Season Two

Batwoman: Victorious

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Last Laugh

The air is so cold...The wind claws at my face as I face the world. So, I hide from it all; rely on someone else to take my pain away. Sitting on my couch, I bury my face into my lover's shoulder, knowing he can take it; all my pain, lies, and punishment. "Thank you, Andre'," I manage to choke out. He doesn't speak, and continues to stroke my hair; keeping strong, even though it kills him inside. Cat was coming over in a couple of hours: I have to be strong for her. I can be strong for her. Jade, though...I haven't heard from her. She won't return my phone calls, and I'm terrified.

Sitting alone in her bedroom, Jade slowly stroked down the fur on her black kitten's back. Her eyes were glazed over with old tears, the young woman glanced over at her phone. Why won't you talk to me? she asked herself, remembering the last time she saw Beck. What changed? I don't need him...but I want him in my life. He was one of my only friends. Suddenly, the young woman's phone began to ring. Lifting up her cell, Jade looked at the number; Tori Vega. Pressing the speaker button, the Gothic young woman set down her phone, and cleared her throat. "Hello," she said, forcing her voice not to crack.

"Hey, Jade," Tori replied. "Andre' and I just wanted to say hi and ask if you were doing okay."

"Yeah," Jade shamelessly lied, wiping her eyes. "How about you two?"

"We're fine," Andre' answered, keeping his voice at its usual, controlled tone. "You heard from Beck yet?"

"No," the young woman answered. "He won't call me."

"I'm sorry," Tori said, her voice laced with its own sorrow. "It means alot that you picked up, though. You wanna come over?"

"No, thanks," Jade replied, staring into the void. "I just...I can't make it. Sorry."

"Okay," Tori gave in. "Maybe some other time."

"Sure," the dark-haired young woman choked out. "Bye." Hanging up her phone, Jade covered her eyes with her hand, and remembered a better world; one where her and Beck were together, and Tori, Beck, Cat, Andre', and Robbie were all friends with her and with one another; all the times she imagined a bright future now seemed to be a waste. The best days were behind her now: behind all of them.

Cat arrived at Vega family house at about seven, giving her time to get caught up with Andre' before he had to visit his grandmother. As always, the dark-haired girl gave her friends a big hug; not like she used to, though: The tighter, scared hugs she turned to after Beck's hospitalization. Tori knew. Holding Cat with all her might, the brunette girl whispered a promise to her friend.

"Have you heard from him at all?" Catarina asked, her voice sweet and concerned.

"Sorry, Kitten," Tori whispered, unable to look her friend in the face. Biting her lip, the girl fought the urge to start crying; she had to be strong now. "Cat..." the brunette forced out, feeling a crushing depression start to overpower her body. "It's okay to cry." Closing her eyes, the dark-haired girl lay her head on Tori's shoulder, and broke down in tears. "It's okay..." Victoria whispered, gently stroking her friend's back.

Rain poured down on Los Angeles, drenching its hopes and dreams in an icy sea of the darkened reality so many now endured. Actions seemed slowed; thoughts delayed. Sitting alone in her room, gazing at her fireplace, Tori blocked her mouth with her closed hand. Her eyes glazed over with a weighted sense of time, the young woman felt her body slowly frost over as she remained still.

"Am I to assume the Batwoman will not choose to return tonight?" Alfred asked, dusting off a counter. Shaking her head, the young woman bit her lip, refusing to look away from the flames.

"She's not coming back, Alfred," Tori whispered, her voice cracking. "...I failed. I failed everyone."

"Miss Victoria..." the Englishman began, prepared to do that which he swore dreamed of doing.

"No, Alfred," Victoria interrupted, her tone sharp. "Not this time...I'm done. Beck's in the hospital, Cat's afraid of the world, Jade hasn't left her house, and...I'm making Andre' miserable...I can tell. I can't stop, though." Alfred looked at his charge, knowing he was powerless. "I'm not cut out to protect anyone...I can't even help myself."

"Everyone is taking master Oliver's damages to heart, Miss Victoria," the Englishman cut in. "You mustn't blame yourself."

"Then who do I blame?" Victoria demanded, shooting up out of her chair. "If I hadn't been there, he wouldn't have fallen...and now everything's gone to hell."

