Disclaimer: Unfortunately - these absolutely breath-taking women/characters are not mine. L
Some dialogue is taken verbatim from different episodes. No copyright infringement intended. Used to help tell the story. All lyrics and soundbytes used do not belong to me.
This story takes place after the Birds of Prey Series Finale.
Both women arrived at the Clock Tower within minutes of each other. Dinah sat in front of the main Delphi console.
"What do we have?" Barbara asked as the elevator doors just started to open. Dinah answered without looking up, "An assassination attempt on the police commissioner. He announced his candidacy for Mayor this evening, and as he was leaving the auditorium, someone tried to kill him. Luckily he was wearing a Kevlar vest." Barbara stopped and paled considerably.
"Do they have anything yet?" Helena asked, ash she laid a hand on Barbara's shoulder.
"No, they don't. They have issued a media blackout, once they announced that the attempt was unsuccessful." Dinah turned a concerned look toward Barbara.
The man in question was James Gordon's protégé and a close family friend of the Gordon's, Matt Martin. Barbara had known him since she was a young girl. He was a good man and would benefit New Gotham greatly with his vision for a stronger, smarter police force; one that would be able to actually stand a chance against the criminal element in the city. Helena and Dinah were unaware of the family connection that Barbara had with Commissioner Martin.
"I'm going to head over there and see what I can dig up. Maybe there is something on the rooftops they've missed." Huntress informed those in the room. With a soft swish of her coat, she was out on the balcony and gone from sight.
Barbara was dazed. Matt Martin, Uncle Matt as she used to call him; is a big barrel-chested man with a heart of gold and a mischievous twinkle in his crystal blue eyes for his little Barbie Doll, as he insisted on calling her. He was the first person to show her what a motorcycle could really do. He used to sit her in front of him on his big Harley and open the throttle up full when they would hit the countryside on rides.
'Someone tried to kill Uncle Matt.' Just thinking that made Barbara's heart skip a beat. 'First Carolyn, then Wade - now Uncle Matt. Who have I pissed off to have all this happen in such a short amount of time?'
Mentally shaking herself, Barbara slipped into her Oracle persona. "Ok, what do we know so far? Have there been reports of how they tried to assassinate Commissioner Martin? What was their modis operandi?" Barbara pulled up next to Dinah in front of the main Delphi console.
"Models operandie - what?" Dinah looked totally confused.
"Here, let me in there to take a look at things.." Barbara smiled. "Modis Operandi means a method of procedure.. or a distinct pattern or method of operation Dinah." She off handedly explained while nimble fingers danced across the keyboard.
"Oh, I don't think we have covered that in any classes yet." Dinah answered as she pushed a bit of hair behind her ear.
"Oracle, Do you copy?" Came over the system speaker from Huntress.
"Yeah, I'm here." Barbara responded.
"Just spoke with Reese. The FBI has taken over the investigation and is keeping closed mouth about it. They have totally shut NGPD out. Evidently they rushed Martin out of here, presumably to a safe house."
"Right, I'm on it. I'll find where they've taken him." Oracle replied.
Huntress softly asked, "Oracle, have you thought about calling you father? He might have some insight…"
"No." was the very firm response given by Oracle.
"Why not? He may be able to give us some information regarding this, don't ya think? Since he used to be Police commissioner and all. And why would the FBI just take over like that?"
The red head tried to put Helena off with, "I can't - not until I have more information. He'll be in touch with his contacts."
"Barbara, why don't you.."
"Huntress, this isn't the time or place for this conversation!" Barbara snapped.
"Well, ok then." Huntress said backing off. "A little touchy are we?" she added under her breath.
Ignoring the comment, "Have you had a good look around at the different rooftops? Find anything?" asked Oracle changing the subject.
"I have two more buildings to look at. Is there anything yet on how the attempt was made? That would help narrow down my search area."
"Nothing yet. I am going to have to hack into the FBI computers.. They may not have anything yet either, so do what you can."
