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» "I'M STRANGE, AND OFF-PUTTING!" «
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Approaching the school, you breathed out, watching the cold puff of air. It wasn't too bad out, but still chilly. Theo had requested you stay home today, after the ordeal yesterday. Which you agreed to, after a bit of senseless arguing, but figured it wouldn't hurt leaving once since you had to pick Luca up from school. Sadly, today you couldn't bring him with you back to the dorms though. Your headache had disappeared and you didn't cough up any more blood since yesterday.
So far your day had been normal, you couldn't go to class since you didn't want to worry Theodore, so you just attended virtually. Thankfully, for once your professor let you keep the camera off since you didn't want to get out of your pajamas yet.
Jack didn't stop by at all yesterday or in the morning, which dampened your mood a bit, but then you realized you wouldn't want to talk anyway. You were too tired for that.
"[Y/n]!"
Blinking out of your thoughts, you grinned at the sight of Luca hopping off the bench he was sitting on, and running towards you. He usually sat at this bench beneath the shade, a few feet from his school to wait for you. The sun was lowering and the school grounds were practically cleared, but it wasn't late. Only four o'clock, the time you picked up Luca when he had club. A large smile overtook his features, before he ran right into you and wrapped his arms around your torso. Stumbling back a bit, you laughed and pat his back. "Hey buddy, I'm sorry I was a bit late."
Backing up, he looked up at you, excitement shimmering in his eyes. "That's okay! I had a really good day, today." Raising your brows, you took his hand as he skipped beside you. The walk wasn't far, but it wasn't short. At least your father's house was closer than your dorm, so Luca wouldn't have to stay out in the cold long. "Oh really? You gonna tell me about it?"
He beamed even brighter, "Well first, I got an one hundred on my English quiz!" Gasping, you smiled, "You did?!" "I did!" The brunette giggled, as you stopped and spun him around, "You got a hundred?! Ahh, Luca that's amazing!"
Placing him down, your heart melted at the proud look on his face. "I told you I would ace it!" Puffing out his chest, the young teen crossed his arms looking quite smug. Chuckling, you ruffled his hair, "I didn't doubt you for a second. I'm proud of you bud." His eyes quickly darted over to you for a second, before he looked away. His face appeared to light up more and his cheeks burned with embarrassment. How nice it was to hear his role model was proud.
Clearing his throat, Luca clapped his gloved hands together. "Anyway! Then in math class, we had a free period because Mrs. Smithson is sick. We're also gonna have a Halloween thing in History on Friday! And then, and then, I made a new friend! Her name is Raine, and she's really nice. She likes Pokémon, like me and Royce. She's in the gaming club with us." Taking your hand again, he swung them. "Oh! Oh! But something happened after school."
His excitement died down a bit, and his mood seemed to sour. Immediately noticing the mood change, you glanced over at him worriedly. Looking down at his shoes, he squeezed your hand. "Club ended early today, and since I had no way to contact you since I left my phone at home, I just sat on my bench for a bit."
Your brows dipped, and you opened your mouth to speak, but he kept going. "Eventually, some kids from the high school came by. I don't know why, but they started bothering me." You stopped, which caused him to stop walking. Your brother still refused to look at you and now he fiddled with his sleeve anxiously. "They uhm...they took my bag and started throwing it out of my reach. Then..then they started calling me not nice things."
Crouching down, you took Luca by the shoulders with a gentle grip. Despite the calm expression you wore, your insides were bubbling with hatred and fury. Some kids had the audacity to mess with your brother? After he did nothing to them? "They..They mentioned you..and dad.." He balled his hands into fists, and his eyes glimmered, "They said I was practically an orphan with extra steps."
Hissing, Luca's shoulders began to shake. You froze, what did they call him? "I don't know how they knew about you or dad, I think one of them is my classmate's sibling." Suddenly he dug his nails into his palms with anger, "But still! They-They were saying mean things about you!"
