Chapter 2
Around in another alley, a mobster named Boxy Bennett was waiting with his men. "Alright, kidnap that clown girl's crazy hyenas and we'll ransom them," he said. "Or we can sell them. Surely they'll be someone interested in them."
"Boss? You sure this will work?" One of his men asked. "That Harley girl is really protective of those hyenas."
"Yes, it will work!" Bennett snapped. "Now get to it!"
One goon threw out some raw steak and it caught Bud's attention. He stopped sniffing around and went to the door. Hatty noticed and looked up. "What is it, boy?" He asked.
Spade suddenly grew stiff and stuck by her owner, which wasn't lost on the young man. "Something's wrong," he said.
Just then, Lou yipped and burst out the door, going for something on the ground, which Hatty recognized to be a raw steak. "Lou, no!" He cried out.
Bud zipped out after Lou, who grabbed the steak and began running off with the other chasing after him. "You fools!" Bennett said, making Hatty stop as he realized what was going on. "Get those hyenas!"
Hatty thought quickly. "We got to take care of our unwanted guests first," he said before clearing his throat and getting the mobster's attention. "I believe it would not be wise to chase after those hyenas, my good sirs. The owner would be quite displeased if you tried to kidnap her babies."
"I don't care!" Bennett snarled. "Those hyenas are mine and no kid of that clown is going to stop me and my men!"
Hatty smirked, not bothered that Bennett thought he was Harley's son, but he didn't correct him. "Then...I'm afraid you gentlemen leave me with no choice," he said before he began working his hypnosis powers on them. The goons fell into a trance readily, but Bennett snorted.
"Cheap trick," he growled.
"Oh, no trick at all, sir," Hatty said before he smirked. "Dance, boys."
The goons began dancing to Harry White's "You're The First, My Last, My Everything," moving as if they were doing a music video or a concert. "Spade, help them dance," Hatty said.
The fox zipped around the men's legs, making them move around as they danced and Bennett covered his ears, but as his goons bumped into him while dancing, not to mention Spade was nipping at his heels, he was soon hypnotized along with his men. "Very good, gentlemen. Keep dancing for a bit, will you?"
What he didn't see was that Ivy came out, having finished up while Harley had decided to have a massage and facial. "Kiddo?" She asked, seeing her nephew turn to her. "What happened?"
"These unruly men came up and tried to kidnap Bud and Lou, who ran off," Hatty said. "We need to find them, but I couldn't let these men follow me and Spade."
Ivy nodded and glared at the men before she laughed at seeing them dancing. "Did you hypnotize them to dance?" She asked.
"Yes," he said.
"I have an idea," she said. "And I'll help you get Bud and Lou back before Harley is finished with the spa, okay?"
"Okay," he said. "Just...please don't tell her they escaped."
"I won't," Ivy promised as she called up some plants. "First off, let's drop these guys off at the police station. They can dance their way in."
Hatty smiled and when they arrived at the police station, the policemen and policewomen were puzzled to see the mobster and his crew come dancing in. Hatty then snapped his fingers. "White," he said.
Just like that, the men were released from the hypnosis, but looked stunned that they were in a police station and they were quickly arrested. Ivy and Hatty both laughed before going to find the two hyenas. "They can't have gone far," the red-haired woman said. "Those two are always hungry even though Harley feeds them."
Just then, they heard yipping and followed it, finding Bud and Lou had managed to pull the steak apart and eaten it. "Well, what were you two up to?" Ivy asked.
"I think that mobster and his men threw out a steak to entice them," Hatty said. "I just hope it wasn't messed with."
Bud and Lou spun around and ran around and then sat down beside the two, panting happily. "I think it's safe to say it wasn't," Ivy said as she put their leashes on them. "Alright, come on, you two. You want to go see Mama?"
As if she said the magic words, the two were eagerly tugging on their leashes to get back to the spa. Hatty helped his aunt with the two and he smiled at her. "You promise you won't tell Aunt Harley?" He asked.
"I promise, hon," she said. "I know you didn't lose them on purpose. These two tend to go crazy for steak."
They shared a chuckle over that and arrived back at the spa. Five minutes later, Harley came out and she smiled hugely. "Oh, this place is fantastic!" She said before seeing her two hyenas. "Were my babies good boys?" She cooed.
"They were," Hatty said as the two hyenas went over to Harley and yipped excitedly, nuzzling her and making her laugh.
"Alright, settle down, sweeties. Mommy just got herself looking pretty. Let's not mess up Mommy's pretty look too soon."
Smiling, Hatty waited until his aunts were out and in the alleyway before he released the staff from their hypnosis, hiding at the workers wondered what had happened, especially finding the money for the spa treatments for his two aunts. Smiling again, Hatty went and joined his aunts, going back to their home.
Harley hugged him. "You are the best nephew in the world," she said. "Don't we have the best nephew ever, Ivy?"
"We do," she said. "Alright, I did promise to make dinner."
"Are you sure, Aunt Ivy?" Hatty asked. "I can order something for us."
"I'm sure, hon, but thank you for the offer," she said, smiling. "And you're welcome to stay for dinner."
"Thank you," he said. "Your cooking is always something to look forward too."
Ivy got to work making a lasagna and garlic bread, which Harley was excited about when she smelled it. "Ooooh! Is that your delicious lasagna?" She asked excitedly.
"Yes," Ivy smiled.
"It smells divine," Hatty said honestly.
And it was. The three dug in and enjoyed the meal immensely. Even Spade got a treat herself and the two women hugged their nephew before he left. "It was so sweet of you to treat us to the spa," Ivy said.
"I wanted to do something special for you two since you're both family and my favorite aunts," the young man said.
"Get home safely, Hatty," Harley said in a motherly tone. "And call us the moment you get there, okay?"
"I will, Aunt Harley. I promise."
Thankfully, it was a short trip for him and he met up with the rest of the Gotham Grimtales. "How did it go?" Scarecrow asked.
"Splendidly and smoothly," Hatty said. "Thank you again for providing a distraction."
"You got it," his friend said.
Hatty let his aunts know he had made it home safe and he smiled as he pet Spade, who nuzzled her face into his hand. "I'm glad I was able to give them both a good day," he said. "They deserved it."
Ivy and Harley both felt the same way as they fell asleep, smiling.
Looks like Bennett learned the hard way not to mess with Harley's hyenas. :)
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And Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there. :)
GoldGuardian2418