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hetalia2011-12-28 09:54 pm
starrdust411.livejournal.com) wrote in hetalia2011-12-28 09:54 pm
Entry tags:
[Fic] Invincible - Ch. 3
Title: Invincible
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
starrdust411
Character(s) or Pairing(s): FACES featuring FrUK. In this chapter: Lithuania, Russia
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: AU, Slash, Action/Adventure, Implied Past Mpreg, Character Death
Summary: After a series of lawsuits forces him and the rest of the Supers into retirement, Arthur Kirkland finds himself trapped living a mundane suburban life. When adventure calls he's quick to respond, but how will it affect the rest of his family?
Prologue|Chapter 1|Chapter 2
Chapter 3 The Ominidroid
His suit didn't fit.
Of all the embarrassing things he had found himself subjected to sitting in what had to be the most advanced plane he had ever laid eyes on and soaring hundreds of miles in the air towards a small island in the Pacific while wearing his flashy, ill fitting old suit was easily the most humiliating moment of his life. He shifted in his seat, listening with grated nerves to the distinct sound of fabric stretching and threatening to tear. His scowl deepened as he glared down at his stomach -- blue and red cloth stretched nearly thin enough to expose a few inches of skin, a slight roll of flesh flopping over the bright yellow utility belt that had barely managed to clip shut. Clearly he had gained more weight than he had imagined during his years of retirement.
Arthur stifled a groan.
No. Not Arthur, not today. Running his gloved fingers over the shiny black material covering his more than half of his face, he reminded himself that he was Captain Invincible once more.
Invincible, he thought to himself. I. Am. Invincible.
The clean, white door to his cabin slid open and Toris Laurinaitis walked in. Laurinaitis was young man, of average height and modest build. Invincible was tempted to call the man "handsome," but the mere thought of the word was enough to make his stomach tighten and the golden band on his finger (hidden underneath his blue glove) feel hot and heavy.
Laurinaitis offered him a nervous smile as he hesitantly entered the cabin and approached Invincible. He couldn't fault Laurinaitis for feeling a bit intimidated by his presence. After all, Laurinaitis was fairly young and had likely only been a child when the Supers had been forced into retirement, meaning that he was old enough to remember, but young enough not to be jaded by the sight of people like him.
"Are you enjoying your flight, Captain Invincible?" Laurinaitis asked him conversationally-.
Arthur tried to smile at him, but the gesture was a bit difficult as he had become quite accustomed to scowling lately, so what he offered the man was little more than a smirk at best. "I am," he assured him as he motioned approvingly at his surroundings. Everywhere he looked was clean and smooth and white. It all had a very minimalist feel, yet the sleek design gave off a sense that the private jet and everything in it was top of the line. "It's a lovely aircraft you have here. Did your company make it?"
"Well, yes," Laurinaitis said. "It's one of our newer models. Not on the market yet." There was something unreadable that flashed across Laurinaitis's features -- a look of weariness, of remorse, perhaps even confusion, he couldn't tell -- as the man shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. "I think it's time that I brief you on your assignment," he said, changing the subject and relaxing somewhat in doing so. "Would you like something to drink first?"
A beer would be lovely, he thought, but dismissed the notion instantly. Invincible never drank on the job in the old days and it wouldn't be wise to do so now when he was older and out of practice. What's more, he didn't need this young man to think that he was some sort of washed up old drunk and report it back to his employers. "I'd rather get down to business," he said seriously. "Better to be prepared than go in half cocked and get myself killed."
Laurinaitis nodded as he touched something along the side of the cabin -- an unmarked panel that Invincible hadn't looked twice at -- that resulted in a small bit of the floor to slide open as a smooth circular machine emerged to greet them as the lights in the cabin began to dim. Once the machine reached its maximum height – which was only a foot or two off the ground -- the red light on its base began to flash, followed by a clear blue image that filled the space between the round device and the ceiling.
"This is the Omnidroid 9000," Laurinaitis began, motioning to projected image. Invincible frowned, squinting his eyes and leaning forward to get a good look at his soon to be opponent. From what he could tell, this 'Omnidroid' was little more than a giant round mass of metal. Its body looked quite sturdy and was balanced by four tentacle like legs slithering out underneath. Each leg seemed to be equipped with claws that were reminiscent of talons and Invincible felt certain that would be a problem. He took in the large scope mounted on the top of the robot's smooth body, wondering if that could be a potential weakness. "The Omnidroid is a top secret prototype battle robot. Its artificial intelligence enables it to solve any problem it's confronted with and... unfortunately..."
"Let me guess," Invincible cut in, because he had experienced situations like this before. Nearly every Super had. "It got smart enough to wonder why it had to take orders."
"We lost control," Laurinaitis confirmed sheepishly. "Now it's loose in the jungle wrecking havoc on the facility. We've had to evacuate all personnel for their own safety."
No bystanders? That was convenient. At least he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally injuring someone while dismantling this thing. "How am I going in?" he asked.
Laurinaitis pressed another point along the panel and suddenly the projection changed, shifting into what appeared to be a three dimensional illustration of their jet passing over a small island. "The Omnidroid's defenses require an air drop from five thousand feet." Invincible watched as a small, round object dropped from the aircraft and towards the island. Just as soon as the object landed, the imagery changed and the projection of the small island expanded. "It's cloaking devices make it difficult to track, but we're pretty sure it's on the southern half of the island." The southern tip was highlighted then, flashing in front of his eyes pointedly. "One more thing," Laurinaitis added quickly, looking even more sheepish than he had before. "Obviously this prototype represents a significant investment to the company, so..."
"You want me to shut it down without completely destroying it," he finished knowingly.
The young man chuckled nervously, another hesitant smile pulling at his lips and Invincible had to wonder how a man so easily intimidated had gained such a position at a weapons manufacturing company. "You are Captain Invincible," he said, sounding very reassured as he pressed another button, ending the projection's little show and bringing the small space into its full light once again. "Come with me," he instructed, motioning for Invincible to follow him to the tail end of the jet.
Invincible did so, getting up from the suede seats and marching into a darkened room with high tech equipment and several men in strange gray and black grab with masks and visors obscuring their faces and a sharp red R decorating the center of their chests milling around. The sight of the men made a thrill run through him. It was such a strangely familiar image, yet one he had not experienced in years. All the same, there was something off about these men. The way they stared blankly at him, taking him in and sizing him up, before going about their business as if he weren't even there seemed a bit off putting. What's more, Laurinaitis seemed to shrink away from them, as if he were not in charge of them or even a part of the same group. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew exactly why this scenario bothered him, but at the moment he was too busy focusing on the strange pod that Laurinaitis was currently motioning for him to get into. Wonderful. He was going to crash into the ground five thousand feet below in a giant eight ball.
"One more thing," Laurinaitis began, interrupting Invincible as he strapped himself to the seat of his ejection pod. "The Omnidroid is a learning computer. Every second you spend fighting it, it comes up with more ways to defeat you."
"Shut it down, don't destroy it, do it quickly," Invincible droned as he fumbled with the straps meant to secure him to his seat.
"And don't die," Laurinaitis added, nothing short of sincerity in his tone and demeanor.
Invincible nodded, because he wasn't exactly planning on kicking the bucket when he still had a husband and three children to take care of.
--
Captain Invincible had never been so hot in his entire life. As Arthur Kirkland he had spent the first few years of his life in England, before moving to the states in his teens. As Captain Invincible he had traveled around quite often, but only now did he realize that never before had he ventured into a tropical climate. That would explain why the humid conditions of the Pacific island were having such an effect on him.
Or maybe it was the twenty or thirty pounds he had gained over the years that was causing his chest to burn, his legs to ache, and his teeth to sweat. Dear God he hated himself (and Francis) for letting his body get this out of shape. He remembered being able to sprint for hours on end without feeling winded. Today, he had stepped out of his ejection pod, jogged around the southern end of the island in search of Omnidroid and almost instantly started to pant. Two hours of running in what seemed like a giant circle later and he felt dead. He swore silently that as soon as he returned home he would lose his beer belly even if it killed him.
Invincible groaned as he wiped the sweat from his masked brow as his red boots stumbled over a mass of thick roots. The dense jungle with its leafy trees, low branches, and thick bushes occupying nearly every inch of ground was more than a bit disorientating. Everywhere he turned looked positively identical from the last and suddenly Invincible felt certain that he was lost. What he wouldn't give to have a watch or a compass on hand...
Actually, now that he thought about it, Invincible did recall having a compass on his utility belt.
As he reached down to grab the bright yellow belt wrapped snuggly around his waist, Invincible felt himself stumble, this time not over a root, but a dip in the ground. Glancing beneath him, Invincible's eyes landed on what seemed to be a large, neat X shape imprinted into the soft earth below his feet. He frowned, taking a step back in order to get a good look at the markings only to brush up against a tree. When he turned to glare at the offending hunk of wood, he notices sharp, blade like marking that ran deep into the bark.
