Purr-fect Partners

by Erin Griffin

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Rating: On that fine line between R and NC-17.

Pairing: Shalimar/Helena (Mutant X/Birds of Prey crossover)

Summary: Someone is after people with the abilities Helena and Shalimar both possess. In the heat of battle, they meet and realize that in order to stop this murderer, they must work together. Heh, and other stuff happens that I cannot tell you about otherwise it will give away the whole story, which will leave you with absolutely no reason to want to READ the story...

Disclaimer: *Looks down at self* Still not the owner of the WB and Marvel Comics... Damn. I don't own them (but I'm working on that), so please don't sue me. I just took the characters out for joy ride, since they needed to get out more.

Author's Note: This is an AU obviously, since the Birds of Prey and Mutant X do not exist in the same universe. I haven't been watching much of Mutant X this season, but I keep hearing that it is set in New York as is New Gotham, but in this fic, I am going to say that they are on an island near California that hasn't been discovered yet, haha. Oh yeah, Dinah is just sexier with a potty mouth. Yeah... Enjoy.

{Shalimar}

Up with insomnia again, I sat up at the computers and looked through the database. Another Feral had been killed tonight, the fourth this week. From what Adam can tell, whoever is doing these killings are headed away from here, and is leading a trail towards New York. What we don't know is what or who is in New York that makes the suspect(s) want to go there. All that is known for certain is that they have one person in general for a target and that these other Ferals were just practice.

"Shal? You're up again?" For the first time since my powers evolved, I was snuck up upon. I jumped.

"Yeah. Up again, Emma." I replied slowly. I looked up at my younger friend and smiled, hopefully showing her that even though I was still awake, I was fine. She saw through me, of course. She could, after all, read emotions from people's minds.

"You find out anything else?"

"Yes, actually... I think I did. I looked up New York and the only thing I can see is that in the past 20 or more years there have always been odd things happening in a city now called New Gotham. It used to be known as Gotham City until-"

"Until that massive earthquake about 10 years ago. I saw all that on the news." Emma said, cutting me off. I nodded and she looked over my shoulder at the computer screen.

"Well, now it is called New Gotham, but the odd occurrences and arrests kept happening. There are people there with extraordinary powers, but the weird thing is, none of the people arrested had the same power. True, they'd be similar, but never exactly the same. Here is the weirder part. For a long time, there was a legend. Batman, a protector of the people in this city. Around the same time as this earthquake, he disappeared. There was no one to help the police fight crime, until 6 years ago. There are rumors of a woman now, out to stop burglaries, robberies, rapes... You name it. No one seems to know her name, but some of the police reports have the criminals describing this woman. She sounds like she's another Feral. It's just odd..." I sighed.

"What?" Emma asked, looking at me.

"She has saved people from 14 fires over the years and didn't seem afraid once." I clicked a few more links and raked my fingers through my hair.

"A Feral not afraid of fire?"

"No. Look at this, here is a police report that states this woman crashed in when a man named Silus 'Slick' Waters was accused of robbing an armored truck. Had loads of weapons in there, and this woman had used a flame thrower to- Get this- Evaporate him? Apparently, he had some sort of power to turn into water. An Elemental." I was silent for a minute. "I do not think this... protector of New Gotham is a New Mutant. Not quite. I think she is different, but... similar..." I let myself trail off. Feeling my doubt, Emma put her hand on my shoulder.

"It makes sense to me, Shal. She must be a different- er- breed of New Mutant. Maybe she is a new stage of the genetic mutation that Eckhart had created a long time ago and had hidden somewhere." Emma suggested. I nodded.

I was relieved that Emma understood what I was thinking, even if she had to go into my head to see it. "So... you think-"

"I think... I think maybe this is who the killer is after." I said, cutting her off. "I keep getting this feeling that I have to stop this killer and see why they are after her." I murmured, almost forgetting that Emma was still in the room with me.

"I'll go get Adam."

*

{Helena}

"My point is," Barbara continued to lecture, "the criminals aren't as stupid as you think they are most of the time. Though they are being locked up for some of their motives, they know you are like them. They will tell someone- whomever will pay the right price- if you aren't careful, alright?" I nodded, wanting to roll my eyes at my overprotective mentor.

"Okay. I'm sorry." I said in an exhausted voice, totally surrendering. I know it is a fight never won or lost. Barbara's eyebrows rose, asking herself if I was playing some sort of game with her head, like a cat playing with the mouse. Then she gave me a look that seemed to ask me to challenge her authority. When I didn't, she knew that something was bothering her protégé, and Barbara wanted to know the who, what, when, where, and why... Maybe some of the how as well, if I'd let up on that
information.

"You okay?" She finally asked. I couldn't lie to Barbara. She would have seen right through it anyway. I sighed.

"It's just something that Dinah said she saw on the news last night." I admit to her.

"The killings?"

"Yes. I thought I was the only one who could do what I do. After admitting what I am to myself I started to think that I was truly special. Because I didn't have to compete with anyone, I can be who I am and not have to worry about being a copycat... no pun intended. I alone could truly be the next Catwoman. These victims... They all have the same powers I do. They all," I started to count things off on my hand, "are swift, their eyes change, making them look like cats, they are sexually active..." I tried to keep myself from blushing at the last one, to which Barbara gave me a knowing smile.

"But they are afraid of fires and they hate water more than you do. They aren't quite like you, Helena. You are the only one in the world who does everything you can do. These victims-"

"I am still afraid." I blurted out. It is too late to take it back, if the look of concern on Barbara's face says anything. I kept going.

"From what it looks like, this person is out to kill every last one of them, and they are headed in this direction. They won't give a damn that I am not afraid of fire like the rest of them. They only care that I am different, but at the same time like them." Barbara reached out and grabbed my arm. I didn't notice that I had started to pace. Frantically at that.

"These other people are probably on something that made them that way. A drug of some sort that reacts to certain types of people genetically. I will check it out for you. As for this killer, I think- No, I KNOW you can handle yourself." Barbara said, making me look at her.

"I am beginning to doubt that. If these other victims couldn't stop him or her from killing them, you think I could?!" I asked.

"You have more fire power than they did. You have me for information, plus Gibson could get you a full meta security team to back you. Then there is Dinah and Reese to go to for some more physical power, and Dinah gives you more meta power in your grasp..." I nodded in agreement, but the news only settled my nerves a little bit. As if she had been summoned, Dinah came running down the stairs. She had this half-awake look to her, one that I have only seen once or twice since she's been living here. That was when she had been awaken by a dream that would soon become a reality. She seemed to pace for a second in front of us, and flinched when one of us tried to talk to her or touch her. She must not be finished with the vision. She nodded as if someone was telling her some things, and then she stopped pacing, looked up at us and got a relieved look on her face.

"Dinah?" I asked slowly.

"Helena- dream- Good news!!" she spat out in a rush, as if she couldn't figure out what to tell me first. Apparently, it was important and meant for me. Barbara grabbed her arm just as she had just grabbed mine a couple of minutes before.

"Okay, start at the beginning." Dinah nodded furiously, looking at me again. There was a glitter to her eyes that I couldn't interpret. Almost mischievous...

"Those killings I saw on the news... Help is on the way!"

*

{Shalimar}

"Here. Drop me off here, Brennan." I said instructed the dark haired man sitting in front of me the next night at sundown. I do not know why, but it felt as if there was trouble brewing around here, and I also felt that the clocktower not too far away held a mystery. Something told me that all the action will happen around here. It would be nice to live in an apartment there, though. I mean, you can watch the sun set, and you'd be closer than anyone to the stars at night on a clear night like this one is going to be. To watch the sunset from here... I thought as I looked in the direction of the pinks and oranges in the sky.

"Why would you want to land near the clocktower?" Brennan asked.

"All of the reports of the protector occur about a two mile radius of this Clocktower. My guess is, she lives in this area, maybe two or so blocks away. I'll keep an eye out tonight and we'll go from there." I explained in sort of a daze.

"You sure you don't want someone coming with you on this one? I mean, even Emma for support in this whole thing?" The Psyonic seemed to plead with her eyes to keep her out of it.

Instead she said, "Shalimar feels she must do this one alone, but I will be with her. I will feel her if she gets hurt. Besides, she has her comm. ring on." I nodded.

"It won't take me too long." I assured him. Brennan shrugged. I think his big brother over protectiveness is cute.

Ten minutes later, as I walked slowly along the streets of New Gotham, feeling totally lost as the sun seemed to set quicker, I felt it. Another presence in the air about 1/4 of a block away that wasn't quite human. Then I smelled it: fear, sweat, adrenaline, and feline hormones. She was close, and she was in a fight. Had the killer made it to New Gotham already? I asked myself as I felt my body shift back into my human mode for a second. When I am in the Feral mode, I sometimes can't think clearly, and if there was a fight, I am not able to go in with a clear mind. I just attack and go. I ran to where I smelled her, and found myself going toward an alleyway. I heard a voice.

"One potato, two potato, three potato, four. Five potato, six potato dropping to the floor... Man, I should become a song writer. Crime fighting isn't known for it's high pay." A smile crossed my face as I decided I was liking this person more and more as the bodies started to pile up on the ground. I let my eyes and body shift once again as I turned the corner. Two women were fighting a small army of people. These were just everyday muggers and bank robbers. They thought there'd be safety in numbers... The brunette of the pair seemed quicker, stronger and more aggressive than the blonde, whom seemed to be doing well on her own, but needed every now and then a little bit of assistance. They remind me of Jesse and Brennan in a fight... I thought. I decided to leave them alone unless they absolutely need some assistance. That way, they all think there are only two fighting and they'd be surprise to find that another was on their side. Suddenly, the brunette of the duo looked around and seemed to almost see me, but as I moved away some into the shadow, she went back to her fight. "Hey Dinah," she said between blows to the other side, "I think more have come to play with us. Don't tell anyone, though. They think we are playing Hide and Seek when we are playing Tag." The brunette hit the nearest attacker in the jaw and I swear I hear it crack. "Tag! You're it... Aw, you're no fun." The blonde didn't respond, making both myself and the other woman look around for her. There was a loud grunt as something hit something else, and then there was a groan from the blonde. Where is she? The moment of hesitation threw the other woman off guard and she was put in a headlock, and soon after there were 3 more coming near her, and on other one whom had gotten up and was ready for more. I thought quickly, and I found myself in front of the advancing people.

"You know your mother always told you to play fair." I said, kicking the nearest guy, making him fall to the ground. Then, as they seemed startled, I kicked at the man holding the other woman in the headlock. There were fists and feet everywhere for a few more seconds before the last guy fell at my feet. "Hmm... That's why you were so crabby. I didn't realize it was nap time." I said in a murmur, thinking to myself that I should have Emma stitch that on a pillow. I chuckled to myself. I crack myself up sometimes.

"I could have gotten them." The brunette said.

"Not from where I was standing." I said, challenging her to prove my statement wrong. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't, but I had to admire the fact that she was searching her mind for a way to try. I shook my head before I started running towards where I heard the blonde's grunting before. She was silent now, and it concerned me.

"I didn't need your help." she said, getting defensive.

"Yeah, well your friend does." I replied, continuing my search for the other blonde.

