Title: Catwoman: Vex – Flower Time, Part I
Summary: Just when Selina's life was returning to normal, someone kidnapped Holly. Batman becomes involved when Tim Drake is kidnapped as well.
Disclaimer: DC owns all characters.
Find Holly. Find Holly.
Catwoman took a deep breath to clear her mind, then sprung the lock with little effort and slipped silently into the bar through the back door. Wildcat followed closely behind. From where they stood near the back entrance, they could see down the short, darkened hallway to the other side of the locale where the bartender was rearranging glasses behind the counter.
They moved closer, stopping at the restroom. Wildcat opened the door, checked it out with his flashlight, and closed it quickly. The pungent smell made him gag and he wondered when the small room was cleaned last. He was certain he wouldn't forget the sight of the greens and browns smeared across the once white walls anytime soon.
Catwoman walked ahead of him and opened the door a few steps past the restroom. She turned on her small flashlight and saw that a flight of stairs led downward. Someone could easily be hidden down there along with any liquor and she turned to Wildcat who seemed to have the same thought. She signaled her intent to check it out and he nodded.
She closed the door behind her, but froze shortly when she heard gunshots coming from the other side. She pushed the door open and Wildcat was already running towards the frightened screams.
A large man stood near the entrance holding a small gun with a trembling right hand. The elegantly dressed blond woman and the white haired man clung to their briefcases while hiding behind a couple of turned over tables. The waitress was lying face down on the floor and the bartender had her hands up on the air.
"I-I w-want my daughter!" he yelled at the bartender, pointing the gun at her. When Wildcat and Catwoman came into view, he glanced at them quickly. Absently, he took a step back, but continued aiming his gun at the bartender.
Catwoman unleashed her whip and was ready to strike at the man's hand, when the waitress lying at her feet stirred.
"She's still alive..." Wildcat whispered and moved towards the injured woman. He turned her over and noticed her navy blouse wasn't drenched just above the huge gunshot wound to her stomach like he expected it to be. There was no blood. Something wasn't right here.
When the waitress moved again, the bartender smiled. It was an eerie grin. She put her hands down because there was no use keeping up the façade. She turned towards the large man completely unaffected by the weapon aimed at her head, "Did you bring the ransom money?"
"Just give them the money!" the woman hiding behind the table yelled. She was starting to fear she would never see her son again.
The man hiding alongside her added, "Don't be stupid!"
"Give me my Angela," the armed man replied unrelenting. He took a cautious step towards her, his hand now steady.
"That's not generally how these things work," the bartender mocked, stepping out from behind the counter, "Or, didn't you get the note?"
"I got your money right here, lady!" the large man yelled, waving the gun monetarily.
The bartender began to make her way towards him, "I assure you," she said her lips thinning, "It won't matter if you shoot me. She won't care. She'll still get what she wants from you. One way or another."
Catwoman looked from the waitress to the bartender and for the first time noticed the alabaster hue to their skin. Suddenly, the window exploded, colorful shards of glass rained all around, and Batman flew in. When he looked up, his eyes were instantly on Catwoman and in that moment, time slowed to a halt.
He scanned her figure and was relieved to see she wasn't injured. Quickly, he scanned the rest of the bar. The bartender was smiling; the two who came to exchange their money for their children appeared to be praying to a God he was sure they had long since forgotten; the armed man was still pointing his gun; and Nightwing had just landed silently only a foot away from the tip of his cape. His jaw tightened further when he noticed Wildcat's close proximity to Selina. The Society hero was kneeling next to the injured woman, who had a hole through her torso, but no blood…
With narrowed eyes, he glanced up and caught sight of Catwoman's whip frozen in midair as it snaked towards the gun.
Batman looked up and his eyes locked into hers. Blue searched green ones intently. It was the first time since that night at the cemetery that they had been in the same place at the same time. He had been careful to avoid the East End unless there was a real reason to be there. He made no excuses as he had other times. Not once did he seek her out.
