Chapter Text
The sun dappled the grounds of Wayne Manor as clouds attempted to choke it out to allow the almost permanent gloom and rain to rule. The imposing gates opened to allow the sleek red sports car through. Up the long winding drive to the garage it went before it was engulfed inside. Bruce turned off the engine before he sighed in contentment and relief at finally being home. He forced himself out of his car with his brief case to step for the door leading into the manor. As he opened the door, motion on the floor took his attention downwards.
A patterned cat that was slightly larger than the normal house cat looked up at him from a slanted head that looked like a board accidentally squished her skull back as a kitten. The once wild Flatheaded cat was completely normal for her genius though as her back paws pranced towards him as wheels where her now missing front would have been smoothly glided over the floor.
Bruce smiled down at the disabled cat as he bent down to scratch between her ears. “Good evening, Thai. Have you kept everything going as it should around here while I’ve been gone?” Thai leaned into his fingers happily. “Good. Other than Alfred, you’re the only other one that I can count on around here.”
He stood back up to walk towards his study with the wheeled wild cat following after him. Other cats were everywhere in the manor. Draped without care of their location. A lioness walked down the stairs in complete control. “Hello Kitty,” Bruce greeted the definitely not normal pet. He had expected to be getting a few cats added to his life with marrying the infamous Catwoman, but the amount and kinds were definitely not what he had expected. Once his home had been a cat house for any woman willing to interact with his playboy persona, now it was just a cat house.
Alfred came up the hall with a warm cup for him. “Good evening, Master Bruce.”
“Hello Alfred. It's good to be back,” Bruce took the cup in happiness as he handed his over coat to his butler. “Where is everyone?”
“Mistress Selina is in the study, and master Dick rushed off as soon as he came home from school. I am unaware of where he is flying currently,” Alfred informed.
The billionaire paused at the information to study his father figure. What was Dick doing as Robin with the sun still up? And why was Selina down in the cave when she had Bay Cat kittens that she was bottle feeding up here? “What’s going on?”
Alfred did not give any visual clues. “I believe that is best for you to discover. Cover your face when you go down.”
Secrets were never good. Especially when it was your own family keeping them and they say you are going to find out and soon. Please don’t let it be the man-eating tiger Selina was petitioning to save. With all senses on high alert and Bat in full gear, he crept into his study. One slow silent step at a time to the grandfather clock. When it didn’t come alive to strike at him, he activated it to move it aside. The dark stairway yawned open before him into the cavernous depths. Silent, air stifling as its coolness escaped.
Wayne kept his breaths even as he toed into the space. More cats looked up at him in boredom for their eyes to glow at him menacingly. All seemed well, but he still tested every inch, waiting for the trap to be sprung.
The main area of the Batcave opened up with its glows about providing light. At the Batcomputer sat a woman that was a continuous shade of black with the exception of her full red lips. Even in the darkness, her flowing curves were perfect and enticing. Catwoman was beautiful, but the suit only hid the female that was even more so. She was stretched back calmly, and so Bruce’s gaze turned to the other creature beside her as he pulled on his cowl.
It was a young boy. Dirt giving him more of a complexion than most Gothamites ever had and clothes being so destroyed but too big that they might as well have been a used trash bag covering him. His dusty black hair was long and almost suffocating him with how it covered his nose, yet his blue eyes darted sharply behind them. Wariness and watching that no child so young should have. Both of his thin hands held onto the food he was eating as if someone was going to snatch it away and he would fight them for it. The tray of cocktail breads, cheese, and meat was horded away as much as it could be.
Something’s off. Not in Selina’s calm, she could fake death if it suited her, but in the kid’s eyes. Too old. Too still. Like he’s waiting for a cue not heard. Selina stretched with a purr, “Good evening handsome. How are you?”
“What is this?” Batman growled from the shadows. The boy tensed with his fists up to fight whoever was unseen.
“I would think you would be able to figure that out. You are a detective after all. Start with the species,” Catwoman teased warmly.
“What is going on?” Batman growled.
“That’s quite simple. I found this stray kitten…” Catwoman began with a breezy wave at the boy.
That’s how it always started. Every pathetic cat she brought home was introduced that way. “That is not a cat and will not work this time. Try again,” The Dark Knight cut her off.
The cat sighed as she sat up. “I found him this morning. His father was beating him so badly that I thought I had stumbled on a mugging or murder. He needs help handsome.”
“Drop him at child protective services and give the abuse hotline a tip on his parents.”
“This Crime Alley cat’s mother overdosed on her drugs and drinking, and his father is one of Two-Face’s thugs. The abuse hotline can’t do anything about that and where do you think child services will drop him?” Catwoman stated.
