14203/The Bat and the Widow

The Bat and the Widow
Date of Scene:	17 March 2022
Location:	Gotham National Bank
Synopsis:	Batman and Black Widow stop Clayface from robbing Gotham National Bank. Captain America cameos.
Cast of Characters:	Batman, Black Widow (Romanoff), Captain America

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Batman has posed:
Gotham City.

A city of the corrupt and the honorable. Of justice and injustice. It is a city of deep complexity, not quite the shining beacon that was Metropolis or the 'normal' city of New York, but the far negative end of the spectrum. New York and Metropolis had it's heroes. Gotham had only it's Knight.

Clayface had been experimented on by the thinktank known as A.I.M: Advanced Idea Mechanics. Spurred by the mysterious and ever-elusive Scientist Supreme, they advanced Basil Karlo's ability to grow in size and shape, proportionally increasing his density and strength.

This couldn't stand.

Clayface was attacking Gotham National Bank. He had gone in through the sewer system, coming out of the bathrooms and threatening to absorb the organic matter of others into his own DNA - effectively 'consuming' them - should they not help him open the vault.

It bought time.

Batman was on sight. He was stategically placing gel-bombs at the entrances and ceiling of the bank, that way Clayface couldn't know which way he was coming from once all of these go off.

Though that doesn't mean he can't be interrupted.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
He might feel the shift of the air flow around him. A bit stronger from beyond, shifting his cape. Though there was silence, nothing visible. Yet the breeze was from above and behind. Looking yielded the view of nothing. To normal sight. If he used other methods, he would see the outline of a quinjet. The rear door was open and a slight figure decended on a line, being lowered to the ground.

The Black Widow was in her work clothes, the black costume with the belt at her waist hiding goodies, red hourglass buckle, and wristbands in place. There was a pair of holstered Glocks on the outside of each thigh. Her red hair was cut short.

She made sure there was sound as she landed on the rooftop. Keeping her hands where they were visible until she knew he was able to tell who she was. If she had wanted to enter stealth, she wouldn't have been so obvious. Although to anyone but him or his people, that Quinjet was not going to be spotted due to the dark color and the lack of light on this rooftop.

"I picked up the radio chatter as I was flying over," she said softly when in earshot. "Might I be of assistance or do I get the usual 'get out of my city' speech?" There was a hint of a smirk.

Batman has posed:
A wind changed.

Batman switched his cowl's vision to detect physiological shapes along the electromagnetic spectrum, largely, UV light. He spots the outline of a quinjet with the rear view door open and a slight figure descending on a line.

"Hm."

He continues his work in silence. If SHIELD was attempting to decide to kill him, it certainly wasn't going to be now by the looks of things. The Widow is certain to make a sound when she lands so he could hear her. A polite formality, one that earns a single glance from the Batman after he finishes setting the last charge. That SHIELD would take interest in this enough to send one of - if not their best - operative is an answer unto itself for the importance of this mission.

The Batman stands up to his full height, his cape covering his entire body, the armor that played strategic roles in keeping him alive with the infamous 'bat' symbol emblazoned in metal on the chest. She approached close enough to be in earshot. Better than most. Batman was quiet for a moment, as if in deep thought.

"No one dies."

His only rule. "Clayface is below. He's forcing the bank tellers to open the vault for him, on pain of death. He's weak to the cold and electricity. freezing him or forcing him to increase his density to such an extent that he stays solid, or electrocuting him, is the best ways to handle him. He seems off. Enhanced."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The three words were not what she expected him to say. After all, Batman didn't always play well with others. Though they had worked together in the past. A grudging sort of respect perhaps on his part. Maybe. Or Robin was busy on something else. That was more likely, in her mind.

Killing anyone wasn't on her plan but she gave a nod. She had downloaded plans for the bank while she was in the quinjet so that was already in her head. "Just him? And Enhanced...how?"

