Stay," Selina instructed, giving Harley a pointed look, to which the latter pouted but said nothing. She moved toward her phone and hesitated after seeing the unknown number but picked up the call nonetheless after a second's pause.
"Hello? Yes, this is her speaking..." She said, heading towards the couch and sitting under Harley's intent gaze. She listened quietly for a second, her expression shifting slightly.
"Yes, I'm free right now..." She remarked, and Harley could detect some concern in her tone, arousing the blonde's curiosity as she gave her cat-loving friend a coy look.
"Don't worry. I'll tell the bouncer to let you in. Can't have you starting another angry mob at my doorstep..." Selina added, nodding her head and sifting in her seat, and Harley immediately perked up as she connected the dots.
"No, I understand... I'll see you soon then..." Selina concluded, ending the call, and Harley was upon her before she could even blink, hugging her side with an imploring gaze.
"Can I tag along? Please, pretty please?" Harley implored, performing her best impression of puppy eyes as she regarded her brunette friend. Selina gave her a pointed look, preparing to say no, but Harley didn't let her as she turned it up a notch.
"Ya can't make me stay here! It's so boring I'll go crazy!" Harley exclaimed, putting on a sullen expression. Selina didn't buy it and just gave her a blank look.
"I'll go crazier than usual, Kitty!" Harley corrected after realizing her mistake, sending Selina a beaming smile, to which the latter could only sigh and shake her head in exasperation.
"No means no, Harley," Selina said, pushing Harley's face away from her stomach in annoyance. "It's a personal matter. We won't be able to discuss anything with you there," She added, shaking her as she removed Harley's hands clinging to her sides.
"Why do you want to tag along, anyway?" Selina asked after finally ridding herself of Harley's clutches by taking off the towel. "You're acting weird, even by your standards," she added, yanking the towel off Harley's hand and covering herself.
"I'm super bored, and whatever you got going sounds interestin'," Harley replied in a matter-of-fact tone as if that was reason enough for anyone to do anything, making Selena roll her eyes.
"Find your fun somewhere else; this is serious business, Harley," Selina said, rolling her eyes in annoyance at the blonde as she walked toward her room. "I'm gonna go change, and everything better be in place when I come out," Selina sternly concluded as she walked into her room, closing the door behind her with a loud bang.
"Fine, then I'm heading out!" Harley said with a huff as she pouted and got off the couch, turning to the door to leave and head outside to make her own fun elsewhere.
"Whatever you do out there, don't bring it back to my nightclub, Harley. I'm warning you..." Selina said from inside her room, making Harley stop and stick her tongue out at the closed door before exiting the penthouse.
...
"There you go, thanks," I said as I gave the cart owner his money and took my bag of sandwiches, turning around and walking away. I still had an hour or so before meeting Selina at her club, so I might as well take a walk since I had nothing better to do.
I had realized that Gotham was not the wretched butthole of Satan I thought it was, not all of it at least. Some parts of the city might even look nice if you squinted hard (like really hard) and you were farsighted and nearsighted at the same time.
Whenever I had spare time between studying all kinds of different subjects to put my brain to good use, training with Richard, or pick-pocketing people, I'd take a walk around the streets with no purpose in mind to clear my head.
I discovered some nice enough spots to spend time in and forget about stuff like the Joker suddenly showing up, dancing around in a thong while beating people to death with kittens in the streets or any other assorted crazy sights unique to this city.
One such place was a warehouse at the edge of the East End. The building wasn't unusual, but the people living there were the ones to make an impression on me instead.
I passed the warehouse on my way to the clinic one night after a day of rough training, where I got a bit reckless and reopened my shoulder wound. The homeless people there saw my sorry state and shabby clothes and mistook me for one of their own.
They didn't even hesitate before offering me food and asking if I needed any help. The homeless people's reaction really stunned me silly, and I just stared at the man who was offering me a sandwich like he was some bizarre creature.
It was weird and confusing. You have the regular people of the city, who wouldn't even spit on a person on fire to save a life, and then there were these homeless guys, who were willing to share what little they had just because they thought I was one of their own.
I eventually snapped out of it and explained to them that I wasn't really homeless and that they should keep the food, even though they kept insisting.
