Outlaw Star Fan Fiction ❯ Trouble, with a capital A ❯ Scumbag, meet Brat ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Bedraggled and disgusted, Gene waited for the next interrogation. He shifted on the hard plastic bench, wincing when the unnecessarily tight cuffs pinched his left wrist. A young boy with shaggy sandy hair and wide blue eyes looked at him through the glass and picked up the phone.
"Hey mister, whatcha in here for?"
Gene picked up the receiver. "Something I didn't do."
"Yeah. You and everyone else."
"I'm telling you I didn't do anything! What's a baby like you doing here?"
"I'm not a baby!"
"You and all the other babies."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"I'll bet you're that scumbag who iced that lady that works with my dad!"
"Huh?"
"Yeah, Althea. She was my dad's partner. I heard Police talking to him, and they said it was a red-headed punk."
"Oh, now I get it. No wonder why you're such a brat."
"Whaddya mean?"
"Your dad is a big-shot business guy, right? You must have tons of money!"
"Mind your own business."
"Then leave me alone, you started it."
"Fine, Mr. Murderer!"
"Wait a minute! I didn't do it! I found a bunch of blood spattered in her bedroom and on the curtains and I ran out looking for her! Besides, there isn't a body."
"If you didn't do it, what were you doing in her bedroom, hmm?"
"You're too young to understand."
"Sex? With Althea? Gimme a break. She doesn't like men."
Gene blushed and sweat-dropped. "Yeah, whatever kid. What would you know about it?"
"I have my sources. So if you were there, and she disappeared and left behind lotsa blood, how come you didn't notice anything happening?"
"None of your business, kid!"
"In other words, you didn't hear or see a thing. And stop calling me kid."
"Yeah? What are ya gonna do about it?"
The young boy whipped out a computer and began typing. "For one thing, I would be able to change your arrest record and keep you in here forever."
"You can't do that, you don't even know my name!"
"Watch me, Gene Starwind."
"How did you…? Never mind. Ok, ok. She made me wait in the main room and she wouldn't let me touch her. I was getting all pissed off when she didn't come back so I went looking for her. That's when I found the blood."
"It doesn't add up. If you're telling the truth about Althea, her girlfriend sure wouldn't like it."
"Girlfriend? Is she cute?"
"Jesus, what an idiot! No wonder why you're in here!"
"Shut up!"
"If that's what you want, I can just go back to my computer."
"Damn you! What do you want?"
"For one thing, you can quit calling me kid!"
"How 'bout shrimp?"
"Now you're pushing it!"
"Pee-wee?"
Jim began to turn purple and turned back to his computer.
"Ok, ok. What should I call you?"
The boy looked askance at Gene. "Ok, I'll bite. You can call me Genius."
"What? If that's how you're gonna be, I'll just call ya kid."
"Fine! It's Jim."
"Ok, Jim. What's this about Althea having a girlfriend?"
Jim sighed and put away his computer. "Althea's girlfriend is Rosa. She's the head of an organization called F.E.M.A.L.E.."
"What kind of group is that? Can I join?"
Jim glared at him. "God, stop thinking with your dick and listen, ok? Can't you ever take anything seriously? F.E.M.A.L.E. stands for Feminist Enlightenment Movement Against Living Erections. They're a radical political group whose main goal is to either kill or lock up men that enjoy exploiting women for their bodies."
"Sheesh! I guess I'm lucky to be alive. That doesn't sound like a nice thing to do! Why's your dad working with her?"
Jim blushed and shifted on the bench. "He's gay. He's got a boyfriend about your age- Fred Luo. I don't know what they're doing together."
"Eeesh! So how come you're talking to me?"
"I wanted to see for myself what you're like."
"And?"
"And what?"
"What do you think of me? I know I'm awesome!"
"Whatever! You couldn't possibly have done it- you're not thinking with the right head."
"I don't know whether to thank you or slap you! Well, at least you believe me. No one else does!"
"Well, they're not as smart as I am!"
"James Hawking!" A tall, whippet-thin man with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes strode down the hall. He glared at Gene, and seized Jim fiercely by the wrist. "What the hell are you doing talking to HIM?"
"I just wanted to see the bastard who killed Althea for myself!" Jim spat, but winked at Gene.
"Well, you just keep away from him! Come along! Now!" Jimmy Hawking roughly hauled his son down the hall.
"Poor kid."

