15133/Get a Grip

Get a Grip
Date of Scene:	24 May 2023
Location:	RockWallz Gym - Manhattan
Synopsis:	So Natasha tried to get Steve and Alexander thrown out of a gym, while Kimberly watched...
Cast of Characters:	Captain America, Pink Ranger, Firestar, Black Widow (Romanoff), Phobos

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Captain America has posed:
Walking along the streets of the Upper East Side, Steve Rogers kept to the vehicle side of the sidewalk. It is something that he had been taught as a youth, that it was a man's responsibility to be danger side. He knew the chances of a person falling into the street were remote, but still he did it. Habits could be hard to break.

He wore a heather gray t-shirt, which was devoid of any graphics. It fit snugly across his chest, as if it might have been a size too small, and was struggling to contain his muscles.

Mercifully, he had a navy blue jacket, light and breezy enough for the warm weather, covering most of that. Below, he had white athletic pants, with white seems that stretched from his waist, all the way down to the cuffs of his ankles. There was the faint sight of thick white socks, before they disappeared into gray athletic shoes, with blue and white accents.

He had a gym bag held in one arm. The way he carried it, the weight didn't bother him in the slightest. And then he reached his destination, Rock Wallz Gym, with a 'Z'. He looked up at the sign, frowning slightly, before he reached to open the door, except he saw another patron leaving, and so he held the door for that person. Then another was going in, and he continued to hold it.

This could take some time.

Pink Ranger has posed:
There were plenty of outdated attitudes and expectations from older times that did everyone a service by staying as relics of the past.

Politeness however, was not one of those things. Kimberly could handle someone holding a door open for her!

Jogging up towards the door in a pair of black shorts, a bright pink sports-bra-esqe activewear top and a hoodie jacket thrown over her shoulders, the brunette offered a polite bob of her head and a 'thanks' as she rounded out the last of the patrons coming in.

Why did a gymnast need to do rock climbing? Well...because it was fun!

Firestar has posed:
Getting used to being back on the southern side of the border, Angelica walks along glancing at her phone. She mutters something and maybe the words "Google maps" may be spoken in blasphemous tones. She sighs and shoves the phone back into her pocket and mutters,"Whatever."

Currently she does have on a pair of black, loose fitting, cargo pants and a white t-shirt. There is something under the shirt, another layer of some sort of clothing, but it isn't really discernable. She pauses at the door and looks up. A mutter to herself as she sighs,"Great. It was right. It's just me." A shy smile and a nod offered to the one holding the door,"Thank you." she offers in passing.

Captain America has posed:
At the nod from the brunette in pink and blank, Steve Rogers almost made a modern faux pas. In his day, he would have referred to her as maiden, as she was too old to be a miss, and didn't seem to be married. He had learned early on that most women vastly preferred to be addressed as either miss or misses, and so he returned the nod with a kind, "miss."

She had seemed to be the last one, but as fate would have it, there would be just one more. He replied to her thank you with his own, "you're welcome.

With one last glance around, as if to double check that no one else was coming or going, he would head into the gym.

This was his first time visiting, and so he would need to register.

Registering was always a nuisance for him, as technically, he was supposed to tell the truth on these. But if they asked for his age or date of birth, it would show that he was 112 years old. He was only 23 when he underwent the procedure, and for 76 of his years he was frozen in ice. Did that make him 36? He didn't look 36.

In the end, he simply went with what S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided him, as they gave him identification that would pass any background check and solve these problems. But it didn't weight any less on his conscience.

Pink Ranger has posed:
Truth be told, Kimberly knew who Captain America was...when he was in uniform, punching Nazis in the past or solving problems alongside S.H.I.E.L.D. and such...but that didn't mean she recognized him now. After all, the young woman hardly expected to run into the man in a local climbing gym.

With Angelica arriving behind her there's a polite smile to the other woman and a little mouthed 'hey' of greeting before she approached the space by the walls and dropped her bag before beginning the process of wriggling out of her jacket and finding a hairtie from the pockets.

Firestar has posed:
Sadly, Angelica wouldn't know the good captain ouside of his uniform either. She does move on to get out of his way and start looking for a place to set up herself. She looks a little uncomfortable with the setting, but that's how you get out of the proverbial shell.

She returns Kimberly's smile and mouthed,"Hi." as well. She nods once and settles a small bag at the base of a wall and starts to stretch out a little bit, getting, well warmed up.

