2014-05-09 - The Bat and the Beast

Sometimes, you just needed some emotional space. So, on a late evening in the weekend, Subject Twenty Three had taken it upon herself to break away from one of the Mansion's day trips to the city. She was going hunting. In Hell's Kitchen, prey was easy. What was difficult was focus. And focus was eluding her as X-23 leapt from building to building.



Cassandra Cain is warming up. Silently as a kiss of wind, she slips around two more people on the rooftop, their top-notch fighting skills a brief mention in passing as she stretches her shoulders out, letting the muscles relax. She lets her breath out slowly, arms elongating and the muscles through the trapezius starting to wake up as she gets her body limber for a night's exercise, and her fists impact softly with the temples of two large, quick men dressed all in black who were roaming the area.



The two men fall almost unnoticed as Cassandra brings her right foot up to stretch out her hamstrings, clipping a female in passing on the knockout point of the chin and holds there, letting out her breath again to get things warmed up. Need to stretch before she starts anything like an actual hunt, and she leans down to let her back get stretched ducking under a sword.



The men off in the other direction are not her targets. The girl who has cut through them like a pair of scissors cutting the strings which hold up a marionette is. She is worthy then of X-23's intense focus then. She is not someone normally associated with the community of New York City, so as far as Laura is concerned that makes her fair game then as she goes to leap up and over through the air, landing across the rooftop.



Her words are curt, to the point, and virtually sterile, "Identify yourself." Otherwise, X-23 is in a relaxed defensive stance then as she faces off over with the other figure.



Black Bat stands up, slapping away the sword of the remaining fighter with the palm of her left hand. She leans her head to the left, her neck muscles releasing, and slips her foot underneath the ninja's foot just before he touches the ground, slipping him up and allowing him to tumble off the roof into a trash can below. She lets her head straighten out as the black featureless eyes turn toward the new arrival. Not a word leaves her mouth, though the leather-clad body falls into a toneless, relaxed state able to enter any stance at need. Then the head tilts to one side expectantly.



What is either girl then? A challenger? A stranger? An adversary? An enemy? Or just someone to bust off some steam at? Subject Twenty Three watches Black Bat silently as well over behind her mask then, before going to draw up her hand over then and gesturing over at the Black Bat. A silent invite over to attack.



Black Bat moves suddenly without any warning in her body's tension. The small black form raises the right elbow high, hand on her sternum, and drives forward with a pressure-point strike to the temple with her elbow that is a distraction from the foot below which is sweeping underneath Laura's feet. Perfectly balanced, Black Bat's movement gives no indication that the elbow is anything but a real strike and, if ignored, it WILL be real. But the real attack is the leg sweep.



<p class="MsoNormal">The pressure point blow is halfway parried with a swinging arm that half-turns upwards then, but X-23's focus is on the blow to her temple then as the foot swings over underneath her and manages to knock her off her feet. Even as she's touching the ground she's springing upwards over in a sommersault then to get back up to her feet, swinging upwards.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat 's fist smashes into the asphalt roof instants after X-23 moves, pulling the strike just enough to allow her to use that fist on the ground as a planted point around which she can pivot. One hand on the ground, Black Bat spins both of her legs, upside-down, and snaps off twin kicks chasing X-23 through her somersault and up at her face when she lands. While she does, Black Bat's free hand flicks around and grabs a brick that's nearby, preparing for the next move.

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<p class="MsoNormal">X-23 ducks to one side, avoiding the first kick but not the second then as you're just a shade faster than she is as she goes backwards. But as you strike her, and then disengage slightly to grab the brick, she has fully recovered to her feet and goes on the counter-offensive. Her moves are a kickboxing style - an attempt at pure offense, going in if possible for a full series of offensive strikes, mixing up attempts at strong kicks and punches - more testing your reflexes.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat smiles under the mask as the foe regroups. The smile may be slightly visible, but her moves do not slow down in the slightest. She flicks the brick down between Laura's feet, messing up the footing in that area and forcing Laura to limit her moves just enough to allow a kick to strike Cassandra in the chest, but in a planned location. Cassandra turns around her center of gravity, the kick gaining no actual purchase, and leaving Cassandra standing far too close for kicks. Where she pauses, waiting to see what X-23 will do when put in a literal nose-to-nose situation.

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<p class="MsoNormal">In this case, the game then as the two end up facing one another, and behind her mask X-23 is smiling just as much then as the two are essentially pressing body to body then as they exchange blows. And then, as the two face off virtually touching, X-23's fingers go over and fi not stopped go to very lightly 'snap' and try and flick Black Bat on the center of her forehead.

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<p class="MsoNormal">*BEEP*

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat doesn't fight the snap on her forehead, for some reason. She sinks her center of gravity and falls straight downward, legs slipping out into a full splits as she almost crotches herself on the brick, her left palm pushing out on X-23's left knee into a Jiujitsu leg lock. She's flickering through different styles with bewildering speed as her right hand scoops the foot and lifts. Push knee, lift foot.

