"This is so boring," Bobby said, stifling a yawn. Now that they really had captured Sportaflop or whatever his name was, they didn't know what to do. Robbie had said to watch him, but why should they even spare a glance at him? The guy in the blue costume was unconscious. Ever since he had taken a bite of the apple, he hadn't moved at all. Besides, he didn't really seem dangerous or frightening.
"You are right. How did we end up here? We should do something fun," Tobby said, looking around. Robbie's lair was filled with various machines and tools, but the only interesting thing was the fluffy armchair. Oh how he wanted to lay down and sleep!
"It's all his fault," Flobby blurted out, walking to the cage. "Hey, you! Sportacus!" The superhero didn't react. He was lying on his side, his eyes closed. His skin looked pale and sweat covered his forehead.
"Robbie better hurry," Tobby said, rummaging through the mess on Robbie's workbench.
Bobby sighed. It was true that they had never been real villains, but that didn't mean they were nice people. The three brothers had bullied their schoolmates all the time. Together, they were strong. Together, no one could weaken them. Of course, they had gotten themselves into trouble. So they had tried to change. They thought by making other people happy, they would find their own happiness. But sometimes all the singing and dancing only filled their bank accounts and not their hearts. So they had contacted the agency and told the lovely young lady on the phone to accept every offer, even if it was illegal. Robbie was their first client and so far he had done nothing to end their boredom.
"I am tired. And this is boring," Flobby said, clenching his fists.
"You know what?" A smile crept over Bobby's face. "Why don't we have fun with him?" He pointed a skinny finger at Sportacus.
"But he is in a sugar meltdown. He's not doing anything," Tobby said, slowly picking up a bent iron bar.
"If only we could get him out of the cage," Bobby said.
"But the cage is locked and Robbie has the key." Flobby grasped the lock and pulled. Nothing happened.
"Maybe he has a spare key somewhere. Or at least some pliers to cut it open," Bobby said. "Flobby, why don't you try to find something useful? Tobby and I will try to wake him up."
Flobby nodded, happy to have a more exciting task than just guarding an unconscious person.
Tobby smirked, still holding the iron bar in his hands. "Yeah, let's have a talk with sleeping beauty."
Still smiling, Bobby got down on one knee, right next to Sportacus' head. "Sportacus, you have to wake up. Don't be such a party pooper."
A faint moan escaped Sportacus' lips. "I..." he whispered, "I need sportscandy."
"Sportscandy? What on earth should that be?" Bobby asked.
"A...apple. Help me, please," Sportacus croaked, trying to lift his head.
"I'm afraid, Robbie Rotten doesn't have sportscandy," Bobby spat.
"Help me," Sportacus weakly repeated.
"Why should we? It is your damn fault that we are stuck in this stinky lair," Tobby shouted, poking Sportacus with the iron bar. Sportacus flinched and his eyelids fluttered open.
Confused, he looked around. "Where am I?"
"You are stupid." Frustrated, Bobby shook his head. "Don't you know Robbie Rotten? He has given you a sugar apple. And now you are in his lair."
Sportacus frowned. "Robbie? But who are you?"
"I'm losing my patience, Bobby," Tobby hissed through clenched teeth, poking Sportacus again. Harder this time. The superhero winced and tried to curl himself up, but his body was too weak to obey.
"I know, I know. Calm down. Flobby, did you find something?" Bobby called, standing up. Tobby was right. He was tired of sitting around. He wanted to do something.
"We could use this hammer," Flobby suggested, hurrying back to his two brothers. "Robbie has a lot of stuff, but most of it is rubbish. I don't understand why he thinks he is the greatest villain, this place looks like it is about to fall apart."
"Just do it," Tobby growled. "Or I'll take that hammer and bash your head in."
"All right, all right, no need to get mad at me," Flobby said. Being the youngest, he had often been pushed around by his brothers.
"We shouldn't have come here," Bobby suddenly said, giving the cage a kick. Startled, Sportacus blinked.
"Well, we can't change it now, can we? Just let us have some fun and then we're out of here. Let Robbie deal with him... or what's left of him," Tobby spat, impatiently tapping his foot.
Flobby grinned, raising the hammer high above his head. "Tobby's right. We haven't done this in a while. And all those cheesy weddings make me sick."
"Break the lock, little brother."
There was a loud bang, as Flobby brought the hammer down on the padlock and the whole cage shook. Sportacus let out a scared gasp. His blue eyes were now wide with fear. Then the lock fell to the ground and the door swung open.
