6 Years Later

Elizabeth woke up with a jolt when she heard a door close. She snuck into the hall and saw a flash of black. Narrowing her eyes, she saw a tall figure wearing a full body cat suit. 'Catwoman!' Elizabeth thought. The first urge she had was to go get a paper and pen for a autograph, but she stopped. The lean figure took off her mask. Selina Kyle had her back turned to Elizabeth, but Elizabeth could see that she was holding something, something valuable. Elizabeth snuck around the couch, not wanting to be seen.  A light brown kitten with white paws padded up behind her. "Come on ." He purred as he rubbed his chin against her leg. She picked him up, holding him tightly against her chest. Elizabeth glanced at the yellow belt in Selina's hands. Selina hid it on the highest shelf.  She picked up Ava and shut herself in her room. Elizabeth walked to the foot of the shelf. She heard the distinct turning on of the shower. "Foxtrot, get me that belt." Elizabeth pointed up to the box. Kinking his tail, he leapt on the first shelf. He jumped on the second shelf. He hissed as his back legs missed the shelf. Elizabeth got a couch cushion and put it underneath him. "You're doing great!" She whispered. Foxtrot just grunted in response. He hauled his chubby tabby body up on the third shelf. Elizabeth heard the shower stop. "Hurry!" She gasped. Gently, Foxtrot pulled the yellow belt and dropped it on the cushion. Elizabeth snatched it up. "Drop down, come on." He plunged down and landed clumsily on her shoulders. His claws dug into her shoulders. "Ow." She snapped. Elizabeth stumbled to her bedroom. She closed the door with a click. Elizabeth pulled the cat off of her favorite pajamas. She looked at the belt in her hands. It had many pockets with equipment in each. An emblem of a bat was in the middle. She gasped and threw it on her bed. That utility belt belonged to the man who saved her on the night of the plane crash. That utility belt belonged to the Batman. 'Why would Selina, I mean Catwoman, have any business with the Batman?' She pondered. She pressed the emblem gently. It opened so suddenly, she jumped back hitting her arm on the dresser. "Ow!" She whimpered, a bruise already appearing. Foxtrot circled her leg, trying to comfort her. She looked at the belt in wonder. Gently pressing it, Elizabeth shut it. "Elizabeth!" She heard the door creak. She tried to stuff it under her pillow, but to no prevail. Selina's face paled at the sight of the belt. "You saw me didn't you?" She let out a shaky breath. "Saw what? You, dressed up like the nefarious Catwoman? Yes. I did." Elizabeth sat as calmly as she could, but her fingers twitched in excitement. Selina was quiet, the air around them buzzed with electricity. "Why?" Elizabeth asked quietly. "Excuse me?" Selina swallowed hard. "Why didn't you tell me?" Elizabeth's green eyes flashed with wonder. "I thought you would me mad." Selina replied. "Are you kidding? I love The Catwoman, I mean, you. You are an example in this city, a strong female bad-ass that makes the other wannabes look like shit!" Elizabeth didn't even flinch when Selina glared at her for saying naughty words. "So, when do I begin?" Elizabeth asked. "You?" Selina gaped. "Yes me! I'm always bored out of my brains here. Please?" Elizabeth pleaded, her wide innocent eyes crushed Selina. She couldn't say no, but she couldn't say yes. Selina did need a protégée. "Fine," Selina sighed. "Yes!" Elizabeth whooped. "but, you will need to be trained." She replied. "Okay!" Elizabeth ran out and grabbed a box hidden behind the fancy grandfather clock. She pulled out a mask and her makeshift costume. "This is my costume." Elizabeth put it on. The scratchy fabric itched and the mask was crude. "We need to go shopping." Selina raised an eyebrow. "Thought so." Elizabeth slipped out of the costume.

"Definitely black silk and some spandex, it needs to be flexible. You also need a whip." Selina was holding the fabric. "Dear, what color do you like?" Selina held up a pink and a light blue. "Duh, the light blue." Elizabeth stared at the disgustingly bright pink. "Okay, now the mask." She picked out a half faced mask out of the Halloween section. "A little early to be looking for Halloween costumes isn't it?" A group of collage students laughed. "Ignore them, they're idiots anyway." Elizabeth's detached voice left Selina feeling uneasy. She of course, knew about Elizabeth's past....it was why she adopted her. Selina was abandoned by her mother at 5 and her father died. She had no siblings, only Detective Gordon and Fish Mooney kept her out of child services. She was almost exactly like Eliza and she didn't want to mess it up with her alter ego. 'Well...to late for that.' Selina sighed.

