Ch.21
We spent the first two weeks pouring over the files Grace sent to us about the supes they have on record. Using these records and watching the many interviews of the supes, we tried to piece a personality together of them. After another couple of weeks, we found our first target.
A small supe who is considered a 'C' lister, the lowest of the supe level of popularity. The next was a 'B' lister, then an 'A' lister, and finally one of 'The Seven' as they were the most popular supes in the world. Our target was a small-time supe in Buffalo New York.
"His name is really Bloodhound?" Frenchie says with a laugh while triple-checking the gear as we drive to Buffalo.
"I'm not sure how I feel about that," Marvin Milk, or aka MM for his code name, says with some annoyance.
"If it makes you feel better we are going to beat him up to get info," I say shrugging while driving with the window down so I can smoke. Only Frenchie and I smoke regularly, as MM doesn't and Butcher is more of a drinker.
"Surprised you ain't gonna try to keep things civil Boss Man," Butcher says to me with a smirk.
"If you want we can keep things civil, though I find most people, even supes, respond to violence," I say shrugging my shoulders and ignoring his goating.
"Fuck that, I'm good with giving him the what for. No such thing as a good supe," Butcher says with a vengeful look in his eyes.
The rest of the ride there everyone bonds over reasons to beat up supes. It makes me really think that these men are more insane than I initially thought. Then again I've met crazier bastards during the wars. We finally arrived in Buffalo and got rooms at a cheap motel. The following morning we all got back in the van to discuss the plan one more time.
"Remember, do not engage him for now. We are here to simply follow him and find out his normal daily schedule. So for the first week, it is nothing but observation. Once we have a grasp on his daily life we can find the perfect time to strike," I say to them while staring down Butcher who just rolls his eyes at my look.
"I got it. No fighting, just lookin," Butcher says opening the van and we split up in pairs.
Butcher and MM were together, while Frenchie was with me, and we then split up. Frenchie and I had the night shift, while Butcher and MM took the day shift of watching him. Each was twelve hours so we could keep a 24/7 hour eye on him.
"MM, make sure Butcher doesn't fuck this up," I say as MM sighs but nods his head.
Frenchie and I then head back to the hotel, where we get to know one another better. Frenchie was surprisingly open about his past issues and what brought him to the team. Then again he might suspect I know most of it, considering my connections.
"You know, one day when I was ten, my father was hit by his bipolar tendencies. And my father tried to smother me with a Hello Kitty duvet. Then I ran back home to my mother. While we were living in Marseille, my father kidnapped me in the middle of the night from my mother and kept me with him for years, living from one hotel to another. Every few nights, he would take me 'out for a walk' to smoke a cigarette and tell me he 'loved me'. However, he would also burn me with the very same cigarettes. I tried to run away, jumping buses and trains or anything to return to my mother, but I was found by my father every time," Frenchie says with a sad laugh.
"For me, it was my mother, as I was the illegitimate son of my mother's affair with the groundskeeper. She ignored me as long as I could remember pretending I didn't exist. Then one day when I was ten, word got out this was the case, so my 'father' confronted her about it. They got into a physical argument, where my real father intervened. He shot my fake father who I thought was my real father. So in anger and panic, I grabbed the gun from him and shot him in return… That's when they told me the truth after I killed my real father, then I ran from home never looking back," I say thinking back on the memories of my current life.
"Fucking parents," Frenchie says shaking his head and looking at me in a new light seeing we both suffered at the hands of our parents.
"To our shitty upbringings," I say as we toast with the scotch I bought earlier.
We then spent the next couple of hours drinking and talking, and then Frenchie got slightly drunk before turning in for our shift later. I too decided to take a quick nap before we had to head out. Then my phone got a text waking me up, it was from MM telling us their current location so we could take over for them.
"Frenchie let's go, we got a job to do," I say waking up Frenchie who yawns nodding his head then using the bathroom real quick before we leave.
We then quickly made our way to MM and Butcher who were sitting outside of a cafe drinking some coffee. We didn't make eye contact but didn't need to as the two got up and walked away. From there Frenchie and I saw Bloodhound who was in the cafe doing a signing.
Frenchie and I then ordered some coffee, took seats outside, and sat on our phones to pass the time. After an hour we stood up and left for the bookstore down the street, there we passed the time while regularly watching the cafe. Finally, after another hour Bloodhound left and started walking down the street.
Frenchie motioned his head to me to follow, there we stepped outside and followed behind Bloodhound by a few dozen feet. The man appeared to be doing his patrol of the area as he stopped a few people who were breaking the law, like J-walking. Just lecturing them about following the law like good citizens.
