CHAPTER 3:
Bruce stared at Andrea. The emotions ran rampant through his body and he had absolutely nothing to say. He was speechless in the most literal sense. The room was warm, and the sight before him was overpowering. His bed was still carefully made, the thick quilt over the soft silk sheets- but the woman he had loved like no other was spread out on top. The look on her face was one of relief she was trying to hide and sarcastic excitement she was faking. He was dressed simply in a white satin slip; her long gorgeous legs crossed carelessly, her arms crossed. Her supple scarlet hair was spread out on the pillows behind her, complimenting her ruby, puckering sexy lips.
"You miss me?" she asked carelessly with a grin. Bruce had no clue what to say. Should he be immensity happy to see her? Should he run over and take her in his arms and kiss her? Should he try to be witty? Should he ask her what in god's name she was doing here over these years? Should he tell her he suspected she had died? What...? What could he possibly say to make this situation as perfect as it deserved to be.
"I can't say I'm not surprised to see you," Bruce finally stammered as he looked into her eyes.
"That's it? I thought you were going to run over here and sweep me off my feet or something," Andrea exclaimed with a hint of disappointment in her voice. She sat up in her bed and stared into Bruce's eyes. She was just as perfect as he remembered her, as beautiful with the same sense of sophisticated dry humor. Or was she serious? Her smile told him no.
"I guess I'm just so shocked to see you it hasn't completely registered yet," Bruce admitted after a second. He continued to stare at her. And after a moment he murmured, "I think I need to sit down," and he did. She continued to look at him.
"I didn't mean to give you a heart attack or anything, Bruce. Just wanted it to be a surprise." She explained with sarcastic concern. Bruce smiled.
"I'm fine. It's great to see you." Bruce exclaimed finally. He got up and headed over to Andrea. She arose and they embraced tightly. He didn't want to let her go. He allowed the sweet scent of her hair to make its way into his nasal passages and inhaled. The same scent he had fallen in love with when he first met her. Amazing. She was just as she's been back then. Only now he knew he loved her already.
"I love you Andy. I guess I just couldn't believe you were finally here. I'm sorry," Bruce cried with energy, breaking his usual mask of dark secrecy. She hugged him back for all she was worth.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. I love you too Bruce! I love you too!" he continued to hold her like there was no tomorrow and slowly their lips made gentle contact. He began to massage her supple lips with his own, caressing her body with his hands. It felt good, so good to be with her again. It was like he had dreamed it, to have his arms around her body again, to feel her warmth again, to smell her hair again, to be with her once more. This moment had made it all worth the wait.
"I thought," Bruce gasped between kisses, "I would never see you again," he continued. She kissed him passionately again.
"I though the same thing. But..." Andrea backed away, and Bruce stared at her in surprise.
"Andy? What's the matter?" he asked. She the smile faded from her face, and it had been replaced with a look of discouraged despair. Her features were beautiful all the time, but now they were slightly darker. Not as friendly. Not the face he loved to love. She sat down on the bed.
"I'm here in Gotham for two reasons. One of them is to see you Bruce. To be with you. To see if I still love you the way I once did," she explained sorrowfully. "The other... The other reason is because..." she couldn't seem to make herself finish her sentence. Bruce allowed her to explain herself even though he knew what she was going to say. "I love Bruce Wayne. But I am still enemies with Batman. I've come to Gotham to finish what I started. I will kill the Joker," she explained with a deadly serious, defiant tone.
A rush of fear ripped through Bruce's body. This moment- the perfect moment- was slipping away. No, it was already gone. The warmth and excitement Andrea had just given him, the happiness that she had generated throughout his body had been drained in an instant. She was an enemy. She was his enemy. And he was going to have to stop her. The most difficult moments of his life were coming back to haunt him full force, the greatest nightmare of his existence.
"Andy, no. No. C'mon, you no that isn't the way,"
"Don't tell me a tale, Bruce. You know vengeance is the only way. If it's not, you've certainly made a waste of your life," she muttered as she got up. Bruce was unable to look her in the eye. How could she? How could she put him in this position? "I have to kill him. He was always the last one. He did it you know. That maniacal madman was the one who pulled the trigger. He murdered my father. He murdered my father. When your parents were murdered this was your escape. This "Batman" escapade. That helped you keep your sanity. Working against the cause that brought them to their end. Now I need to do the same... And he was the cause that brought my father to his end."
