Chaos and Corruption (Jeff the Killer Fanfic)

28. Comic book violence

Nina

"Look! They've got Hellboy!"

I scampered to the back of a comic shop ahead of the group when I spotted the famed red devil, flipping through the stacks until I found a copy I recognized. Pierce joined me while I paged through the strip, nostalgia washing over me as I remembered Chris gushing over this book in particular.

"I didn't know you liked comics," he chuckled, catching my attention.

"I liked them but never went out of my way to buy them," I explained, "now Chris, he loved comic books and video games and Dungeons and Dragons. Biggest nerd I knew and I loved it."

"Chris was your brother, right?"

"Yeah," I hummed, deciding I'd take the book with me, "I miss him a lot. I know it was my own fault though that he's gone so I try not to linger on it."

"It's probably for the best," he reassured me, letting me squeeze his hand as we continued to look through the aisles. Tanis and Vlad goofed around next to a cardboard cutout of Deadpool and just as I'd turned a corner I stumbled upon a familiar figure turned away from me.

"Boo!"

"Ah! You little fucking twerp!" Thomas laughed as I latched onto his back, "you're like a goddamn leech! Get!"

"Not today madam." Arms wrapped around me as Pierce pried me away and set me on my feet.

"I thought I heard panicked screeching over here," Chelsea laughed as she emerged from behind a stand, "you kids doing alright?"

"Just fine, might grab some food soon, I'm getting hungry."

"Yeah me too," Thomas snickered devilishly, "I'm so hungry I could eat a human."

"The phrase is 'eat a horse' Tom," Pierce's voice dripped with sarcasm and Thomas started toward him with a huff before he ran off cackling.

"I like him," Thomas grinned, flashing his sharp fangs, "you with me tonight mini-monster?"

"You fuckin' bet," I bumped my fists against his, "know where Kitty and Toby ran off to?"

"They'll find each other before they find us so I'm assuming we'll just round up back at the cars. It's almost seven so we should probably start heading back anyway."

"Alright let me go gather the goons," I waved as they departed, joining my friends again and finding that they'd found a card game to try out.

We all moved up front to the register and checked out, heading out to watch Chelsea dig around the crystal shop and giving her shit as we moved past her and up to the surface level of the market. It was dark out and the brisk air had grown colder, our breath coming out in puffs of frost as Tanis pulled a new coat tighter around herself and I walked a little closer to Pierce, knowing that even though I couldn't feel it, staying warm was still a necessity.

"Anyone else starving?" Vlad asked the magic question and Tanis shot her hand in the air.

"There's a restaurant up the street I want to try," she hummed, "you two in?"

"I actually want to head down to the pier, do we want to meet back up at the car when the meter runs out at nine?" I suggested and she gave me a thumbs up.

"Just give me a call if you get lost!"

"We really heading down to the pier?" Pierce asked, looping my arm through his while I shook my head.

"You'll probably be getting a call from Chels here soon," I explained, "Toby's task is to take out a target, Kitty probably wants to go dig her claws into someone's skin, and Tommy boy needs to have some din-din. I am hungry though."