Lifetimes
By Carla
DISCLAIMERS: All the characters and locations belong to DC or Warner, I'm just playing around with them. Helena-oriented, but other characters play a big role as well.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: First I want to apologize cause it took me so long to post this part. Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter tomorrow. But, since I realize you're waiting for my updates and I don't want to you guys to believe I'm just dragging this thing, I have to warn you, next week I can't update until, in the best case, Sunday. The reason is I'm an archaeologist and I have to be all week long at the site and we don't have our computers at the field. When I get back home, I'll update. Now, enjoy this part!
Chapter VII: Encounters
It was 10:00 p.m. Where was she? She should be home already, she needed to talk to her NOW!! This was her whole world in crisis. She finally heard keys opening the door.
"Finally!" Helena exclaimed when her mother made her entrance. Selina Kyle just smiled.
"Hello to you too, love. I had a great day, thank you very much. What about you darling? How was your day?" Selina asked with a smile as she kicked her shoes away and threw herself on the couch.
"I've being waiting for you, mom!" Helena cried out.
"I told you I was coming in late tonight, what are you so worked up about?" she asked, looking straight to Helena's eyes.
"I know mom! Sorry!" Helena threw herself over the couch as well, by her mother's side.
"Never mind, what's up? Why this sudden urgency for my presence? I see like a dozen chocolate bars here so I'm guessing boy trouble." Selina said as she took one of the bars.
"Ha ha. Okay, truth be told it is boy trouble but it's really, really serious boy trouble!"
"Okay, shoot."
"Harry is dating Samantha!" Helena stared at her mother waiting for a big reaction, but Selina just stared at her with her piercing green eyes, her mouth closed and no reaction evident in her face. After about three minutes Selina finally spoke.
"Okay I'm going on a limp here, is this the same Harry you broke up with a month ago?" Helena didn't expect that.
"Umh... well... yeah, I guess..."
"And correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you dating this Todd guy?"
"Ye... yes... kinda..."
"Alright... I don't get it Helena."
"Harry is dating Samantha!!" she said again.
"I got the actual sentence baby, not why you're writing a soap opera on the subject. I thought Harry is a childish, arrogant, egotistical, jealous pig."
"Well he is!"
"So..."
"So he is my pig! I don't want him dating Samantha." Selina smiled. "Are you mocking me? This is serious mom!"
"I'm not mocking you Helena, and I know this is very serious for you, but what did you expect? You broke up with the guy and started things with Todd, I'm sorry honey, but this was bound to happen." Helena remained in silence, she knew her mother was right, but she didn't want to admit it to herself, at least not yet.
"I just..."
"Don't want him seeing someone else."
"Yeah."
"Are you still in love with him?"
"I... Todd is great..."
"You just answered my question."
"I love Harry, mom, but things are just so hard with him... so I figured it was just not worthy if half the time we're fighting and we simply don't agree on anything!"
"Is that really what you want? Some guy you to follow you around like a puppy, too afraid to voice his opinion and disagree with you?"
"I don't know!!" Helena covered her eyes with her hand. "See? Nothing can be simple with Harry, everything is always blown out of proportion?"
"Baby... come here." Helena willingly went into her mother's arms, she always felt safe when she held her, ever since she was a baby.
"What do I do, mom?"
"I can't tell you that, Helena. You're fifteen years old, this is your decision."
"What will you do?"
"That's a question to get the exact same answer! You think I'm dumb or something?"
"Come on mom! And opinion here, please?"
"Fine. Personally, I enjoy the differences in character. And about things being always easy, it just doesn't happen, Helena. Not in the real world. Relationships that are to last, those take time and hard work, that's just the way things are. I know you love Harry very much, but that won't make it easier, if anything, the more you love a person, the more difficult it is."
"That can't be right."
"Can't it? If you were to find out Todd is seeing someone else right now, would it bother you as much as Harry seeing Samantha?"
"No..."
"Even the greatest loves can't survive some things. Staying on a relationship, making it work, it's like gambling. What you've got to decide is if at some point the bets are so high you don't want to play anymore." Helena could see her mother's expression change, it was somehow more somber. She knew that sometimes saying things like that were hard for her mother, and she could guess why. Helena just wasn't quite sure how to ask. She decided to take a leap and ask the question she had wanted to ask her for a long time now.
