“Dad, are you okay?” Steven heard his daughter’s question. He could tell she was now looking at him with concern and confusion at his sudden actions and expression. A part of Steven wanted to just lie to her, tell her he was okay and reassure his child. His brain couldn’t come up with a fake excuse though. No. When she mentioned…his name…and that event, Steven’s mind was dragged back to that horrific day. All the screaming, all the bloodshed, Maddrix’s malevolent laughter as he slaughtered hero after hero who tried facing him, tried stopping him, only to wind up as a corpse. He recalled with vivid detail holding his best friend’s lifeless body in his grasp. Steven could feel tears starting to brim within his eyes. Quickly he composed himself and blinked back the tears. He didn’t want his daughter and Carrie to see him cry. He especially didn’t want them to know why he was so distraught. ‘She should have never even known that name.’ Steven thought bitterly. He looked back to his daughter. His face barely composed to look like an okay expression. “I’m sorry Mouse, what did you say?” Steven asked again, trying to pretend he didn’t hear her the first time, trying to sound like he wasn’t having an emotional breakdown right now. Mouse, Carrie, and Bob glanced at each other with concerned and confused expressions before looking back at Steven. “I just wanted to know what Maddrix’s Massacre was?” Mouse spoke but in a much quieter tone. She was now feeling guilty for causing her dad to become so upset. It made her scared and worried for him. “Do you know what it is about?” Mouse asked but her underline question was “Why did you become pale when I asked?” Steven sighed, his fake expression falling. He stepped over the mess and knelt down to his daughter, cupping her cheeks in a comforting gesture. Steven knew one day he had to tell her the truth. Mouse was always a bright child, you really couldn’t hide information from her. But Steven wasn’t ready to tell her the whole truth, not yet. She was still a child after all. “Yes sweetie, I do. A… monster, sadistic person, cruel beast,...a bad man called Maddrix the Malicious. He did something really bad long before you were born when I was just a teenager.” Steven began replying. And you couldn’t stop him! You were aware of his vicious bloodlust. How he had killed before! You should have seen this coming! You should have stopped him before he killed Alex’s parents, before he killed your best friend, before he killed all of those heroes! But you failed! “A lot of people died because of it. Maddrix was taken down and put away for good in a maximum security prison. On the anniversary of what is also known as “The Great Loss” A celebratory event is held in different cities to honor those who had fallen. That’s what it is about.” You can’t tell her the full truth Steven. Just like how you lie to her about being Wordman! She can’t know who you truly are! A monster just like your father! A former villain trying to play hero! Who else would you be? Aren’t you as bad as he was? Why only a monster would destroy their child’s life through their own arrogance and faults. Mr. Heaslip was wrong about Carrie and Mouse. Carrie was wrong about herself. He was dead right about you. You are the only monster here Steven.
Mouse just nodded silently. She didn’t know how to respond to something horrific she heard. But she knew what her dad was saying was the truth. Why would her dad lie to her about it?
Carrie frowned as she stared at Steven. She said nothing but she knew Steven’s stance, his expression, his words. She saw them before. When she made the comment about him stopping her as Wordman from this morning. Carrie knew Steven was lying about something. But what?
@experimentedcat
