After some intense training and a few late nights trying to picklock his way out of a room for practice, Dick was ready for his first-ever robbery. Well, that's if you didn't count the great robbery of cookies he did when he was five. His parents never did work out how he got on top of the fridge in five minutes but they were oddly impressed. Who would've thought his natural ability to get himself in places he definitely shouldn't be would come in handy? Selina had made him his very own suit from the best materials she could her hands on. She'd dare say it was made out of better stuff than her own. It was all black of course but had accents of red here and there upon his request. She made him a belt akin to the utility belt Batman wore and packed it with everything he'd need. It would take some tweaking to get the suit perfect but it was much better than what she first went out in. Admittedly, she'd gotten excited when she'd seen the boy progress through training and had already imagined all the trouble they could get into. Of course, she'd have to make sure he was ready for the big leagues but a little daydreaming wouldn't hurt anyone. 

When Selina saw her new protege in his suit, she couldn't help but smile with pride. Dick matched her smile and could hardly stand still thanks to his excitement. He hopped up and down, his tail twitching and thrashing. He'd worked so hard for this evening to go well and he couldn't wait to prove it was all worth it. "You look great! Maybe in another life, I could've been a fashion designer," she complimented. She fiddled with a few things to make sure they sat right. There were parts she still needed to fix but it would do for their first outing. "How're you feeling?"

"Excited!" he squealed back. 

"Great! Oh, your very first robbery. I should take a picture but that's potentially incriminating."

"Isn't the child suit already incriminating?" She laughed and nodded.

"I suppose. Here let me clean your goggles. You've already got fingerprints on them," she commented, taking them off. She grabbed a cloth and scrubbed at the glass as he fetched his belt. He clipped it on and patted the pockets of it to make sure each was filled with what he needed. 

"Why don't I get a weapon like yours?" he asked innocently, spotting the whip on her waist.

"I never use a weapon that doesn't take skill to master so neither will you. If tonight goes well, I'll teach you," she responded. 

"But why not just use something simple?"

"Because I don't want my weapon used against me. I'd rather turn to my claws than have my weapon turned on me," she explained. 

"I never got to play with the whips in the circus. Said I'd hurt myself," he commented. He messed with the fastening of his gloves as he spoke about it. He tried to keep all those memories positive but his parent's death had shrouded them in misery. She noticed his frown and put his goggles back on. 

"Well, I'll make sure you learn then. Can you see through those?" she asked, quick to change the topic.

"Clear as day. Why do I need the goggles again?" 

"The wind gets in your eyes when you're so high up. These goggles make sure you can keep your eyes open," she explained. "Now, have you got everything?" He nodded, getting his bright smile back. "I'm trusting you. If this becomes permanent, I can't always make sure you have everything."

"I promise, Selina. I triple checked everything before."

"Good. We best be on our way. Tell me if you need anything okay?" He nodded and she chuckled. She couldn't help but enjoy this. Having a little kid around to boss about. She doubted it'd be this easy once he got to the dreaded teen years but she wouldn't let that sour the moment. A little protege of her own? Who would've thought?

The diamond they were after was sitting in a jewellery store in the high end of Gotham. It was one of the most famous stores and a favourite of the upper classes who could afford the jewels that laid inside the cases. Everything in there was worth at least half a year's rent for most people in the city but of course, a price tag wasn't going to stop Catwoman nor her new protege. They jumped from rooftop to rooftop, their silhouettes dancing in the moonlight. Once they were close to the store, they laid on the very last rooftop to go over their plan. They pulled off their goggles with Dick blinking a few times to get used to a world untinted with red. "We're going in through the small window over there, can you see it?" Catwoman began, pointing over to the small window above a few bins. The younger nodded when he spotted it. "That'll put us in the cleaning closet. Then we go into the vault in the back where they keep the really nice stuff. You'll be lookout whilst I get our prize. Once I have it, we go out through the way we came and head home." He nodded again. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, I've been thinking what should you call me? You have Catwoman so what am I?" Catwoman thought for a moment. She hadn't thought about that. She didn't really want to use his real name for the same reasons she didn't use her own. Catboy didn't roll off the tongue and she wouldn't remember it quite as easily. A play on cat that would fit a young boy such as Dick. Then she snapped her fingers with a smile. "Kitten."

"Kitten? That's not very cool," he pouted.

"Think about it this way, people will underestimate you. That's always a good thing when a new person comes on the scene."

"So it's like a false sense of security?"

"Pretty much. Anything else?" He shook his head. "Then let's go." They dropped down into the alley and stayed close to the walls to make sure no one saw them. A security camera was pointed at the back door which Kitten assumed Catwoman knew hence their peculiar entrance point. He watched as the older got on top of the bins and pulled on the window. He was surprised when it opened then joined his mentor on the bins. "How'd you know it'd be open?"

