Chapter Thirty – Secondary Characters Have A Life, Too
"And you wouldn't believe it, Zoey, he was going on and on about all that crap that Connor put in his brain. And others' brains, I'm sure. Can you tell me what makes some people get into this kind of thing? I just can't figure it out by myself," Matty finished his complaint with a deep sigh.
Zoey patted him on the shoulder. He was buying to celebrate the fact that Rusty was making a key for him, and who else was there to do that with than his bestie? "Look, Matty, my bro, my friend," Zoey began, "there are people in this life that are nothing but followers. Now, the problem is who they end up following. Too bad that it's usually evil leaders that get to these people. You know, like religious fanatics. I mean, there are plenty of people who believe in a greater being or more without being looney about it. However, that small percentage that gets so easily influenced does exist. That's life. Sorry your creepy roommate is that kind of person."
"You say that it's only a small percentage, but I hear that the Implacable Team is continuing to recruit new members. And do you recall how many people were there, when he made the first public appearance, as the ultimate leader of S.H.I.T?"
Zoey pursed her lips. "Well, you're right about that. I would've never imagined that anyone would find that eco-bs-loving bozo a charming guy, but it looks like he speaks to the minds of some. It has to be because a part of those people find Connor trendy or something. In other words, it's a fad."
"One that can and might lead to dangerous consequences, don't you think? I mean, today it's only a Nightwing costume that gets it. What's it going to be tomorrow?"
"I have to admit," Zoey relented, "that a thing like that can be quite troubling. I mean, sharp objects were involved."
"The thing is I pity John for falling under Connor's influence. Does that guy even understand what his incensing speeches do to people?" Matty shook his head.
Zoey seemed to ponder over something in her mind, because her pursed lips moved from left to right, and then up and down, repeating the whole cycle a few times. Then, her eyes lit up, and she snapped her fingers. "I know exactly what we should do! I mean, what I should do."
"You? Why? Is your roommate going nuts with S.H.I.T., too?"
"Nope, but you know, what I was telling you, about John and others beings followers and all that? Well, I should practice what I preach. I'm not a follower, but I don't want to be a spectator, either."
"Why do I get the feeling that I won't like where this is going?" Matty asked and took a cautious sip from his juice, his eyes never leaving Zoey.
"You're going to love it!" Zoey waved as if she was completely not sure that would be the case.
"Great. I'll hate it, even," Matty concluded. "I know you're hardheaded and there's no way in hell I'm going to convince you otherwise, but still I should try--"
Zoey wagged a finger at him. "Nah-ah, Matty. You told John you're not going to pester Rusty about what to do with his life. So, practice what you preach, too, when your bestie is concerned."
"Great way to serve that back at me." Matty grinned and gave Zoey two thumbs up. "Now, let me in on your evil plans. I'm sure something good is bound to come out of them because they're yours."
Zoey made a great impersonation of a sniffling poor soul and patted her eyes to dry invisible tears. "You're making me so emotional."
"You should be an actor. People who don't know you are in severe danger of falling for this act."
"Exactly," Zoey said with satisfaction. "That's what I'm counting on. Ready to hear my plan?"
"I believe I was born ready for this kind of thing. Shoot." Matty examined his friend's face for signs of hesitation and saw none. That meant that Zoey was truly serious about whatever it was.
Zoey leaned over the table and protected their conspiratorial space with both her hands. Then, she whispered, "I'm going to infiltrate the Implacable Team."
"What?" Matty asked too loudly, and Zoey shushed him impatiently. "Why?" he added, but in a more subdued tone.
"Because that's the surest way to expose them," Zoey explained. "Duh," she said as an addition when she noticed that he was staring at her, completely nonplussed.
"I don't know what their deal is, and I hope they're not dangerous, only annoying, but I don't think it's that good an idea, Zoey."
"Psh, come on, don't be like that, Matty. What could they do to me, even if they discover, at some point, that I'm not one of them? We don't live in the Middle Ages, thankfully. They won't tie me up with stones around my neck, and then try to see if I sink or if I float."
