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Disclaimer: See the first page, Chapter 1.
"Canary? You there?" Oracle said, more than a little annoyed.
"Oracle?" Having ducked into the woman's bathroom at the club, Dinah's voice could barely be heard over the booming bass in the background.
"Canary, I have been calling you for a couple hours. You aren't at a movie, are you?"
"We - um - we decided to go dancing instead of a movie?" Not sure how Barbara would take the news of the changed plan, Dinah was cringing a little.
"So, you're at The Tunnel. Good, Huntress has been shot and not far from there. You meet up with her and watch her back till you are both back at the Tower."
"Damn! Oracle - I'm not exactly at the Tunnel. Is Helena ok?" Dinah asked, concern written all over her face, yet the rest of her body taking on a protective stature.
"Where exactly are you?" Barbara asked curtly.
After a moment of indecision, Dinah reluctantly answered, "Chaos?" She found that she kept turning in circles while talking. She was upset that Huntress was hurt. She was disappointed in herself, not being where she said she would be and felt she had let Huntress and Oracle down somehow.
"I see." Dinah winced at the anger in Barbara's voice. "We will talk about this when you get back here. I expect to see you in 45 minutes. That should give you time to say good night to Katie and get here. Oracle out." And with that, the comm link went silent. Dinah knew that Oracle had shut down from her end.
Dinah went back to the table the girls were sitting at.
Gabby, noting the tension around Dinah's mouth and that she was a little pale, piped up, "Hey Dinah, what's up? Did you get a hold of Miss Gordon?"
"Yeah, and I need to leave. She wants me back there in 45 minutes. If I leave now I can just make it."
Gina spoke up before her girlfriend could make a smart-ass comment, "She doesn't know you're here, does she?" Dinah nodded in the affirmative. "And I think I'm in trouble." Dinah added. "So, Katie…" Dinah started with a wavering smile, "It's been a lot of fun! Thanks for getting us in here. I'll call you tomorrow -"
"Wait Dinah. I'm not going to let you get into trouble when coming here was my idea. I'll make sure you get home okay and come in with you to talk to Barbara. I'm sure once she knows the entire story, she won't be mad."
Dinah was about to object, when she remembered the conversation she had with Barbara and that Barbara wanted to bring Katie into the Tower for testing. This could be a good way to get her in the door. After all, Katie hadn't freaked out about Dinah having the telepathic abilities. Granted, she didn't know about the telekinesis - but Dinah was sure Katie would be cool with that as well.
"I wouldn't want to put you out or anything, but I would really appreciate it Katie." Dinah said.
Standing from the table, Katie asked the blonde to hold on for just a minute, she needed to go and say good night to someone. Gabby and Gina spoke with their heads together while Katie was gone. After a brief conference, Gabby looked up at Dinah.
"Hey D? Is everything ok? You look a little pale. Are you going to be in a lot of trouble?" Gabby asked her friend.
"I'm ok, really. Just a little trouble at home. Helena got hurt while out on sweeps - I mean she got hurt while out - um - dancing, at the Dark Horse. She got hurt in her side and…"
"And you're worried. She going to be okay?" Gina asked concerned.
"Yeah. I'm sure she'll be fine." Dinah said with a faint smile. Gabby got and came around the table to hug her friend.
They sat without saying much after that, until Gabby just kind of blurted out, "If it's okay with you and Katie, Gina and I would like to stay and dance for a bit. Do you think Katie would have a problem with that?"
Dinah opened her mouth to answer when Katie walked up behind her placing her hand on the small of Dinah's back. The blonde's eyes opened very wide and she froze. "Would I have a problem with what?" Katie asked.
"Would it be okay if Gina and I stayed and danced for awhile?" Gabby asked Katie directly.
"I don't see why not, as long as you don't try to get any alcohol. I will tell my Uncle to keep an eye out for you and, if anyone bothers you, just tell the big guy behind the bar that you need to talk to Nico."
"Who's Nico?" Gina asked
"Nico is my Uncle. It shouldn't be a problem. He runs a clean club and the cop's leave him alone. Just don't try and drink since you're underage or it's my hide!" Katie said, with a wink at Gabby and Gina. "Come on Dinah, I called a cab while I was in the office." After saying their good nights, Katie kept her hand on Dinah's back as they left the club. Dinah couldn't understand why she was reacting. Barbara would walk along with her with her hand in the same place that Katie's was; yet she didn't feel like this. She had a overly warm sensation that spread out from Katie's hand all through her body.
