Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Birds Of Prey. They belong to their respective creators at DC Comics. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's note - **I apologize for continually putting Helena's life in jeopardy but I love the whole hurt/comfort thing between her and Reese.**
I couldn't believe how packed the club was, and on a week night.
I made my way over to the bar to get another drink. "Vodka rocks," I tell the cute bartender. As I wait for my drink I dance in place to the beat of the music that surrounds me. Finally, my drink arrives. Just as I turn around someone crashes into me. It looks like a fight has broken out between two guys who are probably fighting over some girl.
I chug down my drink and place the glass on the bar so that I can join in the fight, but as I turn back I find a fist flying towards my face, connecting with my eye. It sends me to the ground, a little stunned, and then I suddenly find myself at the bottom of a pig-pile. The music stops and I can hear the manager yelling for everyone to get out. Bodies are dragged off of me and I soon see light again.
Someone helps me to my feet, "Are you okay?" he asks.
"Yeah," I say as I shake off the dizziness.
He looks at me kind of strange and then smiles, "Well, I'll see you later." He disappears before I can even answer.
I make my way to the exit and get outside into the fresh air. My head is swimming and I feel like I'm in some sort of fog. Hopefully the fresh air will do me some good.
As I walk down the street I feel this ache in my side but dismiss it after thinking I probably just got kicked or trampled on in the fight. The haze that cloaks my mind still lingers, an odd feeling that I've never felt before.
A couple of blocks over from the club I come to a sudden stop, like something or someone is telling me what to do. That's when I blackout.
* * *
I feel as if someone has shaken me awake because I find myself gasping as I bolt to consciousness. Looking at my surroundings I realize I'm slumped against the wall of the clock tower's elevator. Then I notice my hands are covered in blood - fresh blood. Holding them up in front of me I stare at them in confusion. "What the hell have I done?" I ask myself. But further inspection makes me realize it's my blood. Looking down at my stomach I can see a hole in my shirt just below my ribcage. Blood is oozing out of the quarter-sized hole and I quickly cover it with my hands in an attempt to get it to stop.
More dizziness fills my head and I struggle to stay awake as my head bobs a little. "Help. I need to get help," I think to myself. But before I can even move, I feel the elevator begin to rise. I swallow hard as I go along for the ride but hope it stops soon because the movement is making me a little nauseous.
The elevator comes to a stop and the door opens. Barbara and Dinah are there to greet me, both have shocked looks on their faces which is completely understandable considering I'm sitting in a pool of my own blood.
Dinah is quickly by my side, moving my hands away from the wound. "Oh my God, she's been shot," she tells Barbara. She puts my hands back over the wound and puts her hands on top of mine, pressing down hard. A little too hard.
"Uhhh!" I gasp as the pain flares up.
"I'm sorry," Dinah tells me in a sobby voice.
"Alfred!" Barbara screams at the top of her lungs. "Alfred, we need some help here!"
As I continue to struggle to stay awake I see Alfred running towards the elevator, his mouth dropping open as he sees me. "What in bloody blazes?"
"We need to get her to the lab quickly," Barbara demands as she wheels into the elevator.
Alfred follows behind her and pushes one of the buttons on the floor panel. I watch the doors close and all I can feel is pain. Dinah has her hands over mine, my blood staining every inch of them. "You're gonna be fine," she assures me with tears in eyes. "Just hang on." I see her look up at Barbara as if she were waiting for her to confirm that I was indeed going to be fine but Barbara's expression was one of fear. She's seen me get hurt before, that kinda thing happens in our line of work. This time is different. This is the first time I've actually made a trip to 'the lab.'
The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. Alfred takes my arm and throws it over his shoulder. On the other side Dinah does the same. "Okay Miss Helena, on your feet." Both of them grab the waistband of my leather pants and hoist me to my feet with one good yank. I cry out in pain but they ignore me and drag me into the lab.
