Title: This Little Kitty...: Part One

Author: DC Luder

Summary: What if Diana hadn’t been the one Circe changed?

Rating: PG-13 (violence, language...)

Author’s Note: All recognizable characters belong to DC Comics, not DC Luder. Based loosely on the episode This Little Piggy... The opening scene is based on the beginning of the episode until Circe casts The Spell

A/N 2: Whoa, my first JL cartoon fic... In spite of my other two WIP fics, I just had to get this one out. This episode was just too much fun and I figured it was best to do this while it was still fresh in my mind.

V

“I’m a rich kid with issues. Lots of issues.”

Batman, “This Little Piggy”

V

A common thief.

We had been expecting Inter-gang operatives based on a tip J’onn had come across earlier that evening. But once the alarm had been tripped, we had been surprised by a woman in black, not a gang of thugs preparing to break into the Natural History Museum. Batman and I had been further surprised that the woman was no commoner, nor even a thief.

“Circe!” I growled as she revealed her true form, the black bodice molding into her green and gold suit and a near full facial mask disappearing to show stunning blue eyes and purple-black hair. Her mischievous grin sent a shiver down my spine. Despite that, I spoke with conviction, “Be careful, she’s---.”

He interrupted, “Yeah, I’ve read The Odyssey,” he growled before throwing a pair of Batarangs in the sorceress’s direction.

As expected, Circe was not about to go down that easily. She willed her powers onto the fast approaching pieces of metal and transformed them into a pair of white doves. As they cooed and flapped away to safety, she grinned and questioned, “That it for you?”

My form had taken an offensive stance and my voice had grown dark, “What are you doing here, witch? You were banished.”

She caught a floating dove feather and tickled her own chin with it, “They needed more room down below, so they paroled me. Of course I had to promise to leave your mommy dearest alone before they’d let me out.”

I explained to Batman the circumstances around Circe’s banishment for her actions and her tendency of turning innocents into animals.

“I’m real good at it, too,” Circe spoke in a seductive tone.

Before I could speak, Batman stepped forward, “So I’ve read. Let’s not give her another chance!” He then strode in Circe’s direction in determination, not anger. I followed as well, knowing that although a formidable fighter, he was no match for Circe’s magic.

We were a mere yard from her when Circe raised her arms and let loose and energy wave that knocked the wind out of me. Batman and I flew backwards and I watched as he crashed into the wall behind us. My head snapped back all of the sudden as I collided into the same wall. I ran back towards Circe, but I felt the stone behind me come to life and to my horror, as a giant hand emerged from the wall and took hold of me.

As I struggled, the giant hand tightened its grasp and extended from the wall so that I was held right before Circe. She reached up and touched my chin gently, but I knew there was no affection behind the gesture. Nothing good came from the evil witch.

She grinned, knowing that she was completely in control. This was a game for her, and one she didn’t plan on losing, “I promised to leave your mother alone, little Princess, but nobody ever said anything about you. Rest assured, when I get through here, you’ll know what it is to have your world turned upside down!”

As she stepped back and prepared whatever spell brewed behind her icy eyes, I glared at her while considering my own defense. I did my best to try and kick out at her, but the hand squeezed harder, drawing my breath away. I waited for her to cast her spell upon me with my eyes closed, unsure as to what lay ahead.

Moments later, the hand released me and I fell to the cold pavement in a heap. I searched the alley for any sign of the sorceress only to see a wafting cloud of purple haze. She was gone, for now. Standing, I reasoned with myself that everything seemed in order and nothing felt different. Unsure as to what exactly had changed, I turned back to the spot where Batman had been only to see an empty patch of asphalt and a broken wooden crate. Perhaps in the midst of Circe’s assault on me, he had taken cover in order to call for help.

I smiled, thinking myself the fool. This was Batman, he didn’t take cover and he sure didn’t call for help.

After brushing some grime from my uniform I stepped towards the darker end of the alley and called his name. No response. I tried the com. link. No reply from him but Superman responded, “Diana, what’s wrong?”

“Has Batman contacted you?”

He replied in the negative and then continued, “He did send a distress call, I was just about to contact him. Are you with him?”

“Yes, at least I was. We were doing surveillance at the Museum for a possible threat from Inter-Gang. Circe---.”

He cut in, “The sorceress?”

“Yes, she set off the alarm, was posing as a thief. She attacked Batman and I. I was restrained by her and Batman must have slipped away, sent out the distress call.”

