Summary:Bruce and Selina debate whether or not Helena is ready. Helena makes her case for it. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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December 12, 2014
As the world watched the combined heroes and villains of the world defend Earth against the attack that became known as the Brooklyn Blitz, those that watched live on television saw the Batplane destroyed, and no sign of the Batwing afterwards. He was believed among those lost in the attack. Selina was at home with Helena during the attack - mainly because Bruce had set off a failsafe to keep Selina in the cave when she demanded that she go with him into the field.
It would be two weeks before Bruce Wayne would turn up at a New York City hospital. Badly wounded, he was on life support when Selina finally found him and arranged for him to be brought back home to be treated at the House. Bruce had the wherewithall - and trust in her to give her Power of Attorney in cases like this.
The next four and a half years were grueling- physical therapy to get his body healed and into shape. He used to the time to help train Helena on the mental side of being the heir of the Bat and the Cat, while Selina handled the physical aspects.
March 30, 2019
Selina awoke in the morning, finding Bruce missing from their bed. A search of the Manor would find Alfred, and his expression is set as if set in granite. "Mistress Selina, Master Bruce is in the Batcave. I think you may want to go there yourself."
The clock entrance she knows about and has for years, and leads down into the Cave. There, the case for the Batsuit has been opened, and Bruce is starting to slowly pull it all together. His underarmor and pants are already on, and he's working on the boots.
Not for the first time, Selina more or less passed out before she could be bothered to get out of costume. The first problem when she wakes up in a bit of a daze, is that she's all wrapped up in a cape.
The second is that her man is missing.
She reaches over to the empty stop on the bed and stares at that space for a solid two seconds before she furrows her brow and gets up with a groan. She's dressed… well… very much like Batman, only sleeker, with taller boots and - she fought on this one - heels. Over the years she's had to work more than once to keep people afraid of the Bat symbol. She's been a sport about it! For her. Her mask is still discarded on the floor near the bed as she steps out and greets Alfred with a bit of a surprised hop to find him waiting so near, and a smile that gradually turns to a troubled frown as she reads the tone in his voice. "… Thank you Alfred. I think I'll do that." She gives him a familiar brush on the arm with one hand as she passes - having become fond of the old man over the years - but there's a sort of stony look on her eyes, like she's bracing herself against whatever's happening. She still has no idea how she'll feel about it after five years.
Entering the cave, she pulls off her cape and carelessly slings it over the stairway railing leading down from the manor. Walking the steps with typical grace, her green eyes peer about for the object of her combative affection as she calls. "… Baabe…? Alfred sent me down, told me to ask if you're *crazy…?*" She reaches the bottom of the stairs and crosses her arms over her chest. "You're not, are you?"
"He's not, really." Helena rolls an office chair out from behind the little workshop she has set up for herself (or, as she dutifully claims, to help others out with gadget maintenance), pushing the magnifying glasses she'd been wearing up onto her forehead. "I mean, not right now. I'm pretty sure it was going to take him another forty-five minutes or so to get to where he could actually think about being crazy, at the current rate."
Notably, she had previously been very quiet about her presence in the cave, but since Mom is here, it's safe enough to admit to being present. Or she was really waiting to see how long it'd take. One of those things is true.
Now that her cover is blown, though, she rolls her chair back into hiding…just far enough that leaning it back lets her spectate.
Standing up, he starts to pull on his overarmor, the Batsymbol outlined in yellow in it. Yes, he very clearly is planning on going out. "It's not your fault, Selina." Bruce offers to her - honestly. "…I had hoped that in the last five years, that things would change. That people would learn. That what happened in 2014 would finally unite things. It didn't happen." There's a grunt as he pulls the gear into place.
The benefit of the physical therapy was that he was able to stay in fighting shape. Even if he's out of practice. "You've done all you can, and even more than that, I can't ask you to keep doing it when I need to be out there. We both knew this day would come."
But did they really? Selina's been carrying the load, and carrying it well. But when Helena snaps her head up, and speaks, Bruce turns her attention to him and frowns. "And how long have you been down here, young lady?" he asks her, moving to get his utility belt and put it back on. "The mission isn't done. And I can't stand aside any longer, not when I'm able to get out there again."
There was a time when Selina treated just about everything like a game. There was nothing too serious that she couldn't shrug off or turn into an opportunity to entertain herself. She's grown a lot since then, but she still can't always fight the urge to be… catty. "I could take another week? See if I can't punch the right guy to bring peace on earth? I-" She frowns and shakes her head. "No, nevermind- listen, Bruce-"
Selina stops short as the girl Selina alternatively refers to as 'Helena', 'Trouble' or 'Treasure' speaks up, and can't fight a wry little smile. "Thank you, kitten, keep me updated!" She looks to Bruce and shakes her head. "You teach her to hide and, and then wonder why she sneaks up on you." She teases Bruce with a warm smile, briefly forgetting the uneasyness of the moment when faced with her two favorite people.