"You stopped him before he killed more people," Alfred shot back. "The Batwoman is the protector of the innocent; you did what you had to."

"It's not enough!" the brunette screamed, sending the entire room into silence. "I wasn't enough!"

"Hey," a quiet voice greeted as the door slowly slide open. Trina walked into the room, her movements timid. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Tori answered, her words sharp.

"Tori," Katrina replied, walking closer to her little sister. "You're upset. Please, talk to me about this."

"This is where I take my leave," Alfred declared, praying Trina would succeed where he failed. The butler departed from the room, gently shutting the door behind him.

"I don't wanna talk about it," the younger of the Vega siblings said, sitting down on her bed.

"I think you do," Katrina replied, her voice gentle. "But you're scared...Tori, please. I'm your sister. You can tell me anything." Swallowing a massive lump in her throat, Tori turned to her sister, and gestured for her to sit down next to her. Katrina took a seat next to her baby sister.

I wish I could believe that, the brunette thought, letting the tears stream down her face. "...I was dating Beck behind Jade's back," she began, all pride having left her voice. "And I can't ever tell her..." Trina put her hand on her sister's, giving her the sign of forgiveness and understanding she needed.

"...But I can never be the Batwoman again," Tori confessed to the darkness, dropping the Batsuit to the floor. Clenching the doorway, Alfred gazed sadly at his charge, knowing this was not how things were meant to be. "I can't dawn the cowl...I'm sorry, Mom...Dad." Closing her eyes, the young woman let the tears stream down her cheeks. The Bat-Wave began to sound, only to fall on the ground as Tori walked away from it all.

Jade stared at the wall, trying to figure out how things went wrong. Refusing to play the roll of the victim, the young woman soon found herself thinking of Beck as the weak one; the one dying from the inside out. What caused it all, though? What shattered the friendship? Was a fall into the vat really enough to destroy him? Watching from a crack in the doorway, Eva looked in shock at her sister; she'd never been so broken up. Was an incident with Beck really enough to destroy the group's friendship? "I thought I knew him," Jade said, possibly speaking only to the darkness. "I thought we all had something...but that anger in his voice...the fear I sensed in him...that wasn't Beck. If he could fall like that...what's keeping the rest of us from breaking? I swore I'd be there for him if he ever had another panic attack...I guess I was wrong."

"Don't blame yourself, Jade," Eva begged of her big sister, pushing the door open. Giving her sister a hug, the youngest West girl felt herself starting to sob, though she kept it hidden from Jade.

"That's just it, Eva," Jade nearly whispered. "...I don't."

"Miss Victoria, you said it yourself, the city needs Batwoman," Alfred pleaded with his charge. "You said you would stop when they no longer needed you."

"And they don't," Tori answered. "They don't need whatever thing did that to Beck. I was wrong."

"You did nothing," the Englishman fought back. "You tried to save him. He did this to himself."

"But I could have done more," the young woman argued, her voice displaying her self-hatred and doubt. "I could have stopped him if only I'd figured it out faster. He was the Hood all along, and I didn't even realize it."

"None of us knew, Miss Victoria," Alfred insisted. "Not even the Batwoman could have learned his secret as it began. What matters is that you did discover the truth, and tried to make everything right."

"But trying wasn't enough," Tori began. "If I had just..."

"There is no way to change the past," Alfred demanded. "Of all people, you should know that. All we can do is fight for a brighter future. You taught me that. Now, the Batwoman can either choose to remain in a ransid bath of her own self-pity, or she can go out and attempt to save the innocent once again. What shall it be, Miss Victoria?"

Her face scarred with shock, Tori looked down at the cowl, and it stared back. "Thank you, Alfred," she whispered. "You remind me so much of them..." Suddenly, the electronic ringing of her cell phone broke the young woman's concentration. "It's Cat," Tori declared, answering the phone. "Hey..."

"He's gone!" Cat shrieked into the phone. Her eyes shooting wide open, the brunette looked away from the shadows, and felt the darkness calling to her again.

Her cape gliding through the freezing air of the night, Batwoman listened to the hum of the Bat-Wave as she descended upon Los Angeles once again. If Beck's out on the streets, there's no telling what he'll do to himself...Tori had told Alfred. What if he only remembers the Hood? the young woman asked herself, tightening her white eyes. Beck's hospital room was empty, except for a single playing card; a joker.