Barbara Queen

Beratement and Betrayal

"Get dressed, let's go!" Barks Barbara.
I hurry to get changed putting on a tight black dress.

I grab my coat and we jump into the car.
"Well that took long enough." She says sarcastically.
I rolls my eyes, "gee sorry I was as fast as I could be. What's the rush anyways?"
Barbara glares at me.
"The rush is that Ed has the mayor and I'm in quiet to torture information out of him."
"What, you afraid nygmas gonna get to it first?"
Barbara looks straight ahead.
"That's exactly what worries me."
She turns the engine and we rush off. Barbara driving fast, much to fast for my comfort but I've gotten used to it by now. Her recklessness, the hot flashes of rage and the violent mood swings. It's all a lot to handle, and even harder to survive threw. I try my best to stay out of her line of fire. Not making her angry is the key to survival.
We arrive at Ed's lair and babs rushes in. She doesn't even bother to see if I'm coming. I follow her diligently.
The lair looks the same as it did the other day, except for mayor James, who's tied to a chair in the middle of the room. He's blindfolded and Ed speaks to him.
"Well, I must say I'm impressed." Barbara announces strolling towards them. I follow her.
"You actually did it?" I say just as shocked as I am bewildered.
"But how?"
Nygma shrugs.
"It wasn't that hard, he was in the hospital practically begging for me to take him."

