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In the dead of night, Gotham slept quietly under the bright moon, but a familiar cat couldn't afford to sleep, not tonight. Because tonight, Catwoman's master plan to steal Christie's Diamond Necklace that sat on a fat worth of 8.14 million was going into action. On the fashion museum's rooftop, Catwoman kneeled by the glass roof and peered inside through her night vision goggles. Two-night guards were covering the shift, one of them was at the front desk monitoring the security cameras, and the other was taking to doing laps around the museum. "Like taking candy from a baby," Selina smirked and pulled out a suction gun, sticking it to one of the many glass windows of the roof. Using her claws to cut a circle through the glass, she held the gun in place and pulled it up where it left an opening big enough for her to squeeze through. Setting the suction gun to the side, she pulled her black duffle bag off her shoulder and unzipped it, Rummaging inside, she pulled out a long rope with a clasp at the end, like the ones used for rock climbing. Wrapping the cord around the beam closest to the window, Selina clasped it to her suit belt and dived through the open window.
Slowly descending, Catwoman eyed the cameras as her booted feet gently touched the marbled floor below. Looking up to the window, Selina made a soft psst sound, and a black cat with wide green eyes popped its head through. Opening her arms, the cat jumped through the window and fell gracefully into her arms. "Perfect, Salem," Selina purred, rubbing her cheek against the cat's head before kneeling and allowing him to jump from her embrace. Salem knew what to do. He'd done it millions of times. Trotting to the middle of the museum, Salem meowed and walked around. His job was to get the guard's attention and lure them away so Catwoman could steal the goods. "Is that a cat?" One of the guards asked, peering over the desk as he watched Salem trot around with his fluffy black tail in the air.
"What the hell? How did you get in here?" The man asked as he got up and rounded the desk to kneel in front of Salem, but when the man got too close, Salem hissed and ran off in the opposite direction of Selina, "Jimmy! There's a fucking cat in the building. Get it!" The man yelled into his walkie-talkie as he chased after Salem. Proud of her partner-in-crime, Selina smiled and stalked to the case that held the beautiful diamond necklace inside. Selina's green eyes sparkled as she stared wide-eyed at the dazzling million-dollar piece of jewelry. "Oh, aren't you just gorgeous," she grinned, biting her bottom lip with excitement as she pointed out her index finger, using her claw to unlock the lock on the case holding the polished tempered glass closed. The quiet click of the latch unlocking was like music to her ears. Humming quietly, she gently grasped the glass lid and pulled it off, setting it off to the side against the shiny marble floor below. "Come to mama," she gasped excitedly. Selina plucked the necklace from the blue velvet display and held it in the moonlight. The diamonds glimmered in the light as Selina inspected them. Once satisfied, she unclasped the clasp and put the jewels on. Hearing soft padding behind her, Selina glanced to the side to see Salem running to her with a beautiful bracelet in his mouth. Kneeling before him, Selina smiled and took the offering before picking him up, "Thank you, darling. What do you say we ditch this party?" Selina gasped, smiling when Salem meowed, blinking at her with two lazy green eyes. Hurrying to the rope, Selina pulled herself to the open window while Salem sat on her shoulders.
"Catwoman! It's Catwoman!" The guard yelled.
"Where?" The other cried, looking around frantically.
"On the fucking roof, you idiot! Look!"
"Bye, boys!" Laughing in the night, Cawtwoman scurried away after grabbing her duffle bag. She didn't spend another moment on the roof, using her whip to thrust herself in the air from a street light and onto another rooftop. Continuing on her way, Selina was surprised at how far she got without the Bat chasing after her. Usually, he'd silently run after her, with a silent call for her to stop, and then they'd share a romantic game of cat and mouse until she disappeared back to her little apartment on Black Wood Drive. But instead, she found no Bat, so she continued on her way.
As she neared her apartment, Selina suddenly stopped when she noticed a familiar figure sitting hunched nearby. She slowly approached and called, "Kitten? Is that you?" The silence told her it was. Stopping behind the figure, Selina sat down her duffle bag as Salem jumped off her shoulders and trotted to the boy, rubbing against his side. Robin glanced down at Salem and reached a little hand out to the cat, gently running his gloved hand against Salem's silky black fur. Selina knew her fair share of Robin's emotions, but he wasn't willingly quiet unless something was bothering him. "Where's Batman?" She asked, sitting next to the boy and throwing her legs over the edge of the building. Damian's slumped shoulders rose and fell in a shrug as he continued to pet Salem. Glancing at Damian, Selina's lips pulled into a straight line as she analyzed him. They sat in silence as sirens echoed through the city from a distance. Selina didn't doubt Batman was following the sirens. "What's wrong, Kitten? I know something is bothering you," Selina whispered, taking off her night vision goggles and setting them down behind her. All her attention was on Damian, and Selina patiently sat as she waited for him to speak up.
It took Damian a while to build up the courage to speak. He quietly listened to the sirens echoing through the city, wondering if his father was close behind. When he stopped petting Salem, the cat meowed accusingly at him, nudging Damian's gloved hand with his head as he demanded more attention. Returning his hand to Salem's back, the cat purred. Eventually, Damian answered Selina's question, "Father told me to go home," Damian spat, glaring at the wet pavement below the building. "He said he didn't need me for the mission."