I left after convincing them that I really didn't need the food. And I somehow developed a habit of taking this route whenever I was going back from training, so I started occasionally buying some food and dropping it at the warehouse's doorstep whenever I had money to spare.
I didn't interact with the people in the warehouse and didn't feel the need to since I'd always leave the food where they would quickly find it and keep walking. It was just something I did to feel better about myself and my situation, so I didn't expect thanks or gratitude anyway.
'I should leave it here...'
I mused as I dropped the sandwich bag near the fence gate in front of the warehouse and kept walking, taking out my
'Time to make my way to Selina's place..'
Giving the warehouse one last look, I turned right at the end of the street and headed towards The Tin roof Club.
...
'Here goes nothing...'
Lowering the baseball cap to cover my face, I passed by the queue of waiting people and headed towards the bouncer, ignoring the numerous dirty looks people sent me for cutting the line.
"And where do you think you're going?" the buff bouncer said as he saw me approach. He raised his shades and gave me a warning look that suggested I hurry up and get back in line, or bad things might happen otherwise.
"Name's Grayson. Selina should be expecting me," I replied as I turned to the bouncer, and he grunted in response, picking up the ledger to check my name.
"You can find the lady boss at the bar," the bouncer said, gesturing for me to go in. I obliged, unmindful of the looks that were basically digging a hole in my back courtesy of the people waiting in line to enter the nightclub.
Once inside, I located the bar and made my way to sit on a bench, waiting for Selina to show up. I would have approached her myself, but I still had no idea about what she looked like under the mask, and asking for her would give that away and dissipate whatever air of mystery I had.
I needed her to keep guessing for things to go smoothly, or she might call me on my bluff about exposing her identity if she assumed I couldn't put my money where my mouth was.
It didn't take long for a tall brunette woman with long flowing hair and a shapely figure to approach me from behind the bar. She looked 5.7 and had an exquisite mature face with bright green eyes that narrowed as she regarded me.
"I didn't think you'd show up so quickly, Grayson Whitlock," Selina said in a blank tone as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, emphasizing her cleavage.
'She's already confrontational... I should defuse it...'
Selina probably used my full name as a reminder that I wasn't the only one holding the cards and that I shouldn't get carried away. I should make it clear that I'm here in peace.
"Gray would be fine, Miss. Kyle," I replied, smiling politely to convey my good intentions; asking her to call me by my first name is an olive branch, and calling her Miss is just a show of respect to clarify I was here to reason with her, not cause trouble.
"Then you can call me Selina, Gray," she replied, relaxing and even giving me a slight smile, meaning she took the olive branch and was willing to negotiate or hear me out at the very least.
'We're off to a smooth start, good.'
"Very well. Do you have somewhere private where we can talk without interruptions?" I asked, gesturing around the nightclub. I wasn't comfortable talking here, regardless of the loud music that made it impossible to eavesdrop.
"We can talk in the VIP booth..."
...
"Nice place you have here, Selina..." I said, making small talk as I followed behind the brunette. I tried and failed not to stare at her ass and the downright hypnotic way it swayed under her dress with every step she took.
She probably wore this provoking dress to distract me and get the upper hand in the conversation, and it was already working. God damn, do I hate being a teenager.
"Hm? Oh, it better be considering how much money I put into it," Selina replied with a chuckle as she climbed a set of stairs, and I had to use every atom of my will not to peek under her dress.
At least she was willing to exchange my small talk. It was a good sign since it meant she was open to a friendly relationship, which would be the best outcome to this whole holding each other secrets debacle.
The way I saw it, we'd either end up as invaluable to each other, eliminating any chance of us sabotaging the other to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship, or tear each other's throats to make sure our secrets don't get out. There was no third way about it.
"Were here," Selina said as she stopped in the hallway beyond the stairs in front of what I assumed to be the door to the VIP booth. "I had it cleared just for today," she added, turning to me and giving me a smile as she opened the door.
"I appreciate the gesture," I said, returning the smile as I walked inside after Selina. The room inside was spacious and dimly lit. It had a stereo system, several leather couches, and a big screen hanging on the wall in front of the door.
"Take a seat. The VIP booth is soundproof, and I've already instructed my people not to bother us," Selina said as she sat down on a couch. She crossed her legs and gestured for me to sit in front of her with a smile.
