Flower Power (of the Uniform)

[rufusluciusivan]

This story is a direct sequel of the previous one: viewtopic.php?t=11933 Thus, a lot of the descriptions are there. You'll also find the pictures of the ladies of this part at the end of the story.




Flower Power (of the Uniform)

**************

Huntress and Catwoman were restrained to two experiment chairs. Their wrists and elbows were bound to the armrests with leather straps. Similar straps were binding their ankles to the chair’s legs, and their waist to the chair’s back.

They were held prisoners in a lab room which looked closer to a hospital room. White walls, PVC floor, and several cabinets. Officially, it was probably the complex’s infirmary. Some windows were even giving them more light – although they were too high and too small to allow anyone outside to witness what was taking place. The implications behind the fact Daggett was keeping on standby equipment to restrain and experiment on humans were quite distressing, to say the least.

The effects of the paralyzing gas were already wearing out – both Huntress and Catwoman had trained their bodies to be resilient. However, it wasn’t doing them any good when they were tightly trussed up, and without their gear.

Poison Ivy’s henchwomen had searched the two prisoners and taken all their gadgets. However, they hadn’t bothered to strip them of their clothes to send them back to their rightful owners – with one minion even mentioning that ‘Anika and Mabel deserved the embarrassment’.

Violet, Lily, Poppy, and Sakura were now moving back and forth, exchanging hushed words and complicit smirks, grabbing various equipment and medical tools. The four henchwomen were setting up something.

“Why are we still alive?” Helena asked coldly.

Next to her, Catwoman resisted the urge to add: Not that we mind. It was best to not show weakness.

“We know of your falling out with the Bats. It’s not like anyone is gonna bother to come and save you.” Violet retorted with a mocking smirk.

Shows what you know. As if that’d stop them from saving someone. Selina thought to herself.

Of course, the point was moot anyway. Neither she nor Huntress had told anyone what they were doing.

Helena deflected the conversation. “So what are you going to do? You expect us to talk?”

Lily shook her head. “Of course not. We wouldn’t insult your strength of will.”

Violet added: “We expect you to take part in a little experiment.”

Helena and Selina shared a glance.

“Not the bio-weapons.” Lily said in false reassurance. “It would be a waste of good talents.”

Violet tapped a hospital drip filled with a light green liquid which Sakura was setting up. “Ivy is trying to perfect her pheromones. This will either turn you into docile slaves… or make you brain dead.”

“For us, it’s a win win.” Lily concluded.

They paused, probably hoping to see fear on their prisoners’ faces.

Selina didn’t give them the satisfaction. “So… That whole ‘speaking in sync’ shtick… Does it come naturally or do you have to practice?” she finally quipped.

Helena couldn’t resist a mocking smirk of her own.

Violet and Lily lost their smiles. “You little bitc-” Violet’s cellphone rang.

The brunette groaned, and picked up. “Yeah?” She didn’t hide her annoyance.

Her caller barked something.

The henchgirl immediately rectified her attitude. “Apologies, sir. We’re in the middle of something, sir. Yes, the intruders, sir. We’re about to inject them, sir.” A few barks. “The samples in Lab 4? I don’t know sir. I don’t think they had the time to-” A few more barks. Louder this time. “We’re checking right away, sir.”

She turned off her cellphone, and stopped feigning docility.

“Arrogant pig…” she muttered to herself.

“Must be hard for you to be at Daggett’s beck and call. I bet Ivy hates every second of it.” Selina commented.

“Don’t worry. He’ll get what’s coming to him soon enough.” Violet answered with a chilly tone. “As soon as he stops being useful.”

“If the samples have been tampered with, we must go check immediately.” Lily intervened. “The more time, the more risks they’ve become unusable.”

“You’re right.” The brunette looked at her two other partners. “Sakura, Poppy. Deal with them.”

The two other women nodded with enthusiasm. They were most likely eager to prove their worth.

Violet and Lily exited the room.

The automatic door remained open for a few seconds, the time for one air stream to enter, then automatically closed.

Catwoman glared at the two remaining henchwomen. Sakura and Poppy glared back.

There was a brief awkward silence, but then Selina didn’t resist a jab:

“So… Sakura and Poppy… Are those your real names, or just pseudonyms?”

“Shut it!” the redhead interrupted her.

“Can’t blame a girl for being curious…”

Sakura smirked. “In a few minutes, you’ll only care about serving Ivy… Well, either that or you’ll be spending the rest of your life drooling and soiling yourself.”

