Episode 4: O! I Am Fortune’s Fool

“And what else does the young master and his guest desire?”

“No, that’s great Richard, thanks.”

“Very well.” The butler says, bowing and leaving.

Romero turns back to Julian and flashes him a smile, relaxing back onto his floating pool chair. He had on dark red and black pair of board shorts, which rode pretty low on his waist, tantalizing Julian and making the other man’s imagination run wild. Julian couldn’t help but admire Romero’s thin but muscular frame – the way his body was pretty much hairless except for the snail trail leading down into his pants... thoughts that weren’t at all chase. Romero had also had a pair brought in for Julian – a light blue pair that made the taller man look absolutely delicious, and to two of them were sipping drinks and lounging around in the huge pool at the Montavius mansion.

“How insane is it that you have your own butler??” Julian exclaims, still very overwhelmed by the whole experience of pulling up in a Mercedes Benz towards a huge stone mansion, being ushered into the guest room, which was decked out like a five star hotel’s executive suite, and being fed world class food. None of Romero’s family was home at the moment, but the help was extremely welcoming and hospitable. Chauffeurs, maids, cooks, and a butler. Julian, who had grown up in a small town in the country side was completely blown away.

Romero just gives Julian a bemused smile. “It’s so cute how you are such a redneck. And yeah, it’s awesome having a butler. Richard’s new, we only got him a few weeks ago, but he’s turning out to be extremely competent, according to my family.”

Julian grins and just leans back down onto his floating pool chair. Romero watches the muscles of the sandy haired man’s torso flexing and licks his lips. Julian catches the other man’s view and holds it. Romero smiles wickedly and slips off his pool chair into the water, swimming to the other side of the pool. Slowly, with complete intention, he gets out of the pool, giving Julian a view of the water trickling off the dark haired man’s muscular back, and the low board shorts which hug his full butt. Romero gets out of the pool and turns his head around and gives Julian that wicked smile.

“Let me show you the pool house. We have a bed in there.” Romero says in his sexy British lilt, and walks off through a glass door. Julian quickly moves to the side of the pool and hurries to join him.

--

“Would you like me to poison his drink, master?” the butler says into a cell phone, after seeing the two men slip into the pool house.

“No Richard. We still need Remarkable Boy to deliver the rest of his family into our hands. And you should know by now that mere poison wouldn’t be enough to take him down. No. Keep spying on him – this is, afterall, why we had you take the job at the Montavius mansion. Keep your head down and play the part – I’ll contact you when we need you.”

“Very well. Over and out.”

--

“Just a rank C criminal – some minor crime lord in the district.” Says his sister over the communicator, as Remarkable Boy flies over a slums area, searching for signs of the building his sister mentioned.

“Rank C? Why do we even need to get involved then? Isn’t there some equivalent heroes in the area to deal with this?”

“Afraid not, bro. Why didn’t you come to our family dinner last night anyways? Too important to fly a few minutes back home to have some of Mom’s roast pork?”

“Um... I... I... kinda... you know.”

“Oh! Does this have to do with that Romero person you were dating? That’s still working out?”

“Y... yeah. I’m over at his parent’s house at the moment – and no, I haven’t met his parents quite yet. Thank God he left the house to have dinner with some friends. I insisted on staying and having a ‘nap.’ Don’t sweat it, I was careful that no one, and no cameras saw me leaving. Let’s just get this over with.”

“I’m impressed. A relationship lasting for nearly a month? Plus, already meeting his folks? Impressive. Very very impressive.”

“Shut it. Wait. Did you say corner of Grattan road? Tall building with graffiti all over the south wall?”

“Yeah, that’s the place. Have fun!”

“Right. I’m going in.”

Remarkable Boy flies downwards, right into the window of the building, into a room full of people doing lines of cocaine and smoking.

“Oh shit!” Someone in the room yells out, seeing Remarkable Boy suddenly crashing through the window. “It’s a Super! Get him boys!”

Suddenly there was a lot of gunfire, which merely bounce of Remarkable Boy as if they were wads of paper thrown at him. He picks up a nearby henchman and knocks him against another, rendering them both unconscious. The crime lord runs out the room as more henchmen close in on Remarkable Boy, who punches one, ducking underneath another one and grabbing hold of his leg, and swings this man like a bludgeon, smashing him against the remaining two. Having knocked them all out, he steps out of the room into a large room full of crates.

“Surrender now Piper, and I’ll go easy on you!”

“Hell no you freak!” says the target – a crime lord called The Piper. “Taste some of these new gold filled bullets!”

Remarkable Boy looks at The Piper, who appears from around and corner, pulling out a machine gun and pointing it at him. Thinking quickly, he grabs hold of the rusted metal plating of the floor, pulling it up off the ground and forming it into a wall, and he gets behind it as a rain of bullets hail down onto his makeshift defense. A quick few seconds and the bullets stop, and, seizing the opportunity, Remarkable Boy picks up two crates, hurling them towards The Piper.

The crates make contact and The Piper is knocked onto the floor, the machine gun knocked aside, as Remarkable Boy flies to it and catches it before it hits the floor, crumpling it with one hand. He then turns to The Piper, who is cowering on the floor.

“Give up yet?” He asks wearily.

“Not a chance, Super.” The Piper spits, pulling a gadget out from his pocket. “ See you, loser.” He pushes a button on the gadget and a glow warps around The Piper, and in a flash, he disappears.

Remarkable Boy flies to The Piper used to be and looks around, but not trace was left. “What the...” he says to himself.

