Little One, Little Danger
(The Revision)
Chapter 19:
Darkness' Past
A little girl sat on a swing in the park with a saddened look upon her face. There was a scrape on her knee from having fallen moments ago. "Kida?!" A voice in the distance called. The girl didn't move, she continued to sit there as tears streamed down her face. Soon the sound of footsteps upon the graveled path could be heard from behind her. She remained still and unflinching. "Kida?"
"Y-You left me." The girl whimpered.
Muscular arms slowly wrapped around her, "Oh, Kida…I would NEVER leave you."
"Father…you promise?" She sniffled.
"With all my heart. I will never leave my precious Kida." His reassuring words were sincere.
The eleven-year old girl stood from the swing and he released her so she could turn to face him, "I uh…got hurt." She pouted slightly, referring to the scrape on her knee, "You weren't around."
"Aw my poor Kida, daddy will make it all better, I promise. Then I'll take you to see that cartoon movie you've been wanting to watch. Would you like that?"
A huge grin presented itself on her face through her tears as she lunged into his arms, "Yes, very much. I love you."
"I love you too my special girl."
{ }
Later that evening…
Kida and her father walk into their home after leaving the movie theatre hand in hand. "Is that you Sedal?" A woman called from the kitchen until she stepped out to look at the man and young girl. "Where have you two been?"
The man smiled as he walked over to her, " Evening honey. We just caught a feature at the old theatre."
"Again?" She shook her head with a smile, "You're spoiling her you know."
"Yeah, I know." He smiled as he leaned towards her, placing a kiss on her cheek. "Missed you."
The woman smiled, "I missed you too." She then focused on the girl, "And how is my Kida?"
"I'm doing fine mother." Kida smiled in delight.
The woman hugged her tightly as she returned the gesture. Once she let go, Kida headed into the kitchen for a snack. The woman turned her attention back to the man and released a long sigh before taking a seat on the couch. He looked at her a bit concerned, "Everything okay?"
"I don't know Sedal…I'm worried about her."
"Why? Everything's been fine and even the doctor has confirmed hat." He took the seat beside her.
She scoffed a little, "The doctor? Really Sedal? Doctors aren't ever aware of what's going on in a family's household and they're not always that reliable."
"Kathryn there's no need for us to stress out about this okay. I believe things are fine and getting better."
"I just…love her tremendously you know."
Sedal embraced his wife with a soft smile, "And I love her too, but we can't be impatient when it comes to progress."
"Mother?" Kida called from the kitchen.
Kathryn adjusted herself, "Yes Kida?"
"Where is my pink cup with the yellow stripe?"
"In the middle cabinet on the far right side dear."
"Thank you!"
Sedal smiled, "You see, she's happy."
"How was her behavior today?"
He adjusted himself within his seat, "Well uh…not too bad, just a kid being a kid."
Kathryn gave him a look that told him she wasn't convinced, "Sedal, tell me."
He sighed, "She…was kind of out of it today at the park."
"Why, what happened?"
"I'm not sure." Sedal shook his head, "I turned my back for one second and she was gone. When I found her she was sitting on one of the swings spacing out, upset because she thought I left her all alone."
"Poor child."
"But it wasn't that bad, things are okay now. We'll all get a good night's sleep and things will be back to normal in the morning."
"Back to normal?" The two turned around to see Kida standing outside the kitchen, a cup of chocolate milk in hand.
Kathryn got to her feet, "Kida, you found your cup?"
"Am I not normal mother?"
"Oh no sweetheart that's not…" Kathryn approached the girl, "Your father and I was just discussing something of no real importance."
Sedal stood as well, "That's right Kida. Nothing for you to worry about."
"But…" Her gaze shifted from one parent to the other, "…you were discussing ME, weren't you?"
"Kida, how about you finish your milk and get cleaned up for bed. I'll be up there in a moment." Sedal suggested.
"But-"
"I'll run your bathwater just the way you like it so you can hop right on in when you're don okay." Kathryn smiled.
Kida looked at her parented a bit confused, but wasn't going to fight them on the matter, "Okay." She headed back inside the kitchen.
They watched her leave and then Kathryn turned to her husband rubbing her temples, "Damn it, Sedal."
"We couldn't have known she was standing there. But the girl is bright." He sighed.
"It's fine…*sigh*…I'll go start her bath." Kathryn left the room and headed for the stairs while Sedal remained in the living room alone in silence, arms folded across his chest.
{ }
"We have to get the girl back." A voice spoke.
"What do you mean 'get her back'?" A second voice responded revealing two men sitting within an abandoned warehouse in the middle of Tokyo, Japan.
"You think it's safe for her to be where she is right now?!" The first man shouted at the second.
