The Hipsters are Appropriating Pop Culture

The first one is Timothy, fittingly enough. A tiny, fist-sized ball of indignant, rangy black cat, winding his way into Ra’s’ life two years after the crisis that wiped Gotham - and most of her protectors - off the map.

Timothy decided Ra’s was his human in Egypt, and like his namesake, managed to stalk Ra’s. Through Egypt, to Saudi Arabia, then Iraq, and all the way back to his base in Iran. Ra’s gave in, ordered a cook to bring some raw chicken, and resigned himself to black fur all over his pillows.

Ten years after Timothy’s arrival came Thea, with kitten-blue eyes and enough thick black fur to look double her actual size. Timothy looked very smug when he deposited the tiny furball in Ra’s’ lap.

A year after Timothy’s death came Timoteo, the latest of Thea’s kittens. He got into everything, including the Lazarus pit. Ra’s hadn’t been aware, prior to that, that pit-madness could affect animals. He was aware he shouldn’t find the oversized monster’s antics quite as amusing as he did, but. Watching the Ubu scramble in fear before a seventeen pound animal was a highlight of many hard days.

After that, he loses track of the exact order. There is Tim, and Timothea, and Timmas, and Tima and Timmeo, and many others.

And then one day there is Jane, the latest of Ra’s ill-considered pets held in her arms, staring at Ra’s in bemused horror.

“You cannot,” she says, in a voice far too familiar, “have missed me this much. I refuse.”

Ra’s sighs, and resigns himself to a human lifetime of mockery. “And hello to you too, detective.”