Curosity Killed the Cat (Part 7)
Desperation
Chapter 6: [x] Read from the beginning: [x]
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Henrik ushered Jackie into a private room and Jackie was quick to deposit his comatose brother on the bed. But, without wasting a beat he turns to Schneep and grabs his shoulders, his face displaying pure desperation.
“Hen- I need something to restrain him, now!”
Schneep shoved off his brother with a look, brushing off his coat. “Jackie what are you talking about? You must explain all these things before demanding things of me! What exactly is going on?”
“I promise I will explain,” Jackie pants, but he grabs his brother’s arm again with a tight grip, “But not until he’s restrained. I don’t know how long he’ll be out but he can’t get back out there until we figure this shit out. Just trust me!”
Henrik still looks skeptical and looks over to the knocked out magician, as if gauging how dangerous he really was. Jackie wanted to scream.
“Henrik!!”
The doctor covered his ears against Jackie’s shrill voice and finally threw up his hands. “Fine, fine!” He travelled up to Marvin’s bed and reached underneath, producing two lengths of straps. He wrapped the belts around Marvin’s middle and his legs before looking back to the hero and raising an eyebrow.
“Better?”
Jackie visibly slumped and nodded his head, finally allowing himself to flop into one of the nearby chairs and push his mask up on top of his head. “Y-Yes.. thank you doc.”
Dr. Schneep watched him deflate with a worried expression. Soon, he’s kneeling by Jackie’s side and rubbing his arm. “Jackie… what the hell happened?”
Jackie opens his mouth to start explaining when the door bursts open, revealing Chase rushing in. Jameson follows behind with a confused expression.
“What’s happening?! Is Marvin okay??” Chase asks with hysteria. “The news- there was all sort of shit on the news! Saying- there was a supervillain on the loose? Are you both alright??”
Jackie raised his hand to stop Chase’s rant, then throws a thumb in Marvin’s direction.
“...He’s the supervillain.”
The brothers’ eyes all widen in shock.
“What…?”
The red clad hero raises tired eyes and sighs, curling in on himself.
“...It was Marvin. He… I don’t know what happened. I should have told you all earlier… but I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt- that maybe this was just trauma from being kidnapped by Anti… but he kept getting… worse. He’s been holed up in his room- and using freaky purple magic. Chanting and reclusive and…”
The hero closed his eyes tight and shudders.
“One night… I saw… I saw him holding what looked like a Jack doll… and- he was saying… d-disturbing things. Talking about being… the one pulling the strings.”
Now it’s Schneep’s turn to shiver, his eyes showing fear at those words. He looks back to Marvin with a tight worried frown.
“What happened tonight?” Chase asks just barely above a whisper.
Jackie sighs heavily and holds his arms, as if it will protect him.
“He was… angry that I wanted to take a break from crime fighting. It’s been too much for me. But, he was insistent that we both needed to get back out there. He met me at work- and we had a huge argument. I… told him the truth. About how he’s scaring me- how I’m scared to get back out there so soon. How everything still hurt- and I was confused about how he was doing so well. He… was so determined though. Kept mentioning Anti.”
The superhero drew in on himself again, eyes starting to widen- like reliving the story could cause him to panic. The other boys looked at each other in concern- Jackie never shows fear like this… he’s the bravest one of the bunch.
“Marvin ran off- and a burglary happened downtown. When I got there… I ran into a panicking boy. He was so terrified and I thought it was because the robbers took him as a hostage to get away. But, he was scared of someone else.. someone in a cat mask.
Then… I found him in an alley- and...and-!”
He starts to hyperventilate and Chase comes over and holds his hand, kneeling down by him.
“Breathe Jackie… you’re not in danger right now.”
Jackie shuts his eyes and laughs breathily, eyeing the passed out body on the bed behind him.
“I’m...not so sure about that.”
He tries to breathe slower before starting up again.
“When I found him… he had… killed them… He killed the robbers!!” Jackie finds himself shouting. The others all gasp- well Chase and Schneep. Jamie… was sitting on the hospital bed next to Marvin and was strangely quiet. More so than usual. He seemed almost indifferent. Or, not present at all. But, he does flinch at Jackie’s shout.
“What do you mean… killed??” Schneep asked in a panicked voice.
“That...doesn’t sound like Marvin…” Chase whispers, holding a hand to his chest.
Jackie nods solemnly. “I know… I know- but… I know what I saw. The… the criminals… they were drained of all color… yet tinted dark purple. They had purple veins crawling up every inch of skin.. and their eyes were milky white. And… black smoke was coming out of their mouths… but they weren’t breathing.”
“How do you know that was Marvin though- maybe it was someone else and Marvin-!” Chase tries to interrupt but Jackie holds up a hand, looking haunted.
“I saw him do it…” Jackie whispers, shaking. “I saw him drain the life out of the last robber… then drop him to the ground like it was nothing…. it was him.”