Mere seconds after he began to process the sight, the ground beneath him shook and two tall stalks of trees were ripped apart by twin black, mechanical arms. There stood the Omnidroid, towering high above him like a mechanical bolder ready to crush every bone in his body into jelly.
Invincible was almost too stunned by the shear magnitude of the thick Omnidroid's metal structure to avoid the metal limbs as they came crashing into the ground in an attempt to run him through. He dodged just in time, but not quickly enough to avoid the next attack which earned him a clean tear in his suit and a deep cut into his shoulder. The injury was a clear reminder that he needed to stay alert, because this wasn't just an exercise, it was very real.
The next time the Omnidroid's limbs came swinging at him, Invincible was able to not only dodge them, but jump clear over the robot and onto the other side of it. Before the scope mounted onto its top half could swing towards him, Invincible swung his fist, punching the thick metal with all of his might. The Omnidroid wobbled, its tentacle like legs thrown off balance for a moment, but it recovered far too quickly for Invincible's liking.
It began to charge at him then, moving with more speed than something so massive had any right to possess. Invincible attempted to jump over it again in hopes of avoiding being crushed under its weight, but just as Laurinaitis had warned, the machine seemed to have learned what to expect and swatted at him while he was still midair. The metal limb slammed into his side, sending him whizzing towards the ground where he landed with a thud. He quickly pushed aside the daze that wanted dearly to settle onto his mind as he lifted himself off of the ground. When he was on his feet again, he looked up to see that the Omnidroid had retracted its limbs and scope and was currently hurdling itself towards him like a giant bowling ball.
Invincible scrambled to his feet, running quite literally for dear life, all thoughts of fatigue and injury fleeing from his mind as he jumped over roots and dodge low branches, all the while listening to the crashing, crushing, thumps of the Omnidroid flattening everything in its path. For a moment, Invincible felt certain that the Omnidroid would catch up with him and turn him into a human pancake, but his salvation came in, of all things, the form of a cliff.
He dove off, jumping off of the ledge and out of the Omnidroid's path. The ledge wasn't a clean downward peak. It sloped roughly to the ground and Invincible found that he had no choice but to follow the path. He wasn't at all surprised when he heard the distinct sounds of rock being crushed and jumbled about that alerted him to the Omnidroid's presence. It was a machine and therefore it was naturally persistent, but that meant that Invincible would have to think quickly in order to beat it.
As soon as he reached somewhat level ground, he made to grab at the largest hunk of rock he could find. The Omnidroid landed seconds later, extending its arms and scope, and instantly made to charge at him. Invincible threw the bolder at the machine's scope, only to be disheartened when he found that it had no effect. If anything, it only served to teach the Omnidroid a new trick: throwing rocks. It sat perched in one spot and began hurling boulders at him with mechanical tenacity, throwing each and every rock that its metal claws could clasp as Invincible did his best to duck and weave away from the stones and its debris. Eventually the robot cornered him, and tried to pin him down, literally, with one of its sharp claws. Invincible managed to avoid being run through once more, but soon found himself being swatted by yet another mechanical limb and tumbling over the ledge and into a pit underneath the rocky cavern.
Invincible blinked away the dizzy feeling in his head and looked up to discover that he was now underground and surrounded by what looked like magma. Apparently the mountain on the island was volcanic. Wonderful. If he had been sweltering before, he was boiling now. Not that heat was the worst of his troubles. Before Invincible could even make it back to his feet, he found the ground shaking again. Looking behind him, he found that the Omnidroid had found his accidental hiding spot and was just as eager to fight as it had been a few seconds ago. He now found himself trapped on a small patch of rocky ground with a killer robot in front of him and boiling hot magma behind him.
He charged towards the Omnidroid, hoping that he would be able to dodge any blow it aimed at him and slip between its limbs, but no such luck. It lifted a limb towards him, large claws pushing him back towards the magma. Invincible pushed back, in an attempt to overpower the machine, but he found that his strength was only enough to slow it slightly. He groaned, the muscles in his arms and legs screaming from the effort to keep himself from being melted, but it wasn't enough as he inched closer and closer to the thick red goo that would burn even his near invulnerable skin on contact.
Summoning up all of the strength within him, Invincible tightened his grip on the metal claws and swung the Omnidroid towards the magma behind him. He was nearly shocked when he saw the giant black ball of metal soar into the air before seeping into the waiting magma.
Invincible allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Even after all these years of retirement, it seemed that he was still able to hold his own in a fight. A sense of pride swelled up inside of him at that thought as he smirked down into the bubbling lava below him.
The euphoric feelings instantly evaporated as the ground began to rumble behind him. Spinning around he watched in horror as the Omnidroid came crashing in from below ground, its black surface now burning red as it pinned its mechanical eye on Invincible's stunned body.
Well fuck me.
The thought barely settled into his mind as the Omnidroid lifted its bright, burning red claws towards him, spinning them like a buzz saw ready to slice into an unsuspecting piece of wood. Invincible dove out of the way, only to have his legs seized by one of the burning hot claws which proceeded to drag him into the air. Another claw grabbed his arms and the two mechanical limbs began pulling him in opposite directions. Feeling every muscle and joint in his body being slowly pulled apart, another thought entered his mind:
I'm not going to die like this!
Body thrumming with the renewed surge of energy, Invincible used what strength still remained in his arms to grab at the Omnidroid's claw and pull. To his surprise, the metal gave away almost instantly, sparks flying as wires snapped apart and metal tore like paper. There was an almost comical moment where the Omnidroid merely looked at its now damaged limb as if shocked, but Invincible was too busy running on pure adrenaline to find any amusement in his current situation. While the machine was temporarily distracted, he hid underneath it where its scope could not find him. To his surprise, a lower camera emerged just above his head and he wasted no time in grabbing it and tearing it off. The resulting hole was just large enough for him to crawl into, and nestled safely inside the machine he waited for the computer to literally tear into itself in an attempt to retrieve him. In a matter of moments the Omnidroid had drilled enough holes into its own body to resemble Swish cheese and the machine was finally offline.
--
Toris felt his eyes widen as he watched the image of Captain Invincible saunter away from the now fully defunct Omnidroid 9000. What he had witnessed was nothing short of incredible. In all his years he had never seen someone go through the trial so quickly, or so creatively. Hiding inside the robot? Quite innovative. He couldn't resist the urge to tap the screen and zoom in on the robot's prone form, taking in the gaping holes and sparks of electricity. There was no doubt that it was finished.
He had to wonder, however, what happened now. When he had found Invincible, he knew instantly that this was the Super his employer wanted, that this particular man was the one he had been searching for. So what would they do now that he had him in their clutches?
A large hand clamped down on his shoulder and he couldn't help but shudder at the contact. "Very good," his boss said, his voice far too chipper for a man who had just witnessed his prized weapon being torn to shreds. "We must bring him in again. Sound the all clear."
Toris nodded, understanding perfectly that nothing had changed. This event with Invincible only meant that his boss would get to have a little bit of fun before going through with the rest of his plans.
The strong fingers that had gripped his shoulder slowly slipped away, their heavy presence lingering even after they were gone and once again Toris felt a familiar knot of guilt twist into the pit of his stomach.
--
Invincible frowned as he brushed off more dirt and gravel from his thoroughly beaten up suit and silently chastised himself for not bringing something else to wear. It just didn't seem right to meet with an employer at the end of the job covered in blood and still caked in dirt and sweat.
He shook his head at the thought as a rueful smile spread across his tired features. He was starting to think like Francis.
His red boots echoed against the clean tiled floor, no doubt leaving a trail of dirt and grime in his path, as he headed towards the private office where he had been told to meet with Toris and the head of this operation to secure his payment. Invincible was quite eager to meet the man behind this ordeal, but more so, he was eager to go home.
It had only been a little over two days since he had packed his bags and left for this mission (the ache of the lie he had told his family to get here still sitting heavily on his shoulders), but it felt more like two years. It had never been like this in the old days. Sure he would get tired and weary during an assignment, would occasional gripe and whine that he had better things to do, but those better things usually revolved around writing papers and attending lectures not helping two rambunctious tweens with their school work, giving a fussy baby a bath, or loosing himself in the embrace of a good man. Things had been so much simpler in the old days, but he had a feeling that coming home tomorrow would feel far sweeter than it ever had then.
Invincible came to a gradual halt as he reached his destination and began to ease himself inside. Only he stopped when he saw that the room was empty. Invincible frowned, checking his wrist on pure habit to see the time, only to find that he was not wearing a watch. Looking up he watched as one of the far walls slipped open and Laurinaitis stepped out. His frown deepened as he took a step back and gently easing the door in front of him closed, hoping that Laurinaitis didn't see him.
