Everything was going according to plan, The Phantom had rounded up just a few lowly criminals to help him do the job with the help of Z. He grinned evilly under his mask, his blood began to pump, adrenaline racing up and down his body. It was so much, his hands started to tingle. It had been forever since he had tasted devastation; it was like the finest dessert the world had to offer, and it was sweet.
Getting into the daycare was going to be quick and easy. The help was going to cause a commotion to grab the attention of people which will eventually lead to police and reporters on the scene. The Warrior should be drawn out by just that much, and when that happens, the Phantom himself can hold his hostage. He wanted this interaction to be face to face. He'd get exactly what he wanted, then.
He readied himself, hiding in the shadows, firing up a voice modulator in his mask, slowly turning himself invisible. He awaited his cue, not a single noise escaping from him. It took some time for the help to come up with a plan, (they weren't very smart), but eventually they pulled through, smashing the glass window pane next to the door of the day care. Children and caregivers began to scream.
The Phantom smiled like the devil himself, his lips curling upwards. It was charming and ugly. He darted into the day care, remaining invisible and staying out of the way of any person in order to keep from being detected right away. People were beginning to escape, evacuating the building. Chaos reined. The caregivers attempted to get away from the lowly criminals by throwing chairs, flipping desks, anything they could do. A little girl, no more than four years old tried to run, but Seth snatched her, holding his hand to her mouth so she couldn't scream. He pulled her back in a room where there was no commotion.
Seth's help evacuated as well, running from police sirens that weren't so distant. Everything happened in a flash, leaving the poor daycare in a nearly empty ruins. A mother cried outside the scene that her little girl was missing, and like magic, he finally showed up. The Warrior stood by her side, holding her hands and promising her that he'd get her daughter to safety.
Darien looked towards the door, knowing all too well that he couldn't use violence to solve this. There was a child in there, and that child was his number one priority. He let a little breath of air out of his lungs before making his way into the building, looking around at the mess inside. Papers covered the floor, desks were over turned. There was no such thing as a clear walkway. The place looked abandoned, but Darien knew better.
"Show yourself, Phantom. Don't be a coward," the Warrior said.
"We meet again, my friend," The Phantom said, gripping the little girl by her wrist. She was crying, and whining as he pulled her along.
"I must say, a little stunt like this doesn't surprise me, but a child? Why a child?" Darien asked.
"I knew you'd show up. I'd like to make a deal with you. Your identity in exchange for this girl," Seth said, grinning under his mask.
"Yeah, that's not going to be happening. I'm going to get the girl without giving you what you want, alright?" Darien said.
"Ha! So be it," Seth said, tightening his grip on the girl just enough to make her whine some more before loosening it again.
Darien got down on one knee just to meet the little girl at eye level. He did his best to stay calm, and to get her to calm down as well. He was help, and he was going to get her out of there.
"Hello, there," Darien said softly. "I'm here to help you. What's your name?"
The little girl sniffled a few times before quietly saying, "Paisley."
"Paisley, huh? It's nice to meet you. You can call me Blue," Darien said. The little girl nodded, her sniffling remained. "How old are you, Paisley?"
"Four."
"You're getting big! How's about we play a game, Paisley? Would you like that?" Darien asked, looking up at the Phantom, who watched in distain. He had no intentions of letting Paisley go. She nodded, ready to take up the Warrior's offer.
"Wonderful! Now, you're going to close your eyes, and you can't open them until I say so. If you don't peek, you win a prize!" Darien explained. The Phantom braced himself as Paisley nodded, smiling. She loved prizes.
"Ready? One... two... close your eyes!" Darien shouted. Paisley's eyes slammed shut, and she kept them together tightly, her eyelids crinkling. She was determined to win this game, no matter what. She almost completely forgot she was in any danger.
Darien darted behind the Phantom, wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him into a headlock. He grabbed the Phantom's free hand and pulled it behind his back. It was as much as he could do without putting Paisley in any danger. He began to squeeze, knowing he'd get two outcomes. The Phantom would either let go of Paisley or pass out trying to hold on forever. If there was a third option, such as fighting back, he'd put Paisley in danger, and then he'd have to deal with it in another way.
Of course, the Warrior's luck wasn't too hot. The Phantom began to levitate, letting Paisley dangle by just her arm. She actually reached up and held onto the Phantom with her other hand to keep herself up, screaming, not daring to open her eyes. She would win, despite her fright.
"Look at her, Phantom!" The Warrior shouted. "How can you torment a four year old?"
"She's just a kid," The Phantom shrugged, levitating them higher. Paisley kicked her feet, barely holding on.
"She's no part of this feud between us! She's a child!"
"If I have to wipe out this entire block to find out who you are, so be it."
"Blue, I'm scared!" Paisley cried out. Darien's heart shattered in his chest, wanting to help her more than anything. He knew if he squeezed the Phantom's neck any harder, he'd hurt her. He had no remorse.
