Dinah slowly made her way up the stairs and out into the school halls for the second time. She could hear helicopters fly overhead as she made her way down to the entrance. She gazed outside to see mostly darkness. Then slowly step by step lights came back on and massive floodlights began flowing across the building, casting an eerie bluish white light. Large groups of body armored policemen were heading across the grass.
She backed away from the door and sat down, while the adrenaline slowly began seeping out of her system. She would be saved now. A squad of black clad police men ran up the flight of stairs and saw her. She could almost see then debating how to react. Two men headed up to the door. They reached forward and one of them slowly opened it, while the other kept a lookout for trouble. Dinah didn't blame them for being careful. A male voice asked in a low tone, "hey you, come over here, we'll get you out now."
Dinah nodded her sweaty and dusty hair. She slowly stumbled to her feet and walked over to the door. The police man pulled her out of the opening. "Take her over to the paramedics immediately," he ordered and indicated two of the men to take her.
"Listen one of the hostage takers is down in the basement in the boiler room. I knocked him out, and I've thrown his rifle and ammunition into the crawlspaces close by," she explained before they took her away. The police man looked after her and Dinah sensed a combination of both pity and grave respect radiating from the men as they guided her to crouch and run in between them.
They came out of the trees. Dinah was astounded to find a huge collection of ambulances and some sort of temporary tented area having been set up. A huge crowd was kept behind some barricades nearby complete with nosy journalists, who were busy taking pictures. Some tried to get in as she was brought over to the tented area, but they were forcefully stopped by some uniformed officers. The police men told her to stay with the paramedics and headed back towards the school.
Dinah couldn't help staring wide eyed at the clean and pleasant looking woman paramedic, who gently asked her to sit down, while she examined her and asked her questions. "Wow, what happened here," the paramedic asked and examined her bullet hole riddled jeans.
"I used them in a trap to catch one of the hostage takers off guard and knock him out," she explained too tired and drained to really lie. The paramedic looked up at her again and Dinah could see in her eyes the same pity and respect that she had felt from the policemen. She wished they would keep the pity for those, who had actually lost something and that respect for those that had made an actual difference.
Soon the paramedic was replaced with a psychiatrist and a policeman, when suddenly a large collection of her school mates was brought in together with a load of people on stretchers. Dinah gave them simple answers telling them her name and address, explaining how her and Joy hadn't gotten out of the classroom, before the shooting started, explaining Joy's wild attack on the criminal letting her hide in a tight duct, how she had managed to rock the duct loose, telling off her attempts to get out of the school, how she had managed to trick and knock out the man after her and finally how the police men had found her. She glossed over the parts where she had used her powers, but was truthful about everything else.
When one of the policemen returned to ask more questions, she finally lost her patience. "Go ask someone else. I want to go find my mother. I want to go home. I don't want to sit here anymore. I am fine and I will be better, when I am with my mother," she said.
The police man was taken aback but nodded. "I would love to take you to your mother, but there is the slight issue of finding her. Do you have her phone number so that we can contact her," he asked. Dinah promptly gave him the regular phone number that would reroute them to Delphi. The police man left only to return a bit later with good news. "I was put through to your mom; she says she will be waiting at the barricade in a few minutes. I want to warn you however. There is a hell of a lot press down there. The walk out of here might be a bit hard," he explained.
"I'll be fine," she replied. She didn't really feel like having any kind of spotlight shone on her, but she really needed to see her mom.
A few minutes later Dinah in her sweaty and dusty shirt, bullet-hole riddled pants and now quite airy shoes stood with her dirty face and hair in front of the mass of people outside the barricade. Dinah could sense the questioning looks and roiling emotions of fear, loss and desperation of the relatives combined with the curiosity and ambition of the journalists. Finally she caught sight of her mom and Helena fighting their way to front. "That's them," she said to the police man at her side. He let her go and Dinah dashed up the barrier and was let through by the two policemen standing there.
