The Clock Tower was silent except for the sound of Barbara finishing the
installation of a new software program on Delphi. It had been a long and
arduous day. She wanted to improve the system because she loved the work
that allowed her to be Oracle. Being a crime fighter was maybe the greatest
satisfaction in her life, it gave her the opportunity to give the best of
her to help others.
Her mind was also focused on her next case: Find the serial killer in New Gotham. It was giving her a lot of problems, too many young ladies were dying and she still didn't have any leads. But first she needed to finish up with Delphi and clean up the lab since it looked like a disaster zone with computers open and discs everywhere. She heard the elevator door opened and raised her head.
"Hi Sweetheart"
Barbara smiled. "Daddy!"
Ex-police Comissioner Gordon smiled too and walked in, hands in his pockets. "Hey, how are you?" he gave her a kiss on her cheek.
"Fine. I had a nice day" She raised an eyebrow in curiousity. "Ehhh...what are you doing here? It's early. You know you are retired but you still love helping the police don't you?"
"Don't you like seeing me?" he pouted pretending to be annoyed.
"Yes, of course, but im sure something else brought you here." She smirked "You never come to visit me without calling first..." she removed her eyeglasses "or so early... am I wrong?"
"Okay, okay, Im guilty." Gordon raised his hand.
"I knew it." She smiled "What's happening? Something bad?"
"We got her."
"What?"
"I guessed you don't know. I tried calling you but you didn't answer."
"Oh, I turned off the system while I was installing the new software."
"Finally after all these years we caught her."
"Who?" Babara asked curious.
"Our thief..." Gordon explained "We trapped her this morning."
Barbara blinked "Oh, my... I never expected this. How was...?"
"You gave us good leads that helped in setting up the sting."
"Is she hurt?"
"No, no, no, don't worry." He moved his hands in a calming motion. "I came here first to tell you the news. After all she is the daughter of a good friend."
Barbara couldn't hide her sadness. "Yes, true. It's a shame that she choose this way. Where is she now?"
"We took her to Arkham and a high security cell. You know her, she is very smart. We will hold there until the trial." Gordon fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "I know you want see her. Let's go."
Barbara looked at him surprised "Are you seriously?"
"Yes. It's one of the perks of being the daughter of an Ex-Police Comissioner. I'll also take you out to lunch."
She smiled and grabbing her bag she wheeled to the elevator with her father at her side.
* * *
Barbara sat in the middle of a small room. She played with her fingers nervously. Over the years she had talked with her friend's daughter and a game soon developed between them. She challenged Barbara to catch her and she had failed in all her attempts, until now.
The girl called sometimes to advise her of a new robbery that she planned to commit and other times she simply called to ask how she was. She had tried to convince the young woman to change her life and get a job. But she was too much like her mother. She liked the good life and the money.
The heavy door opened and a security guard walked in with a big rifle between his hands. He stood up front of the door and behind him walked a young woman, thin, black hair, blue eyes, with her hands and ankles chained. She was a beautiful woman irregardless that she clothed in prision attire.
"You have fifteen minutes." The guard said.
The young woman looked her at surprised and smiled. "Barbara Gordon."
"Hi..."
"Finally your dream comes true." The girl walked toward the table with short steps because of the chains and sat down in front of her.
"My dream?" Barbara asked confused.
"You finally caught me."
"It was the police, not me."
"But you gave him the leads." The girl raised an eyebrow. "You have a cigarette?"
"Yes I brought you some." Barbara took a pack of cigarettes of her bag. "I knew you would need it."
The girl smiled and took the box, "Mine?" she asked. Barbara nodded. The girl opened it and put one in her mouth "Got a light?" she asked smirking to Barbara "I don't have permission to have matches here."
Barbara lit the match and offered it towards the girl. She smiled and bent down, pressing the top of the cigarette against the flamed wooden tip of the match.. She took a deep breath and exhaled the smoke with great plesure.
"Oh, this is great." She said. "Twelve hours without a cigarrette! I thought I was going to die."
"That will kill you."
