The Boys, The Spyder, & The Lionheart: Part 2 - Co-Op
Aug 25, 2021 21:33:23 GMT -5
Thunder Knuckles and ROUND II | Ross Hanson like this
Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2021 21:33:23 GMT -5
Time ticks by as the plane nears Atlanta airspace. For the last hour I’ve watched as my car sat stationary at the Slaughterhouse Gym in Atlanta. I rejoined my business manager and my son just recently. It took me a LONG fucking time to calm down and I don’t like Frankie seeing me angry. Especially not that angry.
Joining Frankie on the sofa, “Thad, when are we gonna be home?” Frankie asks of me with his tired eyes drooping.
“Not for a few hours Bub,” I tell him. “Go back to your room, get some sleep,” I suggest.
“No,” he declines tiredly. “I’ll wait with you awhile.”
“How long has Paul been asleep?” I ask him.
“I don’t know, like 45 minutes maybe,” he replies. “I think Dolly called him. She’s the only one besides you that scares him that much.”
Frankie repositions himself. Curling up into a ball, he lays his head in my lap.
“Things are changing too fast Thad,” he says quietly with a tear as I start running my fingers through his wavy hair.
“I know Buddy,” I tell him quietly. A tear of my own escapes my own eye. Wrapping his free arm around my waist, he sobs quietly into my stomach.
“Corey hates you, Dolly’s mad at you,” he reminds me. “I love them!” he protests.
“I know you do Frankie,” I say as I continue to stroke his hair.
“WHY!?” he shouts through tears.
“You’ll understand better when you’re older,” I brush him off as my phone beeps. Looking at the app, my car is in motion again so I hit the anti-theft disabler and watch as the little blip on the screen crawls to a stop.
“Tell me now,” Frankie insists as he raises his head off my lap.
“Okay,” I agree. “As you grow older, you’re gonna learn that not everyone you think is your friend is really your friend.”
Frankie wipes tears from his eyes and listens.
“What’s happened between Corey and I… it’s not easy for me no matter how much it might seem so. Choices get made and sometimes people make the wrong ones and one day, when I’m gone and its your Kingdom, you’ll have to choose how to respond too.
“I am ruthlessly loyal to those loyal to me Frankie,” I continue on. “When that loyalty is broken, I’m just as ruthless when its time for payback.”
“I don’t think him being friends with Alias really proves disloyalty,” he protests with a sniffle.
“No?” I question the ten year old future King. “Do you know that Alias has dreams of you?”
He looks at me confused.
“He has dreams of you holding my head… and only my head.”
“I didn’t know that,” the boy admits quietly.
“I had to draw a line in the sand Frankie,” I continue on, stating my case for doing what I did. “Corey wanted to fight my words with violence... so I gave him violence.”
Just then, the pilot comes over the sound system, alerting me that we’re on final approach.
With Ian in the driver seat and Ross the passenger, the aspiring super villain steers the car from the curb and into the street in Atlanta. Passing through an intersection, the car suddenly shuts down.
“Oh what the fuck?” Ross inquires as Ian steers the car toward the curb. “Thad! You bought a dud!” Ross shouts facetiously.
“Now what?” Ian asks as they crawl to a stop.
Ross puts his hand on the door handle, only to see flashing red and blue lights behind him. “And that would be Georgia's Finest.”
“Okay, what do I do now?” Ian asks as more police cruisers are flying into the scene, unbeknownst to the two occupants.
“Well, you have no license and this isn’t our car,” Ross reminds him. “So, maybe getting a hold of Thad and letting him know his quarter-million dollar prize automobile that he just bought and we’ve driven more than he has is about to get impounded by…”
The cop stands at Ian’s door, having heard the vast majority of the conversation. Ross looks over and his voice trails off, “some Joe Swanson with untreated...diverticulitis lookin’….mother...fu….”
“License, registration, proof of insurance…” the cop instructs Ian.
“Officer, I don’t…” Ian begins before Ross cuts him off.
“Fifth Amendment, bro. Don’t sweat it, Officer. I’m a licensed driver, my friend here is getting his permit hours so he can be a licensed driver as well,” he says before reaching in front of him, opening the glove box. "See? This car is legal...the paperwork is right…"
Ross is interrupted by Thad’s Desert Eagle .50 caliber falling from the glove box. "WHOA! SHIT!"
