Kara arced gracefully from her sub-orbital flight back down into the Earth's atmosphere, her blue eyes scanning the surface for her intended destination. The sun shone intermittently through broken clouds, its fierce beams almost lulling Kara to sleep as she flew through the soft air, her calf muscles flexing in stark relief as she evidenced her flying power. Soaring high above the East Coast, she saw a thick, dark, cloud that was too near the ground to be natural. Repressing a shudder, she dove toward the sprawling metropolis that hid beneath it.

Even as she cleared the smog and entered the city proper, she found the city cold and dark, the sun's warm rays somehow failing to penetrate the hazy barrier. Flying above the buildings towards her hotel, she saw nothing but sadness and misery beneath her. This, she decided, was going to be her first and LAST visit to Gotham City.

Still, as much as the sight of the city itself depressed her, she was excited to be a part of the upcoming events. One of the local billionaires hosted a fashion/beauty pageant each year, with the proceeds going to help the homeless. And although she was already a hot item on the West coast, Kara Zorel was eager to break into the East coast fashion scene. Her agent had recommended that she be a part of this show as it attracted all the famous East coast models, and it was a sure way for her to be noticed. She smiled to herself. Like she had EVER had THAT problem.

Spotting her hotel, she flew down to land in an alley right behind it. Finding a dumpster to change behind, she used her superspeed to change from her famous red and blues to a tight-fitting top and short skirt. As she came back around, she noticed a wino sitting against the opposite wall of the alley, staring at her wide-eyed. She winked playfully at him as she continued down the alley.

Staring after her, admiring the ample view of her backside that she gave him as she adjusted her skirt, he looked back at the bottle in his hand. Speaking to no one but himself, his rough voice was still audible to the remarkable ears of the girl as she walked out onto the street. "I gotta get me some more of this stuff!"

Breezing as smooth as silk into the lobby of the Gotham International Hotel, the most expensive in the city, Kara was impressed by the other clientelle. As they were impressed with her. Sheiks in their burnooses and corporate tycoons in their expensive pinstripes all seemed to lose interest in their million dollar business deals as she strode through the lobby, the faint scent of tropical flowers flowing in her wake, her tight, short skirt showing off her long, shapely, tanned legs, her feet seemingly barely touching the floor. Her tight top did little better, accenting instead of hiding her ample breasts, mounds that somehow defied gravity as they stood out in such contrast to her tiny waist. Her face was a mask of fresh youth, with sparkling emeralds for eyes, all framed in a lovely mane of sunshine blonde hair that reached to the middle of her back. No man, or woman for that matter, could resist staring after her as she walked across to the desk.

Upon reaching the desk, she asked for her key, and confirmed the whereabouts of the evening's soiree that she was to attend. Both were given to her by a pimply faced college student, a young man who hadn't been able to contain his erection from the minute he saw her and was dangerously close to cutting loose all together. Hearing the blood rushing in his veins, Kara squinted her eyes for a moment, the front desk momentarily looking like a wire-framed drawing as she confirmed her suspicion. Picking up her key, she sent out a brief burst of heat vision, just enough to warm his most sensitive of reactions. Flicked her eyes back up to purposely focus with the boy's, she saw the effect of the warm as his return gaze grew hazy. Winking suggestively at him while raising an eyebrow, his face took on an awestruck look as he suddenly realized who she was and what she had just done. This was followed in seconds by at look of sheer embarrassment as he suddenly lost what was left of his control.

Smiling to herself, Kara quickly crossed to elevators, discovering that both were open on the ground floor. One car was practically full, the other having only two people in it. Smirking slightly, her libido a bit on the free side today and feeling a bit naughty after the wino and reception boy, she quickly stepped into the fuller car to avoid being closed on by the doors. As she slipped her slim body between those of the men, she took stock of its occupants. Most of them were business-types, with a couple of what looked like playboys intermixed. The kind of guys who hung around modeling shows like this, a type of man she had no fondness for.

Her keen ears heard the rushing of blood and the more rapid pounding of their hearts, along with the deep intake of a dozen collective breaths being sucked in. A faintly appreciative whistle came from the back of the car as the men took in her full figure, her shapely back muscles showing starkly through the top, her rounded backside outlined prominently by the tiny skirt, a skirt that still couldn't show enough of her seemingly never-ending legs. She responded as she always did when Terran men reacted this way… she flaunted herself a bit more, much to their appreciation. She was, after all, a wildly popular model.