Tilting her head, Selina hummed as she looked to the distance, "And why did he say that?"
"I... I don't know," Damian stressed, balling his free hand into a fist at his side. It was true. His father had said it to him so suddenly without an explanation. He told Damian to go home, that his patrol was over for the night. Damian hadn't even finished his patrol!
Reaching out a hand, Selina wrapped an arm around Damian's shoulders and pulled him against her side. He made no effort to fight as she held him close. Instead, he snuggled closer and buried his face into her side, "He probably thinks I'm still a monster..." Damian frowned, "I thought I was getting better. I thought he trusted me."
"Oh, Kitten. You aren't a monster. I'm sure Bruce told you to go home for a reason," Selina argued softly.
Damian's frown deepened, finding trouble believing her words as he peered at Selina. "But I am, I'm a monster..."
Turning to face Damian, Selina gently pulled off his domino mask and cupped his warm cheeks between her gloved hands, "Kitten, you are not. Do you want to know what I see?" She asked. Damian stayed silent as he glanced at her, "I see... A strong, beautiful boy with a button nose," Selina giggled, tapping Damian's nose, and smiled when Damian's eyes went cross-eyed. "With a pair of striking emerald eyes and the biggest heart I've ever seen," Selina hummed, tapping a clawed finger against Damian's chest over his heart. "But I don't see a monster anywhere," Selina shrugged, smiling as she gently inspected Damian's face, "I don't see one anywhere. All I see is my Kitten."
"But-" Damian squeaked, trying to argue with Selina, but she wouldn't stand for it. Pulling him into her arms, she laughed, smothering him with forehead kisses, and cooed at his pouting as she smoothed his hair down, "Why don't I take you back with me, Kitten? I'll get you a warm glass of milk, and you can wait for papa Bat to pick you up," Selina hummed, rocking Damian in her embrace as if he were a baby. "I'm sure there's a good reason for what he said. We can figure it out together, k?" Glancing up at her, Damian slowly nodded.
___
Out of her Catwoman suit and in a comfortable pair of pajamas, Selina waited for Damian to finish changing into his PJs (Just one of Selina's sweatshirts and shorts that didn't fit her anymore) as she opened the fridge and grabbed the opened milk carton. Selina knew Damian preferred chocolate milk over regular, so she poured it into the glass and scooped up two tablespoons of the chocolate powder out of the container before stirring it. Putting away the milk and powder, Selina popped the glass of chocolate milk into the microwave and warmed it up for 20 seconds. Hearing the floorboards squeak behind her, Selina glanced over her shoulder and watched Damian walk towards her in an oversized green sweatshirt. Stopping by her side, Damian wrapped his arms around Selina's waist and buried his face into her side. Smiling, Selina watched the glass in the microwave as she ruffled Damian's hair.
While Damian sat at the kitchen table drinking his chocolate milk, Selina pulled out her phone and texted Bruce that Damian was with her and to swing by once he finished with his patrol. Setting her phone on the counter, Selina sighed and fixed herself a cup of tea. She still had a bunch of teabags left over from the teas Alfred gave her, Selina was never a big tea person, but the teas Alfred Pennyworth gifted her were sweet, unlike most tea. Walking to the table, Selina sat beside Damian. They sat silently, enjoying their drinks, and waited for Bruce.
When Bruce finally showed up, quietly opening the window and sliding through, he was surprised to find Damian fast asleep on Selina's couch with cats surrounding him. Bruce grimaced at the scene of cats running around, eyeing each one with a weary look. Being allergic to the felines, Bruce could stand Alfred the cat because he was a single cat and didn't care much for Bruce's company, not that Bruce cared, but a whole clan of cats. No way. "It took you a long time to get here," Selina hummed, leaning against the wall as she observed Batman.
"Long night," Bruce sighed, stepping over the small fluffy bodies that meowed at him, each trying to rub their bodies against his boots.
"Who was it?" Selina asked, setting her empty mug on the counter.
Bruce stopped before her, his lips forming a straight line as Selina searched his blue eyes, looking for something. "I told him to go home-"
"Don't change the subject, Bruce. Who was it?" Selina snapped, challenging him.
Bruce stayed silent for a long time, standing there as he stared into Selina's eyes before sighing, knowing he wouldn't win this fight, "The Joker..." Selina's furrowed brows rose into a frown as she watched Bruce look at Damian's sleeping form, "I couldn't risk it... Not after what happened to Jason," Bruce stressed. "I knew if I told Damian, he'd want to come with me even more, but I couldn't- I wouldn't. I had to protect him. I can't let Joker get his hands on another Robin."
"Oh, Bruce... I'm so sorry," Selina whispered.
Nodding, Bruce walked to the couch and dipped down, collecting Damian in his arms and cradling the boy close to his chest. Bruce's eyes scanned over Damian's face. His son looked at peace when he was sleeping. Bruce realized how young his son was. Looking at Damian and how small he was in Bruce's arms, he looked like an actual child, not a warrior. Damian would never know how precious he was to his father. "Precious jewel," Selina hummed, sweetly smiling as she leaned against Bruce's shoulder and stared down at Damian's chubby cheeks. That's right, Bruce thought. Damian was the family's precious jewel. Any of them would do anything for the boy, even Tim. Bruce's tense shoulders relaxed as a small smile pulled at his lips. His son was safe. That's all that mattered.