The Ventriloquist's perspective:

At the age of fifty-four, it took no more than a fake beard and toupee for The Ventriloquist to convince the family of a secretly dead old man that he was "Grampa." They finished their tour of Arkham Asylum before driving The Ventriloquist and his "wife," Jades, to a retirement home. Ventriloquist watched TV for an hour and a half with Jades before she passed out.

The Ventriloquist briefly thought about leaving Gotham, creating a new identity separate that was neither The Ventriloquist nor Arnold Wesker, and making an honest living with his skills in ventriloquism.

He didn't get very far with this before he felt an urging to get a new mafia-themed dummy. While the Scarface personality had nothing to speak through, its hold over Ventriloquist had not lessened one iota.

"What's wrong?" asked the cashier of the antiques store that The Ventriloquist was buying a dummy from.

"What makes you think anything would be wrong?" feigned Ventriloquist.

"I saw a tear roll down your cheek," said The Ventriloquist.

"Don't even think about it," said Scarface. "Nobody kills me."

"Nobody's killing anyone," promised the cashier. "Say, where are you?"

"I... I didn't hear anyone," The Ventriloquist reluctantly lied. "It must be your imagination."

"Apparently," the cashier thought he realized.

Upon exiting the store, The Ventriloquist put his hand in the dummy to begin operating it, though in reality it should have been the dummy with his hand up The Ventriloquist's ass!

"It's great to talk again," said Scarface through the dummy with joy. "Two years of not gein' able ta see is enough!"

The Ventriloquist's heart sank. He wished he weren't so talented. He wanted to get caught trying to escape, but Scarface's silent influence made sure he followed the plan to the letter.

"So what do we do now?" asked Ventriloquist, knowing that he wouldn't like any possible answer.

"First things first," planned Scarface. "We gust out Mugsy and Rhino. After we hire some more guys, The Still Lips're open for business again."

"Things have changed in this town," cautioned The Ventriloquist.

"I know," said Scarface. "The Traylors took over the mobs. Still a lotta smaller gangs. They just have to pay regular tribute. I might have that fixed someday, too. First, we want revenge."

"On The Batman?" asked The Ventriloquist.

"No, moron," insulted Scarface. "The shrinks said it's The Catwoman who's got me pissed, remember?"

"That's right," The Ventriloquist lightly struck his own forehead as he recalled. "You're angry that she betrayed you."

"Ya should ge too," suggested Scarface. "Gut then again, yer a pussy. If I wasn't around to make you pretend to ge a man, you'd ge the henpecked doormat of a gitch like her."

The Ventriloquist doubted that such a life could be any worse than the life he lead. In fact, knowing what an impulsive killer Scarface was, he could not blame Catwoman for turning on them like that. But he didn't dare tell Scarface that. "Thank you, sir."

Bruce's perspective:

Upon returning home from work, Bruce Wayne entered Jason Todd's room to find him playing video games. Jason turned his console off as soon as he saw Bruce.

"Is it time?" asked Jason.

"More than time," said Bruce. "Scarface is an archcriminal I haven't seen in two years."

"Really?" asked a surprised Jason. "I'd have thought he'd have given up after that long."

"Batman has found that you should not underestimate their misguided determination," said Bruce. "Scarface is one of two personalities in Arnold Wesker. The other is the mild-mannered ventriloquist. Scarface makes his presence known through a dummy."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Jason, getting up and marching several steps before clutching the knee wound he had received in the previous chapter and falling to the ground.

"That," said Bruce.

"I may not be one hundred percent..." began Jason.

"You'd better be one hundred percent," said Bruce. "Robin has to nest until his leg is healed."

"Don't do this," implored Jason.

"We can do this the easy way," Bruce folded his arms, "Or we can do it the hard way. The easy way is you enjoy your video games until your knee is fit for combat. The hard way is, to put it in words that even you can understand, is a gasser!"

"You're lame and a jerk," protested Jason. I suspect he'd use worse language if I allowed him to.

"Maybe lame," admitted Bruce. "But a jerk would let you get yourself killed in that condition. I won't."

Soon enough, Barbara arrived. Because she also had a cut knee, she was forced to train a bit to see if she was up to this. She made it past two obstacles before her injury brought her down in pain.

