"Where are they getting these tips?" Bruce thought aloud, as Fox and Alfred sat.
"Tips come from word of mouth, anything." Fox shrugged. "Impossible to track."
"Who would target Wayne Enterprises?" He paused. "Does Wayne Enterprises have the Blood Diamond?"
"No." Fox answered. "I checked all the databases, red diamonds, but not the Blood Diamond. We backed out of the project before it was produced."
"So we were part of it at one point?"
"Yes, but it was a misunderstanding on the usage of the Diamond."
"Sir," Alfred spoke up. "I have located the woman in the picture." There was a moment between everyone before Alfred spoke again, "She is dead, sir."
"Anything on the child?"
"Only that the child suffered severe abuses by the mother." He explained. "The mother's name is Carolinia Nucci, her past was erased, no birth certificate, the marriage license has only the former Papa Nucci's name on it. However, photographs of the child pressed against the gun, held by the mother were found, and photographs of the child's bruises were also found."
"So the child was not friendly with the mother." Bruce noted.
"Death threats were made on the child's life if money was not received by the mother." Alfred went on. "No mention of a name in the notes. The mother was mentally ill and died eight years ago, when someone shot her, sir."
"Was it one of Nucci's men?"
"The evidence of the case must have been put into hiding with the child."
"This child could be dead or alive." He nodded.
The phone rang, Bruce picked it up.
"Bruce Wayne speaking."
"That was very formal." A lit familiar tone floated through the earpiece. "Are you busy, cause I could just…"
"No." He said quickly, earning a look from both men. "I'm not busy. Did you need something?"
"Well the exhibit is opening and we're having a gala so I was…"
"Selina." Bruce once again interrupted her.
"Yes?"
"Will you go with me to your gala?"
"Oh," It was silent for a moment on the other line. "I just wanted to know how many people worked for the Museum's Department at Wayne."
"Oh," He felt a little winded, that was not at all what he was expecting the answer to be. Inside he was belittling himself. "I could get you the…"
"Bruce."
"Yes?"
"It was a joke."
"Of course it was." Bruce smiled a bit, happy to have the pieces of his shattered manhood quickly glued back together. The two men lifted their brows in surprise at this suddenly happy Bruce Wayne.
"It was lame." She laughed. "I know."
"No, no, it was…"
"Lame." Finishing for him, then quickly bounced to the subject at hand. "I would love to go with you, Bruce. It's next Friday."
"What are you doing this Friday?" He asked, and noticed Alfred sigh heavily.
"Apparently going out with you."
"How about we stay in?"
"Mister Wayne, if you think that you are going to get me into…"
"It's not like that." He stated calmly. "You should come here, and we can have a relaxing night in. I know you've been busy, so maybe a trip to the spa the next day will ease some of the tension."
"You are too good to me." She said quietly. "I don't know how I'll ever show you how much I appreciate this."
"Just show up here at six, and that will be enough."
"Is seven alright?"
"Seven is perfect." His back faced the men sitting at the counter, he tried to ignore them.
"See you then!" Her voice cheered back up.
"See you then." He replied, thinking how much better those words sounded when they came from her. Hanging up the phone, he was reluctant to turn around, knowing the looks he would receive from each man sitting there.
"What will your excuse be when you are in the middle of a fight?" Alfred asked haughtily.
"I was in a meeting that came up." Bruce shrugged, feeling the deep cuts from the night before.
"What will you do when she is here and you're not?"
"Tell her that joke you know." The younger man walked out, leaving the two older men pondering after him.
"He should give them space." Fox inputted. "The press is eating these two alive. If anyone finds out…"
"I'm afraid we can't say anything." Alfred sighed. "I think Master Wayne has his mind set on this young woman, and you know, Lucius, how he gets when he has his mind set on something."
"But this mind set can't wear a mask." A quiet agreement slid between them, then Fox turned. "So what's the joke?"
--
"Damn it!" Two Face shouted. "Every one of them has been wrong! It's been six months, you'd think that we would have a good idea where this thing was! This is a joke."
