Chapter Eight: Selena Kyle

"We are bound by our desires."

-Bronte "Wuthering Heights

With the help of Sin, Roy, and Tabitha, Felicity with a few well taken photos began to create her new identity. It wasn't hard, for someone with her talents anyway, to plant the photos throughout society and photo shopped a few known news article pictures of well-known thieves and criminals in order to implement herself into the criminal underworld and become none other than the world's greatest thief – Selena Kyle.

She had been inspired by one of her favorite literary characters, Irene Adler – a woman who was supremely intelligent and yet was not afraid to be sexy and beautiful. With all the time that Felicity had spent with Oliver and his parade of women, that was something she had learned the hard way. Despite their questionable tendencies to try and drag Oliver down…Laurel, Sara, Helena, Laurel again, Isabel, Sara again and so on and so forth…all the women in his life had been intelligent in their own right and beautiful in their own right; however, with a price.

Laurel – perfect Laurel – was a sanctimonious justice seeker who had no real idea of what justice was beyond what she had been taught in the Law School through black-and-white glasses that blurred over the grey areas. There was right and there was wrong…but no grey. In all honesty, Felicity often wondered if Laurel had a bipolar problem. One minute she was her beautiful, perfect, forgiving, but self-righteous self; then the next she was angry at the whole world for all the hardships she was constantly being forced to face. She was the woman who got between two good friends, yet still managed to blame all of her problems on the doorstep of one Oliver Queen while being unwilling to face her own mistakes.

Helena – dark and understanding Helena – had been able to connect with Oliver on his darker level of thinking. She had welcomed his help but had then turned it around to benefit her own vengeful needs. She was the perfect example for Oliver that if he let the darkness take control of him that he'd become just as insane as his "psycho-ex-girlfriend."

Isabel – conniving Isabel – was a snake. She was a college graduate, a business woman, but a snake none the less. Her own needs and desires to overtake Queen Consolidated proved that she was willing to do anything to see herself on that particular throne; including sleeping with her enemy, which most definitely said something about her as human being and as a woman.

Sara – strong and stubborn Sara – was a force to be reckoned with, there was no doubt, but no amount of being a tough kick-ass, or a cool masked-assassin-vigilante would make her a good person. She was the girl who decided to pay back her sisters bad attitude by sleeping with her boyfriend behind her back and when she returned, after claiming that wanted to reconnect with her sister, fell back into bed with the very man she'd let come between them. As such, it certainly said something about her character that she was willing to claim love for one while her actions proved the exact opposite.

All of these women were smart, sexy, tough, but they lacked heart, and that made Felicity far more deadly than any one of them…because unlike them…she would never lose a fight. It was not possible for her to, because she had something worth fighting and dying for…something they knew nothing about.

They all knew about greed, survival, and strength…but they knew nothing about loyalty, friendship, or hope. Those she had in abundance.

So, Felicity…Talia…Selena Kyle…had learned from their mistakes. She was an innocent first and foremost, but she would not allow her seductive nature to caged and dormant, she accepted her darkness but refused to let it rule her, she prided herself on her intelligent and she would use her intelligence but to benefit others not just herself.

She knew that it was just a cover identity but she couldn't help but make it personal. Felicity had chosen Selena after her mother, and her father's middle name, Kyle.

Once identity was solid she sent a copy of the file to Oliver and Digg while she sent another to a certain Mr. Batman – he had indeed left a small note with a secure email address written on it the last time she had seen him, when he had broken into her apartment. All she had to do was sit back and watch with a smirk as both men scrambled to hunt down a person who didn't exist.

Moira Queen for the life of her could not understand why her daughter, Thea, had been avoiding her for the last three – very nearly four – months. So, here she was cornering her own daughter. "Thea dear, I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me plan a masquerade ball in Mr. Wayne's honor? I was hoping we would have it by this Friday. I'm very nearly one-hundred percent certain that he will agree to the merger and I figured what better way to celebrate then to throw a ball the last day of the probationary period. What do you think?"

I think that you have enough secrets that they have created their own mask and that you won't need one for the party. "Sure. Sounds great," said Thea instead of what was on her mind.

