The Odyssey of Bruce and Selina

[johnnygobbs]

"She'll wake up soon enough," he said to himself, unbuttoning his pants as he walked over to her.

Did Chip Shreck just rape his secretary?!?  Maybe Catwoman should have stuck around to sort out the spoiled little punk.  "I haven't hurt any women"...yeah right...

[Catwoman]

"She'll wake up soon enough," he said to himself, unbuttoning his pants as he walked over to her.

Did Chip Shreck just rape his secretary?!?  Maybe Catwoman should have stuck around to sort out the spoiled little punk.  "I haven't hurt any women"...yeah right...

obviously she wanted to do something with him so he's just waiting till she's ready. lol.

[johnnygobbs]

Hope we don't have to wait too long til th next chapter...

By the way, it's good to see you back on thse boards and banging out the fanfic.

[Catwoman]

i'll disappear again soon enough.

[Catwoman]

chapter 3

"Mmm, I could lie here all day," Selina said to herself as she lay in her bubblebath. Her feet were propped up on one edge, her head leaned back against the other. Gentle saxaphone music played on the little stero she had sitting on the sink nearby.

She loved stress-free times like this. And thankfully for her, they seemed more and more common now that she had moved back home. The burdens of her past had been left in Gotham City, a hellhole that might as well have been a million miles away. Now she was just the simple small town girl she had been before taking an internship that took her to the big city. She had reconnected with old friends, gotten a job at the old library where she spent many days as a child, and found romance at a coffee shop with a handsome man named Josh who made the best damned mocha latte in town. He also was a volunteer fireman.

Best of all, no one knew of her double life in Gotham. She had explained away the gunshot wounds in her stomach, left shoulder, and right arm by saying she was caught in the middle of a drug deal gone bad. Her boyfriend had no reason to doubt the story was true. How was he to know the shopping bag on the top shelf of her closet contained a tattered, blood-stained, bullet-riddled catsuit?

It wasn't that Selina was just pretending that she had never been Catwoman, had never blown up a department store, been an accessory to the Ice Princess's murder, and fried Max Schreck to a crisp. She just tried to think about it as little as possible and move on from that nightmare. Her wounds and the damange Max's bullets had inflicted provided constant reminders, though. Several surgeries had repaired her insides and her shattered collarbone,  but there were still occasions when the pain could nearly bring her to her knees.

Right now, she felt fine as she lay in the hot water. Steam rose from her exposed skin every time she would move the least little bit. She was so soothed and relaxed that she almost feared falling asleep and drowning herself.

Suddenly, the serenity was shattered when she heard the doorbell.

"sh*t!" she exclaimed, flailing wildly, sloshing water and bubbles in every direction. Finally up right, she stepped out of the tub and took two steps towards the door. The combination of a wet floor and her wet feet sent her sliding out of the bathroom onto her bedroom carpet.

"Ugh," she groaned, trying to get up from the soaked, soapy inprint she had left on her floor. "What a mess."

Once finally upright, she grabbed a robe and pulled it on, not concerned with the fact that she was still very wet. Then she headed to the door. "Okay, damnit, okay!" she shouted, trying to stop the incessant ringing of the doorbell. When she ripped the door open, she was surprised to see Josh standing before her.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you at work?" she quizzed her boyfriend. He just studied her, seeing the soap bubbles still filling her hair and dripping down her legs.

"Problems?" he asked." "Shut up," she grumbled.

As it turned out, Josh had come home early. It was Friday, and he wanted to get ready for a big night he had planned for Selina. Little did she know he had bought tickets for a huge charity gala in Gotham City and was taking her as a surprise. Little did she also know that he didn't know that she never wanted to see that wretched place again. She had no clue what he was planning until the City's skyline came into view.

"Okay, just what the hell is this surprise you've got planned for me?" she asked with more than a trace of hostility as they sat, stuck in traffic. "Wow, simmer down," he said. "Don't tell me to simmer!" she cried angrilly. "What the hell could there possibly be in Gotham City that would make you drag me to that hellhole?"

