Mr.Cynic
01-15-2015, 01:38 PM
Sure she had made rotten choices before in the past. Sure, she had gotten herself involved with people she shouldn't have been involved with. But didn't she deserve a break? Didn't she deserve to not have to look over her shoulder any more. Didn't she deserve something for doing right. According to Bats at least, cleaning up of her life should have shown promise, should have given her some kind of retribution.
Maybe she had done so much wrong and bad. That she was redeemable for some good luck once in a while. She couldn't do it. Protect him and herself, from him. He was old enough that he should be out there, experiencing life. Instead she had him sheltered, with her at all times just in case.
She wasn't afraid that he'd turn out like. In truth he was both like Him and both like her. He was different. Smarter, he wasn't a puppet. He could see things that she couldn't see back when she was absorbed in his life. Not even her life, His life.
Harleen looked troubled at the phone. He told her before, if she ever had any trouble she could call him. Now was a good time than any to call him.
He wasn't the type of man to just show or just answer though. It rung and rung till it went to voice mail. There was no message box, nothing, it was dead silence before a beep.
"Bats, I really need your help," she was trying not to sound desperate, yet she sounded absolutely desperate, "Please, if there is any way you can get into contact with me. I know we haven't been the best of pals in the past, but I really took your advice, fifteen years a long time hiding from Him."
She hung up the phone and looked at the bedroom door. Of the young good luck she had, it was a mother's wish.
"Naty," she called.
"Who is Bats?"
She turned around to see a boy sitting on the couch. Clever boy. Always with the questions. Always with the curiosity. It's why she couldn't protect him no more. It's why she couldn't keep in Gotham any more.
"Naty, you scared me, always sneaking around like that," Harleen said.
"You have been behaving really weird as of late,"
"Nathan," Harleen tried her best to soften her voice, sound just like her mother did, "There are some things you're just not ready to know. And there are things to frightening to tell you."
"What can be more scary than a man running around in a Bat suit?" Nathaniel asked.
"Trust me there's a lot of terrible things out there, that can be very very scary," Harleen responded.
"Like," Nathan asked walking towards the window in the living room.
It was a small apartment, two bedrooms, two bath. A living room, and dining room all squashed next to a small little kitchen.
"What's more scaring than believing one person can be the savior of all your problems?" Nathan asked.
Always a smart boy, always with the questions though.
"Believing one man can be the creator of chaos," Harleen interjected.
Nathaniel looked at her. He was confused by her response. She had never let him go to public school, she had never let him walk the streets alone. She never allowed him to go out with friends, not that he had any. Maybe that was her fault. That she trained him to not be a busy body. Maybe that was her poor parenting. She just wanted him to be safe. There was nothing wrong with wanting your child to be safe.
"What does that mean? You never tell me anything, you just play these mind games with me,"
She wasn't trying to do it purposely. She wasn't trying to make this a mind game. She wasn't trying to cut him off from knowledge. She was just afraid Nathan was a lot like him. That if she told the secret, let her lips slip, that he would seek out a demon she didn't have much part creating.
That he would change.
"It's for your own safety,"
"That's the answer you always give, when are you ever going to tell me what is going on?"
"When I know you're safe,"
"When you know you can trust me,"
"Nathan I didn't say that,"
"Didn't have to,"
It was her own fault. She's the one who created this chaotic storm brewing slowly in their home. He wasn't an expressive child. Never showed much emotion. Never showed a lot of emotion, never had an outburst. But she was afraid, she'd begin a chain of events she couldn't stop. If she didn't get him somewhere safer, a better environment.
She was starting to do the very thing to him that she feared He would do to him.
"It's late," Harleen said, "How about we just go to bed? And talk about this in the morning."
"You won't tell me anything,"
"I'm sorry,"
He just shook his head. He understood, but he was curious and smart. She knew that. He had gained their brains and he wouldn't take the secrecy for much longer. She knew this, it's what she feared all along that she soon would be creating the very thing that she was afraid He would created.
When Nathaniel went to bed and they said their goodnights. Gave each other their last hugs, and a kiss on the cheek from her to him. She went to her bedroom. Her room was dark and she hadn't turned on any of her lights.
"You called," the sultry voice of the Batman was heard in the corner of her bedroom.
