The car journey was actually really enjoyable.

Admittedly, throughout the planning stages, Selina was a little sceptical about them all being in the same car. Considering the screaming match when they were playing video games, she was expecting the journey, at least the first one, would be a nightmare.

But it wasn't. Sure, it was ungodly noisy, but it was the fun kind of noise. They were all telling jokes and laughing, chatting amongst each other, and singing along to the songs playing on the radio. Throughout the whole journey, they all felt totally happy. Honestly, after the mess that was the video game session, it was blessing. It was times like these, Selina had reflected, that their little team seemed the most stable. No one was trying to start a fight, no one was attempting to kill each other... it was like that night when Harleen joined their team and they were smashing mailboxes. Just plain fun.

Plus, the places that they had visited for a bit were fun as well. First, they had gone to a corn maze. They ended up competing against a family to see who could find all the keys in the maze and get out. Thanks to Selina's sharp claws and Pam's control over plant life, they easily won. Unfortunately, their prize was just a plastic medal that had the gold paint peeling off it. So, they decided to retaliate by stealing all of the money in the moneybox, earning themselves $200.

The next place they stopped at was a carnival. It was somewhat similar for the pier, but way larger and it was even better. They had first gotten on a log ride that had a drop that was practically 90 degrees down. It was fun as hell, even if Doris had to get fished out of the water after the loop. After that, they had gotten themselves some pretty unhealthy, but totally delicious carnival food, before splitting up. By the time they had met up again, Carol had won herself a large pink rabbit plushie, Harleen had gotten a tattoo of the Joker on her arm, and Leslie had entered a laser tag tournament that she won, thanks to her electric powers, earning herself a lot of money, around $1300.

However, she had blown all the money on crap for her laptop. That hadn't flown over well for them, especially in regard to Doris, even when she pointed out how they still had the $200 from the corn maze. The only thing that prevented them from getting into a full-on fight was Selina saying it was time to get back on the road.

Thankfully, once they were driving again, that little incident was pretty much forgotten. As was common on the trip, they were singing to the radio, which was playing some heavy metal rock music, which Leslie was really getting into. She was practically jumping out of her seat, belting out the lyrics like she was the actual singer.

That being said, one of them wasn't singing. It was Carol, who was just staring at the dashboard. Her forehead was wrinkled, and she looked concerned. Eventually, once the song had ended, she tapped Selina on the shoulder.

"Um, Selina?"

Selina turned to look at her friend, a small smile on her face. "Yeah?"

"When are we stopping?" She pointed at the dashboard. "Look at the time! It's nearly ten!"

Selina brought her gaze to where Carol was pointing, her smile turning into a small frown. The digital clock read 21:30. She looked back at her friends, who were all silent. Evidently, they had heard Carol.

"Yeah, kitty," Harleen said. "Where are we stayin'?"

Doris leaned in nearer to the driver seat. "Can't we just sleep in the car? I mean, I don't mind and we can make ro..."

She trailed off when Pam shot a glare at her. "We've been in this car for god knows how long now, and it's about as comfy as a bed made out of needles. We are not sleeping in it."

Doris frowned, leaning back into her seat. "I knew that... I was just joking." She didn't sound particularly convincing.

Harleen clicked her tongue, seemingly trying to think of a way to stir up a conversation. "So... there's a bunch of old chocolate with all that white stuff in it under my seat. Along with a crap ton of crisps."

No one felt the need to dignify that with a response. So, for the next few minutes, there was silence. The only sound in the car was the sound of warm air coursing through it, courtesy of the internal heater. Eventually, Harleen piped up again.

"Hey, look!"

Selina cringed. "No, Harleen. We believe you about-"

She saw Harleen shake her head in the rear-view mirror. "No, look! To your left! All of ya!"

They all turned to their lefts. And what they saw surprised them. Cutting through the gloom of the night was a building. It was pretty big, even from the distance they were at. It looked like there was some kind of amusement park behind it, though they didn't pay that part any mind. They had already gone to one today, after all. On the front of the hotel was a giant neon sign. In giant, green, flashing letters, it read 'NYGMA HOTEL! COME SPEND YOUR DAYS HERE!'.

