Next day Helena walked in the gym in a bad mood. She wasn't convinced yet
to fight but Barbara didn't give her choices. Her mentor had a small patch
over her back head. She was taking her time bandaging her hands. Barbara
began to be impatient; she knew Helena was doing that on purpouse. She
wheeled toward the cabinet and took a batarang; with out advice, she threw
it to her knees.
Helena was lost in her thoughts she suddenly felt her eyes changed and instinctively jumped up. The batarang crossed down her legs. She landed on her feet glaring to Barbara who took the batarang with her hands.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Don't play with me Helena" Barbara said angry.
"Barbara."
"Are you ready?" the redhead let the batarang and took her escrima sticks. She threw one to the kid that catched it in the air.
"I'm not sure to do this." Helena said looking Barbara advance to her, the electric wheelchair gave her most mobility and speed.
"About what are you sure? About you are scared?" Barbara asked.
"I'm not scared. You are hurt!" she pointed her patch.
"Don't use me as an excuse." Barbara wheeled to her.
"Barbara I'm not sure I want to be in family business." Helena raised her hands.
"It's not about family business, it's about survive. You are the daughter of Batman."
"I didn't want be his daughter" Helena shouted.
".And Catwoman" Barbara continued with out listen her "You need to be prepared, if some day anyone discover who are you your life would be in danger, they both had many enemies."
"Damn! Why I couldn't have normal parents?"
"You are who you are; you can't avoid it! It's our destiny!"
"Don't start again!" Helena sighed.
"You are scared about who you are!" Barbara circled her and threw her a light blow with her stick that Helena blocked with the stick that she had in her hand..
"That's not true" the kid said.
"Yes, you have fear of your own!" The red head threw her another blow.
"Are you nuts?"
"Yes. is that." Barbara stop in front of her "You are scared, scared to fail your mother."
Helena hesitated "That. no. that's."
"Do you think that maybe you couldn't be better than her, have afraid of her image?" Barbara hit her leg. Helena groaned and took her hand to her leg. "Focus Helena" The old woman said in loud voice.
"I'm focused. Don't involve her" Helena said.
"You are scared as a little girl." Barbara attacked her twice
"I'm not a girl." Helena blocked the blows and attacked her, Barbara stopped it.
"I said focus!" Barbara exclaimed and gave her a hard blow that threw her to the floor. Before she could stood up, she had the stick over her throat. "You can't let your emotions control you; you are a slave when you let that you anger and feelings control you; think clearly, be free."
Helena in a bad mood took off the stick over her throat and stood up. She faced Barbara. "Did you want a fight?" she asked.
"Yes, I want a fight," Barbara glared to her "a real fight, a fight with a woman that don't feel scared of herself."
"What are you taking about?"
"You are of your own. You don't accept your self, you are running of you, you are hiding of you!"
"No, that's not true!" the kid shouted.
Barbara attacked her and Helena avoided her blows. She tried to surprise her with a hit in her knee but he girl jumped back.
"Why are you afraid of discover yourself?"Barbara asked.
"I'm not afraid!" Helena's eyes shone.
"Yes you are, maybe you are afraid of couldn't control your self and your strength; but for that is training Helena, or maybe about you can't be as good as your father." Barbara attacked her again.
"That's not true!" Helena avoided the blow and smashed harder the stick of Barbara. She needed lowered her head fast to avoid a blow.
"Don't fight with anger, fight with your head!" Barbar took off one of the sticks in Helena's hand and continued her attack ".Maybe you are just a shadow of them..."
Helena felt the rabid growing in her and she was going to attack her but she stopped. She looked her with anger; Barbara could saw her feral eyes.
"Enough!" Helena smashed the stick again the wall breaking it. "Let me alone!"
"No, you need face your self! Why are you scare about you, about what you are?"
"Why do you think that I'm scared of me?"
"Prove me you aren't."
Helena gave her back and put her hands over her waist. "I'm not scared." she said in low voice. "Is just that I never imagined that I. I could do all the things that I do."
".And more." Barbara wheeled to her.
Helena rest her back in the wall and slip down. She took her hands to her head "Maybe I'm afraid, yes, that I can't manage it and do something wrong. It don't care me if I kill a damn murder as my mother one; but I'm scare to hurt an innocent, to be confused and don't be capable of distinguish it and commit a mistake, a big mistake."
"For that is training, to learn to control our self, to know our limits; to don't kill."
"Don't ask me don't kill the son of bitch that kill my mother the day that I will face him!"
"Helena remember, revenge might dull the pain, but the less we feel, the less we are." Barbara said to her.
"I don't understand you." Helena moved her head "I never could understand why you protect so much the criminals."