"Will you help me?" Sportacus asked, his voice barely audible.
"Oh we will help you all right," Bobby snorted, before he reached into the cage to grab Sportacus' legs. He dragged the dazed man out of the cage, then let go off his legs.
"Help..." Sportacus rasped. "Please."
"Why are you so weak, Sportacus? Aren't you a superhero?" Tobby asked, circling him.
"Sugar meltdown," Sportacus replied, trying to keep his eyes open. He didn't know what was going on, or why those men were talking to him. But he knew he needed sportscandy to get back his energy. "And I'm not...not a superhero."
"You are lying," Bobby said, and kicked Sportacus in the side.
A groan escaped Sportacus' lips. "Wha...t? Why are you doing this?"
"Basically, because we are bored. Robbie wanted to capture you, and this was a lot of fun. But now we don't have anything to do. And we don't came here to do nothing," Tobby said, stroking the rusty iron bar with the tips of his fingers.
"We...we can play outside," Sportacus tried again.
"Nah, Robbie has told us to stay here. But you know what we can do? We can play with you. What do you think, Sportacus? Do you want to play a game?" Tobby laughed, and then he hit him with the bar. He had aimed for Sportacus' chest, but somehow Sportacus managed to lift his arms so that the metal rod crashed down on his left hand. Sportacus uttered a pain-filled scream, cradling his now throbbing wrist.
"Answer me!" Tobby said coldly.
"You wouldn't mess around with Tobby," Flobby piped up, nervously licking his lips.
Sportacus slid his eyes open. "I...I don't...give me sportscandy. I don't have any energy," he whispered.
"Mhm, but if you had your energy back, you would fight us, and I really don't know, if I want that," Bobby said.
"No..." Grunting, Sportacus managed to sit up. He felt dizzy and his head hurt. "I would never hurt anyone. Please, just let me go."
"You are really starting to annoy me," Tobby snarled. "I don't get why Robbie was so eager in catching you. You don't even know how to defend yourself. And while he is outside, enjoying the sun, we are forced to stay with you." He brought the iron bar down onto Sportacus' legs, eliciting another moan from him.
Sportacus gritted his teeth. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on. "You can go outside. Just leave me here."
"You, my friend, are in no position to order us around." Tobby lifted the bar again.
"This is boring," Flobby said. He dropped the hammer and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He really wanted to do something.
"Did you hear that? My baby brother is bored, and I certainly don't want him to be bored. One last time, Sportacus, do you want to play a game?" Bobby asked. His voice was thick with hatred.
"No."
"How dare you?" Tobby narrowed his eyes. Red spots had appeared on his cheeks and neck. The hand holding the iron bar trembled. Something inside of him snapped. He lunged at Sportacus, pushing him back to the ground. In the split of a second the three brothers were on him like blood-thirsty hounds on their prey. It was as if they could finally release all the built-up anger. Since Sportacus was already weakened, it only took them a couple of blows to render him unconsciousness. But they kept punching and kicking him, until they were all panting from exhaustion, their hands bloody and bruised. Slowly, they stepped back, admiring their work. Sportacus was sprawled on the ground, his costume ripped in some places, his crystal glowing dark red. Blood was dripping from his nose and a cut just above his right eye. A purple bruise was beginning to form on his left cheek.
"Let's go," Bobby said, still trying to catch his breath.
"Should we tell Robbie?" Flobby wanted to know.
"Why should we? Once he comes back, he will find him. And then he will be grateful that we got rid of him," Tobby remarked. "Come on. I'm sick and tired of this town."
Without sparing him another glance, the three brothers left the lair.
#####
When Sportacus came to, he didn't know where he was. He remembered helping the old lady and something about a cage. He had been thrown into that cage like some animal. Then there had been those men, all dressed up like Robbie. And then? He tried to think, but everything turned into a grey blur. His head was throbbing and he felt sick. His whole body hurt. Weakly, he lifted his head to see his crystal beeping faintly. The colour had changed again and it was nearly black. A tear slid past his eyelashes and trickled down his battered face.
"I'm dying," he thought.
#####
Robbie Rotten was growing impatient. He was pacing back and forth, looking from the huge cannon to the periscope. His dream team did not respond. If they had fallen asleep, he would be very, very mad. Stupid amateurs. Giving his cannon a firm pat, he walked back to his lair.
#####
"Stingy," Stephanie hissed, "Sportacus needs our help. He needs sportscandy."
"We still have the apple," Stingy replied, pulling it out of his pocket.
