Ch. 26
Catwoman streaked across the jungle floor on all fours, the strap of the stolen rifle taught between her breasts, the belt of stolen goods hugging her hips. She kept a quick, but steady pace, her comrades in claw all around her, cutting between trees and brush. She did her best to focus on navigating the forest, following behind Tygrus' lead, but her mind was a whirl of distracting thoughts. Mere minutes ago she had flung herself from the dark and killed several humans with her bare claws. The scent of blood still stung in the back of her throat.
The memory was still vivid. The scream came as Tygrus drew first blood. She could hear the mercenaries come almost as soon as they started; they traveled so clumsily, forgetting their discipline in their rage. They did not see their predators as they entered the ring of feline warriors. In the dark of the night, it was almost like watching blind men stumble about. Dot and the younger jaguar girl had drawn their attention and fire, just enough to distract them before the shout came out to attack. She had wondered, if the time came, would she hesitate? No, the first fell with a swipe of her claws to the throat. A swipe of her leg, the hooks on her toes born and sharp as those on her fingers, brought down one who came from behind. Then another fell. She might have killed another, either her or Cheetah. It was a slaughter, no cats were even injured. The weapons were quickly confiscated, and those with experience shooting like the former veteran and former army recruit readied to use the merchs' own weapons against them.
It was horrible, the violence, and yet…an undeniable exhilaration had welled up inside her, and remained. The enemy had been routed! Tygrus had proven himself again. He seemed to always come through. When he had suggested making a move to escape and storm the castle, even she had had her doubts. Now…no one would question him. They'd follow their leader into hell…
Batman found himself in the middle of a miniature jungle. Alone. They had led him out of his cell, down the dark halls, into one of the castle's many conservatories. This was a large one; he couldn't even see the edges. It was thick, thick enough to hide enemies. Which he suspected was the point. There was a stir in the brush and he lowered into a defensive stance.
"Just me." Batgirl emerged, hands raised.
"They hurt you?"
"No, I understand we're today's entertainment."
Batman shook his head. "More like their guinea pigs. Though I have to question just what Dorian, or his employer think they'll get from having us fight homeless mutants."
"Wish I could know who's funding this…"
"Isn't it obvious?"
They were then interrupted by four leopards.
It was still dark as they came to the castle. Tygrus scanned the various spires and guard outposts. Lots of activity, but lots of gaps too. He nodded and smiled to Catwoman, who smiled back knowingly. Cheetah summed up what they all knew.
"Skeleton crew, just like you said. The entire force is out hunting us…"
"Leaving them wide open. Great work Tygrus." The young Cougar finished.
"They know we're coming though," The grey veteran added, in a more somber tone.
Cheetah shrugged, "No matter. They still won't see this coming." She put a hand/paw on Catwoman's shoulder. "Not with the two greatest experts at breaking and entering in the world doing what they do best."
Selina smiled to Barbara. "I'm flattered."
Tygrus nodded. "You know the plan. Cheetah, you cut off the power. Catwoman, you unleash a band of prisoners and pave a way for us to enter."
Catwoman chuckled. "Nice enough of them to keep a Trojan horse for us in their home base."
The elder Jaguar sister handed her some extra ammo and flashbangs. "Remember," the orange furred one said. "The east wing prison seemed to be where they held the prisoners who were…least driven mad by the change I suppose. They're most likely to help you."
She nodded as she accepted the gear. Cheetah cocked her pistol and holstered it at her side. "Let's go, while we still have the advantage of night." With that, she shot on all fours toward the castle.
Catwoman turned, and looked at Tygrus, placing a hand on his cheek. "Tygrus, we're almost at the end. But it's dangerous. I want you to know…" Tygrus stopped her, and took her hand off his cheek. "Act now, speak later Catwoman." Selina nodded, then smirked before she stood on her toes to surprise Tygrus with a passionate kiss, startling him as she held the kiss for several seconds.
The other cats chuckled and even applauded quietly as Catwoman finally broke free and shot after Cheetah. Tygrus silently smiled, his fangs gleaming the moonlight.
"This is a warm up fight." Batman said as he stood over a fallen tiger.
"Hardly breaking a sweat" Batgirl said a she sent a lioness retreating into the jungle.
Indeed, the attackers had been neither overwhelming, for them anyway, nor tactical. Of course their fighting style left much to be desired.
"Warming up for what though?" Batgirl asked?
A booming voice came over the PA. "Excellent! Your skills are still sharp. We are ready to proceed with the next part of our test."
They stayed motionless for a moment, standing ready for whatever sick test Dorian had for them.
