Victor, Victorious

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lunch, the next day. Colin ate alone. He'd never really had very many friends. Before, that had bothered him. Now, though, he didn't mind. He was too smart for everyone else, anyway.

Annoying, insignificant little insects. Always buzzing, in need of an exterminator...

Victor and Bart appeared across from him.

"We need to talk," said Victor.

"Do we now?" Colin put down his spork full of neon yellow mac 'n cheese. "Why's that?"

"Quick," said Bart. "Before a teacher sees us."

Victor leaned over the table, invading Colin's personal space. "You ready to end this?"

"'End' what?"

"This beef we got going on."

Colin crossed his arms, leaned back. "I'm listening."

"We meet in the alley where it all first went down."

"When?"

"Right after school today," said Bart.

Colin was suspicious. Obviously, these two had something up their sleeves. "And what happens once we're there?"

"That's up to you," said Victor. He'd practiced saying the next bit in Sergio's bathroom mirror. "You want me to beg for mercy? To bow down to you? Whatever you want, I'll do it. 'Cause I give up. For real, this ain't gonna end too good for me. I see that now."

Victor knew he had to play to Colin's ego. He had to allow the supervillain to think he was in control, that he was the one in power.

"Why don't you do it right here, right now in the cafeteria? Bow down to me and beg."

Victor asked, "You want the teachers to see that and start asking questions?"

The boys were supposed to keeping their distance. So far, Colin had skirted responsibility for what he'd done to Mikaela. Did he really want adults digging deeper into what was going on between him and Victor? To connect the dots all the way to Mikaela? Did he want the truth to slink out of the shadows?

Colin shook his head. "I guess not. But, if you're gonna really do what you say are, I want an audience."

"Yeah," said Bart. "We'll let people know. We can get a little crowd."

Colin grinned. These two were idiots. He decided to see how far he could push things. "Victor, I want to film you begging. And, then, I'm gonna post it online for everyone to see. Then, I stop. Only then does it all stop."

Victor wanted to punch a jagged hole through Colin's face. But instead he said, "Okay."

"For real?" said Bart. He looked at his friend like he'd just agreed to a death sentence. Might as well have been one. After the video was posted, Victor would be a laughingstock. No one would ever take him seriously again. His rep would be permanently wrecked.

Victor asked Colin, "So, is this gonna happen?"

Colin stood, holding his lunch tray. "Hell, yes. I'm gonna start spreading the word. People have got to see this."

"Alright. Just not too many. Teachers might find out if people start talking about it."

"Yeah, okay. If this turns out to be some kind of a trap, you'll pay. Severely." Colin walked away.

When the boy was out of earshot, Bart said, "Sway ain't gonna want no audience."

"We're only gonna tell a few people," said Victor. "Besides, Sway'll behave more if we got an audience there. He won't wanna be filmed beating up on some kid, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's smart, man. Real smart. But you really gonna beg Colin for mercy?"

"No, but I got an idea 'bout what I'm gonna say. Just make sure Sergio's there. He ain't been talking to me today. I need to show him I got Sway under control."

"Ain't no one got Sway under control."

"Well, I thought about it a lot last night. I got a plan. Really, it's gonna end all this, I think."

"Yeah? What's the plan?"

Victor unzipped his backpack. He pulled out a comic book. Pulverizer #19. "Read this." He flipped it open to a specific page.

Bart read silently for a few moments. "I don't get it."

Victor pointed to a few faded panels. This was one of his older comics, which he'd bought for only a quarter during some sale. "It says right here how I can get rid of Colin's superpowers. Maybe. Possibly. I hope."

If things played out the way Victor imagined, Pulverizer #19 would end up being a quarter very well spent.