Chapter 74: Robert and Batman on the Way
As the saying goes, peers are natural rivals. The one thrown over was none other than Little Snake. She had just stolen the Pink Diamond when Catwoman happened upon her. Deciding to launch a surprise attack to retrieve the diamond, Little Snake ended up being flung towards Jackie Chan, and the bag she was carrying fell to the ground.
"What in the world happened?" While Jackie was still bewildered, Little Snake got up without a word, picked up the bag on the ground, but mistakenly took the one containing the snake charm. After a glance at Jackie, she fled from the scene.
Catwoman didn't even spare a glance at Jackie and Jade; her focus was solely on the Pink Diamond, and she quickly pursued Little Snake.
Jade, a step behind, picked up the bag left behind to find the Pink Diamond inside, showing it to Jackie: "Uncle Jackie, we're rich! This is worth way more than Grandpa's antiques!"
"Bad luck, bad luck, bad luck! How could this go wrong? Hurry! Let's chase them down!" Jackie grabbed the bag and, somewhat frantically, pulled Jade in the direction Little Snake and Catwoman had gone.
"Uncle Jackie, they're two female thieves, and we've only got you to act. Why don't we call Robert for help?" Jade, following Jackie, suddenly suggested.
"That makes sense. I always have bad luck when dealing with charms alone…" Jackie felt Jade made a good point. Although Little Snake and Catwoman hadn't shown extraordinary abilities, it was hard to say what could happen if the charm fell into the wrong hands.
Especially since every appearance of a charm seemed to attract Valon's people, and with Jade by his side, he wasn't comfortable letting her go back alone at this late hour. So, he decided to call Robert for an aerial drop.
"Another charm?" Robert's eyes lit up upon receiving Jackie's call. Apart from training and sparring with Kara, he hadn't found much else to do recently. He had already tilled the land at both the Kent and Danvers homes. Now, finally getting news of a charm, Robert didn't hesitate and took to the skies, opening a telepathic link with Clark for navigation.
"Huh? Where did Robert go?" Kara noticed Robert shooting into the sky from her house and lost sight of him before she could react.
"Clark? What's Robert up to?" Kara quickly flew out, asking Clark.
"He's helping a friend. It's nothing to worry about. I'll keep an eye on him. It's related to the charms..."
"He's collecting charms? Then I should ask my sister to bring back the Rat Charm for him..." Kara said impulsively.
"No need for that. He's not really collecting them. He just wants to be part of the charm adventures. You know how he loves battles and adventures. It's a way for him to improve, like how we sunbathe..." Clark quickly stopped Kara.
"Of course, if your sister's charm has issues, you can ask Robert for help. He'd be happy to assist!"
"Really?" Kara thoughtfully nodded her head.
"Hey! Don't go doing anything reckless! Don't end up worse off!" Clark warned, noticing Kara's expression.
"Don't worry, I won't. I'm not stupid!" Kara waved her hand dismissively.
Meanwhile, under the cover of night in Gotham City, a gentlemanly butler, Alfred Pennyworth, spoke quietly into a communication device: "Master Wayne, Ms. Kyle has a new target..."
"What does her new target have to do with me?" Bruce Wayne, as Batman, had just apprehended a criminal and sounded unconcerned.
"It's a pink diamond called the Pink Puma..." Alfred didn't stop speaking despite Bruce's indifference, "Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, but I've noticed some extraordinary forces recently targeting that XX museum. It's quite unusual..."
"Poof!" With Alfred's words still hanging, Bruce shot a tranquilizer dart to subdue the criminal, sending a message to the police before disappearing into the night.
"Hand over my diamond!" Elsewhere near the museum, Catwoman relentlessly pursued Little Snake. Despite Catwoman being faster than the average person, Little Snake was equally swift, and their skills were closely matched.
If it weren't for Little Snake being distracted by the Pink Diamond and ambushed by Catwoman, it would have been hard to say who would have won or lost.
"Your diamond? Hehe, that's my diamond!" Little Snake taunted, holding up the bag, "Catwoman, I've heard of you. I thought you were a leading figure among us female thieves, but now, it seems you're just so-so!"
"Hmph!" Catwoman feigned anger to distract Little Snake, throwing a grappling hook to snag the bag from her hand.
"Want it? Then take it..." However, Little Snake showed no resistance, letting go of the bag and speeding away, leaving Catwoman to take the supposedly diamond-filled bag.
"Empty?!" Catwoman realized she'd been tricked. Upon opening the bag, she found only a small iron ball inside, no diamond!
"Fighting with me! Looks like I, Little Snake, will surpass Catwoman in the thieving world..." Little Snake, having evaded Catwoman, took out the bag she had hidden, thinking it contained the Pink Diamond. But her expression changed the moment she opened it.
"Damn it! Swapped? When? She really is Catwoman, even I didn't notice! Hmph! This isn't over!"
In the night, the two outwitted thieves met again. Realizing they were both duped, they paused for a moment before their anger ignited a fight.
However, a battle between two equally skilled female thieves was nothing extraordinary, just an average exchange of kicks and hand-to-hand combat, hardly worth mentioning.
In terms of flexibility, reaction speed, and arm strength, Catwoman had the upper hand, but Little Snake was better in leg techniques and body speed. After a prolonged fight with no clear winner, Little Snake, slightly injured from Catwoman's earlier ambush, seemed to be losing ground.
"Hand over the diamond!" With the advantage, Catwoman intensified her attack, alternating punches and claws at Little Snake while demanding the diamond.
"The diamond? You dare talk about the diamond?" Little Snake glared at Catwoman, "Didn't you already swap it? Why else would I come back looking for you?"
"Swap?"
"Wait!"
At that moment, both Little Snake and Catwoman realized something was amiss. They simultaneously stopped fighting and stepped back. Little Snake pulled out the bag with the snake charm, and as she did, the charm emitted a light, and her figure vanished in an instant...