"You will die a slow and painful death," the White Dragon had informed her. "I wish for you to suffer and reflect on the folly of challenging the Dragon Lords."
Helena's body felt like it was on fire. Her shoulder throbbed painfully from the bullet wound that had yet to be tended. If blood was continuing to flow freely from the wound, then she might be near the end of her young life. She might actually avoid the slow death the White Dragon had wished for her.
However, the gunshot wound was only among the many of the Huntress' current worries. She had been folded tightly; her body compressed by having her knees forced up underneath her chin. The Dragon Lords had tied her in this position with her hands bound to her ankles. They had forcibly compressed her into a ball, securing her with numerous ropes. Her limbs and muscles cried out for release, but there wasn't any to come.
The Huntress had been placed inside a crate that just barely would hold her curled up form. Packing material had been added, filling every nook and cranny of her prison. What little movement that had been left from her stringent bondage had been taken away. As a final touch, the lid of the reinforced crate had been nailed on.
The cloth packed into her mouth and sealed in with duck tape prevented her from crying out for help. Not that there was anyone around that would help free her from her prison anyway. The warehouse belonged to the Dragon Lords and they had no interest in helping her. Helena was alone, sealed inside her crate. Eventually she would die from dehydration, provided she didn't bleed to death first.
Finally, the haze that covered her mind began to lift. The effect of the White Dragon's drug was slowly wearing off. Helena's mind began to clear; she could think coherently once more.
"Must get free," she reasoned to herself. "Not much time left..."
While she could potentially survive for days inside the crate, there were perhaps only hours before her muscles would become so cramped up that they would no longer function. Her limbs would become numb and this crate would truly be her final resting place.
She could feel her gadget belt still around her waist. So confident in his victory was the White Dragon that he hadn't bothered to remove it. Why should he? Tied as she was, it was of no use to the Huntress. There was no possible way for her to reach it.
Fortunately, Helena had prepared for such contingencies. Long ago she had worked small cutting blades into the forefingers of her gloves. She had reasoned that even if her hands were tied and she couldn't reach her gadget belt, at least she could cut ropes with the tiny blades. They had allowed her to escape from VIPER in the past. (Editor's Note: Back in Huntress #3)
With effort, the Huntress rubbed her thumbs along her forefingers, forcing the cutting blades out. It was a tedious task, given the manner in which she was bound. Being sealed in darkness didn't help any.
By concentrating on this task, Helena was able to ignore the pain in her body. Now free of the drug's effect she had purpose once more: first to escape this deathtrap and then clean the floor with the White Dragon's face. The smug crime lord would pay dearly for this! Then she would tend to her wounds and sleep for a week.
With the cutting blades finally extended complately the Huntress felt around for a rope to cut. Any one would do right now. The packing material hindered her movements, but she was able to fight through it. The White Dragon thought the Huntress to be some weak female and constantly degraded her because of her gender. In fact the Huntress was nearly as strong as three fit men. It was a struggle, but she was able to slowly move her hands through the packing.
Locating a rope, Helena began to slice and on the fourth cut the rope snapped in two. The rope had secured her hands to her ankles and severing it had given the Huntress a bit more mobility. She was able to stretch out a few more inches, much to the relief of her tired muscles.
The ropes securing her ankles came next and in moments her feet were free. The Huntress flexed her ankles apart happily, but she still had a long way to go to complete her escape. She rested for a moment, but knew that time was not on her side.
Helena had done a few escapes as part of her magician stage act. They were the typical type of stage magic stunt where she had to complete a seemingly impossible escape within a certain amount of time or meet a horrific fate. Only now there was no clock running, no tense crowd watching to cheer her on. This was just a one on one struggle, with her continued survival as the prize.
Gingerly, Helena forced her right arm up along her legs towards her knees. It was easier to move along her body then to try and force her way through the packing. Given the pain in her left shoulder, she wanted to limit the use of that arm. Hopefully, she'd be able to let it rest while she worked on the rest of the ropes holding her. The Dragon Lords had placed her on her left side in the box to further aggravate her injury. Just lying on it was painful enough as it was.
Halfway up her shin, the Huntress located the rope that was holding her in this compressed shape. It traveled across her legs and around to her back. Eagerly Helena cut into the rope stabbing her legs a couple of times in the process. As she cut, Helena strained trying to stretch out her legs.
Finally her efforts were rewarded and the rope snapped and Helena's legs jerked away from her body. The muscles in her legs sighed in relief as their pain was lessened. Some of the feeling that she had lost in her lower limbs was slowly coming back.
The Huntress continued to raise her arm upwards as much as the ropes that held her elbows to her knees would allow. The bonds that held her knees to each other was next. This was one was particularly difficult as her hand had to reach out and then back towards the ropes. Again, she managed to cut herself as much as she did the rope, but these minor cuts didn't matter. She had to be free!
