Helena and Dinah entered the laboratory. Dinah sat down in a seat and
Huntress leaned on a desk near Barbara Her face was serious. Barbara
stopped working on the computer and rotated the wheelchair to face her,
took out her eyeglasses, and asked with concern, "What happened now?"
"I don't know..." Helena bit her lips.
"You can't remember anything?"
"No..." she began to walk in circles without being able to hide her anxiety "Everything was okay and suddenly I awoke and was someplace else... and I don't remember anything!... What's happening to me Barbara?" she looked at her trying to find an answer.
"I still don't know," Barbara leaned on her seat and crossed the fingers of her hands "I'm at a dead end."
"Anything is possible for you Miss Barbara." Alfred said coming in the lab, giving Helena a couple of aspirins and a glass of water.
"What is this?" Helena asked to Alfred.
"Miss Dinah gave you a good soaking in ice water, its cold outside, and it would not be good for you to sick at this time."
"Call it prevention." Barbara said, "Take them." Helena obeyed.
"As Batgirl." Alfred continued talking to Barbara ". you used solve more difficult cases than this one."
"Yes, as Batgirl, but I am not Batgirl anymore."
"I know, now you are a detective with incredibly sharp senses, more than when you were Batgirl. Therefore, you will be able to effectively find a solution to this problem." Alfred smiled and left the room, taking the empty glass.
"Good point." Dinah couldn't avoid a smile.
Barbara meditated in silence a few minutes. "Okay," she said finally. "Helena, you are dangerous, you could hurt seriously somebody. It will be better if you don't patrol until we discover what's happening to you"
"Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?" Helena said annoyed.
"Helena," Barbara explained surprised, "you are loosing the control of yourself. You can kill."
Helena leaned her hands against the arms of the wheelchair and faced her. Barbara felt immediately that something was wrong.
"Barbara Gordon." Helena smiled while her eyes transformed in cat eyes, Oracle felt a chill when seeing it. "Commissioner Gordon's daughter, the intrepid Batgirl, if you couldn't stop me before, do you believe that will be able to do it now? Do you believe you will be able to stop the fear?"
Helena pushed the wheelchair back hard, crashing it against the table of a computer. "How will you stop me?" Huntress shouted furiously.
"Calm down!" Dinah pulled her arm. Helena turned and threw her against the neighboring table knocking down some equipment; Helena tried to hit her, when Barbara shouted for her to stop, the youth turn to her.
"Never tell me what I have to do again!" Helena said angrily and attempting to send her a blow that Barbara stopped with her hand.
"Enough Helena!" Barbara shouted her.
"I waited too long for this." Helena grunted and tried to hit her with the other arm but Barbara knowingly stopped it again.
"Helena, listen to me." Barbara requested looking into her eyes and trying to recognize Helena in them. They were her eyes but they looked strange and scared her. "You calm down and listen to me."
"Sorry, I've waited too long. I won't give you more time."
Dinah arrived at that moment and grabbed Huntress' arm, who moved quickly and grabbed her on the lapel and slammed her hard against a monitor. Dinah fell stunned to the floor. Helena came toward her mentor and took her neck with her for hands and began to strangle her.
"Helena... I can't breathe!" Barbara mumbled and tried to take her hands off but the youth was too strong.
"Your time is over." Helena said smiling and pressing harder.
"Helena." Barbara began to suffocate and looked desperately to Dinah, who was still dazed on the floor, Helena was totally out of control, and her efforts were useless and began to feel that she losing consciousness.
Suddenly Helena groaned and released her as she started to convulse. Barbara opened her mouth to breathe in all air that she could, and put her hand to her neck. Huntress was convulsing a few more seconds and fell onto to the floor. Barbara could see Alfred at her side; he raised his hand and showed her an electric shock gun.
"I'm sorry Miss Helena." the butler said looking at the youth girl lying in the floor.
"Alfred...." Barbara mumbled massaging her neck. "Thank God that you were here... Dinah?"
"I'm..." Dinah rose with a bleeding nose.
Barbara move her seat toward her "We need to take care of that."
"How are you?" Dinah asked rosing her head.