"I don't want you going anywhere NEAR Dinah. You aren't needed here." She spat out. I frown as I folded my arms across my chest.

"Look, I just wanted to help a fellow Feral." I said, feeling myself getting angry. What was her problem anyway? That sentence earned me a glare.

"A WHAT?!" Attitude suffocated those words as she looked me up and down, wondering if I was trustworthy. I shook my head.

"Feral. A New Mutant with animal like characteristics." I tried to explain, but the look on the brunette's face darkened and she looked as if she was going to rip me to shreds.

"I am NOT a mutant." The woman was forceful with her words. She crossed her arms, copying my motion, and I shook my head again as I let my hands fall to my sides. The brunette's younger than I am, about 22 or 23. Her hair was short dark brown. She was about an inch or two shorter than me as well, but her smaller frame seemed to be able to hold her own in a fight.

"New Mutant." I corrected in a mocking manner. I tried my hardest not to laugh at her. She rolled her eyes and glared.

"Whatever. I am not like you." she said, and then she was gone. Most likely she went to help her blonde friend, the one she called out to as Dinah.

"Well." I said in a mock surprised tone. "Catty, aren't we?" I muttered before I turned to go find a hotel room to sleep in for the night. I had kept my eye on a couple to sleep at, but in this city I was just lucky I knew what street I was on. Adam said that as soon as I found the room I was to sleep in for the duration of the mission, he'd send Emma with my things. I once or twice thought about asking Emma to stay after she had brought over my things, but I decided against it. I was too close, and I didn't want anything to happen to her...

*

{Helena}

I sat up on top of the gargoyle on the roof thinking over the night's events and the woman whom had come to help Dinah and me. I wasn't very nice to her, I know, but I was afraid. I thought she was maybe the killer or at least someone whom was associated with the ones who were killing them. Thinking it over, I realized that she seemed much like me. She fought very well, almost as well as myself. It was almost as if she didn't fight as often as I do, but when she does, she's having a blast. Like... For her it was really a game. But where did she come from, and why/how could she do what she did? I could have sworn up and down that I was the only- uh- FERAL there was. But now, I am not so sure. I mean, what if later down the road we meet up with someone who is killing off people with Dinah's power? I mean, the kid's good in her fighting and all, but... Well, she is my family now and I cannot lose more of my family. I heard the Delphi monitor system go off and I sighed.

"Crime never sleeps, Helena. Daddy would be so proud... And so would Mom because unlike Daddy, when things got tough I didn't bail..." I said to myself before I went inside to answer the call.

"Another murder. There was a note. For you." Barbara said, not letting me finish my stride to the computers. I frowned.

"For me?" I was taken aback.

"For 'The New Gotham Cat'." She shrugged. "Only one I can think of."

"Wow, I feel special. I get a new name. Anyway, what did it say?"

"It said that they will be waiting for you and the cops in the New Gotham Park with the newest victim." Barbara said slowly. "Everyone at the police station knows it is a trap, so only a few cops are going." Suddenly, Barbara looked up.

"Helena!" It was Dinah who had yelled at me. I looked up at her and saw she was in her pajamas, which was a light green tank top and plaid shorts. "You can trust her," she said. Barbara knew about the encounter with the woman and knew what happened tonight. She looked between us metas and then lowered her head for a second in thought.

"I don't know her." I argued. Dinah crossed her arms before her hands went to her head. She nodded a few times and then she shook her head furiously. Then she looked up at me.

"She's hear to HELP... so let her. And please... No territorial bullshit, okay?" I looked up at her and was surprised when she kept my gaze. Barbara had this look on her face that seemed to ask me what I had to say about that. "I mean it," she pressed before I could reply.

"She knows who's 'territory' " She used her fingers as quotation marks, "she's stepped onto by now. She wants to help us." I was about to say something but she cut me off. "Let her." She insisted.

"I-"

"Let her." She repeated, her lips pressed. I knew I wasn't going to win this one and both Dinah and Barbara knew it as well as I did. Damn it! I thought. She could be firm when she wanted to be and not even I could fight against it. This must be important. After a minute of silence and a stare down contest, (which she won because I looked over at Barbara, who made some weird noise that cleared her throat) I rolled my eyes and started on my way to the New Gotham Park. I better not regret this, Dinah. I thought on my way down the elevator.

*

{Shalimar}

With a secure place to sleep for the night, I went out once more, hoping to catch the other Feral in action again. I was hoping maybe I could watch her and see what else we have in common and how else she and I differed from each other. Somewhere above me, I felt a presence above me. I knew it was her, but I said nothing. I sped up a little to see how long she'd decide to stalk me, when I heard the thud of her boots on the ground behind me. To any other human, they would have gone unnoticed. I heard it as if someone was running on the pavement in heavy thuds. "Alright, who are you?" A voice asked, as I knew it would sooner or later. I turned around to see her in all her leather clad glory. She looked exactly as she had earlier that night, with her brown leather jacket open to reveal a white t-shirt that was tight against her skin, and jeans. She seemed sort of preppy. I felt myself getting aroused at the sight of her anyway. I had to close my eyes and open them again, but the hunger was still there. She saw me looking and muttered, "Damn you, Dinah," as if it was her fault she was wearing what it was she was wearing. Perhaps she was dared to wear it, and if she was anything like me, and I know she is, she'd never backed down from a dare or challenge. The blonde must have told her to try it out. As I felt myself getting hot, I made my body switch back to my normal self so my Feral side wouldn't decide to jump this girl right then and there. I mean, I at least need a real first name... I couldn't believe that thought had entered my mind.

I stayed put when she started to saunter towards me as she looked me up and down again. I turned my head to face her when she made a circle around me. If she thought she'd make me nervous, she was right, but I didn't show it. "The name's Shalimar." I said, locking eyes with her for the first time. "And... You are...?" The brunette seemed to think things over. She touched her ear, and it was then I noticed that she had earrings in the shape of bats. Was she someone who knew who Batman was? I didn't say anything. I just let her think for a second. She finally looked up at me again.

"You can call me Huntress."

"Huntress, eh? Well, alright then." I said shrugging as if I didn't care, but my mind was buzzing. Why would she tell me a code name? What does she have to hide? Where was that Dinah girl, and how come she doesn't have a code name? Why wasn't she still fighting crime with the Huntress? Did she get hurt when they fought those men earlier tonight? Questions spun through my head as I stayed silent.

Finally, Huntress asked, "Why are you in New Gotham?" I squinted, trying to find her in the darkness (but it was harder with my eyes being the way they were then), and then I shrugged.

"I was curious." I said. The Huntress' eyebrows rose.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know." She taunted.

"Not if the cat kills it first..." I said, letting my eyes change. I could feel the arousal coming back full throttle, and having the Huntress' eyes on me didn't help any. Suddenly, something happened that I didn't expect. She grinned at me.

"She told me to trust you, so that is what I am going to do. So here is the plan. There has been a murder. The guy's name was Danny Hudson. Lived on the west side of the city. Just moved here from Northern California, but traveled here last month. Hasn't used his powers since he's been here as far as records show, so the one I work with thinks the killer can sniff out the 'Ferals' as you call them. They left a note for me... Or maybe for you, who knows. Said there's another victim and they want us there in the New Gotham Park within the hour or she's dead. We all know it is a trap, but I was on my way there in case it wasn't, and I could actually save her life."

"Sounds like quite the party. Glad I finally got an invite, because this killer has totally caught my attention in 4th period..." I said sarcastically, waving my arm around as if I was in high school again, talking to a girlfriend of mine in the halls. Huntress seemed to smirk to try and hide her laughter. There's something at least. She looked at me once more.

"She is sure that this is the real reason why you're here." She said as if to reassure herself that I was truly someone to trust, but I have no clue why she (whomever the Huntress was referring to) was so sure I was trustworthy if they obviously didn't know me. Not that I have given her a sure reason not to trust me...

"Who are you talking about?" I finally decided to ask her before my mind exploded with all of these questions and thoughts.

"Dinah. My adoptive sister. You met her earlier tonight. You know, blonde, lower pitched grunt? Yeah, it's all coming back to you now, isn't it?" She seemed to say in a voice that made fun of me. She was mocking me. As if I didn't deserve it. I wasn't too nice to her about the Mutant/New Mutant thing we talked about earlier. "She's been acting strange and you're to blame, so let us hope she's right." She finished saying. My fault? Why/How is her sister acting strange MY fault?! Huntress turned and jumped to the roof of the building above her. She jumps higher than I do. I thought to myself. I had to jump up to the second story balcony and then to the third story balcony and then the roof. "Will you be able to keep up, Feral?" she mocked.

"It won't be a very hard task, considering the guide..." I shot back.

"Ooh, nice. Touché'. " Huntress drew out the last word as she shook her head. Then she made a motion that signaled a mark on an invisible blackboard that kept score of the puns and one liners. Then she turned away from me and started to jump the roofs. I tried my best to keep up, but my mouth was ahead of my body. She seemed to see that I wasn't having a great time keeping up with her, so she went to the ground and started running. The running helped me cool off and I felt better after a good run. After I felt my head start to clear I noticed that the Huntress and slowed down. I then noticed that we had reached the park, or at least the Southeastern entrance to it. "Yeah." Huntress suddenly murmured as I walked closer to her. I let an eyebrow raise.

"What?" I asked, but the brunette put up a hand as she tried to listen to it. I took a step forward and I heard another voice coming from her earring. "No, I do not know the coordinates. I just know we are at the south-eastern entrance since the note said they'd supposedly be waiting in the North side." I then heard a sigh from both Huntress and the other person.

"Dinah, I want you to watch after Helena and be her backup." The voice said, sounding almost mechanical.

"No, don't get the kid out of bed." Huntress said in a tough voice.

When it came to Dinah, no one seemed to argue with her. Not even Voice (A/N: That was sort of a pun... The woman who played in Mutant X as Shalimar... Victoria Pratt was also in this short lived show called Cleopatra 2525. The three women in that show were always taking orders from Voice, in which the woman named HEL was only able to hear... Okay, I thought it was funny. Well, not funny haha... Oh forget it.).

"Besides, She is with her." It was the blonde who spoke up, I just knew it was.

"Is she talking about me?" I asked. The Huntress nodded. "How would she-" But I was cut off by the Huntress shushing me. I frowned.

"Oracle, any more clues as to who this killer may be?"

"The killer for certain is female, we just do not know if it was one or more. It seems as if he was overpowered by more than one person, but there is only the essence of one person. Does that make sense?" The Oracle? The Huntress? Is Dinah the only one who doesn't have some funky code name?

"Yeah, oddly it makes perfect sense. So, there might be a pair of twins in on this." Huntress said, looking around her as if she was expecting for them to pop out of the darkness and attack at the mention of them.

"Right." Oracle said, sounding surprised that Huntress seemed to know what the possibilities of this occurrence were.

"Okay, Huntress out." She walked closer to me and nodded. "Doesn't seem to be anyone here," she said doubtfully, "but I think we should stick around for a little longer to see if anything happens." I nodded.

"I hope something happens soon. Smells like rain." I stated.

"You can smell rain?" Huntress asked, sounding interested. I shrugged.

"Yeah, the air has a different shift to it, and there is a slightly metallic smell to it."

