"It's raining. It's pouring. The little girl should have been snoring. I cracked her head and now she's dead. They'll probably find her in the morning."
The girl was no older than seventeen. She ran for her life down the long alleyways looking for an escape from her insane tormentor. She almost saw her way to freedom. The bright lights of the sidewalk and streetlamps. She heard the multitude of voices, her fellow Gothamites, as they passed in comfort knowing they weren't the poor soul trapped in the alley screaming for someone to save them.
"Someone help me!!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Cries like hers were always heard. This was Gotham City after all. They were just as easy to ignore too. She continued running. She was almost there as the black figure crossed her path and blocked her view.
"Where are you going little bird? I'm not done with you."
She screamed again, certain someone would hear her and call the police. Until then, she ran. She ran until she felt something sharp and cold pierce through her ankle. Instantly she fell hard to the concrete below. She looked down to see a knife had been thrown right through the back of her ankle, blood pooling around her foot.
"Stop trying to fly away little bird. Whether you like it or not, I'm doing you a favor clipping your wings. By the time I'm finished with you, you'll be another in the myriad of souls who I've saved from the fires that is this mortal world. Rejoice that I chose you my dear. Now you'll never have to worry about growing old and losing your looks."
She couldn't get up any longer. All she could do was watch as the man mounted on top of her fragile frame and poised his hands ready to bring down his blade and end her.
"Please...my parents have money. I can give you anything!" she sobbed harshly. The killer thought for a moment.
"I'm doing this for you. If I wanted your money, I would've taken it. You're all alike. Thinking money can solve all your problems--"
Before she could beg any further, a gut wrenching weight dropped onto her abdomen. It came again. And again. And again. And again. And again. With her last breath, the teenager looked down at her stomach and was horrified into silence. Her expensive clothes were ripped as geysers of blood spurted through. Her innards were savagely torn out and placed on display for the rest of her city to see. Darkness crept in at the corner of her eyes. It only claimed her after she heard her final four words:
"Sleep well my dear."
Her hand fell into the puddle of red liquid and her flesh drained of all its color. The eyes slowly rolled to the back of her head and she was gone.
A sick and twisted grin sprawled across the killer's lips as his tongue lapped up the streams of blood across the corners of his mouth.
"Another one for the charts." he sighed happily. As if feeling the afterglow of sexual pleasure, the killer turned his knife upon his own body and carved out a single notch. It was yet another in a vast sea of self harm markers and another victim to add to the mass grave of bodies left in his wake.
"Oh, but we mustn't forget!"
He had to frame her. Moving the corpse was no big deal as he made sure to place her in a position most flattering to her young form. A crack of her bones there. Another twist of her neck here and finally she was perfect and ready for her debut with the police and the world. Placing his coat around his narrow shoulders, he walked away from the scene as if nothing happened and back into society.
* * * *
The 'Pussy Whipped' was overcrowded and loud as usual. Bright neon pink and blue lights flashed on and off on the stage as a dancer masterfully swung herself around the pole. Had she not been on stage, Eli wouldn't have bothered being there. He kept promising to cheer his friend on night after night since returning to the city, but after what happened at Wayne Tower, Eli was in no mood to hang out in a strip club. Still a promise was a promise. So here he sat, head buried into his phone as his friend earned her pay dancing and shaking parts in front of an audience of dangerously sexually activated drunk men and women.
"Hey, when are you going on?" an intoxicated patron slurred his words at the thirteen year old.
"Screw off." Eli rolled his eyes. That was the fourth time he'd been hit on in the past ten minutes. It wasn't helping that he was told to wear something scandalous to the club. Being the "good friend" that he was, Eli begrudgingly agreed and wore a shirt with a high collar in front and his entire back out for display. The song went off and the people practically screamed for the woman to come back. She blew several kisses to her audience then walked down the stairs left to the stage.
"Getting any hits lately?" she sat beside Eli.
"Can you at least put some clothes on Selina? It's bad enough I had to watch you strip."
"And you came anyway because you know you wanted to. Besides, it's good to see your face again. Last thing I heard you shacked up with some rich sugar daddy and was on your way off this rock."
"You wouldn't have missed me for long and you should be careful who you listen to. Some little birds tend to lie you know."
The woman called Selina laughed and dragged Eli backstage to her dressing room. Along the way another dancer passed them, replacing Selina's adoring fans with more screams to see female flesh.
The dressing room was more of a closet where the girls crammed together to get into their costumes. Eli had to fight his way to Selina's mirror and walked past a girl who smelled of burnt sweets and coffee. Plastered all over the walls were photos of half dressed and naked women from all walks of life. Girls who ages ranged from Selina's age, to numbers Eli wasn't comfortable addressing.
"I heard some of the grunts calling for you to take the stage. You're still pretty popular around here." Selina sat down in front of her mirror and started adjusting her lipstick.
"They're just drunk. As soon as they see someone with long hair, they automatically think it's a stripper." Eli rolled his eyes.
"That's not always true. There have been plenty of times young boys like you have taken to the stage. Just look at the walls."
Eli took closer looks at the photographs, despite not wanting to. All the dancers were made up too heavily to tell who was a woman and who wasn't. All he knew was that he could tell the ages of each stripper and unfortunately saw one that could've been a year younger than himself.
"Are you telling me some of these dancers....were guys?" Eli nearly pressed his face against the picture of a pole dancer.
"Damn right I am. See that one over there? The one in red? Her name around here was Lucky, real name, Lucas. Another one, the babe in the purple catsuit. I once met his entire family for Christmas dinner. Good guy. Good family. So sorry about what happened to his sister though."
Eli came to a picture of a beautiful raven haired girl. Her smile was too innocent and genuine to be a stripper. She looked more to be the deeply loved and coveted daughter of a rich family and should've been anywhere so long as it meant not ending up in a strip club.
"So, what about this one? Does she work here too?" Eli pointed at the photo. Selina's green eyes cut to the picture and fixed her mouth to say something, when a man burst through the door, a cigarette and a pair of high heels in one hand and a clip-board in the other.
"Alright, listen up you bitches. Has anyone seen Candy anywhere? She was suppose to come talk to me when she signed in, but the bitch never talked to me, henceforth she never came to work!" he flamboyantly whipped his hands around the room.
"Last thing I heard she was on her way. That was over three hours ago." one of the women answered.
"So where the fuck is she?! I had a line-up for tonight and with Candy missing, everything's fucked! Selina, you were a huge hit out there. You think you have enough to shake that pretty ass one more time before we close?"
The man's eyes settled on Eli and his whole face came alight with possibility.
"Ooh, Selina does this kitten belong to you? You think she can take Candy's place?"
"You can't have this one Gary and no I can't go out again. I have a date." Selina finished applying her eye makeup. "Just do an encore and--"
"Someone turn on the tv!"
The girl who went to dance after Selina came running into the back room and went in search of the remote control.
"Apple, what the fuck are you--" Gary the manager cussed.
"Shut up and listen."
The television popped on and the face of an innocent young girl flashed across the screen.
