Hey, I promised this would be logner. hope you like it and thanks for all the nice comments so far dudes. keep em coming.
Part 3
Helena burst through the elevator doors still holding Dinah in her arms. She was more panicked, more scared than she had been in a long time. Dinah was in bad condition and she knew it. The young blonde had passed out just before they got to the clock tower despite Helena's attempts to keep her talking.
"Barbara!!" Helena yelled.
She then heard the low hum of Barbara's chair and made her way towards it. Helena watched Barbara physically pale as she saw Dinah hanging limply in her arms.
"Med bay?" She asked, not having the time to make sure Barbara was ok.
Barbara nodded and followed them.
Helena abruptly stopped when she got into the med bay. She was standing in a room of doctors and medical equipment. They quickly tore Dinah from her arms and started hooking her up to machines and sticking her with needles. Helena could only stand there in shock.
"They're good at their job. The best I could get in such short notice. It's through your father though." Barbara said from behind her.
"I don't care who it's from as long as it saves her." Helena said surely as she continued to watch Dinah. There was so much blood.
Barbara was speechless. The bond between Dinah and Helena was very clear now. Normally, Helena would be kicking up hell about anything to do with Wayne money.
"I need you to come outside and tell me what happened." The red head told her.
"I'm not leaving." She said stubbornly.
Barbara put a hand on Helena's arm, "you can't help her in here, but you can help me to find out who done this to her."
Helena forced herself to turn around and march out of the room.
Barbara sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She watch the doctors swarm around Dinah and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.
As soon as she saw her in Helena's arms she knew Dinah was going to have to fight and now she was witnessing it. She just hoped the newest member of the family would be strong enough to survive.
She wiped her eyes gave a final glance to Dinah before going to talk to Helena.
"Tell me exactly what happened." Barbara said as she went up the ramp to face Helena.
The brunette rubbed her neck as she started, "I was chasing her and then there was a shot and she hit the ground."
Barbara could see how much it was paining Helena to talk about it but she had to know. "Did you see who shot her?"
Helena started to pace in front of the red head. "Someone all in black, balaclava over their face. I think it was a guy. The way he turned and ran. I wanted to go after him but I couldn't leave her lying there. I should have been paying attention. Why did I have to be so childish instead of concentrating!" She shouted.
"It wasn't your fault. Dinah is a playful kid. She probably would have been running about whether you joined in or not. You can't be expected to notice every danger."
When Helena stopped simply stood facing her but avoided looking at her. Barbara knew she was stuck in cat eye mode though. She knew Helena enough to know what set her off.
"There's one question: Why didn't he shoot at you too?"
Helena frowned. "You think he was after Dinah only?"
"He had to have been, otherwise he would have at least tried to shoot you."
"Dinah doesn't have any enemies. She hasn't been out long enough to have any that wouldn't be happy to take me out too."
Barbara nodded, "you're right but it doesn't seem like a random attack."
One of the Wayne doctors then came speeding it the room and walked up to Barbara.
"We thought you should see this." He said before showing her the metal dish that held something shaped like a bullet but flashing red.
Barbara tried to focus and ignore the blood in the dish and on the doctor. "It's a tracer. We need to figure out who done this and fast." She told Helena.
She took the dish from the doctor and asked him how Dinah was.
"The 'bullet' didn't hit anything major but there was a lot of internal bleeding. It's a good team and everything is going well so far. I'd hope she'd make a full recovery." He told them before going back to his patient.
Both women stood taking the information in but neither wanted to celebrate just yet, they knew getting their hopes up was never a good thing.
Barbara came to a start again and collected a pair of sterile gloves and put them on before lifting the tracer and placing it on the floor. "Stamp on it." She said sternly to Helena who quickly complied and crushed the thing under her boot.
"What the hell was that?!" Helena asked.
Barbara put the dish aside and removed the gloves. "It was a very high tech device. It's basically a bullet with a tracker inside. There not easy to come by, as far as I know the military are the only one's with access to them."
Helena's face should realisation before it was replaced with anger. "It was him. That bastard. He'll pay for this." She said as she marched towards the elevator, ready to kick some ex-army boy ass.
Barbara spun around. "Helena wait! Who was it?"
She stopped and faced her mentor. "McKenzie. The ex army officer we stopped from stealing half an arsenal a couple of weeks back. He got bail."
Before Barbara could say anything else the door leading in from the balcony burst open and McKenzie ran in brandishing a gun. At the same moment the elevator doors pinged and opened to reveal a man. Helena was left severely confused as her meta abilities screamed for her to jumped at both men but she couldn't see which one. Her confusion was ended when McKenzie fired and the bullet threw her back causing her to head her head on a pole as she went down.
"Helena!" Barbara screamed as she watched the bullet enter her charge and throw her into the pole with force.
