C4- The End

No matter where Mom dragged him, Kent couldn't seem to shake the burning issue that was the Batman from the back of his mind. And he really did try. He honed his skills when they visited the arcade (where mom promptly beat him at nearly every attraction), and he tried to have conversation as they walked to the Atrac to visit the park. He  told himself that he could always plot his revenge later, that there was a chance he could enjoy his day out with mom. But, everything around him just reminded him more and more of the aching resent and frustration he was plagued with.

The news that was broadcasted on building screens, bat shaped graffiti painted across walls, the police that could occasionally be spotted around town, all brought the flashing image of Batmans gloating gaze. Even his mom made him remember his suppressed hatred; she had almost gotten killed because of that stupid Bat.

'He probably doesn't even care when innocent civilians get mowed down in his battles.' Mentally fumed Kent, 'the city would probably better without him. No smashed zoos. No vengeful supervillians. No people without money because their whole income got blown up.'

Biting his cheek, he joined his mother as they climbed from the tube shaped Atrac into the milling station of loud people. Even after growing up dealing with it, there was still nothing like the feeling of stepping off the bullet train and feeling the freedom of open space and getting away from the cramped, claustrophobic feeling of the Atrac walls.

Maybe he could trap Batman in one of those...

His teeth comped extra hard one that inside of his cheek- what was he thinking?!

"So, Kent, do you want to stop eating your own mouth and go out to eat?" Mom suddenly snatched up his hand and smiled at him.

He released his stinging cheek, his cheeks getting warm. Tugging his hand he replied, "I don't think we can afford going out, mom."

"Oh don't be a downer, that's my job." Moms grip did not loosen. "Besides, we went to the hospital a few weeks back and got money from those transfusion donations. I think it was just enough for dinner."

"No it wasn-"

"Don't argue with your mother, sweetie." Mom strode on, leading them out of the little station.

She had a point; he couldn't remember a day that he had actually won an argument against his mother. Not even his dad could win, which was the main reason Mom was his parent now. She probably could out argue Batman.

So, she pulled him along, the mother and son traveling the vast sidewalks of the winding city, in search for the scent of food. The sky was getting dark fast, dusk biting at the sun as it slowly tinted the atmosphere a deep orange and purple. Out of this city, it was probably a stunning sight, but within the polluted walls, it looked more like a blotchy, fading mess. It was like a gigantic metaphor for everyone's life inside the city.

"Ah ha," Mom grinned, "here we are."

Kent could smell the place before he saw it. The powerful odor of fried meat and greasy bread punched him in the nose, hitting so hard his stomach grumbled obnoxiously.

Mom laughed, "So you are hungry."

"That was your stomach." Kent accused playfully.

"I wish I could say that would be impossible. I think I could eat a boat!"

"Yum." Kent smirked sarcastically as they walked to the stairs of the tiny grimy diner.

It was a small building, the bright light from inside casting shadows on the rest of the street. When they got inside, Kent noted there was only one other person besides the staff in s corner table, an old man. Out of habit he also scanned the tiled, squeaky clean room for exit points; the lock on the window, the path to the back of the restaurant, a trick his father used to make him practice regularly. Never knew when an enemy would try to block the door and shoot you right there. Luckily, there didn't seem to be enemy's here. Too bad, he would have enjoyed seeing Batman.

"Hello!" A pretty young woman behind the counter smiled, her teeth almost glowing against her bright red lips. "How's everyone today?"

"Great." Mom smiled back, "How about you."

"Doing good," the waitress stepped out from behind the counter, carrying two menus.

Mom guided Kent to one of the booths, sitting on the opposite side of him as the waitress placed the menus down for them.

"Can I start ya with a drink?" She smiled.

"Water." Mom and Kent answered in unison.

Any other drink costed money.

"Water it is," the waitress nodded, "I'll be right back with those."

Kent examined the menu stumbling onto a familiar problem; everything looked good.

