IT WAS SILENT ON THE BOAT TO SAY THE LEAST. Where they acquired a boat, Samuel had no clue. He also had no energy to ask, so he kept his seat near the window. Looking back meant looking at Billy. He didn't want to do that. To be honest, Samuel didn't know what he expected when he came back. A nice warm hug definitely wasn't one of them, but this was way worse. Billy hadn't even spoken to him.
Not at all since last night. Sure, there were a few glances, but that was it. Samuel always felt like he needed to get up, that he needed to do something. The cons of Compound V. He didn't know the last time he had a wash, the last time he even had a blunt. For Samuel, it was an achievement not to have a blunt in a week's span, but nothing felt real anymore.
His whole life had changed. Despite being one of the most wanted people in the country, he was new. He couldn't quite place it, but he felt fresh. Not a good fresh, no, the fresh that makes you feel anxious. The change that gives you that gut feeling that you want to go back to the way things were. That you need to go back to the way things were, or you'd fall apart at the seams.
It wasn't a good feeling, and Samuel could only have pure nightmares about how much worse it would be if they knew. If they knew that the blue Compound V in his blood tainted it a fair purple if mixed well. It was disgusting. Of course, they'd find out eventually. He can't keep it from them forever. But who is he to go yelling it to the masses?
He'll sort it when he sorts it- "Sammy." He broke from his trance, looking at the voice to his left. M.M. sat with brows raised, awaiting any response. "You okay?" He urged, eyes glued to Samuel's face as he hummed lightly. "I thought I saw some dolphins." He lied, glancing down at his lap before out at the water again.
It was kind of peaceful, not enough, but some of it was calming. "What happened to you out there?" M.M. mentioned, staying his ground. Of course he knew Samuel was lying, but he also knew Samuel well enough that he won't voluntarily open up. He had to usher it out. And he would do it every time.
"You can't get out of that without a single scratch." M.M. joked lightly, Samuel sighing at the man. "I don't know what happened to me. I... broke." Samuel shook his head at his own answer, M.M. keeping silent as if to give the boy room to continue. "I just wanted to go home." Samuel let out again, M.M. nodding lightly. "Then I saw him... and I broke."
Samuel claimed once more, M.M. humming briefly. "I'm glad you're here." He let out, Samuel glancing at the man before humming. "It's nostalgic." Samuel spoke, M.M. letting out a small chuckle. There was a silence, not an awkward one, but one that M.M. insisted upon, awaiting Samuel to talk if he wanted.
Allocating him time, which he seemed like he needed. "I didn't mean to." As if on cue, Samuel spoke. M.M. looked at the boy, blinking his sight back to the water. "Didn't think you did." He replied, Samuel huffing. "It was weird, it felt... not good. I scared my mom shitless." Samuel hummed, M.M.'s brows rising again. "I'm not surprised." He remarked emptily, Samuel talking up again.
It was like M.M. had opened the floodgates to Samuel's brain, and the boy couldn't help it. "I wasn't angry. It wasn't, like, a cool revenge thing. I just-" M.M. watched the boy shrug. "I saw him, and he scared me. I- I got scared. Like he was gonna do something to me. Like he used to." Samuel didn't dare look at M.M., knowing that he was staring at the boy.
"The shit part is, I regret it. I mean, not because I love my dad, but... my mom sees me as a monster." He continued mindlessly, M.M. simoly sat listening. It was all he needed to do. It was more than he could do. "I was making breakfast, and she came downstairs from her bed. She looked at me lovingly, like she wanted to know if I was okay." Samuel shook his head.
"She did threaten to call the cops, but I knew she wouldn't do it. But I fucked it up." He spoke, M.M. sighing to himself. There wasn't much speech after that, Samuel's eyes glued to the water. "I think I saw a dolphin too." M.M. pointed out, Samuel glancing at the man. M.M. nodded towards the ocean, then towards Samuel. They looked at each other for a brief second before Samuel squinted out towards the water.