"Sorry," said Barbara. "I can't help."

"Don't be ashamed," consoled Bruce. "Recognizing your disabilities is a good thing, not a bad thing. Besides, I don't want to have to tell your father that you died unnecessarily."

"He wouldn't exactly be happy about you dying," said Barbara.

"Meaning what?" asked Bruce.

"Meaning he tells me that he thinks of you as a great friend," said Barbara.

"Feeling's mutual," smiled Bruce.

"Enough mush," said Jason. "Just be careful, Bruce. Batman's not gonna have any help this time, hear?"

The Hog's perspective:

Yuji Takahan, the lawyer/accountant of the Traylor crime family, came to visit the boss, Becky "The Hog" Traylor. "Ms. Traylor," said Yuji. "An archcriminal, Scarface, has escaped."

"Thank you for informin' me," said The Hog.

"Why aren't you ever worried about these people?" asked Yuji.

"'Cause Ah've learned from the mistakes of other Southern crime families. Tryin' to start as many fights as you can ain't gonna work. Gotta pick your battles. It's even better to let your enemies destroy each other."

"When you put it that way..." smiled Yuji.

Catwoman's perspective:

The Catwoman returned home wearing a diamond necklace she had pilfered. "Gorgeous," said her roommate and best friend, Sabisia Williams. "Doubt there's any flaws in it."

"And it feels really good to wear," said Catwoman. "Wish I didn't have to sell it, but I... what's that hissing sound?"

"I don't hear anything," said Sabisia.

"You don't have a burglar's ears," said Catwoman. "Get Caesarion the Hell outta here! This room, and maybe the whole building's about to blow up!"

"What about you?" asked Sabisia.

"Do as I say," snapped Catwoman. "There's no time."

Sure enough, the room soon blew up, but not before all three occupants were out. Catwoman had Sabisia flee the scene with Selina Kyle's pet cougar, Caesarion. Catwoman and her pet cougar, Caesarion, went up to a nearby rooftop. This enabled The Princess of Plunder to watch with binoculars. "I don't know who tried to kill us," she said, "But that person is going to regret it!"

"Agreed," Catwoman heard a familiar male voice say behind her and snapped around to spot The Batman. "But for the record it wasn't me."

Given the complications in this relationship, Catwoman wasn't sure whether to fight or talk. Caesarion tackled Batman, but to the humans' surprise, Caesarion did not bite and claw The Darked Night, but licked and nuzzled his face instead.

"He likes you," Catwoman grinned as she kneeled to Batman's side.

"Did he learn that from you?" asked Batman.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Catwoman playfully. "But then again, why else would we not have killed you by now?"

"You'd kill me for showing concern for you?" asked Batman.

"If I wasn't a stupid-ass bitch, yeah," said Catwoman. "But guess what? I am. Care to help me find out who tried to kill me?"

"Absolutely not," said Batman. "Not after you set me and Batgirl up for the Traylors. We could've been killed."

"I told you before," said Catwoman. "I didn't have a choice. Since you know who I am now, I'll be specific this time. The Traylors were threatening to kill Sabisia."

"I see no reason to believe that," said Batman, unmoved.

"Dammit, Batman," said a frustrated Catwoman, "Didn't you notice how sad I looked as I did it?"

"Forget it," Batman glared at her. "There's no way I'm trusting you!"

The Ventriloquist's perspective:

"They're coming down to Earth together," The Ventriloquist told Scarface what he was seeing through a teloscope.

"So Cats' knight in dark armor's on the case, is he?" realized Scarface.

"I think it's time to change our plans," said The Ventriloquist.

"I knew you'd say that, chicken shit," ridiculed Scarface. "We ain't goin' nowhere. We're killin' two furgalls o' the night with one stone!"

"But together, they..." began The Ventriloquist.

"...Can ge killed like anygody else," declared Scarface. "Ya see where that friend of Cats was goin', Ventriloquist?"

"I think so," said The Ventriloquist.

"Then we're gonna take Rhino out for a special night with her. The others'll get the word out that we're here an' get us a little somethin'."

Batman's perspective:

I cannot believe I let Catwoman talk me into this. She has betrayed me once before and now works for one of the most dangerous people in the world. Even if she were telling the truth about having had no choice, her current allegiance means that she probably couldn't play straight with me if she wanted to. And I doubt even that this condition is there.

