Almost believing he was in a dream he couldn't stop himself from slightly shaking his head. He found himself high above the clouds currently, but like most times he wasn't soaring through the air due to his cape, or flying his own jet modified Batwing. He was sitting first class on a commercial Airplane trying to be as low key as possible for him. Surely some people recognized him but he could hardly find himself caring about that. All he cared about was the beautiful woman sitting next to him, with whom he had his hand intertwined with.

He thought he had answered all his questions when he went away at the age of 18. When he left his home Gotham, he swore the next time he came back, it would be for vengeance and he would never leave his home again. The woman next to him had changed his mind however. She convinced him that there was more to life than just Gotham his home and simple revenge. She encouraged him that he could do so much more with his life and his skills. She supported him and now it was his time to support her.

He had met the woman next to him, one Selina Kyle, shortly upon his return back to Gotham. They clicked almost instantly, or rather yet almost by force, as she had marked him her next victim and what she was attempting to steal, he couldn't let her get away with. That was a different story for a different day. But what was probably one of the most anger inducing nights of his life, led him to meet the most wonderful person currently in it. With his butler and subsequent guardian coming in a close second.

The two were headed to the west coast of the United States. To the Fabulous Las Vegas, or so it was called. They were going to start over there, a fresh start with each other. In a way you could look at it as the two of them leaving their past lives behind, but no one can fully escape the things that happened to them. They shaped them and made them who and what they are. They would take what happened to them and move forward in life. In a different direction than what was left for them in their past homes.

They were headed to The Wilshire Hotel, where they had a home and a job lined up. The owner, Vivian Ward, was nice enough to give the two of them a suite in the building and offer them a chance to work for her. It would be a good start for them, as they will already have a foothold and that was a lot better than most people who go to a new place looking to start over.

Squeezing the woman's hand next to him one more time to make sure all this was real, he wasn't surprised at all at the flinch he made automatically when she decided to stick one of her nails into his hand. He turned to her with a slight smile and said

"Sorry, it's just hard to believe sometimes that this is actually real. You know in my 5 years of traveling the world outside of the country I never imagined coming back home just to leave again. Then again I didn't account for meeting someone so life changing like you either. And I mean that in many different ways. All of them good of course."

He said as he smiled reassuringly at her and gave her hand a gentle slight squeeze this time

"This will be good for us Selina, a new beginning. Away from all of the trouble and drama that we went through dealing with our lives in the past. We'll have opportunity there, and a chance to do many great things."

He then took the hand he was holding and lifted it to his lips and kissed it before looking back at her and saying:

"Most of all, we'll have each other. We'll make the most of our time here and our time with each other. We'll make this place our new home, a place where we can truly get the most out of life."

If he was a person who wasn't always paying attention to what was going on around him, he wouldn't have heard the announcement of them preparing to land. Excitement swelled through him, this was another first for him in a long time. But he understood perfectly why. He truly couldn't ask for anything more at this moment, as he was getting ready to begin new adventures with the woman he most cared for and considered himself lucky to have found. It was almost enough to forget everything else that had happened to him. Almost, but not quite. Nevertheless he would make the most of this. Just to keep the smile on her face, if not for any other reason.

The man sitting next to her was lost in thought for some time allowing Selina to dwell in her own memories.  She hid the frown knowing life hadn't always went her way, but she was a survivor.  She vowed to herself at an early age to do whatever it takes to keep herself alive, but now she has even more of a reason in life to survive and be strong.  Selina glanced to their intertwined hands then smiled softly, a slight smirk actually. Who would have thought a petty thief dabbling in burglary would end up with a man of wealth.  What were the odds.

Odds were an amusing concept Selina thought.  Usually the odds landed in her favor, or she adapted in her srroundings to better her chances. She never held much guilt for relieving the rich of a few select items here and there, yet the man sitting beside her challenged her conscience on a daily basis from the moment when they first met.  Gotham City held so many devastating memories for Selina, but one memory drowned out all the bad, making it all worthwhile to have had to endure every painful loss and struggle.  The night she met Bruce was unforgettable in her mind.

The months leading up to her return to Gotham Selina had kept a steady practice of perfecting her pickpocketing skills, cracking safes and keeping her muscles flexible with all the daily gymnastic routines.  Nothing had prepared her for the first sight of the man sitting beside her.  Selina frowned as Bruce began squeezing her hand with a fierce pressure.  Her green eyes surveyed his expression, and she could tell he wasn't aware of his grip. Selina smirked as she applied just enough of her nail into his palm.  Ah much better.  

Her catlike grin was broad as she looked over to meet his intense blue eyes.  She knew how torn he was for leaving his home for good, but they truly needed this fresh start where they would be free to be together.  Leaving the past in the past is how they planned to live their future. Selina tilted her head, still holding that grin.

