by Emrys Apollo
Nic stood outside the bar at midnight, feeling very much like Cinderella as the clock struck. He stood there and tapped his shoes like Dorothy, and then the van rolled up and he was yanked inside like it was nothing.
“You really did nothing but eat food all day, huh?” Nic blinked as he realized it was Crane addressing him. He also realized that Crane seemed pretty miffed about something, and he nodded like an idiot.
“I was kind of hoping you were gonna start a ruckus,” Crane said. “You know, maybe even let the League know you’re alive?”
Nic almost wanted to laugh. Crane wasn’t stupid. If the League hadn’t said a peep for the last year about their missing hero, why would they care now?
“I was more worried about spicy tuna,” Nic said. “And mackerel.”
“And yellowtail,” Crane said dryly. “My goodness, you’re really not what I expected.”
The van turned and Nic almost fell over. It was at the moment that Crane put him back in restraints, and Nic sat there trying not to slide over while processing that his movement was as once again limited. Crane huffed and wiped his brow.
“Uh,” Nic said as he reminded himself not to tug on the chains around his wrists. “What do you mean?”
“You silly little boy,” Crane said, his lips quirking into a grin. “I sent you out into the real world for a day to act as bait and you did nothing! My beautiful hero, the man who could change seasons, the man who saved that baby , don’t you remember? You might not think you were a notable hero, but I think the League thinks otherwise. I could have drawn so many of those fools out if you’d just said something !”
Oh. So this wasn’t even a real day off. I’m so fucking stupid. Cool cool cool cool cool. Nic blinked as his thoughts flashed across his mind like a neon Vegas billboard.
“You used me as bait so you could kill people,” Nic said half to himself. He couldn’t stop himself from tugging on his chains instinctively, and it took Alyson’s glare to get him to stop. Oh, yeah, she was there, and she seemed perfectly fine. Because of my blood. Right. This is just so fucking awesome.
“Well, I didn’t get to kill anyone, so I don’t see what you’re upset about, pretty boy,” Crane said bitterly. Alyson smirked and Nic looked away. He thinks I’m pretty?
“So, now what?” Nic almost regretted asking it, but he wanted to know. Crane gave him a cold look.
“Well, I didn’t get what I wanted,” he said with a pause that made Nic nervous. “But I can’t fault you for that, really. You’re not quite what I expected, though, eating that much food. You’re so thin, too.”
You made me this way, Nic wanted to yell. He kept it inside his head instead. Crane took a moment to pop his neck and roll his shoulders before he finally answered Nic’s question. “The new base is set up. You’re going to be kept on the main compound, so don’t worry, you won’t be able to escape. But you’ll get to keep what I gave you, and you’ll have real clothes and a room.”
While Nic was relieved he wasn’t being thrown back into a hospital bed, he didn’t look forward to being trapped inside a single room for the rest of his life either. He supposed it was better than the hospital room and the paper clothes, but it wasn’t living , either. Nic fell asleep at some point, and when he woke up it was because Alyson was shaking him awake.
“Up, little boy,” she said to him. “We’re here.” The van door opened and Nic was ripped out of the vehicle by a large guard. A hand held him by the back of his neck like one would a kitten. Crane chuckled as he took in the sight of Nic bound in chains and held by a man of ridiculous size.
“Nicholas,” Crane said as his grey eyes fell on Nic’s face. “The man holding you is Baron. He will be the one watching over you for me from now on.” Nic nodded as well as he could manage. Shame washed through him as he listened to Baron and Crane laugh together. His gaze fell to his feet, and there it stayed until he was jerked along to walk.
Nic was brought to a great white box with a glass door on either end, and then he realized it was a tram. Baron steered him inside and forced him to sit on the bench to the left which faced towards the property. Nic sat ramrod straight in his seat with his fingers laced together. He tried not to bounce his leg as Crane and Alyson climbed in with a few other men. Baron’s steel gaze on him helped keep the bouncing at bay. The last thing Nic wanted was to give them a reason to put chains on his ankles, too.
