Thanks to my co-editors: the incredible Shadow Walker, Cateyes & the
marvelous Darkphoenix Fighting FOR KEEP BOP FLYING!!!
MIND OF FEAR
The clock tower struck eleven p.m. Barbara kept her eye trained on the monitors for any sign of danger. Dinah sat nearby with her head buried in her homework. She was bored and wanted to be out with Helena, patrolling the city streets, but her week was riddled with exams and Barbara insisted that she stay at home and study. Barbara was adamant and every time Dinah tried to ask Barbara would answer her before she could finish.
An alarm rung on the Delphi monitor. Reese had triggered the bat ring. Barbara took note of the location.
* * *
Helena sat on the corner of the roof, she enjoyed these moments alone as she watched the city lights in the calm night and let the wind softly tousle her hair. She sometimes asked herself how different it would all have been if her mother were still alive. Would Helena still patrol the city rooftops and streets? Would she have used her instincts as she had been? Would Selina have guided her differently? Would she instead be playing cat and mouse games with Reese?
Helena could't deny being somewhat attracted to the dark side, but what about Barbara? What would have become of Barbara life? Undeniable as it was, Barbara was an important factor in their plight against crime and both had been able to conquer their sadness, solitude and frustrations through their relationship.
What would have become of her if Helena had not been there? Would she have carried on her plight and become an advisor for NGPD? Or would she have settled into just becoming a school teacher, placing the crime fighting mantle down? Who knows?
But Helena had to live, stay in the present, here, now was what counted. Their duty was to rid the city from the scum who threatened it. Helena closed her eyes and breathed in, wishing she could make moments like these eternal.
:: Helena:: Barbara's said over the comm.
:: Reese has reported an assault at a jewelry store on the corner of 51 and 64 street.::
"Welcome to reality" Helena whispered.
:: Pardon?::
"Never mind, I'm on my way" she got up and jumped toward the neighboring roof.
* * *
Helena leaned over the terrace that stood above the jewelers, she heard gunshots emitting from the store and from Reese's position.
"I'm here," she said, "Looks like Reese started the party without me, give me a sec." Helena entered the backdoor of the building, "There are three of them." "Bread eaten" :: Okay hold on, I'll get Reese to ceasefire, to prevent him from hitting you:: "No need," without saying more, Helena rushed in on the thieves.
* * *
"Helena, wait..." Barbara began to say but then paused as she heard the sound of a fist connecting with what sounded like a jaw.
"She will never change" Dinah said to Barbara as she worked in her books.
"Why does she always have to be so impulsive?" Barbara couldn't hide her anger.
"Because you were just the same when you were her age Miss Barbara," Alfred replied as he served her a cup of tea, "Seems to me that Miss Helena learned more from you than you believe she has." He took the dirty dishes and headed towards the Kitchen.
Barbara glared at him, "Why does he always have to be right!" She thought to herself. She sighed and returned her attention to the fight, "Okay, what's going on?"
* * *
"Two zero, beating the bad guys," Helena replied kicking one of the attackers and knocking him against a cabinet, the other one had just ran out of the store where he had an unfortunate meeting with Reese.
The last one had recovered quickly and aimed a gun at Huntress. "That won't serve you good," an agile kick dismantled him and she kicked him twice, flinging him against a wall. Helena grabbed him and threw him out, through the broken window, into the street. As he struggled to get up Huntress jumped above him and started beating him violently. Reese had just put the attacker that he had caught in his patrol car, when he saw Huntress.
"Stop!" he screamed and ran towards her, but she didn't pay attention to him, she continued kicking the man. "Huntress stop!!!" Reese grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms around her, "You're gonna kill him."
"Let me go!" Huntress shouted. Reese let her go and checked on the thief, he was unconscious.
"What's the matter with you?" Reese looked at her annoyed, he took his cell and called in an ambulance. He then looked back at her, "What were you thinking? You almost killed him!"
"I. I.. "she hesitated, "I don't know what."
"You are too violent! Why don't you just. go home, rest a while or whatever," he said the left, leaving Huntress confused.
:: Huntress? What happened?:: came Barbara's V.O.
:: Huntress?:: Barbara's voice broke her from her confusion.