He didn't. It appeared that the young man was too distracted by the person waiting in the shadows of the room he had exited from. Invincible watched from the crack in the door as Laurinaitis twisted around to listen to a large shadowy figure whispering something to him. Laurinaitis gave a reluctant nod as the figure stepped back and the wall slipped shut once more. Invincible was quick to shut the door in front of him, and back track down the hall. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't be meeting with the head of the company this evening.
Invincible waited in the hall, counted to ten, and then proceeded to walk back towards the meeting room. He re-entered, not at all surprised when Laurinaitis looked up at him with his usual pleasant, yet nervous smile, a clear sign that he had not noticed him before.
"Ah, Captain Invincible," Laurinaitis greeted. "You're looking well... considering. Did you have trouble finding your way around the facility?"
Invincible shook his head. He hadn't had any trouble as much of the staff was quite friendly and helpful when he had asked them for assistance. Yet they all seemed to give him that same sense of unease that he had received from the men on the jet and the fact that the workers of the facility were all dressed in a similar fashion did not add any comfort whatsoever. "None actually. I think it would be rather difficult to get lost around here."
Laurinaitis chuckled politely at the joke as he pulled out a silver pen and a stack of papers and laid them out on top of a desk in front of him. "Well, it seems that we've reached the boring part of our arrangement," he joked. "I hope you don't mind a bit of paper work."
"Not at all," he lied. Invincible walked over to the desk -- glancing quickly at the far corner of the room where the walls had split open and making a note of its location -- and glanced down at the stack of papers wearily. "So I take it my host won't be meeting with me this evening?"
"I'm afraid not," Laurinaitis said apologetically as he offered Invincible his pen. "He hopes you'll understand."
Invincible nodded, taking the pen in hand and fumbling with it. "I do usually make it a point to know who I'm working for," he said pointedly.
His comment was enough to make Laurinaitis shift from one foot to the other, but that was no feat. Laurinaitis always seemed to be nervous. "He prefers a level of anonymity," he explains. "Surely someone like you would understand that."
He hummed in defeat, realizing that he wouldn't be getting much more out of Laurinaitis. He may have been a jittery fellow, but he was remarkably tight lipped. He thumbed through the paper work then and found among the lengthy legal gibberish his payment. The pen fell, crashing to the ground from between numb fingers as his eyes ran over the number printed out before him. In his day, being paid for Super work was viewed as unseemly. The act of saving citizens from evil was supposed to be an honor and a duty inherent in all of their kind. Of course, Invincible (or rather, Arthur) was in a tight spot and in need of money, but he hadn't expected to receive this much. When Laurinaitis had said the amount would be five times his annual salary he had been mistaken. Invincible couldn't imagine making this much in ten years of working at Insuricare.
"Is something the matter, Captain Invincible?" Laurinaitis asked, concern lacing his words. "Anything out of order?"
"No," Invincible said quickly, scrambling for the pen and quickly signing the papers before anything could be altered. "No, everything is... perfect."
--
Arthur had walked through this door hundreds of times in the years that his family had lived in the small suburban house, but today it felt as if he were entering the foyer for the very first time. It was funny, in the days that he had been gone, nothing had changed: it was the same furniture, the same pictures hanging on the walls, and the same damn bird chirping up a storm at his arrival, yet somehow it all felt brand new. Suddenly the pile of mud stained sneakers next to the door looked charming, the various pictures adorning the wall warmed his heart, and Pierre's frantic chirps felt like a classical ballad in his ears. It was wonderful to be home.
"Dad's home!" He turned towards the end of the hall where he had heard Alfred's excited squeal. Before he could even set down his suitcase Alfred was by his side (papers fluttering around in the wake of his swift movement) an eager smile planted on his face. "Did you bring me anything from your trip?"
"Hi Dad," Matthew greeted as he calmly entered the entryway behind his brother. "How was your trip?"
"Where are the presents?" Alfred asked. He was already frantically digging through Arthur's luggage and pulling out stray articles of clothing in his quest for a souvenir.
Under normal circumstances Arthur would have been more than a bit annoyed at the giant mess that Alfred was making (one that the boy wouldn't lift a finger to clean), but today was not a normal day and Arthur was just glad to see his son's typical rambunctious antics (and relieved that he had left the duffle bag with his Super suit in the trunk of his car).
"I have your present right here lad," Arthur laughed as he wrapped his arms around both Alfred and Matthew and lifted them into the air. The boys squirmed and fussed in his embrace as Arthur spun them around before kissing their cheeks red. He could tell that the twins were startled by the gesture, because he had not shown them this much affection in years, but he didn't care. Arthur only wanted to show his sons how much he loved them. "It's good to see you boys again," he breathed, offering each cheek another kiss before finally allowing the boys to set foot on the ground.
"Geez Dad, you were only gone one weekend," Alfred said, rubbing his cheek fiercely as if to erase all traces of his father's kisses. Not that Arthur cared. He saw straight through the gesture and to the smile pulling at the boy's lips.
"A very long weekend, Alfred," he explained, unable to resist the urge to pat the boy's hair as he spoke. "Where's your sister?"
"In her room," Matthew answered. "Papa put her down for a nap."
He felt something inside of him stir at the mere mention of Francis and Arthur had to fight to keep the lustful smirk off of his lips. "And where's Papa?"
"Outback using the lawn mower," Alfred told him.
"Alfred, I thought I told you it was your job to mow the lawn?"
"Papa's not mowing the lawn. He's just trying to fix the lawn mower, because Alfred ran over a sprinkler and broke it."
Alfred glared at his brother, pinning him with a bitter look filled with contempt at the betrayal. "Tattle tail," he practically hissed.
The urge to scold the boy was strong, but his other urges were stronger, so Arthur decided to put his lecture on the back burner for now. "Don't worry, Alfred. I'm not angry," he assured him as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "But it is such a lovely day out, what's say I treat you two to a movie." He watched with a great deal of amusement as twin blue eyes widen at the suggestion. "Here you are boys: this should be enough for your tickets and some popcorn." Arthur handed each boy a twenty before ushering the confused pair out the door. "Hurry now. You might still be able to make the matinee. Don't see anything inappropriate."
Matthew looked as if he wanted to question this odd behavior, but Alfred didn't give him the chance. With a quick "Thanks Dad!" Alfred grabbed his brother's wrist and dragged him down the block and towards the movie theater. Arthur smiled at their retreating forms certain that between Matthew's force fields and Alfred's super speed they'd be perfectly fine on their own for a little while. Once the two were out of sight, Arthur shut the front door and headed towards the back of the house.
He spotted Francis from the kitchen window. He was kneeling over the fallen mower, back turned towards the house, hair pulled away from his face in a tight pony tail, and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was completely focused on the task in front of him and Arthur was hoping to sneak up behind him, but years of constantly looking over your shoulder expecting someone to pull a weapon on you made it impossible to be surprised. Thus Francis instantly turned and looked towards Arthur despite how softly the man had opened the screen door when he stepped into the backyard.
"You're home early," Francis said by way of greeting. "I thought your wouldn't be back until evening."
"Planning to fix yourself up for me?" Arthur teased as he settled himself down on the grass beside Francis.
Francis responded with a tired smile and Arthur saw the sweat dripping from his brow and down his neck, the dirt and oil caking his fingers and forearms as he snaked his arm up into the lawn mower, and the grass stains decorating his khaki pants. If Arthur weren't still a prude at heart, he would have taken the man right then and there.
"I always look good," Francis assured him, giving the loose bits of blond hair framing his face a good toss for emphasis.
"Even when you're sweaty and frustrated?"
Francis frowned, pulling his arm out of the mower and bringing a few bits of twisted plastic and metal with him. He turned his finger tips into shoe lace thin snakes as he continued to flush out the rest of the debris clogging the blades. "I swear that boy does not look where he is going when he uses this thing," Francis grumbled. "Just runs over everything in his path without ever giving a thought to the repercussions of his actions."
"Just like his father."
"But I am going to fix this," Francis declared. "I am going to fix this lawn mower even if I have to lose a finger in the process."
"You might just loose an arm at this rate," Arthur told him, wrapping his hand firmly around Francis's wrist and pulling it away. "Just let it be darling. I'll see to it later."
"I can fix it myself. I do not need you to do everything for... 'Darling'?"
Arthur responded to the puzzled look in his husband's eyes by gently grasping his face in his hands and planting a firm kiss to his lips. Francis stiffened in surprise when Arthur slipped his tongue out and began to caress the inside of his mouth with enough passion and drive to rival even Francis's elastic tongue. It had been so long since they'd kissed like this and Arthur didn't want to stop and wouldn't have if it weren't for the sudden burning need to breath.
He felt Francis shudder as he pulled away from him, a pleasant moan escaping him as he licked his lips, still very much in a daze. "What's gotten into you?"
