Deep below Wayne Manor, where few are allowed to go, the Batcave stands in all its glory. Silent and foreboding with its massive caverns and nocturnal inhabitants, it is the perfect haven for a man of the night.

Not a sound disturbed the eerie stillness of that very cave now as its master sat before his computer silently, his black cape draping around his chair and a stony expression dominating his chiseled features.

The Batman.

Weary but vigilant as always, the Caped Crusader had just returned from a particularly exhausting encounter with the Joker. The smiling psychopath had thought it would be a brilliant idea for him and Harley to have a night on the town and visit Gotham's yearly Halloween charity carnival. As was to be expected, the citizens of Gotham didn't find it brilliant at all.

Causing havoc wherever he set foot, the Joker didn't make it five minutes in the carnival before the cotton candy stand was on fire, the popcorn machine exploded and the Ferris wheel was armed. Happy Halloween.

It was only natural that after having to deal with that that the Dark Knight was more than a little tired and beaten. His legs, in particular, were bleeding fairly heavily and required medical attention and probably some rest before they'd heal.

Nevertheless, Bruce Wayne, son of the late Thomas and Martha Wayne, would not rest. He had sworn on his parents' graves that he would protect Gotham City to his last breath and fight against injustice in the name of their murder, all those years ago in crime alley.

No, the Batman would not rest until the crime of the night was vanquished.

That thought in mind, Bruce fought through his exhaustion and pain and pulled up Joker's criminal file. He quickly added the crazy clown's newest destruction of Gotham property to his case files and closed it before he could see how long Joker's list of crimes had become.

Finished with that, Bruce got up just as his butler, Alfred Pennyworth, was descending the stairs to the Batcave.

"Master Bruce!" Alfred exclaimed, quickly setting down Bruce's dinner on one of the cave's many lab tables upon seeing his charge. "You are injured! You should have called for me the moment you returned!"

"I'm fine, Alfred." Bruce deadpanned, shaking off his old friend as the butler attempted to get him to sit back down. "It's just a scratch."

"It is very well not!" Alfred griped, forcing Bruce back into his chair and gathering his medical supplies. He then bent down and expertly began to dress Batman's still-bleeding wounds, carefully halting the bleeding, cleaning the cuts and bandaging them gingerly.

Bruce sighed. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Alfred," he said appreciatively.

Alfred gave him a look. "I don't believe I know either," he scolded. "If you never treat your wounds after battles you'll drop dead before you leave this God-forsaken cave."

Bruce smiled. "I would have gotten to them eventually," he argued playfully.

"I should hope so!" Alfred sniffed.

Suddenly, a loud, blaring alarm filled the cave and the Bat-computer's screen turned blood red, casting a foreboding reddish hue over the two men.

Without thinking, Bruce flipped on his cowl and turned to the computer, ignoring his half-dressed wounds. His fingers flew across the keyboard and in moments full details on the alert popped up on the screen. Batman's lensed eyes scanned the words quickly before he leaped out of his chair and raced towards the Batmobile in a flurry of black.

"Master Bruce!" Alfred called after him, holding the last bit of Bruce's bandage in his hands. "Your leg is not fully bandaged!"

If Bruce had heard him, he pretended not to as the Batmobile's engine roared to life and the sleek black vehicle zoomed out of the Batcave with a small burst of fire, disappearing into the night.

Alfred stared after him for a few minutes before shaking his head sadly and beginning to pick up his medical supplies. Clasping his First Aid kit shut, he picked up Bruce's uneaten dinner quietly and made his way back up to the manor.

"One of these days," he murmured to himself. "He will be the death of me."

~O~

The cold Halloween air chilled James Gordon slightly as he stood high above the ground on the rooftop of the GCPD, the Bat-signal shinning brightly over his head. He dug his hands deep inside his coat pockets and sighed, taking a drag on his cigarette as he waited.

"Commissioner," a deep voice said.

"Batman," Gordon greeted the vigilante, unresponsive to Batman's sudden silent appearance at his side. Having worked with the Dark Knight before, he was used to Batman's sudden appearances and disappearances. "Thanks for coming."

"It's Catwoman, isn't it," Batman said emotionlessly, his cape billowing around him mysteriously in the breeze.

The police commissioner shot him a sideways glance. "I'm not going to even ask how you know that," he said, taking his cigarette out of his mouth and stomping it out underneath his shoe. "She raided a jewelry store a week ago and the force has been trying to track her down ever since. It's taken a bit of work, considering we received no tips." He gave Batman another searching glance at this. "I suppose you've had bigger things on your hands to deal with, huh?"

Batman didn't answer.

Gordon sighed again. "Never mind," he murmured. "Anyway, we managed to find her apartment early tonight, paid for using a stolen credit card and a false name that we managed to track with some cross referencing. Selina was gone and the jewels were nowhere to be found, but we did find this."

He handed the detective a newspaper. "Headline caught our attention."

Batman's eyes narrowed as he scanned the page.

THE LONDON TIMES

The Die Katze – Limited Time Showing at the Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert museum is proud to announce the limited showing of a priceless Egyptian artifact, the cat statue known as the Die Katze. The showing is an official kick-off for the opening of the museum's new Egyptian art exhibit, The Art of the Egyptians. The cat statue, worth over two million pounds, is an exquisite artifact crafted from sleek marble and adorned with rare ruby eyes. It's the prize jewel of the museum's Egyptian exhibit…

Batman stopped reading the article and turned his attention to the large photograph that dominated the majority of the first page. It depicted a marble cat, carved in obvious Egyptian fashion with a slender cat body in a sitting position, its tail wrapped around its feet. Two giant ruby eyes sparkled in its eyes sockets.

His eyes narrowed and he handed the newspaper back to Gordon. "She's going to London," he growled.

"We can't confirm it, but that would be my guess," Gordon agreed. "This Die Katze statue is definitely up her alley. I already have the force calling the London police to notify them of the possible threat but I thought I'd let you know. You aren't going to go after her, are you?"

The Dark Knight didn't answer.

"Batman?" Gordon questioned, turning to look at the detective only to find that he had already gone, evaporated into the night.

The Commissioner shook his head and shut off the Bat-signal. "Every time," he murmured.