Concealed Into the Night
Chapter 14- Dual Facades
Dual personas always have a way of making an individual rethink their values and beliefs. At this rate, Bruce wasn't sure to what exactly his personality was like. Apart from the charming playboy façade, he had no ulterior motive. After his board meeting and the strange encounter with Selina, he couldn't help to think that he might actually hurt her feelings.
His fingers began to fidget with a small metallic batarang. Nervous habits in moments like these were increasingly adapted to his normal routine. Which concerned his faithful butler Alfred, who found the young man lost in his thoughts in the dining room.
"You do realize that playing with your metal gadgets won't finish this warm plate of food." Alfred chimed.
Bruce took his light tone and chuckled. "Sorry." He paused while glancing at his meal. " I was just thinking."
Alfred placed a bowl of biscuits to the side and replied. "Well that's not a very good sign."
"How so?"
"This is coming from the same man that said to me jumping off rooftops and wearing a rodent costume is considered being normal. I can't fully assure what your thinking about is actually practical if not legal."
The corners of Bruce's mouth turned as he ate his grilled steak. " You make a fair point, Alfred. But I'm not thinking about something, I'm thinking about someone."
"It's about Ms. Kyle isn't it?" Alfred asked.
Bruce tried to hide that fact that Alfred knows him like an open book and all it takes one look and he'll read his mind in seconds. Growing up in Wayne Manor taught him that he was never good at lying. Even when your house is filled with butlers and servants, they can tell when something is off a mile away.
"Yesterday she stopped by my office to drop off some file. We talked for awhile then I lost my focus and now she's mad at me for always apologizing." He rubbed his temples in distress. "I just don't get it, when I was with Rachel, everything felt easier. I tried to act myself around her and she'll understand. Then when I met Selina, I felt at ease again until something always came around to make things worse. I want to make it up to her, but I don't know how."
Alfred nodded slowly at his predicament. "I've had this same conversation with your father about Mrs. Wayne. Before you were born, Mr. Wayne never had the chance to spent time with your mother due to his overtime hours in the hospital. Countless times he'd apologize and each time Mrs. Wayne grew more aggravated. It wasn't because of his job, it was because he'd become feel more guilty for himself, but what he did for people made Mrs. Wayne fall in love with him in the first place. Ms. Kyle wants to be with the man that can be himself and not the man that apologizes due to his work or social class."
Times like these were when he needed Alfred the most. Not only was he a trusted guardian, but a father figure to fill the void of his traumatic childhood. Whether it was patching his wounds or pointing out his flaws, his butler was always there for him.
"Thank you, Alfred." And with that, he arose. Pushing his half empty plate aside and exiting the table.
"Will you see her again, Master Wayne?"
Bruce looked up at the pondering older man and nodded. "Sooner than you think." His thoughts soon clouded at the task at hand. "She might have some idea to Scarecrow's next target. I need you to look up the latest criminal activity from Carmine Falcone, he must know about the toxin or how else is Scarecrow smuggling it into the city."
Alfred averted his eyes at Bruce and called out in response. "Make sure you don't stay out in patrol, Master Wayne. You have an important meeting with the investors tomorrow morning."
He disappeared into his secret door behind the staircase before Alfred could get the last word in. Bruce descended down the elevator shaft and arrived at his computer. After his encounter with Catwoman, he placed a tracking chip on to her clad uniform. That way he could pinpoint her whereabouts and meet her in that exact location. A red dot flashed onto a Gotham City map. It looked as though she was on the move from Union Station to a building next to the Steel factory.
Regardless of Catwoman's motives, he was determined to get answers from her as soon as Batman confronts her before she goes on the move once again. And with that he scanned the area for suspicious criminal activity. Finding a blank grid, he began to suit up and make his way to the Batpod.
Swerving throughout the narrow streets of Gotham, it all seem too quite, as though all the corruption was wiped away all in one night. He had to investigate, something was wrong.
Batman parked his bike against a nearby railing and slowly held the tracking device in his gloved hand, while the other was occupied with a batrang which he could shoot at any given moment.
Finally, he spotted Catwoman conversing with what it looked to be a man in a secluded mask. Using a knob at the side of his cowl, he listened intently.
"Look handsome, I'm not here to start trouble, I just came here for some loot. I'll take whatever offer you got on this little plan of yours, deal?"
The man lowered his voice in response. "That last time you said that, Carmine Falcone's entire hideout was burned to the ground, how can we still trust you?"
"Well when you put it like that then maybe I should tell the boys at GCPD where you got all the shipments and those deliveries weren't just illegal drugs." She countered.
Batman heard that man flinch and the sound of a pistol loading caught his attention. "Or I could just blow you head off right here and no one has to find out about anything." The gun was applying pressure to her skull.