"Let's throw the apple down there. I hope it reaches him." Stephanie opened up the periscope to which Robbie had been talking earlier, and stuffed the apple into the tube.
The apple fell down the tube right into Robbie's lair, where it rolled across the floor and came to a halt next to the empty cage.
Sportacus didn't stir.
#####
The first thing Robbie saw, as he entered his lair was the empty cage. "What the...?" Robbie raised his eyebrows and took a few steps further. "Where are you, you loonies?" he yelled. "I told you to watch him. What did you..." He stopped dead in his tracks, as he discovered the person lying on the ground. "...do to him? Oh my... what did you do?" He asked again, still receiving no answer.
Faster than he usually moved, Robbie dropped to his knees and stared at the fallen superhero. "Sportaflop? Can you hear me?"
He lifted his hand to feel for a pulse, but he didn't know how to do it. What if Sportacus was dead? What if they killed him?
"Oh geez...Sportacus, I didn't... I never wanted to...I only wanted you to leave... Sportacus?" Carefully, he nudged his arm. He could barely look at him. Sportacus was covered in blood and bruises. "Sportacus, you have to wake up, because I don't know what to do... fuck... are you still in a sugar meltdown?" Robbie prodded him again, a little harder this time.
Sportacus let out a tiny moan. "Help...me."
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Robbie shuddered. "Stay with me, Sportacus. How can I help you? You need sp...sp...sportscandy? I don't have any."
"Please," Sportacus whispered, his head lolling back.
"Don't... fuck!" Robbie got up so quickly, he felt queasy. He turned around, thinking. He had chocolate cake and cookies. He had donuts and marshmallows. But he didn't have any sportscandy. All of a sudden he spotted the red object next to the cage. It was an apple.
But what if it was a sugar apple? He couldn't try it, could he? Eying it with suspicion, Robbie began to chew on his bottom lip. Well, tiny bite wouldn't hurt. He didn't even had to swallow it. Why couldn't there be another way?
"Robbie, are you crazy?" he said to himself. "Sportacus is... well he is not doing so well, and you are just pathetic."
"I am a villain. I don't have to help him. It's not my fault."
In fact that it was.
"Damnit, Sportacus." Disgustedly, Robbie picked up the apple, sniffed it and took a bite. The apple tasted surprisingly sweet, and for a moment Robbie thought it was indeed a sugar apple. But it was a real apple. Sportscandy.
He hurried back to Sportacus and held the apple in front of him. Carefully, he slipped his other hand under Sportacus' head and lifted it.
"Come on, Sportafaint, you have to eat the apple yourself."
With a huge effort, Sportacus opened his mouth. Robbie helped him to bite a piece off. Sportacus swallowed and licked over his dry lips. Then he let out a quiet sigh and his body sagged against Robbie's arm.
Trying to pull out his hand from under Sportacus' head, Robbie called: "Sportaflop? Are you all right?"
Sportacus' crystal began to glow orange, then yellow and finally white. Suddenly, Sportacus' eyes flew open, and he blinked rapidly, sucking in air. Tears ran down his cheeks and he clenched his fists.
"What...Robbie? Is that you?" he croaked, turning his head.
"You gave me quite a scare, Sportacus. I thought..." Robbie let his voice trail off.
"I would have," Sportacus said. "Robbie, you..."
"I know. I...I... didn't mean to. I...I... you have to believe me... I never wanted..."
"You saved my life," Sportacus continued, propping himself up on his elbows.
"I...what? Yeah, I guess I did." Running a hand through his slick hair, Robbie sat back. He felt exhausted.
"Thank you, Robbie." A weak smile crept over Sportacus' lips, as he reached for the apple to finish it.
"But Sportacus..." Robbie began and shook his head. He would tell him that it had been his fault. Someday. Maybe. But not now.
Because right now he had to get Sportaflop up on his legs and out of his lair so that he could finally rest.
As Sportacus looked at him questioningly, Robbie cleared his throat. "Can you leave now? I mean... I mean you must go back to your airship or something like that?"
Taking another bite off the apple, Sportacus nodded. "I have enough energy to go." Supressing a groan, Sportacus scrambled to his feet. When Robbie made no move to help him, Sportacus quietly said: "You won't cause any more trouble today, will you?"
Robbie shook his head once more, blushing furiously. Almost immediately, he lowered it so that Sportacus couldn't see his embarrassment, but the blue superhero had started to limp slowly towards the exit, as if he had already forgotten what just happened to him.
"I guess, I'll never get rid of you, Sportaloon", Robbie sighed.
~fin