Darker Shades of Grey - Part 6 (MA15+, angst)
Part 6
Gabby
“We really should plan to get to her without dying, Helena,” I whisper softly to myself, not meaning for my driver to hear me. Some how she makes out my words.
“I am planning. I’m speeding.”
I grit my teeth and hold onto the sides of my seat a little harder. “This thing has an airbag on the passenger side, doesn’t it?”
“Gabby. Shut. Up. Already. I’m trying to concentrate.”
“You wouldn’t have to concentrate so much if you were going a little slower,” I snap at her. My frustrations are starting to emerge.
“Gabby! Dinah’s out there with a psychopath. God knows what that woman could be doing to her. We have to get to her as soon as possible.”
“Do you honestly think she’d choose today to start whatever she has planned? Who’s to say she isn’t already … using Dinah some how? Getting us killed won’t help anyone. Now take your goddamn foot off the gas pedal and get out of the car. I’m driving.”
The car slows a bit and I reach for my seat belt. If I have to smack her across the head with one of Barbara’s batarangs’ I’m not going to let her drive us to our deaths.
“Gabby … I …”
“Huntress. Listen to her,” the calming voice of Oracle filters through my ears. As soon as Barbara gives her request Helena’s foot falls from the gas pedal and we roll to a stop at the side of the road.
“I’m scared,” she whispers as we swap seats and I try to control the shaking in my hands so that I can put the hummer into gear. The innocence and barely contained control in her voice leave me wondering about the Huntress’ own sanity.
I know what she’s capable of. Many months of sitting with Oracle as the Huntress knocked down bad guys and saved good guys has taught me all about her mood swings and untapped power.
“I know Helena but you need to stay strong, not only for Dinah but for me too.” Nothing like a little pressure to bring out the best in a superhero.
She sighs, smiles at me softly and rests her hand on her chin. “So, no pressure then?”
I reach over and take her hand without letting my eyes leave the road. “I’ll be there for you Hel. We’ll do this together.”
“Can you?” she asks. In the corner of my eye I can see her sparkling blue eyes watching me worriedly.
“Can I what?”
“Can you keep up with me? Your field experience is … well almost non-existent. I don’t want you to get hurt Gabs. That’s the last thing I want … plus Oracle would probably take me down for getting her back-up killed on her first night.”
Nervous laughter bubbles up my throat and I squirm in my seat. “That’s not helping! I’m not ready to die yet, thank you very much.”
“Good.” She nods. “You’ll go in, get Dinah out and leave the rest to me.”
“But what if …” She cuts me off with her hand. Her skin smells like roses.
“No what if’s, ok? If I need help then I’ll have you and Barbara there for me. But don’t … Never Gabby. Don’t you ever put your life in danger for me. Do you understand? I couldn’t live with myself if I … if you … because of me. Promise me? Promise me you’ll take care of Dinah and … You’re so much more … than me. I can’t ever be what you will some day be.” She pulls her hand away from my face and I smile softly.
“Well done Helena, that was the longest thing you’ve ever said to me and it didn’t make any sense at all.”
She smiles. “You do understand don’t you?”
I nod. “I know exactly what you mean. But you’re wrong. You’ve already proved that you’re worth more. You’ve already made yourself into a caring, wonderful woman. If anything I hope that one day I’ll be even half the woman you are today.”
She turns from me and stares out the window. We drive silently through downtown New Gotham. The worst part of the city.
“Gabby?” she asks as we near Dr. Fraser’s building.
“Yeah?” I reply, trying desperately to keep the shaking out of my voice and not let my nervousness get the better of me.
“Are you trying to get in my pants?” her cocky Huntress grin is firmly in place. I laugh, all of my courage returning at the ease she shows before a big fight.
“Oh baby. If Barbara couldn’t hurt me then I’d say sure but since it’s likely that she could have me pissing myself in ten seconds I think I’ll have to go with, of course not!”
"Good answer," Barbara’s not so serious voice bubbles over our line.
I chuckle to myself and feel more of my nervousness disappearing.
"The Doctor hasn’t left yet. She’s still signed into the security monitors. I’m trying to hack into her office security cameras but I’m having a little trouble. I’ll have the feed in a few minutes."
“We’re going in without it,” Helena states firmly and slams her door shut.
"Huntress." Oracle warns over the line. "I don’t think that’s such a great idea."
“Come on Oracle,” Huntress says as she walks to the front entrance and slides the door open. “It’s not like she’s expecting us. It’s not like she knows we’re onto her.”
"We don’t know that, Huntress."
“Well I guess we’re about to find out,” she snarls and punches the button to the elevator.
