Ballistic Brothers Bond

by Chrysaliscreator

Summary:

Story focuses mainly on Whitty as he and the gang continue to travel on their road trip and uncover not only secrets and the origins of his past, but he tries to deal with new bonds and people he meets along the way.

“You know, you COULD place something else here to make it sound more appealing, that description seems pretty generic”
“Julian what are you doing here?”
“What? Just concerned about the summary you wrote, I mean, it’s to the point but isn’t is a little lacking?”
“Julian I appreciate the constructive criticism but I don’t think this is the moment for it”
“Why are you so formal all the time? There’s like a shitload of swearing in this thing, not to mention you like that kind of humor”
“That I don’t like to swear unless it is to make a point (or am surprised or laughing) does not mean I cannot appreciate swearing in humor.
Besides, the whole taboo about swearing is a mere social construct, if you take away the weight people put in it it losses its potency, where I grew up you could hear swearing around all the time”
“So what you saying is… you’re a priss?”
“…”
“F*ck you Julian”
“THERE is is~”

Notes:

• For Livitup.

This work is inspired by Streets Smarts from Liveitup as a form of alternate route that takes place after the camping trip they took and leaving Updike at the Hospital.
I hope you enjoy it, and my kudos for Liveitups good writing skills.

Chapter 1: Junctions

Life is full of mystery, you can never expect what is to come, just prepare for what it could or might be, and even then it might not be enough, but that’s part of what makes us who we are and who we become.
The road we take can change as we go, and sometimes old paths that we thought we would never see again will reappear, sometimes without our knowledge or without us recognizing it at first.
And then you have a bunch of assholes who decided to go on an impromptu road trip with no destination in mind just going around and screwing things up, as if it was not bad enough that they already caused a bunch of mayhem in they own city.
After all, we had a tiny blue haired idiot with an ego three times his own size, a trigger-happy red headed gun fanatic with a bunch of issues, two kids in Halloween customs obsessed with the macabre and dressed as a skeleton and a pumpkin, a guy turned invisible with a goat skull on his head facing depression and anger issues, a robot cinnamon roll who loves basketball, a pair of digi-devil brothers, one who is a total badass and slightly more responsible while dealing with survivors guilt, the other an impulsive idiot who got trapped in a void for a year and is a fanboy of the next guy, a literal 8’11 ex-rock star living bomb that loves to eat and an even taller illegal Russian immigrant that is wanted for many severe crimes in what might as well be all Eurasia, if not all Europe as well.
Oh, and the trauma, can’t forget the shitloads of emotional trauma and baggage each one of these assholes carry around. Seriously, if you could manifest the level and number of issues these idiots have combined into ACTUAL luggage, you would need three planes instead of one and hope that the planes can actually get off the ground with the sheer weight of it. Any waaaaayyyyyssss, moving on.
As the aforementioned idiots travel around in the bus with the awful drawing of Daddy dearest on the side, they come to a realization.
“We running out of gas” said Boyfriend while behind the wheel.
“No shit” said Tabi with an unimpressed tone “we’ve been driving for hours since the Nevada bullshit and we haven’t stopped for gas since”
“Well, why didn’t you say anything?!”
“After you forgot me at the hospital, we agreed that we wanted to see how long it took for you to notice small things… or big things… or things in general” said Ruv, sitting at the back of the buss, Pump sitting next to him wearing his hat as he chatted with Skid and they gazed out the window.
“Are you never going to let that down?! I said I was sorry! Plus, you already slapped me in the face with a giant shoe. And besides, I was not the only one who didn’t notice till hours later. *Whisper* not to mention you are always quit as fuck”
‘Yes, that was fun though, who knew you face could contort like that”
