Archers

tw: child abuse
this inspired by the song Archers by With Confidence, requested by someone on Instagram.

Who knew how the whole thing had started? Probably, all things considered, it began at the library. That was the day that the four of them met, the day that probably changed the course of the world.
Well, at least the course of their worlds.
--------------------
Frances was studying. Or rather, she would be studying if someone stopped flinging pieces of paper onto the cover of her book.
Exasperated, she bent over the back of her chair to look at the girl seated behind her. All that was visible was bright red hair, green eyes, and a ratty red hoodie.
Another piece of paper hit her on the nose.
"Robin. I understand this may be a foreign concept to you, but I'm doing a thing called studying. It's when you sit down and actually try to understand the English test we have tomorrow."
Robin shrugged. "I never study for tests."
"You're one of those people. I bet you take showers in the morning, too."
"Who doesn't shower in the morning?"
"Frances, go back to studying. If you get anything less than a 90 on this test, I will hand your grades to your mother and let you explain to her why you're failing," whispered a figure seated next to Robin.
"Ha."
"Robin, put that paper down or so help me."
Pouting melodramatically, Robin set down the paper.
"This is boring."
Alfie ran a hair through their long black hair.
"Then why did you come to the library?"
Robin shrugged and finally acquiesced, turning around to open a book titled Algebra 2.
After checking to make sure no one was watching, Frances turned around. She waved her hand slightly, focusing hard. The shadows around Robin writhed and pulsed, becoming more than a trick of the light. They formed into solid, tangible objects.
The shadows began to tickle Robin.
"H-help!" she laughed, trying to squirm away from her tormentors.
"If the librarian sees you, I'm not bailing you out of jail for improper use of a superpower."
The shadows dissipated.
"Don't be such a wet blanket, Alf."
"Oh, I'm the wet blanket, am I?" Alfie gave Robin an unreadable look, grabbed both of their hands, and marched them down the aisle.
That was how they ended up, 20 minutes later, on their seventh round of 'Who Can Find The Worst-Written Passage From A Filthy Paranormal Romance To Read Aloud'.
That was how they ended up meeting Adrian.
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Adrian Reynolds hadn't really meant to become the most feared assassin in all the surrounding crime rings. He hadn't particularly wanted to.
It had just sort of... happened.
Of course, being the son of Jamie Reynolds, boss of the organization that kept almost all superheroes in business, he probably didn't have much choice in the matter.
Some people envied him. He'd actually been told, "You're Jamie's kid? Plenty of people would like to be in your shoes."
By all means, they could take his place. He would gladly give it up, if it meant he never had to see another person die at his hands.
"Dad, I'm going out!"
There was a mumble of acknowledgement. A meeting was probably going on; Adrian wasn't sure why he still bothered to tell anyone when he left.
Technically, he had never lied to his father. He'd just assumed that Adrian had powers.
Adrian didn't want to correct him.
There was no question in his mind that once Jamie found out his only child had no powers, the beatings would get worse.
(One time, he had been locked in a room without food for a week. He had failed to kill a child. There was no way to stop, not at this point. Grace was just weakness, his father's mantra.
That was why Jamie had killed his wife. She tried to defect.
(Some days, Adrian wondered if joining her would be better than continuing to exist on a world that deserved better than him.)
Adrian took a deep breath of the crisp morning air in. It burned his lungs.
Good.
His plan was just to leave as early and return as late as possible until some route of escape showed up.
The paper crackled as he took it out of his pocket. It wasn't like he needed to look at it (not like the image of the people it represented wasn't burned into the back of his skull, printed on his bones, like he didn't see it every time he closed his eyes). He still unfolded it.
Names and addresses, printed neatly on the lines.
Gabi Ortiz. Relative of Bianca: sister. 23 years old.
Casey Bell. Relative of Lynda: daughter. 9.
Those were the only really pressing matters he had to check up on today.
(Gabi had a soccer game at Bluetown University, and Casey had a school play which she had gotten the lead in. He had promised to come to both.)
