Cold Caller [Catwoman, Mr. Freeze, Batman]

[Nora Fries]

Nora sat in her room doing what she always did on those evenings that her husband possessed prior or more pressing engagements: Reading. It was fairly late. The pale crescent moon hanging in the sky, shining dimly into her room accenting the earthy toned walls with an ethereal light. Brushing a bit of blonde hair out of her face, she stretched and gazed at the quaint clock mounted on the wall. Oh. Perhaps later than she had thought. She smiled wryly to herself. Oh well. One night’s sleep was not going to cause her any serious harm.

Nora had been living in this house for little less than a month now. Possessing a lovely view of the river in one of the more posh neighborhoods of Gotham, the home was actually fairly modest compared to its neighbors. Not overwhelmingly so, but it slightly smaller model. Its modesty actually only made it blend in more to its surroundings. A kind of security that her husband had cleverly engineered.

In truth, the home was a miniature stronghold complete with guards and a security system devised by none other than the mechanical genius Victor himself. Of course, the house was designed with a specific kind of security in mind. The kind that would help it hopefully go unnoticed, and, if intruders dared to darken its doorstop, repel them with the guards hidden there and summon the frigid scientist himself to come to his wife’s rescue. As such, sensors of all sorts were placed with care both in the interior and exterior of the house. Heat sensors were especially prevalent. The measures in place could deter all but the most intrepid of interlopers.

Of course, this was all unbeknownst to Nora. She didn’t need to know the details. Only that she would be protected. That much she knew for certain. Victor was one of the Rogues now. He had his share of enemies. People who would love nothing more than to lay their fingers all over his snowy wife in order to accomplish any number of goals. Nora had some sense of this. An idea. But she really could not grasp the gravity of it all quite yet. She was still struggling to grasp the last ten years.

Under the faint, warm glow of a table lamp, Nora continued to attempt to do just that even as she fought off the urge to sleep. The pace of her recovery had been the source of some vexation for some time now as well as the pace of her adjustment to the current world. All of it didn’t seem quite real. Costumed men and women parading around Gotham in the name of justice or villainy? It was surreal! And yet the newspapers consistently proved this lunacy true. She still couldn’t quite believe it. The news tended to sensationalize minor events. Perhaps…perhaps this was one of those times.

Letting out a sigh, Nora pushed herself away from her desk and walked over to the window, gazing outward at the enigmatic night sky. Her form silhouetted in the window frame due to the lamp light shining behind her. Like some icy queen gazing out from her securely guarded palace. Her lips uttered a silent wish as she gazed out into the stars: Keep her Victor safe tonight.

[Selina Kyle - Catwoman]

An easy heist was not a fun heist. Something with a challange, something with new tech, now that was meow. Very, very meow. And something she could plan out, complete with requisitions of blueprints, down to tracking just who bought what on the public records of real estate, to tracking down the false names used to purchase, to the dummy accounts via the bank that had still semi-dirty money funnelled through them.

Now that was her cup of tea, a challange that was right up her alley. More than right up her alley, it was her catnip. The routine of research, hunt and compile had put her at ease in the damning infomration that Ivy had brought to her. And it was a beautiful, beautiful distraction, continuing well into the night for weeks as she had prepared, practiced, and even edited one of her favorite songs down to the precise time she'd need to bypass all the security. And security there was.

Victor Fries was no moron. And what he was protecting within those walls of his new, yet not flamboyant home was priceless. Selina was more than sure of that. To lose the love of your life, only to have a second chance was worth all the printed paper money you could steal, swindle or bribe from anyone. Very few people actually got those second chances. Herself included, and it had been rumored that like a true feline, she too possessed nine lives. And at this point in her living experience, she was damn sure of it as well. Many people didn't just encounter the Batman and live. Or even get out of jail, free. Then again, most 'masks' didn't even bother to go toe to toe with Batman. Or laugh at him. Or have claws to back up their laughter.

Turning from her desk to watch the storming clouds, she nodded, glancing to the catsuit fully set out on her bed. Considering she not only ached to feel the soft suppleness against her skin, but hadn't actually slipped into it made her want to slip into it immediately. But despite her own setup, that had started months ago, she had realized her normal route to get within the Fries' residence would fail. Time and time again. It hadn't mattered how many setups with string, and chairs, the entire route into the home mapped out based upon her diligent research, or her timed down to the quarter second routine set to Bach on her earbuds. She'd fail, in one aspect or another for breaking into the home. Getting out? They had a staff of around the clock security that even she couldn't bypass. Not even with all her stealth, skill and knowledge of breaking and entering. But that didn't mean it was uncrackable. Because if there was staff, it no doubt meant they had been bribed. Or paid off. Or something. So for after the weeks of trying to even bypass her own mirrored security setups, she finally turned to good old footwork. Something that Bruce would even appreciate. Basic surveillance. And for the first few days, there was nothing. Nada. Not a peep other than what she assumed were security coming on and off shift. Until about six weeks in, she noticed an older woman. And then, shockingly, that older woman was kind enough to help her pick up her own broken bag of groceries. And then they got to chatting.

