A/N: Cathleen is owned by CartoonNetwork90sFan and Lionel is owned by Scrappy Doo Fan. I own Cherry, and everyone else belongs to their respective owners. Remember to Read & Review, and consider this an alternate universe.
It's night time at the Tower, and the team has gathered in the main room for their weekly movie night.
"So, what's the movie for this week?" asked Atticus.
"A film called Gotham by Gaslight-a peek into a world that's similar but different to our own!" Lionel explained, inserting the DVD into the DVD player.
"Cool... Alternate Reality..." Atticus said.
"I feel like we live in one." Cherry smirked jokingly as she carried a bowl of popcorn chicken.
"And now, to start the show!" Todd smirked, pressing play on the DVD player.
"Sweet!" Lionel beamed, glancing at the bowl Cherry was holding. "Need some ketchup for those?"
"Barbecue sauce actually." Cherry replied.
"Done and done!" Lionel replied, as he snapped his fingers and conjured up a squeeze bottle full of barbecue sauce.
Cherry accepted the bottle and poured the sauce in with the bowl to enjoy her snack as they came together.
"Guys, the movie's starting!" Riley whispered as they got comfy.
Cherry soon sat down with the others as they went to see the movie with the Warner Bros. logo appearing on screen. And then, the DC logo. And finally, the opening credits began.
There seemed to be a girl with light brown hair that no one recognized who wore glasses over her blue eyes as she wandered around the streets, she looked a bit beat up, and she had a cup with her while holding her stomach as she was hungry, but didn't have any money. A lot of the other people down the street just passed her, finding her to be a filthy orphan and told her to either 'beat it' or 'get a job'.
Just then, a boy clad in street clothes popped up next to her. "Evenin', miss-how goes it?" he asked with a cheerful smile.
"You gonna make fun of me too?" The girl huffed with a small pout before coughing slightly.
The boy looked genuinely confused. "Why would I do that? I just met'cha!" he replied.
"Hmph... Well... I haven't had the easiest life..." The girl rolled her eyes. "I'm Cathleen, and I'm an... Orphan..." she then said, sounding a bit soft and depressed about that fact. "I get made fun of for it by other kids, and no one seems to like me."
"Cathleen, eh?" asked the boy. "Well, nice to meet ya! Name's Lionel, an' I'm an orphan too! But I don't let the teasing bother me!"
"I just wanna beat up those bullies sometimes," Cathleen huffed. "But... We better get off the streets. They say there's a killer around these parts."
"A killer, huh?" asked Lionel. "That is a good reason to get off the streets..."
"I wanna help protect the world, but no one will listen to me..." Cathleen said as she went with Lionel.
"Well, everyone wants to be a hero," Lionel replied. "Believe me, I know the feeling..."
"Hmph," Cathleen shrugged with a pout. "At least I'm not a snob like some people..." she then said with a small glance over to a mansion that they had passed down the street.
"Really?" asked Lionel. "What's the big deal with that place? Looks real nice. I'd give me left pinky toe ta crash there, I would."
"I haven't met her, but Selina Kyle has a niece in there who's a real snob..." Cathleen rolled her eyes. "I doubt she cares about anyone but herself."
"Oh, come now, she can't be that bad." Lionel replied curiously.
"Hmm..." Cathleen rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I don't wanna take my chances."
"Maybe not, but I'm willing to!" Lionel decided.
"I better get to the boys... I couldn't get a lot of money tonight..." Cathleen sighed. "Hopefully we can maybe find a scrap of food that we can all share, and they don't get too greedy."
"Alright, I'll catch up with you in awhile..." Lionel replied. "I figure I'll hang around to catch a look at that Kyle lady's niece."
"Good luck with that..." Cathleen rolled her eyes as she began to leave. "Let me know if she removes that stick from her ass."
"I intend to make sure of THAT!" Lionel replied confidently. "I'm definitely persistent!"
"Well, at least someone has the same mindset I do, even if that kid's a brat." Cathleen rolled her eyes with a smirk.
Lionel was soon left alone as there seemed to be a show going on where adult men were eager to go into see up close. Lionel and Cathleen became close friends afterwards and they stayed with Sister Leslie along with other orphans. They all became like a family even if they never had one of their own before.