"You know what I disgusts me about people like you?" An unknown third voice echoed through the warehouse. The two men turned around and found a tall dark figured man standing ahead of them in the dark.
"W-who are you?" The second man stuttered.
Their unknown guest smirked, "Wouldn't you like to know."
"How did you get in here?!" The first man pulled out a firearm to point it in the dark figured man's direction.
"Wasn't that hard fellas." Their guest motioned his head behind him, "The front door was unlocked."
The first guy cocked his gun while gritting his teeth, "What do you want? None of this concerns you."
"Oh, but I believe it does." The dark figured man smirked as he walked towards them into the light.
The second man took a step back, "W-Wait a minute…w-who are you?"
"The guy's that's going to bring you to justice."
{ }
The next morning…
Kida sat in her bed within the dark in the early hours of the day.
"Kida…"
A whispering voice echoed in her head as her body shook all over, her eyes wide while she was drenched in sweat with a rapidly beating heart.
"Kida…"
"S-Stop…" Her voice was shaken.
"You cannot make it stop Kida…"
"Y-Yes…yes I can."
"You are not like them…"
She clenched her blanket, closing her eyes shut, "That's not true. Father and mother said I was fine."
"Father and mother? That is not who they are."
"You're wrong."
"Stop this foolishness Kida…before you hurt them."
"S-Shut up…"
"Those two will fall by YOUR hands…"
Kida's grip on her blanket tightened, "No…stop it."
"Then who will you have?"
"Please…just stop…"
"You'll be alone again… just poor little Kida…"
"Stop it!" Kida banged her fists against her lap as the mirror on her vanity shattered along with the three vases that resided on a nearby shelf next to her bed.
Sedal and Kathryn heard the noise and rushed out of their bed and over to her room. "Kida?!" The man entered with his wife right behind him. He spotted the girl whose head was resting within the palms of her hands, her entire body shuddering.
"Kida?" Kathryn called.
"Stop it…" Kida whispered through sobs.
Sedal slowly walked to the girl's bedside and noticed that blood was seeping down the left side of her face. Pieces of the broken vase were scattered upon her arm, lap and comforter blanket. "Kida?" He gently placed a hand on her shoulder which made the girl instantly lift her gaze to him. Her eyes glowed a goldish tint, almost engulfing her sockets as an invisible source of power lifted him in the air and tossed him across the room with ease.
"Kida?!" Kathryn ran to the girl's beside.
As if almost instant, the girl snapped out of her trance, the glow in her eyes receding as she remembered where she was and who they were. "M-Mother?" Kida then turned to see Sedal across up against the wall, "Father?!" She got out of her bed and ran over to him, brushing the hair off his face to reveal that his eyes were closed like he had been knocked unconscious. Kida panicked with tears in her eyes, "Father?! Father wake up!"
The man slowly opened his eyes and met her crying gaze. He could only smile softly as he lifted a hand to wipe away her tears. "Hey now…I'm alright. It was just an accident Kida." His words weren't all that reassuring as the volume of her sobs increased as she fell into his chest. Sedal wrapped his arms around her and simply stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. He looked over at his wife who was just staring at the broken mirror and vases.
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." Kida cried.
"It's okay. I'm fine my special girl." Kathryn's gaze finally fell on them and she could feel her chest tighten out of sadness and fear. She placed a hand over her mouth as she cautiously sat down on Kida's bed shaking her head.
{ }
Later that afternoon…
Sedal and Kathryn sat in the living room in silence while Kida took a nap upstairs. She was home-schooled so they didn't have to worry about sending her out after the incident. They cleaned up the mess in her room and made sure she had something to eat before continuing on with the day. At that moment, Sedal was situated in the recliner while his wife sat on the loveseat sipping on a mug of hot green tea. "Kathryn?"
"Sedal…I'm afraid."
He shook his head, "But she's our daughter."
"You mean she's YOUR daughter."
He turned to her a bit hurt, "Did you really just say that?"
"I…" Kathryn could feel her heart ache, "…I'm sorry I didn't mean that because I do love her as my own, so much."
"But?"
"She's unstable Sedal."
"That's not true." He shook his head, "She's just—"
"I don't know how much longer I can do this." Kathryn took a sip of her tea.
"She's just a girl, Kathryn and she has this amazing gift that we just don't know how to handle yet. It'll get better when she's older."
"Sedal, she sent you flying across the room."
"Which wasn't a big deal, I'm fine."
"But it could've been worse!"
"But it wasn't!"
"She needs help Sedal!"
"We are her help!"
Kathryn calmed herself and sighed, "There's only so much either one of us can do. Today she hurt not only herself but you too. So, whether you like the idea or not, Kida DOES need help, Sedal. I'm sure we can both agree that we would rather not have a worse scenario next time." She watched her husband lay back within his chair with a sigh as he looked at the ceiling above deep in thought. "Sedal?"
