Prologue – Meet The Triad (End)

"HAHAHAHAH!" Dom is shouting all the way from the other side of the room. "YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE ALL DEAD!"

I look at him laughing hysterically on the floor. Patsy folds his wings and puts his guard down.

"THEY'RE GONNA CUT YOUR FUCKING TONGUE AND PUT YOU ALL TO WORK UNTIL YOU BEG THEM TO KILL YOU!"

Nobody is talking. All you can hear is the sound of Dom laughing hysterically.

"THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T FUCK WITH THE DOOM PATROL, YOU FUCKING FUCK!"

The knocking on the door suddenly stops. Everybody is anxiously expecting something to happen.

"Should I switch?" JN asks me calmly.

"Didn't you hate when the other one is in control?" I ask him back.

"Yes, but if the situation demands, I won't be as stubborn as to refrain from switching." He explains.

"Don't worry, Mr. Righteous. Things are about to get even more exciting."

JN narrows his eyebrows in confusion. Meanwhile, I glance over to The Doom Patrol. Patsy is walking over to the door while keeping eye contact with me.

"Okay, okay. Stop!" I shout at him and stop him from opening the door. "Let's negotiate."

Dom freezes. He is silently waiting for the next word that comes out of my mouth. Patsy is eager to open the door, but Dom is telling him to wait.

"I will undo your curse. I will let you get your powers back. And in turn, you let us out of here."

That doesn't sound like a bad deal, right?

He closes his eyes. He's thinking whether it's true or a bluff.

"My diamonds."

"What?"

"Give me back my diamonds."

I thought he already forgot about that.

"Okay, okay. You have your powers and your diamonds back and for that, you let us out of here, safely. And with all of our limbs intact."

They fell silent. Patsy is seriously considering that this might be another one of my tricks. He's arguing with Dom to think about it once more, but Dom doesn't even care. He is focused on getting his power back.

They finally broke silence. Dom nods his head to me, and I slowly walk over to them. JN grabs my shoulder to stop me, but I assure him that it's for the best.

"I'm gonna walk over there because I need to touch you to undo my curse. Like I said, don't kill me or chop my hands."

I kneel down to put my hands on Dom's shoulder. Dom's face is lit like a boy getting his favorite toy. Patsy is still anxious, but he lets me do my thing.

I put my hands on his shoulder. While doing that I can't help but think that this situation—the danger, the threat, the wounds—all of it feels exaggerated.

Everything feels as if they're blown out of proportions.

Sure, there are some moments that threaten our lives, but, isn't that how it usually is? You can't escape death. You can even die while taking a dump. So, with all things considered, isn't this just an ordinary day?

"You know what? I think our situation right now is kinda like boobs, you know." I pause.

JN, Patsy, and Dom put a confused expressions on their face.

"..."

"Cause after I return your power back, we're gonna go back to being strangers. We won't even speak of this encounter. At the end of the day, there's nothing extraordinary about this."

They look even more confused than before.

"Same with boobs. There's nothing extraordinary about them. At the end of the day..."

"..."

"...boobs are just lumps of fat with buttons."

Nobody said anything. I don't know if that was because their minds were blown by this discovery, or if that was because they can't comprehend the severity of this topic.

Either way, Dom is done waiting. He grabs my hand aggresively and put it on his shoulder.

"Shut your fuckin mouth and do it properly."

"I said, 'BOOBS ARE JUST LUMPS OF FAT WITH BUTTONS!'"

Patsy was the one to realize that something is wrong. He grabs me by my neck and drags me as far away from Dom as possible.

But it was too bad. I didn't target Dom this time.

"POLICE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND GET TO THE GROUND!"

The police comes bursting into the room. There are about twelve people running in with their guns out.

"NOBODY MOVES!"

"PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK AND GET TO THE GROUND!"

"Domitra Dominic and Patrice Liguera! You're under arrest for illegal diamonds dealing, criminal conducts against civilians, and several other crimes. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court."

Everyone is shouting their usual police mumbo jumbo. They act as if they just save the day even though they took two attempts to even get my sign.

Dom is sitting there in silent. He's too stunned to even speak. He couldn't believe the things that are happening in front of him. How could he? Just a moment ago he has everything—power, status, dignity.

But right now, he has fallen. His power could no longer works. His status as a superhero has just gone, right in front of his eyes. His dignity? Well, if getting arrested and handcuffed by a bunch of Curseds can be classified as having dignity, then, yeah, he still has it.

Patsy is watching his soulmate as he's being slammed on the ground with his hands behind his back. He desperately tries one last resort. He puts me in a headlock and uses me as a hostage.

"DON'T MOVE! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HIM OR I KILL HIM!"

The police looks at each other before they stop moving and slowly back away from Dom.

"That's right. Now let him off the cuff!"

This idiot. Did he really think he can get out of here? Must I really teach him the rules to live in the harsh reality of the world?

"Patsy, let me teach you something."

I jump off the ground and headbutt him on his chin.

"First! You never voluntarily tell your enemies about your power!"

When he's off balance while holding his chin, I knee him in the stomach.

"Second! Never let your enemies find out about your power!"

He's hunching in pain. Usually my punch wouldn't do anything on him but...

"And lastly! Never let your enemies touch you!"

I punch him in his face and smash him to the ground. He lost his consciousness the moment his head hits the ground.

And he lost his wings too. All three pairs of them. They crumbled and fell off from his back the moment he put me in a headlock. He's just too stupid to realize it.

