Martha nodded, "That's true...You have no idea how many times I am seen as available on many gossip rags and magazines next to the newspapers, even after I show those men that I'm never intending to date again and wearing my ring to stay honorable to Thomas, never going for another man...My family never lets me be truly lonely as I'm happy to watch my children grow up and have good close friends.", with a huff as she sipped again.
Talisha blinks, "Damn...You're really in love with Thomas...What about the 'Until death do you part' thing? I mean, you're technically not married anymore...", and Martha replied, "That's for people who wants to be free or divorced from unlikable marriages...But for me and Thomas, we have true love, and honestly, I'd prefer true love beyond the afterlife with Thomas, with him welcoming our family with an open mind happily.", as she felt more buzzed, thinking about Kel as Thomas loved her and she loved him as well as Martha does, feeling a bit heavy like her body is going numb, yet she ignored it, sipping again.
Kel's mental voice replied, "Aww, thank you, Martha! I love you too! Huh, maybe you better slow down on the wine, my little beautiful alpha...It's getting fuzzy around here...Wait, I can't move...MARTHA! Martha! Martha...Mar...", falling sort of unconscious yet awake and paralyzed, barely recognizing that this is like Iron Man 1 when Tony got paralyzed by Stane, having had a movie night a few months ago.
Martha shook her head as she suddenly felt a bit worried as Talisha chuckled. "Everything alright, Martha? You're not having too much, are you?", she asked as Martha gave a quick smile.
"No, of course, I can handle a bit more...", Martha said as Talisha took a deep breath, "Martha... I... there's something I need to tell you, something you need to know.". Talisha moved herself to get a bit closer to Martha.
"What is it?", Martha asked as Talisha was close to Martha, "I... um, you were deeply in love with Thomas... but I have to ask... how... how do you feel about women? Has there ever been one in your life that you thought... maybe... just maybe they could be like all the same feelings as Thomas was?".
Martha gave a small smile as she blushed, as Talisha gasped playfully, "You do! Ooh, do tell...is she awfully pretty?", and Martha replied, "Well..."...
"It's okay, I'm curious, maybe a bit jealous as I'm far younger than you, but dang, you're lucky...so?", Talisha smiled wryly, and Martha replied, "There is one...Kelly, but she prefers to be Kel as a nickname. We love each other as much as we loved Thomas...She was my best friend while I was recovering from my illness, but she was unable to have children to full term for some reason even if she had the parts, so there was a new venture of artificial insemination...She was there together with us when we conceived Poppy...She was there for me when I gave birth to our daughter, even though we were sad that Thomas wasn't there...", mixing the truth with some technical lies as she sipped just a tiny bit, worried about Kel as she went easy like Kel wanted her to...
It was strange, really... Over the past ten years and so, she never really had Kel out cold from any alcohol, as she usually went sober within a half hour after drinking, through then again, she drank water next to the alcohol to dilute it for the sake of her children while they were younger and all...
"Really?", Talisha said. "She almost sounds like a wife in some ways with how close it seems with how you're saying things...", looking curiously intrigued. "Closer than you could possibly imagine...", Martha chuckled.
Talisha watched Martha sip a bit more and can see the signs of coming paralysis in her fingers and her body, next to looking buzzed.
She smirked, "She must be a really good looker, eh?". Martha blushes harder, "That's the understatement... She's a goddess in body, perfectly gorgeous.".
Talisha chuckled, "Even if this Kel is a giant, say, a She-Hulk?", and Martha widened her eyes in fear and shock, instinctively moving to knock Talisha out or something but to her horror, she couldn't move! Just like Kel! She mentally calls for her, trying to change, but nothing!
"So that should be our little concoction starting to truly work on you... obviously was first suppressing your more savage side...", Talisha smiled as she leaned forward to run a finger along Martha's cheek. "Oh, Martha... what a gift that you have and yet you waste it... using it to try to save a corruption that has long since been beyond saving...".
Martha blinked and tried to speak, "H-how? W-wh-wh?", and Talisha replied, "Oh, how and when did we find out? Well, I'll tell you, but first, I must truly introduce myself. You see, I am not who you knew me as...I am Talia Ra' al Ghul.".
Martha tried to lash out again as Talia chuckled, "I know that name probably doesn't mean much to you... but trust me... that name strikes fear into the hearts of many who dare cross my father...".
Martha blinked and tried to convey with her eyes as her strength from either side is gone, saying 'Get to the point.', fighting the part of Talia's concoction from getting her unconscious.
"My father, Ra's al Ghul, leads the League of Assassins; an ancient society that seeks to eliminate the corruption of humanity and being about perfect union with mankind and the planet. We have been there in the shadows for all of history, slowly molding and shaping things to our vision.", Talia explained as Martha conveyed disbelief and suspicion.