“Thanks for finding my shoe by the way, I didn’t want to have to walk everywhere with only one shoe and socks due to a stupid fanboy not being able to keep a rational train of thought for 5 freaking seconds!” Whittys voice increasing each time more as he looked behind him at Agoti, who was sitting in front of Tabi, and who had previously thrown his shoe out the window.
“I said I was sorry! It seemed like a fun idea at the time!” Tabi looked at Agoti with a deadpan expression “And this is why we are working on you spending more than 2 seconds on any thought that crosses your head”
Aldryx snorts sitting next to Agoti in the bus “Two? I think you give him too much credit”
“Bite me bitch!”
“Make me!” the two started throwing punches
Pico watches from the front of the bus with a smirk
“I really wished I had some popcorn in times like this” “Oh dear! O don’t believe we have popcorn amongst our snacks! I think we have chips though. Whitty, do we still have chips?” Hex asked sitting next to Pico.
“If by have you mean uneaten, then no”
“What?! There were 20 bags left last time! Did you even eat the bad flavors?” explained Boyfriend.
“… They were bad flavors?”
“UGH! How are you not BROKE?! You eat your own weight in food! Which is not an easy fee considering you’re a literal fucking GIANT!”
“Hey! I’m not a giant! I’m just really tall!”
That’s literally the definition of a giant!”
“Nuh huh, giants can squish you to the ground with just their feet! And I’m not that big!”
“Technically he was assaulted with your shoe though” Hex said raising a hand
“Hex WHY?! Why did you betrayed me?” “I’m sorry! Would you like an apology hug?”
“… Yes please” before he could stand up, the bus starting to make noises and it finally came to a stop.
Oh oh, I think the bus died” said Skid while looking at Pump who had since returned Ruv his hat
“Should we revive it?” asked Pump
“We don’t have the spooky book to do it” said Skid looking disappointed.
“The bus didn’t die. It just ran out of gas.” Said boyfriend, thankful that the bus stopped in an open area, unlikely to get mugged or have the bus jacked.
“So what we do now? Hijack a new ride? I could arrange that” Pico said pulling a gun.
“No. We just need gas.”
“So we rob a gas station? A little cliché but I can work with that”
“No one is robbing a gas station! We just need to go find a station and have Hex buy some gas!”
“Do we even know were a gas station is?” Asked Aldryx while having Agoti in a chokehold, Agoti silently asking for help.
“Systems show there are two gas stations nearby, but one is “currently under renovations”, but only on the store part of it, so I don’t know if the part that gives gas is available” Hex said showing a display of the stores addresses on his screen in opposite directions.
“Ok, so here’s the plan, we divide into three groups, one goes to one store to see if it’s open, if it is text so, the other to the other store and the last stays with the bus.”
“Wow, did you come up with that plan yourself” asked Pico with a slow clap
“Fuck you!”
“Ok, so who goes with who?” asked Agoti with a hoarsely voice rubbing his throat while Aldryx rubbed his punched cheek.
“I vote stay here” said Ruv immediately
“I vote stay, my feet still need to recover from that god-fucking awful camping trip”
“Literally no one asked you Pico!”
“I second that, the staying part I mean, I’ll take it as a break from whatever fuckery we know for a fact will somehow happen from this simple errand” Tabi grouchily replied as he lean back in his sit.
“Oh come now, it’s not like we are in a warzone or trapped in a void, we are just going to get some fuel” Hex said trying to be optimistic “I bet you a thousand dollars by the time you come back, at least ONE of you will either bring back some stupid shit, have something missing or have the shit beaten out of them, I get 5 thousand if all three” “Deal”
“Hex, you just lost five thousand dollars” Pico said laughing
“I’m optimistic!”
“Ok, moving on, so Pico, Tabi and Ruv are staying on the bus to guard it. I call-“
“We call Hex” cut Aldryx and Agoti before boyfriend could finish
“God dammit!”
Soooo sorry you got stuck with me”
“Oh. I guess Whitty is ok too”
“Don’t forget us!”
“Well, I guess as long as you’re with two adults you kids can come along, ok gang, let’s move it!”
“Let’s go go powerangers!”
“God dammit Whitty! That joke is not even funny anymore!”
“It is if it bugs you”
“UGH!”

