Chapter 23

Many secrets lurked in the heart of the deepest darkest jungles and there were many horrors as well. One of the horrors lurked in this particular part of the jungle. The villagers spent an obscene amount of time swapping stories and whispering in fear at the demonic creature who lurked into the jungle.

In the depths of the jungle, a very attractive and buxom cat girl who practically poured into her vest, her extremely large bust threatening to burst it, rushed through the jungle. Her red-hair flipped in the wind and her deep, frustrated breaths came in at two and three at a time. She scrambled through the jungle in a desperate, and potentially futile attempt.

The busty cat girl clutched a totem against her breast. This particular woman had been stranded in this part of the world fr months, just barely surviving. And now to top off the trouble, there was something lurking in the shadows, something that was stalking her in every corner.

Those eyes appeared to come out of nowhere. Much like the others. The woman clutched the totem in her hands, the eyes fluttering in the darkness Maybe, just maybe, she had a way to get herself completely back to normal, but if she survived this jungle.

"I have you now!" the voice howled in the wind.

A demonic clay monster rose up, coming down to attack her. The mysterious woman froze in the shadows, having run completely out of room to move. There seemed to be no easy way out, as her attacker swooped down from the heavens and targeted her without any pity.

No one was nearby to hear the cat girl's screams when the figure engulfed her in mud.

"There's just too many of these incidents happening for my comfort and I would hope that you would agree."

Harry conveyed his concerns with Batman, who had been joined by Power Girl and Black Canary, two people he had given the heads up and knew what was going on. This time, Harry preferred to have this discussion with Batman, without the rest of the team involved. However, if he needed to get them involved, he would. But, if there was something going on, Harry felt like he needed to know.

"I think, and I don't think that I'm off base, that Red Tornado is the target of all of these strange incidents," Harry commented a second later. "And these two androids just stalking us….whoever sent Mister Twister might have sent them...and if they put the team in danger…."

"I agree that it's a problem," Batman said a second later.

"The question is what are you going to do to solve it?" Harry asked.

"I had assumed that putting Red Tornado at this cave would be the easiest option," Batman said. "However, he will be a security risk for the team. I'm not quite certain what is going on, but I can say one thing. Moving Red from the cave is important right now, and he will be a priority. If someone is targeting one of the League's own, then we have to know. So, I thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention."

Harry was glad that Batman saw things his way.

"I am going to make arrangements to move him to a secure place," Batman said. "But, we have a serious question about the security of this cave, if those other two androids knew you went back here."

Harry nodded in response, he had a feeling about that as well. Black Canary finally spoke up.

"Maybe, it's a good idea to take the Team temporarily out of the Cave, until we can determine whether or not it's clean," Black Canary said.

"Agreed," Batman said. "And if it has been compromised….we will have to find an alternative. In the meantime, all mission briefings will be run out of the Hall of Justice. I will get in contact with the rest of the team members and inform them of the breach."

"Thank you," Harry said.

He was actually glad that his concerns were not brushed underneath the rug. The entrance of the cave opened up and Megan joined them. She could see Harry in a conversation with three top members of the League and wondered what was going on.

Curiosity got the better of the Martian and she stepped closer to the conversation, to see what she could hear from them.

"So, what's going on?" Megan asked.

"There's a change in arrangements," Karen said.

"The cave may be compromised," Harry said. "Therefore, since you live here, you can stay at Karen's."

"Really?" Megan asked. "I mean, I'm sure that….if that's okay with her."

"Yes, I would be delighted," Karen said with a warm smile directed towards the Martian girl. "Trust me when I say there's more than plenty of room there."

Harry was going to break the news and ask her to stay there anyway, due to Megan being left at the cave.

"I will be in touch soon," Batman said. "The League will have to know about this...Red's already been informed and he will be moved to a safe location."

Harry responded with a nod. Batman was about ready to step out of the cave, but something stopped him. Donna stampeded into the cave, with a half opened book in her arms, looking positively excited when she raced into the cave.

Donna practically flew into Harry's arms in excitement. Harry stopped her from toppling him over, and looked at her with a quizzical eyebrow raised.

"I found something!" Donna cheered. "We should go and tell Diana that I did."

