The efficiency at which she was able to get in and get out marked her as a top choice for assassinations. She handled the kills well enough, taking them simply as jobs, nothing more. Those she killed never haunted her dreams. In fact, the method in which she dispatched her targets seemed to pad her from what she was doing. There was no doubt that she knew she was killing. It all seemed to be part of the feline nature she was inheriting.

Since she rarely ever took the ring off, Dee began to notice other things pertaining to her feline half. Now and again she would awake from a feline dream of chasing mice to find herself in cat form. Being trusted to carry out her job without problems, she was now allowed to go on assassin missions alone when chosen. The blood on her claws after a kill tempted her and she would often sate the feline in her with a few licks.

On days after she had done what she needed to, she would play with her puzzles for a little while before running off to some place in the house where she could catch a catnap in a patch of sun. Manchu found this a great source of amusement when he would stumble across her. He knew better than to rub her belly, as one would do to a normal cat. The one time he tried that, she had nearly ripped the skin off his hand with her teeth and claws. It didn't stop him from teasing her and asking if she was cooked through yet. Often he would advise her to flip over so that her roasting would be even.

The more she used the ring, the greater control she had over it. Instead of just being able to shift into a few felines, she found a greater and greater range of ability. Her greatest feat was learning that she had control over the pattern on her fur. Many times she made this a game, seeing how many different shapes she could make her coat. According to Manchu and Li Mei who were her prime audiences, the sight gave them a slight case of vertigo. She tucked this knowledge away, figuring it might come in use someday.

~ ~ ~

While Dee was concerned with improving her skills with her ring, the Elders were concerned with the increasing reports of the Batman. With his appearance, there came a new breed of criminal. "Disorganized crime" was the phrase the news stations were using for these themed villains. As the months passed, more and more began to emerge.

Po Sin, of course, saw them as a threat to organized crime. Fai and Shing saw them as nothing more than distractions for Batman to go after instead of them. The two patiently spent and afternoon explaining the benefits of having these costumed criminals loose in the city. After a meal and much more discussion, Po Sin had to agree that there could be benefits to this new trend in crime.

Soon enough, the Triad began keeping track of which villains were which, and what their chief interest was. Lists were sent to each member, listing any information known on the subjects, along with a photo if available. Orders were to steer clear of the criminals at all possible times.

{Who would be scared of a clown?} Li Mei demanded when she read the list Dee had received.

{He murdered a hundred people the other night because they wouldn't laugh at his jokes,} replied Dee as she stuffed another bun for the steamer.

{Idiot. And this one, Penguin. Why penguins? Why not a pretty bird, like a hummingbird?}

{It doesn't strike fear into the hearts of innocence,} Manchu chuckled as he came through the kitchen. {Personally, they amuse me.}

Li Mei swiped the back of Manchu's head as he took a fresh, hot bun from the steamer. {Those are for lunch!}

{There's one that isn't on the list,} Dee said, switching out the steamer trays.

{Another one? When did this one show up?} ask Manchu as he took a bite of the bun.

{Just last week, apparently. Robbed a movie theater at gunpoint. The cops ignored him the first time. They went after him the second time and Batman almost caught him.}

{What's his theme?} Li Mei asked.

Dee hid her smile behind her hair as she replied. {Riddles and puzzles.}

Manchu burst into laughter. {Right up your alley, Xiaohu!}

She slapped his chest and glared up at him.

{Oh, Xiaohu, take it easy. The glutton is just teasing you,} Li Mei said, taking back the second bun he had pulled from the steamer. {What is this one calling himself?}

{The Riddler,} she mumbled.

~ ~ ~

More news of the question marked criminal came in over the next few weeks. Dee read all the articles on him and watched the news reports when she could. Even Manchu was impressed when the criminal masterminded and pulled off a spectacular underwater robbery at the Reservoir Street Cash Depository. From then on, he gave her any news of the Riddler's crimes should she miss it. In Dee's mind, it was a fresh take at how to pull a crime and the whole idea of riddles and making it a challenge fascinated her.

News of a different sort was told to Dee one night after her shift on guard duty. Hearing the news, she slipped into the pantry and nabbed a bottle of plum wine before heading up to Manchu's room. Waking her friend up, she shoved a cup of the wine into his hand.

"What's up?"

"I need this and you know I hate drinking alone."

"It's 4 AM, Xiaohu. Tell me what's going on or I'm going to drag you back to your room by that tail you have thrashing behind you," he said, pointing out that she had unconsciously half shifted.

Bolting the cup of wine in her hand, she poured another, sipping it this time. "Feng's back."
First Blood Main / Triad Main /