Barbara smiled and walks closer to the scared man. He can't see her of course but he recognizes her voice almost immediately.
"Remember me, Aubrey?" Says Barbara coming up from behind him and leaning very close to his face.
"I know that voice." Stutters the mayor. He's shaking and sweating a lot.
Barbara smiles, "I'm so glad," she whispers.
"I thought maybe it got muffled. We put that box on your head."
I don't know what she's referring to but it really seems to scare him. She places her red leather gloved hand on the top of his head.
He gasps and she giggles.
"That was fun, we should do that again for old times sake." She says with an aggressive pat on his shoulder. He gasps and quakes.
"You don't get it do you?" He says, "these people they're, they're like god. They see and hear everything. They'll know I talked."
Barbara gasps excitedly and claps together her hands.
"Then it's the box." She sings happily.
The mayor crumbles at this, "no, no, no. Please, anything but that."
I really don't understand why she's so afraid of having a box on his head but I assume it wasn't a very pleasant time.
"They call themselves the court." He says giving in.
"And?" Prompts Barbara.
He shakes, "tha-that's all I know. I- I've never met these people."
Barbara smiles fades to a scowl I know all to well.
"I just did what they asked me to, I swear." He pleads with them.
I can't help but feel bad for this guy, he's really pathetic.
Barbara looks at Ed who's clapping his hands.
"Very good! Thank you, Mr. Mayor! You've been very helpful."
Barbara gawks at him then turning to me to see if my reaction is the same.
"Helpful?" Says Barbara like the words not in her dictionary.
"All he gave us was 'the court'"
"He gave us tangible evidence of their existence." Replies Ed.
"Now they'll know I'm not bluffing."
"Bluffing?" I asked, confused.
"What are you taking about?" Asks Barbara.
Ed smiles, "I'm going to force the court to reveal themselves. What so the one thing every secret organization is afraid of?" He asks.
"Being exposed" Barbara says with a smirk.
"Bingo." Says Ed.
We all turn as Tabitha enters the lair. She has with her a device of some sort.
"Finally." Says Ed, "did you bring what I asked for?"
Tabitha hands him the device but doesn't let go. She hold on until he snatches it out her hand.
Barbara walks over to soften the mood.
"It's time to get the courts attention." Says Ed.
Barbara ignores Ed and moves closer to Tabitha.
"Baby..." she reaches out for her hand but Tabitha pulls away in anger.
"Gordon came to the club. He knows everything." She says.
"You should have never gotten Nygma involved." She says before storming off.
Barbara watches her go not saying anything.
"El, come. Its time we leave!" She says grabbing my wrist and dragging me away from Ed.
I don't try to fight her.
She doesn't talk to me in the car, or on the drive home. I can tell she's upset about what happened with Tabitha.
I know there going threw a rough patch but his is so unlike her. Quiet and still, that's not the Barbara Kean I know.
In the bar I turn on the television. Nygma and the mayor are on it. The mayor is wearing the odd device that Tabitha brought Nygma. It's around his neck like a collar.
"Shut that off." Barbara snaps at me. I sigh and do as I'm told.
She goes into her office and slams the door behind her. I sit down at the bar, alone.
A moment later she slams her office door open. "NOOO!" She roars. She runs out the club without telling me anything.
"Barbara wait!" But she's already gone.
A moment later Tabitha and butch enter.
"What the hell just happened!?" I ask her.
"What?" She asks.
"Barbara! She just screamed and left."
Tabitha looks at butch who sighs.
"We may have done something." She says guilty.
"Like what?" I ask anxiously.
"We told Jim Gordon how disable the bomb. Barbara and Ed's plan failed."
My eyes ogle "you did what? Are you crazy? Barbara's gonna murder you!"
"Oh calm dow." Says Tabitha, "let's just let her blow of some steam. Well open the bar, have a good time. She'll be back later and we can deal with it then."
I shake my head.
"Your crazy if you think Barbara won't want to punish you for this." I say walking away from her.
I go into Barbara's office to hide, soon music starts playing and people start arriving. I know I should go out. It's still my job after all. I'm just terrified of what's Babs will do when she gets back.
I sigh and leave her office. The place is packed. The doors slamming open get my attention. It's Barbara and she looks about ready to kill.
"Barbara your back-" she shoves me against the wall. "Ugh!" I fall to the ground after slamming my head against the wall. It not as bad as what she does to the next guy though.
"Good evening, Miss Kean. May I offer you a drink?" Asks a server.
In a blind rage she picks up the bottle and smashes it against his head. He drops to the ground and the crowd gasps. I get up and fight my way threw the huddle of people. Barbara heads straight towards Tabitha and butch.
I arrive just in time for the fight to break lose.
"Something went wrong!" Barbara yells over the music. "Gordon took down Nygma before he could fine out the truth about the court," she says. Her voice is raged, undoubtedly form her screaming.
"Probably cause I told him how to disarm the bomb." Says Tabitha defiantly I shut my eyes, I can barely watch.
"What?" Barbara asks, looming closer to Tabby.
She doesn't back away.
"Why?" She also sin a torn, scratchy voice.
"You promised that when Nygma handed over the underworld I would get to kill him. Sealed it with a kiss, remember?" Says Tabitha taping Barbara under her chin.
Barbara is fuming.
"Don't you get it?" she says in an almost whispery voice, "as long as the court is out there, I'll NEVER BE IN CONTROL!" She screams, she's loud enough for the whole city to hear. I shake, her voice is so overpowering it almost brings tears to my eyes.
Butch just shakes his head.
"Don't you mean we'll never be in control?" Tabitha corrects her.
All Barbara can do is glare at her. She looks like she wants to kill her friend but somehow restrains.
Barbara storms off pushing past Tabitha.
I rush to go after her but stop, there's no point. Not when she's like this.
I'm afraid Barbara has finally lost it.
"Do you have any idea what you've done!" I yell marching back to Tabitha and Butch.
"Open your eyes El, she's crazy." Butch says.
"Who's side are you on anyways?" Asks Tabitha.
I shake my head, "I'm not in anyone's side," I say, "but Barbara, she's saved my life more times than I can count. I'm loyal to her!" I declare surprising even myself. I suppose I do have a side.
"But that doesn't mean I'm not with you as well, I get it Barbara's a lunatic. But you can't change that okay, all you can do is try to survive. Just like me!"
Tabitha rolls her eyes.
"Barbara may have saved your ass a few times sure, but think about how many times she's risked it too."
"I'd be dead if it went for her!" I say.
Tabitha and butch shake their heads at me.
"No you'd be safe. And sooner or later your gonna lose your life. If not from Barbara then because of her."
She sighs, "I don't even know why I'm arguing with you!" she says before angrily storming off in the opposite direction.
"Move it!" I hear her scream and she pushes someone against the wall just as Barbara had pushed me. I shake my head. There so alike and yet so different.
"Barbara's lost it, you'd be better of getting out while you still can." Butch says before also walking off. I sigh, I'm alone. Again.
Some days it feels like nothings changed.
I go to the centre of the room to get everyone's attention.
"Everyone out!" I yell, "we're closed!"
Even though I'm not Barbara everyone leaves. I figure it's for the best. If things get messy it won't be good to have other people around.
I go to Barbara office and knock on her door.
Hopefully she's calmed down a bit.
"Barbara, it's El. I sent everyone home, except for that one guy you hit over the head. He might be dead I'm not sure."
I wait for a response,
"Barbara? Can I come in. I- I just wanna talk. Please let me in."
No one answers so I go in anyways. Barbara sitting at her desk, knife in hand.
"Go away!" She says glaring at me.
"Barbara please I just want to talk."
"Did you know?" She asks me.
"You mean about Tabitha," I say "no! Barbara I'm not stupid enough to betray you like that."
She just stared at me, "she'll pay for this." She says in a dark voice. I shake my head.
"No, no please don't do anything. I get it betrayal sucks and it hurts but Tabithas your best friend. No offence or anything but it doesn't seem like you have too many of those just lying around."
Barbara gives me a look of pure rage, I swear I can see fire in her eyes.
"Is that so!" She says forcefully stabbing the desk with her knife.
"It is," I say confidently, "and you know it."
Barbara works her jaw and clenches her fist. She's probably trying not to kill me.
"Well, if this has taught me anything it's that Tabitha shouldn't be involved in the big discussions." She says.
She grunts, " I was so close, if she hadn't done that the court would be dead by now!"
"You don't know that." I say softly.
"yes I do!" She screams.
I flinch like I do whoever she screams at me.
"I'm just saying, the past is the past. You can't change it but you can do something about what comes next." I say.
She sighs and rolls her eyes,
"You don't get it do you, I need this. I need to be the only one with power in Gotham."
I sigh, "No Barbara. You don't just want power... you want everything."
She glares at me, "I can have everything." She says.
I look down, "and if you help me," she continues " I can give you the life you deserve." I lol up. What is she hinting at?
"Aren't you tired of hiding, aren't you sick of being the weak orphan girl who's parents died without really knowing her."
I feel my eyes water. She knows nothing about my parents.
"I could give you power, I could show you how to be free." says Barbara, the insanity in her eyes is almost contagious.
I can't become like her.
"I'm not like you, I don't want the world. All I want is to be safe." I say.
Barbara scoffs at me.
"Then what are you still doing here?"
I sigh, "I may not be the strongest, or the bravest but I'd like to think I'm smart. I'm smart enough to know that your my best chance. That your the one who can protect me and that might be suicidal and crazy but I don't care. My whole life I've let people leave me, and I've let people go because I've been to weak to hold on but not anymore. You where right about one thing, when we first met you said I was Naive and I was. But I'm not now. I'm not going to let anyone take me life!"
Barbara smirks at me. "Your rather confident." She remarks.
I smile back at her, "your right," I say,
"I am."