CATFIGHT [summer & catwoman]

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Summer had been on the receiving side of some very exclusive information. It had taken weeks, numerous favors and an insane amount of dedication, but that was all beside the point now. In her hand she held a crumbled piece of parchment with an address scribbled on in and some very brief directions. To most, this bit of parchment would have meant nothing, but to Summer it unlocked another step in her career and a story that would stun the entire city of Gotham. A number of angles and ideas rushed through the young socialites’ head as she quickly folded the bit of paper and tucked it into her blouse before anyone approached her and tried to strike up a conversation. The address scribbled onto the paper was to a dangerously considered location she can honestly say she had never entered, despite her longing too. Her curiosity often got the best of her and despite the danger of the situation this was no difference at all. Summer carelessly ignored the idea that something bad could happen and was willing to risk it all for the sake of the story of the life time. After work, she got into her car and pulled the paper back out to give it one last look before she pulled out from her assigned parking spot and started toward the destination it read. With an almost mischievous smirk, removed her glasses and placed them in the center console as well as the bit of parchment that read the address to what else; but where an arranged meeting was to unfold before her very eyes

While she hated driving in the city, she knew that taking a town car to the sight would only raise questions. There was no need for one of Gotham’s well-known faces to be dropped off in such a shady area of the city; that would only raise unwanted questions. She had already secretly debated with herself whether or not she risk bringing a camera man on this mission, though decided against it. One more person would only be problematic, especially if they were carrying a bulky camera with them. No, instead she would simply use her small, compact camcorder for her documenting. The redhead could hardly contain her excitement as she drove toward the east end of the city, unable to deny the restless butterflies that fluttered endlessly in her stomach. She was undeniably nervous but that was expected regarding what she was about to do. Unfamiliar with the east side, she got a little lost a couple of time before she managed to find the location she needed. Looking at the paper as she parked by the dockyard, she noted the number of the warehouse where said lair was supposed to be and took a deep breath.

Summer sat there for a moment, her hands practically shaking. She wanted that raw, exposing shock to her audience that she wouldn’t get from anyone else and If she was going to get the results she craved, she was going to have to go to drastic lengths. Taking a deep breath, Summer started down that dock, her heels clicking with every step. She regretted not having stopped by her apartment and changing, finding herself fully aware that a pencil skirt and a pair of high heels was not the proper outfit for this mission. Her heels clicked loudly with every step, but she was oblivious due to the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. Looking up at the numbers on each warehouse, she finally found the one she was looking for. With a deep breath, she began to look for another entrance besides the front gate. After circling the entire building, she found a makeshift way into the warehouse and carefully crept inside.

It was dark and quiet, and looked nothing like the inside of any warehouse she had ever seen. Summer attempted to silence the clicking of her heels as she turned her camera on and began to film her surroundings as much as possible with the minimal light provided. It was quiet, which eased her mind slightly. Assuming she was alone, the redhead didn’t try as much to keep completely quiet.

outfit: cliccck

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Selina sighed. Sometimes she had good jobs. A friend of a friend of a friend. Or Eddie would ask her to get something. Or hell, even Ozzie. And he paid well. But this? She hadn't done a blind info drop in a while. So as she easily returned to the East End, down the fire-escapes and rooftops, she couldn't roll her eyes hard enough for this to be worth it. But still, she had to get out. With everything on her mind, there was nothing better than the easing into the soft leather catsuit, tugging on her well worn, yet trusted boots. The belt. Her leather bag. And then there was the careful, artful curling of her hair.

It was all in the details. Normally her eyes were lightly lined, mascara'ed. But for her shift to the feline prowler, there was a bit more. A bolder line on the eye. A bit more color on her lids. More mascara. With the outline of her cowl, it made her eyes wider than they really were.

And finally, finally, she'd been able to nail down a proper, kiss-proof lipstick. One that would last through the chill nights, and repeated use, when necessary. So hair. Makeup. The slim domino mask. And then her cowl eased over perfectly done hair. It was an art. A process that allowed her to become herself.

It was the gloves, and she was finished, giving Jasper a fond pet and promise she'd be back sooner, rather than later.