There was something about her voice, though. The fear of this little girl he held on by what was essentially a thread, it felt strange. It wasn't such a joyful sound like the cries of the city were when he stirred up trouble. The Phantom looked down at Paisley and really noticed her.
She had red-orange hair that was pulled into high pig tails, and freckles that dotted her little nose. Aside from those, her skin was like clear porcelain. She was probably the most innocent person he ever could have attempted to capture. She almost looked like Caroline.
The Phantom's heart skipped a beat and he immediately lowered them back to the ground. He dropped Caroli-, Paisley's wrist and let her go. She stood there, unsure of what to do. Her eyes, still, were shut tight. Darien noticed the Phantom's empty gaze, and decided to use this time to get Paisley out of there so he could finish this. He stepped up behind her and got down on his knee, almost whispering next to her.
"Now Paisley, when I tell you to open your eyes, I want you to run through the front door and find your mommy. She's waiting for you, but whatever you do, don't look back. If you look back, you lose the game. Okay? Run through the door, find your mommy, and you win. Understand?" He asked her. Paisley nodded.
"One.. two.. open your eyes!" Darien said. Paisley's copper eyes burst open, and she darted as fast as she could out of the front door of the day care, launching herself into her mother's arms. She didn't look back. Her mother caressed her, holding her tight. When Darien confirmed her safety, he turned to the Phantom.
Wasting no time, Darien flew towards him and gave him a right hook, knocking him off his feet. Despite his state moments before, the Phantom quickly retaliated, slamming the Warrior into the wall with brute force. He threw five or six punches to the hero's face, one after the other. The Warrior struggled, but he was eventually able to kick the Phantom off with all the strength he had.
He found a box of crayons and lobbed it at the Phantom's head before pinning him down to the ground, wrapping his hands around his throat. The Phantom's reaction time was slightly slowed due to the fact he was just cracked in the head with a 24 pack of coloring supplies, so he wasn't able to defend himself much. He struggled under the hero as the tightness of his grip worsened. He felt like he was going to pass out. He was weakened.
"I don't ever want to see you putting the public in danger like that again," the Warrior growled. "Especially not someone like that innocent little girl."
He released his grip from the Phantom when he knew he was too weak to fight anymore, standing up and staring down at him with eyes full of hatred, and what was probably justice.
"Not to kick you while you're down, but," the Warrior said, giving the villain a few good, hard kicks before leaving him there in agony. He stepped outside to the public, where people cheered and thanked him for helping.
Seth took every last little bit of strength he had to turn himself invisible and roll over into the corner of the room. Policemen charged into the room and looked around, examining every other room of the day care. They were ultimately very puzzled, but left the scene after a second walk through of the building.
"Would you like your prize, Paisley?" Darien asked the little girl sweetly. She nodded with a huge smile across her face. Darien reached into his pocket and pulled out an extra pair of gloves, just like the ones from his costume, except they were too small. He had always kept these on him, as they were special; they were the first super hero gloves he had ever received, and they inspired the costume he had today. They sparked his dreams of helping people, and helped him on the path of becoming the man he was in that moment. They were in amazing condition, too.
"These here, are my special superhero gloves," Darien explained. "I had them when I was your age. I want you to have them."
He placed them in the girl's hands, continuing his explanation.
"When you put them on, if you think and dream and try really hard, you can be a superhero too."
Paisley's eyes were full of admiration, wonder and surprise. Her smile reached from ear to ear as she looked at the gloves in her hands, rushing to put them on immediately. They fit her almost perfectly.
"Look, Mommy! I'm a super hero like Blue!" She shouted. Her mother was brought to tears yet again, looking to the Warrior for any more answers.
"How can I thank you?" She asked him.
"No need, ma'am. It's all part of my job. Just continue letting Paisley be the lovely girl she is," he said, smiling.
"Of course, thank you, thank you, thank you so much," she said, holding Paisley in her arms.
"You're welcome," he said. "Goodbye Paisley, I'm sure we'll meet again some time."
With that, he took to the sky, flying so high he was almost out of sight. Paisley watched with wide, lively eyes. She didn't know what admiration really was then, but she was overwhelmed by it. She looked back down at the gloves on her hands, and then back at her mother, wrapping her arms around her neck for a big hug.
***
"What the fuck happened out there?" Z asked, practically dragging his villain into his office.
"I don't know," the Phantom said.
"You can't even handle one hostage mission. You realize that was the first time that Warrior kicked your ass, right? You always came on top in physical brawls. You always had the upper hand," Z scolded.
"I know, sir. I know. I was distracted," Seth tried to explain.
"Distracted? Boy, if you don't get it together I'm going after that hero by myself, and you know damn well that if I do it, someone's going to die."
"I know."
