United [A Superhero AU] - Book Two

Chapter Thirty-Three - Rebel and Villain

Cry lays Matthew on one of the beds in their hospital ward, glancing over only when Jack enters. Lili prepares all the necessary supplies and gets to work, administering anesthesia and allowing him to fall asleep before starting to stitch him up. Jack settles on a chair nearby and shuts his eyes, his eyes rimmed with red and tear streaks still visible on his face.

Cry watches over Lili's shoulder, his eyes flitting to her every once in a while. She can't see his gaze, which makes him feel a bit more comfortable with his overall curiosity. Who is this girl? Why isn't she afraid of them? Jack seems to know her, but from where?

"I'm Cry," he says finally, his voice softer than he intended. He feels his face start to burn and mentally slaps himself. "And that's Matthew that you're operating on."

"I'm Lili," she replies, smiling at him lightly before returning to her work.

"You aren't... you're a regular human, right?"

"Yep."

"And you aren't scared of us like everyone says you should be?"

"Nope."

Cry chokes on his own tongue and falls silent. How could it be that someone knows what they've done and doesn't hate them?  He stays quiet as he watches the girl work carefully, and when she's finished she makes sure Matthew is hooked up to the proper machines before washing the blood from her hands.  Cry finds himself trailing after her, his regular restraints on his curiosity going unbridled for once. Who is this strange Scandinavian girl?

"Is Jack okay?" she asks, glancing at said villain. "He seemed really out of it when he got here."

Cry glances over, a light sigh escaping his lips when he sees the Irishman fast asleep in his chair, his body slumped back against the wall and his arms crossed loosely over his chest.

"He's fine, he's just... emotionally drained and exhausted," the masked villain replies, scooping him up gently and moving him to one of the spare beds. He tucks him in and makes sure he's still asleep before turning back to Lili. "We should let them sleep. Um, I can take care of them from here or, uh..."

"I want to stay here for a bit, just until Matthew wakes up so I can check that he's going to be okay," she replies, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear absentmindedly. "Plus, it's not every day that I get to have a conversation with a villain and hang out in their base..."

Cry's jaw drops ever so slightly, and after a second he rubs the back of his neck and nods. With a quick gesture, he leads the girl from the hospital ward and to their little living area. His mind constantly nags at him with the same unanswered question: Why isn't she afraid? She's a short, slender-faced Norwegian girl with eyes the colour of the ocean, and he's some tall, lanky man in a mask who runs one of the most corrupt institutions in the world against his will. In his mind, she should be running for the hills right now.

The two enter the little living area and Cry gestures for Lili to sit at the breakfast bar while he moves into the kitchen. "Want anything to drink? I can make coffee, or you can have something more simple..."

"Coffee sounds wonderful," Lili replies, settling into the cushions.

Cry starts up the coffee maker, and after a few moments of silence he finally gets up the courage to speak again. "Where are you from? I assume somewhere Scandinavian..."

"Norway." The girl smiles at him for a moment before looking back at the table. "It's a little weird that I know so much about your life and yet you've never even seen me before."

Cry chuckles, although it's more just a puff of air. He rests against the counter and grips the edge, watching her curiously. "How is that? Why do you know so much about us?"

"I studied the "villains" and the things surrounding the event. It's the only time in human history that this has happened, so I wanted to come to San Francisco to study it even closer," she replies. Cry passes her a mug of coffee and she cradles it in her hands, a satisfied sigh passing her lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he says softly. He pulls out on of the barstools and sits across from her, his own mug warm in his hand. "But... if you've studied us, shouldn't you be afraid?"

"No," Lili replies. She glances at him momentarily. "Do you want me to be afraid?"

"No, I prefer that you aren't. It's just... what I expect, at this point."

The girl smiles lightly and sips her coffee before settling it back on the counter and wrapping her fingers around it. "Can I... can I ask you something?"

Cry's muscles tense minutely. Usually, that question is never followed up by anything good, such as why he wears his mask or what his real name is. Usually, those questions leave him stammering for answers and becoming more and more uncomfortable. After a moment of hesitation, he nods. "Go ahead."

"What colour are your eyes?" She immediately flushes red and hunches her shoulders ever so slightly, her eyes trained on her coffee mug. "I know that's a stupid question, but I'm a ridiculously curious person and I've been dying to know-"

"Grey."

Lili falls silent in a second, her eyes trained on the mask that hides his face. Cry feels his cheeks heat up and busies himself with his mug, lifting the edge of his mask slightly so he can take a sip of his coffee.

"You seem like the type to have grey eyes," she says, her voice soft. The masked villain's lips turn up into a small smile, but the gesture is soon shattered by a scream. Lili's eyes go wide and Cry tenses, stepping away from the counter.

"It's just Jack. I'll deal with it," he says, moving towards the door. Lili hops down from her seat and follows him, tapping his shoulder lightly. He nearly jumps, but manages to rein in the minor spike of anxiety.

"I'll go with you so I can check on Matthew," she says.

Cry hesitates, but doesn't bother arguing with her. If Matthew woke up, heard screaming, and panicked, he might have ripped a wire or stitch out. He guides her down the hallway, his pace picking up the closer he gets. Lili stays right beside him, reaching the room at the exact same time as he does. Sure enough, Matthew's heart monitor is beeping wildly as the villain clutches at his pillows, his eyes wide. Lili goes to his side, speaking gently as the masked villain goes straight for the Irishman.

"Jack, Jack, it's okay, shh," Cry says, dropping his voice lower and placing a hand on his shoulder. He calms him down the same way he always has, and eventually Jack is breathing somewhat normally and his screams have subsided. A wave of relief washes over Cry when he hears that Matthew's heart monitor has calmed as well. He's never had anyone to help him before, but it's definitely nice.

Jack gets up and rubs his visible eye before tightening his eyepatch and leaving the room, his shoulders hunched. Matthew falls asleep again quickly, the anaesthesia still not gone from his body.

"Thank you, Lili," Cry says, running a hand through his hair. "Was Matthew okay?"

"Yeah, none of his stitches came out and he didn't disconnect himself from anything," she replies.

"Sorry you had to see that... it can be a little bit rough."

"It's okay. Knowing what goes on makes it easier to sympathize."

Cry shakes his head lightly, a small smile tugging at his lips.