"I suppose not," Matty conceded. "I don't see college students going as far as that. However, they're not a cool bunch. Why would you do that, Zoey? Please tell me that it's not because they're going after Rusty's crown or something silly like that. I'll never forgive myself as your best friend."
"You're way too serious for twenty-one years of age, Matty. And don't you worry your pretty head," she said and reached over the table to pinch his cheek, knowing all too well that he didn't like it. "No, I'm not doing this for Rusty. That would make this whole thing a selfless act, and, between you and me, let's say I'm a cold-hearted asshole."
Matty snorted and rolled his eyes. "When? When you're sleeping?"
Zoey made a small annoyed sound in the back of her throat without opening her mouth. "I'm telling you, I am."
"Okay, if you say so. I'm not going to deny you the pleasure of calling yourself what you're not."
"It would take all day to tell you all the crazy stuff that goes through my brain on a regular basis, but I like you, and I don't want to see you broken. No, I'm going to infiltrate the Implacable Team and expose them for the morons they are because I need to be noticed."
"Wasn't that what the glitter was for?" Matty asked. "Just checking."
Zoey rolled her eyes. "And? Has it worked so far?"
"You tell me," Matty said slowly, hoping that Zoey would blurt out the name of her crush.
"No, it hasn't," Zoey replied. "Trust me, I've been thinking of a thing so grand that it couldn't be ignored, no matter how--" She stopped abruptly. "The thing is, this can make me noticeable in the highest degree."
"I see. So you're chasing fame," Matty agreed and showed his approval by nodding his head like a sage. "What's that got to do with your crush, though? Is he into chicks who love infiltrating organizations so that she can later play the part of a whistleblower? If that's the case, he must be a guy with very peculiar tastes."
"Matty, Matty, Matty," Zoey said, shaking her head, while her eyes glinted with shrewdness and humor. "That's not the endgame, that's the strategy. When I finally get noticed by him, I can put a hand on my hip, swaying gently and looking him in the eye, and then saying: 'babe, do you come here often?'"
Matty bit his bottom lip to stop from laughing, but it was a losing battle. "All this convoluted plan just to use a lame pick-up line?"
"Hey," Zoey said, putting one hand up and pretending to be offended, "I'm still working out the kinks. Let me think of another pick-up line since you're so picky." She narrowed her eyes in thought. "How about this? Winter is coming, and soon so will you?"
"I think you're a bit much for me today," Matty said and shook his head, smiling. "All right, I suppose that it's fine to endanger yourself to some degree for the sake of getting noticed. Hey, who am I to judge, right? I'm playing you know who," he added and made imaginary pointy ears with his index fingers.
"See?" Zoey said with a big grin on her face. "You're an inspiration to me."
"Okay, I get it. Just don't mention that in court," Matty said and smiled, too.
***
"Why are you pacing the floor with the look of a scheming evil character on your face?" Maddox asked, without tearing his eyes away from his textbook while lying lazily on the sofa in the living room.
"Finally, you noticed," Rusty said. "Wait, how do you know what look I have on my face if you're not even looking at me?"
It was just the two of them in the whole house, which offered the perfect opportunity for Rusty to broach the topic that interested him without going into too many details. He counted on Maddie to be the weakest link, because Kane would grill him like some freaking secret service agent, while Dex might tackle and tickle him into submission. Therefore, communicating to Maddox only the deets he intended with the hope that the info would be passed on to those other two was the way to go.
"Because I have laser vision and can see you through this textbook," Maddox said and laughed. He finally closed the book and looked at him. "You just have a certain rhythm to your step when you're scheming, that's all."
"How well you know me," Rusty said and shook his head in mirth. "Look, Maddie, what's your opinion of secondary characters?"
"That sounds a little bit random. But, since this is you, and I learned a long time ago not to question your logic, here's my answer. They can be pretty interesting and offer support for the story and the main characters."
