Chapter Text
The man currently known as Chadwick Curtis was sitting on a park bench reading the paper and listening to the sounds of the birds chirping and the children playing. The shrieking of delight was so different from the screams of terror. The warmth of the sun on his arms was so different from the burning heat of a bomb at his back. The anger in a parent’s voice as they ordered their child to get off the jungle gym for the fifth time because they were late, was so different from the cold rage in a soldier’s voice as they ordered dozens of men to die because it would be worth it to kill even one of those monsters on the other side.
Doing the work he does, and living the life he’d lived, the war grew into something eternal. The shelling never ended. The anger never ended. The horror and loss and devastation-
It was nice to sit outside. To see life that the war had never touched. Even if it never ended for him, he would shield these young boys and girls from its ugly cruelty.
His own son was older now. He was a grown man. He’d lived a lifetime while Curtis thought he was dead. He’d fought in the war, gone to school, fallen in love, graduated from college, celebrated the announcement of his soon-to-be fatherhood, mourned the loss of his wife, and raised a little girl all alone for five years.
According to the reports he’d read, his son had changed his name to “Loid Forger.” Even after treaties had been signed, the hostility between East and West would have prevented him from working as a doctor in any Ostonian hospital. The east were leaps and bounds ahead of Westalis when it came to medical advancements and his son, once a soldier, had now dedicated his life to the art of healing others.
Curtis had no right to be proud, but he was. His boy was out there ending the war for so many people who thought it would never end because it had pocked their minds the way it had pocked the earth. He was not ignorant to the bomb craters in his mind, carved by the enemy, or the fox holes and trenches, dug bit by bit with his own two hands.
The war would never end for him. But he would keep it from ever resuming for his son or starting for his granddaughter.
Anya.
Three weeks ago he hadn’t even known she existed. The records showed his hometown had been destroyed in the first shelling so he didn’t protest when Ostonia had him pull out and return to their side. He knew he’d have to leave them eventually, feeding information to the other side while also keeping his family fed had worked for a while, but eventually something would have to give and he knew what it would be. He’d always known.
His family would live in a peaceful home, even if it wasn’t a happy one.
Then Westalis bombed their own town so they’d have an excuse to kill Ostonians.
Their town.
It had been so long, he hardly remembered the smell that hit him as soon as he walked through the front door. Or the sound of his wife’s greeting or the feeling of her lips pressed against his cheek. A promise of more later, when their son was asleep.
Their son.
He’d not once forgotten his face.
Anya must favor her mother a great deal, but there was so much of “Loid” in her too. When she’s shocked or focused she has the same expression as her father. She hates studying and is a terrible liar and wants a toy pistol with a silencer. Why children play war games, he’d never understand. Maybe he had once, but he hadn’t been a child in a very long time.
Which brought him to the park. Normally, he would just walk by or sit at an outdoor table at the cafe across the street, finishing the crossword puzzle with purposeful lethargy.
But today was different. According to his calculations, soon, something would come a long and brighten his day, week, life, considerably.
Yesterday, Yuri complained loudly about having to watch his niece so “Loidy” and his precious/perfect/angelic sister could go on a date. Apparently their usual sitter was busy. Chadwick made a mental note to look into who their regular baby sitter was. They would need to be properly vetted to ensure they could safely look after his granddaughter.
(Somewhere across the city Franky felt a shiver go down his spine.)
When Chloe suggested to Yuri that he make an excuse and then the two would have to stay home with their kid, the hothead started screaming about how his sister deserved a break from watching someone else’s kid and the munchkin wasn’t totally entirely terrible in short doses.
Even a novice could tell he had grown attached to the girl.
Yuri had confided in him the night of the Red Circus bus jacking, that he had experienced something unexpected.
“I thought I was just worried about how sis would react. I mean, objectively, one less person taking up her time and energy would be a good thing for me, but probably not for her. Yor loves people too easily and too much to ever be okay with losing them. We’re different in that way.” Yuri said it like a confession. Like being different from his sister made him wicked rather than better suited for a different job. Like caring slowly and tentatively made him bad. The kid had problems, a lot of problems, but he wasn’t bad. “But then, when they were barely done finishing the dressing, I kind of got shot a little by the way,” Curtis was well aware. It was why he’d come in the first place rather than calling it a night. Yuri was all passion and single minded focus. He wasn’t going to let anything stop him until he was sure his niece was safely home. He’d run all the way to the scene of the incident before the field agent’s had fully finished his stitches. Looking at the broken down bus in the light of the street lamps likely wasn’t as reassuring as the young man would have liked.
Yuri’s voice got tighter.
”Somebody said, shame his niece is on the other bus. And I knew what SOP would be for them and I knew that in broad daylight, with eyes watching, they’d make an example out of those monsters and if the munchkin was collateral damage then her blood was on the kidnappers hands for taking her in the first place. I ran here as fast as I could but it was already over. Simmons gave me the reports. I read them before you got here. It’s good work. Very detailed. Infuriatingly detailed. She could have got out of that bus but she refused! That idiot! She was grabbed and held at gunpoint and our sniper was about to take his shot even though it might have killed her and-” Yuri dropped his head into his hand and said with more confusion than fear, “I don’t get it. She’s so annoying. But when I picture the world without her....I feel so angry.”
Curtis sat down next to him. It must be confusing for someone who has only ever loved or been loved by one person to start to expand their circle of care. What he felt for his sister was devotion, worship almost. It made sense to love her.
