[Fic] Summer Camp: Holding Out - Day 28
omgwtfbbq I did it!!! And yes, there will be one more part after this.
Title: Holding Out - Part 19: Love
Characters: America, England, France, China, Korea, Thailand, mentions of Romania.
Rating/Warnings: PG13, Sorta X-men-universe crossoverish kinda sorta except I call 'mutants' 'supers' so maybe The Incredibles crossoverish kinda sorta? Point is, some people have superpowers. And it's a pseudo-police state.
Summary: Francis and Alfred set off to find Arthur. Meanwhile, Yao has a proposition.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18
“Poor Mr. Kirkland,” the voice smirked as its owner circled around him, “I know you’ve been through a lot. Belittled by your parents, ostracized by your peers, but I wonder if you’re aware of the consequences of your actions. Taking in a Super is one thing - and no, no one actually believes he’s your brother, although your money does a very good job of shutting them up - but this? This Super Reform Bill you and Mayor Bonnefoy are so keen on passing,” a pile of documents were tossed down on the table in front of him, “This is going too far, even for you.”
“You’re one to talk about my actions,” Arthur sneered, “I know what kind of business you run. You’ve been playing the system like a violin for years, profiting from the oppression of others. All the while watching, waiting for your chance to rise to the top, but it doesn’t work like that does it, Yao?”
Yao Wang, CEO of Wang Industries, one of the most profitable businesses in the world, stopped his circling across the table from him and glared, “My actions don’t put people in danger, Mr. Kirkland.”
“Yes, I forgot. Kidnapping and threatening someone in no way puts them in harm’s way.”
One of Yao’s men standing behind Arthur smacked him on the back of the head, “Cheeky as always, Mr. Kirkland,” Yao smirked.
“What do you want from me Yao?” Arthur glares, “Holding me hostage isn’t going to help you in any way.”
“I want to things from you,” he pulls a Polaroid picture out of his breast pocket and slides it across the table to Arthur, “The boy in this picture. You know who he is yes?”
The picture was of Alfred during one of his nighttime escapades. He was wearing his mask, so his identity wasn’t obvious to anyone who hadn’t seen him wearing it every night for the past few years. Arthur kept his face blank as he answered, “I have no idea who this is. He’s wearing a mask.”
“You take me for a fool, Mr. Kirkland? Super-strength may be one of the most popular powers among Supers, but there are only 5 registered Supers with that power in the correct age range, and after doing some checking, Alfred Kirkland is the only one it could possibly be.”
“That’s your mistake right there. You’re assuming he’s registered.”
A snicker sounded behind him, but Yao silenced it with a glare before returning focus to Arthur, “Love can cause us to make some bad choices, Mr. Kirkland. I have no doubt in my mind that that boy is Alfred Kirkland, and I would like you to confess as much.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow, completely nonplussed, “And what makes you think I’m going to do that?”
Yao smirked, “The second thing I want from you, Mr. Kirkland, is a Dragon.”
Arthur’s eyes went wide, “How do you even know about that?”
“Most of the scientific community may find his research outdated and irrelevant, but I find Vlad’s work to be enlightening,” the smug look on his face grew under Arthur’s glare, “I refuse to let you leave here without giving me either the boy or a Dragon. I’ll give you a while to think it over.” He snapped his fingers, summoning the two men behind him as they left Arthur alone in that dark room, mulling over his thoughts.
+
“How’s this supposed to work?” Alfred was skeptical as Francis coaxed Iggy away from the dead mouse just outside of the hotel.
“It’s simply, your cat is a genius, at least Tumi said as much yes?”
“Yeah, but how did you know that?”
Francis waved a finger at him, “Of course, Tumi is a Freedom Fighter. Our organization is gaining momentum you know. The point is, he’ll be able to track Arthur, who he lives with and can identify his smell.”
“He’s a cat, not a dog.”
“Cats have a most impeccable sense of smell as well, you know,” he held out his hand and Iggy cautiously stepped towards it, “Normally they don’t lower themselves to a task a dog could do, but perhaps Iggy will make an exception for us. How about it,” Francis gently stroked Iggy’s head, “Would you be willing to sniff out Arthur for us?”
