Summary:Catwoman briefs Helena on their first assignment Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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Night's falling, and that means it's time to work. Catwoman's been given her assignment for the night - and, on a very special occasion, that work also happens to be the very first (sanctioned) outing of her only daughter, Helena Wayne.
Selina texted Helena rather ominously with: 'It's time' - but arriving in the bat cave, one would find Selina in full Catwoman garb, goggles perched above her brow, as she sits cross legged on Bruce's work desk for the bat-computer where she'd almost certainly not be appreciated.
But, cats sit where they want if no one stops them.
Selina plants her elbow on her knee and rests her chin on her palm as you arrive, purring, "There you are~. Nervous?" asking as if she doesn't already know the answer that's coming.
—-
Helena was ready. Or at least she finally had her suit ready. When she shows up in the cave, she's already dressed. The undersuit Bruce and Selina gave her is augmented by a few strategically placed pieces of light armoring - enough to protect her vitals and give a little extra force to her blows without sacrificing too much mobility. Gloves and gauntlets cover her hands, with small channels up the back of the fingers hinting at something more there.
She wears a mask over the lower half of her face and her blue eyes are hidden behind golden colored contacts, her features even further shadowed by the hood of a mid-calf cape. The hood also disguises the cupped ear-shaped devices that hook around her ears like cuffs - comm devices with bone conduction tech built in.
"I mean…Maybe more excited?" Even Helena's voice is different when she speaks, altered by the mask to something lower with just a hint of a sound between a purr and a growl beneath it. "A little. Except I know you guys wouldn't take me out for the first time on something that would probably kill me, so…part of me thinks this is probably not going to be all that dangerous."
—-
"Ooo~" Selina makes a bit of a noise as she catches first sight of your completed - or at any rate, ready-for-testing - costume, putting her hands together and tapping her fingers together a few times. "I like it, you've got kind of a tech-ninja thing going I think your dad'll appreciate."
Her eyes half-lid and her smile broadens at Helena's answer, seeming pleased enough, though she knows how dangerous 'excitement' can be as an over-riding emotion in these cases. Not that Selina 'thrill seeking youth' Kyle has any room to complain.
As for 'all that dangerous', Selina smiles. "Well! I have good news and bad news. The bad news is, we probably won't be mopping up Staten Island today. The 'good' news is, we're already breaking the god damned 'wizard rule'." Selina sighs forlornly, having clearly reversed which news was 'good' and 'bad' to suit what she assumes Helena's points of interest would be.
—-
"Thanks." Helena's features may be hidden, but Selina can see the way her eyes crinkle at the corners, hinting at a broader smile. "I've got a few more finishing touches to add, but…Oh! And!" She reaches down, pulling out what looks like two small batons from sheaths at her thighs. A flick of her wrists sees them extend to more of a sword length, then with a twist she fits them into a staff, giving it a spin. "Pretty cool, right?"
She leans on the staff, head tilting slightly at the good and bad news. "By breaking the wizard rule, you mean we're going up against something magic?" she asks, arching a brow.
—-
Selina watches the baton come out with some surprise that has transformed into grin by the time Helena's done demonstrating. "Pretty cool." She confirms. While Bruce may or may not have chastised Helena for showing off, Selina tends to encourage Helena's eccentricities; possibly to her long term detriment, but Selina likes it when Helena takes pride in her work.
As for magic, Selina nods gravely with a sigh, having never approved of the 'gods and monsters' aspect that's become pervasive in this world of theirs, but she can't very well ignore it. "We're digging into something magic that they probably don't want dug into. Okay! We have two matters to discuss."
Selina hits a button on the keyboard without looking, and a few 'missing children' files appear on the screen centered around a picture of a single woman. "You've probably heard about the kids going missing in New York? Well. Your father and Zatanna dug up a whole truck load of crazy nonsense. Short version is, they're being brainwashed and given these…" Selina gesticulates wildly, struggling to come up with a word that won't make her cringe, but has to settle on, "'arcane' tatoos to summon things from god knows where."
Selina fixes Helena with a look. "We're not dealing with them. We're dealing with *her*." The woman in the center grows to dominate the screen. "This is Meredith Youvin. Nobody special, a teacher's assistant; unremarkable unbringing, one teeny tiny gang-logo tattoo, *and*…" Selina visibly grimaces with disgust, "… has recieved multiple unaccounted for deposits to her bank account, each within days of a child vanishing in her orbit."
—-
Helena's eyes are serious as she watches the demonstration, though she does pull down her mask to better discuss things. As long as they're still in the safety of the cave. "So you think she's the one who's supplying the wizards," she nods, stepping closer to get a better look at the picture. "You found the deposits. Was there anything else in her record that seemed odd? Anything someone might be using as leverage in addition to the payment?"
—-
"Not alone, no." Selina answers the first point, a certain coldness in her voice. Something about motherhood has made her a tad sensitive to child kidnapping and exploitation. Go figure. In answer to the second question, Selina nods. "Not a lot. But she has a tattoo of the Denim Crows gang emblem on her body - a dangerous gang of scumbags tied up with the…" Selina peers back at the screen for a second and reads, "… El Clan del golfo cartel. Went to school with one of their members, Miguel Santos. Apart from that, nothing that unusual. But she's a lead…" Selina grins wickedly, "Which is why we're gonna put the screws to her."