Mom snorted, "I think even the salads might be deep fried here. Or made into a milkshake."

A grin broke into Kent's face. "There's a reason these booths are so large."

Mom stifled a laugh, and the two went on making fun of the menu quietly until they ordered when they made straw worms and had a war with the salt and pepper shakers.

"You'll never be able to defeat the potent-ness of the Pepper army." Kent slid the shaker back and forth on the table in between his hands.

"Yes," mom combated, raising the salt. "But salt beats all. Even the vile pepper."

"Don't be ridiculous p-" Kent was cut off when the waitress appeared again with their steaming plates.

"Here you go," she smiled, placing them down in front of the two, "and just call if you need anything else."

"Thank you." Mom smiled, and once the waitress left she added, "nice to see such a sweet person in this city..."

Kent ignored her comment and stared at the food. He had chosen something small, focusing on the price; a cheese burger and fries from the kids menu. Though, he was bound to still be hungry afterwards. Mom had also chosen a smaller meal, some sort of meat and potatoes drenched in sticky gravy.

"Whoa. Would you like some dinner with your gravy?" Kent teased.

With a laugh mom swirled some of the potatoes, "If only."

Most of the meal after that was normal, they commented about their day, Mom careful to avoid the incident at the zoo, though they mostly just ate. Kent practically inhaled his dinner, finishing long before his mom.

She pushed her plate at him, "here, eat the rest of this. I'm stuffed."

He didn't argue, plowing in immediately. Letting out a light chuckle, Mom rubbed her boy's head, brushing his dyed blue out of his face. The sigh she emitted moment later made Kent pause between bites. They locked eyes.

"Look, I know your upset about the fight club," Mom began and Kents shoulders slumped, this wasn't going to be a fun conversation, "and I know you just think I'm being a mom about how I feel about it, but I'm more relieved than you could imagine that that place is gone. Terrible, terrible things happened there."

She paused, her hand hovering over her arm in a protective stance. A sick feeling washed over Kent at the thought of something awful happening or happened to his mother.

"I don't want to dampen the evening either, I just...I wanted to ask you to something for me."

There was a moment of silence, as Kent hesitated. But he couldn't hold out long, his mothers deep, soft brown eyes drawing the words out.

"What?"

"I want you..." She took a moment to pause herself. "To promise to never go back to that life. Don't turn out like me or your father. No matter what, please. Just promise me this."

Kent opened his mouth to say something-anything- he didn't know what to say, how could he promise that? A word began to form in the back of his throat, but before he could actually reply a scream cut through his sentence. Mom looked up, turning to the window before immediately sliding out of the booth.

"Mom-" Kent scurried to follow involuntarily.

She rushed towards the door, that determined and serious edge to her expression.

"Mom wait!" Kent reached to grab her arm.

She pulled forward and shook her head, "just stay here, Kent."

"No, don't go out there, mom."

She grabbed the door handle and glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Lots of people scream in this city, come on, mom. Don't..."

Her eyes dropped to the floor for a moment of thought, before she plowed outside.

"Mom!" Kent hurried after her, jumping out into the shadows of the night, only a lone street lamp lighting the way.

Another strangled cry ran up from one of the alleyways, quickening Mom's pace. Kent jogged after her, sharply turning into an alley, where two figures were struggling in the gloom. Through the shadows, Kent could make out two women, but they weren't fighting so much as one was attacking and the other was screaming and putting her arms up in a vain attempt at defense. The attacker shoved the other woman against the wall roughly.

"Come on, girly. Stop your screaming."

"Hey!" Kent's mom shouted, "stop it!"

The woman froze, looking over, light faintly casting against her oval shaped face. She had a long, agile nose and high narrow cheeks that gave her a chilly yet lovely look. At first she looked irritated, but after narrowing her eyes, the woman seemed curious by Mom.

"Do I know you?" She asked with a wicked smile, still squeezing the other girl against the wall.

Kent looked at his mother, who's expression was twisted to something he couldn't quite decipher- surprise? Pain? Anger?

