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The Broken Silence
Chapter 57
Damaged Children
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Michael Finnegan Senior had tried everything to get in touch with his wife, but it was like she had simply dropped off the face of the Earth. He had called in a few favours and had several people look for her, but the house was empty and there was no sign of what was left of his family. Mr. Finnegan looked down at the photograph in his hands and stared at the faces of his now-dead children. He should have felt sad, but instead he was filled with a white hot rage. How dare Spider do this? How dare she touch what belonged to him?!
His gaze went to Michael in the photograph and he scowled at the boy. He'd cared for that bastard for twelve years and did Michael show any appreciation? Of course not. He had run away from home when he was twelve, and hid from him like a coward. The boy had run away after getting a beating, and Mr. Finnegan hadn't been able to find him. He'd blamed Katherine for spoiling him and he had vowed to give him a second beating the second he found him. Mr. Finnegan searched for months, but Michael had simply disappeared.
For years they heard nothing, and they'd assumed him dead. Now Mr. Finnegan knew where Michael had been that whole time. He was a Volkov and he had gone crawling to his grandparents for protection. He'd been shocked when Michael showed up a decade later asking to work for him. Mr. Finnegan had beat him within an inch of his life but Michael said all the right things and seemed remorseful, and so he'd reluctantly forgiven him. He then took him back as his son. He knew very well Michael wasn't his, but he needed more men within his organization he could trust.
Mr. Finnegan glared at the picture of Michael and narrowed his eyes. Clearly he was mistaken and the boy was a snake from the very beginning. He turned his eyes on his beautiful blonde haired wife, and ran a finger over her smiling face.
Mr. Finnegan remembered when he first met Katherine and how beautiful and carefree she'd been. He was on a business trip to Russia at the time and they met at the Volkov estate for their meetings. During the long and boring meetings, Mr. Finnegan found his attention wandering and he looked out of the windows in the garden.
Katherine was seventeen and the daughter of one of his business partners. He'd seen her dancing in the gardens with some dark-haired boy and he couldn't take his eyes off her. Her smile was like a ray of sunshine and she twirled and swayed to the music, her face like an angel.
After the meeting was over, he'd approached the gardens to watch in secret. The boy she was with was the fourteen year old Volkov son, but he hadn't paid much attention to him at the time. The only thing he cared about was the beautiful Katherine. He watched her kiss the boy as they walked hand in hand and he felt jealousy consume him.
Mr. Finnegan immediately desired to own her and despite being thirty-five, he asked her father for her hand in marriage. He was immediately refused, but after a lot of threats and pressure, his business partner finally agreed to the marriage. Katherine had cried the day he took her away, and he'd quickly gotten impatient with her. Where were the beautiful smiles and gentle touches for him ? Why did she treat him like a monster?
Wanting to separate her away from everyone she knew, he returned back to Ireland with her and refused to allow her to leave the house. They married immediately and she was bitter and angry all the time. She refused to kiss him unless he forced it, and Mr. Finnegan became resentful. She hated him, but after several harsh beatings she finally began to do as she was told. She quickly learned not to displease him, and after that life got better for Mr. Finnegan.
Nine months after their marriage, Michael Jr was born and it finally felt like his life was perfect. For a time he was happy and satisfied with his life, but like all things, it didn't last. Michael was not the type of child he was expecting, and he was upset and disappointed.
As Michael grew older, Mr Finnegan saw the boy was too gentle and soft for his liking. The boy should have been interested in fighting and sports, but instead he liked to draw and play quietly by himself. Mr. Finnegan thought he acted more like a girl than a boy, and he was disgusted by it. Mr. Finnegan refused to raise a son like that and so he was hard on him on purpose, and began beating him any time he acted too effeminate. His wife argued and fought with him over this, but he knew it made the boy stronger. It wasn't long before Michael stopped being sweet and gentle and instead became angry and a bully to the other children at school.
The older Michael got, the more disappointed Mr. Finnegan became. It soon became clear that Michael wasn't suited to play sports, and also struggled academically. Michael was incredibly dumb in his opinion, and he messed up everything he touched. Mr. Finnegan began beating him harder and harder, determined to make his son right, but nothing helped.
When Michael failed the 8th grade, Mr. Finnegan had given him the worst beating of his life and made sure Michael knew how much of a pathetic disappointment he was. Michael ran away in the middle of the night, and that was the last time Mr. Finnegan saw him for nearly a decade.
Mr. Finnegan scoffed and tore Michael out of the family photo. He'd wasted his time with the boy, and Michael was nothing but a mistake. Mr. Finnegan ground his foot on top of Michael's picture. A mistake that would soon be erased. Spider would come for him soon and once he helped her with her plans, he was going to track Michael down and strangle him with his bare hands.
No one betrayed him and got away with it.
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"Ugh," Spinkick whined, "Why is it so cold here?"
"Because you're in the Northern U.S.A during Wintertime?" came Troll's mocking voice over the coms, "What'd you think it was going to be like? A tropical rainforest?"
Spinkick pulled a knitted hat down over his ears and scowled out the window of their rental van. "There's no snow so why is it so cold?"
"I repeat my previous statement," Troll replied.
