Trick or Treachery? [kitty]

To think that she had actually been enjoying her day.

Black Widow had recently moved into the Avengers Mansion on a more permanent basis than she had in years. Even the times near the greener stages of her career as a 'super hero' (though, Natasha used the term loosely as far as it applied to her) when she had been counted among the ranks of the Avengers, she'd only had one foot in that world. This was the first time in her life that the Black Widow was actually calling the Mansion her home, and the team her family. Not that neither had been anything else before, the woman was just finally accepting it.

Things had been fairly quiet since Natasha moved into the Avengers' headquarters, though, and if her considerable experience told her anything it was to enjoy the silence, because it rarely lasted. That was why Widow was out on the streets of mid-Manhattan. As she strode through the impressive foot traffic, she almost looked as if she could be window shopping, until a passerby caught the look in the Russian's eye. Natasha was too steeped in thought to prevent her capability from showing as a sharp gleam to her gaze.

Usually Black Widow would conceal her intimidation factor. She was a spy, after all, and being a perfect actress was part of the job description. There was no need at current, however, and Natasha knew New York's citizenry well enough to know that it wasn't worthy concealing. The redhead was walking past a business building on her way to the more interesting shops across the nearest intersection when, as she predicted, the peace was disrupted.

The glass front to the building shattered violently. Screams erupted almost in unison with the destruction, and at once the throngs of pedestrians were set into motion like an overturned beehive. Only, in this instance, the insects were swarming away from the threat, instead of standing their ground to face it. Natasha had been more prepared for tragedy than most would give her credit for. The impact of the blast swept her off her feet, but she turned midair and landed in a partial crouch on the pavement.

There was a shallow cut that ran the length of one proud cheek, and various gashes torn in her outfit from the flying fractions of glass. Beneath the fabric, planes of black leather could be glimpsed. Vrrooomoarrr! Widow ducked as a sound like a miniature rocket filled the air, followed by a deranged cackling. From the building whose front had just been demolished surged a man dressed up in cliche black leather astride what looked like an industrial-inspired broom whose bristles were replaced by a torrent of flame that held the individual aloft.

"Jack O'Lantern," Widow said gravely. There were several bloated bags slung over his shoulder as his broom carried him out into the open air between the skyscrapers. Natasha shredded her civilian garbs with practiced ease, assuming the role of the Black Widow, whose outfit lay dormant beneath.

Katherine Pryde had just about thrown up after the fifth consecutive day of sitting in that office playing the authority figure. It seemed ridiculous to say that one could become ill in Kitty's occupation, but it was one of those jobs you had to do yourself for a while before realizing just how sickening it could be. There was nothing wrong with the students or her colleagues or even the people who stood outside with signs on "Human Occupation" days. The latter she could handle with a few nasty words and some legal documents, and each and every student managed to astound her. Her colleagues were hilarious and she had worked with them all her teenage and adult life. But, like any job, it just got old after a while. All the pressing matters a headmistress had to attend to throughout the day were more than Kitty had ever bargained for when she and Logan founded the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. As much of a friend as she could ask for, her co-founder told her to take a day off.

Now, between taking a vacation day and letting Wolverine run a school for mutants, Kitty almost turned down the offer. Logan's urging eventually persuaded her otherwise, though, and Kitty left the school building in strangely foreign casual attire and a purse. Today was a day for Kitty, who felt too young to be the mother to hundreds of students. This was what young women did on the weekends; they went out and shopped til they dropped, in preparation for inspiring their co-workers early Monday morning with a new sun dress or a pair of expensive shoes. Not that Kitty could get by with the sun dress. She had to look presentable in front of her students. Image was everything, even in the mutant education world.

