I apologize if the first few chapters have been a bit dry. I really don't want to rush this story!
But we're getting there, lovelies.
Oh, we are getting there. ;)
Chapter Four: Hello
"He's cleaning up the city. The streets have never been safer," Spence explained.
I bit into my sandwich and waited for the response. "He's a criminal. I mean, you can't just run around beating the crap out of people for the fun of it," David replied sternly. Yeah, cause its so much damn fun to be beat up and thrown off rooftops. "No one is above the law. Even if you think you're doing good for the city."
"So, you're saying that we should just let the police continue to be useless and let the criminals own our streets?" Spence asked and his eyebrows were furrowed together in frustration at the conversation.
David sighed loudly and shoved a spoonful of stew into his mouth. "Look, I'm not saying that we should let the bad guys take over and rule the city, but we can't let some comic book loving nerd with a vivid imagination rule it either." Ouch, damn David. "The kid is gonna get himself killed and then where will we be?"
"He's kept quiet. He sticks to the dark and only helps. He's never asked for anything in return. He's just here to help," Spence explained passionately.
"Maybe he is a she," I finally spoke up from my seat on the stool.
We were having our lunch in the office and somehow had steered the conversation to Mysterion. I stayed quiet and listened to the two men bicker with each other as I munched on my sandwich. It was entertaining, like dinner and a show. But they were starting to get a bit too real for my taste.
"It's never been verified that they're male or female," I added and took another bite of my sandwich.
David and Spence gave me the same confused look. "Maybe the vigilante is our very own Kenny McCormick," David said with a crooked grin. My heart slammed itself against my rib cage and I almost choked on my sandwich. I had to fight to play it off as a coughing fit.
"Nah, he's too short to be our masked hero," Spence answered with a small grin. It was the best he could ever muster up to show anything other than general disdain for the world.
"And quite thin. Not much muscle," David added. Spence hummed in agreement as he slowly nodded. "Plus, an overall terrible personality."
"You guys are mean," I mumbled and nibbled at my sandwich.
David laughed and reached his foot out to gently tap my knee with the toe of his boot. The office door swung open with a loud groan and Mr. Bagley stepped into the room. "Boys, put down your food for a moment and come with me," he ordered in a flat tone before he turned to exit, leaving the door swung open.
David and I looked over at Spence with wide eyes. Spence sighed loudly, set his food down, and pushed himself up onto his feet. "Come on," he grumbled and patted my shoulder.
Mr. Bagley had an energy about him. It was easy to read when he was happy or frustrated or worried. In that moment when he opened the door to the office, he was unreadable. It felt like he was intentionally hiding his emotion, which meant whatever he wanted us for was probably not good. I followed behind David and Spence as we exited the office. Whatever was happening, I didn't want to be the first one in the line of fire. We were heading towards the back corner of the garage to a section I was familiar with. It was a rarely used section except for the Camaro I had been working on for the past few weeks. I stopped moving first. David and Spence stood to the side and Mr. Bagley stood in front of the vehicle with his arms crossed over his chest.
"What's up?" I asked curiously as everyone stared at me. There was something weird going on. I could sense it from the smug expressions on David and Spence's faces. Mr. Bagley was still unreadable as he uncrossed his arms to hold up the key that reflected the lights above us. "Mr. Bagley, what's going on?"
"It's time to wake her up," Mr. Bagley said with a soft smile.
My confusion only deepened. "It's not going to turn over," I replied dryly. I had worked for weeks on the car when I suddenly hit a wall with it. In order to get the car to turn on I needed a part that was too expensive for me, so it sat untouched for at least a week as I sulked.
"Think of this as a bonus for doing such wonderful work around here," Mr. Bagley explained as he stepped towards me. "Go see your new toy."
I quickly took the key from the man and bounced over to the car. It still looked ragged. We had fixed the damage to the front but hadn't painted over the sanded markings. All in all, the car looked good, but it wasn't quite finished, not until I slid the key into the ignition and turned. The engine struggled for a moment but then it roared to life and my lips stretched into such a wide smile I was pretty sure my face was going to break.
"Is it everything you dreamed it'd be?" Mr. Bagley asked as he leaned into the car slightly through the rolled down window with his arms crossed on the door.
"Everything and more," I answered and turned to look over at him. "I don't know how I could ever repay you."
"You repay me by working your butt off, alright?" He replied and reached in to pat my shoulder before giving it a small squeeze. "Everyone deserves a second chance. Make sure hers is a good one, Kenny."
~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~
September came quickly and with a bitter cold to the air that was a bit early but not uncommon for Colorado. Kyle and Stan were back in school which was a bit easier with my car on the road and functional. I didn't have to listen to Kyle complain about the bus anymore because I was his personal chauffeur between school and work and home. It gave me something to do when I wasn't at work or running around rooftops in the middle of the night.
KB: Come to the campus. It's stir fry day in the cafeteria.
SM: and you need to get outta the house, stop sulking.
I sighed as I stared at the messages on my phone. I was still dressed in baggy sweatpants and hadn't moved from in front of the television all day except to use the bathroom or get food. It was my day off from work and I didn't particularly feel like doing anything. The night before was rough. I had encountered Professor Chaos again and it did not end well. I ended up battered and bruised and too sore to move because of a careless move I made. Stan had to find me and practically carried me home through the dark alleys. He and Kyle snuck me into the apartment building and everything from beyond the emergency exit door was a dark haze. I normally didn't let my encounters with Chaos bother me but there was something stuck in my head that he said.
"What is your weakness, Mysterion?" He asked with a teasing tone as he circled around me slowly. "Every hero has a weakness. So, what are you afraid of? What keeps you awake at night?"
SM: please Kenny, get out of the damn house…
I could hear his begging tone through the message in my phone. I groaned as I pushed myself up and to the bedroom to change. I wanted to sulk but at the same time, I didn't want to waste my day. They were right, I needed to get out of the house. Dwelling on my encounter with Chaos wasn't doing any good for anyone. The campus was lively with students. The quad was quiet but inside the halls were packed with people. The cafeteria wasn't much different. I found Kyle and Stan in the cafeteria near the back corner. The far wall was entirely windows from floor to ceiling that looked out onto the quad outside. The bright sunlight poured through the glass and lit up the entire room, lighting Kyle's red hair on fire as he sat tapping his pencil against his textbook. Stan was on his phone with his books open in front of him. He was never one for studying or doing his work, but Kyle always kept him on track.