"Oh, my God!" Ian cries out.
"HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM! RIGHT NOW!" the officer instructs.
"Ian, now would be a great time to call Thad," Ross begins, but he’s pulled from the topless vehicle, and planted face down on the pavement. "What the fuck? Why aren't you tackling him to the road there too, Dick Butkus?"
"Ross!” Ian yells out. “Don't give him any ideas!"
The police officer yells back towards his cruiser. "I GOT THIS ONE! GET HIM, LIEUTENANT JACKSON!"
"Who?" Ian asks. “Get who?”
From the back of the cop car, a fully grown German Shepard K9 unit flies from the back window of the car.
"Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!"
Leaping from the car, Ian goes to make a run for it, but turns forward into a gun pointed at him from some backup police units. Raising his hands slowly, the K9 charges behind him and tackles him to the ground.
Walking into the police station, I’m mostly irritated by the events that have transpired. Not at Ian or Ross, just generally speaking. Seeing them both cuffed to a bench, I take a moment to compose myself before approaching them.
“Ian, Ross,” I say quietly and the two look up at me with a shameful look on their faces before hanging their heads low. “Do you know how much trouble you’d have saved me if you just answered my fucking calls?”
“My phone broke,” Ross protests.
“How’d that happen?” I ask and Ian chimes in.
“He was too chicken to call you about Dolly Waters stealing your plane so he threw it at the ground,” Ian answers.
“Narc,” Ross says quietly in Ian’s direction.
“What about you?”
“I uhhh…” he begins with a stammer.
“I swear he called you!” Ross chimes in.
“Oh I got a missed call but I never talked to him,” I inform him. Ross darts his head in Ian’s direction.
“I distinctly remember hearing you talk to him,” Ross says to the silver haired twink boy.
“I uhhh… it went to voicemail,” Ian admits. “I hung up and just pretended.”
“Why are you guys cuffed anyway?” I ask.
“They think we stole your car,” Ross answers.
With a roll of my eyes, I leave the fellas at the bench and make my way to the desk. A lady cop is on the phone in front of me.
“Excuse me Officer,” I begin and she looks up at me before holding up her palm.
“Girrrl, you KNOW thass riiight,” she says with a laugh.
“Ma’am, I’d really like to clear up the confusion about,” I begin but again she holds up her palm, telling me to wait. With a sigh, I give in, but my anger is starting to increase.
“Naw juss some white boy tryna enforce his privilege!” she emphasizes privilege while darting her eyes in my direction.
Grabbing the phone from her desk, I yank it hard, pulling it from the jack before tossing it to the floor. “How’s that for privilege?” I ask and she looks at me angrily. “Now if you don’t mind,” I begin as a pair of officers approach me from behind with their hands resting gently on their pistols. “I’ve had a long FUCKING day and I’d really FUCKING like to clear up the FUCKING confusion so I can get my ten year old home and in his FUCKING bed, if you don’t FUCKING mind.”
“Sir, let’s calm down,” one officer on my left insists.
“Bitch this ain’t fuckin’ Mayberry,” I say to him. “Take Barney Fife over here and go have some fucking donuts or some shit while I clear up this fucking confusion.”
The lady officer behind the desk nods and the two bloated assholes with badges back off a step. “How can I help you Misterrrrrr….”
“Thaddeus fucking Duke, the owner of the car those two idiots didn’t fucking steal!”
Ross leans over to Ian. "Drinking game: every time Thad says fuck, take a shot." When Thad looks back at him, Ross snaps back up straight.
“What seems to be the problem here?” asks the arresting officer from earlier in the night.
“We’re already up to ten,” Ian says to Ross
“The FUCKING problem…” I begin.
“Drink… write that down,” Ross says quietly to Ian. Ian just laughs.
“Is that you arrested two guys that didn’t do FUCK ALL! Those are MY friends, that had MY car…”
“Twelve,” Ross updates.
“We’re gonna be so hammered,” Ian quips.
“You’re the registered owner?” he asks.
“Are you…” I stop myself. For a moment I pace in circles, trying to stop myself from pulling my own hair out. “Would I FUCKING be here otherwise?”
“Thirteen,” Ian updates.
“Our heads are gonna take a pounding.”
“Problem is,” the Officer begins. “The owner activated Lo-Jack, an anti-theft…”
“I know what the fuck Lo-Jack is dude, it’s MY fucking car!”
“Fourteen,” Ross chimes in.
“Fifteen,” Ian says with a concerned look.
“You’re god damn right its a diplomatic FUCKING license,” I shout out at the officer.
"Sixteen," Ross quickly quips.
"What's a diplomatic license?" Ian asks, Ross just shrugs.
“There’s still the issue of the illegal weapon,” the Officer suggests.
“It’s MY FUCKING gun!”
“Uggghh seventeen shots,” Ian says, his face figuratively turning green at the thought.
“Shit dude,” Ross says as he looks at Ian. “Maybe that’s a bad idea.”
“Gee,” Ian says sarcastically. “What was your first clue?” Ian asks as me and the Officer approach.
“Gentleman,” he says as he uncuffs the two. “You’re free to go.”
Silently still fuming, I head out the back door to the impound lot after paying four hundred some odd dollars to get my car back. Ian and Ross are hot on my heels.
"Puppa! Look!" Ross cries out as we make our way through the backlot. Ross slowly walks over, where he hears a dog whine from the back of another K9 unit. "That's a big fuzzball, he says I like chewing on bad guys, I'm a good boy!"
"Ross," I say with a sigh and coming to a stop. "Are you serious right now? I swear, I thought I knew what A.D.D. was until I met you."
"BARKBARKBARKBARK!" The snarling snout of a German Shepherd sticks through the crack in the window, startling Ross.
"Damnit!" Ross exclaims, falling backwards onto the pavement. Not even helping him up, I just step right over him toward my baby.
Running my fingers along the passenger side body lines of the machine, “Did you miss me?” I ask rhetorically before walking around the backside to the drivers and opening the door.
“Umm how we gonna fit?” Ian asks.
Three men.
Two seats.
Someone’s sittin’ bitch.
Ross lightly pushes Ian toward the car. “You’re smaller, you’ll fit easier.”
With a sigh, Ian climbs into the car and sits on the center console between the two seats, his head extended out of the open roof of the car. Ross squeezes inside and closes the door.
Adjusting the passenger mirror first, I gaze into the rearview and can’t help but laugh.
“Ian my man,” I say as I lay the fob in the cupholder. “That’s a nice shot of your crotch.”
“Ohh heck,” he says quietly.
“Relax, you’re not even showing anything,” I inform him.
“Wait, that's not a compliment, is it?” he asks.
“Not really dude,” Ross chimes in.
Holding the clutch and shifting to neutral, I hit the start button. With a rumble, the R8 Spyder comes to life.
“Welcome back baby,” the female voice of the car says to me. “I’ve missed you.”
“What the…”
“Heck?” Ian finishes off Ross.
I mean his thought, not his… well, you know.
“I’ve missed you too,” I reply to it before turning to the boys. “We like a little foreplay first,” I tell them before turning to adjust my drivers mirror.
“WHAT!
“THE!
“FUCK!?”
Barreling out of the car to look over my missing mirror, I groan in frustration.
“WHO DID THIS?” I cry out to Ian and Ross. Ross just stares at me like a deer in the headlights. Ian looks like he’s about to wet himself.
“Don’t you DARE piss yourself Ian! I have to have my hand between your legs to work the shifter!”
Ross snickers under his breath. The two look at each other and back at me. Slowly, totally unprompted and entirely unplanned, they each raise their hands and instantly, my anger subsides and I can’t help but crack a smile.
Loyalty.
“He’s smiling,” Ross says quietly to Ian.
“I know, what’s that mean?” Ian asks Ross.
“It means,” I begin as I re-enter the car and close the door. “That you two were just willing to sacrifice yourselves for one another and loyalty isn’t something that can be taught."
“So like,” Ross begins.
“You’re not mad?” Ian finishes.
“We mean about,” Ross continues.
“Breaking the mirror?”
“No I’m pissed, but its not such a big deal," I say as I throw the car in first and begin pulling out of the lot. “Good as new in a few days.”
Turning onto the street, I punch the accelerator and the Spyder screeches some tire as we zoom down the road. Shifting backward to third…
“Oh heck that was close,” Ian cries out a little wide eyed.
“We’ve been over this buddy,” I say to him with a smile.
“Yeah,” Ross says with a laugh. “Close to WHAT?”
“Guys I have feelings,” Ian says, feigning sadness.
“Well, don’t get the wrong ones, my hand is already kinda cramped up in there.”
Joining Frankie on the sofa, “Thad, when are we gonna be home?” Frankie asks of me with his tired eyes drooping.
“Not for a few hours Bub,” I tell him. “Go back to your room, get some sleep,” I suggest.
“No,” he declines tiredly. “I’ll wait with you awhile.”
“How long has Paul been asleep?” I ask him.
“I don’t know, like 45 minutes maybe,” he replies. “I think Dolly called him. She’s the only one besides you that scares him that much.”
Frankie repositions himself. Curling up into a ball, he lays his head in my lap.
“Things are changing too fast Thad,” he says quietly with a tear as I start running my fingers through his wavy hair.
“I know Buddy,” I tell him quietly. A tear of my own escapes my own eye. Wrapping his free arm around my waist, he sobs quietly into my stomach.
“Corey hates you, Dolly’s mad at you,” he reminds me. “I love them!” he protests.
“I know you do Frankie,” I say as I continue to stroke his hair.
“WHY!?” he shouts through tears.
“You’ll understand better when you’re older,” I brush him off as my phone beeps. Looking at the app, my car is in motion again so I hit the anti-theft disabler and watch as the little blip on the screen crawls to a stop.
“Tell me now,” Frankie insists as he raises his head off my lap.
“Okay,” I agree. “As you grow older, you’re gonna learn that not everyone you think is your friend is really your friend.”
Frankie wipes tears from his eyes and listens.
“What’s happened between Corey and I… it’s not easy for me no matter how much it might seem so. Choices get made and sometimes people make the wrong ones and one day, when I’m gone and its your Kingdom, you’ll have to choose how to respond too.
“I am ruthlessly loyal to those loyal to me Frankie,” I continue on. “When that loyalty is broken, I’m just as ruthless when its time for payback.”
“I don’t think him being friends with Alias really proves disloyalty,” he protests with a sniffle.
“No?” I question the ten year old future King. “Do you know that Alias has dreams of you?”
He looks at me confused.
“He has dreams of you holding my head… and only my head.”
“I didn’t know that,” the boy admits quietly.
“I had to draw a line in the sand Frankie,” I continue on, stating my case for doing what I did. “Corey wanted to fight my words with violence... so I gave him violence.”
Just then, the pilot comes over the sound system, alerting me that we’re on final approach.
With Ian in the driver seat and Ross the passenger, the aspiring super villain steers the car from the curb and into the street in Atlanta. Passing through an intersection, the car suddenly shuts down.
“Oh what the fuck?” Ross inquires as Ian steers the car toward the curb. “Thad! You bought a dud!” Ross shouts facetiously.
“Now what?” Ian asks as they crawl to a stop.
Ross puts his hand on the door handle, only to see flashing red and blue lights behind him. “And that would be Georgia's Finest.”
“Okay, what do I do now?” Ian asks as more police cruisers are flying into the scene, unbeknownst to the two occupants.
“Well, you have no license and this isn’t our car,” Ross reminds him. “So, maybe getting a hold of Thad and letting him know his quarter-million dollar prize automobile that he just bought and we’ve driven more than he has is about to get impounded by…”
The cop stands at Ian’s door, having heard the vast majority of the conversation. Ross looks over and his voice trails off, “some Joe Swanson with untreated...diverticulitis lookin’….mother...fu….”
“License, registration, proof of insurance…” the cop instructs Ian.
“Officer, I don’t…” Ian begins before Ross cuts him off.
“Fifth Amendment, bro. Don’t sweat it, Officer. I’m a licensed driver, my friend here is getting his permit hours so he can be a licensed driver as well,” he says before reaching in front of him, opening the glove box. "See? This car is legal...the paperwork is right…"
Ross is interrupted by Thad’s Desert Eagle .50 caliber falling from the glove box. "WHOA! SHIT!"
"Oh, my God!" Ian cries out.
"HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM! RIGHT NOW!" the officer instructs.
"Ian, now would be a great time to call Thad," Ross begins, but he’s pulled from the topless vehicle, and planted face down on the pavement. "What the fuck? Why aren't you tackling him to the road there too, Dick Butkus?"
"Ross!” Ian yells out. “Don't give him any ideas!"
The police officer yells back towards his cruiser. "I GOT THIS ONE! GET HIM, LIEUTENANT JACKSON!"
"Who?" Ian asks. “Get who?”
From the back of the cop car, a fully grown German Shepard K9 unit flies from the back window of the car.
"Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!"
Leaping from the car, Ian goes to make a run for it, but turns forward into a gun pointed at him from some backup police units. Raising his hands slowly, the K9 charges behind him and tackles him to the ground.
Walking into the police station, I’m mostly irritated by the events that have transpired. Not at Ian or Ross, just generally speaking. Seeing them both cuffed to a bench, I take a moment to compose myself before approaching them.
“Ian, Ross,” I say quietly and the two look up at me with a shameful look on their faces before hanging their heads low. “Do you know how much trouble you’d have saved me if you just answered my fucking calls?”
“My phone broke,” Ross protests.
“How’d that happen?” I ask and Ian chimes in.
“He was too chicken to call you about Dolly Waters stealing your plane so he threw it at the ground,” Ian answers.
“Narc,” Ross says quietly in Ian’s direction.
“What about you?”
“I uhhh…” he begins with a stammer.
“I swear he called you!” Ross chimes in.
“Oh I got a missed call but I never talked to him,” I inform him. Ross darts his head in Ian’s direction.
“I distinctly remember hearing you talk to him,” Ross says to the silver haired twink boy.
“I uhhh… it went to voicemail,” Ian admits. “I hung up and just pretended.”
“Why are you guys cuffed anyway?” I ask.
“They think we stole your car,” Ross answers.
With a roll of my eyes, I leave the fellas at the bench and make my way to the desk. A lady cop is on the phone in front of me.
“Excuse me Officer,” I begin and she looks up at me before holding up her palm.
“Girrrl, you KNOW thass riiight,” she says with a laugh.
“Ma’am, I’d really like to clear up the confusion about,” I begin but again she holds up her palm, telling me to wait. With a sigh, I give in, but my anger is starting to increase.
“Naw juss some white boy tryna enforce his privilege!” she emphasizes privilege while darting her eyes in my direction.
Grabbing the phone from her desk, I yank it hard, pulling it from the jack before tossing it to the floor. “How’s that for privilege?” I ask and she looks at me angrily. “Now if you don’t mind,” I begin as a pair of officers approach me from behind with their hands resting gently on their pistols. “I’ve had a long FUCKING day and I’d really FUCKING like to clear up the FUCKING confusion so I can get my ten year old home and in his FUCKING bed, if you don’t FUCKING mind.”
“Sir, let’s calm down,” one officer on my left insists.
“Bitch this ain’t fuckin’ Mayberry,” I say to him. “Take Barney Fife over here and go have some fucking donuts or some shit while I clear up this fucking confusion.”
The lady officer behind the desk nods and the two bloated assholes with badges back off a step. “How can I help you Misterrrrrr….”
“Thaddeus fucking Duke, the owner of the car those two idiots didn’t fucking steal!”
Ross leans over to Ian. "Drinking game: every time Thad says fuck, take a shot." When Thad looks back at him, Ross snaps back up straight.
“What seems to be the problem here?” asks the arresting officer from earlier in the night.
“We’re already up to ten,” Ian says to Ross
“The FUCKING problem…” I begin.
“Drink… write that down,” Ross says quietly to Ian. Ian just laughs.
“Is that you arrested two guys that didn’t do FUCK ALL! Those are MY friends, that had MY car…”
“Twelve,” Ross updates.
“We’re gonna be so hammered,” Ian quips.
“You’re the registered owner?” he asks.
“Are you…” I stop myself. For a moment I pace in circles, trying to stop myself from pulling my own hair out. “Would I FUCKING be here otherwise?”
“Thirteen,” Ian updates.
“Our heads are gonna take a pounding.”
“Problem is,” the Officer begins. “The owner activated Lo-Jack, an anti-theft…”
“I know what the fuck Lo-Jack is dude, it’s MY fucking car!”
“Fourteen,” Ross chimes in.
“Fifteen,” Ian says with a concerned look.
“You’re god damn right its a diplomatic FUCKING license,” I shout out at the officer.
"Sixteen," Ross quickly quips.
"What's a diplomatic license?" Ian asks, Ross just shrugs.
“There’s still the issue of the illegal weapon,” the Officer suggests.
“It’s MY FUCKING gun!”
“Uggghh seventeen shots,” Ian says, his face figuratively turning green at the thought.
“Shit dude,” Ross says as he looks at Ian. “Maybe that’s a bad idea.”
“Gee,” Ian says sarcastically. “What was your first clue?” Ian asks as me and the Officer approach.
“Gentleman,” he says as he uncuffs the two. “You’re free to go.”
Silently still fuming, I head out the back door to the impound lot after paying four hundred some odd dollars to get my car back. Ian and Ross are hot on my heels.
"Puppa! Look!" Ross cries out as we make our way through the backlot. Ross slowly walks over, where he hears a dog whine from the back of another K9 unit. "That's a big fuzzball, he says I like chewing on bad guys, I'm a good boy!"
"Ross," I say with a sigh and coming to a stop. "Are you serious right now? I swear, I thought I knew what A.D.D. was until I met you."
"BARKBARKBARKBARK!" The snarling snout of a German Shepherd sticks through the crack in the window, startling Ross.
"Damnit!" Ross exclaims, falling backwards onto the pavement. Not even helping him up, I just step right over him toward my baby.
Running my fingers along the passenger side body lines of the machine, “Did you miss me?” I ask rhetorically before walking around the backside to the drivers and opening the door.
“Umm how we gonna fit?” Ian asks.
Three men.
Two seats.
Someone’s sittin’ bitch.
Ross lightly pushes Ian toward the car. “You’re smaller, you’ll fit easier.”
With a sigh, Ian climbs into the car and sits on the center console between the two seats, his head extended out of the open roof of the car. Ross squeezes inside and closes the door.
Adjusting the passenger mirror first, I gaze into the rearview and can’t help but laugh.
“Ian my man,” I say as I lay the fob in the cupholder. “That’s a nice shot of your crotch.”
“Ohh heck,” he says quietly.
“Relax, you’re not even showing anything,” I inform him.
“Wait, that's not a compliment, is it?” he asks.
“Not really dude,” Ross chimes in.
Holding the clutch and shifting to neutral, I hit the start button. With a rumble, the R8 Spyder comes to life.
“Welcome back baby,” the female voice of the car says to me. “I’ve missed you.”
“What the…”
“Heck?” Ian finishes off Ross.
I mean his thought, not his… well, you know.
“I’ve missed you too,” I reply to it before turning to the boys. “We like a little foreplay first,” I tell them before turning to adjust my drivers mirror.
“WHAT!
“THE!
“FUCK!?”
Barreling out of the car to look over my missing mirror, I groan in frustration.
“WHO DID THIS?” I cry out to Ian and Ross. Ross just stares at me like a deer in the headlights. Ian looks like he’s about to wet himself.
“Don’t you DARE piss yourself Ian! I have to have my hand between your legs to work the shifter!”
Ross snickers under his breath. The two look at each other and back at me. Slowly, totally unprompted and entirely unplanned, they each raise their hands and instantly, my anger subsides and I can’t help but crack a smile.
Loyalty.
“He’s smiling,” Ross says quietly to Ian.
“I know, what’s that mean?” Ian asks Ross.
“It means,” I begin as I re-enter the car and close the door. “That you two were just willing to sacrifice yourselves for one another and loyalty isn’t something that can be taught."
“So like,” Ross begins.
“You’re not mad?” Ian finishes.
“We mean about,” Ross continues.
“Breaking the mirror?”
“No I’m pissed, but its not such a big deal," I say as I throw the car in first and begin pulling out of the lot. “Good as new in a few days.”
Turning onto the street, I punch the accelerator and the Spyder screeches some tire as we zoom down the road. Shifting backward to third…
“Oh heck that was close,” Ian cries out a little wide eyed.
“We’ve been over this buddy,” I say to him with a smile.
“Yeah,” Ross says with a laugh. “Close to WHAT?”
“Guys I have feelings,” Ian says, feigning sadness.
“Well, don’t get the wrong ones, my hand is already kinda cramped up in there.”