"Bats, I didn't think you'd respond,"
"Something wrong, you sounded upset, did He come back,"
"No, no, he's in Arkam, been for fifteen years, but I'm afraid that good luck isn't going to come to me,"
"Just tell me what's wrong,"
"Look, I have a son, I know I shouldn't have, I know I made a mistake, I know he'll want him soon enough, I tried so hard to keep him safe, keep good, keep him honest, like you Bats,"
"You and him, I'm sorry, I can't help,"
"Bats, please, he's just a boy. Just a boy, he's done nothing wrong. I have done wrong, but you've helped me before. He's done wrong. But my boy. My boy has done no wrong,"
"I'm not making any promises, but there will be meeting tomorrow at the Justice League, you can bring him there and be judged,"
"So this is the way it's going to be,"
"You don't have a sweet innocent boy sleeping soundly in some sheets Harleen, you have a sleeping demon, waiting for just that push before it shows you it's true colors,"
Like that he was gone. Leaving her to digest every word he said. She couldn't sleep much that night. Visits with the Bats seemed to do that to a person. Made people think long and hard about themselves. To take deep looks inside of themselves. Had she truly created a sleeping demon she wondered?
When morning came, she was staring, lying awake, at a ceiling. Somewhere between then and somewhere between now, she had dozed off, but awoke feeling as tired as she did when she first went to bed last night.
Getting out of bed, she put on a pair of pants and a camisole. Leaving her bedroom, she saw that Nathaniel was already up eating a bowl of cereal.
"Morning," she told him.
"Morning," Nathaniel told her.
What was there to say? What should she say? I love you a lot, you know I don't think there is anything wrong with you, and that I love everything wrong about you. None of it seemed right. Instead she just ruffled his dirty blonde, brown hair.
"Today, you're going to get some of those answers," Harleen told him.
Nathaniel just nodded, placing a spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth.
She didn't want to do this. Whatever he had planned. She was scared for what he had planned. Was that sweet, face, eating cornflakes, really the worse nightmare to come?
"Harleen,"
He always did that. Appeared from nowhere. She saw Nathaniel dropped his spoon in shock.
"It's time," Batman told her.
"Right, right, um Nathaniel this is Bats, Batman, err Nathaniel Batman,"
She got the impression that Bats was glaring at her son.
"I told you were going to get some answers today," she said, "Bats has a surprise for you."
"Not one I agree with," Batman added, "Shall we?"
The Batman pressed a button and Nathaniel, and her were transported to the headquarters of the Justice League. Normally she would be impressed, today she seemed nervous, and anxious for some sort of result.
She saw the rest of the League talking to a young man. They gave her a look, she saw Wonder Woman, unsheathing her lasso.
"It's fine I invited her," Batman told her.
Wonder Woman glared at her.
"What brings you here Harleen?" Wonder Woman asked.
"She wants protection for her son, but let me warn you He's been involved," Batman said.
The young man had bright colored hair and bright colored green eyes. He had tan skin. He seemed odd to be human.
"This is your solution, we needed Titans, this is Lightfire, he was receiving information for another task," Batman told her.
Lightfire waved to her.
"Hello Earthling, you have most beautiful colored hair," Lightfire told her.
Harleen smiled awkwardly at him.
"So the solution is to turn over my son to Titan custody?" Harleen remarked.
"That is if Lightfire chooses to do so," Batman told her.
"Is this him?" Lightfire asked, "Hello secondary earthling. What is your name?"
"Nathaniel," her son responded, "Mom he seems weird."
"So he'll get training and become a hero then?" Harleen asked.
"Him train, no I don't want him conditioned to violence, who knows what you'll awaken in that mind of his,"
Harleen turned to Nathaniel.
"What do you say? You wont' be with me all the time," Harleen told him.
"I never had a problem with being with you all the time anyway,"
"It's not up to him," Batman snarled, "Either he does this or your worse fears come to light."
Harleen frowned.
"Okay Nathaniel, I don't know how to do goodbyes,"
"Wait, you're just throwing me out, like yesterday's laundry?"
"You will be safer this way,"
"But Mom, I want to be with you,"
He was making this difficult. But she had to promise herself to give him tough love. Pushing his hair out of his eyes, her and him shared the same eyes, she kissed his forehead.
"Be good,"
"Wait you're just leaving me,"
"Love you,"
It wasn't that she was relieved to get rid of him. She didn't even want to get rid of him. She wish he could stay with her. But she knew good luck didn't come to her in that way. She hadn't enough redemption for that kind of good luck. Her heart was breaking, but she couldn't make the goodbye long nor sadder. Best he was just left there, so he didn't feel any kind of sadness with her gone.
