BAPTIZED BY FIRE

Basked in silver moonlight, she leans against the floor-to-ceiling window at the far end of the Falcone estate's grand dining room. Earbuds in and iPod blaring, she rests her head against the cool window pane and stares off into the night. Eyes to the sky as she looks for that tell-tale golden hue of a signal painted against the starlit backdrop. Unsure whether or not such a sight should fill her with dread or relief.

The temperature will be dropping soon, she thinks to herself. Winter comes and with it snow. Blanketing the filth and grime of Gotham with cool and pristine white. A fresh start. Clean and new. Pure. Winter then gives way to Spring. All that had withered and died is then reborn and the cycle begins anew. Life goes on.

She thinks about all the friends and relationships she's made with this persona, this life. Selina. Bruce. Enigma. Klarion. Even little Teekl. It's no wonder she'd stayed in this identity for so long. She didn't want it to ever end. But then she looks over at the bound man in the chair at the other end of the room and her mind wanders to all the enemies she's made, all the mistakes, and knows why this has to be his way. This life is a lie and it's time to end it. Time to swallow her pride and watch it die.

It's best that she be moving on. Never safe to stay in the same place for long, y'know.

With a sigh, she removes the buds from her ears, the player too, and lets it fall to the floor. Leave the old life behind. You can't take it with you. Her song is over. On to something new.

To be reborn in fire.

Heels click quietly against tile as she makes her way back over to where Mario is seated. He's a pathetic sight really. Pitiful. A fallen king and she, the empress triumphant. All hail the new world order.

So torn and exhausted, beaten and tortured is he that he doesn't even bother lifting his head as she approaches. To tell the truth, she's not quite sure if he's even still conscious. He is breathing, however. That's good. She did make painstakingly sure that he'd survive the whole ordeal. She wants him very badly to be alive. At least long enough to witness his timely demise at her hands.

Leaning in to him, she admires her bloodstained handiwork and sighs. She's had her fun and now its time to end it. Shamed. Humiliated. He's nothing but a trophy now. Best to kill him and get it over with. Put the felled beast out of its misery and place his head upon her mantle. Blood cries for blood. He's killed her twice. It's about time she returned the favor in full.

With a hard smack across the face, he jolts awake.

"You ungrateful, little BITCH!" Mario spits with hoarse breath. "After all I've done for you... All I've given you... You-"

"All you've GIVEN me?" The cat girl laughs. "Like what? A watery grave and a bullet to the chest? Please."

"Strictly business. Nothin' personal, doll, and you know it." Mario returns seriously. Every spoken word pains him and yet he says his peace as if each and every word may well be his last. He wants to make damn well sure she knows she doesn't scare him. Even in the face of death the Sicilian remains stubborn. "You come in here, with what? Nothin'! I give you a home, a name, a job, and how do you REPAY me? You STEAL from me! You make me LOOK BAD! So whatta'ya want me to do, huh? Yeah I shoved ya in that pine coffin and tossed ya in the drink. I had to save face in front'a my men, right? Can't have them thinkin' I'd gone soft on some GIRL. You STEAL from me, you get DEAD. End of story. DEAD." He spits at the word. An old world superstition. Or perhaps out of contempt for the girl. Maybe a bit of both. "But you didn't STAY DEAD, did ya? Ohhhhh no... And instead of lyin' low an' keepin' quiet, you gotta go and push me harder. Messin' with my operations. Beatin' on my men. Stealin' from MY clubs. MY banks. MY HOME! So yeah... I hired a gun to shoot ya down and get rid of my little cat problem." He chuckles darkly, nearly choking on the blood bubbling in the back of his throat. "What's wit you Cats anyway, huh? Always stealing from mi familia. First that old broad, now you? What's next?"

The huntress stands primly to his side, chuckling along with him. She has honor enough to let him utter his last words, however futile a plea they may be. Like a cat nuzzling itself along its owners side, she leans in close and wraps her arms around him from behind. He flinches as she cozies herself up against him, though hasn't the fight to shake her off.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about lil' ol' ME much longer. After tonight, Gotham will have one less Cat to deal with." She purrs. "Then again, after tonight, you won't have much of ANYTHING to worry about anymore. Cuz what I've got in store for you, well... Let's just say, you'll be blown away."

