"Alright, sweetie! Come to Daddy!" a playful, warm voice of a happy Father rang out as he knelt down, arms open wide. He couldn't help it! Teaching his precious little peach how to walk was his dream! Well, among other things to be honest! He had already done this once with her older brother - he just couldn't help but do it again!
This was Alfred F. Jones, a proud father of now two beautiful children! Armel, his eldest son and his only son to be perfectly honest (he was sure he would know if he had any other!) And his cute, precious little peach; Françoise~ She was a sweet as a pie - not just a peach pie! Like maybe blueberry! Or apple!
She had beautiful blonde, long curls - maybe not curls! More like waves! Very different from her brother with his straight, shorter hair that went to his shoulders, and his bangs that almost went down past his eyes! Oh, and both of them had vibrant blue eyes! Anyways, Françoise's hair was up into ponytails so that way if she tried running quickly, or flying, or whatever her big superpower was, it wouldn't get in the way!
Superpower, you may ask? Well, that was easy to explain! You see, certain people in the world are superheroes, right? Well, Alfred F. Jones and his family were on he of those types of people! By day, he and his family were the Jones', but by night, he was "The Hero"! Yeah! Just, "The Hero"! He knew that it was a rather vague title, and that it didn't tell anyone what his super power was, but that's just it! It made his true powers a surprise that no one really understood or knew~
As for his children, lovable and impressionable Armel was, "Mr. Multiple" and could clone himself! How confusing and cool was that?! Trust Alfred - it was a lot more insane when he was younger, and had poor control of his powers! How would you like to try to catch him and put him to bed and find ten of him running around?!
And lastly, his precious little peach had… Some sort of power? He still hadn't figured it out yet! He supposed she was some sort of late bloomer at this rate, but… Maybe he was being a bit harsh. She was only about a year old! He probably wouldn't know till she was a few years older.
Anywho, Alfred was very happy to share the life of a superhero with his children and teach them the wonder and happiness of helping others! It caused him great joy to see his little boy's face light up whenever he talked about helping his own citizens when he's all grown up, and he was sure Françoise would feel just the same~ He only wished his arch-nemesis wouldn't cut his time short with them! That evil Professor Dreamweaver, always causing chaos and problems! His powers included being able to make people see anything that he desires, which can range from wonderful, happy things to deranged, horrifying things! It's a great distraction, sadly, and it usually allows him to get away with a lot. Until The Hero, arrives! And kicks his creppy ass!
What creeps Alfred out the most about this villain, though, is that he's always found around children! What was he?! Some sort of deranged child molester?! Harming children was an all time low for anyone! He wasn't sure what kind of freaky things he makes those children see to make them run up and hug him, but Alfred always put a stop to them before he could take any of them away!
Oddly enough, though, sometimes when he takes the child away from Professor Snooty-Pants, especially if it was an orphan that time, they start crying and telling him, The Hero, to let them go and that they want to go with the villain guy! It only enforced how evil this man was, right? Casting an evil influence over the vulnerability of children! If that bloody blasted bastard of a Brit, (now try saying that ten times fast) decided to take both his children, he would knock his creeper-rific lights into next week! Or year! Or the next ten years!
But, he shouldn't think of him right now! His little pumpkin was walking into his arms~
Or, at least, she was until the doorbell rang and she fell from surprise.
Causing him to squeak and scoop up his precious little girl in his arms and rush over to the door. "Coming! Just gotta make sure my kid doesn't bust open her head!"
"That's quite all right!" A British voice called. It sounded almost familiar… but the only British person he knew was his nemesis! Though, their accents did sound all the same, right? So it was just a coincidence! Maybe it was one of those wonderful boy scouts or something! Who knew! He just hoped they had cookies!
Cheerily, he opened the door and held Françoise tightly, rocking her and asking with a singsong chirp, "Yeeessss?! This is Alfred F. Jones speaking -!"
"Oh, what a cute little girl!" the stranger immediately complimented. He had messy, blonde hair, emerald green eyes, and was dressed in green tweed suit, much fancier than the outfit Alfred was wearing - which were some pajamas, along with his little girl who was in frilly, pink night gown. Oh, and not to forget to mention, but this guy had huge eyebrows!
He looked like something!
Something…. A-a- No! Not that! He wasn't going to think about it that way! Swallowing shakily, Alfred gave a weak laugh and gave a nod, "T-thank you, dude - you can thank my wife for her looks!"
And as he said that, his sweet little girl gave a giggle and reached out to try and grasp the man's hands, "Ba! Ba!" She seemed to want to pull the Brit close!
Causing Alfred much amusement as he chuckled and pinched Françoise's cheeks, leaning in to babble to her, "Who is such a sweet little squirrel?! You are! You are!" which made her laugh and wiggle about.
"C-can I…" the stranger seemed nervous and fidgety as he glanced away, a light blush on his cheeks. "... Hold her?"
Alfred couldn't help but feel himself tighten at that ador- h-he meant, sincere look on this young man's face! Y-yes! That's why he was blushing a bit and handing over his baby to this perfectly sane and normal stranger, "W-why of course! She seems to love you!"
