Part 21

"Helena, my dear. I'm glad you decided to join me."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world, Mr. Finster."

"Oh please. Call me Barton."

Blech. Helena thought, even as she offered a simpering smile. "Barton," she said with a seductiveness guaranteed to draw her prey even further into her net.

"You know, it's not too late to just forget the auction," Barton said, sliding an arm around Helena, who had to fight from removing the offending limb and breaking it in two.

"As tempting as that is, I have to see this auction of yours. I simply can't resist a good auction, especially one that's as mysterious as this one."

"Well then, let's go, shall we?"

"Let's."

"Oh, one little thing. Kincaid said he was fine with your attending, but you need to be blindfolded first. For security, you understand."

Helena frowned.

"I don't like that, Hel. I already have the coordinates from Dinah, so I won't need you to tell me where you are, but what if he's lying to you?"

Helena thought the same thing, that this could be Barton's attempt to get her alone, but she had no doubt, Barton was no match for her, if he tried anything. Unfortunately, she couldn't reassure Barbara at that moment.

"I understand perfectly and I don't mind at all. In fact, I've considered trying a blindfold, among other things, with Barbara." There take that, she thought, fighting a grin at the sharp inhalation of breath in her ear.

"That's an image I won't forget," Barton leered.

"Me either." Barbara promised huskily.

"Gross," Dinah chimed in and Helena wanted to scream and turn her com off.

"Well, then Barton, let's put the blindfold on," she said pleasantly. "However, just so we're clear...if this is a trick to get me off alone and try to demonstrate your masculine prowess, you will greatly regret it," she added. The casual tone in her voice causing the first hint of nervousness in Barton's eyes.

"I promise, I will be the perfect gentleman," he said quickly.

"Go ahead and activate the camera Hel. It's connected to my phone and I'll go find somewhere quiet where I can monitor you. That way I can see what you can't and can help you."

Automatically, Helena lifted her hand to the pendant, subtly activating the device. "Good," she said to Barton. Let's go see what Mr. Kincaid considers more exciting than an exotic animal."

BBBBBB

Helena absolutely hated being blindfolded. It made her feel helpless and she despised that feeling. Still, her abilities allowed her to adjust her other sense to compensate and having Barbara whispering in her ear almost made her forget it wasn't just her and her lover. They walked for a while, Barton thankfully saying very little and his hand remaining safely on her elbow, as if he suspected what would happen to it, should it wander.

"Well, here we are." Barton finally said, after what seemed like forever.

Helena blinked several times as the blindfold was removed. She looked around the room that was already full of several other people. She had to admit she was surprised. Given the nature of the event, she was expecting a group of old, uptight white guys and their twenty something, bubble headed girlfriends. Instead she saw the old guys, but there were a few that appeared no older than her, a few ladies well into their sixties and a variety of races and nationalities. Apparently, being an immoral douche canoe wasn't limited to one specific group of people.

A waiter walked around with a tray of champagned, and Helena briefly considered asking for vodka instead, but just then Richard Kincaid entered, looking far too smug for Helena's taste.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. As you know, you are here because each of you continually give generously to my research foundation and my small way of repaying you is by inviting you to my private for retreat for a weekend hunting experience that you would never get anywhere else. As avid hunters, I've tried to provide all of us with game that would challenge us and last year, all of you doubted I'd be able to out do myself, but…I assure you. This year's hunt will be unlike any you've ever experienced because our game is, to borrow a cliché, the most dangerous game of all."

Kincaid pushed a button and the back wall turned around and Helena gasped as she saw ten narrow cages, each containing two people. She had known what was coming, but seeing these people, locked up like animals in the zoo was truly horrific, and it was all she could do not to give into her rage at that moment.

"Humans?" Helena, managed. "Isn't that a bit…I don't know…illegal?"

Kincaid clearly didn't see Helena as a threat as he just offered a smile that was dripping with condescension

"If these were actually humans than yes, that would be illegal, though to be honest, that just adds an added challenge, right?"

