Chapter Text
Day 25: Hide & Seek
When Brianna suddenly went missing, Charlie received an anonymous text from an untraceable number. They'd sent him an address, instructing Thirteen to come to its location if he wanted her to live. If he informed the authorities, they'd know. Charlie knew his time had come. Whoever was after the Janitors had finally found him, and they were using his little sister to get to him.
Hands trembling and heart racing, Charlie donned Thirteen's old uniform, mask included. Then he strapped his taser and dagger to his belt for good measure. Whatever or whoever he was about to face, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. Even if he didn't live through this, he'd sure as hell make them regret doing something as cowardly as kidnapping innocent members of his family.
He could hear his mother pacing back and forth in the kitchen below, murmuring something indiscernible into the phone. She'd closed the shop early and had been talking to the police all day. He wondered who she was speaking with now that it was the dead of night. Niko's mother, maybe? They always knew how to calm each other down. They were best friends, after all, just like their sons. Naturally, neither of them knew what he was about to do. His mother would never let him go knowing that he would be walking straight towards his likely death.
And of course, he had to leave Niko in the dark too. He still didn't know anything about the Janitors or Charlie's connection to Beta. But as much as Charlie wanted to say goodbye to him, he couldn't without telling Niko the whole truth. It would no doubt mortify him – he was always saying how Beta and his lackeys were a bunch of coldhearted bastards, ignorant to the fact that Charlie had been, reluctantly, one of them. His face would twist into a scowl and those beautiful starlight eyes of his would go cold. He'd push Charlie away, severing their bond and crushing any feelings he might have had for him.
Charlie shook the image from his head, his heart aching at the thought of Niko's rejection. He wanted them to stay friends to the very end. He would just have to bring all his secrets to his grave.
Forcing such sad things from his mind, Charlie took a deep breath to steel himself. Then with the nimbleness of a cat, he stole out his bedroom window and escaped into the night to save his sister.
Day 26: You Will Go Down with this Ship
The address where Brianna was supposedly being held belonged to one of Beta's factories. It had been shut down and abandoned after he'd been arrested, leaving it open to vandalism and disarray until some other bigshot bought the property. Shattered glass from windows broken by angrily thrown rocks littered the ground outside while graffitied profanities decorated the grimy brick walls. Weeds popped up along every pavement crack and trash was strewed carelessly every which way. There were no lights on inside and not another soul to be found.
Charlie would've laughed at the cliched villany of such a setting if he wasn't on the verge of having a panic attack. He'd never worked at one of Beta's factories, but he'd heard plenty of horror stories about them. To the public eye, they were just regular old factories that aligned with all the labor laws. But to the underworld, they harbored illegal machinery and weaponry for testing, all protected by an abrasive security system. Lazy workers and traitors alike had been tortured here, killed here, all in the basement where Beta liked to hide such dangerous ongoings.
It's okay. The cops have swept this place. It's been stripped of all that deadly junk, Charlie tried to convince himself. Still, an involuntary shiver ran down his spine as he stared at the entrance, two ominous metal doors that were supposed to have been locked up by the police. But the thick chain that had been binding them sat in a useless pile at his feet, having been cut prior to his arrival. Maybe by a junkie searching for a dry place to get high. Or more likely by whoever was waiting for him inside. With trembling fingers, Charlie pulled the heavy doors open and slipped between the crack.
The moonlight shone brightly through the high windows, revealing several long rows of cold conveyor belts and machines covered with tarps and the dusty catwalk above. Charlie scanned every inch of the room, searching for a humanoid silhouette hiding in the shadows, awaiting any signs of movement. When he found nothing, he quietly unsheathed his knife and began to creep down the rows. He hardly made a noise as he stepped over glass and twigs and the occasional needle, cautiously peeking behind and beneath every tarp and checking every nook and cranny for signs of life.
When he found nothing, he was left with only one place left to search: the basement. He stood before a steep set of stairs leading down into a dark abyss. The longer he stared into the nothingness, the more his mouth went dry. If he went down there, it would be so easy to trap him. No doors, no windows, no way out. But if Brianna was anywhere, it'd be here. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he activated his flashlight and began his descent.
About halfway down though, Charlie suddenly lost his footing. No, that wasn't right. It was more like something had forcefully pulled his feet out from under him. He gasped as he went down, phone and knife sent flying from his grip. He tumbled down the rest of the stairs and came to a stop by slamming into a cinderblock wall. Coughing and groaning from his new hurts, Charlie forced himself to sit up. His phone, either having landed flashlight-down or broken upon its impact with the floor, was nowhere to be found in the inky blackness.
