10460/To Catch ANOTHER Cat

To Catch ANOTHER Cat
Date of Scene:	01 December 2019
Location:	South Hinkley, Old Gotham
Synopsis:	Catwoman shows up with a big assist to Batwoman and Batgirl in capturing Catman's escaped tiger
Cast of Characters:	Spoiler, Catwoman, Batwoman

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Spoiler has posed:
The fight between members of Batman's entourage and Catman and Cheshire had resulted in Catman's trained Siberian tiger, Rasputin, biting Batgirl in the arm and then being driven off by a flame thrower from Kestrel's Batmobile. The tiger? Still on the loose.

The police scoured the area, and a few different sightings have been phoned in, but to no avail. The tiger is still on the loose. It took a dog the second night, and went after a woman the third except a group of people nearby ran at it and the tiger fled with only some bad scratches done to the woman.

Tonight, another call has gone into to the police about having found tiger tracks in freshly fallen snow though they ended on warm pavement. The dispatcher sends a message out to units about it to be on the lookout in that location. The radio call can be picked up by anyone with a scanner.

Catwoman has posed:
Thanksgiving was a lonely time for Catwoman. Any good feelings that came from giving to one of the local shelters in South Hinkley were tempered by the knowledge she wouldn't see the gratitude on anyone's faces; she did not come back around out of costume, as Selina Kyle, to observe anything. It had been difficult to find much to be positive about lately. Scores were only providing a temporary fix to her ails. They were something to do, and the thrill was lacking. She was adrift without an anchor, a cat on the loose.

Then she heard about a literal cat on the loose. A tiger, in fact. A strong, beautiful tiger, the kind of creature she'd do just about anything to protect, to keep alive. She had to respond, and the latest sighting put it right in her neck of the woods. Catwoman had a sort of natural affinity toward the smaller felines, but she'd never really tested it out on a larger one. This would be dangerous.

She thought about that as she traveled the rooftops en route to the location she'd picked up on the radio chatter. Chances are this would end well, or end poorly. She didn't want to hurt the thing, but would it hurt her?

Batwoman has posed:
Kate Kane wasn't involved in the earlier tiger hunts, but she's on the docket tonight. When the call goes into the GCPD about tiger tracks she arms herself appropriately and heads out on the hunt. Heading for the location of the call, she checks in with the Colonel first and then with the other caped associates on the Bat-frequency.

"Calling all other noctournal predators, this is Batwoman reporting tiger track sightings on the GCPD scanner. I am en route to the location. Departing the bike for pursuit on foot in a few moments." And shortly afterward she does pull the bike over and secure it, checking her gear before swinging up to a rooftop for a better look.

Spoiler has posed:
Batgirl is on her cycle, heading back from Bludhaven when the alert comes in from the Batcomputer. She reaches over to rub her arm, the wounds well along to being healed thanks to the League of Assassins Goop that Damian gave her. That isn't the name for it, but it's what Stephanie calls it. And that particular smell it has wasn't part of the original formula, but something Damian added just for her, he admitted.

<< This is Batgirl. Heading there now >>

The Batcycle rolls up to the spot before long. A corner of a city park that is holding the snow, while the pavement around it is warmer and melted, not holding any prints. The prints are heading towards a junk yard with an apartment building on one side and a laundromat on the other.

Catwoman has posed:
Goggles checked, night vision and infrared settings flipped through, and the Feline Fatale takes note of the tracks that lead off toward more populated areas. That would be bad news. The reports of prior attacks would already have some in a shoot-on-sight mentality and that is the last thing Catwoman wants to have happen, especially if she's nearby. Got to act fast, before it's too late.

She isn't on the channels of communication those associated with Batman have at their disposal - she's still more of a loner and marginally trusted by /maybe/ one or two people - but that's of no matter to her right now. There are others on the hunt, and no time to waste. Out comes the bullwhip, used for Catwoman to swing herself down to street level by way of a traffic light, landing with a soft thump and a hand against the ground to brace herself before she rises.

Then, she breaks into a job toward the junkyard. "Heeeere, kitty kitty..." she starts out with, a sing-song voice.

Batwoman has posed:
Kate Kane knows better than to try and handle this with lethal force as well, but that doesn't mean she isn't packing plenty of heat. A tiger is still an apex predator, after all. Thermal imaging draws her towards the junkyard as well, but rather than follow the tracks directly she swings down over the fence about halfway along.

<Batgirl, the tracks lead into a junkyard. I'm establishing a flanking position.>

Electrified batarang in one hand and a can of Bear Mace in the other, the black and red clad figure settles onto one of the many paths through the yard, scanning head for anything on infrared.

Spoiler has posed:
Batgirl arrives, not spotting Catwoman yet as she checks out the spot where the prints are.