"I...I.." Josh stammered. "I thought you would enjoy it." He hanged his head. Selina hanged hers as well.

"Look, I'm sorry. You didn't know. I just-"

"No, it's okay," he said, cutting her off. "I know why you hate it. I mean the ganglife and stuff and you getting caught up in that and all. I should have asked you first."

"Well where are we going," she asked. He said nothing, just handing her the tickets. "Millenium Charity Gala, Benefiting The Wayne Foundation," they read.

"Oh God," she said aloud. "Want me to turn back?" he asked.

Selina scanned the deluge of traffic around them. She wanted to say yes, but it simply wasn't practical.

"Let's just go," she sighed. "You bought the tickets, we can't afford to waste the money by not going."

As they slowly trudged along, she propped her elbow up on the door of the car and put her head in her hand. Her heart dropped into her stomach.

"What if he sees me?" she thought to herself.

[johnnygobbs]

Another great chapter Catwoman.  Your writing has really improved since you've been away.

Presumably the Josh in this chapter is ot the Image Consultant who had his nose bitten by the Penguin? 

Also, I can't wait to read some more about the 'new' Catwoman.

[Catwoman]

Another great chapter Catwoman.  Your writing has really improved since you've been away.

Presumably the Josh in this chapter is ot the Image Consultant who had his nose bitten by the Penguin? 

Also, I can't wait to read some more about the 'new' Catwoman.

so it wasn't good before? 

and nope. i said he was handsome. idk about in the uk but in the states being handsome means you have to have a nose. lol.

[johnnygobbs]

so it wasn't good before? 

That's not what I meant Catwoman...

and nope. i said he was handsome. idk about in the uk but in the states being handsome means you have to have a nose. lol.

No, we obviously have different standards of beauty in the UK.  We don't have noses and we all have crooked teeth, don't you know? 

It's just funny he's got the same name as a previous character.  It could be very confusing...

Anyway, what about the new Catwoman, and some more Chip Shreck, the over-sized, spoiled rich dummy (whose birth weight was bigger than his IQ... )?

[Catwoman]

chapter 4

At the exact same time, Bruce of course was riding with Chase to the same gala at Gotham Center.

"I hope that Gossip Gerty isn't here," Chase said, referencing Gotham's most infamous reporter on the lives of the rich and famous. "I can't stand her. Why can't she get her own life instead of worrying about ours?"

"Come on, Chase," Bruce replied. "It's just her job, same as you have yours." He paused. "In fact, I'd go as far to say as your lines of work are almost the same. One deals with crazed wackos and what makes them tick...and the other is a psychologist." He flashed a sly grin. Chase rolled her eyes as they reached the VIP arrival area. She scanned the red carpet, and sure enough, there was Gerty, sporting a her trademark extravagent hairstyle and dress.

"Oh hell," Chase groaned.

"If it's quite alright, Mr. Wayne," Alfred spoke up from the front seat, "I will wait in the car." "Alfred, we'll be in there for hours, maybe longer," Bruce replied. "Then perhaps I can catch up on some much needed rest," the old butler said with a warm smile as they reached the red carpet.

"Look at all the cameras and reporters," Chase said. "Oh hey, there's your good friend Alexander Knox." Now it was her turn to flash the sly grin and Bruce's turn to roll his eyes with a groan.

As soon as Alfred opened the door, Bruce and Chase were inundated with a barrage of camera flashes and shouts of both of their names.

"Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne!" Knox called out. "Hello, lovely Miss Meridian! Or should I say MRS. WAYNE!" Gerty bellowed with her nauseatingly exaggerated laugh.

"I'm going to punch her right in her mouth," Chase said to Bruce through her clenched-teeth grin. "What?" he asked, feigning hurt feelings. "I liked the sound of that."

