"Robin!" Batman yelled, and his protege ducked, barely avoiding the Scarecrow's scythe... Why had he elected to bring Robin along? The boy was in real danger, here...
Sparrow gasped from where she'd been hiding in he shadows. Yes, she'd snuck along, determined not to be left behind, but the Scarecrow was really... scary.
"Looks like the bird's fallen from the nest..." Sparrow whirled to see what appeared to be glowing green eyes in the night.
"Catwoman. Are you here to hurt my Tati?" Sparrow asked, fingering a birdarang.
"No. I've been tailing you, little bird- after all, cats LOVE birds." she said, her voice sticky sweet.
Sparrow gasped. "You'll never take me alive!" she said, but watching her father and brother fight Scarecrow had scared her, and she still wasn't sure whether or not she should fight Catwoman. Bruce loved Selina, and he never hurt Catwoman, but she was a villain...
Catwoman laughed. "Ah, you have Bruce's guts, too. I've seen you at the galas. Little Scarlet Grayson. I won't force you to come, but we'll have a good time..."
Sparrow hesitated. She'd met Selina, seen her with Bruce, and she was nice, but still...
"After they finish Scarecrow, I'll come. Gotta make sure Tati doesn't do something crazy." Sparrow explained.
Catwoman smiled. "You and me both, birdie. You and me both."
And so they watched until Scarecrow was taken care of before Sparrow followed Catwoman along, who led her to an apartment. They crawled into the window.
"Ditch the cape and digs." Catwoman said, tossing a glanced at Sparrow. "I figured I'd bring you here sooner or later. There's some clothes in the guest bedroom..."
Sparrow nodded, entering and finding a white t-shirt and jeans in her size laid out on the bed.
She emerged to find Selina in a pair of grey sweat pants and a red t-shirt with a frilly collar.
"You can keep the combat boots, I guess." Selina said, nodding to the boots she'd kept on from he costume. "Now come on..."
She hailed a taxi and they both slid into the back. "Gotham City Mall, please." Selina said, and the taxi driver pulled away...
"Why are you doing this?" Scarlet asked, still ill at ease. She wasn't sure what to think of Selina yet...
"Because I love Bruce. And Bruce loves you. So I suppose if I ever marry him, you're part of the deal... .No offence, of course. That, and I doubt he can properly raise a daughter."
"I think he can raise me..." Scarlet said, looking at Selina. "So, what do you think of me so far?" she asked mischievously.
Selina matched her grin with one of her own. "I think you're cautious- but being a billionaire's daughter, I suppose you have to be. But judging by that grin- you're a girl who knows how to have fun. And from what I've read about you, you know how kick some butt. You have potential, kid."
"Glad you think so." Scarlet said, smiling slightly.
They reached the mall and Selina paid the driver before they entered. "Now, problem number one I have with Bruce. He never takes you shopping. Your wardrobe consists of old t-shirts and jeans. And why, you ask? Because he's scared. Scared of the girl's clothing section."
They entered JC Penny's and Selina nodded to her. "Go crazy, kid. Anything you want, it's yours."
Scarlet grinned, running over to the boy's clothing section. Selina sighed. "That's not what I meant, kid. GIRL clothes. Sure, it's nice wearing baggy shorts once and awhile, but that's at home. I want you to have some semblance of being a girl, even though being too girly is wimpy. Women are dominant, after all."
Scarlet grinned. She was beginning to like Selina.
"What's not to like?"
Within ten minutes, Scarlet had picked out a few funny t-shirts, a some practical route 66 jeans, and a blue Aeropostale hoodie.
Selina nodded in approval, and Scarlet looked around. "That's pretty much it..."
"No, it isn't." Selina led her over to where the packs of underwear were hanging. "I know Bruce is WAY too chicken to buy you... well, you know. I'd recommend something that isn't lacy- lace really itches..."
Scarlet stared at the display for a good minute before choosing a pair of Batman boxers, and Selina had to chuckle. "Alright, I can live with that..."
"Are we going to leave now?"
Selina grinned. "Oh no. We're just getting started. Maurice, I'm going to need the works..." she said, walking over to the cosmetics counter. "We have a new student."
By the end of the half hour course, she was curling her eyelashes, penciling them, using mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, and had practically mastered lipstick...
"She's a natural." Maurice said, grinning.
"I hoped she would be." Selina said, grinning, and Scarlet felt something similar to the feeling when her mamica had first praised her on the trapeze fluttering within her. No. Selina wasn't her mother. Selina never would be her mother... Or would she? Maybe...
