(2014-07-10) Heroines Met at Midnight by Moonlight
Heroines Met at Midnight by Moonlight
Summary: Log Summary
Date: 2014-07-10
Related: Batwoman Investigating the NYC Mint
NPCs: Trish Tilby
Scene Runner: NA
Social/Plot: Plot
Players:
power-woman..batwoman..

A plain envelope arrives at the news desk of Trish Tilby, addressed in typed font.

"I need for you to arrange a meeting with Power Woman for me. I have information about the Manhattan Mint robbery that she will want to discuss."

Date and time and place are listed next: The roof of the highest building in Metropolis at Midnight.

It is signed simply with a red Bat silhouette.


The tallest single building in Metropolis would have to be LexCorp Tower. Suffice it to say, Power Woman usually has no reason whatsoever to land there without expecting trouble. The message passed on by Trish Tilby states that someone wants to meet her there, on that rooftop, at Midnight. Kara isn't looking forward to it. But when Midnight comes, she floats down out of the sky and hovers three inches off the deck of the rooftop, Kryptonian senses honed and sweeping long before she arrives, looking to make sure she doesn't set off the tower's defensive perimeter, and also to locate and if possible identify the mysterious person who left the message with Trish. Her reporter friend was none too pleased about being used as a mail drop.

Batwoman steps out of the shadows of a stairwell, apparently having had no issues at all with the building's security measures. The black mask and cape leave no doubt as to her affiliation, although the red hair and accessories would certainly raise eyebrows. "Thanks for coming." She offers. "I wanted a neutral location for this chat, and I honestly wasn't sure whether you'd show." Reaching out from beneath her cape, she holds a wrapped folder. "I'd like to talk about the Manhattan Mint… incident. If you have some time."

The hovering blonde Kryptonian raises an eyebrow at the redheaded woman who appears out of the stairwell, though she doesn't seem shocked or surprised. She may not have been able to see through the lead-lined structures of the building - thank you Lex Freaking Luthor - but she could still hear a heartbeat. And only one. "Sorry. I don't really view this location to be 'neutral territory'. But you wouldn't have any way of knowing that." Not necessarily, anyway.

Kara has met Batman, and worked with him. Seeing his symbol - if in red - was enough to get her here. This woman is a mystery, but she's going to play it out to see what comes of it. "Ms … Bat … Woman, I presume? What about The Manhattan Mint?" Kara eyes the folder, but doesn't just reach out and take it, until it is actually offered directly to her. "I confess, I'm not entirely sure where to begin. But if you have some interest in the case, I'll tell you whatever I can." And make time for it, apparently.

Red lips curl into a broad smile as she nods. "Yes, Batwoman. And it's a pleasure to meet you in person, Power Woman." She looks around the building, then considers a moment. "We can talk elsewhere, if you prefer. But I know you have reason to be careful, so I wanted a location where you could fly off if you chose." Looking at the folder, then back to the hovering blonde, she continues. "I've been to the site and have reviewed the evidence, but several things don't add up. I'm offering an information exchange: what I know for what you can answer."

Power Woman considers Batwoman for a few long moments, and then a tiny bit of the tension in her seems to melt away. "Alright. That sounds reasonable." With that, Kara floats closer to Batwoman, and offers her blue gauntleted hand. "Don't worry. I don't mind if you scuff my boots. Step up, and we can go to a truly more neutral location. I promise, you will be completely safe, and you too can leave any time you like."

Kara waits, with the hope that the redhead will take her hand, and step up onto her toes. If she's lucky enough to earn that, she lays her other hand lightly around the small of the redhead's back, and floats up and away from LexCorp tower, coming to alight instead on the rooftop of the Daily Planet, beneath the globe. "Here we are, safe and sound. And out of the range of Lex's security system microphones."

Kara gently releases Batwoman's hand and waist once they are fully landed. "So. Where shall we start? Would you like me to begin with what I know about the incident?"

Batwoman takes a hold of the offered hand, stepping smoothly onto the boots as well. Pulling herself close, she eases her other hand, the one with the folder, around the small of the tall blonde's back as well. Nostrils twitch beneath the mask, and does her breathing quicken? Hell yeah. The black and red cape flutters with the smooth flight, but it's not the flight she finds so exhilirating.

