Helena had been thinking about what Barbara had told her about her fears.
For her it was a surprise discover her own abilities, she knew she was
meta, but she had never stopped to think that she would develop it and help
other with her abilities.
She walked toward Barbara's classroom distractedly; she opened the door and
saw a man kneeling over a woman's body. The man stood up and turned to see
her; was Killer Croc, she looked down, Barbara was unconscious. She felt
the anger growing inside her and she jumped over him. The man slapped her
and she crashed against the chairs.
Before she could stand up she felt the strong a big hand of him taking her
neck, she struggled to be free but he was too strong. And smashed her back
against the locker harder. She felt she couldn't breath and tried
unsuccessfully to be free. Her mind began to blur and opened her mouth
trying to take air to her lungs.
* * *
Helena woke up sweating and breathing fast. She raised her head; she realized she was alone suffocating with her face against the pillow. She sat up immediately and looked around. It was just a nightmare again. She hated the demons that followed her constantly in her dreams. Facing them was easier said than done. She held her pillow and rested her back in the headboard thinking. She looked out the door the light was on. She didn't see Barbara that day, the red head had been in a course and later she had gone to a dinner with her father. Helena stood up and walked out. Barbara was working at the Delphi system; she took off her eyeglasses and put her fingers over the bridge of her nose. She felt like she was at a dead end; she was on the case of a serial killer and she couldn't get any leads. She was sure that he followed the victims; he knew exactly the moment and the place to attack them alone and with out witness. In the other side, her mind was working, thinking about Killer Croc. He had told her before he left that he would be back to kill her. "You never sleep?" the soft voice of Helena made her jump in fright. "God Helena!" Barbara covered her face with her hands "I told you don't be so quiet!" Helena rubbed her left eye and yawned, "I'm sorry, I can't avoid it." "Hey you're supposed to be sleeping, what are you doing here?" Barbara thought and turned to saw Helena, she froze. The kid had a nose ring. "Ah, no that's not!" she said. "Not what?" Helena asked. "Everything you want, but not a nose piercing, you look like a small bull. Was that what the money was for?". "Yes." Helena said trying to convince Barbara "It's cool." "Cool my ass, Let's go to the lab I'll take it off." Barbara felt really mad. She wheeled to the lab. "No Barbara, this is very cool, really." "If you don't let me take you that damn thing off, I swore you that I'll put a side of a chain on that ring and the other side to the wheelchair!" Barbara turned her chair to see her and immediately wheeled to the lab. Helena saw Barbara's eyes burning and she followed her in silence with her face down. A few minutes later they returned to the lab. Barbara had taken the nose ring from Helena; she walked behind her with a small cloth on her nose. "Great, now I have four holes in my nose" the kid said mad. "Better than be chained, and as you said, you heal faster. Soon it would disappear." Barbara said in a hard tone "Think twice before you decide make another hole in your body young lady." "Okay, okay, change of matter. what are you doing wake up so late." Helena sat next to her. "I'm trying to find a lead to catch Killer Croc." Barbara looked her monitor. "The guy that attacked us? Why he looks like alligator?" "Waylon Jones had a rare condition that gave him reptilian-like skin." Barbara kept an eye on her "He stole the wrestling promoter's money, escaped to Gotham City and became a master thief, extortionist, and murderer. My father is certain that his lawyer got him free." "Do you think he would attack you again?" Helena asked her nervous feeling her glaze. "He told me he would. I need to find him first, he is not too smart." Barbara did a pause and sighed. She turned her wheelchair to see her again and fixed her eyes on Helena's and kept silent.
The kid still held the cloth over her nose "I told you I'm sorry Barbara" she said. "Helena. I want to talk to you about." Barbara did a pause "I saw you following me." The girl blushed. "I know that you are worried about me but. You can't live behind me; you have your own life, as I can't be following you all time. I can take care of my self, don't worry." "Yes, sure, like the other night." Helena said ironically. "Helena this is my work, I accept the responsibility of it and I don't want you to be responsible for my life. I told you, thanks for help me last night but. please, don't feel responsible for me. That isn't good and isn't fair for either of us. We need to keep going, but we can't chain ourselves to each other. Don't feel afraid, we can't live feeling afraid, we can't live hiding, I already told you once." Helena sighed and nodded.