"You think he is serious about the law or just keeping his image up?" Frenchie asks me as we see him stop the next person who is J-walking.
"Doubt it, the guy is probably just keeping his image up. Plus let's be honest he seems to have been mostly targeting the minorities," I say as the current person he stopped was of Hispanic descent. Frenchie nods his head while taking out another cigarette to smoke and hands me one.
"Fucking racists," Frenchie says after lighting up his cigarette and handing me the lighter as I nod my head.
Like that, we follow him for the rest of our shit and switch back with Butcher and MM. They came to us in the park we were waiting at as it faced his house. Frenchie and I then went back to the hotel to wait until our time came again. Like that, the next couple of days went by without a hitch.
However, on the fourth day, Bloodhound seemed more paranoid sniffing the air more while looking back once in a while. So far it seems he hasn't made up, but now it shows he believes he is being followed. Then Frenchie and I switched with MM and Butcher again.
That night we saw Bloodhound suddenly walk into an ally he was passing by. Frenchie and I shared a confused look before slowly walking toward it. As I gestured to Frenchie to not run but be causal. We passed by the ally and as we walked past it we saw Bloodhound waiting by the corner.
He punched me in the face making me stumble back a few feet, but he grabbed his hand in pain. Frenchie then pulled out his gun which had a silencer and pointed it at Bloodhound who put his hands up. Though I can see he was about to make a move from the subtle muscle clenching in his movements.
I pushed Frenchie out of the way as Bloodhound was about to kick him, then I grabbed Bloodhound's leg and tackled him to the ground. Bloodhound let out a surprised yell, as I then began a ground and pound smashing his face in. Frenchie was quickly watching my back and making sure no one was nearby. With only a final punch I knocked out Bloodhound and his body went limp.
"Call them and tell them we need to leave now," I say while standing up and hand-cuffing Bloodhound with the heavy-duty FlexiCuffs. I know his only superpower was his superhuman smell and slight durability, nothing else.
"Get to us now, we have the package," Frenchie says after he calls either MM or Butcher.
Frenchie then stood outside the ally casually smoking, while I dragged Bloodhound's body behind some trash covering it the best I could. A few people walked by as I hid behind the trash with Bloodhound still knocked out. Frenchie just gave them a friendly nod as they walked by. Then after ten minutes, Bloodhound started to wake up, but with a switch jab, he was knocked back out. Finally, MM and Butcher arrived with the van.
"What the hell happened?" MM asks as Butcher backs up the van into the alley.
"The bastard spotted us, seems he connected our scents," I say picking up his body and throwing him into the back of the van.
"Shit, ok," MM says as we all climb into the van.
"To the interview area," I say as Butcher peals off to the abandoned factory at the edge of the city we planned to use when we captured Bloodhound.
When we arrived, Frenchie ran out and prepared the tools for the information extraction. While MM secured the area, with Butcher's help. I grabbed Bloodhound and put him on the steel chair we placed here. Then I used real handcuffs to cuff all his arms to the chair and legs together.
"Wake him up," I say to Frenchie as I stand in front of Bloodhound with Frenchie ready to extract the information from him.
Frenchie then pours some water on the head of Bloodhound making him snap awake. He looks around in confusion and then fear as he makes eye contact with me, even though his one eye is now swollen shut. Frenchie is going through the tools while thinking about what he wants to use first.
"Who… who are you? What do you want?" Bloodhound says and looks over to see Frenchie going through the tools.
"Don't worry about who we are, just worry about what we are going to do if you don't answer our questions honestly.
"I tell you whatever you want to know!" Bloodhound says while looking over to Frenchie nervously as he grabs a plier.
"Tell me about your friends in the superhero business. I want to know who you know and who they are," I say pulling up another chair and prepared to write down what he tells me as Frenchie is waiting next to him with an excited look.
"Ok, ok… just let me think," Bloodhound says as Frenchie looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm waiting," I say looking at him with slight impatience.
"I mean I know a–" Bloodhound starts to say as I nod to Frenchie who grabs his hand and rips out a fingernail making Bloodhound scream in pain.
"I want superhero names! Their powers, who they are, and where they are!" I shout over his screaming as Frenchie tosses his fingernail to the side.
For the next hour, we get everything we can from him though Frenchie had to pull some more nails too. Then threatened his life if he talked, before knocking him out and uncuffing him leaving him behind. We all then quickly made our way back to New York City. There Frenchie and I told MM and Butcher the info we got before I called Grace telling her the same.