I am so terribly sorry for the terribly long wait! There's really no excuse, I got really busy with school and then when I started writing again, my inspiration for this story was just gone. Fortunately, this chapter is finally where I wanted it to be, and I've got the next two outlined. I can assure you that the next chapters will not take as long as this one did, and as always, your reviews are great inspiration!
The end of this chapter is going to be a little rough for some people, so just be forewarned!
Stepping away from a bamboozled Wilson, Katherine sent a smarmy look Billy's way, "Now where were we?"
Billy looked hazy, and she noticed that his right eye seemed strange, like it had been scratched. "I was...talking about the rewards of my job." He half mumbled.
"Ah, yes! Please, tell me more!" Kat urged, drawing her gaze from his damaged eye.
He looked outright drunk, "Money, lots of it, and honor. I get to be a part of something"
Kat took one of his hands, rubbing it encouragingly, "A part of what?"
"The Light." He answered, and Kat couldn't help but shiver. Sometimes, she didn't like being able to read people so well. Why couldn't he have just been an accountant?
"What will you do for them?" She forced herself to ask.
Billy leaned into her, "I'll be their enforcer."
Kat made a startled sound when Wilson put his arms around her waist, "That means he's going to be their bully, Lovely."
Kat reached back and pat Wilson's face encouragingly, at least he wasn't trying to get Billy to shut up anymore. "Where will you be doing this?" She asked Billy.
He shrugged, taking a swig from the drink in his hand that had previously remained untouched, "Under the ocean at first. I'm to start out as Black Manta's errand boy."
Kat tried not to let her emotions flicker onto her face, "That sounds terribly dull."
Billy grinned, "A girl like you waiting for me on land might liven things up."
She laughed girlishly, "I couldn't possibly wait on a man. I'm Helena Wayne!" She glanced over at the crystal clock on the wall, realizing she had only minutes to leave their company. If she dosed them anymore, she really would run the risk of killing them both, and somehow, she felt the League would be less proud of that than her Aunt Ivy would. She gently took Wilson's hands off her waist, "Well, boys, I've got to go mingle. It's been a real treat."
They protested mildly, but she was able to slink away mostly unmolested. She continued to mingle for the next half hour, seeing if anyone else might have fit her suspect order, but none did. She made a quick stop in the restroom before leaving, bumping into Billy on the way out. "Sorry!" She cried, reaching out to help steady him.
Billy grunted, "Watch where you're going."
Satisfied that he had forgotten her, Kat left the party in a flurry of camera flashes. Just the fact that she was Bruce Wayne's mysterious daughter had the paparazzi climbing over each other to snap a picture of her. Alfred was waiting with her father's limo, which made the reveal more genuine, and he smiled fondly at her as she slid in, "Successful evening, Ms. Wayne?"
Kat smiled back at the old man, pulling off her necklace, "Yes, thank you, Alfred."
"Back to the manor?" He asked pleasantly despite the late hour as he slid into the front seat.
Kat laughed softly, "Not tonight, 15th and Dent please!"
Alfred sighed playfully, "Back to the Team it is then."
"Sorry, I've got to give a report." She said earnestly.
They were almost to the rendezvous point before Alfred spoke again, "I don't like seeing you go down this path, Ms. Wayne."
"What path?" Kat asked.
Alfred tried to keep his voice steady, but the words that he'd been bottling up since she and her brother had come into the light bubbled up, "The hero one. You've got a child, Ms. Wayne, and a brother who depends on you. I can't bear to see another Wayne hurt on my watch. I've lost too many of you already and now Master Bruce is off on some other planet getting charged for things most heinous. I can't be the one in charge of Wayne Manor because there are no Waynes left."
Kat was silent for a few minutes, trying to piece her rapid thoughts together, "Alfred, this life has already been chosen for me, Damian too. I can't promise we'll be alright, but I will fight until my last breath to protect those I care about. That being said, I want you to take Lian. Not today, not tomorrow, but soon. I don't want her to get hurt because of the life her father and I live."
Alfred nodded, knowing that she couldn't see the tear rolling slowly down his cheek, "Very well, Ms. Wayne."
Red was in a cocky mood when they met up, and she handed Dick the recorder she'd been hiding between her breasts, along with the necklace he'd given her to alter her appearance. The spell hadn't changed much, but it was enough to keep people from connecting Helena Wayne in Gotham with Kat Harper from Star City.
She grabbed Red's hand, "I want to go out."
"Out? You don't want to go back home to Lian?" Red asked, surprised.
Kat shook her head, "I can't be around her right now, not like this."
When they were out of hearing range, Red asked, "Like what, Kat?"
She was setting a furious pace, proving once again that she had been raised on how to make a speedy exit in five-inch heels. "Like a villain."
"What?" Red said in confusion, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to a stop. She wouldn't look at him, "Kat, baby, what are you talking about?"