Charlie's fingers swept the area in search of it, feeling like a fool crawling around the gritty ground. Just as they brushed against the handle of his knife, a shuffling sound followed by the crunching of plastic and glass directly in front of him made him freeze in his tracks. A sharp click from above and the room was suddenly cast in a yellow light. Charlie winced at the brightness of the bare bulbs hanging overhead and he had to blink several times for his vision to adjust.
His breath caught in his throat at the sight of two familiar black boots standing mere inches from his fingers. Dragging his eyes up, he took in the rest of Paladin's form looming over him, silent and radiating a fierce anger beneath his expressionless mask. One of his hands was lingering on the light switch and in the other was what remained of Charlie's phone. Twisted and lifeless, he'd crushed it like an aluminum can.
Paladin dropped it before him, bits of the device scattering upon impact with the concrete. "Now you can't call anyone for backup."
Day 27: I'm Fine. I Prom…
In that moment, Charlie didn't know what triggered him. Maybe it was the fact that his poor phone had been destroyed right in front of him. Or maybe it was the fact that he hadn't found Brianna yet. Or maybe it was the fact that all his suspicions had been confirmed and the hero he hated so much had indeed killed the other Janitors and had lured him out here to kill him too. Whatever the reason, Charlie was pissed. Caution was thrown to the wind and as fight-mode kicked in, he did something very stupid: he tackled Paladin.
With no plan and his knife forgotten in his anger, Charlie just barreled straight into him. The hero had no time to react to the surprise attack as he dragged him to the ground, and a rush of air was pulled from his lungs. Charlie wrestled with him on the floor, dodging flailing appendages as he tried to throw a solid punch or pin a limb.
At one point, he'd managed to straddle Paladin's back, forcing him onto his stomach, and he reached for the hero's arms to restrain them. A frustrated grunt escaped Paladin's lips and before Charlie knew what was happening he was being yanked off from behind. His feet left the ground as he flew across the room and slammed into the wall, his head snapping back and cracking against it. Stars danced across Charlie's vision and his thoughts became muddled while his brain rattled inside his head. He could feel a warm wetness blossoming from where the skin had broken.
"You're a brave bastard, aren't you?" Paladin's laugh was deep and bitter and full of resentment. He pushed himself off the floor, his costume now wrinkled and smudged with dirt. He strode over to Charlie's dazed and slumped form. "Or maybe you're just an idiot."
Charlie gasped as an invisible force wrapped itself around his neck and squeezed. It dragged him up and off his feet, grinding him into the wall. He squirmed and thrashed, clawing at the nothingness that was constricting his throat.
"What were you gonna do with the girl you kidnapped?" Paladin demanded. "Tell me!"
"I-I didn't – kidnap her!" Charlie wheezed. "I-I'm trying to save her!"
"You're a fucking liar," Paladin growled.
The pressure on Charlie's neck increased and a choking rasp was forced from his lips. He futilely kicked at the hero, but he was well out of reach. His lungs burned, desperately begging for air. It was like his whole chest was being crushed. This was the true nature of Paladin and his powers. It was one thing to watch the hero in action on the news, but it was so much more terrifying to be on the receiving end of such a horrible ability. He was killing Charlie so easily, so effortlessly. He wasn't even moving a single muscle as he choked the life out of him. Paladin was merciless and unstoppable, and he knew it. He refused to listen to reason because he didn't have to – he knew he could do whatever he wanted without having to face any consequences. No one would care that he murdered Thirteen. Most would praise him more for it. As the hero, he would always be right.
As the edges of the room turned fuzzy and black and Charlie's movements slowed with his fading consciousness, he imaginged he could see Brianna one last time. She was right there, alive and safe and yelling something he couldn't quite catch at Paladin. He didn't have time to dwell on it though as his eyes slipped shut.
Day 28: It's Not Just in Your Head
No sooner did Charlie pass out did it seem like he was being jolted awake again. Sweet air rushed into his aching lungs, fueling his body with oxygen. He coughed and sputtered like a fish out of water, drinking in as much as he could.
"Oh my god! Oh thank god, thank god, you're okay!"
The sound of Brianna's voice sent a jolt through Charlie's system, and his eyes flew open to see her face hovering over him. Her eyes were wide and teary and a blackening bruise spread across the right side of her face, but she was smiling and otherwise okay. She gathered Charlie into her arms, half-hugging him and half-helping him to sit up from where he was lying on the floor.
