Part 2 - The Sleepover (Ladies)

[harley]

Players: All eligible ladies who would like to spend a once in a lifetime night with Harley Quinn and Gemini.
Location(s): Harley's secret hideout. Shhh, don't tell anyone.
Plot Summary: Harley is throwing a sleepover, and it's to die for.

Red and white fireworks lit up the Gotham skyline as Harley watched from her windows. The perfect beginning to the perfect night. After she and Gemini had brought back the final pieces to the plan, Harley set about getting things ready for the most awesome party Gotham would ever see. Balloons were blown up, hovering in the air all around the abandoned restaurant. Closed due to pest issues, Harley walled herself up in it as she went about her current solo ways.

Good thing too, as the kitchen was perfect for the pizza chef, who was working hard at pushing out pizzas, under threat of death. On the counter laid diamond tennis bracelets, a name attached to each one, one for every guest that had been invited. No one left Harley's parties without party favors.

Along each wall was a large TV, all wired together as they played the same images, in sync. Speakers lined the walls next to them, wires obviously exposed as Brad was forced to hurry up and get everything working. Speaking of Brad, he was held facing the wall, a table covered in push-pin tails next to him for one of the party games.

The floor was covered in various pillows and sleeping bags, all facing different directions. And the old tables and chairs had been pushed to the corners, allowing room for the party to take place.

As the first guest arrived, Harley threw open the restaurant doors, smiling bright at the invitee. "Welcome to the sleepover!" Hands in the air in excitement, Harley struck her usual pose as one hip jutted out to the side. Her cap was missing, as her pigtails hung on the sides of her head. The make-up was there, though Harley's usual red and black suit was replaced with very similar red and black silk pajamas, to complete the party theme.

[Black Canary]

"Babs. What was my one rule?"
"No missions where you have to dress as a stripper or a hooker."
"Right. So what would you call this, O Wise And Horrible Leader?"
"I'm an awesome leader, don't even pretend otherwise. And that's not a hooker or a stripper outfit, Dinah. It's just a dress."

Dinah stared at her best friend blankly, then motioned to her bust. "Babs, the girls are practically making a run for the border. How am I supposed to fight in this thing if everyone decides they want to play 'Kill the Canary'?" The redhead shrugged, and though she attempted otherwise, her smirk was visible even as she turned to look back at her computer screen. "Double-sided tape?" A second later, "ow! Don't throw that at me, we need it." She leaned over to pick up the dummy and dusted him off. Dinah huffed loudly as she tugged at the neckline of her scarlet dress, attempting to pull it up more on her chest. "This is the worst mission ever," she complained. "I have to dress like a high-end hooker, pretend to be sexually attracted to Chucky and Pinocchio's lovechild, and sit around at a sleep-over for supervillains? What am I supposed to do, braid their hair while we talk about which Leaguer is super cute and totally murder-able?" Babs, who was very clearly enjoying this, allowed her smirk to evolve into a full-fledged grin. "I hear they're going to be watching Mean Girls."

Dinah sighed with frustration as she settled her wide-brimmed hat over her blonde hair, which she had adjusted so that her bangs were swept off to the side to hide what would have been the Ventriloquist's scarred right eye. "Crap. I love that movie."

--

Robbing a Best Buy and taking someone captive didn't escape someone like Oracle, and while at times Dinah was grateful for her friend's watchful eye, there were times where she silently wished that her skill set wasn't necessary. This moment fell into the latter. When Babs had intercepted the invitation shortly after the heist, her first thought had been to send Dinah in undercover. Why she had to go as Peyton Riley (who, though not seen in quite some time, wouldn't arouse suspicion; it wasn't like anybody stayed dead in Gotham anyway) was a mystery to her, though she supposed that the number of Gotham criminals she could impersonate was pretty limited. Babs was right in that this was a rare opportunity to not only rescue the poor soul who had managed to get involved in such a thing, but to get some priceless intel as well.