She forgot about the psychopath with the gun and the mystery man in the elevator as she wheeled forward to Helena.
This couldn't be happening. How could one human man take away her entire family like this? Helena had never been seriously injured before. She normally beat bullets.
McKenzie didn't even have a chance to react before a well-toned man punched him, hard, immediately knocking him out.
The man grabbed some spare cable from the desk and tied his legs and hands together and kicked the gun far out of reach.
Alfred led a few of the doctors into the main room and let them whip Helena away to treat her. Part of him was glad she was unconscious or she'd never let a doctor touch her.
He then turned to greet the new man. "Your timing is impeccable as always, Master Dick."
Dick Grayson nodded to his old confident, "Alfred. You could have given me a little more information."
"Master Dick, If I could see the future I would have told you to hurry up. But you're here now, look after Miss Barbara." He said before turning and leaving to make himself useful.
Dick kneeled down in front of Barbara. She was in shock, just staring at the spot Helena was shot. "Babs?" he asked softly and moved a lock of red hair from her face.
When she heard his soft voice it dragged her from her shock. She slowly became aware of him sitting in front of her. She unconsciously reacted to the day's events and burst into gut wrenching sobs.
Dick knew that Barbara needed to cry and let everything she'd pent up out.
He cringed as he watched her cry. It was something he hated so much. Seeing her so sad, so hurt, was physically painful to him.
He gently put his arms around her and it didn't take long for her to grip onto him. He then used his strength to lift her from the chair and carry her to the sofa. He sat down and held her.
Dick understood how hard it was for Barbara to completely let go like he was. She'd spent so long trying to be brave and strong and prove herself, that tears were a sign of weakness.
It was no wonder she broke down though. She loved Helena and Dinah like daughters and she had just watched both of them be seriously injured.
Dick himself was shaken at watching his adoptive sister be shot down like that. They hadn't had much contact but he did care.
When her breathing started to even out and her cries became quieter, Dick laid a kiss on top of her head to let her know it was ok.
A few minutes later she spoke up, "How did you know?" She asked hoarsely.
"Alfred called me when Dinah got hurt. I got Flash to give me a ride." He answered.
"Flash does come in useful for some things." She tried to joke.
Dick smiled, "yeah. If you're ever running late, he's a great friend to have." Dick sighed, "Babs, I was meant to be coming over this weekend, anyway. Alfred told me how… distant you've been lately. And we both know how insightful he is."
Barbara knew it was useless to argue. Alfred was a man who could see how people felt just by being around them and he was never wrong.
"Can you go see how they are? Then I'll talk." She told him.
"Of course." Dick then got up, leaving Barbara alone.
She loved him, she really did. Everyday she missed and wished they could be together but their lives just never allowed it. He was her rock, someone she didn't have to be strong and confident around. But he was Nightwing and she was Oracle.
She sighed put her hands over her face. How could her world fall apart so much in a matter of hours. It was just like that night 7 years ago when the joker ripped everything away from her.
Dick came back into the living room and saw Barbara sitting with her hands over her face. He wanted to hold her forever and protect her from the world.
"Are they ok?" Barbara said as she let her hands fall.
Dick sat down beside her again, "They'll both be fine. The bullet went straight through Helena's shoulder, as soon as they sewed it up it started to heal. She's going to have a hell of a headache though. Dinah's still got unconscious. She probably will be for a while, her body needs time to heal."
Barbara nodded, understanding it all. "What about McKenzie?" She asked thinking her was still in the main room.
"Alfred took care of that." He took her hand. "It's time to talk, Babs."
Barbara looked at their hands. "Since everything happened with Carolyn and Dinah started going out on sweeps. I've been scared. Really scared." Her voice trembled.
"I watched them both go through hell when Carolyn died. Dinah trying to deal with losing her mum, again and Helena having to try and help her through something so similar to what she went through. I wanted so much to take them away from New Gotham to somewhere peaceful where they could just be normal. Where they wouldn't have to worry about fighting criminals and metas but I can't." Dick understood why. It wasn't a lifestyle you could walk away from.
"I started worry about them getting hurt. The more I did, the more I realised I wouldn't be able to protect them. I mean look at what happened tonight! I couldn't help either of them!"
Dick wiped her tears, "You saved them. You got those doctors here straight away. You took them both in and helped them. Barbara you are the most caring person I know. You give everything for other people, that's why your Oracle, because it let's you save and protect people."
Barbara leaned into his hand. "But I failed them this time and they got hurt."
"They did get hurt but they're going to be fine. Babs, you didn't fail them or let them down. These things happen in our line of work, you know that."
"I just wish I could be out there at their side, making sure their ok." She added quietly.
"But they need you here or else they would get into a lot of trouble. You do a lot as Oracle, Babs. Most of us depend on you at some point. You're strong." He said as he pulled her into a hug and held her.
