A/N: Hey everybody, sorry I took so long to update, hope you enjoy this chapter. Please keep leaving reviews, I love them. Hmm, also, Batman may be a TAD OOC, but thats mostly because he hasn't exactly been in this situation before, right? Anyways, enjoy, and thanks for reading!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters related to Batman or any official story lines. They are the property of DC comics. BUT, this story does belong to ME. :)
: Chapter Two :
: Wayne Enterprises Building, Business District – 11:35 AM :
Left alone in the spacious Wayne Enterprises boardroom, Bruce Wayne sat deep in thought, drumming his fingers on the tabletop. It was not the recent board meeting that occupied his thoughts, in fact it had gone exceptionally well. Bruce was pleased with the direction his company was headed, and he was certain his father would have been as well. No, the meeting was not what concerned Bruce. So if it wasn't his day job that troubled him, it had to be the other job. And that's exactly what it was.
Since Batman's status as a JLA member had reverted to an 'emergency' member, he hadn't been directly involved in the intricacies of the league, though he remained in charge of security. As one of the original seven founders, he had supported the decision to increase the numbers of members, but other than that he'd stayed out of the way for the most part.
Up until now, that is. Yes, he'd thought long and hard about this, even talked it over with Alfred, and decided it was time to take his idea to the league. They wouldn't say no. He was Batman. No one says no to Batman, unless they're really brave, or just stupid. Either way, he knew what he was going to say. Bruce stood up and stretched. Then he strode out of the boardroom confidently, taking his briefcase with him.
: Selina Kyle's Brownstone Apartment, East End – 11:39 AM :
After waking up, Selina groggily showered and dressed, throwing on a tank and some yoga pants. Letting her short, dark hair air dry, she stumbled into the kitchen and remembered why she had bothered to wake up in the first place. She was hungry. Barely awake, she failed to notice a black ball of fur dart in front of her and she accidentally squished a little black tail.
Startled, she yelped and the cat hissed scornfully before scampering away, swishing it's tail wildly. "Sorry, hon."
Soon, Selina was preparing her breakfast, which was technically brunch, considering the time. She shrugged. What did that matter anyways? Besides, she worked nights. And a girl could always use extra beauty sleep. While she scrambled her eggs, Selina listened to her voicemail. Last night she was too exhausted and hadn't bothered to check them, intead she'd gone straight to bed. Yawning, she reached across the kitchen island and hit the playback button, then returned to the frying pan in front of her.
The machine beeped loudly and a robotic yet feminine voice started rambling. "You have three new voice messages. Message one...."
It was Leslie. "Evening, Selina. Just calling to make sure you're home in bed, which obviously you aren't. Need I remind you that it was only last week that I stitched up a six-inch knife wound on your-" Skip. Selina rolled her eyes. Leslie worried too much.
"Message skipped. Next message....'Good evening Miss Kyle. It's Carla calling from Fifth Street Fashion, just informing you that your evening gown is tailored and ready for pick up or delivery at 555-'"Selina pressed the magic 'skip' button again. She'd stop by Fifth sometime today.
Humming softly, Selina sat down at the quaint two-person dining booth to eat her eggs and toast while the last message played. It was from Holly, earlier that morning, mentioning something about a newspaper, but Selina wasn't paying much attention. She was too busy downing the last of her black coffee. It was something Alfred always teased her about, saying that she took her coffee straight because she was lovely enough as is, no need for sweetener. Selina would simply blush and tell him he was wrong. The machine beeped loudly again, signalling the end of all messages.
She glanced at the clock. It read eleven forty-five. She had an appointment at twelve! Cursing under her breath, she left the dirty dishes for later and hurriedly brushed her teeth and applied a bit of make-up. Selina hated rushing. Cats prefer to live at their own pace. As soon as she had changed into something more suitable, she quickly slipped into some heels and grabbed her stylish bergundy coat and purse, and ran out of the flat.
"It's a wonderful dress, Miss Kyle."
"Yes, excellent choice!" The sales women Carla and Berenice admired the evening gown Selina had ordered.
It was beautiful, an elegant peacock green that began at the bottom and, darkening, gradually became black at the top. Sleeveless, it featured a low, boat-neck front with an open back which would hang loosely on her shoulders, and was floor length. It tapered in at the waist and again by her knees, but near the floor it sprayed out and collected at the bottom. Selina had had it designed especially to wear to the Masqued Ball that the Wayne Foundation holds every spring, for a different charity every year. She smiled, eyeing the exquisite green dress. Yes, this would be special.
"I'll just bag this for you." Selina waited while Carla, the younger salesgirl, carefully slipped a clear plastic cover over the gown and handed it to her. "Have a good day, Miss Kyle."
"Thanks. You too." Selina left the boutique and stepped out onto the wide sidewalk.
