Type: OOC and Alternate Universe
Summary: The world loves the Supers and has raised them to high social status. The world is for the most part peaceful, but unfortunately, there are still the Supers who turn bad. When a Super turns into a Villain, he or she is quickly dealt with and the children are forced into the lowest ranking in society. They become the Children of the Vills haunted by the deeds of their parents and much feared to be evil themselves. They are used as lowly servants until their sixteenth year when they simply vanish.
P.S. Dedicated to Anna and MaeAnn
Children of the Vills
Part 1
It is Christmas time and the streets are crowded with joyous patrons getting ready for the holidays. At first glance everything seems perfect with the happy shoppers, sparkling decorations, and twinkling lights. You have to look in the shadows to see that not everything is perfect. If you look close enough, you will see them hidden away among the perfection. They are the forgotten, the unwanted. They scurry in the shadows trying to do their "guardian's" wishes without being noticed. They are invisible and nobody questions the rags they wear or the signs of abuse and starvation on their small forms. Heavy collars are locked around their necks so that any potential development of powers is canceled out. Their eyes are empty and devoid of all hope of safe sanctuary or kindness. They are the Children of the Vills, or just Vills for short.
As time passes the streets empty until only one lone teen is left struggling in the brisk wind to get "home" in time with the heavy burden he carried. He was unusually tall for a Child of the Vills. Most Vills stayed quite tiny due to lack of proper food. People take in these orphans and become their "guardians" which actually translates out to "master" or "mistress." This teen was the son of the most evil villain that had ever been in history. He was Baron Battle's only child.
His name had at one time been Warren and he had become a Child of the Vills at the tender age of three. When his father was incarcerated he had been ripped from the arms of his mother and had passed from one "guardian" to another. Now twelve years later, Warren, for that is what he referred to himself in his mind, had inherited his father's height and good looks, but had been so maltreated over the years he was now timid and accepting of his lot in life. He was far too skinny and wore ragged clothes that did not keep out the chill. His hair was dark except for some natural red streaks, proving that he had inherited his father's pyrokinetic abilities, which hung long down his back. He sighed softly as he hurried to the back of a particularly beautiful home and then gasped in shock as he caught sight of the person waiting for him at the door.
"Your late," Master Boomer growled at him as he stood glaring at the slight youth in front of him, "Where have you been? My company will be here any minute."
"I'm…I'm sorry Master," Warren stuttered out as he dropped his gaze respectfully as had been drilled in him since toddler-hood, "The wine shop's truck ran late and only just arrived an hour ago. I came as fast as I could. Forgive me."
"I will have no excuses!" Boomer bellowed out as he seized the crate of wine from Warren's numb grip and shoved it into the waiting cooks arms before grabbing the metal collar around Warren's neck and yanking him forward, "I gave you a job to do and you have not performed to my expectations."
"Please Master," Warren gasped, "Forgive me. I tried to please you. I'll try to do better in the future. I'm sorry."
Warren's master ruthlessly slammed his fist into the teen's stomach. Warren fell to his knees and doubled over in pain as he gasped to breathe. Boomer than backhanded the teen across the face throwing him backwards.
"You and I will discuss this more later," he said straightening his tux, "My guests will be here any minute. Get yourself out of my sight."
With his final orders, Warren's master turned and left the injured young man lying shivering in the cold. Warren sat up when he was able and coughed some blood into his hands.
"Kid, you better do as he says," the cook said softly, "He's got some important people coming tonight. He wants to impress the Strongholds.
"Yes sir," Warren said quietly as he picked himself off the ground, "Will you be needing my services tonight?"
"Keep your ears open," the cook said as he trudged inside, "I might need you to bring in some more firewood."
"Yes sir," Warren said sadly before turning to walk to the small tool shed that served as his quarters.
The shed was hardly more than a shack and was far too cold in the winter and far too hot in the summer. Warren sank stiffly down on the ragged blankets on the floor that served as his bed and tried to bite back tears. He had tried so hard to please Master Boomer. It had been over five days since he had been given anything to eat and his stomach ached in hunger. Now here he sat in pain again as his Master was going to be playing host to the Strongholds and their friends. The Strongholds were the Supers that had caught his father and torn apart his family. Biting anger whelmed up inside of him.
"Stop it," he chided himself softly, "The Strongholds didn't force my father to go bad. It is nobody's fault but Father's."
Warren looked out the small window of the shed. It never ceased to amaze him how beautiful the night sky was on a cold night. He then looked towards the house where the sounds of the party and the smell of food reached out to him.