"So... what do you want to talk about, gray?" Selina said as she watched me take a seat opposite her, emphasizing my name to remind me of the tacit agreement we reached in the bar.
'Straight to business, eh? I can work with that..' I mused, noting Selina's body language as her smile disappeared. She shifted in her seat, pushing her face slightly forward and crossing her arms.
"I won't beat around the bush, Selina," I replied, copying how she emphasized my name to assure her I didn't forget. I kept my tone neutral, but my posture remained relaxed.
"You don't trust me, and I think you might do something that won't end well for both of us," I said, shrugging my shoulder as I sent her a careless look. "I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen," I added, waving a hand to the side, to which Selina raised an eyebrow.
"And how do you intend to do that, exactly?" Selina asked, narrowing her eyes as she regarded with a bemused look. She probably misunderstood my words as a threat, ridicule, or a sign of aggression.
"Like I said, by talking," I said, sighing as I leaned into the couch, gesturing matter-of-factly with my hand. " Believe it or not, but I knew about your secret identity for a while now. If I had any bad intentions, I wouldn't have waited for you to come to me and would have acted on them much sooner," I added as I put my hand on the couch's back to make myself comfortable.
"And I'm supposed to take your word for it?" Selina asked, raising an eyebrow as she spoke in a flat, bored tone to display her bemusement at my words and how indifferently I conveyed them.
"I might have taken your word for it if you didn't almost wreck my club yesterday with that stunt you pulled at the entrance," she dismissively added, waving her hand to the side and shrugging her shoulders.
'Damn, I knew she'd bring it up, but talk about throwing me a curveball...'
"Well, how else was I supposed to enter the club? I am legally a minor, you know?" I asked, clearing my throat, and continued before Selina could say anything. "Though I must admit, I might have gone overboard, and I apologize for that," I added, admitting my mistake and apologizing before she could take advantage of it.
Giving her a simple apology is better than letting her use that single mistake to take the upper hand in the conversation and push me around with it. I was here with good intentions, but I won't give her anything to use against me unless I couldn't help it.
"I suppose no one was hurt, and there was no real damage, but..." Selina said, sighing as she gave me a puzzled look, trailing off at the end of her sentence. "Couldn't you have called like today or something?" she asked, giving me an analytical look and tilting her head.
"I didn't have one at the time," I replied, clearing my throat again, awkwardly this time. I knew I should have bought the damned thing sooner, but I often got distracted, and there always seemed more important things to do with my time.
"I've always been busy with my training and other more important activities, so I never had the time or need for one," I added when I noticed the skeptical look on the brunette's face, staring at me with barely disguised suspicion.
"And, of course, I am willing to compensate for the damage," I concluded, my tone sincere as I compromised since it was my fault indeed. I could have handled the situation differently, so it's only natural to take responsibility.
"Like I said, there was no real damage, just a few bruises here and there on my bouncer," Selina carelessly replied, dismissively waving her hand to the side. "Give him a big tip on your way out, and we can call it even on that front," she added, shrugging her shoulders and pausing and gesturing for me to keep talking.
"With that out of the way..." I said as I turned to give Selina a questioning look. I only continued talking after seeing her nod, meaning she's willing to put the whole raging mob in front of her nightclub affair behind us.
"What I'm here to propose is very simple, Selina," I said as I lost my relaxed posture and joined my fingers together. That would have looked a hell of a lot cooler if I was wearing a fancy suit and not shabby street clothes, but oh well, gotta make do, I suppose.
"You need my gifts to help with your alter ego's activities. I need someone to teach me how to put said gifts to better use," I added, spreading my arms and opening my palms as I gave the brunette a smile. "And I hear you are somewhat of an expert..." I concluded, putting my hands back and resting them on my lab.
"Isn't that what I suggested when I visited you in your apartment? You didn't seem too eager for it at the time..." Selina asked, giving me a quizzical look. "And I don't see how that would help solve the problem," she added, gesturing to the side with dismissal.
"That might have been your intention, but the way you phrased it at the time was rather too demanding for my taste. I'm sure you understand," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. I wasn't the only one to make a mistake, so I reminded her about her mistake, to which she sighed and nodded, dropping the subject.