One man, however, caught her attention. He was standing just behind her and to her left. The stereotypical uptight business-type, he was trying to ignore her, looking at his watch every fifteen seconds or so. Staring intently at the lighted display, he acted as if this act alone would speed the car faster in its journey. When this obviously failed to produce a desirable result, he resorted to tapping his foot agitatedly. Kara smiled mischievously, her eyes meeting those of another man who smiled back, seemingly able to read her very thoughts. He obviously knew something about her and her 'peculiar' reputation in LA!

Pretending to lose her balance, she bumped into the businessman, making sure her full figure was pressed against him for at least two seconds. She looked up into his eyes, letting him drink in the deep blue of her own as her lips formed a perfect "O." "I'm sorry." she said huskily.

"Excuse me!" he replied, somewhat agitated and brusque. By now her body was no more than an inch away. She turned her back to him ever so slightly, making sure her firm ass made contact with his crotch. She slowly began rubbing it up and down on him, his reaction an instinctive one, his hard member sliding between her firm cheeks. He began to look around distractedly, pulling his briefcase up to his chest. She responded by turning her head to look at him, her eyes lidded, her face a mask of total sensuality. Now looking around the car nervously and somewhat desperately, his eyes shooting her look of shock, his face was screaming, "What do you think you're doing?!"

His cock was growing rapidly harder as the thin fabric of his loose pants let it grow, a quick flex of her marvelous glutes trapping it for a second. Sliding her hand down, surround him with her long fingers! Turning her head slowly to stare into his eyes, her lips forming an "ooo", her eyes lidded more than before as she tilted her head back, her silky hair falling across his shoulders. His eyes silently pleaded for her to stop, his face a perfect mimicry of a deer in the headlights. Holding him tighter yet, she was him looking anxiously from side to side as sweat poured down his face. He couldn't help himself though, he was totally in her control as her hand began to pulse, working him expertly. Flexing her shoulders slightly, she was his eyes look down, drawn to her broad, muscled back, her large, perky tits, and her very round and very firm ass.

Looking back at the man in front of her, Kara smiled as she saw that he was aware of what she was doing. Others were as well as they either gaped openly or bit their lip and pretended not to notice, all of them wondering why she was wasting her time with that loser and not with one of them. After all, they could show her the appreciation she surely deserved. Little did they know that being 'appreciated' by a man was of little interest to this girl from the stars. Except for the way that she was 'impressing' them right now!

The elevator dinged yet again, this time on Kara's floor. Releasing him to step out into the hallway, she turned to look directly back at the man, winking at him and blowing him a kiss before she moved out of sight. Her last impression was that of him dropping his briefcase to crotch level as he wore wearing an expression that asked, "Why me?"

Amused by her little games, Kara decided to shower, and spent the next half hour depleting the floor's hot water supply, allowing the scalding water to play over her magnificent body, puckering her nipples slightly. As she stepped out into the steamy bathroom, she had to use a burst of heat vision to clear the glass. Admiring herself in the full-length mirror, she watched and felt as a single water droplet dribbled over her rippling abs and fell down to impact on her pubic bone. Shuddering, having momentarily forgotten how horny it sometimes made her when she used her overpowering sexuality on mortals, this tiniest of sensations send a surge of arousal through her body. Sucking her breath in between her teeth, she began to gently caress her breasts and stomach, her delicate touch moving lower, over her outer lips. Tilting her head back and sighing, she began to stimulate her nipples with one hand, pinching them in her fingers and rubbing them with a friction that would have melted solid steel. And then she began to flex her magnificent biceps at the same time, the seemingly toned model's arms growing rapidly into hard round muscles nearly the size of softballs, the legacy of her unusual birthright. Using a substantial portion of her unearthly strength, she moaned slightly as she trailed her other hand lower, allowing one finger to enter her sex, rubbing it slightly over her clit. It would just feel so good to...

With a jolt she brought herself out of it as she looked through the wall to see the clock by the bed -- she had to be at the party in ten minutes!! With a soft curse and a heavy sigh of resignation, she focused her heat vision on the mirror, the reflections drying her body in seconds. Walking into the other room, she pulled her evening gown and shoes out of the closet, folding them into her special daypack. Then, donning the skin tight outfit that identified her world wide as the Girl of Steel, she opened her window to step out onto the ledge. Enjoying the view from the 80th floor, she slowly fell forward, her calves flexing as she leaped out into the night.

