3.----Something's not quite right. Selina lay on her back, her head propped up on her arms, staring up at the night sky, dressed in her Catwoman attire. A woman doesn't just dress up in a cat suit…unless she's a dominatrix…which I don't think I am…Am I?! She bolted up. "I know I can't be that," she said to the night air, toying with the diamond necklace in her hand. "Ok, time to do something."
She got up and proceeded to the edge of the building. About to jump, she noticed a large looming shadow staring right across from her. She stopped. Who is that? She squinted her eyes for a better look. Batman…
Instead of him sweeping across the gap between them he just stood as if apprehending her next move. This annoyed her. "You know, it's not polite to stare," she stated. He looked taken aback, but then just continued to stare. She chose to ignore him and leapt to the next building, doing her acrobatic skills. If he's going to stare, "Might as well give him something to stare at," she said as she landed. Taking a glance back, he still stood there. Not paying attention, she collided with an object in front of her.
"Oph," she backed up.
"I have my tricks too," he said.
"Batman?! How did you…you were--" she looked behind her. Well he was there.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Who are you?" she retorted.
"You know who I am…"
"And you can see who I am," she smiled coyly.
"A cat who isn't familiar with the rules of the house," he shot a look at the loot bag tied to her waist belt. "I know you're out for more," he continued, "but I can't let you do that." She gave a mischievous smile. "I'm out for something," she looked him over, "but I'm afraid," she took hold of her whip and strung it through her hands. "You might not hand it over willingly," she brushed her hands up and over his chest. He swallowed hard. She smiled.
Moving her face up to his as to kiss him, she quickly tied under his arms and around his neck to the water tower post behind him. "Gotham's jewels," she answered. Blowing him a kiss, she took her leave.
Once again he found himself staring after her.
--Treating Gotham's rooftops like her own personal playground, Catwoman scoped the scene for the best jewelry shops around. Madame Rowling's Exquisite Best, LeFave Diamonds, and other such fancy names proved to be worth checking out. About to enter Madame Rowling's she heard two voices conversing in the alley below. One voice very familiar.
"Mr. Freeze sir, I can assure you that this is what Gotham needs, what you need."
It was her boss Max Shreak.
"Mr. Shreak I don't fund men that are power hungry and money hungry aside my self," he smirked at his cleverness. Catwoman slunk down and peered over the edge for a better look.
"I would think that you would see more into this than just my advantage. After all, I'm not as important as your—"
"How dare you," he had Max by the throat, shoved into the alley wall.
"Sir, I was just saying, that with…" he pleaded, his voice choked. "That with," she stopped and looked at the rooftop across the way. "Who's that?" he pointed right at her. Mr. Freeze too, looked.
She gasped and ducked away.
"I'm not sure," Mr. Freeze said, releasing Max and walking over towards the building. He stopped, then fired a shower of ice crystals onto the roof.
"Whoever it was, is no more," he smiled.
--Catwoman lay twisted on the rooftop, holding an icicle just inches from the center of her forehead. She was panting. The others were showered all around her, all too close to their target. That was too close.
What was Max up to? Funding? Power? Was he really going to one of the most feared villains of Gotham City for help? Surely he couldn't be that desperate to open a new power plant? And if he was…why? And what was this 'precious' thing that Mr. Freeze cared so much about?
So many questions and only one way to find out. Prowl.
----"Selina you can go home now," Max popped out of his office to say. "I just have a late business meeting and that's all."
"Anyone's files I should dog up?" she asked.
"No. This is a new client. I'll give you the information if they decide to join our service," he gave her thumbs up. She responded with her thumbs up that quickly dropped as soon as he stepped back in his office.
Perfect. She would have time to hurry home, dress and see what the bastard was up to.
--Slinking along the back alley of Shreak Department Store, she stopped in front of the back door. No one around, good. She didn't want to risk hurting her hand punching out someone other than Max. She inserted a nail into the lock and it clicked open. Double-checking, she stepped in.
The department store looked somewhat creepy at night. Mannequins looked somewhat more creepy than usual (even though they were sporting such fashions as Fendi and Prada) and the nightlights cast shadows all about. He better not be hiding in one of these shadows, she thought to herself, searching for the one and only, Batman.
If he's here, there's something just not natural about that man, she thought doing arched stretches. "Who am I to talk about normal?" she said, straightening up.
Deciding that a ding from the elevator would alert the once said persons, she enter the stairwell. She looked up. Ascending to the fifty-fourth floor was going to be fun. She took her whip from around her waist and strung it around the metal rail on the second floor landing and pulled herself up. She began to build up speed. She laughed as she soon became faster and faster, jumping and lunging from floor to floor until she reached her destination. She looked down from where she just came. Going down could be as much fun too.
--Not taking the risk of having the stairwell door squeak, she carefully removed the hinges, gently placing them on the marble floor next to her. One rolled away and clattered all the way down fifty-four floors, echoing loudly all the way. She hissed a curse and paused with her ear to the door to see if anyone heard and came to investigate. No one so far. She peered out the tiny window. A light was on in Max's office but his door remained shut. She gave a sigh. Placing the door to the side, she, with stealth, crept to his office door. The voices were muffled.