She didn't know Clayface very well. She'd heard of him but never dealt with him in any situation. Being he didn't like electricity? That made her happy. She reached for a Glock, drawing it and dropping the magazine into her other hand. Then putting that magazine in her belt and drawing a different one to replace it. "Icer rounds." She did the same with the second weapon, smooth and efficient, no more than a few seconds to have both prepared. She didn't rack a round into the chamber. Yet.

"Got both cold and electricity covered. You want to enter through opposite points?" She was letting him call the shots. His city. His rules. "And do you want me to focus on getting out the civilians or tag team on Clayface with you?"

Batman has posed:
"His movements are different. Almost as if he's more intelligent. Clayface was originally an actor. He always tries something different. But this seems...inhuman. Moreso than his usual gigs." Batman deduces that Clayface is...altered somehow. Strange, even to the Dark Knight on what he's seen. And this is an experience that has seen villains like Solomon Grundy come out of the woodwork.

Her confirming the icer rounds seems to have earned points with Batman. Not that she'd know it, considering he's the master poker-face artist. "He'll expect an assault from above. Clayface is working alone. Scouted out the premises. You and I will take him down together. As soon as the explosion happens, people will exit in a panic and leave Clayface confused. We strike hard and fast. The quicker he's down, the better."

Batman turns from her, as if to begin to enact his plan. "Yes." On going through opposite points.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I'm on SHIELD frequency 428.73." Since she knows he likely has his own communication and she already knows that he likely has access to their secure channels. She might be wrong but she wouldn't bet her life on that. Just in case they need to communicate while apart.

As Batman turns one direction, she turns the opposite. Quick movements as she silently heads for the next rooftop. Then a slight *pfft* of displaced air as she fires her Widow's Line, allowing her to swing over to the top of the building they will be entering.

Moving to an area that isn't in the line of a charge but will allow her fast access once the breach is created.

The Glocks are firmly in holsters for now, a little keeper over the top so they won't go flying even when she is.

Batman has posed:
If Natasha had turned around at all to look to see where Batman was, he'd be gone. No doubt he was in position. A secure channel is never really secure when faced with Batman, and soon enough Natasha will hear Batman's voice over the coms. "In position. We go in on my mark."

Clayface seemed to be in a hurry. He had looked up at the skylight and seen the Bat signal in the night sky, which is enough to drive petty criminals to sheer terror. "C'mon, c'mon! Go faster! What's taking you all so long?!" Clayface actually looked like he was....scratching himself? Like he was trying to get something out of him. Centered in his head. Control chip? Communications signal?

Batman narrows his eyes.

"Mark."

As soon as he says that, a string of explosives go off in the ceiling, shattering the skyline and sending glass sailing onto the ground below. The explosions were precisely given, not just shattering glass but breaking them into small enough pieces that as long as people were looking down, they wouldl ikely experience no harmful injuries. The explosives on the entrances also blew, giving both Batman and Black Widow their chance to move in.

Clayface started to roar. "No, no no!" He looks around, uncertain which direction the Bat was coming from, and further unaware that he brought a Widow with him.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As the explosives went off, she was airborne once again. Line extending as she fell then a twist of her wrist locked it and she arched through the window that had blown out below. Another twist and the line retracted as she fell into a forward roll to absorb the momentum of her landing.

She only had a few seconds to assess the situation, see where Clayface was in relation to any hostages in the building.

She brought up her right arm and immediately fired a Widow's Bite, the electrical charge disc that she was known for utilizing. Hopefully it would hit on Clayface's back since she was aiming for center mass.

Batman has posed:
Clayface wasn't going to stand a chance. They have a saying amongst criminals of his type: 'In for a penny, in for a pound'. Clayface has no idea what's happening. No clue where his enemies are coming from, no idea how fast they are, no idea how quickly they are about to take him down.

He's going to wish he stayed a piece of clay.

Black Widow's bite finds purchase in what amounts for a 'spine' in the globulous mixture of a physical form. Clayface howls in pain, swinging a molded fist behind him in retaliation! Batman manages to get three batarangs in Clayface's....well, clay.

