Disclaimer: I do not own any DC characters. However, the plot is mine.

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FINDING LIBERTY

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Chapter Ten: Welcoming Committee

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Catwoman leaped across the starlit sky; swinging from rooftop to rooftop. Not stopping until she made her way to her destination. Crouching down onto the rooftop of the building she just landed on, she gently nudged Isis off of her shoulder. With a quick adjustment to her goggles, she peered more closely onto the building from across the way.

Her emeralds glistened as they fell onto a large sign being placed onto the front of the building. Iceberg "Dear lord he's starting a chain." She scoffed at the idea. "Should we investigate further?" She asked, and received a MEOW in return. "I agree." She murmured, readjusting her goggles. She then picked Isis up in one hand and released her bullwhip in the other.

Swinging down to the building below, she found an open door at the back. She once again set Isis down. "You stay out here and play girl. Mommy's got to work." She whispered, wrapping her whip around her waist before walking into the establishment; leaving a lone MEOW in her wake.

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The Bat Jet sailed across the sky as Batman headed to his safe house. To say his body was a little sore was quite an understatement. He was tired and bruised and just ready for the night to be over. Not to mention the reason he was in Metropolis in the first place. He still didn't know what Selina was up to and now he had to deal with Superman's stubbornness. Why was it so hard for the Justice League to accept that all of Gotham and her people were his territory and his alone?

He was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of a distinct ringing. Looking at his monitor, his eyes narrowed as he recognized the number. With a permanent scowl, he pressed the speaker. "How did you get this channel?" He asked upset that she'd even be contacting him.

"I'm great! Thanks for asking." Came the sarcastic reply.

"What do you want Lois?" Batman asked in a gruff voice.

"I need to see you." Was her stoic answer.

Batman's frown deepened. "Difficult, considering you're in an entire different city." He said, hoping discourage the continuation of this conversation.

"Well, I know that's no great obstacle for Gotham's own knight." Here she paused. "I've got a bit of a … rogue problem. You know the kind in the super villain variety." Lois said in a hushed voice.

He resisted rolling his eyes. Superman maybe at her beck and call, but he certainly wasn't one to play such games. "I'm busy, call Superman." He told her, his finger hovering over the disconnect button.

"Wait!" She shouted, causing him to pause. "I know that Bruce Wayne is in Gotham, but Batman wouldn't go so far away… not with a certain feline fatale roaming the premises."

Batman instantly grew angry at her mentioning his real persona over an unsecured line. "South Pole… fifteen minutes." He growled before disconnecting the call. With a heavy sigh, he spun the plane into a u-turn and headed towards the Daily Planet.

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She waited until the workmen left the office, before making her way inside. She could the 'big man' sitting in his throne, with his back turned to the door. Not a very smart move. She slinked further into the office, her fingers caressing the whip resting on her hips. She was deciding on the plan of action; she hadn't yet decided if she should attack him. Then again, she supposed a simple conversation without fists wouldn't hurt. Her hand moved away from the whip. "Nice place you got here." She commented, startling the poor sap out of his seat. "Though a bit risky, opening it in a city with big blue." She said, watching as he struggled to crawl up from the floor. "What exactly were you thinking… Penguin?"

"Catwoman!" Penguin all but snarled. "What I do is none of your business?" He then eyed her. "What are you doing in Metropolis?" He asked suspiciously.

"New business venture?" She questioned, ignoring his own, as she moved to the wall where his designs and blueprints were displayed.

Penguin's eyes narrowed. "I should think that were obvious." He quickly moved to obstruct her view. "What do you want pussy?"

Her eyes flashed at the derogatory term. "Why Metropolis? What's your angle?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not that it's any of your business, but I decided to branch out. My lounge is doing so well in Gotham, I thought why not the fat pockets of Metropolis."

"The people here aren't the same as the people back home. You really think they're going to be into a murky nightclub like your little lounge." Catwoman commented with her hands on her hips.

"That's my concern." He snapped at her; miffed at her insult of his business. "Besides, it won't be the Iceberg Lounge here, but the Iceberg Restaurant, with fine dining and entertainment, as well as a healthy night life." He stated proudly.

Catwoman stared at him disbelieving. "Hmm… so no plan to stuff their bellies while lifting their pockets?" She asked.

"I am completely legit. Besides, I'll get more than enough by what I'm charging." He stated with a smirk, gesturing towards one of the menu samples he had on his desk.

She quickly picked one up and scaled over the prices. Her eyes widened. "A bit pretentious, aren't we?" She stated while tossing the menu back down onto the desk. "No one's coming here Penguin, especially at those prices. I don't care how rich Metropolis's elite crowd is; they are not going to want to associate with a psychotic criminal from Gotham." She said matter-of-factly.