"I don't find it that cold," Lady Dokuso commented, "Hokkaido in Japan where I grew up can get very cold in the wintertime. This is pretty mild in comparison."
"I'm filipino, and I hate all cold weather," Spinkick muttered, "I can't wait to get out of here!"
Flytrap smiled at him and removed her scarf. Leaning over, she gently wrapped it around his neck until all that could be seen were his eyes.
"There, Kit, you can use my scarf," she told him, "I was too hot anyway."
"Fank oo, Pet," came his muffled response.
"You're three minutes from destination," Troll informed them, "Operative Earwig is supposed to keeping an eye out for you."
"Who is this Earwig person?" Rhino demanded, "How come I've never heard of her before?"
Troll pulled up Earwig's profile and saw her picture was from her academy days. Nothing seemed overly remarkable about her and so he wasn't certain.
"Dunno," he replied, "She looks pretty basic to me. Her boobs are pretty much non-existent and her ass looks flat."
"Ugh, you creep," Driver snapped, "That doesn't matter!"
"Says the woman who looks like pure perfection," Troll replied, "Perfect breasts, an ass you could stand on, and a face like a Playboy girl. You, my dear, are beautiful!"
"You're a disgusting pervert!" Driver said angrily, "Stop looking at me!"
"Take a compliment," Troll snapped, "You're the best looking person on the team. Petra has a big ass but her chest is flat, and Dokuso is like 108."
Flytrap's face reddened in fury, but it was Spinkick who jumped to her defense.
"Don' oo 'alk 'bout 'er 'ike that!" he yelled through the thick scarf.
Troll let out a snort and changed the subject. "You're now at your destination. Pull over and Earwig should be waiting nearby."
Driver pulled the van to the side of the street into an empty parking spot and then turned off the ignition.
"How will we know her?" Rhino demanded.
"I'm watching through various street-cams right now and so I'll let you know if I see her approaching," Troll stated, "I just texted everyone her picture."
Everyone pulled out their coms and glanced down at the photo he sent. There was a young girl with short dark hair that was wearing the academy uniform and it was obviously a very old photo because the uniform was slightly different from the current one.
"How old is this?" Lady Dokuso demanded, "I haven't seen this uniform in quite a while."
"She graduated ten years ago but there are no current pictures of her," Troll replied, "In fact there is barely any info about her at all. There are no mission reports, no evaluations, and not even any disciplinary reports. It's like she simply disappeared directly after graduating."
"That is very...unusual…" Lady Dokuso commented, "I have never heard of this operative either."
Everyone got out of the van and they glanced up and down the street but no one seemed to be paying them any attention. The streets were crowded and they waited for a few minutes in silence, but there was no sign of Earwig.
"Troll, do you see her?" Lady Dokuso demanded.
"I'm looking," Troll replied, his tone a bit distracted, "I'm watching all surrounding streets but I don't see her yet."
"Are we early?" Driver asked.
Flytrap glanced down at her watch. "We're right on time."
Spinkick pulled the scarf down a bit. "Then where is she?! It's freezing and the people here are really creepy."
"Creepy?" Flytrap questioned.
"Yeah," Spinkick replied, "Look at that group of homeless people staring at us."
Everyone glanced over and saw five homeless people watching them from the nearby alley. They were wearing rags and all were absolutely filthy. One of the men was incredibly massive and had a scraggly beard and hands that were black with dirt. Another man was thin, greasy and kept twitching as he watched them. Lurking in the back of the group was a person wearing a disgustingly dirty rat costume. He was crouched down like an animal and they could see his nails were long and filthy.
"Why are they staring at us like that?" Flytrap demanded.
"Ugh," Driver commented, "Let's move further away."
"No, this is our meeting spot and so this is where we'll stay," Lady Dokuso said firmly.
"They look like they're planning on mugging us," Flytrap pointed out.
Spinkick puffed up his chest heroically. "I could take them all in a fight!"
"Ugh," Driver repeated, "And then we'd have to touch them."
"Go on!" Lady Dokusu called over to the people, "Get away from us! Leave us alone."
The homeless group exchanged looks with one another and then began whispering. One of the group slowly began approaching them, and Spinkick instantly readied himself for a fight.
"Back off!" he warned her.
"What do you want?" Driver demanded, "Go away!"
The woman stopped just in front of them and simply stared at them silently. She wiped her nose on her sleeve, and then glanced over her shoulder at her friends. The four men were watching her intently and so she turned her attention back to Team Shadow.
"She's looking for a handout," Lady Dokuso said in disgust, "Go away, you're not getting anything from us!"
"Why is Earwig so late?" Driver demanded, "This is ridiculous! We're going to catch a plague from these disgusting people!"
"Just give her some change so she goes away!" Flytrap begged, "Who has change?"
Rhino reached into his pocket, dug around for a moment, and then pulled out a handful of quarters.
"Here," he stated, tossing the change at the woman's feet, "Now piss off."
The woman stared down at the change and then knelt down to pick it up. Once she had collected every coin, she walked away to head back to her dirty group of friends. She placed the change into the bearded man's hands who patted her on the head affectionately.
Driver curled her nose at the sight. "Ugh, so nasty."
