The rest of the night passed rather peacefully. Jason carried a sleepy Shi down to the cave so she wouldn't be alone. He needed to go out on patrol tonight as it wasn't good for the Hood to not be seen for too many nights in a row. He had explained it to her as best as he could that he had to leave for the night and the pout that appeared on her face nearly broke his heart. In the end, he didn't want to leave her alone so he figured if he left her down in the cave with Alfie then maybe she'd be better with him gone. He had gotten her changed into some warm pajamas and big fuzzy socks so she'd stay warm while down in the cave. Everyone else was already down in the cave getting ready for the night's patrol. The only person not going out was Tim and that was because he was continuing his research into Shi's situation. Well, that and Barbara had the night off and somebody had to be on coms and keep everyone in touch.
Shi looked around at everyone in both amazement and confusion as Jason sat her down in a big comfy chair that twirled. They were all in weird outfits and were picking up many different weapons. Jason had explained to her a couple of minutes ago that they all go out and stop bad guys from doing bad things every night. She guessed that is what she had found him doing when she first saw him. From what she remembered him wearing that night Jason definitely had the most normal fighting outfit out of all of them.
She glanced over at Mr. Bruce and tilted her head slightly as she took in his outfit, it was a little scary looking. It was all black with slight grey accents. The only part of him that was visible was the area around his mouth. There were little pointy ear-like things on top of his head and a symbol on his chest that her mind offered after a delay was a bat. He had a long cape that looked slightly tattered on the bottom and if he moved just right it looked like the cape consumed him. She scooched back slightly and glanced over to the next person. Mr. Bruce was a bit too scary looking when he was dressed up like that. She still wasn't too sure if she liked Mr. Bruce when he was normal looking.
Dick was jumping around, stretching, and doing things she didn't know a human body could do. Maybe he could teach her how to do those stretchy and bendy if she asked him. Well, once she figured out how to articulate questions. He was in a one-piece bodysuit that was mostly black, with a blue bird-ish-looking design across his chest and shoulders. There was a black mask over his eyes and if she didn't know that it was Dick behind the mask she never would have recognized him. It astounded her that with a simple mask over their eyes made them unrecognizable.
Damian was in an outfit that was much more colorful than she would have ever imagined him in. His top was mostly red with yellow accents, his boots were really tall and green. He had black pants and green gloves as well. He had a cape similar to Mr. Bruce's but it only fell to the back of his knees instead of floor length. The outside of it was a deep black, but the inside of it was yellow. She didn't even know that clothing could be different colors on each side. He had a green mask over his eyes. She briefly saw his sword hidden on his back by the cape.
Even the one called Tim was dressed up oddly. His outfit was like a mix between Jason's and Mr. Bruce's. He had a red top with black pants. He had a cape as well and Shi was starting to notice a trend of those. Everyone had a belt with lots of pockets on it, but he also had two things crisscrossing over his chest that has pockets on them as well. He was sitting down in the chair next to her and was typing super fast on the keyboard.
Alfred was over in the corner where a small kitchen counter was set up and he was preparing something that smelled very bitter to her nose. She could also smell her tea and she started getting excited for the upcoming cup. She watched him walk over with a tray full of cups. Mr. Bruce, Dick, and Jason got a normal-sized cup of the bitter smelling liquid. Tim got a ginormous cup of the bitter smelling stuff. Both Damian and herself got a cup of tea. She held the warm cup close to her and smiled up at Alfred in thanks.
Jason came out of the room he had disappeared into dressed in the outfit that she had found him in that first night. The mask was over his face again, but he didn't have the red helmet on yet. He had it tucked under his arm as he approached her. He carefully leaned up against her chair so it wouldn't roll away. He patted the top of her head and she unconsciously leaned into his touch. As everyone was finishing their drinks Jason explained to her what everyone was called when they were dressed up like this. She found it odd that they had two identities, but she just shrugged it off. Who was she to know, maybe this was normal. Maybe all families outside of the lab were like this.
"We should get going," Dick said as he set his coffee cup down on the counter.
Jason nodded and set his cup down, "Feel free to fall asleep, I'll be here in the morning when you wake up." He approached Alfred and said quietly, "If she falls asleep could you take her up to our bed?"