"Former criminal!" Penguin was enraged. "Listen pussy, I didn't ask your opinion. Besides, you know nothing. The rich and elite don't care about all of that. Look at Lex Luthor. Obviously Superman's nemesis, and still no one turns down his business." He commented. The mention of Lex caused Catwoman to shift uncomfortably on her feet; but Penguin did not notice. "If anything, my status is what will bring them clamoring in. They're rich and bored… and curious. They'll come. I'm sure of it." He said, making his way back to his chair and having a seat. He went back to the document he was looking over before Catwoman made her entrance back into his life. "All I need is an attraction. Some fun and interesting live entertainment." He mumbled, slightly forgetting about her presence.

What the Penguin said had made sense. Maybe she should step into the spotlight; after all, her involvement with Lex will already have people talking. And if she gave them something obvious to talk about, they won't really bother to dig deeper. She looked over at Penguin. She did need a front; and what better place to work than one where she could call all the shots. Smiling brilliantly, she sauntered to Penguin's desk and snatched his document out of his hand. "I've got the attraction of a lifetime… me…" Her smile turned into a devious smirk.

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The crisp night air rustled through his raven locks as he began to slow down. Since the fight with Despero, he had been involved in three other incidents. On his way home to Metropolis, he could hear several calls for help. One was an elderly woman in a flaming building, which he put out; an alley mugging; and a bank robbery that was still in progress. All other distress calls he had heard, were solved without his interference. All in all, he was just glad to finally be home.

Normally, he would not have minded all the trouble; but that fight with Despero left him emotionally drained. Oh how he longed for a normal existence at times. At that thought, his mind drifted to the unmasked Selina Kyle. Now he could see why Batman always had problems in bringing in the lovely woman. Gorgeous, yes, but she wasn't one of the lost ones. She was someone who could be saved. Landing on a neighboring building, he pulled out his cell phone. Perhaps he could be the one to save her.

Superman turned on his cellphone and frown when he noticed several missed calls. Immediately, he called his voicemail. He had a soft smile on his face when he heard a message from his mother. No doubt she saw the coverage on his fight with Despero. She was always so worried about him. He made a mental note to go see her soon. He quickly frowned when he got to the three missed calls from Perry. His deadline was moved up. At this point, he was going to have to have to use super speed to finish in time; and he hated using his abilities in what he was trying to make a normal everyday life.

Distracted by the third message from Perry, he nearly hung up the phone before hearing his last and final recorded message. He pinched the bridge of his nose in concern, but mostly annoyance thinking that she got herself into some serious trouble… again. "Girlfriend?" He was confused for a moment before realization kicked in. He froze in his movements upon learning that she was going snooping. "Great Lois." He mumbled, turning his phone back off and tucking it away.

Superman was a little concerned about what she thought she saw. If Selina's going all Catwoman… He shook his head, he didn't even want to think in the negative. "What are you up to Selina?" He questioned out loud before levitating off of the roof. Regardless of his feelings, as a protector of this city, he had a job to do. He sped off, headed towards the art museum.

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"South Pole?" The brunette asked with a giggle in her voice; with a glance at the spinning globe high above. "Subtle." She remarked, as the dark shadow moved into the light. They were currently standing on the roof of the Daily Planet.

"Appropriate." The shadow spoke. "You have some information for me?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You could at least pretend to be happy to see me." She said, slightly hurt. They did after all, have a history.

His demeanor did not soften, nor did his voice; but he made an attempt all the same. "How have you been Lois?" He asked.

Lois rolled her eyes and let out a huff. "Now it just sounds forced." She told him. "Look Bruce-" She stopped at the cold glare he gave her. "Sorry… Batman." She corrected, still uncomfortable with his alter ego. She casually looked at him, and then turned to face the scenery around them. "This is so much easier with Superman."

"Then why don't you call him." He smarted; not at all pleased with her mention of the man with whom he was currently quarreling. He moved quickly to the edge of the building, hand on his grappling hook.

"No wait! I'm sorry. Batman…" Lois began, waiting for him to turn around to face her. When he did, she continued. "Earlier tonight, while you and the league were busy with Despero, I followed a dark figure to the Metro History of Art Museum. It was swinging between the buildings; sort of reminiscent of you and your bat family." She began, noticing how she had his undivided attention. "Well, when I got there, I… well… I didn't exactly find any conclusive clues or forced entry; but hey I'm not exactly the detective here. I did, however, see an uncovered vent… err, well I thought it was uncovered. It was kind of dark and I went to investigate further, but some crazy black cat came out of nowhere and tripped me. When I got up, the vent's cover was back in place, and the cat gone." She finished, looking at him wide eyed.

