A.N. Last update for this portion, if you like this story thus far please leave a review or even message me, but if you don't talk to me, how else will I know what you think. I appreciate criticism, so please review, would ya kindly.
The Idea
Miss Bellum was sitting in her chair looking over her desk at the three filthy boys standing in front of her. She had the prison records of each boy on her desk, Langston brought them when he tried to get her approval for early probationary release. She looked in the eyes of Boomer who had a hopeful gleam in his eyes, his face was clean but his arms looked like they had streaks of dirt all over him. All the boys had similar streaks except their face. She guessed, Langston helped with the faces as much as possible before entering.
She looked over at Butch who was smiling with his slight twitch, his file read it was something instinctual whenever he was excited. Finally she laid eyes on Brick, who was avoiding eye contact with her. She wasn't surprised as it was her and Blossom who captured him. His hair was unkempt and splitting at the ends with dirt patched all over his clothes and hair, again no different than any other boy standing there.
Finally she spoke, "Why are you three completely filthy?"
"It's not like we have a working bath and laundry machine at home." Brick sighed. He was getting tired of people commenting on how dirty he was wherever he went. He heard it from the library when he went to send his homework to his teachers, the various food places whenever he went and picked up meals for him and the boys, and random people in the streets as he walked. He would have flown, but was scared of wrecking his shot at probation release. They weren't supposed to use their powers unless necessary, something about walking a mile in the shoes of their victims. "We've barely had a roof over our heads for an hour now." He finished.
"What do you mean?" She asked, leaning forward resting her chin on her hands woven together in front of her.
"That dumb monster wrecked everything we had, even our beds." Boomer answered. Stretching and cracking his neck to work the stiffness out.
"I did read about your, unique living situation." She lifted one of the folders up. "Why didn't the state help with repairs, or just give you housing?"
"We don't take charity from no one, toots!" Brick shot his hand out as he spoke. Langston dragged his hand from the top of his face down.
"Maybe don't speak to the woman who decides if your free or not like that?" he whispered down to the boys.
She stood up and walked around her desk leaning against it in front of the boys, "Why are you three so aggressive anyways? I just don't get it."
"Listen babe, When your life literally starts in a prison crapper then you can judge me and my boys for being so angry." Brick jeered folding his arms.
"Well if you can't even be polite to me, the one woman who can grant you freedom, why should I let you off your probation?" She folded her arms back in turn. The two other boys glared at Brick he quickly took notice.
"You're right, that was uncalled for." He mumbled, "I'm sorry."
She couldn't believe what she heard. As the information gathered in her head she found it hard to believe this was the same psychotic ball of destruction that plagued Townesville for five years before she helped capture him. "That's an amazing amount of growth you've shown, Maybe you've earned it." She let a small smile form. "But I can't just let you off." She rested her hands on her desk behind her.
"So this is a waste of time?" Whine Boomer and Butch.
"No, I'm willing to compromise, letting you off scot free, could potentially put my city at risk and I won't have that."
"What do you propose?" Langston asked.
"One, they have to live in the city." She turned around and pointed to an apartment building across the three way junction. "I own that building, I use it to house some of Townesville less fortunate, those with families and such, but I want you to live inside it as well."
"We don't take charity." Brick said, again being met with more silencing glares form his brothers.
"Consider it thanks for you heroic deeds last week, when your all 18 you will either pay rent, or move out." She turned back around, "Secondly I want a contract signed between me and you. Something stating that any and all use of your powers will be either benign or for the good of the city. Abuse of abilities will land you back in your special prison for ten years."
The boys grimaced at the thought of being locked back in the dark. "But what if someone just lies about us, many people have a grudge against us." Boomer said in a moment of levity.
"Fair point, but that is another reason I want you where I can keep tabs on you. I want to see how you interact with my citizens on a more daily basis, it's easy to stay out of temptation when you're away from the city and off the grid, but not when your constantly faced by it." She took a sigh, "But if someone falsely accuses you we will do a full investigation, and the responsible party will be held accountable for wasting government resources, does that sound fair?" She did honestly want to give these boys a fair chance. She inherently saw the good in all of the people in the city, and it broke her heart when she repeatedly saw people to relish in the more carnal primitive side of themselves.
"So we agree to your terms and we lose the shock collars?" Butch asked.
"Yes, consider it more relaxed probation, You behave you won't even need weekly visits, you wont be monitored any more, but one violent attack against someone innocent, and you will be harshly reprimanded." she knelt down to the boys, "We're placing a lot of trust in you boys, we would be crazy to just let you free. So as long as you don't make me regret this, we will get along famously. So is it a deal?" She reached her hand out.
"It's a deal toots, er, I mean Mayor" Brick said clasping his hand on hers.
"Good, Dr. would you take them to fetch their belongings." She started, but was quickly interrupted by Brick.
"You're looking at 'em." He held his hands out to the sides, "That monster destroyed everything we have."
"Right," she looked down at them, "I have a shower within the building, go get them cleaned up and we will take them to get some stuff."