"Nothing," she replied.
:: Nothing? What about the thieves?::
"Nothing... we... we stopped them...."
"You alright?" Barbara noticed the change in Huntress; tone, something wasn't right.
:: yeah, it's nothing, I'm just tired, I'm going home:: Huntress replied.
Dinah raised her head, she too noticed something wrong.
"I need to speak with you," Barbara said.
:: Yeah, see you tomorrow::
"Huntress," Barbara called unsuccessfully, Helena had turned off the communicator.
"Damn," she mumbled, "She did it again, I'm seriously going to talk to her tomorrow."
"She's always been this way," Dinah told her.
"But she has to understand that we're a team and a team doesn't operate like this!" Barbara turned her wheelchair around, "That girl."
* * *
Barbara and Dinah were eating breakfast in the kitchen, when the elevator doors opened and Helena walked in without greeting them.
"I thought you wouldn't come" Barbara said, "It's late."
"Yeah well I slept late," Helena placed her sack to a side, opened the refrigerator and looked inside.
"There's French toast," Dinah said.
"Any fruit?" Helena asked.
"On the bottom shelf, there's a plate of chopped watermelon," Barbara Replied, "What happened yesterday?"
"Nothing, " Helena took the plate of watermelon out and sat down at the table.
"Do you want some juice Miss Helena?" Alfred asked. Helena nodded and smiled when he handed her a glass filled with juice.
"What do you mean nothing?" Barbara knew that Helena was hiding something, "I heard Reese last night, Helena, he sounded really annoyed."
"You know Reese, Barbara, he's always annoyed!" Helena put a piece of watermelon in her mouth, "He's always exaggerating everything, and he always has a problem with how I fight."
"Did you exceed yourself?" Barbara took a sip of her juice without breaking eye contact. Helena didn't answer and put another watermelon piece in her mouth. Dinah stopped eating and looked up at both of them.
"Is that it??" Barbara insisted, "Did you exceed yourself with the thief?"
"Okay!" Helena hesitated, "Just a little... nothing serious."
"Are you sure?" Barbara asked while taking a deep breathe in. Helena's violent character had always been a point of discussion they never liked talking about.
Helena dumped the fork to the side of the plate, "I still don't see why you and Reese always have a problem with how I deal with the perps. Nobody moans at them for kicking me! I mean sometimes I come back with bruises and cuts, and my clothes are always tearing and do you know how expensive they are and how hard good clothes are to find? What about me? It always bothers you both when I mistreat them, the guys who steal and or hurt other people, they don't have a code of conduct! Most of the time I can never understand either of you!"
"Many times it's your fault because of your imprudence," Barbara refuted her, "You don't measure the danger, like yesterday."
"Come on Barbara!"
"It's more a matter of morals for you then for them," Barbara had finished having breakfast and cleaned her mouth with a napkin.
"Me? Why me?" Helena puckered a frown.
Barbara placed her elbows in the table and looked at Helena deeply, "Because you shouldn't become the same as them even though you're looking for justice, nothing justifies death or an act of violence, your father never broke the law in spite of."
"All right, all right, I already know the story," Helena lifted a hand for peace, "Look, You're brewing a storm in a glass of water, the perp is okay, nothing really happened. Did I exceed myself? Maybe. a little, but it was the first time and I regret it, it will also be the last, it won't happen again."
Barbara leaned behind in her wheelchair, her eyes locked with Helena's "And what about turning the mc off?"
"Ok," Helena raised her hand again. "I've let you be the moderator, don't push me."
"Helena."
"Can we discuss it later?"
Barbara raised her right eye-brow and the sighed "Later."
"I promise."
"Okay, time to go Dinah, are you ready?" Barbara said breaking away from Helena's glare.
"I'll get my books," Dinah replied and ran off to her room.
"We'll see you this afternoon," Barbara said to Helena and then moved off to the elevator. Helena waited until Barbara and Dinah left and then looked at Alfred.
"Did she get up in a bad mood?" she asked.
"She went to bed in a bad mood," Alfred corrected picking up the plates off the table, "There isn't anything that angers her more than you not taking her guidance and turning the mic off."
