Born Bad: The Story of Gothena
The life and dark times of Gothena, a villain in the DC Universe
Chapter 2: In Media Res
The door opened and the tall, raven haired woman walked slowly into the room. Her demeanor was calm and controlled but beneath the surface was hatred. Pure. Focused. Across the room, an old man looked up and said "yes, can I help you?" The statuesque woman walked over calmly and sat in the chair in front of his desk. She spoke, her words smooth and flowing as if practiced and her tone innocent and carefree. "Good afternoon Father Flanagan. You probably don't remember me. We met many years ago when you ran an orphanage." The old man replied "Oh, you're one of the children? Which one? I remember most of them even after all these years." "Back then I was known as Alicia but it doesn't matter, I don't go by that anymore. Now, I'm known as Gothena." The man's eyes widened, his calm attitude obviously broken.
The room was quiet as death. The tall gaunt man approached the young girl who was cowering before him, with a large leather strap held in his hand. She began to sob before he even swung it knowing full well what was coming. "You're nothing but a whore like your whore mother whoever she was. God has commanded me to purge the sin from you."
"You...you're...I've seen you on the news...you've done so many evil things. Why...why are you here?" She spoke again, still with the same happy voice "Oh Father. Don't be like that. I've come to confess. You still take confessions, right? I've been a naughty girl since you last saw me. All of the beatings you gave me must not have helped. And there were a *lot* of them. Do you remember? But that's not why I'm here. I've come to confess to you about my list. See, I have this list of all the people who ever wronged me and I've been hunting them down, one by one and repaying them. I know, it's cliche but it is what it is." At hearing this, the priest now visibly shaking got up to run for the door as fast as his old body would move. As he neared the door, it slammed shut with no visible hand closing it.
The young girl was hungry but the kids were always hungry. The nuns gave them only the bare minimum to live and withheld that if the old priest commanded it. It had been a day since she last ate and her hunger wasn't helping with the pain of welts any. She didn't even have the energy to cry anymore as she huddled cold in the corner of the dark, empty room.
"Now, now Father. We have a lot of catching up to do. Don't leave just yet. You see, I haven't finished telling you about the list. Your name is on it of course. I'm sure you've guessed that by now. We need to talk about old times and I'm going to make this conversation last a very long time." With that, she got up, pulled out a small athame covered in runes and gems and walked toward the door, a smile beaming from ear to ear and the priest, now crying, was trying desperately to open the door. Sometime later, as police investigated the scene, they found what was left of the priest. "Forget a body bag, we're going to need sandwich bags for all these pieces."
The policeman laughed as he pulled out his nightstick. The girl was just some beggar, probably a runaway from the orphanage. No one cared about her. No reason to do any paperwork with an arrest, he'd just teach her a lesson and send her on her way.
Gothena arrived at her home, needing a shower to get the priest's blood off of her and walked into the lavishly furnished penthouse and picked up an old piece of paper yellowed with age, covered in stains and dried blood and drew a single line through a name scribbled on it. The paper had a lot of other names crossed out and only two remained. Written at top of the list were simply "Mommy and Daddy."
He hit the man again and took the wallet from the unconscious man's pocket. He had a nice car, nice suit, he didn't need it the money but they did. Wow, a c-note. They could party all weekend on that much. He looked at the skinny girl following him. He barely knew her name but she put out and liked to get high so she'd do for now.
As she put the list back down, a terminal on the wall started beeping. She pressed the button activating the screen and saw Calculator staring at her. "Hello gorgeous, I've been trying to reach you all day. I have something for you." "You caught me on a good day Noah so I won't pull your spleen out through your nose for bothering me. What do you want?" "You know those DNA matches I've been running for you? I've got a hit. And you're not going to believe who it is."
She was barely more than an animal at this point. Her blood boiled with rage and her mind given over to instinct. He pushed her too far. His blood splattered as she hit him again and again with the board. She had never killed before. She'd seen death many times but never actually did it herself. It felt…good. Powerful. She was a god. Holding life and death in her hands.
