They stood all around me in the darkness. Each one with an evil smile covering their villainous faces. I felt so incredibly helpless that I wanted to cry, but I wouldn't let them know that.

"What do you want with me?"

One of them moved out of the dark shadows that shrouded all of their faces. He looked older than I thought and I wondered whether or not I could fight my way threw them. The notion was quickly dispelled out of my mind when I saw the gun he absently fingered on his thigh.

"We brought you here for a very specific reason, darling." He went into his jacket pocket and pulled out a large cigar. Lighting it, he put it between his lips and continued. "You see, my colleagues and I are in need of, a little favor-."

"What makes you think I'm going to help you, jerks." I interrupted. He didn't even flinch, just laughed as if he had expected the response.

"Because we have a little something that you want." He snapped his fingers and barked a sharp order to one of the guards standing at the door. From out of the darkness the tired face of a ragged man appeared. His brown skin looked leathery and unhealthy. He was bent at the waist and his skeleton body was tied with shackles of heavy iron.

"Daddy!" I gasped. My knees buckled for an instant but regaining my composure I looked towards him. He lifted his head and stared sadly into my eyes but did not speak, there was no need to. I knew that he loved me. Anger poured over me and made my whole-being tremble. "Let…him…go." I said through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry, we will, sweetheart but that all depends on you." My father shook his head, trying to tell me "no" but the guard had already begun dragging him back into the darkness. There was no one around to help, to plead too. I was surrounded by ruthless, heartless men who would stop at nothing when it came to what they wanted. I kept my eyes steady on the man even though a wave of defeat ran fresh in my body.

"What do you want me to do." I whispered.

"I knew you would capitulate. No need to despair, just as long as you do what we say your father stays alive but remember say a word, make a wrong move and I'm afraid both you and your beloved 'daddy' will be terminated. Permanently."


"Who was the president during the Gulf War?" Max Gibson looked over at me where I sat in the chair opposite her. I ran a hand threw my hair and then squinted my eyes tight in deep thought and concentration. A few minutes later I felt something soft pummel me in the face and I opened my eyes to see Max's laughing face.

"McGinnis, that's the third time you've fallen asleep tonight."

"I wasn't sleeping. I was…resting my eyes."

"R-ight. Hey, get some sleep. You look terrible." She said gathering her textbooks and getting up.

"Thanks. You can send your complaints to the Jokers and while you're at it can you tell them to give me a break." I responded wearily but with a smile.

"I guess it's rough being Batman and a teenager but if you ever need any help…" I knew exactly where this was going and I wasn't going to let her do it to me again.

"No, Max."

"But you could use another Batgirl, I mean why else would the old man make another suit."

"No." I tried to say as firmly as possible.

"Why?" Leave it to Max to never let anything go.

"Because it's to dangerous. The last thing I need is to be responsible for you."

"I can take care of myself, Terry." She had a point but that still didn't make her right. I'd known Max since the first grade and since then she's been my best friend, confidant and resident pain in the butt. I did know one thing about her, she could definently take care of herself. Her parents were never around much so she rose to the top of the class on her own and still managed to care for herself. I always admired her for that but she didn't know it.

"I know you can. Look Max, if anything ever happened to you…I'd go crazy so just trust me on this one okay?" She looked at me inquisitively, squinting her dark brown eyes.

"Fine." And I knew I had one this round but I wasn't sure how much more I could take before giving into her. I ruffled her pink hair playfully and she smiled like nothing had ever happened. Max didn't let things phase her, she just kept going on. She opened the front door to my house and stepped outside. I yelled a quick good-bye.

"You know Terry, you can't do it alone forever." She said with her dark skin pressed against the door.

"Good night, Maxine." I said, using her formal name hoping that she would get that I didn't want to talk about it anymore. She obviously did and left but I stayed in the chair thinking. I rubbed my aching shoulder and tried not to concentrate on the pain that seemed to be constantly in my body. Maybe Max was right, maybe I couldn't do it forever. Maybe it was time for a Batgirl. For a second I contemplated this and then shook my head as if trying to release the thought. No, I didn't need a Batgirl. I went to my room and turned off this lights before getting into bed. I was so tired that I didn't notice I hadn't removed my street clothes.

