Catwoman: Thalassophobia
A/N: Catwoman, Batwoman, The Drowned, Dolphin, The Sea Devils, and all associated characters and settings are the property of DC Comics and not the author
Chapter 1: Sunk Costs
This is an account of death; not the death of a person, but the death of a world. It was a world that grew wondrously and shone brightly, but whose light was quickly snuffed out. Life on Earth had existed for millions and millions of years, during which creatures would come and go. Humans, emerging less than a million years ago, were the most unique and powerful creatures yet, for they had the power to shape the Earth to their will. Still, despite their intellect and hubris, the Earth remained relatively the same as it did before. It was not until the rise of the metahumans – the ones we foolishly called "superheroes" – that there was something that could truly kill the planet. It took us years to realize this fact - far too long for an intelligent species to realize something so obvious, yet in the life of a planet, it was less than the blink of an eye. It was as if one moment, the world was a beautiful and diverse paradise, and in the next, that paradise disappeared. The masses loved their heroes, until they realized what they really meant for their civilization. And by the time they did, it was too late. They became witnesses to horrors, victims of disasters of unimaginable scale. And in the end, the world fell into darkness. I write this account of our world not out of hope: I doubt anyone will read this that would not be aware of what has happened, nor would they care about my private struggles, as they are not all that unique from anyone else's. Rather, I write out of some duty to whatever is left of humanity – that my act of bearing witness to the destruction of Earth is in of itself necessary and good. It is by no means definitive – Lord knows how that would be even possible in this situation - but it is what I know to be true, and the truth is all we have. Herein lies the story of the Drowned Earth, and how my mates and myself struggled to survive.
- From the Journals of Dana Dorrance
The vision of Gotham City everyone has is pretty accurate: dirty, dank, and depressing. Yet from certain angles, the city could look beautiful. They're the ones with the most modern skyscrapers, and with all of the slums and dilapidated buildings blocked. The Gotham City Bureau of Tourism always use these angles in their ads to convince people to come visit. But the rot, the decay is always there.
One angle they like to use is the north seafront. It's where millionaires and those aspiring to be millionaires like to get on their yachts and party. On a particularly chilly night in during the spring, there was only one such party out at sea. The yacht where it was being held was one of the newest and most spectacular party boats in the world. The ship was very large, able to accommodate dozens of party goers for a night. It also had several cabins in case there were groups who wanted to stay longer. At the stern of the boat was a massive open-air deck that was the main party area. Forward, there was a small ballroom with several rows of chairs lined up. At the back were tables that displayed paintings and pieces of jewelry. While the vast majority of guests were outside, drinking and talking, there were several people still looking what was displayed inside. Included here was a young woman clad in a little black dress. With bright green eyes and short jet-black hair, she had a figure equal parts alluring and intimidating. An attendant nervously walked up to her. "Miss," he said, "the observation period is over. We need to set up for the auction now". Without saying a word, the woman briskly turned and began to leave. To everyone here, she was just another female hanger-on – possibly an escort – rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, trying to get whatever piece of the action she could. But this was totally wrong. The woman was actually one of the most notorious thieves in the world – Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman.
Selina walked out to the deck. Her eyes darted back and forth, like a big cat looking for her prey. Onboard were dozens of men and women representing some of the largest criminal organizations up and down the eastern seaboard. Mingling with them were some C.E.O.s and other rich entrepreneurs, either unaware of the illegality of what was taking place – or very aware. Ostensibly, this function was a charity auction, as people donated jewelry and works of art to be sold, with all the proceeds going to the Fund for Humanity. In reality, the Fund for Humanity was a money laundering front, used by criminals throughout the world as functionally a bank. The sheen of respectability covered layers and layers of legalese and red tape, preventing anyone but the keenest and most dedicated of investigators to figure out what it really was. Of course, anyone who ran in criminal-adjacent circles - like Ms. Kyle - would hear about this organization soon enough. Catwoman had wanted to get her hands on the Fund for years, but could never find an in. When this came along, she saw what could be her only opportunity.
