(P.S this chapter has been updated to be a little longer!)
Once the other
vehicles arrived, our plan was back on schedule. I sighed in relief, but also
silently cursed Charlie for forgetting something so crucial. I’m pretty sure I
wasn’t the only one who had a minor panic attack at the sight of metal scraps
and scorch marks where the truck should’ve been. It took all the self-control I
had to not run to Kent. I wasn’t a little kid anymore...and I had to prove
myself that I could handle situations like this. Especially if we were going to
actually face the Dragon, where a lot more could happen.
We all clambered
into the nearest truck after Laura had a quiet conversation with Graham and
Kent. I sat at the back, facing Graham with a captive Kyle. It was slightly
more crowded inside, with Kyle and Wolfgang added to the mix. They were both
soundly sleeping.
Kyle looked so
small, with his hands bound behind him, and totally unconscious. Upon closer
inspection, I saw that his face had thinned considerably, his cheekbones
jutting out sharply. There were faint bags under his eyes, and what looked like
a developing bruise along his jaw. He looked...fragile. Not the big, arrogant,
bossy big brother I was used to seeing. I had an urge to go over and stroke
Kyle’s head, but I quickly stifled it. What was I doing? He was the enemy. He
was working for the Dragon.
“He’s awake!
Wolfgang is finally awake!” I heard one of the Terries exclaim. There was a
commotion as Charlie and I rushed over to where Wolfgang was still lying with
his head on Laura’s lap. Even Heathcliff came along, though probably slightly
grudgingly.
“Shush, you’ll
make him go into shock,” replied Laura, still stroking his hair. “He’s been
through a lot.”
I peered over and
saw Wolfgang’s hazel green eyes flutter open. His eyes were at first glazed,
but open seeing his mother’s face, they quickly focused. He shot straight up
and fell off of the seat with a yelp.
“Who are you?
What am I doing here?” he asked, panicked. He winced and clutched at his old
bullet wound
I knelt down by
him. “Calm down,” I said reassuringly. “These are friends. You’re safe.”
“What, are you
not going to introduce me?” asks Laura bemusedly. “He must be curious, at
least.”
Wolfgang looked
at me quizzically. I raised an eyebrow at Laura, and then turned back to
Wolfgang.
“Well, um, this
is Laura. Laura Gable,” I said, gesturing at her.
Wolfgang’s eyes
widened. I faltered a bit, not wanting to shock him too much. But at an
impatient cough from Laura, I swallowed and continued.
“Don’t freak out,
ok? But...well...she’s your mother.”
It took a moment
for Wolfgang to register what I was saying. His mouth gaped and widened as if
he was about to say something, but he then abruptly shut it again. Finally, he
managed to stutter out, “She’s...my...mom?”
“The one and
only,” replied Laura, smiling. “Now how about you give me a proper hug?” She
stretched out her arms.
Wolfgang stood
up, and stared down at Laura. “You show up out of the blue after 19 years, and
you expect me to just give you a hug?”
Laura slowly
dropped her arms. “After 19 years of only being able to watch you from a
distance, I would like to think that a hug isn’t too much to ask for.”
“Well how about
an explanation on why you disappeared and left me with a criminal and
manipulative father, huh? That shouldn’t be too much for me to ask!” Wolfgang
yelled.
The Terries,
Michael and Eric all scrambled out of the way as Laura stood up and met
Wolfgang’s scowl with a cold expression. John looked back from the pilot’s seat
to see what the commotion was, but as soon as he saw Laura’s expression, he
turned back around and clenched the clutch.
Kent fiddled with
his collar. “Laura, please don’t become emotionally compromised now. We have
more important things to discuss—“
She cut him off
with a wave of her hand. “Do you know what it’s like to watch the one you love
slowly get driven mad with power and greed? Do you know what it’s like to have
them never listen to you? Do you know what it’s like to leave your family
behind just so you can keep your life and sanity? Don’t you underestimate the
sacrifices I had to make; I had to leave you behind, my precious son,” she
smiled sadly.
“Well if I was so
precious, couldn’t you have sneaked in to at least say hi to me or something?”
He gestures to the others, and the truck. “It appears you’re well-equipped enough
to come see me secretly.”
“I was busy those
19 years building up this team, creating alliances with the Justice League, and
getting your father under arrest! I didn’t have the time or the resources to
come visit you, however much that pained me.” She reached up and caressed
Wolfgang’s face.
“Don’t make up
excuses, Laura,” he said, slapping her hand away. “I went long enough without a
mother, I don’t need one now.” He turned around and headed to the back of the
truck, slumped down next to the piles of weapons and clothing with his back
turned to the others.
She still held
her hand out, but slowly retracted and clenched her fists close to her chest.
Her facial expression was not of resentment, or sadness. Instead, there was
absolutely nothing. She marched to the co-pilot’s seat next to John, and sat
down.
I walked over to
Wolfgang and sat down next to him. He shifted away from me, sulking like he was
back to being 5 years old. I grabbed his arm and pulled him so he was facing
me.
“What are you
doing, you idiot?” I hissed, shaking him slightly. “Here’s your mother, wanting
to make amends with you, and you slap her away?”
“She’s not my
mother,” he replied sullenly.
“Well then, who
is she?”
“Someone who just
wants to get into my life after 19 years of abandonment without any regards as
to how maybe I don’t want to see her.”
“Wolfgang, stop
acting like a kid and apologize to your mother.”
“Laura Gable will
never be my mother, nor will I ever accept her!” he yelled, clear enough for
everybody in the truck to hear.
That’s when I got
angry.