"That doesn't mean that I don't love you or that I'm not grateful for you. I just want you to live your own life, and not live your life just because of me." "Sorry Barbara I understand." Helena knew Barbara was right. For the last few months she had been trying to deal with many fears; and all those fears sometimes made her lose control. Barbara had showed her that many times. She felt stupid at that moment; Barbara had been a hero many years, she had more experience and was more prepared than her: an orphan teenager. "Hey" Barbara looked at her sad face and stroked her hair "Helena, don't feel bad. I was like you many times, and I made many mistakes just as you do. You are learning as I was. That is not something that should make feel you ashamed. You are strong and incredibly intelligent, you learn fast. You could fight against Killer Croc with out training; I'm so proud of you." "Yea?" she raised her head surprised. "Yes! It's true! You are marvellous Helena. Don't ever doubt yourself, ever." She took her hand "I'm often hard on you, and I'm sorry; but I do it because I know that you could be better, that you could improve, be as good and maybe better than me and many other heros. I'm sure you will be as good as your father some day. I press you because I know you can give more." Helena smiled lightly; she felt much better listening to those words. She always had thought that Barbara pressed her because she didn't have the skills and capability. "Thanks Barbara." "Now young lady, go to sleep, it's late." She looked some photos on the screen. "And those pictures?" "Another case, murderess, four guys, between 29-40." Barbara said. "May I?" "Of course, look it." Curious, Helena sat and began to read silently the information on the screen while Barbara wheeled to the next computer to close the files. It had been a long night without results, but she was sure she would find a clue soon. "All the parents were at the Police academy?" Helena asked.
"No, just two, the other two are a lawyer and a doctor." "No, they were all at the police academy." "No, look carefully." Barbara put some disks in order. "Well, if you read in 'Jobs' yes but if you read in 'others' at the end you can read that the doctor was in the police academy for four months and the lawyer for just two." Helena surprised her with her comment and Barbara turned her face to her "Excuse me?" "All the fathers of victims were at the police academy." Helena said. Barbara wheeled next to her "You're right, they were there at same time. in the same year." Barbara typed some info and waited a few seconds the results "and in the same. year." "Where did you get all that data? Is it legal?" Helena pursed her lips. "No." Helena was going to speak but Barbara interrupted her with a pointing finger "And don't say a word about what are you thinking in this moment." She knew the girl would protest because she had given her a lecture about following rules and laws. Helena understood the message and kept silent. Barbara checked the files again. The woman had found the clue that she had been looking for. It had been right under her nose and she didn't even notice it. "You're right. You found the lead that I had been looking for" Helena pounted. "That means that you keep working here." Barbara started to type faster again in the computer. "Maybe now I can find out who he is! There must be a connection between the murder and the people in the Police academy." "I'll go to sleep. Nite." Helena stood up with the colthe on her nose.
"Good night. And thanks!"
"Was a cool ring Barbara." Helena said walking to her room. Barbara smiled and continued typing in her keyboard.
* * *
Helena woke up sweating and breathing fast. She raised her head; she realized she was alone suffocating with her face against the pillow. She sat up immediately and looked around. It was just a nightmare again. She hated the demons that followed her constantly in her dreams. Facing them was easier said than done. She held her pillow and rested her back in the headboard thinking. She looked out the door the light was on. She didn't see Barbara that day, the red head had been in a course and later she had gone to a dinner with her father. Helena stood up and walked out. Barbara was working at the Delphi system; she took off her eyeglasses and put her fingers over the bridge of her nose. She felt like she was at a dead end; she was on the case of a serial killer and she couldn't get any leads. She was sure that he followed the victims; he knew exactly the moment and the place to attack them alone and with out witness. In the other side, her mind was working, thinking about Killer Croc. He had told her before he left that he would be back to kill her. "You never sleep?" the soft voice of Helena made her jump in fright. "God Helena!" Barbara covered her face with her hands "I told you don't be so quiet!" Helena rubbed her left eye and yawned, "I'm sorry, I can't avoid it." "Hey you're supposed to be sleeping, what are you doing here?" Barbara thought and turned to saw Helena, she froze. The kid had a nose ring. "Ah, no that's not!" she said. "Not what?" Helena asked. "Everything you want, but not a nose piercing, you look like a small bull. Was that what the money was for?". "Yes." Helena said trying to convince Barbara "It's cool." "Cool my ass, Let's go to the lab I'll take it off." Barbara felt really mad. She wheeled to the lab. "No Barbara, this is very cool, really." "If you don't let me take you that damn thing off, I swore you that I'll put a side of a chain on that ring and the other side to the wheelchair!" Barbara turned her chair to see her and immediately wheeled to the lab. Helena saw Barbara's eyes burning and she followed her in silence with her face down. A few minutes later they returned to the lab. Barbara had taken the nose ring from Helena; she walked behind her with a small cloth on her nose. "Great, now I have four holes in my nose" the kid said mad. "Better than be chained, and as you said, you heal faster. Soon it would disappear." Barbara said in a hard tone "Think twice before you decide make another hole in your body young lady." "Okay, okay, change of matter. what are you doing wake up so late." Helena sat next to her. "I'm trying to find a lead to catch Killer Croc." Barbara looked her monitor. "The guy that attacked us? Why he looks like alligator?" "Waylon Jones had a rare condition that gave him reptilian-like skin." Barbara kept an eye on her "He stole the wrestling promoter's money, escaped to Gotham City and became a master thief, extortionist, and murderer. My father is certain that his lawyer got him free." "Do you think he would attack you again?" Helena asked her nervous feeling her glaze. "He told me he would. I need to find him first, he is not too smart." Barbara did a pause and sighed. She turned her wheelchair to see her again and fixed her eyes on Helena's and kept silent.
