Make Me Strong

Kada

Kada

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"You headass motherfucker. It was the opposite. We didn't have heroes because people weren't willing to stand up. People weren't willing to stand up because we had fucking heroes."

The tension in his shoulders abated somewhat. "You're fucking delusional. Back at Abernathy. The school. We saved ourselves. It took one person breaking the hypnosis and we, as average, non-heroic teenagers, stood up and said 'fuck this.' The New Sentinels showed up after we'd beaten the thing ourselves. And they got the fucking credit. Like you stupid fucks in your costumes always did."
 
Romi

Romi

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Jude had never really thought about things like that. But maybe it was true. Maybe people relied on heroes too much, when they should have stood up for themselves. Maybe that had been a problem.

"You think too highly of people," Frederick said as Jude slowly relaxed his vicegrip on Broen's forearm. "People are meant to be guided. They need people to look up to. You average, non-heroic teenagers were, in case you forgot, already being heroes. Or at least some of you were."

His eyes slid over to Jude with an obvious look of distaste, and Jude tried to steel himself. Tried not think about all the implications. They were beside the point.

"Guys," Jude said desperately. "This isn't solving anything. He's not... he's not going to realize it, Broen. Or at least he's not going to admit it. But he knows, though. If he didn't know he was wrong, he'd be open about it."

Frederick frowned at that, his eyes narrowing.

"What are you even talking about? I stand by my actions."
 
Kada

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Broen looked at Jude and set his jaw. He was right. He flicked his eyes over to Fredrick and then over at the people who were slowly starting to stare. His voice was unusually even. He was done with this. He'd made up his mind. And at the end of the day, no matter what happened, he knew what he had to do to sleep soundly at night.

"Alright then. If you stand by it," he said, gesturing to the people around. "Then go tell them. Spare no detail. Tell them the why for every cigar you put out on my neck."
 
Romi

Romi

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Frederick shifted in his seat, and Jude would have described it as a squirm. Because that was what it was--he was squirming, his eyes sliding around the cafe.

"I don't see how our private family matters are any part of their business," he said, and Jude let out a snort.

"Because you know better. You can justify it to yourself, but you know it was awful, and that's why you're doing mental gymnastics every which way to avoid saying it. You'll never say it. You'll never admit it. Because admitting it means accepting you're an awful person, and you won't do that," Jude said.
 
Kada

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"Then..." Broen said, stepping away from his seat and walking more towards the open area of the sidewalk. He cracked his neck, too much adrenaline and too much of something else he couldn't describe making him feel hot and cold and shaky and calm all at once. "I will then."

"Attention, everyone! Hi, sorry to interrupt your dining experience but this is important. My name..." he let out a long, slow breath. "My name is Godfrey Alistair Broen, formerly Crawford. Of the Halcyon City Crawfords. And I have something I'd like to share with all of you."

He didn't know what Fredrick would do now, but he was on a roll. He couldn't stop now.
 
Romi

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Jude felt like he should be covering his eyes with his hands. Instead, he was watching with horrified fascination as Broen stood up, pulling away from the table and started drawing attention.

Not everyone stopped. But some did. Some were watching.

And Frederick got up too. He wasn't going to stay sitting down, his tone equal parts angry and frustrated.

"What are you doing?" He said. "No one else cares. No one needs to hear your twisted version of events."
 
Kada

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"Shut the fuck up, old man." Broen gave Fredrick the briefest glance and turned back to the people, most of whom were eyeing him warily.

And he delved into it. Every time he got dragged up the stairs. Every cigar burn. Every night he went to bed hungry. Every week he got an excuse for gym class so no one would see the welts on his back while he was changing. Every abuse, burned nearly perfectly into his memory. And, possibly to Fredrick's surprise, every thing Broen had done to deserve his punishments.

"And then when I was sixteen, nearly seventeen, he said that I could shape up and take on the mantle of Gallant or else. I chose the or else. And he disowned me, dissolved my trust fund, and put me on the street."

He stood there, watching reactions. Feeling, once again, like he was going to vomit and pass out. But hopefully, hopefully Fredrick was feeling worse.
 
Romi

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Broen didn't get that far. Frederick wasn't going to let him. He moved closer, closing the distance between the two of them. He was in Broen's face in moments, raising his voice to literally talk over him.

"Why are you like this? Can you not see you're bothering the people around you? No one wants to hear this while they're having lunch."

Jude was up on his feet too, heading towards the two of them.
 
Kada

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Broen turned around and all of the metal near the two of them started to rattle. "I said shut. The fuck. UP! FREDDY!"

The metal on the tables near them started to shake and edge slowly towards the two of them, but not actually leave their places. "You say no one cares, but the truth of the matter is everyone cares and if they knew they'd see you as the fucking filth you really are! You're trash, Fred. You're fucking human scum and Basilio Fucking Genovese is a better man than you. I'm a better man than you have ever been or will be!"

"And the only way you're going to stop me from telling these people what you've done is to hit me. But if you do, better make sure it's a good one. Be ause you won't get another shot."

Walking closer to the people, Brown started again. Started from the beginning. Louder. Practically shouting. He'd probably get the cops called on him for disturbing the peace. But it was worth it. And by the time they showed up the damage would be done.
 
Romi

Romi

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There was no way the cops weren't already on their way. Absolutely no way.

Jude knew it. And Frederick knew it.

Jude's instinct was to fight him. Was to drag Frederick away from Broen. But the moment he touched Frederick, that would be assault. It was like the world's most horrifying game of chicken. Who was going to stop first? Who was going to swing first? Were the cops going to arrive in time?

But something had to break eventually, and it was Frederick.

He swung at the same moment he cut Broen's powers, going for Broen's face, and Jude jumped at very nearly the same time, jumping for Frederick as he did.

Someone was definitely yelling, and Jude wasn't clear if it was him.
 
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