Cora POV:
"Jasey!" I shout when I see him. He's sitting on the living room couch. He gets up with his arms wide and his smile wider.
"Cora! Come here!" He says happily. I wrap him in a tight hug. It's been roughly two weeks since I last saw him.
"Not to be rude, Todd, but why are you here?" Damian asks from behind us. I break the hug to turn to him
"I wanted to see how the first week of school went." He says unfazed. I grin up at him.
"It was really fun!" I say excitedly. I feel like a little kid. He grins with me.
"That's great! Did you make any new friends?" He asks.
"I think so? I mean they never said they were my friends, but we're friendly." I explain happily.
"Well, that deserves a celebration." He says mock seriously. I raise an eyebrow at him.
"A celebration?" I ask. I see Damian stand beside me with his arms crossed.
"Relax Demon Brat. I just meant we should go to town and see some sights." He relents. I feel giddy at the prospect. I don't go into the city often besides school.
"Sounds fun! Are we going to the mall again?" I ask. He grins between me and Damian.
"I was going to take you two to West Gotham actually. There are some sports stores and I think a couple of different kinds of studios." He answers. I feel like he's bugging Dami with this somehow.
"I think Riley mentioned a studio for me in West Gotham. It'd be nice to check it out." I say. I look towards Dami with pleading eyes. He stares back at me but eventually, he breaks.
"Alright. But we're changing first and you will stay by me the whole time." He says firmly. I can live with that.
"Yes! Alright, I'll be right back." I say excitedly. I run up the stairs and yank off the god-awful skirt. I throw on some more comfortable clothes, leggings, and a half sleeve shirt, before running down the stairs again.
I'm practically vibrating with excitement as we wait for Dami. He trods down the stairs in jeans and a T-shirt. He sighs and we head out the door.
Jason drives us through the streets and I'm happy to see the passing city view. I've been to a lot of places. The place that's the most similar, that I can think of, would be New York. Bright lights, loud people, kinda dirty.
We ride up to a curb roughly 30 minutes later. We step out of the car and I take in my surroundings. It smells like hot dogs and old alcohol.
"Alrighty, kiddos, where to first?" Jason asks. I spot a dance studio, that must mean that the MMA studio should be around here somewhere. I spot it at the end of the street not too far away.
"Can we go check out the studio?" I ask. Damian nods and Jason smiles.
"Of course. It should be around here somewhere right?" He asks. I point behind him. He whips around and we begin walking. I feel Dami grab my hand. He usually gets like this when we're out in civilian clothing. I give his hand a small squeeze.
We walk into the studio. It's bigger than my old Dojo. There are mirrors lining the sidewall and I can see a few students sparring. There's upbeat music playing in the background.
A kind-looking man walks over to us. He has a clipboard in his hand and glasses on his large nose.
"Hello, folks. Can I help you?" He asks nicely. I instinctively look towards Jason. He's the adult here. He steps up.
"I was just looking at some training studios for my sister here. Would you mind telling us a bit about this place?" Jason says easily. The man's smile widens.
"Of course, of course. We run a few different classes every week. What type of martial arts do you do little lady?" He asks, turning to me.
"I do Karate but I prefer MMA," I answer. I'm just glad he's asking questions I know the answers to. He turns to Damian.
"Do you do any martial arts buddy?" He asks him.
"No." He answers simply. It's a lie, but it's simple.
"Alright, well we have a few openings in our MMA classes. Are you her guardian?" He asks Jason.
"No, but I'd like to get your contact information so I can give it to her actual guardian." He says cheerfully. The man nods and hands him a slip of paper from the front desk beside us.
"There you go, sir. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions." He says before walking away. We exit the store, Damian is still scrutinizing the interior from the window.
"So, what did you think?" Jason asks me. I ponder it for a moment.
"I like it. And that man seemed nice. It works for me." I say happily.
"Then I'll pass this along to B. You're gonna have to actually ask him about it though." He says, he tucks the paper slip in his pocket. I nod, it makes sense.