"If you kill you turn in one. Some day you will understand."
Helena lowered her head and crossed her arms on her knees keeping silence. Barbara put a towel over her neck and wheeled back to exit of the training room letting Helena lost in her thoughts.
* * *
Barbara felt upset and entered the kitchen looking for some water. Alfred was there preparing the dinner and could read the annoyance on her face.
"What is the matter?" He asked knowing the answer was Helena.
"It's hard to talk with her, she is really obstinate." Barbara said accepting the glass of water that Alfred had poured for her. "She thinks we can kill."
"She is impetuous . as you were." Alfred observed.
"I never thought about killing some one."
"But you reacted by following your feelings like she is doing now; and It took time control it."
"Alfred." Barbara put the glass over the table and looked him "Why you always do it?"
"Excuse me. Do what?
"You know about what I'm talking about." Barbara wheeled to her room "Okay, don't say more; I understand; I'm taking a bath."
Alfred prepared a tray with a glass with water and walked to the gym. Helena was still sitting on the floor looking it with her arms crossed over her knees. He entered and offered her the tray.
"Bad day?"
"I don't understand her. " Helena took the glass of water "She always follows the rules; the criminals don't. why I can't kill? They are bad. One of them killed my mother and now he is free."
"You must try not to hurt people." Alfred held his hands on his back.
"Even bad people?" Helena raised her head to him.
"I know it's hard. But you can't, you have the advantage, are meta. You have to be responsible with your powers because that's what being strong is all about"
"I don't know if I want to be like him yet..."
".or like her?" Alfred asked.
Helena sighed "No, I don't want be like her. well I mean yes. Not in work. I mean, like she was, as a person but not as the other thing. You understand?"
"Clearly."
"I felt good when I had the opportunity to help Barbara when that man tried to kill her." Helena stood up "I felt in that moment that I have a special gift and that I can help others with it. but it is too much responsibility and. many rules. I didn't know that a hero followed so many rules. I can't fight and stop to think how to avoid hurting the bad guy when he just has it in his mind to kill me. It doesn't make sense. I don't know if I can do it."
"Not everyone can be a hero, just special people like you." Alfred said. "For that reason Miss Barbara is training you, she believes in you; she is not an easy person. And you know that she would never put all her trust in you if she doesn't believe in your capabilities and in your heart. She saw you have a hero's heart."
"How she could see the things that I can't see?" Helena put a towel over her neck.
"Opening your eyes and your heart." He stepped out the training room. "And of course, practice."
Helena was lost in her thoughts she suddenly felt her eyes changed and instinctively jumped up. The batarang crossed down her legs. She landed on her feet glaring to Barbara who took the batarang with her hands.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Don't play with me Helena" Barbara said angry.
"Barbara."
"Are you ready?" the redhead let the batarang and took her escrima sticks. She threw one to the kid that catched it in the air.
"I'm not sure to do this." Helena said looking Barbara advance to her, the electric wheelchair gave her most mobility and speed.
"About what are you sure? About you are scared?" Barbara asked.
"I'm not scared. You are hurt!" she pointed her patch.
"Don't use me as an excuse." Barbara wheeled to her.
"Barbara I'm not sure I want to be in family business." Helena raised her hands.
"It's not about family business, it's about survive. You are the daughter of Batman."
"I didn't want be his daughter" Helena shouted.
".And Catwoman" Barbara continued with out listen her "You need to be prepared, if some day anyone discover who are you your life would be in danger, they both had many enemies."
"Damn! Why I couldn't have normal parents?"
"You are who you are; you can't avoid it! It's our destiny!"
"Don't start again!" Helena sighed.
"You are scared about who you are!" Barbara circled her and threw her a light blow with her stick that Helena blocked with the stick that she had in her hand..
"That's not true" the kid said.
"Yes, you have fear of your own!" The red head threw her another blow.
"Are you nuts?"
"Yes. is that." Barbara stop in front of her "You are scared, scared to fail your mother."
Helena hesitated "That. no. that's."
"Do you think that maybe you couldn't be better than her, have afraid of her image?" Barbara hit her leg. Helena groaned and took her hand to her leg. "Focus Helena" The old woman said in loud voice.
"I'm focused. Don't involve her" Helena said.
"You are scared as a little girl." Barbara attacked her twice
"I'm not a girl." Helena blocked the blows and attacked her, Barbara stopped it.
"I said focus!" Barbara exclaimed and gave her a hard blow that threw her to the floor. Before she could stood up, she had the stick over her throat. "You can't let your emotions control you; you are a slave when you let that you anger and feelings control you; think clearly, be free."
