Rue: Web of Deceit - Part 22

Criminal Activity

With their day of adventure with Julius Creel coming to an end, Rue is ready to bring the boy back to his father when the pair get inadvertently embroiled in his business.

The two teenagers sit there for a while atop the unfinished skyscraper, quietly enjoying the sunset as the evening slowly draws near. The wind starts to pick up after a little while, and Julius notices Rue pulling their hoodie a little tighter around themself, "Alright, this has been nice. Wanna head down?"   Rue suppresses a shudder as they nod, “Yeah, let’s.” They say, pushing themself back upright and offering Julius a hand.   He takes it, and the two of them begin to make their way down the stairs. There's a comfortable quiet that overtakes the evening as they make their way back towards the fence and away from the construction site, "I guess I'd better get back. I told my Dad I wouldn't stay out too late," he says looking up at all the streetlights that parallel their journey, "You got far to go, Rue?"   “After I walk you back, not far.” Rue says, leaving little room for debate. Although Julius seems well accustomed to the rougher side of Salanas, they’re not about to let him walk back in the dark by himself. They could just picture Creel’s face if his son returned unaccompanied.   "Ah, job's not done until it's done, eh?" he says, chuckling to himself, "Alright, my erstwhile bodyguard, lead on."   ''What can I say, I take my job very seriously.'' Rue smirks, turning down the road towards the meeting point. They continue to verbally spar back and forth as they walk, and for a moment, Rue can imagine what their life would have been like had they grown up under slightly more normal circumstances.   The chill of the spring evening air had never bothered Rue before, but as the pair walk, they can't help but notice the hairs on the back of their neck stand on end. Something doesn't quite feel right. The street seemed oddly quiet, even for the time, and the few people they could see were making a particular effort to avoid looking at them.   Rue sped up, hoping to get through the area as quickly as possible and get Julius out of harm's way, but it wasn't enough. Within a moment, a few burly men step out from a nearby alleyway and block the pair's path, and a dark sedan pulls up beside them.   "Good evening, Kids," A towering brute in a mismatched suit and hideous tie says, opening his jacket a little to display the handgun holstered inside, "We'd very much like it if you'll hop into the car for us. Our boss would very much like to meet the two of you."   Rue quickly surveys their surroundings, gritting their teeth as they realise they'll have no choice but to comply. They glance at Julius next to them, his skin pale and his wide eyes trained on the gun in the brute's jacket.   ''And who exactly is your boss?'' Rue asks calmly, taking a small step forward to guard Julius, their head held high and their demeanour confident. ''You can't possibly expect us kids to just get into a car to meet a stranger, at least offer us some candy first.''   "You'll see soon enough, smart guy," the henchman says as he opens the sedan door, "Now, are you kids gonna behave, or do we have to bust out the... Well, let's just say it ain't candy."   “Man, kidnappers nowadays. Not even a gummy bear…” Rue lets out a “tsk” before turning to Julius, who seems frozen in place.   “Hey, come on,” They say softly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder as they lock eyes with him, “Better do as he says for now. It’ll be alright.”   As they try their best to keep the other teen calm, their mind is racing through their possibilities. Had it just been Rue, they could have tried something - perhaps created a diversion with their powers before making a run for it. With Julius there, though, things were more complicated. It was a fairly safe bet to assume that these guys were after him more than they would be after them, so it would be Rue’s job to keep him from getting hurt. That meant playing it safe for now, and so they found themself getting into the car after Julius, shooting another glare at the armed brute.   As the man hops into the final back seat behind them, he signals at the driver in the front seat and soon enough the car is on the move. Rue watches out the window, trying to keep track of whereabouts they're being taken, but the jittering and near-hyperventilating of their companion in the seat beside them proves too distracting, "Rue, what's going on? What do these guys want?"   “It’ll be alright,” They say quietly, keeping their own nerves under control for Julius’ sake as they try to explain their situation in a way that would make sense to him whilst avoiding any mention of the Spider, “Your dad has some very wealthy and important clients, so I’m guessing they need something from him…”   "This seems a little excessive, don't ya think?" He asks, causing the burly man to chuckle, "Can't they just leave a complaint at the reception desk?"   “Have you looked at this guy’s suit choice?” Rue points at the burly man next to them. “They clearly have a flair for the dramatic… and appalling taste.”   "Hey," the man says, smoothing down his suit jacket, "This is a genuine Versoné."   "I keep telling you, Al," the driver pipes up from the front seat, "That isn't a real brand."   "Well, you can all just shut up," he says, sulking as the car pulls into the grounds of an abandoned warehouse, "We're here anyway."   Rue looks out of the window and sees the telltale architecture of the old Seafaring district, but can't pinpoint the exact location among the dozens of homogenous warehouses scattered throughout. The men quickly exit the car, practically dragging the two teenagers with them as they made their way towards the entrance.   ''Hey Julius, you know how I mentioned your dad caught me stealing before?'' Rue says as they're being pulled towards the entrance, their hand snaking up Al's jacket and towards the holster. They make eye contact with the frightened teen, and at once, they snatch the weapon and pull themself and Julius back, training the gun on the armed driver.   ''I was pickpocketing.'' They say, keeping both men in their sight as they urge Julius to take cover behind them, ''Now would you pretty please hand over your gun? Without alerting your friends inside?''   "Woah, woah, woah," the driver says, putting his hands up as Al dumbfoundedly pats at his holster, "Come now, Rue. We don't want any bloodshed," Having seemingly been blessed with a few more braincells than his hideously-dresssed colleague, the driver snaps his weapon from its holster and slowly places it on the ground.   ''You're right, we don't. I really don't like guns.'' Rue says, their eyes flicking back and forth between the two. ''Kick it over here.''   "Uh, sure..." he says, a little uncomfortable as he nudges the weapon forward and it clatters along the uneven surface of the ground with a clatter, "There. Now, why don't you just put that down, and we can talk about this."   Keeping the gun aimed at the men, Rue carefully crouches down, picking up the second weapon, ''I really shouldn't be talking to strangers, you know,'' They say sweetly while continuing to shield Julius. ''So as nice as this has been, I think we're going to head home now, it's past our curfew. You two just stay where you are and don't do anything stupid.''   Slipping the other gun into their pocket, Rue starts to slowly walk backwards, lowering their voice to address the teen behind them, ''You go on ahead, I'll follow you as soon as I've got enough distance between us and these guys.''   "Rue, Rue, Rue," comes a hollow voice from the warehouse, accompanied by a one-person round of applause, "I'm starting to see why Alloysius likes you, Kid. You've got guts."   Rue looks over at the individual, swinging their stolen gun in his direction. He's dressed a little nicer than his subordinates, though the bright red suit and large heart completely obscuring his head is quite the eyesore, "Come on now, Rue. Why don't you put the guns down."   A strange feeling washes over Rue. A warm, lethargic sensation, as if the world around them is made of syrup. Their arms feel heavy, and their thoughts begin to betray them, wondering whether it'd be so bad to just obey. Rue blinks slowly, once, twice. Their limbs seem to move on their own as they take both guns and place them on the ground, their thoughts hazy as they try to figure out what's going on.   ''I...'' They stammer as they stand back up, shaking their head in an attempt to rid themself of the strange feeling. ''I'm guessing you're Cupid...''   "Do you know this guy, Rue?" Julius whispers, his voice growing more concerned by the moment.   "Why, yes I am," the man with a heart for a head announces, raising his arms over his head in a display of flamboyant showmanship, "It's a pleasure to finally meet the Spider's best gal, and what a meeting this is!" He says, giggling with an uncomfortable level of glee.   ''I've heard of him...'' Rue admits to Julius, wincing slightly as the man mentions the Spider. Assuming they've just experienced what could only be Cupid's power, Rue doubts there's a way for them to escape now. Not wanting to frighten Julius any more, they try their best to remain calm.   ''I didn't take you for the kind of creep who wants to hang out in warehouses with children,'' They say, tilting their head slightly. ''So what is it that you want from us?''   "Does the whole, implying your enemy is a pedophile, thing ever actually work, Rue?" Cupid says, his hands coming to rest on his hips as he shakes his head in faux-judgement, "I'm just simply trying to get Alloysius to see reason here, and if we need to kidnap a couple kids to do it, then so be it. But honestly, Rue, you've impressed me. How would you like to come over to the winning side?"   ''Meh, tends to make people a little uncomfortable, which can be useful.'' Rue shrugs, seemingly taking a moment to consider their options. ''Hmmm... I don't know, my pay is pretty decent at the moment, got any benefits you could offer? Good retirement scheme? Annual leave? Pizza parties?'   "Help me take down Spider and you can have all the pizza you can handle," he says, as the two henchmen retrieve their weapons and guide the teenagers into the warehouse.   The place is stacked high with boxes of various shapes and sizes, but at the centre of the room is a large pile of assorted pillows which the gangster proceeds to throw himself upon, "Welcome to my home away from home, kids. This old textile factory has been a godsend to us while we get our business off the ground. You like it?"   