Still, she walks up to Bruce with a sigh, "… Look, I don't want to seem unsupportive…" she stands close to him and reaches out one hand, glancing to the side distractedly as she adds, "… and I don't want you to think I'm not chomping at the bit to lose that cape…" she looks to Bruce again and traces one finger over the outline of the bat symbol on his chest. "… But I need to know this isn't another stupid guilt thing. Okay? You *have* to actually be up for this."
"Hoooooow long have you known I've been here?" Helena counters her father innocently, flashing a brief smile in his direction before pulling the goggles back down over her eyes. Just because she's not watching doesn't mean she can't listen. Bonus: No seeing parental PDA. She's seen enough of that for several lifetimes.
"You know, if you wanted some help, I could come out," she adds without looking up from the batarang she's in the process of fiddling with, correcting a circuit and checking it against a GPS tracking device next to herself. She knows the probable answer, it's just that she has to try anyhow.
"NO." That is said firmly to Helena. Way to go, kid, you just derailed the whole argument. Bruce turns his attention to his child. "I know your mother has been taking you on patrols. And that's fine. But if I'm going to prove that I'm ready, I need to do this alone." his attention swivels to Selina. "You told me once, Selina. The reason you didn't want to marry me or take my name was that you were afraid it would kill my reason to be the Bat." he says quietly.
"I started a family with you anyway. And brought you into my own. I love you. And I always have, Selina Kyle. But if you're not going to marry me out of fear of me stopping this.." the utility belt clicks firmly into place around his waist, as he turns his attention away from Helena and to Selina, "…you can't also keep me at home out of fear of losing Bruce. It doesn't work both ways." he responds, as he reaches for the cape, past her shoulder. He knows he can feel the touch of her on his chest. It's intoxicating in a way, and he draws in his breath, closing those blues eyes of his.
"And you're the one that taught her to hide. I'm the one that taught her to punch." he points out to Selina, as he holds the cowl between them - ironically at that. "I am ready for this. I have to be. I won't know for sure until the first time I taste the night again. But I can stand at the window anymore, watching the symbol go up, and wonder whether or not I could be helping you." His eyes turn to Selina, and he opens his eyes, studying Selina's features.
"Because this is the only way I can prove I want it both ways. I want the Cat and Selina." he tells her quietly, settling his hand on heart, meeting her eyes.
"NO!" Selina barks at the same moment as Bruce, and then clears her throat, reverting to a calmer tone. "It's still too early, kitten."
Selina listens quietly with an intense stare as Bruce speaks to her, briefly closing her eyes to take a calming breath. When he puts his hand on her, she brings both of her hands to the back of his, squeezing it tightly as she shakes her head slowly. When she opens her eyes again she mutters "… You big idiot…" though she doesn't sound angry exactly. "… I said that because I didn't want us to stop being… us. Because we can't pretend we're normal people. It'd kill me." She gives your hand another squeeze, "It'd kill you." She looks down again, "It'd kill us."
She looks up at him again, her lip quivering, "You think I don't want this for you? No, what I *don't want* is for you go die fighting space monsters to prove a point!" She realizes she's nearly shouting and takes another short sharp breath to regain herself, speaking a bit more quietly, "But you…" she chuckles softly, "… you wouldn't be you if you didn't try, huh?" Selina takes the mask out of Bruce's hands gently, and looks at it, "… And I need you to be you." She smirks ruefully, "… I think we all kinda do."
Selina regards the mask for another long moment, sighing wistfully before she lifts it up over your head, hesitating only briefly to murmur, "You don't have to prove anything to me." before she pulls it down into place, conealing Bruce Wayne behind the mask once more for the first time in the better part of a decade.
Helena rolls her eyes behind her glasses at the no, still working on her bit of tinkering. It's not like she expected a yes. And as much as she'd like to toss out some comment about various sidekicks, Mom seems to have this bit of argument. And it's slightly more important than her issues. Slightly. Right now.
"But graduation's in, like, five weeks, so if you could not show up with a black eye, that'd make my life a lot easier," she chimes in from the workdesk. Because that's how you show love, right?
"We never would stop being us.. we just evolve. From rivals, to lovers.. to parents.." he glances over to where Helena sits. And for a moment, his smile slips into something more fond. "I'm always going to get back up. It was that stubborness that you fell in love with in the first place." He says, reaching up to touch Selina's cheek gently, his hand moving to cup her for a moment.
And without Helena looking because of her goggles, he lays a kiss on Selina Kyle that is the exact promise of returning to her. "You get to take the night off." he says with a small smile, as his cowled nose brushes against Selina's.