"What's up, nerds?" I greeted them as I approached the table to sit at the empty chair between them with my back to the large windows.
"Ah, you're alive!" Kyle exclaimed loudly. I rolled my eyes. "You wouldn't even get out of bed this morning. I thought you finally died."
"Shut up, Broflovski," I growled as I sunk back into my chair. "Like you're any better in the mornings, you fucking vampire."
"Man, someone's in a bitter mood. Chaos must have really done some damage last night. You didn't even come to talk to us last night when you got home," Stan explained as he leaned forward and set his phone down on top of his notebook.
"I was promised stir fry, not idle conversation," I explained in a flat tone.
"The idle conversation is a prerequisite to get the stir fry," Kyle replied. He set his pencil down once he finished the equation he was working on. I caught a quick glance of his work and felt nauseous just looking at it. So many numbers and letters and symbols, it made my head spin. It made no sense to me at all. "So, what happened last night?"
I shrugged my shoulders up to my ears and turned my head to look away. "Nothing in particular," I answered dryly.
Kyle sighed loudly as he rolled his eyes. "Fine, be a stick in the mud," he answered.
His chair scraped against the floor as he stood. I looked up and my eyes immediately went over Kyle's shoulder. I quickly sat up as I reached my foot out to kick Stan who was looking down at his book. He quickly looked up at me with furrowed eyebrows. I gestured so he followed my gaze and we both were looking over Kyle as he turned. He froze in place when he was face to face with a familiar brunet whose body went instantly rigid.
"Ah, hi," was his immediate greeting.
"Hi," Kyle replied in such a small voice I almost didn't catch it.
Stan's chair creaked quietly as he leaned over towards me. "Isn't that—?" he started to ask.
I nodded rapidly. "Uh huh," I answered quietly.
The brunet cleared his throat loudly and lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck. He was nervous and it was noticeable. Kyle was too. I could see it in the tension in his shoulders and his fingers fidgeted at his sides.
"Can we talk for a minute?" the brunet asked nervously. Kyle swallowed hard. He nodded but didn't say anything. "I wanted to apologize for rushing out the way I did. I wasn't trying to—you know."
Kyle shook his head. "It's alright, it's not like either of us were in a good position at that time," he explained and I quickly stifled my small chuckle to make it into a small cough. Stan kicked my leg. Kyle and the brunet both looked over at us as we tried to gather our composure. "Don't mind them—," Kyle turned back to say. "Uh, I'm sorry, I don't remember your name."
The brunet smiled. "That doesn't surprise me. You were pretty drunk by the time introductions were made at the bar," he explained and held his hand out towards a blushing Kyle. "My name is Alex."
Kyle smiled. I had to lean slightly to catch more of it. It was so full of light it was almost blinding. He reached his hand out to grab Alex's and they slowly shook. "I'm—," he started to say.
"Kyle," Alex interrupted. "Trust me, I wasn't going to forget that." I know my eyes widened and I turned my head slightly to look at Stan who looked equally as surprised as me. Even after they stopped shaking hands, they held on for a little longer than they should have before they let go. Alex cleared his throat loudly as he shoved his hand into the pocket of his jeans.
"So, why did you run out?" I couldn't help but speak up to ask.
Alex chuckled and slowly shook his head. "I was late for work. My boss is pretty particular about tardiness," he explained to me and scoffed. "It was stupid, but I wasn't thinking properly. I'm sorry."
Kyle crossed his arms in front of him and shrugged his shoulders. "It's alright," he said. His voice was flat and his smile had faded. "There's nothing to apologize for."
Alex inhaled sharply. His mouth opened as if he was going to say something but he stopped when someone shouted from across the cafeteria. "Al! Come on man, we've got to get to class," the voice shouted.
Alex turned to shout back. "Give me a minute!"
"You should go," Kyle said and tilted his head slightly.
Alex turned back to face him and then faced the table. His eyes quickly scanned the surface and then he reached out to pick up the pen in front of Stan. "Hand," he ordered Kyle with his hand raised, his palm turned upwards. Kyle's eyebrows narrowed together in confusion but he lifted his hand to offer it. Palms touched and Alex held onto Kyle's wrist as he wrote on the back of his hand with the pen. There was something oddly intimate about the interaction between them and I felt like I shouldn't have been there imposing on it. "Call me or text me. Whatever you prefer," Alex said with a small smile. Kyle nodded slowly.
Stan and I gently bumped fists without having to look at each other. The brunet left the pen in Kyle's hand as he turned and quickly jogged off to meet up with the small group waiting by the exit for him. Kyle was a statue.
"Kyle and Alex sitting in a tree," Stan started to sing slowly and Kyle's head quickly whipped around to glare at him. "F-U-C-K-I-N-G."
"Shut up, Stan," Kyle growled.
The smile that formed on Stan's face was wide and full of amusement. "First comes love, then comes banging," he continued to sing happily.
"I will kick your ass, Stan," Kyle snapped.
"Then comes awkward sexual tension!" Stan ended and Kyle picked up an eraser to throw it at his friend.
I rolled my eyes as Stan continued to erupt in heavy laughter. I turned my head to look over at Kyle, to see his unamused expression, but stopped when something caught my eyes. Gold. Not again. My ghost, it was always—.
I quickly stood, toppling the chair over behind me. Kyle and Stan looked over at me with confusion. "Kenny?" Stan said.
"It can't be," I whispered quietly under my breath.
"Kenny, what's wrong?" Kyle asked as he reached out to squeeze my shoulder.
The gold hair was just outside the cafeteria standing in front of a girl. They stood at an angle to where I was. I couldn't see everything, probably not even enough for me to be sure, but I felt it deep in my chest. It sent my heart into a frenzy. They nodded and started to move out of my view.
"Ken—?" Kyle started to say again but I quickly moved from his reach to bolt around the table.
"I—I'll be right back," I said as I raced between the tables and vaulted myself over the railing that ran along the outside of the area of tables. I landed beside two girls who jumped away quickly as I ran past them. I almost ran into the crowd of students that turned into the cafeteria but narrowly missed them. Thanks to Stan and our morning runs, I was getting quicker on my feet and I also had great balance. I stopped in the middle of the hallway to look around. It was still full of students but the crowd had thinned out slightly. I was frantically looking through the sea of bodies when I spotted the yellow hair bobbing through the crowd. I rushed down the hall but couldn't catch up before they disappeared into the elevator and the doors shut. I slammed against the metal doors and hit my fist against them. "Shit," I swore in a sharp hiss. I wasn't going to let that be it though. The stairwell door creaked open when I pushed through and I took the steps two at a time. The elevator passed by the second floor and to the third. I flew out of the stairwell, out of breath, and quickly spun around. The hallway was empty except for one person. I could hear my heart in my ears. I could feel it in my throat. My hands shook. My mouth opened. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get any words past the block in my throat, not until my voice shot from my mouth like a bullet. "Butters!"
They stopped. Shoulders tensed. They turned and it felt like I was suddenly being pulled out of water. He looked the same but just older and his complexion was a bit darker. He didn't look nearly as pale and sickly anymore. His hair was still yellow like the sun with an undercut. He had soft features, but he looked weathered, like time was catching up to him already. I always remembered him flawless and perfect, except for the scar beside his left eye. The scar I made when we were kids and we stupidly bought those damn weapons. I never meant to hurt him. It was a mistake. I couldn't apologize to him enough after but he was always so innocent about it. It was him. He was there in front of me in a dark green cardigan while holding a large notebook with his name written on the front. His baby blue eyes, bright and innocent, stared at me wide and full of shock.
It was him.
"It's really you," I said mindlessly. I couldn't think of anything except him. I was fighting hard to figure out if it was real or if I was unconscious and just dreaming. Is my ghost now haunting my dreams?
"Kenny," he said and his wide-eyed expression shifted. He smiled. His smile. Fuck, I missed that smile. "Wow! You got tall."
What the hell is happening?
"I didn't think I'd see you here," he explained. Please, be real. "It's so good to—." He stopped with a small grunt. His book clattered against the floor. I didn't realize I had been moving until I was standing in front of him, my arms wrapped around his upper torso in a tight embrace. Holy shit, he's real. He's actually here. He laughed and his hands gently patted my back. "Ya alright there, Kenny?"
Reality came crashing back to me. I let go of him and took a large step back. "Yeah, sorry, I just—I guess I was a little caught off guard. You're here."
Butters smiled and nodded. "I am. You're here too."
I nodded rapidly. "And Kyle and Stan too," I said and quickly reached out to grab Butters' arm. "You need to come see them. They're gonna be thrilled to see you."
I was grinning like an idiot, I know, but I couldn't help it. Butters hummed as he rocked his head back and forth. "Well, I was gonna go sit in a lab all by myself, but I guess hanging out with you fellas sounds a lot more fun."
God, I missed you.
"You're damn right it sounds more fun," I said and let go of his arm to crouch down and pick up the large book to hand it back to him. "Come on, they're downstairs."
Butters nodded and followed me. I was jittery the entire walk. I wanted to ask him a million questions but I couldn't bring myself to say anything. The lump was still in my throat and every memory and feeling was rushing back to me. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. We entered the cafeteria. Kyle was alone at the table. He was staring down at his work again as he tapped his pencil against his open book. Butters shortened his stride a bit beside me as we approached the table. I stopped and Kyle let out a sharp sigh.
"Next time you decide to run off like that, I'm gonna—," Kyle started to say but stopped dead when he turned his head and noticed Butters. His eyes slowly widened and his entire demeanour shifted. "Butters?"
"Hiya Kyle," Butters responded cheerfully.
"What—What are you doing here?" Kyle asked and he sounded far more shocked than relieved. I knew the reason all too well as to why he wasn't completely happy to see Butters standing next to me.
"Holy shit, Butters, is that really you?" Stan's voice suddenly asked from behind us. Butters and I turned as Stan set down the tray of food and then quickly stepped forward to wrap his arms around the shorter blonde in a happy embrace. "Holy shit, dude, how are you?"
"I'm good," Butters answered and hugged Stan back before they pulled away from each other.
Stan slowly shook his head. "I can't believe you're actually here," he said in disbelief. "Sit down, tell us everything."
We all sat around the table. Stan set a freshly made stir fry in front of Kyle and then placed one in front of himself. I wasn't feeling particularly hungry anymore as I sat across the table from Butters. Too many thoughts were rattling around in my head. It felt like I was on a rollercoaster and couldn't get off. It's really him.
"So?" Stan pressed. Butters turned his attention from the brief eye contact me and him made to our raven-haired friend. "When did you get back?"
Butter smiled. "A few months ago, actually," he answered sheepishly.
"What?" Stan snapped. "You've been back a few months and you didn't reach out to any of us?"
"Oh, well, I was in South Park for a bit with my folks. I didn't move here until shortly after spending time there and, you see, I lost my phone somewhere between Egypt and Spain and I don't have either of your numbers memorized," Butters explained as he rubbed his knuckles together nervously in front of him. Fuck. "I'm real sorry, fellas."
"It's alright, Butters," Kyle finally spoke up. His frustration seemed to have died down for the most part. "It's just a bit of a shock. I mean, you left for a year and just suddenly show up out of the blue."
Butters nodded. "You're telling me!" he said and chuckled. "I wasn't expecting to see you guys. I thought ya'll were planning on going a lot further than Denver."
Stan shrugged his shoulders. "Last minute change of plans. Kyle is very indecisive," he explained and grinned at Kyle from across the table. The red head rolled his eyes.
"Well, I'm glad or else I wouldn't have met up with you guys now," Butters said and his smile was wide across his face.
I had so many questions. I wanted to ask them all but I didn't know where to start so naturally, I just opened my mouth and let it decide what came out first. "Where did you go?" I asked.
