The strange Croc-Cat and Batman's group of cats stared at each other, and both sides froze for a moment because they all found the other side strange.
By Batman's human standards of beauty, the other cat was horribly deformed. Its build lay somewhere between a cat and a crocodile, and the combination of two utterly unrelated creatures was anything but attractive.
From the top of Croc-Cat's head to the base of its tail ran raised, crocodile-like armor. The brow ridges over its eyes protruded as well, and its paws were larger than those of an ordinary cat, with a structure more like a crocodile's. It was also bigger than the cats living in this city, nearly the size of a cheetah.
But in Croc-Cat's eyes, the cats opposite him were even stranger. In this world, cats wore clothes. The vast majority had equipment, and even ordinary cats living in the Slums wore metal gear and exoskeletons.
To Croc-Cat, these cats standing before him were completely naked and unarmed. They did not even have guns. They were strange beyond belief.
Yet after a moment's hesitation, neither side attacked immediately. Croc-Cat, especially, seemed extremely cautious. He first backed up two steps, edging closer to the shadows at the corner, then raised his tail and extended his claws, signaling hostility.
None of the cats across from him knew how to interpret feline behavior. Even Batman could not adapt to a cat's life within just a few hours. He was still viewing cats from a human perspective, and he took Croc-Cat's posture as the prelude to an attack. So he decided to strike first.
Batman began moving slowly as well, slipping into the shadows along the edge. Croc-Cat's slit pupils fixed tightly on his figure, but Batman hidden in shadow was every opponent's nightmare.