Don't own these characters you know.

Part 2

"Will? Honey are you okay?" Josie Stronghold said to her son as they walked into their home, "You were unusually quiet on the way home. Did something happen at the party?"

"Yeah," Will said sullenly as he slumped into a chair.

"What happened?" Steve Stronghold asked as he and his wife sat across from their only child.

"Layla and I met someone tonight," Will explained, "We got bored and went outside to talk. We met a guy our age. He's a Vills."

"Did he hurt you? Did he say anything that upset you?" Will's dad demanded getting agitated, "It must have been Boomer's Vills. He should have made sure his Vills was secured away."

"Dad," Will snapped, "Warren didn't do or say anything wrong."

"Warren?" his mom asked curiously, "Vills do not have names."

"Layla made Warren tell her what his name was before he became a Vills. Look. I'm not telling you this to get Warren in trouble," Will said, "Layla and I went to the back of the house and sat on the porch. Warren was ordered to get some firewood and he didn't see us. Mom, he didn't even have a jacket and he looked like he had been socked in the face. Layla discovered that Mr. Boomoski is starving him for days before he gets to eat."

"I'm sure that Boomer has his reasons," Will's dad said, "Vills are only punished for disobedience."

"That's not true!" Will yelled standing up, "Children of the Vills are treated horribly and then they are killed on their 16th birthdays."

"Calm down Will," his mom said to him, "I'm sure that you are mistaken. Vills are cared for by their guardians."

"No they're not," Will said desperate to get his parents to understand, "Layla and I broke into Mr. Boomoski's study."

"You what?" his father demanded.

"We just used his computer Dad," Will reassured his father, "Layla discovered that it is a project called 'Disappearance Day.' Vills are taken on their 16th birthdays and given an injection that stops their hearts. The project is to eliminate the threat of children of villains turning into villains themselves."

"This cannot be true," Warren's mother said emphatically, "The world would not allow children, even Vills, to be disposed of in such a way."

"Then go look for yourself," Will begged, "Mr. Boomoski is the head of the project. You and Dad need to stop this. Layla pulled up the history of many Super Heroes in the past that had one or both parents who were Super Villains. These Heroes did great things in their life. Shouldn't Vills be given the chance to show the world what they are made of? We are just assuming that they are evil!"

"Will. Vills are placed with a guardian for their protection," Will's father said gently, "The Vills system works."

"No it doesn't," Will testily replied, "Because if it did, why hasn't anybody ever seen a grown Vills?"

Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold looked at one another in surprise. Neither of them had ever really paid attention to the Vills before and no matter how they wracked their brains they could not remember ever having seen a grown Vills.

"Mom. Dad. Please," Will begged, "You have done great things and fought for justice your whole lives. Please just look into this. If I'm right you can save all of those children. This is wrong."

"Alright Will," his dad said, "Your mother and I will look into this. If you are right, we will do what we can."

"Thanks Dad," Will said with relief, "Warren only has six more months until his 16th birthday. You can make sure that he survives. He doesn't deserve this."

"What do you know about this Warren?" his mom asked him, "He seems to have made quite an impact on you."

"Warren is very gentle natured and scares easily," Will explained, "He was only three years old when he became a Vills and doesn't know what happened to his mother. He is Baron Battle's son."

"What?" Will's father shouted in outrage, "Boomer allowed that bastard's son near you? You can't trust that boy! He is pure evil like his father!"

"No he's not!" Will challenged back, "I saw him! I met him! He has a kind heart and a good soul. I felt it when Layla and I spoke with him. You have always said I was an excellent judge of character. Dad, I'm not wrong about Warren!"

"We will check into the situation Will," his father said, "But I want you to have nothing more to do with that boy. Do you hear me?"

"Yes sir," Will said, "Goodnight Mother. Goodnight Father."

Will's parents watched their son go up the stairs towards his room. They hadn't missed the use of the formal moniker of the parental title. Will only said "Mother" or "Father" when he was angry.

O.O

Will stomped angrily up to his room and slammed the door behind him.