"Okay, she choked me a little." Barbara looked back searching for Helena. Alfred was standing over her, Helena's eyes were half open, and she began to react after the electric discharge that she had just received.
"She will be fine in a couple of minutes." Alfred asked the girl "How do you feel Miss Helena?"
"What happened to me...?" Helena was shocked.
"You had another attack." Barbara explained bringing the wheelchair near her and touching her cheek. "You attacked us, and thanks to Alfred you didn't kill us. Take her to the infirmary Alfred. I have to examine her again."
"Can you get up?" Alfred asked Helena.
"Give me one second... I've got awful cramps from that thing..."
"My fault." Alfred showed her the electric gun. "I didn't have a choice."
"Oh, God..." Helena closed her eyes.
* * *
"I almost killed you! This can't go on!" Helena put her hands on the table in the infirmary near the computer room, and lowered her head, her hair covering her face. Barbara, Dinah and Alfred contemplated her in silence without knowing what to say They understood her rage and frustration.
After about a second, Helena put her head up and looked fixedly at Barbara.
"Barbara..." she asked, "You must stop me, put me to sleep."
Dinah looked her confused. "What are you talking about?" "In a few hours, I won't be able to control myself, and none of you will be able to stop me. "
"You can't do that!" Dinah told Barbara.
"But you have to do it, This is happening more frequently. Look what I did to you! I almost killed you, Barbara!" Huntress focused her eyes on her mentor again. "Drug me, make me fall asleep, make me anything that you believe is convenient but don't let me free... please, I beg you. If something happens to you, I'll never forgive myself!"
Barbara pressed her lips. This was a very painful decision, but she knew that Huntress was right. It wasn't easy to accept that she would lose the control again, and maybe they wouldn't be able to stop her. They needed to contain her.
"Okay..." Barbara mumbled.
"You can't do it" Dinah faced her concerned.
Helena lowered her head again. She didn't understand why this was happening to her, or how to avoid it.
"We should do it Dinah." Barbara said in an energetic tone, "Until we stop this. It isn't an easy decision, I'm not happy about this, neither is Helena, but we have to face the fact that we won't be able to stop her the next time!"
"Miss Helena is going to be fine." Alfred said coming closer to Helena and putting a hand on her shoulder "At least she'll be at home."
"We need time to protect her and us," Barbara sighed and looked Helena "to avoid any incident, it will be necessary to drug you... Alfred will prepare everything." Alfred nodded as he went away.
"It's for the best." Helena breathed deeply. "'I'll go with Alfred"
Barbara swallowed with difficulty, the tears were about to fall from her eyes, Dinah looked at her and understood at that moment the difficult decision that she had to make.
* * *
Alfred had placed some things on a table when Barbara arrived. Helena was seated on an iron bed in the middle of the infirmary. Barbara checked some tubes and drove the wheelchair closer to Helena." Well, go to bed", she ordered. Alfred came closer with the cart. Barbara took one of bulbs, while Helena observed her nervously. She didn't like this but it was the best thing for the moment. She had hurt Barbara and Dinah. If not for Alfred, she would have killed them.
"I'm going to sedate you." Barbara explained preparing the syringe. "You won't be unconscious, only a little asleep. I need to study your reactions for at least the next 12 hours and depending on it, I will apply another dose or put you to sleep you completely." Barbara took Helena's arm and injected the liquid. "I'll be with you, don't worry, this works quickly."
Helena frowned. "Do you believe that it will be enough?"
"I hope so." Barbara gave the syringe to Alfred and cleaned the wound with a cotton swab. "Your changes have become more frequent. I'm going to stop them."
Dinah came out into the room at that moment and she was standing close to a nearby wall to see. She didn't like what was happening. Barbara took a metallic diadem, and placed it on Helena's forehead.
"I will be able to read your brainwaves," said Barbara "...and know when you begin to lose your temper." Then she placed some devices on her chest and connected them to the base of the table. "I also need to monitor your heart rhythm." she explained.
"Wouldn't it be better if you put me to sleep?" Huntress asked feeling an enormous heaviness in her body.
