(t/w: murder, abuse, parental death)

Sammy Kyle was a thief turned vigilante adopted by Batman. They spent the first thirteen years of their life raised by their mother, Selina Kyle. The last eight of those years were spent as Catwoman's assistant, Mouse. 

At least, in your universe they were. In this one, they were the Musketeer's assistant.

-

Marlin sat in his dingy apartment, a cigarette between his lips. His breakup with Selina had been...rough, to say the least. He'd been moping around for the past three months.

He perked up when he heard a knock at the door. Was it Selina, coming to say she wanted him back?

He opened the door, and low and behold, there she stood.

"Marlin," she said softly. She had a bundle in her arms. He wondered if it was stolen property. "I need to talk to you."

Those words.

That was what she'd said when she'd broken Marlin's heart.

Selina took a breath. She held out the bundle in her arms. Unsure, Marlin took it.

Wrapped in a ratty gray blanket was a baby girl.

"Her name is Samantha,"  Selina told him.

Marlin looked into the child's sleeping face. "Is she...?"

Selina nodded. "She's yours, Marlin. You can take better care of her than I can. So can you...?" She closed her eyes. It killed her to give up her baby, but Marlin could give her a better life. He had money. A better home. Plus, he'd stopped his thieving.

Marlin looked down at his daughter, then back at his ex. He nodded. "I'll keep her. She'll be safe with me."

--

"Sam, run!"

Sammy threw a large diamond in their bag, looking up. Their father, the Musketeer, stood nearby, looking out the window of the jewelry store.

He sounded panicked. Sammy knew the Batman was near. If it was only the cops, Marlin wouldn't sound like he was about to piss himself.

The teen-- freshly turned thirteen, actually-- tied their bag shut and ran out the back. Marlin drew his sword, ready to buy time. If they weren't looking for it, no one could see the shake of his hands.

Sammy's feet pounded on the pavement as they fled the scene of their and their father's crime.

"Sammy, stop!" a GCPD officer yelled. While Marlin was called The Musketeer, Sammy got no super cool alias. They were just Sammy.

Instead of stopping, the teen ran faster. The officer pursued, obviously.

Soon, the man caught up to them. It wasn't hard. Sammy was scrawny and small. They had short legs. Within minutes, they were pinned to the wall.

The officer pressed his knee into their back. "Okay, kid. Hand over the merchandise," he said.

Sammy snorted. "No."

"I asked politely, Sammy," the man said. "I will wrestle it from your hands if I have to."

In response, the young thief stuck out their tongue.

The officer balled up his fist, as if about to hit them, when he froze. He fell to the ground, crimson blossoming from his sides. Marlin pulled his sword from the man's body and wiped it on his pants.

"Are you alright, Sam?" he asked his kid, gently touching their cheek. Their face had a small scrape from being slammed into the brick wall.

Sammy nodded. "I'm okay," they said.

Marlin patted their head. "You got the goods?" They held out the bag proudly. He kissed the top of their head. "Good girl. I'm proud of you. Now let's go, before the Bat realized where we are."

--

"This is gonna be your first heist, okay?" Marlin said, braiding his daughter's hair tightly. "Your first of many."

Sammy sat quietly in front of him. They nodded slightly. "And we won't get caught, right?"

Marlin chuckled. He kissed the top of their head. "And we won't get caught," he repeated. "Ever."

--

Sammy sat in their apartment. Marlin was asleep in his bedroom. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Sammy stood. They walked cautiously to the door. They would've checked the peephole, but Marlin had colored over it with Sharpie, so it was useless.

They opened the door.

Lo and behold, there stood Batman.

The teen started closing the door.

Batman put his foot in the doorframe. "Sammy," he said sternly.

The teen pushed harder. "Who's Sammy?"

The door was forced open. Sammy fell on their ass.

Batman sighed. "Where is your father?" he asked.

"What's a father?" Sammy asked. "Oh, wait, you're an orphan, you don't know either--"

Batman looked ready to smack the kid. "Watch it. I need...I need Marlin's help."

Sammy rubbed their cheek. They knew their dad would be pissed to find out they'd let Batman in. But at the same time...he wanted Marlin's help?

"What do you need help with?" Sammy asked. They wanted to know if it was worth getting their ass beat over.

Batman sighed. "That's between me and your father, kid."

The teen huffed, crossing their arms. "No fair! I wanna know! Dad's gonna beat my ass anyways. What's he gonna beat it over?" They gave him their best puppydog eyes.

He blinked. "Sammy...does your father hit you?" he asked slowly.

They nodded. "Yeah. Doesn't every dad?" they replied.

Batman sighed, shaking his head. He opened his mouth to speak. However, before he could get a word out, Marlin stumbled out of his bedroom, sword in hand.

"Get away from my daughter!" Marlin slurred. Oh great. Fan-fucking-tastic. He'd been drinking again.

"Marlin." Batman took a breath. "I came to ask for help. Not as Batman." He took off his cowl before continuing. "As Bruce."

--

"I wasn't always a badass," Marlin chuckled. He ruffled Sammy's hair. "I used to be a little rich kid."

"Rich?" Sammy asked. "Like Bruce Wayne?"

Marlin nodded. "Just like him. In fact, we were friends when we were kids. My mother and his mother were friends as well."

Sammy brightened. "That's so cool! How well did you know him? Was he nice? Did you play tag?"

"Calm down," Marlin laughed. "One question at a time, Sammy  Cat."

--

The two men sat at the table, Sammy listening in. They supplied the pair with beer, though Bruce refused it.

"Let me get this straight," Marlin said. "You want me to help you fight Joker? That's not really my style, you know."

Bruce looked down at his hands. "I know. I know. But..." He closed his eyes. "Alfred is gone. And I found this in his room of the manor." He placed a card on the table.

Sammy stepped closer, trying to get a better look. Marlin slapped them away. "Get somewhere," he snapped. "The adults are talking."

Bruce looked at him. "You shouldn't hit your kid, Marlin," he said.

"You don't get to give parenting advice," Marlin snapped. "At least my kid ain't dead."

--

"Dad!" Sammy screamed, running into the apartment. "Dad, did you hear the news?"

Marlin sat on the couch. When he heard his kid, he jumped up. He scooped them into his arms. "I heard," he said. "Robin is..."

Sammy looked up at their father. "I can't believe Joker would...Robin was just a kid!"

"I know, mi almita," Marlin said softly. "I know."

--

"I've tracked Joker's location to this warehouse," Batman said. "Musketeer, you and I will go in. Sammy, you wait here. When we free Alfred, he'll come out. You'll be in charge of keeping him safe."

Sammy nodded proudly. They couldn't believe Batman trusted them with something so important!

So, the adults went inside, and Sammy waited.

A bit later, an old man walked out of the warehouse. He looked down at Sammy. "You must be Master Blackwell's child," he said.

The teen nodded. "Right! I'm Sammy. And I'm s'posed to keep you safe. So stick close, Mr. Alfred!"

Alfred chuckled. "Whatever you say, Mx. Sammy," he replied. He followed them into the Batmobile, where the two simply sat.

A while later, Batman came out. He was alone.

Sammy clambered out of the car. "Where's my dad?" they asked. Batman didn't answer. "Bruce...where's my dad?"

He looked down. "Sammy..."

"Where's my dad!?" they repeated, almost frantic.

Bruce kneeled beside them. "Joker escaped," he said gently. "Your father pursued, but..."

"No..." Sammy whispered. They knew where this was going.

"He was shot," Bruce said. He hugged Sammy to himself. "I'm so sorry, kid."

All of Gotham swore they could hear Sammy's scream as they heard the news of their father.