The Asian henchwoman went to retrieve the hospital drips, while Poppy was keeping an eye on the prisoners – ready to shoot them if it looked like they were getting free of their straps.

Neither she nor her colleague noticed the sudden blurry movement in the opposite corner of the room. Just like they hadn’t notice the blurry figure enter the room right after Violet and Lily had left – during the few seconds the automatic doors had needed to close.

Had they paid more attention, they would’ve seen a subtle refraction of the light. A cloaking device. A cloaking device concealing a figure dressed in a bat-looking suit.

Violet, Lily, Sakura, and Poppy were indeed smarter than your average low-life crook – Poison Ivy favored quality over quantity. However, they weren’t safe from making mistakes.

Case in point, they were forgetting a golden rule. One should always expect a daring last-minute rescue when they had a ‘caper’ in their clutches.

Indeed, in Gotham City, no matter how much ‘capers’ tried, it was hard to hide their activity from other ‘capers’. Whether Helena and Selina liked it or not, they had been monitored unbeknownst to them.

The blurry figure aimed her wrist at Sakura, and shot a small dart in her collarbone with a wrist launcher.

Upon penetration, the dart released a powerful drug that immediately paralyzed the Asian henchgirl’s vocal cords. Sakura froze. Her eyes widened in realization. Unfortunately for her, her partner’s back was turned on her. And Poppy’s attention was focused on the prisoners.

Sakura reflexively gasped and grabbed her throat. She attempted to move, and make some noise to warn her teammate, but the drug was fast-acting. Her whole body was now entirely paralyzed. She slumped onto the floor. Three seconds later, she was deeply unconscious.

Poppy frowned when she heard the dull ‘thud’. “Sakura? What’s taking you so long?”

The redhead wasn’t able to add anything. The blurry figure suddenly switched off her cloaking device, revealing a young woman slightly shorter than average dressed in a black bat suit which covered her entire body (face included). She tackled Poppy onto the floor.

“Nyah?!”

The henchwoman barely had the time to squeal. The figure punched a very specific spot of the redhead’s skull, knocking her out with one right hook. Poppy groaned (“Urk!”), and went still.

Her attacker got up, leaving the defeated henchgirl lying on the floor with her arms spread. She glared at the prisoners.

Selina recovered from her surprise the quickest, and grinned at the newcomer. “The kids are allowed to go out today?”

Black Bat glared back at her. Somehow, she managed to scowl while wearing a head-concealing mask.

“Sheesh. No need for the cold shoulder, ‘Mini Batman’.”

Cassandra ignored her. She flashed a small flashlight at one window of the infirmary.

Two seconds later, a second young woman dressed in a bat suit cut a hole through the glass. She had red hair, and was dressed in a mostly purple costume. She opened the window from the outside, and contorted her body into the hole to enter the building. The windows of the infirmary were small, but the young woman was well-trained and as flexible as a professional gymnast. She squeezed through the hole in record time, and nimbly landed onto the floor.

Helena raised an eyebrow. “Through the window?”

Batgirl nodded. “Can you believe Daggett didn’t bother to bug them with sensors?”

Selina ignored Helena’s glare. She changed the topic: “Can you untie us, please?”

Barbara and Cassandra complied, releasing them from their straps.

Helena decided she didn’t want to waste time with banters. “How did you know about us?”

Neither Cassandra nor Barbara answered – though in the former’s case it wasn’t a surprise. Cassandra didn’t even bother to take off her mask, and walked to the door to listen through it and check nobody had heard the commotion. Barbara went to check Sakura’s pulse, and purposefully avoided looking Huntress in the eyes.

Helena easily drew her own conclusions. “Batman. Of course. He probably knew from the start. And he sent you two to follow us. I bet some of my contacts secretly keep tabs for him.”

Barbara remained silent, her face carefully still. However, her lips briefly twitched. The kind of twitch one had when they were refraining themselves from smiling sheepishly.

Huntress groaned to herself. “Oh, that’s just great!”

Suddenly, they heard Poppy moan and stir. She was waking up.

Before Cassandra could put her to sleep with a dart, Helena walked next to the red-haired henchwoman, and punched her unconscious in the temple.

Poppy squeaked briefly, and went still again.

“That was unnecessary.” Barbara remarked.

Then for good measure she shot a knock-out dart in Poppy’s thigh. She didn’t have sympathy for evil crooks, but punching the defeated woman’s lights out again and again felt unfair.