Selina worked on Elizabeth's costume for weeks, working every tiny detail with steady hands. It took longer than she expected, what with training Elizabeth and errands. "Done." Selina looked at the cat suit. The goggles were hers from childhood; lenses changed from a scarlet to a light shade of blue. Two ears on the mask were black and the inner ear was the same light blue. Selina glanced at the time; 3:00. A half an hour and it would be Elizabeth's birthday. The circus is in town and Selina's closest friend, Mary Grayson, offered Richard for a party guest. They got along well enough, they were both into acrobatics and computers, and he immediately agreed. 'So,' Selina thought, 'win win.'. Elizabeth sat in her room putting on a skirt and blouse with a pair of flats. She had a subtle perfume on that smelled like vanilla and she wore red lipstick. Elizabeth put on some finishing touches, (Eyeliner, Rouge, etc.) Then she rubbed said finishing touches off. "Elizabeth?" Selina knocked. "Come in." Elizabeth looked at Selina from her vanity. "I finished it." Selina smiled. Elizabeth's insides fluttered. Her dreams, her hopes had become a reality. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Elizabeth hugged her. "Your welcome. We can go out tonight after Richard leaves." The door bell rang. "They're here!" Elizabeth ran to the door and opened it with composure. "Elizabeth!" Mary cried and hugged her. "Hello Mrs. Grayson." Elizabeth said politely. "Selina!" "Mary!" They hugged each other. "I haven't seen you in years, well in person anyway." Mary said and they sat down in the lounge. "Eliza!" Richard hugged her. "Hi Dick!" She hugged him back. "Happy birthday!" He said and blushed as he gave her a little box with a red ribbon on top. "Thank you!" She gushed. Dick's face looked blank for a second, almost pleading. "What's wrong?" She whispered. He shook his head, 'Not here.' His face said. Elizabeth nodded, "Hey Selina?" "Yes?" Selina replied. "Can we go downstairs to get a water bottle?" Dick raised an eyebrow clearly saying 'Seriously?'. Elizabeth just rolled her green eyes. "Why? We have water here." Selina countered. "The water here tastes funny." Elizabeth said. She heard Selina sigh, "Fine, be careful! Richard doesn't know this place." "I will." Dick said. They raced out the door and towards the stairs. "Tell me." Elizabeth demanded. Dick sighed, "Tony Zucco threatened the circus if we didn't pay him. He said," Dick made his voice deeper and raspier. "'You don't pay us you'll deal with a strong man, a Lion tamer, and a Juggler.' I said stop, and dad kicked his butt. But they dog piled him. Tony said you're going to pay no matter what. And I said, 'Funny you should say that.' and he said 'Why's that?' Because I called the police five minutes ago.' Then Batman came and said, 'And guess who intercepted that call.' It was Awesome!" Elizabeth's face fell. "You can really be in trouble." "You can be there! You can be my guest!" Dick said excitedly. "I don't know." "Come on! Please?" Dick smiled sweetly. "Okay, I'll be in the front row so I can watch everything right?" "Sure." He smiled even wider on the inside.

Elizabeth knocked on the trailer door. "Hello?" A man's voice came from the inside. He opened the door and Elizabeth stood before Mr. Grayson. "Can I see Richard?" She asked politely. His brown eyes were warm. "Dick! Miss Quincy's here." "Coming!" He ran outside. Mr. Grayson left them alone and murmured quietly to his wife. "So, I scored you two tickets. Front row seats like I promised." Elizabeth fixed his suit. "Be careful." She hugged him. "I will." He grinned. Smiling to herself, Elizabeth ran into the circus tent. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to Baily's Circus! First up it the Daring Flying Graysons!" Mr. and Mrs. Grayson were first. They smiled and waved at the crowd. "As usual, preforming their stunts without a safety net." The ring master crowed. They did a backflip and a aerial jump. "Now the youngest of the Grayson's...Richard!" Elizabeth clapped. Dick spotted her and smiled. She gave him a thumbs up. "Excuse me." A man with multicolored eyes snickered with three other men. One was strong looking with an ugly, jagged scar across his face. Another was tall and lanky, he had claw marks on his hands. The third was short and pudgy, but he had strong looking arms. Elizabeth thought back to the story Dick told her. "A strongman, lion tamer, and a...juggler" Elizabeth just heard a thunderous snap. "Dick!" Mary gasped. People looked on in abject horror as Mary and John Grayson fell to the ground. "No!" Dick's scream echoed throughout the entire tent. "Oh god." Selina burst into tears. Elizabeth looked back at the brothers. They were filling out of the circus. Zucco glanced back to see Elizabeth glaring at them with cold hatred. 'I know what you did.' Her eyes seemed to say, 'and you will pay for it.'