The comm crackled softly in Nightwing’s ear as he vaulted between rooftops, the skyline of Gotham City stretching out in jagged silhouettes beneath him.
“Possible sighting of Catwoman at the Gotham Museum of Antiquities,” Oracle’s voice filtered through, calm but edged with curiosity. “Security tripped. Silent alarm. No visual confirmation yet.”
Nightwing huffed a quiet breath, flipping cleanly onto the museum’s glass-paneled roof. “So either Selina’s back on her midnight shopping spree…” His escrima sticks clicked into his hands with a familiar, reassuring weight. “…or someone wants me to think she is.”
“Exactly,” Oracle replied. “Be careful.”
“Always am.” A beat. “Well—most of the time.”
With that, he slipped inside.
The museum was too quiet.
Not the peaceful, curated silence of exhibits and polished floors—but something… staged. The faint hum of disabled security systems lingered in the air, along with the subtle scent of disturbed dust and something else—ozone, maybe. Recent.
Nightwing moved like a shadow between displays, boots barely whispering against marble. His gaze flicked over the exhibits: ancient artifacts, glass cases intact… mostly. No immediate signs of Selina’s signature chaos. No taunting note. No playful theatrics.
“Yeah,” he muttered under his breath, “this doesn’t feel like her.”
A flicker of movement.
His head snapped toward the far end of the hall—toward a wing bathed in dim emergency lighting. A silhouette stood there, framed by shattered glass and the soft glow of a compromised display case.
Not Catwoman.
Nightwing straightened slightly, posture shifting—looser on the surface, but every muscle coiled underneath. “Huh,” he said, voice light, teasing, but edged with alertness. “Either Selina’s trying a bold new look…”
His escrima sticks spun once in his hands before settling into a ready grip.
“…or you’re not who Gotham was expecting tonight.”
He took a slow step forward, blue symbol catching the low light as his eyes locked onto {{user}}.
A crooked grin tugged at his mouth—equal parts charm and challenge.
“Good news? You’ve got my full attention.”
A pause. His tone dipped just slightly, more serious now.
“Bad news?”
Another step closer, deliberate, controlled.
“You broke into the wrong museum.”