The door clicked softly shut, Commissioner Gordon's footsteps fading down the hall. Silence lingered in the apartment. Barbara let out a slow breath, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at Pamela thoughtfully.
"So… what are you going to do now? Classes are obviously canceled for a few days until they find a replacement professor for us."
Pamela leaned back against the wall, her tone flat. "Barbara, we already agreed to leave school. There's no point in us staying there any longer. We have the money we need to start our criminal empire."
Barbara's eyes widened slightly, and she pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh…" Her gaze swept sharply around the room. Without another word, she tapped her forearm, activating her nanites. A faint pulse rippled outward like sonar, brushing across the walls and furniture. Her expression tightened as she crouched beside a lamp, peeling back its base.
"There you are," she said coldly.
Nestled inside was a tiny, bat-shaped listening device. She placed her hand over it, fingers glowing faintly as a concentrated surge of electricity ran through. The bug's circuits sizzled as her nanites slipped in, reprogramming the transmitter. She set it back down neatly, looking satisfied.
"You never know when Batman's listening in," Barbara explained as she stood. "He plants bugs everywhere. But my bioelectric field will alert me to any surveillance. I found that one when I came back here yesterday." She folded her arms, calm now. "I just waited until now to reprogram it. Anything previously recorded is gone. From now on, it'll only transmit what I want it to. I can manage that remotely with my nanites."
Pamela's eyes narrowed. "You're telling me Batman's been secretly listening in on us this whole time? Even when we were… intimate last night?"
Barbara shrugged casually. "Yeah. I'm sure he does that to lots of people. I wouldn't take it personally." She caught Pamela's tense look and added, "Don't worry. During the time we were… together, my bioelectric field isolated the area. To him, it would've sounded like nothing but static—crackling energy interference. He didn't hear a thing."
Pamela's shoulders eased, tension slipping away as she stepped closer. "Good. That would ruin everything if he found out. From now on, I'm going to need you to sweep every room or building we enter for bugs—Batman's or otherwise. I want no surveillance on us, ever."
Barbara nodded firmly. "Agreed."
Pamela tilted her head. "Now that we have the money… do you want to keep living here, or do you want a nicer place?"
Barbara shook her head immediately. "No. We can't leave here yet. That would attract attention. But you can move in with me. Do you even have a place of your own?"
Pamela shrugged. "No. I was living in the university dorms."
"Perfect," Barbara said with a smile. "Then move in with me. My father already seems to approve. And he's going to tell the officer downstairs at the elevator entrance so you can come and go freely."
She walked to a drawer in the hallway and pulled out two keys, holding them out. "This one's for the elevator access to this floor. And this one's the apartment key. As you know, this is the only apartment up here. There's multiple bedrooms and an extra bathroom if you need them."
Pamela took the keys, glancing at them briefly before fixing her gaze back on Barbara. "Like I'd need an extra bedroom. I'm staying in yours."
Barbara's face lit up as she nearly skipped forward, kissing Pamela quickly on the cheek. "You're such a sweetheart when you talk to me like that."
Pamela's lips twitched faintly. "Of course I know that."
They walked together toward the kitchen table, where Barbara pulled out her phone and a digital notepad. Pamela leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "So what's our first move with all this money?"
"First, I need a new car," Barbara replied without hesitation.
Pamela raised a brow. "A high-end one that doesn't attract too much attention. Then we'll modify it to suit our needs."
Pamela leaned in. "And then?"
Barbara looked up, her eyes locking with Pamela's. "Then we start recruiting. Building our network."
Pamela's voice sharpened slightly. "Do you know who we'll approach first?"
Barbara's lips curved into a thin smile. "Harley Quinn."
Pamela's answer was immediate, her tone approving. "Perfect."
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