The man seemed to blush more at that and gave a loving smile as he took Françoise. "Th-thanks… I love children. They're so young and innocent." He smiled at Alfred. "Which I'm sure you already realize, being a father and all!"
Françoise gave another cute laugh and grasped the Brit's hair, trying to pull it down into her mouth as she cooed and babbled, "Wa, wa wa….!"
Which of course made Alfred laugh as he leaned in and kissed his daughter's cheek lovingly and took her hands in his. "No, no, no, dear~ We don't eat people~"
The stranger chuckled and smiled at Alfred again. "You're a great father, Mr. Jones. Oh!" He laughed. "Do forgive me! Let me introduce myself - I'm Arthur Kirkland, a journalist for Metro-News. I'm here to ask you a few questions."
Alfred turned his head to lock eyes with Arthur. Chuckling, he gave a Hollywood type grin and nodded. "Oh, sure! Go ahead! I'd love to do an interview!" He turned to his daughter and pinched her cheeks again, causing her to wiggle about in Arthur's arms. "Wouldn't we, dear~"
Arthur laughed a little more at that. "Wonderful. May I please come inside, sir?"
Alfred smiled brightly - like a star piercing the black veil of night, and let Arthur inside, also letting him continue to hold his daughter. "Oh, yes! Oh, yes! I would love you to -!" till his words caught in his throat and he felt himself blushing like mad. D-did he just say love?! Why had he said that?!
Luckily Arthur didn't seem to find anything weird with him saying that as he strolled in and walked over to sit on the couch, holding Françoise securely in his lap. "Excellent! This is just a relaxed interview - more of a survey, really!" He cleared his throat a little. "The newspaper wants to gain more information on how the public views the "super" activity in the city - whether or not it scares people or would make them want to move and such. So, first question: Do you perceive "Professor Dreamweaver" to be a threat to the city? Why do or don't you?"
Alfred couldn't help but revel in the irony of the situation~ Here was this mere human, asking him about the work that "supers" did~ Well, he reveled in irony at first, till Arthur mentioned his arch nemesis, causing him to stiffen.
Stiffen and clench his fists… And then furrow his brows, scowl, and snarl in the back of his throat, causing his poor, sweet pea to shiver and look ready to cry as she heard her Father start to dive into a long winded rant, "Professor Dreamweaver? Professor… Dreamweaver?" His eye twitched then as he leaned forward, locking eyes with Arthur in the most tense, dramatic fashion you could think of, "That bastard, did you mean to say?"
"..." Arthur actually seemed a bit nervous now and tightened his hold on Françoise; Alfred was so caught up in his dramatics that he didn't notice when his little girl oddly… smiled, as if nothing was wrong. "As someone from the press, I am not allowed to discuss my personal views with my clients… Please just answer the question, Mr. Jones."
Sitting up rim-rod straight, Alfred pursed his lips into a tight, thin line and started out his answer in a quiet, warning type of tone, "Professor… Dreamweaver, as you've asked me about…." his nostrils began to flare, his knuckles turning white as his fists tightened, "is a huge threat. He targets children," at that he darted to Arthur and placed his hands on his shoulders, sandwiching his daughter between them both. Locking eyes with Arthur, he grit his teeth and hissed out, "Children, sir - like my innocent daughter!" He then released Arthur and stomped about, now yelling his head off, "Innocent children who can't protect themselves?! He preys upon them, tries to kidnap them, a-and-" he ran a hand down his face and gave a screech, now shaking, "And for what?!"
Shaking… He was still shaking… Out of anger…. Rage… Resentment… Fear.
But he would never admit that to anyone.
"... I'm sorry to have upset you, sir," Arthur said his voice quiet and his eyes trained to the ground. "So, you don't believe that "The Hero" is doing a well enough job fighting against him?"
Ah, so there was that familiar irony again.
Covering his eyes, Alfred gave a strained, little chuckle and sighed a little. "Oh no… He is doing his job. That bastard just won't stop."
"... I see." Arthur let out a breath and actually took out a little notebook from his front pocket. "I suppose this is a pointless question, but the newspaper has picked up rumors of the "bastard" as you call him actually converting to heroism once he gets a child… do you believe in such things?"
Alfred gave a bitter laugh at that and shook his head, rolling his eyes and starting to pace around. "Him? Ha! Never!" He clenched his fists. "If he got a child, he would torture it or molest it or something!"
"... And," Arthur started writing something down, his face painfully trying to show no emotion, though Alfred didn't notice in his rage. "Why do you believe this so strongly?"
Alfred paused in his pacing, standing with his back facing Arthur. Covering his face in his hands, he felt tears start to come to his eyes as he choked out, "Because… What if I wake up one morning and my little princess is missing?" He swallowed thickly. "And it's because of him?"
For the first time in a long time, Alfred's two story home with the idealistic white picket fence around each side was silent.
"... So, you feel in danger in Metroville?" Arthur asked quietly after a while. "Would you consider moving, or have already thought of doing so?"