Later that same evening, Mr. Wayne was holding one of his own charity gala's in his rebuilt mansion. It had originally burned down when Rhas Al Ghul had seen fit to set the whole thing aflame as revenge for destroying the home of the League of Shadows four years ago now. Lucius Fox had convinced him to hold the charity gala himself to help establish his more respectable side of his reputation as a businessman. Grudgingly Mr. Wayne had agreed, but once the dancing, the eating, and the speech making was over and done with he had slinked off to his office only to find a very interesting sight waiting for him.

"You may think that steeling from the rich is acceptable, but you can't be both the good guy and the bad guy…Catwoman," said Mr. Wayne as he faced the one of the two women who had been plaguing his dreams for the last few months. The other being one Ms. Felicity Smoak.

"Mr. Wayne…aren't you supposed to be kissing the ass of some overzealous socialites for your charity gala?" said Catwoman as she climbed from her perch on his desk and sat gracefully on the edge of it while swirling the handle-end of her whip around in slow motion in a come-hither invitation.

"Is that all you think I'm good for, Ms. Kyle?"

"Oh, so you have figured out who I am. Funny, I didn't know billionaires like yourself were interested in people like me, only ever looking for your next big thing to rake in the dough," said Catwoman with a suspicious frown.

Wayne cursed himself internally. He had to remember that he was not in the form of his alter-ego and that he couldn't let anything about said alter-ego slip. "Not usually, but it's known that you have a thing for taking certain valuable objects from people like me and…we can't have that now can we." He slowly made his way predatorily towards her, all the while trying to mask his calculated movements as seductive instead. He couldn't physically stop her, not without giving her a good idea of just what exactly he was capable of. When he reached about a foot in front of her she placed her heeled shoes on his muscled abdomen. It was simply instinct that caused him to take a firm hold of her ankle, gently but forcefully moving her leg to accommodate his hips in between her thighs; the only thing separating them was their clothing. He leaned forward to place his hand on either die of her hips which forced her to lean back on to her elbows. The sight of her so spread out on his desk seared some pretty graphic images of just what he could do to her in that particular position. "That's a very lovely necklace," he said as his left hand went to graze the pearls that surrounded her swan-like neck. "My mother had one very similar to it. It can't possibly be the same one because hers are locked in here," he raised his other hand to reach past her and press the hidden fingerprint pad that opened the hidden safe in the wall behind the desk. "I am fairly certain that the manufacturer informed that this particular safe was uncrack able."

"Oops…no one told me it was uncrack able," she said with a smirking smile.

"I'm afraid I can't let you take those," said Wayne as he backed up to give her some room as he held out his hand waiting for her to just hand them over…or else.

"Now, a gentleman like yourself would never harm a woman anymore then a thief like me would harm an unarmed man," she said, but her hand whipped out faster than he anticipated and use the complete force of her strength to knock him on his ass before she moved to the window and opened it, letting the chilly evening breeze of the Palisades blow through the room. "However, every now and then…exceptions must be made." She climbed to the edge of the window and blew him a kiss. "Such a pleasure meeting you again, Mr. Wayne." And then…she was gone.

Wait? Again. Again? He had met her as Catwoman plenty of times while he himself was Batman, but he had never met her as Bruce Wayne – eccentric billionaire. Unless he had without knowing he did. Just who exactly was this woman?

They had run into each other again two nights later when he had been trying to stop her from stealing a jewelry set of royal Austrian Pink Diamonds from the Gotham City Museum of History. He was Batman and she was Catwoman. However, he and Detective Blake – who had come to his aid when the robbery had been called into the police and Batman assumed that Commissioner Gordon was waiting for their "ok" outside – had quickly found themselves knocked out and tied up and in the air about twenty feet from the floor of the museum. A platform of rusted nails waited for their quick impact right below them. When they awoke, Blake was not pleased.

"Well, isn't this just peachy. Why is it that it takes you like five minutes to take down two whole SWAT teams but a little petite woman dressed in black can knock you out cold in a matters of seconds?" said Blake in annoyance.

"How was I supposed to know she had knock out gas in her make-up compactor?" growled the Dark Knight.

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because you've FAUGHT HER LIKE TWO DOZEN TIMES IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS!?"

"Well, well, well," said Catwoman as she made her appearance just next to the bed of nails below them. "Looks like that delicious body of yours is going to have a few puncture marks in it before the night is out, Batman."