Dinah wasn't sure what intel she hoped to get besides what Harley Quinn's favorite color of nail polish was, but she had learned by now not to question the almighty Oracle. Perhaps she ought to question her more often, Dinah decided as she stood at the door of the address printed on the invitation. Her hat was pulled slightly down to shadow her features, but it was her hair - which obscured half of her face - that would do the most to protect her identity. That, and her hope that nobody would want to get too close to the crazy lady wielding the angry puppet. Dinah raised one gloved hand and knocked on the door. Not a moment later, Harley Quinn herself was flinging the door open with about as much enthusiasm as was expected. Show time.

From what she could see and hear of the inside of the restaurant, it looked as though they were among the first to arrive. Dinah wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Altering her voice slightly to match that of the Ventriloquist, the blonde's painted lips curled upward into a sly smile. "I brought a guest," 'Peyton' cooed, giving her invitation a little wave in the air. "I hope that's okay." Scarface folded his puppet arms and lifted his puppet chin indignantly, then gave a grouchy huff. His normal suit had been replaced with a pajama lookalike. "I sez I ain't gonna sit around with a bunch o' dames all night, but I can't say no to my Sugar," he grumbled. "One look 'a dat face, and bam! I'm a goner." His hands clutched his heart. This is totally why I spent all those hours practicing vocal chord control, thought Dinah with as much joy as a badger with a hernia.

[Gemini]

Fireworks? Oh crap... she was late for the party! She had been on Skype singing to her plants. It was something Ivy had told her to do with the Rose patch she had been growing. Talk to them, keep them company, make sure they had some contact with the 'inferior species' so that they know they're better.. or some such. She tended to fade out whenever Ivy was on her plant superiority kick. Made her feel like a stupid instead of an awesome. But crap.. the party! Gem bounded away from her laptop and before a giant mirror she had borrowed and shifted from her usual battle attire to a silken pair of nighties.

Something red and partially see through, to match the whole theme of... well slumber parties. Her hair was down, her mind was focused and the road ahead was clear. She barreled down the stairs and almost, scratch that, she did fall flat on her face when she caught sight of the night's first guest. She was a beautiful blonde woman with a puppet in her hands. A talking puppet! Now Gem had seen some messed up things in her life. She'd been to the Great Wall of China, She'd seen the Pyramids of Egypt, She had even witnessed a grown man satisfy a camel. But never in all her years as a villain has she witnessed something as improbable, as impossible, as what she had just seen today. Picking herself off the ground, she quietly snuck over to the woman and gave off her most polite smile. Welcome to the party, you two!

She had learned to accept all villains, no matter their sanity level, their paraphernalia or other unknown creeds. I'm Gemini, I'll be hosting this party whenever Harley is incapacitated. We have a Tennis Bracelet for you on the order counter, a sleeping bag set up for you in the rec room, pizza on the counter, but you can also order something specific from the Chef if you want. All we ask is that you do no overt violence, and uh.. have a good time! As soon as some other guests arrive we're gonna start the partaaay... but I have to ask.. She looked around, to make sure she wasn't going to get in trouble for focusing on this one... overly pretty lady. She leaned a bit closer and addressed Scarface as well as Peyton. How uh... how.. do you shower with.. I mean she.. and then he's all.. She had heard of this doll before, but last time she had checked, he belonged to some fat bald guy.. and he had a tommy gun.

Rather than sit around and get slapped in the face by a doll, she took a step back and spun on her heels and cartwheeled away from the scene. She had to go and find Brad. She was going to feed him a slice of Pizza or something.. just to make up for his being the toy of choice for the party. Harley! What are we gonna do if any Hero's show up... and don't want to be part of the party? I don't really want to.. have to kill anyone tonight.. not on your night of triumph.. Yet she knew how heroes would always try their best to ruin something fun and it was inevitably going to happen. Though her big sister was on her way to the party... and whatever Hero tried to mess with Cheshire was going to get it right in the face! And by it... she meant a shuriken... and by face she meant heart.