"Of course Master Jason," Alfred nodded to him as he sat down at his own set of computer screens.
Shi watched them all get on or into different vehicles. Jason slipped the red helmet onto his head before straddling a motorcycle similar to the one he brought them to the manor on and took off. Mr. Bruce and Damian got into a big, black, and dangerous-looking car. Dick got onto a motorcycle as well and soon enough they all disappeared.
Shi didn't even notice the frown pulling at her lips as she stared after them until Alfred got her attention, "They will be back soon Miss Shi, do not fear."
A few hours passed before Tim glanced over to the tiny girl who was determinedly fighting sleep. It seemed like she didn't want to go to sleep until Jason got back. He bit his lip slightly before turning fully to her. Maybe this was a good chance to get back onto the kid's good side. He had seen her watching both Alfred's and his own computers with curiosity burning in her eyes.
He cleared his throat lightly to gain her attention and she glanced over at him warily. He smiled at her as friendly as he could and gestured to his screen, "Do you want to see what we're doing?"
Uncertainty filled her. On one hand curiosity about all of the different screens and lights meant. On the other hand, she would need to get closer to the one called Tim. Very, very slowly she nodded her head. It was a downfall of hers, but her curiosity would win over her self preservation every single time.
Tim got up and wheeled her chair closer to his computer screen. He started pointing to different things on his screen and explaining what each thing meant or was tracking. Tim had to hide a self-satisfied smile as he noticed Shi getting more and more comfortable with him as he spoke calmly. He felt a surge of victory as she grabbed his sleeve and tugged slightly before pointing to the city map in question.
"That is linked to the police scanners. The different colors mean different levels of crime. White is petty crime that the police should be able to handle themselves. The blue dots are organized crime movements. And finally, the red dots are crimes involved with the supervillains." He explained.
Shi pointed to the one red dot on the map with a worried frown upon her face. Tim controlled the mouse and clicked on the dot, instantly all of the information they had on the call popped up. Knowing that she couldn't read he explained out loud.
"Looks like people connected to the Penguin were seen smuggling in crates of guns. Let's fix that shall we?" he asked her in a tone that made her seem involved. Shi nodded quickly, pointing to the screen eagerly. Tim had to actively fight the urge to laugh at her adorableness. He connected himself to both Jason's and Dick's coms as they were closer, "Nightwing, Red Hood we've got some trouble brewing at the docks. Looks like Penguin is trying to expand his ammunitions again."
"I'm on it." Red Hood answered briefly before cutting the connection off.
"On route to give him back up." Nightwing said chipperly before assumingly jumping off a building with the sound of the wind in the background, "How is everything going down in the cave?" he asked for information.
"Everything is going good down here. Shi's been helping me keeping track of everything. She's a pretty good helper." He answered in an almost smug tone.
"That's great Red! Thanks for helping kiddo." Nightwing answered chipperly, "But it's getting pretty late, you should think about going to bed. Otherwise, you'll be too tired to do anything tomorrow. It is your last full day with all of us." He told her.
Shi pouted slightly and sunk down into her seat. She didn't want to go to bed before Jason comes back. It was childish of her, she knew this, but she wanted to make sure that he really did come back before she fell asleep. There was a small tiny voice in the back of her head that was terrified of Jason leaving her.
Tim smirked at the clearly put-out expression she was wearing, "I'll see if I can get her to sleep. Let me know how everything goes down on the docks and if you need back up or not." Tim answered.
"You got it Little bird, see you in a few hours." Nightwing chirped out before cutting off the connection.
Tim glanced down at Shi who had her arms crossed, a pout on her face, and he noticed her tail swishing side to side irritably. Note to self, Shi is not fond of bedtime if Jason isn't around. Jason had said that she had fallen asleep just fine last night and her nap during the day, but both of those times Jason had been with her. His lips twitched in thought before he cautiously offered her an alternative, "Do you want to settle down on my lap until Jason comes back?" If she was on his lap there was a good chance that he could coax her asleep.