Your stomach twisted and you frowned at his pained words, "Luca.." He looked up at you and tears glistened in his big forest colored eyes. He wiped them away with his hands, "I got really angry and I..and I..." Pausing, he looked away shamefully and muttered quietly, "I..I hit one of them."
There was a moment of silence, Luca was slightly expecting some sort of scolding or disappointment, but there was none. Finally forcing himself to look at you, to say he was surprised would be an understatement. You weren't angry, if anything you just sighed in relief. Before he could continue his story, you engulfed him in a hug.
"I don't care about that Luca, I just care that you're safe." Besides, you'd be lying if you said you didn't get into some fights when you were his age anyway. Suppressing a memory of the one time you may or may not have punched a kid for making fun of Theo in ninth grade, you pulled your brother from the hug. Wiping away his tears, you grinned softly at him. "As long as you're safe, I don't care what you have to do. Alright? Just don't tell dad or your mom about this, okay?"
Grinning, Luca's sadness and fear soon faded, "I won't." Squishing his face, you let out another breath of relief, "Good. Now, can you tell me what happened after?" Nodding, Luca took your hand and began walking again. He tapped his chin in thought, "Oh, right. So uh after I..hit," he whispered the word, "one..they got really mad."
Pulling on the strings of his jacket, the brunette's lips turned thin, "They didn't hurt me, but they started shoving me. I think they were gonna hurt me.." He blinked, a blank look coming across his face, before he smiled again and looked over at you, "But then a hero came and helped me!"
Noticing how your brows dipped in confusion, he perked up. "A hero?" He must mean a janitor or teacher who was doing sweeps around the school. Starting to skip again, Luca gained color in his words again, "Yeah! It was so cool! He came out of nowhere!"
Pulling his hands to his face he made circles around his eyes, "He had these goggles on, and-and this cool mask! His clothes were weird, but superheroes usually wear weird clothes."
For some odd reason, you felt unnerved. Odd since you were normally chill with most things, and you also had your fair shares of running into weird masked "vigilantes''. Yet still, you knew people were dangerous, and to have Luca encounter someone that sounded similar to the two masked "menaces" you already met made you uncomfortable. It bothered you since you weren't there to protect him if something went..wrong. Luckily, Luca didn't catch on to that. Licking your lips nervously, you mustered a grin, "Sounds interesting buddy. What did he do when he showed up?"
"Oh yeah! He scared off the bullies, he even punched on of them! They ran away after that, and then he helped me get my stuff back together." Sparkles were shining in your brother's innocent eyes. You were thankful that this person had helped your brother and didn't seem hostile towards him, but still you shivered.
"I think he was injured though, since he was limping. He also started bleeding through his clothes, I asked him if he was okay but he said he just reopened his injury, and that I shouldn't worry."
What.
"I asked him if he was a superhero, and he asked me if I thought he was. Obviously I said yes, because what else would he be?"
W h a t.
"So then he said he was! He stayed with me for a little longer but then left, and then you showed up! So yeah, I had a good day. What about you?"
Luca, give your sister a second, her brain is buffering.
Regaining some of your thoughts, you picked out a few words from the raging tidal waves of questions. "Yeah..my day was good too little man. My professor liked the essay I turned in..hey I'm sorry to change the topic but, did this guy tell you his name or anything?"
Luca pondered for a second, pushing his backpack up higher on his back. "Uhh, no he didn't say his name. So I'm just gonna call him hero! I think it fits." Looking forward again, he made a 'oh' sound, "But he did say something before he left."
"He asked me to say hi to you for him."
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"I thought I told you to not aggravate the wounds further!"
He only giggled as the nurse sighed in defeat. The doctor beside her, pat her shoulder comfortingly which didn't really help.
"I'm sorr-sorry Ann! I really am, I just had to do something really, really, important."
"Yeah and when I saw off your legs we'll see how 'important' your daily chaos is-"
"Okay, Ann I think he gets it."
