The Cat and the Kitten [Catwoman, Invite]

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Lauren was planning, as she lurked in the alley way just across from one of Gotham’s museums, this one in particular holding ancient artifacts and the like. She had never attempted a museum heist before. This would probably be either a lucky success, or a likely failure, but at least she’d have the experience from trying. Practice makes perfect, and she could always try again. Who manages to have their first museum heist successful, anyway? Or any heist, for that matter? Still, despite her reassurance that nothing would go terribly wrong, she couldn’t help but feel rather nervous. Nothing she had done in the past had really attracted anyone important, but what if this particular heist draws out Gotham’s finest? Lauren bet there were some priceless items in that museum.

Which is all the reason I need to go through with this. She thought to herself. So what if Gotham’s finest showed up? They probably wouldn’t catch her. Lauren had the skills of a cat. This would be easy, a simple test of her skills. Nothing more. Nothing to worry about, she assured herself. Unlike her former heists, where she had required little equipment, Lauren came prepared this time, with rope, a hammer, and a plan. She already knew how she would get in, through the roof. That was also her exit plan, but she’d adapt if she needed to.

After a few deep breaths, Lauren made her way to the museum, circling around to the side so she could leap onto the wall and begin her climb to the top. It was easy, as the building was clearly old. Within its walls were plenty of small crevices she could place her claws in. It only took a few minutes before her hand slapped against the roof, and she hauled herself up. Lauren took a moment to rest, before crawling toward the front of the building to peer toward the alley she had come from, monitoring the parking lot. It was still empty, but that was to be expected. The road was dark and undisturbed, which gave Lauren a bit more confidence, as her nervousness faded just slightly. She hadn’t been followed, or even noticed, as far as she knew.

Lauren made her way up a small slope, until she reached the large glass ceiling, peering down into the museum. She could see important displays set up, but no sign of anyone. Lauren wasn’t stupid. She knew the museum would have guards, but as far as she could see, none were around. Using a claw, she managed to pick the lock on one of the glass panes, lifting it open. Lauren grabbed the coiled rope that hung from her belt, also stolen, and clamped one end securely into another pane. She tested it with a few jerks before she was satisfied. Lauren only weighed about a hundred and two pounds, hopefully, the rope would hold.

She began to descend into the museum’s depths, taking note of all the exhibits. She appeared to be in an Egyptian room. Off to the side, one display in particular caught her attention. It was a golden statue of an Egyptian cat, and around its neck, an enthralling emerald amulet. Lauren dropped to the floor in awe of it, and decided that amulet was going with her. It glistened in such a lovely fashion, catching the dim light and throwing it about in colorful rays. It had to be priceless, she’d get a fortune from it for sure. Lauren stalked slowly toward the jewel. It almost seemed to whisper to her, in some eerie, yet fascinating way. She reached out to touch the display when a sudden bright light nearly blinded her. “Hey! Stop!” The man, soon recognized as one of the guards, snatched his radio up to call it in. Uh oh.

Lauren was quick the react, breaking through the glass with her hammer to snatch the amulet from the neck of the statue, which crashed to the floor. “Whoops!” She leapt back in surprise at the loud crash as alarms began to blare with deafening intensity. How clumsy! Lauren chided herself as she made a break for the rope, though she soon realized she wouldn’t be making any quick escape that way with the police in route. Lauren jerked around, toward the nearest door, and shoved it open to reveal a long hall. Desperately, she searched for an exit when more guards arrived, running towards her.

Lauren, just as anay thief would do, ran the opposite direction. Of course she hadn’t quite expected the heist to be a success, it had been more of a practice run, but she hadn’t expected to fail so miserably. Distracted by what, a talking amulet? She had probably been day dreaming, and on the job! Lauren was really starting to kick herself. The whole thing could have been avoided if she had been paying attention to her surroundings, rather than nearly going brain dead in the light of the emerald that now swung from her hand. She raised it up to her face to gaze at it. Despite her anger, it still enthralled her. Lauren smiled deviously. At least she had loot to show for her efforts. She dropped the amulet in her pocket and kept running.

