Chapter 16 : Nefarious

It was four in the morning as Commissioner Jim Gordon, wearing a bullet-proof vest, entered the office was his gun drawn. He moved to the scene, taking mental notes of the room as a whiff of cringing death caught his attention.

Quickly he turned his gaze to the wall behind him. His eyes were wide with fear as he gazed at the head of Cameron Stifter which was wedged into a hook on the wall. Blood was dripping from the tissue forming a puddle underneath. The smell was sickening, becoming choked up bits of vile. Inside the mouth was a playing card.

Gordon stared at the crude leers of scars on the head. It was like the face had been carved as a pumpkin. The eyes were gutted out and his nose sliced off. The same with the eye sockets which were triangular.

Megan Heart entered the scene and looked at the panic stricken commissioner.

"Sir," She asked, looking at the gutted head. His feet almost touched the puddle of blood on the floor. "You alright?"

Gordon looked at his the rookie homicide detective."Heart stay back," He warned with a look of horror etched into his face.

"I just never seen anything like this before in Gotham. Not to this extent." His eyes fell to the puddle and looked at the small boney black furred cat lying in the blood as its fur was had become stained with crimson.

"The card." A growling voice blared from the shadows of a corner.

Heart shot a piercing gaze at Batman. "How the hell did you..."

She looked at the opened window. Never mind." She mumbled.

Batman stepped from the shadows and moved to the wall. He used his gloved hand and pulled out the card from Stifers mouth. He was still feeling flushed from the hour he spent with Selina. Her sweet mouth still lingered on his lips. He had to gain his focus back.

His eyes narrowed at the playing as he flipped it over and glared at the image of a Joker with a devils tail holding a justice scale. On each corner was the number 5. Then he crouched himself down and looked at the dead black cat lying in the blood. Around the animals neck was a red cloth with number 4 printed on the fabric.

"What do you think it means?" Gordon asked, covering his nose with a tissue. The smell of decay and dried blood was starting to get to him.

Batman arose. "A warning." He held up the card. "They're telling us that there is going to be another murder. Victim number 5." He peered at the black cat. "A judge's child. Age five."

Gordon nodded. "I'll have my detectives look for any judges in the city that have children of that age." Gordon turned to Heart. "I need you to stay here with the forensics team. Let me know if you find anything else that can tie into the murder."

Megan Heart nodded. "Yes, sir." She looked back at Batman and saw that he had vanished and the window was closed. "Why does he do that?"

Gordon shrugged.

Across town...

Vedette Countess soaked her full body into the warm empowerment of crimson fluid. Blood depreciated from victims of her past. Candles illuminated around her as her flesh became consumed with the deep rich reds that were mixed with a few dark clots that floated around the rim of the tub. Her long hair was drenched with the blood as she inhaled the heavy noxious fumes of bodily fluids.

Her body was being cleansed as she lowered herself deeper, tasting it on her lips and licked the drops that ran off the edges of her mouth as if it were saccharine wine. Inside the vile depths of her mind she was conjuring up the perfect way for the all the innocents to receive their reward, the children that her wicked aphotic soul loathed.

Her long polished finger nails tapped against the ceramic edges of the tub.

"How to rid existence completely?" She appraised. "Subject their parents into become the condemn fools in this gutless city. A city that will soon be one big graveyard to mourn." A sordid laugh zipped through her lungs.

The door slowly opened as the Joker stepped inside with a bottle of red wine in his pale hands, there was no white creamed makeup on the flesh of his cheeks, scars were not covered in blood and he wore nothing but a pair of silk deep purple sleep pants. His darkened gaze lusted after the bewitching form of the woman he became entranced with while making hungry kisses on her lips.

The smell of blood burned inside his throat as he advance and sat down beside her.

"Now this what I call releasing your inner beauty," he laughed, dripping his free hand into the warm blood. "I gotta say, I've never seen someone put blood to good use before."

"Blood purifies the soul." Vedette countered.

Joker clicked his tongue in playful thought. "I don't have one. But the body I can appreciate, my sweet."

Vedette's lips formed into a sneer as she reeled her body up and climbed out of the tub. Her skin was stained in red, puddles flowed in her footsteps as he moved to the pile of towels and dried herself. When she was done, the towel was infused with colors of gore.

The Joker licked his lips.

"Sweetness, you are a one devilish masterpiece to gaze upon into the pale moonlight."

