NOTE: Bubo virginianus nacurutu is more commonly known as the Magellan's Eagle Owl @---http://www.hawk-conservancy.org/priors/magellan.shtml---@
CHAPTER 7
.:The Voice of Desperation:.
The bullet grazed against Dinah's left cheek, bringing her to rest on the floor beside her friend's lifeless form.
"May..." Dinah shook the lifeless body; blood spattered onto her arm. "No... please, no!" May's head lolled from side to side as the shaking intensified.
"Your friend May?" Barbara's sharp voice in her ear brought Dinah out of the reverie of utter disbelief and fear.
"Yeah."
"What's going on?"
"It's the girl we came to rescue... it's... she's... May."
"As in your friend May."
A miserable silence was the distraught teenager's answer. Now that she could concentrate a bit better, she searched for what had brought her friend down. Left arm... nothing. Right arm... again nothing. Dinah leaned her weight against the floor behind May's head; it was cold and damp. She lifted her hand slowly to her face. It was stained red- blood red.
"No..."
"What is it!" Barbara's stern no-nonsense voice again saved the girl from sinking into utter despair.
Dinah gulped, then turned her friend's head sideways. "Bullet wound to the side of the head, around the temple area. I can't see an exit wound..." Tears rolled down her cheeks even as she spoke.
"I want you back here right now. And bring May. She... might not be gone yet."
Dinah hefted the limp body of her friend over her shoulder and walked towards the window. Helena, like many of the hitmen, turned her head to stare at her adopted sister walking through an invisible tunnel, surrounded by a spring rain of deadened falling bullets.
*******
((I think it's time to leave.))
The voice reverberated through Helena's head, and she spun around looking for the source.
((Just follow.))
Lily pelted towards the window willy-nilly, avoiding bullets and gunmen. Five feet from the window she slowed slightly... three feet... two feet... one foot... With half a foot left between her long wolf legs and the window frame the teenager-gone-wolf gathered her legs up beneath her and leapt. Huntress followed suit, missing the railing of the fire escape by inches and somersaulting downwards.
She landed on her feet, catlike, and was immediately up and running. An eagle owl swooped alongside her through the darkened alley.
((Do you see Dinah?))
Huntress skidded to a sudden stop. "Okay, where the hell are you!"
((Right here, dimwit.))
"C'mon, show yourself! Otherwise I'll find you and..."
((You are blind, aren't you. Concentrate on my voice. Sound familiar?))
Huntress paused for a second, pondering. "Lily..."
((Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Vanna, please tell our lovely contestant what she's won!))
"But... how? I mean, birds usually don't talk."
The owl landed on a nearby dumpster. ((That's weird. I don't think I've ever done that before. Talking, I mean. It just never occurred to me.)) The raptor shoulders arched back in a shrug.
"What have you stopped for? I need you back stat- Dinah's already here, the time it's taking you two!" Barbara's voice cracked to life over Helena's comm.
((On our way. Over and out.))
"What? Lily, my readings show that Helena has the headset and that you are, well... a bird right now. Bubo virginianus nacurutu, to be exact, which would leave you unable to talk."
Now you know what's taking us so long," Helena said calmly. "So while you try and puzzle it out, we're on our way."
She cut the comm link and started running again.
*******
Barbara dipped the sterile cloth back into a bedside water bowl and moistened May's fevered head with it, staring at the off-white bandage hiding a nasty bullet wound.
It's a miracle she's still with us.
The girl's sandy-coloured hair shifted slightly, as if brushed by a soft autumn wind. She shifted slightly sideways and let out a muffled, unconscious groan.
But how much longer can she hold on?
A tear fell from Barbara's cheek onto the cloth, already becoming sticky with fevered sweat. She re-moistened it in the bowl and placed it back on May's forehead.
"I'm sure you don't have to worry too much about her, Miss Barbara. If she truly wishes to make it through and see another day, then she'll find the strength somewhere."
"But what if she doesn't want to make it? What if that killer survival instinct we all seem to have deserts her?"