"Good Morning Class." My chemistry professor and first period teacher, Mr. Fellows, said. I pulled my head up from out of my arms and tried to focus my tired eyes on him. "Before we start I'd like to introduce you a new student. Her name is Kathryn Williams and we are very excited to have her in our school. She was previously a top student at Gotham Academy and was recognized as a top scholar in our city. She has transferred here for the remainder of the year." He turned to her and she shook his hand while he smiled almost reverently. "Welcome to Hamilton High School. I'm sure you'll have a good year here."

I glanced over at Max. She looked exactly the way I thought she would, jealous and competitive. Max was the undisputed smartest person in school. She won every science, math etc. fair she ever entered in. I wasn't sure how she would respond to having the new girl provide some competition. She caught my eye and leaned over to whisper from the desk behind me.

"Finally, a little competition." The smile and laugh she gave me triggered Mr. Fellows attention.

"Well since they seem to have so much fun in that part of the class you may set over there. Hopefully some of your genius will rub off on Mr. McGinnis." He said motioning Kathryn to the empty seat next to mine. She politely nodded to me before she sat.

I reached out a hand. "Terry McGinnis."

She shook it and answered. "Kathryn Williams but call me Kat. Kathryn sounds so…stuffy." As she pushed a dark, curly strand of hair out of her eyes I took a second to appraise her. She was tall and very slim. Her complexion was like Max's but a little lighter but the things about her that caught my notice were her eyes. They were a dark gray, almost unusual for her coloring but they made her look exotic and mysterious. She was beautiful but from the few moments that I knew her I could sense that she didn't want to be known for the way she looked.

"Do I have something on my face?" Kat self-consciously brushed at her cheeks. She had obviously seen me staring. I was surprised that she didn't realize that every guy in the class kept looking over.

"No. Sorry."

"Terrence here has a staring problem." Max leaned down from her desk and gave Kat's hand a hearty shake. "Welcome to good ole' Hamilton High. I'm Max Gibson." Kat gave her another award winning smile and then introduced her self. Introductions aside, the remainder of the class was quick and uneventful besides the pop quiz that I hadn't studied for. During the test I managed to steal a look at Kat. She had finished the test five minutes after Mr. Fellows handed it out.

Hamilton High School. They picked a nice place to send me and all the credentials didn't hurt either. I guess falsifying school records wasn't all that hard if you were a big time crime lord. I wondered what their motive was but I've learned not to ask questions. The only thing they told me was to keep an eye on "the McGinnis" kid. Find his weaknesses, strengths, who his friends are etc. I already knew one of his weaknesses, chemistry. I couldn't help but notice that he was the last one to finish the test and cursed every time Max told him his answer was probably wrong. I liked him. He made me laugh. He was also very easy to look at. His dark black hair was always falling in front of his ice blue eyes. I could see him now sitting next to the girl, Dana Tan. I guessed that she was his girlfriend by the way she possessively held his arm and whispered into his ear. Max, whom I had also taken a liking to, sat across from them, talking a mile a minute. They were so….normal and for a second I wondered when I would join the ranks of regular people. "Hey Kat, over here." Max motioned to me with her hand. I probably looked like a scared kid on her first day of school to her. Looking around for a friendly face, when in reality I just wanted to check out the scene. I didn't hesitate to join Max's table because I could be closer to Terry, for more reasons than one but I refused to admit that to myself. Falling in love with the wrong people was dangerous, not only for me but for them as well. I sat down next to Max and she immediately began talking again. Terry acknowledged my presence with a smile.

"Kat this is Dana Tan. Dana, Kat Williams. She just transferred here." Max said. I nodded at Dana and she nodded back. I wondered if anyone else at the table sensed that tension that was between me and Dana. Hopefully not, the last thing I needed was an enemy.

"How do you like it here so far?" Dana asked politely.

"Everyone's really nice. You have a nice school. It's just all in all…nice." I said demurely.

"I don't blame you, how exciting can school get." Terry interjected dryly.

"Obviously you don't think school is schway." I said, laughing.

