A/N: Yup. Told ya it'd be updated more. Enjoy~
If there's one thing I love, it's when I'm proven right by means outside my own and I can shove my rightfulness into any opposers' face. Usually I'm fairly apt at achieving that victory through Cartman, but as of today, I can proudly say that my Super Best Friend would be at the end of my taunting should he have been anywhere near me right now.
He's everywhere. It's like when we were nine all over again.
Mysterion is flooding the news again and people are going insane over it. Everyone wants to know if this is the same kid from before, if he's going to protect civilian rights with the sleek nonchalance he held so highly in the past.
I watch the news flickering on the 6:00 news with my family surrounding me, Mani curled up on my lap and Ike huddled in close to me, practically bouncing in his excitement. The kid's thirteen, so I guess it's to be expected he'd be so awed by South Park's personal Caped Crusader.
Ya know, minus the retard bat ears.
"Dude, he's gonna clean this town up!" he murmurs. "It's about time."
My father looks from his newspaper and shakes his head. "Just another kid out clamoring for attention, Ike. Don't get so star stricken by a kid that'll just be behind bars in a matter of days."
Ike rolls his eyes. "How do you know?"
"I'm a lawyer, Ike. I kinda have to know this stuff," Dad scoffs.
"Well I think that it's just terrible for that boy to be out there roaming the streets at night like that," my mother looks from her knitting and furrows her brow at the television. "Where are his parents in all this? Shouldn't they have a more keen eye on their children? Certainly something must be stranger about him around their household."
"Not necessarily," Ike replies smartly. "Maybe he's crafty enough that he just plays cool at home but at night he's a crime-killing ass-kickin' machine!"
"Ike Broflovski, you watch your language!" she snaps.
"But Kyle taught me it...," he whines before snickering and elbowing me in the side. "Isn't that right, Big Brother?"
I don't answer him, keeping my eyes focused on the TV. I watch Mysterion jumping around atop buildings, the announcer overshadowing him asking inane rhetorical questions to his no doubt captive audience. Though I suppose they're not so inane since they're the only thing that I have circling through my head at the moment. I scratch Mani behind his ear and he purrs softly, his back arching up just slightly atop me.
"And once again, the question on everyone's mind is, just who is Mysterion?" the announcer shouts in his cheesy, rehearsed voice. "Is it the same young man whom we all remember from so long ago? Or has a newcomer come about and taken up his namesake? All that we can be certain of is that for now, we thank this brave boy for coming about and once again defending our town against an onslaught of evil."
"'Onslaught of evil'," my father scoffs. "He stops one bank robbery and a few muggings and all of a sudden he's Superman."
'He's done more than that, Dad,' I think tiredly.
"Well I think it's awesome," Ike retorts, crossing his arms and leaning back firmly. "This stupid town is a cesspool of stupid people and crazy shit happening."
"Language!" Mom breaks in.
He waves her off and sighs, "Yeah, yeah. Point is is that this guy is coming in here ready to help people and you're all blowing him off like he's just a stupid kid. Cops do the exact same thing, just in a much lazier form."
"Ike, one day you'll grow up and understand that what he's doing just isn't right," Dad remarks. "He may seem noble and all that but in actuality he's endangering people. He's not trained for this."
We watch as video footage of Mysterion beating the crap out of a mugger comes onto the screen and I feel my lips curling upwards a bit. "He seems fairly trained to me," I say quietly.
My parents sigh and I feel Ike bouncing more quickly beside me. Mani looks over at him and blinks slowly before yawning and rubbing his head against my thigh. I scratch at his back, enticed by Mysterion's shadowy form dancing across the screen in a barrage of still images and blurry video footage. He certainly seems to at least have some idea of what he's doing...
A quick rap comes at our door and we look over quickly before it's pushed open. Kenny comes stumbling in with a black eye and looks at us awkwardly.
"Um...hi," he rubs his head sheepishly.
"Oh, Kenny," Mom sighs. "Again?"
"Sorry, Mrs. Brof," he says quietly. "Can I-"
"Of course you can stay for a bit, Kenneth," she breaks in. "Dinner will be ready in a while if you want to join us."
He breaks into a wide grin and nods at her quickly. "Thanks a bunch, Mrs. B." He walks over and plops down on the couch next to Ike and throws his arm around his shoulders. "Hey, Squirt," he teases. "Still a nerd?"
"Hey, Perv," he retaliates. "Still an asshole?"
"Ike!" Mom and Dad shout together.
Kenny laughs softly and nods. "You know it."
Ike smirks and shrugs off Ken's arm. The oven timer goes off in the kitchen and my brother looks towards the room. "Well, I'm hungry," he announces, standing up and stretching. "You can sit next to your boyfriend," he tells Kenny, looking at me and sticking his tongue out. I raise my brow and Kenny breaks into stifled laughter as Ike moves to head into the kitchen. My parents sigh together and stand up as well, placing their articles of distraction on the tables next to them.
"Dinner, guys," Dad says sleepily. "Go get washed up."
"Will do, Mr. Brof," Ken salutes.
Mom comes over and pats Mani's head gently, "and we'll get you some dinner too," she coos. She pats Kenny's head as well, "And you. Get some ice on that eye and we'll get some food in you. You're almost as skinny as Kyle."
