Chapter One
Catalina rubbed her temples as the woman sitting across from her began to weep with abandon. Catalina watched the woman for a moment and then sighed heavily.
"Okay, listen lady, I understand you're upset because you lost your kid, but my precinct is overloaded right now and we are doing the best we can to find all missing persons." She leaned forward watching the woman. "All of my guys are out on the streets right now. The best I can do is radio the guys patrolling the area and have 'em keep an eye out." The woman looked like Catalina had slapped her. Catalina sighed, here we go again, she thought wearily.
"The best you can do!" The woman screamed, "You're in here sitting on your ass and it's the best you can do!" The woman slammed a hand down on the desk. Catalina stood instinctively, her temper barely in check.
"Now you listen here, God damn it. I'm assigned to sit at this damn desk to listen to people whining like you all night!" Catalina shot back, glaring at the woman's hand. "Now, remove your hand from my desk. Fill out this form, and we'll get back to you if we hear anything." Catalina rummaged for a moment and then slid the form to the lady. The lady stood and huffed as she turned to leave. Catalina rolled her eyes exaggeratedly.
"Domingo!" Catalina turned and saw Gordon standing outside his office. Damnit... she thought and stood quickly. She moved past Gordon into the room, sitting down in the chair she had come to know very well. Catalina was one of Gordon's best officers, but whenever she went through solving a case there was always more cleaning up to do than anything else. Cat was also the officer that didn't exactly play by the rules. She was a smart-mouth and quick to fire off. Just the other week she was faced with charges for hitting a man who gave a little too much backchat when she was doing a pat down. Catalina smiled, leaning back in the chair and propping her feet up on his desk. Gordon frowned at her. "Catalina, please." He said softly. She sighed and sat up properly.
"So what's this all about?" She asked, picking up a picture from his desk. "Is this new?" She asked.
Gordon smiled a little, shaking his head. "I swear sometimes you have ADD." He mused and looked at her seriously. "Cat I need something from you…" Catalina immediately held up her hands to stop him.
"Forget it Jim, I'm not doin' another undercover as a whore." She told him as she rose to leave. Gordon stood as well.
"No! Catalina! That's not what I was going to ask you!" He exclaimed to her retreating figure. "Batman, please!" Gordon begged, looking around the room. The man clad in black stepped from the shadows and locked the door before Catalina could get to it.
"Oh great!" She snapped, looking from Batman to Gordon. "Well this has to be big." She growled angrily, taking her seat again, feeling a little defeated.
"It is…" Gordon sighed. He turned to Batman, offering him a seat; the other man politely declined. "Listen, I need you to do a big thing for this Department," he paused, glancing at Batman who nodded slightly, "I need you to infiltrate the Joker's hideout and become one of them to get me any and all information you can," he added quickly. Catalina stood and shook her head vehemently. Her hands were raised in a form of surrender.
"No way Gordon!" She almost yelled, looking at him wide-eyed. "I may be Latina, but I'm not loco, okay. I've read up on him. I've watched the case. There is no way in hell you're gettin' me in there."
"Catalina, just think about it for a second. If you bring this man down, there is a promotion in it for you. That means a pay raise." Gordon frowned. "What about your brother? Wouldn't it be nice for him to be able to have some of the things he's always wanted?"
Catalina stopped and stared at Gordon. She felt a little betrayed. She had told him about her brother in the hopes that he would be able to help her, not use it against her. She turned from him and looked out the office door window, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.
"I would go in but the Joker would know my face." Another voice came, deeper; it was Batman who spoke up this time. She turned and looked at him consideringly.
"What happens if that madman should kill me? What happens to my brother then?" She asked, tears beginning to collect in her eyes. "I can't leave him with no one. I'm all he has." Gordon sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"Batman has offered to train you for a week before you go in. Bruce Wayne said you were more than welcome to use his facilities when he heard." Gordon offered, trying to bring hope to the matter again. Batman frowned at Gordon and touched Catalina's arm gently. She turned suddenly, pushing him away. She met Gordon's eyes with a dangerous stare.
