"Tell your boss that I'm here." Catwoman ordered impatiently as she crossed her arms with the document in her hand.
The man took out his phone. "She has it...Okay, I will." He hung up. "Penguin is on his way."
Catwoman grunted in response. She looked at the document in her hands. It was thin and in a beige folder. When she was at the police department, it didn't take her long to figure out what the document Oswald wanted was. Thankfully for her, it was in the first few drawers. It was information about the boy who had robbed the bank. That was Dick, of course.
She didn't know why Oswald wanted this, but she wasn't too concerned. There was nothing stating that they knew the identity of the boy or even had clues. Besides, Penguin probably just wanted to burn the information after he made sure everything was according to his plans or something.
Speaking of the devil, Catwoman saw him approaching her from the side of her eye. "I'm glad to see that you were successful." He stated with a smirk.
"Whatever. Just take this and tell me what orphanage Dick is being sent to." Catwoman demanded.
Penguin rolled his eyes. "You're a feisty one, aren't you? It's quite annoying, really." He pulled out a post it note with the address of the orphanage along with other information she might need.
Catwoman glared at him for the remark as she snatched the note. "It seems you're not the only annoying one here, then." She retorted.
"How clever." Penguin wryly commented. As Catwoman began to walk away, he said, "wait."
She stopped, but didn't turn around.
"Are you going to adopt the boy?" He asked. Catwoman looked back at him. "I dunno. What's it mean to you?"
Oswald looked like he wanted to say something. He scrunched his eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it and shook his head. "Nothing. I- argh, never mind." He decided. "Good day." He said, as if nothing had just happened and waddled away.
Catwoman scoffed. She looked down at her suit. She needed change.
- - - - - - -
Selina bent down and started tying her shoe laces.
Buzzzzz. Selina grabbed her phone and looked at the caller's name. It was Bruce.
She pursed her lips. She abandoned her shoes and reached for the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, Selina. I just wanted to see how you're doing." Bruce said while a gentle voice.
Selina scoffed. "Oh, I'm great. Thanks for asking. I mean, it's not like you've done anything to really piss me off lately." She replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Selina." Bruce groaned. "You know that I did it for his own good."
Selina scratched her head as she sighed. "Yeah. I know, Bruce. It's just... I really warmed up to him. And I know he feels the same way." She revealed.
"He does. I noticed how disappointed he appeared when I was in the car with him. He missed you." Selina could hear the sympathy in his voice.
Selina placed her phone against her ear and between her shoulder to continue lying her laces. "Ah, poor kid." Selina paused. "Bruce, answer truthfully. Do you think I'm not capable of taking care of him?" She questioned sadly.
"Of course you are. Why are you asking me this?"
"Well, you did decide it was best to take him to an orphanage rather than to stay with me even after I insisted otherwise." She stated bluntly.
She could hear Bruce exhale from his side of the call. "No, it's just.. I- Selina, come one. You're more than capable of caring for him. You're able to maintain a bunch of cats, after all. The thing is, you're a criminal. If he stays with you, he'll learn to become one, too."
"I see." Selina said indecipherably. Bruce couldn't tell what emotion she was feeling by hearing her voice only. He guessed that was the sound of disappointment. "If you didn't promote such criminal activity, I would say you'd be the best friend- or even parent- a child could ask for. Especially for Dick, who needs someone who he can relate to and feel comfortable around. And I'm not just saying that to make you feel better."
Selina took what he said in. "Do you really mean that?" She asked in awe.
"Every word." He guaranteed.
"Then it's decided! I'll adopt him!" Selina confirmed cheerfully. Bruce sputtered.
"W-what? Selina, did you even listen to what I just said?" He exclaimed.
"I'm not deaf, of course I did." Selina retorted as she got up from the couch and walked towards the entrance door. "You told me that I'd make an amazing parent."
"Yes! That's if you were to stop being a criminal. That means no stealing!" Bruce frustratedly explained.
"Eh, I don't think that'll really impact Dick as much as you think." She shrugged. "I'm going to do it. My civilian record is pretty clean. Not to brag or anything."
"Selina, don't do it. " Bruce warned.
Selina smiled. "Oh no, I think the connection is breaking up!" She joked.
"I'm not kidding. I'll adopt him if it means you can't." He threatened.
Selina froze. "Y- you'll do what?" She questioned ridiculously.
"You heard me." He answered.
Selina was silent for a moment, thinking of what to do. "Not if I adopt him before you." She challenged. She hung up the phone before Bruce could retaliate and walked past the threshold of the door. She had to be quick if she were to get to the orphanage before a guy with a high-tech car.
Game on, Bruce.
- - - - - - - -
Dick waved goodbye to Robert as a woman with curly hair escorted him to a large room. It looked like a play room. It was also very crowded.
It was brightly colored, yet it looked like it was in need of another layer of paint. There was a rug on the floor where he saw a few kids quite younger than him played with dolls and toy cars.
