Title: Tea Break: Missing Words
Characters: Batgirl II, Catwoman
Summary: Words can be important.
Spoilers: Wargames.

I do not know if this is the right place. I asked Tim and he told me here at this street and that street, at this building and all the way at the top. I am not sure until I see the cats and they are watching me. They are only animals and cannot speak the human way. They are not a threat.

I land on the flat area, in front of the doors, called a terrace. Sometimes it is called a patio but I am not sure why. The glass doors are open, which seems careless in this city. Then the cats watching me meow, one by one, then all four together until the old one still inside calls also. I understand how it is not so careless.

"Little bat, little bat, come out to play."

I see the Catwoman watching me through a mirror but I have a plan. People are not so different than animals, though I know not to say that out loud. Tim says that I am not polite but the rules of not-speaking are true and always right. That is more important than polite.

I know that this is her territory, not like how Onyx has territory that is a part of Batman's. Alfred told me that the Catwoman lived here before Batman, so it is the rules that he must let her stay. I have watched him. When he comes here, he is like the boy cat on his belly with his ears pointed forward. He is bigger and stronger but he does not want to scare her.

I do not say this to anyone because it is a secret thing.

I also know that this place has many women, I think more women than men, who know she is their leader. This is a dangerous thing, so I know that even though I am more dangerous than the Catwoman, I am not more dangerous here. It is the rules that I must be like a kitten.

I go inside her home and sit on the floor, crossing my legs and putting my hands flat in my lap. This position makes it more difficult to fight or escape. Once I am there, the four young cats follow me and choose different places to lay down. The two striped gray ones sit away, in the hall. The small black one squints at me to say she is friendly. The black and white one is closer and he plays with my cape. The old white one with the black face and feet closes his eyes, flicks his black tail and pretends to sleep.

They are all quiet now and this is a surprise. When I grew up alone, after I left Cain, I saw many cats outside. When cats live with people, they are loud because people do not listen. If these cats are not loud than I was not wrong to come here.

I can hear dishes, small dishes, a drawer with large things in it, a cabinet door, the rustle of fine, dry leaves, a metal pot and a gas burner.

"You didn't seem like the coffee type."

"No." The black and white cat falls on his back and puts his his back feet on my thigh. He holds out his front feet with his toes spread and points his ears at me. I tap his nose before he can move and he gapes his teeth wide open, laughing at me. He fights with my cape.

The Catwoman uses this as a distraction and comes into the room when I play. It is a good trap. She is not sure I know the rules. This is smart. So I take off my mask and smile.

She sits down on the couch. "That one is named Bubbles."

"Bubbles?" I do not understand this name. It is like Bruce or Tim. It has no meaning.

"I think his brain is made of bubbles. He's not too smart but he likes to play."

I understand that. "He laughs a lot."

The Catwoman smiles.

"What is that one?" I point at the small black female.

"Rocky."

I wait.

"She likes to slap the other cats."

I still do not understand the name but I understand the cat. When they live in families, the boy cats will not hurt the girl cats, even though they are bigger. So the girl cats can be bullies. If they are strangers, it is different.

"What is the old one?"

"Otto, the third."

"You have three Ottos?"

"No. It's a history joke."

I do not understand this joke but I have finished the rules. I will ask Tim later and he will explain the history. This next part is difficult because it has no rules. I begin. "I want to know... to hear..."

I do not want to sound dangerous. I check but the Catwoman sits like the old cat Otto and is patient. "Before now, before we went away, my friend... The one called Spoiler came here. Not here but-"

"I found her."

"Before, there was not time. She went away and there was not time. I could not find her." I hold out my hands because I do not know the words I want. "I need..." My hands become fists as if I could catch the words from the air.

"I understand."

I think she says this like adults say it so I make my eyes like knives. Then I see that she knows all the words, that she has heard all those words and spoken all those words. I think she knows more words than Batman and that is why he does not fight her.

So, I put down my hands on my knees and do not clench my fingers.

She says, "She wanted to know how she'd failed."

"Did not fail."

"I know, but she was confused. She forgot why she started fighting and thought it was for Batman."

I hold my hands over my chest. "Fight for here."

"She remembered, I think, before she went but..." I see her start to hide her words. She stops. "I wanted to tell her it was his fault, for being afraid."

"She would be gone."

The Catwoman taps a finger softly, slowly against the arm of the couch. I hear the tea kettle whine as she leaves the room. I could leave now but there is tea, which is good, and new words to learn.