DISCLAIMER: I do not own Batman or its characters, only Athena, Sage, and whoever else I add to the narrative.
Three:
Back Where She Began
Answers. That's all people ever wanted these days, feeling entitled to those answers, as if life owed them something. Truth was, it didn't. Even if all of a sudden, Life decided that it did, some had to work hard and earn them. While others…
Athena was locked in her bedroom, headphones over her head, listening to music at the loudest volume possible without bleeding out her eardrums. Candy bar wrappers and empty soda cans littered the cotton quilt spread across the bed, attempting to keep her warm at night. There was a family sized pack of jelly beans open next to her, nearly finished. Grabbing for the mug of the blackest coffee, she took a quick swig. The bitter dark liquid washed over her taste buds and gingerly went down her throat. She stuck out her tongue, closing her eyes shut and scrunching up her nose, all the while taking a handful of jelly beans and stuffing the colorful candies in her mouth. The pack of gum was next, just had to finish that disgust-delicious coffee.
Well, the others… no matter what they did, Life still blind folded them, crippled them, weakened them until there was no strength left… and in the end, they still had to walk through that dark tunnel full of monsters and peril, and hope they made it long enough to reach the end. And hope, that they could at long last get Life's answers.
She tried pressing the headphones closer to her ears, closer than they already were. Even with the beating of drums, the blazing guitars and melodic piano… there was a knock at her bedroom door. Knuckles pounding on the glass almost overpowered the music which blared into her ears, blending with the beat of the drums, both sounds battling for dominance over her senses. That's how it had been for last couple of days, no matter what she did, whether that was blasting loud music or wearing noise cancelling earplugs, she could simply hear everything.
There was voice of her mother, sounding as if she were yelling over a loud cacophony of noises, "Last chance," knocks followed. "Open. The. Door."
The song ended, there was a silence, before the first musical notes began again. Athena closed her eyes briefly, furrowing her eyebrows as the fast pace of the electric keyboard drifted into her eardrums, vibrating throughout the inner parts of her ear. There was a bang, similar to when the hero bursts through the door by kicking it in. But, it was just the drum!
"What the hell is going on?"
Athena slid the headphones off her head, they now rested around her neck. The music faint, but all there at the same time, her senses would not make up their mind.
Her mother stood in the doorway, the frosted glass in shards on the dark wooden floor. Eyes wide, the green hue had darkened in cattish slits that were not forced this time. Her mouth was slightly open as if she couldn't find the words to continue. "It is a mess in here," she pinched her nose, inspecting the surroundings, before her eyes returned to Athena. "How long has it been since you took a shower?"
It was a mess. She hadn't showered since she punched that hole in the wall. For these last couple of days she sat in bed, barricading herself away, in her attempts to somehow help herself. She blinked, stopping mid chew on a bean.
"Don't look at me like that!" Mom shook her head, beginning to pick up empty cans, muttering under her breath. "You look terrible, you haven't slept in days, and you won't talk to me." Speaking to both herself and her daughter, expression wrapped in perplexion and distress.
Athena swallowed the jelly bean. "I can explain-"
Stopping in her tracks, she looked straight at her. "Damn right you're going to explain," letting out a huff and pointing a free finger at her, "I left you alone, figured you needed some space, now I realize I shouldn't have!"
What was she supposed to say? 'Hey, mom, I've somehow developed cat senses because I was touched by a demon in an alley. Oh, I also forgot to mention, dad's gonna have to pay to fix the hole in the bathroom that I did because I'm apparently stronger than I look. Thanks, Malice!'
Silently, Athena thanked whatever God that bothered to watch over her, because her mother hadn't seen that hole.Yet. Yeesh.
Her mother took a breath, rubbing her forehead with her hand, as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled." Her features softened, looking back at her, "does this have something to do with the nightmares?"
Athena put the mug back on the nightstand, moving her tongue to force a piece of candy out of her teeth. "Yeah, yeah it does."
Reaching a certain depth that she didn't recognize, her mother pulled the grey cardigan around her body. "I just don't want to see you like this and- and you don't talk to me, to your father, to anyone." She sat on the bed, after tossing the garbage in the trash can. "You used to talk all the time. About everything. Even the things you didn't want to tell your father, you would tell me. School. Friendship problems. Bad decisions," mom smiled, wide with glee, tilting her head forcing herself not to wiggle her eyebrows, "boys."