The ride to the Clock Tower was one of quiet contemplation; Katie and Dinah sat close enough to each other in the back of the taxi that their thighs touched. They were comfortable just being. They pulled up in front of the Clock Tower and paid the cab fare. As they entered the foyer of the building, Dinah stopped and looked at Katie. "I'm going to need a minute to talk to Barbara and explain why you came home with me, so when we get up to the apartment, would you mind just waiting for a minute?"
"No, it's okay. Not a problem." Katie replied with a small smile.
Dinah punched the button for the elevator that would take them to the empty penthouse. "Excuse the mess, we are having some major renovations done." Dinah waved her hand in the direction of the paint cans and furniture that had been delivered that afternoon, still wrapped in plastic, sitting in no particular order. Dinah turned toward a different elevator that went up to the Clock Tower and opened the doors, entering quickly. Smiling at Katie nervously, she shrugged slightly as the doors closed. As the elevator doors opened facing the Delphi platform, Dinah heard Barbara's voice before she caught sight of the red head.
Down in the Penthouse, Katie took a moment to do a slow circle, looking around from where she was. Her Mom would love a place like this, but even as successful as she was, her mom wouldn't be able to afford a place this big. 'Damn! And Dinah called it an apartment?'
Having watched both young women enter the building, Oracle knew Katie was with Dinah. "Don't think for one minute that bringing Katie home with you is going to get you out of trouble Dinah." Barbara said as the doors opened.
Dinah walked far enough into the Tower to see that Oracle had a suture tray across her lap and was just taking off the rubber gloves. "How's Helena?"
"She'll be fine. Luckily the bullet went clear through without damaging any organs. She'll be out in a minute. About you going to a night club Dinah…" "Barbara, I know we probably shouldn't have, but the owner is Katie's uncle and we didn't drink anything outside of a soda. I swear. And you said you wanted to get Katie up here for tests and stuff like that and she was going to come over on Sunday anyway so why not just get it done a little earlier?"
Dinah stopped her babbling abruptly as Barbara held up her hand as if saying 'Stop!' "Where is Katie now? In the penthouse, or in the lobby of the building?"
"The penthouse?"
"Okay, lets go down and see what we can do. I have already had some of the equipment moved down there into a room we weren't going to remodel. Now we just need to explain the how's and why's of everything." Barbara stopped by a keyboard and keyed a few commands into the Delphi, lowering the ambient lighting around the platform to a very low level; she then started toward the elevator.
Barbara and Dinah exited the elevator together, Dinah with her best game face on, Barbara trying not to show just how irritated she was as the moment, with Dinah first being at an over 21 club, and secondly bringing Katie home unplanned.
Katie stepped forward as soon as the doors started to open. When she saw Barbara was with Dinah, she started in with an apology, "Barbara, I'm so sorry I didn't clear going to Chaos with you first - it was my idea, please don't be too hard on Dinah - Dinah, Gabby and Gina all said they wanted to go to the Tunnel - but I…"
"Katie, please. Hold on a minute. Let's not worry about what happened this evening and whether or not Dinah is grounded for the next few years or so. Let's go upstairs, have a cup of tea and talk a little. Dinah has told me a couple of things about you… about your gift. I am interested in hearing more of from you."
Katie gave Dinah a look of total confusion then nodded slightly in the affirmative. All three women entered the elevator together with Barbara pushing the top of two buttons and keying a pass code into a keypad.
The elevator doors opened out onto a small space that was overlooking a dark, lower level. There was a soft hum emanating from the computers that could be seen faintly from the glow of the different led's and monitors. Taking a left exiting the elevator, Barbara crossed over to the sink and filled the tea kettle with water, then, backing up, placed it upon a stove top to heat.
"So, Katie, Dinah has told me that you have the talent to tell what someone is feeling, an empathy if you will for what they are feeling. How long have you had this ability?" Barbara asked, getting right to the point, as she took 4 cups from the dish rack, placing tea bags in each.
Katie looked quickly to Dinah who ducked her head a little, "You didn't say to not tell anyone, and Barbara has an interest in that sort of thing." She said by way of explaining quietly.
"No, it's okay Dinah. It isn't a secret. Just never thought anyone would be really interested in it - I mean, when I told my Mom she just thought I was looking to get attention." The teakettle started to whistle. Barbara poured the boiling water into the cups and motioned for the younger two to grab a cup while she went to the refrigerator to get makings for a sandwich.