"Right. Huntress out."
Dinah looked at Oracle. She had never seen the red head that tense.. Well, not in a while. One thing was for sure, Oracle had never snapped at Huntress like that over comms, since she had been around. There was one incident that came to mind as being a close example though.
Dinah had just gotten home from school and found Barbara down in the lower area of the Clock Tower, working in the electronics area. The first school dance of the year was coming and Dinah had tried and successfully gotten the attention of this really cute guy. Her method of getting his attention now had her feeling like scum.
"Barbara!"
"Dinah!" Barbara replied a little surprised, covering up what she had been working on. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, Fine.."
"You sure? You, ah, look a little different." Barbara noticed the sexy outfit that Dinah was wearing, that probably belonged to Helena. Dinah looked down at her outfit and ran her hand through her hair.
"Something happen in school?" Barbara finished.
"Well, actually yeah. Um, I pretty much think I'm a danger to myself and others." Dinah said haltingly as she headed down the spiral staircase.
"Do you care to be a little more specific?" Barbara asked, while she tracked Dinah's progress down.
Sighing, Dinah started, "Ah, Ok, There's this guy, Matt Kendal?? Smart, cute, funny…. And I read his mind. A few dozen times. Anyways, all this is for him." She motioned to the outfit.
"Dinah…" Barbara started, disappointment just oozing from the one utterance.
"I know! I think the superhero thing kinda skipped a generation or something because reading a guy's mind to get him to like you, is the lowest form of metahuman existence."
Obviously unhappy, Barbara stated, "You used your powers on a civilian. A cute civilian, but still.."
"I just wanted to get to know him. And it worked the first time… but then I just kept doing it."
"And now you think maybe it's gone a little to far. "
"Exactly."
As she looked away from Dinah, Barbara started moving around the tall blond, unable to meet her eyes, she said, "Cant' help you with that. Sorry."
Dinah watched Barbara leave the area, unbelieving at the uncaring and cold attitude that the red head had displayed.
'Kinda like she's doing right now. Back then it was because of Lady Shiva.. I wonder what's up now?'
"Ah, Barba… um Oracle, is there anything you want me to do? Maybe go out and help Huntress?" Dinah asked.
"Hang on - I think I'm almost into the FBI computer." There were a couple moments of furious typing. "I'm in.. Now to find where the information may be."
It took a few minutes for Oracle to locate the information she was looking for. "Huntress, do you copy?"
"I've got you. What did you find?"
"Looks like they found a dart, probably from a tranquilizer gun. It was filled with a very lethal, very exotic poison. Thank God Martin had on a Kevlar vest. The dart didn't penetrate. He would have been dead in seconds."
"Dart guns don't leave any shell casings. And I'm not seeing anything so far that would help. Is there anything on the trajectory of the dart?"
"Not yet. But the reports aren't all filed yet. Come on back if you want and we'll have to wait for those to trickle in."
"Ok, I'm going to look around one more time, and I'll head back. Huntress out."
"Dinah, go over to the other console and start running a search on all previous incidents of assassination's involving exotic poisons." Barbara instructed without even looking up from her monitor.
Dinah's search yielded a string of assassinations over a period of fifteen to twenty years, the last 10 years being void of anything remotely related. All of the reports previous of the last 10 years had one name in common. Cheshire.
Cheshire was a highly successful international mercenary and assassin, who had become a name to be reckoned with when she organized a nuclear strike on the capital city of middle-eastern country Qurac. The Black Canary had fought and captured her before she retired, and as far as anyone was aware, Cheshire was still in prison serving time. Or until now it seemed.
Dinah had fallen asleep at the computer console around 5 a.m. Helena had carried her up to bed. When she came back down, she noticed that Barbara had her glasses off and was pinching the bridge of her nose in what Helena had come to see as a trademark sign of a frustrated and over tired Oracle.
She glided across the floor toward Oracle; Helena sat down next to the woman's keyboard. "I know you're tired and frustrated, but - you wanna tell me what the hell that was jumping all over my shit earlier?"
