Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I pretend to have any ownership of Young Justice or the DC Universe. I do however take full ownership of Catlyn... and that's about it.
This is a fluffy chapter. You have been warned.
I want to thank mahlia for acting as my unofficial Beta for this chapter. She was catching things I thought I had fixed and brought new things to light. This chapter goes out to her.
Captivating Sympathy
Chapter Four: Birth Of The Black Cat
Images of a time spent by the sea dominated Catlyn's dreams time and time again. She didn't know if they were memories of a simpler time, or just a fabrication of her wayward mind. The only thing she was sure of was the voice that would join her no matter the setting, "It doesn't matter who you were before, you're you now."
No longer was she camping on the couch in the living room. Things had changed for the better. Her room was ready for her along with a bathroom she shared with no one.
She sat up in her bed and stretched, popping her back and relieving a nights worth of tension from her tight muscles.
Once limber, Catlyn stumbled the short distance to her bathroom. She got a hair-tie and gathered up as much hair as she could from the front of her pixie cut. Her hair, once gathered by the small rubber ring, stood straight up in the air and out of her face. She grabbed a washcloth and soap before scrubbing her face vigorously, trying to fight off the remaining fatigue. Now slightly more awake, she left the bathroom and headed for the kitchen.
She didn't worry about taking her hair down. Superboy had taken to sleeping in and taking off. He would come back hours later with rips in his shirt and holes in his jeans, but there was almost an air of peace around him when he returned. Megan had told her the night before that she and Kaldur would be getting up early and going to an open air market and wouldn't be back until mid afternoon. As far as she could figure, she had the cave completely to herself.
That was, of course, before she heard a muffled laugh from the living room.
"That's an interesting look," Robin sniggered, his gaze focusing on her gravity defying tuft of hair.
Catlyn was wide awake now and froze with two possible options before her: either take down her hair and never speak of it again, or play along since he had already seen it.
"I was thinking about having it up like this for our next mission," she said, posing with a hand behind her head.
"I wouldn't recommend that for covert operations," a dark and brooding voice said from behind her.
Catlyn dropped her arm and stiffened up immediately, her eyes widening. She leaned her head back as if looking at the ceiling. Rather than the stone canopy above, she saw Batman's upside down masked face looking down at her.
Robin meanwhile was doubled over on the couch, his arms around his stomach as he laughed until a solitary tear slid from beneath his dark glasses.
Catlyn gave an embarrassed laugh and quickly took her hair down. She looked at the floor, practically feeling the heat rush to her face.
"Now that you're both here, and paying attention," Batman began after Robin had sobered.
"Sorry Batman," Robin chuckled. "What mission needs just the two of us?"
Batman looked at Robin's expectant face and down at Catlyn who had regained control of her blush, for the most part. "School," he answered simply. "Starting tomorrow, Catlyn will be the newest student at Gotham City Academy."
"What?" Catlyn protested.
"You have already been enrolled. You need to continue your education." Batman said, leaving no room for discussion. "Is that clear?"
"Yes sir," she mumbled defeated.
"Good," Batman said, a small trace of a smile breaking his stern expression. "I have to get back to work," he said, excusing himself.
Catlyn sat down on the couch beside a still beaming Robin and punched him lightly in the arm. "You jerk. You could have told me he was here," she pouted, crossing her arms and slouching into the cushions.
Robin chuckled. "Where's the fun in that?" he teased.
"I don't know how you work with him," Catlyn announced after a moment of somewhat comfortable silence. "Is he that serious all the time?"
"Nah, he has his moments," Robin reassured. He nudged her shoulder much like he had that one afternoon on the dock. "Just relax," he smiled. "He wouldn't bother getting you into school if he didn't think you were worth it."
"Recognized, Kid Flash. Three zero three," the female computerized voice rang though the cave.
"Hey Rob, Cat," Wally called out, making a bee-line for the refrigerator.
Robin raised up a hand and gave a simple three-fingered wave.
"Raiding the fridge again Wally?" Catlyn teased, walking into the kitchen to prepare her usual bowl of cereal.
Wally emerged from the depths of the refrigerator with an apple in hand. He turned to argue but gave Catlyn a once over instead, taking in her camisole and mid thigh shorts, and smiled lasciviously. "Did you wear that just for me? I like the view" he smirked.
Catlyn had heard Wally come on to Megan many times before, so it really didn't surprise her that his attention would shift to her in the Martian's absence. "Oh, how did you know," she answered sarcastically in a flat tone, digging into her breakfast.
Wally opened his mouth to continue pestering her, but before her got a chance, Robin suggested that they have a sparring match while Cat got changed and he leaped at the opportunity. "Let me just get out of my civies," he said excitedly prior to disappearing.
