Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Five
...
Anita had left home soon after Ethan and Zach had gone upstairs. She was worried for them, worried about Ethan's sudden so-called "headache" and what it might really mean. She had to grade papers, but Anita needed to do this for her own peace of mind first. She couldn't teach or grade or attend meetings while this was ruminating in her mind over and over. She wanted to focus on what she wanted to say and how she wanted to deal with the person or people that had convinced her sons and daughter to take up their cause and potential early death sentence. She would make them feel so guilty that they wouldn't be able to see straight for the rest of the year. Heidi had given her the address after dinner and she didn't know how she felt about being in front of the Sanctuary apartment building. She'd been in this building, attended a party there, and had even helped several terrified children settle into their brand-new apartments without an adult or parent in sight. Had the mastermind and manipulator been there that whole time? Were they going to take advantage of the children next?
Forcing herself to walk into the building, she ignored the bakery on her left and the jewellery store being fitted on her right, and went straight to the elevator. The highest level of the skyscraper towered over the rest of Maxville, and she pressed the button for the floor beneath it. Anita didn't know the significance of a mastermind manipulator being on a floor below the top floor, but she supposed it didn't matter. She brushed her sweaty hands over her legs as the elevator ascended and swallowed to regain moisture in her desert-dry mouth. Part of her was terrified about doing this. What if what she said wasn't enough to make them leave her babies in peace? What if she said something and enraged this person enough that they'd take it out on her? Would they know she was a citizen without powers and had no bonus healing factor? Would they even care? Was she about to head to her death over this confrontation? Worse, what if she did convince this person to leave her babies alone, but Ethan, Zach, and Heidi still wanted to be part of it, no matter what she said?
The elevator doors opened sooner than Anita expected or would have liked. She had no choice but to step forward - there was no way she could turn back now - and she continued onto the landing and down the corridor, looking at each number on the doors before finally stopping in front of room 1910. Anita's hand was trembling as she raised it to knock on the door, and she hated that it was. She was doing this for her children, and they were the first priority, no matter what happened to her.
The door opened and Anita frowned at Warren. "Sorry, I must have the wrong room."
"Oh? Which room are you looking for?" Warren asked.
"Hi, Anita," Layla called from her bed, waving and smiling brightly.
"You're here, too, Layla? I'm guessing it's not the super flu, then?" Anita asked, looking between them. Her eyes narrowed. "You're not taking time off school to have sex, are you?"
Warren turned as red as Layla's hair, while Layla laughed heartily in the background.
"I'll take that as a no, shall I?" she asked, Warren nodding quickly. "You two haven't seen this manipulator who's convinced Ethan, Zach, and Heidi to join them on their crusade, have you?"
Layla's laughter cut off abruptly and Warren's blush disappeared almost instantly.
"Are you all right?" Anita asked, frowning and looking between them once more.
"You should probably come in, Anita. Ethan told us you'd be coming by."
Feeling like she was missing something important, Anita stepped into the room. Her mind whirled ahead, trying to make sense of everything, trying to put the puzzle pieces together, trying to stay three steps ahead, just like in chess. Then suddenly, it all fell into place. "You're the manipulators? Both of you?"
Layla wrinkled her nose. "I don't like the way 'manipulator' sounds."
Warren sighed. "It fits, though, especially with some of the things we've done. Take a seat, Anita, and we'll talk, okay?"
Anita sat on the chair facing their beds, feeling like one of those horrible wooden people in Richard's train sets. "Why have you been here instead of school for the last week?" she asked, desperate for something to make sense, to understand something about any of this.
"We rescued the children - you have seen them, right?" Layla asked, receiving a nod in return. "Oh, good. Warren and I went to the orphanage they were being held in and experimented on. Most of our friends went with us including Ethan and Zach, but Heidi stayed behind, which she was not happy about."
"While we were there, Layla and I fought two supers called Wardens, and they beat the shit out of us. We killed them, rescued the kids, and Ida has very patiently been looking after us over the last week while we healed with super-drugs and limited powers."