"A woman? Of course!" announced the barker. "But-is she human? Well, that's another story. The Gotham Gaiety Girls presents...Ivy, the Plant Lady!"
The curtains opened and revealed a red-haired woman dressed in green like a belly-dancer.
"But, be warned, fellas, this ivy is poison! Dare you taste her forbidden fruit...?" The man chuckled.
Ivy soon danced her dance while the men drooled and fawned over her. One man in the audience looked to Ivy, though he had something else in mind for her which would be a 'killer idea'. Soon, Ivy grew annoyed at the catcalls of the men in the audience, and eventually left out the back... Not knowing she was being followed.
Lionel soon went off on his own, and he looked up to one window. There was a girl around his age who was sitting by her bed as she was brushing her hair down, wearing a nightgown by candlelight as she was about to go to bed for the night.
Lionel's face went red with astonishment. "Glory be... She's... She's astonishing..." he said to himself. "Perhaps... I could speak with her tomorrow... In the daytime..."
A woman's scream was heard which was a bit chilling.
Cathleen soon came into an alley and three boys came out and one of them had a knife. "Guys, relax, it's me." she told her fellow orphans.
"Cath?" asked a red-haired boy. "Izzat you? Where's Lionel? Thought he wuz with you..."
"He wanted to check out the Kyle place for a minute." Cathleen rolled her eyes.
"He's a strange fellow, that Lionel." commented the black-haired boy.
"You said it." Cathleen said.
"Did you get food?" The youngest boy asked her.
"I'm sorry..." Cathleen frowned. "I probably only have enough for half a ham sandwich and maybe a thimble filled with soup."
The oldest boy sighed. "It's not much... But it'll hafta do..." he replied.
"Sorry, guys, people just hated me more than usual tonight." Cathleen pouted.
"It's not your fault." The second-youngest boy reassured.
Cathleen held her stomach as she felt very hungry. There appeared to be a couple that walked down the street together.
"Heeey... I think we should have some fun." The redheaded boy smirked.
"Uh, I dunno about this, Jason..." Cathleen said to him.
"Aw, c'mon, we hafta do what's necessary to survive!" Jason replied.
Cathleen held her stomach as it kept growling.
"Come on, Cath, it might get us some food." The youngest boy whimpered.
Cathleen sighed reluctantly. "Fine... But I won't like it..." she replied.
"Since when don't ya like bein' rough and tough." Jason laughed.
Cathleen rolled her eyes. "Let's just get it over with..."
And so, the street urchins made their move.
"Whatever ya say." Jason chuckled as they soon moved out.
Cathleen sighed, but she soon followed Jason, Timmy, and Dickie. Shortly afterwards, in an alleyway, a wealthy-looking couple was cornered by the gang of urchins.
"Ya took the shortcut through Outsiders territory," the red-haired one explained. "Ya gotta pay the tariff. Ain't that right, Dickie?"
"Names, Jason, remember?" The other boy reminded as he got ready. "We don't use our names."
"Oh, let's go back to the flop, fellas," The youngest boy suggested. "It's gettin' awful late."
"Too late on that now, Timmy." Cathleen sighed to him.
"Don't go yellow on me, boy," growled a portly man with sideburns as he emerged from the shadows. "Or else. Waitaminute... Where's Lionel? He was supposed to be with you!"
"Erm... He... Uh... I..." Timmy stammered fearfully.
"Don't you worry, Bill. We're on the job," Jason told him as he took a hold of Timmy. "What? Ya scared of the dark, Little Tim?"
"Nah, it's just... After what happened to Johnny Gobbs, I-" Timmy frowned.
"Relax, Timmy. The Bat's not real. He's just like, um... Santa Claus," Dickie explained. "A story made up to keep kids like us from makin' an honest livin'!"
"Yeah, it's only a gag." Cathleen added.
"Oh, he's real alright," Jason smirked as he held out his knife to the frightened adult couple. "That's why you gotta pay us. For protecting you from monsters. Now pay up."
"B-B-B..." The man stammered at first.
