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A/N: I don't own Batman or any other character affiliated with DC Comics.


The night air always did wonders to clear her mind. Cool and refreshing, it always allowed her to lose herself in the moment, letting the adrenaline and excitement take over and push away all the distractions that routinely cluttered her mind. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes as a soft breeze carried up the smells of one of the glitzy restaurants below. At the very least she could momentarily forget that damn charming smile that had been occupying her thoughts lately.

Selina growled under her breath and opened her eyes.

All she'd done was have two brief conversations with the man, dammit. A man that was sure to be just as egotistical and self centered as all the rest of her marks. That's what she kept reminding herself anyways, creating a silent mantra in the back of her head.

Trouble was, she wasn't really thinking of him as a mark.

Marks she could handle. The lying and the manipulation came almost second nature at this point, twisting the poor men around her finger. Bruce Wayne was occupying a place in her mind that promised a great deal more complication and trouble. Things she'd sworn off on long ago.

Brandon Thorne, now he was a mark. One that left her feeling as though she needed a lengthy shower following any time she spent in his presence. God, it seemed like they always did. Thank god he hadn't been handsy at least. That likely would have driven her over the edge.

Thank god it was finally over too.

Selina had told him exactly that late the day before, ahead of their next scheduled date. Lacking any desire to see the man any more than necessary she'd practically raced to end it rather than be forced to endure his company again. Thorne hadn't taken it well. It was a reaction that Selina had obtained a small measure of enjoyment and a smug little sense of satisfaction from.

Now that the information gathering portion was over though, the job really began. At least, the part that wasn't actually work. The part she actually enjoyed. The one that found her hurdling ventilation ducting and ascending drainage pipes on the rooftops of Gotham and that, in time, bring her to that secret little safe that Rupert Thorne thought nobody else knew about.

Of course it had been nothing but a whisper before Selina had cozied up to Brandon. Just the barest hints of rumor and gossip. He'd provided the first concrete evidence she'd been able to find and she culled every last detail she could during their extremely brief relationship. It really was amazing what a man would do to gain favor with a beautiful woman once she'd batted her eyelashes at him.

Especially one that was as stupid and as big a screw-up as Thorne was.

She dropped from the railing that she'd been perched on and smoothly transitioned into a roll as soon as her feet met the roof below her, allowing her momentum to carry her, sliding along under a raised air conditioner unit before her momentum brought her to the lip of the building...and a twenty story drop. She was back on her feet before she'd even come to a complete stop, crouching at the edge with both hands gripping the shingled roof.

She'd been on the hunt for Rupert Thorne's little stash of secrets ever since she'd arrived in Gotham City. Ever since her last mark, Eddie, had let slip its existence back in Chicago. It took her two weeks after arriving in the city to establish herself and gain the lay of the land. Three weeks to learn the players and track their movements and habits.

Her first major setback lost her two weeks when she failed to insert herself into Rupert's life. Apparently, she just wasn't what he looked for in one of his mistresses. She didn't possess the complexion or features from a certain part of the world that he greatly appreciated.

Following that it had been another month to learn everything there was to know about Brandon Thorne and work her way into his good graces between occasionally sneaking into places she was most certainly not supposed to be in.

Ingratiating herself with the young heir hadn't been hard. She was well aware of her effect on men. Well...most men.

It had taken longer than she would have liked, but eventually Brandon slipped up one night after more drinks than was probably healthy or polite. The little something extra that Selina had slipped in to help speed him along had certainly not helped his sobriety.

She took a moment to tighten the snug climbing harness that she wore over the top of her usual form fitting kevlar and leather bodysuit. As good with her equipment as she was she was also constantly double checking it. It was a nervous thing she did that she'd come to accept a long time ago. A way to redirect her energy away from the butterflies that could accumulate in her stomach before any risky job. She figured an extra layer of vigilance never hurt anyone.

Satisfied that the small pouches containing her equipment were secure on her belt and her trusty bullwhip was tight around her waist she pulled her goggles back down over her eyes from where she'd momentarily slid them over top of the hood on her head, taking an extra moment to stick the small earbuds into place from where they'd been hanging around her neck. Selina took a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting it slowly back out as she calmed herself and let the heavy bass wash over her.