"Do you want to go anywhere Dami?" I turn to ask him. He tears his gaze away from the cracks in the cement of the building.
"Perhaps the art store? I'm running low on pencil refills." He explains. Makes sense.
"Alright, well there's one not too far from here. Wanna walk?" Jason asks. I nod. I want to see the sights while I can. Drab buildings are still different from my small town and crystal waters.
We make it to the art store and Dami immediately starts looking around. I know he came in here for pencil lead, but he's still eyeing up canvases and pastels.
I was watching him so intently that I got scared when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I tap Jason on the shoulder as I check the caller ID. Its Charlotte.
"I've got to take this," I tell him quietly. He nods and I walk out of the store as I answer it.
"Coraaaliiine." She sings after I answer.
"Charlooootte." I sing back. We break into a giggle fit.
"The week is over! We're free!" She says happily. I laugh with her.
"It was a great week though. Super easy work." I start.
"Ooh really? Did you meet any new people?" She asks excitedly. I tell her about Riley and Jeremy. She laughs hysterically when I mention that Damian got jealous. I giggle along with her.
"So what are you up to right now?" She asks.
"I'm out shopping with Damian and Jason right now. Actually, do you think I could call you back later? They'll probably be done soon." I say sheepishly.
"Of course. Go have fun, girl. Text me later." She says happily. We say our goodbyes and then hang up. I shove my phone into my too-small pocket. I swear it's gonna fall out and I'm not going to notice.
"Heya girlie." I hear from behind me. I whip my head around to see a blonde woman with her hair in a ponytail. I feel very nervous all of a sudden.
"Um, hi?" I say warily. She grins.
"Come here, I wanna show you something." She says. I probably should go back to the boys. I promised I wouldn't leave Damian.
Curiosity gets the better of me. Better to just see whatever it is instead of making a big scene anyways. I step closer slowly. She doesn't seem offended. She holds out her phone.
I take it. It's a picture of a meme with a sleepy puppy on it. It's actually really cute. Something comes out of the camera, some kind of gas. I cough but as I try to breathe I just inhale more of it.
My head starts spinning and my vision blurs. Are my feet moving? Am I moving? Everything is spinning and I vaguely register the ground coming closer. My body feels numb and dark spots fill my vision.
Everything turns black.
Everything is still black when I can feel my toes again. Feeling travels up my legs. Eventually, I can wiggle my fingers. My head is still fuzzy and I still can't see anything. My hearing is a little distorted but I can hear select words. The amount goes up every so often.
"Harls- she- kid- import-" one voice says. It sounds different than the other one, lower.
"Ivy- boyf- hold- money!" Says the other voice. This voice is higher, a little shrill actually.
All of my senses snap back into me. I can feel the bindings on my wrist. I can smell rain and fertilizer. I can't see anything, but I can hear everything.
"Harley, as far as we know, this kid is just like his dad. And his brother for that matter. She could be just some fling he couldn't care less about." Says the low voice. Definitely female.
"So? His daddy might make him pay just for the publicity. I'm talking Wayne money Ives." Says the shrill voice. Also female. Harley, that makes the low voice Ivy.
Okay, okay, think. Harley and Ivy. I'm tied up and blindfolded. Even if I escaped I don't know if I could take them on. We didn't cover this in gym class!
No, no, I have to remain calm. I'll be okay. From the sounds of it, they just want money.
"Why don't we just ask her what he is to her? Maybe we can aim high." Ivy asks.
"She's still out. Otherwise, she would have screamed." Harley says.
What do I do?! Do I say something?! Do I pretend to still be knocked out?! I panic internally. That panic worsens when the blindfold is lifted off. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. Panic floods through me but I can't talk. I can't move. I just blink rapidly at the adjusting light.
"Wakey wakey sunshine!" Harley says, she smiles at me. I blink back silently. What do I do in this situation? I need to get them talking. Right, buy myself time. But for what?!
"Uh, good morning?" I try. She starts cackling. I look over to Ivy. She's clad in a leather jacket and some killer heels. She looks entirely unimpressed.
