DISCLAIMERS. DC COMICS OWNS ALL CHARACTERS. EXCEPT THE ONES I CREATED
FOR THIS STORY. BATMAN CREATED BY BOB KANE.


BATMAN - WRATH

Everytime I close my eyes I see my father falling. Everytime I close my eyes
I hear my mother screaming, I see the pearls touching the floor.
Everytime I close my eyes I see blood under their bodies.

*******************************

Catwoman was pleased. A good night. almost the thousand dollars in jewels.
"Nice to know people still like precious stones" she said to herself.
She looked at the bag.

Diamonds, pearls, rings made of gold, two watches made of pure silver.

"Purrrrrrrrrfect" - she whispered and allowed himself a wicked smile.

The roof of the building where she was standing made a strange noise behind her.
Catwoman didn´t turn around.

"Hi, there" - she said - "So long since we last met.
I was beginning to think you were gonna change me for
some other pretty thief."

The voice behind her was cold and sounded like a whisper.

"Return what you stole. Now."

Selina turned and faced the shadows. She could not see the Bat,
but then again she only could see him when he wanted. She put her hand
on her hip and grinned showing his white teeth to the darkness.

"Why don´t you come over here and we could return ourselves some favors..."

Then Catwoman heard the shot and the screaming. Down in the street. A woman.

"What the hell?" She ran to the end of the roof to see the street.
She felt the big leather pass over her. Faster than a speeding bullet.

In the alley nearby there was a man lying on the floor and a pregnant woman
cornered to the wall by two men with guns. The man on the floor was bleeding.
Shot. Selina could not tell if he was dead, alive or dying.

"Hey, Charlie! Look at this doll, will ya?" said one of the men.

"So sweet, Kevin... I like mommies... Heh, heh, heh..."

They hit the woman on the face and she could not stop screaming.

"Poor little baby" - said Charlie with sarcasm - "I´ll try not to hurt your
sonny... Heh, heh. But that is not a promise"

*******************************

Every time he closes his eyes he sees death. Every time he feels guilty.
Every time he has nightmares he swears no one should suffer that loss again.

*******************************

What Catwoman saw later amazed her. She had seen Batman in action before
but never acting like he did in that moment.

A tiny batarang hit Charlie´s knee. It cut him deeply and made him fall.

"Scum like you..." said an almost sobrenatural voice "... made me."

Charlie was in pain. And scared at hell. He pulled out his gun.

"Kevin! Fer christ sake it´s the Bat!" - He was crying when he talked.
Crying like a baby.

"Let´s get outta of here" - said Kevin in terror - "Before he kil..."

Kevin was stopped with a powerful kick to his right kidney.
He flew like a bag of garbage and hit the wall. He was inmovilized almost.
Still he was holding his gun and he shot to the moving shadows.

"You cannot kill me, punk."

Another kick. So hard even Selina could hear the ribs crack.

Kevin was down for the count.

Another batarang and Charlie´s hand was broken. He passed out at
almost the same time Kevin did.

Catwoman continued watching. Bats was really mad with that situation.

The woman was crying. "Pleasedon´thurtmepleasedon´thurtmeplease..."

"You´re safe now" said the voice coming from the shadows. A hand helped her get up.

Then, Batman looked over the man lying on the floor. He examined him.

He was shot in the shoulder and had lost a lot of blood. But he would live.
The ambulance came in record time, after Batman himself called them.

"Is your baby allright, Mrs?" he asked to the lady when the paramedics were assisting her husband.

The woman heard that creepy voice but, somehow she was not afraid anymore.

"Yes... He is now... Thank you very much..." she could not stop crying.

Minutes later they were all gone. Batman returned to the rooftop nearby.

Catwoman was sitting in a chimney and was touching her whip.

"You´re still here" - said Batman.

"That´s right, Dear. What happenned down there? I thought you were going to kill them..."

Batman came closer to her. She saw the gray bat in his chest and was delighted with
the sound of that powerful voice.

"Every night it gets harder not to."

"You never crossed that line, right. You can´t kill. We´ve never talked about this..."

"We never talk too much, Catwoman"

Catwoman got on her feet and walked towards the Dark Knight. Her hand softly touched his face.
Wet. Batman had cried. Not too much but she could tell that tears came out of his eyes.
The Bat did not move.

"That family was almost destroyed, but you stopped it, dear. You gave the bad guys a lesson."

"I... I can never stop it."

"My God... What kind of guilt you´re suffering? We´re rivals not enemies, Dear... You can tell me."

Batman took Catwoman´s hand firmly. She moaned in pain but was not disturbed.

"Return what you stole, Catwoman."

"Wouldn´t you like to have a family of your own? You´re a boy scout.
Allright, a dark boy scout, but a boy scout at last."

Her hands touched his chest. She felt strangely moved by the caped cruzader.
She could not see his face, but she could hear his breathing hard.

Catwoman lips were almost touching Batman´s mouth.

"My dearest rival, I wish you weren´t..."

They kissed with passion and Catwoman felt Batman´s anger in his kiss.
She felt something so strong she almost lost her head.

Batman could bring her down if he wanted. Hell, it was because Batman didn´t
want to take her to the police that she had kept her "job" as a thief for years.

"Why don´t you... Why don´t you take me to the police?"

No answer. Batman took two steps behind and stopped.

"I´ve no wish of that." he said.

Catwoman could feel something in his voice. The big, scary cruzader suddenly
seemed so sad.

"Return what you stole, Catwoman."

The bat expanded his leather wings and jumped into the night. Catwoman followed him with her eyes.
She saw when Batman descended into the same alley where minutes ago the woman was attacked.

Batman took two roses out of his cape. And put them in the floor. He stay there for a moment.
Then he hurled his batarang and, quick as wind, he was gone.
Catwoman looked at the flowers lying there in alley.

"Something what eating him this night..." she said to herself.

Then she started to climb down to the window under her. That was the last appartment she had visited
that night.

"Hope I remember from which place I stole each thing." -she laughed- "I´m not used to return stuff."


END