[Poison Ivy]

"I'd be happy to kill them, if you don't wish to, Gemini."

The sultry voice rang out in several layers of emphasis and tone, with an otherworldly whisper to the edges. Anyone who heard the sentence alone would have expected something phenomenal to own it. A goddess, or powerful creature as seductively tender as the smoldering glaze of the syllables. Heads might have whirled toward the direction of the voice, coming as it was from the other half of the restaurant, but wouldn't find a face to match with it.

"Sorry that I don't have my invite with me." With the second statement, focus was trained on an unsuspecting source. Indeed, something that might have drawn a few pauses of disbelief. Resting on one of the establishment's old tables that had been pushed against the wall, illuminated in brackets of orange from the streetlight that peeked through the drawn shades on the windows, was a potted fern. A potted fern whose leaves had arranged into a vague human shape.

"Human" in the fact that one tuft seemed to be acting as a head while two others curled down to prop - in a way that was quite sassy for a fern - on hips in the form of the primary stem just above the soil. "I wasn't exactly allowed a carry-on bag." The plant spread one of its arms in an emphatic elaboration of her words in a way that would have been supremely comical, if not for the womanly, delicate words that were issuing forth from it.

Poison Ivy had been delighted when Gemini - on business in Gotham - had come upon Harley. Why? Well, there were several reasons. The prime among them being that with Gemini and Harleen becoming so close as of late, it gave Pamela a way to keep tabs on the both of them. The fern that she was now inhabiting was one example of that. After the disbandment of the Sirens, Harley Quinn had gone her own way in an attempt to make something of herself without either the Clown, or Pamela's aid.

Already, Mother Nature was proud of her closest friend. She was also proud of her adopted daughter, Gemini, through the blond psychiatrist. Their collaboration for this sleepover struck that approving chord in Poison Ivy as much as it made her fret. Neither of the young woman were known for their foresight, or their tact. There were so many avenues through which disaster could break out with the gathering of so many villainesses, and Ivy didn't want to break her new apprentice, and oldest comrade from Arkham because of it.

That was partly why Pamela had chosen to appear in person - kind of - for the slumber party. She couldn't very well up and leave New Bludhaven when it was just starting to thrive, especially for a reason so frivolous. Thankfully, the botanist's power over the Green had grown over the years, and she needn't be present in the flesh. She could keep her eyes (metaphorically speaking) on Harley and Gemini that night well enough in the manner that she'd chosen. She could even extend her power to the direct vicinity if the need arose - not in any powerful way, mind you, but in force enough to be of use, if the need arose.

The truth was, that beneath all of the motherly worry that Poison Ivy had trembling through her leaves, she was actually looking forward to having a bit of fun. Being the matriarch of a sovereign nation didn't offer a lot of time for it.

[Catwoman]

Catwoman didn't like being on a leash. She didn't like taking orders, or playing second fiddle, or... well, the sayings went on, and on. Selina thought, though, that Bruce had finally not just realized that fact, but taken it into consideration at a more empathetic level than he ever had before. He had to, really, because of what the billionaire was asking of his girlfriend. Long-distance relationships are hell on the libido, the Cat thought while she slunk through the shadows of Gotham's rooftops.

Admittedly, Selina had taken to the 'strictly hero' role with relative ease. Bruce had his little posse that she had been introduced to, which meant she had "friends" - which she was still unused to. That computer chick, Oracle, had enough assignments that suited Catwoman's particular skill set that she could hack a safe, and still not step on any goody-two-shoe toes. More than that, Selina hadn't entirely forsaken her roots, per se. She was just controlling her impulses, and only embracing them for a noble cause.

Think Robin Hood, but with leather. Much more leather.

Catwoman couldn't stay out of her head in everything that had happened in the past few months. Keeping her claws in, and playing the part of a house cat for Dick and the rest of his scowling entourage seemed surreal, as well it should have been. Selina couldn't resist thinking about how this change was sticking. Catwoman had tried to be "good" to meet the approval of a certain dark knight countless times in the past, but it never kept. She always fell off of the proverbial wagon.