In spite of her efforts to concentrate, Helena's mind began to wander. She wondered if her father would approve of her efforts as the Huntress. She tried her best to make him proud, but always seemed to find herself falling short of that lofty goal. Even worse Helena felt betrayed by her own body.
The Super Soldier Formula had augmented the original Hunter back during the days of World War II. He was as strong as a dozen men and quicker and more agile than any athlete. Bruce Kirby had been the first Hunter and it was his legend that his son, Lane, had to grapple with.
Bruce became the Hunter during the late 1930's and proudly served his country during World War II. After the war, Bruce settled down and married his longtime girlfriend Maria Santini. Bruce continued to be the Hunter until the early sixties when he passed the uniform on to his son.
Helena didn't have many recollections of her grandparents. Maria died in a car accident before she was even born. Bruce passed on when Helena was only a baby. She had vague recollections of being held by her grandfather, but nothing more. Photos she had seen of herself as a child rather than actual remembrances probably caused those memories.
Her father, Lane Kirby, became the second Hunter and he proudly carried on the family tradition until his untimely death. Seemingly, the formula that altered Bruce and allowed him to become Hunter had been passed on to his son. Lane was also stronger and fitter than any Olympic athlete.
At a very young age, Helena followed the exploits of the Hunter. She could still recall the excitement when she first learned the family secret. She would never forget the words that she wrote in her diary on that day.
"Dear Diary: I can hardly believe it! My daddy, my very own daddy-- The Hunter! I knew he was the strongest, smartest, most wonderful dad... but he's a hero too! I do so want to spend my life being just as good as he is!"
It was those words that drove Helena on to become a worthy successor to her father. Since her early childhood, Helena knew that it was her destiny to become the Huntress. She sacrificed so much to achieve her dream that sometimes she had to wonder if it was all worth it. Helena excelled in her studies and was attending Harvard by the age of fourteen.
She soon mastered a variety of subjects, ranging from the law, to the slight of hand skills of the stage magician, to combat disciplines like boxing and karate. Although she didn't realize it at the time, her father had also been honing her deductive skills in what seemed to be simple games.
But in spite of all these advantages, Helena found herself failing to live up to the family legend. She wasn't as strong or as supple as her father. Not just by a small margin, but there was seemingly a huge gulf between them in skill level. It was a difference so great that Helena couldn't rationally explain it away.
When it came to battle, she could more than hold her own against normal foes. Street thugs held no great fear for her. After all, she had defeated six armed Dragon Lords earlier in the evening without much trouble.
No, it was superpowered foes that gave her difficulties. So far she had been lucky to survive several such encounters. The Dreadknight could have killed her if not for Muskateer's timely intervention. However, she still did bear the scars from that encounter. (Editor's Note: Back in Avengers #10)
Next was the conflict with the demented Roxie. This one was very personal as it was Roxie who poisoned her father and as Artemis had nearly slain her dear friend, Black Diamond. Helena had been captured by Roxie and found herself chained at the villain's feet. It was fortunate that Roxie sought one on one combat with Helena, or she would have died right then.
In some ways, Roxie was a dark reflection of Helena. Both had come from families with unusual traditions and both possessed advantages beyond normal humans. Had Helena given in to her urges for revenge, she could have ended up just like Roxie. Whenever that thought surfaced, it would chill Helena to the depths of her soul.
Helena could still remember being chased down the highway by Roxie in the Artemis armor. How the Huntress was forced to use her thermite pellets against her armored foe. Upon reflection she had no choice. She had been pushed to the edge and Helena was forced to choose between her life and the life of Roxie. The sight of the Artemis armor exploding as the thermite burned into the armor's jet fuel was one that she would never forget. (Editor's Note: Shown in Huntress #13-15)
Roxie, for better or worse, had changed Helena's life. It was her actions that led to Helena becoming the Huntress before her father would have wished and probably before she was truly ready. It was Roxie destroying her Central Park West Apartment that forced Helena to return to the family estate.
Then, when she least expected it, Helena's mother re-entered her life. Felina had been sent away while Helena was just a small child for reasons that were not fully revealed until recently. Lane and Grandma Jenny raised Helena during this time, ensuring that she had a happy childhood.
Helena had always resented Felina for not being there as a child. It was a hurt that she couldn't deal with nor understand. It took tremendous effort on Felina's part to just get Helena to listen to her side of the story. In the end, Helena did feel some sympathy for her mother. She always thought that it was Felina's choice to leave, while in reality Lane had made her go off to Europe and out of their lives.
What Helena didn't know was that Felina was a superpowered cat burglar who had become addicted to being a thief. Lane couldn't have such a negative influence around her daughter during her formative years and so Felina was sent packing. In some ways, Helena couldn't help but feel sorry for her mother.
Remarkably, there were a great many similarities between the two women. They shared a strong resemblance and had many of the same interests. Felina moved back into the mansion with Helena and they tried to make up for all the time they had lost.
