Prelude to a Piledriver (featuring Dreamboat & Handsome)

[Deleted]

On Board Lionheart One || JFK International || 12:39 PM

I'm running behind today.  Typically, I'm fairly punctual despite my busy lifestyle.  Today is just not one of those days.  This morning I had to fight with Frankie quite a bit.  So much so that I almost made him stay home from Warfare.  He's been acting out more and more and lately, I just don't know what to do about it anymore.  As time ticks away, his outbursts have been far more frequent and far more aggressive.

As the armored limousine rolls to a stop, I look at my boy.  "C'mon kid, let's go fuck up Estrada's night."

"I don't care about Reggie Estrada," he says quietly, staring out at the raindrops rolling down his window.

"Neither do I bud," I tell the boy.  "But sometimes we just play with the hands we're dealt."

"You'd stomp him," he says as he throws open the door.

"Yeah but I don't do squash matches," I reply back to him.

"Maybe you should start," he advises as we both exit the car and head toward the awaiting 747.

"People don't pay to see me squash some jackass in a few minutes," I say to him as we climb the steps, my hand laying gently on his shoulder.

"No, but you'd be maximizing the return on your bodily investment," he retorts as we enter the airliner.

For what it's worth, he's a big brained egghead.  For a ten year old boy, he's extremely intelligent.  If and when he ever learns to use that power for good, or evil as the case may be, I fear for the world at large.

Taking our seats and buckling in as the engines wind up, he and I sit silently for a few minutes.  Speeding down the runway, we're wheels up not long after.

"Wanna be in my conference call?" I ask of him.  As much as humanly possible, I try and make him a part of my professional life.  He knows how much I love him, but even that isn't enough some days.

"No," he answers quickly.  "What conference call?"

"With Dreamboat and Handsome," I reply.

"Are they gonna be in Moline?" he asks quickly.

"No."

"Can't blame 'em," he says with the slightest of smiles.  "Moline doesn't even want to be in Moline."

His wise crack makes me laugh.  "My man!" I say, holding my hand up for a five.  He returns the gesture quickly.  Once we're at cruising altitude, he and I make our way back to the secure War Room on board.  In the room, I flip on the switch and Frankie sighs.

Late last year, he was on board when my plane was hijacked by my enemies.  Despite stuffing him in a safe room, he managed to get out.  I didn't know if I was gonna live or die so I gave him the code to exit.  He used it when he shouldn't have.  Truth be told, if not for him, I wouldn't be here today gracing your television screens with my awesomeness.  They had me dead to rights, but lil Frankie on the loose, wouldn't have it.  He shot that man and saved my life.

He's never truly gotten himself passed it.

Sitting behind the lonely conference table, I fire up the 'Zoom' app, sending out calls to Ian and Ross.  Both answer almost immediately.  Frankie sits beside me on a chair, spinning it back and forth.

"Fellas how we doin'?" I ask of my partners in crime.  "Ian you're not even ready to go," I tell the man, dripping wet with a swimming pool behind him.

"Imma be ready," he says as if he were a ten year old... causing me to side eye Frankie a little.

"What crimes are we getting into tonight at Piledriver?" Ross asks in a mix of excitement and impatience.

"What crime are YOU getting into," I correct him.

"Wait, you're not coming?" Dreamboat asks, almost as if he were a little sad that Thad isn't joining them.

"Nah, I gotta be in Moline for Warfare," I answer.

"Moline is like the Illinois equivalent to New Jersey," Frankie chimes in.  "A literal dumpster."

"Ian, you gotta be at JFK in like an hour.  Pilot has the flight plans already," I inform the silver haired weirdo.  Don't get the wrong impression, that's MY weirdo.  "About 90 minutes later you'll be landing in Columbus to pick up Ross."

"This is already turning out better than I imagined," Ross interjects.  "Got a sweet advance on my pay, now I'm flyin' first class to Key West.

"Woooo!"

"Yeah, don't woo," I say with a smile.

"Thad?" Frankie interrupts with tears in his eyes.

"Hold on guys," I say, turning to the boy.  "What's up?"

"I... I don't know what's wrong with me," he says, wiping a tear from his eyes.  "I'm always yelling at you and hitting you and... I don't know why, I can't control it."

For a quick rundown of Frankie's life over the past 12 months:
-He found out his mother was murdered
-Then found out his father killed her
-With no known living relatives, he was placed in foster care
-Came to live with me
-Agreed to see his dad in prison only to basically tell him to fuck off
-I cheated on Elizabeth, causing her to leave us both though she eventually came back
-He got in trouble at school for fighting because some douchey kid called me a ---got
-My plane was hijacked with him on board
-The boy killed a man to save my life
-He was taken from my home by the state of Connecticut citing my propensity for violence
-While in state custody, something happened that he has yet to talk about
-I forced Elizabeth, who was fulfilling the "mother" role, out of my house while he was gone
-Our house was recently destroyed by my enemies

"Listen," I say to him, stopping him from spinning back and forth.  "I'm not saying its as hard for me as it is for you.  But when you hurt, I hurt.  I don't get angry with you for lashing out at me.  I'd rather it was me than anyone else.  It only hurts that you feel the need to do it because I know there's things you're dealing with that I'll never quite understand.

"Keep opening up to your therapist," before I can get another word out he jumps into my lap and curls up against my chest.  "Or me," I tell the boy.  "You know I love you Frankie.  There's nothing I won't do to help you.  You're safe with me... always."

Looking back at the screen, "Guys I'm sorry, just a couple minutes."

Back to the boy wonder.

"I don't like how I treat you," he says to me in a muffled voice.  "I'm sorry Thad."

His words cause me to choke up a bit.

"All you've ever done was love me and you don't deserve how I've been treating you," he says as he wraps his arms around my neck.

"Well... we'll get out figured out okay?"

Saying nothing, he just nods.  Spinning in my chair with Frankie still in my lap and wrapped around me, I return my attention to the boys.

"He'll make a great adorable villain one day," Ian says, causing Frankie to chuckle.

"Ross are you being a smart ass?" I ask in response to him wiping tears from his eyes.

"No," he says.  "It's just a..." wipes more tears.  "Heartwarming scene," he says with a pause.  "Or heartbreaking, I'm not sure which."

"Yeah well, Ian get to JFK," I say, returning to business.  "Pick up Ross and go fuck shit up at Piledriver."

Eyeballing Ross and his teary eyes, "You need a hug bro?"

"I think I'd like that," Ross replies.

"Ian, hug Ross when you see him."

"Sure boss man," Ian replies with a growing smile.

"Ian if you get hard from it, I'm suplexing you!" Ross retorts quickly.

Ian looks down at himself and whispers, "Stay down."

Shaking my head with laughter, "Alright guys, have fun and call me if you need anything."

Without another word, I end the call, leaving me alone with Frankie.

"Sorry I interrupted your call," he says groggily, still laying on my shoulder.

"Never be sorry for that kiddo," I reply.  "Nothing takes precedence over you.  Ever."

Later, upon landing in Moline, Frankie and I head to the cargo bay in order to get in the car.

"Thad?" he calls out as we head down the steps.  "Where's the car?"

Looking up from my phone I realize my car is not on board.

"MOTHER FUCK!" I yell out, realizing my people loaded my car onto the wrong plane.  Siiiiigh, sometimes my haus is a mess too.