Iggy flicked his tail in annoyance but continued to allow Francis to pet him, “Is that a yes?” Alfred asked.
“I believe so. Now I can mimic Arthur’s scent for him if I know what he smells like.”
“Okay, well, that’s good.”
“So, what does he smell like?”
Alfred felt his face heat up, “How should I know that?”
“You’ve been living with him for what, five years? You’re the closest he’s ever been to another human being. If you don’t know what he smells like, I doubt anyone does.”
“But Iggy’s a cat! He probably smells different to him then he does to me.”
“My power would be able to combine what you smell and mimic it in a way that reflects what Arthur would actually smell like; I just need a place to start. Iggy probably smells the same things you do, even if he interprets them differently,” Francis sighed, focus still on petting Iggy, “Just close your eyes and concentrate, please.”
Alfred grumbled under his breath, but did as Francis instructed. He thought back, remembered Arthur, everything about him, Arthur sitting in the living room, reading a book during his afternoon tea, “Tea,” Alfred supplied, “Earl Grey tea,”
Arthur in his study, pouring over documents, an exhausted look on his face before he noticed Alfred standing there and called him over with a small, “and paper and ink,”
Arthur and him in the garden, catering to the roses, until he pricks his finger on a thorn and Arthur pulls out a band-aid, wrapping it around the cut and planting a kiss on top, “and roses,”
Arthur and him lying in the grass, staring at the stars as Arthur excitedly tells him the story behind each one, “and grass, and dew,”
Arthur in the kitchen with Elizaveta, trying to make something that he calls scones, and he eats them, and says their delicious, just to see Arthur’s face light up, “and burnt flour,”
Arthur waiting for him to come home every night, ready with a first aid kit and a hug when necessary, “and…home.”
“Okay, that should do it,” Alfred opened his eyes to see Iggy sniffing Francis’s hand. When he was done, he sniffed the air and ran off down the street, “I think he’s got it.”
“Then let’s go!” Alfred took off running after him, Francis trailing somewhere behind, ignoring that feeling in the pit of his stomach.
+
“Have you come to a decision Mr. Kirkland?”
“You think I’m thick or something?” Arthur tapped the picture with his finger, “You know you need a Super to make a Dragon, and I know you well Yao, you’d never have a Super anywhere in your organization. I wonder where you plan on getting the Super from.”
“Kiet here has recently revealed to me that can turn into an elephant,” Yao’s guard wearing glasses nodded, “He has agreed to undergo the procedure if we found someone who was willing to perform it.”
Arthur drummed his fingers on the tabletop, mulling everything over in his mind. It was common knowledge that Yao Wang despised Supers. Whether it was out of jealousy or pure loathing was still subject to debate amongst their peers, but one thing was certain: he couldn’t stand them. Yao having a Super in his personal guard set off all sorts of red flags in Arthur’s head. But his options at this point seemed to be to turn Alfred over to Yao, try and turn a regular person into a Dragon, or be at Yao’s mercy for however long his patience lasts.
“I don’t trust you Yao; I don’t trust you at all. However I am willing to turn Kiet into a Dragon for you, if you let me go.”
Yao’s smirk sent shivers down his spine, “That’s all I ask of you, Mr. Kirkland.”
+
Iggy had led them to a Bureau building on the other side of the island. Francis was able to somehow convince the guard to let them in and tell them where Arthur was taken. Apparently Francis, who had been following a man named Yao and his group in Seychelles, had some connections (“Not spies,” he had insisted, “Connections. There’s a difference,”) on the inside.
Arthur was apparently in the basement. Alfred was all for rushing in there and saving him, but Francis convinced him to hold back, check the situation, and get a plan of action ready before they charged in. Alfred found himself standing guard for Francis, who was kneeling in front of a small window right above the basement.
“See? Look,” Alfred kneeled as well to see that Francis was pointing at devices and several things he recognized as magical artifacts laid out on a table.
“What are they for?”
Francis considered it for a moment, “If I know the theory right, they may be attempting to create a Dragon.”
“A what now?”
“A Dragon. I am correct in assuming you have met Arthur’s friend Vlad and know of his research, correct?” Alfred nodded, “A few months ago he accidentally stumbled on a theory about how to increase the power of a Super to its maximum potential. For example, your power is above average strength. Right now you can lift what, about four tons?”