Kitty found herself walking down a busy New York shopping strip, amass with people going this way and that. A few of them, fellow young ladies, seemed to be in the same predicament as Kitty. Like little robots, one of them walked out of one generic department store as another passed on their way in. Kitty did not shop like this very often, partially because of time constraints and partially because of the low salary she gave herself to ensure the school had the best equipment the budget could manage. The rest went to the teachers and bills. Whatever money Kitty could gather up usually went to her apartment rent and groceries, but she had been keeping a few hundred saved for weeks now, hoping for the chance to get away and splurge. Now that she could do it, Kitty didn't really know how to. All the stores looked the same: flashy, expensive, and totally not Kitty. She probably could have made a better killing at a thrift store. Kitty made her way to the next block, intending to call on a taxi that could take her elsewhere.

She made her first few steps in the new destination, but could only managed that. A shattering sound reverberated against each store window, coming from just around the corner up ahead. A crowd of people turned the corner, flailing their arms and clutching children and, most predictably, screaming. Kitty tried to get information out of a few of them, but they could only shove past her and yell in their panic. Kitty slipped into X-Men mode, nearing the backside of the building she assumed the crash had come from. She took a deep breath and checked her surroundings. There were few people around to see her use her powers, but it was instinct to check anyways. Not like the citizens of New York weren't used to mutants among them by now anyways.

Kitty phased her head through the wall, peering blindly into a dark room. After being in bright sunlight, all she could see was black. She decided that darkness meant empty and passed the rest of the way through, carefully feeling her way forward until she hit and phased through another wall. Big surprise...

[/color] Kitty thought as she emerged into the next room, a corralled area behind broken glass panes. Registers lined a counter that surrounded the closed in area where tellers now cowered on the floor. One of them shrieked up at her as she passed through, but another beside her whispered for her to shut up and placed his hand over her mouth. "What happened?"[/color] Kitty spoke, followed by a chorus of screams and another explosion outside. She through the broken glass panes in front of the registers to see a showering of glass that covered the street and farther off. This guy was hitting more than one place. "Quickly."[/color]

No one said anything for a while, probably still stunned at seeing some girl walk through a wall from what Kitty imagined had been the money vault. "Br-broomstick. Guy on a br-broomstick, w-with explosives." The screamer muttered, obviously the only one who dared make sound. "Stay here til things calm down."[/color] Kitty put on her action-ready face and ran through the counter, phasing through the broken bits of glass scattered on the ground so she didn't cut through her less-than-fit-for-action flats. Kitty emerged outside of the bank, quickly scanning the street-front for any sign of dangerous activity and someone with a broomstick and explosives. The off-the-wall description wasn't surprising at all to Kitty Pryde, who had encountered some very strange characters in the past.

Eventually her gaze met the perpetrator, flying atop a... rocket-powered broomstick. Yep, not unusual at all. New Yorkers, what weirdos...[/color] She made her way into the center of the street to formally communicate with him, thumbing the comm unit in her coat pocket. If she needed to call back-up, she would, but hopefully she could take this guy down alone. How? She hadn't gotten that far yet. Kitty noticed that the man was already engaged with someone else, a woman with red hair poised to strike below him... Black Widow, a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Kitty identified her as an ally and ran up behind Jack O' Lantern. "Nice fireworks, Jack! Hey Widow."[/color][/blockquote]

Black Widow knew that the probability of Jack O'Lantern moving quickly out of range, either to escape or go to his next hit, was high. He hadn't noticed the Avenger, of course. Natasha thought that it might have been her civilian attire when the villain had first burst through the glass front of the building. Having read this particular criminal's file, Widow doubted he would have paid her any heed even if she'd been in obvious costume, standing in plain sight. He was on a high from whatever nefarious activities he was in the middle of.

Jack O'Lantern's broomstick flared, and he gained height, turning in a backwards flip to head in the opposite direction. Black Widow would not hesitate. She'd use this brief chance to get a preemptive strike in. Sadly, it wouldn't be anything phenomenal, or ultimately decisive, because speed was of the essence. Natasha had to get the criminal's attention before he was too far off, and there were only so many attacks available to her on the spot. Thankfully she had all she needed.

Luck favors the prepared, after all.

