12149/The Other Catwoman of Gotham

The Other Catwoman of Gotham
Date of Scene:	10 September 2020
Location:	Gotham Diamond Exchange, Central Heights
Synopsis:	Black Cat reconnoiters the Gotham Diamond Exchange and flees from Nightwing.
Cast of Characters:	Black Cat, Nightwing

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Black Cat has posed:
Gotham City - The Diamond Exchange. A busy place by day, but after hours is a totally different story. All the brokers are gone, the diamonds are tucked away in their secure vaults, high-tensile steel grids are lowered over the bullet-proof glass windows, exterior alarms are set. And a squad of aggressive, paramilitary security guards has been deployed throughout the building.

Someone would have to be crazy to try and break in.

Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. The Black Cat, isn't just someone. And she isn't here for the obvious reasons, either. So while all the security measures (and all that muscle) are focused on the ground floor access to the underground vaults, a single flashlight beam flickers behind a fourth floor office window.

Nightwing has posed:
Any other night, he wouldn't be here. Any other night, and Nightwing would be busy working another case. He was on his way to grab Sparrowhawk and torment? train? her some more. She is showing real moxie, and the art of teaching someone to kick the crap out of someone while they have a healing aura that undoes what they are doing even as they do it is a mindbender. Tonight was going to be throwing iron practice, so Nightwing is traveling with a satchel of extra batarangs and wingdings. Part of him is really wanting to see her with the wingding, they are lighter and he is certain she'll like them better. That and he can tell Tim Drake that he got Timmy's girlfriend to handle his wingding. Who doesn't want to say that their 'little brother'?

He was just running a little late, handling something for Barbara-- okay, he was was went fishing for a little extra sugar before he left. That extra kiss cost him a couple of minutes. He needed to make up time, and so he happens to be swinging across this way on a shortcut. He catches the flashlight and with a couple extra launches, Nightwing makes his way over to the rooftop, looking for the entrance.

Bad luck for this thief, or so the former Robin thinks. He quietly narrates into his comlink. "I noticed a flashlight beam on the fourth floor of the Gotham Diamond exchange. Someone contact Sparrowhawk and cancel for me. I am investigating."

Black Cat has posed:
Of course, even the upper floors of the Diamond Exchange aren't easy to break into, they're just easier in a relative sense. With the goon squad focused on where the goods are kept, the upper floors rely more on automation and passive defenses. Alarms on every bullet-proof window and skylight, pressure sensors. The usual.

Black Cat is in one of the corner executive offices. Hanging from the ceiling, upside down, a small flashlight held in her teeth while she casually leafs through a file cabinet.

What is better than diamonds? Information ABOUT diamonds. Not the common stuff traded on the Exchange, but rare gems. Big gems. Expensive gems.

Nightwing has posed:
It takes him a few minutes to find the entryway, and a minute more to sneak in quietly. Nightwing is quite bendy and even if he has to squeeze his shoulders through a couple of spots that means he is pretty sure he'll have scrapes on tomorrow, it is still worth it. For a moment he stares at the creature hanging upside down. He softly swallows, he might have to talk to Barbara about losing her cape. Yow.

As quietly as possible, Nightwing dangles himself down, carefully and quietly climbing down. His line gives a creak, and Nightwing, some 10 feet or so away from Black cat when that happens clears his throat. "The Catwoman called and wants her outfit back." The quip is gentle. "Right now this is just a breaking and entering. Come clean and in Gotham you will hardly do any time at all. Let's do this the easy way, huh?"

Black Cat has posed:
Black Cat is hanging from a grapple line, which is spiral-wound around an extended leg to free up both hands for her work. Long, platinum blonde hair spills down, the black suit providing a very flattering view from behind. A file drawer is closed quietly, her other foot extended to initiate a slow pirhouette.

The costume is even more flattering from the front, if that's possible. The burglar carefully takes the flashlight from her teeth, tilting her head a little to look him over. She HAS to be a burglar, right? I mean she's even wearing a mask.

"Okay, let's get a few things straight. First of all, unless YOU broke something there is no 'breaking' involved here; just entering. Second, I'm not on any of the security cameras so you have no proof I was even here. Unless third, you plan on taking the witness stand against me. Which I seriously doubt."

She flashes an upside-down smile, then slips the flashlight -down- (or rather up, in this case) into her costume where it's out of the way. "And fourth, I haven't taken anything. You're welcome to frisk me if you'd like."

