Curse of the Cat Woman from Channel 6 - 13 (Patreon)

(After an almost unanimous poll, April in the alleyway was chosen by you, the Patrons to represent this portion of story.  Thanks to everyone who threw an opinion into the mix)

The wind tugged at autumn coloured hair and billowing coat as April O'Neil stood poised by the side of the street. She waved pointed fingers in vain as several cabs passed her by After what felt like forever in the chill wind, a yellow taxi screeched up to the curb. The relieved reporter hopped in and settled with a sigh

"You know Stark's? Upper East Side"

Before she'd barely finished her sentence, a rather out-of-breath Irma plonked herself beside April in the back of the cab. April rolled her eyes. So much for a little peace and solitude.

"Heya April! You forgot your watch!"

"My wha? Oh. Great. Thanks"

Irma dangled the white designer watch like a prize, beaming. April took the watch curtly and fastened it to her wrist. She didn't really need her watch, not with her phone taking care of (most of) her needs these days. The redheaded valued some alone time now over knowing the actual time.

The stocky cabbie eventually broke the somewhat uncomfortable silence with a deep but feminine voice,

"Ain't you that reporter lady from the TV? Hey, yeah! I saw you that interview last week with that gold medalist, uhm.. Walters! Jennifer Walters, right?"

The driver turned around to examine the passengers, showing off her array of piercings. The ring through the septum gave her a somewhat bullish, yet attractive appearance. Tousled patches of purple hair struck out from beneath her newsboy cap and her jacket, which was denim and torn, was adorned with a plethora of unusual and grotesque band names. "Semi Colon" would have been innocent enough were it not for the accompanying graphic illustration.

"Uh-huh" April replied with disinterest as she sat in the back seat, carefully applying a few finishing touches to her make-up in a compact mirror. Doing her eyeliner perfectly in the back of a reckless taxi was an art April had long since mastered, and after a quick inspection, proudly began applying her lip gloss in silence.

"And I'm Irma, pleased to meetcha.."

Irma scanned the cabin for the driver ID. It read Beatrice Bopp. The license was also expired by several weeks.

"..Beatrice"

"Ahh, call me Bebop! Or jus' B"

"Bopp. Is that Irish?" Irma inquired as she pushed up her specs.

"Yep! Fourth generation, "

The driver swung her attention back to the road as another yellow cab narrowly screeched past

"Getthafuckouttathewayasshole!" The punkish driver yelled from her window, thrusting a finger

Irma blinked a little and slunk back into her seat, turning her eyes to April who seemed to be suffering a little with motion sickness. Small beads of sweat had begin to gather on her brow which she was massaging with her long nailed fingers.

The driver was rattling off stories of previous journeys with the occasional snorting guffaw as she amused herself, and seemingly only herself as they inched through the mid-town traffic. The city was especially muggy on this late afternoon and April had seemingly reached her limit

"Fuck this shit.." April uttered as she popped the door and step out of the barely moving taxi cab.

"Hey. HEY! You can't just.. Dammit!" The driver pounded her wheel, leaving a rather bemused looking Irma to sit alone as April slipped away into the undulating crowds of the street. Unbuckling her own belt, Irma made as if to follow her fleeing friend when the cab suddenly accelerated around the obstructive traffic causing the door to swing shut in her face. "Ohnoyoudon't! I'm not losin' anutha fair. Not today, José! We're goin where we goin, an' that's that"

As the cab sped away, Irma caught brief glimpses of April's auburn bun until she had vanished in the crowd and was gone.

April knew she'd be better off on foot than in this traffic, and after a short claustrophobic trip on the underground, she welcomed the early evening air as dusk began to hint at a cool night. Hands slung in her jacket pockets she hummed contently to herself, feeling much more at ease without Irma's slightly obsessive, overbearing behavior and the potently grim smelling taxi. "Yeesh, what a pig!" she thought to herself about the loudly mannered driver. The confident newscaster made her way using various dilapidated back alley shortcuts that she'd learned over her lifetime in the city. She moved with what could best be described as a powerful strut. Her tight bosom bounced slightly with each step, loose hair streaking delicately across her features until she suddenly froze still.

The skin on her neck tightened, sending a shiver right through her spine. Her glossy brown eyes narrowed and her nose sniffed the air.

A low growl began to emanate through the alley, bouncing off the buildings and fences. April pulled her collar up close against her neck and turned slowly.

The sight of a feral dog, teeth bared, head down caused her to shriek and take a stumbling step backwards. The hound responded with a harsh, slobbering bark and took a step closer. April's heart raced as panic ran through her body, causing sudden sharp sweats all over. For every step backwards she took, the predatory canine took two steps forward, growling low. It was only when the beast was close enough to pounce that something took over, instinct perhaps, and in that moment the reporter lunged forward with a fearsome hiss, baring her own teeth, hands raised as if ready to claw the mutt's eyes out.

She watched the ferocious attack dog whimper away with shock and fear.  Her shoulders slumped as the adrenaline began to leave her alone and after a sigh of relief, let go a short smug giggle. She was feeling rather impressed with herself, until she caught sight of the time on her wrist and began to press on with steely determination. She hadn't noticed, perhaps due to the excitement of the near dog experience, but her nails were now ever so slightly longer, ever so slightly sharper and curling into subtle points. Her fingertips were throbbing softly, but then again, so were her ears, and her chest.

She felt so pumped!