The hours of the daylight crept into the master bedroom of Wayne Manor as Selina stirred under the covers, a pillow held tightly in her arms. She rolled onto the spot that he had lain and felt the warmth through the sheets. Cozy and content.

"Bruce," She murmured into a faint whisper as her eyes flickered, capturing the sunlight that shone through the window. She reeled herself up looking at the empty pillow. An eyebrow arched up. "Why am I not surprised?"

She pulled the covers off, revealing one of his dress shirts that covered her chest. Bare feet touched the cool floor underneath as she walked to the floor mirror and fixed her wild mass of chocolate brown hair.

Selina heard the sound of footsteps creeping down the hall. She had a good sense that it was Alfred. "Great," She bit her lip and grabbed the pair of jeans that laid on the floor. Little big in the waist but it was better than nothing at the moment. With haste, she tied her hair into a ponytail and pinched her cheeks to restore color back into her ashen creamed flesh.

The footsteps stopped.

"You slept in," Came a smooth flowing voice from the doorway. Selina cocked her head over her shoulder and looked at the billionaire playboy dressed in a black jogging sweatshirt. She stood there motionless and feeling rosy as her eyes were studying every detail of his face.

"At least one of us did," She teased in a cocky manner. "Slipping out during the hours of early morning isn't really your style."

Bruce's expression shifted as though he was condemned. "There was a 911 response call that I had to investigate." He was direct. "Gordon found the head of Cameron Strifer."

"The head?" She asked, swallowing her words.

"Carved like a pumpkin. With a Joker card in his mouth."

Selina felt her skin crawl. She shuttered thinking of that sight.

"Vedette murdered another child." Bruce stated with a grim tone in his voice as the image of the black cat lying in the crimson puddle flashed. "She plans to murder the 5th child. A judge's daughter." The image was blurred away in his thoughts as he began to piece everything together.

"The black cat..." He paused as blood began to drain from his face.

"Bruce," Selina moved closer to him. Her finger tips gently touched his warm pulsing chest "You seemed to be spooked,"

Bruce rested his hand on the door frame. "Vedette Countess is a member of the cult of Baset." That didn't make sense to him. He dug deeper, remembering how he had fallen ill from the statue that shattered into pieces. Something was adding up.

"She is the high priestess of the Cult of Baset." He recalled reading the segment in Blackstone's journal, the page that had been ripped from the man's investigation of the underground cults. "The cult's obsession is draining blood of children."

"Draining blood of children? You mean all those missing kids were victims of bloodletting?" Her voice was calm, as her eyes studied his strong jaw line and his piercing gaze. She became entranced by the rise and fall of his bare chest that still had thickness from Countess' toxin that nearly killed him if she hadn't acted in time.

He nodded darkly. "She's collecting the blood of the children of Gotham for some immortal purpose that will destroy this city." It was all starting to make sense. "Vedette has killed four children already." He explained letting let a breath. "She is going to murder more..."

Bruce was starting to feel feverish and overwhelmed from everything that had transpired.

Selina placed her hand on his flushed cheek. "Nothing that a quick shower can't fix."

A few minutes after...

Bruce stood in the warm steamy water of the glass enclosed shower, breathing in the steam as it entered his pores. The pounding headache was fading as the warm of the water soothe his aches.

Tears were melting with the hot droplets as he thought about all those children who had died from the witch's hand. Gone forever and destined to be fading names on a grave stone.

His heart was pounding a rhythm in his chest, reminding him that he was alive and functional to end this reign of horror that Vedette Countess and her sick lover the Joker had ravaged on the streets of Gotham.

His eyes opened as a hand touched his bare wet chest. He looked at the deep chocolate haired brunette standing in the water with him unclothed just like the night before. Her long drenched strands covered her chest as her dark eyes shined and looked straight into his ginger hazel iris'.

Bruce wrapped his strong arms around and pulled her close as the water hit his back. His lips attacked her bottom lip and then glided to the top as their souls whispered into the silence that formed around them.

His eyes closed as he felt his heart beat through the depths of his chest. A vision entered his mind. The same vision that he had experienced when the Joker was beating him in the alleyway.

A black cat was sat in front of Selina's gravestone with a rose in it's small mouth. Tears leaked out of its eyes as it cried inside and placed the rose on the frozen ground. It turned his small head and looked at the grave next to it: Alfred Pennyworth. A black paw touched the stone as it released a shattering moan that was more of a screech.

A cold shadow engulfed the cat. It turned and stared it's copper gold eyes at the pale faced demon that was blowing bubbles into the air, smiling with his scarred lips.