"Surveillance. A skill you'll learn in time," she replied. She pulled it all the way open then tilted her head to the entrance, signalling the younger to slip through. He went in head first, landing on his hands and walking a few steps before returning to his feet. Catwoman followed close behind him and left the window open a little. He opened the door for her making her smile. "What a gentleman." He cackled quietly and waited for her to peak her head in to find the security cameras. She spotted one close to them, pointing to the vault entrance, then another pointing to the front of the store. "Alright Kitten, you wanna cover that camera?" she asked, nodding her head towards the vault camera. He nodded, eager to help, and opened one of his pockets. 

"Permanent or temporary?" 

"Permanent." He brought out his wire clippers and creeped out of the room. He kept his back close to the wall as he approached the camera then jumped up and clipped the wire. The camera made a wiring noise before shutting down and pointing to the floor. He looked over to his mentor and felt confidence rush through him when she put her thumbs up in approval.

Now the vault was their biggest problem with getting to the jewel but it wouldn't prove to be their downfall. "Have that fingerprint powder?" Catwoman asked. He nodded and brought out the small jar and a little brush. "Put a little on the keypad then brush it away." He did as he was told and as he brushed the dust away, it stuck on certain numbers that he presumed were the code for the door. Catwoman followed the fingerprints carefully then there was a soft beep and the lock on the vault opened. She smiled and pulled it open to find a metal gate. She rolled her eyes and looked to her young protege. He brought out his pick locking kit and got to work. It took a few tries but he eventually got it opened and stepped back so she could open it. He knew she had to go into rooms first since he was so new to the robbery business. When she opened the gate, they could clearly see their desired target sitting on a cushion under a glass case. Between them and the diamond was a set of red lasers shooting from one end of the room to the other. They could guess what would happen if they crossed any of them. Kitten looked up to Catwoman, wondering what they were going to do yet the older didn't look phased by it. She cracked her knuckles then her neck and rolled her shoulders. "Stay here and keep an ear out. Only talk if it's urgent. I need to keep my concentration." He nodded and sat down in front of the vault ready for the show and any interruptions. He guessed this was like a circus act just on a different stage. Catwoman eyed up the lasers for a moment, picturing how she could evade them. She let out a breath then got to work. She stepped over one then ducked under another, crawling on her belly for the next and doing a backbend on the one after that. It was like a dance with an invisible dance partner and Kitten was mesmerized. She was so artful and sure in how she moved, never making a mistake and she knew that she wouldn't. It looked fun aside from the danger of setting off a series of alarms that would lead to their certain arrest. He couldn't wait till he could do the same. It would give him the same thrill as when he performed or at least he thought so. It would be the same rush of adrenaline. The risk was so high but the pay off even higher. Catwoman continued to weave through the red lines until she finally reached the diamond. She examined the area around it, looking for anything that could be tripped if she removed the case. There was nothing obvious but she remained vigilant as she put her hands on the glass and slowly lifted it. When she heard no blaring sirens, she lifted it all the way off and carefully got hold of the diamond. It twinkled under the red lasers and she had half a mind to keep it but she had a deal to go through with. She put the glass case back down then turned to find Kitten staring at her in awe. He'd make a pretty good hypeman if he was impressed by something as regular as this. Well, she supposed it was only regular for her. She doubted many foster mums were out there jumping through laser grids with their ward watching. She kept a tight hold on the diamond as she retraced her steps with precision. 

When she was through the grid, she closed the gate behind her and then the vault door. Kitten jumped up with a giddy grin, in pure admiration of the woman. "Enjoy the show?" she asked with a smile. 

"It was so cool! You're gonna teach me that right?" he answered. 

"If you're good then I'll teach it to you tomorrow. Let's get out of here shall we?"

Dick was sent home whilst Selina conducted the deal. She didn't want him to be in the same room just in case someone got greedy and although he'd argued that he should be there in that case, he did as he was told. He climbed in through the window of the apartment and got changed into some new clothes. He knew he'd be able to go out with her again, this robbery had gone so well! He was so excited to do this every night. It was such a thrill, a thrill that he felt when he'd performed with his parents. He wondered what else they'd take. Would it all be priceless diamonds and rubies or would there be more? There were no limits and he loved that. Now that he was sure of his place by Selina's side, he began to think up ways to make her job easier. Before they began training, he filled his days with looking at random articles hoping to keep his mind off the tragedy he'd gone through. He came across one article on electronics and was engulfed in the world of tech. All that information he learned was all information he could apply to his new career. A controlled short burst of an EMP would do great for taking out security cameras. He'd just have to get his hands on the tools. Oh and he could make all manner of devices to make their lives so much easier. He got into bed with a smile. He couldn't wait for their next outing.

Hope you all liked this!! We're getting closer to the main story now but first a cat needs to meet a bat