"Come on... Come on. Pick up the damn phone!" Allison Blake muttered urgently, jostling her leg in agitation. The U.S. Marshall was sitting at her desk, a flurry of papers scattered across it in front of her computer's monitor screen, giving theories of time and place for the disappearance of her charge.

"Marshall Blake." The deep voice growled after two rings.

A sigh of blended relief and frustration hissed through clenched teeth. "Finally! Look, I don't know when yet, within the past 24 hours, bu-"

"Context, Blake."

"Pierce! He's gone!"

"What!"

The car screeched to a halt as he slammed on the breaks, spinning the powerful vehicle a full 180, gloved hands flew across the control console of the super computer built into the dash of the car, servos and gears whirred as the automated system began running through the list of all potential hideouts and lairs currently available to the manipulative temptress.

"Explain. Now." He snarled as the car shot off, heading for the closest possibility; the investigation had just become a hunt.

Through her Cat's Eye goggles she was able to see Ivy and Dr. Birch perfectly as they made their way into Eric Walsh's apartment, but once they disappeared in side she had nothing. Her only option was to sit and wait, knowing that eventually they'd come out and return to the car, so she sat... and waited... And WAITED. Thirty minutes had passed! How long does it take to search an apartment! Ivy was a pro; she knew never to linger anywhere while executing a plan, what in Bast's name were they doing in there!

She wished there was a skylight, Gotham was full of convenient skylights, but on a forensic analyst's salary? Dream on, kitty. She had to content herself with waiting, watching the silhouette, watching the car sitting out front, biding her time. This was not the sort of Cat-and-Mouse she enjoyed playing.

"Waiting sure stinks, don't it, Kitty?"

Catwoman whirled with all the grace and agility of her name sake. Her right hand cocked back with the whip already gripped, ready to lash out at the flick of a wrist. Her new companion was just a short distance away, sitting on the lip of the rooftop, her legs dangling over the side and kicking impatiently. This was a problem. Harley's mere presence was a problem, that she had wormed her way out of her restraints was a bigger problem, that she was in full costume was a problem of titanic proportions.

"Harley... What are you doing out here?"

"I might ask you the same t'ing ya know! And whats the big idea tyin' me to my bed, huh!" She asked, springing to her feet and placing her hands upon her hips, her jester tails bouncing upon her head. "I mean, we all know you're into the kinky stuff—skin tight leather an' a whip, an all—but tyin' ME up! That kitten won't purr, Kitty!"

Catwoman groaned and tugged her goggles up in order to massage the bridge of her nose. Harley was dangerous, 4 years spent working with the Joker promised that; she could be sweet and unassuming one moment, and violently aggressive the next, but physical confrontation didn't concern Selina, she'd beat Harley before, she could do it again... No, it was Harley's capability to distract people that worried her. Catwoman prided herself on her ability to focus, as well as her ability to multi-task; both were necessities for any good thief, but Harley on her A-Game was wily enough to demand full attention, and she was very good at making sure people gave it to her.

"Look, Harley, I'm sorry I cuffed you to your bed, okay? I just had to make sure that both you and Ivy weren't making a huge mistake, and judging by your costume, you're thinking about making one."

"Hey, hey, hey, hold on a minute! I ain't done nothin', just because I'm in costume don't mean I'm commitin' a crime, capeche!"

"All right," Catwoman canted her head and cocked her hip, "why are you in costume then?"

"Well what else am I supposed to wear to follow you half-way across the city!" Harley asked, throwing her hands in the air with such gusto that she threw herself off balance and staggered backwards.

Selina sighed again, closing her eyes a moment, murmuring a prayer for patience to whatever god might listen. "No, Harley, I mean why are you in costume at all? Part of your parole is that Harley Quinn ceases to be, and you return to being Harleen Quinzel."

"Aw c'mon kitty, it's BORING!" Harley wailed loudly, prompting Catwoman to lunge forward and clamp a hand over Harley's mouth. "MMPH!"

"SHH! Keep it down!" The thief hissed, glaring for a moment. "Can you do that?"

Harley nodded, making her jester tails bob again. Catwoman slowly pulled her hand back and Harley gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I forgot we were spyin'! Hey, what're we spyin' on anyway?"

"I'm waiting for Ivy and her Doctor to leave her boyfriend's apartment."

"Ivy has a BOYFRIEND!" Harley erupted incredulously, and with the slightest hint of jealous anger in her voice.