"Now, get the fuck out of my face and wash that filthy costume of yours," Z said, shooing Seth away with his hand as if he were a misbehaved dog. Seth sighed and stepped out of the room, making his way down to his usual changing area. He was frustrated with himself; he had been so excited to get back into crime and yet he was letting his emotions get the best of him. He let himself get much too soft.
Upon seeing Caroline later that night, he felt guilty for the first time. Guilt overwhelmed him only because he put someone in danger and only felt bad because they resembled someone he loved. What would he have done if that little girl looked nothing like his best friend? How far would he have gone? Still, he wasn't guilty about the event as a whole. He adored his villain persona and he was so happy to be involved with it again. He was to meet Z again tomorrow night.
Caroline gave Seth a hug goodbye and headed out of their room. She wanted to see a play that night and neither of the boys were interested. She called them buzzkills, but she was sort of happy about going alone. She often ugly cried at dramatic performances. She greeted Darien as she passed him in the hall and told him about her whereabouts, mentioning that, "Seth is already home."
Darien nodded and waved to her and entered the dorm room dressed in some shorts and a muscle tee. He was kind of sweaty, and his face was a little red from the big fight he had with the Phantom today. He tried to keep it under wraps, but Seth definitely noticed immediately.
"You look.. tired?" Seth said. Darien shrugged it off.
"I decided to hit the gym," he lied.
"Damn, softie went to the gym? I don't think I've ever seen you go there," Seth teased. Darien rolled his eyes.
"Oh, whatever. I felt like trying something new," Darien said. Seth grinned and walked up to him, putting his hands on his hips.
"Well, I think you look cute," he said and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Darien smiled up at him and chuckled a little, shaking his head.
"You know just what to say," he said sweetly.
"I just wanted to ask, y'know, is this okay? My hands, and little kisses every once in a while? I know I wanted to give you some time to think about things but you're just so perfect and it's so hard to keep my hands off of yo-"
Seth was hushed with a kiss pressed against his lips. He smiled as best as he could and gladly accepted it, pulling Darien in closer. He let it linger for a few moments before pulling away. The smaller boy smiled up at him again.
"I promise it's okay. You don't need to limit yourself, Seth. I don't want to rush into a public relationship right now, no. However, my feelings for you are still the same, and if you want to kiss me, so be it," Darien said. Seth grinned a little half grin.
"I'll take what I can get," he said, suddenly pulling Darien into another kiss and lifted him up off the ground. Darien chuckled a little bit and held on tight, getting comfortable in Seth's arms.
Seth was almost too attractive for him. His grip on his thighs was tight and firm, he felt like the perfect support. Not to mention that Seth was easily the best kisser that he had ever had, and on top of that, he knew how to tease. Occasionally, Seth would pull away from his lips to kiss his neck and chin, almost torturing Darien with his warm, gentle breath.
Seth moved them over to the bed just like the first time they had kissed, and he found himself comfortable on top of Darien. This time, the two grew more intense and aggressive. Seth was practically growling against Darien's skin, hot kisses pressing into skin like branding. Seth sat up for just a moment to rip his shirt off and tossed it on the ground before connecting his lips to Darien's again.
Darien didn't mind seeing more of Seth's skin one bit. He had one arm around Seth's neck and the other was caressing his cheek softly as Darien rubbed his cheekbone with his thumb. Eventually he had enough of being the only one fully clothed, so he pulled away and received assistance from Seth to get his own shirt off.
Darien blushed as his torso touched Seth's. The boys have never been so close before, and he was starting to feel a little nervous, and maybe even embarrassed. Though he knew he shouldn't be; Seth loved him and loved every part about him. Darien only wondered when the right time would come where he could finally say it back.
Seth decided to try to take things a little further, grinding himself against Darien while pressing more kisses into his neck, his fingers getting tangled in cinnamon locks. Darien almost froze, but it was too late before Seth noticed.
"S-Seth, stop," Darien blurted out. Seth didn't hesitate for even a second, pulling himself away from the boy immediately. He was obviously quite confused but also extremely concerned.
"I'm sorry Darien, I shouldn't have tried that," Seth said.
"No, no! It's not that, I just, I," Darien said, sighing. He sat up, holding his head in his hands.
"I liked what you were doing, Seth, I just.. I thought about Andy and what happened and I freaked out a little bit, and I feel bad because I want to do things with you, I want to be close to you but I don't know if I can give you that right now, and.."
"Darien, you do not have to explain yourself to me. I understand, okay? Pinky promise," Seth said, holding out his pinky with a smile on his face. Darien smiled appreciatively and wrapped his pinky around Seth's.
"Thank you. You treat me too well," Darien admitted.
"I treat you like you deserve to be, Darien. I treat you as best I can, I love you, and I'd never want to harm you," Seth said. "I won't try anything again unless you tell me you want me to."
"I will let you know, I promise. Just, don't keep me from trying to kiss you," Darien said with a little giggle.
"Trust me," Seth chuckled. "I couldn't even if I tried."