"Oh, wow! Look at you." Selina praised as she observed Dick in his costume. "Aren't you just adorable?"
Dick smiled shyly at her words. He thought he looked cool rather than adorable, though. His black suit matched with Catwoman's, which made them look like a pretty epic team, and although he didn't have googles like her, he still had a mask.
Selina held in her teases, but it was hard to. Dick's appearance made her want to laugh. His sketchers and fluffy, unruled hair along with his small stature contrasted strangely with the dark outfit outfit and weapons he was equipped with. It's looked like Dick was cosplaying for Halloween if anything.
That reminded her...
"You know how I like to use a whip?" Catwoman mentioned and she bent down to grab something from a cabinet besides her.
"Yeah." Dick simply answered as he continued looking at himself in the mirror, striking supposedly cool poses.
"Well, I thought it would be cool if you got you one, too." Catwoman explained. She showed him the bullwhip in her hand. It was smaller than hers, but the same material and color.
Dick gasped. "Woah!" He reached out for it but Selina held her index finger up to signal him to stop and listen.
"This is very dangerous, though. If you were to use an improper technique, you could injure yourself severely. I'm giving it to you so you can use it as a bluff if necessary, but I don't want you to actually try it out until I teach you how." She cautioned seriously.
Dick knitted his eyebrows. "I understand."
Selina ruffled his hair and attached it onto his belt. She couldn't wait to teach him how to use it one day. "I think we're set. Am I forgetting anything?"
Dick put a finger to his chin and thought for a moment. "Oh! Refill Ninja's bowl before we go!"
Selina snapped her fingers. "Right. I'll be back." She informed. She got up and went out with cat food in her hand.
Dick sat on the couch and took out his phone. He had gotten a text from somebody.
[insert number here]
Hello, this is Oswald. Are you receiving this message?
Dick smiled as he replied and made him a contact. It took him a good five minutes to finish typing as he didn't know the placement of all the letters in the keyboard.
🐧 Ozzie
Hello, this is Oswald. Are you receiving this message?
Hi! This is Dick!
I did receive your message!
It seems that our exchanging of numbers worked well. Is the suit
in proper condition?
Yep! Everything's fine. Thanka :)
I mean thanks not thanka. I pressed on the wrong letter
I'm about to go soon so talk to you later!
Byeee!!!!
Dick put his phone away before he could read Oswald's replied. Selina came back dusting her hands. "Come one, let's rescue some animals and beat some aaaa- butt. I was about to say butt."
- - - - - - - - - - -
Selina parked the car a block or two away from the area that they'd start the plan. They got out of the car and started approaching a small and old fashioned looking café. Selina turned to Dick before opening the entrance doors.
"You remember what to say, right?" She whispered. Dick nodded and smiled mischievously. Selina smirked and opened the door for Dick. He walked in while Selina sat at a table outside and waited patiently.
Dick observed the building. How did they look? Some were tall and muscular and others were short and fat. At least, that's what Selina said. She also said one of the guys had a small tattoo on his neck.
Where is he...? He wondered as he glanced at the people enjoying their coffee, trying not to seem suspicious.
At last, he noticed a group of men. They were murmuring as if they were speaking about something that should not be overheard by an outsider. That's just what Dick was hoping for. He assumed that these were the men, they were decently large as Selina had described.
Well, it's time for him to do what he does best.
He burst into tears.
The once quiet building was infested with Dick's screams and whimpers. Everyone turned to the direction of the noise, bewildered.
"I can't find my mommy!" He screeched. He frustratedly stomped his feet and squeezed his fist. "Someone help me find my mommy!" He demanded with a quivering lip.
A waitress walked up to him and reached to comfort him, but he smacked her hand away. "You're not my mommy!" He cried out.
"Sweetie, please stop yelling! I can't help you if you won't let me." She said softly but with distress. "Here, let's go to the back and-"
"No! No, no, no, no, no! I'm not going anywhere! I want my mommy! Give me my mommy!" He repeated in a brat-like manner. He wiped his tears and whispered, "No one wants to help me. I'll never find my her..."
By now, costumers were muttering to each other with upset faces.
"Why is this little boy shouting like that?"
"Oh my gosh, what a brat. No wonder his mother left him."
"Should we call security?"
"Oh, I feel quite bad for him."
"Sigh, I just wanted to enjoy some coffee.."
"Mood."
The gang members glared at Dick. "Is this some sort of joke? Guys, let's leave." They began to get up and walk towards Dick, who was near the exit. The man in front was the one Selina had mentioned, the one with the tattoo. Dick panicked. He needed to do move fast.
He leaped onto the man and wrapped his arms around his torso. "What the actual hell? Get off me!" He exclaimed. Dick squeezed tighter and began to cry again. "Y-you look like my daddy... I miss him." (This is literally painful to write- H A L P)
Barf! Dick internally screamed. Oh gosh, I think I'm gonna be sick!
"Do I look like I give two shits? Get off me before I make you, punk." He threatened angrily. Dick immediately let go.
Selina walked through the door and gasped. "Oh my god! Di- Drake! I've been looking everywhere for you!" She enveloped him in a hug. She then noticed the furious, confused, and worried eyes staring at her. "I- oh gosh, I am so sorry! Drake must have been making a fuss, hasn't he? I apologize again. We'll be leaving now."
