"Barbara?" The two girls exclaimed as they entered the door and froze.
The site before them sent chills down their spines. Before them lay a broken and beaten Barbara. She lay slumped over, her back against the wall. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises and her clothes were dirty and torn.
Dinah was the first to recover as she ran over to kneel beside her mentor, Helena cautiously following. Dinah's hand shook as she felt Barbara's neck for a pulse. Relief washed over her as she felt the soft thumping beneath her fingers.
Barbara slowly opened her eyes. "Dinah?" she whispered hoarsely.
"Yeah, it's me," Dinah whispered as she grabbed Barbara in a tight bear hug.
Barbara winced as her ribs screamed in agony. Dinah pulled back.
"I'm sorry," she said, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm just so happy to see you. I was a-afraid I'd never see you again." Tears started to roll down her checks.
"Come here," Barbara said as she reached up and pulled Dinah into her embrace. "Shh. It's okay. I'm here."
Barbara closed her eyes and rested her head on Dinah's as she tried to comfort the girl she had come to see as her daughter. She held her until her sobs grew quieter. With Dinah still clinging to her shoulder, Barbara turned her attention to Helena. The older girl had been crouching silently at Barbara's side since the two girls had entered the room.
* * *
Helena was in utter shock. It turned her stomach to see what the Joker had done to her mentor. She silently examined the woman's injuries as Barbara comforted Dinah. There was a dark stain on her clothes where she had possibly been stabbed in the stomach. The right hand she now had resting on Dinah's back was swollen and most likely broken. Her face was a mass of tiny cuts and bruises, the worst being on her left check which was dark and swollen. She had a deep gash above her left eye that would need stitches. Helena noticed that Barbara's clothes were drenched in sweat. She was probably running a fever from infection. It was more than Helena could take.
:I'll kill him,: she thought. :I'll kill that maniac for what he's done.:
* * *
Helena was so engrossed in thought that she hadn't noticed Barbara staring at her. With tears forming in her eyes, she reached out her hand to examine the gash on Barbara's head. Barbara caught Helena's hand firmly with her good hand. "It's okay, Helena. It's not as bad as it looks" she said softly, trying to sound stronger than she actually felt.
Helena erupted into tears. "I swear I will kill him," she whispered as she clung to Barbara's other shoulder.
Barbara fought back tears as she hugged both of her girls. She, too, had wondered if she would ever see them again and the site of both of them there in front of her was more than she could stand. All three of them clung to each other for several minutes. Helena was the first to pull away.
"We need to get you out of here," she said as Dinah pulled back too. "Reese is waiting outside with a SWAT team. They weren't to come in until we knew you were safe."
Barbara nodded. "Okay. But Helena, how are we supposed to get out of here. I can't walk."
This thought had occurred to Helena earlier. She had packed Barbara's transponder with their gear, but in her present condition, Helena didn't want her using it. She wasn't even sure Barbara would be able to walk even if she was able to use it.
"I'll carry you out." Helena decided matter-of-factly. Barbara started to protest, but it fell upon deaf ears. "It's not that far and it's the only way. I've made up my mind."
Barbara, impressed by Helena's sudden take charge attitude, turned to Dinah who shrugged. "Don't try to argue with her when she's made up her mind. Believe me, you won't win."
* * *
A few minutes later, the three were walking through the condemned hallways. They eventually made it back to the foyer when they heard a voice up ahead. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
Helena and Dinah froze in place. At the base of the stairs, blocking their exit, stood the Joker. Helena leaned down and sat Barbara on the floor next to the reception desk that she hoped would provide some shelter if things got messy. She turned to Dinah. "Stay here with her." She looked towards the Joker. "I'll be right back."
Helena began to march toward the Joker, but Barbara grabbed her hand. "Helena, don't."
Helena stopped and kneeled down in front of Barbara, still clutching her mentor's hand. "No, Barbara. This ends now."
Barbara nodded slowly, "Just be careful. He'll try to play off your emotions. Don't let him get to you."
Helena nodded and turned towards the Joker.
He laughed hysterically. "You bat people are all so predictable. Have to do the noble thing. Have to save your mentor even if it means walking into a trap. Not too bright on your part." As he cackled madly, twelve burly men appeared at his side. Each carried some sort of weapon, ranging from baseball bats to machetes.
Helena smiled. "Laugh while you can Joker. The curtains closed, your final act is up. Oh and by the way, I'm not a bat-person."
The Joker stopped laughing and an evil grin appeared on his face. "Oh the grand finale is just beginning," he said, his voice lowering a bit. He turned to his men. "Kill her," he said, stepping back, allowing the men to rush Huntress at full force.