"I let you do your testing, now I want my reward," Max hissed through clenched teeth.
"Shouldn't getting rid of your secretary be reward enough? Lord knows she was nothing to look at," the mystery man spoke, fiddling with the envelope full of money.
"Obviously, I don't care about my secretary, I had her go down there when you set the gas off. Now," he eyed the envelope, "my payment."
"Oh yes, fine," he tossed it on the desk, bored.
"If that's all you need, I'll be going," he headed for the doors.
Catwoman looked around for a place to hide. As a last and desperate resort, she looked up and saw the sprinkler system pipes. Sneaking a glance at the doors she quickly darted up.
"Be careful Max," said the man.
"Some of us Undergrounds aren't as cooperative and would have taught you a thing or two about…" he stopped.
"Were you expecting company?" he pointed at the unhinged door. Max frowned and proceeded over to the doorframe.
He ran his hand along it and stopped when he found…claw marks.
"What the hell is this?"
The green haired man looked down to the ground floor, and found a tail just whip out of sight. "I'll see if I can catch up."
--Catwoman saw the man come out of the fire exit below. She had ran out of the side door and scampered back up the side of the building so she could go back in and do what she had planned to do in the first place. Search Max's desk and, now, see what the green haired man had handed him in the envelope. The man disappeared down the alleyway. She made her move.
Hanging down over the rooftop edge by her whip, she cut a hole through the office window and slipped through. Stepping lightly, she made her way over to the desk. Smiling to herself, she seated herself in his chair and opened the long drawer and spotted it. The green envelope, already opened, sat just under a card. She picked up the card and there was an emblem of the odd haired man on the front and his logo 'Joker: Keeping Gotham in Hysterics since1950…And Now!' just under the 'now' was a hologram that when you tilted the card from side to side The Joker kept making funny faces.
She rolled her eyes, and placed it in her belt compartment, along with the money.
Climbing back up to the top of the building, she looked up to discover The Joker standing just across from her.
"Hello pussy," he smiled.
She rolled her eyes, "Original. What do you want?"
"I think it's more like, what do you want?"
"Nothing," she lied.
"I don't think so. Why were you around here? I know it was you snooping around the office."
"Getting to know my territory," she shrugged.
"We'll see," his eyes widened and he quickly disappeared, leaving her to stare after him in confusion.
"Out again?" a deep voice asked.
She spun around to face to face with Batman again.
"Agh, you've got to be kidding me!" She started to walk away.
"Who are you? What do you want?" He followed.
"You know," she jumped to the next building; he did the same.
"You're getting really annoying! Are you a younger sibling or something? Listen," she placed a hand on his chest, stopping him. "Have I given you any reason as of yet to stalk me?"
"No…but…"
"No, no, no. No 'but's'. You really want to follow me? I'll give you a reason," she smiled and swung at him, barely missing his cheek with her claws and ran off. He followed.
She lead him on a chase over buildings for a few blocks, then spotted her destination.
A nice sized popular jewelry store she had her eyes set on for a while. Jumping down the five stories to the street, she sprinted off.
--How does she do that?! Batman wondered, watching. She entered the jewelry store. What is she doing?
He entered close behind her. All was dark.
"Alright, where are you, what are you doing?"
There was the sound of scampering but no reply.
To his left he heard a smash and looked in time to see a hand reach into the shattered case and scoop up a handful of jewels. He rushed over to stop her, but just as he reached there, there was another smashing sound across the room followed but another handful of jewels gone missing.
"Stop it lady!" he ordered.
"No!" she flung her whip around his neck and shoved him against the wall.
"Let's just get a few things straight. My name is Catwoman. I'm not a thief," (really) she draped the stolen necklaces around his neck, "And I think I have some information that you would be interested in," she retracted the whip, breaking some necklaces and sending the beads scattering over the marble floor; and tossing the envelope with the money and card inside at him.
"Know anything about a freak that calls himself 'The Joker'?"
He looked up at her bewildered, "Yes. I've been tracking him for years," he glanced down at the card and then at the money.
"How did you get so close to him? Please, tell me that this is for," he flipped through the bills.
"I was hoping you would be able to tell me the same," she paced.
"He's working with—" she broke off. She was about to say 'with my boss'. She started again, carefully. "With this guy I'm not too happy with, really, starting tonight. And," she stopped, and pointed behind him through the doors. Five squad cars had pulled up and men were piling out.
When he turned back around, she was gone.
"What's going on—Batman?!" said an armed police officer.
"Everything's fine. I took care of it," he looked up at the open skylight in the ceiling.
--Back at the cave, Bruce (Batman) sat at his computer, removing his gear. Removing the last of it, he grabbed for the money only to withdraw his hand. He looked at his fingers. Green ink was on the tips. He looked back and the money and saw that Franklin's face was somewhat smeared. He rubbed the rest of it off; and there under it was none other than The Joker's face. He gave an incredulous laugh and tossed the money aside. Funny money.