Baia thought, "This skill of getting hit should definitely not be used in front of Talia. She's not Damian, whose head is as hard as a rock. But it's not entirely useless." With the [Maternal and Child Affection] state active, Baia started to guess Talia's true intentions.
At this point, her sixth sense became more reliable. She had a feeling… that Talia wasn't so keen on Baia saving Ra's al Ghul. However, with the Lazarus Pit increasingly affecting him, Ra's al Ghul's desire to find an heir for the League of Assassins must have grown more urgent. Be it Batman or the Robins, they all had a big "danger" sign over their heads, but Baia was in even greater danger. Others were potential heirs; she was just a tool.
A tool is a tool, but Kirk still needed to be saved regardless.
"We're here," Baia looked up at the dilapidated apartment building with peeling walls. "She must be waiting for me on the rooftop."
Tim glanced at her. "I don't know why, but your tone is starting to sound a bit like Damian."
Baia quickly dismissed the [Maternal and Child Affection] state, just in case Talia decided to stab her with affection.
At this moment, on Kirk Langstrom's rooftop, stood three people. Talia had a bloody gash on her face, her eyes filled with murderous intent, glaring at Selina, who despite being heavily injured, was still making a show of licking her paws like a cat.
Red Robin had already notified Batman about Kirk's kidnapping. When Batman responded, Tim wasn't aware that Bruce was currently standing on the rooftop, right in front of Selina and Talia.
It all started half an hour ago.
Dressed in the black leather uniform of the League of Assassins, Talia had just knocked out Dr. Langstrom. After finishing her call with Baia, she watched him fall unconscious.
Selina's sultry and agile figure landed lightly on the railing, making no sound like a true cat. Yet, she took the initiative to speak, her voice lazy and playful. "Well, well, look who's come to visit Gotham?"
"You better stay out of this; it has nothing to do with you," Talia drew a blade from its sheath behind her back without turning around, coldly warning her.
"How can I do that?" Selina's smile faded, her expression turning grim. She lounged on the railing, her long legs dangling, but her tone remained lighthearted. "I have to be a good hostess after all."
Before Selina finished speaking, Talia's blade was already upon her. Selina, without hesitation, leaned back and flipped off the third-floor ledge. As her body left the railing, she cracked her whip, wrapping it around Talia's blade and yanked hard, pulling herself back toward the building. Talia, losing her balance, couldn't continue her attack. Selina deftly leaped and climbed to the rooftop.
Rage boiled within Talia as she gripped her blade tightly, imagining it was Selina's slender, pale neck.
Catwoman was fast, but Talia was not slow either. Following Selina with a few agile jumps, she reached the rooftop, expecting Selina to flee. Instead, she found Selina waiting at the edge of the rooftop.
In this position, Selina could kick Talia in the stomach, which wouldn't hurt the well-trained Talia much but would push her off the rooftop, buying time for Selina to escape.
But Selina didn't do that. Instead, she wrapped her arm around Talia's waist, preventing her from falling. They were so close that their noses almost touched. Selina could clearly see the flames of anger burning in Talia's eyes. Yet, Catwoman calmly pulled back her claw and gently lifted Talia's chin.
For half a second, Selina examined her, her tone turning into a melancholic chant. "Are you here for him? For Baia? Or is your League trying to take over Gotham again?"
Half a second later, Talia broke free from Catwoman's grasp with a low growl. Selina leaped back as the blade narrowly missed her nose, grazing by.
After a few backflips, they created some distance between them again.
"What a pity," Selina stood at the highest point of the rooftop, surveying the surroundings, playing with her whip. "Look around. This is my Gotham."
She laughed loudly and leaped down, her claws raking three gashes in Talia's leather jacket, but at the cost of having to parry her katana. As Gotham's great thief, Selina's suit was designed for lightness and stealth, unlike Batman's suit made from countless high-tech plates and Kevlar fibers, nor did it have gauntlets to block blades. This was a fight that traded injury for injury.
However, Selina didn't mind much. She only wanted to lean close to Talia's ear and say, "Baia is my girl."
Selina's agile whip wrapped around Talia's ankle, but Talia quickly closed in on Selina, using a joint lock to capture her. Selina had to release the whip to free herself.
The two women jumped between buildings, with the assassin clearly intent on killing, closely pursuing Selina. As a thief, Selina was not a match for Talia in a head-to-head fight, but cats are whimsical creatures; Selina simply wanted to mark her territory. Who said they had to fight to the death?
Their stamina drained, they circled back to Dr. Langstrom's rooftop. Against the backdrop of a bat signal projected onto the thick clouds, two stunningly beautiful women faced off. Selina's thorn whip had wounded Talia, but Talia's blade had also left marks on Selina. They stared at each other, circling slowly.
Talia moved first. She calculated the angle, forcing Selina into a corner with no escape.
"This ends here, thief," Talia said, looking down at her, her voice as cold as winter wind.
However, Talia's strike was deflected by a fast-flying batarang, which then embedded itself beside Selina's ear.
Selina didn't flinch, as there was no need. She smiled victoriously. "Look, my man is here now."
"You!" Talia's eyes reddened, and she grabbed Catwoman by the throat.
Selina didn't even struggle.
"Enough."
Batman's deep voice carried suppressed anger. Whether it was Selina's reckless provocations or Talia's schemes and illegal activities in Gotham, Bruce was furious.
Talia released Catwoman. Her energy was nearly spent, leaving her no strength to fight Batman. But they seldom settled matters through combat.
"You came to Gotham for Dr. Langstrom," Batman said to Talia, his voice stern. "Whatever the League of Assassins wants with the Man-Bat serum, I won't let you have it."
He stepped closer. "And I told you before, don't come after her again."
A grappling hook suddenly flew over the ledge, and Red Robin and Baia climbed up.
Baia, upon reaching the rooftop, found herself the center of attention, feeling the weight of their stares.
Baia's body stiffened. She looked at everyone before quietly asking, "Hi, Selina… do you need help?"
Despite her injuries, Selina laughed victoriously. Meanwhile, Talia's expression darkened. She knew Baia had a history with Selina, and her own role as a "mother" was tenuous, but it still stung to be upstaged by a thief.
As Baia helped Selina stop her bleeding and applied a potion, she heard Talia call her. "Baia."
Baia turned stiffly, glancing at Batman and Red Robin, trying to delay. "Ta…"
But Talia's piercing gaze forced her to correct herself for survival. "Mother."
Catwoman's expression darkened, while Talia's lips curved slightly upward.
At this point, Talia's mission in Gotham was a failure, but Batman wouldn't stop her from leaving. She walked gracefully toward him, stopping at his shoulder, and adjusted his heavy cloak, saying pointedly, "Take care of our son and daughter."
She emphasized "our" and "son and daughter," clearly meant for Selina to hear, then walked away without looking back.
Baia hesitated for a long while but ultimately decided to apply some moondew to Talia before she left. Catwoman fought fiercely, even scratching her face, which wasn't good at all.
Selina stared intently at Baia, her tone half-skeptical, seeming to harbor new suspicions about those green eyes. "Are you Talia's child?"
Baia shook her head vehemently. "No, really, I'm not."
"Did she force you to call her mom?!"
"Not exactly," Baia said awkwardly. "It's a complicated situation. Are you okay? Can you stand up?"
Selina took a few steps as if nothing had happened. She dared to provoke the stronger Talia so boldly because of Baia's presence, and now she looked completely at ease.
"I helped you. Do I get a reward?" Selina leaned close to Bruce.
Batman remained expressionless, only sighing after a moment. "Try to stay out of trouble."
Selina pouted, knowing she'd had her fun, and with a swish of her whip, she left as well.
Now, Batman's piercing gaze fell on Red Robin and Baia, as if he were about to dissect them.
"I-I can explain…" Baia stammered, though she had no idea what to say. As she racked her brain for an excuse, her eyes widened suddenly as she looked past him. "Get down! Behind you!"