After-all, this was a meeting. She'd get the info, she'd get out. Do the job (if she saw fit) drop. Simple. But even as that word crossed mind, she knew things were never that clean cut. Never.

So after she'd slipped into the dark, abandoned warehouse, she kept the large window open-that she'd just slipped into. Still cloaked by the shadows, and the darkness, she paused.

Shit.

Was that a fucking car door? Who was out here, this time of the night, and was that damn loud? Blending into the darkness, she narrowed her eyes, and flipped down the barely noticeable goggles over her eyes. A tap of a finger, and a dialing of a knob, and she was able to zoom in, or change to night-vision at will.

This time, she did both, the clip-clip echoing in her ears as she couldn't believe her eyes.

Damnit, Summer!

Summer Gleeson. Hostess of Gotham Live! And her friend. Who'd had a ladyboner for Catwoman since...forever. She'd even tried to get Selina to rig some of her own equipment up one night, paying her nightly rate, to find the famed burglar.

And it was just too damned bad they hadn't found her that night. Mostly because Selina's tongue had hurt by the end of the sting, from biting it so much.

And who the fuck wore heels and a skirt to this sort of thing? Steadying her breathing, she also noted the woman had a camcorder. She hoped, from the tip of her ears to the bottom of her toes, this was not a double-blind setup. Summer was bold, but this was no life for her to be exposed to, even though she had her encounters with the Rogues before. Summer was a sweet thing. And had no business in this lifestyle. How she, herself had kept it together for so long without going bonkers was a question in and of itself.

So she waited. Watched her possible pray for a slip-up. Her friends had to stop playing in her toybox. She was sick of the reveal, fight, makeup-game, putting another person on a revolving target because they just wanted to get to know her. People had to stop having so many feelings and giving a shit. 

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Summer couldn’t believe she was here. Stumbling upon a story like this could put her ratings through the roof! Oblivious to the other chaos that this knowledge could cause throughout Gotham, Summer didn’t worry much about her own safety. After all, that’s what police escorts were for, right? It seemed like a majority of her stories managed to anger someone amongst the hundreds of others she had reassured or revived. As far as she was concerned, if she could reach a majority of the people with her story, it was all worth angering a few out of the group. This story would surely do that much, assure the people in Gotham that these feared ‘villain’ figures in masks were only human as well.

Walking in and observing this particular conversation was just one more reassuring step in that process. It all made since in her head, though she couldn’t help but shake the feeling that this mission was much too easy. While she had never entered someone’s lair (willingly anyway) she felt the lack of security was almost unprofessional, so to speak. Of course, much like always, Summer had assumed much too quickly.

Taking carefully steps to insure that her shoes were not making any noises, she pressed her back against a large crate the towered in sized compared to her petite frame. Smothering any sounds from her camera as she turned it on, a voice rang out amongst the incredibly dark and damp dark. Turning her head in the direction, her signature smirk found its place on her lips as she began to record, ears and eyes peeled at her surroundings. Wishing that she had grabbed her coat, the icy wind cut through her like a thousand knives, causing a series of involuntary shivers to race through her. Ignoring the cold, Summer set the stage for whatever might materialize before her eyes.

Summer went to switch the settings on her camera to the setting to night vision, her eyes widening as a chime resulted from the technology. Feeling as though it went unnoticed, Summer looked over her shoulder hastily to insure she was still alone. For now anyway.

outfit: cliccck

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Alone was a relative term. One could be alone in a crowd. One could be in solitude, with another. Alone with someone else, and Catwoman? Not a good thing. As the voice echo'ed in the room, Selina put aside the thoughts of Summer. She was easier to deal with. For now, she slunk from the darkness, her black-clothed form giving off a performance for the camera. Sultry, smooth, she seemed to appear from the darkness-not shadow, mind you, like some graveling brooding man.

It was a small exchange, the thug handing over a slip of paper, and a small thumb drive. She knew better than to access it at her own home. She'd need to purchase a clean, new laptop, and check herself into a hotel somewhere. Then she could get to work. But as soon as a few more words were passed between Catwoman and the mark, she then disappeared back into the shadows, making a beeline for where she had seen Summer standing. In her damn heels.

