Selina

The exhaust pipe coughed out one last plume of black smoke like a dying sigh. With an agonized clatter of grinding gears, the G20 finally broke down in the middle of the road.

That was hardly unexpected. Li Jie called the department's towing service, then looked around for a shop where he could buy a few packs of cigarettes. Otherwise, dealing with the tow crew would be another headache.

When he left the Falcone estate, Cobblepot had come out to see him off, offering obsequious smiles and a few words about closer cooperation and friendly relations before hurrying back inside with a panicked look on his face.

Still, that old bastard, the Roman, could really talk. Li Jie raised his wrist to check his watch. More than three hours had passed, and it was already dark.

He was on the southern edge of Robinson Park. It wasn't part of the Commercial District, but it wasn't exactly deserted, either. He hopped out, pulled his thick jacket tighter around himself, and headed toward a small shop across the road.

As usual, plenty of homeless people lay on the roadside benches. Most shivered in the cold wind, looking barely alive. Only one sat in the shadows beyond a streetlight's glow, hugging his knees with his head bowed in a decidedly brooding pose.

Li Jie bought a carton of Pall Malls in the shop. When he came out, the homeless man was still sitting there motionless. Thinking he might have frozen to death, Li Jie slowly approached and took out his badge.

"GCPD! Are you all right?"

He was about to reach out to check whether the man was breathing, then call the city authorities, when the man suddenly rolled nimbly to one side and stood up under the streetlight.

The guy was about Li Jie's height and looked about Clark's age. He had black hair, green eyes, sharply defined features, and a brooding expression. His square chin looked like a butt, though. Once on his feet, he said in a low voice, "I'm sensing the evil in this city."

"Nutcase!"

The Chinese slipped right out of Li Jie's mouth. He turned and headed toward the Chevrolet across the road. To his surprise, the man behind him replied in Chinese, too:

"When a friend comes from afar-"

"Cut that crap!" Li Jie turned and shouted in Chinese. "We don't have your kind in China, unless you paint your face black and pass yourself off as someone from Guangzhou!"

The man didn't seem to understand that one. Li Jie dashed across the road, vaulted into the van, and rummaged noisily through the storage compartment until he found his police baton and gripped it in his hand.

Since he was meeting the Roman today, he had deliberately left his service pistol at home. Being frisked and disarmed would have been humiliating. That homeless guy's rolling move had shown some serious skill. If he was deliberately looking for trouble, this could get ugly.

When Li Jie looked out the window again, the man had disappeared without a trace, as though he had melted into the city's darkness. Still, it was only a trivial little incident, and Li Jie soon put it out of his mind. By the time the tow crew hauled his wreck back to the police parking lot, it was past seven.

Seeing the light still on in the chief's office, he knocked, went inside, and spread his hands at Bob.

"Got nothing."

"Expected as much. An old fox like Falcone isn't easy to take advantage of." Bob tapped his cigarette ash against the rim of a paper cup. "Things seem to have been going your way lately, but that's either luck or people not taking you seriously. Don't start thinking you're something special and trying to take a bite out of everyone you meet."

"Yes, boss!"

Li Jie nodded solemnly. He knew Bob was right. Right now, he wasn't worth a damn-and, of course, there was no guarantee his future self would be worth a damn, either. Keeping his head down and knowing his limits would never be bad advice.

"Good, as long as you remember that." Bob opened a drawer, took out two checks, and placed them on the desk. "Ten grand each, as promised. Special assignment bonuses. Clean, no loose ends. Fucking slippery little bastard, using me to launder your money. I should've skimmed twenty percent as a service charge."

"Wow. Finally." Li Jie pocketed the checks. Before he could thank him, Bob asked, "When are you planning to come back to work?"

"Ah! I'm still a patient, you know!"

Li Jie jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "I'm filing a complaint with the police union! You can't actually work me like a mule!"

"I'll pay extra!"

"...Well, I suppose I could do it for the sake of justice!"

"Sure." Bob shook his head with a smile. "I'll give you a few more days off. Come back next Monday. Oh, and Wilson won't be back, so I'll have to find you another partner."

"Can't I work alone?"

"I just told you not to think you're something special." Bob stubbed out his cigarette. "Forget whether the regulations allow it. Do you know how likely a solo patrol officer in Gotham is to get shot in the back?"

"Sorry, boss."

Whatever his reasons, Bob genuinely didn't want anything to happen to him. Li Jie gave it some serious thought, then shook his head again. "Boss, those guys out there... honestly... I think having one of them along would make getting shot in the back even more likely."

"You're not wrong. Let me think..." Bob rubbed his temples. "Go on, get out of here. I'll call when I have something."

After leaving the station, Li Jie hesitated over whether to go to the hospital. Visiting hours were almost over. Although he was technically still an inpatient, once visiting hours ended, he would have to stay the night instead of running around outside. But if he didn't go, he was genuinely afraid Wilson might do something stupid, like race his wheelchair down the hallway. In the end, he called a cab and headed straight to the general hospital. The moment he reached the third floor, the nurse on duty stopped him at the nurses' station.

"Jay, it's eight twenty. You have forty minutes left. We'd appreciate it if you could ask Officer Wilson's two close female friends to hurry things along."

Fuck! Again?