"No, because then I wouldn't be able to determine the moment when you change." Barbara explained to her and went to the computer. "I need to detect it to be able to help you." she adjusted some buttons. "Here is where I will be able to know when there's some change. Dinah come here and watch over this while I connect it."
Barbara returned to Huntress and she asked her to see her eyes.
"How do you feel?" she asked her, lighting a small lamp and shining it on one of her pupils.
"Worse than after getting drunk." "You're accustomed to that, you'll survive." Barbara lowered her head to turn on some switches under the table.
"Oracle..." Dinah called her. Barbara raised her head
"What happened?"
Dinah pointed at the screen and Barbara saw a sudden interference in ther brainwaves. Quickly she looked at the screen. Helena observed her with her cat's eyes. She felt a chill traveling down her back.
"Barbara Gordon, you can't escape from me..." Helena said triying to grab her, Barbara avoided it with a quick movement and pushed back her wheelchair. Helena wanted to get up, but she fell to the floor because of the effects of the sedative. They were all confused. Barbara looked at the monitor again from a distance, the altered lines in it were moving in an odd way.
"Touch her Dinah!" She shouted to the girl.
Helena tried to lean on in the edge of the bed, but she fell on the floor again, the drug had become effective and wouldn't let her move.
"What?" Dinah asked surprised.
"Touch her and tell me that you see... she won't be able to move, the sedative is working."
"What happened to me?" Helena asked leaning on the floor and raising her head to see Barbara. "I will catch you... sooner or later I will catch you."
Dinah leaned next to Huntress and touched her hand. Suddenly everything was dark, and for no reason she became very afraid, her heart began to beat quickly.
"Helena?" she shouted. "Helena where are you?" she didn't know where to walk, and couldn't see anything, no windows, doors, anything, only total darkness. At the distance saw a person, and walked slowly toward her.
"Helena?" she said "It's me, Dinah!"
The silhouette turned, it was a scarecrow. Dinah felt her blood freeze, the terror invaded her. "What are you doing here?" the scarecrow was angry. "She's mine!!"
Dinah panicked and screamed, loosing Helena's hand. She jumped back and crashed against the Barbara's wheelchair.
"Calm down Dinah, calm down." Barbara touched her shoulder. Dinah breathed excitedly. What was inside Helena's mind that made Dinah react this way?
"It was.Scarecrow again." Dinah spoke hurriedly and fearfully. "I saw him another time, it was a very dark place, and everything was black"
"Dinah, calm down, breathe." Barbara made her turn to see her. "Breathe deep... What did you see?"
"That horrible scarecrow, he told me that I should leave, that she was his..."
"Helena's brainwaves are normal again." Alfred said watching the monitor. "The interference has disapppeared."
Barbara came closer to Helena. Her head was down, eyes closed. She breathed normally. "Helena, are you okay?" Barbara asked her smoothy, brushing the hair away from her face.
"... I am. here" Helena was too drowsy.
Barbara asked Alfred and Dinah help her to go up and place Helena on the bed. When they did, Barbara placed her wheelchair next to her.
"Do you hear to me?" she asked touching her cheek, Helena tried to open her eyes, Barbara knew that she was listening and asked another question. "Do you remember what you did?"
".don't. don't understand..." she spoke quietly.
"Did you remember something?" Barbara insisted.
"Barbara.... what's going on?. what's. happening?" Helena grunted and tried to wake up.
"No!!" Barbara held her. "Everything is alright. Relax, relax Helena"
"Did. Did I do. something wrong??"
"No, just sleep a while." Barbara smiled and caressed her hair a few minutes until Huntress fell asleep. "Alfred," she said then, "We better secure her to the bed. There are some metallic bands in the drawer. You can attach them to the bed. I don't want her to give us another fright." Barbara turned the wheelchair to Dinah.
"What did you feel when you touched Helena in the park?" she asked her.
"A chill. fear" Dinah said.
"Terror?"
"Yes..."
"And when the two men that told her that they surrendered?.What happened?"
"... They looked frightened, it was strange that they asked to surrender without even putting up a fight."
Barbara bit her lip and asked: "And when you touched her a moment ago?"
Dinah crossed her arms "... it was really terrifying...and when I saw her eyes I felt, I felt a lot of fear."