"I know it is possible to smell the rain or the snow, but I never met anyone who actually could... Except Gibson, but he doesn't count because he can smell everything." She smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back. From the sound of her voice, Gibson was a friend of hers that sort of got on her nerves here and there, but was otherwise a great ally. "I am still training myself to smell the different chemicals given of by each sex, so I could smell the sex of the person coming near me before I see them. I can already hear them and smell them, but I can never tell which is which." The Huntress shrugged. I was glad we had something to talk about now, so the silences and the stares we gave each other that seemed to look within would cease.

"That was tough for me too. If all else fails, just remember women wear the perfumes..." I laughed as she looked at me as if I was nuts. I shrugged before she chuckled a little as if it was forbidden, but she had to anyway.

"Yeah, well I am only half, so that must be why I can't smell the sex of someone. Some of my mother's powers are lost on me." She admitted.

"It will take me a while before I could do that, I bet." I nodded as I felt someone approaching us. I put a hand on Huntress' shoulder and looked into her eyes. She stilled for a second and then she seemed to feel it too. She nodded as well. "Another one of us." She whispered. I was surprised that she said 'one of us', since the last time we had met that night, she was so sure she wasn't like me.

"Nice to see you again, Miss Fox." I looked around, but I couldn't see them. I felt them getting closer and after a while, I knew it was a female... Well, that and the voice was feminine.

"You know her?" Huntress asked. I continued my search for the murderer. Finally, I saw her scrunched up against the trunk of the tree nearest to us.

"Oh yes. We go back some." Then the voice stepped into our view, and a woman with short brown hair and aqua eyes looked smugly at us. Mostly me.

"You!!" I growled.

"I repeat, you know her?" I could only nod as the figure came a little closer to us. I didn't really KNOW, know this chestnut haired woman, but she's been around the GSA and Eckhart so much that the members of Mutant X knew her by face, but not by name. As far as I know, she wasn't a New Mutant. Something tells me loud and clear that she had acquired these powers unfairly. With some sort of device. I looked over at the Huntress, who's impatience was increasing. I felt like laughing at the look on her face, but I controlled it and sighed.

"We see. We fight. She loses." I said. Then, to lighten the mood a little, I said, "That just about covers whatever love affair we've got going, so there is not need for you to get jealous." I looked at her slyly just in time to catch her eye roll.

"Yeah..." She said sarcastically, "Jealous. So, I thought I was here for a party." Huntress growled. She wanted to get away from that territory, and I felt like laughing at what looked like a blush creeping on her face. I bet she thought I wouldn't notice it in the darkness. She was wrong.

"What I want to know," I turned to the woman. "is how you went from being one of Eckhart's goons to Catwoman-" I teased, using the name of a Feral that I read about that was a thief. She called herself the Catwoman. Apparently, Huntress must know about her as well, for she took a quick step forward, towards me with death in her eyes.

"She'd NEVER be Catwoman." Huntress snapped. She stood in defensive mode and I was surprised. This Catwoman must have been someone she knows or someone she knew... Could they somehow be related? Is it possible that it is in her genes and she was born with her powers, and not have had them created like the New Mutants did? Huntress DID say some of her mother's powers were lost on her... Could she be the daughter of Catwoman? If she is, then where is Catwoman? From the reports on the computer she disappeared around the same time Batman did.

"As far as I know, you are just an average woman. How could you have gotten this power?" I took a step away from the Huntress as I continued to speak to the woman.

"I had help." was all she said smugly.

"Okay... WHY?!" I asked her, moving swiftly and was surprised when she didn't move to get away from me. It was almost as if she couldn't move very fast to get out of my way. As if she couldn't feel when I am about to strike like myself and the Huntress could. What is up with that? I thought to myself I pushed her back against the tree. She looked scared now. "Why'd you kill those Ferals?!" She was having a hard time breathing which is good, considering had an elbow to her esophagus.

"The Feral powers don't last long." She choked out. "Needed a few extra boosts."

"How are you acquiring these powers?" Huntress asked, taking a step closer to us. I was feeling the anger that radiated off of her. I wouldn't be able to hold her and this other woman back if things got out of hand, which I silently prayed wouldn't happen.

"Like I'd tell you." I was losing my patience. I heard footsteps.

"Laura! You promised you weren't going to kill in this city." A man yelled. He was tall, and he looked VERY annoyed.

"Tell him to back up." I said as I increased pressure on her neck. The man was walking slowly towards us. Laura, I guess her name is, tried to wave at him.

"Jimmy. Stop!" I let her fall to the ground in a heap. It would take her at least a minute to catch her breath before she can do anything.

"I wasn't going to, and I haven't." She said a few seconds later in a rough voice.

"Bull shit, Laura! Police scanners are going crazy about a murder that happened about a half an hour ago." Jimmy scowled at Laura as if he was convinced she was lying. I do not know what relation these two were. Jimmy seemed in his late thirties and Laura seemed in her mid thirties. Laura seemed to respect Jimmy, but it looked as if that respect wasn't reciprocated. Sounds like her relationship, or lack there of, with Mason Eckhart.

"I swear it wasn't me. I have been following these two. I- I mean, I wasn't going to kill them, but you know... For next time." She sounded sort of afraid of this man, as if he had something she needed and he'd strip it from her, leaving her with nothing.

"Like there would ever be a next time." The Huntress said in a growl. I looked up at her for the first time since the arrival of Jimmy. I looked down at Laura whom seemed like she was ashamed of herself. She looked as if she was about to cry because Jimmy clearly didn't believe her. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"I swear it wasn't me. I can prove I was here. I swear." She started rattling off what we were talking about. Like the conversation about smelling the sexes of approachers. I watched the Huntress, but I didn't catch her eye. It seemed as if Jimmy wiped his hands of Laura and was walking away. Huntress went after him and dragged him back.

"What do you think?" I asked. I normally only ask Adam that question, because he seemed so sure about what to do in hard situations, but this wasn't my turf, and I wanted to show Helena that she could trust me at least a little bit.

"I don't think she's lying-"

"Because I'm NOT!" Laura cut in.

"BUT!! But I know she's guilty of the other murders on the trail leading up here. I guess we have to take them to the police. Whoop dee doo." Huntress said sarcastically.

"Something's not right though. I agree that we should take her to jail... Her and Jimmy here, but I do not think that will be the end of this. I mean, I am thinking that they purposely wanted us here so the real murderer could kill again. I think someone knows what Laura was up to with these murders and the device, whatever it is that gave her these powers to begin with." Huntress seemed to think things over. Then she nodded.

"So what do you suggest?" She asked, which caught me off guard.

"Well, I was hoping we could string 'em from a pole and use them as a cat toy," I wasn't really sure what to do with them. "but I think we should take them to jail and then... I think we should make a sweep of the city. You know, go see if there are any clues to where she'll strike next."

"Not much, but I guess I will check in with Oracle and see if Dinah is okay." Huntress murmured. Then she looked me up and down. "Okay, you take the North half of the city. It is larger, but it is the least troublesome. It shouldn't take you too long. It never takes me more than a couple of hours. So, I'll take the south side of the city. I know people and I will see what information I can milk from them. For now, though we take them in and then I suggest you get some sleep. You look tired." She said the last sentence in a lower voice. I was sleepy, but I had to check to make sure things were okay.

"Sounds, like a plan... Huntress." I said her name almost mocking, not meaning to sound so.

"So, I guess this means we'll meet again." She said slowly. I nodded.

"I guess so." I winked before I started to walk away. Deep inside (or maybe not so deep), I wanted the Huntress to say my name or make a sound that somehow told me that the conversation wasn't over, but the younger woman had no reason to continue conversation with me, so I resumed my walk to my hotel room, unfortunately alone.

*

{Helena}

Her name was Kelly Montel, the girl that was killed. She was in New Gotham because she was taking care of her aunt, the only family she had left. Kelly was going to school in New York, though she wasn't doing so great. She tried, it seemed, but it didn't seem to be enough. Whoever killed her got to her when she was on her way home from the pharmacy, though I'm sure the killer has been stalking her for longer than that. Kelly seemed to give up a large fight, but that didn't seem to help her any. Her knuckles were bruised, so we should be looking for a Feral that is also as bruised. I sometimes wonder about her, you know? Would we have become friends, or would we have bumped heads worse than Shalimar and myself did the very first time we met?

I walked into the Clocktower and checked up on Dinah, because I felt I had to. She was starting to worry me. She acts as if she has voices in her head, but no matter what, Barbara has refused to ask her about it, and whenever I do, Dinah shrugs as if I would take her secret away from her.

She had come to my apartment at about 1 in the morning. Man, am I EVER going to sleep tonight? I thought as I opened the door. It was a surprise, actually, to see her. "Dinah?" I asked sleepily. "Are you alright?" I asked, feeling myself getting tense at the thought of an accident or something happening to Barbara or Alfred. Dinah nodded.

"Then... What are you doing here on a school night if there isn't an emergency?" I thought things over. This is the second time Dinah has ever been to my apartment. She doesn't visit just to chat. Something has to be bothering her. Perhaps she is ready to explain her odd behavior lately.

"I- I couldn't sleep." She started. I opened the door and let her in.

"Thanks." She murmured. I nodded as watched as she walked around. She nodded a couple of times before she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Something isn't right. I feel connected to someone, but at the same time... I- I feel as if this someone is connected to someone else. No, that doesn't make any sense to you, does it?" Dinah babbled. She walked a couple of steps forward and then a step back.

"So... You think someone is trying to connect you with someone else, using themselves as an operator of sorts... the third party?" I asked, thinking this through. I SO do not need this type of mind numbing conversation right now. Dinah looked as if she wanted to throw herself at me in a hug, as if this was the first time she has been diagnosed with whatever it was that has been making her act all weird.

"YES!" She said, looking relieved.

"Okay, so who is it do you think they are trying to connect you to?" I asked. Dinah took a few steps away from me then a couple steps towards me. She rubbed her hands and then nodded.

"Her. Shalimar." Of course. I thought sort of bitterly. It was then that I wondered where this woman came from. I mean, is she from some sort of Alternate Universe that has several people with my powers, several people as 'New Mutants', making Dinah and me a part of another stereotype? "It feels as if this someone knows Shalimar. They are trying to get me to talk to you about her-"

"You're pacing. Sit down." I grunted. Dinah was giving me the creeps with that look in her eyes that clearly told me she wasn't fully on my plain of existence. It was almost as if she was in a higher place than I was. She had continued to speak as if I hadn't said anything, but she sat on my pathetic excuse for a couch.

"Trying to get you to... to help her out. The other presence feels like a female." She stopped for a second and nodded, smiling warmly. "Yes, a female. Soft. Beautiful. Anyway..." She let herself trail off, and I saw a little bit of a blush form on her pale cheeks.

"What what about all of that has you here at 1 AM on a school night?" I asked her as she looked at the opposite wall. Dinah nodded as if to shake herself from this trance the other female had on her.

"The presence thinks Shalimar is in danger. She says she knows how she is, and knows she will try to find more clues at the last murder site. There, she feels another presence... The killer. I think- SHE thinks that was the killer's plan the whole time. Frame that Laura lady, go kill someone else while everyone is blinded by the night, wait for the 'Ferals' to come investigate. You have to go to her." Dinah insisted.

