helena bertinelli > huntress (ex_ladyofthe205) wrote in gothamknights, @ 2008-09-01 16:44:00 |
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Batman. He waited for her under the cover of night. He knew where she was -- at the school where she worked -- and that she worked late. That was one of those nights. The sun had already gone down by the time Helena Bertinelli left her classroom and Batman was waiting for her, perched outside the entrance of her home. It was not far from the school and by all outward appearances, looked like any other house on this block. Luckily, he was a patient man and he had Oracle on call with her location -- tracking her by a cell phone in her purse. He was updated on her location when necessary.
Helena. It was one of those nights, where staying back late to finish off the accumulated paperwork escalated into staying later than normal and by the time Helena had looked out the window the sun was setting and she still hadn't replied to all of her students' emails. The start of the semester was always crazy, and normally she reveled in it, but after weeks of recuperating from multiple gunshot wounds, she wanted something more than simply sitting down. The ten minute walk to her house, unremarkable from the street, passed uneventfully, and she was mentally counting down to the time when she could make her reappearance as Huntress. "Soon," she muttered to herself, fishing her keys out her bag as she climbed the steps leading to the tiny front porch.
Batman. Batman watched Helena approach her house, as he sat silent and still on her roof. However, as she dug through her purse, he swooped down to land behind her in one smooth motion. He seemed to have come from nowhere. He stood at his full height behind her, his shoulders squared and simply announced his presence by saying her name. "Helena."
Helena. Startled, the keys slipped from Helena's hand before they reached the lock and fell to the ground with a soft thud and the tinkle of keys settling into place. She recognised his voice, of course. She'd heard it numerous times before. But calling her Helena... like he knew her... Of course he knew who she was, she'd figured that much out after her unfortunate crossing with the Joker, but she'd been doing her best to pretend he didn't. "Batman," she replied smoothly, turning around and trying to keep a neutral smile on her face. "What brings you to this part of town?"
Batman. "You." He answered shortly, not missing a beat or reacting to her reaction. His business with her didn't have to take long nor should it be drawn out. "You're planning on coming back as Huntress soon." It might seemed like a question, but it sounded more like a statement. It was possible he found out some things or he just recognized the same kind of spirit in her that he had when he first started. If he were in her position, he would want to be back out on the streets as soon as possible. This kid managed to be shot by the Joker multiple times and she seemed to be recovering fine. That was some special sort of resilience she had.
Helena. Helena bit back an automatic retort, and just managed to keep herself from rolling her eyes. All previous encounters with Batman, in her guise as Huntress, had most often ended in rebuke. She really wasn't in the mood for that tonight. His statement was a surprise, and she nodded her head once. "Yes," she replied, knowing it didn't need an answer. She had work to do, damnit, and there were people who needed to be stopped. "Here to warn me off again?" she asked.
Batman. Batman did not immediately respond, instead watching her for a long moment. Maybe the more appropriate word for what he was doing would be staring. "No."
Helena. To anyone else, Helena might have asked him if anyone had ever taught him that staring was impolite. She was waiting for the expected, 'yes' and was openly surprised at his response. "Oh," she muttered. She crouched to pick up her keys. When she stood again, she waited for his explanation, because there had to be a reason why he was standing on her front porch.
Batman. "I don't have to tell you that it's dangerous. You learned that on your own." Batman was alluding to her recent run-in with the Joker, obviously. His pause was brief, as he already thought about this in depth. "You were lucky last time. You were taken to safety and Dr. Thompkins was able to help you. That may not be the case next time."
Helena. She shook her head, any humility she might have just gained from being wrong disappeared. "You think I don't know the risks?" she asked, surprised at how level-headed she managed to sound. That never lasted long. "I'm sorry, where is it written that you're the only one allowed to put your life on the line for other people? I didn't start this because I wanted my name in the paper, I started it because I wanted to make a difference. In this town I could get shot walking to the store, so if I'm going to die I'd rather do it trying to make a difference."
Batman. Batman looked at her, his mouth in a straight line. He was silent for a moment, as if waiting for her to continue. "Is that all?" If she had more to let out, she might want to do it now because this was the one time Batman was willing to listen.
Helena. She rolled her eyes. It wasn't nearly as satisfying yelling or arguing or trying to get any reaction out of Batman, because the guy didn't know how to act human. She'd spent months arguing her decision to turn vigilante with herself, and she sure as hell didn't need to justify it to him. "Why, am I keeping you from something important?"
Batman. "The point," Batman answered her. She was keeping him from the point. "In a few days, there will be a package arriving on your doorstep. No markings, no return address, nothing. It will better serve you next time you run into a bullet." Despite taking shots at her through sarcasm, listening to her little outburst a moment ago confirmed what he thought of her. Now let's see how she did with a little upgrade courtesy of Batman.
Helena. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Obviously there was a catch in there somewhere - if not immediate, then later down the track. "Um." She tried to find the words, which for an English teacher, had never really been a problem for Helena (usually the reverse was the problem, she always said too much), but she'd never been great at accepting gifts. "Thanks." She hoped it didn't come back to bite her in the ass later on. Biting down, hard, on her pride, she said, "And thank you, for getting me to Dr. Thompkins."
Batman. Batman continued to stare at her for a second before giving her a nod. "You're welcome." And with that, he turned and quickly disappeared into the night from where he came.
Helena. She stared into the empty spot where he'd stood, not really comprehending what had just happened. When she pulled herself back together she cursed. "Goddamn him." She unlocked the door and went inside, shutting the door with an audible bang.