"Bruce Wayne, Batman is your father." Barbara leaned over her and caressed
her cheek, talking in sweet voice. Helena was totally surprised "She never
talked you about him, no?"
"No."
"Selina hid it from him; they broke up for some reason; even now he doesn't know that he has a daughter and that daughter is you; but the love that Selina and Bruce felt for each other never died. He almost turned crazy when she was murdered. Bruce always loved her and she loved him too."
Helena stood up and walked nervously on the balcony trying to understand what Barbara was telling her. She and her mother used to talk about everything but truth was that every time she asked for her father Selina always smiled and said to that he was a good man and that she would know him when she grew up a little more, that she would feel proud of him. And she was so happy that she really didn't have a great interest in know her father.
Her mother had talked sometimes to him by phone; and maybe two or three times she knew she had seen him, but that was all. She didn't know Bruce, she just heard about him; she never expected he was her father. How could her mother hide it from her? "No, it can't be." she mumbled
"He is." Barbara said.
"Why did she never tell me?" Helena felt confused. Many ideas began to whirl in her head.
"To protect you." Barbara said.
"To protect me?"
"Yes, it would have been dangerous for you. She hid you from Bruce too, his enemies would go after you to get at him, and you were just a child. It was the better for him and for you, to hide your birth. In this way you had a normal childhood, you were happy, very happy."
Helena paced faster, she ran her hands through her hair without knowing what to think. "Please, Barbara" she asked kneeling in front of her again and putting her hands on her knees "tell me this isn't the truth."
"I can't Hel. You mother confided in me, I was just as surprised as you when I found out! Your father is the millionaire Bruce Wayne and Batman, the greatest hero in New Gotham."
"Why did he let the police take me to the orphanage? Why didn't he take me away?"
"He didn't know, he don't know that you existed, I told you."
"I was locked unfairly there! I lived in hell!" Helena stood up and raised her voice "How could he not know? He knew she had a daughter!"
"But he never imagined you were his daughter." Barbara said.
Helena kept silent a few seconds and then faced Barbara. "He was a hero? Why didn't he avenge my mother's death? He knew who killed her, why didn't he kill that bastard?"
"We don't kill Helena. It's a honor code." Barbara said to her.
"I don't care about honor codes!" Helena shouted standing up "A criminal killed my mother! Why should he respect his life when the murderer didn't respect her life?"
"I know that it's hard to understand but..."
"No! This is not a matter of understanding or not! This is justice! An eye for an eye, and a tooth for tooth. Where is he now?" the kid shouted.
"I think the Joker wanted to drive Batman mad. And maybe he did. Because a few months later he left. Gotham, his work... everything. He's gone..." Barbara said.
Helena paced on the balcony feeling the angry growing inside her. "He just left? Left you here? Knowing you are...? I can't believe it! Some brave hero!"
"It was too much for him, and he couldn't take revenge. A hero doesn't kill." Barbara repeated.
"Where is that stupid law written? You said he loved my mom! If he really loved her he must kill him!"
"Joker planned to kill your mother, but it was another man who did it. We don't know who it was! Now you understand why it was necessary to hide your birth?"
"I will kill him, I will do it as soon as I know who it was, I'm not a coward!" Helena yelled raising her hands.
"Don't call him a coward!" Barbara said angrily. "You don't have the right!"
"Why not? He is my father, right? You said that! His honor lost my mother's life. What's more important the honor code or her life? I don't understand him, I don't understand you!" Helena walked into Clock Tower, furious.
"Helena wait, come back!" The girl didn't listen to her and walked out furiously. Barbara followed her. She wheeled in and found Alfred in the middle of the corridor.
"Where is Helena?"
"Are you referring to that hurricane that walked into her room?" Alfred asked. "What happened?"
"I told her everything...." Barbara bit her lip. " Now I don't know if it was a mistake..."
"Everything means... everything?" Alfred asked.
"Yes... all Alfred, all! She needed to know it or at least that's what I thought!" Barbara was nervous.
"It's her right to know the truth, Miss Barbara." Alfred said to her.
"I know, but it hurt her."
"It would happen today or tomorrow, you know that. And you know that this truth isn't easy for anyone. Neither for you, nor for Master Bruce."
Barbara nodded and wheeled to Helena's room. She heard her crying. The door was locked, she took the keys and opened it. She pushed the manual chair in.
"Leave me alone!" Helena cried with her face hiding in the pillow.
"Sorry, I know this not the right way to enter your room but I know this isn't easy for you." Barbara wheeled to her side. "I know that all this hurt you so much, but Bruce didn't know that he had a daughter, he still doesn't know."
"I don't want to see him! Never!"
"Just because he didn't kill the Joker?"
