Brightest Doom

The Brightest Doom

Chapter 2

With a huff, I hopped over the log that was in my way as I ran along my path. It had been a month since I arrived here in Gotham, and life has been okay so far. Granted, with all the weird reports and gunfire that I hear nightly. Gotham wasn't such a bad place to live if one had power.

I had no delusions: Gotham was a cesspool for raising a family or daily living. The drugs, gangs and violence was so prevalent it you could walk past a dead body within an alley in broad daylight. Yet, this same cesspool was able to provide the camouflage that one needed to remain a ghost within the system.

With my month of laying low and under the radar, using my new found and still growing knowledge, I released upgrades onto the market, proving my proposition that Doom was far more intelligent than others. With the patents secured and use options available on the market, I boosted the corresponding technological advancements by two years or more.

Over three weeks ago, I had created a three-mile course to run and test my skills while being active. I knew that it was only a matter of time until I had to take on the Detective, and I was making sure that each of my weaknesses were removed. I was running the course again today.

With another leap, I commando rolled over another log that was strategically placed in the way of my jog. Switching into attack mode after my roll, I was greeted with speakers that raised from the foliage. Before I could grit my teeth, ultrasonic sound slammed into my person. It was as awful today as it was yesterday when I was out here training.

My ears bled, and my skin rippled under the effect of the sound, but I forged ahead. With a crouch and a wave of my hands, the rocks levitated up around me and shot forward. Two golf ball-sized rocks shot forward and then curved to the left, Then smacked the target on the side of the first speaker. The other set of three rocks shot forward, curving to the right and then upwards hitting that target under the speaker disabling it.

The targets were disabled, and I had my hands on my knees to recover when I felt the swish of something being shot towards me. Around me was a telekinetic wall I constantly maintained to help my situational awareness, give advanced warnings of an attack, and assist me with influencing any person that came within my field. Granted, with some practice, I was able to turn the trust-me field into something that worked with touch. This way, I didn't have to leave my mind open to outside influences.

Rolling to my left, I dodged a series of sharp rubber bullets slamming into the location where I was previously located. With a mental summons, I pulled the rubber bullets that velocity forced into the ground. There was no buzz, but I felt the tingle at the back of my neck, which lead me to jump and hold myself in a hover as a blade whizzed underneath me.

With a grin, the rounds that floated around me flew out to hit another set of targets. With the automated guns off, I turned around to smash my fist into the faceless drone behind me.

My fist thunked into the faceless metal, leaving an indentation, but that wasn't the target for me to hit, so I had to dodge another swing of its blade. The little drone flew back from my punch, but the momentum from its swing caused it to spiral around out of control. With a flick of my finger I summoned the drone back to me with the target facing forward. With the drone flying towards me, my fist sank into its face, turning the little bot off.

I launched myself from my current position into the trees as I surveyed the area before me. This portion, my last quarter mile, was littered with mini drones and traps to take me down.

I had run this course at least six times this morning before the automated systems decided to spring my attack training routine on me. Some days it was easy and others it was hard; today was one of the hard ones. The only way to turn it all off was to press the buzzer at the end of the course.

I felt the static in the air before my senses went off to alert me of the drone that was approaching. Throwing the mini drone in my hands at the other, I launched myself back towards the ground and took off, flying parallel to the foliage.

The sharp crackle of electricity also reached my ear as I reached the ground. That could only mean that the system had taken into account the range at which I maintained my radar. I smiled to myself as I realized the self-learning algorithm I created was adapting to my demands and orders. It was obvious that this was going to lead to the creation of an A.I. The A.I. would be for later as the current kernel would have to learn and adapt.

Five hundred feet from the scene of the last ambush, another few drones popped up out of the scrubs to fire at me. With a twist, the rubber bullets flew past my right side, smacking into the ground where my shoulder was previously located. With a pivot on my left hand, I kicked out, forcing the drones to crash into each other and turn them off. Since these were in far better condition than the others that I faced, I summoned them to me with a telekinetic pull. Scavenging the ammo from the downed drones, I took off flying low to the ground towards the end of the trail.

As I neared the end, my first instinct was to leap back. Right as I jumped back into the tree line, the location I was at was riddled with holes. Sneaky, sneaky, damn computer was learning fast and keeping up with me. A grin plastered on my face as tree branches on my left and right sides broke as I directed one to go before me. The branches on the left that I used got shot to pieces, so I directed the ones on the right to go out as another distraction.

