Chapter 21

There was a shift in the winds. Something important was hiding just beneath the horizon. She could feel it. A whisper in the winds announcing an old friend was calling for her begging for her attention.

The same sense of familiarity had been settling in her mind in her dreams; memories from yesteryears that she had not pondered until lately.

"Well, he's finally settled down," a voice from behind her said coming up behind her on their balcony overlooking their vast backyard. "The little guy is fast asleep," he finished bringing his arms around his wife.

He kissed her neck tenderly but his wife continued to stare off into space. The sun was setting he noted.

"Have you spoken to Bruce Wayne recently," Janet asked seemingly out of nowhere but within her mind it was completely on topic.

"Uh," Jack chocked wondering why she was bringing up their business rival and acquaintance, "No I can't say I have. We haven't really contacted Wayne Enterprises recently."

It was strange that they lived down the street from the family and had been over on many special occasions yet still they were not on friend terms with Bruce Wayne. More like business associates.

"How long do you think it will take for them to finish the manor," she pressed looking at the skeletal structure they could see just peeking out from behind their trees. "It seems like its taking them ages."

"Alright, where are these inquiries coming from," Jack questioned with a dubious look. "I just told you that I put our son to sleep without Sofia's help and you haven't said anything."

Jack said this last statement with such enthusiasm it was obvious that he could never achieve this goal without the aid of their nanny, Sofia. Janet looked behind her and up at her husband reluctant to answer but knowing she had to. Marriage was a partnership and she knew that before she married Jack. There was no one she would rather do it with than Jack.

"And you're still not darting for the bed," he realized incredulously. He personally could not wait to actually get some sleep. Their son was a handful but he could tell that something was seriously troubling Janet so sleep would have to wait.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. Janet took a moment to gather her thoughts before confiding, "A former pupil has been on my mind lately – in my dreams."

"And that's…bad?"

"I suppose it depends on how you look at it," Janet said her mind still picturing her early student.

"What was so special about this pupil," her husband asked concerned now leaning against the railing in front of Janet holding her hands.

"Well, besides the fact that she was one of my first students and I taught her for ten years," Janet told him as Jack let out a low whistle.

"That's a long time," he commented but other than that listened to Janet carefully.

"Out of all of my students she showed the most promise," she revealed, "She could have beaten the best of the best."

"What happened," Jack asked wondering why he had never heard of this before.

Janet had stopped teaching martial arts after she graduated university but before she met Jack. However, she still kept her routine and conditioned every morning for three hours before it was time to go into their work.

"I don't know – well no – I have an idea but I never got it confirmed," Janet confessed, "She just stopped showing up to class."

The newspaper in her hand reminded her why she had mentioned Bruce in the first place.

"And now apparently, she's dating Bruce," she told him lifting the paper halfheartedly.

When her husband simply stared at her she continued.

"I have this gut feeling that whatever is bringing Sylvia back into my life has something to do with him."

Sylvia definitely felt very silly. It was half past four a.m. when Sylvia rose from her slumber Monday morning. It was still dark out but her stomach was all fluttery just thinking about the day ahead of her. She dressed swiftly and quietly into a pair of black yoga pants, black trainers, a grey loose sweater with a zipper in the front along with a white sleeveless shirt underneath, and to top it off a pair of dark sunglasses. Hopefully no one would recognize her. The press wouldn't be out this early in the morning, right?

She crept from Bruce's room softly closing the door behind her. As unlikely as it was to wake Bruce after he had only come in two hours ago, Sylvia thought it was better safe than sorry. She left a note behind explaining she had been called into work early and left it at that. By five o'clock she was in her car driving down the main street further downtown.

After hearing the private conversation between Bruce and Alfred Sylvia had a lot to think about Saturday and Sunday. It was probably not the best thing to tell Bruce about her wanting to take martial arts again that much was clear now.

Breakfast Saturday morning had been taxing. Bruce wanted to know everything about Janet sensei but there was really not a lot Sylvia knew to begin with. Alfred sat quietly to the side taking in Sylvia's answers. It was actually at Alfred's intervening that Bruce stopped the interrogation. Sylvia insisted that she wanted to take the classes just as a precaution. But, after hearing the conversation last night and seeing Bruce's guilt ridden looks Sylvia thought it was best to just say what Bruce wanted to hear.

"If it bothers you that much, Bruce," she said, "I won't take the classes."

It was difficult for Sylvia to understand why Bruce was so reluctant for her to resume self-defense. With the evidence she had, it seemed that Bruce was not happy with the circumstances that were making her take the classes. He was blaming himself for her needing the protection. Although, what he doesn't see is that she was in trouble with or without him. Joker kept going for her because of her actions. It was the same story with Riddler, and Two-Face. Everyone else could see that so why couldn't Bruce? Why couldn't he see that if it wasn't for him she would not be alive?