"I had a very long weekend," Arthur explained, wrapping one arm around Francis's shoulders and using the other to hook under his knees. "And I just remembered that I left without receiving a proper send off."
Francis stiffened as Arthur lifted him off of the ground and towards the house. Arthur could tell that a thousand different thoughts were shifting through his head, each one likely more startled than the other. "Well... where are the boys?"
"Out," he told him. "We have the whole house to ourselves."
--
Francis let out a long sigh as he basked contentedly in the afterglow of their love making. It had been too long since they had lain together like this; naked bodies dripping with sweat and wonderfully sore limbs tangled underneath the sheets of their bed. Far too long since Francis had felt that familiar pleasant numbness in his hips that only came after a round of love making that allowed Francis to stretch and bend every inch of his body to such degrees that would make the pages of the Karma Sutra wither in awe. Francis didn't know whether he had the weekend away or a hidden desire that had been building inside of Arthur to thank for this, but he was more than appreciative.
A heavy hand came to rest on top of his back and Francis found the little hairs on the back of his neck standing on end in anticipation. He practically purred as he pressed himself even closer to the body lying beneath him, listening happily to the heavy breaths and steady heart beat.
"Ah, you can be so wonderfully surprising at times, mon amour," Francis breathed, rubbing small circles into Arthur's pale chest. "I shall have to return the favor."
His words were only met with a thoughtful silence and Francis had a feeling that he would not like wherever Arthur's current train of thought was taking him. He settled himself in and waited and was soon rewarded when Arthur, after a heavy sigh and a thoughtful cough, asked "Francis... do you ever regret marrying me?"
Francis frowned at the question, because he could not see how they had gone from a pleasant afternoon of passionate 'we have not slept together in ages and I need to be reminded of all the wonders your body has in store for me' sex to questioning the stability of their marriage.
"Of course I do not regret marrying you," Francis assured him quickly, because he knew that every second of silence was a second Arthur would assume was a sign of reluctant hesitation and doubt. "I love you."
His answer didn't seem to satisfy Arthur and Francis wasn't at all surprised. He craned his head to look up at him and found himself greeted by a look of uncertainty as Arthur turned his green eyes away from Francis's face and fixed his gaze on the far wall. "You could have done so much better than me," Arthur muttered and even without looking into his eyes Francis could see a thousand troubling thoughts swirling around in his mind. Arthur had always been so terribly insecure -- about himself, about their relationship, about his role as a husband and father -- and as much as Francis loved him, he found it quite tiring to have to constantly reassure the man that he was doing a wonderful job, no matter what the nagging little voice in the back of his mind told him. "You had your pick of any Super... but you settled for me."
"I did not settle for you, I chose you," he stressed, emphasizing each word with a gentle pat. "Remember? You proposed and I said yes. And then there was that terribly long engagement..."
The words had left his lips before Francis could even register what he had said and he wished more than anything that he could take them and all the painful memories that came with it back. That "terribly long engagement" had been punctuated by dozens of law suits, Francis's parents disowning him, and the twins being conceived before finally concluding with a paper shoved under their noses telling them both that they had to either marry right away or risk separation.
Francis had struggled to keep all of his emotions in check, because he knew that whatever pain he was feeling would be nothing compared to the torment Arthur had been putting himself through. To this day Arthur was still convinced that he had been the sole cause of the collective push for Super retirement and Francis would give anything to take the burden of that guilt away from him.
"I... I don't think I've been a very good husband," Arthur said slowly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled on the room.
"Arthur," Francis began, but soon found himself interrupted.
"I mean it, Francis," Arthur went on firmly. "I could have been a lot better to you and the children. I suppose it's because I kept letting my job get in the way, but I promise that I won't let that happen anymore. Starting now I'm going to be better."
Francis looked up at him and Arthur looked back, a confident reassuring smile pulling at his lips and Francis hoped that he could believe him.
"I am glad to hear that, mon cher," he beamed. Francis adjusted himself, pushing away from Arthur and shifting his position until he was sitting on top of him with his legs straddling Arthur's narrow hips and his hands placed firmly on his soft chest. "I do think that we have rested for long enough, yes? How about we continue where we left off?"
He didn't give Arthur time to answer and instead went right to stretching his arms to wrap themselves around Arthur's wrists. Francis smiled down at his husband as he pulled Arthur's arms above his head and then proceeded loop his noodle like arms around the headboard, effectively securing Arthur's hands far above him.
"Ah, once again it seems that Monsieur Élastique has Captain Invincible right where he wants him," Francis teased, nudging the growing hardness between his legs against Arthur's side.
Arthur returned his smile, a knowing glimmer in his eyes, as he shifted his legs -- with some difficulty -- until they were wrapped firmly around Francis's waist. "That's right, Monsieur Grenouille, you have me, but what do you plan to do with me?"
Francis had been very much intent on showing Arthur exactly what he had in store for him, but just as he leaned in to set his plan into action a metallic crackle cut through the stillness of the room and was soon followed by the distinct wail of a cranky infant.
"Merde, it is the baby," Francis huffed, unwinding his arms and releasing Arthur from his grasp. "Un moment, mon amour," Francis all but purred as he leaned forward to place a quick kiss to Arthur's lips.
Yet when he made to pull away he soon found his shoulders caught in a tight, vice like grip. He barely heard the throaty moan that rumbled against his lips as Arthur took advantage of his momentary shock and literally flipped the two of them over, leaving Francis pinned against the bed and Arthur looming over him.
"Stay here," Arthur told him. "I'll see to the baby." Arthur gave the tip of his a quick peck before rolling off of Francis and slipping into a pair of pants that had been left on the floor.
"Are... are you sure?" Francis asked, because Arthur never saw to Angelique when she was in a fussy state. Usually whenever the baby cried Arthur would ignore it, feigning obliviousness until Francis had no other choice but to stop whatever he had been doing to take care of her.
"Of course I'm sure," Arthur scoffed as he pulled a gray t-shirt over his head. "She's my baby too, isn't she? Wait here. I'll be back in a second and we can pick things up then."
Francis didn't respond to that. He merely watched in quiet awe as Arthur walked out of their bedroom and disappeared down the hall. The sniffling wails emitting from the baby monitor soon came to an end and Francis sat back and listened to Arthur coo over their little girl.
"Alright now, Angel, no need to fuss," Arthur crooned gently. "Daddy's here."
"Dada! Dada!"
A tired smile spread across Francis's face as the gentle words and loving whispers filtered in from the monitor's speaker and soothed him like a tender lullaby. His eyes began drifting shut as he curled himself into a tight ball in the middle of the bed and for a moment Francis felt certain that he would drift off before Arthur could return.
"Francis? Francis!" Arthur's voice cut through the air and pierced the sleepy cocoon that had wrapped itself around Francis's mind and he soon found himself wide awake. "Francis, get in here this instant."
He could tell from Arthur's chiding tone that there was no emergency, but Francis couldn't imagine what could have caused the man's sudden shift in mood. With a reluctant sigh, he slipped out of bed and grabbed his dressing gown, slipping it on as he padded down the hall towards Angelique's nursery. When he entered he was instantly met with the perturbed scowl that was currently occupying Arthur's face.
"Francis," he began sternly as he adjusted his grip on Angelique, who was in turn busy rubbing the sleep from her wide brown eyes. "Is this another new dress?"
Francis relaxed, smiling innocently at the question and the powder blue gown that his little girl looked absolutely charming in. "It was on sale," he assured him, but the excuse was not good enough for Arthur.
"Dammit Francis, that's not the point!" Arthur chided. "This is the third time this week that you've bought another outfit for her and she's barely grown an inch! And let's not to forget the dozens of ribbons and hair pins she amassed and the collection of shoes that outnumber mine, Alfred's, and Matthew's combined! Sometimes I think you forget that Angelique is a baby and not a doll for you to constantly play dress up with."
"But Arthur, look at how adorable she is," Francis crooned, caressing Angelique's round cheek with the tips of his fingers. "This lovely little face just begs for only the best and how can I not give it to her?"
"Oh, control yourself!" Arthur snapped wearily. "I know it pains you to do so, but you're just going to have to resist the urge to buy her every pretty little thing you see in the store or constantly fuss with her hair or..." Arthur's words faded away as his eyes landed on the chubby little legs Angelique had been swinging in the air as they spoke. He frowned as he grabbed one of her tiny feet in his hand and began to inspect it carefully. "Why are her toenails pink?"
Francis smiled as he gently pried the toddler out of Arthur's grasp and held her in his own arms. "I may have painted them while you were away," Francis said flippantly.
"Francis."
"I was bored and look how cute they look?"
"Francis!"
Despite the heated argument that he was quickly wrapped up in, Francis soon found himself smiling from ear to ear. It was so good to really argue with Arthur again and the fact that it was about something other than their tight budget only added to his silent delight. Surely this was a sign that things were starting to turn around.