Before these were riddled with the rubber rounds, I launched myself out of the trees towards the buzzer that stood twenty feet away before me. The buzzer in question was surrounded by a hornet's nest of drones waiting for me and I knew that my damn system set a trap. Ohh, she was going to get a name after this. I waited and waited, my forehead dripped sweat, and I felt the dried dirt on my fingertips. My breath steamed in the morning air as I faced off against my drones.

The drones moved at the edges of my sense, their movements changed and swayed, keeping me from tracking them. Feeling them was off the table, so I went for sound and sight, digging my left heel into the ground. I sprang forward before the drones began to fire. Dodging right and then dodging left into a roll, I sprang forward with my arm outstretched, blocking all the ammo fired at me matrix style.

When the rounds stopped, that was when the drones began to pellet along my telekinetic wall. Gritting my teeth, I pushed forward and was greeted with a wall of sonics again. With a screech, I was blasted back with my foot-digging a small trench in the ground. With a roar and a swipe of my hands, the sonic drones died as they fell before me, having been crushed to the ground.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly walked forwards and pressed the buzzer ending my morning run slash training. Taking the towel from the drone that carried it, I made my way into the greenhouse where I had them taking care of the plants and other things for me. With a summons, my chair came to me as I sat down and rolled over to one of my command terminals.

[ Sir, it would seem that your healing factor has improved again.]

"I noticed that nice little play by the sonic drones by the way," I replied to my computer systems.

[That is part of my directive, sir, to adapt and improve upon your training. Do I need to inform you that Bruce Wayne will not only study you but also label you a criminal and place you within the system? Hence, your future will be a moot point.]

"Nope, I understand clearly what ole Brucey is all about," I replied as I popped the P in the nope. There was nothing stoping Bruce once he got something into his head and I had to get myself prepared for the day we clash. Even if I try and be stealthy and fly under the radar, I had to keep certain vigilances because of how Bruce had such a wide range of masteries on detections.

[Well, let me inform you that your device has cleared diagnostics.]

When informed of that, I was instantly elated and turned around towards the football-sized glowing blue device. Of course, I created an arc reactor, but this wasn't the small chest insert that Stark liked to use. No, this was a decent foot tall sized reactor that could run my home and charge up many more devices as needed. There was no way I was going to sell this design. With so many advanced alien technology that constantly fall on earth. I believe the planet will be just fine without this introduced.

Palladium was two thousand dollars a gram. But with this reactor, I'm now officially off the grid and that much more removed from the power system and Batman's radar.

"Send a drone up to scan for a power source," I called out, since part of my using the greenhouse was that I had it lined and protected from leaks to the outside. That and I had also used my telekinesis to create a pathway into the basement of the house.

[Sir, there is a two percent power leak. It would be my observation that it would be best to move the arc reactor into the basement. This would remove the energy signature from detection.]

"Noted, place the orders with Cobble Potts. It's time to build a fabricator." I said as I got up from my chair. Picking up the arc reactor, I made my way to the hidden door that leads under and into the house.

Within fifteen minutes the arc reactor was set up, and the house was removed from the grid. With the arc reactor hooked up, I was all too glad to swap over the electric water heater and steam heater that I installed in the house. The previous heater stove ran on wood because the electrical grid was faulty; but now the house was part of the twenty-first century.

With my current worries out of the way, I turned the water heater to the eighty percent mark from maximum and went to put away the tools I used during my run. With only ten minutes of my time, I flew around, gathering the destroyed drones and other tools used during training. With the cleanup completed, I went into the garage and finished the motorcycle I had designed and was currently building as my main ride.

There was no way I was going to continue to ride that old truck around when the arc reactor was now a proven and useful power source. This motorcycle was thirty thousand dollars of pure goodness and I refused to accept anything else. With the larger reactor working; it took me less than fifteen minutes to install a miniature model the size of the one Stark used in his chest. The arc reactor replaced the fuel tank seated above the high output, brushless electric motor I developed. The motor was the size of a V-twin but had a third it's weight and put out a regulated power curve 400 horsepower.

Looking at the monitor on the wall near the bike, all the systems checked off as green. The current power source was able to run the bike for the next thousand years. I couldn't help but whistle at the readout. With a smile on my face, I left to go get my shower and then breakfast.

o.O.o

Breakfast was interrupted when I received a call from Lex Luthor of all people. Somehow the bald creep had gotten my number even though it was not listed. There should have been no way for him to get the number since Gotham University didn't have it on file. That I was certain of: which means the only way Lex could have gotten my number was from the provider that I was piggybacking off of as proxy.

The call was far too intense for my taste, and I was certain that if I didn't show. Lex would then track me down and show up before me as an enemy. The itch to lobotomize the man was strong, but I knew he had round the clock defences and I was curious about with which Lex I would be dealing.