When would the girl learn! Unless they were sturdy, stacked heels, running without injury would be a feat. And considering her own footwear, Summer was screwed. Stalking the redhead a few feet up, Selina finally found her. And sadly, it wasn't difficult, the noise from prior already locked in her hearing. The goggles didn't hurt, either.

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Summer watched with a successful smirk as she recorded the fierce feline make an exchange with a rather large looking man. Despite how curious she was about what the contents of whatever he had handed her contained, she was more excited about her small victory. She couldn’t remember anyone having an image of Catwoman that could be verified and wasn’t horribly photo-shopped. Not only did she have several still images, but also the woman on a recording. If she had been able to she might have squealed with excitement, but obviously this was not the place or time. She would celebrate her small victory later in the more appropriate setting.

It was safe to say that the redhead had a mild obsession with anyone who sported a mask and a tight-fitting flattering costume. Catwoman had placed herself at one of the top slots on Summer’s list years ago when she first arrived in Gotham. She had devised several of her clever rouses and stages in order to get the mysterious woman on camera, though all had failed miserably. While this had been incredibly tought to carry out and she went through some drastic measures to obtain this information, she had gotten part of what she wanted out of it.

As soon as it had happened, it had ended and Summer was left standing in the dark. She saved the recording and turned off the camera. With the strap securely around her wrist to prevent it from falling and shattering on the hard concrete, Summer assumed that her work here was done. Depending on the time she figured that she still might have time to get back to the studio with some time to spare. Trying to be as silent as possible, she started back in the direction she came, her fists clenched tightly as she tried to contain her excitement.

outfit: cliccck

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Silent was something Summer Gleeson was not. So when the crack of her whip broke that silence, it would surely cause the investigative reporter to jump. Slinking from the shadows she would come right up to the redhead, a claw cutting that gentle strap, but not marring the girl's pale skin.

"Seriously?" Catwoman would muse, flipping open the camera to go over the footage. It wasn't bad. And she had been very pro-no one seeing her costume. But considering who this was, maybe, just maybe, she'd let Summer get away with it. With conditions. "I know you've been wanting this sort of footage for years, Gleeson. And now? Now what? You want an autograph? Looking into busting my alter-ego? What's your angle this time?"

As the toned, statuesque Catwoman stood before her, the reported would very clearly be able to see her 'costume.' Fine leather, a nearly missed belt with several pouches, a lowslung crossbody bag of similar supple leather. Black boots. Black Gloves. A cowl that covered most of her hair, neck, and face, and a slim pair of goggles that obscured her green eyes. They were an odd iteration of goggles, more a slim fitted pair of sunglasses, but not quite.

"Explain," she drawled, a claw flicking out to toy with the the camera. If that wasn't incentive, she didn't know what was.

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A squeal pealed from the redheads lips as the harsh crap of a whip echoed throughout the facility. Swearing silently in her head, she significantly picked up the pace, regardless of the noise that she made in the process. Her not-so-mild obsession with Catwoman made her fully aware of her superior night vision, causing the young reporter to grow even more furious with herself as each second passed. She knew that she had been spotted because she had allowed her own excitement to blind of her of the potential dangers ahead. From her research, Catwoman was never known to intentionally go out of her way to hurt nosy little news reporters like Summer, it didn’t help that the woman practically reeked of intimidation that was enough to back even the bold Summer Gleeson into a corner.

Once she realized the pressure from her wrist was released, she stopped abruptly. She would have noticed if it slipped off her wrist and there was no undesirable crash of the camera hitting the floor. It was automatically clear that her camera had been confiscated. Once it was turned on, the light from the camera illuminated the woman who held it captive. “Give it back.” Summer attempted, attempting to swipe it from the woman. Rolling her eyes at her comment, she replied sarcastically, her voice laced with annoyance. “Oh yes, and autograph would do nicely, how about you throw in a pair of your panties while you are at it. “

“I have my reasons, you’ll just have to watch my show to find out,” She began stubbornly, folding her arms across her chest. This was the first time she had ever actually saw Catwoman in the flesh. Looking her up and down for very brief moment, she returned to meet her gaze –or lack thereof. The goggles served as a mask that disgusted her face excellently despite their slender frames.