Once outside, she clenched her teeth in a grimace. Her head was throbbing. Coffee, she thought, I need coffee. Spotting a small cafe down the block, she started to make her way towards it with the least amount of bobbing or bouncing as possible, for the sake of her head.
Passing a newspaper vendor, something caught her eye and she stopped in her tracks. Her gaze latched onto a few particular words on the front page of the Gazette's morning edition. She almost tripped over her feet as she lurched towards the papers. So this is what Holly was trying to tell me about.... Her green eyes widened as she skimmed the page. Suddenly, Selina shook with laughter. The whole idea was absurd. Batman and Catwoman Gotham's Latest Crime-fighting Couple? She smirked. Yeah, right. That part of the article was obviously bogus, but her smile faded when her eyes traveled down to the last sentence. Could it be that Gotham's Dark Knight has finally found love? She crinkled her brow, wondering whether Bruce had seen this. Probably.
The man operating the news stand saw her expression and motioned to the paper.
"Funny, eh?" He grinned and loudly popped his chewing gum.
No. It was unbelievable. How could they print this? Selina was outraged, but remained calm as she was in a public setting. The impudent man still waited for her to answer.
She looked at him. "Hilarious." Nervous, he backed away, allowing Selina to collect herself.
This... this wretched city, the one he fought so long and hard to protect, afforded him no respect, and this infuriated her. Despite being upset, she strode away nonchalantly, smiling to herself. 'Lovebirds', huh?
: Watchtower, Observation Deck – 12:50 PM :
The view from the Watchtower was an extraordinary one. Sure, the twinkling stars were a sight all on their own, but the view of the Earth, from here on the moon, was amazing. A blue and white jewel amidst a blanket of black. Wally sighed contentedly, then wondered if Kyle was thinking the same thing. The newest Lantern, however, was busy inspecting his club sandwich. Wally turned back to face the view from space.
Wally West and Kyle Rayner were doing their shift of moniter duty for the week. It could get pretty boring, especially for Flash. He needed distractions. Suddenly the communicator beeped and flashed a green light. Finally, a distraction! Flash sped over to the computer and pressed a button.
"Yes?" He asked in a fake accent. Kyle looked up in curiosity.
"It's Batman," was the dry reply.
"Weeell hellooo..." Kyle tried to laugh but choked on the mouthful of bread and lettuce.
Wally straightened up and spoke again, but this time he meant business. "Seriously though, what can I do for you, Bats?"
"You can transport me up."
"That I can," Wally raced across the Watchtower all the way to the transporter room in less than one second flat.
"Prepare to be beamed," he joked cheerfully to himself and punched in the teleport codes. Within a minute, Batman materialized in front of him and stepped down from the platform. It reminded Wally of something he'd seen in a Start Trek episode before.
"Thanks, Wally."
Flash smiled. "No problemo. Long time, no see." Then Wally remembered that he had abandoned Kyle on the observation deck. "Gotta run!" He saluted playfully before speeding away.
J'onn was scrutinizing an x-ray when the double doors to the medical bay automatically opened and Bruce stepped inside.
Good to see you again, Batman, he telepathcally welcomed his friend without turning around.
And you, J'onn, Bruce replied in thought. He walked over to where the martian was standing and looked at the x-ray. "A fractured skull," he said.
"Yes," the alien agreed, "Much like your injury some months ago." J'onn stole a glance at Batman, who seemed troubled. He did not need to be told that Bruce disliked speaking about past events revolving around the villain, Hush. It was a terrible ordeal that had left Bruce in emotional ruins, up until a few months ago.
I'm sorry if I've upset you... the Martian Manhunter apologized.
Bruce let out a haggered sigh. Don't be. It's nothing.
J'onn removed the x-ray from the backlights and switched them off.
"What is the reason for your visit, Batman?" He looked at Bruce.
"I need to speak with the league. I'm calling a meeting. One thirty."
J'onn nodded, suspecting it was important to Bruce without having to delve into his mind. "I will be there." He smiled at Bruce, but only recieved an anxious glance in return before Batman turned on his heel and walked out of the infirmary.
There was murmering and excited whispering as heroes filed one by one into the Watchtower's well-furbished conference room. First inside was Superman, then Wonder Woman, with Flash closely following, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter. Lastly, Batman entered. Anyone who had been smiling stopped and prepared to pay attention to what the man was going to say. Wally coughed and Shayera folded her arms.
"I called you all together to get your opinion on something," Bruce began.
John interrupted. "And that is...?"
"I'll get to that. But first I want to commend you for the work you've put into increasing the league's size." His teammates all looked at one another, surprised.
"Thank you, Batman," Diana bowed her head slightly, accepting the compliment for the rest of them.
Batman nodded, then continued. "Now, I want to suggest another individual addition to the league. A valuable one."
Superman leaned forward. "Who?"
