Karen was drenched in sweat and feeling as though she was holding up a wall.
Oh wait, that's exactly what she was doing. Half the mall had been blown to bits and only instinct had saved her and Barbara from being crushed.
But the blast had rendered Batgirl unconscious and here Karen was trying to keep her alive.
So much for a fun trip to the mall, Karen thought bitterly. Karen sat down trying to conserve strength and nudged Barbara's red head.
Batgirl groaned and slowly sat up.
"What the hell happened" she asked.
"Bomb" Karen answered shortly, her breathing becoming ragged. "get changed, and hurry, I can't keep this up"
Barbara shook her head one more time to clear it and Karen buried her face in her hands, trying to meditate, she always channeled magic better when she meditated, but it was impossible the weight above her was crushing, suffocating, and it was becoming painful, making it impossible to concentrate.
Barbara touched her shoulder and Karen closed her eyes and a roaring filled her ears and the blessed relief.
Karen stood as the wall collapsed thirty feet away. Now that she and Batgirl were out of the stone prison, the screams of the malls inhabitants became sharp and defined and Karen clapped her hands to her ears.
"Can you sense who did this?" Batgirl asked
Karen reached out a widely and quickly located the bomb's remains. And traces of the aura of whoever had built it and Karen felt fear grip her.
"Joker" Karen whispered her eyes snapping open.
"What?" Barbara asked "are you positive?"
"Like an ion" Karen muttered "we need to get these people out of here."
"You work on that, I'll face Joker" Batgirl said
"Wait no we have to-" but Karen's protests were drowned by a maniacal laugh.
"he can't see you, you need a mask" Barbara muttered then pointed behind her "there, get a costume and start getting people out while I keep him distracted"
"You have got to be kidding me" Karen said as she turned to see a Halloween costume store
"Do it, or the world will know what you are" Barbara snapped then she ran off into the dust. Leaving Karen to stare after her.
"God damn it" she muttered and pushed past people to get to the empty costume store. Upon seeing the selection there she groaned. "you have got to be kidding me"
The costumes that would fit her ranged from gaudy Wonder Woman and Batgirl costumes to medieval. She was not about to copy another hero, that was insulting for one, and she did not feel the need to wear plastic Roman armor. She looked down at her clothes for the first time, and with dread welling up realized that her clothes were in tatters, she wouldn't be able to fight in what she had. She heard another explosion and wildly began looking around for something suitable.
A piece of rubble fell from the ceiling and the light behind the counter came loose, breaking a glass case. Karen turned at the sound and saw something that might fix her problems. She cleared the glass away and pulled out a black leather costume, real leather not faux, with steel inlayed into the bodice.
She picked up the tag.
Authentic medieval assassins costume. $600.00
Well looks like the dudes out six hundred bucks, Karen thought.
She pulled it on, it was form fitting, with a cloak to go with it, a piece of leather was sewn into the collar to cover the bottom half of her face, the cloak was made of thin linen, not very sturdy but better than polyester, the leather was actually comfortable, if a little hard to move in, it was nearly brand new and hard, the steel making it even stiffer, but it was better than having nothing.
She pulled off her ruined sneakers in disgust; she was beginning to hate shoes. She however did not have tough enough feet to tread the ruins of the mall, let alone fight on it. Karen found some relatively comfortable boots that went to her mid calf, easy to move in and they had decent soles, giving her some grip.
She clipped on the cloak hurriedly when another explosion followed by maniacal laughter reached her ears and pulled the hood up. She caught her reflection, she looked dark and mysterious despite her light eyes and fair hair, her form apparent by the formfitting leather sleeveless bodice, tall collar buttoned up all the way, covering her neck, while the stiff leather covered the bottom half of her face, the cloak thrown back off of her shoulders while the hood gave her an intimidating air. The leather added to the whole by making her look like a bad ass.
"Damn" Karen muttered surprised that she had such a stroke of luck. But she heard another explosion this one accompanied by screams then haunting laughter, and it wasn't Joker laughing.
She grabbed leather gloves, and pulled them on as she ran out.
The dust had gotten even worse, making Karen cough, but it struck her as odd, it didn't taste like dust. Then she saw the green mixed with the gray. She plunged into the cloud and nearly tripped over a body.
Gently she turned the man over and recoiled in horror, the man's face was marred by a gruesome smile that was wider and more disgusting than any Karen had seen. She checked for the mans pulse and found none.
A sudden anger enveloped her and she looked up at another explosion, Joker's shrill laugh turning her anger into rage. Karen ran toward the struggle that she knew was behind the curtain of gas and dust, she could hear and feel Batgirl fighting to stay alive, dodging and weaving while Joker and Harley both attempted to subdue her. Karen burst through the dust and in a straight shot she grabbed Harley and had her in the dust cloud, the mad woman stretching at her face screaming in terror, but Karen ignored her and reached for the magic and touched Harley's forehead and the woman crumpled without a sound.