Helena in a bad mood took off the stick over her throat and stood up. She faced Barbara. "Did you want a fight?" she asked.
"Yes, I want a fight," Barbara glared to her "a real fight, a fight with a woman that don't feel scared of herself."
"What are you taking about?"
"You are of your own. You don't accept your self, you are running of you, you are hiding of you!"
"No, that's not true!" the kid shouted.
Barbara attacked her and Helena avoided her blows. She tried to surprise her with a hit in her knee but he girl jumped back.
"Why are you afraid of discover yourself?"Barbara asked.
"I'm not afraid!" Helena's eyes shone.
"Yes you are, maybe you are afraid of couldn't control your self and your strength; but for that is training Helena, or maybe about you can't be as good as your father." Barbara attacked her again.
"That's not true!" Helena avoided the blow and smashed harder the stick of Barbara. She needed lowered her head fast to avoid a blow.
"Don't fight with anger, fight with your head!" Barbar took off one of the sticks in Helena's hand and continued her attack ".Maybe you are just a shadow of them..."
Helena felt the rabid growing in her and she was going to attack her but she stopped. She looked her with anger; Barbara could saw her feral eyes.
"Enough!" Helena smashed the stick again the wall breaking it. "Let me alone!"
"No, you need face your self! Why are you scare about you, about what you are?"
"Why do you think that I'm scared of me?"
"Prove me you aren't."
Helena gave her back and put her hands over her waist. "I'm not scared." she said in low voice. "Is just that I never imagined that I. I could do all the things that I do."
".And more." Barbara wheeled to her.
Helena rest her back in the wall and slip down. She took her hands to her head "Maybe I'm afraid, yes, that I can't manage it and do something wrong. It don't care me if I kill a damn murder as my mother one; but I'm scare to hurt an innocent, to be confused and don't be capable of distinguish it and commit a mistake, a big mistake."
"For that is training, to learn to control our self, to know our limits; to don't kill."
"Don't ask me don't kill the son of bitch that kill my mother the day that I will face him!"
"Helena remember, revenge might dull the pain, but the less we feel, the less we are." Barbara said to her.
"I don't understand you." Helena moved her head "I never could understand why you protect so much the criminals."
"If you kill you turn in one. Some day you will understand."
Helena lowered her head and crossed her arms on her knees keeping silence. Barbara put a towel over her neck and wheeled back to exit of the training room letting Helena lost in her thoughts.
* * *
Barbara felt upset and entered the kitchen looking for some water. Alfred was there preparing the dinner and could read the annoyance on her face.
"What is the matter?" He asked knowing the answer was Helena.
"It's hard to talk with her, she is really obstinate." Barbara said accepting the glass of water that Alfred had poured for her. "She thinks we can kill."
"She is impetuous . as you were." Alfred observed.
"I never thought about killing some one."
"But you reacted by following your feelings like she is doing now; and It took time control it."
"Alfred." Barbara put the glass over the table and looked him "Why you always do it?"
"Excuse me. Do what?
"You know about what I'm talking about." Barbara wheeled to her room "Okay, don't say more; I understand; I'm taking a bath."
Alfred prepared a tray with a glass with water and walked to the gym. Helena was still sitting on the floor looking it with her arms crossed over her knees. He entered and offered her the tray.
"Bad day?"
"I don't understand her. " Helena took the glass of water "She always follows the rules; the criminals don't. why I can't kill? They are bad. One of them killed my mother and now he is free."
"You must try not to hurt people." Alfred held his hands on his back.
"Even bad people?" Helena raised her head to him.
"I know it's hard. But you can't, you have the advantage, are meta. You have to be responsible with your powers because that's what being strong is all about"
"I don't know if I want to be like him yet..."
".or like her?" Alfred asked.
Helena sighed "No, I don't want be like her. well I mean yes. Not in work. I mean, like she was, as a person but not as the other thing. You understand?"
"Clearly."
"I felt good when I had the opportunity to help Barbara when that man tried to kill her." Helena stood up "I felt in that moment that I have a special gift and that I can help others with it. but it is too much responsibility and. many rules. I didn't know that a hero followed so many rules. I can't fight and stop to think how to avoid hurting the bad guy when he just has it in his mind to kill me. It doesn't make sense. I don't know if I can do it."
"Not everyone can be a hero, just special people like you." Alfred said. "For that reason Miss Barbara is training you, she believes in you; she is not an easy person. And you know that she would never put all her trust in you if she doesn't believe in your capabilities and in your heart. She saw you have a hero's heart."
"How she could see the things that I can't see?" Helena put a towel over her neck.
"Opening your eyes and your heart." He stepped out the training room. "And of course, practice."