Barbara, taken aback at the onslaught from Huntress, quickly replayed what had transpired once reaching the Tower. She couldn't remember jumping Helena's shit. "Helena, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you're talking about."
"Earlier, on comms? I suggested you contact your Dad about the attempt on Martin's life? You don't remember that? Barbara, you feeling ok? You always remember everything!"
"Helena, I'm fine, I mean outside of being tired and on edge.. I'm fine." Barbara backed the chair up and turned to leave.
"Barbara, you are not fine. You're doing it again!" Helena jumped off the counter and stepped in front of the red head, effectively halting her departure.
"Doing what again?" Barbara frowned and looked up to meet Helena's eyes.
"Bottling up what you're feeling, what you're going through. Just like you did when Sandy.. Lady Shiva came back. You wouldn't let me help you then. Let me now! You don't have to go through whatever you are going through alone!" Helena knelt down in front of Barbara and placed her hands over Barbara's on the arms of her chair. "Barbara, please. We've been through too much for you to do this alone. Let me in."
Barbara looked into eyes so blue that she could almost drown herself in them. She saw the pleading there, the concern, and there was something else that she didn't have any words for. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and acknowledged to herself it would be nice to have someone help shoulder the load that she felt she was carrying.
Barbara opened her eyes and made eye contact with Helena, "Commissioner Martin isn't just another person in the position my father held. He was Dad's protégé and has been like an uncle to me since I was small. It just feels… like too much. First Carolyn came back, to have her snatched away from me - us again by Hawke." A single tear rolled down Barbara's face. "Then the incident with Harley Quinn and Wade was killed. Now Uncle Matt. Helena, I just don't know…." She closed her eyes again, as she tried to regain control of her spiraling emotions. When she opened them, she was in control again. "I'm sorry. I think I just need some more sleep. Things won't feel this bad tomorrow. And maybe the FBI will have more information to look at."
Helena dropped her head to Barbara's knee. 'So close.. she was so close to letting me in!' The brunette stood up with a sigh. "I'm sorry Barbara, about Martin.. I didn't know you were so close to him. Why don't you call it a night.. or maybe I should say day?" She stepped behind the red head, starting to rub her shoulders, "Man, you have steel rods back here instead of muscles."
Barbara moaned, and leaned back into the massage, "I'll give you a hundred years or so to stop that."
"It's been an incredibly long couple days Barbara. Why don't you go on in and get in bed and I will come and give you a good backrub before you fall asleep."
"I want to go through a little more of this information on Cheshire."
"No. I'm putting my foot down on this one. Either you head up to your room now, or I carry you and leave your chair here, with strict instructions to Alfred and Blondie to not help you until you have a full 8 to 10 hours sleep. Got it?" Helena moved around in front of Barbara and got right in her face, trying to be intimidating.
Barbara opened her mouth to respond. Closed it. Opened it again. Closed it, this time drawing her eyebrows together.
"That's a very good imitation of a guppy Red, but you will not win this one!"
At that, Barbara's eyebrows shot up to her hair line, she blinked quickly a couple times, and uttered "Red?"
"Yeah. Now, under your own steam? Or mine." Helena takes a step back and adopted a 'look I'm totally relaxed' pose and a cocky tilt to her head that just screamed, 'I dare you to defy me!'
"Ok, ok.. You win. Just this once!!" Barbara acquiesced, turning her chair around and headed for the elevator.
Helena didn't move from her spot until she saw the red head exit the elevator and enter her room. "I'll be there in a second." She called out after Barbara.
Helena knocked lightly before entering into Barbara's room, a bottle of massage oil in her hand that she had retrieved from the training room. Barbara was already lying on her stomach, being a cooperative victim of the Huntress school of massage.
Kneeling next to Barbara on the bed, Helena rubbed the oil in her hands to warm it a bit, and then slowly started working it into Barbara's neck and shoulders. As the muscles loosened and became pliable, she deepened and elongated her strokes to incorporate the upper trapezious.