Once they're on the roof of the Planet, the dark-clad woman steps off smoothly and exhales smootly. Yeah, she's gonna ignore any snarky remarks from the Colonel in her ear for the moment. Not that he should be surprised.

Back to business, yeah. Still holding the folder, she talks first. Nothing like documents or visual aids to distract from a presentation; Power Woman can look those over later. "How about we start with the loose ends and fill in from there? My first question is about the missing plates. Did any of the golden speeders get away?"

If Kara is aware of Batwoman's response to her touch, her presence, her strength or her appearance, she at least has the good sense not to say anything about it and embarrass the woman she just met. Even so, she cannot help the tiny tug of a smile at the corners of her lips as she thinks how like learning to dance this must be. She herself has fond memories of her Earth father teaching her just like this. She hadn't even considered that when offering, but she can't escape it in her thoughts now.

"We don't know." Kara answers, honestly. "None that Miss Marvel or The Flash saw managed to get away. But they had easily a couple of minutes from the time they trapped me in the vault until the others arrived. Some of them could have never returned." Power Woman is honest, even if it paints her like a fool. What's the point in lying? "I only saw twenty-four of them. Since they were concentrated on emptying the other vault at the time, I went after the civilians to get them to safety. Remains were found for twenty-four. But they were blurring to locations all over the city, if not the tri-state area, on each looping pass. They could have exchanged and there'd be no way the others would know." Kara's senses might have been able to tell, but she was trapped in the vault, and then recovering, not in shape to do so.

"None of the missing cash, precious stones, or precious metals lost have been located or recovered." Power Woman adds, in case that was something Batwoman wanted to know.

The caped redhead nods thoughtfully. "I'm not questioning your judgement, of course. I'm just interested in the facts." she offers. "The whole thing smacks of an inside job, as well. Which, considering that the whole mint was a Black Site, is a pretty tall order. I'm running background checks on all of the witnesses, but I still lack an accurate employee list."

She holds out the folder, then, offering it. "These are images I took during my walk-through. The armored car *wasn't* the one that was supposed to be there. There's no VIN. Anywhere. It was put together at a chop-shop somewhere. So somebody knew the car schedule, and was able to slip in an untracable substitute. Pretty tough work, especially for a Company job."

She pauses for a moment, then, to look at the taller blonde. "How are you feeling, by the way? It took me a little bit to piece it together, but *someone* had the presence of mind to adjust the spectrum for the lamps to a setting you'd find uncomfortable."

Obviously, Power Woman had wondered about the origin of the Mint, and who could have known about it and its resources to have planned the job. "I would have to agree. I didn't even know it was down there, and clearly almost no one else did either." Black Site. The whole idea sends a shiver up her Kryptonian spine.

Kara accepts the folder of pictures, and flips through them quickly. She'll remember every tiniest detail now, without needing to refer to them again. "Interesting. I had not realized the armored car wasn't legitimate. It had all the same markings as others I've seen operating at other mints and similar locations, and its structure was accurate as well. I didn't think to check for vehicle identification part tags." She's just not suspicious enough, she supposes. Maybe she will need to become so, for everyone's sakes.

The tall blonde offers a little smile and shakes her head, letting those shorter blonde locks toss a bit. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking. A few minutes in good, natural sunlight and all of the ill effects were gone. Just getting out from under those lamps was good, and getting them shut down even better." She sighs a bit. "I do seem to have become a target du jour of late, which I'm getting tired of." But what makes her angry isn't the attacks on her, but on her cousin.

"May I ask what drew your attention to the case? I'm afraid the League files on you aren't very detailed, so I'm not sure what you specialize in." Kara admits. "I'd been under the impression that you kept yourself largely to Gotham, much like Batman has." Or did, until Godzilla, and then the League. But then he went on Reserve status and returned to just Gotham.

Something occurs to Batwoman then, and she mutters to herself. "Of course! It's a long-shot, since the mint was probably used for off-book funding, but maybe the cash and the ingots were still micro-tagged. That's standard with currency, and *might* help with locating." She smiles, and adds. "For that matter, if there are NO micro-tags that might make locating the stolen goods easier."

