It was a typical Thursday.
Schools started on time. People got to work. Lunch happened in waves across the cities. People fell asleep in class. Detentions were assigned. In a few cases, detentions were ignored and suspensions were assigned. School let out. People went home.
Of course Thursdays aren't the best day for school morale. It's too late in the week for people to care, and the fact that Friday is coming really soon means that people are going to slack off. Ignore homework. Ignore teachers. Ignore that feeling that the person who's softly calling for help down that ally and hidden from the street is a trap.
Since it was a Thursday Billy really had no place to be for a while. Patrol wasn't until Kate got out of her extracurricular activities, which was about two hours after school let out. Teddy had a project at his school that was keeping him late this week too, so patrol was definitely pushed back instead of just starting without Kate and telling her that they didn't.
No superheroes were going to be able to help this person who's voice was starting to get weaker in time. So Billy didn't even think twice before slipping down the alley and around the corner to help. He found one of the Freshmen who had been trying to get into Kessler's group lying on the ground clutching his stomach. Billy set his bag off to the side before kneeling down beside the kid, worried.
"Hey. You're okay kid. I'm going to get you some help. Where's they hurt you?" Because in Billy's mind, there was only one person who could've done this. Didn't he learn not to pick on people last time?
"urjw." Billy sat back a bit trying to puzzle out what he had said.
"A little louder please. Or just uncurl and I can see it." The kid turned his head, and, with a faint smile, looked straight into Billy's eyes. But the voice came from behind him.
"Your jaw." Billy felt his eyes widen as he spun around, quickly reaching out for his bag and inwards for his magic.
"Iwan-"
Something heavy, course, jagged, and a bit warm crashed into the side of his face, and Billy felt something give. He fell back into a pile of old boxes and felt the something hit his side. He coughed as the kid stood up and walked behind him. He heard some congratulations and a set of footsteps leave. Another approached.
"Hello there Kaplan. How's your day going?" Well, he'd been right. Kessler was behind this. Just not in the way he had thought. Kessler was squatting down beside where he was picking himself up off the ground with a predatory smile on his face. "Mine's going pretty good. Life's finally starting to look up again ever since you became a mutant freak."
Billy coughed again. Kessler took this as an invitation to grab his jaw and squeeze. White spots danced across his eyes.
"I don't know if you remember, but you hurt me pretty bad." He shifted his fingers so that his jaw was grinding. Billy let out a few gasps of pain as his eyes started to water. "And you managed to get away scot free. Now I don't think that's fair. Neither do my friends." Some chuckling came from off in the distance. Billy barely heard it over the blood rushing in his ears. "So, here's the thing. I'm going to hurt you pretty bad. And if anyone says anything they're a hypocrite. Same rules for everyone and all that, right?" He threw Billy's head down and stood up. Billy felt a tear open near his hairline and blood start to run down his face.
Two guys grabbed him and pulled him into the middle of the alley, not being too careful about how they were moving him. They dropped him in an unceremonious heap in the middle of the alley. He curled and tried to get back up before a kick to the other side of his jaw had him back on the ground. Billy let out a mewl of pain
"No no no, Billy. You can't leave now. It's too dangerous for you to be walking the streets by yourself." All three laughed. There was a loud ripping noise and some muffled thuds. "So, let's see what homework you have for tonight. History, English, Math. Math'll do."
Billy desperately tried to focus as the footsteps came back. But his magic wouldn't respond. He kept losing his grasp on where he wanted to go, what he wanted to do, who he wanted to see before the blinding pain came back.
"You know, my dad has always said that Math's a heavy subject, fag. So, here's the thing, I want to know what's heavier, your Math book or the brick."
Iwa-wanttog-Iwa-IwantTe-Ineedhel-
The first something slammed into his back. A rib gave with a sharp snap. Everything went fuzzy as he rolled onto his side, head lolling.
Something rectangular, large, somewhat smooth with pointy corners hit his chest. He felt his cheek sting as he let out a coughing sob of pain. He tried to cradle his mouth, but any contact was unbearable. He felt something wet and slimy and warm hit his face.
"Well boys, I think he's learned his lesson. Let's get out of here before the cops show up." He saw Kessler and his two thugs start down the alley towards the street. They didn't bother to step over his books and things, just kicked them out of the way. His cellphone was crushed. Another set of footsteps came up from behind him. He felt something digging in his back pocket before his wallet was pulled out. The freshman jumped over him and handed it to his leader.
"Daw, poor baby got mugged on his way home. Hah. Maybe this time you'll remember your place, fag." Billy was alone.
