chapter thirty-six:
Caelum didn't know that Principal Davis was being kept in the same hospital as his brothers, but when he realized that the was, a sick feeling fell in his gut. Of course, the man was unconscious and only living off of the machines of his life support, breathing and living for him.
Caelum stared at the man, his head was bandaged with thick white gauze and a bit of red peeking through. His fingers were raw, probably from him trying to claw himself off to stop himself from doing what Caelum ordered. He wore the generic white medical gown, his fat belly rising and falling periodically. His eyes were closed and there was a respirator on his face.
This was the man that tortured him, hurt him in ways he could never forget, ruined the life of his family and probably others.
This was the man that killed his mother.
"Go ahead, kill him." The British man in the corner prompted.
Caelum stared at the man, blinking several times, unable to find his words for a moment, bit he realized that his body hadn't moved. Although the man had given an order, he didn't mean it, like he did with the rest. He was letting him decide.
Did he want to kill him?
It wouldn't be hard, Caelum knew. He saw the outlet where the man's respirator was hooked up to. All he would have to do is unplug it, and then Principal Davis would be out of his life forever.
Yet, Caelum couldn't kill him.
Every urge in his body begged to unplug the man, and stab him in the chest over and over and over again.
Yet, Caelum couldn't kill him.
Every muscle wanted him to suffer, like he suffered. Truly give him a taste of his own medicine.
Yet, Caelum couldn't kill him.
He hated people like this ― the vigilantes, the heroes. He hated the ones who took justice into their own incapable hands. That was exactly why Caelum hated this power of his. It was useful, yes, but he hated it. Superheroes aren't heroes, they're cowards. They hide behind masks, fight the evil of the night unknown that they are the ones who cause it. Ultron, Loki, all of those evils, all of the hate and terror. They're all caused by heroes. Men pretending to be gods because they believe it is their right now that they have power to change lives and shape the future for all of humanity.
Caelum wouldn't kill this man, because at the end of the day, he was a man. He was a disgusting, venomous, ugly, terrible, hideous man, yes, but a man nonetheless. He didn't deserve death because Caelum deciding his death would be denying his mother's justice, his brother's justice, his justice.
This horrendous man wouldn't die, not in his sleep, but a slow, painful death, rotting and forgotten in a prison cell, hopefully getting the same treatment he gave him. If Caelum killed now, it would cause more issues for him in the future, than solve them.
"No, sir."
"Pardon me?"
"No, sir. I won't kill him."
"What? What about your brothers?"
"This man deserves justice," Caelum explained. "Not death."
"I'm giving you a choice," the man snapped, coming to his side. "I'm not controlling you, and you would rather your brothers die than this man, who―"
"I do not want my brothers to die," Caelum said sternly. "But my mother didn't die so that I can play hero, sir."
"Oh, bloody―!" The man threw his hands in the air, "You've got to be fucking kidding me. Are you serious?"
"I won't kill him, sir."
"Go jump out that window." Caelum moved, going to the window and trying to pry it open. It was deadbolted down, but he kept clawing at it, trying to get it opened and fulfill the order. His skin on his finger split and we're cut by the edge, and it burned as blood seeped from them.
The man came beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I could leave you here," he whispered in his ear, his grip on his shoulder getting tighter and tighter. "You stay here, trying to jump out this window forever. Eventually, when your precious Principal wakes up, he'll see you, maybe bend you over and fuck you up the arse while you try to kill yourself. Would you like that, Algol Caelum Forest?"
"N–No–No, si–sir," he groaned, his bleeding fingers still scrapping at the edges of the window.
"Will you kill him?"
"No, sir." The man yanked him down and kicked him. He hit the ground, his foot aimed straight for his side.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you!?" He hissed, driving his shoe into his chest, and Caelum gasped. He needed to jump out that window.
By any means necessary.
He kicked the man in the back of his leg, making him fall down on his back. Caelum scrambled to his feet, grabbing a television remote from beside him. His finger accidentally pressed the power button, turning it on. He threw the remote at the man as he was struggling to get up.
It hit him in the eye and he roared in pain, grabbing his face. Caelum hurried, taking his shirt off and jumping on the man, balling up the sweaty t-shirt and shoving it in his mouth. Then, he stepped on the man's neck, making him gag as he tried to take the smelly shirt out.