Another section of the room seemed like it was for the slightly older children. There was a table which held paper and crayons to draw and a few puzzles and card games.
Dick didn't know where to go. The table had no more available chairs and he didn't really want to play with dolls. The woman from earlier had left before he could ask anything. There was another adult in the room but he was talking to a crying child.
So this is my life now, huh? Well, it's still better than the detention center.
Dick walked up to the table and looked at the selection of activities. He grabbed a sheet of paper and reached for a crayon in the box. Coincidentally, the girl right next to him also reached for that crayon. They glanced at each other awkwardly.
"Uh.. you could use it." The girl offered timidly. She looked about his age.
"No, it's okay. I'll just choose a different color." Dick responded over the chatter of the room.
"If you say so." The girl said. She took the blue crayon and started coloring her drawing. It was a stick figure of a person crying. She used the blue to color the tears. Dick noticed that she had a scar running down her hand.
He felt uncomfortable but said, "Wow, you're a good drawer." He just wanted to start a conversation.
The girl looked at him. She shyly tucked her brown hair behind her ear. "Really?"
He nodded.
"Thanks. I just draw however I feel." She confessed.
"Oh, do you feel sad?" Dick questioned with concern. He couldn't blame her, though. Any child who was here had the right to feel that way.
The girl puckered her lips as she continued coloring. "Yeah. I've been feeling really lonely lately. I used to have friends but they all got adopted... I've been here for so long. I don't think I'll ever be adopted."
Dick sadly watched her. "That's not true. You'll probably get out of here someday. And, hey, I'll be your friend." He determined.
The girl glanced at him and gave a small smile. "Okay then. What's your name?"
"Richard, but you can call me Dick." He explained.
"Alright. My name is Maya. Nice to meet you." She stated. "So, Dick, how long have you been here?"
"I'm new. I came just a few minutes ago, actually." He replied.
She finished coloring the tears. She returned the blue, took a bright yellow crayon, and started coloring the background. "Ah, I see. I can show you around the place later on."
Dick didn't want to spend the whole conversation standing so he got on his knees and grabbed a crayon of any color. He started to doodle. "If I may ask, how did you end up here?"
Maya tensed up.
"I'm sorry! You don't have to tell me if you're uncomfortable." Dick nervously stammered.
She shook her head. "It's fine. I was just surprised by the question." She deeply inhaled as she recited the story. "Papa would leave home sometimes and wouldn't come back until a few days. Mama said he was doing work stuff, but I don't think that was true, because one day he never came back. After that, Mama would get really angry sometimes. If I didn't do something right, she would scream at me. Sometimes she'd say some really mean things."
Dick's eyes widened.
"The day everything really went wrong, though, was when I was was ironing my clothes. Mama was yelling on the phone. She was really loud; the neighbors could hear everything. She hung up the phone and threw it on the floor. The sound scared me so I stopped what I was doing and looked at her. I asked what was wrong, but she didn't answer. Then I got annoyed and said under my breath. Mama started arguing with me. I had forgotten that the iron was on and it started to heat up a lot. I tried to moving it and I ended up burning myself. That's how I got this scar."
Dick held onto her hand. "It must have been very hot." He commented softly.
Maya nodded. "It was. It caused the clothes to catch on fire. Mama was able to put it out but she was furious. She... she got so angry that she hit me." Tears were flowing out of her eyes. "T-the neighbors called the police and noticed my injuries. Mama was put i-in jail. Since I don't have anyone else in my family, they sent me here." She sniffled.
Dick gave her a hug. "I'm so sorry. You're very brave for still being strong after that."
Maya hugged back. "T-thanks." She pushed away. "H-how about you? How did you get here?" She questioned as she wiped her tears away.
Dick looked down at his hands. "Well... I used to be in a circus. I was an acrobat." He reminisced. "It was really fun, you know. We used the trapeze..without a net."
Maya looked at him in awe. "Woah."
"But there was this man. He wanted the money from our circus. Mr. Haly refused, so h-he... sabotaged the trapeze ropes." A small sob escaped his lips. "Th-they fell.. and it was all because of him. In the end, he got the money, and I also don't have any other family members. So, that's why I'm here." He finished mournfully. He had purposely left out the part about being sent to juvie. He didn't want her to pity him more than she already was.
"Oh my god, Dick. That's terrible." She whispered.
"Yeah." He agreed. They both shifted uncomfortably.
"So," Maya changed the topic, "what are you drawing?"
Dick looked at his sketch. "A robin." He said.
"Oooh, that's neat. Do you like robins?" She inquired.
Dick shrugged. "They're pretty. It's that's what my mom used to call me, her little robin."
Maya smiled. "Cute."
A woman entered the room holding a clipboard. "Hello? Richard Grayson? Are you in here?" She shouted over the sounds of the other children.
Dick scrunched his eyebrows. He stood up and raised his hand. "U-umm, that's me." He hesitantly responded.
"Get moving, boy! It's your lucky day: someone's here to adopt you!"
Ooh~ Who do you think it is?