Helena clenched her jaw when Barton and the others laughed and applauded in agreement. "What do you mean they aren't human?"

"All of us, at one point or another, have heard of or encountered these freaks of nature who spend their time using their questionably acquired advantages to take what we have worked for. Clayface, Poison Ivy, Bane? And how many of us haven't had our homes and businesses ransacked by Batman's whore, Catwoman?"

"I would have loved to have her ransack my bedroom," one of the guests laughed.

"Steady Helena," Barbara's voice chimed in instantly, knowing Helena was close to ripping the throats out of everyone in the room for that.

As always, that soft, calm voice soothed Helena before she could surrender to her anger.

"I've heard of Catwoman, though from what I heard, she never had any special powers," Helena said as casually as she could manage.

"I hate to disagree with a beautiful woman," Kincaid leered, "however, her ability to penetrate any security system and defeat the best armed guards without incident, tells us otherwise."

"She was just far more intelligent than any of them. Just like her daughter," Barbara said in Helena's ear and Helena wanted to kiss her for that.

"So, you've managed to round up people you think have these 'magical powers' and we're going to hunt them?"

"I see the lady isn't quite convinced," Kincaid smiled smugly. "Well I have arranged a demonstration so that you all can decide which one of these creatures you wish to bid on. Doctor Carter?"

Maxwell Carter stepped forward and Helena took a good look at the man who'd started all of this and brought Harley Quinn back into their lives. He didn't look like the crazed doctor type. In fact, he looked like the type of old guy you'd see on a golf course in Florida somewhere.

"Each of these…things you see before you hold a particular ability that will make them much more challenging to hunt." He went down the line of cages describing each person's abilities. "The members of our collection have the ability to teleport, as well as telekinesis, enhanced senses, speed and strength."

"How are we supposed to keep up with those sorts of powers?" One of the men protested. "How do you even have them here, if they really are what you say they are."

"That is another reason you're here. You will be the first to witness what your generous contributions have helped create." Carter opened one of the cages and yanked out one of the people who began to struggle. The crowd murmured and stepped back while Helena just watched the young woman, her heart aching at the fear on the young woman's face and her rage simmered as she was helpless to do any thing to help her.

"This thing here, well, she has an interesting little gift that would make tracking her a little more challenging. Show them," he told the woman.

"Go to hell," the woman spat. Instantly, Carter hit a button on his phone and the woman began to shake and scream. It lasted a painful two seconds, but to Helena it seemed like hours.

"Show them," he ordered. The woman met Helena's eyes and something she saw must have calmed her because she closed her eyes and turned almost invisible. Drawing an impressed gasp from the audience.

"How are we supposed to hunt it, if it can disappear?"

"Easily. To put it simply, I've injected all of them with a drug containing something similar to nanonites. It attaches to the part of the brain that drives these particular 'talents' and suppresses them. The collar they are wearing has electrodes in it that allows me to not just control the release of their abilities with as much or as little strength as I choose, and should they attempt to escape, another little app I developed, allows me to correct that misapprehension. As you've already seen. During the hunt, myself and my team will be monitoring the creatures and altering their level of challenge according to how close you are."

Kincaid pushed Carter aside. "The rules are the same as every hunt before. Whichever prey you win will be tagged. As always, nobody else can target your prey nor can you target anyone else's."

"Wait a minute," an older woman called out. "There are only 10 of those things but eleven of us. Are we supposed to share?"

"Not at all, Mrs. Weston. There is actually one more prize to be captured," Kincaid grinned broadly. Barbara sucked in a breath and Helena stiffened as they knew he was talking about Harley.

"This woman technically isn't the same as these. She stole her abilities and used it to terrorize anyone she could, all the while spreading her legs for that disgusting clown The Joker. She is the one who put Commissioner Gordon's daughter in the wheel chair. She has bullied every businessman in this city and anyone else it amused her to play with. Now, she will become our toy. Bring her in," he ordered the big, nameless gorilla standing beside another door. The giant man opened the door and in seconds, Harley Quinn entered, and Helena was almost amused to see the obnoxious woman still carried herself as if she owned the world, while wearing a bored expression on her face. However, the bruise on her face, handcuffs on her wrists and collar around her neck, squashed any humor Helena might have felt.