Reluctantly, Felina helped with some of the Huntress' training. Helena could sense that her mother didn't approve of her dual life as a superheroine, but she didn't come right out and say it. In a way, Helena could understand. Felina finally had her daughter back in her life and didn't want to lose her again.
"I promise you that I'll get out of this okay, mom", Helena vowed to herself. "I don't want to lose you either."
There were other battles where the Huntress was of no great help. She had very nearly been changed into a vampire by Gratz. Only the timely intervention of the bizarre Jack O' Lantern had saved her on that day. (Editor's Note: Back in Huntress #19-20)
"Never did thank him", Helena realized wistfully.
Next came the fearsome Ravager that the entire team of Avengers had trouble containing. But through teamwork, they were victorious. The Huntress was unconscious when the man-beast fell before her teammates. (Editor's Note: Shown in Avengers #25)
The pattern was becoming more and more recognizable. The Huntress was more than a match for street level thugs, but a liability when it came to those with real superpowers. This was a lesson that she was learning the hard way.
Discovering that her mother also possessed powers just made Helena all the more despondent. Felina was actually faster and more agile than Hunter was! Yet somehow all these abilities and traits never filtered down into Helena. It frustrated Helena beyond words.
As the Huntress she had the legacy of the Hunters to live up to. Now she was falling far short of her lofty goals. Was she doomed to be only a second rate hero? Helena never imagined that it would be her own body that failed her. There had to be a reason but she simply couldn't think of one.
Tests had been performed on Helena while she was being tested on Sanctuary. Those results would be compared to those of her father and mother, but Helena was afraid that they would confirm what she already suspected: that the formula that had changed Bruce had run its course and Helena was going to be the last of the Hunter line. She never would measure up to her predecessors. For the first time in her life she would fail at some endeavor. The thought was more than Helena could bear.
The snapping of the ropes around her knees brought Helena back to reality and the seriousness of her situation. Unfortunately, her knees where still secured to her elbows and continued to limit their range of motion. Severing those ropes was the Huntress' next priority.
Feeling her way along, the Huntress maneuvered her fingers towards their target. Locating the desired rope, Helena went to work. Once more she moved the tiny cutting blades back and forth, making good progress through her bonds. After half a dozen cuts, these ropes were also sliced.
The Huntress forced her knees apart and sighed in relief as more of her aches were momentarily relieved. The packing material limited her range of motion, but it was a joy to just be able to move those few inches.
Slowly and gingerly, the Huntress forced herself to roll over onto her back. The size of the crate greatly limited her movements, but Helena finally managed to succeed by compacting herself back tightly into a ball. Her past maneuvering had crushed some of the packaging, giving her more room to work with. By making her body area smaller, she had even more room to move in.
Once on her back, the pain in her shoulder lessened a bit. The remaining ropes were cut away in short order. The Huntress was free, but still sealed up inside the crate. The gag was left in place for the moment. At the very least it kept the popcorn and peanuts out of her mouth. She contemplated her next move.
"No telling if the Dragon left any guards or not," the Huntress mused. "I may very well be attacked as soon as I break out of this crate..."
Mentally the heroine ran through the items contained in her gadget belt. There had to be something in there that she could make use of. Her rarely used climbing claws should be able to shred the walls of her wooden prison, but they would take time and would alert any potential guard.
The thermite pellets were considered for a moment and quickly forgotten. While they would easily burn through the crate, they would also ignite the packing material and in turn burn the Huntress alive. Helena had no intention of sharing Roxie's fate.
"Looks like brute force is the answer to this problem," the Huntress concluded.
Maneuvering her legs up towards her chest once more, Helena placed her booted feet against the lid of the crate. It had been nailed in place earlier but Helena counted on her greater than normal leg strength to do the trick. At least she hoped so.
After taking several deep breaths, the Huntress pushed against the lid with all her might. Tense moments passed as the lid resisted her efforts. Helena continued to strain, putting what strength she had left inside her towards the task at hand. Sweat began to form and run down her face.
"Come on, damn you!" Helena cursed to herself. "Break!"
Just as she was ready to give up, the Huntress could hear the wood groan loudly as nails were being pulled up. The lid had actually moved! A tremendous feeling of relief came over the heroine. This nightmare was actually coming to an end.
Lowering her legs once more, the Huntress relaxed, regaining her strength. After the short pause, Helena went back to her task with renewed vigor. This time she slammed her feet into the lid, causing it to pull up further. Two more smashes and the lid was sent flying. The top of the crate was now open!
"Free!" the Huntress cried out, in spite of her gag. The heroine sprung out of the crate and took stock of her current situation. Just being able to stand up straight felt so good. She glanced all around and quickly determined that she was alone. None of the Dragon Lords were in the vicinity, but the warehouse lights were still on. The White Dragon was so confident in his victory that he never bothered to post a guard.
While this was a great relief to the weary heroine, it was also somewhat of a disappointment. It just further illustrated how pathetic a foe the White Dragon considered her to be. Deep down inside, she felt he might be right.