"You know I find death as a big joke." The Joker said. "It's something that I've grown too used too. Seeing the blood drip from their lips. Watching their eyes dim as the twinkle of life leaves them. I think it's one of the greatest masterpieces to witness in the pale moonlight." He looked down at the cat. "I have to say she was a good dancer."

Bruce opened his eyes as his lips unlocked. He placed his hand on her cheek.

"Handsome?" Selina asked with a heated gaze.

He kissed her lightly on the lips as his face oddly saddened, looking at her flawless features. Neither of them spoke as they just stood there as the water was became chilly to their flesh.

Four hours later...

Bruce Wayne entered the living room looking flushed. Alfred stood there watching the news broadcast of Gotham Tonight with a mug of tea in his hand.

"Anything from Gotham Police," The billionaire inquired. Alfred shook his head and pointed at the screen.

"Just the results from last night's Gotham Rogues playoff game." He replied, looking at Bruce. "I am sure that Commissioner Gordon did take care of warning the judges of this city about the plot towards stealing their children." He looked at the color of Bruce's cheeks. "I assume that you had a harsh workout, judging by your feverish complexion."

Bruce gave a dumbfounded look. "It had its moments." He simply replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Where is Selina?"

"Upstairs. I am preparing roasted chicken and sweet potatoes for the evening meal tonight. It should be ready around seven."

The billionaire gave an impressed look. "You're always prepared, Alfred."

"I learned that from a great man, sir." Alfred answered.

Bruce shrugged. "Alfred I'm-"

He trailed off as a cut feed image of Judge Camila's body hanging by a rope with her face gutted with leers. Carved like a pumpkin. His heart was sinking deeper as the Joker's paled face took the screen, showing his yellow stained teeth.

"Good evening, Gotham. I am tonight's entertainment." He laughed, gleeful as he moved to the lifeless body. "This is my guest for the evening, Camila Clary, not very lively at the moment. But then again I do prefer the silent types." The Joker patted her maimed face.

"Since Halloween is almost at your doorstep I thought it would be fun to have a little game horror. I have one little guest who is just dying to play this game. The judge's sweet little daughter. And Bats I know you're watching. You have until midnight to find her or else she becomes a Halloween pumpkin."

The feed cut to static.

Bruce silently turned to Alfred. "Its never easy with the Joker, Alfred."

Selina stood in the doorway, dressed in her leather suit and mask. "Well what are we waiting for, handsome." She coaxed looking at the television screen. "We can stop them..." In a pause of words, she bit her lip thinking of the all the children Vedette Countess already murdered.

"No, Selina. It's too dangerous." He warned, thinking about her injuries. "I can't risk your life. Not tonight."

She released her wrathful scorn. "I can handle myself." She stormed off, heading to the front hallway. A combustion of anger was surging through her veins as her gloved hand grabbed the door handle.

"Selina," Bruce called out pacing down the hall. "Wait."

She cringed, her muscles tensed as the door opened and she slipped outside. "I can't wait, Bruce not while there's a little girl's life on the line." The door closed and Bruce stood there as his m shaped lips formed a saddened frown.

He raced down the hall and headed to the study. His fingers tapped on the keys of the piano as the bookshelf slid to the left. He slid inside and headed to the dumbwaiter.

After twenty minutes of looking on the computer screens, tracking Selina's location and putting on the armored suit of his costume, Bruce gently picked up the cowl and gazed into the dark eye slits as if it were a phantom staring back.

Alfred stood near to him.

"Going after Miss Kyle I presume?" He implied with a shroud of worry on his face knowing that Selina wasn't ready to take to the streets of this city.

Bruce pulled on his torso plate over his shoulders. "She's going to get herself killed, Alfred. I have to save her." He breathed as a blurry image of her lying in the hospital bed at Gotham General came to him. He made a vow deep with the abyss of his soul that no harm would never come to her again.

He stood there motionless as doubts and fears entered his mind. His ginger green eyes caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass. He gazed at the wrinkles under his almond eyes, dark orbs that burned with desire consumed his reaction. Every time he thought of Selina, the nightmares dimmed. All he ever wanted was the warmth of human comfort. To feel the love mend his shattered heart that seemed to only pump cold blood through his veins.

"Sir, I know that you love her, but you must know that Miss Kyle is a woman that wants to be free as well. Sometimes we have to let the people we love go out there and fight their own battles. I did that with you, Master Wayne. Though by heaven I wished that I hadn't, but that would have made me selfish."

