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.

We finally get some plot going in this chapter – and some serious heat.

Batman: Revelations

Chapter 8

Selina Kyle appreciated a gentleman. Someone who opened doors, truly listened when she spoke, someone who sent her a single rose at work just to let her know he was thinking of her. A woman who enjoyed the touch of a handsome, charming man whom she liked. But she was also a woman who enjoyed hot exchanges on rooftops with dark, powerful men. Well, one man in particular. And while Bruce had been the perfect gentleman, she was growing restless. Her heart said that Bruce was a good man, but she couldn't get the memories of the intense encounter with Batman out of her head.

Maybe she just needed to get Bruce out of her system. That night at the gala, it had been all heat and desperation between them, the spark crackling, barely contained. Ever since then, however, he continued to keep his distance. Physically more than emotionally, which is what had her so confused. Usually with men like Bruce, they had fun, a few weeks of entertainment between the sheets, then they would both move on. But he was good to her, she enjoyed his company. Selina couldn't think of a time she had so enjoyed herself with someone.

Whatever it was, she knew it couldn't continue. Bruce or Batman. It couldn't be both. The confusion and the guilt was too much. And besides, Bruce was too good for her. Billionaires didn't end up with thieves.

So, Selina formulated a plan. She would seduce Bruce Wayne, ignite that spark. It would burn bright, then die out, and they'd move on. That's how these things worked.

Once Bruce had lost interest and moved on, she could go back to life before Bruce, when she and Batman flirted and made out…and occasionally shared emotionally intense evenings on rooftops. But it was still simpler that way.

—

"Hey, Bruce." Selina smiled as she picked up the phone. "Absolutely, we're still on for tonight. But it's been a long week. I'm exhausted. Instead of going out, why don't we just order in? We can spend the night watching bad movies and eating even worse Chinese food."

"Great." Bruce agreed. "I'll bring the wine. Something good to balance out all that bad." That made Selina smile again. Of course he'd say something like that.

"Can't wait. See you at 6." Selina ended the call and leaned back in her chair. Bruce won't know what hit him.

After work, Selina hurried home and tidied up. She put on a pair of jeans, and a snug tank top. Comfortable, matched her plan to have a relaxing evening at home, but also accentuated certain aspects of her physique she happened to know men had an affinity for. She put a couple DVDs on the coffee table, lit some candles, and tossed a blanket on the couch. When the doorbell rang, Selina ran her hand through her hair, tousling her hair just a bit.

Selina's breath caught when she opened the door. How does he always do this to me? He was so handsome and that smile just did something to her. Tonight, he was dressed as simply as she was, in jeans and a fitted tee, black, like all the suits he wore.

"Delivery!" Bruce smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek, immediately handing her a bottle of wine, as he walked toward the kitchen. Bags of Chinese take-out were deposited on the counter. He quickly dug something out of one of the bags, and Selina's heart melted.

"Isis," he called. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty." Isis peered around the corner and meowed at Bruce, who was crouched down, holding out a catnip mouse. She glanced at Selina, and deciding that it was ok, trotted over, plucked the toy out of his hand, and proceeded to roll around on the ground, playing with it.

The simplicity of the gesture disarmed her. Damn him, she thought. Not only is he charming me, he's winning over my cat.

Suddenly, she felt even more guilty, and not just due to her previous romp with Batman, but for her plan. This isn't a man you seduce and then push away, Selina. Maybe just trust him a bit longer. She still didn't understand the torturously slow pace with which their relationship was moving, but perhaps she could just relax and let him lead, see where it went.

He moved around her kitchen, opening the bottle of wine, and poured a glass for each of them. Isis purred and rubbed on his legs, chirping little meows at him.

"What?" Bruce's eyes met hers and one eyebrow turned up, questioning. When he had looked over at her, her hands were on her hips, and her brow furrowed. Bruce swore he could see the wheels turning in her head, but had no idea what she was thinking.

"Nothing. Sorry. It's…been a long week." Selina shook her head, grabbed a glass of wine, and plopped down on the couch.