As difficult as she intended to be, that all changed when one of her intimidating claws grew a little too close to Summer’s camera for comfort. “No! Don’t!” She stepped forward, once again attempting to seize her camera from the woman’s hands – well, claws.


outfit: cliccck

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Catwoman snorted. "Just because you demand it, I'm going to do it? Haven't you heard about me? I'm no dog following commands, sweetie." She hated doing this. Especially to a friend. But while Summer was doing better, she hated the exposure. Personally, she'd rather stay in the shadows. Let her do her thing. She didn't kill, maim, or hurt anyone. At least bodily. So Summer could chill the fuck out, and maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't ruin all of her hard work.

"Gimme a pen." She spat back, looking at the footage she'd captured, green, heavily made up eyes flicking to the reporter. "No. You tell me said reasons now, and I'll decide if you get to keep this for your show, or not." It wouldn't be that hard to press 'delete' and have everything erased. And remove the sim card.

So when Summer started toward her again, she tsk'ed her tongue, another claw slipping out. "It's easy to delete footage on these, you know. Simpler than when people used film. Better get talking, or you'll be in dire need of a new clip for your little shitshow, hon." She hissed, not letting on that the footage she had wasn't all that great, or incriminating at all. A lot of shadows, a glimpse of her, and that was it. The interaction here, while not taped, was more intense than anything the video was showing. "And next time, rethink the heels. If you can't run in 'em, you can't get the story." Yes, Catwoman of all people, was offering the ginger advice.

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Summer folded her arms across her chest, clearly annoyed at the situation but unable to react with it completely out of her control. “Trust me, I’ve noticed.” She said with a huff, “You’ve refused a segment with me since I arrived in Gotham, for a while I was beginning to think ‘Catwoman’ was a complete myth.” The redhead declared matter-of-factly, hoping that maybe by convincing her that her legacy was fading might get her the pictures back and allow them to be featured in a segment in her show.

Honestly, Summer didn’t exactly have a reason for wanting the footage. But being the first person to have a live feed –despite how brief – of catwoman herself would not only be a personal trophy, but a victory in her field. Despite what measures she had to go to, she had to make sure that she got that camera back unscathed, even if it meant playing as her little pet. “Shit show?” She couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sure more people in this city know my name than yours.” Damn it, Summer. She silently swore to herself, as hard as it was going to be, she was going to have to leave her ego behind and submit in order to get what it was she wanted . This was certainly going to be difficult for the hard-headed redhead.

Halting right in her spot, she literally had to bit her lip to prevent from firing back at the woman before her. “Thanks for the advice,” She replied bitterly, her voice laced with venom. With that, she reached into her blouse to pull out the bit of parchment she had tucked securely in her bra for safety. “I knew you were going to be here, I got this letter…” She began, holding the paper tightly within her grasp so it could not be swipped away from her as well.


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"Sorry, but I don't care if people believe I'm a myth, or not. I'm not a vigilante. I don't do headbusting. I get in, I get out, I get gone. I am the shadows." She snarked, not really wanting to be in the press at all. She'd had to deal with enough copycats that were bland replicas, and poor at execution in her life that she didn't want more time in the public eye than she needed.

But as she went over the footage, it truly wasn't that bad. Her ass looked good. The skin-tight suit could've had any woman poured into it. And there wasn't exactly proof of her doing anything illegal, so why not let her use it.

"That's the point, Summer. Thanks for pointing out the obvious. I'd rather my name state right where it is. As for this persona? Hell, Catwoman doesn't need to be a celebrity." Rolling her shoulders she narrowed her green eyes at the redhead, and shook her head slightly. "I don't care about some publicity pissing contest. And if you're going to keep up with the attitude, I can, and will delete your story. Gone. Don't force my hand." Was Catwoman a bitch? Only when it was warranted. Most of the time her work necessitated no outside contact whatsoever. But considering what Summer was angling to do, the bitch, yes, came out.

