Chapter 17 : Halloween Terrors

Milk chocolate eyes flickered to the soft touch of a gentle hand brushing a strand of hair off her forehead.

Selina awoke with a sudden rush of heat surging through her shivering body. She stared at the foggy window of the master bedroom and saw streams of rain drops sliding down the glass.

"How do you feel?" A low smooth whisper came from Bruce Wayne who was sat at the bedside, watching over her.

She winced, trying to show no signs of pain in her expression. Her ribs were throbbing and her throat was dry. She cast her gaze away from Bruce as she tried to remember how she ended up here. "What happened? I remember kissing you and then I blacked out ..."

"You fainted," Bruce answered.

"I guess I second guessed myself, thinking I was ready for the rooftops." She breathed with a hint of frustration in her voice.

There was a haunted look in her eyes. Blurry images of the Joker's cold hands touching her bare flesh made her shiver with disgust as they surfaced in her mind. Baring her teeth, she exhaled a deep breath and released it. She didn't want to expose her hidden trauma to Bruce.

Levels of anger and self pity were boiling up inside.

"Lina, are you alright?" He had a concerned look in his eyes. Selina tried to prop herself up but the injuries settled her back into the sheets.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I thought my body was ready, Bruce..." The was an edge of remorse fitting the walls of her throat. "I guess I'm still a little out of sorts." She hated feeling weak and most of all she hated having Bruce here to see it.

Bruce crawled onto the bed and leaned his back on the headboard. She rested her head on his chest.

Warmth was coming back into her weakened body as his hand ran through the soft locks of her hair. Those thoughts of the Joker torturing her body were slipping away as she stayed focus on the sound of his heartbeat.

Selina could sense that Bruce was concealing something from her judging from his silence. "Is there something you want to say, handsome?"

"I just found out that I have to attend a Halloween fundraiser charity ball," He narrowed his tender eyes down at her. "If you're up to the challenge I was wondering if you wouldn't mind accompanying me?" He grimaced. "Each couple has to wear themed costumes."

"Charity?" Selina smirked. "What did you have in mind?" Her finger touched his lips, thinking about the the costumes of Batman and Catwoman that they wore when taking down brawlers in the dark parts of Gotham. "Any ideas?"

"Maybe..." Bruce replied with a practical expression. "Victorian Era or Renaissance?"

She smiled. "Victorian Era."

He agreed.

"What time are we supposed to attend?" She asked, curling closer to his side.

Bruce looked at his Rolex watch on his wrist. "Seven."

"Gives us more time to get ready..." He pulled her closer and eased his lips onto her crimson blades. Deep in his mind, the feeling of dread entered him. He knew that he had to spend as much time with her as he could. After this night, their lives would never be the same.

Five hours later...

The colors of cherry and aurous painted the October sky, the wind was strong making bits of newspapers from the magazine stands dance into the bleak air.

At the curb in front of the Gotham Museum - hosting the annual tasteful masquerade ball for profits to help the homeless kids fending on the streets - a silver Lamborghini Avengero pulled at the valet station. The drivers door flipped up.

A line up of Paparazzi turned all lens to the fashionable billionaire as he emerged.

"Mister Wayne!" One of the Paparazzi called out, flashing his lens as Bruce weaved a bright smile and nodded as the media ring, that formed the entrance, studied his guise.

Bruce was dressed in a charcoal regency tailor coat, black velvet accents formed the neck collar and hand stitched tailor made cuffs adjusted to sleeve length. A black silk ascot was around his neck. 1800's black style rider boots hit the tiled flooring as his black leather gauntlets firmly grasped Selina's elbow lengthened gloved hand.

She stepped out looking stunning in her two piece black full-buttoned blouse that flattered her curvy hourglass shape. Puffy sleeves and a pointed hem added additional era-specific detailing. The long skirt had a 10-inch ruffle along the bottom which was accented by black ribbon.

Around her neck was a braided choker with an antique key. Faux leather boots closely hugged her legs from ankle to her knees.

"Who is that gorgeous woman?" The male reporters questioned, marveling at Selina as Bruce guided her to the doorway. A red carpet was at the stairs, greeters were dressed in featured white masks and uniforms.