Her blue eyes were completely empty when she finally looked up at him, "That's what I am, Red. I've been a fool to think otherwise these last few years. Tonight, I thought I could handle it, but I can't. I can't be that girl anymore. I shouldn't have tried."
"You did amazing tonight." He tried to assure her.
Kat pressed a hand to the center of her stomach to keep from vomiting, "That's the problem, Red! It was too damn easy! Those two men were hardly a challenge. What's worse is..." She trailed off, pulling her hair off of the back of her neck.
Red wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest, and taking control of her curled hair. "Kat, you can tell me."
She didn't answer for several minutes, and he was about to suggest moving off of the street before she pulled back slightly, looking him in the eyes, "Red, I loved it. I wanted it to be harder. I wanted to keep going. My mother, when she uses that toxin, she has them tell her everything. Every last inconsequential detail of their lives, and then she picks something, something they're ashamed of, a secret buried so deep that they've never spoken a word of it to anyone. She takes that, and extorts them for all they're worth before disappearing again. I wanted that. I wanted that power. I'm just like her."
Red winced, kissing her head, "Baby, you aren't just like her."
"Yes, I am, Red. I can pretend I'm good all day, but in the end, even a taste of that power is enough to send me into a tailspin." Katherine tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let her go.
"Kat, I was like that too, when I first found out I was a clone. You aren't sure what you're looking for, and you just reach for the thing that's most accessible. I'm here for you." Red told her, but she was done listening to him.
"Red, I need some time." She said softly, stepping out of his arms.
He grabbed at her again, "Kat, no. Don't do this. I did the same thing, and it nearly destroyed you. Don't do this to me, Lian, and Damian."
Kat evaded him, pulling her jacket around her body tighter, "Red, relax. I just need some time alone. I'll be home before lunch tomorrow." She surged forward, kissing him on the cheek, "Promise, you'll hardly known I'm gone. Go have some quality time with Lian, and just make sure not to burn breakfast in the morning, Damian is testy about burnt bacon."
Red took a deep breath, "Okay, just, please Kat, be careful. If you aren't back by noon tomorrow, I'm hunting you down."
She gave him a small smile, "You got it. I'll be back. Red, I love you."
He smiled back at her, "I love you too, Kat." He held his breath as Katherine disappeared into the shadows.
Kat made her way to a club she'd heard her mother mention a time or two. It was one of Gotham's more elite clubs, but many things that went on were illegal, as such, paparazzi tended to avoid it. She threw herself into the music, and just let it wash over her, not caring who she was grinding against. She headed to the bar out of breath, but feeling a little less tightly wound.
"Can I buy the lady a drink?" A man asked her.
She looked up at him, but gave him a sad smile, "Sorry, I've got a husband at home."
The blonde headed man laughed, "Sweetheart, he's not here, like you said, he's at home. Live a little."
Kat stilled, a small smile on her face, "You're right, he is at home, and I need to be there with him."
The man sobered, his smile changing from flirty to fondness, "Good decision, Sweetheart. Maggie sent me."
"What?"
He pulled back the edge of his coat, revealing the hilt of a knife, "Maggie made it for me. The only payment she wanted was for me to track you down and tell you she's done with your order."
"Oh..." Kat replied dully.
He nodded, "Be careful, Sweetheart. Maggie's last favor is always harder than the first."
"I'll keep that in mind." Kat said, slinking into the shadows, out of the club, and to the nearest Zeta Tube. She was in Star City in less than ten minutes, shedding her dress and coat in favor of the black undergarments she'd chosen for the occasion. They looked enough like a jogging outfit to pass on the street, and with her hair pulled up away from her face, she looked like any other young woman enjoying the warm Star City sunset.
It took her a little while to remember how to get to Maggie's shop, but she already felt better after her run, more in control. Maggie was waiting by the door, "Hello, Katherine."
"Your messenger found me."
The old woman smiled, "He's a particularly good finder that one. How have you been since last we saw each other?"
Kat sighed, "I buried an old friend and am having identity issues, but all in all, I think I'll be okay."
Maggie smiled sadly, "I heard, I'm very sorry for your loss."
Kat shifted from one foot to the other, jittery from her run and the abrupt time change, "Me too. That guy said you were done with my order."
She laughed, holding out a stack of leather with leather boots perched on top. "Yes, I am. If you need help with anything when you leave, give me a call. I'll be making my nighttime tea in the kitchen. Goodnight."
Kat looked towards the dressing curtain, "You want me to leave without trying it on?"
Maggie scoffed, looking back at her, "I'm the best at what I do, sweetheart. Trust me, everything will suit you perfectly." Her eyes softened, "Besides, costumes, like prom dresses, aren't meant to be tried on to show the seamstress, but to show the mother how much the right outfit can change a girl."
"You want me to show my mother?" Kat said numbly.
Maggie nodded, "Yes, Katherine."
"We haven't spoken in nearly two months."
Another nod from the old woman, "I know. Remember, my messenger said my second task was harder than the first."
"I didn't think he meant like this!" Kat protested.