Selina wasn't there to nab any jewels or art – as lovely as they were, it would be rather difficult to take things off the boat without anyone noticing. Rather, she was planning on accessing the fund's secret ledger. The auction would take place with the guests paying in full the money they were planning on depositing. Some of this was pre-planned: certain guests had already determined what they wished to pay into the fund and would receive some overvalued art for their patronage. Regardless, all money would be taken into the fund while they were on the boat. As such, Selina was determined to access the ledger and take the money for herself.
Selina walked to the back of the boat, where a security guard was eyeing the crowd. Not wanting to draw attention, Selina inserted herself into a group of women talking next to him. The women were making small talk, chatting about the latest fashions and celebrity gossip. Soon, a skinny blonde woman in a white dress spotted the interloper.
"Oh heeeeeeeey!" she said, with a fake air of familiarity. "I didn't see you come in". She was Vanessa Pendleton, the daughter of the one of the richest bankers in America. The woman was essentially a professional socialite – and not a particularly interesting one at that. Her goals for her life were just to reap the rewards of her father's gains – legitimate and otherwise – until she died.
"Oh, I just got here," Selina replied, as genially as she could. "I was just looking at some of things up for auction".
"Oh yes," Vanessa replied. "There are so many gorgeous things here. I love the necklace from Atlantis". Sprinkled in among the mediocre paintings and fake jewels were legitimate pieces of art and priceless artifacts. This included a group of things crafted by Atlanteans hundreds of years ago in the deep, dark recesses of the ocean. Never mind how they ended up on this boat, these artifacts were incredibly mesmerizing, and their style was almost alien to most people.
"I don't know," one of Vanessa's friends said. "There's something spooky about them".
"Well, I think that's part of the allure," Selina said.
"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met," the friend said. "Taylor Johnson".
"I'm Belinda Van Nortwick," Selina answered, politely shaking her hand.
Vanessa butted in, "I've known Melinda for quite some time, and she has always been such an adventurous woman".
Selina forced a chuckle. This was literally the first time she and Vanessa ever met. And in addition, 'Belinda' didn't even exist until two weeks ago when she created this identity to get into the auction. Is this just how she goes through life? thought Selina. Pretending to be friendly and in control, while everyone else is too stupid, too polite, or too subservient to call her out?
The small talk continued for a little bit, as Selina saw a waiter with a tray of champagne walk towards them. Here comes my shot, Selina thought. As the waiter approached the group of women, Selina turned her body and flung her arms up, sending the tray up in the air. Pretending to fall, Selina sent the waiter into the security guard. The group fell down, the waiter sandwiched between the partygoer and the guard. Giggling the entire time, Selina reached into the guard's pocket and swiped a keycard. The other women came and helped Selina up as the waiter was left to fend for himself. Another guard and waiter came to help the others up while an older woman came up to the waiter.
"What the hell are you doing, Rodrigo!?" the woman yelled at him. "Can you not control yourself?" Rodrigo tried to explain, but the woman cut him off. "I don't want to hear it!" she yelled. "You are this close to getting deported, so shape up! Get back to the kitchen!"
The waiter meekly walked up to Selina. "I'm so sorry, ma'am," he said before hurriedly walking back to the kitchen. Selina said nothing.
I'm sorry, Rodrigo, she thought, but I needed someone to take the fall to cover my tracks. I'll make it up to you somehow. Selina looked at the other women. "Ladies, I need to go to the restroom. The guy got champagne all over my dress!"
"Oh sure," Vanessa said. "Let me go with you".
"No! No, that won't be necessary, Vanessa," Selina replied. "I'll only be a few minutes". Selina sharply turned and walked away.
Slipping past the other guests and workers, Selina walked down the stairs to the lower deck. She went through a hallway with some doors open and some shut. As she walked slowly to her destination, a couple bumped into her, nearly knocking her over. The two, clearly inebriated, walked through an open door into a bedroom. It was clear to Selina what they were planning on doing. Nevertheless, Selina continued until she got to her target. At the end of the hallway was a plain wooden door with a black pad on it. Selina took the keycard she had swiped, put it against the pad, and when it turned green, quickly went in.