Iwantt-I-Iwan-Iwan-hom-hel-Inee-Ted-hel-hurts-Iwan-Ineedhos-help-Inee-Te-hel-Iwa-s-someo-please
And then everything went black.
It was a slightly less than typical Thursday.
School had started. Work had started. School had ended. Work was ending soon. Project was done.
Teddy smiled as he made his way from school. He and his group had actually finished the project early. They were a shoe in for the early turn in bonus points. And he didn't miss any of patrol thanks to Kate and Cassie. He had gotten a text from Kate over lunch saying Cassie was retaking a test or something after school. He shot a quick text to the team telling them he was on his way to headquarters.
He was a bit surprised that Billy hadn't texted him when he got home like he usually did, but thinking back to it it made sense. Billy knew that this project was important to his grade and probably didn't want to distract him. Teddy sighed. He had the best boyfriend.
Thursdays were always calmer at the warehouse. Tommy and Eli always had it out on Wednesday like clockwork, Billy'd jump in the middle to tell them to knock it off, Tommy would always huff and speed off until it was time to patrol. Cassie and Kate would take inventory of weapons on Wednesday too. And they went grocery shopping, which was probably why Tommy and Eli were always yelling. Thursdays would have Tommy glaring at Eli from across the room and Eli trying to do his homework or something with whoever else was there. Today he was doing it by himself.
Teddy frowned.
"Where's Billy?" There was a fwumph from the couch and a groan from Tommy.
"You lost him already? Good job. Can we go now?" Teddy rolled his eyes as he set his backpack down by the table and went to change into his costume.
Kate was there when he returned. "Cassie and Vision are off doing something today," she said as he sat down at the table. "So we don't have to wait up for them. Where's Billy?"
"I'll call his house. He's been complaining about how his homework has been handing him his ass lately, so he probably just got wrapped up in that." He pulled out his cell and waited for the call to connect.
As it connected he started getting worried. Billy hadn't gone home, and his parents assumed he was out 'with the guys' as his dad put it. Teddy thanked him and told him when they thought they'd be home. His face fell as he hung up.
"Billy's missing." Tommy sighed and rolled his eyes as he stood up.
"He probably found a cat stuck in a tree or something and had to get it down and got stuck chatting with the orphans it belonged to or something." Teddy gave him a flat look. "If you're so worried why don't you just call him?"
"I just did," Kate said as she snapped her phone shut. "His phone's off. I thought I told everyone that phones always stay on. Let me change and we'll go find him."
It was an hour before they found him.
They had decided to check his normal haunts before checking the way to his house. Tommy, always eager to get to the good part, was running ahead of the group. They found him frozen at the crossroads of an alley not three blocks from Billy's school. Eli had the look on his face he always seemed to get right before he gave a long winded speech, and he had the gait of someone who was going to give someone else one hell of a talking to about running off as he stomped up to Tommy. He had barely opened his mouth before he too froze. Kate and Teddy exchanged looks and started down the alley, but couldn't get halfway before Tommy was there, blocking them. His face was deadly serious.
"You don't want to see."
Teddy felt his stomach drop at the insinuation. He pushed past Tommy and ran to the end, almost tripping over a backpack. Over Billy's backpack. Billy's torn and shredded and bloody backpack. He looked up.
Billy.
Billy was in a heap, a half-hearted attempt at the fetal position. He was alive, though, breathing jerky breaths. Teddy slowly and lightly approached Billy, as if he was only asleep and not unconscious. His whole lower jaw was a horrible dark purple red color and swollen. His cheek was scrapped badly and blood ran down his face. He gave a few weak coughs.
Teddy felt sick as he knelt down. His hands hovered over Billy's side. He was afraid to touch him. "Billy. Billy babe it's Teddy. You're going to be okay B. I'm, we're going to get you help. Don't you worry. You're going to be just fine." Eli walked over to the two of them.
"The ambulance is on their way. You may want to shift back to Teddy before they get here so you can ride with him." Teddy gave him a blank look before looking at his green arms. Oh, that. A gust of wind came down the alley and resolved itself into Tommy. He threw Teddy his shirt and pants and jacket, already out of his own uniform. Eli gave him a level look and opened his mouth, but Tommy cut in before he could argue.
"Whoever did this is still out there, and Altman doesn't exactly look like he could put up much of a fight right now." Teddy, halfway dressed, gave him a glare. "Well, not a fight that anyone'd survive at least. I'll go and make sure no one gets killed." Eli sighed.
"Fine."