"I wonder what it would have felt like to not be a villain's child?" he wandered silently as he vaguely remembered the feel of his mother before mentally shaking himself, "I should appreciate that Master took me in and has given me a roof over my head. It is more than some Vills get."
Warren laid down on his little pallet and wrapped his arms around his chilled body and tried to get some sleep before he would be needed again.
O.O
"Why do I have to be here?" Will Stronghold whined to his mother as they rang the doorbell of Mr. Boomoski's residence, "I hate these grasping Supers who try to get friendly with me because of you and Dad."
"Hush William," Josie Stronghold smiled at her teenage son, "We have to be social and Layla will be here tonight. Be nice to Mr. Boomoski."
"Fine," Will grunted, "But only for you and Dad. Plus, I wouldn't want to embarrass Layla."
"Thank you," Steve Stronghold said as the door opened and a butler took the families jackets and showed them into the parlor where the social gathering was in full bloom.
"Ah. Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold," Mr. Boomoski said way too loud so as to get people's attention, "I am honored that you would attend tonight. And this must be little William. You can call me Boomer."
"Oh. Thanks," Will said flatly before catching a glimpse of his girlfriend in the crowd, "If you will excuse me?"
"Of course. Of course," Boomer said pompously before turning back to Will's parents, "Youth today. Where do they get the energy?"
Will turned his back on the annoying man while rolling his eyes. He hated parties, but on the plus side he got to spend more time with his girlfriend and the food looked good.
"Will," Layla said with a warm smile and a twinkle in her eyes, "I am so glad you're here. I thought that I would die of boredom."
"Well you look beautiful as always and I'm here to entertain you," Will greeted his girlfriend with a peck on the cheek, "But can we eat first? I'm starving!"
"Your always hungry," Layla laughed out before leading him to the buffet table, "I can't stand that man. He is such a jerk."
"You mean 'Boomer?'" Will said loading up his plate and waited for her to nod yes, "He's sucks up to anybody that he thinks will make him seem a better Super to the rest of the world. I don't think anybody likes him and I know that my parents won't let him suck off their reps. My mom and dad are the best Super Heroes the world has ever known."
"So are you," Layla said, "You don't have to be modest. You have both of your parents powers."
"And you don't have to be modest," Will ginned back at the beauty beside him, "You're pretty nifty yourself, my little nature's mother."
Will finished his food and drifted around the room with his girlfriend until he found out how boring this gathering really was. After about an hour he couldn't take the boredom anymore.
"Let's get some fresh air," Will suggested to his girlfriend and grabbed some more food to snack on and their jackets.
They walked hand-and-hand around the house and ended up sitting on the back porch that had some screening set up in the corner that kept the cold out and the shadows in. They talked for a while and nibbled the pilfered food.
"Did I tell you how lovely you look tonight?" Will asked as he snuggled Layla close and began kissing her face and neck.
"Yes…," Layla laughed, "but keep telling me. I like it."
Will and Layla made out with one another in their hidey-hole until a loud voice yelled out and caused them to freeze in shock.
"Boy! Go get some firewood! It's colder tonight than it was supposed to be! Hurry up!"
Will and Layla looked at one another uncertainly until another noise drew their attention. A longhaired young man stepped quickly out of an old tool shed. He wore ragged clothes and moved stiffly as if he was in pain. He quickly began gathering an armful of firewood from a pile next to the shed and carried it into the house before coming back outside and gathering more. He repeated this several times before he stepped outside for what seemed a final time.
"Sir. Please," Will and Layla heard the young man ask softly as he looked down at his feet, "May I have something to eat?"
"I'm sorry kid," they heard the same voice say that had yelled before, "I could lose my job if I give you any food without your master's permission."
"I'm sorry," the teen said sadly, "I'll not ask you again."
All the occupants on the porch heard the door close and lock before silence reigned once more until the young man's stomach growled fiercely.
"You've gone without eating before," the frail youth seemed to say down to his stomach as he turned and sat on the porch step, "You can go for over ten days without eating. Stop making this anymore difficult."
"It's a Vills," Will breathed in shock since he had never been so close to a Child of the Vills before now.
The boy whipped his head around and froze when he saw the two forms sitting in the shadows. His eyes filled with terror before he quickly dropped his gaze. Layla gasped loudly when the light from the porch illuminated the ugly bruising that decorated the side of the teen's face.
"I'm…I'm so sorry young Master and Mistress," the youth said as he rose quickly to leave, "I did not see you. I did not mean to disturb you."
"Wait," Layla said rising and reaching a hand out to the young man, "What do you mean that you have gone without eating for ten days? Who gave you those bruises?"
The teen looked up through his eyelashes at the young woman uncertainly.