"Is that what happened with you and my father?" Selina's head snapped to look at her in the eye, very often her mother got nervous. This was one of those times. "Mom, things were so hard with my father that you didn't want to bet anymore?" It took some time before Selina spoke again. Helena knew her mother, she was now thinking about the best way to say whatever she was about to say.
"Took you a long time to ask." Selina finally said. Helena smiled, she was stalling.
"I didn't want to make you sad."
"You couldn't do that honey," Helena felt her mother caress her cheek with one hand and grab her hand with the other. "You've made me happier than I ever thought I could be, you know? I love you very much."
"I love you very much, too."
"And... your father and I loved each other very much as well." Helena could feel her heart beating hard in her chest. They were finally having this conversation.
"What happened?"
"It wasn't easy for one thing. You think Harry and you don't agree on anything? You're amateurs, darling. But it was fun, interesting... and very real. Helena... never think your dad was a monster that abandoned you, okay? I took the decision and... for matters I can't really begin to explain to you right now... who we were back then... I made the choice to raise you by myself." A tear threatened to fell down Selina's cheek, Helena took both her mother's hands in hers. Selina smiled at her. "As much as I loved him, and I did, I had to give you a chance to have a more... conventional life. What I felt you needed to grow up in a safe, loving environment, I knew he couldn't quite give it to you the way I have tried to. He would've loved you very much, trust me."
"You left him because of me?"
"Oh, no honey, no. Please, don't feel guilty or anything. It was my choice. I've never regretted it for one day in my life, because I look at you... you're beautiful, smart, minus the Harry-drama I think you're happy with your life, you're safe, that's what I wanted for you, that was the most important thing in the world, Helena. If anything, I should apologize to you, because I'm the reason you don't have your dad here."
"No, mom." Helena took this moment to throw herself at her mother's arms. "Don't apologize, I do like my life a lot, and I love you. I've never needed a father, I have you, that's all that matters." Helena hugged her mother with all the strength she could, to erase Selina's fear that Helena might blame her for something.
"You wanted my advice?" her mother asked as she pushed her away softly. "Easy is boring. You want something really, really bad? You take it, damned the consequences. You only get one lifetime, you owe it to yourself to be happy with your decisions. You love Harry, he loves you, for today, that's enough." Helena smiled as her mother stood up and kissed the top of her head. "I'm taking a shower, then we can finish those chocolate bars and see some old movies or something."
"Cool." Helena waited until her mother disappeared in the bathroom, still thinking about what she had learned tonight. She didn't lie, she never needed a thing besides her mother. She had taught Helena all she ever knew and she had given her an amazing life. And her last lesson was an important one. Helena took the phone and dialed a number she knew all too well. She waited.
::Hello?:: came the voice.
"Harry? This is Helena..."
She could understand that relationships weren't always easy. She had learned it with Reese too in a way, when Darkstrike had been around. 'Simple' just wasn't what she wanted. She was sure of it when Oracle's voice had came through their com link. Then, she had opened her eyes and found an uncommon source of warmth by her side. She had at first been surprised to find Reese, specially a very naked Reese, on Reese's bed, and she was out of clothes as well. It had been nice, more than nice. Helena had wanted to forget about everything else in the world, all her problems, the Joker, Batman... All she had cared about at that brief instant had been the way she had so perfectly fitted in Reese's arms.
But that had been then. Now, they were in Reese's car, driving to DeMott and Berkeley, were they had to check out the bank, looking for the Joker.
"You know, I could have taken the rooftops. I would be there already," she stated.
"No you wouldn't."
"Of course I would!"
"You're too full of yourself, aren't you?"
"Cute." She remained in silence. The Joker, what would she do the moment that bloody clown stood in front of her? She had wanted to tear the life from him for such a long time... she still did. But would she? Whenever she thought about killing the Joker with her own bare hands... Barbara's face appeared in her mind. She couldn't do it to her. She didn't want to disappoint her any further, but she didn't know if she would be able to control her rage on this matter. She wasn't used to this, being in such a limbo. When you're a vigilante, the one thing you have to be sure about is your plan, a strategy. This time, she was going to show up and... who knew what.
"Hey Helena?" she heard Reese's voice, "You okay?"
"Don't know," she answered. Reese took her hand in one of his.
"It's going to be okay."
"You don't know that, Reese."
"It's got to."
"I'm scared... of myself. Of what I will do to him if I find him..."
"You want to kill him."
"SO BAD! And... you know, I don't know why this is such an issue to me... I should be above this... Batman wouldn't kill him even after all the crap he did... My mom never ever killed someone, even in her worst days... I just feel the urgent need to destroy him... so much for genetics, eh?"
