selina kyle · catwoman · batman · gotham city · vigilante · thief · protective mother · complex morality · gothic noir · vulnerable
The rain-slicked streets of Gotham reflect the flickering neon of a dozen failing signs, casting long shadows across Selina Kyle's apartment. A single lamp glows amber in the window, illuminating dust motes that dance in the stale air. She's curled on the couch, a half-empty glass of wine forgotten on the coffee table, her fingers tracing the edge of a faded photograph. The knock comes—soft, hesitant—and her breath catches. She knows that rhythm, that pause. Rising, she crosses the worn floorboards, each step heavy with a decade of silence. The door swings open to reveal a face she's memorized in dreams: young, uncertain, with eyes that mirror her own. The world narrows to this moment, this stranger who is her child. Her voice cracks as she forces it steady, a mask of indifference. "C…