Notes: Switches between note-format and fleshed-out format. Woulda been a slow burn for one-sided BBSlade.
Summary: Being a poor hero sucked. Unfinished.
Terrible Luck
Not Love at First Sight / Poverty Gar
Grant has kiddos who get kidnapped and dragged to the sketchy side of town where Gar lives. Gar works overtime at a pet store and is only paid minimum wage, barely enough to afford a decrepit apartment and food due to careful rationing. Gar stumbles across the girls and rescues them, taking them to his apartment to calm them and then call the police. The police show up and drags him to the station for questioning and in walks billionaire Grant Wilson, adoptive father to the girls and owner of the world's leading technology company.
BB has a dinky old phone that Grant's company made
Grant takes one look at the scrappy and unkempt young man and decides Gar is just another dumb fool who couldn't make it in the world. He was poor for a reason and that was that.
Grant has every intention to separate his daughters from the filthy idiot when he notices how his children refuse to leave. Despite the stranger's encouragements, the girls stubbornly cling to stained and tattered jeans, chanting refusals against leaving the brat.
Well aware that though the children rarely disobeyed him, when they did they were a combined force rivaling his own determination. To avoid causing a scene, Grant relents and ushers the confused idiot into his limo with the lie of returning the favor. All he planned to do was drop off the leech into one of the nearby slums. The correct slum didn't matter, it was all the same to Grant.
But when he directs the driver to stop a ways away from the police station and the rat hastily reaches for the the door, the children catch on and launch themself atop the piece of filth. Grant clenches his jaw, tired of their antics, and demands they let the "penniless man leave"
Gar stares at the unwarranted antagonism but doesn't retaliate. Rich people were all the same – snobby and mean. Fighting back would just prove them right in their minds. So he settled for gently trying to pry the rigid children off his lap. It doesn't work. They're hold is as unrelenting as steel and he sighs, softly asking them to let go so he could go home.
"Yes," Wilson agrees. "let the filthy leech return to its nest."
Angelina snaps. "Don't be so mean, Papa! Mister Gar is the nicest person we've ever met!"
Gar's flattered until he hears Wilson mutter. "A scam, I'm sure." Then louder. "Nonetheless, he must leave."
Rebecca pitches in. "He's nicer than you, Papa! He gave us blankies when we were cold and he gave us food an' he even stayed when we were scared!"
Angelina added. "For my birthday present, I know exactly what I want!" She looks at Gar with shining eyes. "I want Mister Gar to stay with us!"
Gar laughs nervously as he feels Wilson begin to radiate anger. "No can do, kiddo. Your Papa's right, I've gotta go."
The betrayal scrawled on her features was nearly enough to make him backtrack but he couldn't make false promises.
Wilson sliced through the silence. "He doesn't want to stay, Angelina. Do you really want someone who doesn't want you?"
Gar balked. "That's not what I–"
"Quiet, trash." Wilson snapped back and Gar complied. "Well, Angelina?"
Tears pricked the child's eyes and Gar softened, instinctively reaching to hug her before pulling away. No need to anger the bear of a father any further and risk getting hurt.
While Angie's expression broke, Becca's face hardened. "If Mister Gar's leaving, then I'm leaving too."
The wide eyes and lowered jaw on Wilson's features was almost enough to make Gar laugh. Instead, the implications of that statement flooded his mind and he hastened to change her mind.
"Whoa, wait a minute, kiddo–"
"I'll stay with Mister Gar because at least he cares about me!" Becca pushed and Gar swallowed. "He asked if we were okay and he said 'it's okay' and he hugged me when I asked and you never hug me, Papa!"
Gar sweated as Wilson morphed from not composed to thunderous in three seconds. "We will not have this conversation in front of someone like him."
Caught in a war, he struggled to interrupt. "Wait, just–"
"He actually cares about me, Papa!"
"This is not the time, Rebec–"
"Wait!" Garfield exploded and every gaze turned to him, one furious and the other two frightened so he softened. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Becca, Angie," he studied the girls. "I'm sure your father cares very much about you two but he doesn't like me so I have to go."
"No!" Becca wailed and grabbed his wrist tight enough to decrease circulation. "Don't go!"
Wilson finally snapped and ripped the children away from him. His eyes widened as he recoiled, crashing back into the seat. Suddenly feeling very, very much in danger, he scrambled for the door and rushed out. He didn't stop running until he no longer felt the scorching glare.
Damnit. That's what he gets for playing hero. Poor kids, having a father like that… He shook his head. Not his problem.
Days pass, turning to a handful of weeks as Gar resumes his routine. It isn't until he's on his way home from work when he spots an sleek car, awfully out of place in the slums, and alarm bells ring.
Deciding not to get involved in either what had to be a theft of a car from a careless rich person, or what could be a rich person looking for a prostitute, he veers away from the car. After what happened last time he played hero, he was nearly socked in the face and he couldn't afford to take any days off work to nurse any wounds.
He avoids the car, and in turn the gang members staring hungrily at it from the shadows, and hurries to his apartment. No sense getting involved in a bloodbath. The gang who controlled the area of the slum he lived in could be ruthless when they wanted to be. Since he stayed out of their way and paid his landlady (one of their lackeys) routinely on time, they let him be.
