Philia part IX

That kind of work wasn't her favourite, she liked stealing pretty things, but sometimes, if the offer was good enough, she did some corporate espionage too. She had refused first when offered that job, she usually didn't know exactly who her clients were, it was all very hush hush to preserve everybody's involvement identities, but she heard through the grapevine that it was someone working for Lexcorp and she really didn't want to work for that bald creeper. But then they contacted her again offering a huge additional and since she wasn't doing anything… It was also nice to have something to distract her from the mess that was her life since Bruce's return. Selina never thought herself as a creature of routine, but boy she missed her old meek life.

So there she was, doing what she was good at and feeling amazing about it.

Until he came and ruined everything again. For heaven's sake, was he following her? Couldn't he just stay out of her business? It is Gotham, she is pretty sure there was a lot of crime happening elsewhere too!

'Go away!' She said annoyed but otherwise ignoring his dark looming shadow.

'Do you even know who are you stealing for? What will they do with it?'

'I don't know, I don't care, I just ask how much they gonna pay me.'

Ignoring him, she finished hacking the alarm she was working on. Bruce, in his ridiculous outfit, followed her.

'That's a great standard you're are setting for Helena.'

Selina stopped in her tracks, turning in his direction with rage coursing through her body, her hand was on her bullwhip before she could stop herself.

'Don't you dare! Oh my god, you haven't changed at all, you still think you are so much better than me, fuck you.'

'I can't let you do this, Selina.' He grabbed her wrist.

Rotating her body, Catwoman freed herself and jumped kicking him on the abdomen, but Batman avoided the hit, nevertheless he had to put distance between them to do that which was the result she wanted.

'I don't need your fucking permission, fuck off!'

She ran and he went after her, they ended in a hallway that lead to a dead end, he tried to talk to her again, but Catwoman was having none of that, feeling cornered, she jumped again using his shoulders as support and at the same time digging her diamond sharp claws in his flash. Batman grunted with pain and reached for her again, this time grabbing her by the waist, Selina felt her back shock with his chest armour and was ready to scratch him again when they heard sounds of boots running in their direction.

'Look what you've done, asshole!'

She head-butted him on the nose and used the distraction to get way from his arms and run away. Batman left the scene before being seen by the guards.

ooo

Bruce was in his office at Wayne Enterprises pretending to work when his cell phone stared to buzz.

It was Selina. He looked at the screen puzzled. He didn't expect her to call, especially after their last encounter. Maybe she was calling to throw him a new string of insults after he ruined her plans the night before. No, she wouldn't call for that. He felt blood drain from his body, maybe something happened to Helena?

'Selina? What happened?'

'Hi!' A sweet young voice answered whispering. Bruce frowned. 'Mr. Wayne, it's Helena. Remember me?'

'Yes… How can I help you, Helena?'

'Mom said you couldn't come this Saturday.'

She had actually sent him a very colourful text saying that she didn't want to see his ugly face anytime soon and that he wouldn't appear for breakfast Saturday if he knew what was good for him. Oh the woman of his dreams, the mother of his child. So mature and reasonable.

'I'm sorry. Is everything okay? Why are you whispering?'

'Everything is fine, I have to talk like this because I borrowed mom's phone to call you since I'm not allowed to have one even though everyone in my class have theirs. Anyway, I have a play at school next week and Miss Jones said that I could invite anyone I wanted. Do you wanna come?'

Bruce clicked his pen, Selina would not like that. His nose was hurting like hell, he was using make up and still had to make up stories about hurting himself falling from stairs.

'Yes. Will be a pleasure. Do I have to bring anything? What part are you playing?'

He smiled at her squeal of delight as she stared explaining to him everything.

ooo

To say that Selina was not happy was an understatement.

'What are you doing here?'

'Helena invited me.' He answered, dignified.

'Are you meeting my daughter behind my back?'

'She called me.'

'She… That sneaky little…'

But she didn't finish the sentence because the lights went down and the curtains opened. Selina sat beside Bruce.

'I wonder where is Alfred' he whispered 'he drove me but disappeared when we arrived.'

'He likes to record it.' Bruce followed Selina's gaze and found his butler in the first row with a camera shouldered by other dads and moms holding theirs. That was something he never imagined he would see again, but a buried flashback of he doing the same thing when he was a kid, before his parents died, played in his head.

A teacher appeared and explained what the play was about. It was a weird play. Aliens from the moon trying to destroy the peace on Earth or something. There was bad guy called Baddy and the hero was called Goody. Whomever wrote that was clearly good with names.

Helena played a tree that Baddy cut to show how evil he was, Helena gave such a dramatic performance of a dying tree that Bruce was very happy that Alfred was getting that on tape. But after she was offstage it was hard to pay attention to the kids instead of the woman fiddling with her hands beside him.

'Why do you keep doing it?' He whispered in her ear, her perfume making his slightly dizzy.

Even in the penumbra, he felt the sting of her mean glare.

'What I do is nothing of your business.'

'What if you get caught? What happen to Helena, then?'

'Also nothing of your business.'

'Not true. Everything related to Helena is my business.'

She snorted.

'You just found out about her the other day. Don't be flatter yourself.'

People around shushed them, Selina gave them angry looks.

'You need to be responsible, Selina.'

'Oh my god, will you stop? I lived my life and raised my kid for ten years without your advice I don't need it now!'

A teacher approached them.

'Miss Kyle, Mr. Wayne' she blushed when she addressed Bruce, Selina wanted to puke. 'I need you to leave, other parents are complaining.'

'I'm very sorry Miss…?'

'Jones, Andrea Jones.'

'I'm sorry Andrea, can I call you that? It wasn't our intention-'

'Oh, just come on!'

Selina pulled his arm and they went wait in the hallway, he looked at her hand grabbing him with an eyebrow raised, Selina let go of him like he was made of hot iron.

'All I wanted was a nice evening with my daughter, why did you have to come ruin everything with your judging, noisiness and flirting with poor school teachers? Why don't you just craw back from the hole you came from?'

'Flirting? When did I-?'

'Oh please! Don't even try!'

'I don't know why you are so angry, I should be the angry one, you know you are putting her in danger, don't you?'

'And what you think will happen when people find about your strange little hobby? Pot, you're black too!

'Can you both just stop!'

'Helena!' Bruce and Selina called at the same time surprised with her sudden appearance, still in her tree costume.

'What are you doing here, baby?' Asked Selina.

'I heard people talking about you fighting, you are embarrassing me!' Said a very upset Helena, her little face all frowned and red.

'I'm sorry Helena… I shouldn't have come.' Apologised Bruce, crouching to be at Helena's level.

'That's an understatement.' Muttered Selina bitterly.

'No mom! Stop that. I know, alright? I know everything.' She fisted her hands.

'What?' Asked Selina horrified.

'I know you're my dad, Mr. Wayne…' She blurted softly.

'How?' Bruce whispered.

'I kinda always did? I mean, why else would Alfie like me so much? And everybody was always talking about you behind mom's back, how much I was like you. Then mom invited you for breakfast and just confirmed it to me.'

'Helena…'

'I don't know why you left us. Why you didn't want me back then. But now you're back and I thought… I thought…'

Bruce fell in on knee.

'Come here' she hugged him, crying hard. 'I'm sorry princess. I didn't know. I would have never left if I did.'

Selina watched the scene before her weeping in silence, a hand over her mouth holding a sob. Bruce's words cutting deep.

I think this is a good place to end this chapter and that means my math is wrong and that the new guy will only come next.

The Baddy play is actually real, it's from the Japanese all female Musical Theatre troupe Takarazuka.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you soon. Sunday?