The evening in no way resembled the one she had planned. Selina didn't flirtatiously rub up against him, trying to break his steely control. Nor did she kiss the taste of wine from his lips while straddling his lap and running her fingers through his hair. Instead, they had a simple and remarkably enjoyable evening, talking over noodles and General Tso's chicken, cuddled up on the couch actually watching the movies she had put out mostly for show.

Later in the evening, Selina excused herself to the ladies room, and when she returned, what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks. Bruce Wayne, genius and billionaire, was standing barefoot in her kitchen, pouring ridiculously expensive wine to pair with greasy Chinese takeout, holding a little conversation with a meowing Isis.

Oh, shit. I'm really falling for him. Selina felt her heart hammering in her chest, the instinct to turn and run coursing through her body. This is bad. I'm Catwoman. I'm a thief. Wrong side of the law. I don't have a normal life. This is too domestic.

Somehow, she fought the urge to run. Selina took several deep breaths. It'll be ok. He seems to genuinely care for you. Just give him a chance.

"Shall we make it a double-header?" Bruce held up another DVD.

"Sure."

All evening, Bruce sensed Selina's unease. He just wasn't sure what was causing it. He was doing his best to make her feel comfortable after she had obviously been conflicted the other night with Batman. But, he supposed, perhaps being kinder as Bruce was making it worse. He thought he should leave, but couldn't find the will. The evening was too perfect.

Bruce Wayne, the Prince of Gotham, had certain appearances to keep up in public. Most nights, he was dressed to the nines, out on the town, charming Gotham's elite. An endless stream of galas, charity dinners, society events. Far from the glamorous life, it was tedious, filled with banal, conceited people. This time with Selina was refreshing. He felt like a real person.

Bruce popped a thriller into the DVD player, and resumed his spot next to her on the couch. But this time, he turned, resting his back on the arm of the couch, stretched his legs out and pulled her back up against his chest. He swore she practically purred when he began to rub her shoulders.

About halfway through the movie, he shifted, and padded into the kitchen to rinse his empty glass. When he returned, he laid down, stretching his big body the length of the couch, and propped a pillow up against her leg for his head. Selina reached down and ran her fingers through his hair as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Bruce couldn't remember the last time he had been this relaxed. For the first time since he can remember, he let his guard down.

Bruce was surprised and slightly disoriented when he opened his eyes. The sun was beginning to peak through the curtains, and the TV had long ago gone idle. He was stretched out on the couch, with Selina sound asleep in his arms, her head on his chest. Isis was curled on top of his feet.

He had slept through the night. No nightmares.

Bruce wiggled his toes, and Isis mopped a greeting to him, blinking heavily. He carefully eased himself off the couch, and watched Selina sleep, just for a minute. Is this what it could be like? he wondered, eyes misty.

Before heading to the door and slipping out, he kissed her lips gently.

"I love you, Selina."

—

At 4am the next morning, Catwoman was back in action, just finishing up recon for an upcoming theft against a mob boss. She was still unsure of what she was going to do about the Bruce and Batman situation, and she hoped a night out as Catwoman would clear her head. The physical exertion of moving through the city, rooftop to rooftop worked the nervous energy out of her system, and the concentration required to analyze the pattern of life around the warehouse kept her mind from churning, overthinking her two relationships, as it had been all day.

Selina was unfamiliar with this part of town, and she'd need to get a feel for the activity in the area before she could safely get in and out of the building that housed Leo Scarpetti's stash of arms and the safes where he kept years' worth of cash. The stench of gasoline filled the air, wafting over from the smaller of Gotham's two petroleum processing plants. She didn't mind too much, a few hours of surveillance now and she'd be ready to liberate that cash tomorrow night. The Gotham homeless shelter would be the recipient of a generous donation tomorrow, the museum's account would see just enough of a boost that she could purchase the original land deed for the city that a private collector had recently put on the market.

She was surprised when voices broke the silence.

"Good job, boys. All the chemicals have been mixed and will soon be distributed to the city's gas stations."

