Wiskers

Chapter 9

Heading home in the dark with a backpack full of items through the more dangerous parts of gotham, even if criminals don't know you are carrying thousands of dollars worth of gems they will still jump you on the off chance you have some paper in your wallet, see the thing is around here the people are so desperate for money since the vertigo epidemic they are willing to do anything to get the money to get hold of the stuff, yes even here vertigo made its mark, it started in starling city where it was thought that their own masked vigilante had stopped it but the thing was that so much had been sold that it was going to take a good long While for it all to disappear completely and with so many people hooked and with the prices skyrocketing people would do anything to get it.

On this particular evening however the streets were unusually full, i expect they had all heard about the showing of the Phantom of the Opera and would try their luck fishing in peoples pockets, there were so many children around, they are the right height to grasp wallets and purses without getting spotted and somehow the rich of gotham still take pity on them.

I walk down the road towards my apartment careful to keep my back rigid so as not to jangle anything in my bag, it wasn't that i was afraid of getting jumped as i had enough fighting skills under my belt to protect muself but many of the thugs that would jump you would have friends looming near by and before you know it the whole neighbourhood hates you. No, i did not need that sort of hassle tonight.

I turn the corner to my apartment and a man hunched over wearing a red hoodie so as to cover his face brandishes a knife at me,

"I want your wallet, phone, watch and whatever's in that bag"

He sounded nervous, he couldn't have been older than 18 and by the looks of his hoodie and shoes had not been out on the streets for very long.

"Look kid, go home you clearly don't belong here" i said calmly

"You know nothing about me. Now give me the stuff NOW!" He was starting to get angry clearly he was bot going to let me go easy.

"Okay kid, i offered you an easy way out, now lets try the hard way"

He took a fighting pose hunched slightly, knees bent and fists balled just out from his sides, knife in hand he lunged for me, i leaped one high heeled foot on his chest the other bringing a heavy kick to the face i flipped in mid air and landed one leg splayed out to the side and one hand touching the floor, he had hit the ground with some force and his nose was bleeding profusely his eye was turning a deep purple, he lay spread on the damp pavement, see thats the thing about gotham it seems to always rain, he seemed unresponsive i moved him behind a few bins. Knowing this part of town anything could happen, the most likely being he wake up without wallet phone and shoes.

I open my apartment and sense that i am not the only one there, i slowly turn on the light, not looking behind.

"Y'know its a criminal offence to break into someones home without permission" i say before turning around to face him, he is stood just in front of the large glass doors that have a view over the city, all i can see of him is his silhouette against the dismal cityscape.

"I have a feeling that the GCPD will be more preoccupied with your burglary to concern themselves with me" his voice is deep and gravelly, to mask his real voice.

"All the same, you have committed a crime"

"I don't concern myself with laws too much, you should know Selena, however you should also know that i cant let you keep those stolen artefacts" batman says

" aw come on a girls gotta shop"

"No Selena this has gone far enough, small burglaries i can ignore but a two thousand year old artefact, that is something that no one can turn a blind eye to"

"Very well" i say "i shall return the items next week"

"Selena!" He raises his voice

"Okay okay, I return them tomorrow!" I retorted "how was it at the docks?" I ask teasingly

"We wont have too much trouble with Falcone bringing in extra weaponry and drugs for a while, the GCPD managed to slap a sentence on him, but a man of his stature, he wont be there long, his men are probably already working on getting him out."

"See and i cant believe that you didn't think that i was telling the truth" i said in mock horror

"I was half right" he said smirking "you did still go to the museum" he grabs the cat and exits. this time i didn't stop him, i could see that this man meant business, he was going to try and fix gotham and i had to salute him for that.