Time to go to work.

She grinned, braced her hands on the ledge and vaulted herself into the chill night air, falling twenty invigorating feet to where the bundle of wires she had targeted separated from a transformer mounted on the side of the building. Her hands, sure as ever, grasped it cleanly, muscle memory taking over at the familiar action. Selina allowed her momentum transform from the downward trajectory of her fall and into a fluid swing, her body arcing out from the cable and back twice. Once steady she quickly folded her legs over it and began the time consuming task of moving hand over hand to the roof of the next building. Beyond that, just to the east, lay the dark glass edifice of the Kane Building, headquarters of Thorne Industries' business empire.

Once past the final rooftop she silently dropped back down to ground level. Unlike some of her previous performances this one wasn't going to contain a great deal more of her high flying antics. It was necessary. Gotham was so heavily built up that buildings were often almost right on top of one another, sometimes even sharing a common wall. It was an ideal location for her. The close proximity greatly enhanced her agility and stealth, enabling her to strike from angles not considered normally viable.

A building might be well designed. It might be well thought out and constructed even. A work of art or mastery of human ingenuity. It would also always be vulnerable. Outside some bank buildings or high end museums most architects simply didn't consider their creations from the thief's point of view. It really was a shame.

The Kane Building wasn't just another building in Gotham though. Like Wayne Tower and several other prominent buildings it was it's own city block, separated from every surrounding structure by the width of the street and a pedestrian plaza that circled the building. Barring a launcher to get a cable over (too loud), a glider (too bulky), or simply flying on over (yeah...right) it required something that began from a slightly lower elevation.

So, a simple stealth entry it would be. Nevermind the security codes, the guards, the locked down doors and elevators, the multiple exterior cameras...Selina was headed for the exhaust vent of one of two heating and air conditioning ducts that exited the building on the roof of the soaring three story lobby. The two ducts were the only pair, save the four that exited on the roof, forty-five stories above, that wouldn't lead her directly into the building's furnace.

Her goal, once inside the building's arteries, was to scamper the thirty yards to the express elevator shaft and shimmy up to the top floor, and Rupert Thorne's executive suite. She had it all timed exactly and planned down to the minute. Fifteen minutes for the duct, two and a half hours for the access ladder in the elevator shaft, counting breaks for her sure to be screaming muscles, two minutes for the door, and, barring a damn retinal scanner, another fifteen minutes for the safe. She'd be done in under three hours...in and out.

Simple really. Of course, the reality was that there wouldn't be anything remotely simple about the tight fit and crushing claustrophobia that she'd endure in the ducting. Good times, as usual.


The door lock lasted thirty seconds. Selina smirked in triumph at the telltale click from within the mechanism, she was ahead of schedule.

Rupert Thorne's executive office was, appropriately enough, equal in scale to his massive ego, taking up almost a quarter of the top floor of the building. Selina's entire suite could probably fit inside it with room to spare. The entire north and east facing walls were tinted glass, providing a spectacular one hundred eighty degree view of Gotham City and the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

She moved quickly, gliding past a large entertainment center with it's plush couches and complicated electronics around behind the enormous hand carved desk with a very specific target in mind. In the far corner, wedged between the large windows and an ornate, well stocked liquor cabinet was a square granite planter box with some sort of large drooping palm rising elegantly out of it.

Selina allowed herself a deep breath. Her intel had better be right. She had no intention of crawling back to Brandon and starting back at square one again. It was a strange enough hiding place to be the truth though. She'd broken into this same office months ago in a fruitless search for the very safe she was now returning to find, checking every hiding place she could think of. Even breaking into the small, not-so-well hidden vault in the wall behind the charming little Monet. She'd come up frustratingly empty handed that night, but she'd never thought to check the houseplants. Who would?

She knelt at its base, removing the headphones for the more sensitive portion of tonight's mission. As usual, she prayed for anything but a retinal scanner. The stupid things were damn near impossible to beat unless one didn't mind getting a bit...messy. Selina tended to draw the line at plucking some poor sucker's eyeball out of his head.