"I will make him pay for what he did to me," the Huntress vowed as she pulled the tape away from her mouth. The gag was spit out a moment later and Helena worked to get her jaws feeling normal again. "Boy, does it feel good to have that out!"
With no immediate threats to face, the Huntress examined her wound. The bloodstain had grown larger since the last time she had seen it. Helena couldn't be sure if it had even stopped bleeding yet. Reaching into her gadget belt, the Huntress pulled out a large bandage to cover the wound. A small packet of antibiotic cream was rubbed on to the bandage before it was applied. Actual cleaning of the wound would have to wait until later. Past experience had caused Helena to add some medical supplies to the belt.
"They're probably long gone," Helena mused as she decided which direction she would take to get out of the warehouse. "After all, they had me right where they wanted me. If not for my gadgets I'd still be in that damn box!"
"That can still be arranged, female."
The Huntress' jaw dropped upon hearing the voice of the White Dragon coming from behind her. Turning, she found the crime lord standing there, arms folded. However, none of the other Dragon Lords were in sight. But they could still be out there.
"You are far more trouble than I imagined. Your will to survive is almost admirable. For a mere female."
The Huntress struck a defensive pose, waiting for her foe to strike. If he was still here, then he had no intention of letting Helena leave so easily! "I'm glad you approve," she added sarcastically as she balled her fists.
"You still seek to challenge me?" The White Dragon actually seemed amazed by this.
"I take it personally when people try to box me up like an expensive package."
The White Dragon unfolded his arms. "So be it. I promise that your death will be quick, but most painful."
"Bring it on, big man!"
Emotions getting the best of her, the Huntress took a swing at the source of her recent frustrations. The torture of being trapped in that crate for who knows how long didn't help matters any. In spite of how badly her body felt Helena just had to stubbornly challenge this arrogant criminal. The drug the White Dragon used on her could still be clouding her judgment.
The Master of the Dragon Lords easily sidestepped the attack, grasping the Huntress' arm in the process. With ridiculous ease, he used the heroines' own momentum against her and sent her flying. The Huntress landed back first on the hard concrete floor. The impact forced the air from her lungs and Helena struggled to suck in oxygen.
Surprisingly, the White Dragon did not press his advantage. Instead, he casually circled his fallen foe.
"You should have fled when you had the chance, female. The gods smiled upon you, allowing you to escape your fate. Now you've sealed it with your foolishness."
"Arrogant bastard, aren't you?" the Huntress called out as she rose to her feet once more. "I have no idea where you got your 'superior to women' attitude, but I'm going to be the first woman to kick your sorry ass! I have a name! Use it!"
Seeing an opening, the heroine went on the offensive once more. So far the White Dragon seemed content to let her make all the moves. With Helena's anger swelling, the Huntress spun and attempted to land a kick on the side of the White Dragon's head.
This time the crime lord didn't move to avoid the blow. His hand flicked out far faster than the Huntress thought possible and caught her leg in mid-air! The White Dragon's grip was tremendous! He was far stronger than Helena ever expected.
"Like all females who don't know their place, you must be taught a painful lesson," the White Dragon calmly stated. "Let this be the first lesson."
Unexpectedly, the White Dragon's free hand shot forward and savagely slammed into the heroines' lower leg with a bone shattering smash! Incredible pain shot up the Huntress' leg that made her bullet wound seem trivial by comparison. To her horror, she saw her foot turn at an almost impossible angle. The White Dragon released the damaged leg and the Huntress collapsed to the floor.
Not believing what had just happened, the Huntress reached towards her wounded appendage. "You-- You broke my leg!", she screamed in agony. The pain was overwhelming and tears streamed down her face.
"Just a taste of the pain to come, foolish one."
The White Dragon struck fast once more. The Huntress barely had time to recognize the incoming attack before it struck. The White Dragon performed a brutal kick to the ribs of the heroine. The sickening sound of breaking bones accompanied the blow.
More pain filled the Huntress' body as several of her ribs cracked. In agony, the heroine tried to crawl away, but couldn't move quickly enough. She was rapidly discovering that she had severely underestimated the power of her foe. Winning this battle was no longer an option. Survival was now all that she could hope for.
Desperately trying to ignore the agony in her leg and chest, the Huntress bravely tried to fire off her climbing line. If she could latch on to something overhead, she could put some distance between herself and the White Dragon. At least buy some time to think and perhaps find a way to escape with her life.
The White Dragon would have none of that. He kicked her arm, sending the climbing line flying off into the distance, causing it to land harmlessly on the warehouse floor. Grabbing a hold of her arm, the villain twisted it painfully. Once more the screams of the Huntress filled the warehouse.
"Where are your sarcastic comments now, woman? Do you finally realize who your master is?"
A curse was the Huntress' only reply. The White Dragon merely chuckled in response. "Foolish to the very end. So be it."
