A Date Under Gotham's Moon

After that thoroughly satisfying showdown with Deathstroke, Bruce felt the nerves that had been frayed to the snapping point for days finally ease just a bit. Whether it was reckoning with Gotham or playing a game of chess with Luthor, both had consumed a vast amount of his energy. He needed a little... diversion.

In his mind, a figure involuntarily surfaced. A figure as feline, sly, and full of deadly allure as a cat.

Selina Kyle. Catwoman.

This woman was a flash of unusual color in Gotham's darkness. She was neither a heinous criminal nor a righteous hero. She walked the edge of black and white, following only her own desires and rules. Her relationship with Batman was even more like a game of cat and mouse, filled with chases, teasing, confrontation, and a dash of indescribable attraction that even they might not admit to.

It's time to go see this disobedient little wildcat.

Bruce didn't choose to use Bruce Wayne's identity to host a grand party and then "accidentally encounter" the master thief. He knew such a disguise would be far too boring for Selina. He chose a more direct method that fit their "rules of the game" better.

He sent a message through an absolutely secure, encrypted channel that only a few people knew—the "Underground Network" used exclusively by Gotham's top criminals. The content of the message was very simple, containing only coordinates and a single sentence:

Tonight, the moonlight is lovely. I'm waiting for you.

There was no signature, but he knew she would definitely understand.

The night was as deep as ink. On the roof of a hundred-story skyscraper in downtown Gotham, this was one of the highest points in the city. The biting night wind howled past, blowing the hems of people's clothes. Bruce stood right at the edge of this rooftop, overlooking the sea of interwoven sin and prosperity gathered by countless lights beneath his feet.

He didn't wear that Batsuit capable of striking fear into the hearts of all criminals. He merely wore a form-fitting black turtleneck sweater, layered with a black leather jacket of exceptional texture, dark casual pants, and a pair of tactical short boots. This outfit made him lose a bit of Batman's dignity and oppression, while adding a touch of the night's mystery and danger.

He was waiting. He had enough patience.

She'll come. A nearly imperceptible arc tugged at the corner of Bruce's mouth. She's like a cat forever filled with curiosity, unable to resist any secret, and even less able to resist... a challenge from me.

Time ticked by second by second. Just when the night wind seemed to grow somewhat impatient, a nearly silent, athletic figure appeared soundlessly behind him like a shadow melting into the dark.

The newcomer was none other than Selina Kyle.

She wore that black tight leather suit that had long since become her trademark, resembling a second layer of skin. That smooth and elastic material vividly outlined her hot, devilish, and curvaceous figure. Her full, uptight breasts, waist slender enough to be grasped in one hand, and uptight, round hip curves overflowing with astonishing elasticity all displayed the most primitive charm of a woman. On her head she wore that iconic cat-ear cowl, and on her face was a pair of high-tech night-vision goggles.

She looked just like a black panther that had finished hunting—elegant, lazy, yet filled with a sense of explosive, lethal power at any moment.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Selina crossed her arms, leaning against the rooftop door, and spoke in a lazy, bewitching tone tinged with the hoarse magnetism characteristic of felines. "The famous Dark Knight of Gotham actually has the leisure to come up here and catch a cold wind? I thought you only hid in the shadows like a ghost to scare those poor little thieves."

"Occasionally I want to change perspectives and look at the scenery," Bruce replied calmly without turning his head. "Besides, tonight I want to steal something."

"Oh?" Selina's interest was immediately piqued. She took long strides, stepping in a catwalk, and approached Bruce silently. Her high-heeled leather boots made not a single sound against the rooftop surface. She licked her plump lips painted with dark red lipstick, her eyes flashing with sly brilliance. "Things that can catch the eye of a 'vigilante' like you are rare. Is it Cartier's newest 'Heart of the Ocean'? Or that cursed Pharaoh's Tear in the Metropolis Museum?"

Bruce slowly turned around to face her head-on.

Selina stopped, the two of them standing no more than three steps apart. In the chilly moonlight, she could clearly see Bruce's angular face hidden in the shadows and those deep, black-hole-like eyes.

Bruce didn't answer her question; instead, he took steps forward, pressing close to her step by step.

One step, two steps...

The distance between them grew closer and closer, close enough to almost feel the body heat radiating from each other, close enough to smell the unique scent blending leather, perfume, and night wind on the other's body.

Selina didn't back down. Instead, she puffed out her chest slightly, like a proud cat, meeting his gaze without a hint of weakness.

Finally, Bruce stopped right in front of her. He reached out and gently removed the goggles from her face, exposing that pair of wild, beautiful eyes shining with fascinating luster under the moonlight like top-grade emeralds.

His voice was low and magnetic, carrying a bewitching magic.

"What I want to steal is a kiss."

Selina Kyle froze.

She had imagined countless meeting scenarios—it could be a chase, a fight, or even a trade involving some treasure. But she never expected that this man, who had always been like an ascetic monk, would utter such... direct and bold words.

After a brief spell of astonishment, her sexy lips sharply hooked upward into an extremely charming and moving arc.

"Ha..." She let out a soft laugh as sweet as silver bells, yet tinged with hoarse allure.

She didn't dodge, nor did she refuse.

Instead, she actively stood on tiptoe, raised her chin slightly, and kissed straight toward Bruce's lips!

Their lips touched right beneath Gotham's chilly moonlight, at the highest point of this city of sin.

This kiss was filled with complex emotions.

It started as probing and provocation, a mutual struggle between two top predators. Selina's tongue, like a nimble cat's tongue tinged with aggressiveness, attempted to pry open Bruce's teeth and seize dominance. And Bruce responded without showing weakness, using an even stronger posture to turn the tables.

Gradually, the clash of lips and teeth evolved into an indescribable tacit understanding and tenderness. It was as if all the years of chasing and entanglement, all confrontation and probing between them, were sublimated and released within this kiss.

However, this hard-won warmth was ruthlessly interrupted by a group of uninvited guests.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Dozens of black figures, like ghosts crawling from hell, silently vaulted up from all directions of the building's rooftop! Every single one of their movements was uniform and landing made no sound, their actions filled with lethal efficiency and killing intent.

They all wore identical black ninja uniforms convenient for movement, with masks covering their faces, revealing only pairs of cold and merciless eyes. Strapped to the back of each person was a samurai sword gleaming with cold light.

In the blink of an eye, these black-clad ninjas tightly surrounded the kissing Bruce and Selina in the center, forming an airtight encirclement.

Icy killing intent instantly replaced the ambiguous warmth.

The ninja acting as the leader slowly stepped forward. He spoke in a distinctly accented, extremely stiff English, saying in a deep voice:

"Bruce Wayne. Our master, Ra's al Ghul, sends his regards."