"Fine." She snared back with the same fury as the man. "I guess you don't need my help then, have fun with your drugs. Say hi to ole' Scarecrow for me."
"With pleasure." He stashed the gun away and pushed her out of his way.
Once the coast was clear, Batman soon approached the agitated brunette.
"Well it's nice to know that some man is happy to see me, long time no see?" She felt his present a mile away.
"What are you doing here, Selina?" Batman rasped.
She whipped her head around to face him. "I was just about to ask the same question, handsome." Her gloved hands laid on her hips while still keeping her eyes averting to him. "I was in the neighborhood looking for something shiny and valuable. Unfortunately, my connections ended up in a dead end, now here I am."
Batman took in her mood. She wasn't lying although, she was hiding something. He had to press on further. Knowing Selina, she'll always twist her words to alter the entire situation.
"Who were you talking to?"
"I don't have a name on him, but all I know is that he's working for Scarecrow and I tell ya that man needs a taste of his own medicine. Thinking that poisoning people will help this city is the dumbest thing I've ever heard." Her Gotham accent showing its true colors.
He leaned in closer while still keeping his guard up. "I need your help."
"And why would you need my help?"
"Because you know more about Scarecrow's toxin and what it could do to this city if it spreads."
"And what makes you think I'll help you? Selina crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn't help but admire how he always comes to her for help. But as always, she never does anything for free.
"What's in it for me?"
Batman nodded. "Your freedom."
She scoffed. "Really, what are you some time of miracle worker. You think that if I help, you'll give me my freedom?"
"GCPD will close your file of your longstanding burglaries, if you promise you'll change your ways."
She tapped her chin a few times before replying. "That's a good bargain to pass up, but I don't give up that easily. But since you asked so politely. I'll help you." She stalked a couple inches in front of him. Her long nails traced the edges of the bat sign on his Kevlar, he just stood there motionless. Maybe it was because she compiled to his order or maybe it was because he grew fond of her sophisticated attitude.
Whether he was Bruce Wayne or Batman, he had to admit he was really amused by her.
"Follow me." A smile crept her features.
Batman tagged close behind Selina, making sure there weren't any slip ups along the way that'll cloud his reliance on her. Both were silent as they moved to the enemies hideout. The last time he confronted Scarecrow's men, he ended up getting drugged with the fear toxin and leaving him in the dark for who knows how long.
Guards were stationed at every corner. Cameras and highly trained sensors were throughout the factory. Batman made a mental note of the number of men in the factory and stood behind an empty wall next to the door.
Selina crouched down next to him and whispered. "So what's the plan?"
"I'm scanning the area "
"I spotted a shipment of crates being delivered into this factory." She replied as she pointed at the various machinery in front of them. "You see those machines, they're putting whatever chemicals for the toxin in there and it looks like a big batch of it."
Moments later, Jonathan Crane approached the steel machinery. Taking in his inventions with pride and self achievement. Ever since the microwave emitter terrorized Gotham, Crane was locked up tight in the clutches of his own building. All the hard labor he put into Arkham Asylum became nothing but a failed state of mind.
Now he had the chance to redeem his failures and create a new toxin that could potentially wipe out the entire city. All it took was one inhale and people would suffer in seconds.
This type of attack was a wide scale one, but it's not enough the erase the human race an entire city. Crane had to be targeting a specific group of people, however all of them could have lasting side effects physically and mentally.
"Once the chemicals are processed, load them into the vans for equal distribution. All the required locations must obtain this toxin before drug runs flat and loses it flavor. Like all medicine, quality over quantity is important." Crane bellowed to his men.
Selina narrowed her eyes at the vigilante. "Sorry to interrupt your brooding, but aren't you gonna do something?"
"Not yet."
They watched the goons load the trunks with hazardous materials and strip away the remains of their operation. Impatient for Batman's order for attack, Catwoman pounced on a guard, kicking him off his feet. Then another took her from behind in a gridlock and she sliced him in the shin with a serrated stilettos.
Batman ran to his first opponent, giving them three hard blows to the jaw and kicking the others at their pressure points in their neck and upper chest to knock them cold.
When the fight ended, Selina stormed in front of him and clawed at his chest, leaving a small, yet fatal tear.
"What the hell was that?"She screeched.
"I had it under control." He growled back.
She crossed her arms. "Oh really, standing in the sidelines while you let your enemy get away with a deadly toxin is by definition, "having it under control". Do you know how close we could've gotten at getting them?"
"And we catch them, then what? Crane is always two steps ahead of us. He knows that if he gets caught and the drug is obtained, two other men have a connection to mass produce even more of it. I came here to investigate the premise, not take them down."
