𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗼 Shorts

♔ RtD x OC - 7

Roger gave a single nod to show his understanding. Walter was gobsmacked.

"Secondly, I have a bet with my man Wilkes..." Baby-Face's grin widened. "What is she to you?"

I felt like I was going to be sick. I lent my head against the cool painted concrete of the pillar, but it did nothing to cool the headache blossoming in my forehead, borne of the thundering pace of my heart.

Roger raised an eyebrow. "What is she to me?"

"Don't dodge the question," Baby-Face threatened.

"A- a friend."

"Are you sure?"

A pause. "Yes."

"No... Romantic attachment?"

A pause. "No."

Baby-Face's foot started to tap. "I'm not stupid."

Roger looked down at his lap. "Fine. I like her, okay? That's it."

"Aw, young love," Baby-Face cooed. "Such a shame you won't be able to tell her how you feel before you die!"

Walter's glasses almost slipped off of his nose. "Die? You're going to kill us?"

"Of course, what did you think when I said I wanted revenge?"

Realisation dawned on Walter's face. He started to shake. "M-money? I can give you lot of money-"

"Shut up! I don't want money, I want you dead!"

Roger cut into the conversation, his mask of calm now firmly back in place. "How exactly are you going to kill us, Baby-Face?"

Baby-Face smiled, showing mismatched, yellowed teeth. "See, Walter? That is an example of an educated question. Now, an educated answer: I'll tell you when the audience arrives."

"Audience?" Walter asked hopefully.

Roger shushed him.

I was torn. Go for help, or wait to hear Baby-Face's plan? If the dominoes have anything to do with it, his methods must be elaborate, and showy if he's invited an audience.

Even as I thought about it, people started to come through the double doors at the end of the warehouse. I was shocked to see yet more villains - Bully Beef, a vampire, Cyborg, The Joker - and still more that I couldn't identify, filing in and grouping for villainous chats. I hadn't known they were even out of jail yet. Some of them had been declared missing for years; I wouldn't have been surprised if the police had been paid to turn a blind eye.

Baby-Face spread his arms dramatically in welcome. "Ah, my fellow villains! Come in, come in. You're going to enjoy this one."

My chest tightened, on the verge of panic. How was I supposed to get out, let alone free the boys right under these Super Villains' noses?

Even as I watched, Baby-Face instructed Mr Wilkes to raise Roger and Walter. Wilkes hit a switch and they were suddenly pulled into the air and suspended over the tank of water. Roger followed the path of the rope with calculating eyes, and Walter looked to be faint.

Baby-Face clapped once. "Your attention, please! Just a quick debrief on the proceedings this evening. Ahem. So, to start off my devious little plan, I will push over this first domino, toppling the others to form an amusing image of my gorgeous face."

There was a smattering of applause.

Self-centred, nappy-loving, mafia-wannabe man-child!

"The last domino will fall on this see-saw, which will catapult Winston into the air," Baby-Face continued. He peered around at the audience for a reaction. "Do you see what I did there? Cat-apult?" A few awkward laughs. "Oh, please yourselves. So, the cat will stick its claws into this sack of catnip, and his weight will pull on this cord, raising this hatch..." As I watched, the lights switched on, illuminating said hatch. The beam of light swung around to illustrate each of Baby-Face's points. "...Out of which comes this candle, which will light up as it strikes this sandpaper. It will then come to rest under this rope, which burns through... Dropping Roger and Walter into this tank of deadly piranha fish!"

Piranha fish? I could hardly hear myself think for the applause and the pounding of my heart. How was I supposed to get them out of that? Save them from drowning, perhaps, but not being eaten alive.

I needed help.

I hugged the walls and sidled back the way I came. I kept my head high despite my terror, and though a few gazes slid my way my posture gave an impression of confidence and they assumed I belonged and thought nothing of it.

As soon as I was out of there I began to sprint. My trainers beat the pavement in a steady thrum, one two three four one two three four, my unsteady breathing the melody to go with it.

Only a minute into my run I spotted a bike leaning against a wall with no one around. I murmured an apology and nabbed it, vowing to take it back later. I needed it more in that moment.

Minnie was the first one I came across. She was shooting peas at people's open windows, and when she saw me cycling towards her she grinned and started shooting at me.

"Minnie, stop!" I shouted. "I've come to help you! Roger owes you money!"

She stopped. "What?"

I skidded up to her, hopped off the bike and proceeded to bend over, panting. "Have you... seen it? In the paper?

"What?" She repeated.

"Baby-Face Finlayson - paid a fortune for Roger's weather machine."

She frowned in thought. "The one that predicted those storms and that plague of mosquitos?"

I nodded eagerly. "That's the one."

"So... Why does he owe me money?"