batwomans_gotham

Entry tags:

Escape!

Katalyn ran down the street, panting as she hurried, skidding to a halt in a dead end alleyway she froze, then looked back at the pair of thugs coming after her.

Looking around she quickly grabbed an old pipe, holding it up.

"Leave ma alone!" the tiny girl said feircely.

"Oh ho, look at that," one of the thugs snickered, nudging his buddy. "Little girl has a weapon."

"Better be scared," his partner snickered. Then he shook his head, then advancing on her. "Seriously, sweetie, just put the pipe down. We'll make it a lot better for ya if you jsut come without a fuss."

"Like @#%$!" she screeched, lashing out quickly.

The man screamed, toppling over.

"My knee!" he bellowed.

"You little @#%#^," the other man screeched, reaching for her and grabbing the pipe as it swung again.

Katalyn's eyes got huge, and she started to squirm and kick at him, desperately re-reaching for her powers, which were still not working when she needed them to.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"That's not true," she said sternly. "You let that life rule for a while, yes, but now you can find who Brenda really is. You can look at what's behind the face Gotham's Princess. And you have three little girls who you can help so much, just by relaxing your grip n the Batmobile."

"Brenda Wayne is a mask."

"She doesn't have to be. And I know she's somewhere inside of you. You only have to find her," she said softly. "You let the Bat consumer you, ever since you were a little girl. Now is your chance to see the other side, to see life, happiness, and joy."

Brenda was nearly shaking with terror at the thought, but all she said was, "Kat needs you."

-I can't deal with this now. I can't.-

"So do you," she said gently. "And Kat's far more used to working out things by herself."

"She's a child... and she needs someone. But I couldn't, didn't know what to do...." She closed her eyes and turned her face away, still using the body language of a quadriplegic despite being able to move freely now.

She stroked her hair.

"Brenda, you know how," she said. "All you have to do is use that mind of yours. Feel for the child, try to understand what she's going through, even if you can't imagine everything she's seen. Use those detective skills of yours to make connections in more than crime scene investigations."

"Brenda Wayne's not a detective. That was the Batwoman." She made as though to back her wheelchair away from Leslie.

"The skills are still there. You still see things, hear things. You solve problems. Batwoman used those skills, they belong to both of you," she said, not letting her go. "The same goes with the strength. Batwoman used it to cut herself off. Brenda Wayne could use it to build connections, relationships, a life she could enjoy. A family she could love."

"She's a useless socialite bimbo!!" Brenda's anger flared.

"Then change it!" the door slammed open, and Kat was there, fists clenched, eyes glaring as tears ran down her face. "Be the Bat of the day. Be the one people see! Don't be stupid and pathetic here! You're letting yourself be controlled by a wheelchair! You're weak and stupid for that, I hate it! I hate you! Batwoman's the Bat on the inside, not just when she wears her dumb ol' costume!"

"Kat," Leslie went over, but the child threw a wild punch to make her back off.

"You wanna take me out, or the other guys out, you do it. Don't hide 'cause you can't walk so good anymore!" she stamped her foot.

She tipped her head back, seemingly oblivious to the child's outburst as connections fell into place and realizations dawned. Her face was totally devoid of any expression, but her eyes once more held a calculating look.

Kat stared at her, then started forward, full intenting to knock her out of her chair when Leslie caught her.

"Katalyn!" she cried. The girl struggled, but still partially drugged and small she could do very little.

-Brenda Wayne is Batwoman.- Her brow furrowed slightly. -You let me drive myself into the ground so that I'd learn that I couldn't do everything by myself. And now another woman is patrolling my city in my name, but she makes no aspirations to that name. And three children look up to me and depend on me. Brenda Wayne is Batwoman....-

She looked toward Kat with a frown. "Katalyn, that's enough."

The words were spoken softly, but with a steel edge of sternness.

Katalyn stopped, staring, chest heaving as Leslie also looked up, face emotionless even as she was silently giving thanks.

The Katalyn's knees went out, and she hit the ground with a sigh as Leslie caught her.

Brenda pushed her chair closer and leaned down to easily lift the girl into her lap before rolling into her room and getting to her feet so that she could sit on the bed to lay her down. "Did she get you, Leslie?"

"No. Child's too weak to do any harm," she said, coming in as Katalyn shoved at the hands, then went still, staring at Brenda with eyes full of hope, anger, and a slight fear.

"Be still," Brenda told her sternly, though not unkindly as she recalled her father once when she'd been sick and fractious as a child. Frowning slightly, she tucked Kat into bed, then turned back to Leslie. "If I drop the chair completely in public they'll be asking questions."

"Only if you do too soon," she said.

Kat looked up at her.

"You gonna stop being stupid now?" she asked fericely, though her voice dropped with sleep.

"I haven't been in public for some time." Brenda absently put a hand on Kat, asking for quiet. "Lucia's going to suspect something."

"Lucia will always suspect something. Wait out a normal rehabilitation period, use crutches or a can for a little while, you won't need to explain anything else," he said.

"I need some support anyway." Brenda turned her attention to Kat and pulled the duvet a little higher around the girl's thin shoulders. "I think the light chair will be most convenient when I'm in public. I can use the robot braces around here."

"Sounds good," she said.

"You can walk," the girl mumbled, eyelids fluttering as she fought weakness.

"Yes. I've been able to since we got back from R'as'. Go to sleep."

"You could be the Bat again," she frowned.

"No, she can't," Leslie said sternly. "Go to sleep, Katalyn."

Escape!

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning

Re: Near morning