Chapter 4
Author:
starrdust411Character(s) or Pairing(s): FACES featuring FrUK. In this chapter: Lithuania, Russia
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: AU, Slash, Action/Adventure, Implied Past Mpreg, Character Death
Summary: After a series of lawsuits forces him and the rest of the Supers into retirement, Arthur Kirkland finds himself trapped living a mundane suburban life. When adventure calls he's quick to respond, but how will it affect the rest of his family?
Prologue|Chapter 1|Chapter 2
Chapter 3 The Ominidroid
His suit didn't fit.
Of all the embarrassing things he had found himself subjected to sitting in what had to be the most advanced plane he had ever laid eyes on and soaring hundreds of miles in the air towards a small island in the Pacific while wearing his flashy, ill fitting old suit was easily the most humiliating moment of his life. He shifted in his seat, listening with grated nerves to the distinct sound of fabric stretching and threatening to tear. His scowl deepened as he glared down at his stomach -- blue and red cloth stretched nearly thin enough to expose a few inches of skin, a slight roll of flesh flopping over the bright yellow utility belt that had barely managed to clip shut. Clearly he had gained more weight than he had imagined during his years of retirement.
Arthur stifled a groan.
No. Not Arthur, not today. Running his gloved fingers over the shiny black material covering his more than half of his face, he reminded himself that he was Captain Invincible once more.
Invincible, he thought to himself. I. Am. Invincible.
The clean, white door to his cabin slid open and Toris Laurinaitis walked in. Laurinaitis was young man, of average height and modest build. Invincible was tempted to call the man "handsome," but the mere thought of the word was enough to make his stomach tighten and the golden band on his finger (hidden underneath his blue glove) feel hot and heavy.
Laurinaitis offered him a nervous smile as he hesitantly entered the cabin and approached Invincible. He couldn't fault Laurinaitis for feeling a bit intimidated by his presence. After all, Laurinaitis was fairly young and had likely only been a child when the Supers had been forced into retirement, meaning that he was old enough to remember, but young enough not to be jaded by the sight of people like him.
"Are you enjoying your flight, Captain Invincible?" Laurinaitis asked him conversationally-.
Arthur tried to smile at him, but the gesture was a bit difficult as he had become quite accustomed to scowling lately, so what he offered the man was little more than a smirk at best. "I am," he assured him as he motioned approvingly at his surroundings. Everywhere he looked was clean and smooth and white. It all had a very minimalist feel, yet the sleek design gave off a sense that the private jet and everything in it was top of the line. "It's a lovely aircraft you have here. Did your company make it?"
"Well, yes," Laurinaitis said. "It's one of our newer models. Not on the market yet." There was something unreadable that flashed across Laurinaitis's features -- a look of weariness, of remorse, perhaps even confusion, he couldn't tell -- as the man shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. "I think it's time that I brief you on your assignment," he said, changing the subject and relaxing somewhat in doing so. "Would you like something to drink first?"
A beer would be lovely, he thought, but dismissed the notion instantly. Invincible never drank on the job in the old days and it wouldn't be wise to do so now when he was older and out of practice. What's more, he didn't need this young man to think that he was some sort of washed up old drunk and report it back to his employers. "I'd rather get down to business," he said seriously. "Better to be prepared than go in half cocked and get myself killed."
Laurinaitis nodded as he touched something along the side of the cabin -- an unmarked panel that Invincible hadn't looked twice at -- that resulted in a small bit of the floor to slide open as a smooth circular machine emerged to greet them as the lights in the cabin began to dim. Once the machine reached its maximum height – which was only a foot or two off the ground -- the red light on its base began to flash, followed by a clear blue image that filled the space between the round device and the ceiling.
"This is the Omnidroid 9000," Laurinaitis began, motioning to projected image. Invincible frowned, squinting his eyes and leaning forward to get a good look at his soon to be opponent. From what he could tell, this 'Omnidroid' was little more than a giant round mass of metal. Its body looked quite sturdy and was balanced by four tentacle like legs slithering out underneath. Each leg seemed to be equipped with claws that were reminiscent of talons and Invincible felt certain that would be a problem. He took in the large scope mounted on the top of the robot's smooth body, wondering if that could be a potential weakness. "The Omnidroid is a top secret prototype battle robot. Its artificial intelligence enables it to solve any problem it's confronted with and... unfortunately..."
"Let me guess," Invincible cut in, because he had experienced situations like this before. Nearly every Super had. "It got smart enough to wonder why it had to take orders."
"We lost control," Laurinaitis confirmed sheepishly. "Now it's loose in the jungle wrecking havoc on the facility. We've had to evacuate all personnel for their own safety."
No bystanders? That was convenient. At least he wouldn't have to worry about accidentally injuring someone while dismantling this thing. "How am I going in?" he asked.
Laurinaitis pressed another point along the panel and suddenly the projection changed, shifting into what appeared to be a three dimensional illustration of their jet passing over a small island. "The Omnidroid's defenses require an air drop from five thousand feet." Invincible watched as a small, round object dropped from the aircraft and towards the island. Just as soon as the object landed, the imagery changed and the projection of the small island expanded. "It's cloaking devices make it difficult to track, but we're pretty sure it's on the southern half of the island." The southern tip was highlighted then, flashing in front of his eyes pointedly. "One more thing," Laurinaitis added quickly, looking even more sheepish than he had before. "Obviously this prototype represents a significant investment to the company, so..."
"You want me to shut it down without completely destroying it," he finished knowingly.
The young man chuckled nervously, another hesitant smile pulling at his lips and Invincible had to wonder how a man so easily intimidated had gained such a position at a weapons manufacturing company. "You are Captain Invincible," he said, sounding very reassured as he pressed another button, ending the projection's little show and bringing the small space into its full light once again. "Come with me," he instructed, motioning for Invincible to follow him to the tail end of the jet.
Invincible did so, getting up from the suede seats and marching into a darkened room with high tech equipment and several men in strange gray and black grab with masks and visors obscuring their faces and a sharp red R decorating the center of their chests milling around. The sight of the men made a thrill run through him. It was such a strangely familiar image, yet one he had not experienced in years. All the same, there was something off about these men. The way they stared blankly at him, taking him in and sizing him up, before going about their business as if he weren't even there seemed a bit off putting. What's more, Laurinaitis seemed to shrink away from them, as if he were not in charge of them or even a part of the same group. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew exactly why this scenario bothered him, but at the moment he was too busy focusing on the strange pod that Laurinaitis was currently motioning for him to get into. Wonderful. He was going to crash into the ground five thousand feet below in a giant eight ball.
"One more thing," Laurinaitis began, interrupting Invincible as he strapped himself to the seat of his ejection pod. "The Omnidroid is a learning computer. Every second you spend fighting it, it comes up with more ways to defeat you."
"Shut it down, don't destroy it, do it quickly," Invincible droned as he fumbled with the straps meant to secure him to his seat.
"And don't die," Laurinaitis added, nothing short of sincerity in his tone and demeanor.
Invincible nodded, because he wasn't exactly planning on kicking the bucket when he still had a husband and three children to take care of.
--
Captain Invincible had never been so hot in his entire life. As Arthur Kirkland he had spent the first few years of his life in England, before moving to the states in his teens. As Captain Invincible he had traveled around quite often, but only now did he realize that never before had he ventured into a tropical climate. That would explain why the humid conditions of the Pacific island were having such an effect on him.
Or maybe it was the twenty or thirty pounds he had gained over the years that was causing his chest to burn, his legs to ache, and his teeth to sweat. Dear God he hated himself (and Francis) for letting his body get this out of shape. He remembered being able to sprint for hours on end without feeling winded. Today, he had stepped out of his ejection pod, jogged around the southern end of the island in search of Omnidroid and almost instantly started to pant. Two hours of running in what seemed like a giant circle later and he felt dead. He swore silently that as soon as he returned home he would lose his beer belly even if it killed him.
Invincible groaned as he wiped the sweat from his masked brow as his red boots stumbled over a mass of thick roots. The dense jungle with its leafy trees, low branches, and thick bushes occupying nearly every inch of ground was more than a bit disorientating. Everywhere he turned looked positively identical from the last and suddenly Invincible felt certain that he was lost. What he wouldn't give to have a watch or a compass on hand...
Actually, now that he thought about it, Invincible did recall having a compass on his utility belt.
As he reached down to grab the bright yellow belt wrapped snuggly around his waist, Invincible felt himself stumble, this time not over a root, but a dip in the ground. Glancing beneath him, Invincible's eyes landed on what seemed to be a large, neat X shape imprinted into the soft earth below his feet. He frowned, taking a step back in order to get a good look at the markings only to brush up against a tree. When he turned to glare at the offending hunk of wood, he notices sharp, blade like marking that ran deep into the bark.