Bruce, the feline felon thought - half a dreamy sigh, half a hiss of annoyance. That was the problem. How freaking corny did it sound, that Selina hadn't really known what she had until she lost it? The one thing that she couldn't steal back, because it was out of her reach. Feats of cunning or guile were sort of hard to come by when the subject was death. Catwoman shook her head as she neared the address on her invitation.

An invitation that she hadn't told Dicky-bird about, come to think of it. Selina didn't think she would, either. She'd made sure to leave her comm. link that Oracle had given her back at her apartment. Even changed into an outdated, less technologically advanced cowl to make sure that Batman didn't really have a chance. Unless he was stalking Selina... Or the computer girl was keeping an eye on her. Not creepy at all, Catwoman mused, irritated, to herself.

Thing was, the princess of plunder was too good to get caught on cameras.

A slumber party full of super criminal fem fatales sounded like just what Selina needed to feel more like her old self while keeping her new self in tact. Anything too bad, or grand she could pass on to Oracle or Dick, or handle herself, in her own way. Hopefully the girls would keep their conversation on more mundane things, so that the Cat wouldn't have to tattle. Selina landed lightly on the ground in the orange lamplight behind the slender silhouette of the Ventriloquist.

"Did I hear "tennis bracelet"?" Catwoman smirked slyly as she strutted into the restaurant. Once over the threshold, she paused for a stiff moment that would no doubt be filled with Harley's girlish squeal, and a full-on tackle. "Thanks for inviting me, Harls," Selina patted the jester on the arm lightly with a smile that was less forced than she would have liked to think. Catwoman looked at Peyton, and a noticeable wrinkle of distaste flared her nostrils at the sight of Scarface.

Selina didn't care who you were: puppets were creepy. She nodded once towards the newest Ventriloquist, then glanced with mild amusement at the talking flowerpot. "Ivy," Catwoman said with an air of surprise, "have you lost weight?" Selina spared one heavy, calculating gaze at the new girl - Gemini, the invite had said - and quirked a brow. At least Harley had a playmate. The Cat's eyes strayed soon enough to the glittering line of pretties that winked on the counter not ten steps away. Already worth coming, Selina thought.

[OOC: To Gemini and Harley: I hope you both realize how much I love the two of you for putting both girls in here.]

[harley]

When Harley swung open the door, she was actually a bit surprised to be looking straight into a man's face, well, sort of. Scarface stared back at Harley as she bent down, shaking the puppet's hand. "Good to see ya again Scarface, and I see ya brought Sugar along with ya. Glad ya two could make it. Please, step right up and enjoy the festivities. Food, movies, parting gifts, take part in it all!" Back flipping away from the couple, Harley gave them room to enter the restaurant.

Grabbing Gemini as she showed up, Harley pulled her new partner in crime into a hug. "We did it, the greatest sleepover anyone has ever planned in Gotham! If I suddenly become incapacitated Gemini, you must don the jester cap and steer this ship to safe waters." Letting go of Gemini, Harley put two fingers in her mouth and let out a loud whistle, as Bud and Lou came running. Bud took one look at Peyton and began to growl slightly, until Harley smacked him on the nose.

Harley didn't have much time to discipline her babies before other guests began arriving, namely a talking plant. Now, some might feel that talking to a plant is insane, but Harley thought otherwise. "Ivykins!" Harley yelled across the restaurant, as she flipped and twirled her way over to her best friend. Since Ivy had taken her own city, Harley hardly got to see her friend anymore. "I'm sorry I can never visit ya, Mr. J doesn't like when I leave Gotham. Actually, he just doesn't like when I go and visit ya." The bitter feelings between Joker and Ivy when in regards to Harley were common knowledge, as the poor harlequin was caught in the middle of it all.