The meeting with Lex would be later in the week. I would ride my bike over to the meet and see what he wanted to offer me. It was a courtesy that Doom would extend. Even If I wasn't going to work for the man. His intellect alone had earned Doom's respect. That was placed on my schedule before I hopped on my motorcycle to ride into town.

VROOM!

I would like to say the motorcycle roared as I took down the paved road from the house, but the wind in my ears was louder than the whir of the electric motor. My leather jacket flapped in the wind as the bike quietly flowed beneath me. This was almost as exciting as flying! There was a subtle pop around my frame as I left the perimeter of the force field set around my home. With the shift to the outside of the space of my home force field, I was greeted with the gloomy skies above Gotham as I made my way into the city.

Weaving in and out of traffic; it was easily apparent that something had happened, but I had no clue what it was. Pulling up to a stop at a red light, I decided it was time to turn on the H.U.D. in my helmet. With a few quick presses, my computer system was online and connected with the hidden cameras in the the helmet.

"Give me the latest news."

[There has been a breakout in Arkham Asylum that occurred this morning before dawn.]

Shit!

"Let me guess; this is right around the time that Batman put away his cape?"

[The escape would coincide with the time we logged for Batman's operation time.]

"Okay, thanks, but keep me updated with the latest news that revolves around the capes and their bad guys."

That was the wrong thing to tell a computer that was still learning outside of an actual A.I. kernel. Within moments my H.U.D. became cluttered with news and snippets of fights taking place all across the world.

With a sigh and a swipe, I cleared the H.U.D. and then made my instructions clearer.

Now that I had the latest LOCAL news, I still wasn't sure why the traffic was so slow. Everyone should realize, whoever broke out would be laying low and not trying to end up on Batman's radar if they could help it.

Ignoring everything around me, I soon arrived at my destination, Gotham University. It didn't take me long to get an invite to attend the school once my patents hit the market. Additionally, I 'discovered' Gamma Radiation. That discovery alone had all of the big schools and radiation researchers wanting me to work with them.

They were all turned down though, the only reason I was so flashy academically was that I needed a college invite. There was no chance in hell I was going to wait for the four-month period for the next scheduled admissions test. The one thing a lot of people miss is that you can start your own company, but even then you would gain no recognition without a degree. Pulling into the school, there was a parking space located fairly in the middle, so that was where I parked my bike. Not thirty seconds later, a car pulled into space beside my own.

From the dark blue and the wheels that reflected on my helmet as I had my back turned to the parking space. It was the one and only Brady Bunch; the two were fast becoming an annoyance. Taping a quick-release button on the side of my helm, it folded down into a safe tablet-sized pad, which I placed in my backpack.

"Ohh, that's interesting! A collapsible helmet! I wasn't aware that something like that was on the market." Someone said, and when I turned around, it was Barbra Gordon. "Tell me more about that bike, how fast is it?"

I gave them no reply, I was already seeing the frown going across Dick's face, and there was no way I was going to tell the girl with perfect recall memory about any of my tech. With a nod, I walked away towards an Inorganic Chemistry class. With the fast track, I was currently on school work was being completed at a never before seen, unprecedented pace. The world knew me as a genius, and I won't slow down for anyone.

Within another month, a Bachelors would be mine and my first Masters in six months. Then I would pour myself into my first PhD, and I will officially become Dr. Doom.

"No need to be so rude." A voice huffed with a slight growl.

Turning around, I gave Dick a baleful glare. "Excuse me? This Prince does not need your petty insecurities forced upon him and in my face. I'm painfully well aware of you're insecurities when someone of higher caliber speaks with your adored. Therefore, there is no need for me to speak to her and gain the ire of such an insecure whelp. This is why I stay away but you are also both playing a game in bothering this Prince. Cease now and let this Prince be before I am inclined to retaliate in kind."

Had to keep them off balance until I had things set up correctly. With that, I walked away. Fuck them and their bullish investigations.

o.O.o

"Well, that could've gone a lot better," Barbra said as she watched their eccentric classmate walk away.

"You heard Bruce he is on that list," Replied Dick awhile squinting his eyes as they followed their classmate. "What do you think he means when he called himself, 'Prince'?"

"I don't think he meant to let that part slip. Remember what Bruce said; there is no Latveria on the map or that we know of." Barbra replied as she walked next to her teammate.

"So, you're saying he is royalty or something?" Dick asked as he shifted Barbra's backpack on his shoulder.

"I've already sent a message to Bruce," Replied Barbra as she placed her cell phone back into her pocket.

o.O.o

The class was over, and it was time to get lost for the day. Not too long ago, I had come across information on the Super-Villain bar here in Gotham. The Tin Roof bar was like the bar with no name out of coast city, but it was time to make myself known.