Batman simply stared her down. "You called me here, to tell me… that." He finished, eyes narrowed.

"Yes, I really think you should take a closer look at the place." She said, however he did not look convinced. "There was a cat!" She shouted at him.

"Why is that relevant?" He asked, losing patience.

She smacked herself on the forehead. "Of course, I forgot to mention one little detail. Clark ran into Miss Selina Kyle at the museum this morning." She told him smiling. He didn't look interested. "Selina Kyle!" Still nothing. "Catwoman!"

Batman resisted a sigh. "I know who Selina Kyle is Lois." He told her.

"Yeah, I bet." She commented dryly, thinking back to her conversation with Clark.

He chose to ignore her tone. "So, you haven't seen Selina Kyle yourself?" He asked.

She was surprised by the question. "Well, no but-"

"And this shadowy figure… you never saw who it was or where it went?" He questioned further.

"Well… no but-" She began, but was cut off once more.

"So you called me out here to tell me that a cat tripped you on top of a museum?" He asked annoyed.

Lois's face turned red. "Well, when you put it that way… but… listen-"

"No you listen. I don't have time for this." He told her upset.

"Stop interrupting me. I saw something tonight Batman. It went to the museum; the same one that the infamous Catwoman visited earlier in the day. Then I happened to run into a black cat." She tried to reason.

"Listen to yourself Lois, your grasping at straws. It is not uncommon for strays to roam rooftops. You should just go home and get some rest." He told her and turned to leave.

Lois just looked at his back astonished. "Oh my God… she is an exception." She whispered to herself.

However, Batman still heard her. "What?"

Lois looked him straight in the eyes. "Why is it so hard for you to believe that she did this?"

"Did what?" He questioned. "You've yet to state a crime."

"Hello! Breaking and entering!" She argued.

"Except according to you there was no sign of breaking and entering." He argued back. "In fact, there is no proof that anyone was ever there."

"My hunch tells me that she was." Lois would not back down.

"I don't have the time to go on a wild goose chase on your hunch alone." Batman told her incensed.

She shook her head. "Had it been anyone else, you'd go looking for clues. But since it's Catwoman…" She started, looking at him with pity in her eyes. "Selina Kyle… are you… are you in love with her?" She asked him out right. Upon receiving no answer, she continued. "She's not good for you." She said softly, her voice full of concern. "Not you or the man beneath the mask."

Batman just looked at her quietly. "Goodbye Lois." He said, before jumping off of the building and into the darkness.

Lois just watched him leave. "This isn't over." She would get Selina Kyle if it was the last thing that she did.

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"You?!" The bird man laughed, "Hark, ark, ark! That's rich!" He continued laughing, until Catwoman's whip found its way tightly wound around his throat.

"Listen up you disgusting fowl, I need a job and you're going to give me one." Catwoman told him with clenched teeth.

He squabbled a little before she loosened the whip a bit. "What are you gonna do, dance for us?" Penguin asked, leering at her. She made a disgusted sound, while tightening her hold around his neck once more. His face turned purple, causing him to tap out on his desk. She unwound the whip, and pushed him back into his seat. He immediately started coughing. "Alright, alright!" He shouted rubbing his neck. "If you're not gonna dance," He began, holding his hands up when it looked like she would attack him again, "then what will you do? A magic trick? Remember, you're signing up for entertainment." He reminded, angry that she was trying to muscle him.

"I'll sing." Catwoman told him with a grin. Penguin looked as though he were going to start laughing again, until a threatening look from Catwoman shut him up. "Besides, you said you wanted to attract the locals. Who wouldn't come to see Catwoman live?" She smirked. "Your name doesn't have enough weight to garner anyone's interest."

Penguin glared at her mocking of him. "Fine. I guess that'll go with the theme." He grumbled. Looking at his hands, he started contemplating ways to prevent her from actually performing at his restaurant.

Catwoman smiled at him, putting her whip away once more. "Glad you see things my way. I'll be by first thing in the morning to familiarize myself with the venue and choose my dressing room." She turned to walk out of the office, while talking over her shoulder. "Oh and Penguin, if you try and backstab me, I'll have your permits revoked."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "You don't have that kind of pull."

"No… but my good friend Lex Luthor does; and you don't want to get on his bad side. We're in his city now; so if I were you, I'd play ball." She told him, her voice drifting off as she disappeared into the hallway.

Penguin sat at his desk, eyes wide. "Aaarrggghh!" He screamed, snapping his cigarette holder in two.