"Thanks for that," Catlyn said before Wally returned.
Robin only smirked and nodded in response.
"What are we waiting for?" Wally asked reappearing in his yellow and red super-suit, leading the way to the sparring ring. "Hey Supey."
Superboy walked out from the hallway and veered towards the rear entrance.
"Where are you going?" Catlyn asked.
"Out," came his short reply.
Catlyn had realized that Superboy's people skills were severely lacking so she didn't take his rash behavior to heart, something she had been trying to teach Megan.
Now that the distractions were gone, her mind drifted to the subject of school. She lost her appetite soon after.
Rather than getting changed, Catlyn slipped passed the sparring boys and out through the rear entrance of the cave. She walked to the rim of the sheer cliff that dropped straight down and sat with her legs dangling over the edge, looking out across the water. The quiet was calming and she was able to let her mind wander. Had she been to school before? She must have. How much would she remember? Would she make a fool out of herself? She was so lost in thoughts that the sound of someone kicking a loose stone cause her to jump and absentmindedly reach for her missing whip.
"I thought I might find you here," Robin said, slipping out into the sunlight.
Catlyn breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me," she admitted, placing a hand over her heart before turning for another look at the horizon.
Robin smiled and sat down next to her. "Okay, what's on your mind?" he asked after a couple minutes, snapping her from her thoughts.
"Huh? Nothing," she lied none-too-convincingly.
He stared pointedly back at her with a half smile that told her he wasn't buying it.
She sighed and wondered if she was really so easy to read. "It's stupid, just worried about tomorrow."
"So you can face down a ten foot android with no problem, but the idea of a classroom makes you quake in your boots?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow.
Catlyn couldn't help but smile and nudged him with her shoulder. "Well of course it sounds silly when you say it like that."
He grinned at her, quite please with himself. "Anything else?"
She shook her head. "No, I think I'm-"
Cold water doused the pair and Wally's laugh could be heard from above. "Bulls-eye! Is it true? Do cat's hate water?" he snickered from his place on a cut in of rock higher up on the mountain.
"I'll get you for this Wally!" Catlyn yelled up the side of their mountain stronghold. The only response she got was a mocking laugh. She shook her head quickly, trying to dry her hair as much as possible.
"Hey, watch it," Robin chuckled beside her, his hands at chest level and palms facing outward.
She stopped mid shake and giggled at the sight of him. Not only was he wet from the initial water attack, but he now had little droplets of water shimmering on his glasses.
"So you think this is funny?" he asked, smirking.
She giggled behind her hands and shook her head.
Robin mimicked Catlyn's earlier actions and whipped his head from side to side.
She turned her head and giggled a little harder, raising her arms to deflect the assaulting water droplets. Suddenly, she felt something land in her lap and the water stopped. When she looked down, she saw Robin's trademark dark glasses. Without even contemplating that she should take advantage of this opportunity to see his eyes, Catlyn looked the other way and held his glasses out for him.
An awkward silence settled between the two after he took the glasses and put them back on.
A cool breeze wafted across the water, chilling Catlyn, making her rub her arms to rid herself of goosebumps.
Robin slipped out of his jacket and draped it across her shoulders. "You didn't have to do that you know," he said in an effort to ease the mounting tension.
She nodded her head and pulled the jacket closer around her. "Thanks, and yes I did. If you wanted me to know, you'd show me yourself," she reasoned.
Her features twisted as a mischievous Cheshire grin spread across her lips. "I know how to get Wally back," she said in response to his questioning look. She leaned over and whispered her plan in his ear.
He had to smile. Not only was it sure to work, but her breath tickled his ear as well. He stood up, still grinning, and offered her his hand, hauling her up to her feet. "How about you get changed first," he suggested. "For real this time."
She rolled her eyes but complied all the same, handing him his jacket before heading down the hallway towards her bedroom. She made quick work of changing into a pair of mid thigh length jean shorts and a red tank-top. She slipped on a pair of black flip flops and left to collect Robin.
Her hand found his and she pulled him back into her room, closing the door behind them. "Have any luck finding him?" she asked excitedly.
He smirked at her enthusiasm and shook his head. "He'll go the fridge soon enough," he assured her.
"That just mean's we'll have to work fast," Catlyn said, not to be deterred. From her closet, she retrieved a toy stuffed mouse Megan had given her the day before, what with Cat turning into such a promising nickname, and a roll of fishing line used to bind her whip for repairs.
"Planning this for a while?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous smirk.
"Who, me?" she asked, feigning innocence, although her devious smile gave her away.
