Shadow of the Bat Chapter 7: Taking Sides, a kim possible fanfic

HA! Remember me? Yeah, maybe not considering how long this thing's been on hiatus. Anyway, here's a brand new chapter for ya, and with any luck you won't have to wait nearly this long for another one.

Shadow of the Bat

Chapter 7 - Taking Sides

Selina kept quiet for quite awhile as they drove through the city. The dark mood practically radiated off Kim in waves, and the thief found herself hesitant to break the silence. Eventually the car slowed and stopped, though not in front of the manor as Selina had expected.

"So," the thief said hesitantly, "What do we do now?"

Kim didn't answer right away, sitting perfectly still and just breathing for a minute or two.

"I figured we might not get anything useful from the Joker," she finally answered. "We'll have to try going directly to the source."

"The ninja?" Selina replied, arching an eyebrow. "How do you suppose to find her?"

"I don't. With any luck, she'll come to us."

With that, Kim climbed out of the car with Selina following close behind. They'd stopped on a winding road outside of town with a small hill on one side. Selina could make out an old cemetery a little ways away. Her black cape flowing out behind her, Kim made her way to the top of the hill to where an iron pole rose from the ground, whatever purpose it had once served long forgotten.

The vigilante crouched down nearby, fishing in the pouches of her belt to produce a length of wire and a couple rolls of fabric. She said nothing as she twisted and shaped the wire into some form Selina couldn't make out. The fabric was wrapped around the wire and then soaked in some liquid that smelled heavily of chemicals.

"What is that?" the thief finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. Kim grabbed one of the steel lines hanging from the pole and secured it to her structure. Then looping a line over the top, she hoisted the fabric wrapped frame to the top of the pole.

"My research into the Yamanouchi clan unearthed some of their traditions," Kim answered as she secured the line. "That," she pointed at the wire frame, "is the symbol for a gathering place. The ninja of the clan would scrawl it above the doors of wherever they were going to meet."

"She's not going to be fooled by that," Selina said, giving the Bat a skeptical look.

"Of course not. But hopefully it WILL make her curious enough to check it out. She's working against Fiske and she knows we are as well. I'm hoping that's enough to get her to talk to us."

Kim lit a match and flicked it upwards. It hit the wire frame, the chemicals in the cloth catching instantly. The Japanese character burned brightly at the top of the pole as Kim turned to look toward the city. She stood almost motionless beside the pole as Selina sat down nearby. And they waited.

Selina was half-dozing when the Bat's gloved hand touched her shoulder gently. Instantly the thief was fully alert, pulling herself up to stand by Kim who was staring off toward the nearby cemetery. For awhile nothing happened. And then, finally, a shadow detached itself from the darkness and took a cautious step toward them.

"You use the mark of my clan," the ninja called to them. "How is it you know such things?"

"Research," the Bat answered shortly. "It's unimportant. I'm here to talk about the idols and your visits with the Joker."

"Why should I tell you?" the Japanese girl asked, watching Kim's movements intently.

"We're both working toward the same goal; to stop Fisk. I know it was you at the museum, I know about the visits to Arkham, and I know you're trying to keep the idols from Fiske."

The ninja spat a Japanese swear word in contempt.

"You know nothing," she growled back. "You do not know the power the idols hold or what will happen if 'Fiske' possesses them. He is more than you think he is."

"You mean Ra's al Ghul," Kim interrupted. "The Demon's Head?"

The ninja was struck speechless.

"How?" she stammered in a shocked tone.

"Like I said; research," the Bat replied, taking another careful step forward. "I want to help. You say I don't understand. So MAKE me understand."

The ninja studied her critically for a few moments before finally nodding and pulling away her mask. It was indeed the same woman from the museum. Her dark hair was pulled back and slightly ruffled from being under the ninja's headpiece.

"My clan does not make a habit of telling outsiders our secrets," the girl said, fixing Kim with a meaningful stare. "But my mission has become complicated. Perhaps the opinion of a native may help me choose a course of action."