"Right," Harry said. "Megan, why don't you go with Karen and get settled in?"

For weeks, Donna had been researching about Minerva's affliction, which turned her into Cheetah. They might have found something, something which may help her, something that can help turn her back, if only they could have the best of luck.

Donna and Harry stepped into Diana's office in Washington DC, which she appeared to be conducting her own research. A very attractive redhead woman turned up as well, and Harry had a pretty good idea who she was.

"Yes, Donna, what is it?" Diana asked.

"I think I found something," Donna said. "The exact temple which Minerva went, when she…."

"Well, let's have a look at it," the redhead said with a smile before turning towards Harry. "My name's Shayera, I've been helping Diana research the cave of the temple. I'm no stranger with curses myself."

Harry noticed the heavy overcoat she had been wearing despite it being in the summertime. It was large enough to hold back a pair of wings. Which actually tended to draw more attention to her then the wings itself, but Harry decided not to bring up this particular point.

"Pleased to meet you, Shayera," Harry said.

"Likewise," Shayera said. "I've heard a lot about you."

Shayera figured straight away Harry had a pretty good idea who she was. There would be time to get to know each other later, for right now Diana had been looking over the book that Donna had brought her. She cross-referenced it with a couple of books in her office, and then a map. And finally, several newspaper reports, each of them bringing a graver frown to Diana's face, even more so than the last one.

"Problem?" Donna asked.

"A small one," Diana said. "You remember those reports that the League got a while back?"

"You mean about how people went into that jungle and never came out," Shayera said grimly. "Yes, I remember it. They put it up to a pool of very dangerous quicksand...and the villagers swore up and down it's some kind of mud demon."

"Mud demon?" Harry asked.

It sounded absurd, but Harry had never been one to discount the absurdity.

"The people in that particular village are a superstitious and cowardly lot," Shayera said. "But, given the number of disappearances in the area, there's something strange going on there."

"But, surely if it has answers, it would be worth the risk," Donna said.

"Maybe," Diana said.

Dina had been in two minds about this entire mess. There could be, right in front of her, answers that she had been searching for, for a very long time, regarding Minerva. Diana felt an extreme weight on her heart regarding the entire situation, and what she could have done differently.

On the other hand, there appeared to be another threats lurking in this jungle and one of them, this sadistic mud monster, could be a problem. And then there were whispers of certain criminal organizations have a presence in that particular village.

"So, are we going to head out there?" Shayera asked.

"Yes," Harry said. "If Diana thinks so."

"I do," Diana said. "But, we should...be ready for anything. Because, the League of Shadows also have a presence nearby."

Harry's expression turned extremely grim, but they had been so close. Perhaps the League had been behind this demon mud monster thing, or perhaps, just perhaps, there was some other explanation for such a creature lurking in the depths.

Through the jungle, a dark haired woman analyzed a fresh set of tracks. The few splatters of mud nearby indicated that she was close, very close, to the target. But yet, the target kept slipping through her fingers. Very clever, given that the target had been made entirely of mud. Which is what his name is going to be, once she gets ahold of the man.

A small, but skilled group of women assassins came down and faced their master. The leader of the squad kneeled before her.

"The trail has gone cold, Mistress," the guard commented in an extremely apologetic tone of voice. "What do you wish…."

"Keep going forward with the search, he could not have gotten far," the woman said. "She might be able to tell Hagen how to enact the power of the amulet...and that would be mad. Doctor Dowd needs to be found, before this occurs."

They all bow before their leader, knowing that she had been inclined to fix certain mistakes. The Daughter of Ra's al Ghul does not take betrayal lightly, especially from an individual like this. They all rise up, prepared to serve her and to do anything to help her.

It was one of those days, where Harry had one of those feelings that something very dangerous was going to happen. Diana, Shayera, and Donna stepped behind him. There was something mystical in the air, and it prickled the back of Harry's neck.

"So, how far did they say that the quicksand puddle was?" Donna asked.

"Not, far from here," Diana said.

Harry noticed a couple of personal effects on the ground. A notebook, although the pages had been slightly torn. There were a couple of dates logged on it, but at first glance, Harry did not see it being of reverence. A crushed waterbottle laid at his feet as well and several cat hairs, which intrigued Harry to be perfectly honest.

