Chapter Text
Selina Kyle stretched her neck, rolling her head from side to side. Her back ached from sitting on the low narrow bench in holding for several hours. There were other girls around her; some slumped over and others pacing while gnawing on their acrylic nails. Each glittered like Christmas ornaments. Except Selina, the closest she got to sparkle was the light catching on cheap pleather. They had been rounded up inside the Iceberg.
All the girls who hadn’t been able to escape out side doors or hide in the crowd were now stuffed like sardines in lock up. Selina had made the mistake of trying to get one of the under age girls out a bathroom window. Fatima had made it, but Selina had been busted standing on the cistern.
Now, she was stuck in the downtown precinct, snapping her gum and waiting for dawn to come. There was nothing to hold them; trumped up charges of sex trafficking and drug running from an ankle-biting cop who was trying to give the Penguin a shake down.
The problem was they hadn’t hit the 44 Below where the real money was made, and the Penguin didn’t give a shit about the girls and boys upstairs. They weren’t worth it. When the pigs realized the bird wouldn’t sing then they would all be let out. They just had to wait for the clock to run down, and when no charges came then they could stumble out of here in time for the next shift at the club.
“Kyle, Selina?” A gut with a badge stood at the bars of the holding tank. Selina leaned forward, staring at him from her perch. Not willing to move an inch until she knew why they were calling her name. “Kyle?”
She snapped her gum and damp eyes locked on her. The cop looked down at the clipboard again. “You Selina Kyle?”
“And if I am?”
“Your lawyer’s here.”
Selina kicked one booted foot over the other and crossed her arms under her cropped white shirt. “Well, since we’re all waiting on our one phone call I don’t see how my lawyer would even know I’m here.”
Her jaw worked her gum harder as she stared him down. The cop looked over his shoulder, back towards the desk. “Listen lady, the phone’s busy. Everyone will get their turn, but your lawyer is here now.”
He plucked the heavy ring of keys off his belt and rattled the lock open. Selina stood slowly, her eyes sweeping the officer up and down. He sucked in his gut a little, Selina let her lip curl and a little bit of the disgust she felt reach her eyes.
She strode down the hall, weighing her options. She didn’t have a lawyer and she didn’t have anyone in her life who would have noticed she didn’t come home from the club. Unless a tom cat had learned to use the landline, not that she had paid that bill in six months. She didn’t need it, but the landlord had said it was the only way to make the buzzer work. Selina had told him she didn’t have visitors. Somehow, she doubted Creepy Cane had noticed his most unreliable tenant wasn’t home.
There were two men in the waiting room; one older and grey, the other balding and the hair left was the colour of dishwater. She wondered which one was supposed to be her lawyer. Selina stared at them as they stood up. The older man had a coat folded over his arm.
“Miss Kyle,” he said in a hard British accent. He held the coat out to her and she stared at him. “It’s cold.”
The label was designer, Selina figured if they let her keep it, she could pawn it for a solid five hundred. She shrugged into it. The man’s hands stayed professional, releasing it the second it was at her shoulders. She pivoted and gave him an assessing look. Not a wannabe sugar daddy, then. Comforting, but confusing.
“Which one of you is my lawyer?” she asked, pushing her hands into the coat pockets. There was something cold and hard inside the right one. She pulled out her phone. There was a message waiting for her from a blocked number. ‘Play along’.
“That would be me,” the mousey man said. He ducked his head nervously. He looked tired. Selina didn’t think she recognized him from the club. “We spoke with the detaining officer. You are free to go.”
“And what about all my coworkers?” Selina asked, her eyes sweeping the room in an arc before she turned to look over her shoulder. She thought she saw the red light on the security camera adjust, pulling her into focus.
“Noble of you, Miss Kyle,” the older man began to move her towards the exit. “But I suggest we leave.”
Selina held her ground, letting his hand brush her elbow ineffectively. She spoke out of the side of her mouth, her lips barely moving. “There are girls in there with missing papers, others with records. They don’t deserve to go down for Oz.”
Her phone vibrated and she looked down. The same blocked number. ‘Leave Selina.’
She rolled her eyes, looking at the man at her elbow. “Are you his boss or is he yours?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” the man answered coldly.
