Ch. 29
"If I had the parts, and a lot of time to work on it, we might repair it in a week. As is...I don't know, maybe we can find something down by the docks if you want to risk it. Honestly, we'd be better off getting a new one, if that were an option."
"We should have protected this." Tygrus growled as Townshend wiped his paws clean with a towel. Selina, Batman, Batgirl, and Cheetah circled the remains of the smoking ruin that had been the communications array. The smell of damaged parts and explosive residue still hung in the air.
"Tygrus, it was chaos...besides the power was my responsibility. I should have stayed there to guard it."
Catwoman was surprised to see Cheetah show a bit of humility. Which led her to suspect ulterior motives. She set one hand on the small of Tygrus' back, and the other on his forearm as she looked upwards at him. If Cheetah noticed the possessive action, she didn't react. Batgirl raised an eyebrow however. "No way to contact anyone. Now what?"
Cheetah chuckled looking at Batman and Batgirl. "Don't you have a bat radio or something?"
"That, a justice league communicator, and half a dozen other things. I tried them all as soon as I landed. Somehow they're jamming them. Presumably this was the only way to get a signal off the island. For the time being, we're on our own."
Cheetah yawned and stretched her arms over her head, her body taught for a second then relaxing. "Ah yes, Sebastian suspected as much, if I recall. Well at least we've upgraded to house cats. No more wet jungle floors for us. Electricity, running water, even those greenhouse jungles if you want to get your nature fix and exercise. I checked, we have tons of food here in storage and the generator fuel will last a long time. If they plan to starve us out in this castle, they'll have a long wait.
"I don't think a siege is their plan." Batman said flatly as he spoke up. "When he had Batgirl and I prisoner, Ra's had us fight the first of the wolf men. He was testing their fighting ability. Now that he's created a whole army of them, he'll want to put them to the test as well. This is all a sick experiment to see how good his dogs really are."
Tygrus gripped his massive hand in a tight fist. "Humans or dogs, we will stop all they send."
Batgirl put a finger to her chin, thoughtfully. "Okay, let's say they attack, and we win. If we do stop them, what would Ra's al Ghul do?"
"My thoughts exactly," Batman replied. "We know they have access to some heavy artillery if they had surface to air missiles. If wolves fail the test, they may decide to cleanse this whole operation."
"You mean they would bomb us to oblivion? Seems like a waste. Can't imagine Dorian would be keen on helping a plan like that." Cheetah said as she went to all fours and gave her whole body a stretch, sticking each leg out in succession, then arching her back.
"I doubt he had a lot to say in the process. It was either help him or go back to Arkham."
She rested on her side, nodding, the tip of her tail flicking casually. "Well, that did seem to be his attitude. He said he hoped we'd survive. I wonder where he went."
"I'm assuming he left with all the other scientists just as you came." Batman said, a tint of frustration in his voice. "The thought that they might get away makes me sick."
"We can't worry about that now." Catwoman said.
Tygrus nodded and said. "We must prepare for an attack by the wolves. And then...if we defeat them, and it seems they are truly finished, we must be ready to abandon this castle before this 'Ra's' can destroy us."
Cheetah laid her cheek on her hands, looking blue. "Moving so soon? Oh, and I was just getting comfortable."
"Don't," Batman said. "I need to work with you and Dr. Ballestros on a cure."
Cheetah laughed, "Still hoping to get Selina back? Believe me, I'd love nothing more," She lifted her head glanced a look out of the corner of her eye at Tygrus and Catwoman, "But don't you think now's a bad time?"
"Not that cure. The wolves."
Cheetah perked an ear up. "Go on."
"When Ra's sent his dogs on me and Batgirl they responded to his every command, even though they hadn't even met him before. He told us Dorian had found a way to make them obedient to him. I think I know how."
Cheetah shook her head and chuckled, resting her head back down. "You do now?"
"You're forgetting I've been researching these sort of mutations since Dr Langstrom created them. I cured him of being the Man-Bat."
"But Dorian's work has been a bit more difficult hasn't it?" She yawned, her jaws opening inhumanly wide.
Batman walked over and squatted down, directly in her field of vision, "Dorian has never tried something like this. The process involves overwriting one's personality entirely, seeding responses in the brain so that commands from recognized authorities are obeyed impulsively, like someone with obsessive compulsive disorder. The only group working on something like that was Cadmus."
"Cadmus?" Cheetah gave a perplexed look, "How would you know-"
"I have my ways. So does Ra's al Ghul. His people must have gotten ahold of their data."
"So you want us to build a cure for the wolves' 'mind control.' So they'll suddenly become agreeable? Yeah, seems like a waste of time-"
Batman grabbed her by the ear and pulled her head off the ground. "You're going to help me. And what's more, we're going to spend every moment we can working on it. Unless you're treating a sick or injured person, you're helping me."