No sooner had she put a foot outside before the microphones, tape recorders and cameras seemed to press in on her from everywhere. Questions and curious looks assaulted her on all sides, while the suddenly angry police men behind her tried to help by yelling for people to back away. Suddenly a gap opened as two reporters were yanked away. Helena appeared wearing all of her Huntress disguise except her mask. "Come here kid," she said and reached for her. Dinah felt as if she was safe as she was pulled forward to stand next to her mom.
She didn't waste any time, but threw herself into a tight embrace. "I thought I would never see you again," her mom whispered. Dinah couldn't speak as all the fear and terror she had been holding back flooded through her system, but disappeared again like dew in the sun from the familiar warmth of her mother's embrace.
"Let's go," Helena said and guided the wheelchair, its owner and temporary passenger away from the crowd even if it followed them for a while.
They made it out into the free air and Dinah felt a great relief the further they went from the crowd and if she was honest with herself the school as well. "Dinah, Dinah, thank god, you're alright. Did Joy get out together with you?" Dinah felt her guts knot themselves and she felt sick as she jumped out of her mother's chair and turned to face Joy's mother standing nearby. She could see from the crestfallen look on both her mom and Helena's faces that they already knew.
"I am sorry, Mrs. Landers but… Joy…" She began crying as the images flashed through her mind again. She could suddenly feel the droplet of Joy's blood hitting her face again, but she forced herself to remain strong. "Joy died in front of my eyes… Joy is dead. I am so sorry. I couldn't do anything," she said and knew that it was the truth even if it was bitter. Tears dripped from her eyes uncontrolled for a while and her sight was blurred. A strong pair of hands guided her and she became aware of being in a car, before she could really collect herself.
A few days later all the news in the city and actually around a lot of the world rotated around the high school and what had transpired there. Conspiracy theorists were having a field day claiming all sorts of weird stuff some of which had actually transpired. Barbara leaned back in her seat in front of Delphi. She hadn't been to work for a while either. She felt that Dinah, no matter what she said, needed her around.
And there was also the load of work having to manipulate evidence and records to allow their anonymity. She had registered Dinah in both Junior High and High School using a false address and records to avoid leaving some reason for people to visit the Clocktower, but now journalists and policemen wanted to interview her daughter and she'd rather not have that. So she had been forced to make arrangements to have all those things happen out in the Wayne manor with the help of Alfred.
The plan was to move out there for a while. They would conduct all the interviewing from there and enjoy the facilities. She could run much of her job as Oracle from the Batcave even if Helena was very unlikely to visit. The elevator slid open admitting Helena to the Clocktower. "Hey," she said in greeting.
"Hi, Alfred asked me to drive you guys out to the manor. He still needed to fix your rooms. Are you guys ready to go," Helena said.
"Dinah is still in her room," Barbara admitted slightly surprised that Helena and not Alfred would be driving them.
"I didn't think you'd be keen on setting foot inside your father's house," Barbara commented as she tapped in the last of the commands putting Delphi on standby, before driving down the short ramp and heading for Dinah's room with a silent Helena in tow.
She knocked softly and opened the door. Dinah was looking out the window at the city outside. "Are you ready to go?" She asked carefully. Dinah had been really quiet and often lost herself in deep thought these last days.
"Yes," she replied, got up and grabbed her suitcases.
Helena and Barbara were behind Dinah as they headed for the elevator. "So kid you excited about the manor," Helena asked.
"Not really," Dinah replied. Helena cast a glance at Barbara. She knew that Dinah was shutting them out right now. She guessed that it was because of her seeing her best friend gunned down in front of her. She considered, not for the first time these last few days, if she should get Dinah back into therapy just like she had been in the first months after getting shot the Joker.
They descended and went over to the car. "I will bring our car," she said and let Dinah ride with Helena as their car was loaded with some extra equipment and stuff left over from the hostage taking. As she guided the car out using the joystick she thought back to Dinah telling her story. She remembered Dinah revealing her telekinesis.
