5340/Martial Practice

Martial Practice
Date of Scene:	10 September 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	June Connor, Batwoman, Oracle

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June Connor has posed:
    The drizzle outside patters against the face of the clock as the gears slowly shift with theire regular click. June, the resident squatter at Babs' apartment, is in the workout area. Black compression shorts and a black sports bra cover her, with gloves on her hands. Exposed fingernails are painted a deep purple. Her current clothing reveals the dragon tattoo that windes up the right side of her body, and a black footprint is on the back of her left shoulder, both marks of her old life in the Foot Clan.

    A heavy punching bag hangs in front of her, and she gives a hefty kick up to the side of it, followed by a one-two punch. Repeat. Repeat. Sweat glistens on her forehead, the red bangs flopping on her shaved head. The shaving isn't fresh, the hair on the sides starting to grow out a little, brown roots showing near her scalp.

Batwoman has posed:
    "I don't know exactly what your plans are with that bag," A voice comes from above, and reveals itself to be an athletic redhead, her hair in a tight braid - Wearing a camisole, and long black tights, she steps down into the workout area slowly. "But you're expending far too much effort. You aren't fighting a pub, and if you're playing muscle to muscle you're probably going to lose." A feast of lean muscle, Kate Kane allows herself a stretch as she approaches.

    "It's a common misconception, born from the idea that you want your blows to connect with force, but if they don't connect at all all that force goes to waste and leaves you open to attack." She hasn't introduced herself as the Batwoman, and her voice lacks the richness her alter-ego employs. But her fists rise slowly, her stance changing, presenting a slimmer target to June, before she beckons. "Come."

June Connor has posed:
    June stops, glancing over at Kate. "Who the hell are you?" she asks. "Babs thinks this place is so secure. I swear, people just show up all the time." She stops the bag from swinging, catching it with both hands before giving a rub across her nose with the back of her finger, glancing over Kate.
    She walks casually to the mat, putting her hands on her hips as she regards her. It's clear she hasn't tied the woman to the roll of Batwoman yet, and instead of taking a fighting stance, she just stands opposite the mat from her.

Batwoman has posed:
    "I have my own ways in here. Kate Kane, a pleasure. Now, please. Hit me." The self-assured swagger, born of a confidence that all too often swings too far in the wrong direction, her guard still up and close to the body and face. And much like the older, masculine Bat, backed by an obsession with physical combat techniques and styles. "And don't worry, I'm a lot harder to break than you might think."

June Connor has posed:
    June herself is toned, but rather thin, and her lack of chest makes her look even thinner. "Okay, Kate," she answers, the name with some emphasis. She walks forward, bringing her hands up, open and loose. turned to a profile view. She gives a quick jab kick feint, then instead of completing the kick, she stomps her foot down in an attempt to cover Kate's foot, and follow with an attempt to shove her to the ground. It's a cheap move, but one that works most of the time in her experience, because she's found that it's rarely expected.

Batwoman has posed:
    Kate's observant, and she's watching - And although she's well toned, life has left her with something of a chest still. Watching her whole opponent, her hands move as if they're going to guard against the jab and kick, a quick step forward and to the side follows - Neatly avoiding the stomp upon her foot by lifting it up, a hand grasps the apprentice by the shoulder and hauls her forward and off-balance, over her leg and onto the mat. Kate's spin is immediate, her blue eyes locked on June as she readies her guard again. "Clever." She notes, but it's almost dismissive. "In the field you can outsmart, situational awareness is key. Here? Not so much. Now try and fight fair, and come at me."

June Connor has posed:
    June looks up with annoyance from the mat. "In the real world people don't fight fair. There's winners and losers," she says, rolling up to her feet again without fanfare. She immediately moves in for a cat strike, a kick low with a high punch. It isn't hard to block such a maneuver generally, but blocking them she hopes to put Kate off balance enough so that she can come forward enough to deliver a palm strike to the sternum. She commits heavily to the move, making it likely to be a rather impactful success, or could leave her painfully vulnerable.