"Hamilton High doesn't need my love they have Nelson's."

"Speaking of whom…" I felt someone come up behind me and I turned in enough time to see the tall, muscular frame of Nelson Nash making his way towards me. I groaned and braced myself for another run in with him. I had already had one this morning right after my class with Terry and Max. He asked if I wanted to go out and "see what Gotham City really has to offer". I refused and bolted down the hallway before he could say another word. I had a feeling this time it wasn't going to be so easy.

"Hey baby." He said putting his arm around my shoulder and sitting down next to me. I moved away and slid as close to Max as I could.

"Nelson, could you please leave me alone."

"Come on, you don't mean that. We could have so much fun." He tried to put his arm back around me but I pushed it away. He continued moving closer so I stood up.

"Hey Nash, you heard her, back off." Terry said. I was surprised he defended me but I chalked it up as being one of his traits.

"Shut up, McGinnis. She can speak can't she. Why don't you worry about Dana there and leave the gorgeous new girl to me." This time Nelson stood up and succeeded and getting his arm tightly wrapped around my waist. Terry started to stand as well and I could see that he was getting ticked off really quickly.

"Nelson-." He started but I interrupted.

"I can handle this Terry." I stared Nelson straight in the eye. "If you don't move your arm I'm going to remove it for you." I said through gritted teeth. He didn't move but pulled me closer to him. I grabbed his arm from behind me and in one fluid motion I flipped him onto his back. The action startled him so much that he coughed and lay stunned on the ground. Terry, Max and Dana looked on with wide eyes. They didn't say anything.

"Thanks for lunch guys. Sorry it had to be interrupted by this twip. Maybe some other time." I said to the three on lookers. "Oh and Nelson, I can only say, that I warned you." I gave his shoe a little kick, picked up my stuff and walked away but not before flashing Terry a brilliant smile.

I went through the rest of the day quickly. I hardly paid any attention to the glowing introductions that each teacher had given me, except to smile politely when they were finished. Nelson steered clear of me and I figured that I had hurt his pride more than his backside. Terry, on the other hand, gave me odd looks and always had a questioning look on his face. I couldn't blame him. How many five foot three, one hundred and ten pound women could flip a six-foot three two hundred and ten pound football player on to his back with not even a grunt of effort. I knew the inevitable question of how I did it would come. I was just hoping I could come up with a good enough story by then.


After seventh period I walked to my locker and found Dana leaning against it. She was beautiful, of course but for some reason I wasn't all that interested at the moment. I was still mulling over the situation with Kat in my head. She was no where near the size of Nelson but she had effortlessly turned him on his back and given him a pain he'd never forget. There was something more to her, something in my instincts told me that, but it was just a matter of figuring out what it was.

"And then she said…Terry are you listening to me." I head Dana say while I was still lost in my own thoughts. Next time I wouldn't let her catch me with my mind elsewhere. It was bad enough that I canceled more dates that I went on with her, now I couldn't even be with her when she was right in front of me.

"Oh. Yeah. I was just thinking about how beautiful you are." I recovered while pecking her on the cheek. The anger fled from her face and she gave me an amused glance.

"Terry McGinnis, all my friends and family tell me you're no good for me and sometimes I believe them. But then you say or do something that makes me love you again. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get away from you." She sighed.

"Hopefully not. For my sake." I said as she chuckled and then continued with what she was saying. Inwardly I was so relieved and gave her my full attention, no matter how much I wanted to wonder back to the subject that had filled the rest of my head.

"So like I was saying. Chelsea and her new boyfriend Josh are going to the opening of the new teen club ,the Zone, tonight and I told them we would come." Dana saw the hesitation flicker across my face. I had no idea whether I could be there so lately I hadn't committed to anything. If Bruce needed me then I'd have to be there. "Terrence Warren McGinnis, if you stand me up I swear it will be the last time I wait around for you." The amusement of before had been replaced with rage and Dana gave me one final glare and trounced away. I ran my hand through my hair and breathed in deeply. There was no way I could miss this date. She had given me a choice that I had been avoiding to make for a long time unknowingly. Batman or my life. I had thought about it a lot lately and the more I did the more the decision became clear. The first time I had stepped into the suit and assumed the role of the dark night I had made the choice. Batman was my life.