She grabbed Dick's hand and hastily left the café. They speedily walked back the the car, looking back to make sure they weren't being followed. Only then did Selina ask, "You got it, right?"
Dick didn't say anything. He had his mouth slightly ajar and his eyes wide. She hugged me, he thought, it was so warm. It had been the first time he'd been hugged by an adult since his parents died. Hugs used to be a daily thing to him, why did it seem so rare and foreign now?
"Hello? Earth to Dick?" Selina asked, bringing Dick out of his thoughts as she waved a hand in his face.
"H-huh?"
"Did you get the key?" Selina questioned again, slightly impatient. Dick blinked slowly and broke into a smile. He opened the palm of his hand. There lied a bronze key.
Selina exhaled in relief and laughed. "Nice work. How'd you do it?"
"I hugged the guy or something. And I took it out of his pocket when he didn't notice." Dick explained.
Selina nodded. "Pickpocketing already, huh? I thought I'd have to teach you, but I'm glad I didn't have to. You clearly have a knack for picking up on things."
"I see what you did there." Dick said with a laugh.
Selina took the key out of Dick's hand. "Alright, now that we've got this, I can opened a drawer I've seen. I think it has something important considering it's locked. And if I'm right, well, let's just say I'll take you out somewhere. I'll let you choose wherever you want." she hinted.
Dick gasped and grinned ear to ear. "Yay!"
They hopped in the car and drove to the area that Catwoman spoke of. "You know, you're a pretty good actor." Selina complimented as she looked at the road ahead of her.
Dick shrugged. "It was okay. My voice hurts from all the yelling."
He fiddled with his fingers and asked the question that had been on his mind for a while. "Selina, why do people take and hurt animals? They didn't do anything to them." He asked sadly.
Selina glanced at him and sighed at his gloom face. "Because, Dick, some people are willing to do whatever it takes for money."
Dick picked at a hangnail as he thought frustratedly. He already knew this. Tony had murdered his parents for money. These men captured animals for money. Simple. He was sure there were many others out there, doing horrible things for money as well. It angered Dick to think that no one else really cared. No one except the victims. Not the offender, not the bystanders- no offense to them- but not even the police sometimes. After all, nobody had investigated the death of Dick's parents.
Sure, Catwoman wasn't a saint, but she was a decent person. She never seemed to go too far in her criminal activities. And penguin- he did kill people.
Dick knitted his eyebrows. Was he a hyprocrite? He clearly despised people who were selfish enough to take a life, and yet he was friends with Oswald Cobblepot. In fact, he had almost killed someone himself.
But I had a good reason, Dick argued. And maybe Oswald does, too. The time Oswald had been behind the murder of someone around Dick, it had been because they were about to kill him. So they were only making things even, right? Just like Dick wanted to.
Dick shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to start justifying these awful things... he just didn't know what to think anymore.
All this thinking hurt his brain.
Dick slouched and looked out the car window. There was so much toxicity, especially in this city. He wanted to do something, just something, to help ease it. But what could he do? He was just some kid.
Yet here he was in a suit attempting to free some wild cats.
Dick thought about Catwoman and Batman. They both wore these strange outfits and were good at fighting. It was like it was a trend or something. Dick was aware that Catwoman's deeds were not legal, but what about Batman? Was he allowed to work on his own, going places and doing things that normal people normally wouldn't be able to? Did he work with the police?
"Is Batman allowed to do all the stuff he does?" Dick questioned aloud. Catwoman appeared surprised by this question.
"Uh, it depends? Why do you ask?"
"I dunno. It's just weird, isn't it? That Batman isn't a policeman but he is still a hero. Does the police, like, talk to him? Do they work together?"
Selina drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she thought of a response. "Hmm. Well, the police and Batman's relationship is complicated. For a while they tried to get rid of him, but I guess they stopped. Maybe they realized that they need him. The commissioner, James Gordon, even meets up with him sometimes. So, yeah, Batman is 'allowed' in a way. It was never official though."
"Oh, I see." Dick mumbled. So basically Batman got his way because he was stubborn?
Dick forced himself to stop thinking about all that stuff and decided to wonder about the cats. He couldn't wait to see them. He hoped they wouldn't attack them once they let them free.
The farther they went into the city, the darker and more worn down it got. The streets were bumpy and empty while the buildings looked as if they were about to fall apart. At last, Selina parked the grey car behind an old building.
"Where are we?" He curiously asked.
"We're in the Narrows." Selina replied. Dick couldn't read her facial expression.
After they got out of the car, Selina locked it and lead the way. She had parked the car quiet far from where they were going, so they walked for a while.
They headed to an alley way. Selina let her fingers brush over the wall as she walked slowly. She randomly stopped and carefully inspected the area her hand had just passed. There was a trash can in front and when Dick looked closely, he noticed a small black arrow on the wall facing downward.
Selina pressed on the arrow and pushed the trash can to the side, exposing a flight of stairs leading down a tunnel.
"This is a common passageway used by a lot of criminals. No one really uses this entrance, and I like it because of that." Selina informed.
Dick raised an eyebrow. "There are other entrances?"
"Yep." Selina said as she began walking down the stairs.
Dick looked at the trash can. "Umm, do you want me to cover the spot?"
Selina stopped pacing and looked up at Dick through the shadowy area. "Don't worry about that. It closes on its own after a few minutes. So you better hurry and get down here before it does."
Dick yelped and ran after her.