Alfred walked over to his 38 year old master and placed a gentle hand on Bruce's plated shoulder. "Sometimes when we go out and face our battles, we discover who we really are."

Bruce stared deeply into his butler's eyes and then narrowed his gaze at the graphite cowl in his hand. "I discovered who I was meant to be. Who I chose to be Alfred when I breathed in my darkest of fears and embraced it."

He placed the cowl over his head, concealing his humanity as the hues of his eyes intensified, capturing the opacity of the cave.

Alfred handed him the grappling gun.

"I already know who she really is, Alfred." Batman breathed in a bearable raspy whisper as he mounted down the stairs and headed for the Batpod. He slid his body onto the saddle, his stomach rubbing on the hard seating as his arms stretched and his boots were placed on both sides of the bike. He started the throttle, firing up the powerful engine that was a roaring beast to the traffic lanes of Gotham.

Within minutes, the Batpod emerged through the waterfall and headed ground the narrow road.

Selina Kyle entered through bedroom balcony door of the high rise apartment that one of thugs she interrogated led her to. She stalked into the shadows as the sound of a whimpering child entered her ears. Carefully she moved to the side of the bathroom and flicked on the light. There was a foul smell of blood hanging in the air as she advanced to the shower. She slid the glass and gazed at five year old Jessica Clary sitting inside with bounds of duck tape on her wrists and over her mouth.

"It's going to be alright," Selina wrapped her arms around the child and with haste moved out of the bathroom. She entered the bedroom and found a gun pointing at her. Bonami stood there, arms at his sides and looking fierce as he glared at Selina. A guard stood beside him.

"I don't think so." He replied. "Both of you aren't going to leave this room until your bodies are filled with lead." He threatened.

Selina dropped Jessica onto the bed.

"Spare me the drama." She hissed before making a sharp move towards one of the gunmen. She threw him across the floor. His back landed hard against the rug. Bonami drew his automatic but Selina, acting sharp, kicked the weapon out of his hands. She sprang onto him and knocked him directly off his feet, pinning him down.

She turned her head and looked at Jessica.

"Jessica run to the balcony." She commanded.

The child responded and bolted to the doorway of the balcony using her bounded hands to slide the handle on the door. Selina waited until Jessica was outside. "Good girl," She murmured as her gloved hand latched onto Bonami's neck.

"You b!tch," He spat. "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"

"I really don't care." She grabbed him by both of his legs and dragged him to the balcony.

Selina dropped Bonami onto the roof with a wrathful look then gazed towards Jessica. She towered over him ready to pound her gloved fist into his skull. "Who sent you to kidnap this child?" She growled, her eyes were igniting.

"I will never betray my mistress." Bonami sneered as his back teeth bit into a capsule in his mouth. "My work is complete."

Selina became enraged.

"No. You bastard!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "You work for Countess!"

Within moments his flesh turned ghost white and blood was dripped from his lips. Selina leaned back from his lifeless body, taking in all this chaos as dark shapes entered her sights. They emerged from the fire escapes, dressed in black clothing to blend within the shadows. They were the 'Jackals'.

"Wild dogs always travel in packs," She hissed moving to the judge's daughter. "This might sting." She quickly pulled off the duck tape. The child had tears steaming down her cheeks as she ripped the duck tape from her hands.

Selina did not hesitate and lifted Jessica into her arms, backing to the balcony ledge as guns were pointed at her.

"Stay back!" She warned. Her heart was pounding as her thoughts recollected about how she failed to save Victoria Gracia. She made a silent vow inside her very soul - when her eyes stared at the blue body bag that contained the body of the innocent girl - that she would never let a child die in her arms again. "I'm warning you. Make one move."

They were approaching with weapons ready. Knives. Daggers.

Selina could feel Jessica's weight pulling against her chest. Spasms were sharply forming in the muscles of her rig cage. She held fiery determination. "I will not fail," She breathed as the back of her legs touched the cemented ledge.

"Get away from her!" A snarling voice boomed from the shadows as a sharp projectile flung into the air and into the wrist of one of the Jackal's - knocking the knife from his hands. All eyes glared at the source of the voice that rattled the silence of the airway.

Selina peered deeper and curved her crimson lips into a smirk.

"Always as to be the show off!" She called out in a cocky tone.

Batman stepped out of the shadows - his cape draped over his torso, revealing only the bat insignia on his plated chest. He remembered the brawl he had with the Jackals and Bomani in the warehouse the night before. He knew their fighting styles and weaknesses.

