Robin the Cat Wonder

Well. This could have gone better. Raven thought grumpily as the annoying sorceress continued emptying diamonds into her bags. She, along with the other Titans, was currently bound up and gagged in the far corner, helpless. Beast Boy and Cyborg were both unconscious, and Robin seemed even more stressed than usual. Robin apparently managed to spit out his gag, because he suddenly yelled out, "What do you want, Circe?!" The woman straightened, and Raven could feel her power radiating from across the room. Robin. Shut. Up. She thought, rolling her eyes. Circe turned and sashayed across the room to the Titans, bending down to take Robin's chin in hand. "I know you. You're the Bat's favorite little brat aren't you?" Two things. One, put some clothes on. Two, do not bring that guy up in front of Robin. "Partner." Robin spat. "Ex-partner." Circe patted Robin's cheek. "Of course you are, pumpkin."
"Get your hands off me!"
"Rude, aren't we?" Circe muttered. Raven tried to shoot her a warning look, but Circe ignored her. "As for what I want, well, it's simple. I came here to party. Kick back, have a good time, smite a few stupid mortals along the way. But, you and your merry band of misfit mutant orphans had to show up and ruin my fun." Circe straightened up and raised her hands. "Let's see how great a leader you are after this!" Circe swiped her hand through the air, there was a loud crack, a burst of light, and Circe had vanished. The ropes and gags were gone as well. "That was anti-climactic." Raven grumbled, getting to her feet. "The witch who dresses as an inexpensive prostitute is gone, yes?" Starfire asked. Beast Boy groaned. "What happened?"
"Not sure. Circe took off." Cyborg climbed to his feet and looked around. "Uh. Where the hell is Robin?"
"Do you think Circe took him?" Beast Boy asked. Raven frowned. "She better not have."
"What would the whore-witch do with Robin?" Starfire wondered. "According to myth, Circe was fond of turning men into pigs." Raven answered, grimacing at the thought. Beast Boy suddenly focused on the ground next to Raven's feet. "Dude. Is that a cat?"
"Mreow?" Raven looked. A very confused and distressed looking Balinese cat was staring up at her, flicking its tail side to side. "Uh oh." Cyborg said. "There is no way." Raven said, her eyes widening. "There is no way." She scooped the cat up in her arms and studied its face more closely. The cat had enormous, deep blue eyes, which were boarded by thick, black markings. "Do those lines appear to resemble Robin's mask to anyone else?" Starfire asked, worry creeping into her voice. "Mew." Was all the cat said, before batting at Raven's hood. As the cat moved its leg, the tag on its collar jingled. Shit. A yellow R embossed over a black circle. "Dudes!" Beast Boy yelped. "Robin's a freakin' cat!!!"   
"It's okay." Cyborg assured them for the millionth time. "We can handle this. I mean, it's just a little magic, how difficult can undoing it be?" As he said this, Robin sat on the kitchen table, bathing his paws. Raven glowered at the 'cat' for a moment, before returning to her book. "Very. Actually. Circe is one of the most powerful sorceresses of all time, and her transfiguration spells are legendary." Cyborg looked stricken. "Well. Uh. Um. What the heck do we do then?!" Robin jumped at the shouting. He arched his back, hissing at Cyborg, before leaping off the table and dashing off into the tower. "I'll get him!" Beast Boy shouted, before morphing into a golden retriever and taking off after Kitty-Robin. "What we do, is find Circe and convince her to undo this. It's the only way!" Raven closed her book with a snap. "It won't be cheap. Magic like that, always has a price." Cyborg sank into the chair opposite her with a groan. "I suggest we keep him safe inside the tower until then. Who knows how many people would like to have Robin trapped in a cat's body." Starfire floated in, looking mildly amused. "Friend Robin has done something adorable again!" She gestured enthusiastically behind her, towards the hallway. "He came running into the gym, climbed onto the top of the bag of punching, and now refuses to come down! I believe he now intends to live there." Raven sighed. "I'll get him down and try to put him in his room." Beast Boy wandered in, smiling. "He is not coming down without a fight! He's hungry, for one thing. For another, he doesn't like that you guys are all stressed out. Robin's a cat now. He can sense that."
"How am I supposed to be calm when some psycho Greek chick turned Robin into a cat?!" Raven took a deep breath, rolled her shoulders, and tried to calm herself. "We start by getting Robin some tuna and milk."
Robin calmed down considerably as he lapped up the milk. The other four Titans just kind of stood there and stared at him. "He seems…calm." Starfire commented. Robin stopped, stretched, and switched to the plate of tuna. "He's kinda cute as a cat." Beast Boy commented. Robin finished his breakfast and looked expectantly up at his friends. "What? What do you want?" Raven demanded. Robin bounded over to them and began batting at the edge Raven's cape. "If you claw up my cape, I'll skin you." She threatened. "Mreow."