"Look, Helena, he took a lot from you, you're entitled to be mad. But when worst comes to worst, you're not a murderer, you'll do the right thing."
"That's it, Reese. I don't know if I will."
"I promise, I won't let it happen, even if I have to put a bullet in his head first, you won't have to kill him."
She had to smile at that.
"That's sweet, in a psychotic kind of way."
"Yeah, I have my moments."
"Is... that... supposed to be a sort of boyfriend doing something for his girlfriend thing?" she asked, making a great show of looking at her nails while she said it.
"If we're going there, you might as well call me, Jesse..."
She laughed again, and this time he joined her.
Dinah Lance and Nighwing arrived at DeMott and Berkeley. She was trying not to show how nervous she was, riding with a living legend and about to face the biggest bad guy of them all. She could do it, she was ready, Oracle thought so, and so did Huntress, even if she had never said so.
"Here we are," Nightwing said.
"Yeah."
"You have your com system in?"
"Of course I do."
"The Joker comes, call me, I'll be there in a beat."
"I know how to do this."
"I'm just saying..."
"That I'm not as good as you are?" She saw Nightwing smile, that made her madder.
"First, you're spending way to much time with Hel, second, you're not, I'm sorry, but I've been doing this longer than you have been alive. That the day will come when you can kick my ass, I could see it happening, but Dinah, that day it's not today. You've never taken on Joker, so can you just take the pointers?"
Dinah was stunned, he said it in such an amicable way, she couldn't even be mad. And now he was smiling. Barbara was right, you couldn't win one with Dick Grayson.
"Okay."
"Great. You see a smiling little device, it's a bomb containing a small gas that will have you either laughing hysterically or poisoned. Also, they are freaking maniacs, you think they won't kill you because there's a perfectly logical reason why they won't, they'll disagree and kill you anyway. And in case you get past the trinkets, there's still the matter of those annoying energy blasts Joker can shoot from his hands, that's his meta power. Eyes wide open, Dinah, this is life and death."
"I know... thank you, Nightwing."
"You're welcome. Good hunting."
"To you too." Nightwing stepped down of the car and headed to the jewelry store. Dinah was near the pet shop when she heard Nightwing's voice through the com system.
::And while you're at it, get a mask and a code name, will ya?::
:: Are you done with the pep talk, 'Wing?:: Oracle voice chimed before Dinah could answer.
::For now, Babs.::
"Hey guys," Dinah started "are you done yet? Because I'm kind of in the middle of tracking down a dangerous psychotic murderer here..."
::Just get to the pet shop, Dinah. Nightwing, you're in position?::
::Yeah, Oracle, and no Joker no Harley.::
::Give them time. Dinah?::
"Just got in... nothing, maybe they're at the bank."
::Huntress and Reese aren't in position yet... Just look around and stay put.::
"Right." Dinah complied with Oracle's orders and started walking around. The puppies were barking now, startled by her presence, she tried to soothe them, not to alert anyone of her lurking around. They were not cooperating, so she had to use her mental powers.
"Now you'll behave." Not a sound. Good, but it was also creepy. Nightwing was right, as good as she was, she had never met the Joker. But she was ready, she had to be, she was a part of the team... the most amazing team ever: Batman, Oracle, Nightwing, Black Canary, Huntress... they were all way over her head... for now. She had time to go and show just how good she was, but for now, having these people to learn from and to fight by their side was good enough.
Her heart stopped.
A noise.
Someone was opening the door.
She ran to hide behind some of the cages, she needed to survey the situation before making a move, and she needed the surprise factor on them. When she finally saw them, it was the damnedest thing: Joker was a tall man, with green hair, green eyes, intensely red lips and his face and hands were completely white, like chalk. He was making some cheesy joke and laughing hysterically, talking to a woman dressed as a Harlequin. She had painted her face to resemble the Joker, her suit was red and black, and her eyes green. Both of them were holding huge guns and, thankfully, were alone. The last thing she needed was henchmen.
"Oracle," she whispered, "Joker and Harley Quinn are here."
::Oh my God! Dinah, get out of here!" she heard her mother's voice over the com system.
::Scratch that Dinah!" Oracle's voice finally took control.
"I figured," she continued whispering.
::Okay, keep down, listen to everything they say, 'Wing will be there in a few, just stay put. No one is at the shop right?::
"Only me."
