DC57: Alright, before you all start throwing flaming sporks at me for redoing this story, let me explain. The first story was RIDDLED with continuity errors. I hate continuity errors. I hate it even more because *I* was guilty of so many them in the last story. I was on vacation for a while, so I had time to devise, research and hopefully perfect this one a little better.
Notcoolnotcoolnotcool! The thief panicked as she ran through the museum. It was bad enough to have the security guards after her, but Wonder Woman herself had also made an appearance.
"Why the HELL did I agree to this?!" The redhead screamed aloud as she darted down another hallway. She knocked over a display of some ancient art. "Sorry!" She called back, as somehow it would make what she was doing better.
Barbara Minerva was just a student working towards her doctorate in anthropology. Until the hammer fell. She was in the doctor's office for a running injury. He commented on pale skin and took a blood test. After several other tests, it was confirmed that Barbara had leukemia.
That destroyed her. The costs of the tests alone she could hardly afford. She withdrew from school in hopes of returning later. Until then she worked. Hard. Two jobs and it still wasn't enough for her medical bills alone. So Barbara started to work on the other side of the law.
Barbara started pickpocketing here and there. Though she justified it by only taking from the visibly wealthy. Though a few times her conscious got the best of her and took back the wallet or pocketbook.
Barbara then took to hacking. She was pretty good at it as it had been a hobby for her growing up, and maintaining her abilities through college. She had never used it in such a way. Formerly it was just a playground, to see if she could do it.
A few days ago, an anonymous user approached her and offered a large sum of money. Some 7-digit figure that could solve her problems for a good amount of time. How could she refuse? It seemed easy enough, she had already cracked the locks and put a delay on the alarm system. She gave herself 22 minutes as she wasn't a very experienced thief, but knew she had to be speedy. She knew she wasn't Selina Kyle.
The user was after a ceremonial dagger. He said it belonged to his family, had been stolen and wrongfully given to the museum. It appealed to her anthropologist's instincts as well.
It hadn't gone well. It wasn't the delay, it was the fact she hadn't counted on an actual security guard still walking around. Barbara grabbed the knife and ran. He had enough to trigger the alarm for the rest of the security guards. Wonder Woman must have been alerted too.
"This is just fucking great!" Barbara cursed. She skidded to a stop and ran up a flight stairs.
The guards stopped and watched. Wonder Woman was waiting at the top of the stairs.
The sight of the star-spangled heroine caused Barbara to lose her footing on the marble stairs. She fell. She fell on top of the dagger she was carrying. It went through her chest cavity with a sickening sound.
"Oh, Hera no…" Diana was quick to the young girl's side, but Barbara was beyond rescue as she gave a final cough riddled with blood. Barbara last saw Wonder Woman and her red blood trickling down the stairs before finally dying.
"The dagger severed her left anterior descending artery, her left ventricle, punctured her left leg through and through…" The medical examiner concluded as she examined the lifeless body. Broke a couple of ribs too when she fell. I don't know if we could have saved her. She bled out almost immediately." She tsked as she saw the handle buried up to her breastbone, and the rusted tip pointing out of her back.
Barbara was tall, 5'11. She had smooth, ivory skin, vibrant green eyes and cropped red hair. Her ears had been pierced a couple of times, but there were no other piercings or tattoos. Her teeth were straight, thanks to years of braces. Her glasses were knocked askew and had scratched her temple.
Diana sighed. "Such a waste of a young life… Do we know who she is?"
"Her student ID in her wallet says Barbara Minerva. Medical records indicate she was recently diagnosed with leukemia. We have been trying to get in touch with her parents. They are anthropologists on a dig in Sri Lanka right now. Her grandmother has been notified though." The medical examiner helped load the body carefully on to the stretcher. "Her grandmother said Barbara had come out to the family that she was gay. So they had stopped talking to her for a while. They didn't know she was sick."
"What about this knife she was trying to steal?" Diana asked, beginning to feel sorry for the deceased.
"We don't know much about it. She had stolen it from the back. It wasn't even on display yet." The curator had explained, looking away from the unfortunate scene. "It was so rusted and damaged from age, we needed to get it carefully cleaned before we could begin to examine it. I don't know why this young woman would want it."
Diana looked to the bagged and bloodied knife carefully before handing the item back to the curator. She watched the body bag be carried away on the stretcher.
