Chapter 15: Dusk til Dawn
*****
Selena swung down from the ledge and through the open window, landing gracefully in a dark space. She stood still for a moment, listening for the slightest indication that she wasn't alone. The room was warm and very humid from the newly spawned jungle only a few miles away, but everything was quiet, just like she liked it.
Selena clapped her gloved hands and soft red and pink lights lit up around the room. Her sanctuary. Her den. Her east side apartment.
"Home at last," she said as she crossed the studio apartment to her bedroom area. A slender cat layed across the top of her head board, watching closely as Selena slid her cat suit off her body and slipped a silky nightgown over her naked body. She massaged her aching muscles and stretched. Rough night, she thought to herself. Selena found the small vial she had snatched from Wayne Tech during her errand for Ivy and held it up to the light. The clear cool blue liquid swirled around the tube as she spun it in her gentle grasp.
"Amazing how something so small can have the potential to change so much," the woman mused. "Just the insurance a cat needs to survive in a Gotham run by plants." I'm definitely gonna need it after the plant bitch escaped, she thought.
A soft knock rang out from the door, startling Selena. She stuffed the precious vial in a hidden compartment in her desk and peered through the peep hole to the hallway. She sighed in relief and opened the door.
"Fuck, Holly, you shouldn't be here this late. Especially with the shit going on out there."
The young woman pranced passed Selena and jumped onto the bed, motioning for the cat to join her.
"I'm not kidding, it's fucking dangerous here and you need to leave," Selena stressed.
"Aww chill out. I'm safer here with you than I am walking on the street or alone at my place. The neighbors got a little nutty after all those plants came out of nowhere. Especially the guys," Holly said.
Selena wasn't having any of it. "You need to go! People will be looking for me and I don't want you involved."
Holly perked up. "Who's after you? What can I do? How can I help?"
"Calm down, Holly. I don't have time for this. I just stopped in for a few hours sleep, so you can't stay. I'll come get you when all this is over. Right now, I need to get some rest. Then I have to find Batman...again."
"At least let me stay until you leave. Pleaaaase?"
"Fine you little punk. Just don't make too much noise. It's gonna be another long night."
Selena collapsed on her bed and slept straight through until evening. Despite the racket that Holly surely made, Selena didn't awaken until the sun was dropping below the cityscape and the glow from Ivy's jungle was bright within the city. She put on her equipment, complete with claws, goggles, whip, and bolas and sprang through her window out into the darkening metropolis.
"I'm gonna need a drink after this," she thought before leaping forward.
*****
Chapter 16: Breaking News
*****
Vicki Vale sprinted around the street corner and ducked into the alley, nearly hugging the damp brick wall in her attempt to stay out of sight. She squeezed the large envelope in her arms tightly, feeling its bulky contents pressing into her chest and hands. The excited voices and stomping footsteps approached her small hiding spot. They couldn't have been more than 15 feet away.
"She definitely went this way," shouted one of the pursuers. "Check down that alley."
She heard someone grunt and the footsteps grew louder. Beads of sweat collected along her hairline and glided smoothly down her forehead, dripping into her eyes. It burned. She stayed low and crawled behind the dumpster, trying to slow her breathing and go unseen and unheard.
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
She let out a slow breath, just now realizing she had been holding it.
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
The scuffling sound of boots on pavement was clear as day now.
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
Vicki could hear the man's rugged breathing, but she kept her own mouth covered. Whether it helped or not, she couldn't say.
The heavy steps passed the dumpster, paused for a moment, then continued until they became faint. The reporter let out a sigh of relief before glancing around the dumpster for a view. The coast was clear and everything was silent once again. She slowly stood up and rounded the corner back the way she'd come.
A rough hand grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the wall, knocking the wind clear out of Vicki.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to play in dark alleyways, little girl? You could get hurt. You're very lucky I found you."
The man looked her up and down, brushing her coat aside to get a better view of what was underneath.
"Mmhmm. You're VERY lucky."
Vicki tried to break free, but his grip was too strong and she could barely breathe with the pressure on her throat. The thug grabbed a handful of her breast and squeezed, eliciting a sharp protesting gurgle from Vicki.
"Oh, yes, you are just perfect. Maybe the mistress will give you to me once this is over," he whispered into her ear. "Until then, I'll just take that package you took and give you an escort. I wouldn't want you getting hurt out here."
He released her and yanked her by her coat out to the street and into a waiting SUV. Vicki was still gasping for air when they sped off and a bag was pulled over her head. They drove for what felt like an hour along winding roads before they came to a stop and she was forced from the car. Wherever she was, it was humid and the air felt claustrophobic.
Her captors led her blindly foward for several hundred feet, her heeled knee high boots causing her to stumble on the uneven ground. It felt like theynwere traveling at an angle.