At the end of the message was an anonymous contact address encrypted through multiple layers of redirects. The signature was a single letter: B.
After sending the message, Batman stood before the tactical terminal for a while. His dark gray cape hung at his sides, and the sound of dripping water echoed through the cavernous space.
He took the bat cowl from its hook on the wall. Instead of putting it on, he lowered his head and stared at the eye lenses for a few seconds, then murmured:
"As long as I can find your weakness..."
"I'll build armor designed to beat you."
He put on the cowl. His cape stirred as he turned, and he soon vanished into the shadows deep within the cave. Only a few indicator lights on the console remained, blinking on and off.
Time flew, and dawn arrived.
A window in a mid-rise Gotham apartment opened a crack. A slender, agile shadow slipped over the sill like a cat and landed lightly on the carpet without a sound.
A black Bodysuit traced her sleek figure, and the cat-eared cowl gleamed dully in the lingering darkness.
After landing, she swept her gaze around the room. Once she was sure it was safe, she grinned in the dark, her smile brimming with greed.
Catwoman had a phone in her pocket. Its screen displayed Batman's encrypted bounty notice, which had taken her most of the day to crack.
"Gold Armor? No ceiling on the reward?"
She spoke under her breath, wearing a sly smile that said, This fish is mine.
"Batman, Batman. When you can't handle something, it's usually a chance for me to make money. This time is no different."
She tucked the phone into a pouch inside her belt, slipped back out the window, and