He chuckled and hurried her out of the bedroom and out into the main area of the cave.
Working together, they quickly secured a piece of fishing line around the toy stuffed mouse and tied the other end to the handle of the refrigerator. The mouse was tucked in between the side of the fridge and the counter, completely out of sight.
They sat on the couch in the living room, waiting quietly, well, almost quietly.
"Will you stop fidgeting?" Robin chuckled, placing his hand on top of Catlyn's which was currently drumming on the arm of the couch.
She grinned bashfully, "Sorry."
A blur of color hurried past. Wally paused in the kitchen and gave them a smug smile. "I expected more from the two of you," he dismissed before turning to the refrigerator. He grasped the handle and yanked open door, causing the stuffed mouse to zip across the floor from its hiding place.
Had the pair on the couch not seen it with their own eyes, they would have thought Megan had been the one to encounter the fake mouse.
Wally let out a high pitched squeak and dashed onto the the island counter.
Catlyn, who had turned to see the spectacle, giggled and leaned into Robin.
"Dude, you scream like a girl!" Robin taunted before he burst out laughing at the sight of Wally huddled on the counter.
"I told you I'd get you," Catlyn said with a satisfied grin.
Wally was a good sport and soon found the humor, laughing with the others. "Alright, you got me," he admitted. "Guess I'll just have to be more careful next time."
Next time? What had she just gotten herself into?
Catlyn's mind raced, keeping her well off the shores of sleep. It was nearly midnight, and that only added to her worries. So much for getting a good night's sleep before her torment began. By the time sleep claimed her, it felt as if she only blinked when there was an impatient rapping on her door.
She groaned and pulled the covers over her head, willing the intruder to go away. No such luck.
The door was unlocked and Batman stood in the doorway, a bundle of cloth in his arms. He crossed the room in three gigantic strides and peeled the covers away from her head. "It's time to get up."
Catlyn shrunk under the intensity of his gaze. She felt the bundle be set down at the foot of her bed and watched Batman leave, closing the door behind him. She glanced over at the clock and let out another groan, 5:30. Why did morning have to be so early?
Not wanting another run in with Batman while in her pajamas, she dressed in the school uniform, stumbling occasionally until the fog of fatigue cleared. She glanced in the mirror and blanched at her appearance. A blue sweater vest with the academy's gold insignia on the left breast was layered over a plain white, buttoned down collared shirt. The blue and gold plaid skirt ended an inch or so above her knees, the hem nearly kissing the tops of the blue knee socks. The only saving grace was that she could opt to wear tennis shoes, so long as they were blue of course.
She then migrated into the bathroom to wash her face, brush her teeth, and apply a minimal amount of makeup.
Batman was mulling around the cave's informational data center when Catlyn managed to find him.
"Empty your bag," he ordered.
She opened her mouth to protest, but realized it would accomplish nothing other than aggravating the both of them. Her hand grappled with her bag's contents, laying a variety of colored notebooks and writing utensils on the loan metal table.
"Everything," Batman prodded.
Catlyn sighed, reaching into her bag and deposited her whip on the table with everything else.
Batman actually smiled. "Good, you're going prepared."
The ride to school was not what she would have expected. Batman remained in his suit, but they took a black Porsche with tinted windows rather than the iconic Batmobile. Catlyn wondered about what Batman did when he wasn't fighting crime. Was he ever not fighting crime? Did he have an office he went to dressed like that? Her musings became more and more obscure, but they helped distract her from what loomed a head.
Batman stopped the car a good two blocks from Gotham City Academy and gave Catlyn directions from there.
Of course she knew that Batman couldn't just stroll into the school with her, but she still wished she wasn't going at this alone. She hugged her bag to her chest, walking at an idle pace.
Her stroll ended all too quickly and she found herself waiting outside the double doors of the administrative office.
She was handed her schedule and the combination to her assigned locker and waved away as if she were nothing more than a bad smell.
The halls were scarcely populated, but it appeared everyone had taken notice of the new skinny girl with the short cropped hair. Catcalls and shouts of "fresh meat" and even "go home," followed her down the long corridor and Catlyn wanted nothing more then to disappear.
Her nails dug into her bag as the time came that the calls and jeers had lost their embarrassment factor and became down right annoying. The consistency of such juvenile tactics slowly coerced her annoyance into bubbling anger. She felt pity for the next person to cross her.
Still grumbling to herself, she reached her locker and entered the combination. She swung it open and began putting her school supplies away when she heard the sound of several people approaching. She could feel their eyes on her and the lingering silence was only putting her more on edge.
"What?" she snapped, not bothering to turn around.