There’s a heavy silence in the room. A pressure from the weight of what Marvin did.
Eventually, Chase tries to speak, voice choked and confused as he shakily lowers himself to the floor to sit. “I… don’t understand. Why… why would Marvin do this? He- He just got kidnapped! When… when did he change so suddenly…? Is it Anti?”
Jackie sighs, messing with his hair. He looks a mess still, after fighting Marvin. “That’s what we need to figure out…” He pushes his bangs back out of his face, looking at the ceiling. The poor hero seems so exhausted. He knits his eyebrows together as he tries to think. “He… started to seem strange… right before Jamie told me he was quitting hero work…”
“He what??” Schneep asks, eyes wide. Chase looks shocked as well. Jackie blinks in confusion.
“You didn’t know?”
“No…” Chase mumbles, “I haven’t seen you all since we got Marvin back. I heard you all were heading back to work and… that was it.”
Henrik nods, “And I, of course, am always very busy here…”
Jackie still looks unsettled and he looks back to look at the quiet ego, “J- why didn’t you tell them…?”
Jameson, however, isn’t looking at any of them. As if he hadn’t heard any of their conversation at all. He’s staring at the floor, at nothing.
There seems to be a purple tint in his eyes.
Jackie stiffens then lunges to grab Jamie’s arm. The teal haired ego jerks and looks at Jackie with wide eyes, trying to scramble away.
“Jackie, what are you doing??” Schneep stammers.
Jackie’s face darkens and the gentleman shivers, curling in on himself. “Marvin, did something to you, didn’t he?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Jameson signs shakily.
“You haven’t reacted at all to the news… aren’t you worried at all?” Jackie asks. Jameson looks away, dipping his head. His irises reflect purple again as he signs. “I… figured it was hero stuff. It’s not my business.”
“This is about Marvin, J! Not hero work!”
Jameson signs faster, a desperate look in his eyes. “I can’t be bothered with this- I can’t listen to hero work- I can’t-“
“And why can’t you?!” Jackie shouts, feeling anger burning in his stomach.
“... because I’m weak. I have no real power. I’m nothing.”
The room goes quiet at Jameson’s confession. Jackie can see it though- there’s a blankness in his expression, a reflection of purple light. He doesn’t really believe those things. He was made to believe it.
Jackie’s eyes flare with power as he grabs Jamie’s shoulder and turns him towards him. The gentleman hardly reacts now. Jackie fishes out his phone and flips the camera towards JJ and shoves it in his face.
“Bullshit- you don’t really think that J… Marvin made you believe that- look at your eyes.”
Jameson stares at the mobile device with a dull expression. But- slowly, the light comes back to his eyes and the purple flickers. His eyebrows raise and he shakes slightly. Unable to move his hands, one of his speech slides shakily appears by his face.
“What…? I… don’t understand-“ He grips at his head, wincing slightly. “My.. head hurts-“
Jackie sits down next to Jamie now, even as the other ego flinches and almost scoots away. But, now he hesitates, looking confused.
“J… when you last talked to Marvin.. what do you remember?” Jackie asks softly.
Jameson closes his eyes, trying to recall. Slowly, his hands start to work again so he can sign.
“He… found me with my hero’s uniform… he- helped me realize that.. heroing was too much for me.”
“He didn’t help you do shit!” Jackie snarls, slamming a fist on the bed. Everyone jumps.
“Jackie, dude- maybe you should calm-“ Chase warns.
“No!” Jackie shouts, going to grab Jameson by the shoulders. His expression is caught in between something desperate and scared.
“Jameson remember… remember how happy you were joining me- remember how confident you felt. You have a talent for something more than working at a clothing store- than just doing your puppet shows. You have a compassion for helping people- you wanted to help save the city like me and Marvin did… please- please tell me you remember that…”
Jameson looks confused, lost, terrified. “I… I-I…”
Chase suddenly scrambles to his feet, back knocking against their bed. “Uh- g-guys??”
Behind them- a purple light is filling Marvin’s now opening eyes. The pressure in the room turns suffocating as dangerous dark energy sparks and crackles from the trapped magician’s body. Jackie wastes no time- he grabs Chase, then grabs Schneep’s coat to throw him back before throwing his body over Jameson.
The room explodes with terrifying power.
As the dust clears, the thrown egos are covered in teal light- Jameson’s hand is thrust out and pulsing with power despite his scared expression. They are all surrounded by a shield, embossed with a pocket watch symbol on its surface.
And before them, broke out of his bonds, is Marvin.
He looks odd, and terrifying. Power has his hair and cape whipping around in an invisible wind. His eyes are empty sockets filled with pulsing violet energy. His skin.. it’s littered with purple glowing veins. Black and purple electricity sparks off him as he takes a step forward. His footsteps seem to char the tiles under him black.
“Where is he-“ Marvin starts to snarl, “Where’s Jack?” His eyes snap to the trembling doctor in the shield.