Dr. Langston start moving the boys in the direction she pointed to when Brick spoke up, "What do you mean?"
She just waved at them and said, "Your lucky I'm a philanthropist at heart."
A few hours later and the boys were sitting in a three bedroom apartment, Miss Bellum was sitting across the table and they were signing the contract she had spoken of before. Once everything was notarized Langston unfastened the tracking collars on each of the boys. The flesh turned slightly pale from being encased in it for so long. She wished the boys luck and was out of their new home moments later.
The three boys couldn't help but rub the spot the collars were on their legs, but looked around. They were given a three bedroom apartment, She only had two available at the time and the other room was a two bedroom, she figured this way they wouldn't fight about who got their own room.
Brick called the only room with its own bathroom, Butch took the one closest to the kitchen and Boomer just seemed happy to get his own room. Miss Bellum and Langston split the difference between the clothes and bed that they gifted onto the youth.
Even rudimentary furniture and a computer for Bricks education were provided. A thrift store also donated a big tube TV for the boys. Many places were grateful to the boys for stopping the monsters rampage the week prior so through discounts and donations, the cost wasn't all that much to Miss Bellum and Langston. Internet was not provided, but Brick had found a way of getting service before at the cabin, he was sure he could do the same here.
"This don't sit right with me." Brick bemoaned.
"What do ya mean?" Boomer said hopping on the couch. "It sits right with me."
"We're men we don't need people holding our hands and givin' us shit."
"Eh lighten up, I'll take this over that crappy cabin any day." Butch said floating lightly through the air above him. "Besides they said it's thanks for last week. Just enjoy it."
Brick just eyed his airborne brother and resigned himself. He walked out the door. "I'll be back, I gotta go get something." Once outside the building he took to the skies at high speed. He made his way to the coast and once over the water he hit top speed and managed to break the sound barrier. He finally felt alive again as he flew aimlessly around. He had restrained himself so many times, but now he had his first real taste of freedom in five years. He relished in it. He gained altitude and shot back home. He figured his high speed at this height, incredible speed shouldn't hurt anything and soon he touched down in front of the cabin.
He eyed the clumsily crafted shack and walked in one last time. he found his jacket on the floor, having left it there while trying to raise a wall earlier that week. He slipped it on and dug into his pockets. Soon he found his treasure.
It was a little worn, from years of being pulled in and out of one of his pockets, but the same bow he got from the day of his incarceration was still in his possession. He laughed as he recalled his reunion with her, as she still wore a big red bow atop her head, but this one was special to the boy.
He kept it as a reminder to one day get free and make her pay. To become better than she was. And to finally eliminate her. The contract signed earlier held him against a full on assault and battery of her person, but he still lusted for revenge. He pocketed the treasure once more, looked around for anything else he might need at the new place.
He found a few flash drives with what salvageable computer parts were left and walked out of the shack. He turned around and blasted the building with his heat vision. The poorly made structure quickly caught on fire and Brick stood there watching the fire. Any flames that tried to spread off the cabin, were quickly extinguished by the boys foot. One the flames died out he stomped on any smoldering embers and left the now desolated spot to head back home.
He walked in to find Butch and Boomer passed out in the living room floor. He kicked them both, "We got beds now! use 'em!" He shouted at his groggy brethren. They just mumbled under their breath and floated to their respective bedrooms.
"So all this because we stopped a monster, huh?" He internally monologued. He pulled out the bow. "Those stupid wimpy girls, were shocked that we pulled it off. I wonder why, it's not like we're doing that everyday we're not taking away their precious purpose or anything." Suddenly he had an idea. "If we decided to play nice, we could probably get more stuff outta it. I know we could be better heroes than those girls anyways, and that would be the best victory possible." A devious smiled formed on his face. "If we outdid them on their own turf they would lose their purpose, go crazy, and disappear. Better still they couldn't do a thing about it without becoming criminals themselves." He began to chuckle. "Oh Brick my man we are one evil sum bitch." He thought to himself.
He walked over to his new, but slightly outdated, computer and began typing up his school assignments. He would relay his plan to his brothers when they woke up the next morning. Brick had managed to realize his goal. He was due to graduate high school in a month or so. It took so many sleepless nights, and almost all his time locked up was spent on his education.
Even when he worked out in his cell he almost always had a book to read while doing so. At first it was hard, but as he got the basics of every lesson more things began to click and he was shooting through his education. Even though he only ever stepped inside his actual high school once, to meet the principal and go through the needed paperwork for online classes, he was actually on the honor roll. It wouldn't actually show however since he was only a virtual student. He quickly caught up on the lost week of work and soon found it to be just past midnight when he finished.
He yawned and floated to his new room, knowing sleep would come easily, and fell asleep chuckling about his new plan to beat the girls down. Much like the fires earlier, he was going to extinguish the girls purpose in this town.
A.N. So this is a situation I've been playing with in my head I hope y'all like it. Leave a review would ya kindly.