That place was cold and dark, the signal from Helena's mic had been lost because they were many feet underground. She needed to increase the power of the signal. It was not the first time this happened.
Sandy stopped in front of an old metallic door. She took out her key holder and opened it. The door cracked under its own weight. "She is inside," she said to her.
The place seemed to be an old fridge room. The redhead saw her young protégé unmoving on an old bed. She wheeled toward her, worried.
Barbara stopped next to the bed and touched the girl's face, the girl was burning up and shivering. " Helena? Are you all right?..." Her eyes stopped on the bloodied bandage on the girl's waist and on her tied hands. She moved her hand inside her pocket and, frightened, she looked inside; she pulled her fingers out. They were wet. The small, light vial with the antidote must have broken when Cheeta hit her outside. "Damn!"
"What's wrong?"
" Sandy, the sample with the antidote is broke, I need to go back home and bring more…"
"First things first." Sandy interrupted, resting her side on the door frame.
" Sandy, she is sick; she would…. "
"The virus kills a person after 48 hours. She has time. If you work fast, I'll free her before. When she is free, and before I kill you, I'll let you make a phone call to any person you want and give instructions to pick her up and give her the antidote."
" Sandy! She was your friend!" Barbara tried to contain her anger.
"As you said, she was my friend." Sandy crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"I'll do whatever you want, but I need to help her first." The former Batgirl carefully removed the patch over Helena's waist and examined the wound. "This is infected… I need to help her now. She is hot."
The young criminal sighed. "I'll give you one hour. There is a cooler with ice under the desk and alcohol and gauzes on top of it."
"I need to uncuff her."
Sandy sighed, analyzing the situation in silence; she was alive just because she wanted to know about what secret the talismans were hiding. Helena was totally knocked out, so she wasn't a risk. She looked inside her pockets and threw her a single key. "Just don't try any tricks; she will pay with her life." She closed the door and locked it.
Barbara took the brunette's hand, her breath was heavy; that wasn't good; she brushed her hair back with her left hand. " Helena, can you hear me?" She noticed her lips were dry.
The brunette half opened her eyes. "…water…" she whispered weakly.
The older woman took the plastic glass from the night table and filled it with water. She reached and raised Helena's head. The girl took small sips of the clear liquid. "Don't worry," her mentor said, "you will be okay. I'm going to get you out of here."
Helena's look was lost and she didn't answer.
" Helena?" Barbara moved her hand to her ear, "Alfred, the vial of antidote is broken, I need another dose."
--Got it, Miss Oracle. I'll do it immediately. How is she?--
"I don't know what to think. She is presenting a different reaction to the virus," She wet a cloth in the cold water and cleaned the brunette's face. "In Dinah, the virus paralyzed her and she was cold and unconscious. Helena is warm, very warm."
--Every meta human has different abilities, so Dinah and Helena's DNA cells would be completely different.-- Alfred pointed out.
"Yes, and it seems as if the virus changes," Barbara moved the cloth along the brunette's body "according to the DNA of each metahuman."
--So, it's umpredictable.--
"Yes, I don't know what expect; now Helena is warm and shivering, overwhelmed by the fever. I need the antidote." Her eyes stopped on the gauze covering Helena's wound, "I don't like this wound in her side. It's infected… Do you have my location now?"
--Yes, clear… I'll come there.--
"No, wait for my signal, Shiva's here, I need her far away before getting Helena out."
--How do you expect to do that?--
"Using her greed." She heard the door opening, "I must go, she's back."
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She leaned back in her manual chair. She rubbed her temples, she had been working on that ancient papers many hours. She carefully examined the ancient page again and read the symbols. It was like a puzzle; an millenia-old puzzle that had hidden its secrets very well. She was working inside the small room where Helena was lying. Shiva had locked her inside with all the papers she thought she would need.
Her eyes fixed suddenly on a small detail. She cocked her head and examined the paper closer. It almost seemed as if... She moved her glasses up on her nose with her finger. Dammit… she couldn´t identify a few symbols, maybe the most important hieroglyphics.