The reception boy had been right -- there was no missing it.

"Wayne Manor is the only thing out there for miles," he had said, with a grin that threatened to erupt drool any second, "you can't miss it!"

She landed about 200 yards from the main building in a small thicket, the bushes hiding her as changed into her evening gown, her red and blues going into the daypack which she left behind. Staring at the huge building, she thought back to what she had heard about its owner. The building itself was originally the house for a family of wealthy patriarchs, who were some of the leading patriots in the Revolutionary War. Although parts of it had been shored up over the years, it had been built to last-- most of the original architecture was still intact. Then, as now, the Wayne family had been associated with a great deal of money. Dr. Thomas Wayne, the deceased father of the current heir to the Wayne fortune, had been a philanthropist of no small regard, giving heavily to local charities before his untimely demise.

A demise that had been…what had it been...murder? A mugging? She frowned, trying to remember. In any event, the current heir was something of an anomaly, at least in her mind. Bruce Wayne was a multi-billionaire who was known chiefly for continuing his father's philanthropist reputation Devastatingly handsome, he was hailed far and wide as the most eligible bachelor in Gotham. However, a typical encounter with the young Wayne tended to bore one to tears as he tried to make his dreary day sound interesting, his infrequent dates struggling to stay awake as he droned on. He was also known to have odd and eccentric habits. In spite of this, he had his pick of good-looking, rich women, whom he always turned down in a gentle way that had them all begging for more.

The one tick that stuck out in Kara's mind was the fact that Wayne was also founder and owner of WayneTech, the largest conglomerate on the Eastern Seaboard. Researching extensively in chemicals, advanced materials, and high-tech electronics, WayneTech was responsible for dozens of breakthroughs every year. The Army's new M39A2 "Stormin' Norman" tank had advanced armor composites developed by WayneTech. The new high-tech Digistar communications/GPTS satellite incorporated WayneTech electronics that were crucial to its being a feasible project. WayneTech chemicals was responsible for a AIDS vaccine that put the virus in dormancy for up to 20 years.

For such a company to have grown to what it was tody, even with Wayne's ample financial support, required a shrewd person at the helm. If it was true that Wayne had founded the company himself, he either had one hell of a set of business advisors (very possible with his cash), or he was not as much of a fool as he made himself out to be. Kara intended to discover which for herself tonight.

Walking briskly up the long steps, she swung the huge knocker against the door a couple of times. It was promptly opened by an elderly gentleman who, in spite of his age, held himself very erect and proud. With a sweepign gesture of his arm, he invited her in.

"Hi, I'm Kara. I was invited here for the party for the fashion show?"

"But of course you are, miss. I doubt any young woman could be quite as distinguished in beauty or deeds. I must admit, Master Wayne has taken quite an interest in your, well, your 'work'!" He smiled, his once over of her body reminding her of an appraising father. She liked it.

Smiling radiantly, she replied "Thank you. Although somehow I don't think you are referring to my modeling." Smiling impishly at him, she turned to look around, being genuinely impressed with the largeness of the entryway, as well as its exquisite decor.

"Quite a nice place you have here."

"Why thank you, miss. We do try." He smiled. "The other guests are assembled in the anteroom, if you would follow me. And my name is Alfred-- should you need anything during your visit to Wayne Manor, just call on me and I will be happy to assist you."

"Thank you Alfred." With that, she followed him in the anteroom.

The room itself was huge. A painting of some battle in an older war covered one entire wall. The other wall was one huge window broken into many panes. In the room were roughly 200 people, the social elite of Gotham as well as various fashion models and agents known both on the East Coast and world-wide. The room was tastefully decorated in antiquities, and Alfred went on to explain that they were all original family pieces.

Walking into the crowd, it seemed as if all the conversation slowly stopped, all eyes turning to look her way. She was wearing a black dress that was practically skin tight, the only loose part being the ruffled pleats that came to her mid-thigh. Her long, tanned, muscular legs exuded pure sensuality, her black high heels accentuating her well-developed calves. A small red 'S' shaped pendant hanging from a stunning diamond necklace, one that was hardly necessary to remind these guests who she was, her breasts seemed like they were about to burst out of her dress, the only thing holding it on being the two black straps that went over her shoulders and criss-crossed over her back. As she walked slowly across the room, the attendees were blessed with a view of her muscular back and round backside, their eyes far from polite after she passed them by.

