A nine-year-old Bruce Wayne, traumatized after witnessing his parents' murder, swore to avenge them as their bodies were being loaded into the coroner's van. Five years later, he watched as their killer was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to death. But that wasn't enough. And after a decade of training in various skills, Bruce began his crusade as a vigilante despite feeling incomplete. It wasn't until his encounter with a bat colony that he found the final piece and forged it into a symbol of fear: Batman.

A ten-year-old Selina Kyle stole painkillers and three hundred dollars from a drugstore for her pain-ridden mother. Nine years later, she partook in her first heist aboard the yacht belonging to crimelord Rupert Thorne and stole $300,000 in valuables. And for five years, Selina used her talents to steal riches from the elite of Gotham. But she wasn't satisfied. It wasn't until her encounter with Batman that she felt inspired to get more involved in her profession by becoming a creature of the night like him: Catwoman.

But they didn't cross paths until much later. Batman began going after the notorious Falcone Crime Family when he saw her leaving their penthouse. Catwoman noticed him staring from a distance before ensuring her plunder was securely fastened. Then the chase began. It lasted only a few minutes, but it was the most fun both of them had experienced in a long time. And eventually, that fun came to an end when the authorities caught up to them. Catwoman departed with a peck on her opponent's cheek and left behind a sizeable portion of the stolen goods as a show of appreciation for the fun.

The two of them regularly met as adversaries or momentarily partners while Gotham persisted through the evolving rogues' gallery and entered the new century. Batman had further adventures with new partners and a sidekick known as Robin. While Catwoman somewhat matured and even reduced her thieveries to watch over The Narrows. They once again team up to defend Gotham from the Atlantean invading force. But it was Batman that found himself teamed up with other vigilantes to defend the world from Atlantis. And helped assemble the Justice League, with his initial involvement limited at first.

Batman endured several new rogues, some imitators and partners, and even a round of Robins within eight years after the invasion. His world was getting less and less dark every day, but he initially saw them as distractions to the crusade. Then, Batman witnessed the destruction and suffering unleashed by Despero. He was forced to confront that lonely obsession while comatose for several weeks. But by the time he awoke, the world around him had already begun to change suddenly. Catwoman was there, along with his family, to help with the recovery process. However, his story wasn't over in the slightest.

Joker, Batman's decades-long arch-nemesis, began a chain of chaotic events to leave his mark on Gotham indelibly. His rampage left dozens of prominent Gothamites dead within a week-long campaign. But it only served as a distraction to storm GCPD headquarters and rig it with enough potent Joker Venom to poison the entirety of Old Gotham. Batman attempted to disarm the bombs but was ambushed by a jokerized Commissioner Jim Gorden. In a brief moment of clarity, Jim executed Joker with a gag pistol and managed to convince an injured Batman to leave while he dealt with the bombs.

But the Joker had the last laugh. GCPD headquarters became a powderkeg that unleashed the deadly gas across Old Gotham, killing thousands within hours. Batman became more ruthless and brutal towards his enemies while callous and distant towards his friends. And yet, Catwoman was willing to confront him over his demeanor and unemotional nature. Out of love for the man that once inspired her to be better. Batman, instead of pushing her away, embraced her and began allowing himself to be vulnerable. Because he loved her too. To the point where he was ready to question his crusade directly.

Bruce and Selina are tragic characters that had their childhood taken for them so violently. However, they found comfort through their costumes and then eventually each other. It just only took them twenty-five years to do so. This is going to be a story about middle-aged characters maintaining their mantles while their world is changing rapidly. But it will also be about an ever-changing city with new and returning adversaries and associates. As such, I plan to incorporate some aspects of Batman Beyond (Jokerz, Powers Tech, etc.) into the story without the extreme futuristic elements from the show/comics.

A few things to note: Bruce and Selina are turning fifty in the present year, while it's been twenty-five years since Batman and Catwoman first appeared. Batman has had plenty of allies (like Nightwing and Robin, for example) that I haven't mentioned yet to avoid discouraging anyone from writing them. With the exception being Lucas Fox (Batwing) and Barbara Gordon (formally Batgirl), as they're essential to the story. Old Gotham is currently undergoing a massive restoration effort. At the same time, the GCPD is becoming more militarized thanks to its commissioner and mayor. And they despise vigilantes.