Besides she didn't want him to see her cry.
Maybe she had done so much wrong and bad. That she was redeemable for some good luck once in a while. She couldn't do it. Protect him and herself, from him. He was old enough that he should be out there, experiencing life. Instead she had him sheltered, with her at all times just in case.
She wasn't afraid that he'd turn out like. In truth he was both like Him and both like her. He was different. Smarter, he wasn't a puppet. He could see things that she couldn't see back when she was absorbed in his life. Not even her life, His life.
Harleen looked troubled at the phone. He told her before, if she ever had any trouble she could call him. Now was a good time than any to call him.
He wasn't the type of man to just show or just answer though. It rung and rung till it went to voice mail. There was no message box, nothing, it was dead silence before a beep.
"Bats, I really need your help," she was trying not to sound desperate, yet she sounded absolutely desperate, "Please, if there is any way you can get into contact with me. I know we haven't been the best of pals in the past, but I really took your advice, fifteen years a long time hiding from Him."
She hung up the phone and looked at the bedroom door. Of the young good luck she had, it was a mother's wish.
"Naty," she called.
"Who is Bats?"
She turned around to see a boy sitting on the couch. Clever boy. Always with the questions. Always with the curiosity. It's why she couldn't protect him no more. It's why she couldn't keep in Gotham any more.
"Naty, you scared me, always sneaking around like that," Harleen said.
"You have been behaving really weird as of late,"
"Nathan," Harleen tried her best to soften her voice, sound just like her mother did, "There are some things you're just not ready to know. And there are things to frightening to tell you."
"What can be more scary than a man running around in a Bat suit?" Nathaniel asked.
"Trust me there's a lot of terrible things out there, that can be very very scary," Harleen responded.
"Like," Nathan asked walking towards the window in the living room.
It was a small apartment, two bedrooms, two bath. A living room, and dining room all squashed next to a small little kitchen.
"What's more scaring than believing one person can be the savior of all your problems?" Nathan asked.
Always a smart boy, always with the questions though.
"Believing one man can be the creator of chaos," Harleen interjected.
Nathaniel looked at her. He was confused by her response. She had never let him go to public school, she had never let him walk the streets alone. She never allowed him to go out with friends, not that he had any. Maybe that was her fault. That she trained him to not be a busy body. Maybe that was her poor parenting. She just wanted him to be safe. There was nothing wrong with wanting your child to be safe.
"What does that mean? You never tell me anything, you just play these mind games with me,"
She wasn't trying to do it purposely. She wasn't trying to make this a mind game. She wasn't trying to cut him off from knowledge. She was just afraid Nathan was a lot like him. That if she told the secret, let her lips slip, that he would seek out a demon she didn't have much part creating.
That he would change.
"It's for your own safety,"
"That's the answer you always give, when are you ever going to tell me what is going on?"
"When I know you're safe,"
"When you know you can trust me,"
"Nathan I didn't say that,"
"Didn't have to,"
It was her own fault. She's the one who created this chaotic storm brewing slowly in their home. He wasn't an expressive child. Never showed much emotion. Never showed a lot of emotion, never had an outburst. But she was afraid, she'd begin a chain of events she couldn't stop. If she didn't get him somewhere safer, a better environment.
She was starting to do the very thing to him that she feared He would do to him.
"It's late," Harleen said, "How about we just go to bed? And talk about this in the morning."
"You won't tell me anything,"
"I'm sorry,"
He just shook his head. He understood, but he was curious and smart. She knew that. He had gained their brains and he wouldn't take the secrecy for much longer. She knew this, it's what she feared all along that she soon would be creating the very thing that she was afraid He would created.
When Nathaniel went to bed and they said their goodnights. Gave each other their last hugs, and a kiss on the cheek from her to him. She went to her bedroom. Her room was dark and she hadn't turned on any of her lights.
"You called," the sultry voice of the Batman was heard in the corner of her bedroom.
