Chapter 16 - What a pain

They kept me here for 3 weeks. I wanted to leave but I couldn't bring myself to, the screams were almost maddening. Maddy was here supporting me the whole time, I think that's the only thing that kept me sane, she settled down after a couple days and was more, comfortable to be around.

"Klyde! We're gonna be late for school!" Maddy yelled from the entryway, klyde hurried past and got into his car, it had been in repairs up until about a two weeks ago after it got trashed while it was abandoned, a.k.a whilst Maddy and klyde were prisoners after being kidnapped from the parking lot. The engine roared to a start as Maddy climbed in and the race against the bell began.

They arrived right on time, they stood at their classroom right as the bell rang violently. Reminding everyone that another day behind fences was beginning. The day was slow and boring, english, mathematics, social and community studies, you get the gist of it. everyone was constantly staring as usual, it was getting quite tiring for Klyde to be completely honest.

The social studies teacher put the news on for the class, the students murmured a little before the teacher shushed them, the news was speaking about the mysterious hero and expressing thanks and appreciation for the rescues he'd pulled. When the news ended some of the students had nothing but criticism for the hero. Klyde twitched, he was almost ready to get up and punch every one of them before leaving the room, Maddy noticed and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, calming him.

The drive home at the end of the day was awkwardly silent, Maddy could see the pure rage and sadness in Klyde's eyes. She wanted to cheer him up but wasn't sure how, he kept alot to himself so she didn't know what he liked, or any places he wanted to go, what he enjoyed, she was a little embarrassed at how little she knew him considering how long he'd lived with them. "Is nothing I do enough?" Klyde thought to himself, hands tightening on the steering wheel. He realised he was speeding up and snapped himself out of it. They arrived home safely, as they entered the house klyde sat and stared blankly at the floor.

"Is he ok?" Maddy's mother asked.

"The kids at school were badmouthing his rescue work."

"Oh, well that's no good."

"He's devastated. I want to cheer him up but I'm not sure how to."

"He won't speak? Even to you?"

"No, he's been silent all day."

Klyde glanced over at them then went back to staring at the floor, he didn't know what to do, he had no encouragement or motivation to do anything, he felt like shrinking into non-existence.

"Maddy, you should talk to him."

"What do I say?"

"Whatever you feel he needs to hear."

She walked over to Klyde and plopped herself next to him.

"Hey, I know it hurts, the stuff they said about you, but you're not doing it for them, are you, you do it because it feels right, because you can do what not many others can, and you want to use that for good, are you really going to let a few kids' words get you down?"

He looked at her with curious eyes. She wondered what he was thinking, his eyes were different than before, no longer angry, but still a hint of sadness. She couldn't help but smile, realising that it was hope in his eyes, and she couldn't get over how happy he made her feel. He lightly smiled back at her. "How did she know, that that's what I needed to hear?" Klyde thought. He was grateful for the large heart she had, how thoughtful and appreciative she was, it warmed his heart and eased his mind.

After a moment klyde opened up his laptop and began checking news, security cameras, finding out if there was anything he needed to do, and there was, he found recent street camera footage of a young boy, roughly ten years old, being snatched from the side of the road so quickly that the mother had no time to react, he followed the line the vehicle had gone and estimated a destination.

"Got something?" Maddy asked.

He nodded as he got himself ready.

"What do you think they want the kid for?"

"Human traffickers, I've seen the kidnapper before on the news, he escaped prison after kidnapping and raping two twelve year old girls and a thirteen year old boy."

"Wait and a boy?"

"You don't wanna know."

"It's, nice, seeing you in that outfit again."

He nodded as he climbed on his bike and his mission began.

The bike raced down the roads as It approached the destination, step one was recon, find a safe way in and find out what he's up against, step two was follow through, step three was get whoever was being held captive out to safety, Maddy called over the comms saying she had given an anonymous tip to the cops for a location, that gave Klyde roughly fifteen minutes to get his plan underway. he stopped in an alleyway roughly twenty metres from the final destination, sure enough he could just see the van as the garage door of the building closed.

He entered though a vent opening on the roof and spied on them from above, "Eight goons, twenty kids", Klyde thought to himself, he continued down the shaft and came over what looked like a meeting room, "plus two, a couple." He then quietly crawled backwards and was ready for step two.

Within seconds Klyde popped the vent, leaped out and took out three guys in a single swing, the other five piled onto him, a few kids cheered as they watched Klyde take them on, knocking them down one by one. Until the door clicked open, and all went quiet, the couple stepped out, the man roughly six foot three and the woman about five foot nine. The man had broad shoulders, dressed in a suit, and a very unhappy expression.

"So you're the one terrorising all the underground businesses, who do you think you are?"

*Silence.*

"Huh? SPEAK YOU INCOMPETENT MASKED WEIRDO! What are ya, afraid?"

The man couldn't see it but Klyde was glaring at him behind his mask. Then the woman spoke.

"Hon, take a closer look at 'im, I think it's a kid!"

"A what?" the large man said while laughing. "You've got to be joking, a child, has been tearing up underground operations, and no one's been able to stop him? Guess I gotta show those pathetic bozos how it's done."

The man took his jacket off revealing an almost too tight white shirt and tie over a very toned and muscular build, the shirt ripped open like paper as the man tensed and charged at Klyde like a raging bull. Klyde dodged the first blow but didn't have enough time to doge as the man charged him from behind, tackling him to the floor, Klyde's ears rang like bells after impact but he didn't hesitate to leap back onto his feet and steady himself, he jumped onto the man's back and wrapped his arms around his neck, then the woman leaped in like a psycho and dug her nails into Klyde's sides, he winced in pain as he was forced to release the man and fight off the woman. "What is with these two," Klyde wondered. The man pushed Klyde into the wall and klyde felt one of his ribs crack as he winced in agony. He'd had enough, he slipped a stick out from a slot on his leg and whacked the man in the face.

The woman laughed maniacally. "This boy certainly knows how to play! Let's put on a good show."

She charged him again but this time he dodged and hooked the stick around her ankle, smashing her into the ground.

"THAT'S MY WIFE, YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THAT YOU LITTLE-"

He didn't even finish his sentence as he charged Klyde yet again and flung him into the air, Klyde spun himself and kicked the man in the face, then stirred up dust, flicking it into the man's eyes. Klyde's head was banging, ears ringing and whole body aching but he kept fighting on. Police sirens could be heard and as it distracted the couple Klyde hobbled away through a back door. Police barged in and shot both with powerful sedatives, mission accomplished.

Maddy heard Klyde's motorbike pull up and went to greet him, only to find him bleeding out and staggering as he tried to walk to the door, she rushed over and supported him on his left side, helping him through the door.