2014-02-13 - The Cat and the Cat

He had started at the northernmost island: Uptown. Walking through Granton, Farrow and Jerold in civilian clothes he found nothing he remembered except Gotham Stadium and North City Park. Walking over the bridge to the next island Midtown was a bust as well. Only Reatton and Gainsly’s names were familiar. They’d torn down the el after the big quake. The gaelic Club where he win his first fight was a tea lounge. Malty Walt’s pub was kind of bistro selling overpriced coffee. By then the sun was setting so he slipped on his uniform and took to the roof.He rode over the narrows atop a cable car.



 Downtown came up empty too. Haysville, Stevensburgh, and Haysville were all newer than he was. German Town, Loggerquist, Scituate, and Bay Ridge were all gone. Gone. Gone.



 Terry, Al, Wes, Knight, Dinah, Kent: also gone. Polly, went back to her woman warriors. But he knew where that was going from the start. Jay, the Big Guy, and the Pharoah: retired. Living the good life with their wives and God bless them all. No wife. No life for him. He was always just Champ. The wee hours found him prowling along the freeway underpass to the South Hinckley Bridge. Without knowing why he climbed the northwest tower and stood looking out over the City. Hinckley had survived the quake relatively intact. No one bothered to bring in new businesses, new services, new anything.



 It was forgotten. Like him.



 Lee Travis, the Crimson Avenger, had saved New York City, piloting a burning toxic barge out to see and they hadn’t learned of it till a bit of security camera footage turned up. Al, Doc, and Rex died fighting Parallax and barely made a ripple. This after three years in Limbo holding off Ragnarok. They had a parade for them after that. At least there was that. They had to retire in the 50’s thanks to the witch hunts. There were decades where wearing a mask made you a target or a head case or a freak.



 Ted Grant, the Wildcat looked back on the century of his life and decided senility was a blessing. At least you kept on making new friends! Standing on the edge of the tower he looked down on the bridge and the dark water. He was never the most philosophical person. No one would mistake him for a deep thinker. Nonetheless the thoughts kept coming like a well timed combo of punches. Then like the creature of habit he had become he began boxing with the air, more to keep warm than anything else and because like a shark, he had to keep moving.



 "Well, well, well," purrs a voice, from the darkness of the alleyway. "I guess while the Bat's not quite away, the Wildcat still knows how to play." The voice, feminine, alluring, seductive, sounds - amused. Catwoman strolls out of the darkness, her goggles framing her eyes, her leather suit perfectly fit to every tight curve of her.



 Wildcat turns around and throws a practice punch at Selina. It must be practice, his actual punches blur. "Keepingouttatrouble?" he asks. He follows the first punch up with a flurry of movement. Hey only the first practice move is slow. A warm up if you will. "Spying- on- me?-" he asks between jabs.



 She sparred enough with the old tomcat that she knows when he's playing and when he's fighting fer reals. She doesn't flinch in the least, rather she sets her weight on her back heel, crosses her arms and gives the man a rather cocky, amused sort of smile. "And why would I spy on you? Are you doing anything interesting?" Her grin grows wider, "Beating up any diamond smugglers, that I should know about?"

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat throws a final punch that ends a millimeter from her nose. He drops the fist in defeat, then opens his arms wide. "Truce. Honest. Bring it in." He gestures for a hug.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Catwoman does as asked, moving in to hug the man, tightly, the grin still on her features. She holds the hug for a solid thirty seconds or so, before she steps back, smirking some. "You know, people tend to be better targets for those fists than shadows."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat tries to smile and barely succeeds. "Kitty, I been fighting shadows all day and all night for a long time. I came back here after years away thinking, I'm coming home. But where the hell is home these days? Where's Gotham Broadcasting? Where are the giant props on roofs? They moved the Colts' Stadium across the island for crying out loud. Good to see you at least and looking well."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> "Things change," she says, shrugging, smirking. "I've changed. Even Batman's changed. Gotham has most certainly changed. Welcome back my friend, to the show that never ends, we're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside," she half-chants. She adds, "Good to see you too, you old coot." But it's said with affection, fondness, and awareness he'd still probably be able to kick her ass. Probably.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat releases Selina. "Batman don't change. He just upgrades his armor and gets new interns. I don't change."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> "So I've noticed. Still very much the Wildcat," agrees Selina. Her eyes rove over the well-built brick house of a man. "So." She tips her head to one side, "Where've you been hiding yourself?"

