United [A Superhero AU] - Book Two

Chapter Twenty-Four - The Boss' Fate

Cry is drowning. Not in grief or sorrow, but in complete and utter terror. He can't get enough air as weight falls on his shoulders and chest, slowly choking him. No amount of preparation or pep-talks could have helped this situation in the slightest.

The boss lies on his bed, his eyes barely open as his breathing grows more laboured. His grey eyes land on Cry and stay there for a long time before he manages to choke out one last sentence.

"Don't disappoint me."

Cry says nothing, watching as his father's breathing turns to a rattle. Agonizing minutes later, his chest rises and falls for the last time and the heart monitor he's attached to flat-lines. Tears well in the masked villain's eyes, but they aren't from grief. They're from anger and resentment and frustration and too many emotions for Cry to even name.

Jack and Matthew are sitting in his room right now, waiting. Waiting to hear the news. Waiting to know what lies ahead of them. Cry's stomach churns as he watches the doctors wheel his father's body away, heading for the makeshift graveyard. The masked villain had demanded immediate burial. A man like that doesn't deserve a funeral.

He's dead. Their tormentor, the reason for their trauma and nightmares, the reason they don't have families; gone. Cry's an orphan now, just like Matthew and Jack. Another twist of nausea pulls at his stomach. He'll have to make an announcement, telling the city that he's their new leader. All the hatred harboured in San Francisco will be targeted towards him.

He shakes his head and runs his fingers through unruly brown hair. He can't think of that right now. He just needs to tell Jack and Matthew and get the worst of it out of the way.

Slowly, he makes his way down the hallway to his bedroom and pushes the door open. He wipes some of the tears from his eyes away, but he realizes the moment he sees Jack and Matthew watching him that it's pointless. The anxiety, the churning in his stomach, the memories; it comes flooding back to him in a tsunami of emotion that he can't even begin to handle.

"He's gone," Cry whispers. "The boss is dead."

He takes another step towards them before stumbling, grabbing the footboard of his bed and sinking to the floor. Matthew stares at him for a moment before glaring down at the floor, shaking uncontrollably. Jack grabs the nearest trash can, tears welling in his eyes as he tries not to throw up.

A moment passes like this before Matthew pulls himself slowly to his feet, his hands balling into fists. Cry glances up at him just as he winds up, punching the wall next to him as hard as humanly possible. His knuckles split and blood begins to seep onto his hand, but he hardly seems to notice as he glares at the dent in the drywall. Jack and Cry glance at each other, too shocked to move or even say anything.

"Why the fuck does he get a peaceful death?!" Matthew seethes, clenching his bloodied knuckles into an even tighter fist. "After all the shit he did to us, HE GETS TO GO LIKE THAT!?"

"M-Matthew, b-breathe," Cry warns, although he doesn't sound like he's listening to his own advice.

"HE FORCED US TO BECOME MONSTERS! HE KIDNAPPED AND TORTURED US! STEPHANIE WAS 100 TIMES BETTER THAN HIM, AND SHE GOT MURDERED!"

"Matthew..." Jack chokes.

"WHY COULDN'T HE HAVE GOTTEN A BULLET THROUGH THE SKULL LIKE DAN DID?! MAYBE HE WOULD HAVE FELT THE PAIN WE'VE FELT OUR WHOLE LIVES!"

He takes a deep breath and with that, the fight drains from Matthew's eyes. He sinks to the floor, sobbing so hard he starts to dry-heave. Cry and Jack watch him for a moment before slowly moving to his sides, their own faces stained with tears. Jack wraps his arms around Matthew and Cry hugs both of them, leaving the three villains comforting each other in the only way they know how.