"It's so annoying to being lectured at while you're trying to be the hero and fight someone at the same time! How am I supposed to cope with that?! Could I have some French toast?"
"That, Miss Helena, is your enigma," Alfred replies. He serves her some toast in a plate.
"So how am I supposed to solve this 'enigma' of mine?" she asked accepting the plate.
"You are an intelligent young woman Miss Helena, but as much as I like to part with my wisdom on occasions, this time it is up to you to solve it," he hands her the honey and butter, "and I trust you will."
"I hate it when you do that?"
"When I do what?"
"When we really need your advice you turn on us."
Alfred smiled.
***
That afternoon at the clock tower, Dinah entered the laboratory, with her school books in her hand and a bag slung over her shoulder. She'd had a terrible day at school. Barbara continued working on the computer.
"Not even today?" Dinah asked Barbara as she approached her.
"I told you, not until your exam week ends," Barbara replied, changing one of the circuits of the computer, "Exams are on of the most important parts of your education, I'm not going to amuse you by letting you go out on patrols."
Dinah twisted her mouth, "May I use a computer to type some notes?"
"Of course, use that one, on the left," Barbara replied.
"Did you speak with Helena?" Dinah asked while she took out a disk and slid it in the drive.
"No," Barbara took the CPU cover and closed the tower, "Helena knows how to avoid me when we need to have talk, and if it was a discussion she knows she'd loose, it's pretty quick,"
"Where is she?"
"Working in the bar."
***
Helena was cleaning a glass, when a drunken man sat down in front of her. He requested another drink, she didn't like the idea of giving him one more, but she wasn't in the mood of receiving a lecture from Leonard. Helena served the man another drink and resumed cleaning the glass tumbler.
"You're very hot," the man said smiling. Helena ignored him and continued working.
"Hot doll, why don't you sit down an talk to me?... Baby, I'm speaking to you..." he said, his words slurring.
"You're happy with your drink," Helena looked him putting her hands on the table, ".and I'm happily cleaning this glass, so let's stay happy, huh? You don't bother me and I won't bother you."
"Kyle!" Leonard yelled, "Bring me two more bottles of Brandy,"
"Sit down," the drunk said.
Helena smiled at the drunk, "I don't like to go out with clients" and saying this, she left the bar and headed for the cellar. One thing Helena hated, working in a bar, were the drunks, especially those who tried to hit on her.
Helena took the bottles and opened the door to leave. She raised her eyes, and the drunkard was waiting for her.
"Hello, now we can have a good time," he said moving towards her.
The man tried to hug her and Helena threw it off with a kick. The man became furious and rushed on Helena; she had already lost patience and hit him in the head with one of the bottles. Leonard had heard the noise in the back and rushed over to see Helena losing her cool and attacking the man.
"What the hell. Kyle! Leave him alone!" he tried separating the two but couldn't. Desperate, he called for two guards. Helena had the man against the floor and with her hands around his neck. The two guards picked her up, away from the drunk, Helena tried fighting them off but they held on tight, Helena fought like a wild animal.
"Leave me alone! I'm going to kill him!" she shouted.
"Kyle!" Leonard exclaimed "Kyle!! Have you gone nuts?!" Leonard grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, "What the heel has gone into you?! You want me to call the cops?"
Suddenly Helena calmed down, she noticed the drunk on the floor with a deep cut on his head and the two guards holding her, she looked surprised at Leonard.
"Are you okay?" Leonard asked after he noticed she had calmed down. Helena looked down at the drunk on the floor again; she couldn't remember what had happened.
"That madwoman!" the drunk said as Leonard helped him up, "Bitch almost killed me!"
"I hit him?" Helena asked confused.
"Take him out," Leonard ordered the guards, "and wait for me." The guards left Helena and helped the man out. Helena brushed a lock of hair away and looked at Leonard ashamed; she didn't understand what was happening.
"What happened to you Kyle?" Leonard asked as he came closer to her.
"I don't remember... I came to look for the bottles, and when I wanted to leave, he was here and... I don't I remember."
"You hurt him seriously, he could sue us."
"I'm sorry Leonard, I don't know that happened"
"Go rest..."
"But..."
