THE QUICKSILVER KIDS
...
"Look, whoever that kid thinks I am, she has it wrong."
Cinder placed a hand under her chin. The four children that were spit out into their temporary hideout were now awkwardly sitting on a red couch. Jet and Pearl were on either side, with Summer and Eirian smushed in the middle. Summer was tucked into Jet's side while Pearl tried to calm Eirian's abundant energy.
Cinder directed them to a small apartment instead of the warehouse, so things were a lot less dark and depressing and a lot more… well, fancy. Since it was Cinder's personal apartment in Vale, gold and red and bits of black littered the room, an oriental, gold and red oval rug underneath the children's feet, a mahogany coffee table with a glass overlay in front of them. The wallpaper, a red the same as her dress with intricate gold sequences. Her apartment might as well been for an empress.
"They all seem to think the same," Cinder pointed out.
"Well, yeah, but...it, it's just ridiculous!" Mercury objected.
"Merc, you do realize that the kid, Jet, is like, your mirror image with a different color scheme, right?" Emerald asked tentatively, fiddling with her new, shortened hairstyle.
"You do realize that kid is about my age?" Mercury questioned rhetorically. "I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure I didn't have a kid before my own conception."
"I'm not saying it makes sense, I'm just saying," Emerald said with an unsure frown. "I mean… unless your father had other children and just didn't tell you—"
"No no, he just had me. I-I know he did," Mercury said, puzzled. He didn't like how Emerald was looking at him with worry, with pity, and didn't like how Cinder was looking at him with that mixture of calculation, amusement and smugness. He had to calm himself. Eyes closed, deep breath, emotionless. Eyes opened. "It's impossible for them to be my children, one: because I don't want children, and two: it doesn't make sense because of the time. They look my age, if not older."
"Then let's ask," Cinder decided, already sauntering toward the four children with confidence. He didn't know why he kept referring to them as children, since they weren't really, but he didn't know what else to call them. I mean, one called him daddy. That's some weird psychological shit.
Mercury unwillingly followed Cinder, Emerald close behind, and leant against the wall close to the couch. It was mostly so he could get a good look at the kids. Jet was closest, and while he didn't want to admit it...the kid looked like him. A lot. It was creepy. Cinder sat in a comfortable armchair in front of them, while Emerald stood by her side.
"Hello there. I wanted to ask all of you who you are, and your age?"
"Um...okay," Pearl spoke up, cautious and ready to defend. "Well, I'm Pearl. Pearl Black. I'm twenty years old." Mercury winced. It didn't help that that was his mother's name, either. "These are my siblings. The youngest is Eirian, she's fourteen." Pearl pat Eirian's head before gesturing to Summer. "That's Summer. She just turned seventeen."
"U-Um, Summer Rose-Black, actually," Summer interjected. "I-I like to put our mom's surname with Dad's. Eirian does it too!"
"And I'm Jet." Jet spoke up, not willing to let Pearl introduce him. "I'm eighteen, and would really like it if you'd let us leave."
Cinder ignored his passive aggressive stare. She merely cocked her head. "And you all say Mercury is your father?"
"Yup, he is!" Eirian said happily, bumping her legs on the couch as she swung them. "But it's so weird! Daddy looks a lot younger for some reason, and his stubbly chin is all gone."
"What she means to say, is, uh—" Summer glanced at Mercury, who only stared blankly at her. She averted her gaze quickly. "It-It looks like, somehow, we were...um."
"Would you spit it out?" Mercury snapped.
"Watch it. Father or not, I'll kick your ass." Jet glared. He turned to Summer, his sharp eye softening as he nudged her. "Go on."
"S-Somehow, we were transported back in time or something, s-so, we're in a time where we aren't born yet," Summer finished.
Mercury shook his head in disbelief as he heard their excuse. His eyes darted to Cinder. She looked… intrigued. "You seriously aren't believing this bullshit, right?"
Her eyes flashed.
"I mean… it does explain the whole age thing," Emerald spoke before Cinder could lash out. "I...I don't know."
"Aunt Emerald, you gotta believe us," Jet pleaded. Emerald's eyes widened at the moniker, locked onto Jet. "Come on, you know my dad, and you can tell how similar me and him are. Look at me and tell me we're lying."
Mercury stared down Emerald with a fiery intensity that would put even Cinder to shame. Don't you dare, he thought, willing her to just call this kid out on his bullshit.