The way I see it, after we have taken care of Scarface and The Ventriloquist, another shoe is going to drop. I'm going to be literally stabbed in the back through one of the chinks in my body armor that Catwoman has learned about from past experience. Either that, or I'll be conked out and wake up to see Catwoman and The Hog fighting over who gets to use me as a sex slave. I can't believe I joked to myself about that. The kids must be rubbing off on me.

Speaking of the kids, Batgirl has always warned me that I'm attracted to the wrong kind of woman. Guess she's right, since I'm walking into what I know is a trap.

Batman and Catwoman were in the store that records showed that The Ventriloquist had bought from. Showing the cashier a picture of Ventriloquist, Batman asked with iron in his voice, "Have you seen this man?"

"Yeah," said the cashier.

"Any idea of where he is?" asked Batman.

"No really," said the cashier uncertainly. "Although I've heard a rumor."

"Rumors are usually based on a piece of truth," noted Catwoman.

"Yeah," said the cashier. "But I can tell you're after him so I ain't telling you anything. Gotta have principles."

"Listen," said Batman, clutching the man by the shirt.

"Go ahead," said the cashier. "Give me some time off."

"You're liable to eternity off if you don't talk," threatened Batman.

"You never kill," laughed the cashier.

"What makes you think that?"

"'Cause if you did, those psychos like this Scarface character wouldn't keep coming back. I'm way too smart for your tricks!"

Upon hearing that, Catwoman hopped onto the cashier's bench, lay down sexily, and said in a very sultry voice, "Mm-hmm. Way too smart to turn this down."

The cashier bristled. Pressing her advantage, Catwoman began stroking the cashier's cheek. "Hotel 9, the midwestern part of the city," said the cashier. Catwoman immediately got off the bench and backed away.

"You were pulling my leg, weren't you," asked the cashier. Catwoman smiled and nodded.

"Getting your leg pulled is better than an impending trap," said Batman as he and Catwoman left.

"Than why are you with him?"

"Because I'm stupid."

As the Batmobile raced towards midwestern Gotham City, Catwoman said, "For a minute there, I didn't think you trusted me."

Upon learning where Scarface's hotel room was, Batman, Catwoman, and Caesarion scouted it. They saw no one but a tied and gagged Sabisia inside an open vault. A little soon after he escaped Arkham to get a vault.

"Sabisia," called Catwoman as she ran in with Caesarion following his mistress.

"No," Batman ran in after them. "This doesn't seem..." Catwoman was already halfway through freeing Sabisia when the vault sealed itself.

"...Right," Batman finished his sentence. Seconds later, helicopter blades could be heard.

"You are not hitting us with those knives," Catwoman was clearly figuring things out. Everyone could feel the vault turning sideways as it was pulled out of the hotel and further above ground.

"Fatman and Cuntwoman," insulted Scarface over a megaphone. "This is too good! Some people think youse is supernatural, that you can fly. Once we're in the clouds, we'll find out!"

"Spare Sabisia and Caesarion," pleaded Catwoman. "They've done nothing to you." Scarface simply laughed.

"Isn't killing the innocent..." began The Ventriloquist.

"Shut up," said Scarface. "Just get us to the clouds."

"I always thought you two were made for each other, despite everything," said Sabisia. "Now you're gonna die together. Convenient."

"Not that easily," vowed Batman.

"Yeah, that wooden bastard isn't winning this one. How 'bout acid? You've got some, right?"

"Yes," said Batman, "But it takes time to find a perch for my Batgrapple. If I take too long, we're liable to have built up so much momentum that the rope and grappling hook will break my arm!"

"Oh," realized Catwoman. "Can you get me to the 'top' of this thing?"

"My Batgrapple is magnetic," Batman answered. "So yes. But I don't think my safe-cracking skills are in this league."

"Mine are overqualified," Catwoman bragged. "Get me up there and I'll open that door on time." Batman fired his Batgrapple and it stuck to the door. Catwoman climbed up and began working on the lock with her claws.

Two minutes passed. Batman saw that Sabisia wanted to badger Catwoman and put a hand over her mouth. "She needs to concentrate."