"You can count on our silence," Kim replied, gesturing to Selina who gave a corresponding nod.

"You are a protector," the ninja said to Kim. "I believe I can trust your word. And you," she continued, turning a little sharply to Selina, "have already tasted the Demon's betrayal. I will hope your loyalty will be given more wisely in the future."

She looked back and forth between the two for a moment before speaking again.

"My name is Yori," she began tentatively. "I am a member of the Yamanouchi; a clan of ninja tasked with the protection of a great secret. We wait for the coming of the one destined to bear this secret, and to aid them in their transition. That is the purpose of the idols. They unlock the powers of Son Goku, to be wielded by this chosen one."

"Son who?" Selina asked, confused.

"The Monkey King," Kim answered. "Sun Wukong in China. A character from Asian mythology."

"Son Goku is no myth," Yori replied quickly. "The idols are used to give the chosen one the power they need to wield our legacy. That is the power the Demon seeks for himself. The idols should only work on the one destined to hold the power, but Ra's al Ghul has found a way around that. If he succeeds in using the idols, he will then come for the legacy we guard, and his power will be strengthened ten-fold."

"What is this 'legacy' you guard," Kim asked, but Yori only shook her head.

"THAT I will not say," she replied. "But the destined one HAS appeared. It was my mission to find him and the idols before the Demon. The second part, at least, has been partly successful. I took two of the idols from Ra's al Ghul while the thief has the rest. And I would be most appreciative if you would return them to me."

"We'll talk about that in a moment," the Bat said, stepping forward. "You still haven't explained why you were visiting the Joker."

"That is the other part of my mission," Yori answered. "And the source of my apprehension."

"You mean you think the Joker is this 'destined one'," Selina asked, feeling rather silly for even uttering the phrase.

"This is not how it was supposed to be," Yori replied. "My visions told of a young man; kind and loy..."

"Well, he's not," Kim interrupted, her voice sharp and angry. "He's a dangerous lunatic. If you're smart you'll stay as far away from him as possible."

"You suggest I abandon my mission," Yori stated, beginning to sound angry herself. "My oath to my clan. You would have me dishonor myself by giving up?"

"I didn't say that," the Bat countered. "But the Joker isn't your answer. He's a mad dog and needs to be left alone, locked up where he belongs."

"But... my visions did not show him as this 'Joker'," Yori said, sounding frustrated. "He was called..."

"HE'S NOT," the Bat roared. Pointing a finger at the ninja, Kim's voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "Fulfill your 'prophecy' some other way. The Joker is off limits."

Yori had flinched at the Bat's sudden show of rage, but remained determined, glaring back at the vigilante.

"I will do my duty as I see fit," she shot back. In the blink of an eye she'd turned and bolted into the shadows of the cemetery. Cursing, Kim took off after her with Selina on her heels. The Bat's cape flapped wildly in front of the thief as Kim dodged through the tombstones. Selina could only follow her, unable to track Yori except for a few flashes of movement in the shadows ahead.

The cemetery wound along the the peak of the hill, spanning nearly the entire width. It was old and mostly deserted, the grounds seemingly packed with headstones and monuments. Nobody had been buried there for years. The far side of the cemetery's property ended abruptly in a steep cliff, a wrought iron fence surrounding the grounds with Gotham City laid out below. It was quite a view normally, but none of the three in the graveyard were in the mood to notice.

Selina caught sight of the ninja again, just as she vaulted herself over the fence. With barely a second's hesitation, Yori dove over the edge of the cliff. Kim was right behind her, leaping over the iron-work and following the ninja over the edge.

The thief was forced to a halt at the edge, watching as the two swung off into the forest of buildings. Her whip wasn't as long or versatile as the other two women's grapple lines, and Selina wasn't about to risk her life by chancing it. Kicking at the grass in frustration, she turned back and walked back to the car. Figuring she'd be forced to wait for Kim's return, the thief flopped into the passenger's seat to sulk.

"Selina Goh?"

Selina jumped a bit as a voice issued from the car's dashboard.