Bruce stood in front of a fancy dressed grey haired man holding up a guest list. His eyes gazed at Selina. "Who is your date for this evening, Mister Wayne?" He asked thinking it was another supermodel for Bruce to show off.

"My girlfriend, Selina Kyle." Bruce announced with pride shown on his face making the greeter look speechless.

The greeter nodded and shifted out of their way.

Selina looked amazed at the glittering decorations hanging from the ceilings. The candy filled pumpkins, dessert platters and the massive dance floor which was filled of dressed up guests wearing themed costumes. Most of them wore animal masks and dressed as knights, queens and witches.

It was a lavish ball. Bruce found himself struck by the crowd eying at him. Mostly the women who looked at Selina with with envy and remorse.

"Rich twits," Selina whispered, making Bruce crack a smile as he guided her to the stairwell. Lucius Fox was leaning agaisnt the balcony sipping orange colored punch, dressed in a suit jacket with a pumpkin patterned bow tie.

"Now there's a costume I've never seen before," Bruce joked, standing behind Fox.

The older gentlemen turned around. "Mister Wayne and Miss Kyle." He studied their costumes. "Good choice of attire."

"It was clearly Alfred's idea." Bruce answered jokingly.

"Its a nice change compared to your usual evening attire." Fox returned with humorous smile.

Bruce gave a dumbfounded look while Selina grinned.

"Have a good evening, Mister Wayne," Fox replied with a silent chuckle. "Miss Kyle, always a pleasure."

Bruce watched Fox walked away, then he turned his focus back to the Selina. She felt a sense of smug satisfaction as he leered at her.

"Don't tell me, that the billionaire playboy is struck speechless over little old me." She teased him.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Not really," He quipped.

Selina pulled herself in closer, the ambiance that surrounded them made her luminous and stunning as dark casts captured the sharpness of her eyes.

Bruce took her hand and guided her down the steps heading to the dance floor. He wasn't going to have any more standstills in his life. Tonight he was intrepid as Selina kept her posture unfazed by the shifting eyes that were staring directly at her.

There was a tiny flicker inside her chest as they moved to the middle of the dance floor. His warmth combusted in the palm of her gloved hands.

"In the mood to dance?" Bruce said, looking affectionately into her eyes. She exchanged a look.

"It all depends on my dance partner." She replied, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. Her eyes scanned his features carefully. Bruce crashed his lips against hers, words were stolen from the crowd as the billionaire squeezed her shoulder tightly, sharing powerful contact as whispers muddled across the dance floor.

Standing in the dimness of the room with an older gentlemen sliding his hand over her waist was Vedette Countess. With a shifted jaw she glared at the lovers and laughed silently under her breath. "Enjoy him while you still can, Miss Kyle."

Bruce broke away from the kiss, feeling the satisfaction of the honesty in it he just gave to the woman he was in love with in front of all the elite of Gotham City.

There was a threatening presence in the room. A cold unwanted chill with fierce determination .

A white masked dancer around Bruce's height interrupted their conversation. He was dressed with a mixture of deep purple and black, renaissance looking attire, with a jacket and tails at the back of it.

He bowed, showing to the couple that he was a respectful gentleman.

"Mind if I cut in, Mister Wayne?" His voice was low and seductive to Selina.

Bruce's brow became infused with question. With self-control he nodded.

"Come my sweetness, let us glide." The stranger pulled Selina away from Bruce and they walked way. For some reason she felt chills to his touch. "You're are beautiful..." He replied. "Crimson is one of my favorite colors to gaze at. Almost like rose petals."

"Don't flatter yourself," Selina replied .

"Oh a little fire in that curvy body, I like that." The voice under the plain white mask was enticing.

Bruce looked agitated "If he touches..." There was a flush of flaming emotion pulsing in his veins. He caught a whiff of potent stale blood. Instinct was kicking in.

"That smell..." His voice became bitter. "Blood."

Bruce took a glance at the masked man taking Selina by the waist and moving further into the crowd.

"Oh no you don't." He murmured with authority .

Selina rested her arms on the stranger's purple shoulders.

"Tell me what do you see in that, rich impudent Bruce Wayne?" He coaxed.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Selina said, aching for release.