He smiled as she again rolled her eyes. Then he took her hand and led her up the red carpet, waving at all the photographers and reporters but not appeasing any of them with a soundbyte or a posed photograph. They wanted to get inside before the forecasted rains hit, and if they gave one reporter or photographer what they wanted, they would have given ALL of them what they wanted.

Once inside, they scanned the massive arena. It had been so well prepared for the gala that there was no way a tourist would've known that just two weeks earlier, it had hosted a monster truck meet. Black and white balloons were everywhere, along with banners. A number of small booths were set up around the floor where patrons could play games or buy any number of items made by Gotham City companies, will all the money going to Bruce's foundation.

A wrestling ring was set up in the middle of the arena floor, where local R&B and hip hop groups were providing the night's live entertainment.

"So, do you want a drink or something?" Bruce asked. Chase scanned the very crowded, very loud arena, and looked back at him. "I think I need about 10 or 12 drinks if I'm going to get through this night," she groaned. Bruce laughed and turned to head to the refreshments table, but instead he walked right into one of his fiercest business rivals.

"Bruce my boy, how are you?" Derek Powers said, an uncharacteristic warmth in his eyes and voice. "Derek, what are you doing here?" Bruce asked, taken aback. "Oh, it's for charity," Powers said with a shrug. "Plus, I heard they were going to drag your ass into that ring and I just had to see that."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Derek," Bruce replied with a half-grin, "but no wresting for me tonight. My date is a psychiatrist."

Right about then, Bruce's secretary Andrea Beaumont approached them. "Bruce, the crowd wants to hear from the benefactor of all this fun," the beautiful redhead said. "There's a microphone in the center of that ring. Go on, say a few words."

"Looks like they're dragging your ass in there anyway, Wayne," Powers said as Bruce followed Andrea up to the ring, where the R&B band had been cleared out.

As Bruce climbed in, the assembled crowd roared with applause and cheers...all except for Selina Kyle. She ducked in behind a tall, hulking man standing in front of her to protect her from Bruce's view. Josh tugged at her arm, trying to get her out from behind the man, but she jerked it away and shook her head.

"Good evening, everyone, and thanks for coming," Bruce began. "As you all well know, taking care of those less fortunate has been a hallmark of the Wayne Legacy since long before I was born. Too many people in Gotham are falling behind, being left aside by progress. An event like tonight is designed not only to raise funds for organizations to help these people, but to bring awareness to the plight of the poor here in the city."

He paused, but before he could continue, a shout drew his attention.

"Young man, let go of me!" Mayor Hamilton Hill cried out. "You're making a terrible mistake!"

Everyone gasped as the Mayor came into view with a hooded man's arm wrapped around his throat and a gun pressed against his head. What looked like a bomb was strapped to his chest. "That's right, that's right," the masked intruder called out. "Everyone stay back, stay calm, and you've got nothing to worry about. Anyone makes a slip, though..." He turned up his arm that was grappling the Mayor, revealing a detonator in his hand.

"I want all the women lined up," he said. "Get your pretty little asses and line up next to that wall." Though most of the women - Selina included - heeded his demand, he noticed a few who didn't budge. "I'm not going to ask twice," he said, waving both the pistol and the detonator in the air. The other women hurridly joined the rest.

"Good, good," he said. "That's what I'm looking for, cooperation, and no one will get hurt." "You won't get away with this!" the Mayor called out. "Batman will be here any min-" Before he could finish, the man struck him in the back of the head with the gun, knocking him out cold. Most of the onlookers gasped in terror.

"He'll be fine," the man called out. "Just as long as everyone does what I say and gives me what I want." "And just what is that," Bruce called out from the ring. "That's for me to know, Nancy Boy," the man shot back, "and you to find out here shortly."

He looked around. "And for all you cops just dying to take a shot at me, keep in mind that my reflex will still push this button and blow Mr. Hill to bits." "Don't worry," Bruce said. "I never allow guns at my benefits."

