Chapter 22: Ch.22
Like that, we slowly worked our way through one supe to the next for the next few years. It was a long process, but we couldn't afford anyone finding out about us. Then after stalking one of the Seven for months, Lamplighter we found an angle we could use to blackmail him.
"Boys, check it!" MM says as we are all waiting for Lamplighter to come to our hidden base in New York City. MM then shows us a few pictures of him and his girlfriend Monique getting engaged.
"Congrats man," I say patting his back.
"Yeah, that is mighty fine mate!" Butcher says with a laugh as we all have a short celebration for MM.
"What's going on?" Grace says walking in and handing me a file.
"MM got engaged," Frenchie says as MM nods his head showing off the pictures.
"That's great Marvin, I hope you both have a happy and long life together," Grace says with a genuine smile while looking at the pictures.
The files Grace handed me were the blackmail files we had on Lamplighter. A few minutes after Grace showed up, Lamplighter walked in. He was wearing his Superhero costume, which was a long black leather trench coat, covering a black skin-tight leather outfit, boots, fingerless gloves, a hood, and welding goggles. We all stared at him for a few seconds before everyone started laughing seeing his ridiculous outfit.
"Fuck off!" Lamplighter says with a defensive voice seeing us laughing at his expense.
"Yeah, yeah, don't get your nickers in a pinch," Butcher says as Lamplighter's staff brightens for a second showing Lamplighter's anger.
"Here look at these," I say handing the files to Lamplighter as his face darkens seeing the info we have on him.
"So, if you don't want your reputation to be completely destroyed. That means you are now our eyes and ears inside the Seven," Grace says to Lamplighter.
"No way! If I get discovered I'll be worse than dead!" Lamplighter says shaking his head denying helping us.
"Then I guess this will be handed out to all the new agencies in the hour and your reputation will be gone," Grace says shrugging, as Lamplighter's staff brightens again showing his anger. Then after a few tense seconds, he speaks up.
"Fine… I will work for you," Lamplighter says with gritted teeth.
"Good, then take this and we will contact you in the morning for your orders," Grace says handing him a burner phone.
Lamplighter takes the phone, pockets it, and quickly leaves while grumbling to himself. After he leaves Butcher, MM, and Frenchie immediately start making fun of his outfit. Grace chuckles hearing them, as I stare at the spot Lamplighter left in, as I had a bad feeling about this one.
"We need to watch him. I have a feeling he will retaliate," I say breaking the jokes and making everyone turn serious.
"What makes you say that?" Butcher asks me and we've all grown closer during our time together like a small family. However, they still don't know about the real me.
"I've met a lot of people in my time. Learned to read them and he seems like someone who acts first and thinks later," I say as they all nod their heads.
"We'll take shifts of watching him for a while. Who was next on the watch schedule?" I say to the group and turn to look at them.
"Frenchie," MM says as Frenchie grumbles.
"Then Frenchie, go now and don't let him out of your sight," I say as Frenchie nods his head and grabs his gun before running off to find Lamplighter.
"Everyone else, get some rest, and see you in the morning. Congrats again MM," I say as MM smiles nodding his head.
We all head home, though I had a small apartment in the city paid for by the government. There I went into my room passing my neighbors who were going about their business. Once inside I went to the balcony grabbing a drink and some cigars. I spent the next couple of hours drinking and smoking. Then as I was about to turn in, I got a call from Frenchie.
"Logan, an emergency popped up. I need to handle it, I need to leave. Lamplighter is currently at the club," Frenchie says to me sending me the address.
"Right, go take care of it. I'll get there ASAP," I say and quickly running out the door.
I quickly make my way there, however, as I arrive the place seems to be in the process of closing for the night. I asked around about Lamplighter, but people say he left a few minutes before it closed. I then traced the burner phone we gave him which we can trace since it has a GPS secretly installed in it for us to trace.
'Fuck, fuck, fuck,' I think seeing the trace show me that he was heading toward Grace's house. I then quickly called Grace and started running at full speed toward her house.
"Grace, Lamplighter is on the way to your house. Get out now!" I say as soon as she answers.
I hear her curse before hanging up. I can run as fast as Usain BOLT and keep the pace for miles, however, I could have run faster but my bones weigh me down. As soon as I arrive, I see Lamplighter sneaking into the house. I charge after him and I see him standing by Grace's bedroom door.
"Fucking bitch," I hear Lamplighter mumble just about to burn the place, but I jump toward him.
"Oh, fuc–" Lamplighter says turning to see me launching myself at him.
He quickly turns to light me on fire, but I reach him before he can light me on fire and I slam into him. We crash into Grace's wall breaking it slightly from my weight alone, Lamplighter rolls on the ground trying to catch his breath. I then stomp on his face knocking him out, I grab his staff and press a button which turns the fire off at the top.
"Bitch," I say while standing above him.
