~Formay, police station~
The man dressed entirely in black entered the station, scanning the area for his sheriff. He passed Jamisen, knocking on the office door before calling for Milo. The officer was inside, searching through paperwork while Jayce explained how the search had turned up nothing, according to Jamisen.
He was about to mention the search of Oxzy's home when a knock sounded at the door. Someone called out the sheriff's name, and Milo answered as one of his officers stepped in. The officer wore all black; he removed his beanie and nodded to the two men.
Jayce immediately stiffened, realizing why one of the men assigned to Oxzy's case was already reporting to Milo. Before either Milo or Jayce could speak, the man spoke first. "We have his address."
The words were all they needed to feel the job was done well. Milo asked quickly, standing to face the man as he was handed a paper. It was a real address, located in Cleoi, a small apartment complex called "Hollows Suite," where Oxzy lived among a number of other apartments.
"Good going, man!" Milo congratulated him, handing the paper to Jayce. The ginger grabbed it, skimming the words. He felt something far stronger than the other two men did—he had come for only one thing, and now he had it.
When the man in black exited, Milo reached for the paper again, but before he could grab it, Jayce pulled it away. "I think it needs to be in a more secure place than with Oxzy's other files."
Jayce looked up at him, slowly drawing the papers closer to himself. Milo eyed him. "Really? I—I know a place, then."
"Do you?" Milo quickly retracted his hand, raising an eyebrow at Jayce. "Where?"
"Well, don't you think we should copy them?"
"For what reason do we need to copy them, Jayce?" Milo shook his head at him. "This stays in the station. If it falls into the wrong hands, something could happen to Oxzy."
"Why should we care what happens to him?" Jayce suddenly asked.
Milo looked taken aback. He met Jayce's eyes, seeing nothing but sincerity in his own words. "Uh—look." Milo shook his head. "Even if he's under investigation, if someone else learned his location, Oxzy could be in real danger. He's still a powered hero."
"So he'd be able to protect himself anyway," Jayce retorted.
"No," Milo said, drawing himself up to stand taller than the man before him. "Even so, they could hurt people around him. I don't want anything unnecessary to happen."
Jayce gave a low glare, anger filling his gaze. Slowly, he placed the papers back on the desk. As he watched Milo reach for them, he spoke. "Do you happen to still like him?"
Milo's hand stopped, his face reddening quickly. "What—"
"Sir!" Jamisen burst through the door. "We have a suspect someone found in the Grubs."
Milo's hand and body moved toward the door at once. "Bring him in," he said, then turned to Jayce. "Just put it under my desk before I get back." His glare was unmistakable as he turned to leave the room.
Jayce looked down at the paper, thoughts racing through his head, but he knew what he had to do. Taking out his phone, the ginger photographed the files, left and right. Just as quickly, he put the phone away and did as he was told.
A few hours earlier, Oxzy had reported a man he saw on the highway making out with a young girl. He called the police before intervening. The man tried to run, his eyes red with the telltale signs of drugs in his system. Oxzy brought him to the station, the girl trailing behind with protests, claiming the man was her boyfriend.
Oxzy ignored her and turned to the station as Jamisen came to take the man into custody. The second-in-command asked the hero questions about why the man had been brought in, and the hero answered truthfully, intending to leave—until he heard a familiar voice.
"It wasn't in the Grubs? Jamisen, who found the suspect?" Milo approached from the other side, having just been filled in by one of the officers. He turned to where Jamisen and Oxzy stood.
He and the hero both stiffened at the sight of each other, Milo's face darkening. He tossed a silent glare in Oxzy's direction, and the hero turned his head away.
"The hero found him on the highway with a minor who claims it was consensual."
"It was!" the young girl defended from the seat where she sat. She tried to stand, but Jamisen sat her back down before continuing.
"Turns out he's her uncle. She's sixteen; he's forty-six." Jamisen shook his head in disgust.
"What does this have to do with our case?" Milo growled, not bothering to hide his hostility.