"The joke is in jail." Selina watched the man throw a fit, as she casually leaned against the wall of the room.
"Don't you dare taunt me!" He turned on her. "I could snap your little…"
"Go ahead!" She challenged him with an indifferent air. "Try and snap my neck, see how far you get."
"Children!" Penguin waddled into the room. "You two have to play nice. We have a diamond to find and a Batman to kill. This means working together."
"What's the next move?" Her eyes followed him, as he waddled around. "Hopefully they won't be the wrong map, like last time."
"They have plans for keeping people like us out of Wayne Tower." Penguin explained. "Besides this will be much easier."
"Steal from the museum, because I outright refuse to do that." Selina growled.
"No," He shook his head. "With the last one, the Joker took all of the diamond bullets we made, not to mention your little toys took a few thousand. We need more."
"When?" Two Face questioned, and turned to her. "Hopefully it won't conflict with yours and lover boy's schedule."
"Tonight." Penguin said. "There is a shipment coming in and I need those diamonds."
Selina just stood upright and began to walk away, throwing over her shoulder, "You're lucky it doesn't interfere with our schedule."
--
"Why did you need me again?" Catwoman questioned when her and Two Face stood on the sidelines of the car, watching the shipment of diamonds being loaded into the truck. "We're doing nothing."
"He comes." Two Face snarled. "He always comes."
"I'm going to check to see if anyone is really coming." She was bored, this is not what she had signed up for.
"Must feel strange being the only one of us dressed to cover ourselves." Two Face called after her. She was on him in an instant. Her whole body, held his upper half to the hood of the car.
"Not at all," Catwoman purred, grazing the side of his bad cheek with a single claw. "I'm just happy that I get to keep my face after this."
She quickly climbed off him and was gone, leaving Two Face fuming. Gunshots were heard from the truck and he ran to them. The bat was here.
--
"This Catwoman is doing wonders on your suit, Master Wayne." Alfred commented as he stitched up another scratch made from the sharp claws of the new enemy. "I can't imagine what kind of material these claws are made of."
"Diamonds." Bruce winced, as another stitch was pull tightly. "It's the only thing that will break through the suit."
"I suppose diamonds are, in fact, a woman's best friend."
"And a man's enemy." He grinded his teeth together, the aftermath of pain would be the one thing that Bruce would never get over.
"Do you want me to have a dinner planned for you two, tomorrow night sir?" Deciding to switch to a much better topic, Alfred ventured, moving to the antiseptic for another wound. "I was thinking salmon basil."
"Sounds good." There had to be a less painful way to do this. "Tiramisu for desert. It's her favorite."
"Of course. All finished, sir." He gave Bruce a shirt. "Now no strenuous movement, sir."
"You're not my doctor." Bruce pointed out.
"I may not be your doctor, but I have no desire to re-stitch those while Dr. Kyle is here."
--
Selina knew she should have just taken her car. It had been beautiful out today and she was feeling somewhat good, despite the couple unwanted bruises she received last night from the thing she hated right now. But the sun had shown today, and her relaxing date with Bruce tomorrow gave her a whole optimistic outlook. However, the exhibit's planning and another incoming exhibit had taken all of the energy out of her. Plus a night's rest of only two hours wasn't exactly uplifting either.
Grudgingly she walked through the lit streets to her apartment, knowing that a bed was there was the only thing that kept her going. Stopping she came upon a crossroads. Both ways would lead her home, but one way was brightly lit, the other a dark alleyway that was usually the way she went, since it was quicker. Deciding that she didn't have any patience for walking any further than she had to, she took the shorter way.
She could take on any mugger that came her way, it might even be a great way to take out her anger. So she walked at her normal pace, until she heard soft footsteps behind her. She started to speed walk a little bit. A man stepped in front of her and she still stayed her course and pace. Walking right passed him, he grabbed her shoulder.