"How did you do that?" she had asked when Dinah had mentioned how she had held the door closed in front of Joy.
Dinah had looked up at her with guilt written all over her face. "I have telekinetic abilities. I have had them for years now. I've kept it secret from you for a long time," she had admitted.
"Why?" She had asked.
"I wanted something that was my own thing. Something I didn't share without just like you don't share your life as a hero with me," Dinah had explained and those words had hurt.
She drove down the road outside of New Gotham Helena's car a few yards in front of her. She couldn't put Dinah's secrecy out of her mind. Her daughter had kept a major secret from her so well that there had been no indications of it. She knew that Dinah several times had snuck in to spy on her working as Oracle and that Dinah had even tried to catch glimpses of Helena at work, but that Dinah had managed to keep a major part of her abilities secret from her was a shock and indication maybe that all was not well in the Gordon household.
But maybe it was just Dinah's way of rebelling against the rules she had set up. Dinah wouldn't reveal their secrets so instead she became a secretive person. She questioned herself continually now if it had been wise to tell Dinah about her and Helena's double life instead of making her a party too it. Maybe she could have kept their business out of the Clocktower. But then that would just have left Dinah alone for an even greater part of her life.
And even worse she couldn't really bring herself to delve deeply into these issues with Dinah because of what had happened. Dinah had come home and in the beginning it seemed like she had just been happy to have gotten out. There had been little or no hints of fear or any stress related trauma, but over the days that followed Dinah had grown increasingly distant and lost in thought. Barbara decided that it was probably best to get Dinah back into therapy as they headed up towards the huge Wayne Manor.
As the last notes of the piece vibrated on the strings of her cello she felt a tear descend her cheek. It was usually played in a duet, but her partner was gone for good. Dinah got up, leaving her cello and bow behind. She walked over to the huge windows that were so prevalent in the massive manor and stared out the rain pelted windows.
The image of Joy dying passed through her mind again. "Damn it," she cursed and turned away from the windows. She wanted to do something anything that would make her friend's sacrifice alright, give it a meaning. She had exactly achieved nothing in her entire life. People kept calling her gifted, but she had nothing to show for it. Her family and friends kept telling her that it was great she had gotten alive and that she had been really brave. She hadn't and she hated to hear them tell it. It was such a hollow kind of praise and like so much else these days it made her angry.
She wanted to do something, to make someone pay for her pain, to make them pay for all the bad things that happened to all the people because no one would protect them. But the one thing that she knew in her mind and soul she could do about it, the one person, whose opinion mattered, probably would not let her do. "I hate this," Dinah felt so damn helpless and it pissed her off. The image of Joy's corpse falling to the ground passed through Dinah's mind and she sank to the floor her back up against the rain pelted glass door.
Dinah felt butterflies vie for room in her stomach competing with the massive dinner Alfred had dished up this even. She had fought with the decision the entire evening now as the clock ticked towards midnight, she was trespassing in the legendary Batcave. Dinah pushed out a breath, steeled herself and brazenly walked towards the massive computers that served as her mother's lifeline to Delphi back home.
"You're not allowed in here," her mother said without turning from her screen. Alfred stood next to her pouring some tea. Wisps of steam came off the hot tea in the air of the cold Batcave, while she just kept walking until she stood next to her mother.
"Mom, I want to talk to you about something," Dinah said. She felt almost distanced from her own body and mouth, almost as if a third person was talking. She was so nervous. Her mom swiveled in her chair, her eyes wary and a hint of the hurt that had been there ever since her revelation of her telekinesis, still apparent.
"What is it Dinah? Helena is having some trouble with a gang of carjackers so I have to monitor the police closely," her mom reminded her. Dinah routinely suppressed the stab of jealousy that those words had given her.
She took in a breath, and couldn't help feel the warmth of hope in her heart as she stated her request. "Mom, I want you to train me to be a hero like Helena," she said.