"Just...let her go." Commanded Mom, hardening her face.

"Oh my goodness," the long faced woman breathed, "I do know you! Rosella. Or should I say, Lady Thorn."

Hearing the woman speak Kent's mom's first name made his hair go on end. That was frightening enough, but rehearing the unknown fighting title his mother once also sported made him feel ill. He looked the woman up and down; leather pants, easy to run in boots, a revealing blouse and a thick long jacket, with a bulge in the pocket. He swallowed, knowing just was inside that pocket.

Mom's jaw tightened, he was almost afraid to approach her too. Swallowing, he inched closer to her. "M-Mom...?"

The woman's sharp gaze snapped to Kent. Her lip twitched, cracking her mouth into a nasty grin. "Oh my...Is this him then? The Thorns' spawn? Parker really handed it to you, didn't he?"

"This isn't Parker's son." 'Lady Thorn' snapped, putting an arm out to block Kent.

"Uh huh." The woman nodded sarcastically. "I'm supposed to believe Cadwell?"

That was Kent's last name.

"Just let the girl go." Mom pulled the subject another direction.

"And I should listen to you why?"

"You know why." Kent watched his mother's fists clench.

The next instant happened so fast Kent could barely even blink at it. Mom jutted forward, shoving the woman off the girl and throwing a punch at the wicked smile. The girl yelped and slipped out of the way while the other two women fought in the darkness. Without thinking, Kent surged forward to help his mom when the heart stopping echo of a bullet speeding out of a gun made everything freeze. Something warm splattered across Kent's cheeks. Suddenly his mom was falling on top of him.

He caught her, sending them both to the ground. Quickly squirming from under her, he crouched over his mothers fallen form, all the feeling in his body coming to s screeching halt.

"M-M-Mom....?" He choked, his hands hovering over her clavicle.

There was blood everywhere, gushing from her upper chest, all over her shirt and neck. Her eyes were glazed over, unblinking. Her lips were parted as if she was as about to say something. Her chest didn't rise or fall.

"Mom!" Cried Kent, shaking her shoulders, making her limp body flop in his grasp. "Mom, wake up!"

He pressed his hands against the wound, trying desperately to fix it, anything to help.

"Mom!"

Still, she wasn't replying. Not even moving. Something grabbed ahold of Kent's heart, tearing sharp nails into his flesh. He couldn't breath. He couldn't think. He couldn't hear.

Mom.

All he could do it stare at the blood and the eerie lifelessness of her once smiling face.

He couldn't hear the wicked long faced woman dash out of the alleyway. Or the other girl panicking and screaming. Or the two police officers that appeared. One running after the armed woman while the other approached the scene.

He didn't hear himself repeating his mother's name, getting louder and louder every time. He shook her again, she had to move. She had too.

He lost feeling in his hands and arms, the only thing he was conscious of was the excruciating pain in his chest that just drove deeper with every second.

It didn't take much for the cops to rip Kent off his mother's breathless body, Kent was too weak to fight back, he was too weak to comprehend anything that was around him except that his mother had taken a bullet to the chest.

There were flashing blue and red lights, and loud talking people. Someone tried to get him to answer a question. He tried to fight the white clad men that crouched down to his mom, but a dark skinned officer stopped him, wrestling the boy back.

"No, no, they can't touch her-" Kent babbled, "I can't let them hurt her..."

"Son, please." The man clamped his hands on Kent's shoulders, leaning down to stare the wide eyed child in the face.

Kent blinked, something lodging in his throat and pushing something hot over his irises. "But-shes-" he choked.

His knees gave way, sending him crashing into the strong cop. The officer, held him up, wrapping a burly arm around the traumatized boy who's shaking form had given up, only able to wail. Grabbing onto the stranger and weeping in pain, Kent hoped his tears might cut off his breathing long enough to kill himself.

His mother was dead.

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that was really hard. I'm sorry.