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Commando's POV, just so we're clear:D
Two weeks.
It had been two weeks since the incident at Iron Heights. During that time my wonderful parents and Wolfe had been taken to jail. Zucco for obvious reasons, and Lex was right—my mom is involved with some pretty dark stuff. Last time I checked they found her guilty of several accounts of drug trafficking and, after some pushing from Batman, child abuse. Apparently making a five year old feel like crap every day of her life and then launching her across a room is considered 'wrong.'
Lex slunk away and, like always, the League could not find any proof that he was involved which they were sorry for and blah-blah-blah…Mike had been granted early release, since he should've been out a long, long time ago, and he was living in an apartment building in downtown Happy Harbor. Batman gave him some money to help him get back on his feet, and last time I talked to him he told me he'd gotten a job. He'd always wanted to be an artist, so he was planning on saving up to go to college. I never thought I'd see the words Mike, job, and college together in the same sentence, but he seemed like he was honestly making an attempt to make something of himself. I was going to visit him again on this weekend.
Batman and the League shut down Iron Heights, relocating the prisoners to various other penitentiaries. There would be a huge investigation, and hopefully the next warden would be, you know, sane. If they reopen Heights at all, that is.
Good news all around, right?
Wrong. There was still one itsy bitsy thing I had to take care of.
I didn't want to; I really, really didn't, but….I had to. It had waited far too long, eight years too long…
I had to talk to my mother.
I was led along seemingly endless beige hallways by a young cop. Normally, I can't stand policemen. They make my eye twitch, and I usually ended up decking them. This guy I didn't mind much, he had a nice smile and kind eyes. Plus, the man couldn't be any older than twenty-six, if that. Canary offered to come with me, but I turned her down. I had to do this alone. The man stopped at one of the doors, a room designed for interrogations.
"Dunno why they're having you meet your mom here…" The cop furrowed his brow.
"It goes against protocol, and besides, you're just a kid…"
I smiled at him. "I'll be fine."
With that, I swung open the door and entered the room. I tried to keep my head held high and a confident look on my face, but the sight of my mom still nearly knocked me off my feet. She was dressed in prison orange, one hand handcuffed to her chair. She pretended not to see me enter, I shut the door behind me and still she did not move. She lifted her free hand and examined her nails, like she was contemplating getting a manicure.
I sat down in the chair across from her, leaning back and propping my feet up on the table. There was no security camera in the room; Batman had arranged that for me.
I said nothing, neither did she.
For a few minutes we just sat there, me casually reclining in my seat and her peering at her fingernails.
I swung my legs off the table and leaned forward. The silence was getting to me.
"Well?" I asked.
"Well." She replied.
Silence.
"Aren't you going to say….anything?" I quirked an eyebrow.
"What's there to say?" Her voice was ice-cold. "You got me thrown in prison."
"No…" I shook my head. "You did that to yourself."
I pushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. "Not that I feel bad, of course. If it where up to me you'd be locked up in a maximum security prison somewhere, not this cushy little Star jail."
"Star City's penitentiaries are not cushy, I can assure you."
"And I can assure you, compared with Gotham's and Metropolis's, they are."
Talia chuckled softly. "So cynical and rude—and still just a teenager! I can't imagine what you'll be like when you get older."
"Lady…" Under the table, I clenched my fist. "You don't know me now, you didn't know me then. What makes you think you have the right to say what I'll be like when I'm an adult?"
"People don't change." She sneered.
"No…" My shoulders slumped a little, my eyes bore into hers. "I guess they don't..."
"Is there a purpose for this visit?"
"I need to know why." I folded my handed in front of me, real businesslike.
"Why?" Talia frowned, clearly puzzled. "Why what?"
I took a deep breath. "Truthfully, mom, I have a lot of 'whys' that I'd like someone to answer. But let's start with a big one: Why'd you blame me for everything that went wrong in your life. I was just a little kid, practically a baby. I just…I don't understand how you could be so heartless towards your own daughter."
She scowled, her eyes were cold and void of all compassion. "My daughter is Dakota Jackson."
I nodded; I'd expected her to say something like that. "Yes, Jackson. That's Jason's last name, it's my last name. And, for awhile, it was yours as well. You were married to him when I was born, mom. You cheated on him, and he knew it. You told the police you were raped, which really pisses me off. Rape is one of the most horrible and terrifying experiences that can happen to someone. It messes up people's lives, some rape victims commit suicide because the pain and humiliation is too much to handle. I know, I've seen it happen. You playing it off like it's nothing…using it as a way to gain sympathy. It makes me sick, mom, it really does. I know it sickened dad, too. But he stayed with you. He convinced you not to get an abortion, not to give me up for adoption, and you hated him for that."
I studied her expression, hoping for a change. There was none.
"But don't you see? He did it because he loved you. For some inconceivable reason he cared for you, and he cared for me because I was your child. Then you had two children with him, two beautiful little babies. You showered them with affection, not because you loved them, but because you wanted to hurt me. You made it so freaking in-your-face it was ridiculous. And Grandma—poor woman—she wanted to help me. And when she herself needed help, what did you do…?"
"That was not my fault!" Her voice started to rise.
"Then whose was it? Mine? Of course it was! Everything's my fault, isn't it?"
"She...she tried to get custody of you!"
"Because she knew how you treated me! She knew, and she wanted to get me away from you! She wanted to protect me! But then she got her cancer. And Grandma….Grandma was poor, because Grandpa died when you where a kid, right? And she never had a real high-paying job before she retired. She was a tough old bird, but without treatment….Without treatment she didn't stand a chance!"
