Martha snapped, "I'm not a killer, and Kel is not a killer! Joe Chill was both an accident yet intentional self-defense, and we would have done it a million times to save our children and Thomas!", trying to wake up Kel with her anger and all through Kel was too weak to acknowledge her, though she's having a bit of strength to see through the mind's window to the outside world.
"Yet you and Kel didn't react faster to save your husband, did you?", Talia replied, holding a hand up calmly as the men moved instinctively to hold up swords and guns at Martha's children, and Martha froze as they were trapped, and on a plane in the air, if something reached the cockpit...the plane would crash either way as her mind was quick to recognize.
Martha took a deep breath, untensing her shoulders and body, and replied quietly, "No...", as Talia did a gesture with her hand, and the men backed off, lowering their guns and swords away, seeing that Martha is now restraining her anger.
"The sheer power that she possesses, and you've corrupted her to be nothing more than a... goody two-shoes, the phrase goes?", Talia chuckled. "And a corruption you've spread to your son, I do admire the motif.".
Talia got up and walked up to him, "Dark, brooding, avenger of the night... you'd practically be perfect as a member of the League...". She ran a finger along his cheek, "Perhaps even a fitting lover...".
"With you? Never...", Bruce growled. "True... if things had gone different though... again, another missed opportunity but maybe not...", Talia smirked. "We certainly have ways of... making you look past some transgressions.".
Poppy replied, "Hey, get your hand off my brother! Bruce is not your boy toy, and besides, he would prefer true love than politics or a company merge, so back off, bitch!".
Talia blinked curiously as she glanced at Poppy, leaving Bruce, "My, my, such a protective streak in you...I've heard of your brilliance, and my spies tell me that you are wiser beyond your age, with the tendency of acting as an average child at times around other children your age, and then suddenly shocking people when they underestimate you...Then again, I shouldn't be surprised if you are an old soul trapped in a young body, especially when you got your fingers wrapped around the heart of that magnificent, fine young man, Waylon, wasn't it?".
Poppy suddenly lashed out, actually catching Talia off guard as she wrapped her hands right around the woman's neck for a moment before Talia then quickly disarmed her and freed her neck with a swift motion of her hands to break the grip. The other assassins were ready to move in before Talia raised her hand.
"No, no... don't harm her...", Talia took a deep breath. "A bit older with that body of yours and you might have actually caused me some trouble... you've inherited quite the fire inside of you...".
Poppy glared at her, "I'd rather hear those words from my family than you. You were behind Daddy's body robbery, and last night, Waylon's mama and baby sister's body robbery, weren't you?".
Talia quirked an eyebrow, "Brilliant mind, indeed...Oh, yes, dear Poppy, I and my men here had the job of taking your father's body, through there is another group who took Alfred's fiancée and daughter's bodies aka your dear boyfriend's mama and baby sister...under the charge of the left hand of my father which I am the right hand as well.".
Martha heard Kel getting more aware yet still weak, hearing her mental voice, "M-Martha? I think that bitch immobilized me...Keep her talking...", and Martha gave a mental nod as she asked, "Why did you take my husband, and my dear friend and her daughter's bodies? They didn't deserve to be taken for...".
Talia replied, "Oh, we are far better than those people who bastardize bodies and such...We may be assassins, but we respect death.", and Martha exhaled, "Then what? They are dead, and if they are still alive, they aren't good use to your League...Thomas is a doctor straightforward and a protector, yes, but he isn't a killer, and he never had much self-defense lessons, and Caroline, she is a homemaker mom, and she wouldn't spy or kill, not for the sake of her son and daughter, and plus, being pregnant if she wasn't sick too as well.", pointing out all the hard facts.
Talia smirked, "Oh, my dear, Martha... you really have no idea what the League is capable of. But you'll see soon enough... but I will tell you this... let's just say they serve as some added leverage over you.". She then headed towards the cockpit leaving the family alone though obviously, they had their guards around them.
"What did she mean by that? Using their bodies as leverage?", Bruce wondered. "What leverage could they have?", Poppy asked. "Do they simply plan on burning their bodies and dumping the ashes somewhere? I mean, yeah, it would be terrible to not have them where they once were but... I could easily handle that happening. Let them do it, wouldn't really change anything especially if they're forcing us to help them.".
Martha heard Kel's mental voice, "She's right...Even if it hurts not to have them home to pay respects to, and maintain their resting places, we still got memories and the videos, pictures, and their belongings...".
Martha exhaled deeply, knowing that Kel's right, and echoed Kel's words to her children, and Bruce replied, "Mom's right, and you're right, Poppy...Even if Dad and the others are upset with the crime, their ashes would still nourish the Earth, their home where they were born and raised in, even if the place of location is different wherever they're taking us...".