"Who is that?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm a friend of the Bat's. She radioed in and said you'd be needing a lift back to the manor."

"Is this the same 'friend' who got us into Arkham?"

"Exactly," the woman answered, a hint of a smile in her voice. "And before you ask, I can't say anymore. Just follow my instructions and I'll have you back at the manor in no time."

The no-nonsense tone in her voice convinced Selina that pushing for information from the woman would be futile, so she slid over to the driver's seat and did as she was told. The 'friend' gave her a quick walk-through on how to drive the large, black car. It really wasn't much different from a normal one, once you knew how to get the thing started, and Selina was actually quite enjoying the drive back to Kim's. A car that powerful could be addictive. Of course the woman on the radio made sure to tell her that she could track where the thief was going, so there were no detours on the trip back. Thankfully though, she didn't chastise Selina for going a little faster than maybe she should and taking some of the turns a little sharper than was necessary.

The thief was eventually guided through a hidden entrance and back into the cave where she was told where to park and how to shut the car down properly. 'Radio-Lady' said a short good-bye before signing off. Sighing, Selina pulled herself out of the car to find Alfred waiting for her.

"Good evening Miss," he greeted her. "Will you be heading upstairs?"

"No thanks," Selina answered after a second's pause. "I think I'll wait down here for awhile."

"Very well," the butler nodded. "Can I get you anything before I turn in?"

"No, thank you Alfred."

"Goodnight then, Miss Goh."

"Goodnight Alfred."

The old servant headed up the stairs, leaving Selina alone in the cave. The thief made sure the door had closed completely before walking over and sitting down in the cushioned chair in front of the main computer. The archives were still up, making it much easier for her. Entering 'Joker' into the name field pulled up a photo of the creepy-looking maniac. Selina stared at the ghoulish smile for a few seconds before shivering and moving on to his profile.

There wasn't much there that was new. A detailed listing of all the charges against him was eye-wideningly long, but other than that it was pretty much what she'd gotten already. However, there was a small 'Addendum' file linked at the bottom that refused to open for her. A pop-up informed her that it was classified and required further clearance to access.

"Figures," the thief grumbled irritably, closing the profile and leaning back into the chair. She sat there, rocking lazily on the chair's swivel base, unsure what she wanted to do next. Before she could come to any decision, the cushions of the chair proved too comfortable for her and she dozed off.

Selina wasn't sure how long she slept, but she finally drifted back to consciousness to a steady thumping sound. Groggily sitting up in the chair, the thief looked around the cave for the source of the sound. Her eyes eventually fell on Kim standing a little ways off on a padded mat.

She'd already changed out of her costume, now wearing a simple tank top and some sweatpants as she pounded methodically at a punching bag. Selina slid out of the chair and walked over, seating herself on a nearby weight bench as she watched the red-head. Kim must have been there a little while already. Selina could see sweat running down the back of her neck and beading in her buzzed hair.

"Did you catch her?" the thief finally asked after a few minutes of silence.

"No." She didn't pause in her relentless blows to the bag.

Selina paused again, weighing her next question in her mind.

"What aren't you telling me?" she eventually asked.

"About what?" Kim replied in a stony tone.

"About the Joker."

That got a reaction. The jabs at the punching bag stopped abruptly, but the millionaire would still not turn around.

"You've already heard about him," she said, though it rung hollow to both their ears.

"Don't treat me like an idiot," Selina shot back, letting a little anger creep into her voice. "There's obviously something you're keeping from me. Why is part of his file locked and why were you so ticked about that ninja girl knowing his name?"

Kim would not answer. She stood stock still in front of the bag until Selina finally gave up and turned to leave.

"Selina."

Kim's voice stopped her. It sounded softer, almost unsure. Selina hadn't heard the red-head's voice sound like that since the night of the opera. Her anger was put on hold as she turned back and listened.

"Do... do you consider yourself a criminal?"

The thief was a little surprised by the question. She actually had to stop and think about it for a few moments. DID she consider herself a criminal? She'd never really thought about it before, but...

