Project Getaway - TommyInnit's 'Taxi' Service

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Job Interview

"No. You ditched me!" Tommy spat, pointing an accusing finger at The Blade and Chorus, "You were more than content to hand me over to the cops just to save yourselves."

"Yeah, but we also busted you out of jail." The Blade deadpanned.

The teen shook his head frantically and, voice laced with adamacy, he said, "No, that was Quackity-" The three supervillains exchanged masked looks with perhaps an air of smugness that caused Tommy's words to swiftly die out in his throat.

"Listen, your usual solicitor is a great guy, I'm sure," Zephyrus explained whilst Tommy audibly groaned, burying his head in his hands as realisation struck him like a bolt of lightning, "But we needed someone reliable who we knew would be able to get you out of there for certain."

"That's where Quackity came in," Chorus nadded.

"We knew the evidence piled against you was weak." The Blade began to explicate, "There wasn't enough evidence to actually build the foundations of a solid case and press charges against you. But if it was one of us villains who were caught.." The Blade trailed off, letting Tommy fill in the gaps.

Tommy understood. If it were one of the supervillains in Tommy's place when he was captured by the authorities, they would've been arrested without hesitation. The court trial would be a breeze; any of the villains would instantly be found guilty and sent to rot in the dingiest cell of Pandora's Box, the highest security prison Essempi has to offer. But Tommy knew that in this hypothetical scenario, it wouldn't just stop there: if a villain was caught, they would be unmasked and from there it would be a case of simply tracking down each member of the Syndicate through the villains' civilian associates. Or, even worse, the heroes would pry the identities directly from the prisoner's mouth through torture and similar means.

"You still could've filled me in on the plan," Tommy eventually grumbled. He hated to admit it, but he would've done the same thing should he be in the villain's position, "If I knew you guys were so set on breaking me out, I wouldn't have used my superpower in front of the authorities. You know I have to pay a bloody fine now!?"

"You dug that hole for yourself." The Blade shrugged bleakly.

Tommy glanced around, "So.. what do you want from me now? I doubt you're keeping me here simply to justify your actions."

Chorus held out his hand, offering the car keys to Tommy once more, "Just hear us out, okay?" It sounded like a question, but Tommy knew he didn't have much of a choice; there was a reason Zephyrus still had his wings spanned out across the exit of the alleyway. They were forcing his hand.

Repressing a scoff, Tommy snatched the keys from Chorus, "Let's just get this over with."

He trudged across the alleyway to the black car with tinted black windows - Tommy supposed it was so the stray, passing onlooker wouldn't be able to gaze in and intrude on this meeting of sorts. Tommy slid into the vehicle, dripping rainwater upon the leather seats of the car. The villains followed Tommy, Zephyrus joined him in the passenger seat whilst Chorus and The Blade sat in the back, looking awfully cramped.

He held his hands close to the heater embedded in the car, the numbness and coldness of the rain quickly disappearing as warmth spread through his fingers. Once Tommy had regained feeling in his hands, he set his hands on the wheel and turned the keys in the ignition, glancing at Zephyrus, he asked, "Where to then?"

"Take us west way," Zephyrus said.

"I don't know my way out of south side," Tommy admitted.

"Turn right and drive until the roundabout, then take the first exit and you'll recognise where we are," The Blade directed. Tommy nodded in acknowledgement and stepped on the acceleration, the engine quietly revving as he swerved out of the alley way and followed the road that fed through the dense city. Tommy could tell that Zephyrus was clearly waiting for him to gain his bearings.