"Brianna," he croaked, his voice thin and scratchy from his throat having nearly been crushed. "What happened to you?"
"I-I don't know. It all – I really don't know. I-I was walking home when someone or, or something hit me in the face. And then I just woke up here in the dark," she whispered, struggling not to fumble over her words. "I-I was tied up to a pole or something, I couldn't move. I don't know how long I cried out for help, but not too long ago...Paladin found me. He said he received a message that I was here...and that the kidnapper would be returning soon. He wanted to wait for them before he took me home." Her eyes shifted nervously to where Paladin was standing several paces away. He was still, his shoulders tense as he watched them.
"That's – that can't be right. I got a text saying to come here for you. See, I can – " Charlie's voice faltered as he reached for his phone, only to remember that it had been crushed beyond repair and it now sat dejectedly across the room. "Bri, you know I'm not the kidnapper," he murmured. It hurt his heart to even think that she might consider it a possibility.
"I know," Brianna nodded, the tears beginning to leak from her eyes. "I know you would never do that."
Charlie let out a sigh of relief before his gaze narrowed on the silent hero. "Are you sure he didn't do it?" he asked. "He did just try to murder me."
Paladin scoffed. "You attacked me."
"You pulled me down the stairs and broke my phone, so actually you attacked me first," Charlie countered.
"You're a stranger wearing all black and a creepy mask who showed up to a hostage situation with a knife," Paladin pointed out. "If you had any common sense, you'd realize how suspicious that is."
"The only one who's a stranger here is you!" Charlie snapped back, his blood beginning to boil. "I was trying to save her."
"That's rich coming from an ex-henchman."
"Shut up! You don't know anything about me."
"I know you're a liar. This whole situation is sketchy as hell!" Paladin retorted with a wave of his arms. "Here we are at one of that psychopath's properties and look who just happens to show up –" he gestured to Charlie with a flick of his wrist. " – one of his old lackeys. Was this supposed to be your brilliant revenge plan against me for putting you out of work?"
Charlie stared at him, incredulous. "I could say the same to you!" he shrilled. "You're the vengeful hero who's been killing off all the Janitors. And you lured me out here to finish the job!"
"You've got to be kidding. I don't give a shit whether you or any of your pardoned friends die. But it's not worth my time going out of my way to pick you off," Paladin said, an irritated huff of laughter escaping his lips. "When you start targeting my friends just to get to me is when we have a problem."
Him? Brianna's friend? Charlie didn't think so. How could she be friends with such a temperamental and violent asshole? Paladin and Brianna, friends. Charlie's bond with Brianna was much stronger and much more important than whatever flimsy friendship Paladin claimed he shared with her. "I did not and would never KIDNAP. HER," he growled, his voice low and even as he injected as much malice into his words as he could.
"Will you two stop it already!" Brianna suddenly intervened before either boy could throw hands. "Neither of you did it okay?"
Charlie and Paladin were startled into silence. They watched as she rubbed the tears from her cheeks, her eyes blazing with annoyance and unease. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I know you two better than you know each other," she said finally, tiredly. "I can't explain my connection with either of you, but… just trust me when I say you're both innocent."
The two boys said nothing for a moment. As much as Charlie wanted to believe her, he couldn't forget that she had never been so deeply exposed to the dirty world of villains and heroes like he and their father had. What if she was being fooled by Paladin? Tricked by the glamour of a hero?
Across the room, Paladin sighed. "Fine. I trust you," he said almost begrudgingly. But his tone had softened now that he was addressing Brianna. It was totally different from the venom-laced words he directed towards Charlie. Something about such a small change made him want to jump into defensive big brother mode.
"I trust you too, Bri," he decided and Brianna smiled in relief. "But he better not try anything."
"The same goes for you," Paladin replied coolly, his shoulders tensing again as he turned towards Charlie. "I'll end you if you try to hurt her."
"I would never! You sound like an overbearing boyfriend." Charlie paused for a moment, a new fear budding in his chest. "You two aren't dating...are you?"
"Absolutely not!" Paladin snapped back much too quickly while Brianna made a choking noise.
"Ha ha, you're funny," Brianna said dryly, glaring daggers at Charlie. "We're both single, but he's not my type."
"Oh, thank god," Charlie murmured.
"Any more stupid and irrelevant questions?" Paladin wondered. "Or can we focus on getting out of here?"
"He's right. I don't know who lured you two here or why, but I really don't want to stick around here any longer," Brianna agreed, her voice suddenly very small again. "I want to go home now."