Without hesitation, Batman dropped to a crouch, rolling to the side just as a shadowy figure lunged from behind. Red Robin swiftly threw a batarang at the attacker, but the figure dodged, revealing a masked face in the dim light.
"League of Assassins," Batman muttered, recognizing the garb and fighting style immediately.
The assailant's movements were fluid and precise, aimed directly at Baia. Red Robin intercepted, engaging in close combat while Batman quickly assessed the situation.
Baia, still shaken, forced herself to focus. She couldn't afford to be a liability now. Grabbing her own set of bat-shaped shurikens, she joined the fray, targeting the assassin's weak points.
The battle was swift and intense. Batman and Red Robin's coordination was seamless, and with Baia's assistance, they soon overwhelmed the assassin. The figure, realizing the futility of further combat, threw down a smoke bomb and vanished into the night.
"Are you alright?" Batman asked, turning to Baia with a rare, concerned expression.
Baia nodded, catching her breath. "Yeah, thanks to you both."
Red Robin clapped her on the shoulder. "You did well, but you need to be more careful."
Baia sighed in relief, then turned serious. "We need to figure out why the League is so interested in Dr. Langstrom. And why they think I'm important enough to send assassins after."
Batman nodded. "We'll get to the bottom of this. But first, we need to ensure everyone's safety."
As they descended from the rooftop, Baia couldn't shake off the feeling that this was just the beginning of a larger, more dangerous game. And she was right in the middle of it.
Baia hesitated for a long while but ultimately decided to apply some moondew to Talia before she left. Catwoman fought fiercely, even scratching her face, which wasn't good at all.
Selina stared intently at Baia, her tone half-skeptical, seeming to harbor new suspicions about those green eyes. "Are you Talia's child?"
Baia shook her head vehemently. "No, really, I'm not."
"Did she force you to call her mom?!"
"Not exactly," Baia said awkwardly. "It's a complicated situation. Are you okay? Can you stand up?"
Selina took a few steps as if nothing had happened. She dared to provoke the stronger Talia so boldly because of Baia's presence, and now she looked completely at ease.
"I helped you. Do I get a reward?" Selina leaned close to Bruce.
Batman remained expressionless, only sighing after a moment. "Try to stay out of trouble."
Selina pouted, knowing she'd had her fun, and with a swish of her whip, she left as well.
Now, Batman's piercing gaze fell on Red Robin and Baia, as if he were about to dissect them.
"I-I can explain…" Baia stammered, though she had no idea what to say. As she racked her brain for an excuse, her eyes widened suddenly as she looked past him. "Get down! Behind you!"
Without hesitation, Batman dropped to a crouch, rolling to the side just as a shadowy figure lunged from behind. Red Robin swiftly threw a batarang at the attacker, but the figure dodged, revealing a masked face in the dim light.
"League of Assassins," Batman muttered, recognizing the garb and fighting style immediately.
The assailant's movements were fluid and precise, aimed directly at Baia. Red Robin intercepted, engaging in close combat while Batman quickly assessed the situation.
Baia, still shaken, forced herself to focus. She couldn't afford to be a liability now. Grabbing her own set of bat-shaped shurikens, she joined the fray, targeting the assassin's weak points.
The battle was swift and intense. Batman and Red Robin's coordination was seamless, and with Baia's assistance, they soon overwhelmed the assassin. The figure, realizing the futility of further combat, threw down a smoke bomb and vanished into the night.
"Are you alright?" Batman asked, turning to Baia with a rare, concerned expression.
Baia nodded, catching her breath. "Yeah, thanks to you both."
Red Robin clapped her on the shoulder. "You did well, but you need to be more careful."
Baia sighed in relief, then turned serious. "We need to figure out why the League is so interested in Dr. Langstrom. And why they think I'm important enough to send assassins after."
Batman nodded. "We'll get to the bottom of this. But first, we need to ensure everyone's safety."
As they descended from the rooftop, Baia couldn't shake off the feeling that this was just the beginning of a larger, more dangerous game. And she was right in the middle of it.