"Go! I'll see you in three days, I don't want to talk to you," Leonard turned and left.
MIND OF FEAR
The clock tower struck eleven p.m. Barbara kept her eye trained on the monitors for any sign of danger. Dinah sat nearby with her head buried in her homework. She was bored and wanted to be out with Helena, patrolling the city streets, but her week was riddled with exams and Barbara insisted that she stay at home and study. Barbara was adamant and every time Dinah tried to ask Barbara would answer her before she could finish.
An alarm rung on the Delphi monitor. Reese had triggered the bat ring. Barbara took note of the location.
* * *
Helena sat on the corner of the roof, she enjoyed these moments alone as she watched the city lights in the calm night and let the wind softly tousle her hair. She sometimes asked herself how different it would all have been if her mother were still alive. Would Helena still patrol the city rooftops and streets? Would she have used her instincts as she had been? Would Selina have guided her differently? Would she instead be playing cat and mouse games with Reese?
Helena could't deny being somewhat attracted to the dark side, but what about Barbara? What would have become of Barbara life? Undeniable as it was, Barbara was an important factor in their plight against crime and both had been able to conquer their sadness, solitude and frustrations through their relationship.
What would have become of her if Helena had not been there? Would she have carried on her plight and become an advisor for NGPD? Or would she have settled into just becoming a school teacher, placing the crime fighting mantle down? Who knows?
But Helena had to live, stay in the present, here, now was what counted. Their duty was to rid the city from the scum who threatened it. Helena closed her eyes and breathed in, wishing she could make moments like these eternal.
:: Helena:: Barbara's said over the comm.
:: Reese has reported an assault at a jewelry store on the corner of 51 and 64 street.::
"Welcome to reality" Helena whispered.
:: Pardon?::
"Never mind, I'm on my way" she got up and jumped toward the neighboring roof.
* * *
Helena leaned over the terrace that stood above the jewelers, she heard gunshots emitting from the store and from Reese's position.
"I'm here," she said, "Looks like Reese started the party without me, give me a sec." Helena entered the backdoor of the building, "There are three of them." "Bread eaten" :: Okay hold on, I'll get Reese to ceasefire, to prevent him from hitting you:: "No need," without saying more, Helena rushed in on the thieves.
* * *
"Helena, wait..." Barbara began to say but then paused as she heard the sound of a fist connecting with what sounded like a jaw.
"She will never change" Dinah said to Barbara as she worked in her books.
"Why does she always have to be so impulsive?" Barbara couldn't hide her anger.
"Because you were just the same when you were her age Miss Barbara," Alfred replied as he served her a cup of tea, "Seems to me that Miss Helena learned more from you than you believe she has." He took the dirty dishes and headed towards the Kitchen.
Barbara glared at him, "Why does he always have to be right!" She thought to herself. She sighed and returned her attention to the fight, "Okay, what's going on?"
* * *
"Two zero, beating the bad guys," Helena replied kicking one of the attackers and knocking him against a cabinet, the other one had just ran out of the store where he had an unfortunate meeting with Reese.
The last one had recovered quickly and aimed a gun at Huntress. "That won't serve you good," an agile kick dismantled him and she kicked him twice, flinging him against a wall. Helena grabbed him and threw him out, through the broken window, into the street. As he struggled to get up Huntress jumped above him and started beating him violently. Reese had just put the attacker that he had caught in his patrol car, when he saw Huntress.
"Stop!" he screamed and ran towards her, but she didn't pay attention to him, she continued kicking the man. "Huntress stop!!!" Reese grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms around her, "You're gonna kill him."
"Let me go!" Huntress shouted. Reese let her go and checked on the thief, he was unconscious.
"What's the matter with you?" Reese looked at her annoyed, he took his cell and called in an ambulance. He then looked back at her, "What were you thinking? You almost killed him!"
"I. I.. "she hesitated, "I don't know what."
"You are too violent! Why don't you just. go home, rest a while or whatever," he said the left, leaving Huntress confused.
:: Huntress? What happened?:: came Barbara's V.O.
:: Huntress?:: Barbara's voice broke her from her confusion.
"Nothing," she replied.