Shi stared at him with wide eyes and her tail froze in place. It felt like her mind was going a hundred miles an hour. It dawned on her that, yes, she wanted to. She had come to the decision that she really rather enjoyed sitting on people's laps. She had mostly been cuddled by Dick since she came here, but she had sat on Jason's lap as well a few times. She had even sat on Alfred's lap once while they were waiting for the cookies to cook. She felt safe and it just made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. However, did she trust Tim enough to be that close to him? Everyone else seemed to trust him and he did apologize to her, a few times now.
Tim was fully expecting her to say no, he really was. He had just thought he could throw the idea out there, let her know he was willing to further their relationship. The fact that she was simply staring at him with wide eyes led him to believe that she was going to say no. He was about to say that it was fine if she didn't want to when she surprised him. Shi very slowly and cautiously lifted her arms up to be picked up. Tim's eyes widened slightly before a smile split across his face. He reached over and lifted her off her chair and plopped her in his lap. She was much lighter than he thought she would be.
Shi was cautious for a while before slowly becoming comfortable. She sensed absolutely no ill will coming from him. His arms practically cradled her as he continued to type on the computer, occasionally giving people information. Shi lazily watched the dots on the map, her favorite screen to watch because she understood what it did the best. The constant combination rhythm of Tim's heartbeat, the clicking of the keyboard, and Tim's slight movement from typing slowly lulled her to sleep.
Tim paused slightly as Shi's head slumped onto his outstretched arm. He carefully repositioned her so that she was leaning on his chest and continued typing. About an hour later he was about to call out to Alfred to maybe take her up to Jason's room when one of his programs jumped to the front, signifying it found something.
It was the facial recognition he had been running on Shi to try and find where she had entered Gotham so he could try and start backtracking where she had originally come from. A traffic camera saw Shi sneaking her way to a nearby alleyway from the Northside of Gotham. He started furiously typing away, the north. She had come from the forests in the north. Finally! He had a starting point. Now all they would have to do was search for any odd happenstance from that area. Three different rivers ran through those woods. If he could only figure out which river had a cliff near it then he could start backtracking her journey back to the lab she had come from. A grin stretched across his face, just wait until he told everyone when they got back!
Damian glanced at his watch to find the time was nearing ten-thirty. If he was going to go through with his plan then he would need to split off from Father now. He turned to his Father before saying, "Tonight is quiet enough that splitting up would be beneficial. I volunteer to take sector two."
Bruce glanced down at Damian, suspicion burning through his gaze. Sector two was arguably the calmest, crime-free area of Gotham. It was filled with socialites and most of the crimes committed there were burglaries. It was an area that Damian usually fought tooth and nail to not have to patrol as he found it boring and a waste of his time.
"What are you up to Robin?" he growled out.
"I assure you that I don't know what you are talking about Father. Perhaps I simply want a calmer night." he sent his father a fight me look.
Bruce glared down at his son before letting out a sigh, "Please don't do anything that I'll regret later."
Damian merely nodded before grappling off. There was a certain penthouse that he needed to visit before the night was over. He didn't have to worry about her being asleep as he knew she was very much a night person.
Ten minutes later he landed on the balcony of the penthouse that was his destination. He walked to the doors and knocked before stepping back and waiting for the person inside to let him in. Less than a minute passed before the door opened.
Selina Kyle wrapped her night robe tighter around her as she opened up her balcony door. What she was expecting definitely wasn't Bruce's youngest. Usually, if she got a midnight visitor like this it was the Bat himself, or occasionally Dick who just needed someone to babble rant to, someone who would just listen to him without interrupting. She wasn't even sure if Damian even likes her or not. Though once he had come to the understanding that his mother was a toxic bitch who only wanted to kill him now, he had started coming around to her a bit more. At least he didn't look at her like he wanted to stab her in her sleep anymore.
"Kyle I require a favor," Damian said with no niceties involved. He still was not overly fond of the woman, but his father seemed to have quite the soft spot for her. He had also recently overheard conversations about him possibly furthering relations with the woman, so he needed to play nice.
Selina smirked down at the boy before opening the door up further, letting him in. The boy was clearly uncomfortable and that fact amused her to no end, "What can I help you with Damian?" she asked after she shut the door behind them.
"I am in need of a cat. Have any of your cats had kittens the past few months?" Damian asked simply.
Well, that was the last thing that she thought he would be asking about, "Has Bruce finally lifted his one cat only rule?" she asked as she made her way toward the records she kept of all of her cats.
