Next Monday, Alfred entered the lab, Barbara had been working there for
some weeks almost all day in a small device. He stood up behind her.
"Good afternoon miss Barbara, what is that?"
"I'm finishing a special device." she answered raising the small bat-shaped object.
"Looks like an earring" Alfred said looking it.
"Yes, but it's a device, this is the necklace, this bird in the middle is the mic and the earrings are the speakers."
"For Miss Helena?"
"Yes, I don't want her to prowl the streets alone, and I can't join her. She doesn't have the experience and I don't want something to happen to her."
"It's nice."
"You like it? I make it thinking of her. Helena is vain, she won't wear anything that she doesn't like."
"Do you think she is ready to be on the streets?"
"I think she just needs to train a bit more, but she's very good. I quit to the Suicide Squad; I need to give all my time to her. Helena is rebellious and still needs to learn to control herself."
"Did you quit?"
"Yes. I want give all my attention to her. She is excellent but I need to keep an eye on her."
"Yes that is true and a good idea; that reminded me that the Principal of the High school called you a few minutes ago; something of the football team's that Miss Helena stole. A panther he said, she's suspended for three days."
"What?" Barbara asked surprised. "The panther? The real one? That big animal?"
"I'm afraid to say yes. Some of the guys made her angry and she took revenge." Alfred explained.
Barbara covered her eyes with her hands "That kid! Why does she do these things?"
"She is as rebellious as her mother was."
"But her mother never kidnapped mascots, she just stole jewels! God! Where is she?"
"She might get here in a few minutes." Alfred looked at his watch.
"And the panther? Where is it?" Barbara took a sip of her coffee.
"Oh, it's fine, she hid the animal in your office. Clever."
Barbara spit out "In my office???"
"Well, I in her place would do the same, no one would look for a panther in your office miss Barbara."
The elevator door opened and Helena walked in. She puckered her frown when she saw Barbara in the lab glaring to her: She walked to her with her school bag hanging over her shoulder.
"Why my office?" Barbara asked annoyed.
"No one would look for a black panther in your office." Helena said avoiding her look.
"Just as I thought." Alfred pointed. Barbara fixed her eyes on him, she wasn't joking.
"Helena you kidnapped a savage animal." Barbara scolded her.
"She's cute, and not dangerous." Helena said in low voice knowing Barbara was really mad.
"She?"
"Magda, the panther, it's a she."
"Anyway, what did you have in mind? Do you know the trouble that you are in now?"
Alfred walked out the lab. He couldn't avoid laughing; it was hard to scold Helena with that innocent attitude that she always showed every time she was in trouble.
"And you" Barbara said to him before he left "Don't do it again."
"Excuse me?" Alfred asked.
"Every time she is in trouble you spoil her behind my back. This time I ask you don't do it. This is too much!" she turned again to face Helena.
"As you say miss Barbara." Alfred stepped out not before winked his eye to the kid.
"How many days?" Helena looked her feet.
"You're punished for a month if you don't tell me why you did it, but if you will tell me, I'll only ground you for one week. It's your choice."
"I take the month."
Barbara rolled her eyes "Why you don't want to tell me?"
"It's personal, okay?" Helena said.
"No, is not okay. Do you think it's normal to kidnap mascots at High School? Have you tried just once to talk when you are mad with someone? That would be better than stealing a. jaguar!"
"Panther."
"It's the same! Wasn't a rabbit!"
"Barbara I choose a month of punishment; I'll stay here, just please don't ask me."
"What were you thinking when you took that animal?" Barbara asked.
"Well. I was guessing how to hide a black panther at school." Helena responded in a low voice.
"Helena!"
"I was thinking of that, sorry" she said.
"Tell me what happened, this is less than I expect of you."
The kid sat in the chair next to her "Why I should I tell you if you're going to punish me anyway?"
"To help me understand why you do these crazy things and so I won't be mad with you." Barbara tried to hold her temper.
"We were at the cafeteria and they always bother us." Helena lowered her head.
"They who?"
"The older kids, the ones that play on the football team. They're always annoying the new students; they think that because they are strong they could do anything to anyone. They told me that." Helena bit her lip.
"I'm listening:" Barbara fixed her eyes on hers crossing her arms.
"Forget it, better punish me."
"Helena."
"Is not enough punish me?" Helena raised her voice.
"No."
Helena looked away and took a deep brath "They told me that you are an usseles disabled! Okay? Damn!" she stood up annoyed. Barbara swallowed with out know what to say. Helena continued. "I almost broke his nose but you always tell me not fight; so they said that they are the best and are proud it is their panther. I just wanted to bother them a bit. I was going to give back the panther, I never thought to steal it; but Gibson was scared and opened his big mouth. I hate Gibson."
Barbara sighed and looked her. "Revenge is not good and, neither is using your strength against weak people either. I'm proud of you because you not hit him when he offended me. It is important to use your powers with intelligence. But still isn't correct kidnapp the panther."
"But." Helena tried to add.
"You can't let your emotions guide your life. A week with no leaving, no privileges, nothing. And extra work on the gym." Barbara pointed at her, and almost killed her with her look.
"Bar."
"And don't say a word more. Conversation done. Now go to your room."
Helena stood up and pressed her lips; she took her bag and dragged her feet to her room feeling sad. Now Barbara was really mad with her. Barbara looked at her go to her room, she was upset and went back to her work with the device. She understood her reactrion, maybe she had been so rude but she couldn't approve her procedues.
