BROTHERS, THAT'S WHO WE ARE

Chapter Fifteen: Wade

"REVENGE?" I REPEAT, like I've never heard the word before.
"Yes," says Mrs. Dark. She sits in the chair in front of me again, in the same position she was before.
"What about it?" I ask.
"You're gonna get it, Wade," she says as she walks back over to me. "You have to understand what love is. You have to understand what family truly means. You have to understand that big brother isn't always there to protect you."
"And? What's all this got to do with me?" I say.
She walks behind me and she places her cold hands on my shoulder, the blade still in her right hand. I gasp a little in surprise.
"If I untie you, Wade...will you do excatly what I say?" Mrs. Dark questions.
I think about this for a moment. What if she's lying. What if all the things she's telling me is a lie? What if...she's going to control me? What if...after she unties me...what if she kills me because I apparently killed Advent, her brother.
"What excatly do you want me to do?" I ask Mrs. Dark.
"I'm going to help you," she says. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm gonna help you understand what family really means, Wade."
I do know what it means! I protest in my mind.
But do I? Do I really know what it means? Is being selfish and keeping my brother to myself really what family means?
I sigh heavily. Welp, looks like it's time I learned.
"Go ahead," I finally say.
Mrs. Dark grins and cuts the ropes that are around my ankles and my wrists.
I stand up, my legs wobbly, and I almost fell but Mrs. Dark caught me and says, "Woah, easy there kid."
"T-Thanks," I stutter, regaining my balance. "So...uhm...what's this plan you got for me?"
She grins. "I'm gonna teach you what family really means."

+ + +

A few hours have passed and all of this is ridiculous. I'm sitting at a circular table with a white table cloth around it, Mrs. Dark in front of me pretending to be Peter. I cringe every time she tries to talk like him. She can't because 1) her accent is American not British like mine and Peter's (we got our accent from our Mom) and 2) is the pretty obvious one. She's female not some eighteen year old kid who's Spider-Man and male.
"Okay, Wade," she says, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Here's how it'll all go down. I'll play as Peter. Your brother. And you'll play you. We're at the dinner from the other night when Peter's boyfriend Mark-"
"Matt," I correct her through gritted teeth, my voice strong, my eyes never leaving hers.
She sighs heavily and continues nonetheless.
"Matt," she continues, "proposed to your brother. You, Wade, have to learn how to let things go. You understand?"
I nod. "Yes."
"Alright then! Camrea!" There is no camera. "Lights!" There is no lights except the candle on the table. "ACTION!" She claps her hands together.
"Yes, Matt!" Mrs. Dark gasps, both hands over her mouth in "surprise" as the cardboard Matt Murdock some how gets on one knee, and amazingly opening a black box. "I will marry you!"
I groan and put my hands on my face. Ugh! This is so embarrassing! Her accent is terrible!
Mrs. Dark turns to face me, waiting to see what I'll do.
You have to learn how to let things go.
"Alright, Wade," she says, "now's your cue! Let Peter go!"
I gulp and look back up. I sigh heavily.
"I-I can't..." I croak, my voice thick and my eyes are wet (shut up.) "I...I just can't!"
Now it's her turn to sigh heavily.
"Wade-"
"Look, I just can't okay? I'm sorry but this isn't working! I'm never letting Peter go. Never. He's my brother...I...I love him..." and with that, I break down crying.
"He would want you too," Mrs. Dark says softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. She's been whether kind to me lately. Hasn't tortured me or anything. "Peter would want you to let him go."
I look up at her and wipe my tears with the back of my sleeve.
"Really?"
"Really. He loves Matt," she continues. "That's...you have to learn to let Peter go."
"And you really think this is gonna help?" I ask.
She nods.
I sigh heavily and we continue.
"Wade?" Mrs. Dark says in her terrible Peter accent. "You okay with this?"
I bite my lip. "Y-...Y-Yes...."
Mrs. Dark smiles. That's all she does. She just smiles and doesn't comments or anything. I let out the breath I apparently was holding in. I sigh heavily and stand up, the chair scooting back on the tiled floor. Mrs. Dark watches me, confused.
"Where are you going?" Mrs. Dark asks, her eyebrows raised.
"I'm sorry," I apologize. "But to bhonest, all this is ridiculous. Face it. I'm never letting Peter go."
She gives me an angry stare and there's a flash in her eyes. She stands up and walks over to the computers. I watch her suspiciously.
She turns them on and I see Peter crying and Mom soothing him. They're at the cemetery. The cemetery where my father is buried. I gasp a little. I slowly walk up to the computers and Mrs. Dark moves out of the way to give me some space.
"Mom?" I say, my voice a whisper. I'm talking to the computer as if Mom can hear and respond back to me. "Peter?"
"They can't hear you, Wade," Mrs. Dark says.
I look over to her. She's leaning against a wall near me with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Yeah, I know that. Now mind your own business!" I snap, a little more harshly then I meant too.
She shuts up immediately. I turn back to the computer. Mom and Peter are sitting in front of Dad's tombstone. It's raining where they are. I wish I was there with them. I wish I was there to give them comfort. But I'm not. I smile softly at my mother. He's beautiful. I don't know how many times I've said that. Peter's equally beautiful as my mother. He looks almost excatly like Mom.
I swallow the tears that are about to come. I raise my hand slowly and I gently touch the computer screen where it shows my mother and Peter soothing each other in front of my father's tombstone.
"Hey, Mom...Peter..." I whisper to myself. "I'm okay. I'm okay, I promise. I know you can't hear me but...I...I miss you guys. It's almost...I don't know what time it is, but it's been almost a day since I've went missing. How's Chris taking it? Not well, I imagine. But don't worry, I'll come back. I always do. I promise you. I promise you both that I will...I love you..."
I let my hand drop from the screen. Mom and Peter seem to be settling down now. I smile again. I look down at the ground and think.
What would Peter want me to do? I mean, I know he loves Matt and all but what would Peter Robert Reynolds, my brother, want me, Wade Ryan Reynolds, to do? Would he want me to keep him for myself?
No. I think. He wouldn't.
You have to learn to let Peter go, Mrs. Dark said.
I have to learn. I have to learn to let my big brother go.