Nightwing has posed:
No words. Merely a slow raising (Lowering? He's upside down too? Relative directions are confusing) of one slender dark brow into a questioning, and borderline insultingly sarcastic line. He just tilts his head to one side.

Barbara needs that outfit. Desperately.

In silence, the dark knight's first squire just regards her with this look of intense doubt. His silence is the weapon here. His steady, resolute look. He is unmoving. Quiet. Resolute. His confidence is palpable and wielded with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel. Gone is the banter, just a simple statement that he'll apprehend her. She's no doubt been given a staredown before.

Black Cat has posed:
Black Cat returns the stare, and it's clearly not her first rodeo. Gravity does unusual things when a costume like is worn by someone who's upside down. Distracting things. And dangerous things, when one has a martial redhead on their mind.

But while Nightwing's stare carries the intensity of the full force of Batman's training, the burglar's expression is definitely lighter. Almost playful. The smile breaks the stare-down.

"Welp, I think I've finished my surprise audit for the night. No, don't get up, I'll just let myself out." One hand reaches down for the grapple line to hold on as she unwinds her leg.

"Oh, and you should really be careful hanging upside down like that. There are pressure pads on the floors, security cameras all over the hallways, and some really nasty guys with guns prowling around." Pause. "A lot of Bad Things <tm> could happen..."

Nightwing has posed:
Still silence. Until the rope creak? This is a snap. There is a soft powder that escapes when the line that is damn near unbreakable breaks. The line drops and so does Nightwing. The fall is enough to break the staredown though. He snarls out a "Shhii--"

Black Cat is used to a certain inhuman Spider-Man doing inhuman things. Nightwing cannot be inhuman. He is merely just about as good as a human can be. He catches himself on two desks, one heel landing on each desk as he does the splits. He spits out a grunt of soft agony, but he's flexible enough that he actually manages to stick that landing. His face contorts in a look of 'discomfort' though. That cannot have felt good. Still, he didn't hit the floor. He doesn't set off the sensors. Nope. The line hitting the floor is what does that. He stares up at the exiting woman, stuck doing the splits like he is in a Van Damme film. His brows narrow and he flexes, kicks, and gets both feet under him on the desk, reaching for his backup grapnel gun as he gets his feet under him.

Black Cat has posed:
Black Cat moves the moment his line breaks, legs together tucking into a pike-position as she pivots and the grapple line reels her rapidly upward. He looks up just in time to watch her flip up and through the skylight, jerking her own line free almost casually.

She's good, and quick as well. And she's got a good head start, even before he manages to get his backup grapnel gun.

There's no audible alarm, but even as Nightwing is collecting himself there are sounds from inside the building where moments ago there was quiet. Depending on whether the guards take the elevator or the stairs, he might have one minute or three.

Nightwing has posed:
Bat lines don't break. It takes a hell of a knife to cut them. He just checked it. This sort of thing is stupidly improbable. Nightwing leaps over to the desk that Black cat was on. For a moment he stares at the phone before kicking the receiver of it. Taking note of the extension, Nightwing then lifts the grapnel gun. For a split second, black cat's posterior blocks his shot, then there is a snap and a hiss at it rockets after her, impacting scant inches after her hand clears the ledge. The motor revs and the line retracts as Nightwing leaps forwards, to spring after her.

His feet hit the ledge, then Nightwing releases the grapnel, backflips over the ledge and grabs the gun as he flips. It is impressive, but it takes him the wrong way out the hatch after her. Her ladies not as long as it would be had he not, but it is still longer than he might like. The momentum of that sort of kick and flip also carries him across the gravel a bit, sending it scattering and skittering under his boots.

He's going to have to really pour it on to catch her, as the Black Cat is no slouch. He does nothing violent though. No batarangs or gas. She hasn't done anything violent to him. She's just attempting (and so far succeeding) in eluding him.

Black Cat has posed:
As he skids out onto the gravel, he hears her voice behind him. Laughing. A glimpse of fluttering blonde hair is all he catches before she dives off the roof. He may be only human, but Black Cat is definitely enhanced. And she's taking full advantage of both the head start and her speed.

Shooting a grapple line mid-leap, it catches and her fall kicks into a controlled swing over towards the building across the street. Then she's one building away and working on widening her lead to two.

Yes a batarang, wing-ding, or bola would catch her. But she's running, not fighting. Was she serious about not having stolen anything?