Running to the refreshment table, Harley grabbed a cup of water and brought it back, dumping it into the pot. "That feel better? Haven't watered that thing in ages, keep forgetting." Not exactly known for her green thumb, Harley was terrible at remembering the proper care for plants. If she had drowned the plant, Harley didn't even know.

From behind her, another very distinctive, feminine voice rang out through the restaurant. "Must go see my other guests." Flipping around the restaurant some more, Harley wouldn't be surprised if she made people dizzy just by watching her. Landing on her hands, Harley 'walked' over to Catwoman with a large cheshire-grin on the painted clown's face.

"Welcome Catwoman, always good to be on the same side. How's the B-Man lately? Mr. J and I would love to do lunch sometime." Lowering her feet to the floor, Harley stood upright and walked to the gifting table, picking up a bracelet with Catwoman's name on it. The diamonds sparkled under the florescent lights as Harley twirled the platinum band around her finger. "Please, enjoy the party favors." Harley said as she tossed the bracelet over to Catwoman.

[Black Canary]

And there she was, in the heart of the lion's den. Dinah had been in far worse situations but that didn't mean she was thrilled about being a part of this one. She still wasn't happy about the dress. Why the hell couldn't she have worn pajamas like everyone else? Dinah then gave a moment of thought to what kind of pajamas someone like the Ventriloquist likely wore, and then she didn't mind the dress quite so much. Having the girls attempting to make a surprise appearance wasn't as bad as showing up in full-on lingerie. After Harley's initial greeting, the second hostess showed up: Gemini. While Dinah had never met her before, she knew that the woman wasn't someone to underestimate.

She apparently wasn't one to be very shy, either. The blonde almost choked when Gemini questioned 'Peyton's' showering habits. That was a little invasive, Dinah thought, but she supposed she ought not expect someone like Gemini and her crowd to abide by normal social standards. Now, if she was a crazy Irish mob princess who was madly in love with a puppet, what would she say? "Why," Dinah purred, holding Scarface closer against her bosom, "we share water, of course. We have to do our part for the environment." Scarface nodded. "Yeah, yeah," he agreed wholeheartedly. "The environment." Hey, at least she could have a little fun with this, if trying to weird out a bunch of criminals could be considered fun.

Catwoman was there; briefly Dinah wondered if Selina would recognize her, but she seemed more focused on being freaked out by Scarface than the identity of the woman commanding him. She didn't blame her. Maybe Dinah would get lucky and the rest of the guests would be too preoccupied with Scarface to notice that Peyton Riley wasn't really Peyton Riley. Fortunately the only one who seemed to have been remotely suspicious was one of Harley's hyenas, but nobody seemed to notice. At the sound of a disembodied voice, Dinah frowned and glanced around the room until her eyes settled on the plant that seemed to have taken on something of a vaguely human form. Three guesses who was behind that. "A talkin' plant!" Scarface exclaimed. "Well ain't dat just da craziest baloney I ever seen, eh Sugar?" "Yes, Mr. Scarface," Dinah agreed with herself, feeling right at home with the entire bunch of lunatics.

[Gemini]

Swept up in the swiftest of hugs, Gemini responded with as much affection as she could muster towards Harley. This was pretty amazing for how foolish it might've seemed at the time. Bringing every villainess worth her salt to one sitting and watching pizza and eating movies? You had to be insane to even fathom it. It was such a blessing that with Harley's combined might.. they were just crazy enough to pull it off. As soon as she was told to take over in case of Harley's unabilty to carry on, she snapped into a salute and puffed her chest up. I won't fail you, Mam! She was oddly reminded of the promise she swore to Ivy... it was a shame she couldn't..

MOOOOM! She turned towards Ivy's plant avatar so fast that if she had neckbones, they would've snapped. Plant Form, awesome entry one-liner and instantly becoming the center of attention? It must have been simply and radiantly amazing to be Poison Ivy. Gem was going to have to find herself some dank jungle magic and STAT. Leaving Harley alone to go and deal with Ivy, she noted Bud and Lou slinking away from Miss Riley. Why did they growl at her? Gem wheeled around again, pulling in information from every source.