Captain America has posed:
Steve Rogers was known to be Captain America, his identity had been a matter of public record for more than three quarters of a century, but that didn't mean it was widely known, or that he was easily recognized. He most often wore his helmet, which covered his upper face, when he acted in costume.

To most, he was simply a polite, athletic blue eyed, blond haired, 20-something, or maybe a 30-something. As he was already dressed for activities, he would disappear for a brief moment, storing his bag in the men's changing rooms, which had keys that could be slipped into one's pocket, or fastened to their clothes.

That bit of administrative business performed, he would emerge from the lockers, a white towel wrapped around his neck, and a water bottle in hand. Before he had the chance to decide where to begin, one of the trainers made a bee line to him, no doubt fully intent on talking him up from a one day pass into a full yearly membership.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The next person entering that door was a petite redhead. Her hair was cut short at the moment, well above her shoulders as it had been recently trimmed up. She was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants that were loose fitting though her upper body had on a black tank top. There was a jacket over it in the same gray and material as the pants. No bag in hand.

A pause as she took in the room with a quick scan, stepping to the side of the door so she didn't block the entrance of Alexander. Or anyone else for that matter. To most people, it would be just a glance. To those that knew her or were perhaps subject to the same sort of training, they would know she's just pinpointed exits and any potential threats in the room.

Then she spotted the person she was looking for and nodded that direction for her companion before heading toward Steve and the trainer that was speaking to him.

Phobos has posed:

The young man that followed after Natasha had a good bit of height upon her and seemed to be in his twenties. He moved after her, holding the door for a moment as he glanced behind to make sure if anyone else was following him that he'd hold it for them. Then a moment later he stepped in after her, falling into step beside the former Russian spy.

His own clothes were of little remark. White sneakers, blue jeans, a grey hoodie. Though the t-shirt he wore was white and had an image of a malicious looking pink flamingo and the caption said simply, 'Yo, I'm Hoppin' All Around, I'm a Pink Bird.'

On his shoulder hung an old looking blue backpack that had seen better days but served its purpose decently well. He caught sight of Steve and was about to motion in that direction when Natasha was already moving off.

Pink Ranger has posed:
Perhaps Steve had the same encounter that Clark Kent likely expected, when people saw him without his glasses: 'Hey, you look kinda like Captain America. That's neat!' and no further thought.

Whatever the case, he was at least polite and eye-catching enough that she'd look his way as the band of her hairtie was inelegantly held in her lips while she gathered her brunette locks into a functional ponytail and then took the tie to...well, tie it!

With Angelica moving near her she too prepares to stretch even if the more passive effects of the grid had her moving and recovering better than the average human...only for her eyes to lift again at the sight of Aaron and Nat. They too, after all, were an eye-catching pair.

Firestar has posed:
Finally stretched to her satisfaction, Angelica reaches into her back pocket for a black hair tie as well. She pulls as much of her hair as she can gather into a tight pony. Of course a lot of sprigs of hair get away, the curse of thick, wavy hair. She sighs and takes the tie out and starts over again.

Her gaze might meet Kimberly's on the second try and she rolls her eyes at her own ordeal, another smile as she leans against the climbing wall and starts to kick off the shoes she has on.

Hair more or less caught better than the first time, she sits down and takes out a different pair of shones from her bag and puts them on. She notices the staff harassing poor Cap and she sighs, muttering,"Always looking for the next buck."

Captain America has posed:
Steve Rogers was at that exact moment being 'taught' the fundamentals of an adjustable weight bench press by a tall tanned woman, who wore a lime green sports bra and matching shorts. Although her eyebrows were black, her hair had been dyed light blonde, and she spoke with a Brazilian accent. He was politely listening to her instructions, when Natasha wandered over, "hello Natasha," he said, his smile genuine, "I like the new hair cut," since this was the first time he had seen it.

With Alexander tight on her heels, not that even she would dare wear heels to a place such as this, he extended a hand to shake, "hello Alexander." And then since introductions were in the process of being made, "this is Isabella, Isabella, this is Alexander and Natasha."

If he caught Kimberly looking his way from the nearby warm up area, he didn't show any signs, but he did cast his own glance periodically towards her, always curious about his surroundings. He smiled faintly at how Angelica had to tie and re-tie her hair into a ponytail. That had not been an issue for him, but Thor dealt with it constantly.