"Horror in Gotham tonight as the body of seventeen year old Candice Hill was found brutally stabbed to death and left in an alley to rot. The only daughter of Theresa and mayoral candidate Hamilton Hill, young Candice, or as most of her friends called her, Candy, was reported as a person of interest after her parents alerted authorities of their daughter missing her 7:30 curfew. At least two hours had passed before the police opened an official investigation and banking upon the third hour of the search, they were finally given a lead to the girl's location. Locals had reported finding the teenager's body slouched and modeled in front of a dumpster in Park Row, or as most people refer to it as Crime Alley. This would account as the third victim this month a young female's body has been discovered in such a peculiar fashion."
The back room was stunned into silence.
"Oh my god..." Selina covered her mouth in horror. "Not Candy."
"Yeesh. Another one lost to the 'Alley'. Like what, do the rich just go there to die or something?" Gary sighed dramatically.
"That's not funny." Selina hissed.
"What do you mean?" asked Eli.
"Why dear cutie, haven't you heard? That's the same place where the Waynes' were killed. First it was them, now it's the Hills'. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted to commit a high profile crime, the 'Alley' was where they'd do it from now on."
At the sound of the Wayne name, only one person came to Eli's mind and the panic that surged through his muscles was enough to make him twitch. Bruce was just as capable of watching this broadcast and getting angry over more blood splattered upon the ground where his parents died. The first thing Eli thought about was Bruce rampaging over to Crime Alley, vowing to find the criminal responsible for everything. The idea was enough to make Eli's eyes spin with apprehension. What if that fool really did go down there and come face to face with the killer? Just thinking about it made Eli head for the door.
Selina gathered her coat and bag and followed her friend through the exit.
"Shut the club down for tonight Gary. Do it for Candy at least." she said before the door closed behind her. She didn't say much to Eli as they walked to the train station.
"You uh, you want me to escort you to your date?" Eli checked his phone for the time.
"Nah. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."
"Good. I got somewhere I need to be anyway. Just...just text me once you get there."
Selina ruffled the hair of her young friend and smiled. She knew he was worried about her after being shaken by the news report. Eli would never show it, but just the sheer act of offering his protection told Selina she meant something to him.
"Yo, do what you have to do and take your ass home." she called as she began descending the stairs. "I don't want to see your face next to a headline."
Eli gave a half-hearted smile and waved his friend out of sight. A part of him wanted to head over to Crime Alley and keep watch over whether or not Bruce would show. If he was any smarter he'd stay away and keep what happened to his parents to himself. Eli chose to be just as foolish and decided to go to the alley. It had been a long while since he thought about the Wayne parents and some sort of explanation was in order. Well, maybe more of an apology than an explanation. Eli cut into an alley to unfold his wings. He took to the skies, not noticing the feeling of being watched until he was at least five minutes away.
"Such a real pretty bird. A real, lovely, sweet looking little bird."
* * * *
Bruce could hardly keep his mind on his date. His eyes kept cutting down to his phone which he held under the table. He was absorbed with the investigation of Candice Hill, especially since her murder took place in the one location in the entire world he was terrified of. Bruce's legs itched and burned. He had to go. Batman had to be there to get to the bottom of this. Luckily for Bruce his date was at the moment powdering her nose, giving him enough time to get the full gist of the story. He scrolled through his phone and dialed a specific code of numbers and letters.
"Activation code: 'MARTHA'." Bruce said in a low tone. The phone blinked with acceptance and the screen flashed with live CCTV footage of the crime scene. The police were still cleaning up around the area, but the body had fortunately not been moved yet. Bruce would have to re-watch the camera's entire footage later to get all the information he needed. Just seeing Crime Alley through the lens was enough to send his blood running scorching hot through his veins. He could feel his face flush and his eyes sting with tears of rage and sadness. Why did that place have to exist anyway?
What sort of God allowed Crime Alley to remain on the face of this earth, knowing that filthy stretch of concrete was soaked with the innocent blood of his beloved parents and only God knew, countless others? Bruce regained his composure as he heard footsteps approaching his table.
"Let me guess, checking the texts from all your other girlfriends?" the woman smirked.
"I'm not that sort of guy. Besides, why worry about other women when I have the most beautiful one right in front of me?" Bruce smiled back. He stood to help his lady into her chair and pushed her in.
"Hmm, handsome and has manners. Your parents have raised you well."
The slight mention of his parents sent a soft and hardly noticeable wince through Bruce's hands. He knew she didn't mean anything offensive, but the mention of them mixed with tonight's headlines like bad wine and soured cheese.
No matter what, Bruce tried to focus on his lady. He stared at her, soaking in every ounce of her beautiful face and alluring deep green eyes. Her name was Selina Kyle. A mysterious woman who seemed to had appeared from the shadows of the city. Her figure curved and bent in ways that made nearly all the men in the restaurant turn their heads when she walked past. Her hair hung like a long thick ebony scarf over her slender, but strong shoulders. Her lips, full and red, reminded Bruce of his run-in with Poison Ivy. He quickly chose not to think about it. Her skin was nowhere near pale like ice, nor was it cold to the touch-- Bruce had to blink fast and hard to remind himself his date and the image of another beauty he knew were completely different. He had to stop thinking of the other and get on with his life.
"So, getting a chance to go out with the legendary Bruce Wayne. How did a girl like me ever land this sweet opportunity?" Selina seductively sipped at her glass.
"Like the song says, "some enchanted evening". I saw you standing across the street and I knew I just had to meet you. You're not regretting it, are you?"
"Of course not, so long as you're not."
Selina's grin cracked, showing there was something more occupying her thoughts. She sighed into her glass and sat up straight.
"Something wrong?" Bruce paid attention.
"Look Bruce, I really want to get to know you better, but tonight's...tonight's not doing it for me. I'm sorry, but my mind's somewhere else."
"Let me guess, you're thinking about getting back together with your ex?" Bruce joked. He saw his joke made Selina chuckle and chose to let the topic linger in the air.
"Have you watched the news recently?" she asked. Bruce's ears perked up. This was shaping up to becoming the opening he needed to leave.
"Are you talking about the girl that was murdered in Crime Alley?"
"She...she was a friend of mine. I was suppose to see her tonight, but she never came. To find out the reason she never showed is because she's dead...that fucking sucks."
Selina quickly looked at her date, realizing the ill mannered language she used.
"Sorry." she squirmed.
"Don't be. You're right. It's a terrible thing to find out someone you care about is suddenly gone. There was no warning. No chance to brace yourself. They're just here one moment and gone the next...and there's nothing you can do to bring them back."
The remorse couldn't be hidden. Selina caught the somber inflection and knew Bruce was talking about his parents. The story of the Wayne murders was well known through the city. She chose not to call him out on it.
"You've lost a friend too?" she chose to ask.
"Several. Both of them recently."
"What happened to them?"
"Well, one's currently doing time in Arkham and the other...can't come back. Both of them meant the world to me and now, well, I guess it just wasn't in the cards."
Bruce and Selina sat in silence. As far as dates went, this wasn't one of Bruce's best. Here he was, sitting with a lovely woman who he genuinely wanted to see again, but as always, his mind was on either Batman, his parents or those dammed icy blue eyes.
"Well, this has certainly been fun." Selina drained the rest of her drink.
"Maybe we should do this another time? I mean, if you want to." Bruce slowly reached for his phone.
