Trail 59 (Pt. 3): Cause Their Own Twilight

--- Jon ---

He laid there for a minute before taking DeSade’s hand and using it to pull himself back to his feet.

“Very good.” DeSade nodded, gripping his hand for a moment before releasing him and turning towards the door. “Now come along.”

“Where to?” He frowned, not intending to leave the hospital with anyone but his Ma.

“To assure your mother and your dear Miss Edna that you haven’t wandered too far off.” DeSade answered, stepping into the hospital hall.

His eyes immediately narrowed as he moved to follow. “What do you want with my moms?”

DeSade rolled his own eyes. “Nothing at the moment, but given the likelihood of crossing her path again it’s better to introduce myself using you as an excuse. Hopefully that’ll minimize any hostility or paranoia she develops about my presence.”

“And why would you cross her path again?” He asked pointedly.

“Jon, I’m willing to answer your questions but not when you can figure them out with five seconds of thought.” DeSade warned him with no small amount of exasperation.

DeSade stopped, causing him to glance around the man to see Miss Edna wheeling his Ma out of her room. “And I’m telling you Eddie I don’t need this stupid wheelchair. If anything it’s making me more antsy.”

“The doctor insisted.” Miss Edna shrugged. “They want you to take it easy for the next few days.”

“Taking it easy does not mean-” His Ma paused upon spotting him standing behind DeSade, before narrowing her eyes as she immediately picked up something was off about the older man. “Jon, who is this?”

“Ah, allow me to introduce myself, I am Alexander DeSade.” DeSade answered with a half bow and a hand on his chest.

“The one who paid my hospital bill.” His Ma immediately put together.

“Quite, but not just yours.” DeSade admitted. “While you were the primary recipient I decided to also cover the bill for any children caught up in this latest incursion.”

“Uh, huh. That’s nice of you.” His Ma told DeSade. “But you don’t look like a nice man. More like a Devil trying to buy my soul.”

“Amusing.” (And not far off.) DeSade smiled. “And normally I’m not but I owe your son a debt of sorts and decided this was a prompt way to pay it.”

His Ma glanced at him. “What kind of debt?”

“He saved my daughter’s life.” DeSade explained. “And well her life is worth far more to me than a few dozen hospital bills.”

“Right, Jon mentioned something about a crazy attacking Camp Bet.” His Ma nodded, giving him another if more concerned glance. “Said there was no real danger.”

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“Perhaps the threat was minimal to a strapping young man such as your son, but to my daughter it was quite a terrifying experience.” DeSade frowned before shaking his head. “Regardless, he did me a kindness that Ms. Donovan can attest to, and that I refuse to let that go unpaid.”

His Ma looked up at Miss Edna who was grimacing from where she held the wheelchair in place. “Uh, yeah. Jon did save Rosalind, though I still wish he hadn’t got himself mixed up in any of that mess.”

“A kid was in danger.” He shrugged, knowing that everyone heard the silent (I’d do it again if I had to.)

“Quite right.” DeSade nodded as both his Ma and Miss Edna gave him a look somewhere between concern, exasperation, and pride. “Still, since I had some business in town I decided to check in and see just how he was doing. At which point I discovered you’d been hospitalized and knowing that such financial stressors are beyond what a young man of his age should worry about I proceeded to cover all of your bills… And any children involved in the incident. I figured he’d appreciate that.”

“I do.” He forced himself to say, because as much as he may take issue with DeSade that didn’t change the fact that he had helped a number of children and their families.

His Ma gave him a concerned look before sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah, I guess I should say thanks as well. Though, uh, you mind if I ask you something?”

“Oh, of course not.” DeSade smiled, clearly believing he was winning over Ma Whitaker.

He took a step forward to try and mitigate any damage from being done, only for Miss Edna to grab him and drag him back a couple steps.

“Jon, did you know DeSade was in town?” She hissed with no small amount of concern.

“No, but he’s apparently been here long enough to be watching my Ma.” He frowned, before shaking his head. “He said something about being brought in to deal with the Horror’s seal because he was the closest Dark Lord or something. Though he figured out I was involved and was asking about what happened on Halloween.”

Miss Edna gave him a concerned look. “And what did you tell him?”

“Apparently the same thing the girls reported.” He shrugged. “Though they left me out of their reports since I ditched before Sanctuary could spot me.”

“Which was definitely the smart thing to do.” His second parent assured him before gaining a mild glare. “Last thing you want is those assholes trying to get mixed up in your business…”

He held back a grimace knowing that even if Asylum and Sanctuary were different organizations, Miss Edna still kept a dim view of them after living through the Rift Riots.

But regardless of his attempt to keep his thoughts to himself he must’ve let something slip through given the way Miss Edna winced, “Sorry. I know you’re careful and smart just… keep being careful and smart?”

“I will.” He promised, knowing that he was agreeing to only one half of it.

“Come on, Eddie!” His Ma called. “Wheel me over to the desk so I can get myself checked out and out of this stupid thing!”

Miss Edna sighed, gaining a mild grin as she shook her head. “Sure thing Minnie.”

Part of him wanted to stick with his parents, but he was smart enough to keep DeSade where he could see him as they both hung back.

“Your mother is an interesting woman, Jon.” DeSade chuckled.

“What do you mean?” He frowned.

“Oh, she warned me that if I involve you in whatever ‘shadiness’ I have going on she’d castrate me and force me to eat the mutilated remnants before leaving me to bleed out in whatever fancy gutter I came from.” DeSade answered, looking equal parts amused and impressed. “Really, it’s no wonder where you get it from.”

“Huh…” He blinked, feeling something warm in his chest, before turning back to DeSade. “Just so we’re clear if you involve her in any of this I’ll do worse than that.”

DeSade gave him a curious look. “Oh?”

“Yeah, you’ll bleed out in what two minutes her route? Me, I’ll have Pix trap you in a slowly escalating torture loop for a few days while slowly feeding your sanity to the Cheshire, before releasing you into the world as mind broken ghost of your former self. You know, really drag it out.”

“Of course.” DeSade nodded. “I expect no less.”