Pink Ranger has posed:
Maaaaybe Kim was starting to put two and two together, or maybe she was just the curious sort. Whatever the case, she does eventually turn back to the wall and pause to chalk her hands before grinning at Angelica's problem. "Need a hand o-Oh, you got it!" she offers in regards to the hair plight before the girl in the pink sports top and black shorts finally reaches for the first handhold and begins to climb!

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Thankfully Isabella had on a nametag announcing she worked for the Gym. "Nice to meet you, Isabella. How much for the day?" And once she got the answer, she drew the money out of her pocket and passed it over to the woman. Forcing her to go put the money in the actual register since that outfit certainly did not have pockets.

Then Natasha focused on Steve again. "Hi, Steve. Hope you don't mind I brought Alexander along." Since Steve had met him previously and Alexander was a fan. Though he usually tried to play it cool. And failed.

As for her, she never work a mask. But she also was the sneaky Avenger so while she had been seen and was a public figure, she wasn't someone that was generally recognized or noticed most of the time. It happened but it was rare. Steve got recognized more than she did. And Natasha tended to like it that way.

She glanced over toward the various walls, each coded for a specific skill level. Taking a note of the people already on them or getting ready.

Phobos has posed:

"Sir," And when he motioned to Isabella he added, "Ma'am."

Alexander accepted Captain Rogers' hand to shake, giving a precise business-like grip respectfully. His lips curved up a little and he nodded once, picture perfect in that execution. Curious in a way how a young Olympian held the man in such esteem. Though really there were few souls on the planet that didn't, even amongst his enemies.

He returned back a step, slipping his hand under the strap of the backpack and turning to sweep his gaze across the room. Pale eyes moved from face to face in a casual wandering. Something alien about his eyes that might seem intimidating to some, but when he looked back toward Cap and Natasha... it was the smile that humanized them.

As for recognizability... well unless someone worked at SHIELD or sprung from the brow of Zeus they likely wouldn't recognize the Son of War.

Firestar has posed:
Angelica winks at Kimberly,"Thank you. I got it this time. Of course, I broke the last one I wore, so who knows. I might cut it, but I think my mother would come back from the grave to get me." A shrug of resignation. When Kimberly turns to start studying the wall, Angelica does the same.

She frowns a little at the hand holds and how they are spread over the wall. Heaven help everyone present, she starts muttering seemingly random numbers to herself, manipulating them in her head the way most people do their multiplication tables,"Huh." she finally more or less comments.

Thinking it over once more, Angelica makes a flat footed jump that bypasses the lowest hand holds in favor of the next ones. Method to her madness maybe, but it's anybody's guess as she nods to herself in satisfaction,"Sneaky." she mumbles, some people really do talk to themselves too much.

Captain America has posed:
Isabella did not like the way that Natasha had dealt with her, and for those keenly aware, she was weighing the options, because making things difficult, or just accepting it. The gym's policy was that everyone had to fill out information, and while yes, she was well within her rights to insist on Natasha and Alexander adhering to gym policy, that could sour the well with three potentially new clients. And they did have Steve's information on file. So reluctantly, and after a few muted body language cues of frustration, she would take the money and head back, giving them some time alone.

"I don't mind at all," came from Steve's gentle voice. He may have had some muted body language of his own, but he was much harder to read, as even he wasn't certain about what was on his mind. The perks of having so much on his plate; there was always something going on another level.

Turning to Alexander, he asked, "have you done much rock climbing?" And then began moving, anticipating that Natasha and Alexander would follow suit, though Alexander had a backpack, "there are lockers in the change rooms if you'd like to secure that."

When he saw Kimberly and Anjelica, already up there, with Kimberly having chosen the second most difficult path, he admired the skill and strength required, and called out encouragement, "keep going, you're doing great."

Pink Ranger has posed:
Kimberly probably wasn't that recognizable unless one was really into gymnastics stars...and she was also being viewed from behind and below.

Second from the most difficult...and she was doing pretty decent too! Superhuman or well practiced? Hard to see, but she does pause her climb long enough to offer a thumbs up at the voice calling out to her before she -stretches- out to towards the handhold needed to make a transition to the next difficult side of the climb.

This was normally something she'd undertake with her friends, but they were all busy with life outside of meeting up to deal with the occasional monster attack or alien invasion.

Firestar has posed:
Glancing once to see how Kimberly is doing, Angelica starts to pay attention to her path. She makes one transition furthur when her phone starts to chime. She sighs, letting her head hang a moment and takes one step back down and then drops to the floor with a light thud, barely heard at all. She leans down and starts to scroll through a message.