Kara smiled as she felt the tension she had created in the room. Walking on, acknowledging the occasional gawker with a wink, one man finally broke through the crowd to approach her, shouting over the now bubbling conversation about the merits of Velorian physiology.

"Kara? Oh Miss Kara?"

"Yes?"

"Hi, I'm Bill, Expose¢ International?"

"Oh hi! Yeah, my agent, Ken, told me about you."

"Yes, I am so glad you are here! We have so many things planned! We're going to do. . . on Monday and . . ."

He went on and on as Kara tuned him out somewhat, her sparkling eyes scanning the crowd. The stir she had initially produced had subsided now, and though she still caught a frequent side-long glance, everyone had returned to their previous conversations. Looking around with her super-enhanced vision, she still could not pick out a man that fit Bruce Wayne's description.

". . . and so how has your stay in Gotham been so far?"

"Huh? Oh, it's been fine. I just got here this afternoon though."

"Really? Well, do we have tons of stuff to do here! First, you can go shop--"

"Bill, um, I hate to interrupt you, but I really would like to meet and thank the host before it gets too much later. Do you suppose you could point him out to me?"

"Who? Oh, Bruce? Oh yes, well. . ." The smaller, balding man stood on his tip-toes in an effort to get some perspective on the crowd, his shoulder brushing against hers. "Well, the last time I saw him, he was over in that area." He gestured to the left corner of the immense room.

Kara nodded. "Thanks Bill." She flashed him a smile and moved on.

Even as she moved closer to where he was last reported to have been seen, Kara still could not find anyone who looked like him. There were quite a few playboys intermixed with the businessmen and the politicians, but they didn't look right. They didn't feel right, that was for sure. She knew Bruce would be different somehow. In fact, she had this funny feeling that she would know him when she saw him.

Suddenly, a movement to her left caught her attention, a movement she wouldn't have caught if not for her remarkable vision. One of the busboys bearing a tray of drinks had tripped over a chair leg and was about to crash into one of the guests along with his load. But all of a sudden, the waiter's target wasn't there. The man had deftly stepped out of the way of the falling busboy, and shot an arm out to grab him as he fell past. With a strength not readily apparent, the man righted the busboy, who had somehow managed to hold onto the tray he had been carrying. He began at once to mumble profuse apologies.

"Oh Mr. . .oh I mean sir, I'm so sorry, it was just-- ."

The man smiled slightly and held up a hand to stop him. "Don't worry about it-- accidents happen."

"Oh thank you Mister-- "

"Really, that's enough." He waved him to silence and smiled again. "Like I said, not a problem."

The busboy nodded dumbly and headed off.

Kara eyed the man narrowly. He was wearing the typical playboy garb, yet she could tell even without her X-ray vision that it hid a body in good, if not excellent physical condition. That dodge and grab had not been mere luck either-- it had been a practiced reaction. She doubted anyone short of a martial arts master could have replicated that move with as much grace, so far as mortals went anyway. Something definitely felt different about this man. He bore watching.

From the scene of the accident, the man moved through the crowd, nodding and smiling and asking everyone how they were doing, pressing flesh with some of Gotham's civic leaders. It was soon quite obvious to Kara who he was, but if it wasn't obvious enough, one of the more famous and beautiful models walked right up to him and began talking to him in low tones. Despite being halfway across the huge room, Kara brushed her hair back from one ear and listened in with her super-hearing.

". . .Oh come on, you're telling me the rich and powerful Bruce Wayne doesn't get 'in the mood' every now and then? Come on baby. . . I have men all over the world who want this body. And now all I want is stay over here for one little night." She accented the last few words with an almost baby voice and puckered her lips seductively.

Bruce looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, of course, Miss Franco. We could have a room made up for you right away."

Her look went from coyishly seductive to coldly annoyed. "No, Wayne. I want to sleep in your bed." She went back to being coy. "With you." She played with his tie, her voice soft and seductive. "You aren't telling me you have a problem with that are you?"