:: Nothing? What about the thieves?::
"Nothing... we... we stopped them...."
"You alright?" Barbara noticed the change in Huntress; tone, something wasn't right.
:: yeah, it's nothing, I'm just tired, I'm going home:: Huntress replied.
Dinah raised her head, she too noticed something wrong.
"I need to speak with you," Barbara said.
:: Yeah, see you tomorrow::
"Huntress," Barbara called unsuccessfully, Helena had turned off the communicator.
"Damn," she mumbled, "She did it again, I'm seriously going to talk to her tomorrow."
"She's always been this way," Dinah told her.
"But she has to understand that we're a team and a team doesn't operate like this!" Barbara turned her wheelchair around, "That girl."
* * *
Barbara and Dinah were eating breakfast in the kitchen, when the elevator doors opened and Helena walked in without greeting them.
"I thought you wouldn't come" Barbara said, "It's late."
"Yeah well I slept late," Helena placed her sack to a side, opened the refrigerator and looked inside.
"There's French toast," Dinah said.
"Any fruit?" Helena asked.
"On the bottom shelf, there's a plate of chopped watermelon," Barbara Replied, "What happened yesterday?"
"Nothing, " Helena took the plate of watermelon out and sat down at the table.
"Do you want some juice Miss Helena?" Alfred asked. Helena nodded and smiled when he handed her a glass filled with juice.
"What do you mean nothing?" Barbara knew that Helena was hiding something, "I heard Reese last night, Helena, he sounded really annoyed."
"You know Reese, Barbara, he's always annoyed!" Helena put a piece of watermelon in her mouth, "He's always exaggerating everything, and he always has a problem with how I fight."
"Did you exceed yourself?" Barbara took a sip of her juice without breaking eye contact. Helena didn't answer and put another watermelon piece in her mouth. Dinah stopped eating and looked up at both of them.
"Is that it??" Barbara insisted, "Did you exceed yourself with the thief?"
"Okay!" Helena hesitated, "Just a little... nothing serious."
"Are you sure?" Barbara asked while taking a deep breathe in. Helena's violent character had always been a point of discussion they never liked talking about.
Helena dumped the fork to the side of the plate, "I still don't see why you and Reese always have a problem with how I deal with the perps. Nobody moans at them for kicking me! I mean sometimes I come back with bruises and cuts, and my clothes are always tearing and do you know how expensive they are and how hard good clothes are to find? What about me? It always bothers you both when I mistreat them, the guys who steal and or hurt other people, they don't have a code of conduct! Most of the time I can never understand either of you!"
"Many times it's your fault because of your imprudence," Barbara refuted her, "You don't measure the danger, like yesterday."
"Come on Barbara!"
"It's more a matter of morals for you then for them," Barbara had finished having breakfast and cleaned her mouth with a napkin.
"Me? Why me?" Helena puckered a frown.
Barbara placed her elbows in the table and looked at Helena deeply, "Because you shouldn't become the same as them even though you're looking for justice, nothing justifies death or an act of violence, your father never broke the law in spite of."
"All right, all right, I already know the story," Helena lifted a hand for peace, "Look, You're brewing a storm in a glass of water, the perp is okay, nothing really happened. Did I exceed myself? Maybe. a little, but it was the first time and I regret it, it will also be the last, it won't happen again."
Barbara leaned behind in her wheelchair, her eyes locked with Helena's "And what about turning the mc off?"
"Ok," Helena raised her hand again. "I've let you be the moderator, don't push me."
"Helena."
"Can we discuss it later?"
Barbara raised her right eye-brow and the sighed "Later."
"I promise."
"Okay, time to go Dinah, are you ready?" Barbara said breaking away from Helena's glare.
"I'll get my books," Dinah replied and ran off to her room.
"We'll see you this afternoon," Barbara said to Helena and then moved off to the elevator. Helena waited until Barbara and Dinah left and then looked at Alfred.
"Did she get up in a bad mood?" she asked.
"She went to bed in a bad mood," Alfred corrected picking up the plates off the table, "There isn't anything that angers her more than you not taking her guidance and turning the mic off."
"It's so annoying to being lectured at while you're trying to be the hero and fight someone at the same time! How am I supposed to cope with that?! Could I have some French toast?"
