I'm Not Sure the Boy Wonder Fell for Me

Amanda sat quietly where she was, not that she had a choice in the matter. Her ankle was shackled to the bed she was on, and two of Catwoman’s henchmen were keeping a close eye on her. Catwoman was converging with Pussycat and the third henchman on the opposite side of the room. Amanda was worried about Dick and what was going to happen. She always worried when he was out as Robin. Then again, she knew this was what he and Bruce did; this is what they lived for. Batman and Robin were going to save the day, or at least she hoped.

“Don’t worry, Amanda,” Catwoman said as she walked over to her. “Soon the Dynamic Duo will arrive.”

“What do you intend to do if you capture them?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t have the approval to kill them myself, so that will be left up to my associate.”

“You associate wouldn’t happen to be Joseph J. Kherson, would it?” Amanda said, remembering the man who had bailed her out of prison.

Catwoman just smiled. “How do you know about Mr. Kherson?”

“I’m well informed,” she replied. “And I should probably tell you up front that Batman and Robin are too smart for you to capture. How many times have you been sent to prison?”

The villainess’s smile turned into a scowl. “You best behave yourself when Mr. Kherson meets you. He doesn’t take too kindly to smart asses.”

Before Amanda could say something insulting, she heard a loud crash coming from another room. Just as everybody turned their heads in the direction of the noise, the doors burst open and in came Batman and Robin. Amanda’s heart leapt at the sight of Dick, relief flooding her whole body. Dick, or Robin, looked back at her. He nodded his head before turning his attention to Catwoman.

“Catwoman, you feline felon,” Batman said sternly. “You’ll be thrown back behind bars for what you’ve done: kidnapping an innocent girl.”

“Now see, that’s where you’re wrong, Batman,” Catwoman smiled. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. My goons will deal with you first.” She snapped her fingers, and the three henchmen attacked at once.

Batman leapt to the side and started kicking and punching one henchman, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious on the floor. Robin rolled underneath one guy and knocked him to the floor as well, punching the side of his head repeatedly. The third henchman took out a knife and started swinging it at Robin, but he was too quick for him. Robin dashed out of the way and caught the guy’s arm, bending it so he was forced to drop the knife. Amanda watched them both anxiously, clenching her hands into fists whenever one was punched or thrown to the floor. She looked back at Catwoman, but she had disappeared along with Pussycat.

Before she knew it, Batman had appeared right next to her. He started to cut through her bonds with a small device in his utility belt. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice revealing how tired he was from the fight.

She nodded as Robin rushed over to her. Behind him she saw the henchmen tied up and unconscious. He wrapped his arms around her. “Oh, thank God,” he said. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I’m glad you’re alright too,” she replied, her voice muffled against his shoulder. They parted and she said, “Catwoman and Pussycat got away.”

“Who’s Pussycat?” Robin asked.

“Catwoman’s new sidekick. They said once you got here she was taking us to see that Joseph J. Kherson guy.”

“The man who bailed her out of prison?” Robin looked at Batman eagerly. “So there is a connection to the two of them! We got to go after them!”

“Robin, you must calm yourself,” Batman said. “We don’t even know where they are—“

Just as Batman said that, there was a buzzing sound above them. “Attention Batman and his faithful bird boy,” Catwoman’s voice boomed over a loudspeaker. “You may have been able to apprehend my men, but soon you will be the ones tied down, completely helpless.”

Amanda looked nervously at Robin. He was too busy focusing on her voice over head. “Now, Batman, I will admit that Pussycat and I are still in the building. If you and Robin want to bring us in, then you better come find us. If you choose not to, well…I can’t say for certain that Ms. Chase will be out of harm’s way.” With those parting words, the villainess clicked the microphone and everything was silent.

Robin looked like he was going to explode. “Batman, we got to go after them!”

“Right you are, Robin,” he agreed. “Once I free Amanda and we bring her back to the school—“

“This can’t wait!” he exclaimed. “We have to go now!” Robin then rushed to the nearest door and disappeared behind it.

“Robin!” Batman shouted. When he heard no reply, he sighed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

“Bru—er, Batman, you should go after him. I’ll be fine here,” Amanda encouraged him. “Please. Keep him safe.” The bonds came off of her ankle as she said this.

“Alright, just wait here. If trouble comes, run outside. The Bat Mobile has a protective shield set up,” Batman explained. “I’ll be back.” With that, he disappeared after the same doors Robin had run through.

Amanda was nervous now. Dick had never acted like this before, so desperate to disobey Bruce and go after the villain. She decided to go out to the Bat Mobile and wait for them there. Hopefully, Batman would talk some sense into his young partner in crime.