"I believe that is Cat for 'I care little'." Beast boy said helpfully. Robin darted over to Cyborg and started winding between his legs. "Dude, Robin! Knock that off!" Robin ignored him, pausing only to rub his face against Cyborg's calf. "Why is he doing this?!" Raven shrugged. "He probably thinks, feels, and believes he's a cat. So, he's doing normal cat things." Robin leapt onto the counter and started a staring contest with Beast Boy. "Mew." Beast Boy reached out to pat Robin on the head, but was interrupted by their alert going off. "Trouble." Cyborg grunted. "What do we do about him?" Starfire scooped Robin up. "I will put him in his room, yes?"
"Make sure he has some yarn or something." Raven added. "I don't want him shredding his own bed out of boredom." Starfire hummed to herself as she carried Robin down the hall. "Meow?"
"Do not be worried, Kitty-Robin! We shall return soon, baring more milk and dead fish for your nourishment!" Starfire deposited Robin on his bedroom floor and kicked a ball of yarn in after him. "Good-bye, Kitty-Robin! Try not to endanger yourself!"
"MREOW!" The door slid shut just as Robin leapt against it. Robin sat there for a few minutes, pawing and batting at the door. He felt confused. Why had the pink haired biped abandoned him in here? He started prowling around the room, hunting for a way out. The window was sealed, and there were no other exits. Robin growled in his throat, and jumped onto the mattress. He was too annoyed with the bipeds to play with the yarn. (Although he definitely would later.) For now, he began kneading the comforter. The sun was shining in through the window, and waking up two hours ago had really tired him out. Robin paced in a circle by the pillow, found the exact right spot, and plopped down. He yawned, arched his back in a stretch, and dozed off.     
"Heya, Titans." Red X jumped elegantly from the bank's upper floor, landing in front of team. "You again!" Cyborg shouted. "I am in no mood for you today!" Red X seemed to do a quick head count. "Well. You're one short." Red X cocked his hip and crossed his arms. "Where is he?" Beast Boy elbowed his way into view. "Taking care of something more important than you."
"Guess you'll have to settle for us, copycat." Cyborg shot back. Red X shrugged. "Well, okay. But, you should know. I'm not exactly alone here."
"That's right!" About ten copies of Billy Numerous swarmed out of nowhere. "I hate this guy too!" Cyborg screamed. "Billys, you got this handled?" Red X called, swinging a bag over his shoulder. "WE GOT IT!" They yelled back. "By the way, grass stain? Nothin's more important than me." Red X dropped two smoke bombs for good measure and keyed something into the teleporter. Cyborg punched one Billy across the face hard enough to send him flying. "I honestly don't know who I hate more right now! Red X for robbing this place, Billy fucking Numerous for helping him, or Robin, for getting himself—" Cyborg stopped. "SICK. Getting himself SICK. Nothing magical or involving pointy ears!" Out of frustration, he smacked two of the Billies heads together.
Red X dialed in the twelve digit code to the front door, followed by the eight digit code for the elevator, and finally got to Robin's floor. "Yo? Kid? You there?" Nothing. No 'Who's there?' or preferably, Robin flying out of a hiding place, bo staff at the ready. "Come on, kid. I brought about 100,000 stolen monies with me. If you hurry, you can fight me for it."  Still nothing. "Are you sick or something?" Red X headed down the hall, stopping at Robin's door. The door slid open, and at first glance, the room was empty. "Mew?" Red X looked down. A slender, fluffy cat blinked up at him. The cat was on his back, paws in the air, and had been balancing a ball of yarn on his claws when Red X interrupted. X and the cat stared at each for a beat, and then the cat resumed tossing the yarn into the air and catching it again. "Well hey there. Who the hell are you?" The cat refused to answer. Red X knelt on the floor and reached out, scratching between the cat's ears. The cat paused, looking back at Red X. "You're kinda cute." The cat tossed the yarn away and rolled onto his feet. "Yeah, who's a cutie, huh? You are, yeah you are." Red X scratched down the cat's spine, earning a loud purr. The cat jumped into X's lap, pressing his head tighter against Red X's palm. "Merrrrrow."
"Ah, like that kitty?" Red X scooped the cat into his arms and inspected him. "Let's see. You've got an 'R' on your collar, and you're in Robin's room, so I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you're his cat." Red X tucked the cat against his chest, smiling at the low, steady purr. "Never pegged him for a cat person. Anyway, let's take you on a little trip, okay buddy?"
Robin had no clue who this biped was, but he liked him. He smelled good, and had nice hands. The biped said something in a happy, soothing tone, and Robin purred in response. "Merow. Mew." That translated roughly to, I have no clue what you're saying, but I decided I like you, so whatever. The biped adjusted him in his arms, making sure Robin was comfortable, and walked out of the bedroom. The biped wrapped a thin, black material around them both, there was a flash of red, and the smells of the tower vanished.