"Ah Batsy, nice of you to join the party" Joker called and Karen was too angry to laugh at Joker's assumption "I'm surprised you didn't stop me, I know you've been watching me. Losing your touch old boy?" Joker cackled and Karen heard a feminine grunt and winced as she heard something crack. "your little Batbrat isn't much of a match you know. Not strong enough poor thing"
Karen waited, she knew that surprise was on her side, but she didn't want Joker using the gas, she didn't want anymore smiling corpses.
"I'm disappointed Bats, I left you lots of clues," Joker said "but you don't like playing my games do you? Oh well, I guess I get the last laugh"
Enough Karen thought and she launched through the dust as it began to clear. She pulled her inner magic to the surface and a glowing staff appeared in her hands and with a sweep of the staff, a wave of power threw a very surprised Joker up and into a support pillar. As Joker fell Karen levitated and grabbed him before he could hit the ground, slamming him against the pillar, the stone cracking as unnatural strength flowed through her. They hovered over fifty feet in the air the dust and gas cleared.
Karen looked at the carnage, several bodies littered the mall, some bloody and crushed by the blast, others with gruesome smiles on their faces, she now knew why the Capitan had kept her away from Jokers crime scenes. She felt a coldness grip her guts and she glared at Joker.
"You killed them" she said her voice hoarse from dust and emotion.
Joker smiled with false ease, Karen could feel his pulse quicken.
"That's part of the fun, sweetheart"
"Monster" Karen hissed and she pulled him away from the pillar and levitated to the center of the carnage. Steel rods poked out of several pieces of concrete below and Joker for the first time looked afraid.
"a few firecrackers, that's all" Joker said hastily putting his hands up.
"I'll show you firecrackers" Karen said and she held up a gloved hand and the steel rods began to glow and spark with magic. Her arms were cast in a white sheen and sparks flitted up and down her body, Karen was holding on to her control by a thread but she wanted to let it loose to make this monster pay for so much loss.
In the far corner of her brain Karen remembered when she hated violence; she couldn't even shoot a gunman who had wanted her dead, who hadn't cared about her life. Now she was seriously thinking of killing the mad man, of ridding Gotham and the world of such an evil, she relished the thought of vengeance for those that lay dead below her.
"Stop" Batgirl's shout broke through Karen's rage "Don't do it"
Karen swallowed coming back to herself for a moment, then turned hard eyes back to Joker, who grinned like a fool.
"this is your lucky day, Joker" Karen said quietly
"Mind telling me your name?" Joker asked "you know you could be a great addition to" but Jokers pathetic offer was cut short as Karen put him to sleep just as she had done Harley.
"Thank God" Barbara said handcuffing Joker "I thought you were going to kill him"
"I thought about it" Karen said darkly "I thought about it very seriously"
Karen looked at the bodies, the sound of sirens reaching her ears and she felt tears well up in her eyes, there were at least fifteen killed and who knew how many injured or that had been crushed under the rubble. She could feel it, the death and pain hung thick in the air, choking her with its potency.
A groan suddenly sounded and Karen turned and saw the mother of the little boy that she had given a new ice cream scoop to trapped under a slab of concrete and several thick steel rods. Rushing over she saw the little boy beneath his mother, unconscious and a few scratches on his arms and cheek, but his mother had taken the brunt of the rubble.
"Batgirl" Karen called and Batgirl came running over "she's still alive"
"My God" she whispered in horror.
"My son" the woman said weakly.
"don't worry" Karen whispered to her "we'll get you both out of there."
"the firemen won't be able to move that in time to save them both" Batgirl whispered
"No but I can" Karen said
Batgirl looked as though she was about to argue but Karen was already closing her eyes. She could feel the magic pour from her and opening her eyes, Karen enveloped the rubble in her own aura and began pulling.
It was hard, levitating herself was much easier than levitating the huge slab of concrete and rods. Raising her hands in an unconscious gesture she lifted the great pieces higher and higher.
Then Karen felt something inside her break.
She was suddenly flooded with power, more power than she had thought herself capable of and she gasped as a wave of white light poured from her, several other chunks of concrete and rubble and even solid beams of industrial steel from the frame began to rise bathed in white light.
Karen struggled to reign in the sudden flow of power and then pulled it back in.
A great crash announced that she had managed to regain control and she carefully pulled the other pieces of concrete to the side them let them fall where they wouldn't harm anyone else.
"Holy shit" Karen whispered as Batgirl pulled the little boy from his mother. He was starting to wake up and he shook his head dazed. Then he saw his mother.
"Mom" he shouted and tried to rip away from Batgirl.
"Hold onto him" Karen said, pushing her feelings about the sudden developments in her powers as he reminded her why she had been moving the chunks in the first place.
"Hey" Barbara said gently turning the boy around gently. "what's your name"
"Luke" the boy said as Karen knelt by his mother and he looked at Karen "you have to help her"
"I'll do my best Luke" Karen said sincerely and she gingerly laid the woman onto her back.
"Luke" the woman's voice was so faint that Karen could barely hear her.
"He's alright" Karen said "just lay still, don't talk"
Karen put one hand on the woman's forehead and the other on her stomach. She had fractured many bones in her body and was bleeding internally as well as externally.