Black Widow straightened from her crouch and thrust both fists forward. Crackattta! Powerful electrical volts loosed like gunfire from her gauntlets, pinging over Jack O'Lantern's broomstick. One volt clipped him on his giant, flaming pumpkin head, causing him to twitch at the shock. He rolled over, almost unseated, but shifted into a corkscrew masterfully before regaining his balance atop his flashy ride. The villain shook off confusion, and then glared down at where the attack had come from.

Natasha almost flashed the criminal her middle finger. The urge was there, but she stopped herself. The Black Widow had always conducted herself professionally. Was Anthony rubbing off on her? Besides, she was a representative of the Avengers at current, and she had to keep the team's record polished. Who knew what smartphone or hidden press cameras would catch the obscenity? "I know you didn't just tase me," Jack said, "because that would mean that I have to kill you now."

"You are welcome to try," Widow said with a smirk, Russian accent making the words more glamorous and, possibly, more inflaming than they would have been otherwise. Jack O'Lantern's visage was just contorting in mounting frustration when a new player stepped onto the field. Natasha saw the shape of the oncoming civilian in her peripheries, but the criminal floating above her didn't, because the woman approaching was at his back.

Black Widow and Jack O'Lantern both turned toward her when she spoke, however. It took the Russian pitiful moments to put a name to the young woman's face. The X-Woman, Shadowcat. Natasha smirked at the phaser in greeting, but she couldn't ignore the distraction that Shadowcat's appearance gave her. From her right gauntlet, the woman released her Widow's Line, which exploded forward and latched onto Jack O'Lantern's broomstick.

The cord that the line was made from had several hair-thin metallic strands woven through it for specific use. Enough to run an electrical current through, in any case. Before the villain could turn to see what force had tugged on his broom, Black Widow unleashed the electric fury of her Widow's Bite from her left gauntlet onto the line, sending the current up it and over Jack's contraption. He yelped, but sooner than Natasha had predicted, he had a sickle in his hand, and cut through the cord in one jittery swipe.

"Hello, Shadowcat," Widow said curtly, back-flipping to avoid a handful of acid-filled candy capsules that came raining down at her. Each supposed sweet exploded on the ground into puddles of green that began eating away at the pavement.

When Kitty ran up to greet Widow and assist her with Jack O' Lantern, too much happened for her to take any meaningful action. Being a phaser had its benefits, but in direct combat with a flying target, sinking into the ground did little to help her. The next few moments amounted to Kitty playing audience to a naturally skillful Black Widow, whom shot out offense after offense against the jack o' lantern-topped baddie. Most impressive were all of her gadgets, though the flips and evasive maneuvers were performed with the finesse only a seasoned spy could possess. But Jack was not stupid, or he was just clever. Most bad guys were stupid. That was the reason they chose the wrong side to begin with. Kitty watched helplessly as he sliced away her line, so close to electrocuting him and ending the engagement early, with a frightening silver sickle. Widow greeted her with some gymnastics while dodging a handle of acidic candy, causing Kitty to stumble out of the way for fear of Natasha flipping right into her. She was too skilled to make that inaccurate of a move, though, and Kitty could have just phased herself if she had thought about it. Gotta get back in the swing of things...

[/color]

Just as Kitty had provided a distraction, the combination of the candy and the Widow's flip persuaded her to lose sight of Jack. He had apparently zoomed his way to her side with amazing speed. "Swing, batter batter!" Kitty heard somewhere from her right, and instinctively phased as she hopped around to face him. The sickle slashed through her intangible body, nearly a Widow who probably expected Kitty to take the blow and die right then and there. Those old combat instincts were coming back to Kitty and there would be no more getting caught off guard. She stared up at the man atop the broomstick, a scowl on her face. "Hey! You could've hurt me!"[/color] There was a joking tone to it, but Kitty's next move was all serious business. She charged Jack O' Lantern, readying herself for a jump. He poised himself with his sickle and another handle of candy, unsure as to what she planned on doing next. In one swift step, Kitty kicked off the asphalt of the street and phased her through the point of Jack's broomstick. The sickle and the candy came at her too late, passing uselessly through the transparent Kitty and hitting the ground she once stood on.