While holding her good arm tightly, the White Dragon used his right foot to repeatedly slap the Huntress back and forth across the face. Mercilessly, he pummeled away at the heroine giving her no reprieve.
Nearly blinded by the pain, the Huntress managed to find a thermite pellet with her free hand. But it was the same side as the earlier bullet wound and even this simple movement was painful, adding to her overall torment. The pellet was tossed and didn't even come close to striking the sadistic White Dragon.
"Beg for mercy, female, and I may end your suffering right here and now. Or should I stuff you back in your box and let nature take its course? I doubt you could repeat your escape in your current condition. But I had best make sure."
Putting his superior strength to use once more, the White Dragon twisted Helena's arm further than it was ever meant to. New pain flashed through her arm and the Huntress could no longer move her limb. Yet another scream resounded through the warehouse.
"I'm going to die," Helena suddenly realized to herself between tears and screams. The pain that was going through her wounded and tortured body made death seem almost welcome. Sweat that streamed down her face had settled into her eyes. The Huntress could no longer see, no longer defend herself. The simple act of breathing had become difficult for her battered body.
"No response?" the Master of the Dragon Lords inquired. "Pity. I trust you learned your lesson well. No mere female will ever defeat the Dragon Lords."
There was nothing the Huntress could do. The pain that wracked her body was excruciating. It made her confinement in the cramped box seem like a holiday by comparison. All she could do was wait for her torment to hopefully come to an end.
"Get away from her, you bastard!"
Astonishingly, a woman's voice called out from close by in the warehouse. It sounded familiar, but Helena's battered mind couldn't quite place it. She was falling into severe shock.
Equally startled, the White Dragon turned towards the new arrival. He had been unaware of her approach. A woman in a tight black bodysuit landed nearby in a crouch. "Yet another foolish female? Do you seek to learn my lesson as well?"
"Mom?" Helena whispered finally realizing who the newcomer's voice belonged to. "Get away. Save yourself."
"I'm not going anywhere without you", Felina vowed. "While I normally abhor violence, I'm willing to make an exception toward this poor excuse for a human being."
"How touching," the White Dragon chuckled. "But ultimately futile. I grow weary of these games!"
This time, the White Dragon went on the offensive from the start. He planned to deal with this new annoyance quickly. To his astonishment, the newcomer dodged his attack. That had never happened before!
No matter, this woman would also fall. The White Dragon moved into his next attack, but it also fell far short of the mark. The woman in black simply tumbled away from his offensive display.
"That was pathetic," Felina taunted. "I thought you were this big tough guy. Can't even lay a finger on a little girl?"
"Careful,... Mom," Helena managed to utter. All she could do was lay on the floor and endure the pain filling her battered body.
"Save your strength, dear," Felina suggested. "I know what I'm doing."
Felina leaped into the air once more, tumbling over the White Dragon. As she did, the fabric at the tips of her fingers was torn as her razor sharp nails came protruding out. While still in midair, Felina swiped her claws across the eyes of the White Dragon tearing right through his stylized mask!
This time is was the crime lord who screamed in agony. Immediately, his hands went to cover his wounds. "You bitch! My eyes! I'll kill you for that! I'll kill you both!"
Ignoring the White Dragon's cries, Felina rushed to Helena's side. "Hang on," she whispered. "I'm going to get you out of here." The sight of her daughter so badly beaten, her body broken was almost more than she could bear. She desperately tried to fight back her own tears and remain calm in this crisis situation.
"Mom?", Helena groggily responded. "What did you do?" The White Dragon continued to curse off in the distance. By now he had switched to his native Chinese.
"I gave him something else to think about." Scooping her daughter up into her arms, Felina broke into a sprint towards the nearest exit. She tried to avoid causing any further pain to Helena, but at the same time had to get her to a hospital as quickly as possible. "Just hold on, baby. Just hold on."
As she ran towards the exit, Felina could see other thugs advancing towards her. Most likely they were allies of the White Dragon. However, they were plainly dressed in black and possessed a variety of hand weapons. They were clearly intent on stopping Felina from getting out of the warehouse with Helena.
Two moved in front to block Felina's path but she simply leaped over them without breaking stride. Felina landed as gently as she could, but it still brought a groan of pain out from Helena. "I'm sorry, honey," Felina whispered. She cradled her daughter closer to her body, trying to somehow comfort her.
Reaching the exit, Felina flung the man door open and rushed out into the night. Thanks to her cat-like abilities, Felina didn't need night sight lenses to see in the dark. Much like a feline, her eyes could see normally in the nighttime.
Pausing for a second, Felina gathered her bearings. The Corvette was a short distance away. Felina had found it earlier when she arrived on the motorcycle. Breaking into a sprint once more, Felina ran towards the waiting car.
Behind her, the Dragon Lords burst out of the warehouse in search of their prey. Between the darkness and her superior speed, Felina easily outdistanced the thugs. They were quickly forgotten in her mind as well. All that mattered was getting medical attention for Helena.