***

Robin was running through the halls of Catwoman’s hideout, looking in every room he passed. He was desperate to get to her and send her back to prison. The threat she had made on Amanda’s life only strengthened his determination. “Where are you, Catwoman?” he shouted, his voice echoing off of the walls. Suddenly, he heard a sound from a room up ahead. He knew she was there. Robin carefully approached the room. The door was slightly ajar; he could see a shadow moving on the other side.

As quietly as he could, Robin pushed open the door. He walked inside and was immediately overcome with confusion. There sitting in a wooden chair was a red-headed girl. She was wearing a pink tutu and a mask with small cat ears on her head. He soon remembered what Amanda had said about Catwoman having a sidekick. She stood up, and he saw how young she was; she was probably somewhere around his own age. She slowly walked towards him so he was backed up against the door.

“C-Can I help you?” he stuttered, trying to think quickly.

“My name is Pussycat,” she said softly, smiling at him. “And I want to be alone with you, Robin.” She reached up to stroke his face.

“A-Alone with me?” he repeated, his voice cracking. “But why?”

“I can see a very important part of your education has been grossly neglected,” she chuckled, wrapping her arm around his neck.

He reached up and removed her hand. “That’s a funny looking outfit you’re wearing,” he laughed nervously.

“I could say the same for you, big boy,” she laughed. “Why do you go around fighting crime anyway, huh? It’s so much easier to play for the other team.”

“It’s wrong,” he stated seriously. “You and Catwoman have to go to jail for the crime of kidnapping.”

“Oh, come on, Robin,” she leaned in closer. “What’s the big deal? It was only one girl; no harm, no foul.”

“It’s kidnapping, and it is illegal,” he held both of her arms. “I’m taking you to the police.”

Pussycat’s amused expression turned sour. She grabbed Robin’s arms and slammed him into the wall behind him, pinning him where he stood. “Let go,” he demanded, struggling to break free. “What do you want?”

“Only you, Boy Wonder,” she whispered as she kissed him softly on the lips. Robin resisted at first, his emotions swirling like a tornado in his head. He thought of the crime she had committed, of how he had to go to the police, of Amanda…

The longer she kissed him, the stranger Robin began to feel. He felt it in his stomach, as if hundreds of angry butterflies were swirling around in his stomach trying to break free. After a second, he realized he was kissing her back, and enjoying it. When Pussycat pulled back, he felt like his legs would collapse from underneath him. He leaned on the wall for support as she grinned at him.

“W-What did you do?” he asked, trying to focus.

“I simply showed you the light,” she replied. “I’ll be seeing you really soon, Boy Wonder.” She disappeared from the room as he tried to collect himself. He felt sick very quickly and wanted nothing more than to lie down. He reached for his radio to call Batman just as he heard his name being called.

“Robin!” Batman called. “Where are you?”

“In here,” he said weakly. Batman soon entered the room and looked down at his partner.

“What happened, old chap?” he said, helping Robin to lean on him for support.

“I…I feel strange, Batman,” he replied. He felt like his legs were made of jelly. “I need to lie down…”

“I’ll get you back to the Bat Mobile. Amanda’s waiting for us there.”

Robin’s head snapped up when he heard her name. “Is she okay?” he asked.

“She’s fine. She’s well protected in the Bat Mobile,” Batman said as he helped his partner walk back outside. Robin managed the best he could, leaning on the wall and Batman for any support he needed. By the time they made it outside, he felt like there was a storm raging inside of him. He looked up ahead and saw Amanda running towards them.

She wrapped her arms around him and said, “What happened?” She had tears in her eyes. Robin immediately felt guilt well up inside of him. He had kissed another girl and a criminal at that. Here was the girl he loved more than life itself, and he had betrayed her.

“Amanda…” he tried to speak, but he felt weak. His brain wasn’t functioning normally at that moment.

“Shh, it’s alright,” she said, helping him walk. “Batman’s going to help you.”

Robin didn’t reply as they loaded him into the car. Amanda buckled him up and had him lean on her shoulder. Batman started up the Bat Mobile and they sped back to Gotham City. Robin didn’t know why he hadn’t said anything about Pussycat; perhaps because he was too ashamed to admit what had happened to Batman, and to Amanda. He looked up at Amanda, who was gazing down at him with love in her eyes. She brushed his hair out of his eyes and said, “It’s okay. You’re going to be fine.” As she said this, he closed his eyes and drifted off into unconsciousness, unaware of the trouble that was well underway.