The woman looked Barbara putting her arm on the back of her chair. "Excuse me if I cant offer you something to drink. Alcohol is prohibited here too." She tapped the ash onto the floor. "So, what brings you here? I'm sure this is not a courtesy call. Are you going to laugh of me?"
"You sense of humor is as bad as always."
"And you are as boring and formal as always. You shouldn't be so serious all the time Barbara. Loosen up and have some fun."
The redhead stareed at her without say a word. The girl after a few seconds nervously played with a strand of her hair. "What? Something wrong with my hair?"
"You have so much of your mother in you. Her eyes, her attitude."
The young woman leaned on the table and fixed her eyes on her. "Disappointed?."
"I would have had liked it if you had listened to me. I was so sure you would change your life."
"All people have their own destinies. This is mine Barbara. As you have yours: being a crime fighter. I liked this, everyday was a challenge. But I had a one serious problem."
"Which was?" the redhead asked curious.
"You been hunting me since I have known you." The girl leaned back in the chair "It's a pain in the ass to have something like you constantly looking over my shoulder! Until I called you by phone to ask you how you felt about the challenge."
"Why?"
"Why? Are you asking me why? Because you traced all my phone calls in your search for me! Thank god that good old Alfie helped me sometimes." She inhaled again.
"Alfred?" Barbara asked surprised.
"Hey, don't be mad with him. I was worried that time that you were sick for more than a week."
"So you could be inside Clock tower...?"
"Yes, he opened the door for me," She expained. "Was the only way I could get in. You live in a damn fortress and I wanted see you."
"I always asked myself how you got in," Barbara frowned. "Now I understand."
The girl laughed. "I may be a great burglar but your security system still baffles me. I'll figure it out eventually."
"Well, I must tell you thanks for taking care of me those three days." Barbara smiled remembering it.
"Back then you thanked me by using your damn system to track me down 15 days later."
"Oh, don't be grumpy, I didn't catch you anyways. That was two years ago."
"Well, that was past. Now back to my original question," the girl scratched her head. "Why are you here?"
"I come to see how are you. To see if you need anything and to ask you if you need a lawyer."
The girl looked at her in surprised. She laughed nervously. "First I need a good hair stylist. Second..." she shook her head "Why do you want help me? Im a thief."
"But you are a charming thief," Barbara smiled "And I love you. I've known you since you were a child. And, I loved your mom, she was my friend. Let me help you with the lawyer. You will need it, you are in serious trouble."
The girl lowered her head. She kept silent for a few seconds. "I miss Mom..."
"I know you do."
"I would have liked that you and I, well, that all between you and me could have been different." She looked her.
"I know how you feel and I know people who had a past like yours." Barbara could read in those blue eyes the pain, the love and the solitude. She took her hand and pressed it. "Let me help you."
"You are a crime fighter, you have your own life, your friends. I have mine. Don't waste your time with me... You have things more important things in your life than me."
"You are important to me."
"Time's up," the guard announced. The girl stood up and walked toward the door.
"But..."
"Thanks Barbara."
The policeman opened the door.
"Let me help you." The redhead asked again.
"I know why my mom loved you so much, you are a great person. But... don't waste your time with a such person as me." The girl walked out stepped into the doorway.
"Selina was a great women as you are Helena. May I call the lawyer?" Barbara insisted.
"Iwould appreciate that Barbara. Thanks so much, but no, no thanks."
Helena walked out and the door closed. Barbara lowered her head and pressed her lips together. She loved the girl, and she knew the girl loved her too. It was a true that she called her often to know how she was or appeared unexpected in any place to talk with her a few minutes. She had tried to convince her many times to stop that life but she didn't listen. She was as stubborn as her mother was.
Unfortunately she had lost contact with her since the murder. She heard that some uncle took her out of the country almost inmediately after her mother died. She learned much later that Selina had given orders to her lawyer that she was supposed to have custody but by then she had lost track of Helena.
Until years later when she resurfaced as a burglar. Seems someone had trained her and done an excellent job. The girl had come back to New Gotham. Her movements were so much like Catwoman that she was suspicious. Her beliefs were confirmed one night when Helena called her by phone. It just about broke her heart. She was a great girl.
