A/N: So, I'd like to take this time to talk a bit about the Finale Episode again. I rewatched it and there were some things that I picked up on the second time around. First off: the Bruce and Selina scene is still my favorite part of the episode by far. My heart just tears itself apart hearing her words of anguish over how she didn't want his protection, she just wanted him. And then the way they leave things which, granted, could've been better but I liked it because it felt more like a comma in their story, not a full stop, like there's more to be seen. It's the way Batman and Catwoman always are and a fitting way to leave off in my opinion.
I wish the finale would've been longer, and, in hindsight, I wish they would've just recast David. Don't get me wrong: I absolutely love David to the deepest parts of my soul. But having an older Bruce Wayne to interact face-to-face with the other characters (particularly Selina) would've made the episode a lot better. It just felt like we didn't see much of him, and we never actually did see Bruce Wayne, just Batman. I appreciate Gotham sticking by its actors, but I think we would've understood had they recast him for an older actor, at least for the Bruce Wayne scenes rather than the Batman shots.
But what do you think? I've seen and heard a lot of unrest from the fandom towards the final episode, basically culminating to: "It was fine, but it could've been so much better." To this, I absolutely agree, but the writers and producers were also working with TV and legal restraints, as well as real people in actors and executives. It sucks for them, but luckily for us non-canon writers, we have no restraints besides our imaginations.
So here's Chapter 34 of Roles Reversed. Hope you enjoy!
Better to Reign in Hell
Selina gasped for air as she came to consciousness.
How long had she been out? Where was she? Was Alfred alright?
Her mind was moving a mile a minute, so much so that she didn't even notice the woman sitting at the other end of the table until she cleared her throat.
"Selina," the woman spoke, her voice cold and raspy.
Her eyes bolted to the head of the table where the voice had come from. Sitting there was a tall, skinny woman with the palest blonde hair Selina had ever seen. She was clearly older, given her gnarled hands and long, fragile structure. However, her face was hidden by a mask. It was white, covered the top half of her face, and greatly resembled an owl.
Selina looked frantically around the room, searching for a man in a black owl mask, the person who'd abducted her. The one whose face she'd seen.
"You wanted to talk," the woman stated, bringing Selina's attention back to her. Selina stared at her, frozen. The woman chuckled and reached up to her face, removing the mask, placing it on the table. "Forgive me," she apologized. Selina got a good look at her face. Like the rest of her, her face was long and bony, worn down from age. "Better?" the woman asked.
Something clicked in Selina's mind. She'd seen this woman before.
"I know you," Selina stated. "I've seen you at Wayne Enterprises events. You've…you've been inside my home."
"My name is Kathryn," the woman said cheerfully. "I represent the group you've asked to speak with."
"You didn't have to hurt Alfred," Selina said.
"He would not have permitted you to meet with us alone," Kathryn replied.
"You tried to kill me," Selina accused, her hand drifting towards her sleeve where her knife was hidden. Or, at least, where it would've been hidden. She'd thrown it at her kidnapper. "You were behind Indian Hill. Hugo Strange was hired by you."
"Is that why you're here, Selina?" Kathryn asked, almost boredly. "To ask questions you already know the answers to?"
Selina took a deep breath. She may've been alone in the room with an elderly woman, but one of those people in the masks could appear at any moment. She needed to stay calm.
"Who are you?" Selina asked. "What do you call yourselves?"
"Our name is unimportant," Kathryn stated. "Now," she started, rolling away from the table and starting towards where Selina was sitting. Yes, rolling, the woman was in a wheelchair. "You made a threat," Kathryn continued. "Referring to evidence you'd uncovered of our existence. We would like to know what you found."
Selina suddenly realized the position she was in. Even if she was at the mercy of the people in the black owl masks, they'd brought her here not to threaten her, but to know what she knew.
Thereby, she was in the position of power.
"Nothing fully certain," she drawled. She scoffed. "Until now."
"A bluff," Kathryn concluded.
Selina shook her head. "No. You're not as good as you think you are. I mean, you let a teenage girl find you. It wasn't even that hard. So no, it wasn't just a bluff. The more I studied my company's doings, the more there were things that could only be explained by your existence. Still," she drawled, kicking her feet up on the table and picking at her fingernails, "I had to know for sure. Now I do. Thank you, Kathryn."