"Oh so that's how you're going to play. I love challenges. What else do you have?"

Selina tried to break free from his arms. She glared strongly into the darken glinting eyes under the white expressionless mask of a character from English Literature. Thoughts were gathering inside of her as his gloved hands rolled over on her shoulder as he reached for the back of her neck.

"Mind if I cut in?"

The masked man turned around to Bruce standing there with burning eyes. "Hello there Brucie boy? Come to claim whats yours?"

Bruce stood there motionless and bedazzled.

The masked man moved a confused Selina closer, her cheek was touching his cold plastic mask. "She is such a good dancer don't you think so..."

Selina did a quick twist his arm. He laughed. "And a fighter as well. You sure know how to pick them, Brucie..." He smiled a predatory grin under the hollow wall of the mask as he pushed Selina into Bruce.

Bruce caught Selina. "Who was that creep?" She asked frizzled.

He narrowed his suspicious eyes at the retreating shape that disappeared into the crowd.

"Someone that gives more tricks than treats for Gotham."

I got a bad vibe off of him."

Bruce synched his brow as he surveyed the room uneasily. That smell still hadn't escaped his attention.

"This whole place is giving me a bad vibe." He admitted warily.

"Bruce?" Selina noticed the disconcerted look on Bruce's face that she was so often used to seeing when he wore the cowl. The fact that he wore it now wasn't encouraging. "What is it?" She asked.

She and Bruce make their way through the room, blending in with the number of costumed guests conversing amongst each other. A few of them followed the couple's movements with leering eyes. Selina felt annoyed while Bruce's attention seemed elsewhere.

"I don't know... Keep an eye out if you notice anything off."

Selina shrugged. "Somehow I knew this wasn't going to be a candid affair."

They both made their way towards the spot Bruce caught that sent. It wasn't there anymore. Could it have been his imagination? Selina sighed as she noticed his timidness. "Are you going to tell me what's really bothering you?"

Bruce stood still as he tried to catch a sign of anything amiss. All the guests were carrying on with the party as though everything was calm. He shook his head with vexation.

"Nothing. I thought I sme-" He narrowed his eyes at a guest wearing a Jackal mask within the crowd.

Selina followed his stare to the suspicious guest and became tense. "Do you think they're here?" She felt apprehensive as soon as she came to the realization of who she might've been dancing with a minute ago.

"This is a public affair. If Countess is planning something, she'd know I be here."

"I'll tail him then. See if he's one of her men or just another rich idiot."

Bruce glared at her. Selina smirked. "Well they all can't be like you, handsome."

"I don't want you alone."

"I'm a big girl. You know I can handle myself."

Bruce watched the guest as he stood idle for a moment then moved off behind a display case housing a valuable museum artifact. He was out of sight. The billionaire looked at Selina firmly. "All right. But if he leaves the building, don't follow him without contact."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Fine. Try not to lose your shirt while I'm gone." She gestured her eyes at the group of female guests ogling him from afar, all of them waiting to gather his attention. Bruce exhaled in irritation but managed a sarcastic smile as he looked over his outfit. "In this costume I doubt it."

Selina winked and took off into the crowd.

"I hate these parties." He growled to himself as a group of businessmen and women flocked to him and attempted to engage him conversation. Much to his chagrin some of them were asking about the woman he just kissed and his relationship to her.

Selina circled and politely refused many people in front of her - asking to dance or wanting to talk - as she made her way towards the front of the room where she'd last seen the masked man. From the corners of the room, within the darkness stood hooded men posing as security. Their eyes never wavered from Bruce Wayne as he picked up a glass of wine from a waiter.

A voice comes through in their earpieces. "Not until I give the order, do you move in."

Selina stood off near a desert table and pretended to be intrigued by the number of sweet dishes served and watched as the Jackal male approached a supermodel, removed his mask and surprised her with a warm hug. The supermodel kissed him as with a show of familiarity. Not a hostile.

Selina raised her eyebrows in a "what do you know" manner and picked up a brownie off the table and indulged herself. She ate the brownie in two quick bites and licked her fingers. "Delicious." She didn't realize how hungry she was until now.