Bruce took a deep breath. "I want to sponser Catwoman in joining the league." More murmuring broke out among the seated heroes. Batman cleared his throat to get their attention again.
John stood up. "Are you joking?"
Wonder Woman joined him. "You can't be serious."
Wally raised his hand queitly. "Can I say something?" He recieved irritated glares. "I don't get what the big fuss is about. I think Batman's onto something. Catwoman would be a great asset to the team." The other heroes all stared with their mouths wide open. "Plus she's hot."
Hawkgirl nearly lost it. "But she's a theif!"
"Was," Batman corrected Shayera. "And she's been an ally of mine for years now," he defended. This quieted Hawkgirl. Wonder Woman stared, incredulously.
Then someone who had not spoken, as of yet, did so. "Do you trust her?" asked Superman.
The noise died down, allowing Bruce to give him the answer he had prepared before hand. "With my life."
As if they had been somehow deflated, the heroes ceased arguing. Green Lantern, who had been gesticulating wildly, let his arms fall to his sides. Wonder Woman fell back into her chair and Hawkgirl slouched where she stood. Flash grinned and Superman just looked at Bruce, his eyes full of understanding.
J'onn, who had not even moved, finally stood and started to speak. "That is reason enough for me. If Batman trusts her, why should we not?" There was a collective nod.
"Let's do a vote!" Flash chimed in. He jabbed the air with a red gloved hand enthusiastically. J'onn raised his hand, too. And Superman. John shrugged to himself and put up his hand as well. Diana, without making eye contact with Bruce, reluctantly raised her arm. Then Shayera.
Superman walked to the front of the room and stood beside Batman, "Then it's done. Catwoman will be here for an interview as soon as possible, and she will be welcomed with open arms."
"Thank you," Batman addressed the entire room. "You have my appreciation." He turned to leave the room, but first shot a glance at Superman. "I'll see you in Metropolis, Clark."
Clark knew what he meant and nodded in reply. Then, the man in the cape and cowl left through the door, silent as ever. Once he was gone, the room remained silent. His proposal, and their answer, had left each person astonished.
: The Daily Planet Rooftop, Metropolis – 4:00 PM :
On the roof of the Daily Planet it was quiet. The only noise was that of the sirens below and a plane flying thousands of feet overhead, probably enroute to Edge City by the looks of it. Suddenly, the quiet was interrupted when a tall figure wearing blue and red landed on the roof.
"I'm here, Batman," Superman looked around him. "Where are you?"
Silently, Batman stepped out of the shadows. "Thanks for coming," he said, and walked over to his colleague.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
Batman looked down before answering him. "Am I doing the right thing, Clark?" Superman didn't say anything, so Batman turned back to face his friend, only to find he was hovering without realizing it.
"Do you have to do that right now?" Batman asked impatiently. Clark had been thinking, but Bruce snapped him back to the here-and-now.
"Sorry." He let his feet touch the concrete again. Bruce, as tall as he was, could never compete with a floating Kryptonian, so seeing Superman back down at his level made Bruce feel a little more confident.
"Am I, Clark? Or was it foolish of me to even suggest it?" Bruce allowed his shoulders to sag, ignoring the urging of Batman to stand tall and proud.
Superman cleared his throat. "Bruce, I think it was very... brave of you to think of inviting Catwoman into the league." Bruce's mouth twitched slightly at hearing the word 'brave', but he allowed Clark to continue."I don't think anyone seriously opposes it," he paused," but that wouldn't even matter as long as your motives are proper and your goals are reasonable."
Superman looked at Batman, who folded his arms. "You haven't answered my question."
"Yes, I think what you're doing is good." Bruce relaxed a little. "But, may I ask, why are you doing this?"
Bruce tensed up again. "She has amazing skills, she's smart, quick, she's...." Bruce trailed off.
"Excuse me?"
Batman swallowed. "I said she can work wonders with a lock."
This time Clark folded his arms. "Well, she was a burglar...."
Bruce frowned beneath his cowl. "Not any longer, she's completely reformed!" Superman concealed a creeping smile as Batman continued. "You have no idea how much good she's done for the East End. She's accomplished so much, the streets are practically litter-free, figuratively and literally!"
Revealing his smile, Clark held up a hand. "Then why are you second-guessing yourself and your decision, and her, for that matter?" His fellow hero was quiet. "Bruce, is that the only reason you want her to be on the team so badly?"
Bruce turned away, then tried to speak. "I... wish I could..." he stammered.
Clark sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If you love her that much, and it sounds like you do, then you have to tell her."
The Dark Knight's face reddened. How does he do that? He sighed."I don't feel like that would be... enough. She deserves... more, from me."
"Listen, Bruce. The longer you wait, you may end up missing your chance. Don't waste another minute."
Bruce was silent for a few minutes before Clark came up to him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Trust me."
: End of Chapter Two :