Chapter Text
Billy walked the streets of Philadelphia, lost and confused by all the new things surrounding him. He still wore his hospital gown, which gained him weird looks from other people as he walked. On the bottom of his gown, a corner was singed from the explosion back at the lab.
His feet tensed up with every step not used to the harsh sidewalk pavement. His whole body was full of goosebumps, and his eyes became watery, not used to the sharp frigid air from the December temperature. Billy continuously wiped his eyes, attempting to stop the liquid that left them.
Billy still couldn't believe that he got away, but now that he was out in the real world, he was scared, confused, and in over his head. He didn't know where to go or even what everything was. Every block revealed something new and interesting, but when he reached an old shopping center, he stopped.
Something had caught his eye, a black and white object that blared a loud noise and flashed red and blue lights. This object sat in front of a pawnshop that had its alarm set off recently.
Billy slowly made his way to the strange object, he wasn't frightened by it, but it did intrigue him. And the flashing lights and siren sounded better than anything he heard at the lab.
As he got closer, a white bag reading "Geno Steaks" that had two yellow looking items sticking out. The bag smelled terrific, and to Billy, this aroma was something he'd never smelled before, and it excited him. Billy knew he needed this bag, but as Billy reached for the bag, a loud noise startled him.
"Hey, Kid!"
Billy backed his hand away and looked at the bag in confusion, unsure why it yelled at him.
"Kid! Get away from the car!"
Billy heard the noise again and thought it came from the bag until he saw movement out fo the corner of his eye. When he looked over, he saw two police officers coming out of the Pawnshop one male and one female.
Billy looked at the male officer with fear in his eyes. The officer looked angry just as Papa did when he failed his tests.
"Hold it, kid!" The officer yelled as he got closer.
Billy knew he had to do one thing. Run.
He grabbed the bag of steaks and took off.
The officers came around to the side of the car Billy was on ready to grab the kid and take him down to the station, but instead a massive gust of wind shot leaves and trash in their faces.
When their vision cleared, Billy was gone.
The officers stared at each other in bewilderment before the Male officer muttered, "He stole my lunch."
(Line Break)
You know how Freddie loved to say, "Shit." Well, that's the perfect way to describe his day. Waking up late and then getting to school just in time for the Bryer Brothers to comment on his breath from not brushing his teeth because he woke up late. Then the bullies shoved his head in a toilet and gave him a wedgie.
They eventually let him go, but he ended up being late to homeroom, where he got lectured in front of everyone for being late.
The rest of the school day went as smoothly as it could for Freddie after the morning he had, so when the dismissal bell rang, it was music to the raven-haired boy's ears.
Freddie made his way through the crowd of eager kids just as excited as he was to leave school for the day. Kids bumped into him, almost knocking him over at times, but Freddie's used to this as it comes with being a disabled kid since you move slower than everyone else.
When Freddie made it outside, he took a sigh of relief happy to be out of the stuffy school, but he needed some time alone, so he brushed right past his siblings who were eagerly waiting for him so they could walk home together.
"Freddie, where are you going?" Mary called as he walked past.
"For a walk, I'll see you back home," Freddie called back without looking back towards the group.
Freddie's sibling may have called him again, but he didn't hear them too wrapped up in his thoughts. And since he was busy thinking, he didn't hear nor see the Ford pickup that came hurtling into him.
Freddie fell hard onto the snow-covered sidewalk, hearing two car doors open then close. Two boys came out and observed the dent on the side of their Truck.
"You going to pay for that, Freeman?" The one boy asked, looking down at Freddie.
Freddie looked up and saw the Bryer brothers smirking at him. "Shit." Freddie thought
"Sure, do you guys take these?" Freddie asked, flipping both bullies the Bird.
"You think you're a comedian?" Burke, the stockier one asked.
"Kind of?" Freddie joked awkwardly.
Both boys smirked before hosting Freddie up by his jacket and slamming him into the wall behind him. Freddie grimaced as his back collided with the wall.
Next, Brett, the lankier one, yanked Freddie's crutch away, making his bad leg buckle. Brett then took the end of the crutch and slammed it into Freddie's stomach, causing immense pain for the disabled boy.
Both bullies began kicking Freddie leaving his crutch lying next to him. Freddie attempted to cover-up, hoping to lessen the blows, but his defensive attempt did little.
After a few kicks and punch's to Freddie's body, Burke grabbed him by both arms and dragged him down a nearby alley.
Burke let him go before cracking his knuckles, "You know Freeman, I'm surprised you're alone and not with your fake family?"
Brett laughed, before adding to his brother's insult, "Did they get tired of you and throw you out like the piece of shit you are?"
Freddie didn't respond; he knew it was hopeless. He just hoped the beating would end soon so that he could move on with his shitty day.