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Superman landed onto the rooftop softly. He immediately used his x-ray vision to look the place over. Nothing seemed to be of amiss. There was clearly no Lois and no Catwoman. If the two ladies had been here, they were long gone by now. "Guess I'll just have to talk to Lois later, and see if she came across anything."

He then proceeded to check around the building, even going as far as to question the guard staff. But apparently, everything had been going relatively smooth all night. Superman thanked the men and left the museum shortly.

He languidly flew across the night sky, with an open ear. The night was quieting down; there did not seem to be anything that needed his immediate attention. Deciding to call it a night, he headed home.

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Catwoman landed on the building with barely a sound. Crouching down she allowed Isis to roam free and stretch her legs. "Now don't get too far girl. We'll just be resting for a moment." She said as Isis jumped away. Catwoman walked over to the edge of the rooftop, pulling her goggles up onto her head. The chill air of the late night… or early morning, depending on how you looked at it, caressed her freshly exposed face. She allowed a brief smile to find its way onto her lips as she looked over the city. "Still bright. Even in the dead of night." She chuckled, amused by the city's differences to her own.

"She may not be the clandestine city you're accustomed to, but she has a few secrets of her own." Spoke a deep voice from behind.

Catwoman was startled out of her thoughts. So much for going undetected. "I'd wondered if you'd make an appearance." She turned around slowly. "After all, one cannot presume to simply dart across the skyline of this great city and not expect a run in with Metropolis's very own adept guard dog." She finished with a grin, though her eyes portray none of its amusement.

Neither did the big man himself. "Guard dog?" The man questioned as he floated down onto the rooftop, arms crossed. He was actually surprised at Catwoman's apparent hostility towards him. "Is that what you think of me, Catwoman?" He asked her.

Catwoman watched him land. She was already annoyed by his presence; was that stance of his supposed to intimidate her. With a roll of her eyes, she answered, "Honestly Superman, do you really care what I think? A cat-burgular?" She smirked at him. "Pun… slightly intended."

Superman uncrossed his arms as he looked at her. He really looked at her. Her face was glowing, and a couple of strand hairs were trying to escape from her cowl. From her sparkling eyes to the smirk on her devious lips. She was truly in her element here, and she was breathtaking. It was no wonder that the caped crusader had trouble in his dealings with her. No hot-blooded male could resist such a woman. Her lips were moving he suddenly realized. 'What did she say?' He wondered, before clearing his throat and speaking. "I'm sorry, you were saying?" He asked, a little flustered from his previous thoughts.

"See something you like?" She asked, looking him over quizzically. He wasn't exactly what she expected. Still, she knew he'd spell bad news for her.

His face reddened at her question, but he quickly shook it off. He would not let her turn this around on him. He needed to know what she was doing out here, dressed like that. "What are you doing in Metropolis Catwoman?" He asked sternly, bringing everything back to business.

"I'm sorry, do you own the entire city now?" She asked with a hand on her hip, just above her whip. "Should I have asked your permission before entering?"

Superman narrowed his eyes at her condescending tone. "You are more than welcome in Metropolis Ms. Kyle… as a citizen. However, as a masked prowler and a known thief-"

"Former thief!" She reiterated.

He sighed, but continued. "Be that as it may, this is not Gotham. I understand that Batman is rather… lenient on you. However, I cannot be so yielding. I must set the example here in Metropolis; and therefore, cannot allow you to continue your conduct in my city." He told her with authority.

Here Catwoman rolled her eyes. "My conduct? I'm just standing here!" She argued, frown clearly now marked on her face.

"You may see it as just standing here, but I see it as trespassing on private property." Superman gestured towards the building below them.

"You're not serious!" She asked him incredulously, her eyes widened a fraction.

"You'll find that I never joke about the safety and security of the people, ma'am. And that includes their property." He told her sternly.

Catwoman's eye twitched at the word ma'am. 'What is it with the men in this city and calling me ma'am!' She internally screamed. Realizing how serious he was, she decided to change tactics. She moved closer to him, sashaying along the way. "Come on big guy, I'm not exactly a threat here." She smiled, batting her eyes at him; an arm's length away. "I'm not trespassing anymore than you are right now." She pointed out, moving even closer. She reach out a rested a palm onto his chest. "I simply wanted some fresh air and decided to go on a little night stroll." She closed in the gap, caressing his chest with one hand while gripping her whip with the other. "Now is that such a crime?" She purred huskily, eyes glistening like emeralds.