"Any sign of her yet, Troll?" Lady Dokuso demanded.
"Still looking," Troll replied, "I'm going to scan the crowds with my facial recognition software. She probably hasn't noticed you since you're all dressed as civilians."
"Well, hurry up!" Spinkick ordered.
"Oh god, she's coming back," Flytrap stated.
Everyone glanced over and sure enough the homeless woman was coming back. She stood in front of them and simply stared at them, not saying a word. She scratched her head for a moment and her fingers became tangled in her long dark hair, dislodging several pieces of black debris. Everyone recoiled away from her.
"Leave us alone!" Spinkick snarled, "We don't have any more change!"
The woman blinked at him and said nothing.
"Just ignore her and she'll eventually go away," Lady Dokuso stated.
"She smells," Driver complained, "Disgusting thing."
"Huh," Troll stated, "You're never going to believe this but-"
"HEY!" Spinkick interrupted, "Don't touch me!"
They glanced over and saw the woman had reached out and grabbed hold of Spinkick's sleeve to give it a tug. Spinkick shoved her away hard and she stumbled back and fell onto the pavement. The bearded man watching let out a roar of rage and began to charge directly for them, but the woman raised a hand and he stopped short. Getting back to her feet, she didn't seem bothered and Spinkick bristled.
A greasy handprint was left on Spinkick's sleeve and he shuddered. "Leave us alone!" he ordered.
"Um, guys?" Troll cut in.
"What is it?" Lady Dokuso demanded.
"I've scanned everyone on the surrounding streets and I got a match…"
"Great!" Flytrap said, "Where is she?"
"Right in front of you."
"Where?" Spinkick demanded, "I don't see anyone!"
"...she's the homeless woman," Troll replied, sounding a bit too amused about the situation.
Everyone turned to stare at the homeless woman in horror and disgust. They all pulled up Earwig's picture on their coms and then compared the two.
There was so much dirt and grime on the woman that it was hard to compare, but there were definitely similarities. Earwig was older now, her hair was extremely dirty and matted, and her face was covered in scars, but there was no doubt she was the same person in the photo. Her clothes were in absolute tatters, and they were stained brown from grease and dirt.
"Oh my god…" Driver commented, raising a hand to her mouth.
"You're Earwig?!" Spinkick cried out.
Earwig nodded.
"What is the meaning of this?" Lady Dokusi demanded, "Why are you like this?"
Earwig blinked and said nothing.
"Are you certain this is operative Earwig, Troll?" Lady Dokuso asked.
"Absolutely," Troll responded with a snicker, "This is going to be so much fun to watch."
"No, I refuse," Driver said, crossing her arms, "I am not working with this...creature!"
"Orders are orders, princess," Troll teased.
"Says the man who doesn't have to smell her! She smells like a dead rat soaked in sewage!"
Troll began to laugh hysterically and Driver scowled.
"Oh, shut up," she muttered.
Lady Dokusu walked around Earwig and looked her up and down with a scowl. "This is unacceptable," she commented, "Is this some sort of test? Why would someone like this be assigned to our team?"
The Troll was still laughing at them and couldn't answer, and Rhino frowned down at Earwig unhappily.
"...she's going to have to ride in the van with us."
"What?! No!" Spinkick cried out.
"Absolutely not!" Driver agreed.
"Hell no!" Flytrap yelled angrily, "She probably has body lice!"
Driver's eyes widened in horror. "...I never thought of that!"
Lady Dokuso was clearly livid and she abruptly turned away to head back to the van. "I will be reaching out to our contacts. This is obviously a mistake."
"A rental house has been arranged for you," Troll informed them, still snickering to himself, "It's not far, but I'd roll down the van windows if I were you."
"Well, come on then," Lady Dokuso snapped, glaring at Earwig, "Everyone in the van."
Everyone got in the van and Earwig glanced back to the four men still watching everything worriedly. She raised a hand and waved goodbye to them, and then she crawled into the van with the others. As the van pulled away, the windows were all immediately rolled down.
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DD slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Chase leaning down over her worriedly.
"Diana?" he said softly, "How are you feeling?"
DD blinked slowly and considered the question. She'd been feeling sick for so long that she immediately noticed a difference. She was very sore and tired, but she was feeling better than she had in a very long time.
"Good," she answered, "I feel good."
Chase let out a breath of relief and gently brushed her hair aside. "Do you remember who I am?" he asked.
DD stared up at him and then nodded. "You said you were my father," she replied, "Are you really my daddy?"
Chase smiled down at her and nodded. "I am."
"And I have a mommy too?" DD asked hopefully.
Chase's smile turned strained. "No, I'm sorry, Diana, but your mommy passed away when you were just a baby. It's just me."
DD frowned and felt a bit disappointed, but knew one parent was better than none. She glanced around and saw she was in a room that had garish flowered wallpaper.
"Where am I? This isn't the lab…"
"No, we took you away from that awful place," Chase assured her, "You'll never have to worry about that terrible lab ever again."
"I bet Doctor Vess was real mad when he found out I was gone," DD said with a giggle.
Chase grimaced. "Don't worry about him."
"Did Mikey come too?" DD asked, "Can I see him?"
"Who?" Chase questioned.