The planter was low to the ground though. Thorne's laziness was playing into her hands. He almost assuredly wouldn't want to bend down so low to get his eye down to that level. A good sign.

A panel slid out of place easily at her touch exposing the small, dull gray metal door of a small lockbox. A lockbox that featured a simple, traditional combination dial. A confident smirk pulled at Selina's lips as she got to work, reaching down to open one of her pouches. Child's play.


An almost inaudible click marked the successful action of the third and final tumbler falling into place fifteen minutes after she'd begun. Selina unclipped the audio enhancement equipment she'd attached to the safe's door, breaking each piece down into its basic components and stowing them back in their proper places. With unhurried motions she turned the handle and exposed the hidden contents to the darkened room.

She wasn't expecting much. Information could be stored in any number of ways these days in steadily shrinking formats. The disc and pair of flash drives that greeted her eyes were more than enough to bring hope where once it had been dwindling. Another waypoint on her long, winding path to the truth, or at least she prayed it would be, once she saw what was contained on them.

She palmed the storage devices, tucking them all away in secure, secret pockets on the inside of her suit, before moving on to the rest of the safe's contents. An envelope of photos showing various men in...compromising situations with scantily clad ladies. Blackmail material from the looks of it. Selina put it back and moved on. A small, black address book containing quite a few numbers attached to men with Italian surnames. Probably Thorne's mob contacts or something along those lines. Others would probably love to see this. She wasn't interested.

The only other items were two long, thin velvet boxes that were instantly familiar to someone who routinely made off into the night bearing others' jewelry...necklace boxes. The simple white gold chains featured a very healthy pattern of diamonds along its length. Two identical necklaces, each containing at least eight carats of the precious gem. Selina released a low whistle as she threw the boxes back inside minus their cargo.

"Guess I didn't credit Rupert for having enough good taste," Selina said softly to herself as she clicked the door shut before sliding the panel back into place. Assuming they were legitimate - and based on the fact that they were found in his hidden safe she assumed they were - they'd set he up nicely for months.

"Who are you?" said a gravelly voice behind her, startling her and cutting into thoughts. A voice that came from someone obviously located mere feet away. Far too close for anything that even remotely resembled comfort.

Selina's eyes went wide behind her goggles and she froze, arm still outstretched toward the planter. How in the hell had someone managed to catch her so off-guard and how in the hell had they managed to get so close with no warning?

Without thinking, operating purely on instinct she lashed out, pivoting in a flash on her right knee and sending her left leg spinning back, intending for her boot to meet the approximate spot from which the words had been uttered.

It never even got close.

Instead it met an expertly placed, armored forearm that redirected her blow up and away while the assailant simultaneously gave the leg a small shove. Just enough to shift her equilibrium awkwardly.

Selina was fast, but by the time she regained her balance and shifted back into her fighting stance he had moved two feet back, outside her striking range. Damn if he wasn't fast.

"Don't."

It wasn't said as a threat, not really. More like a guarantee of what would happen if she continued down this path - a warning. It was still ominous and intimidating as hell, but that was more because of who it was than the words themselves.

The Batman.

Crap. Only her second job in this city and she was already bumping into its most famous resident vigilante. Seriously? This was her luck?

Selina finally took the time to analyze things critically, ever the quick thinker she immediately began drawing what conclusions she could from the well known figure in front of her.

He wasn't in a fighting stance, at least none she'd ever seen. His arms were lowered at his sides almost casually, cape hanging loosely behind him, ruffled slightly by the breeze from an open window. His eyes though were sharp, staring right into hers almost as though he could read her mind. They screamed intelligence and...menace. It practically radiated off him, despite the silence and fairly casual stance.

He didn't need to be ready to fight, that was the point.

Selina wasn't close to what one might consider defenseless. She possessed a natural athleticism and an impressive background in judo which, in combination with her varied experiences in other forms of martial arts, plus an array of acrobatic and gymnastic credentials and a talent for parkour left her plenty formidable. One look at him, however, was all it took to tell her she wasn't in his league.