Anita didn't know what to say. She could see a yellowing bruise peeking out from Warren's shirt, and knew that if he still had a bruise like that after a week with the usual superhumans' healing power, then it had to have been bad. "Ethan and Zach went with you?"
"Yes. Ethan melted us all down so Craig could teleport us to the orphanage. Not all of us have a flying limo like Pat, unfortunately," Layla said, grinning.
"My Turbine would've made it if I had a full tank," Warren groused.
Layla rolled her eyes. "You would've made it there, but certainly not back. Besides, you haven't even tried to fly it over an ocean yet; I didn't want to find out it doesn't handle open water the hard way, Warren."
Anita ignored their banter for the most part, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Ethan and Zach had gone with them to a place where children had been experimented on, and Layla and Warren had been injured so severely they were still healing after a week had passed. "Why did you choose Ethan and Zach? And don't you dare say it's because they're your friends: friends don't put friends in mortal danger."
Warren and Layla stopped bickering about the car and turned their attention back to Anita.
"Their powers are useful, even more than they realise. Ethan's ability to melt both himself and others provides a good way to escape or move about undetected. Ethan's also shown that he can use his powers in combination with a power like Adam's acid without harming himself. Not to mention his strategic and logical thinking skills are useful for leadership and authority, which is definitely needed to handle some of the others in our group. Ethan's respected and listened to by everyone, even Connor."
Anita blinked. Connor was in on this, too? She had seen him during the party, an edge to his expression that she'd never seen before, and supposed she should have realised sooner that something had happened. She didn't know if she felt better or worse that they had convinced an adult like Connor to join their cause.
"And Zach? I love him, but he's certainly not strategic like Ethan," Anita said, frowning. There were times that she even missed strategies that Ethan seemed to see as clear as day.
"His power complements my plant one, and while he's not strategic like Ethan, Zach brings ideas that others don't always think of. The post traumatic growth he's gained from his childhood allows Zach to be a surprisingly good fighter, and he also knows how to relieve tension and help Ethan. For all of Ethan's logic, he can be single-minded at times, and Zach is good at helping him see the bigger picture."
Anita was trembling again, but this time it wasn't out of fear of what might happen to her. Layla and Warren probably wouldn't hurt her, but they could rely too heavily on Ethan and Zach's good natures and healing abilities; what if they had to go up against their own Wardens one day? What would happen if they were hurt beyond what they could handle? Were Layla and Warren doing this for the thrill of it all? They'd clearly known where the orphanage was, so why hadn't they let the adults handle it? They could have reported it to... someone, and then let them handle it!
"Why didn't you tell someone? About the children, the experiments in the orphanage? They could have been rescued by professionals! There has to be... the Super Bureau; they could have sent people!" Anita said, sounding as desperate as she felt about her solution.
Warren frowned and Anita felt like she was missing something important again.
"The Super Bureau were the ones that kidnapped and experimented on the children, Anita. The orphanage was nothing but a cover," Layla said, her voice gentle.
"We have evidence of them experimenting on other people, too. We're working on a plan to rescue them, too," Warren said.
Anita looked between them. "So, you're heroes, then? Rescuing and saving people isn't exactly villainous behaviour."
Layla and Warren looked at each other in a way that made Anita feel like she was doing a jigsaw puzzle blindfolded and with half the pieces missing.
"Not exactly. I don't like the label, but perhaps manipulator does fit because some people will owe me their lives after I save them, and I won't let them forget it. I won't call myself a hero because a hero would be honour-bound to keep people alive in order to bring them to justice. I refuse to let people who have been experimenting on others live. I'm also not going to wait around for government grants or a, I don't know, a Council of the Just and Good to determine whether I should get funding for what I want to do. We've already robbed one bank and we'll probably have to rob more if the stock market crashes like Ethan says it will," Layla admitted with a brief shrug, like holding people hostage for money was something that didn't bother her on any level.
"Which bank... oh, wait, Craig and Canada. I forgot about that," Warren muttered, shaking his head.
Anita had no idea what they were talking about and had no idea if she wanted to be implicated by the knowledge, either. Swallowing hard, she gathered her courage for her next question and the answer she was sure she wouldn't like. "Can you promise me that they'll be safe? Can you promise they'll come home every time?"