Selina was now in a small, dark room filled with wires and electronics. This was the technological center for the fund's auction, and it was where she needed to be. Selina walked to a port on the wall. She took her handbag and pulled out a makeup compact. Hidden inside was a small USB drive. Selina took the drive and inserted it into the port. The fans of the computers intensified and the lights in the room began blinking. Selina walked over to a monitor. A window popped up, stating an unauthorized program was starting. Selina was only slightly worried; she knew the system would have some sort of protection on it.
Just then, a black window appeared, and lines of code began scrolling at a lightning pace. Selina waited with baited breath. The program on the USB drive was built to override whatever security features the fund's computers had. However, there was no real way of testing it before the night of the auction, so it was still unknown if it would really work. If the program failed here, then her plan was over – and she would be a sitting duck.
Eventually, the black window disappeared, and a new window came up. Selina sighed with relief. Now, the program needed to do its real job. The plan was for it to copy the entire ledger – or at least as much of it as necessary to be effective in this case – and set up this copy as the "real" bank. To everyone on the boat, when they deposit the money, it would appear like they intended. But in reality, the money would be deposited in a fake account Selina created. Once off the boat, Selina would take the money out of the fake account and close it, leaving no trace of where the money had gone. The amount she would garner would be in the millions – and more importantly, it would be out of the hands of the criminals intending to use it to do harm.
Selina looked at the new window. On it was a progress bar slowly ticking upwards. 3%... 4%... 4%... 4%... 5%... Selina left the room. Her job now was to prevent anyone from entering it while the program running. If she was spotted in the room, it would obviously implicate her. But she could try and stop that from happening in the first place.
Selina paced outside the hallway. Most of the guests were still partying upstairs, while the help was cordoned off in other parts of the boat. Occasionally, someone would walk past her, but it was obvious they were not interested in the tech room. When someone appeared, Selina would look around longingly while wobbling slightly, giving the impression of someone who had a bit too much to drink.
Eventually, a security guard walked down the hall. "Excuse me, miss," he said. "Is there a reason you're standing here?"
Selina gave a big smile, her bright red lipstick attracting the guard's eye. "Oh, I'm sorrrry..." she said in an exaggerated voice. "I was just waiting for my boyfriend. He said he'd be here, so we can... you know..."
Selina winked at the guard. The guard began blushing. "Well, that's nice, but we like to keep this area clear if possible".
"Oh, but I thought this was a public area," Selina pouted. She bent forward, hoping to draw attention to her decolletage. "I saw a bunch of other people having fun down here. Can't I have a little fun?"
The guard was becoming flustered from Selina's flirting. "Well, yes, but you should be in one of the guest rooms, not out here".
Selina went up to the guard's ear. "You know..." she whispered, "I'm starting to think my boyfriend won't be showing up". Selina started petting the guard's arms. "It looks like I'm all alone. Can you believe that?"
The guard was beginning to panic. He knew he had to remain professional and monitor the boat. Yet right in front of him was one the most beautiful women he had ever seen, clearly drunk, and very willing to do anything. "I'm sorry... ma'am," he stammered. "I... think..."
Alright, thought Selina, I've got him! Now to put him out of the picture. "Hey," Selina said, "what's your name?"
"G-Greg," the guard replied.
"Well, Greg," Selina said, "let's get out of the hallway together, shall we?" She took his arm and the two started walking down the hall. I only need to distract him for a few more minutes, then I can hop back into the room, grab the drive, and it's smooth sailing for the rest of the night!
Selina clung to the guard's arm, mimicking someone who could hardly stand. Giggling, she turned around, only for her bubbly countenance to turn to one of shock. Another guard had come behind them and was about to open the tech room door. In a panic, Selina ran to the other guard.
"Hey... mister!" she said, trying to hide her fear. "What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?"
The other guard was puzzled. "I'm trying to get into the room," he said.
"Oh yeah... well... why don't you come to one of these other rooms? I'm sure you'll like what you see much better!" the cat burglar said hurriedly.
