บท 23: CH : 20 Cheetah, Ivy, and Joker

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***

For a moment, I stopped as I caught the look of her from the corner of my eye. Around Cheetah's neck was a beaded necklace that had cat motifs in the middle. The fur on her front was a lighter shade than the one on her back. Not only that, but her stomach was also missing any spots, while all across her body, it carried a spotted pattern. Even Cheetah's inner thighs and breast carried light sprinkles of spots on her fur, around her waist was another cat motif on a beaded string in the form of a belt.

"Can you change me back?" Cheetah asked silently, urgently as she leaned into my personal space. Then with her eyes narrowed, she asked the question of the night. "What is the price?"

"How many photos and videos do you have of embarrassing Diana? Having the princess hog tied and in any other embarrassing situation would work really well for my needs." I replied with a sly smile on my face. Picking up the hand of Cheetah, I trailed my fingers across her palm in a soothing manner.

"Yeah, I have some somewhere, why do you want those?" Cheetah asked with a huff before tossing my hand away. "Figured, everyone wants photos of little miss perfect."

"Ohh, she isn't so bad, think of it this way. She was the one that got you stuck like this, and she will also be the one to help you get better." I said before placing my phone on the counter. "Circe has a grudge with the Queen of the Amazons, but what makes her incredibly important for you are her skills in magic."

Cheetah looked at the information that I have been compiling from my memories of DC and what I have compiled since I left Gotham for the world tour.

"Why her and not one of those goody goody types?" Cheetah asked as she perked up with my information.

With a shrug I replied, "Circe likes to turn people into animals for fun. So there isn't a reason why she couldn't do the reverse, but I would suggest using that cat motif to transfer the powers of the Hunter Goddess."

With her eyes fully focused on my phone, I watched them zip back and forth on the information on the last known location in Greece. "Why?"

"Transferring the curse to the artifact will give you access to your powers anytime you want. Giving up power and going back to being human will wear off once you begin to miss the power." I said before I heard a ring and noticed that Cheetah used my phone to call her own.

That got my attention because where in the hell did she keep that cellphone on her person when she was all fur and no clothes? Ignoring that, I had to call out to her before she zoomed out of the bar. "Don't forget the things with Diana. That will be the currency to turn you back."

With a chuckle to myself, I turned back towards the bartender standing and waiting on me.

"So, what was that? trying to get some tail?" Mary asked me as she wiped down the counter

"Yes, but not as she is. Ooh, don't get me wrong. I would rock her world fur or no fur, but I believe it was better to help fix the bad hand she was dealt. Far too many people are given those and then labelled villains and such." I replied before chugging my drink before getting up.

Mary nodded in return as she took my empty cup and took up the bills I put down for the damages and for the drinks. "That's why I insist on this bar being neutral. Far too many people need a place to unwind."

With a nod at her statement, I left a card with a contact number for Waylon, then left with a wave of my hand. There was a whistle and a jump before I was on my motorcycle. First, I held up my left hand and watched as it didn't shake. Having accelerated healing is such a cheat, and I love it. Leaving my helmet in its tablet form, a H.U.D. was brought up on my motorcycle before I shot out of the parking lot like a bullet.

The throttle was open, and the only thing before me was the night. The wind was in my hair, and even the slight moisture couldn't bring me down. Taking a right at the light, I ignored the slowing traffic that I would have had to wait on while I made my way home.

Halfway home, I felt the weight on my motorcycle shift, before I could pull over a pair of strong arms worked their way around my waist. The purr on my back made me very aware of who was my new passenger. With only a few miles out from the house, it was time to really cut loose. With a quick shift, the limiters were removed.

Cheetah purred harder as the speed easily kicked up past one hundred. With my weaving, we were in and out of traffic as it stood still in our perception. Before long we were riding through the woods that lead up to my home, there was the familiar shift of the phase frequency, and I knew I was back safe within the confines of my shield. Pulling up to the front, Cheetah hopped off the back then did a stretch that did amazing things for my sight.

"What was that back there, that shift?" Cheetah asked as she finished her stretches.

"I keep a shield up around my property. It allows me to track anyone that's here besides myself and also protects the place from attack if need be." I replied as I moved my bike into the open garage. With my bike placed away, I watched as she walked a few paces before giving me a sly grin that I knew could only be trouble.

Once my gloves were placed on the shelf, Cheetah stalked towards me. With the zipper to my jacket clasped between her fingertips, I wasn't sure if that was the jacket or Cheetah that purred so loudly. Our lips smashed together, and damn did the sparks fly. The kiss was strong and demanding, and I wasn't even concerned with the large canines that she used to slightly nip at me. The only response I gave to that display of domination was to grab myself a handful of derriere.

I was enjoying the feel of her nicely shaped buns when I was suddenly pushed away.

"Let's see if you can catch this tail," Cheetah said and then instantly took off towards the forest surrounding my home.

Ripping my jacket off, it was tossed to the side, and so were my shoes, then I took off into the bush behind her. I would never be as fast as the top speedsters, but that didn't mean I couldn't move at speed if the need called for it. Also, there was never any agreement about not cheating. Opening myself around me, there was a sense of joy on the left. Ignoring the feeling that I got from the left, I ran straight down the middle.