Poppy sighed, "And to think, it's a week until my 13th birthday and Halloween...I guess we are having bad karma because of me...If it wasn't for me getting swept away, getting kidnapped by the Mad Hatter, or getting Dad shot...all of this couldn't have happened...", with a sob, wishing that she was stronger or older to do something really big, to save her whole family.
"Poppy, please... don't feel like any of this is your fault or that you're to blame in any way...", Martha told her. It pained her to see and hear that Poppy holds so much blame. "If anything, I clearly should be the one to blame for getting you all involved in this...".
Bruce replied, "Mom, you wanted to help Gotham in your own way, and with Mama's help, it's just got more complicated yet simpler...We just didn't know that anyone was spying on us from this League...it would have been anytime they started to notice, maybe not from the beginning of it all, but maybe after your reputation got more infamous...I barely started just over a year ago...Yours lasted way longer...".
Martha heard Kel's mental voice comment, "He's got a point...All the same, we can't underestimate them or Talia...I hate to say this, since I am impatient often, but we need to be patient for a chance to destroy those guys, rescue Alfred and Waylon, and get our Thomas, and Caroline and Jane's bodies back, and go home somehow.".
Martha gave a soft sigh, and looked at her children, "I know you two are confused and impatient, but we need to be careful...and I can't be in the dark without knowing what they are doing with Thomas's body...You heard Talia...She will tell us eventually, even if it'd take some time to wait, but what choice do we have? I can't...we can't lose you two...And I have a feeling that Waylon and Alfred feel the same, especially Waylon...He can't lose Alfred or you, Poppy..".
Poppy gave a small nod before she looked out the window. "I think we're starting to head over the Pacific...", Poppy said. "We just landed a short time before for fuel, but it was clear we were heading west...".
"So, odds are perhaps Asia then?", Bruce asked. "Our final destination that is... somewhere in the Far East...".
Martha exhaled, "The pit stop must have been in California or Washington...Probably the same thing for Waylon and Alfred's plane...Why don't you two try to sleep for a while, since this is going to take a long time? I will keep awake, alright?".
Hearing the order in their mother's voice, they nodded, knowing that they would be jostled and prodded to walk to wherever they are going after landing, they need to be fresh, even after jet lag and all, and went to sleep in a light doze.
Martha mentally talked with Kel to pass the time, trying to help figure out to get rid of the strange immobilization and all, yet Kel remained weak, through able to walk slowly around in the mind, barely noticing that Talia has returned, nonchalantly reading through an iPad like what Martha had at home, through it's still new, with the men trading shifts of watching the family every few hours.
Perhaps a few hours in, Poppy woke up, and winced uncomfortably, and Martha asked concernedly, "What's wrong, sweetheart?", and Poppy replied quietly, "I really need to go...", doing the tight bladder jolt with her leg, while Bruce woke up next to her.
Martha looked at Talia, "My daughter needs the bathroom badly. May she use it, please?", even with a subtle anger at the fact that it's stressing them out, being surrounded by assassins and all.
Talia replied, "Well, as you asked politely, she can use it, but dear Poppy, do not take too long or you risk your mother and brother's lives, understand?", and Poppy nodded, "Yes...".
Talia gave a hand gesture with a nod to one of the assassins, and he got up to walk over to Poppy, unlocking the leg cuffs, and while stern yet not too gentle, he pulled Poppy up, and Poppy kept up with him, walking to the bathroom, and guarded the door as Poppy was prodded in.
A few minutes later, a shout was heard, "Mommy!", sounding scared and embarrassed. Martha and Bruce jolted in concern and confusion as Poppy never had used that term in years since that day she was rescued by Waylon.
Talia narrowed her eyes, "She better not have any ideas!", getting up, shoving the iPad into her bag and walked over to the bathroom, "You better not be pretending to be sick or puking up on the floor! If you are, you are to clean it up!".
"I am not! Please, I want Mommy! It's...It's my first time!", Poppy sobbed, and Talia seemed to be confused for a moment before her face cleared, and she sighed, looking at the assassin, "Get Martha out of her leg cuffs and get her over here, I will guard now.".
"Right...", the man grumbled as he went to free Martha. "No tricks.", he warned her. She gave a small nod as she was freed and then escorted to where Talia and the bathroom was.
"Don't try anything, Martha, we're over the Pacific right now... and I doubt that your alter-ego would be able to save your children and yourself freefalling from such a height.", Talia said.
"I think Kel could but... you make your point.", Martha sighed. "And don't try anything yourself with Poppy. If I found out she's faking...", Talia sharply said.