I walked down to the parking lot of the school towards the car that Bruce had let me borrow. It turned heads and the whisper was that "McGinnis was in good with the boss". I wanted to tell them that borrowing the "company car" was a small price to pay for getting your butt handed back to you on a platter every night but refrained. I saw something move beside it from a distance and walking closer I saw Kat leaning against the trunk staring straight in front of her. As I approached she heard me and turned around, removing her body from the car.

"Hey." I said casually while still trying hard to figure her out behind my eyes. There was no trace of acknowledging what had happened earlier on her face and she just waved. We stood for a moment of awkward silence and I knew that while I still studied her she was doing the same. Neither of our eyes moved from each other's. Then in an instant something snapped and we turned our eyes away as quickly as possible. We both realized at the same second that we had begun moving closer to each other until our heads were close enough to-. I tried not to think about it. I had no idea what kind of person she was but for some reason I was dying to find out.

"I'm going to the V.R. pit down the street. You want to come with me?" I asked pretty spontaneously. I really wanted to talk to her and that was the one way I could accomplish it. Her eyes no longer focused on me but behind me.

"Oh great here comes that dreg, Nelson. Ok. I'll go but we have to go now." She didn't even wait for me to say anything before she jumped into the car. On the way there she was quiet but she kept fidgeting with her hands. I watched her once or twice and she didn't notice me at all. When we got to the V.R. pit, I got a table, ordered and Kat sat down across from me. She had stopped fidgeting but she still was obviously nervous.

"So. How was your first day at HHS?" I said trying to make small talk. She looked up from her hands quickly.

"There's no need to beat around the bush. You wanna know how I did what I did today." Kat caught me off guard with her bluntness but I regained composure fast enough to nod.

"I watched you flip him and you have perfect form. You just didn't seem like the person to hurl someone into the air. You're so…small and, no-offense, but I haven't seen many high scholars that could put a person twice their body wait into the air."

"No offense taken. It's pretty simple. I've studied almost every form of hand to hand combat. From street fighting to boxing to wrestling and Tae Kwan Do. My father believed that you should excersize you body as much as you do your mind." She said matter-of-factly. I leaned back into the booth and watched her from across the table.

"Every kind." I asked.

"Every kind." She responded. Her movements were so easy yet powerful and I wanted to know her secrets. If I could learn at least some of the techniques that I could reduce the time it took to get a criminal out and probably reduce the injury to my own body. It wasn't like Bruce could teach me everything. It was highly unlikely for a man pushing eighty years old to be able to fight like he used to. I battled with the idea in my mind and then gave in. This time I leaned forward, closer to her, so I could keep my voice down.

"Do you think you could teach me?" I said. The question was apparently a shock to her but she nodded.

"If you're willing to learn but you have to promise me we do this on my terms."

"Of course. What are they?"

"If I ask you to do something no matter how twippish it may sound you have to do it. I wouldn't steer you wrong. The main thing is you have to trust me. I'm not going to get slagged for a person that is not willing to cooperate." Her eyes were very intense and I could sense that she was serious about these things for a specific reason.

"I agree. When do we start." The question was answered because she had already started gathering her stuff.

"Right now."


So Terry wants to know my "secrets". He may learn how to fight but he'll never know my secrets. They are the one thing that keeps me separated from everything I love and need. It was evident that he was eager and I knew he would be a good, if not exceptional, student. We drove back to my apartment and after he got over the initial shock that I lived alone, he sat down on the couch and waited like a child on their first day of school.

"I'm going to change. Take off your shoes, leave your socks and sit on the floor. Don't move." He looked at me like I was crazy but did as he was told. Yes, Terry would be a great person to work with. When I came back he had his eyes closed while he sat crossed legged on the floor, humming.

"What are you doing." I laughed. He snapped out of his trance-like state and held his head highly.

"Meditating. Like you said."

"I never said that. I said sit on the floor in your socks."

"Which meant that you wanted me to become one with my inner being."