"And I can see what you're probably would be saying. That we haven't been doing much of a job or that corruption is so ingrained into society... A necessary choice. Let society get sucked into their vices and sins before the League would come to open their eyes... and our best weapon to achieve those goals... is you.", Talia whispered into Martha's ear. "Or at least your Kel...".
Martha widened her eyes and blinked, as Talia hummed, "Yes, you heard me. Now, you have forgotten to add another fact...that Kel acted as an enraged wife and such when she reacted to Thomas' death...Protecting you and Poppy herself as you are part of her and vice versa and protecting Bruce as well...But in the end, two lives were lost, one innocent, and one corrupted...We were really in awe of Kel's strength when we exhumed Joe Chill...No wonder why you couldn't control her savage ego then, and suddenly, she became good, and you wasted time in manipulating that savageness into a monster, a weapon...Oh, yes, she would have been incredible against an army, to break chaos into wars for our enemies...but no, you tamed her, you weakened her...".
Martha narrowed her eyes, conveying disgust and shock and anger in defense at Talia for insulting Kel, barely managing to mouth, "Kel not a weapon, not monster.", and Talia chuckled, "Spoken like a wife...I now see what my father means...You are a weakness to Kel, the She-Hulk...I wonder if you would give her to us, say...in return for your children's lives, and perhaps as an extra incentive, say, Thomas' life?".
Confused, horrified, and shocked, Martha mouthed, "No!", as she failed to see Talia's fingers pressing on a nerve of her body, rendering her unconscious, with the last thing she saw and heard from Talia, "Do not fret, but we must cut this short. You shall all be reunited, and I will explain more on the plane for the how and when part...And oh, I am not lying either about Thomas, think on that, wouldn't you?", before darkness overcame her, paralyzed and stunned.
"You alright?", Alfred asked Waylon as the plane touched down; the two of them quickly gathering the few things they brought as the situation was going to be just a quick rush to the grave to find out what had happened and then to return to Gotham.
"Not really... my mind's been racing with thoughts of what might have happened and how... it makes me sick to my stomach...", Waylon sighed with a grimace.
Alfred rubbed his son's shoulder, "I know...I feel the same way...I just hope Caroline and Jane's tree only have fallen over by a storm, through Caroline told me that the tree had stood many years...Perhaps this storm was the last straw that broke the camel's back, or rather, now, broke the tree's back, unintentionally falling over their resting places.", as they left the plane by the ramp stairs, and headed to the rental car reception desk to grab keys and all.
"Are we sure?", Waylon asked as they finally spoke again after a few minutes when they started driving. "Looks like the area hasn't had much of a storm for some days at least...". He bit his lip as his heart was sinking with every mile as they continued to look around.
"Should've checked to see what the weather had been...", Alfred said as he took a deep breath. "We'll find out soon enough...".
Waylon exhaled, "The grave has been dug deep enough from any predators or such. God, I hope it was only some of my bullies that put the gravestones and the shack with graffiti...They shouldn't be that sick to uncover my mother and baby sister...".
"Waylon, breathe... let's not try to dwell on the ideas until we get there, okay?", Alfred told him. He was guilty of doing much of the same, but he had to take a deep breath and relax himself. The truth would be revealed soon, they just had to wait a few more minutes before Alfred pulled it onto the road leading to the shack and then another minute before they drove up to see it... and even from where they were driving, they could see that the grave had been exhumed.
Alfred whispered in horror, "No...", as in numb instinct, he turned off the car and got out, with Waylon not far behind him, running to see that the gravestones was untouched, yet as they stopped just before the grave, the coffin was gone, and so is Caroline and Jane's bodies.
"Someone... someone took them...", Waylon muttered. "Just like Thomas...", Alfred whispered as Waylon felt sick to his stomach and on the verge of vomiting.
"Why... why would anyone... why them?", Waylon choked out. Sure, Thomas made a bit more sense in taking; the lure of being buried with valuables; but Caroline and Jane? They had really nothing that anyone could want.
Alfred wrapped Waylon's frame in his arms as he sobbed and shivered, as Alfred cried, whispering, "I don't know, son...", as they barely managed to keep standing from total collapse.
They were like that for a few minutes before Waylon took deep breaths, and he then pulled back from Alfred, "I have to check...", before changing into his Croc form, and went on all fours, sniffing and kneeling, as Alfred followed by his side, supporting him, "You got this, Waylon...Find our family.", habitually praying and kissing his engagement ring on his hand.
"I've got something!", Waylon shouted as he started to quickly follow the trail with Alfred close behind. "Same ones! I don't believe it! It's the same scent as the ones that took Thomas!". Alfred's blood ran cold by hearing that. There was no doubt now... this was clearly a conspiracy and there were no coincidences. Someone knew... but how... and for what purpose taking the bodies?
