La Illusion was a very expansive store, and smelled of fine perfume. Everything there was modeled on display; the artifacts, the treasures, the beauty of them all. But, La Illusion was not like any of your casual Secondhand or Antique Shop. One seemingly beautiful pair of diamond earrings cost almost sixty grand, all because they were once worn by a Russian noblewoman. The whole boutique was lit up, and was empty…that is until Mistress Bast and her Sisterhood entered the fray.
"Now girls, this is what you call luxury. This is the best store that New Gotham has to offer, and it is ours for the debriefing! My Catwomen let us rejoice and take back for our Sisterhood!" Mistress Bast said raising her arms in the air.
"Are the security guards taken care of my dear Huntress?" Mistress Bast asked as she walked over to a three thousand dollar vial of perfume and began to spray the rich scent upon her.
"Yup, kicked their asses and they're out like babies. When they awake, it really will just be an Illusion to them." Huntress said as she made a smile through the mask.
"Then what are we waiting around for? It's Christmas in July everyone!" Francesca yelled ecstatically as she became excited as the artifacts, including the jewelry glimmered in her eyes. The cattiness within her began to burst out as she could not hold her composure at the sight of everything. Grabbing three necklaces, and letting the gold splash in her eyes, Francesca was in bliss.
"Calm yourself, Frankie. We have all the time in the world tonight to enjoy our spoils of New Gotham. There are more things here in the store that we will be able to take home, so relax my dear." Mistress Bast said as she pulled out a bottle of fine champagne and a glass cup. Taking subtle sips of the bubbly, and the champagne boiling in her nose, Mistress Bast was enjoying tonight as much as Francesca. However, a sudden happening came to disrupt the little party.
A batarang began to wiz through the air and the familiar sound pierced the catlike ears of both Huntress and Dinah. Looking around to the source of where the batarang was, the metallic and sharp weapon sliced the air, and easily broke apart the slender glass cup and champagne bottle that Mistress Bast held in her possession. Though the other girls were shaken up, Dinah and Huntress just smiled at each other, and mouthed……"Oracle."
Looking atop the balcony of the La Illusion Boutique stood Oracle and Avery. Within Avery's grasp was the brown pouch filled with the antidote to counterattack Mistress Bast's spell. Huntress looked and smiled once more at the sight of her mentor and former friend.
"Barbara. Glad you could show up." Huntress spoke out from the crowd. Angry, Frankie, Bianca and Vera held our their talons while Persia began to laugh hysterically at the sight, surprising even Mistress Bast as her two muscled bodyguards stood at her side.
"Persia my dear, this is not the time for laughter." Mistress Bast looked at the girl who held one of her gloved fingers out. Silencing a surprised Bast, Persia continued her laughter until she chose to end it.
"Shut up Bast. Just shut the hell up." Persia said. Taking off her mask, and her beautiful face glistening she quickly dashed up the stairs in an inhuman jump and made it to Avery. Taking the pouch into her hands, Persia made the other leap downstairs and began to laugh more.
"This laughter is sickening. What's the point?" Mistress Bast questioned as Persia looked at her.
"Bast, you are a sham. You promised us fortunes and power, but so far, Vera is the only one getting the fills. Catwoman was within us all you said, freedom and unimaginable powers will be ours you said, but not a damn thing happened! So now, we have an antidote. Me and Avery have been trying to find one for months and now we have thanks to help from Oracle here. Girls, I'll free you!" Persia yelled. Taking out the sands of time and blowing it, and amidst Mistress Bast's screams, the sands blew onto Huntress and Dinah and herself and even traveled as far to Avery. Running away and evading the antidote were Vera, Bianca, Frankie, Mistress Bast and her muscled guards.
Looking around and twitching frantically, Huntress and Dinah reverted to their regular selves and the cat's-eyes disappeared from all infected with the antidote. Avery smiled at Oracle and told his thanks and Dinah, Huntress and Persia ran up to them in the balcony. Everything clear, Mistress Bast and her Sisterhood reassembled.
"You just bought a ticket to Hell. You found the Sphinx' Antidote! HOW DARE YOU!" Mistress Bast yelled to the top of her lungs. The mask began steam up as Bast huffed and puffed.
"So, you're the bitch ruining Catwoman's name. You better get ready, because you won't get the Catwoman rights, nor will you acquire anything else in this boutique." Huntress said as she went Metahuman.
"Great, we can have a rematch now." Vera said to Huntress as she looked with a glint in her eye. Going back to Avery, Mistress Bast stared at him.
"Avery, you bastard! I gave you the best sex in your life, and you treat me this way! How could you!" Mistress Bast yelled.
"And you act like that pleased me? You old, disgusting bitch! Not even Armando and West liked that nastiness! You are using us! Now the tables have turned baby." Avery called out as he pointed at her.
"We'll see! You two are not even metahuman, so you two are easy kills!" Mistress Bast yelled out.
