Disclaimer: I own nothing. In my dreams- yes. Real life? No way in heck. Also, the views in this story about foster care and orphanages are completely inaccurate, it is solely poetic licence.
Shrieks of horror erupted from the crowd as the two acrobats fell from the snapped trapeze.
"Mami! Tati!" shouted the small boy, around 8½ kneeling on the platform. A large 'CRACK' echoed through the circus tent.
A woman with green eyes and black hair watched as the boy scrambled down the ladder and raced across the ring to the crumpled figures.
She had seen the child's acrobatics and was impressed.
She sighed as she glanced once more at the boy. He would have made a good thief, Selina Kyle A. K. A. Catwoman thought before exiting the tent.
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2 months later as Catwoman was pulling off a heist, her mind was on that poor boy.
Where had he ended up?
Where ever it was would have been awful, foster care? He'd be seen as a free meal. Nothing more. Orphanages, just as bad, worse. And if they were all full, Juvie was always open. That kid didn't deserve being in 'Mini Arkham' as they called it.
She shivered, snapping back to reality.
Quickly she snapped up a ring, a necklace, a bracelet, two earrings, another ring, a brooch, another necklace and a rare Romani sapphire jewel. She looked at the gem. It was the colour of that little boy's eyes…
"Catwoman, you climbed up the wrong tree." a deep voice growled.
"Oh Batsy, frankly, I'm busy so let's make this quick." she sneered. As always, she managed to slink off into the night.
Catwoman arrived at her home in a 'nicer' place in Gotham.
Changing into some normal clothes, she took out her laptop.
She immediately researched that little boy, 'Richard Grayson'. As she read the article, she paled. "No…." she whispered.
He was in Juvie. Her heart broke.
Out of no where she had an idea, a crazy one but an idea none the less. Picking up the phone she dialed his social worker's number which was listed below.
"Hello, Miss Speranza, I'd like to adopt a boy named Richard Grayson." she stated.
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Within a week she was driving to Juvie to go and adopt that poor little boy.
As she entered the main office, she saw the little 8 year old sitting in a large green chair.
He turned, his deep blue eyes making contact with her bright green ones.
"Well, kid you better thank this nice lady. Without her, there's no way you would have ever gotten out of here." the warden hissed.
"How dare you! You don't tell a little kid that!" gasped Miss Speranza. Miss S. had neck length blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and an overly sweet personality.
'She could give you a tooth ache.' thought Selina bitterly.
"Is everything in order?" Selina asked.
"Yep, you ready Richard?" she asked the little boy, who nodded excitedly.
"I'll miss you, though." he whispered.
"Oh! Don't worry, if Miss Kyle allows me, I'll come visit." she beamed, knowing she would need to come to inspect if Selina was taking good care of him. Selina had no choice.
Then they got up and left that awful office, then the horrid building.
As they entered Selina's car she asked him "Ready to see your new home?" and he nodded, a slight smile on his lips.
As they pulled up to her house, she gave him a tour, then showed him his room.
"Will I have to go to school? I heard it's a not fun place." he asked quietly.
"No, I'll be homeschooling you!" she said, smiling. That was one of the perks of not having a real job.
Three nights later, she woke up with little Richard, or Dick as he told her he'd rather be called, poking her arm.
"Why didn't you tell me you were Catwoman?" he asked innocently.
She gaped at him, "How on earth did you find out?" she whispered.
"Well I couldn't sleep, so I went to the bookshelf to find something to read when I found your costume and weapons in a secret room, after I took the book I liked out." he explained.
Before she could say anything he asked, "Can I help? You could train me!"
Selina smiled, a partner in crime couldn't hurt….. could it?
"We start training in the morning." she stated.
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3 months later, Selina was finally letting Richard come with her to meet Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, her good friends.
She let him wear his costume for effect and to keep his identity under wraps just in case their meeting was... interrupted.
It was a plain black shirt with plain black pants, with knee high boots with pockets on the side (each holding an assortment of weapons), two gloves (equipped with retractable claws), a black domino mask, and a 'tail' that could double as a whip.
They arrived at Poison Ivy's warehouse at around 7:00 pm.
They snuck in through a window and made their 'grand entrance'.
"Harley! Ivy! You should break out more often!" Catwoman laughed emerging from the shadows with 9 year old Richard following closely.
"Cat! Great to see ya'! Ooooh! Who's that little cutie!" Harley bellowed.
"Oh, meet my son/partner in crime, Swift Claw! Swift Claw, this is Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Two of my best friends." she introduced.
"Hi." he said nervously.
"Oooh! Can we be his aunts?" asked Harley excitedly.
"Sure! A bigger family the better!" Catwoman smiled.
In about an hour, Catwoman caught Swift Claw yawning.
"Oh, we'd best be heading home, say 'Goodbye' kitten." said Catwoman as she climbed toward the window.
"Bye Aunt Harley, Bye Aunt Ivy!" he called over his shoulder as he and his mentor disappeared.
"I love being an aunt! Wait until I tell Mistah J he's an uncle!" squealed Harley.
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Around a year later, Catwoman decided it was time for his first robbery!
They checked over their gear, suited up, then snuck around the rooftops of Gotham.
"What are we stealing?" the now 10 year old asked.
"The Cat eyed jewel of Nefertiti." she whispered back.
They continued along the roof until they got to a sky light.
"I'll give you the honour." stated Catwoman as she helped Swift Claw into the harness.
"Remember, grab it, secure it in your belt pouch, tug on the line, I'll pull you up, then we're out of here." she reminded him.
All was going fine he was being lowered down at a safe pace. He scooped up the green and black jewel, fastened it in his belt pouch and tugged the rope. She pulled him up then they ran.
Luckily Swift Claw was deep in the shadows when a certain Caped Crusader popped up.
He didn't see 'Claw'.
"Sweetie, go home and wait. Change and hide the jewel, I'll be home soon." she whispered in a voice too low for Bats to hear.
'Claw' didn't need to be told twice.
He discreetly slipped away and ran home.
"Catwoman, where is the jewel?" he growled.
"Safe, and far, far, far away from here!" she purred.
"You have a partner, don't you?" he glared.
"Maybe, maybe not." she laughed, before taking off down the rooftops, and as always, lost the Big Bad Bat.
As she arrived home, she saw he was eagerly waiting for her.
"That was SO much fun! We HAVE to do it again!" he stated, smiling.
"Oh don't you worry! We will." she purred.
And that was the first of their many, many heists.