"Shalimar's in d-danger? Does the presence know where her friend is?"

"Right now she is at the hotel room, but if you leave now, you will meet her at the site and she will be fine, but any later-" I didn't want Dinah to finish that thought.

"Go back to the Clocktower. Tell Barbara what you have just told me, if you haven't already. And most importantly get some sleep. I'll take care of it." I put a hand on Dinah's shoulder and she smiled weakly. Then she walked to the door to let herself out as I jumped from my window to the ground. I looked up to see her over my balcony. "What is it?" I called up to her.

"Fire. Remember that the Ferals are all afraid of fire." That's right... I thought as I nodded.

"Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." Dinah disappeared as I went to search for Shalimar.

*

{Shalimar}

Thoughts of the Huntress filled my mind throughout the night as I felt my body go into heat. This shift in my body is always dreaded worse than my monthly menstrual cycle. At least that had somewhat of a schedule. Who knew when my body decided it wanted to take someone and take them NOW? This is mostly the reason why I wanted to scour half of the city the next day. It would take my mind off of checking out *Ahem* OTHER things...

Though my window was open and my blankets were off, I was still too hot to get a comfortable amount of sleep. "Get a grip, Shalimar." I scolded myself. "This is not the first time you dreamt of shagging a woman." I murmured, looking at the stars on this almost clear night. "Yes," I responded, "but this is the first time I've ever had to fight the urge to find her and THEN shag her until she was numb." The mental picture that accompanied that statement made me blush some. "This is crazy." I walked out onto the balcony and looked down. Not a very impressive sight, if you ask me. It was just another building across the street. No Man's Land Collectibles... interesting. I thought dryly as I looked around. I sighed. "Whoever you are, Huntress, I hope you are sleeping better than I am." I said in a voice that was filled with loneliness to my surprise.

Twenty minutes later, I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to get out. I had started to pace, and it was annoying even me. I had to get some fresh air. While out and about, I felt myself more than once feel the need to go to the New Gotham Clocktower, but I pulled myself into a different direction. "Shalimar?" I was so busy trying not to think of that Clocktower and the Huntress that I didn't even feel her near me as she landed expertly from however high above me she was. I looked around and saw her. She had changed clothes since the last time we talked. She had black leather this time. What is it with Ferals and leather? I mean, I have a few pieces that I just HAD to buy, and it looked as if a cow blew up on her as well. Not that cow pieces didn't make her look more appealing, because the very sent of her from however far away aroused me.

"Why are you here?" I asked the Huntress.

"Dinah's being harassed by some psychic woman who seems to know you and has been giving her psychic dreams about you for a while now." I felt an eyebrow raise. "Said you were in danger so I came to check it out to make sure." She said, looking me up and down. She suddenly looked as if she was suppressing a grin.

"Psychic, eh? That must be Emma. I didn't know her Psyonic abilities ranged so far. She must have been practicing while I was away. I-" Before I could finish my sentence, the Huntress had grabbed my face and planted her lips upon my own. My heated body throbbed as if to shout 'Finally!'. In the back of my head, I wanted to fight the younger woman off, but the rest of my brain and body teamed up against that idea and voted on taking the Huntress and showing her just how much we had in common as I felt my eyes shift. I grabbed the front of the Huntress' leather jacket and felt the wind blow past us as I pulled her closer to me. Rain within the hour. That thought flew away from my head as I felt the brunette's tongue explore my mouth. We both broke apart a minute later. We heard clapping, and at the same time we faced the direction from which it came, our bodies disconnecting (to my dismay). "What an exhilarating display of two Ferals in heat. I've seen nothing like it." A male voice said in a dry tone that really told me that he was actually bored with the world and what it had to offer him.

"Echart." I snarled.

"Nice to know you haven't forgotten my name, Miss Fox. I'm touched, truly." he responded. Two women, obviously cloned from one another, stood on each side of him, making him look like the Mad Science-Pimp from Hell. Both of them were bruised and they both had cuts on their faces. They smelled of the murderer, and one smelled as if she got laid. Lucky bitch. I thought as I briefly recalled Huntress' kiss and how the moment had rudely been interrupted. The twins came for us, but I was so fired up in more ways than one and I was ready. Bring it.

*

{Helena}

"You wanna play soft, we'll play soft. you wanna play hard... Let's play hard." I said gruffly after I got up from a blow that knocked me to the ground. I liked that line, but where had I heard it? I jumped up and looked around. Shalimar was knocking Clone #2 down before she punched to my side, where she connected with Clone #1's abdomen. Shalimar smiled at me, amused at my line.

"You stole that from Bruce Willis." The older woman accused. I already knew that.

"Die Hard?" I asked, kicking upward, hitting Clone #2 in the face.

"The Fifth Element." She corrected. I was about to respond (and I had a great comeback for that too) when I felt Clone #1 grab me. I elbowed her, and shoved her in Shalimar's direction as I saw Clone #2 get up. They were Feral, like us. That shouldn't surprise me, really.

"Y'know? I could really go for some Girl Power themed rock music right now." I said breathlessly after flipping Clone #1 over my shoulder and slamming her to the ground, but she only bounced back.

"Ooooh, Spice Girls." Shalimar answered a few seconds later after the orgasmic grunt she emitted after hitting Clone #2 a dozen times.

"Then again... Maybe not." I said, cringing at the thought of Ginger Spice giving me a 'peace' sign as she said 'Girl POWER!!' in that awful accent of theirs.

"Look out!!" I ducked at that command before I could be kicked in the head by Clone #1. I swept my foot and she was knocked off of her feet. Shalimar was holding down Clone #2 and the look in her eyes (that glint that told me that the kitten just found herself a new play toy) made my body flair up, sending a wave of heat throughout my body. To my surprise, Shalimar suddenly punched clone #2 so hard, her whole body lurched forward over the clone and she had to stop herself from falling over her. Then she looked up at me and grinned slyly.

"He's gone." I mumbled after clearing my throat many times.

"Knew he would bail. We'll just have to take care of Barbie #1 and 2 here, and I'm sure Mutant X will meet up with him again." She said a little flatly, as if she was tried of whatever battle she was fighting against this guy. "Let's get them to the police before they wake up and decide they must be annoying again." Together, we repeated the process we did earlier that night. We went to Reese and we came up with some story for him to tell his colleagues. Then I checked in with Oracle and asked how Dinah was. She seems at peace for tonight. I'll tell her tomorrow when I see her again that whatever danger that was to be faced by Shalimar had passed. Finally, we were walking side by side, making us look for the first time like normal people. That is, until Shalimar grabbed me into a searing kiss, forcing me against the nearest wall, which was (I think) on the side of a smoke shop. When we broke apart, I saw that the older blonde's eyes had shifted again, and a shiver of excitement roamed my body.

"Wh-What was that for?" I asked stupidly. No kiss has ever rendered me stupid before, yet that was what the presence of this woman was doing to the exact. I wanted to kick myself.

"Are you trying to act innocent now?"

"Eh-"

"Cause it's too late for that." I looked into her eyes, surprised at what she was saying to me. I then found myself and smiled some.

"I don't know the meaning of the word." I said, turning my comm. set off. I looked at her as if to issue a challenge, or to challenge her to issue ME one.

"Good, Follow me." Shalimar commanded huskily.

*

{Shalimar}

I couldn't believe myself when I grabbed the collar of the brunette's jacket, kissed her hungrily, then lead the way to my hotel room. I don't even know her name! My brain screamed at me as I unlocked the door with my card key. The Huntress at first didn't seem to know what to do with herself until I closed the door. She had taken a quick look around my second class hotel room before she found my lips upon hers. I felt my own as well as the Huntress' eyes and body shift as the cat-like senses heightened. She getting bolder. I thought as I felt Huntress take off my jacket. "Hmmm..." I couldn't hold back the moan that escaped my lips. I watched as the jacket fell to the floor without care. "I don't even know your name." I murmured to the Huntress.

"H...nuh." The Huntress mumbled. I wouldn't have heard it if my body hadn't shifted a minute prior.

"Helena. B-Beautiful." I stuttered as the brunette nipped my neck lightly, close to my left shoulder. This was a sign that small talk was definitely over.

"You know what would look good on you?" Helena suddenly asked, slipping a hand under my white shirt. As my nipples hardened under her touch, the brunette answered for me. "Me," she purred. I kissed the woman who had taken my breath away, then I took off Helena's jacket as the younger woman's fingers moved faster over my excited flesh.

Suddenly, articles of clothing were being ripped off. Helena looked my body up and down as I did the same to her. Finally, I made the first move. I have to have you. Now. My body told the other woman. I pushed her backwards onto the bed and straddled Helena's left leg, my own left knee going between her thighs. I took in a deep breath and savored the scent of the brunette's arousal. I leaned in and kissed the woman beneath me, then trapped her wrists beneath each hand as I kissed down Helena's neck. There was a small squirm and a small moan of pleasure when I bit her flesh right above her right breast, marking Helena as my territory. Whether or not the Huntress knew that was a totally different matter...

I glanced up at Helena to see her eyes had closed. "Keep them open. See how you make me want you." I softly growled, making a pair of blue eyes stare lustfully back at me. My breath was gone. The hunger within me increased. I took a dark nipple into my mouth and bit it before I let my tongue gently assault it.

"Ah..." Helena murmured. I sucked harder, making the brunette make a guttural noise in the back of her throat. Feeling the right side of my lover was being neglected, I brought my hand up, put the left nipple between my middle and index fingers, and used my thumb to make circles around it. Suddenly, my mouth lifted. I kissed Helena, feeling surprised that I had put all emotion into that kiss. My left hand slowly went from her breast to between her thighs. I felt the small triangle of hair, then the slick wetness within. The reality of how wet the younger woman was for me almost put me over the edge. I slipped 2 fingers within Helena and felt her gently rock against my hand as I slowly increased in speed. I paused after a minute of this to slip in another finger.

"I think I'm-" But Helena didn't finish. A kiss was planted on her lips. Then Helena jolted to the side with one last move as I felt my lover's juices glide down my fingers onto my palm. I brought the hand to me and slowly, and licked two of my fingers seductively as Helena watched.

*

{Helena}

After a few seconds of catching my breath, I found myself saying "Mmm... Lemme finish that for you." I sat up and thoroughly sucked the index, middle, ring and pinky fingers, tasting myself a well as a hint of the older woman. We rolled around for a while, fighting for dominance, and I won eventually. "My turn, dear Shalimar." I purred in her ear. It's my turn to please this piece of heaven on earth. I thought, then wondered where it had come from. It doesn't matter. Only that moment did. I know my pace was faster than Shalimar's, but I had to have her now, and I didn't want to take my time as I went about it.

I felt Shalimar's pink nipple harden in my mouth as I licked and sucked. Finally, I couldn't stop myself from saying "I have to taste you" though mostly to myself. I made a trail of kisses from the breast to the patch of hair. I licked between the folds and felt the nub against my tongue. Shalimar shuddered with excitement. I took the nub into my mouth and showed it no mercy. The older woman had started to buck wildly beneath me. Amused, I tried not to laugh at my squirming lover. Cum on... Cum on... I silently encouraged her. Finally, Shalimar met her release, calling my name- my real name to my surprise- and to me it was a song sung from heaven.