Helmet on, traffic was clear, it was time for some speed. My motorcycle came alive beneath me before my two stalkers returned. Not even sparing a glance, I was out of the parking lot cutting off a delivery truck as I zoomed along. There was a science convention next week right after my meeting with Luthor, and I was looking forward to it.

My mind was advancing at a pace that made it hard not to want to advance the world and tech around me. Unfortunately for the world, I knew better. All of the advancements that came to mind will be for my citizens, and the rest of the world can get the scraps. Eventually, they will demand, but Doom will demand they bend the knee.

Bludhaven was rapidly approaching, and the tracking that I left on the car that Dick drove was showing them entering the Wayne Manor compound. Of course, they would go there, the other trackers that I had for any roof top followers weren't pinging so I knew I was safe. After a telekinetic scan on myself, I plucked off the tacker Dick placed on me during a slight bump in the hallway on a passing car making a right-hand turn.

Grin on my face, I took a left turn, pulling a wheelie along the way. Damn it's good to be alive. With a pit stop to get lunch, I was off again. I knew this bar was on the south side, and there was nothing above it because they had motion sensors for the capes. The first thing within my sight was the Gothic crown around the top with metal rods sticking out. Interesting wasn't even the word to describe the place, right above the parking lot was a sign that said steal a vehicle, and we break your legs.

Who would have thought that a bar in Gotham had some sense of honor, I thought to myself while I parked my bike. With a few button presses a force field sprung into place, protecting my property.

There was a whistle, and I turned to find a rather large being with a cloak tossed over its head and shoulders.

"That's a sweet ride you have there," The person said with a rather gravelly voice.

Looking loser with my sight, I noticed the different fluctuations in his bio aura. I noted his Bio-aura indicated only half of it was human, it looked to be mixed with something else I couldn't place. "Yeah, I built her myself," I replied with a nod towards my bike. There was no need to be rude to someone I just met.

"Come on, let me buy you a drink kid, and you can tell me more about your ride." He said while he nodded in the direction on the bars back door.

"You never introduce yourself."

"Names Croc, Killer Croc." The large man said as he removed the cloak covering his large frame. "You coming for that drink or what?"

The first thought in my mind was this is how someone felt when they looked up at the Hulk. This man was huge once he stood at his full height. Killer Croc's arms had muscles that had muscles. His skin was a shade of forest green on the back and forearms while his chest, from what I could see under his shirt, was a lighter cream shade.

"Killer Croc isn't a name, but you can call me Vincent," I replied as I held out a hand for a shake.

"You're a strange one, you know that, and the names Waylon," Waylon said as he returned my handshake. "Why don't I smell any fear from you?"

"Because I would easily kill you if you decided to make me a snack," I replied with a shrug. "I'm not the Batman or any of the Rogues around here. People will understand in due time, I guess."

Listening to the big man laugh, we walked into the bar that was still a little slow before the night shift really picked up.

"We ain't open, so its double the cost per drink and slow service."

"Yeah, we hear you, Mary." Waylon returned as he took up a booth on the far end, I noticed he was trying to watch the football game. Interesting, I would have thought the Cajun man was more into the jazz and music scenes.

"Tell your friend that this is neutral territory, we don't accept cape bullshit around here."

Waylon grumbled as he waved an arm at the bar keep. "Yeah, yeah we understand. Its bribe or get a drink and leaving the fighting outside."

I relaxed into my seat and waited for a waiter to come by so I could order myself an overpriced beer with all these villains. Taking a look around, I noticed Mad Hatter, Two-Face, and a few others sitting around the different tables. The one table that had my undivided attention though was the table where sat ScareCrow.

That was interesting, I would think that he would be out playing some mad scheme to take over Gotham with his fear toxin, maybe I should get a sample for myself. There was the little Joker serum I found left over in a capsule outside a water tank. One more side project won't hurt. Maybe I could use this for something good like I have planned for the other serum.

"You interested in him or something?" Waylon asked as he cocked his head to the side while looking at me.

"Nope," I replied, popping the P. "I'm wondering if he will sell some of his toxins so that I could study it for a project."

Shaking my head, I turned back to look up and watch the Coast City game. The football team was playing against Tampa Bay, and the game was actually a pretty good one.

Now I understand why Waylon came to watch the game. We spoke about my motorcycle and chatted about the game for a while as we waited for the night to descend on us. It was a good time, and I wasn't expecting these villains would be so chill, but seeing as how this is their relaxing place, I could understand.

