7288/Bats and Cats in the Belfry

Bats and Cats in the Belfry
Date of Scene:	21 April 2019
Location:	Wayne Manor
Synopsis:	Bruce, Kitty and Jason discuss the Lycan threat. Also, donuts!
Cast of Characters:	Batman, Shadowcat, Red Hood

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Batman has posed:
     Bruce is sitting int he living room. In his hand is Stoker's Dracula. Next to Bruce is a pad of paper with various notes. Meeting Selene makes Bruce wonder about the credibility of stories. He wonders if stries created in fasty are actually penned with some truth. Each little ability, weakness and the like arenoted on the pad ofpaper.He will stop, make a note, and even put a page numberjust as a pinpoint reference for the passages. One can never be too careful, at last that's how Bruce sees it.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde comes into manor, carrying a box of donuts. A smaller box was already delivered to Alfred after checking to see what his favorites were. It also gave Kitty a chance to find out what the rest of the Wayne family's favorites were so the assorted box has a little bit everyone who might stop by.

"Anyone around?" Kitty calls as she checks a few of the more commonly used rooms. There's too many in the house to search them all, but by now she's starting to get an idea where to start looking. And sure enough, she finds someone in the living room. "Evening, Mr. Wayne. Fresh donut?" she asks as she carries the box over. "And there's some fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen too if you'd like a cup when it's ready," she tells him, opening up the box so Bruce can take his pick.

Batman has posed:
     "In the living room," Bruce calls out. He is working on the notepad still. "I would like that," he offers with a soft smile that's brief. "What bringsyou to my home, with donuts and coffee." Bruce is suspicious of kindness like this. Right now, he is wondering if Kitty wants anything. Deep down, he ahsbeenburned before,and it shows alittle bit. "How are you?" he asks looking to her for a moment

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde brings the donuts over to Bruce so he can pick out his favorites. "Just stopping by while in the area, mainly. Though, as always there's things worth talking about," Kitty says with a sigh. "As my friend puts it, our lives are weird."

She'll wait for Bruce to take what he likes, and then pick out a simple glazed donut for herself. "Couple of students were kidnapped from my school. Some mix of magic and non-magic powers. Might be someone from Gotham responsi8ble based on a lead, though my hunch is it isn't any of your usual cast here. Seemed to be someone aware of my team, maybe even a mutant. We're following up on leads," she says.

Kitty takes a bite of her donut, swallowing before asking, "How is everything going with you, Mr. Wayne?" She sets the box down where it's easy to get at.

Batman has posed:
     "I'm learning about the vampiric threatin Gotham. Right now, there is a large mass of Lycan, werewolves, in Gotham's Underworld. "I'm learning how to harm vampires. Right now, he knows the vampires are not a threat. He still wonders how long the peaceful times will last.

     Sitting on a chair int he living room, he looks like someone reading a bookthen setting down the book. A moment later, he would try to cross reference just in case. Those sky blue eyes watch Kitty as she enters. "Any luck witht he leads?" he asks curiously.

Red Hood has posed:
"You didn't watch enough late night movies, Bruce." comes a voice from behind Kitty. Sweeping by her to snag a donut and steal a kiss from her cheek, as Jason sweeps by. "Kill it while it's human. Or silver. Or you know, burn it to death. All that methane in the sewers. It'll all smell like roasted dog down there. And I'm not talking Ghostbusters style, either." he says as he pops a piece of donut in his mouth.

"Some board game that Nygma made got all magicfied and turned real or some shit. Voodoo hoodoo hocus pocus type stuff. Told them I'd see if I can talk to fishnets about it, but I think she's on tour again. But they seem to have someone on the inside." He glances to Kitty. She can tell him about Illyana or not. "Oh yeah. Got my seventh threat of being hurt if I somehow hurt Kitty. So you know, start planning the wedding or you know, we'll elope or something."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde smiles at the kiss on the cheek, her fingers moving to brush Jason's back briefly as he passes by on the way to the donuts. To Bruce, Kitty says, "Oh, good, you got a chance to meet with that Selene then? Yes, I don't know how much of a threat her own kind are. Though she did refrain from shooting back in a crowd. Unlike the werewolves. So I figured she gets more benefit of the doubt to start with. Definitely would be a good idea to be armed with those bullets, and silver stakes. Apparently they regenerate otherwise," Kitty says. "Based on what Selene said, anyway.

Kitty glances over to Jason. "I'm willing to help out if you're going patrolling there," she offers. Kitty takes a bite of donut and can't help but give an embarrassed grin at the mention of threats. "Sorry about that. I'm going to ask my friends to chill just a bit. I have told them I'm in good hands," Kitty says, reaching over to squeeze Jason's arm.

"We do have some people with magic perceptions available," Kitty says. "Jason is helped with the Gotham end of thing, identifying the manufacture and all. Though it was after we captured Nygma. So we don't think he's directly involved, just someone happened to use his game maybe. We're going to check out where it came from. Possibly question Nygma to see if anyone came calling. Also, we suspect the person has an axe to grind with us, so looking into anyone from the past in Gotham who might have felt slighted."

Batman has posed:
     Bruce looks up to see Jason as he is stepping in. "The devil is inthe details, Jason." A few more notes are jotted down. Although the notes stop when Jason brings up Nygma. Listening, Bruce makes a note to look intohow Riddler did that.

     "The werewolves are coming to Gotham. They are large in number. I don't believe Selene's number, but I believe the threat," glancing to thepair. "I do not know if killing them destroys a soul, or if the lycanthrope does that," Bruce confesses. "Selene believes that the only wayt to stop the problem is to kill it. She has silver rounds, Carrie can vouche for the technology Selene has, and how it's designed to kill Werewolves," that makes him wonder how long they've been at it. "And they're trying to add more to their numbers. That makes Selene on edge."

