Superhero War Trilogy

Chapter XV: St. JoJo Goes to Therapy

DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains heavy content and implications of experiences of child abuse and neglect. You have been warned. Reader discretion is advised.

Miguel bounces his leg repeatedly, and before him is Harley Quinn.

"Do ya know why you're here?"

"Because the justice system's stupid?"

"Mr. Ibarra, you invented the justice system."

"Well, it's stupid."

"Mr. Ibarra. You blew up an entire stadium."

"No one was there. And I was fighting a bad guy."

"He wasn't some powerful supervillain. He was a child abuser. Though, justified... the stadium BLOWING UP part wasn't justified."

"I safely teleported everyone outta there before it blew up!"

"Except for the child abuser."

"Yes, I killed the Kiddler Diddler."

"Could you tell me why you did that?"

"Did what?"

"Target mostly abusers? Adopt kids all the time every second when they have no parents or they have abusive or neglectful parents?"

"I'm a Mommy Bird."

Harley sighs and leans backward. "Why'd you blow up the stadium?"

"He attacked..."

"How...?"

"He... took out his belt and whipped the ground to intimidate me."

"That was a threat. Not an attack."

"Yes... it was..." He began grabbing his hands and squishing them around, wrapping his hands around each other.

Harley observes this. "Do you need a glass of water?"

"N-No... Sorry... No..."

"Did... the belt remind you of something."

Miguel whimpers and looks away, with his lips shaking. 

"Miguel?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"So, you'd rather destroy property?"

"I was going to fix in. I was then detained."

"Because it was your fault."

"It was always my fault. My family... enabled him."

"Miguel?"

Miguel began crying and tightening his grip.

"Okay. I won't push you to-..."

"My uncle... I hated my Mom... My Dad... My Grandparents... They always liked my younger sister better."

"Why?"

Miguel's eyes went teary. "I was always angry. Because they would a-a-always blame me "

"For what?"

"Everything? They make a mistake, they yell at me when I call them out. I was a bad, very bad child. Because clearly I must've done something wrong, right? Right?"

"Like what?"

"I used to like having my toys lined up. And when they told me to clean it up, th-they'd destroy their home, Harleen."

"Their... home...?"

"They were journeying to an island. S-So they were lined up... They would kick the pieces away. Throw them away. They said I had no discipline 'cuz I didn't clean up. But it WAS clean. I made sure each toy was clean. But they still destroyed it. So, destroying things must be good. But when I break things, they seem to get angry. I broke the vase. I broke the clock. I broke the table. They got mad. I didn't get why. I must be a very, very baaad boy..."