Chapter Text
"Well, that was a jolly old time, wasn't it you two?" Monty asked as he drove the car down the bumpy dirt road, Nigel 'Numbah 1' Uno and Benedict 'Father' Uno stayed quiet in the backseat as they looked away from each other. They had just completed a fishing trip, although they hadn't caught anything Monty considered it a special occasion because it was the trio's first outing as a family.
"Yeah, it was fun. Still can't believe that Fath--Ben get's seasick so easily." Numbah 1 was the first to speak up, a smug smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth upon mentioning Father's seasickness, causing Father to glare daggers at him. But it was nothing more than that, neither of them wanted to upset Monty by starting a fight.
"Yes, I still can't believe I didn't realize until today. At least I know for next time." Father grumbled with his arms folded against his chest, shuddering at the mention of his sea sickness. He turned his gaze back to the window with a thinly veiled frown on his face as he continued to glare daggers at Numbah 1's reflection in the window.
The boy was looking out the window again, his smug expression had turned to a small smile on his face. No doubt he was still savouring his little victory against Father, silently sucking away at the man's pride like a piece of rock candy.
"Where do you two want to go for lunch?" Monty's cheerful voice cut through Father's bitter train of thought. "We could go back to my house for dinner." Father offered. "What about you, Nigel?" Monty asked. "How about we go out to eat? I heard that a new restaurant opened up in town about a week ago." Numbah 1 suggested.
"Both options sound nice, how about-" Monty was cut off by a massive wall of fire suddenly appearing in front of the car, Monty slammed on the brakes causing the car to jolt to a stop and the three inside to be pressed back into their seats.
The sky darkened an ominous black as the wall of fire parted to reveal a shadow suited Grandfather standing in front of the car, staring them down with a malicious glimmer in his eyes.The elderly villian took a few steps back before waving his hand, causing the wall of fire to sink away.
"Well? What are you waiting for, Monty? Get out here and give your old man a warm welcome." Grandfather beckoned with his arms outstretched, his voice was silky smooth and far too calm. Monty never took his eyes off Grandfather as with shaking hands he put the car in park and turned it off, before hesitantly stepping outside. Even though Father couldn't see Monty's face, he knew his older brother was terrified but refused to show it.
Monty always did have a bad habit of bottling things up.
Monty took a few steps towards Grandfather, as he cleared his throat he eyes glanced over at the car again before turning back to Grandfather. "Hello Pappy. What-um-what brings you out here?" Monty asked politely, a nervous tremble in his voice that he couldn't shake.
Inside the car, Father stole a glance at Numbah 1, the boys shoulders were hunched and his bottom lip was trembling, dispite the look of stubborn defiance on his face Father could see the fear in his wide eyes. He looked just as scared as Father felt, the man didn't even realize that he was shaking until now.
"Oh, I just came by for a visit. I was wondering what you've been up to since...the last time we spoke." Grandfather continued as he put his arms down to his sides, his voice dripping with hatred as he turned his gaze away from Monty momentarily to glare daggers at the car, or rather, the people inside the car. "Why don't you bring Benedict and Nigel out here? I'd like to see them as well." Grandfather made it sound as if he was asking, but it was obvious he was ordering Monty to do what he'd said. The eldest brother hesitated for a second for before turning and walking back towards the car, keeping his eyes on Grandfather for as long as possible.
At the mention of Grandfather wanting to see them, Father heard Numbah 1 let out a whimper that was quickly silenced as he bit his lip to muffle the fearful noises. "I've never heard him whimper before, he must be truly frightened." Father thought, using the boy as an distraction to not touch on his own fear. Monty opened the car door and helped his son unbuckle his seatbelt, with shaking hands Father started to unbuckle his own seatbelt. "Dad, no. No, please. Don't make me go out there with him." Numbah 1 pleaded in a hurried whisper. "Shh, it's alright. It's alright. I'll protect you, Pappy won't harm me." Monty reassured him with the same hushed quickness.