Helena was becoming more incoherent as Felina ran along. Her words began to slur as the shock of her injuries began to take their toll. The Huntress hung limply in her mothers' arms. Felina couldn't help but weep, feeling powerless as her daughter's life was seemingly slowly slipping away.
As she neared the Corvette, Felina deactivated the vehicle's security system with a device on her belt. It was a spare that she grabbed before leaving the Hunter's Lair. Helena had a matching one on her gadget belt.
Rushing to the passenger side, Felina flung the door open and gently, but as quickly as she could, sat Helena in the passenger seat and attached the seat belt to keep her in place. That task complete, Felina literally leaped over the car to the drivers' side and slid in behind the wheel. She turned over the ignition while adjusting the seat to her smaller frame. Flooring the gas, Felina pealed off into the night.
"Hang on, Helena. I'll get you to a hospital as fast as possible."
"No...", Helena mumbled in her delirium. "Avengers... 'Gale... Doctor... Contact..."
Felina glanced about the dashboard, looking for some way to contact the Avengers. Then she spotted the Comlink that had been left in its holder. She pulled the device free and examined it closely all the while speeding down the road. Felina ignored all traffic signals and had the Corvette up over 120 miles an hour. Fortunately, traffic was light this time of night, but she still had to swerve to avoid other cars occasionally. Pushing the red button activated an emergency alarm back at the Avenger's Mansion.
"Attention, Avengers", Felina nearly shouted into the device. "Helena has been badly hurt! She needs a doctor! Can you help me?! Is anyone there?!"
"There she is," Muskateer shouted as he pointed to the speeding vehicle below. Hunter's black Corvette was streaking down the street with a reckless abandon. Given what he had heard about the situation with the Huntress, this didn't surprise him one bit.
The Thing had answered Felina's emergency call. Fortunately, Ben had been up late watching a West Coast Yankees game that had stretched into extra innings. In turn, Ben had wakened Black Diamond. Muskateer and the Texas Ranger joined them a few moments later.
Plans were quickly put into place. A call to the home of the Enchantress had roused the heroine at this late hour. Diamond had flown off with Muskateer in tow and the Enchantress and Texas Ranger following. Less than ten minutes after being contacted, the Avengers had located Helena and Felina in the speeding Corvette.
"I see them," Black Diamond responded as she descended from the sky, the others following. The heroine pulled out her Comlink and informed Felina of her arrival. The heroes landed in the street while Felina brought the Corvette to a power stop.
Felina had exited the Corvette and opened the passenger door before the others could reach the car. "Hurry!" Felina urged. "She's lost consciousness!"
Black Diamond reached into the car and lifted the limp form of the Huntress out. "Hang on, Helena," Diamond whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "We'll get you to the doctors."
The Enchantress inadvertently gasped upon seeing the battered and bloody Huntress. What little she had heard did not prepare her for this sight. Astonishment filled her beautiful face. "Let's go!" Diamond stressed, breaking the Avengers' sorceress out of her momentary stupor.
"Of course. Gather close to me." The Enchantress began to chant the magic words that would trigger her Spell of Transport. "We'll be on Sanctuary in a mere moment."
"Don't worry, lil' lady," Ranger told Felina as he patted her shoulder. "The docs will patch her up, good as new."
Felina managed a small, grateful smile in response. In a flash of red energy the spell took hold transporting Felina, Helena, Black Diamond, and the Enchantress away. Muskateer and Ranger found themselves alone on the deserted New York Street.
"What say we form awhselves a posse and lynch these sidewhindahs", Ranger suggested in his western drawl. "Nobody does that to a lady if I have anything to say about it."
"You read my mind, cowboy," Muskateer responded angrily. "Let's ride."
Reaching the driver's side of the Corvette, Muskateer slid the seat back, stepped into the car and slammed the door shut. Ranger settled into the passenger seat and strapped himself in.
"Ya got a plan, pahdner?"
"Oh yeah. This White Dragon clown just earned himself a world of hurt. The Avengers take care of their own."
Muskateer stabbed the keyboard of the onboard computer, bringing up the location where Felina had begun her flight to get help for Helena. The location of the warehouse where the Huntress had been beaten appeared on the screen. The sword-swinging Avenger gunned the accelerator and roared off into the night.
Thirty minutes later, the warehouse in question erupted in a ball of fire. As the flames roared and lit up the night sky, Muskateer and the Texas Ranger stalked back to the Corvette. Both were seemingly oblivious to the spectacular display going on behind them.
They had found the warehouse deserted when they arrived. Apparently, the White Dragon and his goons had crawled back under whatever rock they had come out from. In his frustration, Muskateer decided to make sure that the Dragon Lords would never use this particular warehouse ever again. His solution was quite permanent.
Reaching the Corvette, Muskateer paused for a moment, looking back at the raging inferno. "Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better," he stated quietly.