Barbara gasped awake and coughed. She opened her eyes to find she was in a white bag of sorts. She felt her claustrophobia begin to set in.
The medical examiner and her assistant were both startled when they heard the panic in the back of their van and nearly ran off the road.
"M-Miss Minerva?" The medical examiner asked tentatively.
"Get me out!" She cried out in response.
The medical examiner and assistant both exchanged a look before getting out of the van and opening the back to see the body bag sitting upright and the woman inside hyperventilating.
They unzipped the bag and Barbara eagerly climbed out, catching her breath after her panic attack. "What the hell is this? Some kind of joke?!" Barbara yelled. She clutched her chest, "Damn that hurts…"
"Miss Minerva, you were dead." The medical examiner said, still in shock that this woman was alive. She grabbed a wrist to take her pulse. It was there, and very strong.
Barbara yanked her wrist away with a huff. "I am clearly not dead! This must be a sick joke that guy put me up to. But whatever happened hurt like hell." She hopped off the stretcher. "I'm going home." She blew a red lock out of her face.
"Miss Minerva… I… I don't think I can let you do that." The examiner looked to her assistant who was already dialing on his cell phone.
"Why not?"
"You stole a dagger and…. Were… You were dead! You need to talk to the police, and get to the hospital for an examination.
Barbara sighed and nodded.
The police interrogated Barbara until she was exhausted. She answered everything truthfully regarding the anonymous hire, why she did it, and the money that was offered (but never paid). The detectives where just as shocked to see the formerly dead woman now appear healthy and answering their questions in their interrogation room. She also agreed to send in a flash drive with all their recorded chat messages and what little data she could gather from his computer.
They decided to let her go since she answered honestly, it was her first time, and had already suffered the punishment of death and somehow lived. Even the sergeant couldn't believe it and agreed to let her go.
The hospital examination was just as tiring. She was changed into a paper gown and thoroughly poked, prodded, sampled, and tested. Barbara was changing back into her clothing. After putting on her bra, she examined the horrific scar that marred her chest. It was where the doctor said the dagger entered her body. Looking in a mirror, there was a matching scar where the blade was protruding out of her back.
"What the hell happened…" Barbara asked herself before she heard the door open, and tugged her top on.
"Well, Barbara, I still can't explain what happened to you…" The doctor ruffled through her records. "Every test run on you has come back with perfect results. Even, oddly better in some aspects."
"Well… That's good right?" Barbara said. "So, I can go home right?"
"There's one other thing, there's no trace of leukemia."
Barbara froze. "I… what?"
"Your white blood cell counts are normal. I'd… still like to take a marrow sample to be sure. But, everything else suggests that it's…. gone."
"You mean in remission, right?"
"No, I don't. I mean it's gone. Like you never had it in the first place." The doctor shrugged her shoulders and was clearly just as perplexed as Barbara was.
They set an appointment for the bone marrow sampling, and called a cab for Barbara to head home.
Barbara solemnly entered her apartment and sat on her couch. She tried to go through her thoughts, before they were interrupted by her phone ringing.
"Hello?" Barbara quietly answered, knowing whom was on the other line.
"Barb? Is… is that really you?" The voice hiccupped, trying to hold in emotion.
Barbara smiled, "Yeah, Lexi… It's me."
"Oh my God! They called me and told me you were dead! I thought I lost you!" Lexi sobbed over the phone.
Barbara shushed her girlfriend tenderly. "No… I'm still here, sweetie. It's a long story."
"Can… Can I come see you?" Lexi asked tentatively.
Barbara smiled, "I'd love to see you… Only if you stop and bring by some of my favorite food. I'm starving."
Lexi finally sniffled and giggled. "Combo #5 from Chen's Grand Buffet and some fried wontons. Got it. I'll also stop and get you some beer."
"You know me so well."
"Because I love you."
Barbara took the longest, hottest shower she could tolerate. Lexi had her own key and could let herself into Barb's apartment. During the shower, she examined her own body more. Still unsure of how she was living and breathing. Barbara touched the scar the dagger left on her body.
Slowly memories were coming back of her failed burglary attempt. She remembered running. Running so hard, holding that dagger. Then the stairs. She remembered looking up as she was running and seeing Wonder Woman at the top. Smiling at her. Smirking even.
Barbara snapped out of her thoughts when Lexi knocked on the bathroom door.
"Meals on wheels." Lexi called out in a sing-song way.
"You're a dork."
