Selina Kyle's dress was tight and revealing allowing her to look older than seventeen, but she'd still have to make sure that she didn't let Pam pick out another of her outfits again. Especially for a job.
"You'll look sexy, Selina." Pam had said trying to convince her from just breaking in like she used when she was a child. "Those guys'll be lining up to take you in." She wasn't wrong, the old guy was getting handsy in the car asking her how much she charged for the night. She hated having to do this and grimaced at the thought of him touching her.
She had finally managed to lose sight of her more than willing chauffeur at the far corner of the ballroom, away from the dancing couples. Being alone gave her the chance to breathe and it felt good. Nobody would notice her leaving, she thought, as she took one last look behind her before slipping out into the east corridor of the Kane home. Selina laughed to herself at the idea of it being a home. Modern castle seemed like a more appropriate term.
'Easier to break into though.' She thought as she remembered stealing the umbrella from the Penguin's actual ice castle when she was fourteen.
Silently working her way through the marble-tiled halls, avoiding anybody in her path, Selina finally reached the master bedroom. This really was the embarrassment of riches. The stone plinths that they had vases balanced on in this place would probably worth enough to feed all the kids on the streets in the cauldron for months.
Putting the bitterness aside, Selina tried the handle for the bedroom door preparing to have to pick the lock and surprisingly it opened. The bedroom was huge. Why would somebody need so much room to sleep? It didn't take Selina long to spot the jewellery box on the dresser. "Heh... Blue bloods are asking for it to be taken." Selina muttered to herself as she walked towards it and opened it.
As she focused the necklace she'd been tasked to find Selina hadn't noticed that she'd been watched. Ivy's dress had attracted attention that Selina didn't need, and that attention had followed her through the halls and into the room.
"What are you doing?" A male voice asked making Selina jump as she put the necklace in her purse causing her to knock the box clattering to the floor.
"Shit!" She mumbled spinning around on her heels. Stood in the doorway was Bruce Wayne and Selina swallowed nervously. Being caught by an entitled billionaire was not in the job description, she had to think fast.
"I was just collecting something for Mrs Kane, you startled me." Selina said sweetly, placing her hand over her heart.
"You don't look like you're one of the help." Bruce stated, slowly stepping towards her. Selina slowed her breathing, she had to remain calm to find an exit and she couldn't risk fighting him. She could take him, but the commotion would get her caught and as her eyes wandered the room looking for an exit, Selina noticed the open window behind Wayne. They were on the first floor; the fall wouldn't be too bad.
"You're quick billionaire, I'll see you around." She smirked before darting past Bruce, narrowly avoiding his grasp. Selina ran towards the window with Wayne on her heels regretting her early cockiness, believing this to be an easy job. She jumped as she got towards her target, balling herself up in the air so she'd fit through the gap knowing that if she messed it up she'd be caught. She felt her hair brush along the top of the window and the wind whistling past her ears, millimetres away from being caught. Selina dropped her legs and let out a gasp as she got ready for the impact. Bruce watched in awe as she gracefully bent her knees into a front roll as she hit the ground and ran into the darkness.
As she approached the side gate Selina felt her heart pounding against her rib cage, it had been years since anybody had even come close to catching her and the rush brought a smile to her face. She was surprised the alarm hadn't been sounded yet, it had been at least five minutes since she had left Wayne which was more than enough time to tell someone and have the cops on their way here but nothing, she guessed that mouse was doing her job.
Selina slowed as she got to the gate opening her purse and with a grin, she showed off her prize. The camera slowly turned towards her and the gate buzzed opened as Mouse controlled the system from her store near Gotham U. Selina walked through into the trees surrounding the Kane estate back towards the city to deliver the necklace.
It wasn't until early morning that Selina managed to reach Gwen (Buzz) Altamont's Bar. After dropping down from the fire escape behind the bar and using the cover of darkness as well as a now smashed glass bottle she managed to sneak past the bouncer. On the stage, there was a girl, not much older than Selina singing to what seemed like nobody until Selina saw an overly large, broadsheet newspaper shrouding a woman sat leaning against the wall in a booth by the stage.
"Hey Lo'! How's it going?" Selina called as she approached the older woman, who looking up through her thick glasses and curled grey hair, scowled as she lowered the newspaper slightly.
Lola was Gwen's mother and had worked for Falcone since he first started out. "In the office." Lola's hoarse voice told her, ignoring the question she'd just been asked, before concealing herself with the paper again and continuing to ignore Selina's presence. Selina had always wondered why she hated her but never had to ask because she just ignored her, even Buzz didn't know why.
The door labelled office was already open, so Selina walked in to find Buzz sat behind her desk like she was every time they met wearing a smile and some god-awful knitwear. She was nicknamed buzz because when she was a teenager and her Mom was in a relationship with Falcone she was mistakenly kidnapped because they thought she was his daughter Sofia. She's told several versions of what happened to her but never the truth. The only thing people know is that she ended up with a permanent ringing in her ears and a penchant for killing people.
"Cat!" She exclaimed raising her arms up on either side of her to welcome her master thief.
"I can always rely on you, but I still wish for you to invest in a car." She continued to praise.
"B, you know that that's just a quicker way to get caught. Cars can be tracked easier than people, especially in this city." Selina told her once again, she could drive, and she could hotwire a car. As far as she was concerned that is all she needed to do with the things, her feet and the rooftops were more reliable.
"I got it." Selina stated taking the necklace from her purse and offering it to her.
"Could you put it on me, baby?" She asked lightly tracing her manicured nails along her neck and down to her chest with her chin slightly raised. "Certainly!" Selina chirped feeling bile rise to the back of her throat.
She walked around the back of the desk behind Grace, leaving the purse on it, and unclipped the necklace.
"You've become quite the beautiful young woman Selina." Grace said in a matter a fact tone as she lifted the long dreadlocks from the left side of her neck, not needing to do so on the right side because it was a short half Afro.
"Thanks..."
"You should start using it to your advantage." Selina mentally sighed as she clipped the necklace together.
"You know I'm not doing that." Selina told her cautiously, afraid she might snap.
"I know, I just like to check every so often. I could use a strong girl like you to keep the others in check. Betty's almost thirty. She's getting past her prime." She said as if it were a normal conversation.
"Thank you for this." Grace continued, gesturing to her neck with both hands as Selina picked up her purse again. "I knew I just had to have it when I saw how hideous it looked on that Kane woman."
"That's cool, no biggy." She smiled.
"I'll make sure you get Benny's bonus along with the agreed price for getting past him again."
Selina felt a smile grow on her lips as she left the room. The woman may be crazy, but she was a nice crazy when she wanted to be. Waving goodbye to Lola, who still ignored her, Selina walked out of the front entrance rather than the back alleyway she came in through.
She used the rooftops rather than the streets to travel around the city, jumping over gaps between buildings with ease. Within minutes, she was scaling the Channel Nine News building, to watch the sunrise as she did after most jobs. By the time Selina got back to her apartment, the streets were bursting with life as people tried to beat the morning rush hour to get to work.
She'd climbed in the window from the fire escape like she usually did so she wouldn't forget to put the padlock back on the door and kicked her flats off as her feet hit the grainy grey carpet that covered all the floors except the bathroom and corner, separated by a counter, that was supposedly a kitchen. Collapsing on the worn couch in the middle of the room Selina turned on the TV before dropping the remote on the ground. She let her eyes close and fell asleep to the sound of the aspiring anchor, Vicki Vale, talking about corruption in the Mayor's office.