“Are you all right?”

I was just about to reply when a loud shriek sounded behind me just before a massive weight landed on my back. I told Superman to get here as soon as possible before closing the connection and facing whatever foe dared to strike me. I landed face down on the grimy pavement and proceeded to roll over and throw my opponent against the brick wall I had slammed into. When my hands met fur, I asked myself, “What in the name of...”

My voice trailed as I stood and finally looked over at who, or rather, what had attacked me.

A Black Panther, well over five hundred pounds with its pearly canines revealed as the beast hissed at me. The reason why a panther was doing in the middle of a city baffled me momentarily but I cleared my head as I tried to plan out how to subdue the animal without destroying it.

It crouched slightly and prepared to pounce at me once more. As if in slow motion, I watched the animal in the air as it spread its claws and opened its jaw in a throaty roar. Just as I was about to duck and grab at the animal’s scruff, a blur of blue, red and green flashed by and the panther disappeared.

I looked to the right to see Superman sealing the green dumpster by crimping the metal edges together. He poked several air holes in and then glanced at the top, no doubt using his unique vision to glance at the animal.

He landed beside me after a moment and asked, “Escaped from the zoo?”

I shrugged and approached the dumpster. The panther growled loudly from inside and slammed its body into the walls. “It came out of nowhere when I was speaking with you. Perhaps it is a pet?”

“Perhaps,” Superman commented. After glancing towards me, he asked where Batman was.

I looked up and down the alley and then towards the rooftops. Not a pointy ear in sight. I then returned to the spot where I had last seen him, with the shattered wooden crate. I gasped as I looked closer and crouched beside the rubble. Superman came closer as well and watched as I brushed the wooden pieces aside to reveal a tattered black cape and a broken utility belt.

I’m real good at it, too...

“Oh, no...”

V

After calling in Green Lantern, he and I removed the panther, or rather Batman, from the dumpster and he enveloped him in a protective energy field. Wonder Woman had visited a nearby zoo and located large animal tranquilizers so that we could sedate him for the trip to the Watchtower. There, Wonder Woman and I crafted a holding cage for the animal so that we could safely contain him until we figured out what to do.

At that point, only the three of us knew of the problem, and if many more found out, trouble would surely ensue. There was one person I knew had to be contacted. In the monitor womb, I looked up the number and dialed it on a private line. In Bludhaven, it would be just about three in the morning.

After three rings, there was a quiet pause, as if the call had been ended. I waited it out and almost smiled when I was told that my call was being directed to a mobile device.

“Um, hi... Watchtower?” Nightwing answered.

“It’s me, Dick.”

“Don’t tell me, you guys want me to get you take out,” he joked. It had always puzzled me that despite Bruce’s grim attitude, his first partner had been a child who could crack a joke about anything.

“Actually, I have something I need to talk to you about. Can you get into the Batcave?”

“That’s like asking if I can get into my savings account, no sweat, why did the Big Guy leave something there, needs me to send it on the teleporting highway?”

I paused before answering, unsure as to how much to tell him over the phone, “I need you to come up here, Dick.”

He took a moment to reply and when he did, his voice was deep, yet worried, “What happened to him?”

“I can’t get into the details---.”

“What happened to him!” he shouted. I had never been faced with a truly angry Nightwing and I knew suddenly that I was about to.

I did my best explaining the situation at hand, how Circe had changed Batman’s form into a feline and that we had him secured on the Watchtower while figuring out how to get him back to his normal state. While he took it all in, I asked, “He always seemed prepared for the worst case scenarios... We need a way to control his behavior, and without drugging him half to death either. Who do we know of that has a way with cats?”

Amazingly, he laughed, “The same person who has a way with Batman. Listen, I’ll contact Zatanna and my, uh, cat tamer, then we’ll be up as soon as I can con them into it.”

He closed the connection abruptly, no doubt already on his way to take care of his tasks.

As I set the phone back into the cradle, Green Lantern stepped into the room, “Well?”

“Nightwing will be up shortly. He’s going to contact Zatanna and bring some one who may help control Batman.”

Lantern nodded slowly, “Well, I came by to tell you that the drugs are wearing off. The cell you and Diana built should contain him. But someone should stay close though, in case he does get out. God knows what he’s capable in that... condition.”