"Mistress, it is not my place to answer these questions," the teen said softly, "I am given what my guardian allots me and I am appreciative for what I get."
"Layla. Let's go," Will said uncomfortable, "The Vills is not our responsibility."
"Shut it Will! Did your 'guardian' give you those bruises?" Layla demanded in outrage as she moved closer to the cowering youth, "Is he the one starving you? It looks like you hardly eat at all; you're so skinny. What is your name?"
"I am not allowed to speak of the name granted me at birth," the young man said purposefully sidestepping the other questions, "The young Master with you is correct. I am just a Vills. If you may, I should get back to my quarters before I get in trouble."
"You are not just a Vills you are a person and I hate what they do to the children of villains. I would like it very much if you would come and sit with us," Layla insisted much to her boyfriend's surprise, "What was your name at birth?"
"I…I shouldn't," the teen said, "It is unheard of for a Vills to sit with those better than he."
"Nonsense," Layla said, "I'm asking you to sit with me and so your 'guardian' cannot blame you.
The young man made his way hesitantly on the porch and sat on the very edge of one of the benches.
"Warren."
"What?" Will asked at the admission.
"My name was once Warren," the teen said softly with his head still down, "I'm very happy to serve you both."
"Are you hungry?" Layla asked gently as she offered Warren the now-cold food that Will had brought.
Warren eyed the food hungrily, but kept his counsel. This would not be the first time that he had been offered food only to be punished for it.
"My master has not given me leave," Warren said sadly, "Thank you for thinking of one such as I."
"I insist," Layla said placing the plate in the teens trembling hands, "You have to obey an order or so I've been told. So I'll tell your master that I ordered you to eat. So eat."
Warren wasted no more time and wolfed the food down. Layla and Will feared that he would choke, but he emptied the plate without mishap.
"Thank you," Warren said with a small smile of gratitude as he once again looked up at the two from beneath his lashes, "I've never had anything that tasted like this before."
"My name is Layla and this is my boyfriend Will," Layla said sweetly as she took the plate from Warren's hands, "Tell us a little about yourself.
"There is nothing to tell," Warren said looking away from them, "You already know that I am the son of a villain. That is how I became a Vills."
"Tell us," Will urged curious since he was starting to appreciate Warren's gentle nature.
So Warren told his story from the beginning to the end. Once he started he found that he couldn't stop. Nobody had ever showed any interest in him before.
"You're the son of The Baron?" Will asked in shock that it had been his own parents that led to Warren becoming a Vills and the horror of Warren's treatment in his life.
"Yes," Warren said looking back down in his lap, "I was three when the Strongholds defeated him. I have been a Vills for twelve years and only have another six months left."
"What? Why?" Layla asked confused.
"I will turn sixteen," Warren stated simply.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Will demanded a little upset.
"Oh. You don't know," Warren said looking up at the two, "All Vills disappear at the age of sixteen. Have you not wondered why you have never seen an adult Vills before?"
Will and Layla looked at one another shame-faced. They, like everyone else in the population, had never given a thought about the life of a Vills before. They shook their heads in the negative.
"Disappear where?" Layla asked.
"Vills are given an injection that stops our heart," Warren said dreamily, "It is the time when pain ends."
"You're going to die in six months?" Will asked clearly upset as Layla looked at the youth in horror.
"It is a natural part of a Child of the Vills' life," Warren said not understanding what the two were upset about, "A Vills' life is about serving the Guardian that takes us in. Through the Guardian we are allotted some basic necessities, but our lives are hard and full of pain. The world fears that we will turn out like our parents so they eliminate the problem. Vills look forward to the day that the pain ends and we can finally rest in peace. That is the only thing any of us have to look forward to in our life."
"I won't allow it!" Layla said sharply, "You have done nothing wrong, but be born to a person who made bad decisions. This is unfair to you and the other Vills.
"Please. I have accepted my fate," Warren said rising from the bench, "I only wish to live out the last bit of my life as peacefully as possible. Don't concern yourself with someone like me."
"We can't just forget about you," Will said stubbornly, "You're a good person. Your life has been unfair."
"That is the life of a Vills," Warren said sadly finally gazing at Will fully in the eyes, "The party sounds like it is winding down. You should go back inside before you are missed. Thank you for the food and goodnight."
Layla and Will watched Warren walk back to his tool shed.
"Wait," Layla called to him, "Why are you going to a shed?"
"This is where I have slept for the last seven years," Warren said without malice, "My guardian was kind enough to allow me a roof over my head. Goodnight young Master and Mistress."
Warren walked into the shed and left the two on the porch questioning their whole belief system.
To be continued…
Review and let me know what you think. This is a bit of an experiment.