Love Bites

Author: Jillybean
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Nik Nak Kitty Kat

Craig's splayed fingers were making an imprint on the pillow as he pushed it down. The weak body below him was trying to struggle, but still too drugged to even comprehend the danger.

Craig let out a small chuckle, this was so easy! And then Selina Kyle brought the edge of her palm down onto his neck with a speed a veracity to ensure Craig never saw it coming.
"Kid! Kid!" Selina cried, flinging the pillow from the bed and shaking Terry roughly. "Jesus, kid, wake up!" She kicked Craig under the bed and stepped backwards in relief when Terry took a deep, shaky breath.

"Oh - man. Ow. What happened here?" Terry asked, sitting up slowly. Selina pushed him back down.
"I don't have much time, I need to be at the plaza in like twenty minutes."
"Why am I here?" Terry asked, looking around the hospital dazedly.
"Think about it kid!" Selina snapped at him. Terry's fuzzy blue eyes met hers and he blinked slowly.
"I was shot." He remembered. One hand moved to run through his hair but was snagged by the IV drip. He grimaced and pulled it out, shaking his hand. "Selina? How - why . . ."
"Oh I'm not stupid. You, on the other hand, take after Bruce wonderfully. He's here, isn't he?"
"Uh -"
"In the private wing? To get away from Hannah? Think boy!"
"Okay! Okay! I was shot, remember?" He exclaimed, batting her away. Selina folded her arms.
"Listen to me good kid. I'm are meeting Hannah in -" Selina checked her watch, "fifteen- minutes. Only Hannah thinks I'm going to give her the locket. I'll delay her for as long as I can, hopefully she'll bring her son too."
"I still don't-"
"Just listen! Do you know how Hannah was manipulating Bruce? Pheromones. How many people do you know that secrete that kind of pheromone?"
"Poison Ivy."
"You get a a point. Now to get a special Gold Star, what do you think Ivy is expecting in return for all her help in Hannah's little scheme."
"Money."
"The kid's a genius. Now. Inside Devon's locket there is a key, the long and short of it is that the key will prove Devon's inheritance. Without the money to pay Poison Ivy back, Poison Ivy may just come after Hannah, favour or no favour. That'd work out well for all of us. You need to go to Bruce, he's been looking after that locket for a very long time now. He doesn't know it, but he has. Then you have to make sure that the locket gets to Devon. She'll be at my apartment while I distract Hannah."
"There's not exactly a big time frame here. And where exactly is the locket?"
"The only piece of memorabilia Bruce keeps of me kiddo."

"I am so confused."
"You'll get used to it." Selina nodded to him and left.

***

Max hesitated at the door to Terry's apartment, Mary was very security conscious, so for the door to be slightly ajar was definitely an indicator that something was wrong.
She pushed it aside gently and stepped over the threshold, looking around.
"Matt? Ms McGinnis?" She called worriedly, reaching the table - and seeing the note that was sticking to it. - If you want to see your family again, you'll do exactly as you're told

"Oh . . . shit." Max raced through the rooms, checking each one frantically. Sure enough, no family. She hesitated, her hand half way to her mouth in fear. Who to call? Who was there now that Terry was out of it?
It was only her now. She was Matt and Mary's only hope. And she was pretty sure she knew where Hannah would hold them.

She bounded back down the steps and into her car, revving the engine and taking off in the direction of Wayne Manor.

***

Terry slipped into Bruce's room with little difficulty. Then again, he doubted that the paltry guard outside was used to patients using all their Batman skill to get past them.

"Terry?" Bruce asked carefully, sitting up when he the door slid open. Terry grinned and headed towards him.
"I can see what you saw in Selina Kyle." He said with a wink. Bruce glowered. Terry relayed Selina's information to him.

