Different [A Superhero AU] - Book One

Chapter Thirty-Five - Break Out

Morning comes far too quickly and before Jack knows it, him and Cry are being led out of their cell.  The masked villain hovers by the door for a second despite the pushing by Danny, eventually giving in and walking to the interrogation room.  Bob sits in the same place as before, a pleasant smile on his face as he watches them enter.

"Are we ready to cooperate this time?" the anti-hero asks.

"You wish," Cry replies.

Jack doesn't utter a word as the two villains are pushed down into chairs and handcuffed to the metal frame. He finds himself glancing at Cry, wondering what emotions he's truly feeling right now.

"Like I said yesterday, you two would make great additions to the anti-heroes. So, would you like to join us?" Bob asks.

Jack and Cry glance at each other, a mutual understanding passing between them.

"No," Cry states. "I will stay with the villains."

"I agree. There's too much at risk if we join you," Jack adds.

Ryan, who stands against the far wall with Wade, straightens up. "Why wouldn't you join? You'd be free from the torture, the boss, the hatred, all of that! This is a good life and it's so easy to take, so why don't you?"

Jack tenses up, anger bubbling in his gut. "You're one to talk, Ryan! You got up and left pretty easily. Two years of this felt like too much to handle? Try fifteen. Try being torn away from your family when you're ten years old!" In an instant, he's yelling. "I can't walk away from this life! I will never be free!"

Ryan shuts his mouth immediately, sinking back against the wall. Jack's chest rises and falls heavily as he slumps back in his chair.

"If I leave, I endanger the lives of my fellow villains, and I will not take that chance," Cry says, breaking the silence with his cool tone. "The boss is a merciless man who does not take kindly to traitors."

Ryan's jaw clenches and Jack immediately knows he's thinking about Matt. Bob stands, motioning for the other anti-heroes to join a huddle with him. As soon as they're together and speaking in low murmurs, Cry leans towards the Irishman, speaking in a whisper.

"We have to get out. There's no way they'll just let us go."

Jack frowns slightly. "How do we get out? We're literally handcuffed to these chairs."

"How fast can you move your hand? Cause a really quick motion would snap the chains no problem."

Jack shakes his head. "I can snap mine, but they'd hear it before I would be able to snap yours. And then there's the small problem of us not knowing how to get out of this base."

Cry sighs. "Fine, then we're going with plan B."

"What's plan B?"

Before Jack gets his answer, the anti-heroes turn around again. Bob, looking slightly agitated, sighs before speaking.

"We're going to take you back to your cell until we can figure out what to do with you."

Arin and Danny step forward and take them back down the hallway without much fight from either villain. Jack continuously glances over at Cry, wondering what this mysterious plan B is.  Maybe it had something to do with his strange hesitance this morning?  The two anti-heroes look at each other every once in a while, speaking to each other with their eyes.

They leave Cry and Jack in their cell before returning to the other anti-heroes. As soon as they're out of ear shot, Cry starts changing into his super-suit.

"What are you doing?" Jack asks.

Cry pauses and faces the Irishman. "You have super speed. I have invisibility. Normally, they aren't very useful in terms of escaping. However, I've been looking extra hard for something we could use as a means of escape. Just this morning, when Arin and Danny came to get us, I shoved a torn off piece of my bed sheet into the lock before they had a chance to close the door again. If you pull on the door while using your super speed, the loosened lock with come open easier."

"So that's plan B?"

"Precisely."

"How do we know how to get out?"

"I counted the number of steps and which turns we took to get here. If I get on your back, we can sprint out of here while I give you instructions."

Jack stares at him for a moment before chuckling. "You need a hobby."

Despite his mask, the Irishman can almost see him smiling. "Shut up and let's get on with it."

The two finish changing into their super-suits before Jack approaches the door, taking hold of the door handle. With a deep breath, he yanks backwards at the speed of light, making the door come open with a crack.

Behind him, Cry cheers quietly. "I can't believe that worked! Come on, let's get out of here!"

The masked villain climbs onto Jack's back and the Irishman takes off down the hall, his eyes turning bright green at the use of his power. He can hear the anti-heroes start shouting when they realize they've escaped, but he doesn't let it faze him. Cry gives him instructions and he follows them, reaching the front doors in no time at all. Jack bashes the lock and the two race out into the street.  Cry drops off of the Irishman's back, stumbling a bit but seeming happier than ever.

"It feels good to be free!" he shouts, raising his hands towards the sky.

Jack almost laughs. The wind on his face, the feeling of absolute freedom; it's one he never realized he missed so much despite the fact that he was only in that cell for two days.

After a few moments of relishing in the sunshine, the two villains start off towards headquarters. Cry practically bounces on his feet as he goes, radiating a kind of joy that Jack hasn't seen in a long time.

Upon entering the villain institute, Dan races towards them and engulfs them in a hug, starting to ramble.

"I heard the doors opening and I was hoping it was you two because I was so worried and I'm glad you're safe and I've been checking the doors all day and the boss is angry and he's been taking it out on us-"

Cry steps back, hushing the babbling Brit. "What did you just say?"

Jack looks up at Dan, noticing for the first time the bruises that line his face and arms. Despite that, the worry that was once in his eyes is replaced by a familiar twinkle.

At Cry's question, Dan rubs the back of his neck, revealing another set of dark bruises on the underside of his pale arms. "He's pissed that you two were even captured in the first place. He was blaming us, but I think in general he's angry about our lack of performance."

Cry shakes his head, heading towards his father's office. "I'll talk to him."

Dan and Jack watch him leave before the Brit puts his hand on the Irishman's shoulder. "Come on, let's go see the others."