The Enigma's Anomaly

Make It Rough

If you're familiar with ice water torture than the events of what happen next may not surprise you. If you aren't than it's not going to be a pleasant reading.

"Sup bro, it's been a while. How are you? How's the wife, and kids," I say to Banks, almost annoying myself with the sarcasm. Also I cringe a little thinking about how unfortunate it would be if he had kids. I hope Banks doesn't have kids. I hope his name is Eugene. I hope he is an heirless divorcee named Eugene.

I stumble forward and I'm grabbed by another minion. What, does Banks just grow minions on trees or something? If I go outside is he going to have a garden of big bulky dudes hanging from branches? I kind of want to see that.

"I thought we made a deal, Banks," I say when I see his smug little face looking at me from a corner in the sectioned off room.

"I have gone through with everything on my end of the deal. I let your friend go safe, and now you are in my possession."

"The way you say that makes it sound like I'm an object for bargaining. A roll of duct tape or a bag of milk."

"We're all objects in the end, Mr. Iero. Just chips in a giant game of poker. And bagged milk?"

"Have you ever been to Canada?"

Bank gives me this look and I don't know why I even said anything at all. He's not the kind of man who wants anything to do with small talk. He's a kind of down and dirty guy, and I've got to say, I don't like that. I don't respect it. I don't respect him, and I don't respect his ugly suede shoes that don't match his suit.

"So what do you have planned for me today then? Looks fun!" I say, after being thrown to the ground carelessly in front of a large basin. It's not big really, but it's big enough to fill with water and then shove a person's head in. That's kind of the purpose of it, so it'd better be able to accomplish that much, or he'll need to make a return to Walmart.

"What's really the purpose man? I mean, you've stalked me for the last six months or so, and now you want to stick my head in a bucket of ice? What purpose are you trying to serve? Seriously what's the point?"

"I want to know where to find Gerard," Banks says as if it's obvious.

"Okay, now I know that violates our deal."

"I made a deal with Gerard, not you," he says.

"But you were gonna do this to Gerard?"

"Oh, of course," he says.

"And how did I know you were going to say that? My powers of telepathy are growing stronger."

"You never seem to take things seriously," Banks says, and I feel my good friend, mister minion, who honestly looks like a giant thumb, tie my hands back with a zip tie that I am all too familiar with.

"No, I just find everything hilarious," I say.

"So you gonna tell me where Gerard is?" he asks.

"I'm going to die dude, either way. Make it hell. Make it so bad I cry for my mom, I won't tell you where Gerard is. You seriously think I would tell you?"

"I think you're underestimating my powers of persuasion," Banks says.

"No, I think you're underestimating my love of Gerard. I literally let myself get shot for the guy. I would do it again in a heartbeat. That's why I'm here," I say looking up at him, where he's pacing on the other side of the basin. "I don't care what you do, I will never give him up."

"You say that now," Banks says, and he has his minion assistant pull me up close in personal with the basin in front of me. "You going to tell me where Gerard is?"