"If you kill him, you'd be a murder too," Bruce said softly. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't look at her.
"Yes. I would. And the world would be a better place," she answered. She walked toward the door, and grabbed her bag near the door. "I'm going to go get changed. Then I'm going to go home. As soon as Joker makes his move, you will be there. And so will I. It's just a matter of who gets there first."
"If you kill him, I'll turn you in," Bruce responded coldly.
"You'd have to catch me first," she retorted. Her eyes were empty as she said this, and she headed toward the stairs. "Tell Alfred hello for me. I'll give you a call when this is all over. Maybe..." She thought as she exited the house, leaving an empty man with his thoughts. The way he liked it.
* * * * *
The black Cadillac pulled up and stopped in front of the bank. The posh, polished door swung open and out stepped three men in black suits, the third a purple one. The Joker smelled the air with a huge inhale and sighed.
"I just love that fresh fall air," he exclaimed. One his men glanced across the street at the large fish truck. He to put his hand over his mouth to prevent puking.
"Yeah, whatever you say boss," he mumbled. He casually reached into his jacket and withdrew a pistol, as did his three counterparts as the Clown Prince of Crime led them right through the front door to the bank. It was like Moses parting the red sea as the shocked customers stepped aside in awe at the deathly chalk white grinning Joker. He made his way to the front and peered over the counter.
"Ooh! Candy!" he giggled as he snatched the small wicker basket of hard candy. He put on of them in his mouth and sucked on it, absorbing the sweet flavor. The teller was in fearful shock.
"Those are... For the children..." she stammered, not sure what to say.
"Well I'm really just a child on the inside!" Joker exclaimed. "Well anyway..." he leaned forward and read her nametag.
"...Sue, I was hoping you could help me out. Being the criminal mastermind I am, I was wondering if you could help me out with something. I'm a little short on the green you see, and as a great man once said... What? No, I know I'm a great man, but it wasn't me... Money makes the world go round. Therefore, I was hoping to take out a loan. What do you say?"
She was dumbfounded. Joker grabbed a machine gun from one of his boys.
"Or perhaps you'll need persuasion? Which way to the vault!?"
* * * * *
"Alfred?"
"I saw the signal, Master Bruce. All is ready,"
He couldn't do it. He couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Andrea out of his mind. She was tattooed there, he could think of other things, but she never left his thoughts. She was there. No matter how hard he was concentrating on something else, in the back of his mind all he was really thinking about was Andrea and her mission. He wanted to love her. But first he had to stop her.
The cowl slipped over his head and he was Bruce Wayne no longer. He was Batman.
He stepped out of the darkness through the door into the main cave. Robin was standing there, arms crossed, waiting. Without a word Batman walked by, and headed over to the Batmobile. Robin followed, also wordlessly. They hopped into their respective seats, and the hood hissed shut with a slam. Robin stared at Batman. He seemed... Distant. Well, let's say more distant than usual.
"You okay?" he asked. The Batmobile surged forward with a powerful blast of the engine and tore down the road wildly, whistling down the dark tunnel. Robin couldn't see more than two feet in front of the car, and he knew Batman couldn't, but it was all down to a timing system. The end of the tunnel neared and Robin cringed slightly, as he always did, right before it virtually disappeared, and the Batmobile roared into the starry night.
Batman stared at the road ahead of him. It was still hard to believe really. He'd put it behind him and moved on... It had been for the best in terms of "the plan" of course, but... It was still pretty unbelievable. She was back. She wasn't dead. She was back. The love of his life was... She was back. And so was one of the most trying moments of his... "Career". But he had to stop her... Although all he wanted to do was hug her...
"Where are you going Batman?" a concerned Robin asked. Batman looked around.
"What?"
"The First National Bank is the other way!" Robin exclaimed. Batman wordlessly spun the car with a sharp screech and the sleek, shiny, black vehicle sped off toward the bank. "What's wrong with you?" Robin asked.