She expected her mother to at least spend some time thinking it over, but the answer came promptly, "No." Her hopes whisked out of existence and were almost instantly replaced with a hollow feeling. The anger from earlier this evening returned. She had known it, she had felt it. She hadn't trusted those feelings, but now she understood them.
She opened her mouth to protest, her mind filled with arguments, but her mother cut her off, "Dinah there is no way I would ever allow you to send yourself into danger just because you feel a misplaced guilt over Joy's death. Vengeance is never the basis for a career as a hero."
Dinah looked around in the cave, at Alfred's surprised look, at the screen showing Helena's position and felt ridiculed by her mother's words. She couldn't help snorting derisively. "This is not a discussion Dinah. It will never happen. Now get back to bed," her mother said with a tone of finality.
Dinah felt her well prepared arguments flash through her mind once more, but instead she just gave her mom the most glacial look. She felt hurt deep inside and she needed to lash out somehow. "Good luck on your work tonight, Barbara. Goodnight, Alfred," she said struggling to keep any kind of emotion out her voice. She couldn't help feeling betrayed by her adopted mother as she left the Batcave.
Dinah walked out onto the hallways of Wayne Manor, the secret door behind the grandfather clock clicked shut on its own afterwards. She felt angry. Her mom insisted on treating her like a little kid and she seemed to put as much value in her opinions as in those of a toddler. She stood in the dark hall steaming with anger for a while not caring if her anger made all the little knickknacks on the furniture and the paintings shake. She forced herself to relax. She realized that any kind of tantrum would serve no purpose. There was still another avenue open to her.
The tone at the breakfast table was icy even with Helena there. Dinah knew that their continued presence at Wayne Manor was a great annoyance to her black haired surrogate sister. Helena disliked being reminded of her father and the only reason for her presence was to check up on her from time to time. Helena worried about her. Still she welcomed Helena's presence, because it would allow her to explore another option.
Breakfast was over and Helena seemed in a hurry to leave the Manor already. Dinah followed her down to the cavernous Manor garage, where her car stood. "Helena, wait up," she called out.
Her friend turned around and looked at her. "Hey, Dinah, could you make it quick? I have an appointment downtown."
"Sure, I have to ask you about something," she felt the familiar butterflies from last night return. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she knew that if she didn't do anything her wish would not be granted.
"Alright," Helena replied and lifted a thin black eyebrow.
She feared the response, but she still had to ask, "Helena, I would like you to train me to be a hero like you and mom."
Helena looked surprised by her request, but her eyes narrowed in suspicion almost immediately after. "Your mom said no, huh," she said.
Dinah debated whether she could lie about it, but knew that it would be pointless. Instead she just sullenly nodded.
"I can't teach you then," Helena answered.
Dinah first felt disappointment which quickly morphed into anger. "Why not, you're not mom's charge anymore. You can do what you want. Please, Helena, I want to be like you. I need to do this," she pleaded hoping that Helena would understand.
"Dinah, your mom is right. She doesn't want you to do this and that is important. Your mom is very smart Dinah. I trust her judgment and I know better than to go against it. I am sure that you're not meant to be a hero like me. You have an amazing mind. Why don't you use it for something a little safer and smarter like become a good doctor or lawyer? You would still be helping people that way," Helena suggested and opened the door of her car.
Dinah didn't even bother to think about Helena's suggestions. Staying behind night after night and deal with the criminals others caught or saving the victims that suffered, was not anywhere on her list. She wanted to make things better before anyone got hurt.
Helena opened the window of her car and turned to face Dinah. "You're not going to do anything rash now. There is no reason to punish your mom or ignoring her like you did at breakfast. You should try to do something constructive instead," she suggested.
Dinah tried to force her face to look thoughtful then she nodded and replied, "I guess you're right. Maybe it's a better idea to help people instead. Thank you, Helena." Helena looked at her nodded, closed the window and drove off.
"It seems no one will help then I'll just do it on my own," Dinah thought and stared as Helena's car disappeared down the tree flanked road heading towards New Gotham.