"Too bad you couldn't do anything about this one," the man said, waving his back and forth. Though his face was covered, one could almost hear his hateful smirk in his voice. He walked over to where the women had assembled. He snickered as he saw many of them trembling with fear, openly crying. He pointed his gun at one, then scanned the entire wall with it, terrorizing the women and their dates.

"Which one to choose, which one to choose?" he wondered aloud. He looked each of them up and down, critiquing loudly as he walked by. "Too old. Too fat. Too skinny. Too ugly."

Finally, he reached Selina.

"Hmmm, I think you'll do nicely," he said. "Nicely for what?" Selina said, reddening not from fear for her life but out of horror at the attention drawn to her. "You'll see," he said, cocking the pistol.

He pushed it against Selina's stomach, right onto one of her old wounds. The sensory wire in her brain tripped and her eyes blazed with fury. Before the man had a change to brace himself, she lashed out. The gun went flying in one direction, the detonator in another. She unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks against the man that sent him sagging backwards. Finally, with a vicious blow of her heel against his skull, Selina laid the would-be assassin out cold.

Everyone else stood in shock for a moment, digesting the scene they had just taken in, before pandemonium ensued. Several men gathered around the man, pinning him down until armed police could arrive. One peeled the hood off his bloodied face. He was clearly an outsider, for no one recognized him. Meanwhile, others helped the Mayor to his feet. "This is no bomb," a weapons expert with the Gotham PD declared when he saw the contraption strapped to his chest. "It's no more dangerous than a child's toy." He ripped it off with both of his hands and tossed it aside.

The people not holding the assailant in custody or helping the Mayor had gathered around Selina.

"You saved our lives!" "Who knows what he would have done!" "That was incredible!" "You're my hero!"

Selina's skin turned a deeper red as she became more and more embarassed at all the attention. She scanned the crowd, searching for Josh. She finally caught a glimpse of him and started towards him, when a man stepped in front of her. She ran face first into his chest, nearly falling backwards. When she regained her bearings, she looked up at Bruce Wayne's stunned expression.

"We...we have to talk," he said.

[Catwoman]

Chapter 5

"I thought you said she was dead," Dick said, gesturing to Selina.

"You said I was dead?" she asked Bruce. "He told me the same thing," Chase spoke up.

"I did it to protect you, in case you came back," he said.

"Good luck straightening this one out, Doc," Dick said to Chase. With that, he walked out and headed down the stairs into the massive den of Wayne Manor. Josh was sitting on one of the couches as Alfred tended the fireside.

"What the hell is all this about?" he demanded. "It's, um..." Dick began. He tried to come up with a good explanation to maybe ward off Josh's curiosity at least a little longer. "It's all quite technical," Alfred spoke up. "Yeah, that's it," Dick added, nodding. "Technical stuff, you wouldn't get it. I don't even get it."

Annoyed, Josh checked his watch and crossed his arms.

Back in Bruce's study, Chase sat down next to Selina. "So, I finally get to meet the famous Catwoman," she said. Selina sighed. "That's ancient history."

"Is it?" Bruce asked. Selina looked up at him. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" she spat.

"Do you know anything about the female avenger murders?" he asked. "Seemed like your calling card." "You're forgetting one thing," she said. "I never killed anyone. Well, except..."

She lowered her head as her voice trailed off.

"So you don't have anything to do with it?" Bruce asked. "How could I?" Selina replied. "This is my first night back in Gotham in seven years. I'd been living back home in Murrysville. My boyfriend bought tickets to your event and dragged me al-" She stopped mid-sentence. Her expression turned to one of horror.

"Josh! He doesn't know anything, does he?" "Not a thing," Chase said, putting her hand on Selina's knee. "Don't worry, he won't find out from us, right Bruce?"

He said nothing. Chase cleared her throat. "RIGHT, Bruce?"