::Good, then let them go and follow... Oh damn it!::
"What?"
::The owners of the shop are coming, they are going to be slaughtered... Nightwing, you're closer to them, get them out of the line of fire!::
::Acknowledged.:: Dinah heard Nightwing answer.
"Oracle, I think they're leaving since there's nobody here to kill." Dinah waited for Oracle's orders, but nothing came. She was struggling with the obvious decision, probably the fact that Carolyn was with Oracle was making the choice ever harder.
::Dinah...:: finally came her voice.
"Don't worry Oracle, I understand my duty."
::Be careful.::
"I promise." Joker and Harley were about to leave the shop. It was now or never, "Hey!!" she called, making both bizarre villains turn, Harley pointing the gun at her, Joker just smiling and looking at her curiously.
"Do I finish her, Mistah J?!" Harley eagerly asked.
"Not just yet... tell me little girl in the inappropriate leather clothes... who the hell are you?"
::Careful, Dinah..."
"I..." she started. She was frightened to her very bones, but wasn't about to let it show, "I am the Black Canary." Silence. That was the first think that struck her. Silence from the com system, silence from the Joker and silence from Harley Quinn. Well, what was she supposed to say? I'm Dinah Lance, daughter of the actual Black Canary? Yeah, that's scary. And her mother was retired so she wasn't really about to use the name. Dick was right, she should have thought of a code name before... but Black Canary simply felt... fitting.
"You..." Joker started, "You..." and all of a sudden hysterical laughter, from him as his sidekick, laughing AND pointing, Dinah was getting mad, "You're so not Black Canary! She was an uptight bitch with worst lines than Robin!"
::Hey!::
::Hey!:: Carolyn's and Dick's voices could be heard over the com link, both pretty offended.
"And unlike you, Goldylocks, she was over ten."
"Hey!" Dinah reacted to that, "I'm telling you Joker, I'm Black Canary, and I'm here to take you down!"
"Yeah, that's about to happen kid. Come on Harley, this isn't worth it!" Joker exclaimed.
::Di... Canary,:: Dinah smiled at the way Oracle addressed her now, ::There's bystanders outside, you can't let him go.::
"I wasn't going to, Oracle. Hey Joker!" Joker turned and Dinah mentally threw him and empty cage.
"Well, well, well..."
"Am I worth it now?" Dinah asked.
"I'm actually going to enjoy this..." And now, it was Joker the one pointing the gun at her.
"ENJOY THIS!!!" Huntress yelled as she kicked the Joker's gun from his hand. Luckily, she had arrived just in time to help out her friend, apparently now Black Canary II. Reese had stayed outside with Nightwing, keeping the bystanders away from harm's way. With Reese there, they could probably count on Nightwing making an entrance sooner than later.
"Oh my God! Helena!" she thought she was hearing it wrong, an all too familiar voice was calling her, and by NAME, she might add. She slowly turned to face the other woman.
"Doctor... Quinzelle?" she asked, facing the older woman dressed as a Harlequin.
::What???!!!:: Oracle interrupted in her head, ::Harleen Quinzelle???!! You never said her name was Harleen Quinzelle!!!::
"How was I supposed to know she was Harley Quinn?"
::One, ain't that original; two, were you paying attention when I taught you about...?::
"Obviously no, sorry, let's chat later!" Huntress addressed her mentor. She couldn't be distracted now, this was going to be trickier than she had thought. Dinah took the moment of distraction to telekinetically remove their guns.
"Well, well, well... Not bad for two girls dressed like two wannabe-rock-stars... But what about this?" He shot one blast at Helena, she only barely managed to avoid it. "Ain't you precious!"
"You crazy psychopath, bloody murderer, son of a bitch..." All her anger came back to her. She could remember her mother, bleeding to death, a knife in her chest... And he was the reason. He was to blame, he had killed her mother, he was about to pay...
"Have we met before, darling?" he asked, with his annoying smile.
"We have." Harley smiled in a sick way, "This, Mistah J, is the woman I talked you about..."
"Oh... The Huntress!" he clapped.
"Or as I like to call her... Helena Kyle."
"You... you're insane..." Huntress muttered.
"Are you just getting that, Helena?" Harley asked.
"Ooohhh... bitch!" Huntress was as shocked, as Harley, when the Joker slapped his sidekick, quite hard actually. She could see Dinah taking a little camera from her pocket, she was going to relay the whole scene to Oracle, good thinking, "Don't you realize it's no fun if you blow their secrets identities so early into the game?"