It's one week later when he's on his way home from work does he get in their way. One of Fowler's grunts have kidnapped the girls and Gar hears a yell followed by a young child's scream right before getting bulldozed by a sprinting bundle of panicked energy. Dazedly, he checks what flattened him and jolts into alertness.
Becca, scared senseless but recognizing him all the same, grabs his wrist and drags him into danger. She babbles desperation and he swallows hard as he realizes she's brought him to a hurt Angie…and angry thugs with knives and guns.
The gang members demand he hand over the "rich brat" and they won't kill him. He tries to raise his hands in a surrendering gesture but Becca won't let go.
"H-Hey wait a second…" he tries to reason. "I don't want any trouble. But these are just kids."
A thug approaches, weapon ready and he stiffens, staying in place as Becca hides behind him.
The thug scans him before lowering the gun and scowling. "Garfield, right?"
He fidgets under the stare. "Y-yes?"
The man, presumably the leader, looks pensive. "One of Emily's?"
"One of her tenants, yeah."
"And the only green freak there is." The man agrees. "Look, I'd rather save my bullets and you've been good stream of money. I'll let you off with a warning if you hand over the kid."
Mind whirling, he debated his options before sighing. "You're holding them for ransom, or…?"
The man snorts. "You're not joining in, brat. Now get lost."
"No, wait." He tries, a half-hearted plan forming in his mind. "They're just kids and they trust me. Let me take care of them and they won't be any trouble." He sucked in air. "You'll get your money and they'll get to go home."
Ignoring the tears soaking his pant leg, he focused on the contemplating expression as he tried another offering. "Hey, even if I get caught by the police, I don't have anything on you guys. I can't spill a secret if I don't know what that secret is."
"Fair…" The man mused. "But why should I trust you?"
"I…" he trailed and glanced at Angie clutching her bicep and Becca clinging to his side and tried. "I have a soft spot for kids?"
The thug scoffed. "Ah, you're one of those freaks. A guy from the slums but still cares too much."
He shrugged. "True, but the offer stands. I'll keep them in line and quiet if it means they won't get hurt."
The leader waved a hand. "You're expendable so I'll let you. Try anything and I'll shoot you through the skull."
"Deal." His heart hammered and the leader stepped back to let him walk to Angie.
The gang encircled them and he hefted Angie into his arms. She was about the same weight as one of the medium to big dogs he had to groom and tote around during his work at the pet store, so carrying her wasn't too much of a problem. And the cut itself wasn't deep but there was still a chance of infection. Who knew what was coated on the knives of the thugs.
He guided Becca and carried Angie, murmuring requests for them to stay quiet, and followed the thugs to a car. They crammed inside, the girls on his lap as he sat on the floor in front of their legs, and soon arrived at the warehouse district.
There, he kept the children company as the threat was made over phone and the sun vanished. Only the light of lampposts allowed him to see the girls and soon a sleek car appeared. He stayed back as the thug leader waited for the driver to step out.
And out Wilson stepped. Garfield swallowed as Wilson shot him an accusing glance before refocusing on the leader.
They exchanged money and Garfield took his cue to approach. The leader stepped back, counting the cash, while he tried to pry the children from his legs. They wouldn't budge.
"Angie, Becca…" he muttered, starting to feel nervous the longer they clung.
The thugs used the distraction to bail and he was left alone with the wealthy man….and soon surrounded by police.
He sighed. "Great…"
Police officers stepped out and aimed pistols at him and he tried to raise his hands but the girls grabbed his wrists and held his legs like monkeys and he couldn't move.
So Wilson moved instead. "Why did you kidnap my daughters?"
He knew the man wouldn't believe him, but opted for honesty anyway. "I didn't. I–"
"Liar." Wilson snarled and despite the officers attempts to stop the man from approaching, Wilson stalked to him and punched him straight in the gut.
Being a hero so sucked.
He doubled-over, gasping and biting on swears and one the girls scrambled on top of his back, bodily protecting him through piggy-back while the other tried to kick her father.
"Stay away from him!" Angie barked. "He protected us!"
Becca bared her teeth by his ear. "He cares about us! He made sure none of the bad guys hurt us!"
Wilson darkened his glare but they were at a standstill. Garfield caught his breath and struggled to straighten but the weight on his back slid lower and her hold pulled against his neck, stifling oxygen.
"Becca, Angie, please let go." He murmured.
They hesitated and Wilson took the chance. He ripped Angie away and grabbed Becca by an arm and hauled her off him. Garfield stumbled before a green wrist was grabbed and pinned behind his back.
He whined in pain, wriggling until Wilson declared. "Officers, I will deal with this one personally."
One of the women stepped forwards. "But sir, procedure–"
"If you wish to continue receiving my generous donations, then you will forget this man was involved and will instead search for the thugs who have my money."
Quelled by the anger and threat of losing access to precious funds, the officers nodded.
Garfield was dragged into the car, girls following like desperate puppies.
Wilson and the girls bickered as he sat quietly, idly wondering if he was being kidnapped, before…
~oOo~
Notes:
That's as far as I got before running outta steam. Thanks for reading!