She was still mad at him. But then again they needed more time to plan this out and Scarecrow knows exactly what he was doing or else he'd still rotting in Arkham Asylum.
Selina glanced at the empty factory and found Batman hard at work examining the men unconscious.
"So, find anything?"
He picked up a speck of lead on their jacket. Most likely the materials that were delivered into this factory in the first place. He snatched a plastic cover from the ground and handed it to Selina.
"Take this to Gordon and tell him to examine this with the toxin found on the coma induced police officers. It should tell us what the ingredient of Crane drug and how much damage it could ensue."
She cocked her head to the side and nodded. "You want me to do errands for you, I didn't sign up to be your sidekick?"
He huffed out a breath. Arguing with her wasn't an option, he needed to get through to her in order to gain her trust. "Selina, I know being on the other side is hard, but we have to make this work, until we take down Crane, you need to be my eyes and ears. You're the only one who's this close with the crime loads." His voice began to falter just a tad and quickly regained its gravely tone. "So just bear with me, and this will be all over soon."
Selina wasn't sure why he had so much faith in her. Every time she'd fight back, he does nothing. Every time she yelled and screamed he just stays silent. Batman, the man who breaks people's insides and brings fear to all that come to him is asking a cat burglar to help him take down another criminal and is asking in the nicest way possible?
Maybe he was a softy under all that leather and Kevlar. Maybe he was different from all the guys she's met. Either way, she didn't want to let him down.
"Can't say no to a man that just gave the strangest compliment ever." She began to strode away from him. "If you need anything else handsome, you know where to find me." And she was gone.
He let her scent linger onto his surroundings before continuing his thorough search of evidence. Scarecrow was an expert as hiding his tracks, which made matters even more difficult.
Selina never liked the Police Station and it mostly had to do with her getting arrested multiple times. Numerous glances stared her down once she walked in. She took no notice of their wandering eyes and she kept moving forward. She stumbled upon a reception desk find an auburn haired girl with glasses assorting various files.
"I need to speak with Gordon, is he here?"
The girl looked up instantly and replied. "I think he's on a very important phone call, but I can send him the message."
Selina looked down at her evidence and shook her head. "Actually, I'll just wait till he finishes."
"Oh ok. Suit yourself. And you if you need anything, just look for me."
"Alright, thanks." Selina responded.
She felt the urge to leave to premise immediately, the Police Station was the last place Catwoman wanted to be in at the moment, but it didn't stop "the Batman" to force to come into the cage of a building.
"You were asking for me?" Jim Gordon interrupted her wallowing thoughts and memories of being handcuffed for hours on end.
She looked both ways before swallowing. "I need to have a word with you, it's important."
Gordon couldn't help but nod and led her to his office. Once she reached the room, Selina took off her goggles to reveal her identity which of course wasn't a shock to Gordon considering he has arrested her more than a dozen times.
"This better be worth my time Ms. Kyle." He warned, crossing his arms over his chest.
She took a seat and spoke. "This is about the toxin that Scarecrow is manufacturing to infect the city." Selina held out a transparent bag that carried tiny specks of lead and other unusual material used from the Steel Factory. "Batman and I have discovered this and various machines that created this deadly weapon."
He cleared his throat. "Well this is a turn of events, Catwoman working with Batman. Didn't think you'd change your ways so quickly."
She rolled her eyes at his understatement. "Don't be so surprise, Commissioner. You know I'm not a quitter. That also means my ways have stayed the same and will remain the same until I feel the need to leave this city once and for all."
Gordon sighed. He took the bag from his desk and pulled out his gloves to get a better look at the chemicals. He coughed a few times, unable to take a whiff of the unknown contains.
"Well one thing is for sure and that whatever this maybe, it's not breathable. Which means if it goes down someone's respiratory system, it can cause serious damage to the lungs."
"Batman said that the lead could've been combined with the ingredients in the toxin given to the coma-induced officers." She edged closer from her seat. "And Scarecrow knows that you've already tested out his drug used on those men so he had to alternate the chemicals to make the side effects more permanent."
"Sounds like Crane was getting his revenge on the city ever since his hallucinogen backfired." Gordon retorted.
She figure her heroic side was getting the best of so she knew it was time to leave the dirty work for the police. "Well it looks like you have everything figured out, just have to test the ingredients and make an antidote for the time being." Selina scooted from her chair and strode to the nearest exit.
"Ms. Kyle, I thought I'd never say this, but thank you. If you keep this up, your file will the erased in no time." Giving a gentle smile.
Shooting an annoyed, wary look back at him. "Well in that case, make sure you look out for all jewelers of Gotham City and two, not one will be robbed tomorrow night. All because of my civic duty. Have a nice rest of your night, Commissioner."
"Same to you, Ms. Ky...Catwoman."