"What are you thinking Barbara? You have that look on your face."
"I believe I know what is going to happen. Help Alfred and meet me at the lab when you finished."
"I don't know..." Helena bit her lips.
"You can't remember anything?"
"No..." she began to walk in circles without being able to hide her anxiety "Everything was okay and suddenly I awoke and was someplace else... and I don't remember anything!... What's happening to me Barbara?" she looked at her trying to find an answer.
"I still don't know," Barbara leaned on her seat and crossed the fingers of her hands "I'm at a dead end."
"Anything is possible for you Miss Barbara." Alfred said coming in the lab, giving Helena a couple of aspirins and a glass of water.
"What is this?" Helena asked to Alfred.
"Miss Dinah gave you a good soaking in ice water, its cold outside, and it would not be good for you to sick at this time."
"Call it prevention." Barbara said, "Take them." Helena obeyed.
"As Batgirl." Alfred continued talking to Barbara ". you used solve more difficult cases than this one."
"Yes, as Batgirl, but I am not Batgirl anymore."
"I know, now you are a detective with incredibly sharp senses, more than when you were Batgirl. Therefore, you will be able to effectively find a solution to this problem." Alfred smiled and left the room, taking the empty glass.
"Good point." Dinah couldn't avoid a smile.
Barbara meditated in silence a few minutes. "Okay," she said finally. "Helena, you are dangerous, you could hurt seriously somebody. It will be better if you don't patrol until we discover what's happening to you"
"Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?" Helena said annoyed.
"Helena," Barbara explained surprised, "you are loosing the control of yourself. You can kill."
Helena leaned her hands against the arms of the wheelchair and faced her. Barbara felt immediately that something was wrong.
"Barbara Gordon." Helena smiled while her eyes transformed in cat eyes, Oracle felt a chill when seeing it. "Commissioner Gordon's daughter, the intrepid Batgirl, if you couldn't stop me before, do you believe that will be able to do it now? Do you believe you will be able to stop the fear?"
Helena pushed the wheelchair back hard, crashing it against the table of a computer. "How will you stop me?" Huntress shouted furiously.
"Calm down!" Dinah pulled her arm. Helena turned and threw her against the neighboring table knocking down some equipment; Helena tried to hit her, when Barbara shouted for her to stop, the youth turn to her.
"Never tell me what I have to do again!" Helena said angrily and attempting to send her a blow that Barbara stopped with her hand.
"Enough Helena!" Barbara shouted her.
"I waited too long for this." Helena grunted and tried to hit her with the other arm but Barbara knowingly stopped it again.
"Helena, listen to me." Barbara requested looking into her eyes and trying to recognize Helena in them. They were her eyes but they looked strange and scared her. "You calm down and listen to me."
"Sorry, I've waited too long. I won't give you more time."
Dinah arrived at that moment and grabbed Huntress' arm, who moved quickly and grabbed her on the lapel and slammed her hard against a monitor. Dinah fell stunned to the floor. Helena came toward her mentor and took her neck with her for hands and began to strangle her.
"Helena... I can't breathe!" Barbara mumbled and tried to take her hands off but the youth was too strong.
"Your time is over." Helena said smiling and pressing harder.
"Helena." Barbara began to suffocate and looked desperately to Dinah, who was still dazed on the floor, Helena was totally out of control, and her efforts were useless and began to feel that she losing consciousness.
Suddenly Helena groaned and released her as she started to convulse. Barbara opened her mouth to breathe in all air that she could, and put her hand to her neck. Huntress was convulsing a few more seconds and fell onto to the floor. Barbara could see Alfred at her side; he raised his hand and showed her an electric shock gun.
"I'm sorry Miss Helena." the butler said looking at the youth girl lying in the floor.
"Alfred...." Barbara mumbled massaging her neck. "Thank God that you were here... Dinah?"
"I'm..." Dinah rose with a bleeding nose.
Barbara move her seat toward her "We need to take care of that."
"How are you?" Dinah asked rosing her head.
"Okay, she choked me a little." Barbara looked back searching for Helena. Alfred was standing over her, Helena's eyes were half open, and she began to react after the electric discharge that she had just received.