"Let me think, Kathryn." She picked up on the frustration in his voice but she gave him his moments while putting her mug down on the coffee table. In the hallway sat Kida leaning up against one of the walls, listening in on their conversation the entire time. "Kathryn?"
The woman turned to Sedal, "Yes?"
He sighed reluctantly, "What did you have in mind?"
Kida's heart dropped, "No…" There was no way her father would agree to send her away. He promised he wouldn't…he promised. She ran back to her room.
"There's a special facility in Gotham City in the states that has a program that deals with these specific cases." Kathryn informed, "Go with the suggestion of the first doctor we saw."
Sedal snickered, "You mean Doctor Collins."
"Yes, him."
Sedal got to his feet, "What happened to all that talk about doctors yesterday? The guy was a nutjob."
"We have to do something Sedal, before it's too-"
"No."
Kathryn was taken back, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me, I said no."
"But Sedal-"
"Kida's not a case, Kathryn and you're right, she is MY daughter. I'm not going to place her in the care of someone else, especially if that someone is just going to experiment on her."
"I'm sure that's not what they do—"
"I've made my decision. She'll get help right at home."
"Are you serious?"
He folded his arms across his chest, "Very serious, whether you like it or not."
"Sedal?" Kathryn watched the man head over to the front door ignoring her, "Sedal?!" He finally stopped in his tracks, his hand on the doorknob. Kathryn clenched her fists within her lap, "I-If you leave without coming up with a solution to this problem…I-I'll leave…"
His heart ached at her words, "I know and I can't force you to stay somewhere you don't feel safe."
"Sedal…I love you…so so much. I also love Kida." She choked trying to hold back tears, "But my heart can't take much more of this."
"Then I won't resent you for doing what you feel is best." Sedal opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him.
"Se…" Kathryn begun to cry, "…dal…"
{ }
A dark figured man sat on the rooftops as he watched the city streets, scanning the areas in his perimeter. Everything seemed to be quiet for the night, to his knowledge at least. "Hey little girl." There was a voice that came from a dark alley to the east. His gaze drifted there to see a man dressed in a long trench coat who approached a minor. "You like ice cream? How about you grab one with me."
"No thank you." The girl replied as she tried to walk on pass him.
The stranger grabbed her wrist, "Come now, don't be shy."
"Let me go!"
"I believe the young lady said no."
Mr. Trench turned around to see the dark figured man standing behind them, "Well maybe she needs some help deciding heh. Who are you supposed to be anyway." The girl took a few steps back as the strange man released her. Right after his statement, the dark figured man punched a hole right through the brick wall that the strange man was standing near. Instantly he became afraid, lifting his hands in the air, "Hey hey hey! No harm done, I let her go and besides I was just asking the kid a harmless question."
"Didn't look harmless to me." Suddenly the girl broke out into a run, leaving both men behind, "H-Hold on, wait!" The dark figured man tried to get her attention and the minute he turned away from the strange man, he took the opportunity to run off in the opposite direction. The dark figured man groaned but decided to follow after the girl who kept running one block after the other. "Wait!"
She turned to look back at him, "What do you want?!"
"I just want to talk to you!"
"About what?! I'm not allowed to talk to strangers!"
He mumbled to himself, "That's the usual excuse." The next moment, the girl vanished right in front of his eyes and he stopped. He turned this way and that, figuring that she must have a power of some kind. He simply smirked to himself as he thought that the moment brought back old memories.
The little girl appeared on the side of a convenient store trying to catch her breath, "I-I think…*pant*…I lost him."
"Not quite."
She looked up to see him crouching on the roof of the store looking down on her, "W-Who are you?"
The dark figured man jumped down and landed in front of her, "Who are YOU and what are you doing wandering around on the streets this late at night?"
"I-I can't tell you that."
"I'm sure your parents are worried."
She lowered her gaze, "No…they were going to send me away."
"Is that so?" He raised a brow unconvinced.
"Mother she…she said so."
There had to be more to the story than that, "Alright, so what's your name?"
"Kida."
The man placed a hand on her shoulder, "Well Kida, if that truly is the case then it's a shame. You are truly someone extraordinary."
Kida turned to him and met his gaze, "You…my powers didn't frighten you?"
"Not at all. It actually reminds me of a friend of mine."
"Really?"
"Yeah, and she used to get down about her gifts just like you."
"W-What did she do about it?"
"She had friends that loved her for who she was."
Kida pouted as she lowered her head and crossed her arms, "I don't have any friends."
He couldn't help but chuckle, "Well, you just made one."
"You mean—" Kida blushed.
"Now let's go have a talk with your parents and I'm sure there has to be a misunderstanding." He held out his hand to her.