"I cannot believe that anybody would support such a horrible system," Will growled as he yanked off his tux jacket and threw it on a chair, "How could I have ever thought that Vills had to be as evil as their parents to have become a Child of the Vills? I am ashamed of myself."

He finished getting ready for sleep and threw himself down on his bed.

"I wonder if all Vills lives are as hard as Warren's?" Will thought to himself as he remembered the gentle young man before the ringing of his cell phone interrupted his thoughts.

"Layla?" he said into the phone.

"How did you know that it was going to be me?" his girlfriend's voice asked.

"I had a feeling that you would want to know how the talk with my parents went," Will sighed.

"Are they going to help?" Layla asked hopefully.

"They said they will look into it," Will confirmed, "When my parents make a promise they follow through. What about your mom?"

"She has been fighting the whole Vills system for years," Layla informed him, "Even she didn't know about Disappearance Day. She is already starting a campaign to protest."

"Good," Will said, "Dad went berserk when he found out that Warren was The Baron's son. He said that I'm not to go around 'that boy' anymore. Well, he can bite me. I'm going to keep checking up on Warren to make sure he's okay."

"Me too," Layla agreed, "I want to bring him some more food tomorrow. Meet me at my house in the afternoon and tell your parents that you are eating with me. That way we can see Warren in the evening when we won't be seen."

"Good idea," Will said, "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Baby. I love you."

"Goodnight Will and I love you too," Layla said before hanging up.

Will laid his phone on his nightstand and stared up at the ceiling. It would be a long time before he would be able to fall asleep. A veil of innocence had been ripped from his eyes tonight.

O.O

Warren rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he scrubbed the foyer floor on his hands and knees. His master had dragged him out of his shed by the hair when the last guest had left the party. He was roughly thrown inside with the orders to have all evidence of the party cleaned before the house awoke the next morning as a punishment for not hurrying fast enough from the wine shop. Master Boomer threatened that if Warren disturbed his rest there "would be hell to pay." All night the young man worked quietly and efficiently.

"Thank goodness Mistress Layla allowed me to eat," Warren thought as he finished the last bit of cleaning, "I would never have been able to finish without having some energy from the food."

"Are you finished?" a voice snapped at him from behind.

"Yes Master," Warren hurriedly supplied as he picked up his cleaning supplies and bucket of water while keeping his gaze respectfully down, "I have cleaned everything as you have asked sir. I just need to dump this water."

"Well hurry up," Mr. Boomowski snapped impatiently, "My breakfast will not serve itself."

"Yes Master," the young Vills said hurrying out of the room with his burden before meeting his master in the dining area with his breakfast plate, "What does the Master wish to drink this morning?"

"Bring me some coffee," his master ordered, "And make sure that there is plenty of cream."
"Yes Master," Warren said and hurried to get the beverage prepared in hopes that Master Boomer would allow him something to eat.

Warren came back into the room with the cup of coffee mixed exactly as his master drank it every day. He hesitated at the door when his master looked up at him. Master Boomer's look did not bode well for the young Vills. Warren placed the cup of coffee next to his master's plate.

"What the hell is this?" Master Boomer gritted out staring at the beverage as if it was a poisonous snake.

"It's…it's the coffee you requested Master," Warren said shakily as his master's gaze pinned him to the wall.

"There is too much CREAM," his master boomed out causing Warren's smaller frame to fly backwards and slam against the opposite wall.

"I'm sorry," Warren gasped out trying to rise shakily from the floor he had crumpled down to, "I'll make you another cup."

"You have failed in two tasks for me in the last 24 hours!" Master Boomer growled out, "You will learn some respect, Vills!"

The larger man grabbed the frail boy by his hair and dragged him through the kitchen past the cook and serving staff. Master Boomer dragged Warren out of the backdoor and down the porch steps.

"Strip," his master ordered as the teen's hair was finally released and he removed his heavy black belt from around his waist.

