Twisting and Turning, Your Feelings Are Burning...

[not_a_wonder]

Parkman Plaza, Boston Common -- Vanessa Kapatelis is seated on the concrete retaining wall that connects the three bronze statues known as Learning, Industry, and Religion. She is between the man depicted using a compass and reading a book (Learning) and the man using a jackhammer (Industry).

Nessie is dressed rather smartly in a light pink skirt, pale mint green sleeveless blouse, and a blazer of a slightly darker pink. Her curly hair has been tamed with a flat iron and braided back away from her face. Her brown flats match the brown purse that she clutches on her lap. She would blend in with any of the young professionals that frequent the business sector of Boston. However, Nessie looks rather stiff and nervous as she waits, scanning the crowd for familiar faces.

A message was left on her voicemail a few days ago, instructing her to call back at a particular number. Jason Todd answered and confirmed that he'd located Donna Troy. They arranged a time to meet in Boston, when Julia Kapatelis would also be in the city. Nessie would get a chance to explain things to Donna, and hopefully they'd go on to meet up with Julia.

The therapist said it was necessary to talk out her feelings with her mother, but despite all her own training in the field of counseling, Nessie was still frightened of it. Julia hadn't meant to harm Nessie, ever, but the harm had still occurred. Addressing it... was not something that the Kapatelis women did.

And if Donna decided this problem was not worth her time... Nessie would either have to do this alone, or resort to having Jason come along as backup instead. (Nessie appreciated his willingness to help, but worried about how Julia would react to Jason.)

Nessie clutched her purse closer and silently counted to time her breathing, 'In -- two, three, four, five -- and out...' just like she'd done for Jason once. She had to stay calm.

Comments

[red_hood_rat]

Donna looks at Jason. "And how much time did you spend thinking of other options?"

"... not a lot?" It's not even an admission, from how casually he says it. "I spent the whole mission before that playing nice, but then one of our team died. If that's not a sign to take the kid gloves off, what is? I mean, if I hadn't have killed him, how well do you think my gambit would've worked?"

"So you killed him just to sell your lie? That's not better."

"I killed him because he was trying to kill us! The whole damn army was! We couldn't take 'em, we needed to get out of there!"

[not_a_wonder]

As the yelling gets louder, Nessie pulls up a song on her cell phone, turns the volume all the way up, and presses play:

"Shut up, just shut up, shut up!" Fergie sings on the track, "Shut up, just shut up, shut up!"

Donna glares at Nessie and snaps, "Will you stop taking his side? I swear you're just doing it so that I'll think you're a lost cause! Well, you're not!"

Nessie closes the music app and types out: Arguing in circles. Being mad at the people still here is not going to bring the dead ones back to life. Believe me, I know.

You don't have to like him or trust him, but you DO have to respect that he's MY FRIEND and that I trust him!

Nessie looks over to Jason and mouths at him, 'Please stop arguing with her'.

[red_hood_rat]

Jason looks genuinely confused as Nessie mouths the words to him.

"But you're the one who wanted us to talk?"

[not_a_wonder]

Vanessa nods rapidly, raising both eyebrows. And then she gives a very exaggerated smile and taps her chest, before mouthing, 'About me...?'

"..." Donna goes bright red.

[red_hood_rat]

Embarrassment is not a look Jason wears often. But right now, he actually visibly flushes as Nessie clarifies.

Ohhh, God, he's an idiot. He'd legitimately thought this was Nessie wanting them to resolve their problems so her friends would be friends or something. Now he feels like, uh, a self-centered dumbass?

Jason and Donna stare at each other, argument forgotten in their mutual mortification.

"I, uh..." Donna says.

"... where did we... want to start?" Jason asks falteringly.

[not_a_wonder]

Nessie holds out her phone to Donna, and the screen reads: Donna, what do you know about my accident? What do you know about Sebastian Ballesteros?

After reading the message, Donna passes the phone back to Nessie.

"Well, I know that you were in a car accident, and that Circe and the others used that as an excuse to implant the cybernetics into you. I know that Sebastian Ballesteros was financing the plot, and that at the time, he had stolen the power of the Cheetah from Barbara Minerva." Donna glances between Nessie and Jason. "That's... not the whole story, is it?"

[red_hood_rat]

"Sebastian was the first one to find her in the hospital after, right after she woke up," Jason says. "How the hell did he find out so quick? He just happened to have all this cybernetic shit lined up to implant Nessie with? After she got hit by a car on the damn sidewalk?"

Jason shakes his head. "No, I don't buy it. He was manipulating her already, fucking grooming her. My money says he planned it from the start. He was just waiting for the right time to strike, and pretend it was all a horrible accident."

[not_a_wonder]

Donna sits there for a moment, mentally fitting Jason's info-dump details into the framework of events that she already had. Clearly, he's made up his mind about how deep the plot against Vanessa -- and by extension, Diana herself -- went back in the day. But it does make sense.