Ann just opted to glare at the doctor beside her. Smiley just chuckled unbothered, "Well besides the whole reopening your injuries, everything seems to be fine. Just seriously this time, don't do anything stupid and rest."
Mocking a salute, Toby started to get off the table he was sitting on, "Alrighty doc-"
"I'm not done."
The two stared at each other for a second, before the brunette nodded and awkwardly shuffled back onto the table.
"We're done with our examination and changing bandages, but Jack wants to do his own check for whatever reason." Half-shrugging, the doctor pulled the mask around his mouth up.
Gasping dramatically, the youngest of the three clasped his hands together, "Jack wants to see lil ol' me?" The redhead rolled her eye and pressed her palm into her eye to stay calm, "I'm gonna go de-stress." Pulling her hand away, the nurse stood up straighter, "If I come back and you somehow ruined your stitches again, I will tear you to shreds and string up your organs as decoration."
Resting his chin in his hands, the brunette smiled, "Lovely." Sending him one more glare, the nurse turned and left.
Before the door closed, it was caught and opened again. Jack walked in silently, as he always did, and stood a few feet away from the "official" doctor. He didn't say anything, but he didn't usually anyway. Glancing at the other, the raven haired man gave a half-nod as a greeting. "Well, appears my services are no longer needed." He dipped his head slightly as a goodbye to the no longer bleeding man, and left.
The door clicked closed and neither of them said anything or moved. Jack kept his hands in his pockets and his haunting mask kept its stare on the fidgeting boy before him.
"So Jack—Jack-in-the-box, are you here to make sure I didn't break my leg or somethin'?" Swinging his legs under the table, Toby blinked innocently at the other. "I'm pretty sure the other two already did that and yes they gave me the whole run down on being safe, no need to w-worry about me." Winking jokingly, he chuckled, "I appreciate the concern though!"
His giggling died down when he got no reaction. Jack suddenly tilted his head slightly, not fully noticeable. Still smiling, Toby tilted his head to copy his counterpart's actions, just more exaggerated.
Straightening out, it became obvious how much taller Jack was compared to the occasionally twitching brunette.
"Toby."
Childishly, the other made a questioning noise, while half-heartedly picking at the bandages on his hand. He never took his gaze off the demon before him.
"What do you know about [Y/n] Mycroft?"
One could practically feel how quickly the atmosphere changed. It went from being light and friendly to intense and dangerous. Like a thin thread, with scissors dangling close to cutting it.
Immediately, the energetic boy's smile dropped and his eyes darkened. His glare was intense and filled with venom. The large scar on the side of his mouth only seemed to make his appearance look more terrifying. The silence was deafening.
"How the fuck do you know that name?"
If the other was intimidated, he didn't show it. Instead, he rolled his shoulders back in a relaxed manner, "So you do know her." He nodded to himself, "Interesting." There was a tense pause of the two just watching each other.
There was no emotion in the younger one's eyes, and no emotion was revealed by the other's body language. The silence was suffocating, until Jack spoke monotonously, "How?"
"Answer my question first, jackass."
Pacing over to a counter, the demon leaned against it. "Clever nickname." The sarcasm hung heavy with his words. "It's not important on how I know her name, or why. I just want to know your intentions."
"My intentions?" Scoff-laughing, his eyes narrowed, "What about yours? What is she a new victim of yours?"
Tilting his head to the side, the demon watched the other carefully. "Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. What's it to you?"
"Give me a real answer." The other spat harshly, his leg started bouncing up and down anxiously. Unaffected, Jack frowned irritated, "Answer my queries and I will."
In a flash, Jack stumbled back and gripped the edges of the counter when the other lunged at him. A few bottles and boxes that sat on the counter fell over. Jack didn't give any verbal reaction when the younger one had a death grip on the collar of his hoodie. He wasn't too concerned with the fact he was cornered, seeing as he could easily get out of this predicament. Toby's hand jerked a few times, showing that he was getting more agitated.