She was a crimefighter. It was her duty jail criminals, but Helena was something more than just a common thief. She was family.
Her mind was also focused on her next case: Find the serial killer in New Gotham. It was giving her a lot of problems, too many young ladies were dying and she still didn't have any leads. But first she needed to finish up with Delphi and clean up the lab since it looked like a disaster zone with computers open and discs everywhere. She heard the elevator door opened and raised her head.
"Hi Sweetheart"
Barbara smiled. "Daddy!"
Ex-police Comissioner Gordon smiled too and walked in, hands in his pockets. "Hey, how are you?" he gave her a kiss on her cheek.
"Fine. I had a nice day" She raised an eyebrow in curiousity. "Ehhh...what are you doing here? It's early. You know you are retired but you still love helping the police don't you?"
"Don't you like seeing me?" he pouted pretending to be annoyed.
"Yes, of course, but im sure something else brought you here." She smirked "You never come to visit me without calling first..." she removed her eyeglasses "or so early... am I wrong?"
"Okay, okay, Im guilty." Gordon raised his hand.
"I knew it." She smiled "What's happening? Something bad?"
"We got her."
"What?"
"I guessed you don't know. I tried calling you but you didn't answer."
"Oh, I turned off the system while I was installing the new software."
"Finally after all these years we caught her."
"Who?" Babara asked curious.
"Our thief..." Gordon explained "We trapped her this morning."
Barbara blinked "Oh, my... I never expected this. How was...?"
"You gave us good leads that helped in setting up the sting."
"Is she hurt?"
"No, no, no, don't worry." He moved his hands in a calming motion. "I came here first to tell you the news. After all she is the daughter of a good friend."
Barbara couldn't hide her sadness. "Yes, true. It's a shame that she choose this way. Where is she now?"
"We took her to Arkham and a high security cell. You know her, she is very smart. We will hold there until the trial." Gordon fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "I know you want see her. Let's go."
Barbara looked at him surprised "Are you seriously?"
"Yes. It's one of the perks of being the daughter of an Ex-Police Comissioner. I'll also take you out to lunch."
She smiled and grabbing her bag she wheeled to the elevator with her father at her side.
* * *
Barbara sat in the middle of a small room. She played with her fingers nervously. Over the years she had talked with her friend's daughter and a game soon developed between them. She challenged Barbara to catch her and she had failed in all her attempts, until now.
The girl called sometimes to advise her of a new robbery that she planned to commit and other times she simply called to ask how she was. She had tried to convince the young woman to change her life and get a job. But she was too much like her mother. She liked the good life and the money.
The heavy door opened and a security guard walked in with a big rifle between his hands. He stood up front of the door and behind him walked a young woman, thin, black hair, blue eyes, with her hands and ankles chained. She was a beautiful woman irregardless that she clothed in prision attire.
"You have fifteen minutes." The guard said.
The young woman looked her at surprised and smiled. "Barbara Gordon."
"Hi..."
"Finally your dream comes true." The girl walked toward the table with short steps because of the chains and sat down in front of her.
"My dream?" Barbara asked confused.
"You finally caught me."
"It was the police, not me."
"But you gave him the leads." The girl raised an eyebrow. "You have a cigarette?"
"Yes I brought you some." Barbara took a pack of cigarettes of her bag. "I knew you would need it."
The girl smiled and took the box, "Mine?" she asked. Barbara nodded. The girl opened it and put one in her mouth "Got a light?" she asked smirking to Barbara "I don't have permission to have matches here."
Barbara lit the match and offered it towards the girl. She smiled and bent down, pressing the top of the cigarette against the flamed wooden tip of the match.. She took a deep breath and exhaled the smoke with great plesure.
"Oh, this is great." She said. "Twelve hours without a cigarrette! I thought I was going to die."
"That will kill you."
The woman looked Barbara putting her arm on the back of her chair. "Excuse me if I cant offer you something to drink. Alcohol is prohibited here too." She tapped the ash onto the floor. "So, what brings you here? I'm sure this is not a courtesy call. Are you going to laugh of me?"