Shanice was doing what she could, for what she could. Selina fed her own story to the motherly older woman slowly. And carefully. Even offering to write up a resume and gather her own referrals, because honestly, Shanice loved her job, but would love a day off. And of course she'd trust Kaia, and as long as "Kaia" could keep her mouth shut-to which Selina would nod beautifully, her eyes wide and hopeful, perhaps one day she'd speak to her employer, and the Missus, and see what she could do. Because her two grandsons were getting up there in age, and it was a time she honestly didn't want to miss.

And so, as much as a lock could be picked, an emotion could be exploited. And that evening, it seemed that her references had panned out, as had her mocked up slip of paper, each call giving the young nurse rave reviews about her kindness, and her way with those in more than delicate situations, who would rather be given care in their own homes. So while Selina could almost feel the whisper of calfskin on her body, she instead ran her fingers over the well worn cotton scrubs, in hues of pale blue and patterned like the clouds. Green eyes shut as she slowly exhaled, recreating the character of Kaia-the shy, East End girl who had fought her way to a scholarship, and from there, had been able to get high marks in the nursing program. Shanice vouched for her, and Kaia in turn not only offered dead silence, emphasis on the dead, but a good cut of her pay each time she did take on a shift from Shanice.

And so it was such. On that dreary, cool April day, Selina Kyle dressed herself in blue cotton, a cloud patterned scrub top, black, well worn Danskos (because damn,they were comfortable when you were on your feet for hours!), and clipped her home health badge inside a pocket. She had the standard medical gear that Shanice had told her to bring; stethoscope, penlight. Everything else, charts, metrics, and so forth, even medications, would be provided for usage, if needed. But she'd been told the patient had been coming along nicely, so the job had been more caretaking of the home as of late.

And for Kaia, that was just fine. She was just hoping that this position would parlay into another home health opportunity at best. At worst, it would be another mere reference for her to utilize.

And so she was off, dark hair pulled to the side in a thick braid, her standard makeup done..differently, to give her a wide-eyed, almost nervous appearance. And then, it was the walk. That wouldn't quite drench her, as she had an umbrella with her, but would give her a well worn appearance for the time being.

Even as she approached the beautiful, yet dwarfed home, she could already feel the eyes-both mechanical as well as flesh upon her. Shanice said she'd be met at the door by two men. Who'd want to search her things, and her. It'd be awkward, but their patient was very, very important. And to not be afraid, because Shanice would be there to meet her, and then walk her through everything.

And Selina had made sure Kaia brought nothing out of ordinary. Her own water bottle, few medical things, a small tablet to read one of her books on, just in case. A pen, a small notepad. Her own wallet, which ahd been her 'brother's' as well as her house key. Very meger items, considering she had been instructed she would be kept busy in keeping house outside of caregiving.

And there she stood, nervous at her new job, as the men called out for her id, and to hold it up before she even took a step further. Hand trembling, she almost dropped the badge, before they waved her closer, and up the stairs for the next stage of security.

[Victor Fries - Mr. Freeze]

If it was up to Victor, Shanice wouldn't be getting any time off at all. It's not that he's completely ignorant of or ignoring the woman's needs and desires, but he doesn't think that what he wants of her is intolerable and Nora's needs come first - and Nora needs safety most of all. And every person who knows of her location is a potential security breach - most of his men don't even know. Yes, he realizes that spending so much time away from her home and family is a hardship for Shanice, but the position she holds is temporary - only until Nora is well enough to endure the deep cold of his laboratories.

Not that she would need to be in the deep cold constantly - most of his hideouts have an area that is a more normal room temperature for his men - but most of those areas are no more than a bunk room and a break room - a place to sleep and relax when they're not working - it's simply not worth going there if you're not able to endure the cold. But once Nora is able to endure the cold, he'll be able to hide her anywhere that he is.

But until then, this house must remain secure, and if Shanice is Nora's only caregiver then it's that much more secure. And he pays her well enough that she really ought to simply wait things out until her services are no longer required and take all the time to do whatever she wants then. However, the problem with that plan is that Shanice and Nora hit it off just as well as Victor suspected that they would. Which means that Shanice spoke to Nora about her desire to have some time off, which then prompted Nora to speak to Victor about it. So here he is, getting ready to do one of his least favorite things to do: interview someone for a job.

Of course, since this Kaia has Shanice's personal recommendation, she practically has the job already - if anything, his involvement is more of a formality. He's not going to allow anyone to take care of Nora without seeing them for himself and personally outlining the terms of the deal. But Shanice knows better that to recommend anyone she doesn't absolutely trust, and though Victor can't say that he's personally very fond of Shanice he has come to trust her judgement. The fact that the woman can probably guess what will happen to her if something happened to Nora because of her recommendation is a huge part of it. Still, he takes his personal inspection of the person he's about to entrust the only thing in this world that matters to him to very, very seriously.

