"MOON!!!!!! What do you think you're doing, get off of there!" Moon sat on a keyboard cleaning herself, completely ignoring Barbara's calls. "Helena, your cat! Moon, get down right now. Helena!" Barbara looked like she was ready to throw the cat across the room, but Alfred appeared to save the young cat from its impending punishment.
"I am sorry, Miss. It is my fault. I had chores to take care of in the kitchen and decided to feed her up here."
Barbara knew Alfred was covering for Helena. She had seen Moon's food dish partially filled in the pent house. "You shouldn't cover for her like that, Alfred. She will think you will cover for her every time."
Alfred sat Moon down and brushed off the cat hair. "Like you did at one point, Miss? Come along young Moon, I have some scraps for you." Alfred headed back to the kitchen with a happy cat at his heals.
Barbara laughed to herself and began checking the computer to make sure Moon hadn't done any damage. After closing some programs Moon had managed to open, she reached the original page of before. It was the map she had been leaving up for Helena. The redhead saw New Gotham was colored in. She checked the time the 'enter' key had been pushed to make sure it hadn't been Moons doing. Upon examination, she determined the time to be last night, after their talk. Barbara sat back in her chair. It couldn't have been Moon since she was with me after our conversation. So that means- "Alfred, she did it. She made her decision."
Alfred looked down from the balcony. "And what did she decide?" He crossed his fingers.
"She decided yes. She is going to be the new savior of New Gotham."
"Very good, Miss," Alfred smiled but inside he was jumping for joy. Moon offered her congratulations with a loud meow.
"Do you know where she is?" Barbara heard music coming from the training room. "Never mind, Alfred."
Helena felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, even if it was replaced with realization of the responsibility she was taking on. Her workout that morning seemed to take on more of a purpose. She didn't just do it because she had to, but because she wanted to. Her stances were solid, punches crossing just right to make the best contact. Her ability was under control better. She still couldn't turn it on when she wanted to, but she was able to control her temper better than ever, and was faster at recovering when she had an episode.
Barbara entered the room and watched her new protégé working out. She was amazed by how much Helena was like her parents. In a way, it was like seeing Batman and Catwoman in the same body. A heart and a fighting stance just like Batman; attitude, cockiness, and moves like Catwoman; beauty like Selina, and a way with words like Bruce. Her parents had been the best and now it was Helena's turn to become the best. Bruce and Selina had made a wonderful child together, and Barbara had the honor and privilege of training and mentoring her. And when this was over, New Gotham would have a new hero looking down on them. Even if it wasn't her out there fighting, she would still be on the sidelines with a new purpose.
Helena heard Barbara enter and turned. "Morning," she pulled off her workout gloves.
Barbara handed her a water, "Morning." Helena took a sip. "You realize this means things will change around here."
She screwed the cap back on, "I know."
"There will be rules. You have to graduate from school."
"I know."
"You will have to learn about other superheroes. Kind of like a Superheroes 101."
"I figured."
"And your training will intensify."
"I can handle it."
"You can't back out of this now."
"I don't plan to."
Barbara studied Helena, making sure this was for real. Helena stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She stared into Barbara's eyes. The redhead could see Batman's determination in his daughters, and Catwoman's persistent need for a challenge. This girl could truly be a great hero. Barbara smiled and nodded her head, granting her consent.
"So, are you going to show me how to kick ass or what?" Helena was ready to start.
Barbara shook her head at her new protégé. "I suppose I could show you something new," she moved to retrieve her workout gloves. "But I want you to hear this now, and you better be listening to me. There will be no, and I repeat no, use of your special abilities in your training until further notice. You can't always depend on your abilities to get you out of trouble. I want you to learn how to fight without your abilities before you begin using them to fight with. You will learn proper fighting techniques, which will be enhanced by your abilities. You will begin to study martial arts and everything that goes with it. Also, there will be no fighting, outside this room, without proper supervision," Barbara pulled her gloves on. "Understand?"
"Yes, I get it, now show me something." The eager Helena felt the pulsing of her blood increase in anticipation.
"Alright. Since you have learned how to punch properly, how about you learn some blocks against them. First let me show you some. Watch my movements and how I react. Now I want you to try and hit me."
Helena shook her head confused, "But what if I really hit you?"
"Then that means I need to do some more practice. Besides, injuries come with the job. Now hit me." Helena took her stance and slowly placed a punch in Barbara's face, which she easily blocked. "Helena, this is training. I don't want you to hold back or purposely miss. Now hit me."