"Buh-buh-buh," Jason mocked. "I think we might've broke him, fellas."
"..Bat!" the man cried, pointing behind them.
Standing nearby in the fog was a tall man dressed like a bat.
"Bat?" Cathleen asked before looking. "Whoa!"
"Holy, shit!" Dickie called out.
"Stick 'em, boys." Bill told them all, even Cathleen, not caring that he called her a boy too.
Jason first charged with his knife, but Batman just moved aside, causing him to trip and fall into a pile of garbage. Tim and Dick tried to circle him, but Batman just knocked the pipe from Dick's hands and used it to break Tim's spear.
"Whoa..." Cathleen whispered.
"Why are you dressed like a boy?" Batman asked her as girls often dressed like girls in this time.
Cathleen shrugged. "Meh."
"So you're the galumph who's been making a nuisance of yourself all over Gotham, ain't ya?" Bill asked.
Cathleen soon rushed with the boys to get out of the way as Bill put on his brass knuckles.
"Well, now you're in Big Bill Dust's territory, interfering with my amiable Cock Robins," Bill glared as he looked ready to beat Batman up. "You're bad for business. Bad all 'round. Too bad for you."
Batman soon ducked and back away from the punches, missing them before he soon fought back. Bill grunted as his nose began to bleed, but he didn't let that stop him as he tried to fight Batman back. Bill charged at Batman like a bull in a china shop, only resulting in him breaking some of the walls, before Batman took Bill's arm and broke it over his knee, then judo-flipped him over his shoulder. The couple decided to take this time to escape.
"Go home." Batman told the orphans.
"Am home." Dick replied.
"Home to Mommy." Batman replied.
"They ain't got one. None of us do," Cathleen said. "Or we run off from something even worse than this."
"This is our family now," Jason added. "Makin' something here. Taking something back from Gotham."
"Make something else... Something better." Batman replied.
"We ain't got a choice. He'll just chase us down again and find us." Dickie replied.
Bill snarled as he got back up with his nose still gushing out blood. Batman soon kicked his leg, making the man holler out of excruciating pain.
"He won't be chasing anyone for a long time," Batman told the street urchins. "Go to St. Caduales, ask for Sister Leslie. She'll help you."
Just then, a scream of terror rang through the night.
"Get off the street, NOW!" Batman ordered, and the four orphans scurried off into the night.
Once they were gone, Batman soon used his grappling hook to approach the scene of the crime. Ivy was literally being stabbed in the back, and among other places, as someone hacked her with his blade as she screamed. Finally, the screams of pain died out, and the murderer put his knife back into his bag before walking off into the fog. Batman appeared only to see that Ivy was now a cadaver and would most certainly never dance again.
Lionel soon came through the alleys after taking a look at the Kyle place, Selina's niece didn't see him, but he felt like that he needed to see her again as soon as possible. "I know what I'll do! I'll see her tomorrow, no matter WHAT!" he beamed to himself as he walked through the dirty alleyways.
"Lionel, is that you?" Cathleen asked.
"As sure as sure can be!" Lionel replied confidently.
"That Bat guy was amazing... I'd like to be a superhero like him, saving innocent people and beating up bad guys..." Cathleen smiled as she felt inspired.
"Sounds mighty interesting..." Lionel replied. "In other news, I've made up my mind, Cathleen. I'm going to visit the Kyle residence tomorrow and meet Ms. Kyle and her niece. I manage to clean up well, even for an orphan!"
"Uh... I wish you a lot of luck with that," Cathleen said. "I just hope they don't call a dog-catcher or something on you or send you to the bathhouse."
"Dog-catcher? Whatever for?" Lionel wondered. "I haven't fur or fleas!"
"I'm just saying, be careful around them, they could be snobs." Cathleen said.
"You could be right, but we'll see tomorrow," Lionel replied. "Now where are the other boys? We'll need somewhere to rest for tonight."
"The Bat Guy told us to go to St. Caduales to see Sister Leslie." Cathleen informed.
"Grand! Maybe there we can get some decent clothes and somewhere to rest our heads..." Lionel replied as he followed after Cathleen.