14. From Shadows

Holly and Carla continued snogging for several moments while Dora just stood there—stunned and unable to speak. The two girls were so consumed with each other they hadn't even noticed someone barging in.

Rochelle walked in and guffawed—loudly. Only then did Holly break the embrace. Carla pushed her away, a blush glowing on her face. Holly scoffed and covered her mouth, not seeming embarrassed at all. "Oh, shit. I guess we're even now?"

What are you talking about? I never made out with your sister... It took a second for Dora to understand. Oh. Cock-blocking me and Red Hood.

She glared at Holly with wide eyes, conveying: You better not. Whether or not Holly received the telepathic message, Dora pointed between her and Carla, asking, "How long has this been going on?"

Holly stepped forward. "Okay, Dee—"

"No," Dora snapped, holding up her hand. "I was talking to Carla."

Carla shuffled on her feet nervously, buttoning up her jeans. "Holly and I have, uh... been hanging out for a few weeks. We met the night I was running product for the LU. The night those thugs trashed the bar and tried to kill us, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Holly got me out of there. I..." Carla looked at the ground. "... I was a complete mess. Scared shitless. Holly brought me back to my senses and made sure I got home safe."

"I know, I told her to. And I was grateful for that." Dora locked eyes with Holly, but expressed nothing. "Go on."

Carla continued. "After that, we started seeing each other a lot. At first, it wasn't on purpose. We just ran into each other around the Alibi, during the rebuild, y'know? We'd walk home together sometimes."

"I was just trying to keep the heat off her," Holly stepped in. "What's left of the Escobedo Cartel and the False Facers are still at war with the Red Hood Gang. They want payback for the coke they think Carla stole, but they also think that Red Hood is keeping tabs on you and me and Rochelle. Like... his enemies attacked us twice, right? And every single person that did ended up dead, twice. Actually, in my case, it was three fucking times, right? You'd think that hanging around with us would be dangerous as fuck, but thanks to Red Hood... gangsters are too afraid to fuck with us now. I figured that as long as Carla stays close to one of us three, she'd be safer than anyone else in Gotham."

"I..." Dora's resolute disapproval faltered. "I'm sorry. I didn't think Carla was in danger anymore," she admitted. "I thought Red Hood won over Park Row, became head of the mob, and that was that. I was so focused on getting the bar running again, I didn't realize there was still a fucking gang war going on."

"That's okay. You had a lot to deal with," Holly said.

"It's not okay. It's my responsibility to look after my family. I'm sorry, Holly. I never asked you to escort my sister around."

Holly stepped closer to Carla, a small smile on her face. "You never had to ask. I wanted to."

Carla held Holly's hand and they interlaced fingers. "Yeah, at first we stuck together just for safety. Then it started being fun. Then that led to... this. You were so busy rebuilding Dad's bar, Dora, you never noticed."

Dora stared at their entwined hands and studied their body language. It was serious between those two. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"It's still fresh," Holly said. "We're just figuring things out."

"I was figuring things out. Figuring myself out," Carla said.

"What do you mean?" Dora asked.

"I wasn't ready to come out yet," Carla admitted.

Dora scoffed. "I don't care that you're gay. I care that you hid this relationship from me."

"Actually, I'm bi," Carla corrected.

"I'm gay," Holly added.

"Um." Dora paused, looking back and forth between the two of them, digesting the distinction, reconciling their behavior with what they just said.

Rochelle finally spoke up, looking confused. "But Holly, your job... Your old job, I mean."

Holly rolled her eyes. "I was straight for pay, Rocky. You'd be too if you did what I did for a living."

"Whatever!" Dora finally shouted, waving her hands to dispel the confusion and awkward tension. "Gay, bi, straight for pay. It doesn't matter! It's okay that you're bi, Carla. It's not oaky that you lied to me all this time."

"I never lied!"

"Omission is just as bad as lying! How many times have we talked about that?" Dora said, trying not to feel like a hypocrite.

"Whatever, I couldn't tell you! You know Mami, she'd freak the fuck out, and you're always such a snitch!"

"I'm not a snitch!"

"You tell that bitch everything!"

"I don't!" Dora insisted honestly, to her own discomfort. She probably hid as many things from their mother as Carla did, but of course Carla didn't see it that way. If their mother ever found out how close she had been with Red Hood... Dora didn't want to think about it. "And don't call Mami a bitch' you have no idea the sacrifices she and I have made for you. You can't—"

"Bullshit, what fucking sacrifices?"

