My Research

Lois Lane saw the hair rise all over Cheetah's body—obviously she had hit a nerve.

"My—research," the catwoman said. "I had a lab. It was raided while I was in Arkham Asylum. They took my files and...biological samples."

The reporter swallowed hard, not sure how far to press the issue.

"Any idea why?" she asked.

Cheetah shook her head violently. "There's always a market for metahuman DNA. Probably want to create super-vampires, or something."

Lois knew Cheetah wasn't telling her everything, but the air of menace around the villain was like a cat that didn't want to be touched. The reporter shook her head and tried to focus. The whole encounter with Tonya WOng, and then her violent death, and Cheetah licking her kitty had thrown the Daily Planet's Greatest Reporter off-balance.

Get it together, Lane, Lois told herself as she stared down at the still, small form of Tonya Wong's corpse.

The elevator lurched to a stop. Cheetah pressed a button, and the door rattled open. Lois watched her as the catwoman's ears swiveled at every sound, nostrils sucked in air. Silent as a ghost she padded out into the corridor beyond...what looked to Lois to be older than she thought. Red brick, the kind Metropolis hadn't used in construction for a century. The electric light fixtures in the ceiling were new, though, or at least newer.

"Damn vampires don't have any smell," Cheetah muttered, her tail lashing in agitation. "And the air down here is too still, too musty. Lane! Can you feel anything? Which way do we go?"

Lois blinked, not sure what to say...and then she felt...something...the wounds in her labia began to throb, where Tonya Wong had bit her. She pointed to the left.