Chapter 1
It was a dark and mysterious night in Gotham City.
The relentless rain fell through the hole in the dilapidated roof of the warehouse, creating a melody of drops that punctuated an otherwise enveloping silence. A sudden thunderclap tore through the air, dazzling the room illuminated only by old gas lamps. The lightning's flash directed its attention to the center of the hall, revealing a somber spectacle.
On the ground lay the defeated hero, shrouded in his own black cape. His disfigured face bore witness to the scars of an epic conflict. His body, painted with the blood spilled during the battle, exuded an aura of weariness and heroism. The victorious adversary, standing in all his majesty, observed from his lofty pedestal, capturing a moment of triumph that belonged to him. It was the end of an era.
But let's take a step back.
Let's go back to when all of this wasn't even plausible. To when chaos reigned almost uncontested. Lights cast sinister shadows on the empty streets of Gotham City, while the tall peaks of skyscrapers seemed to sip the darkness of the night. Smoke rising from the sewers concealed unsettling figures, and honest citizens were not advised to venture out at that hour. It was dangerous. The nightly quiet was constantly disrupted by police sirens. Yes, there were still defenders of justice, but they were in far too few numbers. For every supervillain these heroes locked away in Arkham, dozens of petty criminals disturbed the city's tranquility every night. No one slept soundly, whether they were ordinary residents or prominent merchants. The small underworld had taken hold of Gotham City.
It was 2 AM, and the city clock tower was bathed in the light of the full moon. The sky was clear, despite the smog haze obscuring most of the stars. On the other side of the city, on the top floor of a renowned jewelry store, a window was strangely open. The owner had closed it, he was sure of it, just as he was confident that his advanced alarm system would protect the shop from numerous thieves. Yet, the window had been flung wide open. Forced, to be precise, by someone who had climbed onto the ledge, avoided all the cameras, descended in front of the vault, picked the fortified door, danced through the room amidst red lasers, and finally could admire her own sexy face in the display case.
"Here you are, beauty!" exclaimed Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, admiring the diamond tiara sparkling before her. She had had her eye on it for weeks, and finally, after days of studying and preparation, she had successfully pulled off the heist. She delicately rested her fingers on the heavy glass protecting the jewel, while the sharp fake nails on her black gloves gently scratched it. Effortlessly, she pulled it upward, eliminating the last obstacle between her and the well-deserved prize.
"UEEEEEEEHHHHHH!!!"
"But what the hell!" she cursed, hearing the sound of the alarm siren.
She turned to see a group of foolish thieves dressed in clown masks. They had just broken through the front gate, oblivious to the fact that triggering the store's alarm would immediately summon a police patrol.
"What kind of idiots!" exclaimed Selina, climbing back up to the window she had entered through.
Back at her hideout, she angrily removed her mask and tossed it onto the couch. Her dark hair fell tousled across her face.
"IT CAN'T BE!" she yelled, grabbing the blueprints of the jewelry store she had stolen the week before and tearing them vehemently.
"THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS MONTH THEY'VE MESSED UP MY PLANS!"
Furiously, she reached her makeup station and leaned on the table with both hands, looking at herself in the mirror. She needed to calm down, and the best way was to admire that enchanting woman in front of her. When she was nervous, the only thing that reassured her was observing how, despite nearing 40, she still remained sensual and in splendid shape. She was aware of her narcissism, but she could afford it. Her fair skin gleamed, despite not using beauty chemical creams. Her eyes, emerald green like sparkling gems, retained the same intensity and mystery as when she was young. Her nose was still intact and perfect, despite the countless struggles and brawls she had faced in her long career as a thief. She was a breathtaking beauty, and she couldn't be prouder of it.
Once she regained her composure, she forcefully placed her foot on the chair and began to unzip her stretchy high-heeled boots. It took her a long time to choose that piece of clothing, to create a blend of sophistication, sensuality, and power. With those thick heels, they certainly weren't the best footwear for running, climbing, or fighting agilely, but a work of art also requires sacrifices. She lowered the black shaft, observing her muscular calves and thinking about the hours spent training in the gym. Like for her skin and face, genetics had undoubtedly given her a great advantage, offering a body with virtually limitless potential, but she had to do the rest. She had to sculpt every inch of that raw diamond.