We ride in silence. Even Barbara is quiet aside from the constant clicking of computer keys.
I watch the numbers on the door. It feels like a count down. Like when the doors ping open there’s going to be an all mighty boom and Helena and I will be nothing more than pieces of kibble spread around a destroyed building.
Ok, not really helping myself there.
Helena pulls a small white box from her pocket and taps the top. A small red light starts blinking. I look at it sceptically but she doesn’t pay any attention.
“We’ll go in together. Assess the security. I’ll take down the boss lady. You get Dinah out of there,” Helena tells me softly. “This is just a precaution in case the lift is bugged. If it is she knows we’re coming but she doesn’t know what we’ve got planned.” She holds up the white box then shoves it back into her pocket as the doors to the lift open and Helena strides out as if she owns the place.
I don’t know what I expected to see. A torture chamber, maybe. Walls painted dark colours and evil looking statues? It wasn’t what I was subconsciously expecting.
The cream coloured walls, soft leather couches and tall oak reception desk that makes the entrance hall looks like any other therapists office. There’s no secretary though, she must have already left for the day.
Soft music filters over the speaker system and I spin in a tight circle to take in all my surroundings.
"Gabby I want you to keep me in constant contact," Oracle tells me stubbornly. "I want you to tell me absolutely everything that happens. You’ll be my constant commentary."
“Yes, Ms. Oracle,” I whisper sarcastically. I can’t help myself. I need to let my nervousness out somehow.
Huntress’ constant sarcasm during sweeps suddenly makes a lot more sense to me.
“She knows,” Huntress whispers as she stares at the door in front of her. I watch her as she glares at the gold writing across the glass front.
“What?”
"What?" Oracle asks.
“She knows that we were coming.” Huntress whispers softly.
"What is it? What do you see?"
Helena’s graceful arm rises from her side and points to the lettering on the door.
“Oh my goodness,” creeps past my lips as I finally see the order of letters, the name that shouldn’t be there.
"What? What is it! Gabby?"
“On the door …” I whisper softly into my necklace. “The door, the name on the door to her office, it’s says … it says Dr. Harleen Quinzel.”
Barbara
“That’s impossible; she’s locked in Arkham I have her cell video feed running right now. She can’t possibly be there,” I try to sound sure but I’m not.
"We’re going in," Gabby’s young nervous voice tells me softly.
I take a deep breath and rest my head in my hands. A pounding headache is starting to build behind my eyes. “Just get in and out. Make sure Dinah is ok, subdue the therapist and get the hell out of there. I’m ready to send in the P.D. Please, Helena. Just … be safe.”
A loud crack fills my head phones, startling me so much I almost jump clear out of my wheelchair.
"Er … Oracle, I don’t think she’s listening."
“What did she do?” I ask softly as I try applying pressure to my temple to stop the headache. It doesn’t work.
"Kicked in the door. Dr. Fraser looks mighty shocked to see us," I can hear the pleased tone in Gabby’s soft whisper.
"Well, well, well, if it isn’t the remarkable Huntress and her little side kick … dream girl." That’s not the voice of the woman I spoke to months ago while setting up appointments for Dinah’s recovery. This voice is pure evil. It send chills down my spine.
"You know, I prefer Gabby."
False bravado, just like Helena when she started out in the superhero business.
I wish I could see what is happening. I wish I had thought to put a camera on Gabby somewhere. I wish I could get into the security cameras.
I wish I could be there with them. Standing, fighting for my family.
"Never mind. Your name really isn’t all that important. You see Gabby I don’t care what your called, who you are or what you’ve done. I just care that your holding back my Dinah."
"Uh, your Dinah. Hardly. Last time I checked she didn’t belong to anyone." Huntress snorts and I can hear her ruffling her jacket.
The sharp, psychotic laugh cuts through my ears and I grimace.
"See that’s where you, my dull minded superhero, are wrong. See, I know for a fact that if you were sleeping with Dinah you’d consider her to be yours. Gabby is, I’m sure Gabby feels that Dinah is hers. Of course she’s wrong but who can really blame her. So young, so innocent, so utterly stupid."
I hear Helena growl threateningly, the only warning I get before I hear a flurry of leather creaking and Gabby’s yelp of surprise. "Huntress, NO!"
Another loud crash echoes through my head. I pray that Huntress has just kicked in another door.
"Oracle," Gabby’s frantic voice comes over the line, "She’s …"
"Shut. Up. Sweetheart."
“Gabby? Gabby tell me you can hear me.” I sit straighter in my chair. All I can do is stare at the rows of code on the screen in front of me.
"Can Batgirl come out to play?" the cruel voice slowly drawls through my speakers before the fuzz of static overcomes my senses.