“Let’s get a cable on it and drag it out!” he shouted. “Come on, we’re almost there—’’

Bitter laughter interrupted him.

Startled, he stared as Miranda Tate dragged herself out of the crashed truck. Badly injured, she looked past saving, but her dark eyes gleamed with malice.

“Fox showed me how to operate the reactor core, including the emergency flood—’’

* * *

Lucius’s left arm felt like it was broken. He cradled it against his chest as he painfully dragged himself up the ladder, trying to keep his head above the rising tide. Choppy waves pounded against him. The frothing water felt cold as ice, and he shivered uncontrollably, every unwanted movement sending another jolt of pain through his fractured limb.

But he kept on climbing, one rung after another. Part of him wondered why he bothered; with the reactor destroyed, the core would inevitably explode. Even if he didn’t drown, he was doomed to perish in a nuclear blast. If he was smart, he would just let the freezing water swallow him up.

Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice, he thought ironically.

Why keep on fighting?

Because I’m not ready to die yet, he realized. And I’ve lived too long to give up now.

So he climbed another rung.

Batman joined Gordon alongside the overturned truck. Talia lay upon the pavement, only half out of the cab. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth— the same mouth he had kissed in front of the fireplace. Not that long ago. He found it hard to reconcile those tender memories with the vengeful woman who was dying before his eyes.

“There’s no way to stop this bomb,” she said. “Prepare yourself.” Her eyes met his. “My father’s work is done.” A smile lifted her lips as her eyes closed. They fluttered briefly, and fell still.

The daughter of Rā’s al Ghūl had gone to join her infamous father. A pang of regret stabbed Batman’s heart, but only for an instant.

Turning away from her, he located the hoist on the Bat, grabbed the cable, and moved toward the core. He could feel the scorching heat even through his suit, but his gloves protected his hands long enough to attach the line to the core. He tugged on it to make certain it was secure.

“What are you doing?” Gordon asked. He had heard Talia’s dying words. He knew the core couldn’t be stabilized.

“Two minutes,” Batman said. “I can fly it out over the bay.”

Catwoman looked over his shoulder. She nodded.

“Rig it to fly over the water, then bail…” she began.

He shook his head.

“No autopilot.”

Understanding dawned as he let go of the cable, then turned to face her.

“You could have gone anywhere,” she said. “Been anything. But you came back here.”

“So did you,” he reminded her.

“I guess we’re both suckers.” She stepped closer and wrapped her arm around his neck. She kissed him, not defiantly like before, not as a challenge, but tenderly and with feeling. He kissed her back, wishing that this moment could be longer, that they had more time.