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DEB

 

I swear if Michael wasn’t my son, I’d have told his mother to beat the brat. He’s been whining for over a month about the destruction of his fucking Captain Astro first edition. I wish I hadn’t looked in the envelope when it was dropped off. Michael would have ignored it because he never checks the mail unless it’s something he ordered. Of course sooner or later he would have been looking for the fucking thing. 

 

I ended up having to quit the diner when the manager would only schedule me four hours from 12 midnight to 4 AM on weeknights. He said it was the only time customers might not know I’m the one on the video that went viral. No one at PFLAG wanted me to come to meetings any longer, so I was stuck listening to my son act as if the world ended the day Captain Astro came torn to pieces. He didn’t go to work for a week. Now his boss is investigating Michael because cashiers weren’t short on any shift during the week Michael was gone. We are barely scraping by and he wants a new fucking comic. 

 

I walk in the house tired from working at the convenience store. I swear, assholes on beer runs suck worse than princesses and queens at the diner. My new boss told me that if I was on that meant on my feet, not sitting on on my ass. So coming in to see Lindsay sitting on my couch was not a welcome sight.

 

“What the fuck do you think you're doing here?” I tell her.

 

“Hello to you too, Deb. As to what I’m doing, I’m trying to save all our asses.” She tells me.

 

“Like I would believe you. More like trying to save yourself.” I tell her.

 

“Of course, but Michael is the one who could get in the most trouble. Judges don’t look as kindly on someone who attempted to murder someone else, as a woman who didn’t tell where a runaway eighteen year old brat disappeared to.” She tells me.

 

“There’s no proof anything happened, it’s Justin’s word against Michael’s.” I tell her.

 

“Then most likely they’ll find another way to punish him. Justin and the gang seem to be out for blood.” She tells me.

 

“Did they manage to put poor Lindsay down?” I sneer at her.

 

“Not yet, but right now Lindsay is poor and you and Michael are going to help poor Lindsay out.” She tells me.

 

“Not fucking likely.” I tell her.

 

“Deb, do you really want me to take all the receipts for the money Michael sent me to Big Q. I’m sure his boss could match transactions to missing money at the Big Q. I mean in the beginning Michael was sending money everyday, so the amounts probably equal the amounts the store was reporting missing. Can’t have little Mikey in jail now can we?” She smirks at me.

 

 

The bitch was smiling at me, while threatening my son. Well two could play at this game. 

 

“We wouldn’t want Brian to know who was fucking the PI, now would we?” I ask her.

 

“Like it fucking matters anymore now that Brian has Justin back. Seriously, you and Michael must share the same brain cell, because neither of you understand how to play the game. Now I’m going up to your spare room and get some sleep, tomorrow I need some money to get some new things, don’t even try to skip out on the cash Deb. Tell Michael I’m holding Astro Turd hostage unless he comes up with some money.” Little miss marches her ass upstairs and slams the door.

 

Michael comes out of the closet in his pajamas and sits on the couch. He starts fiddling with his computer, not saying a word.

 

“What were you doing in there?” I ask him. 

 

“Lindsay came in when I was doing my blog, and when she went upstairs without saying anything I jumped up and hid in there.” He tells me. 

 

“Michael we need to figure out how to deal with Lindsay. Could you stop messing with that?” I ask him. 

 

“What do you want me to do? I can't steal anymore money from the Big Q. My boss is watching me. Lindsay is right, all she did was keep quiet about Justin, well she did help me get rid of the pipe, when I brought it with me, but I don’t think she'd get in trouble for that, would she? I'm the one who hit him and left him in the alley in New York, thinking I killed him.” He tells me. 

 

“I need to find someone who could tell us. Lawyers cost money, which we don't have.” I tell him. 

 

“At least you'll be okay, the only thing you ever did was get credit cards in Vic’s name after he died, but that was a couple years ago so they would have done something by now right?” He asks me. 

 

I sit down next to him and look at the monitor. I smile at the image of me and Michael sitting together. Maybe we're worried over nothing.

 

“I'm going to bed son, but hopefully we'll figure out something tomorrow.” I tell him.   

 

I needed to find out if Michael could get in trouble for what he did, but the only person I could ask might not talk to me. All I can do is try, and hope Mel will at least answer my questions. Hypothetically of course. I look down at Michael pulling his mask down and talking into his computer, that boy is strange sometimes.

 

BRIAN

 

I got up to get ready for work. It had been great to take time off but it was time to let Ted have a life too. I turned to see Jewel cuddled next to Justin and Aidan on his back. Gus wanted to stay with Mel this week and since everything had been going well with her, we allowed it. I walked over and kissed Justin’s neck and then gave Aidan’s puckered lips a kiss.

 

“Bye Dad.” Aidan whispers.

 

“See you for lunch, little man.” I whisper back.

 

All plans were put on hold until Max stopped having to puke all day. Emmett wouldn’t let Max get on a plane until they had their first doctor’s appointment. Max seemed to think Emmett was an expert on all things baby, so they were waiting for the first appointment in two more days then coming back here to help.

 

I got to the office and grabbed coffee before taking on the pile on my desk. Ted was standing next to Cynthia’s desk looking at the screen with a silly grin.

 

“Hey, what’s got your attention?” I ask them both.

 

“An idiot named Michael Novotny.” Ted tells me.