"Michael," DD replied, "He's my friend and he's always really nice to me."
Chase felt like his blood suddenly froze. "Michael Finnegan?"
DD nodded. "Where is he? Did he run away from the lab too?"
Chase went silent.
"I want to see Mikey!" DD said, quickly realizing something was wrong, "Where is he? What happened to him?!"
"Michael Finnegan is a terrible person," Chase informed her, "He hurt your mommy, and he was the one who stole you from me. You won't be seeing him ever again. He's still at the lab, and you'll be staying with me from now on."
DD felt like she was going to cry but she held her tears back and then asked. "And what about Siren?"
Chase's eyes widened. "You know Siren?"
DD nodded. "He's my friend too. He might act grouchy, but he's secretly very nice. He brings me toys and plays with me!"
"Siren knew you were at the lab?" Chase asked, starting to get angry.
DD nodded. "We've been friends for a long time."
Chase narrowed his eyes. Siren had known where DD was this entire time and he hadn't told them. He'd let them believe DD was dead, and he couldn't fathom why. There was something incredibly suspicious about this situation, and he now knew Siren couldn't be trusted. Was he actually loyal to V.I.L.E? Had they rescued an enemy? Was the confusion and helplessness an act? Who exactly was Siren, and where did his loyalties lie?
"Where's Siren?" DD repeated.
"He went home," Chase responded, wishing Team Crackle had stayed around a bit longer. He wanted to confront Siren with a good punch to the face, but he doubted he would have the chance now that Team Crackle went into hiding.
DD now realized she was alone with strangers and she sucked in a sharp breath of fear. Chase quickly gave her a reassuring smile, not wanting to frighten her.
"It's alright, Diana, no one will ever hurt you ever again. You're safe and soon you'll be well enough and we'll go home."
"Home?" DD asked, "Where's home?"
"Poitiers," Chase replied, "I will take you home where you can meet your grandparents. My mother is in a care home, and Yu Yan's parents live about an hour outside the city. You'll get to meet them all and I know they will love you."
DD glanced around the room and her expression settled into a frown. "Where's Greta?"
Chase furrowed his brow. "Who?"
"Greta!" DD repeated.
"I...I don't know who that is," Chase told her.
DD let out a huff. "She's my toy," she explained, "Siren gave her to me."
Chase reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple Tamagotchi. "This was in your pocket when we rescued you..."
DD grinned wide and reached out her hands to take it. "Greta!"
Chase allowed her to take it and DD immediately fed and cleaned up after the Tamagotchi.
"There, now she's not sad anymore!"
Chase smiled down at her and simply felt relieved she was finally awake. He brought in the rest of the team one by one to meet her, and although she was a bit uncertain, she did her best to be brave.
Mime Bomb had told Carmen and Otterman what he'd discovered about Michael, and none were quite sure how to feel about it. Carmen was relieved he would no longer be working with V.I.L.E, but she didn't like the idea of him remaining free. Otterman didn't really have too much of an opinion on the matter, and although he thought Michael was a douchebag, he still felt sorry for him.
Their team stayed clear of the main house, and Mikhael and Annika visited them several times a day to chat. No one spoke of Michael, and they simply pretended he didn't exist. Annika and Mikhael were looking extremely tired and stressed and it was obvious things weren't going well. They tried to keep things lighthearted but there was a feeling of tension that no one acknowledged.
Matryoshka and Plague Doctor both visited them at the guest house, and they kept them informed of what A.C.M.E was up to. Apparently A.C.M.E had set up a base in San Diego to wait for Carmen to make an appearance. Team Crackle were back in North America but they were staying away for as long as possible.
Doctor after doctor visited DD, and to everyone's relief she was doing extremely well. Every day she got stronger and stronger, and after two weeks, she was finally able to sit up. DD was extremely shy and quiet at first, but as she got used to everyone, she opened up and laughed and chatted with the team.
No one had told Chase about Michael being alive, and they did their best to hide it from him. In another two weeks they'd be able to leave with DD, and they hoped he would never find out.
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Karam stared through the glass in front of her and frowned thoughtfully. Tapping her pen against her clipboard, she studied the woman inside the cell and then continued looking through her notes. Not much was known about Doctor Saira Bellum, but A.C.M.E had linked her to dozens of crimes over the years. Most of the guards and doctors they arrested were more than willing to testify against her, and A.C.M.E had more than enough evidence to keep her behind bars for the rest of her life.
Bellum had committed absolute atrocities ranging from murder to outright attempted genocide and Karam had studied her file extensively. Bellum would never be released, but A.C.M.E was trying to determine if her actions were a result of mental illness or whether she was in her right mind. A.C.M.E had a state of the art mental institution to keep her contained, but they weren't convinced she belonged there.
"Are you in any pain, Doctor Bellum?" Karam asked, "I understand that you were injured during the raid on the lab."
Bellum was sitting cross-legged on a prison cot in sweatpants and a tanktop, and she didn't so much as spare Karam a glance.
"I know that you have no reason to trust me, but I'm only here to help you," Karam assured her, "I want to make sure you get the best treatment possible. I'm not here to persecute you, I'm just here to talk."