Selina gave an honest (at least Bruce hoped it was honest) smile and stood up from her chair. Bruce called for the waiter to address the check for their drinks and gathered his and his date's coats. They stood outside the restaurant as Alfred pulled the car up to the entrance.
"Can we at least drive you home?" asked Bruce.
"I have somewhere else I want to go. I'll just take a cab. Thanks for a lovely evening Bruce. It could've been great."
Bruce's nerves jolted as he felt Selina's soft lips press against his cheek. He stood on the sidewalk and hailed a passing cab. The car stopped. The driver whistled at his beautiful passenger, but straightened his face when seeing the serious look in Bruce's eyes.
"See ya when I see ya." Selina winked. The car pulled away and vanished into the Gotham traffic.
"She looked to be a lovely girl sir. If I may ask, what happened?" Alfred opened the passenger door for his master.
"Tonight just wasn't the night. Both of us had our thoughts somewhere else and maybe it's for the best. Tonight Batman's going to need every ounce of his concentration to hunt down Candice Hills' murderer. I don't have time to waste on dating anyway."
Alfred gave a worried look to his ward through the rearview mirror. There wasn't any debate on whether or not Batman was useful for the city. He protected Gotham from the depraved and corrupt, but at an extremely high cost. Bruce Wayne was losing his right to exist. Little by little, night after night Bruce was fading and Batman was getting stronger. Suddenly in Alfred's long career of serving the Wayne household, he was seeing less and less of his beloved adopted son and more of the monster he and Gotham created.
"Please learn your limits Master Bruce. Batman can't be all there is in your life. Bruce Wayne has the right to this split existence you know." he warned.
"That's not the issue right now." Bruce always grew aggravated whenever there was talk of him and Batman sharing the same space. One was necessary. The other the orphaned son of two rich celebrities who had nothing to offer other than his parents money. How could Alfred still compare the two and even think Bruce was worthy of anything stemming from Batman's success?
"Right now what's important is getting this psycho off the streets before he kills any more young girls. I've been monitoring the crime scene for the past twenty minutes and so far the police have found nothing pertaining to who killed the girl, but they know his killing method."
"What makes you think it's a man killing these girls? It could very well be another woman who holds a strong grudge against younger girls." Alfred informed.
"The brutality. True a woman can be just as deadly with a weapon in her hands, but there's a particular type of savagery to these murders that indicates the killer is a man."
"First off, the first two victims were displayed with care, making sure everyone knew there was a deeper meaning behind why she was killed. The first was posed as someone kneeling in church. The victim's father was a priest."
"Oh yes, I remember that. That poor girl and all those children."
"Then there was the second. Her death too reflected the dirty secrets of her family. She was posed as a bride standing next to a mirror. Turns out her parents might have been more
"closer" than most families would allow. No woman would take the time to pose her victims with such precise care to tell their stories, rather they'd leave the evidence exactly where they found it and leave it to whoever would be clever enough to solve it. Along with that, there's the method of killing itself. The wounds on each victim were slashed in random places. Some across the neck. Others on the wrists and legs. Deep punctures through the back and abdomens...there was a lot of force and power behind these attacks. All of them were extremely violent for no other reason than for the sake of violence. Rest assured Alfred, this killer is male and if I don't do something fast, he will kill again."
Alfred stopped the car in a tight and dark alleyway. The back door opened and closed and the car was left silent and empty.
"And without so much a good-bye." the butler sighed. It took a moment for Alfred to start the car again. Nothing was wrong with the vehicle, but there was plenty wrong with its driver. Alfred was shaking, his hands gripping tight to the steering wheel. His knuckles turned white as he let out a shuddering breath. He should've stopped Bruce. He should've been stopped him. Alfred was no longer a young man, but he was still strong enough to hold Bruce back if and when he wanted to throw a tantrum. Every night Alfred was allowing his charge to run head on into danger and every time he seemed to do nothing to stop him. How was he suppose to protect Thomas and Martha's son if he continued to allow Batman to exist? Leaning back deeper into his seat, Alfred's hold over the wheel never loosened.
"I should've taken him out of the city like you wanted." he breathed. "The moment the services were over...I should've never kept him here."
The car started back up quietly and drove back into the streets.
* * * *
The police were just finishing their cleaning routine when Eli landed on the roof of the tenement overlooking the crime scene. GCPD cars and ambulances lined the street creating a blockade up and down the road. It had been at least an hour since the story broke to the public, yet there still remained a rather large crowd watching, chattering and standing around taking pictures. Eli squinted to study each face carefully. No Bruce. If an hour had already passed and Bruce wasn't there, then it was a surefire sign he wasn't coming. Eli could smell the blood from below wafting up to his nose. There was so much of it mixed in with the rest of the disgusting fumes permeating the alley. Garbage, filth, another strong, but old, stench of blood comes through. Why the heck was the daughter of a mayoral candidate walking through Crime Alley anyway? Why wasn't she escorted around by guards or something? What was she doing alone in the first place? A chilly wind swept across Eli's back as he knelt over the edge of the roof.
"A rich kid killed in Crime Alley. Interesting." he brushed his hair from his eyes. His thoughts went back to the manager of the 'Pussy Whipped'.
He had said Bruce's parents had been killed down there. The parents were dead, but the son survived. The scenario below played out just the opposite. Eli carefully made his way down the fire escape to get a closer look, all the while questions formed together like puzzle pieces. Could this have been a message? The victim had been modeled in a way that told a story true, but what if the real story had something to do with Bruce? What if the victim symbolized him and the girl's parents as the Waynes?
"That's stupid." Eli dropped his hood over his head. But what if it wasn't? Of all the places crime could be committed, why did the killer choose Crime Alley, a place that obviously meant so much to Gotham's favored son? Was this a threat? Was someone trying to get to Bruce through these murders? Ra's had sent Eli back to Gotham to protect Bruce from "vultures" encircling him. Could this be one of the signs from the vultures? A light drizzle dusted the air.
"Alright, move along. You've gawked long enough." one of the officers below shooed at the crowd.
The last piece of evidence was cleared away and soon the alley was finally emptied. Yellow police tape decorated the opening to the narrow space and around the dumpster the girl was found leaning on. A figure melted from the shadows of the buildings. Seeing the scene from ground level was a surreal experience. Eli looked around, slightly flinching from the more solid drops of rain beginning to fall from the sky. The smell of blood and garbage came worse and stronger. Silently Eli walked forward. Crime Alley was filthy with old apartment buildings crammed too close together. There was hardly any space to walk let alone throw away trash, yet here and there Eli noticed signs of the unfortunate people trying to make their miserable environment presentable. Tucked in a corner was a neatly controlled recycling bin standing next to a garbage pail. A small sitting area had been arranged with four dirty benches, a table holding an old chess board and one shabby, pathetic looking tree. The entire thing looked like these people's last bit of hope of living a decent life in a shitty neighborhood. Eli walked further in and came to a stop at the sight of older and more worn police tape surrounding what looked like a permanent outline of two bodies. Countless rains had come and gone, but from the look of it, the figures remained forever painted on the ground.