"It's real alright handsome.  Trust me I know.  For once I can say I am truly happy, and not because of a handful of jewelry I managed to procure. I'm happy because of you, and our new life together.  The future is ours."

Selina leaned her head against the seat as she listened to the man whose life has come to mean more to her than any of her nine lives ever could.

"I couldn't agree with you more Bruce.  Gotham was a breeding ground of drama, and we don't need that."

She smirked again as her voice got lower and more seductive as he kissed her hand.

"You know that we will be living in Sin City, so it is well known for.  Think of all the distractions that we can occupy ourselves with without causing a second glance from passersby.  Think of all the possiblities, especially all the mischief I can get into."

Selina was extremely excited at the thought of building something together with Bruce.  Her feelings grew stronger everyday, despite the fact he tended to steer her on a path of behaving rather than thievery.  Well no one was perfect, but she still adored him with all her heart.  Selina would just have to work on his conscience levels, and lure him back to the nightlife they were made for.  Nocturnal prowling suited them quite well. They made quite the team, almost like a good cop and bad cop.  The good- rich man, and the bad- bad little kitty.

Selina vaguely heard the announcement of the impending landing, but her gaze was focused on him.  He managed to secure a place and jobs for the both of them, and in a short time they will arrive at their new home.  Hopefully better guarded than her last apartment which was blown to hell. She didn't know their new boss, but she trusted Bruce's judgment on any and everything.  From the discussions they had had, Selina felt she would fit in just right at the hotel.  Just a shame she didn't steal from family.  She wondered if the hotel would allow out of town guests, those unsuspecting of sticky paws when it came to jewelry.  

"As long as I am with you handsome, nothing else matters."

Selina slowly trailed her red painted nail across his palm lightly, and oh so seductively as she held his blue eyes captive with her saucy grin.

Alfred had just finished the final touches to the suite at the Wiltshire Hotel. He was finally able to see his Master Bruce that he hadn't seen in so many years. He also mentioned a special female but didn't specify who. Knowing of his arrival days ahead, he contacted a beautiful mafia boss by the name of Vivian_Ward. They had a coffee and got to know each other but Alfred couldn't keep his eyes away from the radiance of her face, the light from her smile and the beauty in her eyes. She handed him an envelope, and in it was an embossed invitation with the family crest in Gold. He smiled and began making preparations. 

The Suite was huge. It contained three floors and a room in the back which would be in good use for anything Master Bruce would need to hide his infamous gadgets. He went to the mirror and straightened up his tuxedo. He began putting his leather gloves on and proceeded to the limousine which was waiting out front. He entered the car and began driving to the airport. 

40 Minutes later Alfred arrived at the airport, parked in the designated area and waited in arrivals. His excitement barely contained. Kept fidgeting and wondering if he should hold this card infront of his face with the words 'Master Bruce'. He wasn't accustomed to this procedure and was usually used to picking him up right outside from the private jet. But, maybe he's changed. He fixed his bow tie one more time, allowing his neck to get a bit more space and began to wait..

As I sit in Detroit, my mind wanders  a bit, recalling this couple, or at least they seemed like one. I was on the place flying here.  I looked over at them, they were seemingly in a deep conversation with each other, and you could see the love and attraction in their eyes for each other. You could also see a bit of sadness as well. thinking they must have had a recent loss in their lives. They almost looked intertwined in each other, so that told me there was a strong bond there, and it made me smile. I did not want to seem like I was staring at them, but hearing the conversation between them...although they were pretty quiet about it, I started sort of dreaming, and thinking that I wanted something like that. 

I wondered do I introduce myself, I did not wanna seem..what is the word..crazy.. yeah, that is it. Then, I thought aw, maybe I will not do that, they seem in their own little world, and I should not invade on that. I then opened the book I had brought, and started reading that, and figured if I saw them again, I might do some introductions. It was a beautiful sight however, all the same.

Shadow sat down on a bench by the side of the road, at the airport. She had just started her very own bar, Knightly Karma, in New York. She had stuff to do. But her past was catching up with her real quick. Years ago, when she first came to America, she made quick money by signing contracts for kills. Yes, she was a contract killer. After all, she was the best in the business, at the time. Her whole family had been trained in the art of assassinations. But she wanted to do other stuff, live like a normal thug. So she ran away, and ended up here. Now she was part of the mafia. Good pay, security and not a lot of remorse.

However, this morning, when she woke up, she received a call, that seemed to have been recorded. It said "Good morning, Assassin. Got a job for you. Bruce Wayne, arriving today. Reward; € 100 million." What the heck? She gave up this life a long time ago. This might have been a mail sent to all bounty hunters and assassins. So she wasn't the only one who got the mail. Wondering what anyone could have done to piss off a really rich dude, who's willing to pay a 100 mil euros, she had made a plan. Even if she doesn't take the bounty, so many assassins in the city, mister Bruce would definitely die. Unless he had a good fighter by his side.