Warren stood quickly and stripped the ragged flannel shirt off his thin frame revealing multiple scars and partially healed wounds. This punishment was not new to the boy. He went to the porch railing and presented his scarred back to his master while he tried not to shiver in the cold. Warren steeled himself by gripping the edge of the porch and waited for the first hit. He vaguely recognized the door was full of watchers. The first strike hit him with a crack. Time after time the belt came down with a snap. The Vills never cried out or made any noise of pain. Only small inhales of breath allowed any to know that he was in pain. The final hit broke the skin and made Warren finally give a muffled cry before he dropped to his knees.

"Pathetic," Master Boomer remarked as he walked past the teen and delivered a smart kick to the young man's side, "Get out of my sight and don't come back until you are called."

"Y-yes sir," Warren gasped out softly as he tried to suck in some air to breathe properly.

The slamming of the back door signaled the retreat of his master and the end of the audience. Warren stood painfully and gathered his shirt. He heard the door open and close just as quickly. Someone, the cook probably, had placed a clean bowl of water outside for him to clean his back with. He took the small offering and limped over to his shed. When he sat on his pallet, exhaustion's pull became too much. He carefully set his water down and laid down on his blankets.

"I can't reach my own back anyway," Warren thought to himself before dozing off.

O.O

Warren dreamed of happier times. He remembered his mother much better in his dreams. She would touch him and it didn't hurt. Warren could not remember anybody else whose touch did not bring pain or terror into his world. Safety, security, and gentleness were all ideals that he had lost at the age of three. They had taken away his momma, his freedom, and his dignity, but they couldn't take away his dreams. He enjoyed dreaming and was quite put out when he was pulled out of his by an icy touch on his back.

"Huh…wha?" Warren slurred out trying to figure out his surroundings.

"Stay still," a familiar voice said as again something cold was swiped across his back.

The teen turned his head and discovered the voice to be Mistress Layla from the night before. She was carefully cleaning his back with the water bowl he had been given.

"Mistress?" Warren sleepily mumbled, "What are you doing here?"

"Will and I came to see you," Layla said angrily, "We found you out cold with dried blood and whip marks all over your back. Please tell me that you were not punished because of Will and I."

"No Mistress," Warren said quickly to reassure the kind-hearted young woman, "My master did not like the coffee I made and so…"

"He beat you because of coffee?" Layla said in a louder voice, "I'll kill him!"

"No! Please Mistress," the teen said sitting up and finally realizing the delicate position he was in, "A Guardian has permission to treat his or her Vills anyway they wish. You mustn't be found here helping me or you could get in trouble and I will be beaten some more. Please you must go."

"Don't worry," Layla said gently trying not to further scare the injured young man, "No one saw Will or I come in here. You are safe."

"Where is the young master?" Warren asked looking frantically around.

"I'm here," Will said softly as he entered the shed, "Turn around Warren."

"Yes sir. Am I to be punished for getting upset with the young Mistress?" the teen said presenting his back to Will.

"God no!" Will said shocked, "Layla surprised you and you were looking out for her safety. I am just going to put some antiseptic on your back to help your back heal. It will sting."

"Yes sir," Warren said softly.

Will carefully cleaned the young Vills back. Warren never made a single sound. Will and Layla couldn't help but wonder just how use to pain was their new friend.

"There all done," Will said aloud, "I'll bandage the cut now."

"Oh no young Master," Warren said turning pleading eyes on the startled young man, "If Master chooses to beat me again and sees the bandage, I would be forced to tell him you and Mistress were here. I am not permitted to lie."

"Okay. I won't bandage your back, but only on one condition," Will said as he placed a wrapped plate in the teen's lap, "You have to eat the food the Layla and I are going to bring you."

"I cannot Master," Warren said distressed as Layla helped him slip back into his shirt.

"You have to follow any order that a Super makes of you," Will said giving his new friend a wink, "So, I order you to eat the food we bring you and I order you not to tell anybody that we are bringing you food."

Warren bit his lip and stared down at the plate in his lap. He then turned a shy smile towards Will and nodded his head. As he ate Will and Layla chatted with him. Warmth gathered in his stomach from the food and the tentative friendship that was blossoming between the three. When the sun set Will and Layla left with the promise to bring him some more food on the following evening.

"Maybe my last six months won't be that bad," Warren thought as he drifted asleep with a full belly for the second night in a row.

To be continued…

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