After removing the boots, she moved on to undress from the costume. There wasn't really a choice for that. She needed a suit that would protect her and allow her to move freely at the same time, and they don't sell those at a discount. She had sneaked into the state military research center to find what she was looking for. A rigid and comfortable material, albeit not very elastic. It clung like a second skin and could absorb a certain amount of damage. It wasn't armor, that's obvious, but Selina had fallen in love with it at first touch. She stole a large quantity of that fabric and crafted some costumes from it. She even sewed gloves, to which she then added fake nails made of reinforced titanium. Every cat must have her claws sharp and ready.
She hung the costume with the others in the closet and approached the full-length mirror in the room.
As she saw her reflection, a smile of admiration escaped her. She looked like an Amazon. Standing at 5.9 feet, with a lean, toned, and curvaceous body. Shoulders and arms displayed a definition surpassing any fitness trainer. She could see every perfectly sculpted ripple. The abs gleamed in an enticing six-pack package. One inch tiles adorned her, shielding her from any bare-handed blows she might ever receive. Yet, every muscle stood out without compromising the feminine sensuality that had always defined her. Even her breasts had benefited from the extensive workouts, appearing rounder and firmer than before. That body was the embodiment of a warrior goddess, descended to earth to bend the entire world to her whims.
"You'd go mad, Bruce, if you saw me like this!" she whispered to herself.
When she was young, she never exerted herself too much to get what she wanted. She was stronger, faster, more agile, and smarter than the riffraff she faced every day, be they thieves or cops. Nature had blessed her, and she feasted on the banquet that was Gotham City without remorse or worries for years.
But time passes for everyone, and with time comes experience. Selina wasn't a fool. She knew that sooner or later, her physical abilities wouldn't be the same, and to address this issue, she did what she always did best: steal.
She focused on her main adversary, who was also a lover for some fleeting moments. Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, was a billionaire who invested impressive sums to surround himself with belts, inventions, and gadgets that would aid him in every situation. While technology could handle much of the work, he still trained every day, spending half the day enhancing his physical abilities and honing his martial arts skills.
Selina lacked the funds for the Bat-Mobile, Bat-Plane, or Bat-Whatever, but she could steal something else from him: the spirit of sacrifice. She started going to the gym, feeling a bit foolish at first, but soon discovered how well her body responded to the effort. During her nocturnal outings, she felt stronger, more agile, flexible, and resilient. Realizing she had opened Pandora's box, she increased her training hours, studying martial arts, parkour, boxing, and crossfit. She even took lessons in physics, engineering, and mathematics, excelling in every subject. Spending hours preparing her moves, the police stumbled in the dark after each theft. Even Batman couldn't connect her to the crime scene, although he suspected her every time. She had achieved the perfection every thief aspired to, but the mediocrity roaming Gotham's night often tried to clip her wings, most of the time in vain.
A noise outside the hideout jolted Selina from her daydreams. She grabbed a white robe and slipped it on just as a dark shadow appeared at her window.
"Was just thinking of you, Bruce!" she exclaimed, seeing her longtime adversary reveal himself in all his majesty, clad in black armor and cloak.
"Where were you 30 minutes ago?" he asked gruffly, skipping the pleasantries.
"A pleasure to see you too, dear Bruce!" she replied, opening the fridge and grabbing a cold drink.
"Answer me and cut it out with the 'dear Bruce' nonsense!" Bruce Wayne pressed, observing her every move intently.
"No one can hear us here, you should know that better than anyone," she said, gesturing towards the bedroom they had used on numerous occasions. "But if it matters to you so much, I'll oblige. Why do you want to know, Batman?"
Bruce approached Selina, politely refusing the cola can she offered. "There was an attempted robbery at a jewelry store earlier. I apprehended a group of thugs wearing clown masks!"
Selina popped open the can for herself. "Case closed then. Why are you reporting it to me?"
