The Fortune Teller - I think the Scarecrow is very underestimated at times. I mean the guy is highly intelligent, yet sometimes in the comics he comes off as a bit of a buffoon. He'd make a good leader, I think. Also, you're very welcome for the chapter.
jacksparrowlovesme - You know, I always wanted to ask how exactly you know that Jack Sparrow loves you...I mean has he made these declarations vocally or do you just have that vibe? Anyways, I'm just being a dork, enjoy this chapter, kid.
Guest - Thanks for the review!
KrnYong - Jon does make a good leader. At least with him leading, he won't be trying to pick people's brains.
need4lov - I do too. If I wasn't so committed to Riddler/Catwoman my ship would probably lean down the Scarecrow/Catwoman path.
Well, here's a little chapter. I'm going back to school soon so not sure how often I'll update then, but I'm going to try my damnedest to get more chapters put out. I'll never abandon a story, so don't worry too much about that.
Chapter Eight: The Rebel Set
**Selina**
They strolled through downtown Gotham, picking their way over rooftops, scurrying in the shadows of the alleys, keeping an ear to the ground cautiously, not knowing who the enemy was.
As they wandered down a particularly dark alley, steamed with the grime of the sewers, lit only by a distant blue backdoor light, she turned to study the man at her side.
Firefly was always a mystery to her. The man just seemed good at keeping to himself without drawing attention like most tall, dark, mysterious men did.
She knew very little about him.
"I don't usually work with other people," she admitted, swinging her whip casually as they walked.
The dark helmet of his turned her way slightly, catching the distant blue light as it rolled across the black glass. "Same." He growled, adding after a pause, "but given the circumstances…"
"Hm." She dragged her claws over the brick wall to her left, creating sparks that flickered in the night, dying as quickly as they were born. "Garfield," she mused out loud, pondering his first name. "Just like the cat."
"I hate lasagne." He snarled.
She smirked wickedly. "How do you feel about Monday's?"
"I'm not a fan."
They walked on.
"I think we should try Ozzie first." She said after a moment. "If anyone knows the score around Gotham, it's him."
"I agree."
"Good. Then you should also agree that making me the one in charge of this little pairing is the wisest choice." She stated.
"Fine."
This startled her. There weren't many in the Gotham rogue gallery who would just allow themselves to be bossed around.
"Really?" She asked.
"Look, I'm not a blind follower by any means, but we have a job to do and if you want to lead, then go ahead. I'll object when I see fit."
"Huh." She eyed him. "Are you sure you're a rogue?"
He scoffed. "Lady, I've been diagnosed as a pyromaniac, I don't set out to kill people. I don't thieve unnecessarily and I don't rape. I'm probably the most rational out of all of you."
They walked on, coming to the end of the alley and turning left down a better lit one, heading in the direction of the Iceberg Lounge.
"Why do you love fire so much?" She asked.
He was silent beside her. Selina could almost see his muscles relax as he thought about fire.
"Fire is the alpha and the omega," he began softly, in his gruff, smoky voice. "The beginning and the end. From fire were born and to fire we will return. It purges and cleanses, it sears away old growth and lets new sprouts push themselves up from the scorched earth."
Falling into a comfortable silence, Selina found herself eyeing the man at her side a little more appreciatively.
There was something about a poet in warriors armour.
The way his muscles moved under the thick leather of his costume, the way his hips swaggered beneath the heavily laden grenade belt of his, it was all something that appealed to a wicked little kitty like her.
She purred. "Ever have sex in a darkened alley, Lynns?"
That helmet of his turned her way and the man paused in mid-step.
Selina smiled mischievously and tilted her chin down. "Just asking." She went on ahead, a little more swing in her hips than normal.
He caught up with her, his powerful legs taking long strides. "You're disloyal." He observed.
Selina eyed him. "To who?"
"Everyone knows you and Edward Nygma-"
"The Riddler?" She demanded. "Please. He's a hopeless geek. I just take pity on him sometimes."
"You're dishonest." He stated.
Feeling put in her place a little, she shrugged. "You like words that begin in 'dis' don't you, big fella?"
"Here's two more." He replied, "disapproving and disgusted."
She turned on him. "Don't you dare judge me!" Making a move for her whip, she found her wrist caught in a heavily gloved hand.
Firefly didn't hurt her, he just kept her controlled. "I can understand your flirtatious advances," he said, "you're a sexual being, driven by your hormones. What I can't figure out is why you feel the need to throw your pheromones at anything with a Y chromosome."
Pulling her arm out of his grip, she moved on.
"You know what I think?" He kept up with her.
"Great, you say nothing for days and when you finally open your trap you won't shut it again." She growled.
"I think deep down you know exactly what you do to men and I think you like controlling us that way."