"What are you talking about?" It was becoming hard to keep my self from laughing.

"You know like those old kung fu movies. 'You must first become one with yourself before you can truly be a master, young Grasshopper." He imitated the voice of an ancient Chinese man and I couldn't hold in my laugher any longer. I laughed until I cried and my stomach started to cramp. Terry just sat there, looking at me annoyed.

"I don't think it's funny." He said with a slight attitude.

"Ok. I'm sorry," I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing anymore. "I only wanted you to sit that way because it's easier for me to talk to you if you're on the floor."

He looked perturbed now and I could tell that he was very embarrassed. " Fine. Can we get on with this."

I eyed him and then slowly got up. "Sure we can. One second." He sat still on the floor while I moved behind the couch that he was leaning his back on. The red blush had crept up his neck and it almost released another bout of laughter. I hadn't had so much fun in ages and I had forgotten the intoxication of laughter. It had been replaced by the depression of crying and I wasn't about to loose it when I had it for once. I tip toed around and then grabbed a pillow from the couch seat and hurled it at the back of his head. It hit him right smack between the ears. He turned around with a disbelieving expression. Before I knew it he had thrown the pillow back at me and it hit me on the nose. We stood staring at each other again, appraising and thinking, but the serenity didn't last for long. In an instant I had jumped over the couch and hit Terry over the head with a pillow. He grabbed the nearest one to him, which happened to be a feather pillow, and began hitting me with it. The pillow fight lasted for about half an hour until exhausted we both fell on the floor beside each other. Feathers were scattered everywhere, the coffee table had been knocked over along with everything on it.

"That was your first training session." I said breathing hard. Terry glanced over from where his head lay with a raised eyebrow.

"Is it? Or are you just messing with me again?"

"Yes it is. Some people say that emotionally detaching yourself from combat is a necessity but when you feel during the fight you can almost hear the mind of the opponent. Strategy is not all memorized but if you can become aware of your surroundings you can overcome them."

"Almost like being in their mind." He said and I agreed.

"You should have been able to sense that I was behind you with a pillow and caught it before it hit you. I was testing you're reflexes. They are amazing when you were hitting me. Your motions are easily controlled but they were sloppy. You let too many hits in even though if we had fought for real you probably would have won." I let him think about this for a minute and I closed me eyes. It seemed like Terry was a natural fighter but he let his mind wander from each second. I would have to train him to think for the moment and not far ahead. Terry had closed his eyes too and breathed in and out deeply. His disheveled hair clung to his face from the sweat. I wanted to reach out and brush it away but I stopped myself.

"I'm thirsty. You mind if I get some water?" He said pulling himself up to a stand. I shook my head in the negative.

"Are you going to get up?"

I shook my head again. "I'm too tired. I think I'm going to stay here tonight. There's no way I can get up on my own. Help yourself to my fridge." I opened one eye to find him standing over me. He pulled me up off of the carpet and into his arms. I started to say that I didn't mean literally but the smell of him filled my senses and I couldn't think straight. He leaned his head in close and kissed me, gently. I swayed back a little in surprise but then moved closer to him for more. As my arms went to his neck the phone that he had left on the couch rang, he jumped back as if suddenly waking up and finding that he wasn't in his own room. I watched as he answered it but kept his eyes low, avoiding mine. I sighed and walked to the kitchen to get him the water. When I came back a couple minutes later he was gone.