Before she could pick up another, her eyes take in a disturbingly familiar female figure moving towards the exit with two guards flanking her at both of her sides. Her stride and her hair were too familiar. Selina set the dessert down and followed slowly.

The two guards opened the door for the woman as if she were royalty and as soon as they did, an even more disturbing sight greeted Selina. The shady guy wearing a white mask that she had danced with moments ago greeted the woman. As soon as the woman turned around, Selina felt her blood run cold with apprehension. "Vedette..."

Vedette gestured to her two henchmen and they closed the doors to the main room and Selina immediately bolted towards them in trepidation. From outside the room, Countess raised a hand to her ear and spoke into her radio. "The doors are sealed. Unleash hell on them!" She grinned maliciously as Joker removed his mask and ran hand through his hair.

"Ya know, I do wish I could see their faces when he's done with them."

"Be at ease. The night is young after all, and it is Halloween. There's plenty of fun to be had."

They both laugh, maniacally and evilly as they stride through the hallways where along the way lies a stream of dead guards with smiles carved into their faces.

Inside the room, Selina already attracted a small crowd as she pulled against the doors aggressively. They wouldn't give. The handles had to be braced with a metal pole or obstruction, she surmised.

"The doors won't open!" One of the guests cried.

"What the hell?! Somebody call security!"

The classic music continued in the background and half the room still carried on with the party, ignorant towards what was happening near the entrance. Selina moved away from the door and kicked it with a grunt of frustration. "Damn it!" She had to find Bruce and let him know what was going on, she realized.

At the other side of the room, Bruce tried vainly to pull himself away from the curious guests in front of him.

"You seemed very taken with the beautiful brunette Mr. Wayne. Could it be that you starting to consider settling down?" One of his business colleagues asked.

He shrugged tiredly. "Its crossed my mind before. Right now I-"

Bruce froze as he saw four masked men wearing black cloaks emerge from the corners of the room. What was disconcerting about them was they wore Jackal masks beneath their hoods. His eyes widened as he watched them pull suspicious cans from their robes and active them.

"Oh crap! Everyone get out of the room now!" He yelled.

The masked men threw the canisters into the thick of the masses and almost instantly the room began to become engulfed in a familiar white fog. The screams were blood chilling as Bruce coughed and grimaced at the foul stench of toxic chemicals entering his lungs. He felt himself shoved to the ground as people ran past him a frenzy as they made for the nearest exists.

"Selina!" He yelled once he managed to get to his feet. He desperately sought her out, hoping she was all right.

"Make way! Somebody call the cops!" The guests continued to scream and trip over each other as they moved towards the exits only to discover them locked from the outside. "Its locked! Somebody get it open!"

"Selina!" Bruce yelled again as he pushed his way through the crowd.

"Bruce!" He snapped his head in the direction of the voice and could see her across the room, unharmed, away from the cloud of gas creeping over him. He coughed and shook his head as she began to make her way towards him. "No! Stay away! Try and find a way out. Call Alfred!" He urged.

"What about you?! What the hell are you going to do?!" She demanded.

"Just go, I'll be all right!"

Selina glared at him and shook her head. "Rich idiot." She turned on her heel and frantically sought out an exit. The doors were all locked and right now the only way out was through an air vent, which she couldn't dismantle right now, and... she looked up and sighed with relief. "Window."

he rushed towards the nearest display case and jumped then climbed up a small ladder that led onto the second tier of the room, above the cloud of smoke slowly working its way up. She was alarmed to see a masked Jackal coming at her from her position. "Out of the way!" She dodged a swing of his fist and twirled and kicked him, sending him fall off the tier and down to the floor below.

She looked across the room and could more Jackals on the tier. A few of them notice her and begin to rush around the tier and head towards her location. "Never a dull moment in this city." She turned away and rushed towards the large painted window and tore of a piece of her costume. She wrapped a cloth around her fist and took in a deep breath before driving her fist against the glass.

It broke beneath her strike and she stepped back to avoid the rainfall of shards coming down. The guests below the tier scream and move away in time to avoid any of the falling glass. Selina cleared the shards along the frame and glanced over her shoulder to see the Jackals gaining ground on her. She wasted no time and leaped through the glass and into a hallway. She raced towards the emergency stairwell doors.