When the woman showed off a piece of paper, a claw reached to push her glasses from her eyes so she could see it. The letter wasn't really...anything, but she was quite curious how it crossed into the path of the socialite news anchor. "Did you swipe this from the PD?" That was really her only lead. And it came from her gut, so she wasn't just going to ignore it.

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Summer pouted with her arms folded. It was rarely when she told ‘no’ or she was put in her place. Catwoman seemed to be doing a very good job at shutting her down with each retort. Part of her couldn’t really get out of her media mentality. She didn’t understand why someone like her wanted to stick to the shadows and keep to herself when there was an entire world out there just dying to know where she got her nails done. Well, okay maybe that was a bit excessive, but Summer had captured a great deal of these self-proclaimed vigilantes on camera without so much of a fuss and even if Catwoman wasn’t going to let her get away with this set of film, she was just going to try harder next time.

“Fine.” She managed finally, forcing herself to bite her tongue rather than retorting to the woman’s statements. For the sake of the footage, she would comply to the best of her ability. Summer couldn’t help but scoff when she asked if she had taken it from the Police Department. “No…it doesn't matter” She swiped it from a crime scene – the same one the inncidently lead her to an unpleasant encounter with the Joker. However, she knew that this particular meeting wasn’t going to result in another painful brand on her thigh. Still, taking evidence was extremely illegal and she wasn’t exactly on the good side of Gotham’s finest at the moment, but hey it got her a decent story out if it and she was too deep in it to stop now. Things still didn’t seem to come together.


outfit: cliccck

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As she narrowed her eyes at the woman, and the paper she skimmed it. But a few points jumped out at her, and she blinked. Twice. Shit. This couldn't be from a case that Renee had mentioned, could it? Shit. If Summer was digging in to things like this, that wasn't good. Tearing it from the woman's grip, it wasn't that hard when she applied a bit of pressure to Summer's wrist with her other hand. No claws needed.

"This is from a case a few weeks ago. Why do you have it? Joker's been causing a goddamn mess out there." She stated flatly, glaring at Summer. "And before you go and say I'm no better than him, think again. I don't kill people. I don't unleash mayhem on others. I don't injure close friends." She bit off, barely able to reign herself in at the last moment.

As she gave a cursory glance around them, she shook her head. This may be a set-up. May not. Either way, she wanted nothing to do with Jack Napier. At all. Considering her little fuck-up, she was all for staying the hell away from him.

"Tell me what you're going to air. Word for word. Because you sure as shit now have one dedicated viewer. And if I don't like what you air, well..." She trailed off, not quite thinking of anything at the moment. But it would be bad.

"And three questions. Ask me any three questions. And if they're good, I'll give you two more." She hissed, folding the paper and tucking it into her bag, arms crossing along her chest, a firm grip still on the camcorder. She hated the press. Hated that she had fully pushed out of her mind that she was friends with Summer outside her cowl.  Hated that she was bristling, threatening and hissing at someone she knew well. She still hated the press, though, and would rather her life and all facets of it were kept out of the media. The sad part was that no-one really ever got what they wanted. Especially her.

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“Oww!” Summer squealed as Selina applied a bit of pressure to the spot on her wrist, causing the redhead to release the paper from her grasp instantly. Practically fuming, the young television show host released a small nose of protest before she attempted to retrieve the paper, a bit more forcefully at this point, unwilling to let Catwoman walk all over her.

“I just do.” Summer insisted stubbornly, attempting not to cringe at the Joker’s name itself. “Tell me about it. He decided to make a guest appearance on my show the other day.” She grumbled, still clearly bitter that he had interrupted her broadcast to insinuate one of his one. It also frightened her that he had the ability to do so and could easily do it again. “I never compared you to the stupid clown to begin with. Obviously you don’t do that kind of thing, that’s kind of why I wanted you on my show – despite how briefly. Everyone’s freaked out about all of chaos he’s caused lately. I’m trying to find more positive things to weave in and out of my show that will ease the mind of my viewers a bit, rather than have them on the edge of their seat wondering what facility is going to get blown up tomorrow. So in a way, part of the reason I wanted a picture was for a little distraction from reality. While you don’t think Catwoman is a celebrity – I can assure you she is. People would love to hear from her.”