"It's not proving something to you. I have to prove it to me." He lets out a breath. "And I have to prove it to those out there - that I have not forgotten them. And I haven't abanonded them. They need to know that I'm out there. Waiting. Watching."
"I love you." he tells her quietly, before turning to his daughter. "As for you, young woman. You have homework. And a final essay to write. And perhaps, next week?" He considers, and and reaches out, touching Helena's cheek. "We'll let you take one of the Batcycles out for a spin." He adds, "Under your mother's supervision."
Because high school won't be all she's graduating from in a few weeks.
Selina nuzzles her nose briefly against Batman's - and he is Batman now, arguably always was - and kisses him gently, returning the words "I love you." She puts her arms around one of his and rests her chin on his shoulder as he speaks to their daughter, smiling quietly to herself for a moment. It's not ideal, maybe… but the truth is Selina never had an ideal. All she wants is… well, whatever she wants. And what she wants is this. She can't imagine trading it for anything.
That said, when Bruce finishes speaking, she opens her eyes and mouthes to Helena 'We'll take it off road, it'll be great', then stops and smiles innocently the very next time Batman looks at her. like nothing happened.
She's already getting back into the spirit of being a cat!
"Oh yeah?" Helena quirks a brow, daring to look up from her work again at the offer. "I mean, if I'm going to take the cycle out, then I'd need to do it in costume. Because, you know, if Helena Wayne was seen out riding something that goes with the Batman…"
Kids. You give them an inch, they take a mile.
There's a shake of his head at that. "Batman always has a Robin, Helena." He knows what she's going to say to /that/.
"It won't be me with you…" there's a knowing glance to Selina. Does he know that the two of them have been working behind his back to help Helena come up with her own identity?
Most likely.
"I'll see you both for breakfast." he promises two of the most important women of his life, before he's moving to head towards the Batmobile, preparing to take it out on patrol…
But not before he has to adjust the seat - Selina is much smaller than he is, after all.
Selina smirks a little despite herself. "Have fun~" she says wistfully, pulling up a chair and dropping herself into it, lounging back and crossing her legs. She has herself a good laugh when he adjusts the seat and finger-waves as he drives away.
She sighs wistfully as she turns herself back and forth a little in the rotating chair, nipping at the end of her pinky briefly in passing infatuation before she sighs, fixing Helena with a bit of a smirk. "Haaaa… so ends the legend of the Batwoman, huh? Thank *god*." She makes a comical little show out of slumping in the seat, and then smiles at her warmly. "Might have to give you the mask though if we're gonna wreck the city~"
"I put an extra tracker on it," Helena informs her mother with a little bit of a smirk, looking back over her shoulder and shrugging unapologetically. "His mask, that is. I slipped it into the comms the last time we changed the channels. So." She leans back over her project, finally satisfied when a little green light blinks on the tablet next to her.
Pulling up the glasses, she tilts the chair back again and rubs at her eyes. Only then does she let the gravity of it all really sink in. "He's gonna be okay, right?" she asks, quiet.
Selina smiles broadly, clearly proud at her daughter's capacity for underhanded mischief and merrily says, "Terrible, *just* awful, I love it."
Selina watches her work with some curiosity, then blinks once at Helena's question. A big warm confident smile spreads across Selina's face… and she lies, like always. "Of course, Kitten~" She says and resumes swaying in her chair. "He's Batman."
Helena lets out a small breath, giving herself a good count of ten to worry about her father before it's back to normal. "Okay."
"Okay, but you know it's bullcrap that he literally had everyone else out fighting crime at twelve, and I can keep up with all of them, and apparently I'm still too young?! It's crap, Mom. Just for the record."
Selina's heard THIS particular line of thought a few hundred times already, and reclines slowly with a patient smile, nodding sympathetically with no intention of undoing this great injustice. There's a particular name or two she elects not to throw in her daughter's face as she closes her eyes and stacks her hands on her lap. "I feel for you, Kitten, I really do." She says with merry insincerity. "It was a different time, I suppose~"
Helena wrinkles her nose, grumbling a bit under her breath. "Was not. Was the exact same time." Pulling the glasses off over her head, she ruffles her hands through her hair and then stretches back in a near-perfect imitation of her mother, arms far over her head.
"Okay. Well. If he's going to go out and…do things, then clearly we need a distraction, right?" She looks over, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes and her crooked smile. "Like maybe…shopping trip? Prom's in two weeks, you know, and I don't have a dress." Actually, she has a closet full of them, but none were purchased particularly for prom.
A grin forms on Selina's face before her eyes opening, a similar twinkle in her green eyes as she purrs, "Oh, *darling*…" she smirks, "Something *must* be done~"