Two Similar

Chapter Two

Minnie is yelling at him. She's never been much of a talker, she was more into the dark stare and clenched jaw, but now that Mickey had dragged Todd into their usual abandoned construction site and tied him up with a roll of duct tape, she was furious.

This hadn't been the plan. The plan didn't involve children, or kidnapping, or even a roll of duct tape. Yet here they were... with a hostage.

"It's not that bad." Mickey shrugs, pacing in front of the still very knocked out Todd. "If anything, this could make thing even better! I mean, we have a hostage. A bargaining chip."

A bargaining chip for what?

Well, he hadn't thought of that.

Minnie's research did, however, uncover just how much money dear old uncle had. Maybe they could bribe him? Get a little extra cash? Mickey would love to have some extra cash.

Todd stirs, fingers twitching, his hands stuck together in front of him as he lays on the cement ground, feet wrapped in the silver tape all the way up to his knees.

Mickey went a little overboard.

"Oh good, he's waking up."

Mickey crouches near his head, watching as the kid's eyes flutter open, his eyebrows pinching into a frown on his freckled face.

"Hello~" he sings, pocketknife spinning between two fingers.

Todd's eyes snap open, and he lurches as if to sit up, but quickly flops back down like a worm.

"Wha- what the fuck happened?"

Mickey grins. Teeth on display as Todd slowly figures out what's going on, his arms and legs wriggling as he tries to escape the tape before giving up.

"Hi there, we've already met. I'm Mickey." Micky holds out a hand for him to shake, but Todd's expression simply flips from fear, confusion and back to fear again. His hands were tied.

Mickey chuckles, standing from his crouched position. This could be fun. He needed a little bit of fun. Minnie was always so strict, so stern and focused on the bad and the serious. They never had the time for fun!

"What're you gonna do with me?"

Mickey hums, swinging the pocketknife up into the air and catching it again.

"Honestly, I'm not all that sure. Minnie wants me to kill you, but that's a bit too dramatic."

Todd manages to flip over onto his stomach, dust and dirt covering him as he contorts himself into a more seated position, his back leaning against the closest wall.

The building was originally going to be an office, with several floors and big window views, but the company went bankrupt and left the land as it was. Tall cement walls, half a ceiling, and only two floors... well, one and a half.

"K-kill me?" Todd squeaks.

Mickey sighs, walking over to one of the large steel structural beams that had long since fallen over and taking a seat. This was a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, they had the power to do what they wanted with Todd. They could sell him, use him for blackmail, bury him and be done with it all, but realistically all of those options had severe repercussions, and would most definitely lead to Mickey getting himself into a lot of trouble. 

Well, maybe definitely was a bit too strong of a word. Sure, there was more likely to be a police investigation which could lead to a higher chance of prison time, but Mickey wasn't all that worried about a cell behind bars. No. Minnie had plans, and if he fucked them up it would be his head on the chopping block.

He blows air through his lips as he stares at Todd with squinted eyes for only a moment. "Well, you see – I didn't exactly plan on this. Our goal was to get to your uncle, but I couldn't exactly leave you there after you saw me snooping around."

"You want my uncle?" Todd's breathing is spiked and heavy, like he's about to start hyperventilating at any moment. Maybe he'd pass out again?

"Yeah." Mickey rolls his eyes. "He's real shady, you know that right? He's involved with some very bad people and today was going to be the day that dear old baldy kicked the bucket."

Minnie hisses at him. He shouldn't be opening his mouth in front of Todd. A blood relative. Someone who could possibly escape and go blabbing about Mickey to who knows what.

A pigeon coos in the distance and the two sit in silence. Todd's eyes lose their focus as his face scrunches up into a strangled expression of despair. Mickey simply watches him, brain ticking over all the possibilities. There had to be a way out of this. A way that would make both Minnie and the other one happy... maybe not happy, but not suicidal at the very least.

"You said your parents work a lot. You know what they do?"

Todd blinks, shifting uncomfortably as the duct tape bites into his limbs. "They work in finance?"

Mickey hums. "That seemed like you were asking me if I know what they do."

There's a flash of anger in Todd's eyes. "Why do you want to know?"

Mickey shrugs, spinning the pocketknife in his hands. He wanted to know if they were involved with the uncle. Or if they were simply a pair of loaded upper class citizens. If he knew that, he'd know whether or not he could ask for ransom, or if it was safer to keep Todd's whereabouts secret.

"I was just asking, geez. If they have a lot of money, maybe we could get a ransom on your head."

"We?" Todd frowns.

"Right, no not you and me, I meant me... and myself."

Todd looks just as confused.

Mickey stands up, "Right, never mind. Anyway. How rich are your parents?"

Todd's mouth opens and closes like a goldfish. "I, uh, I dunno."

All Mickey can do is groan in annoyance. "Okay~" he sings, "what kind of car do they drive?"

Todd grimaces. "A black shiny one?"

A pause. A long pause. Did this kid really know nothing? Did he live inside his very own bubble where he ate chips and watched movies?

"This conversation isn't going anywhere. So, next step. Let's move somewhere with an actual roof. Maybe some food. You hungry?"

Todd looks mildly baffled, but he gingerly nods in agreeance. Mickey walks over, and begins to cut away at the duct tape, mumbling to himself to remember not to ever use an entire roll on one person ever again.

"Right, well, let's go. Don't try to run 'cause I do have a gun on me and I'm not afraid to use it."

Todd rubs at his wrists, shoulders hunched up to his ears as he watches Mickey warily. For a kidnapped kid he seemed pretty calm. Or maybe it was the adrenalin. Or maybe Mickey choked a little bit too much oxygen out of the kid.