Mere seconds after he began to process the sight, the ground beneath him shook and two tall stalks of trees were ripped apart by twin black, mechanical arms. There stood the Omnidroid, towering high above him like a mechanical bolder ready to crush every bone in his body into jelly.
Invincible was almost too stunned by the shear magnitude of the thick Omnidroid's metal structure to avoid the metal limbs as they came crashing into the ground in an attempt to run him through. He dodged just in time, but not quickly enough to avoid the next attack which earned him a clean tear in his suit and a deep cut into his shoulder. The injury was a clear reminder that he needed to stay alert, because this wasn't just an exercise, it was very real.
The next time the Omnidroid's limbs came swinging at him, Invincible was able to not only dodge them, but jump clear over the robot and onto the other side of it. Before the scope mounted onto its top half could swing towards him, Invincible swung his fist, punching the thick metal with all of his might. The Omnidroid wobbled, its tentacle like legs thrown off balance for a moment, but it recovered far too quickly for Invincible's liking.
It began to charge at him then, moving with more speed than something so massive had any right to possess. Invincible attempted to jump over it again in hopes of avoiding being crushed under its weight, but just as Laurinaitis had warned, the machine seemed to have learned what to expect and swatted at him while he was still midair. The metal limb slammed into his side, sending him whizzing towards the ground where he landed with a thud. He quickly pushed aside the daze that wanted dearly to settle onto his mind as he lifted himself off of the ground. When he was on his feet again, he looked up to see that the Omnidroid had retracted its limbs and scope and was currently hurdling itself towards him like a giant bowling ball.
Invincible scrambled to his feet, running quite literally for dear life, all thoughts of fatigue and injury fleeing from his mind as he jumped over roots and dodge low branches, all the while listening to the crashing, crushing, thumps of the Omnidroid flattening everything in its path. For a moment, Invincible felt certain that the Omnidroid would catch up with him and turn him into a human pancake, but his salvation came in, of all things, the form of a cliff.
He dove off, jumping off of the ledge and out of the Omnidroid's path. The ledge wasn't a clean downward peak. It sloped roughly to the ground and Invincible found that he had no choice but to follow the path. He wasn't at all surprised when he heard the distinct sounds of rock being crushed and jumbled about that alerted him to the Omnidroid's presence. It was a machine and therefore it was naturally persistent, but that meant that Invincible would have to think quickly in order to beat it.
As soon as he reached somewhat level ground, he made to grab at the largest hunk of rock he could find. The Omnidroid landed seconds later, extending its arms and scope, and instantly made to charge at him. Invincible threw the bolder at the machine's scope, only to be disheartened when he found that it had no effect. If anything, it only served to teach the Omnidroid a new trick: throwing rocks. It sat perched in one spot and began hurling boulders at him with mechanical tenacity, throwing each and every rock that its metal claws could clasp as Invincible did his best to duck and weave away from the stones and its debris. Eventually the robot cornered him, and tried to pin him down, literally, with one of its sharp claws. Invincible managed to avoid being run through once more, but soon found himself being swatted by yet another mechanical limb and tumbling over the ledge and into a pit underneath the rocky cavern.
Invincible blinked away the dizzy feeling in his head and looked up to discover that he was now underground and surrounded by what looked like magma. Apparently the mountain on the island was volcanic. Wonderful. If he had been sweltering before, he was boiling now. Not that heat was the worst of his troubles. Before Invincible could even make it back to his feet, he found the ground shaking again. Looking behind him, he found that the Omnidroid had found his accidental hiding spot and was just as eager to fight as it had been a few seconds ago. He now found himself trapped on a small patch of rocky ground with a killer robot in front of him and boiling hot magma behind him.
He charged towards the Omnidroid, hoping that he would be able to dodge any blow it aimed at him and slip between its limbs, but no such luck. It lifted a limb towards him, large claws pushing him back towards the magma. Invincible pushed back, in an attempt to overpower the machine, but he found that his strength was only enough to slow it slightly. He groaned, the muscles in his arms and legs screaming from the effort to keep himself from being melted, but it wasn't enough as he inched closer and closer to the thick red goo that would burn even his near invulnerable skin on contact.
Summoning up all of the strength within him, Invincible tightened his grip on the metal claws and swung the Omnidroid towards the magma behind him. He was nearly shocked when he saw the giant black ball of metal soar into the air before seeping into the waiting magma.
Invincible allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Even after all these years of retirement, it seemed that he was still able to hold his own in a fight. A sense of pride swelled up inside of him at that thought as he smirked down into the bubbling lava below him.
The euphoric feelings instantly evaporated as the ground began to rumble behind him. Spinning around he watched in horror as the Omnidroid came crashing in from below ground, its black surface now burning red as it pinned its mechanical eye on Invincible's stunned body.
Well fuck me.
The thought barely settled into his mind as the Omnidroid lifted its bright, burning red claws towards him, spinning them like a buzz saw ready to slice into an unsuspecting piece of wood. Invincible dove out of the way, only to have his legs seized by one of the burning hot claws which proceeded to drag him into the air. Another claw grabbed his arms and the two mechanical limbs began pulling him in opposite directions. Feeling every muscle and joint in his body being slowly pulled apart, another thought entered his mind:
I'm not going to die like this!
Body thrumming with the renewed surge of energy, Invincible used what strength still remained in his arms to grab at the Omnidroid's claw and pull. To his surprise, the metal gave away almost instantly, sparks flying as wires snapped apart and metal tore like paper. There was an almost comical moment where the Omnidroid merely looked at its now damaged limb as if shocked, but Invincible was too busy running on pure adrenaline to find any amusement in his current situation. While the machine was temporarily distracted, he hid underneath it where its scope could not find him. To his surprise, a lower camera emerged just above his head and he wasted no time in grabbing it and tearing it off. The resulting hole was just large enough for him to crawl into, and nestled safely inside the machine he waited for the computer to literally tear into itself in an attempt to retrieve him. In a matter of moments the Omnidroid had drilled enough holes into its own body to resemble Swish cheese and the machine was finally offline.
--
Toris felt his eyes widen as he watched the image of Captain Invincible saunter away from the now fully defunct Omnidroid 9000. What he had witnessed was nothing short of incredible. In all his years he had never seen someone go through the trial so quickly, or so creatively. Hiding inside the robot? Quite innovative. He couldn't resist the urge to tap the screen and zoom in on the robot's prone form, taking in the gaping holes and sparks of electricity. There was no doubt that it was finished.
He had to wonder, however, what happened now. When he had found Invincible, he knew instantly that this was the Super his employer wanted, that this particular man was the one he had been searching for. So what would they do now that he had him in their clutches?
A large hand clamped down on his shoulder and he couldn't help but shudder at the contact. "Very good," his boss said, his voice far too chipper for a man who had just witnessed his prized weapon being torn to shreds. "We must bring him in again. Sound the all clear."
Toris nodded, understanding perfectly that nothing had changed. This event with Invincible only meant that his boss would get to have a little bit of fun before going through with the rest of his plans.
The strong fingers that had gripped his shoulder slowly slipped away, their heavy presence lingering even after they were gone and once again Toris felt a familiar knot of guilt twist into the pit of his stomach.
--
Invincible frowned as he brushed off more dirt and gravel from his thoroughly beaten up suit and silently chastised himself for not bringing something else to wear. It just didn't seem right to meet with an employer at the end of the job covered in blood and still caked in dirt and sweat.
He shook his head at the thought as a rueful smile spread across his tired features. He was starting to think like Francis.
His red boots echoed against the clean tiled floor, no doubt leaving a trail of dirt and grime in his path, as he headed towards the private office where he had been told to meet with Toris and the head of this operation to secure his payment. Invincible was quite eager to meet the man behind this ordeal, but more so, he was eager to go home.
It had only been a little over two days since he had packed his bags and left for this mission (the ache of the lie he had told his family to get here still sitting heavily on his shoulders), but it felt more like two years. It had never been like this in the old days. Sure he would get tired and weary during an assignment, would occasional gripe and whine that he had better things to do, but those better things usually revolved around writing papers and attending lectures not helping two rambunctious tweens with their school work, giving a fussy baby a bath, or loosing himself in the embrace of a good man. Things had been so much simpler in the old days, but he had a feeling that coming home tomorrow would feel far sweeter than it ever had then.
Invincible came to a gradual halt as he reached his destination and began to ease himself inside. Only he stopped when he saw that the room was empty. Invincible frowned, checking his wrist on pure habit to see the time, only to find that he was not wearing a watch. Looking up he watched as one of the far walls slipped open and Laurinaitis stepped out. His frown deepened as he took a step back and gently easing the door in front of him closed, hoping that Laurinaitis didn't see him.