Helena moaned, calling her attention; she immediately turned and wheeled toward her. She took the cloth over her forehead and wet it in the bowl on the night table. The girl half opened her eyes, slowly.
"Hi…" the older woman smiled gently, "how do you feel?"
"Barbara?"
"Yes, it's me…" She put the wet cloth over her forehead.
The brunette looked around, disoriented. "Where am I?"
"Shiva locked us in." Helena started to sit up, Barbara tried to stop her by putting her hand over her shoulder. "Easy, calm down…"
Against her own will, the brunette felt her head spin, and coughed. "We can't stay here…" she mumbled, trying to organize her thoughts. She hated feeling so sick. "She will kill you…"
"No, not now," Barbara moved the hand on her back and rested the other one over her stomach to keep her still, "She wants me alive until she discovers the secret behind the necklace Cheetah was looking for."
"You can't…"
"I can, I need time to get you out of here. She thinks it's a treasure."
"It's not a treasure…" Helena closed her eyes, trying to ease the nausea that was invading her.
"What?" Barbara frowned.
"You can't tell her…"
"Tell her what, Hel?"
"The four pieces open a hole between the world of death and this one." The girl coughed hard. She winced and curled up, holding her side, "damn…"
Barbara cradled her in her arms. "Easy… what are you talking about?"
"I read the page…" Helena closed her eyes, feeling she was falling in a deep hole, "It's a ritual..."
The hieroglyphics on that were in the page weren't common. Selina had taught her a very ancient language known only to very few people, a few scientists. Barbara helped her protégée to lie back on the mattress. She knew Narmer had been a terrible king, who killed thousands of people before being murdered by his own wife.
She felt the young girl relax in her arms, she was losing consciousness again. " Helena, please focus," she took the girl's chin and raised her head, "What did you read?"
"Uh…?"
"Try to focus, what did you read?"
Helena blinked and tried to organize her thoughts "The pieces… would bring back King Narmer…" Another roundof coughing interrupted her. "The necklaces… are a puzzle... reading the prayer and following…the ritual at the end… of the book you can open the door between the two worlds." Her voice lowered to almost a whisper.
"A door?"
"… He would comeback as a demon." Helena tried to remain conscious, but she passed out, her head falling on the red head's shoulder.
"Dammit…" Barbara growled, touching her forehead, Helena's condition was getting worse. She moved her head gently onto the pillow. The lock of the door clicked. Shiva walked inside and her cold gaze pierced in her. "Well? Did you get it?"
"Yes, I got it. I need the other necklaces that Cheetah stole."
"Explain."
Barbara tossed her a small leather bag, "That's the pendant Cheetah was looking for. I need the other three to assemble the puzzle. It shill show you the place where King Narmer hid his treasure. I'm sure I know where Cheetah hid the other three pieces. In her cave. I can give you the location. Helena was there, she found that piece of paper there. When you return, I'll tell how to use it and where."
"Are you planning something?"
"No, I need all the pieces to work on it and complete the puzzle. The pieces break into pieces and make a map. You want me. I'm here. Just ask that you let me stay with Helena until you get back. The cave is near here. Couldn't take you more than forty minutes there and back."
Sandy leaned over her chair and her face stopped a few inches from Barbara's. "My first goal is to kill you. I will do it now."
"You can do it. But you will lose the opportunity to find that treasure."
"You want time."
"I want to save Helena."
Sandy smiled, she moved back. The opportunity was good. Helena was incapable of moving, and Barbara wouldn't be able to move her or leave her alone and escape. "All right. I hope you are not thinking about escaping," Sandy said to her.
Barbara turned to see her, "I'm not thinking about it."
Sandy grabbed her by her blouse and lifted her out of her chair, "Killing you now is very easy." She pushed her hard against the wall. She took out a Chinese star and put it over her jugular, "Just a small cut and all this is over. What do you think? It would be fast."
Barbara looked at her and said with a cold, but firm, voice: "It's your choice."
Sandy fixed her eyes on her. She looked like a normal person. A simple, disabled woman. But she had killed her sister. She threw her hard against the floor and took the wheel chair, raising it over her head.
Barbara covered her face with her hands. Sandy smirked and crashed it against the wall.