The couple ate happily and Barbara tried to explain the course of events of earlier that day. Lexi hardly wanted to be away from her lover. Leaning against her as she finished eating and Barbara took a drink from her beer. Barbara smiled and wrapped an arm around her, kissing her head.
"Don't ever do that again." Lexi warned, stealing a drink of Barbara's beer.
"Yeah, I don't think I'll be taking any more jobs from Anonymous any more… Oh, I also forgot to tell you. They did some blood work, and it's gone."
Lexi looked at her. "If you're joking, that's a really bad joke, Barbara…."
"I'm serious! The doctor said that she couldn't find any trace of the leukemia. I wouldn't joke about something like that." She kissed Lexi's cheek.
Lexi smiled slyly. "Well, maybe we should celebrate…"
Barbara sleepily opened her eyes and smiled. She was still alive, it was all real. Unfortunately all the other stuff too, like her botched burglary, but she was still alive. Barbara turned over and spooned her lover a little longer, kissing her neck. Perhaps still basking in the afterglow of their intimacy a few hours earlier.
Lexi's family was certainly much more welcoming of Barbara. They knew Lexi's preference and didn't mind. Lexi's father gave Barbara a healthy hand shake and bear hug, saying so long as his daughter was happy, he didn't care who she was with. That memory brought a smile to Barb's face as her hands caressed Lexi's smaller body and she began to lightly doze.
It wasn't long before a pang hit her gut, Barbara shot up and ran towards her bathroom and heaved. She rinsed her mouth out and panted. She felt hot, feverish and sweat began to bead at her brow. Barbara felt so weak and her vision began to blur. Her chest hurt again and when she reached up to grasp herself, she felt her nails tear her shirt and scratch her skin.
Barbara brought her hand to look and her nails had elongated into points, and getting longer. Panic started to set in as her hand cramped, as did the other one. Barbara cried out in pain and doubled over as she felt every muscle in her body flex. Soon enough, Barbara's shorts and shirt were becoming restrictive of her growing frame and the fabric began to tear.
Her nose began to bleed as it felt like she had been punched in the face. She tasted blood in her mouth and her teeth began to shift as her face and jaw reshaped.
Lexi heard the commotion and woke. Sleepily rubbing her eyes, before putting her glasses on and seeing Barbara doubled over in the bathroom. Lexi stood and got closer, then realized Barbara's body was changing.
Barbara cried out again and tears trickled out in pain as her ears changed shape and moved to the top of her head. Golden fur started at her shoulders and then rapidly began to cover her body, then dark, bold swirls and spots patterned her back, arms and legs. Her tears following a black mark starting from the corner of her eyes and around her mouth. Longer black fur grew from the base of her red hair and stood rigidly upright between her shoulders as sensations and pain continued to overwhelm her.
White fur started at her chin. A long chest ruff covered her now exposed chest and stomach. The white and plain, save for a spontaneous black mark that formed over the scar on the left side of her chest.
Lexi covered her mouth, unsure of what she was witnessing happen to Barbara.
Barbara's cat-like ears rotated, hearing Lexi's footsteps and that gasp she emitted.
"No…" She hoarsed out through her muzzle. She attempted to move, but her body failed to cooperate. Her feet shifting into digit grade foot paws. Pads forming on her feet and toes. Her toenails growing out into curved points and scratching the tile underneath her and tearing the bath mats.
Soon her hands looked more like a combination of hands and paws. Pads formed on her palms and fingertips. Her claws tore into her mats as her body gave into one more seizure. A long, agile tail tore away the remnants of Barbara's shorts. Spots and rings formed around it until the white tip at the end. It twitched.
Barbara bellowed again as her face pulled out into a short, feline muzzle. Her red hair growing slightly, but keeping it's cropped features. Barbara finally collapsed, her expansive frame heaving and she released a defeated groan as her entire body ached. Everything was louder. She could smell the bleach she used to clean her bathroom floor a few days earlier.
"B…. Barb….?" She heard. It was Lexi, but she sounded so far away... so muffled….
"Lexi…." Barbara slurred out. Her tongue unused to her reshaped mouth and teeth. "I love…." Was all she got out before it all went dark.
DC57(again): So hopefully this more power-washed story will go over better. Also in all honesty, I most likely will be re-writing my Tigra story as well. It has the same errors that are mocking me. And just some other things that are wrong with it...
As always, I really do appreciate your guys' feedback and let me know what you think in a review.