"Selina."
"Pussy."
Danny pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed loudly as the Brit narrowed her eyes threateningly. "Clearly, you both need to be on leashes." He had just only stepped off of Luthor's private jet, but Catwoman and Cheetah were already at it. "Weren't dogs supposed to be the territorial ones?"
"Dogs are petty," Selina brushed his words aside mindlessly.
"Like this isn't?" He grumbled. He was jet-lagged; he didn't need to deal with this on top of escorting a supervillain while exhausted. Maybe if I walk off, they'll at least follow…
It took eight minutes and sixteen seconds before Cheetah actually caught up to him at the airport parking garage. "You could do better," she commented, adjusting her aviator shades.
Danny rolled his eyes. He was used to the remarks on every aspect of his life at that point. "And yet here I am."
Cheetah snorted in amusement. "She taught you well."
He raised his eyebrows in faux-confusion. "What are you talking about? That's all from Ivy." He smirked at her surprise and unlocked his car, ducking into the driver's seat before she could respond. Danny had started the engine before she had even scrambled into the passenger seat.
"Running a harem out of your apartment?" She teased.
Danny wasn't sure whether to laugh or choke on his own spit. "Not that I'm aware of," he finally managed. "It's more like an Airbnb at this point." He paused as he backed the car out of the space and started them on their way to Gotham Children's Hospital. "Or it would be, if any of the guests paid rent."
"Two squatters must be terrible," Cheetah replied sarcastically. She had discovered her seat controls and had now filled the car with the constant sound of whirring as she moved the seat back up and down.
"Don't wear that out," Danny hissed, ignoring her comment entirely. She didn't need to know he actually had three roommates.
She sighed dramatically before leaving it so she was laying down. "If it broke, I'd just get you a new one."
"I think it'd be easier to leave it broken than get a new seat," he muttered. He made her flinch and glare at him in annoyance as he honked his horn at a driver who cut them off.
"Oh please, I was talking about a new car."
"Would you stop it with the stealing already?!"
She pointed a manicured nail at herself as she laid back again. "Thief, sweetie."
Danny narrowed his eyes but he kept his gaze on the road, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of having gained his attention. "Don't get too comfortable; we're basically there."
"Hard to get comfortable with your driving."
Danny made sure to slam on the brakes at the next stop light.
It was always nice seeing the suppressed caring side to such notorious villains. Danny sat off to the side of the visiting room as Cheetah and the young girl played Mario Kart Wii (since she couldn't run races anymore, she was adamant on getting better at car races instead). A few other children had joined them over the past hour, and now there was a cheering section for the players.
A lot less parents seemed nervous about this guest than some of the others he had brought into the hospital. Of course, the other visits had ended up all over the internet anyways, so he assumed people were just starting to get used to it. A few had approached him and asked the normal questions at this point: who is she, is she safe, is my kid safe. Danny just responded with a gentle smile and truthful reassurance as always: no kid would be harmed on his watch.
It was rare for Danny to be approached by a child, though; they tended to immediately gravitate towards their special visitor. Today looked like it was going to be different, as a shorter figure shakily moving towards him caught his attention.
"Chris?" He was shocked to see the boy who had played video games with Deadshot and Deathstroke walking. Chris had lost both his lower legs in a car crash, and a few weeks ago had been in a wheelchair. Now, even though he had crutches, he was most certainly upright.
Chris smiled widely. "They told me your name was Mr. Johnson," he said excitedly. "I never got to thank you for finding both of… them," the boy finished in a hushed voice, like they were speaking in code about a shared secret.
Danny internally cringed at being addressed so formally, but shook his head to dismiss Chris' attempt at secrecy. "You can say their names, kiddo," he chuckled. "And don't worry about it. I could tell you were psyched to meet them."
"You don't know the half of it!" Chris reached down and pulled up one of his pant legs. "I don't know how they did it, but Deadshot and Deathstroke found a way to get these for me! We'd never have been able to afford it," he admitted, "but now I can walk again!"
Danny leaned down to examine the prosthetic more closely. It appeared to be a generic version - nothing obvious about it was abnormal - aside from the blatant red and black coloration that matched both mercenaries outfits. "That's awesome," he said with genuine enthusiasm.
Chris lifted his fist for Danny to bump. "All thanks to you." He gave Danny a happy wave as he steadily moved over to the continuing Mario Kart competition. The current game that was being projected onto the wall showed Cheetah with a small lead that quickly vanished when she was hit with a blue shell. He laughed as she playfully traded taunts with her wishee.
He could literally feel the tension in the room increase as the villainess' shoulders tensed and her eyes flashed in his direction. A glance over his shoulder confirmed that her unease was due to a newcomer in the room. The woman was tall with dark hair and blue eyes that matched the trench coat she wore. Danny stared at her blankly while he thought over Cheetah's reaction again before it all clicked into place.
"Didn't expect to see you again so soon," he greeted, taking the gamble on his theory as the woman approached him.
"Mr. Johnson," she nodded her head politely, "I figured it would be appropriate to meet formally after our short encounter earlier. I do apologize that your trip to London was so… hectic."
Bingo. He offered his hand for a handshake. "Obviously I shouldn't refer to you by your 'professional' title?"
She smiled wryly at his subtle sarcasm and shook his hand. "Diana is fine for now, Mr. Johnson." Her gaze flickered over to where Cheetah was surrounded by the group of children. "She's behaving?"
Danny's expression was indifferent, even though he was slightly offended Wonder Woman had asked, even if it was rhetorical. "She's not an animal," he replied with a slight edge.
"Of course not," the Amazon agreed. "But it is always wise to err on the side of caution when managing multiple variables."
He snorted in derision. "Why do you think I've been keeping my distance from your coworkers?"
An amused smirk slid onto her face. "Minerva, try not to make your loss look so suspicious," she said in a normal tone instead of answering. They both knew Cheetah could hear her, and the heightened sound of shouts and laughs was evidence that her revitalized gaming was proving entertaining.
Danny and Diana stood and watched the game through to its end. The young girl who had asked for her to visit was ultimately victorious, but Cheetah didn't have a problem with that. This was one princess it was okay to be beaten by.
Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. College apps have been taking a lot out of me. Thanks for sticking around and for all the lovely feedback. Another super-requested character will be up next.
Thanks to the fabulous littleditto for saving my butt again. :)