"Bats, I didn't think you'd respond,"
"Something wrong, you sounded upset, did He come back,"
"No, no, he's in Arkam, been for fifteen years, but I'm afraid that good luck isn't going to come to me,"
"Just tell me what's wrong,"
"Look, I have a son, I know I shouldn't have, I know I made a mistake, I know he'll want him soon enough, I tried so hard to keep him safe, keep good, keep him honest, like you Bats,"
"You and him, I'm sorry, I can't help,"
"Bats, please, he's just a boy. Just a boy, he's done nothing wrong. I have done wrong, but you've helped me before. He's done wrong. But my boy. My boy has done no wrong,"
"I'm not making any promises, but there will be meeting tomorrow at the Justice League, you can bring him there and be judged,"
"So this is the way it's going to be,"
"You don't have a sweet innocent boy sleeping soundly in some sheets Harleen, you have a sleeping demon, waiting for just that push before it shows you it's true colors,"
Like that he was gone. Leaving her to digest every word he said. She couldn't sleep much that night. Visits with the Bats seemed to do that to a person. Made people think long and hard about themselves. To take deep looks inside of themselves. Had she truly created a sleeping demon she wondered?
When morning came, she was staring, lying awake, at a ceiling. Somewhere between then and somewhere between now, she had dozed off, but awoke feeling as tired as she did when she first went to bed last night.
Getting out of bed, she put on a pair of pants and a camisole. Leaving her bedroom, she saw that Nathaniel was already up eating a bowl of cereal.
"Morning," she told him.
"Morning," Nathaniel told her.
What was there to say? What should she say? I love you a lot, you know I don't think there is anything wrong with you, and that I love everything wrong about you. None of it seemed right. Instead she just ruffled his dirty blonde, brown hair.
"Today, you're going to get some of those answers," Harleen told him.
Nathaniel just nodded, placing a spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth.
She didn't want to do this. Whatever he had planned. She was scared for what he had planned. Was that sweet, face, eating cornflakes, really the worse nightmare to come?
"Harleen,"
He always did that. Appeared from nowhere. She saw Nathaniel dropped his spoon in shock.
"It's time," Batman told her.
"Right, right, um Nathaniel this is Bats, Batman, err Nathaniel Batman,"
She got the impression that Bats was glaring at her son.
"I told you were going to get some answers today," she said, "Bats has a surprise for you."
"Not one I agree with," Batman added, "Shall we?"
The Batman pressed a button and Nathaniel, and her were transported to the headquarters of the Justice League. Normally she would be impressed, today she seemed nervous, and anxious for some sort of result.
She saw the rest of the League talking to a young man. They gave her a look, she saw Wonder Woman, unsheathing her lasso.
"It's fine I invited her," Batman told her.
Wonder Woman glared at her.
"What brings you here Harleen?" Wonder Woman asked.
"She wants protection for her son, but let me warn you He's been involved," Batman said.
The young man had bright colored hair and bright colored green eyes. He had tan skin. He seemed odd to be human.
"This is your solution, we needed Titans, this is Lightfire, he was receiving information for another task," Batman told her.
Lightfire waved to her.
"Hello Earthling, you have most beautiful colored hair," Lightfire told her.
Harleen smiled awkwardly at him.
"So the solution is to turn over my son to Titan custody?" Harleen remarked.
"That is if Lightfire chooses to do so," Batman told her.
"Is this him?" Lightfire asked, "Hello secondary earthling. What is your name?"
"Nathaniel," her son responded, "Mom he seems weird."
"So he'll get training and become a hero then?" Harleen asked.
"Him train, no I don't want him conditioned to violence, who knows what you'll awaken in that mind of his,"
Harleen turned to Nathaniel.
"What do you say? You wont' be with me all the time," Harleen told him.
"I never had a problem with being with you all the time anyway,"
"It's not up to him," Batman snarled, "Either he does this or your worse fears come to light."
Harleen frowned.
"Okay Nathaniel, I don't know how to do goodbyes,"
"Wait, you're just throwing me out, like yesterday's laundry?"
"You will be safer this way,"
"But Mom, I want to be with you,"
He was making this difficult. But she had to promise herself to give him tough love. Pushing his hair out of his eyes, her and him shared the same eyes, she kissed his forehead.
"Be good,"
"Wait you're just leaving me,"
"Love you,"
It wasn't that she was relieved to get rid of him. She didn't even want to get rid of him. She wish he could stay with her. But she knew good luck didn't come to her in that way. She hadn't enough redemption for that kind of good luck. Her heart was breaking, but she couldn't make the goodbye long nor sadder. Best he was just left there, so he didn't feel any kind of sadness with her gone.
Besides she didn't want him to see her cry.