*****************

Jim lay curled up with the computer in his secret spot in the garden, high up in the broad, flat crotch of an ancient tree He grew still when he heard the familiar click-click of a woman's high-heeled shoes and the low dull clack of his father's step. Jim held his breath as their conversation drifted up.
"Jimmy, I want that bastard dead! I can't believe that he was able to kill her!" Rosa choked on her own venom.
"Now, now, Rosa. I know dear. Shhhh, come here." Jimmy pulled her into a fatherly embrace and patted her hair. "It's ok to cry. Let it all out. We'll make sure that Gene Starwind pays for what he's done."
"T-t-thanks, Jimmy. I can't believe that I'm such a wreck when I need to be strong."
"Well, that's what friends are for, dear. Come along, now." The clacking of their shoes faded away. Jim relaxed and was soon absorbed with his computer, and almost failed to hear the soft rustling beneath. Jim froze. It was Althea- whole and healthy. He heard his father's footsteps again.
"Althea! Althea!" Jimmy called softly.
"Jimmy? Is it all clear?".
"Yes, darling, come on out. Thank god you're ok. Did that punk hurt you? They found blood…"
"It's all a part of our plan for a new life together."
"But why's that punk going to be left…"
"Darling, it's a necessary evil. I'll explain later. I can't let anyone see me, so you'll need to get me out of here. What about Rosa?"
"She's out cold. She's sick with grief, and I feel guilty…"
"No! You cannot feel guilty, you have to have balls that clank to get us through this."
"Heh, I'd like it if you helped me make them clank…"
Jim watched in disgust as his father's tongue slid down her throat. "Ick!" He shuddered. "Grown-ups can be so sick. I didn't know that my own father… that my father such a slut… and that guy, Gene…even if he is an idiot, he's innocent… They've got the resources to pin anything they want on him. Hell, I could probably do it myself. But why are they doing this?"
***************
Gene lay on the hard bunk, ignoring his cellmate and praying that the lech wouldn't try to violate him. The rattling of the guard's keys provoked hope that he would be getting out!
"Gene Starwind! You have a visitor!"
"Is she cute?"
"Sure is. C'mon."
"All right! Does this mean I might be getting out of here?"
"Don't get your hopes up, kid."
"Who you calling a kid?"
"Settle down or you won't get to see your visitor."
"All right, all right already!"
The guard led Gene to the visitors' area. On the other side of the glass was a cute little girl with fiery red hair and looked vaguely familiar. He picked up the phone hesitantly.
"Who are you? The guard said I had a cute girl that had come to see me. I didn't expect a baby."
"I'm not a baby! I told you my name the other day!"
"Jim?" Gene blinked and started laughing.
"Shut up! I knew you'd laugh but this was the only way I could see you without anyone recognizing me."
"Wha? Don't tell me you've joined my fan club!"
"Gene, if you don't shut up I'm not going to help you get outta here." Gene shut up. "Listen, I now know for a fact that you're innocent but I don't have the hard evidence I need."
"How do you know? I'm just a scumbag, remember?"
"I saw Althea with my own eyes. There's not a scratch on her. Not only that, but I saw my own father kiss her passionately. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but it doesn't look good."
Gene turned purple..
"So why are you bothering to help me?"
"Even if you are an idiot you're innocent and besides, this scheme, whatever it is, smells real bad and I don't think that my dad and I are going to come out of this clean. I've done a little research on you. I know you're a bounty hunter and I'll need your help- especially since they plan on letting you take the rap for Althea's 'murder'."
"What did you say?"
"That they're…"
"I heard! Why didn't you say so in the first place? No one is going to use me like this and get away with it! How are you going get me out of here?"
"I'll worry about that. How much is the bail?"
"500,000 Wong." Said Gene flatly.
"Ok, maybe it's going to be tougher, but I can handle it."
"I'm not even going to ask! How old are you anyway?"
"Why?"
"I just want to know."
"Eight."
"Eight? Eight. Eight?"
"So? Stop repeating yourself, now you really sound like an idiot."
"Stop calling me an idiot- Kid!"
"Point taken."
"When am I getting out of here?"
"Soon."
"How soon?"
"I don't know, it depends on when I can get a hold of Fred."
"Fred?"
"Fred Luo, my father's young and filthy rich boyfriend."
"Jesus, I'm not gonna ask."
"Don't. I gotta go, no one knows that I've gone."
"Jim!"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Yeah. See you later."