Monty helped Numbah 1 out of the car while Father got out and walked around the back of the car to meet up with Monty on the other side. Numbah 1 held his dad's hand tight as he hid behind him, Father lingered behind Monty as the three of them stood in front of Grandfather. "There we are. It's so nice to have all three of you right here in front of me, right where I want you." Grandfather snarled as he drops his chin and narrows his yellow orb eyes, a smug smirk on his face that sends chills down Father's spine.
"Well, Pappy, it's been great talking to you but we've got a bit of a tight schedule." Monty said as he started backing away from Grandfather, Father and Numbah 1 doing the same. The elderly villains small smile twisted into a scowl when he realised that Monty was trying to get away from him, fire started to flicker in the palms of his hands.
"So, we're going to be leaving now. Great talking to y-" Monty was cut off by Grandfather raising up his hand and sending a blast of fire at the car, causing the vehicle to crumple into a burnt heap as it was launched into the sky and landed several yards away. The group panicked as the car was thrown into the air, Numbah 1 let out a shriek and clung to his dad tighter while Father cowered behind Monty. "Don't think I'm letting you get away that easily. We have too much to discuss." Grandfather's hissed, his fake pleasant demeanor gone completely as he swirled around the trio like a wild animal sizing up it's wounded prey.
"Monty, I can't believe you'd choose to abandon me so quickly." Grandfather fake pouted to Monty, the flickers of flame in his palms turning to growing fireballs. "To push me away after I went out of my way to talk to you, it really breaks my heart." Grandfather continued, Numbah 1 resisted the urge to roll his eyes at him. "Yeah, I'm sure your heart would bleed if you had one." Numbah 1 thought bitterly, feeling a bit more confident behind his dad.
"But I know why you did this, why you always turn on me dispite my love for you. You always do it because Benedict goes to you and whines until you do something to make him feel better." Grandfather declared in an icy tone that simmered with rage, turning his gaze to Father and saying his name with unbridled malice.
"It's pathetic. So I intend to do something about it." Grandfather snarled, he then used telekinesis to shove Monty and Numbah 1 aside and leave Father standing alone. Father's mind was screaming at him to move, to run away and hide, but his body stayed stuck to the spot as if someone had super glued his legs still. Grandfather raised his hand up to blast his youngest son, barley contained fire brimming in both his hands.
Father hated how weak he must look right now. In Grandfather's eyes he would always be the teary eyed, covered in burns, eight year old boy who cowered behind his big brother at every opportunity because he didn't have a brave bone in his body.
It was pathetic. Father was pathetic and he knew it too. He was biggest, baddest villian around, the one who's very name struck fear into the hearts of even the most rebellious children, and yet he couldn't stand up to his own dad?!
Father squeezed his eyes shut and threw up his arms to protect himself as the ray of fire released from Grandfather's hand and shot towards Father.
At the same time, Monty stood up and scrambled towards Father, his protective instincts kicking in as his body moved on it's own towards his younger brother.
Father heard the crack of fire slamming into something, but he felt no pain. After a few timid seconds, Father slowly opened his eyes. He looked down at himself to see that he was untouched by Grandfather's attack, but then why did he hear something be struck?
"Dad! Dad, no!" Numbah 1 shrieked, Father turned around to see what the boy was yelling about and what he saw made his heart drop into his stomach.
Monty was laying at least 15 feet, maybe more, behind the left of Father. It appeared as though he'd fallen down and then skidded backwards. In the middle of Monty's chest was a pulsing dark red burn mark, the clothes around the mark had been reduced to black tatters. Numbah 1 was on his knees next to his dad, tears in his eyes as he shook a semi-conscious Monty and begged him to get up.
"Monty!" Father's voice was a raspy plea as he ran over to his downed sibling, kneeling down on the other side of him. Monty groaned and stirred briefly, Numbah 1 stopped jostling him as the man cracked one eye open to try and take stock of his surroundings, before his eyes closed and he fell into an unconscious but breathing state. "Monty...?" Father asked in a quivering, broken voice as he reached out and held Monty's hand, his brother was so out of it he didn't even know he was there.
"Monty stepped in front of me. He must've taken the shot for me." Father realized, a horrible feeling of guilt slamming into him and stealing the air from his lungs. Father turned his head to look at Grandfather, who was staring at Monty with a expression of both suprise and horror.
"What is wrong with you? Isn't he your favorite, why would you blast him?!" Numbah 1 angrily demanded, tears now streaming down his face as he held onto the remnants of his dad's shirt. Grandfather's face morphed into a look of irritation. "Oh, don't you dare accuse me of things! It was his own fault for stepping in front of Benedict! Maybe if he thought before he acted, this wouldn't have happened!" Grandfather rebutted with an eye roll.
Father's gaze went back down to Monty. Monty had always been there for him. He was Father's rock, his safe space, his light at the end of the tunnel, his everything. They had celebrated good times together and held each other through the dark times. If there was world with no Monty, Father would prefer death to living in such a hell.
Whether intentional or not, Grandfather had hurt Monty. And he wasn't. Even. Sorry.
"He hurt Monty." That thought looped in Father's head over and over like a broken record, a new version of rage accompanying it and driving out rational thought as if it were a plague.
"I was going to try and convince Monty and you to come with me. I suppose now that I'll take you two by force." Grandfather said to Numbah 1 as he started to walk forward, Grandfather tapped his foot against the ground which made a giant stream of fire to shoot out from under the elderly villains foot and ring around the trio to trap them.
As Grandfather wore a wicked grin and purposely took his time striding over to the three, a new thought popped into Father's head: "Make him pay."
Father could faintly hear his heart pounding in his ears as this new anger bubbled up in his chest. He's not angry anymore, he's engulfed by pure white hot rage. Yes, he's been mad before, but never like this. Father stood up, his eyes locked on Grandfather as his shadow suit took it's rightful place over his body. His veins were boiling over with pure rage and adrenaline, the thrumming of fury pounding through his entire body has never been his overwhelming or certain.
Fire starts to lick up from all over Father's body, his teeth are gritted and his fists are clenched so tightly he's sure that his fingers with break from the force at any moment. All the years of pent up frustration, all the abuse he endured in his childhood, all the years of self loathing act as fuel to this flame.
The ring of fire parted as Grandfather walked through it, he kept making a beeline for Monty until Father raised his hand and shot a beam of fire at Grandfather, knocking the old man back and nearly toppling him over. "It's one thing to push me around and hurt me, Pappy." Father lowly declares, his voice a snarling demand as he walks towards Grandfather, the ground underneath his feet being burnt black with every step he takes as Father steals his dad's ring of fire to add to his own arsenal.
"But no one, and I mean, no one!" Father starts to say as all the fire he's been building up starts to grow around him, getting hotter and higher with each word.
"Hurts!"
The flames grew higher and hotter with no end in sight. Numbah 1 threw himself over top of his dad in a last ditch attempt to sheild him from further harm.
"My!"
Higher and hotter, the flames climbed. Grandfather stills in suprise as his gaze is finally locked onto his younger son with the mesmerized interest that Monty's held monopoly over all these years.
"BROTHER!!"
Father's scream of rage turns to a terrifying inhuman roar, engulfed by wrath as his fury reaches it's climax and the rabid tornado of fire spits off in every direction. Years of anger are released in one massive explosion, anger at the K.N.D, at Grandfather, at his own inferiority all swirl together and explode in a crescendo of revenge.
Father's heart is pounding so hard in chest that he wonders if his ribcage will break from the strain, but he truly doesn't care anymore as all other emotions are drowned out by wrath. Fury rips up throughout his body and rivers of rage dance through his blood, is this was bravery feels like? Either way, he doesn't care.
He retains his mind just long enough to see the fear in Grandfather's eyes and relish it, taking pride in him and him alone being the one to frighten Grandfather.
The old Benedict, the one who wants nothing more then Grandfather's approval is dead and gone, incinerated by the fires of vengeance. The new Benedict, the one who wants nothing more then Grandfather's suffering has come out to play. And he doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon.