"I'm escaping this world

one step at a time

but all I need first

is a partner in crime" - J.H.

 

Laughter and posh lectures one with another. Gentlemen in suits and ladies in dresses. The environment felt elegant and suffocating in this venue, at least for the seven year old Giotto. He looked adorable in his little suit, at least that’s what everyone said as his father showed him off. His father was the chief of security of the city, wealthy, handsome, widower, everything and anything Giotto could care less of. His most popular trait was his hatred and fear against mutants, beings with supernatural abilities that could surpass animal and machine. The city both feared them and revered them, it was a dividing side. But being a small minority they would only stand out every so often in the news. What his father would never know was that his own son was a mutant with developing powers. Another rub to the head, causing his hair to get messed up caused Giotto to groan and sneak away, away from the strong smelling perfumes and out a door that led to the outside for fresh air, the back parking lot barely lit up by a street lamp and decorated with a few garbage cans. “Stupid party, stupid stuff, stupid dad.” Giotto muttered under his breath as he got his hands in his pockets and kicked around a rock. He hated social events like this. Not only was he ignored, he was used as an item to show off. “Stupid!” He kicked the rock again.

 

Giotto awed at Jesse, chuckling afterwards. “I only get in trouble once in a while!” Giotto cooed. Yes. He was very vulnerable to get in trouble. Unless there was technology around, his powers were useless, and he wasn’t the best fighter. He wasn’t a fighter at all, period. “Jesse, what you want for your birthday? I was thinking of taking you out for a day around the city, just us playing around and doing whatever. There’s this great place where they serve cheese cake and hot chocolate, it’s always very yummy!” Giotto suggested, almost drooling at the thought of chocolate cheesecake. A knock on the door, as one of the security guards wearing a formal white shirt, dress pants and shoes. “Here you are, Mister Rubocrasia. Your father was wondering about you.” The young man spoke. Giotto smiled, waving his hand. “I got tired, so I came here with a friend.” Giotto went on. He was used to security. However the fact that this one was breaking the uniform code did seem…off. “Understood. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just…wished to talk.” The young man said as he stepped in, and closed the door with a lock.

"Yeah f******* right..." Jesse uttered. Giotto got into way more trouble than he should. And ironically Jesse's point was proven as soon as the guard walked in. He saw the other security guards at the front (after all, Jesse WAS thinking of ways to mess with them) so he knew that this random shady motherf******* was full of s***. Lovely. This was not the right night. As soon as Jesse saw the man lock the door, Jesse looked to Giotto.

"Talk my ass..." Jesse uttered to himself, before whispering to Giotto. "Cover your ears." Suddenly, he let out his piercing shriek. The large glass window shattered and Jesse took the opportunity while the man was stunned to grab Giotto by the wrist to drag him and jump right out the window. It was crazy, but honestly what else could he do? Jesse knew creepy motherf****** locking doors, and he was not about that life.

(Jesse be like

Edited September 7, 201510 yr by Aqua7KH

 

Giotto barely managed to cover his ears on time as Jesse let out his signature screech. Sometimes Giotto truly forgot how powerful Jesse’s power was! Next thing he knew Jesse had dragged them both out the nearest broken window in an attempt to escape out of the situation alive. It was then that Jesse’s warnings really reached Giotto’s conscious. “They really…want to kill me?” Giotto muttered to himself. That was another thing to add to the list of new stuff he learned. He stood up, grabbing Jesse’s arm. “We have to hurry back to the party and to my dad!” Giotto suggested. If they did not only would the rest of the guards go after the guy, but he might run away and think twice before attempting it. But they would have to fight for such, as the man jumped out the window and in front of them. “Ow...!!! That wasn’t nice at all!” The man hissed, his hand slowly transforming into sharp blades. “You’re a mutant, huh kid? Why the hell are you protecting this kid? You know what his daddy does to people like us, right? They enter the tower and are never seen again…most likely they are killed or experimented on.” The man cooed, walking closer to the pair. He wasn’t going to let them go that easily.

 

---

The guy

 

 

 

(omfg I love Prototype)

Jesse was not having any of it as soon as the man jumped out of the window.

"We'll get back to him!" Jesse sharply whispered to Giotto, before looking back to the man.

