[ Street Near Star City Police Department HQ, Star City ]
Thea said loudly, "Tonight is the signing dinner held by our Queen Consolidated and the Star City Police Department. In order to combat crime, we developed a facial recognition software and gave it to the police department for free. Such a good thing was ruined by this thief!"
Her eyes were fixed on Batman. "Do you know how many gang members there are in Star City? Do you know how difficult it is to crack down on these people? If we can get rid of even one-fifth of them, the city government can provide an extra 20,000 jobs!"
"Everything has been ruined by her. The Star City Police Department has become a laughingstock. The efforts of 1,500 police officers and thousands of people in Queen Consolidated have all gone to waste!"
In reality, the so-called thousands of people were mostly just Felicity and her three subordinates. Among the 1,500 police officers, maybe only a hundred were even aware of the specifics.
But Thea's words were crafted beautifully. She placed herself in the role of a city defender, devoted to public interest and asking for nothing in return.
Batman, unaware of the full truth, now felt incredibly awkward. They were just passing through Star City and didn't know the whole sequence of events. But even if they did, what Thea said was about seventy percent true, thirty percent exaggerated. And with Felicity's tech skills, even a full-time investigation team would have trouble unearthing the full truth.
Damn it! What should I do now? Batman thought. Hand over Catwoman? I can't do that. This isn't Gotham—I don't know the people here, and I've got no local support if things go south.
Moreover, Catwoman had embarrassed half of Star City's elite tonight. The political and police circles had lost serious face. They weren't going to let this go lightly. He imagined the reverse: if someone pulled this in Gotham, he'd pound them into the pavement.
After thinking it through, he realized he couldn't hand Selina over. He'd just have to change identities and maybe compensate Star City later.
If he wasn't going to surrender her, that only left one option: fight their way out. But Bruce Wayne had never resorted to that kind of brute force response, and the guilt weighed heavily on him now. Without saying a word, he cast a sharp glance at Catwoman—a silent cue: Let's not dig ourselves deeper. Let's retreat.
Catwoman saw Batman frozen like a statue—saying nothing, doing nothing—but sending subtle signals. She understood. She'd messed up. Normally, she chose her targets carefully and always had a plan.
But tonight, she'd acted on impulse. In a foul mood, she'd picked a target at random—and now the owner of the "lost" money had shown up in jeans, a T-shirt, and canvas sneakers, looking like the very image of righteous indignation. Next to her, dressed in black from head to toe, she and Batman looked like cartoonish villains.
There was no real choice but to run.
Seeing them exchange glances, Thea knew what was coming. They were about to bolt. She didn't want to actually catch them—it wasn't worth the hassle—but letting them go too easily would look bad. She had to put on a bit of a show.
"Don't run!" she shouted and lunged—of course, targeting Catwoman. They'd fought twice already and knew each other's rhythms. Between the towering, muscle-bound Batman and the comparatively lithe Catwoman, the latter was the easier target.
Batman knew they couldn't just stroll out of Star City now. But watching Thea charge at Catwoman, he hesitated. Should he step in or stay out of it?
The two women clashed fiercely, and with his refined martial arts instincts, he could see it clearly: they were perfectly matched. If they kept this up and excluded sheer physical stamina, they might fight until dawn.
Little girl, I'm sorry! he sighed internally. The fight showed no sign of ending, and with the chilly night wearing on, Batman had no choice but to join in, turning it into a two-on-one.
The moment he stepped in, Thea felt the pressure double. Batman wasn't exaggerating when he claimed mastery over 127 fighting styles. Whether or not that was a verified number, his skills were undeniable. From Muay Thai to Judo to Sambo, he executed each with brutal grace.
More than that, his raw stats—strength, speed, endurance—overwhelmed Thea. And his combat sense was elite. Her previous tricks, like perception-based feints, were completely neutralized by his equal or superior awareness.
Catwoman, however, was annoyed that her ex-lover had jumped in to help her. Her attacks lost some of their intensity. Batman also didn't want to hurt Thea—a genuinely good person caught in a ridiculous situation. Both of them held back for different reasons, allowing Thea to barely stay on her feet.
Just when she started contemplating whether to fake a faint or take a couple of hits and call it a day, a familiar, thunderous voice echoed from the roadside.
"Haha, I've been watching long enough—I can't resist anymore! Time for a proper fight!"
There was only one woman in Star City who relished battle this much: Lady Shiva.
Wearing her signature black windbreaker and red vest, with her long hair dancing in the breeze, she exuded a fierce confidence.
"Lady Shiva…" Batman muttered, instantly on edge. He knew her well. They'd fought multiple times, and he'd never come out on top. Though they weren't close, she was far from a stranger.
As the future mother of the deadliest Batgirl, Lady Shiva clearly trusted Batman to some extent—after all, if she didn't, why would she choose him, of all people, to entrust with her daughter?
Lady Shiva walked right up to Thea. The two women—one icy, one radiant—stood side by side, gazing at Batman and Catwoman. The pair exchanged a nervous glance. They both knew Shiva's reputation. This wasn't going to end quickly.
Thea also knew she couldn't back down now. With backup finally here, she pushed forward again. Her techniques felt sharper; actual comba experience was truly the best teacher.
She quickly told Felicity to black out all surrounding surveillance. The last thing they needed after all this was a police raid cutting things short.
She glanced at Shiva and pointed at Catwoman, silently claiming her as today's sparring partner. Shiva didn't mind—she wasn't interested in Catwoman. Flashing a rare smile, she launched herself at Batman.
"Batman, our fifth showdown begins now!" she declared.
She knew his identity, of course, but kept it to herself with Thea present.
Batman sighed internally. Not again.
Meanwhile, Thea and Catwoman resumed their battle—round four. They'd gone toe-to-toe three times already, and the margins were always razor thin. In a true death match, the outcome was genuinely unpredictable.
But Thea had no such intent. She just wanted to learn and improve. Catwoman, no longer agitated, now mirrored that mindset. They sparred with fluid rhythm, both knowing full well the real outcome of the battle would hinge on the other two.
Batman's earlier analysis had been accurate: when all the fancy moves were exhausted, the deciding factor would be sheer physical endurance between Thea and Selina.
Eventually, both women grew too tired to care about winning. They slowed down, exchanged a nod, and turned to watch the real spectacle—Batman versus Lady Shiva.
To Be Continued...
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[POWER STONES AND REVIEWS PLS]