DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris and Ri'ann Parrn. The Misfitverse this story takes place in belongs to Red Witch, the characters of G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, and everything else belongs to Marvel.
Chapter 19: Who's Your Daddy?!
"Let me make sure I understand what you're saying," Victor began as the Leapfrog leapt through the skies of Los Angeles. "The Pride was a supervillain group composed of your parents, right?"
"Most of us," Derrick said. "My parents were just your run-of-the-mill military scientists."
"And my own family was Skrull royalty," Xavin, in her Skrull form, added.
"Her parents were dark wizards, right?" Victor said, pointing to Nico. "And she got her staff when her mother stabbed it into her chest?"
"Pretty much," Nico said.
"Yours were time-traveling criminals who stole stuff from certain time periods and sold it off for money?" Victor asked Gert. "And you have a telepathic and empathic link to a genetically-engineered dinosaur from the 87th Century?"
"Basically," nodded Gert. "I didn't even think raptors made good pets until I found Old Lace."
"She's not a raptor, actually," Victor said. "If she was, she'd have a hook-looking claw on her foot. She looks more like a Deinonychus with a pedicure."
"And you know that because…?" Derrick said.
"I actually went to a science museum for once in my life," Victor said simply.
"Show-off," Derrick muttered.
"Anyway, his parents were a couple of mad scientists who got rich patenting a device that removes the labels from CDs, right?" Victor said, looking at Chase, who was piloting the Leapfrog. "And he stole those fire-gloves from their workshop, which is also where Nico got her staff?"
"You got it," Chase called back.
"Moving on, your parents were aliens, right?" Victor asked Karolina, who nodded. He then turned to Molly. "And yours were telepathic mutants with the same ideals as Magneto, but posed as a surgeon and a speech therapist?"
"Yep!" Molly said. "And I have super-strength!"
"Talk about irony," Victor said. "What about the other two, though?"
"I'm a mutant, like Molly," Derrick explained, "except that I can absorb and manipulate electricity. I accidentally killed my parents when the little racists tried to dissect me. Been afraid of fatally electrocuting someone ever since."
"I am a Super-Skrull-in-training from Tarnax VII," Xavin said.
"Like that one the Fantastic Four go against?" Victor asked.
"Yes," Xavin nodded. "I have all the same powers he has."
"So what does this have to do with me?" Victor asked. "How exactly can I grow up to wipe out all the superheroes when I can't even control my own crazy powers?"
"Trust me," Derrick said, holding up one sparkling hand, "I've seen crazier."
"Future Gert said that your dad was the biggest bad guy ever, and that he made you into an even bigger bad guy," Molly said.
"That's impossible," Victor shook his head. "My dad died fighting for his country."
"Who are you, Mutt Williams?" Derrick snorted. "He didn't exactly think that Indy was his real father, now did he?"
"That was different!" Victor insisted, electricity sparking from his mouth and hands. "Wait, you've seen 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'?"
"Is it so wrong for a mutant to go to a movie theater every now and then?" Derrick sighed.
"Actually, no," Victor shrugged. "I'm not some insane bigot like Graydon Creed or Reverand Stryker."
"We can only hope," Derrick said.
"What about your mom, Victor?" Karolina asked.
"Well, she's an architect's assistant by day," Victor began. "By night she's a student, and later in said night she's a waitress."
"And you're sure she hasn't lied to you about anything?" Nico asked, skepticism in her voice.
"Look, just because your parents were evil doesn't mean my mom is!" Victor objected, sparks flying from his mouth again.
"Got anything to prove that?" Gert said.
"Maybe not," Victor admitted, "but you don't have anything to prove me wrong, either."
The Latino boy sighed.
"Look," he began, "even if my mom did lie to me—which I doubt—who would that make my dad?"
"Maybe Magneto?" Molly suggested.
"I'll need to find out what I can really do before we can jump to any conclusions," Victor said, "but he is a likely candidate."
"We can look through our parents' files back in our lair," Nico said.
"Speaking of which," Chase said, "everyone get ready. We're coming up on the La Brea Tar Pits right now."
"Wait, you guys live in the La Brea museum?" Victor asked.
"No, we live under it," Derrick corrected. "Get some sense, will you?"
****
Later, the Runaways and Victor gathered around inside a room with a holographic generator in the middle. Nico stood atop the stage, fiddling with a remote.
"Okay, can someone help me with this thing?" Nico asked. "I think this was made for Chase's parents."
"Here, let me try," Victor said, taking the remote and clicking a button, activating the generator.
"I repeat; show-off," Derrick muttered.
"Thanks," Nico smiled, much to Derrick's displeasure. "Okay, let's see…Future Gert said that your dad was the 'greatest evil in the universe', so we need to look at the A-listers."
"Well, like Molly said, my dad could be Magneto," Victor said, clicking a button and activating an image of a man in red armor and a purple cape. "He is one of the strongest villains ever known."
"Nah, Magnet-Head's all about mutants being better than everyone else," Chase shook his head. "He wouldn't exactly gel with an ordinary human like your mom."
"Point taken," Victor nodded. "The same applies to guys like Apocalypse, so he's out, too."
Victor thought for a moment, tapping the remote against his chin, before flipping on an image of a man in a green-and-yellow costume styled with electric bolts.
"Maybe it's Electro?" he suggested. "He's not a mutant, but he's got electric powers, and so do I."
"Electro's not even close to the level Magneto is," Derrick said.
"Maybe now," Nico said, "but in the future, who knows?"
"Wait a minute, I've got one!" Victor cried, activating an image of a man dressed in a black-and-purple costume with a white spider emblem painted across his face. "The Black Tarantula!"
"The who?" Molly asked.
"He's a mob boss," Nico explained.
"Not just some average mob boss," Victor said. "This guy makes the Kingpin look like a common thug!"
"I still say the guy looks like more like the Kingpin of Crisco than the Kingpin of Crime," Chase smirked.
"No one really knows much about Black Tarantula," Victor explained, "but it's said that he's both really nasty and immortal. The guy's been around for at least seven hundred years! He mostly hires mercenaries to do his dirty work, but I hear he's no slouch in combat himself."
"He mostly operates in Brazil," Nico added, "but it's rumored he's making a move on the states."
"Why are we only considering villains from this planet?" Xavin asked. "Gertrude's future self did say that Victor's father was the greatest evil in the universe."
"Yeah, you're right," Victor nodded. "Let's look up Galactus."
An image of a man dressed in a dominantly purple costume appeared, holding the Earth itself in his hand.
"By the way," Victor said, "he's literally holding the planet in his hand in that picture."
"Uh, if that's true," Derrick said, "I don't think I want to think about how you were born."
Victor paused for a moment.
"Good point," Victor said.
A vibrating suddenly appeared in Victor's back pocket.
"Sorry, that's my cell," he said, pulling it out and opening it. "Hello?"
"Hello, Victor," said the voice on the other line.
"Who is this?" Victor asked.
"I…am your father," the voice responded.
"Is that Darth Vader?" Molly asked.
"Wait, you're my father?" Victor asked the man on the other end.
"Of course," said the man claiming to be Victor's father. "Now, if you wish to know the truth of your heritage and rescue your mother…"
"WHAT?!" Victor cried. "You've got my mom?!"
"Yes," replied his supposed father. "Now, meet me in the abandoned McArthur Warehouse by sundown. Oh, and come alone. Do not even think of bringing the children of the Pride along."
The father hung up, and Victor looked to the Runaways.
"Guys?" he said. "I think I need your help."