Pushing the car as fast as it could go, I raced towards my house hoping that I wouldn't get stopped for speeding. A thousand thoughts passed through my mind at once, each fighting for equal attention. It had only been my first lesson with Kat and I was already highly attracted to her. I hadn't even known her for a full twenty-four hours but it felt like we had known each other for ages. I chuckled to myself as the cliché filled my head. I figured out why we were always staring each other up. There was a connection, some kind of unseen bond between us even before we had spoken two words to each other. A common ground, maybe that we have experienced the same thing before. When she sat down at the table at lunch, Dana must have noticed it because she was cool and distant from her when she was usually a one person welcoming committee. I sighed and clutched to steering wheel until the knuckles of my hand were white. Kat reminded me of Max. They were both strong and didn't need anyone to reassure them of their worth. I had always wondered if I had feelings for Max but the fact that she was my best friend prevented me from going further with the idea. We had more fun as friends and Max was totally uninterested. Kat was like Max but different still. I couldn't put my put my finger on it yet but there was something about her. I chided myself again for kissing her although I knew inevitably it would have happened. The attraction was too strong to deny that it was there and it was just a matter of who made the first move. The weakness that she makes me feel was startling. I hadn't had that type of connection with any human being in a long time, even Dana. Thinking of Dana seemed to make the situation worse because I sped up a couple of miles. Instead of being able to dwell on my problems, I found myself in front of the Wayne Mansion. I ran up the steps and down into the Bat Cave, where Bruce sat at the computer.

"You're early." He said in a monotone voice, not even turning around.

"I decided to take a short cut. What's up?" I walked to stand beside him while peering into the vast screen of the bat computer to see what he saw. The profile of a man flashed across the screen, along with the profiles of a dozen other men and women. I searched my mind for some kind of connection but as usual Bruce was way ahead of me.

"Look closely at the first picture. Then look at the rest of them. Do you see any patterns?" I squinted my eyes and tried to see a similarity between them. There had to be one but from face value they were all completely different. One was a red head in her forties, the other a blonde teenager. There was an old wrinkly man with a black beard and another clean shaven good looking black man. The more I searched for the similar the more I came up with the different. Then I noticed it. A small scar underneath the chin. It was the same in all the pictures, about an inch long and a faint white color.

"It can't be…" I whispered to myself but Bruce overheard.

"It is. Each of the people in these pictures are one person." A new picture popped up on the screen. The man was in his late fifties and had dark brown hair. A few snatches of gray could be see in his sixties style sideburns. The only features that connected him with the previous people was the tell-tale scare under his chin.

"His name is Howard Blake," Bruce said gesturing towards the screen. "He was a top plastic surgeon until one of his 'experiments' turned on him. He had a lot of customers. From the rich and famous who wanted to have their imperfections fixed to the poor who just wanted to look normal after a bad accident. Not only was he very good he was also filthy rich."

"What does that have to do with these people." I interrupted. Bruce chose to ignore my impatience and I waited for him to continue.

"Blake was secretly developing a way to reduce the pain, scars etc. of plastic surgery. Even with the technological advances of time it is still a very difficult thing to go through. He thought that if he could make a formula that would allow you to change the way you looked on a whim then not only could he be richer but he wouldn't have to perform as many surgeries." He paused as he watched the disbelief pass over my face even when I tried to conceal it. "As far fetched as it sounds, its true. Only he couldn't get the ok to work on it so he did it himself. Naturally the only test subject he had was his own body."

"So he tried his own formula on himself and obviously it worked." I kept my eyes on the pictures as I tried to piece the puzzle together. Bruce rose from his chair, leaning on his cane he began to walk around the bat cave.

"Not only did it work, it worked too well. He could change his face whenever he needed too…without the formula." He turned to me, the hard lines around his mouth twitching as he thought. "In the process of altering his appearance he altered his DNA. With one thought he could assume the identity of whom ever he wished. Fingerprints, voice, retina patterns…anyway you could think of identifying a person was changed. "

"Amazing. Except the scar…I don't see the problem in this. It's not like he's committed fraud or anything. So the guy screws up a little. No crime, no need for punishment."

"Oh but he has," Bruce returned to his seat at the computer. A few quick punches of the keyboard and flashes of the screen revealed police reports from over several years. "These police reports are on every single one of the people in the pictures. The face of the red headed forty year old woman alongside a police report was on the screen. "Laurie Jane Cochran," He read aloud. "Arrested for breaking into Gale Bio- Genetic and assault of arm guards. Carl Jonas," The good looking black man came up next. "Arrested for forced entry of Hollander Research Department of which he was an employee. Franklin Harding," The blonde teenager showed up. "Arrested for attempted murder of three other students who got in his way while he tried to rob a science lab at Delano University of which he was a student. The rest of them are just like this one. Jenkins Medical Center, California State University Laboratory, Gotham Institute of Genetics…they were all broken into and only one thing was stolen." Bruce sat back in his chair. "Now, find the similarity."

