Chapter Text
The First Time
The first time he saw her, she killed a man.
He's about to step in on what is, for Gotham, a rather routine assault/mugging, when suddenly the victim takes control of the situation. In an instant her body language changes from terrified, weak and cowering, to sleekly controlled aggression. She knocks her attacker back and, in a fluid movement, thrusts something at him. Her attacker - a low level mob flunky - promptly explodes into dust.
Bruce is more than a little startled, freezing in shock for the few moments it takes her to pick up the mans wallet. The shock dissapates as she flips the wallet open, checks the contents, and sighs. He moves to intercept her before she can leave as she slides the wallet into her purse. Turning she steps forward and runs into him, her flush against his for a brief moment.
"You do this often?" he growls as menacingly as he can. She steps back reflexively, her eyes widening. She recovers quickly, however, and he can't help but be impressed at her control. Stronger people than her quake at the sight of him. Her chin lifts slightly and her shoulders drop. He can tell it isn't stupidity, or bravado -- her eyes are far too intelligent for her to be using arrogance as a shield against him.
The corner of her lips quirk before she returns his growl with a light, "Get attacked? Or stake a vampire?"
"Vampire?" His brows rose in surprise.
"Vampire," she nods. "You know, doesn't like the sunlight, strong, scary. Rather like you, only un-dead and with fangs."
He doesn't appreciate her attempt at humour. He examines the weapon she still holds in her right hand - a wooden stake. "Is this a joke?"
"Do you see a body?" she snaps, all humour gone. "All this time living in the night hours, and you're telling me you've never run across a vampire?" Her tone is incredulous, and the look on her face screams disbelief.
There had been a few instances over the last few months where the criminal he was dealing with had been...off. One has just smirked and taken a header of a ten storey building -- they hadn't been able to find the body.
"Don't worry about it Bats," she says, shifting her weight onto the balls of her feet, "I don't expect you to add vampire slaying to your list of duties." As she turns she adds, "That's what I'm here for."
"In my city," he calls after her as she walks away.
"My city too, now," he hears as she disappears into the night.
******
The first time she saw him, he frightened the crap out of her.
She has just dusted a vampire that had delusions of competence. It's night in Gotham city - and the place is really creeping her out.
She has been to many cities in the last few years, New York being her favourite, but Gotham is the only city that truly creeps her out at night. And daytime isn't exactly easy on her nerves either - she is too aware of what is hiding in Gotham's shadows.
She checks the ID in the wallet that the vamp dropped. Great, the picture doesn't match the vamp. Now she is going to have to chase down the actual owner of the wallet to see if he'd been turned. Just great.
She turns to leave the alleyway, and runs into the only nightlife completely unique to Gotham.
Crap. And here she was thinking he was an urban legend.
"Do this often?" he growls at her. Actually growls. She'd be impressed but after so many years with Angel... A quick glance is enough to tell her that, oh wonderful, he's pissed because she's on his turf. Just what she wants to deal with -- a territorial, vigilante, nut job. The man is dressed as a bat for crying out loud!
She suppresses a smirk at the thought before replying, "Get attacked? Or stake a vampire?"
"Vampire?"
She can just make out that he's surprised by her response. "Vampire," she confirms, nodding. "You know, doesn't like the sunlight, strong, scary. Rather like you, only un-dead and with fangs."
Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to appreciate her humour, she notes as he eyes her warily.
"Is this a joke?" he demands.
It's on the tip of her tongue to tell him that he's the joke in that get up, but she's seen weirder, and doesn't really have the energy to verbally spar with him. Something in his tone - hard to make out with his voice disguised the way it is - also tells her that he's genuinely clueless.
"Do you see a body?" All humour is gone, replaced by disbelief. "All this time living in the night hours, and you're telling me you've never run across a vampire?" How the hell was that possible? From what she'd seen of Gotham's vampire population so far, they weren't that smart.
Well, she doesn't have time to initiate a newbie, and as long as he knows about vamps, he is capable of taking care of himself. "Don't worry about it Bats," she says, shifting her weight, ready to make a quick exit in case he got shirty over the nickname, "I don't expect you to add vampire slaying to your list of duties." He frowns at the thought, and she can practically see the wheels turning in those intelligent eyes. Oh, no... "That's what I'm here for," she adds, hoping it will be enough to get him to back off and let her do her job, without interference.
"In my city," he calls after her as she walked away.
Damn. He is too territorial, he'll interfere where he sees fit, rather like Angel. Bugger. She can tell she's going to have to save his ass at some point in the future.
"My city too, now," she calls back to him, and keeps walking.
*****