Together, we curled up without another word and after a while I heard the oddest noise coming from my lover. Was it? It WAS!! Shalimar is actually purring!!

*

{Harley Quinn}

"Quinn!! Visitor!" Who'd want to visit me? Especially so late at night? I need my beauty sleep you know... I asked myself before I heard the pleasant sound of a crunch and a thud as a guard fell to the ground with his neck snapped. I smiled. Wish I could have actually seen it. I sighed. Then I saw him, a man with white hair (though he only looked in his mid forties) and geeky black glasses.

"Good evening, Miss Quinn."

"Oh, call me Harley. That is, IF you're here to bust me out." I said to him in my most innocent voice.

"In due time."

"Well, then. What can I do for you Mr..." It was then that I realized I have never seen this guy, and didn't know why he'd want to get me out. My curiosity was over the roof. What does he want from me?

"Echart. Mason Echart. I am here because I want information on a woman who calls herself the Huntress. I looked that name up and found some records on her and found information that said that you had a run in with her almost 6 months ago. Is that correct?" He asked as I saw two women who looked pretty badly beaten walk to his side. One of them had a device I had never seen before. She held it to the side of the glass and I looked up at Mr. Echart. Well, he's no Mista J...

"What do you wanna know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. What COULD this man want to know about my precious Helena Kyle? What has she done this time to get Mason Echart's attention. Was she the one who gave his whores the bruises? This should be interesting.

"Well Harley, I want to know what you know, so here is the plan..." I listened intently and grinned at my favorite parts... All that mayhem!!! Indeed he's no Mista J, but he could cook 'em up like my baby could...

*

{Shalimar}

As much as I had wished against it, Helena was gone when I woke up the next morning. My heart sank. "Get a grip. You knew this was going to be a one night stand. You better call Adam and tell him that you found the killers and are ready to get back to Sanctuary." I murmured to myself as I got ready to check out of the hotel. I couldn't stay in there much longer with memories of her implanted everywhere in the hotel room.

*

{Helena}

"What was so important that you had to get me out of bed this early in the morning?" I asked. I was very angry at Barbara for the persistent calls on my comm. set. How Shalimar didn't hear it was beyond me. Barbara was loud enough for the deaf to hear her telling me to get to the Clocktower.

"Who's bed?" Dinah asked, ducking before I could pop her one on her head. Dinah then cleared her throat as she tried to hide her laughter. I glared at her.

"Arkham Asylum was broken into last night in the 2 o'clock hour. The guards were found with snapped necks at around 6 AM when one of the guards were supposed to have a shift change. I'll give you one guess as to who's missing."

"Scarface..." I said angrily. That gave me stares from my adopted sister and my mentor. "You said I got one guess. You never specified if I was s'posed to get it right." I said defensively, running a hand through my hair. Barbara shook her head as if to ask what she was going to do with me.

"It was Harley Quinn." Barbara said calmly. Of course, I should have known. I felt my whole body tense up. Why do I get the feeling that Shalimar's old friend Echart something was responsible? "We haven't been able to track her down. Barbara looked as if she was getting a headache.

"I've got to go. Shalimar needs to know. Something tells me that this Echart guy we encountered last night is to blame." I said in a low tone. Barbara nodded.

About 20 minutes later, I was in front of the hotel room that Shalimar had checked into. I knocked, but got no answer. God, it still smells like her... like us... I repeated the process a few more times, then went to the front desk. "Excuse me." I said politely to get the attention of the man behind the counter. He seemed surprised to see someone like me in the hotel. "Can you give me information about the occupant in room C19?" I asked him. He nodded, then he looked through the computer, muttering the room number as to not forget it.

"Shalimar Fox... Oh, that blonde woman?" I nodded. "Yes, she checked out a little while ago." The world seemed to stop spinning, only I was still dizzy.

"Th-Thank you sir, for your help." I said, but he had already turned from me and helped someone else whom had asked for a room. Seems people were doing that a lot in my life. Either that or I was the one who turned away from them. It felt as if I had shut down except for my feet, which were numbly walking me out of the hotel. I ended up minutes later in my apartment. If Shalimar checked out, then that must mean she went back to... Wherever it was she has been all my life. I thought miserably. Why'd she just leave? I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms. They feel so empty and useless without that function for them to do. I wanted nothing more than to lay by her side and hear her purring again. Then a thought occurred to me: Harley Quinn and Echart are still out there. Echart and her group, Mutant X cross paths all the time. I just have to somehow find Harley Quinn which after our run ins won't be as difficult now we know how she is... Find her and we find Echart, who will most likely be tracked by Mutant X... Shalimar. Though why I wanted to find the woman who obviously didn't want anything more to do with me was beyond anything I could comprehend.

Then it's settled. I know what I must do.

PART 2

{Shalimar}

I tried for the 4th time tonight (and 1000th time since I have been away from the Huntress) to fall asleep, but I was still in heat. I could still smell the brunette on my fingers from our encounter that night 5 nights ago. Normally I got what I wanted... whoever I wanted and be done with them in a matter of minutes, but the thoughts of the kisses Helena and I shared... I thought that there was some hidden message wrapped within the kisses. "I was wrong." I said to the night air. "So get over it, and get some sleep, you dolt. We still don't know what Echart wants with that Quinn lady. You need to rest." I tried to get my mind off of Helena, but everything else seemed to somehow remind me of her.

Emma came in minutes later without knocking, and for once I didn't care. Normally I would have told her off, but I was too tired to even lift my head to look at her. "Hey Shal. I could feel your restlessness and I came to see if you wanted to talk about what is making you so jittery. She knows what is making me so jittery. She is the only one who knows about it. She heard me crying earlier that day, and she went into my head without my permission and saw her in there. She was everywhere, suffocating my other thoughts on anything else. Sometimes I wanted her there inside my head as a reminder not to put any feelings into anything when I am in heat, for surely this is a lesson I am supposed to learn.

"You still connecting to that Dinah chick in New Gotham?" I asked. Knowing that Emma and Dinah shared a bond that they could never share with anyone else made me a little bitter. I was jealous because almost-anonymous sex hadn't ruined that connection between them, and Emma was happier than ever for having a friend, though young she was. (I think she is almost 18, but that is still young to me.)

"No." This surprised me. What happened between them? Did Dinah get mad at me for leaving new Gotham? Did Helena say that I left instead of the other way around to make me the bad guy. Like it was any of that pip squeak's business anyway!! But then, all through the mission, she was the one who was relaying messages from Emma... so I sort of owe her my thanks if I ever got a chance to see her again. Something tells me that I will. "She stopped connecting with me." She sounded worried, and I felt bad for her even if I preferred it this way. All links to New Gotham after we capture this Quinn lady should stay in New Gotham.

"That figures. She IS a friend of Helena's." I didn't mean to say that out loud. "No, I haven't even truly met the kid. May-Maybe she's just tired and has to give her brain a rest after conversing so much with you. She may not be as evolved in her powers as you are, being younger than you are-"

Suddenly, our intruder alarm for the sanctuary went off, making me jump out of bed with the most speed I have shown since I got back. We ran to Adam, who was at his computer. "There is a jet landing in the docking bay. I can't get a good visual of it, as it is rather large. Shalimar, go give them a greeting and Emma, go get the boys and tell them where the intruders are." We both nodded an I ran to the docking bay and saw the jet immediately. the first to come out of the side of the jet was... Helena?

*

{Helena}

"I could use a little help." I said over my shoulder, knowing that Shalimar was there. I couldn't look at her yet. I knew that if I looked at her, I would have grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her until she got whip flash, asking her why she left. It occurred to me many times over the 5 nights she'd been away from New Gotham that perhaps she didn't WANT to stay. That I was just a one night stand, but I for some reason I won't let myself believe it until I got it from her. Until then, I will have to treat this as a business meeting, which it was, according to Barbara. Shalimar was at my side and took Barbara's wheelchair from Alfred as I picked up the redhead and set her in it with ease.

"I told you I was fine, Helena." Barbara said in a lecturing manner. I only shrugged.

"You're welcome." I said, pretending that she had thanked me for my help. I shrugged before I saw 3 men (two were around my age and one looked about 5 years older than Barbara) plus one woman my age come out, looking ready for a fight. Shalimar seemed to see my tension and pulled her teammates aside.

"We are sorry for dropping in on you at this hour," Alfred started to say, making the members of Mutant X (or at least whom we could see of Mutant X) look over at him, "but we are in desperate of your assistance." Alfred looked at the oldest of the team. I am guessing that he is the team's leader. He held out a hand to shake. "Oh- My name Alfred Pennyworth, and I believe our Helena has crossed paths with some of your team before," You have no idea. I thought to myself as flashes of that night went through my head. I shook them away, then looked down at Barbara who was watching me expectantly as if she was silently telling me to keep my mind on the mission at hand. "We were hoping that we may call upon you for your help once more." The older teammate of Mutant X took Alfred's hand and shook it, nodding towards Shalimar.

"Yes, Shalimar came back from New Gotham 5 or 6 nights ago. We've been tracking a nemesis or two of ours and found he's taken someone from the nuthouse. I assume that is why you are here. You know this Harley Quinn woman, also known as Harleen Quinnzell, am I correct?" Alfred nodded before the middle aged man motioned for his team to stand beside him.

Time for introductions. "Well, we will help you out in anyway we can, though our searches and scans have been useless to us lately. We know nothing about New Gotham or it's history except for what Shalimar dug up before she left for New Gotham last week. Anyway, my name is Adam Kane. This is Jessie and Brennan. These two ladies are Emma DeLauro, and I am sure you have already met Shalimar Fox."

Everyone shook hands, and even Shalimar and I shook for show. I took my hand back as I felt myself get warm at her touch.

"This is Helena Kyle," I nodded at the sound of my name, "and here is Miss Barbara Gordon. I would introduce the youngest member of our team, but I am afraid she is the reason we are here so early in the morning. Miss Dinah Redmond has gone missing not long after Harley Quinn had escaped Arkham Asylum." Alfred explained. I looked up and saw the woman introduced as Emma frown, then her face shifted to one of shock. She, I already knew, was the voice in Dinah's head that helped Shalimar on her mission in New Gotham. As far as I knew, she had still kept the connection going even the day before Dinah disappeared which was two days after Shalimar left.

"Poor kid." Said a rough voice to my right. I looked up at Shalimar, but her eyes were on Barbara. "I didn't actually meet her, but I bet she put up a pretty good fight before she got out numbered." I nodded.

"Kid's strong headed, but she just got used to never being alone when she didn't want to be, and I bet she's gotten scared by now." I locked eyes with the blonde. There was sadness and loneliness in her eyes whereas there was hunger and hurt in mine.

"I just want to know how you found the Sanctuary. I mean, it is hidden with a high tech shield over it." Adam asked, his eyes shifting from Barbara to Alfred, then back at Barbara again, sure she'd know the answer.

"We have Dinah to thank for that. Before she went missing she had started to retrace the trail of the killings. A simple but effective start. She knew that Shalimar would be hidden from view as is our team.