"SHUT UP!" Talia shut her eyes. "SHUT UP!"
"We weren't rich, mom! I know that. But we did have extra money, I know about your little side funds that you used to pay for your drugs and alcohol. And you could've helped her! But no, you didn't! Because you wanted to hurt me! If you had she…she'd still be alive!"
"QUIET!" Her eyes opened, she strained against her handcuff. "BE QUIET, YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
No, Mommy, you be quiet!
That day, I hadn't backed down.
And I wouldn't today, either.
"You know I'm right, mom." I gave her a push; she fell back into her chair. "You know I'm right, and you just can't stand it, can you?"
She grunted in frustration, but she seemed to be calming down. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"You really want to know why?" She asked.
I nodded.
She took a deep breath, eyes closed.
When she opened them, they were filled with pure hate. I knew then that there was no hope for any kind of relationship between us. It was just a simple glare, but it was like she'd just drawn up the paperwork to have me disowned.
"Zucco promised me the world. He said that we'd be together, happy and rich. No worries, no pain, everything would be perfect. You see, girl, you were tried for. Zucco wanted an heir, a child he could teach to take over his empire. I was hesitant at first, but then I agreed."
"Really?"
"Oh, yes. Wholeheartedly."
"I'm guessing he wanted a boy?"
"Actually, no. He said that any gender would do. Just as long as he could teach the child to be clever and persuasive, just as long as he could teach the child to be the suave, intelligent leader that would become the new head of his criminal organization. Look at you, kid, you're everything he wanted you to be, and he didn't even train you! Does it feel good that you've lived up to Daddy's expectations? If you went to him and told him you lied and you really are his daughter, I bet he'd be proud of you. Commando, daughter of Tony Zucco, thief, kidnapper, juvenile delinquent! That's quite a title, you know."
"I'm no thief." I said, forcing myself to stay calm.
"I always took what I needed, never more. I didn't steal for an adrenaline rush or because I wanted to look cool, no that's a thief. I am merely a Robin Hood."
She laughed, like the idea amused her.
"And I'm not a kidnapper, either. My friends were there by choice. Sure, most of them where runaways. Sure, I took them in. Does that make me a kidnapper?"
"You need to start reading law books, kid..." She smirked. "If you did, you'd know that technically you are considered a kidnapper."
"A kid kidnapping another kid…" I mused. "Huh, I bet that doesn't happen very often."
Talia glared again, clearly my sense of humor was not winning me any brownie points with my dear mommy.
"Then, shortly after I learned I was pregnant, Zucco went after another woman…" She shook with anger.
"He loved me…he said he did!"
"Don't confuse love with lust, mom." I told her. "And, trust me, there is a difference."
"I wanted to be with him, he told me to beat it…" She continued as if I hadn't said anything.
"So you did tell him about me?"
"No..." She bristled. "If I did, he would've begged me to come back. Not because he wanted me, but because he wanted to make sure his heir was raised right…" The bitterness in her voice wasn't surprising, but her words were.
Not because he wanted me…
"Oh…oh wow…" I gaped, I couldn't believe it. All this time, and that was the reason? It was like a slap in the face.
"What's wrong with you?" She snapped.
"You treated me like that…." I laughed a little, in utter disbelief. "Because you where jealous of me?"
"No…" She growled.
"You're lying…" I shook my head. "You're so lying. Oh, I can't believe it. That's…rich. And here I was, thinking it was something important." I stood up, ready to leave.
"That's right, get out!" She sneered.
I turned slightly "Yeah, that's right. Get all tough when you see me leaving…."
My hand closed around the doorknob, I hesitated.
"What're you waiting for? GET OUT!"
I turned around completely; I met my mother's eyes one last time. I knew I'd never see her again, because there was no way I would willingly go visit her after today.
"Mom…" I began; I still had no idea why I kept calling her that. She was no mother.
"What?"
"Kota…and Ty. What happened to them?"
She looked down.
"A few years ago….they were taken from me. Neglect...is a form of child abuse, I guess. I got drunk one day, woke up in some weird Mexican hotel. Found out I'd been gone for three days, I managed to avoid jail time by going to AA classes, but…they were placed in care. The social workers told me there was no hope of getting them back."
I sighed and opened the door. As I closed it the only thing I could think of is how hard it must've been for them. For my poor baby brother, and my innocent little sister.
Canary was leaning up against the far wall, her eyes were sad.
"I'm guessing you eavesdropped?" I said, quirking an eyebrow.
"The walls are thin. You two were loud." She said simply.
I sighed. "I said what needed to be said."
"I know…" She put her arm around me. "I know…"
"So…your siblings." She said after awhile. "We can find them for you, you know. We could arrange a little reunion. I'm sure they'd be happy to see you."
"Tyler…." My eyes glistened with tears. "Dakota…Jeez…I…"
I looked at Canary, I knew what I needed to do.
"I love them, Canary." I said. "I love them with all my heart. But….I think I need to get my own life back on track before I drag them back into it."
She looked surprised, and then she smiled.
"I understand…" She said, and I really hoped she did.
Then she did something I'll never forget.
She took my hand like I was a little girl, and she led me away from the room. She didn't let go until we reached her car, and that was just so she didn't wreck.
I wasn't a baby; I didn't need my hand held. It was embarrassing, it was humiliating.
And I absolutely loved her for it.
Review, people! PLEASE?
Random: The one kid at the Halloween dance was dressed as 90's Conner, so I've heard. But...but why? Why would Conner wear that? He's...he's not. He is...I...I'm so confused:(