Warren sighed while Layla shook her head. "We can't promise that, Anita. We've done as much as we can to protect them, but there are things beyond our control, and we can't promise that they'll be safe every time. We can promise to bring them home, no matter what, just like they would with us."
'No matter what' meant 'if they die fighting' and Anita struggled to breathe at the concept of her babies dying for a cause that wasn't even theirs to start off with, her eyes prickling with unshed tears.
"Shit. Hippie, the water jug. Here, Anita. Breathe and drink this. Slowly, there, good," Warren said, tilting the glass for her to drink carefully.
Anita swallowed the water and tried to force oxygen into her lungs next. It was difficult, but Warren's hand was warm on her shoulder and helped her thaw enough to inhale once more.
"Do you need a minute? Or food? We get free food from the bakery, though Ida usually takes it away if it's too sweet. Warren, can you call Honey?"
"No need, I've brought food for you," 081 said from the doorway, barely as tall as the cart he was pushing. "Ammie gave me some of everything, and would like the feedback cards filled in and returned with the empty plates."
Anita couldn't help but stare, even as a plate with a sandwich and lion cupcake was placed on her lap carefully. "Are you... are you part of this, too?" she asked 081, her voice breaking at the thought. He was too young for something like this, surely?
081 shook his head. "Not yet. They won't let me until... hmm, either next year or the year after. I plan on pestering them on a daily basis if it's the latter," he said brightly.
"You want to be part of it? Why?"
081 paused, tilting his head. "They're going to change the world, and I want to see it and be a part of it myself. Also, the perks are pretty good," he added with a cheeky grin.
Warren raised an eyebrow. "What perks do you think you're getting?"
"Food, accommodation, schooling, friends, and revenge on the Super Bureau. That's enough to satisfy me for the next few years until I think of something else."
"Can you tell me if they'll be all right? Will they live?" Anita asked, clutching the plate tightly.
081 thought about it for a moment. A moment too long for Anita's liking, but she couldn't say anything else, she could only hold her breath and pray for an answer. What if he said no?
"I can't tell you, Anita. But I can show you," 081 said, stepping forward and placing his hands on her temples before anyone could say or do anything.
Fear, anger, hate, desperation, and loathing filled her for a moment, each emotion so pure and clear that it ached in her chest and made her fists clench. Then there was joy, laughter, happiness, love, and for a single second, pure bliss that she'd never felt before in her life, even though she thought she had. She could see everything that brought on each of these emotions, and in nearly every scene, Layla and Warren were there with her children, encouraging or protecting them using their powers, words, brands of vines and flames. Layla and Warren pushed them to their limits, and then pushed them further still, but there were times when they pulled them back, too, and kept them safe even when they didn't want to be. For a lingering second that felt like an hour, Anita could see Ethan, Zach, and Heidi all grown up and smiling, a few scars in places and their hair different (Heidi had shaved half her head; she'd need to mentally prepare to support her in that decision), but they were happy, alive, and they were safe. The world around them looked lush and bright, and it wasn't shrouded in misery or destruction like some part of her had feared. They were okay, the world didn't end, and... were those wedding rings?
"Sorry, too far. I'm still getting the hang of it. It's all right, Anita, you can open your eyes now. You might have a headache for the next hour, but the food and water will help," 081 said, stepping back.
"You're... " Anita paused, her mouth dry and sipped her water to get moisture back. "You're sure it was real?"
"It's definitely the brightest thread. I could show you the one where they didn't choose this, but I'm already having nightmares and I'd prefer not to add to them. 379 might kill me," he mused.
Anita didn't remember 379 from the party, but nodded anyway. "Thank you."
081 smiled once more. "Don't forget to fill in the feedback cards for Ammie, okay? Sport will be by later to pick up the cart."
They were silent as 081 left the room, and Layla savoured her carrot cake cupcake while she still could. Anita picked at her food at first, but realised she was ravenous and after a few bites, her plate was clean.
"The brands you gave them, they do more than let you use your power through them, right?"
