Disclaimer: I do NOT own Batman. (Though I wish I do)

Prologue

Heard of batman? Then I'm sure you've heard of catwoman. Selina Kyle's has the brains and looks. The perfect girlfriend. Perfect Wife. Perfect everything. If not for the fact that she was a burglar with a taste for high-stake thefts on the highly wanted list of the New York Police Force. But then again, the police were peanuts to her. At least until they decided to hire the mysterious masked 'Batman' to help traced down this skilled theft with her trademark whip.

Chapter 1: The Cat meets The Bat

Leap.

Another nimble leap.

Like a cat, she jumped nimbly from roof to roof, without even breaking out a single drop of sweat.

That was how skilled she was.

That was how she got her nickname- Catwoman.

She liked the sound of it.

It made her proud.

Proud of everything she had done.

Threatening.

Stealing.

Robbing.

But she never killed.

She didn't believe in bloodshed.

Nope she didn't.

She stole from the rich.

The filthy rich.

And gave to the poor.

Like her.

The thoughts went flying back to her.

How she had to kneel on the cold hard streets of New York, pitifully begging—yes, begging—for a few cents just to get her sister a bowl of rice.

Pitiful.

But seeing her sister live each day was worth it.

Seeing her smile.

Seeing her eyes shining with light every night she received the bowl of warm steaming plain rice.

Yet each time, she would hold out the bowl of rice, turning to her sister, offering it to her.

Of course, Selina declined.

She could easily live on plain water from the fountain for a few days.

As long as her sister was happy and contented.

Her sister meant the world to her.

Her only living relative.

When she was nine, her parents died, in a horrible car crash.

Her dad died right on the spot.

Her mum made it to the hospital.

She could still remember those last words.

"Selina dearest... I'm very sorry… I… I'm afraid I won't make it… you'll take care of Emily, won't you?" her mum wheezed, referring to her three years old sister.

"Mother… don't leave us… mother…" The young Selina back then was still confused and worried.

"Promise me… promise to take care… of Emily…" she trailed of, her eyes growing duller and paler.

"Yes," Selina whispered.

"Ah, good… now I can see the stars…" Slowly, her hand fell limp.

"Mother? MOTHER? MOTHER!" Selina shook the motionless arm, willing her mum to open her eyes again and tell her it was all a bad dream.

"You need to leave, young girl,"

It was the nurse.

Or was it the doctor?

She didn't care.

All she knew was that everything was gone, except for Emily.

After three years of begging on the streets, she had finally got over the fact that her parents were dead.

Emily was in school.

That was all she wanted.

What her parents wanted.

Until one fine day, she went to the school gate as usual, the coins in her pocket jingling.

Finally, she had landed a job as a cleaner at a nearby shopping mall, earning enough to rent a small shop house.

Life was going to be fine from now, she thought.

That was when she reached the school.

Everyone froze.

"Who's that?"

"Why is she dressed in rags?"

"Beggar,"

"Whore,"

"Idiot,"

They were talking about her, she knew.

She didn't care.

Selina had learnt to block out nasty comments the day her parents died.

Let them say what they say.

I don't care.

Then she saw her sisters.

Chatting happily with her friends.

She smiled.

She was glad Emily had made new friends.

All of a sudden, Emily met her gaze.

She waved and beckoned for Emily to hurry over.

It was only then when she saw the hesitation in her sister's face and the disgusted-horrified looks on her friends'.

Then there was that look.

The look of shame.

From that day, both sisters grew apart.

Sometimes, they would have late night quarrels and fights.

Then Emily would leave the small place they called 'home' in a huff.

Early morning, she would come back home, tired and weary, and skip school.

Selina was not a fool.

She could count.

She knew that each time Emily left, a few hundred dollars of her hard earned money would disappear too.

But she kept quiet, not wanting to create another big fight.

Three weeks later, Selina came home, weary from work.

The whole room was dark and quiet.

"Emily? Are you home?" she called out, her voice echoing through the dark room.

Her hand found the switch.

The room was dimly illuminated by the only bulb hanging overhead.

That was when the white piece of paper on the table caught her eye.

Dearest Selina,

I'm leaving. This will be the last time you are hearing from me. I am sick and tired of living life like a beggar and have made my decision. All you do day and night is nag and chastise me for spending too much money here and there. I guess now you're happy. With me gone, you need not worry and can have all the money to yourself. You have ruined the last sixteen years of my life. I could have lived life like a proper girl if you were made an effort to earn more money instead of wasting your time showing up at my school to embarrass me. One day, I swear, I'll be so rich that the whole world owns me and you'll be the last person I'll ever acknowledge.

I hate you. Now that I'm gone, you can enjoy your miserable life.

Goodbye sister.

Emily

Her hands trembled.

This couldn't be true.

Someone was playing some sick joke on her.

For weeks, she just waited by the doorstep, wishing her sister would come back home.

For weeks, she prayed that her parents were still alive.

For weeks, she cried her heart out.

Then she realised, everything was really gone.

What a fool I was, she thought to herself as she made another flying leap, her trademark whip crackling as she jumped.

To believe that I could have gave Emily a good life.

To even waste my time on her, hoping she would grow up to be a fine young woman one day.

Fool, fool, fool…

She berated herself, feeling the hot tears in the back of her eyes as she recalled the incident.

The Selina Kyle back then was gone.

Vanished was the young girl who slaved for an ungrateful sister.

Disappeared was the young girl who begged for pity.

Gone was the young girl who had suffered for over a decade.

The new Selina Kyle was not a slave.

She robbed from the rich, and broke many laws.

The rich hated her.

Good.

Let them do so.

She hated them even more.

The newspaper published loads of lies of how they generously donated to help the poor.

If so, why had her sister left her?

Why wasn't they provided with a good life back then?

The rich were liars, she thought bitterly.

Big fat liars.

It was a good thing there was her.

The new Selina Kyle who donated the millions she had stole to charity and gave hundreds to the astounded beggars on the streets.

So caught up in her thoughts she was, she didn't realise the black figure right behind her.

Until her cat senses kicked in, the alarm bells ringing in her head.

Her left leg stuck out instantly.

But the masked figure was faster.

Within a second, he held her leg in a vice-like grip.

Crap.

Who on earth could have reflexes that fast?

Faster than her.

Faster than catwoman.

She stuck out her right fist, hoping to catch the attacker unaware.

She found herself punching something hard and black.

She winced.

Her body was twisted in an awkward position; she came face to face with a pair of black metallic mask.

What the hell?

She recognised him instantly.

His pictures were everywhere on the news and posters.

They even made figurines out of him.

Batman.