Batwoman has posed:
    Kate shakes her head. "And yet in here there's no way to do it. This is a sterile environment, there is nothing in here that can suprise me." Almost dispassionate, she steps back out of the way of the kick, and then there's the firm smack of flesh as she snatches June's punching hand and twists her wrist swiftly, up and over to slip around and escape any off-hand blow, the submission hold begun but not finished. Kate shoves June away, and takes a light step back. "All that follow through can be used against you, and it takes so little to avoid. Committing to a blow does nothing if you don't connect." A sigh, "You're slender, not strong. Play your strengths."

June Connor has posed:
    As June is shoved back, she reaches out to catch the hand as Kate starts to step back, using it as leverage to pull herself in close. Her next move is rather acrobatic, as she flips around upside down, tugging Kate's arm between her legs as those same legs swing around to try to catch her in a hold around the midsection. If she's successful, Kate will find a nearly unavoidable hold where her hand is pinned to her side inside the scissor hold. It's not something that would necessarily open a person to a lot of punishment, but a ninja would probably normally have a kunai in hand, which would make it a move that could kill.

Oracle has posed:
    Somewhere during their sparring, Barbara has descended quietly from the loft to the kitchen. The older redhead is wearing yoga pants and a tanktop, all in black, and she watches the match quietly while sipping a mug of coffee.

Batwoman has posed:
    Kate seems prepared for just such an occasion, as the girl finally shows something more than an attempt at brute force. Kate moves with the catch, forcing her chest out and propelling herself into it firmly, slamming her body against the more slender girl and tucking in, launching herself up in a tight roll towards the mat, literally using June as a springboard to break free from the hold. Kate rises from her roll smoothly, and allows herself a giggle, even though she's facing away. "Much better."

June Connor has posed:
    "Only thing that it takes to get surprised is to think you can't be surprised," June comments on the earlier maneuver and claim from Kate. She doesn't notice Babs' arrival, or else doesn't address her at least. "My sensei always taught that all people have limits. A ninja's job is just to find herself on the other side of them." All in all, June's biggest problem isn't so much an inability to execute techniques, but in the finer points of form. Her style appears to have been taught in a shorter period of time than it should have been. Someone was in a hurry to get her in the field.

Batwoman has posed:
    "I don't disagree." Kate notes, "However most suprises require, shall we say, the element of suprise. And if you lose that, you've put yourself in an extremely poor position. Furthermore, many of the nasties that we find ourselves facing often aren't rendered vulnerable as easily as we are." She finally turns, slightly louder, "Babs. Is this the ninja you were talking about before?"

Oracle has posed:
    "I see you two are becoming acquainted." Barbara offers, now that the two seem to be taking a break in the action. "June, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better sparring partner than Kate." She nods, then, stepping closer and cradling the mug in both hands. "It is, Kate. Check the tattoo on her shoulder. June is smarter than the others in her 'graduating class', and she's a quick learner as well."

June Connor has posed:
    JUne reaches up, self-consciously rubbing the footprint tattoo as if it were an injury. "I dunno about smarter. I got the whole lot of them trying to kill me, that wasn't really smart." She indicates nonchalantly as if to change the subject. "So, do we have a rule about being a redhead here?" she asks, noting the uniformity of their hair color. "Like a Gary Fleder movie? I hate to break the news, but it's dyed," she admits.

Batwoman has posed:
    "I noticed, but assumption isn't always my friend." Kate actually smiles then, as Barbara makes her appearance, "I don't deny she has a good foundation, but she lacks a lot of real world experience. There's plenty to learn though, always." June's comment gets her attention back, and Kate's smile only grows, "There's a rumour going around that Barbara's trying to recruit a girlfriend for me - Although it just seems that the same things that makes a redhead fun to take home also make them damned good vigilantes. Or maybe I'm just lucky."