Eli's eyes grew wide and his breath came slower. In this one place the world became too quiet. He could no longer hear the passing of cars, the voices of tenants living in their apartments, or the rain hitting the pavement. Everything stopped in this one spot. Eli could feel it. These grounds were cursed. Old yellow tape blew in the wet breeze and stuck to the outline of the female victim. Eli knelt down, his fingers gently brushing against the faded white chalk.
"Martha." he murmured. He studied everything. Martha was sprawled across her male counterpart, arms wide as if she was protecting him even in death. She laid on top of her partner whom Eli realized was Bruce's father.
"Thomas. I--I didn't know this was how you died. You two were together..."
The rain fell harder and once again washed away the city. A distant truth gnawed at the back of Eli's brain. Of all the times he was in Gotham and talked to the Wayne parents, he never asked how they died.
He never knew they were slaughtered together in a filthy hell hole. He never knew Martha tried to protect her husband with her very last breath. For all Eli assumed, he thought they had died of natural causes, or maybe even illness. All he knew was that the Waynes were Gotham's legendary royal couple and they were no longer alive. But where did that leave Bruce? Where was he when his parents were taken from him?
"Terrible, isn't it?"
Sitting comfortably high atop a fire escape was a woman dressed in tight black and charcoal grey leather. Her sleek figure shown through even in the dark as did her gloved claws and venomously bright emerald eyes. Her face was covered with a dark black cowl (which instantly reminded Eli of Batman) accompanied by...where those cat ears?
"This place has never been the same since the Waynes. It wasn't like this was anything to begin with, but you can't doubt this place went to complete shit after their deaths."
"How'd it happen?" Eli shielded his eyes from the rain.
"Same as with anyone else. Gunned down by some punk...and right in front of their kid too."
Eli's entire body froze. Bruce was here? He was with his parents that night? Tom and Martha never said any of that when he talked to them. As if possessed, Eli's eyes searched for where young Bruce could've hidden when the killer came. Behind the dumpster? Inside the trash can? Come to think of it, there wasn't really anywhere for anyone to hide.
"Black hood. Black wings. So you're the one Gotham's calling the "Angel of Death"." the woman chuckled. "Funny, I don't see anything terrifying about you."
Water trickled down Eli's face. It was a risky move to not wear his mask, but judging from the woman's undisguised voice and familiar green eyes, maybe he didn't have to wear it after all.
"Yeah, like 'Catwoman' is any better, Selina." Eli winked. A bit shaken, Catwoman jumped down from her perch and landed with hardly a sound. Her face was no longer confident as her eyes looked down into the cold blues she knew belonged to her young friend.
"Fuck you kid." she smirked. The two shared a silent and mutual understanding and chose to let bygones be bygones.
"So, you chose to come to the alley too." said Catwoman.
"Yeah, but not for the girl. Sorry about that by the way. It sounded like she was a friend of yours."
The pain was still just as fresh as the blood on the ground. It was obvious Candy meant something to Selina.
"It...it doesn't matter. What does matter is finding the prick who gutted her and do a little damage myself."
Eli moved away from the chalk outline, making a mental note to head over to the cemetery and have a little talk with some old friends once he had the time. He and Selina walked back to the mouth of the alley in hopes of finding any clues. So much blood had drenched the ground into a puddle of grey, brown, black and red, but Eli could make something out.
"She was standing right where you are." he pointed at the entrance. "The killer could've been to the side of her, blocking her way out."
Eli followed the blood trail back into the dark.
"She came back to where I am. There's blood splattered across the ground here."
"Maybe he took a slash at her." Catwoman bent down to get a closer look at the evidence.
"Yeah, but she didn't get far. More blood pools up ahead, like she fell over and bled out. There's nothing else forward. The largest puddle is where she died. That much we can instantly tell."
Selina followed her friend. She didn't make too much small talk, but listened to everything Eli said. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about. For someone his age to know the ways around death and murder was impressive, if not disturbing. Selina hated it. She figured only children brought up in the cesspool known as Gotham would know all about the horrors of killing and monsters and not even flinch, as if it was a just another thing that happened on an ordinary day. Maybe it was the not-so dormant maternal instinct in her, but Selina felt children and death should never mix. In fact, Eli's comfortability and calm demeanor in the face of all that blood freaked her out. And to make things worse....he had figured out her secret identity. She knew his too, but if what she heard about Gotham's 'Angel of Death' was true, then just knowing the face under the hood wasn't enough to protect her. Friends were nice, but being safe and alive was even better.
"They showed Candy on the news." Eli broke the silence. "The raven hair. The soft eyes. I recognized her as the girl in the picture back in the club. Her parents don't know their daughter was a stripper, do they?"
"She didn't want them to know." Selina sighed. "I found the poor kid one day in a spot of trouble with some guy she was seeing. I kicked his ass and she thanked me. After that, she came to me and asked for some help."
"Help for what?"
"Don't know and I didn't bother asking. All I knew was that she wanted to make her own money and didn't want her parents, especially daddy, finding out that she wanted to be independent. I told her I'd find her work, but then the idiot followed me into the club and rest was history. Candy wasn't a stripper. She waited tables and sometimes did backup dancing for the bigger numbers. She was a household darling and as sweet as pie. She wouldn't hurt anyone, let alone make an enemy that would up and kill her."
The duo looked to the rooftops in search of a camera. If there was one thing Gotham wasn't short on other than crime, it was spyware.
Situated snuggly in the corner of two apartments was a small red dot beaming through the dark.
"Well, at least we have footage. There's a chance to find out who's the killer." Selina started making her way up to the camera. Maybe it was the rain hitting against the bricks, or the way sound seemed to die in Crime Alley, but there came an awfully blood chilling tapping from down the way. It was like the ticking of a clock had been magnified and echoed through the narrow corridor.
"Pretty bird. Pretty bird with a naughty cat. You shouldn't be here. Not with that psycho running about." chuckled a voice that arrived before its person. The stranger was tall enough for his shadow to reach the end of the alley. The rain outlined his slim and lanky silhouette along with his dirtied and tattered trench coat and the knife he gently balanced between his fingers. He tapped the sharp weapon against the brick walls as he approached.
"Let me guess, you're here to help." Eli lowered his hood further down his face.
Selina didn't appreciate her friend's sarcasm. In fact, she wished he kept his mouth shut. Her green eyes scanned the man. She knew who he was. All of Gotham's underworld knew. It was only Eli who was new to the city's criminal world and all the dangerous demons lurking in it and if there was any time to learn true fear, it was now.
"I have seen you before pretty bird. Pictures of you and your beautiful wings of death. I have to say, I am a huge fan of your carnage." the man giggled. He continued pointing his knife in Eli's direction, moving it ever so slightly as if tracing the boy's curves in his mind. Eli didn't have to say anything further. A killer always knew the scent of another killer. The smell of blood was too strong on him for Eli not to take precaution. Even in the rain he could smell it. This was the man who killed Candy and could very well be after Bruce. It was no coincidence that he killed the girl in the same place as the Waynes. Releasing his dagger from its hidden sheath, the assassin rushed forward and was met with a surprisingly strong resistance. Knife clashed against knife as Eli shoved his opponent up against a wall.
"Oh baby, let me show you how it's really done!" the killer cackled in glee. He swung hard and furiously, matching Eli's strength. Time after time he faltered with the boy's speed and found himself bending over in pain from a kick or a punch.