"Not a referee." she mutters darkly, but kicks off her shoes to switch to the street shoes again. Noting Kimberly is pretty involved with her climb, she doesn't bother her and heads towards the door,"Can't wait for the fall semester to start." she mutters to herself. She looks /very/ young to be a teacher depite what the words she said seem to imply. She offfers a wave to Cap as he was the one to hold the door for her. Anyone looking her way would get the same and then she is out the door.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
At the annoyance of Isabella, Natasha couldn't care less. She was not the least bit worried about the woman at the moment. After all, she was intent on getting three memberships out of this so she had to play nice on a certain level. Surely, she would be back at some point but for now, she tottered back off.

This left the trio to their own devices and they started toward the walls that were offered. A glance to Alexander and the bag, a little shrug. "Up to you on the bag." Since it could just as easily be set on a bench near the walls where people could sit when resting.

As the two ladies started their climbs, Natasha gave a quick smile to the pair then eyed the paths they were taking. Some of the lower level walls had colored hand grips, to show the potential paths one might take. One wasn't required to use them but could. And each of those colors was also easy to heard depending on which was used. But as they got to the higher level walls, they would find no such guides, particularly on the final wall.

Phobos has posed:

Phobos' glance lifted up and up toward the climbers, and he smiled a little as he espied Firestar making her way up, that small aggressive jump an impressive thing for the moxie it shows. He looks to Kimberly in turn, and sidelong he murmurs in Natasha's direction.

"That... looks kinda fun." He lifts his eyebrows to add a question mark to a silent question asked before his attention slips back toward the good Captain.

When he was asked that question, the youth's smile broadened a little. "Not voluntarily, sir. Though sometimes the job demands it." A small hint of camaraderie enkindled. Normally Alexander is a bit stand-offish, but not at the moment. For whatever reason.

At the suggestion he should stow his gear he gives a nod and steps away from the two of them to do just that, a glance given toward Isabella as she heads off should she have the bandwidth to point him in the right direction, but if he misses her such is life. He'll find it eventually assuredly.

Captain America has posed:
"It does look fun," he agreed with Alexander. But having born witness to the young ginger haired woman having a good time, exercising, only for it to be interrupted by her phone, which necessitated her hasty withdrawal, Steve turned to Natasha and asked, "are you sure that mobile phones," it had taken forever to get him to stop referring to them as mobile telephones, "are a good thing?" But at least Kimberly's efforts had gone unencumbered.

Isabella, sensing an opportunity, would not only explain where the locker rooms were located, but walk him towards them, while telling him about the gym, its features, and kindly assure him, that she would be outside waiting once he had properly stored his gear.

Pink Ranger has posed:
The loss of her climbing buddy? Kimberly gives a little sigh before she coils down and makes for the free-climb leap towards the next handholds, the impact bumping her form against the wooden wall before she gives a little laugh before she tried to climb upwards.

By crazy chance, she seemed to hear the comment as she starts to make her way towards the harsh angle that had her hanging against gravity.

"It -is- fun."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I'll get back to you on that," Natasha commented as an aside to Cap. "And you can call them cell phones. Or cells. Or mobiles I guess." The fact he was giving it so many syllables!

As the words came floating down from the woman on the wall, Natasha had to grin. "You're quite good at it. Been climbing long?" Like in her lifetime, training, all that. Not specifically today since Natasha did see that she'd just gotten going a few minutes ago.

There is a glance sent toward the locker area, eyes catching Isabella hovering there in the hopes of pinning down someone for memberships. She smirked to herself and went back to focusing on the wall and her companion.

Captain America has posed:
Little did they know that Isabella was secretly a demon, who could use her pheromones to attract males, making them smitten with her very presence, and was quite perturbed that thus far, both Steve and Alexander had proven immune to her efforts. She was sensitive to bug spray, bat sonar, had an alternative form, and could rotate her neck 180 degrees. But for now, she was living her best life, working a job for which she was uniquely suited. She stood near the locker rooms, which as Steve had previously demonstrated, were adjacent to the front doors.

"Life was so much easier when calling someone just meant putting your hands together and forming a cone," Steve said to Natasha, as he made his way to an area where chalk was available. He began to get some onto his hands, before he decided to partake, going for the same route that Kimberly had chosen, the second most difficult. He might not have been as flexible as she was, but he had a lot more strength and endurance.