The Hyena's didn't like her... she hadn't been heard from in a couple weeks. Gemini couldn't even recall mailing a letter to anyone with a puppet. Not to mention, showering together? He was made of wood! Unless he got weatherized once a week, he wouldn't look as prestine after repeated showers... and her puppet hand had to be filthy if she always had it up his backside. Gemini, being a student of the acting arts, a powerful shapeshifter and the daughter of one of the most powerful shapeshifters in recent history... well she had almost a sixth sense when it came to disguises. She could sniff them out, know when authenticity was lacking in a subject. She took a step towards Miss Riley, her arm slowly stretching to the floor, as if she'd have to make use of her talents soon.

Holy beans... you're Catwoman. Her arm snapped right back to it's normal length and she moved around Miss Riley, trying to get a good look at the woman in black. She was a legend... riding the Dark Knight's ass since her inception into the criminal world and according to current rumors, riding the Dark Knight's.... front parts. That was uncouth, she shouldn't be thinking of anything so personal... yet she couldn't help but store ideas down for a fic she wanted to put on her blog. She took a step closer, and tried not to look 'too fangirlish'. Nice to meet you, Miss Woman.. Miss Catwoman? I'm Gemini! I'm Harley's Sidekick and I just wanted to say that you're awesome. Gem wanted a signature or even a photo, but with superthief regulations and the lot, she'd be lucky to get a look that lasted longer than a few seconds.

Not wanting to overstay her welcome, she turned and stepped away from Miss Kyle, stopping off at the counter and tossing Miss Riley her tennis bracelet before grabbing a slice of pizza and stepping over to her mom's pot. I'm glad you could make it, boss. Do you know if Jade's coming.. or can I keep her bracelet for myself? She smiled and tore into her slice. Despite the unmistakable taste of tears in the sauce.. this was pretty tasty food. Well, things were off to a pretty wicked start. Almost everyone was here, the only person she didn't see was a young hero she invited. Mm.. real quick, has anyone seen a hero by the name of Speedy on their way here? I sent her an invite and.. I dunno, I don't want to start without her, but the show must go on.

Go on it must... even if she didn't know the exact plan for the night. She didn't expect everyone to bundle together in the rec room and start swapping stories about which justice leaguer is the cutest and most murder-able... because if so she could talk on hours about that Green Lantern... the dark haired one.

[Speedy]

Mia sighed as she got off the bus and looked around. She felt so odd wearing civilian clothing at this time of night. She was used to wearing her body hugging uniform with Kevlar, a belt with multiple compartments that held certain objects that she might need when taking down the scum of the earth that plagued her city. Hell, she felt kind of naked without her newly designed double quiver and bow. How on Earth did she end up in this situation again? Oh, that was right. She had gotten an invitation, addressed to Speedy. That was weird.

She walked up to the overly large location that had been specified in the invitation. The only thing of her identity as Speedy that she currently had on was her mask. Hey, she was not entirely stupid. Connor had given her such grief about this sleepover. Sure, it could be a giant trap. She had tried to contact Dinah for some last minute advice, but Oracle said she was busy. Just her luck, right?

Her tennis shoes thankfully did not squeak against the bricks as she walked to the front door and knocked on it. Her hip popped a bit as she stood with a hand on her hip and another holding the invitation that she had been sent. She was wearing jeans, a cute graphic tee shirt, and of course cute underwear. She had her mask on, and her pajamas were in her backpack, along with a large stash of chocolate.

