CHAPTER 3
.:Confrontation:.
Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep SLAM!
The damaged alarm clock stopped it's annoying beeping as May slammed her fist on it. For a minute she just lay in bed, then her eyes shot open.
I didn't set the alarm clock!
She tumbled out of bed, dragging the sheets with her and looking for anything to prove that someone had been here in the night. Someone else that is. But she found nothing, no traces to speak of.
So it is my sister! But… how did she find me? How could she possibly know I'm here?
Confused and bruised May despairingly heaved herself off the floor. None of this was making sense. The last time she'd seen her twin was at the last town she'd stopped at- a small fishing town, Blud-something-or-other. It was a nice place to settle down. But her sister, her pursuer had found her there too.
What puzzled May the most was that she'd left her sister in an inescapable situation, one that nobody could get out of. Many times had her sister slid out of danger by the nape of her neck, but even her sister couldn't get out of this one by herself.
Fishing in the piles of clothes, she found some clothes and threw them on hastily. Glancing at the clock on the way out the door May saw she had wasted a lot of time trying to puzzle out the mystery. Dashing through the factory and out the door May wondered if there was a bus anywhere near here. Not that there was time to find out right now. Totally forgetting that it was spring break, she dashed off in the direction of the school.
*******
Wade Brixton got out of his car in front of the Clocktower and was about to enter the building when a blonde cannonball knocked him nearly off his feet.
"You're late! C'mon, let's go."
He grabbed Dinah's shoulder as she made for the car and spun her around.
"I think you've forgotten something. Spring break would come to mind, but that's just my opinion." A quiet smile accompanied his statement.
"Eh... ha ha, I was just kidding." Quite embarrassed and eager to go back inside, Dinah led the way to the elevator. On the way up they chatted enthusiastically about the benefits and disadvantages of spring break.
"But there is no disadvantages!" Wade said with a widening smile.
Dinah was listing off all the advantages when the elevator doors opened to the room behind the clock face- headquarters and home to the three who lived there.
"...and you get a break from schoolwork, and rules, and teachers..."
Barbara's voice emanated from behind a computer monitor. "Then it must not be spring break for you. I'm a teacher- remember? Plus there's all kinds of rules here, like don't leave your clothes scattered on the floor, don't talk my boyfriend to death-"
"I get the picture." Dinah trooped up to her room with a disgruntled sigh; she'd forgotten about her room.
"Now, where do you want to go for lunch?" Wade asked Barbara.
"How about the Seaside Café? You know, down by the docks? Or maybe you've been stuck in the school so long you've forgotten where that is?" Barbara teased gently.
"I'll drive, but you'll have to show me the way." he replied.
Just as they were headed to Wade's car, Helena's voice came from upstairs.
"This is where all my clothes were! This is mine, this is mine, this is definitely mine… do you have any clothes of your own? Since you borrowed my clothes without asking, you can wash them too. Now!" Helena jumped the last three stairs as she came down to gat a laundry basket. "Hi Wade, are you and Barbara going out somewhere?"
"With a glance in the general direction of Dinah's room, she replied. "Yes, we're going out for lunch. And it looks to me you've got everything under control."
Sensing the underlying sarcasm in the older woman's voice, Helena didn't reply. Continuing on her search for a laundry basket she threw a goodbye over her shoulder. "See you later then. Measure the doorway on your way out, it wouldn't be good for you to eat so much you don't fit in the elevator when you come back."
"So," Wade said as he watched Helena search among the computer equipment for a laundry basket. "Where are we going again?"
He was still getting used to Barbara's sassy co-worker. Many times had he heard her talk back and not get reprimanded- if it was him she was cheeking… More than ever he appreciated Barbara's patience, but now he knew where she got it from.
Instead of an answer Wade got a blank stare. Getting the hint he continued to the elevator. "If we hurry she won't notice we're gone until we reach the end of the block."
The elevator doors closed and the elevator itself started downwards.
A minute later Dinah came to the top of the staircase. She looked for Helena and, finding her among the pots and pans, yelled out to her. "We don't have any laundry baskets!"
*******
May stared up at the school; it's darkened windows reminded her of something important. Spring break, which meant no school.
How could I make such a stupid mistake? Why did my sister set my alarm clock?
A small cat with light brown fur interrupted the teenager's confused thoughts. It rubbed against her legs, smoothing it's fur onto the leg of her jeans. May picked the cat up and petted it absently for a minute.