Bruce leaned forward as if he hadn't heard her right. "You mean-- in my bed. Like, under the covers? Well, um. . .are you going to stay on your side?" Her look went even colder than before. "You don't snore, do you?"

She threw her arms to her sides and looked skyward, breathing out heavily. "No, dammit-- I mean I want to FUCK you! Do you understand the meaning of that? Fucking? Or didn't they teach you that in dumbass playboy school! Sheesus. . ." By now, she was quite loud enough that most of the people in their immediate vicinity could hear them, and most had turned to look at them. She glared back venomously.

"What the hell are you all looking at? MURRAY! Get me out of here... now!" She stormed out, a weasel-looking man chasing after her, attempting to mollify her angry form with weak protestations.

Bruce just chuckled and made his way through the crowd. Impressed, Kara continued watching him, making her way slowly toward him. She was about ten feet away from him, his back to her when he suddenly stopped conversing with the person in front of him and stood erect as if he sensed something. Slowly turning his head, he turned around to face her. His eyes were a cold cobalt blue, and she could have sworn they were initially measuring her up for threat potential before the second once-over took in her obvious attributes. Focusing for a moment on the famous 'S' pendant of her necklace, he smiled. Turning halfway towards a bookish young woman with whom he had been conversing, his voice was barely more than a whisper. "Meredith, will you excuse me for a minute?"

"Of course, Mr. Wayne."

He turned back to Kara. "So miss, now that you have been watching me so intently for the better part of ten minutes, can I help you with something?"

She extended her hand. "I'm Kara."

Bruce nodded. "But of course. Although I think you are better known by your other name here in Gotham. Welcome to my little gathering." He took her hand, not in a business-type handshake, but the way a gentleman shakes a lady's hand. His eyes took her all in again, and yet she could not discern anything that told her how he was really feeling. Normally a man's eyes held a standard set of emotions-- lust, adoration, infatuation… but his held none of these. They held absolutely nothing in fact. If anything, they were a little sad if anything. And for the first time since her arrival on Earth, she found herself lost in another man's eyes.

Bruce finally looked away, then back at her again. "It's nice to have you here, Kara. You're every bit as beautiful as your reputation." He smiled in a friendly way. "I hope you enjoy your stay here in Gotham."

She regained herself, smiled back. "Thank you." She looked around and gestured to take in the expansive room. "So, do you and Alfred live here alone?"

Bruce nodded again. "Yes. . .I was an only child and my parents are dead. They were--"

She put a hand on his arm. "I know."

He smiled. "Thanks."

She nodded and smiled, her eyes locking his for another long moment. He finally broke their gaze again, and gestured to the other guests. "Well, I must see to my other guests. Please enjoy yourself, and if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to call on myself or Alfred." With that, he bowed slightly to her, and went once again to through the crowded room.

Kara spent the next two hours talking with other models and agents. Although some of the talk was interesting and beneficial, a large part of it dealt with vacation spots that the models had visited, drunken parties they had been to, and their sexual exploits with various celebrities, along with how they "ranked." Subjects that were hardly interesting to a young woman who came from a thousand light years away! A woman who could as easily go on vacation in Cancun as on Alpha Centuri!

Finally wandering around the room by herself, she noticed Bruce standing alone by the window, looking out over the highlighted Gotham silhouette some 20 miles distant. Deciding that she just had to see, she used her X-ray vision to confirm what she already knew. Underneath the smart evening suit was a well-muscled body. Although he was not as big as some men she had seen, there was no excessive bulk anywhere. He was perfectly cut and lean. Unfortunately his back was sort of to her, so she couldn't pick out his other attributes without endangering him with her eyes, but she decided the suspense would keep him interesting to her. She moved through the crowd toward him, but he again evidenced his uncanny ability to detect when he was being observed or approached, and saw her coming before she got to him.

"Hello again. Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Oh, quite. But it's getting a bit late, so I might be taking off here in a bit."

Bruce nodded. "Well, if there's anything else I can do to make your stay in Gotham a little more enjoyable, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Well, I'm sure I'll be fine. But I would enjoy it more if I had someone to show me around."

He raised an eyebrow and nodded as if contemplating something. Reaching his conclusion, he replied "Quite right. I'll put Alfred at your service for your stay. He is an excellent guide and knows Gotham like the back of his hand."

She smiled and looked down. "Well, I was kind of hoping someone else would be available." She looked back up into his eyes.