As Kitty passed through the flaming engine of the broomstick, a mechanical crackling sound was heard. The flames died down, sputtering into nothingness, and Kitty made one arm tangible so she could grab the end and pull it down with her. Jack O' Lantern, caught in a stupor, felt the broomstick rapidly lower to the ground, slapping the wood behind him as if it would keep him afloat. "Up, up!" he shouted, and the end of the broom rose up behind him, dumping the bewildered villain onto the unforgiving street. He attempted a tumble, but ended up curving to the side and falling into a costume-entrenched heap, the sickle sliding off in the opposite direction. Kitty turned to assess her work before giving a thumbs-up to Widow. Jack gathered himself for a comeback.[/blockquote]

Recent events aside, Natasha respected the X-Men for their capability. Whether due to experience, drive, vision or ability, she was always surprised by the way that one of those holding up the mantle of Charles Xavier conducted themselves on a field of battle. For individuals with the form of training that they had, it was impressive. Black Widow respected Shadowcat enough that, once she had finished her string of acrobatics to avoid the volley of candies, she trusted the other woman to be able to hold her own.

Widow knew enough about Shadowcat that she was familiar with her power set, and so, when Jack O'Lantern came down with scythe in hand, she was not surprised when the blade slipped harmlessly through her intangible form. Natasha had landed in a crouch, gauging what action she should take next, when Shadowcat's feet left the pavement. The redhead knew her unforeseen companion's play before it was executed, and smiled grimly in reply to the cleverness of the move.

Shadowcat hadn't failed to assess the situation from a strategist's point of view. Jack O'Lantern's mobility was the chief concern at present. Once he was stuck on the ground, Black Widow and Shadowcat could focus on incapacitating him. The Avenger didn't anticipate what would happen next by some memory alone, but by the principles of the other woman's supernatural abilities. Molecules shifting between the space of others was bound to interfere with technology on some scale or another.

Shadowcat did not fail to impress, either. Natasha remained stationary just long enough to see what her ally's intentions were, then she was on the move again, sprinting along the edge of the street to set up for her next move. The broomstick sputtered, and in his attempt to gain altitude, Jack O'Lantern actually unseated himself entirely, landing roughly - albeit, with more poise than Natasha had expected - on the street before her.

Black Widow saw Shadowcat flash a thumbs-up, but was too busy running headlong toward their communal adversary to obviously give her thanks. Natasha vaulted into the air within ten feet of the criminal, tucking into a tight flip, and unfurling like a whip extending, so that her legs collided brutally with Jack O'Lantern's head. Thankfully, the Widow's suit removed the threat of his flaming pumpkin skull. The villain grunted, and his torso was slammed to the ground by the motion.

The Avenger was about to prepare a heel drop to end the exchange when she noticed what Jack O'Lantern held clenched in the hand not clinging to his sickle. Natasha's eyes widened, and she dove backwards into a few reverse handsprings to gain distance again. The villain smashed a device at Black Widow's retreating feet, and an emerald mist hissed into the air. The poisonous, acidic cloud twisted and unfurled in the forms of ghastly figures and ghosts that drifted in the spy's direction.

Widow would be forced to keep her distance until the specters dissipated. Thankfully, Natasha had an ally present who was quite unaffected by things on the material plane, be they solid or gaseous. Black Widow gave a subtle jut of her chin: her version of Shadowcat's thumbs-up.

Shadowcat watched as Natasha executed a dispatch of Jack O' Lantern with ease. His battered figure cowered on the ground, unable to defend itself against the violent onslaught of the Russian spy. The slam of her boot into his head loosed a sickening crack and the accompanying yelp. The blow forced his head down into the rough road, attaining only enough momentum to disorient him. His lantern head remained atop his head, tilting to the side in his bewilderment as he raised himself up off the pavement into his former off-balance crouch. Natasha watched the events unfold, letting no tale pass her closed lips about the satisfaction that must be inside her. Of course, when you have saved the world, taking down a petty villain like Jack O' Lantern couldn't feel half as rewarding. Kitty and Natasha watched the disheveled Jack recuperating himself. Was he really readying another offensive? After being thrown off his broom and pounded into the ground? What could possibly save him now? Kitty gauged Natasha's reaction, looking for a green light to move in. Neither of them had much chance to react, and Natasha saw the next trick before Kitty.