"This is insane..." Selina looked on. She wanted to help, but not against that man. Besides, Eli was holding his own fine enough. In fact, he looked to be winning. Just for a moment Selina figured she didn't have to get involved. She'd quietly slip away and explain things when it was all over. A splash of bright red blood flew past her eyes in slow motion. Petrified, her lungs instantly failed to work as she released a gasp loud enough to wake the sleeping residents.
"Oh god no..." she breathed. The blood wasn't Eli's. Stretched across the killer's nose was a scar of bright red.
"Wh...what have you done?!" he muttered madly. His eyes, beady and frantic, jerked in every direction.
He was frozen, hands held out in front of him like he was trying to discover the meaning of his life. His body tensed and he let out a loud and resounding roar of anguish and fear.
"THEY DON'T MATCH! IT DOESN'T ADD UP! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!!!!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The fight became harder. Eli was suddenly thrown to the ground. He was barely able to get ahold of what was happening. One minute he was winning, the next he was hardly capable of blocking the onslaught barrage of stabs to his chest. He threw the assailant off him and prepared to strike from overhead. It didn't matter what stance he took. The killer waved his knife about, leaving himself open to another slash across his back.
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!!"
Eli was so distracted with his battle, that he never realized Selina was nowhere with him.
Instead she was watching from a corner, eyes wide in terror as the killer ran toward her.
"Shit!" Eli sheathed his knife and moved for his katana. What the hell was wrong with her? Why was Selina glued to the spot instead of defending herself? She didn't even raise her arms to shield her face from the knife that was so clearly going to embed itself into her skin. Fortunately for her Eli shoved her aside just in time to receive the attack. The knife dug deep into the boy's back and he stumbled to land on his feet.
"Shake it off." he lectured himself. His grip around the hilt of his sword tightened. It was time for Eli to fight smarter, but that didn't mean he was going to forgive the assailant for the pain in his back. He was willing to hand the jerk over to the police, but he didn't need to have both his arms just to sit in a cell. Eli could feel the sharp metal shift and grate against his bone. Good thing he had that healing factor.
"If you hate the cuts I gave you, then you're really going to hate what I do to you next." he growled.
In the blink of an eye the thirteen year old assassin was on the move. He had to utilize the suffocating space of the alley and used the narrow passageway to his advantage to leap forward. The killer was unarmed, but the insane and determined glare in his eyes never changed. In fact, they grew hungrier in want of spilling the boy's guts. Eli bounced from wall to wall to disorient his opponent, but soon felt something sink into his knee. He hit the ground hard. His weapon reeled out of his hands and disappeared into the shadows.
"What the hell?" Eli grunted. He tried moving his head to look down at his leg. The world blurred into all sorts of colors and shapes as he did so. He felt woozy, drunk and tired as if all his energy suddenly vanished and was replaced with the desire to sleep. Eli slowed his breathing and held his head in his hands. Sometime in between jumping between the walls and dashing forward to protect Selina, he had been drugged. The sharp pain in his knee came from a tiny metal dart. No doubt the carrier of the sedative.
"I said to keep him alive Victor." a voice said from above.
Eli couldn't think straight. He tried keeping his eyes opened to look for the one who shot him, but his water soaked hood made it difficult to keep his head up. Normally drugs weren't as effective on him thanks solely to his mutant DNA. Eli would feel a small portion, the bad portion, of the narcotic, but otherwise would heal well enough to get moving within ten minutes time. This dart however was something new. Something that was threatening Eli in a way he never experienced. His breath hitched in his throat and his eyes swam from exhaustion. His lungs burned and his limbs went numb with cold. Whether he liked it or not, Eli was going to sleep. His body heaved from one last attempt to resist and finally collapsed onto the wet concrete.
"Nighty-night pretty bird. You were fun while you lasted." the killer licked his lips in victory. Watching from the hiding spot Eli shoved her in, Selina held her breath as her friend's body was picked up and draped over the murderer's shoulder. She quickly looked around to find the person who shot Eli and could only catch a glimpse of a shadow with a stark white face and black eyes.
'Dammit, move your legs Selina!' she shouted in her mind. Nothing worked. There was no way she was going to get mixed up in something obviously bigger and more terrifying than herself. It wasn't calming her nerves to see Eli, someone the papers were calling the personification of Death itself, be dragged off into the night on the shoulders of possibly the only villain in Gotham Selina would never tangle with.
"Looks like the kitty was smart this time. Very smart. Stay where I can't see you kitty and I might not come after you." the killer's voice swept through the alley. He trudged off into the rain with the teenager on his shoulder all the while Selina had to cover her mouth to keep her shudders quiet. Sounds of the city returned. Something heavy landed in a puddle. This time Selina was prepared to move. She went for her weapon, her trusty whip, and lashed out at the darkness. Something caught it.
* * * *
"I didn't come here for a fight."
Catwoman gave a loud sigh of relief as Batman approached from the shadows. Then again she didn't need any trouble with the Bat on top of everything she just saw. Where was he when Eli needed him?
"Leave it you heroes to always come too late." she sneered. "The cops have already moved the body. There's pretty much nothing here."
Batman paid her no attention. His eyes were focused on everything. Any small detail he could find added to his every growing list of evidence. He knew he had heard noises coming from the alley and rushed ahead to stop the crime in process. He wasn't expecting to find the police still here and knew thanks to his connected camera footage that they had already cleaned up as much as they could and moved on. Still there came signs of a battle not too long ago. From a ways off Batman swore he saw a figure in black and thought about the mysterious being he met behind Wayne Tower.
By the time he landed upon the roofs of Crime Alley, the figure was gone. It almost lead him to believing he hallucinated seeing the shape. There were no signs of anyone having been on the roof, so perhaps they had escaped down below on foot. Frustratingly all Batman found was silence and Catwoman.
"From what I've gathered, murder is not within your character. There's nothing to steal so why are you here?" the Dark Knight turned his pupilless gaze onto the thief.
"Information is also valuable Batman and a girl's gotta stay informed in this city. She who knows has the keys to whatever she wants and the doors around Gotham are endless." Catwoman grinned.
"So what do you know?"
"Only that you're too late to save her. Or anyone for that matter."
Batman didn't have time for this. He spotted the once dried puddle of blood and moved to get a sample. Using his tools stashed in his belt, the detective was able to scrape up some of the stained rubble and carefully sealed it within its own phial. He looked for the camera where he got his footage. Using his suit's tech, he hacked into the feed and downloaded its contents. Batman was on his way out when from the corner of his eye he saw Catwoman make a move toward something he nearly missed behind him. She faltered as if she was afraid to even acknowledge whatever was out of reach. Taking the hint Batman reached for it. He walked to the corner Catwoman's eyes were glued on and stopped. Lying in a murky puddle was a sword.
"Batman--" Catwoman started.
"Where did you find this?" Batman's voice was low.
"I..."
"Where did you find this?!"
