A/N - A Nolanverse Bat meets Cat fic. I've tried to emulate the grit and realism of the movies, as this is the Batman I enjoy the most.
Whoever this thief was, he had expensive taste.
Six months had passed since the Fifth Avenue Cartier was hit, but it wasn't until the same MO popped up at the midtown Tiffany's that Bruce realized something was wrong. At first, more pressing matters (mostly in the form of a psychopath clown) had left him little time to ponder over, comparably, petty delinquency. But now, thanks to the ever present shadow of the Batman, organized crime seemed to be losing steam and he had allowed himself to investigate some of the less violent crimes that marred his city. Careful consideration of several luxury good robberies revealed that someone was systematically attacking high-end stores.
The thefts were odd in that the burglar did not sweep the entire store. One would think after working so hard to breach the security systems, the thief would want to flee with as much merchandise as possible, but the item taken was usually a single, albeit elaborate, piece. The thefts were undetected until the next morning, suggesting the perp had scoped out their target thoroughly and knew the security systems well.
And so, Batman waited, perched on top of a particularly foul looking gargoyle on the corner overlooking a De Beers. He sat up a little straighter, arching his back and expecting it to creak after holding the uncomfortable position for so long. He had waited here after patrol four times this week, patiently, hoping that the thief would show. The skylight at the top of the low-rise seemed like a particularly inviting breaching point, so he chose a vantage that gave him a clear view of the entire glass enclave.
Batman cursed under his breath as he caught a flicker of movement, and saw a slinking figure exit the skylight and start to shoot across the length of the rooftop. The thief must have used a different entrance, so the plan to use the store itself as a cornering point was now bust. He jumped, letting his wings catch the wind as he swept down, but the thief was fast, having already reached the ledge.
His boots scraped the ground lightly as he made contact and skidded to a crouch. The thief, a woman he noted, stopped in her tracks.
"I was wondering when you'd show up."
As she turned, he arched a brow beneath his mask. "Nice getup," he said.
A tight black leotard hugged her body and her eyes were veiled by a large pair of violet goggles. He noted the two odd protrusions that emerged from the top of her hood. Ears. Cat ears.
She clicked her tongue. "The man dressed like a giant rodent did not just try to give me fashion advice. What is your deal, anyway?" Her voice was low, but warm with amusement.
"Bats are not rodents," he told her pointedly, and started to close the distance between them.
His menacing steps clearly did not have the intended effect as she swung a small velvet bag in front of her to some unheard beat. "Well, be that as it may, doesn't make you any less nutty."
As Batman got within arm's reach, her leg cracked up and her boot caught him in the jaw, sending him reeling backwards. He grabbed the closest chimney for support, and by the time he had blinked the stars out of his eyes, she had made it to the adjacent rooftop. He shook his head to clear his vision and broke into a full sprint, leading with his hand as he shot a grapple out to the ledge. It connected and the line began to reel him in, shooting him forward and letting him gain some ground. However, she took a sharp left and sent out a rope, no, a whip, to the balconies five floors above them. She swung on the line and managed to disappear for a moment behind a particularly tall building on the intersecting street. But Batman was perceptive, and saw her drop into an alleyway on the other side of the block.
He grappled again, and let the mechanism pull him again, this time falling down to land in front of her.
The thief whistled lightly as the Batman cut her off. "You're quick."
"Give me the bag."
She cracked her whip against the ground and the sound echoed through the narrow alley, which amplified the already jarring noise. "In case I didn't make it clear, handsome," she replied, "you're not getting this, until you catch me."
So Batman rushed her, which she anticipated. Her whip wrapped around the nearest fire escape, and she leapt up to escape. She was 6 feet in the air when his grapple caught her ankle, and he yanked, hard. She yelped as she came down, crashing into the nearest dumpster and rolling off the lid. She was up on two shaky feet as he rounded the corner and pinned her forcefully against the wall.
"Caught you," he growled as he squeezed her shoulder roughly, feeling the taught muscle underneath. "The bag."
"You don't want this old thing, do you, Bats?" She asked him and flashed a predatory, but sultry smile. "Why don't I actually make this worth your while, hmm?"
She unhooked the velvet bag from her belt and tossed it behind him, and he glanced, for just a moment, but that was all it took, and she slammed her elbow down hard against forearm and broke his hold. She dodged his fist as he sent it out to strike her, but he noticed she was moving slower and favouring her left leg. The fall hadn't been painless. Her whip shot up again, and this time, she was successful as she climbed lithely up the fire escape and disappeared over the roof, despite her injuries.
As he opened the bag of loot she had discarded, he was unsurprised to find it empty, and sighed as he tossed it into an open trash can.
Selina cringed as she peeled her costume off her leg, which revealed that her left thigh was already purpling beneath a series of nasty scratches. She leaned her head back on the couch and allowed herself a moment to gaze out the window of her apartment where she could see the twinkling city lights reflecting off the East River.
"Ouch," she murmured, pushing herself up and beginning the arduous journey across her living room to the kitchen. She stopped momentarily at the granite island and fingered the necklace of cascading diamonds. From the delicate central chain, clusters of the clear-cut jewels hung in an elaborate pattern. "But totally worth it."
She retrieved a bag of frozen peas from the fridge and pressed them against her skin, hissing at the immediate pain caused by the pressure. She felt a familiar soft warmth at her ankle as her one-eyed calico nuzzled her.
"How are you, Isis darling," Selina cooed, patting the island barstool. The calico took the cue and jumped up, arching her back beneath Selina's hand, but her one beady eye rested on Selina's leg as she mewled lightly.
She gathered the cat up into her arms and collapsed once more on the dark blue couch, not bothering to change out of the tight underclothes she wore beneath her costume. She turned on the TV and flicked through the channels, boredom wrought on her face, until the red and white banner of "BREAKING NEWS" caught her eye.
"-two more women have been found under sewer grating in Old Gotham, on the corner of 73rd and 4th. Suspicions arose when the grates began to overflow following substantial rainfall on Wednesday. GCPD has alluded to the fact that the bodies might have washed through the sewer systems, with the most possible origin being Crime Alley."
"Of course," Selina murmured.
The scene cut to a Commissioner Jim Gordon, standing behind a podium. He sullenly pushed his glasses up his nose and sighed. "These women, like Ms. Leona Gray, found five months ago in the reservoir, was discovered with her throat cut open. There is no evidence of a sexual attack."
"Who were the new victims?" shouted a reported from the crowd.
"Like the previous victim, they were young women who frequented Crime Alley as prostitutes. Their names will be released tomorrow following-"
"Do you think it's a serial killer?" yelled the same, anxious reporter.
Gordon sniffed and planted his hands against the podium. "Yes," he stated.
The flashes went off in a frenzy, as did the myriad of questions, but Gordon yelled over the din, "We urge citizens to report any suspicious behaviour, anonymously if needed, to the GCPD hotline, and please be vigilant when visiting the more seedy neighbourhoods, particularly at night!"
Selina turned off the television, throwing the remote to the adjacent loveseat in frustration. A psychopath was loose.
TBC