Batman/Bruce Wayne, Batwoman/Kathy Kane, Catwoman/Selina Kyle, and Nightwing/Dick Grayson belong to DC Comics/Time Warner.
I am using them without permission, however I have not and don't expect to make money from this.
Rated PG : language; violence, some mature concepts.
Reviews are appreciated, please take a moment to leave one.
A Woman Scorned
Across a Crowded Room
"Kathy! Glad you could make it. And looking as lovely as always."
"Why, thank you, Harvey." I looked around the foyer of Harvey Dent's house and into the living room, now equipped with a buffet table loaded with food and drink and crowded with people, most of whom I recognized. I took another look at Harvey himself. Not as rich as most of the society bunch he liked to hang out with, but as a young, handsome, crusading district attorney who appeared regularly on the news he had a certain amount of glamour, which tended to make up for it. More important, he was both nice and smart.
"Nice to see you, Kathy." The woman at his side was pretty and petite, with light brown hair, extending a shy hand to me. Harvey's fiancée, a very sweet person who had the misfortune of being named Gilda. She obviously felt out of place rubbing elbows with the society crowd. That was certainly something I could understand, and maybe that's why she and I had hit it off right away.
I left them to continue greeting the new arrivals and wandered into the party room, picking up a glass of champagne along the way and exchanging nods and polite remarks with a few people, but not stopping. Just looking around. Not looking for Bruce, of course. But he and Harvey are good friends, so naturally he was there.
Bruce Wayne. Look up 'tall, dark, and handsome', and you'll find Bruce listed there. His name appears under 'intelligent' and 'charming', too. Unfortunately, it's also under 'mysterious', 'baffling', 'impossible'... well, you get the idea. Yes, Bruce and I were an item, for a while. Everyone said what a perfect couple we made. But the perfection was all on the surface.
Well, maybe that's not fair. We did get along. Very well. I even had some childish idea of being in love. But - I'm not even sure what happened. There's something about Bruce I never understood, only that I'm sure he was hiding something all along. I tried, really I did; I was patient and supportive, then I confronted him, even offered to help. He as much as admitted something was going on, but he wouldn't tell me. Yes, I was angry; but mostly hurt, mostly it was the fact that he didn't trust me, that he felt he had to hide some important part of himself from me...
"Kathy? Not going to say hello?" Bruce was standing in front of me, smiling a little tentatively.
"Oh. Sorry, I was just thinking... Hello, Bruce."
"Since it's so unusual to find someone who actually thinks at these parties, I'll forgive you."
I smiled. Bruce always could make me smile. "You shouldn't be so disrespectful," I murmured. "After all, we met at a party."
Not just a party, at the first big society event I had been invited to after moving to Gotham, given by some old friends of my uncle's. They had introduced me to a whole list of people - at first Bruce had been just another face, admittedly a very attractive one, when my hostess had dragged me over to him and then left us alone. But then he had smiled at me with genuine warmth.
"It's like torture, isn't it?" he asked.
"What?" I said, startled.
"Being tossed into a roomful of strangers. Being introduced to twenty people in ten minutes."
"How can you tell?" I muttered.
"From the death grip you have on that tumbler." He nodded at the drink in my hand. "Good thing it's crystal. Very strong."
"Well..." I found myself relaxing just a bit. "To tell the truth, I can't remember anyone's name."
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Bruce." He grinned. I wondered why I hadn't noticed just how remarkably handsome he was...
That had been the beginning. I had known right away Bruce was different, not just his easy manner or the genuine interest he took in my circus background, but something deeper and hard to define. We dated for months, and got close, began a serious relationship - or so I thought. Until the unexplained disappearances and the obvious lies and evasions became too much to ignore. Still - some of whatever we had felt for each other was still there, as I raised my glass to my lips, searching for something to say.
My eyes fell on Police Commissioner Gordon across the room, deep in conversation with Harvey, and I remembered Bruce's odd liking for true crime stories. "Heard anything interesting from Jim Gordon lately?" I asked.
"Just about the attempted robbery at the storage warehouse the Whites use."
The same robbery that had been Batwoman's first and so far only appearance a week ago. I tried to hide my frown at the memory. "Yes. I heard about that on the news. Catwoman, wasn't it?"
"Yes. And Batman stopped her."
"Um."
"I thought you were such an admirer of Batman."
"Sometimes even heroes have feet of clay." More bitterness than I had intended had crept into my voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing." I smiled, determined to change the subject. But Bruce did it for me.
"Speak of the devil," he murmured. "There's Ronnie White now."
Ronnie White, the son of the couple whose storage compartment had almost been robbed, a nice enough young man but particularly empty-headed, even for this crowd. I turned in the direction Bruce was looking, and saw Ronnie. But the most noticeable thing about him tonight was who he was with.
