The Theatre:

"Thanks for bringing breakfast," Dee said, popping open the Styrofoam box Benny had handed to her.

"Thank the boss. He's the one paid for it," Trigger said, shoveling the hot food into his mouth.

"Thanks, Eddie."

"No problem. I can't have my crew going hungry," he replied.

"So when we get the pay off from all this, Mr. Nigma?" Benny asked. "I could use some cash about now."

"Me too," added Trigger.

Eddie waited to see if Dee would say anything. The girl was paying more attention to her breakfast than to the conversation. He watched as she dipped a piece of sausage in syrup before eating it. "Crap," she muttered, scrubbing at the drop of syrup that had fallen on the front of the robe he had found for her. After getting most of it off, she went back to eating, happily dancing around a little in her seat the way a kid sometimes will when they get a favored meal. Food, food, food! I love you, pancakes! I love you, hash browns! she chirped to herself. A bacon strip raced around the box after a piece of toast.

"As soon as I can make some calls, I'll find out what I can get for the pieces. It might be a couple weeks before I can get that stuff sold off, maybe longer. I can pay you part out of what I have set aside, if you'd like," he offered.

The two exchanged glances. They trusted Nigma, knowing that the man always paid them in a timely manner and paid them well. In exchange, they had become his main help. The two men were worth the higher price, as they kept loyal to the Riddler.

"Fine with us," Trigger finally said.

"What about you, Q? That ok?"

Dee looked up in surprise, her cheeks bulging with pancakes. Chewing and swigging back juice, she quickly cleared and wiped her mouth. "Is what ok?" she asked, sitting up straighter and acting as if she'd been eating normally the whole time.

"Getting a partial payment right now and the rest once I sell this stuff off? For your share," he explained. She really hadn't been listening.

"I'm getting a share? Why?"

Benny and Trigger snickered at this. Dumb girl. Why would she be getting a share? Hell, if she didn't know, they would gladly split her share between them. A glare from the Riddler silenced them.

"You're part of the group now. What we get we split. I usually take fifty percent and give them each twenty-five. But with an extra person, I suppose it would only be fair to drop my take to forty and give you each twenty." He waited for her protest that he got more than any of the rest did. Benny and Trigger had at first complained until he pointed out that he provided them with transportation, weapons, food, medical care when needed, and anything else that might be required for a job. No one could ever say that Edward Nigma, the Riddler, did not take care of his employees.

"If you want, that's fine I guess," she said, stuffing an egg yolk in her mouth. All Dee had expected was to be paid a flat amount for each job, as she had in the Triad. What she was going to do with the money she got, she had no idea. After all, he provided everything else she needed no matter what it was. He had purchased some raw explosive material and given her a clean room to work in as well. Dee was more than set.

"Then it's settled. Now, we need to talk about tonight."

~ ~ ~

"Alright, Oracle, it's an anagram this time. Drop this in and see what you come up with," Batman said. This was really getting tiring. He had a bruise across his throat where the girl had tried to strangle him with her staff. The tissue in his chest was bruised from her landing on him. His cape from the night before was filled with bullet holes from that idiot and his men firing at him. The sporadic attacks were wearing on him. There was no pattern to guess which of the three would attack him.

"Batman?"

"Hm?"

"I'm waiting," Oracle said.

"Sorry. 'I'll make a wise phrase, the woman's the fighter.'"

"Right. 'The woman's the fighter.' Doesn't sound like Query from what you've said of her fights so far," chuckled Oracle.

"No. The girl can fight, I'm certain of that. I think she's holding back," he muttered, checking his the stock of his utility belt.

"Holding back? Against Batman? For what reason would she have to do that?"

"I'm not certain. If she's the girl I think she is, then I know she has the ability to at least hold her own for longer than she has the last two nights."

"Here we go. Interesting choice, I'd say. 'I'll make a wise phrase,' is 'William Shakespeare'."

"That would leave 'The woman's the fighter' to be Taming of the Shrew," Batman said, quickly figuring out the second anagram. "Interesting choice, indeed. That seems to be what these last two heists have been about. Seeing where his new shrew fits in. What do you get on the information?"

"Charity performance of Taming of the Shrew at the Gotham Globe Theatre. Donations are being taken before the performance began, which would be in half an hour. There's also a Taylor/Burton film festival at the grand opening of the new Globe Multiplex in the Fashion District. They have some of the original costumes from Taming of the Shrew on display, along with priceless items from their other movies."

"I'll take the theatre as my best bet. Have some officers sent to the multiplex just in case." Batman punched in the theatre and got the quickest route. He seemed to be in time, as the theatre patrons were acting normal so far. They filed in from the refreshment tables that had been laid out, chattering away and sipping glasses of wine or other drinks. The ushers were walking through the foyer and closing all the outside doors, locking ones that would not be in use after the show.

~ ~ ~

Dee felt better tonight than she had the last two. While the men had gone about their business, she had snuck off to the Riddler's bathroom and run herself a hot bath. Wallowing in the hot water had done much for her aches and for her mind. While she soaked, she figured out the reasons she had been fighting so poorly. One of the reasons was that she had found herself casting glances at Eddie to see if he approved of her moves. This left her distracted and she forgot to watch her opponent. The second reason was some nagging feminine instinct that he should be protecting her, not the other way around. This angered her because she knew there should be no line between whom should protect whom. If she needed it, he should protect her. As her fighting skills were better than his, she protected him until the need came.

"Thank you for your contribution," she said with a smile, dropping the jewelry and wallet of a well-dressed couple into the bag she held.

The Riddler had them all stationed at one of the three main doors, relieving the patrons of their valuables as they entered. Ushers then led the shocked theatregoers to their seats, asking them to remain calm. The small theatre was quiet, with only a soft hum of discussion going on.