"Then let's get moving." With Brianna's help, Charlie rose to his feet. The room spun as he tried to take his first step, and she had to drape his arm over her shoulders to help him get to the stairs.
"You're so slow," Paladin muttered. He was already halfway up the steps ahead of them.
Charlie winced as he scowled at him, the sharp pain in his head worsening. "It's your own damn fault I'm like this now."
Paladin tsked but didn't disagree. He turned his back to them and marched up the rest of the stairs. When Charlie and Brianna finally reached the top, he was waiting for them, frozen in place. His head was swiveling from left to right, alert and searching.
"What's wrong?" Brianna asked, worry creeping into her voice. Charlie didn't like how familiar she was with the hero's mannerisms, but he kept his mouth shut as Paladin continued to survey the room.
"Do you hear that?" His question was barely a whisper. "That weird humming noise?"
Charlie listened. There was indeed a weird humming noise. High and soft, it vibrated through the air, filling the factory floor with a strange animated energy.
"Someone threw the breaker," Charlie realized.
Suddenly, the loud whirring sound of metal grinding against metal assaulted their eardrums. On the catwalk above, tarps fell from two massive artillery machine guns framing the entrance. Their barrels swiveled and locked onto the exposed trio below.
"Shit," Paladin swore just as a flurry of bullets rained down on them.
Charlie grabbed Brianna and moved to shield her from the line of fire and they began to run for cover behind an inactive factory machine. Then like a knife through butter, a shot pierced straight through his thigh. Charlie choked on his scream as a searing pain rippled through him, spreading like a web from the bleeding hole in his leg all throughout the rest of his body. He staggered and fell, dragging Brianna down with him.
Day 29: All Work and No Play
No sooner did they touch the ground did an invisible force push them behind the machine, bringing them to momentary safety. Paladin was quick to join them, grabbing Charlie by his shoulders and pulling him off of Brianna and up into a sitting position.
"Stupid, useless...You chose a great time to get shot," Paladin griped. He began to rip the fabric from Charlie's wound, getting a better look at the oozing damage. "The bullet's not stuck. Did you get hurt, Brianna?"
"N-No, I'm fine. It was just him," she stammered. Her face was pale in the moonlight and her nerves were no doubt frayed, but her exhaustion didn't stop her from tearing into the hem of her shirt. Her fingers moved swiftly and efficiently as she took the strips of cloth and wrapped them tightly around her brother's leg.
Charlie cried out as another rivulet of agony shot through his system at the sudden application of pressure. Fresh tears pricked in the corners of her eyes, blurring his vision. He couldn't hear what Paladin and Brianna were saying over the thunderous din of bullets bouncing off the machine they hid behind. He struggled to focus on his breathing, growing shorter and thinner with each panicked breath.
"Hey, you're not dying, okay? Hang in there, you'll be alright," Paladin's voice suddenly snapped through the flurry of noise. It was angry but no longer aloof. There was a hint of fear in his tone, a hint of concern and reassurance, as if he were speaking to any other injured civilian. Charlie didn't know whether to feel relieved that the hero was showing signs of actually caring about him or to feel pissed that he was receiving his pity.
Day 30: Digging Your Grave
"Look, there's an emergency exit door just a few feet ahead of us, to the right," Paladin was talking to Brianna again. "I can stop the bullets just long enough for you two to get through."
"But what about you? I don't wanna leave you here alone," Brianna insisted.
"I'll stay behind and destroy those things," Paladin explained, jerking his head towards the blasting firearms that were pinning them down. "It'll be easy once you're out of here. I won't have to worry about accidentally hurting you."
Brianna bit her lower lip but didn't argue. "Promise you'll be okay?"
"I promise." Paladin glanced down at Charlie again. "It'll hurt like hell, but you've gotta get up and walk with her to get out of here."
Charlie swallowed and nodded, already bracing himself for the move. With Brianna wrapping one hand around his waist and draping his arm across her shoulders, she and Paladin hauled him to his feet. He stood limply on his wobbly legs, gasping through the red hot stabs assaulting his thigh.
"Don't drag her down again," Paladin warned him once they were steady enough to move.
"Shut up," Charlie seethed through clenched teeth. "Just get ready to stop them, like you said."
On Paladin's count of three, the bullets froze in midair, slamming against an invisible wall and piling behind one another. Charlie and Brianna made their escape, shuffling quickly towards the exit. They shouldered the door open and stumbled out into the quiet night air. They didn't stop moving until they reached the main road.