"I don't think Minerva was the only one that was transformed," Harry slowly stated.

He showed Diana the hair and she took a deep breath before nodding. Yes, someone else, they had been transformed along with Minerva. Which meant, and Diana hated to admit it, there was likely another body on her.

"And we found the quicksand," Donna said pointing over a clearing.

Something was extremely strange about the quicksand, and Harry did not mean how thick it was. The pool started to bubble. Harry noticed it's composition and frowned ever so slightly, when he took a step back, preparing to see what would happen when he prodded it with a stick.

"That's not quicksand," Harry said. "That's clay."

Suddenly, and much to their horror, a large hideous monster rose out from the depths of the pool, pure sadism raging through its eyes when it made a movement. His arms swung out and knocked them back a few feet. Harry sliced the monster in half. However, the monster's halves become whole one more time, thus rendering what spell he used completely inert.

The monster grabbed Diana by the neck and hoisted her up off the ground. The Amazon struggled in the grasp of the monster and sheer, racking pain echoed through her body as the monster appeared to attempt to absorb her.

"YES!" he growled. I will be whole one more!"

Diana's entire body racked with agony, almost as if her entire essence was being ripped apart.

Shayera dropped the coat, spread her wings, and flew at the creature, with a large mace swinging at it. The creature received a hellacious smack with the mace and that knocked him back and caused him to drop Diana.

Harry crouched down to her, Diana's skin was raw red from where the creature grabbed her. Diana struggled to get to her feet, much to her agitation. Harry swooped his arm around her and pulled Diana closer towards him once more.

"Okay?" Harry asked.

"I'll live," Diana managed.

Diana managed to catch her breath as well. The stampeding of those clay monsters charging her brought Diana's attention back towards them. The Amazon Princess put the sword in her hand, with Donna standing beside of her.

The one large monster turned into a small army of them, all of them targeting Donna and Diana. Harry repelled their attacks with some blasts of energy.

Suddenly, an explosion rang throughout the jungle. Someone dropped a weapon into the pool and caused the clay monster to rise up and snap back in agony.

The figure clad in black dropped down to face the clay monster. She hurled another explosive charge, forcing the clay monster to swallow it. She pressed a detonator and the explosion caused his form to splatter all over the nearby trees and rocks.

Unfortunately, that was just barely enough to keep him destabilized. The creature formed itself into a more physical form.

"You!"

Another series of explosions nearby caused the creature to be staggered. The dark-clad woman made eye contact with the two League members and two team members, before leading them off into the distance, away from the area of the jungle.

With his enhanced hearing, Harry could be on the anguished screams of agony and the fact that the clay monster was none too happy with what just happened.

Harry, Donna, Diana, and Shayera followed the woman through the jungles, and where she was heading, they did not know. Harry was constantly looking over his shoulder, expression some kind of frustration from him.

"You're a member of the League of Shadows," Harry said.

"Of course," she said.

"Why did you help us?"

"Because, I have a vested interest in you surviving."

The woman's statement caused Harry to raise an eyebrow. He wondered whether this woman meant "you" as in him or "you "as in the entire group collectively. He caught Donna's eye who responded with a very obvious shrug as if to tell Harry that his guess was as good as hers.

"What's going on here?" Donna asked.

"I was also after the person that you were fighting," the assassin said. "His name is Matthew Hagen. He was an explorer...we had an arrangement. He had an extremely powerful amulet that my organization wanted our hands on."

Diana just frowned, she had a good idea that it might not be ideal for the League of Shadows to get their hands on such a medallion. At least that was the thought currently building in her mind.

"He managed to stay one step ahead of me, although in the end, he was turned into...something less human."

One look at her traveling companions indicated that they were all in agreement with Diana that there was far more to this story than previously met the eye, at least from what she could tell.

"Why are you out here?" she asked.

"I'm looking for a woman named Nina Dowd," Diana said. "She...she has information that we need."

"Yes," she commented. "We're searching for her as well...because she stole the from the League."

"There's far more to this than you're telling," Harry said.