“Listen, this has been fun and I really like the coat,” she purred, leaning close to him. “Except I don’t like carp. And this reeks of something fishy.”
At that moment, the lawyer’s phone rang. He answered it, stepping away so he could speak in a low voice.
“It seems it will be resolved,” the man at her elbow said. Selina let him usher her out the door.
Once they were on the sidewalk, Selina started to look for a taxi. The man beckoned to her.
“This way, Miss Kyle.”
“It’s fine, tell the Bat I can find my own way home.”
“I insist,” the man clicked a key fob. Down the street a town car rumbled to life. Selina considered him one more time under the street lamps. There was something feral about him beneath the three piece suit. The harsh halogens made the silver lines of old scars stand out on his face. She didn’t want to fight him. All she wanted was a shower. She sighed, following him down the street.
He opened the door to the backseat for her, Selina slid in. She half expected the Bat to be waiting for her. He wasn’t, the only leather was the expanse of upholstery.
“Cushy,” she said, rolling the wad of gum in her mouth. “Don’t park too long in my neighbourhood, you might lose your hubcaps.”
“I don’t anticipate that being an issue,” he answered, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. “Seatbelt, Miss Kyle.”
“You got a name?” She asked, leaning back against the seat, not touching the seatbelt.
“Alfred.”
“Fancy.” Selina looked out the window, watching Alfred wind his way out of the precinct. “Hey Fredo, you took a right. I am left.”
“Forgive me, Miss Kyle,” he answered her. His eyes twinkled in the rearview and she thought he was laughing at her.
They didn’t turn, and Selina’s stomach was tying itself into knots as she realized how stupid she had been. She tried to remain calm, she picked up her phone and opened her messages.
“This isn’t funny, honey,” she typed. The small woosh of the message was loud in the car. His answer came fast.
‘I am not being funny.’
“Tell me where we are going,” she answered him. Her eyes flicked up to look at the driver. Alfred. Geez it even sounded like a fake name.
‘Home.’
“Don’t play with me.”
He didn’t respond and she threw her phone down onto the seat beside her. She stared out the window again, trying to place the street. All of Gotham had a certain decrepit charm, but the graffiti was fading the farther they got from downtown.
“Hey Fredo,” she leaned forward, one clawed hand grabbing the passenger seat. “What did he tell you about me?”
“Alfred,” he corrected. “Seatbelt, please.”
“Come on,” she cajoled. “What did he tell you?”
“Nothing,” he answered.
“Because we aren’t going to my home, Fredo,” she whispered. Her hand tightened on his seat. She spread the fingers of her other hand. “And I worry you might have the wrong idea.”
“Seatbelt, Miss Kyle.”
She wasn’t taking her chance being picked up by a creep. Selina twisted, ready to scratch the side of his face with her nails. Alfred spun the wheel fast, shooting the car down an alley. Selina was thrown back and across the seat. Her temple cracked into the window. She moaned, holding her head.
“I did warn you,” he said smugly. Selina hissed. They emerged out the other side of the alley, pulling into the entrance of a tall ivory apartment building. Selina looked up at the building, gold scrolling letters declared it the Castle.
Alfred parked the car and opened the door. “Welcome home, Miss Kyle.”
Selina stepped out, her mouth hanging open. “I don’t live here, Fredo.”
“You do now,” he answered, walking her into the warm lobby. Selina forced her feet to move. The clack of her heels on the tile sounded cheap. She set her shoulders, waiting for the concierge to give her a pitying look, just some call girl on the hook with an old man. Alfred followed a step behind her. The young man behind the counter nodded brightly at them.
They approached the gold elevator, Alfred slid up the panel next to the call button. A black screen appeared. Selina stared at it.
“Your thumbprint unlocks the elevator to your apartment,” Alfred explained. Selina stepped closer, her eyes moving warily around the lobby. She pressed her thumb to the screen, it hummed against her skin and warmed as the laser scanned. Then the elevator dinged. The doors opened and Selina stepped in. Alfred followed.
She chewed the inside of her cheek as Wagner played over the speakers. She figured there were worse places to be kidnapped. Alfred said nothing as the elevator climbed higher. Selina could feel her stomach dropping from the speed. The numbers were a blur until they stopped with a small jolt, the screen ticked over from 39 to PH. Penthouse.
