章 24: Secrets Unmasked
AN: You can read the next chapter on my Patreon.
patreon.com/ryswell - link can be found in the story description or on my profile.
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Barbara continued on through the dimly lit halls, clinging to the shadows like she had been trained to do. Moving on silent feet, it was as if she was on auto-pilot. Stealth had become second nature to the young woman, as natural as breathing.
But somehow it felt… wrong. Like she was doing something she wasn't supposed to.
An odd feeling for her to have, but not a new one. Barbara had often felt the thrill of being in a place she didn't belong when operating as Batgirl. But those feelings had mostly cropped up in the early years of her crime-fighting career. By now, she was the veteran of many, many operations. So why did she suddenly feel anxious?
She couldn't shake the feeling. Even when she stalked through the dark, it was as if a shadow was looming over her. A shade that was watching her every move.
It almost distracted her from her objective. And that was… it was…
Barbara blinked, coming to a risky stop in the middle of the hall. She could hardly believe it. For a moment… she had forgotten why she was even there in the first place. But that was absurd. Years of training from Batman himself, plus Barbara's own sharp mind, her own grit and determination to fight criminals… Barbara's thoughts were never fleeting. She knew exactly why she was there.
Batgirl was there to gather intel on the Brotherhood. She was there to find a way to rescue Helena from servitude. And… and Dinah was there, too! Dinah had been their ticket in. But…
The redhead breathed in, suddenly feeling a dull ache spreading from the back of her head. She sighed, leaning against the wall.
If Dinah was already infiltrating the Brotherhood ceremony… then why was Barbara there at all?
Barbara groaned, rubbing her temples. A pointless effort because of her Batgirl mask, but the motion was reflexive to her aching head. But the dull throb that pulsed through her skull could not distract Barbara for long.
Why was she there?
Barbara was… she was Dinah's back-up, of course! She was there to keep Dinah from getting into trouble! And to collect intel on the Brotherhood, that too! Yes, that was it!
Satisfied with her own reasoning, the masked heroine continued on. Stepping further and further into the shadows of the Brotherhood's domain.
She was meant to be there, Barbara knew. This was part of her mission.
Down at the end of the long hallway, the redhead took notice of a peculiar door. It wasn't any different from any of the other doors, with nothing particularly distinguished about it. Just a regular door.
And yet the Batgirl couldn't look away from it. There was… a feeling, a ghostly sensation that crawled up Barbara's back. The door might have looked like a regular door. But what hid behind it, Barbara couldn't shake the feeling that it was important.
Batman had drilled Batgirl to be cautious, rational. But Barbara's father, Commissioner Jim Gordon, had taught her to trust her gut. And her gut was telling her that the door needed to be opened.
Barbara chose to follow her gut. Her father didn't make mistakes.
She did not creep or stalk or glide forward. There was no point in stealth. Not when there was something important to be done.
The young heroine strode forward with surety and purpose, reaching the end of the hall in little time. Reaching the door.
She opened it.
Barbara was doing the right thing, she knew. A feeling of triumph and accomplishment washed over her as she stepped through the open doorway… only for it to vanish as she set her eyes upon an unnerving sight.
A towering black stone took up the center of the strange room. No, not a mere stone. It was a boulder! Set upon a short, flat dais, the enormous black rock rose from the wooden floor all the way up to the high ceiling - a full two stories!
It absolutely dwarfed Barbara. And its size wasn't the only thing that unsettled the young heroine, but it's nature as well. Just looking at it sent a tingling buzz through Barbara's head. Not the headache she had before. No, this sensation was lower, subtler. Worms wiggling through her mind instead of a bashing hammer.
The stone stood there, immovable, timeless, without end. It thrummed with power - Barbara could feel it - and almost seemed to be glowing. But not a glowing of light. The stone seemed to emanate shadow.
Barbara stared at the towering rock, reluctant to tear her eyes away from the peculiar way the dim light seemed to dance across its glossy surface. It was mesmerizing. Hypnotic, even.
'This… this isn't right.'
Barbara winced, groaning as she took a shaky step back. Rationality came racing back to her mind then, offering the redhead a moment of clarity. A flash of anger followed, mixed with fear.
Barbara blinked in stunned - frightened realization. This was the stone. The same glossy black stone from the Brotherhood rings! This was the source! It had to be!
The black stone that had the power to manipulate emotions, guide thoughts, and control minds. And Barbara was standing only a few feet away from it!
'Look away! Look away now!'
Every fiber of Barbara's being was screaming at her to get the hell away. Fighting against the unnatural draw she felt worming inside her, the redhead turned her eyes to the wooden floor. Breaking eye contact with the looming stone helped a great deal. It was like a jolt shot through Barbara's body, a strike of perfectly rational fear.