"The Catwoman's crimes in 1992 have gone unsolved because I covered them up," he said. "Like I said, I did it to protect you. That's why I told Dick and Chase you were dead. The official report on what happened in the Penguin's lair says that he claimed to have killed the Catwoman just before he died, after he killed Schreck. I said that to keep people off your trail. I never told the Ice Princess's family that you were involved in her kidnapping and murder. In fact, the only thing linking you to any crimes are the security guards' account of what happened at Shreck's the night you blew it up and surveillance video that showed you backflipping out of the building just before it exploded. Only Max Schreck could have implicated you personally, and you killed him."

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Out of my love for you, I LIED for you. Held back information. I betrayed my duty to Gotham City so that you could get off scot-free."

"Scot-free?" she asked. "You think I got off scot-free? You think I don't have flashbacks, nightmares, days of unending grief at what I did? Trust me Bruce, I'm serving life in prison. You just can't see the bars."

He looked down for a moment. Finally, he looked back up at her. "Alright. I'll keep the past in the past," he said. "But if you do anything else, I'll have no choice but to arrest you and confess my own transgressions."

Selina nodded in understanding, then looked at Chase. "Can I trust you?" she asked. Chase likewise nodded, clasping Selina's hand in hers. "What was said in this room tonight never leaves it."

Meanwhile, just beyond the outskirts of Gotham City, a black van with darkly tinted windows parked in front of a small one-room farmhouse. "This is definitely it," HIllary said as she, Chip Schreck, and two other men climbed out. They made their way up to the door, where Chip knocked. Inside, they could hear rustling, with the sounds of aluminum cans and glass bottles scattering about the floor as its occupant staggered to the door. After a handful of unlocking clicks, the door opened slightly. A pale, unshaven, gray-haired, lanky man with only one eye poked his head out.

"Yes?" he said in a raspy voice, the scent of alcohol on his breath so strong that it nearly knocked Hillary over.

"Are you Otto Nofsinger?" Chip asked. The man looked at him for a moment. His eye widened and he tried to slam the door shut, but the hulking Schreck forced it back open. He shoved the old man, sending him sprawling back into his chair. Hillary and the two men followed their boss inside.

"Yeah, I'm Nofsinger," the man said. "I don't know how the hell you found me, but you did. Just be sure to tell Boss Martini I'll see him in hell."

"Martini?" Chip asked. "No, we're here about some different business. Something you did about, oh, seven years ago." Nofsinger rubbed the stubble on his chin. "sh*t, that's been a long time ago," he said.

"Maybe this would jog your memory?" Hillary said, holding up a photograph of the Penguin.

Nofsinger's eye again widened. "The Pen...no. I left that circuis gang a long time ago. I don't remember anything about that." "Not even that he brutally executed my father?" Chip asked. Nofsinger shook his head, reaching for his coffee cup. He looked down in it for a moment, then slung the hot liquid onto Chip's face and sprang towards a dresser against the wall. Before Chip could recover or the other men could do anything to stop Nofsinger, he had drawn out a pistol.

He aimed it right at Chip. "Yeah, I know what he did to your dear ol' dad. And I love it," he said with a sneer. Just as he cocked the gun, a whip wrapped tightly around his throat from behind. Choking for air, he dropped the gun and tried to pull it loose, but it only tightened further, nearly crushing his Adam's apple. "How about what he did to my sister?" he heard a woman's voice say.

A sickening sound filled the room as Catwoman snapped Nofsinger's neck. His lifeless body sagged to the floor.

"You don't f*** around, do you?" Chip smirked as he wiped at his face, the skin lightly burnt from Nofsinger's coffee. She said nothing as he turned to Hillary.

"Guess you can strike that one off the list," he said. Hillary withdrew a piece of paper from her pocket. It was the list of the ex-Red Triangle Circuis Gang members. Using a pencil, she marked through Nofsinger's name.

"One down, three to go."