"Then we will deal with that when the time comes." All the cares of the butler's life, written in some forgotten language across his features, seemed to be increased threefold by the bright light of the Clocktower's medical facility. "Would you like me to bring you some tea?"
"Coffee, black. Lots of sugar. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night."
*******
Dinah was grabbing a can of Pepsi and from the fridge when Alfred entered the kitchen.
"I would suggest you try and get some sleep, Miss Dinah. There's nothing more for us to do other than wait and hope."
Dinah fell into a chair and set the cold can down beside the container of ice cream she had rummaged from the freezer moments before. Grabbing a spoon, she dug in.
"Pardon me, but you will do no good if the only things keeping you awake are massive amounts of caffeine and sugar." Alfred said, grabbing the unopened pop and putting it back in the fridge.
"The ice cream, Miss Dinah." Alfred held out his hand and grabbed the ice cream that the teenager pushed across the table. "Now, I want you to go to bed and sleep. No arguments!" Dinah's mouth snapped shut. To tired to glare at Alfred, she turned around and dragged her feet to her room.
"Hey, maybe some sleep will do me good."
She pushed the door, not caring if it shut properly and fell into bed, clothes and all. She wasn't even under the covers when Helena and Lily passed by the partially open door two minutes later and paused.
"I told you she snores!" Helena whispered.
*******
The panther clung to the fire escape, hanging on with rapidly weakening claws. There was a tearing sound as one of the claws went limp. Emerald eyes pleaded, in pain, seeking some reprise. Then the black fur altered, like the sun rising over the mighty bulk of Mount Kiliminjaro. Where darkness reigned tawny gold took over. The paws grew bigger; the cat grew bigger. A lioness now hung from the metal ladder. The previously torn claw clung powerfully again, healed.
"Lily, no… not you too!" Dinah whispered.
((Two are better than one. Help May, and then help me.))
"But-"
((You'll understand.))
Lily motioned with her head towards a tall shape on the horizon, the Clocktower.
((Go. I'm fine, but she's not.))
Dinah stared questioningly at her friend one more time, then turned and began running.
((Awaken the power within.))
CHAPTER 7
.:The Voice of Desperation:.
The bullet grazed against Dinah's left cheek, bringing her to rest on the floor beside her friend's lifeless form.
"May..." Dinah shook the lifeless body; blood spattered onto her arm. "No... please, no!" May's head lolled from side to side as the shaking intensified.
"Your friend May?" Barbara's sharp voice in her ear brought Dinah out of the reverie of utter disbelief and fear.
"Yeah."
"What's going on?"
"It's the girl we came to rescue... it's... she's... May."
"As in your friend May."
A miserable silence was the distraught teenager's answer. Now that she could concentrate a bit better, she searched for what had brought her friend down. Left arm... nothing. Right arm... again nothing. Dinah leaned her weight against the floor behind May's head; it was cold and damp. She lifted her hand slowly to her face. It was stained red- blood red.
"No..."
"What is it!" Barbara's stern no-nonsense voice again saved the girl from sinking into utter despair.
Dinah gulped, then turned her friend's head sideways. "Bullet wound to the side of the head, around the temple area. I can't see an exit wound..." Tears rolled down her cheeks even as she spoke.
"I want you back here right now. And bring May. She... might not be gone yet."
Dinah hefted the limp body of her friend over her shoulder and walked towards the window. Helena, like many of the hitmen, turned her head to stare at her adopted sister walking through an invisible tunnel, surrounded by a spring rain of deadened falling bullets.
*******
((I think it's time to leave.))
The voice reverberated through Helena's head, and she spun around looking for the source.
((Just follow.))
Lily pelted towards the window willy-nilly, avoiding bullets and gunmen. Five feet from the window she slowed slightly... three feet... two feet... one foot... With half a foot left between her long wolf legs and the window frame the teenager-gone-wolf gathered her legs up beneath her and leapt. Huntress followed suit, missing the railing of the fire escape by inches and somersaulting downwards.
