Avenging Justice:

Two Worlds Collide

Part XVI

Earth, New Jersey, Gotham City

Catwoman leapt through the air, a nearly fatal bullet tearing the air, inches from her face. She landed hard, lost her footing and slid down linoleum floor. That was lucky as another well placed bullet hit the wall where her head should have been. Selina put that aside and threw herself behind a vacated medical cart. Three bullet holes peppered the cart, knocking it over. Catwoman was no longer there.

"Come on Catwoman, you're making this harder on yourself," Black Mask called out. "And you're making me mess up my fine dinner coat! Be a good little kitty cat and show your lovely ass!"

As the name would suggest, Black Mask was infamous for wearing a black skull mask, and only thought of sane next to the Joker. One minute he'd be offering you a great deal, and the next pulling your entrails out, just because you had a runny nose. He wasn't dumb though, and when focused, able to lay out intricate plans that were horrendously brilliant.

Roman Sionis always wore a fashionable suit, even when committing crimes. Especially as he and his crew were trying to take Catwoman out. Fastidiously taking care with his appearance, minus the skull mask, he dressed to the nines every day. This was a carry over from his business days, when he had run his own cosmetics company. That was before he had been humiliated by Bruce Wayne.

Since then, he had reinvented himself and ran a nightclub in the sleazier parts of Gotham. You had to be on a special list to get in, and have a certain amount of cash to flash. That all was just a front, as he had other vested interests. He picked up the racketeering from the ruins of the Falcone Family, drug pushing from Demons. They were a special group, apparently inspired by an old Soviet special agent, the NKVDemon, complete with devil face masks. Each little bit was pulled into a cash vomiting empire, an empire he was sending after Catwoman.

"You couldn't resist," Black Mask said as he shot again. "I don't intrude in your little heists. Why couldn't you leave my girls alone?"

Behind him three more of his people shot to the right and left of where he had. There were more, but they were forming a circle, keeping her in. As she bounded toward the perimeter, one shot out at her. She dodged, but one of Black Mask's rounds grazed her arm. She hissed in pain, rolling toward cover as more bullets came at her.

"Now look at the mess you are making," Black Mask laughed. "Just stand still and this will be over soon."

Seeing a box full of talcum powder, Selina chucked it at the man hunting her. As she expected, the bottle exploded into a blinding mist of white. Hung in the air, slowly drifting down, the powder provided her with minimal cover. However, that was enough, and she took a few bottles just in case. Running off, she sprinted for the darkened areas of the abandoned hospital. More gunshots rang out behind her, but less quickly than before.

Selina hid behind some medical beds, that were haphazardly piled up. Her breathing was hard, having had to push herself hard to stay alive. Her arm throbbed, and blood poured out of the graze. It was starting to slow down, but it would hurt for a few days. On top of that she'd have to mend the suit. All because she was trying to do the right thing.

While she had a few moments, her mind reflected back on how she had gotten here. Following up on what had happened at her youth home, she had investigated how the Ten Rings had gotten ahold of her girls. Turns out Mr. Sionis had been hired by them to acquire girls for them. Only part of that had been to coerce her into helping them. The other group was meant for less savory destinations across the globe. She had expected that, she hadn't expected them to go after boys and younger children.

The thought had made her sick to her stomach. So, she had decided to do what she did best, break in and find what she wanted. That had led her to Black Mask, and in his files she had found what was needed to take him down. All she had to do was make it out alive, and that was how she found herself into this position. If she could get out, maybe she could get the data to Batman. Him on their cases, Black Mask's goons would be too worried about a scary bat.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," Black Mask called behind his ebon face covering. "You're makin' me angry now, and you won't like me when I'm angry!"

She didn't have very many places to go, and it was coming clear that her one chance was to fight her way out. It was slim, almost suicidal, but she had to get out. Catwoman had to make it long enough to get the data to Batman. He would end these creeps, even if she couldn't. This wasn't the end she had thought for herself; her idea had more sun, sand and alcoholic beverages with little umbrellas.

Launching herself out from her hiding place, Catwoman sent her whip cracking out. The goon to the right of Roman cried out. His gun flew from his grasp, while Roman Sionis smiled beneath his mask. He raised his gun, aimed even as Catwoman opened the cheek of the goon on his left. She was close, close enough to hit him, but he knew she wouldn't. His finger pulled expertly on the trigger.

From the perimeter a scream trailed up to the roof. A goon was screaming his head off, hung upside down by one foot. The rest of the perimeter turned, looking for who had done that. Smoke began to billow up around them, and the goons began to randomly fire into the smoke. Another goon was drawn up into open rafters, while a black bat shaped throwing instrument winged through the air.

