Chapter Eighty-One

(Location: Jayden's Room)

Jayden stood there in his room, baffled by the sight of Harley holding a golden toilet.

The bathroom fixture, completely out of context in their cabin, gleamed with an almost ridiculous opulence.

He couldn't help but arch an eyebrow, his voice laced with a mix of surprise and bemusement.

"Harley... Why are you holding a golden toilet?" he inquired, wondering if he'd ever understand the reasoning behind her antics.

With her signature mischievous grin, Harley didn't miss a beat. "Why aren't you holding a golden toilet?" she retorted, as if it were the most logical question in the world.

Jayden let out a resigned sigh, realizing that questioning Harley's actions was often a futile endeavour. "I'm not even gonna bother," he muttered, shaking his head as he exited the room.

....

Deciding to make the most of the remaining time on the cruise, Jayden ventured around the ship, participating in activities he hadn't had the chance to experience yet.

From enjoying the ship's entertainment to soaking up the sun on the deck, he aimed to savour every moment of this luxury experience.

As the day drew to a close, he reunited with the girls at the Korean barbecue restaurant for their final meal onboard.

With a heartfelt toast, they celebrated the adventures they'd shared throughout the cruise.

Laughter filled the air as they cooked their own food, with Jayden taking charge to prevent Harley from incinerating her meal.

After the satisfying dinner, they all returned to their cabin. Surprisingly, Harley and Ivy decided to join Jayden, Selina, and Lola in their room.

It felt oddly natural at this point, as they'd all grown comfortable with each other's presence.

They settled in for their last night on the cruise.

....

(Gotham City - Wayne Manor)

Meanwhile, in Gotham, a black cat with golden eyes perched on a windowsill. It seemed to sense something, its alert gaze fixated on the cityscape beyond.

Without warning, it darted outside, setting off alarms in Wayne Manor and capturing Batman's attention in the Batcave.

Alfred, too, recognized the significance of this sudden behaviour. He glanced at the calendar on the wall and sighed, muttering to himself, "Ah, it's about that time, isn't it..."

...

Back to Jayden, the following day found him, along with Ivy, Selina, Harley, and Lola, rushing through the Moroccan airport.

Harley's accidental alarm not going off had left them with a mere five minutes to reach their gate.

Jayden couldn't help but chuckle at the whirlwind of excitement these girls brought into his life.

"It's never dull around you girls, is it?" he mused as they managed to make it to the gate just in time.

The airport staff, seemingly accustomed to last-minute arrivals, smiled as they checked their tickets and allowed them through.

"SAAAAAAFEEEEE!!!" Harley exclaimed, glad that they were able to just about make it on time.

Jayden had thoughtfully booked first-class tickets for the girls and himself, knowing that the ten-hour flight back to Gotham would be much more comfortable this way.

....

(11 hours later - Location: Gotham International Airport)

"..."

"I think we took the wrong flight Baby..."

"H-How..."

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Cupcake."

"..."

"...WHAT THE F%££^!!!

.

.

.

.

.

*Four heads nodded in agreement.*

The moment they stepped out of the Moroccan airport, their faces froze not just from the sudden chill in the air but from the surreal sight that lay before them.

Gotham City, a mere week ago a dark and gloomy metropolis, had transformed into a winter wonderland. It was as if they had walked into a scene from a fantastical storybook.

Snowflakes gently descended from the sky, creating a mesmerizing dance as they spiralled gracefully to the ground.

The entire city was blanketed in a pristine layer of white, with every surface glistening under the soft, diffused sunlight.

The buildings, the streets, and even the ever-present shadows of Gotham had been cloaked in a serene and pristine cover of snow.

The girls and Jayden stood there, momentarily dumbfounded by the enchanting spectacle.

It was a stark contrast to the city they had left behind just a short while ago. The harsh realities of Gotham's streets, the struggles, replaced by the serene hush of a winter's day.

Ivy was the first to break the spell, her emerald eyes wide with wonder as she caught snowflakes on her gloved hand. "This is incredible," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Selina's lips curved into a delighted smile as she gazed at the transformed cityscape. "I've never seen Gotham like this. It's like a dream."

Harley couldn't contain her excitement, and with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she bent down to gather a handful of snow. "Snowball fight, anyone?" she proposed with a playful smirk.

Lola, her face reflecting the joy of the moment, simply took Jayden's hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

They had returned to a city they thought they knew, yet it now wore a magical and unfamiliar guise.

Jayden, too, was taken aback by the unexpected transformation of Gotham.

He hadn't anticipated such a picturesque scene upon their return." What the hell actually happened while we were away."

All of them had decided to mute their phone notifications about whatever was happening in Gotham, so they had no idea what had transpired while they were away.

If Jayden knew that the city had turned this way because of a certain black cat...he probably wouldn't know how to react.

.....

The streets of Gotham lay under a thick quilt of undisturbed snow, a profound stillness reigning over the city.

It was an eerie calm, the kind that befell Gotham only in the most surreal moments. Above, the sky held a serene grey, and the world seemed hushed in reverence, broken only by the delicate descent of snowflakes.

They pirouetted through the air, each flake a tiny dancer, forming a dreamscape that transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Before the familiar barber shop, nestled in the heart of this winter wonderland, stood a solitary figure, a stark black contrast against the pristine white.

It was a cat, its ebony fur glistening with a dusting of snow.

The feline lay undisturbed, an island of tranquillity against the backdrop of the closed establishment.

Its breaths, visible puffs in the frigid air, were slow and steady, as if the cold held no effect over it.

From a distance, a lone figure approached, their steps slow and purposeful. The cadence of their walk spoke of confidence, but there was an unmistakable finesse in their gait.

As they drew nearer to the shop, the muffled crunch of their boots on the snow ceased, and the quiet of the scene was broken only by the faint vapour of their breath.

The air was crisp, biting, yet filled with a certain purity.

With quiet determination, they continued their approach until they stood before the black figure in the snow.

The cat, its ears flicking at the approach, detected a scent—a scent it knew with an intimacy that transcended words. For a fleeting moment, it hesitated, its feline mind grappling with the reality of the situation.

And then, as if an emotional dam had burst, the cat lifted its head, its eyes locking with those of the person before it.

The human knelt, a gesture of both humility and love, their eyes reflecting warmth and tenderness.

A smile graced their lips, a smile that needed no words, a smile of homecoming, of reunions long yearned for.

The cat blinked, a moment of disbelief in those expressive eyes, before it leapt into the open arms of the person, a joyful meow escaping its throat.

The meow carried with it the depth of longing and the unbridled delight of reunion.

Jayden, for it, was he who had returned, held the cat close, it's purring a soothing melody amidst the quiet of the snow-covered streets.

His laughter, like a cheerful bell in the winter air, rang through the scene. "I know," he whispered, his voice filled with tenderness. "I missed you so much. Thank you for welcoming me back. I'm home now."

With his feline companion nestled securely in his arms, Jayden entered the barber shop, the warm, inviting interior a stark contrast to the snowy landscape outside.

It was a moment of profound yet simple joy, a homecoming that needed no grand gestures, where bonds of friendship and love transcended words.

As the door of Barbets closed behind him, the snowflakes continued their descent, silent witnesses to the beauty of their reunion.