Billy found a quiet place where he could enjoy his steaks alone. And when Billy bit into the cheesesteak goodness, he was in bliss never tasting something this good before in his life.
He inhaled both sandwiches before licking his fingers and enjoying the salt and melted cheese on them. As Billy did this, though, he heard a scream.
Billy cocked his head, listening for the sound again. He heard the same scream a few seconds later, so he stood up and followed the source of the noise.
Billy didn't have to go far before he found who the scream belonged to, he watched as two high school boys dragged another boy in a fluffy hat and a blue jacket into an alley.
Billy crossed the street, curious to see what the boys were doing. He hid behind a pickup truck and waited a few seconds before peering over the Truck and looking at the group of boys.
The two high schoolers stood over the boy in the blue jacket, and they were talking to him. They mentioned something called a "Fake Family."
Billy had no idea what either word meant, but he knew neither sounded good and the way the boys said it scared him. Their tone of voice was the same when the orderly's at the lab called him a Freak.
Billy knew he needed to help this boy, and he needed to help him right now. So he walked around the Truck and stood at the entrance of the alley, glaring at both bullies.
"Hey!" Billy shouted.
Both bullies turned around and looked at Billy in confusion and excitement.
Both thought, "Another loser. Perfect."
Billy glared right into both boy's eyes, hoping to come off as brave, but his hands were shaking, showing he was afraid.
Billy grabbed Freddie's attention as well, and Freddie was just as confused as the Bryer's, but he wasn't excited he was worried about the health of Billy.
The Bryers turned back to Freddie and questioned him about Billy, "Do you know the Freak? Is he apart of your fake family?"
Freddie was about to answer before Burke kicked him in the stomach, preventing him from doing so. Freddie wanted to tell Billy to run and save himself.
"Stop it!" Billy yelled, desperately.
Burke and Brett whipped their heads back at Billy, "Shut up, Freak!" Brett called out.
"Let's get em," Brett said, turning towards his brother before turning back to Freddie, "Don't move."
Freddie couldn't if he wanted to his crutch was still out on the sidewalk by the pickup.
Brett and Burke marched over to Billy, towering over him as they doubled him in height and muscle.
"So, you think you're a hero and a big man?" Burke taunted.
Billy continued to glare at the boys unfazed by their insults.
"What's wrong with him?" Brett asked his brother. "Is he mute or something?"
"Who cares, let's kick his ass," Burke said.
Burke went to grab him, but before he could even lay a finger on him, he got punched in the gut. Burke was bent over as he gasped for air since Billy's punch knocked the wind out of him.
"What the fu-" Brett muttered.
Freddie stared at Billy with wide eyes.
Burke tried to rise, but before he could, Billy punched him in the chest, which sent him flying back towards Freddie, where he landed on a pile of trash bags inside a dumpster. A loud boom could be heard as Billy's fist collided with Burke's chest.
Before Brett could even react to what Billy did to his brother, Billy grabbed his arm, twisting it before throwing him into the wall.
Freddie twisted himself around, trying to get a view of the Bryer brothers, who were now in pain as they lied in a dumpster and on the ground. Freddie couldn't believe what Billy just did throwing two high school seniors who played on the football team around like a bunch of ragdolls.
When Freddie turned back towards Billy, he let out a yelp scared by his crutch being right in his face. Freddie took his crutch and thanked Billy.
Freddie began to try and stand up, but before he even reached his knees, Billy grabbed his back, hauling him up.
"Whoa, dude! How'd you do all that?" Freddie asked, standing on his two feet in front of his new strange friend.
Before Billy could answer, both fourteen-year-olds heard a small crash from the back of the alley. Burke and Brett were getting up, and they looked pissed.
Billy stepped in front of Freddie, shielding him as he glared at both bullies.
Brett was the first to gather himself as he stared back at Billy, "Your dead Freak! You hear me. You're dead!"
Billy continued glaring before his fists lit up in electric blue.
"Holy shit!" Burke yelled as he stood up next to his brother. Both Brothers stared at Billy wide-eyed as they tried to process what was happening.
"Shit," Freddie said as he watched in amazement and allowed over a hundred superhero thoughts go through his head.
"C'mon dude, let's get out of here!" Burke yelled at his brother. Both Bryer brothers tripped over each other as they scrambled back into their Truck in fear of what Billy had just shown them.
Freddie watched his tormenters run and could only smile as they ran into their car and sped off down the road. Freddie thought, "Finally, Victory!"
Once the Bryer's were gone, Freddie turned to his new friend and watched the electricity leave his fingertips and go into his skin. Freddie stared wide-eyed and held a grin that resembled a kid on Christmas morning.
A million questions ran through his head, but he only asked the biggest one, "Who are you?"