Sylvia pulled into a small business center with a liquor store, a cell phone branch, a locksmith, a cleaners, a donut shop and next to that an empty condemned looking spot 'Martial Arts' in faded red letters above it. Sylvia frowned looking up at the decrepit building. Graffiti littered the sheets of wood that covered the windows and signs saying to 'Keep Out'. There were no openings through the planks for Sylvia to peek inside making her wonder what happened to the place for it to go down. She could still remember the aches and sprains she would go home with. And remember the many orders from her sensei…

"Lead with your heel, Sylvia!"

"Lift with your legs not your back!"

"Bend your knees then strike!"

"Sylvia! Don't let your emotions cloud your mind!"

Oh, yes. There were many times that Sylvia would incur the wrath of her sensei. When she was younger, Sylvia never understood why Janet sensei would yell at her more than the others. Standing in front of her old dojo today, she still did not understand. She was hoping to get those answers today but it didn't look like it. The establishment looked like it had been closed for several years.

Observing her surroundings, Sylvia saw none of the businesses open except the donut shop. Sylvia walked in greeted by the strong aroma of fresh baked goods and breakfast. The sound of twinkling bells that were hanging from the door alerted the owner of her arrival. A young fresh faced girl was standing behind the donuts with a wide friendly smile.

"Good morning," she greeted, "How can I help you?"

"Good morning to you," Sylvia returned with a smile of her own. "I was actually hoping you could tell me what happened to the martial arts business that was next door."

"Oh, the Lynn place," the girl asked.

"That's the one."

"Yeah, sure, it closed down like four maybe five years ago," she informed her easily but going by Sylvia's shocked expression this was news to her. "I'm so sorry," the employee apologized looking embarrassed by her bluntness. "You used to attend?"

"Yeah, I took classes there for ten years," Sylvia admitted.

"Oh, geez, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive."

"No it's okay how could you have known," she smiled reassuringly.

"That means you don't know…" the girl paused trying to find the best way to say her news, "that Eddie Lynn passed away."

Immediately, a picture of a strict, tall, lean figure with wizened eyes came to the forefront of Sylvia's mind. The man that went by the name of Eddie Lynn was a champion in the Martial Arts world and his daughter was following in his footsteps. He never sported any facial hair but had short dark brown hair peppered lightly with grey at least that's how he looked when Sylvia had last seen him nearly a decade ago. Sylvia used to spare with him every week! How was he dead?

"Eddie Lynn passed away," Sylvia repeated in disbelief.

The girl nodded affirmatively, "That's why the place shut down. His body was found inside. His daughter couldn't keep it afloat. She was still going to school at the time."

"How did he die?"

"Honestly, there's been so much speculation and rumors about it I don't think anybody knows the truth anymore," she answered, "Crazy stories from Eddie falling down the stairs to being poisoned and all the gory details in between. That's why the place has never been rented."

"That is awful," Sylvia voiced picturing the gory details, "Do you know what happened to his daughter?"

"Janet Lynn? Yeah she used to come by from time to time but personally I think it was too hard for her to see the place boarded up like that."

Sylvia could sympathize.

"But the last time she was here was a while ago," she continued, "but let me ask my dad. Hey Pops!"

The worker moved to open the kitchen door before yelling out for her father. A semi-portly, older, dark haired male showed up in the opening his face scrunched up in question.

"Yeah," he responded his voice sounding strong over the sizzling of bacon and eggs behind him.

"When was the last time Janet Lynn was here," his daughter asked.

The older gentleman developed a look of hard thinking before he said, "You know, it was some time ago."

"Do you remember where she told us she was working?"

"Yeah it was at that gym…uh – Sally's!"

"Bally's!" his daughter shouted recalling the short conversation.

"Bally Total Fitness," Sylvia asked.

"Yeah," the two family members said together making Sylvia giggle.

"There ya go," the girl said amusement in her voice.

"Do you happen to remember which one," their giggling customer asked.

The father frowned, "There are a lot of those, aren't there?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, it's the one across town," he told Sylvia.

"It's on seventeenth," the girl suddenly remembered. "But I can't remember the other street."

"Must be Franklin," her father suggested but his daughter shook her head.

"No Pops it can't be Franklin," his daughter argued, "Franklin runs the same direction as Seventeenth; east to west."

"Seventeenth doesn't run from east to west."

