Chapter Text
Spider-Man had just webbed his way back into the Bat Cave. As he landed and was about to take off his mask, he noticed that the Cave wasn't empty.
Stephanie was looking at him, and standing next to a woman. The woman looked to be Bruce's age, or slightly younger. She was VERY pretty, with dark brown eyes and short but well-kept black hair. She was wearing a black top that showed a generous amount of her chest, along with tight gray pants and black flats. She smiled warmly when she saw him.
"I was wondering when we'd meet, Spider-Man."
Peter recognized her voice from the... awkward call he'd overheard a few weeks ago.
"Catwoman? I mean, Miss Kyle?"
"Selina's fine. Nice to meet you, Peter."
He froze, and Steph smiled.
"Selina's one of the few people outside the family and League that Bruce trusts with our identities. Don't worry, she won't tell."
"I've known some of you for over ten years, kiddo." Selina playfully tugged Stephanie's ponytail. "Hard not to get attached to you."
"Even Damian?" Peter smirked as he took off his mask.
"Even him." Selina nodded. She dropped the smile and turned to Steph, all business.
"Alright, Stephanie. Let's see them."
Peter belatedly realized that his sister was holding a shoe box. She set it on the ground, opened it, and pulled out a pair of blood-red stilettos. She looked at them with unease as she held them up, like they were about to bite her.
"I feel like I'm gonna break an ankle just by looking at them, Selina."
"I don't blame you." Peter winced in sympathy. Aunt May rarely wore heels anymore, but Gwen had worn them to a school dance once and complained the whole time that they were killing her feet.
"Where are you wearing them?" The former cat burglar asked the blond.
"Undercover mission." She answered. "Tim and I will be pretending to be dates to a ball Luthor is throwing. I'm not gonna be able to sneak a lot of gear in, so if I fight, I'm fighting in these."
"Any chance you could get away with wearing combat boots?" Peter asked, only partially joking.
"I already asked. Bruce said no." Steph sighed before looking to Selina. She'd pulled out the big, puppy eyes that workedfartoo well on Pete.
"You used to fight in heels, right? Please tell me you can give me some pointers so I won't die!"
Selina let out a little laugh. "You're gonna be just fine. Put the shoes on and we'll do some practice moves."
Peter decided that was a good time to grab the civilian clothes he'd left in the Cave and change out of his Spider-Man gear. He took his time, not wanting to bother the women. After changing, he found himself watching the training. He knew that his superhuman balance allowed him to walk on pretty much any surface... Would different shoes have any effect on his powers?
"Okay," Steph said after nearly falling over for the eighth time. "I think I need a water break."
"You're doing fine so far." Selina encouraged as Stephanie slipped off the heels and walked over to the water cooler.
"Mind if I borrow these for a sec?" Peter asked, gesturing at the shoes.
Both women looked confused, but nodded.
Taking off his sneakers (and hoping no one would EVER tell Duke or Jason), Peter put the heels on over his socks and took a few experimental steps. His superhuman balance gave him a slight advantage, but he was so unused to walking in that type of shoe that he found himself spreading his arms out all the same.
"What are you doing?" Steph asked, sounding like she was seconds from cracking up.
"I want to try something." He'd made his way over to one of the Cave walls.
He jumped six feet straight up, landing on the wall with his fingers and toes. Or, at least, he tried to.
The toes of the stilettos were pointed, and kept his toes a good inch away from the wall. Panicking, Peter basically planked in mid air, sticking his palms to the wall and using them to keep his entire body in the air. He wall-walked down using just his hands, and took off the offending shoes the second he was back on the ground.
Selina and Stephanie were laughing themselves sick.
Peter gave a small, sheepish smile as he walked over in his socks, holding the stilletos.
"Fun fact about high heels: they're no good for wall-crawling."
"Tell Gwen that the next time you see her." Steph managed to get out.
"No need. She hates heels." Peter answered, taking a seat.
Alfred kept a steady supply of non-perishable snacks in the Bat Cave, much to the spider-teen's relief. He grabbed an energy bar and ate half of it as he watched Steph put the shoes back on.
"Remember," Selina reminded her as she helped the eighteen-year-old perform a karate kick. "Your center of balance is going to be different in these shoes. You've got to compensate."
Stephanie resumed standing normally, and wiped some sweat from her brow.
"How did you do this every night?" She asked the woman.
Selina gave a rueful laugh."So muchpractice."
"What are you doing?"
Damian had just walked into the Cave, looking at the women curiously. Peter gave the nine-year-old a small wave. Dami gave him a tiny nod in acknowledgement, but his focus was still on the women.
"Oh, hi Damian!" Stephanie answered. "Selina's just helping me practice fighting in heels for an undercover op."
"Why would you need extra practice? How difficult could it be?" Damian gave the shoes an unimpressed look.
Peter saw the look in Steph's eyes, and slowly got out his phone. Whatever was about to happen, it was going to begood.
Selina seemed to share his opinion, as she sat next to him at the table and grabbed a small bag of nuts.
"I'd bet," Steph began, "that you wouldn't last five minutes in heels."
"I could last longer than you!"
"Prove it." The blond smirked.
Damian's eyebrow twitched.
Five minutes later, Steph and Dami were standing on opposite ends of the sparring mat. Selina and Peter watched from the snack table, thoroughly entertained.
"You're going to eat your words, Brown!" Dami declared as he stood there in Selina's spare pair of stilettos (which, coincidentally, fit him perfectly).
Peter began recording on his phone.
The two high-heeled combatants ran at each other.
Or, they tried to.
They both found themselves struggling for balance as they inched towards each other. After a minute of careful steps, Stephanie managed to pull off the kick she and Selina had been practicing.
"Takethat!"
Damian effortlessly dodged it, leaning back (causing Peter to think that the kid must be amazing at limbo).
"No, take that--"
Dami tried to kick back, but his eyes widened as he once again struggled for balance.
"Ha!" Steph tried to take advantage of her opponent's weakness. Unfortunately, as she lifted her leg to kick again, she forgot to compensate for balance.
Her eyes widened as she, too, tried to stay upright.
"Oh no!" She yelled, arms flailing. "Abort, abort!"
They both screamed as they fell to the ground.
Peter was trying so hard not to laugh that his phone shook a little.
The sparring partners simply laid on the floor for a moment before they both cracked up.
"That waspathetic!" Steph got out, practically howling with laughter.
"Wait, wait, wait." Damian managed to say between giggling fits. "I think I know where we went wrong..."
Peter turned off the video, and quickly sent it to Cassandra.
"That didn't go too well..." He said aloud while looking at Selina.
She was clearly fighting back a laugh. "Still went better than my first spar in heels..."
At that moment, Bruce came down the elevator, a cup of coffee in his hand. He watched the heeled fighters (who were doing a bit better this time) with vague interest.
"Do I want to know?" He asked Selina as he walked over (not even bothering to ask what she was doing in the Cave).
"Leave them be, Bat. They're having fun." She gently chided.
Bruce got a gentle smile. "Yes, dear."
He kissed her on the cheek. Peter gave a small smile at the sight... before the kiss reminded him of thelast timehe'd been a witness to those two getting romantic.
He suddenly remembered he had something he needed to do, and quickly left the Cave.