"Well good morning to you too! Ha! Alright, kiddo. I like ya. And I don't want to hurt ya." She starts in a happy tone of voice. "But if you try to run I'll bash ya brains in." She continues cheerfully. It's unnerving.
"Okay. No escaping, got it." I say calmly. Harley looks me over. Up and down. She stares at my eyes and I stare back. Where in the hell is this calm facade coming from?!
"Okay kiddo, what's wrong with you? We haven't even told ya why ya here yet." She states. Ivy looks at her with a raised eyebrow. I blink.
"Why am I here?" I ask. That would be just lovely to know.
"Ya dating one of them Wayne kids, right? Well, all they gotta do is pay up and we let you go free." She says. I actually feel a pang of guilt run through me. I look away from her eyes.
"Oh. Um, how much?" I ask cautiously. I can see her give me an odd look from my peripheral.
"I was thinking 13 million. It's my lucky numba." She says. I feel myself cringe slightly at the number. That much?! I have no doubts that they can pay it, but they shouldn't have to. If I had just stuck with Dami then I wouldn't be in this situation.
"Right. I thought 13 was unlucky. Why not 2, or 1 even? 1 is a constant." I say with as much confidence as I can gather. Ivy scoffs.
"Oh please, your boy toys daddy can pay 3 times our amount and still give you all your heart desires," Ivy says sarcastically. I frown.
"I know," I state. Guilt is eating me alive. I look down at my feet. All I can think about is how worried Damian must be, and how bad Jason must feel. I was on his watch and Damian would tear the city apart if he knew I was in danger. That thought sparks more nerves in me.
"How long have I been out?" I ask urgently. I see Harley's eyebrows shoot up at my change in tone.
"Like a few hours. Why?" She answers. I breathe a sigh of relief. He can't have killed anyone yet.
"Have you contacted Mr. Wayne yet? I'd like to stop a homicide or two." I say with a small laugh. Harley looks at me suspiciously. Ivy shrugs.
"We called him about half an hour ago." She states. Well shit. Now I can't tell him I'm okay. I hear someone's phone ding.
"They're asking for proof of life," Harley says as she looks at her real phone.
"Oh perfect," I say in relief. Ivy turns to me seriously. I blink calmly at her serious face.
"Listen to me carefully. We are going to record you and you are going to say that you're fine and to have the money by sundown." She says. I nod.
"I'm fine, have the money by sundown. Got it." I say assuredly. A smile breaks onto my face. Harley looks at me quizzically. She pulls up a chair in front of me and sits in it, crossing her legs.
"Kid, there's gotta be something wrong with you." She says, she inspects me closely. I shrug.
"Trauma?" She asks. I nod slowly, I'm unsure if I should though. I raise my eyebrow at her.
"Alright kid, talk to me." She demands. I look over at Ivy, she just shrugs.
"Uh, okay? Um, my parents haven't been around a lot lately?" I start. Harley nods.
"How recent is lately? Like months or years?" She asks.
"Years. Wait, why?" I ask her she takes out a notepad and starts scribbling in it.
"So you were alone for years? Did you have anyone else with you?" Harley asks, brushing off my question.
"Pretty much. I had a friend but it was mostly just me." I state cautiously. What's happening right now?
"And how did you feel about that?" She asks me curiously. I debate answering. It's hard to talk about this with Dami and the others. I mean they gave me a home, a family. But it still hurts to remember, and I don't want them to think I'm ungrateful.
"Lonely." I start. "I felt lonely. And unloved. I wanted them to come back, stay for longer, I wanted them to want me." I say quietly. I don't look at either of them.
"And who wouldn't? Those are completely normal things to feel." She says, her voice has changed. It's less shrill. Still high, but softer.
"Yeah. Well, I didn't get them to want me, actually, they technically gave me away." I state with a bitter laugh.
"Do you like your new home? And the people there?" She asks me gently. I look up at her.
