I do not own any of these Characters, DC Comics, or Batman.
-Project: SONRISE Activated-
Ten reasons why Jason Todd is Catwoman's favorite Robin.
Reason Number One: Showmenship.
Selina can tell instantly when the title of Robin gets passed down for the first time. Bypassing the fact that the first one had to be at least a legal adult by now, the new kid cant be a day over fourteen. But his first night he made a hell of an first impression.
It was a Siren job; with Ivy providing an exterior distraction for the Cops and Harley backing her up inside the museum. You know what they say about keeping your friends close.
Bag full of million-dollar gems and whip in hand, she left Harls' to take the fall when the Bat showed up. She had just climbed through the skylight only to meet the newbie.
Her first thought was where did he keep getting these black-haired, blue-eyed kids? Jesus, the new kid was a carbon copy of the last one.
He still wore the same costume as his predesessor, with his pixie boots and green underwear but this one was a bit heavier built than the last. His hair was a bit more unruly and definitely not as expertly gelled and groomed like the first Boy Wonder.
'Something else is defferent.' She observed no playful smirk or relaxed posture, and the first one would've shot a witty remark about nocturnal cats by now that would make her gag.
She cocked her hip and smiled. "First day on the job, Kiddo?"
"Yup" Ah, the silent type, huh?
"Well, Do me a favor and let this Kitty go play with her new toys?" She jiggled the bag for emphasis.
He glanced at the bag, then at the open skylight where the sounds of Harley getting her clown ass handed to her could be hear clearly.
A mischevious smirk started to grow. "You know who owns this Museum?"
Selina decided to take the bait since the Kid was new and he wasn't throwing sharp things at her. "Anton Marone; Salvadore's nephew."
"And I guess you also know all about the artifact laundering ring he's got set up in the basement?"
"I might've heard something." Selina was starting to lose her window of escape and she knew it. Could that be the Kid's plan? To stall time with words until Daddy Bats came running?
Catwoman's eyes were drawn to the Kid's utility belt when he slowly removed a handful of explosive pellets.
"Well, I won't lose any sleep if you managed to get away and cost the Marones a few million dollars aaaaaaaaaand" He extended the explosive to her. "If you used one of my own handy-dandy gadgets to escape, that could certainly be blamed on my youth and inexperience in dealing with criminals, couldn't it?"
No. Fucking. Way. Points to the new kid!
She picked up the pellets and tested the weight in her hand, she always wanted to use these. Batman always looked so badass when he tossed them around. She eyed the boy.
Selina bent down slightly to his level and smiled. "I like you, Kid. So here's a little friendly advice; lose the underwear."
He blushed and pouted a bit. "Hey, this is what Robin wears!"
Seline poked him in the chest with one gloved finger. "You're Robin now, Kiddo, you can wear what you want."
She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his forehead, causing him to flinch back in shock and turn red(er).
She threw the pellets and took off at a sprint.
She liked this kid.
Reason Number Two: Receptive.
The next time she sees him leaping across the skyline of Gotham, he's wearing green pants and boots that don't look like a Robin Hood play gone wrong. Selina feels a bit flattered he listened to her advice compared to his mentor and (God forbid) Batgirl. He impresses her with his fighting prowess for a while before she gets a lucky hit in and she takes off. She spares a look over her shoulder as he neglects to hold the bruised side of his face for the cheek with a dark kiss mark on it and her giggle is the last thing he hears before she's gone.
Reason Number Three: Bravery/Stupidity.
A year or two pass by before Batman lets him patrol alone. Selina was (for once) minding her own business and prowling a rooftop when she sees him evading ice beams from Mr. Freeze. The kid is no acrobat like the last one but he dives and ducks with the best of them and Selina takes a minute to admire the teenager do his 'job'.
He seems to be carrying something in his arm as he lept and dodged, managing to throw a few Batarangs before Freeze catches his leg in a caccoon of ice and he's down. The Iceman advances slowly, probably making a quip about enjoying his victory or making the Kid suffer (Because, honestly, some of these guys have some pretty ingrained speeches that they stick to religiously.) but the Kid detonates a explosive batarang on his ice canister and that's the end of that. His body chemistry won't let him freeze to death in his new temporary home in that block of ice, but it'll hold until the Police show up.