She landed on her feet, catlike, and was immediately up and running. An eagle owl swooped alongside her through the darkened alley.
((Do you see Dinah?))
Huntress skidded to a sudden stop. "Okay, where the hell are you!"
((Right here, dimwit.))
"C'mon, show yourself! Otherwise I'll find you and..."
((You are blind, aren't you. Concentrate on my voice. Sound familiar?))
Huntress paused for a second, pondering. "Lily..."
((Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Vanna, please tell our lovely contestant what she's won!))
"But... how? I mean, birds usually don't talk."
The owl landed on a nearby dumpster. ((That's weird. I don't think I've ever done that before. Talking, I mean. It just never occurred to me.)) The raptor shoulders arched back in a shrug.
"What have you stopped for? I need you back stat- Dinah's already here, the time it's taking you two!" Barbara's voice cracked to life over Helena's comm.
((On our way. Over and out.))
"What? Lily, my readings show that Helena has the headset and that you are, well... a bird right now. Bubo virginianus nacurutu, to be exact, which would leave you unable to talk."
Now you know what's taking us so long," Helena said calmly. "So while you try and puzzle it out, we're on our way."
She cut the comm link and started running again.
*******
Barbara dipped the sterile cloth back into a bedside water bowl and moistened May's fevered head with it, staring at the off-white bandage hiding a nasty bullet wound.
It's a miracle she's still with us.
The girl's sandy-coloured hair shifted slightly, as if brushed by a soft autumn wind. She shifted slightly sideways and let out a muffled, unconscious groan.
But how much longer can she hold on?
A tear fell from Barbara's cheek onto the cloth, already becoming sticky with fevered sweat. She re-moistened it in the bowl and placed it back on May's forehead.
"I'm sure you don't have to worry too much about her, Miss Barbara. If she truly wishes to make it through and see another day, then she'll find the strength somewhere."
"But what if she doesn't want to make it? What if that killer survival instinct we all seem to have deserts her?"
"Then we will deal with that when the time comes." All the cares of the butler's life, written in some forgotten language across his features, seemed to be increased threefold by the bright light of the Clocktower's medical facility. "Would you like me to bring you some tea?"
"Coffee, black. Lots of sugar. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night."
*******
Dinah was grabbing a can of Pepsi and from the fridge when Alfred entered the kitchen.
"I would suggest you try and get some sleep, Miss Dinah. There's nothing more for us to do other than wait and hope."
Dinah fell into a chair and set the cold can down beside the container of ice cream she had rummaged from the freezer moments before. Grabbing a spoon, she dug in.
"Pardon me, but you will do no good if the only things keeping you awake are massive amounts of caffeine and sugar." Alfred said, grabbing the unopened pop and putting it back in the fridge.
"The ice cream, Miss Dinah." Alfred held out his hand and grabbed the ice cream that the teenager pushed across the table. "Now, I want you to go to bed and sleep. No arguments!" Dinah's mouth snapped shut. To tired to glare at Alfred, she turned around and dragged her feet to her room.
"Hey, maybe some sleep will do me good."
She pushed the door, not caring if it shut properly and fell into bed, clothes and all. She wasn't even under the covers when Helena and Lily passed by the partially open door two minutes later and paused.
"I told you she snores!" Helena whispered.
*******
The panther clung to the fire escape, hanging on with rapidly weakening claws. There was a tearing sound as one of the claws went limp. Emerald eyes pleaded, in pain, seeking some reprise. Then the black fur altered, like the sun rising over the mighty bulk of Mount Kiliminjaro. Where darkness reigned tawny gold took over. The paws grew bigger; the cat grew bigger. A lioness now hung from the metal ladder. The previously torn claw clung powerfully again, healed.
"Lily, no… not you too!" Dinah whispered.
((Two are better than one. Help May, and then help me.))
"But-"
((You'll understand.))
Lily motioned with her head towards a tall shape on the horizon, the Clocktower.
((Go. I'm fine, but she's not.))
Dinah stared questioningly at her friend one more time, then turned and began running.
((Awaken the power within.))