Chapter 6
Hours had passed and it was getting late. Of course, in the cave it was impossible to tell time by sunlight, though Selina seemed to know it nearly midnight anyway. However, the Bat-Cave did not have a guest room. Batman had concluded that at this point, he would be willing to bring Selina up into the mansion, even if that meant giving up his identity to her, but before he could offer, Selina asked to spend the night in the cave.
As she lie on the roll away bed that Batman had brought down from that staircase, she let her mind wander. She had sensed that he was going to reveal his identity to her, and deduced that he would do so by taking her out of the cave (she had been surprised at how expressive and easily 'readable' he was at first, before she realized that it was her heightened senses giving her enough information to see through his icy demeanor). That was more pity from him than she was willing to take. Besides, she'd always promised to find out the face behind the mask herself…
Truthfully though, the wide open space of the cave, dark, full of sounds and smells, was strangely pleasing to her. The smell of the bats and dankness of the cave did not trouble her, they seemed natural, a pleasant scent that seemed to say the place was full of life. In fact, the whole world around her seemed to have become more vibrant and alive. When she looked at the sanded cave floor, its walls, even the chairs, desks and other furniture and equipment, her eyes detected miniscule flaws and details which her human eyes could not have. Scratches and indentations turned plain smooth surfaces into a series of canyon-like patterns. She could discern distance and locations of the sounds of the bats and other echoes within the cave resonating around her, creating a kind of "sound map" in her mind. Smell, sight, and sound all coalesced to form an acute sense of awareness about her. Nothing in the cave was hidden. And with that knowledge came a strange feeling of satisfaction that she was the most powerful creature in her domain. She hadn't noticed it until Batman left, but something in the back of her mind seemed to sense him as a competitor for her space, for supremacy in her immediate area. Well, cats are naturally independent, territorial creatures, she thought to herself. At least she didn't feel the urge to "mark her territory."
There was one thing annoying her though. The bed she was lying on smelled of disinfectant and maybe half a dozen other cleaning liquids and they all irritated her nose. And yet she could still smell the scent of the previous persons who had used it. It just didn't seem like…her bed. She shifted uncomfortably all over the mattress. She did this for about a minute until she realized what she was doing. She was indeed "marking" the bed, rubbing her body against the cloth sheets until she could smell her own scent in it. She forced herself to relax, and stared at the black ceiling. She wished the cave had a sky light. She let her mind wander, hoping to think about anything other than her own situation. But she found herself remembering her first capture and transformation. Back when Dorian had raped her of her humanity so he could have a mate for his prized creation, Tygrus.
Tygrus, the thought of him brought back vivid memories of that time, a time she had tried so hard to put out of her mind. She had been kidnapped and strapped to Dorian's table when she first saw him, an awful monster with pointed fangs and yellow eyes that seemed to have no intelligence in them. When she awoke transformed, she was confused and unsure of what had happened to her. Yet she had the same reaction to his presence when she saw him again. Her humanity had been stronger than any feral desires Dorian had hoped to implant. Yet even then she could sense Tygrus' demeanor seemed different that time around. He seemed curious at the sight of her, even…hopeful?
Dorian had sent Tygrus to eliminate Batman, who had come to rescue her; with the promise to Tygrus that she would be his if he killed him and an antidote to Batman if he was victorious. After escaping her own cage to find Batman and Dorian's prized creation about to finish each other off, she had confronted Tygrus, her tiny body walled between the mammoth man-cat and his prey. She sensed something in him, something more than pure animalistic instinct. She knew that he would listen to her, that he was more than his "father" had wanted him to be. Perhaps her new senses told her, perhaps they were similar enough now that they had a connection, but when she told him, "Dorian's wrong, you know it," and placed her clawed hand gently on his cheek, she could sense the internal struggle going on inside him. His acceptance of the truth came with a roar of anguish, and personal consequences for himself.
Dorian was enraged at his 20 year project being "corrupted" with feelings of mercy. He blamed her, and only Tygrus turning against his own father saved her life. Everything Tygrus had learned and loved growing up had turned out to be a lie, and the realization sent him into a rage. The laboratory that had born him burned to the ground at his own hand. As she and Batman escaped, she felt sorrow at his apparent fate, sorrow which turned to joy as she saw him emerge from the flames, carrying his unconscious father.
It was then she realized the destruction of the lab had destroyed all chance for a cure.
"Batman! The antidote! I'll be stuck like this forever!"
Tygrus came closer to her in that moment. "Would that be so bad? You could stay here, with me."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, "Oh Tygrus, I can't live like this; I have to be human again."
As she said this she saw his face become filled with sadness. Tygrus took her hands in his, which caught her off guard. His grip was firm, yet she felt no danger. As she looked up into his face, she found herself, for the first time, admiring his features. They no longer seemed like that of a mere animal. His scent still screamed a sort of primal male vigor, yet his demeanor was never more civil. His voice spoke in a deep bass tinged with grief, "Goodbye, Selina."
He closed her hands, and his grip released. As he walked away, she realized he had placed something in them. She looked down to see the vial of anti-gen Dorian had promised Batman on Tygrus' defeat. Her heart quickly lifted with elation! But Tygrus…
She ran and reached toward him as she called, "Wait! Won't you come with us? There's nothing for you here."
Tygrus turned, his face now set in stone, "There's nothing for me…anywhere." He then turned and disappeared into the thick jungle foliage.
Selina slowly faded back into the present, where she realized she had been "cleaning herself" with her own tongue like a house cat for several minutes. She began to tear up. Tygrus was right; there was no place in this world for an abomination like him…or her. She didn't look human, she didn't even feel human anymore. She was a horrendous algamation of woman and beast, the wild nightmare of a madman. Without a cure, she would be an outcast, cut off from all humanity, all human love and companionship.
Batgirl looked on in horror as Cheetah leapt from her window, then in amazement as she grasped a flag pole and like a gymnast, spun and threw herself to a tree, where she disappeared into the leaves, then emerged below, landing safely on the rain soaked pavement. Crouched on all fours, she turned, smiling, to see if Batgirl was following, but only saw a metal canister land a few feet from her, she turned to leap away, but a massive cloud of gas quickly engulfed her, filling her lungs. Her senses went dim, her muscles limp, and she collapsed.
Batgirl was quickly by her side, trying to shield her eyes from the rain fall as she directed the Bat plane toward their position. In a few seconds, they were inside, and hovering at two thousand feet. Gordon checked Minerva's vitals; she was unconscious, but ok. Using the Bat plane's submission gas had been a bit excessive. Batman designed them to quickly subdue a large number of hostiles at once. They had been useful in the last massive Arkham breakout. But she had run out of time. Below, the security officer's called in help was now arriving. She couldn't afford to risk Cheetah falling into the hands of the police, or even them knowing that she had apprehended her. Then they would begin to wonder why she wasn't being handed over.
After making sure Minerva was bound and secure in the back, she set coordinates for home. Thrusters fired, and they disappeared into the dark clouds above the city.
