Title: Catwoman: Vex
Summary: After the events of Hush (where Catwoman helped Batman against various villains, he revealed his secret identity to her, they began a relationship, but he ended it because he wasn't sure he could trust her) Selina goes on with her life. One that does not include the Dark Knight.
Disclaimer: DC owns all characters.
The walk from the cemetery was long, but Catwoman didn't remember much of it. Or any of it, really. Her mind had been on other things.
When she reached her apartment, she didn't head inside straightaway, but remained on the roof looking out at the dark, cloud-filled sky. Fitting, she thought, as she got closer to the edge and sat down, pulling her knees in close to her chest and resting her chin on them. Looking down, she noticed her boots. Mud, which had already begun to dry and crust, covered them.
After everything that had happened with B— with him— over the last few weeks, after everything they had overcome, it was now over and all she had to show for it was ruined, muddy boots.
She took a deep breath.
That hateful, once familiar, burning sensation in her eyes grew stronger. She stood up, removed her goggles, and slid back her aviator cap. Her short, black hair was disheveled, pointing wildly in odd directions. She glanced down at the goggles in her hand, then flung them violently across the rooftop. The damned muddy boots came off as well and she kicked them as far as her tired legs allowed.
The burning in her eyes intensified, but she wouldn't succumb. She wouldn't allow any tears to fall. She would not cry… not for this… not for him.
Barefoot, she made her way into her apartment, faintly aware of the rain that had begun to fall all around. Once inside, she slipped out of the rest of her suit, eager to forget this day and everything that it would come to mean.
Selina stood naked in the middle of her room, arms crossed over her chest, looking straight out the window. Only the sudden bursts of lighting outside kept her from being engulfed by total darkness. When she thought she saw a familiar shadow move swiftly in and out of her view, she turned away and headed to the kitchen.
She needed a drink… perhaps two. She took out the expensive looking bottle from the top cabinet and poured herself a glass. Inevitably, the scene at the cemetery replayed in her mind.
Forget about being a detective for once…
She poured herself another glass.
We are who we are. That's why this works…
Then another.
Maybe, someday…
The glass flew cross the kitchen, hitting the wall and shattering into tiny little pieces. She looked at the mess and walked away. She'd deal with it later.
After turning on the shower, she stepped in wanting to have all the conflicting emotions gripping her heart and the troubling thoughts running through her mind washed away. She let out a ragged breath. If only it were that easy…
The tiles were cold as she leaned against them. The water pounded gently against her bruised body, her legs barely sustaining her. She ran her fingers through her damp hair and sagged down to the base of the tub. In there, she could pretend it was the warm water running down her face, and not her sorrow and anger.
Selina woke up in a cold sweat. She sat up and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. How she hated that dream. As if it wasn't bad enough it happened; she didn't understand why her mind insisted on torturing her by having her relive it. The worse part, though, the worst part was that she still had that damn dream nearly a month since it all occurred. She shook her head and pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind.
She sat up fully looking around her room. It was too bright. Those piece-of-shit curtains kept very little sunlight out; she should have replaced them a while back. It was too late now anyway. She cursed under her breath knowing she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, so she got up and got dressed.
Despite the sun, the morning was cold and Selina was glad she decided to wear her long, dark grey coat. A light breeze blew by making her shiver and she tightened the coat around herself. Her eyes followed a styrofoam cup tumbling along the sidewalk and she quickened her pace; her craving for caffeine increased twofold when she saw the familiar logo.
The little bell rang when she opened the door and she spotted him immediately. He looked up from his paper and with one quick nod acknowledged her presence.
"You're early," he said, folding the newspaper and laying it down on the table.
He always complained that she was late and now? Selina resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "It's nice to see you, too, Slam."
He shrugged, "I'm not complaining."
"Sure sounds like it."
"Creesus," he mumbled, then turned to the waitress who approached, "Two coffees."
"Anything else?" the young girl asked, eyeing Selina.
"No, thanks," Selina gave her a small smile and turned back to Slam. Once the girl walked away, she leaned in conspiratorially and spoke, "You got anything new?"
…
Selina felt good. Alive. Like she hadn't felt in a long time. Finally, her life seemed to be back to normal, or as normal as it was going to get. Even better, it had been at least a week since she last had the dream.She refused to call it a nightmare; she wasn't about to give him any power over her. Not again.
Down over the side of the apartment complex, there were three men, just as expected. She slipped her goggles on, readied her whip, and jumped down, landing silently on the pavement.
Catwoman smiled, her teeth gleaming in the moonlight. She cracked her whip and the men froze, their backs facing her.
"I told you I'd find you," she grinned. They spun to face her and she continued, "Tell me what I want to know. I won't ask again," she warned.
"Alright, lady, alright," the shortest man, hands up in the air, spoke quickly, "I don't know nothin' 'bout whose callin' the shots—"
The whip cracked through the air once more. This time, only inches away from where the man stood.
"I swears I don't know!" he yelled.
"What do you know?" she asked.
"Jus' that it's gonna go down tonight."
"Where?"
"Look, lady, if they find out I ratted 'em out—"
She moved towards them, "You didn't think I'd find you, yet here we are... Tell me, who would you rather have come after you, them or me?"
The youngest of the three stepped forward, "The docks."
Catwoman narrowed her eyes, "If you're lying to me…?"
The three men shook their head in unison.
"Get out of here," she said, the anger no longer in her voice.
They looked at each other then turned to run down the alley towards the well-lit street. She hoped they wouldn't show up anywhere near the docks. If what she and Slam suspected turned out to be true, the docks would be even more dangerous tonight than usual. Well, dangerous for them anyway.
Catwoman smiled to herself thinking Holly would be proud that she had not sent anyone to the hospital thus far. Of course, the night wasn't over yet.
As she made her way up to the roof, her cell phone vibrated. She looked at the number and answered, "Hello?"
"Wait, Karon…I can't…what? Since when?" she listened intently to the other woman's frantic voice.
"That doesn't mean—" Catwoman stopped, her mouth in a straight line. She took a deep breath, "What does it say, Karon?"
"Don't worry," Catwoman forced herself to remain calm and managed to keep her voice steady, "I'll be there soon."
She hung up and headed in the opposite direction across various rooftops. The docks would have to wait, someone kidnapped Holly.