"Ok, Bats…what's it going to be? Bat-Catnip to distract the overgrown feline or a batamajig high frequency thingy from the legendary utility belt to scramble her brains?" asked Blake in Batman's ear in a side whisper, but he was ignored.

"You've let larceny taint your loveliness, Catwoman."

She opened her mouth ready to send a verbal barb to his ego, but paused as she took in what he had just revealed to her. "Did you just call me lovely?" She couldn't help the innocent flattered blush that crept up her cheeks in a flattering way that had Batman growling…and not in a bad way.

"Lovely? Yes, but still a bit of a criminal…some of the time."

"Ok, less talk, more utility belt. Hello? Are you even listening to me?" whined Blake.

"You're a hero at heart Catwoman, but you still let your…desires…rule you. Give up this petty life of crime. I'll help…rehabilitate you," growled Batman.

"You're always trying to declaw me, Batman. Maybe one day I'll convince you that my claws can me quite…pleasurable," said Catwoman as she bit her lip in a strangely seductive yet innocent way, all the while play with the pearl necklace that she was wearing – the one she had stolen from him just a two night ago.

"Wait…are you two flirting?" asked Blake in masked shock.

"Perhaps I should clip your wings, Batman," whimpered Catwoman.

"Not if I caller you first," said Batman in a rough raspy voice.

"Oh…My…God! You are! You're flirting! Flirterers!" accused Blake, but he was cut off midstream when the rope that had been holding them up snapped and then they were falling, but Batman used his grappling gun to keep them from the bed of nails – which Catwoman had no doubt pulled from another part of the museum – and swung them to safety. Blake was just barely on his feet when he noticed that Catwoman and Batman were already engaged in a fight, if you could even call it that. It looked more like a seductive dance of wills. Oh, yeah. Totally flirting.

By that time, Commissioner Gordon had made his way into the Museum and was observing the fight much like Blake was. "Can you believe those two?" asked Blake. His boss just shook his head and rolled his eyes before he went off to deal with the Museum security guards. At that moment Batman finally got the upper hand and had Catwoman trapped within her own whip.

Blake pulled out his handcuffs and approached the two. It was Catwoman who spotted him first. "You aren't seriously going to arrest me?"

"Well, um…yeah?!"

"Back off, Blake. She's just a Cat burglar…not some psychopathic murderer," said Batman.

"I'm sorry, did you forget that she just tried to impale us both on a bed of nails?!" Just then Blake took a good look at the stuff Catwoman had on her own utility belt. "Wow, you're as geared up and prepared as he is," said Blake without really meaning to.

"Thank you. I have a taste for only the finest," said Catwoman as she glanced sideways at Batman. Just then she broke free of her own whip and ran off into the shadows.

"Whoa! What the…"

By Friday things had definitely gotten interesting for both Mr. Wayne and Felicity Smoak. When she found out about the Masquerade Ball that was being held at Queen Consolidated as a hopeful celebration from the most likelihood of a merger between Queen Consolidated and Wayne Enterprises she had procured an invitation to the even thanks to Roy and his own sleight of hand which she had been helping him improve. She had been walking home from a walk with Isis – her blond wig placed firmly on her head – when she got the sudden feeling that she was being followed, but she couldn't find out who or where. So, she brushed it off and went home, completely unaware of the lone figure of Mr. Wayne gracing just below her entryway window with a very good view of her removing her wig to comb her finger through her natural hair. Bruce had used the tracker that he had placed in the pearl necklace years before to trace its whereabouts. Imagine his surprise when he learned that Felicity Smoak, aka Selena Kyle was indeed to the Catwoman. He had felt a sort of pressure lift from his chest and shoulders as he realized that two women who had been gracing his dreams as of late had been one in the same.

He went back to his black Lamborghini across the street to wait and follow her to her next location in the hopes of confronting her before the ball. Yet, low and behold her next location was the ball.

When Felicity Smoak walked into the ball room in Queen Consolidate as Selena Kyle with Tabitha White on her arm as her plus one, all eyes were on them. Tabitha had chosen and elegant strapless white gown that hugged her curves and gathered in the back to create a sort of bustle. Her own mask was painted onto her face with white and gold paint to match her white dress and gold chain jewelry. They quickly separated so that Tabitha could wander the ballroom along the edges in order to get a good look at everyone. Tonight she was Selena's eyes and ears while Selena played that life and death game that Moira Queen and Isabel Rochev had started four months ago.

