superworld

[Gifted]

"Okay!" Liam nodded and scurried off, knowing full well how to keep himself invisible for a night. And he'd never had so many cool things to do it with before.

[Raven]

The next morning, Liam had been awake for several hours when he was greeted with a hollered "Liam!" from the hall.

[Gifted]

Liam looked up from the old movie he was watching on the TV in his new room. That must be Aaron. He got up and raced to his grandfathers side. "Yes? You wanted me?" He asked politely as soon as he arrived.

[Raven]

"Yeah, we've got shit to do," Aaron confirmed. "How long have you been up?"

[Raven]

When Kenny realized Liam wasn't at school, it was with a cold rage that Kenny turned on his daughter. "Where is Liam?" he asked, his words clearly enunciated.

[Gifted]

"Um, like three or four hours. I was up in time for school." Liam said.

Willow froze at the rage in her fathers voice, but she had the same answer she always did. "I don't know. Is he not here?" Why would he disappear like that? Had he run away?

[Raven]

Kenny's teeth grinding was almost audible as he forcibly grabbed her chin, dragging him towards him and making her look him in the eyes, but in her memories, he found that she really didn't know. He dropped her. "Get in the car," he ordered, walking out to the car and unlocking it.

"That's good," Aaron said. "We'll get you registered here soon. Come on." He headed back down the stairs and back towards his room, though he entered what appeared to be what passed for an office space - built for Aaron to enjoy working there more than to look like a proper office. The desk was messy.

[Gifted]

Willow gasped in fright when he grabbed her but didn't resist, though she shuddered when he finally released her. She didn't say a word against it though, hurriedly following and getting in the car. "Why isn't he here? What's going on?" She asked anxiously. Was he in trouble? Or had he escaped? He would have come to get her too if he escaped, wouldn't he? They always protected each other! But there was the possibility he hated her today... she fretted anxiously, worried about him.

Liam followed him into the office, looking around at all the furniture. His dad didn't have anything like this. It all felt very official and as movie-like as the rest of the house. Liam sat in one of the chairs on the visiting side of the desk.

[Raven]

"Has your father ever spoken of me or his hometown?" Aaron asked once they were settled.

Kenny sent her a chilling stare, not needing to verbally tell her to shut up. He shut her in the car and locked the doors, going to find more information. She was locked in the car for twenty minutes by the time he came back, getting in the car without a word and driving them home.

[Gifted]

Willow was too scared to speak again. She sat anxiously in the car and waited until her father came back. "Where are we going?" She asked.

Liam shook his head. "Not at all." He said. "Never. I just know how scared he was of you. That's all."

[Raven]

"Home," Kenny responded.

"Alright. Would you like me to teach you what I do?" Aaron asked.

[Gifted]

"Without Liam?" Willow squirmed.

Liams eyes sparkled with interest. "Yes, please." He answered.

[Raven]

"I don't know where Liam has gone, but I'll find him," Kenny said. It sounded more like a threat than a promise.

"Business wise, I run a drug operation," Aaron said simply. "With the money and power, I run the city."

[Gifted]

Willow cringed at the wrath in her father's voice. "Do you think he ran away?" She asked. "Or do you think someone took him?" She avoided stating the third option, that his fights could have ended with him lying dead in a ditch somewhere. She didn't even want to contemplate it.

"Okay. Liam nodded, leaning in curiously as Aaron spoke. "What's a 'drug operation'?"

[Raven]

"He probably ran away," Kenny responded.

Aaron smiled a little at the boy's naivety. "It means I buy a lot of drugs, and people who work for me sell them to other people. It brings in a lot of money."