Then she smiles as she's brought back to the conversation. "What drew me to the case? Well I'm always curious when something that's not supposed to be there suddenly shows up. Especially when the Government is involved." Arms slipping back beneath the cape, the black garment settles to obscure all of the red except her hair. And her lipstick. "And to be honest, I'm a bit suspicious about those lamps. If you take a step back a moment, what's the bigger prize here; the loot or capturing Power Woman?"

Pausing to let that sink in for a moment, Batwoman continues. "I don't want you going after this case anymore. I think there's reason to believe that whoever is behind it *may* be specifically targeting you. I'm taking the lead on this case, effective right now." She smiles, then adds. "Unless you're prepared to offer any convincing objections."

"I wasn't really concentrating on the cash, so I'm not really sure if it was microtagged or not." Kara is forced to admit. It galls her that she should have thought of all of these things and did not. But her first priority had been apparent civilians in danger. Predictably so, for such a tried and true heroine.. And apparently someone decided to use that against her. Or at least, that's what Batwoman is implying.

"Convincing objections?" Power Woman offers, mostly unintentionally looming over the redhead; she doesn't add to her height by floating upwards, but she does draw herself up to its fullest potential. "I'd say the most convincing objection is this: near as I can tell, you don't have any metahuman abilities. These people have proven to have, at the minimum, metahuman resources you would never be able to see, let alone catch. Like it or not, Batwoman, that is the definition of the need for League involvement." Kara won't make a play demanding her own involvement, however. She isn't blind to the fact that these people seem to be prepared to deal with her specifically.

"Beyond that," Kara continues, "I doubt you would ever allow someone - anyone - to tell you what cases you could or could not investigate. I can't imagine you think you have the authority to tell me that, either." She grins. "Which means you said it to test me. Hopefully, I pass. But I would welcome your assistance. Already, you've gained information I did not have, which proves you have intelligence resources we do not have right now. We'd be fools to exclude you, just as you would be a fool to exclude us."

Batwoman folds her arms beneath the long cape, her gaze mostly unreadable to those without x-ray vision. Karen, on the other hand, would certainly note a sparkle in those green eyes that complements the curl of red lips rather well. "Yes, you pass." she replies. To her credit, Kate doesn't back down when the tall super-blonde looms. Although her gaze -does- drop from the blonde's blue eyes. Briefly.

"I do think it's best if we work together on this, I agree. No, I don't have any metahuman abilities, but you're smart enough to recognize my worth." She was counting on that. "We're not going to catch the speeders using brute force. No offense, but I think you've already demonstrated that. We're going to have to peel this case back to the core. Find out who sent them and why, then stop them at the source."

Power Woman nods as Batwoman acknowledges the test, and her passing grade. "Brute force is rarely the answer, honestly. But having access to it is often handy." Yes, that's a wry little smirk. "Still, I agree that catching them at their source would be best, as I think the speedsters were, at best, pawns. At worst, I think they may have been remotely controlled, not even fully real."

Aware that someone is listening in on their conversation together - from inside Batwoman's suit - Kara still decides to trust the other woman, at least far enough for them to work together. She reaches to her belt, and a very tiny pouch hidden inside it, extracting a tiny disc. "Attach this to your communications array. It will add a channel, and process all signals for that channel by a certain rotating encryption algorithm. It will connect you to a communications network and allow you to reach me. It won't allow me to track you, or you to track me. And you can power it down when you don't need it, if you wish. Though that'll make it harder for me to reach you."

Kate recognizes the trust involved, and she fully expects that the super-blonde is capable of listening in on her headset conversation. Good thing that the Colonel does as well, which is reflected in his relative silence. Accepting the disk, she looks it over and then slips it into a pouch on her utility belt. Fooling with tech is the Colonel's job, after all. "I'll keep it on whenever I'm in the suit." she declares. Trust begets trust, after all.

"If I'm going to be involved with the League at some point, I'd like to at least meet the other players. Although for right now I'm perfectly fine with going through you as my 'handler'. Assuming that's acceptable to you as well." And she even manages to say that with a straight face, even though her bios spike a little.