There was a lull in the conversation as we both drank our beers and watched the game on the large tv. "Tell me, Waylon, where do you work?"

The silence that greeted me from him was very telling. Turning to face the big man, I heard a slight growl escape him.

"Convict or not, this is Gotham and anyone can get a job, so why take offense to a simple question?" I asked the big man, then I sent him a wave of calming psionic waves.

With a tisk of his teeth, Waylon went back to giving the game most of his attention. For a moment, I watched as he mulled over what he wanted to say.

With a grunt he started, "Nahh, after the military left me like this. I went about killing those that did this to me. After that, they black listed me everywhere."

"So, that means your currently free of employment?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just say what you want kid." Waylon growled out before chugging the rest of his beer, then he held a hand up and called for another.

"I need a sparring partner and someone to look after the grounds while I'm away," I said before drinking what was left of my own beer. "You don't have to be around the house for long if you don't want to, but I would like your nose to sniff out to see if people stop by besides those I order my tools from."

Waylon looked me up and down before belting out a ruckus laughter at my expense. "You want me to be your sparring partner, kid you wouldn't be able to survive that."

Ignoring the growing urge I had to punch Waylon in the face, I continued my sails pitch. "There will also be a chance to cure you of what the government did to you."

"Ha! Don't make claims of things you can't do kid."

"From my observation you're a splice of a freshwater alligator and human. Sprinkle in the metagene with a controlling factor, and you can be back to being human and transform whenever you want. Whoever did that to you was a half cooked mental case. Look me up when you get the chance, now if you will excuse me I see a lovely lady with whom I would like to converse." I said as I eyed the red hair, lith form, and spotted coat.

Honestly, I thought I would have to wait more than a few months before I ran into her. Getting up from my table, I dropped a hundred and made my way towards the bar. There were very few Cat woman type's that could ever hold my interest, but this wasn't Marvel, so Black Cat was off the table for me. That left me with two choices, Cat Woman, who likes to sniff around Bruce, and the other would be Cheetah.

Cheetah was a bonafide super villainess: but who cared about all that. Dr. Barbra Minerva was a top Archaeologist and Anthropologist before the whole Goddess of the Hunt curse trapped her as a humanoid female Cheetah. Lucky for me, the brain and the beauty, while both eye catching, also coincided with my future plans. There were plenty of magical trinkets around that I would like to get my hands on, but only one person had the skills to get them that wasn't on the Justice League's roster.

Before I could get halfway across the bar, someone tripped me. Instantly, I caught myself before I stumbled. There was nothing to describe the feeling of instant anger that washed over me at that moment. Before I could retaliate, my face was filled with a puff of gas. My gut instinct screamed at me to cower in fear, but my will screamed out for me to attack. How dare this plebeian attempt to subvert my mind from my grasp.

Instantly, I was on him driving my knee into his sternum as I dove across the table to smash the face of the one who thought he could subvert my mind from my control.

Weapon! I needed a weapon to finish the task at hand, but what could I use? Anything would work, but I had to use something that didn't give away my main abilities. Metal: metal was needed. I could easily pass it off as having electromagnetism. Driving my fist into the mask that ScareCrow wore, it tore slightly showing me the eyes of a man who knew his end was near.

With a savage slam on my palm crushing his nose, blood poured forth as I held up my left hand summoning a knife from the kitchen to my outstretched palm. Before I could jam my hastily created knife spear I summoned into his face, a giant clawed hand wrapped around my own and yanked me off the slumped over form of ScareCrow.

"Who dares to deny Doom his right of retaliation?" I roared turning around to find the large form of Killer Croc looming over me.

"You already won kid. No need to spill his blood." Waylon said as he then stepped in between myself and the slumped form of ScareCrow.

"That was a dumb move Crow, now you have to pay for a round for everyone and to replace the things that broke during the skuffle," Mary the bar tender spoke as she stood over his slumpped form. Then I watched her hand cock back and sank into his jaw. "Tell me, kid, why didn't his gas work on you?"

"I do not fear. I get angry and attack. Especially when someone tries to subvert my mind for their goals. That is a violation of my person, and I take umbrage with such a transgression." I replied in a growl as I stared down at the form of ScareCrow. "No need to charge him with the damages and for the rounds. I will pay for it as this incident was allowed to happen due to my disturbance and lack of awareness while distracted by the beauty at the bar. Now, if you will excuse me."

The bar instantly went back to its loud and boisterous nature as I stepped over the broken table and other splinters that littered the ground. Looking around, I found brown eyes with auburn curls looking directly at me as I made my way to the empty seat beside her.

"So was it my beauty that attracted one such as yourself?" She purred at me while looking me up and down.