The other people around her erupted into murmurs, all of them excited about seeing the crazy, soulless pet of the biggest psychopath in Gotham, bound and soon to be the most sought after prey they'd ever hunted.

Harley met Helena's eyes and aside from the quirk of one elegant eyebrow, she made no indication that she was the least surprised by her presence.

"Why darling, all these people here just for me? I'm honored," she said with a glib smile, which only grew as Kincaid's jaw ticked.

Harley knew he expected to see her cowering in fear, and she would French kiss the penguin in front of City Hall before she gave him the satisfaction.

"You should be," Richard sneered. "You are going to make me a lot of money and someone else here a very happy hunter."

"So you're actually hunting people…how very…villain cliché," Harley tsked. "Though if you're expecting any special powers out of me, you're too late. Einstein over there, over did his little elixir and took my mind control. I have no extra powers to make your little game more interesting."

"Oh, but you're wrong. You have your cleverness, which we all know is superior, and there's the fact that you're an evil little bitch and getting rid of you will be one last dig at that puppet master of yours."

Harley snorted. "If you think that killing me will upset dear ol' Puddin', then you are sorely mistaken," she said blandly, hating the minute pang that struck her at the reminder. It had been too long since she'd taken her medication and she could almost feel the madness beginning to stir.

Kincaid scoffed. "We don't expect him to be broken hearted. Nobody in this city ever thought for one second he loved you. He was nuts, and you were just a pathetic groupie, begging for scraps of his attention."

"Hm. So then, why am I here?" She asked casually, shoving the pain and self doubt aside. She pictured Dinah's expressive blue eyes, full of love for her and clung to that.

"Because, whatever he thought about you, Joker doesn't like sharing his things and it will drive him crazier than he already is, knowing his favorite tool was being used by other people and he didn't get to watch."

The haze of madness started to fill her vision and she wanted nothing more than to rip the smirk off the man's face. She saw Maxwell Carter standing off to the side, hand on his little phone just looking for a reason to shoot electricity through her body.

"I love you." Dinah's voice whispered in her mind and instantly the darkness began to recede. She didn't know if it was really Dinah or the memory of a previous declaration, but she didn't care. She looked at Helena again and saw the tell-tale golden slits and knew that Huntress was present and things were about to hit the fan and she needed to be the one to get things started.

"Kincaid, you are a pathetic fool. Do you think I give a single damn what the Joker thinks anymore? If I did, his ugly green ass would have been out of Arkham and stealing you blind right now, and you'd be too stupid to even realize it."

That set it off, Harley thought smugly, seeing the rage in his face. It wouldn't take much longer. "What," she prodded. "You don't like hearing the truth? You think you're so very clever. You put on this front of being some great philanthropist like Bruce Wayne, but you are nothing like him. Bruce Wayne may have many, many flaws, but he didn't have to fake his way into earning people's respect. You are, as the young people say, a 'wannabe', without a fraction of the class or…"

Richard never let her finish. He grabbed the phone from Carter and hit the button sending volts of electricity through Harley, his fury growing when she merely let out a whimper.

Harley had never wanted anything more in her life than to scream as the pain shot through her, but she wouldn't give in. Instead, she looked at Kincaid and smiled, nearly blacking out as he did it again.

"Now really darling, you are aware of my relationship with the Joker. Do you think this is anything more than a tickle to me?"

Richard hit the button again, sneering as the bitch stumbled. "You are nothing but a whore Harley Quinn. A whore that nobody loves or wants. Your only value to anyone is as prey. A target we can use to show others like you, that we aren't afraid of you."

Helena was beside herself. Everything inside of her was screaming to save Harley, and poor Barbara was in her ear, freaking out, hearing the noise but not knowing what was happening. It was time for her to act.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kincaid, I know I'm just a guest, but if you plan to auction the bitch off, you'd get more if she was actually alive," she said innocently.