Guilt began to eat at the inside of the stoic vigilante at the information, but everything else that was being suggested by bringing the boy here was also against the fur. It would be Arkham Juvenile Detention for the boy, and anything less than a child criminal in there was not good. Any child after Dick was anything for him to avoid the hell for minors. She’d brought many strays into this house. But this one wasn’t just fur and claws. This one had a past, and it looked a lot like Dick’s shadow. Not just physically. Similar in attitude except more aggressive and less prone to smiles and thinking. “What are you going to do with him then?”
A sly smile slid into place. “Well… We have plenty of room….”
“No.”
“How did you decided to let Robin make this his headquarters?”
“With too much pain and consideration. Where is he?”
Catwoman waved off into the caves as she got up to sashay over to him. “Out. He came home from school, saw the alley cat, and dashed off with a smile.” Batman frowned at that. Fast action meant something important. Not telling was trouble, adding a smile on top of that meant he’d better get the Batcomputer going so that he could find the latest Arkham escape. “Come now, handsome. My little minx is lonely. He doesn’t have many friends at school or with the neighbors. All he really has is us and my pets.”
“And your solution is to bring in an abused, troubled kid to do that?”
“Robin understands. He’s seen enough of it out on the streets. He knows enough of how to deal with Gotham’s troubles to not be affected, but his light could help the Crime Alley Cat.”
Batman’s gaze went over to the boy that was glaring right back at him. “What’s his name?”
“I’m Jason Todd. You put my dad in Blackgate. He says if I ever see you, I should spit in your face,” the boy spat venomously with an edge of pride in his upbringing.
“Your father hates everything, kitten. You as well because you exist. Don’t follow everything he says,” Catwoman stated before turning her beautiful eyes upwards pleadingly. “Please, handsome. His father’s going to kill him, and if he survives, he’s going to become another gang member. We have to do something. What good is fighting crime if we allow the next generation to follow the previous? The best solution to peace is to teach the children.”
The point was good, but it also hurt that he was standing in the way. All the orphanages in Gotham went through his mind in consideration before being checked off. With a boy like this, he would have to be sent out of the city to have a chance at not being dumped into a psychopath’s hands or into juvie. Other cities around liked the idea of saving defenseless Gothamites from their home but soon hated it as they realized that even the common untraumatized kids were a tougher and more dark breed with a hint of insanity lurking that only those untouched by the darkness could see. “I’ll find him a place.”
Catwoman straightened with a glare. “I already found one. Don’t waste your time that could be spent saving others.”
“This is not one of your cats.”
“No, he’s a child four years younger than Robin. He deserves even more than my babies. And if he was a bat, you’d let him stay without a glance.”
“I have no control on how many or few bats I have. They were here first, and they can stay. They don’t cause any trouble, so I have no worries for them. Todd will need care like Robin and most likely even more with being young and traumatized.”
Alfred stepped out of the darkness with a tray of cookies and a mask over his features. “I believe it will be much easier this time now that there are more than just the two of us to care for him, and you have learned how to handle a child.”
“That’s right,” Catwoman agreed. “Robin needs a brother, and I would love another kitten. We’ll all work together, and the Crime Alley cat will be slicked up in no time to a sleek tiger.”
“I am not letting another kid out into the streets. I failed Robin in that, and I am not going to let it happen again.”
“That’s fine by me. When he gets a little older and passes whatever test you put Robin through, then he can go out with me if he really wants to do that. We’ll try to encourage him to stay home though.”
I didn’t put Dick through any tests, Batman thought bitterly. He went out and had enough skill and determination to make himself an unstoppable terror. This kid would become the same way fast if he was trained and saw all the rest of them being vigilantes. “He’ll only be safe outside of Gotham.”
“No!” Jason shouted. He glared at the two debating his future. “I am not leaving. I’m staying in Gotham, and I will escape to come back!”
Selina smirked at her secret husband in victory as he sighed. “Don’t worry, handsome. I’ll make it worth your while.”
“I’m transferring to a new city.”
She laughed to herself in amusement as she stepped forward to kiss him. “You wish.”
The roar of an engine was a faint echo that grew louder in the caves. The bats screeched at the interruption to their relative silence. The colorful bike skidded into view and its parking spot with Robin grinning at them. Catwoman put her hands on her hips sternly. “What have we told you about using a helmet? Use your brain when you can instead of splattering it across a road.”
“I did. I only had one,” Robin said as he sat back for his cape to fall back to reveal a small boy wearing his helmet. Blue eyes were wide open in excitement and adoration behind the helmet’s visor.
Batman crossed his arms as his glare came fully out. “No.” No to whatever the other boy was here for. He had enough trouble with Todd already.
Robin pouted, “But if Cat can bring home someone to adopt, can’t I? Timmy needs help too.”
“Timmy,” Batman stated in order of explanation.