"Grace?! You there?!" I shout to see if she is still home.
However, instead of Grace, her two grandkids pop their heads out of her room. They look at me and then Lamplighter before their eyes widen. I put my hands up trying to not look threatening.
"Listen, I'm–" I start to say as they close the door and lock it.
'Fuck,' I think and then grab my phone to call Grace.
"Are they ok?!" Grace says as soon as I call her.
"Yeah, they are. However, I woke them up after taking Lamplighter down and they locked themselves in your room," I say to her while using the Ziptie cuffs to make sure Lamplighter can't move.
"Good, good… Thanks, Logan," Grace says letting out a heavy sigh.
"No problem. What is your ETA?" I say while picking up Lamplighter and texting Butcher to get the VAN and meet me here.
"Five minutes," Grace says as I bring Lamplighter to her dining room and close her front door.
"See you then," I say hanging up and calling Butcher.
"What's going on?" Butcher asks me as I hear him running and then getting into the van.
"Lamplighter tried to kill Grace's grandkids. I was able to stop him before he could," I say as I hear Butcher start letting out profanities about Lamplighter.
"Where was Frenchie?!" Butcher says after cursing out Lamplighter.
"He had to handle some personal business. So I took over for him, but it seems Lamplighter used the time between the switchover to escape," I say as I sit down next to Lamplighter making sure he doesn't try anything.
"Well, at least you stopped the bastard," Butcher says.
"See you soon," I say hanging up.
Then a few seconds after I hung up on Butcher Grace came running in. She looked over at me as I nodded my head to her. Grace then ran upstairs to her room and I could her hear hugging her grandkids. They talked, as Grace apologized to them and tried to explain that the man wasn't the real Lamplighter but some crazy guy. That I was a friend who she asked to check up on them. Then Butcher walked inside since the front door was left open when Grace ran inside.
"The fucker still knocked out?" Butcher says giving a hard glare to Lamplighter. I look at Lamplighter and open his eyelids to see rolled-back eyes.
"Yep," I say nodding my head.
"Open the van," I say grabbing Lamplighter, as Butcher takes the staff and we go outside.
I toss Lamplighter inside the van in a harsh manner Butcher takes the staff to the front with him. I then step inside the back to watch Lamplighter. As we drive back Lamplighter starts to sture as I text everyone that we are headed back home with the package. For now, I let MM rest and celebrate his engagement. When we pulled into the warehouse, Lamplighter woke up and looked around confused before looking at me.
"Let me go! You will regret this! Wait until the Seven find out!" Lamplighter starts to say but I can hear the fear and desperation in his voice.
"Shut the fuck up, before I knock your teeth down your throat," I say to him making him snap his mouth shut. Then I hear Butcher knock on the back of the van signaling that we arrived and it is safe to come out.
I open the van and Butcher is grabbing a metal chair so we can chain up Lamplighter to it. I grab Lamplighter by the ankle and drag him out making him grunt in pain as he slams into the ground. Then I pick him placing him on the chair as Butcher starts chaining him to it.
"A single wrong move and we find out two things. First, if you are bulletproof, and second if you like your kneecaps," I say taking a gun out and placing it on his knee while Butcher chains him.
Lamplighter looks down at the gun with a pale face not knowing if he is bulletproof either. Butcher then moves to his hands as I keep the gun on his knee, with Lamplighter sitting still nervously staring at the gun. Then I pulled the gun away once Butcher finished securing Lamplighter to the chair.
"Now, we wait for the others," I say as I take off Lamplighter's hood and goggles so we can see his face underneath.
"What are you guys gonna do?" Lamplighter says as Butcher and I stand to the side preparing the interrogation tools. Butcher ignores him as we set up, but I turn to Lamplighter.
"Depends on what our boss wants us to do. You did try to kill her grandkids, so chances are, you are dead," I say shrugging as Lamplighter's face goes completely pale.
"I didn't try to kill any kids! I didn't know they were there! I thought it was just the woman!" Lamplighter says trying to defend his actions.
Though now we both ignore him as he starts begging us to let him go. However, Butcher and I just stare at him with disinterest and Butcher pours us some drinks. Then the first person to arrive was Frenchie who walked in and gave a very angry glare toward Lamplighter. He then looked at us with a very apologetic face.
"Mes amis, I'm sorry… But my friend he needed my help," Frenchie says as Butcher glares at him still upset Frenchie almost let Grace's grandkids burn to death.
"Shit happens, though next time it might lead to casualties," I say to Frenchie who nods his head in understanding.
"You almost got her grandkids burnt," Butcher says with some anger in his voice. Frenchie just winces at the glare from Butcher.
"No fighting, not in front of our guest at least," I say before things could escalate. Butcher grunts and we all go back to watching Lamplighter who is now mumbling to himself in fear. Frenchie then begins going through the tools with a smile while staring down Lamplighter.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone