Title: A Game of Cat and Bird (1/1)

Author: Charlene Edwards

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: DC owns the characters and won't give them to me. Selfish DC.

Synopsis: this is written to answer Jesse's challenge on the Bludhaven list to see Catwoman save a little Robin.

Thanks to Patty for her great beta work. I hope you all like this. Char :-)

A Game of Cat and Bird:

"Stay. Here," the gravely voice barked.

"Why?" the young voice asked.

"Because I said so," Batman replied as he dropped over the ledge of the roof down into the melee of a gang war in the lower East End of Gotham.

Robin propped on his elbows and pouted as he watched his mentor disarming gang members and throwing them around like rag-dolls. "How am I gonna lean anything from up here?"

"Observation little bird," a new voice called from behind him.

Robin turned, eyes wide, to see Catwoman standing near the roof's heating duct. "What are you doing here?"

"Whatever I want," she replied sauntering over. Robin's mouth formed a small scowl as he backed into the roof ledge, his small hands balled into fists in front of him. "Oh relax kid. If I had wanted to hurt you, I would've done it before you knew I was here." She leaned over and looked down at the fight below. Her eyes watched Batman's every leap, every kick, every punch and bone-breaking move he made. She smiled while she watched Batman's muscles ripple as he moved like a lithe panther.

"What. Do. You. Want?"

She looked at the child and laughed. "You sound just like him. It's a free rooftop kid, don't get your green shorts in a bunch." Her eyes went back to the fight below them. Smiling and watching Batman she added, "He's very good."

"He's the best," Robin said defensively, his little fists remained in front of him. His eyes narrowed under his black mask as she tossed a velvet jewel bag between her hands. "What have you stolen?"

"Never mind. I was going to get your boss's attention, but he's too preoccupied to play." She strode across the rooftop and pulled her black whip from her side. "Nighty-night birdy boy." Snapping the whip into the night, Catwoman swung away to the next rooftop.

Robin watched her indignantly. He looked down at Batman still engaged in the fight, then looked back to watch her running across the rooftops. Biting his bottom lip, he made up his mind. Running across the roof, he shot his jumpline and followed her into the Gotham night.

---

Four blocks away, Robin landed on the roof of the old Monarch Theatre on Park Row. He looked around for his prey but she was no where in sight. He sighed and turned to make his way back to Batman and the roof he wasn't supposed to have left. Before he could send out his jumpline, he heard a scream pierce the night. Immediately Robin moved into action. He saw the three men surrounding the screaming young woman in the alley by the theatre. Not pausing, he immediately jumped from the building, flying down feet first into the muggers. Robin landed in the middle of one of the perpetrator's back knocking him to the ground.

Expertly, the child flipped into the air and executed a number of kicks at the other two attackers who landed in a heap on the street. The Boy Wonder smiled at the blonde woman as he landed in front of her with a grin. "Are you okay?"

"LOOKOUT!" the woman screamed before she ran off into the night.

The boy turned in time to see the muzzle flash of the gun held by the unseen fourth man who moved out from the shadows. Robin also saw a purple flash in front of him and watched dropped mouthed as Catwoman lashed out furiously at the armed man. Her attack was swift, like a feral cat attacking an interloper into its territory. "It's not a good idea to jump in without accessing the entire situation little bird," she said staggering slightly before turning around to face him.

Robin's eyes widened as he saw the crimson stain seeping onto her purple uniform. It widened by the second as more precious drops of blood poured from the gunshot wound near her shoulder. "You were shot!'

"Better me than you," she answered as she stumbled over to him. "Your boss would skin this cat if you got hurt while playing chase with me."

Robin crossed his green gloved arms across his chest and huffed. "I wasn't playing."

A faint smiled crossed her pale features. "But….I was." She moaned and stumbled.

Robin ran over to her and wrapped his small arms around her waist. "Lean on me," he said as he helped her to the wall. "How bad is it?"

"I've been better," she said as she leaned against the wall, pulled the fabric slightly, and looked at the wound. "You ok ... little bird?"

"Yeah," he replied pulling a bandage from his utility belt. "You need to see Doc ... a doctor." He applied the wide square bandage over the oozing bloody growing wound.

"Unless you know one who doesn't call the boys in blue, I don't think so."

"I know a place ... not too far from here," he said.

Catwoman ruffled his hair with her good arm. "I wonder ... if his hair ... is this black?" she mused aloud staggering slightly as she started to move forward. "Where's your da ... bat?"

Robin shrugs, "He's 'round her somewhere ... he's always poppin' up when ya don't expect him."

"Tell me about it. Every time a girl tries to crack a safe in this town, he's there."

"That's because you're breaking the law."

"Only technically," she said with a grin.

Robin shook his head. "Technically it's breaking the law."

"Okay, you're right junior. Tell me, why did you try to take that gang yourself? You should've called for back-up. You could've been the one who was shot."

"You sound like Batman," he said as he shifted her weight against his shoulder. He tried to keep them in the shadows on the street as they headed toward Dr. Thompkin's Park Row clinic.

"How does your mom stand letting him bring you out to this every night?"

Robin was silent for a moment. "We should try to move quicker. That gang may come back."