Oracle has posed:
    Babs regards June quite seriously, giving Kate a knowing glance. "Dyed? Oh, I'm sorry then. I'm afraid you're out of the club." Exhaling an obvious sigh, she rolls her eyes and steps closer to the pair when Kate mentions a girlfriend. "Yeah. I'll give you three guesses who started THAT rumor, but you'll only need one. I do think it's because we gingers are naturally high-spirited."

June Connor has posed:
    "Well, good thing I ain't a real ginger," she says, "I think I got enough spirit as it is. Besides, we all know gingers don't have souls," she comments with a wry grin. "But sorry, I don't swing for girls," she comments. "My type is old rich guys." She undoes the velcro on her gloves, peeling them off her hands and tossing them onto the weight lifting bench.

Batwoman has posed:
    "I'll never tell." Kate replies to her own rumour smoothly, "And that's fine by me, hon. It's far from my place to pressure anyone into anything they don't want to do, but I /do/ find is amusing that Babs has assembled a crew of redheaded heroines and just happened to invite me into it, and I will remind her of that until she yells at me." She allows herself another stretch, and a chuckle. "Either way, it's a pleasure to have you with us."

Oracle has posed:
    Barbara rests a shoulder against the wall, crossing one foot over the other as she takes another sip of coffee. "I'm doing it just to taunt you, Kate." she replies. "Surrounding you with athletic young women is some form of pennance for previous sins, of course. Or it would be if we kept track of such things." Babs pauses, then adds. "We don't, by the way. Your past is in the past, same as with everyone else here. All I ask is that you keep your ghosts outside, as much as possible."

June Connor has posed:
    "Yeah," June answers, "I'll try, but don't call me a hero. Heroes are people with stupid idealist garbage that keeps them from doing what's gotta be done," she says. "They may be able to kick my ass, but I sure as hell don't want to be one of them. Buncha self-righteous assholes." Of course, she might actually be talking to two of them, but it doesn't stop her from vocalizing her opinion.

Batwoman has posed:
    "Clearly." Kate answers in a word, and then offers June a shrug. "Hero is a strange term, but it's close enough. I prefer 'vigilante' but language is just so wonderfully fluid." She begins to ascend back out of the workout area, "Self-Righteous might be fair to say too. You must be, really, to flout the law, common sense, and that little voice that tells you that someone else will do something about that. Call is sanctimonious if you must, but if there's one strength to my little family, it's our conviction. I might drop by later, Babs, for now, I've still got to find Mister Nygma and feed him some of his teeth. It's been fun, June. Take care." Kate slips back upstairs, to where her costume is hidden amoungst the clock workings, and makes her exit through her much preferred hidden route.

Oracle has posed:
    Barbara jumps in on that one as well. "Heroes are the ones who do what needs to be done. Because they're often the only ones who can do it." she replies softly. "You've got to go through darkness to get to sunshine and rainbows. Heroes aren't afraid to live in the darkness." She smiles, then, and gives Kate a wave. "Thanks for dropping in, Kate."

June Connor has posed:
    "Dammit," June comments as Kate takes her leave. "She's one too, so wait, which one is she?" she asks. "I can't keep you Bat people straight. You gotta at least come up with a diverse naming system or something." She shakes her head, and goes to grab the towel from the bench and wipe some of the sweat from her face and body.

Oracle has posed:
    Barbara chuckles softly at June's remark, nodding slowly. "Not my secret to tell, I'm afraid. You'll have to get it from her yourself. You know that I'm Batgirl, of course. Which isn't something I was initially very happy about, by the way. I was young and plucky and thought much more highly of myself back then." She gestures with the half-full mug as she talks, managing not to slosh the coffee.

June Connor has posed:
    June shrugs. "I mean, you do you, you could come up with another name if you wanted. I don't figure bein' too well known for beatin' up thugs is a good thing, just means they come gunning for you, right?" she says. "I mean, I'm thinkin' I'm gonna have to drop my haircut and do something different so people /won't/ recognize me."