"Well, I started in Japan, and then China. Then Germany, Russia, India, Egypt, Spain, Italy, France, England, and then I came home," Butters explained and ran his finger along the edge of his book.
"Wow," Stan said and pushed around his food a bit. "You did all of that in a year?"
Butters nodded. "Yeah, it was fun, but I'm glad to be back here," he said and our eyes locked again. "I missed home."
I swallowed to try to force down the lump sitting just above my Adam's apple. "I'm kind of jealous," Stan said with a sigh. "I wish I had gone travelling for a year. Being here is so boring."
"No one's stopping you from leaving now. It might be quiet around here for a change," Kyle joked with a wide smile that made Stan flip him off. Kyle replied with his own raised middle finger.
Butters laughed. "You guys haven't changed. That's good," he said happily and rubbed his palms together. "I'm glad you fellas haven't changed. I was worried after I left that you would have gone your separate ways."
Kyle scoffed. "Nah, these guys wouldn't know what to do without me," he said and Stan and I gave him the same glaring look as we flipped him off.
"Are you really studying Physics, Kyle?" Butters asked. Kyle nodded so Butters turned his attention to Stan. "What about you Stan? I know you weren't sure about your major yet."
It's like nothing has changed.
"I finally landed on Marketing. Kyle had enough of my indecisiveness and made me choose with my eyes closed," Stan answered and Butter laughed lightly.
"What's sad is that he's not joking when he says that," I explained, my arms crossed in front of me on top of the table. My stomach was still in knots but I was starting to relax. Nothing has changed.
"Not even a little bit," Stan added and shoveled some food into his mouth.
"Kenny?" Butters said and I looked across the table at him. His bright blue eyes were staring at me so intensely, it made my chest tighten. "Your turn."
I could feel Kyle and Stan's eyes on me. They were intense and waiting for my response. I trusted them with my secret about being Mysterion. I had the same level of trust with Butters. Even though it had been a year since we had any interaction with him, every single feeling was still there. They never went away, they just dulled with his absence. Before he had left, the four of us were inseparable. We had been that way for years. I wish that had been enough to make me want to tell him, but it wasn't. I couldn't tell him. If I had my way, Kyle and Stan wouldn't have known either, but I had no choice there. With Butters, I could protect him from it.
"I—I work at a garage downtown. Nothing fancy," I explained with a small smile.
Butters' widened. "Oh, that's perfect for you, Kenny," he replied.
"That's not all he does," Kyle spoke up. My heart slammed against my ribcage as my head spun around to face him. Butters tilted his head in curiosity. The small grin that formed on Kyle's face was devious. "Yep, he's also our personal chauffeur since he got his new, fancy car."
Fuck you, Kyle.
"A car? I'd love to see it sometime," Butters beamed.
"I'm sure there will be lots of chances to see it," Kyle explained and looked over at me. He was the fucking devil and he knew it.
"Uh, so, Butters," Stan said trying to turn the attention away from the tension between the red head and I. "Tell us about the places you visited. You've got a year's worth of stories to tell us."
Kyle's devious smile faded a bit and his expression suddenly shifted to a look of worry. Words didn't need to be spoken in order for me to know what it was that he was thinking. Butters was distracted by Stan so I could mouth the words, "I'm fine" to Kyle without being noticed. He didn't seem convinced as we stared at each other for a moment before he let out a soft sigh and nodded.
Butters was telling a story of when he was in Germany…I think. I wasn't sure. I wasn't exactly paying attention to his words. I was paying attention to his voice. His lips. His glowing blue eyes. But I wasn't paying attention to his story.
"What do you mean you're leaving?" Kyle asked and looked over at me. My mouth was gaped open. My eyes were wide. My body was frozen in place.
"How long are you going to be gone for?" Stan asked, his voice low.
Butters shook his head slowly. "I—I don't know," he answered in a small voice.
Kyle's head whipped back around to face Butters. "Butters, you can't—," he started to say but I grabbed his arm to stop him. He looked back at me.
"When do you leave?" I asked, at least I was pretty sure I did.
Butters frowned. He couldn't look at me. "Right after graduation," he answered.
Silence surrounded us for a moment before I let go of Kyle's shaking arm to shove my hand into the pocket of my parka. "Well, I guess we better make the most of our last few days then," I said with a wide, forced smile. "What do you guys want to do?"
"Ah, sorry fellas, I've gotta get to class," Butters said and I snapped out of my daze as he pushed himself up to his feet. A good hour had passed since I pulled him into the cafeteria. I didn't even notice so much time had passed.
"Hang on," Stan said as he picked up his phone to quickly tap on the screen. "Here." He handed his phone to Butters and smiled. "Put your new number in."
Butters followed the order and then handed the phone back to Stan. "Well, I'll see you later," he said as he picked up his book to hold it to his chest.
Uncomfortable silence filled the air around us as Butters left and exited the cafeteria. Kyle's hand slammed against the table and startled me. I closed my eyes as I focused on settling my racing heart. "Are we really going to just sit here and pretend everything is alright?" he snapped.
"Kyle—," Stan started to say in a lowered voice.
"No! It's not right. Kenny, you can't just—," Kyle was shouting.
I opened my eyes. "Kyle, stop," I snapped.
"Don't you remember how much it hurt? How much of a mess you were when he left?" Kyle snapped back at me.
"Kyle," I sighed as I slowly stood up.
"You're just gonna act like nothing happened?" Kyle grabbed my arm to ask in a low growl.
"I have to, Kyle," I snapped back angrily as I forced my arm from his tight grip. "I have to because I—," I stopped myself and exhaled heavily through my nose. "I know, Kyle, it's just—I can't help it. He's the one that got away."
Kyle frowned deeply and sat back in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest. "He's the one who left. There's a difference," he muttered in a small voice.
I was too tired to argue with him any further. I turned away without bothering to say anything else. He had every right to be mad, but that didn't stop me. There was no stopping it. My ghost was real. No matter how much it hurt before, I immediately forgave him when I saw him. When I saw his bright blue eyes. When I saw his innocent smile. When I heard his familiar southern drawl voice. I melted and that was the end of Kenny McCormick. That was the end of all my senses.
~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~
LBS has accepted your invitation to your group conversation.
