Kissing Steel (Book 1) *UPDATED*

Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story has been proofread/improved. Even the plot has been improved for a better reading experience. I wrote this when I was 15. But it's nice to finally add in some more mature elements after all these years. Enjoy!

There's danger in being a distributor of high-power weapons in Gotham. But making sure we hand them over to the right people is even more difficult.

Living alone for three years has helped, though. I've been too busy with work and have ignored all kinds of distractions—even in the dating department. It's the least I can do to keep myself and the people of this city safe because ever since Batman vanished, some people have lost hope. But I never did.

I had the privilege to own the latest weapons, the kind that not even the police possess. It's the kind we supply to—well—we'll call them agents. It's the kind I've mastered to use.

Although my father was a cop, he'll never be proud of me for handling guns. He wanted me to be anything but violent. But it's just not me.

I brushed off the thought.

After working for hours on end, I collected my things before heading outside my office.

George, the lobby tenant smiled at me, "Good night, Ma'am."

"Have a good night, George."

One of the perks I get from working at Pine Weaponry is that I get to live one block away from my condo. Regardless of the money I earn, I always prefer not to spend on trivial things. It's like I'm always getting ready to save up before another money-hungry businessman tries to buy off PW or we get into another trial. Unfortunately, somebody leaked our prints for making illegal high-power weapons.

I shake my head at the thought. They have the audacity to sue us for creating the latest weapons while Batman plays with almost the same bizarre toys.

As I walked over to the next street, I felt relieved to see the street empty. As usual, a thick wisp of smoke almost covers one area. Halfway through, I heard a loud clank behind me. It sounded like a thick large metal had dropped on the ground. It echoed through the whole street, stopping me from my tracks.

As a defense mechanism, so as not to risk anything, I immediately hid from the corner of a building. I pulled out my gun from my boot. Slowly peeking, I noticed men in black clambering out of the manhole. Later, a tire screeched and a black SUV showed up. I hid to avoid getting seen. But my curiosity got the best of me. When I peeked again, I saw men shove an old man down the manhole.

"What are they doing?" I whispered to myself. The rest of them followed down the hole. For a second, a tall, muscular man stepped out of the front passenger seat. He took slow, firm steps. It was as if he was anticipating something.

He stopped for a while and quickly looked in my direction, making me hide behind the wall again. I took a deep breath and held it in. Seconds later, I heard him walking.

He was getting closer.

I didn't know what to do so I held the gun up and gasped for air before stepping up to face the big guy. One move and I exposed myself in front of a towering figure. That figure was a man grasping his vest.

Our eyes met.

He was huge. Several inches taller than me. He stared down at me without moving. Well, it was all I could see since he had what looked like a complicated mask covering most of his face.

"Don't move," I said.

If I could hear him heave a breath in the mask, then he could probably talk properly with it. It seemed to help him hear better.

"You should have run," He said menacingly.

I tried my best not to show a reaction. I wasn't sure if I was scared or drawn to him. I know I should consider his size and the fact that the other men I saw pushed a man down the hole...but his eyes...they looked so...sad.

"Why should I?" I spoke.

"Brave little one." He replied. If I could see through his mask, he probably was smirking at me.

Now that was a little mean. I might be shorter than him, but that doesn't let this huge, sketchy man have the right to talk down at me. "Alright, listen, I don't give a rat's ass about your whole business down there. But I might have to shoot you for calling me little."

In the industry I'm in, I've managed to deal with a few assholes, too many times to know that I shouldn't get into anyone's business. That was what I had to live through, considering that I'm in Gotham. I just call it in instead of playing the hero.

But before the masked man could snark at me, sirens went off at the other end of the street. I saw blue and red lights flash in the dark.

I had to think fast—long-term consequences. To save my life, I acted quickly. I glanced at the masked man, "Are they looking for you?"

Of course, he didn't answer. Yet he looked at the cops who were about to head towards our direction at the dark alley, then glanced back at me.

"Go," I said. But he paused, looking at me. I saw his eyes again. His eyebrows furrowed.

I repeated myself, urging him to leave so I could run as well, "Go!"

He kept his eyes on me as he moved backward before running.

I tried to leave as fast as I could, too. It was a good thing my condo was just a minute away. In my high heels, I sprinted and promised myself for the last time that I was never going to walk this path home.

And that was the first time I saw that big, masked man.