42 | Sitkolson

Chapter Ten | Crow

When Beau received a message from Ricky and Ryan informing him that the two murderous lovebirds would help, he was grateful, but understandably suspicious. Their plan was ready to move forward, which meant it was time for Ryan to retrieve their hostage's babysitter. Chris certainly wasn't expecting it to be a young kid with dyed hair and lip rings.

"Hi, Jani." Ricky addressed him as he entered the room.

Jani didn't pay him much mind. "Hi, Ricky."

There seemed to be some unexpected animosity between the two. It clearly bothered Ryan as well, but he tried his best to move the situation along. "He's not violent," He said, in referring to Chris, "But, if it would make you feel better, we can bound and gag him."

"It's fine. I'll be fine." Jani pulled a textbook out of his bag and set it on the kitchen table. He sat down, retrieving a notebook as well.

"Okay." Ryan sighed, "If you need me, you know how to get a hold of me. Don't hesitate to. We're... Gonna go now."

Jani muttered some kind of acknowledgement. Ryan tore open a portal, he and Ricky disappearing into it moments later. The boy glanced up at Chris briefly. He was sat on the couch, drawing in a sketchbook, and seeming suspiciously normal. No sign of an attempt to escape, not even a thought of it.

"What'd you do to incur their wrath anyways?" Jani asked.

"Existed." Chris replied, "How 'bout you?"

"Same. Ryan's my dad. Him and my mom split up when I was like, three. The whole super villain thing kinda got in the way." He explained.

"Huh. Never thought he was old enough to have a kid your age. So, his power, it's hereditary then?"

"Kind of." Jani responded, "I got the whole magical being part, but I don't use blood magic like him. I'm not a killer. If he'd never crossed that line, I wouldn't have grown up in a broken home. I probably shouldn't be telling you all of this, should I?"

"Despite what you might read about me, I'm not a villain. I'm just abused by them." Chris said.

He fell quiet, letting the boy go back to his homework. Jani tried to focus, but found it difficult. Retrieving his laptop from his bag, he opened up a website that archived all public information on known super villains. Before Ryan was captured, he usually preferred to avoid this site. There was something about seeing his own father's image displayed under the text "Most Wanted" that always made him sick to his stomach.

Now, Ryan and Ricky have both been removed from the site's homepage and their information only accessibly to those who went looking for it. Surely rumors had to have gotten out about the breakout, yet the government refused to acknowledge that either villain was free. Jani didn't mind that as much. Deep down, he was happy his father wasn't rotting away behind bars.

There were still so many villains on the most wanted list, yet none seemed to match Chris' description. Jani went into the archive of imprisoned villains. Narrowing it down to North America, based on his accent, he scrolled over hundreds of photos until he found what he was looking for. Chris didn't lie to him. He was, in fact, registered as a villain. According to his profile, he was currently being held in 42. Clearly, that bit wasn't accurate.

The profile went into detail about his abilities. He had a dual personality, and when his nastier side emerged, it turned him into a juggernaut. He also possessed the ability to produce a sonic scream. Any who heard it would turn deranged and seek out innocent civilians to attack them. Those who had fallen victim to his scream in the past have either killed themselves or are currently locked up in a medical ward. Doctors have been working frivolously to find a cure, but to no avail. While it was an impressive power, Jani couldn't understand what value Ryan and Ricky would see in him. Sure, he could create an army, but the two of them were one man armies themselves.