Barbara almost instantly fell into a deep; dream filled sleep while Helena worked on her.
Barbara left the training room, having just completed a thorough work out. Draping a towel around her neck, dabbing at the sweat on her brow..
"I wonder if I have time for a sauna.." She said aloud to herself.
"Still the same old Barbara, talking to yourself I see.." an amused chuckle came from the shadows.
Barbara turned quickly to pin point the direction of the voice, peering through the shadow to make out its owner.
"Didn't know you were back. Did things go ok? Didn't run into any trouble, did you?" Barbara tried to ask nonchalantly.
"No - things went very smoothly. Look, Red - Barbara, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about the mission. It was something I had been working on for some time. If I could have told you or taken you with, you know I would have." The apology came out somewhat somberly, in a quiet tone. "I promise, if you let me, I'll make it up to you tonight?"
Barbara could hear the smile she knew would be on her lover's face coming through the voice, but never one to give up easily, she sauntered over to the computer console, turned around, and leaned against it, crossing her arms across her chest. "I don't know. You weren't honest with me, and you know that was one of the ground rules that we set when we decided to go ahead and get involved." Barbara's voice was low and sultry. The kind of voice one would imagine coming from a more mature woman and not someone barely 20 years old. "And you were gone longer than anyone thought you would be. How do you know someone hasn't swept me off my feet?"
Moving out from the shadow, her lover approached her, holding out a sterling rose. They slipped their arms around the slender woman's waist, pulling Barbara away from the console and into their body. Soft breath played along Barbara's sweat dampened neck, causing the red head's breath to be drawn in sharply, if somewhat involuntarily.
"Because - if someone else had swept you off your feet, you wouldn't be standing here, allowing me to hold you like this, now would you?" a soft whisper played across Barbara's ear and cheek. Soft lips were laid claim to and Barbara let a soft moan escape.
"I think someone missed me." was uttered between teasing kisses, as Barbara's lover let her know just how much they had hated being away from the sultry red head.
"I think that you are correct in that assumption." Barbara agreed, stopping the light teasing kisses by reaching up and capturing her lovers face in her hands and deepening the kiss to one of want and yearning.
Barbara pulled back from the kiss and in a voice dripping with desire she said , "Let's just get out of here and into my apartment for a proper home coming." The welcoming smile at that suggestion made her weak in the knees.
Taking her lovers hand, Barbara turned and pulled them along behind her. Rhapsody on the Theme of Paganini started playing, echoing throughout the Cave. Her lover stopped Barbara's forward progression with a slight pull, and brought the red head back into their arms, and slowly started swaying to the music before sweeping Barbara off her feet in a dance.
Barbara allowed her body to meld to her lover's, her breath catching in her throat as they dip and twirl around the open space, that morphed from the Bat Cave to the Clock Tower training room.
As the music slowed and faded out, Barbara picked her head up from her lovers shoulder and captured their lips in a demanding kiss. She allowed the tip of her tongue to trace the outline of her lover's upper lip, asking entrance. With a soft growl, her lover surrendered to Barbara's questing tongue. Soon, each dueling for dominance, both out of breath, Barbara is laid down on a mat, and looked up into indigo eyes, that flash and change into glowing orbs, boring through to her soul. "I love you Barbara, am in love with you, and have waited far to long for this moment!" Helena rumbled into Barbara's ear.
"Helena!" Barbara jumps and is up on her elbows. Heart racing and having a hard time breathing, she realized that Helena was no longer giving her a back rub and let out a sigh of relief. "God, where the hell did that come from?"
"Barbara, did I hear you call me?" Helena asked as she emerged from the bathroom, drying her hands with a towel. "I thought I left you sound asleep."
'I.. I was.. had a, ah… dream.. a really vivid dream… startled me I guess." Barbara said sounding very confused.
Looking concerned, Helena crossed to the bed, sat on the edge, and asked, "Are you ok? Do you need to talk about it?" She reached out and rubbed her hand over Barbara's back lightly.