"It lets us find them, no matter where they are. Craig was worried about being kidnapped. The brands also unleash their full power. We haven't branded Heidi yet," Warren said.
Anita frowned. "Why not? She's chosen this, just like her brothers have."
"You want us to brand her?" Warren asked incredulously.
"I want you to be fair. If you've branded everyone else except Heidi, how would that make her feel?"
There was a moment of silence, then Layla nodded. "You're right. We'll brand her properly."
"Thank you, and thank you for looking out for them."
"Of course. They're our friends; we'll keep them safe to the best of our ability," Warren promised.
Anita smiled. "Yes, I know you will."
...
Justina: I've got a suggestion for a permanent marker
Justina: this is my Hero for today: Remi
Justina: he shifts into a bear!
Zach: awesome! How tall is he? Can he run really fast? Does he hibernate?
Justina: wtf, dude?
Ethan: We watched a nature documentary about bears on the weekend.
Zach: it was so cool! Can he shift everything, or just like, his arms? Bear arms!
Craig: haha, bear arms
Craig: that's totally a weapon, and if someone "bears arms" then that works, too
Ethan: I'm so proud.
Craig: :D 3
Zach: who were the rest of you paired with?
Robin: a Hero Support with their head up their ass
Robin: he's purposely mis-gendering me
Terrence: oh no, his phone just mysteriously broke
Terrence: you should've told me sooner, Robin
Robin: eh, I was going to make him trip over random rocks for a week
Justina: ha, do that, too!
Terrence: I got Fantasia -_-
Terrence: she keeps whining about Cassie and Atlantis being in different groups and how she has no friends! :(
Craig: tell Princess that we were all put in different groups, too!
Ethan: We resulted with a couple in each group, but that was likely due to the size of our friend group and not a lack of trying.
Robin: did you see this? XD
Robin had sent a photo of a sign from the Supers and Sex exhibit: The bed was broken through actions by Jetstream's son, Airborne. They refuse to pay for it to be fixed. To complain, please call the following number.
Layla frowned, zooming in on the number to read it properly.
Layla: I recognise that number
Layla: it's the phone number for Stronghold Real Estate
Robin burst out laughing, drawing the attention of several people.
"Hey, can you hurry up with the workbook? I want to write my answers and then wash my hands so I don't catch what you have," their hero support sneered.
Robin rolled their eyes and held the workbook out of reach.
The hero support glared and stomped over to get it, yowling in pain a second later.
"You really shouldn't stomp around like that when you have a pebble in your shoe," Robin tutted, shaking their head.
...
Daisy waited outside of the skyscraper, trying not to feel too nervous about her upcoming meeting. She'd sold half of this building to a single person - she still wasn't entirely sure how, but it was legal (she'd checked three times, both during and after the sale; she wasn't losing the Realtor Sales Award on a technicality!) - and was going to meet them face to face for the first time in twenty minutes. She'd been so eager she'd left far too early and didn't really have anything else to do in the meantime.
Looking at Gemstone's store, Daisy was tempted to look at the jewellery but there were so many people already in the store that she felt claustrophobic just looking at it from a distance. Deciding to sit in the bakery instead - fewer dining chairs meant less people at one time - Daisy headed over to sit there and wait.
A blonde woman about her height was behind the counter, flirting with a tall bald man, who seemed to be flirting back with her. Daisy looked at the cupcakes out of politeness, then was pleasantly surprised by the animal designs and cute characters. Looking up to the menu with the prices, Daisy frowned.
Amine shooed Sport away when she saw she had a potential customer. "Good afternoon! Can I help you?" she asked, smiling brightly. Her smile faded on seeing the potential customer's frown, and she bit her lip. "Is everything all right?"
"You are seriously undercharging for these cupcakes."
"Told you!" Sport called from his seat.
"I know. I want everyone to be able to try them, not just the people who can afford to. It's not a great way to run a business, I know, but that's not why I became a baker."
Daisy was surprised by the impassioned speech, not expecting it. "Well. That's nice of you. When do you close? I'd like to buy some for my son, but I have a meeting that won't finish until five, and I don't want something that cute melting."