“Geez Louise, you have got to be kidding me,” Selina muttered as she stepped out into the luxury apartment. It was furnished in mahogany and red, the rest was marble and chrome. She turned in the foyer, her mouth hanging open. Alfred stepped off the elevator, his mouth tucked into a tight bemused smile.
“May I take your coat?” He asked, reaching for her. She turned and let him help her.
“What about my-” she started to ask when there was the brush of a tail against her legs. “cats.”
Alfred was hanging her coat in a closet concealed in the dark wood paneling. “Some items have already made the journey.”
“I don’t understand,” Selina pushed as she bent to scoop up the tabby brushing against her boot. She rubbed her face into her soft fur. The cat purred against her chest, obviously one of them had settled in.
“Our mutual acquaintance felt your old apartment had some security flaws. This one has been secured for the year on certain conditions.”
“Like what?” Selina lowered her chin, and looked hard into Alfred’s eyes. This was already so weird, but it could get weirder.
“What do you call our acquaintance?” Alfred asked, walking deeper into the apartment, lights came on as he walked, tripped by motion sensors.
“Vengeance? I call him lots of things, depends on my mood.” Selina followed him, one hand petting her cat. She saw the slinking shadows of her other friends. At least they had made themselves at home.
“Well, Vengeance requires you to give up your job at the Iceberg for obvious reasons.”
Selina scoffed, “I guess that suits him now.”
Alfred ignored her, “he also requires you to stay in this apartment. As much as is reasonable.”
“Like a kept woman?” Selina raised her eyebrow.
“Like a partner who is on call.” Alfred was quietly showing her around, opening doors to reveal rooms and cupboards. The bedroom was last, the bed already had three cats spread out on the gold duvet. It was large, a king maybe, with low warm lights spilling from lamps on the wall. Across from the bed was a massive closet. Selina dropped the tabby on the bed and walked inside. Someone else’s wardrobe was waiting for her, hanging in carefully organized rows.
“Where is my gear then? If I am going to be a partner.” She could forgive the leather and spandex being left behind, but it had taken years to accrue the tools of her trade.
Alfred walked to the back panel, he ran his hand down the frame of the mirror and it slid open, revealing a small room. Her gear was mounted on the walls.
“Where is the rest of it?” She asked, tossing a suspicious look over her shoulder.
“I believe some of it was due for replacement,” Alfred answered. He exited the enclosed space as Selina stared at him.
“And that isn’t even a conversation?” She huffed, “Vengeance definitely grew up rich. Thinks everyone is gonna do what he says.”
Alfred’s face remained impassive as he turned down the covers of her bed. The cats ignored him. She couldn’t make him out. One second he felt like a gangster and the next he was playing nanny.
“So, is that all?” she asked, sitting on the bed, crossing her long legs at the ankle. His eyes didn’t move over her the way other men’s did. He was shooting straight though, even if he thought she was Vengeance’s something something.
“We should discuss lights out.”
“Lights out?” She repeated.
“Vengeance, as you call him, does own this apartment. It is his domain. And there may be times he visits.”
“Uh-huh,” Selina snapped her gum. His eye twitched a little whenever she did it.
“During those times the lights won’t work. He asks that you respect his privacy.”
Selina hummed, tilting her head. “And what happens during ‘lights out’?”
“That I will leave to him.” Alfred removed towels from a linen cupboard set into the wall. He placed the pile on the edge of the bath. “Have a good evening, Miss Kyle.”
He gave her a sharp nod, and left the room. Selina sat up to watch him walk down the hallway. She could see him waiting in the marble hallway, a ginger cat brushing against his pant leg. When the elevator dinged he was gone without a second glance.
Selina collapsed back onto the bed, looking at her phone. Bat boy had left her on read. She grumbled to herself. She should be grateful, but there was something about the set up that grated against her skin.
She opened the message app, and flipped on the camera. She could see herself, slightly sweaty from lock up in a mussed wig, a black cat curled at her shoulder and her tabby settling on her chest. She snapped a picture, her body arching up to the camera and her eyes narrowed in her best dangerous kitten stare. She sent it before she could feel ridiculous, attaching a message.
‘Goodnight, Vengeance.’