Back in the present, Batman looked at her, his hand gripping her wrist, "I don't trust you. I do respect you, yes, but trusting you is the problem...You say that you've been interested in me, but you don't know me...You played with me so many times...", in a low voice, letting go of her wrist, and walked away to another corner.
A few minutes passed, and Catwoman spoke softly, "I...Bat, being Catwoman, everyone expects me to be flirtatious and attractive and mischievous and a trickster at times...I wasn't the first woman, was I?", showing that she isn't going anywhere.
Batman still didn't turn around to look at her, "No...My civilian identity...I was betrayed and used...She kidnapped me...she put my family under threat...I was forced to watch her do everything imaginable in manipulating me to go along into doing the act and beyond.".
"Did...did...?", Catwoman shakily asked, and Batman replied, "No...It took all the mental strength and all everything I learned to resist her, but at times, it was hard...She eventually became frustrated and angry...".
"Well, hey, I ain't exactly that type of girl, trying to go after families and such... I think these past few months have shown with this whole cat and rat with wings game we've played proved who I am at least.", Catwoman said.
"A petty catburglar.", Batman responded. Catwoman rolled her eyes. He wasn't exactly wrong but felt to her a bit stereotypical. "But no; you've obviously showed that you're much different than her. We managed to escape her before she truly tried anything. And she paid for her crimes with her life.".
"Didn't think you were one to do that sort of thing. Killing isn't exactly your MO.", Catwoman pointed out. "Well, I wasn't the one who ended her life; a fellow prisoner with us was the one who did it when he blew up himself, her and her entire organization.", Batman said.
Catwoman exhaled, "Good on you, Bat...You can trust me; it isn't like I can tell anybody that I literally talk with Batman casually between getting caught at times and being chased all over Gotham at times.".
"Well, that's one point there...But I still don't trust you...All those times you played with me, it brought her back into nightmares, even if she was dead...", Batman replied, still watching out over the district.
Catwoman was surprised, and frowned before widening her eyes as an idea came to her, and she took a deep breath, and replied, "Turn around, please, Bat...", and Batman exhaled, "I'm on patrol, Catwoman.".
"Batman, turn around, please!", Catwoman asked pleadingly, and Batman grunted before turning around, and his lenses widen in surprise yet controlled calm as Catwoman had removed her googles, revealing her beautiful hazel eyes as she spoke softly, "If this isn't trust, I don't know what it is...My name is Selina Kyle.".
"I know.", Batman said. "For the past few weeks. You're not exactly subtle with those animal sanctuaries you sponsor; especially when you pose with nothing but cats.", he gave a light huff as she bit her lip and shook her head.
"Knew I should've posed with a mutt or two...", Selina muttered, and she then took a deep breath, "Okay, fine; there we go... you know who I am; have known for a bit... yet you never had me arrested? Why?".
"Because you are a good person behind that mask...You mostly rob the greedy to help the poor, you feed stray cats, and you never went after families and such. You can't help being attracted to bling and such which I can't blame you for, but you sometimes hurt museums and jewelry stores when the owners are trying to make money themselves.", Batman explained, and Selina smiled until her eyes widened as she jolted at the last part Batman said.
"But I never murder them or anything!", Selina replied in protest, and Batman replied, "True, but you technically did murder them in the hearts...Not every jewelry store owner is greedy nor the museums themselves when they want to show people the amazing history of the world...".
Selina exhaled deeply and frowned, sighing, "I...I never...I never thought about it like that...It's just...It isn't like I have the best tech to research everybody like you do, Gotham's best detective.".
"Sometimes I forget that myself at times...", Batman admitted. Some folks were easier to know if they were bad than others. Quite a number of places were still fronts for Gotham's crime families but some of them were just more innocent folks who didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Honest intentions but the crime families were not one to take no as an answer so in between a rock and a hard place.
"Well, look, sometimes I can't help myself with especially the cat things; I feel like I'd give them better appreciation than where they normally are.", Selina said.
"So, I've noticed, I've seen your penthouse... paid for mostly through much of your stolen success?", Batman asked with a hum.
"Hey, those guys I stole from had it coming, okay? There were no innocent bystanders getting caught in the middle. Trust me, I started out with nothing; I haven't forgotten the plight of the less than fortunate. I just decided to play by my own rules in terms of making it out.", Selina huffed and crossed her arms.
Batman exhaled, looking at her, realizing that her world is different than he originally thought...considering that he was born into a world of privileges, due to his family name, but Selina...His mother would get along famously with her, that's for sure...
He gave a little smile, something she never officially received before as he spoke, "You've earned my trust, but only a bit...It's a start, but you can manage that, can't you?", and Selina smirked, "Hey, believe me, a bit is better than nothing, Bat.".