The search that Kaia is undergoing is much more invasive than she probably imagines. All of the entrances of the house, but most especially the front entrance, he personally equipped with a multitude of sensors - though the only hint that this may be the case is that the entrance area of the house is quite narrow. And rather than searching through her pockets, one of the men simply takes her tablet as if he knew where to find it already - though he says that it will be returned before she leaves. It will be placed inside a shielded box that will prevent it from either sending or receiving any outside signals - which is something that Victor might worry about. Beyond that he's not that worried about what anyone might bring with them, as the only thing in the house that he considers to be of value is Nora herself and if someone wished her harm their success or failure would not depend on which items were confiscated from them.

Shanice is at the top of the stairs, and she greets Kaia with a warm smile, though the moment that the other woman is close enough for her to do so, she quietly murmurs, "Bettah take a deep breath, hon. But ya don't need tah be afraid if ya mind yahself." Timely advice, because the moment Kaia has left the staircase, she's stepped into Victor's view. He's standing at the other side of a large family room - there's a couple comfortable couches, a large television, a desk in the corner, bookshelves, etc.

And it's all so well chosen and put together that one might speculate that Victor had nothing to do with the design. Which is completely correct - he obtained the mansion fully furnished, and his only role in choosing the décor was in choosing this place instead of some other option. Whoever did design it was clearly a fan of warmth and light, mixing an open floor plan with large windows; pale, warm neutrals; plush furnishings; and mirrored and glass elements that play with the light. Victor himself looks quite out of place in his metallic suit.

He makes no motion to either seat himself or to indicate the Kaia should - instead, for a moment he seems content to stare at her, though it's difficult to tell where he's looking exactly while he's wearing is HUD - it's red glow obscures his eyes almost completely. Though when Shanice moves into the room to stand to one side, after giving Kaia's arm a reassuring squeeze, a tiny mechanical arm inside the suit reaches up to pull the HUD from his eyes and they can be seen easily. His face is quite expressionless as he comments, "You come very well recommended." Though if he's in any way impressed by what he sees, there's no indication - if anything he looks very slightly disappointed, but it's hard to say, really. It's also difficult to read anything in his voice - partly due to his completely flat tone, but also because he needed to install a small microphone and speaker into his suit in order to allow his voice to be heard outside of it. And sound quality was not his top priority in this setup - durability was much more important - and as long as he can be understood, it's fine.

"I have very high expectations of those who work for me. If you either now or in the future do not believe that you can meet those expectations, you'd do well to inform me that you can no longer work for me. I accept such resignations and I also accept that even the most skilled person fails on occasion, but I do not accept incompetence or betrayal. The consequences of that are rather... harsh," he says, never one for small talk and instead going straight to what he feels needs to be said. And he doubts that he needs to clarify his last statement at all, given who he is. "On the other hand," he continues, "I greatly appreciate good work. Your wage will be twenty five dollars per hour, nothing lost to taxes. If you serve the entire term of your employment in good standing, you will receive a bonus of twenty five thousand dollars. If you manage to go beyond your assigned duties to assist me, you will be rewarded. If, on the other hand, you disappoint me but not enough to end your employment, this will also be reflected in your wages. Do you understand?"

[Nora Fries]

It hadn’t happened yet. Despite only having lived in this house for a little under a month, Nora had quickly become attuned to the sounds of the house. It was kept fairly quiet. Despite that or perhaps because of that, Nora had been able to identify who was around by their footsteps. Of course, her husband’s footsteps were the loudest and most notable, which was part of the reason why she knew that he had not left her quite yet. He had said his goodbyes some time ago, yet he marched upstairs almost immediately afterward.

Frowning, Nora turned from the window, looking toward the door. She had been content to read for the rest of the evening until retiring to bed, but now…Nora had to admit to some curiosity. Taking the time to dress in something a little more appropriate to go wandering about the house in, Nora moved to her door and twisted the knob slowly so as not to make that much of a sound. With the door open, she could now hear voices coming from the upstairs parlor. One of them was decidedly Victor’s voice.

With a quiet step, Nora moved to the foot of the stairs. She glanced to the guard nearby who simply glanced at her. He bowed his head in acknowledgement of her and shifted so that he was removed from her sight. Nora knew the guard wouldn’t wander far. She didn’t often see them about. They seemed to try to keep out of her way. Almost like they were avoiding her. It felt strange to Nora. At least Shanice was a touch more sociable.

Speaking of Shanice, Nora spotted her at the top of the stairs. She found it strange that Shanice lingered there, and she could hear the voice of her husband a bit more clearly now. With a light step, Nora made her way up the staircase. Hugging the side wall to keep out of view of the large family room just beyond, Nora neared the top, resisting the urge to peek into the room.

Lightly tugging at Shanice’s sleeve to get the woman’s attention, Nora pressed a finger to her lips to indicate that she wished to keep her presence hidden for the time being. Her eyes flicked in the direction of the large family room. Victor was talking about wages…Oh! Perhaps he had hired some new help so that Shanice could take some time off. Her curiosity grew evermore. She wanted to peek at the person to whom she would get a chance to chat with.

Nora and Shanice got on famously, but aside from her and Victor, Nora virtually had no other social contact. The guards kept out of sight for the most part, and they weren’t much for conversation at the best of times anyhow. Someone new…someone new to talk to was a novelty that Nora simply could not go back to her room to wait for. Nora looked to Shanice and mouthed the words ‘Who’s that?’ to her.