part 2. the last five years

GOTHAM CITY

FEBURARY 11TH 2011 10:47 EST

"Are you sure about this?" Betty asked. She stared at her aunt, who wore the Waspia costume, with a few minor alterations to let everyone know this was a slightly different Waspia than the one that came before. Waspia's death had been so public after all. Aunt Melody stood in the middle of the living room, her hair in a long blonde braid. Her costume was black, with a golden colored utility belt and soft gray boots that ran up to her knees. A golden bee was in the middle of her chest, the insignia for Waspia. Her cowl was already pulled over her face, her brown eyes peeking out through the holes.

She looked like a vigilante, like she was one of them, and Betty felt a bit unsure about this whole ordeal. Aunt Melody had been preparing herself for the past three months using the skills form sparring for years with first Mom and then with Betty to get ready for the appearance of the new Waspia. It was only because of her prior experience that she was deemed ready so soon. Unlike Jason, who had no experience and thus would take many more months, maybe even years, to be ready.

He was also being trained by Batman, a master detective and combatant, not a fourteen-year-old girl that didn't know the first thing about training someone else to be ready to fight.

"Yes, Betty, I'm sure," Aunt Melody answered. Betty chewed on her bottom lip, looking at her guardian unsurely.

"Because we can wait a little while longer," Betty said, "we don't have to do this so soon –"

Aunt Melody put a hand on Betty's shoulder and smiled, squeezing it gently and surely.

"I know your nervous, Betty," Aunt Melody assured her. "I know this is all new to you." Aunt Melody laughed under her breath once. "To both of us. But I promise I'm ready. Gotham has been without Waspia for long enough."

Betty knew that was true. Gotham had become more unruly without one of its heroes to protect it. They've become emboldened by the fact that one of them had died, felt like they could get away with more. With another hero to protect the city, they just might think twice.

But it was hard. Harder than she thought, seeing someone else in her mother's costume, no matter what changes are made. Aunt Melody could wear her hair in a ponytail or braid, a cowl or a mask, it would make no difference. It would not be her mother beneath, something that just become blindingly real.

Honeybee sighed and ran a hand through her dark hair.

"It's just – it's hard," Honeybee whispered, "having someone else be her."

Aunt Melody frowned and shook her head.

"I may be Waspia, but I'm not your mother," Aunt Melody stated. "I'm not trying to be her. I know I can never live up to her legacy. The legacy you and she built." Aunt Melody removed the cowl, letting it slide over her head and down her neck, revealing her sympathetic expression. She leaned down to Betty's level and caressed her cheek. "But if you're truly not ready for this, we can wait for me to start."

Honeybee shut her eyes. They had already told the Bats that Melody was starting tonight, that this was the night that Gotham got a new hero. They had prepared for months for this. No. It was too late to turn back now. She was ready. She had to be.

"No," Betty said. "It's time. Let's go."

Aunt Melody hesitated, not quite sure, but then nodded and pulled on her cowl. It was time.

GOTHAM CITY

FEBURARY 11TH 2011 00:15 EST

Waspia pulled herself forward, jumping off the rooftop and onto the fire escape below. Be—Honeybee was already down on the ground below, hidden in the shadows as she hid behind the dumpster, watching the two men at the top of the alley. The men were obviously in the middle of some kind of drug deal, the taller one of the men currently counting out a bevy of dollar bills as the other stared impatiently.

Waspia made her way down closer, stealthily moving along the fire escape until the reached the bottom of the alley. She narrowed her eyes and looked to Honeybee, still unnoticed by the men. Honeybee shook her head and crouched down, pulling out three of her stingers. Waspia pulled out two of her own, the items still unfamiliar in her hands, not like Honeybee who handled them with almost precision-like ease.

"Hurry up," the shorter one growled. "Ain't got all night."

Honeybee turned to Waspia and nodded, and Waspia sprung into action. She hauled off the two stingers in her hand, knocking the money out of their hand. The two men turned in surprise, both of their mouths dropping open when they realized who it was that had engaged with them.

"Y-you're dead!" the tall one said, and Waspia smiled and raced forward.

"Must be seeing a ghost then," Waspia called out. Waspia dodged the shorter one's punch and smiled, kicking his legs out from underneath them, sending him flying into the concrete groan.

The taller one presented much more of challenge, as he managed to level a punch to her shoulder. Waspia growled and readjusted her shoulder quickly. She attempted a kick, which they dodged by lowering their head beneath her leg.

"Waspia!"

A stinger was sent flying her way, and Waspia noticed a gun be dropped due to the electric energy. Apparently, the other men had had a gun, something that Waspia seemed to have missed. Waspia narrowed her eyes as Honeybee joined her, taking on the other man. Waspia focused all her attention on the taller man, hauling off and giving him a quick punch to the nose that sent a trickle of blood down his face.