Selena's own dress was red with beaded silk along her bosom, bottom, and frontal region, while the rest flowed over her figure in a red sheer fabric. Her entire figure a shadowy outline with little left to the imagination. The dress was elegant, sexy, but still managed not to be slutty. Perhaps it was how she wore it? Her own mask had been painted on with black and a dark sparkling blood red around her eyes and brow line.

She quickly found herself dancing with a wealthy old fart that couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself, all the while unaware of the dark pair of eyes that were fixed on her from a dark corner of the room.

"See anything you like?" asked Isabel as she seductively sauntered over to Mr. Wayne in a bright sequined silver dress that was nothing but over the top and gaudy.

"Ms. Rochev, I believe," replied Bruce as he stood as stiffly as possible hoping to give Isabel a clear idea of the fact that her seduction was not going to work on him.

"Oh, Queen Consolidated and Wayne Enterprises will soon be merged. We're almost family, there's no need to be so formal."

"You sound confident that I will agree to the merger."

"You wouldn't have come here otherwise, plus you're an intelligent business man. You know a good…deal…when you see one, and I doubt you'd pass up such an opportunity," said Isabel in a suggestive manner as she trailed a finger down his arm. "What do you think of our party?"

"Shallow. Presumptuous." At his words, Isabel's cunning made up face fell. "And as to your assumption bout the merger…the answer is no."

"I don't quite understand what you mean by…"

"Did you know that all the project patents in your Applied Sciences Department – the ones I was truly interested in getting my hands on – were invented by one Ms. Smoak? You probably did. But what you fail to realize is that due to the fact that all of Ms. Smoak's projects are patents, they belong to the company only so long as she remains with the company. When she quite you lost the only appeal that Queen Consolidated had. As such, there is nothing you or your company has that I want. And I want Felicity Smoak." Isabel seemed speechless at his words. Speechless and furious. "Like I told Mr. Queen when Ms. Smoak quite. You lost your greatest asset. Good evening Ms. Rochev."

Bruce Wayne made his way to Felicity and her dance partner just in time seeing as the old fart's hand was making its way to her back side. "Mind if I cut in?" The old man wandered off a bit disappointed while Felicity gave Wayne a look of annoyance. "Oh, you aren't happy to see me."

"I figured you'd be too distracted with Isabel Rochev." Felicity tried to resist him but in the end he pulled her into his arms and led her into a slow sensual waltz. Her right hand had curled itself over his shoulders as she unconsciously placed her hand at the base of his neck and raked her nails through the hair at his nape. She felt the shiver go through his body as he pulled her closer until their bodied were perfectly lined up. He mumbled something and she could have sworn he said, "A perfect fit."

"You sound jealous," said Wayne as he smiled hopefully. His own right hand held her left as his left arm encircled her waist.

"Not in a million years."

"Who's your partner?" asked Wayne as he motioned with a tilt of his head towards her elderly ex-dance partner.

"Potential mark. His wife is in Ibetsa, but she left her black diamonds behind, though."

Wayne smiled at her slip-up. "It's pronounced, Ibetha. You wouldn't want these people figuring out you're a crook not a social climber no would you?"

"You think I care what anyone in this room thinks of me?" asked Selena in an air of insult.

"I doubt you care what anyone in any room thinks of you," said Wayne as he tried to be more reassuring.

"Please don't condescend me Mr. Wayne. You don't know anything about me."

"Well, Felicity Smoak, I know you created a false identity, namely Selena Kyle, to keep your…little secret…and I know that there is most certainly more to you than meets the eye," he said it all in a rough whisper against the shell of her ear.

"How-How did you…"

"Take a wild guess," said Wayne, purposefully using his Batman voice. He felt her stiffen and then shiver as she made the same connection that he had.

She now knew. He was Batman.

"What do you plan on doing with me now that you've figured out my little secret?"