The girl grins wildly at her choice of words, only for her smile to quickly wane. Her eyes fall to the side, searching the shadows at her peripheral.

"There's a signal in the sky tonight." She growls to the dark. "Don't you have somewhere better to be?"

Batman steps forward and out of the shadows, still a good measure of steps away. Just enough to give her distance. Behind him, approaches both Catwoman and Klarion with Teekl in tow. The girl's grin returns. She stands upright, though keeps her hands on her prey protectively.

"Well, I see the gang's all here, then. Come to watch the show?" She purrs with amusement. "Although, gotta say, I expected you all at least a half hour ago. I was starting to think you weren't gonna show. Was there traffic? Stop to pick up milk?"

Mario twists his hurting head to see who it is his abductor is talking to. Even through the haze of his bloodshot eyes, he can make out that heavy silhouette. That shadow that can fill even the most hardened man with untold fear. Yet, in that moment, it fills him newfound hope. His savior.

"HELP ME!" He cries out. "She's crazy! She's gonna kill me! I-"

With a closed fist, the huntress punches the man hard, knocking him out cold. A bit crude, but it certainly shuts him up. His head slumps down into his chest.

Batman instinctively motions to approach the situation, to reach out, to move half a step forward, but stops. This is a hostage situation. No matter how badly he wants to grab hold of her and pull her into his arms, he has a duty to uphold. He's a protector first. He can't let his emotions get the better of him nor can he allow himself to agitate the situation any further lest he force her hand. Like a hungry tiger with a wounded animal in her maw, her eyes flick towards him, narrowed and cold. A warning for him to back off and approach no further. Batman takes the hint and raises his hands slightly in surrender, taking a step back.

"Kitrina." He begins in a low and emotionless tone. "What you're planning on doing here tonight-"

"If you're thinking of talking me down from this, don't." She replies bitterly. "This has been a long time coming. He DESERVES this."

"I never said he didn't." The Batman continues. "But this isn't the way to go about dealing out justice. There are laws in place and-"

"JUSTICE?" She laughs spitefully. "Where was your justice as I lay face down BLEEDING in a gutter, huh? As I crawled my way home after HE had HIS men shoot me in the chest? HE KILLED ME! And HE gets to LIVE? WHY? For what? So that he can just go ahead and do it AGAIN? So that he can litter our streets with his drugs and guns and whores? How many more lives does he have to destroy? How many more times does he have to KILL ME before you get it through your thick skull? He doesn't deserve your MERCY. He doesn't deserve to LIVE." She shouts desperately. "Whose side are you on that you want to PROTECT this trash?"

Her accusations cut right through him. Piercing his kevlar protected armor and slamming him right in the chest. There's so many things he wants to tell her but there simply aren't enough words. What he wouldn't do to this monster if given five minutes alone with him just for hurting his little girl. How far he would go for her. He can't even begin to express just how wrong she is.

"I'm on YOUR side, Kitrina. He's not the one I'm trying to protect. I only care about you." Batman says softly, his voice betraying his stoic demeanor. "He'll get what he deserves, I promise, but you have to give him up. I can't let you do this. I can't let you go down that path, Kitrina."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" She shouts at the top of her lungs, tears stinging at her eyes. "That's not my name. I'm not-"

"HELENA..."

Selina calls out her name, instantly regretting doing so as soon as the uttered word leaves her lips. She'd become so caught up in the moment that her maternal instinct had gotten the better of her. She nearly shrinks back into the shadows.

Helena turns her head and eyes the woman curiously.

"How do you know my name?" She asks coldly.

The older woman stares out towards Batman, eyes unsure and pleading. She hasn't a clue what to say or do. They'd made the decision to never tell. The man glares back at her through slitted eyes, discouraging her from doing what she's very well inclined to do.

"Because..." She begins slowly, gaining courage. "Because it's the name I gave you... when you were born." She looks the girl in the eye to show her words carry no deception. "Helena Rosa..."