Pink Ranger has posed:
Unaware of potential lime-wearing pheromone demons, Kimberly was...having a great time. Now almost inverted for the final bit she was essentially hanging by her hands and her feet wedged into the foot holds as she tapped the 'end' of the climb and...began the less fun part of climbing to a point she could safely drop from.

Or at least safely drop without outing herself as a superhuman.

"A friend of mine," she offers between soft noises of effort. "She's scared of heights, so we'd do this once in a while to help her get passed it. I missed her, so thought I'd come on my own today!"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Those tin cans with a string between them must have been such a shock to your system," Natasha said with another shake of her head. The thing was, she was not as old as Steve. Yet, she was close. And unlike a certain napper, she had been awake. For all of it. And remembered.

Sometimes that was more a curse.

She glanced toward the locker room again then focused on Kimberly. "That's one way to get over a fear of heights. Or die of a heart attack ten feet in the air. Either or."

Phobos has posed:

Alexander's return is heralded by him holding up a small silver key with a yellow numbered fob that he presents with a wry smile toward Natasha with the enthusiasm of a Golden Retriever. Though one might imagine it _could_ be pantomimed a bit as there's a hint of the goofy to the way he tells her, "I got a free key!"

But then he half-smiles sidelong at Cap before he turns to look at them both. Apparently he was able to get away from Isabella soul intact yet he did lose that backpack. The price paid perhaps for his escape.

Yet that did not prevent her from hovering nearby... just in case... for there was commission to be made.

Captain America has posed:
"You'd think that, Romanoff, but after the invention of the wheel, nothing surprises me," he said, mid climb, a smile squarely on his lower lips. Steve, if you just counted his actual experiences, was awake for 27 years, took a long nap, and had been awake for a further 10.

He did give her a frown at her comment about the heart attack, but continued making his way, not trying to show off, but he was making good time all the same.

Think of her name, and Isabella would appear. She was kind of like Beetlejuice that way. Though when she hovered, she gave Natasha something of a wide berth. Professional courtesy, perhaps? And she seemed to be help out another client.

Pink Ranger has posed:
Her decent levelling out with Steve on a parallel wall? She comes to grin and reach a hand out towards him for a 'high five' that was truely up high with a grin.

"Awesome stuff!" she encourages, a pause as she starts to make her way lower and Nat's comment earns a dismissive shake of her head. "She's fine...and it -was- her idea!"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As Alexander joined them again, Natasha grinned at his new bobble. She tried not to chuckle at his exuberance over getting a key. "Yes, you did. And if you are good, I'm sure the nice gym lady will give you a clipboard and pen to go with it. As long as you give her all your personal information so she can harass you for a membership." A wink of her eye as she saw Isabella giving her a wide berth now. Because really, it was probably for the demon's own good when Natasha was involved.

"Sounds like a brave lady to face her fears that way," she said to Kimberly, not having to raise her voice quite as much as the woman was getting closer to the ground now. Then Nat came to a realization as she glanced down at the sneakers on her feet. Then the wall. "Do they ..." She already was regretting speaking this out into the universe. "Provide climbing shoes or are sneakers allowed on the wall?"

Phobos has posed:

The young blond man half-smirked at Natasha giving her a slightly crinkled nose look as he then slipped to the side as he informed the Russkie, "They allow sneakers. I think of everything and already asked."

For his part, Alexander strolled up to the middle difficulty range trail, lifting his eyes upwards. Those too pale hazel irises lift and focus for a moment on Kimberly then a glance in the direction of where Firestar had been but he had missed her departure. He steps over and dabs his hands into the small fount of chalk and smacks his palms together a few times.

The young Olympian shot a look toward Nat and motioned with his eyebrows upward in a not so subtle signal. Then he turned and grabbed a decent handhold and proceeded to make his way slowly. Safely. Up that middle trail, fingers digging into the grips, feet finding purchase.

He ascends.

Captain America has posed:
It was a unique experience to high five someone on a climbing wall. Such things in actual rock climbing would be heavily frowned upon, as there weren't cushioned materials all around the climbing walls and structures. Steve clapped his hand to Kimberly's, and the mixture of chalk on both their hands created a little cloud of white. He tried not to breathe it in, but did enjoy the visual, "way to go, my name's Steve."