"Get back, we'll take over from here." Dinah said as she pushed Avery and Persia to the side, for them to wait.
"I missed you all." Oracle said as she looked at them.
"Us too. But before the hugs, let's kick some cat-ass!" Huntress said aloud.
"Tear them apart girls!" Mistress Bast yelled as she along with Armando and West headed to safer ground. Standing in the center was Vera, Francesca and Bianca all in the catsuits and mask waiting for a fight. Coming down to greet them in battle, the fight began as the Birds faced off with the Cats! (A/N: Chapter title inspiration! wink wink!)
Oracle and Francesca began to pummel each other with an assortment of punches and kicks as they all blocked and struck one another. Oracle smacked her fist into the side of Frankie's face, but the girl kicked Oracle hard in the abdomen, making Oracle back up a bit; after all, the exoskeleton could hold up but so much on Oracle's body. Frankie playing dirty tried to hit Oracle with the statue, but the girl blocked the swing and turned and kicked Frankie at the top of her forehead with her spiky boot. Thanks to the cat powers, Francesca easily bounced back and could regain her health. Oracle however had a few tricks up her sleeve as well. After some minutes of battle hard fighting, Oracle and Francesca both had minor cuts, but Oracle landed an unkind punch to Francesca's face and her mask cracked apart. Sensing to end this fight, Oracle pinched Francesca with a patented Bruce Wayne/Batman-created taser and gave a semi-high voltage shock to Francesca getting her out the battle.
"One cat down, more to go." Oracle told herself. However, she turned around and found out she now had to deal with the double threat of both Armando and West now.
Dinah on the other hand made quick work of Bianca who seemed like she was afraid to fight with the metahuman. The punches that Bianca threw at Dinah did hurt, but they lacked in total force. Dinah easily took Bianca down with her martial arts skills she learned and landed a vicious kick to Bianca's temple, making her dazed. However, Dinah continued her forceful assault by smashing Bianca in the face with her elbow and then launching her back with her telekinetic power.
"Oh and in case if you were wondering, that was for kissing my date tonight Bianca!" Dinah said looking at a fallen and pain-stricken Bianca. Dinah suddenly ran over to Oracle's side and began to help her in fighting the beefy bodyguards that Mistress Bast employed. All the while, a serious battle over Selina Kyle's honor was being fought between Catwoman's daughter Huntress, and her impostor, Vera.
Locked in a hold with Vera, and the two struggling with each other, sweat begin to form on both of them as they tried to best the other with the power of their muscles and will.
"You'll never be Catwoman…she is within me!" Huntress yelled.
"Your deal with Catwoman…bitch, I am CATWOMAN!" Vera yelled struggling still.
"NO!" Huntress yelled as she kicked Vera in her abdomen breaking the hold. Running for each other after being separated, Vera used her cat speed and jumped into the air and landed a wrestling-hurricanrana style move to Huntress making the girl fall to the floor after unwrapping her with her legs. Still on the floor, Huntress got kicked in her face by Vera. Both getting back up, Huntress slammed her metahuman fist into Vera's face, breaking her mask as well. Able to pull her by the blonde locks, Huntress grabbed a handful of Vera's hair and swung her into a display for watches and other artifacts for sale. Glass shattered, and Vera was bloody and angry. Her face red, she stood back up and fought an unphased Huntress who was ready and eager to finish her off; and she was loving it too. Her mother's words forming in her ears, Huntress gained more power.
"I love you Helena…" Selina used to tell her.
Hearing it in her ear as Huntress landed her final blow to Vera, she yelled, "THIS IS FOR CATWOMAN!" and knocked Vera out unconscious as she laid next to the pile which was Bianca and Francesca. Armando and West came flying next after Dinah and Oracle gave them a taste of their brute strength. Standing together, the three Birds placed their hands onto each other as they appeared a trio. Supporting and cheering them on from upstairs were a very coy duo of Avery and Persia. Flinching and scared, Mistress Bast was now all alone and shaking; even her mask shook. The Birds were headed right her way.
"Why so scared? Thought you had power Bast!" Huntress questioned intimidating the Mistress.
"Come on, Huntress…I treated you well in your brief time with the Sisterhood." Mistress Bast said pleadingly.
"Let's see you defaced a very important figure in my life, that being Selina Kyle slash Catwoman; you committed thievery; had tacky catsuits and messed up masks. We'll see how Arkham treats you now." Huntress said.
"Please, just don't take off my mask. The pain is too great. The stabbing." Mistress Bast said lowly.
"I know and I'm sorry about that Mrs. Shreck. But wrong is wrong." Oracle said.
"Yeah, I'll make sure the cops provide you with a ball of yarn and milk saucers every day at Arkham." Huntress laughed as she cuffed a continuing pleading Mistress Bast. It was all over and the Birds were victorious.
-Xtreme Slayer
Check out the epilogue next!