New Earth: Batwoman

Chapter 40

"I have to say, I was surprised to get your call." Sophie said as she entered Kate's apartment.

"Well, things have become complicated and I needed someone to talk to." Kate said as Sophie took off her coat and took the glass of wine Kate offered her.

"That sounds ominous. What's up?" Sophie asked.

"Where to begin?" Kate asked.

"How about from the beginning? I have a feeling that this is where you tell me whatever it is you haven't told me about you being Batwoman." Sophie asked.

"Not everything. There are some things that you're better off not knowing." Kate said.

"Okay then, why don't you tell me what you think I should know. Starting from the beginning." Sophie said.

"Alice knows who I am." Kate said bluntly.

"Wait what?" Sophie asked.

"She told me a few weeks after I became Batwoman, it's the whole reason I backed off her at first. Well that and she was holding my mom hostage." Kate said.

"Wait, if Alice knows that you're Batwoman, why hasn't she spilled it to every other baddie in this city?" Sophie asked.

"I don't know. A small part of me hopes that it's because somewhere inside that maniac is my sister." Kate said.

"And what reason are you going with realistically?" Sophie asked.

"I don't know, but I know it's not to keep me in check, because if it was, she would've spilled my identity to every lowlife in the city as soon as I put her Arkham." Kate said.

"Great, so that's another thing to worry about. I'll just add that to the list since I learned that you were Batwoman." Sophie said and Kate chuckled.

"Anyways, that's not the real reason I called you." Kate said.

"Really, then why did you call?" Sophie asked her.

"Because earlier today, she actually managed to get me to come down and talk to her in Arkham." Kate said.

"Do I even want to know what she said?" Sophie asked.

"Probably not, but you need to anyway, since if she was telling the truth and this is one case where I think she might be, you need to be on your guard. We all do, since another war is likely coming to Gotham, but this time, it's not between me and my sister." Kate said.

"What do you mean?" Sophie asked.

"Frank Bertinelli is likely on his way back to Gotham right now and I told Helena that the man she's been hunting for years is finally within her grasp." Kate said.

"I thought Helena gave up hunting down the man who is her father only in blood?" Sophie asked.

"No, she lost his trail. There's a very distinct difference. Now that she's finally got a lead on her dad, the hero you've come to see the Huntress as, she's gone and she's been replaced by a person I barely recognize." Kate said.

"How so?" Sophie asked.

"She's still out there right now, beating the crap out of any lowlife she thinks might know where Frank Bertinelli is and I don't even want to think about what she'll do when she finds him." Kate said.

"So, you're worried she'll kill him?" Sophie asked.

"Soph, Frank Bertinelli is Helena's Alice, if anyone understands that kind of hatred it's me, since when I found out that Alice was holding my mother hostage for years, her own mother, I nearly killed her and Helena was the one who talked me down. The thing is, Helena's been doing this a lot longer than I have and I'm worried that even if I can catch up to her, I'll be able to talk her down." Kate said.