SM: Butters! welcome to the party dude!
LBS: I've never used this app before. :/
KB: We started to use it shortly after we moved in together. It makes shopping easier when we all can't go together.
LBS: 0.0 You guys all live together?
SM: i guess we failed to mention that…
KB: Oops…
KB: I just assumed you guessed that.
LBS: Well, it's not that surprising, but I didn't think about it. XP
LBS: You fellas really are inseparable.
KB: Well, Stan and I are. Kenny's just the third wheel.
SM: speaking of, where is he?
KB: He's not at home.
SM: i'm at school so…
LBS: Should we be worried?
KB: We should always be worried about Kenny.
SM: it's true. he doesnt even know how to do his own laundry.
KB: And he's a terrible cook.
LBS: Really?
SM: he blames it on being poor.
K²: heard u guys talkin shit…
KB: There he is!
SM: HE LIVES!
K²: im at work u human pieces of garbage…
KB: Oh, how vulgar. In front of our new recruit too.
K²: new recruit?
SM: Butters finally joined the group dude.
LBS: Sorry it took so long. :/ I've been busy with projects.
KB: No worries, dude!
KB: I forgot to ask though, what are you taking?
SM: ihefowj
SM: sorry dropped my phone.
SM: continue…
K²: idiot
KB: Butters? Major?
SM: lol, Major Butters.
LBS: Sorry! I'm taking Art.
KB: I knew that was a sketchbook you were carrying around!
SM: art? that sounds hella more fun than marketing!
LBS: Lots of people think its lame. My parents weren't happy when I told them. :(
K²: its not lame
K²: uv always loved art and ur good at it
LBS: Thanks Kenny. :)
KB: How sweet.
SM: can someone kill me please?
SM: class is brutal…
KB: Kenny, help the poor moron out. Put him out of his misery.
K²: y do i have to do it? ur the 1 doin nothin
K²: o busy textin alex?
SM: oooooooooooooooooh?
KB: Shut up or I will kill you both with my tiny, bare hands…
SM: bare hands or bear hands?
LBS: Uhh, who's Alex?
SM: Kyle's boyfriend
K²: kyles bf
LBS: He is NOT my boyfriend, you idiots.
LBS: We've talked a few times and gone out once. We're taking our time and taking things slow.
K²: ah yes cause u dont want things 2 get awkward
K²: its good u got the sex outta the way
KB: KENNY!
SM: ahahahahahahahahahahaha!
LBS: Oh boy!
KB: You are the absolute WORST!
K²: probs but no regrets
SM: ahahahahhaha, class is no longer boring!
K²: job well done
K²: gotta get back 2 my real job tho
SM: awwwwwwwe
KB: Don't drop a car on yourself…
K²: b nice darlin
LBS: Ttyl Kenny. :)
K²: u 2 Buttercup
"Shit," I swore quietly under my breath. It was fucking reflex. A nickname I used to tease Butters with and Kyle and Stan would tease me for using it.
SM has sent you a private message.
And there it was.
SM: if you're gonna fall that hard again.
SM: make sure to keep your legs straight and your arms tucked in!
SM: XD
I rolled my eyes as I set my phone to sleep and shoved it back into my pocket. I was sitting outside on the stack of crates next to the door. I inhaled slowly as I tilted my head back. I had spent over a year telling myself it was just a stupid high school crush. Nothing more than stupid teenage hormones taking over. I mean, why else would I have been noticing Butters more and more in the change room without a shirt on or stared at him when he pinched his pens between his teeth while he wrote notes in class. Just a stupid high school crush, and yet everything I had worked hard to build in last year came crumbling down within the last week since Butters was back. I had to completely change my view. I was just happy to have my friend back safe. That's all it was. He was one of my closest friends and I was happy he was back and he hadn't been kidnapped in a foreign country.
I groaned loudly as I lifted my hands to rub my eyes with my knuckles. "Cause that's totally fucking believable."
The door next to me creaked open. I dropped my hands into my lap and turned my head to see Mr. Bagley leaning out of the building. "Kenny, there's a customer dropping off his car. Can you walk him through the paperwork and start on the inspection?"
I nodded and pushed myself off the crates. "Absolutely," I replied with a wide smile.
I moved to pass by the older man but he put a strong hand on my shoulder to stop me. He furrowed his bushy white eyebrows and his head tilted slightly to the side. "Are you alright, son? You look tired," he explained.
Damn, this man's observant as all hell. Even with my extracurricular activities at night I usually managed to get a few hours of sleep, but since Professor Chaos asked me that damn question and Butters came back, I couldn't get myself to sleep for more than an hour or two.
I shook my head with a small smile. "I'm fine, I just need to drink more coffee," I said.
Mr. Bagley nodded and let go of my shoulder so I could step back inside the garage. The customer was a tall man with dark hair. He kind of looked like an older version of Stan but his nose and jawline were much sharper. His dark hair was slicked back and he wore a tailored suit that fit every muscle and curve in just the right way. He stood next to his expensive BMW with his sunglasses at the tip of his nose and his phone out in front of him.
"Sir?" I called out. The man turned his head away from his phone to look at me over his glasses. He had dark eyes. Bone chillingly dark eyes. "I'm Kenny, I'll be helping you fill out your paperwork and I'll be doing the inspection of your vehicle."
"Look kid, just do whatever you need to do quickly. I need to get out of here asap to get to a meeting," the man said and turned his attention back to his phone. "Just tell me what to sign and when to pay."
Douche.
"Yes sir, follow me," I said dryly and passed by him to lead him to the small waiting area where a tall counter with an old computer sat between the door and the open garage. The man stood at the counter, his eyes glued on his phone, as I prepared everything. I inspected his vehicle, marked off everything I needed to on the sign in sheet, and returned to the counter. "Alright, just initial at the top and sign at the bottom."
The man turned his head finally. I had the sheet of paper laid on the counter facing him as I held out a pen. He seemed hesitant for a moment before he reached out to take the pen. Our fingers brushed against each other briefly and I felt a sharp shock rush through my skin. I quickly let go and backed my hand away as I cleared my throat loudly. The man was still for a moment before he reached up to take off his sunglasses completely. He was staring at me with thin eyebrows knitted together quizzically. I quickly hid my hands behind the counter and gathered my composure. Either he felt the shock too or he was staring at me because of my strange reaction. Either way, it was weird.