Emerald stayed locked on to Jet for a long time. Eventually, she leaned back on one foot, aghast. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I believe you. I believe him."
Dammit.
"Even if you don't believe us, we have solid proof. Eirian has Dad's emblem, but in red." Pearl crossed her arms.
"Oh! Oh that's right!" Eirian popped up and yanked the black cloth he noticed before from her waistline. He felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he realized how similar of a item he wore at all times. Eirian bounced over to him with a giddy smile, presenting the cloth to him. "See, Daddy! It's just like yours!"
Mercury's mouth went dry as he took the cloth from her hands. There it was, plain as day. A winged boot in crimson branded itself in his brain. He transferred the cloth to one hand as he pulled his own from his waistline. Black and red, black and grey. Every angle, every dimension, matched perfectly.
His silence was all the other three kids needed to know he believed them.
Pearl spoke up with some hesitance, eyeing how Eirian was bouncing in front of Mercury still. "Now, I'm not quite sure how one of Summer's portals got us here, but when we tried to go back while you all were talking, it wouldn't work. That's why we're so bent on making you believe us." She looked at her lap. "We don't know how to get home."
"A-And if you still aren't com-completely sure that we're, uh, your children, we can do a DNA test if you w-want?" Summer proposed.
Cinder nodded her head. She smiled warmly at the girl to ease her nervousness. In her mind, when looking at the kids reactions to Mercury and Emerald, made her assume that she, too, acted as an Aunt figure to the children, and decided to play along with it. "I think that's an excellent idea. I'm sure someone within our organization can conduct one for us." Cinder turned to Emerald. "Why don't you make a few calls?"
Emerald nodded mutely before practically running out of the room with her scroll. Mercury was still staring at the matching emblems, speechless. It couldn't be real. It couldn't.
"Uhm…" Summer leant forward, towards her father, carefully. "Are you okay, Dad?"
And with the title, Mercury snapped. He balled the matching cloth in his hands and stormed out of the room, not bothering to even glance at the four pairs of silver eyes watching him leave. Eirian's lower lip jutted out and started to quiver.
"Is he mad at me?" She whispered quietly. She began to sniffle and tear up.
Jet sighed and reached out to his youngest sister, pulling on her hand before she tumbled in a shaky mess on his lap. Summer allowed him to reclaim his arm, and he wrapped them both around Eirian, petting her hair. "He's not mad, Eiri, just confused."
"Yeah!" Summer chirped, rubbing her hand along Eirian's back. "You know how Dad is. Sometimes he can be weird. But remember when you first showed it to him? He was so happy, he cried a little!"
Eirian managed a wet giggle. "He tried to hide it, but Mommy wouldn't let him."
As the duo comforted the youngest, Pearl rose to her feet and addressed the last person in the room. "Thank you for being so understanding. I know this isn't exactly normal, especially for Dad. So, thanks." Awkward. Oh, so awkward, Pearl.
"It's no problem, Pearl," Cinder reassured as she stood as well. Thanks to Pearl's heels, she was about Cinder's height. "Just sit back and let Aunt Cinder take care of you."
Pearl froze. Cinder?
Within seconds her mind connected dots. Cinder Fall. Fall Maiden, Salem's inner circle, main component for the Fall of Beacon. Dad's employer before Mom came into the picture. Cinder Fall, murderer of Auntie Pyrrha, the aunt she never knew but was always told about. Cinder Fall, the woman who nearly killed Aunt Weiss, Uncle Jaune, and Mom. Cinder Fall, the woman who sicced assassins on Dad. Cinder Fall. The bitch who made her parents lives hell.
Pearl knows how to act. It's a trait Dad gave to her, how to act completely aloof to the intense stuff, like how much she wanted to smash this bitch's face in for even thinking that she could be a part of her family with all the grief she caused. Poker face on. Time for the bluff.
A smile that threatened to crack her cheeks grew. Her silver eyes twinkled in relief. "Thank you, Auntie." The last sell point. She brought Cinder to her in a tight embrace, arms wrapped tight around her neck. How easy it would be to tighten the pressure, change the grip, and choke her out. So easy.
But she didn't. And Cinder, happily surprised, smiled and hugged the girl back. "Anytime."
She couldn't get her to leave the room soon enough. The moment Cinder's dress tail vanished and the door swung shut, she spun around to see her siblings staring. "Okay, Jet, just play along, okay?"
"You really think I'm going to call her my aunt?"
