"The Star City Police Department and Queen Group organized tonight's signing ceremony to announce our joint crime-fighting initiative!" Thea's clear voice rang out. "We've spent months developing cutting-edge facial recognition software and donated it for free to the police. And now—this thief has ruined everything!"
She turned her glare toward Batman, her tone sharp as an arrow.
"Do you have any idea how many crime syndicates operate in Star City? Do you know how hard it is to bring them down? If we can eliminate even a fifth of them, the city government could create twenty thousand new jobs! And now, all of it—all our effort—has been destroyed! The police, our company, everyone who worked so hard—made a complete joke!"
Of course, "everyone" was an exaggeration. In reality, the "thousand Queen Group employees" she mentioned were just Felicity and three engineers. And out of fifteen hundred police officers, maybe a hundred even knew what was going on.
But Thea's words carried power. She painted herself as the righteous guardian of the city, sacrificing for the public good.
Batman, who had only just arrived in Star City, suddenly found himself in an awkward position. He didn't understand what had happened, and Thea's speech was so passionate and logical that even he couldn't tell how much of it was truth or bluff.
Damn it… what now? Hand over Selina? No way.
This wasn't Gotham—he didn't have connections here, and he doubted Star City's police would show mercy. If someone had pulled a stunt like this in his city, he'd have beaten them within an inch of their life himself.
He quickly made up his mind. I can't hand her over. If anything, he'd come back later under a different disguise to make amends.
For now, the only option left was to fight their way out. But Bruce Wayne had never done something this… guilty before, and it made him uncomfortably self-aware.
He shot Catwoman a glance: Time to go.
Selina caught the signal instantly. She knew she'd gone too far this time. Usually, her thefts were planned, clean, and elegant. Tonight had been pure impulse—an act of frustration more than crime. And now she'd stirred up an entire city of police officers and corporate security… Not her finest work.
She took one look at Thea—bright eyes, simple clothes, righteous aura—and then at herself, dressed in all black from head to toe. There was no question who the "villain" looked like in this scene. With a sigh, she prepared to retreat.
But Thea noticed the exchange between them.
"You're not getting away that easily!" she shouted, sprinting forward.
She aimed for Catwoman, not Batman. After four bouts of fighting, she already knew her opponent's rhythm. Compared to the two-meter-tall man built like a tank in body armor, Selina was the easier target.
Batman hesitated for a moment. He couldn't exactly walk away now, not with this young girl charging in headlong. Watching the two women clash in a blur of motion, his trained eye immediately saw the truth—they were evenly matched. If they kept this up, it could last until dawn.
"Sorry, kid," he muttered. "No choice."
In an instant, Batman joined the fight.
With him in the mix, Thea's pressure skyrocketed. His combat mastery was legendary—rumored to encompass 127 martial arts styles, though Thea suspected even he didn't keep count anymore.
Each strike was precise, fluid, and overwhelming. Muay Thai, Judo, Sambo… he used them interchangeably, seamlessly. His strength, speed, and endurance crushed her on every front.
Even her strongest advantage—her heightened perception—was neutralized by his own battle sense. For the first time in a long while, Thea felt herself completely outmatched.
Meanwhile, Catwoman was clearly unhappy that her partner had stepped in. Her movements slowed slightly in irritation.
Batman, on the other hand, had no intention of hurting Thea; he simply wanted to end this quickly. With both of them holding back for different reasons, Thea managed to stay on her feet—barely.
Just as she was considering whether to fake a fainting spell or take a couple of hits before "collapsing," a loud, familiar female voice echoed from the side of the street.
"Hahaha! I've been watching long enough! I can't resist anymore—time for a proper fight!"
That kind of swagger could only belong to one person—Lady Shiva.
She strode forward, wearing her usual black trench coat over a crimson top, long dark hair rippling like silk in the evening wind.
"…Lady Shiva," Batman groaned inwardly. Of all nights…
He knew her well—too well. They'd fought many times before, and he'd never won once. As the mother of the future Batgirl, she wasn't exactly a stranger to him. The thought of facing her again tonight made his stomach twist.
Lady Shiva came to stand beside Thea. The two women—one radiant, one cold as steel—stood shoulder to shoulder. Even Batman and Catwoman exchanged a glance of mutual dread. Both knew this was about to get messy.
Thea grinned. Her reinforcement had arrived. This wasn't over yet.
She quickly ordered Felicity over comms to hack and disable all nearby cameras—no one needed to see what was about to happen.
Then she met Shiva's eyes and gestured toward Selina: That one's mine.
Shiva smirked. "Fine. I'll take the bat."
Her lips curved in anticipation. "Our fifth duel begins now, Batman!"
She knew his true identity but refrained from revealing it, out of respect for Thea's presence.
Batman, however, was not in the mood.
Meanwhile, Thea and Catwoman clashed for the fourth time that night. Their movements had grown familiar—strike, counter, parry, dodge—neither giving nor yielding much ground.
This time, it wasn't anger but pure instinct guiding them. Both women fought calmly, rhythmically, almost like dancers practicing a deadly waltz. They both knew the real spectacle was happening beside them—between two of the deadliest martial artists on the planet.
As exhaustion set in, neither could maintain full strength.
Their fight slowed, softened, then finally paused. Breathing hard, they exchanged a look of mutual respect and turned to watch the other battle.
The true showdown had only just begun.