He missed Natasha teasing Alexander about how Isabella had been chasing the man, but would soon be joined by the pair, it would seem. Noting that where he was wouldn't make for a good resting place, he could do it, but most wouldn't, he moved to an easier spot, one where people might naturally pause in their ascent or descent.

Pink Ranger has posed:
"Kimberly," she offers towards Steve, grinning a little at the 'poof' of chalk before pointing upwards. "Onwards and upwards Steve, I'll see you when you climb back down!"

With that, she was headed to the ground.

"She's great!" Kim confirms as she drops down onto the mat, lifting her arms up over her head in what might be taken as a habitual 'gymnasts finish' pose...that she at least turned her way to a stretch. Lazily finishing the stretch, she stepped away to cross her arms at her chest and look upwards. To review the progress of the Captain and not just catch an eyefull of America's Behind, absolutely.

Moving clear towards Alex and Nat, she lifted a hand as a little wave. "I'm Kim by the way."

Hold on a second. Did he say his name was -Steve-?

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Natasha," was offered by the redhead. She had watched that little display, picking up on the gymnast vibe in particular. Since that had been a large part of her own youth. Something she hadn't really thought about in a long time. She did not introduce Alexander, allowing him the opportunity to do that himself. "Nice to meet you, Kim."

Alexander had opted for the mid range difficulty so she did the same. Moving to the chalk and using it on her hands, even on the balls of her shoes. Then eyeing the wall. A moment and she took her first handhold. Being shorter, some of the reaches were more difficult but it could be done. And she was soon moving up the wall with practiced ease, to the side of Alexander, him being between her and Steve's position.

Then about ten feet up she paused and glanced over to spot where Alexander was in relation to her. "Is this a contact sport? And if it isn't, can it be?"

Probably against the rules of the gym but it had to be asked as she had a wicked sparkle in her eyes.

Phobos has posed:

"You're a bad seed, Romanoff."

Alexander Aaron offers the woman as she manages to ascend right on up next to him. It was understandable considering she wasn't worried about anything like consideration, sportsmanship, or fair play. Though Alex was the picture of polite as he hefted himself up, partially dangled from a one-handed grip to offer a wave in Kimberly's direction.

"Alex." He offers in way of introduction. Then he swings back into place and bites his lower lip, shooting a _look_ at Nat when she gets that wicked twinkle in her eye. He points at her in way of admonishment though likely knowing full well that it will do no good.

Still, he keeps his steady tortoise against the hare pace. Slow and steady wins the race.

Captain America has posed:
"Don't give into it, Alexander. She's just trying to foster that image. It won't work, unless we allow it so." He continued to climb, and caught a glimpse of Kimberly watching his ascent. Rather than think that she was checking him out, he felt pride in that he had made a new friend who was already worried for his safety. Soon, he would be at a point where he was climbing upside down, it was the most dangerous part of the course, but one easily moved back down the way one had come, and there was an elevated cushion for anyone who did lose their place there.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I am not a bad seed," she protested. But then Steve spoke up. Which caused her brows to lift before a second later narrowing.

And that has Natasha suddenly shifting her path. No one had said no. And Cap's words? That sounded like a challenge to her decisions.

No longer was she climbing up her own wall. Certainly she was moving upwards. But also to the side. And she had picked up speed. Then a little bit of a swing, using her legs as she dangled from one hand, getting the momentum she needed and releasing. Only to catch one of the handholds on Alexander's wall and starting to scramble up.

She was parallel with his legs and that gave her a moment. A touch of a foot, a bend of a leg, and she launched herself to try to catch him around the neck as she aimed for his back.

Of course, he could dodge. Or drop entirely, leaving her with no where to land but the handholds if she could grab them.

Phobos has posed:

"See you say you are not a bad seed..." Alexander grunts as he shifts a bit on his course, moving to the side and a little off angle from Natasha's now completely intrusive approach to his climb. He shook his head as he pulled himself up a little faster, realizing that his time on the wall was now at a premium.

"And then yet you do bad seed things."

Yet he can't help but laugh as he pulls himself up and sees her dangling with one hand, building that momentum. His response? "Seriously?"

And suddenly with a grunt and a leap... there was a Widow on his back. He reached up and grabbed at the forearm that was suddenly around his neck as he shook his head and then shimmied to the side a little, one of his hands slipping slightly, but he kept hold.

"I'm having a hard time not allowing her to foster that image, sir." He tells Cap.