"Exactly," Rusty said with satisfaction. "So, you wouldn't be terribly upset if there were another version of me prancing around, doing stuff, while keeping his real identity a secret from the rest of the world?"
At this, Maddox stared at him, blinking a few times and trying to figure him out, a task he quickly abandoned, most probably because he knew he would never be capable of such a feat. "Do you intend to multiply? How? And why?"
Rusty waved impatiently. "That's not important. The thing is that I need your silence once certain strange things start happening around here."
"Strange things. This is getting more interesting by the moment. Care to share what's going on in that big head of yours?"
"Not really. It will ruin the surprise, and I want you all to be as surprised as the rest when it happens."
"Because?" Maddox insisted.
"Only Kane would ask such a thing," Rusty accused. At Maddox's gesture of surrender, he quickly continued, "You know, so that no one suspects you."
"Suspect me of what?"
"Not only you, but Kane and Dex, too."
"For the record, Rusty, you're making even less sense than usual."
"That's intentional."
"Good to know. I was beginning to think I was talking to your clone already. Is this what this is about? Are you going to enroll in a secret experiment and make us all dizzy by having two of you around?"
"That sounds like a cool scenario, but no. Let's say it's something a lot more down to earth, so to speak."
"Since it involves you, I don't see how that could be possible," Maddox said and stared at him intently. "Come on, Rusty, fess up. What are you planning to do?"
"I can't tell you. Sorry, but I have to be tight-lipped about it."
"I see. The fewer people know… that kind of thing," Maddox concluded for himself.
"Yeah, that's exactly that. All you need to know is that I'll be taking down the Implacable Team and that I'm going to make it fun," Rusty said, pleased with how willing Maddie was to go along with his nonsense. That was his best bro. It almost brought a tear to his eye. "I told Matty he's going to get a key," he added, changing tack.
"Great. I like that you're progressing quite nicely down that road," Maddox commented with a sly smile.
"What's that supposed to mean? I'm just practical. Matty is going to be over more often than not. Plus, his roommate is a creepo. So, you know, it's for his protection."
"That sounds good to me. You know, Matty's been a great influence on you lately."
"Hold that thought. We'll see what you think about this on Saturday," Rusty said, nodding all-knowingly.
"What's going to happen on Saturday?" Maddox asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion once more.
"That's for me to do, and for you to find out… at the right moment, along with everyone else. Ah, let Kane and Dex know that I'm planning something without telling them what I'm planning."
"Rusty, I really don't know what you're planning, so that part isn't hard. You know they're going to come after you to squeeze the truth out of you."
"That's why I'm counting on you to prevent them from doing so. I know you have what it takes to make them stay away. C'mon, Maddie, it's all I'm asking," Rusty said and linked his hands together while making puppy eyes.
Maddox shook his head. "The things you make me do. Okay, they'll know something, but they won't know everything, since that's what you know and you don't want to share because you sometimes like to act like a bit of a prick." Seeing how Rusty continued to nod and stare at him, he added with a long-suffering sigh, "And they won't torture you with questions or otherwise. Good enough?"
"Totally." There was nothing more he could ask for. Now, the next order of business was to produce all the necessary accessories for making his new persona come to life.
***
On Wednesday night, Matty made good on his promise to sleep over, so now, they were together in bed, each of them seeing about their own stuff without bothering the other. Rusty was pretty sure that there was no better roommate in the whole campus. And the best looking, too, he thought as he took in the beautiful curve of Matty's ass, so enticing and so little protected by the thin layer of a pair of sweatpants. While pretending to be deep into the book he was reading, he reached out and touched Matty's scrumptious behind, kneading it with one hand.
"Rusty?" Matty asked, without peeling his eyes away from his own book.
"Hmm?" Rusty offered while continuing his assault.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing, just chilling."
"You're rubbing my butt."
"Yeah, I am. Ah, right. I should've asked. Matty, is it all right if I rub your butt?"
"Sure it is. What I want to know is if all this butt-rubbing is leading somewhere or not."