The woman said nothing to confirm nor deny his suspicions. Her heart rate was normal, which meant nothing, because Harry figured as a master of deception, she had all sorts of tricks which could ensure that no one found out her game.

The scream of a woman from the distance came from the clearing. Donna and Diana rose up, and took a couple of steps. Their assassin friend stepped towards the tree as well.

"That's Doctor Dowd?" Donna asked. "But, I thought she transformed."

Nina Dowd, or at least someone who looked like her, struggled against the tree. Pale, flat chested, not exactly ugly, but not remarkable at all, she squirmed hard against the tree. The ropes around her made it hard to maneuver.

"Wait," Harry said. "She has no bone structure."

Dowd shifted into a large clay fist which knocked them back onto the ground. The form of Clayface came up, growling like mad when he attacked them. And once again, he made a movement towards Diana.

"You will pay for your deceit!" Clayface howled the second the mysterious assassin came at her.

Clayface swung his hammers at the woman. She remained one step ahead and threw another explosive device at her. It bounced off of a solidified body and came back at them. Harry cupped it in his hand and quickly launched it away before it could blow them all to smithereens.

"Good, you've picked up at least one thing from the League," Talia said. "The ability to adapt…."

"I've picked up more than one thing from the League," he taunted her. "Looking for this?"

The amulet glistened from the man's hand. Talia's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, that power, that terrible, but wonderful power was so close to her, that she could also taste it. Only for Clayface to sweep her off of her feet, and sent her flying down to the ground.

"I WILL CRUSH YOU ALL!"

Diana came down from behind the back of Hagen's neck with a sword swipe. He turned and grabbed her around the waist. Donna rushed towards him and Hagen caught her as well. Greed spread through those eyes when Hagen swung them around.

"You will make me solid once more!" Hagen yelled.

Donna's entire life flashed before her instantly. Harry caught through the little clay minions out of the corner of her eye, with Shayera doing so on the other end. The assassin used her sword to slice them, the mystic properties of said sword causing them to drop down.

Harry blasted two bolts of white hot energy at clayface, superheating him and forcing him to drop both Diana and Donna. Both of them crashed, still covered in clay. The clay squirmed to consume the Amazons and bring them back into his body.

Harry siphoned the clay off and pitched it to the side. Diana and Donna scrambled to their feet.

Shayera flew and nailed him with the mace which disrupted him. The thunderous attacks from the mace cause electricity to fly through Clayface and cause his form to be disabled completely. Hagen's howls of misery added from each swing with Shayera burying her weapon of choice.

"I will tear your wings off!" Hagen howled.

Harry added another blast of magic, which super charged the mace and caused Hagen to fly back into the tree nearby.

The dark-clad woman made her move, jumping into the air and slamming a syringe into the back of Hagen's neck. She took a sample from him, before slipping down.

Hagen took about three steps forward before crumpling into dried out clay and breaking into pieces on the ground. The monster which terrorized these jungles appeared to be destroyed.

Frowning, Donna scooped up a sample of clay, in her hand. It appeared to be not wiggling around, which was the good thing. After almost being sucked into Hagen, Donna had no desire to deal with any clay that was alive ever again.

Across the way, Harry, Diana, Shayera, and Donna freed several of the scientists. One of them kneeled in the center of the room, breathing heavily.

"You're her, right?"

Needless to say, she was the exact opposite of the human form of Nina Dowd that Clayface tried to trick them with. Her entire body filled out in all of the right ways for starters, with a chest that came close to challenging Karen's. She had wide hips, and a very nice and alluring curve to them, along with long legs. Luscious red hair and sexy looking cat eyes, and a tail as well hanging from her shapely ass. And finally, finally, the fur which looked so soft.

"Yes, I'm Nina...Professor Nina Dowd," she said.

The heavily endowed catgirl smiled and looked over the handsome man who had saved her. His interest had obviously been piqued and why would it be? She looked like the wet dream of every single anime catgirl loving geek on the planet. Her sexy cat ears wiggled, with a smile.

"What happened?" Diana asked.

"After Minerva and I were separated, there was a white light and everything...got fuzzy," Nina managed with a sigh. "What happened to her?"