He wasn't sure why he felt the need to go through and make relationships with anyone that his job left behind.
Except it wasn't a job, and people weren't just casualties, and on occasion he felt he probably had a soul.
At any rate, there was time to swing by the library.
--------------------
If Robin had known what Adrian was really doing at the library, she would have hugged him. She would have held him, and never let him leave.
She, unlike Frances, didn't have any powers. She couldn't read his mind, or tell the future, or even keep him safe.
She could, however, invite him to coffee after hitting him upside the head with questionable vampire porn.
That was exactly what she did.
"Oh! I'm so, so, so sorry! I- lemme just-"
"No problem," said the boy, rubbing his head.
"Really. We were just headed to the coffee shop down the street. You can get anything, my treat."
"Robin, he's going to think you're trying to lure him there and kill him," Alfie said.
"It's a coffee shop. I can't kill him while he's eating banana bread."
"You don't have to-" Frances started.
"If it's not a problem, I'll come."
That was the unconventional beginning of an extremely unconventional friendship.
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It was like that for a while. The four met each other at a different coffee shop each week. Frances Blake, Adrian Reynolds, Alfie Aaron, and Robin Greene became regulars at Tea Rex, their local cafe. They got the same thing every time (gingerbread frappuccino and banana bread, blueberry tea with a pumpkin muffin, earl grey tea with a snickerdoodle, and a pumpkin spice latte with a cake pop, respectively).
If Adrian sometimes showed up late, had a few new bruises, and flinched when someone moved too fast or laughed too loud, he deflected their questions.
It was inevitable that Alfie was going to worry. They were armed with common sense and a long-suffering sigh. (A extensive knowledge of how to hack anything probably helped.)
It was also inevitable that, when Adrian didn't show on the 21st week of this engagement, they were going to hunt him down.
That was the strange part, though.
"He probably got distracted by life. Y'know, he might've moved. Might've gotten fed up when Robin put salt in his drink for the fifth time," Frances pointed out. They were all in her room, and Alfie was aggressively typing on a laptop in an effort to find something, anything that might help them.
"Fight me," said Robin. She was sitting on top of a bookshelf, and they would have lectured her if they hadn't been so busy trying to address the more pressing issue.
"That's the thing, though. I called the police station, and according to all records, Adrian Reynolds doesn't exist. Nothing comes up under slightly less legal searches of his name. For all intents and purposes, he doesn't exist."
"Maybe it's a nickname. Also, stalker much?"
"It's not, it's his real name. He had a name-tag that said it, official and laminated. Plus, he responded to it too quickly for it to be fake. His phone was under the name Adrian, and so would at least some of his information and social media," Robin added.
Alfie nodded. Frances looked up at Robin, and the world got a little darker as the shadows crept closer.
"Robin, thank you for reminding us how good you are at deductions. Because it's, like, scary good, I need to use that more. Frances, please move your shadows away from me. The Apple brightness settings can only do so much."
"Sorry. It's just, I've heard that name somewhere, and it just hit me where."
"Hm?"
"Wednesday."
Alfie looked up, eyebrows practically to their hairline.
"You mean Superhero Wednesday?"
"Yeah. The thing is... Well, he couldn't be. He's too nice to be a real Reynolds."
Robin hopped off of the shelf and came to perch on the back of Alfie's chair.
"What does that mean?"
"The Reynolds. I suppose you wouldn't have heard of them. The criminal underbelly of this town is all headed by one guy, the name's Jamie Reynolds. He's rumored to have a son who's even deadlier than him. It's highly unlikely that would be Adrian. He's just so..."
"Hot?" said Alfie.
"Vulnerable?" Robin added.
"I was going for nice, but also those two."
"There's only one way to find out," said Alfie. They closed their computer, and got up to rummage through Frances' closet. "You have spare costumes, right? From when Robin had to keep designing you new ones because they didn't fit your aesthetic or whatever?"
