Oh, how foolish.

Undoubtedly, some rich old cod pulled several strings to have the great Joyeuse exhibited at Gotham’s Central Museum of the Fine Arts. There was always a sort of unspoken contest between the wealthy inhabitants of this city. Each tried to outdo the other--whether it be in style, donations, or the like. Who could give the most so that their name could be placed upon new construction that threatened what greenery Gotham had left? Who had the youngest, prettiest woman upon their arm--a trophy to showcase the spoils of their wealth?

Selina Kyle found it sickening.

Most of the time, it served her no purpose. It wasn’t too easy to impress her, given her acquaintanceship with Gotham’s richest poster boy, Bruce Wayne. He could outdo the best of them, though given his unique situation the man usually chose to keep a low profile.

If there was anything Selina knew best, it was that Bruce would never do something like this. Have a priceless artifact sponsored in his metro, within reach of the paws of the world’s most elite cat burglar.

At least she wouldn’t have to face that stern look of disappointment and guilt later. He had nothing to do with the showcasing of Charlemagne's legendary sword in the museum. Sure, Bruce may suspect that Selina would be behind its disappearance, but he’d have no definitive proof unless he'd caught her in the act himself.

Selina followed the movement of this sword, from its initial proposal at a fancy charity gala, to its final confirmation and subsequent movement from overseas. It didn’t take much for her to keep track of it--in fact, that was one of her strengths. The sly woman would take on the role as a socialite named Irena Dubrovna--there was no definitive backstory, only that she was very wealthy, well-traveled, and loved handsome, rich men. The very same men were easily enamored by her persona, letting details slip from their tongue after several glasses of champagne and promises of a good time that never came to fruition.

After catching wind of these plans, Selina followed the trail using standard spy tactics. Adept at research, she was able to follow a sloppy paper trail, wiretap a few lines, and perform some mild hacking techniques to read any related email transmissions. Its arrival happened in the span of about a month, slated for display for one week only.

That’s all she needed.

It wouldn’t be the first time Catwoman has plundered this particular museum. The Cat considered herself far more interested in paintings and rare pendants. But this sword...

It was a magnificent piece of history! Beautifully crafted, it graced the hands and beings of those long lost but whose memories decorate pages of history books. How could she resist? It was a risky investment, for sure, and Selina had no plans to keep the thing. That would leave her far too vulnerable. She told herself she’d display it in her humble abode for a day or so, then unload it as she often did with trinkets of such great value.

The lithe costumed kitten shimmied through an air duct that she'd mapped out many times before. The museum’s blueprint was crucial, and with every ordinary leisurely visit Selina kept her eyes and ears peeled for any minute changes in construction, staging, and even placement of security measures. She knew there’d be heavy security presence tonight--one doesn’t leave a historic relic alone simply with an alarm system and security camera.

Taking out the guarded forces took a bit of maneuvering. Selina had to play this like Batman would--silent takedowns. It was a very effective method. No way to alert the others for assistance, Catwoman disposed of them one by one by way of sneaking and swooping. Once sure the coast was generally clear, the Cat tapped a special setting on the pair of goggles that looked more for show than for function. It was quite the opposite--the eye wear could highlight unusual sources of heat, namely coming from human bodies. All of the bits of blob of orange and yellow she could spot lay still were she left them. Good, she thought. Time to move on. Quickly.

The sword was surrounded by a thick casing of glass--the least of her worries. Selina figured there may be invisible safety measures, too. Keen emeralds darted around once she reached the exhibit. Nothing but cameras. Luckily for this well-versed thief, she was able to kill the footage for a total of one hour. No recording, no proof, hardly any suspicion. But she needed to move fast before the systems were back online.

Move swiftly, Selina did. Her steel claws cut a very careful circle, having to repeat the pattern a few times to truly loosen the piece. With a handy suction tool pulled from her bosom, Catwoman removed the glass and settled it to one side. She didn’t want to break anything, to be reckless. No need to make a mess of things.

The grabby paws handled Joyeuse with such ease. My, it was even more gorgeous in person. The glass really muted its beauty, its significance. Selina slid the weapon into a makeshift sheath for protection, then slipped the entire item into a long duffel bag. She heaved a heavy breath of relief. Almost in the clear.

Catwoman replaced the glass she dissected earlier with the same tool. One could barely see the cut it was so pristine. “Time to get out, time to get out,” she muttered, making a slip into the same grate she emerged from. Her next destination? Home. There were no plans to stay out late tonight, and she dreaded the idea of possibly running into Batman. Little did she know there were other eyes on her actions, and perhaps others who coveted the same treasure she now possessed.