"As for how that would help solve the problem..." I remarked, trailing off as I adjusted my posture to a more relaxed one. "It's simple, really. We only need to have a shared interest and have ways to benefit from each other..." I added, spreading my arms with a leisurely smile.
Selina likely understood what I meant and how it would solve the problem, but she wanted to ascertain my intentions by making me speak the words, and I didn't see any reason not to humor her.
"That way, we both have reasons to protect each other's secrets because it would be too costly for us otherwise," I said as I leaned back into the couch and grinned. "Trust is rather overrated anyway," I concluded, pausing as I waited for Selina to process my words and decide when I saw her look down, putting on a thoughtful expression.
"Let's hear it then. How do you intend to go about it?" Selina asked after several seconds of pause to think as she raised her head and met my eyes with her pair of bright green orbs.
"I help you, and you show me the ropes. It's as simple as that," I said, shrugging my shoulders with a smile. "Other than that, I've already mentioned my age and the limitations which accompany it," I added, sighing as I scratched my head.
"People would start asking questions if I suddenly start spending money, and I was hoping you could help me with that," I said, making Selina raise an eyebrow. "A job here, in name at least... that would be a reasonable explanation for anyone wondering where I get my money," I concluded as I watched Selina smile in amusement.
...
"... And finally, I refuse to participate in anything that could bring the Bat or the League's attention to me," I concluded my terms, pausing as I waited for Selina to process my words.
We had been discussing the terms for cooperation for the past hours, and it was mainly me stating things I was willing and unwilling to do. Thievery is a lucrative business, but it could spell the end of me if I stole something from someone powerful enough to track me down and wipe my sorry ass out of existence.
I also refused to steal anything that could harm the League, like kryptonite or any similar weapon, blueprint, or intelligence that could harm the League's members. That would instantly put me on their radar. I didn't want any part in that shit.
There was being greedy, and then there was being stupid, and stupid I was not. Not that stupid anyway. I've already committed my fair share of dumb fuckery.
Selina had good old Bat-daddy to rely on if things went south to bale her out of trouble, but I had no backing to rely on in such cases other than Richard, and that didn't look like his kind of thing.
We also agreed on the distribution of profits from any cooperation we might have in the future, with me getting a thirty percent share of the pure profit since I was a rookie and needed Selina to show me the ropes.
It might sound low, but it was, in fact, fair. Selina would not only have to find a target, but she would also have to scout the target, create a plan, and do most of the heavy lifting while teaching me to do the same.
People like Richard might take potential as payment, but Selina wasn't such a person, and even if she wasn't evil or psychopathic, she was still greedy and desired material gain.
"Do these terms sound agreeable to you, Selina?" I asked, after letting her think for a couple of minutes, smiling as she turned to me with a neutral expression.
"Agreeable enough," Selina replied, nodding her head as she regarded me with a hard-to-read expression on her face. She didn't agree but didn't outright refuse either.
"But?" I questioningly remarked, sensing a but coming. I raised an eyebrow and gave her a blank look. I'm already at my bottom line, and I won't give her any more compromises, so the entire thing might fall apart depending on the words to come out of her mouth next.
"You seem to know a lot about me, too much for that matter," Selina said, frowning as she gave me a pointed look. "And I know next to nothing about you..." she added, giving me a demanding look that grated on my nerves.
"This cooperation plan of yours, how quickly you got over your surprise when you saw me in your apartment..." Selina said, frowning deeper the more she spoke, looking directly into my eyes with a searching gaze, intently studying my expression.
"It all feels rather too convenient..." the brunette remarked, her eyebrows furrowed and expression bemused as I smiled in amusement at what she was hinting. "I can't help but feel you might have been targeting me somehow," Selina concluded, getting to the point. She raised an eyebrow as I let out a chuckle.
"Now that's just ridiculous," I replied, lightly chuckling as I shook my head. Selina's expression grew even more bemused at my words, likely taking offense.
"I meant no disrespect," I said, clearing my throat and shrugging my shoulder, but Selina's expression remained offended and somewhat annoyed. "You stumbled upon me that day by mere chance, and you came to my apartment with your own free will..." I added, gesturing to the side with my right in dismissal.
"The insinuation that I might have plotted such happenings is as ludicrous as it is flattering, so I couldn't help but laugh," I explained, letting out another chuckle as I watched Selina's expression ease up a bit.