"It was because they almost got me killed, but yeah. They should be in the back somewhere. What're you-"
"Well, there's no better place to go and find a supervillain than his lair, right?" they asked, emerging from the closet with two new costumes.
"Wait. No, no, you can't. If you all get hurt, I'll feel guilty, and I'd rather do it-"
"If you say you're going to do it alone, you've got another thing coming," said Robin. "Toss me the neon yellow one, it's my favorite."
--------------------
In the end, they got Adrian's location from a commonplace thug. Better than nothing, right?
Robin stood by her decision of the neon yellow costume. It helped her look good while interrogating this guy. Harvey, he said.
"We're only going to give you a few chances," Alfie said. They stood in the shadows, hands clenched around what looked like a weapon.
(It was a toy lightsaber. Harvey didn't need to know that.)
Harvey, being the person that he was, told them everything.
"What are we going to do now?" Robin asked. She cracked her knuckles ominously for good effect. That was a thing villains did, right? Probably.
"We... Um. I vote we leave him under the downtown bridge. Somebody will find him in a few days."
Harvey looked extremely alarmed.
"Frances. We're going to take him to the police station, darling." Alfie was twirling the lightsaber like a baton, giving Frances a Look™.
"Fine."
--------------------
Adrian wasn't sure where he started and the floor began.
Every part of his body hurt, every limb, every muscle, every nerve ending.
It seemed like it had been an eternity, waiting here, in the dark. He had limited food, limited water, limited space.
He would probably die here, and no one would miss him.
Sometimes he thought he could see his friends.
"I thought you knew better. You thought you wouldn't get punished for having relationships? Idiot."
"Frances, I-"
"Don't talk to me," she snarled. Adrian curled in a ball.
(This was probably what he deserved, he thought. He had dared to hope, to dream.)
--------------------
The Bluetown policemen were a bit concerned when they finally showed up, but helpful nevertheless.
"I can't believe this," Frances kept saying after they had dropped Harvey off.
"What part? The part where Adrian's a wanted mercenary? Or the fact that we've been having tea and trading memes with the son of the biggest crime lord in this city? Or the fact that his dad apparently gave him away to some sadistic supervillain as payment? Which part, exactly?" Alfie finally responded.
They sighed. "Sorry, Frances. I'm just..."
"Worried out of your mind," said Robin.
"Exactly."
"So let's go find him, and you can stop being worried."
"Y'know, some people just stick to normal young adult rebellion."
"That would be boring."
--------------------
The first words out of Robin's mouth when she saw the mansion were, "Why is there a castle in the middle of a field?"
Looming and ominous, it looked like something straight out of a horror movie. That was exactly how Frances knew it had to be fake.
"Glamour spell, probably. Some supers think that castles will give them street cred, especially sorcerers. Which this guy is supposed to be, if the name Magificanta is any indication."
"Why would he even worry about street cred if he's going by the name Magificanta?" Alfie muttered. She shrugged.
After hiding Robin's car in some trees, the three of them made the hike up the hill to the mansion.
Magificanta never had a chance. Alfie had taken the precaution of hacking into all of his weapons beforehand, just in case. Between all of his tech failing, Frances summoning shadows to bind him, and the good punch Robin got to his face, he was out before any alarm signals could be given.
--------------------
When they got to the basement, Robin wished she had punched him much more than once.
Adrian was locked in a cell hardly larger than a closet.
Frances noticed the blood matted in his hair, the ribs poking through his tattered shirt.
Please be breathing please be breathing pleasebebreathing-
Robin let out a squeak of horror. Adrian blinked once and looked up.
"Screw you."
"What?" Frances asked, taken aback.
"I know you're just a side effect of- of whatever he's injected me with this time. You're just a figment of my imagination. I know somewhere, somewhere back there he's pulling the strings. So. Screw. You. Just kill me and get it over with."
Alfie, trying very hard to keep their face devoid of emotions, picked the lock on the door.
"Adri. It's me."
They held out their hand, and once he touched it, he let out a strangled noise between a sob and a whimper.
"It's actually you. Why are you- You're in danger. You have to leave."