She was gorgeous, there was no denying it. A slim and sexy figure in a slinky green dress that hugged every curve, midnight black hair, smooth pale skin, full red lips. And she knew it, judging by the way she swept a confident and superior glance over the room, taking note of every man, passing over the women as if we didn't exist. I disliked her instantly and instinctively, and not just because she made me wish my dark brown hair and eyes were just a little more glamorous.
As I raised my eyes back to Bruce's face, I saw him staring, an intensely concentrated expression on his face. Staring at her. Bruce was always so casual, so self-contained, and yet now I saw something almost - predatory was the word that popped into my mind. As if he saw something he wanted more than anything.
"Excuse me..." he muttered absently, and brushed by me, headed straight for the mystery woman. It was amazingly rude. I glared after him as he walked up to Ronnie, obviously asked for an introduction, and took her hand. She smiled and gave him a positively smoldering look. It was almost funny. But Bruce wasn't laughing.
Trying not to be obvious, I took a few steps closer, out of simple curiosity, you understand, sneaking a better look. Not that I needed to sneak, she and Bruce were oblivious to everything around them by this time, including poor Ronnie. And then it hit me like a brick in the head, as I caught the sparkle of bright green eyes. Eyes that had been glaring at me in fury a week ago.
Catwoman.
For just an instant I stared, wide-eyed and stunned. Luckily, she and Bruce were still lost in mutual admiration and didn't notice. I took a deep breath, collected myself, plastered a smile on my face, and turned to Ronnie, who was obviously trying to reclaim his date without making a scene.
"Ronnie, I don't think I've met your friend," I said as cheerfully as I could.
"Oh, of course..." Pitifully glad to have the excuse to interrupt, he tapped the black-haired woman's arm and introduced us.
"Kathy Kane, this is Selina Kyle. Selina, this is Kathy."
"How nice."
"So glad."
She hated me instantly, too; I could see it in her eyes. After a fake smile, she turned the charm back on Bruce, full blast, ignoring both me and poor Ronnie.
Two could play the charm game. I cranked up my own smile and asked very sweetly, "Selina Kyle? I don't think I've heard the name. And I'm sure I would have remembered seeing you before."
I got a look that would have frozen a volcano before she answered in a low, soft voice. "No, we haven't met. I would have remembered you, too."
"How did you and Ronnie meet?"
"At a party. A lot like this one."
While I was trying to dream up a question that would force her to reveal her innermost secrets - not to mention her identity - while not seeming rude or overly curious, Bruce took advantage of the pause to cut in. "You'll have to excuse the questions; it's so seldom we see a new face at these parties, especially one as lovely as yours. We all want to get to know you better."
"Thank you. I certainly would like to know - everyone - too." Her eyes made it clear exactly who she was really interested in.
"Good. Why don't I take you around and make the introductions? And you can tell me all about yourself on the way."
"That would be wonderful." Without even a glance for anyone except each other, they moved away, Bruce's hand possessively on her arm.
What could I do? I made a little polite conversation with poor Ronnie, gulped my drink a little too fast, and fumed inwardly while keeping a smile firmly lodged on my face. Meanwhile Bruce steered Selina around the room, and then monopolized her in a corner for the next half hour. They made a lovely couple, talking, laughing, as she stared up into his face with an expression so sweet it made me want to puke.
But again - what could I do? I had realized immediately that I couldn't just tell him, or anyone, what I knew. 'Guess what, Bruce, your new girlfriend is one of the most notorious thieves in Gotham. How do I know? Well, I just happen to be Batwoman. Yeah, I know you never heard of her...' That would go over really big. He'd have me tossed into a rubber room in no time. Even if he believed me, my secret identity would be out before I had even started a career.
So I watched them, and was relieved when Ronnie finally got up the nerve to reclaim his date. They headed for the front door, apparently having a quiet argument, judging by their expressions and body language. Not hard to imagine what it was about. I looked back at Bruce. He was watching them leave with an odd look on his face. Grim, sort of, more serious and - well - hard than I was used to seeing him. Then he glanced in my direction and the expression disappeared as if by magic.
Maybe I shouldn't have talked to him, maybe I should have just walked away with my pride intact and left it alone. But I couldn't. I made my way over to him as quickly as I could.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice a little more acidic than it should have been. "Don't tell me you struck out."
"Not exactly." Bruce had the nerve to smile slightly.
"You're not going to see her again, are you?"
"Why shouldn't I?" His cool gray eyes were on my face, his lips lifting ironically.
Why shouldn't he? I had no reason to give him, so I made do with what I had. "You don't know who she is or where she came from. She could be a... a... anything."
"Why, Kathy, you sound positively snobbish."
