Chapter 45: Getting Ready to Go

Thea looked at her calmly and motioned for her to continue.

It was expected that Batman would have problems. It would actually be weird if everything was fine. He's basically the dramatic American version of the Tang Monk: he chose the hard path and decided to go through 81 trials.

As an ordinary person—no powers, just skill, discipline, and physical conditioning—he inevitably gets involved in all kinds of trouble. Aside from a few aliens that drop by every now and then, he's already crossed paths with nearly every hero and villain imaginable.

So when Thea found out he'd had an accident, she wasn't surprised. She looked at Catwoman without showing any emotion and gestured for her to go on.

"He was captured by a guy named Bane. We don't know if he's still alive. Right now, Bane controls half of Gotham. He's freed the inmates from Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison. The city's in chaos. We need your help."

Catwoman said this with a serious look.

Is this the plot of Batman III? Thea remembered that in the movie, she'd betrayed Bruce big time—but this felt different. The two of them had known each other since childhood and had faced a lot together. Even with the ups and downs, a bond like that doesn't just break.

Realizing that things weren't playing out exactly like in the movie, Thea asked cautiously, "Who is this Bane?"

"I don't know much either. Just that he's incredibly strong—stronger than any normal person. I heard from one of his henchwomen that he can lift two tons. I don't know if that's an exaggeration, but I saw it with my own eyes—he broke Batman's spine."

Catwoman said this with a frustrated look.

Two tons? That unit of measurement caught Thea off guard. "Don't we use kilos for that?" she thought. "Where did that ton come from?" Either way, she concluded that this definitely wasn't the same Bane from the movie. He had probably used some kind of enhancement serum or bioengineering—because no one's naturally that strong.

Seeing Catwoman's anxious expression, Thea considered refusing. But then she saw Felicity's eyes gleaming with excitement behind her glasses—so full of expectation—and she just gave a sheepish smile.

"The Joker... did he escape too?"

"No. He's under special custody. But... besides him, almost everyone else got out." Catwoman hesitated. She wanted to say the criminals were "under control," but she knew no one would buy that. So she just said it straight.

Hearing the Joker was still locked up brought Thea some relief. In the DC universe, there are heroes, villains... and then there's the Joker. He's not the strongest or the fastest, but it's like his brain doesn't even register fear. If the God of the DC universe showed up, he'd still try to stab him in the face.

He's completely unpredictable. In another timeline, he tricked Superman into killing the love of his life, which turned the Man of Steel dark. He even kidnapped Lex Luthor—a genius with a level-nine intellect—and nuked Metropolis just because... he was bored.

Thea knew provoking someone like the Joker was a huge mistake. If he ever found out who she was, her entire family would be at risk. Knowing he was off the board was comforting.

She started to think about Gotham's villains. Other than Bane, most of them were just regular humans or people with psychological issues. Nothing she couldn't handle with the right gear. Maybe this mission wasn't as dangerous as it sounded.

"Okay, we'll go with you," Thea agreed. She knew there probably wouldn't be any payment, but she couldn't help for free either. Maybe she could get support from some shady rich donors later.

"We?" Catwoman looked at Felicity, as if to ask: She's a hero too?

Felicity got the message instantly. Annoyed, she quickly explained that her hacking skills were top-tier. She showed off some facial recognition and advanced tracking tools, which impressed Catwoman—who'd never had access to that kind of formal training.

At that point, both women accepted Felicity's presence. If she was willing to go, why not? Gotham needed all the help it could get.

"Who else is with you? Did anyone call for backup?" Thea asked, unsure where they were in the timeline. How many Batfamily members were around at this point?

"For now, it's me, Batgirl, and Robin. I also asked Lady Shiva to search for Batman. She's got connections in the underworld and might dig up some leads."

Five people? That sounded like a party gearing up for a dungeon raid. The problem was, neither Catwoman, Batgirl, Robin, nor Thea were the "tank" type. They were all agile, not exactly built for soaking up damage. Felicity would handle the tech stuff—basically a mix of mascot and team brain.

Shiva would be missed in close combat. Sending the strongest fighter off on a side mission felt like a tactical mistake, but Thea held her tongue. Criticizing now would only undermine her leadership.

And no one really knew where Batman was being held. In the movie, it was some deep cave with a "leap of faith." But in real life? Who knows. They could only hope Shiva would find a lead.

When Thea asked how Catwoman got there, she found out that Bane had taken her gear, and without Batman to fall back on, she'd lost direction. She ended up hitching a ride to Star City. That's when Thea had a thought: heroines need to be prepared and self-sufficient. You can't always count on backup.

She asked for a helicopter to be prepped. When she learned Catwoman could fly it, Thea felt more at ease. Gotham wasn't exactly a vacation destination, and with so many dangers, lying to a civilian pilot would've been tough.

The two men on the team quietly packed their folding skateboards into their backpacks. They weighed less than 20 pounds and doubled as versatile weapons—perfect for infiltration and quick escapes.

One nice thing about superheroes: no one asks too many questions about each other's origins or powers. If you want to share, fine. If not, nobody presses. Catwoman watched the two in silence, keeping a respectful distance.

Not knowing how long they'd be gone, Thea packed all her arrows. She decided she'd take on the sharpshooter role. Hand-to-hand was her specialty, sure—but for now, she preferred someone else up close.

Felicity was still hyped about the mission. Thea had to remind her several times to actually get ready. In the end, she only brought a tablet.

"Thea, do you think we should pack food?"

"Thea, have you seen my charger?"

Catwoman pursed her lips at that. Gotham wasn't starving.

Thea felt a little embarrassed, too. The reputation of the Star City heroines was taking a bit of a hit. Their Gotham counterparts were definitely chuckling on the inside. She quickly pulled Felicity aside and told her to change clothes. Things in Gotham were serious. This wasn't the kind of place you watched from box seats with chips and soda like the good old days.