Nota Bene: This story is not canon. I don't follow the comics and only know the various stories from the movies and growing up with Batman cartoons, supplemented with internet research. As with my previous stories, this started with a dream and is combined with ramblings of my own mind. In this case, it is a little personal fantasy, too. Batman. Mmm. Hot.

Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated.

Batman: Revelations

Chapter Two

Selina Kyle opened her eyes and languidly stretched, loving the feeling of the soft flannel sheets and the warmth of the down comforter against the cold of the winter morning. She considered getting out of bed and starting a fire, but a quick glance at the fireplace revealed there were no more logs in the bedroom, and she'd have to venture out to the living room for more. Instead she just closed her eyes again and decided to go back to sleep.

Isis, who had been curled up at the foot of the bed, sensed her mistress stirring and saw this as an opportunity to seek more attention. The iron grey cat with emerald eyes stood up, likewise stretched, and uttered a series of short greeting meows. "Good morning, Isis. There's my good girl." Selina scratched the cat's head and under her chin, eliciting a few head bumps. "Let's be lazy for a bit." As if she understood, Isis circled a few times and settled down on Selina's chest, purring.

As comfortable as she was, Selina couldn't get back to sleep. Her mind had drifted to last night's excursion, replaying the events. She was sore from the fight with Batman following her heist, but she didn't mind. She kept her body strong and agile, and a little pain just meant she had pushed her limits again. Besides, it had been a great night.

She had broken into the Gotham City Museum in record time, despite their newest security upgrades. Each time she visited "after hours" they instituted some new level of protections. They had long ago installed sensors on the doors and windows that alerted if she simply picked the locks and slipped in. This time, it had been a new security system designed to sense changes in airflow and temperature in case someone with diamond claws cut a hole in a glass window. The winter air would have surely set it off.

But Selina Kyle wasn't just a pretty face, nor was Catwoman just an average thief in a leather suit. She always did her research. She knew about this new system, and it was easy enough to find the password to deactivate it. Selina was far from a hacker, but she was resourceful, and had a network across the Gotham underground of helpful individuals.

A trip to the museum during open hours and a quick dip into the security offices to install a wireless keystroke logger was all it took. Knowing security would doubtless review the camera logs looking for anomalies following her forthcoming break-in, she had donned a light disguise. Her dark wavy hair was tucked into a blonde wig and her green eyes were now brown. She wore a short skirt, and cleavage enhancing crop top that was far from seasonably appropriate, but were guaranteed to garner the type of attention she wanted. She had sauntered up to a guard and, using her best imitation of a southern drawl, flirted her way into the back.

Her mark was obviously new at the museum, as she didn't recognize him. He couldn't have been a day over 19 and still had that tall, gangly look. Perfect. "Excuse me, Sugar, can you point me to the ladies room?" She flashed a giant smile and placed her hand on his arm.

"Oh, yes, miss. It is just just down that corridor, around the corner." Selina knew from experience that the security office door was down that same corridor, as was an administrative office, and a janitorial closet. This was in the oldest part of the museum that hadn't yet been renovated, and the public restroom was not as well-marked as they were in the updated sections.

Selina giggled. "That hall down yonder? I just went down there and ended up in a closet. These city museums are so big and confusing. In Alabama, we don't have anything so grand. Do you mind walking me down there? With that uniform, you look like someone in charge. I bet you could help me." The damsel in distress routine always worked.

Blushing slightly at the attention, her newest friend, Danny, led her down the hall. It was easy enough to charm him into showing her the security office, and she acted appropriately wowed at all the big, fancy computers that helped keep all the museum's artifacts safe from all the bad criminals she heard Gotham was full of.

After she slipped the key logger onto the command-center machine while Danny was explaining the set-up, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Sugar. This has been fun, but I really do need to hit the ladies room." She smiled at him as they exited the security offices and he pointed her to the next set of doors. On her way back past him on her way out, she waved.

Poor guy, he may get in trouble for letting a civilian back there, but the investigators will shrug it off as a hormonal teenager trying to impress a girl.

At museum closing time, Selina, now with red hair, a business-appropriate sweater set and tailored slacks, was sipping wine from a cafe across the street. Her phone buzzed. Selina smiled as she opened the hidden program and saw that she had a new file — the results of the logger. She finished her wine, left a hearty tip for the very attractive waiter who had recommended the fabulous Spanish Tempranillo, and went home to where she could process the data.

Isis, as always, greeted her at the door. "Hey, Isis." Selina reached down to scoop the cat up into her arms and was rewarded with purrs. Wandering into her bedroom, she quickly pulled her Catsuit and goggles out of the hiding place in her floorboards. She then sat down at the computer with a cup of coffee and plugged her phone in, transferring the file over for processing. A few seconds later, there it was, the password.

A few years back, she had paid a hacker handsomely to set her up with persistent access to the computer systems of Gotham's museums and galleries. The sophisticated computer systems in Gotham's banks had proven a bit too much, even for her technically inclined friend to breach, but she was sufficiently pleased with what she had gotten. She opened the program he had designed for her, remotely logged into the museum's internal computer network, and deactivated the system.

The heist had a been textbook from then on. Catwoman cut a hole in a skylight and slipped inside. She deftly avoided the roving security guards and cut the glass of the display case. None of the jewels were worth enough to justify weight sensors, and the lasers were easily enough deflected with a carefully placed prism. She had placed the jewels in a small bag, tucked it into her belt, and made a hasty exit.