“Baron,” Crane said smoothly as the tram started up the hill. Baron turned his gaze to his boss, his meaty hand on Nic’s shoulder to keep him from escaping. Nic kept his gaze firmly on his shoes. The humiliation of being the fallen hero was beating him around the ears again. His face was like stone as he sat there waiting for them to talk. “You installed the restraints for his bed, didn’t you?” Nic stiffened.
“I did,” Baron replied. Baron was given the name by the Emperor , and it was his ‘true’ name now, according to him. Nic wasn’t sure what that meant. He didn’t think he wanted to know. His thoughts were a little more preoccupied with spending his days bound in bed, just in a different room. “For when he refuses to comply, you said.”
Ah. They’re just blatantly threatening me, not actually- okay. Okay. I’m fine. I’ll be fine. Nic resisted their urge to tap his foot at machine gun pace. He allowed himself one little tap to release a little bit of pent up stress, and then he was done. Hopefully no one noticed it.
Alyson noticed. She smiled a little to herself and Nic saw her out of the corner of his eye. The grip on his shoulder tightened and then the tram came to a quick, clean stop. Nic was pulled to his feet, and Baron pulled out a handkerchief and threw it over Nic’s head, blinding him. He was led into the compound from there, a white brutalist compound covered in vines and lovely blossoming flowers, which Nic saw as a sort of greenish blur as the blindfold went on.
Nic wasn’t sure how long he was made to walk, but he could feel when he was brought on and off an elevator. That happened twice. He heard a door open and he was pushed inside. Nic stood there waiting for Baron to shove him around some more, but he heard the door shut instead.
“Before I leave you in here, here’s the breaks: this room is coated in the black rock that limits your powers. You can use them in here, but don’t try anything funny, and don’t think you’re getting out. Emperor has you pinned, and there are cameras everywhere in this room.” Nic felt like a little boy who’d been sent to one of those boot camps, the ones where they kidnapped the children in the night. He felt like he was being hazed. This is my supervillain origin story. I’m going to go nuts in here.
“Okay,” Nic said quietly. He couldn’t see anything. He tried to stop himself from trembling, and he hated how pathetic and weak he felt standing in chains like this. Look how subservient I’ve become. But what choice do I have? He hated it. This feeling crawled on his skin and drove needles into his veins.
“If we ask you to do something, you will not argue,” Baron said. His voice cut like steel. “If you are asked to kill, you will be rewarded. You won’t be forced.”
“I won’t argue,” Nic repeated. He forced himself to stand up straight. He heard a few footsteps and then the blindfold was removed. Baron looked him in the eyes. Nic met his gaze and Baron removed his chains with one easy sweep.
“If you try anything,” Baron said in a low voice. “I will bring Alyson to remind you how to behave. Is that clear?” Nic could feel the tension rolling of this man. It frightened him, not his raw strength, but Baron’s capacity to remain chillingly calm as he gave his threats.
“Yes,” Nic said as he swallowed. “Clear as crystal.” He wanted to die. Well, maybe not. But he hated this. It made his very soul itch. Baron kept a hard stare aimed at Nic as he walked away, and then the thick wooden door slammed shut and locked.
Ah, fuck, he thought. I forgot about the key lime pie. How could I forget my goal?
Maybe it’s a sign that it’s not a good goal. Nic wasn’t sure what to think. He tried to tell himself that it was okay to not
always know what to do. He tried to think about what he’d be allowed to do now and his brain broke for a minute. In the end, he decided to walk around his room for a bit.
There was a bed, a real bed with dark blue sheets and a grey weighted blanket and a grey duvet, and there was a chunky knitted blanket thrown over a couch nearby. The whole room was done very cool and modern to the point of the room feeling frigid. This is Hell, Nic thought. This really is a gilded cage.
