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Allen watched as Catwoman's smirk gradually deepened, curling at the corners like she was enjoying a private joke at his expense.
'Besides wanting to kill me, Talia probably also wanted to retrieve what I had taken with the cam, right?'
That much was obvious.
So, here's the real question, who in Gotham could get close enough to him and have the skills to pull off a high-level theft?
The answer was simple.
In that cursed city, that could only be one person, Catwoman.
And more specifically, Selina Kyle.
What's more, the only time Allen had interacted with Catwoman was when she first appeared at Blackgate Prison, just after he had crossed over into this world.
A very convenient gap, and one that now looked more and more suspicious.
There was something off about her approach this time.
Instead of sneaking in under cover of night, she showed up at his door acting like she was shopping for a husband.
The Triad's leader, Vera, had been the one responsible for the assassination attempt on him… and Catwoman was clearly the one sent to steal from him.
One came out swinging in the daylight.
The other moved silently in the shadows.
Two different people, two objectives, but the same result.
As long as either succeeded, Talia would be freed from the threat Allen posed.
Selina Kyle leaned lazily against the doorway, looking at him with a strange, playful smile.
The kind of smile that said she was enjoying herself far too much.
She raised an eyebrow and said in a teasing, syrupy tone.
"Aren't you going to invite me in? I've been standing out here forever. Wouldn't want your little girlfriend to get the wrong idea now, yeah?"
Allen stepped aside casually, as if this were all routine.
"Come in."
Selina strutted inside, her heels clicking softly on the floor as she glanced around.
Her eyes were studying the apartment with the casual disinterest of a cat who already knew every corner of the room.
Boom!
The door slammed shut behind her.
She turned at the sound, letting out a soft chuckle.
"Who would've thought that the man who killed Bane would be living in such a small place... with a normal girl... Ahem, hey, what are you doing? Let go, let me go!"
Before she could finish the sentence, Allen suddenly moved like lightning.
His hand shot out and wrapped around her throat.
Selina Kyle barely had time to register the shock before she was lifted effortlessly into the air, her heels dangling off the floor.
Her eyes widened in panic.
Her hands clawed desperately at his wrist, nails digging in as she struggled to breathe.
Her legs kicked weakly in the air, uselessly trying to find leverage.
"Let go... let me go..." she gasped, her voice hoarse, her pale neck turning a deep shade of red.
Allen's eyes were cold as ice.
"Is this fun for you?"
Selina could barely speak. Her eyes darted with panic.
"What... what are you talking about? I don't know what you mean. Let me go... I can't... I can't breathe..."
"You think just because you're beautiful, men will fall for you?" Allen said, his voice like a knife.
"You think your looks can get you out of anything? You think being attractive means all your sins are instantly forgiven?"
Selina's heart pounded in terror.
'He's serious.'
'He's really going to kill me. This lunatic… and I haven't even done anything yet.'
She tried to lift her leg to strike him, but Allen yanked her in closer, their faces now inches apart.
The distance made it impossible for her to kick, to struggle, to do anything.
Their eyes locked.
Then, Allen suddenly smiled.
"Let me tell you, those things you believe?" he said softly.
"They're all true."
"Huh?"
Selina barely managed the word before she was dropped like a sack of flour.
Thud!
She crashed to the floor hard, coughing violently as she instinctively grabbed her throat and gasped for breath.
"Cough! Cough!"
Her eyes burned with anger.
She glared up at him, still on the floor.
"You're insane! You nearly killed me!"
Allen shrugged like it was no big deal.
"I was just joking."
"That's a joke?! I was about to die!" she shouted, her voice raw from the choking, anger rising like a tidal wave.
He grinned, clearly amused.
"And you tried to steal from me. I joked around with you in return. What's wrong with that?"
"…"
Selina, fuming and speechless, could only glare at him in disbelief.
He actually knew why she was there?
Before she could say anything else, Allen picked up a glass of water from the nearby table and held it out to her.
"You really can't take a joke, huh?"
"A joke? Who jokes like that?!" she screamed inwardly.
'You're a total lunatic! Who the hell knows when you're joking and when you're serious?!'
But she said nothing.
She didn't take the glass either.
Allen looked at her for a second, then said flatly, "This is boring."
He poured the entire glass of water directly onto her face.
Selina froze in shock, her hair dripping, face soaked.
Disbelief colored her face.
"You...!"
Allen narrowed his eyes.
"Guess if that was a joke or not."
'Joke my ass!'
Selina finally snapped.
"Allen, you're a lunatic! If you already knew I was here to steal something, why did you even let me in? Were you just messing with me on purpose?!"
Allen smiled brightly, like he'd just heard his favorite song.
"Yeah. I was messing with you on purpose."
"You bastard! I'm going to kill you...!" she screamed and lunged at him. He was just too much.
Allen didn't even flinch.
He calmly stepped to the side.
Selina missed completely, stumbled forward, and landed hard on the floor.
She turned around quickly, trying to get up, only to feel a heavy pressure on her chest as Allen stepped down with his foot, pinning her in place.
He bent down slightly, looking her in the eye with a mocking smirk.
"Can't handle a joke, so now you want to flip the table? But you seem to have forgotten something important…"
She looked at him waiting for what he was about to say.
"You can't beat me."
The fire in Selina's eyes flickered.
Her anger was still there, but it was now tangled with helplessness.
And she hated it.
Allen watched her a moment longer.
Then after seeing that she had calmed down, he lifted his foot off her chest and turned away disinterestedly.
He returned to the sofa and sat down lazily.
"So," he said, voice low and casual, "Let's hear it. What did she offer you?"