"Maurice, get her everything I usually get." Selina said, and Scarlet felt even more pride swell within her...
"And finally, shoes. Every girl needs at least three pair. Walking, running, and sexy. You choose."
Scarlet nodded. She picked out a pair of wonder woman high tops, some plain white sneakers, and a pair of black, shining fashion boots with a one inch heel...
"There we go." Selina grinned. "That is how you shop." and they checked out.
They headed down through the mall, past the fountains and photo booths and kiosks, to the food court...
"Where do you want to eat?" Selina asked, setting down the bags. Scarlet had been carrying the bag of shoes with her, and she set it down, looking around the place...
"Hot Pretzel Joe's?" she suggested. Selina smiled. "Alright. Next time we go out, I'll teach you about the finer things..."
Just then a mousy looking man of about twenty-five strode up. Scarlet had been watching him preen himself for the last five minutes and eye Selina...
"Babe, do you have a map? Cause I'm lost in your eyes." he said, smiling feebly.
Selina shot Scarlet a grin, and she knew she should pay attention. She was obviously going to learn something great here...
"You know, that shirt looks great on you." the man tried again.
Selina took a sip from her drink. "Really? You know what else looks good on me? My boyfriend."
"Oh... Um... bye..." and the man scurried away. Scarlet giggled and Selina looked at her, amused. "See? Would Bruce ever teach you that?"
Scarlet shook her head. Tonight had turned out to be an awesome night, but it was past one in the morning, and she was tired...
"I guess it'd be bed time, then..." Selina grinned as she looked over to see Scarlet asleep, head on the table. She shifted the girl into one arm and the shopping bags into the other before heading out.
Bruce Wayne paced the floor of Wayne manor, anxious. "Alfred, are you sure she snuck along in the trunk?" Bruce asked. His mind was reeling- he'd already searched the trunk and come up empty, but still, why would Sparrow have left the scene if she'd tagged along?
"Quite sure, Master Bruce. You know how she dislikes being left behind." Alfred said.
"But where would she go? Her tracking device is offline, I have no idea how she even managed that..."
"Perhaps because she left her belt-radio with the hidden tracking chip here and turned off, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, holding it up.
"Dang it, she's good. When will she realize she's just a little kid? She shouldn't be sneaking off like this..."
There was a knock at the door upstairs, and Bruce sprinted to answer it, pulling open the door, praying he'd find...
"Selina?"
"I brought your daughter home, Bruce." Selina said calmly, walking past him, into the manor, and setting Scarlet on the couch.
Bruce looked at every inch of Scarlet from where he was, before he was sure his daughter was simply asleep, and relaxed slightly... until he saw Selina's smug expression.
"You kidnapped my daughter?" he asked. He didn't want to yell at Selina, but did she know how worried he'd been?
"Not kidnapped. More like saved. The Joker and Two-Face are out on the streets, I found her watching your fight in Dredger's Alley. Figured I might as well get her before someone else did, she was so wrapped up in making sure you won..."
"She was stalking me, wasn't she?" Bruce asked, looking down at his daughter for a minute.
"She was making sure you didn't need back up." Selina said.
"So how'd you manage to drag her away?"
Selina smiled. "I didn't. She came with me after she saw you had it under control and we had a night out on the town..."
"I can see that. And she just... let you take her?"
"Heck no. I told her we'd have a good time and that you liked me and she must've been pretty curious about me, since she went with me. Anyways, I bought her some things, since you'd never set foot in the girl's clothing section..."
"I get the picture." Bruce said, looking a this daughter solemnly...
"Bruce. Don't tell me you're going to punish her for this. She only snuck out to make sure you were alright..."
"She disobeyed orders, Selina. If you hadn't been there, who knows who'd have nabbed her? Not to mention she made sure to ditch her tracking device..."
"What do you expect, Bruce? You're the one who trained her." Selina stood, heading to leave. "At most, punish her for disobeying orders. But not for going with me."
"Selina, wait. You have cats, you're Catwoman... know any good vets?"
Selina cocked an eyebrow. "Of course I do. Why?"
"I'm getting her microchipped."
Selina rolled her eyes. "I doubt vets do that for children, Bruce."
"Right, I'll probably have to google it..."
Selina sighed. "You are a hopeless father sometimes, you know that?" she said, and Bruce looked genuinely hurt for a moment. She stepped closer. "But you're lucky you have such loving kids..." she said quietly, before she planted a long, slow kiss on his lips and was gone.