The Clocktower, New Gotham, Monday evening

[blondecanary]

Priestly had called and asked Dinah to meet him at the Clocktower-- surprise tea party! Like she wasn't up for spontaneous foods at any time. Maybe he had something new to show off for Alfred

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[lovemykilt]

And Priestly was just now arriving with snacks! For Dinah. Only for Dinah. Everyone else would have to provide their own snacks.

Arlene had mentioned trying to avoid Helena if he could, but Priestly wasn't sure how to do that except hope she'd be out patrolling or something. Ah well. He'd packed the cookies with enough rat poison that they should take Dinah out pretty quickly, and even if Helena went after him then, he'd die knowing that he made Arlene happy.

Right? That made sense? Yeah. Yeah, that made sense.

He smoothed the end of his mustache again and knocked, the poison cookies in a cheerful, decorated tin.

This was going to be great.

[blondecanary]

Dinah blinked at this because a) Priestly hadn't even flirted with Helena, b) date-not-date-wha? and c) No, she did not want cookies now. Her stomach already felt a little funny. That could have been fear, or... something else?

"I'm fine," she said, her voice getting higher. "I want to hear about the date."

[gothamlights]

"Priestly, tell us what's going on," Barbara had put down her cup, and was already tapping keys on her wheelchair. "Are you in trouble? You're not acting like yourself. Why do you want Dinah to eat those cookies?"

[lovemykilt]

He wasn't supposed to tell anyone. He was supposed to kill Dinah in front of Barbara when Helena wasn't there and he wasn't supposed to tell anyone and here they were, Dinah still live and not eating any more cookies and Barbara asking questions and Helena was here and he didn't know what to do because absolutely everyone here could kick his ass before he even got to Dinah to try another way to kill her and Arlene was going to be so mad at him --

Priestly panicked. He spun, knocking the cookie tin over as he went, and bolted for the door.

[gothamlights]

Helena jumped up on the couch and then made a flying tackle of Priestly in mid-run, bringing him down to the floor on his stomach before grabbing his arms. "Alfred, grab those cookies! Dinah, don't move! Barbara--"

"I'll get the rope," she called over her shoulder.

[lovemykilt]

It was probably a good sign that a small part of Priestly's brain managed to make a dirty joke about Helena tackling him and tying him up.

The rest of him was struggling for all he was worth, though.

"No!" He was almost crying now. "You weren't supposed to be here. She said -- it was supposed to just be Dinah and Barbara. The cookies -- I didn't know how else to do it --"

Arlene was so never talking to him again.

[gothamlights]

"She? She who?" Helena asked fiercely, not letting him struggle that much.

Alfred whisked the cookies away and said, "Miss Dinah? Come into the kitchen. I think a small drink of charcoal is in order."

Pale and shaking, she followed him into the kitchen as Barbara returned with the rope.

[lovemykilt]

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone," Priestly insisted. He gave up struggling -- there was no way he was getting out. His head pounded, torn between wanting to tell them everything and refusing to say anything at all. He closed his eyes, pressing his head against the floor, and wished he could just pass out.

Worst. Assassin. Ever.

[blondecanary]

Alfred had quickly and efficiently mixed up a glass of activated charcoal, waited for Dinah to drink it, then held the garbage pail for her as she threw up. The cookie, and lunch. Ugh. A second glass, and she threw up breakfast... but her stomach already felt better.

"He wouldn't-- he didn't--" Dinah rinsed out her mouth, then stormed back into the living room, near tears. "Priestly, why?"

[lovemykilt]

Priestly kept his eyes and mouth shut tight, his whole body trembling now, with the need to carry out his orders and with the terror at what those orders were and the retribution that was sure to follow them. He tried to curl in on himself as best he could while so thoroughly restrained and shook his head tightly.

[gothamlights]

"There's not too many women who hate us enough to send a friend after Dinah. Especially to poison her in front of me specifically," Barbara said, her voice very quiet. "Or could make Priestly do something like this."

Helena sent her an appalled look, then looked back down at Priestly. "Oh, jeez."

"I'll get the device. Just ... get him upright on the couch, or a chair." Barbara rolled out back to her lab, and Helena carefully but inexorably pulled Priestly to upright, sitting in one of the chairs.

"Hey. We're going to fix this."

[blondecanary]

Dinah took the footstool in front of him, head pounding, feeling her chest hurt at the expression on Priestly's face. "We are." She wasn't following this as quickly as Barbara and Helena. Maybe because she didn't want to. "I'm okay." Did that help him to know? Or mess him up worse? "You're not in trouble. I promise."

[lovemykilt]

Judging by the way he flinched when she said it, knowing she was okay wasn't helping much just right this moment, no.

They were going to fix it, and right now, his head all muddled up with kill Dinah and don't talk, he was pretty thoroughly convinced that meant killing him.

"Just get it over with," he muttered, eyes still closed. He didn't want to see it coming. "It's you or me, so just do it."

[gothamlights]

Barbara returned with what probably looked like a small, shiny compact mirror, face set. "Hold him steady."

"I really hate this." Helena's arms went around him, holding his skull and face in one spot. Her fingers dragged at his lower eyelids, making it harder for him to close his eyes. "Do you really think it's her?"

"It can't hurt to try, even if it isn't," Barbara replied. Her hand suddenly came up, and a bluish-white light flashed directly into Priestly's face.

[lovemykilt]

Priestly couldn't help but try to flinch out of Helena's grip -- only to go limp, finally, when the light finally caught his eyes. He was still a moment or two, his breathing still a little ragged, then he slowly tried blink.

". . . Who's huggin' m'head?"

[blondecanary]

Dinah gulped, laughed, then threw herself into hugging him. "Helena, you can let go now." No crying! No crying!

Okay, some crying. "Are you okay? Do you feel okay? What do you remember?"