"We know. We're smart enough to play along with things... like we have much of a choice.", Martha replied. Talia nodded, and then signaled the assassin to leave them, and Martha opened the door, walking in and closing the door behind her, seeing the bathroom that's both a shower and a toilet, along with the necessary sink and couple of small cabinets.
She saw her daughter's shadow through the curtain, sitting on the toilet as she got closer, "Sweetheart? It's Mommy.", and Poppy gave a hiccup, "This is supposed to be a funny, good situation back at home, one of those silly memories! Not this, in a plane, in the middle of the ocean!", with a sob.
Martha was confused for a second before widening her eyes as she realized what she meant by her first time, and replied, "Oh, sweetheart, I know...It's not fair...You deserve to have ice cream and all...Let me look through the cabinets...Do you want a pill too?".
Poppy replied, "No...I need to be alert, even if it will hurt...Just give me a pad or tampon...Oh, gods, I know I got the puberty talk at school, and read the books at home...Don't get me wrong, I'm relieved I am finally having it, even if I look like 14, but I thought I was a late bloomer...".
Martha looked through the cabinets as she reassured her daughter, "Don't worry, Poppy, it's going to be alright...At least you know you are becoming into a real woman...I..I have heard quite some homeless women who never had it, or by any rare miracle, have it in their late 20s/early 30s..", as part of her wondered if Waylon will notice sooner or later.
"I think you must have been mistaken with those homeless ones... that doesn't sound possible.", Poppy shook her head. "Eh, couldn't really argue with you on that one though... and yeah, I'll be alright, just... worst possible time.".
"I know. Let's just get you comfortable and get through this situation as painless as possible. I suppose the only slight upside is that at least our captor's a woman too and knows the feeling. How unlucky this would be if they were all men, and we were the only two women?", Martha commented.
Poppy's voice gave a groan, "That would be extremely embarrassing for me...", as Martha then gave a triumphant laugh as she found what she was looking for, "Found them!", pulling them out of the cabinets, and also some wipes, passing them under the curtain, seeing her daughter's shadow pick them up, "Thanks, Mom...".
Martha replied, "You're welcome, Poppy.", turning around to give her daughter some sense of privacy as she went to clean up. A few minutes later, Poppy came out, to wash her hands and all, with the backup pads/tampons in her pockets and such.
Martha asked gently, "Feeling better?", looking at Poppy, and she nodded, "Yeah...Talia better not order me lose those in front of those men or Bruce...I need to feel prepared, not humiliated...God, do...do you think Waylon would notice that something's off?".
"Maybe. I get the feeling he probably already knows the whole thing; if not that you're going through it now too.", Martha said.
"Yeah, bet Alfred kinda drilled it into his head...", Poppy gave a light chuckle, but the situation really didn't give her much to smile and laugh about.
Martha sighed softly, kissing her daughter's temple warmly, "I can't promise, but I have belief that everything is going to be alright, sweetheart.", and Poppy gave her a small smile, "I know...", before taking a deep breath, and gestured to the bathroom door, knowing they have to go back into the boiling hot pot, but at least they had a break from it temporarily.
And so, Martha guided her, telling Talia immediately in a hushed whisper, and Talia nodded, saying that there are only a few other women in the League besides her, but she will let them know on the iPad, to add to the female prisoner's bathroom to fill with necessities for Poppy at the base, and with hand signals to two assassins to escort Martha and Poppy back to their seats, to cuff them again, and Bruce knew not to ask questions as Poppy looks like she had enough embarrassment for the day.
The rest of the trip went uneventful with the family taking turns to doze and all, and perhaps after another three hours, the plane landed, and Talia replied, "Since all of you, more or less, behaved, you got the reward of wearing those fur coats and boots as you don't have thermal outfits like us. But if you react rashly or the others react rashly when you have your reunion on the march to the base, we will punish you by taking off the fur coats as a start, is that understood?", as some of the men held coats and boots.
The family nodded as they slowly started to get out and instantly be pelted by the cold. "Where are we?", Martha asked. "Bhutan...", Talia said. "Not anywhere normal people would go through... as if we would make it easy for us to find...".
Kel's mental voice gave a low growl, "She's right...Even with the fur coat and boots on you, I can practically feel the freezing cold already! We must be under a lightweight snowstorm or something to cover tracks...".
Martha replied, "I get your point...", and Talia nodded, "Good...And oh, before you ask, we were extremely careful with your husband's coffin and your friend & baby's coffin by using another way.".
Kel mentally commented, "Neither snowmobile or an arctic-use helicopter, I have to guess...Yet no evidence of those I can see around this small airport...They are really through in covering their tracks and scents.", as Martha nodded, "You weren't lying about respecting the dead...".