"Well, don't keep me waiting." "First hotstuff, how about you tell me who's DNA I'm matching?" "Of course, as long as you don't mind me adding your name to my list." "Okay fine, keep me in the dark. So, 3 guesses whose name it matched." "I know where you live Noah. Don't forget that." "Fine but you're no fun. The match is *Calculator plays a drumroll audio file* Circe." Gothena was visibly shaken at this. Her usually calm expression broken. "Uh, are you okay Gothena? I've never seen you actually react to something." She turned the screen off and walked over to her list.
Stupid cops. Did they really think they could take her down? Of the 6 police who entered the building, 3 were dead, two others wounded and the other one running like a scared baby. She levelled the shotgun at the running cop and pulled both triggers. The recoil knocked her on her *ss and the cop was propelled forward. He hit the ground with a thud and didn't move, the red stains on his uniform growing larger.
She took out her phone and made a call. The person answered with "Yes mistress how may I serve you?" "Get a message to Circe for me. She's probably at the Hall right now. Tell her...tell her...tell her that her daughter would like to talk to her immediately." "Her daugh..." at this the servant realizes her error in questing her master and stops. "By your command Mistress. May your servant assist you in any other way today?" "No, that will be all and make haste."
The teller's head exploded in blood as she pulled the trigger. Stupid bitch shouldn't have hit the alarm. On top of that they put a damn ink pack in the money. Did they think she wouldn't notice? She shot the bank manager as she left to get in her car for the impudence.
Sometime later, a portal opens in the foyer and the powerful redhead steps through. "Calculator and I had a talk after a test you've been having him run. I didn't hurt him too much finding out how he got a sample of my blood. I'm surprised it took so long for your little errand girl to come fine me. You took your time finding out, I would expect more reliance on magic and less on science from my progeny." "So it's true then. You're my mother." "Yes, I am. Do you plan on putting my name on your little list now?" "You're already on it."
She half leaned, half fell back onto the old mattress and the needle dropped to the floor. As it circled through her veins, the warm embrace wrapped around her and she smiled. She wondered if this was what love felt like but she couldn't be sure though. She had no basis for comparison.
With that, she jumped up, scimitars in hand and in a flash was across the floor. Circe quickly deflected her with a staff and Gothena crashed into a wall with far more force than would seem possible with such a light parry. She pulled herself up and the majority of the furniture in the room and two walls blew out as waves of energy emanated forth from the enraged young woman. As the debris settled, Circe stood where she did before, laughing to herself. "You're strong young one, very strong. I've gone through great trouble to make you so. But you're not that strong." Circe lifted her hand and Gothena dropped the swords and floated into the air, visibly struggling against an unseen force.
The man was scared. He'd seen her face on the news and knew she was wanted for a number of crimes. Now she was standing her, checking out, like any other customer. His hand was trembling as he hit the hidden alarm. She pulled her gun but not fast enough to stop him from hitting the alarm. F*ck. Guess it's time to run again. She picked up her merchandise in the blood stained bag and headed for the car.
"You have questions, I'm sure. I'll answer what I can if it's within my plan to answer. But cease this pointless little attempt to hurt me or I *will* kill you." With a great force of will, Gothena broke the barrier and again beams of energy flowed forth from her, catching Circe off guard and propelling her backwards several yards into one of the remaining walls. "You will kill me? YOU WILL KILL ME?" Gothena started attacking Circe. Wave after wave of energy blasted into Circe eventually crashing her down and through the floor and into the darkness of the room below.
She struggled against the hand and feet cuffs and managed to head-butt the cop, busting his nose. The other cop hit her again as they dragged her from the car. "How the hell is this bitch fighting so hard after that beating?" said the first cop as he put a handkerchief to his bloody nose. "My guess is drugs" replied his partner as he pulled out his taser. She convulsed as he pulled the trigger on it and she sank to the ground.