“Five tons, for your information.”
“The more you grow and train, the stronger you get. The parameters of your power, however, are ‘above average strength.’ In theory, you strength should lie anywhere in the realm above average, even going on to infinity.”
“Yeah, in English please.”
“Because you are a Super, in time, you will be able to lift anything, even the earth or the universe, if you needed to.”
“O-oh, really?” Alfred felt a grin spread across his face.
“Yes, through time and training and growing, your strength factor could be able to reach infinity. But our friend Vlad’s theory can make it so you can reach that infinite level instantly.”
“Really?” the smile grew even more.
“Yes, but at a cost.”
“I’m sure whatever risks wouldn’t compare to the reward…”
“I beg to differ,” Francis’s face grew dark as he stared at the materials on the table, “According to Vlad, outside of the excruciating pain one would go through putting themselves through this process, it will cause the Super’s brain to quite literally break, the result being a complete loss of free will. That is a Dragon, a Super with ultimate power who will obey any master.”
“Ah, well, never mind then,” Alfred glanced down into the basement as well, “So, what’s this Yao guy want with a Dragon if he hates Supers?”
“Don’t you get it? If he has one, or even several, Dragons under his control, he won’t need to worry about Supers anymore. It would be like Matthew’s situation, if Matthew was all powerful and couldn’t even feel upset about it.”
“And he needs Arthur because?”
“Vlad and Arthur’s friendship is not exactly a secret. Vlad has most likely told him everything he needs to know about his theory to execute it flawlessly, and Arthur would be easier to… convince, to do this.”
“What? No way!” Alfred defended, “Arthur would never consent to something like that! No matter what?”
“I’m not so sure. Yao would be able to find a way to coerce him,” Francis looked pointedly at Alfred, “Besides, he was one glaringly obvious weak point.”
“Eh?” Alfred blinked, confused, “What’s that?”
“It matters not; I’m sure you’ll find out in the end,” he stood up and started towards the door, “Shall we go save you guardian now?”
Alfred grinned and followed after him, “About time!”
+
“There, everything is set up,” Arthur noted as he glanced around the basement, “You just need to bring Kiet in here and we can get this over with.”
“Yes, about that,” Yao’s grin was practically devious, “There’s been a change of plan.”
A ball of tension settled itself at the pit of Arthur’s stomach; he was afraid this would happen, “What?”
“Kiet has decided not to go through with this, but don’t worry, I’ve found another Super we can use,” he snapped his fingers. His two guards burst into the room, Kiet holding a struggling Francis, and the other one, Yong Soo if he remembered correctly, carrying an unconscious Alfred.
“Alfred!” he shouted and tried to run to him, but Yao shoved him back, hitting the table, “Alfred! Wake up you idiot!”
“Alfred is a Super. You can make him my Dragon in exchange for your freedom.”
“No!” Arthur spat at Yao, “The deal’s off! I refuse.”
“If you refuse me my Dragon, does it mean that you’re willing to admit that this boy, your Alfred,” he gestured to his unconscious form, “Is the hooligan wreaking terror upon the city, thereby placing him officially under my arrest?”
“No,” Arthur stood with a wince, the blow caused by him hitting the table had bruised some ribs, “No, he isn’t.”
“Those were your two options Mr. Kirkland: make me a Dragon or admit Alfred’s wrong doings.”
“Well I refuse to do either,” he clutched his side, “and since you need me alive for both, you’re going to have to live with it.”
“I can hurt you without touching you,” another snap and Yong Soo had deposited Alfred in the nearby chair, his head lolling forward in sleep. Arthur grit his teeth as Francis renewed his struggles, but Kiet’s grip was strong. Yao strode over to the table and picked up a scalpel, “I’ve read Vlad’s theory enough times. Yes, you would be less likely to botch the process, but I will probably be able to do it with Alfred, for the most part, intact.”
“If you lay one finger on him…” Arthur growled, eyes threatening horrible, unspeakable things.
“I dare you to try,” Yao raised the scalpel to Alfred’s hairline, and then several things happened at once.