Almost instantly, the rage vanished from the man's face and he turned an apologetic smile on the audience.

"My apologies for that little display," he said pleasantly, "but now you can see for yourself, what a challenge, not to mention joy, it will be to kill this one. Don't you agree, Miss Kyle?"

Helena's heart nearly stopped at the peculiar look in Kincaid's eyes. "Of course," she laughed. "I like my targets to have some fight."

"Even those you call friend?"

"Son of a bitch. Helena, get out of there."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Helena laughed lightly, not showing any of the anxiety that was now filling her.

Richard nodded at someone and before she knew what was happening, two men stepped out of nowhere and took her arms.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She raged. She looked at Barton who just shrugged and she knew she'd been set up. She could easily free herself, but she couldn't risk putting Harley or the others in further danger.

"Hel? Helena, get out."

The fear in Barbara's voice nearly broke Helena, but she couldn't help her. "What do you think you're doing?" she repeated angrily.

"Come now Miss Kyle. You don't think I've gotten where I am by being stupid and incompetent, do you?"

"I'm not sure," she replied flippantly, earning a sort from Harley, a soft curse from Barbara and a slap in the face from Kincaid.

"I've done my research. I know Harley has been seen on numerous occasions at a bar with you. I know you have a close relationship with detective Jesse Reese and are now fucking Barbara Gordon, who happens to be the daughter of Gotham's most revered former Chief of Police."

"I'm not 'fucking' her," Helena hissed, refusing to have her relationship with Barbara demeaned.

"Too bad," Kincaid smirked. "Maybe that would get that stick out of her ass."

Helena felt the growl in her throat, vowing that Richard Kincaid wouldn't be leaving his house alive.

"Hel, please, let it go."

Helena took a steady breath. "I'm going to ask you again. What are you doing?"

"First of all, given your little fetish for people in law enforcement, and your frequent girls nights out with Satan's whore over there, it's not difficult to figure out that you are here to try and save this woman, though I have no idea why. Secondly, because I'm going to get rid of the spawn of another little problem. Amongst all the things I discovered about you, none was as interesting as the fact that you're the daughter of Selina Kyle, a woman that more than one person knew was Catwoman, which means that any mutated genetics she had, most likely carried on to you. In short, you are an added bonus for our little auction."

"The hell you say," Helena protested.

"Oh, I say," Kincaid smirked. "In fact," he ran his eyes over Helena, "if I were a different sort of man, I'd actually offer you as another sort of prize, and I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy it. You see, my research showed me what a harlot you are, another trait you got from your mother I presume, and given how long you've been chained to a middle-aged cripple, I can only…holy shit!"

Kincaid nearly fainted when he saw the woman's brown eyes shift and turn to the golden slits of a big deadly cat and heard the growl. "You're one of those fucking things," he cried.

Barbara was nearly going mad with fear, knowing Helena had just lost any control she had, and if she wasn't sitting in a locked bathroom with dozens of guests outside, she would have been completely freaking out…no, she would have done nothing. She was trapped in this damned chair while her friend, her lover and several innocents were in danger and couldn't do shit. Still, she couldn't think about that now. She turned off the app on her phone and removed the earbuds she'd worn to listen to the conversation. She checked her comm.

"Canary? Have you been listening."

"Yes," Dinah replied tightly and Barbara once again had to feel pride at the girl's maturity. Hel would have just run in without saying anything and wound up getting herself severely injured, if not worse.

"Go get them out Canary," Barbara said fiercely. Her trust in the girl's ability and strength strong in her voice along with the shame and regret that she had to depend on an eighteen-year-old girl and a half crazy homeless man to do what she used to do herself.

BBBBBB

Helena was almost desperate to get to Kincaid. It would be so easy. The men holding her had no idea how strong she was and she could easily break free. Kincaid's neck would be between her hands in a second and he would never have the chance to insult Barbara every again. Then she saw Carter, standing next to Harley and the other Meta's, hand on his phone.