"Yeah I know that!" Jesse shot back. "But who the F*** are you to come over here and try to kill a little boy huh?! On his motherf******* birthday?! I know his daddy is a d***. I want to kill him too! But what that asshole does has nothing to do with who Giotto is! My pops was an asshole too. Total f****** dips***! Racist and everything! But I'm nothing like him! Giotto is my friend so f*** off! If you hate his dad so much then go after him and leave us alone!" Jesse was going off on the man, almost like he was his mother scolding him.

The man stared at Jesse with the coldest of eyes, his expression never changing despite the speech. However at the end he did seemed somewhat impressed. However he wasn't over yet. "Yes. Indeed the child isn't at fault...but do you know the pain that it is for a father to loose his one and only child to a monster?" The man hissed, talking from experience, it seemed. "It's painful. To be told that your child has been taken away...never to be seen again, just because she was different. Just because she was a mutant, she was considered less than human and taken away to the tower...that was twelve years ago." The man hissed. It wasn't the first. Sure hell wasn't the last. The disappearances of mutants were as common as rain and the flu. "I want that horrid man to suffer what WE have!" He screamed, spikes and blades generating from his arms as the security guards began to reach the scene. "Halt! Hands in the air where I can see them!" One of them called, about to draw his gun were it not for the man to shoot out spikes straight at them. Almost in a second he dashed towards Jesse, grabbing him by the neck of the costume before raising him up in the air. "If you insist on getting in the way, you're going down with him!!!" The man hissed, his bladed hand about to slash at Jesse's neck until a loud gunshot rang out. The bullet flew right into the man's neck, just barely missing the jugular vein. The pain had him drop Jesse as he held his wound, feeling the warm blood as he glared at the source. Giotto stood there with eyes full of hate, a gilded gun in his hand. For a second, he looked identical to his father whenever he lost his own control. It was like a little version of the monster that the man, and the city, hated so very much.

Jesse stood protectively in front of Giotto, ready to take any hit. The next few seconds was a complete whirl which ended in red. Blood. The blood of the man. A loud gunshot had rang, which completely stunned Jesse as it rang loudly in his ear. What just happened? He slowly turned behind him see a kid his age with stunning red hair. He looked like Giotto. But it wasn't Giotto... Was it? Jesse slowly looked back and forth between the man and Giotto a few times before grabbing Giotto's wrist once more, and ran off with him. The pure adrenaline that was rushing through Jesse's veins made everything appear slow motion almost.

"F***..." Jesse whispered to himself. "F****..."

 

Giotto didn’t react much. He had shot the man out of pure fear. The moment the man grabbed Jesse, Giotto simply panicked and…well, did what he thought was right. The man wasn’t dead. He was very much alive, screaming as he tried to go after Giotto and Jesse, only to be tackled down by multiple guards, cuffing him and tazing him to keep him from struggling. Giotto simply ran with Jesse, still holding the gilded gun in his hand. They ran to a back alley just a few blocks away from the building, until Giotto finally snapped out of it and grabbed Jesse tight, stopping him as he stopped running. “Jesse we have to go back. You need to go back to Johnny and Mimi and let them know that you’re ok. Sebastian should be able to drive you home safely.” Giotto insisted, not even noticing the single drop of the man’s blood on his cheek. He frowned and chuckled a bit. “Ah, I’m sorry, Jesse. I get into a lot of trouble, don’t I? I’m sorry that you had to get involve in that. Haha.” Giotto said rather sadly, but trying to not be a downer on this one birthday. “You saved me though. Thank you…and I’m sorry about the gun. Dad gave it to me with the watch…I didn’t really think I would use it, but when he grabbed you I got scared.” Giotto explained. Just their luck about it. Then again. He did admit, many people didn’t like his dad. Maybe this was the reason why he was so sheltered. Always and constantly forced to be under his watch. He smiled and laughed a bit at a thought. “Sorry for you being stuck with me!”

Jesse was still completely confused and dazed at the thought of Giotto shooting someone. Giotto couldn't even kill a damn bug. Giotto's talking was only making it worse. With a low grumble, he grabbed Giotto by the shoulders.

"You just shot someone in the throat what the f***." In that instant, Jesse stopped himself from continuing. Giotto shot someone. Okay, he had the balls to protect himself which is good. If Jesse had to, he would shoot someone too. After all, he did try to kill his dad two years ago after being stabbed twice. With a small shake of his head, Jesse grabbed Giotto by wrist once more and began to go to the back of the party.

"Go straight to your dad when we get there. I'll find Johnny and Mimi and we'll get out. No one there can find out who we are." He looked over to Giotto and sighed. Jesse licked his thumb to clean the blood smear on Giotto's cheek. "Capiche? Just tell Sebastian to meet us at the corner of Ports Avenue a few blocks town."

 

Giotto frowned, pouting as he was being scolded. Maybe because he was so sheltered he didn’t have much of a reaction to him shooting someone. Maybe just his senses were a bit dull. But he could feel still, regardless. “C…Capiche. Right, I can sneak us in through one of the back entrances.” Giotto murmured. Today had been one hell of a birthday. At least he wouldn’t forget it. “I’ll text the instructions to Sebastian. Tell Johnny and Mimi I’m sorry for the mess, and that I hope they enjoyed the party.” Giotto said with a small smile, walking with Jesse back to the building. He used his powers to enter through some back doors that usually required passcodes. Following some dark hallways lighted by neon lights and through some curtains, suddenly appearing back in the hall and within the crowd. “Send me a message when you get home. I want to know you guys made it back alright.” Giotto smiled, giving Jesse a goodbye kiss on the cheek. “See ya!” With that, he ran off to find his father, Sebastian getting the car ready for Jesse, Johnny and Mimi.

Jesse slowly shook his head. He was just honestly aggravated not only because Giotto's party was ruined, but also because Giotto didn't opened Jesse's present yet. He really wanted to see Giotto's reaction. Once they got back to the party, Jesse paused momentarily after getting a kiss on the cheek. He wasn't used to that kind of things, let along hugging.

"Y-Yeah whatever..." Jesse uttered. "I-I'll text you and let them know you said sorry..."

 

The guests didn’t seemed alarmed, as the whole thing had been masked by the loud music and overall enjoyment. But murmurs still spread across like wildfire as the guards moved here and there. Giotto made his way through the crowd, and finally spotted his dad. “Dad.” He spoke, and his father turned to him with wide eyes, wrapping his arms around him. “Giotto you’re ok! Thank goodness!” His dad hummed, rubbing Giotto’s head. He sounded genuinely worried, for once. “I heard from the guards, you aren’t hurt, are you? What about your friend?” He asked. “He had to go. I’m fine.” Giotto insisted. “You shot him right?” He asked, then smiled. “You did good.” One guard ran up to the two. “Sir, what should we do with the mutant?” The guard asked. Giotto’s father glared down at the guard. “Take him to the Tower. I’ll personally deal with him later. You can come with me, Giotto.” He hissed. The tone of his voice sent shivers down his spine, yet he didn’t say anything. Sebastian reached Giotto’s text and quickly went off to find Johnny and Mimi. It wasn’t a hard thing to do. Mimi was like a diamond, bringing attention to wherever she went. “Excuse me, your ride home is ready.”

It didn't take long for Jesse to find Johnny and Mimi. Mimi was certainly a diamond, and as soon as Jesse found Mimi he picked her up. Luckily Sebastian found them and showed them to their ride.

"This was a f****** night..." Johnny uttered to himself.

Once they got home and everyone was more or less resting, Jesse called Giotto.

"Hey hotshot..." Jesse uttered. "Sorry I didn't get to open the rest of your bullshit presents with you."

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I didn't heed your warning as seriously as I should have." Giotto answered, sitting in the same room where they were attacked in, only now with guards at every corner. "You and Mimi and Johnny coming over made my day though! I'm really grateful! Though maybe I should try using the blue hair spray again?" Giotto joked. His eyes caught glimpse of a single envelope that didn't had a name on it. It was simple compared to the rest of the gifts, which immediately caught his interest. He opened it up and his eyes glistened at the sight of the presents. Never had he seen bottle caps as pretty as these. The pin was the icing on the cake. It didn't take much for Giotto to make a guess, smiling at the envelope. "Thanks, Jesse. You put up with a lot to be my friend. Thank you."

Jesse instantly shook his head as soon as he heard Giotto talk about the blue hair. Hell no.

"F*** that." Jesse muttered. "Look, you still out like a sore thumb with your ginger ass. Turning your hair blue won't make you look any normal. Yeah people won't recognize you but you'd still look firetruckin' strange. Turn your hair brown or something." Jesse listened for a few more minutes and knew Giotto was opening the present as soon as he heard the envelope being ripped open. His cheeks couldn't help but turn a small shade of red in embarrassment. Jesse looked down.

"Why you thanking me for? I didn't do anything." He uttered.

"Jesse you saved me. That's more than nothing." Giotto insisted, looking at the bottle caps in awe, quickly getting the pin on his clothing so it wouldn't get lost in the move home. "Your present was the envelope, right? I didn't know bottle caps had designs as pretty as this. The pin is amazing too!" Giotto added with genuine amazement. For the child who had it all was always amazed by the smaller and yet beautiful things that life had to offer. "I'm so glad to have met you!" Giotto cooed, smiling as his cheeks flushed shades of pink in utter joy. "You might want to sleep in tomorrow. But call me if you're up for anything? I don't want to end up waking you up all grumpy."

"How do you know it's was me?" Jesse asked, crossing his arms and leaning into the wall as he sat on the ground. He just completely hated getting all mushy and gushy. And hell yeah he wanted to sleep in.

"I'll call you when I'm up. I'm so damned tired from all the s*** that happened tonight. Maybe we could visit Stiles or something I dunno. Beauty wanted to see you too again but I don't know why any sexy lady would want to talk to you."

 

“Maybe she wants to say happy birthday to me too!” Giotto said rather proudly. He smiled and held the envelope close to him. “Good night, Jesse.”

 

-THE NEXT DAY-

 

Giotto got to sleep way later at night, once he was taken home where he opened the rest of his gifts, and set them away in their new rightful places. He had a special place for the bottle caps and the pin, the two residing inside his mom’s music box that always rested next to his Noah’s Ark toy. But now he was a sleepy mess, not even properly sleeping, as he was sprawled on the bed half his body about to fall off the bed. Luckily Sebastian entered just in time to pull the sleeping kid back onto the bed before he fell head first. A prince sleeping within his castle and prison. Around the Gold layer rumors and talk about the wondrous party of Rubocrasia’s son. The Silver layer had rumors and talks of the party, and also of the intruder that had gone past the guards and almost harmed the young heir. The Bronze Layer had rumors here and there, but mostly of the mutant that was now taken away never to be seen again, and how he was almost successful at taking out the child of the red haired owner of the tower. Hansel walked around, his face hiding within his hood. “He was taken to the tower again…” He murmured, looking down at a picture of the same mutant that had startled the party yesterday.

 

"Who is he?" A man only known as Stiles asked, sitting nearby in a chair against a brick wall to his 'office.' He very well heard the rumors of what happened the night before. Stiles wasn't shocked by them either. Still, he didn't approve of killing an innocent child even if he was the son of someone so evil.

"You must be a mutant." Stiles mused, adjusting his reading glasses as he read a book. "I assume you aren't here for a checkup?"

 

Meanwhile Jesse woke up with a low groan. Sleeping in felt great and terrible at the same time. His back utterly hurt like hell. Jesse got up and looked around. Luckily Johnny was still asleep and Mimi was too. Usually Mimi was up at like six in the morning but from the party she was knocked out.

Hansel closed his cellphone and looked up at Stiles. "I'm here to ask you to consider becoming part of our cause. You have a beautiful gift as a mutant. If we are to loose you to the tower we would loose a very important person. You should totally join us to heal our people and some others all around the district. This part you work in is a very small part of something so much bigger. We of course will offer protection, and help you gain some more items that you might need as a doctor." Hansel purred, walking over and handing over a card with his number on it, a single skull on the back. "Trust me. The Skulls are more than what the public lets on. We are...fixing thighs and could use the help. So consider it, alright? After all the son of the devil is a mutant too, so it gives us more of a reason, right?" Hansel asked smiling as he waved and just like that, disappeared.