Maggie scowled, "Just do it, Katherine. Mothers and daughters should never go so long without speaking. The bonds between a mother and her child are one of the strongest in the universe, but they unravel in a much shorter time then they are created. Could you imagine going so long without contact from your daughter?"
"No." Kat answered honestly. Even the thought of being separated from Lian made her chest contract painfully.
The smile returned to Maggie's face, "There you have it then. Your mother is difficult, and you are just as bad. She might give you a hard time, but you and your brother are two of the most important things in her world, she'll be grateful to see you. Not to mention, she'll be delighted to see her daughter all grown up and in her own costume."
"She'd be happier if I was in a costume to steal something." Kat said wryly.
Maggie laughed, "Sweetheart, have you looked at your parents? You come from two of the darkest costumed individuals in the world. I wouldn't dare put you in bright colors. It wouldn't suit you. You hide in your delicate lilac in the light, but you're of the dark, Katherine. Your father is a hero, but just like your mother, he rose from the darkness." Maggie trailed a hand across one of her knives. "Your daughter was forged in fire, and like the darkness did for you, that will only make her stronger."
"I don't want her to be like us." Kat whispered.
Maggie sighed, "She will be to a point. It's in her blood. Your daughter is different though. You need to listen to me. She's not from the darkness, she's from the fire. Very different things, but equally as powerful." She smiled again, "You've been blessed with her, Katherine, just as your mother was blessed with you."
"Who are you?" Katherine asked, exasperated.
Maggie grinned slyly, "I'm far older than I look, Helena Katherine Wayne-Kyle Harper. I wish my daughter would come visit me, but she's passed on ahead of me. Go, visit your mother, and show her the woman you've grown up to be."
Kat nodded, heading out, the leather outfit clutched to her chest. She went to her mother's closest apartment. She knew without opening the door that her mother wasn't there. They'd come up with a sort of system after so many years. If Selena was home, the mat outside the door would have cats on it, if she wasn't, the mat would have sunflowers. Kat went to three more addresses before she finally found the cat doormat.
It took her another ten minutes just to knock on the door. For some unknown reason, her hear was pounding in her chest, and unfamiliar nerves had her pacing up and down the all white hallway, bouncing on the balls of her feet before she finally stilled in front of the door.
"Mom? Are you in there? It's Kat." Silence answered. "Mom?" Again, nothing. A chill went down her spine. Not even feline sounds were coming from inside the apartment. At least at the others, she'd been able to tell that a handful of cats had taken shelter through the window Selena always left open for them. Not a sound escaped from 3130 North Mesa Drive Apartment 204, but an awful smell did. With her heightened senses, she knew what it was, but that didn't stop her from praying that she was wrong.
Her hands shaking, Kat ran back down the stairs to the Supers room, "Excuse me! Anyone in?"
An aged man opened the door, "Can I help you?"
Kat took a deep breath to calm herself, "Yes, my mother lives in 204, and I can't get her to answer the door. Would you mind letting me in?"
He looked her over, "204?" She nodded, and he sighed, "Well, you certainly look like Ms. Keaton. I'll have to supervise you if she's not in, but let's go take a look."
Kat knew the instant the door opened that something was terribly wrong. Four feet from the door was the partially decomposed corpse of a cat, laying in a sea of disinfectant that covered the floor. Someone had dumped out her mother's array of cleaning supplies in an effort to hide the scent of decomposition, as well as scattering kitty litter just inside all the windows and doors.
The man uttered a curse and crossed himself. In a daze, Kat approached the little body, oddly relieved to find that she didn't recognize it. She moved slowly through the apartment, careful not to slip in what she was sure was a toxic mix of chemicals. The cats were everywhere though, all with differing fatal injuries, and regardless of that, the apartment was in shambles, vases shattered on the bloody tiles, lamps knocked over, nothing like the meticulous abodes her mother usually kept. The apartment also showed no signs that her mother had tried to clean anything up.
Vaguely, she could hear the man on his cell phone with 911, reporting a break in and animal abuse, but all she was focused on was finding her mother. Nearly a dozen cats were strewn across the apartment, but that wasn't what made Kat lose the little food in her stomach.
Opening the door to her mother's bedroom, Kat felt her knees go weak. "Mom?" A small voice said, a little girl's voice coming from her woman's body as she stood frozen in the doorway. The room was covered in blood splatters, the stench the distinct iron tang of human blood. Kat sat huddled against the doorway, staring at the macabre room, hardly moving when a skeletal Isis curled up in her lap, mewling for her mistress as Kat cried hysterically for her mother.
"All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very mad world mad world."
Mad World
By: Gary Jules
Whew! Everyone survive? I feel like this chapter was a roller coaster! Next chapter won't be in the current time, but mostly in Bart Allen's apocalyptic future! Chapter after next will pick up where this one left off.
If you're still reading and enjoy this story, please please please leave me a review and let me know! Reviews are what keep me going! Let me know what you think is going to happen next!
-Jenn