Bellum ran a hand through her messy hair and finally looked up. "I know nothing about the lab or whatever this V.I.L.E organization is."
The only words Bellum had said since being arrested was that she had no idea who V.I.L.E were or what was being done at the lab. She repeated this to anyone who questioned her, and refused to acknowledge that they had proof of her being head faculty.
"A.C.M.E already knows about V.I.L.E and who you are, Doctor Bellum, that's not even put into question. Let's not insult one another by pretending otherwise."
Bellum rolled her eyes.
"That's not what I'm here to talk about however. I'm just looking to find out how you're feeling, and to see if there's anything I can do to help you."
"I find that extremely unlikely."
"My name is Karam Quederi and I would like to ask you a few questions if that's alright."
Bellum's eyes widened. "You are related to Numa Quederi?"
This was the first thing Bellum had said that acknowledged she knew anything, and Karam winced.
"...he was my brother," she replied.
Bellum squinted at her thoughtfully. "The bird flies south during winter."
Karam furrowed her brow. "Pardon?"
Bellum heaved a disappointed sigh. "Nevermind."
Bellum seemed to have lost interest in Karam, and looked away towards the wall.
"I'm not going to grill you about anything you did in the past, but I thought we could just have a conversation?"
"Not interested," Bellum replied, glancing up at the fluorescent lights thoughtfully.
Karam didn't like that look, and hoped Bellum wasn't planning anything.
"Surely you must be getting a little lonely down here by yourself?" Karam questioned.
"I am happiest when I'm alone with my thoughts."
Karam made a few notes on her clipboard and then looked back up. "It must have been very difficult being a woman in your field in India," she stated, "Many of the same hardships exist for Yemeni women as well. Women have to work twice as hard and be twice as strong to make it in the medical field but yet they're still paid less than a man."
Bellum said nothing.
"My records show that you are the youngest of five daughters in your family. Your sisters were married by the time they were sixteen and you were married as well…"
Bellum muttered something under her breath but didn't look at her.
"How old were you when you had a husband chosen for you?"
"Why are you asking me this?" Bellum demanded, "It doesn't matter. I had the marriage annulled and I left my family to pursue my education. I had no interest in a domestic life."
"You were eleven and he was fifty-three."
Bellum tensed briefly before her same aloof posture was back. Karam eyed her reaction carefully and then continued.
"It took a lot of courage and strength to stand up to tradition and leave your family. You managed to get three doctorates despite the social stigma and on a full scholarship no less. You then went on to invent many incredible things, and you could have been the scientist of the century."
Bellum glanced back at her but she remained silent.
"The reason why I'm bringing this up is to show that I understand your struggles and I can appreciate your accomplishments. The only thing I cannot understand is why you chose to use your gifts for evil instead of to help the world. What happened, Doctor Bellum, why did you join V.I.L.E?"
Bellum gave her a careless shrug and then sighed deeply. "I was tired of my experiments always being restricted. Too much red tape and paperwork to get anything done."
Karam frowned. "And V.I.L.E gave you that freedom?"
"V.I.L.E allowed me to do anything I wanted without restriction," Bellum agreed, finally admitting to her involvement.
"...and they did the same for my brother?" Karam asked hesitantly.
"Your brother was a genius and V.I.L.E made him great," Bellum stated, "It was a shame he was killed before his experiments could be completed."
"Tell me about his experiments, what exactly were you two doing at that lab?"
Bellum squinted at her. "I want a lawyer."
"I'm not law enforcement, I just want to understand more about my brother," Karam assured her.
"Lawyer."
"I shouldn't have pried like that but was curious since it somehow involves my brother. He was missing for nearly two decades and I just want to know what happened."
Bellum narrowed her eyes. " Lawyer ."
Karam sighed and then gave her a nod. "Very well, I'll get you a lawyer. In the meantime, please eat something, you can't keep starving yourself."
Bellum glanced over at her untouched lunch tray which contained a ham sandwich and an apple.
"Perhaps if the food wasn't so...subpar, that wouldn't be an issue."
Karam wondered if this would be a way to earn a bit of trust. "Would you like me to bring you something else? Something from your home country? Some curry perhaps?"
Bellum eyed her for a moment. "A Big Mac and fries," she replied, flopping over onto her mattress.
This was not what Karam was expecting, but she nodded all the same. "...I'll see what I can do..."
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Michael was lightly dozing when he heard his bedroom door open. He ignored it and didn't bother opening his eyes. No one spoke to him and a few moments later, the door closed again. Assuming it was a shift change, Michael grumbled under his breath and didn't move. He felt a sudden weight settle on the bed beside him and knew it was likely his grandmother. What he wasn't expecting however, was suddenly being licked across the face.
Michael gasped in surprise and opened his eyes.
He was met with the sight of a dog staring directly into his face. It immediately licked him again. Michael had no idea why there was a dog in his room but he couldn't will himself to care. He stared at the dog for a few moments and then closed his eyes, not especially caring. He could feel the dog shifting around on the bed, but he ignored it and soon drifted back to sleep.
He dreamt of Vess like every other dream since he'd learned of his death. He and Vess were walking down a beach that seemed to stretch on forever and they were holding hands. Michael was feeling happier than he thought possible and Vess seemed relaxed and content. They were barefoot and dressed casually, and the sunset was bathing the beach in a golden light.
