The Freaks

19

Owl and Fantasia had come to a decision. It wasn't easy and it had taken a couple of hours. But they were in too. They were willing to follow BP to the end. It was dark out now. The team was ready to leave, just to gather their things.

That was when Stanley ran up to them. It was completely unexpected and rushed. Relief washed over his face in waves. 

"You can't leave." he breathed. 

"Why not?" they questioned in unison. He was bent over. His hands resting on his knees. 

"Your headquarters was blown up. Condor and his band of bastards are blaming it on you." he spoke. It dawned on Black Phoenix that they'd been warned about Condor, that he was trying to get rid of them. Making them wanted fugitives would be the right way to do it. 

"Our real identities or the vigilantes?" 

"Not your real identities. They don't know about that yet." he answered. RV and BP were calmer than the others. They weren't in shock or panic. They felt more at ease since their identities were still protected, but Fantasia and Owl were in shock and panic.  

"What're we gonna do? We can't go out there, half the world will be looking for us." Fantasia questioned, a light crack in her voice. Stanley stood up straight. 

"Go down the hall to the right, there's a room at the end, go in there, lift the carpet up and then lift the false boards up, there's a trap door. Don't worry about it being out in the open after you close the trap door, everything will go back to the way it was." he told them. They nodded. 

"Thanks, Stan." 

~

Evie had torn her closet apart. There wasn't much she needed, but she was never very organized. She'd packed anything that could be incriminating. But, there were two things that she could absolutely never leave behind. 

An heirloom that'd been in her family for generations and a picture of her mother. The only picture she had of her mother. She hid them in the event of a robbery which statistically in Slifshire was more than likely. 

And the worst part was that she couldn't find either of them. The most important things in her life and they'd vanished. 

But, there was one place she hadn't checked. 

She slid her hand under her dresser and felt the small tin box taped to the bottom. She then placed it in her bag carefully before zipping it closed. She was in civilian clothes. Aside from her mask. 

She walked back out of her room and paused. She looked at her apartment. It was clean. Too clean for a woman who just up and disappeared. 

She dropped her bag before doing what her gut told her to. She completely trashed her apartment. Every room, even Betty's. 

After she'd made what looked to be a crime scene, she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a knife.

Rolling the sleeves of her dark grey sweater up, she dragged the knife across the soft skin of her arms and did the same of her palms before dropping the knife to the ground. 

She put blood where ever she felt necessary. Anywhere that would make it look real. 

And after that, she went into the bathroom and grabbed bandages before cleaning herself up and then she went back to her bag and picked it up before going out of the door. 

She was going to leave it closed, but instead, she kicked it in. 

She'd do anything to make sure they didn't look for her. 

~

Evie walked through the sewers. It stunk down there. It kind of reminded her of her alcoholic foster parents before she took off. Well, not really. They made a deal. She could go wherever she wanted as long as she came back for the check ins. 

Sometimes she missed that drunken bastard and his pansy of a wife. Evie could never understand why the woman was afraid of him. Sure, he could be mean. But, he could barely stand up let alone whip her back if she decided to get a little vengeance. 

With a sigh, Evie turned another corner and spotted flashlights. The sewers were old. They weren't used anymore. At least not since the new ones were put in a few years ago. 

She walked forward and they flashed the lights in her face. She squinted her eyes and raised up her arm. 

"It's me." she spoke. They lowered their flashlights and she lowered her arm. 

"What happened to your hand?" Fantasia questioned. Evie shrugged. 

"A diversion." 

"So, we're really doing this?" Owl questioned. Evie nodded and let out a breath. 

"I guess so. Why don't we just rip the band aid off?" 

They all took their masks off. Fantasia, Owl, RV and BP. That's who they used to be to each other. After tonight, they'll be different people. People you wouldn't pick out of a lineup. 

Evie recognized them all. Before the pact was even suggested, she'd tried to find the identities of her comrades and she'd come across a few names that stood out to her. 

The names that belonged to the people in front of her. 

She held her hand out steadily toward the auburn-haired girl. 

"Evie Cox." she introduced. Fantasia gave her a small smile before shaking her hand. 

"I'm Ashleigh," 

Evie knew that. Ashleigh Lowe, aged thirty-two. One of the people who up until now were just names. She turned to Owl. Or rather Charlie Olson. Another face to another name. 

"Olson, Charlie Olson." he told her, his grip was firm but gentle. She already knew what she needed to know just by knowing his name. 

The eyes gave it all away. Charlie Olson, the Owl wasn't traumatized. He had no struggle. Not struggles like the ones Evie knew. Or ones that RV knew. 

RV and Evie already knew each other's identities. But, they played it like they didn't, for the sake of the team. 

~

Hello!!! I'm sorry that I didn't write a lot this weekend. I probably won't next weekend either, my aunt is coming down from Toronto and we postponed Easter dinner for her. 

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I almost didn't know how to write in how they reveal their identities to each other. 

But, yay!! I did it!! 

Please, vote and comment below!! 

In the event I don't get another chapter out, have a great night!!