Gods and Monsters

VIII

Quinn's pub - Camden, London

Sitting around the bar at Charlie and Scarlett's pub, the group were prepared for another long night. Mr Smith had disappeared for the evening, never one for the social side of things, but everyone else sat in their stools as they watched the Purple Vice child wander around the pub with a small glass of orange juice. He had remained silent since arriving, but the child's eyes were full of amazement and awe at even the simple furnishings dotted around.

Being the doctor of the group, Rachel stepped up from her stool and moved towards the child, "Hey there. What are you looking at?" she asked. The child turned around and stared at her, his face returning to that same stoic expression as before. "Are you alright, sweetie?" Rachel queried but the child continued to refuse to say anything, instead turning away and continuing to walk around the pub.

Back at the bar, Mike nudged Peggy slightly, "Why don't you try speaking with him?"

"Me? No, I'm not great with kids."

Scarlett leant over the bar and began speaking, "C'mon, Peg. We all saw you with the kid at the docks. When you grabbed his hand he completely changed. I think he might like you."

Peggy didn't believe that she could do anything the others couldn't, but at their insistence she walked over to the child and stood next to him. "You know, you've been really brave," she said getting the child's attention, "What's your name?" The child didn't speak, but a small smile spread across his pale lips as he looked at her. Peggy decided to keep trying, "Do you know what those people wanted you for?" This time, the child stuck his small hand out which Peggy grasped as he walked her into the back area of the pub and down into the cellar.

As Peggy and the child went down to the cellar, Scarlett gestured to Charlie and the two excused themselves upstairs for a moment. Charlie sat on the sofa in the living area as Scarlett slowly paced up and down the room before speaking, "I saw him," she said, "I saw Eugene."

"You what?" Charlie said almost leaping out of the seat.

"Well, I didn't get a good look at him, but he was behind me before the explosion at the docks. I managed to throw my head back and I may have broken his nose, but he was gone before I could turn around."

"Shit," he embraced his friend tightly, "I'm so sorry to have put you in this situation. After last time I -"

"It's alright. I wanted to be there, and thanks to you finding out about the exchange in the first place, we helped save a kid from him."

The two friends sat back down on the sofa together, looking out of the window at their view of North London. "We will stop him. I promise you, Scarlett, we will stop him."

Scarlett leant over and planted a kiss on Charlie's cheek. "I know we will."

Quinn's pub cellar - Camden, London

Down in the cellar, the child and Peggy had moved some crates at his instruction to leave one bare wall underground. He still hadn't spoken a word since they had met, instead communicating through hand gestures and shakes of his head. Peggy wasn't quite sure what to expect now, but the child moved his hand in a way to suggest that she should move backwards.

Standing in the centre of the cellar, the boy raised both of his hands, putting the back of each together as if he was about to tear something in two. Although quiet, Peggy could hear the child grunting slightly as if he was struggling with whatever he was attempting to do. "Are you alright? Do you need any -"

Before Peggy could finish the sentence, a bright blast of purple energy seemed to shoot out of the child's hands, hitting the wall they had cleared. It took a moment for Peggy to fully comprehend, but the previously grey concrete wall appeared to have been opened up. Inside the glowing purple hole, she could see two parents sat around a table, their daughter weeping slightly as they stared at photographs. Peggy moved closer to the tear in the wall when she noticed that the picture they were weeping over was of the child.

"That's your family, isn't it?" Peggy asked.

The boy nodded.

Peggy placed her hand on the portal, small ripples appearing where her fingers touched. "It looks like they really miss you," she said turning towards the child once again as he hung his head slightly. Kneeling down next to him, Peggy gave the boy a hug. "We'll get you back to them as soon as possible. I swear."

Stepping back slightly, the boy raised his left pinkie finger with Peggy wrapping her own around his. Once again, the boy smiled. Whatever Peggy said about not being good with kids didn't prove correct with this young child. 

Continued in Part 10...