"You bi—"

Waspia didn't let him finish, instead getting close enough to kick him clear in the chest. He was sent flying back onto the sidewalk, which he fell onto with a soft thud. His head lolled to the side, unconscious. Waspia could not help the proud smile that crossed her face – she had half-expected herself to fail.

She turned to Honeybee to see the young girl standing above the unconscious shorter man, lasso around their leg and a thin line across her niece's face. Honeybee looked to Waspia and gave her a nod of acknowledgment.

"Not bad for a rookie, huh?" Waspia asked, and Honeybee rolled her eyes beneath her black and yellow mask.

"You did alright," Honeybee told her. In the distance, Waspia heard the beginnings of police sirens headed their way. Honeybee's mouth thinned out again. She began to untie the lasso from around the man's leg and motioned for Waspia to follow her back to the fire escape.

"Unless you want the Waspia secret out this soon," Honeybee said, "we need to go."

Waspia had decided that it was best to try and keep Waspia being back not public knowledge for as long as possible, to keep the element of surprise for as long as possible. It had worked to their advantage tonight, as these two men hadn't been expecting Waspia after all. Honeybee had been all for it, saying that surprise is often the greatest weapon a vigilante could have.

"Let's go." Waspia and Honeybee made their way back up the fire escape, careful to cause as little sound as possible as they made it to the roof. Honeybee lithely skittered across the rooftop, almost effortlessly moving at a near silence. Waspia knew that came with practice, but she wondered if she would ever be able to move similarly.

Honeybee jumped to the next roof, and Waspia could feel the infectious joy pouring off her niece. Waspia smiled and followed after her. It was clear Honeybee was in her element here. Honeybee had been doing this for so long, Waspia was sure it must be second nature for her to be able to do these things. To fight criminals and stick to the shadows. It was like a switch went off, allowing Honeybee to transform from a young girl into a warrior of the night. It was tremendous to watch, like watching a firefly turn on its light in the midst of the dark.

Waspia landed in a roll on the next roof, and she looked up from her crouch to see Honeybee waiting on the other side of the roof, leaned against the door that led to this roof, arms and legs crossed. They were due to meet Batman and Robin on this roof, as a means of proper introduction as Waspia. Batman had briefly met Melody when he visited Betty on the roof all those months ago, but he had yet to truly to meet her as a vigilante, as someone who wished to be his equal, even if she wasn't yet.

Waspia shuffled awkwardly over to where Honeybee was standing. Honeybee was non-chalant, as if a meeting with Batman was something regularly on her to-do list. And Waspia supposed it was – he was the mission supervisor for the covert missions team that her niece was apart of.

Waspia heard nothing, but Honeybee must have, because she rolled her eyes and looked over Waspia's shoulder.

"Please don't try and frighten her," Honeybee dully stated, and Waspia furrowed her brow. She frowned and turned around on her heel and gave a slight jump as she realized how close the protégé of Batman was to her.

While she had met Batman in passing before, all she knew about Robin came from second-hand accounts from Betty and Jason and the news reports of his exploits. Waspia was not sure what she was expecting, but she was not expecting…. someone so child-like. Of course, he still was a child, just like Honeybee was, but he had also seemed so mythical. She hadn't expected someone so small and skinny, his joints pointing out like there was not enough room in his body for them. His dark hair was swept across his face, his mouth pulled up in what seemed a perpetual smile.

"Just having a little fun, Bee," Robin defended. Honeybee rolled her eyes and stepped forward, crossing her arms as she came to stand beside Waspia.

"We have very different versions of fun, friend-o-mine," Honeybee snarked, and Robin's body seemed to come alive with the banter. His smile became wider, and he shifted on his feet, like the words sent an electric shock to respond to them. Robin opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off by his mentor appearing at the edge of the roof.

Batman was less of surprise, but Waspia was still shocked into silence. Batman was nothing more than a huge mass of the shadows, a tall, burly man dressed in the darkest colors imaginable. His mere presence seemed to take up the whole roof, despite only being on the edge of it. His cape swished as he moved and his slow gait made his presence seem even larger than he already was, all her attention focused on him.

"Waspia," Batman greeted, nodding his head at her. He turned his gaze on Honeybee and did not once drop his serious frown. "Honeybee."

Waspia was still too stunned to respond, so Honeybee did it for the both of them.

"Hello, Batman," Honeybee fondly welcomed. It was a complete one-eighty from mere months ago, where Honeybee could not here Batman's name without a sneer or a thinly veiled comment. Honeybee had managed to find it in herself to bury the hatchet with Batman, to once again work with him and look to him for guidance. It was a bumpy road, one that Waspia now got a backseat view to watch.