"He should have, he should have, my mother would be alive now!" Helena turned her face to the other side to avoid looking at her.
"He didn't know that he would escape and do what he did." Barbara said with soft voice and caressing her hair.
"And why he didn't he kill him later?"
"It's a honor code that some day you will understand..."
"Honor with murderers? No, I will never understand that. Leave me alone!" Helena asked.
"Okay... I'll leave," Barbara sighed "but before I do, answer one question."
Helena didn't respond and continued sobbing.
"Have you cried with anyone? Who was with with you after your mother's death? Who held you and told you I'm sorry, I love you "
Helena turned her head slowly, to watch Barbara covering her face with the pillow so that only her eyes were visible.
"This is so hard for you. You are not guilty of anything. Your mom just tried to protect you by hiding your father's identity from you. Look at me, look what happened to me, an insane man attacked me, and I'm an adult, I can defend myself alone but I couldn't prevent Joker from injuring me." Barbara couldn't prevent her eyes from turning moist.
Helena locked her eyes on hers.
"Your mother knew how dangerous the criminals who fought against your father were, she was waiting for you to grow up to tell you everything, but she didn't have time. It was unfair that the goverment sent you to the Detention Center just because they never tried to understand how you feel. I know why you did all that, why you escaped. You felt everthing was unfair and you were right. They treated you like a criminal and you are a girl with a big heart."
Helena saw her crying.
"You know me, not from now, from many years ago. You know that I never lied to you. I love you Helena. Let me cry with you, let me hug you and tell to you how much I love you." Barbara pleaded.
Helena didn't respond and almost jumped over her hugging her strongly crying. Barbara hugged her back. "I love you so much, Hel."
"I miss her, Barbara" she sobbed resting her head over her shoulder. "I miss her."
"I know it, I know. I'm here with you."
Barbara felt Helena start to purr like a little kitty, she knew that it happened when she felt happy, felt comfortable or wanted showed her love for someone. Selina had told her that she used to purr all the time when she was a baby and was in her arms.
"Will you stay with me tonight?" Helena whispered.
"Sure... You don't kick, right?" Barbara smiled.
"No, but maybe you would, you are a hero."
"Well, I promise not to kick you too hard..."
"It's a deal?" Helena asked in low voice.
"Yes, I promise."
She knew that the girl would develop more when she grew up. She knew just a few of her skills, she would help Helena to discover it slowly. But now, she just wanted make her feel better, protected. At home.
* * *
"No."
"Selina hid it from him; they broke up for some reason; even now he doesn't know that he has a daughter and that daughter is you; but the love that Selina and Bruce felt for each other never died. He almost turned crazy when she was murdered. Bruce always loved her and she loved him too."
Helena stood up and walked nervously on the balcony trying to understand what Barbara was telling her. She and her mother used to talk about everything but truth was that every time she asked for her father Selina always smiled and said to that he was a good man and that she would know him when she grew up a little more, that she would feel proud of him. And she was so happy that she really didn't have a great interest in know her father.
Her mother had talked sometimes to him by phone; and maybe two or three times she knew she had seen him, but that was all. She didn't know Bruce, she just heard about him; she never expected he was her father. How could her mother hide it from her? "No, it can't be." she mumbled
"He is." Barbara said.
"Why did she never tell me?" Helena felt confused. Many ideas began to whirl in her head.
"To protect you." Barbara said.
"To protect me?"
"Yes, it would have been dangerous for you. She hid you from Bruce too, his enemies would go after you to get at him, and you were just a child. It was the better for him and for you, to hide your birth. In this way you had a normal childhood, you were happy, very happy."
Helena paced faster, she ran her hands through her hair without knowing what to think. "Please, Barbara" she asked kneeling in front of her again and putting her hands on her knees "tell me this isn't the truth."
"I can't Hel. You mother confided in me, I was just as surprised as you when I found out! Your father is the millionaire Bruce Wayne and Batman, the greatest hero in New Gotham."
"Why did he let the police take me to the orphanage? Why didn't he take me away?"
"He didn't know, he don't know that you existed, I told you."
"I was locked unfairly there! I lived in hell!" Helena stood up and raised her voice "How could he not know? He knew she had a daughter!"
"But he never imagined you were his daughter." Barbara said.
Helena kept silent a few seconds and then faced Barbara. "He was a hero? Why didn't he avenge my mother's death? He knew who killed her, why didn't he kill that bastard?"
"We don't kill Helena. It's a honor code." Barbara said to her.
"I don't care about honor codes!" Helena shouted standing up "A criminal killed my mother! Why should he respect his life when the murderer didn't respect her life?"
"I know that it's hard to understand but..."