"Of course. They've all treated me like family. I know they want me there. Well, I think they do at least." I say, suddenly feeling unsure of myself. I look away again. I hear Harley hum softly.
"Okay, so deep-rooted abandonment issues with an inferiority complex and separation anxiety. Sound about right?" She states. I'm at a loss for words. Those words all make a fair amount of sense but the way she just put it makes me seem, kinda broken.
"Uh, maybe?" I question. She nods definitively. She tears the piece of paper she was writing on and turns to Ivy.
"I have one more demand for the Wayne's." She says to Ivy. I see Ivy's eyes widen.
"You don't really mean you're gonna-" she starts but Harley cuts her off.
"You bet I am. It's a steady job Ives." She says. I look quizzically between them. What job?
"Alright, call them. But they'll probably say no," Ivy says reluctantly. Harley pulls out her phone again.
"Hiya Brucie. Here she is, safe and sound." She starts, she turns the phone towards me and I wave quietly with an awkward smile.
"Here's the thing though. I have another demand. And ya not getting her back until ya agree, no matter how much ya pay me." She says shrilly.
"What would that be?" He asks calmly.
"She's gonna become my patient. Honestly Brucie, how do you keep getting such broken kids?" Harley asks rhetorically. I blink at her. She can't be serious.
"Oh hell no! Cora isn't going to be seen by some crazy as-" I hear someone yell before Mr. Wayne cuts him off.
"Damian." He says with his gravelly voice. I perk up at his name.
"Oh is that Dami? Can I see him?" I ask like a child. Ivy shakes her head at me and I huff. I thought I was supposed to talk.
"Is that her? Is she talking?" I hear Mr. Wayne ask. Harley rolls her eyes.
"Alright, 2 minutes." She says as she puts the phone up to my face. I see Mr. Wayne and Damian as well as Dick and Tim and even Jason's shoulder.
"Hi, guys," I say awkwardly. They all breathe a sigh of relief.
"Beloved, you're actually okay?" I see Dami ask. My face softens.
"Yes. I promise I'm completely fine. Not a scratch on me." I say lightly. They all seem very tense.
"Cora, why does she want you as her patient?" Mr. Wayne asks. I shrug.
"We talked a bit. She asked about my parents leaving me and all that fun stuff. Then she told me some medical terms that I think I understand." I explain. I hear Tim start laughing quietly until Damian turns around and almost punches him in the gut.
"Holy crap! She did it with Harley too!" He says. I raise an eyebrow at him. I'm just happy that someone else isn't being all stoic and worried.
"Did what? What did I do?" I ask. It's probably been two minutes but I can tell Harley's curious too.
"You charmed her. You got a supervillain to actually like you! This is priceless!" He says joyfully. I still don't get it. I look between the phone and Harley.
"Yeah, I think she might just feel bad for me Timmy," I state. I certainly didn't charm anyone.
"Come on Bruce, we have to let her now. Who else can say that their psychiatrist is Harley Quinn?" He says putting a hand on Mr. Wayne's shoulder. I shrug. I didn't figure that I needed a psychiatrist.
"She won't let her go until we agree." Richy's offers. Damian turns to him with an outraged expression.
"We are never letting her near that psycho again after this!" I hear Damian yell. I clear my throat.
"Dami, maybe it'll be a good thing. I'll get to talk to someone who isn't, personally involved in whatever I say." I try to reason. He looks at me in shock.
"Cora you can't be serious!" He shouts. I just shrug.
"Well, you at least want me back, don't you?" I question softly at the end. Oh god, what if I'm more trouble than I'm worth now? Maybe he really doesn't want me back and that's why he's fighting so hard. I feel my heart start to race.
"Yes, I do. And I would do anything to have you back here, but are you sure?" He asks quietly. I can see that this pains him.
"I'm sure. I promise I'll be okay." I assure. He gives a sigh and nods to his father. I nod to Harley and she lights up. She turns the phone towards her.
"Perfect! Now since she's my patient, that does mean I'll have to be compensated per session." She adds. I hear a deep sigh come from the phone.
"Done."