She hesitated at first as she looked at his gloved hand, but then took it with a nod. "Okay."
"The name's Nightwing, in case you were wondering." He grinned as the two made their way down the street.
{ }
Sedal walked into the house that night, cutting on the table lamp beside the couch. There was a note and a copy of the house key sitting on it. He picked up the letter and read:
Dear Sedal,
I'm so sorry but I can't take it anymore. My heart gets heavier and heavier for you and Kida every day. But, what happened this morning made me take a good look at my life. I love you so much, I really do and Kida too. Before we married you discussed Kida's "gift", I thank you for giving me the heads up on what I was getting myself into. But I didn't realize things would get this out of hand. I've been with you and Kida for 6 years now and for the last 3...I have to honestly say I've been miserable. I thought that if I pretended and acted like I was fine, that I could become as such. It didn't work, sad to say. So, I must leave and say goodbye to you both if you don't want to get her help. She's still asleep. Please take care and I hope you know what you're doing. I will always love you Sedal, no one can ever replace you.
Love,
Kathryn
Sedal could feel his heart break as he crumbled the letter and tried to compose himself. "Kida?!" He took a few moments to hear a response that never came. He then made his way up the stairs towards her bedroom passing the one he shared with Kathryn. Sedal stopped to take a look around and noticed that half the room closet were empty from the woman taking her clothes. Her things were gone and it was starting to sink in that his life was going to change…again. Something glimmered in his peripheral vision and he turned to the dresser…Kathryn's wedding ring. Sedal picked it up with a heavy heart as he called out to his daughter again. He clenched the ring in his palm before exiting the room to continue on to Kida's.
Once he came to the girl's door he knocked gently on it, "Kida?" When he got no response, Sedal let himself in and flipped on the light switch. The first thing that caught his eye was the open window across the room and then her neatly made bed. Next was the dresser drawer that was left open after being emptied of most of its clothes. Sedal's eyes widened as he begun to think the worst, "Oh no…Kida…"
Sedal ran back downstairs and exited the house to get into his car. He took out his cellphone and called the police station as he started up the car engine. "Hello police department." someone answered on the other end.
"Yes, I need to report a missing girl."
"Okay just calm down sir. Has she been missing for more than forty-eight hours?"
"No but her name is Kida Jasmine Rile. She's about four-foot-two and weighs about seventy pounds. She's eleven years old, has dark brown wavy hair, shoulder length with hazel eyes. Ethnicity being half Japanese and half black."
"Sir, I thank you for that detailed description, but if she hasn't been missing for more than the required time then there's nothing we can do as of yet."
"Are you kidding me?! My daughter is out there and you're not going to-!"
"Have you ever considered that she might've just gone to a friend's house?"
"She doesn't have any friends!"
"Then perhaps she ran away. But don't worry, by her age, she'll probably be back home in the morning."
"Back in the…I want to speak to your supervisor!"
"Contact us if she's not back after the forty-eight hour mark."
"Don't you dar-!"
"Goodbye Sir."
Sedal was left with the dial tone echoing in his ear. What just happened? They weren't going to do anything. He could feel himself growing angry as he balled up his fists and pounded them on his stirring wheel, "Damn it!" He tossed the cell on the passenger seat and put on his seatbelt. He'd find Kida himself.
{ }
Kida and Nightwing strolled the streets still late into the night, "Are you sure this is the right way?" The vigilante raised a brow at the girl.
Kida smiled nervously, "Y-Yes."
"Right." The sudden sound of a police siren grasped their attention as a car rounded the streetcorner and came into view. Kida moved a little closer to Nightwing, almost standing behind him. The car slowed down as it approached them, silencing the siren. Nightwing shielded his eyes from the bright headlights; the car finally came to a stop. The driver's side window slid down, revealing the officer who was behind the wheel. "Is there a problem officer?"
The officer looked the younger man over before glancing over at Kida and then focused back on Nightwing, "Ah, you must be the one doing our jobs into the late hours of the night the last few weeks."
"Heh, I wouldn't exactly put it that way. I'm just passing through." Nightwing smirked.
"Hey, I don't have a problem with the extra hand, but watch yourself." The officer glanced at Kida again, "Aside from that, the station just got in a call for a missing persons' report regarding a girl. Of course, they shelved it until the required forty-eight hours but, I overheard the situation and decided I'd take a look. I have kids of my own and I wouldn't want to wait no forty-eight hours to know if they're alright."
Nightwing nodded, "Understandable. Who put in the call?"
"The girl's father." The officer looked down at a piece of paper that he had previously scribbled on. "A Sedal Rile."
"Father." The word was barely audible on Kida's lips.
Nightwing turned to her briefly before addressing the officer again, "Do you mind giving me a moment officer?"
"Washington, Officer Courtney Washington and sure, but I don't have all night."