Waspia shook her head and raised her hand to wave, but then dropped it. Did heroes wave? She wasn't sure.

Batman zeroed in on her and stepped in front of her, and Waspia could not ignore the way he was scrutinizing her, sizing her up, comparing her to her sister. Honeybee had explained Melody's relation to the first Waspia, and Waspia had no doubt her sister's old ally and friend was going to compare her to the old one. It was a natural response after all. It wasn't like Waspia herself wasn't doing the same thing with every mistake or triumph she had.

Long moments of silence entranced them and Waspia knew she would not be the one to break it. Her tongue seemed to have been robbed from her, keeping her from speaking. Honeybee and Robin watched them quietly for a few of those quiet moments, before Honeybee motioned for Robin to follow her over to the other side of the roof. Off they went to the other side, laughing under their breath about something. Waspia could just about make out the word 'Aqualad', but that was all.

"Your sister was a good friend of mine," Batman lowly stated. His voice was haunting, deep and low. "I'm sure she would be happy you're continuing her legacy."

Waspia smiled, grateful, and then cast her gaze onto the two protégés at the edge of the roof.

"I'm not planning on being Waspia forever," Waspia whispered. "Just until she's ready."

There was no doubt who 'she' was. Betty. Betty was the one who was the heir to Waspia's name, not Melody. The only reason Melody had decided to be Waspia in the interim was because Waspia was familiar to the people of Gotham. It would make them feel safer to have someone, anyone willing to fight for them the same way that Waspia had.

But Melody knew it could not last forever. Waspia was not hers to keep, it rightfully belonged to Betty to be the one to continue the legacy. She just wasn't ready yet, for now she was content to be Honeybee. She was content to stay where she was. And though she had come a long way, she still had so much healing left to do, and a lot of growing into the woman she would become. It would be years before she was ready, Melody knew that. And once she was ready, Melody would gladly step aside and disappear once again back into civilian life. Or perhaps take up a new name, Melody was not sure yet.

"Has anyone seen you?" Batman asked. Waspia shook her head.

"No, aside from some drug dealers and criminals," Waspia said. Batman nodded once, minimally, so quickly that Waspia was not sure that it was not a figment of her imagination.

"Good," Batman replied. "It won't be long before the public catches wind of Waspia's return, so we'll need to keep the element of surprise for as long as possible."

"That's what me and Bet-Honeybee figured," Waspia agreed. Waspia shifted on her feet awkwardly and looked up at the tall, burly man in front of her.

"How's J?" Waspia softly inquired. Batman's lips twitched into something almost fond before his expression returned to its thin, expressionless line. Melody may not have as close a relationship with Jason as Betty did, but she still cared for the boy. She had helped take care of him for almost a year, it was bound to happen that she would grow an attachment to him, and she was worried about him being in a new environment.

"Progressing nicely," Batman said, which Melody took as code for 'adjusting good'.

"Good." Melody looked across the roof to Robin and Honeybee, who were currently giggling about something, most likely an inside joke of some sort. Melody sighed and looked away, and Batman seemed to pick up on this.

"They'll keep each other safe," Batman said. Of course Batman knew her greatest concern was Betty's safety. Waspia had considered taking away Honeybee all together after Sarah died, but she knew that was a threat she could never enforce, and, honestly, she was too proud of her niece for having the courage to do it. But she also worried incessantly that her niece would be the next to fall, that hers would be the next funeral she attended.

That was half the reason she did this. So Honeybee always had someone to watch her six, to back her up and keep her from taking too great of risks for someone her age. Because as much as she loved her niece, she knew Betty could be…. reckless at times. Especially when it came to the people she loved.

Waspia sighed and stood straighter. She could do this, she could get Betty safe.

Because if she didn't, who would?

Chapter Bible Verse:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." – Philippians 4:13

So, this functions as a prologue to the real meat of the time-skip, so it's a shorter than the rest that will follow. I hope y'all enjoyed anyway.

And as a side note, I'll be gone for the next few days, away from my laptop, so it'll be at least a solid week before a new chapter comes out, most likely longer. Just a fair warning.

Review Replies:
MsRosePetal: I can't believe it either! I half-expected myself to run out of steam somewhere around mid-season and not get to the end of the season, and yet, here we are! I plan to do all the seasons, and nothing seems to be changing that plan right now. And I struggled a lot with what to do for Honeybee in the New Years Scene, as her addition made an uneven number. I thought about having her give a friendly kiss on the cheek to Kaldur, but that felt out of character. It felt a little strange to have Robin and Honeybee kiss in that scene, since I've made them quasi-siblings through Jason. Thank you so much for leaving a review and have a blessed day!

Questions, comments, or concerns, let me know! Have a blessed day!

-PrincessChess