There was some reason she wanted me here.
The cat suddenly jumped out of her arms and landed on the pavement. The instant it's feet touched the ground it was up and running towards an alley. May followed, unsure of what this cute cat had in mind, if anything. Something inside her said follow it. She listened.
May blinked in the relative shadow of the alley, looking around for the cat. Behind a dumpster light brown fur, darkened slightly by the shadows, flashed for a minute, then disappeared. The silky hide was replaced by human skin; the cat changed into a girl before her very eyes. May looked at the girl, a teenager. It was like looking into a mirror, except for the difference in clothing.
"Lily. It's been a while."
The girl's response was quick. "Yeah, but it'd take you a lot longer to totally untie yourself from a log headed downriver."
May's eyes flashed at the reference to the situation she'd left her sister in.
"Of course," Lily continued, "you didn't mean to leave me tied to a log. You'd never do that."
The way Lily stressed the words referring to May's intentions… it made her blood boil. As it was, she couldn't think of anything to say in return. So she asked the question that was foremost on her mind. "How did you get out of that one. Used your little, ability did you? Not that I can see how that would help."
Lily's reply shocked her sister. "No, I found a little unwanted help." It wasn't the fact she'd had help (she had suspected that for a while) it was that she revealed the fact so openly. Lily had always been a very proud girl. What had changed?
"And who was it that helped you, Santa Claus?" The contempt in May's voice was very plain.
Lily looked off into space for a minute, as if remembering something pleasant, then answered: "He called himself... Nightwing. I had seen him before, patrolling the rooftops, catching criminals. He made it look like fun. He, just, came out of nowhere after you left me to the river, and he..."
"I don't want to hear your awestruck tale of this 'Nightwing' character. I want you to leave me alone!"
"But... May" Lily's voice stammered, "I'm your sister!"
"So? Just because we're bound by blood doesn't mean you can follow me everywhere! Now just go!"
The hurt on Lily's face was far too obvious as she turned and dashed up the nearby fire escape. At the top her form, a dark shadow in front of the weak early spring sunlight, shifted into that of a beetle. As the beetle alighted, black back shining proudly, a single tear fell at May's feet. Then it was gone.
.:Confrontation:.
Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep SLAM!
The damaged alarm clock stopped it's annoying beeping as May slammed her fist on it. For a minute she just lay in bed, then her eyes shot open.
I didn't set the alarm clock!
She tumbled out of bed, dragging the sheets with her and looking for anything to prove that someone had been here in the night. Someone else that is. But she found nothing, no traces to speak of.
So it is my sister! But… how did she find me? How could she possibly know I'm here?
Confused and bruised May despairingly heaved herself off the floor. None of this was making sense. The last time she'd seen her twin was at the last town she'd stopped at- a small fishing town, Blud-something-or-other. It was a nice place to settle down. But her sister, her pursuer had found her there too.
What puzzled May the most was that she'd left her sister in an inescapable situation, one that nobody could get out of. Many times had her sister slid out of danger by the nape of her neck, but even her sister couldn't get out of this one by herself.
Fishing in the piles of clothes, she found some clothes and threw them on hastily. Glancing at the clock on the way out the door May saw she had wasted a lot of time trying to puzzle out the mystery. Dashing through the factory and out the door May wondered if there was a bus anywhere near here. Not that there was time to find out right now. Totally forgetting that it was spring break, she dashed off in the direction of the school.
*******
Wade Brixton got out of his car in front of the Clocktower and was about to enter the building when a blonde cannonball knocked him nearly off his feet.
"You're late! C'mon, let's go."
He grabbed Dinah's shoulder as she made for the car and spun her around.
"I think you've forgotten something. Spring break would come to mind, but that's just my opinion." A quiet smile accompanied his statement.
"Eh... ha ha, I was just kidding." Quite embarrassed and eager to go back inside, Dinah led the way to the elevator. On the way up they chatted enthusiastically about the benefits and disadvantages of spring break.
"But there is no disadvantages!" Wade said with a widening smile.
Dinah was listing off all the advantages when the elevator doors opened to the room behind the clock face- headquarters and home to the three who lived there.
"...and you get a break from schoolwork, and rules, and teachers..."
