesn't look half bad."