"What's purple and green and bleeds profusely?"
Ok. Let's get those detective skills goin'!
Can you guess the new character before the reveal? Fresh baked cookies if ya can!
WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT?
It's been unseasonably warm for September in Gotham. Dressed in a little pink sundress, Kitrina sits at an outdoor cafe, sipping her iced coffee as she waits for a friend. Pulling out a compact from her purse, she adjusts her sunglasses, trying to hide the cuts and bruises from the night before. Some things not even makeup can fix, no matter how hard you try.
She sighs and nibbles on the end of her straw. Crossing her legs and bouncing her foot to pass the time. Just an hour before class begins, her books sit atop the wrought iron table right next to her half-eaten scone.
A petite and perky redhead bounces into view. Pulling out a chair, she takes a seat beside Kitrina and tosses her purple purse onto the table. A waiter approaches to ask what she would like. The young woman smirks and removes her sunglasses, placing them atop her pig-tailed head.
"What do you do when life gives you lemons?"
The waiter looks at her, his eyebrow arched. He's obviously confused. The young woman sighs and rolls her eyes.
"Go make me a lemonade." She says with a disheartened groan.
She eases back into her chair and laces her fingers behind her head in an arrogant fashion. Kitrina wouldn't be all too surprised if she were to kick her feet up onto the table.
"Well you look like hell." She jokes. "Get in a fight with a meat grinder?"
"Thanks, E." Kitrina growls. "Nice to see you too."
"Oh come on, I was joking!" The girl only known as E laughs. "But really. You should get some better concealer for that black eye. People are gonna think-"
"What? That I fight crime?" Kitrina interjects.
"No. That your boyfriend beats ya!"
Kitrina laughs sarcastically. The waiter stops by the table to drop off E's drink. Both girls watch as he walks away.
"Gotta have a boyfriend first." Kitrina grumbles beneath her breath.
Shifting in her seat, E looks over her shoulder, making it very apparent that she's staring at the waiter's ass. Her grin stretches.
"He looks yummy." The redhead purrs.
"Not my type." Kitrina groans.
"Of course. Because your type are the backstabbing kind that like to sleep with your roommate. Who, might I add, was a two-timing whore."
"Ugh... Don't remind me."
"I still say you should have let me kill them. Or at the very least, her." She sighs. "But... I digress."
E returns her attention to her drink, picking up the glass and taking a sip.
"So, riddle me this." She continues. "How has your new roommate situation been going?"
Kitrina groans loudly and places her head down on the table. Suddenly, she feels like crawling under a rock.
"That bad?" E asks, raising an eyebrow.
Kitrina picks her head up and runs her fingers through her honey-colored hair.
"He's so... annoying." She begins. "It's like he purposely goes out of his way just to push my buttons. He's mean and weird and-"
"Is he cute?" E interrupts, her straw tucked between her lips.
"WHAT?"
Kitrina looks at her through narrowed eyes, trying to decide whether or not she just heard her correctly. Ever the trouble maker, E stares back at her with a devious glint in her eye.
"I said," E says with a smirk, "Is. He. Cute?"
Kitrina's dying to smack that smirk right off her freckled face.
"I dunno. He's blue." Kitrina replies, rolling her eyes to the side.
Elbow on the table, E rests her chin in her hand, eager for details.
"Like moody blue?" She asks excitedly. "Like a dark, depressing, acoustic guitar playing blue?"
"No. Like BLUE blue." Kitrina explains. "Like Crayola crayon blue."
E's grin widens.
"Interesting." She purrs. "So does that mean he's got a blue coc-"
Kitrina kicks her underneath the table.
"OW!" E shouts, grabbing her shin. "What was THAT for?"
"We are NOT going there!" Kitrina replies. "And besides. He's a metahuman. For all I know, he might not even have the same parts. He could be like all weird down there. I really don't wanna even think about it, ok? Ugh. He weirds me out."
E holds up her hands in surrender and laughs.
"Ok. Ok. Fine." She says with a hint of amusement in her tone. "But, come on. You gotta admit. Aren't you in the least bit curious? I mean, after all, curiosity and cats..."
Kitrina glares at her boisterous friend. Sometimes she wonders if the girl actually enjoys causing problems or if she just likes to hear herself talk. Either way, she's pushing it.
"So what kind of meta is he?" E fishes further. "Super strength? Flight? Melts panties with heat vision?"
Kitrina snorts, nearly choking on her drink. She places her glass down on the table and glares at her puckish friend.
"Magic." She replies after regaining her composure. "Like potions and spells and stuff."
