All That I'm Dying and Living For – Introduction

Disclaimer: The only character I own so far is Celyna. If I owned Batman Beyond, it would still be on the air.

Author's Note: This part of the story is mostly Celyna looking back on some things, but it also has her present opinion on certain topics.

My name is Celyna Kyle and I am 17 years old, with blue eyes and shoulder length black hair. I live with my mother, Selina Kyle in a plush twelfth story apartment. I asked her one day why she gave me her name and just spelled it differently. She just told me that when I was born, she did not think that a common name would suite me. However, giving me a name that sounded feline somehow just seemed appropriate. She was right too - I am a huge fan of cats and simply cannot stand canines as their very presence grates on my nerves. Mom has a few cats and they each have their own unique personalities. I talk to them all of the time, and it is nice to be able to share what I am thinking, or how I feel without being judged.

My mother has raised me by herself my entire life or at least for as long as I can remember. I asked her one day if she ever got married and she told me that she used to have an interest in someone a long time ago, but that it never would have worked out. I asked her who it was, but she turned away from me and told me that it did not matter. I left her alone about it and did not asked her again even though the sad look in her eyes made me extremely curious as to his identity and what could have taken place between the two of them. I guess the saying about cats being curious fits me like a glove too...

I am about 5'4, and I am not stick thin on account of having more muscle than most females that I know. I would rather be able to not fit in a size 0 or a 1 if I had to choose between that and being able to stand up for myself. However, I would never be classified as overweight or fat. The good thing about that was, looking at me one would never know that I am stronger than most guys which have been unfortunate enough to get on my bad side. I never get tired of when someone tries to do something stupid (harass me or a girl they think is helpless) and they find out exactly what I am made of. I wander the streets at night, so it is a necessity for me to be rough and tough. I have always been stronger than what was "normal" for a girl. ...Although one really must inquire as to the definition of so-called "normal". I also have this "gift" where I know some things before they happen, and I can sense certain things about other people even if they show a completely different mask to the world. I am still learning to depend on that, but I occasionally forget and end up regretting it. I have made a pledge to myself where I will strive to learn from my mistakes. I can sense the presence of other beings and sometimes it even freaks me out a little. I have to confess, I have not told my mother about any of this, because I do not really know how she would react. I guess part of me is afraid that she would flip out or something.

Living in Gotham City is like living on the edge of death twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Hardly a day goes by when some girl is not raped, beaten, and left for dead. True, the numbers have gone down somewhat with the return of Batman, but even he cannot be everywhere at once. One day (before I discovered my preternatural strength) as I was walking on my way home from school, a few boys pretending to be tough guys came out of an alley. I am sure they would have done something to me, but something strange happened. I felt as though something took over my body and before I knew it, all four of my would-be attackers were on the ground moaning in pain. I think one had a broken nose too. Oh well, serves them right, and as far as I am concerned, it is a shame that their injuries were not worse. I still don't know how I did that and I used to find it cross between creepy and cool; but at least now I know that if I should find myself in a dicey situation, I would be able to protect myself. I went to school the next day and it turns out that the guys who attacked me the night before happened to go there. I found it amusing no one found out about what took place, as all of them kept quiet about it…stupid male ego I guess. I do not have an interest in having a boyfriend – frankly, I like my independence and I do not want to feel tied down. Besides, every single guy in my school is a jerk and/or a player. Mom finds my attitude towards boys quite amusing and says she would rather have me that way instead of being boy-crazy like almost every other girl. There have been a few boys interested in me, but so far, I have been successful in chasing them away and the rest of those who would approach me. The fact that it did not take much to do so proved they were not interested in anything beyond getting in my pants. Actually, even if they had been persistent, I would not have changed my mind anyway.

As for my style of clothing, I dress predominantly in black. I alternate anywhere between dressing business-like and just wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. The looks I always get I find to be entertaining. I wear low cut shirts, but not too low where I can bend over and my chest does not fall out. I refuse to wear miniskirts since the immature boys at Hamilton High think they are oh so subtle when a girl walks by and they pretend to drop something and angle their camera phones in order to get a snapshot up her skirt. One boy came up to me once and asked if I would flash him, and I think I held back too much in my response…although the principle did not. I can still hear him now, "Miss Kyle, you are not permitted to slam the head of another student into lockers because of a rude comment….blah blah blah". I tuned him out for the rest of the drawn out speech until he said that I would have to pay for the repairs done to the dozen or so badly damaged lockers. I snickered and mentioned that I knew he was screwing one of the cheerleaders (I had stayed after class to work on a project and happened to walk by his office door and hear them moan each other's names). God, I wish I could erase things from my memory… Anyway, he was afraid I would go to the Board of Education or something and decided to bribe the boy who ended up in the hospital with something to do with sports. I do not know the details and frankly, I do not care. However, I do remember when his father was notified of his son's actions, he came to the principal's office, and I was called in. I walked in the door and he shook my hand and said that he was sure his son deserved it. I was shocked speechless for a few minutes. I think I just nodded and said something along the lines of "thank you" when he said that he would not be pressing charges. Since that incident though, the news that I was a "Class A" bitch spread like wildfire. If people did not avoid me almost all of the time before, they certainly avoided me like the plague after that took place.

In all honesty, I did not have a real friend before my senior year of high school since I normally would stay to myself all of the time, and I lacked interest in that prospect. I went to class, came home, did homework, browse the internet, and wander the city when it is at nights darkest. When Mom caught me climbing in the window at 3:30 in the morning, she just said that I did not need to sneak out and that she used to do the exact same thing when she was younger. I still find myself surprised Mom has not had a fit because of my late night wanderings and the possibilities that could happen to a girl out there. When I was a senior at Hamilton Hill High School, I had the privilege of making three friends that I have become very close to over the year and a half that we have known each other. It was Max who first approached me in a computer class we had together. Thinking back now, it is probably bad that it is somewhat fuzzy as to what she talked to me about, but I think it had to do with a computer program we were doing for class. Anyway, she and I started talking more and eventually, she introduced me to her two other friends, Terry and Dana. As of right now, we commute to Gotham Community College and even have a few classes together, but Max and I are mostly in advanced placement courses. If I had a choice, I would not be going to community college, but Mom thought that since I was sixteen when I graduated high school; I was too young to go away to college. I am fine with that, and I get to go to an actual college when I turn eighteen anyway. Going here is not so bad, but there people here act like they are still in high school. I hear way too much drama going on and I have to say it is pretty darn annoying. Mom is right when she said that community college is just like thirteenth grade.

I found, or rather I find Terry to be attractive, but I would not date him for two reasons, He had a girlfriend already (Dana), and I was not interested in a relationship right now. Over the course of the year and a half the four of us have known each other, Terry and Dana have broken up and gotten back together more times than I could keep track of. The number one reason for this according to Dana was that Terry constantly breaks dates with her because of his job. I tend to agree with Dana somewhat though – we realize that he works for the old billionaire Bruce Wayne, but how can he need Terry at various hours of the day? But anyway, that is not really my concern.

Author's Note: I hope that this was a good introduction to what I plan to be a very interesting storyline. Please review and tell me what you think of the story. Do not be afraid to make suggestions or offer as much constructive criticism as you want.