- 2 Weeks After The Trial -
I open my eyes wearily to see the stale, pale grey ceiling that is my cell. I push myself up and stretch. On my side table I see my stack of 10 books (the maximum is 10), my crown bead that Rai had sent, a small elephant plushie from when I was 4, a paint set, a deck of cards Terry, my cell neighbour, and I often use, and a photo of my friends and family. All gifts from my friends and family.
I smile. I miss them so damn much. I wrap my soft purple blanket around me, remembering the night I'd bought it. I had attempted running away. Rai had sent it to me when I mentioned the cold sheets in my letter.
I pick up the elephant I'd so cleverly named Phanty and held it close to my chest. I set it down and silently admired my artwork I had painted on the wall.
I've been in prison for 2 weeks. 2 weeks of working my case. 2 weeks of desperately missing my family and friends. And most of all, 2 weeks of missing my job.
- flashback -
"In you go." The gruff police officer ordered.
I feel his harden hands push me into the vehicle.
I take a seat on one of the benches. Opposite me is a boy not much older than Piper.
"Hi." I say stiffly, taking in his scars and tattoos.
"What do you want?" He growled.
"Nothing." I sigh.
"What are you in for?" He asks me.
"Murder." I breathe out. No sense letting people think I'm soft. I don't want people treating me horribly because they think I'm weak.
"Same. Triple homicide." He replied with a satisfied grin. Seeing the look on his face made my stomach churn.
"Nice." I grind out. "Who'd you kill?" I ask in fake interest.
"Two 12 year old girls and a police officer." He says smugly. I feel sick at his reaction to his crimes. "How about you?"
"Maize Queen." I say with a fake smile.
His jaw drops.
"No way!" He says astonished. "You killed the Princess? You killed a Queen!"
Princess. A name people called Maize because she was just as stuck up. Now, I'm not so sure she was a princess.
"You bet." I reply through my teeth.
"That's unbelievable, that's amazing, that's... woah." He said with a star struck look in his eyes.
"Thank you." I say with a horrible sensation in my stomach.
"I'm Terry, Terry Allen."
"Henry, Henry Hart."
- time skip -
When I got to the prison the first thing they did was direct me to a room.
I sat down in a small chair next to a desk. A woman with two armed guards on either side of her sat in the desk.
"Mr. Henry Hart, 17, charged for murder of Ms. Maize Queen. 10 years in prison. Is this correct?" She asked.
I nod my head.
"I didn't do it." I say quietly.
"Then why are you here?" She said sarcastically.
"The judge thinks I did."
"Well, that's the final say." She passes me a small, see through bag. "In this you'll find your 2 sets of uniforms, pyjamas, a hat, soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, shoes, a hair brush and I.D. You will need to wear your uniform and I.D. at all times. Failure to comply with this rule will result in one week in solitary. Here is your pillow. Do not lose it, you will have to pay for another." She lists off with a bored expression. "Do you understand?"
I nod stiffly.
"Do you have any questions?"
"What else will land me in solitary? What are the rules?" I correct myself.
"Assault of an inmate will lead to 5 days in solitary. Assault of a guard will lead to one week in solitary. Breaking code of conduct will lead to 4 days in solitary. Attempt at escape will add 2 years to your sentence and 2 weeks in solitary."
I nod again.
"Anything else?" She asks.
"No."
"No thank you." She corrects me sternly.
"No thank you." I correct myself.
"You will have three minutes to change out of your clothes and into your uniform. We will take the clothes and store it for when you are released."
She points to a door. I walk in and swiftly change, once I finish, I exit and hand my clothes to her neatly folded.
Two guards walk in and assort me out. They lead me down a hall and then another before opening a door with a key card.
I look down the hall to see piles of cells with barred doors.
The lead me down the hall until I got to the third last on the left hand side.
The unlock my cell. I clutch my bag tightly. Pillow under arm. A few inmates gave me hungry, vengeful glares as if they knew who I was.
I place my pillow onto my bed. A cold white sheet lay over it on top of a base sheet. The guard closes my door and locks it.
I look around my room, it was unbearably simple.
A toilet sat in the far corner by a sink. A small bed stand stood with a single drawer.
I sigh and sit down on my bed. I grip the bag with both hands. An hour ago I was a free man. Now I'm a inmate for 10 years.