"That, Miss Helena, is your enigma," Alfred replies. He serves her some toast in a plate.
"So how am I supposed to solve this 'enigma' of mine?" she asked accepting the plate.
"You are an intelligent young woman Miss Helena, but as much as I like to part with my wisdom on occasions, this time it is up to you to solve it," he hands her the honey and butter, "and I trust you will."
"I hate it when you do that?"
"When I do what?"
"When we really need your advice you turn on us."
Alfred smiled.
***
That afternoon at the clock tower, Dinah entered the laboratory, with her school books in her hand and a bag slung over her shoulder. She'd had a terrible day at school. Barbara continued working on the computer.
"Not even today?" Dinah asked Barbara as she approached her.
"I told you, not until your exam week ends," Barbara replied, changing one of the circuits of the computer, "Exams are on of the most important parts of your education, I'm not going to amuse you by letting you go out on patrols."
Dinah twisted her mouth, "May I use a computer to type some notes?"
"Of course, use that one, on the left," Barbara replied.
"Did you speak with Helena?" Dinah asked while she took out a disk and slid it in the drive.
"No," Barbara took the CPU cover and closed the tower, "Helena knows how to avoid me when we need to have talk, and if it was a discussion she knows she'd loose, it's pretty quick,"
"Where is she?"
"Working in the bar."
***
Helena was cleaning a glass, when a drunken man sat down in front of her. He requested another drink, she didn't like the idea of giving him one more, but she wasn't in the mood of receiving a lecture from Leonard. Helena served the man another drink and resumed cleaning the glass tumbler.
"You're very hot," the man said smiling. Helena ignored him and continued working.
"Hot doll, why don't you sit down an talk to me?... Baby, I'm speaking to you..." he said, his words slurring.
"You're happy with your drink," Helena looked him putting her hands on the table, ".and I'm happily cleaning this glass, so let's stay happy, huh? You don't bother me and I won't bother you."
"Kyle!" Leonard yelled, "Bring me two more bottles of Brandy,"
"Sit down," the drunk said.
Helena smiled at the drunk, "I don't like to go out with clients" and saying this, she left the bar and headed for the cellar. One thing Helena hated, working in a bar, were the drunks, especially those who tried to hit on her.
Helena took the bottles and opened the door to leave. She raised her eyes, and the drunkard was waiting for her.
"Hello, now we can have a good time," he said moving towards her.
The man tried to hug her and Helena threw it off with a kick. The man became furious and rushed on Helena; she had already lost patience and hit him in the head with one of the bottles. Leonard had heard the noise in the back and rushed over to see Helena losing her cool and attacking the man.
"What the hell. Kyle! Leave him alone!" he tried separating the two but couldn't. Desperate, he called for two guards. Helena had the man against the floor and with her hands around his neck. The two guards picked her up, away from the drunk, Helena tried fighting them off but they held on tight, Helena fought like a wild animal.
"Leave me alone! I'm going to kill him!" she shouted.
"Kyle!" Leonard exclaimed "Kyle!! Have you gone nuts?!" Leonard grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, "What the heel has gone into you?! You want me to call the cops?"
Suddenly Helena calmed down, she noticed the drunk on the floor with a deep cut on his head and the two guards holding her, she looked surprised at Leonard.
"Are you okay?" Leonard asked after he noticed she had calmed down. Helena looked down at the drunk on the floor again; she couldn't remember what had happened.
"That madwoman!" the drunk said as Leonard helped him up, "Bitch almost killed me!"
"I hit him?" Helena asked confused.
"Take him out," Leonard ordered the guards, "and wait for me." The guards left Helena and helped the man out. Helena brushed a lock of hair away and looked at Leonard ashamed; she didn't understand what was happening.
"What happened to you Kyle?" Leonard asked as he came closer to her.
"I don't remember... I came to look for the bottles, and when I wanted to leave, he was here and... I don't I remember."
"You hurt him seriously, he could sue us."
"I'm sorry Leonard, I don't know that happened"
"Go rest..."
"But..."
"Go! I'll see you in three days, I don't want to talk to you," Leonard turned and left.