Then her trail ended, so she looked up police reports the years and had stumbled over a program called Proxy Blue. Quite a few of the episodes seemed incomplete, and they blocked her from any access. Then she went missing, so the search for her started. I went back to the episodes of Proxy Blue and hacked into it. Most of these unfinished episodes were centered around Geneomex and a few were on Mutant X, the team Helena had told me Shalimar was a part of. Apparently, someone had ratted out Mutant X, telling Proxy Blue everything from the team members to the lives they saved and changed to even where they were located. This information was never aired on Proxy Blue even though it looked as if they paid quite a lot for it to do just that. Er- Long story short, when we found out Dinah was missing we took the address and found nothing here at first. Then the jet started to pick up movement within on it's heat sensors. I tried to decode the shield that hid you all, but all I could do was momentarily weaken it, and that is how we were able to land. And yeah... That's how we found you..."

"You know Adam, I think we just found your soulmate." The one introduced as Jesse said. Dinah would have found him to be hot.

"Or shall we say in her own brainy ways, SHE found HIM." Brennan, I think his name is, replied. The three men all had a small chuckle at that. I cleared my throat.

"Barbara needs to speak to you Mr. Kane, as I need to speak to Miss. DeLauro." I said, speaking up.

"Adam. Please, call me Adam." I nodded. "And I am sure Emma would prefer you call her by her first name as well." he continued. Then he opened the door to the inside of their Sanctuary, as they called it.

"Shall we, Barbara?" We all walked in behind Barbara's wheelchair.

*

{Shalimar}

I sat down next to Emma on her bed in her room as Helena paced in front of us. She was asking herself if she should sit down at Emma's desk as she spoke or if she should just keep standing. "Uh- Please," Emma said, getting uncomfortable. Surely another one of me would freak me out too, if I were a shy person like Emma is. "sit down." Helena looked at me quickly before sitting in the chair and facing us. She had her necklace in her hand and was studying it before she looked Emma in the eyes, her own in those feline slits that always captured me if aimed my way.

"Emma, have you had any contact with Dinah in the last 3 and a half days? I know she's been talking to you using that psychic bond you two have. Have you heard from her?" She asked after a minute of silence. The hope in her voice made me ache to hold her and the fallen face she'd had when Emma shook her head made the feeling within me much worse.

Helena heaved a heavy sigh, almost as if she had given up. That didn't seem right. From what I knew of Helena- But you don't know anything about her. What you see is all you get when you know that there is layers upon layers of masks and Band-Aids to take off. I thought angrily to myself. Helena looked at my face. My anger at my thoughts must have shown, because she cleared her throat again and got up. "Thank you for your time. I guess... I guess I will go." I wanted to grab her hand and ask her- plead her to stay... Stay and never leave me again, but that sounded weak. And I, Shalimar Candice Fox, am not weak... Besides, what would Helena want once she's got her sister back? A loving relationship that will last until the end of time? Bull! Helena looked back at Emma before she opened the door. "I uh- I want to say thank you for being there for Dinah. Our... Let's just say our once happy home, though strange it seems to other people, was destroyed thanks to a certain psycho. She really needed a friend who knows and understands her meta lifestyle. I..." She looked down almost in shame. "I just wish I could have been a better one to her."

"Don't talk as if we'll never get her back." Emma said, with more confidence I have ever heard her have around strangers. "Adam and Barbara seem like an unstoppable duo... With all of their equipment, there should be no reason why we can't locate her or anyone else on the whole damned planet. A-And we have women who can kick more ass than any army I have ever seen, and then there's the boys for extra firepower, and that Alfred guy seems to know his way around life very well, so I am sure he will know a thing or two about how to get her out of there-"

"And last but certainly not least, we have a girl from the Psychic Friends' Network who cares enough to keep this freak show together." Helena said, smiling warmly at Emma. I wished with everything my heart could ever beat for that she would direct that smile at me for at least a second.

"We are not a freak show." I said softly in a weak attempt to get Helena to look at me. "Helena, we'll get the kid back." I reassured her. Helena nodded and silently left the room. I watched her go and then I looked to see Emma had a pained look upon her face. "Em?" I asked uncertainly, afraid that Emma was getting sick or something horrible was happening to her or Dinah.

"She lost so much. To lose two people in one stride will kill her." Emma said in a far away voice. Two people? I asked myself "Go talk to her." She softly demanded. I looked at her, unsure of what to do. She said nothing more, and actually picked up a magazine as if to dismiss me. I left after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Helena was walking around slowly near Brennan's room, taking in all the sites that Sanctuary had to offer. She stopped walking suddenly.

"Shalimar." She breathed, as if the thought of my being there stole her breath away.

"Getting better a the smelling people are ya?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood a little, but the truth was, I didn't know how to talk to her now.

"Just you." She said, slowly turning around. She seemed to drink in the sight of me, as if that moment was the only time she'd get a chance to do so. I looked at er thoroughly as well. Finally she said, "You left so quickly." Oh. I thought. My brain decided then was the time to go numb.

"You left so EARLY." I countered, knowing I sounded like the cat that got kicked off of the couch.

"Barbara called for me on my comm. device to inform me of Harley Quinn's escape. I was coming back, and when I did, you were gone." She said, sounding confused as to why I would do it. I looked in her eyes briefly and saw there were ghosts of tears and visions of more to come. Helena wasn't one to cry in front of other people, that much I somehow know for certain, so that told me that she felt something for me. But does Helena love me as much as I love her? That's right. That night as I slowly drifted off to sleep in Helena's arms, I had fallen in love with Helena. I swallowed the ton of bricks and tried to keep in that thought.

"I- I didn't know that." I said lamely, knowing that Helena was expecting an answer of some sort.

"I was coming back." She seemed to insist, as if I wasn't believing her, and in the back of my mind, I didn't really believe that she'd ever WANT to come back to me. "One can get addicted to the sound of you purring like a kitten." My head shot up to look at her, and I saw she was lost in thought, as if to remember a fond memory.

"I wasn't purring, was I?" I asked, shocked. I only remember one other time I had done that and that was when- Well, let's just say purring from me doesn't happen very often.

"You so were." Helena insisted. I fought the urge to blush. I started to wring my hands. What does this mean? I asked myself. I decided to take the chance. Perhaps she feels something for me... Perhaps not... I guess there's only one way to find out, really. I allowed my body to close the distance between us, and I let my face go within inches of Helena's.

"When a Feral purrs it means we're happy. That night sleeping in your arms made me happier than I have ever been." I kissed the brunette quickly, a peck before continuing to speak. "I..." Hesitation came and went. "I love you, Helena. I fell in love with you that night." There, my heart is on the table now. At that last sentence, Helena's eyes flashed to her feral mode, and then back again, as if she was controlling her emotions. She kissed me this time, deeper than I had the first time, a kiss that seemed to bring us deeper than hell that somehow brought us back to heaven. My world slowed. All I could sense was her. She took my hand and led me to my room. How she knew which one was mine was a mystery.

As if she felt my thoughts, she said, "This room smells like you. Must me yours." I only nodded. Then I sat on the bed and Helena sat next to me. I felt my insides jump when the younger woman gently pushed me down against my pillows and kissed my neck. Then she lay next to me and gathered me in her arms. "I just want to hold you. Make sure you are real." She mumbled. It felt wonderful being in her arms again. This is where I belong. We were silent for a long time before I heard Helena whisper, "I love you Shalimar. I fell in love with you that night too. You don't know much it hurt thinking I would never see you again. And to know that Dinah was closer to you than I was by connecting with Emma was worse." she continued on sleepily. Her arms tightened around me and we fell asleep.

*

{Helena}

It was almost 11:00 in the morning when we woke up. There was a knock on Shalimar's door. I woke up first and was rewarded with the sound of Shalimar's purring. I smiled and lightly bit her ear. She woke up a minute later as the knock sounded again. "Mmm, come in!" she called as she stretched.

"We have a lead." It was Emma. I slowly sat up as Emma came in, closing the door behind her. "She woke me up. She somehow knew that our teams got together and contacted me at about 7 this morning. She's injured a little bit, but it is just a headache and a couple o bruises from a fight." Emma seemed to hear something, then she shook her head. "I can't tell how badly." She finally said, seeming worried.

"The important thing is that she's alive. we'll do our best to figure out the rest." Shalimar said. I nodded and smiled, feeling refreshed after having the best night of sleep in 5 nights.

"Have you tried to contact HER?" I asked.

"Yes. All I know is she just woke up after her attack. She must have been drugged right after that." Emma replied. Again, I smiled. Emma went to the door slowly. Then she turned around to look at us. "I'd be careful while going into Adam's lab. Him and Miss Gordon connected pieces of her Delphi monitor system to our database to compare notes on Mason Echart and Harley Quinn. Starting to look like a place NASA kept under wraps." She smiled, then slowly left.

"Something tells me we're going to be here for a while even after we find Dinah." I said jokingly.

"Good." Shalimar said. I looked over at her as I felt the temperature in my body rise.

"Oooh, come 'ere."

*

{Dinah}

"Your plan is a good one, Mason. I just don't understand why you had to take Dinah Lance. The other sidekick to your nemesis Mutant X is much weaker. We would not have lost any of your clones to her telekinesis."

"Her telekinesis is why I captured her to begin with. Her powers are strong, yet overlooked, and with your acquired hypnosis power she will be in our control. If we do this right Miss Quinn, we can take down both my nemesis Mutant X and yours, the Birds of Prey, as they call themselves. If you wish, we can use her as a weapon to get to your Joker, and we can take over." he said. Little did the two know that I was slowly waking up and I heard every word. I know now some of what they are planning.

I felt her presence... Emma's and she sent me images of Helena and Shalimar fighting side by side to get me out of this place... wherever I was. This image calmed me a little bit. What do I do when she tries to hypnotize me? What is she succeeds and I kill more people... The clones... Sure they were under someone else's commands, but they were still people and I killed them. Oh my gosh, I'm a murderer! I am just like them! I didn't mean to kill them, but I did. I didn't know that taking that beam would make the shed we were in collapse. I killed like 5 of them. I shook my head. I can't let her hypnotize me. If I harm Shalimar... Why, Helena will never forgive me. I thought. I opened my eyes a little bit and groaned at the painful thought. I found I was strapped down on some bed as if I was in a Psycho Ward... and knowing Harley Quinn, I probably was. This CAN'T be happening!

"Hope you enjoyed your sleep. Best room available. It is only appropriate that our guest of honor spend her time in the hostess' quarters. I hope the bed was comfortable." It's HER. I looked to the side to avoid eye contact of any kind. Harley Quinn continued to speak, and I felt her come closer to me. "I usually found that the more straps that are buckled, the better my dreams got." She was almost cheek to cheek with me. "Dinah?" she sang. "Diney Whiney... Come on, don't be like that. I know you hated Wade Brixton just like Helena did. Admit it." WHAT?! How dare you-!

"Bitch." I said slowly with a small hint of a snarl. Helena, Shalimar... I hope someone gets here soon. I am not sure how long I'd be able to resist this. I thought. My throat felt dry. I was thirsty. I felt a hand on my chin and flinched. "Don't touch me!" I said angrily, feeling my throat start to burn. It felt as if I had to burp acid; that is the only way I can describe it. When more force was applied to my chin, I screamed, "NO!!!" Suddenly, Harley Quinn's hands left me and went to cover her ears. I saw a few things in the room shake and a couple things shatter. I used my telekinesis to unbuckle my straps and got up as Harley Quinn was preoccupied.