The two went back and forth while Sylvia stood by silently entertained by their banter. The donut shop owner's daughter was right. Seventeenth did in fact run from east to west. It seemed they both came to that conclusion and were working together to figure out the cross streets. They threw out that the second street was the name of a kind of plant.

"It's Vine Avenue," they both agreed on.

"The gym is on Seventeenth but between Vine and…" the daughter tried to recall.

"Orchard?" Sylvia wondered, "By the Gardens?"

"Yes!" the girl smiled triumphantly, "By the Wayne Botanical Gardens."

"Thank you so much for your help," Sylvia voiced gratefully.

For their trouble, Sylvia bought a custard filled doughnut and the largest plain coffee they had. She had a long trip ahead of her. The Gardens were far and the streets were on the east side. By the time she got to the gym it was nearing half past six. And she had finished both the donut and the coffee.

The gym was already filled with life as the people who opted to exercise before going to work were in full swing. Sylvia fit right in with her attire. She walked up to the front desk where two fit men were sitting and one thin woman.

"Hi, I have a quick question," Sylvia told them and when she was satisfied that she had their attention she continued, "I'm looking for an old friend of mine I was told she worked here. Her name is Janet Lynn."

The youngest of the three was the blonde woman who at Sylvia's inquiry looked positively lost.

"I have no idea who that is," she said, "I'm sorry."

Gym worker number two was of a much darker complexion, bald and looked equally lost.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I don't know a Janet," he related sheepishly, "Although I did only start working here six months ago."

The last of the trio looked older but not by much. He was most likely Bruce's age. He had nicely styled blonde hair and the black shirt he was wearing said 'Trainer' in big letters.

"I think you mean Janet Drake," he offered with a grin, "She hasn't been Janet Lynn in over two years."

"Oh, really," Sylvia wondered with a laugh, "She married!"

The trainer laughed heartily at Sylvia's astonishment before rising from his chair and coming out from behind the desk.

"Yeah and she hasn't worked here in a long time too," he divulged holding out his hand, "I'm Theodore Mason. I was a Groomsman at her wedding."

Inexplicably, Sylvia turned a bright red when he spoke. She shook his hand carefully before introducing herself.

"Sylvia Juarez, I was a student of Janet's when she still taught over at her dad's."

Theodore looked surprised, "Oh, wow, that was a long time ago."

Again, Sylvia felt her cheeks flush, "Yeah, I guess it was."

Theodore began to chuckle as he understood what he had just said. He looked absolutely apologetic after regained himself.

"I'm so sorry," he claimed, "That was not some sort of front on your age or anything."

"Oh it's okay," Sylvia insisted beginning to laugh, "I know how old I am."

An awkward moment passed before Theodore decided to ask, "Why are you looking for Janet?"

"Um…"

Luckily for Sylvia she did not need to answer before Theodore was called alerting him that his client had arrived.

"Well, you can find Janet at Drake Industries," he informed her with a charming smile.

Sylvia's heart quickly plummeted with this new tidbit. How had she not made that connection? He said her last name was Drake. Of course her husband would Jack Drake of Drake Industries.

"Thanks for your help," she swallowed but smiled gratefully all the same.

"You're very welcome," he expressed with a wave before suddenly remembering something and looking down at his watch, "Actually if you leave now you could probably catch her at her house. It's around the corner from that house that burned down passed Old Gotham – Wayne Manor – on the outskirts of the city. "

"Yes, I know exactly where you're talking about," she responded. "Thanks again."

"No problem," he asserted, but stopped Sylvia again before she could leave, "We actually have a special going on. Trainers can give free sessions to people if they're on the fence about it or want to try it out. I don't know maybe you'd be interested – not that you need it but I was just saying."

Sylvia might be reading this guy wrong but it seemed like he was flirting with her.

"Okay, well thanks," she said keeping a positive attitude even though she seriously just wanted to find Janet and get things over with. This morning has just felt like one giant goose chase. "I will definitely think about it," she promised.

Finally, she left the gym with a sense of trepidation and a new number. This latter had not been her choice but Theodore had a very persistent personality. As she climbed back into her car she thought about the confrontation in her near future especially now knowing Janet was married to Jack Drake. Her brief encounters with the man were never the best. She remembered once she wrote an article on the guy titled 'Drake Industries: Egotism or Simply Plagiarism'.

"This is going to be a very interesting reunion," she muttered to herself as she pulled out onto the already crowded street.

A/N: Thanks for reading and for the wonderful private messages and reviews! In the next chapter a little more of Sylvia's past will be revealed when she meets up with her sensei. A lot more characters from the Batman universe are going to start coming into play as the story progresses. Please take the time to write a review and I will see you next time.