Generation Antihero 3

A little more hurt

Shark brushed Vincent van Goat's fur, beside him sat Koi at his laptop. He showed the screen to him and asked: "One like this?". He nodded. Ilus came out of the kitchen on Kiki's demand and saw Shark grooming his goat. Then he walked up to them and sighed: "Even you are better at treating other living beings and sharing your love with them". Nobody gave a reaction. "Are you ignoring me...?", he asked thrown off. Koi mumbled against his screen: "I just remember the time when him and I were drugged so badly that we couldn't even do anything anymore and were photgraphed with all those playboys of Ex-Boss". As if that wouldn't have been enough, Koi shut his laptop, got up and stomped his foot once: "And you ragingly ran upstairs and were jealous! LA didn't only become dangerous because of Iceman's notes of your hideout data, but because you were scared that your people might get hurt - especially Henry! And now you're sitting here sulking and doing nothing!". He disappeared behind his curtain.

Desperate Ilus sat down beside Shark and whimpered against his hands: "I'm being way too rash... Getting him back now would be incredibly wrong, wouldn't it...?". Shark grumbled: "You are stupid if you believe that...". "Really? Because...-", he wanted to take his phone out, but Shark interrupted him pessimistic: "With those bad people, he won't come back". "But he can defend himself...", he was clueless, "Are you all mad at me, because I'm not flying after him...?". "They don't trust you anymore", he admitted. Ilus widened his eyes: "Do you think I don't care about him? And I would do the same with you?". He side-eyed him and stopped talking.

More minutes passed as they sat there in silence, until Ilus got a call. He was unsure whether he was supposed to take a call from Dexter now, but he did: "Hello, what's it...?". "Oh, you know...? Nothing special...", he played innocent first and then screamed, "It's just that Henry called me and told me about everything that happened in the past 42 hours and how he feels! What the hell are you doing?! I've been gone for a week! One!!!".