Li Jie nodded and bowed hurriedly, agreeing with an awkward smile before making his way quickly to the ward.

Great. The officer on guard has wandered off again. Completely expected, and not at all unexpected!

He listened at the door. No string of strange cries or moans came from inside, so he knocked and pushed it open.

Unlike the scene he had imagined, with everyone scrambling to dress, pull up blankets, and fix their hair, Wilson was propped against the headboard with a pillow behind his back. A busty Black woman sat quietly beside him, popping a peeled piece of banana into his mouth. Then they exchanged smiles and broke into inexplicable giggles.

At the window on the other side of the room stood a young woman with her arms folded. She wasn't particularly tall, but her build was lean and firm, and her dark brown hair hung loosely over her shoulders. She wore a worn leather jacket and faded jeans. Her skin was pale, her gaze sharp.

Like a cat that had gone hungry for a long time but remained agile.

"Hey, brother... ah... you're back? Falcone didn't do anything to you, did he?"

As soon as Li Jie entered, Wilson tried to sit up, only to pull at his wound and let out a yelp.

"Nothing happened. He's just a real cheapskate. Didn't even buy me dinner."

"Ha! In your dreams! This is my partner, Li Jie." Wilson pointed at the Black woman beside him with his right hand. "This is Lisa, Lisa Jane Colin. You met her younger sister, Lisa Ann Colin, last time, right?"

He grinned lecherously again. To Li Jie's surprise, the Black woman didn't seem remotely jealous. Instead, she greeted him openly.

"Hi, I'm Dale's friend." She pointed at the white girl by the window. "Selina Kyle. She's a friend of mine. Maybe we'll be sisters soon. Like what you see?"

Selina gave a cool nod, while Li Jie suddenly shuddered.

What? Do I like what I see? Who the hell am I to answer a question like that?

She's the big guy's canon love interest. Touch her and you're dead!

His mouth twitched, and he forced a smile.

"Hi!"

"Looks like your friend's interested. Last time you said he was still a..." Lisa leaned close to Wilson's ear and whispered a word. They both snickered, then she asked Li Jie, "She's young and pretty, and she can handle herself. She needs money right now and takes any kind of work. Want to give it a try with her?"

Selina frowned at the window, an unreadable glimmer in her green eyes beneath the dim light. Her fingertips slowly scraped across the wooden frame with a soft hiss. Fine wood shavings fluttered down, leaving a deep groove in the window frame.

Lady, please shut up!

Li Jie felt as though the star of death above his head was flashing like a police light. Catwoman might not be much of a problem right now, but if you keep talking and make her hold a grudge against me, what happens when some guy who stays up all night dressed as a bat jumps through my window and drags me outside for a beating?

He shook his head frantically. Wilson looked a little annoyed, too, apparently finding this completely out of line.

"What are you talking about? This is my partner. Can't you give him a better discount?"

"Motherfucker, that banana can't shut you up, huh? How about this?" Li Jie opened his pocket, pulled out a check, and set it on the bedside table. "How do you like Franklin?"

"Woo-hoo!"

Wilson's and the Black woman's eyes lit up at the same time. He picked up the check, examined it, then handed it to her.

"Also, Bob wants me back at work on Monday."

"Huh? I'm still in the hospital. Are you patrolling alone?"

"He said he'd find me another partner. You get at least three more months of peace and quiet, while I'll be back on the streets catching bullets in a few days." Li Jie sighed. "Besides, you'd better hurry. The nurses are about to clear out the visitors."

"At least you don't have to lie in bed to piss. Fuck, hard to say which is worse." Wilson shook his head dejectedly. "Are you staying at the hospital tonight?"

"No, I'm going home to cook. I haven't had dinner yet."

"Hey! Hey, brother, can you bring me some tomorrow morning? I want sweet-and-sour ribs."

"You sure fucking want a lot! Just lie there and figure out how you're going to piss!"

He deliberately stayed in the room for a few more minutes, only heading downstairs after Lisa and Selina had left. But he hadn't gone far when someone called from behind him.

"Officer!"

He turned toward the voice and instinctively took a step back.

"Uh... hi... Miss Kyle. Is... is... is something wrong?"

"Just call me Selina." With her hands tucked into her leather jacket pockets, Selina strolled out from the sheltered side of the building. Her feline steps carried a lazy sense of danger. Her metal heels struck the cold concrete with crisp, rhythmic clicks, unusually clear in the still night.

"You seem a little afraid of me?" She tilted her head slightly, a playful glint shifting in her eyes.

"N-n-n-no..." Li Jie raised a hand and wiped his face. "I'm just a little... um... a little... allergic to cold wind..."

"That's a new one..." Selina took two more steps closer and looked up at him with the hint of a smile. "I hear you know Mr. Falcone?"

"Uh... no, uh, no... not really." Li Jie licked his lips. "I only went along with Detective James Gordon of the Gotham Police Department."

Gordon already had countless things pinned on him. One more wouldn't make much difference, right?

"I see." Selina nodded and glanced around the empty, deserted street. "Well... it's not easy to get a cab here. Would you mind... taking me to the Subway Station?"

"Hey! Guess what? I actually can't." Li Jie let out a relieved breath and promptly grinned. "I'm broke as fuck. Can't afford a car."