Chapter 8

"You've got to be kidding me!" The Cheetah snarled. She was sitting in a chair bolted to the floor, with her restrained by steel wire rope. "You want MY help? The last time I trusted you, you nearly got me killed."

Batgirl spoke up, "What? Surely you didn't expect Batman to just let you guys free after helping defeat Darksied's invasion force. I mean, he even argued to give you and the remaining criminals a head start! You were the one person who actually got away, as I recall…"

The Cheetah spat at her as she spoke, "Not that you red headed idiot! Or did he never tell you about the time when he was captured by Luthor's original band of bad guys?"

Barbara Gordon clenched her fist in anger, before feeling Batman's hand on her shoulder. She pushed it away, whispering, "I'm fine" then replying, "He told me he managed to get certain members of the group to turn on Luthor."

Barbara Minerva leaned forward, as far as her restrained chair would go, "Oh yes, he pretended to listen to my story, acted sympathetic, even…" she glared at Batman, then looked down. Her voice turned to a rasped whisper, her anger barely contained, "They found out me and him were being friendly, and they fingered me for a traitor. The funny part? I didn't actually do anything to betray them, but he had manipulated someone else too, I don't even know who, but I guess they set me up to take their blame when things went wrong with our plans."

Batman calmly spoke, "That's not how-"

"Shut up!" Minerva hissed, "Do you have any clue what Solomon Grundy was going to do to me before I escaped? Do you?" Her emerald eyes hurled daggers at Batman.

Batman replied coldly, "You were in a club of psychopaths and megalomaniacs bent on killing me and the Justice League. I did what I had to do to break up your party." He paused for a second, and then continued, with perhaps a drop of compassion, "That said, it was never my intention for you to be found out like that. I was going to offer you a chance to tap my resources toward finding you a cure in exchange for help against your gang, an offer I'm extending now."

Cheetah dismissed this with a sneer and looked away. "Am I to believe you're being genuine after all that's happened? That you're not just looking to depower one of your foes then turn me in? Being cured won't get rid of the charges against me you know. And exactly how do you expect me to trust you…when you haven't told me about the third person listening to us."

"That's enough." Selina stepped out into the light. Minerva's face read complete shock for several seconds, and then softened into one of curiosity. She leaned forward, examining her. As if responding to a request, Selina moved closer, putting her hand forward. Minerva arched her nose toward her, seeming to test her scent. She leaned back, her eyes locking onto Selina's. Several seconds passed, causing Batgirl to fidget quietly. It was like they were holding a silent conversation she and Batman weren't privy to. Finally the Cheetah spoke up.

"Selina, it's been awhile. How long since this started? Do you know why?"

"Several days, and we don't know. The symptoms are getting worse. The serum that cured me last time only made things worse."

The Cheetah looked down, seeming to trail off into thought. "Yes, that's similar to my problem. I built on Dorian's formula, hoping to get the benefits without the…side effects." She leaned back, staring at the ceiling, "When I decided to test it on myself, (lack of funding, you know the story I'm sure) I created an antidote in case something went wrong. But the mutagenic agent…adapted and actually fed on it. Now it's more complex than getting the serum out of my system. My, and presumably your, DNA has been fundamentally changed. My own body adapts and fights off any antigen I put into myself like a disease. Did I mention I haven't gotten sick since I changed? My thought was that I could recreate a similar formula based on my own original DNA and essentially mutate myself back. That hasn't worked so far, as I lack the resources to build anything as strong as my original serum."

"You can have anything you need, money is no object." Batman said coolly. Batgirl's head turned sharply toward him. Giving such information, indicating how financially well off he was, was not a small thing. It was essentially handing out clues to his identity.

Minerva nodded. "Alright, but when it's over, I need your promise you'll take me out of the country."

"You have my word."

Minerva sighed, "That'll have to do. Ok, if you'll untie me, I'll write down a list of everything I need…"


Dr. Minerva mulled over the large steel table covered with test tubes, beakers and assorted equipment. She wore a white lab coat and safety glasses, with gloves. She'd commented that they were horribly uncomfortable, but necessary to help keep her samples from being contaminated by loose fur. She placed a few tubes in the centrifuge and sent it spinning. She watched for several seconds, then suddenly said, without looking up:

"I know you're both there, so you might as well come out and talk."

Selina and Batgirl both slinked out of the shadows and stepped toward the table. Gordon spoke, "I'm sorry, I guess we didn't want to intrude."

"More specifically," Minerva said, glancing up as she leaned over her equipment, "You instinctively thought twice about invading my territory," she said, looking at Selina.

Batgirl looked at Catwoman, who seemed to be holding back an urge to pounce. Catwoman finally spoke up, sounding frustrated, "Yeah, I didn't understand my feeling, but that's what it was I guess."

"If it makes you feel any better, the new instincts become familiar over time. You learn to use them, and not let them use you. The worst thing you can do is freak out and try to deny them." Dr. Minerva said.