E nods and takes another sip of her drink. Kitrina can practically see the gears turning in that pretty little red head of hers. She doesn't like where this is going.
"You do realize, you still haven't answered my question." E says in a mischievous tone. "Aside from the blue complexion, is he attractive? Like... Tall, dark, and handsome? Does he at least have a nice as-"
Kitrina picks up the remainder of her scone and throws it at her loud-mouthed friend.
"Do you want me to kick you again?"
E dusts the crumbs from her lime-green tank top and pouts.
"Save the abuse for the masks and cowls." She says, shaking her head. "I'm retired, remember? Hell-ooh! Innocent bystander! You're abusing a civilian."
Kitrina laughs, loud and full.
"Innocent, my ass!" She teases, eyes shining mischievously. A sly grin graces her lips. "I think I remember you hitting me over the head with a crowbar the first time we met. E... Nigma."
Eyes wide, Enigma presses her finger to her lips, shushing her friend as she anxiously takes a look around the cafe to see if any one has noticed.
"Shhh!" She hisses. "Not so damn loud!"
Still and silent, she sits for a moment, as if awaiting imminent doom. As if the utterance of her name alone would release a torrent of Justice Leaguers and Rogues alike. Descending upon her position to come and drag her away, kicking and screaming. Once satisfied that no one has noticed, she sits up straight in her chair and boldly flips a curly ginger pigtail over her shoulder.
"And it was a tire iron, if you really must know." She says snootily with her nose in the air.
Kitrina continues to snicker.
"Well SORRY if that night's a bit fuzzy!"
She's known Enigma since way back when. Back when she first took up the mantle of Catgirl. They were both so young back then. Just starting out. So eager to please their mentors. Both wanting so badly to carve out a niche for themselves in Gotham's underbelly. They're so very much alike, actually. What with their daddy issues and all. Kitrina's not quite sure on the details. Enigma's always been, well, enigmatic. A mystery at best. But from what she was told, Enigma's so called father beat her senseless one night and left her for dead. She said it's because she asked too many questions. Ironic, really. Too many questions. She's been keeping a low profile ever since.
"How's that working out for ya?" Kitrina asks. "The civilian gig?"
"Not bad." Enigma sighs, stacking a sugar packet on top of her spoon. "Boring. But it keeps me breathing. So I guess I can't complain."
She raises her arms well above her head, stretching out her muscles before rising from her seat.
"Speaking of the civilian gig, I better be going." Enigma says playfully. "Don't want to be late. Some of us have to work for a living."
Picking up her purse, she produces a couple bills and tosses them onto the table near her finished drink.
"Same time next week?" She asks as she flings her bag over her shoulder.
Kitrina nods and Enigma prepares to leave.
"Oh! One last thing." Kitrina says, stopping her friend in her tracks.
Hand on her hip and head cocked to the side, Enigma awaits Kitrina's question. She knows all too well what's coming. The cat girl asks the same thing of her every time they meet. Still, the question never gets old. Never. No question ever does. And no question ever will.
Resting easily in her chair, leaning back with her arms crossed along her chest, Kitrina looks up at her friend with a Cheshire-like grin.
"So tell me, E. We've been friends a long time now." Kitrina begins, a smirk gracing her lips. "Are you really the Riddler's daughter?"
Throwing her arms in the air, Enigma squeals in delight.
"THERE'S that catlike curiosity I've come to expect!" Enigma exclaims with a grin.
The redhead leans in close. Close enough that Kitrina can tell quite clearly her diamond earrings are a fake. With her lips a mere inch from the cat girl's ear, Enigma whispers.
"Now THAT really is a riddle." The girl in green and purple whispers nice and low. "But then again. Are ANY of us really who we claim to be?"
With a giggle and a wave, she disappears from sight. Becoming one with the Gotham crowd.
"See ya later, kitty cat!"
ENIGMA!
Did anyone guess?
Just like Kitrina/Catgirl, Enigma/The Riddler's Daughter never really stood a chance in the comics. They were both introduced and cast aside just as quickly, just before the New 52 hit the streets and changed the DC universe as we know it. At the end of Batman #712, we see Kitrina going off to the all-girls boarding school and Enigma is killed(?) by the Riddler (her father?). You never see it, but it's implied. In the whole fanfiction universe I'm creating, since I get to do WHATEVER I like, I've brought her back from the dead, saying that she survived her attack and is living a normal life, laying low. I think she deserves it!
Lemme know if you'd like to see more of Enigma or if there's anyone else you'd like me to introduce!
Reviews pretty pretty please!
XOXO