Killer Moth and his Ex-Wife Have Their Most Civil Conversation in the Nine Years Since The Divorce



Drury Walker absent-mindedly picked at his lunch, his attention fixed to the tv screen hanging from the ceiling of the sports bar.  He downed the last of his beer, and upon lowering his glass was greeted by the faux-pleasant smile of his ex-wife as she sat down in front of him.

"Oh Dru, same as always, you'd have that six-pack you want years ago if you watched your diet better."

"Ah hell, what do you want?"

She snagged a fry off his plate and flagged down the server, pretending not to notice his glaring.  "I'll have the mixed green salad, add grilled chicken, no cheese, dressing on the side, with a water and the house white wine.  And put it on-"

"Separate checks."  Dru finished for her and waited until they were alone again.  "A bit later than usual, aren't we?  You weren't even here to ruin her spring break this year."

"I'm a busy woman, Dru, and can't always be there as much as she, or I, want.  If you didn't coddle her so much she'd be better able to handle a little disappointment."

"Disappointment?" he hissed through his teeth, stopping and looking around to see if anyone was staring, "Is that all you think it is for her?  A little disappointment?  That her mother once again ditched her after making promise after promise?  That she thought maybe this time would be different?"

"How dare you.  I do the best I can as a woman all on her own.  So maybe I promise too much once in awhile, but it really can't be helped; I just get a little overemotional when it comes to my little girl.  You wouldn't understand, you're with her all the time, I only get a few days out of the year at best and you always try to make things difficult."

"You're the one who didn't want any custody rights."

Both of them leaned back and stared daggers at each other as the server set down more food.  Dru tapped his fingers on the table with irritation as she beamed a fake smile towards him as she prepped her food to her liking.  After a few bites, during which at no point did they stop trying to stare each other down, she asked, "Honestly, I have no idea why you have such a problem with me."

"HA!"  The booming laugh drew stares from nearby patrons, but he didn't notice nor would he have cared at this point, "Alright then, you really want to know?"

"You're making a scene."

"And here I thought you couldn't get enough attention.  You want to know my problem with you?  You really want to know?"

"If you're going to be rude, I don't have t-"

"So nine years ago I have to walk back into the state prison I was just released from to ask if I can use the phone because my wife was supposed to have picked me up hours ago.  I call my parents and find out you dropped Kitten off that morning and they have no idea where you are or why you weren't there.  No one knows!  I filed a missing person report over you.  Then lo and behold two weeks later I get your divorce papers in the mail and you're apparently on the other side of the country living in some forest commune.  Side note, you weaseling your way into control of the commune's finances, siphoning all their money to you, and getting away with it because everything you did was technically legal?  Great job."

"Aww, thank you.  I like to think of it as my-"

"But I digress.  Three years, for three years after I sign those papers we hear nothing from you.  And I'm stuck trying to explain to a toddler where mommy went.  Then I find out you're back in Gotham wearing a costume, hanging around the cape chasers and villain fanboys, posing for pretentious hipster artists, playing like you're some kind of rebel against society and telling anyone who'll listen the sob story about your mean ol' ex-husband who stole your moth-themed supervillain idea even though I had been fighting Batman for 15 months at that point.  And I could have dealt with that, but you had to start playing your games with me and Kitten.  You had to make her think that her mom was back, that we were going to be a family, and everything was going to be great only to bail once her hopes were up.  And I'm left consoling a six year old who thinks mommy left because she did something wrong, that she drove her mother away.  And for six years you've still been playing your games.  That's my problem with you."

Fidgeting nervously, she looked around the room, brushing non-existent hairs out of her face and rubbing the back of her neck.  "Well, that's, that's...certainly your way of looking at things.  But I didn't come here to listen to you vent about the past.  I'm here on business and wanted to extend an opportunity."

"I'm not giving you money." he flatly interjected.

She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips.  "I had this sudden inspiration a few days ago.  I realized that there had never been a 'youth' villains group.  Think about it, the Teen Titans have been around for years, there was Young Justice for a little while, and both the JLA and JSA have done the whole mentoring thing.  So why not our side do the same?  Imagine it, the first team for kid and teen villains, learning to be supervillains together, with me as their den mother, making sure everything comes out on top for them."

"Already been done," he responded curtly, "Deathstroke ran a teen villain thing a couple years back.  Called them the Terrors or something similar; bunch of nobodies and barrel scrapings like Joker's Daughter.  Nothing came out of it and Wilson jumped ship pretty quickly, they floundered around a bit then if I remember right some guy who decided he was the new Clock King made himself leader.  I kinda stopped following it around that point but I think he turned out to actually be trafficking metas for Intergang or something.  So yeah."

"Well, as I was saying, it's an idea that no one has explored to its fullest potential."

Dru leaned back and thought for a moment, inhaling sharply through his nose, "Won't work."

"And just why not?"

"Think about all the kid and teen heroes you can list off the top of your head.  Now think about all the kid and teen villains.  Small list, right?  There is no shortage of kids who think they can change the world, but ones who are down for a life of crime aren't common.  Most teen villains are doing it out of thrill-seeking or riding on hormones and that kind of self-centered, immature sociopathy that crops up around age 13.  For most it's a phase that the eventually grow out of.  Just look at us; back in high school everyone in our social group was some kind of criminal, talking big about how they weren't going to play by society's rules, and yet we're the only supervillains Public High School No. 134 every produced.  Setting aside the ones that just want to think they're hardcore for putting on costume and aren't actually down for anything, most of the lot won't care about anything other than petty stuff that'll give them a dopamine hit, and what remains is probably going to grow out of it."

"Maybe so, but I think that the right kind of environment can lead to them developing into proper supervillains and we can help them avoid the pitfalls that happen to most of us early in our careers.  Plus it'd give me a lot of time to spend with Kitten, you know how desperate she is to join the family business."

"No.  No no no.  She's not getting anywhere near this."

"Why not?  You know how badly she wants to be a villain."

"She also wants a tattoo and to go skydiving, but it ain't going to happen.  She's 12, she thinks it's glamorous and exciting.  And Lord knows where she gets that idea from considering the number of times I've dragged myself home busted and bruised with nothing to show for it.  She doesn't have the temperament for it, she doesn't have the mentality for it, she hates pain, she's squeamish as hell, impatient, and lazy.  That does not a supervillain make.  So no matter how many homemade costumes I find under her bed, she does not have it in her to actually be a supervillain and I thank God for that.  Plus, you know, I prefer you not be around her in general."

"You're terrible, Dru, selling your own daughter short like that.  She needs a parent who believes in her, not one who puts her down."

"I give you far more leeway with her than I should, and that's on me, but this is the line in the sand.  You can have your little supervillain summer camp, but Kitten will never be a part of it.  If I find out that you're trying to get her into the game then you're through.  No debate, no discussion, you're done being in her life.  Are we clear?"

She looked at him angrily for a second before rolling her eyes, "Fine."

"Good.  And I'd better not come home to find her with a tattoo either."