CHAPTER 1

BATWOMAN TO THE RESCUE

“Bruce Wayne!” squealed the woman in the sparkling evening gown. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen you out on the town, darling.”

Bruce choked on his drink in surprise. He was careful not to spill any on his tuxedo. “Oh, hi,” Bruce said. “It’s good to see you again … uh …”

“Elaine Winthrop, you silly goose,” the woman finished for him.

“Yes, of course.” Bruce chuckled. He fumbled with his glass and snack plate before taking the woman’s outstretched hand. “Wonderful to see you, Mrs. Winthrop.”

The woman laughed and gave him a playful pat on the shoulder. “I don’t see how you run a huge company with that memory of yours.”

“Sorry.” Bruce shrugged. “I’ve been working a lot of nights.”

That wasn’t a lie. Bruce Wayne normally spent his evenings fighting crime in Gotham City as Batman. But every now and then, multibillionaire Bruce Wayne had to appear at a charity ball such as this one.

“Well, no work tonight, Bruce,” said Mrs. Winthrop. “Tonight is about having fun!” She rubbed a hand over her diamond necklace. “And maybe showing off some new jewelry.”

“And it’s for a good cause,” Bruce said. He pointed to the large banner draped across the ballroom. It read: Save the Gotham City Animal Shelters.

“Oh, that too,” said Mrs. Winthrop. “Now, come, Bruce. I must introduce you to some friends of mine.”

“Maybe in a moment,” Bruce said as he scanned the crowd of wealthy guests. He spotted a woman wearing black slacks and a sparkling jacket. She had short red hair and gave a slight smile when they locked eyes.

“Well, don’t be too long,” Mrs. Winthrop said with a wave. She disappeared back into the crowd.

When Bruce was alone, the short-haired woman glided up to him. She was Bruce’s cousin, Kate Kane.

“Have you tried the crab cakes?” Bruce asked her. “They’re delicious.” He popped one into his mouth.

“None for me, thanks,” said Kate. “I won’t be here long. I’m about to go on patrol.” Kate Kane also fought crime in Gotham City—as Batwoman.

“Same here,” Bruce said between bites. “But … since Wayne Industries sponsored this event, I should stick around a bit longer.”

Kate laughed and brushed a crumb off his tuxedo jacket. “You certainly play the part of the clueless billionaire well.”

Bruce shrugged and smiled. “Who says it’s an act?”

Kate shook her head. “You and I know better.” She turned to leave. “See you out there.” She disappeared into the crowd.

Bruce felt more relaxed than he had in a long time. His butler, Alfred Pennyworth, had always encouraged him to take more time off from being Batman. Perhaps Alfred was right. Maybe he should take more breaks from fighting crime. This evening was turning out to be just what the butler had in mind.

Bruce finished his drink and placed his empty plate and glass on the tray of a passing server. The men and women in white coats milled through the crowd offering food and drinks to the elegant guests.

KRASH!

All the servers dropped their trays at once. They each reached into their jackets and pulled out black batons. Electricity crackled from the ends of the rods as they held them up high.

“All right, everyone,” one of the servers shouted. “This is a robbery!”

“Any of you fat cats make a move,” bellowed another server, “and we’ll shock every last one of you!”

Oddly enough, the guests seemed delighted by the display of force. Some even clapped, as if they were watching some kind of performance.

“Was this your doing, Bruce?” Mrs. Winthrop asked as she slid in next to him. She grinned. “What a wonderful show!”

Something in the back of Bruce’s mind told him he should do something about this crime. But just like the others, he felt lightly amused by the situation.

“All right, let’s have it,” said a server with a large white bag.

Another server moved in with a bag of her own. “Jewelry, wallets … in the bags. Now!”

The guests chuckled while they did as they were told. The women dropped in necklaces, bracelets, and handbags. The men slid off watches and pulled out their wallets. No one seemed concerned about being robbed.

Bruce slid off his own watch and pulled out his wallet. Unlike the other guests, he knew this wasn’t a performance. He had seen enough crime to know that this was the real thing. Unfortunately, he didn’t feel the urge to do anything about it. Something kept him cheerful about the whole thing.

BAM!

Two side doors burst open and a dark figure stood in the doorway. The figure wore all black and had a flowing cape. Two short points jutted out from the figure’s head.

“Is … is that … Batman?” asked one of the crooks.

“Guess again,” said the mysterious figure. She leaped over the crowd, flipped in midair, and came down on the crook with both boots. He dropped the electrified baton as he tumbled across the floor.

“Batwoman!” cried another criminal. “Get her!”

The robbers dropped their bags of loot and ran toward the crime fighter. Sparks of electricity jumped from the ends of their batons as they swung them at Batwoman. She ducked under one baton before delivering a spinning kick to her attacker.

Batwoman blocked two more attacks before dealing a series of punches to three of the criminals. They were out before they hit the floor.

Something about seeing Batwoman in action helped Bruce fight whatever strange spell he was under. He shook his head to clear it before edging toward the battle. He couldn’t join the fight the way he would if he were Batman. But he had to help somehow.

As Batwoman fought the criminals, two of the servers snuck up behind her. Their batons sparked as they prepared to shock the crime fighter in the back.

Bruce pretended to trip and stumble. “Excuse me,” he said as he slammed into one of the attackers. That crook tottered forward and shocked the other robber. The man crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

The criminal Bruce had banged into spun around. “I’ll get you for that!” she growled as she jabbed at the billionaire with the sparkling baton.

“I’m sorry,” said Bruce as he dodged the attack. “It was an accident.”

“Let’s see if you like this accident,” the crook said as she pushed forward. She swung her baton, driving Bruce back toward the nearby balcony. When Bruce’s back was to the railing, he glanced over the edge. They were ten stories up.

The crook snarled as she raised her baton over her head. She charged forward and swung recklessly at the billionaire. Bruce ducked at the last minute, and the robber flipped over the railing.

Without thinking, Bruce reached over the side and grabbed the criminal’s arm. Unfortunately, the weight of the crook dragged Bruce over the edge. Batman had enough equipment to take a dive like that, but not Bruce Wayne.

Luckily, Bruce heard a familiar sound behind him.

POW!

It was the sound of a grapnel being fired.

Bruce held tight to the crook’s arm as he felt a thin cable wrap around one of his ankles. The cable pulled tight and they stopped falling. As he and the crook swayed from side to side, Bruce looked back up at the balcony.

Batwoman looked down at him. She had saved their lives.