Selina slapped a hand over her face, groaning in frustration. "No! Not HER Boyfriend, the Doctor's boyfriend!"

"Oooooooh... and we care becaaaaauuuse?" Harley asked next, following the other woman back to the edge of the roof to look over at the opposite building, where a light on the second floor occasionally cast a feminine silhouette across the drawn shade.

"Because I think Ivy's using her."

"Whaaaaaat? Aw c'mon, Kitty! Jus' cause she went out late at night wit' her! If people called the cops every time Pammy went out late with a pretty girl ol' Gordy would be up to his fuzzy old ears in paper work!"

Selina grit her teeth, releasing another slow, calming sigh. "No, Harley, not just because she's out with a woman, because the woman happens to be her doctor and happens to be having issues with her boyfriend, and happens to think that her patient is the best person to turn to for help with the problem. I'm sorry, Harley, I know we both wanted to believe Pamela had gone straight, but this just doesn't sit right..."

Harley sighed sadly. "Yeah, I'm sorry too, Kitty...YOU WERE RIGHT, RED!"

Catwoman turned back around just in time to see the vines lunging, but not in time to get out of their way. A pair of them coiled around her ankles and yanked her off her feet. A third slithered around her neck, pulling just tight enough to keep her from being able to cry out, and a fourth weaved around her left wrist, and then yanked it towards her write to coil around both arms in a tight figure eight loop. The damned things moved faster than a python catching prey, and like those deadly serpents the more she struggled the more the vines tightened.

Finally ceasing her struggle Selina glare up at Harley. "Harley, don't let her do this! She has a chance here, a real chance to- MMPH!" Selina's eyes bulged and nostrils flared in outrage as Harley stuffed a massive clown hanky into her mouth as a gag.

"Thank you, Harl..." A sultry sigh whispered across the roof top, while behind her quiet footfalls announced the barefoot approach of one of Gotham's most powerful metahumans, relishing in the glory of a warm night and the strength of her babies in the height of the spring season.

"Selina, Selina, Selina..." Ivy cooed in a gentle disapproving whisper, as she made her way over to stand beside Harley and gaze down at the captive Catwoman. "We Gotham Girls are supposed to stick together; now how can we trust you if you go around spying on us and tying us up?"

"Yeah—not to mention it's getting kinda predictable!" Harley chimed in with a laugh.

"It is isn't it Harl?" Ivy lamented, looking down at Selina and then over at Harley with a melodramatic pout. "Do you think she's losing her touch?"

"Kitty!" Harley said, wide eyed, clapping a hand over her mouth for a moment. "Perish the thought, Red, perish the thought! I t'ink she's just jonesin' for a little Batty Unf Unf Unf," she thrust her pelvic for emphasis at each of these gutteral sounds, "and its got her head a lil' loose!"

"Now, now, Harl, don't be crass." Ivy chided, though the smirk on her rose red lips betrayed her amusement. "We'll have plenty of time to muse upon Selina's questionable liaisons and true allegiances later, for now we need to decide what to do with her."

"Hrrrrmmmmmmmmm!" Harley hummed loudly, while her expression became intensely contemplative. "Puddin' would say attach her to cat food processor, hit the on switch, then disable the trigger so Batsy can't turn it off!"

Ivy's smile wilted and a strong scent of lemon citrus filled the air at the mention of Harley's beloved beau. "Yes, well, Puddin'," she spat the pet name out with a tone of utmost loathing, " isn't here. Besides, I'd think after killing one of the Batman's precious little Birds your Puddin' would have figured out that killing people Batman cares about just adds fuel to his fire."

Harley fluttered her eyes, pausing to think about this observation, but Ivy continued.

"And I can't deny that she's grown on me... After all, you did open your home to us, Selina." Ivy knelt down at this and stroked Selina's cheek in a fashion that was just a little too slow and ponderous for Selina's comfort. "And I always reward those who help me..."

"So what're we gonna do wit' her, Red?" Harley asked, looking curiously at the other villainess.

Poison Ivy stood up, the wicked smirk back on her lips, and turned towards Harley. She lifted a hand to veil her mouth from Selina's gaze, then she leaned close and began to whisper in Harley's ear. The Jester girl gasped, then her eyes widened, her eye brows jumped, her lips spread into a huge grin, and finally she began to giggle in gleeful amusement. "LOVE it!"