As if on cue, Helena entered by way of a different elevator. Katie jumped just a little; as from her perspective, Helena seemed to suddenly appear. "God, I'm starving! Is there anything to eat?" Helena gingerly slumped into the nearest chair, which was right next to where Barbara was making a sandwich. She started to reach over to grab a piece of the meat from the plate. Barbara made to slap her hand; instead she slid the plate with the triple-decker in front of the hungry brunette. With a growl, Helena picked up the sandwich and started to inhale it.
Barbara poured a big glass of milk and placed it next to the cup of tea. Katie leaned over toward Dinah and whispered, "Did she just growl like a cougar?"
Dinah, pushed a stray strand of hair back off her face, and nodded yes. Helena looked up with her mouth full, realizing that Katie was there. She placed the sandwich on the plate and waved, looking a little embarrassed at what had just happened. "Sorry about that, it's just that I'm starving…"
"It's okay Helena. Katie, one of the reason's I asked Dinah to bring you over is to find out about your empathic ability." Helena resumed eating her sandwich but at a slower pace. "I have this suspicion that your empathic abilities may be a little more than what they seem on the surface." She picked up the milk carton and refilled the already empty glass for Helena.
"What do you mean, Barbara? I don't follow you." Katie replied, looking very confused.
"Katie, there are people in the world; a lot of people - with abilities beyond what we think of as human, Metahuman. And no two metahuman's have the same gifts. Don't ask me where the powers come from - no one knows. It does seem to run in a genetic pattern. If you have at least one Metahuman parent, there is a 50% chance that the off-spring will be Metahuman. Although, that is just a theory of mine, it hasn't been founded - yet."
Dinah smiled, looked at Barbara and said, "That sounds very familiar!"
Barbara continued, "There have been Meta's - Metahuman's, who had the power to freeze objects, or teleport from one location to the next. Some of the powers take on characteristics from the animal world. Abilities include speed, agility, being able to swim underwater with out the need of oxygen because the person has a set of gills as well as lungs, and the list goes on. I'd like do perform a few tests Katie, that will tell us whether or not you possess a metahuman ability in your empathic abilities." Barbara said, pushing her glasses back up from where they had slipped off the bridge of her nose. She looked at Katie who was looking a little pale. "Katie, you okay?"
"Ummm, yeah? I just don't do well with tests… needles bother me." Katie said, picking up her cup and sipping her tea.
Dinah smiled and lay a hand on Katie's arm, "There aren't any needles involved in these tests Katie. You just sit in a chair and Barbara will put this helmet thing over your head and the machine does all the work."
"Really Katie, it's a piece of cake." Helena chimed in, having finished her sandwich.
"It really is. I've had the same tests done. I'll be right there with you, I promise!" Dinah smiled shyly.
Katie still looked a little skeptical, "Okay, I guess, let's do this. Do we need to go to the hospital or something? When would you want to run these tests?"
"We won't have to go to a hospital. We have all the equipment we need here. We'll have to go down to the Penthouse though. Most of the equipment we will use in the initial phases of testing is down there." Barbara started to back from the table and placed her cup into the sink.
Helena was a little slow rising from the table. As she made to straighten all the way, a grunt of pain escaped her lips. Dinah stepped up and put an arm around the brunette, "Easy Helena. Sit back down. Are you ok?"
Helena gingerly sat back down looking very pale. Barbara came up on the side in which Helena was shot; she lifted the t-shirt gently to make sure the stitches hadn't ripped. "Helena, do you think you just stood up to fast?" Barbara asked, as she probed the area around the bandage gently.
"I don't know. It just hurt, a sharp stabbing pain when I stood. I didn't think I was moving all that fast." Helena said, her face very pale and drawn.
"I think you had better just go in and lay down. The testing on Katie won't take all that long and you need to rest." Barbara said, straightening up and looking at the wan face of the brunette. As Helena opened her mouth to protest, Barbara placed a gentle hand along the side of her face, "I will tell you everything we find out about her, I promise."
"Even all the techno-geek babble?" Helena asked with a small smile.
"Even all the techno-geek babble. If anything really exciting shows up I'll even come and get you myself and give you a lift." The red head finished up with a wink.
During the exchange, Katie had caught Dinah's attention and drawn her away from the couple. "Is Helena ok, Dinah?"
"Yeah, she uh, she just had a small accident this evening." Dinah stammered, not really sure just how much to talk about or how to explain the injury. After all, a gunshot wound wasn't exactly an every day occurrence in most people's lives.
"Dinah… I'm going to get her settled into bed and will be right down. Go ahead and take Katie down to the Penthouse. I'll follow along shortly," called Barbara softly.
As Dinah led Katie to the elevator, Katie asked, "So, you had the same tests run?"
