Exceeds Expectations [Z]

He felt more bad for the shame he'd probably brought his mother than any damage he inflicted on that damn asshole Luke. Seeing him bleed had been satisfying after he'd so blatantly acted like he owned Dianne, and the comments made against his sister, that had been the final straw. Z had his broken hand held close to his body as he followed after the guard with his head lowered, he was ashamed for assuredly disappointing his mother, he didn't regret what he'd done, but knowing that she'd probably lost all faith in him for this, and Luke's comment was still ringing in his ears.

Did she think that he was becoming his father? Did she think less of him for this? He'd always been ridiculously close to his mother, doubly so after the night she'd stepped in to defend him from his father's abuse, he was a little bit of a mama's boy, but he wasn't so sure it'd stay that way after this.

He glanced up at the car parked outside as he followed the guard to it, looking shame faced and pained before dropping his eyes back to the ground, unable to even risk meeting her gaze and seeing the emotions that might be held there. His brain was overthinking, and putting all sorts of wild and unpleasant thoughts into his head about how this would go, he only hoped maybe explaining his reasons would lessen the amount of faith she'd lost in him. He swallowed and kept quiet for the time being as he climbed into the passenger seat of her car, still holding his hand close.

He wasn't going to speak first, he wasn't going to speak until she spoke to him, which he knew that she would if given the time to do so. He was ashamed, but felt justified, he was protecting Dianne, right? Luke would have done awful things to her, he still might, the thought made Z bristle, but he managed to keep it contained as he waited in the silence that stretched heavy between them for her to finally say something. The silence was killing him, more than it usually did.

He didn't respond to her words at first, these were places where he disagreed, if nothing warranted raising his hands, what was he meant to do if he was ever in serious trouble? If Zan was in serious trouble? Beg and plead? His voice was low, "some situations do. What if Zan was being hurt?" His tone was calm and genuinely curious, "if nothing warrants raising my hands, am I supposed to just beg and hope they stop?" He looked up at her with a somewhat lost expression, how could he protect anyone if he was never allowed to fight when it was needed? It made little sense in his head.

"Luke. It was Luke." He looked to the side, "I shouldn't have started that fight, but I was afraid of what he was going to do to Dianne." He frowned and rubbed over his hand, "I was afraid he was going to hurt her." There was a soft growl in his voice as he continued, "he started talking shit about Zan, no one gets away with bullying and manipulating my friends and family." When she mentioned his hand he looked it over, "it's broken. I punched a locker." His voice was calm and level, confident in his words because they were all true, "I didn't go crazy. I took a few swings. He choked me." He put the hand that wasn't injured over his neck, which had the slightest redness to it.

He glanced at her, taking in her words, on the one hand she was right and he knew it, but on the other hand, "it was real danger to me." He glanced to the side, not saying anymore than that, it wasn't what he was afraid Luke would to in that moment, it was what he was afraid he would do if he was caught alone with her. He looked at her for a long time and sighed, "no promises. Danger is everywhere. You can't avoid it...You can only be aware enough to get yourself out of it when it happens." He conceded though that those words were not very comforting, "but I'll try." He tried a tiny half smile, but it fell quickly.

He looked up at her with a tilted of his head, "people are assaulted in school all the time. He could easily do something to her in school." He looked to the side again, "besides, I was more worried about what he would do out of school. I thought maybe if I scared him...He would leave her alone." He looked over his broken hand with a sad expression, "they weren't aimed at me. I could care less if people say things about me. He crossed my line when he brought Zan's name into it." He wrinkled his nose and shook his head, "shoulda seen that he was baiting me. Fell into it like a fucking idiot." He wouldn't make that mistake twice.

"hard enough." Was all he said, he wouldn't mention how much he wished that it had been Luke's smug face, "I'm not scared of him." He had a question burning in the back of his mind, something that Luke's words had brought along with a feeling of dread, he glanced at her, "Mom...Am I...Am I my father?" He looked up at her with a fear in his eyes that words could never describe, "I'm not...Right...I-I'd never hit Zan...O-or Dianne...I wouldn't..." His voice shook a little as his calm composure broke, "Am I going to become my father?"

Z tried to give her a reassuring smile when he looked at her worriedly, "it's fine mom, it doesn't hurt as much if I don't like...Move it and stuff..." He figured that was far from comforting, but it was honestly the best he had to offer. In truth his hand was hurting pretty bad, but he figured saying that when they were stuck in traffic would only worry her more, so he kept to himself how much it ached and throbbed.

He nodded when she spoke and sighed, looking up at her with a serious expression, "I learned not to take the first shot. That's for sure." He'd fallen into such a perfectly laid out trap, he felt ashamed and stupid for letting himself be played so easily. He was distracted by his own shame when she spoke, and after a moment he lifted his uninjured hand to rest it on her shoulder, giving her a sincere expression, "I promise we'll stay safe, mom. Zan and I...We'll keep each other safe, okay?" He could promise that much, he would never let anyone hurt Zan, he'd end any person who laid a hand on his sister, or at the very least make them sorely regret it.

He sighed and looked down, "I know that...But like...This training he's done...Even *I* can't match up to that...If he'd of used those techniques on me..." He shook his head and sighed, "I know they're really strong, and capable, but against that?" He looked up at her, "he's dangerous, even to me." He made a wincing face and nodded, "he got the kick out of me alright...Kicked me right where it hurts..." He chuckled softly, glancing down.

His eyes widened a little when the words left her mouth, and his head dipped down and dejected in response, "Luke...Said that it's me Dianne ought to be afraid of..." His voice was small and defeated now, "what if he's right? What if I just grow up and hurt everyone like he hurts people..." Her words did little to comfort him from what he felt was affirmation of his deepest rooted fears, would he end up hurting Zan? Or Dianne? He didn't look up when she spoke, only nodding and holding his hand out to her, "okay."