Given the stories that everyone had heard about him she probably wasn't even close. She simply didn't train to be an expert fighter. Capable? Yes, but hardly an expert. She had many talents and could take on most people in a straight up fight, but this was clearly not one of them. She was, as ever, a thief first and a fighter a distant second...possibly even third or fourth.

Selina relaxed and stood up straight, trying to come across as casually as possible given the circumstances, one hand trailing up to rest on her hip.

"You know, I kinda thought you'd be taller."

That garnered...nothing, no reaction or from him whatsoever. He just continued standing there, half in shadow, quietly observing her. "What are you doing here?"

Selina rolled her eyes behind her goggles. Did that really work in this town? Sure, he was pulling off the all black look well enough and had the whole "intimidating from the shadows" thing down to an art, but what was he expecting? A confession? That she'd just drop to her knees in fear and explain everything to him?

"Me? I'm just here for the view." She hopped up, sitting on the edge of the large wooden desk nearby and crossed her ankles, appearing to stare nonchalantly out the large windows. "You're welcome to join me of course?" she said, patting the empty space on the desk next to her. "I'll be good." Selina winked at him, pausing to see if she could get any reaction from the shadowy figure. Nothing. "Awww...don't be that way. I promise I won't try to kick you again." Another pause followed by nothing but more silence. "Okay, maybe promise is a strong word. I'll...try my best...not to kick you again," Selina said, holding up her fingers in a mocking boy scout's salute as she tried her best to smile at him.

Again, nothing. Was the man made of stone?

"You didn't kick me," he pointed out.

There was the briefest hint of amusement there, a tiny movement on one side of his mouth before his carefully schooled neutral expression returned. Despite watching intently for anything Selina had still almost missed it.

"Maybe I just wanted you to block that one. You know, give you a nice little confidence boost," Selina remarked flippantly. "Sure telegraphed it enough." She was lying of course, silently hoping that he couldn't know that that had been her best attempt at taking his head off.

"You're playing a dangerous game," he growled. "Thorne is not one to take things lightly."

"Jesus, lighten up a little yourself," she muttered, hopping down off the desk and crossing her arms defiantly. "Do you always suck the life right out of a room like this?"

"I'm serious."

"So am I. Someone's gotta let you know what a monumental downer you are." Still nothing at all. The man just stood there watching her. Seriously? "Listen, I'm a big girl, Bats. I know what I'm doing. Been pretty damn spectacular at it for some time now."

Without warning he stepped closer, back into her range and out of the darker shadows of the office. Selina tried to hold the aloof posture she'd been sporting before his sudden movement. She probably failed. At least it afforded her her first good view of Gotham's one-time savior. He was tall, actually about as tall as she'd expected. That had been a lie too. It was hard to see much past the obvious armor and cape and...well...ears. Get rid of the theatrically raspy voice and his disinclination to talk in anything but short, abrupt sentences and he might just be cute.

Maybe.

In a delightful "rip off your arm and beat you with it" kind of way.

He'd been holding himself so rigidly and still that the sudden movement caused by a minute shake of his head almost surprised her. "You haven't seen something like this, trust me."

That caused her to cock one of her eyebrows under her goggles, angling her head to the side slightly in response. "You're kidding, right? Trust you? The man that dresses up like a flying rodent?" It was her turn to advance on him, an action that made him noticeably tense further. She circled him deliberately, smirking at him playfully from underneath her hood and goggles. "Listen, we both know you can't arrest me. What's a little breaking and entering among friends anyway? So, unless you're planning on beating me into a bloody pulp I'd prefer not to miss anymore of my beauty sleep."

She'd managed to saunter most of the way around him while she spoke as he pivoted in place, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on her every movement. The distraction of her movements and words expertly employed to get her ever closer to her goal.

"I'd say this has been a pleasure, but we both know I'd be lying." She paused in front of the open window he must have entered through. "Well, this has certainly been a different experience. Good luck doing...whatever...it is you do and let's be sure not do this again. A girl could get a reputation."

And so she fell, dropping backwards out the still open window in one fluid movement, a grin appearing on her face as soon as she hit the night air. As far as dramatic exits went, that one wasn't half bad.

