Chapter 17: The Switcheroo

Vicki laid in bed, proud of her work. She thought she had Selina running for the hills. There was nothing left to stand in her way to Bruce. At least that's what she thought.

Her parents were pretty rich. Nice house. Nice neighborhood. Security cameras and a neighborhood watch. But that meant nothing to the Bat and Cat.

Vicki woke up to a tight grip around her throat. It was pitch black in her room. But she could make out the cat ear shaped cowl of the woman choking her.

"You made a big mistake." Catwoman growled.

Vicki had never heard Selina's voice like that. It was terrifying to wake up to.

The grip around her neck was released once another masked figure entered her room through her window. It was the Batman.

"Let the girl go, Catwoman." He demanded.

"Make me!"

The Bat and Cat engaged in a brief fight as Vicki cowered in the corner.

"You are aware this is pretend right?" Catwoman whispered.

"So don't hit me so hard." He replied.

She grinned. "You can take it." She kicked him in the stomach and made her way to the window. "You win this one Batman. But I'll be back to finish the job."

"You're a better person than this Catwoman. I know you are!"

"I am... she isn't." With that, she made her escape.

Vicki breathed a huge sigh of relief and stood up. "Is she gone?"

Batman turned to her. "For now."

"What do you mean for now?"

"You made a threat to reveal her identity. She's gonna come after you with everything she has until she gets you... Unless you stop."

"You can protect me through, right?"

"I can't protect you all the time. I have a whole city to protect."

"So what do I do?"

"Delete the story. Delete the pictures. Don't give her a reason to kill you."

"Please!" She pleaded as she ran up to him and placed her hands on his chest. "Protect me from her."

He stared coldly into her eyes. "I'm not your guardian angel." With that he turned and made his exit out he window as well.

Down the street, Batman met up with Catwoman in the car.

"You sure took your time in there." She teased.

"Don't you even start."

Vicki paced around her room, thinking out her options. "He likes her. He's on her side!" She thought to herself and scoffed. "He's just like Bruce. He's... Holy fuck he's just like Bruce because he is Bruce!"

She got on up her laptop and opened up the story she had set to be sent to her editor in the morning. She hovered her cursor over the delete button.

But being as predictably persistent and defiant. She clicked the edit button instead and wrote of how Catwoman had just attacked her to silence her. And the protective and sympathetic behavior towards Catwoman made her suspect Bruce Wayne to be Batman. She was even able to attach the security footage of them breaking in as evidence to prove her story.

Little did she know this was part of the plan.

She woke up the next morning to a call from her editor. He wanted her to show up and explain the story she sent him. He seemed very pissed which confused her.

She stood there anxiously in his office as he stared her down. "What are you trying to do Vicki?" He asked.

"Expose the truth." She said proudly. "Let Gotham know it's prince and princess are both hiding a dark secret."

He shook his head. "You don't get on social media a whole lot, do ya kiddo?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I mean sometimes. Why?"

With another sigh he answered. "You say Batman and Catwoman came to your place at around midnight. They had a little tussle and Batman told you to back off? You even have your parents security footage showing them come in and out of your window." He pulled out his phone and showed her some footage. "However Selina Kyle's Instagram story taken at the same time contradicts your story and its evidence."

From 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM Selina's Instagram story was full of her and Bruce at a bar partying. At one point around the same time Batman and Catwoman visited her, everyone filmed Selina on their phones as she got up on the bar and sang and danced to Tiny Dancer. She even got Bruce to sing along with her.

"They couldn't have gone to your house to attack you and be at the bar getting crazy in front of everyone at the exact same time! I can't publish this crap!"

Vicki couldn't believe it! "But I found the suit in their house! I have pictures as proof!"

"Maybe she's into cosplay? It's not enough to override the evidence that Bruce and Selina were on the other side of the city partying while you had your little home invasion. You have no story. I don't ever want to deal with this type of crap again! Thin ice Vale! Thin thin ice! Thinner than a sheet of notebook paper!"

Vicki walked out of his office defeated. "How is this even possible?"

6 hours ago:

Batman and Catwoman got to the cave and stepped out of the car. They took off their masks to reveal not Bruce and Selina, but Lois and Clark.

"I still can't believe Bruce and Selina are Batman and Catwoman." Lois said. "And we got to switch places for the night!"

"You were a very terrifying Catwoman." He complimented.

"And you a very bold Batman." She complimented back. "You look good in a cape."

He began to admire himself in he mirror. "I do don't I?" He began to think.

Bruce and Selina returned home sometime later.

"Was she scared?" Selina asked.

"Oh yea." Lois said.

Selina took Lois hand and sighed. "Listen Lois, I know Vicki was your friend, so I know how hard this was for you and it means a lot to me."

"Please." Lois stopped her. "Vicki turned her back on me this year. She's become full of herself and her own agendas. It was nice to knock her back down a peg." She handed Selina back her catsuit. "By the way, you weren't kidding. That thing really does stretch."

Selina scoffed. "Like you needed it to? I knew it would fit you fine."

"Don't even. Look at you! Who has a body like that? Not me with these love handles. Do you just live at the gym?"

"Who has time for the gym?"

Lois seemed taken aback by that. "Are you kidding me? All I had today was half a granola bar today and I couldn't even button my pants!" She began to tear up.

"Oh Lois." Selina wrapped her up in a hug. "You're a total babe. Don't even."

"Is she going to be okay?" Bruce asked.

Clark shrugged. "Yeah. I'll just cuddle her and smother her in compliments. She'll be fine in an hour or two."

Bruce looked at him concerned. "Right."

After a brief conversation and tidal waves of thanks and compliments to them, Lois and Clark left. Selina and Bruce retired upstairs and rested in bed.

"That was a clever idea Bat. Even though I still think you should've let me stick that stupid recorder up her ass."

"Selina..."

"I'm just saying."

"Look we ruined her credibility. She's no more of a threat to us. We can relax now."

"Yes we can." She closed her eyes for a second before opening them and looking right at him. "Or we can get nasty?"

Bruce laid there quietly for a second before nodding. "Let's do it."