Catwoman had been disappointed her caped crusader had not been waiting, his gravely voice breaking the silence with some admonishment of her actions. While he had not been waiting for her in the museum, he didn't disappoint for long. She never knew just how he always found her, but he did.

She was three rooftops over, about to make her next jump she she felt him. There was an energy that hummed through her whenever he arrived.

Catwoman paused and turned towards the shadows, knowing he would soon emerge, and readied herself. She was no fool. As much as he seemed to likewise enjoy their banter back and forth and the steamy physical encounters, at some point she would have to escape. She quickly surveyed her environment and spotted two escape routes for when she needed them.

She waited, but nothing happened. No deep voice telling her to drop the bag of jewels. No lecture on her life of crime. Very unlike him.

"C'mon, Bats. I know you're there. I can feel you watching." Sauntering towards the shadows thrown by the storage room on the roof, she quipped, "Voyeurism's not really my thing. I prefer a little more…active…participation. Come and get me."

He finally stepped forward and her breath caught. How could the simple sight of him affect her so much?

"Active participation? I can arrange that for you," he rumbled. "Active member of the justice system. A holding cell, arraignment, lockup. That enough action for you?"

"I think I'll take a pass this time. Those orange jumpsuits aren't my style." Instead of simply running, she approached him. When he tried to snatch the bag of jewels from her belt, she deftly jumped just out of reach.

"Awfully handsy tonight tonight, Bats. No dinner first?"

He smirked. That's what she wanted. She needed him to enjoy this as much as she did.

There had been no pretense of a real battle this time. Those days they treated each other as sparring partners first before they allowed themselves to indulge their baser connections were largely past. A few traded blows and their bodies were soon pressed together.

Selina could feel his breath on her neck through her suit, hot in the cold winter air. She felt his body tremble against hers. As they rolled across the roof, she wondered what it would be with him on a beach, the sun warming their bare skin while they sipped margaritas. When he had her trapped from behind, there was nothing more that she had wanted than to be naked, feeling his hard thighs against hers as he entered her from behind. Why couldn't she find this excitement with anyone else?

She moaned before she could help herself and her lack of control shocked her back to her senses. It was time to get out of there. She had bitten him, hard, spun out of his arms, and fled.

Still snuggled up under the covers in her bed, Selina let her thoughts continue to drift, and knew where they would end up. Right back to him. It was always him.

He intrigued her. Batman wasn't insane, like the other costumed freaks running around Gotham. He wasn't one of those with special abilities that kept him from harm, like Superman. From news clips, she was well aware of the beatings he routinely took. His skill was undeniable, but there were only so many blows you could avoid with 10-to-1 odds.

What kind of a man dressed up in a costume and risked his own safety to fight crime? In the years she had lived on the street, no one had as much as stood up for her once. She had taken years of boxing and karate to just keep herself safe. Here he was fighting for a whole city.

It had been him who inspired her to don a costume those many years ago. When she graduated from pickpocketing and small marks and hit the big-time, she had wanted to add a little flare. That tall, dark, and masked look sure worked for him. Gave him notoriety, set him apart. She figured she would serve as a less-than-lawful counterpoint to the Dark Knight.

The first time he had caught her in the museum, he had appeared from nowhere, and surprised her by walking out of the shadows. "Museum's closed. If you want to view the exhibit, you'll have to come back tomorrow."

She had seen him on the news before then, of course. And the underworld was always abuzz with news of the latest criminal he had locked up. He spent his time on violent criminals and masterminds. Until she had started chasing bigger payouts, her small-time burglaries had never crossed his radar. Once they met that first time, part of her knew she had met her match.

The memory made her smile. He was always the best part of any evening out.

For years after that, Catwoman was predictable. She targeted jewelry and other objects that she could easily fence. Cash was king; it could be easily deposited into her many accounts she had spread across multiple aliases, and hidden in safe locations scattered throughout the city. She was determined that she would never be without again and had a backup plan for every contingency.

As her skill grew and her confidence increased, so did her burglary aspirations. Big, high profile heists became her signature. Maximum risk, maximum payoff. A few years in, she had enough to live off of for quite some time, but still she didn't give it up. It was far too much fun. Where was the fun in retirement?

Selina reveled in the publicity Catwoman received. For a girl who had grown up on the streets, largely forgotten and alone, she loved the spotlight. She had made something of herself. But there was still a part of her missing. She needed a partner. She needed someone to share this success with.

She had dated. After a string of nice guys who bored her to tears or egotistical jerks who only cared about themselves, she was done with that. So she had fucked. One night stands felt good in the moment, but she could endure a cold bed the next morning for only so long.

But she always came back to him. He was the constant in her life. He made her heart race, he made her smile. He could keep up with her in a fight and in tactical battle of wits. How fucked up was she that the single person she looked forward to most only interacted with her when she had broken the law? What was wrong with her that she wanted a man she could pass on the street and not even recognize?

When Isis stirred a bit on her chest, it pulled Selina out of her thoughts. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was getting late. She had to be at work in half an hour. She'd be late, but she was the boss. No one would say a word.

"Come on, Isis. I need some coffee. And I think today you get some tuna." Recognizing the "t word," Isis meowed, jumped down and ran towards the kitchen, looking behind her to make sure her human was following.

"This life is ok, right, Isis? We don't need anyone but each other. Nice house, spending money. A nice nest egg in the bank and an escape plan ready if we need it. No more sleeping on the streets for us. This is enough."

Little did she know, her life was about to radically change.