And so, here she was, at the airport, sitting, next to a man, she figured might be Bruce's servant. He had muttered the words "Master Bruce" a while ago, without realizing. If he is not, well, Karma, Shadow's katana wouldn't be too far from his throat.

Bruce and Selina exited the plane after going through the proper procedures and quickly went off to get there luggage. The flight from Gotham to Las Vegas was long and they were ready to head to their new residence and relax a little bit. Bruce had a weird feeling that it wouldn't quite be so simple. This feeling grew more and more when he felt a pair of eyes boring into him since he had gotten off the plane. He kept looking off reflections using any glass surfaces that they passed to tell if anyone was following them. They did good to stay hidden, but to his trained eye, he knew what to look for. It would seem that they picked up a tail.

He didn't wanna worry Selina, so he held her hand and smiled at her reassuringly as they headed to where Alfred would be waiting for them. After walking for a few minutes, Bruce and Selina finally arrived hand in hand to be greeted by his old friend, guardian, father figure and butler Alfred. He smiled at the man, a genuine smile seeing as he hadn't seen him in quite some time since before he even left Gotham, as he let the man return to his home in England.

Seeing Alfred here reminded him of the first time he came home to Gotham after 5 years abroad. That meeting had been a bit different since the man who had taken care of him most his life had no idea where Bruce had gone and when he was coming back.

He broke away from Selina to shake hands with Alfred and also give him a hug. Once he was finished Selina did the same. He was genuinely happy to have them both here in Las Vegas with him.

Alfred offered to take the bags and put them in the car himself, but Bruce helped him. While Selina and Alfred had embraced in greeting Bruce used the opportunity to look into the reflection of the window to pinpoint the person who had been following them. It would seem they were looking for him. Good. He could work with that. But first he'd need to get Selina and Alfred out of potential harm's way.

As he took the bags to the back of the limo, he spoke in a hushed tone to his butler and friend.

"It would seem we're not alone Alfred. I need you to take Selina and our stuff to the hotel, and wait for me there. I'll catch up to you there."

Alfred shot him a worried look and was about to rebut immediately but Bruce quickly shot the man a firm look. It wasn't a hard look because he was sure that would just make Alfred want to go back and forth with him more, and he didn't have time for that. Every moment wasted here was another moment this shadow had to move on them. He wasn't gonna allow any harm to come to those he cared about. He reassured Alfred by saying:

"Don't worry Alfred, I have this under control. I don't believe they're completely hostile. If they wanted to, they could have made an attempt on me awhile ago. Just make sure Selina stays in the car. I'll be with you two soon."

With that he gave Alfred a reassuring pat on the shoulder. The two then finished putting all the luggage in the back of the car, and closed it up. Alfred went to get into the drivers seat as Bruce approached the back seat to let Selina get in the car, nothing unusual there. When he closed the door behind her, that was when she quickly put the window down and stuck her confused face out of it.

Knowing that he must once again be quick on the uptake, Bruce was already responding the the question before she can ask what was going on. He shot her a fake reassuring smile and said:

"Don't worry, I've just got some things I gotta finish up here before I head over to meet you guys at the hotel. I'll be right over."

Thankfully, Alfred decided then was a good time to start the car engine. Selina shot Bruce a look that said "This isn't over yet" and he knew he'd have some explaining to do later. That was fine. He stood there and watched as the car drove off, before steeling his face and dropping his false smile. He then turned to the last place he saw the shadow who was following them and said:

"I know you're there. You can come out now."

And waited, with hands in his pocket for the person or whatever it was that was following him to come out or make it's move.

ShadowMoon realized Bruce was talking to her. He had sent his lady friend with the servant. He was now looking straight at her. But the camo seemed to work, because this guy had no idea where to look. "Maybe it's a trick" she thought.

Hands on Karma, her katana, she stepped away from the camo screen. Never know when one would need it. "Hello. Don't worry, Not hostile. I am ShadowMoon and I am now your bodyguard whether you like it or not. There is a bounty of 100 mil euros on you, and I might be your best chance at fighting off the horde of assassins coming your way. Who the hell did you piss off?"

Bruce was........Confused for lack of a better term. It took a lot to catch him off guard now, but this made absolutely no sense. Apparently there was a contract on his head. Well that was nothing new. Sure he was just the son of two famous wealthy people in his home town but usually Gotham business stayed in Gotham, and with him being gone he posed no threat. His uncle was being watched. Sure he was a shifty bastard, but murder? or hiring murderers? No. And the price. 100 million Euros. Sounded like English money. Could it be his longtime rival Cobblepot? Doubtful. He was making moves in the underworld but even he shouldn't have that kinda cash. This made no sense. And this......Woman. Did she say she'd be his bodyguard? The one holding a sword, in broad daylight in a populated area that would do nothing but gather attention. Dammit, why'd he let Alfred go.