"You can count me in when you go after these desperadoes," Ranger added. Muskateer then entered the vehicle once more and drove off without looking back, Ranger following on the motorcycle that had been left by Felina. "I want a crack at'm for what they did ta the lil' lady."
Nervously, Felina paced back and forth in the waiting room. Nearly eight hours had passed since placing her emergency call to the Avengers. The medical staff on Sanctuary had already been alerted. Nightingale and Dr. Brinton were standing by, waiting for their patient to arrive. Helena had been wheeled into emergency surgery almost immediately after being examined. They had been in there ever since.
Muskateer and the Texas Ranger arrived about an hour after the Enchantress' spell had brought Helena to Sanctuary. The two spoke with Black Diamond in quiet whispers. Felina didn't pay them any attention. Her sole concern was the welfare of her daughter.
As the hours passed, the majority of the Avengers stopped by to inquire about Helena's condition. Supreme took Black Diamond away for a bit, while the Enchantress waited grimly with Muskateer. Firestar stopped by a few times with Guardian Angel and the Thing. Only Lightburst was a no-show, but no one really seemed to notice or care.
The mood was somber, conversation sparse. Finally, the door to the operating room opened and a weary Nightingale emerged. Numerous stains, some blood some sweat, covered her operating smock. The strain of the last few hours was clearly visible in her face. There were noticeable dark circles underneath her eyes.
Felina was in front of her in a shot. "How is she? Will she be alright?" Black Diamond, Texas Ranger and the other Avengers present joined the two women a moment later.
Nightingale raised her hands, trying to give herself room in the growing crowd. "We've done all we can. She's stable right now. Helena will make a full recovery. Physically, at any rate."
"Thank God." Relief filled Felina's haggard face. The thought of losing her daughter in this manner was more than she could ever bear. "Can I see her?"
"Of course," Nightingale answered. "The nurses are transferring her to a private room even as we speak. I must warn you that Helena is heavily sedated and won't be aware of your presence, but you can see her."
"Thank you," Felina answered gratefully as she shook Nightingale's hand. "Thank you for everything." Using directions supplied by Nightingale, Felina went off to see her daughter.
"What do you mean by 'physically'?" Black Diamond inquired of Nightingale once Felina was out of sight. "What are you getting at?"
"Sprout's gonna be okay," Ben Grimm added tentatively. "Ain't she?"
"Is there something you're not telling us?" Diamond added.
"I mean that her wounds, horrific as they were, will heal in time. What affect this is going to have on her mentally, however, is difficult to say. Linda, she was very nearly beaten to death. Her leg was shattered, four ribs were broken and her shoulder hyper-extended. There was also internal bleeding and a gunshot wound. Not to mention all the mundane cuts and bruises. Helena has always struck me as a very proud individual. To be beaten in such a manner-- I'm just saying it won't be easy for her to get over this."
Quietly, Felina opened the door to Helena's room. The overhead lights were off, but that was of no hindrance to Felina. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the lack of illumination. Helena was lying in the closest bed fast asleep.
There were numerous bruises to her face. Under her nose had been placed an oxygen tube to aid in breathing. Blankets covered the rest of her body. It was something of a relief to Felina as she wouldn't be able to see all the bandages that had been applied to Helena.
Pushing a nearby chair closer to the bed, Felina sat down next to Helena. She wrapped her hands around Helena's left hand. Felina sat back, waiting for the time when her daughter woke up. Finally, sleep did claim the exhausted woman.
Helena could make out voices in the distance. They were soft at first, but steadily grew clearer and louder in volume. The young woman felt very strange. Almost like she was floating, as if she had no connection to her body. She felt no immediate sensations.
"She's starting to come around," a woman announced. "She's dimly aware of our presence." The voice sounded familiar, but Helena couldn't quite place it. Why was it so hard to think?
"Thank goodness," a second woman commented.
"Helena? Can you hear me? It's Dr. Brinton." It was a man who spoke this time.
"Who?" Helena managed to utter. She had never heard of anyone named Dr. Brinton before. At least she thought she hadn't. Given her current mental state, Helena couldn't really be sure of anything.
"Helena? Can you hear me, baby?"
It was another woman this time, one whose voice was very familiar. "Mom?"
"That's right, Helena," Felina gently answered while squeezing Helena's hand. "You're in the hospital on Sanctuary. Do you understand?"
Slowly, Helena opened her eyes. Three people came into focus before her sleepy eyes. On her left was her mother, Felina. At the foot of the bed was the psionic Avenger Nightingale, although she wore a standard hospital smock as opposed to heroic costume. Next to her was Black Diamond in her traditional black heroine garb.
The man hovering on her right side was a newcomer. He was rather handsome with dark brown hair and beard. Helena guessed him to be in his late thirties, perhaps early forties. He wore a white lab coat and had a stethoscope around his neck. 'Dr. Brinton' had been stitched into the front of the lab coat.
