Chapter 3
Logan and William's hours and hours of processing, solving codes, and countering firewalls finally yielded results as they watched the screen flash before them and 100+ different camera footages filled the monitor.
"Great, how in the world are we going to find Malyky if there are 100's of cameras?" The exasperated tone of his voice was unmistakable and William grinned yet again. The kid seriously was obsessed with his electronics.
"Facial recognition programs, duh." William said, sounding quite confident, as he minimized the camera screen and clicked on a pixelated face icon. Of course he'd have a shortcut, and Logan caught himself almost grinning. This guy was a nut. The program pulled up, and within seconds it had recognized the requirements entered and zoomed onto Malyky's location. Logan scooted closer to the computer and narrowed his eyes, what was he doing?! All Logan could tell was that he was sitting there, eyes closed, perfectly still, except for the tapping index finger crossed underneath his chin. He quickly determined that it was not a rhythm such as Morse code or symphony. Nor was it binary…he was just…tapping? Looking to William, who shrugged, he quickly asked him to rewind the tape. After about five minutes of tedious hacking procedures, the tape began a backwards spiral. Logan watched in reverse as the time ticked backwards, one hour, two, and three. Not once did Malyky move from his position and the tapping kept its monotonous rhythm.
Logan watched for a moment, attempting to digest this unexpected discovery. It was almost inhuman, and he felt a chill run the length of his spine.
He has absolutely no friends. He's alone…
Out of nowhere came the unexpected noises of dial-up and Williams face went into panic.
"NO, NO. OHHH NO, NO, NO!" He screeched, and Logan's eyes widened.
"What is it?!" He responded to Williams's frantic glances and movements. William looked up.
"I've been hacked." His voice went low. "No. One. Hacks. Me." His face went dark and he slouched low to his computer fingers flying so fast it was nearly impossible, Logan swore he couldn't see them. Backing up slowly he made a quick stop in the kitchen leaving a check for 1000 dollars and a note that read "If your laptops broken, buy a new one. Sorry." With that he made his way down the hall, and out of his dorm. Now to find out which dorm belonged to Malyky.
How entirely frustrating!
Malyky ran through the list of every single student at Mount Justice again, nicking off all the incompetent, intolerable, snooty, and boring. That left one, and he wanted nothing to do with him. He ran through the list again, and again, tapping his finger every time he decided against somebody.
Surely, I missed someone?
A knock came at the door and he jumped startled and knocked the stool he was sitting on to the ground. The crash made him jump slightly and he berated himself. He really needed to start shooting without the silencers, he was becoming weak. Scowling, he moved forward to the door and opened it to find the surprise of apologetic violet eyes. They stood still for ages, deducting the situation without speaking whatsoever. Finally Malyky moved aside and waved Logan in.
Walking forward into the sparsely decorated dorm Logan found a seat at a stool near the pool table that was in the place of the secondary lazy boy. It took a moment but he suddenly realized that they were alone.
"Met your roommate yet?" Logan asked, mostly to fill the silence.
"Yep."
"Where are they now?"
"They quit." Malyky sneered at the word quit and Logan's eyes widened slightly.
"Why?" He asked, attempting at genuine concern. Malyky played along, but he wasn't stupid.
"Apparently they didn't appreciate the background checks detailed explanation of my reputation as a bit of a freak. They didn't even show after the first day." Malyky shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. If it wasn't already awkward before it was now. Taking advantage of the situation Logan took a deep breath and stood.
"Okay, listen. I'm sorry about yesterday. I was wondering if I could cash in that offer though. You said "maybe later" and I thought we could go hang out at the skate park…I don't skate, but you do. Maybe you could teach me and it could become a competition? Best skater buys the lesser a videogame every Friday. I'll owe you for a while but, ya know, it could…maybe be fun?" Logan trailed off of his obvious ramble and stared awkwardly at the ground. A few moments passed and Logan looked up to the distant, shocked expression on Malyky's face.
I was 2. As far back as I could remember, his name was Sebastian Moran, and he was holding me. I can't remember why. He brought me to another man, his name was Jim. Jim Moriarty. Jim was upset that I was there. Sebastian insisted I stay until they could help me find a real mom and dad. He handed me to Jim, and went to wash off the sticky red covering his body.
I was 4. Jim said he found me a home. I asked him why he wasn't my daddy. He said it was because he couldn't take good care of me. I asked him if he loved me. Sebastian came into the room. I ran to him and he picked me up, I smiled. I looked back at Jim from the arms of the man he was always with. We didn't talk about me leaving again.
I was 5. Jim overheard me call Sebastian daddy. That night he tucked me in and told me he loved me.
I was 6. I got my first gun from my dad, it was a fully automatic M-16 with a silencer. I remember the gun range, and the deafening sound of gunpowder igniting all around. I wouldn't go in. I was scared. Dad was disappointed, but he smiled and said maybe later. I smiled too, and we left.
I was 7. I'm bigger now, so Jim and Dad and I all go out together to a gun range, this time I go in. Jim hands me a little pistol and I shoot it once. Just like my daddies, I'm in love.
I was 11. I walked home from school, in the door there was more sticky red, blood…I stepped carefully. As I rounded the corner I saw a dead person for the first time. I was scared. I didn't make a sound, went to my room and cried. Jim came in and explained that people die. When I asked why he simply said, "That's what people do…"
I was 13. Was I weird? Nobody liked me….
Logan walked forward then, extending a hand which Malyky accepted.
"It's a deal then." Malyky muttered. Both their hands dropped awkwardly to their sides and Logan looked around him, his eyes drifting to the window and the sunlight that lit the mid-day Saturday sky.
"So, should we go now?" Logan asked. Malyky hesitated, and then agreed. They soon found themselves moving out the dorm door.
"You know we shouldn't be doing this, you're bad people." Logan mumbled holding back a grin. Malyky's initial shock of the statement wore off as he realized it was a joke.
"Yeah well you're boring." He said quietly. They both smiled heads down as they walked out the door and down the dorm halls in companionable silence. Logan couldn't believe it.
Fourteen years of hating someone, and suddenly, I didn't even know what to think anymore.
Mycroft stared at the screen before him, his calm stoic face showing none of the ice cold anger layered upon his voice.
"What is going on, nobody has ever dissected my firewalls so very thoroughly as to completely take over. Get control back immediately." He said turning on his umbrella and walking a short distance. Within three minutes the small mousy man behind the computer announced his success. Glancing over the screen Mycroft's eyes stilled on the footage of Malyky's dorm hall. What was Logan doing there? Narrowing his eyes, Mycroft leaned closer to the screen, his nose almost touching it he realized that they weren't fighting. They were walking together! Looking at the man in the chair he stood straight. "Fired." He said so matter-of-factly that the small man stood without question and left in a scurry with his head down.
Sitting in the now abandoned chair Mycroft crossed his leg over the other and leaned forward on his umbrella, smirking as he watched the two boys. Reaching for his phone he searched Sherlock in his contact list, but hesitated.
You always did have a thing for the boys didn't you? He heard his shrill nannies voice. You will never be normal. You will NEVER be a SOMEONE. All because he was gay. Glancing back at the screen he closed his phone and stood, leaving the room.