He dared them to make their move at him.

Selina settled Jessica softly onto the cement. "Stay here," She ordered. " I need to assist my dance partner." She leap forward, feeling the sting in her rib cage as the Jackal took out his silencer. She pounced on top of his body, pinning him down and ramming a fist into his jaw. Batman was in the middle of fray, elbowing high and low, kicking straight and spinning kicks at his attackers.

"Adrenaline rush," She called out as both of their backs were turned. Batman turned his gaze to her for a moment and then kicked a Jackal forcefully into the shin. One of the mercenaries pointed his automatic at Batman, his hand was on the trigger.

"Oh no you don't." Selina hissed before hitting him with a side kick to his gut, then an uppercut to his chin. She front kicked him at his chest, sending him falling to the ground, knocking the gun out of his hand. More Jackals grouped onto the roof. Batman removed a smoke bomb from his belt and smashed it onto the pavement. He grabbed Selina's hand and dragged her to the ledge were Jessica was standing, looking stricken with panic.

"Don't worry little one." Selina spoke tenderly as her arms scooped up the child.

Batman leaped off the roof and landed on a flat roof down below. Selina held the five year old tightly to her. "What ever you do, don't look down." She jumped into the air and smacked her heels onto the pavement.

She paused and looked down at the alley. A group of squad cars were assembled at the entrance. Commissioner Jim Gordon was leaning against one with his detectives standing next to a Gotham Police Department SWAT van.

Shots were impacting around him. Batman moved closer to her and wrapped his cape around her, shielding Selina's back as bullets were flying. Blood was pounding in her ears as both of them hurdled down onto the pavement where Gordon greeted them.

"How is she?" The Commissioner asked with worry imbedded in his pale blue eyes.

Selina looked at Jessica who was shaking. "A little shook up, but safe." She carefully handed him the child who unraveled her arms from Selina's neck, not wanting to release the tight hold.

Gordon lifted the child and looked steadily into Selina's dark chocolate eyes under the domino mask.

"Thank you," He whispered, feeling speechless as Batman stood behind her giving his trusted friend a small nod and then melted into the shadows.

Selina looked deeply into the eyes of Jessica Clary and formed her crimson lips into a small smile. "See you around," She spoke in a good-natured tone as her leather clad body vanished into the shadows.

"Lets get you back home," Gordon said as he walked over to a patrol car with Megan Games at the wheel and placed the girl into the back seat.

High above a rooftop of the First National Bank, an unmasked Selina Kyle sat on the ledge with her knees tucked into her chest, looking down at the streets below with uncertain eyes. Inside she felt an uneasy sense that dread was about to enter her life. Something that she had never faced before.

In her own silent way, she was weeping inside for the souls of the innocents. Her face had darkened as reoccurring nightmares flashed in her mind. The sound of screams that made her heart feel like it was shattering.

"You're usually not the gloomy one, Selina." Batman spoke in a shady raspy tone as he moved closer.

Selina glared at him. "Mind telling me whats going on?"

"Always the detective, aren't you Wayne?" She teased him lightly as her heels touched the roof and walked closer.

"What really going on, Selina?" He used the savory tone of Bruce Wayne as he placed his gloved hand on her shoulder. "You can tell me?"

She crossed her arms and backed away. "There's been just a lot of changes in this city. Children are dying and the Joker is on a killing spree with a witch." She looked out at the harvest moon reflecting over the water of Gotham Bay. "I don't know what we can do now, Bruce?"

Batman stood behind her. "We endure."

She looked into the darkness of his eyes as they locked onto her solemn gaze. She wanted to push him away. She needed time to think and mourn. Instead he was fast and kissed her instantly before her lips opened.

Batman pulled away and placed a warm gloved hand on her cheek. "We can save Gotham, Selina."

She agreed and rested her head onto his chest. "What if its beyond saving, Bruce. I sense there is a storm coming and this time it will destroy Gotham."

"That won't happen. People will fight."

She inhaled deeply as she looked at him. She pressed her lips onto his and said in a faint whisper as they unlocked. "At least we managed to save one child tonight. I guess that's one reason to feel hopeful." She begun rubbing her chest. " Excuse me Bruce, I don't feel..."

She fainted.

"Selina," Batman gasped as he lifted her into his arms. He spun his body and headed to the fire escape with her cradled in his strong grasp.

"I think you've had enough excitement for one night."