"You may toss that tie tack in there. What do you think, Q?"

"It's fabulous, Eddie. It'd look nice on you," she said. "The cufflinks are nice too."

"This was my great-grandfather's!" the man protested.

Shoving his gun under the man's nose, the Riddler grinned. "And now it's mine. Cufflinks too." Ripping the items away from the man, the Riddler placed them in his pocket. Giving the man a push, he waved the next couple forward.

"Think he'll show?"

"If he does, he does. If not, we have a nice take and some cash. Next!" bellowed the Riddler. "Let's keep the line moving, people! I don't have all night!"

The final couple came through the door and the Riddler walked up the aisle to the stage, Dee following in his wake with the heavy bag of goods. Benny and Trigger made their way over from the other two doors. Dumping the smaller bags all into one large one, Edward handed it over to Trigger and told the man to go bring the car around.

"It has been fabulous tonight, folks. I would like to thank you for giving so generously to my cause. What would I do without such munificent citizens such as yourselves?" He chuckled into the microphone he had picked up. "To show my appreciation, I will now let you continue on with your evening with..."

The microphone went dead and the theatre was plunged into pitch black. Dee immediately pressed herself against the Riddler, half shifting so she could take advantage of her feline sight. Very little light filtered in for her to see with, but she could hear the soft rustle of his cape. Throwing herself against Eddie's body, she knocked him to the ground.

"He's here!" she hissed into his ear, her hand covering his eyes. "Stay still!" Digging into her backpack, she buried her face into his shoulder as she threw a handful of flash caps, knowing the man was most likely using starlight lenses. When she lifted her head again, she tossed a flare onto the stage. The light from that allowed her to see the Dark Knight with his hands up to his eyes, grimacing. Now's my chance to prove myself.

Cartwheeling across the stage she landed in front of Batman. Without losing momentum, she high kicked into his chest as the lights came back up to full. He staggered back, dropping his hands from his eyes. His sight was clearing now and he once more saw the redhead in front of him. With the little bandage on her nose and her cut lip, she looked more like she meant business this time than the previous nights. He dropped to a crouch as she threw a punch, swinging his leg out and knocking her legs out from under her.

"Go home, girlie," he growled.

'Girlie'?! He did not just call me 'girlie'! she snarled. Rolling up, she pulled her bo staff out, swinging it to full length. Standing her ground, she twirled the weapon expertly, a defiant glare on her face. "Don't ever call me 'girlie', buddy," she said.

Batman found himself blocking the raining blows from the staff, unable to gain a second to retaliate. In the distance he could see the Riddler making an adjustment to his cane. He tried to attack low, but she was watching him too closely this time. The staff came down with loud cracks on his wrists and arms. When he tried to attack high, she whacked him across the head with the damn thing before kicking him in the stomach.

This isn't working, he muttered in frustration. Diving, he rolled upstage and clear of the fierce attack.

"Q! Stay back," warned the Riddler as he fired his cane.

She hissed as she ducked out of the way of the writhing mass of ribbons that flew towards her and Batman. Batman managed to completely avoid the mass. Dee, however, wasn't as lucky. Her feet got snarled in the streamers, which pulled tighter the more she tried to tug them free.

"What the hell is this, Eddie?!" she growled, pulling her dagger as she started cutting through them.

He didn't answer as the Dark Knight tackled him, sending the metal cane skittering to the back wall of the stage. Dee could tell before the masked man got up that the Riddler was out cold. The sight of him laying there, eyes rolling up as his eyelids slid closed and his face went slack tickled something in the back of her mind. It was then she noticed Benny had disappeared.

The coward! she growled. It was a real growl and she found herself launching onto Batman's back in the half form of a tiger. The vigilante turned, surprised at the sight of the girl cloaked in fur and fangs, mouth opened in a snarl. Flipping onto his back, he caught her and sent her flying over and past him. She twisted like a cat and landed in a crouch, long claws leaving deep grooves in the floor as she skidded to a stop.

"Give it up, Dee," he said. He had found out a little bit about the girl. Other than a driver's license and a post office box, there wasn't much known about her. It was as if she had appeared out of nowhere. The last actual report he could find about her was when she ran away from the Gotham West Side Orphanage. From there it was a blank canvas, but it was obvious she had not just been living on the streets.

He watched as she strode to the Riddler's side, bending to check his vitals. Curiously, she bent her head and licked his cheek the way a cat would it's hurt owner. The gesture was quick, and as tender as she had looked in doing it, she looked feral as she now turned her eyes to Batman. The flow of her body as she stepped over Nigma's body was that of a large cat, calm, and yet ready to pounce at any second. Arkham might just be a good place to send this one, at least for evaluation.

"I don't want to have to hurt you," the gruff voice said.

To Dee it sounded much like what a cat would hear when its owner shook a finger and said, "No. Bad kitty!" right before swatting them on the bottom. Her feline ears back, she hissed and leapt at him. Palming a dart from his belt, he waited for her to come close. As she reached up, slashing her claws against his exposed cheek, he grabbed her into a bear hug. Grasping at the arm that held her, she sunk her fangs into the enforced material of his costume. A sting on her thigh went unnoticed as she moved her mouth to what looked like a less protected area. Biting down once more, as sudden warmth flooded through her body and she began to go limp in his arms.

"Call the cops, Oracle. They're both down, but his men got away," Batman said. He dropped Dee next to the Riddler and cuffed the two together. Whatever the girl did to change form didn't last when she succumbed to the drug. Such a shame that the draw of money and adventure corrupts these girls so easily. Looking up, he found the theatre patrons watching in awe at what they had just witnessed. With a dissatisfied grunt, he turned and left the theatre to applause.
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