"Yeah, I guess you have my number, Freud." She replied coolly.
Firefly was silent for a long, glorious time as they crossed a street into another alley.
"I like you Catwoman," he said finally. "You have a vulnerability masked by hard edges that makes you endearing."
She couldn't help the snorted of amusement that escaped her. "You really make it hard to hate you."
"I don't do it on purpose," he said.
They walked on.
"Can I tell you something?" She asked cautiously. "Between you and I?"
"I don't condone gossip, so consider what you say safe."
"I sometimes wish Eddie would get the better of Batman." She admitted. "Not in a final way, but…he tries so hard, I sometimes wish he could win, just once."
Lynns was silent for the longest time.
As they passed under streetlights, Selina took the time to study Gotham at its quietest. Perhaps it was the night or the fact that a lot of villains were in hiding, but it was almost deathly silent in the city. She liked it.
"I sometimes see the Riddler as that little boy in school trying so hard to get the better of the popular boy." Firefly said.
Selina chuckled darkly.
"So, Garfield," she began after another silent moment. "What were you like in school?"
He didn't say anything.
"Popular boy, hm?" She inquired. At his continued silence, she went on, "let me guess, went on to be the popular jock in high school?"
"I went the other way."
"Rebel, huh? Complete with leather jacket and Camaro?"
"Mustang, actually."
"I bet you had all the schoolgirls quaking in their Keds, hm?"
Firefly startled her by chuckling low in his chest.
From out the sky a dark figured dropped, startling both out of their conversation.
As Batman rose to his towering height from where he landed, he growled low, "there's nothing more suspicious then quiet in Gotham City."
Staying Firefly's hand as it reached for his flamethrower, Selina took a step between the men as a safety measure.
"What do you want, Bats?"
"Where is everyone?" He asked. "Whenever Gotham gets this quiet, I start worrying. You know they found the Cluemaster dead in his lair this morning?"
Selina smirked. "Well, that'll make the Riddler happy." She purred.
"A lot of villains are showing up dead around the city, so what gives? And why are you strolling in dark alleys with Firefly?"
"Ever hear of a date, Bats? It's something one does socially-"
"I'm serious." He cut her off, taking a cautious step towards her. "What's going on?"
"Man evolved," Firefly replied gruffly, "unfortunately we're still primitive beings huddled around our caves driven by our baser instincts."
"No offence, Batman, but this time you should really mind your own business." Selina pointed out. "Getting in the way will only get you killed."
"You know I can't do that. If something is out there killing people, even if they are criminals, I have to stop it."
"Ever the dark knight," she mocked, turning to Firefly, patting his chest warmly. "Come on, big fella, let's go back the way we came. This alley is too crowded."
"I just want to help," Batman insisted, following her.
Selina noticed that while Firefly was – thankfully – not one of the many villains who just killed first, he did keep a very close eye on the approaching do-gooder.
"People are dying!" Batman went on, making a move towards Firefly, who stepped back.
Pausing in her retreat, she moved back towards the towering hero, wrapping a hand around his belt and tugging him close, hoping to put out a fire before the sparks jumped.
"And what are you going to do to these men when you've finished helping them? Send them right back to Arkham? I hear the food isn't fit for shit." She whispered to him.
Behind her Firefly gripped one of his incendiary grenades and lobbed it quietly behind the masked crusader for distraction fire.
It worked, as the grenade went off, blowing a hole into the side of a building and Batman spun around, Selina took hold of Firefly's hand and yanked him off into the night, fleeing Batman in the confusion and the smoke.
"Yeah, we met up with Batman," she purred to Jon over the phone. "Firefly distracted him and we high-tailed it."
"Just what we need, him poking his pointy nose into this." Crane snarled. "Okay, where are you now?"
"I told Lynns that we couldn't just stroll into the Iceberg in our costumes, so we made a pit-stop at a nice little boutique for some street clothes. We're at my place now to store our stuff."
"I'm glad you can shop on my time," Crane replied dryly. "Find a nice little cocktail dress?"
"Hm, a little black one. I'll give you a private showing later." Selina shot back with a wicked little smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. "We won't be long, Jon. Calm down." She added just before hanging up on the Scarecrow.
Firefly emerged from her bathroom wearing something dressy enough to get into the Iceberg, but just on the casual side of fancy.
It was then that Selina realized she had never seen his face before and took a moment to familiarize herself with it.
He was older than the other rogues, not Ozzie old, but possibly out of his thirties. As far as faces went his was a little disappointing. She had hoped a man like Firefly would be stunningly good looking, but he was rather on the boyish side of plain. A firm, crisp jaw line, yes, but it was delicately boned. His nose, his mouth, his eyes, they were all pretty typical, run-of-the-mill features.