Caelum looked around, spotting the gauze on the table. He leapt over, snatching it off the table, and coming back. "Stop!" The man snapped, anger and frustration defining him.
Caelum stayed still, moving the gauze behind him so he didn't see. He glared at him, "You insolent little. . .!" He struggled to his feet, glowering at him. "I'll kill you for that!"
"I'm sorry, sir," Caelum said, trying to stay calm. "But, I am supposed to jump out the window." He looked him in the eye, and blinked.
He was in the man's body. His eye throbbed and was half closed, but he tried not to think about it. He grabbed the remote off the ground and threw it at the window with his full strength. The window broke immediately.
Caelum grabbed the shirt off the ground, shoving it in his mouth. He gagged, it definitely tasted as bad as he thought it would, especially after walking around outside all day with Peter.
He moved to the window while the television droned on about an explosion in Vienna, and a high speed chase. Caelum climbed out the window, his legs and arms scraping against the sides, causing blood to leak out.
Caelum stood on the outside of the window, gripping the sides of the pane for dear life, and jumped. He jumped outside the window, and when he finished, he bent down, looked himself in the eye, and blinked.
Caelum stumbled back when he was in his own body, and the man in front of him didn't. He made muffled noises behind his shirt, and Caelum chuckled. "Please leave me and my brothers alone, sir," Caelum said, and the man bent down trying to look at him. He tried to take the shirt out of his mouth but if he let go of the sill, it compromised his balance.
His eyes looked like murder, and Caelum moved forward, pushing the man's shoes a little.
He screamed, glaring at him and Caelum stayed quiet, "Leave my brothers alone, sir," he said, inching his feet closer and closer to the edge as he spoke. "I might not kill Principal Davis but I have no qualms killing you, sir. It would look like a suicide, after all." The man was holding on by just the soles of his feet, sweat dripping down his face.
Caelum could do it. It would be so easy. To push this man just an inch more and see him fall to his death. This man, who used him, this man who made him do things he didn't want to do. Who's to say he isn't the only one? Who's to say this man isn't exactly like Principal Davis? Caelum could kill him, he should kill him. And he would have no issue to do so. Just a few more inches, a few more effortless inches, and he would be gone. Another parasite snuffed from this world.
But would his mother be happy if he did that? Would she be proud of him? Would his brothers still look up to him knowing he had killed a man?
Would Peter love him?
The man was quiet and Caelum was too, debating for a long time. They listened to the news channel talk about Captain America, the Winter Soldier, and the Falcon being fugitives of the law. Caelum was sure there was more behind that story than he had time for.
"I'm going to go say goodbye to my brothers, sir," Caelum said simply, dismissing the murderous urges and stepped back. "And then, I'm going home. Maybe it would be better for the both of us to forget this ever happened?" With that, Caelum turned and left.
° · ° · ° · °
Caelum was jittery the entire way back to his brothers room. He stopped a nurse as hr made his way to them. "Hi, sorry my brother puked on my shirt," he lied. "Do you have anything I could use? I'll pay for it if I have to."
"We have the patient's uniform, if you would like one of those?" She suggested and he nodded.
"That'll be great, thank you," he smiled and the woman laughed, leading him away.
She took him to a storage room and gave him a thin, white cotton shirt. She also gave him a bandage for his bleeding nose, after he lied and said he fell trying to get away. He thanked her and slipped it on, making his way back to his brother's room, 218.
The door was open and he pushed it gently, stepping in. Neither boy was awake, but he didn't mind. He moved the chair and sat down beside them quietly.
He sat there for a while, unable to say a word and for one, he didn't want to. The quiet was enough, and he hoped they would understand. When they both got better, he was going to take them out for a treat, or hug them for hours, never letting then out of his sight again.
He saw someone walk past the door, hearing a few nurses fussing behind then. He looked up, it was the man, staring at him for several seconds. The nurse behind him was trying to get him to sit down with him so he could fix his arms and legs.
Caelum gave the man a polite nod and continued to sit beside his brothers. Thankfully, the man didn't come into the room. He heard the nurse fussing behind him all the way down the hall.