He laughs and nods. "Kay. Thanks again," he smiles crookedly at her before she nods back and heads into the kitchen with my dad and brother.
We wait a few moments before hearing them moving around in the other room and we look at each other. I eye his bruise and sigh, "Really? Again?"
"Pa caught me stealin' his beer," Ken shrugs. "I had it comin'."
"You idiot," I roll my eyes. "For one thing, you shouldn't be stealing beer. For another, you're just an idiot."
He shrugs again. "Whatever. I got a free six pack out of it and only one shiner. I'd say I came out on top," he smiles. "And what of you? Stan called me yesterday morning panicking because you two hadn't had phone sex all day or something."
I raise my brow unamused. "Yeah, no. He just didn't know where I was and I didn't answer him like usual and he was all panicky about it."
"God, he's like your dog or something," he chuckles before looking down at Mani. "But apparently you're more into cats, hm?"
I smirk, "Not as much as you."
"Hey now, that's one drug habit I actually kicked," he defends before scratching Mani's head. We watch him purring for a few moments before Ken starts up again, "Well, Stan called me again last night, too," he states.
"And?"
"Aaannnddd he thinks you're being retarded," he elaborates. "He told me that you said this cat's from Mysterion."
"It is," I clarify. "He sent it to me with a tag that said 'Happy Birthday, Kyle'. If that isn't enough of a no-duh then I don't know what is."
"But...he said that Cartman attacked you that night, too...," he says lowly, as though trying to avoid my mother hearing him and interfering.
I nod, "Yeah. He did."
Kenny takes a deep breath and runs his fingers through his messy sandy locks. He has a look of thoughtfulness upon him and I know Kenny. It means he's been thinking about something way too hard. "No one had seen Cartman for days before then," he says softly. "And...and no one's heard from him since either."
"So?"
"So it sounds to me like he was pre-meditating this thing," he explains. "And now he's on the run. Was he trying to like, beat you up or what?"
"That among other things," I say lowly before continuing on, "But that's not important. Obviously he was planning on attacking me or he wouldn't have had sidekicks with him. Look, I'm just going to take the fact that Mysterion saved me and learn to be happy with that fact."
"Hm," he muses. "Well...yeah, I guess that's a good idea," he shrugs. "But then again, aren't you worried that Cartman's still wanting to hurt you?"
"Not too worried," I shrug back. "He's missing and Mysterion said he'd be keeping an eye on me."
Kenny raises his brow and his lips curl upwards, "Well well well sounds like we have a Mary Jane in our midsts."
"Excuse me?" I ask, deadpan.
He smirks and leans back, staring at me still. "This Mysterion guy wants to protect ya, huh?"
"So what, you think I'm his damsel in distress?" I scowl.
He shrugs, "Well, I mean...kinda. He saved you, vows to protect you...you seem to be kinda obsessed with the idea of him...," he looks at the television still prattling on about Mysterion before I quickly grab the remote and slam it off.
"Dude, I'm just curious as to why he gave me a goddamn birthday present out of nowhere, okay?" I frown. "Is it so wrong of me to wonder?"
"Well you know what they said curiosity did to the cat," Kenny nods down at Mani.
"Well he doesn't have to worry because he's not the curious one," I drawl. "Last time I checked I'm not a cat so I don't really need to be worried, now do I?"
"Kyle, Dude," he shakes his head. "You know I do stupid shit all the time but even I think you're going too far."
"What? How so?"
"Dude, this guy like, fights criminals. With guns and shit."
"Yes, Ken, because we've never been on the wrong side of guns or terrorists or robots or anything like that," I roll my eyes.
"Look, I'm just saying that it's not exactly...safe, ya know?" he winces. "You could be setting yourself up for something that you're just not ready to handle."
"I can handle anything," I say stubbornly, crossing my arms and leaning against the back of the couch. "It's in my nature to be able to adapt."
"You're adapted to being held hostage with a bunch of other people at the bank?" he raises his brow.
"I'd think of something," I shrug. "Dude, I appreciate the concern and all...but I just really wanna know what's going on here."
He stares at me a moment, his crystal blue eyes deep and thoughtful before he nods. "Well...good luck then, Dude. I personally think you're on a wild goose chase here but that could just be me."
"It probably is," I smirk. "I do have some degree of intelligence, thank you."
He chuckles and brushes some of his hair back from his face. "I suppose that's true. You are quite the nerd, my Jewish friend."
"Hey, fuck of-"
"Boys! Are you washed up?" Mom calls from the kitchen.
"Hang on, Ma!" I call back, sighing and taking Mani off my lap and placing him off the floor. Ken and I stick our tongues out at each other before heading into the bathroom and start up the sink, lathering the soap between our palms. I feel Mani rub against my leg and smirk for a moment before it fades away just as quickly.
Some degree of intelligence...
Oh boy. Now I know I'm one step closer to this than the rest of this town.
The only way this is going to go any further is talking to Mysterion directly. And luckily for me, that shouldn't be too difficult.
A/N: Yuuup. Mys is everywhere and Ken thinks Kyle is in over his head. /thumbs up.
thanks for R&Ring~