Red Hood has posed:
"Oh, Bruce, always trying to find the humanitarian way out- it's almost colliqual." Jason responds as he pops the rest of the donut in his mouth. "Look, you work on that - I'll make sure they get taken care of. Said her name is Selene?" he glances to Kitty. "And you know how to contact her? I'll grab some mercury as well." he shrugs his shoulders idly as he leans back and folds his hands behind his head.

"That game thing. That's all Kitty and her playmates. I'm only along to make sure that they do that whole.. take care of it and leave." he shrugs his shoulders in a roll.

Shadowcat has posed:
"I don't have any idea if there is a cure," Kitty says of the lycanthropy. "Though I also got they impression this wasn't being forced on anyone, though I'm not positive on that. Not taking everything this Selene says totally at face value. But for now, seems like the most we have to go on," Kitty says.

She shakes her head to Jason at the mention of contacting Selene. "I don't have a normal means to contact her. Though I have a friend who could track her probably if needed," Kitty says. She looks back to Bruce to ask, "Did you get a way to contact her when you met?"

Kitty gives a nod at Jason's mention of what he's doing as far as the missing students go. "My people just want to find the three kids who are missing. Don't have any purpose for coming to Gotham beyond that," she concludes.

Batman has posed:
     "Your way is not better, Jason." Bruce says thatfirmly for a moment. Then he looks to thepair for a moment. "Selene makes it sound like they are forcing it on people. Or convincing them without giving a good reason. Spreading thestrainf or the sake of it.

     "She hunts in Gotham. Just keep al ook out, the seedier the better," he says just explaining how he found her. Granted, this is a broadstroke kind of way. So, he is just giving them a clue how to find her rather than exact directions. Selene is mobile, so there is no way to directly find her he suspects.

Red Hood has posed:
"She just said that Selene said that these folks are doing it willingly." Jason rolls his eyes. "Goddamn, Bruce, you're so set on everyone needing to be saved that there's those that don't want to be."

Of course... that was always the point. Especially when it came to one person that //really// doesn't have a single redeeming quality.

Before Jason can say more on the matter, he shakes his head. "I did my part. Dropped off what you needed, Kitty. I'm getting out of here before the righteousness sermon begins again."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty motions to Jason gently. "I got the impression it was recruiting, but she might have used other language with him," she says. "Look, I don't want to gun these things down if they are people that can be saved and had it forced on them. Though their actions are going to have a lot to do with how I think we have to handle an encounter, agreed?" Kitty says to Jason.

She looks over to Bruce. "We're operating on partial knowledge, that much is for sure. I think taking some of these things prisoner to question would be a good idea. I tried to do that with the first pair. Broke one's leg to try to immobilize it, but Selene killed it before I could start questioning."

Batman has posed:
     "I do not mind Jason going in there. I don't use guns because I've seen what they can do. How they can shatter lives, family, and everything else so quickly. It is more than just judge, jury and executioner. If we use the same tactics than them, are we different? Most would say 'No.'" Bruce is explaining his stance to Kitty because he knows there is no stopping Jason. While Jason believes it is sermon, to Bruce it is a matter of right and wrong. There is a line in what they do, it's clear, distinguished, and if crossed then it compromises.

     "I've gotten the impression they are taking volunteers, and not. More so in the latter category. I am going to try and develop a cure for Lycanthrope," Bruce knows that those that may not have had a choice are innocent. That's the line Bruce does not want to cross. Becauser what if they kill someone that just got pulled into this world iwth no explanation. Guilty of being a target in the wrong place, at the wrong time?

Red Hood has posed:
"It's amazing what some people will do ..." and there's a pause. "..and /not/ do to help their family." Jason says flatly. It's an old wound. It's an old argument. It may be the one thing that'll never be healed between Bruce and Jason. That underlying hurt and betrayl that sits as deep as Jason's soul. "I'll make sure to ask which one they are when they're trying to rip off my face."

With that, he's leaving - no, not even Kitty is stopping him this time.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty glances between father and son. "If it's forced on them and there's a way to cure them, I'm all for it. If there isn't, or they are choosing it and to act that way? I don't know what to do with them, short of turning to over to someone like SHIELD," Kitty says. "And I'm not even crazy about giving them samples of something like that which can create powerful weapons," Kitty says, frowning.

"I don't like taking lives, only in the last resort," she says, giving Bruce a little nod. "There may not be as much choice in this case. If you can find a cure, that would sure help," she says. Kitty looks back to Jason as he departs. "We really did just stop by to bring donuts, by the way. The rest, like I said, there's pretty much always something that needs talking about, isn't there?"

Batman has posed:
     "Go to him," Bruce says softly. There is more to say on the matter. More to say on everything, but Bruce knows that Jason is hurting. Deep down, he believes Red Hood wants to see Joker ten feet under. He was hoping to see it because the death of the madman would give his life value. That Jason was more than just a soldier, or kid. To Bruce, he was always more. Jason is too stubborn to see that. No hero should kill, it makes them different. That's Bruce's stance. When the line is crossed, that's when everything gets complicated.

Red Hood has posed:
Ten feet under Hell wouldn't be far enough for that madman if you asked Jason. But he's already sitting on his motorcycle, ready to get as far away from the Manor and the memories as he can - he may even leave Kitty behind at the moment. He needs time to think and sort.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty Pryde gives Bruce a quick nod of her head at his comment. The speed with which she hurries to catch up to Jason is enough to signal her feelings for him, even without needing to see the look on her face. She hurries down the steps, heading for the motorcycle. If he hasn't pulled away from her, she hops on behind. Arms going about Jason's waist as she hugs herself against his back. The same as she did that first day that they met. When he took her to see the orphanage, and he taught her Gotham's song.