While leaning on her elbows, Barbara put her face into her hands, and mumbled, "No, I'm okay. I guess things are just catching up to me; you can go on home if you want. I'll be okay." Barbara positioned her body so that she could sit up.
Blushing suddenly and becoming very aware of Barbara's naked torso, Helena got up and headed back into the bathroom quickly. "Um, ok, ah, let me just put this towel away - you need anything? The phone to call the school maybe? Oh wait, the phone is right there…um….Maybe you need me to get your night shirt? Or something?"
Now its Barbara's turn to blush. Recognizing that Helena is babbling - which usually means only one thing, Helena is embarrassed. She reached into the drawer at the bottom of the nightstand and grabbed a t-shirt putting it on quickly. "No, I, ah, I've got one." She said turning herself over so she could pull the covers up. "I really appreciate the massage! It was great! I mean, obviously since I fell asleep so fast."
Helena peeked out of the bathroom and exited, heading for the door to make a get away. "Glad I could help Barbara. I am going to head home now and catch some sleep myself. Sure you don't need anything before I'm out of here?"
"No, no.. I'm.. I'm good." Bobbing her head, Barbara replied.
"Good… good.. Ok, then - um.. Catch you later!" Helena points at Barbara and grabs the doorknob to shut the door, peeks back quickly, "Sweet dreams!"
As she shuts the door, Helena slaps her hand to her head and leans against the door, totally mortified at what had just transpired. Little did she know, Barbara was duplicating her actions in her room, with the addition of pulling the covers up over her head!
'I think a cold show may be in order when I get back to my apartment.' Helena thought to herself as she reclined against the back wall of the elevator as the doors closed.
Barbara on the other hand was wondering how Helena had made it into her dream. Reaching down beside her bed, she pulled out a small silver flask that she kept there for medicinal purposed. Unscrewing the cap, she took a healthy swig from the container. That dream had totally woken her up, so she decided to look at what her emotions were doing. Had it only been a couple days since this all started? Yes, it was just the other night that Helena slept here, and that is when all of the emotions started to surface. She had woken up with Helena wrapped around her, then the flirting she initiated with Helena. Then there was the picnic. That opened up a whole new level of whatever she was feeling.
There was the whole thing about having to talk to Helena, to clear things up - was that just last night? Last night… oh my God! That woman at the Dark Horse who was hitting on my Helena.
Barbara started to take another swig when the flask stopped half way to her lips, "My Helena? MY HELENA? When did she become my Helena? What the hell am I doing? What the hell am I thinking? That's it - I'm not thinking! I don't own Helena!" The flask finished the interrupted path and Barbara downed half the contents.
Barbara took a calming breath. Ok, more of a breath to cool the fire burning where the alcohol had left a trial to her stomach. "I need to pull myself together. This all seems so familiar. I know I've gone through this before. Think Gordon." Falling back on her old habit of talking things through out loud, Barbara takes a second. Using the rewind button in her memory, she flashes back through years of memory, pressed stop as she gets to the picnic she had shared with Selena and Helena all those years ago.
"Oh God, this is how it all started back then. But instead of being the older - and supposed wise one, I had been the reckless young impetuous love struck girl."
Going deeper into her memory, it was like Barbara was there, reliving everything.
Batgirl jumped, knowing it would be a stretch to hit the roof across the way, but she wasn't one to welsh on a wager. It hadn't been stated how she was to reach the roof, just that she had to. She grabbed a line from her utility belt and threw it toward a fire escape. The hook caught and she was able to use that to give her flight a little more momentum to reach her target. She let out a triumphant whoop when she landed and turned around to peer at the figure on the roof she just left. "Hah! I did it. You owe me now!" She told her partner as they started their trip across the open expanse. They landed and grabbed Barbara around the waist, picking her up off her feet swinging her around. The sweep was over and they were taking their time getting back home. Barbara felt her cowl being removed and lips were claimed in celebration.