This time I saw it right away. "Each of those places were working on DNA research and development. But Blake already has his formula, what does he want with them?"

"He's dying." Bruce said bluntly. I was taken back at first but then I recovered quickly.

"Dying but…"

"Yes. In a few months Howard Blake will be dead unless he can find some way to reverse what he has done to himself. You see, every time he transformed his DNA more lethal chemicals were released into his system. He didn't find this out until it was too late and now…I'm afraid it may be too late."

"He assumed the identity of these people to get the cure that he needs. What happened to them?" Bruce was silent for a moment and I just continued to stare at the screen.

"Each one of these people are…dead. Any persons identity he assumes turns up missing after."

"Why?"

"I believe he is working for someone bigger. He can't do it on his own. He doesn't have to skill or mind too. Remember he's a doctor not a criminal, or was. Records have shown that identity fraud has been committed several times but the person has not been traced. Someone is using him somehow to get what they want and he's just a side man until he gets what he wants. They are holding something over his head…I'm just not sure what…or why."

"So what do we do." I asked after a moment of silence from Bruce. He turned the chair and looked at me straight in the eyes.

"Nothing." I was ready to go find this guy and put an end to the killing. Bruce's response startled me. "We wait for him to make the first move. Things have been quiet but I'm afraid they won't be for long."

"Why not?"

"Wayne-Powers has just reached a pinnacle in DNA research. I have a strong inclination that we might be the next target."

I raced home as fast as I could because I remembered that my date with Dana could not for any reason be cancelled. I had gotten lucky because Bruce said we should wait on Blake instead of the usual pounce and destroy method I was used to. Even though I was relieved to be able to spend time with Dana, I was also eager to unravel the complex mysteries of this case. I was home long enough to grab my jacket, check my hair and lunge out the door. Dana was waiting for me in front of The Zone with her foot tapping impatiently. I groaned knowing this would be a long night. Chelsea and the boy whom I presumed to be her new boyfriend, Josh, were wrapped in each others arms, oblivious to everyone else. Which might have been a good thing since everyone was staring at them. I jumped out of the car and walked quickly over to Dana.

"You're late. But at least you're here." She put her arm through mine and led me into the club. Loud music blared from speakers that seemed to be positioned everywhere. A haze filled the place and I noticed fog machines and strobe lights. It was another teen club and sighing I realized that maybe I was out of touch because I wasn't having any fun. After refusing to dance Dana went off to find another partner and I really didn't care. I sat for a few minutes, sipping my drink and then I saw her. She wore a short but simple black dress, that fit her extremely well even though I tried my best not to look. It was getting harder and harder because she was coming towards me.

"Hi, Terry." I said, sitting down in the chair next to him. He removed his eyes from the bottom of his cup long enough to choke a hello and returned them just as fast.

"Why aren't you dancing?"

"I don't."

He said curtly. I let him finish the drink so there would be no distractions. I had to talk to him and I knew that he was adamant to ignore me.

"Look…I…wanted to apologize for what happened today."

"Why? It wasn't your fault." He said.

"It was as much my fault as it was yours. What kind of teacher hits on her student." He laughed with me as I managed to make light of the situation and then cleared his throat.

"And what kind of student puts the moves on his teacher." His eyebrows were furrowed in thought and I wondered what he was thinking. "Maybe we shouldn't do this. I have a girlfriend and-"

"I know…Dana. Nice but I don't think she likes me much. Maybe…but I'm sure it wont happen again," I said trying to conceal my nervousness with a chuckle. "It's not like we can't control ourselves."

I thought I saw doubt trying to be concealed behind his eyes but it could have been my imagination because he nodded his head.

"You're right, we can. So…uh…should we try it again Friday at eight?" It was my turn to nod.

"That's fine. But from now on you're in strict training. Beginning with getting off your butt and having some fun. I noticed that Dana is a great dancer, don't worry, she'll mask all your moves." I playfully punched him in the arm as I walked towards the exit. I didn't even have to turn around to know that Terry stared after me.