While he knew she hadn't intended her words to sound or even convey seduction, he was seduced nonetheless. Everything about her seduced him. "Nothing at all, except perhaps, to ask for your help. I have some contacts in the criminal world and something big is about to happen. I don't know what, how, or who will be involved…but it's going to be big. And when it is time to fight, I'd feel much better with at my side."

"And what makes you think I'll agree?"

"Because, I need you. Whether it was your intention or not, you've captured me completely, and I want you by my side…not behind me…not beneath me; you're my equal. I would accept nothing less." Wayne's words held truth in them, but Felicity still worried about his intentions. After all, she'd been fooled before.

"Please, don't flirt with me. It has been my experience that when a man like you flirts with a girl like me…it's just so you can get what it is that you want."

"I don't anything from you, just…you. I may want you physically, so much so that I ache for you, but I respect you too much to seduce you like a common womanizer. You're a very beautiful woman, any red blooded male could tell you that. Your mind is what turn me on the most," said Wayne with a low growl.

Felicity had to fight back her warring emotions as the truth and emotion behind his words. She was jerked out of her thoughts when his hand gently spanned her pale throat and began to unhook the pearls.

"Now, despite the fact that those pearls do look better on you than they did in my safe, I still can't let you keep them…at least not yet," said Wayne as he pulled the necklace from her neck, letting it slide against her skin sensually. Felicity turned to leave when his hand on her wrist pulled her back to him, his mouth slanting over her in a matter of seconds. When she gasped in shock he plundered her mouth. When he finally relented she let out a faint whimper of protest when his lips left hers before she regained her senses and walked off briskly, leaving behind a very pleased billionair-superhero.

"Hey, y-you scared her off!" complained her elderly ex-dance partner as he tried to chase after her.

Mr. Wayne raised his hand to touch his mouth and was pleased to see the faint red smudges of her lipstick come away on his thumb and forefinger. "Not likely.

Meanwhile, a certain Sara Lance, who had worn a very unoriginal pale yellow dress to the ball, had been engrossed with the scene just ten feet away from her. She had recognized Selena Kyle from the pictures of the file that Felicity had given to Digg and Oliver. But that was not what had her attention, no. It was the three faint – barely there – scars that showed in the flickering chandelier light of the ballroom that had grabbed her attention. The same scars that she had noticed on Felicity after she had helped sew up her bullet wound after she had faced off Tockman.

It couldn't be! Felicity…Selena…slowly Sara's mind began to put together the pieces when someone conveniently bumped into her.

"Well, if it isn't the little birdie come home. Hello, Canary," said Tabitha as she starred down the younger smaller woman.

Sara was shocked as she took in the appearance of Tabitha White – the White Tiger – the same woman who had escorted Felicity…Selena. Things were very clearly not what they appeared to be.

"I trust you'll be discrete. You wouldn't want to do my friend anymore damage then you already have," said Tabitha in a firm voice as she gave Sara a knowing look. Her first priority had been to protect her charge, Talia, and that was exactly what she was doing. She didn't give Sara time to answer before she left.

Meanwhile, Thea was doing everything she could to avoid her mother before Moira had so rudely yanked her daughter into an empty room. "Thea, please tell what it is that is bothering you. I am your mother and if you are keeping something from me then…"

"That is really rich coming from you, of all people," retorted Thea in harsh voice filled with tears that were threatening to choke her.

"What…"

"I know, mom! I know the truth," said Thea. Everything about Moira froze as she took in what her daughter was telling her. "Now, if you don't mind I'd like to go home…with Roy." Thea left Moira standing there as she hastily left with a worried Roy following in her wake.

Bruce Wayne had decided to leave the ball just then when he reached into his pocket and found that his valet ticket was gone. Felicity. He turned to the Valet at the front doors of Queen Consolidated and stated, "It appears that I've lost my ticket."

"Your wife said you'd be taking a cab home, sir," replied the Valet.

"My wife?"

He was forced to wait thirty-five minutes until Alfred finally arrived with the Rolls Royce. They were halfway home when Alfred got a text from Fox, who he had asked to track Mr. Wayne's car, giving its location. "Um…Master Wayne, it appears that Mr. Fox has found the location of your car."

"Yes, where is it?" asked Bruce.

"It appears…it appears that she…dumped it into the river…sir," said Alfred.

"She did WHAT?!"

A/n: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please, read and review. I love hearing from you guys. Thank you.