There was a generic stuffed shark toy popular with social media gurus sitting on the bed. Nic found a gift tag with his name attached, and he promptly decided his shark was to be known as ‘Mr. Business’. He hugged the shark to his chest as he wandered around the room. It was essentially a penthouse studio apartment, and to Nic’s joy there was a small back garden. It was night now but he saw green illuminated by pale white lights, and it sparked a little warmth in his chest.
Nic went back inside after feeling the cool air. It felt like a desert climate outside, so he tried to trust that. He found a long, thin blanket in the closet and wrapped it around himself like a poncho. It was loose, so he stuffed Mr. Business into the front and pretended he was wearing a baby. There were some weights in a little sectioned off home gym, but none of them went over fifty pounds. Nic did some stretches and some yoga moves on the mat, but he was too tired to continue.
There was a little kitchenette, with a pantry full of snacks and the refrigerator packed with a pitcher of lemonade and a flagon of wine, and wrapped sandwiches in the drawers. Nic knew damn well there was medicine in everything the Order fed him, and he decided he didn’t care. He reached for the flagon of wine and allowed himself a small glass. It wouldn’t be becoming if he got himself wasted, and he was certain that Crane wouldn’t approve of such behavior.
This is actually Hell. Nic missed the cheese steak sandwich he had. He needed its warmth to comfort him. Instead he found a key lime pie in the freezer and decided it was destiny.
To the next pie.
CHAPTER III
Nic checked the corners of the bed he’d made up an hour before. He went through his room and made sure there was no trash laying about, nothing to be found and raised in alarm. It made him feel like a child, not to clean, but to be watched in case he slipped up. Nic was miserable at the thought of having to deal with a pissed off Baron. One mistake was too great and he was in serious trouble.
Baron was pleased with him, of course, in a sort of quiet way. “It’s funny, I’d thought you would struggle more. I half expected this place to be in ruins.” Nic wondered if Baron was baiting him to try something. Could it be? Or was this really just his type of commentary?
“No, I’m just trying to take care of my living space,” Nic said. He kept his tone even and light, and he sat like a polite piece of cardboard on the couch. “Mr. Crane is very generous to let me have this big space, so I’m trying to be respectful of it.” Baron seemed surprised by that. He blinked. A slight chuckle broke from his lips into a bit of a smirk.
“Well, Nicholas, everything is clean and in its place. Go get changed for dinner, Crane wants you there.”
Nic got up to do what he was told immediately. He changed into all black linen and a blue coat. His grey shoes stayed perfectly clean, the only sign he used his powers at all. They slipped on like a dream and he was out, dressed in the way Crane liked him to be. Everything Nic wore was carefully chosen for him, and while the clothes were beautiful, they felt cold when he put them on his skin. He shivered each time the linen hit his back, and he’d curl up on the bed for a second until his skin could warm it up.
“Very good,” Baron said. Sometimes Nic wished he was under some kind of spell; it would explain his own compliance better. Nic mustered up a small smile in acknowledgement as he followed Baron out to the hall.
Baron didn’t bind Nic for this, but his grip was more than enough to keep him from a quick escape. Nic kept up with his pace as they walked despite the blindfold over his eyes. By the time they finally reached the dining hall, Nic was exhausted. Baron pulled the blindfold off and Nic blinked. He was pulled inside and brought up to Crane’s table, where a seat sat waiting for him right between Alyson and her boyfriend, Rick. Crane was across from him, a smirk on his face as Nic was shoved into his seat.
“Good evening,” Nic said with a small smile. Crane smiled back and it was almost warm. Alyson and Rick were perfectly polite. Nic offered to switch so they might sit together, but then the entire table laughed at him and he realized this was intentional. Nic felt his ears burn in shame but he did his best to swallow it.
“Here,” and his water glass was filled from a specially labeled carafe. Nic knew there were lemon slices and raspberries in the water and in his glass to mask the medicine, but the sedative set in all the same. He sat quietly, which had honestly been his plan anyways. Nic really didn’t see the point of causing a stir, but he supposed his captors didn’t see it that way. He was in no position to argue with them. I’m the trophy, he thought. He felt almost tipsy. I’m the trophy hero.