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The girl had made so many mistakes, it had caused Selina's heart to clench. Yes, while she had been stealing for the entirety of the girl's age, it didn't make a difference. She'd honed her own craft in a shit-hole, fancy boarding school. Refined said skill in Europe, under a skilled former MI agent. But still...there were so many places that she would have taken a different direction, it made her shake her head. So as the first alarm went off, the walkie-talkie on her hip muffled, but still yammering away, she moved into place. It was the amulet, no shock there. Cat-themed, again, not a shocker, based on all of the information that Bruce had given her, even tipped her off for tonight. So as she had offered to stake out the Museum, pro-bono, they had eaten it up, and even re-purposed their night guards to her liking. So while she heard the thwack-thwack of a smaller body, and then of several heavier set ones, she stuck her foot out, hearing the girl's body hit the floor with a thud.

It was sad. She should have been paying more attention. Quickly, Selina had a knee in the girl's back, one black gloved hand tightly in her hair; near the scalp. The other was quickly lashing the girl's hands together behind her back tightly with a zip-tie. "Sorry hon, but you're much too green to hit a place like this. And it's better I have you, than them." Quickly speaking into her walkie-talkie, Selina re-directed the guards. "Check the south wing, I saw someone running that way." It was too bad Selina herself was in the North-Eastern hall.

As Selina Kyle kept the teenager beneath her, her knee positioned right over her spine, restricting any movement, she was glad she had approached the night as she was. Dark hair plaited into a thick braid over her shoulder, dark tactical pants, a pair of lightweight, but durable boots, a slim-fitted, long-sleeved polyfiber shirt, her belt, cuffs, and other assorted items for when she was on 'official' work detail.

It had served better to go in this mask, than her regular one. No reason to taint Catwoman's reputation, and Selina would get a better rap for this. But even as she lashed the girl's hands together, she noticed the peculiarities. The ears. The elongated fingertips. The long hair. The girl..had some sort of heavy body-modifications, and she honestly hoped they hadn't been influenced because of the famed female thief. "You really should make sure your hair is back, otherwise you're going to leave trace evidence. Likewise with no gloves, hon." Her free hand searched the girl's pockets, finally fishing out the amulet. "Great choice, but poor execution. That hammer probably hurts when it rebounds on unbreakable glass, no?" Pocketing the jewelry, she sighed. She really, really wanted to tear apart the teenager's entire route, but hesitated. Pressing her ear into her shoulder, Selina quietly murmured, "Got her," into the nearly invisible earpiece.

"So," Selina continued, not moving from kneeling atop the girl. "Why here? And why the jump from pick-pocketing during the day, to a heist at night?" It was an honest question, considering the jump from one crime methodology to the next.

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The guards were behind her, way behind her. Lauren was swift on her feet. Glancing over her shoulder, the young female spotted only the empty hall she had turned into moments earlier. It was quite suddenly that her pumping limbs caught some unseen obstacle, sending her crashing to the floor with a rather surprised hiss. Lauren's hands reached out in an instinctive effort to break her fall, but they were little help as she was pinned to the floor with the firm placement of Selina’s knee. Damn. If only she had been watching where she had been running, having the reflexes of a cat would have certainly helped in the situation. Another hiss was torn from Lauren’s lips, of both pain and protest, as her assailant grabbed tightly at her hair, jerking her arms back to bind them tight.

By the voice she heard, she could tell her captor was a woman, but it was not recognizable. She heard the woman directing the guards, and bared her teeth in anger. ”Get off!” Pinned as she was, Lauren’s attempts to rise were unsuccessful, as she quickly found the other woman to have strength that was greater than her own. Frustration drew another hiss, and an angry flick of her tail. Lauren felt a hand shift through her pocket as Selina spoke, and growled as she realized her prize had been taken. ”Give it back, I need it!” She quickly shifted from a relatively passive state to a far more aggressive one, her body thrashing in a wild effort to break free of Selina’s grasp.