Inside the main room, Bruce watched morbidly as the guests started to shriek and scream in horror as they batted away at each other and themselves. Others were even swatting away at thin air as if trying to strike an invisible force. He looked down at his trembling arms and felt his shaky breathing only drowned out be the sound of his racing heart beat.

"Spiders! Spiders! Get them off me?!"

"What's happening to me?! My hands!"

"No! I'm not a werewolf! No! Help me!"

"Z-ZZ-Zombies! Run!"

Bruce closed his eyes as the hysterical screams permeated his mind that was started to become adrift and clouded. He fell to one knew and felt a cold sweat creasing down his face. "Fear..." He breathed.

He narrowed his eyes at the group of Jackals now wearing gas masks over their faces. Their shapes were haunting and ghostly as the cloud of smoke billowed around them. Bruce blinked repeatedly as his vision began to shift until the cloud of smoking gas engulfing the room was now a blazing inferno. The Jackals' appearances had changed horrifically into living beasts, with bits of flesh torn from their faces exposing their skeletons beneath. Their eyes glowed red.

Fire ignited the room, scorching everything as a solitary black shape emerged from the center. Its cold gaze locked onto Bruce as it approached.

"Now this is what I call a party. Wouldn't you agree... MR. WAYNE?!."

The voice that had once started as smooth and nonchalant became monstrous and distorted. Bruce narrowed his eyes at the familiar sight.

"Crane..."

An evil chuckle came from the sack on the doctor's head. "THERE IS NO CRANE... ONLY SCARECROW!" He roared, causing Bruce to flinch and stumble backwards on his back. All around him people screamed and attacked each other in their hallucinations.

Bruce tried to calm his breathing as he loosened the collar around his neck. He needed to subdue Crane as quietly as possible, or distract him long enough for Selina to bring help.

"What is this, just a sick Halloween trick? I didn't take you for senseless violence. Sounds a little too Joker to me." Bruce coaxed him.

Bruce strained and sight and relaxed his mind and could see the hallucination distorting before his eyes. Scarecrow cocked his head at him with fascination before he drew a syringe from his pocket. "YOUR RESISTANCE is ADMIRAble, WaYNE! BUT useless." His voiced tone changed as the hallucination flickered in his mind.

Crane jabbed the needle into Bruce's neck and injected him. "I THINK YOU NEED A BIT MORE!"

"Ahhh!" Bruce groaned loudly in pain as the hallucination grew more intense. Scarecrow's eye-sockets were now billowing fire. "COUNTESS TOLD ME HER PLAN FOR THIS WRETCHED CITY! IT WILL SOON HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO FEAR."

Bruce lashed out blindly, trying to strike Crane who stepped back and glared down at him, his burning eyes bore down on him. "BUT YOU STILL DO. YOU FEAR THE DEATH OF YOUR PRECIOUS CITY? DON"T FEAR THE END MR. WAYNE..." Scarecrow reached down and grabbed Bruce by the throat and pulled him to eye-level, "PRAY FOR IT!"

Bruce looked down at his hands and found them enlarging in mass. Clawed nails extended from his fingers and costume began to shred. He scrambled to his feet and raced through the panicking crowd. He stumbled across a glass case and stared at his reflection. The veins on his face began to become purple and visible as if a poison was working its way through his body.

He yelled and smashed his fist into the reflection. Breaking the glass. He looked back at his hands and found them covered in blood. He stared down at the broken pieces of glass and saw what looked to be a demon staring back at him. Black in skin, monstrous complexion and... horned ears. His eyes widened as he touched his face and saw the winged demon do the same. His breathing became labored as he could see black wings on his back. "A bat..." He felt himself becoming nauseous and out of breath as he stumbled away towards the door.

Crane and his men watched him with grim satisfaction as the mighty billionaire fell to his fears. "It never fails to inspire."

Bruce narrowed his eyes at the exits and could see it being pushed in through the outside. A swarm of GCPD cops filed in wearing gas masks.

Crane turned to his men. "That's our cue. Let's go gentlemen." Scarecrow and the Jackals disappeared into the fog of fear gas and out through their secured exits.

Bruce stumbled crawled his way towards the exits along with a number of other guests. The GCPD filed them out individually while they fanned in and scouted the area for any signs of Scarecrow and his men. They had already escaped.