"She was Ronnie's date."
"There you have a point. But she wouldn't stick with him anymore, anyway. She was already looking..."
"Looking?"
"Never mind."
"Bruce-" I was forced into sincerity. "I don't like her. I don't think you can trust her."
This time his gaze was thoughtful, and had a trace of warmth. He brushed my arm lightly with his fingertips. "I understand. But don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing." After a quick smile, he added, "I have to get going. But - it was really nice talking to you again."
Damn if my stupid heart didn't skip a beat at the way he was looking at me. I smiled like a dope. "Nice seeing you too."
And then I was watching his back as he went to say goodbye to Harvey, blinking when he threw a last glance at me, and left. With an effort, I pulled my thoughts back to Ms. Selina Kyle. At least she was gone, and hopefully I'd never see her again. I realized my fists were clenching in a very unladylike manner. Yes, hopefully I'd never see her again - as Kathy Kane. But as Batwoman... I couldn't wait for the chance to clip her claws.
But of course that wasn't the way it happened. I saw her again. After only a week. I thought I was having a nice evening out, a relaxing dinner with Gilda, Harvey's fiancée...
It was a very trendy restaurant, and very expensive, of course, one of those places built around a theme. This one was supposed to be a jungle, I suppose, there were fake trees here and there around the dining room, which was done in unfinished wood. The sounds of wildlife played faintly over the sound system. The air felt a little warm and humid, not enough to make anyone uncomfortable, of course, that would discourage the customers. The wait staff was dressed in Tarzan-style leopard-skin outfits. Gilda and I looked at each other and exchanged a giggle as we walked in.
Then I saw her eyes go past me, and her expression changed to one of dismay. Only a glance told me why. It was Selina Kyle. And Bruce. Together. Heads close as they whispered sweet nothings, no doubt. Grinning at each other in the most disgusting way...
"Kathy? Are you all right?" Gilda looked both sympathetic and anxious. I wondered just what she had seen in my face.
"Of course. I'm fine."
"We could go somewhere else..."
"Don't be silly. Come on, they've got a table for us."
As luck would have it, our table was in the same direction as theirs, and the hostess led us right at them. I hoisted a polite smile onto my face yet again as we came up to them. Green caught the light when Selina looked up and saw us; I wished Bruce had been looking in the right direction to see the glitter of venom in her eyes. He seemed caught completely off-guard for once; he smiled but a faint flush rose in his cheeks.
"Kathy?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"The same as you, I imagine," I said. "It's called dinner."
"Oh. Well, uh... You remember Selina, don't you?"
"I certainly do. Nice to see you again."
"And you, Kathy. Gilda."
We exchanged a few more pleasant comments, the undercurrent of hostility so strong that I almost felt like I was in the jungle for real, and that Selina and I would pounce on each other at any moment and fight it out for our man. Stupid, of course, I had no claim on Bruce, not anymore. But I'd be damned to hell and back before I let her get her claws into him. Literally, for all I knew.
We went on to our table and sat. I picked up my menu and hid behind it, trying to get in a peek at the happy couple, mumbling some sort of response to poor Gilda's attempts at conversation. But my thoughts were fast and furious.
I felt so helpless. There was no way I could tell Bruce who she was. At the same time, I couldn't let him be taken in by someone like Catwoman. She was a thief. She must be after his money, must be out to con him somehow. And how would he feel when he found out he had been used, tricked by a cheap crook? I couldn't stand by and let him be hurt that way.
It hit me suddenly. Ronnie's parents had almost been robbed. Had she dated Ronnie to get some sort of information from him? Something she could use to get at his parents' money? Now she was after another very rich man... what if she was up to the same thing with Bruce? He could end up being robbed, or hurt, really hurt... Maybe we weren't dating anymore, maybe I was angry with him, but I still cared. I had to do something.
But what? I had been hoping Catwoman would be caught by the police, or Batman, or in my fantasies, by Batwoman, but she hadn't appeared since the attempted robbery at the warehouse. She'd have to be caught in the act; there was no proof that Selina Kyle was Catwoman, just a quick glimpse of her face in the middle of a fight, in the dark, by three people who couldn't exactly come out into the open themselves.
"Kathy? Are you listening?"
"Um? I'm sorry, wasn't paying attention."
"I understand." Gilda glanced at Bruce and Selina, who were now holding hands. "She really looks kind of slutty, doesn't she...?"
I hardly ever heard Gilda say a bad word about anyone. Her loyalty was kind of touching. I laughed. "It's okay, Gil. Really. Let's just pretend they're not there."
I stared unseeingly at the menu again. Batman... Maybe he was the answer. As rude and condescending as he had been, and as humiliating as it would be to ask him, surely he would help. Now all I had to do was find him...
TBC...