Her temper finally ignited. "You. Already. Know," Dora said, slowly, heat in each word.

"Oh." Carla looked away ashamed. "Yeah, sorry."

"Be honest, Dora," Holly said, holding Carla. "It doesn't bother you that Carla's in a gay relationship. It bothers you that she's in a relationship with me."

Dora opened her mouth to speak but her mind drew a blank.

That was all the confirmation Holly needed. "I fucking knew it."

Dora shrugged. "Okay, fine, yeah. I'm not totally cool with it. Holly, look... You're my friend. I know you're a good person, and I love you, but you're involved with some... let's say 'pretty shady' people."

"And you're not?" Holly snapped back.

Carla looked at Dora with narrow eyes.

Don't go there. Dora warned Holly, using only a withering look.

Holly did not mind and carried on. "Oh, I see what it is. You think I'm not good enough for your sister. Is that it? You don't want her dating a dropout homeless hooker that fucked the assholes that killed your dad? Huh? You think I'm a bad influence? Well, that's not who I am anymore, Dee, and I thought—I hoped—you of all people would understand! Understand that I did what I had to do to survive in this crapsack city! Understand that I never wanted to be a whore! That I've changed since... Since..."

Red Hood, Dora assumed. "I'm not saying that..." she said, but realized she had been saying exactly what Holly was thinking. If her little sister was dating someone, Dora wanted it to be someone who wasn't a criminal, even if that person did bad things for good reasons. Her chest tightened with shame knowing how hypocritical she was, lusting after Red Hood, but she still wanted the best for her little sister. She wanted her little sister to be better than her, to not fall for an outlaw that would ruin her life or get her killed.

Dora backed up and leaned against the wall, dazed. Her brain was whirring, trying to reconcile all the contradictions and hypocrisy.

"Dee, are you okay?" Rochelle asked, rubbing her back.

"I'm fine." Dora's attention snapped back to the moment. "Don't take this the wrong way, but a month ago? You'd both be bad influences on each other." She pointed at Holly then at Carla. "A hooker and a drug dealer. Carla, I know you've left the LU behind, but Holly, you're still working for an illegal brothel."

"It's still a far cry from what I was doing before," Holly said.

"But do you see where I'm coming from? No reasonable parent would want either of you dating their kid," Dora said. There was hurt in Holly's face, but also a measure of understanding. That's what she wanted: some concession. "But okay, Holly, you've got a point, and I'm sorry. You've both come a long way. You both know the consequences of running with thugs and messing with the law, so just do me a favor?"

"What's that?" Holly asked.

"Keep doing what do you're doing. Be careful and keep each other safe. Just turn it up a knotch. Watch each other's backs. That goes for you too, Carla. Look after Holly. If anything happens to either of you, call me ASAP."

The two girls exchanged a long look. "We promise."

"Thank you." Dora let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

Holly and Carla enveloped Dora in a hug, and she felt a massive weight lifted from her chest.

"Hey," Rochelle said, breaking the silence. "I guess it's not just a flat warming party, but a coming out party too. All the more reason to eat this pizza before it gets cold."

#

Pizza and soda pop did a surprisingly good job of breaking the ice, especially once the "best pizza in Park Row" debate reignited. Rochelle's boyfriend Ben showed up with a box of beers, some playing cards, and his goofy sense of humor, lightening the mood further. His reaction to Carla and Holly's relationship was an awkward pause and "that's hot," which sparked an entertaining series of reprimands from Rochelle about his male gaze and how it was disgusting he was looking at two underage girls in such a way. Ben groveled for forgiveness, and Rochelle eventually let him know that she was just taking the piss out of him. To Dora's gratitude, Ben supported her when she refused to share the beers he had brought with Carla and Holly.

After several games of gin and poker (with Holly winning most often), Rochelle and Ben told everyone good night and headed home. Dora and Carla played one game of blackjack to determine who would stay back to clean all the mess and put away the furniture. Carla won, but Dora didn't mind. Her little sister appeared tired anyway.

"How about you stay here tonight?" Dora asked.

Carla perked up a bit. "What, you're really okay with me sleeping here?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"That's... surprisingly cool of you. Mami would never let me stay the night over at a boy's house."

Dora narrowed her eyes. "I... don't understand what you..."