Selina crouched down, and moved silently closer to the source of the voices. When she reached the far side of the warehouse, she spotted Scarecrow and two teams of goons standing next to vans idling outside the gates to the plant. Twenty tanker trucks were already pulling onto the highway, heading toward the heart of the city, headed to refill the underground tanks that fed every gas station.

"Yesterday's shipment from the other plant was successfully delivered. By 9am tomorrow, the commuting masses that stopped on the way home or will fill up in the morning will be burning gas as they sit in stop and go traffic. The air will soon be permeated with the toxin. Kill as many of them as you can and they'll start to panic. Once the affects of the gas are fully realized and hysteria sets in, the mobs will begin to form, and they'll also turn on each other."

Shit. Fear gas in the city's gasoline. Selina watched them load back into the vans and pull away. No way to track them. The gasoline had already hit the highways. Even if those trucks could be stopped, some of it was already distributed. She needed Batman. Now.

Selina sprinted across the rooftop, and used her whip to swing down to where an old junker car was parked. Perfect, she thought. These older models are much easier to jump start.

In just over a minute, she had the door lock picked, and the car started. Peeling out, she floored it, and headed downtown. Her conscious mind rebelled at the idea of going to the GCPD headquarters still dressed as Catwoman, but she knew this was the only way.

Two blocks out, she ditched the car, and quickly scaled a nearby building, which she used to move onto the roof of police building. Catwoman threw the switch and activated the Bat signal, immediately retreating to the shadows, where she could remain unseen until Batman arrived.

In mere minutes, Commissioner Gordon was on the roof, looking for whoever had just turned on the signal, and finding the roof empty, flipped the switch to turn it back off. Despite the signal being deactivated, Batman arrived moments later.

"Jim, what is it?" Batman landed silently, his cape cloaking around his shoulders as he walked towards the commissioner.

"It was me." Batman and Jim Gordon were both surprised to see Catwoman emerge from the darkness. "It's an emergency." She quickly relayed what she had overheard from Scarecrow.

"Jim, put as many men out on the street as you can, find those tankers. Alert City Hall that all the city's gas stations will need to be closed immediately. We can keep any more of the tainted gas from reaching the city's supplies, but who knows how much is already out there. I'll take care of that."

Jim turned and ran down to the Station, already barking orders on a radio. Batman grabbed Catwoman's arms and pulled her in for a quick, hard kiss. "Thank you. You've saved lives tonight. Now get out of the city. Get far away, to an area that's not populated. You'll be safer there."

He turned away, heading towards the edge of the building to rappel down to the Batmobile.

"Wait." Catwoman called, chasing after him. "Let me help."

Batman hesitated just for a moment, then nodded his head. "Come on," he growled. Batman didn't like it. At all. He didn't want her to get hurt, but he had seen her fight. She held her own with him, and he knew she could be an asset if all hell broke loose.

Together, they climbed into the Batmobile. Tires squealed as he accelerated.

"Where are we going?"

"To the Batcave." Batman's voice was grim, his mouth firm in concentration. He sighed and reached to his utility belt, pulling a piece of cloth out of one of the compartments.

Catwoman could see the uncertainty in his eyes when he turned to look at her, but she pulled her goggles up and reached for the cloth. She folded it length-wise and tyed it around her eyes. "Normally, I'd find this kinky," she purred, running her hand down his leg. "But maybe under difference circumstances."

Batman wasn't surprised she knew what he had wanted. Again, she always anticipated his movements.

At just shy of 5am, Alfred was headed down the stairs of the Batcave to greet Bruce. He had seen the Bat signal and was worried that Batman was returning so soon afterwards. Things were very, very bad, or Bruce was injured.

"Master B—" Alfred stopped himself when he saw Catwoman climb out of the car and pull a blindfold from her eyes. Concerned and confused, he retreated back into the manor.

Catwoman quickly surveyed her surroundings. The Batcave. It was amazing. A giant computer console sat on one wall. A large computer screen was surrounded by myriad other, smaller screens, each flipping between CCTV feeds across the city. In addition to the Batmobile, she saw the Batwing far to the other side, and Batcycle in between. Different variations of Batsuits, Robin costumes, and even a Nightwing suit were displayed in cases. Rows of weapons and gadgets lined the walls.