Rue scans the building, subtly making use of their enhanced senses to look through the various boxes and walls. The immediate area has been formed into a room of sorts by stacks of crates placed in a square around them, but beyond it Rue spies a number of people towards the far end of what used to be the factory, working at tables, measuring out and bagging up what they immediately recognise as cocaine powder. The whole place seems to hum with activity, though this front area is a little quieter. Clearly Cupid appreciates having his own space.   ''The boxes seem like they'd be a health and safety issue,'' Rue knocks lightly on the nearest box to them, wondering if they'd be able to bring the wall down on Cupid and his goons without getting Julius caught in it. They look around the room, little snippets of ideas crossing their mind but never fully forming a plan - not a foolproof one, anyway.   ''I'm also still not convinced about this job offer of yours,'' They say, casually slipping their hands into their pockets and pressing the home button on their phone five times. ''So why don't you tell me about your business plan and how kidnapping two teens fits into it?''   "Well, fortunately for me, we don't exactly report these things to the health and safety directorate," he says, reclining into his pillows like a child into a beanbag. Upon hearing Rue's question however, he sighs heavily and sits up, "What's not to get? You're Creel's right-hand-man, and he's his son. Ever heard of a thing called leverage?"   "What have you got against my Dad?" Julius finally pipes up, the fear in his voice masked behind a veneer of outrage.   Cupid's heart helmet (or is it his face?) turns briefly in the boy's direction, before turning back to Rue, "Does he seriously not know what's going on here?"   ''Oh wow, you really are new in town, aren't you?'' Rue laughs, shaking their head as they continue to feign confidence. ''I'm very far from being his right-hand-man, I'm a glorified errand boy. Also, if 'leverage' is the entirety of your plan, I fear your business is short-lived. You can't possibly keep us hostage indefinitely, and if you kill his son or harm him in any way... Ever heard of a thing called retaliation?''   Looking over at Julius, they feel a pang of guilt as the boy's world is turned upside down. It's not something they'd wish upon anyone, but their priority right now is to keep him alive (and preferably unharmed) until they can get out of there and back to safety.   ''He's not known his father for long, nor does he live around here.'' They start to explain, buying more time for the emergency signal they just sent out to be traced. ''He doesn't know quite how... influential his father is.''   "An errand-boy he'd trust with his own flesh and blood? The man who values secrets above all else? I think not." Cupid let's out a self-satisfied chuckle, "And why can't I? If I told you to sit there until I told you otherwise, you'd do it, so what's stopping me?"   He finally stands back up from his position and moves over to a suitcase sat on a nearby container, suitably red to match the rest of his outfit. Taking a small syringe, drawing up some liquid from a medical bottle, and injecting it into his arm while he speaks, "Heh. I think you've just given me just a little bit more leverage there. If he doesn't know, then it's by design. I just need to threaten to out his little secret."   "What little secret?" Julius asks, looking frantically between Rue and the supervillain, "Rue, what are you talking about?"   "Oh, Rue. Don't spoil the surprise quite yet. I-" He's cut off as a large explosion rocks the building and the sounds of gunfire can be heard coming from the direction of the packing plant.   Seizing the opportunity, Rue grabs Julius by the hand and yanks him towards the exit, telekinetically pulling on the wall of boxes for it to come crashing down behind them.   ''This way!'' Rue pulls Julius through the dust cloud that's billowed up, away from the gunfire and hopefully from danger. Keeping their senses sharp, they run towards the door, taking only a brief moment to ensure they're not about to get shot the second they try to leave the building. Part of them wonders about the chaos erupting behind them, but another part, the part that's screaming at them to get to safety, takes precedence.   Rue just about overhears the muffled cry of "What the fuck!" from the direction of Cupid and his henchmen as the pair charge out the way they came. It feels suddenly like the incarnation of chaos has descended upon the building, gunshots and shouting coming from every direction. The warehouse door flies open before them, and the cool evening air floods into Rue's nostrils, a delight compared to the musty smell of old textiles and cocaine that had irritated it up until that moment.   The night was lit up with headlights as more than a dozen cars had surrounded the building. Rue can't immediately see through all the brightness, but after a moment a familiar voice breaks through the blur.   "Rue! Over here!" Shouts Doug, firing shots over his bonnet from one of the leftmost cars opposite the hole blown in the side of the building.   ''Keep your head down!'' Rue puts an arm over Julius, knowing it'll do little to block any bullets but instinctively making the gesture nonetheless as they try to shield him through the chaos. They bolt towards the car, not daring to look behind them at the bloodshed that undoubtedly will remain.   