They beep once per second. -BOOM!- Goes each one of them, each bursting into a somewhat picturesque snowflake of cold that causes pieces of Clayface to immediately start to freeze. "Batman! I knew you were behind this...!" Clayface starts to groan, as if he's already having trouble moving. Ice and electricity are spectacular teammates, it would appear.

Batman manages to duck into cover when a hammer-shaped hand is coming to smash him into gravel, missing him by a hair.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
He was still moving. One of those discs was enough to knock out a human target. Being metahuman, it was going to take quite a bit more to defeat Clayface.

The fist swung her way and she dove under it, sliding along the hard tile floor of the bank and firing off two more discs in his direction even as she regained her feet and put a desk between her and the villain. Moving fast and smoothly, not seemingly rushed on her part.

"Give up, Clayface. This doesn't need to escalate further." She was more talkative than his usual opponent but only in the 'give up before you get hurt' sort of way. SHIELD preferred that for some reason.

She was trying to move forward, to make sure she was between the villain and any of the civilians inside. Particularly those closest to him. And as she vaulted over another desk, she drew out a Glock with her right hand.

The report of the weapon was loud in the enclosed space. The round aimed again for center mass on the chest area. Or what would be a chest area. The Icer rounds should help those Batarangs in the freezing process.

Batman has posed:
Clayface was beyond human. True metahumans in gotham seemed almost a rare sight. You had those chemically enhanced, which was a bit more common. Scarecrow, Bane, Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy - just to name a few of the Rogues who have suffered or used chemicals to assist their efforts. Clayface required a more...delicate touch.

"Come on, let me hit you! I NEED THE MONEY!" Clayface roars, his voice gurgling as a mixture of his own body comforming into new shapes paired with the effect of the pair of attacks earlier. With the Widow moving deftly out of harm's way for Clayface's fist to contact a column, the monster of a 'former' human is introduced to a wonderful bit of SHIELD tech: The icer.

It stings. It hurts. It burns. Clayface lifts hands to protect himself as each shot deals more damage in the process, even as he starts moving on his back feet until he drops to his knees. "Stop, stop, I give!" Clayface pleads.

Batman begins to approach, since Natasha just kicked Clayface's ass. The batarangs were doing their part, the longer they were in, the more Clayface was going to freeze until he was immobile. Not dead, not inconscious, just immobile.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As he gave up, Natasha put the weapon back in the holster. Since Clayface seemed to be down, and Batman had him well in hand anyway with freezing batarangs. He really did have the best toys.

she turned her attention to the civilians. "Is everyone alright?" Checking them over and preparing to get them out of the building. "You, get everyone together and we'll get you out of here." She pointed to one of the women who was dressed in a suit, looking like she probably was a supervisor of some sort. It would get them to the side, giving Natasha a moment to regard Batman then Clayface. "Let me hit you." She shook her head. "That was a new approach in negotiations."

Batman has posed:
Batman draws near, like osme demon out of a child's dreams. Clayface doesn't appear to have a throat, yet he feels a very human 'gulp' exit his mouth. Batman looks at the kneeling Clayface, pulling out a puck-shaped device that he sticks onto Clayface's chest. "Come on, Bats, you can have a little bit of mer-"

The ex-actor is immediately frozen solid after an explosion radiates from his chest and encompasses his whole being. Batman and Black Widow have nothing to worry about but a little wind from the reaction. "You're going back to Arkham, Karlo." GCPD sirens sound off in the horizon, causing Batman to look at Widow.

"Gotham criminals don't negotiate. They bribe." Meantime, the civilians obey Black Widow's instructions, the women in a suit gives a shakey affirmation. "R-right away!" and starts getting moving. She does NOT want the smoke of an angry Natasha if she didn't follow instructions. All in all, the civilians appear unharmed. The Bat and the Widow interfered before the civilians had a chance to be harmed.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I'm not sure how that would have benefited me in any way if I agreed," Natasha says as she smirks slightly. "I mean I would still be getting hit. I take it this isn't one of your more... cerebral opponents?"