"Not," Rusty replied. "I thought about what you told me, about studying and stuff, and I want to show you that I can be a good roommate and let you do your thing. You know, by not jumping your bones, even if you're right here."
"Now that's a very gentleman-y thought," Matty said. "I do have a lot to study this week, it's true."
"Good. Then you can go back to it, while I do my thing."
"Your thing being your rubbing my butt?"
"Yeah. Hey, I want to be a gentleman when I'm around you, but you can't ask me to be a saint, too. I can promise you, though; I intend to limit myself to butt-rubbing."
Matty tipped his head to one side, throwing Rusty a lopsided grin. "Okay. I can live with that. Don't hold it against me, though, when I'm going to get into another type of rubbing with you."
They both laughed, as Matty reached for Rusty's groin and began to fondle him through his pants. Rusty leaned in for a kiss and wrapped one hand around Matty's head, helping himself to that kiss to his heart's content. It took them very little to progress from there, and soon, the textbooks were forgotten, and Rusty was on top of Matty, pinning him down to the bed and kissing him like crazy. "I won't go the whole way tonight since I have to let you go back to your studies, so here's what I'm going to do."
Matty didn't protest as Rusty made him turn and pushed down his sweatpants and underwear. He slipped his cock through Matty's thighs, enjoying the rubbing against the other's balls.
"Will this be enough?" Matty asked in a strained voice. "Not that I'm complaining. You're teasing my balls plenty."
"It's called fooling around for a reason," Rusty replied. "It's not like I know exactly what I'm doing, but it's pleasant and I want to feel you everywhere."
Matty was on all fours now, keeping his thighs close together, so Rusty could enjoy the to and fro movement. He liked that he had the unhindered look of Matty's round butt, so another idea came to him. "Sorry, but I'm going to use you a little. And objectify you a lot."
"Wow, that sounds promising," Matty breathed out.
Rusty pulled back and then slipped the Mighty Thor between Matty's ass cheeks, bringing them together with his hands, while pushing his bed partner flat against the bed. There was a need for some lubrication, so he reached for the lube without moving away.
"I see what you mean," Matty commented. "I didn't know between the butt cheeks was an option."
"That's because I don't want to fuck you senseless in the middle of the week," Rusty offered.
"How considerate of you. All right, I'll take it. So, I just have to lie down here. Can I continue to study?"
"Why not? If you're up to it. Actually, do it. I think I'm getting into the being ignored kink."
"Is there a kink with such a name?"
"If there's not, there should be," Rusty retorted. "Feel free to continue your studying. I'll just be here, doing my business."
Damn, Matty's butt was everything. It was plump and firm at the same time, and it squeezed him so good. He could very well tell that studying wasn't exactly everything on Matty's mind because he was using his muscles to compress the cock bothering him in the most delicious ways possible.
Rusty didn't comment on it. If they were to play like that, it was completely cool with him. He tried to keep as silent as he could, for the sake of the scenario they were enacting, but it was hard to do so while watching the Mighty Thor going between the two perfect mounds again and again. Matty arched his spine just right, creating the perfect opportunity with the small of his back. Rusty mumbled incoherently and forced himself to go slowly so that all his cum poured into the valley thus created.
He groaned at the self-inflicted torture while the sight of the small puddle of white gleamed in front of his eyes. He pushed himself back on the balls of his feet and dipped his fingers into his own release.
Matty looked over his shoulder and laughed. "How was it, Mr. Kink?"
"Awesome," Rusty said with a smile. "Let me wipe you down."
"No. Just play around with it." Matty pushed himself up on all fours again.
A small trickle began running down right between the perfect ass cheeks, and Rusty didn't miss the opportunity presenting itself. He began moving the cum collected on Matty's back down to the crack and started using it to slowly scissor the tiny asshole in the middle.
Matty moaned and pushed his ass back, showing how much he was enjoying the treatment. "More," he urged Rusty.
So, the studious one didn't mind a bit of fingering. Too bad the Mighty Thor was spent, although he did twitch in sympathy as Rusty's fingers worked the hole slowly. With the other hand, he grabbed Matty's cock and began to stroke it to the rhythm of his fingering.