Oracle has posed:
    Babs nods to that. "Oh I definitely agree with you there. That's why the masks are so important to the vigilante set, and our identies are often our most prized possession." Which certainly says a lot about her trust of June. "I like the idea of changing your appearance, but I don't think the Foot is going to stop looking for you until you're..." Babs doesn't *say* the word, and looks suddenly distracted.

June Connor has posed:
    "Til I'm face down in a compost pile somewhere," June says it with a lack of pomp. "Yeah. I dunno. The only way to get them really off my case is if I'm dead. Of course, if the legends are true, the old leader rules the after life, so I'm pretty fucked there, too."

Oracle has posed:
    Barbara smiles slowly, lifting an index finger. "Until they *think* you're dead." she clarifies softly. "Besides, the old leader hasn't reached the after life just yet, so they won't have a reliable way to check. Not if we make your death *look* convincing. You've seen what the Shadow can do, after all. I think it could work."

June Connor has posed:
    "I don't mean Karai," she says. "Was an old legend about the Shredder. He got killed like a year ago by some mutant turtles. Some kind of old family feud thing. I never paid that much attention. Probably just made up mumbo jumbo to boost his image." She takes in a deep breath, and starts walking toward her room, peeling the sports bra off as she passes into the door. She tosses it in the mess that is the other clothes lying on the floor, and grabs a t-shirt as she continues. "Yeah, if they thought I was dead, that'd be good, but I'm not really sure how I'd pull that off. And they'd probably have to see it happen." She walks back into the main room, a ratty old Pink Floyd t-shirt covering her now.

Oracle has posed:
    Kate might have stared as the sports bra came off. Barbara just casually sips her coffee. "It would need to be staged, but not LOOK like it was staged. We should assume that Karai is at least as smart as we are." A basis Sun Tzu precept. "But you're right. She needs to completely believe it, or it's a waste of time."

June Connor has posed:
    "I'm pretty sure Karai's smarter than I am," June admits. "She is pretty hard core. We'd need to have a body, pics or it didn't happen, y'know? I wouldn't believe it unless I could prove I was dead." She runs one hand through her bangs, then scratches her scalp. "But I don't know a lot of people lining up to die in my place, and I'm fresh out of dead people that look like me."

Oracle has posed:
    Babs clucks her tongue softly at that, nodding slowly. "I'm working on it." she replies, offering a small smile. "But I do see your point. If *I* wouldn't be convinced and *you* wouldn't be convinced, then we need another plan. This one might very well be one for the Shadow."

June Connor has posed:
    "She have a bunch of extra bodies lying around?" June asks with a huff of a laugh. "I believe it. She got pretty up in my face when I suggested smoking pot, threatened to kill me if I ever was on a job high, that kind of shit." Apparently she's figured out that the Shadow isn't a 'he'.

Oracle has posed:
    "The Shadow is a very old soul." Barbara replies softly. And no, she's not giving away anything on gender or name. "But it may also be that the only way we could pull off your death is by mental manipulation. Which, for the record, isn't something I'm especially keen to rely on. For a lot of reasons."

June Connor has posed:
    "Yeah, that shit's fucked up," June says, but from a frown grows a smile. "Let's do it, then. There's a chance that Karai is dead, or according to a friend of mine in New York. Something about some tough superhero girl nabbing her while she was trying to kill him. I'm bettin' she found a way out, personally. I don't even know how we would confirm she's alive. I mean, she is a ninja. I guess we'd have to go stake out the Foot's Warehouse in Manhattan."

Oracle has posed:
    "We'll work on it." Barbara confirms with a nod. "But if Karai IS out of commission, even temporarily, then our time window may be closing rapidly. In the mean time, you should continue training. Let me reach out to some of my contacts in New York."

    Oracle calling DarkSkye, anyone?

June Connor has posed:
    "Right," June says, "I'll be right on that, but I'm hungry, gonna grab something to eat." She heads toward the kitchen. "I'll let you do that homework. Hopefully she'll turn up in a morgue." Of course, June won't be so lucky as that.