"Can you do this" Batgirl asked quietly and Karen gave her a glance, then looked at the little boy watching anxiously.
"Yes" Karen said "I have to"
Karen inhaled deeply and exhaled in a rush, feeling for the power that had flooded her. It was there, almost reaching for her, eager to do her biding.
Slowly Karen healed the woman's bones, after putting her in a sleeping trance, and as she healed her ribs she went along and healed the woman's organs, her lungs and kidneys, she repaired a tear in her stomach and then finally healed the superficial wounds.
Luke's mother exhaled in relief and as Karen healed the concussion she brought the woman out of her forced sleep.
"Luke" the woman shouted, her eyes roving wildly and her son ran to her
"Mom" he sobbed into her shoulder, clinging to her. Karen backed away.
"your hair's white" Batgirl murmured as they watched
Karen looked down and found her hair now reached past her waist and was indeed white as snow.
"Damn it" Karen muttered. The sirens were louder now and Karen could see the lights.
"We should go" Batgirl said hastily and she pulled out her grappling gun
"But there could be others that need help" Karen protested
"we were lucky to get Luke and his mother" Batgirl said sadly "but I grew up around the precinct, the cops here will see you and think that you did it, either we leave now and let them deal with the situation or we stay and risk the world knowing who you are."
Karen clenched her fists as she tried to protest but she knew Batgirl was right the world wasn't ready for her just yet.
But before either could make a move to leave Luke the little boy ran and threw his arms around Karen's waist.
"Thank you magic lady" Luke said
"you do me a favor" Karen said crouching down in front of him and picking up a piece of rubble she transformed it into a piece of gleaming crystal and she imbued small protection spell into it "this is yours, for luck. It won't work for anyone unless you give it to them of your own free will." She pressed it into his palm "Keep it on you at all times, got it"
"Yes" Luke whispered in awe and Karen smiled
"Watch over your mother now" Karen said and she snapped her fingers and the roaring of transportation filled her ears and Karen and Barbara were in the Batcave.
"What happened" Batman's harsh demand lashed at them like a whip and Karen turned to him sudden anger radiating from her.
"What the hell do you think happened?" Karen shouted "Joker blew the fucking mall to bits. He killed people and used Joker gas to do further damage. Joker, your archenemy, the man I know you have been obsessing over since he first took up the name Joker, somehow pulled the wool over your eyes." Karen was unable to keep the accusations out of her voice and did not try to.
Batman met her glare with one of his own then turned to the computer and pressed a button.
A new feed exploded onto the screen, the video split with a man in front of the mall reporting on Jokers antics and a woman on the other side in front of a smoldering building, a building that Karen would know with her eyes closed.
"The precinct" Karen whispered
Two simultaneous explosions happened just minutes ago, one at Gotham P.D. and the other at Gotham City Shopping Center. Evidence and a confession have placed Joker as the perpetrator, along with his accomplice Harley Quinn, but that is not the most disturbing news, as you can see behind me the precinct is in flames, but only one man has been found missing as the bodies are wheeled out. This man a criminal calling himself Torment, the man behind the serial murders that plagued Gotham this past winter is now assumed to have escaped in the chaos. Gotham P.D. has assured me that the man will be caught and brought to justice, but this tragedy will certainly. . .
Batman muted the feed and looked at Karen.
Karen felt as though she had been punched in the gut then thrown in front of a bus. Her mind was reeling, Torment was loose, he was free, free to drain innocent victims who had no idea why they were being hunted like rabbits.
But something else bother Karen.
"Joker was working for Torment" she said "Joker doesn't work for anyone."
"Joker wouldn't see it like that" Batman said "Torment probably promised him money and henchmen,"
"Torment was using him, to hide his powers" Karen said "he knows that this world doesn't believe in magic like they did in the Dark Ages or even a couple hundred years ago. Most people believe that magic is just slight of hand and clever illusion. If Torment were to reveal himself it could either get him killed or captured and experimented on. Using Joker as an escape route conserves his strength and keeps his secret safe." Karen was pacing now "Where's Nelson?"
"Gone" Batman said shortly
"Great" Karen muttered, "I wanted to know if he knew anything about Torment"
"he had a lead" Batman said "didn't say much"
"Can you track him?" Batgirl asked and she winced
"Are you alright?" Karen asked
"Joker got me pretty good" Barbara admitted and Karen remembered the crunch she had heard before she had sent Joker flying.
Karen quickly reached out and touched Barbara's shoulder before the young woman could protest. She had two crack ribs and several bruises. Karen reached for her magic and within the span of a second Karen had healed Barbara and stepped back.
"that felt . . .strange" she said shuddering.
"Sorry" Karen muttered automatically, going back to her pacing "let's see, Torment won't leave Gotham, not yet, he has a score to settle"
"He'll attempt to find you" Batman said
"Yeah" Karen said and she started to smile as the plan folded out in her mind and she turned to Batman.
"How do you feel about fishing?" she asked mischievously.