Gothena stopped, visibly exhausted and shaken from pushing herself to her limits. Circe levitated back up through the hole in the floor. "I'm impressed. I didn't think you were that powerful yet. Still not powerful enough but you're getting there. Now, can we stop this petty little squabble and talk or do I write your obituary?" Several portals started opening and the familiar runes of demon portals flashed across them. Gothena, realizing she just hit Circe with everything she had and it wasn't enough, stopped and stared. Circe also relented and the portals closed.
Prison. Again. It's just county. She'll be out in a week on the run again. Looking around, she saw the usual mix of inmates, cracked her knuckles and prepared to fit in. This part was always tedious. How many fights would it take this time? The first volunteer was already sizing her up. A rather large, muscular woman walked up saying "Well, fresh meat. I'm gonna have fun with you." A few minutes later, the large woman was laying on the floor, her arm broken, several of her teeth missing and Alicia practically foaming at the mouth as she beat her. She looked up from the defeated woman, looked around and said "Okay, who's next?"
"Why? Why did you abandon me? Why did you leave me in that hellhole in the middle of nowhere? Do you know what they did to me? Do you know what it was like?" "Of course I know what it was like. It took me some time to find the right place to incubate your power and cultivate your desires into the force you became. I took months to set up that ruse and convince those local hicks I was one of them. Everything that happened in your life was at my direction."
"You actually had the nerve to accept the job to prosecute me. I thought you were a much bigger coward than that." The man, tied to a chair and beaten badly, tried to hold his head up. All he could mumble was "my wife, my kids…they didn't do anything to you….let them go." "What's it worth to you?" "I'll make sure you get off on a technicality. You'll never go back to jail if I can do anything about it." She walked up to him and cut the ropes and the man started to collapse without them to hold him up but she caught him. She whispered "Don't forget, I know where you live. I know who your wife and kids are and no prison has yet held me." She let him go and he fell to the floor and she left.
"They beat me. THEY TORTURED ME" she screamed at Circe. Circe mocked her. "Wah wah wah. Life is hard. How many people have you tortured and killed? You have more than gotten your revenge. Look at what you are capable of. You have faced some of the most powerful people in the multiverse and walked away when they were carried away. Do you think some child raised in luxury and spoiled by a parent's power would be able to do that? I gave you a life that made you strong. So we missed a few piano recitals you still turned out perfect. This world is lacking strong people. Humans have lost their way. They need the powerful to control and guide them and now you are positioned to do just that. You have a choice. Stand beside me and follow me and become more powerful than you can ever imagine or challenge me. I gave you your life and I will not hesitate to take it away."
She smiled as she walked out of the courtroom. As she passed a policeman, still with a cast on his leg and multiple stitches in his face, she waved and blew a kiss. "See you soon" she quipped.
Gothena stood and stared at Circe. "I need some time to think." "Of course daughter. Come see me when you're ready." With that, another portal opened and Circe stepped through with the portal closing behind her. Gothena went into what was left of her kitchen, grabbed a bottle of vodka and threw the lid away. She had much to consider. In a space of one day, her life had once again changed and yet again Circe was the reason.
She held back her anger as she watched the press conference. Witness protection for his wife and kids and the trial was being thrown out. He wasn't as big a coward as she thought. National task force…FBI…US Marshalls…wow they were pulling out all the stops to find her this time.
Gothena walked into the Inner Circle command room and approached Circe. "Can we talk...mother" almost spitting the word. "Certainly. Come with me." They walked into Circe's private quarters and sat down. "I've come to terms with the fact you're my mother and the situation of my childhood. I realized, I have spent the majority of my life not doing what was right but what was necessary. My life made me strong. It was not ideal but it honed me, it strengthened me and made me the weapon I am instead of just another powerless brat. Even without the exobytes I was already strong because of you. I have decided. I am, as I have been since we met, yours to command mother." "Which is how it should be" Circe said.