Robin pulled his helmet from the tiny boy’s head and swung him off his bike and to the ground. The face was instantly recognizable. It was the child of their next-door neighbors, the Drakes. Five years younger than Dick and one under the pint-sized explosive sneaking food and cookies into his pockets for later when no one seemed to be watching. But he also seemed much younger with how small and thin he was. “His parents have been gone for the last month on their trip to Europe. You know that they leave Timmy all the time and that he only has servants to take care of him and be his friends. This is a prime example of neglect and non-physical abuse. He has no one B. He’s like I was.”
Catwoman smiled warmly at the near toddler before glancing knowingly at her partner in crime fighting. Bruce felt everything compounding. Abandoned with no family or friends in Gotham, similar to Dick after he first arrived. Alone was the perfect opening for Gotham to sneak in and try and claim someone for herself. A breeding ground to either twist the Drake kid into either a lunatic that would be a danger to put in Arkham, or a cold billionaire that was going to do damage in the upper class and politics. His wife smoothly looked at her suits claws in interest. “You know handsome. Timothy is very quiet and well mannered. He won’t be as much work to raise with the Crime Alley cat. They would be able to stay here together and be in a similar grade in school and activities.”
“He already has parents.” Batman argued back.
“Does he now?” She questioned. “We are good at gathering evidence. In a few months, we’ll have enough that a judge will take him away with little debate over the money and we’ll give him some real parents.”
“You want to adopt me?” Timothy asked in excitement before smiling up at Robin with complete adoration for the younger hero. “You were right.”
“You know B has a soft spot for helping anyone,” Robin said as he took the smaller boy’s hand to lead him over to the gathering.
Timothy gasped as if he had forgotten something very important and rushed over to offer his hand to shake with the Dark Knight and his lady. “I’m sorry. It’s good to meet you, Mr. Wayne.”
Robin held up his hands fast at the Batglare suddenly on him. “I didn’t tell him! He figured it out himself. You guys know he’s been stalking us on patrol and trying to get pictures of us. He’s smart.”
Selina smiled down at the Drake boy as she gently shook his hand. “A clever little stray.”
Robin’s smirk was dark and mischievous. “You know B, being around gossipy socialites, he might accidentally let who we are slip.”
Timothy shook his head fast. “No, I won’t! Robin’s too amazing to tell on!”
Jason scoffed, “What’s he do? He’s just a kid but my dad wants to stick a gun between his eyes and blow his head off.”
“He’s still sore that I tied him upside down at the last job he did?” Robin questioned with a grin.
The Crime Alley boy blinked in surprise before glaring in thought at the child vigilante. “You did that? I thought it was Batman.”
“B knocks their teeth and brains out before doing that. I like to let them know they were caught and make fun of them for it. Really! Look at me! I’m a hundred pounds with the armor and belt on and I’m taking out guys usually three times my size on a nightly basis! That is pathetic.” Robin exclaimed. Todd smiled slightly at the energetic point.
Timothy looked up at the Boy Wonder. “You also are an acrobat and highly trained with all the rogues of Gotham protecting you from each other while trying to kill you at the same time.”
Batman sighed, “Take them home. I’ll work on it.”
“After dinner,” Catwoman stated with no room for argument. “The kittens are not going home with out full stomachs, and we’re not going on patrol without something to run on.”
“Fine,” The Dark Knight said softly in defeat as he looked between the two boys that were suddenly part of his life. He turned to sit at the Batcomputer’s main chair as the others trickled over to their collection of seats. Todd jerked away as Alfred placed a hand on his shoulder to guide him to one of the seats. “Don’t touch me!”
“He won’t hurt you. A is the best,” Robin said as he lifted Tim into a seat that was too tall for him to easily get into and grabbed Jason by the arm to drag him over to sit on his other side. The boy fought back with a snarl but sat still at the refusal to let go or be afraid. “So, how long did it take you to get the front tires off of Cat’s Catillac?”
“What?” Batman growled in surprise at the information.
Catwoman laughed as dinner was brought down to them. “After I arrested his father, I found him trying to steal my car’s wheels.”
Todd shifted as though he didn’t know if he was in danger or if he should be proud of himself. “Don’t know. Didn’t check. But they were harder to get off than all the other cars I’ve swiped.”
“It takes me ten minutes a tire with the lock system and refined metric. If you can beat that, you can take over on that for me,” Robin said as Alfred made sure that the majority of the food was in front of the two strays now with them.
Jason cautiously glared at the two boys before drawing back into his seat and grabbing his food to keep out of their reach as he ate. Tim leaned forward in his seat to get closer to Robin, “How are you so good at using your metal staff stick? Batman and Catwoman don’t use them. Did they teach you? Can you teach me? I want to be Robin too!”
The Boy Wonder laughed at the excitement. “I’ll teach you, little wing, but you are not stealing my name.”
“No codenames or patrols until I say so,” Batman growled as he tried to get any control over the situation.
“Which one of you wants to become a cat burglar?” Selina questioned instead.
“Not me. I’ll be a bird like Robin,” Tim declared certainly.
Jason watched them all warily and with slight confusion as Batman slumped in his seat.