Arthur launched himself at Yao, tackling him to the ground and banging his wrist against it to disarm him. Kiet gagged and covered his mouth and nose with his hands, releasing Francis, who wasted no time in getting to Alfred, but Yong Soo beat him there, driving a syringe in to his shoulder.
Suddenly, Alfred woke up. He blinked as he got a feel for the situation he was in, “What the… Arthur? Arthur!” his eyes widened as he took in the fight.
Yao had gotten the upper hand, throwing Arthur against the table, cracking a few more ribs, and grabbed a jar off the table. Arthur reached for the same jar and a struggle took place before it was smashed against the floor, emitting a red fog that choked the two of them.
“Arthur!” Alfred shouted as he and Yong Soo raced into the fog despite Francis’s protests. It was thick, but he managed to find Arthur, slumped over unconscious on the floor, and grabbed him before running out of the fog.
“Francis! He’s not breathing!” Alfred called out as he carefully laid him back on the floor, “What do we do, what do we do?”
By now Yong Soo had emerged with Yao and Kiet rushed over to help him. Francis looked over Arthur, checking his pulse and breathing, “He is breathing, it’s just very shallow,” he concluded as he stuck a finger under his nose.”
Slowly, Arthur blinked his eyes open and took gasps of air as his breathing returned to normal, “Good god, what is that smell?”
“It’s probably best if you don’t know,” Arthur coughed as Alfred helped him stand up, “Alfred, I think it best if we take our leave now.”
“Yeah, one second,” he let Arthur lean on Francis for support before he walked over to where Yong Soo had Yao sitting against the wall, “Hey,” he started to get his attention.
Yong Soo looked up and smiled at him, “Hey, glad to see your okay!”
“Yeah, you too, I think,” he rubbed his shoulder where he could still feel the bite of the syringe, “You’re the one who woke me up right?”
“Yeah, I figured it was the least I could do since I knocked you out,” he snickered, “Yao’s orders, sorry about that.”
“You seem like a nice guy. Why are you working for Yao?”
He shrugged and turned his attention back to Yao, “He saved me when I was young. He practically raised me, you know? I can’t just turn my back on him.”
“Yeah,” Alfred glanced back at Arthur, who was lightly beating at Francis’s chest, “I know the feeling.”
“Although both of us can admit,” he looked at Kiet who nodded in return, “Lately, Yao’s thinking has been getting a little, out there. Sorry you had to go through all this.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you could help him reign in his hate a little?”
“I’ve been trying to do that since I met him, daze,” he laughed, “but I’ll see what I can do. Maybe after this failure he’ll look at things in a whole new light.”
“We can hope, I guess,” he offered his hand to Yong Soo, who eagerly shook it, “I’ll see you around, or uh, I guess not, if I’m being honest.”
Yong Soo laughed, “That’s alright. Best of luck to all of you.”
“You too,” Alfred smiled and returned to his friends.
“Alfred,” Francis asked as he approached, “Would you care to find us a way out?”
“No problem,” he flashed him a thumbs up and went to kick in the door that led out of the basement. Francis thanked him and handed over Arthur, who was still a bit unsteady on his legs, forcing Alfred to carry him out of the building and back to the hotel.
+
“I’m sorry Arthur,” Alfred apologized for what must have been the umpteenth time after Arthur had woken up the next day. As soon as they were back at the hotel and Alfred had treated his various injuries, he had passed out on his bed from exhaustion.
“It’s quite alright Alfred,” Arthur sipped his tea, “I forgive you for the fight, and the rest of it wasn’t even your fault.”
Alfred grumbled, but didn’t protest out loud. It had been obvious for a while, but he loved Arthur; he was his brother, his savior, his everything. He’d do anything to keep Arthur safe, and now he realized, for the first time, Arthur felt the same about him. This thought should have made him feel giddy, but instead it just made that horrible tension in the pit of his stomach even worse. What if more people used Alfred to get to Arthur like Yao had, or vice versa? Alfred couldn’t let his heroing hurt Arthur anymore than it already had.
Iggy jumped into his lap, and he subconsciously pet him as he came to a decision, “Arthur…”
“Yes?” Arthur looked at him over his paper, “What is it?”
Alfred took a breath to steel himself and looked Arthur right in the eye, “I’ve decided to take Francis up on his offer. I’m going to New York.”