She sped through the narrow lanes in the stolen sports car, the sedans of the agents having trouble keeping up. She was pushing the limits of her own reflexes as she skidded around the curves and went back and forth between lanes to avoid the traffic. She didn't even remember the crash. She just remember waking up outside the car, in pain, with blood in her eyes. She could hear people shouting and loud footsteps like people running. She tried to get up, stumbling to her knees and fighting through the pain. Ribs cracked as the agent kicker her in the side. "Lay down b*tch. You're not getting away this time. We got you." She lurched in pain as he pulled the trigger on the taser and she could hear laughter as she passed out.
"I only have one question. Who is my father?" "Oh that doesn't matter dear. He doesn't even know he's your father. I wiped his memory. Quite thoroughly. He's little more than a vegetable in a padded room after what I did to his mind. It's amazing how easy men are to manipulate by showing a little skin and casting a few spells. Suffice to say I chose wisely and you have strong genes but it's best to keep them anonymous." "If that is your wish mother then so be it and for now, I must take my leave. I still need some time fully come to terms with recent events." "Go then and be ready for me to call upon you." With that, Gothena left the room and headed to the teleporter
The arraignment was short. She pled not guilty. The judge denied the bail request and she hustled back to the pit that passed for the prison. This was not going her way. They had her in a federal prison with heavily armed guards in body armor. The other inmates were hardened. Not the usual riff raff but instead it was people more like her. Nasty lot. Not that it mattered, everyone was locked down almost all the time. Her only companion was a cellmate who had converted to religion and spent all day trying to convert her. Basically, Hell.
Circe got up and walked back into the Inner Sanctum. Only Lex was there, the Joker was off doing who knows what and probably causing more trouble for both the League and Society because, well, he's the Joker. "So Circe, how was your little chat?" "Oh it went as expected. She is under control for now. We must tread carefully though, I fear she's only accepting this for now because she has little choice otherwise." "Did you tell her everything?" "Of course not. As we discussed, the details of her parentage are limited to me. She has no idea about you." "You had better be right Circe. This is a dangerous game you're playing and we risk a lot on this gamble. What if we lose control of her? She could threaten us both." "Trust me Lex." "Not likely witch. I have my own contingencies to prepare." And with that. Lex activated his personal teleporter and left.
The guards came for her. Guess it would be the usual routine. They tasered her through the bars, put her in hand and leg irons and roughed her up a bit to "beat the resist out of her." The trial was long but completely one sided. They paraded a host of witnesses, physical evidence, video footage, DNA evidence, you name it they had it. They didn't even bother to make up any charges this time they had to guarantee conviction. The death penalty. They're going to seek the death penalty and it was time for sentencing. She had little doubt the judge would order execution. It was a fun ride but looks likes it was over. It was a blur as the judge spoke to her. She was too beat to laugh and barely had the energy to stand. As he dropped the gavel, ordering her execution, she heard an explosion behind her...
Gothena arrived back at her home and found her loyal accomplice waiting for her. "Mistress, the house...it's destroyed. What happened?" "I had a little argument with mommy dearest." "So it's true then. She really is..." "That's her story and I think it's true. There would be no reason to create a lie like that, she would have nothing to gain." "So where does that leave you?" her faithful minion asked. "For now, I'll continue to server her as I have. She's too strong for me to defeat right now but I get stronger by the day and she is content in her position of power. That makes her weak. Right now, we remain patient. I do think it's time to move though. This place is looking a bit ramshackle and I'd like to be closer to mommy dearest and start my search for daddy. The view from Lexcorp Tower is nice but it's time to go. Pack our things, we're going to Chinatown." With this last statement, Gothena started to sharpen her blades and mumbled to herself "yes, closer to mommy dearest" then a bit louder "start the preparations, I'll be downstairs at the scrying bowl. I'm going to look for daddy." "As you command" my mistress. Gothena looked at her and replied "Which is how it should be."