Ordering us both another round of whatever she was having I took my seat. "No my dear, it was your intellect that drew my attention. It's not very often that one meets the infamous Dr. Minerva and I doubt you would like me to be after your tail, I would prefer not to join the list of individuals, you have let down."

With a hum and a purr, Cheetah chuckled to herself before downing the drink I ordered.

"What is it that you would like of me then?" Cheetah asked after a bit of silence.

"Would you like to be human again or stay as you are?"

When I asked that question, Cheetah's eye did a noticeable change, and I could feel all shades of emotions flash in waves from her. Turning away to take a drink, I allowed Cheetah a moment to gather herself. After a moment, Cheetah finally gathered herself and turned on the bar stool to fully face me.

For a moment, I stopped as I caught the look of her from the corner of my eye. Around Cheetahs neck was a beaded necklace that had cat motifs in the middle. The fur on her front was a lighter shade than the one on her back. Not only that, but her stomach was also missing any spots, while all across her body, it carried a spotted pattern. Even Cheetah's inner thighs and breast carried light sprinkles of spots on her fur, around her waist was another cat motif on a beaded string in the form of a belt.

"You can change me back?" Cheetah asked silently, urgently as she leaned into my personal space. Then with her eyes narrowed, so asked the question of the night. "What is the price?"

"How many photos and videos do you have of embarrassing Diana? Having the princess hog tied and in any other embarrassing situation would work really well for my needs." I replied with a sly smile on my face. Picking up the hand of Cheetah, I trailed my fingers across her palm in a soothing manner.

"Yeah, I have some somewhere, why do you want those?" Cheetah asked with a huff before tossing my hand away. "Figured, everyone wants photos of little miss perfect."

"Ohh, she isn't so bad, think of it this way. She was the one that got you stuck like this, and she will also be the one to help you get better." I said before placing my phone on the counter. "Circe has a grudge with the Queen of the Amazons, but what makes her incredibly important for you are her skills in magic."

Cheetah looked at the information that I have been compiling from my memories of DC and what I have compiled since I set my up computer system.

"Why her and not one of those goody goody types?" Cheetah asked as she perked up with my information.

With a shrug I replied, "Circe likes to turn people into animals for fun. So there isn't a reason why she couldn't do the reverse, but I would suggest using that cat motif to transfer the powers of the Huntress goddess."

With her eyes fully focused on my phone, I watched them zip back and forth on the information on the last known location in Greece. "Why?"

"Transferring the curse to the artifact will give you access to your powers anytime you want. Giving up power and going back to being human will wear off once you begin to miss the power." I said before I heard a ring and notice that Cheetah used my phone to call her own.

That got my attention because where in the hell did she keep that cellphone on her person when she was all fur and no clothes? Ignoring that, I had to call out to her before she zoomed out of the bar. "Don't forget the things with Diana. That will be the currency to turn you back."

With a chuckle to myself, I turned back towards the bartender standing and waiting on me.

"So, what was that? trying to get some tail?" Mary asked me as she wiped down the counter

"Yes, but not as she is. Ooh, don't get me wrong. I would rock her world fur or no fur, but I believe it was better to help fix the bad hand she was dealt. Far too many people are given those and then labeled villains and such." I replied before chugging my drink before getting up.

Mary nodded in return as she took my empty cup and took up the bills I put down for the damages and for the drinks. "That's why I insist on this bar being neutral. Far too many people need a place to unwind."

With a nod at her statement, I left a card with a contact number for Waylon, then left with a wave of my hand. There was whistling a skip and a jump before I was on my motorcycle. First, I held up my left hand and watched as it didn't shake. Having accelerated healing is such a cheat, and I love it. Leaving my helmet in its tablet form, a H.U.D. was brought up on my motorcycle before I shot out of the parking lot like a bullet.

The throttle was open, and the only thing before me was the night. The wind was in my hair, and even the slight moisture couldn't bring me down. Taking a right at the light, I ignored the slowing traffic that I would have had to wait on while I made my way home.

Halfway home, I felt the weight on my motorcycle shift, before I could pull over a pair of strong arms worked their way around my waist. The purr on my back made me very aware of who was my new passenger. With only a few miles out from the house, it was time to really cut loose. With a quick shift, the limiters were removed.

Cheetah purred harder as the speed easily kicked up past one hundred. With my weaving, we were in and out of traffic as it stood still in our perception. Before long we were riding through the woods that lead up to my home, there was the familiar shift of the phase frequency, and I knew I was back safe within the confines of my shield. Pulling up to the front, Cheetah hopped off the back then did a stretch that did amazing things for my sight.