"Alright, we've got cat food, cat toys, cat nip, a litter box, a cat leash, and basically, cat everything." Cyborg dropped the pile onto the table. "What are we going to do with all this stuff after Robin turns back?" Beast Boy asked, eyeing the toys and food. "Oh, can we not keep him as a feline for a while longer?" Starfire said, pouting. "He is so much calmer and more prone to playing and cuddles as a cat!" Raven rolled her eyes. "BB, Star, go get Robin. I'll keep trying to track down Circe." Raven seated herself on the couch, crossed her legs, and started to draw herself into a trance. In theory, she should be able to sense Circe's energies. Beast Boy and Starfire set off down the hallway. "I do like Robin as a cat, but it would be nice to have him human again." Starfire continued. "I think you're right about him being happier and more relaxed." Beast Boy said as Robin's door whooshed open. "But that's probably because he doesn't remember who he is. He thinks he's always been a cat." Beast Boy looked around. The yellow ball of yarn lay abandoned by Robin's bed, and there was a dent in the blankets. "Robin. Here kitty kitty. Come on out, boss." Beast Boy checked under the bed, the desk, and in the closet. Starfire peered onto the shelves that were over Beast Boy's head. "Uh, Star? Do you see him?"
"No. I do not."
"Star. He's not in here, is he?"
"No, I do not think he is." They looked at each other uneasily. "So where in the hell is he?"

Red X set the cat down on the floor of his apartment. "Mi casa es su casa, gato." The cat mewed in response and sashayed off into the apartment. "I'll just let you hang out here until Robin starts looking for you, and then I'll figure out a ransom." The cat wandered back into the living room and leapt onto Red X's favorite chair. Robin began rubbing himself against the fabric, purring. The entire apartment smelled like the biped, (who'd introduced himself as Red), and he really liked the way Red smelled. Red grinned at him. He liked cats. He'd had one named Mata Hari when he was growing up. "Wonder what Robin calls you. Don't suppose you can tell me, can ya?" Robin paused, looking up at him. Red X picked the cat back up. "Heh. Guess I'll call you 'Kid'. That okay with you?" Robin batted playfully at Red's nose. "Guess that's a yes."    

Raven did not take the news well. "How can he be gone?! HOW? The room was sealed tight, and cats are not that smart!" Beast Boy and Starfire cowered before her. Raven started pacing, looking ready to rip her hair out. "Someone must have taken him. Circe, maybe. This isn't good, not at all. Robin is basically defenseless in that state, and who knows what could be happening to him right now…" Raven shook away the thought. "Okay, okay, I think I know where Circe might be. I'll go bargain with her; you guys try to find him. Spread out, and check everywhere!" The Titans split up, racing into various corners of the city. Raven set her sights on Jump City's preforming arts district. Circe loved the stage. If she was anywhere, it was there. "Don't worry Robin. We'll get you normal in no time."  
At that moment, Robin was finishing up the lunch Red had left for him on the kitchen floor. He swallowed the last bite of chicken and then trotted into the living room. Red had taken off his mask and was lounging on his couch, an arm thrown over his eyes. The stereo was on, blasting something that Human Robin would have liked, but Kitty Robin couldn't care less about. Red started humming vaguely, bouncing his foot against the arm of the couch. Robin watched him for a minute, content, before mewing loudly. Red jumped, looking down at him. "Hey there Kid. Full?" Robin flicked his tail, before turning around, darting to the entertainment center, and leaping on top of the stereo. He circled twice, before dropping to his stomach and resting his chin on the black plastic. He was full, and the stereo was warm, and Red's voice was really nice without that mask in the way. Robin started flicking his tail, and let his eyes close. Red X stood, stretching. "Heh. Robin picked one lazy cat." He crossed to scratch Kid's ears, and realized the cat was already asleep. "Gotta get those sixteen hours. Night kiddo." He carefully, gently plucked Kid off the stereo, taking pains not to wake him. He slowing backed up to his favorite chair and settled in, letting the cat slid into his lap. Kid barely stirred. "Aww. Keep this up, and I might just keep you." He started scratching under the cat's chin. "Robin probably doesn't have much time for you. Poor baby." Kid opened one eye, looking up at him. "Mreow."  
"Oh god it should be illegal for something to be this cute."
As Red X was happily cuddling with his arch rival, Raven was kicking Circe's ass. "Come on, Princess, you gotta admit it was a little funny!" Circe called, hiding behind the curtain at Jump City Concert Hall. "It was not even remotely funny!" Raven shouted back, levitating several overturned tables at her. "Change him back, NOW!!!" Circe shot back a storm of lightning in response. "Only way that's happening is if you can come up with something I want in exchange, Princess. Got any ideas?" Raven gritted her teeth. "Just name your price, Circe. I want my friend back!" Circe tapped a finger against her chin, pretending to think. "Hmm. Let's see, Princess. I think…I think I want your dignity!" Raven froze. "My—My what?" Circe laughed maliciously and grinned at Raven. "Come on. You want your friend back, or not?"