Part 20
Title: Holding Out - Part 19: Love
Characters: America, England, France, China, Korea, Thailand, mentions of Romania.
Rating/Warnings: PG13, Sorta X-men-universe crossoverish kinda sorta except I call 'mutants' 'supers' so maybe The Incredibles crossoverish kinda sorta? Point is, some people have superpowers. And it's a pseudo-police state.
Summary: Francis and Alfred set off to find Arthur. Meanwhile, Yao has a proposition.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18
“Poor Mr. Kirkland,” the voice smirked as its owner circled around him, “I know you’ve been through a lot. Belittled by your parents, ostracized by your peers, but I wonder if you’re aware of the consequences of your actions. Taking in a Super is one thing - and no, no one actually believes he’s your brother, although your money does a very good job of shutting them up - but this? This Super Reform Bill you and Mayor Bonnefoy are so keen on passing,” a pile of documents were tossed down on the table in front of him, “This is going too far, even for you.”
“You’re one to talk about my actions,” Arthur sneered, “I know what kind of business you run. You’ve been playing the system like a violin for years, profiting from the oppression of others. All the while watching, waiting for your chance to rise to the top, but it doesn’t work like that does it, Yao?”
Yao Wang, CEO of Wang Industries, one of the most profitable businesses in the world, stopped his circling across the table from him and glared, “My actions don’t put people in danger, Mr. Kirkland.”
“Yes, I forgot. Kidnapping and threatening someone in no way puts them in harm’s way.”
One of Yao’s men standing behind Arthur smacked him on the back of the head, “Cheeky as always, Mr. Kirkland,” Yao smirked.
“What do you want from me Yao?” Arthur glares, “Holding me hostage isn’t going to help you in any way.”
“I want to things from you,” he pulls a Polaroid picture out of his breast pocket and slides it across the table to Arthur, “The boy in this picture. You know who he is yes?”
The picture was of Alfred during one of his nighttime escapades. He was wearing his mask, so his identity wasn’t obvious to anyone who hadn’t seen him wearing it every night for the past few years. Arthur kept his face blank as he answered, “I have no idea who this is. He’s wearing a mask.”
“You take me for a fool, Mr. Kirkland? Super-strength may be one of the most popular powers among Supers, but there are only 5 registered Supers with that power in the correct age range, and after doing some checking, Alfred Kirkland is the only one it could possibly be.”
“That’s your mistake right there. You’re assuming he’s registered.”
A snicker sounded behind him, but Yao silenced it with a glare before returning focus to Arthur, “Love can cause us to make some bad choices, Mr. Kirkland. I have no doubt in my mind that that boy is Alfred Kirkland, and I would like you to confess as much.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow, completely nonplussed, “And what makes you think I’m going to do that?”
Yao smirked, “The second thing I want from you, Mr. Kirkland, is a Dragon.”
Arthur’s eyes went wide, “How do you even know about that?”
“Most of the scientific community may find his research outdated and irrelevant, but I find Vlad’s work to be enlightening,” the smug look on his face grew under Arthur’s glare, “I refuse to let you leave here without giving me either the boy or a Dragon. I’ll give you a while to think it over.” He snapped his fingers, summoning the two men behind him as they left Arthur alone in that dark room, mulling over his thoughts.
+
“How’s this supposed to work?” Alfred was skeptical as Francis coaxed Iggy away from the dead mouse just outside of the hotel.
“It’s simply, your cat is a genius, at least Tumi said as much yes?”
“Yeah, but how did you know that?”
Francis waved a finger at him, “Of course, Tumi is a Freedom Fighter. Our organization is gaining momentum you know. The point is, he’ll be able to track Arthur, who he lives with and can identify his smell.”
“He’s a cat, not a dog.”
“Cats have a most impeccable sense of smell as well, you know,” he held out his hand and Iggy cautiously stepped towards it, “Normally they don’t lower themselves to a task a dog could do, but perhaps Iggy will make an exception for us. How about it,” Francis gently stroked Iggy’s head, “Would you be willing to sniff out Arthur for us?”
Iggy flicked his tail in annoyance but continued to allow Francis to pet him, “Is that a yes?” Alfred asked.
