Author's Note: Not much to say here, but keep what I said in the last chapter in mind: things are going to get very messy.
Diana awakened in completely unfamiliar surroundings. The first thing that she noticed was that she was in agonizing pain; she felt as if every inch of her flesh had been bruised. She cringed as memories of the previous night flowed back to her. She could remember being attacked by a huge man wearing a strange mask, but nothing after that. She gingerly sat up to get a better look at her surroundings. She gathered that she was on a couch in somebody's living room; she couldn't help but notice that the coffee table in front of the couch was littered with various wildlife magazines. Realizing that she needed to find some answers, she stood up to look around, wincing slightly as her aching muscles protested.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Diana whirled around to see who had spoken; it was a tall woman, wearing a remarkably tight catsuit. The mystery woman pulled of her mask, revealing her long, blond hair.
"I don't believe we've met... Most people call me Catwoman, but since you're a friend of Batman, I guess you can call me Selina. Don't worry, I'm a friend."
Diana relaxed a little bit. "How did I get here? What happened."
Selina shrugged. "Damned if I know. I just found you unconscious on a rooftop. And you're lucky that I did. If the police had found you, I can guarantee that you'd be locked in an interrogation room right now."
Diana's mind reeled for a moment. "Then... Where's Br- Batman?"
"He wasn't there. I just assumed that you were flying solo."
Diana's blood went cold. She knew that Bruce wouldn't just leave her on the rooftop; the only conclusion was that the Joker had him.
Suddenly Diana's comm link crackled to life. She wondered where the signal was coming from; it couldn't be the Watchtower, as there was far too much static. Her question was answered as soon as the voice on the other end spoke, confirming her worst fears.
"OOH! OOH! I know where Batsy is!"
Diana's eyes narrowed, and her teeth bared when she heard the voice of the Joker.
"Where is he?" She said, putting as much venom into her voice as she could.
"Keep your tights on, I'm going to tell you... But first, I must say... You really should secure these lines. You wouldn't want some nut bursting in on all your private conversations, now, would you?" The Joker let out a cackle. "But... Since you're new to the game, I'd better tell you all of the rules before we get started. I'll tell you where I'm hiding... But you'd best come alone. You see, I'm really not prepared for extra house guests... So take note that if you do bring any uninvited guests, then I'll have no choice but to exterminate them... Not to mention old Batsy. Kapeesh? Well... I guess that about covers everything." He proceeded to give Diana the coordinates of his hideout. "Now... Be there or be square! But be fast... I'm not the most patient man in the world!" He let out a monstrous laugh, and cut the connection.
Diana took a moment to weigh her options. She knew that it would be good to have backup, but she was sure that the Joker wouldn't hesitate to make good on his promise to kill Batman, as well as any other intruders. She sighed, realizing that she had no choice but to go in alone.
She turned to Selina and bowed her head a little bit. "Thank you for your hospitality. But I have business to attend to."
Selina raised an eye. "Now? You're in pretty rough shape... Are you sure that you couldn't use some help?"
"I'll be fine. I'm a fast healer. Thank you for the offer, but I have to do this alone."
Without any further explanation, Diana began to levitate, and flew out an open window. Selina watched her for a moment, before whistling quietly. A tiny black cat poked it's head around the doorway, and jumped into her arms.
"Come on, Isis." Selina said, pulling her cowl back over her face. "I think that we should get to the bottom of this..."
She jumped out of the window, and began to stealthily follow Diana.
Author's note: GASP! What fiendish plot is the Joker cooking up now? Will Diana be able to make it in time? Will Catwoman be able to help her? Tune in tomorrow to find out: same Bat-time, Same Bat-channel!
I know I've used that joke before, but I like it. Anyway, maybe I don't have the end of the story planned out as well as I thought. I'd had a pretty solid idea of what was going to happen... But I decided to change it up a bit. The general idea is still the same, but I did implement some changes that should make the story go that much more smoothly.
It may be a while before I get the chance to post again; I've got a lot on my plate up until next Wednesday. I'll do my best to keep up, but I'm most likely going to have to slow down substantially.