Bruce made his way through the hallways on unshaky feet, towards the front entrance to the museum. The grim mask of the Batman was now climbing its way over his face.

Inside the darkness of a parking garage, a Gotham SWAT unit officer named Mike Dodson was pinned to the cement wall, gagging at the stench of death seeping from his partner's corpse. The sound of a mocking laugher made the blood go cold inside his ears as his eyes stared at the white painted face of a debased mind.

"Why hello, there... rookie..."

"Damn you," Dodson yelled, gritting his teeth.

"Now thats not very nice. Where are your manners when talking to a stranger."

"You're no stranger. You bastard."

The Joker walked closer and shook his head. "Then what am I? You see rookie a guy-"

"A freak!" Dodson said.

The Joker ignored the insult and continued, "You see a guy like me holds nothing back when staring into the face of death. I know that you're a coward. I can smell the stench of fear ripping out of your veins." His purple gloved hand touched the officers neck.

"I know what you fear every night - Dealing with freaks like me. This city has shown you the horrors of which my kind is capable of, but in truth you're all the freaks and monsters. This city has molded you into something ugly. Changed your image." He smiled. "That's what everyone fears. Change."

"What do you want with me?" Dodson asked, shaking in sweat.

The Joker pulled out his switchblade which popped opened. He pivoted the blade to Dodson's lips.

"Since it's Halloween. I thought of doing a little carving."

"No please..."

"Come now, smile. I thought everyone likes a change every once in awhile. What better way to change your self image by cutting skin deep." The Joker stared into Dodson's eyes. He moved quickly with the knife.

The blade severed the jugular veins, making blood gush down Dodson's chest as he gasped for air.

"Much better."

The rookie tried to speak, crimson was pouring from his mouth running down the chin. The airway of his lungs were damaged. Suffocation and smoldering of breath.

The Joker stood there watching his life slip away, amused by the sight of blood forming by his feet as the officer fell to the ground and died within seconds. He bent down and started to carve a jack-o-lantern smile into the flesh.

"Happy Halloween."

Bruce marched out from the entrance to the museum with a slight stir in his steps as he tried to shrug away the effects of the toxin. A walked past a team of paramedics as they rushed to assist the poisoned guests.

He could see Alfred and Selina nearby across the street. He made his way towards the backdoor.

"Master Wayne!"

Bruce nodded at Alfred and looked towards Selina, relieved to see she was visible unharmed.

"Selina, are you okay?" He asked, worried the toxin might've gotten to her.

"Fine. What about you? What the hell happened in there?!" She demanded, clearly frustrated at him not giving her details on what they just escaped.

"Crane. He and Vedette's men poisoned the whole museum. Including me." He grimaced as he pulled out a duffle bag from the Rolls Royce trunk. He silently moved into the shadows under a fire escape. Selina followed him.

"Are you crazy?" She admitted feeling uneasy about the whole idea of him going after Crane. The toxin was still in his blood stream. "Bruce please listen to me..." She entreated to Bruce who looked relentless.

"No. There's no time... The CDC should arrive soon and treat the guests. But Crane is still out there." He protested, pulling off his suit jacket. "Crane is planning something. I intend to find out what it is, Selina." He bent his knees and unzipped the bag. His hands pulled out the body armored plate suit and the angular eared cowl. He quickly pulled the plate Kevlar over his sweat drenched body.

Selina kept her back against the wall, hands holding his cape as she watched Bruce transform into Batman.

"Don't forget this," She handed him the cape. He nodded and clipped the fabric through the chest armor holes.

Under the hollow walls of graphite, Bruce felt anxious. The fear toxin was still making him feel the tormenting trauma raging inside his mind. His shoulders dropped as he felt the qualms fluttered in his stomach.

Selina placed her hand on his waist. "Easy handsome," She glanced at the pale ghostly features of his face. "Maybe you should let the police handle Crane." She reasoned.

In a cold sweat, Batman straightened himself up and moved down the dim alleyway.

Selina's face became concealed with a dark cast of shadows. Blood was draining from her cheeks as her heart began to pound. She raced towards him, hoping that she could knock some sense back into him.

