Sela looked down at the heavy metal crate. She didn't need to check the contents; the way the thugs had been sweating over it told her everything she needed to know.
"Heavy, shiny, and apparently worth dying for," she muttered, kicking the latch open with her boot. The dull glow of gold bars reflected in her eyes. She wasn't impressed by the money, but she was impressed by the weight. It was the perfect lure.
With a grunt, she hoisted the massive crate onto her shoulder. She made sure to do it slowly, making herself a big, obvious target. Her tail gave a sharp, impatient flick against her leg.
"Hey, Birdy!" she yelled at the rooftops, her voice echoing through the alley. "I know you're up there! I'm taking this. If you want it back, you're gonna have to come take it!"
She didn't wait for an answer. Sela crouched, the pavement cracking under her heels, and ignited her Ki. With a thunderous boom that rattled the nearby windows, she launched herself into the air.
She wasn't exactly graceful yet. She wobbled slightly as the weight of the gold shifted her balance, but she was fast. She banked hard toward the construction district, leaving a faint trail of white energy in her wake. Behind her, she heard the hiss of a grappling line.
"Catch me if you can, little bird!"
Sela dipped low, skimming the side of a clock tower before pushing off the masonry with a heavy kick. She loved the rush—the way the wind bit at her face and the way the "Boy Wonder" kept swinging through the skyline like he actually thought he could catch her.
She headed for the new Wayne Tech construction site. It was a giant jungle gym of steel and cranes. No civilians, no distractions—just a place to see what the kid could do.
She slammed down onto a high-altitude girder, the crate of gold hitting the metal with a loud clack. Sela turned around, shoved her hands in her pockets, and waited.
Robin landed on the opposite end of the beam a second later, silent as a shadow.
"Took you long enough," Sela grinned, her tail swishing behind her. "I was starting to think I'd have to go back and carry you."
"The gold doesn't belong to you," Robin said, his voice level. He didn't look winded, just focused. "Put it down and we can talk."
"Talk is boring," Sela replied, dropping into a wide combat stance. "And the gold is mine since I'm the one holding it. You want it? Come and get it."
Robin didn't waste time. He reached into his utility belt and flicked two birdarangs toward her.
Sela didn't move until they were inches from her face. With a blur of her hand, she swatted them aside like they were annoying flies. "Toys? Seriously? I thought you were supposed to be a big deal."
"Just a distraction," Robin muttered.
Before she could ask what he meant, the birdarangs she'd swatted hissed. A blinding white light erupted between them.
"Ugh! Cheap move!" Sela yelled, shielding her eyes. She didn't wait for her vision to clear; she lunged forward, swinging a heavy Renewal kick at where she'd last seen him standing.