It felt like they dragged me a thousand miles rather than a few hundred feet. They lean me against the side of the steel table and suddenly I feel an odd rush of adrenaline. My head starts to pound and I immediately lash out, hitting Alfred in the face with my fist. He crashes to the ground and lies there unmoving. I whip my head around and see Barbara looking at me with wide eyes. "Helena! Helena, don't! You're hurt and you need help. Please!"
"I don't need your help!" I scream as I watch Dinah backing away from me.
"Barbara what's wrong with her? Her eyes. Her eyes are..."
"Somehow her powers got kicked up a few notches."
"Don't talk like I'm not here," I snap. Dinah looks at me like I'm some sort of carnival freak and I feel the urge to rip her head right off her shoulders. "Come here, Dinah." I lunge towards her and manage to tackle her to the ground. I wrap my bloody hands around her throat and begin to squeeze. But my grip soon loosens when I feel a needle jammed into my back.
"I'm sorry Helena," Barbara says behind me.
The whole world goes black as I collapse on top of Dinah.
* * *
When I finally come to, I'm instantly greeted by Barbara who is shining a penlight in my right eye. "What are you doing?" I ask softly, wincing from the bright light.
"There doesn't appear to be any permanent damage," Barbara says.
I roll my head to the left and see Dinah standing there with the usual smile on her face. "See, I knew you'd be fine."
I begin to sit up and am immediately reminded of why I'm lying flat on my back. The burning sensation in my side flares up and I quickly hug my wound. "What the hell?"
"Don't move around, lie still," Barbara instructs me. Then I notice her holding up a small device that looks similar to a computer chip, "We pulled this out of your side last night."
"That little thing caused this much pain?"
Barbara held up a plastic baggie with a spent bullet in it, "No, you were shot with this but when I went to get this out I found this little device about an inch below."
"What the hell is it?"
"It's a trigger. In this case it triggered your metahuman powers to turn on full blast."
"Yeah, it was kinda scary actually," Dinah chimed in.
"Whoever implanted this in you was obviously using you for something. We just have to find out who."
"The club," I mumbled.
"What?" Barbara asked.
I tried to focus on the previous night's events as best as I could. "I went to a club last night and there was a fight. I got stuck under a pile of people and right after that I started feeling weird. There was a pain in my side." Then my memory flashed back to a vision of the guy who helped me up. "I think I know who did it."
"Who?"
"I don't know his name but I'd know him if I saw him again." I struggled to get into a sitting position which caused both Dinah and Barbara to protest my movements.
"Helena, you need to rest." Barbara was no where near old enough to be my mother but she sure acted like it.
"I need to find him. God only knows who else he's doing this to." I swung my legs off the bed but the movement caused me great pain and I was stopped in my tracks. I doubled over and hugged my side tightly. "Shit," I swore under my breath as I hung my head to hide the painful expression on my face.
"Helena, please. Don't do this. You almost died last night, for God's sakes! You can't be getting up from this bed pretending everything's fine." Barbara paused, waiting for me to say something for myself but I didn't say a word. "Helena look at me!"
I raised my head slowly and looked her in the eye, tears were beginning to form.
"Three more inches, just THREE more inches over and you'd be sitting in a chair just like this one. That's how close you came last night. Hell, Alfred is still cleaning your blood off the elevator floor."
I honestly didn't know what to say as I sat there hugging my side, biting on my lower lip as the pain took over my body.
"Barbara's right, Helena. You need to rest. We'll find out who did this but for now you need to get better." Dinah put a comforting hand on my arm and helped ease me back down on the bed.
"Barbara, we need to find him," I said through clenched teeth. "I have no idea what happened last night between the time I left the club to the time I ended up in the elevator." I had to pause as a flash of pain came over me.
"Let it go for now," Barbara said as she reached out and grabbed my wrist. "Just relax and get some rest."
I looked over at Dinah for only a split second and then I felt a needle being injected into my vein. I snapped my head back in Barbara's direction, "What the?"
"I'm sorry," Barbara said as she pulled out the needle.
I felt Dinah pat the top of my head but she gradually went out of focus as my mind slipped into darkness.