"Yes. I suppose so," she answered, adding a second later, "but I don't consider myself a bad person."

"How do you figure that?" Kim asked, her voice getting a little harder, but still not as hard as the Bat's voice.

"A criminal is just someone who breaks the law," Selina replied. "And that's a very broad field. Robin Hood could be called a criminal. Hell, you and Commissioner Barkin are technically criminals. Vigilantism IS illegal and he's aiding and abetting you."

"And you compare what we do to your common thievery?" the red-head growled, actual anger coloring her tone.

"I don't make any excuses for myself," Selina snapped right back. "My life is what it is. I'll let others worry about judging me for it."

Silence fell again, the two women just standing there as the tense atmosphere slowly drained from the air.

"So why do you do it?" Kim asked, breaking the silence after they'd both calmed down a bit.

"To begin with?" Selina replied, shrugging a little. "Back then it was just a way to survive. Now though.... I just like it. I'm not hurting anyone."

"You're a THIEF," the red-head growled, finally turning to face her. "You're STEALING things that don't belong to you."

"From who?" the thief shot back. "Millionaires and upper-crust snobs. The only thing that gets hurt is their pride."

"So you think what you do is just fine?"

"I'm saying that the world isn't black and white," Selina answered.

Kim took a few steps forward, her eyes hard and glaring.

"I've heard that argument before," she said in a low voice. "But people tend to forget one thing. Without black and white everything would be gray, and you'd be blind."

Selina had no answer to this, watching as Kim turned back around and moved away. She stopped after a few steps, the tenseness in her shoulders suddenly draining away with a heavy sigh. Selina was suddenly reminded of how tired and beaten down Kim had looked that day at the piano.

"So... how do you know?" Kim said, her voice sounding weary and almost pleading. "If it's all gray, how do you decide which criminals to punish?"

Selina almost said, 'the ones that actually hurt people', but stopped herself. It wouldn't be the truth and she knew it. If her excuse was valid, where DID one stop? What about the man who shoots someone and takes their money because he can't feed his family? Should he be let off? What about the police and security guards she'd taken down over the course of her career? Sure, she never killed anyone, but was that enough for her to say she didn't deserve to be punished?

"I don't know."

It was the truth. She didn't know. Much of her life had been lived on a reactionary basis, doing what she wanted simply because she wanted to.

"Yeah... that's the problem," Kim smiled dryly. "Do... do you think someone could change?" she added after a minute of silence. "Could YOU change if you had reason to?"

"I.... I honestly couldn't say."

Again; the truth. The thrill and rewards of burglary were so much a part of her life, Selina wasn't sure that she COULD stop if she tried. Probably not the best thing to tell a crime-fighting vigilante, but something in Kim's voice made Selina want to tell her the truth.

Kim nodded and began to unwrap her hands.

"There's a party tomorrow night," she said after a moment. "Friends and business partners. I thought you might want to come along."

"Sure," Selina answered simply. "Sounds good."

Kim nodded again and Selina took that as the end of the conversation. Yet as she turned to leave, Kim's voice stopped her again.

"Selina, I..." the millionaire called over her shoulder, though she did not look at the thief. "Listen... making you think I was.... that we might.... well, maybe I went too far. I just wanted to... apologize."

The thief wanted to say that there was no 'maybe' about it, but in all honesty she couldn't. After all, she'd just said she considered herself a criminal. You couldn't really throw out all rules and considerations and still expect everyone else to adhere to them.

"Yeah, sure," she finally said. "No problem." It didn't sound completely genuine and she knew it, but she didn't want anymore arguments tonight.

"Goodnight Kim."

The red-head nodded, finally turning around to watch as Selina walked away.

"Goodnight Selina."

Fiske stood before a large window in the sitting room of his mansion. He'd had it built upon his arrival in Gotham. The tower was fine, but he needed someplace out of the city; somewhere he could get away to. Gotham was the type of city that got under one's fingernails and stained the skin like cigarette smoke. Once he had the power to fix the world, places like this wouldn't exist.