"And what now?" Kathryn asked. "According to you, we tried to kill you once."
Selina rolled her eyes. "I began all this because I wanted to solve my parents' murder. Six months ago, I concluded your organization responsible. And I was correct."
Kathryn smiled. "Partially, yes, you were."
That comment completely derailed Selina's confidence train. "Partially?" she asked. "How so?"
Kathryn sighed. "Stand up, child. Walk with me." Selina did so, walking along with Kathryn as they made their way out of the main room.
They entered a long, twisting hallway, the walls decorated with portraits of men and women, all wearing owl masks, some of which looked ancient and battered.
"Selina…do you know who we are?" Kathryn asked. "How we run things?"
"You infiltrate the largest, most influential groups in society."
Kathryn nodded. "Yes, that is true, but I mean something different. Do you know how we run things amongst ourselves?" Selina furrowed her brow, not offering an answer. Kathryn nodded, drawling, "I suspected such. You see, Selina, up until recently our…group has operated in a monarchy system. Alexander the Great, Caesar, Napoleon, all were conquerors and all were members of our organization. We are not only from Gotham, we originated thousands of years ago at the dawn of civilization. We've been a guiding force throughout the ages, keeping civilization from tearing itself apart. Through all of that time, one man or woman has led our group, advised by the other members but nonetheless acting with complete authority."
Selina couldn't help but ask, "What changed?"
Kathryn sighed. "A man took power of our organization, a cruel, vile man. You ask if our group killed your parents," she said, stopping and taking Selina's hand in her own. "Yes, we did. But it was his decision, not ours. We warned him of what would happen, of how turning on our own would only bring about destruction, but he didn't listen."
Selina yanked her hand away. "One of your own?" she asked, her pulse starting to quicken. "What do you–"
Kathryn sighed again, remorse and regret apparent in her eyes. "There is something you should see."
She wheeled off down the hallway and Selina followed, if a little hesitantly. They walked and walked, passing dozens of portraits until they reached several that looked brand new. Kathryn suddenly stopped, pointing a long, bony finger at one of the paintings.
Selina shook her head in utter disbelief. He was wearing a mask, but she knew who it was. She'd never forget those eyes.
"Selina…" Kathryn started, placing a tentative hand on her arm. She didn't pull away this time. "Your father was a great man. He believed that we could change Gotham, protect it from its inevitable destruction. And he died for it."
Selina was speechless. In the past few hours, her entire world had been turned on its head. It felt like everything was falling into place while simultaneously falling to pieces.
Kathryn waited silently until Selina finally asked, "Who was he, the man who killed my father?"
Kathryn shook her head. "We don't speak his name here. None of us are proud of what we did, what we didn't do." She sighed, suddenly looking decades older. "We should have moved against him after your father was killed, but we didn't. Turning against our own would only destroy us, ruin Gotham. Then…the Indian Hill escape occurred on his watch, and he was removed."
"Is he dead?" she asked, almost in a whisper.
"No," Kathryn said gravely. "But he wishes he could be." She took Selina's hand, saying, "I am truly sorry we could not contact you sooner. We have nothing but the best intentions for this city, and for you."
"So…" Selina started slowly. "Does that mean…my parents…"
"Are avenged," Kathryn finished. "Yes. Their killer has received a fate far worse than any death, I guarantee you."
The realization hit her in a crashing wave. It was over. The man who'd shot her parents was dead, and the man who'd hired him was suffering far worse. Her parents were avenged. She almost felt relieved. Her investigation into Indian Hill had scared the man into moving the inmates, allowing the breakout. So, in a way, she'd directly caused his demise. She hadn't pulled the trigger, but she'd loaded the gun.
"Come now, child," Kathryn said. "We have other things to discuss."
Selina followed her back down the hallway and into the main room, taking the seat directly next to her rather than halfway down the table like she had originally been.
Kathryn started, "So, do you understand now? That our organization, in its current state, is not to blame."
Selina nodded slowly. "Yes, I do. But there are other things…"
"Such as?" Kathryn asked.
"Bruce Kyle," Selina stated, looking around the room again for a man dressed in black. "Is he…"
Kathryn shook her head. "I'm sorry, Selina. All will be explained, eventually. I am truly sorry for our secrecy, but everything we have been doing has been to protect you."
"I don't need protection," Selina said quickly.
Kathryn nodded. "Yes, Selina, I can see that now. So, I will make you a deal: if you agree to cease your investigations into our group, we will ensure the safety of you, your butler, and the boy. You would be under our wing of protection, all three of you."
Selina thought it over. If everything Kathryn had said was true, if none of them were inherently responsible for her parents' deaths, then what would be the point of investigating them further in the first place? And if Bruce and Alfred's safety could be ensured for no real cost, then what was the harm? What was the price? But there had to be one. Nothing was free, especially not something like this. But would the price be worth it?
She sighed and slowly nodded. "I accept your offer."
Kathryn smiled. "I'm happy to hear that, truly. But before you go, there is something I want you to have." She held out her hand and a man in black appeared from the shadows. Selina hadn't even realized he was there. The man handed her one of the white owl masks, and then turned and vanished into the shadows again.
Kathryn placed the mask on the table in front of Selina. "This was your fathers," she said. "He wore it with pride. And hopefully, when you're ready, you'll wear it, too. Until we meet again, Selina Wayne."
A hand clamped down on her mouth and everything went black, again.
When she woke up, she was back in her bed at the Manor. She slowly sat up, looking around the room. She reached for her sleeve and found that her knife had been returned, exactly where she kept it.
She scanned the room several times, searching for signs of a break-in. Yet, everything was where it was supposed to be.
Other than the white owl mask on her nightstand. She heard footsteps bustling down the hallway. On instinct, she grabbed the mask and shoved it into the nightstand drawer, closing it just as the doors slammed open.
"SELINA!?" Alfred yelled, charging into her bedroom with a panicked expression. "Oh, thank God," he said, wrapping his arms around her. She could feel him shaking.
She hugged him and patted him on the back, saying, "I'm fine, Alfred, I'm okay."
"What happened? Where did they take you?"
"A woman named Kathryn wanted to talk to me," she said.
"About?"
Selina took a deep breath. "She said their group wasn't responsible for my parents' deaths. That they'd been under the control of a bad man, that he'd been responsible for everything. They said…they said my father was one of them." She looked up at Alfred whose gaze had dropped to the floor. "Did you know?"
Alfred shook his head. "I had my suspicions, but no. I did not know."
Selina sighed. "They gave me a deal: I stop investigating them in exchange for their protection. I-I took it."
Alfred nodded. "Are you okay?"
Selina shook her head slowly. "I don't know. It's…it's over. All of it." She looked up at Alfred. "What happens now?"
Alfred sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders. "That is entirely up to you. What would you like to do?"
She blinked hard. Her entire world had just come to a screeching halt. Wasn't this what she'd wanted? Wasn't this the peak of the hill she'd spent the last three years of her life climbing? She'd spent three years dreaming of this day.
And not once had she stopped to think of what she'd do when it came.
"However, I think I know where you should start," Alfred started. "Call him."
Selina looked up slowly, her eyes rapidly changing from confusion to a suppressed rage. "Yes, Alfred. I think I will call him." She quickly stood up and marched down the hallway to the kitchen phone, leaving a very, very confused Alfred behind. "He has a lot of explaining to do…"
She reached into her back pocket, pulling out the slip of paper with Bruce's phone number on it. She typed it in and waited, tapping her foot rapidly. It only rang for a few seconds before going straight to voicemail, Bruce's voice saying, "Can't talk right now, leave a message after–"
Selina slammed the phone down, not bothering to finish listening to the recorded message.
She took a deep breath. She needed to calm down. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this. Had he ever failed her?
Well…yes. Several times. But he hadn't done it recently.
She dialed the phone number for the Gym, where Bruce had lived for most of his childhood. As it rang, she prayed that he would be there. If he was in the ring, he wouldn't have had his phone on him. That would explain why he hadn't picked up earlier.