"Other than that, I value my privacy highly, and I wouldn't risk exposing myself like that for such a reason as you might be suggesting," I concluded, shaking my head and pausing.
Damn, I was rocking these big words. If only I had a wine glass and a cigar, that would have been the best James Bond movie villain impression.
I immediately switched to a more refined form of speech when we started negotiating seriously to sell that whole mystery aura. I wanted to keep Selina guessing and not realize I was just some random fellow who knows too much since random fellas with too much knowledge tended to disappear one way or the other.
Let me tell you, keeping a straight face while talking like that without cringing was a bitch and a half, and I think I just discovered my talent as an actor. Too bad I had to die and transmigrate to another world before finding out about it. Man, the money I could have made.
"When you put it like that..." Selina said, sighing, and she even had the decency to at least look embarrassed as she uncomfortably and awkwardly shifted in her seat.
'Huh, she kind of looks cute when she's embarrassed...' I mused, quickly shaking off such thoughts, wishing someone would come and bonk the horny out of my hormone-addled brain and teenage body with a wooden club or something.
"In any case, I think the terms are fair to us both," I said, clearing my throat to snap her out of it and change the subject. Luckily, it worked, and she regained her calm as she turned to me, giving me her attention.
"So what do you say? Do we have a deal?" I asked, gesturing towards her with an open palm as I paused and awaited her answer. There was nothing else for me to do other than that, and there was no point in prolonging the conversation.
"I don't see why not..." Selina replied, somewhat hesitant as she nodded. She still seemed to have a good deal of suspicion towards me, which was reasonable and not really bad for me.
The more suspicious she gets, the more she wonders, and the more she wonders, the more her imagination goes wild since there was no reasonable explanation for my knowledge.
Selina would be basically misleading herself into believing I was some dangerous, hidden mastermind. She'll be more reluctant to double-cross me that way, or she might not overthink it and accept the situation, which wasn't a bad outcome for me either.
"However, I need time to set something up and clear my schedule before we can do anything meaningful," she concluded, nodding her head as she stood, indicating the end of the discussion.
"I understand. Please take your time and contact me when you are ready," I replied with a nod of understanding as I got up and slowly made for the door. "But before I leave..." I said as I remembered the USB stick I found in the duffle bag I stole from Black Mask's gang.
I reached toward Selina, making her tense up, mistaking my action for an attack. I smiled disarmingly to defuse the situation as I simultaneously flipped my palm and showed her the USB stick.
"I have reasons to believe this belongs to The Intergang," I added as I pinched the USB stick between my thumb and index finger to show it to Selina.
"It could be anything from a complicated computer virus to advanced weapon blueprints," I explained as I threw it at Selina. She caught it and sent me a confused look.
"I didn't check its contents, but it could be worth something," I remarked, shrugging my shoulder at her inquiring gaze. "You can sell it or pass it along to the Batman... Up to you, really," I concluded as I reached to open the door.
"Why are you giving it to me?" Selina asked, raising an eyebrow in genuine curiosity, causing me to pause with my hand on the door's handle as I turned to her.
"I don't have the time to find a buyer or figure out how to use it, so it's useless to me," I replied matter-of-factly, giving her the truth, to which she hesitated for a second before nodding and accepting it.
"I'll be seeing you then," I concluded as I opened the door and walked out of the room.
"You can count on it," Selina replied, resuming her easy-going, almost lazy tone as she watched me leave and close the door behind me.
'Huh... that went a lot better than I thought it would...' I mused as I exited the nightclub, sighing as I turned to the bodyguard, remembering my promise to leave him a generous tip.
"Keep up the good work, pal," I said as I reached into my pocket, taking ten $100 bills out of my inventory and stuffing them in the buff bouncer's jacket pocket before leaving.
It goes without saying that I was intensely reluctant to leave such a big tip, but it's an investment and a last show of goodwill to Selina, so I had to push down my reluctance and do it, anyway.
'It's getting late... I should head home before the crazies come of their hidey holes...' I sighed as I took out my phone to see the time and made for home, postponing my idea to go on a pick-pocketing spree to another day.
'Maybe a wallet or two on the way wouldn't hurt...'
...
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