“Oh what the hell? “ She opened the door and walked inside. She smiled as she looked around. This place was huge. Was that.. Dinah on the couch? Was Dinah dressed kind of like a hooker with a puppet? Now, Mia wasn’t going to say anything about that here. But, when they got home, you could be sure that she was going to give her mother hell for what she was wearing. She spied others, including Poison Ivy and Catwoman. This was just great, she was the only hero here who was not undercover? Oh well, hopefully nothing terrible went down here, because she would be screwed. “Ok, I’m here. Now this is officially a party. Who wants chocolate? I brought both milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and the kind with nuts in it. Sorry for being tardy to the party. “

[Poison Ivy]

"Hello, darling," Ivy said fondly - or as fondly as the woman ever was - to Gemini. Otherwise, admittedly, Pamela paid little attention to the other guests present. After the first once-over, noting who was present, she directed her focus to other things. Harleen bounded over like a human slinky, and crouched over the potted plant, looking gleeful and apologetic. If a fern could look murderously indignant, the one that Poison Ivy was animating surly did once the conversation turned to a certain giggling fool. "Let's refrain from talking about the abusive relationship that you can't help but drag yourself continually back to." The fern bristled and shook out its leaves in the face of Harley's bid for forgiveness.

Harley bobbed away from Pamela's booth unexpectedly. Just when the botanist was beginning to wonder what the acrobat was doing, the cup of water was dumped into her soil. Poison Ivy felt the fern sigh in relief, but the sudden iciness of the liquid startled her into a hitched gasp. "Of course you haven't," Pam grumbled, even while Harley pirouetted away to see to the new arriving guests. She busied herself healing the plant - using the water as a catalyst with the Green to bring it back into full health.

Catwoman made her sultry debut, and Pamela looked up dryly - if such a subtle emotion could translate through a plant with no facial features. "As witty as ever," Mother Nature said in nearly monotone annoyance. Ivy was careful not to use Selina's real name in general conversation. Catwoman had always been more guarding of her secret identity, and callous as Pamela was, she still respected the thief enough to honor such things. Especially beings that Poison Ivy didn't know what kind of rabble Harley had invited to the slumber party.

The tuft of leaves that made Pamela's head looked up when Gemini approached. At least having her self-proclaimed daughter present along with Harley and Selina made the event bearable. "I'm afraid not," Poison Ivy said dismissively to Gemini's question. "Cheshire is on personal business this weekend. Even I don't know where she's gone off to, or who she's going to kill." Jade was far less dependent on Pamela as her employer than Gemini was. Cheshire was the perfect agent, but she still had an extensive agenda of her own to attend to when not working for Ivy.

[Catwoman]

Selina caught the tossed tennis bracelet without blinking, and looked down at the trinket. For a moment she turned it this way and that, watching the dim light reflect across the diamonds beautifully. Catwoman slipped the bracelet on over her glove and grinned while she walked over to the line of stools that lined up in front of the bar counter. Though the thief's eyes may have been locked on her new pretty, her mind was elsewhere. I wonder what Canary's doing here, Selina thought curiously. In that dress, too, she added as an afterthought. The amount of cleavage on display by Dinah made Catwoman feel conservative.

She would play along with Black Canary's facade, of course. They were on the same team now, as it happened. For a moment, Selina felt a pang of guilt. Just months ago she had been fighting alongside Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Hell, they'd been living together. Now she was there technically undercover, working for the same heroic enterprise that the would-be Ventriloquist did. Catwoman discarded the momentary feeling easily enough. The girls that turned up tonight would've been smart enough to keep business talk to a minimum (you never knew who was going to stab you in the back in their line of work).

Besides, with Dinah present, Selina wouldn't even have to tattle if anything worth hearing was said aloud. Now that most of the pressure was on Canary, Catwoman could actually try to enjoy herself. On her way to the bar, however, Selina stopped to look at a... deflating young woman. She quirked a brow in vague amusement. So, this must be Gemini? Catwoman was very rarely looked to in such a reverent light - that stuff was for the heroes - so she didn't mind being fawned over. "Just 'Catwoman', hon," Selina said with a smirk. Momentarily she thought of how Gemini's powers would make any theft laughably easy, then she disregarded the notion.

Playing on the side of the angels was a little harder than she'd thought. Catwoman pressed on through the room, and flashed a knowing wink in Dinah's direction while no one else was looking. The girl was committed. How else could you justify the dress and the creepy-ass puppet?