* * *
When I woke up I felt like I had a massive hangover. Whatever drugs Barbara shot me up with were pretty powerful.
I look over at the clock and realize that I've just gotten up when most people have just gone to bed. Since I have no idea how long I've been asleep I can only imagine what I've been missing.
With a painful struggle I get out of bed. I feel really dizzy for a moment, probably a result of being horizontal for so long, so I wait as it passes. When it finally does I grab some clothes and get dressed.
Quietly, I make my way to the elevator, being very careful not to wake Barbara or Dinah. The elevator doors open and my stomach suddenly feels like it's jumped into my throat. A flashback of the other night comes back as a vivid reminder of how dangerous this job really is. I take a deep breath and get into the elevator, refusing to look at the floor. In fact, I closed my eyes for the entire ride. When I heard the doors open I felt a sense of relief. Then I headed out into the night.
* * *
My original intention was to get to the club and see if my little friend showed up but I decided to take a detour.
"Hey, don't you have any work to do? Or has crime come to a sudden halt?"
"Huntress. I haven't seen you in a few days, what gives? Where ya been?"
I walk over beside Reese as he leans on his car. "I had the flu so I was out of commission for a few days."
Reese looked at me and I could tell he wasn't buying what I was selling. "Really? Well, you really shouldn't be out on a cold night like tonight. You might have a relapse or something."
I leaned against the car along with him, doing my best not to show him that I was in pain. "I just thought I'd check in with you to see if I've missed anything."
"You haven't missed much. Although I certainly haven't missed you dropping in on me unannounced, it's kinda freaky." I give him an angry look to show him I'm not pleased with his comment. "Come on," he says as he elbows me right in the side, my wounded side, "I'm just..." I double over and he starts to panic. "You okay? I didn't hit you that hard, just nudged you."
"I'm fine," I say in a gasp.
Reese moved my hands away from the wound, "The flu huh?" He lifted up the bottom of my shirt and found a bloody patch of gauze taped to my side. He lifts his head and looks at me.
"I...I got shot the other night."
"What?!? I didn't hear anything about a shooting."
"You didn't? I was hoping you would've so that I'd know how the hell it happened. That's kind why I was looking for you tonight."
"Wait a minute, you don't know how you got shot?"
"It's a long story."
Reese shook his head and looked at my side again, "You're bleeding. The stitches must have torn. I'm really sorry, I..."
I put my hand up to his lips to stop him from talking, "It's not your fault. I probably tore them before you even touched me." I felt myself letting my fingers linger on his lips for a moment before moving them away. He certainly didn't protest the prolonged touch.
"We need to get you to the hospital or something."
"Reese, you know I can't do that."
"Let me take you home then."
Before I could say anything I heard Barbara's voice in my ear. "Huntress? Huntress where the hell are you?"
I moved away from Reese and responded back. "I'm on my way back. I should be..."
"Get back here now!"
I turned back around to Reese and smiled, "You sure you want to take me home?" Normally I wouldn't have asked him but I knew it would be a slow and painful way back to the clock tower if I didn't.
"You need medical attention," he said as he motioned toward my side.
"Okay, but I have to drive."
"You're in no condition to be driving, much less walking around."
I eased myself into the driver's side, "Get in."
Reese walked around to the passenger side and got in.
"Take your tie off and tie it around your eyes like a blindfold."
"Are you for real?"
"Sorry. When you come over to my house you have to go by my rules."
Reese huffed a little and did as he was told. I started the car and off we went.
* * *
When the elevator doors opened to the loft I thought Barbara's jaw was going to shatter from hitting the floor when she saw Reese, not to mention Reese supporting me as I walked.
"Detective Reese? Helena, what are you..."
"Another time, maybe," I said as Reese helped me to sit on the sofa.
"She tore her stitches," he said as he lifted up my shirt again and began peeling the bandage away. His face contorted as he looked at my wound, blood seeping out of the little black stitches.
"Really sexy, isn't it?" I joked.
"I'll get some new bandages," Barbara said as she wheeled away shaking her head.