The sign made Selina squint her eyes. "Nygma'... that name feels familiar. Where have I heard it?" She began to think about how exactly it was familiar. Unfortunately, she got no answer.

Thankfully, she got one when Pam raised her head. "Edward Nygma. The Riddler. One of Batman's greatest enemies."

Harleen grinned, looking at the redhead. "Say Pammy, didn't know you were such a Batman fan."

Pam rolled her eyes. "I was in Gotham for most of my life. Of course I would know the Riddler." She looked at Selina. "I'm surprised you don't remember him."

It was just then that Carol's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, I saw a documentary on that guy! Apparently, he turned over a new leaf and retired from the whole supervillain business. I guess he owns a hotel now."

Doris looked at the hotel again, a small grin on her face. "Then let's stay there! It's the nearest place to us." She yawned. "'Sides, I'm pretty tired, and it's getting late."

"I agree," Leslie muttered, rubbing her eyes. "No idea why, but I'm just exhausted all of a sudden. I need to recharge!" She paused, looking at the others. "Pun not intended."

Selina looked at the hotel again. To be fair, it was strangely appealing. She looked in the rear-view mirror again. "Alright, we'll have a vote. Who wants to stay at 'Nygma Hotel'?"

All of them put their hands up. Selina just grinned.

"Well, then it that case... screw it. Let's check in!"

With that, she increased the pressure she was putting on the gas pedal, causing the car to speed off towards the hotel.

Once they had made it to the car park, it was completely empty, which was surprising. Considering the fact that this hotel stuck out of the countryside they were in like a sore thumb, they were expecting this place to have more visitors. However, they weren't complaining. Less trouble finding parking was always a good thing.

They parked near a sign that depicted a cartoon of Edward Nygma, who had a text bubble that read 'Your Entertainment Is Our Payment! (Pay for rooms at the counter in the lobby)'. Carol was the first to jump out, following by the rest of them.

"Remember where we parked the car," Selina said dryly. Harleen just rubbed her hands, looking excited as always.

"Well, let's not just sit here! Let's get our stuff!" With that, she ran up to the trunk and opened it. She was about to take out the rectangular bag in the centre of it, only for Doris to shove her out of the way.

"That's my bag, Harley," she hissed, grabbing it. She didn't trust Harleen to not to poke through it and she'd prefer to keep her fitness magazines to herself. She pulled the bag out and held it over her head effortlessly. "Heh, check me out, girls. I could carry all your bags if..."

She stopped once she laid eyes back on the interior of the trunk. Her mouth hung agape and her eyes widened to the size of fists. Leslie noticed her expression.

"What is it?" She walked over to her. "Did my stuff fall out of my bag? All I'll say is that I read them for..."

She trailed off as well, adopting Doris's shocked expression. The two just stared for what seemed like an eternity.

Selina ran a hand down her face. "Christ, what is it?" She walked over. "Whatever it is, it had better be interesting..."

She stood next to them, following their gaze to see what they were looking at. What it was caused her eyes to burst open.

"Well, I suppose it is interesting."

There, lying in the trunk, was Barbi Minerva. Evidently, she had been hidden under Doris's bag. She was asleep, snoring quietly. Seeing her sprawled across the boot, with her hair messy and her red-tinted sunglasses upside down on her face, was kind of funny. Hardly her most dignified moment.

Selina didn't know what prompted her to do so, but she picked her up. She felt Leslie and Doris just staring at her as she set her down in front of Harleen, Pam, and Carol. They looked about as shocked as Leslie, Doris, and Selina.

"Is that... Barbi Minerva?" Carol asked, pointing at her. Selina just nodded. Harleen walked up to her, nudging her with her foot, like a dog owner might do with their dog.

"Is she... dead?"

Pam groaned. "She's breathing, you idiot." She walked up to Selina. "What do we do with her?"