Pretty boy. Crane called him that, hadn’t he? Was that even real? Nic blinked and there was a bowl of broth in front of him. He hoped it didn’t have more medicine because he didn’t think he needed any more. I can be quiet on my own, really , he thought. Maybe someone at the dinner table would read his thoughts and vouch for him or some other Cinderella bullshit.
I need a fairy godmother. I need help. Nic drank the soup politely. He still had a grip on himself, he was just quieter and more focused. Crane seemed pleased with him. Nic finished the soup. All he’d eaten before dinner was a sandwich. He sat half in a stupor as the next dish was brought out. The plates were cleared away and Nic was faced with a lovely salad. He ate that too, quietly and slowly and then it was time for oysters.
“Here you are,” accompanied another refill of water. Nic stared at the lemons and raspberries and the two mint leaves. The ice cubes were perfect. He touched the glass and it was a crisp sort of cold. It’s totally drugged and I’m already fucked up.
Is Crane torturing me? Punishing me? Or does he not realize how much there’s in the water? Nic knew he couldn’t say anything. He didn’t have the energy for a confrontation, and if he did anything here, he’d get his ass beaten for it.
He needed to drink. Nic lifted the glass and drank slowly so he was neat. He didn’t get any weird smirks, so this didn’t seem to be a prank. Maybe I got it all in that first glass. There’s probably not anything in this one.
Nic was wrong. He ate all of his pasta and a piece of bread, and he ate the little cheese boat with an egg and gravy with mash potatoes and ham. Then he felt it. The food weighed him down but he struggled to stay awake. His glass was refilled and he drank, knowing what would happen. When coffee was offered with dessert he accepted. The apple cake was perfect and Nic said some polite words about the meal to Crane, who smiled at him. It was probably the nicest exchange they’d ever had.
Somehow Nic made it back to his bed. Baron left him alone and his coat was in the closet and his shoes were on the rack, and Nic was on the bed, head spinning. He clutched his forehead as he sat there, the drugs pulling him down. He felt like a melting crayon. The air seemed to crackle and his ears felt like they were being stuffed with dry cotton. His skin felt hot. His head swam as he tried to sit up but he fell back against the pillows, his strength fading.
Nic lay on the bed, fingers twitching as he tried to pull himself out of unconsciousness. He was failing miserably at this task, and it seemed almost impossible. His head bobbed as he blinked to try and wake himself.
He dreamt of something. He couldn’t remember. Crane was in his face then, cradling him, a finger stroking his cheek. “I’m here, little one. You’re safe, Baron is getting the doctor.” Ah. I was right. There was a mistake with the water after all. Nic saw double and the world became neon and brown clashing. He seized up and Sebastian Crane held him.
Nic woke up again with Mr. Business tucked under his arm. He had an IV and a cannul
a in his nose. A hand brushed a stray strand of hair out of his face and he blinked. “I’m sorry,” Nic murmured. Crane shook his head.
“This is my fault, ultimately. While I wanted to keep you calm at dinner, it seems someone miscalculated the dose for the pitcher.” Nic hated that Crane so blatantly poisoned him. He had no shame, and Nic felt a little sour hearing him admit to it. He exhaled slowly and stopped the sourness from creeping into his voice.
“I understand,” Nic said. He kept quiet and blinked. His head continued to spin and he slowly exhaled. I’m okay. I’m going to be okay.
“I’m sorry,” Crane said. “You weren’t supposed to get hurt. I should have protected you.” Nic saw something in his eyes change, and for one small second he thought he saw the Emperor fade away and leave the man behind.
“You’re going to be staying here for quite some time. Is there anything I can bring you to pass the time? Any hobby you want, anything, I’ll get it for you.” Nic blinked at the offer. Ah, to make up for the fact that he poisoned me. Right.