His musings were interrupted by Slade entering. The mercenary stood silently behind him until Fiske acknowledged his presence.

"Is Mr. Moss settled?"

"He's staying put, but he's not happy about it," Wilson answered. "I still think it's a mistake to keep him around at all. He's a wild animal. Unpredictable and untrustworthy."

"Noted," Fiske replied with a simple nod of his head. "But for the moment he's also very useful. Not to call your own considerable talents into question Mr. Wilson, but when taking on such foes as our dear Dark Knight, it pays to have an extra something in your corner."

Slade didn't answer. He'd voiced his opinion, but Fiske was forking over the cash so he made the rules. Not that it bothered Slade too much. He was pretty sure he could handle Croc if the freak got out of hand.

"Don't worry about our scaly friend, Mr. Wilson. The sooner we get those idols, the sooner Mr. Moss' services will no longer be required."

"My contacts have turned up nothing on the location of that ninja or Catwoman. What do you plan to do?"

Fiske took a long, relaxed sip of his wine before answering.

"Nothing just yet," he finally replied. "The thief has two of the idols while the Yamanouchi has the others. If either wants to obtain them all, they will have to come out of hiding to find each other."

"What if they decide to work together? Goh would be pretty willing to give up a couple old statues for a chance at revenge. Not to mention she escaped with the Bat. She'd have even more reason to hook up with the ninja."

Fiske smiled.

"Even so," he explained, "they'd still have to come out of hiding to get to me. If the Bat is involved, I expect we'll see something soon. Something to try and bait us into action."

"And will we fall for it?" Slade asked.

"Oh, of course we will. How could we pass up the opportunity," Fiske chuckled. "Mark my words, Mr. Slade. A little patience and our enemies will come to us."

As Selina came downstairs the next morning, she was greeted by the aroma of breakfast. Kim was waiting for her in the dining room where Alfred served up a delicious omelet with Belgian waffles. The two of them were silent as they ate, Selina not wishing to break the comfortable morning feeling. The sunrise shone through the tall windows, warming the room and eliciting a strange sense of contentment in the thief.

"The party starts at eight," Kim finally said, breaking the silence as Alfred collected their dishes. "We'd better arrive separately, just in case."

"You think Fiske will be there?"

"No, I don't think so," Kim replied. "But I'd be surprised if he wasn't watching. He's managed to build himself quite an information network."

"Why should I go then?" Selina asked. "If you think he's watching for me, shouldn't I keep my head down?"

"Unfortunately that's not an option," the millionaire answered. "We have three sides in this thing. Us, the ninja, and Fiske; and at the moment, we're all at a stalemate."

"We've got two statues, the ninja has the rest, and Fiske is waiting with Wilson and his pet monster for one of us to make a move," Selina clarified, getting an affirming nod from Kim.

"I'm afraid time is against us as well," the red-head added. "The ninja, Yori; I'm not sure how far she'll go for this prophecy of hers, and I'd rather not find out. We need to get things rolling again, and it's better if we start it on our terms."

"Okay, so I show up at the party to poke the hornet nest," Selina shrugged. "Should I get the idols and bring them here?"

"No," Kim answered immediately. "Better to leave them where they are for now. I assume they're at the Gotham City Bank? Something to do with the safety deposit box you rented?"

Selina looked up at her sharply.

"How did you... oh, yeah. The tracking device." The thief couldn't stop the faint bitter tone that laced her voice.

"Yes," Kim answered, not seeming to notice, "but I'm sure you didn't simply put them in the box."

"Of course not," Selina replied. "I rented the box so I could check out the security. Then I broke in later and slipped the idols into an unused box in a separate part of the vault. I put a few valuables I had on hand into my box, just so it wasn't immediately apparent that it was a decoy."

"Good," Kim nodded. "I'll take care of those later."

Selina almost shot back with a comment of her own, but refrained in hopes of preserving the pseudo-truce they seemed to have established last night. Still, the way the woman had said it; matter-of-factly, as though Selina had no say in the matter. It just rubbed her the wrong way.