Cheetah winced and growled. "You can't order me. I thought Tygrus was in charge?"
The large cat smiled, pushing his ears back over his dark grey fur. "Actually, that sounds like an excellent idea. Cheetah, you and Sebastian help Batman do what you can. Batgirl, you will watch our prisoner?"
"Sure." She pushed her red hair back, pulling out a tangle in her locks. She had almost forgotten the wolf they had taken hostage.
"Then let us get to work. Townshend, can you get power back up soon?" Tygrus said.
"Actually..." the cougar had been silently fiddling under a computer control board as they spoke. The lights in the room flickered and came to life, and the roar of air conditioning and other systems could be heard coming on. Everyone blinked as their eyes adjusted.
Selina interlocked her fingers together and stretched her arms over her head, yawning. "Ah, great work! I agree with Cheetah on one thing. A few comforts of civilization are welcome. Hot water will feel so good."
Tygrus smiled and put his hand on her lower back. "Before that, I need you to tell everyone to meet in the cafeteria in 30 minutes. We should make sure all are ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Me and Townshend will check our supplies and make sure we are on watch for attacks, then meet you there."
Catwoman nodded, her tail curling slightly at his touch. "What about the remaining prisoners...those less stable ones?"
He gave a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "From what I gather...they are dangerous. The confusion of the change and the experiments they conducted left them on the verge of madness. We cannot let them walk free in the castle. And we cannot let them outside the castle to die at the hands of the wolves."
"So they stay locked up?"
He nodded soberly, "For now, until we can see they can be reasoned with. We will make sure to feed them." Looking to Townshend, he asked, "Are you ready?" The cougar nodded. Tygrus leaned down and lightly nuzzled Catwoman behind the ear. "I will see you soon." The two left Catwoman smiling as she watched him bound away on all fours.
Cheetah turned to Batman with a knowing smirk, but instead of commenting, said. "Perhaps studying our prisoner would give us a clue to curing him." Batman nodded, his face, as always, was stone. "Good idea. We should start, we have no idea how little time we have. Batgirl, are you coming?"
Barbara Gordon had watched Selina closely, "Yes...in a moment. I want to talk to Catwoman about something."
"Don't stay too long." Batman replied as he and Cheetah exited.
Batgirl watched silently as Catwoman yawned and went to all fours, stretching and arcing her back, kicking out each leg once, similar to how Cheetah had, and gave the back of her left hand a brief lick. She turned and smiled to her. "Yes Batgirl?"
"So...you and Tygrus..."
Catwoman rested on her stomach, her elbows crossed, holding up her torso, her tail lightly swaying. "We are...getting to know each other better. There's some mutual interest and I've decided to explore it. Is that a problem?"
"Yes! He's a cat, and you're..."
"Also a cat, at the moment." She rolled to her side. "Look, he may have fur and claws Babs but he's as much a man as anyone I've met under all that. More than most any I've met actually."
"Including Bruce? Selina we came here to cure you! That's the whole reason we went to this island!"
"I know, I..." she paused, as if gathering her thoughts. "A lot has happened since then. I don't mind this body as much now. In fact, it's quite enjoyable."
Batgirl walked up to her and crouched down in front of her, her arms out wide, exasperated. "Listen to yourself! You're losing your mind. You're becoming like Cheetah, losing the human side. This is all what Dorian wanted for goodness sake!"
The words struck more a nerve than she thought they might. It was less the prospect of not being human than being like Cheetah that bugged her, oddly enough. "I am changing...I have changed. But Cheetah isn't rotten because she's a cat lady Gordon. As for what Dorian wanted...I guess I don't care. Tygrus isn't the merciless beast he wanted him to be. He's wild and savage yes," she could barely hold back a smile as she said it, "But not the feral machine he desired. If anything, I'm twisting his work into my own creation. I define what I am Batgirl." She sat up on her haunches, looking straight at her. "And I make my own choices. Good or bad. After this is done and we start working on a cure, all the people here will choose their own path, including me."
Batgirl shook her head. "This is just...ugh...alright Selina. You want to be a cat monster for the rest of your life, that's okay. Heck, you and Tygrus can get married and have tons and tons of kittens for all I care. But what about Batman? After everything you've had together, everything he's done for you?"
"He did throw me in prison a few times."
"Shut it! You know what I mean. Bruce paid your parole, vouched for your character before judges, even when you kept going back to stealing. He helped fund your wildlife preserve projects. He's saved your life, how many times?"
"Quite a few. I saved his tail a few times, just for the record."
"That's my point! Can't you see he loves you Selina? He's been fighting for you even as he stops you from stealing."
"I know that! And I...I love him...loved him...I don't know. I just, couldn't give up what I was. Even for him."
"But you'll give up what you were for Tygrus? For being a cat?"