"More than what the public let on?" Stiles asked, a hint of anger in his tone. "Young man, it was your comrades that brutally tortured a young boy. I had to watch him die in my emergency room from bleeding out and being choked to death from his own bike chain. And why was this? This was because that boy was a mutant. I know your people are divided; those who want to eliminate all mutants and those who want to use them. From that alone I can only say that you're on the wrong side." Stiles lied about Miliani, only to protect him incase any Skull members wanted to finish the job. Stiles continued to talk even after Hansel disappeared. "The Skulls thrive on utter hate. You believe they are to help you but they will only kill you in the end. Many mutant members are only apart of them because they're forced to. I've seen it. Many people come to me in fear of the Skulls and in fear of being treated at an actual hospital due to reports of mutants going missing after going to one. I use my ability and my services to help innocent men women and children in need. You may bring to me your sick and hurt and I will heal them. But I will not use my services to further assist your empire of hatred."

 

“Has the child died? Oh no.” Hansel’s voice echoed, sounding genuinely horrified. “Trust me. The Skulls have gained a bad reputation. However…we know that mutants are more powerful than mortal men. Those of us who are mutants are planning…we are waiting. Soon enough we will transform this group into a haven for mutants, and one day…” Hansel rested his head against Stiles’ shoulder from behind, smiling. “This city will be ruled by a population of mutants, forcing the humans into hiding much like they had done to us.” Hansel said, suddenly disappearing again with a giggle. “Just you wait. We will find a new leader…and he will lead the mutants into power.”

 

Giotto woke up by the insistence of Sebastian, who brought him breakfast in bed. “Has Jesse called me yet?” Giotto asked yawning. “Not yet, Giotto.” Sebastian said as he brushed the young boy’s hair. Giotto felt his hair as it was brushed. “I don’t like my red hair.” Giotto admitted. “Maybe it’s unusual. But I remember how your mother would coo of how beautiful it was.” Sebastian said, hoping it would cheer Giotto up somehow.

 

Stiles slowly shook his head. He did not like the idea one bit. "Oh no is correct." Stiles muttered. "Many mutants have been executed because of your comrades. Most mutants fear the Skulls more than the Tower itself. You claim you'll get a new leader that will lead mutants into victory and into a new empire. But I'm afraid any empire that your people create will be an empire of ignorance." Stiles decided to stop there. He seen the bloodshed. Of both mutant and human. All Stiles wanted was for it to stop. He refused to take any side, for he believed mutants and humans should live together as one. But unfortunately no one else shares the same ideals.

 

Meanwhile Jesse yawned and scratched the back of his head. He decided to call Giotto up to see if he was interested in doing anything.

After breakfast Giotto had fallen asleep sitting up on the bed. It was funny to see him try to play it off like he was awake when he really wasn't. However the phone call blasted music loud enough to wake Giotto from his nap, the boy jumping and quickly scrambling for his phone. "I'm awake!" Giotto said, feeling he needed to say that to lie to himself about it. "Good morning, Jesse!" He quickly followed, rolling on his bed as the sheets covered him up. "Got any plans? I think beauty wanted to see me or something."

Jesse shrugged as he leaned back in his bed. Honestly he had absolutely zero plans for the day. It was shocking actually, since Jesse always had a plan on what he was going to do.

"I don't f****** know." He said, using curse words since Mimi was sleeping. "Everyone's dead tired. Johnny has to go out later though for a job interview at the kid's Bakery. By the way, it sucks I didn't even get to enjoy the food from their catering." He wished he didn't even dance with the girls. Maybe Jesse would've been able to stuff his face with the free food. "Italian food is the s***. And Beauty just wanted to see you again. Still, it's shocking that any chick would want to see a motherf***** like you."

Giotto smiled, quickly getting dressed up for the day. "Maybe she wants to wish me happy birthday. Or maybe she wants to be my girlfriend!" Giotto joked. For one he knew that would never happen. Secondly he saw Beauty more of a motherly example which he had been missing for years. "Well if you're still tired you can rest for a bit longer. I'm going to go see Beauty. She might be working at the bodega. If she's not there I'll check Eden." Giotto explained, making his way down the balcony as he usually did. "Then I can help you babysit Mimi while Johnny goes to the interview." Giotto cooed as he went off, hurrying to find Beauty, starting at the bodega.