"Fiske will know your appearance at the party is a trap," Kim continued, standing up to walk over to the window. "But he'll take the bait anyway. We just have to be better prepared than he is."

Selina rose from the table as well, watching the red-head as she looked out the window. The thief could almost see the gears turning in the millionaire's mind. In fact, that seemed to be her normal state; plotting, planning, scheming.

"You never stop, do you?" Selina asked, walking slowly over to stand behind Kim. "Never relax? Never take the time to enjoy your life?"

"This IS my life," the red-head replied, her voice hard.

"That's... one of the saddest things I've ever heard," the thief said softly, her hands coming up to rest on Kim's shoulders.

"You think it's sad that I try to help people?" Kim asked coldly. Selina felt the red-head's muscles stiffen under her hands, but she didn't push the thief away.

"No," Selina answered, her arms slowly sliding around until she was hugging the millionaire from behind, her chin resting on Kim's shoulder. "Sad that you help everyone but yourself."

"I don't have the time," Kim shot back.

"I do," Selina almost whispered. The millionaire hadn't put on one of her wigs yet and Selina slowly rubbed her face along the side of Kim's, feeling the soft fuzz of her red hair slide along her cheek. "I could help you."

Kim did react then, though still not angrily. She simply stepped away from the thief and walked calmly out of the room. Selina thought she saw the red-head's hand come up to touch her face as she exited, but the thief couldn't be sure.

Yori was also watching the sunrise. Sitting on the edge of a roof, legs crossed under her as she meditated. Everything had become so complicated upon her arrival in Gotham. She felt adrift and alone, wishing with all her might that Sensei was here to counsel her.

--"Remember your training and trust in your skill and you will have nothing to fear." --

Her old teacher's words floated through her mind, making the ninja nod slightly to herself. Taking a deep breath, Yori focused her mind, reaching out to that place in her where the visions came from. The visions had started coming to her when she was a young child; frightening at first, but Sensei had taught her to control and learn from them. It was in these visions that she first saw the coming fulfillment of the prophecy. The visions had given her glimpses of the Chosen One, and formed the bond she had used to track him down.

Now she needed their guidance again. Reaching further and further into her mind's eye.

Please. Please, I need help.

Then a room flashed in her mind. She saw herself there. Another flash showed the Chosen One standing in the middle of the idols. Another flash and she was in a battle. The Demon was there and she could see blood. Was it his blood? She couldn't be sure.

As quickly as they'd come, the visions were gone. Yori opened her eyes and stared toward the rising sun. The visions hadn't told her everything, but she now knew what course of action she would take. Even though it may mean her death.

Selina pulled up to the lavish hotel where the party was being held, letting one of the men at the door park the car Kim had given her. She paused at the doorway, the gathering already in full swing, craning her neck as she searched for a familiar face in the crowd.

She caught Felix's eye, the young man pausing in his conversation to give her a friendly wave. The thief finally caught sight of Kim just as the millionaire spotted her and started over.

"Selina," she cried happily, smile as wide as could be. "I'm SO glad you could make it. Come on, I'll introduce you to some people."

The thief allowed herself to be pulled along by her hand, marveling at how Kim could slip so easily into this persona; nearly the polar opposite of who she was at home. Her footsteps were light and bouncy, her shoulders back and her head high. It was almost impossible to associate her with the cold, brooding crime fighter she'd spent the last two days with.

"You already know Felix of course," Kim was saying, drawing another wave from the man. "And this is Duff Killigan, golf tycoon. He's looking to spread his franchise into mainstream America."

"Aye, if ye'd git yerself in gear and sell me tha' land I'm after," the large man called after them, laughing good naturally.

"There's Commissioner Barkin over there," she pointed across the room, adding more quietly, "He actually hates these things, but accepts anyway cause of all the donations I make to the police."

"Kim!"

A shout drew the millionaire's attention and she changed direction, dragging Selina over toward one corner of the large room.

"And this is Monique Fox," she smiled, gesturing to the woman who'd shouted at them. "She's the one that makes sure my billions don't disappear overnight."