The phone rang and rang and finally it picked up, but it wasn't Bruce on the other end. It wasn't Ted either, although it sounded like him.
"Henry Grant Boxing Gym, how can I help you?" a gruff, deep voice asked.
Selina did a double-take. "Um…hi. Is Bruce Kyle there?" she asked hesitantly.
"No. Who is this?"
"I'm his friend, Selina," she answered. "Do you know where he is?"
"No idea," Henry barked. "He moved out months ago."
Selina blinked a few times. Why hadn't Bruce mentioned that? "Okay…do you know where he is? Who did he move in with?"
"Some friend of his. Had an odd sort of name, Silver or Platinum or–"
"Sterling?" Selina asked.
"Yeah, that's the one. Why do you–?"
"Thank you," Selina interrupted, abruptly hanging up the phone and marching off down the hall.
Alfred had emerged from her room, slowly walking towards her. "Everything alright?" he asked.
Selina curtly nodded, quickly saying, "Fine. Can you drive me into the city?"
He cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because my options are you or a taxi," she stated. "And most cabbies can't give change for a hundred."
Alfred sighed. "Alright. Would you like a snack before we–?"
Selina was already halfway down the hallway, going into her room and slamming the door before he could finish.
She went to her closet and pulled on the outfit she'd worn to the Narrows the day prior, switching her grey fleece jacket for a leather one. She pulled up her hood and perched her welding goggles on top of it. She'd blend in fine in the Narrows.
She walked back to her bedroom door, but paused, remembering the owl mask she'd shoved in her nightstand drawer. She removed it, running back to her closet. She pulled the carpet off to the side and removed a loose floorboard. She used to keep her street clothes there so Alfred wouldn't throw them out. She placed the owl mask inside and put the board back, pulling the carpet over it.
Could she tell Alfred about the mask, Kathryn's real offer? Would that count as breaking their deal?
She sighed, relenting that she'd tell Alfred eventually. This was all still too new. She'd learn the fine details of their agreement as she went along.
But in the meantime, she had a monster hunter to find.
Alfred let her out at the Narrows, making her promise to stay safe. She said that she'd try. He promised that he'd be a few block away at the most, and told her to call him if anything went wrong. Selina nodded and he drove off.
She wished she didn't have to lie to him, but she knew for a fact that things were going to go wrong, especially with where she was going.
Of the people she knew in the Narrows, Zee hadn't been around for a long time, she didn't know Bruce's friend Floyd very well, and Ted was off at the GCPD. But there was one more. And desperate times called for desperate measures. She walked north towards the Flea.
It was time for her to have a chat with Jack Napier.
Nothing had changed in the mall since she'd first arrived in the Narrows, three years earlier. Old couches were strewn about the room, low rock music was blaring over the speakers, towards the back were rows and rows of dingy, ragged clothes, with a couple of nice items sprinkled about. She walked past all of it, heading towards the back staircase.
Jack's office was several stories up, the balcony looking out over the large room that made up the street mall. There was no door to his office, no security, no one had even questioned her. But then again, who would want to cross him? He was just skin and bones, but he had a vicious streak that would've landed anyone in Blackgate for life. That is, anyone who wasn't Jack Napier. If she didn't hate him so much, she'd be impressed by his ability to remain in power. He'd somehow maintained control of the Flea through Falcone and Maroni's war, Penguin's first rule, Gilzean's short-lived regime, and Penguin's second rule. Through all of it, he'd correctly picked which side to take in every fight.
His hair had gotten longer, cascading over his face and shoulders. It was greasy and matted against his scalp, a single strand of it hanging down in his face. His eyes were dark and sunken, his gaze transfixed on the documents and folders scattered across the desk.
She cleared her throat expectantly and his eyes shot up from the papers.
A long, wicked smile crept across his face. "Selina Wayne…wow," he muttered. "Been a while."
She gave a restrained smile. "Yes. It has."
A moment of silence passed before Jack slammed a small, black notebook shut and stuffed it away in his jacket. "Where are my manners? Please, have a seat."
"I'm fine, thanks," Selina told him, her feet remaining firmly planted to where she stood. "I need a favor."
