Ace, somehow got into the cave, though he was supposed to be at the house. Helena just stroked his happy little self, who was having a field day sniffing out all the new smells that were around the place. Speaking of, Helena felt like a cold shower, would do her well. Her right knee hurt like hell, she was near heat stress, all of these little things she could tolerate on adrenaline. However, she was back at the cave with the others in a calm state, where she could feel every ounce of physical pain imaginable.
Instead she Band-Aid solutioned by taking pain-relievers and taking a cold sponge to wipe off her face.
"You know, because of you they're putting more security around Arkham." Jason said as-a-matter-of-factly.
Helena grinned devilishly, "I'm simply pointing out its flaws and my brilliance. Better me than them."
Helena could hear Bruce mumbling to Selina something along the line of that's your kid. Alfred turned on the TV to show security footage that went viral already on social and public media of Helena's rather simplistic escape. Bruce came over and tried to talk to Helena, "So, Jason told me something interesting about Falcone, Helena." He tried to sound like a stern father-figure. She could only snort at the ridiculousness of the idea.
"Jason didn't say anything. You're just trying to confess me." Helena said, going over to see the progress of the kill code.
"I was dubbed the world's greatest detective." He absently added in.
"Whatever Holmes, what gave it away?" She replied looking directly at him.
"The fact that there was a lethal amount of cyanide missing from the vials in the safe box over there. It would be smart if you changed the code." Bruce said.
"I did change it, not that it would stop either of you." She glanced at Bruce and Selina. Selina was beaming and wittily and perhaps sarcastically said, "No shit Sherlock."
"Eat more fiber Holmes. Why does it bother you so, Bruce? I kill bad guys, protect the innocent. I always said death is a release; a tortured life is a worse punishment. If you saw Carmine he was living a mental hell already. He begged to see his little girls again. So, I released him out of the little mercy I have as his granddaughter." Helena quipped.
Bruce said, "To the actual cops, what separates you as a good vigilante versus someone like the Joker?" Selina looked downcast for a moment, for she was probably asked that from Bruce many a time.
"You really want to know what separates me from you, or them-both cops and criminals- from me? It's the fact that I do what others will not have the stomach for. Some non-crooked judge, juror, or executioner bleeding-heart would lose sleep over what I do. That makes them good over the people they get rid of. That's assuming lethal injection was the end result and not imprisonment that allows the opportunity of them breaking out again. This is nothing political about capital punishment with me. It's about freeing the good people of the moral dilemma, the moral guilt. Those criminals could care less, for if the shoe was other the other foot they wouldn't hesitate even with someone pleading for their lives. Consider me the scapegoat, because once I am done, I'll turn myself in, and everyone else can go on twiddling their thumbs in their merry lives." Helena said looking at him. The others were just silent at Helena's dark philosophy.
"Bruce, she won't be 100% like you, the end result is the same. It was always about cleansing and saving Gotham." Selina said quietly.
"The last man who spoke like that, I had left him on the monorail to die. Next thing I know, his daughter ended up putting six million people hostage, and that ended well in my favor-but at what lucky cost?" Bruce retorted.
Jason just spoke now, "I think Helena has thought this through enough. I trust her judgment."
"Oh, what do you know? You're the one who probably twisted her logic." Bruce got up in his face, Jason returned the favor.
Selina held Bruce back, and Helena held Jason back. "How sad is it that my boyfriend knows me better than you Bruce? Besides, I made up my mind long ago. If you want to hear about the war I have with myself by all means ask away. But don't you dare threaten Jason again or I'll break your back so hard you'll never walk again."
Ace started a low growl at Bruce, who paid no mind to this. Selina was slightly unnerved by it. Alfred just placed his hand over Helena's shoulder, "I think Carmine's death and all this philosophizing is enough for all of us today. Agreed?" Everyone just silently nodded in the darkness, only with the dim illumination of the overhead lights.
Jason left with Alfred to go and take care of themselves. Bruce just said, "Do you even know your enemy who will use this weapon? How do you plan on stopping them?"
"You know I have the free will to choose whatever I want to do but I am not free of their consequences. Most people shy away from that responsibility, but I embrace it. We both know that Damian is leading this attack, probably with his Aunt Lady Shiva's influence. But the problem lies in why Hugo is charged with the X-NR. These cure cancer; even with extreme tampering I don't see how mind control will dominate an individual. There's something more…perhaps just killing a select few and make the others bow in fear…I can only speculate." Helena said.
"The real problem for you Bruce isn't my philosophy, but applying that philosophy to someone in particular. I know you don't care about those criminals I've done in; hell, Carmine didn't even make you blink. Selina shed more tears than you over the topic. No, the real curiosity that bothers you, the one answer you're unsure of 'great detective,'" Helena got up in Bruce's face and he didn't even flinch, "You actually love your son. You want to know if I will kill him, or better yet kill me."
Bruce just sighed, "What I find disappointing is the truth is some of your words. Damian will not hesitate to kill you and destroy this city. I know at least with you, there is a chance for hope."
"Hope," Helena huffed, "You can talk to your Kryptonian friend about that."
Helena continued to work, preparing ways to stop Damian and Straynge. Bruce just uncharacteristically touched Helena's head, stroking her hair, sighing as if he failed, and then left. Selina came over but didn't even look up from her feet, "Did Carmine really ask about me or Irena? Irena was his favorite…"
Helena stopped with what she was doing, "He did ask for you both. Don't worry; I made it painless for him. Consider his death a small vengeance for the three of us Selina. As for Mandragora, Bruce doesn't know but the tracer I put in him was radioactive. He'll die slowly and painfully in the process. No way to reverse it, but my vendetta is done, all I have is a mission to save lives left, destroy evil as kindly as I'll allow." Selina looked at Helena saying, "Thank you."