"You said your name is Kenny?" the man asked and looked down at the paper to search for the spots to sign.
I cleared my throat again and nodded. "Yeah," I answered.
"Well, Kenny," he said as the pen scratched against the paper. "That is an expensive car so whatever you do," he set the pen down to slide it and the paper back across the counter as he looked at me with cold eyes, "don't fuck it up, alright?"
Goosebumps covered my spine and ran up my arms. There was something off about him. I nodded and quickly took the form along with the pen. "It'll be in good hands, I promise," I replied.
The man slid his sunglasses back on and spun around to stride out of the garage with his phone pressed to his ear. My finger twitched. The sharp shock left a lingering feeling under my skin that felt like an itch I needed to scratch.
"Did you finish with the BMW?" Mr. Bagley asked as he approached me from behind.
I quickly spun my head around and nodded. "Yeah, here's the paperwork," I said as I handed the sign in sheet to the man.
"Hopefully he didn't give you too much trouble. He was a…different clientele," Mr. Bagley joked with a grin.
I smiled back at the man. "Nothing I couldn't handle, sir," I said and scratched at the spot that itched on my hand.
What a strange fucking feeling.
~/~~~~~~~~~~~~\~
I landed in the middle of the alleyway, my cape pooled around me as I crouched low in the shadows. It was quiet except for the soft crackling of a fire nearby. The glow from the fire in the alley caught my eye as I was walking along the rooftops of the industrial district during my usual patrol. I kept close to the wall as I peaked around the corner. The flaming barrel was set perfectly in the middle of the alleyway and there was no one in sight.
"That's not suspicious at all," I said quietly to myself. I should have walked away but I was a fucking glutton for punishment. I slowly stepped around the corner to approach the barrel and that's when I noticed the side of the building lit up by the glow of the fire to reveal the posters plastered all over. They were random posters but each one had a green question mark, like the one on the side of the hood of my cape, painted in the middle with the words Who Is MYSTERION written beneath them.
"What the hell?" I whispered quietly.
"Do you like it?" Professor Chaos said and stepped from the shadows. "I decorated it myself."
"I should have known this was just your way of drawing me where you want me," I growled in response.
"Well, since you're going through the trouble of masking your energy so well—," he explained and my eyebrows furrowed together under my hood.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped.
Chaos tilted his head slightly and then laughed as he gently shook his head. "You really have no clue, do you? You have power, but you know absolutely nothing about it," he said with a mocking tone that made my hands clench into fists. "Incredible. Do you even know what it is that you're capable of? Or are you just out here because you're an idiot with a death sentence?"
"That's enough, Chaos," I growled.
"You can't control it. How useful is that going to be when you get someone killed because of your incompetence?" Chaos asked, his arms crossed over his chest. I could feel my blood boiling. Anger welled up inside me. Like he's one to fucking talk about keeping people safe.
"I am warning you, Chaos. Stop talking," I snapped.
"Is that what you're afraid of? Failing? Getting people killed? Maybe you're afraid of losing control. Maybe you're afraid that you're the monster."
My body moved on its own. I was dashing across the space between us, my fist clenched at my side, ready to swing. Chaos snapped his fingers. The bolt of electricity that shot from his hand struck my shoulder. It passed through my body but didn't stop me. Even under the mask I could see the shock on Chaos' face. I had him. I pulled my arm back. There was something driving my force forward, something I hadn't felt before. I swung and Chaos quickly scrambled out of the way. I missed and my knuckled connected with the large dumpster nearby. It should have hurt. I should have felt the connection of my knuckles against the thick steel, but I didn't. Instead, the metal bent in as if I had struck a piece of paper. I took a step back as I panted heavily. I stared at the caved in metal and then down at my shaking hand. Whatever the hell just happened, it wasn't normal.
"Well, there's a piece of the puzzle discovered," Chaos said from behind me.
I quickly spun around and he was stepping back into the shadows. His arms were crossed over his chest as if he were trying to hide his hands. I took a step forward and he noticeably took a larger step back.
"I think that's enough for tonight," he explained.
"Enough of this game, Chaos! Stop this!" I shouted angrily.
"Who said this was a game, Mysterion? This is all very much real," he explained and my eyebrows narrowed together in confusion. There was a shift in his voice. "Keep your eyes open, Mysterion. It will all make sense eventually."
"Chaos!" I shouted and rushed forward as he turned away from me. I reached out to grab his wrist and the same sharp shock I had felt before coursed through my hand. I reeled back as I groaned in pain. "Dammit, what did—?" I started to ask as I looked up but Chaos was gone. He managed to disappear while I was distracted by the stabbing pain that shot through my arm. "Shit," I snapped.
"—enny?!" Kyle's voice shouted through the crackling of my earpiece.
"Kyle? What's wrong?" I asked after I unmuted the device.
"I should be asking you that!" Kyle shouted.
"Stop yelling. What the hell are you talking about?" I asked and walked back towards the barrel on fire.
"Didn't you hear that noise?" Kyle asked loudly as I walked over to the wall to start ripping down the posters.
"What noise?" I pressed.
"It sounded like a scream but it was distorted and then there was just really loud feedback for a moment before everything went silent," Kyle explained.
I tossed a few of the ripped down posters into the fire behind me. "I didn't hear anything," I replied.
"It was fucking weird. I thought something happened to you," Kyle said, his voice low.
I stopped with my hand raised and frowned. Could it have been the result of my connection with Chaos? I slowly moved my fingers. They itched under my glove. What the hell is going on?
"I'm fine," I growled back. "Now get off the comm line unless you absolutely need to."
I kicked my boots off into the corner. "They can't be the same person. That's impossible," I said as I paced back in forth in my room taking off pieces of my costume. I finished tearing down the posters and immediately went home. My mind was too unfocused after my interaction with Chaos. "Unless he's a shapeshifter." I stopped and lifted my head. "Holy shit is he a shapeshifter?" I whispered to myself and shook my head rapidly. "No, come on. That's absurd," I said and rocked my head back and forth. "As absurd as being immortal though?"
