The footsteps faded into the distance, but the entangled couple did not stop.
Not for a long, long time.
When the young woman finally felt him pull away, she opened her eyes slowly, still dazed, and found his clear, handsome face watching her with a half-smile.
Embarrassed and a little shy, she smiled back brightly.
"Can you get off me first?"
Jack Kadere chuckled and rolled over to lie beside her.
She sat up, smoothing her clothes and fixing her hair. After confirming the men in black had left the park, she turned to him.
"Thank you for helping me. My name is Helena. What's yours?"
"Jack Kadere."
"You're very skilled."
"You're not the first to say that. You won't be the last."
Jack propped his head on one hand, resting the other on her thigh. "We can't really get into it here. Want to go somewhere else to continue?"
Helena glanced at his hand, then back at him with a half-smile. "You want to sleep with me? I'm afraid you wouldn't dare."
She let that hang for a moment.
"My name is Helena Bertinelli. My father, Frank Bertinelli, is a well-known crime boss in Starling City. You want to sleep with me? Aren't you afraid my father will kill you and feed you to the fish?"
"What's there to be afraid of? I'm not planning on dating you. It's much more exciting to just do it and run."
Jack chuckled.
"You're really not afraid?"
"Want to try?"
Seeing the eager look on his face, Helena burst out laughing.
"Not today. I finally managed to shake them off because I need to get to Central City. I can give you my number—if you're really not afraid, you can call me anytime."
Jack slapped his thigh and laughed. "What a coincidence! I also want to go to Central City."
Helena blinked in surprise, then narrowed her eyes. "Do you really want to go to Central City, or are you just afraid of missing an opportunity?"
"Both."
"Alright." She stood and brushed off her clothes. "I'll go get the car. Wait for me by the road."
"Alright."
They parted ways, and Jack walked toward the roadside.
About ten minutes later, a sports car pulled up in front of him. The door swung open, and Helena leaned over from the driver's seat.
Jack climbed in. The engine roared, and the car shot forward.
---
Jack didn't know exactly how far Starling City was from Central City, but Helena choosing to make the trip now suggested she was confident she could return before dark.
She was a peculiar woman—skilled at sabotaging her own father, the kind who wouldn't stop until he was completely ruined. As the daughter of a mafia boss, she made it her mission to oppose him. At first, she had only gathered evidence to report him to the authorities. Later, she transformed into Huntress, attempting to kill him herself on more than one occasion. It wasn't until Frank Bertinelli was accidentally killed by someone else in a shootout that her crusade finally came to an end.
She had briefly joined the Green Arrow's team and even the Bat-Family, serving as Batgirl for a time. But her brutal methods and refusal to adopt a no-kill rule led to ideological clashes, and she eventually returned to the mantle of Huntress. Later, she joined the Justice League and learned to control her temper, but Batman expelled her anyway, stating that the League didn't need assassins.
Fine. She found her own people to play with.
She formed a small organization—the Birds of Prey—alongside Black Canary and Barbara Gordon, who had taken the codename Oracle during her paralysis. Over time, it grew. Catwoman, Katana, Poison Ivy—all of them joined at various points.
Of course, Helena was still in the early stages of her vendetta now.
There was Barbara Gordon, not yet paralyzed. Laurel Lance, just beginning her training. And Helena, sitting right next to him.
This is the rhythm of unlocking the Birds of Prey, Jack thought, chuckling to himself.
"What are you laughing at?" Helena glanced over.
"What are you going to Central City for?" he asked, shaking his head with a smile.
"Getting some things custom-made," she said casually. "What about you?"
"Same. I want to find someone to make something for me."
Helena rolled her eyes. "The place I'm going isn't convenient to bring you along. If you're really not afraid of death, you'll have two hours after I pick up my things."
"Alright," Jack said with a smile.
---
When they entered Central City, Helena parked outside a decent hotel.
"You can get off here, right? I'll come back for you in half an hour."
Jack nodded and stepped out. On the drive over, he had noticed that S.T.A.R. Labs wasn't far from here. He watched Helena drive away, then strolled toward the facility at a leisurely pace.
The particle accelerator explosion hadn't happened yet. S.T.A.R. Labs was still open to the public.
As soon as Jack arrived at the entrance, a security guard stopped him.
"Excuse me, sir. How may I help you?"
"I'm looking for Cisco Ramon," Jack said with a smile.
"May I have your name?" The guard reached for his phone, but before he could dial, the front door opened and two people walked out.
A man and a woman.
She had long, curly hair draped over her shoulders, a bright smile, and a graceful way of carrying herself. He was shorter, with slightly dark skin and shoulder-length hair.
Cisco Ramon. Caitlin Snow.
The future Vibe and Killer Frost.