The chair broke into pieces.
The oriental young woman barked. "Now you are not going anywhere." She walked outside the room and closed it with a hard slam.
Barbara heard her steps move father and farther away. As soon as they disappeared she stood up. She had the transponder hidden on her back, but she had preferred to wait. She didn't want expose to Helena. She had a few minutes to try to escape with her.
------------------------------------------------------------------
A voice called her. The voice was far away. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. She felt a hand on her head. The hand was cold… or maybe she was very warm.
She turned to avoid the contact, but a hand on her shoulder tried to restrain her movement. She pushed herself back. She opened her eyes, but everything was blurry. A voice was talking to her, but she didn't understand what was being said. She felt arms wrapping around her.
That was like an electric shock.
She needed to escape.
Her mind focused on one thing: escape.
That was going to be pretty hard, the virus had overwhelmed her, but she needed to try.
In an attempt to free herself from the strong arms around her, she pushed using her feet.
Maybe she pushed very hard. Her shoulder hit the ground roughly with the person holding her, on top of her.
On her injured side.
Damn. That had hurt.
She struggled, but the grip around her was firm. The voice kept calling her and a scent filled her nostrils. The scent.
Barbara.
She blinked. The voice said her name again.
The older woman sighed with relief, feeling Helena stop her struggle. "That's it, calm down, easy…" Helena rested her head on her mentor's shoulder; she was warmer than a few hours ago. The virus had overwhelmed her. She moved her arm behind her and tried to stand up, "I need you to help me, Helena, we need move out of here." The young woman didn't answer. Continued training had advantages, such as moment like these.
"Just give me a second," the brunette whispered, taking a deep breath. She stood up, helped by her mentor. The brunette was thin, but heavy. They walked toward the door, the redhead tried to open it, but it was locked.
"Let me try…." Helena mumbled.
"But…"
Before Barbara could say another word, Huntress kicked the door forcefully, breaking it. The redhead held her tight. "Are you okay?" she asked, "Can you walk?"
The brunette nodded… "I'm just a bit seasick."
The redhead took her hand to her ear, "Alfred, I'm out, where do I go now.?"
-- To your right Miss Oracle…--
"Is he tracing you?" Helena asked softly.
"Yes, your comm doesn't work. I think it was disabled druing your fight with Cheetah." Barbara moved her arm around her waist and moved her arm behind her back. She began to walk through the corridor, "Come on… We have a few minutes before she comes back…"
--Now to your right, Miss Oracle. Open that door, there is a stairway there.--
"This place is really odd." The redhead began to walk up the stairs. They creacked under her feet, the wood was old. She felt it moving under her feet.
"Is this secure?" The brunette held the banister with her free arm.
"I hope so."
Helena tried to follow the steps of her mentor, but she stumbled and her knees gave out. Oracle held her strongly, "Come on Huntress."
The girl coughed and closed her eyes a few seconds. She held Barbara's arm around her waist, "Just a second."
"Are you okay?" Concerned, Barbara kneeled next to her and touched her face, she was burning.
"Yes… I'm okay…"
"Bad liar as always…" The older woman smiled and gently helped her to stand on her feet again.
"I'm a good liar." Helena coughed. She felt her knees buckle and the walls twirl around her. "Barbara…" she mumbled.
The redhead felt her protégé relax in her arms, she grabbed her by her waist.
" Helena?…" She tried to wake her unsuccessfully. Using all of her upper body strength, she moved her across her shoulder. "You eat too many poptarts… I need to do something about it." She winced, feeling a sharp of pain in her back. That was not a good moment for the transponder to fail.
She took a few seconds to breathe and began to walk up the stairs. "Alfred… Huntress is unconscious, be ready."
--Yes, Miss Oracle.--
The red head opened the back door of the Hummer. She felt another sharp pain in her back and she supported herself in the door to avoid falling.
"Damn…" she growled.
Helena recovered suddenly. She was conscious, but dazed.
"Hel," Barbara said, "help me, up."
"Are you going somewhere?"
The redhead turned immediately; Shiva was standing up a few meters from them.