"Deny them?" Selina replied. She felt like telling the doctor she didn't want any free psyche analysis, especially since she was a biologist, but she knew Minerva understood more of her condition than anyone else.

"Trying to repress them only leaves you unstable and stressed out. The key is equilibrium. You'll understand after awhile. You may even get to appreciate your new abilities." The Cheetah picked up a notebook and began to page through it.

Batgirl stepped in, "Right…anyways, I wanted to tell you that even though Batman may have come across harsh back there, he's serious when he promises to help you out. He's completely dedicated to his cause, and sometimes to do that he has to shut off his emotions. But I know when he's honest. He means it when he says he'll help you."

The Cheetah looked up. "You think you know him eh? I thought I knew him. I was reading his heartbeat, studying his visual tells, even the smells he was giving off back in that warehouse. He's the first human who's been able to mask his true feelings from me."

"I've worked with him for awhile now-"

"But you're not content to just 'work with him' are you?"

"What? I don't-"

"C'mon, don't play dumb. You I can read. For Pete's sake, you practically reek of pheromones around him."

Batgirl clinched her fist, her hazel eyes staring through the Cheetah. "I have work to do," she said curtly.

The Cheetah spoke as Gordon turned her back to leave, "I bet there's one thing I know about him that you don't, even after all these years." Gordon stopped, without turning around. The Cheetah leaned forward, and whispered menacingly, "He's a great kisser."

Gordon walked out without replying, or turning around.

When she was gone, Catwoman snarled at the Cheetah, her ears turned back menacingly, "That wasn't necessary."

Minerva replied, matter of factly, "I did it for her own good you know. She's infatuated with that guy, and he's obsessed with his own agenda." She began to trail off a bit. "That's why I trusted him you know, we were both totally dedicated to our causes. I was willing to give up…everything," she gazed at one of her hands a moment, grinning ever so slightly and continued, "For some reason I thought that gave us a connection. But what am I saying, you knew him better than anyone else." She looked at Selina and gave a toothish grin, "In fact, when we crossed paths in Rome, his scent was still on you."

Selina's looked surprised for a moment, the spoke angrily, "That is no concern of yours." She spoke condescendingly, "All I really recall from that meeting was how I got away with the jewels you were hired to steal first."

The Cheetah brushed off the boast, "You'll get no argument here. I was doing the job I was paid to do, you did it better. You stole those Vatican treasures right out from under me. Know this though, I learned a few things in my time in Grodd's gang, and I'm twice the thief I was back then."

Selina actually smiled at this, but then something seemed to strike her, and she spoke, in a concerned voice, "Rome…actually, I do remember one other thing…I remember your scent from there. I just now realized it. But I wasn't…this back then. How could I do that?"

Dr. Minerva now looked at Selina with particular interest. "That's a sign of further progression of the formula. Your brain is unlocking smells you picked up in the past, but never registered with your old senses. You'll probably start remembering all sorts of smells and sounds that weren't there before."

Selina sat down. Looking down she said, almost to herself, "So even my memories are changing." She looked up, "Dr Minerva, you have to fix this."

"I'm doing the best I can, if you haven't noticed, we're both in the same boat here."

Selina replied, "Of course. I'm sorry." But as she spoke, she knew something was amiss. Minerva's body language, the smell of her, just seemed to betray something.

"No" she said slowly, "…We're not really are we."

The Cheetah shot a confused glance at her, "What do you mean?"

"You…you don't really want to change back anymore, do you?"

The Cheetah reared back, looking offended, but then relaxed, smiling widely. "Yes, you've guessed right. I wasn't robbing corporate secrets to find a cure; I wanted to build on my own mutation, to perfect it." She looked at her hands with quiet admiration as she spoke, "I'm not sure when I started…liking this. I guess always did. It's almost impossible, the strength, the speed, whole new world of sensation." She looked up to Selina, "But I guess once I spent some time in Grodd's gang of villains, I got used to hanging around freaks every day. Heck, I practically felt normal. I've reconciled myself with what I am now."

"But don't worry;" she said reassuringly, "I'll still fulfill my end of the bargain for you and Batman. The knowledge I'll gain from these experiments is more than worth it, plus the help safely getting out of the country."

"Right…I have to tell Batman about this you know…"

"Pfft, I'd be shocked if he hasn't guessed already. In fact…" Minerva suddenly removed a glove and reached out behind Selina's ear and plucked a tiny metal device between two of her claws. She raised it close to her eye. "Some kind of listening device. By the look on your face, I'd say he planted this on you without your knowledge." Selina was open mouthed, unable to speak. "You've been closer to him than anyone, and he still feels the need to spy on you. But hey, you're still a criminal, right?" She flipped the device into Selina's hands, and turned her attention back to her centrifuge. "Don't worry; at least I'm pretty sure he has your best interests at heart. Heck, he probably spies on everybody, Robin, Batgirl, Superman. Probably keeps kryptonite in his belt. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do that requires my total concentration."