Selina glanced at Cassandra’s bat suit. “Nice camouflage by the way. I see Batman spares no expense for his golden children.”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes – it was quite eery just how expressive her mask could be.

“It’s neat, but not as great as you think.” Barbara replied while checking Poppy. “It can’t suppress the sounds of your footsteps, so using it is a lot harder than it looks.”

“One needs to master the technique to move silently, and reduce the air stream to the minimum.” Selina mused. “Like a master assassin.”

This time, Cassandra briefly showed emotion. “Shut up!” she retorted.

Catwoman raised a hand as a gesture of peace. “Sorry, sorry. It didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Sheesh… I preferred when you were all quiet and meek.”

“Oh, she’s never been meek. More like ‘silently absorbing all the teasing’.” Barbara quipped casually while dragging Poppy by the under-shoulders and laying her next to Sakura. “And she knows how to hold a grudge.”

Black Bat didn’t add anything to her friend’s summary. She just kept glaring.

Catwoman suppressed a fake cough of embarrassment, as she was remembering all the times she had teased Cassandra during her last few partnerships with Bruce. In hindsight, getting under the skin of a barely defused Tyke Bomb had probably been a mistake. For the second time, she chose to change the topic:

“Now that we’re all here, we should find a way to sabotage the whole operation, secure the evidence, and make sure police comes here to arrest the minions.” She gestured towards the deeply unconscious Sakura and Poppy. “I can’t help but notice those two are a redhead and a pale black-haired girl. Ivy and Daggett are allies of circumstances. I don’t think any employee of this lab knows these two well enough to tell the difference from afar, provided you wear the right clothes.”

“Save for Violet and Lily.” Barbara replied.

Catwoman smiled harshly. “Oh, don’t worry about these two. They won’t be a problem.”

Barbara and Cassandra shared a glance. The latter shrugged wordlessly. Apparently, that was enough for Barbara.

“Sounds like a plan.”

**************

In-between the four of them, stripping Sakura and Poppy of their outfits and down to their undergarments took little time.

The gloves, boots, and belts were easy to pull off. The jumpsuits were “one size fits all”, so peeling them off didn’t take much effort either.

The black-haired henchwoman was left clad in cherry pink hip-hugging panties with a pattern of white cherry blossoms and a dark pin waistband strap, a full-cup bra with dark pink shoulder straps and borders and the same pattern of cherry blossoms, and matching socks; and the redhead, in forest green socks, a white t-shirt bra with black borders and shoulder straps, and white knickers with a black waistband strap and five poppy flowers on the back and half-a-dozen on the front.

https://www.etsy.com/fr/listing/4396159 ... fe788f29d7

https://i.etsystatic.com/31936606/r/il/ ... 5_r8qq.jpg

Huntress didn’t attempt to hide a small gag of annoyance.

Barbara and Cassandra didn’t mind stripping down to their undergarments in front of Helena and Selina, nor did they mind leaving their bat-suits concealed in a cupboard of the room. These costumes were filled with so much traps, Selina blamed the poor fool who’d try and take them.

Then, while Barbara and Cassandra disguised themselves, Helena and Selina bound and gagged the unconscious minions with devices from Batwoman’s and Black Bat’s equipment belts.

They handcuffed each henchgirl’s wrists behind her back, and used a second pair of ‘bat cuffs’ for each girl’s ankles. The ‘bat ballgags’ were used to silence the two minions.

“Such a neat gadget.” Selina commented when the device’s straps fastened themselves behind Poppy’s neck while the ball was inflating to fill her mouth. “Maybe I can commission one fashioned after a ball of yarn…”

Huntress didn’t comment – safe for a huff. She grabbed Sakura’s undershoulders, and dragged her away. Selina did the same with Poppy. They stashed the two henchgirls in a small furniture closet, leaving them seated shoulder-to-shoulder, their heads resting against each other. Huntress then slammed the door shut to vent some of her anger.

Barbara and Cassandra finished slipping into the henchwomen’s outfits. For the redhead, it was a decent fit. Cassandra was a bit too small for her own costume, but since the jumpsuit was a “one size fits all” it wasn’t too much of a problem. They hid their equipment belts with their bat-suits, but crammed as many gadgets as they could in two aid kits they had previously emptied of all content.

Helena nodded at them once they were fully disguised. “Let’s go.”

Barbara eyed her, but didn’t let the older woman intimidate her. She took the time to check if the closet in which Sakura and Poppy were locked was not airtight, to make sure the two prisoners wouldn’t suffocate.