I agreed with him. The way Diana had described it, when he had attacked her; he had meant to kill her. The look in his eyes had been focused in on her like as if she had been a wounded gazelle.

I left Lantern to cover the Monitor Womb and sought out the cell. It had been formed out of solid steel rods and beams, locking off an area in one of the rear corridors. It provided plenty of room to walk around but had no doors on any of the walls for him to break through. As Lantern had said, if he got out...

“Superman?”

I looked towards Diana’s voice to see her standing near the bars. She offered a weak smile and then set her gaze to the mass of black fur on the other side. I looked for signs of him stirring and simply saw a massive paw jerk slightly.

“It won’t be long now, until he wakes, maybe he will recognize...” her voice failed her and she looked away. I reached out and touched her shoulder and when she looked back at me, her eyes were wide and glassy, “I’m sorry. I just don’t understand why Circe did this to him. She threatened to turn my world upside down, what that has to do with Bruce...”

As she looked back at the panther, I stepped closer to her, “She’s hurting you by hurting the ones you care bout, your friends.”

Diana nodded slowly, “I suppose you’re right. My enemy’s enemy is my friend.”

A low growl sounded from within the cage. We both looked to see the panther sitting up right, his head shifting and looking about his surroundings. When the bright golden eyes passed us, his lip curled up and the growl increased. Despite the barrier between us, I stepped back and had expected Diana to do the same.

Instead, I watched as she stepped closer and slid her arm between the bars and reached out towards the big cat. “Bruce, it’s okay,” I heard her say quietly.

Moments later, the cat rose to his feet slowly, the drug still working its way out of his system. Once fairly balanced he circled the cell, head lowered and teeth bared. He strayed from the bars and Diana’s outstretched arm, as if she were a threat. After several laps, he paused before Diana and looked up at her. She smiled and crouched down so that she was eye level.

With incredible quickness, the cat screeched and lunged at the bars. I raced over and pulled Diana back away from the attack. The cats thick arms pushed between the bars, each ending with razor sharp claws spread wide. Diana tried to push away from me but I held on, “No, it will lonely upset him. Diana, think of what is best for him. For Bruce.”

When she finally relaxed I let her loose and watched on as she stared at the snarling cat. She bit her lip gently and then let loose a long sigh. I was about to reach over and offer her comfort when there was a knock on the entranceway behind us. When we turned, I heard Nightwing before I saw him, “Calvary’s here.”

He was still dressed in his black and blue suit, mask firmly in place over a forced smile. Who stood next to him drew my attention almost immediately. This was the first time I had ever seen her dressed casually. Her tall, slender figure sported black leggings and a form fitting green long sleeved shirt. Every other time I had seen her, she wore a suit made of purple leather and a mask with cat ears.

Selina Kyle.

The Catwoman.

V

As the Son of Krypton eyed me, I looked passed the red and blue and spotted the Princess herself, Wonder Woman, looking rather displeased to see me. So much for a warm welcome.

Nightwing had landed on my terrace less than fifteen minutes earlier, claiming Batman was hurt and needed my help. Knowing that I was not a doctor, I had asked what in the hell I could do about it. He had smiled and said that when I saw him, I would be able to help plenty.

Mrrow.

I rode on the back of his cycle blindfolded as we made our way to the Bat Cave. I snuck a peak twice on the ride and saw nothing but trees whizzing by at sixty miles per an hour. Somehow, he had managed to further explain that Batman was not actually hurt, but that he had been transformed, via an evil spell, into a panther and I was need to help control him. Exactly how I had planned on spending my evening...

Upon arriving at the Cave, he contacted someone called “Zatanna” and told her to meet him at the Watchtower as soon as possible. That piqued my interest as I realized that we were heading towards the Justice League headquarters. Which happened to be in the outer space. I was about to ask for more details, but he told me we had to get going and pointed to what looked like a modernized phone booth. He called it the Teleporter and I laughed while stepping into it with him, “Beam me up, Scottie.”

And in a flash, we were no longer in the lair of the Bat, but in a sterile looking white walled room with other Teleporters chambers. He went to grab my hand and I stepped back, “Paws off, Junior, I won’t run away, just take me to him.”

A look of shock washed over his features, which reminded me of seeing him as a child, sporting the Robin tights.

I followed him down long corridors that were lined on the right side with massive windows that looked down at the Earth. I was physically frozen in place a few times as I looked down at the planet I called home. Nightwing looked back at me and shrugged, “Yeah, quite a sight. You get used to it after a while.”