“I believe so. Now I can mimic Arthur’s scent for him if I know what he smells like.”
“Okay, well, that’s good.”
“So, what does he smell like?”
Alfred felt his face heat up, “How should I know that?”
“You’ve been living with him for what, five years? You’re the closest he’s ever been to another human being. If you don’t know what he smells like, I doubt anyone does.”
“But Iggy’s a cat! He probably smells different to him then he does to me.”
“My power would be able to combine what you smell and mimic it in a way that reflects what Arthur would actually smell like; I just need a place to start. Iggy probably smells the same things you do, even if he interprets them differently,” Francis sighed, focus still on petting Iggy, “Just close your eyes and concentrate, please.”
Alfred grumbled under his breath, but did as Francis instructed. He thought back, remembered Arthur, everything about him, Arthur sitting in the living room, reading a book during his afternoon tea, “Tea,” Alfred supplied, “Earl Grey tea,”
Arthur in his study, pouring over documents, an exhausted look on his face before he noticed Alfred standing there and called him over with a small, “and paper and ink,”
Arthur and him in the garden, catering to the roses, until he pricks his finger on a thorn and Arthur pulls out a band-aid, wrapping it around the cut and planting a kiss on top, “and roses,”
Arthur and him lying in the grass, staring at the stars as Arthur excitedly tells him the story behind each one, “and grass, and dew,”
Arthur in the kitchen with Elizaveta, trying to make something that he calls scones, and he eats them, and says their delicious, just to see Arthur’s face light up, “and burnt flour,”
Arthur waiting for him to come home every night, ready with a first aid kit and a hug when necessary, “and…home.”
“Okay, that should do it,” Alfred opened his eyes to see Iggy sniffing Francis’s hand. When he was done, he sniffed the air and ran off down the street, “I think he’s got it.”
“Then let’s go!” Alfred took off running after him, Francis trailing somewhere behind, ignoring that feeling in the pit of his stomach.
+
“Have you come to a decision Mr. Kirkland?”
“You think I’m thick or something?” Arthur tapped the picture with his finger, “You know you need a Super to make a Dragon, and I know you well Yao, you’d never have a Super anywhere in your organization. I wonder where you plan on getting the Super from.”
“Kiet here has recently revealed to me that can turn into an elephant,” Yao’s guard wearing glasses nodded, “He has agreed to undergo the procedure if we found someone who was willing to perform it.”
Arthur drummed his fingers on the tabletop, mulling everything over in his mind. It was common knowledge that Yao Wang despised Supers. Whether it was out of jealousy or pure loathing was still subject to debate amongst their peers, but one thing was certain: he couldn’t stand them. Yao having a Super in his personal guard set off all sorts of red flags in Arthur’s head. But his options at this point seemed to be to turn Alfred over to Yao, try and turn a regular person into a Dragon, or be at Yao’s mercy for however long his patience lasts.
“I don’t trust you Yao; I don’t trust you at all. However I am willing to turn Kiet into a Dragon for you, if you let me go.”
Yao’s smirk sent shivers down his spine, “That’s all I ask of you, Mr. Kirkland.”
+
Iggy had led them to a Bureau building on the other side of the island. Francis was able to somehow convince the guard to let them in and tell them where Arthur was taken. Apparently Francis, who had been following a man named Yao and his group in Seychelles, had some connections (“Not spies,” he had insisted, “Connections. There’s a difference,”) on the inside.
Arthur was apparently in the basement. Alfred was all for rushing in there and saving him, but Francis convinced him to hold back, check the situation, and get a plan of action ready before they charged in. Alfred found himself standing guard for Francis, who was kneeling in front of a small window right above the basement.
“See? Look,” Alfred kneeled as well to see that Francis was pointing at devices and several things he recognized as magical artifacts laid out on a table.
“What are they for?”
Francis considered it for a moment, “If I know the theory right, they may be attempting to create a Dragon.”
“A what now?”
“A Dragon. I am correct in assuming you have met Arthur’s friend Vlad and know of his research, correct?” Alfred nodded, “A few months ago he accidentally stumbled on a theory about how to increase the power of a Super to its maximum potential. For example, your power is above average strength. Right now you can lift what, about four tons?”