A twinkle of laughter followed me when I got into the woods. That laughter shut down once I began to launch myself from tree to tree like I was a ninja moving across the land. A presence sped by on my right and came and then circled around to my back as I changed directions. Smiling to myself, I summoned up a branch from the ground. Taking the flexible part of the willow branch, I created a loop and prepared it for a simple trap that I had in mind.

With quick mental work, I had the willow branch wrapped around another tree limb, and I took off in another direction. Quickly, while I flew to the left, I pulled off my shirt and let it float around the tree and onto the trap I set to put Cheetah off of the scent. Slyly. I floated my way up above and watched my shirt in the opposite direction. With the wind in my favor, it was a given that Cheetah wasn't going to catch my scent. These were basic tactics to use against predators in nature. A smile splayed across my lips as I watched Cheetah take a quick pause at the breach.

FWIP!

Cheetah launched herself into the air right into my open and waiting arms, after the branch she sat on launched a quick attack at her. The shirt and branch combo trap that I had set up was shredded by her claws as she attacked them out of pure reflex. It would seem that this kitty was a little skittish, but then again, she was blessed or cursed by the goddess of the hunt after all. Her tail lashed against my thigh as my arms wrapped around her waist as I held us up afloat in the sky.

Chest bare and smile on my face, I had won this little bout, and I was going to claim my prize. Flipping us over, I brought us back down to the ground, flipping Cheetah over on top of me. I received a quirk of the eyebrows and a very predatory smile from the beauty above me.

With a smile of my own, I went in for the kiss. The kiss was hot passionate and heated, Cheetah's tail wrapped its way around my arm as her claws dug into me as she pulled me in closer. The night was warm, and the moon was out, there was no better place than here for such an amazing night. Cheetah pulled back and watched my wounds heal instantly from the scratches she had made. At first, I noticed the frown, and then it was replaced with an inquisitive look.

"I guess you can already tell that I'm not normal," I said as we came down to rest on the forest floor.

"So, is this why you're interested in me?" Cheetah asked as she traced the place where she clawed my chest.

"Honestly, half and half, there are many things that I know, but there are very few people that I have helped. Helping you is only because you have been dealt a bad hand, not because you are also like me." Was my reply, but the next thing I wanted to say was silenced because I felt a presence enter the domain of my shields.

Cheetah noticed my pause and reaction, then turned around and sniffed at the air. I was instantly up and on my feet, and so was Cheetah beside me.

Cheetah lifted her head and smelled the wind as it shifted and changed among the trees and forest. "This scent is familiar to me."

Taking a look at Cheetah, who in turn, gave me a nod. We took off towards the direction that she was smelling such a familiar scent and where I was feeling the presence of the intruder.

Cheetah sprinted along the ground as I flew behind her, knowing that Cheetah was as fast as Wonder Woman was one thing. Actually seeing her run in front of me covering the forest grounds around my home was another. Before we were playing, but now I was watching a Cheetah move with true purpose.

Flying over a low hedge, I was right one Cheetah's tail as she came to a rapid stop at the river that went through my lands. Before us stood a lady in green from head to toe, vines wound their way up her legs and around her arms. The red headed forest nymph before us wore clothing made out of leaves and moss creating an interacting pattern along her body as it covered up the more intimate parts. Instantly I frowned; I knew who this was. This was none other than Poison Ivy, or better yet Pamela Isley. She was more than renowned around Gotham for always trying to take over the world with her green thumb.

Her attempts were always thwarted by Bruce, but that never stopped her from trying to save the world. DC was always full of such people that needed help but never got the help they needed with the changes made to their lives.

"It's only Ivy" Cheetah breathed as she looked over the intruder's form.

I turned to look at her then looked at the other red head before me. "Yeah, I can see that, but what is she doing here?"

Cheetah returned a shrug towards me, so I turned around towards the other red head with a raised eyebrow.

Ivy walked towards us with a sway in her hips and a smile on her lips, but I wasn't buying any of it. There might be a pity in my heart for her, but I knew better than to trust a poison apple.

"Ahh, the reason why I have come." Ivy began as she walked up towards us and stopped before Cheetah and me. Ivy looked us up and down, and then a grin spread across her face at the sight of my bare chest. "My babies told me that this was a clean place, a place covered by a shield that purifies the air and water."

My frown was very evident and prominent on my face. "Did you break out, or were you already out of Arkham?"

The frown that came to Ivy's face was instant, "I was already out, but my companion decided to leave once a certain person broke out today."

Instantly, shock flooded my system; there is only one other companion that Ivy ever had, and that was Harley. The fact that Harley left was because of the Joker's presence in the city.

"Where is he.." Came out of my voice in a slow harsh whisper. The cold, emotionless tone of my voice must have sparked something because both Ivy and Cheetah took a firm step away from me. Taking a look at them both, I straightened up and reigned in my hatred for the Joker. The void had held me for who knows how long, but I was better than this. Now that I once more had a life, I refused to go back to the void, the Joker had to die because I would not become one of his unwilling victims.

With my mind made up, it was time to make a move and make a difference once and for all: "There is a price for you staying here."

"What's your involvement with the Joker?" Cheetah asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

For a moment, I thought it over, but I also noticed the look Ivy was giving me so I decided on a half-truth. "I have no beef with the man, but the world would be a far better place without him. Nothing says that I can't remove him from the board. Batman might be sad about losing his boyfriend, but it's something that needs to be done."

***

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