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Chapter 40: The Cat and the Bat (1)

In the previous chapter, Bruce lay on the hospital bed while Harvey adjusted his upper body and offered him a glass of water.

Bruce, with a hint of distress, remarked, "She's unpredictable, her moods are ever-changing, truly resembling a cat. I can't quite fathom her. Right now, my main concern is that her volatility could harm others. After all, I have access to the best medical resources in all of Gotham, but not everyone does."

"You should be grateful that your kidney didn't rupture. The knife was quite short, leaving only a shallow scratch on your organs. Otherwise, you might have been left with just one kidney now," Harvey said as he set down the water jug.

Harvey continued, "Back when I was in school, I had a crush on a girl. I was head over heels for her. I pursued her passionately. But one day, while we were on a date, she deliberately threw a bottle far away to mock a janitor."

"I couldn't understand how she could do that. She seemed so mean, unworthy of my affection. But later, I realized that my love for her had painted an idealized image in my mind. In reality, she had always been ill-tempered, enjoyed mocking others, and looked down on anyone in the service industry. She never changed, but because of my intense love, I had unrealistically high expectations of her."

"I broke up with her, and she found it inexplicable. At that time, I didn't know that I must have appeared like a lunatic, first pursuing her recklessly, declaring my love, and then suddenly ending things cleanly. To anyone, it would seem like an insult, and she was furious."

"Later, I thought it was only natural."

Bruce felt a bit embarrassed but continued, "The problem with that girl is much worse than your ex-girlfriend's, and it could potentially harm others, physically."

"The issue isn't here; it's that when you met her and fell in love with her, didn't you know about this flaw?" Harvey questioned.

Bruce wondered, did he not know? He knew all too well. He had even met her in the midst of Catwoman's criminal activities.

He couldn't help but think ironically, how could he fall in love with a criminal? Especially at a crime scene?

After Harvey left, Bruce fell asleep due to fatigue.

In the dream, the dazzling lights of a jewelry store illuminated a string of pearls scattered on the ground. Suddenly, all the lights went out, as if everything had returned to that dark alley, with only the string of pearls shimmering faintly.

Batman never liked anything related to jewelry, especially things that sparkled, like a true bat.

Yet, his mind was filled with the image of the girl holding sparkling gems, her sly smile.

In the haze, the luster of the pearls in his memory suddenly didn't seem so repulsive. The dream's conclusion was still a swarm of bats soaring through the sky, their shadows heavy.

The next day, when Schiller saw Bruce in the psychological counseling room, he was somewhat surprised. He examined Bruce and said, "Your injuries have healed already? You can walk so soon?"

"It's still a bit painful, but it's no longer a major concern. My internal organs weren't seriously damaged, and they're healing rapidly," Bruce replied.

Schiller remarked, "In that case, it seems you won't be needing my coffee." He poured himself a hot cup of coffee and left Bruce somewhat speechless. Bruce then requested, "Could you get me a glass of water?"

Once they were both seated, Bruce began, "Harvey doesn't know my true identity yet, and I think it's best to keep it that way for now. But I'm troubled by something. The woman who stabbed me keeps appearing in my dreams."

"I'm even starting to feel a reluctance towards putting on the Bat-suit. When I do encounter her, I don't know what to say."

Schiller couldn't have dreamt that Batman's first psychological counseling question would be about Bruce's teenage romantic troubles.

As is well-known, in the comics, Batman and Catwoman share a deep love, and screenwriters have spent a considerable amount of ink detailing their love story. Indeed, a dark knight with a vendetta and a cunning yet beautiful criminal, even in the grim backdrop of Gotham City, resonates with many readers.

Schiller said, "It seems Harvey has tried to counsel you already, but it doesn't seem to have helped much."

"Harvey had valid points. Before falling for her, I knew she was a thief. In fact, I met her while she was stealing from a jewelry store. I don't understand how I could fall for a criminal. It's absurd," Bruce admitted.

Schiller asked, "What do you think led you to become Batman?"

Bruce pondered for a moment before replying, "Many things."

"And what do you think led her to become a thief?" Schiller inquired.

Bruce fell silent.

"So, you're here sulking without any understanding of a woman's past and family. Are you sure you really like her, and it's not just a desire for a romantic encounter?" Schiller asked.

"I haven't even been to bed with her yet," Bruce replied.

"Should I applaud your innocence?" Schiller chuckled, then turned his gaze to Bruce's side. "She stabbed your kidney without even reaching that stage. I'm starting to worry about your safety."

"Do you think I should talk to her?" Bruce asked.

Schiller sighed and said, "You like the thief, not me. If you want to talk about love, go talk to her. Understand?"

Schiller added with some resignation, "Otherwise, what's the point of a relationship? You've been roaming Gotham's rooftops for days, and you still don't know each other's parents. You're not sleeping together, not dating, and you're in the dark about each other. If it were me, I might have stabbed you too."

Bruce paused for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll go talk to her."

The next day, Batman once again caught Catwoman at an exhibition. Although he didn't understand Catwoman's past and family, he had a good grasp of her habits.

Upon seeing him, Catwoman cursed softly and immediately thought of escaping. However, she didn't run. Batman captured her cape again, and Catwoman cursed, took a deep breath, and turned her head to say, "Let go of me! You freak! Don't make me use my knife!"

Batman said, "We need to talk."

"What do we have to talk about? Don't bother me while I'm working!" Catwoman replied, exasperated.

Ten minutes later, the two of them arrived at the rooftop of the exhibition hall. Catwoman reluctantly waved her hand and said, "Alright, alright, my little man, what do you want to talk about? Give me the big reason? I've practically memorized all your reasons."

"No, I just want to hear your story," Batman said.

Catwoman was a bit surprised. She fell silent for a moment, glanced at Batman's pointed ears overhead, and said, "Well, considering your aesthetics when it comes to costumes, fine."

"...I come from the slums in the east, you know, the biggest and messiest one. My mother was an alcoholic, my father was a drug addict, but I was lucky not to get caught up in drugs. I grew up with a retired acrobat, she taught me a lot of things, but she had a temper, and I took quite a few beatings. But I learned real skills."

"When she tried to sell me to a foul-smelling middle-aged man, I ran away. I was twelve at the time."

"Later, a nosy orphanage insisted that I live there, and I said okay, so I did. Afterward, someone wanted to adopt me, but I offended the administrator, who wanted to abuse me, so I stole his diamond necklace and ran away again."

"I met a leader of thieves, we all called her Lucky Mom. She specialized in training girls like us to steal things for her. I had practiced acrobatics, and I was good at it. I was her favorite child."

"But good times didn't last. She found the diamond necklace I had hidden, you know, it was worth a lot, enough for her to retire and quit working. She wanted me to give it to her, but I didn't want to, so I ran away again."

"Later, I met a sister named Maggie, and she was good to me. But her boyfriend kept abusing her and even tried to kill her. When he was about to attack, I killed that man and became a fugitive. I didn't want to endanger my sister, so I've been wandering ever since, but sometimes, when I earned money, I would send some back."

"So, that's it, a very ordinary story, not that exciting, I suppose nothing in your life experience is as thrilling, right? Great hero."

Batman seemed a bit quiet. He said, "Not exciting enough? Isn't it exciting enough?"

Catwoman shook her head and said, "Oh, I forgot, you're a young master who grew up in a wealthy area. People from your place should all go to school and follow the rules, right? But it's not like that where we come from. In our area, there aren't even one or two students in an entire block. Actually, my mother loved me, but she was controlled by alcohol. She spent more time on the cat than on me."

"My parents didn't have the means to send me to school, and my neighbors were the same way. Having at least one sober parent was considered lucky; at least that way you wouldn't starve. I heard stories of parents on both sides being drunk, and their kids climbing onto stoves and getting scalded to death."

"Of course, the upbringing of people like us is quite similar. The luckier ones, like me, learned a skill, and the best way out was to work for a gang. If you could become a dealer in a casino, that was a dignified job. Maggie's boyfriend was a casino enforcer; he was very popular, and several hostesses there were vying for his attention."

"Actually, Lucky Mom treated me well at times. She would be like a real mother sometimes. Whenever I stole a lot of jewelry for her, she would praise me and even give me candy. Of course, she would scold and beat the children who couldn't steal anything, but in my opinion, they were just young; with a few years of practice, they would be fine."

Catwoman spoke in a lively and casual tone, making her life sound intriguing.

For instance, when she practiced acrobatics and fell from a roof for the first time, she landed on a drunkard who had just pocketed over ten dollars from someone else. She ended up with the money and used it to buy food for her mother's cat, receiving a kiss from her mother in return.

Batman had remained silent, listening quietly. Catwoman eventually stopped talking and looked at Batman, saying, "Well, I know this story might disappoint you. I don't have a rich and exciting academic background, and I don't understand your career goals. We come from entirely different worlds, and I'm sure wealthy people like you aren't interested in the life of the slums. After all, it sounds dirty and chaotic."

Batman's voice was somewhat low as he said, "No, this is the most exciting story I've ever heard."

Catwoman raised an eyebrow and said, "You have such a sweet mouth; your praise makes me a little embarrassed. But I'm happy too because not many people are willing to listen to me talk about these things. Maggie isn't in good health; she can't go outside. When we chat, she prefers to hear about my adventures in the wealthy area, about the rich ladies and their dresses and necklaces."

Batman asked, "Do you really like jewelry that much?"

"I knew you were going to ask that question," Catwoman blinked and said.

"At first, it was because these jewelry could get me better treatment from Lucky Mom, and I didn't want to get beaten. But later, when Lucky Mom asked me for that diamond necklace, I realized that what I loved was their natural luster, not how much they could be sold for. The thought of Lucky Mom selling these treasures for money hurt me."

"That captivating shine, especially when it's illuminated by light, is the most beautiful thing in the world! My lifelong dream is to have a huge castle filled with all these beautiful gemstones..." Catwoman's tone became increasingly cheerful, as if she were about to burst with happiness.