“Five tons, for your information.”
“The more you grow and train, the stronger you get. The parameters of your power, however, are ‘above average strength.’ In theory, you strength should lie anywhere in the realm above average, even going on to infinity.”
“Yeah, in English please.”
“Because you are a Super, in time, you will be able to lift anything, even the earth or the universe, if you needed to.”
“O-oh, really?” Alfred felt a grin spread across his face.
“Yes, through time and training and growing, your strength factor could be able to reach infinity. But our friend Vlad’s theory can make it so you can reach that infinite level instantly.”
“Really?” the smile grew even more.
“Yes, but at a cost.”
“I’m sure whatever risks wouldn’t compare to the reward…”
“I beg to differ,” Francis’s face grew dark as he stared at the materials on the table, “According to Vlad, outside of the excruciating pain one would go through putting themselves through this process, it will cause the Super’s brain to quite literally break, the result being a complete loss of free will. That is a Dragon, a Super with ultimate power who will obey any master.”
“Ah, well, never mind then,” Alfred glanced down into the basement as well, “So, what’s this Yao guy want with a Dragon if he hates Supers?”
“Don’t you get it? If he has one, or even several, Dragons under his control, he won’t need to worry about Supers anymore. It would be like Matthew’s situation, if Matthew was all powerful and couldn’t even feel upset about it.”
“And he needs Arthur because?”
“Vlad and Arthur’s friendship is not exactly a secret. Vlad has most likely told him everything he needs to know about his theory to execute it flawlessly, and Arthur would be easier to… convince, to do this.”
“What? No way!” Alfred defended, “Arthur would never consent to something like that! No matter what?”
“I’m not so sure. Yao would be able to find a way to coerce him,” Francis looked pointedly at Alfred, “Besides, he was one glaringly obvious weak point.”
“Eh?” Alfred blinked, confused, “What’s that?”
“It matters not; I’m sure you’ll find out in the end,” he stood up and started towards the door, “Shall we go save you guardian now?”
Alfred grinned and followed after him, “About time!”
+
“There, everything is set up,” Arthur noted as he glanced around the basement, “You just need to bring Kiet in here and we can get this over with.”
“Yes, about that,” Yao’s grin was practically devious, “There’s been a change of plan.”
A ball of tension settled itself at the pit of Arthur’s stomach; he was afraid this would happen, “What?”
“Kiet has decided not to go through with this, but don’t worry, I’ve found another Super we can use,” he snapped his fingers. His two guards burst into the room, Kiet holding a struggling Francis, and the other one, Yong Soo if he remembered correctly, carrying an unconscious Alfred.
“Alfred!” he shouted and tried to run to him, but Yao shoved him back, hitting the table, “Alfred! Wake up you idiot!”
“Alfred is a Super. You can make him my Dragon in exchange for your freedom.”
“No!” Arthur spat at Yao, “The deal’s off! I refuse.”
“If you refuse me my Dragon, does it mean that you’re willing to admit that this boy, your Alfred,” he gestured to his unconscious form, “Is the hooligan wreaking terror upon the city, thereby placing him officially under my arrest?”
“No,” Arthur stood with a wince, the blow caused by him hitting the table had bruised some ribs, “No, he isn’t.”
“Those were your two options Mr. Kirkland: make me a Dragon or admit Alfred’s wrong doings.”
“Well I refuse to do either,” he clutched his side, “and since you need me alive for both, you’re going to have to live with it.”
“I can hurt you without touching you,” another snap and Yong Soo had deposited Alfred in the nearby chair, his head lolling forward in sleep. Arthur grit his teeth as Francis renewed his struggles, but Kiet’s grip was strong. Yao strode over to the table and picked up a scalpel, “I’ve read Vlad’s theory enough times. Yes, you would be less likely to botch the process, but I will probably be able to do it with Alfred, for the most part, intact.”
“If you lay one finger on him…” Arthur growled, eyes threatening horrible, unspeakable things.
“I dare you to try,” Yao raised the scalpel to Alfred’s hairline, and then several things happened at once.
