jla_watchtower | One hell of an interview...

Thomas Blake scrambles to a pay phone, and digs in his pockets, looking for a crumpled scrap of paper and spare change. With success in finding it, he dials a few numbers.-

A fter three rings, the line picks up and is answered in a short perfunctory way. "Hello."

"Hey...its me. Uh...Thomas. Listen, are...sorry to call you at work like this, but...are you busy? Wait, of course you're busy, its work but...yeah."

Grace Choi pauses, then speaks on the end. "Thomas... oh! Thomas. nah, not too busy. you comin' by later tonight?"

" I...well, there's someone who wants to meet you. Or, well, they know about you, but...want to do a personal meet and greet. Remember that job I was doing?"

"I vaguely remember something about a job. Hopefully the bill from your hotel didn't fuck that all up."

He smiles on the other end after that. " No, not at all. But it might have helped your chances. Listen, if you can get free for an hour or so soon...come to this address."

" Yeah, I can get there in an hour. Anything I should bring? Anything special to wear?"

His smile turns into a curled grin on the other end. "Dress for work. You might get an offer."
With that, he hangs up.

An hour later, Grace saunters up to the address, dressed in her usual cargo pants, combat boots, and tank top.
In front of her is the address door, closed and locked from the outside. Grace checks her watch. "I'm on time. They are not." She knocks on the door, a quick few raps.

The door stands still for a moment, followed by the sound of a digital sequence behind it plays. Finally, a buzzing, and it opens. With that she takes a step back.

The door goes ajar slightly, and a light scans her from top to bottom. As the light finishes a feminine voice responds.
-Grace Choi. Welcome to Infinity training systems. Please enter.-

"Huh." One eyebrow raises as she steps through the door and scans the room beyond.

-Thank you. Your system evaluation will begin in five...four...three...two...one."
The room goes completely black, along with the door behind her, before a bright flash and a quake-like BOOM! When her eyes clear, her surroundings appear to be racing past, leaving her in the midst of a large canyon.-

"System evalu... " She goes into a crouch as her surroundings change around her. "Oh, that boy will PAY."

"Shades of gray banter. Usually its followed with..."because I'm the best at what I do"....correct?" A voice speaks out from behind her.

She straightens up and turns around, expecting to be confronted with someone to fight. "Speeches work for some. I tend to go straight to the punching."

"I almost forgot my request though. Spin." -a vortex whips around her, sending Grace like a helicopter in her place.
She grits her teeth and attempts to stay standing.

A second, more familiar voice prompts. "Enough. Forgive me for this, will you? Its not habitual." The voice stops, and before she can retort, a wrecking-ball of a fist crashes right into her face.

She doesn't have enough time to duck out of the way, and takes the fist full on to her face. The momentum causes her to take one step back. Grace takes a moment to shake her head, and then steps back forward, fists raises, to grab him by the lapels and pull him towards her. "Hiya handsome." A moment later she's swinging him around and sending him flying towards the other voice.

Catman goes airborne, but adjusts his body in the toss, putting his feet back, and crashing into the second voice, then propelling back off. "Sounds like foreplay...i brought another friend, if you don't mind..."

With that, an armored shape rises up from the side, turning in midair and firing right at Grace like a missile, before colliding like a freight train into her.

"Wouldn't have pegged you to be the group type, but I've been wrong befo... OOF." She gets pushed back into the wall by the force of the impact, leaving a tall Grace-sized imprint in the plaster. Emerging from the cloud of dust faster than one would expect from someone of her size, she moves to grapple with the armored figure, attempting to tear off the facemask.

The armor's motors whirl as the faceplate aims right at her. Its hands move upwards to the sides of her head and unload two concussive bursts.

In the background, two figures speak to one another, rather derisively.
"You deserved it you know? All that speed, and can't duck? Moron."
"...Pull some real jobs and we'll discuss, punk."

A strangled noise emits from her throat as a thin line of blood trickles down from inside of her ear; she suddenly grabs the head in front of her and head butts it with great force.

"We're doing just what we were implored to do. Hit quick, get out, and evaluate. YOU, on the other hand, are obviously paid to sit back and look easy."
"That's because I end things. Stay tuned."

"Call it off!" A steel-like cable whips around her throat and yanks Grace back by her neck, automatically tightening and cutting her breathing off. "Situation's over...Call IT OFF!" Catman looks to the side, while trying to hold her in place.

"No... you... don't." Grace grabs the cable and pulls viciously.

The armored form recoils, motors whirring as it gets into place, readying a second barrage.

"I said...situation OVER!" Catman tenses, and torques down on her neck.

She pulls on the cable with all of her considerable strength, face turning red as the torque increases.

"Fine, fine...situation over...illusio morte!" The area returns to normal. Grace finds herself alone in an empty warehouse.

"Magic." The single word is spoken in a malice-filled whisper, as Grace's hands instinctively go to her neck to check for anything binding it.

A second door opens behind her, and Catman steps out, dressed in his normal costume. He gingerly approaches her, before reaching back, and undoing his cowl, before sliding it off his sweat-dampened face. "I think...I should explain something to you."