world's greatest detective

        ╳ ┊THE THOUGHT OF avoiding the Bat completely had crossed her mind more than a few times. Out of the two of them, it would have been safe to assume that Bruce was more attuned to dramatics than Selina but that was not necessarily true. Selina Kyle, the socialite, was poised and well tempered but Catwoman – she was UNPREDICTABLE.  Action came first and rationality second. It was this lapse in judgment that frequently got her into trouble but it would be difficult to consider herself a world-class thief if she never caused any waves. And boy did she know how to make a wave or two.

         In all honestly, she could have carried out a larger scale robbery to draw him into her supposed trap but there was a certain intimacy to the familiarity of this particular scenario. It was reminiscent of simpler times when they were younger, less hard. They were no longer those people anymore, they couldn’t afford to be. ❝And miss out on your heroic return? I’d never dream of it.❞ The sarcasm in her voice was hardly lighthearted but intentional nonetheless.

         ❝You know telling me the consequences never stopped me from doing something, right?❞ His pseudo warnings could not prolong the inevitable no matter how sincere his pleas may be. Had it been anyone else who caught her in the act she would have cut and run already but this was no typical standoff. To put it simply, it was PERSONAL. There was a part of her that knew good and well the circumstances for his disappearance had been out of his hands. Still, that fact alone did little to ease her anger though it was aimed at the wrong person entirely.

         Despite every protest, The Catwoman eventually filled the bag righting herself in preparation for what was to come next. ❝Oh, no that would be TOO easy.❞ Backing away from him bitter smile turned mischievous. ❝If you wanna talk you’re gonna have to catch me first, pretty boy.❞ Backward she fell out of the hole she cut in the glass window upon entering. For a moment she was freefalling but like all felines, she eventually found her footing. The fall to the rooftop below was short but it put a good amount of distance between her and the hero who was sure to pursue her.

The sarcasm in her tone wasn’t necessarily appreciated. He didn’t want to assume that she missed him and, really, it wasn’t as though it was his fault. But he supposed it would be more prudent to take it out on him rather than yelling to the Heavens, hoping that they heard it. His jaw tightened as he watched her stuff the bag full with the remainder of the things in the safe and stood.

“Maybe I’d hoped that our time together before I got taken away had managed to change you. Even a little bit.” It was what he wanted to say but, of course, he didn’t have the chance. Nor did he want to make things worse than they already were. She was already at the hole in the window. Chest expanded for just a moment in a slow inhale...followed by a heavy exhale, eyes never leaving the woman even as she brushed past him. “Cat--” And she was gone.

He was paying for something that wasn’t his fault. It sounded about right with how things went for him. There was no point in brooding on such points, of course. He’d just have to catch her...and then they could do talk about what happened. About why she was stealing again. His fingers tightened into fists before relaxing once again and he moved briskly toward the window, catching the sides of his cape in his hands.

With one fluid motion, he was out of the window, following her path through the air and gliding. He landed not far behind her, gracefully falling into a run the moment his feet touched the ground. His boots were almost soundless when they touched but that changed the moment he broke into a sprint after her. He wouldn’t let her get away.

         ╳ ┊SHE WAS A professional and professionals did not get caught unless getting caught was the desired end result. His arrival was no secret to her, they were like magnets a constant push and pull. Of course, the feeling alone did not tip her off rather it was solid intel. He was right, she been being BAD. They had done this dance long enough to know each other’s patterns. It was an unrelenting cycle and she was far from one of her calm spells. Any semblance of peace they had was ruined the second he left the city.

         A jewelry store was an easy target and an obvious choice when it came to getting the famous Dark Night’s attention. It was predictable but effective she was hardly ashamed of using old tactics. If it worked there really was no need to change it. When the vigilante did appear the thief was hardly shaken by his soundless entrance.  There was an air of nonchalance that radiated off of her as she continued working on the safe till the combination cracked with a satisfying click. ❝Really, you’d think I’d pull an amateur move like tipping off the silent alarm? Come on, Bats–❞ As she spoke her back remained towards him until she extracted a few stacks of bills. 

          ❝You know me better than that, don’t you?❞ Blatantly ignoring his imposing presence she began emptying the contents of the safe into a bag. ❝Anyway, I was picking up a little Valentine’s Day gift for yours truly.❞ With a tight-lipped smile, she looked up from the money. ❝Maybe I can spare a hundred or two for whatever golddigger ends up being your date for the day.❞     

His eyebrows raised slowly at her words. She wasn’t playing nice, it seemed. He couldn’t fathom why. It wasn’t as though it was his fault that he’d been taken away from the city. Bruce’s brow furrowed beneath his cowl. This was hardly any time to get caught up in personal matters. Especially with the police on their way. His jaw tightened and he forced that tightness in his chest, that guilty feeling, down. Just as he always did.

He had no reason to be guilty...but she was clearly hurt by him. But why had she drawn him here? What other reason would she have for intentionally tripping the alarm? Honestly, he should have known better than to just assume she was getting sloppy. She would never get sloppy. Selina Kyle couldn’t afford to look like she was losing her touch. There were paying customers, even in this city. “I was making the assumption that you didn’t want to see me. That’s all.” He said simply, narrowing his eyes as he watched her pile the contents of the safe into a bag.