"My mind was on something else," Batman explained coldly. Robin didn't know how to respond to this. They were out into the depths of the twilight last night, waiting around for Joker, and now the Joker was making his move. And his mind was on something else? What was that all about? He didn't have much time to think about it as the Batmobile stopped short in front of a black Cadillac. The Joker emerged from the bank, a machine gun in his hands. He looked at the Batmobile and his insane grin grew wider.
"Ah, Batsy, punctual just as usual!"
* * * * *
Nightwing slithered through the shadows and emerged above the warehouse, peering down through a skylight. It was dark, and rather mysterious. There were several South American looking, very gruff men armed with automatic weapons. Great... He looked around for someone who might be in charge. No one. Just four armed men, waiting for the delivery of the weapons. Well they were in for a big disappointment. He had surveyed the area for a while... The main door had security cameras and would only open for Leone's car... Nightwing slinked along the roof side and darted off, gliding to the cement below. He made is way across the dark empty street and stepped into Leone's car. Well, here goes nothing, he said to himself. He turned the ignition, and the car pulled forward slowly, curving around the block. He pulled up to the large garage door. He waited for a few moments... The large metallic door rose slowly, clanging on its way up. He drove forward into a small frustum of light. The
four-armed men closed in, looking to get their hands on the guns.
"Senor Leone," came one of their voices.
Nightwing sent the front door flying open, and it smashed into the lower section of the approaching thug. He gasped, and Nightwing cracked him in the jaw before he could react. The thug nearest him lifted his gun, but not nearly in time as Nightwing shot a leg out, smashing into his face, sending him back. The remaining two opened fire, a hail of ammunition firing out from the other side of the car, the windows exploding into millions of fragments. Nightwing crouched and used all his energy and spring to summersault over the car. He grabbed each of the thugs by the coat collar and yanked them to the pavement, their skulls smacking hard, knocking them cold. Nightwing headed back over to the one who had spoken, looking for answers.
"Saving up some supplies?" Nightwing asked with a menacing glare.
"Perhaps, senor. I'm afraid, however, that you will not live to tell anyone about it," the leader snarled. Lights blazed with powerful clanks of electricity powering on, the entire facility cascaded with light. There were at least ten heavily armed troops with their sights set on Nightwing, all ready to fire.
"You might want to make sure Senor Leone doesn't pay us a call before you visit us next. His one phone call from jail means we will surely help him out when the situation arises, and that we will kill you, I promise you that," growled the South-American from the ground. He slowly pulled himself to his feet with a stagger. He snarled at Nightwing before spitting blood in his direction.
"I'll be sure to do that," Nightwing rumbled as he looked around. Most of them sported high tech sniper rifles, and he could sense the laser targeting beams on the back of his head. He balled up his fists, and got ready to make his move.
* * * * *
Selina Kyle looked at the TV, but she wasn't watching it. Batman. He was as mysterious as ever. And as sexy as ever. She reached down and removed her high-heeled pumps, tossing them carelessly aside. It had been a very long day at work, and she was very tired. And she wanted to go to bed. Maybe not alone though... She inspected her fingernails. She wanted to be with him... What made it so strange was that he didn't show any interest in her. But he did. She knew he did. He was just too into his "job". Didn't want to show it. Ah, men, she sighed. So foolish. Women really at potential to rule the world if they were smart enough to take advantage of it. He was one of the only ones she'd tried to crack and hadn't... He'd break though. No man could resist Selina Kyle forever.
She got up slowly and walked toward the kitchen. Just seeing those kids made her think of him... She really did miss him. She wanted to feel his dark presence. It made her feel sexy and secure at the same time. That's right, there was nothing in the world like flirting with Batman, and she did it better than any other woman in the world. She opened her refrigerator, and pulled out a carton of milk, pouring the white liquid into a dish for Isis. Batman... If only she could see the man behind the mask...
She walked into her bedroom and looked at her black costume, tossed carelessly across her bed. Perhaps tonight was a good night to go out...