Nightwing nodded as he took a few steps back away from the vehicle before turning around to face Kida. "This Sedal Rile, is your dad right?" The girl gave him a single nod as a response, "Well that's a relief right? He's looking for you."
"He…but I heard…" Didn't he want to send her away, so why would he be looking for her?
"It seems to me if he wanted to get rid of you, then he wouldn't be searching for you." Nightwing gave her a smile, "So why don't you go with the officer and have him take you home so your dad won't worry."
Kida glanced over at the police car, "I…I don't—"
"I'll follow behind and once we get there, we'll speak to your parents together. To clear up what is clearly a misunderstanding."
His reassuring words gave her some slight relief and she gave him a smile, "Okay."
Nightwing headed back to Officer Washington who was scribbling something on a notepad, "Officer Washington?"
"Got something for me?" The officer stopped what he was doing and lifted his gaze.
"This girl here is Kida Rile." Nightwing took a step aside, "She's the one you're looking for."
Officer Washington raised a brow, "Is that so?"
"I ran into her not too far from here and I believe there is a misunderstanding. She's ready to go home now."
"Now that's the quickest missing persons' report ever to be solved." Officer Washington smiled, "I don't mind giving her lift, I have the address right here in my notes."
Kida remained where she was, "I-Is father…really looking for me?"
Officer Washington nodded, "That he is and very worried. I overheard the call myself. But who could blame him with a daughter as pretty as you."
"Cute is more like it." Nightwing chuckled as he ruffled her hair causing her to blush.
"Well, we should hurry and get you to your father Kida." Officer Washington exited the vehicle to open the door to the backseat so she could get in.
She looked over at Nightwing, "You're-?"
"I'll be right behind you." he whispered.
The officer asked her to get in once again and she did while he closed the door behind her. He turned to face Nightwing and held out his hand, "Thanks for the help Mr…?"
"I go by Nightwing." He shook the officer's hand.
"Of course you do." Officer Washington grinned. After their handshake ended, the officer reentered the driver's side and closed his door. "I'll be taking the girl straight home.
"I'll follow right behind you."
"That won't be necessary."
Nightwing folded his arms across his chest, "It might not be, but I promised the kid that I'd talk to her parents about something."
"At this hour?" The officer raised a brow, "You'll be wasting your time."
"Oh, I highly doubt that."
Officer Washington shifted the car into drive, "Keep your eyes on the streets and have a good night Nightwing." The car drove off, leaving him to stand alone on the corner as he snickered, yeah a good night.
{ }
Sedal had just closed the door behind him, making it back home after looking for his daughter. He realized he had forgotten his wallet so he made a quick stop back and just as he was heading back to the front door, he heard the sound of a running car right outside the house. Sedal peered through the blinds of the window and saw a police car. Relief instantly washed over him as he wondered if someone from the station actually took his call seriously and found Kida. He squinted his eyes and noticed a small silhouette in the backseat, Kida.
Officer Washington looked at the house to their right before his gaze drifted to the rearview mirror to look at the girl fidgeting in the backseat. "Kida?"
"Y-Yes?" She lifted her gaze to the back of his head.
"What can you tell me about your mother?"
"My…mother?" Kida became confused.
"Yes, your mother."
"Why would she matter if my father is waiting for me?"
Suddenly the car doors locked which made her very nervous, "Oh she matters more than you know."
Kida grabbed the door handle, "What are you doing?"
"Tell me, what's your mother's name?"
"Let me out, f-father is waiting for me."
"Answer the question Kida."
Kida could feel herself growing frightened, "I…she…her name is Kathryn Rile."
Officer Washington turned to look back her with a grin, "Is that what your father told you?"
Sedal raised a brow as he wondered what was taking so long. Situated on the roof of the house was Nightwing who was keeping eyes on the vehicle as well though something didn't sit right with him. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the police car begun to change its physical appearance. The two men watched as the vehicle's end result resembled that of a black and red hybrid. It sped off down the street pass the house. "What the hell?!" Sedal ran out the door as Nightwing jumped down from the roof. "Kida!" The two called out simultaneously.
Sedal quickly turned to see the vigilante, "Who are you?"
"Right, you must be Sedal."
"Yeah, and you are?"
"Nightwing, acquaintance of your daughter's."
Sedal rushed over to his car, "Yeah, I don't have time for this."
"Hey! Where are you going?!"
"To get my daughter."
"You'll never catch them in that car."
Sedal raised a brow a bit offended, "What's wrong with my car?"
"That was a hybrid." Nightwing retrieved to capsules from a compartment on his suit and tossed them on the pavement. "We'll need something a bit faster so take one of my cycles." A faint cloud surfaced and two motorcycles emerged, one black and the other red.