"I wouldn't like it either if I were her," Catwoman said as she stopped and leaned against the store front window. "Give me a sec."

"Okay," Robin replied and sighed. "Just forget about ... her, okay?"

Catwoman closed her eyes and held her head back. The blood loss was making her dizzy. "Wish I could forget. But she has him and you; and I have Isis. Let's go," she said putting her hand on his small shoulder to steady herself. She starts to walk and her knees buckle causing her to stumble.

Robin staggered with her. "Hold on just a little further." He breathed deeply as they slowly made their way down the street. "Look ... no one has him. My mother is ... dead."

Catwoman stopped. She stared at Robin a few seconds before he turned to face her. She looked at his sad little face and the tears that sparkled slightly behind his big blue eyes. Uncharacteristically, she pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry Robin."

He hugged her, unsure as to why. The feel of her arms around him was comfortingly familiar. He stayed there a moment before he pulled away. "S'okay ...." he wiped at eyes with his gloved hand. "I'm fine ... jus don't tell him 'bout me cryi ... bein' upset ... and 'bout the shot. Okay?" He looked up at her with pleading, teary eyes. "Please?"

She smiled at him and ruffled his hair again. "I promise. You're my little hero, afterall."

Robin beamed. "You can tell him that part."

She winked at him. "You've got it. Now where's this doctor?"

"She's just the next block over. Can you make it?"

"Yeah, let's go."

"Catwoman ... why do you steal stuff?"

"Because I like eating," she said groggily.

"But ... you could get a job. You're pretty. You could work in an office or store. Dad always says ... uh ... I mean ... well that if you wanna work you can always get a job."

"Had jobs ... didn't ... like them. And HE would say that."

Robin's mouth formed a perfect O. "He didn't say that ... I mean I was talking about ... "

"Fine ... I didn't hear ... anything. ... 'm getting really," she dropped to her knees, "dizzy."

"CATWOMAN!" Robin yelled as she fell unconscious on the sidewalk. Robin tried to pull her up. "C'mon, c'mon ya gotta stand. We're almost at Doc Leslie's."

Batman moved in quickly behind him, sweeping her up in his arms. "Come."

"She's not bad Batman, not really. She helped me. Don't take her to jail I know she does wrong but she's hurt and ... and ... am I in trouble?"

Batman looked down at him. "What do you think?"

"Oh boy," Robin sighed.

"We've got to take her to Leslie," Batman said as he quickly ran toward the clinic. He looked down at the boy by his side. "You did well ... trying to take her to Leslie."

Robin smiled up at him. "I knew she needed a doctor. I wuz gonna bandage it like Alfred showed me but she just didn't look good." Robin ran ahead and opened the back door of the clinic. "Doc Leslie!"

---

Her green eyes fluttered open. Her head felt like she had been hit by a truck. Sitting up, she experienced a serge of vertigo and laid back on the soft pillow. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the stark white room she was in. "Where?"

"The Park Row Clinic," Batman's deep voice said. Turning her head, she saw him step from the shadows. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was shot. Where's my bag?"

"The jewel bag with nothing in it? It's with the rest of your things," he said as he placed his gloved hand on her slender arm.

"I just didn't have time to fill it," she mumbled as she tried to sit again. Slower this time than before.

"Uh huh," he said, his mouth twitching slightly upward. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Saving Robin. You didn't ... have to."

She heard ... something ... in his voice. She knew he meant what he said; she could hear his emotions for the boy in his voice. She rolled her eyes, "Yes I did. You'd be too hard to live with if something happened to your little bird."

"Um hm," he grunted. He saw Leslie at the door and patted her arm. "I'll be back."

Robin moved over from the corner. "Are you really okay?"

She grinned. "Yeah kid, I'll be fine." She smiled more as she watched the smile erupt on his face. "Doc L ... uh ... the doctor said you'd be good as new pretty soon."

"No worse for wear anyway. Then we'll go back to being adversaries." She stifled a giggle and masqueraded it as a cough as she watched his face fall. "How old are you?" Robin looked back up and jutted his lip out. He stared silently at her. Catwoman gave him a cheshire cat grin. "Oh that's right. You can't tell me. That's ok. I can tell you're seven."

"I'm TEN!" he almost yelled indignantly before he dropped his head in his gloved little hand. Looking up at her, his cheeks flushed with pink, he pouted, "You tricked me."

"Uh huh, I did. I'm a badguy that's what we do," she replied with a wink.

"You're not really that bad."

Catwoman beckoned him closer with her finger and whispered, "Don't let that get around or you'll ruin my reputation." She paused and then gave a tiny shrug. "Unless ... you happened to tell HIM. That would be okay."

Robin smiled a bright grin. "If you promise to let me catch you sometime."

She purred and wrapped her good arm around him. "Ooooh, you're going to be so bad someday."

"Huh? Hey … wait … what'd I say?" Selena turned away with a grin as he sputtered on. "I'm not gonna be bad! I'm one of the good guys … and … and …what did I say? Catwoman? ... Catwoman? Oh come on!"

"Not now kid, maybe in ten years," she winked, ruffling his thick black hair.

Robin's shoulders slumped. "I have a feeling that I just made Batman mad again."

THE END