Pulling my coat closer to my body I made my way down the dark alley behind The Zone. It was almost pitch black outside and I shuddered but I wasn't afraid. They always held their meetings in places like this, in old, run down buildings and in the night, so I was used to it by now. My eyes roamed over my surroundings until I found what I was looking for. A large, metal door with the words "Caution" in red lettering over it. Looking around one more time to make sure I wasn't being followed, I opened the door and entered.

"Kat, darling, how nice of you to join us." A low, feigning sweetness, voice said from the darkness. "Please have a seat."

I sat on the nearest crate and allowed my eyes to adjust to the dark room. A long table filled the small space that looked like an old electrical room but was now stripped bare. Ten chairs were positioned around it and at the head sat a large old man.

"What do you want this time, Richmond?" I said harshly, meeting my own tired eyes with his small, beady ones in a dead lock stare.

"It's simple this time. All we want you to do is get some jewels from Gotham Bank. It's a smash and grab sort of job. You're in, you're out." A smile spread across his fat, swollen lips.

"Fine. When do you need them?" I rose and headed to the door.

"Tomorrow night at midnight."

"Done." I reached out to pull it open.

"Wait!" Richmond said. I pulled my hand back and turned around to face him once more. "I'm quite sure that we will have a visitor." His voice turned strangely sinister. We want the Bat…alive."

"No problem." With that, I opened the door and I was pulled back into the darkness once again. Mulling over the events of the past several months in my head, I realized that this was a piece of cake compared to the other jobs. From what I saw they really had no need for the small amount of jewels in Gotham City Bank. A new exhibit had just been introduced at the Gotham Museum, Wealth of the Pharoahs. If Richmond really wanted something big then why wasn't he sending me to gather all the rubies, diamonds, emeralds and other rare stones that he knew would be there. I had a feeling there was more to this than they were saying and that it had to do with the infamous "Batman." Oh well, I had learned to stop asking questions. They would only hurt me or…him more.

A long fingernail brushed, slowly down the back of my neck. Shivers went up and down my spine but I didn't turn around. I reached up and pulled the soft hand from behind me, encircling the slim wrist in my hand. I tightened my grasp until she pulled away. I wanted to stand up and turn around but the bands that held me around the waist and feet did not allow it. For some reason she had kept my hands free but it didn't matter because I was in some kind of holding cage. The thick, cold metal band that wrapped around my neck acted as some kind of electric collar that would give me a great shock if I moved to close to the walls. I had already tested this theory enough times not to try it again, unless I wanted to be permanently brain-friend. I sat with my head hung down in the darkness. The bruises and cuts that were all over my body were a testament to the beating I had just had before being taken here. Bruce had sent me to investigate a break in at the Gotham City Bank, routine for me. As I rounded a corner, from out of nowhere, someone jumped on me and then quickly and efficiently gassed me. I figured they had kicked me a couple times because I was sore all over. When I woke I was seated inside a glass case in a dark room. The only light coming from a small bulb in the corner. I realized that my captor was a women because of the clicking of heels I heard every now in then. This was definitely not the way I planned to spend my Saturday night. I saw a light flicker in from the corner of my eye and she finally moved in front of me but I couldn't see her face. The dark leather of her suit was shiny from the light reflecting off of it and it was very form-fitting. Noticing the black spiked heeled boots, I knew right away where the pain all over my body came from. I looked up to try and get a glimpse of her face and I didn't have to make much effort because she leaned forward. She wore a black, cowl with cat shaped eye holes and whiskers near the nose.

"I hate to do this to you, Batboy." I was startled by her voice but not afraid. It was melodious, not harsh and it gave me the courage to speak.

"Who said you have too." I managed to croak out since my windpipe was a little sore too.

"I wish I knew." She responded in a surprisingly sad voice while turning to leave.

"Wait," She stopped and turned to look at me once again. Her eyes flickered in the darkness. "Who are you?" Silence sat between us for a minute and then her eyes bore straight into mine.

"They call me…Catwoman." This time she left. And I only had a second to wonder who "they" were before the gas that had put me to sleep before was once again pouring into the capsule.