"Oh please," her friend replied, giving Kim a playful slap on the shoulder. "I could stop making you money this second and you'd STILL never be able to spend it all."

Monique turned to smile at Selina, her white teeth standing out against the rich chocolate color of her skin. Unlike most of the other women at the party she wore a stylish, yet still sensible, suit jacket and skirt instead of a gown. Her dark, wavy hair was pulled up into a carefully casual looking ponytail. In fact, everything about her seemed to radiate a certain understated class. A fashion model's heart with a businessman's brain.

"It's certainly nice to meet YOU Miss Goh," Monique said as she shook Selina's hand. Fox had one powerful handshake. "Felix told me about meeting you at Victor's opening and the next thing I know you're spending the night at the manor."

"Monique..." Kim muttered warningly.

"What?" Monique asked with mock confusion. "I'm just trying to look out for my best friend's well being. Wouldn't want you falling victim to some dastardly fortune hunter, would we?"

Any insult Monique's comment might have carried was quickly dispelled by the mischievous smirk she shot Selina as she was talking. Kim's friend obviously had a wicked sense of humor and Selina found herself taking an immediate liking to the woman.

"Believe me, I wasn't trying anything," the thief replied, playing along. "I didn't even know Kim swung that way."

"I don't," the red-head almost pouted. "I'm still dating Brick, you know."

"Oh, I know," Monique nodded. "For about a month now. That's almost a new record for you, isn't it?"

"Fine. If all you're going to do is make fun of me, I'M going over and talking to Duff," Kim answered. "Maybe I'll agree to sell him my land. At HALF price."

Monique put a hand to her chest, feigning injury.

"Girl, don't even JOKE about that."

Selina laughed along with her, enjoying the friendly banter even though in the back of her mind, she knew it was partly acting on Kim's part. Monique proved to be just as smart and engaging as she'd first appeared. Selina spent most of her time talking with her, taking a few breaks to dance with some others Kim introduced her to, including Duff Killigan. The large Scotsman was a jovial man with a booming laugh and a sense of humor that would be more at home in the local pub than in a high-class place like this. Not that it seemed to bother him or anyone else as his laugh was quite infectious.

The evening wore on and Selina had just finished another dance when she spotted Kim slipping outside onto the large balcony. The thief scooped up another drink before following after her.

"Needed a breath of fresh air?" Selina called as she closed the windowed doors behind her.

Kim nodded slightly, only half-turning her head toward the thief.

"It gets.... noisy after awhile," she replied, letting her facade slip a little.

"Well, you certainly play the part well," Selina said, walking up to stand beside her. "Kinda hard to believe it's all just an act."

Kim smiled softly, chuckling a little under her breath.

"That's what Alfred always says."

The two lapsed into silence for awhile, something Selina noticed they tended to do quite often, taking in the view from the balcony. The city was nothing more than a mass of black silhouettes surrounding the hotel, lighted windows mirroring the stars that twinkled in the sky overhead. Selina could almost fool herself into calling Gotham peaceful.

"Kim," the thief finally spoke. "I... I know you said.."

But Selina was cut off by a sound rising up from the distance. It started low, but quickly built to a distant wail. Beside her, Kim's entire body suddenly tensed up.

"What?" Selina asked, turning to the red-head. "What is it?"

"It's the siren at Arkham," Kim said softly, her voice distant and cold. "There's been a breakout."

Yori stood on the rocky shore of the lake that nearly surrounded Arkham. She shivered slightly, partly because of the crisp breeze coming off the water and partly because of the man standing a few feet in front of her. The Joker stood facing the city across the lake, his arms outstretched as though basking in the sight of it. The straps of his straight jacket dangled from his sleeves, but he noticed them no more than his bare feet on the cold, wet rocks.

"We must get going," Yori said after a little. "Please, you must understand the importance of this. If the Demon succeeds, the terror he will inflict on the world will be unimaginable."

"HIS terror?" the Joker chuckled, opening his eyes to look off toward Gotham. "Wait'll they get a load of ME."

To be continued....

Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated.