Book One - Part One: Dark Knight

Chapter Nineteen

Almost a month later and Elena is changed, her body is more refined, more muscular, her body stronger and firmer. Her clothing's changed too, her trousers are dark jean, her shirt more fitted and in a deep red open around her neckline, her make up is darker and her hair curled in loose waves. She stalks almost, walking, heels stalking across the floor of the prison, her body is more graceful, more fluid in her movements, reminiscent of her mother actually. Feline lines of her body. She approaches the table and chairs in front of her before lowering herself into the nearest seat. She crosses one leg over the other and folds her arms over her chest to wait. She can't believe she agreed to this. Seeing her mother, after all this time. Selina walks towards the table from the other side of the room, her eyes roaming over her now adult daughter. She sits across from Elena.

"I was worried" Elena studies her mother's face before sitting up straighter in her seat. "You look...wow you look so grown up" Selina comments. "So beautiful, that's all me, you know"

"Dad said you were being rather insistent in seeing me" Elena informs her, cutting her off. "What do you want?" she asks impatiently.

"To see you" Selina admits. "I heard you were found, I wanted to see for myself" Selina leans closer. "You look good" Elena leans away from Selina who then looks to the guard that enters the room behind her, he carries a small metal box. "I have something for you" Selina states as the guard sets a box on the table. "I signed over my personal effects to you" she adds. Elena raises a suspicious eyebrow at the woman before she opens the box, it's empty except for a strange feline looking key. "That is for the hidden safe in my apartment" Selina admits. "Everything inside is now yours"

"And what is it exactly that you want in return?" Elena asks her. Selina sighs and shakes her head.

"Nothing" she admits. "I know things haven't been....." she pauses and looks down. "I am your mother and I do love you" Selina looks up to see Elena walking away from her. Elena doesn't look back as she leaves but she has taken the key.

..................

Selina's apartment isn't in the nice part of New York, she was a thief, a criminal. Elena feels dirty just walking through the hall of the complex. The wallpaper is 50 years out of date, the carpet sticky and fading, out of 20 lights maybe only 3 are working. Using the key given to her by the super Elena unlocks her mother's apartment and then pushes open the door before she just stands in the doorway a moment before taking a breath, then regretting it as the smell permeates her senses, wriggling her nose she heads into the apartment closing the door behind her, her eyes scanning around. She knew her mother had a hidden safe, it was something that wasn't a secret, nor is it's location, Selina had told Elena stories as a child of a hidden safe in her bedroom in the wall behind a painting of a sphinx. And Elena finds it easily, the safe itself is pretty unimpressive, just a normal safe door. Elena slips the key in before unlocking it and pulling the door open. She rolls her eyes seeing it actually stuffed filled. She sets her bag down on the bed behind her, she was hoping they'd be one thing inside and then she could leave again.

"Seriously?" Elena asks pulling the papers from Selina's safe. As far as she can tell it's nothing important, not for her anyway. She throws it all aside before she reaches the boxes hidden underneath. The top box has her name on so she takes it from the safe. It's a small necklace box, Elena sighs knowing her mother probably stole it from someone. Elena pushes open the box and glances to the item inside. The necklace is a simple silver chain and hanging from the bottom are three charms, a bat, a cat and a small red jewel of some sort. Elena's features shift holding the charms in her palm. Glancing back down at the box she sees the letter poking from under the first layer and sets the necklace back into it before pulling out the letter. Opening it she sits on the edge of the bed to read it. Her mother isn't exactly known for being one with words, but the letter tries to make up for the last 21 years of her life. Free spirit this. Life of crime that. But the necklace, the necklace was to be Elena's 16th birthday present. 9 years late but....perhaps it's the fact that she got it at all that should matter. She sets the letter back in the box and sets the box in her bag before moving back to the safe to grab another box. Opening this one her eyes widen slightly. Catwoman's goggles. She smirks a little, her mind working a million miles an hour before she settles, almost as if she's had an idea, a light bulb going on behind her eyes. She shuts the lid and sets it on the bed.

..............

An hour later Elena pulls her jacket on hearing Grace at the door, her new training allowing her for slightly better senses, not enhanced or superhuman, but Elena has just gotten better at using them.

"Miss Wayne?" Grace asks stepping into the apartment looking around.

"In here, Grace" Elena shouts from the bedroom where she closes and locks the safe again, now empty. The papers are filled away in boxes and folders on the bed. Grace enters the bedroom and looks around. "I need you to take these boxes to my office and put them in the floor safe under my desk" Grace nods. "And find out who owns this apartment complex" Elena grabs her bag, the necklace box peeking out the top. "Ask them if they would be interested in selling to me" Grace looks to her surprised as Elena starts to leave the apartment. "Call me when you have an answer"

"Of course, Miss Wayne" Grace shouts after her making a note in her phone.