Burning Skies » larry

Chapter 17

"I killed Reid Ryder two years ago. Now he's back."

Louis stared. Harry kept his eyes on his lap, his body impossibly rigid.

Reid Ryder. One of the cruelest mob bosses to ever exist. But he wasn't just any criminal—he was also a powerful mutant. A powerful mutant who used his gift for his own gain, regardless of whoever he harmed along the way.

Roughly two years ago, Reid Ryder suddenly disappeared off the radar. The mob boss, king of crime, had suddenly vanished off the face of the earth.

And Harry was the reason for that.

"Reid Ryder." Louis echoed, unable to say anything else. His head was whirling. Harry—Harry who wore sweaters and flinched at every unexpected movement, Harry with wide innocent eyes and messy curls, Harry who was interested in learning to play the guitar and loved music and books—Harry had been the one to put an end to one of the most dangerous men out there.

"I used to work for him. He—" Harry said, pausing to take a breath, "He forced everyone to do his dirty work for him. We were all mutants, but he was the oldest and most powerful. We didn't really have a choice."

Louis couldn't even begin to imagine what it would've been like to work for that man. He clenched his jaw and pulled Harry closer, letting him snuggle into his chest. Harry was trembling.

"Fuck, Harry. I'm so sorry you went through that," Louis whispered.

"It was hard." Harry said eventually, his voice small. "Most of the time, we didn't even know what we were doing. I'd wake up one day in the warehouse, and then in the blink of an eye it's already night and I'm in an unfamiliar street. Reid, he—I know it's common knowledge that he's a telekinetic, but he's a bit more than that."

Louis rubbed a hand down Harry's back. "What do you mean?"

"Unlike most telekinetics, he can control more than just objects. He can also read and control a person's mind and actions. He's a really powerful telepath." Harry paused, clutching onto the fabric of Louis' shirt. "That's what he did to us. At least to those who wouldn't listen to him."

Louis had heard rumors that Reid was definitely more than just an ordinary telekinetic, but there was never any proof for anyone to believe it. Right now, though, the proof was trembling in his arms.

"How did you end up there?" Louis said reluctantly, his grip still tight around Harry.

"When I ran away from home, I slept in the streets for the first few months. Reid would always walk by me and give me money and food. I thought—at first I thought he was just nice, you know?" 

Louis sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh."

He didn't know what to say, so he pulled him even closer until Harry was almost on his lap.

"One time, some other homeless kids beat me up to steal my things. One of the kids had a knife so it was pretty bad. And then he saw me and told me he would help me. I was bleeding really bad so I just went."

Louis did not want to envision Harry all bloody and beat up, yet it still appeared in his mind. Louis curled his free hand into a fist.

"I got healed. He fed me and basically took me under his wing. Everything was alright until he introduced me to his work. And then he said he wanted me to work for him as payment for all he'd done for me. When I found out what kind of work he was talking about—stealing, kidnapping, murdering—I wanted to leave. He threatened to hurt my mom, so I stayed. I didn't know how to use my powers, so he just...he just controlled me whenever I was sent out for assignments. I never remember anything.