“...You know I can’t let you keep those.” He ignored the jabs. There was a bitter edge to her words that armor couldn’t stop. Words that implied that she wasn’t going to be the one at his side when that holiday came around. But again...he didn’t really expect her to want that. Things had been...good before he’d been taken away from the city. He supposed it was only natural that they return to this sorry state. At least every once in a while. He wanted to console her, wrap his arms around her and tell her he was sorry. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t want anyone else by his side, that he would buy her whatever she wanted on Valentine’s Day. Or any other day for that matter.

   She hadn’t been doing much of anything. Pen in hand as she kept looking over papers for the shop, her eyes flickering back and forth to the clock on her wall when her phone lights up. It is from Bruce, who she hadn’t heard from in awhile. While she had guessed he might have been placed back in his own universe, Bruce had a tendency to disappear within the city.

TO: Bruce

FROM: Ava

I’d say welcome back but, it’s here.

No need. I can walk. Just might take longer, but I’ll be there.

   And it does take longer, but the thought of getting into a car with a stranger makes her uneasy. It’s the same district she found Rex, but its still a rocky, cold place. The mansion is intimidating, and she feels small compared to it and the mountain looming over her. Still, she rings the doorbell, and waits till finally Bruce answers.

   “H-Hi! It’s… It’s really good to see you.”

He was waiting. Standing inside by the fireplace which was burning brightly, a fresh log placed within the flames. Cold blue eyes staring into the fire before his attention went to the door when the doorbell rang. He moved to it slowly, sighing heavily as his hand hovered over the doorknob. Did he really want to do this? No, he couldn’t second guess himself. Not now. Ava was good. She’d proven that fact despite whatever was living inside of her.

“If I didn’t know any better... I’d say that you followed me while I’m on patrol. It’s been a while.”

She wasn’t easy to spot. She was as quiet as he was when she wanted to be. But he was accustomed to being alone...and it was almost as though there was a feeling in the air when he wasn’t alone. How did he know it was her? She was one of the few in this city that could keep up with him as quietly as she did. He’d perched atop one of the lower buildings. He hadn’t made the pursuit too difficult for her, of course, but it hadn’t been too easy either.

He’d been looking for her.

It was hard to track her down when he wanted to find her. No. Needed to find her. He knew that she wasn’t at the manor anymore. No doubt she was up to her old ways. With his limited resources, it was difficult...but she didn’t have anywhere to run. Not really. This city was full of all kinds of nooks and crannies, naturally, but she couldn’t leave the city. Not like she could leave Gotham.

A voice rang in his ear, [ALARM] flashing in his HUD. He dismissed it with a flick of his eyes, listening to the voice from the police communications. Break-in at a big name jewelry store. One he hadn’t bought in order to keep her from stealing. Lucky for him...it was close by. It wasn’t like her to trip an alarm. It meant one of multiple things. She was getting sloppy, she somehow knew he was back in town already, or...she just didn’t care anymore.

None of these were good news for him.

He swept in like the shadow of a bird, landing soundlessly as he saw her working her magic on a safe behind the counter. A safe that likely contained tens of thousands of dollars and no small amount of very expensive jewelry.

It had been a few months since the incident where the city had been divided on the people that were here from other worlds...and the people that had always resided in this city. However, there were still people that liked to bully those that were brought here. Despite the fact that they weren’t here of their own free will. He refused to back down from finding them and making sure they stopped their ways. At least for a little while.

A black shadow flitted across the pale light of the alleyway. Something above? Or maybe it was just moving from below...through the shadows. That was impossible, right? There hadn’t even been any sounds of movement. And then suddenly there were sharp sounds rattling through the air. Almost like gunshots. But muffled. A few pained grunts and then...nothing. From the shadows stepped a blackclad man, bat emblem emblazoned upon his chest as he fixed a stare upon the one in front of him.

He’d thought for quite some time about whether or not he should reveal his secret. But he’d messed up with her last time he’d been in the cowl. It was part of the reason why he’d stopped wearing it in the city. His thumb hovered over the screen of his phone, eyes fixed upon a single name. “AVA”.

TO: AVA

FROM: BRUCE

> I’m back.

> Care to join me at the manor? I’ll send for a pick up if you do.

          ╳ ┊❝Don’t try to be cute with me here. A few marks won’t even begin to cover it, sweetie.❞

outofthenight;;

batman’s back. and the ladies in his life are mad at him. you know what that means.

     ; ⌁ ❝ You still should have come say ‘hello’ first… ❞ and it comes to surface in her tone what she’s really upset about.

     ; ⌁ ❝ You’ve been gone for months and your first thought is Valentines Day? Really? ❞ safe to say she’s a bit miffed to be forgotten about; especially since she’s been watching over his house since he’s been gone.

     ; ⌁ ❝ Don’t worry; if she doesn’t, I won’t either. ❞

respectingfear replied to your post:           ❝Me~ow.❞

it can’t be a coincidence that you got these on the day that i come back

         ╳ ┊❝Better protect that pretty little face of yours, Bat. It would be a shame if something were to happen to it…❞

✡— “That depends… Did ye bring me roses or chocolates? I’ll forgive you then, maybe.”  

Maybe if you buy her a lot of flowers she will forgive you.