United [A Superhero AU] - Book Two

Chapter Thirty-Eight - Never Free

Mr. Vincent paces back and forth in front of Cry's desk, his hands balled into fists at his side and a scowl prominent on his face. Every once in a while a frustrated exhale escapes him and he glares over at Cry, but says nothing. The masked villain leans back in his chair, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"You let them go," Mr. Vincent says through gritted teeth.

"Yes, I did," Cry replies.

"My cronies worked hard to get those kids here and you reversed all of that in a single foolish move!"

"I've seen what happens to kids that go through experimentation. Most of them don't come out alive."

"So? You need more supers on your side, sir. That is a fact."

"I think we're just fine, Damien."

Mr. Vincent throws his hands up in the air with an exasperated sigh. "Do you not care about what your father wants?"

"He's dead. Whatever he wanted should have died with him."

The advisor turns to face the masked villain, an incredulous look on his thin face. "I don't remember you having such a rebellious nature, sir. Did something happen that has changed you for the worst?"

Cry grimaces. "Nothing happened and I don't think I've personally changed for the worst. I've simply matured into something much more than my father ever was."

Mr. Vincent clenches his jaw, his eyes blazing. "You've grown soft. Maybe that needs to change."

"I am your boss, Vincent. You can't do anything to me."

"I do your father's work, sir. You may be in the driver's seat, but I'm the one steering this vehicle," the advisor spits. After a second, he smiles his signature greasy smile. "Give me a moment, sir. I'll be right back."

Before Cry can protest, Mr. Vincent leaves the room. The masked villain's heart pounds and no matter how much he focuses on breathing, he can't get his pulse to regulate again. He waits anxiously for his advisor to come back, starting to pace back and forth behind his father's desk and glancing out the small window every once in a while.

In a matter of minutes, Mr. Vincent is strolling back into the office with two cronies trailing behind him. One of them maintains a firm grip on Matthew's arm, and the villain watches Cry with panic evident in his eyes. The masked villain's gaze hardens behind his mask and he rushes forward, only to be stopped by the other crony.

"Don't lay a finger on him," Cry snarls, struggling against the henchman's grip.

"Oh, Cole. You must be reminded of your father's control," Mr. Vincent replies.

Cry shakes his head, his hands starting to shake. "You can hurt me all you want, but you can't hurt him."

"Don't..." Matthew pleads.

"Well, if you insist, Cry..." Mr. Vincent says, gesturing to the crony.

Immediately, there's a fist in Cry's gut. He gasps, tears already welling in his eyes, but no sound comes out. Matthew struggles and kicks against the henchman holding him, but can't escape his grasp. The masked villain crumples as he receives blow after blow, silent tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Cry!" Matthew yells, moisture gathering in his eyes. "Leave him alone!" 

 "This is what he wanted," Mr. Vincent states. When he sees the villain closing his eyes, he reaches over and grabs his chin. "Watch, and be reminded that you are not free and will never be free. The boss maintains full control over your pathetic little lives."

The henchman backs away from Cry with one final kick, leaving a glowing, sniffling mess on the floor. Matthew pulls himself from the henchman's arms and races forward, kneeling beside Cry and ignoring both the cronies and Mr. Vincent as they turn and leave the room.

"Cry, you didn't have to, I could've handled it, you could have spared yourself—" Matthew stammers, tears streaming down his face.

Cry shakes his head, grabbing his hand with a weak hold. "No, no, I wasn't... going... to let them hurt... you..."

Matthew stifles a sob and helps Cry up, leading him to his room. The glowing in his skin slowly dies down, and by the time he's being settled into bed by Matthew he's back to normal. The masked villain lies there, his eyes following the other villain as he places ice packs on his wounds and scrubs the tears from his eyes.

"You don't have to cry, Matthew," he says, his voice soft and rough. "I'll be okay.  I'm used to this."

Matthew presses another ice pack to Cry's side, avoiding his gaze as he swipes his sleeve across his cheek. "You're allowed to not be okay."

He places an ice pack against a growing bruise on Cry's shoulder and straightens up, about to turn away when a hand grabs his wrist. He freezes and slowly turns to face the masked villain, his eyes red-rimmed.

"Please don't leave," Cry whispers. "I don't want to be alone."

Matthew watches him for a moment before nodding, using his free hand to wipe his eyes again. "Okay. Just let me turn off the lights."

The masked villain exhales shakily and watches as Matthew strides across the room, flicks the light switch, and returns to Cry's bedside. He still stands and sits slower than he used to thanks to the damaged tissue in his side and his eyes still hold a shadow from all the things he's seen, but he's still Matthew. He still has the loyalty and care that never seems to falter no matter what. Cry exhales heavily, a sudden weight on his heart that makes his eyes burn with unshed tears.

"Hey, it's okay," Matthew says, Cry's change in breathing not going unnoticed.  He sniffles.  "What do you need?"

"Just... I need to know that I'm not alone. And that I'm not a terrible person. And that it's not my fault that I'm like this."

"You're not alone or a terrible person. You just sacrificed your own wellbeing for me, Cry. That should be proof enough. And none of this has ever been your fault. We had terrible fathers, and a lot of our pain is because of them," Matthew replies easily.

Cry nods and exhales heavily, staring up at the ceiling. The other villain watches him before lying down beside him and looking up at the same ceiling.

"I'll call Jack when I wake up," Matthew says, his voice quiet.

Cry nods a little. After a moment, he glances over at him. "Thank you."

Matthew glances over as well, a look of understanding passing between them. "You're welcome."