* * * * *
The cascade of gunfire caused Batman and Robin to duck behind the Batmobile. Batman's eyes narrowed as he whipped out a Batarang, and sent it slicing through the air, knocking the gun from Joker's grasp with a powerful slam. Joker frowned as he looked at his broken weapon on the ground.
"Ah, well. Toodleoo, Bats!" Joker screamed as he ducked into the car. His men followed and they screeched out, away from the bank. Batman didn't hesitate. He fired his grappling hook at the ledge above the bank, and flew off after it shortly after the clank. The Dark Knight's cape fluttered in the wind as he leapt onto the ledge. Batman sprinted after the car, using his elevated situation to position himself. The car seemed confused the Batmobile wasn't following it...
Batman flew down, on top of the car with a loud bang. The eyes of the thugs in the car darted upward, wide and white-eyed, as they noticed Batman's cape flap down over the windshield.
"Blast him!" Joker screamed, but before his men complied, Batman's fist came crashing through the driver's window, smashing to the driver's temple. He was out cold. A sharp screech came right before the car plowed into the wall to the Federal Building with an explosion of radiance and inferno. After a long pause, one of the rear passenger doors swung open, and a deadly cackle could be heard from inside. The Joker emerged, his usual sick demented grin was itself, only a few yellow teeth were missing. He staggered; his eggplant suit was torn, revealing his yellow shirt as he stumbled into the dark alley, giggling as he went...
"Going somewhere?" Batman asked coldly, as he stood in front of the blazing car. Joker spun with a grin on his face.
"Oh, no, just going for a stroll," he chuckled as he turned, running down the alley. Batman knew he didn't need to follow. A sharp crack was followed by Joker flying backwards onto his back, more blood dripping from his face. Robin emerged from the shadows.
"Sorry I'm, late," he sniggered. He had his hands on his hips as he placed his boot on Joker's chest, the traditional; hero defeats villain pose. Joker growled as he grabbed Robin's leg and flipped him over onto the pavement.
"Hey!" he snarled in pain. Joker began to get up and run into the dark alley. He ran until he heard the words that made his blood run cold momentarily reverberate through the alley...
"Joker! Your angel of death awaits..."
Bruce stared at Andrea. The emotions ran rampant through his body and he had absolutely nothing to say. He was speechless in the most literal sense. The room was warm, and the sight before him was overpowering. His bed was still carefully made, the thick quilt over the soft silk sheets- but the woman he had loved like no other was spread out on top. The look on her face was one of relief she was trying to hide and sarcastic excitement she was faking. He was dressed simply in a white satin slip; her long gorgeous legs crossed carelessly, her arms crossed. Her supple scarlet hair was spread out on the pillows behind her, complimenting her ruby, puckering sexy lips.
"You miss me?" she asked carelessly with a grin. Bruce had no clue what to say. Should he be immensity happy to see her? Should he run over and take her in his arms and kiss her? Should he try to be witty? Should he ask her what in god's name she was doing here over these years? Should he tell her he suspected she had died? What...? What could he possibly say to make this situation as perfect as it deserved to be.
"I can't say I'm not surprised to see you," Bruce finally stammered as he looked into her eyes.
"That's it? I thought you were going to run over here and sweep me off my feet or something," Andrea exclaimed with a hint of disappointment in her voice. She sat up in her bed and stared into Bruce's eyes. She was just as perfect as he remembered her, as beautiful with the same sense of sophisticated dry humor. Or was she serious? Her smile told him no.
"I guess I'm just so shocked to see you it hasn't completely registered yet," Bruce admitted after a second. He continued to stare at her. And after a moment he murmured, "I think I need to sit down," and he did. She continued to look at him.
"I didn't mean to give you a heart attack or anything, Bruce. Just wanted it to be a surprise." She explained with sarcastic concern. Bruce smiled.
"I'm fine. It's great to see you." Bruce exclaimed finally. He got up and headed over to Andrea. She arose and they embraced tightly. He didn't want to let her go. He allowed the sweet scent of her hair to make its way into his nasal passages and inhaled. The same scent he had fallen in love with when he first met her. Amazing. She was just as she's been back then. Only now he knew he loved her already.