There's power in words. You name it, you own it. The sound of her own name is more than enough make the girl nearly stagger back. Eyes wide, she, herself, is at a loss. Such utter disbelief and yet somewhere deep inside, it's as if she always knew. Her heart swells. Her mind races. Emotion overtakes her. She manages to speak through the lump in her throat.

"M-Mom?"

Selina nearly breaks down at the revelation. She nods, tears in her eyes and a small smile upon her lips.

"But... But I don't understand. All this time. Why didn't you just tell me?" The girl asks, her head swimming with questions. There's still one big one, though. That too, she fears she already knows the answer to. "Does that mean... My father..."

Instinctively, the Catwoman's green eyes flick towards Batman. No words need be said, it's answer enough.

"No..."

Helena slowly turns her head towards the dark and brooding creature stationed at the edge of the shadows.

"...no..."

She shakes her head, her lip quivering. She doesn't want to believe it and yet knows it to be true. Still, it doesn't prepare her. The truth is harder to swallow than any jagged pill. It hurts even more knowing that they kept this from her for so long. That they didn't trust her. That they've been lying to her.

At Helena's further dismay, the Batman curls his fingers into his mask and removes the cowl from his face. He slides it from his shoulders, revealing his identity to her. The petrified girl's eyes widen further at the sight. She visibly shakes with emotion.

"Mr. Wayne?" She asks in a small tone. "But... No. No no no no no..."

She falls to a crouching stance, her hands in her hair trying to make sense of it all.

"It's too much... It's all too much." She whispers frantically to herself.

This isn't how she'd plan this night to happen. She'd expected them to come. To try and stop her. But this? She'd always wanted a family. More than anything. A place in which to call her home. Somewhere she belonged. People who'd cared about her. But these people... These people who'd she'd grown to care for most are one and the same who'd given her up her as a baby. Who'd sent her away to that school upstate just to get her out of their hair. Who'd never really trusted her. Who'd lied to her. Who'd betrayed her. Who never loved her.

"Why?" Helena asks, her tears of sorrow quickly drying into rage. Her voice shakes with fire rising in her tone. "Why did you abandon me?"

Hand to mouth, Selina begins to cry. She hasn't the ability nor courage to speak. It's left up to Bruce to take the helm.

"We didn't abandon you, Helena." He answers in all honesty. "We wanted to give you a better life. We never wanted... THIS."

Arms out at his side, he motions to everything around them. The dark and dingy Falcone mansion. The bitter blood and cold, dank water. The cowls and disguises. The night.

Klarion sticks to the shadows. He hasn't said a single word the entire time they'd shown themselves. Helena's accusing eyes turn to him.

"You KNEW, didn't you?" She hisses. "You said it yourself. All you need to do is be in the same room as two people to tell blood relations. So you've known since, when? Since the bank heist? Since the ball? And you've been LYING to me all this time? Keeping the truth from me just like how you brought me back from the DEAD? What ELSE are you keeping from me? You-"

"That's ENOUGH, Helena." Bruce bellows in a voice somewhere between father and Bat. "It wasn't his place to tell you. He wanted to, but was under my orders not to." He softens. "He only wants what's best for you. WE want what's best for you. To protect you. To-"

"To PROTECT me?" She laughs sarcastically. "Bang up job on THAT one. Really."

"It wasn't supposed to be this way."

"It never is."

"We can go back."

"There is no back." She cries. "Only forward."

"Then let's end this."

Bruce holds his hand forward to Helena, silently instructing her to take it. To come with him. To give up. To stop fighting. She eyes the thing thoughtfully and so wrought with sorrow.

"I couldn't have said it better myself." She whispers just enough for him to hear.

She rises to her feet like a puppet on a string. The leaden weight of her body is heavy, like she dreads going through with this but must. A tear rolls down her cheek and she takes a step back, away from Bruce and his entourage. He looks out at her, hurt at her rejection. She glares up at him with eyes of cold flame.

"Let's end this."


"Have you ever been alone fightin' your own war?
Someone took the life from you and now they're back for more..."

Baptized By Fire by the band Spinnerette. Listen to it!
My inspiration tends to be music-driven and I think this song matches Kitty perfectly. It's kinda like her anthem. I'm betting dollars to donuts, that's what she was listening to on her iPod!