Batman chuckled before his commlink rang, and he pressed it, "Yes?", and he nodded, "On my way.", before taking his hand off, and glanced at Selina, "I better get going. Somebody robbed a mom-and-pop store.".
Selina smirked, "Go knock them dead. I'll see you around, Bat.", before putting her googles back on and swagged her hips as she was about to use her whip out to head out when Batman took a deep breath, "Catwoman!", and she looked back in curiosity.
"Wanna help me out?", Batman took the chance to leap metamorphically, and Catwoman grinned, "What are we waiting for, then?", and Batman gave a slightly bigger smile as they then went into the direction of the call, and so, occasionally, to any other night, the bat and cat duo partnered up into the next week.
Catwoman groaned with delight as she sat on the edge of a rooftop next to Batman, "Those are the best chicken nuggets I ever ate! Never took you for a person with snacks for patrol, Bat.", as it's now many nights later.
"Thought you'd appreciate some energy for the incoming workout in this patrol. A friend of mine is a chef, and he's usually more for the finer things, but occasionally, he goes for doing fast food his way.", Batman hummed as he ate his share of chicken nuggets.
Catwoman teased, "Not because cats eat birds and fish, hmm?", and Batman gave a chuckle, "That, too, but glad to see that you like them.". Catwoman nodded, and they ate their snack for some minutes, cleaning their hands with mini wet wipes and napkins before putting their gloves back on.
"You got a spot of ketchup right there.", Batman noticed, and Catwoman, to her motif, used her tongue to lick around her lips, searching for the spot as Batman replied, "No, not there, over there, almost there...Here, let me help.", reaching out to touch her cheek, sweeping the spot of ketchup with his finger, and Catwoman licked it, cleaning his gloved finger.
Batman froze as Catwoman paled, apologizing, realizing that she must have accidentally acted like the woman who hurt him before, "I'm sorry, I just reacted, Bat! I'm sorry!", blaming herself as she is definitely losing his trust, his trust she gained over bits and leaps over the past week.
"I-It's alright...", Batman said as she took a deep breath to calm down upon hearing that. "Apologizes... I... I got a bit too carried away there. I... I feared I was acting like... her...", Catwoman admitted as Batman nodded.
"No, I get it... she... she never did anything like that. I wonder how it would've been had she acted more... well, attempting to romance me first rather than getting to others in my family.", Batman explained.
"Oh, she didn't even bother trying to seduce you? Heh, her loss.", Catwoman smirked as he gave a small nod, "Her loss.". He then glanced out towards the dark horizon of the city, "The city looks almost beautiful from up on high; the filth and nastiness almost a forgotten thing...".
Catwoman hummed, "Yeah...The lights sure do wonders, yet when they turn off with sunrise approaching...it's everything...", and Batman exhaled, "Sunset brings fear to the criminal underworld, sunrise brings hope to the innocent people...".
"My, my, looks like I learn more than one thing about you every night...never took you as a poet...", Catwoman chuckled, and Batman looked back at her, "Not really. More of a reader...".
Catwoman smirked, "Ah, I see...Let me guess, you're a fan of Shakespeare...No, Dickinson...that's not it, oh, Poe!", and Batman chuckled deeply, "Good guesses, but it's actually Homer...He's an ongoing mystery, and his works are part fable yet part poetry...My favorite is Odysseus.".
"Really? I had to admire that wife of his, Penelope...I mean, brash, ridiculous, dangerous men taking over her home while having to wait with hope for Odysseus for years! That's damn pure romantic, if you ask me...through I don't know if I can do that...", Catwoman mused.
"Telling off several men and kicking them out of your home? That's nothing for you.", Batman snorted with a smirk, and Catwoman chuckled, "Definitely, but that's not what I mean...", glancing up at him a bit with a blush.
Batman furrowed his mouth a bit before his lenses widened, realizing now what she meant, knowing that in the fable/poetry of the Odysseus, Penelope waited 20 years, and yet he recalled that last week when she said that she was interested in him since that day they met, and he jolted slightly as he realized that she was telling the truth...
He whispered softly, "How did you mean by when you said that you were interested in me?", and Catwoman looked at him, "I wasn't just attracted by your hunky, fitting physique, Bat...I was attracted by you keeping up with me in either words or actions...I was attracted by your mysterious personality, your morals, and even the sweet way you helped a lost kid or two. I know it will take some time to gain your full trust, to get to see your true face behind that mask, but I can wait patiently for some time longer, as long as we are friends, eh?".
"We are friends, Selina...", Batman whispered, and Catwoman looked at him in surprise as her heart skipped, not expecting that he'd say her true name for the first time, and Batman's hand touched her cheek again, hesitated for a second or two before his finger brushed her lips gently.