"Stop right now," Carter stammered, fearfully. "I don't know what you are, but you if you don't control yourself, I will fry your little friend and these other animals."

"What the hell is going on Kincaid," one of the guests shouted, the others moving toward the nearest door.

"Please, all of you, calm yourselves," Kincaid said, straightening his jacket as if nothing had happened. "Everything is fine now and the merchandise is settled. Now you see the kind of challenge they will present, especially this one. And once you've hunted her…what you choose to do with your trophy is your business."

At that moment, the wall behind Kincaid exploded, sending everyone scrambling. A low, deafening growl filled the room and everyone began to scream, seeing a large deadly wolf standing before them, ears flattened and teeth bared.

"People, please, stay calm. It's not real," Richard called out, beginning to panic himself. "It's a mere projection it…"

The wolf leapt at Carter Maxwell, and to everyone's surprise, including Helena and Harley's, the wolf made contact, knocking the man to the ground before he could use his device.

"That's impossible," Kincaid cried, backing away when the wolf turned towards him.

"Nothing is impossible," Dinah said as she stepped through the rubble, "except your getting away without a serious ass-kicking."

Dinah had to fight not to look at Harley. She needed to focus as she unleashed her powers. Her training with Barbara and Helena helped her maintain her control as she took over the room. Anyone who approached her was thrown backwards with the force of her will, while the women and Barton rushed to hide in the corner and the men scrambled to get back to their feet.

Only then did Dinah turn to Helena and Harley. With a blink and a wave of a hand, Harley was free of her collar and the handcuffs. She knew Dinah had to concentrate so she merely gave her a wink, ignoring just how delicious the young woman looked in black leather and a mask, and then turned to release the others, while Helena went after Carter, grabbed the phone device and stepped on it, grinding her stilettos hard into it.

To Helena's disappointment, there wasn't much of a fight. Kincaid was either extremely cocky or extremely paranoid, or both, but he only had a handful of body guards and his guests were too busy cowering in a corner to be any kind of threat. The worst part of the situation for Helena was that during the quick dispatch of the gorilla that had held her immobile, she'd heard an inopportune rip and knew her dress was now in ruins, but she ignored it as she took care of Maxwell Carter.

"What are you doing?" Carter cried, scrambling to his knees before Helena pushed him back down to the ground. .

"I'm making sure you can't hurt any more innocent people," Helena replied.

"They aren't people and they aren't innocent," Kincaid retorted. "Especially that whore, Harley Quinn."

"You don't call her that," Dinah shouted, spinning around and with a flick of her wrist, sending the older man flying backwards. She was on him in an instant, holding him immobile with her abilities as she returned every flicker of pain he'd inflicted on Harley with punch after punch.

"She is more human than you will ever be. And when you disappear, the only thing about you people will miss is your money," Dinah snarled, hitting the man again.

"Little bird," Harley said softly, hoping to calm the girl down. She had no desire to see Dinah go too far with her powers out of anger. Especially on her behalf. Fortunately, the sound of her voice seemed to reach the furious young woman and Dinah froze, releasing her power and letting Kincaid fall to the ground in a painful thud.

"You're finished," Dinah spat. "The cops are here and you two are going to rot in prison."

"My lawyers will have me out in less than an hour," Kincaid shot back, wiping at the blood trailing down his chin.

"He's probably right, dear," Harley added drily.

"Maybe so, but one way or another he's finished in this city," Helena added as she made her way over to the others who had all been herded into a corner by the growling wolf.

"What to do with you," she stated thoughtfully.

"We haven't done anything, let us go," one of the older ladies, begged.

"You were willing to spend money so you could hunt human beings," Helena said, growing angry.

"We didn't know what this was," Barton protested, backing away from the hostile woman.

"You didn't leave when you found out, either," Helena reminded him with disgust. "However, you're right. You probably won't be charged with anything, but we're taking all of you out to the police where they can question you. Whatever happens, I hope you like reading about yourself in the newspapers."

"You can't," an older man said.

"I'm not doing anything. The press is already all over this place for the fundraiser. You think they're not going to notice the police cars?"