He didn't. It appeared that the young man was too distracted by the person waiting in the shadows of the room he had exited from. Invincible watched from the crack in the door as Laurinaitis twisted around to listen to a large shadowy figure whispering something to him. Laurinaitis gave a reluctant nod as the figure stepped back and the wall slipped shut once more. Invincible was quick to shut the door in front of him, and back track down the hall. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't be meeting with the head of the company this evening.
Invincible waited in the hall, counted to ten, and then proceeded to walk back towards the meeting room. He re-entered, not at all surprised when Laurinaitis looked up at him with his usual pleasant, yet nervous smile, a clear sign that he had not noticed him before.
"Ah, Captain Invincible," Laurinaitis greeted. "You're looking well... considering. Did you have trouble finding your way around the facility?"
Invincible shook his head. He hadn't had any trouble as much of the staff was quite friendly and helpful when he had asked them for assistance. Yet they all seemed to give him that same sense of unease that he had received from the men on the jet and the fact that the workers of the facility were all dressed in a similar fashion did not add any comfort whatsoever. "None actually. I think it would be rather difficult to get lost around here."
Laurinaitis chuckled politely at the joke as he pulled out a silver pen and a stack of papers and laid them out on top of a desk in front of him. "Well, it seems that we've reached the boring part of our arrangement," he joked. "I hope you don't mind a bit of paper work."
"Not at all," he lied. Invincible walked over to the desk -- glancing quickly at the far corner of the room where the walls had split open and making a note of its location -- and glanced down at the stack of papers wearily. "So I take it my host won't be meeting with me this evening?"
"I'm afraid not," Laurinaitis said apologetically as he offered Invincible his pen. "He hopes you'll understand."
Invincible nodded, taking the pen in hand and fumbling with it. "I do usually make it a point to know who I'm working for," he said pointedly.
His comment was enough to make Laurinaitis shift from one foot to the other, but that was no feat. Laurinaitis always seemed to be nervous. "He prefers a level of anonymity," he explains. "Surely someone like you would understand that."
He hummed in defeat, realizing that he wouldn't be getting much more out of Laurinaitis. He may have been a jittery fellow, but he was remarkably tight lipped. He thumbed through the paper work then and found among the lengthy legal gibberish his payment. The pen fell, crashing to the ground from between numb fingers as his eyes ran over the number printed out before him. In his day, being paid for Super work was viewed as unseemly. The act of saving citizens from evil was supposed to be an honor and a duty inherent in all of their kind. Of course, Invincible (or rather, Arthur) was in a tight spot and in need of money, but he hadn't expected to receive this much. When Laurinaitis had said the amount would be five times his annual salary he had been mistaken. Invincible couldn't imagine making this much in ten years of working at Insuricare.
"Is something the matter, Captain Invincible?" Laurinaitis asked, concern lacing his words. "Anything out of order?"
"No," Invincible said quickly, scrambling for the pen and quickly signing the papers before anything could be altered. "No, everything is... perfect."
--
Arthur had walked through this door hundreds of times in the years that his family had lived in the small suburban house, but today it felt as if he were entering the foyer for the very first time. It was funny, in the days that he had been gone, nothing had changed: it was the same furniture, the same pictures hanging on the walls, and the same damn bird chirping up a storm at his arrival, yet somehow it all felt brand new. Suddenly the pile of mud stained sneakers next to the door looked charming, the various pictures adorning the wall warmed his heart, and Pierre's frantic chirps felt like a classical ballad in his ears. It was wonderful to be home.
"Dad's home!" He turned towards the end of the hall where he had heard Alfred's excited squeal. Before he could even set down his suitcase Alfred was by his side (papers fluttering around in the wake of his swift movement) an eager smile planted on his face. "Did you bring me anything from your trip?"
"Hi Dad," Matthew greeted as he calmly entered the entryway behind his brother. "How was your trip?"
"Where are the presents?" Alfred asked. He was already frantically digging through Arthur's luggage and pulling out stray articles of clothing in his quest for a souvenir.
Under normal circumstances Arthur would have been more than a bit annoyed at the giant mess that Alfred was making (one that the boy wouldn't lift a finger to clean), but today was not a normal day and Arthur was just glad to see his son's typical rambunctious antics (and relieved that he had left the duffle bag with his Super suit in the trunk of his car).
"I have your present right here lad," Arthur laughed as he wrapped his arms around both Alfred and Matthew and lifted them into the air. The boys squirmed and fussed in his embrace as Arthur spun them around before kissing their cheeks red. He could tell that the twins were startled by the gesture, because he had not shown them this much affection in years, but he didn't care. Arthur only wanted to show his sons how much he loved them. "It's good to see you boys again," he breathed, offering each cheek another kiss before finally allowing the boys to set foot on the ground.
"Geez Dad, you were only gone one weekend," Alfred said, rubbing his cheek fiercely as if to erase all traces of his father's kisses. Not that Arthur cared. He saw straight through the gesture and to the smile pulling at the boy's lips.
"A very long weekend, Alfred," he explained, unable to resist the urge to pat the boy's hair as he spoke. "Where's your sister?"
"In her room," Matthew answered. "Papa put her down for a nap."
He felt something inside of him stir at the mere mention of Francis and Arthur had to fight to keep the lustful smirk off of his lips. "And where's Papa?"
"Outback using the lawn mower," Alfred told him.
"Alfred, I thought I told you it was your job to mow the lawn?"
"Papa's not mowing the lawn. He's just trying to fix the lawn mower, because Alfred ran over a sprinkler and broke it."
Alfred glared at his brother, pinning him with a bitter look filled with contempt at the betrayal. "Tattle tail," he practically hissed.
The urge to scold the boy was strong, but his other urges were stronger, so Arthur decided to put his lecture on the back burner for now. "Don't worry, Alfred. I'm not angry," he assured him as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "But it is such a lovely day out, what's say I treat you two to a movie." He watched with a great deal of amusement as twin blue eyes widen at the suggestion. "Here you are boys: this should be enough for your tickets and some popcorn." Arthur handed each boy a twenty before ushering the confused pair out the door. "Hurry now. You might still be able to make the matinee. Don't see anything inappropriate."
Matthew looked as if he wanted to question this odd behavior, but Alfred didn't give him the chance. With a quick "Thanks Dad!" Alfred grabbed his brother's wrist and dragged him down the block and towards the movie theater. Arthur smiled at their retreating forms certain that between Matthew's force fields and Alfred's super speed they'd be perfectly fine on their own for a little while. Once the two were out of sight, Arthur shut the front door and headed towards the back of the house.
He spotted Francis from the kitchen window. He was kneeling over the fallen mower, back turned towards the house, hair pulled away from his face in a tight pony tail, and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was completely focused on the task in front of him and Arthur was hoping to sneak up behind him, but years of constantly looking over your shoulder expecting someone to pull a weapon on you made it impossible to be surprised. Thus Francis instantly turned and looked towards Arthur despite how softly the man had opened the screen door when he stepped into the backyard.
"You're home early," Francis said by way of greeting. "I thought your wouldn't be back until evening."
"Planning to fix yourself up for me?" Arthur teased as he settled himself down on the grass beside Francis.
Francis responded with a tired smile and Arthur saw the sweat dripping from his brow and down his neck, the dirt and oil caking his fingers and forearms as he snaked his arm up into the lawn mower, and the grass stains decorating his khaki pants. If Arthur weren't still a prude at heart, he would have taken the man right then and there.
"I always look good," Francis assured him, giving the loose bits of blond hair framing his face a good toss for emphasis.
"Even when you're sweaty and frustrated?"
Francis frowned, pulling his arm out of the mower and bringing a few bits of twisted plastic and metal with him. He turned his finger tips into shoe lace thin snakes as he continued to flush out the rest of the debris clogging the blades. "I swear that boy does not look where he is going when he uses this thing," Francis grumbled. "Just runs over everything in his path without ever giving a thought to the repercussions of his actions."
"Just like his father."
"But I am going to fix this," Francis declared. "I am going to fix this lawn mower even if I have to lose a finger in the process."
"You might just loose an arm at this rate," Arthur told him, wrapping his hand firmly around Francis's wrist and pulling it away. "Just let it be darling. I'll see to it later."
"I can fix it myself. I do not need you to do everything for... 'Darling'?"
Arthur responded to the puzzled look in his husband's eyes by gently grasping his face in his hands and planting a firm kiss to his lips. Francis stiffened in surprise when Arthur slipped his tongue out and began to caress the inside of his mouth with enough passion and drive to rival even Francis's elastic tongue. It had been so long since they'd kissed like this and Arthur didn't want to stop and wouldn't have if it weren't for the sudden burning need to breath.
He felt Francis shudder as he pulled away from him, a pleasant moan escaping him as he licked his lips, still very much in a daze. "What's gotten into you?"