"You don't have to yell. I don't know who it belongs to, but I do know I heard a fight break out here before you arrived. Who the hell still uses swords anyway?" Catwoman folded her arms. Batman knew he had seen this blade before. He picked it up gently as if he was holding a child and felt his chest tighten. It was barely warm. The rain had begun turning it cold, but there were still traces of warmth at the hilt. It wasn't dropped too long ago. It was a beautifully crafted weapon. One of the finest Batman had seen. Now that he was able to take a closer look at it, he recalled his first meeting with its owner. The boy wore torn clothing, his feet dirtied from walking with hardly any shoes. His face had been smudged with dirt and exhaustion, yet for all the world, the boy's blade was clean and well cared for. Batman could see it. The hilt was bound with a high quality leather not found in Gotham and had to be taken apart to be polished and dried in order for it to remain strong enough to stay together. The blade itself gleamed as if Eli had dug up the most refined silver and polished till it shown like the sun. Even the cold light reflecting off the sword looked sharp enough to cut through diamonds. This sword was a treasure. This sword was missing its master.
"He would never leave this behind..." Batman looked around. The human side of him panicked something terrible.
He could only imagine what kind of forces would separate Eli from his cherished weapon. They had to have been powerful. More than powerful to take down someone dubbed the city's 'Angel of Death'. Then again Eli was still just a young boy of thirteen. Despite all the powers Batman was aware he had, anything was still capable of happening to him. There was always someone more stronger than you out there in the rest of the world. After all, there was that hero lurking around Metropolis. He was known to shoulder an entire building on his back. As far as Batman knew, Eli wasn't strong enough to leap over tall buildings in a single bound, nor shoulder anything ten times his own weight.
'You have to remain calm. Panicking is only going to make things worse and it helps no one.' he told himself. Batman chose anger over his fear and silence to still his running imagination. He moved past Catwoman and scaled the building up to the roof, Eli's sword in hand.
"Look Batman, I don't know what happened down there, but I'm only going to say this once: whoever owned that sword is a world of trouble."
"Before you came, I was able to catch a small glimpse of a problem even you with all your muscles and brain shouldn't get involved with. For your sake, do not look further into this. Whatever this is, it's bad news and that's saying a lot for all the other bad crap that happens in this city." Catwoman followed.
"I'm not afraid of this city, or the owner of this sword. Whatever this situation is, I can handle it." Batman readied to leave.
"Don't be an idiot. You have no idea what, or who you're up against."
"So why don't you tell me?"
Catwoman's mouth hung open as if she wanted to say something. Instead she closed it and shook her head.
"You men are all alike. You think brute forcing your way through things is the only way to get what you want."
"Fine. Be the hero. Let it be your own funeral. I've had enough of you boys charging in without using your heads. I was thinking of helping you, but you've made it clear you got this handled. Whatever. I've already warned you more than I should."
Catwoman leapt from the roof and vanished into the night. It no longer mattered why Batman found her in the same spot as Candice Hill. All he could think about was Eli. Again. How the hell was he suppose to find him anyway? Eli was a ghost who came in and out of his vision when he least expected it. He could be anywhere in the city. Then again he could have contacts around town. Despite not wanting to involve Dick, right now he was the only one who held a clue where to start looking. For the rest of the night, Batman was even more savage than usual. He nabbed crooks and his usual suspects with a harder hand and dealt them heavier blows for punishment if they refused. He literally dropped a group of armed robbers in front of the GCPD from a height that wasn't enough to kill them, but instilled the fear of death in their bones. By the time the night had rolled into the early morning hours before sunrise, Bruce's soul was once again aggravated and unsettled.
* * * *
The katana laid motionless upon the long table. The fireplace had been fed and went out at least twice, each time Alfred said nothing to disturb his master, and all the while, Bruce remained seated at the head of the table. He had sat and stared into the blade from the time he returned from his nightly patrols, well into the late afternoon and into the next night. He hadn't even realized the light entering or leaving the room. He sat, his hands tented under his strong chin and glared into nothingness.
"Geez, I've never seen him this...still before. It's actually pretty scary." Dick whispered. He and Alfred stood in the kitchen and listened to the ticking of the clock on the wall.
"Yes. The house has been quiet before, but not this fiercely. I haven't seen him this stoic since the night of his parents funeral. It scared me then as well as I prayed I would never again have to see Master Bruce so angered." sighed the butler.
"He's been doing nothing but staring at that blade since he came in. It's almost time for us to make our rounds, but I don't think Batman's going to show tonight."
The hour waned on.
Dick made his way down to the Batcave to change into his uniform. He wondered whether or not he should even touch the iconic Batsuit and all its gadgets. It wasn't as if he was going to wear them. Just bring them to Bruce, but even thinking about touching them felt wrong. Dick left the costume alone and went for his. He came back up and walked into the dining room where nothing had changed.
"Hey, the sun's down now partner. I'm heading out for patrol, but if you want to come with--"
"Sit down Dick." Bruce's voice came in low and solemn. Dick knew that tone. It was the fatherly one. The one that wanted to talk about serious things. Life changing things.
"What's wrong?" Dick took a seat right next to his adopted father.
"Do you remember when you and Eli went to that strip club in the East End for your friend's birthday?"
"Of course. How could I ever forget? That was the time I thought I got the kid killed. Does that sword you've been staring at have something to do with him?"
Bruce went back to being silent and allowed his son to think for himself. Dick began looking deeper into the blade as well, screwing up his brow in concentration. His memories went back to the first night he and Eli met. The little brat wore a stark white face with black holes where the eyes should've been. The image still haunted Dick to this day. He remembered how well Eli fought and how skilled he was. He also remembered Eli carrying a sword...
"Oh my god. This is his!" Dick stood up. "But he's never without it, right? He's an assassin and they'd never give up their weapon of choice. Unless...unless he didn't give it up. Did you take this from him? No, you wouldn't be staring at it as long as you have if you did. He probably would've already came for it...if he knew this was either a trap to lure him back to the mansion...or something's wrong. That's why you haven't said anything all day. Something's wrong with Eli and whatever it is, you've ended up with his sword and he's...he's..."
"Missing." Bruce finished the sentence. In his lap sat a tablet stuck playing a video on rewind. Along with the sword, Bruce had been staring into the screen nonstop.
He finally released his lap of the weight and handed it over to Dick. Onscreen shown the CCTV footage of Crime Alley and the specific location of Candice Hill's murder. Dick's eyes grew wider as he watched a small dark hooded figure land near the chalk outline. It looked around and moved further back into the alley to a place Dick knew well. His heart sped up as he watched the figure stand before the permanently traced outline of the Wayne parents. It looked up. There was no sound to accompany the footage, but it was all too clear the stranger was looking up at someone. Another person came into the frame. A woman dressed as a cat. The two talked for a lengthy time then walked back to the mouth of the alley. The camera followed the pair back to the fresher outline and police tape. They walked a little more back and forth and suddenly came to a stop. A new shadow danced at the corner of the screen, then grew till it stretched across the two. The darkness of the alley and night mixed with the blur of rain made discerning who the new stranger was difficult. A fight broke out. The hooded figure and the new person ran at each other with small sharp blades that flashed every now and then. Dick's face grew pale in terror when he saw the bigger figure wave his arms around.
It didn't take much to realize he was screaming. Eli had managed to land a blow with his knife and his opponent was livid. The woman on the other hand, had remained motionless and watched from the sidelines. From the footage she looked frozen as if scared to get involved. The bigger figure moved toward her, his knife arm flailing about looking to do her harm. Eli went on the move and shoved her out of the way.