"Hear that, Holly? Dora says I can stay with you tonight!"

Holly was by the ledge of the roof, waving goodbye to Rochelle and Ben. She turned back. "What, really? Great!"

"No, I meant with me in the basement," Dora tried to say, but Carla and Holly were too busy hugging and celebrating to hear. They discussed what movie to watch and suddenly Carla didn't seem so tired anymore.

Dora paused and thought for a few moments. As her older sister, was it her right to dictate the terms of Carla's relationship? Was there a double standard for underage same-sex couples? There was no risk of pregnancy, but Dora felt that fourteen years old was still too soon. Had she and Holly taken it farther than they had in the shed? Was Carla a virgin? Either in the lesbian sense or traditional sense? What even counted as full sexual intercourse for lesbians? It was probably too late to worry about STDS... The implications made her head spin.

"Hey, listen!" Dora raised her voice to get their attention. "As long as you don't tell Mami, you can stay with Holly tonight, but I just have to talk to her first." She locked eyes with Holly. "Alone."

Holly and Carla exchanged a look, but agreed to separate. Carla walked to the stairwell, looking back the whole way, but eventually left.

Now alone with Holly, Dora said, "Look, I don't know how sex works with lesbians—"

"It's not that hard to figure out, Dee." Holly looked almost insulted, but a moment later Dora could tell she was joking.

"I'm not talking about the... the physical… mechanics or whatever, I'm talking about all the messy emotional stuff. Gender is irrelevant. When it's between two adults, sure, it's simple." Then she thought of Red Hood and cringed. "Well, it's not always, but... you get what I mean. It's just... um… when it's between two teenagers, it's not so… I don't know… clean cut?" She didn't know how to explain.

"I don't get what you mean," Holly said, frowning.

"I don't know what I mean either," Dora admitted, frustrated. "Sex makes things messy. Makes things serious. I'm just trying to say that if it's not too late... take it slow with Carla, okay? She's still a kid. You're still a kid, Holly. Just... make sure she's ready. And wait for her if she isn't. Sex makes everything… complicated."

As she spoke those words, she finally realized what Red Hood meant the last time they were together. She understood why he bailed when Holly interrupted them. She understood why he'd been ghosting her.

Holly also took pause. She knit her brows and locked eyes with Dora for a long moment. The two were gauging each other's sincerity, and they both knew it.

"Listen, Dee. I don't always rush into sex. The way I approached sex with clients is different than how I approach people I'm actually attracted to—and people I actually care about. In that line of work, you learn to..." Holly frowned, thinking. "What's the word Selina used... compart... You learn to compartmentalize. Separate it all in your head. Build walls and put parts of yourself in different rooms. And it's not that I'm casual with guys, and that I'm serious with girls because I'm gay. I've had female clients too. I treat Carla different because I care about her. I know it's only been a month, but she's become my best friend. And to be honest, she came on to me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she got a crush on me… made a move…" Holly laughed. "And I didn't fight it. I'm the first girl she's ever been with, so I'm letting her set the pace right now. I want her to feel comfortable and safe, because I don't want to lose her. I hope you understand that."

Dora smiled. "I do. That's what I wanted to hear."

Holly smiled back, but got so giddy she pulled Dora into a hug. "Need help clearing up?" she asked. "If I take long enough, Carla might fall asleep and nothing will happen tonight. Not that I was planning on taking another base or anything."

A small laugh escaped Dora. She had already started folding the chairs. "No, don't worry. I got this. Go ahead and enjoy your new apartment."

Holly walked away without another word, her good mood evident in her stride.

Finally alone on the rooftop, Dora mentally unpacked and sorted everything on her mind, all while cleaning up the trash and putting away the folding furniture. The day was physically exhausting—and emotionally exhausting too. She was drained.

After clearing everything else off the roof, she turned off the canopy lights and left behind just one chair, her dad's lounger. She faced it toward the street, and reclined the back rest so that it faced the skyline. She pulled out a flask from her pocket and took a sip from the Lagavulin inside. The alcohol tickled her tongue and seared her throat. It settled in her stomach, warm. She closed her eyes as a shiver spread across her shoulders and back. The rest of her body tingled pleasantly.

Another sip, and she was transported back to that night Red Hood visited. The night she had kissed him. The night they almost...