"First, we need to work on countering the gas' effects." Batman opened a large industrial cooler and pulled out a large container of liquid. He pressed a button on the computer console to call Lucius. Catwoman heard a phone ring and caught just a glimpse of an older black gentleman before Batman turned the screen off.

"You're calling this time of night? That can't be good," the voice from the phone said.

"No. And we have company."

"Hello!" Catwoman called, feeling a bit awkward.

Batman quickly ran through the situation, informing the man on the other side of the phone of the police's activities. "I have an antidote here from the last time Scarecrow used the toxin. There's also a supply in your lab. But there's not enough for us to use on this large scale. I need your lab working on this, now. We need as much as you can make, as fast as you can make it."

Batman pulled up file on the computer. It was filled with chemical notations. He initiated a file transfer and heard a ding, signifying success. "You now have the formula. I'll take what I have and start spraying it across the city. Once you have more, contact Jim and have him distribute it through the police helicopters.

Every available policeman will soon be on the street with gas masks trying to keep the peace. Catwoman and I will hunt down Scarecrow."

"Ok. It'll take a few hours to get all you need, but we will work as quickly as we can. Batman, be careful."

The line disconnected and Batman withdrew two gas masks from a compartment in a nearby cabinet, tossing one to Catwoman. "You'll need this."

He grabbed the container of the antidote and headed over to the plane. Walking beneath it, he opened an access door, and connected the container to a hose.

"Get in." Batman growled.

Catwoman climbed into the plane and tied the blindfold back over her eyes as the plane started to move.

Flying low over Gotham, Batman made a couple long sweeps of downtown, where the population was heaviest, but the one canister of antidote didn't go far.

"How are we going to find Scarecrow?" Catwoman asked. "He didn't say anything about where he would be."

"Wait, there may be a benefit to me being a criminal. If there's one thing I have, it's contacts in the underworld. Let me see what I can find out."

They returned the plane to the Batcave, loaded back up into the Batmobile, and returned to Gotham. It was now nearing 7am and traffic on the roads was beginning to get heavy. Cars were burning gas and there were more and more reports of terrified citizens and violence breaking out across the city.

"Hurry." Batman called, as she climbed out of the car. "And be careful." He tossed her a communications device. "Use this to contact me when you learn anything."

While he waited for Catwoman to use her contacts, Batman headed into the fray. The body count was high, both civilian and law enforcement. Scarecrow's goons had started riots by spraying bullets at people as they ascended the escalators coming out of the metro system. As they hit the contaminated air, the panic intensified. Once riots had started, the fear gas caused them to spiral out of control; people were trampled and citizens with concealed carry permits began shooting.

It took Catwoman only a few well-placed visits to less-than-reputable establishments to get a lock on where Scarecrow's base of operations was. Batman picked her up and they headed across town.

Scarecrow was easy enough to apprehend. He wasn't a fighter by nature. But tonight, he was different. Defiant, questioning Batman as the Dark Knight had him shoved up against a wall.

"So we meet again. How many times is this now we've faced each other? A dozen over the years? You know, I really have to thank you for never finishing the job." Scarecrow coughed as Batman's arm pressed deeper to his throat. "I mean, what are you going to do? Send me back to Arkham? You know I'll just escape and do this again. I'll be back. Again and again, as long as I'm alive. And the next time, know it'll be your fault."

Batman recoiled, Scarecrow dropping to the ground.

"No!" He yelled. "If I kill you, I'm no better than you are. I won't do it." Batman punched Scarecrow, hard, and blood began to seep through his mask. He reached back to strike him again, when Catwoman stopped his hand.

"Jim is here. It's over." Batman looked at Catwoman and nodded, shoving Scarecrow towards the commissioner. It was over. Too many people were dead, but they had stopped him.

Catwoman and Batman spent some time together, sitting companionably in silence, letting the adrenaline of the evening fade. After a while, she spoke.

"We made a good team tonight." She stood, and started to leave. "Let's do this again sometime, Stud." And with that, she jumped off the roof and headed into the night, leaving Batman alone with his thoughts.

Yes, they did make a good team.