"Oh god!" Dick exclaimed when the knife went into the small teenager's back. Surprisingly Eli kept moving. Lighting came in and out as the rain censored the battle, but Dick was able to see Eli use the narrow walls to make a daring attempt at an attack. He suddenly fell straight to ground where Dick could see the blade fling from his grasp and offscreen. Eli was down and never got back up. His opponent walked over to the body, scooped it up and draped him over his shoulder. The footage continued until Batman showed up, pointed his arm into the camera's direction and the video began the loop all over again.
"What the heck happened to him? He looked like he was going to win. What happened?!" Dick watched the video again.
"When I arrived, I saw someone standing on the roof overlooking where they fought. At first I thought I hallucinated it, but now that I've seen this, I know someone was there and that someone was the one who took Eli down. By the time I reached the ground, they were nowhere to be found. The reason why I asked you about your trip to the club, is because right now you're the only person I can think of that might have a chance of knowing Eli's contacts and if he had any." Bruce went to the window.
"He was the one who got us into the club. He knew the bouncer and waitresses and even had a nickname. Then there were the times when he'd disappear for hours just to "hang around" the city. Who knows how many people he's come in contact with and whether or not they know he's with the League." Dick turned the tablet off. "We can begin at the club and ask around. From what I remember, Eli was pretty popular around there."
With a fresh lead to finally go on, Bruce's mind was set and focused.
"Alfred." he called. The butler walked in with a clean and pressed cowl draped over his arm.
"I've already prepared your suit sir." he slightly bowed at the waist. In a moment's notice Bruce was gone as Batman took his place. The halls grew even more colder and quiet as the Dark Knight stalked past and went down to his cave.
"I don't get it. Who, other than you, would have the capacity to take out Eli like that? Ra's sounded so proud of him before, but he lost that fight." Dick placed the tablet on top of the computer console.
"Whoever his opponent was, he had help from above and not the religious kind. The footage might be blurred, but we can fix that and find the assailant." Batman uploaded the video to the larger screen and worked to enhance the scrambled recording. Eli's movements came more vividly, as did the woman. The man who had attacked them had for one second faced the camera, showing his face just long enough for Batman to enhance the footage further.
The camera zoomed in closer and cleared with each movement. Finally it settled upon his bare face despite the dark surroundings.
"Scan facial features and run through Gotham's criminal database." said Dick.
"There's no need. I know exactly who we're dealing with." Batman moved his fingers furiously over the keyboard. The GCPD's records flashed onscreen and ran through a multitude of faces in a matter of minutes. It landed on one and beeped with an indicator that the criminal was highly dangerous and should be approached with the highest of caution.
"Victor Zsasz." Batman's growl was laced with rage.
"Zsasz is wanted for mass accounts of murder, breaking and entering, manslaughter on the first degree, kidnapping...he's insane! He even has a record in Arkham Asylum." Dick real aloud. "What does someone like him want with Eli? Why did he go only for him and not Catwoman? How'd he know they'd be there?"
This was another lead Batman stored into his memory. Now that he knew Zsasz was a part of this, there were more people to talk to. More suspects to investigate and more strings to fashion the noose to hang the mastermind behind the whole crime. Somewhere in this mess, Candice Hill played a part of this, so naturally the first stop Batman planned to make was at the home of mayoral candidate Hamilton Hill.
"We'll get more done if we split up." Dick continued reading. "I'll take the East End, while you take the Hills. I'll contact you if I hear anything useful."
For the first time ever, Dick didn't hear any words of rebuttal. His plan was agreed upon without question and surprisingly he was allowed to leave the cave on his own without a fight. He began thinking the only reason Batman let him go was because he wasn't directly dealing with Zsasz, which to be honest, Dick was grateful. A thug from the streets was one thing. Dealing with the likes of Penguin, Falcone and other more humanized criminals were no sweat, but when it came to madness and bloodlust like Victor's, Dick wasn't ready yet.
Though he never knew the man's name before tonight, he was privy to all the images of his past victims. Most of them were females, violated in ways Dick wasn't even aware of. No human being within their right mind (or even an insane mind) was capable of committing the same type of carnage as Zsasz.
"Oh my god, this makes things worse..." he murmured. What would happen when and if Zsasz attacked Eli again? What if he went for the kill, only to find out Eli had a healing factor. Dick shuddered at the thought and felt something in his gut that he would be right. The idea made his push his bike harder and faster toward the East End. He kept replaying the CCTV footage with every blink of his eyes. There was someone else with Zsasz in that alley. Whoever that was was the real threat and while Victor was more than a call for the highest concern, it was this new mystery person that maybe posed a bigger danger. In Dick's mind, anyone who could take out someone called "the Angel of Death itself" was someone to fear.
* * * *
"What the hell was I thinking?! I should've kept my mouth shut!" Selina cursed. She slammed open the window leading into her apartment and jumped in.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should've never made myself known. Now I'll probably have to walk around here constantly looking over my fucking shoulder."
Selina wrenched off her costume and threw her mask under her bed. She tore her boots off, harshly threw them into a corner and collapsed into her bed. The night was too young, but the danger and risk were too high right now. This was the first time since she began her career as Catwoman Selina had been scared off the streets. Her skin crawled whenever she touched her arms and she nearly jumped out of said skin when her hair brushed past her cheek. She felt dirty and scared like an abandoned child.
"Lina, is that you?" yawned a small voice. Selina poked her head out from under her covers long enough to see her young friend and sister figure stumble her way into the room.
"Go back to bed Holly. Everything's fine." Selina tried to make herself look more presentable.
"I heard you cussing. Sounds like something went wrong out there. You okay? Did something happen?"
Holly, eyes half shut from sleep, crawled into her friend's bed.
"I messed up this time Hol. Big time messed up." Selina sighed.
"Are we in trouble? Do we have to move again?"
"No. We're fine, but...I was made tonight."
Holly shot up from her pillow, eyes now wide with fear and concentration.
"Someone found out your secret identity?! Who? Was it Batman? The police? Do we have to kill someone?!" she panicked.
"No, we're not killing anyone and no Batman wasn't the one who made me. It was...someone else. Another friend of mine. Another friend who's gone..."
Holly got up and went to the tv at the foot of the bed. She moved carefully around two cats huddled asleep in front of the set and flipped the thing on. Bright flashing lights illuminated the dark room, turning it into a comfortable small place where Selina slowly felt safer and more protected. Her nerves settled as Holly came back to bed and snuggled in beside her.
"I heard about Candy. She was all over the news. I couldn't believe it. I still can't. She was no older than me..." said Holly in a quiet voice.
"I know. I told that stupid kid it was dangerous out there, but she just had to be hard headed."
"You said another friend was gone. Were you talking about the one who made you?"
Selina jumped out of bed and went to sit in the window.
She hated this city, but it was the only place she knew she could survive, fight her own battles and win. She could never survive anywhere else. The moment she would find any place more sane and peaceful than Gotham, Selina knew she would go mad with boredom and her fingers would itch for something shiny and unattainable. Nothing she thought of overrode the fact that she should've helped Eli. She was useless, but in the presence of Victor Zsasz, anyone in their right mind would've froze. She could still see those eyes....those lifeless, emotionless eyes...they were going to kill her.
