United [A Superhero AU] - Book Two

Chapter Eleven - Conflict and Regrets

The unspoken tensions between Mark and Jack seem to grow and fester over the next few hours, and by the time the villain is heading back to the institute the next day, that tension is mixed with raging guilt. The hero seems so sad to see him go, even if it's just for the day, and the guilt gets worse.

Jack slows from a sprint to a walk as he approaches the institute, dread mixing into the flurry of emotions that swirl in his stomach and seem to burn his insides. Cautiously, he steps inside and moves down the hallway. The silence never stops being eerie, and it seems to be even worse after a day in the heroes base with three other guys, who in general are more cheerful than Matthew and Cry.

The hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and a second later he's pinned in place against the wall by two arms on either side of his head. He jumps, but his accelerated heart rate slows when he realizes that it's Cry, glaring at him from behind the mask. He lowers one hand as soon as he's sure Jack won't move, but the glare remains.

"Where the hell did you go?" he demands through gritted teeth. Jack opens his mouth, but before he can speak the masked villain punches the wall beside his head and causes the Irishman to flinch. "Never mind, you don't need to answer that. You were with the bloody heroes. You left Matthew and I in that hallway to pick ourselves up and nurse ourselves back to health while you ran straight to the enemy. For the love of God, Jack! Maybe you could try thinking of someone other than yourself for once!"

The Irishman stares, his ability to form words going down the drain. He swallows and does his best to remember how to breathe. "Cry, I'm so sorry, I was in such a panic... Mark was the first solution that came to my head."

The masked villain glares at him for a moment longer before slowly lowering his hands, using one to ruffle his hair. The gesture itself is filled with an exhaustion that's so familiar to Jack because he's felt the exact same thing. Cry exhales heavily and shakes his head, his voice soft.

"I... I know you're sorry, Jack. I don't blame you for panicking and looking for comfort. I was just... you know how it is. I was worried and stressed."

Jack nods lightly and reaches out, placing a gentle hand on the masked villain's shoulder. "I know, Cry. What happened while I was gone?"

"Nothing much." He pauses, shrugging a little. "My father's health is declining rapidly. The doctors suggest that he's going through a last little hill of energy before he becomes totally listless. They doubt he'll make it to the end of the year."

Jack's eyes widen and his hand falls to his side. "That's bad."

"Yeah." Cry takes a deep, shuddering breath and clenches his fists at his side. "We should go on patrol. Matthew and I didn't go out yesterday."

Jack nods and before long, the three villains are heading out into the streets of San Francisco. To the Irishman's surprise, the streets are a lot more full than they have been in the past months. People race through the streets and fire off guns, the sound echoing through the empty neighbourhoods. Rebel groups combat pro-NAI groups, although neither of them are terribly successful.

Jack glances at Cry and Matthew, and a second later the masked villain becomes invisible. The two other villains clamber up the nearest fire escape, watching from afar as the multitudes of civilians fight one another in the streets below.

"What happened?" Matthew asks, glancing at the Irishman beside him. "Why are they fighting back today?"

Jack shrugs, nervousness welling in his chest. One group out in the streets is a common occurrence. Five or six? That's strange. Cry appears after about twenty stressful minutes of waiting and plops down beside Jack, his hands clenched into fists at his side.