(At the bottom of each chapter, I will be giving a Chapter Recap of what you just read.)
(Also, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and other characters will be introduced as the story continues. For the fans that like reading about Batman. I introduce him in Chapter 28.)
(The main villains are: Joker, Harley Quinn, Penguin, Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Ra's al Ghul, Darkseid, Scarecrow, Bane, Talia al Ghul, and Killer Croc)
Katt Girl & The Harley-Kidd: Chapter 1: A Hero's Heart
After Bruce sent Selina back through time, this story takes place in the past, nearly 12 years ago in Gotham City. A few months before Bruce Wayne becomes Batman.
BUUUZZZZZZZ! The 6am alarm went off. It was time for 8 year-old Lola and 14 year-old Gabby to get ready for school. For a couple minutes they glanced through a couple of their favorite comic books. Lola talked about how she liked the stories of Harley Quinn, and how she didn't take crap from anyone. Gabby liked Catwoman because she always stole from the bad guys and did a lot of acrobatic moves. Suddenly, the door opened and their mom told them to put the comic books down and get ready for school. The stories don't feel like comic books to Gabby and Lola because they are based on a Gotham urban legend, and those could always turn out to be true. Fifteen minutes later, the girls strolled to the bus stop. As they head around the corner, they see Carl, a maintenance guy that lives in their apartment complex, being harassed by two big thugs in dark clothing. The lowlifes tell Carl that he better have their money by the end of the day. Then they start walking away. Lola smirked at the thugs as they passed by her.
"What was that all about?" Gabby questioned.
Carl told the girls that the men work for the new landlord, and the rent had been increased. Just then, the school bus approached and the girls got on. During the school day both Gabby and Lola wondered what was going on with their apartment complex and hoped it wouldn't affect their family.
RIIINGGGG! As school ended, Gabby and Lola boarded the bus back home. As they approached their apartment, they noticed one of the creeps, that was harassing Carl this morning, lounging outside their apartment. Then their front door flew open. The thug's partner strode through their front door, then slammed it carelessly behind him. One of them nearly barreled into Lola.
"Watch it runt!" He said.
Lola glared at him. Gabby rushed inside to check on her mom, and found her sitting on the floor of the bathroom sobbing.
"What did they do to you mom?" Gabby asked.
"They want more money each week. I don't know what we are going to do," Mom replied through her tears.
"Can't we call the police?" Lola piped up.
"I don't think it's a good idea to make these guys mad." Mom flatly stated. The girls hugged their mom, and shared a look of concern.
Later on, as the girls readied for bed, Lola said "I wish we could stand up to those punks."
"I do too, but you heard what mom said. It's better off if we don't get them upset." Gabby responded as they lay their heads down and tried to fall asleep. Gabby tossed fitfully, then woke up what felt like seconds later from a nightmare that was already slipping from her mind. Bleary-eyed, she glanced at the clock. 2am. She looked to her sister's bed, but Lola wasn't there. Gabby jumped with a shriek upon hearing a noise from the fire escape, but bravely rushed to the window.
"Lola!" Gabby whispered the exclamation. "What are you doing out here? And why are you dressed in your Halloween costume?"
"I saw those two thugs beating up Carl about 30 minutes ago. I guess he didn't have the money. I'm not going to let them hurt mom!" Lola angrily replied.
"What? Are you crazy? You can't do this by yourself!" Gabby said.
Lola looked down and snatched her big baseball bat off the ground. She grinned menacingly. "I'm not doing it alone. I got Louisville Slugger to help me out."
"Just hold on. Give me a minute. Let me grab my Halloween costume." Gabby said.
After Gabby dressed, she grabbed her whip, and joined her sister down the fire escape. They made it to the lower rooftop and saw the two thugs just below them, counting money from their earlier activities. One said, "The boss is gonna be happy with us. We should own the whole block in just a couple more days."
"Maybe he will make us his right-hand men." the other man laughed.
Lola shot a glance at Gabby. "Now is our chance. We can't let these goons take over our block."
She leapt off the roof, bat in hand, swung it and connected with one thug while crashing into the other. "Thanks for breaking my fall!"
The man Lola collided with knocked the bat out of Lola's hand, then he snatched her and placed her in a bear hug. Suddenly, the whistling snap of Gabby's whip sounded, causing Lola's captor to drop her, clutching his back. He turned around and yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you twos?"