"This machine will tell me if there is any biological evidence in the abilities you say you have. In other words - whether you're metahuman. In most people less than 5% of their neural cells are active, your cerebral cortex activity is 40%. That's pretty high." Barbara said, the glow of the monitor lighting her face in patches of green. "Dinah, go ahead and let her up."
Katie got up as the straps were released and the helmet was raised from in front of her face. "So, what exactly does all this mean? I don't understand." She looked at Dinah nervously who reached out and took Katie's hand.
"Well, as I was explaining upstairs, it seems you do possess metahuman abilities. Your empathic abilities have manifested themselves in a much higher than normal level. Possibly, I think, even to the point that they will somehow enhance another metahuman's ability. Dinah told me that you are aware of her telepathy. But you are not aware of to what degree. Her neural cell activity was well over 50% when I first tested her. Now she is testing at over 60%. In less than a year the activity has increased 10%. Unheard of in anyone, medically speaking."
Katie looked to Dinah, "I also have telekinetic abilities as well." Dinah said quietly.
Katie looked back to Barbara, "And are you metahuman too?"
Smiling a little, Barbara answered. "No, I'm not."
"She's just really smart. Helena is though." Dinah said, a little excited that Katie hadn't run out screaming that they were all crazy - yet.
"Really? What does she - I don't know… what does she do?" Katie asked, her head swimming a little at all the news.
"Helena has superior strength, speed, agility; enhanced sight…" Barbara
"She's kind of like a big cat." Quipped Dinah.
"Anyway, the important thing Katie, is know that you are not alone in this. It's true that the general public isn't in the know, but there are a lot of people who have enhanced abilities. You aren't the only one."
"I think I need to sit down." Katie said. Dinah grabbed the nearest chair and scooted it up behind Katie. Barbara, sensing that Katie needed a little time to absorb the information, turned back to the computer to look at the results.
"Katie, you want to go out into the front room? We can talk." Dinah said gently.
Katie nodded mutely in the affirmative. Dinah reached her hand out and helped the brunette to her feet. They headed out to the main room of the Penthouse. "Hey, want a tour of the place?" Dinah asked, trying to distract Katie a little.
"Sure." As Dinah chattered about the renovation plans and what was what, who would have what rooms; Katie thought about what Barbara had told her about the Metahuman thing. 'What is Mom going to say this time I wonder. She always just brushed this off as if it were nothing. But now I have proof. Scientific proof. I wonder if Mom or Dad had some Meta thing going on.'
"Hey Dinah. About being a Metahuman. Does it just happen? I mean, how do you become one?" Katie asked Dinah, interrupting her tour guide babble.
"Well, as Barbara said we really don't know how one becomes Metahuman." Dinah answered.
"What about you? Did you just wake up one day and have these extra powers?"
"Ummm, no. I always had them. They just got stronger as I got older. My Mom was Metahuman."
"Really? What was her thing, her, what? Power?"
"She um - Well you see… she - she had this sonic cry that was really powerful. She was also a martial arts master. She and Barbara used to be really good friends, before I was born." Dinah hoped that Katie didn't ask anymore, because she really wasn't sure if she should tell her about the crime fighting. That could push Katie over the edge for sure. Dinah unconsciously tucked a bit of hair back behind her ear. They meandered through a room or two in silence until they came to the library. Dinah opened the door that led to the balcony. Stepping into the brisk night air, Katie stopped Dinah's forward movement.
"I'm sorry if I brought up a difficult subject. I know you still miss your Mom a lot."
"It's ok. As Barbara always says, the hurt will be less with time." Dinah remembered countless nights talking with Barbara quietly after Al Hawk had killed Carolyn. Barbara and Helena had always been there for her. "I do miss her, but…"
Katie pulled Dinah into a hug as the blonde finished the sentence.
"But you still hurt! I wish there was something I could do to take that hurt away." Katie said as she pulled back, gently wiping the tear from Dinah's cheek with the pad of her thumb.
Dinah looked into Katie's eyes and saw that the older girl was crying softly herself. "Hey, I'll be ok. We will both be ok, right?" She brought her hand up and cupped Katie's cheek, then found herself leaning into the brunette, and placed a tentative kiss on the brunette's lips. The kiss lasted a moment, and then Katie pulled back and leaned her forehead against Dinah's.
"You think we should go in, I mean before we catch a cold?" Smiling softly, the confusion and pain of earlier pushed to the background momentarily, feeling she would not have to find her way alone though this Metahuman thing, Katie pulled Dinah along back into the library and closed the door. She pulled the blonde into another embrace, and whispered, "Dinah, I really like you! But, I want to take things a little slow, really get to know each other, you know?"