"I love you Andy. I guess I just couldn't believe you were finally here. I'm sorry," Bruce cried with energy, breaking his usual mask of dark secrecy. She hugged him back for all she was worth.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. I love you too Bruce! I love you too!" he continued to hold her like there was no tomorrow and slowly their lips made gentle contact. He began to massage her supple lips with his own, caressing her body with his hands. It felt good, so good to be with her again. It was like he had dreamed it, to have his arms around her body again, to feel her warmth again, to smell her hair again, to be with her once more. This moment had made it all worth the wait.
"I thought," Bruce gasped between kisses, "I would never see you again," he continued. She kissed him passionately again.
"I though the same thing. But..." Andrea backed away, and Bruce stared at her in surprise.
"Andy? What's the matter?" he asked. She the smile faded from her face, and it had been replaced with a look of discouraged despair. Her features were beautiful all the time, but now they were slightly darker. Not as friendly. Not the face he loved to love. She sat down on the bed.
"I'm here in Gotham for two reasons. One of them is to see you Bruce. To be with you. To see if I still love you the way I once did," she explained sorrowfully. "The other... The other reason is because..." she couldn't seem to make herself finish her sentence. Bruce allowed her to explain herself even though he knew what she was going to say. "I love Bruce Wayne. But I am still enemies with Batman. I've come to Gotham to finish what I started. I will kill the Joker," she explained with a deadly serious, defiant tone.
A rush of fear ripped through Bruce's body. This moment- the perfect moment- was slipping away. No, it was already gone. The warmth and excitement Andrea had just given him, the happiness that she had generated throughout his body had been drained in an instant. She was an enemy. She was his enemy. And he was going to have to stop her. The most difficult moments of his life were coming back to haunt him full force, the greatest nightmare of his existence.
"Andy, no. No. C'mon, you no that isn't the way,"
"Don't tell me a tale, Bruce. You know vengeance is the only way. If it's not, you've certainly made a waste of your life," she muttered as she got up. Bruce was unable to look her in the eye. How could she? How could she put him in this position? "I have to kill him. He was always the last one. He did it you know. That maniacal madman was the one who pulled the trigger. He murdered my father. He murdered my father. When your parents were murdered this was your escape. This "Batman" escapade. That helped you keep your sanity. Working against the cause that brought them to their end. Now I need to do the same... And he was the cause that brought my father to his end."
"If you kill him, you'd be a murder too," Bruce said softly. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't look at her.
"Yes. I would. And the world would be a better place," she answered. She walked toward the door, and grabbed her bag near the door. "I'm going to go get changed. Then I'm going to go home. As soon as Joker makes his move, you will be there. And so will I. It's just a matter of who gets there first."
"If you kill him, I'll turn you in," Bruce responded coldly.
"You'd have to catch me first," she retorted. Her eyes were empty as she said this, and she headed toward the stairs. "Tell Alfred hello for me. I'll give you a call when this is all over. Maybe..." She thought as she exited the house, leaving an empty man with his thoughts. The way he liked it.
* * * * *
The black Cadillac pulled up and stopped in front of the bank. The posh, polished door swung open and out stepped three men in black suits, the third a purple one. The Joker smelled the air with a huge inhale and sighed.
"I just love that fresh fall air," he exclaimed. One his men glanced across the street at the large fish truck. He to put his hand over his mouth to prevent puking.
"Yeah, whatever you say boss," he mumbled. He casually reached into his jacket and withdrew a pistol, as did his three counterparts as the Clown Prince of Crime led them right through the front door to the bank. It was like Moses parting the red sea as the shocked customers stepped aside in awe at the deathly chalk white grinning Joker. He made his way to the front and peered over the counter.
"Ooh! Candy!" he giggled as he snatched the small wicker basket of hard candy. He put on of them in his mouth and sucked on it, absorbing the sweet flavor. The teller was in fearful shock.
"Those are... For the children..." she stammered, not sure what to say.
"Well I'm really just a child on the inside!" Joker exclaimed. "Well anyway..." he leaned forward and read her nametag.
