Intermission – The New Batman

It was a bright night in Gotham. That was not a good thing. Light meant burning. It meant people going around and striking fear into innocent hearts. It meant the police out in full force and yet unable to stem the flow of reoccurring and budding criminals.

Batman had been away for months. Only recently had he resumed his crusade against the scum of Gotham. But, Selina heard the whispers. She didn't need to know that Bruce was gone to realise that Richard was under the cowl.

Robin seemed to change as well. Going from the reserved and intelligent Tim Drake to the wild and bloodthirsty Damian Wayne.

Batman and Robin had a fight ahead of them if they hoped to reclaim the city.

Selina sighed into her wine and wondered if it would be worth going out as Catwoman. There was little that interested her in Gotham right now.

She had almost decided on an evening at home when a dark shadow landed on her balcony and there was a tap at her window.

"Batman," she greeted her visitor. "No Robin?"

"I wanted to talk," he responded in a soft growl. "Inside."

It hurt to hear him speak like that. Nightwing's light tone was buried under rough growls. With a heavy heart, Selina let him in. When she shut the balcony door, Batman pulled off the hood of the cowl and turned to face her. The light from the window lit up a side of his face, highlighting his dark hair which was longer than Bruce's and his bright blue eyes.

He was wary. There were noticeable lines around his mouth and forehead.

"Dick, how are you holding up?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm.

He tried to give her a reassuring smile but the way he stumbled closer to her wasn't reassuring. His head flopped onto her shoulder.

"I can't do this," he said, his voice hoarse. "I can't be Batman. I can't deal with Damian. He threw a fit when I said he couldn't come on patrol tonight."

Selina ran a hand through his hair. He tensed at the contact before relaxing.

"I'm sure it's difficult for him. And difficult for you. Bruce would be proud of you."

"He didn't want for any of us to be Batman," was the mumbled denial.

"Even so, that wouldn't be enough to keep him from being proud of everything you've done while wearing the cowl. Circumstances demanded it, Dick. I know that and you know that."

Dick heaved a sigh and started to move away from Selina. He paced the room, ranting about anything and everything; from the weight of the cape to Tim leaving to the criminals causing trouble.

"You didn't need to come all this way to rant to me. What do you really want to say?" Selina asked. Even after all these years, she and Dick had an odd relationship. Sometimes they seemed like friends brought together by her relationship with Bruce Wayne but sometimes they were like mother and son.

Dick planted himself down next to her and downed the rest of the wine in her wine glass in one gulp.

"That's not good for you," Selina scolded. Dick smiled at her.

"Yeah, well, I kind of needed it."

Selina frowned.

"Don't rely on things like that," she told him. He smiled more. "What?"

"You sound like a mum," he said. Her heart stopped when she heard that.

A moment later, when her heart started beating again, she declared that was fine and pulled Dick down so he was lying on her lap.

"Now how much sleep have you had?" she asked, sounding just like what she imagined a mother would having finally figuring out that the wariness she was seeing was indeed the result of not enough sleep.

"Eight hours." Selina knew this trick from Bruce. She needed to be more specific.

"Over?"

"Four days," Dick admitted sheepishly.

"Well, the city's already burning," she pointed out calmly and with a smile. "So, get a few hours sleep here."

To her surprise, Dick didn't protest. She was pleased about that and carted her fingers through his hair.

"Hmm, that's nice," Dick mumbled as his eyes closed. "Thanks, Mama C."

Mama. Selina froze at that word and Dick's eyes shot open as he felt her body tense.

"What did you call me?" she asked.

Dick's eyes widened as he realised it and he shot up. Selina grabbed him before he could make some kind of excuse to leave.

"No, say it again," she said quickly. She hadn't even realised that she had been waiting for this. For him to verbally acknowledge their relationship. Now that she had heard it, she didn't want to let him go.

"'Mama C'," Dick muttered, looking at the exit and avoiding her gaze. "It's short for 'Mama Cat'." At her lack of response after that, he began to quickly say, "I know I shouldn't call you that, even in my head, but I'm lucky enough to have two mothers. I mean, the Graysons' are my mum and dad but you are my mama and Bruce…" Dick trembled. "I'll never get the chance to tell him."

"That he's your 'Papa Bat'?" Selina said, trying to inject a little humour into the situation.

Dick's nose crinkled in distaste.

"Uh, no. Not that. But, he's, and I'm using Damian's words here, my father."

"Dick, you didn't need to tell him," she said, pulling him back to the couch. "He knew."

Dick gave her a sceptical look and she smiled down at him.

"I'm going to get you a blanket. Don't move from that spot, mister."

"Hey, I'm not a child!" Dick called to her. "I'm the Batman!"

"And even the Batman needs sleep."

Dick smirked at her as she threw a blanket over his body and ran her hand through his hair again.

"Now, sleep. Let mama take care of the city for tonight."

"Okay," Dick said softly as he closed his eyes.

Dick didn't know when it happened. It felt like he had been calling Selina, 'Mama Cat' in his head for ages when he realised what he was doing. After all, he had Jason as Tim as brothers, even though there was no blood between them. Why couldn't he have the Graysons and Batman and Catwoman as his parents?

And that thought made him feel lucky and loved.

Dick felt content when he woke up on Selina's couch. He folded up the blanket, stripped off the Batman uniform and dressed in some of his clothes which were hidden away in Selina's guest room. Then he helped himself to some of her cereal.

"Haven't seen that outfit in a while," Selina mused when she walked in. Dick was wearing a white with blue pinstripe button up shirt and jeans.

"Left it here after one of Bruce's events," Dick responded with a mischievous smile.

Selina nodded, humouring him. She knew that wasn't the case. She knew that Dick kept some of his clothes in her apartment because she also brought them with her when she moved.

She was also the one who tossed some of his less fashionable choices and provided his wardrobe with some more fashionable choices.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Dick responded as anyone who had spent time with Bruce tended to respond to that question. Selina raised a sceptical eyebrow and they both could hear the unvoiced, 'don't lie to me, mister'. "Better," Dick corrected. "It's just been a little overwhelming, that's all. Too many changes at once."

Selina sat down across from him and poured her own bowl of cereal.

"I know," she said. "We all miss him. But, Dick, if there's anyone who can fill his shoes, it's you. You can be Batman and you can look after Damian and if either become too overwhelming, you can ask for help."

Dick raised an eyebrow, almost a male mirror of Selina's previous motion.

"Really? And you'll take Damian for a few hours?"

"I'd rather look after Gotham but, if that's what you need. Just let me have Alfred too, if you're going to leave your little brother with me."

Dick laughed. He was reminded of the day Selina took him to the zoo and the way she always had a fun response to the testing questions he would give.