CRACK! Lola smashed the bat against the base of his skull. Money fluttered from his now limp hands. Gabby crouched down and snatched some bills.
"We can't take that money! That would make us just as bad as them." Lola said.
"I know, but we can do a lot of good by giving it back to the community." argued Gabby. Lola conceded this was a good idea.
The Landlord stumbled upon the scene minutes later, seeing his two henchmen sprawled on the ground. He flung his scalding coffee directly at one man's chest, and both men jumped up shouting as the liquid splashed upon them. "Get up!" the landlord roared "What the hell happened to you guys and where is my money!?"
One thug answered, "Two crazy kids dressed up in Halloween outfits attacked us. They must have taken the money."
The other thug stood, noticing a paper stuck to his chest. It read: "Don't mess with Katt Girl & The Harley-Kidd."
"Bwahahahaha, you got messed up by a couple little girls!" The Landlord said while laughing. Then, he sobered as he realized an important fact. "Let's go! I have cameras on this place. Let's see what we can find out about these two trick-or-treaters."
After reviewing the cameras, the men discovered the girls were on there, however the footage was blurry, and the Landlord and one man could not identify them. The other thug remembered bumping into them at the bus stop and after leaving their apartment. He realized who they were, but instantly decided to keep the information to himself.
As the days passed, the neighborhood began to swirl with rumors of two heroes protecting the community. The Landlord, irate, put word out of a significant reward for anyone who could identify the new heroines. The thug, knowing who they were, considered his options. He went to their apartment after midnight, and scoped out the place. He observed the girls flying down the fire escape, and decided to make his presence known.
"Wow! You girls are getting pretty good at doing that." The sisters leapt back and prepared for a fight. "Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy there slugger! I'm not here to fight." He blurted quickly before Lola could connect with her bat. "I'm here to let you know that my boss has put a hefty bounty on both of your heads."
"I'm not scared!" Said Lola, with all of a child's bravado.
The thug replied bluntly. "You should be. He is a pretty nasty guy. He could do a lot of hurt to you ... and your mom."
"How did you know who we are? It doesn't matter anyway. Just let him try!" Gabby yelled as she cracked her whip on the ground.
"I'm not here to fight you gals. I want in on some of the action." the thug bargained.
"We don't negotiate with terrorists!" Lola exclaimed.
"Hey, I'm on your side! I will let you know where he keeps his money. Then, after you guys come in to smash up the place, I'll get a cut." he replied. "What do you say?
"What's your name?" Gabby asked in return.
In response, the man produced a can of beer from his grimy coat, chugged it, then smashed it against his head. "They call me Brewsky!"
The girls decided to accept his offer, and within a couple of weeks, make a significant dent in the Landlord's profits by using Brewsky's knowledge. The girls secretly gave the money back to locals by sliding fat envelopes under their doors.
Meanwhile, the Landlord, furious, hounded his men tirelessly to locate the brats who were bleeding him dry, finally hitting paydirt. He ordered his men to a meeting. Wasting no time, he bluntly stated, "I believe I can smell a rat amongst us. I also know the names of the girls that have been taking my money."
Brewsky worked to appear unconcerned, but secretly worried that the Landlord might actually have located the girls. His worry was confirmed when the Landlord produced a picture. It was Lola and Gabby. Then Brewsky jumped to his feet. "Boss, leave this to me. I will take care of these two right away!" He started for the door urgently trying to walk out of the meeting.
"Wait! All in good time. I have another mission for you before we go after these two heroines." Brewsky didn't have time to process the words before something cracked against his skull. His vision blurred, then went black as a hood was placed over his head. Brewsky fell as a flurry of kicks and fists beat at him from all directions from the group until he passed out.
Brewsky awoke, unsure of how much time had passed, realizing his hands were restrained, but more concerned about the rope encircling his neck. The hood was yanked off his head, and he blinked to orient himself against the sudden brightness. The Landlord came into focus, knife in hand. He ordered his men to pull the noose tighter until Brewsky was hanging just enough to be able to stand on his tiptoes.
"Oh Brewsky, you decided to switch sides. What's the matter, did you get tired of getting beat up by a couple baby chicks? Well, don't worry. They will be joining you soon. We are going to throw all three of you in the same hole and bury you."
