𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 (𝙗𝙭𝙗)

Chapter Fifteen

Cody P.O.V

The appearance of my father is only comparable to that of a meteor rapidly approaching the planet with intent to destroy. There is no running away from a meteor, and in that moment, there was no running away from my father either. There he was, hovering in the air like the embodiment of villainy, his ridiculous suit flapping around him rapidly. He was like a storm, ready to crash down upon everything within reach. It was as if I blinked because he was hundreds of yards away one second, and the next, he was hovering before me with that pissed-off look on his face. It was a look I was used to seeing from him, a combination of anger and disappointment. I knew it all too well.

We stayed that way for a moment, his anger radiating off of him in thunderous waves, enough for the nearby buildings to begin to crumble apart, pieces breaking away under the immense pressure of my father's uncontained power. I imagine the scene was horrifying to any onlookers who were experiencing the ravenous waves and watching as everything began to pulverize, but to me, it was like standing in the eye of a hurricane. I wondered what I looked like in his eyes, what he pictured when he met mine. Does he envision me as an infant, cradled in his arms, the creation of his genetics, or does he only see the teenage version with whom he is disconnected? At one point, I had liked to think that he had been proud of me because moments like this made me feel like he regretted everything about me like we were enemies bound by blood. As if he hated me, hated that I was his son.

Because how could he have a son like me?

Since I was old enough to be acutely aware of my parents' lives and the major secret they kept from the rest of the world, I've been forced to build walls. Not the physical kind that holds up structures, the mental ones that kept me in and others out. A barrier that, for sixteen years, has managed to keep the world out. I told myself that I was doing it for them, to maintain this big secret they thrust upon me from an early age. It wasn't the kind of secret you could ignore, either, not when they made it their entire purpose in life, when they're daily finding ways to harm others, to kill. I had always been willing to make that sacrifice, to put my feelings aside to keep them safe. To maintain what little family we had. I had always been so desperate for that connection, for the bonds I knew now that I would never be able to receive, at least not from them.

Looking into my father's outraged eyes and not being able to recognize the person reflecting back, I let go. I stopped holding everything inside, stopping caring. It was like a sudden gust of wind, an overwhelming spell of emotions crashing upon me all at once as the mental walls began to fall down. Darkness burst from me in violent waves, almost akin to my father's in terms of intensity. Any lights that had managed to survive my father's powers did not survive mine. In an instant, all the lights rapidly flickered before shattering. Darkness, oh my sweet darkness, arrived to accompany me like a true friend, my only friend.

Only my father didn't seem like he wanted to repeat what happened earlier, as he sharply grabbed ahold of my waist before tossing me onto his shoulder before I could say anything. We were high above the city within seconds, practically touching the clouds. If I didn't think about why we were up here, it might have been nice. I remember asking him to take me up here when I was a child, an idea that I remember him laughing about, but he ultimately complied. I had rested my head against his chest as we floated around fluffy clouds, touching the sun. It had felt so freeing than to be above everything else. The difference between then and now is so catastrophic. The world, for the first time, felt claustrophobic and overbearing.

"You are going to be grounded when we get home," My father said coldly, biting back some of his anger. There was something frightening about the lack of empathy in my father's face and tone. If I could have managed to get out of his grip, I would have, but his grip was tighter than a python, slowly suffocating me. "So grounded." The wind sped around us rapidly as my father flew towards the apartment, and within seconds, I started to worry. After witnessing the held-back anger from my father, I was almost more afraid to face my mother. I knew that the moment we got home that I was going to be subjected to some intense lecturing and who knows what kind of punishment. But deep down, a part of me, the part that had been broken and used over and over again, that part didn't care anymore.

I went placid in my father's hold, losing any will to fight back. All that fighting thousands of feet in the air would do is get me into more trouble than I'm already in; if not, kill me. Though dying sounded better than facing both of my parents head-on, I wanted to doubt that my father wouldn't let me fall to my death. I think my father noticed that I gave up on resisting because, for a moment, it felt like we slowed down, like he could have been hesitating, but as soon as the thought occurred to me, we sped up again and were soon hovering above our apartment's balcony. While dad let me off his shoulder, he made sure he kept a tight grip on my upper arm, dragging me into the apartment.

"Brandy! I found him!" Dad shouted through the apartment, slamming the balcony doors shut with his abilities the second we walked through them. He dragged me through the apartment until we were in the living room, where my mother was sitting on the couch, a tablet resting on her lap. She didn't look like a concerned mother whose son ran away after a fight; she didn't look concerned at all. It hurt to acknowledge that neither of my parents seemed to genuinely care about anything unrelated to their lives as villains, even their son. "Sit down, and don't you dare try and pull the same stunt as earlier." Dad shoved me towards the couch, and with a glare, I did what he said, sitting across from my mother, who had still not looked up. Dad moved to sit beside her, keeping a watchful eye on me at all times. I know he thought I would pull another disappearance act, but I already knew how that scenario pans out and didn't particularly feel like repeating it.

We sat silently for a couple of minutes, with dad glaring at me while mom continued to scroll on her tablet. It felt like we were at a standstill. I refused to be the person to talk to first since I didn't feel like what I had done was that inappropriate of a reaction. I wanted them to have reflected, to realize how insensitive they were, how little it came off that they cared, but looking at them both together, I had a feeling that those things didn't happen. No, instead, they were probably going to tell me about everything I've done wrong and refuse to admit that, for even a second, that they were the ones who needed to apologize or reflect. The way my father had addressed me in the air almost solidified that idea. I would be grounded for calling them out about not caring about me. That doesn't sound particularly fair now that I think about it.

Oh well, it wasn't like I had a school or friends to visit anymore. In fact, I'm one of those teenagers who thrive in time alone, locked up in their room without technology. If that was going to be my punishment, then so be it.

"Dakota," It was my mother who spoke first as she calmly set the tablet down on the coffee table. Then, she looked up, looked at me, and in her eyes was worry. I was thrown off completely since I didn't get any of that worry from them yesterday. In fact, I was almost expecting her to say something like, 'Do you know how bad this stunt made us look?' or something stupid like that. "We weren't worried about you yesterday because we know you. We know what you're capable of."

I didn't want to listen to her saying that, saying what felt like a slap in the face. Powers or not, what kind of parents doesn't worry, if even only for a second, that something could have gone wrong? Hell, what kind of parents puts their child in danger in the first place, huh?! I wanted to shout that at them, to make them understand where I was coming from, to get them to actually hear me.

"Your reaction yesterday was over the top and unnecessary," It seems like, once again, my mother would assume the role of the calm, reasonable one. Only dad didn't seem that interested in trying to talk this out.

"It was beyond unnecessary, Brandy!" He turned back towards me. "You will be grounded until further notice, no school, no phone, nothing. Go to your room, and don't worry, you won't be able to run away again," He said, pointing towards my bedroom. I didn't even bother trying to protest or argue my point; he wouldn't listen, and I wouldn't fight back.

I knew what he meant the second I walked through my bedroom door. My window was now covered with a force-field-like matter that stung to the touch.

This was my new prison; only these walls were physical. 

Author Note: It has been a hot minute. Lost a (ex)friend(I hate her now, lol) and got dental fillings; the whole nine yards have happened during the month, but I have blessed upon you guys a new update!