Helena

Every H E R O has a story, not that I'm some kind of ❝hero .❞ But there comes a point when to survive, the hunted must become — the H U N T R E S S . Dependant Helena Bertinelli for Begin Again. Penned by Liv.

[thelastbertinelli-a]

twentyninetynines​:

“Well it’s kind of all I’ve got to offer,” he replied, as if it was funny, as if the world wasn’t weighing so heavy on his shoulders that he could barely stand beneath it. Making things difficult for a stranger hardly bothered him as much as everything that had gone down with Tony and Zee, of course. Miguel had always been the selfish sort, had always cared more about the situations that affected him directly than the ones that didn’t and most nights? He wouldn’t have even bothered with this conversation. But this wasn’t most nights, and the fact that this conversation wasn’t happening in a bar meant that he probably ought to stick with it to avoid one that would. 

His heart was still pounding even as she reassured him that the cop was dirty, because to that irrational fear clawing at his chest? It didn’t make much of a difference. The Public Eye, after all, was made up entirely of dirty cops, and they still had plenty of power to make a guy’s life a living hell. “So all I’ve gotta worry about is him unofficially taking a shot at me? Great.” He eyed her, expression deadpan beneath his mask. “No offense, but I still don’t trust you as far as he could throw you.” He nodded to the unconscious officer by the dumpster. 

“I know what keys look like,” he replied through gritted teeth. “I’m asking what they go to.” As irritating as it was, the conversation was keeping his mind off everything with Tony and Zee, and that was something. Miguel decided to cling to it for now, to take whatever distractions he could get.

.

Helena rolled her eyes, just glad that her plans hadn’t been completely ruined by him getting involved. He also made sure she didn’t have to deal with the now unconscious men, which she really hadn’t been looking forward to, in the end he might have done her a favor but she was not going to let him know that. She’d stick to her claim that he was making things difficult for her, at least for now.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it, but if you are that worried I can take care of it for you” she offered with a shrug. She probably wouldn’t have much issue finding some stuff on him to use against him, he wasn’t the most careful of dirty cops. “I never asked you to trust me, and for the record... I don’t trust you either.”

“You see there are these things called locks...” she trailed of with a small, almost not there, grin. Unable to help herself and not push a few more of his buttons. “It’s to a warehouse, a very important shipment is coming in tonight.”

[thelastbertinelli-a]

immortalweapon​:

Loss was a thing Danny was intimately familiar with. For a long time, it was the only constant he had. K’un Lun was ripe with it, every aching bruise a reminder of everything he didn’t have anymore. Even in New York, it had felt like everything he had was just another thing waiting to be taken from him. And still, he kept the faith. Still, he believed in people. The second you stopped doing that, he thought, was the moment you really lost. “Nobody’s better off alone,” he replied with a small shrug. “Nobody. People are at their best when they’re together, I think. When we’re alone…” He trailed off, thinking of the time he’d spent guarding the pass, thinking of how he’d stood there alone and freezing and watching the mountains stretch into the distance. “When we’re alone, there’s no one to hold us accountable.”

.

“I disagree” Helena replied, her voice low. There were many reason why Helena considered herself better off alone, but the main one was fear. Fear of losing the people she cared about, she knew what that felt like and it wasn’t something she wanted to feel again. It was better, or easier at least, to push people away, to not let herself get close to people. “After my family was killed I tried the whole letting people in thing, needing people and... well, I’m alone again so safe to say it didn’t work out.”

[thelastbertinelli-a]

greatestarcher​:

[📱to The Crossbow Killer ] guess that’s an H then [📱to The Crossbow Killer ] looks like I’m up one […]

[…] [📱to The Crossbow Killer ] [video attachment: bow-mounted camera footage of Kate aiming the other direction at a target that’s obviously in her apartment. The window is open a crack; she makes it.] [📱to The Crossbow Killer ] you going to take an O?