She wondered if he would appear in her dreams like he did every other night. If he would just haunt her alone, without a pack of ravenous ghouls, she wouldn't mind.

She had an intrusive thought. Was there an actual possibility she could have a legitimate relationship with the man under the Red Hood? Was that what he wanted? All his talk about stakes, and risks, and blurry lines between his mission and personal life—all of it confused her.

Did she even want a relationship? All common sense dictated that she couldn't, but that didn't stop her from feeling the way she did. Holly and Carla seemed like an unlikely couple and it appeared like they could make it work. Why couldn't she and Red Hood?

Sirens and gunshots sounded in the distance.

Dora opened her eyes. Looking through the corridor of high-rise buildings, she saw flashing red and blue lights and a helicopter shining a spotlight over the bridge in the distance. There was some type of commotion happening across the river. Knowing this city, it likely involved a member of the Bat crew and one of their enemies.

But that was miles away and Dora knew she would hear about it on the news tomorrow morning, so she wouldn't let it bother her. She took another sip of the whiskey, her mouth lingering on the lip of the flask. Shuddering, she thought about his lips, how they made her jaw melt, how they stole her breath. A different thought crossed her mind. Is Red Hood in the middle of all that?

A patrolling helicopter turned its searchlight in her direction, illuminating her rooftop and casting shadows. It seared her eyes just as she opened them. Dora recoiled and fell off the lounger. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, blinking several times. What was that weird shadow on the building across the street?

The searchlight moved on, enveloping the rooftop in darkness again. Replacing her glasses, she looked back at the other building, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the dark again. It must have been a gargoyle casting a shadow. That was her cue to put away the whiskey and go to sleep.

She got up and folded the lounger chair. When she turned to the shed, she gasped, dropping it. Another odd shadow protruded from the water tower. She rushed to switch on the canopy lights, but they wouldn't work.

The shadow moved and Dora flinched.

It was a person, perched on the ledge of the tower.

"Red Hood?" she asked the figure. Almost every time he had appeared, it was from the shadows.

The rooftop the first night they met, he descended from the night sky above.

The second time was through the window of her bar from the dark street.

The third time, the last and latest time... He walked into the Alibi's kitchen from the darkened alley. Something in her stomach fluttered in anticipation. It had been weeks since she last saw him.

He leaped off the water tower.

But she didn't see the coattails of a motorcycle jacket flowing behind him

She saw a long serrated cape unfurl. Leather wings dominated his silhouette.

"Oh shit." Dora's heart jumped in her chest, pounding.

He glided down to her, breaking his fall by rolling, but he still didn't make a sound. Only a few feet away, it appeared like shadows followed him. He rose to his full height in front of her, much taller and heavier than Red Hood. His face was hidden by shadows, but his eyes glowed white.

He stepped forward, and Dora stepped back. With each step, he backed her into a wall. No escape. It felt like the air pressure increased and gravity got heavier. It was hard to breathe.

"We need to talk," said the Batman.

Notes

Nananananana... BATMAN!~

More cameos! I was originally going to wait a while to post this chapter, but I couldn't help myself. Seriously, guys, I've been waiting FOREVER for Batman to appear. The temptation to include him from the start was overwhelming, but I really wanted the story to focus on Dora first and foremost, and Red Hood second. Not only that, but I wanted to give his appearance the epic gravitas it deserved by making it unexpected, cinematic, and memorable. Too many fan fics feature Batman as a main or secondary character. I wanted Batman to be an event, a force of nature, an emphatic turning point for the plot. I wanted a single scene with Batman to change the course of the whole story. It's exactly how his appearances are portrayed in Red Hood and the Outlaws and I wanted to emulate that. I'm writing the next chapter VERY carefully.

On the other hand, I also really wanted to develop Holly and Carla's characters a bit more. I didn't plan on the two teenage girls coming together when I first conceived the story, but while reading No Man's Land, I learned Holly is a lesbian in the canon. The idea struck me to set her up with Carla, given their ages, and it wouldn't go away, and then here we are. I needed a foil for Dora's relationship with Red Hood and for her to experience some real hard criticism for her attraction to him, and the only other couple in the story, Rochelle and Ben, weren't able to do that.

I hope you enjoy this chapter! And that I didn't cross some line by portraying two underage girls pashing on the page. I tried to keep it PG-13. At least in this chapter.

Song Reference: "From Shadows" by Jeff Williams (from RWBY Vol. 1)

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