Victor, Victorious

Chapter Twenty-Two

The trio of friends entered the alley as the sun set. The sky was a kaleidoscope of pink, violet, orange, and red. It would have been a beautiful scene if it weren't for crazy-eyed Sway yelling at them.

"What the hell took you so long?!" he barked, walking to the boys.

None of them replied.

Paranoid or high or both, Sway looked over his shoulder, searched up and down the alley to make sure they were alone. Then, he said, "You fools ain't gonna believe this!"

"?Que?" asked Bart.

"That little fool you set me and Panda on. We got him inside the car, tried to scare him straight. But he's got powers, too! Did you fools know that?"

"No," Victor lied. He figured Sway wouldn't react well if he felt like he'd been set up.

"Well, he does. Controlled my car! Called 5-0 from Panda's phone!"

Victor asked, "Where's Panda?"

Sway said, "I ran when the pigs got close. Had to, you know? I'm fast. Always have been. But Panda...He's like molasses. I just know he got caught. Gonna be in lock-up for a long-ass time."

Victor felt a little sorry for Panda. The dude had seemed weak. He put up a big front, but it was all show, no substance. Panda probably wouldn't do too well behind bars.

"Damn, dawg," said Bart, shaking his head.

"That car ain't even mine," said Sway. "I jacked it a while back. They got that on Panda, too. It ain't looking good for him."

"What you gonna do?" Bart wondered.

"I don't know. I think they're looking for me."

Sergio said, "Who?"

"The pigs, that's who! I swear, man, you stupid, or what?" Sway paced. "I gotta lay low. I already ditched my phone. Gotta hope they forget about me. Except..."

"'Except' what?" said Victor.

"I want that little punk-ass to pay for what he did. I need you to bring him to me."

"How're we supposed to do that?" Sergio asked.

"Figure it out," Sway snarled. "You fools owe me."

Victor nodded. "Where do you want him?"

"How 'bout here? After school tomorrow. Think you can do that?"

"Yeah."

"Victor..."

"Shut up, Sergio!" yelled Bart.

"I'll hit you guys up tomorrow, lay down the details. But, now, I gotta bounce. Later." Sway practically ran down the alley, out of sight.

Sergio backed away from his friends. "You gonna lure Colin out here to get roughed up by Sway? For real?"

"Don't he deserve it?" Victor asked, callously.

"Sway's psycho. He's got a gun. Right, Bart?" Bart said nothing. "What if he brings that, or a knife, or—"

"Or nunchucks, or a lightsaber," finished Victor. "I don't care. Colin gets what's coming to him." His hands tingled in anticipation.

Sergio nervously laughed. "I can't believe this. I don't think he deserves to be killed. Do you? Really?"

"Sway ain't gonna kill him," Bart assured. "He's just gonna make sure Colin stops messing around with all of us."

"Exactly," said Victor.

"Disappointing, man." Sergio couldn't even look either of them in the eye. "It ain't right, Victor. It ain't 'heroic' at all. It's mean. Thought you were done being mean?"

"But this has gotta be done."

Didn't it?

"I thought you were different now. That we were all gonna try to do things the right way."

"I never said that," Bart replied.

Victor told Sergio, "If you don't like it, stay out of it. Fine with me."

Victor didn't like having to be so tough with his friend, especially since Sergio had been so cool about him staying at his house, but Colin had to pay for all he'd done. Maybe this way, blood would be on Sway's hands. Victor's fists could stay clean.

Sergio said, "There's just gotta be a better way."

"I haven't thought of one yet," said Victor. "Have you?"

Sergio shut his mouth. He'd said his piece. Knew they wouldn't listen to him. But at least he got to say it.

The friends left the alley in silence.