[📱to Better purple 12 year old ] listen, I’m busy [📱to Better purple 12 year old ] I’m retired and I don’t have my crossbow anymore [📱to Better purple 12 year old ] you’re playing against yourself

[thelastbertinelli-a]

avengerofiron​:

“You’re right. Not exactly the same.” There had been Bertinellis across the globe, vast parties that were strictly for those connected by marriage or blood. Howard and Maria were invited to only one, cementing themselves at the peak of New York society, and Tony accompanied them when he was only a child. He remembered being thrilled at the idea of so many uncles, aunts and cousins. The only world he’d ever known was that of his parents and an empty mansion. Like Yinsen said so many years ago now, he was a man with everything, and nothing. He’d never suffered a loss like Helena’s because he never had that many people to lose.

But there was a survivor’s instinct there, too, that tied them together; a survivor’s guilt that buried itself deep, that refused to let up no matter how many years passed. “Did they ever find him?” he asked, quietly. There were plenty of wrongs he’d hoped to right off the books as Iron Man. For the most part, he’d successfully got answers to a few; his parents’ murderer one of the most significant. “You ever think it was an order, to keep you around specifically? Playing the long game?”

.

At first Helena thought it had only been her parents and brother who were killed that night, it wasn’t until later, when she was in Sicily that she’d learned every Bertinelli had been murdered... everyone except her. Helena had wondered ever since that night why she was the only one to survive, why she’d been left alive. She was working on gathering more information on what had transpired that night and part of her hoped she’d find out why she’d survived that night while another part of her didn’t want to know. 

“The man who ordered my family killed was Stefano Mandragora, the assassin who came to where I lived went by the alias Omerta, they’re both dead” Helena had tracked them both down and killed them when she first became Huntress. “And I don’t know, if it was it came from whatever middle man Mandragora used because he didn’t want anyone from the Bertinelli family to survive so there would be no one left to take revenge and they planed to split the Bertinelli family fortune between themselves which didn’t happen due to my survival.” Of course they had still tried but Helena as Huntress had gotten her family’s money back and now she was going to use it to take all of them down.

There was a slight pause before she spoke again. “Would- if it was you would you want to know if you were meant to survive or if it was some kind of mistake?” She asked, wanting the perspective of someone else because Helena wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Part of her wanted answers and part of her worried she wouldn’t like the answer she’d get if she kept digging.

[thelastbertinelli-a]

greatestarcher​:

@thelastbertinelli

[📱to The Crossbow Killer ] [video attachment: bow-mounted camera footage of Kate firing straight up, slow pan down as the arrow arcs to hit a bullseye on the next building over] [📱to The Crossbow Killer ] we’re officially playing HORSE but with bows, make /that/

[📱to Better purple 12 year old ] you really think I don’t have better things to do than partake in this? [📱to Better purple 12 year old ] I’m very busy

[thelastbertinelli-a]

rictorscales​:

Shady shit went down in Gotham. Rictor had always known that, but digging around on servers in that city showed him a whole new level of it. Everyone had something to hide, and everything being hidden was something life altering. It was a hacker’s paradise, in a lot of ways. If not for the fact that he was being paid far above his average cost to work the Bertinelli case, along with some revenge-shaped bonus added on top, he probably would have taken on a few side gigs while in the city. But… the Cosa Nostra was something that probably required his full attention. And Rictor, for all of his flaws and impulsivity, was at least smart enough to give it that. He stood in the doorway of Helena’s penthouse now, propped against the doorframe. “Sure,” he said, nodding to the bottle in her hand. “I love rich people booze.” 

Pushing himself off the doorframe, he made his way over to the couch and sat down, placing his laptop on the coffee table. “They’re good,” he said, opening the computer. “Whoever put up their firewalls knew what they were doing. But… they’re not as good as me.” He typed in a few commands, pulling up a window with a few documents spread out. “Lucky for us, they’re meticulous. Keep old files, even decades after the jobs are done. Anything that happened before they got the system online has been digitized now and stuck up in the server for safe keeping. That’s how I was able to find this.” He flipped on the television, casting the laptop monitor to it and zooming in on one of the documents. “It’s the original hit on the Bertinelli family. The orders were to kill everyone there… except one person. ‘Spare the sister.’ It looks like the guy who took the hint thought that meant you, but according to the notes in the file… he might have gotten it wrong.”