<< Hey Batwoman. Sounds good. I brought some tranq loads for the sticky launcher if you want some. >>

And indeed, Batgirl will deliver them before heading for the front entrance herself.

The junkyard is ringed with an 8 feet high fence, which a tiger would have no problems jumping. Inside is a third of a block's worth of junked cars, refrigerators, old air conditioner units, shipping pallets, and all the other things you might expect to find in a junk yard. The front has some neatly ordered stacks of things that have been salvaged already. The back half is just stacks and rows of things waiting for someone to deal with them.

Along one side, there are a few spots of red that look like blood on the fence. And more drops on the inside leading off into the stacks. Batgirl hasn't seen them yet though, checking out the front entrance.

Catwoman has posed:
The fence is nothing for Catwoman to be bothered with, even if there's some razor wire along the top. She simply uses an alternate method of getting over that, which the whip again helps provide. Once on the inside, she stays 'big' rather than crouching to make herself smaller.

When the blood is picked out, that tells her something: someone, or something, was injured here. It could have been a worker, maybe the tiger, perhaps both. Caution is still the name of the game, as there has yet to be a sighting, but that could change at any moment. She isn't trying to hide from anyone.

Batwoman has posed:
<I'm already inside, but thanks. Going with tazer and mace here, so might want to put on a rebreather.> Nothing on the infrared, at least not where Kate is currently checking. Nothing big, anyway.

<I'm seeing drops of something warm on infrared. Blood. Pretty fresh, to be this warm. Watch yourself, Batgirl. Tigers are hunters and this one is injured, scared, and hungry.>

The military tactical side of Batwoman always comes out on an op like this, no matter who she's with.

Spoiler has posed:
Batgirl switches through night vision, infrared and thermal. It's while on thermal that Catwoman stands out to her clearly further away down the fence line. Batgirl trots quietly that way, though as she switches back to night vision to make out more detail, it becomes obvious to her who it is. She keeps her mike open so Batwoman will hear her too.

"Catwoman? Didn't expect to find you here. Or maybe I should have? Hoping to nab yourself a new pet? This one's a man-eater as I can attest to personally," she says. She switches back to infrared, spotting the blood trail, then back to nightvision.

Meanwhile, Batwoman will spot more blood. More than just drops, something lost a fair amount, and there are a few tiger paw prints in the slushy dirt. The trail leads over towards an old VW bus, the front doors missing but the rest closed and the glass intact.

Catwoman has posed:
Catwoman turns at someone else's voice. It's one of the Batfolk, if someone she doesn't immediately recognize. The eyes sweep up and down the costumed form in a second or two, then she turns back in the direction she was facing previously. The whip is still out, though rolled up in her right hand. God forbid she has to play tiger-tamer with it. Hopefully not.

"Tigers don't belong as pets, Bat-Blondie," she says, though there is an edge to her voice, caution present in the words and body language. "I just want to get it out of here without it or anyone else being killed. I know a few places it'd be safer in than out here. I don't want to see anyone else getting mauled. I assume you don't, either."

She can see the VW bus, but from a different angle away from the front doors that Batwoman may be getting eyes on right about now.

Batwoman has posed:
Batwoman continues following the trail. <Trail leads to an old VW Bus. Do people still drive those things? Blood trail is getting thicker, and the tracks are fresh. Looks like I've found our kitty. Not engaging just yet.>

There's a pause, then. <Catwoman is there? Tell her to stay away. Do not, repeat Do Not engage.> Catwoman is still something of a wildcard as far as Batwoman is concerned. They met once, albeit briefly and under neutral circumstances. But first impressions can be misleading.

<We will use non-lethal force to take him down, then we'll worry about getting him fixed up.>

Spoiler has posed:
Batgirl's eyebrow goes up behind her mask, unnoticed but it can be heard in her voice. "Bat-Blondie? Come on, you could have at least gone with 'Batbabe,'" she says before turning to glance off into the junkyard the direction the blood trail goes, and spotting the VW bus. She says a little under her breath, "No one ever goes with Batbabe."

Batgirl keeps her mike open so Batwoman will hear her tell Catwoman, "Well, nice to see you lending a... paw? Hand? I don't know how deep into the whole Cat theme you really... Ok, anyway. Appreciate it, but I think we got this," Batgirl says, following Batwoman's lead on the matter.

Batgirl pulls out her launcher capable of delivering a few different payloads. In this case, she has a tranquilizer dart loaded. She begins moving around to the other side of the VW bus since there's one on each side that are completely missing the door.

Though it's the door on Batwoman's side that the white Siberian tiger emerges from. Carrying what looks it was a dog. Maybe a Rottweiler, though it's been chewed on pretty well. It drops the carcass though, sniffing the air and then giving a soft grumbling noise.

Catwoman has posed:
"Batbabe?" Catwoman asks, a quick glance cast back toward Batgirl before she's facing ahead again. "And I might regret this later, but give me a moment first. Cats and I sort of have a thing. If it doesn't work, at least you can say I gave you an opening."