The window washing platform was still in the same position it had been earlier when she'd double checked, groaning in protest as the addition of her weight slammed into it. As planned, the brakes gave immediately, releasing the platform to descend at a quick, but controlled speed. Two stories above the lobby she gripped the guardrail and threw herself over tucking into a roll as she hit the ground and rising immediately to her feet as she ran for the edge, a quick exit and safe journey home quickly appearing before her eyes.

The semi hadn't been planned, but winners didn't frown at opportunities fate sent their way and Selina was certainly no loser. She jumped, dropping expertly to the roof of the trailer and looked back up at the rapidly receding Kane Building, ready to send out a mocking salute to the now tiny upper floor window and celebrate a job completed.

The wide black shape floating in her direction a good thirty or more stories up stilled her.

"Oh, right...cause of course he can fly," she muttered, rolling her eyes and resigning herself to another meeting with the ever cheerful Batman.

He landed surprisingly softly considering his size and the speed at which he'd descended, wrapping himself back in his cape protectively. It was all more than a little surreal, like something a movie couldn't even make realistic, but here he was standing in front of her as their ride slowly made its way through the relatively quiet streets of Gotham's Business District.

Selina shrugged. "Well, it was worth a try." Was that a flicker of amusement she saw for a split second in his eyes? Another slight twitch at the corner of his mouth?

"Who are you?"

"Seriously?" she scoffed. "We're back to this? That's the best you can come up with?" Selina crossed her arms across her chest in frustration and mock glared at her intruder. "You're a real people person, aren't you?" It came as no surprise when there was no response. Witty banter didn't seem to be one of his better attributes. She needed to get out of here and away from him with her precious cargo intact. Selina huffed and let out a loud, theatrical sigh, keeping her arms tightly crossed. "Alright, fine. I heard a rumor about this secret little stash Thorne kept in his office somewhere and wanted to take a look for myself. You know, see if there was anything worth my effort. There was some books and pictures and these..."

Selina reached into one of her pouches and produced two pieces of costume jewelry she routinely carried in case a diversion was necessary. Before tonight, She'd never actually needed to use them.

It was a calculated gamble on her part, hoping that the Batman wasn't actually interested in bringing her to justice for a little larceny. His reputation was built more on stopping violent crimes than those that were relatively victimless. As far as Selina knew he wasn't exactly running around putting on end to insider trading scandals or insurance scams.

God, she also really hoped he couldn't recognize fake gems.

Apparently she wasn't too far off base because he seemed to look slightly conflicted as he took the glittering objects from her to study them, splitting his attention briefly from her to the trinkets. At least Selina thought he might be conflicted. The man was damn tough to read.

"How'd you know I was there anyway?" She needed to keep him busy. It was unlikely he'd realize the jewels were fake on the back of a bouncing semi in the relative darkness, but she preferred not to take the chance. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't someone to underestimate.

The Batman glanced back up at her and hesitantly tossed the necklace and bracelet back her way. "Thorne will be looking for those." He reached under his cape and came up with a strange looking handgun. Before Selina could even think to fear for her life he was turning to leave.

"Wait? You're giving them back?" The surprise in her voice made the dark figure half turn back to face her.

"Not worth my time."

"Ever the charmer. You sure know how to make a woman feel special." The Batman turned to go again, raising the weapon at a passing building. "Come on, professional courtesy," Selina laughed, "How'd you know I was there?"

"You're not the only one interested in Rupert Thorne," he admitted, never turning back to face her. The noise from his gun was lost in the swirling wind as he rocketed up and away into the darkness.

"God! Cryptic much?" she shouted at his rapidly shrinking form. One hand found the slight bumps of the flash drives under the fabric of her catsuit, noting their outlines with relief, as the other absently dropped the two pieces of costume jewelry back where she gotten them. Turning back towards the buildings passing quietly to her right Selina freed up her bull whip and began eyeing the passing light poles. "Jerk," she muttered under her breath as she snapped the whip out with a crack and a flick of the wrist.


A/N: Drop me a review and let me know what you think of our first look at Selina in action. How do you like her character? How did you like their interaction? She's not really Catwoman quite yet...key word being yet. It will come...in time...