.

“Not all my booze cost thirty thousand a bottle” Helena commented as she poured him a glass of whiskey “this one comes close though.” In her defence she hadn’t bought most of her expensive alcohol herself, it was very rare she used that kind of money on booze, even if she could afford it. While Rictor got situated on the couch there was a part of Helena who wondered if she actually wanted to know what he’d found, she quickly decided to ignore that part though. She had to know, not just for the sake of her case against the Cosa Nostra but for her own personal reasons. If he’d found anything relating to the deaths of her family she had to know.

“Seems I hired the right person then” Helena commented as she handed him his drink and sat down next to Rictor. She had to admit she was surprised the Cosa Nostra had digitzed their files, then again storing this much information in hard copies was hardly feasible either. Helena looked at the document Rictor was showing her, or rather stared at it, he’d found the information about what had happened that night, she’d finally get some answers. Though once she realized what spare the sister actually meant her glass slipped from her fingers, falling to the floor and spilling its contents all over her carpet, Helena barely noticed. “My mother” she whispered, barely audible before she cleared her throat and did her best not to let the tears gathering in her eyes fall. “My mother was the one who was supposed to have been saved... not me.” Letting out a shaky breath she turned towards Rictor “the order of the hit came from Mandragora, he’s dead but did you find any information about who orchestrated things with the hitman Omerta?”

[thelastbertinelli-a]

“Leave before I change my mind!” || @itsbxtgirl​

To say that Helena wasn’t on the best terms with the batfam currently would be an understatement. Dick had basically threatened to arrest her and while she hadn’t interacted with the other members since taking over the Cosa Nostra she couldn’t imagine they were any happier about it as she hadn’t let them in on the real reason she was doing this. It was easier that way, safer for others and hopefully it would reduce the risk of being exposed. It did come at the cost of her relationships though and she would be lying if she didn’t often reevaluate if it was worth it, too late to backtrack now though. “Give me one reason I should listen to you, if you haven’t noticed, I have business to do.”

[thelastbertinelli-a]

catalystsofchange​:

(✉️ ➡️ pew pew): don’t worry. he’s in protective custody. (✉️ ➡️ pew pew): you’re right. i chose to pretend because i thought there was a mutual respect between us, and clearly i was wrong about that. (✉️ ➡️ pew pew): i’ll be building a case. you can count on that. 

(✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): you really think that’s enough to protect him? (✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): [unsent] I want to tell- (✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): [unsent] I can’t... not yet at least (✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): it has nothing to do with- never mind, not like you’ll believe it anyway (✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): well, let me know how that goes

[thelastbertinelli-a]

vengeancedemons​:

“Don’t worry. My involvement’s gonna end real soon.” Robbie had a habit of this, of hyperfocusing with his vengeance. In L.A., the Fifth Street gang had gotten the brunt of his wrath, with every other life he took being icing more than anything else. And after the last one was dead, after Santino Noguera was ash in his prison cell, Eli became the source of his anger. Then the Darkhold and Aida when he got back from Hell. And now? 

Focusing his attention on the local mob chapter felt natural. It felt like going back to his roots, like zeroing in on the Fifth Street assholes all over again. Robbie preferred it this way, preferred to have a definitive target for his rage, and Bertinelli’s guys were plentiful enough to give him just that. “Yeah, you know, my kid brother was real big into history. Talked about it all the time. Enough for me to know that queens tend to end up with their heads on the ground more often than not.” 

There was something brewing just under the surface. He’d heard a lot of mutterings from her guys, a lot of rumors. There was distrust there, agitation. Something had to give. Robbie had seen it a thousand times before. “Why? I seem to remember you being pretty adamant that you can handle yourself. You’ll be fine without knowing what they’re saying, right?”

“Would it be too much to hope for that it means you’ll leave me alone now?” Helena questioned, hopefully that was what he meant so Helena could go back to her plans without him getting in her way, her hopes weren’t very high though. If he wanted to take out members of the Cosa Nostra that was fine with her, it was basically what she was doing too only with less lethal methods. She just didn’t want any risks to her plans as she’d put so much time and effort into it. 