Not a word was said the whole time she was gone. Thick, awkward silence hung in the air until she finally got back.
"Would somebody mind telling me how this happened?" Reese said as he looked over at Barbara.
"I told you I don't know!" I guess he really didn't believe me the first time I told him that.
Barbara wheeled over to Reese and handed him a pack of gauze pads, a towel and a bottle of Antiseptic."We found her in the elevator the other night, lying on the floor bleeding. She has no memory of how it happened."
Reese took the towel and drenched it with the solution. "This is gonna sting a little," he said as he applied it over my wound.
"Uhhh!" I yelped as it burned. "A little? Try a lot!"
"What's going on?" Dinah said as she entered the room, rubbing her eyes. "Oh my God, Helena! Are you okay?"
"Helena?" Reese said as he quickly looked at me.
I looked at Barbara and she frowned at Dinah for giving away my name. Dinah's eyes floated to the ground, "Sorry."
"Yes, my name is Helena." He didn't say another word after that which surprised me.
Barbara looked back at Dinah who was now by my side, "She'll be fine. She just tore the stitches because she decided to go out and play invincible superhero," Barbara said sarcastically.
"You're funny," I snapped.
Dinah looked at Reese and then at Barbara. I could see them mouthing something to each other but the pain kinda took precedence over their comments.
Reese held the towel to my side with a little pressure but just feeling his touch made me feel a little better.
Barbara wheeled away but then came back. She extended her hand to Reese and gave him the computer chip and the bag with the bullet in it. "These are her souvenirs," she said as she glanced over at me.
"Okay, the bullet I can understand but what the hell is this thing?" Reese looked at the computer chip as he held it up to the light.
"It's some sort of metahuman power triggering device. Huntress, um, I mean Helena said that she went to a club that night and there had been a fight that she got mixed up in."
"Imagine that. How odd," Reese said with a sarcastic smile.
"After the brawl she said she felt a little weird and noticed a pain in her side."
"I didn't think anything of it because I thought I'd just gotten kicked or something. But this guy helped me up after the fight. The look he gave me was weird. I'm sure he's the one that implanted that chip."
Barbara pointed towards the bag in Reese's hand, "Can you test the bullet to see if it comes up with a match in your database. I tried it through mine and came up empty."
"I'll see what I can do," he said as he tucked it away in his pocket. He turned his attention back to me and checked on my wound. "The bleeding's stopped." He handed the bloody towel to Barbara and then began applying a clean bandage. After he was satisfied with his nursing skills he pulled my shirt back down. "Now, no moving around," he said as he waved his finger in front of me.
"Maybe you can get her to listen because I sure as hell can't," Barbara quipped. Dinah giggled at her comment but stopped after I narrowed my eyes at her. "Come on, Dinah, you need to get back to bed. Go!" She turned her around and gave her a shove.
"Night, Reese," Dinah said with a little wave.
"Good night," he said as he waved back.
"Listen, I'm gonna get some paperwork done so I'll come check on you in a little while. Reese, I'll just be in the other room so let me know when you're ready to go and I'll escort you out."
"Sure. Thanks." As Barbara left the room Reese took a seat beside me. "I thought metahumans healed quickly?"
"We usually do. I think that implant thing screwed my system up a little bit." I leaned up against him as I began to yawn.
"You better get some rest," he said as he put his arm around me.
"Yeah," I said as I closed my eyes.
"So it's Helena, huh?"
I hardly heard him because my mind drifted off to sleep.
* * *
In the morning, I woke up and was surprised to see Reese asleep next to me. I moved over and tried not to wake him but it was too late. "Hey," he said as he blinked himself awake. "What time is it?"
"Ten o'clock," I said as I checked my watch.
He stretched a little and winced, "Damn, my muscles are all cramped."
"Sorry," I said.
"Nono, it's okay. I was just afraid to wake you. You looked so peaceful. And Barbara was nice enough to let me stay."
I couldn't stop the smile that began to spread across my face. "So this means we've officially slept together."
"Ha ha! You wish," he said, returning the smile.