Kate's gaze wanders a bit inside the starlight lenses as she shifts to business again. "We first need to find the armored car. The *real* armored car. Then I'll check my intel on the micro-tags. The presence or absence should be of some help in tracking down the currency, at least. I also have some leads on the Company side of the site, but those are more of a long-shot. Unless you can call in some League intervention."

Power Woman nods, appreciating the other woman's show of equal trust. "I would like to arrange for you to meet with the others as well. Obviously, if you wish to meet Diana you could drop by the Themysciran Embassy in New York. But I'll do what I can to help facilitate a chance to meet with her, and with others." Kara admits, "Batman had been a member, but he asked to be moved to Reserve status, to concentrate on Gotham. I'd really like to see someone with similar sensibilities working with us again. I think it's important."

Kara considers the question of where to go from here. "I'll take a sweep of New York and the surrounding area when I can, to see if I can spot any signs of the original vehicle. If there's anything I can do to assist in our searches, please let me know. But I don't know of any League resouces that can necessarily help us regarding the Company. I presume that's the CIA?" Granted, they do have two SHIELD members on the team. But she's not sure how much they can get out of the CIA without earning ire they don't need. "I don't want us antagonizing legal government agencies unnecessarily. They're leery enough of the League as it is."

Batwoman nods slowly in agreement. "The truck has a GPS, although it may have been disabled, so it shouldn't be difficult to find. Unless it's already been removed, of course." Tilting her head, she shifts her stance and adds. "If you find it first, do -not- engage. Call me and I'll perform the investigation."

Drawing a deep breath, the redhead exhales slowly. "Right. The Company is just a polite way of saying CIA. And while they -should- be leery of the League, the League has every reason to be leery of them as well. It wouldn't hurt to remind them that it was *their* spooky little fundraiser that imploded. And that the League is cleaning up their mess. I think you, or certainly the Princess, are sufficiently imposing to deliver that message with the proper effect." No, Kate doesn't much like the CIA.

"Well, at this rate, if it hasn't been disabled, I'm sure the CIA has found their truck. Or the armored car company." Kara answers, honestly. "But if it hasn't yet been found, then I believe we can assume that it's GPS has been disabled, or blocked, somehow." The blonde smiles. "If I find it, if anyone in the League finds it, you will be called." Which doesn't mean they won't approach. But they won't shut her out, either. And Kara has a reputation for keeping her word.

"Princess Diana is a much better diplomat than I am. I will let her decide who should talk to the CIA about this." Power Woman answers. It may be Kara herself. Diana. Or it may be the Black Widow. But someone from the League will be talking with the CIA. Whether the CIA likes it or not.

Kate folds arms over her chest again, the red gloves complementing the black suit rather well. "Actually, now that I think of it, I'd prefer if the League sent someone -less- diplomatic. The CIA doesn't understand diplomacy. I'd suggest sending someone direct and unpleasant." She smiles and then adds. "Which also rules YOU out."

"If we write off the original truck, then we need to look for shops that could piece together a truck from spares. Which means someone has to get the spares, and there are a limited number of suppliers. I'll chase that one down." Well, the Colonel will at least. "Right now we're still going the long way around the barn. I'll review the tapes for micro-tags or lack thereof. And I'd like for the League to see about trying to trace the currency."

Kara smiles. "I can do direct and unpleasant. But I'm glad you realize it's not my natural state." Hey, she likes to make friends, not enemies. So she tries hard to understand other people, and respect them. Those habits tend to make it much harder to be actively unpleasant to others. "We'll see what we can do on tracing the currency."

That said, Power Woman glances over at LexCorp Tower. "Should I take you back over there so you can head on your way. I wasn't looking, but I presume you have a mode of transport nearby. I don't want bringing you over here to inconvenience you." See? Considerate. Or maybe she just wants to see if Batwoman's vitals do the same spike the second time around.

There's no hesitation as Batwoman steps up again, carefully placing her boots on the toes of Kara's own. One arm slides around the blonde's waist to pull them close, and she smiles as she looks up. Yeah, even meeting Power Woman's eyes. Pulse increases, as does her breathing and body temperature. But at least she doesn't squirm. "If you wouldn't mind." she replies, voice a bit husky. "The street level would be easier. Breaking into LexCorp wasn't easy, and I'd rather not have to break out again."