She only nodded once she was satisfied. “What about you?”

“Aren’t we supposed to be prisoners? Even better, aren’t we supposed to be brainwashed?” Huntress retorted.

Catwoman opened her mouth.

“Ham it up, and I rip your tongue off.” Huntress warned.

Catwoman closed her mouth.

**************

Helena instructed Barbara and Cassandra to lead them to the female changing room. With some luck, Lily and Violet had returned from Lab 4 after checking the samples, and were still inside it. Except this time, they wouldn’t be able to surprise them with their gas trap.

They needed to sabotage the samples, and they needed Violet and Lily out of the picture. They’d be killing two birds with one stone.

They only saw two lab workers from afar – a tanned-skinned ponytailed brunette and a strawberry blonde with freckles and short bushy twin-tails. They nodded at Barbara and Cassandra when their eyes met, and went on with their business. They didn’t question Helena’s and Selina’s presence. The disguises had worked.

The changing room was located next to the four main lab rooms – lucky them. Through the door, they could hear the muffled sounds of a conversation.

Barbara and Cassandra each grabbed a bat-arang concealed in their aid kits. They opened the door, and led the way. Helena and Selina followed them.

Violet and Lily weren’t wearing their green-and-white jumpsuits anymore. Instead, they were now clad in blue mid-thigh-long soft boots, and blue long-sleeved skintight jumpsuits with black legs. (Selina recognized their ‘classic’ outfits.) Matching color-coded full-head covering gas masks were on benches nearby.

“Well, that was a complete waste of time.” Violet complained as she was stretching.

“Wasn’t expecting anything else from a man…” Lily added while fixing her hair.

“Come on. Let’s get changed. Poppy and Sakura should be finished by now. I wanna see the result-”

“We’ll be taking your masks.” Huntress interrupted the two minions. “And also your jumpsuits.”

Violet and Lily froze.

“I’d say it’s a shame… but then I’d be lying.” Selina added.

Violet and Lily lost their smiles.

Barbara closed the door of the changing room.

When Violet attempted to lunge at her small remote, Cassandra expertly threw a batarang at it, and sent it flying across the room.

“No gas this time.” Helena commented.

“Let’s see how you do in a fair fight.” Selina added in sync.

The frame muffled the sounds of the ensuing scuffle. Punches, kicks, grunts, and groans followed suit.

In a fair fight, Violet and Lily didn’t stand a chance. Their talents lied in biology, not in martial arts. They received a lot more than they gave – though to their credit, they attempted to fight back.

Still, the result was the same. The two henchwomen ended up out cold and sprawled on the floor, mouths slightly agape and letting out faint unconscious moans.

Catwoman dusted her hands, and eyed the blue outfits. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

She and Helena peeled off the soft boots, gloves, and protective jumpsuits.

Violet was left wearing jade green tanga panties, a blue triangle bra, and white socks. Lily was left clad in a purple string adorned with lace, a matching lacy demi-bra bra, and light violet socks.

“That’s how you know they’re senior henchwomen.” Catwoman commented while gesturing at the undergarments. “They don’t feel the need to overdo things.”

Cassandra and Barbara only had one pair of handcuffs left each. They used them to restrain Violet’s and Lily’s wrists. There was a small supply closet in the changing room, with a few rolls of electric cables inside. They bound each henchwoman’s legs with them. Catwoman proposed they gagged them with tape – as there also was a roll of duct tape inside.

“We still have gags.” Barbara intervened.

“Tape would look better.”

“You just want to use tape because it’ll be more impractical to peel off.” Helena retorted.

“Fine. We’ll do things the boring way.”

Thus, they used the bat ballgags to silence the two crooks.

Finally, they crammed Violet and Lily inside two empty lockers, and slammed the doors shut to conceal them.

Selina and Helena then slipped into the protective jumpsuits, gloves, and boots. They used the gas masks to conceal their heads – hair included.

“All geared up, and ready to mess up.” Catwoman concluded.

**************

Huntress and Catwoman went inside the Labs 1 to 4. They took the time to collect enough samples and data to act as evidence in all the main four labs. They stored the vials and devices in padded cases similar to the one that had been delivered here.

Then Helena sabotaged everything.

“It’s true what they say. Breaking is a lot easier than building.” Catwoman commented.

They were simply careful to not release any toxin.