"I do actually." I thought I'd said it pretty quiet but he heard every word.
"Are you...are you serious?"
I felt my face turning red and I hated that feeling, "Yeah I'm serious."
He laughed a little as he shook his head.
"Nevermind, I shouldn't have said anything." Now I felt insulted. I started to get up but I felt his hands on me, bringing me back down. In a matter of seconds his lips covered mine and he drew me into a long, passionate kiss. When we broke apart we looked into each others eyes for a moment. "Wow, so that's what it's like," I said with a devilish look.
"And is that good or bad?"
"Good, of course." I dove in for seconds and soon found myself straddling his lap. His hands caressed my back as we kissed.
"Ahem," Barbara said as she cleared her throat.
I could have cared less that she was there but it freaked Reese out and he acted like we'd just been caught on Make Out Point. "Barbara," he stammered as he broke our kiss.
I remained seated on his lap and turned around to face her, "Why do you have to do that? Can't you see I'm busy?" Reese was laughing so I turned back to him, "What's so funny?"
"Now you know what it's like for someone to sneak up on you like you do to me."
I eased myself off of him and stood up, wiping some of his spit off the edge of my bottom lip. "Keep it up and you'll be sleeping on the couch from now on." I winked at him and he winked back.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your little make out session but I just got something back about that chip."
"What'd you find out?" I asked as both Reese and I followed her to the computers.
"A friend of mine said that he got the name of a guy named Brett Garrison who had purchased some computer components similar to the ones found on that chip."
"Well, let's go find this asshole and see what he's got so say about it." Before I could leave the room I felt Reese grab my arm, holding me back.
"Whoa, you're not going anywhere, not in your condition."
"Would you two PLEASE stop the over protection routine. I'm fine. So I overdid it a little yesterday."
"Oh, and if you meet up with this guy Garrison you're saying that you're not going to smack him around a little which would mean overdoing it today?" Reese's eyes burned through me. "Let me find him and we'll take it from there. We don't want to go in there guns blazing and find out it's not our guy."
"I can I.D. him so take me with you."
"Helena, Reese is right. Sit this one out. You'll get the next crack at him, I promise."
After I pout for a minute I finally agree, "Fine. Just keep me in the loop."
"You got it."
* * *
I think I just about paced a hole in the floorboards as I waited for Reese to call. It was now ten o'clock and still no word.
"Helena, please sit down. You're making me dizzy just watching you."
I eased myself down on a chair next to her. "Where the hell is he?"
"He'll call, give him time." Barbara typed away at her keyboard for a few minutes and then the inevitable questioning started. "Last night did you and Reese..."
"No!"
"Not even this morning?"
"We would have if you hadn't so rudely interrupted."
"You wouldn't have! Would you?" Barbara looked repulsed.
"Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't."
"God, Helena! What if Dinah walked in while you and him were..."
"What'd I miss?!?" Dinah asked as she entered the room with a goofy grin.
"Nothing," I snapped.
"You and Reese did it last night?" Dinah squealed. "I knew it! How was it?"
"Dinah!" Barbara yelled at her.
"Nothing happened last night so you two can get your dirty little minds out of the gutter." Barbara and Dinah began to laugh and it really irritated me.
"I put a stop to it before it happened," Barbara said between gasps of laughter.
"You walked in on them? Where was I during all of this? Why didn't anyone come get me?"
"You were still asleep."
"Come on! Just because I was on his lap doesn't mean we were doing the nasty. We were just making out is all. Don't be jealous because you two aren't getting any."
"Hey, I resent that," Barbara said as she stopped laughing.
"Oh that's right, you and Wade already did the mattress dance. How could I have forgotten."
Barbara looked at Dinah who was now looking at her with her mouth open.
"I'm outta here," I said as I stormed off to take a shower. I figured I gave them both enough to chat about while I was gone.
* * *
After I'd showered I felt alot better. The pain in my side had become a dull ache which was a good sign that it was starting to heal, finally. I finished getting dressed and was ready to go out and kick that guy's ass.