The tall, powerfully built blonde smiles as she takes Batwoman's offered hand in hers and tucks her other around the small of the redhead's back. "I wouldn't mind at all." That said, she lifts off from the Daily Planet's roof and then down, down, down the mighty tower's height, then alights in an alleyway beside LexCorp Tower. "I won't drop you. I promise." she murmurs, as they fly, trying to reassure the other woman. She admits, "It reminds me a bit of how my Earth father taught me to dance. But it works."

Batwoman makes sure to pull herself close, although not for any safety concerns. And surely not out of any fear of heights. Gloved fingers press along the muscular curve of Karen's lower back, and Kate somehow manages to resist the urge to rest her head on the taller blonde's shoulder. "I learned to dance the same way." she replies. "And I trust you. Nice choice of positions, by the way." Nice choice of positions? Yeah, the Colonel is choking on his coffee over that one. Although Kate wouldn't have minded being carried in the muscular blonde's arms. Or even in a fireman's carry.

Power Woman can't stop herself from laughing softly at that. Nice choice of positions? "Well, this allows us to be more equal. We can both see where we're going, and we're both part of things. No one is doing an immitation of a sack of potatoes." There's a twinkle in those blue eyes as she says that. It's not as if she minds carrying someone in her arms. But she did what seemed the right fit at the time, and she still considers it the right choice. "I'm glad that you can trust me. And tell your friend I hope he didn't burn himself too badly. Coffee, I'm assuming." Just being honest enough to admit she can hear the Colonel. She doesn't make a point about seeing Kate's face, but honestly that's because she doesn't - at least not yet - recognize the face. That it is made up probably helps. "Oh. That is a nice motorcycle. Not quite Metropolis standard, but then again, I'm assuming you're not from around here."

Batwoman isn't in a hurry to let go, even then the two women reach the pavement. "That's the Colonel, yes. He's the voice in my ear; my backup. And occasionally my conscience." And her dad, but she'll let that one slide. Red lips curl into a smile as the position is discussed, and she nods. It has the added benefit of allowing Kate to press herself fully against the statuesque blonde, which she doesn't mind at all (based on the bio sensor readings). "And thanks. Ducati, or at least that's how it started out before we souped it up. Definitely not stock anymore." Her fingers trace casually up and down along Power Woman's spine beneath the cape, from the belt to between her shoulderblades. As if unsure how to close this meeting. "Thank you again for agreeing to meet me. This has been quite a…" she pauses, searching for the word, and comes up with "…memorable, evening." Memorable? Pops takes his headset off, but she can still hear him cackling in the background.

Power Woman couldn't possibly be unaware of Batwoman's lightly wandering fingers, or the tilt to her bio readings. But she doesn't draw immediate attention to any of it, either. She's polite, like that. "You're welcome, Batwoman. Thank you, for caring enough to reach out. I'm glad that I could make the evening worth your while. I won't forget it, either." That might be because she has an unfairly perfect Kryptonian memory. Or it might be because Kate made that kind of impression. Who knows? "Drive safely. I'll talk to you soon." With that, finally, she gently releases Batwoman's hip and hand, letting the redhead take control of stepping down when she's ready to go.

Step away from the beautiful super-blonde? Okay. If she must. Batwoman steps back slowly, looking down at her feet as she leaves those boots and taking the opportunity to quietly admire Power Woman's physique. Her camera records everything, and she'll definitely play back this footage later. Without the Colonel. "Thank you." she replies and yes, she already said that. Like a teenager. "And I look forward to it. Sorry for scuffing your boots." Turning, the dark cape flashes as she swings smoothly onto the bike. The Ducati starts with a soft chirp and a moment later she lets out the clutch, pulling smoothly away. And accelerating.