An instant later, Batgirl turned on her heels and bolted for the door she had just come in through…
…Only to come face-to-face with Headmistress Vivian Kaplan.
Barbara nearly tripped and stumbled into a heap, stopping herself mere inches from bowling the other woman over. For a moment, time was still. Barbara stared at Vivian and Vivian stared back. Barbara feared that the Headmistress would curse her out or cry for help to deal with the masked trespasser. Instead, the pale woman gave Batgirl a cold smile, her icy blue eyes twinkling with unknown intent.
"Hello, Batgirl." Vivian spoke calmly with her silky smooth voice. "I was wondering when you would take to the field."
Barbara didn't want to hurt the Headmistress. She had spotted her wearing a Brotherhood ring just the other day, which meant that Kaplan was just as much a victim of theirs as Helena was. But Batgirl needed to get out there. And Vivian Kaplan was in the way.
"Sorry about this, Viv." Batgirl muttered, swiping at the Headmistress' ankles with her leg.
The aim was to knock the lady on her ass. But when Barbara's leg made contact, there was no give at all. Only a sharp pain that shot through her ankle and shin. It was like kicking a metal bar!
Batgirl drew her aching leg back, stumbling back a couple steps. She sucked in sharp gasp, staring at the other woman with wide, shocked eyes.
Vivian Kaplan's smile grew, cherry red lips spreading wide across her flawless, porcelain face.
It was then that Barbara realized just how deep in the shit she really was. This wasn't a fight she could win with kicks and punches. Hell, this wasn't a fight that she could win period.
Barbara thought quickly. She was disadvantaged, but not helpless. Batgirl still had her tools and gadgets.
With lightning quick movements, she sent a handful of smoke pellets hurtling towards the Headmistress' feet. The detonated an instant later, a thick, dark cloud erupting outward to fill the air. Batgirl dove for a dark corner, moving herself out of sight. Against a stronger opponent, the shadows were her most valuable tool.
But rather than break out into a string of frustrated curses - as street thugs and mafia toughs often did - Vivian Kaplan instead let out a low, unsettling laugh.
"Smoke bombs. How quaint." Vivian strode forward into the cloud of smoke, her silhouette a dark mass - like she was the black stone itself come alive. Barbara watched from the shadows, silent and unmoving. Vivian continued, her voice now cold and sharp. "They won't help you, though. Resisting is pointless, Batgirl. You're just wasting your time."
Barbara glared, quietly stewing at the woman's words. They were lies. All lies. Others had tried to psych Batgirl out before. None of them ever succeeded. Tonight would be no different. All Barbara needed to do was get the hell out.
Batgirl bolted for the door for the second time.
But then some of the smoke seemed to come alive, twisting and moving on its own! It shot in front of Barbara, forming into a dark, narrow pillar. Then it grew darker, the cloud becoming solid right before Barbara's very eyes. The masked heroine could hardly believe what she was seeing. But then the cloud took on a face - a woman's face!
Barbara looked on, speechless and wide-eyed, as the dark cloud of smoke materialized into Vivian Kaplan!
The Headmistress gave a mocking laugh, wisps of thick smoke rising from her shoulders and arms. She leveled her cold gaze on the intruding Batgirl, making the redhead's heart skip a beat. Then, with a deadly smile, she began to advance.
Fear buzzed down Barbara's spine. Her plans trashed and thrown out the window, confronted with an adversary she was not equipped to handle, she was at a complete loss. Unthinking, she threw a punch right at Vivian's face.
…Only for Vivian to turn into smoke again. Barbara's hand passed right through where the woman's head would have been, the dark cloud swirling around her fist… and quickly reforming! But not into Vivian's head. The smoke closed around Barbara's wrist, solidifying into the iron grip of the Headmistress' hand!
'This is so fucked.'
Vivian gave a short chuckle, as if she could read Barbara's thoughts. Then, with a sharp tug, she pulled the masked heroine closer until their faces were inches apart. Batgirl didn't struggle or fight back - she had no desire to break her own arm.
"I told you." Vivian said, unimpressed. "Fighting me won't get you anywhere."
Then she gave Barbara a shove, sending the redhead stumbling backwards onto her ass. The pale, raven-haired villainess raised her hand then. At first, Barbara feared a magical attack. But instead, Vivian gave a simple flick of her wrist that sent the door behind her slamming shut.
No escape, Barbara noted.
With the fucked up stone at her back and the fucked up Headmistress blocking the only way out, Barbara was trapped. The redhead felt her spirit deflate, but not her nerve.
She might not be able to fight, but she could still poach some intel. The Bats had been taught to take every opportunity to learn about their enemy, even if it seemed like there was no point.
"You're magically attuned." Batgirl observed, crawling back away from the Headmistress. She drew her legs underneath her body, slowly getting back up. "Are you a demigoddess? Homo Magi?"