"We'll be ruined!"

"Oh that's a shame," Harley interjected, stepping up to the wolf. She looked down at the projection, amazed, despite herself at how real it appeared.

"You are a ferocious beast," she said fondly. Curious, she reached out a hand and gasped when she felt the soft fur of his head.

"I'll be damned," she muttered. The wolf stopped growling long enough to look at Harley and then sit docilely.

"Q, you realize you are not going to live this down," Helena smirked, ignoring the still terrified guests huddled in the corner.

"I'm pretty sure I will," Harley replied primly.

"The press will be interested to know all about you too Miss Kyle," Barton sneered and then yelped as the wolf growled again.

"What's to know? Some rich guy invited me to an auction where I was taken captive. In fact, a case could be made that you are an accessory to kidnapping."

"What? No way! You're a freak, Helena Kyle. A freak and a slut, just like your mother and the world will soon…" he never got a chance to finish it as Harley Quinn's fist landed right in his mouth, causing him to cry out as three of his teeth fell out.

"Bitch!" he lisped.

"Fuck that hurt," Harley swore, shaking her injured fist.

"I'm sure a certain someone will be more than happy to take care of that for you later," Helena smirked, no longer bothered by the thought of Dinah being involved with this woman.

"Good, but if we can wrap this up, I'm afraid I've been too long without my meds and…"

Helena's heart clenched and now she could see it. A hint of the familiar wildness that had once nearly destroyed all Helena held dear, but more importantly she could see how hard Harley was fighting it.

"Go ahead and go Q. Canary can help you get out without being seen. I've got things under control here with wolfie until the cops come."

It was a testament to Harley's condition that she didn't argue. "Thank you, Helena," she said sincerely.

"Don't sweat it Q. You're worth saving." To her surprise, she saw tears sting Harley's eyes, so she offered a leer, hoping to see the smug, obnoxious look back on the blonde's face and relieved when succeeded.

"I'll be back, Dinah promised and then led Harley out of the room.

"Is it over?"

Helena's spirit lifted considerably, hearing the warm voice in her ear. She stepped away from the others so she could speak quietly, glad the artificial wolf was still real enough to keep anyone from trying to run off.

"Yeah. You should have seen Canary, she was quite the badass. Even if it was over way too fast for my liking."

"Yes, well she does tend to be more efficient than someone I know."

"I'll show you efficient later," Helena promised. "Jesse out back?"

"That's another interesting story. Turns out this 'casino' or the fundraiser itself wasn't quite as legitimate as Kincaid said and and half the Gotham Police Department is here along with most of the press. Jesse and his men are on his way down, so Canary, if you're listening, stay with Q.

"If I have to."

Helena bit back a laugh, imagining Harley's reaction to that.

"Where are you?" she asked Barbara, wondering how the brilliant woman had managed to hide her activities from t he large crowd.

"I locked myself in the bathroom telling people that the shrimp puffs disagreed with me and I was going to be in here a while."

Helena tried not to laugh, knowing how Barbara clung to her dignity. "Clever," she replied, honestly. Barbara Gordon was by far the smartest human being she'd ever met.

"Are you alright?"

Helena melted at the concern in Barbara's voice. She'd never get used to knowing that Barbara loved her.

"I'm great. Ripped my dress though," she added, looking down at the tear that exposed more of her thigh than was probably legal.

"Is that so? I'll have to take a look at a it."

"I look forward to it," Helena practically sighed. Just then Jesse and several other cops burst into the room and started rounding up Kincaid, Carter and the others.

"I'm on my way down Huntress. I…"

"No, you don't need to come down. I'll meet you back at base once I'm finished with the cops."

The silence on t he other end told Helena, she had said something very wrong, but she didn't have time to pursue it just then.

"Okay."

"Oracle, I…"

"See you soon."

Barbara disconnected and Helena sighed. It didn't take a genius to know what had upset Barbara and she was more than anxious to make up for it. Unfortunately, Jesse was walking her way and she knew she'd be standing there for longer than she wanted, giving her report about what happened.