Lauren grew still again as her captor addressed her, pinning her ears to her head. ”How do you know about that? Who are you?” She proceeded to wiggle again, her distress obvious. On her stomach, held to the floor, Lauren had to strain her neck to peer up at the other woman, and she still couldn’t manage to make out any distinctive features. Was she a cop? It seemed logical. Lauren’s gaze narrowed as she returned it to the floor. She had allowed herself to be caught, but Lauren refused to be caged. Perhaps she could play this other woman’s sympathies? Or if only she could just convince her to let her go. ”That necklace could feed me and put a roof over my head for months!” Lauren replied. She didn’t cease her struggles.

Of course, she planned to fence the jewelry. While she would have loved to keep it, as it was so fascinating, her needs were greater than wants. Perhaps, with it, Lauren could find some favor with someone in Gotham? Who would be so willing to accept her for such a prize? She knew that the answer was many. But she also knew that most of those people would prove a danger to her life. Lauren had learned that quite a few times before. But it was better than lurking Gotham’s alleys. The risks were necessary. But Lauren recognized that her freedom was more important right now, and at the first chance she got, she would flee. It was too dangerous to try and retrieve the amulet now. Lauren wouldn’t last in prison. She had to get away.

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The tail was something else. As the girl struggled beneath her knee, Selina let her. The more energy she exerted, the less she'd fight. Or that was the theory. "No, I'm not a cop. Nor am I going to tell me how. But lets just say those that you stole from, made reports. And some eyes see those reports. Stealing isn't a crime you can get away with easily. It's not worth it." She murmured. As much as the girl might actually need the gem, for room and board, Selina wasn't going to buy it. She'd even used such excuses before, too. A mistake, even. Tears. Some it worked on, not others.

"You can call me Ms. for right now. And that gem could put a roof over your head, and food on your table for years, if you knew how to sell it. Which, sadly, you don't." Even admitting that caused Selina a bit of heartbreak. This girl was desperate, and living on the streets. It was clear from her attire. But as much as she did want to march her to the goon security force, she wasn't going to. This was a case that couldn't just be tossed into Blackgate.

"Where do you live. And why are you not with your parents. And why the hell are you stealing items like this, with such bad technique?" It all bugged her. Knowing that a firm knee in the back wasn't feeling any better to the teen, Selina shifted a miniscule amount. She didn't want to get clawed, kicked, or bit. And she honestly hoped her own backup was coming, and soon.

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Lauren's claws stretched, searching for her bonds. But the action would be of little use. What more could she do but thrash? It was somewhat relieving to hear her captor was no cop, but there were still a number of things she could be that might prove harmful to Lauren. Some kind of agent, perhaps? Of course, Lauren knew her victims would call in the incidents, but she never imagined she'd be caught for them.

Selina was wrong. Stealing was worth it. There was no other way Lauren could think to survive, but sate the hunger of Gotham's greedy underbelly. Gotham was a harsh environment, after all. People didn't do things out of the good of their hearts. They did things for money and power.

But at least in one matter, her captor had received a point. Lauren didn't know how to sell the loot. She wasn't a professional thief. On occasion, she might strive to be, but it would never happen. It wasn't meant to be. She didn't have the equipment, the knowledge, or the skills. And even if she did, being a high level hazard in Gotham was not advised, with its vigilantes out in force each night, Batman especially, Lauren was not at all intrigued by a life of villainy. Lauren did what she believed she had to do to survive, and to survive in Gotham, at that.

Lauren struggled again to lift herself up, but without her hands, it just wasn't going to happen. Her eyes narrowed at her captor's questions, and Lauren turned her head with a growl. "I live where I want, and I don't have parents."She spat. While not normally so aggressive, the situation was forcing her hand. "Items like what? It's pretty!" It was obvious Lauren had no idea how much the piece was worth, and that, just as Selina had pointed out, could prove a real disadvantage, as Lauren had no idea how to sell such a thing. She'd rather just pass it off to the most promising offer.

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Selina sighed, hoping she'd be relieved of this soon enough. "Well, wrong answers again. You're a minor, clearly, no matter what sort of getup you have. And honestly? Doing what you want, when you want, and where you want, is not going to get you much further than where you are right now in Gotham. You could let us know where your parents are, because every child has them, unless they're deceased, or you might end up with a roof over your head in the orphanage. Or in the East End. Neither place is suitable. Nor do I think you want to start hanging out with Gotham's finest; oh, the Joker, Two-Face, and so forth. Desperate comes off you in waves, not full intent to commit crimes because it's fun." Selina sighed, looking over the girl again. "And sadly, hon, you're no Catwoman." It was hard to even say the words, considering SElina was Catwoman, and this girl had smatterings of want all about her in trying to emulate the famed Gotham thief.

