The Last Hero (Villains & Monsters #2)

Chapter 10

I'm tearing up lol, this all hurts. Abuse and torture is mentioned here. Love you guys. -Rae

- Mid February, 2046 (Three months ago) -

The nightmare had him shaking and crying softly.

He was sixteen, locked in his room and screaming as his brother hurt him. He never understood what Justin enjoyed about hurting him, much less why he started to. When he got his super strength, he wanted Jamie to feel that he had more power; that he was stronger and he'd remind him each time he stepped out of line.

And he couldn't tell his moms anything. He often had to sneak into their bathroom to use some makeup to cover up the bruising, and he used multiple methods to hide how much he cried. Every time.

When Jamie regained focus, he looked up to see Daija leaning against the wall, watching him quietly with her usual, blank expression. "Why are you crying?" she asked softly, and the soothing tone in her voice reminded him of the first time he cried in front of her -- because of the exact same reason.

He looked at the floor, then flexed his limbs. There wasn't any bleeding, and there wasn't any pain. Either he passed out before she was done torturing him and she just healed him, or she arrived while he was sleeping.

"Nightmare," he answered.

She was silent for a moment, then stepped closer until she was directly in front of him. She used a gloved hand to brush away his tears, then rested his head against her, soothingly stroking his hair. This was another thing that partially scared him. Some days, she would be cruel and put him through a world of pain. Then on other days, she'd be comforting, soft and kind.

It confused him, made him more anxious, and he never knew what to expect when she walked into his cell.

"...Was it me?" she asked.

Jamie shook his head.

"Was it him?"

He nodded.

Daija sighed softly and continued stroking his hair. Eventually, he settled into her. Whenever something like this happened, he'd daydream. Daydream about a different world where she chose him instead of Simon, and they were happy together. He'd keep it up until reality hit him, then that sinking feeling in his gut would return full force.

It was a fucked up thing -- seeking comfort from someone who wanted to kill him eventually, but he took it. He had nothing left, and he'd take the sweet moments, even if they were fake.

"Did you know," he started, and he sniffled a bit as he tried to steady his slightly shaky breathing. "That one day, he wanted to prove he was strong to Ian and how good of a fighter he was, so he held me on the ground and twisted my arm. Not to break, but to make it hurt."

He felt Daija stiffen, and at the memory, he felt his throat clog. He swallowed hard, then continued, "He called it training, but he was so strong and it hurt so bad. He would have broken my arm if he worsened it a tiny bit more."

"No one did anything." Not a question, just another sigh, disappointed and laced with hints of anger.

"Simon wasn't there at the time," he said, "Aniya was doing some work. After a while, Fiona told him to lay off, but anyone could tell that she didn't really care. When Ian finally said that it was enough, he let me go. There was a lot of bruising on my arm, and it was sore for so long."

This wasn't the first time this happened. Whenever there was a moment like this -- where she wasn't punishing him for what he did to her -- he'd reveal something else about life before Simon snapped. All of it was Justin and the harsh things he said, or even did.