Bruce pursed his lips and looked back out the window. "Hmm. . .well, I'd really like to help you, Miss Kara, but I'm not sure I'm free-- "

She put her hand on his arm. "Please Bruce? I'm not trying to make a move on you, honest. I just find you interesting, maybe just because you are one of the few men I've ever met who doesn't look at me like I'm already naked or in some kinky lingerie."

He chuckled and looked somewhat mollified. "I'll talk to Alfred and see what's going on this week. I'm sure we can work something out."

She smiled radiantly and replied "That sounds wonderful. Thanks." She looked out the window at something that had caught her eye. "Hey Bruce, what's that?"

Looking out to where she was pointing, he saw a spotlight shining out over the Gotham skyline, the image of a bat being clearly outlined. He shrugged. "Maybe its some kind of promotional event." He looked back into the room. Alfred was gesturing from the opposite side. He turned to Kara. "Will you excuse me? Alfred needs me for something."

She nodded, still enraptured with the signal. She had heard about this before, it had something to do with Batman. Focusing her eyes in on the source, the searchlight ten miles away, she saw that there were two policemen manning it, the lens of the searchlight painted with the bat symbol. And while her eyes looked across the city, Bruce walked over to be joined by Alfred before they both exited the room.

The two men walked through the foyer to the study.

"Master Bruce, I--"

Bruce put his finger to his lips and shook his head. He walked over the grandfather clock near the bookcase and set it to nine p.m… the exact time his parents were killed. A section of the bookcase swung inward silently, revealing a flight of steps going down into the BatCave. The two men went down and the bookcase swung silently shut behind them.

"We have to be careful tonight, Alfred. One of our guests has the ability to hear more than the average."

"Of course, sir, I understand, Supergirl and all. All is prepared. You saw the signal, I assume."

"I did. What's happened?"

"Commissioner Gordon has not called yet. But all of local police and fire chief's radio frequencies are jammed with calls of a massive arson attack in the warehouse section of Gotham's Lower East Side, near the docks. They seem to think the perpetrators are still there."

Bruce nodded. "See the guests out Alfred. If anyone asks, WayneTech property is being threatened by this fire, and I was asked to determine what exactly is down there and how much it is potentially worth should it be destroyed. Also see to it that we find a place in our schedule to escort Miss Kara around one of the days she is here."

"Very good, sir."

Bruce turned to go, then turned back to Alfred as he considered something. "Alfred, I think we need to make a quick adjustment to the suit. . ."

It had been a half an hour since Bruce had disappeared, and Kara wearied of the idle talk. Finishing off her drink, she said good-bye to Bill, and headed towards the foyer. Alfred was there waiting for her.

"I trust you had a good evening, Miss Kara?"

"Oh, yes, quite. But what happened to Bruce?"

"Apparently, there is a fire raging in some warehouses near our own WayneTech storage facilities. He was called upon to make appraisals should damage occur. He did, however, mention to ask if Wednesday was a good day for sightseeing."

She smiled. "Wednesday will be fine, thank you Alfred."

He bowed slightly and smiled. "At your service, miss. Do have a good evening."

"Thanks Alfred, you too." With that she trotted down the lane, glancing behind her to make sure the coast was clear before darting off into the bushes.

Having changed in the grove of trees close to the gate, she now flew through the heavy night air in her Supergirl "suit" as she headed towards her hotel. In the distance, the city skyline seemed lit by an unearthly glow. Flying past her hotel room, she tossed her daypack through the open window, then headed towards the source of the glow. As she arced up over the skyscrapers, her calves and buttocks flexed tighter, her body accelerating as she saw a long stream of cars heading away from the blaze. It was a very large fire indeed!

There was however, one car heading towards the blaze at an extremely high rate of speed. Focusing in on it, she made out a sleek black car with stubby wings, powered by what looked like a jet engine. It made its way rapidly towards to center of the commotion, the policemen who were turning other cars back simply got out of the way as it shot past their barriers. The driver was evidently very good. And very well known by the police.

She dropped down to a lower altitude and followed the car as it headed into the lower warehouse district, burning buildings throwing debris into the street. These obstacles the car skillfully avoided, and even large chunks that landed right on the car did no damage to it at all. All of a sudden, as the car weaved onto one of the side streets in the warehouse district, motorcycles popped out of alleys both in front of and behind the strange looking car.