Jamisen's mouth fell open as he looked at his officer. He seemed to want to say something, but instead stayed silent, his gaze lowered.
Oxzy glanced at him, then turned to the sheriff and returned the glare. "Milo, sir, that man is a pedophile. It may have no bearing on your case, but he should be punished and prosecuted for his crimes."
"We have bigger issues to deal with!" Milo yelled, walking closer to the hero. Jamisen stepped back to let the blond man stand in front of Oxzy. "You aren't even part of this case anymore."
"I'm not here for that." Oxzy held his ground, looking Milo in the eyes. "You have a duty as sheriff to handle everything—not just one single case."
"What I do doesn't concern you!" Milo gripped Oxzy's shirt collar, yanking him forward until their faces nearly met.
"MILO!" Jamisen grabbed at him, pulling his arm away from the silent, steady hero. "What the hell are you doing?!" Jamisen stared at him in confusion, trying to pry Milo's hand away, baffled by his commander's actions.
Oxzy stared back, fists clenched tightly. His posture practically begged to strike the threat before him; he wanted to push, to punch the man who held him, away. Milo had no right to do this.
Milo shoved Oxzy away, spitting his words onto the ground: "Get the hell out of here. I can protect this town without the likes of a useless hero."
Milo turned toward his office, passing Jamisen and Jayce, who had joined the commotion. They looked at the sheriff in confusion as everyone in the station turned their attention toward them. Milo slammed the door, and a flinch rippled through the silent station.
Eyes slowly turned to Oxzy. The hero stayed silent, head low, letting the words sink in as his fists shook with unease. He could feel the stares, hear the unspoken thoughts.
Jamisen walked after the sheriff, passing Jayce, who studied Oxzy as he left, his eyes tracking him carefully. The thoughts of those around them kept shifting over time, and this interaction only seemed to confirm their suspicions—suspicions that were not true.
The hero left the station, ignoring the eyes that followed him.
~The Grubs, warehouse~
Felix waited and waited; his siblings were coming today with news of the hero's information. Felix really didn't expect much—the two had already wasted his time the last time they were there. So after the five-minute mark, Felix began to move around with the guys below.
While he was below, a small group of people entered the warehouse. A man came down to call for the little leader, telling him his siblings were here. Felix rolled his eyes, trailing behind the man upstairs.
The older siblings were bickering as normal, back and forth, but to Felix's surprise, Mercy was with them. She was smoking as usual, munching on some snacks. Felix came up, walking straight up to her with a bright smile.
"Hey, little leader," Mercy said, giving him a smile.
Felix gave a playful nod, turning to the siblings with a slight grim expression. "This is your third time here. I hope you got what I want." Felix directed his words to Octavia, his eyes low and dangerous.
Octavia gave a nod. "I did. Let's head to your office—he's in there right now."
"He?" Felix asked, following behind her.
Octavia nodded, entering the office with Corbin, Felix, and Mercy—who was still eating—following behind. Felix shut the door behind her, and turning around, he was faced with someone unfamiliar. A ginger-haired male was looking around the room, his eyes curious as they traced over Felix's belongings.
The little leader called out to him. "Who's this guy?"
The man jumped slightly, turning to meet the group of siblings. Mercy went to her usual spot, leaning down to finish her joint. The ginger watched as Felix took a seat in the chair and looked at his older siblings. Octavia motioned for the man to come over to them. He did so, standing beside her to face the youngest man in the room.
Felix turned to them. "So?"
The question made the siblings flinch. Octavia looked to the man in the middle, motioning toward Felix.
"I have what you want," the ginger explained, pulling out his phone.
"I did ask who you are," Felix said, stopping him before turning to Octavia.
The sister stepped forward. "This is Jayce. He's the spy I told you about—the one who got the information from Milo," she explained quickly, watching as Felix absorbed the information.
"Hadn't Milo gotten closer to the hero? How did you get it?" Felix turned to Jayce. "Did you really manage to get Oxzy's address?"
The words were filled with disbelief, and Jayce couldn't help but feel a little special. He drew in some confidence, took out his phone, and pulled up the image everyone in the room had been waiting to see.