"Will you stay? For tonight?" She asked him.
"Of course."
Part 3
Helena burst through the elevator doors still holding Dinah in her arms. She was more panicked, more scared than she had been in a long time. Dinah was in bad condition and she knew it. The young blonde had passed out just before they got to the clock tower despite Helena's attempts to keep her talking.
"Barbara!!" Helena yelled.
She then heard the low hum of Barbara's chair and made her way towards it. Helena watched Barbara physically pale as she saw Dinah hanging limply in her arms.
"Med bay?" She asked, not having the time to make sure Barbara was ok.
Barbara nodded and followed them.
Helena abruptly stopped when she got into the med bay. She was standing in a room of doctors and medical equipment. They quickly tore Dinah from her arms and started hooking her up to machines and sticking her with needles. Helena could only stand there in shock.
"They're good at their job. The best I could get in such short notice. It's through your father though." Barbara said from behind her.
"I don't care who it's from as long as it saves her." Helena said surely as she continued to watch Dinah. There was so much blood.
Barbara was speechless. The bond between Dinah and Helena was very clear now. Normally, Helena would be kicking up hell about anything to do with Wayne money.
"I need you to come outside and tell me what happened." The red head told her.
"I'm not leaving." She said stubbornly.
Barbara put a hand on Helena's arm, "you can't help her in here, but you can help me to find out who done this to her."
Helena forced herself to turn around and march out of the room.
Barbara sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She watch the doctors swarm around Dinah and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.
As soon as she saw her in Helena's arms she knew Dinah was going to have to fight and now she was witnessing it. She just hoped the newest member of the family would be strong enough to survive.
She wiped her eyes gave a final glance to Dinah before going to talk to Helena.
"Tell me exactly what happened." Barbara said as she went up the ramp to face Helena.
The brunette rubbed her neck as she started, "I was chasing her and then there was a shot and she hit the ground."
Barbara could see how much it was paining Helena to talk about it but she had to know. "Did you see who shot her?"
Helena started to pace in front of the red head. "Someone all in black, balaclava over their face. I think it was a guy. The way he turned and ran. I wanted to go after him but I couldn't leave her lying there. I should have been paying attention. Why did I have to be so childish instead of concentrating!" She shouted.
"It wasn't your fault. Dinah is a playful kid. She probably would have been running about whether you joined in or not. You can't be expected to notice every danger."
When Helena stopped simply stood facing her but avoided looking at her. Barbara knew she was stuck in cat eye mode though. She knew Helena enough to know what set her off.
"There's one question: Why didn't he shoot at you too?"
Helena frowned. "You think he was after Dinah only?"
"He had to have been, otherwise he would have at least tried to shoot you."
"Dinah doesn't have any enemies. She hasn't been out long enough to have any that wouldn't be happy to take me out too."
Barbara nodded, "you're right but it doesn't seem like a random attack."
One of the Wayne doctors then came speeding it the room and walked up to Barbara.
"We thought you should see this." He said before showing her the metal dish that held something shaped like a bullet but flashing red.
Barbara tried to focus and ignore the blood in the dish and on the doctor. "It's a tracer. We need to figure out who done this and fast." She told Helena.
She took the dish from the doctor and asked him how Dinah was.
"The 'bullet' didn't hit anything major but there was a lot of internal bleeding. It's a good team and everything is going well so far. I'd hope she'd make a full recovery." He told them before going back to his patient.
Both women stood taking the information in but neither wanted to celebrate just yet, they knew getting their hopes up was never a good thing.
Barbara came to a start again and collected a pair of sterile gloves and put them on before lifting the tracer and placing it on the floor. "Stamp on it." She said sternly to Helena who quickly complied and crushed the thing under her boot.
"What the hell was that?!" Helena asked.
Barbara put the dish aside and removed the gloves. "It was a very high tech device. It's basically a bullet with a tracker inside. There not easy to come by, as far as I know the military are the only one's with access to them."
Helena's face should realisation before it was replaced with anger. "It was him. That bastard. He'll pay for this." She said as she marched towards the elevator, ready to kick some ex-army boy ass.
Barbara spun around. "Helena wait! Who was it?"
She stopped and faced her mentor. "McKenzie. The ex army officer we stopped from stealing half an arsenal a couple of weeks back. He got bail."
Before Barbara could say anything else the door leading in from the balcony burst open and McKenzie ran in brandishing a gun. At the same moment the elevator doors pinged and opened to reveal a man. Helena was left severely confused as her meta abilities screamed for her to jumped at both men but she couldn't see which one. Her confusion was ended when McKenzie fired and the bullet threw her back causing her to head her head on a pole as she went down.
"Helena!" Barbara screamed as she watched the bullet enter her charge and throw her into the pole with force.
She forgot about the psychopath with the gun and the mystery man in the elevator as she wheeled forward to Helena.