The Cat Burglar swings to the ground and struts up to him as he fiddles with the block of ice encassing his leg and the black thing he's holding. She smiles when he notices her and all he does is tenses up and reaches for another sharp projectile.
Catwoman raises her hands. "Easy Kiddo, I'm just out of a stroll tonight."
He scoffs, but retracts his empty hand.
She gets within ten feet when she makes out what he's carrying.
A small, black Kitten with no collar.
She reaches down to pet the stray feline, but looks Boy Wonder in his Baby blues with an unsaid question. He's covered in sweat, shivering, and a little green around the gills.
He's healthy enough to blush, though. "She was in front of the Icicle's freeze gun and I didn't want her to get hurt."
Her heart explodes and she grabs both of his cheeks in her hands. "You earned this, Sweetie." and plants a big, wet kiss on his lips that lasts for a few seconds. She pulls back and he's so red, she can't believe the ice doesn't melt immediately.
He stutters in the most adorable way and she relieves him of the kitten. "I'll make sure she gets to a safe place." He just nods as his brain reboots.
"Better call Daddy bats, Junior." She winks and swings onto the nearest street.
Reason Number Four: Attentiveness.
It's Selina's birthday and she has nothing to show for it except a tuna fish sandwich and a tv marathon of the Golden Girls. Not that she was expecting Batman to show up on her safehouse balcony with flowers or anything but not even a card in the mail? That was low.
Of course, all her presents from various suiters were neatly stacked in the corner, but Selina didn't really count those.
It was getting dark when her doorbell rang.
She jumped up from her couch and sprang to the door. Maybe it was Bruce Wayne? Harley with ice cream? Batman with just his mask on? A girl could hope, right?
The door almost fell off its' hinges when she swung it open.
To an empty hallway.
Quickly leaning out of the doorway to check the hallway, her disappointment shown in a slight pout. Her foot nudged something soft, however.
A bunch of those toy mice attached to springs that her cats loved so much. Wrapped all up like a bouquet of flowers with a card tied on the bow. She pick it up and chuckled at the ubsurdity. The card was made out of inexpensive construction paper folded over with happy birthday written on the front in black marker. She flipped it open carefully. The handwritting was sloppy, but legible, and what it said made her feel like a million bucks.
Didn't figure you were the type for flowers, but I hope you like 'em. -Robin
"Why that sweet, little-" She was going to tease him so hard about this at her next heist.
"Then again...Why wait?" She turned back to her safehouse and closed the door behind her. If she changed quickly, she just might be able to catch the Kid.
'But first.' She hands the toys to her cats and finds an empty picture frame for the card.
Her mantle never looked so good than it did with that handmade card on it.
Reason Number Five: Attitude.
With how much the kid blushes around her, she starts calling him Redbird.
He doesn't seem to mind it much, but she does notice he does a bad job of covering up the fact that he is always pulling his punches around her. He doesn't do it with anybody else and not even the Bat himself holds back when it come to criminals of any kind (And, hey, if it makes her feel special and nobody else picks up on it, she's fine with it).
Another little snippet is the Kid is growing up fast.
By her rough estimation, he has got to be around seventeen now, and boy, does he look it. His arms bulge with muscle when he fights. When she sees Nightwing, she laughs to herself at the fact that his replacement is just a bit buffer than he is. He has got this strut to him now, too. He excudes confidence and she can't help but be proud. He starts to style his hair in a short, roguish way that she likes.
She bats her eyes a little bit when she realizes he got rid of the green on his costume for more red.
she also can't help but mention it at the scene of her next robbery.
She has his arm wrapped in her whip and it's a standstill when she calls out. "Hated the green, Sweetie, good call on the new color."
"Well, I am your Redbird, afterall." She isn't prepared for the wink and confident smirk that follows.
Her little Redbird has finally learned to flirt.
-Project: SONRISE Deactivating-