Barbara and Cassandra were waiting outside. When Catwoman exited Lab 4, they were busy hastily closing the door of a nearby maintenance closet. Selina just had the time to catch a glimpse of two lab workers – the brunette and strawberry blonde from earlier – unconscious and bound-and-gagged with some cables and duct-tape.

She grinned. “Getting in trouble, are we?”

Cassandra shrugged.

“They didn’t believe us when we told them you were working on the samples, and they were about to call the security.” Barbara justified herself, almost sheepishly.

Huntress exited Lab 4. “We’re done here.”

Barbara smiled. “Good. Now all we need to do is to stop today’s delivery.”

Huntress raised an eyebrow. “Delivery?”

“The van outside.” Barbara explained. “Surely you must have seen it in the backyard. They were loading it with bioweapons.”

Selina’s eyes glimmered. “Interesting news.”

She ignored Cassandra’s suspicious gaze, and put a hand on Barbara’s shoulder.

“Say Babs, I’ve been thinking. There are still a few guards and scientists in the lab. Maybe we should split. You two deal with the situation inside. Huntress and I take care of the delivery van.”

“Sure, but why do you-”

“I prefer not to be around when the police arrives to storm the place.” Catwoman interrupted the younger woman.

“Same.” Huntress added.

Barbara shrugged. “It can be arranged-”

“But we can’t exactly walk the streets dressed as evil henchwomen.” Selina interrupted her again. “And by now we’ve pretty much established the mercenaries know who they work for, and what they transport.”

Helena’s eyes glimmered. She knew where the conversation was heading, but she wasn’t going to stop it. In fact, for once, she and Selina were on the same page.

Barbara frowned. She too was finally understanding Catwoman’s intent. “Well, I think it’s not a problem as long as you-”

“As long as we leave the van and the girls in a place you can find later. Got it.” Catwoman concluded, without giving her the time to argue or think about the plan. “Perfect. We’ll leave half of the proofs with you. You girls play nice here, go back home before curfew, and give a kiss to Batman for me.”

She scurried away before Cassandra could grab her. With a sight, Huntress followed her.

Barbara couldn’t go after them. A security guard was turning around the corner.

“Have you seen Leticia and Loretta?” she asked. “They were supposed to work in Lab 3.”

Barbara and Cassandra shared a glance. Then they jumped the guard.

Soon, a third bound-and-gagged woman was keeping company to the two lab workers stashed in the maintenance closet.

**************

Loading the bio-weapons into the van was a long process, because each crate’s seal needed to be checked, and then each one had to be properly secured and fastened to make sure it wouldn’t move during transportation.

Holly, the brown-haired mercenary, finished strapping the final crate. “Finally! All done!” She jumped out of the van “Would’ve preferred that Sakura and Poppy stayed to help.” she added.

“Would’ve preferred to watch them try their serum on the prisoners!” Eva, the black-haired mercenary, retorted with a mean smirk.

Holly checked her wristwatch. “We’re still on schedule. We have the time to check the result before we leave.”

They shared a wicked chuckle.

“Just let me close the warehouse, and we’ll go.” Eva said.

She went to press the code which would close the warehouse’s door.

However, she froze when she saw faint movement inside, near her. She recognized the blue jumpsuit of Violet or Lily.

She took a glance inside the warehouse.

“Hey! Don’t creep on me like that! Besides, aren’t you supposed to only wear those in the labs?”

Eva barely had the time to see the fist speeding towards her face.

Holly was still waiting next to the van when she heard some odd groan and a faint ‘thud’. “Eva! Stop fooling around! We’re gonna be late!”

She didn’t even hear the cat burglar sneaking behind her back.

One neck-chop knocked her out instantly.

The unconscious body fell face first onto the ground.

Catwoman grinned. “Oh, this day keeps getting better and better…”

**************

They dragged the two mercenaries behind some nearby bushes, and took off the women’s dark grey armor-like bulletproof waistcoats, and matching protective shoulder pads, dark grey caps, light grey long-sleeved shirts with turtleneck collars, dark grey equipment belts, grey combat boots, and light grey uniform trousers.

The brunette was left clad in leopard briefs with a brown waistband strap, a matching full-cup bra, and matching socks. (“I feel offended.” Selina commented.) The black-haired mercenary was left wearing violet cheeky panties, a plain white t-shirt bra, and black socks.

There were still some spare straps and cables inside the van. Huntress and Catwoman used them as makeshift ropes, to hog-tie the two mercenaries – binding the legs and the wrists, and then connecting them. They cut Violet’s henchwoman outfit into a few strips to gag Holly and Eva.

