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I nodded, hoping I didn't look as tense as I felt. 'Yes.'
'She's beautiful,' Canary started, closing the locket with a click.
'You look a lot like her.'
My corner of my lip quirked up.
'Did you just indirectly call me beautiful?'
That's it, act like it didn't affect you. Don't sneered.
'What if I did?' The heroine said slyly, running her thumb across the locket.
'Then I accept your complement.' I smirked.
You are pafetic you know. He said, blowing a raspberry.
'Sometimes, you are so endearing.' The heroine laughed, her voice turning somber. 'It's not hard to imagine you when you were younger, going through. . .all that.'
I frowned, relaxing into the chair. 'Did you just call me cute?'
Like that bothers you, ya limelight vampire.
'And you're ignoring the point.' She sighed.
Yes Sha-Sha, ya R ignoring the point that you are too emotionally mcfumbled to be having a conversation.
'Wouldn't you?' I asked her distractedly.
'I suppose.' She shrugged, not pursuing the idea.
I stayed silent, just looking at her.
I had to get it into my head that she wasn't who I wanted her to be. Don was right.
'When did she. . . pass away?'
I knew that she was choosing her words carefully, like I was some fragile object that could break at any moment.
But regardless, I flinched. 'Moments after my mother died.'
'I'm sorry about that, loosing family is always hard.' Black Canary said in a comforting tone.
'She was like family.' I pressed my lips into a thin line.
Was is all that'll e'er be, past.
'Was like family?' Canary mused to herself. 'She isn't your mother's sister?'
'No.' I said simply.
'How did she—' She paused, searching for words.
'She killed herself.' I rushed, not wanting to hear her finish. Not linger on her for too long.
'. . .' The counselor said nothing.
'She was from one of the families, assigned as a guard to my mother as a child, they grew up like sisters. An unbreakable bond that you can't imagine, and
my mother broke that bond to protect her, when she left Gotham. When she died, my aunt somehow knew, she walked calmly to her room, said her goodbyes to her husband and kid on the way, reached into her drawer, pulled out a gun, placed it under her chin and. . . ended it.'
Canary held her breath, I pretended I didn't notice.
Selective ignoriance she calls it, move on I keep telling her she ne'er listens though, never listens. The imaginary voice in my head ranted.
'Of course we were continents apart, it might not be true.'
It was not a lie, yet at the same time not the truth.
For gods sake, STOp calling me imaginary.#!!!!!%
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Crossing his arms, The Dark Knight frowned.
A guardian.
An unbreakable bond.
Deathsworn.
This entire story reeked of mysteries and conundrums.
He narrowed his eyes.
He needed that locket. Of course from this height he could barely see the picture, but something about it must have finally roped Dinah in.
He had to see it.
Canary, he tapped on his comm, I need that locket.
Now all he had do was wait.
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Shadow
I watched passively, as she slide the locket on the table.
'I think you should have this back with it being the last piece of her you have left, regardless of the way she died.' She said, clasping her hands.
'No,' I said softly, shaking my head.
Canary's look told me that I had to elaborate, having gotten myself to this point because of my words.
'I've never taken off that locket since my mother placed it on my neck. I always felt that I had a little part of her with me. It's a delusion, she is gone. I have to stop living in the past, they have all gone and if I don't keep my head straight, I'll be joining them soon.'
I took a deep breath. No lies. Again.
'So keep it, you look a lot like her anyways. Maybe I was "destined" to give it to you. Besides,'
I laughed lightly. '. . . it's not the last piece.'
She took the locket of the table, slowly, as if gauging my reaction.
I watched her silently as she clasped it around her neck, and I couldn't help but think back.
'Okay girly, I'm tired of all this yer shenanigans. Arent ya?'A blonde woman let out a hearty laugh as she waved around the plastic gun in her hands.
I shook my head, ducking behind a tree as toy bullet flew past.
Giggling, I ran in circles before taking shelter behind the man who I thought of as a giant. Thick black curls framed his chiseled face and sharp chin.
His dark green eyes peered down at me, then to the blonde. 'May, why do you bother the child so?'
'But Lance,' She pouted. 'The little squirt is like so annoying, so I like wanted to like teach her like a lesson.'
Lance flashed me a smile, before crossing the distance between him and the whiny woman in two long strides, wrapping his arm around her waist.
'Aren't you like a little too old to like be using terrible accents and like playing with toys?' He murmured in her ear.
'Dear,' She put her hand against his chest. 'I think you need to work on your valley girl.'
'I think it's called valley girl for a reason, Darling.' He said, leaning down for a kiss, while I squealed, slapping my hands over my eyes.
'May, dear. I think we've tainted the poor girl's mind.' I heard his voice say.
'Want to taint more of it?' She asked, something I didn't recognize lacing her tone, but I knew that I had to get out, like right now.
'May!' Her husband admonished as she giggled, dancing out of his hold and away from his reach.
'You guys are gross, you know that, right?' A voice said from behind the loving pair.
Turning to look, my eyes brightened when I saw who it was.
'I'll be on my way.' Canary said, breaking me away from the memory as she got up.
I nodded, keeping my face blank.
'I understand that you have things on your mind right now.'
I nodded again, choosing to remain silent.
'But before I go, I would like to inform you that Robin will be here shortly and neither of you are to leave till both of you have sorted out your. . . misunderstandings She said, walking to the door.
'It's complicated.' I said quietly, shortly, knowing that if I continued, I would say something I shouldn't have.
I never told the heroine that May told me never to take off that locket either, or how much of a second mother she was to me.
I closed my eyes, fingering my bare collar.
'Oh, and Shadow,' Canary started again. 'I've figured out what makes you happy.'
I stilled, curious about her conclusion.
'Family.' Her voice echoed softly through the room as she shut the door.
A small smile stretched across my face.
It was not one of those smiles that I threw around to irk people—okay maybe only Batman and certain others—or make people feel fear or feel important. And it wasn't the one that appeared when I was being diabolical or scheming.
It was the smile I rediscovered when I decided to divert from everything I was taught, and regained my "self", breaking away from all the teachings of The League of Shadows when I resolved to reclaim my worth as a person, not a weapon.
It seemed like my definition of a true smile had varied over the years, as I gained more experiences, more. . .tragedies.
But I was sure this one would stick.
My smile grew.
Family, uh?
Maybe somewhere deep down, I always knew.
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