Making it to the car, they push Julius inside, telling him to stay down as they turn their attention to their flatmate, ''Are we getting out of here or should I take your spare?!'' They ask over the ongoing barrage, their eyes finally scanning the scene before them, searching for the heart-shaped mask among the carnage, their own heart racing in their chest.   Doug didn't have a chance to respond however, as through the carnage and the hail of bullets, the familiar form of Cupid stumbles out, his red suit tattered and covered in dust, and the heart-shaped shell that covered his face cracked. Bullets ring out around him as he stands up shakily, "All of you!" he screams, his voice hoarse no-doubt from inhaling something he shouldn't have, "STOP!"   The sound of his voice arrests the movement of everyone in the area. The bullets stop firing and both Rue and Doug find themselves unable to move, their eyes barely able to look at one another as the supervillain dusts himself off before them.   "Spider, you son of a bitch! Show yourself!" he cries, looking between the many cars, before the rear door of one particularly impressive sedan pops open, and the lanky, haggard form of Alloysius Creel steps out, "Now, come here."   The Spider slowly begins to pace forward, directly into the firing line, his green pinstripes instantly recognisable in the high beams of the various cars to his left and right. Eventually he's stood face-to-heart with Cupid, towering over the other man but looking particularly vulnerable as his body moves against his will, like a puppet on a string.   "That's right, Creel. I win here, you hear me!? ME!" Cupid shouts, his voice filled with nervous anticipation as he realises he's moments away from his ultimate victory, "You, and all your little lackeys here, work for me now. You will submit, and concede. Do you understand me!?"   "Y-yes..." Spider says, his voice barely sounding like his own as he speaks through gritted teeth.   "So you agree to hand over your empire to me?" Cupid says, triumph in his voice.   "Sh-sh-" Spider's voice comes out like a growl as he seemingly forces a hand out in front of himself, "Sh- shake... on it?"   Cupid chuckles to himself, "Sure thing, Al," he taunts, "Let no-one say I'm not a sporting victor." The red clad supervillain and the green clap hands together in a firm handshake as Cupid nods, his every movement full of himself. That is, until it isn't.   "Well isn't this nice," he says, "Why, with this new arrangement, I could-" His voice falls dead as the man's entire body begins to collapse before the Spider, his own touch-based poison doing its horrific work of paralysing Cupid's every muscle. Creel doesn't let go of the man's hand though, and even as Rue, Doug and everyone else slowly begin to regain control of themselves, he simply watches his enemy coming to the realisation that he's beaten.   As the man in the heart mask tries everything he can to move, Creel's trademark grin returns to him and he drops Cupid to the floor, laying him down on his back and leering down at the heart mask, "Maybe after this, uppity little fucks like you will think twice before trying to get at me via my family."   Cupid doesn't speak, he doesn't scream. He can do nothing as Creel's foot, clad in expensive designer loafers, comes down on his helmet once, and then again, and then seemingly without end. It cracks, and then crumples before shattering into the face of the man within. A face that Rue is able to make out just before it’s stomped into a bloody pulp.   They couldn't even remember the man's name. They barely even shared two sentences with him, before tearing his life down around him. They just remember that last time they'd seen him, they'd compared his appearance to a butter sandwich  . But last time, he didn't have those scars on his throat. That familiar style of suturing. No, last time they'd seen him, he hadn't had a transplant performed by Dr. Oslac Quade.   Rue's ears are ringing, and they're unable to tear their eyes away from the gruesome scene before them as the stomps turn into squelches. They keep staring at the scars on the man's throat, their own scars burning underneath their clothes, feeling as if they'd been placed on their body only seconds ago, and it takes all their effort not to throw up then and there.   They don't realise that they're hyperventilating until they feel a hand on their shoulder, one that they promptly bat away, their back crashing against the car as they spin around to find Doug trying to draw their attention. Rue thinks they can hear him asking if they're hurt, but the words seem distant, like they're underwater.   They slide down the side of the car, pulling their knees close to their chest and burying their head in their trembling arms.   After a while, they will blame it on the delayed adrenaline of getting kidnapped, the trauma of having been shot before getting triggered by the gun fight that followed, or the horrific sight of the Spider kicking in someone's face. But for now, all they could think about was Dr Quade, his hands prodding and poking and slicing them open, his voice whispering in their ear, the experiments he performed to test out their newly discovered powers. For now, Rue was a teenage kid, terrified and overwhelmed, unable to bawl their eyes out no matter how much they felt the urge to.   "It's okay, Rue," Doug says, taking a seat on the floor beside them, resting his back against the car door, "It'll be okay. We'll just sit here for a while."   The next few minutes pass silently between them, with Rue barely cognisant of the world around them and Doug sitting patiently by their side. By the time Rue is finally able to look up from between their knees, it's just them and their erstwhile flatmate, sat in the darkness of the night, outside the factory that was briefly to be their prison. The other cars had all left, and even the nearby sounds of the shore seemed to fall dead around them.   "Heya, Kid," Doug whispers, noticing their head rising slightly, "You with me?"   Taking another moment to collect their thoughts, Rue slowly looks up at him, their eyes carrying a weariness within them that doesn't become their age, ''...'m with you,'' They croak out, their throat dry like sandpaper.   Rue gradually unfolds their limbs, the terror replaced with an exhaustion that they feel down to their bones. They look like they're starting to relax when suddenly their shoulders tense, a hint of dread creeping up their body again, ''Where's Julius? Is he safe? D-did he see...''   "He was stuck in the back seat. By the time he could sit up again, the Boss was back in his car. I had one of the boys take him back," he says, sitting up and pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket, "He wanted to speak to you before he left, but I said he'd better not. Asked me to give you this, though."   Rue unfurls the piece of paper, reading the simple note inside, "Thanks again for today. Text me? - Julius." accompanied by a phone number.   "Yeah, he seemed a little shell-shocked after all that," Doug says, standing up and offering Rue a hand to help them up, "Not like it doesn't happen to us professionals, eh Rue?"   Rue seems a little surprised that Julius would still be willing to speak to them after what they'd just been through, but they fold up the piece of paper and safely tuck it into their pocket. They wonder how Creel is spinning this for Julius, or if he's telling him the truth, but they feel too shaken up to properly consider it.   They eye the proffered hand for a beat before taking it, allowing Doug to help them back onto their (as it turns out still somewhat wobbly) feet, ''I guess so...'' They say, feeling a little embarrassed. They're about to get into the car when another thought occurs to them, ''Shouldn't you be on a date right now?''   "I was," he says as he makes his way around to the driver side door, "But the Boss said you were in trouble, so here I am."   Taking his place inside the car and fastening his seatbelt, Doug pauses for a moment, "Tara said it was fine, but I may need to get more perfume," he says, chuckling a little.   “Well, at least you know which one to buy now…” Rue replies, fastening their seatbelt and leaning back in their seat.   They lean against the window, their eyes fluttering closed as the events of the day fully catch up with them.   “Thanks, Doug…” They sigh.   Rue barely remembers the rest of the evening. Just the blurry idea of Doug parking the car and the languid shuffle up to the flat. By the time Rue wakes up far too late the next day, they're barely aware of where they are or what they've been doing.   They roll onto their back and groan as the light from a nearby window streams into their eyes and a hard object pokes into their stomach. They pull the mobile phone out of the front pocket of their hoodie and blearily check the time, 13:26 and two new messages. One from Doug: "Hope you're okay, Kid. I'm taking Tara down to Sigarda for the week for a little vacation. Don't burn the place down." and one from Boss: "Julius told me what you did, Rue. I told him that they were just trying to shake me down for protection money. Seems he believed it. Thanks for keeping him safe. I guess that's two favours I owe you now."   Rue shifts on the bed to sit up, yawning as they write out their responses.   To Doug: ''I'm fine, thanks. Have fun in Sigarda, no promises on burning the place down.''   To Creel: ''Thank you, I'm glad he's safe.''   They look down at their phone, their free hand reaching into their pocket to retrieve the note that Doug handed them last night. After a moment, they send a third text to Julius: ''I'm veto'ing laser tag from now on. Hope you're okay.''   "Alright, but I'm veto'ing getting kidnapped by a crazed supervillain," comes a reply a few minutes later, "I'm sorry I left so quickly last night. I needed to get back to my Dad, and your friend said you might be a little while."   ''Deal. And don't worry about it, you'd had a rough day, can't blame you for wanting to get out of there.''   "Well, let me make it up to you with a coffee or something next time I'm in town? Something a little calmer than yesterday."   ''Calm is good. I wouldn't say no to a hot chocolate.''   "You got it," comes through fairly swiftly after, "Guess I'll see you soon then :)"   ''See you soon.'' Rue smiles at their phone, stretching before they get up from the bed and shuffle towards the kitchen. Having the flat to themself for a week, they hum a tune as they rummage around the space, searching for flour, eggs, and milk.   To be continued...