"Hello," the man smiled flashing his pearly white teeth. "How does my patient feel? You gave us all quite a scare."
"I don't know," Helena answered after a pause. "Kind of hungry. I had the most awful dream..."
"That was no dream," Nightingale responded. Being telepathic, she had a very good idea just what Helena had gone through. Just reading those thoughts made Nightingale uneasy. Such mental probing had been necessary as it provided insight into the type of wounds that Helena had sustained. "Unfortunately, it was very real."
"Oh," Helena mouthed in a voice above a whisper. "How bad--?"
"In a couple of months you'll be as good as new," Dr. Brinton answered. "I can give you a complete rundown on your condition if you feel up to it."
"Need a drink," Helena requested.
Felina quickly complied, pouring water from a nearby pitcher into a cup. Gently she placed the cup up to Helena's lips and gave her a drink. "Here you go, dear."
"Let's get the bad news out of the way," Helena suggested after taking a long drink.
The full list of injuries surprised even Helena. Much of what she had endured at the hands of the White Dragon had been blanked out of her mind. "It's the mind's way of protecting itself", was Nightingale's explanation. "Some things are best forgotten."
Helena didn't believe that for a minute. Her ordeal was going to be something that she never would forget no matter how hard she tried. Even now she could see the White Dragon standing over her as he slowly crippled her and there was nothing she could do about it.
The next few hours passed quickly for Helena. She managed to eat a little bit of food. To her surprise, she had been unconscious for almost a day and half. It was now Friday afternoon. Dr. Brinton wanted to keep her under observation for a few more days to ensure that all the internal bleeding had been stopped. After that, Helena would be allowed to recuperate at home under the watchful eye of Felina. Nightingale would check up her regularly. It seemed a satisfactory solution.
Visitors were kept to a minimum as Helena tired very easily. Her medication made her sleepy as well. Black Diamond did assure the heroine that the situation with the White Dragon had been dealt with. Exactly how, Diamond wasn't ready to reveal. This brought an unhappy glance from Nightingale, but nothing was said. Before Helena could ask further, she drifted off to sleep once more. (Editor's Note: But you can find out in Avengers #29 & 30)
Early the next morning, Felina made her way through the pre-dawn medical center on Sanctuary. Given the time difference between Sanctuary and New York it was nearly noon to Felina. Not that it really mattered. She had been up much of the last three days and had lost track of the time. She paused at the Nurses' Station.
"Good morning," Nurse Susan Chang stated in greeting. Nurse Chang was currently working the late shift. She, along with Eileen Compton, completed the nursing staff on Sanctuary. "How are you today?"
"Emotionally drained," Felina admitted. "These last few days have been very trying."
"Quite understandable. You can go right on in. She was awake the last time I checked but for the most part she's been asleep."
"Thanks."
Felina casually moved towards Helena's room. She had remained on Sanctuary ever since arriving via the Enchantress' spell. The staff was gracious enough to provide her with a hotel room to use while on the island. It had been used sparingly thus far as Felina primarily stayed at Helena's side. But with Helena seemingly out of danger, Felina let herself catch up on her own sleep. Her Cat costume had been left at the hotel and she currently wore white shorts and a matching top loaned to her by Nightingale.
Pushing the door open a bit, Felina peaked inside. As Nurse Chang suggested, Helena was awake. "Care for some company?"
Helena looked in Felina's direction. "Hi, mom. I've just been staring at the ceiling, thinking. Been awake the last couple of hours."
Entering the room, Felina went to her daughter's side. "What's on your mind? Anything you want to talk about?"
"I think I've come to a very important decision. One that should please you, at any rate."
That piqued Felina's interest. "What do you mean, dear?"
"I had no business taking on the White Dragon like that. All the warning signs were right in front of my eyes and yet I ignored them. I've continually been unable to perform against those foes with true superhuman abilities. It took this beating to finally drive that point home to me."
After a pause, Helena added, "I can't continue on like this. Not knowing if I'm good enough to fight someone or not. Such lack of confidence could be fatal. The next time I might not be so lucky and get myself killed."
"I don't want to see you get hurt or killed either," Felina added. "We've just started to get to know each other. I don't ever want to lose you again."
Helena smiled and took a hold of Felina's hand. "Much the same way I feel. I know that you've never been thrilled with my life as the Huntress. I've tried so hard to live up to dad's legacy and I've failed. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I can't avoid the issue any further. I'm just not cut out for this. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my days as the Huntress are over. From now on, I'm just going to be plain old Helena Kirby. It's the only real option that I have."
"I'm sure that it will be for the best, dear," Felina beamed. "You've made me very happy."
Helena was pleased to have her mother's approval, no matter how much it hurt her deep down inside to quit being the Huntress. It was the goal that she had strived for all her life and now she was calling it quits. Her dream was over and cold, hard reality had set in. Hunters' legacy had come to an unexpected and sudden end.