I ran out of the room and found myself in a hall with 4 doors, two on each side. Hoping I wouldn't go deeper into the building... wherever this building is located, I went left. "Barbara? Oracle? Helena? Huntress? Somebody there?" I whispered, feeling myself panic. No one answered me. "Of course not. She's not at the Delphi computers if she is with Shalimar and her team." I murmured, finding some stairs. I wasn't sure if I should go up or down in order to get myself out. I tried going up. At the top of the stairs was a door which I opened. Inside were 15 of the clones that had attacked me. They were talking to someone. I am going to take a guess and say it was their genetic engineer.

"Where's Dallas?" He asked. His name tag said Fletcher. I am not sure if that is his first or last name. Two of the clones looked up and their faces fell.

"She's dead, sir. The girl killed her." Said one sitting in the corner, supposedly the most quiet of the bunch.

"Mason's going to have my head. I cannot clone more without her."

"You can clone one of us, sir." Another spoke up, seeming hopeful that she could be of use to him.

"You all know DAMNED well that I cannot clone from a clone. The prototype is the best. She was the strongest and it took her years to get her this strong. It will take 19 more years to create one as perfect as Dallas." He was talking to himself now. "Sir!" Fletcher said, suddenly surprised to see someone at the door to the far left of the room. I couldn't see that far into the room. Suddenly all of the clones huddled to the corner. Fletcher took several steps out of view.

"I can explain-" There was a crunching sound and I knew it all too well. I hear it alot in movies and Xena did it alot in the show... His neck was just snapped. Some of the clones had a look of shock as they looked down at their creator's body, and others had a look of fear as they looked at the one who killed Fletcher. I tried to move, but one of the clones, the quiet one in the corner, saw me. She was quick and got a hold of my collar and drug me into the room. I was face to face with that Echart guy. I looked down and saw Fletcher's dead body on the floor next to me.

"Good morning Dinah." He said, his voice slower and sounding bored. The look on his face said he wasn't too pleased to see me, but he didn't seem like he was ready to sic the clones on me either. Then again, maybe not...

*

{Shalimar}

I looked at Helena with a little bit of skepticism. "Come 'ere." She repeated seductively. Well, if she was going to say it like that... I leaned into her and she kissed me, hungrily at first, then deeply. I automatically found my fingers in her untidy air. She moaned, holding me closer. She mumbled indecent things in my ear and I felt my body heat up. Bring it. I felt my body say in almost a plea. She kissed down my neck, muttering, "God, I love you." in my ear.

"God has nothing to do with it." I gasped as she lightly bit my pulse point, then she looked up at me as if to think this through. I finally kissed her to stop her mind. "I love you too.. Always." Did I just say that? I asked myself. 'Yes you did.' But you've never said that to anyone before. 'I know.' I wondered about my sanity because of the fact that I was talking to myself within my mind. I had just slipped both of my hands under Helena's shirt when I heard one of the guys calling about the Sanctuary for us to get to Adam's lab. I'm going to kill them. I thought angrily. "Come on, I think they have news about the kid. I heard her name, so something must have happened." I said, holding out my hand for Helena to take. I helped her up, looking a bit apologetic. I was hoping my look would somehow excuse the boys' behavior.

"Rain check?" Helena asked. I looked into her eyes and saw they were feral and fierce, but looking closely, I saw she was smiling slyly, telling me that she was just sexually frustrated.

"Would I be able to cash it within the next 24 hours?" I asked.

"Oh Hell yeah." she said, as if it was a stupid question for me to ask. I smiled.

"Perfect." I lead the way to where the yelling was and saw everyone including Mr. Pennyworth standing around the computers in Adam's lab. "What's going on?" I asked as we entered the room. Emma saw us and came to my side. Both myself and Helena looked at her expectantly.

"Dinah and I connected, so she's awake. I think she forgot the last time she woke up. Anyway, again, she was scared, and I gave her a mental picture of you two fighting to save her, and I think that helped. I was trying to talk to her again when there was this- this scream from her. It was odd. It wasn't quite a scream, but it wasn't quite a singing note, either. I-It's hard to describe, but it hurt. It really hurt to hear and feel it."

"Oh my- Dinah did the Canary Cry!!" Helena said, sounding both surprised and impressed.

"Uh... What's the Canary Cry?" Jesse asked, and everyone of Mutant X nodded in agreement.

"It was a sonic cry her mother had before she died. It had the power to destroy things, sort of how an opera singer is seen as someone who can break glass with their voices. The Canary Cry... Man, we didn't think she'd ever get that power since her mother's been gone for quite sometime." The sexy brunette explained.

"I- There's more, Helena." Barbara said. Helena walked next to the woman who must be a mother figure of mentor in her life. Either way, the big bad Huntress never seemed present when Barbara was around, which told me she had a lot of respect for Miss Gordon.

"What else?" She asked.

"Jesse said he heard her calling for us on her comm. set, but he couldn't reply because he didn't know how to use the Delphi. This happened minutes after the Canary Cry. I think she's in danger now. In a fight." Barbara told Helena.

"Dinah?" Adam asked, typing in a few commands into the keyboard. "Dinah, this is Adam Kane. I am a friend of Emma and Shalimar." He said, waiting for a reply.

"W-Where's... Barbara?" Dinah asked a few minutes later as if she was out of breath. There was concern in her voice.

"She's right next to me, but Dinah listen to me. Are you outside?"

"I am now." She replied. She must be farther away than we had thought she was, because her replies seemed to take a few seconds.

"Is there anything around you that would give you a clue as to where you are?" Barbara asked. There was a grunt, then it took a few seconds before Dinah spoke.

"When I woke up -Arg! Get offa me, bitch-" There was sound of violence and I looked at Helena, who seemed surprised that Dinah was cursing.

"When I woke up, Harley Quinn rambling on about being the guest of honor in her house." Dinah said.

"So she's at one of her hideouts. There are two that we know of. One in New Gotham, and one in Bludhaven. One of them was where she and the Joker hid. It is possible that she went back to that one." Barbara said. "But why would she do that if we know where it is?"

"No-no-no!" We all heard Dinah shout. "Huntress if you're there, I really need your help getting me out of this Star Wars movie..." She said. Then there was this high pitched... Well, it wasn't a scream, but not a singing note, either as Emma had described it. Helena and everyone listening covered their ears.

"THAT'S the Canary Cry. Right now it won't do too much damage, but it seems to be great for a distraction which is just as well." Barbara murmured, mostly to Helena. "Dinah, are you alright?"

"Peachy." She said bitterly.

"Dinah? Keep talking to Adam, alright? We're taking the jet and we'll all be there as soon as we can."

"The Double Helix will get us back there within the hour unseen." I said. Barbara nodded.

"Hurry?" Dinah said in question, as if she wasn't sure that we would/could.

"We will, Dinah. Keep doing the best you can."

*

{Helena}

"Why can't we have a jet this cool?" I said in a whiney tone as I sat down next to Shalimar.

"You know very well that you could buy 5 jets like this one if it was your heart's desire, Helena." Barbara said, not looking in my direction.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Heir to the Wayne fortune and all that jazz." I grumbled. Shalimar looked over at me with a question in her eyes. "Not a big fan of 'Daddy Dearest'. Dad issues." She nodded, grabbing, my hand to show that she was there for me. By now everyone must know we are together in one form or the other. I assume the way that Shalimar acted when she got back from New Gotham (in heat and heart broken from what Emma said), it didn't take long for her team to figure out what had happened while she was there. Everyone in the Clocktower already knew form Dinah that I was with Shalimar that night.

"Dinah's in hiding now. She said there are 9 more of those clones of Echart's, but she was hurt the most, ironically by the Canary Cry. It has given her a bad headache and made her tired. Just so she won't feel alone, Adam is talking to her, telling her about Mutant X and how each member joined." Barbara informed us. "He is now telling her about Good Emma and Bad Emma when her personalities split." Emma groaned, and I leaned in, wanting her to tell us the story, but she didn't say anything for a while.

"Ah, the doppelganger from Hell." She said, going red. It was silent for a while as we landed sometime later.

"Adam, tell Dinah to take a good look around her and hold onto that thought. Emma, I need you to pick it up the best you can. At least we'll know where about the hideout she's at." Emma nodded and started to concentrate. "Now, Helena and Shalimar... There are 9 clones scouring the area looking for Dinah and who knows how many other people there may be joining the search. You two have to encounter these clones and get them away from Dinah. Brennan, Jesse? We need your help in getting inside to Harley Quinn a Mason Echart."

"Of course." Brennan said.

"Yeah sure." Jesse added in.

"Great." Barbara said. "There could be more inside. The clones inside could have waken up by now." Everyone nods. "Alfred, you wanna join the party? It will be like old times." Alfred Pennyworth smiled fondly as if to think back on those 'old times'.

"It would be my pleasure, Miss Barbara."

*

{Dinah}

"... so Mattie and Brennan used their powers together to give the machine a boost, and that put Emma back together." There was a pause.

"Barbara is talking to me. Hold tight for just a second." I felt myself begin to panic again. Though Adam's story about Emma's surprising split personalities was long winded, it kept my mind away from my headache and the pain in my arm from when I was thrown into a wall by one of the clones. Had I not made some of the wall rattle, scaring them into leaving me alone, I'm sure they would have killed me this time. I think they were afraid I would kill more of them. I felt my heart sink. Before, it wasn't too big of a deal. I mean, a few died and that was it. Yeah I felt horrible about it because they were human beings clone or not, but now... As far as I know, there was one that was an original, and she wasn't even like Helena and Shalimar. She was 'normal', and I killed her. She had a name... Dallas. "Dinah, are you still with me?" The voice, though soft, scared me. I jumped.

"Yes Adam, I am still here." I replied. relieved.

"Barbara wants you to take a look around you and then send that image to Emma. They have landed and are searching for you now, hoping that this is the right hide out. They are on their way to find you." Adam Kane informed me.

"Great!" I looked around. I was hiding behind a small tree that was against the building. It was in between the building and the tree that I sat and listened to the sounds of Adam's voice and the clones calling to each other. What I did not understand is why they couldn't smell me out like Helena once did when I was hiding from her to avoid getting into trouble. (Of course I got into more trouble for running from her but...) Well anyway, looking in front of me, I saw an apartment building that was mostly abandoned. I know there was someone- a homeless person perhaps- that was living there. Harley Quinn's hideout was in a large house, also run down from her not living in it for so long and letting it rot, that was hidden behind this apartment building. The only way you would be able to see it was from in the air. The perfect place for a psychopath to live with her nutty hubby... I closed my eyes and thought on these images and felt her presence in my head, which was comforting. I am not sure how long I was thinking of these images, but after a while I heard my name being called.

"Dinah?" I opened my eyes and saw her. Emma had a look of concern on her face as she pushed the leaves and branches away from her. "Are you alright?" she asked. I nodded.

"So you're the Voice..." I said, smiling.

"Yeah." She said softly, returning my smile. "Are you hurt anywhere?" I nodded again. "Where?"