"What was that back there, that shift?" Cheetah asked as she finished her stretches.

"I keep a shield up around my property. It allows me to track anyone that's here besides myself and also protects the place from attack if need be." I replied as I moved my bike into the open garage. With my bike placed away, I watched as she walked a few paces before giving me a sly grin that I knew could only be trouble.

Once my gloves were placed on the shelf, Cheetah stalked towards me. With the zipper to my jacket clasped between her fingertips, I wasn't sure if that was the jacket or Cheetah that purred so loudly. Our lips smashed together, and damn did the sparks fly. The kiss was strong and demanding, and I wasn't even concerned with the large canines that she used to slightly nip at me. The only response I gave to that display of domination was to grab myself a handful of derriere.

I was enjoying the feel of her nicely shaped bunns when I was suddenly pushed away.

"Let's see if you can catch this tail," Cheetah said and then instantly took off towards the forest surrounding my home.

Ripping my jacket off, it was tossed to the side, and so were my shoes, then I took off into the bush behind her. I would never be as fast as the top speedsters, but that didn't mean I couldn't move at speed if the need called for it. Also, there was never any agreement about not cheating. Opening myself around me, there was a sense of joy on the left. Ignoring the feeling that I got from the left, I ran straight down the middle.

A twinkle of laughter followed me when I got into the woods. That laughter shut down once I began to launch myself from tree to tree like I was a ninja moving across the land. A presence sped by on my right and came and then circled around to my back as I changed directions. Smiling to myself, I summoned up a branch from the ground. Taking the flexible part of the willow branch, I created a loop and prepared it for a simple trap that I had in mind.

With quick mental work, I had the willow branch wrapped around another tree limb, and I took off in another direction. Quickly, while I flew to the left, I pulled off my shirt and let it float around the tree and onto the trap I set to put Cheetah off of the scent. Slyly. I floated my way up above and watched my shirt in the opposite direction. With the wind in my favor, It was a given that Cheetah wasn't going to catch my scent. This were basic tactics to use against predators in nature. A smile splayed across my lips as I watched Cheetah take a quick pause at the breach.

FWIP!

Cheetah launched herself into the air right into my open and waiting arms, after the branch she sat on launched a quick attack at her. The shirt and branch combo trap that I had set up was shredded by her claws as she attacked them out of pure reflex. It would seem that this kitty was a little skittish, but then again, she was blessed or cursed by the goddess of the hunt after all. Her tail lashed against my thigh as my arms wrapped around her waist as I held us up afloat in the sky.

Chest bare and smile on my face, I had won this little bout, and I was going to claim my prize. Flipping us over, I brought us back down to the ground, flipping Cheetah over on top of me. I received a quirk of the eyebrows and a very predatory smile from the beauty above me.

With a smile of my own, I went in for the kiss. The kiss was hot passionate and heated, Cheetah's tail wrapped its way around my arm as her claws dug into me as she pulled me in closer. The night was warm, and the moon was out, there was no better place than here for such an amazing night. Cheetah pulled back and watched my wounds heal instantly from the scratches she had made. At first, I noticed the frown, and then it was replaced with an inquisitive look.

"I guess you can already tell that I'm not normal," I said as we came down to rest on the forest floor.

"So, is this why you're interested in me?" Cheetah asked as she traced the place where she clawed my chest.

"Honestly, half and half, there are many things that I know, but there are very few people that I have helped. Helping you is only because you have been dealt a bad hand, not because you are also like me." Was my reply, but the next thing I wanted to say was silenced because I felt a presence enter the domain of my shields.

Cheetah noticed my pause and reaction, then turned around and sniffed at the air. I was instantly up and on my feet, and so was Cheetah beside me.

Cheetah lifted her head and smelled the wind as it shifted and changed among the trees and forest. "This scent is familiar to me."

Taking a look at Cheetah, who in turn, gave me a nod. We took off towards the direction that she was smelling such a familiar scent and where I was feeling the presence of the intruder.

Cheetah sprinted along the ground as I flew behind her, knowing that Cheetah was as fast as Wonder Woman was one thing. Actually seeing her run in front of me covering the forest grounds around my home was another. Before we were playing, but now I was watching a Cheetah move with true purpose.

Flying over a low hedge, I was right one Cheetah's tail as she came to a rapid stop at the river that went through my lands. Before us stood a lady in green from head to toe, vines wound their way up her legs and around her arms. The red headed forest nymph before us wore clothing made out of leaves and moss creating an interact pattern along her body as it covered up the more intimate parts. Instantly I frowned; I knew who this was. This was none other than Poison Ivy, or better yet Pamela Isley. She was more than renowned around Gotham for always trying to take over the world with her green thumb.