They had two riders on them apiece, and the passengers began firing submachine guns at the car! The bullets all bounced harmlessly off of its hide. One of riders on the front motorcycle threw a grenade at it. It exploded on the hood, but appeared to do little more than scratch windshield with fragments. As they came up to a corner, the car suddenly increased speed, bearing down on the front cycle. Both cycles increased speed accordingly, but as they came to the turn, the car spat out a thick cloud of black smoke behind it. The rear cycle missed the turn completely and smashed into a building.

The front cycle desperately tried to increase speed to get away from the oncoming, machine, but just then the car shot out a huge stream of flame behind it and rammed the front cycle. Both of the riders were thrown on its hood as the car ran over the bike. The car made a sudden left, into an alley. It continued to weave through alleys that barely accommodated it, while slowing only when absolutely necessary, much to the terror of its two new passengers. Finally, one of the goons got enough guts to draw his handgun and start firing at the windshield. As the car made a final turn, it braked hard. Both men went flying at least seventy feet as far as Kara could judge, into the building ahead. They slumped to the ground moaning. The windshield piece slid forward, and a shadow as black as the night itself emerged from the vehicle. The only evident features of the form were a long flowing cape, topped by a cowl with ears. So, here was the scourge of Gotham's night-- the Batman.

Kara watched in fascination as he approached a building that was burning just as furiously as the others, jumping to grab a fire escape ten feet up, pulling himself effortlessly onto it. Without a sound any mortal could have heard, he whipped into the building.

Enthralled by finally meeting the mysterious Batman, Kara followed him in to the building. Using her X-ray vision, she looked up as she heard a scuffle above her, seeing the Batman being attacked by three men at one time. He dodged this way and that-- it seemed to her if he was nothing more than a shadow. Every time a strike sought him, or a weapon swung his way, he was nowhere to be found, immaterial. But when did materialize, his fists and feet lashed out with brutal precision, breaking bones and sending bodies flying. She suddenly knew that while she was a lot stronger than him, if not for her superpowers, she would never have been able to match his speed and grace.

As she watched, she was totally unaware of the creaking behind her. All of a sudden, she felt herself encircled by brawny arms. She heard a gruff, evil laugh.

"HAR HAR! Here to help the Bat, is ya bitch? Well, I think first I'm gonna have me a little fun with ya." He began to squeeze her, trying to crush her, to break her back.

Kara just stood there, letting him try for a moment. Then she began to flex. Her back muscles came into play first, her slim arms flexing bigger and bigger at the same time. She heard the man beginning to grunt behind her, his huge arms straining to hold her in. Finally, taking a deep breath and flexing her chest, she grew too big for him encircle. With a startled grunt, the man's grip let go. Turning to face him, her body flexed to her full Velorian glory, the man was astonished to see the slim girl that he had first encircled floating a little ways before him, her abs perfectly ripped, her pecs making her breasts bulge out even farther, her arms nearly the size of softballs, her legs too well defined to belong to any mortal.

"Oh, so you like to give hugs? Me too." She smiled evilly, and flew at him, enveloping him in her powerful arms, his face pressed suffocatingly into her deep cleavage.

He began to fight back immediately. Using all the strength in his brawny arms, he tried to push her away, finally beginning to punch at her as his air got low. His teeth vainly tried to pierce the Velorian flesh of her breasts, but he succeeded only in tickling her and even turning her on a bit. Arching her head back, her sunshine blond hair flying, she used her powerful arms to crush him to her, exhilarating in the feel of bringing her super muscles into play. She could feel herself just starting to get wet when she heard a soft popping coming from her victim. Realizing that he had long since lost consciousness, and that she was crushing him, she promptly let him go, sending him off with a toe nudge that hurled him through the far wall.

Looking back up through the ceiling, she could see that the Batman was no longer in the building. But whether he exited completely or was on the roof, she was unable to tell, because the roof had asbestos and lead in it, making her vision blurry. Turning to fly out of the window, she hovered above the roof, confronted with one of the most bizarre scenes she had yet encountered.

