I'm Not Sure the Boy Wonder Fell for Me

At the breakfast table on Saturday morning, Amanda noticed that everybody had plans for the day. Aunt Harriet was going to visit sick children at the hospital, Bruce had a meeting with the Mayor, and Alfred was mopping all the hardwood floors in the house. When asked about his plans, Dick simply said that he and Amanda would find something to do in the city. Now that he had gotten his driver’s license, Alfred didn’t have to cart them around all day.

When the time came for them to leave, Amanda and Dick made their way to his cherry red car parked in the garage. They both buckled up as he started the engine. It purred as they sped down the driveway and down the road that led to the city.

“So what do you want to do?” Dick asked as they rounded a corner.

“I dunno. What do you want to do?” Amanda asked.

He shrugged. “I thought you might have something good in mind.”

“Well…” she thought for a minute. “I was wanting to go to that new ice cream shop by the museum. Amelia and I have tried, but the nuns won’t let us wander by ourselves anymore for…obvious reasons.”

“Of course,” he nodded his head. “But hey, I’ve been there a few times already. You’ll love it.”

“You’ve been there?”

“Yup, with some of the other student council members,” he pulled onto the road that led to the city. “It’s a really popular hangout for students.”

“Oh,” her heart sank a bit. She remembered what had happened when she was under the Joker’s control, how she had almost beaten a student who had bugged her to death. Despite the fact that everybody found out she didn’t mean to do it intentionally, she was sure they never really forgot just how far she could be pushed.

Dick pulled into the ice cream shop’s parking lot and found a spot up front. They both got out and went inside. Amanda saw a mix of people inside, despite it not being very crowded. There was a small group of students crowded into a booth against the far wall, a few girls seated at the counter, and a man and his daughter sitting at a small table. As she and Dick went up to order, she saw the girls eyeing her. She tried to ignore their stares as she ordered a chocolate milkshake. After paying, they both found a small booth and sat down.

“This is really good,” Amanda said as she swallowed her shake. “Way better that Brother Gus’s.”

“Brother Gus makes milkshakes?” Dick asked as he took a bite of his banana split.

“Don’t be fooled by their clothes. The nuns and Gus are very skilled cooks. If you play your cards right, they’ll give you a better snack than beans and carrots.”

He laughed. “It seems you know everything about St. Catherine’s.”

“Well, when you’ve lived there for as long as I have, you learn a few secrets.” She looked up and saw his eyes grow serious.

“I’m sorry. It must be tough, living there all the time,” he said.

She shrugged. “It’s okay. Besides, it’s not like I’ll be living there for much longer. They’ll turn me out when I’m eighteen.”

“You know you can stay with us. Bruce wouldn’t mind, and Aunt Harriet would love it,” he smiled. “I wouldn’t mind too.”

She sighed. “That’s really kind of you, Dick, but…”

“But what?” he asked cautiously.

“I just…I don’t know. I can’t rely on you and Bruce forever. I’d like to make my own living,” she took a large sip from her shake as she looked down at the red checkered table.

Eventually, he sighed too. “I know, Amanda. I understand, but I want you with me. I hate only seeing you on the weekends; it kills me.”

Before she could say something, the bell above the shop’s door rang, and in stepped four oddly dressed people. There were three men all wearing tiger stripped smocks, black cat ears and masks, and one woman dressed all in black with cat ears and a mask. She snapped her fingers and the men pulled out large guns.

Everybody went into a panic as her voice boomed, “Everybody on the floor! If any one of you so much as take one step towards that door, you’ll become cat chow! Marlo, crack open the cash register; Spade, Templer, keep an eye out for the police.” She walked around the shop, pointing her gun at anyone who looked out of place.

Dick wrapped his arms around Amanda while trying to signal the Bat Cave for help. She kept her eyes cast down on the floor, scared for her life but not wanting to be recognized as the Joker’s old pawn. However, the woman stopped in front of her and Dick and looked her over.

“Well, well, well, I thought you looked familiar,” she purred oddly enough like a cat. “You’re that school girl the Joker turned into his sidekick, Amanda something.”

“Um…” she swallowed. “Maybe I am, but I think the better question is who are you, and what do you want?”

She sighed and patted Amanda’s head. “Oh, kids your age are so innocent. I’m Catwoman, honey, and in case you didn’t realize it yet, this is a robbery.”

“No shit,” Amanda replied. “But why are you robbing an ice cream store? I thought arch criminals could do so much better than this.”

“Amanda, please,” Dick mumbled nervously.

“Well, you have quite the potty mouth, missy,” she purred. “No wonder he wants you.”

“Who?” she asked, dreading who ‘he’ was.

“Catwoman,” the man called Marlo said. “We got everything.”

“Good,” she said. “Now let’s get out of here before the Dynamic Duo show up.”

“What about her?” Templer asked, pointing at Amanda.

Catwoman went over and smacked the back of his head. “You idiot!” she hissed. “Unless you want to survive another day you’ll button your lip!” Her henchmen slowly walked towards the front door with the loot while she turned to face the store. “Ta ta, kittens! It’s been fun, but time does fly when you’re, well, having a robbery. Oh, and by the way,” she locked eyes with Amanda. “I’ll be seeing you again very soon.” With that closing remark, she swept out of the shop and disappeared into a black van.

When the van left, everybody rose off of the floor and let out sighs of relief. Amanda wrapped her arms around Dick and leaned her forehead on his chest. “Well,” she said after a minute or two. “That was exciting now, wasn’t it?”

“Amanda, don’t even joke,” he said in a crime fighter tone of voice. “This is serious. Catwoman just called you out and basically said she’d be kidnapping you soon.”

“I know, Dick. I was here the whole time,” she ran her hand through her hair. “What should we do?”

“We’ll have to confer with Batman and come up with a plan.”

“Of course,” Amanda sighed. “So I guess this means I’m in danger again, huh?”

Dick nodded. “As of right now, you are.”