Her attempts were always thwarted by Bruce, but that never stopped her from trying to save the world. DC was always full of such people that needed help but never got the help they needed with the changes made to their lives.

"It's only Ivy" Cheetah breathed as she looked over the intruder's form.

I turned to look at her then looked at the other red head before me. "Yeah, I can see that, but what is she doing here?"

Cheetah returned a shrug towards me, so I turned around towards the other red head with a raised eyebrow.

Ivy walked towards us with a sway in her hips and a smile on her lips, but I wasn't buying any of it. There might be a pity in my heart for her, but I knew better than to trust a poison apple.

"Ahh, the reason why I have come." Ivy began as she walked up towards us and stopping before Cheetah and me. Ivy looked us up and down, and then a grin spread across her face at the sight of my bare chest. "My babies told me that this was a clean place, a place covered by a shield that purifies the air and water."

My frown was very evident and prominent on my face. "Did you break out, or were you already out of Arkham?"

The frown that came to Ivy's face was instant, "I was already out, but my companion decided to leave once a certain person broke out today."

Instantly, shock flooded my system; there is only one other companion that Ivy ever had, and that was Harley. The fact that Harley left was because of the Joker's presence in the city.

"Where is he.." Came out of my voice in a slow harsh whisper. The cold, emotionless tone of my voice must have sparked something because both Ivy and Cheetah took a firm step away from me. Taking a look at them both, I straightened up and reigned in my hatred for the Joker. The void had held me for who knows how long, but I was better than this. Now that I once more had a life, I refused to go back to the void, the Joker had to die because I would not become one of his unwilling victims.

With my mind made up, it was time to make a move and make a difference once and for all: "There is a price for you staying here."

"What's your involvement with the Joker?" Cheetah asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

For a moment, I thought it over, but I also noticed the look Ivy was giving me so I decided on a half-truth. "I have no beef with the man, but the world would be a far better place without him. Nothing says that I can't remove him from the board. Batman might be sad losing his boyfriend, but it's something that needs to be done."

Ivy looked at me for a moment and then put her thoughts together and spoke, "Killing him will get the league after you."

With a snort of my own, I said my peace, "Jack Napier will be fine, but the Joker has to go."

"Well, I don't think I would like to be here for that," Cheetah said before pulling me in for a blistering kiss. "If you survive whatever it is that you plan to do, then I will look you up."

With a nod of my own, I gave her ass one last squeeze. "Tell Circe that I said hey and that I might have a deal for her if she is interested. It's of the rubbing the amazon queens face in it type of pay out."

Without a glance back, Cheetah took off into the forest.

Turning my attention back towards the femme fatal before me, I steeled my will.

"What is it that you would like by coming into my domain?" I asked the green diva before me.

Ivy gave me a smile, and I notice her checking me out, and I was wholly aware; not that she most likely could smell the pheromones that my body gave off.

"I would like to be within the area in Gotham that has freshwater and an untainted sky," Ivy said as she looked up at me with pleading eyes.

"You will need a job," I returned. "And I would like your help with a little something."

Ivy snorted as if I made a joke and then laughed loudly. "No one will hire a supervillain."

My frown resurfaced on my face as I began to stare her down, "It's because you fail to get certain truths through your head. Just like the rest of the denizens of Gotham and the World. Everything isn't always about brute force, and sometimes you need a little finesse and the occasional mind game."

Anger flashed across Ivy's face as she marched up and poked me in the chest with a finger, "Then tell me, what have I missed? I have tried to fix the earth, but that blasted Bat always stops me. I have offered my cures and skills to help reforest the planet, but no one will accept my offer. What do you think you can do that I have not tried."

With my arms crossed before my chest, I let Ivy have the simple truth of the matter. "These are all brute force methods. No one will accept your gifts because they believed that this is a way to take over the world. You forget normal people like free things but the people that run their lives the politicians and the company men will think that you are after their bottom line when you offer free things. They will never accept anything free because they will think it's not worth anything.

You giving things away will not help the situation, create a company then people will think of you as a business-woman and not some hippie offering free miracles. Work with me and we can that you have reformed and charge companies for the work that you do. Its basic psychology the rich will never take anything free because they think it's a trap, but mark up the price, and they will line up to pay as much as you ask."

Ivy stood there for a moment with shock on her face. I guess she was never told how simple it was to her face before.

"Come, we have work to do."

With that statement, I turned on my heels and walked back to the house.

---

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Ohh you guys thought, I was just going to let Vince get that booty automatically with 2 chapters in. { Evil Laugh }

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