The roof was covered in flames, a veritable sea of fire, with barrels strewn about, most of them on fire or leaking some fluid that was equally flammable. All except one small circle in the middle of the roof. This circle was ringed by barrels, and contained two men. One was the Batman, standing stolidly, looking at the other man, his eyes indiscernible behind the lenses of his cowl, which off a vague white luminescence in the dark. The man he confronted had to be one of the most chaotic figures that Kara had ever seen. He was skinny and lanky, though not as tall as the Batman, wearing a purple tweed suit with a green vest that was the same color as his wild shock of hair. In his left hand he held what looked like a little posie that had acted as a boutonniere for his outrageous outfit over one of the barrels. His chalk-white face was lit up with a grin that was too big to be normal, his ruby-red lips giving him the appearance of a grotesque clown. She could tell she was laughing, though over the roaring of the flames, she couldn't hear it unless she used her superhearing. When she did, the maniacal laugh assured her that this guy didn't have all his marbles.

"So, what now, Bat-FREAK!!!" He literally spit the word at the Batman, spittle forming at his lips. His hatred for the Dark Avenger was clear. "I'm not going back… not to fucking ARKHAM!! I HATE THAT FUCKING PLACE!! I'D RATHER JUST DIE AND GET IT OVER WITH THAN GO BACK THERE. . .OR GIVE YOU THE FUCKING SATISFACTION OF LOCKING ME UP AGAIN!!!" He was screeching at the top of his lungs now, the last statement invoking another torrent of maniacal laughter.

Batman's voice was the cold scratch of a rasp on steel. "Trust me, if I had it my way, you'd have been on Death Row long ago, but since they deem it 'inhumane' to deal with creatures like you any other way, Arkham's the best it gets. Besides, you'll end up escaping again, just like you did this time, and you'll get another chance to mount my head on your wall. . ." Batman didn't add "like Jason Todd, like Barbara Gordon, like, like. . ." His fists balled up into to tight wads of fury. But the Joker didn't notice-- he was too busy going on his next tirade.

"But I don't want to have to escape again. . .THAT PLACE FUCKING SUCKS!! Of course, how would you know. . .why the fuck haven't they locked you up in there yet? You're just as crazy as I am!!"

His eyes narrowed. Then all of a sudden he was blur of motion. A bat-shaped object shot out of his hand from under the cape, knocking the posie out of the Joker's grasp. Kara saw by the way it splashed on the roof that it contained acid. Batman leaped at the Joker, tackling him, his fists already hammering into his jaw. The Joker was staggered, but his hate for the Caped Crusader was more than enough to keep him in the fight. He brought his forehead smashing into the Batman's face, and reached for his posie that was only a few feet away. The Batman countered his move with an elbow to his jaw that made the crazy man waver once more. He brought the Joker to his feet and launched his fist into the other man's stomach, doubling him over. The Joker responded with a shaking of his sleeve, out of which emerged a flip-out lock knife, and stabbed it into the Caped Crusader's leg. The Batman grunted and caught the Joker's hand. With a wrench up and to his left, Kara heard bones pop as the Joker screamed a maniacal laugh. Then he kicked Batman in the crotch. Batman grunted and bent over slightly, still holding onto the arm. The Joker back-handed him in face. Batman recoiled a little more. A front kick to the stomach. Batman bent over. A knee to the head. Batman finally let go of the arm, landing on his back.

The Joker shook his arm slightly, then fairly strutted over to his posie. Picking it up, he whirled around to taunt the Batman some more. But he wasn't there. Even Kara, so focused on the Joker's antics, had not seen where the Batman had gone. He had disappeared. The Joker looked around frantically, momentarily confused and panicked, having been subjected to this treatment many times before. Even as crazy as he was, the Joker feared the Batman's ability to hide and appear as he pleased.

Suddenly, the Joker's insane face broke into a huge grin. Stalking over to one of the drums, he held his posie over a barrel.

"COME ON OUT, MY SWEET! NONE OF THIS HIDE-AND-GO-SEEK. I HAVE ANOTHER GAME I WANT TO PLAY-- ROAST THE BAT!!" With that he screeched his maniacal laugh into the night.

A shadow suddenly leapt out of the flames behind the Joker, clearing the barrels, heading right for him. The Joker had just enough time to look up and around, the smile dropping from his face into a look of horror as the Batman tackled him to the roof. Kara listened and watched in horror as loud creaking and groaning went up from the roof the second the two impacted on its surface. Before either men could react, the roof gave way beneath them into the fiery mass below.