The site before them sent chills down their spines. Before them lay a broken and beaten Barbara. She lay slumped over, her back against the wall. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises and her clothes were dirty and torn.
Dinah was the first to recover as she ran over to kneel beside her mentor, Helena cautiously following. Dinah's hand shook as she felt Barbara's neck for a pulse. Relief washed over her as she felt the soft thumping beneath her fingers.
Barbara slowly opened her eyes. "Dinah?" she whispered hoarsely.
"Yeah, it's me," Dinah whispered as she grabbed Barbara in a tight bear hug.
Barbara winced as her ribs screamed in agony. Dinah pulled back.
"I'm sorry," she said, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm just so happy to see you. I was a-afraid I'd never see you again." Tears started to roll down her checks.
"Come here," Barbara said as she reached up and pulled Dinah into her embrace. "Shh. It's okay. I'm here."
Barbara closed her eyes and rested her head on Dinah's as she tried to comfort the girl she had come to see as her daughter. She held her until her sobs grew quieter. With Dinah still clinging to her shoulder, Barbara turned her attention to Helena. The older girl had been crouching silently at Barbara's side since the two girls had entered the room.
* * *
Helena was in utter shock. It turned her stomach to see what the Joker had done to her mentor. She silently examined the woman's injuries as Barbara comforted Dinah. There was a dark stain on her clothes where she had possibly been stabbed in the stomach. The right hand she now had resting on Dinah's back was swollen and most likely broken. Her face was a mass of tiny cuts and bruises, the worst being on her left check which was dark and swollen. She had a deep gash above her left eye that would need stitches. Helena noticed that Barbara's clothes were drenched in sweat. She was probably running a fever from infection. It was more than Helena could take.
:I'll kill him,: she thought. :I'll kill that maniac for what he's done.:
* * *
Helena was so engrossed in thought that she hadn't noticed Barbara staring at her. With tears forming in her eyes, she reached out her hand to examine the gash on Barbara's head. Barbara caught Helena's hand firmly with her good hand. "It's okay, Helena. It's not as bad as it looks" she said softly, trying to sound stronger than she actually felt.
Helena erupted into tears. "I swear I will kill him," she whispered as she clung to Barbara's other shoulder.
Barbara fought back tears as she hugged both of her girls. She, too, had wondered if she would ever see them again and the site of both of them there in front of her was more than she could stand. All three of them clung to each other for several minutes. Helena was the first to pull away.
"We need to get you out of here," she said as Dinah pulled back too. "Reese is waiting outside with a SWAT team. They weren't to come in until we knew you were safe."
Barbara nodded. "Okay. But Helena, how are we supposed to get out of here. I can't walk."
This thought had occurred to Helena earlier. She had packed Barbara's transponder with their gear, but in her present condition, Helena didn't want her using it. She wasn't even sure Barbara would be able to walk even if she was able to use it.
"I'll carry you out." Helena decided matter-of-factly. Barbara started to protest, but it fell upon deaf ears. "It's not that far and it's the only way. I've made up my mind."
Barbara, impressed by Helena's sudden take charge attitude, turned to Dinah who shrugged. "Don't try to argue with her when she's made up her mind. Believe me, you won't win."
* * *
A few minutes later, the three were walking through the condemned hallways. They eventually made it back to the foyer when they heard a voice up ahead. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
Helena and Dinah froze in place. At the base of the stairs, blocking their exit, stood the Joker. Helena leaned down and sat Barbara on the floor next to the reception desk that she hoped would provide some shelter if things got messy. She turned to Dinah. "Stay here with her." She looked towards the Joker. "I'll be right back."
Helena began to march toward the Joker, but Barbara grabbed her hand. "Helena, don't."
Helena stopped and kneeled down in front of Barbara, still clutching her mentor's hand. "No, Barbara. This ends now."
Barbara nodded slowly, "Just be careful. He'll try to play off your emotions. Don't let him get to you."
Helena nodded and turned towards the Joker.
He laughed hysterically. "You bat people are all so predictable. Have to do the noble thing. Have to save your mentor even if it means walking into a trap. Not too bright on your part." As he cackled madly, twelve burly men appeared at his side. Each carried some sort of weapon, ranging from baseball bats to machetes.
Helena smiled. "Laugh while you can Joker. The curtains closed, your final act is up. Oh and by the way, I'm not a bat-person."
The Joker stopped laughing and an evil grin appeared on his face. "Oh the grand finale is just beginning," he said, his voice lowering a bit. He turned to his men. "Kill her," he said, stepping back, allowing the men to rush Huntress at full force.