Charlie was sweating buckets by the time Brianna set him down to sit on the sidewalk. His leg felt like it was on fire and a glance down showed that the makeshift bandages were already soaked. He let out a huff of frustration as he tore the Thirteen mask off his face, allowing the cool breeze to wash over his damp forehead. He watched as Brianna waved down a passing car and the driver let her use his cellphone to call an ambulance.
An awful grating sound echoed behind them, pulling Charlie's attention back to the factory sitting on the horizon. The main building was collapsing, brick caving in, glass shattering, and metal being flattened until it was just a pile of debris. As clouds of dust wafted into the air and sirens blared in the distance, Charlie wondered with a heavy heart if they'd left the hero for dead.
Day 31: Hurt & Comfort
The mysterious collapse of Beta's factory made the news the next morning. The live helicopter feed showed the remains of the structure, half-charred and still smoking from a fire that had broken out after it's destruction. With all the cop cars and firetrucks surrounding the premises, it looked like a disaster zone.
"Paladin made it out okay," Brianna informed Charlie over breakfast a few days after he had been discharged. "He's the one who brought the whole building down, actually."
"That's some major unchecked power," Charlie mumbled over his morning coffee. "I still don't get how you know him on such a personal level."
"That's a secret for me to keep and for you to never find out."
"Well, whoever he may or may not be, I'm grateful he was there," their mother said. "You two would probably be dead if he wasn't."
"I think I could've handled it myself," Charlie insisted and Brianna rolled her eyes.
"Says the boy who got shot and had his phone smashed," his mother said, giving him a flick on the forehead.
"Ow!" Charlie winced, rubbing the new sore spot. "Also his fault. I would've been in and out of there before the security system was booted if he hadn't nearly choked me out."
"Right," Brianna drawled. "Putting aside the distressing fact that the person who threw us into that mess is still wandering free out there, at least there's a bright side to all of this."
Charlie raised an eyebrow at her, watching as she munched on her pancakes thoughtfully from across the table. The brusie decorating her face was gradually healing, having turned a lovely greenish-yellow color. "And what would that be?"
"You get a new phone."
"Hooray. A new phone to go with my jeopardized identity and this snazzy new splint," Charlie deadpanned with a flourishing gesture to the wrap around his thigh. "They go perfectly with the crutches too."
"Shush, I wasn't finished," Brianna chided. "Our poor, baby Charlie gets to have Niko fawn allll over him now that he's hurt."
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. "Speak of the devil," Brianna grinned as their mother answered the door. "Right on time for breakfast as usual."
Charlie could feel his cheeks flush as Niko entered the kitchen in all his handsome glory. Dark haired and tall and a rare smile playing on his lips, his starlight eyes burned like flames in contrast to the dark suit and tie he wore today. He sat down next to Charlie while their mother fixed him a plate.
"What's with the suit today?" he asked, trying not to gawk at his best friend. "I can't remember the last time you looked so fancy."
"There's a guest speaker coming in today for one of our classes. The professor told us to dress in our best." Niko stared at Charlie for a moment. "You forgot, didn't you," he realized.
Charlie cursed under his breath as he vaguely recalled the note on his calendar that was supposed to remind him of the event. "Sorry, I've been too traumatized from the last few days to remember," he huffed, more mad at himself than Niko for bringing it up. "I don't think I'll have time to change."
Niko's eyes fell on Charlie's injured leg propped up on the chair across from him. "I'm sure the professor will understand," he said. "Is your leg bothering you a lot today? Don't force yourself to go to school if it is."
"I'm fine. I miss enough classes as it is. I won't let this little injury keep me down."
"If you say so." The corners of Niko's lips tugged down as he brought his eyes back up to Charlie's. "Did you...Did you really get hurt from tripping down the stairs?"
Charlie rolled his shoulders and sighed. Brianna wisely kept quiet, a casual smile on her face. "Yes, I've told you a million times already too," he explained, careful to keep his tone exasperated. "When the police called and said they found Bri, I got too excited and I slipped running down the steps. My mom was there, she heard each painful thumpity-thump and everything."
His mother tsked as she placed a plate piled high with pancakes, bacon, and eggs in front of Niko. "He was a sobbing heap on the floor afterwards. Maybe if you hadn't tried running down in the dark, this wouldn't have happened," she scolded him, ruffling his hair. "Be more careful next time."
Niko's brow furrowed, but he said nothing more on the matter as he began to eat the food she'd presented before him. Whether he had been convinced of such a vague lie, Charlie couldn't tell. He sipped his coffee, relishing its bitter warmth as he secretly drank in the image of the boy before him. When Niko smiled at Charlie again, having caught him watching, he decided not to worry about it.