Batwoman
Dressed for the night, black and red defines this tall, curvy woman. A black mask covers her face above the cheekbones, shaped as a stylized bat; complete with pointed nose and long ears. Her complexion is pale, with blood red lipstick accenting her sardonic smile. Her mass of long, red curls spills out behind to trail well down her back, flowing freely when she moves. Form-fitting black leather clings to her lush figure, covering from the neck down and leaving nothing to the imagination. Emblazoned across the chest is a stylized red bat. Blood red forearm gloves each have three curved blades along the back edges. Matching boots snug up to just below the knee, with padded soles and three inch heels. A long cape falls from shoulder to her ankles, the ends weighted and scalloped like a bat's wing. Black on the outside, like her bodysuit, the lining is blood red. Circling low on her shapely hips rides a red utility belt, with many dubious pouches and compartments.

Power Woman
There's no denying who this tall, voluptuous figure is: this striking young blonde could only be the world-famous Power Woman. Standing six feet tall, there's no denying the bountiful curves encased within the fit of her body-hugging white bodysuit. Her chin-length pageboy cut to the pale golden blonde hair is accented by longer than usual bangs that frame her high cheekbones and wide azure blue eyes.

The costume of Power Woman consists of a white bodysuit with a raised nehru-style collar, wrist-length sleeves and ankle-length legs, two barely-noticeable seams running from the collar down either side of her suit and down the middle of each leg. Dark blue leather-like gloves cover each hand up to mid-forearm, a matching belt girds her waist and rests on her hips, a five-sided, elongated pentagon shape point-down in golden metal as a buckle. Upper-calf height boots gird her feet and legs. A mid-calf length crimson cape trails behind her, attached at her shoulders by two more gleaming golden elongated pentagons echoing her belt buckle. All three seem to have a vague sort of S symbol inscribed upon them.

Central Business District — Metropolis
When one thinks of Metropolis, that vision which occurs is usually a picture of Uptown. This is the true business district of Metropolis, with numerous corporate headquarters and other businesses spaced along nearly symetric lines across the breadth of Metropolis island. Uptown is the home of over two hundred major corporations. Even Uptown has its busy areas, and the northwest section is it. Not only is Maxwell Lord's Tower found here, but FAO Schwartz the toy manufacturer is here as well. St. Patrick's Cathedral, home of the cardinal of Metropolis can be found here as well. Other attractions include the Waldorf Astoria hotel, the IBM Building, and the General Motors Building. The main attraction in the area is LexCorp's corporate headquarters, the world's largest corporation.

As with all of New Troy (the island of Metropolis), this area is maintained by robotic drones that clean the streets, take out the trash, and keep everything looking nice. If damage is done to an area, robotic drones will automatically repair the areas to keep life undisturbed. Above, flying cars zoom through the cityscape.

  • Obvious Exits:
    • [00] - Subway Midtown — Metropolis
    • [01] - Lexcorp Tower — Central Busin
    • [02] - LexCorp — Central Business Di
    • [03] - Daily Planet — Central Busine
    • [04] - LexStark Station — Central Bu
    • [05] - Back Alley — Central Business
    • [06] - Stark Industries — Central Bu
    • [E] - Metropolis Village and Financi
    • [N] - North Side and Little Bohemia
    • [S] - South Side and Midtown South -
    • [W] - Centennial Park — Metropolis

Rooftops - Central — Metropolis
The rooftop level of the greater Metropolis area is a mish-mash of various height buildings. Most reach heights of above 12 levels and some up into the lower hundreds. The views throughout the rooftop levels are astounding as one may gaze upon glass-steel towers, brick and concrete skyscrapers, and of course a blend of both. Some rooftops have old water towers, most have air conditioning and heating units. Many structures present with windows that can be peered within to view the building contents, while some are reflective and forbidding. Below, the city streets are normally always active with the hustle and bustle of the city. While above, the skies are filled with air traffic; flying people, flying cars, helicopters, small and medium sized aircraft, and so on. Entry can be gained into various buildings through windows and roof accesses. To the north and south are the two surrounding rivers of Metropolis; to the east is Metropolis Harbor; beyond the rivers to the north, west, and south, is the burbs.

  • Obvious Exits:
    • [01] - North Side and Little Bohemia
    • [02] - Centennial Park — Metropolis
    • [03] - Central Business District — M
    • [04] - South Side and Midtown South -
    • [E] - Rooftops - Eastern — Metropol
    • [W] - Rooftops - Western — Metropol
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