Why was she even admitting this? She didn’t even know the woman and yet here she was. Was she lying? Only partially. She had meant the bit that she said. Summer waited curiously to see what her react would be, hoping that she might be convincing enough to allow the woman to amuse her. Unable to hide the smirk that played on her lips at the small victory, she already had several questions racing around her head that she wanted to ask. “I’m guessing that asking you to take of the mask is out of the question, so….what was that exchange earlier?” She began, seeing as that question was the reoccurring one on the top of her head and practically raced out of her mouth.

outfit: cliccck

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The paper was folded and tucked away with queer efficiency. Catwoman was not fucking around. Even if it was with someone that Selina called a friend.

"You just do. And Jack...I heard about that. There are people you can go to if you need protection from him. Batman. The MCU. You're a public figure, you can't expect to not be targeted. Start safeguarding and securing yourself and you'll have less clown interactions. But others may start following suit. Carry mace, a tazer, something." She tried to not roll her eyes. but a woman was a woman, and worse happened in Gotham daily. Summer needed to get that through her head, and the sooner, the better.

"I know you're not going to sit and compare, but I steal. Joker does worse. People don't sit and gauge the vileness of those acts. They're all bad, and therefore, we get lumped together. You think slapping me up on TV is going to distract folks from the Joker blowing up the city? Think again. Find something a bit more hopefully. More newsworthy, Gleeson. Have you thought of talking to Lex Luthor, or that woman he's selected to run his little Metropham gig? What about that? If that sort of shit isn't going to instill hope in Gotham, I don't know what will." Her words were measured, flat, yet potent.

"Catwoman is a thief. She is no celebrity. I don't want to be in the limelight. And no, I'm not going to sit and chat on your show. I said three questions. That's it. And taking off this?" She pointed a claw to her cowl, which thankfully, housed a mask beneath her as well.

A hand went to her hip, the paper neatly tucked into the shoulder-bag that was now behind her at her hip.

"Three questions. We'll just treat that first one as a really shitty practice one." The next question caused her to roll her eyes, again. "That was none of your business. And something that will not be airing on television. Two more. Go." Her claw fussed with the buttons on Summer's camcorder, threatening to delete all of it.

[Deleted]

Summer sighed; she had heard all of this before from the self-defense classes that she had signed up for. While most of them were quickly forgotten or she was more preoccupied with how her butt looked in the yoga pants she had adorned that day, she didn’t follow up on the guided instructions. “Tasers don’t fit in my clutch.” Nor did she really trust herself with one. “And I have mace as well as newly hired security. I think I will be just fine. I’m perfectly protected.” She said, the over-confidence in her voice almost making her appear both arrogant and completely foolish.

“Trust me; I know you’re just a crook in cat ears. But it’s the mystery of Catwoman that leaves everyone begging for more. I’ve been in this business for a while and I am pretty sure even brief footage of Catwoman would certainly get a great deal of interest from my viewers.” Summer couldn’t help but laugh at her comments regarding the Gala and its lovely hostess and host. Little did she know, the redhead was well on her way to having it covered. Or more like – little did Summer know she was speaking with one of them adorned in tight black leather.

“Her name is Selina,” Summer replied with the own roll of her eyes. “And she’s one of my dear friends. I have created enough hype about the gala that people are treating it like the Royal Wedding. It's to the point that people stop my on the street to ask me questions about it daily. I need something new.” Summer continued to insist that Catwoman was a celebrity, simply because she personally saw her as such. Like many of the vigilantes that patrolled the streets of Gotham when the sun set, she had acquired this long-term obsession with the woman before her.

Three questions seemed as though that was all she was going to get from her mysterious icon. Let out a frustrated sigh, she ran through the list of prearranged questions that she asked most, though none seemed to be worthy of Catwoman in her opinion. “Wait! That’s not even a decent answer! I should still get three!” Summer protested, a frown masking her pretty features.

outfit: cliccck