Cat's Paw 4

Alfred towed Bruce's Batmobile back to the WayneCo private jet, and dutifully backed the trailer up onto a cargo ramp that had been lowered from the plane's underbelly. The media, always on Bruce Wayne's trail, had dogged him enough that he felt he had to make a statement.

Bruce stood before a small crowd of local and tabloid reporters, who waited breathlessly for the young mogul to greet them. Bruce stopped to wave and he gave everyone a good photo op, smiling appreciatively, though his mind was certainly elsewhere. That was the life of the Batman. Bruce Wayne, irresponsible playboy billionaire, was his creation. The cool, reasoned Batman was who he really was.

Alfred ignored the press crew, and patiently secured the private cargo jet with the world renowned red 'W' painted across its tail and fuselage. "Hey Mr. Wayne! What's in the big box?" One eager tabloid reporter shouted above the din. "Hello Veronica." Bruce replied coolly. "I ran across this great new sports car here in Metropolis, and I just had to add it to the Wayne fleet!" Batman lied.

Meanwhile, across town in a low-priced hotel room, sat an attractive young lady of about twenty four. "Grrr!" She hissed. "Wayne! One of these days, you're going to get yours!" She cursed vehemently, throwing a slightly used black high heeled shoe at the television. A short haired black cat slunk up to her, purring constantly, as she stroked the animal's fur. "I know, Isis, I have to really focus on our plan!"

She addressed the cat as if it were a person, a coworker, a partner in crime. "I shouldn't get distracted." She continued. On the TV, Bruce Wayne was still boasting about his various business deals. "Mr. Wayne! Jimmy Olsen of the Daily Planet." The red haired teenager's hand rose. "Daily Planet, eh?" Bruce repeated. "Yes, Mr. Olsen?" The wannabe photojournalist cleared his throat.

"I was wondering…were you going to attend the charity fundraiser at the Metropolis Civic Center Opera House?" Jimmy bravely inquired. "Yes I am, Mr. Olsen, but I already may have a date!" Bruce teased, bringing a chuckle to the entire media crew. Jimmy reddened, but continued to press the issue.

"Um…Mr. Wayne, can I suggest an interview with our star reporter, Lois Lane?" Jimmy prodded. "You may suggest anything, Mr. Olsen, but I believe that I covered all the pertinent information in the official WayneCo press release." Bruce stated coldly. "Nice try, Olsen" the woman at the hotel muttered "But I believe that its time that I met the illusive Mr. Wayne, date or no date." She vowed to the cat.

Selena Kyle had been on her own since she was a teenager. Her parents had died and she'd taken to the streets after getting into trouble in foster home after foster home. Finally, running on the streets, stealing, fighting, and even hooking, had paid off. She had become the premier cat burglar in Gotham City. Small crimes led to bigger ones, and still bigger ones, and now she was becoming financially independent. Her only nemesis, the Batman, had stood in the way of the really big scores.

Selena decided to take her crime talents on the road. This led her to Metropolis. She'd heard the stories of The Blur, and The Super Girl, of course, but that didn't deter her. The unusual crime-fighters would likely ignore her apparently petty crimes, instead leaving it to the Metropolis Police Department. The bigger picture would become obvious after a while, but by then, she'd be gone.

Selena flipped her lengthy blonde hair over her shoulder as she reached for the remote control. Wayne was just completing his impromptu press conference. "See you tonight, Mr. Wayne!" She switched off the TV and laughed maniacally. Selena recalled that she had seen Bruce Wayne only once before.

It was two years ago, the troubled Gotham City Catwoman remembered. She was loitering outside of a black tie political fundraiser for that insipid Commissioner James Gordon. She'd hoped to either rob some of the well to do partygoers, or pick up a john for the night. But she'd drunk too much blended whiskey, and wasn't physically able to concentrate, instead settling on a bottle in a bag.

Selena had walked out of the party and headed down an alley to finish her drink. Several cats had followed her around, looking for food. She'd nabbed a bag full of rolls from the server's table before a guard had ejected her. The cats meowed incessantly as they circled her, rubbing their heads and sides against her bare legs. She ate a few rolls, and tossed the rest to the cats.

At the opposite end of the alley, Selena began to stagger, the alcohol intake finally catching up to her. She collapsed beside a rusty old garbage scow, dropping her bottle onto the cement alleyway. The cats, still looking for food, had decided to befriend her. They curled up next to the passed out girl. A bit later, one of the black tie guys happened upon her, enjoying a smoke on the cool humid evening.

Selena became lucid enough to pay attention to the man. "Hey! Can I have some money?" She slurred, as the elder man slowed his pace. He glanced around the dimly lit area, and then turned to face her. "Sure, sweet thing. I'll give you some money." The man sneered lustily. "But you have to do something for me first. I mean as long as you're practically on your knees anyway…" He propositioned.

Selena, through the drunken haze, clumsily climbed to her knees. Just then, she felt, rather than saw him! A man in a black costume, wearing a cape no less! He glided past her, and shoved the wealthy man to the side. "You do that, and I'll have you up on indecent exposure, and solicitation." His deep voice growled. "Where's your badge, you caped freak?" The man retorted. The cats scattered.