"The cat is not for me, Father has sadly not lifted his restrictions as of yet. I shall wear him down eventually."
Selina raised an elegant eyebrow at him, "Who is the cat for then?" she was absolutely flabbergasted that he was going to be gifting an animal to another. She would have been worried about the cat's wellbeing, going to a stranger, but if Damian was okay with the person having an animal then the cat would be fine. The kid cared more about animals than he did other humans.
Damian shifted his weight slightly before answering, "Todd found a child and is taking care of her. She was a lab experiment and has never seen anything outside of the lab until yesterday. Todd will be taking her back to his apartment Monday morning. I have been to Todd's dwelling before, and it is depressing. Honestly, it's barely livable." Damian found himself rambling, which was something he never did.
Selina watched the kid silently as he went off on a tangent. It was clear to her that he didn't exactly know how to ask what he wanted to. Or what exactly he was truly wanting to ask.
"Why are you wanting to give a child you met yesterday a cat?" Selina asked.
Damian frowned slightly, not sure he wanted to admit his thoughts out loud. His attention got brought towards his feet as he felt a cat start rubbing itself around his legs, asking for attention. He knelt down and started scratching its head. It gave him a moment to collect his thoughts.
"I find myself fond of her. She reminds me a bit of myself at her age, only she was even more sheltered than I ever was." A frown pulled at his lips and he kept his attention on the cat and off of Kyle. This way it felt more like he was admitting this to the cat and not her, "She had never seen grass before this morning. She doesn't mind my mannerisms and doesn't mind simply being in my presence."
"How old is she?" Selina questioned as she silently raged at the child's circumstances.
"We estimate around six. She is unable to speak, write, or read so communication is difficult. So far, her drawing pictures has been the best way to communicate."
"And Jason is taking responsibility for her?" She knew that Jason wasn't as unruly as he'd like people to think he was, but he still wasn't a prime example for a child. Though on the other hand, perhaps a child could be the perfect thing to finally settle his mind and soul the rest of the way.
Damian nodded, "Shi followed him home and has become extremely attached to him."
"What made you conclude to send a cat home with her?" Selina asked curiously. She wasn't judging his decision and she knew that any cat coming from her collection would be much better than any old cat found in a shelter. However, with her being as young as she is then Jason would most likely end up taking care of the cat the most and she was pretty sure that he wouldn't be fond of that.
Damian considered slightly before finally standing back up and digging into one of his pouches for his phone. He quickly pulled up the picture he had taken a few hours ago and held the phone out to her.
Selina plucked the phone from his hand and her heart melted when she saw the photo. The child was laying on the stairs with wonder and love in her eyes as she pets the cat. Curiosity flowed through her as she took in the child's ears and tail. Well, now she knew what kind of experiments the child had gone through. Human-animal hybrid testing. How despicable.
Selina gave a hum of consideration as she handed the phone back. She flipped through her records before landing on a litter of four-month-old kittens that had come from two of her more favored cats, "I believe any of the ones from this litter will be perfect." She handed him the book for him to look through.
Damian looked over the selection of kittens before he landed on the very last one. Ironically the runt of the litter. It was pure black with neon green eyes, it had a look of mischief to him, "This one." He decided confidently.
Selina's lips quirked up in a smirk as she saw the kitten he indicated, "That is a wonderful choice. You said that they plan on leaving Monday morning correct?" at Damian's nod she continued, "Very well. I will prepare him and present them with beginning supplies. Keep the two of them in the manor until I arrive, I shall deliver the kitten in person. While I respect your evaluation of the child that is soon gaining this kitten, I would like to meet her myself."
Damian nodded, "That is acceptable." The alarm on his phone went off indicating that it was time to start heading home, "I have not told anyone of my decision and have no plans to until you show up."
Selina smiled deviously, "Oh, I so do love surprises."
"Until next time Kyle," Damian exited her penthouse and dived off her balcony, relishing in the freefall until he had to catch himself with his grappling gun. Now he just had to contact Jon the next morning and bully him into helping him out with another task and his self-perceived duties would be done. Until then he needed to get back to the cave before Father got angry with him for staying out past curfew.