Her eyes fluttered as she shivered slightly at the tender action, looking at Batman, her hands slowly touching his chest, tracing the bat emblem, not pushing him or pulling him in as her hands went higher to nestle around his neck, and Batman leaned in, tilting his head as if asking for permission, and she gave a small nod.
Their lips met as they felt almost a shock of pleasure shoot through their bodies. Selena certainly had quite a few men in her 24 years of life but almost all of them were means to an end in relationships. But with Batman; the mysterious allure of him was something else entirely. Her hands continued to run along his chest, feeling every sculpted crevasse that she was positive was still there even underneath that unique armor of his.
Bruce inwardly was stunned at how it felt, feeling right for some reason as he cradled Selina's cheeks, trying to make the kiss last as long as possible, learning fast before they parted away with light pants.
"That was my first kiss, honestly...", Batman spoke softly in awe, and Catwoman gave a smile, "Really? Well, I couldn't have guessed, especially with how you were learning fast there...".
Batman gave a chuckle and a smile, relieved that she wasn't repulsed by it, and then his commlink rang as he leaned back, giving her an apologetic look as he pressed two fingers to it, "Batman here. WHAT?! Okay, okay, I'm coming!", as he shot up to his feet.
Catwoman looked surprised and worried, "Bat?", and Batman looked at her, "I need your help.", as he drew out his remote for the Batmobile, pressing the button.
"Trouble?", Catwoman asked, and Batman nodded, "I know this isn't the best circumstances, but there's trouble with my family. Do you trust me?", and Catwoman replied, "Do you even have to ask? I'm in.".
Batman took her into his arm, and shot off with his grappler, as she held on, surprised but realized that Batman is intensely focused on helping his family with whatever had happened, and with the command drive, the Batmobile soon came into their surroundings, and they landed into it, with Batman replying, "Hold on!", as seatbelts automatically came over them, and drove out fast.
Catwoman held on, stunned at the speed of the Batmobile, eventually getting used to it, and glanced at Batman, "Tell me the gist.", and Batman replied, "Two armed men, they look like they work for one of the crime families. They must have been rock-climbing the cliffs for a hobby or something earlier today. They found a cave, a cave that leads to a cavern system. Now, I know this sounds out of the norm, but they stole an egg, a living egg of twins, twin children of my sister, from my sister and her boyfriend's nest, after injuring our guard dogs. The outer cavern system beyond the boundaries of my family's cavern system hasn't been mapped, and now, my family is all spread out, searching for them before they get to the cliffs and to where they were tethered to, to their car.", pressing a button for one of the secret entrances to take to the bridge without needing to break the rules in traffic inside the city.
"I take it that your sister's a mutant then?", Catwoman asked as she knew that Gotham got She-Hulk for a vigilante, but there has been rumors that Gotham isn't alone there, like rumors about a speedster or a flying super man in blue.
Batman replied, "Loosely true there, she's...the daughter of She-Hulk.", and Catwoman widened her eyes, "Wait, does that mean you...?".
"Nope, I don't have it, I'm truly human, and I know this is so much to hear, but please believe me, Selina...I...I can't see my family's hearts break again if something happens to the twins in the egg before they hatch properly...", Batman asked. It was like good luck and bad luck happening all over like a roller coaster so damn much lately.
"Alright, alright; got like a dozen questions still but they can wait...", Catwoman said. "Any idea where those guys may have gone? And do you think it was planned or just a coincidence?".
"Probably just a coincidence. They probably think they could sell the egg for a decent price; or just wait to see what hatches and then decide what to do with it...", Batman growled.
Indeed, Batman was right on his theory. Unknown to the Wayne family and the Pennyworth, somewhere beyond the Wayne property, beyond the forbidden signs, is the rest of the cliffs, and those two men worked for the Falcones, and they were given some time off after the past job last week to stay low, so they decided to do some cliff scaling and climbing for fun.
After some time, they found a cave, and of course, like everyone else, had heard about the rumors of treasure, as they knew about the few sunken ships in Gotham Harbor, including a pirate ship that had gotten some treasure into the cliffs by said rumors, which happened some hundred years ago.
So, they went for a try, heading into the cave, and discovered a cavern system, and with flashlights and some rough marks with a knife, they went on, to explore, and perhaps a couple hours in, they became frustrated, tired, and lost, arguing typically when they heard two faint voices.
With guns stocked in their packs, they took them out, tense and silent, taking light steps, hearing the voices getting louder and louder like singing a lullaby, and they turned around a corner, and stopped, seeing a green monster-like crocodile, and they backed away, with one of the men holding up his phone to turn on video mode, peeking around the corner.
The men stared in shock as they watched the video, zooming into what looks like an underground pond cavern, with a huge crocodile man, and to their eyes in disgust and curiosity, is holding into the She-Hulk, with kisses and nuzzles while singing their lullaby, gazing upon a pristine, big egg, probably as big as a pumpkin.