After three minutes and forty-six seconds, a click could be heard. "Crack it open," directed Batman. "Don't open it all the way. The moment Scarface sees us, he'll want to have us shot. Sabisia, get the animal." As Sabisia held Caesarion's underbelly with one arm and draped the other around Batman's neck, he retracted and fired his Batgrapple at the opening Catwoman had created. It latched on.

Once the others were up with her, Catwoman opened the door more of the way through. Batman spotted a rooftop to grapple onto. "Grab onto me," he said. "Whatever you do, don't let go." All four beings swung towards a building and pulled up top by way of a retracting Batgrapple.

Although the helicopter was still a distance away, Batman could hear the sounds of Scarface cursing his men out. His frustration was why they had not thought to lose the chain connecting the vault to the helicopter, compromising its mobility. Setting up the homing signal in his Mini-Batjet, Batman waited until the helicopter was directly over the rooftop that Batman, Catwoman, Sabisia, and Caesarion were now on, then launched the Mini-Batjet at the helicopter just underneath the blades to bend their perch and cause the helicopter to drop down. A few of Batman's batarangs and strokes of Catwoman's whip disarmed Scarface's men. The two took some out.

Scarface, The Ventriloquist, and Rhino were all that remained. Batman delivered a few punches at Rhino that he barely seemed to feel. A punch from Rhino had Batman on his hands and knees. Moving on top and choking, Rhino declared, "Gotcha!"

But no sooner had he said that when Caesarion bit his left thigh. "Get off, puddy tat," Rhino screamed in pain as he kicked Caesarion away. Batman was motivated by the whimper of Caesarion he heard and reached around to begin elbowing the bitten thigh. After four elbow strikes, Rhino fell off Batman, holding his bad leg. One more power kick did the job.

Batman turned to see that Catwoman had her whip in her right hand and the Scarface dummy in the other. The Ventriloquist was on his knees.

"Put me down," demanded the voice of Scarface despite no one to operate the dummy.

"OK," said Catwoman, flinging the dummy off the roof. Turning towards Ventriloquist, she threatened, "Your turn."

"You know I won't let you," said Batman.

"Shut the Hell up," thundered Catwoman. "After how you've treated me like scum all night, I wouldn't count on me listening to you."

"Please," The Ventriloquist begged for mercy. "Scarface isn't me. He's an alternate personality."

Catwoman paused for a few seconds before saying, "I guess not. And I wouldn't feel right killing someone after he begged for his life."

Catwoman turned to Batman with an intense look in her eyes and lightly patted her left leg with her free arm to call Caesarion. The cougar moved beside her and roared at Batman, albeit a much lower, more forced roar than the ones sounded at Scarface's men. Catwoman seconded the roar with a whip crack at the ground.

"Give it up," said Catwoman. "You could barely take me alone two years ago. We've got you."

"I've had the cards stacked against me before," said Batman bravely. As he spoke, he heard slow-moving footsteps behind him. "Don't try it, Williams," he warned.

"Yes, Sabisia," agreed Catwoman. "Back away. We've got this."

But the footsteps continued. Batman turned around and punched Sabisia out.

"Sabisia," Catwoman screamed before controlling herself in time to hold Caesarion back. "If you've hurt her..."

"Don't worry," said Batman. "She's just knocked out. For a second, I thought you were concerned for her."

"I was," said Catwoman. "But now I've no excuse for not being held back by feelings."

"I just got a similar downer," lamented Batman.

"Why are we killing each other, anyway?" asked Catwoman. "Well, I am, anyway. You want to send me to place I'd rather die than go."

Batman nodded and said, "It doesn't matter that you only betrayed me to save a friend," said Batman. "You're on the side of the Traylors now."

"I guess," said Catwoman reluctantly. "Hang on. Didn't you and your crew get attacked by a bunch of guys like Scarface and The Ventriloquist last year?"

"Yes," said Batman. "They called themselves The Malevolent Seven.

"Oh, yeah," Catwoman said. "I've heard rumors that the Traylors blew up their lair without any knowledge that they weren't there."

"The rumors are true," said Batman.

Catwoman drew a phone, turned on its built-in camera, recorded, and smiled. "Could you repeat that?"

