Chapter 4: Fear
Selina parked her bike about a block away as to not announced her presence, HE had only been out of Arkham for less than 24 hours but anyone who knew what he was capable of knew that in that time he could leave a trail of bodies in his path. Bruce would always deal with him usually by himself but he wasn't here so she was. She arrived at the warehouse cautious of her surroundings.
"Oracle I've arrived"
"Wait for back up Catwoman. Robin is on his way."
"Sure thing 'O'", Selina smile to her self it's like that girl didn't even know her. She entered the warehouse bracing herself for anything but there was nothing, a couple crates but nothing that stood out. She began to walk out but she heard movement in one of the crates she approached with caution for once hoping it was a rat and not some poor soul the mad man tortured and left for her to find. Her eyes widen when she opened it and saw what was inside; a creepy, child size, clown doll with a huge smile on its face and ticking clock on its hands, realization hit her. She took off faster than she realized she could but as she made it out of the building she felt hot pressure throw her, then pain.
"Cawoman!? … Catwoman!? … Selina?!" She could hear the panic in the younger woman's voice but she could barely hear her over the ringing in her ears.
"I'm … ah … here." Her voice barely a whisper.
"What the hell happen? Are you alright?" Selina lay belly side down propping herself up onto her elbows a groan escaping her as pain shot through her.
"I'm alive that much I can tell. Explosion." She moaned out.
"Hang tight, Robin is almost there." She manage to turn herself onto her back, she felt a numbness on her left leg looking down she saw a piece of shrapnel sticking out the side of her thigh; using the hand she could still freely move she grabbed it and pulled it out while a gut wrenching scream escaped her lips as she felt it tear out of her flesh. She looked down again only to see blood flow freely from the wound.
"Shit." She lay still and the more she lay there the more pain began to pop up around her body. Suddenly she heard it, that sick laugh that sent shivers down her spine, she painfully sat up looking for him the smoke didn't allow her to see far and her hearing was impaired. She started to panic, a cold sweat ran down the side of her face, it took all she had left in her to wobble to her feet and take off; she limped down the street trying to making it to her bike. She didn't make it far, she collapsed to her knees breathing becoming increasingly difficult then her vision blurred. She couldn't tell if he was after her but if he was she wouldn't be hard to find as a trail of blood followed her; her body gave up on her as she fell completely and as she felt herself begin to loose consciousness fear began to grip her, the image of her waking up in that mad man's clutches was the last thing in her mind.
A month had gone by since she first tried to go out as Catwoman, her and Bruce had argue none stop since but she figured she'd put his mind at ease and took her training more seriously. She came down to the cave and saw he was getting ready so without a word she began to get ready as well.
"What are you doing?" He asked putting his top half on.
"What does it look like?" She zip her suit up.
"You're not ready."
"pfft … want to test me?" She smugly motion to the training mat . He silently took her offer as he took his boots off and stood in the middle of the mat. She smirked and joined him, without hesitation she threw a punch at him which he easily dodged, grabbing her arm and throwing her across the mat; she landed on her feet with no problem but as she tried to compose herself he came at her with a fist of his own. She barely dodged it flipping away from him, she frowned, he was obviously trying to prove a point but she wasn't about to let him beat her. With new found determination she ran towards him throwing a series of punches which he calmly dodged. She tried to knee him below the belt which he blocked using both of his hands; seeing an opening she brutally connected her right elbow with his chin. He stumbled back definitely feeling the blow, he growled low in his throat and aimed a kick to her midsection, using his leg as leverage she flipped in to him wrapping her thighs around his neck putting him in a head lock. He quickly dropped down slamming her on to the mat but she refused to let go so he got up did it once more. This time she let got as the wind was knocked out of her; she stood locking angered eyes with him, her breathing labored, they had never seriously sparred it had always been a game and more often than not foreplay but tonight he wasn't playing and it was making her angry which made her sloppy. She threw a fist towards his face which he caught twisting her arm painfully forcing her to turn her back to him, pinning her arm behind her. She use her free arm to throw an elbow back at him, he caught it. With both arms now pinned behind her back she desperately bucked against him trying to get loose to no avail. She then suddenly was dropped on to the mat face first and before she had time to react she felt his full weight on her.
"See? You're not ready." He whispered in her ear. As he got off of her and went back to get ready she lay there trying to catch her breath angry at him. Sure she knew he was a better fighter than her but he had never made her feel as helpless as he just had and the urge to prove him wrong by going out there became even stronger.
"Well I guess I'm lucky I not fighting you out there." She got up and took back to getting ready.
"I beat you." He put his cowl on.
"I don't remember betting."
"Selina …"
"I don't need you're permission Bruce." She stubbornly crossed her arms on her chest as he slowly walked to her.
"He nearly took you from me. I sat in that waiting room not knowing if you were going to be okay, do you not care what that did to me?"
"That's not fair Bruce, do you know how many times I've been in that position, how many times I've held your hand as I watched Alfred stich you up?" He said nothing just turned away and went back to preparing for the night. He was scared for her but so was she, she had been since that night, that fear she felt that night was still present; it was her main reason for wanting to go back out there to be daring again to loose that fear. She took a breath calming her self, trying to understand him .
"Bruce …", She approached him, making him stop and look at her. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'll take it easy, I promise." He frowned and gently pushed her off of him.
"I'm going alone, I'm done arguing about this." He walked to his car.
"You're done? So that's it? I get hurt and now you can't handle this?" He ignored her as he jumped into his car.
"So what am I suppose to do quit because that's what you want well I won't. I'd rather leave." She stood beside his car a he refuse to look at her.
"Do what ever you want, you always do." She watched as he took off and series of emotions taking over as she did so.
She immediately went to the room they shared angry tears running down her face and her hands shook as she began to pack up her clothes. She had made up her mind to leave and that decision was hard to come to but she had never felt as vulnerable as she did around him, the way he looked at her like she was weak. She wiped her tears when she heard the door open.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine."
"Wait …are …you leaving?"
"It's none of your business bird boy." She turn to face Tim.
"I know how he is you know?" He walked towards her.
"He doesn't handle loss well, that night he taught he was going to loose you." She ignored him and went back to packing her clothes.
"You're leaving after one fight?" She turn back towards him.
"One fight? It's been fight after fight and when it's not that his ignoring me, he…" she paused realizing who she was talking to.
"You're just a kid, I don't expect you to understand how it feels when the person you love and respect sees you as nothing more than a liability, a weakness. He thinks I need to be protected, he thinks if I go out there I'll get hurt. I never let man control me and I'm not going to start now, not for him, not for anyone. I'm leaving before I start to resent him." Despair was present as she spoke.
"I can't stay." He silently sat on the bed and watched as she continued packing.
"You know what's wrong with the two of you?" He was annoyed at the whole situation.
"Indulge me."
"You're both stubborn and proud; I bet you haven't told him how you really feel and you're not going to instead you're just taking off." She angrily close her suitcase and looked at him.
"Careful kid, I'm not above scratching your eyes out for talking about something you know nothing about."
"Aren't I right?" He pressed on.
"I need time alright? Time away from him, from this city. I'm suffocating here, I'm going somewhere where the weather isn't so depressing." She forced a smile refusing to argue further.
"You make him happy Selina, it'll crush him if you leave."
"There's more than one way to loose someone you care about Tim … clipping their wings is one of them." Now with her bag pack she began to walk out the room but turn back to give him a hug.
"Take care of yourself Tim."
