Title: Auntie Up
Chapter Completed: March 31, 2005
Star smiled. It was true; she couldn't give them any credit for anything. No, that was giving them too much. But it was also true, that it was their fault that this had happened to poor Sara in the first place. Yes, that was true. It was all their fault…well, specifically a grown man in a Bat costume, a sleazy cop and a piece of walking filth. Two had been punished, only one to go.
"No hard feelings," she cooed, pulling the cord tighter around the pair of wrists. Neither The Penguin nor The Joker replied. They were both delightfully dazed. Men were so easy sometimes.
"Also Clown," she crawled up to straddle his lap, "so sorry I had to use you then. Just trying on different roles and all," she leaned in to kiss his ruby smile, blocked by the cloth gag. "Your old jack-in-the-box scared Sara though," she pushed off him, hands digging into his groin for leverage. "And Birdie," she swung around to him, "she was so accommodating to your greedy whims," reaching down, she pinched the chubby flesh of his cheek giving it a little slap when she was through, "But no matter. After we're finished up here, I don't really care what happens to you, bigger boys to deal with and all. Much bigger problems"
She walked away from the pair, who sat tied together in matching chairs in the middle of the roof. A few softly spoken words and they had obediently brought themselves and the needed accessories up the fifteen stories to the roof of the Gotham Arms Apartments complex without complaint. There was just one last piece to the puzzle before the game could start. Star's smile twisted. Sara just needed to help with that, remembering that night to let out a proper call, the proper way to get attention. Not that it had attracted any attention the first time! No, but this time she was sure she could get the right audience. Everything depended on it. A damsel in distress, throw in the usual rogues, and the Bat was sure to come running…or flapping. Those two were the guarantee in his arrival. Maybe saving a girl from the greasy hands of some street-punk wasn't enough of a draw for the Caped Crusader. No matter now, he'd show up this time.
'Sara sweety,' Star began to coo, 'Remember what it felt like when Billy touched you? Those dirty, callused hands between your legs?'
Sara whimpered.
'That's it…remember it? When he touched you, and took you, and left you for dead…'
Sara let a blood-cuddling scream out into the darkness.
x x x
Barbara had to hurry. She had to get there before Batman, she had to get there and end all of this. She had to protect Sara.
She stopped.
Was that why she was rushing? Was it for Sara?
A new wave of confusion hit her and she was unable to move.
x x x
With a loud thud, Batman landed solidly on the roof of Gotham Arms Apartments; a second later Robin landed beside him. Neither one spoke, but a simple nod was enough communication. The pair began to creep, carefully, cautiously and low to the ground.
Star stood there in her own costumed glory, a satisfied smile on her face, "Ah, the Batman. Nice to finally arrive for us. And you've brought your little bird buddy."
Batman glanced over to Robin without loosing sight of the girl in front of them, "Star," it wasn't a question as much as an assumption or educated guess.
"Nice to know you recognise little old we," she teased, sizing the pair in front of her. Quite honestly Star was impressed by the large frame of the Batman; he was broad and solid, but held a mysterious shadow over him, "I can see how all the girls quiver before you," she turned to smile at the ropy sidekick, "And I'm sure they squeal for you."
Robin felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward.
"Do you ever hate him for it?" her voice taking on that musical sing-song, "Hate how he uses you, steals all your glory. He always has the spotlight. Does he treat you like a child, even now?"
Behind the mask, Robin's eyes fluttered between the woman and the partner; His mind processing the thoughts filling his head. The deepest thoughts coming to the forefront.
For himself, the Batman was intrigued. Ever studying the new foe.
"How much better would it be without him, alone. Free from the way he uses you…" Star continued, "Think of the fame and attention that would be rightfully yours if HE was gone."
Robin twitched and Batman watched.
"Get rid of him, like you've always wanted," she suggested, "Show him that you're just as strong, if not more, than him."
Something clicked and Robin sprang: lunging at his mentor, his teacher, his friend.
Star giggled; men really were easy. Just as vain and egotistical as woman are accused of being. But so much easier to tell them what to do.