I open my bag and store my clothes in my drawer. I pull the tuque style hat over my head. It's weirdly warm. I take in my uniform. Just a black sweatshirt over a black t-shirt. Only a SVP decorates it, black pants unlike jeans, windbreaker with a matching logo, a pair of black lace up boots.
I take off the windbreaker and just snuggle into my new sweatshirt.
I put away my toiletries.
This was going to be a long 10 years.
No. My friends will get me out. I have to believe that.
- flash back over -
After a little while, a guard escorts me to the telephone booths.
Sitting across from me is Rai.
I smile softly.
I pick up the phone.
"Hey Rai." I smile.
"Hey Kid. You need a shave." He states.
I feel the stubble on my face.
"Ya. You have to earn the right to use a razor."
"And I'm guessing for a 'murderer' that's pretty hard." He says, putting finger bunnies around the word murderer.
"You bet."
He slides me a parcel.
"Charlotte wanted me to give you this."
"What is it?"
"Beats me. The guard said it was fine though."
I open the box. In it was a cutely folded letter with Charlotte's loopy handwriting in gold and a lot of six strand string to make bracelets. She had taught me how to make them when we were in summer camp.
I smile.
"We really miss you Kid." He says a bit sadder.
"I miss you guys too." I admit. "How are you on my case?"
I see Rai's smile falter.
"It's coming."
"You have 5 minutes." A guard warns us.
"Kid, I'll be honest. It's hard looking for him. Is there anything else you can tell us?"
"Rai, I've told you everything."
Rai sighs and punches the bridge of his nose.
"I know Kid."
I rub my hand over my face.
"Just, try please. I'm dying in here. It's the most tense place I've ever been.
"Times up."
"I'll see you tomorrow Kid. I promise."
"Ok Rai." I mumble.
I pull the box closer to my chest.
I'm escorted back to my cell.
I sit, tears threatening to fall.
I wasn't getting out of here for a while.
I pull the top off the metal tin. Inside was the worn bracelet Charlotte made for me who knows how long ago.
I tie it around my ankle and smile wearily.
This time the tears fell.
And no one saw.
Rai's Point Of View
When I left Swellview Prison For The Underage, I felt worse than I did before. Henry's eyes looked so sad when I told him how we haven't figured out how to get him out.
He usually hides it with a smile and a joke, but this time he just mumbled: Ok Rai.
I hate seeing him like this. I hate seeing any of my kids like this.
Charlotte has buried herself in the case. She spent midnights tucked snuggly on the couch with the Man Cave laptop on her lap searching the villain files of the Hero League. This proved a hard task considering there were over 1000 registered villains in the world and none of them matched Henry's description of black hair and yellow eyes with the ability to apparate and change form, and from the last time she's told me, she's only ready 576 files.
Jasper has been compulsively sketching Henry's killer. There's a ginormous stack of copies on the desk, each with impossible detail.
He's been drawing them as if his life depended on it. As if it'd get Henry out. We've been trying to get an appointment with the Super President but it's harder than you'd think. If she saw it, she might know the villain. Or have someone 1run a scan on the face.
Schwoz has been trying to invent a fast stitching machine for slit arteries. If we have them on hand we could stop so many suicides and murders.
I felt useless. I've stopped so many crimes. The criminals have realized that Henry's not around so they've upped their game.
When I arrive, I find Charlotte pouring over the laptop with 20 odd disposable Tim Horton's coffee cups littering the floor. A yellow blanket identical to Henry's purple one was wrapped around her. Henry bought us all matching blankets after the Nora incident.
He has purple, Charlotte has yellow, Jasper has green, Schwoz has red and I have blue.
Jasper was in a pile of sketches, each with more impossible detail.
Schwoz was working on his machine. He was muttering something about needs to be faster.
I sit down next to Charlotte.
She jumps a little.
"Hey Charlotte."
"Hey Rai." She replies tiredly. "How's Henry?"
"Not so good." I say wearily. "He looked so broken up."
Charlotte sighed before taking another swig of coffee.
She clicks on the 'next' and started read more files.
I decide to look for crimes. It can't hurt.
- time skip -
3 days later
We were again in the Man Cave.
Charlotte in her normal coffee, blanket and laptop routine, Jasper in his piles of paper, Schwoz working tirelessly on his machine and I searching for criminals.