Shyly Ilus questioned: "How is he doing...?". He completely rebuked him: "Oh, you have no idea what's going on inside of him right now, do you? I appreciate that after so many weeks he considered my advise to stay away from you, but it's quite too late. Listen to me carefully, Ilus bonehead Poljakow. If you won't act against that now, then Henry will end up where we both want to see him last. He has no home, his parents aren't there either and he's running out of money. Currently he's sleeping over at the graveyard where Dylan is buried. Now think thoroughly about what that should mean to you. I swear by karma that I'm going to break all my rules and your bones if you won't save him - this time actually save him! If you won't do it, then I'll take care of it and make sure that you'll never see him again! Either you're giving it your all now or nothing, I'm warning you!". The beeping tone of the ended call echoed together with Dexter's words in Ilus' head. Shark stood up and walked upstairs determined. Ilus froze.

~~~

It felt like en eternity since Henry went to crowded public places. The day was hot and the beach was coveted. Henry took a seat between the others in the sand. Nothing happened to him. Nobody really even minded him. Through his head went: "If the public life isn't so dangerous, why should I go underground again? I could have it much easier". Beside him sat a young woman, who simpered: "Isn't the soughing of the ocean so calming? The thoughts drift right away with the wind". He mumbled: "Not interested". She giggled: "I can very well imagine that many have tried, by your looks. But I didn't sit down by you for that. You seem sad". Side-eyeing he glanced at the blue eyes and purple-blue hair. Then he looked away again: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to accuse you of anything...". "You know? Whenever I'm sad, my best friend gives me cash so I can buy stuff. Shopping can be so fun. Shall we walk around the city? Maybe you'll open up to me", she offered.

Two hours later Henry stood in a changing room and the woman meant contemplative: "That's why you flew back to Los Angeles...". "Crazy story?", he asked insecure. "No, I've heard a lot about street kids myself", she waved off. He stepped out with the new outfit: "Your name was Faye, right...?". She nodded: "That's me. And let me tell you how gorgeous you look in those jeans! You're just so adorable!". Abashed he smiled lightly: "Thank you...". "I just have to buy you these, agreed?", she was excited. "If you really want to...", he scratched his back head. After they walked out of the store, Faye asked: "So you're Ilus Poljakow's boyfriend?". "I... it's complicated... Like said I've just been... wondering... How do you know Ilus? I never mentioned his na-", he became skeptical and before he could finish, she held his mouth shut, tied him up and kidnapped him. She picked him up and laughed while running: "You're a light one! Oh, Henry, you couldn't make it easier for me!". He tried to fidget, but she grabbed him too tight.

In the hideout Ilus barely dared to call out: "There's someone who plants weed again... He's being chased down Rainer Avenue southwards... Who would go out on mission...?". They all gave him the cold shoulder. Ilus got a bit of hope when Shark came around the corner with a bag full of weapons: "You're driving out...?". "I'll get Teddy", he growled. Koi, Shota and Lucky were sitting at the door. Shota was still a bit sick and therefore slept on Koi's shoulder. But he woke up, as the younger brother hastily tried to move his mouse. Lucky asked: "It stopped reacting?". "The cursor's moving, but not in the way I'm moving my mouse", he looked at the screen irritated. When a file was opened, he screamed: "I'm being hacked!". Lucky folded his hands together to say his last prayers: "Dear god, thank you for letting me live twenty-five exciting years to now let me die through the hand of a lunatic". "What the shitballs?!", he kept agitating, slammed his keyboard and started cursing in Japanese. Shota gasped and held his hands in front of his own mouth: "Yasuo!".

A program for video calls was opened and connected to another computer. Thereupon Faye's face appeared on screen. She was chewing her thumb and stared at her phone. Emily sounded: "We're in". "Oh", she dropped her phone and grinned, "Heeeey~". "How are you treating your technology?! Have you gone mad?!", Koi yelled. "Don't think I'd be some stupid bitch. That thing was barely working anymore", she defended herself. Behind the camera Emily advised: "Concentrate, please". "Pardon", she smiled like an angel and then came back to the actual topic, "I was walking down the streets, all chill, and then found him". She took a step to the side and pointed at the tied up Henry on the floor. He sighed: "A dejá-vù. Over and over again. Can't you people think of something new for a change?". Shark thought about saving him once more and rather put the bag down.

Faye grinned: "That white-haired may not be on screen, but I know that you're a part of Ilus'. Please tell him that we really don't need him here. My dear best friend Emily wants to know where Whitefur is. As soon as your Chef speaks up, we're going to send him back groomed and well packaged. Isn't his outfit hella cute?". Henry talked inbetween: "You'll have listened to me, I don't want to go back! God damnit, I'm always being tossed around like a useful object, get kidnapped and used for pleasure! If Dylan was still alive, then I wouldn't have any of this but be happy instead!". Ilus could very well listen from his desk. He ran out of breath. Koi growled: "There are two things you're supposed to stay away from, you empty-headed sugarplum - First, my laptop and second, Henry! Let him go and rather take me!". Faye grinned: "Oh, I'd love to, you wouldn't believe. But he is the one who ran away and not you".

Kiki and Zigz entered the room. Just like that Zigz saw a cup flying towards them and could jump in front of Kiki to protect her. In pain Zigz touched his now bleeding forehead, since the cup broke. It came out of Ilus' direction, where the wall was actually his goal. Losing his mind he roared: "I killed him, you hear me?! After all these years it was my turn to hurt him! I let him get tortured, stabbed him and burned his dead body! Are you happy now?!". Unexpectedly the call ended and Koi was appalled: "You just signed our death sentence". Lucky rapidly held his mouth shut and whispered: "You're writing your own now". From the bottom of his heart Ilus screamed frustrated and ran to the exit. Kiki grabbed him and pushed him against the wall: "Calm down! Remember what I've told you once already - if you fall apart, your team will too! You have to stick together now!". Ilus could only break down crying. His mixture of sobbing and breathless screaming filled the hideout.

All brave Arrow stood up: "We have to scatter over Seattle to bring Teddy back as quickly as possible". Shota joined with his stuffed nose: "A flight from Los Angeles to Seattle takes about two hours. That's enough to cover all of Seattle". They agreed to drive out and put up against it together. Left behind were Kiki and Ilus. Silently she sat beside him, knowing that she couldn't help.