Nightwing stood poised at the entranceway and I walked by, not about to sit and chit-chat after being taken from my home, transported on the back of a cycle in the cold and teleported to a space station. Superman stepped forward and after throwing him a cold glare, he backed off.

The Amazon was less docile, “A thief? What could she possibly do to---.”

I interrupted her, “I’d watch it if I were you. I can very well turn around and go back home without doing a damn thing here. Now back off, lady, and let me do what I do.”

Her brow furled and I could actually watch her temper rising. Honestly, they sure picked winners to save our planet. She must have counted backwards in Amazonian or whatever, for her form relaxed slightly, “What do you plan on doing, thief?”

I growled, “None of your business, bit---.”

“Ladies,” Superman snapped, “How about we stop arguing and get something done?”

“Fine,” Wonder Woman stared at me and then glanced towards a make shift cage.

I looked over as well and upon my first glance, I saw nothing. After a few steps closer, I was able to hear dark, quiet growls and rumbles. When Nightwing had explained things to me on the ride to the Batcave, he had said that a sorceress had cast a spell on Batman. I thought he had been kidding, but his face was too grim for a joke. But it wasn’t unitl I saw him that I truly believed it.

The area where he was being kept had a light in the front, but grew dark towards the rear corners. As I looked closer, I saw a pair of glowing amber eyes and glossy fangs. The tension came off of him in waves and I knew why. He was in a cage, locked up against his will. Any animal had the right to defend itself against such conditions.

I approached the bars and looked to just above him, not wanting to make my presence confrontational. He grew quiet, sniffed the air carefully and uttered a warning growl. I purred smoothly and slowly knelt before the bars, my eyes partially closed.

I heard the Princess ask Superman if I had any powers and before he could answer for me, I spoke, “Nope, lady, just the ability to control him with plain old skill and experience.”

“Control cats or Batman?” she asked.

Nightwing snickered, “Both.”

I asked them to be quiet and to step back a bit. They did so slowly, so not to attract attention. After a moment, the panther rose to his feet and stepped forward in a half-crouch. He was not on the offensive, simply defensive. Then, his form relaxed and slinked closer, still testing the space between us. I sat on the cool tile and stretched my legs out, looking away from him, still purring.

Three minutes later, I was hardly surprised feel a warm breath and the silk of whiskers dance across my cheek as he slipped his muzzle between the bars. He sniffed twice, grunted and proceeded to sit beside me. I smiled as he reached a heavy paw through the bars and onto my out stretched leg.

When I looked back at my audience, I noticed that the Green Lantern had joined us and was staring at me, nearly mesmerized. I glanced over to Superman, “Can you open the bars, I need to go in with him.”

He shook his head, “No, what if he got out?”

“He’s not going to, if you let me in.”

After a hesitant moment, he stepped forward slowly. The panther rose to his feet and snarled at him, his paw withdrew from my lap and lashed out at Superman’s form. I glared at the cat and growled a warning at him. He growled back then returned to sitting on his haunches. I looked over at the man in blue, “Go ahead, just enough for me to slip in.”

He grabbed two bars and eyed the cat before pulling them apart. After I passed through I asked him to close the bars and he did so with no protest. The cat was still sitting, his eyes fixed on Superman. I reclined beside him, two feet away and waited for him to come to me. As soon as I started purring he looked in my direction, then back at Superman, and once more to me before rising and approaching me.

As he reclined, he set his head in my lap and licked my palm.

“Unbelievable,” Superman commented, “How did you do that?”

“It’s a gift. An affinity for animals. And a lot of guts.”

The panther looked up at me, it’s eyes relaxed and half closed. He offered a throaty purr that reminded me of my first car’s muffler. I rubbed his chin and then got to my feet carefully. He paused than did so as well. Confident that I had his attention, I nodded at Superman once more, “Open the bars. Wide open.”

I watched as he did so, his fear practically branded in his forehead.

With an opening wide enough for a small elephant, I stepped forward and through it, the panther at my side. I paused and he did so as well. After petting his head, I looked up to the small group assembled before me, “I ask three things from all of you so that I can maintain control over him. Don’t look directly into his eyes, don’t touch him and most importantly, don’t touch me.”

“Why you?” Diana asked.

“He’ll protect me. And do his best to kill you.”

V

Next chapter up shortly...