"I close at four-thirty. But I live nearby," Annie said with a quick smile, "so I can hold them for you until you're ready?"
Again, Daisy was surprised. "You're sure you don't mind?"
"Of course not. What's your son's favourite animal? If I don't have the cupcake on display, I can probably make it, depending on what it is."
In Daisy's line of work, she hadn't met many genuinely nice people, but she could tell that this lady was one of them. She smiled. "He likes dragons. I know how difficult they are to make, so I definitely won't ask you to do it now, but thank you for the offer. Do you make birthday cakes? His party is in three weeks, would that be enough time?"
"Yes and yes, more than enough. Favourite colours? I can sketch a design while you're in your meeting, and we can talk about it later?" Annie asked, already thinking of the shapes and designs she could do.
"Nothing too extravagant, he's only three and it's doubtful he'll remember it for longer than a week," Daisy said with a laugh. "And his favourite colour changes daily, so I'm sure anything you pick will be fine. Can we discuss the cost later, as well? I'm so sorry to ask and leave, but my meeting - "
Annie waved her off with a broad grin. "I completely understand. I'll see you here when you're done."
"I shouldn't forget, but here's my business card. If I'm not back by five, call me. Please?"
"Of course. I'm Ammie. Good luck at your meeting, Daisy!"
"Thanks, Ammie," Daisy said, almost over her shoulder as she hurried through the bakery, skyscraper foyer, and over to the elevators.
"Who do you think she's meeting?" Ammie asked curiously, going to get a notepad and pencil to start sketching.
"No idea. Half of the businesses are up there now, so could be anyone. Champ drew the short straw for taking photos for everyone's ID badges. Pretty sure he's plotting revenge against all of us."
"Oh, that explains a lot," Ammie murmured.
"Hmm?"
"Champ ordered a baker's dozen of cupcakes that all say 'asshole' on them."
"And you're giving them to him?"
"He's paying for them. I charged extra for the swearing," she said, grinning impishly.
Sport laughed. "Good. I'm fine with it if I get another chance to eat your cooking. Hell, I might piss him off just to get more cupcakes."
...
Ryuu looked from the gym arena where Adam and Craig were fighting in Save the Citizen to the gym door. He could make it to the bathroom and back between fights, he was sure of it, but leaving the gym during Save the Citizen meant he'd have to go to the bathroom alone. If it was Mississippi, he would've just gone to the girl's bathroom and hated himself for it later. Now, however, he was stronger and had friends who would go with him if he wanted. He just had to ask.
"C'mon, Eth. You know that asshole's life insurance can get a better return than this. Heidi's trust fund needs to make trust fund babies look like pocket change. Mwahahaha, argh," Zach cut off with a chesty cough. "It's okay, I'll work on the evil laugh later. Pat, look at this, would you? You know about stocks 'n shit, don't you?"
"He's busy," Naj called, eyes closed as Pat braided his hair with long deft fingers.
"Your braid can wait 'til you're in Nigel," Zach said flippantly.
"Nigel teases poor Pat," Maleah said, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.
"I still say he's jealous because he doesn't have a full head of hair like I do," Najair said, smirking.
"Come on! Kick his ass already!" Kiara called at Craig and Adam, who were both fighting against a Hero who could change the size of his limbs at will, his bulky arms stopping the two friends from rescuing the citizen.
Ry watched for a few minutes longer, until his bladder protested and his need became so urgent that he stood and left without bothering to ask his friends to accompany him. He just needed to use the bathroom, just like millions of people did every day; it wasn't a big deal.
Will looked from the fight to the door as movement caught his attention, his heart skipped a beat as he saw Ryuu leaving the gym. Was it his imagination or did Ry look straight at him before leaving? Obviously, it was a signal and Ry wanted him to follow.
"I've gotta go," Will said to Magenta, standing and leaving the gym without looking back.
...
"I can't believe you're the owner!" Daisy said, all decorum and professionalism thrown out the window as she stared at Mrs. Morton.
Mrs. Morton! From Morton Holdings!
"Who else did you think would be rich enough to buy half a skyscraper in cash?" Ellie asked, grinning.