Matty was making the cutest sounds while being worked like that. Rusty caught himself in time; he was drooling. To put his mouth to good use, he began to kiss and lick Matty's ass cheeks, biting from time to time because that was how hungry his baby dude was making him.
"Rusty, your sheets," Matty moaned, as his balls were starting to wrinkle. Rusty was feeling them from time to time, so he knew.
"Fuck the sheets," Rusty said matter-of-factly, and that was all the permission Matty needed because he began spurting while voicing away his climax.
Rusty placed one last kiss to Matty's ass and let him plop down on the bed. Hopefully, doing him like that was gentleman-y enough. He wouldn't want his baby dude to be left unsatisfied neither in the pleasures of his body, nor his studying, while he was spending his time under the same roof as him.
He took Matty in his arms and turned him. Then, he peppered his face with kisses. "Was it good?" he asked.
"No need to ask. I'm spent," Matty admitted. "I guess it's time to sleep anyway, right?"
It wasn't his usual bedtime, but he was willing to make concessions for Matty. Plus, he felt completely satisfied, so there was no need for him to do anything else. Also, it was in the dark that the greatest plans came alive, right?
***
Rusty examined the window to his bedroom from outside and closed one eye. For his plan to work flawlessly, he needed to make sure that he didn't end up taking that theatrical slang wish for luck too literally from his first attempt at showing Sunny Hill what a true king looked like. Hmm, that meant that he needed to think this through and bring a ladder, one that would be highly inconspicuous while he left it propped against the wall. Or maybe he could opt for a folding model?
He was so deep in thought that he missed someone approaching. Only when the feet coming near made the dead leaves sigh as they crunched through them, he turned his head. "Johnny boy," he said joyously and took Jonathan's hand to shake it while guiding the guy away. No one needed to know many details about his cunning plan, even if it was mom asking.
Of course, it went without saying that anything he told Maddox, he implicitly told Jonathan, so the stealthy approach wasn't that much of a surprise. Jonathan laughed while Rusty pushed him so they would go around the house. "To what do I owe the pleasure of being pushed around by you?" he asked.
Rusty hooked one arm over the guy's shoulders and fell into a less conspicuous stride. "Let's say you were about to see something you weren't supposed to. And if you had seen it, I would've had to kill you."
"And bury me in the backyard? Not that there's much to it, actually. Do we call it a backyard?" Jonathan asked.
"Not important," Rusty said with aplomb. "Now, how much did Maddox tell you? Wait, don't tell me, 'cause I already know. He told you everything."
"Presumably. I doubt he left anything out, mainly because he looked just as confused as the rest of us when he finished."
"I see. So he didn't drag you to a dark corner to tell you that I'm using him as my shield against the others' questions."
"It was already evident from the way he told us all. Now, Rusty, while you might suspect that I'm trying to extract some vital information out of you, that's not what I'm here for. I made the copy of the key you asked me to help you with while I was in town the other day."
"Oh, right. Thanks a lot, Johnny boy. You're the real McCoy, whatever that has to do with an oil-drip cup."
"Oil-drip cup?" Jonathan asked, looking very much amused, as he should.
"I like reading random stuff on the internet when I'm bored," Rusty explained.
"I can't say I'm surprised. Do you want the key?" Jonathan reached into his pocket without waiting for a confirmation.
Rusty took it from him as if it were a powerful artifact and bowed. "This will end up in good hands."
"I'm sure of it. Now, since you don't want to let anyone in on your plans, I suppose that I can entice you with dinner."
"It's not yet time for dinner, though," Rusty pointed out.
"That's true. But Maddox is deep in his studies this week, and I need a kitchen helper. Are you in?"
"Do I get to taste all the sauces until my tummy hurts?"
"All right. It looks like I'll have to keep an eye on you. Now I'm not so sure I need a kitchen helper anymore. You sound like a lot of work," Jonathan joked.