Arthur launched himself at Yao, tackling him to the ground and banging his wrist against it to disarm him. Kiet gagged and covered his mouth and nose with his hands, releasing Francis, who wasted no time in getting to Alfred, but Yong Soo beat him there, driving a syringe in to his shoulder.
Suddenly, Alfred woke up. He blinked as he got a feel for the situation he was in, “What the… Arthur? Arthur!” his eyes widened as he took in the fight.
Yao had gotten the upper hand, throwing Arthur against the table, cracking a few more ribs, and grabbed a jar off the table. Arthur reached for the same jar and a struggle took place before it was smashed against the floor, emitting a red fog that choked the two of them.
“Arthur!” Alfred shouted as he and Yong Soo raced into the fog despite Francis’s protests. It was thick, but he managed to find Arthur, slumped over unconscious on the floor, and grabbed him before running out of the fog.
“Francis! He’s not breathing!” Alfred called out as he carefully laid him back on the floor, “What do we do, what do we do?”
By now Yong Soo had emerged with Yao and Kiet rushed over to help him. Francis looked over Arthur, checking his pulse and breathing, “He is breathing, it’s just very shallow,” he concluded as he stuck a finger under his nose.”
Slowly, Arthur blinked his eyes open and took gasps of air as his breathing returned to normal, “Good god, what is that smell?”
“It’s probably best if you don’t know,” Arthur coughed as Alfred helped him stand up, “Alfred, I think it best if we take our leave now.”
“Yeah, one second,” he let Arthur lean on Francis for support before he walked over to where Yong Soo had Yao sitting against the wall, “Hey,” he started to get his attention.
Yong Soo looked up and smiled at him, “Hey, glad to see your okay!”
“Yeah, you too, I think,” he rubbed his shoulder where he could still feel the bite of the syringe, “You’re the one who woke me up right?”
“Yeah, I figured it was the least I could do since I knocked you out,” he snickered, “Yao’s orders, sorry about that.”
“You seem like a nice guy. Why are you working for Yao?”
He shrugged and turned his attention back to Yao, “He saved me when I was young. He practically raised me, you know? I can’t just turn my back on him.”
“Yeah,” Alfred glanced back at Arthur, who was lightly beating at Francis’s chest, “I know the feeling.”
“Although both of us can admit,” he looked at Kiet who nodded in return, “Lately, Yao’s thinking has been getting a little, out there. Sorry you had to go through all this.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you could help him reign in his hate a little?”
“I’ve been trying to do that since I met him, daze,” he laughed, “but I’ll see what I can do. Maybe after this failure he’ll look at things in a whole new light.”
“We can hope, I guess,” he offered his hand to Yong Soo, who eagerly shook it, “I’ll see you around, or uh, I guess not, if I’m being honest.”
Yong Soo laughed, “That’s alright. Best of luck to all of you.”
“You too,” Alfred smiled and returned to his friends.
“Alfred,” Francis asked as he approached, “Would you care to find us a way out?”
“No problem,” he flashed him a thumbs up and went to kick in the door that led out of the basement. Francis thanked him and handed over Arthur, who was still a bit unsteady on his legs, forcing Alfred to carry him out of the building and back to the hotel.
+
“I’m sorry Arthur,” Alfred apologized for what must have been the umpteenth time after Arthur had woken up the next day. As soon as they were back at the hotel and Alfred had treated his various injuries, he had passed out on his bed from exhaustion.
“It’s quite alright Alfred,” Arthur sipped his tea, “I forgive you for the fight, and the rest of it wasn’t even your fault.”
Alfred grumbled, but didn’t protest out loud. It had been obvious for a while, but he loved Arthur; he was his brother, his savior, his everything. He’d do anything to keep Arthur safe, and now he realized, for the first time, Arthur felt the same about him. This thought should have made him feel giddy, but instead it just made that horrible tension in the pit of his stomach even worse. What if more people used Alfred to get to Arthur like Yao had, or vice versa? Alfred couldn’t let his heroing hurt Arthur anymore than it already had.
Iggy jumped into his lap, and he subconsciously pet him as he came to a decision, “Arthur…”
“Yes?” Arthur looked at him over his paper, “What is it?”
Alfred took a breath to steel himself and looked Arthur right in the eye, “I’ve decided to take Francis up on his offer. I’m going to New York.”
Part 20