And while Selina knew she had taken a turn and made a decent living out of stealing, it wasn't the most stress-free gig there was. "Items that belong in a museum. You'd be killed if you tried to sell that amulet on the street. Left for dead. You're an ametour, and it's going to get you killed." Selina added coldly.

"I'm no agent, but I was brought in on this case. So you are going to get off the street, and into school where you need to be. And a hot meal." She added as an afterthought, memories of her own childhood flooding back. The hunger was one of the worst.

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Lauren was also hoping she was relieved of the situation soon, though perhaps not in the same sense as Selina. Her eyes flashed toward her captor's kneeling form, and caught sight of her other leg. Selina was speaking again. She had a mouth on her, for sure, and her words irritated Lauren. "No. I don't have parents, and I'm not going to no orphanage, either. And I'm not desperate!" She protested, wiggling her slender frame in an effort to get a better view of her target. "Of course I'm not Catwoman! I'm Lauren, now let me go!"

Of course, in a sense, she was a cat woman. And why was it sad that she wasn't the Catwoman, if Lauren herself knew very little of the famous Gotham thief? She had never seen the woman, and had heard very little. Catwoman wasn't exactly the talk of the homeless. But then, she didn't go about slaughtering innocence, either.

Lauren knew that there were many things one could do that might get them killed. Simply walking across the street could turn into a death trap in an instant. Of course, Lauren wasn't trying to get herself killed, but that didn't mean she was going to pass up on a potential deal. Now, it seemed Selina was reading her mind. So she wasn't an angent, either? But she was brought in on the case? By whom? "I don't wanna go to school." Lauren hissed, flexing her nails. A hot meal did sound good, though, she admitted.

At that moment, Lauren swung the upper half of her body around, showing off her flexibility as her teeth snapped for Selina's leg. Lauren could only hope that she managed to sink her teeth deep enough to weaken her captor's grip, where she could roll free and make a run for it. The fact that her hands were tied behind her back might prove a burden to any normal human, but thanks to Lauren's tail, she was confident she'd be able to run without too many issues. Of course, there were some things that couldn't be solved with a flick of the tail.

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Well, sad to say, the girl was desperate. With words like that, and her struggling, Selina snickered, and drove her knee a bit more into the girls' spine. Selina knew she was antagonizing the thief, but the girl had to understand. "Lauren, you need to listen to me. And listen carefully," Selina hissed, leaning into the girl's ear, a hand going to her belt and removing a baton, the weapon opening with a flick of her wrist, and a metallic shkkkk sound.

"School is where you should be, at least until you're 22. You cannot underestimate learning. I honestly don't care if you do have parents, and ran-away, or if you're an orphan. But get this straight. You are not only desperate but you are dumb, as well. Thinking to steal a piece like this, not knowing where to fence it, and probably getting killed over it? That's beyond stupid. The sort of stupid to get you killed. Now-" Selina stopped abruptly, the tensing in the girl's back finally showing her full action as she leaned harder against the girl, almost all her body weight leaning into her knee, into Lauren's spine. The baton swung between her and the girl, knocking into her teeth if necessary, but finally finding purchase against the girl's neck, as Selina pulled the cool metal against the girl's carotid. "If you want to play like this, I'm going to knock you out, and the next goddamn place you'll find yourself is in juvvie. Got it?" She wasn't playing nicely, and was really hoping the girl would settle.

"You've got three seconds to answer me, otherwise I'm going to add a teeny, tiny bit of pressure to your neck, and you're going to take a bit of a cat-nap, pardon the pun."


She was done being nice. While Selina was a bit more jovial, a bit sweeter, even when she was working her day job, the two sides of her blended. Or possibly the mask just slipped a bit. But the attitude pouring off the girl, that wasn't innocence, but was pure ignorance was not ok. She would die on the street if she wanted to continue this path in life.