Patting his shoulder, M.M. stood up, walking away from the boy and leaving him be. He'd spoken, that was enough. Meeting eyes with Frenchie shortly, M.M. slipped past the man, leaving the latter to watch Samuel's hair move in the wind. Billy made his way down the stairs without a care, nonchalant and frankly not bothered about anything as he moved to the back of the boat, watching Hughie lean against a metal pole.
"How long are we playing emo for?" Billy spoke up, watching Hughie's lack of a response. "Hughie." He called, brows furrowed. "Oi, Hughie." His music continued into his earphones, the man watching an old music video before his shoulder was nudged.
Looking at the man, Billy huffed as he motioned for Hughie to take out his headphones. Doing as told, Hughie heard Billy's voice clearly. "I said, how long are we gonna be sulkin' about like some poncy eyeliner-wearin' emo twat?" He spoke, Hughie not wanting to look at the man. "All right, look, I will say, I lost my bottle a little bit when I popped you one." Billy began again, shrugging to himself.
He didn't apologise, though, and the space was silent. "So, um... sorry?" Billy struggled to get it out, nodding at Hughie. "There, I said it. We all square?" He asked, Hughie glancing at the man. He smiled once they met eyes, Hughie's brows furrowing as he felt the familiar ache of the bruise on his cheek.
Instead of smiling back, Hughie punched Billy's cheek, which resulted in him falling to the floor. He stopd up again, pouncing on Billy before M.M. rushed forward. "I'll fucking kill you!-" "Easy, easy, kid, relax." M.M. spoke over Hughie, Billy watching the man."Fucking hell, kid's stark ravin'." Billy let out, catching his breath lightly. Hughie tried to launch at him again, only to be held back by M.M.
"Breathe, breathe." M.M. spoke, holding Hughie before turning to Billy. "You mind?" He spoke, watching Billy surrender before walking away. Samuel perked up at the sound of footsteps, glancing back just to meet eyes with Billy. The older man was quick to look away at his phone, Samuel huffing before leaning his feet up at the edge of the boat.
"Breathe, okay?" M.M. soothed, Hughie nodding quickly. "Okay. Okay, I'm fine." He nodded, feeling M.M. pat his back. "All right." M.M. hummed, Billy raising his phone to his ear. "What's the ETA?" He asked, Mallory speaking back to him. "A team's on the way-- they'll be there in a few hours." She spoke, Billy huffing. "A few hours?" He asked, Mallory speaking up again.
"I'm a civilian, I can't just push a button anymore. The target's secure? No one's seen him?" She made sure, hearing Billy's hum. "We're three fucking miles offshore, Grace, what do you think?" He made sure he was a far distance from Samuel before speaking.
"I think if there's a way to screw this up, you'll find it." Mallory remarked, Billy sighing. "Look, I just want me wife back." Mallory stayed silent for a beat before replying. "I know. Bring Langley the terrorist, and you'll have her." Mallory reminded, Samuel watching Billy's back. "Hey, you ever heard of an old Supe called Liberty?" Mallory changed the topic, Billy scoffing. "Fuck's that got to do with anything?"
He shrugged, Mallory scanning the picture of the Supe she held in her hand. "I'm not sure yet. How's your crew holding up?" She asked, Billy sighing to himself. "Yeah, we're all good. Having a few laughs. Samuel's decided to join us all again." He made sure not to say 'Sammy', which was alright since Mallory did it for him.
"Sammy? When did he show up? Didn't he go missing?" She asked, brows furrowed. "We all did, but the little guy walked up to us on the street, didn't say anything." Billy partly lied. He didn't expect Samuel to say anything remotely kind to him after asking such a rude question as a reunion quote.
"Huh, whatever. The target is the girl's brother?" She dismissed the topic, Billy nodding at the ocean. "Yeah, so?" He hummed, hearing Mallory's shuffle. "You don't think it compromises her allegiances?" She shrugged, Billy kissing his teeth. "Well... if it comes to that, I'll neutralize her." He declared, hearing Mallory's light scoff of laughter.