"What happened out there Selina?" Holly joined her friend.
"I...I froze Hol. Right when my friend could've used my help, I froze like some noob. I allowed him to fight my battle and....and he lost. Now I don't know what's happened to him and....FUCK! I hate this stupid city! I hate the people in it! I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT GOTHAM!" screamed a frustrated Selina.
The late night news blared onscreen with the first headline being the long suffering and ongoing investigation into Bruce Wayne and the goings on inside Wayne Enterprises.
"Man, that Bruce Wayne is so hot. I wish I was old enough to get a bite of that." Holly's eyes glazed over in lust.
"Been there. Done that." Selina chuckled.
"Lucky. Oh yeah, you had a date with him tonight. How was it?! Did you guys kiss? Are you gonna see him again? When's the wedding?!"
Selina shifted awkwardly in the window.
"I don't think there's going to be a wedding. Tonight was going great. We even went out to that new ritzy place uptown."
"I was charming. He was sexy and polite. We hit it off awesome...then I had to go ruin it by thinking of Candy. I couldn't stop it once her face came into my mind. I....left early."
Holly turned from the tv, her face was mere inches from Bruce's picture.
"You did what?! You left Bruce Wayne...while you were on a date with the guy?! Lina, are you nuts?! This is Bruce Wayne we're talking about. The literal 'Prince of Gotham'! Do you know the score you let get away because of--" Holly stopped talking. She was on the verge of speaking badly about Candy and knew once those words left her mouth, she and Selina's relationship would be haunted by the ghost of her harsh comment.
"Look Lina, I know you liked Candy. I liked her too, but you shouldn't let her death stand in the way of your happiness and safety. Tonight you messed up and your friend got kidnapped. You still didn't even tell me how you messed up."
Selina's eyes twitched in agitation.
Her body was tingling to get back out onto the street and rooftops. She wanted to feel her blood boil and rush as she jumped and dashed over apartments, the rest of the city stretched out before and behind her. With a huff, Selina left the window and went once again for her costume.
"I met Zsasz tonight Hol. That's how I messed up. If there is one person I need to avoid more than Batman, it's that lunatic." she searched for her missing boot. Holly's tiny body shuddered. Her knee jerked forward and she accidently awoke the sleeping cats.
"Y..you mean, Victor Zsasz the serial killer?! How the hell did you come across that guy? You don't even do business with anyone who's associated with him? Was he there because of this "other friend"? Maybe it's a good thing this new friend was taken away. Getting mixed up with anyone who knows Zsasz is bad news Lina. Bad news period."
Selina assembled her costume, zipped up her boots and found her mask hiding under the bed where she previously threw it.
"It wasn't his fault...although Zsasz sounded like he was looking specifically for him....that's not the point. The point is, I can't leave him. Not after he did me a solid. Besides, he was just as surprised as me to see Zsasz there. It wasn't planned, meaning there's no connection."
Selina slinked back to the window and opened it wider. She crouched upon the ledge and readied her body to jump down the fire escape.
"Don't go back out there. At least, not tonight. Not with that maniac still on the loose. Maybe this time we could go to the police. We could do something to help him, but you can't go out there alone." Holly ran after her.
"Hol...I have to try and save him." Selina looked back.
"Why? I thought we were for ourselves, remember? Us against them. If you go out there and die...who am I gonna have to watch my back, huh? Why does this guy matter so much to you that you'd do such a stupid thing?"
Selina lovingly took the young girl's face into her hand and brushed a blonde strand of hair back with her thumb. She stared into those freckled cheeks and defiant eyes and felt her heart skip several beats.
"He's about the same age as you Hol." Selina smiled mournfully. "Like you and Candy, he's just a dumb kid caught up in this city and has to fight his way out. Tonight he fought against Zsasz for me and lost. I froze up and didn't do anything to stop that monster from taking him. I know this is against everything we stand for, but a debt has to be paid. You know me, I hate owing anyone favors."
A last playful wink and Catwoman was back among the throng of flashing lights and the sound of her city flooding her ears. She could hear Holly's small voice calling after her as she moved further away. Her voice was replaced with the familiar screams of swerving cars, the constant humming from the police zeppelins hovering in the sky and the multitude of voices from the continuous stream of pedestrians.
Her body no longer seized up at the thought of seeing Victor Zsasz, but rather her mind raced and her claws begged to slice through the monster's skin. The bitch known as payback was going to be nothing compared to the pain and violence Selina was going to inflict once she got her hands on the man who killed and kidnapped her friends. She stopped upon the rooftops at the edge of Chinatown. Her senses throbbed madly as she felt someone was dangerously near her.
"Don't panic. Be cool and look like you're not looking for anything." she told herself. Coolly, Catwoman turned her head and body in search of her stalker. She was alone, but her senses continued blaring. She saw a pigeon land next to its kin to settle in for the night and figured those were the bodies she was feeling. Choosing not to stay still for too long, she jumped from the building.
"She's in Chinatown." said a faceless ghost. "Yes, she knows she's being followed, but that doesn't mean she'll find us. Given time, I know she and the Bat will meet up again soon."
* * * *
"Do you think it was still a wise idea to have Zsasz take the boy?"
"If what I heard about him is true, then the child doesn't matter. So long as his "powers" hold out, Zsasz can't do a thing to him."
"The Grandmaster will not be pleased if he hears of his pet being kept as a prisoner."
"Then he shouldn't have sent him back to Gotham. This is our territory. Our kingdom where we reign supreme and know all. We don't need nor want some outsider keeping tabs on us like we're a bunch of children. If anything, perhaps it's best that we've taken the little monster into our hands. A good punishment is always best for naughty children."
The council murmured. Some in agreement. Some with doubt.
"What about Wayne? What shall we do once he finds the boy's missing?"
"Keep watch. It's time to see just how much the child means to our dear Bruce Wayne and whether or not he's worthy of our secrets."
"And the Batman? He seems to be at young Wayne's beck and call."
"Send several agents to shadow the Bat. He cannot be allowed to interfere with our plans and he definitely cannot come into further contact with Wayne until we've deemed him either worthy of our cause, or wasted effort. Three days from now, the Grandmaster shall call us for a progress report and the last thing we need is news that we've been idling by with no results. For the members within Wayne Enterprises, it's time for you to start closing your grip around the foundations and pour more pressure upon Wayne's shoulders. His usefulness will be determined by whether or not he cracks, or how he overcomes this challenge. As for the rest of you, we have been in talks about a purge for the city. One particular place keeps coming to mind."
"Arkham Asylum has been nothing more than a sore spot. A cracked jewel in the crown that is Gotham City. For years we've been contemplating on exterminating the facility and all those who worship it, but now we stand a better chance. A cleanse."
"How so? Batman is the only one who's constantly in touch with the Arkham crowd. He would never kill its residents, despite all the blood spilled and murder committed."
"I wasn't talking about the Bat. Remember, the "Angel of Death" has been captured and once freed--"
"You think he'll escape?"
"He will. I know he will and once he does, he will be furious. Furious enough to take care of all the lunatics and madmen plaguing our kingdom. The plan moves ever forward brothers and sisters."
The council's voice again splits into different tones.