She had watched the little device and how it worked, making another note that she really needed some of these toys. SHIELD had toys. Batman had better R&D it seemed though. "Whatever that is," she said, pointing to the device. "I'd like three."

But she did ook toward the civilians. "Go ahead out of the building. By the sirens, the police should be here any moment. Just follow their instructions. They'll likely want to interview you all about what has happened."

Then her attention was on Batman again. "And I'm guessing we should make an exit unless you plan to stay and chat with the authorities?" That didn't seem his M.O. but far be it from her to presume what the Batman would do.

Captain America has posed:
    On the comms another voice breaks into the SHIELD freqs, masculine and calm as he declares, << Sounds like I'm late to the dance again. >> Which serves as enough for the two heroes on site to know that there's another incoming.
    The first visual clue, however, is a thump outside of boots hitting the ground, then the scuff of debris being stepped over and past. Glass is crunched under foot and through some of the haze and smoke emerges the man in the blue and red uniform with the shield settled on his left forearm.
    Then he's there, Captain America, moving onto the scene and taking some care not to disrupt the orderly evacuation of the individuals that Natasha has corralled and motivated. Once close enough he says toward her,
    "Looks like you've got this situation in hand," Then a glance is given to Batman as he gives the tall man a rather obvious once over, "And under control."

Batman has posed:
The civilians clear out like there was a 'all things must go' sale at a local thrift store. They did NOT want to stick around, the mere sight of Clayface ewas more than enough to cause scatter - along with the general feeling of being alive and thanking God or whomever they choose to worship, if anything. Natasha's words don't seem to earn much of a reply from Batman in terms of an approval.

"SHIELD has similar technology. I'm sure your R&D department can come up with something similar." He states somewhat matter of factly. Much to her assumption, Batman looks to make his exit, but not before tossing Natasha one said puck-like device. He doesn't say 'thanks', but that's probably as good as it's going to get from the Dark Knight.

Then one of the world's most famous heroes decides to stop by.

Anyone left over starts to murmur their tones of wonder and amazement. It was Captain America! The Star-Spangled Man with a Plan! Pictures and flash photography start going off, even police that made it early stop and look at the Captain.

"Captain." Batman says by way of a greeting, but it doesn't look like he's going to do one of his famous vanishing acts. He does turn to Black Widow, however. "I'll stay long enough to ensue Clayface doesn't escape custody."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Gotham Police were used to this sort of situation, sad to say. The original calls they had received warned who the suspect was. Thus, they arrived with a chilled transportation van in preparation for moving Clayface back to Arkam where he usually resided. A group entered then worked on the logistics of how to get the villain from there to the van. Other officers gathered witnesses, quickly starting the process of getting statements.

Leaving the three heroes for the moment although some of the officers were eyeing them. They knew Batman was on their side. They also knew technically he was a vigilante. Yet, two Avengers were there too so they quickly went to focusing on their work instead of weighing their duties versus pain they likely would suffer if they did try to take down Batman.

Natasha caught the puck like device, turning it over in her hands and noting the button to turn it on. Which she made sure to avoid. Then she tucked it into a pouch on her belt. "Captain," she greeted since they were in a public setting. "Always appreciate your arrival. Thanks to Batman, it was handled quickly."

Captain America has posed:
    "Batman," The response is given matter-of-factly and with a nod as the elder hero looks at the scene, then moves toward Clayface to get an eyeball on the metahuman criminal, eyes blinking a few times and narrowing a little at the frozen figure trapped in stasis for the moment.
    "Brings back bad memories," He says with a slight gesture of one thumb, then gives a nod to Natasha. "I was on the way to the same meeting you were I imagine." He tells her, then turns his attention fully on Batman...
    Though only after lifting a gauntleted hand to give a wave to some of those nearby. The police officers he addresses, "Gentlemen."
    But then it's back to the Dark Knight. "Always good to see an expert at work." Though the Avengers aren't individuals that often patrol, they do have an appreciation for the people that do.

