Hoping for Heroes

The Beginning

Harley's barely awake before ACDC starts blasting throughout the halls. She groans as she rolls over, covering her head with her pillow. She tries to fall back asleep, but she knows the attempt is futile. She's only lying for a moment before her dad bursts into the room, singing along to "Highway to Hell".

"Rise and shine, soldier," he says, yanking the covers off of her. "We've got a big day ahead of us. Shopping, eating, some-"

"Dad," Harley cuts him off. "I've been awake for a whole two minutes. Give me a second before you wear me to the bone."

"Oh, boo," he says. "Fine, be that way. I'll be downstairs when you're finally ready. Don't take too long!" 

"Wait!" She calls after him, shooting up in bed. "We're going shopping? Who are you and what have you done with my dad?" He smiles at her softly.

"Just felt like spoiling you today, soldier. Get ready. We're leaving in half an hour."

After spending the morning shopping and getting some pizza for lunch, Harley and her dad were back home. Her dad is watching some action movie in the living room, and she is in her bedroom wrapping the Christmas presents she bought earlier. Granted, the presents were only for her dad, so it didn't take her long. She never got the chance to meet her mom, since she left soon after Harley was born, and her dad never had a good relationship with her grandparents. It was just the two of them, and that is more than enough for Harley. 

The pampering, however, is not. Last time her dad spoiled her like this, he had broken her bike. The time before that, he had forgotten to get the supplies she needed for her second grade science fair. This time, she didn't have any idea what was wrong.

"Harley?" her dad calls out to her from the living room. She's surprised. His voice is a lot softer than it normally is, and he hasn't called her Harley in a long time. It's always been "Soldier" since serving in the Army. Marvel fans always got a kick when Harley told them he was a veteran since their last name was Rogers. 

"Yeah, Dad?" she asks as she makes her way into the living room. "What's up?"

"Come, sit," he says. "There's someone you need to meet. Come in, Alayna."

A tall woman with silky blonde hair and startling blue eyes walks into the room. She is already fairly tall, yet seems quite bigger with the aura of confidence around her. The short sleeve shirt she is wearing shows the sleeve of tattoos on her right arm and the series of scars on the left. Harley takes a moment to survey her face, and once their eyes meet, the cold exterior on the woman's eyes seems to soften. Harley wouldn't have any idea who this was, if it wasn't for the fact she felt like she was looking into a mirror. 

"Of all ways I expected to meet my mom," Harley starts. "This wasn't it."

"How did you realize who I was?" The woman--Alayna--Mom?-- asks, but she doesn't seem surprised. She doesn't seem to show much emotion at all.

"She's very perceptive," her dad compliments. "Something she must've picked up from you."

"Okay, what?" Harley asks. "I've been alive for 11 years and you're just going to walk in like nothing's wrong? I've never met you before! You're my mom, and I've never seen you before a day in my life."

Her mother remains impassive, but she can see the wave of hurt cross in her eyes. "There's a lot you don't know, Harley. But I promise I'll explain it to you in California."

"What do you mean, in California?" Harley jumps up from the couch where she was sitting, looking between her mother and father. 

"I didn't exactly get to that part," her dad explains . "Look, Harley, I need you to go with your mother for a while."