"You sense of humor is as bad as always."
"And you are as boring and formal as always. You shouldn't be so serious all the time Barbara. Loosen up and have some fun."
The redhead stareed at her without say a word. The girl after a few seconds nervously played with a strand of her hair. "What? Something wrong with my hair?"
"You have so much of your mother in you. Her eyes, her attitude."
The young woman leaned on the table and fixed her eyes on her. "Disappointed?."
"I would have had liked it if you had listened to me. I was so sure you would change your life."
"All people have their own destinies. This is mine Barbara. As you have yours: being a crime fighter. I liked this, everyday was a challenge. But I had a one serious problem."
"Which was?" the redhead asked curious.
"You been hunting me since I have known you." The girl leaned back in the chair "It's a pain in the ass to have something like you constantly looking over my shoulder! Until I called you by phone to ask you how you felt about the challenge."
"Why?"
"Why? Are you asking me why? Because you traced all my phone calls in your search for me! Thank god that good old Alfie helped me sometimes." She inhaled again.
"Alfred?" Barbara asked surprised.
"Hey, don't be mad with him. I was worried that time that you were sick for more than a week."
"So you could be inside Clock tower...?"
"Yes, he opened the door for me," She expained. "Was the only way I could get in. You live in a damn fortress and I wanted see you."
"I always asked myself how you got in," Barbara frowned. "Now I understand."
The girl laughed. "I may be a great burglar but your security system still baffles me. I'll figure it out eventually."
"Well, I must tell you thanks for taking care of me those three days." Barbara smiled remembering it.
"Back then you thanked me by using your damn system to track me down 15 days later."
"Oh, don't be grumpy, I didn't catch you anyways. That was two years ago."
"Well, that was past. Now back to my original question," the girl scratched her head. "Why are you here?"
"I come to see how are you. To see if you need anything and to ask you if you need a lawyer."
The girl looked at her in surprised. She laughed nervously. "First I need a good hair stylist. Second..." she shook her head "Why do you want help me? Im a thief."
"But you are a charming thief," Barbara smiled "And I love you. I've known you since you were a child. And, I loved your mom, she was my friend. Let me help you with the lawyer. You will need it, you are in serious trouble."
The girl lowered her head. She kept silent for a few seconds. "I miss Mom..."
"I know you do."
"I would have liked that you and I, well, that all between you and me could have been different." She looked her.
"I know how you feel and I know people who had a past like yours." Barbara could read in those blue eyes the pain, the love and the solitude. She took her hand and pressed it. "Let me help you."
"You are a crime fighter, you have your own life, your friends. I have mine. Don't waste your time with me... You have things more important things in your life than me."
"You are important to me."
"Time's up," the guard announced. The girl stood up and walked toward the door.
"But..."
"Thanks Barbara."
The policeman opened the door.
"Let me help you." The redhead asked again.
"I know why my mom loved you so much, you are a great person. But... don't waste your time with a such person as me." The girl walked out stepped into the doorway.
"Selina was a great women as you are Helena. May I call the lawyer?" Barbara insisted.
"Iwould appreciate that Barbara. Thanks so much, but no, no thanks."
Helena walked out and the door closed. Barbara lowered her head and pressed her lips together. She loved the girl, and she knew the girl loved her too. It was a true that she called her often to know how she was or appeared unexpected in any place to talk with her a few minutes. She had tried to convince her many times to stop that life but she didn't listen. She was as stubborn as her mother was.
Unfortunately she had lost contact with her since the murder. She heard that some uncle took her out of the country almost inmediately after her mother died. She learned much later that Selina had given orders to her lawyer that she was supposed to have custody but by then she had lost track of Helena.
Until years later when she resurfaced as a burglar. Seems someone had trained her and done an excellent job. The girl had come back to New Gotham. Her movements were so much like Catwoman that she was suspicious. Her beliefs were confirmed one night when Helena called her by phone. It just about broke her heart. She was a great girl.
She was a crimefighter. It was her duty jail criminals, but Helena was something more than just a common thief. She was family.