"Oh, but in this case it will be, Mistah J!" she jumped to her feet again, as if her boyfriend hadn't just hit her, "Helena Kyle... is the daughter of Selina..."
"Kyle? Oh my God!!!!" Joker laughed again, "You're Catwoman's daughter?? Then you should be part of the family and not hang out with kindergarten looking vigilantes like that one!"
"Hey you clown..." Dinah started.
"You killed my mother!" Helena shouted all of a sudden. The Joker seemed caught off guard, like he couldn't quite understand what she was saying.
"Oh... right..." he finally said, getting it, "yeah, I did. So, what's new with you?"
"What do you think? He's bloody insane!" He was there, finally. But right at this moment, the last thing Helena needed was her big brother making his entrance, "Remember me, Joker?" He was standing in the doorway, defiantly. His blue outfit, the mask, the self-assured smile... no wonder Nightwing was one of the greatest ever, she thought.
"Nightie? Is that you Nightie?" Joker exclaimed, "Ain't class reunions a lot of fun? You running with this girl-gang now? Nice!" he looked at Huntress and Canary appreciatively,
"I've waited for way too long for this."
"Let me guess, still mad about the Batchick? I noticed you had a thing for her back on the old days! Where's your daddy, Junior?" he asked.
"Deal with me." Nightwing answered.
"Not this time, 'Wing!" Huntress interrupted, stepping right in front of the Joker's face, "I'm going to finish this clown!"
"Don't do it, Huntress!" Nightwing warned.
"I've got to!" she yelled as her eyes turned feline and she attacked the Joker. Soon enough Joker was throwing blasts at anything that moved, Dinah wanted to throw them back to him but was way too distracted with Harley Quinn, who was attacking her with a series of martial arts moves. Harley was moving way too fast for Dinah to be able to hit her with something. Nightwing was about to tear Joker and Huntress apart, but as in on cue a dozed henchmen appeared, each equipped with a big gun and with a painted smile. He could take them easily, but she wouldn't be able to help Huntress.
Joker was good, Helena had to admit it to herself. He moved faster than she thought for a guy his age, but she had to get to him. The moment she had waited for seven years, payback time. She knew it was the wrong thing to do, she could hear Oracle's voice in the com link but she couldn't make up the words, and she could remember Reese's words, she just hoped he would be able to forgive what she was about to do...
But she also saw her... All the times they had spent together, how much they had loved each other, of all the things Selina Kyle would have wanted for her daughter, Helena was sure that becoming a murderer would be the last, especially on her account. But she couldn't help herself. She scratched him, she didn't know she could do that! But she had scratched his face and now he was bleeding in four perfect lines.
"You are death, bitch! Say hi to mom for me!" he screamed as he shot her another blast, this one almost hit her. She could feel her heartbeat, she couldn't think straight, she couldn't even see straight, all she knew was she had to destroy this man. She gave him a few more kicks, as he continued his attack as well.
She should have been more aware of her surroundings, she shouldn't have allowed her anger to dictate her actions. If she had been more careful, she would have noticed that Joker's last blast wasn't directed to her, but to the roof. Before she had time to react, part of the roof fell down. She healed fast, so she knew she would be okay even if the impact had been direct. What she didn't saw coming, was ending up trapped. One of the grinders fell right on top of her left leg, she couldn't move it, it was trapped. Joker was coming to her now, slowly, relishing the moment. She knew this was it, she had no hope of escaping. She saw Dinah trying desperately to fight off Harley Quinn to get to her, she attempted to move the grinder, but Harley attacked her from behind, so Dinah lost her mental grasp on it. Nightwing was running towards her when three of the henchmen got back to their feet and ganged up on him, he was not going to make it on time, Joker was raising his hand and it was starting to glow.
"I'm sorry Barbara..." she whispered, knowing Oracle was monitoring the whole situation.
::No!!! Huntress!!! Nightwing, Canary, GET TO HUNTRESS NOW!!!! HELENA!!!!::
"It's over Barbara, good-bye. Reese..." she whispered, she knew he was using his com system as well, he had been calling to her not to murder the Joker as much as Oracle had, "I'm sorry, it's over." She was ready, she had no option.
"Nice meeting you, Huntress..." Joker was about to attack... when he let out a loud scream... his hand was bleeding now, a nasty looking cur in the middle of it. Then Helena saw it, the object laying by the Joker's foot... a batarang.