--

“I apologize sir.” Says Remarkable Boy, making a report over the video phone to a government official, who was looking bedraggled. “Perhaps he was mislabelled as Rank C. He had possession of bullets which contain a gold filling. I’m having a sample sent over to double check this. Apart from that, he had some sort of... teleportation device on him – far too advanced and expensive for any normal Rank C criminal to be in possession of.”

Remarkable Boy cringes, fully ready for the lecture that was about to ensue about being overconfident. The head of the National Superpowered Department, a General Edward Mirash, was not one with a kind tongue.

“That’s ok.” Comes the voice of the general.

“W... what? General Mirash, are you feeling quite ok today?”

“Yes. You’re report is adding to a list of concerning information. Many other superheroes have reported similar cases of low ranking criminals possessing advanced technology as well as means to counter a number of heroes. In fact, a few hours ago, Diamond Lad was admitted into intensive care upon receiving several grave stab wounds from a diamond knife – in possession of another mere rank C criminal.”

“Holy. Is he going to be ok?”

“His situation is stable, and we believe he’ll make a full recovery – but he’ll be out of commission for a few months.”

“Um... general. I know this is just a theory... but advanced technology... and equipping criminals with means of dealing with superheroes... plus that incident at the bank a week and a half ago... do you think that the Benevolent Clan is behind this?”

“I’m not cleared to divulge that information. When we know more, we shall let you know. This report is over. Go home Remarkable Boy.”

--

The Piper smiles nervously. The teleporter had taken him to an empty room, from which he was escorted into a dark room – where a light made it impossible to tell who was talking to him. He knew it was members of the Benevolent Clan behind that light – which merely added to the nerves he was feeling.

“So you used the gold bullets against him?! You idiot! You could have killed him! If he had died, how do you expect us to find the other Remarkables?”

“Calm down, my child.” Says another voice. “You’ve done well to track Remarkable Boy. And this maggot couldn’t possibly have the brains to match Remarkable Boy’s fighting abilities. You’re efforts would not be wasted.”

The first voice calms down. “Yes father.”

The second voice addresses The Piper.

“Well, Mr... Piper. We plan to create a new world, one where we shall rule and all the devious criminal minds will be by our right hands, more powerful that they ever imagined.”

“Yes. Yes!” agrees The Piper. “I cannot wait.”

The second voice speaks again. “I’m afraid I have the misfortune of informing you that unfortunately, you won’t live to see that day.”

“Wh!” The Piper only gets out, and the last thing he sees is a large metal spike extending extremely quickly out of the darkness, heading towards his face.

“Have this mess cleaned up.” Orders the second voice, and then, it addressing the first voice, “My child. Romero Montavius is to be kidnapped and brought to our trap that we have set up for Remarkable Boy. Make sure it is done.”

“Yes father.”

--

Remarkable Boy flies back into the window he had left open at the Montavius mansion, letting the cover of darkness mask his return. Quickly, he pushes a button on his watch, causing his superhero outfit to be sucked back into it, leaving him as Julian in a sleeveless white shirt and boxers. Quickly, hearing someone’s approach, he jumps underneath the covers, and pretends to be asleep.

Romero walks in, looking around. Quietly he walks over the Julian’s ‘sleeping’ form and sits down beside him. He watched Julian’s peaceful face and reaches up to push a stray lock of sandy hair out of his lover’s face. Julian stirs.

“Mm... Romero?” he says, sleepily.

“Hey Julian... how was your nap?”

“It was great... I slept like a log. How were your friends?”

“They were good. But... the whole time while I was with them... I was thinking...” Romero leans down and kisses Julian’s lips gently. “... of how... I just want to come back... and be pushed hard against the bed post...” Romero nibbles on Julian’s neck, causing the other man to moan, “... and taken hard and fast.”

“Mmm... I like that train of thought.” Julian says, grinning at Romero.

“Hang on, I’m going to go to the bathroom real quick to freshen up. Your job is to make sure that that before I get back, the door is locked, the curtains all drawn, and you are completely naked on top of that bed.”

“I eagerly await your return.”

Romero skips into the bathroom, and Julian gets up to lock the door. Suddenly, there’s a loud crash from the bathroom, and the sound of a man yelling.

“What the hell?” Julian runs

to the bathroom door tries turning the knob. Locked. He knocks on it urgently. “Romero? Romero?! Are you alright?!” Getting no response, Julian shouts, “I’m breaking the door down!” Julian slams a palm against the door, pushing it off its hinges and runs into the bathroom.

The entire back wall of the bathroom has been ripped open, leaving debris and dust floating in the air. A pipe has broken and water was spraying everywhere. Romero was nowhere in sight, not a trace of him was around as Julian searched frantically. Suddenly, a hologram appears on top of the bathroom, the light being emitted from a small ball on the ground.

“Julian Smith... or... ha! Should I say... Remarkable Boy. If you want to see his rich, spoiled brat alive again, you’ll have to come immediately to the peak of Mt. Yernard. Catch us if you can. Hugs and kisses, The Benevolent Clan.”

Julian pushes the button on his watch again and the yellow spandex material wraps around his body. He pulls out his cell phone and dials his father.

“Hallo.” Says his father, picking up.

“Dad. It’s Julian. I’ll need help at Mt. Yernard. It’s the Benevolent Clan – they’ve got Romero!”

“Alright son. Calm down, we’ll be right there with you soon. Don’t go in alone!”

“Sorry Dad. No time! They’ll hurt him!”

“No Julian! Wait for us!”

Julian, unheeding his father’s words, switches off his phone and kicks off the floor, flying east towards Mt. Yernard. “I’ll save you Romero. Please don’t be dead. Please.”

Please read and review :)