Heedless of Batgirl and Batwoman's desires to the contrary, she advances further toward the opening on Batwoman's side. She catches sight of its head first, with what's left of the dog in its jaws, and for a second Catwoman's breath catches. Then, she wills herself back into control, or an attempt at control, her left hand extending forward. Not nearly close enough to touch yet, or be touched, but she's looking to make eye contact.

"Shhhh. Easy, now. Nobody's here to hurt you. You're a pretty one, aren't you?" Her voice is kept calm and low, meant to soothe, to pacify, but she keeps her distance for now. "Let us get you somewhere safer, where you don't have to be afraid. Where you can be free." Mostly. Creatures like this can never truly be free again, once around humans so much.

Batwoman has posed:
<Eyes on target, repeat I have eyes on target.> Batwoman declares calmly into the comms. <We'll flank him, Batbabe.> The latter is delivered deadpan into the mic, like that was the blonde's actual call sign. One little slip and now everyone is jumping on it.

<When I draw him out, you take him down.> Batwoman readies a batarang, keeping the can of industrial-strength mace lowered for the moment. Annnd that's when Catwoman steps right in.

<Dammit, I can't get a clear shot with Catwoman there. Changing positions. Move slowly and don't startle the cat, but be ready if she needs a bailout.> Or recovery, she thinks. Because if the rescue fails, then the mission becomes a recovery.

Spoiler has posed:
<< My shot is blocked too. Repositioning. >>

Batgirl had the bus to contend with, more so than Catwoman's presence. She moves quietly, heading for a stack of cars. The lifelong gymnast hooks the launcher back on her utility belt and then climbs up the decrepit car bodies, eventually lying on the roof of an old station wagon, three cars up. She pulls out the launcher and takes aim.

<< Ok have a shot but holding off. >>

The tiger's lips pull back from its teeth, giving a soft growling noise, looking first at Batwoman. But as Catwoman comes forward, the tiger's attention transfers there. The white tail lashes about behind it as the woman comes forward. The tiger doesn't attack though as she starts to talk to it. After a few moments, the tiger sits down, tongue cleaning its lips of the blood from the large dog that proved no match for it, eyes still on Catwoman, not leaving it clear whether it's just cleaning itself, or thinking of her as the main course.

Batwoman has posed:
Batwoman just watches, keeping the 60,000 volt batarang at the ready. She freezes, not wanting to distract. Anybody. The throat mic picks up her low voice as she speaks.

<She's doing it. I really think she's doing it.> But that's all. Definitely not interested in upsetting the balance right now.

Besides which, Kate seriously doubts that Catwoman would be appreciative of either a charged Batarang OR a cloud of mace right now...

Catwoman has posed:
If nothing else, the tiger is not moving. Once the two Batfolk have found new positions to work with, taking Catwoman's into account, she remains focused on the creature before her. It's maybe ten feet away, close enough it could leap and attack whether she'd have time to avoid it or not. She isn't acting like she's got any fear of that actually happening, though.

"You've been treated so poorly, and had to fend for yourself. You're no pet," she tells it, as if she's holding a conversation with the beast in response to its growl. She focuses on the body language, the tail, and when it sits down to begin a bit of cleaning, she can tell just how easy those big paws and claws could shred flesh.

However, every slow step brings her closer and she rests the whip down nearby instead of keeping it in hand. It's one less threat to the animal, but she's too close now for it to be effective anyway. And, it would have prevented her from doing what she does next.

After a hand is offered toward the animal, it is slowly brought up toward a cheek then an ear, to give a firm scruffing and scritching. She's got the claws to hit just the right spots, and before long the right hand joins it on the other side. She even moves in so the tiger's chin can rest across a shoulder as she /embraces/ it, imitating a low purr-like rumble in the back of her own throat. "I promise we'll get you to a place where you'll always be safe from the worst of us. Just relax, now."

They have their opening to take their shots, but what they're seeing before that might be surprising.

Spoiler has posed:
Even if the tiger is dangerous, it actually is a well-trained animal. Unfortunately the trainer used that training to further his acts of villainy, driven out of a jealousy of never being able to match up to Batman if he'd gone the heroic route. But Catman is in Arkham now, and Rasputin seems to be responding well enough to Catwoman.

<< Seems to be behaving. Calling animal patrol. Maybe they can transport without needing to tranquilize it? >>

Batgirl contacts GCPD and before long an animal control van rolls up, having come prepared for the tiger. With Catwoman's help, they are able to get the big tiger into a cage, the feline entering it willingly as it accepts her guidance. The food and water in the cage don't hurt either, it seems. Rasputin was underfed.

Batgirl stands watching as they finish up. "Thank you for your help, Catwoman," she says.