Michael spotted a beautiful blue shell on the sand and he released Vess' hand so he could kneel down to pick it up. Brushing the sand from it, he straightened up and saw Vess had continued on without him.
"Numa, wait up!" Michael called out with a laugh, "Are you leaving me?"
Vess didn't turn and he continued walking along at the same leisurely pace.
"Numa!" Michael complained, jogging to catch up to him.
Michael reached out for Vess' hand who finally turned to look at him. Vess' face was burnt into nothing but bone, his eye sockets dead and empty. Michael let out a scream and woke up. Gasping in absolute terror, he began to shake as fresh tears came to his eyes.
He was startled when the dog suddenly appeared out of nowhere and licked at his tears. Michael pulled away and simply curled into a tight ball of misery, wishing he could die. He felt the dog lay down beside him, the warmth of its fur pressing into his side. Michael remained curled up like that until his back grew stiff and he finally shifted into a different position. His hand felt soft fur from beside him and he slowly opened his eyes.
The dog was gazing straight at him only inches from his face and Michael simply stared at it. He didn't have the mental energy to comprehend this, and he rolled away from the dog. He could feel the dog curl up against his back and that's where it remained as he stared at the wall.
Michael ignored everyone who spoke to him and reacted to nothing as they tried to coax him to eat or drink. There was an IV in his arm keeping him hydrated but Michael knew he was losing weight. His clothes no longer fit him properly and he was feeling weak and tired all the time now.
Michael fell asleep that night and once again dreamt of Vess. He dreamed that Carmen Sandiego had kidnapped him, and he was trying everything to get him back. When he finally fought his way to Vess, he saw he had been tortured. Everything he had done to Mime Bomb had been done to Vess and there was blood absolutely everywhere. Every cut and every bruise was the same, and it made Michael feel sick just to look at it.
"An eye for an eye, Mj," Carmen told him, smiling at him innocently, "Finish the job."
Michael then looked down and saw he was holding the knife that had sliced up Vess. His hands were stained in blood and Michael gasped and dropped the knife to the floor. When he looked up, Vess was on fire and screaming.
Michael jerked awake again and let out a scream of frustration and pain. He pulled at his hair and wished he could end this. Suddenly the dog was pushing itself under his arm and licking at his face.
"Ugh!" Michael complained, "Where the hell did you even come from?! Why are you in my room?"
The dog's response was to lick him again. Michael finally gave a good look at it and saw it was the most bizarre looking dog he'd ever seen.
The dog was long-haired and its coat was unlike anything Michael had ever seen on a dog. Its fur was black with orange stripes, and Michael reached out to run his fingers through its soft fur. The dog licked his fingertips and Michael frowned at it. Letting out a deep sigh, he pushed it away and then curled back into a ball of misery.
He heard people take the dog out of his room several times that day for walks, and he assumed it was Sebastian's dog. Sebastian had a love for enormous dogs and he never had less than three at a time. He was always bragging about whatever newest rare dog he'd obtained, and Michael had a feeling Sebastian was bringing it in just to torment him. He knew Sebastian hated him, and the fact the other man was forced to babysit him all day probably didn't help matters.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Sebastian was seated at his desk reading a novel. That confirmed it in his mind, and Michael let out a deep sigh. He didn't have the energy to fight against this injustice and decided to just ignore Sebastian and his stupid dog.
That night when Michael had a nightmare, it was the worst one yet. He dreamed his entire family was burning alongside Vess, and Michael was the one holding the match. He stared into the flames as everyone he had ever loved burned, and he made no move to help them. They screamed and begged for him to help them but he simply watched them burn. Michael saw the betrayal in his grandmother's eyes as she died, and Michael once again woke up screaming.
Shaking and sobbing hysterically, he didn't even react when the dog once again pushed its way under his arm so it could lick at him. Michael went to push it away but when his fingers sunk into its soft fur, he didn't want to let go. He found himself wrapping his arm around the dog and hugging it as tightly as he could. The dog didn't seem bothered by this and simply laid there wagging its tail and licking his tears away.
Michael woke up hours later still clinging to the dog and he ran his fingers through the soft fur. He found the repetitive motion helped a bit and so he just laid there silently petting the dog. Michael stared at the large brown eyes that were looking up at him and he let out a deep sigh. Finally pushing the dog aside, he went to roll back over away from it, but the dog wasn't ready to be ignored. It jumped on top of him and Michael flashed it a glare and pushed it away again.
He caught a glimpse of gold around the dog's neck and he frowned suspiciously. Reaching out, he brushed aside the thick fur and discovered an expensive looking name tag attached to its collar.
' Tiger '
He turned the tag over and to his shock he saw he was listed as the owner. Michael immediately scowled. He didn't want a dog or any other pet. He wanted to die alone and miserable.
Tiger licked him in the face again and he sputtered and then shoved the dog off the bed. It sat there staring at him with a happy look on its face and Michael narrowed his eyes. They were trying to replace Vess with a dog and it wasn't going to work. Did they seriously think a stupid mutt was going to make anything better?!