The kid still held the cloth over her nose "I told you I'm sorry Barbara" she said. "Helena. I want to talk to you about." Barbara did a pause "I saw you following me." The girl blushed. "I know that you are worried about me but. You can't live behind me; you have your own life, as I can't be following you all time. I can take care of my self, don't worry." "Yes, sure, like the other night." Helena said ironically. "Helena this is my work, I accept the responsibility of it and I don't want you to be responsible for my life. I told you, thanks for help me last night but. please, don't feel responsible for me. That isn't good and isn't fair for either of us. We need to keep going, but we can't chain ourselves to each other. Don't feel afraid, we can't live feeling afraid, we can't live hiding, I already told you once." Helena sighed and nodded.
"That doesn't mean that I don't love you or that I'm not grateful for you. I just want you to live your own life, and not live your life just because of me." "Sorry Barbara I understand." Helena knew Barbara was right. For the last few months she had been trying to deal with many fears; and all those fears sometimes made her lose control. Barbara had showed her that many times. She felt stupid at that moment; Barbara had been a hero many years, she had more experience and was more prepared than her: an orphan teenager. "Hey" Barbara looked at her sad face and stroked her hair "Helena, don't feel bad. I was like you many times, and I made many mistakes just as you do. You are learning as I was. That is not something that should make feel you ashamed. You are strong and incredibly intelligent, you learn fast. You could fight against Killer Croc with out training; I'm so proud of you." "Yea?" she raised her head surprised. "Yes! It's true! You are marvellous Helena. Don't ever doubt yourself, ever." She took her hand "I'm often hard on you, and I'm sorry; but I do it because I know that you could be better, that you could improve, be as good and maybe better than me and many other heros. I'm sure you will be as good as your father some day. I press you because I know you can give more." Helena smiled lightly; she felt much better listening to those words. She always had thought that Barbara pressed her because she didn't have the skills and capability. "Thanks Barbara." "Now young lady, go to sleep, it's late." She looked some photos on the screen. "And those pictures?" "Another case, murderess, four guys, between 29-40." Barbara said. "May I?" "Of course, look it." Curious, Helena sat and began to read silently the information on the screen while Barbara wheeled to the next computer to close the files. It had been a long night without results, but she was sure she would find a clue soon. "All the parents were at the Police academy?" Helena asked.
"No, just two, the other two are a lawyer and a doctor." "No, they were all at the police academy." "No, look carefully." Barbara put some disks in order. "Well, if you read in 'Jobs' yes but if you read in 'others' at the end you can read that the doctor was in the police academy for four months and the lawyer for just two." Helena surprised her with her comment and Barbara turned her face to her "Excuse me?" "All the fathers of victims were at the police academy." Helena said. Barbara wheeled next to her "You're right, they were there at same time. in the same year." Barbara typed some info and waited a few seconds the results "and in the same. year." "Where did you get all that data? Is it legal?" Helena pursed her lips. "No." Helena was going to speak but Barbara interrupted her with a pointing finger "And don't say a word about what are you thinking in this moment." She knew the girl would protest because she had given her a lecture about following rules and laws. Helena understood the message and kept silent. Barbara checked the files again. The woman had found the clue that she had been looking for. It had been right under her nose and she didn't even notice it. "You're right. You found the lead that I had been looking for" Helena pounted. "That means that you keep working here." Barbara started to type faster again in the computer. "Maybe now I can find out who he is! There must be a connection between the murder and the people in the Police academy." "I'll go to sleep. Nite." Helena stood up with the colthe on her nose.
"Good night. And thanks!"
"Was a cool ring Barbara." Helena said walking to her room. Barbara smiled and continued typing in her keyboard.
* * *