Daisy hadn't exactly considered that. She tried to pull herself together and gain a shred of dignity back. "I don't like speculating about anonymous clients."
"I'm glad to hear it. Now, my associate and I need your assistance to purchase a company."
Daisy straightened up. This she could do. "Of course. Where is it? Is there a current realtor?"
"Chicago, and no, there's no realtor. It's not for sale yet. Don't worry, I'm working on that part," Ellie said dismissively.
"Then how am I meant to assist you and your associate?" Daisy asked in confusion.
"Make him an offer he can't refuse."
Daisy frowned, her frown deepening when Ellie burst out laughing.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I've always wanted to say that!" Ellie said with a grin. "Now, you can help by sending a few emails. It doesn't need to be anything over the top, just 'are you interested in selling?' and a phone number. Nothing nefarious, is it? Honestly, it'll probably be deleted as spam, so don't even worry about expecting a reply."
Daisy frowned again. "Why me? And why now?"
"It needs to be a reputable realtor, and I know you. If I send it, it looks hostile," Ellie said with a shrug.
"But if I send it, I'm nobody?"
"Of course not. You're non-threatening. I've been told I'm threatening, which is ridiculous and makes me sound like a villain. Do I look like a villain to you?"
Daisy considered her question for a moment. "No, you look like an ordinary citizen."
"See, harmless. Also, I have another two skyscrapers I want to purchase. The whole thing this time, so I'll need your help with those, too. It's easier to do this face to face. The anonymity for this building was necessary due to reasons - "
Involving Jetstream and the Commander, Daisy thought to herself. Trixie had come over to visit and catch up, and had spent half the night laughing her ass off over everything "the great Josie Stronghold" had done to embarrass herself.
" - and I didn't want to be caught up in that mess any longer than I had'ta be."
Daisy nodded. "All right. I'll send the email and look at the two skyscrapers. Do you have their details for me?"
Ellie smiled broadly. "O'course. I'm always prepared for a hostile takeover."
Daisy felt herself relaxing at the words. She always felt calm when the pressure was at its strongest, like she could do anything, even help Mrs. Morton purchase two whole skyscrapers.
...
Sport watched as Ammie focused on the cupcakes with nearly all her concentration. One ear was obviously being kept on the door since she looked over as soon as the bell jingled, but prior to that, she'd had the same sort of determination and focus that he could recognise from his time as a sniper in the Special Forces. He wondered if she would win a staring contest against him; none of the other guys in the team could, not even Connor.
He stood and smiled at Daisy as she came into the bakery. She was obviously distracted because she started on seeing him - it's not like he was easy to miss - and held a hand to her chest in surprise. "Sorry! I'm a few minutes late, I know, but I didn't forget. I swear," Daisy added with a smile.
"It's all right. Ammie's just finishing up," Sport said, looking over to the back of the bakery in time to see Ammie stepping through the door with a plate of cupcakes in hand.
"Ah, right on time! I just finished, so you'll have to tell me which one you prefer. I was going to draw them, but then I realised it would be easier to visualise if they were made... This is the miniature form, so I can make them bigger," Ammie said, setting the plate on the counter and making a gesture for Daisy to inspect, her face filled with pride and happiness.
Sport wanted to hug her, just to keep her happy for as long as possible. He promised himself that that would be the first thing he did on their upcoming date.
Daisy's eyes widened at the cupcakes, each one decorated with a colourful dragon. There was one sleeping, one wide awake, one yawning with a fireball coming out of its mouth, and a fourth roasting a mini-marshmallow on the end of its claw. "You made these? In... sixty-five minutes? They have scales!"
"Uh, yes? Dragons do have scales, at least the ones I've seen in pictures do. Is it not enough? Or are there other kinds of dragons? There was a water dragon, but I didn't even attempt it; should I have attempted it?"
"Ammie, please. I am stunned that you put this much effort into these in such a short amount of time. I don't know if I could even bring myself to eat them, they're that beautiful!"
Ammie stopped rambling at Daisy's response, surprised. "You like them?"