"Hold it," She halted to a standstill at his side. "I'm not going to stop you, Bruce." Her lips felt numb, trying to recover the right words to say at the moment. She frowned with a tense jaw of resentment knowing the threatening dangers that were waiting for the man she was in love with, her Dark Knight.

Her eyes were demanding for an explanation from his lips. They matched the darken ginger of his iris'.

"I have to find him, Selina." Batman spoke, using a less raspy tone. "Crane was released out of Arkham for a reason."

Selina was taking all this in. "Bruce, don't be the sucker tonight." She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her mouth inward to kiss him. Batman's lips crashed onto hers and they were engaged into a heated kiss.

He pulled away and placed his gloved hand on her cheek and disappeared. She stood there rubbing her lips together, surrendering her fears into the calmness of the night air as the shady silhouette of Batman faded.

Alfred stood behind her in front of a opened backseat door of the Rolls Royce. "Come Miss Kyle, we'll wait for his return at the manor."

Selina turned around with hopeful eyes. She walked to the car and slid inside.

He closed the door.

A few second later, Alfred was sitting in the driver's seat looking at the tense brunette. "Don't worry, Master Wayne knows what he is doing..."

Selina lifted her head and smirked.

"I know."

Hidden in the shadows of the rooftop, pressuring his hands on the cement, Batman mounted his body on the ledge and waited for the appearance of Johnathan Crane. His eyes narrowed at a kid in costume walking down the sidewalk heading into a closed in alley.

His heart became distressed.

Quickly reacting, he fired the grappling hook and ripped through the shadows of the alley. He landed on the rung of the fire escape. The two boys moved further into the deep shadows.

"Don't enter." A deep gravely voice blared. The boy lifted his chin and looked at Batman crouched down on the railing, peering down at him with dark eyes. "Its not safe here. Leave." He ordered.

Before they bolted out of the alley, a Jackal appeared and grabbed onto the boys, his gun pointing to the child's temple daring Batman. "How much is this boy's life worth to you?" He announced staring into the darkness. The child tried to squirm his way free. "Oh no you don't..."

Batman leaped from his position and attacked by smashing the Jackals arm to the ground, releasing the boy. "Run!" He ordered as his boot kicked the thug into the chest, knocking him down. Another Jackal appeared from a narrow space moving from the side and ready to strike. Batman whipped his body around and dropped the thug fast with a roundhouse kick.

The child was no where in sight.

He turned and saw two more Jackals grouping around. Preparing with elbows high and eyes focused, he stood there studying their weaknesses. Before he could lunge, the sounds of high heels hitting the cement bounced off the brick walls.

"Allow me..." Came a fervent voice.

Batman turned and saw Selina Kyle standing behind him, flashing a small grin with her crimson lips.

"Stay back!" He growled.

"And miss all the fun. I don't think so." She lunged at the Jackals. She sweep kicked and struck her elbow to the jaw bone. "Go!" She yelled. "I can handle these guys."

Batman nodded and fled past the brawl.

A Jackal wearing a ring with a small point, pricked Selina into the neck. She staggered back, her head was pounding and she felt voiceless. A few seconds she was unconscious.

"Leave her!" One ordered. "The Mistress only wants the Batman."

Batman focused his sight on the movement in the shadows. His body became tense.

"Show yourself!" He moved in closer. "I know you're here, Crane."

Crane was hidden in a closed space behind a trash can, waiting to lunge forth and pounce on the Batman. His silver grey blue eyes studied the movements of his prey.

"Shoot." Crane commanded to his positioned gunmen.

Batman didn't have much time to react as darts flew grazing his suit, he dodged into the air lunging for Crane.

He ripped the mask off.

"Your going back to Ark..."

Flashes of red entered his mind as he fell back, gasping for air. He tried to haul himself up, but his arms were growing numb.

"Who released you?"

He felt breathless and dizzy.

Batman smacked the back of his head on the pavement. Crane bent his knees and crouched down beside him, turning his neck. Two Jackals were holding Selina whom was unresponsive, her head hanging loosely and breathing light.

"Selina," Batman whispered.

"Don't worry she'll be fine. But you won't."

Crane slammed his shoe into Batman's face.

Blackout.