Sedal was a little skeptical of the young man, "Fine. Though I haven't ridden one of those in years."
"When you say years, how old are we-?"
"Let's just go." Sedal positioned himself on the red bike while Nightwing took the black. "Just don't fall behind son."
"Helmet?"
"Don't need one." Sedal sped off with Nightwing right behind him.
{ }
The two followed stealthily behind the hybrid into Tokyo so as not to cause suspicion. Nightwing wondered about the specific location as the car continued on through the city with ease. Both the driver and passenger weren't visible through the dark tinted windows. After another few miles, they exited the city area and rode along a road that led to some docks so Sedal's surprise. The hybrid came to a stop at the walkway to the entrance and the driver's door opened. Nightwing and Sedal parked their bikes near a hill that wasn't visible from the viewpoint of Officer Washington. The two quietly made their way around to get a look at what the officer was up to.
"I've helped solve a lot of kidnappings and using the docks as a destination isn't that surprising." Nightwing gritted his teeth.
Sedal snickered, "Thanks for that fact, but something doesn't seem right."
"Situations like these never are."
Washington stepped out the car dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a black spandex shirt, black leather boots and slender-framed black sunshades.
"I guess the uniform was a fake too." Nightwing snickered.
Just as Washington closed the car door the backseat's door opened and soon Kida stepped out. The girl, however, didn't seem to show any signs of fear or of wanting to make a run for it. It took Sedal all he had not to rush over as he whispered to himself for her to run. Kida closed the door behind her and Washington turned towards her to say something. He then begun to walk with her following right behind him which caused confusion in both Sedal and Nightwing. What was she doing?
Washington and Kida approached the edge of one of the docks looking over the sea. After a few moments Washington retrieved a small device out of his pocket and tossed it into the water. Letting another several moments go by, something begun to glow a whitish tint beneath the surface.
"We need to move." Sedal made his way from their spot with Nightwing following suit. They quickly and quietly made their way to the parked hybrid and hid beside it. They peeked around to get a better look at what was going on. Out of the water emerged a round metal panel of sorts that held a transparent graphic symbol upon it that resembled the letter "S". Washington stepped upon it and faced Kida as he motioned for her to join him, though she was hesitant.
"Don't you want to know the truth?" He held out his hand to the little girl.
"Truth?" Sedal raised a brow, "What truth?"
Kida nodded and then took his hand as he helped her onto the panel, holding her close. Suddenly a transparent red shield activated over them in a rounded manner. Soon, Kida and Washington begun to submerge beneath the sea. Once several feet under, their vessel accelerated across the waters producing small waves from the surrounding pressure of the movement.
Sedal and Nightwing ran to the edge of the dock, peering out to where the vessel might be headed. After traveling for about five miles, the pressured waves ceased. "What happened? Where did it go?"
Nightwing shook his head, I'm not sure but at least when know they went east."
Sedal ran his fingers through his hair trying not to panic, "We can't waste time trying to figure it out, we have to find them."
"We will just—" Nightwing's foot collided with something on the ground causing him to look down. It closely resembled a marble being black and red in color and it rolled down the path. Seconds later it fell off the side and into the water leaving the two men with confused facial expressions.
"Was that a…marble?" Sedal raised a brow.
Nightwing tilted his head to the side, "I…think so? But why would a-?" Suddenly a whitish glow became visible and soon after another panel emerged from the sea. Sedal's eyes widened slightly as Nightwing grinned, "Well would you look at that."
"That symbol…it can't be." Uneasiness was written all over Sedal's face.
Nightwing's grin faded, "What?"
"We need to hurry." Sedal stepped upon the panel.
"Not to be that guy but, that thing's not going to fit us both." Nightwing folded his arms across his chest.
"Then we'll have to split up now won't we." The tone in his voice reminded him of his mentor and it caused Nightwing to sigh in defeat. He stepped on the panel beside the other man as best as he could. The vessel was sealed like the one prior with the transparent shield which caused them to become uncomfortably squashed together. They were soon submerged and headed in the same direction as Kida and Washington.
"Ouch! Would you…!" Sedal tried to adjust his position, "Watch your elbow!"
Nightwing tried to adjust as well, "Hey! Watch that knee!" He adjusted a hip to his left, "I've never had to be this close to another man before." The two stopped their struggling when their eyes fell on something in the oncoming distance. A facility that was rooted within the seafloor that was shielded by a forcefield.
"Whoa…I didn't know things like that existed in this time."
Sedal shifted his gaze to him, "What do you mean THIS time?"
Nightwing sighed as they got closer to the facility, "Let's just say that I'm not from this time period."
"I should've known from your fancy capsules." Sedal smirked, "The future?"
"Yeah."