Superman would be lying if he said that he was not enthralled by her performance, but… he would not let that deter him. He instantly grabbed hold of the wrist of the hand gripping her whip; while simultaneously grabbing onto the one circling his family's crest. "Technically… yes." He said, peering down at her. He took a modest step back and let out a deep sigh. "Seeing as you are not causing any trouble, I'll overlook this this time." He told her. "Try not to make a habit of this."

Catwoman's face dropped. "Gee, I feel so honored." She said with a dry voice, pulling her goggles back down over her eyes.

He tried to keep his face from showing his irritation. With a frown, he continued, "If you slip up just once Ms. Kyle, I'll have you out of this city faster than, well… me."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" She asked, unraveling her whip from around her hip.

"No." Superman answered her. "But you have been warned." He began to levitate off of the ground. "The sun will be up soon. Perhaps you should head on home." He said and then glanced into the shadows, before facing her once more. "Good day Ms. Kyle. I hope you enjoy your stay in Metropolis." He bid her farewell and shot up into the sky until she could see him no more. At that moment, Isis trotted out of the shadows.

Catwoman smirked at her feline companion. "Alright girl, what says you we get going?" She said as Isis made her way to her. Catwoman picked her up. "I don't know about you, but I've got a comfy bed and fluffy pillow calling my name." She chuckled, waiting for Isis to get settled on her back. Crouching low and gripping the handle to her whip, she spoke, "We'll deal with the boy-scout later." With that, she broke into a run, and with a crack of her whip, she jumped off of the ledge of the building and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

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AN: Here's a new chapter, YAY! So Catwoman has finally met Superman! I hadn't intended for that to happen so soon, but when I start typing this story just writes itself. She doesn't seem to care too much for him though. I wonder how Clark is gonna process that. LOL So… Lois has spoken to Batman about her suspicions on Selina and now she's suspicious about his feelings for said cat burglar. I wonder what's next.

So, now Selina has found herself a job. Don't know how Lex is going to feel about her working in an establishment own by the supposedly reformed Penguin, but I guess we'll find out. Haven't decided what type of music she'll sing or even what type of voice she'll have. If you guys have any suggestions, I'm all ears. I like the idea of something husky, but here are a few you could choose from, or write in a few on your own:

Mariah Carey

Whitney Houston

Katy Perry

Christina Aguilera

Jessica Simpson

Joss Stone

Other

Also, I would like to take a time out to THANK YOU ALL for Reading and I would like to give a…

SPECIAL THANKS to my REVIEWERS:

QUATHIS: Yeah, Lois is going to have some serious issues in her dealings with Selina. And Superman and Batman… well… that's always good for a laugh. Thank you for reading, and I'm glad you're enjoying the fic.

ARAYTIGRE: You're definitely on the right track with your thinking. We'll see more of Lex in the next chapter, and hopefully a little bit more information on what he has in store. Thanks for reviewing.

JRRM64: Thanks, Clark and Selina do shake things up a bit. Wouldn't it be cool to actually see this pairing in the DC universe… though I'm not sure if the fandom is ready for them.

HANDSOME-UKS: LOL, yeah Bruce needs to man up. But a woman like Selina will not wait forever. Thank you for reading.

666PEACHES101: If it helps, you can picture her as brunette. I guess I see her as a blonde because I became familiar with her from the Batman the Animated Series and Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal in Batman Returns. As I got older, I became more familiar with her in the comics and found out that yes, she was originally a brunette. So, that's why she's blonde in my fic. Thanks very much for the review.

LANISA: THANKS! You're right, there are so many BM/WW pairings, when this pair was only encouraged in the Justice League cartoon. Also, the creator admitted that it was he preference and had nothing to do with the actual Justice League comics. Notice the comics actually lean more towards SM/WW. But for this fic, I decided to put a slight BM/WW in it since it's so popular in this forum. However, the BM/WW will be decidedly one-sided. You're right about Metropolis being closer to Gotham… I guess that I just got used to Metropolis being in Kansas due to the tv show Smallville. If it makes it easier, you can pretend it's where it's supposed to be. I don't think it would really affect my plot too much. Also, speaking of Smallville, note that this fic's Lex Luthor is loosely based on Micheal Rosenbaum's portrayal of the character.

PACKJACK: Thank you! I understand about the SMCW. Originally, this fic was supposed to be strictly a BMCW; however, SMCW has become a very interesting pairing. Who knows what Lois will do? Guess we'll just have to find out.

RATDOGTWO: Thanks for sticking with me. Hope you enjoyed this new chapter.

LED-DOORS: Thank you. I felt that Selina needed a little change of scenery. I know how frustrating that can be, trust me. So please bear with me. I hate leaving you guys in suspense for too long.

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Thank you all again for reading and reviewing.

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