"I do. And I think I understand more than what your saying. That's cool. I'm not 18 - yet." Dinah winked shyly. "Come on, let's get back and get Barbara. It's getting late."
As the two walked into the lab, Barbara turned around just as Katie and Dinah both broke out into huge yawns. Barbara smiled and realized that she had gotten caught up into the data a little too much. "You two call it a night. I'm going to check a few more things and be up in a bit. Katie, I'm sure you have more questions or you will. Don't be shy about asking." Katie nodded and smiled. "Dinah, Katie can sleep in Helena's old room if she wants."
"Barbara, you promised Helena that you would be up after you finished with the tests." Dinah reminded her.
"I promised I would tell her everything. I didn't say anything about when I would tell her." Barbara pointed out, head already buried deep into a report being spit out of a printer.
"How about you tell me now, on our way back up to the Clock Tower, Red." Helena said suddenly from the entrance into the lab.
"Helena!" Barbara whirled around to face the swaying brunette. "You should be in bed resting!" She started forward, just as Dinah and Katie both grabbed for Helena as she started to make her way quickly to the floor. Dinah wrapped a light telekinetic web around Helena so as not to jar her injury too much.
Barbara rushed forward as Dinah carefully lowered Helena to the floor. "Barbara, it looks like the wound has opened up." Said Dinah, as she pointed to the blood seeping through the t-shirt Helena had on.
"Dinah, Katie, help me get Helena upstairs and into the infirmary. I need to see what is going on with that wound."
The two younger women help to place Helena across Barbara's knees as Helena lost consciousness. Once in the infirmary with the wound exposed, it was obvious that an infection was setting in and fast. Barbara gave Helena a hefty dose of antibiotics and cleaned the wound out thoroughly again.
She had just finished bringing the sheet up and over Helena when blue eyes fluttered open. "We've got to stop meeting like this Red." Helena said weakly.
"Well we would, if you would quit getting hurt Kit Kat!" Barbara answered, taking Helena's hand in her own and smiling softly.
"Sorry. People just seem to like to mess with me!" The brunette looked around the infirmary, "Where are the girls?"
"I sent them off to get some sleep. Katie is going to crash in your old room, I think anyway." Barbara backed up to the tray behind her to grab the thermometer to check Helena's temperature. Usually the wound would have been healed and looking like she had been shot several days ago by this point. There was something that was stopping the metahuman ability of healing from working on the wound.
"Well, your temperature is back down. Maybe your system is just run down or something. You've been working pretty hard on the penthouse renovation and with the nightly sweeps. I think the antibiotics are doing the trick." She checked the stitches and the wound was already looking less red, less than an hour after the injection.
"Come on, let's get you settled into bed - again - and get some rest." She helped Helena off the table and steadied her a little. "What were you doing down there anyway. I had left you asleep before heading down to do the tests." "I was hot - so I came to find you. To tell you the truth, that's about all I remember. Being really, really hot and knowing I needed to find you."
"I'm sorry Helena. I got tied up in …"
"In the results. Like that is something new." A huge yawn wracked Helena's frame.
Barbara took Helena's hand and pulled the brunette onto her lap, "Come on, let me give you a lift for once. We could both use some rest. Seems to be a few puzzles are building up around us and we will need to do some leg work tomorrow."
"What's with the 'we' will do leg work. You mean I will be doing the leg work." Helena said sleepily.
"Or Dinah, if you aren't any better. I could go out on the streets as well, just need to tweak the neuro.."
"Oh no, Barbara, you are not going to do that super Barbara thing again! Over my dead body!" Helena interrupted and would have jumped of the red heads lap had she not been held in place by two very strong arms.
"Helena, I will be just fine. Really." Barbara said in a very placating tone.
"Barbara, I said no and I mean no!"
When Barbara looked up into Helena's eyes, she knew that now was not the time to try and win the battle. She conceded, knowing in the back of her mind that the war wasn't over on the subject. "Ok, no transponder. I'll go out in the Hummer if I have to."
Helena kissed the red head softly, "You won't have to, because I will go out. I don't mind being your legs Red. I don't even mind being on your legs - for that matter, I love being between…OW!" Helena was pulled up short when Barbara slapped her on her outer hip.
"You can save that last comment for a time when you are feeling better and we are in our own room!" Barbara said, a slight flush in her cheeks.
"Promises! Promises!" was heard as the door to the elevator closed.