Picking up a pillow, he threw it at the dog as hard as he could. He wasn't used to throwing with his left arm and he missed by a good five feet, and it landed on the other side of the room. To his surprise Tiger trotted across the room, picked up the pillow and then carried it back to him. Michael took the pillow back and then threw it again. Tiger bounded after it and brought it back to him.
"You're stupid," Michael grumbled.
The dog wagged its tail in response.
Michael rolled his eyes and then flopped back down onto the mattress, deciding to just ignore it. He laid there until his grandparents came to see him like they did several times a day. He remained silent as they spoke to him, and he half-listened as Mikhael told him stories about his youth. Annika sat beside him and spoke to him in Russian but Michael couldn't be bothered to try to understand her words.
"You will get up today?" Annika repeated in English.
Michael said nothing.
They sat with him for over an hour and then he was left alone with Sebastian and the dog once again. Supper was bought for him but Michael didn't even bother opening his eyes. A cold nose pressed into his neck and Michael nearly jumped a mile in surprise. He glared at the dog but it simply whined at him.
"Piss off!" Michael snarled.
The dog whined again and nudged him.
"What?" Michael demanded, "What do you want?"
The dog barked and Michael glanced towards the door. Did it want out?
Tiger barked again and then glanced towards the plate. Oh... It was hungry.
Michael very slowly sat up, feeling weak and extremely stiff. Reaching for the plate on his bedside table, he saw it was pizza. He knew his grandparents both hated pizza, and figured they had it made specifically for him.
"You want pizza?" Michael asked.
Tiger licked its lips expectantly.
Ripping off a corner of the crust, he offered it to the dog who gently removed it from his fingers before wolfing it down greedily. It gave him an eager look and Michael snorted and ripped off a bit more crust. He held it out and Tiger practically inhaled it. As Michael was ripping off a third piece, the smell of the pizza hit him and his stomach growled. Frowning at his body's betrayal, Michael glanced down at the pizza.
"They know I don't like peppers," he grumbled, picking a green pepper off and giving it to the dog.
Michael took a bite of the pizza and then tore off a bite for the dog as well. They spent the next few minutes sharing the pizza and then Michael set the empty plate down for the dog to lick. This was the first time Michael had eaten since the lab had been raided, and it made him feel a little sick. Rubbing his stomach with a frown, he flopped back down onto his mattress.
"There, now leave me alone."
Tiger jumped back up onto his bed and curled up at his side, and Michael closed his eyes. He heard how happy his grandmother seemed when she saw the empty plate, and she patted him on the head affectionately.
"He shared it with the dog," Sebastian whispered lowly.
Michael scowled. Leave it to the snitch to tattle on absolutely everything he did no matter how minor. His grandmother kissed Michael's cheek and a few moments later she was gone. Just that small amount of exertion had worn him out, and Michael fell asleep.
Michael dreamed he and Vess lived a normal life and they were happy. They owned a pizzeria together, and they delighted the villagers with all the unique flavours they came up with. Vess was no longer a doctor but a cook instead who was proud of his food. Michael dealt with the customers and was friendly with everyone. He and Vess wore matching wedding rings, and their wedding photo hung on the wall in a place of honour.
Michael woke up feeling bitter and robbed. The dream had been good and that made real life even worse. Vess was dead, and none of that would ever happen. Rolling over, he came face to face with Tiger who thumped their tail and greeted him with a sloppy lick across the face.
"Bleck!" Michael cried out, shoving the dog off the bed, "Get away from me!"
Michael shot it a glare, and then closed his eyes, intent on going back to sleep. Tiger had other ideas however and jumped on top of him excitedly.
"Augh!" Michael complained, "Go away!"
Tiger nudged him with a cold nose and Michael flailed at the dog who was undeterred. Michael let out a huff of annoyance and sat up. He stared at the dog for a long time, and then sighed and reached his hand out to touch the soft fur.
"I should strangle you," Michael threatened, "Damn fucking nuisance."
"Your grandparents paid a lot of money to get you that dog."
Michael nearly had a heart attack and looked up and saw Sebastian was standing in the corner of the room. He hadn't noticed him there, and realized he'd been watching him. Michael scowled at him and looked away.
"Tiger is a specially trained service dog, and she'll be able to help you recover," Sebastian informed him, "She's a Longhaired Brindle Dutch Shepherd."
" She ?!" Michael repeated, "They got me a fucking girl dog?!"
Sebastian simply nodded.
"That's gay," Michael snapped, "I don't want a girl dog. Take it away and get me a real pet!"
Sebastian heaved a sigh, and said nothing more. The fact Michael was talking was already a huge improvement, and he knew they now just had to have a lot of patience.
Michael shoved the dog off his bed but was annoyed when it hopped right back up.
"Go away!" Michael snapped, once again shoving the dog off the bed.
Tiger jumped right back up, and seemed excited at this new game. Michael shot it a glare, and then sighed.
"Very good, you seem to be a little more active this morning," Sebastian said, "We have plans for you today."
Michael groaned and glared over his shoulder at the other man. He saw that Sebastian had the wheelchair ready and was wearing a jacket, hat and gloves.
Michael narrowed his eyes. "What's that for?" he demanded.