Then they slipped into the mercenaries’ uniforms and gear. Once they were in disguise, they walked out of the bushes, leaving the two tightly-trussed up underwear-clad women behind.

Huntress sat behind the wheel of the van while Catwoman went to the passenger seat.

“I wish we could’ve stashed them inside the van.” Selina complained. “

“It’s not exactly the best idea, considering we’re transporting chemical weapons.” Huntress retorted.

Selina sighed. “Forget what I said about future partnerships. You take all the fun out of life.”

Huntress narrowed her eyes. A moment passed. Then she finally turned on the engine and spoke: “You will choose a place where I drop you. Then I’ll be giving you a 24-hours head start.”

Selina rolled her eyes as Helena began to drive them away.

“Love you too.”

[rufusluciusivan]

**************

Helena Bertinelli / Huntress:

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Helena_Berti ... New_Earth)

Selina Kyle / Catwoman:

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Catwoman

**************

Violet and Lily, Poison Ivy’s main henchwomen in the animated series:

https://batmantheanimatedseries.fandom.com/wiki/Lily

https://batmantheanimatedseries.fandom.com/wiki/Violet

https://femalevillains.fandom.com/wiki/ ... ed_Series)

The other two henchwomen (Sakura and Poppy) are based on the designs of the henchwomen of Violet Vanderfleet, a villainess of the show Totally Spies who’s (appropriately) a knock-off/parody of Poison Ivy:

https://femalevillains.fandom.com/wiki/ ... lly_Spies)

**************

The designs and appearances of the two mercenaries who collect the samples at the end are based of one of the recent Marvel Spider-Man-themed Magic the Gathering cards, the Wild Pack Squad. Two of the mercenaries depicted there (middle one and far-right one) are women.

https://gatherer-static.wizards.com/Car ... 03468E.png

(Told you to watch that space... )

[tirepanted3]

And the stories collide. Always fun when superheroes team up, and this was no exception.

Catwoman, as expected, gets all the best lines. Her running joke about judging the henchwomen for their underwear choice was quite funny. (“That’s how you know they’re senior henchwomen. They don’t feel the need to overdo things.”) Can always count on Selina to keep her cool and cut villains down to size.

A variety of henchwomen inspirations in this chapter - the Batman animated series, Totally Spies, and Marvel's Magic the Gathering cards. True, all these characters were introduced in the prior chapter, but it was fun watching them get their comeuppance.

Violet and Lily seem to be quite popular despite only ever appearing in one BTAS episode. I liked the little joke of Selina mocking them for "speaking in sync."

Sakura and Poppy were good additions as well, and it was of course quite a happy coincidence that they looked relatively similar to Barbara and Cassandra. I remember liking that Totally Spies episode that inspired it - that jet ski action scene is a classic.

I'm not sure if all the Wild Pack characters on that card are meant to be reminiscent of actual Wild Pack characters - although the woman in the middle looks quite similar to this one:

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Lina_Abbas_(Earth-616)

I like how the security guard introduced at the end of the chapter didn't even get a description - just a quick mention of her being jumped before she's left tied up in a closet. Poor woman.

Overall an enjoyable trio of chapters, even if they were over a bit quick. Would be nice to see the relationship between the Bat-Women explored a bit more fully. I know DC doesn't inspire quite as many USB ideas as Marvel, but they've got some great characters, and I love how you write Selina in particular.

[rufusluciusivan]

Violet and Lily seem to be quite popular despite only ever appearing in one BTAS episode. I liked the little joke of Selina mocking them for "speaking in sync."

Who would have thought the sexy henchwomen would become popular? What a mystery...

Selina's lines are indeed quite fun, but she has it easy. Her archetype is tailored for quips and one-liners. It was quite funny to pair her up with characters who had no time for her games and refused to play along and stood up to her - Helena and in this chapter Cassandra. It made for a different dynamic. Selina's quips are still funny, but the humour is a bit different.

Totally Spies has a bunch of cute nameless henchwomen, so I selected my two favorites for Sakura's and Poppy's roles. The fact they look a bit like Cassandra and Barabara is a lucky coincidence.

I'm glad you liked these little one-shots. There is indeed potential for DC stories, but it's unlikely there will be more from me. The relationships between the girls of this extended (slightly dysfunctional) Bat-Family would be interesting, and ripe for funny quips, but I think these little snippets give a good picture of what they'd look like.