I groaned loudly as I threw my head back and lifted my hands to push my mask off my face while simultaneously removing my hood. I let him get to me. I let him make me snap, but what the fuck was that power? Was there more to what I was capable of than just being immortal?
I removed my cape and tossed it onto my bed. "I do heal pretty fast," I muttered quietly to myself and grabbed my glove to remove it. "I've adapted to pain quickly. Maybe that's—," I stopped when I removed my second glove and went wide eyed. My hand was covered in blue pulsing veins from the tips of my fingers to my wrist. "What the hell?"
"Kenny?" Kyle said as he knocked on my door. I quickly hid my hand behind my back as I spun around. Kyle opened the door and tilted his head slightly. "You alright? You seemed a little short on the walkie and you just disappeared in your room when you got home."
How absurd will it all sound to you, Kyle? If I told you everything, would you listen and understand? Or would you call me crazy?
"Kenny," Kyle said as he stepped into the room to place a surprisingly strong hand on my shoulder. I flinched at the contact. "Talk to me man. What's going on?"
"I—," I started to say but stopped myself. I couldn't tell him. It was crazy. I exhaled heavily through my nose and grinned. "I'm just tired. It was a long night."
Kyle removed his hand from my shoulder to shove it into the pocket of his pyjama pants. "Chaos again?" he asked, his eyebrow raised.
I rolled my eyes. "When is it not Chaos?" I replied.
Kyle chuckled lightly as he slowly shook his head. "You've got a point," he said and his face twisted up. I tilted my head slightly in curiosity. "Can I point out something that Stan and I have both noticed?"
"I don't know if I want to hear this but go ahead," I replied, my eyebrows furrowed together.
Kyle shifted his weight from foot to foot. "We don't think Professor Chaos is really a bad guy," he explained and my entire body tensed.
"Kyle—," I growled.
"Hear me out here," he interrupted with his hands up, his palms facing me. "It's just something we've come to notice. He never hurts anyone. He never tries to unmask you or harm you. He only ever seems to be doing the things that he's doing to get a rise out of you."
"He's blown up a building, set fire to a car, and had vandalised half of Denver," I snapped.
"Which is all illegal, but so is vigilantism," Kyle replied sternly. I opened my mouth to retaliate but the realization set it almost instantly. "If we're gonna be completely honest here, he's just as much a criminal as you are at this point in time."
"I'm kind of offended right now," I explained.
"Kenny, stay focused," Kyle replied flatly. "I know you've got this rivalry thing formed, but I also think that you know deep down he's not the bad guy. I also think that you're hiding something from us. I don't know what exactly, but I'm sure it has something to do with Chaos and the reason why this doesn't come as more of a shock to you."
It's annoying how much they care sometimes.
"You know something but you're not telling us," Kyle said and there was hurt in his tone.
I sighed loudly and slowly shook my head. "Kyle, if I knew something, you two would be the first to know. It's annoying to try and keep secrets from you," I explained partly jokingly. "But, I hear what you're saying. It's…confusing. But I'm not about to turn my back to him. He's dangerous and could hurt someone at any moment. I'm not about to let that happen because I'm careless."
Kyle grinned. "No, I imagine you wouldn't let that happen," he said and shoved his hands into his pockets as he shrugged his shoulders up to his ears. "I'm just telling you what we think. Something to keep in mind." Kyle turned to step into the doorway and stopped. He turned to look over his shoulder at me and smiled. "You're not alone here, Kenny."
I nodded slowly in understanding. He shut the door behind him and I finally relaxed. I moved my hand from behind my back where I had been hiding it and the small blue veins were gone. The tingling sensation still danced along the skin but it no longer itched. "It will all make sense," I muttered to myself. "What will make sense?" I turned to look out the large window across the room. The view consisted of the rooftop of the building next to the apartment, the streetlights below, and the dim stars above that were dulled by the light pollution of the city. "This is impossible," I groaned and threw myself onto my bed as I continued to groan long and low into the plush comforter on my bed. "None of this makes any sense." I grabbed my pillow to cover my head with it and sighed loudly. "Maybe it's all in my head. Maybe I'm going crazy," I muttered into the mattress with a muffled voice. "Who am I kidding? I'm already crazy."
DING!
I quickly lifted my head from under my pillow to look over at my phone on the small table next to my bed. I struggled to reach out to grab the device and removed it from the table.
DING!
I held my phone up to my face as I opened the message.
DING!
SM: KENNY!
SM: 911 DUDE!
SM: meet me downtown at the Vault and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HURRY!
"This night just won't end," I groaned.
I rushed to change out of the rest of my costume. I didn't bother to hide it before I barrelled out of my room. Kyle was standing in the kitchen waiting for his popcorn to finish popping in the microwave. I startled him as I came crashing out of my room to run for the door.
"Where's the fire?" he asked through the window between the kitchen and the living room.
"Stan's in trouble," I answered quickly as I struggled to put on my shoes.
"What?" Kyle snapped and flew out of the kitchen. "What the hell do you mean?"
"He messaged me. Something's wrong," I explained in a panicked voice. "I'm gonna go get him."
"I'm coming with you," he said as he took a step forward but I quickly spun around with my hand out towards him.
"No," I snapped. "Stay here. Whatever is going on, I won't be as effective if you're there for me to worry about."
Kyle frowned but didn't protest. I quickly grabbed my keys and ran out the door, slamming it shut behind me. I wasn't sure how I arrived at the Vault, but I was suddenly braking hard to stop next to the sidewalk and flying out of the driver's seat. Something was happening inside the club. People were leaving upset and irritated and the bouncer was struggling to keep the line of curious people back.
"No one is getting inside!" the bouncer yelled. I dashed across the street and the sidewalk to dodge around the bouncer and inside the club. "Hey! Get back here, you son of a bitch!" he yelled after me but I didn't stop.