"Ya know, I've finally figured it out, Jim, why you always have me placed on these kinds of missions. Ya know the ones where you 'have to get close to people'. It's because the only thing you think I'm good for is my tits and ass." She blushed a little, looking at Batman. "My apologies for the language, I lose control when I get angry sometimes."
"No, Cat, that's not it." Gordon said softly, rubbing his temples.
"Oh, yeah?" Catalina put her hands on her hips and swayed up to his desk, "Then why not put Good on the case, or Middleton?" She challenged. Gordon sat down again with a heavy sigh. "See, I knew it!" Catalina frowned, deeply hurt by this new discovery. "Ya know what? I'll do it, there are a lot of things my brother needs that I can't give him right now, but I swear to Dios that if I die out there…" She paused and shook her finger at him. "I'm coming after your ass as a ghost, comprendes?" The two men watched her as she left. Gordon laughed a little.
"Oh my, what a temper. So, I'll get you her contact details 'cause she obviously didn't leave any." He snorted softly. Batman frowned at him.
"Gordon, I hope to God her observation isn't right. She is a young woman with her whole life ahead of her. She had better be the right woman for the job and not just the woman for the job because she looks good." Batman whispered, perching on the windowsill.
"You don't think she'd be up for it? I mean, come on. She's might be fiery and easy on the eyes, but she's also got good instincts and an excellent track record. " He shrugged and flipped through her file lightly.
"I hope they were your reasons for picking her." Batman sighed. The door swung open with a bang and Catalina marched in, moving right up to Batman.
"Here is my information. Until I get a hold of Mr. Wayne I will be training in the basement of my building. Adios." She turned and walked out abruptly. Batman tucked the piece of paper in the opening of his suit at the neck.
"You were definitely right about her being fiery." He said with a soft smile as he leaped out the window.
As Bruce entered the house that night, he felt stiff and sore from the night's encounter with the Joker. As he changed out of the Bat suit, the paper with Catalina's information fluttered to the floor in a graceful dance. Alfred smiled slightly and picked it up.
"Picking up women again, are we, Master Wayne?" Alfred joked lightly. Bruce smiled at him and took the paper. He read over the information and shrugged.
"Gordon talked Batman into training an undercover agent of his so he could send her into Joker's hide out to…" Bruce paused, thinking about how to phrase the next part, "befriend him, and get vital information back to Batman and Gordon." Alfred nodded and looked over Bruce's shoulder to read the name.
"Catalina Domingo?" He raised an eyebrow and looked at Bruce. "Her name sounds like she is quite the Latina bombshell." Bruce laughed.
"The name gives that all away?"
"Oh Master Wayne, the name says everything about the person it belongs to. Why do you think it is so important when parents name their children?"
"So people don't run around calling their kids by numbers?" He shrugged and tucked the paper into his pants pocket. "I think I'll go sleep for a little while and then I might just give her a call." He winked at Alfred. Alfred smiled softly and shook his head
Catalina went home that night and kissed her brother good night. He was already in bed of course, like most nights when she got home. She moved from his bed to go into her own room and her brother stirred, looking up at her.
"Cat?" He mumbled. She smiled and sat back down. "You keep getting home later and later. Are we still doing something for my birthday?" He asked watching her. Catalina frowned and looked away.
"I don't know little man, money is so tight right now and Gordon is coming down on me hard at work." She sighed and kissed his forehead. "I'll think of something little man. Get some sleep." Carlos nodded slowly and rolled back over falling right to sleep. Catalina stood moving to her bedroom. She changed quickly and then climbed into her bed. She turned out the lights and lay in bed crying herself to sleep.
Catalina cried because she felt like such a bad big sister, but her hands were tied. She cried because she missed her family, and she cried even more because she knew she was letting her little brother, her father, and her mother down. Ever since Cat had joined Gordon on the force she barely had time to be with her brother. He was sixteen years old and needed someone to guide him. So far he had grown up like her, alone. Sleep soon over took her body accompanied by exhaustion. Soon this day would be just another in her past, like all the others before it.
AN: A big thanks goes out to my beta... she is Magnificent, and ever so patient with me!!! Loves goes out to you!!!! Please R&R This is my second try at this Batman story thing.. let me know what you think??