He nodded. "Of course. Anything for a friend."
Selina winced slightly, slowly responding, "If you see Bruce around, can you tell him I'm looking for him? It's not a big deal, he just…said he'd call me and he never did."
Jack tilted his head to the side. "Interesting…" he muttered. "You don't think something happened to him, do you? I mean, his 'new job' is not one for the faint of heart. Has he told you about it?" he asked, his demeanor and tone suggesting there was something she didn't know.
Her jaw clenched. Jack was a creep. He would do anything to try and rile her up. He was just trying to get a rise out of her.
Yet…she was curious.
"You mean him hunting down Strange's monsters?" she asked in an unassuming tone.
Jack smiled, slowly shaking his head. "No. I meant the other one."
Selina's hand absently drifted towards her sleeve. "What 'other one'?" she asked, taking a step towards Jack.
He studied her for a few moments, a sinister glint in his cold eyes. Selina stared back. She wasn't gonna back down to this creep, not if he knew something that she didn't. She'd faced a hell of a lot worse than Jack Napier. Still, her blood was boiling.
Finally, he sighed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. He looked out over the Flea and shrugged, casually saying, "Oh, they're just rumors, the jobs he's done. The things he's done." He chuckled and she felt her pulse start to quicken. "Now, I'm not one for rumors, but some of them, well…they're pretty damn convincing."
Selina snapped.
In one swift movement, she leapt over the table, roughly took a fistful of his collar, and pressed her knife up to his throat. "Tell me," she hissed.
Jack hadn't even flinched. In fact, he seemed amused. He clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "It's not my place to say."
"I'll kill you if you don't," she snarled.
Jack gave her another long, wicked smile. He blatantly looked her up and down, musing, "My, my, someone grew up, didn't they?"
She pressed the knife down harder.
He rolled his eyes. "Like I said, they're just rumors. But I did hear he was working for someone in the Underworld."
"Penguin?" she asked. Bruce had worked for Penguin on and off again for almost two years.
Jack shook his head. "Nah. Supposedly he's working for someone a hell of a lot worse than Cobblepot."
"Who?"
"Never got a name," he said. "Never asked. But, like I said, they're just rumors. And if you don't believe me, why don't you ask him? Don't you trust him?"
Selina glared at him. She had half a mind to split his throat open like a geyser right then and there. But she had to let him go. Killing him now wouldn't do her any good. She reluctantly slid her knife back into her sleeve, whipped around and stalked off.
Jack rubbed his neck, shouting as she left, "Can't wait till next time, Kitty-Cat!"
Selina ignored him, storming out of the street mall with her gaze set far in front of her. Her mind was going a mile a minute. What 'new job' had Jack been talking about? Was Jack lying? Was Bruce lying? What kind of rumors were floating about? Were they true? If they were true, then why hadn't Bruce told her?
To be honest, the worst part of the whole thing wasn't the possibility of him being some masked body-guard/assassin for a shady group that controlled Gotham. She didn't care about that. The worst part of it all was the possibility of him lying to her.
They didn't lie to each other. They just didn't. Not after all that they'd gone through.
Her feet unconsciously carried her out of the building and onto the streets. She was paying no mind to where she was going, walking straight through people if they didn't get out of her way.
Then, someone grabbed her arm, pulling her from her semi-conscious state. She whipped around, reaching for her knife. A yell of defiance died in her throat.
Bruce was staring back at her, waving his free hand in front of her face.
"Hello?" he asked. "Earth to Cat? You okay?"
She blinked a few times, not entirely sure if what she was seeing was real. She took note of the long scar stretching from his ring-finger knuckle down his wrist. It disappeared into his jacket sleeve, but she knew the mark went all the way to his elbow. Speaking of his jacket, it was the same one she'd seen him wearing the day prior. It seemed a bit more beat up and battered than it'd been only twenty four hours earlier. The same thing went for Bruce, himself. His face and hands were dirty and he had a light scrape on his neck, not deep enough to draw blood but visible nonetheless. Contrasting his appearance, his lips had a slight uptake and his dimples were starting to appear in his cheeks. The whites of his eyes were tinged pink and underneath them were dark circles. His brow was slightly furrowed and his body language posed one big, obvious question: 'What are you doing here?'