Every day that he let pass was like another nail on the coffin and by the time he got around to consider looking for her, he knew it would be too late. There would be no point in trying. So, he didn't. And now, as he took in the sight of her a thrill ran through him. He couldn't pretend to ignore it even if he wanted to because behind the goggles, her eyes gleamed brightly and he realized how much he missed them…missed her.
The swirl of emotions he tried to disregard every waking moment, hit him full force; there had not been a day since it happened that he did not regret letting her walk away. He regretted doubting her, not trusting her completely. He wanted her to know all this. He wanted her to know how miserable he'd been without her. He wished he could convey it with one look… But he knew it was impossible, especially when she blinked and looked away.
Time resumed and instantly, all of his thoughts except the matter at hand were stored away and forgotten for the moment.
The whip made contact against the man's hand sending the gun flying away. Before the man could process what had happened, Batman was behind him grabbing both arms and cuffing him.
The bartender continued walking towards them, though, picking up the fallen weapon along the way. She pointed the gun at Batman, her unearthly green eyes filled with something…strange, unidentifiable. Wildcat ran to stop her, but the waitress still lying on the floor reached up, grabbed his taped wrist, and flung him across the bar with uncanny strength.
Wildcat hit the mirrors behind the counter and with a loud clang of shattered glass accompanying him, slumped to the floor.
All eyes were on the waitress who stood up despite the gaping hole through her midsection. She craned her head to the right, then the left, and offered them a disturbing smile. Next, she turned towards Catwoman and in one quick motion, picked up the leather clad thief to throw her across the room as well.
"Ready, Rose?" the waitress asked.
The bartender nodded, "Ready, Violet."
They both walked towards the pair hiding behind the overturned tables still clutching their briefcases. Batman moved to stop them and stood in front of the civilians.
Violet laughed at him, "She told us you might be here, Batman, but you cannot stop us."
"Violet!" Rose yelled, "Get the briefcases, I'll handle him."
"Violet and Rose?" Nightwing asked, taking his place alongside Batman, "Working for Ivy?"
"No," Violet corrected him, "We don't work for her. We are her children, her flowers. She is-"
"Enough of this crap," Wildcat grumbled, shaking his head and getting to his feet, "Ya ain't human. That means all bets are off." He cracked his knuckles, "A couple of K.O.s coming up."
Rose sneered at the former boxer, "You are welcome to try, old man."
Batman turned to Nightwing and motioned at the two frightened people behind the table with a quick turn of his head, "Get them out of here."
"Nuh-uh-uh," Violet wagged a finger at the two vigilantes, "They come with me."
Near the corner, Catwoman groaned as she lifted a hand to her head. It took a few seconds for her to remember where she was and why.
Just get this over with and find Holly, came a tiny voice. As her vision cleared, she took in the scene before her. The waitress and the bartender's alabaster skin appeared to have taken on a darker shade of green, but hitting her head against a wall may have been responsible for the change. Nightwing's concerned expression was at odds with the determination running through his body, Wildcat was bouncing on the balls of his feet ready to beat someone to a pulp, and Batman was blocking access to the suitcases full of cash and their owners. Unconsciously, her gaze lingered on him longer than the others.
His hands turned to fists at his side, eyes focused on his opponent. Batman looked like he always did: tall, dark—handsome, a treacherous part of her mind whispered—ready to put himself on the line in order to keep others safe. Commendable, of course. But wasn't that the problem? The one thing that was always certain about him? His need to protect everyone else whatever the cost—his heart included? He would never change, she thought sadly. Then, she reminded herself she had stopped caring and he was no longer her concern. She dusted her hands off and stood.
"'Bout time ya got up," Wildcat grinned, looking at her over his shoulder, "Ya were 'bout to miss all the fun."
"Wouldn't want that now, would I?" Catwoman returned his grin with one of her own and walked towards him ignoring the pain shooting from the right side of her body. Her shoulder and ribcage were throbbing painfully. No doubt she going to be sore tomorrow, but she'd worry about it then.
When Nightwing made a move to get the civilians out, all hell broke loose.