"I love them. Screw my kid, I want these for my birthday! I mean, look at that one with the marshmallow! How did you brown it like that?"
"I have a creme brûlée torch. It took a few tries to get it right without melting the dragon. These are just the ones that survived," Ammie admitted with a grin.
"Did we agree on a price? I don't remember, but I'll double whatever you were going to charge because it was going to be too cheap for this kind of artistry. Honestly, your guy needs to change the prices when you're not looking if you're being stubborn about it," Daisy said, looking over to Sport.
Sport snickered. "Would that I could."
Ammie gave Sport a half-hearted glare, then smiled at Daisy. "Do you think your son would like any of these for his birthday?"
"Probably the one sleeping with the nose bubble. He does that, too," Daisy said with a grin.
"You'll have to show me a photo, he sounds adorable. But first, please try a cupcake. I don't want them to go to waste."
"Do you mind if I take one for my husband? He'll love them as much as I do."
"Of course not. I'll get a box ready for you," Ammie said.
"You won't judge me if I take a photo of this before I eat it, will you?" Daisy asked Sport as Ammie went to the back of the bakery.
"Of course not. I've taken about ten different photos of Captain Fancypants today alone," Sport admitted with a broad grin.
"Who's Captain Fancypants?"
"Penguin cupcake. He sells out pretty fast, but this is what he looks like," Sport said, unlocking his phone to show Daisy the photos of the cupcake.
"Oh, cute," Daisy cooed, picking up one of the dragon cupcakes.
By the time Ammie returned with a box, Daisy had eaten her dragon, and Sport was talking to her about Captain Fancypants and the completely fake history the penguin had gone through to become a Captain in the Navy. Daisy was laughing and Sport was smiling, and Ammie felt an odd surge of jealousy at the sight. She shook her head; how utterly ridiculous. Daisy was married and had a child, and besides, she didn't think Sport was that kind of guy. She looked over at them, hoping her cheeks weren't too red at her irrational green-eyed monster, and saw Sport looking at her. He grinned and winked, and Ammie was definitely sure her cheeks were red now.
"Thank you so much for these, Ammie. How much do I owe you? And the cake, how much? Oh, my husband's going to love these. I'll have to send you a photo later. You've got a social media account for your business, right? I'll follow you, especially if you have photos of your cupcakes every day. I'll live vicariously through my phone until I can buy one of everything!"
Daisy's excitement washed away any lingering jealousy in an instant. Ammie gave her a business card with her social media accounts and they worked out a price for the cake and cupcakes, though the latter was reluctant on Ammie's side since they were just test cupcakes, really. Daisy refused to accept them as a gift and even insisted on paying Ammie extra for keeping her back late.
After Daisy had left with her cupcakes boxed up safely, and the bakery door was closed and locked, Sport pulled Ammie in for a warm and enveloping hug that lasted five full minutes.
...
Connor was mentally planning his next mission - stripping Victor and driving him crazy with his mouth - when the bus door opened and Ryuu stepped out. Sending a row of kissy face emojis to Victor, Connor looked over to his son when Ry didn't make his way over immediately. Frowning at the sight of his glazed expression, Connor swore and was out of the car in a shot when Ry almost stepped in front of a minivan.
"Papa?" Ry said, sounding dazed.
"I've got you. You good, son?" Connor asked, looking him over to ensure the van hadn't hurt him.
"Fine, Papa. I just... I didn't see the van."
"It's neon orange, son. How'd you miss it?"
Ry glanced at the minivan, wincing at the bright colour, then shook his head. "I had a lot on my mind. Can we go now, Papa? Layla and Warren want to talk to us."
"They can wait, Ryuu. Did something happen today?" Connor asked, trying to keep his emotions and tone calm; it was obvious that something was upsetting his son and he wanted to help however he could.
Ryuu shook his head. "I just want to get this over with and go home."
Connor clenched his teeth at the obvious lie. "Ryuu... "
"Please, Papa?"
The tension left Connor's shoulders abruptly as he heard the vulnerable tone in his son's voice. He hadn't sounded this small since he was a child. "All right. Come on, son," he murmured, gently leading Ry to the car with a hand on his back.