"They are just kids!" Brewsky choked.
Whack! Brewsky saw stars from the sudden punch. "Shut up! You made me look bad, and even worse, you messed with my bankroll." Then the Landlord took his knife and thrusted it into Brewsky's stomach. "Now, hang him up high, and let him bleed out. We have a couple bugs to go squash." Brewsky felt his tenuous balance slip. As his now former employer and the other men filed out without a backward glance, Brewsky flopped hopelessly against the rope. Shortly, his struggle was losing steam, and Brewsky closed his eyes and hoped he would pass out soon. Then, thankfully, he did.
Suddenly, Brewsky gasped desparately for air as oxygen flooded his lungs. He felt the cold ground beneath him, realizing he was on the floor, with the noose around his neck now hanging like the world's crappiest necklace. He looked up, and noticed Carl, whom he had roughed up weeks ago, but now was his savior. Carl doesn't seem to bear any ill will, and was attempting to stop the bleeding to Brewski's stomach with his own coat. Brewski used his own hands to put pressure on the wound. Brewsky remembered the girls, and cried out, "Call 911! They are going to kill the girls in apartment 237."
Carl, immediately connecting the pieces, pulled out his phone and dialed, relaying the situation as quickly as he could. He turned and saw Brewsky hobbling determinedly towards the door. "What are you doing man!?"
Brewsky responded, "The cops will never make it in time!"
Brewsky rushed towards the stairs as fast as his injuries would allow. He reached Lola and Gabby's apartment after what felt like an hour. The door was opened, and the apartment already trashed. Brewski had a sinking feeling he was too late. A moan to his right alerted him to the girls' mother, badly beaten on the floor. Still holding his stomach wound, he demanded, "Where are your daughters? I'm here to help them!"
Their mom could barely get the words out. "They went out the fire escape, heading toward the roof."
Brewsky stumbled up to the roof and opened the door, not knowing what to expect. The Landlord had Lola and Gabby cornered near the ledge of the building. Another step back could spell their doom. "Now, you little twerps are going to join your buddy Brewsky, except for I'm going to blow your brains out!" The Landlord said, laughing with a crazed look in his eyes.
Brewsky's own eyes widened, and he lunged towards the girls without a second thought as the gunshot ringed out through the air. "Noooooo!"
Gabby and Lola examined their bodies in fear preparing to see blood. Instead, they notice Brewsky unmoving on the ground with blood flowing from his chest and stomach. The Landlord stared in shock, not believing Brewsky should still be alive. At that moment, both Gabby and Lola jumped off the roof, shocking him further. He flew to the edge of the roof in time to see the girls grab on to a couple poles and make their way safely down to the lower level.
"Oh well! I will catch up to you two later." He screamed down at them. "After I make sure your buddy Brewsky doesn't survive this time." He turned and aimed the gun toward Brewsky. Brewsky looked up and knew he was a goner.
"FREEZE! Put down the weapon!" a police officer yelled out.
The Landlord, taken by surprise, turned the gun toward the officer. Before the Landlord could get a shot off, the officer fired three rounds cleanly into the Landlord's chest. The Landlord stumbled back and tumbled over the side of the balcony. The cop rushed over to try to help Brewsky.
"It's alright, we are going to get you help. What is your name?"
"Brewsky, but you can call me Bruce Whaaa...….."
Brewsky's eyes rolled up in his head just before he could get the rest of his name out, as he passed out. The cop looked over the side of the balcony. There was no sign of the Landlord or the girls. The cop grabbed his walkie talkie. "This is Gordon. We need an ambulance!"
Chapter Recap: (We meet two girls named Gabby, age 14, and Lola, age 8. They decided to take on a new criminal outlet that had been terrorizing their block. They went out to fight dressed up in their Halloween costumes, but soon called themselves, Katt Girl & The Harley-Kidd. As they fight crime, they meet a thug, named Brewsky, that worked for the new criminal mob boss named, The Landlord. Brewsky helped the girls steal a bunch of the Landlord's money. The Landlord figured out who the girls were, and he finally confronted them on the rooftop of their apartment building. The Landlord was going to shoot them, but Brewsky managed to save them in time. He got stabbed and shot by The Landlord in the process. The Landlord was also shot by a cop named, Gordon. *In later chapters, we find out who Brewsky and The Landlord really are.)