"So what do you own that used to be Catwomans?" Terry asked, he had been getting changed as he spoke. Bruce was thinking deeply.
"I'm not sure. I don't think I own anything of Selina's . . ." He looked up at Batman before him and raised an eyebrow. "Unless she's thinking of the - but no . . ." He shook his head disbelievingly.
"Bruce, I'm running out of time. You gotta tell me."
"There's a painting on the fifth floor, it's modern art? The paint's about an inch thick in some places?"
"The one with all the black and purple?"
"That's it. When Catwoman tried to steal it from a gallery we discovered our secret identities . . . it's some artists interpretation of Catwoman and Batman."
"Then that will be what she means. Ok I'm outta here. By tomorrow - no more Hannah!" He said to Bruce with a grin, sliding a window open and leaping out into the air.

Bruce looked out the window, watching Batman slide through the sky.

"Bruce!" A voice shouted from the door. He turned, scowling at Barbara as she ran in. "Bruce - I just got a phone call from a young woman named Max Gibson - you don't know her, do you?" She asked, her voice heavy with dread. Bruce stared at her through the shadows and his own rising desperation.
"Yes."
"Oh no. Where's Terry?" She asked, shaking off the guards that were trying to drag her from the room. "Fuck off I'm Commissioner Gordon!" She snarled at them.
"Terry's kinda busy right now." Bruce hissed.
"Max told me she'd found a ransom note directed at him, for his family. She said if you confirmed her name then I had to send reinforcements to the manor."
Bruce watched on in pain as Barbara left his room as fast as she could go.

***

Gotham's plaza was nearly empty by the time Selina got there, but sitting in a single elitist coffee shop was Hannah, sipping on a latte. As if it would do that figure any good. Selina thought maliciously. She glanced at her watch and then back at Hannah's drawn face. Hurry up kid.

"A mocha, extra cream." Selina told the adorable waiter and sat down opposite Hannah. Her old nemesis pouted angrily.
"You haven't brought it, have you?"
"I'm curious." Selina said, smiling thanks to the young man who brought her coffee. "Why do you want it?"
"My mother gave it to me." Hannah remarked sarcastically.
"Really? Because I know it's really Devon's. I may require a price."
"You too!" Hannah shrieked, leaping to her feet, spilling the table and coffee's everywhere. Selina had to keep from purring.

"You crime women are all the same!" Hannah exclaimed, oblivious of the crowd around her as she danced around in rage. "Money! It's all money!" She kicked the wrought iron table and screamed with mingled pain as she stubbed her foot.

Selina bit her lip. Hard.

Hannah advance menacingly. One finger pointed at Selina.
"Do you know how much Poison Ivy has done me for?" She growled, all her cultured eloquence had fled her. Selina raised a quivering eyebrow.
"It wasn't bad enough I had to do that bloody humiliating favour for her. I even had to dress in tights! But no! She wants money too! You're pathetic! All of you!" She squeaked in a most un-ladylike manner when to GCPD officers clamped their hands on her arms.

"What is going on here!" She shrieked, kicking frantically. Selina stood gracefully and followed her to the van.
"Disturbing the peace, ma'am." Said one officer.
"Don't pawn me off with that!" Hannah roared, totally hysterical now. Totally senseless. "I know it was that brat of a son of mine wasn't it! He's ruined things somehow, hasn't he! That brat! He's done it this time! I knew taking the McGinnis kid was a mistake!"

Selina paled, suddenly worried for Bruce's new assistant. She liked the kid. God she hoped nothing had happened to him

***

Even as Selina thought it, Max had drawn up outside the manor. She walked towards the big doors and knocked one, trying to sound timid, even though she was quivering with rage.

Craig used the security camera's to check the door, when he saw Max he grimaced. What the Hell did she want? Would it look more suspicious if he opened it? Or if he didn't?

Carefully he limped to the door and cracked it open.

"Oh Craig!" He barely had a chance to register that it was in fact Max before she had flung herself at him, bringing both of them onto the floor.
"Oomph!" Craig gasped a little desperately as he hit the floor hard. Max straddled him, her big eyes looking distraught.
"Oh Craig, I just have to know." She whimpered. "Was it only Dana? Did I not tempt you either? Why not!" She cried, leaning closer. "Craig I love you too! All my meanness, it was all an act - don't you see! I was afraid!"

Damn these pheromones work better than I thought. Craig thought as he managed to pull her to her feet and into his protective embrace.
Sucker. Was Max's thought.