Alfred replied, "What about the vehicle?", as he watched his son following the trail to the road, and Waylon gave a growl as he sniffed past their rental car, "Damn it...They got smoke on the vehicle like before, the scents are fresh, but I have a feeling that it would be muffled by the traffic smells in the town...".
"They didn't take the car up to the grave then...They walked like before...", Alfred frowned. Waylon looked down the road, and sighed as he changed back to human, "And covered their tracks in the dirt, walking as one individual...yet this...".
Alfred sighed, "And we don't know if they traveled like this the entire night...but...we still got only one airport...We need to find out fast and good.", and Waylon widened his eyes, "Oh, that's right, yes, I mean, Gotham got two airports, but one airport alone in Eustice! Let's go!".
The two of them rushed back to the car as they got ready to race back to the airport; hopefully, they might be lucky enough to catch the thieves if going out on plane was their exit strategy. Alfred was trying hard to keep it fast but within legal limits before they rolled back up onto the airport before they had to stop as another car swerved right in front of them and caused them to maneuver themselves before stopping.
It was almost as quick as a flash when the other car had its passengers come out and quickly surround their vehicle.
Waylon saw the passengers having knives and swords, and he narrowed his eyes as he growled protectively, determined to use his strength and claws to get those punks, those people who stole his mama and baby sister's bodies, breaking his and Alfred's hearts with the horrific crime when he heard Alfred's voice, "Waylon Jones, stand down...", with fear.
Confused, Waylon turned around, and to his horror, with the door wrenched open, one of the men had put a gun right near Alfred's head, next to his sword in his other hand, replying, "You heard the old man. Unless you want your father to be alive, next to that pretty girl...what was her name, oh, yeah, Poppy, you better stand down.".
Waylon almost wanted to roar with rage and rip the man's head off... but odds were that Alfred would take the bullet before then. So, as much as he didn't want to... he stood down before the other men started to tightly grab and hold them down.
"Are the pilots ready for the trip?", one of the men asked. "Yep...", the head of the men then looked to Alfred, "Didn't bother checking your pilots, did you? If you paid attention, you would've noticed that they weren't your hired ones but rather our men...".
Alfred exhaled as he had trusted Martha in her call to arrange the private plane and all, and it was true that in all his worry and anxiety to find out who violated his beloved fiancée and daughter's resting place, he was insistent on making the trip an emergency rush with local limits of the weather within dawn and such, and after leaving the plane, he was just focused on getting himself and Waylon to the rental car lot.
Clearly, these men were thinking of everything as Alfred sighed before the group leader motioned for them to be taken back to the plane. "If I may at least ask... where are we going?", Alfred asked.
"Quite a long trip, but don't worry, the time will pass...", the man chuckled as they were pushed up the stairs. "You'll see your family there when we arrive...".
"Including my mama and baby sister's bodies?", Waylon gave a little growl, and the group leader replied, "Yep, through the boss will explain more...Took them on an earlier plane so you wouldn't get ideas to overthrow the plane and all to take them back.", with a smirk.
Waylon growled again as Alfred put a hand on his shoulder. "Not now... they have the upper hand... you'll get your chance, I'm sure.", he whispered as Waylon sighed. He certainly hoped so.
It was a couple of hours later when Martha felt consciousness return to her as she slowly opened her eyes; and could instantly tell from her surroundings that she was on a plane. She groaned as she moved a bit before she felt a hand on her.
"Mom, Mom, you alright?", Martha instantly recognized Bruce's voice. Martha's heart leaped as she looked over to see her son and daughter, "Bruce, Poppy! Oh, God, what...", barely sensing that Kel is weak in the mind, conscious, but Martha knew she wouldn't change into She-Hulk anytime soon.
Bruce and Poppy have been cuffed around the legs, but their hands are free, as they could hold on to their seats during turbulence and touch each other and their mother. Poppy replied, "We're going somewhere really far, Mom...We got tranquilized on the way to Bruce's car after gymnastics practice...We didn't get any call from Alfred or Waylon...I think...they got kidnapped too, maybe on a different plane out of Louisiana...Those guys wouldn't say awfully much...", gesturing to a group of men that numbered at least 10, and as Martha looked around, she exhaled sharply as she saw Talia casually manicuring her nails in one of the chairs.
Martha's eyes sharpened on her as she scoffed. "So... all those nice meetings... just a mask to get to me, huh?", Martha said as Talia chuckled, "Don't feel too bad, Martha. I did enjoy them; perhaps I should've just come forward with things in the start... I did argue with my father that it might have worked to our advantage to slowly open your eyes to our side of thinking... but he insisted we didn't have as much time to waste so... here we are.".