Meanwhile, Greg walked back to where Selina was standing. "Hey, what's going on?" he said. "Weren't we going to one of the bedrooms?"
Selina looked at Greg and pointed to him. "He! He tried to take advantage of me!" she yelled.
"No, I did not!" Greg yelled. "This woman is drunk!"
The other guard rolled his eyes. "Just get rid of her, Greg".
Greg grabbed Selina's shoulder. She knew there was but one way out. In a flash, Selina grabbed Greg's arm and threw him over her shoulder. Greg flew into the other guard and the two collapsed onto the floor. In the ruckus, Selina grabbed the gun out of Greg's holster and started flashing it around.
"Oh boooooooysssss..." she said mockingly, "Let's see if you can earn your pay tonight". The other guard pulled his gun out and stood up. Selina turned to run. The two guards followed chase. Good, she thought, seeing both men coming after her, no one's heading for the tech room. The woman ran with near super-human agility through the halls of the ship. The two guards ran behind, clearly getting more tired than Selina Kyle.
Selina came to another hallway with rows of bedrooms. Selina opened a couple of the doors, to see they were empty. Finally, she entered one of the cabins. With feline agility, Selina shimmied up the walls of the entrance hallway and perched herself above the doorframe. Now, she was supporting herself against the walls, using the friction of her hands and shoes to keep her up. She would be hidden from anyone entering the room and be able to get the drop on them – literally. It was a marvelous athletic feat – though one common to a cat burglar.
Moments passed. Selina listened to the footsteps in the hall grow louder and louder. Soon, the door beneath her moved. Slowly, the other guard entered the room, on the hunt for her. Selina waited patiently, trying to figure out the most opportune moment to strike.
Suddenly, the boat shook violently. The guard stumbled, while Selina nearly lost her grip and fell to the floor. As the other guard straighten himself out, Selina heard over his radio, "Everyone, get to the main deck now! We have an intruder!"
"Sir," the other guard yelled, "the intruder is on the lower decks! I am searching for-"
"Waddya talking about, Paul?" said the voice. "I need all hands on the main deck now!"
Just then, Selina could hear what sounded like faint screaming. Despite being this far inside the ship, Selina could tell there were many screams outside – and they were screams of terror. Quickly, Paul turned around and rushed to the main deck. After a few seconds, confirming he was gone, Selina dropped down. Thanks to this distraction, I'm free of those troublesome guards, she thought. I could get grab the drive now, but I should probably at least check on what is causing this commotion. I don't want to be caught unawares if something catastrophic is happening.
Selina walked through the halls and up the stairs. As she did, the yelling only got louder, while other noises like gunshots and monstrous howls came in. Finally, Selina emerged on the main deck. People were running around and screaming in terror. Selina dodged the panicked partygoers to see what the issue was.
The deck was covered in water, and many of the people standing around were soaked. It was like a giant wave had hit them all. At the back of the boat stood a figure straight out of a horror movie. It was a tall woman with wild black hair, wearing what looked like a secondhand pirate outfit. Holding a rusted trident, her skin was pale and withered, like a corpse's. Her eyes were a pale and sickly green, like algae. Most interesting of all to Selina was the fact that, along with her leather coat, pants and her corset, she was wearing a cowl similar to the one worn by Batman.
The woman opened her mouth. Out came a low, rumbling voice. "Destroooooooyyyy... these wretcheeeeeeeeed... traaaaaiiiiitttooooorrrssss" it said. The guards opened fire on the woman, but she just absorbed the shots. As the guards stopped firing, the woman screamed, her eyes now glowing. When the shrill noise ended, two creatures jumped out of the water and landed on the deck. These were tall, fish-human hybrid monsters, with large teeth and long claws. The two creatures ran across the deck and started killing the guards. More creatures popped onto the deck. At this point, some patrons had tried jumping overboard, feeling the chilly sea was safer than the boat at this point.