 

“What’s he doing now?” I ask them.

 

“Apparently he has a video feed where he talks about all things Captain Astro. Why didn’t you tell me Justin tore up his Captain Astro first edition.” Ted smirks at me.

 

“Is he telling the world about it?” I ask him.

 

“Well he’s telling his five followers, one being us.” Cynthia tells us.

 

“You know you want to watch.” Ted tells me.

 

I walk around the desk to see Michael wearing his Captain Astro pajamas and a mask. Ted restarts the video.

 

“This is your Captain M coming to you from Planet Liberty. I am calling for all the fans of the biggest hero the world has ever known to unite with me to bring down the man who destroyed my first edition Captain Astro. I want to meet at my lair to discuss plans on bringing the man to justice for the travesty of harming a one of a kind comic. Send me an email if you are willing to help me get my revenge for Captain Astro.” 

 

“Is he for real?” Cynthia asks laughing.

 

“That’s Mikey for you.” I tell her.

 

“He posts every day, we were just looking at the first one.” Ted tells me.

 

“Did he ever get any more followers?” I ask because people will watch people make fools of themselves.

 

“He picks up a few here and there but has around ten hits at the most on any of them. There's about fifty of the videos.” Ted tells me.

 

“Tell Max about it, he’ll probably like writing comments about all things Mikey while Emmett keeps him in bed for the next eight or so months.” I tell them.

 

“I still can’t believe Emmett got Max pregnant.” Ted tells me.

 

“The world is full of strange shit Ted.” I tell him.

 

I go back to my office and start clearing off my desk so I can get home to my family. Justin and I discussed letting Max and Emmett get married first and we could follow a few weeks later. Emmett want to marry his babydaddy soon. Max just seems happy to be a dad finally.

 

MAX

 

I was kind of bored with sitting at my desk but Emmett and Elaine wouldn’t let me do a whole lot. It most likely has to do with the fact that I feel like I have motion sickness twenty four seven. With just normal gallery things going on I was bored out of my mind. Emmett was holding all plans until my doctor cleared my pregnant ass. I was just too happy about the baby to care. I just wanted something to do. 

 

When my phone rang, I jumped for joy. It was a chance to talk to 

someone, other than myself. Since it was Kinnetik maybe Brian would entertain me.

 

“Hello it's Max, please tell me you have juicy gossip or just want to dish some dirt, I'm desperate to be entertained.” I say.

 

“Hey, you sound in desperate need of something to do.” Ted tells me. 

 

“As long as I don't get up, lift or well anything but sit in my chair, I don't puke, so Emmett suggested sitting in my chair.” I tell him. 

 

“Brian thought you might like to watch Michael’s blog about Justin tearing up his Captain Astro comic. You could leave comments for him, it’s something. Plus it's actually funny to watch.” He tells me. 

 

“Please tell me he isn't getting hundreds of hits, the guy could become famous for being an idiot.” I tell him. 

 

“I think ten people watched them but no one is forwarding them. Cynthia said she's sending you the link. Have fun.” Ted laughs.

 

It was something to do, at least I could comment on it. I pulled up the email and click the link. They weren't joking, he posted fifty videos. I figured I'd start from the beginning and work my way through. After watching the first one, I started comments.

 

“Love the jammies, but I think the five year old wants them back.”

 

Not brilliant, but brilliance would come. I click on the next one.

 

“Max, what are you doing?” Emmett asks me. 

 

“Watching Captain Novotny’s blogs, the guy has serious issues.” I tell him. 

 

“Michael is blogging?” He asks me. 

 

“He started when Justin sent Captain Astro back in pieces.” I tell him. 

 

“I can just imagine the whining heard all over Pittsburgh.” He tells me. 

“You don’t have to imagine, he posted it. Ted said most have maybe ten hits, he couldn’t even get famous for being an idiot.” I tell him. 

 

“How do you see how many hits?” He asks me. 

 

“He posted on YouTube so it's listed as the views on the bottom of each link.” I tell him. 

 

“See the ten views on this one.” I show him number two.

 

“What does the k next to the second to the last one mean?” He asks me. 

 

“Guess he finally got people to follow him.” I look to see it's close to three thousand.

 

“Must be something people liked or thought was funny.” He tells me. 

 

I click it to see Michael once again in costume. It starts the same with him calling himself Captain M. 

 

“Kind of boring like the last one.” I tell him. 

 

We keep watching to see why others were watching and then see him get up and walk away. 

 

“Why would people watch this?” Emmett asks me. 

 

I shrug but keep it on, then I see Lindsay pass up on the stairs and Michael run to the closet.

 

“Guess he likes being in the closet everywhere, not just at work.” Emmett tells me. 

 

Nothing happened until Lindsay sits in front of the screen and starts playing with her make up.

 

“What's she doing?” Emmett asks me. 

 

“Some bloggers put themselves on the screen to see how it looks while they're doing it. Michael must have done it, it looks likes she's checking out her makeup.” I tell him. 

 

“Can’t you fast forward it or something? It's creepy the faces she makes.” He asks me. 

 

I move the bar that indicated the video was close to an hour and a half long. We stop to see Deb argue with Lindsay. I back it up so we can figure out what was going on. When Michael gets back on by himself, I reached for the phone. I told Jay they would shoot themselves in the foot, just didn’t think it would be on YouTube. 

 

 

 


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