"Why am I not surprised. It's always the future." They finally came to an abrupt stop which resulted with Nightwing's elbow colliding with Sedal's stomach and Sedal's knee into Nightwing's groin. Their vessel phased through the facility's forcefield and once inside, the panel's shield dropped. Both men fell over onto a cold metal floor holding the aching areas where they accidentally inflected pain on one another.
"I'm sure these weren't built to hold TWO grown men." Nightwing moaned.
"I told you to watch your elbow." Sedal cried.
{ }
Washington walked down a hall with Kida following behind him. She looked at the symbols on the ground and walls. "I've seen those before."
Washington smirked, "Your mother and father designed it."
"My mother…is she…who you say she is?"
"You're about to see for yourself." They stopped at two huge metal doors. Washington pressed a little red button on the right side of the door. It made a little buzzing sound causing the doors to slowly open and the sound echoed throughout the facility. He stepped inside and told Kida to follow him into a maroon colored room. As they walked along Kida noticed to the left resided a round tub that was decorated with lit candles around the surface. A black comforter chair was situated some feet from the tub. The girl couldn't help but wonder why anyone would make such a setup.
On the opposite side of the room was a compartment of weapons that was illuminated by sonar lights. It was about 10 feet long and 5 feet wide. The center path seemed so dark compared to what was set up to the sides of it. Kida looked down to see that they were walking along a slender black carpet that seemed to go on and on. She turned back to look at the doors they went through, noticing that they were now closed. "Don't be afraid." Washington's words echoed.
After walking several few more feet, a huge bed came into view ahead. There was a figure's silhouette sitting upon it with their back facing Kida and Washington's direction. As they approached, the dark figure became more visible, more recognizable as the room remained darkened. There were silver columns set up at the edge of each corner of the bed and etched in each was that symbol. Washington stopped them within several feet of the bed and bowed at the waist. "My Lady."
"Courtney, you're late." The woman sounded a little irritated, "And who is that with you?"
He lifted himself, "Forgive me ma'am but I was procuring a gift for you." He turned to the girl beside him, "This is Kida Rile…your daughter."
The woman quickly turned around a bit stunned, "My…?"
Kida took a step back and locked gazes with the woman who lifted one of her palms causing a yellow light to release from it. Suddenly, at the top of each column, a flame was emitted which illuminated the area immensely. Her appearance became clear to Kida who stared at the woman in awe. Dark brown hair that was long and wavy, dropping all the way down to her waist. Skin like that of the caramel candies she enjoyed that was covered by a black silk robe. But the thing that Kida was drawn to the most were her eyes…bright hazel in color with shades of green that shined like emeralds hidden in the sand. "Kida." the woman stood.
"I-It's like looking into a mirror of my…future."
The woman grinned slyly, "It's no wonder since I gave birth to you. I am Sephora…your REAL mother."
{ }
Sedal and Nightwing hurried down the hall noticing all the symbols and markings. They could see right into the ocean from where they were. "Who could afford all this?" Nightwing asked.
"Someone who has too much time on their hands and can't help but meddle in other people's lives." Sedal's tone was a very irritated one. Nightwing raised a brow as they continued on until something caught his eye. He shifted his gaze and noticed a marking upon Sedal's neck that matched the symbol that they'd been coming across. What did it mean and why did is seem so familiar? "There!" Sedal pointed ahead.
His sudden outburst startled Nightwing who held his chest over his heart, "Don't do that."
Sedal raised a brow at him, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing but, what's up with the gigantic doors?"
Sedal faced the double doors, "Kida's through there."
"How do you know?"
"Just trust me." He would if he didn't feel like the older man was hiding something. They approached the doors and Sedal pushed the red button to open them. He hurried through when the opening was big enough for him to fit, Nightwing behind him trying to calm him down. Sedal hurried down the black carpet path pass the tub and weaponry. Figures could be seen in the distance and Sedal quickened his pace with Nightwing trying to match it. Someone had begun to walk in their direction and the worried father became furious; it was Washington.
"Don't you come any further." Washington held out a gun towards them.
Not being phased by the firearm, Sedal ran and punched Washington in the middle of his face causing him to drop along with his weapon. Sedal continued on, passing him as the acting officer held his face wincing in pain. Nightwing walked by and gave him a satisfying kick to the ribs. "Serves you right."
Sedal came to the huge bed and saw the woman sitting upon it with Kida. In her hands was a book she held as the woman brushed her hair. He stopped right at the edge of the bed, but the woman didn't look up. "Sephora."
Nightwing stopped right behind him, "Kida?"
A grin passed over Sephora's face as she continued brushing the girl's hair, "So, you return to me after all."
"I didn't come for you. I came for Kida."
"Is that so? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but it looks like you made the trip for nothing, Sedal."
Nightwing turned to him, "I'm guessing you know her?"
"Kida, it's time to go home." Sedal ignored him.
"She doesn't want to go home with her deceiving father. Kida wants to stay right her with her MOTHER."
"Mother?" Nightwing raised a brow confused.
"No. I won't allow it." Sedal gritted his teeth.
Sephora smirked, "It's not up to you now is it."
"Kida?!" Sedal called out to the girl.
She finally looked up from her book towards him, "Father? W-Why…did you lie to me?"
"Lie to you? I would never-"
"Oh cut the crap Sedal." Sephora stood.
The man felt himself growing more agitated, "You stop telling my daughter lies."
"You mean OUR daughter." she smirked.
"Can someone explain to me what's going on, because I'm kind of lost. Isn't Kathryn Kida's mother's name?" Nightwing folded his arms across his chest.
Sephora laughed, "Kathryn? So that's her name. She was a great help to me."
"What are you talking about?" Sedal raised a brow.
"How do you think Courtney found Kida in the first place?" Sephora crossed her arms beneath her chest.
Sedal cursed beneath his breath, "More lies."
"It seems to me that she just couldn't take it anymore. She was weak Sedal…just like I said every woman after me would be, WEAK."
"I don't care. I'm taking Kida home."
"You never loved me did you, Sedal…" Nightwing's eyes shifted back and forth between the two who happened to be having an unwanted reunion.
"This isn't about our past Sephora."
"But it's true…isn't it?"
Sedal sighed and shifted his gaze elsewhere, "No…that's not true."
"Liar!" Sephora conjured a golden aura around his being. Kida became fearful as her mother's eyes begun to glow a goldish tint. The woman lifted her father into the air with her power.
"Wait! Sephora?!" Nightwing called out.
"Stay out of this boy!" she grunted.
"Wow she's worse than Raven ever was." he mumbled.
Sephora threw Sedal across the room and started to levitate within the air to Kida's surprise, "Y-Your powers…they're just like mine."
"You didn't inherit it from dear old dad." Sephora grinned until something suddenly lodged itself into the pit of her stomach. The impact caused her to fly in the opposite direction.
Sedal was on his feet and cracked his neck, "I never did like your temper."
Nightwing headed towards Kida but something grabbed him from behind, "Where do you think you're going?" Washington.
Sephora slowly got to her feet and looked at Sedal, "Bastard."
"Don't do this Sephora."
Ignoring his words, she flew at him and let her fist land on his left jaw. Washington was doing a number on Nightwing's back and the surrounding chaos made Kida fearful and uneasy. "Kida?! Help your mother! It's in your blood!" Sephora called out.
"Get out of here Kida!" Sedal demanded.
Nightwing threw Washington off of him and headed in the direction of the bed once again. Kida was too scared to move, her gaze lowered as tears begun to stream down her face. "Kida?" Nightwing approached but she didn't answer. He called out to her again, this time lifting her head, though her eyes were glowing a dim gold. The vigilante immediately became worried as she begun to unwillingly levitate. "Sedal?!"
The girl's father stopped what he was doing as Sephora threw him another punch but halted at Nightwing's call. Washington lifted his head from his position and all eyes were on Kida. "What's going on? What's wrong?" Sedal took a step forward.
"Azrath…" Kida's voice echoed.
Sephora's eyes widened, "No…Kida no…"
Sedal turned to her, "What's happening Sephora?"
"That word…" Nightwing thought aloud.
"My Lady?" Washington turned to her.
"…metrion…" the girl continued on.
"She can't…not in here…she can't!" Sephora's body trembled before she broke out into a run with Sedal pursuing her.
He grabbed her by her wrist, "Tell me what's happening to her Sephora?!"
"Sedal let go! She must be stopped!"
"A friend of mine chanted the same exact words." Nightwing approached them.
"Impossible! No one…no one knows those words." Sephora lowered her gaze.
"Raven did."
The woman lifted her gaze to him, "Raven? A-Arella's daughter?"
"Enough! What's happening?!" Sedal grew impatient.
"She can't finish the chant. Her power is unstable and …if she does this facility-"
"…zenthos."
Sephora stopped immediately as her eyes widened, "We're too late."
Kida's body became engulfed in the golden aura as power emerge from her and engulfed the entire room. The surge went throughout the entire facility and covered it in golden light. The force field cracked and soon collapsed. The blast lasted several moments before things fell immediately silent. All the ocean's water started to flood the facility and Kida descended from her levitation, hitting the bed beneath her unconscious.
{ }
The dark figure's eyes opened as tears ran down its cheeks, "That day…that horrible day…I lost everything." its voice echoed throughout the dark room. They laid upon a bed looking up at the ceiling where three pictures were engraved in. A noise came from down the hall as a gold light started to blink on and off throughout the area of darkness. Golden eyes shined every time the light appeared; it was almost time.