"I know, mom." Athena flattened her lips, corners upturning in a small smile, as her eyes fell down to the quilt. "It's just all so difficult. To say, to tell-to think. I wish it was just a phase when I say there is no one, no one, that will understand…"
Mom tilted her head, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, tenderly rubbing her palm on her upper arm, "you come from a family where nothing is easy. Life, well, it just seems to hate all of us, but that's alright because we have each other."
Letting her head rest on her mother's shoulder, she hoped that the scent of jasmine would linger long after she left. Athena closed her eyes, letting out a sigh. She sighed all the time, if only they relieved stress like they were supposed to, it never did her any good. "And I'm blessed to have that, especially here. I have something that you didn't, that dad didn't, and I will never take that for granted." Pausing, she let out a scoff, "but my fucking head- I feel like i'm going insane and I have to handle it all by myself. Like, I have to find all the answers myself and I'm…" she trailed off, looking up at her mother, "I'm so off course and I have no idea how to get back on."
"Athena.." Mother began, eyes becoming glassy, her voice kept at a whisper, similar to when she would have nightmares. "My intelligent, sweet, beautiful little girl." With every word, she would kiss her forehead, her full lips tickling her nerve endings. "Whatever you are going through, no matter if I know what it is or not, I know you can beat it. You are a Kyle and a Wayne, you are going to kick its ass," she smiled, wrinkles appearing around the corners of her eyes, that genuine smile that could kill with a single glance. "And just know, you are never alone. We will always be here to get you back on track. All you have to do is ask."
In her moment of weakness, the iron bindings of obstinacy began to unravel, and then wither away, leaving her mind sound and able to see that… perhaps she wasn't as alone as she thought.
Athena nodded, to herself. It was time. Beginning to speak, she was hesitant. "Something is… hunting me. Watching me." She shifted her eyes around the room, "it wants to ruin me. The nightmares, they aren't random."
Mother's eyes narrowed, lips forming into a frown, not once questioning her sanity. "How do you know?"
"I saw it in the alleyway that I found Sage. I haven't slept since then, I couldn't. But, now I was forcing myself to stay awake. I-I thought I could draw it back in by making it mad." Saying it out loud, it sounded completely stupid. No wonder it hadn't worked.
"What you're going to do is get yourself sent to the hospital, or worse," Mother shook off the sudden chill, "is there anything else?'
Seconds passed, adding pressure on her. "Yes." Athena pulled away from her mother, her skin tight against her bones, "I… I can hear things I shouldn't be able to hear, same with my sight and smell. It-It did that. At least that's what I think anyway."
Silence filled the space between them, as her mother stared at the floor, her eyebrows pulled together. "Look, I can't give you the answers to how and why, I wish I could, but I can't. What I can do is tell you one thing, from my recent track record with people on the darker side of Gotham," she looked to Athena, "once they have their eye on the prize there is nothing that can stop them." Turning her body to face her more, grabbing hold of her shoulders, she made the perfect eye contact, an intense stare burned through her. "Nothing. Do you hear me? And that means you can't sit up here, making yourself half sick while they get stronger."
Widening her eyes, lips pulled slightly apart. Her mother's words pierced through the shell around her heart.
Her voice had been raised above a whisper, something fierce, a lioness erupting into a wondrous inferno, that would char every creature in her path, a glorious queen of her sahara. "You have to rise up, you have to do what you have to do in order to survive." She lowered her head. "And we both know what that means."
Athena opened her mouth to speak, only to close it. She said nothing, letting the silence speak for her. Moments passed, before a she nodded, a smile brightening her features. She let out a scoff as she pulled her mother in, wrapping arms tightly around her. There was nothing left to say, but…
"Thank you."
The reins of her iron will were no longer held. She'd find her way, like she always did, but that didn't mean she had to do it alone.
It was time to go back home, to the place where all her childhood memories were kept. The place she grew up, where she knew the many corridors like the back of her hand. After all, there was always a place for her there.
In those cold and empty halls, forever warm and inviting, all the same.
R&R, at your leisure!