"The thieves hadn't even made it past the first hall, but the vault door was tampered with, the glass case was shifted, and a high window was left open. It strongly resembles your style!"
"It resembles my style?" Selina retorted, slamming the fridge door and raising her voice. "Of course it resembles my style. Perfect crime, leaving no evidence or traces. It would have gone smoothly if those incompetents hadn't triggered the alarm!"
Selina swiftly approached Batman, stopping just inches from his face. Being barefoot, she was forced to look up at him, a change from their usual height parity when she wore her costume.
"You know what? Instead of bothering me, you should do your duty and stop all the chaos those gangsters are causing around!" As she spoke, Selina pushed her index finger against Bruce's chest, emphasizing each word and making him step back with each touch.
"They're being interrogated, but there's no evidence linking them to any suspects!" Batman replied, not sounding entirely convinced. It had been months since the two had met, but the shoulders concealed beneath the white robe seemed noticeably broader than he remembered.
Selina looked at him with incredulous eyes. "No evidence? NO EVIDENCE? They were wearing clown masks. Do I really need to point out who might have sent them there?"
Batman lowered his gaze slightly, almost ashamed of his next words. "If you're talking about the Joker, he has an alibi that clears him, and we can't accuse him if none of the thieves confess!"
Selina spread her arms in despair, turning away with disdain. "You need to wake up, Bruce. You didn't used to sit idly by and pretend nothing was happening!"
"I told you not to call me..."
Selina turned back to face Batman and resumed pushing him with her finger.
"By sticking to the rules, you're letting Gotham fall further into the hands of crime. There's chaos in the streets, and we can't work properly anymore!"
"In truth, you shouldn't be sneaking into jewelers either..."
"Tonight the Joker, two weeks ago the Penguin's men, even Two-Face before that. I've had enough. Do you know how long it's been since my last successful heist without someone meddling and causing a mess? HUH? DO YOU KNOW?"
"Um... Selina... maybe you shouldn't be confessing these things to me..."
"YOU AND THAT INCOMPETENT GORDON NEED TO DO SOMETHING! AN HONEST THIEF CAN'T ROB IN PEACE IN GOTHAM CITY ANYMORE!"
Batman found himself backed against the wall as Selina continued expressing her thoughts, pushing him farther back.
"Um... calm down, Selina. We'll see what we can do!" Batman exclaimed, gently moving Selina's hand aside.
"And what will you do, huh, Bruce? I'll tell you, NOTHING! You've become useless. Every time you catch someone, two days later they're free—either on bail, through bribed judges or lawyers. They've got you in their grip, Bruce. They're winning the game!"
Batman felt pressured by his friend/enemy's words. He knew she was right, but the law tied his hands, limiting what he could do.
"Maybe it's better if I go. Just stay out of trouble!" he said, glancing out the window and disappearing into the night.
Selina stood there, reflecting as she watched the Bat-Signal illuminate the sky.
"I have to put an end to all of this!"
She grabbed a pen, a notepad, and began jotting down a list.
"Joker, Penguin..."
Once back in his Batmobile, Batman immediately contacted Alfred in the Batcave.
"Alfred, do you hear me?"
"Loud and clear, sir. Have you concluded your visit with Miss Kyle?"
"Yes. She was quite outspoken tonight!"
"And what did she say?"
"She admitted to being at the jewelry store. We can close the case as a botched robbery!"
"I understand. No further leads on the Joker then?"
"No! Unfortunately, no one exposes themselves anymore. They send only those lunatics whose testimony is worth less than zero. We're living in difficult times, Alfred!"
"We need to be patient, sir. Sooner or later, we'll catch him!"
Batman rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Yes, but then he'll get out thanks to some corrupt judge. Maybe Selina is right. We might have to take more risks!"
"Miss Kyle is a very impulsive woman."
"I'm not sure, Alfred. Lately, she's become very precise in her thefts. She doesn't make the slightest mistake anymore."
"Then we can take this confession as a small victory. Let's look at the positive side."
"She was really worked up tonight. Honestly, I'm a bit worried she might do something reckless."