The expression of surprise that crossed Natasha's face was enough to alert Kitty of a hidden danger. Jack moved marginally on the ground, retaining the position of a man who had been defeated. The battle must have just begun though, for the next moment he flung a mysterious something-or-other at Widow's feet. She instinctively sprung and retreated in the opposite direction, a cloud of green mist spurting up from the ground behind her. The gas rose and took ghastly shapes, like Jack had summoned up the lost souls of the his crimes' victims. Natasha gave her a nod once the mist had settled around Jack like a protective barrier, preventing her from entry. Kitty knew it was her hint to move in, since she could just phase through anything harmful in the atmosphere. Shadowcat phased out of the physical realm and pushed forward with little caution. She was starting to feel more like her old self, and phasing through danger could become the norm instead of something she had to prepare herself for. In this time, Jack had somewhat gathered himself up off the ground, unaware of Kitty's infiltration.

She approached silently behind, and readied a nice kick. "Boo."

[/color] she whispered, loud enough for him to hear her. Kitty threw her foot into his back side, briefly unphasing her leg to do so. The gas hissed and her leg tingled for a moment, but it was not enough to cause her any pain. Jack darted forward in the sudden force from behind, only just keeping upright. He tottered on one leg for a moment before whirling around to face his attacker. Kitty's transparent body flew through the air at him, tackling him and taking him out of the gas zone. He hit the back of his head hard against the pavement, just enough to leave him stunned and on the verge of passing out; Kitty took the opportunity to drag him back around to Natasha by one leg. By the time they had circled the gas zone, which had nearly risen up into the atmosphere, Jack tried to make another escape. Kitty jerked his crawling body back by the ankle, flipping him over and straddling his arms to his side. "Stop struggling, Jack. You lost, this isn't new."[/color] Kitty looked across her shoulder at Natasha and gave her a polite smile. "What should we do with him?"[/color][/blockquote]

Black Widow's lips were pressed in a fine line after her impromptu retreat. She couldn't remember where Jack O'Lantern had acquired the various toys and gadgets that made his arsenal, though she must have read about the provider in some file or another in the past. The possibility was there, however slight, that Jack manufactured them himself. Whatever the case, Natasha was grimly impressed. The grenade that he loosed effectively crossed every checklist that the villain could possibly need.

Effective, practical - in a sense - and efficient, all in one motion. Widow couldn't risk touching the acidic mist. She knew that her outfit would fare better than most materials, but she wasn't impervious to the cloud. Not only that, but while Natasha was being sought out by several specters that drifted forward, a cocoon of the phantoms wrapped around Jack himself, effectively shielding him, and giving him a moment to recoup. Widow didn't know if the act had been done with forethought, or tactical analysis, or by sheer insane luck, but it was working in the criminal's favor.

Until, that is, as Jack O'Lantern smiled cruelly toward Black Widow, a certain X-Man marched straight through the miasma without slowing down. Natasha stayed stationary just long enough to draw Jack's attention, and therefor help Shadowcat's sneak attack reach it's full potency. The moment that the brunette whispered her clever little jibe, Black Widow was on the move again, sprinting back around the fading shield of corrosive vapor so that once Shadowcat hauled Jack into the open, Natasha was waiting.

"Well done," Widow said, allowing the fact that she was impressed to filter into her words. Shadowcat pinned Jack's arms to his sides, and asked Natasha's opinion on what was to be done with him. The Russian smirked, and that slight expression alone instilled a great panic in the pumpkin-headed villain. Black Widow raised one hand. Zzackt! Jack twitched for a moment, then collapsed into an unconscious heap. "I'll have one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s units dispatched to retrieve Mister Lantern, and oversee cleanup."