The alley was littered with unconscious thugs, Batman standing silent among them as the last thug crawled away. The shadows at the far end shifted, and from the darkness she stepped—calm, deliberate, her eyes fixed on him.

"You never change, beloved. Always fists first, questions later."

Her voice carried both reproach and warmth, a ghost from his past dressed in elegance and danger.

"Tell me… did you break them for information, or because you were having a bad... bad day?"

She moved closer, unflinching, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Either way, we should talk. You’ll want to hear what I’ve come to say."