"Right here!" The caped man punched the pervert in the jaw, and he sailed backwards into the side of a parked car, setting off its alarm. Selena fell sideways onto the pavement, looking dazedly up at him! The Batman! "Miss!" The mysterious caped crusader glanced into her cloudy blue eyes. "You need to stop this behavior, get cleaned up, and have some respect for yourself!" He barked at her.

"I won't tolerate all of this vice in my city!" He flipped a card at her. "This is for an abused woman's halfway house! Get your life back, before you die on the streets! Get up!" The Batman hauled her to her feet, wincing at the stench of the alcohol on her breath, and the garbage smell on her tangled blonde hair. He half dragged her onto the sidewalk and under the streetlamp. The Batman peered deeply into her eyes, but said nothing more. Selena was speechless! The Batman had taken time out for her.

By now, most of the partygoers were beginning to leave the building. The pervert had quickly righted himself and jogged away. "GO!" He growled at her, and seemingly disappeared into the darkness. She wasn't sure how he'd pulled off that stunt, given that her alcohol tinged gaze was slow to respond.

Selena recalled staggering towards the entrance, and leaning against the frame of the building's doorway. Moments later, she'd spied Bruce Wayne exiting beneath the canopy. She'd recognized him from the television, and the magazine covers. He'd cast a questioning glance at her. "What the hell are you looking at?" She challenged him. "Look at you, looking down on me!" Selena remembered railing against him, until a bunch of security people shoved her out of the way.

Wayne kept eye contact with her until an elderly, gray haired man hustled him away into a waiting limousine. Selena positioned herself more comfortably on the hotel couch, stroking her main pet's fur. That day, two years ago, the Batman had inadvertently saved her life. Selena recalled taking the mysterious vigilante's advice, and checked into the home for abused women.

Now she and the Batman had found themselves on opposite sides of the law. Selena had kicked the prostitution, alcohol, and drug habits in rehab. Her remaining vice was theft, and sometimes attempted grand theft at that. She had become the lady Robin Hood of Gotham, keeping some of her ill-gotten profits, and donating some to various causes like the home for abused women. Who was Wayne to pass judgment on her? She thought angrily. Isis meowed appreciatively.

Lois Lane watched Jimmy Olsen on television take his best shot at luring Bruce Wayne into an interview. "Nice try, Jimmy!" She said, balling her hand into a fist and slapping it into the palm of her other hand. Perry White had come up behind her. "The kid's got moxie, Lane. I'm glad you recommended him to us." He praised, which was a rare occurrence indeed. "By the way, Lane, are you and Kent busy tonight?"

Lois whirled to face the Daily Planet Chief Editor. "Just the usual, Chief, we're packing up stuff for our new condo apartment." Perry smirked and waved two tickets in her face. "You two can go to Wayne's charity fundraiser at the Metropolis Civic Center Opera House." Lois audibly gasped. "I take it we're going to it as a company sponsored event." She continued. "That's my girl!" Perry quipped.

"You can take a shot at interviewing Wayne, and maybe Kent could double up as a photojournalist, and nab some pics." Perry added. "If Wayne won't talk, don't worry about it. To my knowledge, he's only granted a half dozen interviews to anyone since his parents died about fifteen years ago. Give it your best shot." Perry concluded. "The paper can write off the cost of the tickets for charity."

"You got it, Chief!" Lois gave him a mock salute. "The MCCOH isn't exactly a Whitesnake reunion concert, but I'll give it my best go around." She quipped. "Yeah, it's not as if we're heading to an Elvis impersonator show or something, but a little culture never hurt anyone." Perry added to the joke. "I'll call Clark, and make sure that he's available." Lois volunteered as Perry headed back to his office.

At the hotel, Selena dug out a fancy evening gown that she'd been saving for a special occasion, or a high value target like Wayne. "It'll cost me most of the proceeds from our last job, Isis." She again addressed her cat. "I'll just take my money's worth out of Wayne's ass!" Isis meowed excitedly as Selena cackled. "I will be purr-fectly adorable." She said, measuring the elegant black dress up to her shoulder.

"What do you think, sweetie?" She adjusted the spaghetti straps to reveal more skin. The cat purred and rubbed against her bare legs. "I take it you approve?" Selena rehung the dress and picked up her pet.

Bruce had finally rid himself of the press, and he and Alfred momentarily reclined in the plush passenger cabin of the WayneCo jet. He continued to mull over the strange encounters that he'd had with first, Lois Lane, and then the mysterious Super Girl. Alfred cleaned his glasses. "My word, sir, what do you suppose motivates this Super Girl and her counterpart, the Metropolis Blur? Where do they come from? Why are they so different?" Bruce concentrated deeply on the computer monitor before him.

"Very good questions, Alfred." The Batman agreed without breaking his concentration. "I still don't have any answers. I'm speculating that the Blur and the Super Girl are highly advanced Metahumans, but I'm not convinced that is all that they are." Alfred's jaw dropped. "You don't mean…?"

"That's exactly what I mean, Alfred." Bruce scrunched his lips up in a frustrated scowl. "There had been recent stories that extraterrestrials are now and have been visiting Earth. Most of the information is deemed unreliable and sketchy at best…but what if…?"

"What if, indeed Master Bruce?" Alfred confirmed.