While Connor's own tension had left almost immediately, Ry was holding himself upright, his shoulders so tense they were almost up to his ears. Connor waited until Ry was in the car before going around to the driver's seat, closing and locking the doors before turning on the ignition.
"What're you doing, Papa?" Ry asked, brow furrowed in confusion when Connor grabbed his phone rather than driving.
To Layla and Warren: Ry & I will be there later; treating him out to dinner - it's a surprise, don't say anything.
"Sending a text. Two texts," Connor amended, realising that he'd need to delay his date with Victor as well.
"What for?"
Connor glanced over to Ry and raised an eyebrow pointedly. "Want to tell me what you text people?"
"I sent a deez nuts meme to Craig this morning with a photo of Snoopy from Peanuts," Ry said, a smile twitching at his lips.
Connor snorted. "I only understood half of that sentence. There, sent. Seatbelt on?" he asked.
"'Course, Papa."
"Good. You can choose the radio station, good?" Connor said, driving out of the parking lot.
Ry considered it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah, I'm good."
Connor almost swerved into oncoming traffic. "What? Since when do you refuse to choose the station? I'll put the news on, then."
Ry snorted. "Yeah, right, Papa. You hate the news as much as I do. I just don't want to listen to anything right now."
Connor considered his response for a moment, then smirked. "Spice Girls, it is."
"Papa!"
"C'mon, we both know the only reason I bought the CD was for you."
"No way, Papa! You have a thing for that girl you like."
"That girl? How dare you insult Scary Spice! Come on, son, tell me w-w-whatcha want," Connor sang, grinning when Ry groaned and covered his ears.
"You suck, Papa," Ry muttered.
Connor just stayed silent, a grin on his face as he waited.
"Papa! Grosssss!" he groaned.
"I didn't say anything!"
"You were thinking it, and that's - " Ry frowned as he realised they weren't heading to Sanctuary like he'd expected. "Where are we going?"
"Dinner," Connor replied simply, checking the rear view and side mirrors before he changed lanes.
"I thought you were going out with Victor tonight?" Ry asked.
"I rescheduled. You realise you're my first priority, no matter what? That's never going to change, son. I promise."
Ry felt a lump forming in his throat and he looked away from his father to the cars and buildings passing by. He bit his lip to focus on the pain instead of the tears in his eyes. Shit, he wasn't meant to cry. He was meant to be stronger now and he hated crying, dammit.
"Okay, here we go."
Ry wiped at his eyes quickly so his father wouldn't notice he'd been crying and looked out the window at the building they'd stopped at. "Ice cream? You hate eating dessert for dinner."
"One night won't kill us, and if it does, I don't think we'll regret it, good?"
"Yeah. Good, Papa."
Connor got out of the car, stretching and waiting for Ryuu to collect himself and check his reflection. He checked his phone while he waited, seeing a response from Victor and swallowing hard when he saw the photo of Victor in his blue shirt. His son was more important than sex. He repeated the mantra several times, only stopping when Ry got out of the passenger side of the car. Slipping his phone in his pocket, Connor forced himself to smile even though his son's eyes were red and puffy from crying. "Ready, son?"
"Yeah, Papa. I'm going to get three scoops and, like, five different toppings!"
"Ah, yes. The puke master hasn't been seen since the Great Ice Cream Cake Incident of '98."
Ry wrinkled his nose. "Eww. Fine, three scoops and four toppings."
"Two scoops, two toppings," Connor bargained.
"Aww, but - "
"We're still in the rental, I'm not losing our deposit because you tried to walk up the walls again."
"I almost did it last time!"
"You had so much sugar you didn't need to walk, son."
"Two and three, and karate later to work it off? Oh, no, the sticks! Or swords?"
"Sticks; we're not both getting sugar highs and then hospitalised after playing with sharp swords."
"Deal."
Feeling like he'd just been played by his own son, Connor headed into the ice cream store with Ryuu and hoped this would be worth the sugar crash later.
...
End of the hundred and seventy-fifth chapter.
Thanks for reading; I hope you liked it!