"Never," Alfred answered swiftly as he slowly turned back around with a deadset, determined look on his face. "I was here first, and I won't let some child stealing, torturing, and molesting bastard keep me out of my town!"
Arthur visibly winced at that last part. "What makes you think he's a child molester?" he asked, though he quickly added, "There… are also rumors that this villain is really just a lonely, crazed man and should be placed in a mental hospital instead."
Alfred narrowed his eyes and walked over slowly, "What makes me think that?" he locked eyes once more with Arthur, with looks that could kill. "The way he preys on children and gives them nightmares or tries to carry them away is one reason… And as for the rumor…" Alfred sneered and then laughed coldly, causing Françoise to start to whimper and tear up. "More than true I bet - but I say that he needs not only locked up," he then cried out vengefully, "But executed!"
Once again, Arthur tightened his hold on Françoise, which seemed to calm her down somehow. "Well, now that you brought it up…" he mumbled, "do you, as a citizen, believe in capital punishment?" He seemed to almost want to change the subject entirely.
And the interview continued on like that. Questions about Professor Dreamweaver, about the law, about The Hero… And it… Made Arthur feel…
Depressed, to say the least. Sometimes he really hated being a journalist. Luckily, the interview ended fairly quickly, and Arthur stood up to shake his hand. "W-well, it was nice… conversing with you, Mr. Jones." He seemed more than just a little bit uncomfortable; if Alfred asked, he'd simply say he didn't like death even for the most heinous of people. It wasn't uncommon to take that stance. "I suppose I'll take my leave now. Metro-News thanks you for your contribution."
Alfred seemed to be fully calm now as he laughed and made a move to take his daughter back. "Oh, sure! Come and visit me any time you like!" It almost made him pause in his motion to take his daughter back as he couldn't help but blush at the suggestion. What?! I-it seemed to be a bit interpersonal to him, alright?! And his wife had just died! I-it was wrong to look at others so soon -!
Arthur simply seemed amused by the suggestion though, tickling Françoise's tummy and smiling at her - making no moves to give her back just yet. "I… might just take you up on that, Mr. Jones."
Before Alfred could answer, the wall his couch was backed up against crashed down. Arthur screamed, and Alfred barely managed to get them out of the way so they wouldn't be crushed. What the hell?! Why did -
Alfred gasped when he looked up at his fallen wall. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the culprit was none other than Professor Dreamweaver!
"Hello, Hero," he sneered the words, that evil smirk of his taunting him, that black mask that covered everything except his eyes and mouth full of nothing but pure darkness, and that dirty, messy, blonde hair looking like an ensnaring tangle of weeds. "Having fun~?"
Alfred gaped in pure surprise. His… Worst enemy…. H-had found his home? And… and…. and was going…. to….
Not even thinking, Alfred aimed a heavy handed, destructive punch at the Professor's face, his fist now covered in a shining, painful looking, spiked metal glove. All part of the costume! For you see, it packed a punch with his super strength! And in this case -
Would knock this bastard's lights out!
And it worked, too! He knocked the bastard back out of the hole he had created, but unfortunately, the bastard had hung on to the edge and pulled himself back in. Alfred could still gain some satisfaction from seeing him look in incredible pain from his punch, though. "Y-you think that's all it'll take to stop me?!" He grinned and held his hand out. "Eat spiders, Hero!" His hand shot spiders at him; they seemed so real, crawling all around him, biting at him, filling his body with poison, etc., but he knew by now that it was just an illusion - he had faced him so many times before.
Yet, it didn't stop him from screaming. Screaming out of pain, screaming out of fear. What if the bastard did this sort of thing to his children next, to get even?! What would he do?!
He heard Professor Dreamweaver's diabolical laughter. Barely being able to look at him out of the corner of his eyes through the spiders, he managed to see him walking over to Arthur and his daughter…! They both looked terrified! He, he had to save them!
Yet… He felt as though his body was paralyzed. Like he couldn't move…. And that…. His-his new friend and his daughter, they soon wouldn't able to feel anything either, a-and -
That's why he gave out a feral scream, and everything started fading to black. His eyes zoned out, and when they focused again the spiders were gone. But something was horribly, horribly wrong. The hole in his house was missing, along with Professor Dreamweaver, Arthur, and…
His daughter.
She was nowhere to be found.
Author's note, Annzy B.: I hope you enjoy this latest endeavor of Knux's and mine, that started with her very own dream! (Just like Twilight *shot* XD)
Author's note, TheGuardianKnux: Uh, not really sure how that's like Twilight but okay. XD Anyways, here's the first story we have ever finished together ever - yeah, we write these things ahead of time. Anyways, this has been pretty fun to work on and we have a little surprise planned afterwards but I'm not telling anything about it now so there. THERE. Oh, and make sure to comment and leave a review! I hope everyone enjoys this little tale and everything else that's to come! 8D Because it's going to be a wild ride~
Annzy: Oh, most definitely XD Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this with her and would appreciate any comments ^^ More drama is coming your way! On the next installment of "And a White Picket Fence"~