Black Mask yelped in surprise as pain erupted like a volcano. His neck felt like it had been sliced open, but he knew better. This wasn't the first time he had gone up against the Batman. What really irritated him was he missed his shot at Catwoman. The bullet had embedded in the wall, and she took her chance. Hurtling towards Black Mask, she unleashed her fury upon him.

While Batman took out Roman's guards, some fleeing in terror, Catwoman took out her wrath on Roman himself. Batman landed just behind one goon, and sent the man to the ground unconscious. Moving as if a blur, he knocked another out with a well placed kick to the chin. Twisting around, he punched another in the center of the chest. The man fell to his knees gasping, and his eyes told the terror of not being able to breathe. He would recover, but in no shape to stand against Batman.

Catwoman savagely ripped four claw marks through Black Mask's mask. Her dangerous claw weapons had come within millimeters of stabbing his eyes. He pulled out his switchblade knife, menacingly thrusting it at her. She wasn't having any of that though, it had been a long night and she was tired of him. She wasn't some victim to be bullied, and she was going to make sure he remembered it.

Grabbing Black Mask, she shoved his head into the nearby wall. His mask splintered as it hit the wall, obliterating on the loadbearing pillar. The man behind the mask howled in pain, and blood poured down his face from newly torn injuries. However, his face was still a mask of rage. Gritted teeth growled out a promise of retribution at Catwoman. She answered with a knee to his jaw and swift jab.

He fell to the ground, and he dropped a round object as he did. It took a moment for Selina to recognize what it was, a grenade. She started off, not sure she could make it, when a black form slammed into her. The air knocked out of her, she felt their direction change and was pulled forcibly away. Behind her a pressure wave washed over them, and fire followed. The black material wrapped around her kept almost all the heat away from her.

Soon both she and Batman landed hard on the ground, him taking the brunt of the impact. She heard him let out a low grunt, which for him was like a shriek of pain. Yet, he was back up on his feet within seconds. Catwoman was still trying to pull breath into her lungs, but she noticed he was favoring one side.

"Well Bats, you definitely know how to sweep a girl off her feet," she purred, feeling like she'd spent the whole night in a fight.

Batman didn't seem to crack a smile, but she could tell he was amused, "I got here as quickly as I could. You certainly like trouble, don't you?"

"Girl's got to have hobbies," she laughed. "Here, I was trying to get this information to you. It details the child slavery that Roman and his buddies were running. There are some names of people in the Ten Rings."

"Why did you do this?" his question was asked.

It was direct, to the point and uncompromising. Like him in so many ways, what she both loved and hated about him. He under her skin, like she knew she did to him. He was on a quest for justice, and she was a criminal that had her own brand of justice. He made her question if the world wasn't as bad as she thought, and she made him question how black and white things were.

"Look, I'm not a monster," She yelled. "I might be a thief, but I can't….What happens to kids like that.."

He moved forward, "I wasn't judging. This will stop a lot of suffering. This means a lot."

Now she was feeling sheepish, and was just too tired to care, "I'm sorry Bats."

"Don't be, let's get you someplace safe and where we can look at that arm injury," he said.

Was it her imagination, or had his voice lost the gravelly base of Batman? Had she heard the echo of the man behind the Bat? She heard it, but just dismissed it. There were mysteries in life, some were best left to toy with later.

She gave him a smile, and moved to his side. Only as he began to move, the favored arm hung limply. Beneath his mask, she could see the vague contortions of his face holding back the pain. Not many could read Batman, and not even she was an expert. However, she was good enough to know he was in great pain.

"Stop, your arm is killing you," Catwoman put a gently hand on his armored chest. "Let me help you."

He looked at her, studying her before he pulled his cape back. She saw the damaged shoulder armor. He unlocked the armor, and had her take the armored spaulder off. Beneath she could see the arm was displaced from the socket. She'd had dislocations before, and knew how to fix them. It just wouldn't be painless. Better he didn't know what was coming.

Quickly resetting the arm back into the socket, she winced as she expected him to make a sound. Instead he just took it, then flexed his hand, before putting the spaulder back on. He then motioned for her to follow him.

"Thank you," was all he said.

She asked curiously, "Have you experienced so much pain that nothing hurts you?"

"Pain can be managed," he answered back. "It is still present, but the mind can be trained to ignore it."

"What could have happened in your life, to lead you into something like this?" Selina suddenly felt very sorry for him.

Batman turned, and a little of Bruce Wayne came out, "A long time ago, something happened. It can never happen to another again." She looked like she wanted to ask another question, but he stopped her, "Let's get you to a safehouse, you've done well tonight."