“Is that a threat?” Though something told her he wasn’t much for threats and more of an action kind of man. “Maybe you’re right” Helena commented with a shrug, placing her palms on the table as she leaned back against it. “And maybe some things are worth dying for” this, to Helena, was one of those things.

“I can” she replied, which was true, Helena could handle herself. She was a former member of the Justice League and she’d regularly had to hold her own against people with powers. The Mafia didn’t worry her much after that. “Never hurts to have all the information you can get though.” 

[thelastbertinelli-a]

colleenrand​:

There was a messed up part of Colleen that was jealous that Helena knew where her family was from. How she could detail what had happened to them. How she knew. Colleen had always had a thousand questions when it came to her family. A father that she had never known until he was dead and gone, a mother who had vanished, and a grandfather who had put her on this path. Fragments of a story that made up her past. Maybe one day the picture would be clear. “A heavy legacy,” Colleen noted. “What are you going to do with it?”

.

“Well I recently took control of my family’s company” she had taken control of a little more than that but she wasn’t just going to tell that to anybody. She hadn’t even told her friends. “Other than that I guess I’ll find out someday” of course she already knew what she was going to do with it but again it wasn’t something she was willing to share with just anybody. “I’ll reach out to my contacts tomorrow, see if I can figure out what’s going on here and I’ll let you know what I find out.”

[thelastbertinelli-a]

rictorscales​:

“If you think you can get lucky,” he replied, returning her shrug with one of his own. He listened as she spoke, face neutral. He knew his family sold to people all over north and south America, so it was hardly surprising that Gotham made the cut, but… if the Cosa Nostra was as big as she said it was, chances were it was the Richters’ best shot at spreading their operation to other continents as well. Even when he’d been a kid, his father had had big plans to move into Europe. His father’s death would have slowed the expansion, to be sure, but Ric had no doubt that his uncles wouldn’t wait long before picking up those reins. And even if the Cosa Nostra had no place in that plan, she was right. Taking them out would serve one hell of a financial blow to the Richters’ operation. 

He pursed his lips, a grin playing at his features as he nodded. “They’ll come after you,” he told her, but he figured she knew that. “They’ll come after me, but they’ll come after you, too.” If there was one thing Rictor’s family took seriously, it was money. And she might end up an afterthought in their fury towards a member of their own family making messes for them to clean up, but she wouldn’t be forgotten. Not entirely. “Ooh, is it a swanky apartment?” His tone was light, but his expression remained serious. “I’m gonna hold you to that. I’ll help you take these fuckers down. And when we’re finished, you’ll help me do the same. How’s that sound?”

.

“They can try” they wouldn’t be the first or last criminal organization she’d piss off. “Until then I’m going to use the time I have left as head of the Cosa Nostra to make sure they’ll be extremely pissed off by the time I leave” and also make sure the financial blow was as big as possible. Her main goal was to take down the Cosa Nostra, dealing a financial blow and pissing off the Ritchter’s would simply be a bonus for her.

“This is the key to my penthouse in Gotham, feel free to use it as much as you need or want” Helena shrugged as she handed over the key, she didn’t really use it anymore so it didn’t make much of a difference to her.  “Sounds perfect to me, once the Cosa Nostra has been destroyed, whatever you need to do the same to your family you just need to ask and I’ll do what I can to provide it.”

[thelastbertinelli-a]

sharcarters​:

There were so many missing pieces to this – and it was hard to work with her when she only had a fraction of the information. It was normal for missions for not everyone to have all the information, but they were getting into, what felt like, dangerous territory. Helena steamrolled over what Sharon was dealing with and Sharon took the hint. Crossed her arms and kept her mouth shut. (Every part of this bothered her. Keeping Dinah in the dark had gotten her shot and it felt like it was only a matter of time before something worse happened.) “What more do you need here?” Sharon asked. “Because we’re spinning our wheels and getting nowhere.”

.