My only regret is that I couldn't find a natural way to feature a line in which Selina mentions she considers herself the "stepmother who's a bad influence on the kids" in the Bat-Family.

I like how the security guard introduced at the end of the chapter didn't even get a description - just a quick mention of her being jumped before she's left tied up in a closet. Poor woman.

Poor her, sentenced to be a quick punchline at the end of the story... Such a horrible fate...

I'm not sure if all the Wild Pack characters on that card are meant to be reminiscent of actual Wild Pack characters - although the woman in the middle looks quite similar to this one:

I don't know either, though I wouldn't be surprised to learn she is supposed to be her.

And now Lina Abbas is just begging to become part of Marvel Earth-USB. I know the Wild Pack doesn't exist in this continuity, but she could easily be reimagined as a member of Silver Sable Security. Now that Silver Sable takes central stage, SSS is begging for named minor characters who aren't Claire and Scorpia, if you catch my drift. Food for thoughts...

[tirepanted3]

Selina's lines are indeed quite fun, but she has it easy. Her archetype is tailored for quips and one-liners. It was quite funny to pair her up with characters who had no time for her games and refused to play along and stood up to her - Helena and in this chapter Cassandra. It made for a different dynamic. Selina's quips are still funny, but the humour is a bit different.

Maybe I'm a bit biased since I've written for her myself, but I do slightly prefer Felicia's dynamic with the Marvel heroines over Selina's dynamic with the DC heroines here. They're quite similar as far as quippy, cat-themed anti-heroines go, but Felicia's attitude of always staying one step ahead of MJ is a bit more interesting to me than Helena's relative dismissiveness of Selina.

That said, I'm glad you didn't just copy over that dynamic, since Catwoman and Black Cat are different characters and should be acknowledged as such.

I'm glad you liked these little one-shots. There is indeed potential for DC stories, but it's unlikely there will be more from me. The relationships between the girls of this extended (slightly dysfunctional) Bat-Family would be interesting, and ripe for funny quips, but I think these little snippets give a good picture of what they'd look like.

I don't know if I'd want to start writing DC-centric stories myself (especially since once I start writing new stories, I rarely know when to stop ). I could maybe see a one-shot DC/Marvel crossover. The idea of Felicia disguising herself as Catwoman certainly has potential...

And now Lina Abbas is just begging to become part of Marvel Earth-USB. I know the Wild Pack doesn't exist in this continuity, but she could easily be reimagined as a member of Silver Sable Security. Now that Silver Sable takes central stage, SSS is begging for named minor characters who aren't Claire and Scorpia, if you catch my drift. Food for thoughts...

Hm... based on where the Mavel saga is going, Silver Sable Security should probably make a comeback in the near future. And yes, it will probably need some new named members. Regardless of whether it's in the Marvel or DC universe, don't expect the Wild Pack women to have a lot of luck...

[rufusluciusivan]

Maybe I'm a bit biased since I've written for her myself, but I do slightly prefer Felicia's dynamic with the Marvel heroines over Selina's dynamic with the DC heroines here. They're quite similar as far as quippy, cat-themed anti-heroines go, but Felicia's attitude of always staying one step ahead of MJ is a bit more interesting to me than Helena's relative dismissiveness of Selina.

That said, I'm glad you didn't just copy over that dynamic, since Catwoman and Black Cat are different characters and should be acknowledged as such.

It was a conscious choice. I didn't want Catwoman's dynamic with Helena (and Barbara and Cassandra) to be a rehash of Felicia's and MJ's. Because then what would be the point of trying different characters and a different setting? Plus, it wouldn't fit the characters. This version of Helena is meant to be of the same group age as Bruce and Selina, and she's a harsh vigilante. It wouldn't make sense for her to be willing to let Catwoman gain the upper hand in the dynamic. Barbara and Cassandra are young, but both are better-trained than MJ (especially Cassandra), and they don't have the same inferiority complex (of course Cassandra has... other emotional baggage). Thus, while Selina is a bit more successful (especially with Barbara), she doesn't have a clear upper hand either. If anything Barbara gives as much as she receives - as proven when she casually comments that Cassandra has been silently taking all of Selina's teasing, and will be holding a grudge. She knew pretty well what she was doing.

I found Selina's dynamic with Helena a fun change of pace. Helena's dry dismissiveness inverts the power dynamics, but in a way I find Catwoman's failure at properly quipping because her partner just refuses to play along as funny as MJ's bouts of rage.

The idea of Felicia disguising herself as Catwoman certainly has potential...

