Interlude: Joey Makes a Friend
"UhhhhhHck! Chuh! Chuh!" Joey woke to pain, enough to think he might be dying. Before the thought could fully form his body realized he was dying, his groan opening up his throat to drown in the liquid filling his mouth. For a few moments he jerked and spasmed and coughed with all his strength, meeting some resistance. Suddenly he could breathe again, the thing drowning him vanished. He realized, out of nowhere, his mouth tasted sickly sweet.
"Let him up." A voice called out. Joey was surprised to realize there was a person, people, around. Then again, he'd been a bit busy.
He also noticed suddenly that he didn't hurt anymore. It was just a day for revelations, it seemed.
As long as he was learning new things, he looked around. He was in a dark room, medium sized, with small high windows (a basement?) letting in just a little natural light. He was on a table or counter of some kind, a hand on his shoulder holding him down, and attached to that hand was one of the largest men Joey had ever seen. Broad but generic face, dressed in a leather jacket and jeans.
"Sorry about that." the voice from before said, was it not the big guy? "We were just eager to get the healing part out of the way. For what it's worth, I don't think it's possible to drown in health potion. Hmmm... make a note Freddie, sometime we should find someone we don't like and experiment further."
"Sure thing, boss. After the million other things we really should be spending our time on."
Potion? Joey looked over and gasped suddenly as he saw the new mayor and remembered how he probably got there, Quakemaster sending him and the boys around to collect what was owed, the magic man dropping them all like that, then the rumbling and running and jumping from the building as it collapsed. Followed by pain, darkness, and waking here.
And from there, well, there was only one reason Joey could think of why he'd be here.
"I-" he paused and gathered his nerves a moment. "I ain't telling you shit about Quakemaster, you hear? A-and it won't do you any good to hurt me. Nobody knows the boss' name or face, not like you."
Mayor Bookworm just seemed amused by his defiance.
"Basic loyalty, very good. See Freddie? At the very least, you have to concede there are worse starting points." the Grand Wizard or whatever glanced at his towering henchman a moment, before turning his attention back to Joey. "Oh, relax, Mr. De Los Santos. You're among friends here, and somewhat behind the times to boot. Whatever you know or don't know about Quakemaster ceased to be relevant while you were out of it."
"What do you mean?" Was it a trick? Or had something big really gone down? How long was he unconscious anyways? "And how do you know my name?"
The magic man just grinned. He had gangly limbs that made him look skinny, though he really wasn't, a huge beak competing with his toothy smile to dominate his face, and messy brown hair. He was still wearing that spotless white suit that made him look like an old-timey photo until it caught the light just so and part of it turned into a rainbow,
"That part is easy, Joseph De Los Santos of East Kane street." He leaned forward, and his grin grew even larger. "I'm a witch! I can see through walls and around corners..." He said this last bit in a rising, sing-songy lilt.
After a searching moment, the man slumped just a hair. Joey was acutely aware of being at the mercy of a lunatic who might decide to kill him at any moment. It was an odd point to start re-examining one's life decisions, but he couldn't help but wonder how he'd gotten here. Also, if he'd get a chance for self-reflection ever again.
"More seriously, if you're going to go out nights and commit crimes that would make your mother cry, leave your wallet at home. Or get a second to carry your money, without any ID. It won't stop the police, but no need to make it easy for them, eh?"
The book wizard got out of his chair and started to pace.
"As for your first question, 'what do I mean?' Quite simply, my friend, I mean that none of it matters anymore since I killed the Quakemaster approximately six hours ago."
What? This ridiculous looking nerd had iced Quakemaster? Joey couldn't believe it, not at all. Though... there was daylight streaming in the window, which definitely wouldn't have been possible when he confronted the mayor in his office.
"Oh yes, burned him to ashes, the feds needed a dustbin to collect the remains. Not surprisingly, really. Given what he'd done, there was never any real chance he'd make it to trial alive. Which, in a roundabout fashion, brings us back to you." the mayor who had been walking away again turned suddenly to face Joey. "As your friend, I am deeply concerned about your getting caught up in this awful Quakemaster business."
This guy had already demonstrated the power to hurt Joey, immensely, without touching him. Now Joey could hardly keep up with the man's sudden changes of mood and thought. He was increasingly certain he wouldn't be surviving this meeting, and was desperately wishing he'd minded what Juan's da had said about not mixing up with freaks.
"Wh- what about it?"