"No! This is not a matter of understanding or not! This is justice! An eye for an eye, and a tooth for tooth. Where is he now?" the kid shouted.
"I think the Joker wanted to drive Batman mad. And maybe he did. Because a few months later he left. Gotham, his work... everything. He's gone..." Barbara said.
Helena paced on the balcony feeling the angry growing inside her. "He just left? Left you here? Knowing you are...? I can't believe it! Some brave hero!"
"It was too much for him, and he couldn't take revenge. A hero doesn't kill." Barbara repeated.
"Where is that stupid law written? You said he loved my mom! If he really loved her he must kill him!"
"Joker planned to kill your mother, but it was another man who did it. We don't know who it was! Now you understand why it was necessary to hide your birth?"
"I will kill him, I will do it as soon as I know who it was, I'm not a coward!" Helena yelled raising her hands.
"Don't call him a coward!" Barbara said angrily. "You don't have the right!"
"Why not? He is my father, right? You said that! His honor lost my mother's life. What's more important the honor code or her life? I don't understand him, I don't understand you!" Helena walked into Clock Tower, furious.
"Helena wait, come back!" The girl didn't listen to her and walked out furiously. Barbara followed her. She wheeled in and found Alfred in the middle of the corridor.
"Where is Helena?"
"Are you referring to that hurricane that walked into her room?" Alfred asked. "What happened?"
"I told her everything...." Barbara bit her lip. " Now I don't know if it was a mistake..."
"Everything means... everything?" Alfred asked.
"Yes... all Alfred, all! She needed to know it or at least that's what I thought!" Barbara was nervous.
"It's her right to know the truth, Miss Barbara." Alfred said to her.
"I know, but it hurt her."
"It would happen today or tomorrow, you know that. And you know that this truth isn't easy for anyone. Neither for you, nor for Master Bruce."
Barbara nodded and wheeled to Helena's room. She heard her crying. The door was locked, she took the keys and opened it. She pushed the manual chair in.
"Leave me alone!" Helena cried with her face hiding in the pillow.
"Sorry, I know this not the right way to enter your room but I know this isn't easy for you." Barbara wheeled to her side. "I know that all this hurt you so much, but Bruce didn't know that he had a daughter, he still doesn't know."
"I don't want to see him! Never!"
"Just because he didn't kill the Joker?"
"He should have, he should have, my mother would be alive now!" Helena turned her face to the other side to avoid looking at her.
"He didn't know that he would escape and do what he did." Barbara said with soft voice and caressing her hair.
"And why he didn't he kill him later?"
"It's a honor code that some day you will understand..."
"Honor with murderers? No, I will never understand that. Leave me alone!" Helena asked.
"Okay... I'll leave," Barbara sighed "but before I do, answer one question."
Helena didn't respond and continued sobbing.
"Have you cried with anyone? Who was with with you after your mother's death? Who held you and told you I'm sorry, I love you "
Helena turned her head slowly, to watch Barbara covering her face with the pillow so that only her eyes were visible.
"This is so hard for you. You are not guilty of anything. Your mom just tried to protect you by hiding your father's identity from you. Look at me, look what happened to me, an insane man attacked me, and I'm an adult, I can defend myself alone but I couldn't prevent Joker from injuring me." Barbara couldn't prevent her eyes from turning moist.
Helena locked her eyes on hers.
"Your mother knew how dangerous the criminals who fought against your father were, she was waiting for you to grow up to tell you everything, but she didn't have time. It was unfair that the goverment sent you to the Detention Center just because they never tried to understand how you feel. I know why you did all that, why you escaped. You felt everthing was unfair and you were right. They treated you like a criminal and you are a girl with a big heart."
Helena saw her crying.
"You know me, not from now, from many years ago. You know that I never lied to you. I love you Helena. Let me cry with you, let me hug you and tell to you how much I love you." Barbara pleaded.
Helena didn't respond and almost jumped over her hugging her strongly crying. Barbara hugged her back. "I love you so much, Hel."
"I miss her, Barbara" she sobbed resting her head over her shoulder. "I miss her."
"I know it, I know. I'm here with you."
Barbara felt Helena start to purr like a little kitty, she knew that it happened when she felt happy, felt comfortable or wanted showed her love for someone. Selina had told her that she used to purr all the time when she was a baby and was in her arms.
"Will you stay with me tonight?" Helena whispered.
"Sure... You don't kick, right?" Barbara smiled.
"No, but maybe you would, you are a hero."
"Well, I promise not to kick you too hard..."
"It's a deal?" Helena asked in low voice.
"Yes, I promise."
She knew that the girl would develop more when she grew up. She knew just a few of her skills, she would help Helena to discover it slowly. But now, she just wanted make her feel better, protected. At home.
* * *