This couldn't be happening. How could one human man take away her entire family like this? Helena had never been seriously injured before. She normally beat bullets.
McKenzie didn't even have a chance to react before a well-toned man punched him, hard, immediately knocking him out.
The man grabbed some spare cable from the desk and tied his legs and hands together and kicked the gun far out of reach.
Alfred led a few of the doctors into the main room and let them whip Helena away to treat her. Part of him was glad she was unconscious or she'd never let a doctor touch her.
He then turned to greet the new man. "Your timing is impeccable as always, Master Dick."
Dick Grayson nodded to his old confident, "Alfred. You could have given me a little more information."
"Master Dick, If I could see the future I would have told you to hurry up. But you're here now, look after Miss Barbara." He said before turning and leaving to make himself useful.
Dick kneeled down in front of Barbara. She was in shock, just staring at the spot Helena was shot. "Babs?" he asked softly and moved a lock of red hair from her face.
When she heard his soft voice it dragged her from her shock. She slowly became aware of him sitting in front of her. She unconsciously reacted to the day's events and burst into gut wrenching sobs.
Dick knew that Barbara needed to cry and let everything she'd pent up out.
He cringed as he watched her cry. It was something he hated so much. Seeing her so sad, so hurt, was physically painful to him.
He gently put his arms around her and it didn't take long for her to grip onto him. He then used his strength to lift her from the chair and carry her to the sofa. He sat down and held her.
Dick understood how hard it was for Barbara to completely let go like he was. She'd spent so long trying to be brave and strong and prove herself, that tears were a sign of weakness.
It was no wonder she broke down though. She loved Helena and Dinah like daughters and she had just watched both of them be seriously injured.
Dick himself was shaken at watching his adoptive sister be shot down like that. They hadn't had much contact but he did care.
When her breathing started to even out and her cries became quieter, Dick laid a kiss on top of her head to let her know it was ok.
A few minutes later she spoke up, "How did you know?" She asked hoarsely.
"Alfred called me when Dinah got hurt. I got Flash to give me a ride." He answered.
"Flash does come in useful for some things." She tried to joke.
Dick smiled, "yeah. If you're ever running late, he's a great friend to have." Dick sighed, "Babs, I was meant to be coming over this weekend, anyway. Alfred told me how… distant you've been lately. And we both know how insightful he is."
Barbara knew it was useless to argue. Alfred was a man who could see how people felt just by being around them and he was never wrong.
"Can you go see how they are? Then I'll talk." She told him.
"Of course." Dick then got up, leaving Barbara alone.
She loved him, she really did. Everyday she missed and wished they could be together but their lives just never allowed it. He was her rock, someone she didn't have to be strong and confident around. But he was Nightwing and she was Oracle.
She sighed put her hands over her face. How could her world fall apart so much in a matter of hours. It was just like that night 7 years ago when the joker ripped everything away from her.
Dick came back into the living room and saw Barbara sitting with her hands over her face. He wanted to hold her forever and protect her from the world.
"Are they ok?" Barbara said as she let her hands fall.
Dick sat down beside her again, "They'll both be fine. The bullet went straight through Helena's shoulder, as soon as they sewed it up it started to heal. She's going to have a hell of a headache though. Dinah's still got unconscious. She probably will be for a while, her body needs time to heal."
Barbara nodded, understanding it all. "What about McKenzie?" She asked thinking her was still in the main room.
"Alfred took care of that." He took her hand. "It's time to talk, Babs."
Barbara looked at their hands. "Since everything happened with Carolyn and Dinah started going out on sweeps. I've been scared. Really scared." Her voice trembled.
"I watched them both go through hell when Carolyn died. Dinah trying to deal with losing her mum, again and Helena having to try and help her through something so similar to what she went through. I wanted so much to take them away from New Gotham to somewhere peaceful where they could just be normal. Where they wouldn't have to worry about fighting criminals and metas but I can't." Dick understood why. It wasn't a lifestyle you could walk away from.
"I started worry about them getting hurt. The more I did, the more I realised I wouldn't be able to protect them. I mean look at what happened tonight! I couldn't help either of them!"
Dick wiped her tears, "You saved them. You got those doctors here straight away. You took them both in and helped them. Barbara you are the most caring person I know. You give everything for other people, that's why your Oracle, because it let's you save and protect people."
Barbara leaned into his hand. "But I failed them this time and they got hurt."
"They did get hurt but they're going to be fine. Babs, you didn't fail them or let them down. These things happen in our line of work, you know that."
"I just wish I could be out there at their side, making sure their ok." She added quietly.
"But they need you here or else they would get into a lot of trouble. You do a lot as Oracle, Babs. Most of us depend on you at some point. You're strong." He said as he pulled her into a hug and held her.
"Will you stay? For tonight?" She asked him.
"Of course."