"...Sue, I was hoping you could help me out. Being the criminal mastermind I am, I was wondering if you could help me out with something. I'm a little short on the green you see, and as a great man once said... What? No, I know I'm a great man, but it wasn't me... Money makes the world go round. Therefore, I was hoping to take out a loan. What do you say?"
She was dumbfounded. Joker grabbed a machine gun from one of his boys.
"Or perhaps you'll need persuasion? Which way to the vault!?"
* * * * *
"Alfred?"
"I saw the signal, Master Bruce. All is ready,"
He couldn't do it. He couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Andrea out of his mind. She was tattooed there, he could think of other things, but she never left his thoughts. She was there. No matter how hard he was concentrating on something else, in the back of his mind all he was really thinking about was Andrea and her mission. He wanted to love her. But first he had to stop her.
The cowl slipped over his head and he was Bruce Wayne no longer. He was Batman.
He stepped out of the darkness through the door into the main cave. Robin was standing there, arms crossed, waiting. Without a word Batman walked by, and headed over to the Batmobile. Robin followed, also wordlessly. They hopped into their respective seats, and the hood hissed shut with a slam. Robin stared at Batman. He seemed... Distant. Well, let's say more distant than usual.
"You okay?" he asked. The Batmobile surged forward with a powerful blast of the engine and tore down the road wildly, whistling down the dark tunnel. Robin couldn't see more than two feet in front of the car, and he knew Batman couldn't, but it was all down to a timing system. The end of the tunnel neared and Robin cringed slightly, as he always did, right before it virtually disappeared, and the Batmobile roared into the starry night.
Batman stared at the road ahead of him. It was still hard to believe really. He'd put it behind him and moved on... It had been for the best in terms of "the plan" of course, but... It was still pretty unbelievable. She was back. She wasn't dead. She was back. The love of his life was... She was back. And so was one of the most trying moments of his... "Career". But he had to stop her... Although all he wanted to do was hug her...
"Where are you going Batman?" a concerned Robin asked. Batman looked around.
"What?"
"The First National Bank is the other way!" Robin exclaimed. Batman wordlessly spun the car with a sharp screech and the sleek, shiny, black vehicle sped off toward the bank. "What's wrong with you?" Robin asked.
"My mind was on something else," Batman explained coldly. Robin didn't know how to respond to this. They were out into the depths of the twilight last night, waiting around for Joker, and now the Joker was making his move. And his mind was on something else? What was that all about? He didn't have much time to think about it as the Batmobile stopped short in front of a black Cadillac. The Joker emerged from the bank, a machine gun in his hands. He looked at the Batmobile and his insane grin grew wider.
"Ah, Batsy, punctual just as usual!"
* * * * *
Nightwing slithered through the shadows and emerged above the warehouse, peering down through a skylight. It was dark, and rather mysterious. There were several South American looking, very gruff men armed with automatic weapons. Great... He looked around for someone who might be in charge. No one. Just four armed men, waiting for the delivery of the weapons. Well they were in for a big disappointment. He had surveyed the area for a while... The main door had security cameras and would only open for Leone's car... Nightwing slinked along the roof side and darted off, gliding to the cement below. He made is way across the dark empty street and stepped into Leone's car. Well, here goes nothing, he said to himself. He turned the ignition, and the car pulled forward slowly, curving around the block. He pulled up to the large garage door. He waited for a few moments... The large metallic door rose slowly, clanging on its way up. He drove forward into a small frustum of light. The
four-armed men closed in, looking to get their hands on the guns.
"Senor Leone," came one of their voices.
Nightwing sent the front door flying open, and it smashed into the lower section of the approaching thug. He gasped, and Nightwing cracked him in the jaw before he could react. The thug nearest him lifted his gun, but not nearly in time as Nightwing shot a leg out, smashing into his face, sending him back. The remaining two opened fire, a hail of ammunition firing out from the other side of the car, the windows exploding into millions of fragments. Nightwing crouched and used all his energy and spring to summersault over the car. He grabbed each of the thugs by the coat collar and yanked them to the pavement, their skulls smacking hard, knocking them cold. Nightwing headed back over to the one who had spoken, looking for answers.
"Saving up some supplies?" Nightwing asked with a menacing glare.