Kaplan took slow steps forward, pursing her full, red lips.
"A curious bat." She hummed, placing her hands on her hips. It was only then that Barbara noticed that the woman was wearing a flowing robe of shimmering black silk. Flowing, but somehow still form-fitting, the thin fabric clinging to her hips, belly, and bosom. "No wonder you're sneaking around my campus, breaking into my buildings."
As the Headmistress took steps forward, Barbara took steps back. She kept the distance between them even.
"There's something despicable happening on your campus, Kaplan." Barbara bit back, her voice heated with long-stewing anger. She'd been the calm, level-headed one between her and Dinah. But she'd always been just as furious about the Brotherhood as her friend was. And now it was all coming up to the surface. "In this very building, even. All because of that big rock behind me. And I'm here to put a stop to it."
Vivian only rolled her eyes. As if the two of them were only having a misunderstanding.
"Nothing happens on this campus without my knowing. And there's nothing despicable happening under this roof." Vivian spat out the word as if it was an absurdity, Barbara noted. Her words were sharp and heated, like she was insulted.
Barbara frowned. The stone had its tendrils buried deep, it seemed.
"I know you think you believe that. But you're being controlled, Kaplan." Batgirl urged the other woman, still slowly pacing backwards in step with the Headmistress' advances. "All the young men in this building, the Kingston Brotherhood, they've put you and many other women on this campus under their thrall. Students, teachers, other faculty, the Brotherhood are using them as sex slaves. These young men are sick. And they're forcing you to help them spread their sickness to any woman they can get their hands on!"
Vivian Kaplan came to a stop. There was an indiscernible look on her flawless face. Her icy blue eyes narrowed, regarding the masked heroine before her. Had her words gotten through, Barbara wondered. For a brief moment, the redhead dared to hope.
But then Vivian's lips curled into a smirk.
"Forcing me? Don't I wish."
Then, with another flick of her wrist, Vivian sent two snakes of smoke lashing out towards Barbara. They were lightning quick, striking at her wrists and ankles, clinging to them. In an instant, her hands and feet were bound together by the magic smoke, the thick clouds becoming darker and more firm until they were solid rock!
Before Barbara could even utter a word, she was bound, helpless, and rooted to the spot.
No escape, Barbara realized. No chance to break free.
Real fear raked through Barbara's body then, potent dread sinking deep into her belly. The redheaded vigilante could only watch as Vivian Kaplan closed in on her with slow, confident strides.
Barbara didn't scream or curse or cry. Not at first. But as the Headmistress moved upon her so sensually, reaching out to stroke her fingers across her cheek, Barbara's nerve came bubbling back up.
"Wait!" Batgirl pleaded, squirming against the invisible force holding her in place. Vivian's gentle touch was warm and pleasant, but Barbara forced herself to be repulsed by it. "I'm trying to save you!"
"Oh, you silly little girl…" Vivian cooed, tipping Barbara chin up to look her in the eye. The Headmistress wasn't a tall woman… but she was taller than Barbara. She gave the redhead a warm, motherly smile. "I'm the one who's trying to save you."
Barbara ceased her squirming and wiggling. She stared up at the Headmistress, incredulous and dumbfounded.
"What?"
"Look at you… such pretty eyes… such cute lips…" Vivian spoke quietly, under her breath, ignoring Barbara's clear confusion. The pale woman reached up, running her fingers through the soft red locks that spilled out the back of Barbara's Batgirl mask. "Such luscious hair. You really are lovely, you know that? But still you throw on that cape and mask, wasting your time doing men's work. You call me sick? It's today's world that's sick. And the Kingston Brotherhood - all those fine, strapping young men - they're the cure."
For a moment, Barbara was silent. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to believe it.
But as Vivian's words settled in her mind, the masked heroine realized then that she might have made one too many assumptions about the nature of her enemy. And all that dread and confusion and disbelief came bubbling up in Barbara's throat, spilling out in three simple words.
"What the fuck."
"Reserve that kind of talk for the bedroom, dear." Vivian Kaplan spoke, her voice firm like cold metal. "And take off that ridiculous mask… Barbara Gordon."
Cold dread turned to white hot fear. Barbara stared up at the Headmistress unblinking, unmoving.
'She knows.'
Barbara felt the smoke that bound her wrists and ankles together dissipate. But rather than make a break for it, the redhead found herself still as death itself. The sheer terror of the implications had turned her spine to ice.
'She knows!'
But the worst thing wasn't the fact that her cover was blown.
Barbara's hands slowly began to rise. And as her fingers grazed the surface of her Batgirl mask, she realized to her horror that there was only one thing she could do. The only thing she was allowed to do.
'Obey.'
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