“I don’t know” Helena admitted, normally she would never right out say she didn’t know something but at the very least Sharon deserved for Helena to be honest with her. “I have enough information to deliver a devastating blow to the entire organization but I don’t know if it’s enough to take them down” which was her goal because if she didn’t get all of high ranking members of the Cosa Nostra they would eventually rebuild and all of this would have been for nothing. “You’ve done more than enough already so if you want out I can handle the rest from here” while she didn’t think Sharon would go for that she had no right to ask her to do more or risk more for this mission.

[rictorscales]

“The green candied apples… do you think they’re poisoned now?” // @thelastbertinelli​

Rusty was sitting at Madrox’s desk with his hands folded in front of him, back ramrod straight. He was probably the only person, including Madrox himself, who’d sat at the damn thing without propping his feet up on the table because even as a damn ghost, Rusty was polite and proper. Rictor glared at him from his own desk, waiting for him to say something. He’d done a lot of it since his whole ‘coming up out of the grave’ thing. Rusty had always been big on advice. It was one thing Ric was starting to realize he really hadn’t missed. 

The office door swung open, pulling Ric’s eyes away from the specter and towards someone living instead. It didn’t look like she was here about her case — if she was, she’d picked a hell of a time to stop by. If he had to guess, he’d say she was just in the neighborhood, looking for a place to duck away from whatever bullshit was going on outside. Rictor stood, walking towards her and peering curiously at the candied apples she’d brought. “Fuck I hope so,” he replied, holding a hand out. “Gimme one.” Across the room, Rusty groaned.

[thelastbertinelli-a]

Helena had lost count of how many pumpkins and animated decorations she’d destroyed since she left her apartment. Her plan was to go into the office but those plans had quickly been derailed by the first pumpkin that had attacked her. She’d been making her way around the city, trying to avoid the craziness but if she did come across someone who needed help she did step in.

At some point she’d acquired some green candied apples which she was wary of considering everything else going on. When she found herself outside of a familiar building she decided to try to hide out there for a bit, needing a break before heading back out.

At Ric’s words she just shrugged and handed over the apples, while she was wary she didn’t think they would actually be poisonous. “Knock yourself out I guess.”

[thelastbertinelli-a]

catalystsofchange​:

send  😡  for  an  angry  text  from  my  muse // @thelastbertinelli

(✉️ ➡️ pew pew): i’m kind of done beating around the bush here. (✉️ ➡️ pew pew): i just arrested a gangster in bludhaven who named /you/ as his boss. (✉️ ➡️ pew pew): and honestly? i’m tired of pretending this shit doesn’t piss me off, helena. (✉️ ➡️ pew pew): i really am.

(✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): did he now (✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): thanks for letting me know (✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): no one asked you to pretend (✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): if it pisses you off so much then arrest me... if you have enough evidence that is

[thelastbertinelli-a]

“Next holiday? Vacation. Out of town.” || @cleverbxrd​

“I might be with you on that one” Helena commented with a sigh. She was used to weird stuff, living in Gotham for most of her life meant she’d seen pretty much anything. Pumpkins and Halloween decorations coming to life was not something she’d seen until now though. She was definitely going to make sure she was out of town for the next holiday or big event.

[thelastbertinelli-a]

“I don’t think that’s a costume…” || @mistressxfmagnetism​

Helena sighed as she watched a demon make it's way down the alley. It wasn't easy to tell with some of the costumes but she was almost certain this was the real deal and not someone playing dress up. She wondered if the two of them could handle it on their own of if she should call Zatanna, if she was really desperate she could call John to help them out. She definitely wanted to avoid that though, she'd worked with him a few times and it was always a test of her self control. "I don't think it's a costume either" she said as she looked over at the green haired woman. "I guess we should do something" it hadn't spotted them yet so they could try to get away unnoticed but then the demon might end up hurting someone which Helena did not want.

[thelastbertinelli-a]

catalystsofchange​:

(✉️ ➡️ pew pew): i’m pretty sure i /have/ said it. (✉️ ➡️ pew pew): and i’m pretty sure you’ve made it clear that you’re not going to listen to me regardless of what i say.

(✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): you could stand to be a little more direct (✉️ ➡️ ex with the best ass): but if you want to keep making vague comments that’s fine by me