Suddenly Charlotte leaps up.
"I found him! Jasper! A drawing!"
Jasper bursts up from his paper cave with a drawing and thrusts it into Charlotte's hand.
Charlotte clicks on a picture of man which enlarges.
The photos are identical. Ebony black hair and piercing golden eyes.
"What's his name?" I ask.
"George Henry Sullivan."
"GHS." Jasper says. "GHS. His initials. I've heard them before." He stares at us in thought before a lightbulb went off in his eyes. "Godrick Harlow Strange. GHS. George Henry Sullivan. It fits!"
Ice washed through my veins. It made so much sense.
He was in the house at the time of the murder. He probably didn't appreciate working hand and foot for the Queens. He would have had access to the security cameras to wipe the footage.
"I need to get to the Queen's mansion. Now!" I yell.
I grab my gum tube and blow a bubble.
- time skip -
I dash up the steps of the Queen's mansion. I ran my fist on the door.
Godrick's face appears.
At first he's smiling then a flash of realization appears over his face. He slams the door and bolts down the hall. I pull open the door and run after him.
He sees me running and grabs one of the decorative vases and throws it.
I dodge. I hear it shatter down the hall.
I push my legs faster than I thought possible.
I finally catch up to him and tackle him to the ground.
"George Sullivan, you are under the arrest for the murder of Maize Queen and framing of Henry Hart. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot provide one, one will be provided for you."
I cuff him.
Jake and Jaclyn Queen appear.
"What's going on?" Jaclyn asks alarmed.
At this moment George Sullivan morphs from Godrick, back into his natural form. Once he's back in his form, I place a power dampening chip on his neck, a Schwoz invention.
The Queens back up.
"Ms. Queen, he killed your daughter not Henry Hart. He's George Sullivan from Metroberg."
"You lies to us! You told us you were Godrick Strange."
George smiles.
"Ya, I lied. I would have killed the rest of you Queens too if Captain Man hadn't caught me."
"The rest of us? You killed Joffrey! Didn't you?" Ms. Queen yelled.
"That I did."
"Get him out of my sight."
"Wait! How did you get the boys fingerprints on the crime scene?" Jake asked.
"I saw him on the street, I thought he'd be a good person to pin it on. Case closed. I turned into him and killed her in his body."
Part of me relished in the fact that he chose Henry off the streets and not from knowing who he was.
"Thanks for the confession. This is on camera." Jake said with a sneer. He revealed a video recording.
I drag George to the Man Van and put him in the back.
Henry was coming home.
- time skip -
After George Sullivan's Trial
Henry's Point Of View
I swear I've never been more excited in my life. I was handed a reusable grocery bag to pack my things in once I'd received the news. I was being released. My record was being cleared.
I folded the blanket with the speed of a god. I threw my stuffed elephant in my bag. I pocketed the bead into my freshly washed clothes Rai had sent to me to change into. I place my thread in my bag.
I'm escorted out of the cell. Books, paints and cards in hand.
I stop at Terry's door.
"Terry?" I say.
He looks up and grins. He walks up to me from the other side of the bars.
"I heard you're being let go Hart. Good on you." He says with a friendly tone. Despite his crimes, he was my only friend in here.
"I want you to have these." I say handing him my cards, books and paint.
"Thanks man." He says, taking the load from me. He sets it down.
"When you get out, look me up. I'd like to see you again."
"Will do."
"Bye Terry."
"Bye Hart."
-.-.-.-.-
Once I'm in the lobby, I'm free. I push through the door and immediately I see Rai.
Tears spring to my eyes as he runs over and wraps his arms around me.
"Oh god! I missed you so much Kid. You have no idea."
"Where are the others?"
"Come on."
- time skip -
He leads me to my front door and opens it.
All at once I see my friends and family yell, "Welcome home!"
I grin widely as they all hug me.
Charlotte looks beautiful.
I pull her into a hug.
"I'm home." I whisper as we all group hug.
-.-.-.-
Later on loads of innocents were released from prison at the confession of George Sullivan.
I got Maize bead put on a bracelet which I swore to wear until the end of time.
After a lone fight, I'm a free man again.
Ahhhh! I loved this! I'm so sorry it took so long. Forgive me? If you have any requests, feel free to tell me.
Hope you liked this.
Ciao.