Selina turned tail and ran back into the auction room. The room was completely upended, with tables flipped and chairs scattered about. Inside, several monsters attacking other people. Selina saw one of the monsters capture a partygoer. Selina assumed the man would be eaten, but instead, something more horrifying happened. As the creature dug its claws into him, the man's eyes and skin began to lighten up. Soon, the creature dropped the man, who slowly got back up, as if in a trance. Selina saw the man slowly walk towards the treasures. It had seemed as though the man had become some sort of zombie.
Selina couldn't focus on that right now: her sole objective at this point was to escape. As Selina was navigating her way through the wreckage, a fish monster jumped in front of her. The creature slashed at her, but Selina flipped backwards away from it. Selina jumped back up and delivered a kick to the monster, but the monster shrugged it off. In response, the monster punched her and sent the woman flying. Selina collided with some chairs and came to a stop. Selina sat up, with pain shooting through her body. The creature crept closer to the fallen woman. Christ, I'm no match for that thing! Selina thought. If I don't find an escape route now, I'm finished!
Just then, another shrill voice rang out. The creature turned around and walked back to the back of the room. There, the woman who had started all this was standing. Next to her was the man who Selina saw turned by the monsters, holding some of the things that were up for auction. There were other people like the man there – people dressed in normal clothes who had clearly been physically changed by monsters. The man placed what he was holding down on the floor. Selina recognized one of those things – the Atlantean necklace. Selina noticed the other objects were of similar design and color. Are all those things Atlantean? thought Selina.
The woman took the trident and raised it above her head. The tips of the trident began to glow, and after a moment, the woman thrusted the trident into the objects below. The force shook the entire boat, and the blow emitted a nearly blinding light. When the light subsisted, Selina saw all of the Atlantean objects had been reduced to yellow ashes. The woman swept the debris away with her foot. "Weeeee are doooonnnee heeeeerrrrrrreeeeee..." she said, "but theeeeseeeee peeeeeeoplllllleeeee will paaaaaaaaaaaaay for their betraaaaaaaaaayaaaaaaaaaalllll".
At that moment, huge waves of water crashed through the window and the doors to the outside. The entire room was awash with sea water, as the woman and her minions stood still. Meanwhile, everything else was tossed by the powerful waves – including Selina. The would-be cat burglar was pushed by the water down the stairs she had just come out of. Selina hit the floor with a thud. Nearly choking on the water, Selina sprung up. Water continued to flow down the stairs at an alarming rate, making it hard for Selina to stand in water already up to her knees. Selina walked with the flow of the water, hoping to find another exit.
Soon the water stopped flowing. Selina grabbed a railing in the hallway to catch her breath. Similar to her namesake, Selina had always hated water, and getting completely soaked right now was not a pleasant experience for her. I knew there was a possibility of getting wet, she thought, but I wasn't expecting quite this! Selina was close to composing herself, but as soon as she did, she felt the boat move. It felt like how one feels going up in an elevator in a skyrise. Soon, this sensation stopped and was replaced by a much worse one. Selina felt herself falling. The water on the ground flew up and splashed against the entire hallway. The boat tilted backwards and sideways. Somehow, the boat had been lifted up and was falling back to the sea. When it hit the water, it was a calamity. Selina hit the wall, which was now positioned below her. Water exploded through every door and open orifice. In desperation, Selina stood up, walking on the wall, barely able to stand in her high heels. She struggled to get to the end of the hallway. But when she got there, another wave had burst through another door. Selina was washed away into the rooms below.
The boat remained floating for a few more moments, until slowly turning and dipping below the sea with a final spray of water. Hundreds of pieces of flotsam dotted the area where the boat once was. There were also several people there. Some were in the water; some had found rafts. Some were still alive; some weren't. Yet there was no sign of the woman who had caused this or any of her minions.
As the boat sank to the bottom, Selina was at the mercy of the currents inside. Even if she wasn't bruised and battered from what had taken place, the force of nature was too powerful for her. The power had gone out on the boat, and only the emergency lights were left. Selina had no idea of where she should go and no way of getting there even if she did. But soon, she felt herself slow down. Selina couldn't tell where she was in the dark water. Still, she could feel which way was up. Instinctively, Selina swam up. To her delight and surprise, there was an air pocket above here. Selina gasped for air. Thank God! she thought. Her delight though was cut short by what she heard.
"HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPP MEEEEEEEEEE!" Selina turned around. In the dim light of the flooded room, Selina could see a figure clinging to a cupboard door. Despite her wet hair and messed up make-up, it was obvious it was Vanessa. Selina swam towards her. "Melina?!" Vanessa yelled. Once again, she got the name wrong, but at this point, it didn't matter.
"Vanessa? Are you ok?" Selina asked.
Before she could respond, Vanessa let go of the door and flung herself onto Selina. The helpless woman's weight forced Selina under the water. With all her might, Selina pushed Vanessa off of her. Vanessa flailed for a few seconds as Selina caught her breath. Finally, Vanessa grabbed the door handle and pulled herself up.
"Jesus, Vanessa," Selina said. "You could've killed me!"
Vanessa ignored what she said. "OhGoditwashorribleIdon'twanttodiethereweremonsterseverywhere-" she continued through her tears.
"Alright, calm down, we'll get out of here," Selina said. She wasn't enthused about trying to rescue this woman, but now that she was here, it would be awful of her to let her die. "Now look, the water's rising," she continued. "Are you ok to swim?"
"Idon'tknowIdon'tknowhowtoswimIdon'twanttodrownpleasesaveme-"
Well, that explains her flailing, Selina thought. "Alright, stay here for a moment. I'm going to explore and see where we need to go. I'll be back, ok?" Vanessa nodded. Selina took a few breaths and dove under.
Below the water, Selina's eyes adjusted to the light. It appeared they had landed in some sort of storage room. Dozens of plates, cutlery, and boxes were below them. Selina swam to the doorway. In front of it were several boxes, leaving only a small opening. I can't get through that way, Selina thought. Quickly, Selina swam to the blocked doorway and began removing the obstacles. Some of these boxes were rather heavy, forcing Selina to use much of her oxygen. Selina sprung up to get some quick breaths in. She noticed the waterline had raised again in just the few seconds she was down there. Selina dove back down. Now, all that was left was the door itself. The door was partially off its hinges, and was now wedged in the doorway in such a way that no one could go past it. Selina grabbed the bottom of the door to try and move it. It wouldn't budge. Selina tried to push it out. As she did, she could feel something block the door from moving on the other side. Selina repeatedly tried pushing and pulling the door, but it made no difference. She shook the door and screamed in anger, forcing her to surface.
Selina swam back up for air. Now she could tell that half the headroom they had when she had first gotten here was gone. In a matter of minutes, the room would be completely flooded. "Melly?" Selina heard. "MELLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYY?!"
"Vanessa!" Selina screamed, partially out of frustration. She swam to the panicking woman.
"Melly!" Vanessa said. "The water's rising!"
"Vanessa!" Selina replied. "I can't get us out. The door is jammed!"
"What?! No!" Vanessa screamed. "I can't die! I can't die here!"
"Stop panicking!" Selina yelled in her face. The brunette dove under the water again to try again. The door still wouldn't move. Selina then eyed the opening, thinking that maybe she herself could swim through it. She got closer, only to realize any human going through that opening was impossible. Selina surfaced, only to be greeted by the wails of Vanessa. Selina treaded water, looking hopelessly at the mere inches above her. Am I really going to die here? she thought, tears starting to form in her own eyes. Trapped with an awful woman screaming before I drown helplessly?
Just then, the duo heard banging below them. The water glowed with some other light. Was this a rescue? they thought. A figure emerged from the water, and Selina knew who it was the instant she saw that mop of shocking red hair: Batwoman.
The superheroine took out the device she was holding in her mouth. "I'm Batwoman. I'm here to get you out". She shined a flashlight at the two women. "Are either of you hurt?"
"Ohmigod! We're saved!" Vanessa yelled.