"She will be fine in a couple of minutes." Alfred asked the girl "How do you feel Miss Helena?"
"What happened to me...?" Helena was shocked.
"You had another attack." Barbara explained bringing the wheelchair near her and touching her cheek. "You attacked us, and thanks to Alfred you didn't kill us. Take her to the infirmary Alfred. I have to examine her again."
"Can you get up?" Alfred asked Helena.
"Give me one second... I've got awful cramps from that thing..."
"My fault." Alfred showed her the electric gun. "I didn't have a choice."
"Oh, God..." Helena closed her eyes.
* * *
"I almost killed you! This can't go on!" Helena put her hands on the table in the infirmary near the computer room, and lowered her head, her hair covering her face. Barbara, Dinah and Alfred contemplated her in silence without knowing what to say They understood her rage and frustration.
After about a second, Helena put her head up and looked fixedly at Barbara.
"Barbara..." she asked, "You must stop me, put me to sleep."
Dinah looked her confused. "What are you talking about?" "In a few hours, I won't be able to control myself, and none of you will be able to stop me. "
"You can't do that!" Dinah told Barbara.
"But you have to do it, This is happening more frequently. Look what I did to you! I almost killed you, Barbara!" Huntress focused her eyes on her mentor again. "Drug me, make me fall asleep, make me anything that you believe is convenient but don't let me free... please, I beg you. If something happens to you, I'll never forgive myself!"
Barbara pressed her lips. This was a very painful decision, but she knew that Huntress was right. It wasn't easy to accept that she would lose the control again, and maybe they wouldn't be able to stop her. They needed to contain her.
"Okay..." Barbara mumbled.
"You can't do it" Dinah faced her concerned.
Helena lowered her head again. She didn't understand why this was happening to her, or how to avoid it.
"We should do it Dinah." Barbara said in an energetic tone, "Until we stop this. It isn't an easy decision, I'm not happy about this, neither is Helena, but we have to face the fact that we won't be able to stop her the next time!"
"Miss Helena is going to be fine." Alfred said coming closer to Helena and putting a hand on her shoulder "At least she'll be at home."
"We need time to protect her and us," Barbara sighed and looked Helena "to avoid any incident, it will be necessary to drug you... Alfred will prepare everything." Alfred nodded as he went away.
"It's for the best." Helena breathed deeply. "'I'll go with Alfred"
Barbara swallowed with difficulty, the tears were about to fall from her eyes, Dinah looked at her and understood at that moment the difficult decision that she had to make.
* * *
Alfred had placed some things on a table when Barbara arrived. Helena was seated on an iron bed in the middle of the infirmary. Barbara checked some tubes and drove the wheelchair closer to Helena." Well, go to bed", she ordered. Alfred came closer with the cart. Barbara took one of bulbs, while Helena observed her nervously. She didn't like this but it was the best thing for the moment. She had hurt Barbara and Dinah. If not for Alfred, she would have killed them.
"I'm going to sedate you." Barbara explained preparing the syringe. "You won't be unconscious, only a little asleep. I need to study your reactions for at least the next 12 hours and depending on it, I will apply another dose or put you to sleep you completely." Barbara took Helena's arm and injected the liquid. "I'll be with you, don't worry, this works quickly."
Helena frowned. "Do you believe that it will be enough?"
"I hope so." Barbara gave the syringe to Alfred and cleaned the wound with a cotton swab. "Your changes have become more frequent. I'm going to stop them."
Dinah came out into the room at that moment and she was standing close to a nearby wall to see. She didn't like what was happening. Barbara took a metallic diadem, and placed it on Helena's forehead.
"I will be able to read your brainwaves," said Barbara "...and know when you begin to lose your temper." Then she placed some devices on her chest and connected them to the base of the table. "I also need to monitor your heart rhythm." she explained.
"Wouldn't it be better if you put me to sleep?" Huntress asked feeling an enormous heaviness in her body.
"No, because then I wouldn't be able to determine the moment when you change." Barbara explained to her and went to the computer. "I need to detect it to be able to help you." she adjusted some buttons. "Here is where I will be able to know when there's some change. Dinah come here and watch over this while I connect it."