“M-Marvin… b-buddy…” Jackie tries to stammer. Marvin’s head snaps to the hero, and with a thrust of his arm, purple fire rockets towards the hero. It bursts through the shield like it was sugar glass and Jackie is thrown against the wall with terrifying force. He wheezes brokenly before crumbling to the ground in a heap.
“Don’t you dare speak to me, you traitor!!” Marvin growls dangerously.
Chase crawls to the hero’s side and cradles the passed out hero, tears lingering in his eyes. “J-Jackie!”
Marvin again looks towards Schneep, starting to walk towards him. The doctor scrambles back, heart threatening to beat out of his chest.
“I’m not a patient man, Henrik…” The walls of the room are being burned by the dark power whipping against them. “Where. Is. Jack?!” Marvin commands.
Schneep can hardly breathe. How is this his brother? “M-Marvin, please, l-let’s talk…? You do not need to-“
Marvin bursts more with chaotic magic as he bares his teeth ferally. He lifts up a purple coated hand and Henrik is lifted into the air, hands caught around his neck as he chokes. His legs flail wildly as he tries to get away. Marvin’s hand clenches and Schneep sobs, his throat closing up more.
“Why must I repeat myself? Tell me where Jack is Schneep- do not impede my plight for justice.”
Schneep’s face is now red, almost purple as tears run down his cheeks.
“I… d-do not… w-want you… to… h-hurt him-!” Schneep squeaks breathlessly.
Chase shakily gets to his feet, pulling out his green and orange gun and aiming. The bullets… he changes them to lethal ones with a flash of orange. His hands are shaking.
“Marv… l-let him go- you’re hurting him! Let him go, dude!!”
Marvin cocks his head towards Chase, and with another flick of his head, the gun goes flying out of Chase’s hands.
“You don’t scare me, Brody.” Marvin hums, turning back to Schneep. His magic flares stronger and Schneep gasps wetly. His eyes are now filling with the same purple light as Marvin’s. And he starts to scream bloody murder.
Marvin’s lips curl into a terrifying smile. He closes in on Schneep and brings the man close to his face with his magic. “If you won’t say Hen… then I’ll just take the information from your mind-!”
Schneep sobs and screams, his head flickering with images and words too fast for him to comprehend, like flipping through television channels. He can’t fight- He can’t do anything against the magician!
Jameson finally seems to wake up, watching Marvin’s deeds with new eyes. He furrows his brows, courage once lost to him now flooding back through his veins. He tries to think, then pulls out his pocket watch.
With a flash of teal eyes- the air in the room stills. Henrik freezes mid-scream, Chase mid-run. Yet… it doesn’t affect the corrupted magician. He looks confused then looks to Jameson with darkening eyes.
“Jameson Jackson…” He hisses. He lets go of Schneep, who still floats in his power outside the paused time bubble. He strides towards the gentleman, power flickering dangerously at his fingertips. “I thought I took care of you already…”
Jameson stands tall, his own magic flaring back.
“Marvin… you know this is wrong. I know you do. Please… remember yourself and come back to your family. Please, I’m begging you.”
Marvin’s expression seems unreadable but he does pause. His head tips to the side, his eyebrows slowly furrowing in thought. A blue light seems to flicker in his eyes- revealing his normal ones. But, it’s short lived.
“Your bravery is wasted, Jackson.” Marvin whispers, “You can’t stop me, none of you can. And I’m going to burn the glitch out of our useless creator and end our suffering once and for all.”
Jameson flashes out his magic, teal knives now posed around Marvin’s head. Jameson’s hand shakes.
“Marvin, my friend- brother, please! Don’t make me do this- I don’t want to hurt you!”
Marvin pauses then grins wolfishly. “I knew you didn’t have the guts. Just a useless, pathetic mute-!”
Jameson’s eyes flare in anger and with a pulse of teal, all his knives dive to strike Marvin. The bubble keeping time from moving bursts and Marvin goes flying into one of the wall, a knife driven into his shoulder and pinning him there.
Schneep wheezes as the magic breaks and he falls heavily to the floor. Chase blinks in confusion. ‘What the- what just happened?”
Jameson looks scared of what he just did. But, soon his resolve strengthens and he walks towards Marvin, readying more magic weapons to strike him.
“How powerless am I now, Marv?”
There’s silence from the bleeding magician. But then his shoulders shake and quiet giggles escape his lips. He grabs the magic knife and it cracks with purple veins before turning black and crumbling.
“Completely…” He laughs, flashing up normal eyes at Jamie but tinted that terrifying purple. “I got what I needed.”
With a snap, Marvin bursts into pure smoke and disappears.
Jameson’s magic bursts as his stomach drops and his blood runs cold. No- did he actually get Jack’s location from Schneep’s head after all? He quickly runs to wake all his brothers, helping them to their feet with urgency.
“Wake up- hurry! We’d must hurry!! Marvin is gonna try to kill Anti!”