Thanks to everyone reviewing and reading the story.
I don't own Arrow or Batman or Catwoman or any of the people mentioned below.
Arrow - Gotham Chronicles
"A vigilante?" Oliver furrows his brows.
"Yes, he's our main concern," Cat tells him and pops another chocolate bean in her mouth "Not the police or any security. But that guy."
They are canvassing the area around the high security building into which they are supposed to break in. Well – she is really, he'll just follow her. The building is an unassuming cement block, not even a sign to tell what's inside. It might as well be abandoned, since no one cared to remove the graffiti marring the building.
"It would be easier if you'd tell me what we're after," Oliver feels compelled to point out.
"You tell me," Cat shrugs. "They only told me what it looks like and where to get it. I suppose they trust me as much as you."
Oliver regards her from the side, "You've found out about it, didn't you?"
"No, but I will. It's simply a matter of finding the right person and using my… charm."
Oliver snorts but lets it go. "So, about that vigilante."
"They are calling him Batman."
Oliver splutters a laugh. "Are you serious?"
"Apparently he's got an affinity with them," Cat shrugs. "I've avoided him so far."
"He's a bigger concern than the police?" Oliver parks the car opposite of the building and they stay there. Cat brings up a map and they stick their heads together, it's a precaution in case someone wonders what they are doing here. Just two tourists getting lost in the middle of nowhere.
Cat gives a nod, "The police here is… corrupt – in big parts at least. It's gotten better since a new Commissioner has been in office. Gordon – he's cleaned up the force, but a lot of old influences and authorities are still at work. It depends really, the higher up you're in the criminal food chain, the more likely you are to walk free. Money and mob, that's what you need in Gotham."
"And the vigilante?"
Cat shrugs, "He's done good, I think. He's going after the criminals of this city, he apprehends them successfully as far as I can see, but then he gives them over to the police and depending how high they're up… Anyway, at least the street crime has gone down significantly. Muggers and rapist are more afraid now, but the organised crime hasn't taken a major hit."
"You think it would be better if he was more… ruthless?" Oliver wonders.
Cat shakes her head, "No. I'm just stating facts. I don't mind him, as long as he stays out of my way."
"But you're worried?"
"This is a science building for chemical warfare – at least once you look past the façade… so whatever is in there, it's dangerous."
"I don't think ARGUS should have that," Oliver mumbles. Louder he adds, "What's the plan?"
"We're looking for someone with enough security clearance. Preferably male and straight, or female and gay, goes both ways really. I work my magic and find us a way in. Next thing you know, we'll walk out of there with that damned container in our hands," she explains simply.
"Can't you just do a normal breaking and entering?"
"I could, but it's not my style." It's a lie, because if it was that simple everyone could do it and she would have already gotten that stupid container.
"You realise I'm going to have to shadow you?"
She blinks innocently at him, "Don't you trust me."
Oliver gives an unimpressed stare. "I really, really don't."
Arrow
"You're not a killer anymore either, from what I'm hearing," Bruce points out. He can tell by the pained look on Oliver's face that the other man is thinking back to this life. Back to when they had their differences. "But you're going to have to become one once again, if you take Ra's offer."
The flames dance and paint shadows over the darkening room. Oliver gazes into the fire. Alfred exchanges a worried look with Bruce. They can tell Oliver is more confused, more broken than last time they've seen him.
"How nice to see you getting along," Cat flops down head first from the ceiling.
Oliver jerks up, having been lost in thought. Bruce takes it slightly better (then again, he is more used to this kind of thing) but starts nonetheless. Both of them loose their tightened fists, once they realises it' only Cat.
"Where…? Nevermind," Bruce sighs and marvels at her ability to sneak up even on him. He doesn't know of anyone else who is able to do so.
"And it's nice seeing you're still around," Oliver tells her sharply. His annoyance drips from his words and Cat rolls her eyes at his glare.
"Would you like a drink, Miss Kyle?" Alfred asks from his position at the door and she sends him a brilliant smile that does little to thaw the ice in the butler's eyes.
"No, thank you, Alfred."
"What do you gain from bringing me here?" Oliver asks.
"Me? I gain nothing from it," Cat finds herself a nice spot on the armrest of Bruce's chair and Oliver wonders if the twitch in the other man's hand indicates a desire to touch her. She throws her long legs across the space and rests her heel on the table.
