Meta and the Beast

Running Back to the Castle

            I hurry through the streets, Barry right behind me. I know why he didn't run us right to the mess, it's because not many people accept those like us. Metahumans. They are fearful, and they cover their fear with hatred. Attacking and ostracizing anyone they suspect of being a metahuman.

It is easy to find them, we followed the loud shouts and exclamations, that only got louder as we got closer. Pushing through the crowd I get to Martin.

"Professor!" I all but yell the word, now fighting the hands that hold me back from him. It is only now that I realize Barry is no longer with me, and I don't see him among the many faces that surround me.

"The old professor's gone insane!" Maureen sniffles, and Edith elbows her, her voice louder and more tearful that that of her friend. "Oh, my poor Ronald, your poor father has been just worried sick! He's worried himself so much he's begun hallucinating and making up stories!"

"He said you were being held captive by some cruel metahuman woman." Maureen almost wails in her attempt to out-do Edith. Now I see what they were doing in the images, they were vying for attention and sympathy. I realize they were both trying to find a way to become my wife. Their fathers had already spoken to me, not so subtly dropping hints and veiled threats, telling me to marry their 'precious' daughter.

"But he's not crazy! He's not lying." I snap the words without thinking, pulling the mirror from my belt. "Show me Frost." I demand, holding my thumb on the sensor. In moments, her image is in front of my eyes once more, she looks worried and is biting her lip as her hands grip the ledge in front of her.

Maureen and Edith gasp, yanking it from my hands. Their shrill voices mixing as they talk at the same time "Look at her, father she's hideous!" "She's a monster! A beast!" "Father do something! We can't have that creature so close to our home!" "What if she comes for us too?" They turn the mirror and people gasp at seeing her, the girl with unbelievably pale skin, snow white hair and sharp shards of ice adorning her body and clothes.

"But she's not a monster! She's a metahuman, a kind one at that!" my anger gets the best of me and I find myself yelling to get people to listen. "She didn't imprison me because she wanted to, it is the law there that trespassers be punished. It is just like the laws we have in our small village."

"You care about this, this thing?!" "Ronald, dearest, you cannot be serious!" The girls crow, hot anger in their faces. "Father, he'll only try to stop us from protecting ourselves! We can't have that!"

"No, we can't." People were shouting and they managed to throw the two of us into the jail like carriage. "Hey! No! Let us out of here!" I grip the bars as I yell, watching them all storming in the direction of the castle.

Henry suddenly shows up in front of the bars, working fast to unlock the door. "Hurry now, we don't have much time. The guards will be back soon to take you away." We climb back out and Martin looks at me with sorrow filled eyes. "I am sorry Ronald, I did not mean to cause you any pain. Is this metahuman girl not as cruel and cold as she seemed?"

"No, she's quite kind actually." I sigh, "But she's so often scared, which causes her to become more harsh spoken and seemingly emotionless." Looking around I still don't see Barry.

"Where's Barry?" I ask myself aloud with a frown.

"Barry?" The men echo, a confused look on their faces. "A friend. He's a metahuman, a speedster, and he helped me get here quickly." I explain as we quickly rush away, down the cobblestone streets.

The shadow of a person, a silhouette in Henry's shop catches our eyes. This wouldn't be worrisome if a worker was present of it the entirety of the town hadn't run towards the castle. "Hey, you! What are you doing!" Henry charges forward with us behind him into the shop. He freezes as he looks at the person whose back is to us standing still and we nearly run into him. "Bartholomew?" He breathes the word, hesitation and hope in his voice.

Barry turns around slowly, staring at nothing in particular as he examines the small shop before finally meeting Henry's gaze.

"Father?" he asks, his voice small, his expression changing to one that is hopeful and conflicted, uncertainty clear in his voice.

"Barry, my boy. My son." He almost laughs as the two of them embrace. Smiles on their faces, happiness at having found each other.

"Barry, we have to hurry." I speak up, hating to interrupt their moment. "The towns-people, they're going after Frost. They want to kill her."

"I can't carry all of you." He looks panicked.

"Take Ronald, we'll follow behind on horses as quickly as we can." Henry makes the decision for us, and we give him a nod before we are off. Once we arrive he stops at the top of the first staircase in the entry. "Go, find Frost. I've got to help the others protect our home." He gives me a small push in the direction of her wing and I nod to him as I start off, stumbling quickly up the stairs.

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