"To the left,"
Batgirl had barely pointed it out with a blond streak of fur shot out from the trees. Only this creature lacked the short muzzle of the cat. His was long and narrow, and his growl was different, canine. A large wolf man shot at them, and they both rolled away from his claws in the nick of time, Batman's cape tearing at his swipe.
The creature's blue eyes were passionate, focused. Behind them, the creature vaguely remembered being called Smith. But that creature had been weak, mentally broken by seeing his human fellows killed. Now, he had the strength to stand against anything. He leaped for Batman, who threw a kick, but even his new form, he remembered his training and blocked it. In fact, stronger, faster as he was, his trained skills seemed sharper than ever. He sensed Batgirl from behind and gave her a kick, knocking her to the floor. Batman recovered and struck a back, but Smith rolled, and his punch only glanced. He swiped, giving Batman three claw marks on his chest.
Batman winced, and gritted his teeth as he moved to recover; only to feel a pair of claws grip him from behind. The second wolf had lain in surprise the whole time. Smith had already moved back to Batgirl, and quickly overwhelmed her in both size and speed. They held both humans by their necks.
"Enough! Release them. Return to your pens." The voice was not Dorian.
As if a switch had been turned, the wolves released them and disappeared.
"The test was a success detective. Dorian's work is truly remarkable. It is the future, as you have just demonstrated."
Batgirl stood wide eyed, while Batman was stoic. "Ras Ah Ghul," he stated matter of factly.
"Correct," The figure emerged, an old but dignified looking man in a flowing cape, his beard and hair showing their distinctive streaks of gray. He was flanked on either side by men and women with guns, though these were not the mercenaries of before. These wore the distinct black uniforms of the League of Shadows. "You deduced I was the one funding Dorian's enterprise?"
"And the one who helped him escape. The biggest clue was your refusal to unmask us."
Ras smiled and noded, "Yes…I've always and still do respect your sign of honor detective. Though our goals have clashed often."
"Honor or not, you're still out of your mind. What have you done here Ghul?"
The man turned stoic, his demeanor cold. "I gave Dr Dorian a chance to continue his work. Man in his current form is a virus, destroying his mother earth bit by bit. My hope is for Dorian to create a new form of man, one more connected to the earth. "
Batman showed a smirk of disdain under his mask. "Are you sure you're not building an army of monsters? The best mercenaries in the world, male and female…the cats are merely a test, Dorian's side project correct? You're going to turn the men you've had hunting us into your own personal dogs right?"
Ghul's expression remained unchanged. "They will be given a new form. Unlike the cat, the canine mind is more built toward community, and loyalty, ideal for the warrior class they will become."
"One loyal to you!" Batgirl shouted.
"To me and my cause. Dorian's abilities have become truly remarkable. As you saw, though they knew little of me, my voice triggered an instinct in them that they must obey." Ghul looked to the left and right, at the men beside him. "Many of the men, like these, are members of my league who eagerly await the change. The others…will embrace it. They were all given the formula under the guise of inoculations against jungle disease. We've been lacing their food with concentrated proteins to accommodate the change and growth of their bodies. It need only be triggered by the inhalation of another element…which I shall introduce soon."
Climbing the walls was so easy she almost laughed. She hung just below the ledge of the ramparts of Dorian's castle. She didn't even need to look over it to know there was a guard there, looking out into the forest. It was a woman…she had not showered in a long time, and she had had poorly made chicken and rice for dinner.
She waited a moment, the claws on her hands and feet gripped into the crevices of the stone, her spine a flexible spring as she prepared to attack. Suddenly, a loud noise came from the north. She saw a plane headed over the forest, due west. If they were looking to bomb them or search them out, it was much too late, she thought.
The noise made a perfect cover though. She pushed herself off with her legs, gripping the ledge as she flipped back over onto the ledge, her foot slamming into the guard's head in one motion. Her helmet actually cracked with the impact, but saved her from unconsciousness, albeit only briefly as she fell to her rear just in time to look into a blond furred foot striking her across the face.
A concussion was no small thing, but better than dead, Selina thought. She contemplated executing her to prevent sounding the alarm when she woke up, but she decided instead to ripping off some of her clothes to gag and tie her up. Still risky perhaps, but she should be sleeping through the rest of the raid anyway. She grabbed her belt and some ammo from her weapon, then tossed the gun over the ramparts. Looking out to the other rampart across the night sky, she could make out the figure of cheetah securing the other base…and tossing her opponent over the ledge.
No time to judge or question your own actions Catwoman, she thought. Lowering to all fours, she opened the trap door and descended into the castle.