When I went back to the computer room Barbara had just hung up with Reese. "What'd he say?"
"He found him. He's tailing him."
I studied her expression but she put her head down. "So what else aren't you telling me?" I waited for her to say something but she didn't. "Tell me. I'm gonna go out there anyway so you might as well."
"Reese said he's followed him to a club down by the dockyards."
"It's him. He's gonna do it to someone else." Before I give her a chance to answer I dash out of the room and head for the elevator.
"Helena, wait!" Barbara yells as she chases after me.
I step into the elevator and wait for the doors to close behind me but I soon find Dinah next to me just as they shut. "You're not going anywhere without me."
I choose not to argue with her and just stand there in silence.
* * *
Dinah and I find Reese who is sitting outside a club called Hammerhead's. We talked with him for a bit and then make our way into the club.
The place is packed but we carefully search the entire club for any sign of him. But after about fifteen minutes of searching I don't see him anywhere. "He's not here," I say to Dinah as we leave the club.
We go back out to Reese's car and find him still waiting patiently. "He's no where around. You're sure you saw him go into this club?"
"Positive."
"He must have slipped out the back or something." I look around the area hoping I'll spot him but no such luck.
"Tomorrow's another day. At least now I know where he lives. I'll follow him tomorrow night." Reese started up the car. "You feeling better?" he asked as he motioned to my side.
"Much. Thanks for staying with me last night." I leaned into his window and gave him a short kiss.
"Night," he said as he began to drive away.
"Night," I said back as I watched his taillights fade away in the distance.
"Damn he's cute!" Dinah squeaked.
"He sure is."
"You wanna check out another club or something?"
"Good idea. Let's check out Angel Fire a couple of streets over. Maybe he went there."
We walked down the street and felt my metahuman senses kick in.
"What's the matter?" Dinah asked, noticing me stop.
"Something's not right," I said as I looked around the street.
"You're damn right something's not right," a man's voice said out of the cold night air. I looked all around and was suddenly greeted by Brett Garrison who had jumped in front of me. "I've been looking all over for you."
"Funny, I could say the same thing. You see, I don't much care for people shooting me with computer chips." I inched nearer to him and he didn't move.
"I figured you had removed it because I had a job for you to do and you didn't show up."
"Oh really, and what 'job' would this be?"
"It's of no importance anymore. I've moved onto bigger and better things. The computer chips were a good start but I've thought of something better."
"Too bad you're not gonna get to try it out on anyone," I said as I narrowed my eyes at him.
"I should have known you'd be trouble, especially since you were trouble from the get-go." I saw his hand reach behind him and then saw a gun. Dinah was quick to deliver a kick to his hand that knocked the gun from his grasp and I threw a few punches at his face. He fell to the ground feeling the blood pouring from his broken nose.
"Oracle, call Reese and have him meet me back here near the club. We've just found Garrison."
"Will do."
I went to reach down to grab him by the jacket lapel so that I could pummel him into a bloody mess but he kicked out and hit me right in the side. I hit the ground like a sack of potatoes crying out in pain. "You bastard!" I said in a painful gasp.
"Huntress!" Barbara yelled.
Dinah sprang into action and pounced on top of him, slamming his head down on the cement a couple of times. He backhanded her across the face but she recovered quick enough to begin using her abilities against him. She tapped into his mind and he began screaming, holding his head. Then he passed out.
"Huntress! Dinah! Someone talk to me!"
"Oracle, it's Dinah."
"Are you two okay? Is Huntress okay? I heard her scream."
"I'm fine," I said as I sat up, panting through the pain that had now returned.
Reese zoomed down the street and screeched to a halt beside us. He flew out of the car and was by my side in seconds. "Dammit! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Just get him out of my sight before I kill him."
Reese flipped Garrison over and handcuffed his hands behind his back and tossed him into the backseat of his car. Then he and Dinah helped me to my feet. "Are you sure you're okay?" He touched my side and looked at his fingers but didn't see any blood.
"I'm okay. Just got the wind knocked out of me," I lied.