Selina folded her arms, moving her face closer to Barbi's. "I'm... afraid I don't know. I have no idea how she even got into the boot of the car. Maybe when she gets up, we can call her parents and-"

She was cut off by Barbi's eyes bursting open. She quickly sat up straight, causing her to bump heads with Selina. The two groaned as Barbi got to her feet. "Jesus, my head is ringing..." she moaned, holding onto the car for support. She shook her head for a bit before looking at them. "Wait, where am I? Last I remember, I was in the boot of this car and then..."

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. She stepped up to Selina, pointing at her. "You kidnapped me, didn't you? I know you've stooped pretty low before, but this is a new level! Just wait until I tell my father! I'll have the lot of you in cou-"

Selina waved her hands in front of her face, trying to calm the hysterical girl down. "We didn't kidnap you. We didn't even know you were in the boot before now." She paused for a few seconds, really thinking this all over.

That's when something crossed her mind. "Why were you in my car anyway?" She questioned, glowering at Barbi. The latter scoffed and removed her sunglasses, folding her arms.

"I was just trying to get back what was rightfully mine! The purse you hired Catwoman to steal from me! It was mine, but she stole it from me and gave it to you! And, by the by, being electrocuted hurt like a bit-"

She quickly clasped a hand over her mouth, as if to keep the words in. But unfortunately for her, what she had said couldn't be taken back.

Now Selina's curiosity was peaked. "Wait. 'Electrocuted'?" She began to think about how that would correspond to her. Something with Leslie? No, the only prank she involved Barbi in was the automatic door one... Something at home? But then why would she want to keep it hidden...

Right then and there, a thought crossed Selina's mind. And it made total sense.

"You're that cheetah thing that attacked the mall!" Selina accused, pointing at Barbi. "I gotta say, I didn't think you had it in you, Barbi."

Barbi backed away, sweating profusely. "No, wait, I can explain! I..."

She was interrupted when she bumped into Leslie, who was holding a bag. The bag fell to the floor and landed on Leslie's foot, making her bite her lip to suppress a scream. Barbi spun around, glaring at Leslie. "Watch where you're going, you..."

Her tirade was cut short when she caught sight of what was in it. The bag must have been unzipped, because, on the ground, was a costume with a long tail, and ears that looked suspiciously like a cat's.

Just like Selina, Barbi was able to put together what it all meant. And for Selina, that wasn't a good thing.

She spun around. "You're Catwoman?!" She spat. "You stole my purse from me and electrocuted me?" She turned back to the rest of them. "Then that means... the rest of you are her allies I've seen on the news, aren't you?"

Harleen mingled nervously. "Um... no we ain't! We're all just... cosplayers!" She nudged Carol and Pam. "Right girls?"

The other two forced smiles onto their faces. "Yeah, sure," Carol mumbled. Pam just nodded her head, looking like she was seconds away from just strangling Barbi to keep the secret.

Unfortunately, Barbi didn't seem to buy it, judging by how her expression only hardened. Selina turned her around so that they were face-to-face. "Look, if you're mad at us for being criminals, I think that's pretty hypocritical, considering the fact that, since you're the Cheetah, you attacked the school and me just for stealing the purse."

Barbi just glared at her. "I'm really more mad that you just electrocuted me and stole my purse. Plus, accidentally kidnapping me."

Doris stepped up to her, her gaze firmly fixed on Barbi. "Wait a sec, blondie. How'd you even get in the trunk anyway?"

Barbi groaned, throwing her hands into the air. "Well, as I explained to these clowns..."

"Hey!"

"...I snuck into Selina's front yard so that I could get my purse back. I noticed that it was in the car, so I rushed to get it. Then I was crushed by a bag." She looked at the bag that Doris was holding in her right hand. "The one that belongs to you, musclehead."

Doris snarled, turning to Selina. "Can I punch her?"

Selina just held up a hand, signalling her to stop. "So, let me get this straight. You snuck into my front yard, tried to steal my purse and accidentally got knocked out in the trunk. I emphasize the 'accidentally' by the by. Doris here was trying to make a trick shot. Judging by all that, I'd say you're just as much to blame as us."

Barbi's gaze softened as she began to think things over. Eventually, she sighed.

"OK, fine," she said. "I guess this is kind of my fault. Though, you're responsible for this as well."