"You've said..." Donna stops, swallows down the anger that's threatening, and then continues, "That's the second time you've mentioned grooming."

It's Nessie's turn to blush. But she slides the phone between the two of them so that they can both read:

That's what happened. At first, it seemed romantic... he said he loved me, he was always willing to listen to me, that kind of thing.

But when he got me back to his place, when they started messing with my body and my brain, it was more about sex. Not all of the implants were cybernetic.

Donna glances up, and repeats, "Not all of the implants were cybernetic?"

Nessie cups both hands under her own breasts and pushes them up to mimic the bustier that she wore as the Silver Swan. It's rather obvious that there's not as much volume to them now.

Donna's eyes go a little wider as she 'gets it', and then she scowls darkly. "That piece of shit..."

[red_hood_rat]

"She might've done it for her own reasons," Jason says, "But some days I think I should send Barbara Minerva a 'thank you' for ridding the world of that son of a bitch."

"Not that Veronica Cale doesn't have plenty to answer for, too."

[not_a_wonder]

"She's the one that kidnapped Nessie afterward," Donna says her thoughts aloud, also to confirm with the others that she knows this part. "Her scientists used even more unstable cybernetics to 'enhance' the Silver Swan powers... but it was all for a suicide mission, basically."

Nessie nods at that, wetting her lips in a nervous gesture. There's a new message on the phone screen: I always felt ashamed of this. Idiot girl who got taken in by a sleazy man, helpless little victim who couldn't fight back. And... I might be wrong, but it always FELT like Mom thought the same of me.

Donna's eyes flash with anger at the thought -- more that any mother could feel that way about a daughter -- and she says, "I... I hate to think that about someone like Julia. But she must have done something to make you feel that way... what was it?"

[red_hood_rat]

"Maybe because that's the way people feel by fucking default in this shitty society?" Jason says. "It's always the victim's fault. Because if it is, then you don't have to worry about it happening to you, because you're smarter than that."

[not_a_wonder]

Nessie reaches out and pats Jason's hand. It's meant as a supportive gesture, that she understands where he is coming from.

Donna frowns. She's always thought highly of Julia Kapatelis (in part because Diana thought so highly of the woman) and she also knows that Julia isn't... cruel or stupid. And the viewpoint that Jason is calling the default of their society is both. She doesn't argue, though.

"You wanted us to come with you to talk to Julia about this... because you don't feel safe saying this to her one-on-one."

Nessie shakes her head and points at Donna.

Donna blinks, and her voice cracks a little when she corrects herself, "You... wanted me to come with you." She moves suddenly, but it's only to sweep Nessie up into a hug. "Oh, honey! I've been just awful to you, haven't I? I'm so sorry!"

[red_hood_rat]

Took her long enough. Jason almost mutters that aloud, but manages to stop himself.

Christ. He legitimately hadn't realized until Donna showed up how bitter he was about all this shit. Not that Jason isn't often surprised by his own emotions, but for all the time he spends uselessly seething about family-related shit, he really hadn't thought much about the whole multiverse trip before he saw Donna again.

But this is about Nessie, not him. Jason already put his foot in that a few minutes ago. So he sits here awkwardly, feeling a little like a third wheel as Donna and Nessie hug.

[not_a_wonder]

Nessie hugs Donna back, of course, but she's not one to forget that Jason is in the room as well. She meets his eye over Donna's shoulder, then gives a little eye-roll. It's just like these big superheroes to forget the little guy until the little guy is right in their face.

When the women separate again, Nessie picks up the phone and types Donna -- maybe you and I can stay in the Boston area until my voice comes back? Then we can contact Mom and meet up with her.

Jason -- it would be nice if you could stay too, but I know you're busy. Thank you for helping find Donna. And say thank you to your friend from me!

Nessie gives Jason a little wink when she shows them the screen again. If she still had her voice, she'd probably ask if Jason was going to visit New York on the way home.

[red_hood_rat]

Jason smiles and laughs a little at Nessie's eyeroll.

"Yeah, I do have stuff to take care of," Jason says. "But I'll let him know you said thanks, and I'll see you back in Gotham. Take care of yourself, all right?"

[not_a_wonder]

Donna makes note of that mention of the 'friend', and she's definitely going to ask Nessie about it when Nessie can talk again. But for now, she won't press. Things are going too well to set Jason off again.

Besides, he's clearly taking the opportunity to leave. Donna reaches out and clasps one of his hands with both of hers, just briefly. Then she drops the grip -- so he knows she's not trying to keep him from leaving -- and says, "Thank you, Jason. I'm sorry I treated you so poorly... both now, and... and back then."

Nessie looks a little worried at that comment, but also hopeful.

[red_hood_rat]

Jason gives her a long look, glancing back and forth between her and Nessie. He has more he wants to say, but Nessie's giving him those pleading eyes.

"... thanks," he says after a while, and turns to leave.

It'll have to do.