Felix swiped the phone away, scanning the page until he found a picture of a file—one that showed an image of an apartment along with its numbers. It had to be Oxzy's. The hero's name was plastered beside the image several times, mentioned again and again.
The little leader couldn't help but smile brightly. He had it. He had what he needed to make his brother finally—FINALLY—notice him.
"You have his address now, Felix," Corbin said. The little leader looked up at him in response. "Now show us the drug."
Felix gave an annoyed sigh. "Right. But I need this information written down."
"I can write it down for you," Jayce announced. He was handed a pen and paper, along with his phone back. Felix walked around the desk, rifled through the cabinet, and pulled out a packet of blue dust.
The siblings immediately reached for it, but Felix pulled it back just in time. Corbin cast a glare at him. Before Corbin could do anything rash, Octavia stepped in front of him. "What the hell, Felix? We got what you wanted—give us the drug."
"Didn't you want to see how it works?" Felix tilted his head, smiling. The older siblings looked taken aback, stepping away to let Felix move forward. "I have someone you can test it on. You want to make sure I give you the REAL thing, don't you?"
Corbin gave a short grunt, and Octavia nodded. They followed behind him, watching as he left through the office door. Before Felix left, he turned to Mercy. "Don't you want to see it?"
The question made the woman look at him. She recalled the last time she watched a man suffocate with his own insides. She cringed, shaking her head and turning away so the others couldn't see her reaction. "Nah, I'm eating right now. I don't want to throw up."
Felix shrugged and walked off into the open warehouse. The older siblings followed behind him, and Octavia gave the woman a sneer. "Weak," she mumbled.
Mercy flipped her off as she left. In truth, the bad girl who had been wicked and merciless throughout high school and beyond was extremely squeamish. In some way, she hated seeing pain. She hated hearing the sounds of torture. She was wicked and rude indeed—only, she could never inflict pain on anyone and watch it happen. She hated it. Of course, Mercy wouldn't tell anyone that, not even Felix, the boy who was growing closer and closer to her.
Outside the office, Felix called in some of his men to bring in an older woman. She wasn't tied up as she followed behind the men; her eyes were red and puffy, and she smelled of vomit and urine. Felix took out the packet and walked over to the woman, pouring some onto her outstretched hand.
"This is a drug?" she asked in a mocking tone.
"Yep. It's very strong, so I'm not giving you a whole bunch," Felix responded, zipping the packet shut and putting it away.
"You promised a lot!" The woman lunged at him, but the man behind her shoved her to the ground. Her knees smacked the cement, and her eyes wavered. Still, she held onto the drug in a clenched hand.
"Trust me," Felix said, bending down to look her in the eyes. "It's very strong."
She growled at him, rolling her eyes before glancing at the drug in her hand. The siblings and a few of Felix's gang members watched as she raised it to her nose. Sniffing up the substance, she suddenly filled the warehouse with a loud roar.
The woman couldn't even register it all before her hands went limp. Her body hung forward, her head smacking into the cement as a gurgling sound escaped her lips.
"Barghh! Aghhh!!" The noises were loud, echoing through the space.
Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and blood poured from her nose. Sounds of a dying animal came from her mouth; her throat felt clogged as she twitched on the ground. Her body convulsed unnaturally. She flipped herself over, her back hitting the floor as her chest rose at a rapid pace. Her spine struck the ground again and again.
More blood came from her nose, her eyes flickering from white to brown. The siblings stepped away—Octavia covered her mouth in disgust, and Corbin turned around, emptying his stomach onto the ground beside him.
The men around them stood silently, eyes closed, trying to ignore what they had caused. Felix, on the other hand, knelt in front of her shaking body. She twisted and turned, letting out pained groans. The little leader observed her behavior; it was different from that of a drugged man.
Felix concluded that since this woman was a former addict who had taken all kinds of substances, her body must be extremely sensitive to the blue drug. The man tested earlier, with Pierce present, had taken a while to register the pain—the drug quickly went to his head, sending him into euphoria. This woman, on the other hand, had taken only a little, yet it hit her almost immediately. She was still alive, only enduring pain that would eventually kill her.
Felix thought for a few seconds, knowing he had to write it down somewhere. The information would be useful when he decided to use it on the hero. The plan was unfolding well in his mind—he knew where the man lived; he just needed to follow through with what he wanted to accomplish.
Everything was going almost too well for him. Sooner or later, the villain would stand right beside him with a smile that showed nothing but pride for his little brother.
~Cleoi, Oxzy's apartment~
The hero watched as the pot of boiling vegetables began to simmer. He had gotten home from the station in a dimmed mood. Milo's words shouldn't have hurt—the hero had been called worse things before. But the way they said it felt... personal.
It always hurts more when people the hero has spent time with turn on him. They use the same words he's been called, or whispered about, by those who don't know what he has done for them.
The hero removed the lid from the pot, picked up the wooden spoon, and mixed the vegetables, watching the steam rise above it.
His mother used to make soup just like this when he was younger. Her food, of course, had more flavor than Oxzy's bland cooking. She'd had a special way of making something eaten every day taste wonderful. She paired the soup with anything—everything that tasted good.
His mother. Why did Pierce have to bring her up? He could make rude and sexual remarks about Oxzy—but Genna? Why her?
What struck him with even more confusion was the way he'd said it. The way he'd mentioned her. There wasn't anything particularly rude in his tone. It wasn't rude at all. It was more as if he'd mentioned her to make Oxzy realize how the town was treating him.
It wasn't going to make him change his mind. He would stay here. This was where he had grown up, where his mother was buried. Why would he leave? The only reason he stayed was because he didn't want to leave her.
After finishing a bowl of soup, Oxzy walked into his room. The light was off, but the lamp beside the bed cast enough glow for him to see.
The bed felt cold; Oxzy felt cold sitting there alone.
The cold faded when a familiar sound came from beside him. A soft purr, paired with fluffy fur, filled his senses. Crilia May climbed onto his lap, turning in a few circles before settling into her comfortable spot.
The hero moved the bowl aside, watching as she curled up on herself. The vibration of her purring brought a light smile to his face; he stroked her fur, leaning his head back to savor the comfort.
All the anxiety and stress escaped in deep breaths. Everything felt all right.
He didn't even think back to what Pierce had told him. Milo's words blurred in his mind. Strange things had happened, but comfort was all he felt.
~The Grubs, Pierce's home~
Mercy had left once again; Pierce ended up not caring what she planned to do with her free time. He did know, though, what she had decided to do—which, as always, involved getting high.
Pierce had been in his room since the beginning of the day, waking to nothing but bright light pouring through the open roof. His mind lingered on Oxzy—the hero had found out where he lived the night before. It made the villain curious as to why Oxzy had been in the Grubs in the first place.
Probably to help with the police "search." They weren't going to find anything; the station was terrible at conducting searches. Oxzy, on the other hand, could find who had killed the people if he really wanted to. Pierce didn't really care, so he decided to hang back and let Felix get caught. His brother meant nothing to him.
If anything, no one in Pierce's family mattered to him. He had literally burned his older siblings when he was five.
The villain thought for a second. Did he care for anyone?
Rosamee had to be the person he cared for most. But she was gone—did he have anyone else? Did he have someone he would follow around like a little puppy? Someone he could protect, maybe take somewhere safe?
Safe?
He would have to keep them away from himself if he wanted them safe. Maybe he could run away with them? All Pierce would want out of a so-called "lover" was to never be away from them. He would hold onto that person for the rest of his life; he couldn't live without them.
The person he would do so with was already dead. He had failed to protect her. No other person would match what she was to him. He had no one else who could match her.
The villain was lost in thought when he noticed his door being pushed open. He stood upstairs, looking down from the staircase before walking down to meet the person he knew was already there. Mercy walked in, looking around the place for someone.
Pierce gave a small smile, whistling lightly to get her attention. The woman looked up, shaking her head as she made her way to him. She didn't even bother to glance at the fridge the moment she came in. The villain took note of that, giving his friend a questioning look.
"You don't look hungry," he stated.
"Far from it, actually." Mercy shook her head, recalling the events she had witnessed at the warehouse. "I was with Felix. Your siblings came by to make a deal with him about the drugs."
"The poison?" Pierce corrected.
"Yeah, yeah, the poison." Mercy shook her head before continuing. "Your older siblings bought some from him. They plan on selling it to the neighboring towns around the cities for profit. They have your mother in on it too—they want to sell it to small areas before bringing it to the industrial cities."
The explanation wasn't much of a shock to Pierce. He had expected his mother to push his older siblings into doing something so stupid. Even if it worked, these cities were too skilled at catching drug traffickers. His family was incredibly foolish—his mother especially, growing more foolish the more she believed she had everything under control.
Mercy waited for Pierce to respond to the information. He had nothing to say, so he merely turned to her with a shrug.
She shrugged back. "So?"
"So... I don't care?"
Mercy sighed, clearly annoyed. "Really? I thought you'd at least make fun of them, or take it for yourself. Those drugs could make someone millions if used correctly."
"I made fun of them in my head," Pierce replied curtly, turning to head back upstairs.
Mercy jogged after him. "Hey, give me something. I learned more than that."
"Good for you," Pierce replied, opening his bedroom door.
Mercy shoved the door away as it swung back toward her face. "Really? What's your problem?"
Pierce gave her a look. Mercy scoffed. "Are you mad that I've been staying with Felix instead of you?"
It was Pierce's turn to scoff. He let out a chuckle. "Oh please, I couldn't care less what you decide to do. I don't need you."
"You sound like Rosamee."
The villain stopped and turned to face her, his smile completely gone. "Do I?"
"You think I'm oblivious, don't you?" Mercy shook her head. "I know more about your relationship with her than you do. I see it all, Pierce—the way you two treated each other."
"Shut the fuck up," Pierce glared at her.
Mercy only shook her head, a smile forming as she continued. "I mean, how toxic you two were. Rosamee especially! She hit you how many times? And you still fucking love her?"
"Mercy—" Pierce took a step toward her.
"You call the hero weak all the time, but don't you think you're the truly pathetic one here?" Mercy took a daring step forward, watching Pierce absorb her words. His expression shifted by the second.
Hearing Rosamee's and Oxzy's names together, his body began to heat up—hotter and hotter. Flames grew on his shoulders, and smoke rose from his scorched shirt.
"So pathetic that you have to rely on Oxzy just to keep yourself stable."
Pierce gritted his teeth, lowering his head, with nothing to say in return. What Mercy said was, overall, true. He did rely on Oxzy more than he should—the hero was the only reason the town still functioned. Pierce didn't know what he would do without that man.
Turning his head away, Pierce gave a low growl. "Go back to Felix. I could just run off to Oxzy to cure my loneliness."
Mercy let out a laugh, her eyes wide with shock. "Are you fucking serious?"
"Yes!" Pierce turned slightly to look at her. Fire burst from beside him, flaring up toward the ceiling in a short, violent exhale before vanishing as quickly as it came.
Mercy stepped back, glancing around to see where the fire had gone. Her eyes then returned to the man in front of her. His words hadn't denied what she'd said—he knew it was true. So did she.
That made her angrier still. The fact that Pierce knew how much he needed the hero. He needed Oxzy more than he needed her.
"Leave, Mercy."
The woman growled in annoyance, shutting her eyes before turning toward the stairs. "FINE. Go ahead and think about that damn man all you want! I don't need you either!" She stormed down the stairs and out the door, slamming it shut behind her. Her legs quickened as she fled the place—
The place where she and the villain had spent years together. She knew him better than that hero ever could. Why would he choose Oxzy over her? She had planned to tell him more about Felix's scheme against the hero, but now she wanted nothing more than to watch his face the moment he lost everything.
He deserved it.