He's Just One Man

Chapter 1

Gotham City was slick and wet from the evening's previous rain, causing the city's dark surfaces to glisten. Fortunately, the shining black walls and streets blended perfectly with Inque's appearance, albeit she had to avoid the occasional puddle. It had been risking, staging a heist with the clouds threatening to pour again, but her clients had a deadline and didn't want to be kept waiting. Luckily, The Batman had been late and by the time he gave chase, she had already hidden in a dark alley. Escape was still easily possible, but she'd have to be careful about it now that The Bat was flying patrol.

Inque let out a sigh. Things had been so much easier before Batman had returned to Gotham. No, wait, she mentally corrected herself. This was a new bat. The old man she had seen a couple of times was most likely the original article. Things had been so much easier before this new Batman had appeared.

Either way, young or old, Batman was a problem. It was incredible how just one man could manage to ruin so many of her heists time and again. And not just Inque's. He managed to disrupt almost all of Gotham's criminal activities, taking them out one by one every night. Granted there was the old man too, but it was the younger one who did all the leg work. Just that one guy.

As annoying as he was though, Inque had to admit from that one experience, the younger one wasn't a bad kisser. At the moment if Inque had had a face, she would have had a devilish smile upon it.

The liquid-formed woman waited a few minutes more, listening carefully for the smooth sound of the aerial Batmobile, before deciding it was safe to emerge from the alley. Before she had gone more that a few blocks however, she noticed something on the street that made her pause. There on the moist darkened street was a single dry footprint. And it was glowing green.

Inque stared at the footprint for a moment, pondering it's implications in her mind as it slowly began to fade on the cool moist ground. She glanced in the direction the footprint had come from. Just as she suspected-- there were a few more of them, and they were coming from the direction of Gotham Harbor.

A plan began to form in Inque's mind as the various pieces of information clicked together. As the final part of the plot wove into place, the polymorph began to laugh. Of course! It was so simple she couldn't believe she had never thought of it before. Batman was just one man, only capable of taking out the super criminal forces of Gotham one at a time. But what if he had to take on two, three or even four of them at once? Even better, if they caught him without that pesky bat suit, he would never stand a chance against them! As an added plus, if she played her hand right, the old man could be finished off too. She would have to hurry that night to make the necessary arrangements and form alliances, but she was sure no one would turn down this opportunity. Certainly not the first man she was going to ask.

Inque was about to laugh again when she heard a hum in the distance. The Batmobile. She cursed in her mind. The polymorph would have no difficulty hiding from The Bat, but he was another matter entirely…

Normaly, Inque was not one to give a thought to other people's problems. Unless of course their problems could be of assistance to her, like that foolish Aaron whats-his-name who had wanted powers like hers. And like this individual. Yes, this man would be very useful to Inque's plan. Quickly, Inque took off in the direction of the footprints, to find and hide her quarry from Gotham's sworn protector.