"Come on honey, give us your…" She hit him with her oversized purse, before he could finish. Turning to run, she felt herself being taken hold by both shoulders, two hands each. They pulled her to them and two more appeared.
"We got a live one boys!" The one that had been smacked with her purse announced to the four others. "You should've given us your nice little bag here."
"I don't think you want just that." Selina struggled against them, she knew she shouldn't have worn a skirt today. They had every part of her captive.
"And smart." They all chuckled. "You want to just give it to us then, sweetheart, make it easier…"
"Fuck you." She spat in his face, he slapped her, and she struggled against her confines again. "You're going to have to do better than that." He punched her in the stomach, she winced but stayed upright, until a bigger, much stronger one approached and struck her in the same place. The wind was knocked out of her and she cough, feeling sick, but she still raised herself up.
"Do it again, I dare you." She snarled. This time the punch was felt through out her whole person, as the bigger man threw himself into it, there was something more than just his fist in that blow, she doubled over, gasping for air, wanting to throw up, but able to keep it down. She had been in worse than this. Trying to master the strength, she ripped one hand away from a captor and swung it at the man who had punched her, only to receive another blow from him.
He was strong, but she refused to give up when the rest of the men began to join in, she fought back. However, with one hand free, the damage that she was able to do was knock out only one. They pinned her to the ground, on her stomach, her head pushed to the rough, uneven cement.
"This you will not enjoy." One of them whispered harshly.
Still she struggled as she heard a buckle become loose, but then it became silent, and her captors became strangely still. She felt an uneasy air, and then one of them was knocked to the side by someone. Pushed by adrenaline, she pushed off the next one and started to run for it, only to be caught by someone by her ankle and she felt a sharp, piecing pain run up her leg, as he twisted it. Selina fell to the ground again, the man let go, and to see the cause of her freedom she turned to see the man she had been trained to kill, but she couldn't, not now.
She looked around and noticed all the men had been knocked out, and it was only the two of them still conscience. Feeling inferior, she tried to lift herself onto her feet, but as she stepped on the ankle, which she had felt the sharp pain when the man grabbed her ankle, she lost focus from the new pain and fell again, but this time into arms. Her eyes studied his for a moment, before he looked up and they flew into the air on top of a roof, landing there for a second then jumping to a different one. Then another, when finally he stopped placing her down on a roof and going down to apparently examine her ankle.
"I'm fine." Selina yanked her leg away from him, but realized all too late it wasn't the best idea, and gave a cry. "Shit!"
Batman just looked at her, and then attempted to look at it again. He reached out, but she rolled away. Coming closer, she rolled away again until she hit the ledge of the building. The looming bat came over to her, silently and knelt down. With a tenderness that she would never expect from him, he took her painful ankle into his hands, he lightly pushed the skin on the top down, and stopped when she made a noise.
"It's sprained." His usual rough, uncaring voice, was quiet and filled with compassion. This was a side of Batman that she was not used to seeing and it unnerved her.
"I got that." She sneered. "I'm fine, just go and leave me here. I'll be fine." Selina wanted nothing more than to stay clear of this man while she was not in her own suit, let alone him helping her.
"This needs to be wrapped." He didn't budge.
"I told you, I'm fine." His hands still held her foot. "I can take care of myself."
"You have other…"
"Do you not get the concept of leaving?" Her head felt a little woozy, and she began to wonder if any other wounds had opened, and had begun to bleed. This was not just from tonight's escapade. "I'm fine."
She didn't realize that her words were beginning to slur and it was starting to worry and even scare the man before her. Batman knew she didn't trust him, which hurt him a little, but knew it was also probably had to do with pride. Selina was a somewhat proud woman, but she was fading quickly, he saw blood stain her shirt, where her stomach was.
"I'm…" She started to say again, but passed out in his arms before finishing her sentence. Batman shook her a little, no response. Picking her up, he took her to a place he knew she was safe.
I'm dedicating this chapter to those people who think writing strictly acidemic papers kill creativity! Review and let me know what you think!!
EV