A moment passes and Selina frowns. "Well. Gently, at first. There's always the chance that she's being blackmailed or something. It happens. Blackmail-ees don't usually get *paid*, though." She tilts her head and smiles. "She works late at the school tonight. Thinkin' we should pay her a visit?"
—-
Helena quirks a brow at the idea of putting the screws to someone, still reading over all the details of the information. "Depends on how smart the people who she's working with are," she shrugs. "I mean. If you could afford to bribe someone but you also didn't trust them, it's one way to hedge your bets. And if you're into weird magic summoning rituals, I'm guessing your goals go a little beyond just cash."
She takes a deep breath at the final question, grin flashing broader as she looks over to her mother. "I think she could probably do with a few visitors. I mean. You're taking the lead, right?" Better to figure these things out now than when they're actually in front of the woman.
—-
Selina taps the side of her nose at Helena's question, winking one eye shut. "Got it. I have you on back up. Extra intimidation. Blocking exits. But I figure I'll do most of the talking. If she bolts, try not to hit anything that'll stop her talking. Also…" Selina grimaces for a second, and then produces a small block of iron. "In the offchance that she has an army of wizards at her disposal, supposedly they, their weapons, and… people from the *fae world*???" It's not a question but it's pronounced like one, "… are all weak to cold iron." Selina shrugs. "I feel like we're all kinda weak to blunt trauma from iron, but your father insists, and he knows more *sorcerors* than I do, so…" Selina hands the cold iron to Helena, "… just in case. Any questions!"
—-
"Sure, that's one of the things Zee's stories used to say," Helena smiles faintly as she takes the piece of iron, slipping it into her utility belt in an easy to reach place. "Cold iron. Don't take gifts from them. They have to tell the truth, but not all of it. But if you can get them to say something three times, then it's absolutely true." Who knew? Useful things come when you let the wizard tell your kid bedtime stories.
"What's the plan for after?" she asks, head tilting once more. Like her father, she thinks several steps ahead. "How are we going to make sure she doesn't call and warn her contacts that people are digging into them?"
—-
Selina grins proudly as Helena tics off the next few boxes for her, and Selina nods at the end, grinning slyly "Then she leads us to them, since we'll be tracking her phone and keeping an eye on her. Presuming we don't get chased off by magic three eyed men."
"Now then!" Selina claps her hands once and slides off of the desk, standing up and crossing her arms. "The second, and most important matter…" Selina steps towards Helena, puts one hand on her shoulder, and points to the centerpiece of Bruce's collection of Batmobiles, his newest model. "Is transportation. The new car is slick, it's got stealth capabilities and holo paint for tactical and social camoflauge. On the one hand: Your father has explicitly forbidden us from taking it." Selina grins wickedly, "On the other hand, I really, *really* want to. So!" Selina steps past you, towards the car, then turns around to face you again. "I have a plan."
Selina produces a coin. "Heads, we take on of the other cars. Tails, we make off with the new Batmobile. What do you think?"
—-
"Holo paint?!" For anything less than her first mission, Helena might be distracted enough to stop and investigate just how that works. But for now, she gives the car a long look. "Or…." she says slowly, with a sidelong look and a growing grin in her mother's direction. "We could just say we flipped a coin. I mean, we can't be held responsible for luck, right?"
—-
"Oh, honey…" Selina smirks, "You are a *star*. But… I believe *whole heartedly* in fair play. So… we'll leave it to Lady Luck~."
With that, Selina balances the coin over one thumb, and flicks the coin upwards!
And outward.
Towards you.
With a perfectly self-satisfied smile on her face, Selina asks, "So…? What's it say…?"
—-
|ROLL| Helena Wayne +rolls 1d2 for: 2
Helena's hand snaps out to catch the coin, brow arching over at her mother before she looks at it. "When did you start believing whole-heartedly in fair play?" she teases, setting the coin on the back of her other hand and looking upward with a sigh before she looks at it. "Ha!" she exclaims, grin flashing. "Legitimately tails. New car it is. We'll just tell Dad it was the safest way we could think of. That should mollify him, right?"
—-
"Awww!" Selina grins, "Legitimate tails aren't as fun as *fake* tails, buuuuut I'll take it. Or… *we'll* take it~" Selina puts an arm around Helena's shoulders and walks her towards the car, putting her free hand over her heart. "Bruce, sweetheart, I was only thinking about our *safety*! All this talk of magic has me sooooo worried…!" Selina acts out a slightly eery show of concern and sincerity before grinning "I like it~"
—-
"Exactly," Helena grins, just before she pulls up her mask again. "We were just trying to be responsible. And stealthy. Wouldn't want anyone to track us back or notice us while we're following her to make sure we know where they're at and they don't know where we're at. We were just using the best tools we had at hand."
—-
"And besides!" Selina adds, over-acting as she activates the Batmobile so it sleekly slides open to expose the seats inside, before hopping into the driver's seat. "If you think about it, it's really *your* fault for leaving it there." Selina wriggles into the seat a bit, testingly, and puts her hands on the wheel. "Mixed messages, honestly~"