The only reason she assumed he was over forty was the grey streak in his dark hair, something that could have very well been from a scar for all she knew, but she was just going on it for age because he was one of those otherwise youthful looking sorts who seemed ageless.
"Anything interesting happening on Crane's end?" He asked her, carefully collecting his costume and flamethrower.
"Ivy was fighting with him when I called, so nothing out of the ordinary." She replied.
"I'm not really comfortable leaving my weapons behind," he admitted.
"Well, walking into the Iceberg with a flamethrower is sure to get you nabbed at the door. Don't worry, it's not far from here."
"If you say so," he replied, motioning her towards the door.
Selina strolled towards the Iceberg Lounge bouncer, cherry red lips pulled up into a dark smirk. "Hey, Carl." She purred.
The burly man undid the velvet rope for her. "Miss Kyle, you look like you mean business tonight."
"I do." She turned once on the other side of the rope. "The grumpy looking guy is with me."
Carl nodded to Firefly who passed through the barrier quietly.
The two of them wandered into the lounge, Selina weaving her arm through Firefly's, pressing herself against him to avoid the crowds.
"So, what? You just walk up the stairs to his office?" Lynns asked.
She smiled up at him. "Of course. Don't you?"
"The Penguin and I never really did business together."
Touching a hand to his chest, Selina idly rubbed it. "You're kind of anti-social around Gotham's underworld, aren't you?"
"Not at all, I always attend the Criminal Camp Getaway Weekend, you just never see me because I'm usually the one hanging around the bonfire."
"Aw, you made a joke. That's adorable."
They marched up the stairs, passed the bouncer there who also seemed to know Selina well and stopped at Ozzie's door.
"Knock, knock, Ozzie," she greeted, pushing open the door.
The Penguin stood before his broad window, overlooking the twinkling lights of Gotham City. He glanced over his shoulder at her and puffed on his cigarette.
"Well now, if it isn't my favourite feline." He turned to face them completely. "Qua, may as well grab a seat, then."
As she moved to take a chair, she was startled when Firefly pulled one out for her. Eyeing the chair he chose for her, then the man, she stubbornly chose the other chair, perching on it neatly.
Beside her Firefly took the chair he had pulled out, clearing his throat softly.
"Ozzie, you know Garfield, I'm sure."
The Penguin sat behind his desk, eyeing the man with her. "I've never had the pleasure to meet you face to face, Mr. Lynns. But may I say how much I admire your work."
"May I say how much I admire your monocle?" Firefly shot back.
Oswald tilted his head, pulling his monocle down from his eye and studying it. "Qua," he muttered thoughtfully, removing the clip that held it to his lapel by a thin chain, "it's not my favourite." He tossed it in Firefly's direction and the arsonist caught it fluidly with one hand, snapping it out of the air. "Keep it, I have others."
Firefly study the round piece of glass and metal, before tucking it between his cheek and eyebrow experimentally.
"What brings you here, Selina darling?"
"I wish I could say I came to take advantage of your ladies' night specials, unfortunately-"
"Unfortunately Rome burns," Ozzie broke in quickly, waving his hand. "Yes, yes. I know what brings you here, now. Do I know what's going on? Only a little bit. Do I know who's involved? Not at all. But," he paused with a twisted grin, "but I might know a few things about a few things."
"Such as?"
Blowing out a stream of smoke, Oswald grinned. "In my business I've come to make all the right friends and what I do know is that all my friends are accounted for."
For a moment Selina had to mull over the point he was getting at, before she turned to see if Lynns was on the same page as her.
He raised his eyebrows in question at her look, monocle falling to his chest, dangling by the thin chain that held it pinned to his jacket.
"So what you're saying is that it's no one you know?"
Ozzie shifted in his chair as though disgusted by her sluggish speed at catching on. "What I'm saying, pussycat, is that it's no one anyone knows."
"So Eddie's wasting his time in overseas?"
"Well, maybe he'll at least bring you back something silk." Ozzie replied.
Sighing heavily, with more questions than answers, Selina pushed to her feet. "Well, thanks anyway, Ozzie."
The Penguin stood as well. "Be careful, Lina." He warned. "You're involved in something that doesn't concern you, but might get you killed."
"You would think by now that you'd know that I can take care of myself." She said.
"We are none of us Gods, pussycat." He stated.
She nodded and walked off, Lynns trailing behind.
Outside Ozzie's office, down in the lounge, Selina pressed a hand against Lynns chest, pushing him into a quiet, dark corner.
"What do you figure? Newbie?"
He tilted his head. "Possibly. Or someone pretending to be someone new."
She nodded. "Yeah, let's keep thinking along those lines. Newbie's don't usually have that sort of finesse yet."