"I had a very long weekend," Arthur explained, wrapping one arm around Francis's shoulders and using the other to hook under his knees. "And I just remembered that I left without receiving a proper send off."
Francis stiffened as Arthur lifted him off of the ground and towards the house. Arthur could tell that a thousand different thoughts were shifting through his head, each one likely more startled than the other. "Well... where are the boys?"
"Out," he told him. "We have the whole house to ourselves."
--
Francis let out a long sigh as he basked contentedly in the afterglow of their love making. It had been too long since they had lain together like this; naked bodies dripping with sweat and wonderfully sore limbs tangled underneath the sheets of their bed. Far too long since Francis had felt that familiar pleasant numbness in his hips that only came after a round of love making that allowed Francis to stretch and bend every inch of his body to such degrees that would make the pages of the Karma Sutra wither in awe. Francis didn't know whether he had the weekend away or a hidden desire that had been building inside of Arthur to thank for this, but he was more than appreciative.
A heavy hand came to rest on top of his back and Francis found the little hairs on the back of his neck standing on end in anticipation. He practically purred as he pressed himself even closer to the body lying beneath him, listening happily to the heavy breaths and steady heart beat.
"Ah, you can be so wonderfully surprising at times, mon amour," Francis breathed, rubbing small circles into Arthur's pale chest. "I shall have to return the favor."
His words were only met with a thoughtful silence and Francis had a feeling that he would not like wherever Arthur's current train of thought was taking him. He settled himself in and waited and was soon rewarded when Arthur, after a heavy sigh and a thoughtful cough, asked "Francis... do you ever regret marrying me?"
Francis frowned at the question, because he could not see how they had gone from a pleasant afternoon of passionate 'we have not slept together in ages and I need to be reminded of all the wonders your body has in store for me' sex to questioning the stability of their marriage.
"Of course I do not regret marrying you," Francis assured him quickly, because he knew that every second of silence was a second Arthur would assume was a sign of reluctant hesitation and doubt. "I love you."
His answer didn't seem to satisfy Arthur and Francis wasn't at all surprised. He craned his head to look up at him and found himself greeted by a look of uncertainty as Arthur turned his green eyes away from Francis's face and fixed his gaze on the far wall. "You could have done so much better than me," Arthur muttered and even without looking into his eyes Francis could see a thousand troubling thoughts swirling around in his mind. Arthur had always been so terribly insecure -- about himself, about their relationship, about his role as a husband and father -- and as much as Francis loved him, he found it quite tiring to have to constantly reassure the man that he was doing a wonderful job, no matter what the nagging little voice in the back of his mind told him. "You had your pick of any Super... but you settled for me."
"I did not settle for you, I chose you," he stressed, emphasizing each word with a gentle pat. "Remember? You proposed and I said yes. And then there was that terribly long engagement..."
The words had left his lips before Francis could even register what he had said and he wished more than anything that he could take them and all the painful memories that came with it back. That "terribly long engagement" had been punctuated by dozens of law suits, Francis's parents disowning him, and the twins being conceived before finally concluding with a paper shoved under their noses telling them both that they had to either marry right away or risk separation.
Francis had struggled to keep all of his emotions in check, because he knew that whatever pain he was feeling would be nothing compared to the torment Arthur had been putting himself through. To this day Arthur was still convinced that he had been the sole cause of the collective push for Super retirement and Francis would give anything to take the burden of that guilt away from him.
"I... I don't think I've been a very good husband," Arthur said slowly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled on the room.
"Arthur," Francis began, but soon found himself interrupted.
"I mean it, Francis," Arthur went on firmly. "I could have been a lot better to you and the children. I suppose it's because I kept letting my job get in the way, but I promise that I won't let that happen anymore. Starting now I'm going to be better."
Francis looked up at him and Arthur looked back, a confident reassuring smile pulling at his lips and Francis hoped that he could believe him.
"I am glad to hear that, mon cher," he beamed. Francis adjusted himself, pushing away from Arthur and shifting his position until he was sitting on top of him with his legs straddling Arthur's narrow hips and his hands placed firmly on his soft chest. "I do think that we have rested for long enough, yes? How about we continue where we left off?"
He didn't give Arthur time to answer and instead went right to stretching his arms to wrap themselves around Arthur's wrists. Francis smiled down at his husband as he pulled Arthur's arms above his head and then proceeded loop his noodle like arms around the headboard, effectively securing Arthur's hands far above him.
"Ah, once again it seems that Monsieur Élastique has Captain Invincible right where he wants him," Francis teased, nudging the growing hardness between his legs against Arthur's side.
Arthur returned his smile, a knowing glimmer in his eyes, as he shifted his legs -- with some difficulty -- until they were wrapped firmly around Francis's waist. "That's right, Monsieur Grenouille, you have me, but what do you plan to do with me?"
Francis had been very much intent on showing Arthur exactly what he had in store for him, but just as he leaned in to set his plan into action a metallic crackle cut through the stillness of the room and was soon followed by the distinct wail of a cranky infant.
"Merde, it is the baby," Francis huffed, unwinding his arms and releasing Arthur from his grasp. "Un moment, mon amour," Francis all but purred as he leaned forward to place a quick kiss to Arthur's lips.
Yet when he made to pull away he soon found his shoulders caught in a tight, vice like grip. He barely heard the throaty moan that rumbled against his lips as Arthur took advantage of his momentary shock and literally flipped the two of them over, leaving Francis pinned against the bed and Arthur looming over him.
"Stay here," Arthur told him. "I'll see to the baby." Arthur gave the tip of his a quick peck before rolling off of Francis and slipping into a pair of pants that had been left on the floor.
"Are... are you sure?" Francis asked, because Arthur never saw to Angelique when she was in a fussy state. Usually whenever the baby cried Arthur would ignore it, feigning obliviousness until Francis had no other choice but to stop whatever he had been doing to take care of her.
"Of course I'm sure," Arthur scoffed as he pulled a gray t-shirt over his head. "She's my baby too, isn't she? Wait here. I'll be back in a second and we can pick things up then."
Francis didn't respond to that. He merely watched in quiet awe as Arthur walked out of their bedroom and disappeared down the hall. The sniffling wails emitting from the baby monitor soon came to an end and Francis sat back and listened to Arthur coo over their little girl.
"Alright now, Angel, no need to fuss," Arthur crooned gently. "Daddy's here."
"Dada! Dada!"
A tired smile spread across Francis's face as the gentle words and loving whispers filtered in from the monitor's speaker and soothed him like a tender lullaby. His eyes began drifting shut as he curled himself into a tight ball in the middle of the bed and for a moment Francis felt certain that he would drift off before Arthur could return.
"Francis? Francis!" Arthur's voice cut through the air and pierced the sleepy cocoon that had wrapped itself around Francis's mind and he soon found himself wide awake. "Francis, get in here this instant."
He could tell from Arthur's chiding tone that there was no emergency, but Francis couldn't imagine what could have caused the man's sudden shift in mood. With a reluctant sigh, he slipped out of bed and grabbed his dressing gown, slipping it on as he padded down the hall towards Angelique's nursery. When he entered he was instantly met with the perturbed scowl that was currently occupying Arthur's face.
"Francis," he began sternly as he adjusted his grip on Angelique, who was in turn busy rubbing the sleep from her wide brown eyes. "Is this another new dress?"
Francis relaxed, smiling innocently at the question and the powder blue gown that his little girl looked absolutely charming in. "It was on sale," he assured him, but the excuse was not good enough for Arthur.
"Dammit Francis, that's not the point!" Arthur chided. "This is the third time this week that you've bought another outfit for her and she's barely grown an inch! And let's not to forget the dozens of ribbons and hair pins she amassed and the collection of shoes that outnumber mine, Alfred's, and Matthew's combined! Sometimes I think you forget that Angelique is a baby and not a doll for you to constantly play dress up with."
"But Arthur, look at how adorable she is," Francis crooned, caressing Angelique's round cheek with the tips of his fingers. "This lovely little face just begs for only the best and how can I not give it to her?"
"Oh, control yourself!" Arthur snapped wearily. "I know it pains you to do so, but you're just going to have to resist the urge to buy her every pretty little thing you see in the store or constantly fuss with her hair or..." Arthur's words faded away as his eyes landed on the chubby little legs Angelique had been swinging in the air as they spoke. He frowned as he grabbed one of her tiny feet in his hand and began to inspect it carefully. "Why are her toenails pink?"
Francis smiled as he gently pried the toddler out of Arthur's grasp and held her in his own arms. "I may have painted them while you were away," Francis said flippantly.
"Francis."
"I was bored and look how cute they look?"
"Francis!"
Despite the heated argument that he was quickly wrapped up in, Francis soon found himself smiling from ear to ear. It was so good to really argue with Arthur again and the fact that it was about something other than their tight budget only added to his silent delight. Surely this was a sign that things were starting to turn around.
Chapter 4