I smell "young VS old" banters comedy gold...

Hm... based on where the Mavel saga is going, Silver Sable Security should probably make a comeback in the near future. And yes, it will probably need some new named members. Regardless of whether it's in the Marvel or DC universe, don't expect the Wild Pack women to have a lot of luck...

Well, that sounds like their problem... Can't wait to read the next part of the Marvel Saga by the way.

[tirepanted3]

It was a conscious choice. I didn't want Catwoman's dynamic with Helena (and Barbara and Cassandra) to be a rehash of Felicia's and MJ's. Because then what would be the point of trying different characters and a different setting? Plus, it wouldn't fit the characters. This version of Helena is meant to be of the same group age as Bruce and Selina, and she's a harsh vigilante. It wouldn't make sense for her to be willing to let Catwoman gain the upper hand in the dynamic. Barbara and Cassandra are young, but both are better-trained than MJ (especially Cassandra), and they don't have the same inferiority complex (of course Cassandra has... other emotional baggage). Thus, while Selina is a bit more successful (especially with Barbara), she doesn't have a clear upper hand either. If anything Barbara gives as much as she receives - as proven when she casually comments that Cassandra has been silently taking all of Selina's teasing, and will be holding a grudge. She knew pretty well what she was doing.

Right, I think the main difference is that there's no "civilian" character whom Selina can easily lord her power over the way Felicia did with MJ. So the dynamic naturally felt different. (Wonder if Vicki Vale exists in this universe? She'd probably fit the MJ slot, although she's not nearly as prominent a character in the comics as MJ or Lois Lane.)

Can't wait to read the next part of the Marvel Saga by the way.

And I'd like to get it posted soon. It's about halfway written now, so should be posted sometime in the middle of the month. Hopefully this next chapter really kicks the action into high gear.

[rufusluciusivan]

Right, I think the main difference is that there's no "civilian" character whom Selina can easily lord her power over the way Felicia did with MJ. So the dynamic naturally felt different. (Wonder if Vicki Vale exists in this universe? She'd probably fit the MJ slot, although she's not nearly as prominent a character in the comics as MJ or Lois Lane.)

At the drop of a hat, I'd mention Vicki Vale and Summer Gleeson for the "normal" civilians who could fit MJ's slot - though the way I picture this DC universe for now, they would exist but they wouldn't get the same upgrade that USB-MJ got, and would remain untrained journalists - and potential snoops in distress. (Poor MJ got the short end of the stick in Earth-USB, since she's overshadowed in her own niche by Felicia, but she's still an accomplished martial artist with good impersonation and disguise skills. To my knowledge, she's a bigger physical threat than most of her canon counterparts - at least the ones who don't receive some kind of superpower boost *cough*Venom*cough* .)

Good luck with your next chapter.

[meditions142]

I really enjoyed the description of how the knockout darts work.

"Upon penetration, the dart released a powerful drug that immediately paralyzed the Asian henchgirl’s vocal cords. Sakura froze. Her eyes widened in realization. Sakura reflexively gasped and grabbed her throat. She attempted to move, and make some noise to warn her teammate, but the drug was fast-acting. Her whole body was now entirely paralyzed. She slumped onto the floor. Three seconds later, she was deeply unconscious."

Wonderful little tool. Given it needs a little time to work it is really handy that it first paralyzes the vocal cords then causes overall paralysis before actually putting the person to sleep.

[rufusluciusivan]

I really enjoyed the description of how the knockout darts work.

"Upon penetration, the dart released a powerful drug that immediately paralyzed the Asian henchgirl’s vocal cords. Sakura froze. Her eyes widened in realization. Sakura reflexively gasped and grabbed her throat. She attempted to move, and make some noise to warn her teammate, but the drug was fast-acting. Her whole body was now entirely paralyzed. She slumped onto the floor. Three seconds later, she was deeply unconscious."

Wonderful little tool. Given it needs a little time to work it is really handy that it first paralyzes the vocal cords then causes overall paralysis before actually putting the person to sleep.

Glad you enjoyed it. I wanted to make it a little different than the usual "knockout dart". I picture these DC one-shots as darker and grittier (well, to some extent), so I wanted the description to highlight that. Hence why it's described paralyzing the vocal cords - which must be a scary thing to live through IRL. For a split second, Sakura probably feared this was poison - and it would also paralyze her lungs and throat. Of course, the knockout serum is non-lethal, but its description is meant to make people more ill-at-ease.