He breathed out sigh. Maybe everything was going to be okay.
° · ° · ° · °
Caelum came home earlier than he planned. He wanted to stay with his brothers, but the nurses needed to a few check ups and he didn't want to be caught up in the afternoon subway rush.
He rode all the way back to Queens, exhausted at how long of a day it had been. He was ready to pass out in Peter's bed, with the boy beside him, messing with his hair.
The thought made him smile, and he hurried back to Peter's apartment. A very fancy car was parked on the side, amd Caelum rose an eyebrow as he passed it. He managed to slip in behind an unseeming tenant. They didn't seem to care and he took the stairs two at a time, going up the steps. It was later in the afternoon, Peter must have came back a long time before he had, if he didn't waste time playing hero.
Caelum was surprised to see the door unlocked and he gently pushed it open. "Hello?" He called, looking around. The house wasn't empty, Peter's shoes were at the front door. Maybe he was in his room?
He took his shoes off and knocked at the door. "Not right now, May!" Peter called from inside the room.
Caelum rose an eyebrow, opening the door. "Not May, Parker. Try again," he said, and stared at the man sitting on his bed.
Tony Stark was looking back at him, he looked a bit roughed up, with a black eye and a stubbly chin. Yet, the man was the splitting image of the billboards and the Wikipedia page pictures.
"Hello there," Stark said, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
"I would ask you the same, but you make it too easy for everyone to know your name, sir," Caelum replied and the man rose an eyebrow.
Caelum turned around, shutting the door, and thinking for a minute. "Is this about Spider-Man?" He said and Tony turned to Peter.
"Cael," Peter moaned and Caelum rose an eyebrow.
"What? Do you expect me not to ask? Tony Stark is sitting on your bed, Parker." Caelum scratched his head, sighing. This was why he hated superheroes. If you put yourself out there, you'll get called into the fight faster than you can say vigilante.
"Sorry, how do you know about Spider-Man?" Tony asked, intrigued. "I assume our webbed friend didn't go screaming his identity to whoever would hear it."
"Yeah, like you did?" Caelum snapped back, crossing his arms.
Peter stood, "Excuse us a moment, Mr. Stark," Peter laughed nervously, taking Caelum's arm and leading him to the corner of the small bedroom.
"What did I say!?" Caelum snapped, "Put on the suit and suddenly you have Tony Stark sitting on your bed!"
"Cael, this could be a good thing," Peter insisted. "I can actually help people, a lot of people!"
"Peter, this is way different than helping old ladies cross the street," he narrowed his eyes. "This is the Avengers! This is Tony freaking Stark!"
"Yeah, and he came to me," Peter insisted. "Besides, he says I'll only be gone for a day at most, maybe a weekend. May thinks it's an internship."
Caelum pursed his lips, his birthday was this weekend. That was a silly thought, Peter could be putting himself in danger. "And if you get hurt?"
"He won't," Tony cut in and Caelum shot him a glare.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know being in a tin can gave you the power to tell the future," he quipped, annoyed by the presence of the billionaire. This man had the audacity to ask a teenager for help ― and Peter of all people!
"Caelum!" Peter grabbed his hand, glaring at him. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It's been a long day ― it's been a long week.
"I apologize," he said to both Peter and the billionaire on the Ikea bed. "Fine, whatever. Go with him, but if you come back missing even a hair―!"
"I get it," Peter smiled. "Thanks, Cael."
"Don't kill yourself," Caelum remarked bluntly, looking between him and the man on his bed. "I mean it."
"I'm sure," Tony replied easily. "You could come too. If it bothers you that much, kid."
Caelum frowned, "I can't. My brothers are in the hospital and I have some. . . family stuff to take care of." Still, the thought tempted him. Just him and Peter out for the weekend? He exhaled, shaking the thought away and addressing Peter. "I'm going to head over to Sarah and Dorri's. Call when you get back, alright?"
"I will," Peter promised. "Thanks Cael."
"For what? Not snitching?" He scoffed. "What do you take me for?"
"The best boyfriend ever." Caelum froze at the word, and immediately felt his cheeks warm, he turned around, embarrassed that Peter admitted it ― and in front of Tony freaking Stark.
"We'll talk when you get back," Caelum said and quickly left the room.