The Hog's perspective:

Becky "The Hog" Traylor said to cousin Daisy Thompson and accountant/lawyer Yuji Takahan, "We take care of our own. Ah want the one who tried to kill Catwoman found within the end of the week, hear?"

"We will," said Daisy. "Ah swear it."

The Hog entered her office to see Catwoman lying on her desk and smiling, phone in hand. "Ain't a good time for jokes," said The Hog.

"Oh, yes, it is," said Catwoman. "I no longer work for you."

"Ah still got leverage over you," said The Hog.

"This is my cue to fight fire with fire," said Catwoman. "Remember when you put together The Malevolent Seven?" she showed The Hog a recording on her phone.

The recording of Batman said, "The rumors are true. The Hog couldn't have known or cared whether any of the archcriminals were in the cabin when she blew it up."

"That's it?" chuckled The Hog. "He ain't got no real name that we know of. That means ain't no way they'll accept that as evidence."

"But what about the crazy-ass hoods in Arkham?" asked Catwoman. "Will they accept it as evidence?"

"What do you mean?" asked The Hog. She knew exactly what Catwoman meant.

"I hope you can sleep with your eyes open," smirked Catwoman getting off the desk.

"Well-played," The Hog smirked in return. "But has it occurred to you that this ain't a fight worth winnin'?"

"Not really," said Catwoman. "I don't appreciate being blackmailed."

"Better for you than jail," said The Hog. "What, you thought that for pullin' yourself away from my family, you'll earn his approval? Hell, no! Let's face it, Catwoman, he's too good for you."

"Don't you have a crush on him yourself?" asked Catwoman.

"Yeah," said The Hog. "Ah hope to get 'im by unmaskin' or otherwise leavin' him with no choice but to have me. You actually court the sumbitch. But he will never love you. How can he? You're one of us. Get comfortable with that."

Suddenly, Catwoman charged and slashed her claws at The Hog's forehead, making three deep scrapes and forcing her down. Catwoman looked like she might kill before saying, "Guess I'm not one of you after all." Instead of finishing the job, she ran out the window.

A bit later, Al was applying medicine to The Hog's wounds. "Should we do her?" he asked.

"Your wife ain't gonna like that," said The Hog playfully. "Kiddin'. We've lost Catwoman, but she ain't a problem She can't kitty us out without exposin' her own crimes. Little Bat has worked with her many times and Ah'd much rather not take them both on at once. Besides, after the operation Ah'm plannin', neither of them will ever be any trouble again!"

Catwoman's perspective:

Catwoman went to her new apartment that she had had Sabisia rent for her as she coerced The Hog. There were Batman, Sabisia, and Caesarion.

"C'mon, Caesarion honey," Sabisia got the cougar out of the den to give Batman and Catwoman some privacy.

"I'm free," said Catwoman as she moved close to Batman. But just as they were about to kiss, Batman's right index finger got in the way.

"I'm still not so sure," said Batman.

"I've made it right," said a frustrated Catwoman. "What more do you want?"

"You could have not betrayed me in the first place," said Batman.

Catwoman was angry. "They'd have killed us in our sleep," she reminded Batman.
What was I supposed to do?"

"Turn to me," offered Batman. "I'd have been glad to help."

"I'd have gone to prison," said Catwoman.

"The Witness Protection Program is not prison," said Batman. "It just requires that you no longer be a thief. And that's the problem isn't it?"

As Catwoman realized where this was going, a tear rolled down her right cheek. Batman didn't seem to care. "You may say we can be together. You may believe it yourself. But at the end of the night, I can't help but think you'll find a way to screw it up again."

Catwoman was hurt. Batman clearly was as well. Though his stone-cold expression didn't show it, there were certain things about it that only a girlfriend would notice. "So I'm just another archcriminal to you now?"

"If only it were that simple," said Batman.

"So we're right back where we started."

"Looks that way."

"Couples that can't commit, either through breakup or taking it to the next level, never end well."

"Doesn't change the facts of the matter."

Batman left. Catwoman was left in her apartment den with many emotions: anger, sorrow, a determination to end this rivalry in her favor, hope that somehow this did not have to end with either a dead Bat or caged Cat. The one thing she was sure about was that inconclusive was how things always ended between The Batman and The Catwoman.