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<p class="MsoNormal">It was just a gentle tease back. And the tease gets the response of a full attack then as Cassandra goes over and goes to kick out at the leg and X-23 goes over for a tumble. not minding over in the slightest. There is raw -joy- radiating off the other girl, something which has been in desperate need. As the two fall, she goes for a somewhat simpler style of move then as the two are grappling - attempting to turn her momentum and inertia forwards to try and slam her elbow over into the main mass of Black Bat's belly. Where the armor is strongest - if the strike hits, the armor would take most of it and just at most knock the air out of her - this is play, not war, after all.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat brings her right knee up in a snap to intercept the elbow, but not to stop it. Cassandra just redirects the striking blow as she rolls to her back, underneath Laura with Laura on top. Laura's strike is guided to crush the ground just underneath Cassandra's armpit and, knee already raised and basically trapped under Laura's body, Cassandra performs a nearly impossible flexibility move and slips her foot under X-23's stomach and pushes her up and over her head in a sacrifice throw. Her body seems to be warming up to this as well, though she oddly does not get to her feet and remains prone on her back.

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<p class="MsoNormal">X-23 ends up spun and flipped through the air then as Black Bat sends her flying then, Laura otherwise using her hands then to go over into a handspring - having judged Black Bat as faster and likelier more skilled than she is, X-23 finishes her handstand if otherwise not interrupted and lands cleanly on her feet, going into a defensive stance and awiating Black Bat standing up.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat looks up at X-23 from flat on her back, waiting amusedly. When no attack is forthcoming, she rises to her feet respectfully and brushes herself off. A bow of the head to her opponent, but no indication that this is in any way over. This time she lifts her left hand in an indication for X-23 to be the attacker. Come get some.

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<p class="MsoNormal">There is a respectful return bow from X-23 to Black Bat, and then she surges on the offense. Where earlier was a mix of styles, but more focused upon powerful strikes then as Black Bat had countered with judo and grappling, now X-23 just attacks with strikes of raw efficiency. Quick, potent attacks with as much power concentrated behind them but turned otherwise to minimize the point of impact. As if each attempted strike were measured in spoonfulls to determine how much power to put behind it. Like dancing with knives.

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<p class="MsoNormal">The block style, combined with Laura otherwise minimizing the point of impact from her blows and the armor of her batsuit has Black Bat spinning and over behind Laura then. But the mind can work as well with the body, and Laura senses the maneuverings of the air then and as Black Bat goes to spin out behind her, a foot lashes out. From the tip of that foot, one claw extends then, long and adamantium and slashed up in a loop as it deploys. Missing purposefully by at least an inch and a half even if Black Bat dodges, but purposefully playful.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat rolls her eyes as she realizes that the move won't hit even if she fails to dodge, the blade actually takes Cassandra by surprise, causing her to lose about an eighth of a second of time which allows X-23 to touch her outfit, just lightly. She acnowledges the strike in her mind, berates herself for being arrogant and forgetting special weapons, and snaps out two fists toward pressure points in X-23's shoulderblades as she shifts her body to minimize available targets. She's amused, but still serious.

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<p class="MsoNormal">It was just a touch then, not even enough to take off a sliver of the outfit. But the warning and the tease was made as the foot claw retracted, and behind her mask X-23 grinned as Black Bat went on the defensive. As Black Bat went for the dual pressure point strike, Laura went to snap out her arms on either side, trying to block Black Bat with her inner wrists.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat allows the blocks to hit her wrists. She uses the time to position her left foot beside X-23's right foot as quietly as possible, knowing that both of their hands are in the way of the girl's vision and not needing to see in order to pull it off, and as the blocks strike her wrists Cassandra folds over forwards, head down toward Laura's stomach.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Not an attack, Cassandra is letting her body slump and letting X-23's blocks trap her hands together as her own left knee softly, so softly, touches X-23's right knee and suddenly she turns to her right, her left heel behind X-23's right heel and pressing on the knee hard to force the girl to the ground using only that contact.

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<p class="MsoNormal">As Admiral Ackbar would say, it's a trap! And it works masterfully then over as Black Bat is essentially able to 'trap' Laura over and send the two over into a tumble then, managing to grapple Laura over at an angle now where Laura's momentum is essenitally working over against her. As the two tumble, Laura's foot claws spiked out again - not aiming at Black Bat, but digging into the rooftop to act as anchors, trying to kill her forward momentum to use to try and 'toss' Black Bat off her!

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat rolls off of X-23 but doesn't allow an instant's momentum to be lost. Rolling over her head, her heels come up behind her and she tries to slam both feet into X-23's chest as the woman uses her sneaky claws predictably to kill her momentum. Momentum is a tool, she needs to teach this girl not to waste it as her heels swing up, hard to even see in the darkness.