"My arm mostly. My wrist." I held up my left arm and winced.

"Keep it against your stomach. I'll go to the Double Helix and get something to make a splint with. I'm not quite sure, but I think your wrist may be broken." She left for the splint.

"Dinah, are you okay?"

"Yes, I just saw Emma and she went to get something to make a splint with. Thank you for keeping me company while she came." I said to Adam. It felt good to know that I had so many people concerned for my safe return. I mean, I didn't know Mutant X, but still they seemed as if they were my friends as well.

"Not a problem." He said. "I have to go off-line to speak with my team. You think you will be okay on your own until Emma comes back?" His voice was so gentle when he asked me this. I smiled inwardly.

"Yes. Thank you." And I felt that he was gone. Emma came back within a minute later and helped me to my feet. "I didn't think you'd get here so quickly. I'm glad that you did. I was sure we were in a different state. I didn't know that we were still in New Gotham. I am so glad you got here when you did. I was beginning to think that it wouldn't be enough." Emma gently started to wrap my wrist. A couple of times I flinched, but then relaxed into her touch when I noticed she was already barely even touching me.

"I don't know... Helena and Barbara were worried about you. They would have gotten to you on time or died trying. Come on. We need to get you out of here." She patted my back, and as the pat turned to a short rub, I smiled and followed her carefully out of the hiding spot.

*

{Shalimar}

"Ready to rumble?" Helena asked me as we heard the clones in about a 20 yard radius of where we were.

"Yeah. Let's rock." I said in a gruff voice with a grin on my face. She pulled me to her and our lips met.

"Yeah..." Her eyes searched mine. "Let's." We presented ourselves to the clones and was surprised to see only 4. Where did the other five go? I asked myself. I let my eyes and body change. Maybe they are just hiding and I can't see them. If that was the case, then I was going to sniff them out, but they couldn't be smelled, mostly because they all smelled the same. They attacked, and for once, I felt really safe within the fight, knowing that I had the Huntress' back and that she had mine. There were two clones in the front and they seemed sort of scared, as if they were the ones we encountered almost a week ago. It only took a few kicks and punches for each of us to get them all down. It was as if they were already exhausted from searching for Dinah.

"Shalimar?"

"Yes Adam?" I asked, getting worried.

"The boys need your help. Barbara and Alfred are also having a hard time with Harley Quinn, and Echart is nowhere to be found." I looked at the bodies on the grass, then I looked at Helena, who looked bored. She wasn't done fighting. "The boys are in trouble." I told her.

"What can you expect? Men are helpless." Helena said within a second later. I laughed.

"Hey! I know they have their moments... BUT, I think I know where our other five blonde pals went." Helena nodded.

"We should go say hello." She smirked, then looked at me. Without warning, I found myself in her arms. "You know, this is our second crime fighting date..."

"Hmmm. Actually our third, but we can celebrate all that later."

We went inside the house. If it wasn't run down and decrepit, it would be almost exactly like the house my grandmother lived in. The door was wide open, which made me be a little more cautious. There was a fight going one with the boys. Helena and I helped out, and I watched as Huntress pulverized a couple of the clones single handedly before they could double team Brennan.

"Thanks." Brennan said out of breath.

"No prob, Bob." (Who is Bob?)

*

{Helena}

I can't believe Echart and Harley Quinn were stupid enough to have only 15 clones as security. Harley was so startled by us busting in that she didn't have the time to hypnotize Barbara or Alfred. Nor could she get anywhere near enough to hypnotize any of Mutant X. Harley was taken back to Arkham and now has tougher security around her. Then all of us went back to the Double Helix where Dinah and Emma were talking about how they first discovered their powers. We all went back to the Sanctuary and Adam had a couple of technobabbly explained gadgets that healed our bumps and bruises, and even fixed Dinah's sprain.

Suddenly, Shalimar grabbed my hand and we got out of Adam's lab as he started to explain to Barbara how they worked, so she could make a few of her own. We got to Shalimar's room before she nipped my ear. "I would like to cash that rain check now." she purred.

"Why Shalimar... Are you trying to seduce me?" I asked, trying not to show how that one action made my body quake. I think she knew.

"Always." She whispered. I shivered in anticipation.

"We- Welcome to the Bank of Helena." I growled. I felt her body shift as I was roughly escorted into her room. I was shoved against the wall some and my jacket and shirt were taken off before I could get my mind to catch up with the actions. It was then that I decided not to think. I knew then that I liked being the prey.

"It's still there." Shalimar breathed, running a finger over my breast where she'd bit me. "My mark." She seemed surprised as well as... relieved to find it was still there. It was as if it symbolized how I felt about that night. If that was the case, then I am glad it only fade a little bit. She unhooked my bra and her mouth went lower. I put my hands through her golden blonde hair and moaned when she bit me gently. She made a trail from my nipple to my belt using her tongue.

"Hmmm... thisss is in the way." Shalimar mumbled against my skin. She was painfully slow at unbuckling my belt and pulling my pants down by the belt loops.

"Shal-" I murmured.

"Shhh..." She put a finger to my lips. this made me want her twice as much. I looked at the need in her eyes as I felt my own eyes shift. She kissed me and I felt myself being moved to the bed. There, she finished undressing my bottom half. Now I was completely naked and she as still fully clothed.

"Lemme see you. All- All of you." If I didn't have any self control, I am sure I would have heard myself howling out the request. Shalimar stripped quickly and joined me on the bed. I touched her bare shoulder and kissed it before I was on my back.

"I love you Helena." She seemed to growl out, looking into my eyes. My senses picked up her arousal. Her lips claimed mine before her left hand entered between my legs. I wasn't expecting that so quickly, and I didn't notice it when I bucked into her hand. Her thumb found my most sensitive spot and Shalimar smiled at the pleasured look upon my face. it wasn't long before I came.

"Th- Thank you for visiting the Bank of Helena. Please come again."

"I should be saying that to you..."

*

{Shalimar}

Helena looked at me with an odd glint in her eyes. Then she pounced almost, planting kisses on every piece of flesh she found. Suddenly, without warning she bit my right above my right breast. Pain and pleasure washed over me right then. Her kissed moved upward and soon we were cheek to cheek. She hesitated, then she said, "MY mark... So now we match." in a low husky voice before licking my ear. Her hand spread my legs. "Mmm, you like it painful. That got your motor runnin'."

She started out with two, then seconds later a third finger entered me. Her pace was fast to start out with, but it sped up. When the forth finger came, so did I. "HELEN-Nuhhhh..." My lover had a look of satisfaction on her face before I murmured dirty promises in her ear, and I kept every single one of them.

Hours later, Helena and I woke up and went to see the rest of our teams. To our surprise, the Delphi monitor system was gone, though Adam did have a few new computer toys that Barbara designed for him to play with. Adam was tinkering with one of them. "Where's-"

"Alfred, Barbara, and Dinah are in the den area. The jet is ready to take you all back to New Gotham when you were ready. Of course, you can come back whenever you wish. You are always welcome back, but from what Barbara tells me, New Gotham needs it's superheroes." I smiled grimly as Helena nodded. She took my hand and we walked into the den.

"How's the arm, kid?" Helena asked as soon as she saw Dinah, who was sitting on a chair next to Emma.

"I'm fine. I heard you had taken a couple of hits as well. You okay?" She asked, obviously concerned for her adopted sister. She'll be fine.

"You know me, I heal quicker than you do." Plus, she got some sexual healing; she'll be alright...

"...Shalimar?" Shit. Dinah was talking to me, so I better lose this weird smile on my face.

"I'm sorry what did you say?"

"I asked if you got hurt." She repeated, giving me this look that clearly said 'I don't wanna know what that look was all about'.

"No. I am fine, thanks."

"Well, Helena... If you are joining us in the jet, you've got 10 minutes to say goodbye. Dinah, you too. Even though I'm letting you stay home from school for a couple days, I want to start training you on the canary Cry." She wheeled into the lab to say her goodbyes to Adam. Barbara Gordon, even though she had her disability, seemed like a take charge woman, and she seemed to know where she was going and what she wanted from life. She knew what to expect from people and from the looks of it, people expect alot from her as well. If she could get Jesse and Brennan to follow her orders without even an eye roll, then there was a large reason to respect this woman, and I could see why Helena did.

"Damn, I was hoping she'd get attached to this place so we wouldn't have to go." Dinah groaned. "I mean, I could leave NGHS and have Adam as a teacher. I'd learn more from him and Barbara in a few hours what I would from the high school in the whole semester." I hear Dinah continue as Emma wrapped her arm around the younger girl's shoulder and walked away. Just as quickly, Jesse walked off, murmuring stuff about making a sandwich in which Brennan agreed sounded great.

"Dinah as got a mouth on her now that she's been kidnapped an all. And you'd think I'd ravish you right in front of them the way the boys ran off." Helena said chuckling. Then she was serious. "I will be back, even if I have to take my father's name and buy a Double Helix. I will be counting the seconds until I see you again. I love you." I felt my heart jump.

"You know I love you too." I've only known her for a week, yet I love her like I have been in love with her since the beginning of time.

*

{Dinah}

Emma went inside her room for a second and came out a second or two later with a candle, which she handed to me. "What's this for?"

"It's to help you meditate. The scent calms me, so I thought you might like it too, being another Psyonic." I nodded and decided not to correct her by saying that I wasn't a Psyonic, but a meta human. Who knows, they could be one and the same. I looked into her eyes for a second and then -I don't know why- I kissed her. It was a quick peck.

"Uh-" What the hell are you doing?

"Dinah I'm not-" I had to think quickly to explain myself.

"I know. I'm not either, but where I come form girls kiss their friends and it doesn't mean anything. It is just showing appreciation for our friendships. I-I just keep forgetting that I am not in Opal anymore and haven't been for quite sometime." I finished in a murmur. Emma nodded. "I'm sorry is that was out of line and made you uncomfortable."

"It's okay. When I was a little girl until I was about 13, I held hands with my friends when we walked places, so I know what you mean." She was lying, but I was glad that she wasn't freaking out and was being nice about it and everything. She is so cool. I thought.

"I- I just- wanted to say... Thank you for being there for me and keeping me company. I- Not many people have stuck by me over the years and I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate it." I'm stuttering. Why am I stuttering?! Get your ass out o there before you make a bigger ass of yourself!! "Um... Thank you for the candle. I better get going before Barbara decides she wants to send me to school right away after all. don't want that." I said. Emma nodded and I walked away out to the jet. You moron...

*

{Helena}

I sat next to Dinah on the jet and listened to her talk as she told Barbara about the guilt she still felt about the clones that had died because of her. Poor kid... She is not going to get over that easily. Especially since she said that one of them wasn't even a clone but the original woman in which the clones were made from. She had a name. That is always the worst. We soon fell into our own thought, Dinah thinking about Dallas and Emma, Barbara thinking about some computer software, Alfred probably thinking about where my father is... And I was thinking about Shalimar, of course. I know that a week from now when the crime rate is down thanks to moi, and when I have no work at the bar, I will go up to Barbara and say 'Barbara, can I borrow the jet?' And then she'd give me this really weird look.

She'd say, 'It'syour jet.' And to that I will smile mischievously as I get the keys from Alfred and call the personal pilot...

THE END