Barbara returned to Huntress and she asked her to see her eyes.
"How do you feel?" she asked her, lighting a small lamp and shining it on one of her pupils.
"Worse than after getting drunk." "You're accustomed to that, you'll survive." Barbara lowered her head to turn on some switches under the table.
"Oracle..." Dinah called her. Barbara raised her head
"What happened?"
Dinah pointed at the screen and Barbara saw a sudden interference in ther brainwaves. Quickly she looked at the screen. Helena observed her with her cat's eyes. She felt a chill traveling down her back.
"Barbara Gordon, you can't escape from me..." Helena said triying to grab her, Barbara avoided it with a quick movement and pushed back her wheelchair. Helena wanted to get up, but she fell to the floor because of the effects of the sedative. They were all confused. Barbara looked at the monitor again from a distance, the altered lines in it were moving in an odd way.
"Touch her Dinah!" She shouted to the girl.
Helena tried to lean on in the edge of the bed, but she fell on the floor again, the drug had become effective and wouldn't let her move.
"What?" Dinah asked surprised.
"Touch her and tell me that you see... she won't be able to move, the sedative is working."
"What happened to me?" Helena asked leaning on the floor and raising her head to see Barbara. "I will catch you... sooner or later I will catch you."
Dinah leaned next to Huntress and touched her hand. Suddenly everything was dark, and for no reason she became very afraid, her heart began to beat quickly.
"Helena?" she shouted. "Helena where are you?" she didn't know where to walk, and couldn't see anything, no windows, doors, anything, only total darkness. At the distance saw a person, and walked slowly toward her.
"Helena?" she said "It's me, Dinah!"
The silhouette turned, it was a scarecrow. Dinah felt her blood freeze, the terror invaded her. "What are you doing here?" the scarecrow was angry. "She's mine!!"
Dinah panicked and screamed, loosing Helena's hand. She jumped back and crashed against the Barbara's wheelchair.
"Calm down Dinah, calm down." Barbara touched her shoulder. Dinah breathed excitedly. What was inside Helena's mind that made Dinah react this way?
"It was.Scarecrow again." Dinah spoke hurriedly and fearfully. "I saw him another time, it was a very dark place, and everything was black"
"Dinah, calm down, breathe." Barbara made her turn to see her. "Breathe deep... What did you see?"
"That horrible scarecrow, he told me that I should leave, that she was his..."
"Helena's brainwaves are normal again." Alfred said watching the monitor. "The interference has disapppeared."
Barbara came closer to Helena. Her head was down, eyes closed. She breathed normally. "Helena, are you okay?" Barbara asked her smoothy, brushing the hair away from her face.
"... I am. here" Helena was too drowsy.
Barbara asked Alfred and Dinah help her to go up and place Helena on the bed. When they did, Barbara placed her wheelchair next to her.
"Do you hear to me?" she asked touching her cheek, Helena tried to open her eyes, Barbara knew that she was listening and asked another question. "Do you remember what you did?"
".don't. don't understand..." she spoke quietly.
"Did you remember something?" Barbara insisted.
"Barbara.... what's going on?. what's. happening?" Helena grunted and tried to wake up.
"No!!" Barbara held her. "Everything is alright. Relax, relax Helena"
"Did. Did I do. something wrong??"
"No, just sleep a while." Barbara smiled and caressed her hair a few minutes until Huntress fell asleep. "Alfred," she said then, "We better secure her to the bed. There are some metallic bands in the drawer. You can attach them to the bed. I don't want her to give us another fright." Barbara turned the wheelchair to Dinah.
"What did you feel when you touched Helena in the park?" she asked her.
"A chill. fear" Dinah said.
"Terror?"
"Yes..."
"And when the two men that told her that they surrendered?.What happened?"
"... They looked frightened, it was strange that they asked to surrender without even putting up a fight."
Barbara bit her lip and asked: "And when you touched her a moment ago?"
Dinah crossed her arms "... it was really terrifying...and when I saw her eyes I felt, I felt a lot of fear."
"What are you thinking Barbara? You have that look on your face."
"I believe I know what is going to happen. Help Alfred and meet me at the lab when you finished."