Pink Ranger has posed:
Super Soldiers who had probably scaled real mountains to punch nazis in the face probably found courses like this pretty easy and sure enough Kim was watching, but inevitably her gaze moved towards Phobos and Nat after that comment.

"Wait -what-?" she questioned before the roughhousing began and Kimberly was very much grateful she hadn't been here with Trini today after all.

Sure it could be fun, especially if attempted with similarly superpowered individuals...but surely this was dangerous right? At least enough to gain the attention of the staff here.

"This can only go well, I'm sure..."

Captain America has posed:
Steve had come to her defense. He teased, yes, but he was supporting her at the same time. And no, he had not said anything about rock climbing not being a full contact sport. And given their abilities, all of their abilities, they would each do well in such an effort. The trouble was, would anyone be observing them? Regular patrons, or the staff, and how would they react?

Steve was the one who had challenged her, but she had taken it out on Alexander. He thought about helping out, but he was reasonably certain that he would enjoy that kind of assault. And so with a shake of his head, a toothy grin, he would continue his movements, now coming back down that he had crossed over halfway.

Along his way down towards where Kim was, one of the other gymgoers called out, "why don't you two get a room?" Followed by a "whoop, whoop!"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"See? Isn't this more exciting than just climbing up and down a wall? More chances for consequences."

And with that, she swung her body to the side, catching a hold with a hand and getting a foot wedged in then /yanking/ with the arm around Alexander's neck in an attempt to foul his hold. And if that works, sending him falling safely to the mats below.

Of course, even as she did so she was looking for her other target. And that is when she realized Steve was heading /down/ at a steady pace. She considered trajectory and suspected she wouldn't be able to reach him before he got to the floor.

She frowned and called out. "That's cheating, Steve! C'mon! King of the Hill with the wall. Anyone?"

Isabella was probably about to have kittens.

Phobos has posed:

Perhaps in this one instance Natasha was scanning for targets a little too quickly. For she got that grip, planted and got the leverage, then yanked with that arm and she felt the control slip free of the young man who had dared to participate in a peaceful exercise gathering, clearly he had been asking for it.

For he did drop, a quick whoosh clunk... _grip_ as he caught three rungs down. slipping about five feet total, hanging with one hand for a moment.

Perhaps there was an instant when Nat looked down and saw him. Likely even a moment when she thought about kicking him. Though Alexander had no hesitation and instead just made the sacrificial /leap/ to just grab at Natasha's leg and pull her off with his weight, not seeking to stay on the wall but definitely seeking to take her down with him.

Pink Ranger has posed:
She'd certainly seen more strange means of flirting, but still Kimberly gives a little laugh. King of the hill with the wall? That could be fun, but there's always the public zone and the fact that management was probably going to freak out dramatically. Kim put a hand over her mouth, perhaps in shock as Phobos dropped. Either that or to hide her laughter.

Well, at least she hadn't ran into -boring- strangers!

Captain America has posed:
It was tempting to horse around like children in the playground. But it was inappropriate in these surroundings, dangerous, no doubt against the gym's rules, and furthermore, Natasha and Alexander were already engaged in something of a tussle. Adding a third person to the mix would only heighten the danger. And so, with a bit of a sigh, shake of his heads, he continued his way down, towards Kimberly.

And yes, Isabella was ready to have kittens. What might have surprised all involved was that it was more like being in heat. So much so that she grabbed another man by the shirt, and began walking towards the back. The man asked what was going on, and she said, "don't talk, it'll ruin it."

When he finally did reach the ground, safe and sound, Steve stood near Kimberly, "so, what are your friends like?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Eyes had left the target. That's what happened when one was playing and not really trying to fight. Natasha found herself having lost one target and now Phobos had touched her ankle. She glanced down to him in that instant. For just a moment, Nat considered that kick to his face. But then she realized that was a bit much for a friendly game. Thus she did not even as she felt that tug. She pushed off the wall, letting go and giving herself a bit of distance so she wouldn't land on top of Phobos. The cushions at the bottom were designed to catch falling bodies at least. If they had been the thinner type, they'd have to require wiring and climbing harnesses.

THUD!

Natasha landed on her back in a swan dive sort of pose, the cushion flattening some as the air was pushed out of it but there was no injury. And she was laughing as she lay there a moment.

"We should rockclimb more often. Though, probably not here. We'll get one built at the Mansion to use. I'm sure Tony won't mind footing the bill for it." Steve. Natasha. Tony. Maybe Kimberly was onto something after all!