He glared at this woman for a minute, then looked to find an alley or something or someplace less populated so he could find out what the hell this crazy woman was talking about. Finding a garage that was somewhat out of sight, but not far away he motioned for the woman to follow him. He walked briskly, not looking back, but slightly hearing her light footsteps behind him. So she knew some stealth, good.

Once the reached the garage he headed to a darkened corner and stopped. Once he felt her presence behind him, he turned on her with a slight glare on his face.

"Now, Shadow Moon was it? You're not the most subtle person that I've run into. You come up speaking a bunch of gibberish about assassins and bounties. Firstly, there's no one I know who has that amount of money to place on my head, and the people I DO know with that amount of money, wouldn't want me dead bad enough that someone like you would have that information. And secondly, why the hell would I trust you when I have no idea who you are and you come to me at random like this?" 

Bruce shook his head realizing this was nonsense for him to even entertain such a notion. The more he talked about it out loud the more ridiculous it sounded. He could almost laugh, but he'd have to settle for a light chuckle.

"I see what this is. This must be a money scheme. Here"

He pulled out a wad of money that must've been about 500 dollars and held it out for the woman to take.

"Next time if you need money, just ask. There's no need to cook up such crazy stories and what not. Now take this, and have a nice day."

This idiot. Shadow wondered if his stupidity and ignorance landed him in this much trouble. "How do I prove it to him?" Then she realized. Her phone recorded all calls made to her. She replayed the recording and held it to Bruce's ear, so he could listen.

"Now lookie, mister. If they wanted you dead, you would be dead by now. I heard you are a big shot hero from Gotham. You might have been rounding up a bunch of thugs back there, but here, the assassins are no joke. I don't need your money. I will stay out of sight and guard you and your family. I won't interfere in your shit. But you gotta take this stuff seriously. You may not have any idea of who I am, but what good is any one in this world, if they don't cover up their tracks? You criticize me for not being subtle. Have you seen yourself? You try to hide yourself clearly. But you won't get rid of that hat, which marks you distinctly.  And your old school, outdated idea to be in a less populated are, preferably a room, is just idiotic. Best way to hide is in plain sight. Every crook in every alley knows that. Nobody stirs up a fight in a crowd. You're new here. Go to your hotel and rest today. Go back to your life. I will be gone, but not far."

And with that, Shadow turned around, headed out the door, and disappeared into the darkness.

Bruce had something, some kinda contraption put to his ear, almost like a phone, but with no wires and cords or anything, and it played back a recording. Strange. Then he listened to her lecture him. He was thinking up retorts and responses but then he decided to just let things go when she heard him say she would follow him but not intervene. He didn't like people following him, but it was alright, he knew how to lose a tail. If she thought she knew how to disappear she hadn't seen anything yet. As she told him what to do and finally walked off, he thought to say something to her. But again decided to just ask himself

'If she's not doing this for money, then what the hell would she protect me for? Just who is she?'

He didn't plan it, but this would require some investigation. He almost rolled his eyes and groaned. He had thought he left this behind. But more and more, it seemed like his chosen animal, his alter ego, would be a required presence here as well.

After giving a sigh at that thought. He left the garage and went back to the airport to find a taxi so he could go to the hotel.

'Alfred won't be happy about this' He thought to himself.

Alfred was pacing up and down the hallways, end to end, window to window. Furious with himself for letting Master Bruce convince him toleaving him alone. He hadn't seen him for over 5 years and he couldn't find the words to keep him close for 5 minutes. 
"It would seem we're not alone Alfred.."

Those words were echoing in his head, constantly thinking of rebuttles he could have made to ensure he didn't leave him alone. What an idiot you are Alfred. What if he's hurt? What if he needs my help? Oh god, now he was sick to his stomach! He could feel the scorn of Master Bruce's parents looking down at him. They entrusted me with the safety of their son and the first sight of danger I hurriedly drive to cover. 

It was then that he felt a hand gently holding his shoulder and he turned around to see Master Bruce standing behind him. The sudden relief of the weight that was burdening his shoulders was almost inexplicable. However, Alfred tried to keep his emotions in check. He stood upright, cleared his throat, straightened his waistcoat whilst gripping the sides of the vest and began to speak with a firm tone in that highly polished incredibly posh English accent. 

Master Bruce, I would like to formally express my grave concern for the actions you took upon yourself this afternoon. Granted, it's been a few years since you have had anyone tell you what to do. But now, that you are back. You are back under my care and duty. Which means, I will not be letting you make similar decisions as you had earlier. Do I make myself clear? 

Bruce wasn't the same young teenager that he was used to grilling or raising his voice to. And quite frankly felt a bit silly patronising a grown man. However, he truly cared for Master Bruce like he was his own son and would treat him as such no matter his age.