"Well, Robin is very happy as a cat…" Circe rolled her eyes, and Raven groaned. "Fine, fine! What do I need to do, exactly?"
"It involves the color pink."
"Robin, you better appreciate this."
One second, Red X was stroking Kid's back. The next second, a very pissed off, completely naked Robin the Boy Wonder was in his lap, looking ready to kill. "What the—" Red X started, but Robin's fist connected with his jaw before he could finish, and then Robin was scrambling away. Red X heard his bathroom door slam, and he stayed in the chair for a second longer, his throbbing chin ignored. "But he…the cat…wait…oh no way…but how else…oh man. Poor kid." Red tentatively got to his feet and went to the bathroom door. He rapped his knuckles against it. There was silence, before Robin snapped, "Go away!" Red X fought a small smile. "Okay, just thought you might wanna borrow some clothes and possibly explain how the hell you ended up a cat, but I can just leave you there all day." There was another silence, before Robin grunted oddly. "I'll take that as a 'Sorry I yelled, help me pretty please'." Red X chuckled, before going back to his bedroom. He returned, carrying a pair of sweatpants, clean boxers, and a t-shirt. He knocked again, Robin opened the door again and snatched the clothing before slamming and locking the door a second time. Red X waited until Robin came back out. The kid was scarlet in the face, and refused to meet Red X's eyes. "Damn. You're still wearing the collar." Robin yelped and started tugging at it, looking panicked. "Hey, hey, calm down! Let me!" Red X took Robin's hands and forced them to his sides. Robin twitched a few times, but managed to calm himself down. "That's right, shh." Red X had to resist the urge to start rubbing Robin's back. He's not a cat anymore, damn it. Red X carefully reached up and sought out the buckle on the back of the collar. The 'R' tag was hanging in the hollow of Robin's neck, flashing slightly in the light. With a quick tug, Red X removed the collar, and Robin visibly relaxed. "So, seriously, what the hell happened?" Robin, blushing once again, recounted his team's encounter with Circe, his transformation, his temporary amnesia, up until the moment he turned back. "So, you had no idea of who you really were?"
"You really I'd have let you pet me if I did?!" Robin had worked himself up again, and looked caught between rage and panic. Red X, hoping to keep him from trying anything stupid, reached out and started trailing the tips of his fingernails down Robin's spine. Robin froze. Red X reached his waist and dragged his nails back in the other direction. Kitty Robin had responded very positively to this sort of attention, and Red X was guessing it worked on Human Robin too. Robin wiggled slightly, but looking visibly more relaxed. Jackpot. Red X flattened his hand out, now just patting Robin on the back. "Alright. Feel better?"
"Much…I mean, stop that!" Robin drew away, but Red X felt satisfied that he was at least visibly calmer. "One last thing, kid. How'd you change back?"
"No clue. Maybe the spell is on a timer. Either that, or they persuaded Circe to lift it."

Raven stood stiffly on stage in her glittery pink robes, trying to keep Robin in her thoughts. "Hey hey, you you, I don't like your girlfriend. No way, no way, I think you need a new one. Hey hey, you you—Look can I stop now?!"
"Nope!" Circe yelled from the audience, where she was filming the whole thing. "And for interrupting, now you have to sing it twice!"
"Robin owes me, so, damn, much."

Three Weeks Later
"Red X, drop the damn necklace!" Red X grinned under his mask. "Hey Kitty. How ya doin'?" He turned, pocketing the strand of rubies and pearls. Robin was alone this time, perfect. "Don't call me that, you low-life crook. Last warning, give back the jewels and anything else you took."
"Oooh. Right in the heart." Red X stepped closer. "Keep bein' mean like that, and I won't scratch your back just how you like." Robin's face colored under the domino mask. Red X fought down a laugh. God, Circe, I am building so many temples in your honor and sacrificing a million baby lambs. "You know, if you say sorry, and promise to be real nice, I'll even rub your belly." Red X reached out, taking a hold of Robin's chin. "And I promise not to pull your tail too hard." Robin took Red X's hand in both of his, stroking it lightly. "Why are doing this?" He whispered. "What can I say, kid. It's a little hard to hate somebody after they've fallen asleep on your stereo." Robin didn't say anything, but he didn't look away either. "Plus, you looked really hot in that collar."
"God damn it, do you feel compelled to ruin every moment?!"
"I'll give back the jewelry if you put it on again. What do you say?"
"I hate you…"
"You cats are so temperamental. If I get you some yarn will you love me again?"
"It have to be some damn good yarn."
"Only the best for my kitty."