28 Desperate Measures

His rough skinned thumb absently traced the blue strap of the overalls to the button holding the outfit of the dark skinned doll together.

His fingers really moved with a mind of their own as they slowly fidgeted with the toy and while his eyes were staring directly at the plastic face all M.M could see were the scared eyes of his daughter.

The scene constantly replayed in his head where he lost his cool and brutally knocked out Todd in front of her. He wanted to put the blame all on him but deep down inside he knew he couldn't. He was the one who lost his cool when he had promised himself that he wouldn't.

His lamentation and self-pity were broken by the squeaky sound of the door opening.

"Bonjour" Frenchie said as he and Kimiko walked in "I got you something". He pulled out of his backpack a bottle of Starlight Fragrance Perfume.

"Fuck is that?"

"Cost three Bugattis-worth of Starlight's money, but...a dose of Novichok. Our weapon against Soldier Boy." M.M flinched as he was touching the bottle. "And the only fucking dose on the eastern seaboard."

"You put the world's deadliest nerve agent in a ten-dollar bottle of Starlight's Wish?" he asked incredulously.

"I must say, the smell has improved." Frenchie remarked, while almost instantly Kimiko rolled her eyes.

"Great." Frenchie noticed the lack of excitement in his voice.

"So you lost your temper and hit a man. Oh, this is nothing. You know, I once took a Spaniard's ear for jabbering at a screening of 27 Dresses..."

"Frenchie, my whole point has always been to keep my fucked-up shit away from Janine. I lost control for one second, and for the rest of her life, she's gonna have an image of her daddy beating up her stepfather." M.M said and paused briefly to inhale. "I got to lock my shit down. I got to be stronger."

Frenchie relaxed and leaned back on the couch sinking in his seat.

"Out of all man's miseries, the most bitter is this. To know so much..." he said with a far away wistfulness filling his tone.

"And to control so little. I've read a fucking book, all right?" M.M remarked slightly annoyed and Frenchie scowled.

"You cannot keep the truth from your daughter that...that you are...a deeply...broken and fucked-up man." M.M started shaking his head but then saw Kimiko rapidly move her hands forming signs too quick for him to pick up.

"Cherie says that you are also a very good man, loving man, who cares deeply about his family and his friends!" Frenchie finished translating. "Eh, I have to say that I agree, you are the best of man I have ever known. You just need to let Janine see all of that!"

M.M sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"I'm not sure how to do that." He finally said and then put his hand up to cut the other two off from speaking. "But thank you. I will work on it." He said resolutely.

"Now what about you two. How are you feeling?" He asked them both though he mostly looked at Kimiko. "After yesterday…you getting your powers back?" He gently asked.

"Good, good?" Frenchie looked at him and then Kimiko, looking to get her confirmation. She signed away and shrugged her shoulders. "She is good, no aftereffects that she can tell."

Frenchie could see that M.M was skeptical. "You think something is wrong?" His larger friend's mouth and nose twitched and his hand went to rubbing his chin.

"I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right. He could have killed you both and blamed it on the Russians and yet he lets you go and heals you, gives you your powers back. Why? It doesn't make sense. I know he hates us."

They all looked at each other in silence until Frenchie shrugged. "Maybe he's doing it for the publicity, minimize deaths now that he's the big man of Vought or maybe he's just bored and wants to fuck with our heads?"

M.M contemplated what he said but still let skepticism further darken his features.

"Maybe, but I still have a feeling that he's up to something." He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Anyway if we want to use this." He said picking up the bottle "We need to find out where Soldier Boy is first."

"Well, with Mindstorm dead, the only one left is Monsieur Noir. So that means Mr. Charcuterie and Hughie will be heading back here to restock and then probably the tower."

"So we either get them at Butcher's place or the tower." M.M said. "Regardless of where, the three of us are not enough, we need Starlight." He finished.

The other two nodded in agreement.