"Well, Joey, you prefer Joey, right?" Bookworm paused for him to nod, than nodded vigorously himself before closing the distance between them. "Joey it is, then. You see, my friend, when Quakemaster triggered his tectonic activator, he killed somewhere between a quarter and a sixth of Gotham's total population. It's impossible- I should say, insignificantly probable, to meet a single Gothamite who hasn't lost several people they were close to. Friends, family, their beloved pet... Point is, right now everyone is hurt, in shock, processing the disaster and the cruel fate that led so many people to die. When they find out, and they will, that a person was responsible? That someone can be blamed? All that sorrow and fear is gonna instantly transition into pure, boiling rage. I don't know if you're old enough to remember how it felt, but the last time someone killed thousands of Americans in one go, we launched a global war of revenge that killed the square of our dead, easy. Now imagine all that sheer hatred and fury, times a thousand and directed at only a few people." the crazy man shook his head for a moment, looking almost sad. "Well, Joey, I shudder to think what will happen to you, when folks realize your involvement in this tragedy. Why, Mo and Dunk, the only other known members of Quakemaster's group, they disappeared into black federal vans, and I'll bet anything you like that they're never seeing the inside of a courtroom."
Joey saw sincerity in the man's eyes, and had to wrestle down a desperate terror. It wasn't supposed to be like this! They were just going to do this job for Quakemaster, get rich, and go live in the Bahamas somewhere.
"Not that it needs to be like that, of course. The only people who know you were involved with Quakemaster are in this room..."
For a moment, just a moment, Joey considered murdering the two men in front of him. To protect his secret, to free himself from the blackmail he was suddenly sure this was leading into. Silly, of course, the big guy looked like he could crush Joey's skull without noticing, and the magic man had already taken him down, with ease, while his friends were there to back him up. His friends who were now dead...
Something must have shown on his expression though, because the crazy mage started laughing.
"Haha! What a go-getter!" he coughed. "Like I was saying, Joey, the only people who know about you and Quakemaster are in this room, and we're all friends here. Freddie, aren't we all friends?"
The big guy's smile could only be described as 'wolfish.' As in, like a wolf eying it's next meal.
"Oh yes, sir. The very best of friends."
"Thank you. And you, Joey? Are we not friends?"
It was just supposed to be one job. Now, a lifetime of servitude to this magical maniac stretched before Joey's imagination, and the damnedest part was, even now he couldn't see any other choice. How much worse would it be once he got deeper? He had well and truly screwed himself, and he felt his body slump as he surrendered to this new reality.
"Sure. We're friends. I'll do whatever you want, just please don't tell anyone."
Bookworm's expression shifted in some inexplicable way, seeming genuinely happy.
"Not to worry! Keeping quiet is a small enough favor for a friend, wouldn't you say so, Freddie?" The big guy nodded. "And whatever you're picturing, it's not going to happen. Friends don't hurt each other that way, or count favors, or hold confidences over each other. No, your secrets are safe with us!" He paused, as if marshaling his thoughts, which Joey could believe with how scatterbrained he'd seemed. This was the feared supervillain and now leader of the city? But then he remembered how very, very frightened he'd been of Bookworm a few moments ago and decided his first impression was probably good here. "No, you shouldn't consider yourself under any obligation to work for us or anything like that. Now, someday, and that day may never come, I'll be in need of a small favor from a friend. When that happens, I want you to remember today. Sound fair?"
Joey nodded.
"Sounds great. Um... if that's all, can I go?"
"Of course!" Now the magician seemed overjoyed. "Welcome the coming, and speed the parting guest! You needn't spend one minute longer in my presence than you wish, my dear friend." He gestured at a door. "Stairs are at the end of the hallway, on your right."
Joey thought he must have set a land-speed record getting out of that basement. Surely the Flash himself could have done no better.
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As the kid ran off, Freddie turned to me.
"Not that isn't a pleasure to work the old recruitment routine with you, boss, but don't we have better things to do? The kid is a punk with no skills, I could swing by the projects and find fifty more just like him in a snap."
I nodded.
"Well, even the very wise cannot see all ends."
"Just so you know, boss, after a certain point quoting Tolkien all the time makes you sound less wise and more like a kid who read one book in high school and can't shut up about it. You hit that point about twelve years ago."
Outraged, I raised a finger, opened my mouth and... actually thought about it,
"... Okay, that's fair. To speak the plain truth, I have a bad feeling we're in for a rough time soon. We may need all the friends we can get."