"The compassion you show your team is truly touching." He hung up at that, sighing to himself. "I hope you neutralize me next." Samuel remarked, Billy's brows furrowing before glancing at the boy. He had stood up, and was closer than before. He heard the whole thing? They were on opposite sides of the boat, Billy made sure of it.
His confusion halted when he met eyes with Frenchie, and the man's brows matched. "It was just a figure of speech, mate." He tried to save himself, Billy watching Kimiko descend the stairs. Her stare hardened when she looked from Samuel to Billy, holding a cup of water in her hand as she walked past the three.
"Come here, Sammy." The boy perked up at Frenchie's call, Billy feeling shoved gently as the two walked into a new room, leaving him alone. "Sit down." Frenchie ordered, and Samuel took his own seat. He adjusted himself, watching the man shuffle through drawers. "What is it?" He asked, and Frenchie closed another drawer, looking up at Samuel. "Mon ami, you waltz up in the night like batman."
Frenchie shrugged, watching Samuel huffing. "No explanation, no talking, just 'hello, I'm here!', that is bullshit to me." Frenchie seethed, Samuel's eyes widening briefly. "You were stolen from us that night, hurt and kidnapped by Black Noir. What did they do?" Frenchie urged, and Samuel quickly shook his head.
"Eh," His voice halted Samuel's movements. "What did they do? You cannot possibly walk out of the Vought tower from the Seven without a scratch, it's inhuman. What happened?" There was silence in the small room, Frenchie's brows furrowing. "Come on, you're different, I can tell. Did they drug you or something?"
Frenchie demanded answers, and Samuel stayed silent himself. And it was all Frenchie needed. "Inhuman." He muttered to himself, looking at Samuel. "Sammy-" The boy tried getting up and leaving, but Frenchie pulled the boy back down into his previous seat.
"Did they?" He asked, and Samuel regrettably nodded. Frenchie huffed, Samuel's eyes glued to him for a reaction. "What can you do?" Frenchie asked, lowering his voice. Samuel shook his head, shrugging. "I don't know-" "You don't know? What do you mean, you 'don't know'?" Frenchie asked, watching Samuel huff.
"I don't know, I don't like it." He admitted, tone rather sharp as Frenchie rushed to pick up a wooden ruler. "Do something." He ordered, and Samuel scoffed. "Do what?" He asked, and Frenchie shook his head. "I don't know, move it, do something." He let out, Samuel shaking his head.
"I can't do anything with that-" "Fine, do something to anything in this room." Frenchie nodded, and Samuel sighed. "Come on-" He stopped himself, Frenchie watching him expectantly. He didn't know what he expected, sitting on a boat with Frenchie and not expecting him to notice.
He knows things about Samuel that the boy himself had no clue about. Frenchie glanced at the bundle of fishing rods when the ends of them, the baiting parts, lifted themselves up. His brows furrowed, looking at Samuel. "So you're telekinetic?" He asked, Samuel making the fishing rods fall.
"No, it's a metal thing." He spoke, Frenchie nodding gradually. "You are... metal manipulator?" Frenchie asked, and Samuel shrugged. "I'm sorry they didn't let me pick and choose when I was hooked up." He snapped out quietly, Frenchie surrendering lightly. "You know, Butcher will-"
"Who gives a shit what Butcher thinks?" Samuel shrugged, Frenchie keeping his lips shut before picking something out of the drawers he was rummaging through earlier. "You look hungry." The man shrugged, and Samuel took the small bag of chips from his hand with a sigh.
"Thank you." He let out softly, Frenchie letting the boy leave as he watched the door close. When Samuel left the room, and entered the main room of the boat, he heard the TV. He saw Hughie and M.M. watching it, and Hughie was speaking to someone on his phone. "Did what?" M.M. asked the man once he hung up, and Samuel stepped into the room further, seeing the headline.
SUPERHEROS ARE NOT BORN, BUT MADE
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