"Please, Miss Kyle," Alfred's pained voice causes the woman take her feet from the furniture.
"Selena," Bruce addresses her. Oliver wonders when he started calling her that, because she usually insists on her name being Cat. "Why did you bring Oliver here?"
"I thought it was high time the two of you resolved your differences, especially considering you're facing the same enemy."
"Ra's?"
"And you expect us to do what? Team up?" Bruce slowly catches on.
"Why not? Let Ra's Al Ghul know that if he messes with one of you, he messes with all of you. Gotham has enough problems without the League of Assassins and I suppose the same goes for Starling. Besides, if the attacks under the guise of the Arrow continue… "
"So, me taking the offer is no longer an option?" Oliver's gaze wanders from Bruce to Cat then to Alfred and back to Bruce. "Good, I just wanted to know we were clear on that," he says dryly.
"What do you gain from that?" Bruce repeats Oliver's earlier question with suspicion.
Oliver watches as Cat tenses and her smile becomes a little more forced, "Repaying a depth. I don't like to owe people."
Her green eyes meet Oliver's blue ones and he refrains from telling her there's no debt she has to pay.
"You suggest they team up then," Alfred disrupts the tension. "I doubt Ra's Al Ghul will be intimidated by two vigilantes."
"Who says there only going to be two?" Cat challenges. "Don't tell me you two don't know anymore… heroes." She rolls her eyes at the last word, drawls it out with some sort of vaguely hidden distaste.
Oliver raises his head in surprise, "What are you saying?"
Cat shrugs, "The League of Assassins is a threat to more cities than just Gotham and Starling."
Oliver flashes to Diggle and Roy, to Barry and Laurel… not really an impressive number but with a Metahuman on their side, perhaps it could work.
Bruce's thoughts seem to go in a similar direction. Nightwing is still working with him from time to time and Kate Kane had taken on as Batwoman after his training.
The two share a look. "I doubt it will be much of an army," Bruce finally says.
"Maybe not, but really it depends on how you sell it," her eyes twinkle. And the men share another look.
Arrow
She's gone… well, fuck! Oliver stares at the empty room in disbelief.
Sure everyone kept telling him not to trust her – hell he told himself not to trust her. And now she's disappeared - marking him a dead man. Amanda Waller would kill him no doubt. But at this point he hardly found a care for that.
He doesn't usually check on her during the night because he figured that she wouldn't leave before the job was done. As far as he could tell, the only thing she really cared about was money – perhaps she had found a way in and decided to screw them over. Tonight though he had woken up with a full bladder and Oliver wasn't sure what compelled him but he had risked a glance in her room… to find Cat gone.
He leaves the empty room and sinks onto his bed, his head rests in his hands and he wonders when he should call ARGUS and let them know about the situation. He could try to run, but considering the rather discouraging results from last time…
Oliver's head jerks up when the door to the adjourning room crashes open and there she stands in all her masked glory with black leather and wretches the mask from her face.
"I kissed Batman!" she blurts out without preamble and Oliver finds himself at loss for words.
"What?"
"I kissed Batman!" she repeats with wide eyes and a hint of panic in her voice. Oliver had never seen her like that; truthfully he didn't think her capably of anything other than maintaining an air of ignorant nonchalance or seduction.
"What do you mean you kissed Batman? The Batman? The vigilante?"
"Who else do we know that's called Batman?"
Oliver shakes his head, "And how exactly did this happen?"
"What do you mean, 'how did this happen'? I don't know it just did! It happened the normal way such things happen, you try to make a steal, a resident vigilante shows up, you fight and next thing you know, he's got you pressed against a wall and is kissing you senseless! It could happen to anyone," she ends in a rush and there's nothing left of her usual calm façade.
"Sure, it could happen to anyone. I remember the last time it happened to me," he bits out sarcastically but can't keep the amusement off of his face. "Seriously, though why is this shaking you up so much? I mean it wasn't your first kiss."
"You don't say?" Cat calms down slowly. Her teeth rip her bottom lip apart. Oliver is right of course, a kiss shouldn't be able to shake her up – not like that. But honestly, that wasn't just a kiss – that was like an out-of-body experience.
"So you know who he is then?" Oliver changes the topic because he can tell, Cat's regained her posture and he won't get any more information.
"No, why would I know that?"
"Does he know who you are?"
"Nope. Mask, remember?"
He stops fighting the amusement, "So you kissed a complete stranger, whose face you don't know and who doesn't know who you are?"
