The Lone Knight (Under The Cowl Book #1)

CHAPTER 43

     The push back from the explosion did not knock Stephanie too far from where she stood.

Left with a ringing in her ears and slightly skewed vision, Stephanie shook her head to gather her bearings until she found herself as the only one attempting to rise up off the floor.

She found Daria, Cyborg, and Gyspy all on the ground and likely unconscious, hit by the blast quick to come out of nowhere. 

The red light that shone from the center of Cyborg's chest and throughout the crevasses on his metal limbs had gone out. She honed in on Daria, Gypsy, and Lori so she could see if they were still breathing with the subtle rise and fall of their chest.

Stephanie ripped her cowl from over her head and dropped it to the ground. It eased the nerve pinching pain she could not shake inside of her ears when she had it on. And as a result she found her vision blocked by her mop of blonde hair.

Under the palm of her hands and rattling the top of her knees pressed onto the floor, Stephanie felt a rumbling coming from behind her. A soft draft of wind beginning to pull her towards what she could see was a light grand and tall.

The light shined throughout the underground facility, even the crevasses and dark corners sat exposed. 

Stephanie could see more tanks in the distance. How long have they been trapped here? The unlikely and forgotten heroes reduced to prisoners kidnapped from their homes. Some sat empty. Was it a sign that Leslie's collection has yet to be completed? 

Struck across the back before given the chance to stand on both feet, Stephanie fell to the floor.

Hit again and again and again, Stephanie curled into a little ball with her knees pressed against her chest. 

Leslie became unrelenting with the metal pipe in her hand.

"It was a mistake to bring you here! To believe you could help me get what I needed! I thought you out of all the Stephanie Browns would understand the struggle of loss, what hardship means, what it feels like to be abandon. Your life could have meant something here. Instead you've made everything worse. You've killed the last family I had left. And now, I will take your world if it's the last thing I do."

The resolve heard in Leslie's voice did not wane. She was not going to stop, not until she's accomplished what she believes will save her world.

With every whack from the pipe across her arms, guarding herself the best she could, Stephanie felt her opening slowly reveal itself as Leslie began to tire. With every strike from the pipe starting to feel lighter and lighter, Stephanie found her chance to strike back. 

Stephanie grabbed hold of the pipe and push kicked the doctor to the floor.

Stephanie hopped up off the floor and mounted Leslie. She tossed aside the metal pipe and now had the doctor pinned to the floor. "STOP!" Stephanie shouted. "This is got to end. I understand wanting to go back and change things, make different decisions, avoid encounters I wish I never made. I thought running away was the answer, better for everyone that I just stay away, but what would that really accomplish? Would it bring the dead back to life or make people forget about what happen?" Tears started to fill Stephanie's eyes. "No! All we can really do is move on and strive to be better. Not repeat our mistakes. No one is perfect," Stephanie's voice started to crack, tears stuck in the corner of her eyes, "we are all flawed individuals. And what you are doing will only cause more harm than good. This is not the way to save anyone."

Looking down at Leslie and waiting for her answer, Stephanie started to feel the resistance in Leslie arms seeking freedom relax. Did it work?  she asked herself. Was I able to reach her?   "Was that speech supposed to help me see the light?" Leslie asked coldly.

Stephanie sighed heavily and replied solemnly with a "No. But my Leslie Thompkins couldn't do much to stop me either. It wasn't until I came here and saw what the city was becoming without heroes when I knew I could not run away anymore. I told Renee I was grateful for what you've done for me, and that I wasn't sure how I'd ever be able to repay your kindness. You helped give me a second chance at life. You showed me who I needed to be."

"There not much you can do to change my mind, Stephanie. I've seen what this world has become."

"Have you?" Stephanie rose up but still on top of Leslie.

She released her grip from around Leslie's pinned wrist.

"You can't stop me." Leslie said, pointing the palm of her hand towards the center of Stephanie's face.

Nothing happened.

Leslie's eyes widen with surprise. Her eyes quick to turned and look at her glove with confusion. They've have failed to do what she expected. "What have you done?" she accused.

"You should already know." Stephanie's answer hidden behind her back and tucked in her utility belt.

Her EMP baterang.

"Batman taught me to always think one step ahead."

Stephanie unsnapped her concealed hook and wire attached to her utility belt and snapped it onto Leslie's belt. Tethered to Leslie at the hip, Stephanie drew her grappling gun and fired it at the Mask of Ruin. She grabbed hold of the mask and reeled into her grasp. Stephanie turned and locked eyes with Leslie for only a moment.

"What are you doing?" Leslie asked as she looked up in fear of what she could only assume.

"Showing you both the light."

"No!" Leslie cowardly turned and away to shield her face from the mask she knew Stephanie will slam onto her face.

Instead, Stephanie rammed the Mask of Ruin onto her own face and ignited the spooling power from the mask quick to shroud her body.

Like a wave trapped behind a door she fought to hold back, Stephanie moved to fire her grappling gun into the open breach.

"Don't, we can't go in there-" Leslie tried to warn Stephanie.

But it was too late.

Lifted off the ground, Stephanie and Leslie both flew tied to one another as they dove into the bright spiraling abyss of an open breach.