Dom stares at his partner with an empty stare as the police is taking both him and Patsy into custody.

********

"Good work!"

The head of the police squad approaches me. He walks over to me with confidence. His body is sturdy, he's not too tall nor too short. He doesn't have an absurd amount of muscles like JN, but you know for sure that you would get at least a broken arm and ribs if you were to engage with him.

He oozes confidence in each of his steps. I don't know how he maintains his appearance, considering he works in the police, but his face looks young for someone in his late thirties. Is it the short hair? But he has the same hair as JN, yet JN looks as old as the history of Iora itself.

"That was really some controversial sign you give us at the end: 'Boobs are just lumps of fat with buttons.'"

I bow down and took pride in that.

He smiles before turning to look at JN.

"JN! How's it going, buddy?!"

He's about to give JN a huge hug, but JN stops him and shake his hand instead.

"Sergeant Taylor."

"Ahh. It's the left one today, huh? Well, it's good to see you again, buddy."

They exchange some formal greetings and talk for a minute or two. I search around looking for Dee to see that she is getting treated in the emergency ambulance. She's not hurt, but she looks like she just wake up from the sedatives that The Doom Patrol used on her.

"So, it's done right?" I asked Sgt. Taylor.

"Yup! As promised, we will withdraw the suit against you guys." He smiles. "Next time, if you don't want to get caught stealing evidence from the police, try not to do it in the first place instead, okay?"

This man.

"Still, Kyten, you're actually pretty good. Wanna join the police? I promise you won't start from the bottom."

"Nah, not really. I'd love to replace you, though."

He laughs and slaps me in the shoulder.

"So, what's gonna happen to The Doom Patrol?" I ask him.

"Well, just the usual law stuff. They're probably gonna serve more time in prison because they're heroes. But other than that, nothing out of the ordinary." He answers as we're looking at The Doom Patrol being shoved into the police car. "What's extraordinary though—your power. Were you really able to wish something upon someone you touch?"

"Yes, of course."

"Could you wish for me to become rich?"

"Are you sure?" I look at him dead in the eyes.

He looks at me with a curious look in his eyes. But then he retreats.

"On second thought, you're right. I don't really want to be rich. Being rich is boring."

He smiles. It's just an ordinary smile, but there's something hidden in there. Something that I can't really grasp the meaning of.

"Well, then. I suppose this is the moment where I excuse myself." He takes off his hat and bows before us. "Thank you for your service, Triad. I'll make sure to contact you guys again, in case I need some help."

"You don't have to." JN cuts in before me.

Sgt. Taylor flashes one last mysterious smile before he leaves. But in the middle of walking away from us, he suddenly called my name.

"Oh, right. Kyten!" He shouts.

I look at him turning his back to me.

"You do know the diamonds are fake, right?!"

"What?!"

"The diamonds! It's forged!"

"Y—yeah! I already know about that!"

"Thank god! Cause you won't get anything even if you try to sell it!"

"Of course! It's fake, nobody wants to buy that!"

"Well, then! Catch you later, guys!"

He waves his hands to us before getting into one of the cars and drives away.

Adeera walks closer to us after Sgt. Taylor is gone. All three of us stand side-by-side while seeing the police squad disappeared in the distance.

"I can never talk to that guy. I feel like he always has the upper hands."

JN nods.

"Anyway, what are we going to do no—wait, Kyten! What happens with your face?!"

Both of them looks at my face in surprise. I'm not surprised though. I know exactly how my face looks right now.

"Your face looks as white as paper. Are you sure you're not injured anywhere?" JN looks at me worriedly.

"The diamonds."

"Yeah, it was fake, right?" Dee answers not knowing what I mean by that.

"I ate them."

"Wha—what?! Why?!" Dee squeaks out in surprise while JN covers his mouth with his hand.

"All hundred of them."

I drop down on my knees. All the strength that I have left has left my body.

I feel numb. I can't feel my body even though Dee is vigorously shaking it. I can't feel my cheeks even though JN is viciously slapping them.

Is this how it feels to lost everything you've worked for? Is this how it feels when everything just slips out of your grasp?

"All that work shoving them down my throat," sniff, sniff. "All the pain. It was all for nothing."

"Why do you even do that, you idiot!" Dee scolds me in my face.

"Because we need money! We are broke, Dee! We don't even know where to sleep tonight! All I want is some good sleep in a comfy bed, yet, I—I can't even have that!"

"..."

"And now I have a million diamonds that are ready to scratch my ass on the way out! I was ready for it because even though I have a bleeding ass, I'll be rich!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "Now? Now I have to fucking bleed to death while shitting in the middle of the street!"

"I can take it out, if you want." JN proposes a wonderful plan. "I can shove my hands up your ass and get all the diamonds out. And then I'll heal you back up."

"For fuck's sake, JN! That's gross!" Adeera shivers while thinking about it.

"What? That seems like a good alternative to me."

"Why?" They both snap their head to look at me at the same time. "Why do I always have to be the one that suffer? Why do I always have to be the one that takes the responsibility? Why, god? WHYYYY??!!!"

I grab my neck with both of my hands to save myself from the pain. JN and Adeera are holding my hands, trying to pull it away from my neck. But, no, I had enough.

Please, guys, let me go in peace.

Please, Iora, be kinder to your people.

Please, god, let me be with you if that means I don't have to bleed my ass to death.