"Does that really surprise you?"
Oliver shakes his head. "Where have you been? You're not supposed to leave."
Cat shots him a disbelieving look, "You don't really expect me to stay put like a good girl? You should know that I'm as bad as they come." She purrs and Oliver rolls his eyes.
"I mean it Cat, where were you?"
"Relax, Queen. It had nothing to do with ARGUS. I visited Don Maroni, he's the leader of one of the two mob houses that run this city. I knew he was out of town, so I figured now was a good time as ever."
"What was Batman doing there?" really the more he said his name the stupider it sounded.
"Your guess is as good as mine. I think, he might have been looking for incriminating evidence," Cat shrugged.
She marched over to the door in her majestic strides and then the door closed between them.
Arrow
Diggle reads quickly over the newspaper headlines that had been printed over the past weeks. The team had of course collected them all.
ARROW APPEARS IN GOTHAM: HAS THE STARLING VIGILATE SHWITCHED TOWN?
VIGILANTE TEAMUP – ARROW WORKS WITH BATMAN
WHAT'S THE ARROW DOING IN GOTHAM?
ARROW AND BATMAN TAKE DOWN WEAPON DEALER NETWORK
ARROWS FLY IN GOTHAM
WILL THE ARROW STAY IN GOTHAM?
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO STARLING? ARROW LEAVES TOWN PERMANENTLY?
"The recent team up of Starling's original vigilante The Arrow and Gotham's very own fighter for justice Batman has raised several questions. Will the Arrow stay in Gotham? What has brought on this alliance? Before the Arrow left town, there have been some rather negative headlines concerning him. Now voices are raised, that perhaps someone else acted as a Copycat, since the Arrow couldn't have been in Starling for some of the crimes he supposedly committed. The question remains however, did his disappearance in Starling have to do with the town's reaction towards…"
"Starling's criminals seem so far too confused to truly take advantage of the situation. Experts elucidate this apparent state of shock with the shared uncertainty regarding a change of scenery. Apparently they are unsure if perhaps Batman will return the favour and pay Starling a visit in the near future. And of course the recent explosion of the death rate, which was originally attributed to the Arrow. However that is questionable. Additionally Starling has not been vigilante-less. The woman in black – witnesses refer to her as The Black Canary and Arrow's trusted partner Arsenal have kept the criminals on their toes. There are also reports of sightings of a flying man in a robotic suit. These claims are so far unconfirmed however…."
"...news about the Arrow. Gotham PD has released a statement that makes experts doubt the origin of Starlings vigilante. Apparently there has been an archer tormenting Gotham's criminals before. This man was last seen about four years ago, also in the company of Batman…"
Felicity mutes the TV and takes her glasses off to run a tired hand over her face. She puts her glasses back on and turns to Digg.
"Have you heard from Oliver?"
"Yes, he called today," John answers, his eyes glued to the screen. Officially Oliver Queen has a bad case of the flue that kept him chained to bed, because really Oliver Queen coincidentally spending a few weeks in Gotham and the Arrow shows up at the same time… That might even tip off the slow media and police.
"Well, what did he say? When is he coming back?" Felicity presses.
Diggle shrugs, "He didn't say much. Just that he and Batman are working on something regarding Ra's al Ghul and that he might requires our help at some point."
Felicity nods tightly. She worries about Oliver and it's hardly a comfort that he's working with a stranger she doesn't know.
"Did he tell you how he meet Batman or who he is? Or who the woman is, he left with?"
Digg sighs, "Felicity, we both know how Oliver is. He won't tell me anything more than he has to."
Felicity's mobile rings and with a look on the screen she declines the call.
"Trouble in paradise?" Digg asks pointedly. From where he's standing he was able to identify the caller as Palmer.
Felicity looks up sharply. "No," she defends. "It's just… I can't really explain some things to him. I like Ray, he's a great man. We are partners in all aspects that matter and…"
Diggle nods, "Hey relax, I believe you. I refused one of Lyla's calls just yesterday because I knew her mother was in town and she wanted me to come to dinner with them."
He turns the TV off, "Felicity, can you try and find out who this… robotic man is. I don't like the sound of that and I think when Oliver comes back he'd want to find out. Remember how it was when Sara first turned up."
Felicity shifts uncomfortably. Not for the first time she wonders if she should tell the team about Ray. But she keeps silent still.
Tell me what you think.