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<p class="MsoNormal">But the girl somehow sees it. Or maybe hears it. or maybe feels the movement from it then as her arm snaps up over and blocks the swinging foot then, even as she attests her own momentum then as the two slam and press together, before rebounding away lightly as X-23 tries to playfully disengage.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat is spun to her right by the block and ends up on her back, allowing her momentum plus the momentum of X-23's block to continue as she spins on her back, classic dancer move, and extends her legs in a single swift circular kick to draw back X-23's legs, very low. It's a trap again however, as Cassandra gathers her momentum and corkscrews her body, hands both planted and shifting on the rooftop, back arching and forcing speed out of her body, buttocks pulling back that one attacking leg and snapping out another, and the left leg going out to full extension, upside-down as she performs a hugely powerful corkscrew kick that could go through a metal wall, aimed just slightly to pass by X-23's chin.

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<p class="MsoNormal">*SNAP* The twirling and build up of power sends Laura's neck snapping over to the side in such ca way as to induce whiplash then and sends her sprawling then as the girl snaps her legs out underneath her, seeing stars and growlign then over as she rose up, jaw broken then and on the defensive as her hands wobbled in front of her.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat lands on her feet quietly, her momentum skidding her feet around in a circle as she lands from the swirling move. She wonders how serious this girl was taking the fight and moves to take the woman out, absolutely unwilling to lose. Respect, of course, but Cassandra is willing to pull out the stops if the opponent is skilled enough and she steps in, slightly to one side and low, to try and put X-23 out for the night.

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<p class="MsoNormal">*WHUMP* In any case, against a normal opponent, that blow would be an incapacitating strike. Against a disoriented adversary, even a powerful one, it would be capable. For Laura, who is skilled and powerful, it's not quite enough to take her out - but she realizes it is as her body snaps back, and she holds up her hands over in a gesture of 'submission' as she rolls on her back.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat steps back from X-23, her hands falling to her sides. She absolutely read that as 'I give' and has no intention of pursuing this any further. She gets completely out of range first though, reaching up and pulling off her mask so she can breathe, her breaths fast and panting as she lowers the mask to her side. The dark brown eyes take in Laura on her back, who had done so well but was playing. She frowns, then asks, "Alright?"

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<p class="MsoNormal">Laura hops up, her healing factor working over her then - no permanent harm. She gives a curt nodof acknowledgement over at Black Bat then, "Yes." Then glances over at the girl, "You got lucky." As far as she's concerned. But that's what playfighting is for.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat raises her fists quietly, as if wondering if the girl wants another go. "Training," she says as if it explains everything.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Laura rises up and over and then gave a nod, "If you're up for it." She's healing already and relaxed then.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat 's eyes flicker over Laura. She takes in the lack of a broken jaw and frowns, slight confusion evident on her now-visible face, and she tilts her head questioningly toward Laura. That being 'said', in her language, she shrugs it off and does a handful of simple but fast kicks off her right leg. Just getting things started, nothing fancy yet.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Laura lets her healing factor mostly mend her then as you go on the attack. Openly favoring her chin some, more then to let the final kinks work out as you go on the attack then, slowly responding then more defensively   - not out of any sense of injury, but more out of awareness of your capabilities.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat is sticking to kicks at the moment, her body holding her arms in close. She has impeccable balance, and her kicks seem to come from any direction, but the attacks are still very simple as if giving Laura a chance to get back into the fight at her own pace. Powerful, fast, hyper-accurate, but predictable and simple.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Laura is taking the time then to fall over into a rhythm, nodding at you thankfully as she goes through the exchange. As she recovers, she starts to boost her rhtyhm, giving you plenty of warning as well so you can more safely put more power into your strikes.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat is, of course, using the time to limber up her legs. She's not entirely generous and had needed to stretch out her hips anyway. When Laura's body language suggests that she's ready, Cassandra flicks her mask at the girl's face and then turns her body so her left side is facing Laura, moves left and tries to elbow the girl in the stomach. She reads the body carefully so the worst that will happen is a bit of lost air, just in case. This isn't a fight yet.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Laura tenses her stomach then over as you go to strike at it to take up the majority of the strike. And then she goes over for one of your tricks - in her case a palm is struck out, going for a nerve strike over on the hsoulder, aimed for one of the areas not quite as protected by armor if she can manage it.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat actually doesn't stop the nerve strike at all, instead moving with it a little as she tries to slip the arm underneath Laura's knee. Struck in the shoulder, Cassandra's face does not flinch at all as her left arm goes slightly numb. It was a good hit, and she spins away leaving Laura less off-balance than she'd planned and tries to come around in a good defense.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Laura holds off on her attack then over as your blow to the back of the knee also staggers her some, and the two girls each likely seem to be spending a few moments catching their breaths then as X-23 goes on the attack again, but more cautiously, doing faint jabs and punches.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat has never, ever in her life been allowed time to catch her breath. Expecting her to stop for that was a mistake as Cassandra widens her eyes and stops blocking. She stands up perfectly straight now, eyes locked on X-23's own and simply weaves. Left, right, only just barely dodging but definitely doing so. Her perfect defense, Cassandra's aura extends and she lowers her hands to her sides and moves amidst the jabs and punches, some of them actually hitting her but none making solid enough contact to do anything serious.