"Perhaps, senor. I'm afraid, however, that you will not live to tell anyone about it," the leader snarled. Lights blazed with powerful clanks of electricity powering on, the entire facility cascaded with light. There were at least ten heavily armed troops with their sights set on Nightwing, all ready to fire.
"You might want to make sure Senor Leone doesn't pay us a call before you visit us next. His one phone call from jail means we will surely help him out when the situation arises, and that we will kill you, I promise you that," growled the South-American from the ground. He slowly pulled himself to his feet with a stagger. He snarled at Nightwing before spitting blood in his direction.
"I'll be sure to do that," Nightwing rumbled as he looked around. Most of them sported high tech sniper rifles, and he could sense the laser targeting beams on the back of his head. He balled up his fists, and got ready to make his move.
* * * * *
Selina Kyle looked at the TV, but she wasn't watching it. Batman. He was as mysterious as ever. And as sexy as ever. She reached down and removed her high-heeled pumps, tossing them carelessly aside. It had been a very long day at work, and she was very tired. And she wanted to go to bed. Maybe not alone though... She inspected her fingernails. She wanted to be with him... What made it so strange was that he didn't show any interest in her. But he did. She knew he did. He was just too into his "job". Didn't want to show it. Ah, men, she sighed. So foolish. Women really at potential to rule the world if they were smart enough to take advantage of it. He was one of the only ones she'd tried to crack and hadn't... He'd break though. No man could resist Selina Kyle forever.
She got up slowly and walked toward the kitchen. Just seeing those kids made her think of him... She really did miss him. She wanted to feel his dark presence. It made her feel sexy and secure at the same time. That's right, there was nothing in the world like flirting with Batman, and she did it better than any other woman in the world. She opened her refrigerator, and pulled out a carton of milk, pouring the white liquid into a dish for Isis. Batman... If only she could see the man behind the mask...
She walked into her bedroom and looked at her black costume, tossed carelessly across her bed. Perhaps tonight was a good night to go out...
* * * * *
The cascade of gunfire caused Batman and Robin to duck behind the Batmobile. Batman's eyes narrowed as he whipped out a Batarang, and sent it slicing through the air, knocking the gun from Joker's grasp with a powerful slam. Joker frowned as he looked at his broken weapon on the ground.
"Ah, well. Toodleoo, Bats!" Joker screamed as he ducked into the car. His men followed and they screeched out, away from the bank. Batman didn't hesitate. He fired his grappling hook at the ledge above the bank, and flew off after it shortly after the clank. The Dark Knight's cape fluttered in the wind as he leapt onto the ledge. Batman sprinted after the car, using his elevated situation to position himself. The car seemed confused the Batmobile wasn't following it...
Batman flew down, on top of the car with a loud bang. The eyes of the thugs in the car darted upward, wide and white-eyed, as they noticed Batman's cape flap down over the windshield.
"Blast him!" Joker screamed, but before his men complied, Batman's fist came crashing through the driver's window, smashing to the driver's temple. He was out cold. A sharp screech came right before the car plowed into the wall to the Federal Building with an explosion of radiance and inferno. After a long pause, one of the rear passenger doors swung open, and a deadly cackle could be heard from inside. The Joker emerged, his usual sick demented grin was itself, only a few yellow teeth were missing. He staggered; his eggplant suit was torn, revealing his yellow shirt as he stumbled into the dark alley, giggling as he went...
"Going somewhere?" Batman asked coldly, as he stood in front of the blazing car. Joker spun with a grin on his face.
"Oh, no, just going for a stroll," he chuckled as he turned, running down the alley. Batman knew he didn't need to follow. A sharp crack was followed by Joker flying backwards onto his back, more blood dripping from his face. Robin emerged from the shadows.
"Sorry I'm, late," he sniggered. He had his hands on his hips as he placed his boot on Joker's chest, the traditional; hero defeats villain pose. Joker growled as he grabbed Robin's leg and flipped him over onto the pavement.
"Hey!" he snarled in pain. Joker began to get up and run into the dark alley. He ran until he heard the words that made his blood run cold momentarily reverberate through the alley...
"Joker! Your angel of death awaits..."