"Okay, calm down," Batwoman replied. "It's very difficult to-" Batwoman stopped as her flashlight was centered on Selina's face. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Selina said nothing. After an awkward silence, Vanessa butted in. "That's Melly. She's my friend. I'm Vanessa. Please help me".
Batwoman kept her eye on Selina. She knew who she really was, and if this other woman was calling her by some other name, that meant Selina was attempting some sort of crime. Selina awkwardly smiled, as if to silently acknowledge the situation the two superheroines found themselves in, while hoping to move the conversation along. "Alright then," Batwoman continued. "Like I said, this will be difficult and dangerous. You can get out of here, but only if you let me take care of everything. Got it?" The two nodded. "This was the only air pocket I found and you're the only two survivors down here, so we're just going to go straight out to the surface". Batwoman reached into her utility belt and pulled out another device with a mouthpiece. "I only have one rebreather left. How good can you both swim?"
Batwoman looked at Selina. "I can swim pretty good," Selina mumbled.
"Um... I can't swim... like, at all," said Vanessa.
"Alright," said Batwoman. "I'll give this to you, Vanessa". She handed Vanessa the rebreather. "I don't want you panicking down there. As for you Melly-" she turned to face Selina – "I'm sure you can handle this, right?" Batwoman said with a smirk.
Selina scowled. There was no way for her to slip past Batwoman at this point. She would just have to accept whatever the other vigilante threw at her. Vanessa climbed onto Batwoman's back. "Alright, 3... 2... 1..." and all three women went under.
Thanks to Batwoman's flashlight, the group could see the insides of the boat with ease. The women swam through doorway into a hallway. Selina saw that the door had its hinges broken and was pulled out from the other side. Batwoman and Vanessa turned right. Selina thought about turning left and swimming away, but she didn't trust herself to find an alternate exit route. Dutifully, she followed the pair. The ladies swam through the hall and down a stairwell. On this new floor, they saw a pair of guards floating dead in the water. Vanessa screamed, with bubbles jetting out of her rebreather. Batwoman stopped her, to make sure Vanessa's rebreather was secure and working. The group swam past the corpses to another corridor.
At this point, Selina was starting to feel pain in her chest. She had been swimming for a while, and it didn't seem like they were close to an exit. That bitch doesn't care if I live or die! she thought as she eyed Batwoman. Finally, the group came to an emergency exit door that was open. The group swam out and started for the surface. Selina noticed that they were quite aways underwater. The pain in her body grew. Selina grew lightheaded and weak as she tried to pull her body through the cold seawater. With all her might, Selina broke the surface of the water. Batwoman and Vanessa followed right behind her.
Selina looked around at the chaos. There were several rescue boats around her, and a few helicopters in the air. In front of her was a life raft with several coast guard members and rescued partygoers on it. Batwoman bumped Selina as she pulled Vanessa to the raft. Batwoman helped lift Vanessa as several others grabbed her and pulled her in.
"Oh, thank you, Batwoman!" Vanessa said. "How could I ever repay you?"
"Don't worry about it," Batwoman replied. "Though maybe now would be a good time to start taking swim lessons?" Vanessa giggled. "Anyway, I need to go and check on some things down there," Batwoman continued.
Selina saw Batwoman dive back under. As she did, she felt her arm jerk. Selina felt it again, this time getting pulled all the way under. Below, Selina saw what was causing this: Batwoman had put her wrist in a handcuff and put the other cuff around her own. There was a steel cord about three feet long connecting the two cuffs. Selina and Batwoman were soon engaged in an underwater tug-of-war. Batwoman kept swimming deeper as Selina tried to escape. She tried to surface, but they were too far under. Selina tried to slip out of the cuff, but it was on too tight. She thought about picking the lock, but without her tools, it would be impossible in this situation.
Selina started panicking, turning to the surface and trying to get some air. Batwoman came behind her and put the other rebreather in her mouth. Selina started breathing regularly as Batwoman grabbed her waist and pulled her down. Selina acquiesced and let Batwoman take her through the water. I guess I'll just have to see what Kate has planned for me, she thought as the two swam through the dark waters of the harbor.