Batman has posed:
The police know well enough to leave the Batman to his business. After all, it was on Gordon's order that they installed the Bat signal, and the Batman has caused more good than harm. He was a vigilante, yes, and technically his very existence was against the law. But how much good does it take to cause a law to become obsolete or an exception to be made? Not corruption: justice.

Batman gives Captain America the softest nod in acknowledgment. He was flanked by the Avengers. He had no intention to start anything, though he was prepared for it. The mythos of the Batman suggests he's always prepared. Always ready, even when something unexpected pops up on the radar. This might not be one of those cases. But the police weren't stupid, and the city is all the better for it.

"I had help." Batman admits to Natasha's praise. Could he have done it alone? Yes. Natasha could have done it alone too. The mental battle was all that needed to be fought first, making the physical battle as easy as can be.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Only I didn't know the opponent. So my own methods may not have been effective without your advice," Natasha returned. Because he knew his rogues. Knew their weaknesses, their abilities. The things that were key to taking them down effectively. She might have gotten the information but it would've been a time delay and things could have gone terribly wrong before she reached that point.

She turned her attention to Steve and gave a nod. "I suspect the same. I have a quinjet. If you're on your bike, you can join me. No others on my ride so plenty of room." Or were there now two quinjets up above the Gotham skyline in silent-running mode?

Captain America has posed:
    The red white and blue hero gives a nod to accept the words given by Batman, shifting his grip slightly on the shield and then his weight to the other boot. The next moment he extends his empty right hand and offers it in turn to the Dark Knight, "Well, you know if you need some help from across the river we're a phone call away."
    Then he gives the place another once-over as he adds, "Though looks like the city's in good hands." And should the vigilante accept the grip from Cap he'll find it's not pressing or aggressive, more just firm and steady. Which either way after a few of those moments...
    His attention turns sidelong as he then looks at Natasha and quirks an eyebrow, "The tac team in mine were headed back to the Triskelion. So if you please, I could use a lift."
    With that he'll turn and start moving with Natasha, since it's her plane they'll be using. He does take a moment to add toward Batman, "Good hunting."

Batman has posed:
Batman is silent. The eery shadow that stands tall. He tracks Steve and Natasha's words that they speak to each other. Body language, microexpressions, all of it. It's almost as if Batman is trying to understand and bookmark them, reading them to understand them now that he is nearby to them. The more things change, the more things stay the same. Though he looked down at the Captain's hand when it was offered.

An armored gauntlet reaches out to give Steve a surprisingly firm handshake. "Likewise." The voice grumbles out. Releasing his hand to return his own into the confines of his cloak which enshrouded his person, minus the cowl. With the Avengers headed to the Triskelion, Batman nods. "Safe travels." He doesn't give them the usual 'stay the hell out of my city' that he's probably reserving for Fury if SHIELD gets too eager in Gotham.

A simple farewell.

Batman looks at Natasha. "You would have done better than suspected. Stay safe." Batman advises.

If either of them try and take another look at Batman, he was gone. As if by magic or some kind of sleight of hand, he disappeared. One of the cops walks up to the pair of them. "Yeah, he does that."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha was a tough one to read when she wanted to be. Only, right now she wasn't trying to hide anything. When she spoke to Batman, her respect had been honest. When she talked to Steve, it was apparent he was a good friend even while being someone she looked up to.

"So I see." Or don't see would be more precise. Since Batman had already disappeared in those few seconds. "Have a good evening, officer." And with that, Natasha headed for the stairs. Instead of the exit. Because the rooftop would give them faster access to the aircraft. A quick command would bring the quinjet over to them and allow them to board.

She did glance at the star-spangled hero at her side as she started up the stairs. "How's Ethel? And did she give you a cobbler this week? Cause I am willing to pay you money for it. Double if it's peach."