Selina sighed as well. "I suppose you have a point."

"Of course I do." Barbi sounded pretty smug when she said that. Then a curious expression crossed her face. "What are you all doing, anyway?"

Selina didn't answer. Neither did the rest of them. Except, after a long, uncomfortable silence, for Pam.

"We're going a road trip." When the rest of her friends glared at her, she just shrugged. "Hey, she might as well know."

Barbi smiled. "A road trip? Hmm, I like the sound of that."

Leslie just grabbed her by the arm. "Yeah, whatever. We're calling your parents."

"What? No!"

Leslie turned to who had spoken. It was Carol, who looked rather nervous.

"What if she tells the police?" Carol asked. She walked up to Barbi. "Look, Barbi. Let's make a deal. We let you join in our road trip, and you keep our identities a secret."

Barbi thought the offer over. At this point, the atmosphere was so tense, it was suffocating. Eventually, she looked back at them, grinning.

"Consider it the deal made."

The others just looked at Carol with wide eyes. Soon, they were all yelling over each other in protest.

"What the hell, Carol?!"

"I don't want her here!"

"She'll wreck everything!"

"She's a pain in the neck!"

"Plus, her voice is annoying!"

It looked as though there was going to be a good few minutes of screaming, but they were all cut short when a loud, piercing screech filled the air. As they drew their attention to Carol, they saw that she had used her ring to construct a megaphone. With that, she made it dissipate.

"Trust me, I don't like it either," she said. "But I'm pretty sure that this bribe is the only thing that'll stop us being exposed. Hell, we don't even have to pay her any mind. She can be kind of like... a tagalong."

Barbi shrugged. "Fine by me. I'll just keep to myself as you do whatever inane crap it is you do."

The rest sighed, sounding a little less annoyed. At least they could just ignore her.

"Very well, then," Selina hissed, a scowl on her face. "We have a new person to share the road trip with."

Barbi's grin just got smugger, if that was possible. "Thank you. And you know what? I'll also pay for the stuff at this hotel."

The rest of them perked up. "Really?" Harleen asked.

Barbi nodded. "Sure. I can use my father's credit card. He doesn't even mind, since he and my mother are loaded." With that, she began to walk towards the hotel doors, with the rest following her. However, a few steps in, she looked back to Selina.

"Can I just say something?"

Selina groaned, rolling her eyes. "Sure, what is it?"

"Your car is terrible."

Selina just raised her head, an irritated look on her face. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. My car's way better than that hunk of junk." She placed her hands on her hips, smirking. "Especially now that it has all those cool bumper stickers that I got for my birthday. Speaking of my birthday, I got a ton of stuff. My parents got me a French Poodle, a TV for my room, a nice new fur coat, some killer high heels, a VR headset..."

As she continued to list off the stuff she had gotten, Selina had to resist the urge to knock her out. She couldn't stand Barbi when she began rattling on about the crap she had. It was one her least favourite sounds, along with nails on a chalkboard and dogs barking. "Your parents must really love you," she said, her voice containing enough bile to dissolve the pavement.

Strangely enough, this made Barbi shut up. Normally, once she started talking, she couldn't be stopped by anyone, no matter how loud they were. But now, with just six words, Selina had done that. But there was something even stranger. As soon as the words had left Selina's lips, the smug look on Barbi's face was wiped off. Instead, she was just staring into space, as if thinking about something. In fact, she looked... a little sad. Her eyes were downcast and her mouth had arched into a frown. As odd as it sounded, she looked more vulnerable than Selina had even seen her before.

But, in just a few seconds, Barbi returned to reality, her expression somewhat unreadable. "Um... yeah, of course." She didn't sound so sure. She continued walking towards the hotel doors, though a little faster. For a second, Selina thought and walked after her, the rest following closely behind.

Well, one thing was clear. Their little trip had gotten a lot more interesting.

So now Barbi's and the girls have met up. But why did she stop flexing once Selina said what she did? I mean, her parents love her, don't they? Why else would they get all that stuff for her?

All in good time, readers. If you can figure it out, then you get the reward of being right.