"You're not going to let him get away with that are you?" She turned her attention to the Bat, "After all you've done for him; taken him in, raised him. All you've taught him…"
Batman tried to shake off the musical voice invading his mind while holding off the attack, "You're…you're the reason." He found himself slipping into suggestion.
"You flatter me Bats," she sneered, "But they're all your ideas, I just bring them out." Star watched as a solid fist made contact with the exposed cheek of the older superhero, a twisted amusement filling her, "You could have saved yourself all this trouble if you just helped a screaming girl."
Sara peeked through; her sadness and fear showing in the sparkling eyes; "If you had only helped me…so much could be different…"
"It still can be!" a hurried voice appeared behind her, "It could still be different Sara if you stop this now."
Sara didn't turn away from the struggle playing out in front of her, but knew it was Barbara, "They need to be punished. They never helped me…"
"But making them kill each other isn't going to make you feel better. It isn't going to heal you." She didn't bother masking her panic.
"She says it'll help," Sara squeaked.
Barbara came closer, keeping a fevered watch on her crime fighting family; "Did it help having Detective Allen die? Or having Billy jump? Don't make yourself a killer."
"Sh—I killed them, I made them die," Sara's voice choked, a cracked sob.
"No," she moved around to meet the eyes of the other woman, "It was before you knew what you could do. You didn't really kill them"
"Do you really believe that?" Sara locked eyes with Barbara desperately needing to see the answer, to see if there was any truth in what she was claiming. Or if, yet another person, was setting her up to hurt her.
Against any judgement from Batgirl, she replied; "Yes…I do." And with that, she pressed her lips to the painted ones before her. Slow starting, the pressure increased as the other woman began to respond. The soft sweep of tongue trying to communicate everything beyond words, beyond thought and the light bite of teeth answering. A desperate need to be everything denied, to taste everything that had been taunted.
Barbara reluctantly pulled back, breathless, "Please, stop all this now."
She shook her head, fighting the internal battle cycling inside her head. What was real, what was true, what was what she supposed to do. She thought it had all been planned out, but now she wasn't sure of anything.
"Sara, please. You're stronger than all this."
She looked up at the other woman through wet eyes; blinking once, twice, "I'm not."
Barbara cupped Sara's cheek, "I believe you are. I honestly believe you're that much stronger."
"How?" she cried.
"You know who you are. You aren't afraid of who you are."
"But I've hidden behind Star"
"Only now," Barbara cut her off, "I've been hiding behind Batgirl and Perfect Daughter for so long I've forgotten – and denied – who Barbara Gordon really is." It was than that Sara realised the other woman was without cape and mask, she was raw and exposed. "You still have a chance to just be Sara Adams. If you stop all this now!"
The game between Batman and Robin had escalated. Both were sporting bruises and marks of their battle, but nether pulling back. Neither was willing to submit to defeat. The thoughts Star had tapped into were still dominating their minds – the partners were trying to kill each other over wounded prides.
Can I do this alone? She said she's always been there, always there to help me, will she forgive me if I go alone? Has it always just been me?
For the first time in years, Sara was alone with her thoughts. There were not a shared conversation between two parties, they were just the internal workings of one person. Had Star left or had the shift started to mend? Could she just really be loosing it, everything? Or was this a new lease on life?
"But Star is perfect…why be Sara when she's the one who's strong, she's never a victim, she knows who she is, she's straight. God, she's everything I'm not." Sara voiced the last shreds of fear she was clinging to.
"No," Barbara pushed forward, "you've got it wrong. You're strong, you're powerful, and you don't have to be a victim. Not even to her. You just have to be you; the whole you, starting now."
Again Sara watched the pair fighting, wrestling at the roof's edge. Robin pushing Batman down, one more step and both would fall over. One more push and it would be over. One more push and past sins would be avenged.
A deep breath, a decision made.
"Stop," her soft voice rang out.
The fight ended.
TBC
A/N: one more chapter to go. Thanks to any and all who have been reading.