Pink Ranger has posed:
Well...good luck to Isabella. If she truely was a demon? Kimberly wasn't going to notice. She'd hardly begrudge a little bi-panic, but thankfully Steve was there to distract and ask the question, earning a laugh from the girl. "I'd like to say not the sort to start fighting on a rock climbing wall buuuuut..." Well, that would be underestimating both Tommy and Jason.

"But good, we're just a little more on the busy side than we were when we met in highschool. Trini's been my best friend for years, she's really sweet and a lot of fun. She's the one who had the problem with heights."

Despite the fact they'd both lept unharmed from gigantic robots before. Phobias were funny like that.

Phobos has posed:

Alexander hit the padded material just a moment before Natasha did and he rolled up and over onto one arm, smirking as he pushed himself to his feet. He stepped over and as he sidled up beside Natasha gave her a small hip check, just a bump as he slipped an arm around her waist and cast his gaze back up toward the rock summit.

"I could see it being kinda fun, two-man teams, connected by tether. Could develop some tactics for using an anchor and an attacker." The young Olympian bit his lower lip as he gave it some thought, those pale eyes still cast upwards, then they return back toward the others, his smile an easily given thing.

"Might be good to get in some practice for it before the occasion comes up since scaling, combat ascent/descent isn't entirely a rarity in your guys' field." Then he espied Kimberly and gave her a smile, hand lifting in a hello.

Captain America has posed:
She'd like to say no. Steve replayed that phrase in his head as he cast a curious glance at Kimberly. "The brave... woman, is not she who does not feel afraid, but she who conquers that fear." He was quoting, or paraphrasing, since he changed the pronoun for Kimberly's benefit, Nelson Manedela, another person that had been suggested to him. "Nelson Mandela, he was a wise man. If that's a bit heavy, my friend Clint has a cat poster that says hug your fears, they're softer than you think."

With Alexander and Natasha landing with thuds, him rolling to his feet, and her already going off on how they need a rock climbing wall at home, Steve couldn't help but laugh as he offered a hand to help her up. "Ordinarily I might say something about spending too much of his money, but Tony could use the workout." Oh yes, Steve noticed how many Burger King paper bags were in the garbage and not the recycling, as they should have been.

Pink Ranger has posed:
Well, Phobos actually was the one to give it away! Kimberly might not be the resident genius, but she wasn't exactly dumb either. Enough suspicions already, between appearance and comment about lines of work and she turns on the spot after returning the wave before lifting her gaze at Steve. "So uh...are you Captain America? Because..."

She trails off, but there's a hand wave to gesture to him before she looks up at the pair. "I mean, that doesn't look like Thor up there but. You really look like him."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha took the offered hand from Steve and rolled up to her feet. She released the hand just as Alexander came up and gave that little hip bump. Not even a hint of apology anywhere in her expression or body language. Natasha had enjoyed that, even if she got pulled off the wall.

She slipped her arm around Alexander's waist as she focused on Kimberly and Steve as the conversation turned. At mention of Thor, Natasha couldn't help it. She had to chuckle, a slightly husky sound as she covered her mouth and looked at Alexander. "Thor?" Because she knew how the Olympian felt about Asgardians.

Phobos has posed:

"I would need to sound more renfesty." Alexander answers idly about the Thor comment, giving Natasha a slight side-glance and crinkling his nose a little before looking back at the Ranger.

Because indeed, there has been in the past some... tension between the pantheons. Though usually it doesn't go too terribly far.

Captain America has posed:
Averting his eyes from the public displays of affection, Steve instead focused his attention on Kimberly, who had accurately placed him. A hand was extended, "Yes, I am," answering her question directly, before adding, "Steve Rogers, but please, call me Steve." Never knowing how Natasha would react, he didn't out her, or Alexander, "if you'd like a tour sometime, let the doorman know Oxford," the code word he had been assigned for guests by Jarvis.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
After Steve did his formal introduction, Natasha was pretty easy to probably figure out. But just in case. "Natasha Romanoff." Clearing up if there was any doubt. "Thanks for inviting us, Steve. And we will have to do this again. Kimberly, a pleasure."

Then a nudge to Alexander. "You'll have to give back your free key." She tapped her ear where there was what was practically an invisible commlink. Letting him know it was time for work. "If you both will excuse us." And she headed for the door as he headed to the locker room.