Selina stared at her a moment and stood up tall, walking over to the wall. "Batgirl, it's not...being with Tygrus, feeling these new senses...it was like I've found a way to satisfy my craving for thrills without being a crook. Running from Batman was great but...it had to end sometime. You know...I actually pondered if I could have been like you, a full-time crime fighter instead of a thief. Except Batman's seen what I'm like around the truly nasty villains. I don't have the lines he does. What I did to those men in the hall Barbara..." She turned and looked at her. "That wasn't just the cat...that was the woman. I don't think it'd ever really work."
They gazed at each other, silent. "Then he deserves to hear it from you." Batgirl said softly. "You owe him that."
Catwoman tensed, "I need to tell the others to meet in the Cafeteria," she said, simply, and darted past her on all fours.
"Wait!" Batgirl shouted. But she didn't stop. Argh, she thought, great, just great.
His name was Romulus. Ross was a memory, and he felt compelled to find another. When he was quickly recognized as Alpha male, the name seemed to come to him. It befit a leader, striking the image or a Roman general. Alpha Romulus, yes, perfect. The others had felt compelled to do the same. Sarah was now Alpha Athena. A scar on her left shoulder marked her struggle to gain her place at his side. Her victory had pleased him greatly, she was fit to take the name of a goddess. David was Beta Anubis. The pitch black furred wolf seemed like he could indeed consume the souls of the dead.
The three of them looked over the table spread out before him, his hand flattening a floor layout of the castle, while as several wolves entered the large make shift tent that was their headquarters. In their paws were several struggling men and women in professional wear.
"Let us go! That's a direct order!" shouted a red-haired man in glasses. His voice was trembling.
Alpha smiled. "You are not someone we take orders from. The Demon has tasked us with retaking the castle." His voice was deep, and harsh, spoken out of the back of his throat, his long, narrow, fang filled jaws built for things other than human speech. But he had learned to adapt quickly. He motioned to Anubis, who nodded and brought forth a large metal case.
"The cats slaughter many of the human guards. There were fewer of us to be born from." His deep voice was steady, unemotional. "We need to replenish our ranks. You will be reborn." He opened the case to reveal several breathing masks connected to small air tanks.
"NO! You can't-" his face was quickly covered with a powerful paw, securing the mask in place as the tank delivered its air based virus into his mouth. He held his breath, but there was no escaping the grasp of the wolf or the air slowly filling his open nose. When his lungs could wait no more, he breathed in a with a horrified gasp.
Romulus watched with interest as the change came over him. His whole body swelled with lithe muscle as he ripped of his clothes. A coat of red fur to match his hair covered his back and face, while his chest and stomach grew white. A new grown tail, his clawed hands and feet, and his pointed ears were tipped with black, giving the sleekly built wolf the appearance of a fox. The growing narrow muzzle completed the effect. Each of the other scientists underwent the same process, each with a distinct look. Their moans filled the tent briefly, then died out to exhausted panting.
The newborn creature looked on his form with a degree of confusion, but it quickly turned to admiration as he examined both himself and the other scientists turned wolves. Romulus looked on with approval as well. Within an hour the entire surviving science team would be converted into wolves. They were mostly smaller, ideal Omega ranks for doing the less dignified chores but they would serve the pack well enough. He dismissed them and the wolf guards who had brought them with the order to perform the process on the rest of the human scientists. As they left, two masked figures entered: Deathstroke and Deadshot.
Romulus narrowed his gaze, "The Demon has not indicated you would join our ranks, why are you here?"
"Just to observe and make sure you handled the science team. Funny, they thought they'd get out of this clean." Slade said, putting a hand on the table. "Looks like you'll have your work cut out for you. Sadly, I've been asked to leave this to you furry folks Ross, er Romulus, was it?"
"We welcome the challenge. You are leaving the island then?"
"We'll be waiting with the human contingent at the docks."
"The Demon does not wish them to join us in our rebirth?"
"No, just waiting to see what happens at the castle."
Romulus nodded, looking to Athena and Anubis briefly, then back to the two. "We hope not to disappoint. If you are done, leave us to prepare."
The mercenaries left. Anubis commented, "I don't think they're just there to watch." He pointed at a map on the table, but not the castle map. It was a map of the docks building, and the larger camp there. Specifically the missile silos. Athena stared down at it, then back to Romulus. "I suspect Anubis is guessing at the back up plan if we fail to kill them all."
"Yes," Romulus said bluntly. "I have also guessed what failure means. Do not worry, will not fail the Demon."
He again stretched out the castle map. Anubis, your team will plant explosives here, on this wall. That will open our way in." The black wolf smiled widely, "I can't wait to handle these cats claw to claw. They've had it easy." Athena gave a cautious response. "Wait until Romulous' group arrives to flood in. Me and the other sharpshooters will cover you. Then we all enter."
