Life Can Do Terrible Things

“Matthew.”



The young boy looked up at his father, snapped out of his game of marbles.



“come here, I need to speak with you.”

The redheaded boy got up quickly and walked over to where his father was relaxing in his favourite armchair.



“Y-yes, Master?” Matthew never lost the habit of calling his father that, even after the accident.



The accident, yes. Their rival gang kidnapping him, torturing him, both emotionally and physically. The boy still bore the marks of his capture. Both eyes with circles of black and blue around them, marks of angry fingers around his neck like jewelry, and the cuts on the corners of his mouth from when they took a tooth from him. Just the sight of his son like this set Stefano on edge. He was angry that it was someone else who hurt Matthew like this, and not himself. No, he wasn’t allowed to think that way anymore. They had gotten the data about the broken boy, and now they needed to be kind to him.



“I’m going to tell you about your mother today. Sit.”



Matthew sat on the floor in front of him, nervous. He knew about his mother. A beautiful woman, who his father had hurt, and killed. And Stefano knew it. He knew that his son knew.



“I loved her.” he finally said. “I loved her more than anything else. We actually… had plans to leave together. Before Marcello found out.”



The news startled the young boy. Why did he hurt her, then?



“Once Marcello found out that she was pregnant, he told that one eyed scientist you’re so fond of to experiment on her.” he paused, letting the information sink in, before continuing, “I was forced into it, as well. He wouldn’t let me save her, but.. I was allowed to keep you.”



Matthew curled up. Not Shockwave. How could he have anything to do with this?



“We tried to make you stronger than anyone else… but.. you ended up being smaller than most, and sicker than most. It’s a miracle you’re still alive.” Stefano closed his eyes for a brief moment. “It was awful, to watch her deteriorate like that. She begged, and pleaded for me to help her, but.. I knew if I had done that, you would be dead along with her.”



“… Why are you telling me this?”



“Because.. I don’t want you to make the same mistake as I did, mio figlio” he leaned forward and gently patted Matthew’s head. “Don’t fall in love, there’s just too much to lose. No matter what Shockwave, or anyone, says to you, if you have the choice, please.. Just walk away. Don’t let them get you.”



Matthew couldn’t look away from his father, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. Shockwave was the only thing that kept him alive in the dark room he was kept in for so long.



“I can’t bare to see the same thing that happened to me, happen to you. I’m only telling you this because… Life can do terrible things.”