"We got this. He's out cold on the floor up there," said Robin, trying and failing for a casual tone.
Frances had never before felt such a deep and unbridled desire to beat someone into a pulp. She looked down at Adrian. The world around her grew dark, cold, comforting-
"Shadows," said Alfie.
She took a deep breath. "Sorry."
"Why did you never tell me you had powers?" Adrian said, squinting up at her.
"You never told any of us you were the son of Bluetown's most wanted criminal. I think we're about even on the secret-keeping front."
He lopsidedly grinned (like perhaps he had forgotten how) and tried to stand up. His knees promptly buckled.
"I'll carry him," said Robin.
"I'm fi-"
"Don't give me any of that crap, and get on my back."
Too tired to argue, he complied.
--------------------
Well, maybe a few alarms had gone off.
That explained why Jamie Reynolds stood in front of them, sneering. His expression was cold, and he looked down at each of them in turn.
Robin was glaring him down, Alfie was clenching and unclenching their fists, and Frances was carrying a barely-conscious Adrian, silently daring Jamie to take him away.
"So. You're the sorry excuses for heroes that tried to corrupt my son."
The reaction in Adrian was immediate. He stiffened, all traces of pain gone from his posture. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll come back, just don't hurt them."
"You have never been my son. You don't even have powers! You should never have returned, and I'm going to destroy them before I make you suffer more than you've ever known."
Adrian failed to hold back a full-bodied flinch. "Sir, please-"
Alfie had had enough.
"You know what? Fuck you."
Jamie raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Fuck you. He's never been your son? Well, you've never been his father. You're just a pathetic excuse for an actual dad, and I'm sure Robin's dad will take him in. He's invited to all holidays now and forever. You're a terrible person, and I hope that you rot somewhere!"
"Alfie, no!" Adrian started.
"I'm done with you. I've seen what you did to him, and I hate you for it. You don't deserve to be in my presence! You. Despicable. Idiot. I hope you know that he's the best thing that ever happened to your pitiful existence!"
Jamie took a step back, face apoplectic with rage.
Frances took the chance. Calling on the shadows (there were quite a few, considering it was almost sunset).
Jamie got the whooping of a lifetime.
For the second time that day, the police found themselves extremely confused yet grateful.
--------------------
After the inevitable visit to the hospital, they went back to Robin's house.
"So do you guys live together, or?"
Adrian was still malnourished, and his arm was in a cast. He was, however, infinitely better off than he had been.
"Well, this is my house. My parents are loaded- and I mean loaded- so they didn't need it. After we all got out of college a month or so back, Francie and I decided to stay here for a while. We were friends with Alfie for a while, so when their parents kicked them out, there was more than enough room to spare. And now you've joined the club."
He stared up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the spiral staircase, the art worth more money than he'd ever had.
"You're sure you're okay with this?"
"We wouldn't have dragged you here if we weren't okay with it," said Frances. "Your room's up the stairs, second door on the left."
All Adrian owned had fit into one bag, which Alfie helped him carry up the stairs.
"I'm gonna go make some dinner," Robin announced.
"I'll go make sure she doesn't burn the place down."
"Offense!"
Adrian looked at the lavish room, then back to Alfie.
"Why did you do all this?"
"Which part?"
"Any of it. You barely knew me. What makes you think I'm so worthy of your attention?"
"Why wouldn't you be?"
There was a pause. Adrian stared at the ceiling.
"Frances said you got kicked out."
"Yeah. Unsupportive parents, all that jazz. It's fine."
"It's not fine."
They hesitated.
"You're right."
"Will we ever be fine?"
They stopped to consider.
"Yes. We're not now, but we will be."
There was a bang from downstairs, and the moment was broken.
"Alf! Robin made the stove explode!"
"I did not- oh. Oh, maybe I did."
They smiled. "We'd better go help them."
He smiled back. "How hard can cooking be?"
"You'd be surprised!" Robin shouted.
Alfie was right.
They weren't okay.
They would be.