*Steal a panther* she groaned to her self *Damn!*
"Good afternoon miss Barbara, what is that?"
"I'm finishing a special device." she answered raising the small bat-shaped object.
"Looks like an earring" Alfred said looking it.
"Yes, but it's a device, this is the necklace, this bird in the middle is the mic and the earrings are the speakers."
"For Miss Helena?"
"Yes, I don't want her to prowl the streets alone, and I can't join her. She doesn't have the experience and I don't want something to happen to her."
"It's nice."
"You like it? I make it thinking of her. Helena is vain, she won't wear anything that she doesn't like."
"Do you think she is ready to be on the streets?"
"I think she just needs to train a bit more, but she's very good. I quit to the Suicide Squad; I need to give all my time to her. Helena is rebellious and still needs to learn to control herself."
"Did you quit?"
"Yes. I want give all my attention to her. She is excellent but I need to keep an eye on her."
"Yes that is true and a good idea; that reminded me that the Principal of the High school called you a few minutes ago; something of the football team's that Miss Helena stole. A panther he said, she's suspended for three days."
"What?" Barbara asked surprised. "The panther? The real one? That big animal?"
"I'm afraid to say yes. Some of the guys made her angry and she took revenge." Alfred explained.
Barbara covered her eyes with her hands "That kid! Why does she do these things?"
"She is as rebellious as her mother was."
"But her mother never kidnapped mascots, she just stole jewels! God! Where is she?"
"She might get here in a few minutes." Alfred looked at his watch.
"And the panther? Where is it?" Barbara took a sip of her coffee.
"Oh, it's fine, she hid the animal in your office. Clever."
Barbara spit out "In my office???"
"Well, I in her place would do the same, no one would look for a panther in your office miss Barbara."
The elevator door opened and Helena walked in. She puckered her frown when she saw Barbara in the lab glaring to her: She walked to her with her school bag hanging over her shoulder.
"Why my office?" Barbara asked annoyed.
"No one would look for a black panther in your office." Helena said avoiding her look.
"Just as I thought." Alfred pointed. Barbara fixed her eyes on him, she wasn't joking.
"Helena you kidnapped a savage animal." Barbara scolded her.
"She's cute, and not dangerous." Helena said in low voice knowing Barbara was really mad.
"She?"
"Magda, the panther, it's a she."
"Anyway, what did you have in mind? Do you know the trouble that you are in now?"
Alfred walked out the lab. He couldn't avoid laughing; it was hard to scold Helena with that innocent attitude that she always showed every time she was in trouble.
"And you" Barbara said to him before he left "Don't do it again."
"Excuse me?" Alfred asked.
"Every time she is in trouble you spoil her behind my back. This time I ask you don't do it. This is too much!" she turned again to face Helena.
"As you say miss Barbara." Alfred stepped out not before winked his eye to the kid.
"How many days?" Helena looked her feet.
"You're punished for a month if you don't tell me why you did it, but if you will tell me, I'll only ground you for one week. It's your choice."
"I take the month."
Barbara rolled her eyes "Why you don't want to tell me?"
"It's personal, okay?" Helena said.
"No, is not okay. Do you think it's normal to kidnap mascots at High School? Have you tried just once to talk when you are mad with someone? That would be better than stealing a. jaguar!"
"Panther."
"It's the same! Wasn't a rabbit!"
"Barbara I choose a month of punishment; I'll stay here, just please don't ask me."
"What were you thinking when you took that animal?" Barbara asked.
"Well. I was guessing how to hide a black panther at school." Helena responded in a low voice.
"Helena!"
"I was thinking of that, sorry" she said.
"Tell me what happened, this is less than I expect of you."
The kid sat in the chair next to her "Why I should I tell you if you're going to punish me anyway?"
"To help me understand why you do these crazy things and so I won't be mad with you." Barbara tried to hold her temper.
"We were at the cafeteria and they always bother us." Helena lowered her head.
"They who?"
"The older kids, the ones that play on the football team. They're always annoying the new students; they think that because they are strong they could do anything to anyone. They told me that." Helena bit her lip.
"I'm listening:" Barbara fixed her eyes on hers crossing her arms.
"Forget it, better punish me."
"Helena."
"Is not enough punish me?" Helena raised her voice.
"No."
Helena looked away and took a deep brath "They told me that you are an usseles disabled! Okay? Damn!" she stood up annoyed. Barbara swallowed with out know what to say. Helena continued. "I almost broke his nose but you always tell me not fight; so they said that they are the best and are proud it is their panther. I just wanted to bother them a bit. I was going to give back the panther, I never thought to steal it; but Gibson was scared and opened his big mouth. I hate Gibson."
Barbara sighed and looked her. "Revenge is not good and, neither is using your strength against weak people either. I'm proud of you because you not hit him when he offended me. It is important to use your powers with intelligence. But still isn't correct kidnapp the panther."
"But." Helena tried to add.
"You can't let your emotions guide your life. A week with no leaving, no privileges, nothing. And extra work on the gym." Barbara pointed at her, and almost killed her with her look.
"Bar."
"And don't say a word more. Conversation done. Now go to your room."
Helena stood up and pressed her lips; she took her bag and dragged her feet to her room feeling sad. Now Barbara was really mad with her. Barbara looked at her go to her room, she was upset and went back to her work with the device. She understood her reactrion, maybe she had been so rude but she couldn't approve her procedues.
*Steal a panther* she groaned to her self *Damn!*