"You really think she's gonna let us go back home if she finds out that our mom is the reason Dad stabs her in the back?" Pearl shot back.
Jet scowled, but had no retort.
"Alright everyone, turns out we got ourselves a new aunt while we're staying here," Pearl announced. "Try to play nice and not break character, yeah?"
…
…
…
Mercury threw the door to his door open and barged inside, slamming it just as viciously. Damn kids with their big silver eyes and innocent expressions. It's so easy to be guilt tripped these days, bare the fact that he was almost out of his teenage years. One look at Eirian's giddy face and Summer's nervous eyes was all he needed to book it.
Running wasn't his thing. He kicked at problems. He didn't run from them. But how are you supposed to kick a problem that claims they are your unborn children from the future?
He flopped onto his bed with a groan. The grey and black sheets were messy and unmade, grey pillow twisted beyond recognition after multiple punches.
He wasn't a father. He wasn't. A chortling laugh bounced from the dark crevices from his mind.
"Shut up," Mercury hissed.
Sounds like m'boy found himself a lay in the future.
"Fuck off, Dad."
The laugh echoed again, but Marcus left it at that.
Blissful silence. Just an hour ago he thought of it as boring, but now it was luxury. No piercing voices, no steady silver eyes, no awkward silences. Just. Blissful. Silence.
Knock knock!
"Oh for fucks sake!"
The door creaked open despite the book thrown at it. Emerald peeked her head in. "Damn, Merc. Angry much?" Another book hit the wall by her head. "Wait, you read?"
"Emerald, does it look like I have the time for your crap?"
"Odd, normally I'm the one saying that." Emerald eased into the room without another object thrown at her. Mercury just laid down on his bed and threw an arm over his eyes. He heard her steps reach his bed, felt her crimson eyes burn through him. No such luck, Emmy. "Okay, Merc. Say your piece."
"What's there to say?" Mercury mumbled. "DNA will prove I'm right."
"...What if you're not?"
He shot up so fast Emerald jumped. His glare was molten. "You really believe a bunch of brats over your partner?"
"When you put it like that, it sounds bad. But… but I'm telling you, Merc, that kid, Jet, is you. Like you said, I'm your partner. I could read him like a book."
Mercury let out a groan as he flopped back onto his pillow. He felt Emerald lean her hands on the edge of the mattress, felt it through the sudden sink of his body. "I know what you're going to suggest, and it's not happening."
"Would it really be that bad?"
"Yes."
Emerald rolled her eyes. "If you spent time with those kids, you could make your own judgement about them. Maybe you'll like them. Maybe it'll convince you they're yours, maybe it'll convince you they're not."
Mercury scoffed. "You realize I'm not good with people?"
"If they really are your kids, you won't need to be."
He was silent for a long moment. Then, he groaned. "I hate you."
"Only when I'm right," Emerald replied as she walked to the door. "Just try, okay? And tone down on the assholishess, I'm pretty sure the younger two won't be able to handle it."
He grunted in response.
She opened the door. A flash of white trailed by and caught her attention. "Hey! Wait!" She ran out the door. "Summer, right?"
Mercury sat up again. She wasn't really forcing him to now, was she? Emerald tugged Summer, who was digging her heels into the carpet, into his room. Yes, yes she is.
Emerald pulled Mercury's legs off the bed, much to his annoyance, and lifted Summer up onto it. She then raced to the door before either could object, grabbed the handle, and mockingly waved. "Have fun you two!" SLAM!
He shook his head with all the malice he could muster. "What a cu—" Summer's eyes flashed over to his, eyes wide and sinfully innocent. "—cuhhrazy day, huh?"
Her eyes beelined to her lap. "Mhm."
That was it. That was her addition to the shit conversation. Mercury sighed. This was his life now.
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I couldn't resist posting another chapter. Distressed Mercury is oddly rejuvenating for my soul.
Envoy of Torrask: *gives a thumbs up* I'm glad this first chapter (which was a product of sleep delirium) caught your interest!
merendinoemiliano: Oh, thanks for giving this story a try despite the pairing! Always makes me happy to see a non-Quicksilver shipper check out my stuff. Ooh, I'd love to hear your idea for a Grimm! I don't have any Grimm fights planned for this little story, but I might weasel one in :)
Grano Onis: That is a safe assumption! This isn't as serious story as my other ones, haha!
Happy writing to all! Lonessa out.