But kids? Messy, noisy, rude, immature by their very nature? Taking and taking just to survive and giving nothing in return? It’s hard to imagine what loving an imperfect thing might feel like.
“You sure it’s anger?” Anger is a secondary emotion. Other things come first. Fear, sorrow, greif. “Give yourself a little time. Maybe go visit her more. You’ll figure it out. Come on. My place isn’t far. I’ll finish those stitches you ripped out.”
Curtis had never learned how to love his son in a way that looked anything like love in the eyes of a child. He hoped Yuri would get that chance.
Chadwick was shaken from his reminiscing by a giggling kid and an irate voice shouting,
“Slow down! If you fall and break your twig arms I’m gonna laugh so hard!”
A head of pink hair darted past him toward the playground. He kept his eyes from following her as Yuri speedwalked past.
Dumb kid. He acted like he’d been an only child all his life and suddenly had to share with a new baby sister.
Still, it was nice to see he’d taken his advice-
Two shadows passed him, steps almost in sinque, perfectly polished shoes with the tread worn down to limit footprints, a bulge on the back of the waistband under their jackets about the size of a 35 revolver. His eyes lifted to look back across the park. One sitting at the bench across from him feeding the birds, one in a van with the keys in the ignition, and one in the phone booth tying up the line. Five in total. Their goal was as certain as it was chilling.
Kidnapping.
He stood from where he’d been pretending to read the paper and placed himself between the van and the park, blocking the getaway driver's vantage point. He tipped up his hat and flashed his sunglasses so they would catch the light.
Yuri glanced his way for half a second before doing a subtle double take. Briar was clever. As soon as he recognised him he took stock of the area, seeing what he’d seen.
Hopefully he’d stay calm and-
Yuri cussed loudly and scooped Anya up off a cement and spring rocking duck and loudly declared,
“What? You’re about to have an accident!?” Before bolting down the street.
Chadwick cursed as four of the would-be kidnappers hurried after him. He kept his pace brisk but far enough behind them that they wouldn’t think to turn around and see who was chasing them.
A dog chasing cats, chasing a mouse. Wasn’t there a nursery rhyme like that? His wife had always been better with lullabies.
Yuri darted into an ally just ahead.
He’d decided to fight them then, even with a child in his arms. Curtis would have to scold him for that later.
Curtis blocked the exit to the street just as two of the crooks tried to escape that way.
Yuri stood with murder in his eyes, Anya in one arm, a lead pipe in the other, and two unconscious bodies at his feet.
They looked up at him in terror and he realized that his own expression was likely pretty murderous as well. He could usually mask his feelings better than that.
“Sit.” He ordered.
The man fell to his knees immediately but the woman tried to make a break for it. He caught her by the back of her collar and threw her one handed back against the brick ally wall. She bounced a few times before landing on the pile near Yuri.
“Nice one Captain!” Yuri exclaimed.
“Yeah!” Anya added. “She went whoosh bam-bam-bam-bam! So cool!”
Yuri looked down at her and exclaimed,
“Wh- I told you to close your eyes ya little brat!”
“But Unckie was so cool too! The coolest!”
Yrui blushed and muttered something that was probably childish before huffing,
“Whatever. Let’s get you home.” He stepped over the bodies easily before freezing.
‘Wait, I’m supposed to fill out the paperwork when I initiate an arrest. Maybe the Captain could- no. These people tried to kidnap my niece. I’m not letting them get away on a technicality. Maybe if I hint that they might be involved in espionage, I’ll get to interrogate them! I mean, they probably are. They must know I’m with the state police. Why else would they target some random psychologist’s daughter?’
Chadwick knew what SOP and likely what was running through Yuri’s head.
“I’ll take her. She should be here and I can make sure she gets home safely. You’ve had me look into her father enough that I know the way.” He offered.
Anya thought,
‘Woah! Can Secret Grandpa read minds too?! Can you read my mind! Secret Grandpa!’
For a second, Yuri held her a little tighter, not wanting to let her go.
‘He’s right. I can’t keep her here. It’d blow my cover and she would definitely tell Sis, yappy little chuwawa couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it- why is she smirking at me?!’
“Yeah, okay. Just....”
“I’ll be careful.” Curtis swore.
Yuri set Anya down and said,
“Hey, this is my friend from work. You met him once before at a dinner party. You remember him?”
“Ahuh! Anya remembers! He’s super nice and kind of scary! Like Mama!”
Curtis was surprised she remembered him, surprised she liked him, and even more surprised she seemed excited to go with him. He didn’t exactly look like a warm, nurturing, kid-friendly person.
Anya reached up with an open hand and it took him a moment to realize she wanted him to hold it, not give her the gun he had in his shoulder holster. She looked up at him like he was the coolest person in the world and Yuri scolded,
“Do you always just go with whoever?! Jeez, you can’t just-”
Anya deadpanned over her shoulder,
“Unkie. You said he’s a safe person.”
“Any normal kid would be freaking out right now!”
“I knew Unkie would keep me safe.” She said with a shrug.
‘There’s that feeling again. Like I want to scoop her up and stomp on these guys’ heads until their skulls caved in for trying to take her away.’
“Fine. But just your parents or I get to tell you who’s a safe person, got it?”
Anya sighed and tugged on Chadwick’s hand to get him to exit the ally.
“Unkie thinks too much.”
“Hey!”