"Well never mind," a snooty male voice said haughtily. "Why don't you go home fresh meat," he jeered, joined by the obnoxious laughter of his cohorts.
That was the last straw for Catlyn. She spun on her heel and faced them, her hands balled up into fists by her sides. "I can't find bugger all around here and you expect me to get to an exit?" she asked disbelievingly. "By all means Copernicus, lead the way," she challenged, gesturing to the grand expanse of the hallway.
Grumbling and defeated, the group of boys departed, their proverbial tails between their legs.
From beneath her locker door, she could see a pair of khaki slacks approaching and stop as the torso attached leaned against the wall of lockers.
"Making friends already I see," a familiar voice said with the hint of a smirk from the other side of her locker door..
Catlyn froze, not expecting to run it Robin so soon, or at all for that matter. "How did you find me?" she asked into her locker. She felt like such an idiot.
"Are you kidding?" Robin chuckled, leaning his back flat against the locker nearest hers. "I could hear you all the way down the hall."
The bell sounded loud through the hallway, signaling the students that they only had five minutes before classes started.
She placed a hand on the outside edge of her locker door and closed it, turning away from Robin. "I guess I'll see you later, uh," she mumbled. She couldn't just call him Robin. The need to escape this school and crawl into a dark hole became almost overwhelming.
"Dick," Robin answered, catching her hand and giving it a slight tug, effectively spinning her around. He curled his index finger and propped her chin up, "And class is this way."
Catlyn couldn't help herself. She looked up at Robin and saw the warmest and most inviting blue eyes she had ever seen looking down at her, crinkled in a smile. She blinked several times and looked down, feeling her face grow warm. "Right," she tried to cover.
"Let's go Cat," he grinned, leading her down another wing. "You'll get used to it."
She stole another glace of his face and allowed herself a small smile. Somehow, she doubted it.
School was a paradox. It seemed to drag on for eternity, but Catlyn couldn't say she did or learned much of anything during that time. Of course she was preoccupied with other facets of the school. She remembered her conversation with Robin when he lost his glasses and couldn't mask her goofy grin. It all came down to a simple choice, and he wanted her to know.
The final bell rang and the students practically exploded from the classroom. Catlyn would have been among them had she not realized a daunting task lay a head of her: How was she supposed to get to Mount Justice? It wasn't as if she could call a cab or a bus.
"Cat!" she heard, turning her head to locate Robin. She found him standing by a black motorcycle, waving her over. "You look lost," he noted, putting on his dark glasses.
She nodded a bit sheepishly and walked over, confused when he handed her a helmet and an ear piece.
"How else did you plan on getting home?" he asked, putting the ear piece in and his helmet on, motioning for her to do the same.
She followed Robin's lead and mounted the bike. "You're not going to go too fast are you?" she asked uncertainly, deciding it best not to answer Robin's question.
He didn't answer. Instead, he revved the engine before speeding out of the parking lot, his blazer flapping in the wind.
Catlyn squeaked in surprise and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, much like she had the night he brought her to Mount Justice. "You're such a jerk!"
Her insult didn't seem to phase him as he laughed and accelerated even more.
Robin finally decided to adhere to a posted speed limit just off the main highway and made conversation with Catlyn who was clinging tightly to him. "So Batman didn't tell you anything this morning?"
"No, he was very tight lipped on everything," she confessed. She was startled when she heard Robin chuckle. "What?"
"I told you he has his moments."
"Hysterical," she answered flatly, earning another small chuckle from Robin. She loosened her grip ever so slightly and lay her head against his back, watching the wilderness pass by until they reached the winding, narrow path that led up the side of Mount Justice. Catlyn tightened her grip again and closed her eyes. She was sure she would never get used to this either.
Batman met the pair at the entrance of the cave, giving Catlyn a serious case of Deja vu. "Suit up, both of you. I've got a covert mission."
Suit up? Catlyn's confusion was evident on her face.
"Gee Batman," Robin smirked, "you really didn't tell her anything did you?" He went to one of his saddle bags and tossed a bundle of black fabric to her.
She looked at it confused and unfolded it to reveal a black catsuit, complete with a hooded mask. "B.C." was scrawled across the chest in loopy gray lettering. "B.C.?" she questioned.
"Black Cat," Batman answered.
"Very nice," Robin grinned.
It's amazing how a small gesture can turn everything around. Batman and Robin couldn't give her back her old identity, but they had created a new one for her.
How was that for fluffy overload? The next two chapters will focus on the Drop Zone mission so stay tuned, and as always, please review before you favorite. If there is something that I'm doing that you think needs work, drop me a line and tell me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the ones that follow.