"What exactly was that wager again?" Was the muffled question from Barbara's neck.
"That the winner gets to soak in a hot bath and be served whatever they want by the loser." She smiled. "And I - being younger and more agile- won!"
She looked into the warm brown eyes of the blond beauty. Black Canary snorted and laughed out loud. "Yeah you may be younger Red, but you aren't exactly more agile. Your just more reckless!" She handed Barbara her cowl back. "Now the wager is… whoever gets back to the apartment first, not only gets the bath, but also gets a back rub!" As she takes off across the rooftops laughing.
"Hey - that's not fair. I already won!" Barbara shouts back, taking off after the Black Canary.
Arriving at the apartment, Black Canary entered, a bit wary. Batgirl was known to spring an attack on someone entering her abode at times. And she was bound to be there.. 'I don't know if I could have found a longer route home had I tried!' Finding no spring-loaded traps had been set for her, Carolyn removed her gloves after dropping a package on the couch and leaned against the door for a second. 'I almost feel too old for this sometimes. But she is so cute and she just can't pass up a challenge.'
The sound of water coming from the bathroom interrupted Carolyn's thoughts. She pushed herself away from the door and made her way to the large bathroom. Leaning in the door way was a half dressed Barbara Gordon, trying her damnedest not to gloat. "Letting me win will only get you in trouble in the long run Lance!"
"But it gives you time to strip down to this sexy little black bra and I just love what the black leather pants do to your legs!" Carolyn drawled as she swept her eyes up and down the other woman's body suggestively, she stepped in and picked Barbara up off her feet. Barbara wrapped her legs around Carolyn's hips and bent down to claim waiting lips. Carolyn, pulling back her head to break the kiss swung Barbara around and headed back to the living room. She walked up the couch and bent down to pick up the package she had dropped on the way in. "It also allows me the time to pick up something that you can't seem to get enough of…"
"What - you had to stop and pick yourself up?" Barbara said between playful nips on the blonde's neck.
"No… the other thing you can't get enough of…" As Carolyn held an ice cold bottle of champagne against the red heads bare back.
Suddenly, Canary's arms are full of squirming, squealing red head doing everything she can to get away from the cold bottle.
Finally managing to win her freedom, Barbara looked up from her crouched position in front of Carolyn and her green eyes turn a darker shade, "Oh - you are so going to pay for that.." She growled.
Undoing her tunic, Carolyn drawled out, "I can't wait Red. In fact, I dare you!" She turned around, swinging the champagne and walked into the bathroom.
Later that day, Barbara awakened slowly, and rolled over to look for the warm body that should be laying next to her. Finding a cold bed, Barbara leant up on an elbow and saw a rose on the pillow next to her. She inhaled the delicate fragrance of the Sterling Rose. It had become their flower. The first time Carolyn had given her the lavender colored rose, Barbara had been shocked at the color, never having seen one before. She noticed that there was something just under the flower… a CD; written on it was simply "play me."
In many ways that seemed like only yesterday that all occurred. Carolyn had disappeared shortly after that. It wasn't until after Dinah had joined them that Barbara had found out that she was even alive. God the gymnastics her heart had done when Carolyn sauntered into the Clock Tower that day. She looked incredible. In that black leather jacket, white shirt and tight jeans. And she was still wearing the jade pendant that Barbara had bought her all those years ago in Little China Town.
It had been difficult that day, not letting on what her feeling were. Just how torn up she was inside. Dinah was Carolyn's daughter. She hadn't even known she had a daughter. They had stayed up until dawn talking. Carolyn had answered all of Barbara's questions patiently. Had apologized over and over, until both were emotionally spent and exhausted. But it had allowed Barbara's heart to heal. She no longer felt that there was a piece of herself missing.
And that brought Barbara to the tangle she had gotten herself into now. All the feelings that were now racing around in Barbara were exactly how she felt when she and Carolyn had first started to recognize the mutual attraction. This time it was Helena. Helena!?!?! Letting her head drop back against the pillow, Barbara threw her arm across her eyes and mumbled, "Man, am I in trouble!"