"Spit it out already, would you? Are you planning on killing her?"
There was a pause of silence before Toby pulled the demon forward before shoving him into the counter again. "Answer me, Jack!"
Putting his hands up, Jack gripped the other's wrists and glowered from behind the mask. "Are you planning to kill her?"
There was a hesitant pause, mostly of Toby staring into the black holes of the mask conflicted and frustrated. Finally, his jaw locked and his grip on the other faltered.
"..No."
Tilting his head, Jack hummed in thought. Then the demon pat the other's arm once. "Good, 'cause I'm not either."
The pure confusion on Toby's face made him chuckle lightly. Nose scrunching up, he was shot a suspicious look, before he was let go. Toby backed away slowly, still eyeing him warily.
"You..aren't?"
Dusting off his hoodie, Jack shook his head. "No." Besides, if he did he wouldn't get free Netflix. Also he was pretty sure Smile would maul him to death if he did. You were also a..good friend, he supposed. Not that he'd say that, can't let your ego get too big.
"So now, will you answer my question? How do you know her?" His head snapped back up as he questioned the still caught off guard boy.
Blinking owlishly, the brunette opened his mouth and then closed it. Crossing his arms, he awkwardly looked away, shifting uncomfortably. He seemed to be embarrassed or shy talking about it.
"...I just kept running into her." He mumbled quietly. "And..I don't know I befriended her, I think?" Rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed. "I don't know, man. She just.." He struggled for a second to explain it, "..treats me normally, like I'm any other person." The comment was a remark about how practically everyone here was not normal and therefore did not treat each other as such. Looking down at his shoes, he clumsily fiddled with his bandages. "Just..kinda reminds me of better times..I guess."
The demon, who was watching him carefully, blinked slowly. Well he wasn't expecting that. So perhaps he had been worried over nothing.
"Does she know you're..?"
Looking back up, the other's eyes were wide with innocence as he shook his head. "No, no she doesn't know that I.." He chewed on his lip before dragging a thumb across his neck and made a weird sound, "..people."
Waving it off with his hand, he cleared his throat. "Bu-But besides that, what about you, huh? How do you know her?" He raised a brow in suspicion.
Pressing his lips together, Jack glanced off to the side awkwardly. Well now he knew why Toby felt awkward. It was strange to admit to one of your other murderous co-workers that you befriended some random human for the hell of it.
"Similar story." Was all he muttered. Toby tilted his head, "And..does she know that you're-" "That I'm a demon and I occasionally murder people? Yes." Stuffing his hands into the pockets, the un-official doctor breathed out tiredly.
The confession made the other even more confused, and his brows furrowed. "..And she.." "Is okay with it? I believe so." Jack paused, "But then again, she may just think I'm lying and on drugs." Pushing himself off from where he was leaning, the demon shrugged, "And if she does believe me, I couldn't give you an answer to why she trusts me." He rather not mention the fact that you had boldly declared you didn't care if he quite literally slit your throat.
Taking a few steps forward, he stopped when he stood in front of the shorter man. "Now that everything's been cleared." His ear twitched, "I expect this to stay between us, correct?"
Gaining a hard gaze, the other stuck his hand out. "I won't say anything to the others as long as you don't." Jack didn't say anything, but he shook the other's hand nonetheless.
After a second, the demon turned on his heel and began towards the door. "Well, that's all. I'll see you around, hopefully when you aren't injured." He joked, and reached out for the door handle. Stopping as the handle turned, he hummed and looked back over at the jittering male.
"..Oh and, one last thing."
Toby blinked at him, staying silent as an invitation to continue speaking.
"Apparently, there are others that are..aware of her existence. I'm not entirely sure of their intentions, and I'm not entirely sure who." He turned to look back at the door, "Just keep that in mind, yeah?"
The door opened and the demon took a step out.
"..Thanks, Jack."
He looked back over for a second, before nodding as his own form of thanks and leaving.
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