They discussed how much to hold in reserve, and other details for several minutes until satisfied. "Anubis, get your supplies and team ready, You will choose 4 others to work with you. Let me know who you choose and when you are ready. I want to attack by tomorrow night." Anubis gave a fang filled grin as he put a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Don't worry, this will be bloody, but we'll win." They exchanged a nod before he turned and left, leaving Romulus with Athena. The male Alpha seemed to stare off a bit as he left. Athena touched him lightly on the arm. "Would you share your thoughts with me Romulus?"
He turned and shook his head. "He's right, this will be bloody, even in the best case, many in our pack will die. Ross...always felt guilt for failing to protect his men. I think...I share his worry. This pack, we are their Alphas, they trust their lives to us. I wonder at the need to kill all these cats."
She spoke softly but firmly. "I feel the same worry, but the Demon asks it. That is enough." Romulus nodded as she continued. "He birthed us out of frail husks. Sarah trusted him."
Romulus looked down over his muzzle at her. "You have Sarah's memories, she was his soldier. Tell me, why is the Demon doing this?"
Athena paused, "The Demon...Ra's al Ghul, believes the humans are polluting and destroying the earth to the point that drastic action must be taken. Even at the cost of many other humans if need be. He plans to make war with the leaders of the human world, and we are to be his army. We must prove ourselves worthy first."
The male wolf nodded. "What made Sarah so sure he was right?"
Athena gave her fellow Alpha a curious look, but continued. "She lost her parents as a teenager, his group took her in secretly as she worked her way up through the Israeli army. Sarah despised the evils in the human world. She believed Ra's could fix it given the chance."
"Did she ever doubt him?"
Athena paused for several seconds before answering. "She...hesitated and failed to assassinate a young woman she had known as a child. Sacrificing herself here was her way of proving her loyalty..." She put a clawed hand to his chest. "Alpha Romulus, why are you asking me this?"
He grunted. "I desire...no I need, to follow his commands. But I don't know why. I do not think he is a person Ross would follow."
"You are not Ross, as I am not Sarah. We were reborn."
"Yes...I simply...wish...do you not feel loyal to our pack? Do you worry that this is not a..." He winced, "Not something we should..." He held his head, bending over.
"Romulus..." She winced as well, "I...thinking about this...hurts." She grabbed her head with both hands and screamed. "THE DEMON COMMANDS! I MUST OBEY!"
"YES! WE WILL!" Romulus cried out. The pain seemed to subside. They both stood there, breathing heavily for several seconds. He took her by the shoulders. "Alpha Athena, are you alright?"
She nodded. "I...don't think we should think about this. We have a job."
"Yes...yes. We should check our pack, then rest. Tomorrow will be a full day..."
They exchanged quick glances before heading out of the tent.
Selina walked into the laboratory where Cheetah, Sebastian, and Batman worked furiously at various computers and tables. She had sat in a room alone for almost a half our after Tygrus' meeting. That had gone well, everyone knew what to do, what their role was, but for Selina, her mind was only on one thing. Like it or not, Batgirl was right, she owed it to Bruce to talk it out. They didn't need distractions in the upcoming fight. She'd be upfront about the fact that she felt she was likely stuck this way and would be staying on the island unless Cheetah's work uncovered something. Then she'd make a decision. And as for Tygrus, and her and Bruce...well she hadn't figured that out so far. Okay, time to ask for a quick side conference with Batman. He wasn't much for distractions while on the job but...
"Oh hello Selina!" It was Cheetah.
"Yes, you'll love what we've learned, tell her, Bastie,"
The male Cheetah seemed to beam at the name, "Yes! We've found a way, we think, to nullify the obedience compulsion. Seems Dorian may have left a back door trigger actually. You see a noise presented at the exactly the right frequency, several decibels higher than than human hearing...though I guess that's not relevant these days...will trigger a series of electric impulses and chemical reactions in the brain. The end result will be a permanent disabling of the impulse to obey."
Batman stepped forward to speak. "That won't mean they won't still follow Ra's. Just that they'll have a choice. We still need to prepare for the worst. There is something else we found. I wasn't sure whether to reveal it because it could be a big distraction but, we found an archive of samples of DNA for everyone Dorian has experimented on here." He paused, looking directly at Selina. "Including you."
Cheetah spoke up, smiling. "That means we should be able to, eventually develop a counter mutagen to everyone who wants to become human again. Exciting, right?"
Catwoman's face was blank, her ears however stood up on the top of her head. "Yes...that's good." She put on a smile. "Thank you for letting me know. You should tell Tygrus. Now I have to go. I...have guard duty up top right now. I just remembered. Keep up the good work." She turned walked out. As soon as she was out of their sight she went to all fours and ran upstairs into the night air.