"It's okay, I'll get her home," Dinah said as she slung my arm over her shoulder, allowing me to lean against her as we walked.
"I'll call you later," Reese said as he got back in his car and zoomed away.
* * *
When we got back to the clock tower I was attacked by Barbara who made me go immediately to the lab with her to verify that I was okay. She used her own version of an x-ray machine to see that I had no broken bones and after poking and prodding for what seemed like forever she finally declared that I was okay.
"It still hurts like a bitch," I admitted as I put my shirt back on.
"It's going to for a while. You may be metahuman but a kick like that will hurt anyone, especially if you've already got an existing wound. Duh."
"Duh, yourself." I sat there for a moment and sighed heavily.
"What's the matter?"
"I still don't know what happened that night I was shot. When Reese calls I'll have him arrange a little meeting with Garrison so..."
"Just let it go."
"I can't just let it go!"
"It happened and there's nothing anything anyone can do to change it. It's over." The phone rang and Barbara got up to answer it. I knew right away that it was him. She looked up at me, "Hold on, she's right here."
I took the phone from her, "Hey."
"Hey. Can we meet? I have something you might like to see."
"Like what?"
"A video tape of what happened that night."
I felt like I'd been kicked in the gut again as I heard him say it. "I'll have Barbara pick you up. Meet her at the corner of Grant and Pine in ten minutes."
"Okay," he said as he hung up.
"What's the matter?" she asked me as she took the phone from my hand.
"Can you go get Reese and bring him here. He's got a video tape of what happened the night I was shot."
Barbara swallowed hard, "Um, okay. I, um, I'll be back in a few then."
After she left I went out into the other room where Dinah was reading a book. I sat down on the chair and ran my hands through my hair.
"What's up? You look a little pale. Did Barbara give you a clean bill of health?"
"Yeah, it's not that. Reese is coming over. He's got a video tape of the night I was shot. Barbara went to go get him."
"Oh man," she said as she closed the book and set it down on the coffee table.
"That's an understatement."
* * *
Reese arrived with Barbara and I felt the butterflies in my stomach going wild. We took him into the computer room where there was a large screen.
"You're sure you want to see this?" Reese asked me.
"I have to know what happened." He put a comforting arm around me as Barbara started the tape.
"We found the tape at Garrison's house. He taped this from his basement."
We saw a view of the basement and then I felt my stomach jump as I saw myself walking behind Garrison.
"You're going to do whatever I tell you, right?" Garrison asked me. I didn't answer, just nodded. "Good," he said as he took out a remote device from his pocket and pressed a button. It sent me to my knees holding my head. He stood over me and laughed. Then I tackled him to the ground, punching him wherever I could land a blow. Then there was a gunshot and I flew back, sprawling on the ground.
"Holy shit," I said as I continued to watch.
"Okay, that's enough," Barbara said as she reached over and turned the tape off.
"No! Let it finish," I said.
"Why? So you can torture yourself some more?" she said as she looked right at me.
"Turn it back on!"
She thought about it and then turned it back on.
Garrison stood over me as I laid on the ground bleeding. He gave me a swift kick to my wounded side and swore at me a few times. "You lay there and think about what you just did. When I get back we'll talk business. Use your metafreak ability to heal yourself by the time I get back." He left the room and I still laid on the ground whimpering in pain.
Reese reached over and turned the tape off.
"What are you doing!" I snapped.
"You laid there for a good ten or fifteen minutes and he didn't come back. You ended up climbing out of one of the basement windows."
"Let me have just five minutes with this guy. I swear I'll..."
"Let it go. He's in our hands now." Reese gathered me into his arms and hugged me, kissing the top of my head.
Barbara and Dinah left the room.
"Please, Reese."
"Shhh, you won't have to worry about him ever again."
I pulled away from him slightly, "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that you'll never ever have to worry about him doing this to anyone else again." He wiped a tear from my cheek and then kissed me. After breaking the kiss he stroked my hair, "He had a little accident when he was in his cell. Slipped and broke his neck."
I hugged Reese tightly and began to let it go.
THE END