Everything she saw in him, from his casual demeanor to his battered appearance, seemed to contradict everything she'd been assuming over the past minute.
"What're you doing here?" he asked, removing his hand from her arm.
Selina blinked several times, her brain seeming to shut down when she needed it the most. "Um…I…you…um…" she spluttered. What was she supposed to say? Finally, she took a deep breath, crossed her arms and stuck out her hip, complaining in her best winy-teenage-girl voice, "You said you'd call me."
He smiled sheepishly, scratching the scruff of his neck. "Yeah, sorry about that. A friend needed my help on a job. I just got back, actually."
"From where?" she asked a little too quickly.
He gave her a wary look and slowly replied, "Bludhaven."
Selina knew she needed to rein it in, but her head was too all over the place to care. "What were you doing?"
Bruce chuckled slightly as his eyes dropped to the ground. He shook his head, saying, "Details aren't worth going into. I'm sorry I didn't call. I should've let you know. It just slipped my mind. We were out all night and into the morning."
She wanted more details on this 'job' he was talking about, but everything else seemed to signal that he was telling the truth. And he certainly wasn't acting like he'd seen her see him kidnapping her.
A million explanations started running through her mind at a mile a minute, each one crazier than the last. She stopped herself somewhere between Bruce sleep-walking or him being brainwashed.
Something bad was happening. She could feel it. Bruce, or someone who looked scarily similar to Bruce, had fought Alfred and abducted her last night. Yet, the main suspect was standing right across from her, claiming that he'd been in Bludhaven all night working with a friend. All evidence seemed to point towards that being true.
The person who'd attacked her hadn't been wearing Bruce's jacket, so if it had been Bruce who'd attacked her then when and how had that happened to the jacket? And it wasn't like they'd fought outside in the dirt and mud. They'd fought in the Manor, and it'd been a pretty one-sided affair at that.
There were too many loose ends missing to conclude Bruce had been the one who'd abducted her.
So, she wouldn't bring it up. She didn't have enough information to make a logical conclusion. Based on the data she currently had, there were too many holes and leaps of faith to guarantee a single answer, the real answer.
Selina nodded slowly. "Okay. Well, you look like shit. You want me to walk you home?"
Bruce shrugged, chuckling. "Sure thing, Cat. Are we going street-level or rooftop?"
She arched an eyebrow. "Is that even a real question?" she asked as she took off towards the nearest fire escape. "Race you?" she called, already halfway up the first ladder.
He smiled, jogging after her. "Loser buys dinner?"
"Of course," she replied, picking up her pace as she saw Bruce increase his.
She didn't know what was going on with him. She didn't know what was going on with the mysterious group that ran Gotham. Until she did know about such things, she'd just have to sit back and watch.
She'd get to the bottom of this, no matter the cost.
Bruce Kyle was at stake.
A/N: Sorry for the longer-than-normal delay between chapters, but a lot has been going on this past week and a half. I've been taking this time to hammer out some of the final details in the plotline for Season 3, and now that that's finally finished I can really start picking up the pace. Season 3 won't be nearly as long as Season 2 was, but there will be a lot of my own original ideas rather than just alternate retellings of the canon events. In fact, most of the back-half of this Season is original, especially since I just recently realized that my original Joker character has barely had any time in the spotlight and he's supposed to pull the No Man's Land event in just two seasons time. To aid this character growth, I'm going to write a completely Jack Napier-centric chapter in the near future (which will be the first time in this series that I've written a perspective character besides Bruce or Selina). You'll get to see some of what he's been planning, in particular what was in that small, black notebook he tucked away in his jacket.
But that'll all reveal itself in due time. I hope you enjoyed and, if you did or have any comments/questions/concerns, please make sure to Review! Your feedback means the world to me. Thanks for reading and ciao for now!
Side note: I may randomly go back to the earliest chapters of this series and rewrite them to get them up to par with the new chapters. If I do, I'll publish them on the same day as a new chapter so you won't get a fake update alert. Just wanted to give y'all a heads up.