After grabbing a bottle of Grey Goose from the bar's freezer, Helena flopped down onto her couch with a glass and poured a double shot for herself. It helped to ground her just a little. Enough to experience the full impact of feeling that she had acted like a complete pre-pubescent teenager, like it was the first time to ever see another person naked. And Barbara wasn't even fully naked, just didn't have a shirt on… and oh my GOD she's easy on the eyes! Even now, Helena's hands broke out in a sweat at the thought of climbing in behind Barbara, reaching around her, and trailing her hands up her stomach to take each her breasts and … "ARGH! I have got to stop this before I kill myself!" She yelled out loud.
'Cold shower. Yeah.. I need a cold shower. NOW!' Huntress got up and undressed as she made her way to the shower, not caring where the cloths landed. She just needed to get a grip on her over heated body before she spontaneously combusted!
The rest of the week went quickly due to how busy things were in the Clock Tower. Barbara kept researching what she could find on Cheshire. She wanted to know what poisons she may be up against for Helena and Dinah.
Barbara and Helena were a little brittle around each other; each giving the other woman a little more personal space than before. But it wasn't anything that was really noticeable. They both danced around what had happened and neither one wanted to make the first move. And of course, each didn't know just how the other felt, so the fear of rejection was tantamount in each.
Barbara found where the FBI was keeping Matt. She called her Father and let him know.. She also picked his brain about Cheshire. Did he know how Black Canary was able to catch Cheshire? Turned out Cheshire was a woman and all records showed that she was still in prison. So, they were back to square one as to who were they really up against. It was obviously a copycat who knew how Cheshire operated. Knew what poisons she liked to use. Helena and Dinah would just have to be extra careful when on sweeps.
Friday night came; Helena had to work before heading out for her round of sweeps on the city. Leonard had wrangled her into doing an unscheduled shift for all the times he gave her the night off with a moments notice. She was sharing behind the bar duties with Jade. They had seen each other in passing but this was the first time they had had worked together since their first meeting. The flirting had continued with each meeting. Up till tonight.
Jade took every opportunity to flirt and touch Helena as they walked back and forth past each other, making drinks and fetching beers for their customers. At first Helena thought it was fun, but then as the night wore on, and she started thinking about Dinah out on the early evening sweep alone, and Barbara.. She still couldn't even think her name without getting a hormonal rush to the nether regions. With Barbara on her mind, so to speak, Jade just became annoying with the sexual innuendos.
A lull came right before Jade's shift was to end. Helena needed a case of beer and a couple bottles of liquor. As she past Jade to exit from behind the bar, she told her that she was heading to the storeroom to grab what she needed.
She grabbed a bottle each of vodka; gin and rum, set them on top of the case of beer, as she bent over to pick it all up, someone grabbed her ass! She dropped everything, glass shattering, and the mixed smell of the booze making a horrible stench. Huntress whipped around, ready to pummel whoever was stupid enough to grab her ass and came face to face with Jade.
"What do you think your doing?" Helena laid into Jade, turning her head just enough so the woman couldn't see her eyes for a moment until they went back to normal.
"Hey - I just came in to say I'm out of here… and just couldn't resist. Sorry.. I uh, I'll stay and clean this up. It was my fault." Jade said, looking a little puzzled. "Helena - have I done something to offend you?? I mean, I thought we had sparks from the first meeting on up till this evening. But now.. You are kind of - standoffish."
"I don't know what to say Jade. I have just been myself around you. But - that doesn't mean its open season on grabbing my ass when my back is turned." Helena said roughly as she grabbed the bottles she needed for the bar. "Look I'm sorry if my actions came across as a promise for something more. It wasn't. I'm.. I'm kinda involved with someone right now." She turned around and looked at Jade.
"Oh, I see. That red head in the wheel chair?"