"She's alive, but transformed as well," Diana said. "She didn't take it as well as you did."

Nina just smiled, Barbara Ann Minerva was extremely beautiful before her transformation, while Nina was a bit of a plain jane, no one who would stand out in a crowd.

"Did you try and take the amulet that the League was after?" Harry asked.

"The Shadow People?" Nina asked. "It didn't do me any good….I thought it could turn me back...but there were certain forces at work. Maybe if I continue my studies, I could find something...if I can ever retrace my steps, duplicate what happened….maybe I can…."

"Come with us," Harry told her.

"With you?" Nina asked.

"Yes," Diana agreed. "I think that maybe if you recover away from this place, more of your memories will come back."

Nina thought that it was rather nice. She thought that her new form might attract a little bit of attention though, but she trusted the Justice League to be able to settle her in. She did admire their work, although she never in her wildest dreams thought that she would be working alongside of them.

"Looks like our savior disappeared into the wind," Shayera commented. "Along with the amulet."

"And Hagen...do you think he's….?" Donna asked.

"Well, you got that sample of clay," Harry said. "That should be very useful in determining Hagen's mortality."

It went without saying that Harry had a feeling that Hagen was not as dead as he thought it was. There were more mysteries to think about, but that went with the League of Shadows.

The black-clad figure stood before the man who lead the League, the great Ra's al Ghul, who heard her report. She presented him with the sample she extracted from Hagen.

"Very well, Talia," Ra's commented. "You have redeemed yourself for your previous blunder, and then some more...and therefore you will not be cast out of the League in shame, like your sister was."

Talia thought that was an interesting interpretation of what happened regarding Nyssa, but she resolved not to speak any. She would not have gotten as far without knowing when to act, when to speak, and when to keep her mouth shut.

"I live to serve," Talia said. "I encounter the one that they call Superman."

"Don't you mean Superboy?" Ra's asked.

"Well, Miss Lane seems intent to make the Superman name stick and I quite agree, when judging him," Talia said. "He is everything we could have hoped for, but I feel that we've barely seen him reach his full potential."

"So, I've heard from others," Ra's commented. "He has potential, potential to be my successor even."

Talia respectfully nodded, more than used to her father's obsessive need to find a male heir to lead the League.

"He is more adept for the cause of the League then the detective," Ra's said. "They will soon all see the light."

Ra's departs and leaves a stoic Talia in his wake. Her lips curled into a brief smile.

"Yes, Father, but when the light is so bright, it obscures the shadows."

In the pool outside of the office, Donna and Harry go for a swim with each other. It is necessary for them to relax after the day that was.

"We owe you our lives," Donna said. "We would have been a part of Clayface and seriously...that's disgusting."

"I'm only happy to help," Harry said.

"Well, you've helped a lot," Donna said. "And we're now one step closer to solving this. Minerva will be back to normal….not sure Nina wants to be though."

Harry just smiled, that was completely up to Nina however. Donna moved closer to Harry, the space between the pair of them growing very thin. Donna's bikini top became transparent and Harry saw the outline of her nipples against them, which caught his attention.

"I really want to thank you," Donna said. "For being a good teammate, and an even better friend...and maybe even more."

Donna, being competitive as she was, knew that the other members of the team would have their eye on Harry soon enough. And Diana might as well, and the chance to beat Diana out on something, even something so petty, was too much for Donna to pass up.

"Whatever you want."

The Kryptonian and the Amazon met with a kiss, with Donna's toes curling from the force of his kiss. He knew exactly his way around her and all of the right spots to touch. Her first kiss with a boy, no with a man, it stunned Donna and melted the inside of her body with jelly.

Donna was the perfect combination of aggressive and gentle through her kiss. Harry figured it was a matter of time before one of the Team members would make a move. He wanted them to do so though, and he amused himself wondering it would be.

"That was amazing," Donna purred in his ear. "And you've made me wet….and not because of the swim either."

Donna stroked Harry's chest and moved down to his abs. She found what she was looking for, an extremely hungry expression in her eyes.

"I want you, Har," she breathed lustfully. "Would you like me?"

"Of course," Harry said. "Anywhere and anytime."