Barbara's voice emanated from behind a computer monitor. "Then it must not be spring break for you. I'm a teacher- remember? Plus there's all kinds of rules here, like don't leave your clothes scattered on the floor, don't talk my boyfriend to death-"
"I get the picture." Dinah trooped up to her room with a disgruntled sigh; she'd forgotten about her room.
"Now, where do you want to go for lunch?" Wade asked Barbara.
"How about the Seaside Café? You know, down by the docks? Or maybe you've been stuck in the school so long you've forgotten where that is?" Barbara teased gently.
"I'll drive, but you'll have to show me the way." he replied.
Just as they were headed to Wade's car, Helena's voice came from upstairs.
"This is where all my clothes were! This is mine, this is mine, this is definitely mine… do you have any clothes of your own? Since you borrowed my clothes without asking, you can wash them too. Now!" Helena jumped the last three stairs as she came down to gat a laundry basket. "Hi Wade, are you and Barbara going out somewhere?"
"With a glance in the general direction of Dinah's room, she replied. "Yes, we're going out for lunch. And it looks to me you've got everything under control."
Sensing the underlying sarcasm in the older woman's voice, Helena didn't reply. Continuing on her search for a laundry basket she threw a goodbye over her shoulder. "See you later then. Measure the doorway on your way out, it wouldn't be good for you to eat so much you don't fit in the elevator when you come back."
"So," Wade said as he watched Helena search among the computer equipment for a laundry basket. "Where are we going again?"
He was still getting used to Barbara's sassy co-worker. Many times had he heard her talk back and not get reprimanded- if it was him she was cheeking… More than ever he appreciated Barbara's patience, but now he knew where she got it from.
Instead of an answer Wade got a blank stare. Getting the hint he continued to the elevator. "If we hurry she won't notice we're gone until we reach the end of the block."
The elevator doors closed and the elevator itself started downwards.
A minute later Dinah came to the top of the staircase. She looked for Helena and, finding her among the pots and pans, yelled out to her. "We don't have any laundry baskets!"
*******
May stared up at the school; it's darkened windows reminded her of something important. Spring break, which meant no school.
How could I make such a stupid mistake? Why did my sister set my alarm clock?
A small cat with light brown fur interrupted the teenager's confused thoughts. It rubbed against her legs, smoothing it's fur onto the leg of her jeans. May picked the cat up and petted it absently for a minute.
There was some reason she wanted me here.
The cat suddenly jumped out of her arms and landed on the pavement. The instant it's feet touched the ground it was up and running towards an alley. May followed, unsure of what this cute cat had in mind, if anything. Something inside her said follow it. She listened.
May blinked in the relative shadow of the alley, looking around for the cat. Behind a dumpster light brown fur, darkened slightly by the shadows, flashed for a minute, then disappeared. The silky hide was replaced by human skin; the cat changed into a girl before her very eyes. May looked at the girl, a teenager. It was like looking into a mirror, except for the difference in clothing.
"Lily. It's been a while."
The girl's response was quick. "Yeah, but it'd take you a lot longer to totally untie yourself from a log headed downriver."
May's eyes flashed at the reference to the situation she'd left her sister in.
"Of course," Lily continued, "you didn't mean to leave me tied to a log. You'd never do that."
The way Lily stressed the words referring to May's intentions… it made her blood boil. As it was, she couldn't think of anything to say in return. So she asked the question that was foremost on her mind. "How did you get out of that one. Used your little, ability did you? Not that I can see how that would help."
Lily's reply shocked her sister. "No, I found a little unwanted help." It wasn't the fact she'd had help (she had suspected that for a while) it was that she revealed the fact so openly. Lily had always been a very proud girl. What had changed?
"And who was it that helped you, Santa Claus?" The contempt in May's voice was very plain.
Lily looked off into space for a minute, as if remembering something pleasant, then answered: "He called himself... Nightwing. I had seen him before, patrolling the rooftops, catching criminals. He made it look like fun. He, just, came out of nowhere after you left me to the river, and he..."
"I don't want to hear your awestruck tale of this 'Nightwing' character. I want you to leave me alone!"
"But... May" Lily's voice stammered, "I'm your sister!"
"So? Just because we're bound by blood doesn't mean you can follow me everywhere! Now just go!"
The hurt on Lily's face was far too obvious as she turned and dashed up the nearby fire escape. At the top her form, a dark shadow in front of the weak early spring sunlight, shifted into that of a beetle. As the beetle alighted, black back shining proudly, a single tear fell at May's feet. Then it was gone.