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<p class="MsoNormal">And Laura is pulling her punches then - niether girl is going all out or pushing themselves to thier utmost limits. And as Black Bat begins to take the fight more seriously, ducking, weaving, blocking, and countering, Laura starts to up the pressure as well, allowing herself to take hits then that her healing factor can counter then to strike back, or try and counter attack while you were engaged in the attack.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat is not throwing attacks, her hands by her sides. She starts to do so now, having gauged Laura's speed and the timing of her moves. A punch goes by Cassandra's face and she hooks the wrist with her right hand, the elbow with her left, and she tries to judo-throw the woman over her head. Cassandra's calm is in every move now, every sideslip like a glorious dance.

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<p class="MsoNormal">As she's flipped, Subject Twenty Three lands on all fours to brace herself, quickly springing up. Seeing over that she's being anticipated to a degree then, so Laura goes on the offensive - closing her eyes. Not giving in to instinct, but letting her senses guide her to Cassandra's position, striking hard and fast. Not giving in to the beast, but letting her own predatory instincts guide her attacks, trying to cut off as much of Cassandra's ability to anticipate her beyond muscle movements as she can.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat smiles. The smile isn't seen by X-23 but it's still there. "Good," the girl's lips form, unspoken, as X-23 tries new tactics against her and she pulls her mask back onto her face. Creativity, growing flexibility, this is excellent in a worthy opponent. She tests the incoming attacker's instincts, shifting rubble on the rooftop and changing the footing that can not be seen with the eyes closed with small kicks of her feet, thinking that X-23 may be able to adapt.

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<p class="MsoNormal">As soon as Laura is in range however, the Black Bat leaps into the air to avoid the incoming attacks and attempts to vault over the woman, punching downward from above Laura's head while maintaining a defense of sorts.

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<p class="MsoNormal">The aerial attack mostly works, and the midair strike goes over to connect. But Laura is able to turn her head just enough out of the way to avoid the worst of it then. And the downside of leaping through the air, evne for those who are acrobatic, is thatit's harder to dodge. So her hand shoots out through the air, trying to grab at the blitzing Black Bat to try and latch onto the girl En Passant style to grab and yank her for a sudden latch and throw if she can.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat is grappled by the woman as she goes over, since Laura is also an aerial expert she's quite capable of the move. It's impressive, and she twists to hook her leg around Laura's arm to circumvent the throw though she's quite firmly held, and with her arms tied up in Laura's arms, grappling with the woman and held in Laura's arms with her legs doing all kinds of awkward things, she suddenly starts to laugh.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Cassandra, caught like anyone else and grappling, sees the absurdity of the situation and laughs through her mask, dropping her defenses and letting Laura throw her if she really wants to do so. She can take it, and honestly this is too hilarious to her right now.

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<p class="MsoNormal">\In another world they might have been sisters. Here, for a moment, there was a spark of that emotional connection then of something beyond words. Perahps of similar upbringings then, but as the two were sprawled out Laura joined over in the laughter then. A rare moment of both girls for glee then and just joy in existence as Laura laughed almost hard enough to cry.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Black Bat sits on Laura's lap, shaking all over as she breathes in through the mask. That leather mask meant to hide the darkness within. Sometimes it just runs out of darkness, and this conversation has been a healing time for Cassandra. She hasn't talked with anyone in so long, it's a relief to be able to just chat with someone like this. And even if she can't say so, she knows that X-23 understood. Rolling backward off of Laura's lap, the Black Bat sits on her butt and crosses her legs. "Nice...talking. With you," her odd, unused voice offers.

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<p class="MsoNormal">Laura settles back and peels off her mask as well then, sitting and letting her long hair flow behind her and tucking her legs underneath her as well then, "Yes. Thank you." She goes on, quietly and her voice slow, breathing labored, "Needed that." Her expression honest and thankful.

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<p class="MsoNormal">And then as she stands up, the seemingly endless swarm of ninjas coming out of the darkness, surrounding the Bat and the Brat, Laura goes to take up her mask and put it over on her face, and grins almost sadistically then as from her palms come out a dual pair of claws. *SNIKT*

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">"Sucks to be them."

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<p class="MsoNormal">Fade Out.