"Uh, yeah… kinda." Helena looked away, a little uncomfortable. "Thanks for cleaning this up.. I appreciate it."
"Hey- no problem. Promise to keep my hands to myself next time." Jade winked.
Helena head out to the bar and put the bottles in their assigned places and packed the beer into the cooler. Leonard came in a little while later, earlier than expected. Before Helena had a chance to bring him up on what had happened, Oracle called over the comm set.
"Huntress do you copy?"
"Yeah Leonard, crowd has been great tonight." Helena stated, knowing Oracle will understand she couldn't really talk right now.
"Listen, Dinah needs your help. I think Cheshire, or whoever this person is has decided to show. She's fast and has chased Dinah to a warehouse just a block from you. Can you get there?"
"Hey Leonard. I really need to split now. Gotta friend who needed my help tonight with something. K? Yeah.. Later!" Helena is into the storeroom on her way to her apartment. She didn't even notice that the storeroom was clean and no sign of Jade.
Within minutes, Huntress was standing on the roof of the warehouse; looking down through a skylight, attempting to locate Canary. (Dinah had taken the second part of her mothers code name, until the full extent of her metapowers where known.)
Finally, Huntress saw Canary's blonde head, and not to far behind her is someone with raven black hair, stealthily moving toward the junior crime fighter. Without hesitation, Huntress jumped through the skylight and landed between the two.
"Canary - you ok?" she asked without turning around. Huntress was sizing up her opponent. She was a little shorter than Huntress, dressed in a skintight suit of green material with thigh high Dark green boots and a mask. "What is with you people and masks?" She asked the woman across from her.
"So the little one is Canary. And who are you my lovely?" The woman's dulcet tones caressed the Huntress' ears. Although it sounded like she was wearing an electronic device to hide her true vocal tone.
"You know, since I came late to the party and missed initial introductions, why don't you tell me who you are first?
"You can call me - Cheshire." She said with a smile that reminded Huntress of the cat who ate the canary.
"Well Cheshire. I'm the Huntress… and you just became my prey." Huntress launched herself at the woman in green.
"Huntress, Canary is hurt. Can you hold Cheshire off long enough for her to clear the building?"
"Yeah, no problem." Huntress purrs over the comm.
After several attempts to kick some Cheshire ass, a frustrated Huntress growled in rage. She hadn't been able to land one hit on the woman. Every time she thought she had her, the woman would move in such a way that shouldn't have been physically possible.
"What's wrong little Huntress? Can't catch me?" Cheshire taunted as she once again danced just outside the Huntress' reach.
"Don't worry - I will. May just take longer than I like." Huntress had been noticing a pattern as Cheshire retreated. Two steps left, one right, three straight back. If she was correct in her analysis, Cheshire's next step should take her…. And she launched her body up and over to the left just as Cheshire moved as predicted, and the Huntress' legs flew over her head, she just reached out and boxed the Cheshire's ears. Barely landing she let go a kick that caught Cheshire square in the back - tossing her forward.
Cheshire rolled with the kick and was on her feet as Huntress finished her spin from the kick. Having been shaken deeply due to the fact that this Huntress had actually gotten two connecting hits in, Cheshire reverted to dirty fighting. She grabbed an aerosol can from her belt and sprayed it into the Huntress' face.
Then she turned and disappeared.
"Oracle, she sprayed something into my face.. Urgh… can't breath… stings.. can't…" Huntress slips limply to the floor and lay unmoving.
"Huntress do you copy? Huntress! HUNTRESS!!" Oracle yelled into the comm. "Canary, Huntress is down. Where are you??" A touch of panic started to creep into the Oracles voice. "Canary! Please respond!"
There was only static. First Huntress now Canary. Damn - what was she to do? Without hesitation, Oracle wheeled around and headed to the garage.
"Alfred! We've got a situation. I need your help!" The elevator stopped at the penthouse and the proper British butler entered the cubicle carrying a large red duffle bag of a first aid kit.
"Oracle, I believe I am ready."
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