"You've been sulking in here for long enough," Sebastian replied, "It's time for you to get a little fresh air. Tomorrow you will meeting with your new therapist."
"Not interested," Michael answered, flopping back down onto the mattress.
"Sorry, but this is non-negotiable," Sebastian replied, "You need intensive therapy, and your grandparents hired a very expensive specialist. You're going outside for a while today whether you like it or not, and you're going to be grateful for everyone trying to help you."
"Fuck off," Michael muttered, "Leave me to die."
"Stop being so dramatic," Sebastian scolded, approaching him, "You're well enough to get up now."
"Touch me and I'll kill you," Michael threatened.
Sebastian's response to that was to reach down and pull Michael up so he was sitting. Michael was startled but he immediately lashed out, realizing too late it was with the wrong arm. Letting out a screech of agony, he felt tears come to his eyes as the stump of his arm felt like it had torn open. Sebastian took that opportunity to shift Michael off the bed and into the wheelchair, buckling him in before he had a chance to react.
Tiger hopped down off the bed excitedly and Michael swung out at Sebastian a second time, this time with his left arm. The other man was out of range however and Michael struggled uselessly against the seatbelt. He tried to unclasp it, but to his embarrassment, he realized he needed two hands to do it.
"Stop!" Michael yelled out as he was wheeled out of the room, "I don't want to go! Stop!"
Sebastian ignored him and a few moments later they were headed down the hallway towards the loading elevator. Tiger trotted along beside them, excited that she was seemingly going for a walk. Michael was furious that he was being forced to leave his room like this and he continued struggling with the seatbelt, getting angrier and angrier. When they reached the bottom floor, Michael was glowering and when someone approached them, he turned that angry look on them.
A tall dark-haired man he didn't know stood there and Sebastian seemed surprised to see him.
"Oh! Are you planning on taking Master Michael for his walk?" Sebastian questioned.
The man silently nodded his head and Sebastian immediately stepped aside.
"Have fun you two," Sebastian stated, "Don't stay out too long."
To Michael's fury, the stranger took Sebastian's place and began pushing his wheelchair. Michael glared up at him and scowled.
"I don't want to go out," he stated.
The dark-haired man said nothing and continued heading towards the door.
Michael sighed heavily and slumped in the chair, not having the energy to fight about anything. He allowed himself to be zipped into a coat, and a hat and glove were placed on him and he said nothing. The door was then opened and Michael was pushed out where the sun felt absolutely blinding. Neither Michael nor the man said a single word as they went for a walk through the grounds of the manor. The snow had been cleared and although it was cold, it was tolerable.
Tiger trotted along beside Michael and after fifteen minutes they came to a stop beside the flower gardens which were covered in a thick layer of snow. Michael glanced up at the man and then looked away, wondering what they were doing there. Michael turned his gaze to the scenery and he stared towards the maze observing how everything was covered in a thick layer of ice.
The man let go of the wheelchair and reached into the pocket of his coat. He then threw something as hard as he could across the field and Tiger rocketed after it excitedly. A few seconds later she brought back a bright red ball and spit it at the man's feet. He threw it again and again silently and never once said a word to Michael or to Tiger. Michael watched with disinterest but then to his disgust, Tiger plopped the drool-covered ball into his lap.
"Ew, get out of here!" Michael snapped, slapping the ball away from him.
Tiger acted like he'd just thrown it and bounced after it with a happy bark. She dropped it back on his lap a second later and Michael glared at her.
"I don't want to play with you."
Tiger nudged him, never once taking her eyes from the ball.
"You throw it," Michael ordered the man.
The man glanced down at him and didn't move.
"I don't know how long you've worked here, but servants do as they're told!" Michael snapped, "Throw the damn ball!"
The man raised a brow and made no move to do as Michael ordered.
Michael narrowed his eyes at him and then threw the ball himself. He had every intention of complaining about the man later and getting him fired. He didn't like the idea of servants ignoring him.
Tiger ran after the ball and Michael winced in pain. His muscles were incredibly stiff from laying in bed for so long, and he moved his arm a bit trying to loosen it up. Tiger was back a moment later and he threw it again and then again. The man then took a few turns, and Michael's muscles already felt a bit looser. He tired extremely quickly however, and after a few dozen throws he couldn't do any more.
"I'm tired and cold," Michael complained, "Can we go back inside now?"
The man glanced down at him and cocked his head.
"Please?" Michael asked, just wanting to rest.
The man placed the ball back in his pocket, and then approached him. He began wheeling him back towards the house without a word and Michael was beginning to wonder if he even spoke English. He'd never met this servant before and wondered if his grandparents had hired him to take him for walks. Michael had no intention of ever using this wheelchair again and so this man had been hired for nothing. There was something oddly familiar about the man though, and Michael found himself studying his face trying to figure it out.
Michael was half frozen as they entered the manor and he saw Sebastian waiting with two cups of hot cocoa. Michael accepted one without a word as Sebastian turned to the man.
"How was your walk, Master Dmitry? Did you two have fun?"
The man said nothing and simply accepted the cocoa and then walked off without ever uttering a single word. Michael stared after him with wide eyes. Master Dmitry...Dmitry Volkov...his father. That man was his father!
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TBC