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat rocks on his heels a little. "Well I was around during that Darkness thing. No interest in a palooka in long underwear I guess. After the merge I started checking the country out. I been to Center City, Keystone, Metropolis, Star City, Boston, Baltimore ... all around," he says. "Lots of new faces ... this Captain America ... very hardcore fighter. he could probably take me without the shield. I'm just thinking maybe I should retire? Lots more heroes now and it's getting way more complicated. I had an idea but it fell through."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> "You're not allowed to retire," Selina points out, warmly. "You're awesome. And, maybe there are a bunch of new, and younger people. But that doesn't mean they don't need someone to knock some sense into them, from time to time. Or, teach them a thing or two." She points out, dryly, "I wouldn't be where I am if you'd retired, then. You can still make a difference. And you damn well know that."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat says, "Where do you want me to do it? New York has the Avengers. Metropolis has Big Blue. Gotham has ... "This is my city! Get out!" Hub City could use the help but ... it's a hole. What do you propose I do? I have a very specialized set of skills.""

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> [Public] Beast says, "So I scored Uncharted 2 and Uncharted 3 for 19 bucks today."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> "Go wherever you want," remarks Selina, pointedly. "You're Wildcat. You're a legend. And I don't know about Captain America taking you, without his Shield. You're pretty fantastic, when the time comes, and it's bloody and messy." She points a finger into his chest, "And if you retire, I'm going to kick your ass."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat shrugs his massive shoulders and says, "What if I don't want to go anywhere? Although... like I said I been thinking. You know how the Bat claims Gotham but Bludhaven was gone to Hell for years because ... there;s only one Bat? Nothing against him. No one can be everywhere. But there's a bunch of little towns outside Gotham and I been reading there's all kinds of second rate supervillains jacking them up. It's like the overflow or the has beens who don't want to deal with the big leaguers anymore. Same thing around metropolis and New York."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Her finger on his chest moves up to pat his cheek, even as she smirks. "See? Not so dumb. You've already thought of the solution, yourself. You just wanted me to talk you into it?" She looks curious, "Well. That's a part I'll play gladly. Afterall, I've still a dual role to play, and I've got," she looks almost irritated to say it, "Ties here." Uncomfortable. She doesn't like ties. "But I can branch out and help, time to time, if you need it. I'm sure others will feel the same. Like Black Canary. And Zinda."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat reaches into his boot and pulls a small pad of folded sheets out. He unfolds the wad and says, "Yeah well I was looking for some partners. Anyway I can stay in Gotham. He just doesn't like people operating without his say so. I'll be working out of here but chasing crooks in the ‘burbs. Now here is the thing you may like. these little banks that are getting hit ... they give rewards for returning stolen money. Good rewards because you gotta be a little nuts to go after these people. I figure you can help me with leads and I handle the punching people. And Batman ... I can have endless fun with him watching me to make sure I don't go rogue in his town. Or maybe he'll invite me in."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> "Sounds intriguing," agrees Selina. "And, I know someone who might - benefit from some training from you, too. We'll see." She's handing out no secrets, though. Not yet. Still, "And, I'm plenty good with leads. And with - recovering stolen items. At least, most of the time." A perfectly innocent expression makes it's way across her face.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat chuckles a little. "Yes I understand you have an advantage over most people in finding lost objects. So you think we could form a ... a team? Other people might join me?"

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> "Maybe," she concedes. "I'm already part of Oracle's little troupe of femme fatales, the Birds of Prey, with Zinda, Black Canary, and a few others." She smiles, pleased. "But, I might have time for the man who trained me to be so - superior to everyone else."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat nods. "I did do a pretty good job. Especially with the whip training. You took to that pretty well. I heard you made Two-Face cry with it one time."

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> "I've done better with it, since then," she grins, boldly. "Gotten better with it, too. I don't think there's anyone out there who can best me in that capacity." Sure, she's boasting. BUt, it's not idle boast. It's one she believes, with confidence.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:12px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Wildcat smiles now at what might be his favorite pupil. For a second he sees a scrawny teen almost killing herself with a whip. "Yes you have. Here's hoping I do better too."