Helena resumed her duties, while Selina began walking off but paused, "You know he worries about you. He won't say it around me, but he thinks you'll end up just like me and not him. I think he's too stubborn to realize that you're your own person. You know; that part of why I gave you up. It's my entire fault, really. I didn't want you to be like me either, which is why I asked my sister for help, I thought you'd be safe. Bruce protested because he didn't want to give up another one of his kids. But he reluctantly agreed. Though we tried giving you a better life without us, we watched over you. I know I'm the world's most terrible mother, but I think you needed to hear this from one of us instead of Alfred's polite mouth."
Helena paused again, her hand slightly shaking, "He wanted to keep me, but you thought that giving me up to your sister would be safer?"
Selina instantly said, "I was afraid, we have so many enemies. As you know, I'm no saint like Bruce. I was worse than you. By the time I was fifteen I was a thief, prostitute, and alcoholic, I didn't want you to be like me. We did try to keep you for a while, until one day I found a bomb in your room courtesy of the Joker back when he was free. That was the time that we both agreed you were safe, unassociated with us. I always knew you'd choose a double life with or without us; but we wanted you alive, safe, and happy. I know how that all ended up now, but it was worth a shot."
Helena tried replaying the words in her head. Selina said as she walked off, "For the record, I get that you hate me, but don't hate Bruce. You're one of his great rewards after a lifetime of achieving painful mistakes."
Tears were brimming her eyes. After learning the truth from Selina's mouth, thinking they were cowards and that only the Bertinellis were her real family that protected her until death. How does Helena repay Bruce and Selina? In her rage, she now realized they too are her family. They were strong enough to let her go and live without them, in spite of their pain. They were just as strong as the Bertinellis. Helena felt so intelligent, yet so dumb at this revelation that just now occurred. This was the missing puzzle, and Helena expected the result to look one way, but in reality it was a little bit different than expected.
Helena then for the first time broke, "Mom?"
Selina quickly came back, and the two hugged, "I'm so sorry. I was so wrong. My hate blinded me of the obvious truth. How can I hate either of you now?" Selina was sobbing too, "Thank you."
"For what?" Helena said.
"Forgiveness is the ultimate sign that you love someone." Selina said.
She eventually left, and Helena wept, until she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder, as Helena was sitting on the ground.
Bruce and Helena hugged tightly, "I hate that I love you. It hurts too much." Bruce said, "I know kid, I know."
The three were on the cave ground, for the first time hugging as a real family.
Jason came down later to find that the oddest trio was hugging it out on the cave floor. Ace just simply wagged his tail, and announced Jason's presence. The awkwardness passed when Alfred came back with a box of tissues. The ever gentleman.
Alfred took it upon himself to announce, "This is quite intriguing. Now it might irritate you to know that I took it upon myself to inform another member of this family, to know of his roots."
All looked at Alfred, and before anything was said, Terry came down the lift and was awestruck.
"Wow! You weren't kidding Alfred!" Terry grinned looking at all the unmasked, yet costumed vigilantes in the cave with the entire tech anyone could imagine.
"Helena!" Terry ran and hugged his Kevlar sister, and looked around. "I knew it! I knew it! I couldn't tell anyone but I saw on TV and knew it was you! I can recognize my eyes anywhere!" Terry gushed out.
"Bruce Wayne is Batman! So you're my dad right! Aw man this is too cool! Hey, aren't you that famous burglar? You know the Red Hood? Alfred this is AWESOME!" Terry got excited and collapsed happily on a cot near the medical station in the cave. Ace was barking playfully at Terry's excitedness. Terry played with Ace, just too happy at the odd setting.
"When I grow up I want to be just like you guys! Man, this'll make mom proud. No more shoplifting, no sir! I'll fight the bad guys like Joker!" Terry was a cleaned-up excited kid. Clearly, something in his moral compass was inspired by his now known roots. Unlike Helena, he didn't resent Bruce, he was ignorantly happy.
"All right kiddo, school first ok? At least I did that." Helena said. Terry squeezed Helena, before Alfred escorted him out, "Don't worry I won't say anything! I'll do exactly as you say Sis, gosh I love this. I love you guys!" Alfred and Terry left, with Ace following excitedly. Helena mumbled under her breath, "Love you too kiddo."
Jason just raised an eyebrow, "Well this day gets better and better."
Selina and Bruce exchanged looks, "No kidding."
Now that all was said and done, Jason and Helena were about to leave for the next part of their mission, since enough downtime had passed. "Where is our next target?" Jason said with a firm voice.
Helena switched to business mode, "Dr. Hugo Von Straynge is the big pawn in charge of this operation that Damian put him through. If we can stop this, then even one goes home happy as pie."
"All right, when was he last seen?" Jason stared at the computer screen, with a dozen reports incoming flashing its bluish light upon their faces.
"Last spotted in Crime Alley. GPD called it in when they were escorting squatters out of the condemned building. He was easily recognized." Helena put on her mask, "Let's get that rat."
"On it." Jason replaced back on his mask and strapped on his helmet.
Bruce and Selina just stood there again, "I'll go to Wayne Tower and help Fox with the kill code for this."
Selina just said, "I'll stay here and tell you if the reports change via Bluetooth, and any vital incoming information." She put on a headset, and got to work on the computer in the cave, intending on helping Huntress and Hood out.
The two looked curiously at the former iconic vigilantes, "Hey you're getting our help like it or not." Bruce said.
"All right old man. Just keep up will ya?" Huntress quipped.
"Whatever you say rookie."
Off again, only this time on the batpods, they raced to find the one man who could aid Damian in destroying the city.