"Which I totally am," Rusty agreed. "Don't worry. I'll be good. Just pass me the occasional snack, and consider me indentured for the next hour."
Jonathan patted him on the back and gestured for him to walk into the house first. Phew, that had been a close one. No one should suspect anything.
***
Getting to know the enemy's lair was one thing he needed to check off his list, which was why he found himself in front of the room that rumor said served as Connor's Implacable Team's quarters. It was late at night, and there was no one walking the quiet halls. The street lights from outside threw moving shadows over the door, as a few cars passed by. First, Rusty tried the door knob, and he was oddly satisfied to find it locked. Getting in wasn't what he needed at the moment. Maybe at a later time. For now, he could get to work without being bothered, only that he needed to act quickly, and he truly believed in that saying about not hurrying a genius in action or something like that.
He tasted the food coloring from the little tube he had brought and smacked his lips. Those nosy assholes were in for a sweet surprise. He poured enough in his palm so that he could work with it and began painting the door. Then, he took the small donut holes and began gluing them to the door, along with as many small candies as he could manage.
He was half an hour in his vandalistic quest when he thought he heard someone walking up the stairs. He took one step back, threw a quick look at his artwork – which could have suffered through at least a couple more iterations – and then rushed out of sight.
Whoever that was, they seemed to be interested in the same destination as he had been only moments earlier. So, he would meet the first critic of his art. He couldn't stay still, so he peeked from around the corner, hoping that the darker shadow there concealed him well enough.
A small giggle drew his attention even more, so he craned his neck to see better. The intruder had to be a girl and a very short one. She stood in front of the door for some time, then raised her hand to grab a donut hole, most probably, and stuck it into her mouth. The next thing she did was try the door knob, but, unlike him, she didn't seem content with finding it closed. She leaned over and she seemed to be working the lock. Caught up as he was in spying on her, his left foot twisted slightly, and his sneaker squeaked on the polished floor. The girl, dressed in loose black clothes that made it hard to tell more about her, froze and turned her head, making Rusty dash away from view.
The hurried steps down the stairs assured him that the would-be burglar was running away from him and not toward him. Well, it looked like his latest career choice might not be that good for his blood pressure, but the good news was that he was young and he could handle it.
Nonetheless, he needed to be a lot more careful than this. Lesson learned. Still, he wouldn't let go of his strategy to rub the Implacable Team's nose into it first, and then beat them by hiding in plain sight. Ah, the pleasure this plan would bring. He could only sigh in reverence at the perfection of it.
***
It wasn't me! That's Rusty Parker's defense at being accused by the Implacable Team that he vandalized the entrance to their inner sanctum – cough, cough – by decorating it, cake pop style. The damage, we learned from one of the people in charge of cleaning, was minimal, and the art could even be consumed, that is if you like your sweet delights straight from a door.
However, Connor Williams wasn't amused to find a giant red R encrusted in candies and donut holes when he went down there this morning, ready to scheme… we mean, ready to plan on how to raise the morality levels of Sunny Hill to the stars. He says that it could only have been Rusty Parker, the one who feels threatened by the policies of his organization. He considers it a cheap revenge, but we dare to say that all that must have cost a pretty penny. Is revenge a dish better served sweet?
Rusty's roommates stand with him. We overheard Maddox Kingsley telling his better half: 'Rusty would never do something so on the nose.' At which, Jonathan Hamilton replied: 'By no means. I heard the result was a horrifying mess. Rusty has better taste in art than that.'
"I can hear the nasal tone through the screen," Jonathan commented and laughed. "Do they really think I talk like that?"
"That's not important," Kane interrupted them, as they were lunching together and had fun reading the latest Xpress after Connor's bemoaning had already made rounds through the campus from the break of dawn until now. "What's important is this. How on earth did you pull this off, Rusty? I can swear you slept through the night like a baby. I would have heard you running up and down the stairs."
Rusty stuffed his mouth with another spoonful of Jonathan's fantastic quiche. "It wasn't me," he said with a shrug.
TBC