Five minutes later the ambulance and three cop cars arrived. Paramedics swarmed around Billy, carefully yet quickly moving him onto a gurney. Teddy and Tommy followed them, sitting next to Billy in the cramped compartment while Eli and Kate, still in their superhero gear, explained what they knew.
The ride seemed to take forever, and the overhead light made it clear that Billy was in pain. Teddy carefully petted the top of his head; the only place, it seemed, that he wasn't hurt. "You're okay now B. You're safe. You're going to get fixed up soon and you'll be back on your feet in no time." Tommy didn't say anything.
Once they arrived Billy was rushed into the Operating Room, and the boys were taken to the waiting area. Teddy buried his head in his hands and tried to block out everything. A nurse appeared and had a muted conversation with Tommy. There was some quick scratching before the nurse left. He wasn't surprised when Tommy stood up a few minutes later and walked out.
Ten minutes later Mr. and Mrs. Kaplan entered. They made a bee-line for him and drilled him for information. And then the three waited.
An hour later Tommy returned with someone who looked a lot like him, and Teddy vaguely recognized him as Quicksilver. He introduced himself to the Kaplans as Peter and took a seat next to Tommy.
The doors opened what felt like hours later to an ashen faced doctor. One of Billy's kidneys had just failed, the other one was on the brink, and they needed a donor. Tommy just walked up to the doctor. "I'm his twin." The doctor nodded and had Tommy follow him through the horrible doors.
It was a few more hours before he returned. He asked the Kaplans to follow him to discuss Billy's injuries and gave Teddy Billy's room number.
Billy was on a ventilator when Teddy entered. He looked so small. Tiny. Fragile. Teddy felt his throat tighten as he walked to the bed. He shrugged off his jacket as he laid down next to Billy.
"God, B. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm the worst boyfriend." He looked at all of the equipment keeping Billy alive.
"Pretty sure these beds are for patients only, Altman." Teddy didn't even look up when Tommy entered. Didn't notice how he was walking slowly and favoring one side. He was too busy trying to wish Billy better. He started to brush Billy's hair away from his face.
"He looks so peaceful." He felt a tear run down his face.
"Well, yeah." Tommy acted like that was common knowledge.
"They had to induce a coma."
Teddy felt his heart stop and break at the same time. Another tear joined the first. And then another. He swallowed hard before returning to brushing Billy's hair out of the way.
"If it makes you feel any better, they say he's not in any pain." He felt a tear slide down his nose.
"But how do they know?" Tommy sighed as he leaned back on the hand rail carefully. Teddy heard a small sigh.
"They're doctors. Pretty sure it's their job to know, Altman."
He didn't sound convinced.
It was not a typical Friday.
Schools started, but parents were warned to keep a close eye on their children. Offices were all abuzz with gossip about a horrible mugging that occurred the day before. Four students were missing from their homes. Students quickly hurried home after the final bell. Detentions were rescheduled. A young man was in a coma, horribly beaten.
Magneto glared at the cowards before him. These young men were kneeling, shaking, and pleading for him to show mercy, covered in welts and bruises from their time at his hands. "Mercy? Why would I show you, any of you mercy after what you have done to my grandson."
He had been careful when he took them; they had had no idea why. Now, however, they remembered. He had no need to explain to these idiots who his grandson was. They remembered what they had done to William. How they cowardly attacked him when he was on a mission of mercy to one of their own.
He threw a knife at the leader, cutting him across the leg. He screamed like a stuck pig.
Magneto was going to make sure they remembered what they did until they died.
"What shall I do with you four, hmm? Would you like to go home to your nice warm beds and loving families?" No response. He threw a knife into the arm of the smallest. "Well?"
"Y-y-yes-s, s-s-sir w-we would l-like t-to go h-home." He looked at the child. He was trembling. Good.
"Well, do you know what I want?" They quickly responded no. Good. They were learning.
"I want a world that's safe for my offspring. Now, in most cases my hands are tied due to superheroes," he spat the word as if it had left a horrible taste, "getting in my way. But not in this case. No one will know until they discover your bodies in a few hours, victims of a horrible serial mugging and gang violence. Victims of the same animals that did this to my grandson. Thanks to your sacrifice, the city will step up to keep its streets safe." One of the boys had the audacity to urinate on the floor. Horrible manners.
"Perhaps you wondered why you are still in your city, only a few miles from your homes, when I could have taken you anywhere to do this. Now you know." He turned his back on the boys and signaled to the man waiting by the wall. "Take care of this."
As he drove away four gunshots rang into the night.
It was not a typical Friday, but he had all weekend to spend with his family.