Helena relaxed her body and began throwing punches at Barbara. Over and over she blocked them with simple, fast movements by her hand and arm. Once and awhile, Helena thought she saw her teacher flinch when a fist made direct contact to a blocking arm. After several minutes her teacher called enough. The heat was getting to Helena and she reached up and pulled off her shirt to reveal a gray sports bra. She turned around to see Barbara also pulling off her long sleeved blouse top showing a simple white tank top underneath.
"Should have done that before we started." Barbara tossed it on a rack of weapons.
Helena scanned her teacher for any injure she may have caused and could see a large bruise forming on a left forearm. "Barbara, your arm! I am so sorry."
She looked down and noticed the bruise for the first time. "What, that? I have had worse than that. You should have seen me the first time I went a round with Dick. Man, I had so many bruises that he got sick from having to eat all the frozen food Alfred was using to keep my swelling down. I don't think he ever ate a single frozen vegetable after that. Anyway, forget about it."
"Now for you to learn some things. First, for a punch that is aimed at your chest area. Simplest thing to do is either step out of the way or knock it out of the way so it lands somewhere else. To knock it out of the way, bend your elbow so your forearm is between being completely bent and completely extended," she positioned her student's arm in the right spot. "Now use your shoulder to move your arm in a sweeping motion across your body. When you make contact with the opponents punch, you will force it out of the way. Another way is to simply push it out of the way with your hand. You make a C shape with your hand, make contact at your opponents wrist, and push it out of the way." Barbara placed a punch in the air and allowed Helena to move it. They continued the exercise till Helena was able to move Barbara's arm while it was still in motion.
"Now, when you step out of the way you have to make it fast. And at the right moment because if you don't the attacker may be able to adjust the angle of the attack. Judging the amount of force behind the punch and the rate at which it is traveling is very important." Barbara threw several punches at different speeds and with different forces at the girl. Several times Barbara was able to move her punch and hit the girl despite her stepping out of the way.
"Do you want to learn something new, or continue with this?" She asked the struggling girl.
"I am not tired, more." Catwoman's eagerness to complete a task she had started appeared.
"Ok. Next are assaults to your face and head. Bend your arm so you make about a ninety degree angle and bend it so your forearm is across your body," she adjusted her protégé's arm again. "Now do a sweeping up motion to push the punch up and over your head. Another thing you can do, if your balance is right, is to bend your body backwards. And he will end up hitting empty air where your head used to be." Helena practiced leaning over several times and only fell three times.
"For attacks to the legs and lower half you can step back, out of the way. You can also bring your arm down to protect your legs. If you snap your arm down, it is also a way to knock the attack out of the way."
"These are just a few of the most basic ways to block, and you will evolve them into your own way of protecting yourself. Lets go a few rounds and see what you remember. Your goal is to block my attacks only. Don't try to attack back, we will get to that later."
Helena nodded her head and took her place in front of her mentor. Barbara threw a punch to the mid section and Helena stepped out of the way, but was surprised with an attack to the legs and fell to the floor.
"Remember, every attackers goal is to knock you to the ground. The one standing holds the power. As long as both of you are standing, the power is equal. But the minute one of you goes down, the power shifts to the one standing. It is possible to regain your power, but the fight will be harder. At all costs, try not to be the first one to fall." Barbara offered her hand and helped the fallen girl off the mat.
They began again. This time the first attack was to the face. Helena leaned back out of the way, and pivoted to the side to miss the oncoming assault to her mid section. Another attack to the legs was blocked with a snap of the defenders arm. And attempted block to the mid section caused the attack to hit her breastbone and knock the girl back. Helena shook the attack off and took her position again. Barbara threw several attacks to the mid section, which were successfully blocked by a forearm. One fist was thrown at her legs and closely followed by the second. Helena managed to block the first, but the second was so soon she missed the block and fell to her back.
Helena was beginning to get frustrated with the amount of falls so Barbara called it a day. Helena replaced her gloves and grabbed her water and shirt. Barbara followed and the two parted at the kitchen. Alfred was chopping vegetables when he handed Barbara a towel.
"I will not have any sweating on my food, Miss."
"Sorry, Alfred."
"I didn't hear any yelling, so I take it things went well."
"She is a fast learner, but easily frustrated."
Alfred noticed the bruise on Barbara's arm. "I see that she made contact a few times."
"I am out of practice." Barbara smiled.
"Better get something cold on that before it swells." He pulled out a bag of frozen peas. "I suppose we could have this instead."
Barbara laughed but had to admit it felt great on her arm.