I ran through the doors to the main room of the club and stopped. The commotion was coming from a rather large group of brawlers in the middle of the dancefloor. I struggled to see through the mess of bodies until I spotted the familiar mop of black hair. Stan was being pinned against the floor by a large bald man covered in tattoos. The man's hands were wrapped around Stan's neck as my friend struggled to be released. I pushed through the thick crowd of onlookers to get to the middle. I headed directly for the man on top of Stan to slam against him. Stan inhaled a loud gasp of air when the hands were removed from his throat. He coughed loudly. I was on top of the bald man and my fist connected.
CRACK!
Another blow.
SNAP!
"Maybe you're afraid of losing control."
"Kenny!" Stan shouted and arms wrapped around me to pull me back.
"Let go of me!" I screamed back as I thrashed against the hold.
"Kenny, please!" Stan struggled behind me.
A loud whistle pierced the air. Everyone scattered as the uniformed officers rushed inside. Just fucking great. It was a haze of bodies as the brawlers were grabbed by the officers. The ones who fought were cuffed but the ones who cooperated were taken outside to the mess of cop cars and ambulances. Stan and I were one of the ones who cooperated. We sat on the back of the ambulance as the paramedic checked the dark marks that had already started to form on his neck.
"Can you breathe alright?" the paramedic asked as he pressed against the wounds.
Stan nodded. "Yeah, I'm good," he replied and his face contorted at the pain.
"Did you hear anything pop or crack when he had you?" The paramedic moved his hands away.
Stan shook his head. "No," he answered.
The paramedic nodded. "Alright, I don't think any permanent damage has been done. I do suggest that you go to the hospital just in case, but I doubt you really need to unless you start to have troubles breathing or start coughing up blood."
Stan shook his head again. "I'm fine. Thanks."
"Alright. Stay here, the cops will want to talk to you two before you leave," the man said and left.
Stan lifted his hand and gently pressed his fingers against his neck. "Thanks, Kenny," he said hoarsely.
"If I had known this was going to happen I would have left your ass," I joked with a smile.
Stan struggled to chuckle. "Good thing you didn't or else I'd probably be dead right now," he explained.
"I hope there's a good explanation to what the hell just happened," I said, my eyebrows furrowed together.
"So do I," a familiar female voice said. My eyes widened as my head quickly whipped around to see the police officer approach us. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her long, brown hair was still tied up into a high ponytail. Well, shit. "I'm Officer Remis," the woman introduced herself as she reached her hand out towards Stan. They shook hands and then she turned her attention to me. I was hesitant. I slowly reached my hand out to shake and let out a small breath of relaxation. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I was just damn happy nothing happened. "Can you boys tell me what happened?"
"I can," Stan croaked. "A group of guys started making trouble on the dancefloor. They were grabbing girls, pushing guys, and one even pulled a knife. I'm not sure who threw the first punch but it got out of hand quickly. We were just trying to get them to stop and back off."
"You guys do realize that you fought a well-known gang group, right?" Officer Remis explained with a lifted eyebrow. I think she was impressed. "One of the gang members is even going to the hospital. Someone beat the living shit out of him." She stopped to turn her eyes to me. "Come to think of it, you kind of fit the description witnesses gave of who did it to him." I didn't respond and turned my gaze away. The officer shifted and moved so she was standing in front of me. I looked up through my eyelashes as she leaned in towards me. "I've got to say, you look extremely familiar."
My heart leapt up into my throat. I quickly swallowed it down. "Can't say I've ever met you before, officer," I replied with my voice as steady as I possibly could make it.
The woman hummed lightly and leaned back. "Must be my imagination," she said and uncrossed her arms to place her hands on her hips. "Can you testify to your friend's statement?"
"He can't," Stan spoke up and Officer Remis looked over at him without turning her head. "I texted him when the gang started getting rowdy. He didn't arrive until shortly before you guys did."
"Why did you text him?" the woman asked, her finely waxed eyebrows furrowed together curiously.
"He's the one with the car. I didn't expect to get in a fight. I just wanted a lift home," Stan explained.
The officer was silent as she let all the information work through her brain. I wasn't sure why but I was nervous. Stan hadn't lied and I had barely said anything, but she obviously recognized me. I wasn't sure how, but she was close to figuring it out. One good thought and she could drag me in to jail by my hair, lock me up and throw away the key.
"Well," the officer started and my shoulders tensed, "your story is lining up with all the other stories I've heard so far. Since that's the case, you guys are good to go. You can breathe now," she explained and smiled. It was such a bright smile, I almost felt guilty for fearing her. "I thank you boys for being as brave as you were but next time, don't pick a fight with a group of people who will literally kill you without batting an eye, okay?"
Stan nodded with a small chuckle. "Yes ma'am," he replied.
"Alright, get out of here. See a doctor for that," the officer said as she tapped her finger against her own neck. Stan stood first and I was immediately on my feet after him. I moved to take a step but the officer didn't move. She tilted her head slightly and our eyes locked. "It was nice to meet you—."
She was holding her hand out towards me and waiting for me to finish. The nerves were back. "Kenny," I answered as I took her hand to shake it again. "Kenny McCormick."
Officer Remis smiled again. "Good work, Kenny," she said and gave my hand a tight squeeze before she let it go.
I led Stan across the street to the car and we both climbed inside with a heavy sigh each. "Kenny," Stan said next to me as I griped onto the wheel tightly. "Kenny, what the hell happened in there?" he asked with a worried tone. "Dude, you looked like you were going to kill that guy. If I hadn't stopped you—."
"I wasn't going to kill him, Stan," I snapped and exhaled sharply. "I'm in control."
"I didn't say you weren't," Stan snapped back. I closed my eyes as I tightened my grip around the steering wheel. "Kenny, should I be worried about something?"
"Maybe you're afraid that you're the monster."
"No," I answered and opened my eyes to turn to look over at Stan. His grey eyes were full of worry and stress. His shoulders were tense. "Don't be worried, Stan. Everything's fine."
A small part of me wished I actually believed that. I wanted to believe that everything was fine. That I was fine, but I wasn't. Something was happening. Something foreign to me and I had no one to turn to. There was no one to talk to who wouldn't look at me like I was a lunatic. I was alone. I was standing in a room full of people but I was completely and utterly alone.