So then our delightful morons went their separate ways, but only until they were completely and utterly lost did one of them finally realized “wait, if hex is on the other group, how are we going to find the other gas station and pay for the gas anyways?”
“…I knew I was forgetting something…”
“You’re a fucking idiot, did your missing height take all your smarts too?”
“Hey! Everyone is a midget compared to you!”
“True, but if everyone is a dwarf compared to me, what does that make you? A midget amongst midgets?”
“My mom said it’s wrong to say dwarf or midget”
“Fuck political correctness! Everything is censored or too sensitive nowadays anyways!”
“Of course you’d say that”
What the fuck does that even mean?”
“Nothing *cough* white privilege *cough* *cough*”
“*gasp* how fucking DARE you?! I don’t-I’m not- I’ve never, FUCK YOU!”
“Mhmm, that’s what I thought”
“Where are we?” asked Pump with slight concern
“Well, we are lost in a dirty alleyway in a strange city, over a state away from home… on the bright side it’s still day time, so at least we won’t get mugged with me around”
A gun safety being removed is heard
“Fuck”
They turn around to see a man in a gas mask pointing a gun at them, particularly boyfriend
“Greetings, I am agent Anders, I’ve been commissioned to end your life”
“Oh come one! How’d you even find me here! We are literally lost in a different state. Even I don’t know where we are. How on EARTH did you even find us?”
“To be truthful, it was just dumb luck, I was commissioned your assassination not more than 30 minutes ago, and I’ve was just in this crapy part of town since I was dealing with other hits for the last couple of months. I was actually going to start looking for you when I heard your whining from the window and came down the stairs to your right, I’m honestly surprised you didn’t see me”
“Wait, if you saw and heard us from INSIDE a window UPSTAIRS, why didn’t you just shoot from up there instead of coming all the way down here?” Whitty asked
“Honestly, I thought there was no way a target could be THIS easy, so I wanted to make sure”
“Fair”
“Now *click*, any last words?”
Whitty immediately stood in front of the kids who seemed confused, while Boyfriend cower behind Whitty, the tension was thick in the air until an unknown voice suddenly broke the silence.
“Oh come on man, there are KIDS here, have some compassion and decency” came a new voice starting everyone and causing them to turn to a dumpster, where a dark-skinned man with a ponytail, wearing a jacket and no shoes lay on his side and held his head up on his arm, as if posing for a portrait.
“…”
“Who the hell are you?” asked Anders, Boyfriend and Whitty.
“Why are you not wearing shoes?” asked Pump and Skids
“Ah, those are very good questions. To the second question, it’s simple -he lifted his leg doing a mock side leg rising ballerina pose- I have no money!” he proceeded to jump of the dumpster in front of Anders, causing him to shift.
“As for the first question, I’m just a guy who knows it’s a total dipshit move to hold someone at gun point when children are present, especially if they are not even the target, trauma much?”
“You are right, which is why they were going to be no witnesses, and you just added yourself to the current list”
“Wait wait! What’s that smell?” he suddenly asked sounding panicked, starting Anders
“What?”
“That smell? You smell that?” he shifts around radically before lifting the dumpster’s lid and recoiling “Oof, you smell that? Now THAT, is the smell of a piss poor attitude” everyone was too confused and still processing the situation to react to his jokes.
“What?” Anders repeated, meanwhile the man started to walk to his other side and placed a hand to his shoulder and pulling him close, making him uncomfortable as he got to close and started to guide him to walk in a circle “listen, dude, homie, buddy, pal, chum, brotatoship, compadre, synonym for friend, what’s with all the aggression? I mean, I GET IT, you are doing your job and the black sexy man is getting in your way and annoying the hell out of you, and you obviously have no qualms with killing innocent people if it gets the job done even if you ruin lives around you, status quo and that shit, but don’t you think we can at least, TRY and talk this out?” he finished, finally stopping as they both are now a few steps up the stairs, with the mystery man in the upper step. The others still stupidly standing were they originally were, not taking the opportunity to run away, too entrapped with the situation I guess? Seriously, wtf guys.
“I believe you don’t know how this works, and if not, let me enlighten you” Anders said shortly, now pointing the gun at the mans head.
He simply smiled and looked down at him with a calm expression “Ok, ok. You make the rules, I understand. I just have one more thing to say to you”
“Which is?”
“Have a nice Fall!” he said before pushing him of the few steps they took and causing him to stumble inside the open trash can bin and the force causing the lid to drop and trash on the sides of the dump to fall over it
He suddenly jumped of the stairs in front the others and shouted “GO, GO, GO, GO!!!” snapping everyone out of it as everyone fled the scene while angry noises could be heard within the now shaking dumpster.
They rounded at least three corners before turning one last corner, the man suddenly opening a door which caused Boyfriend, who had not stopped running behind him, to straight out smash his face and body on it before being pushed in by Whitty and then they closed the door behind them after making sure the kids got in, everyone panting as they finally stopped to breath.
“*pant* are you *pant* are you guys ok? Everyone accounted for?”
“I think so. Thanks man, you didn’t had to do that, but you saved our asses”
“That was awesome!” shouted Pump and Skid while boyfriend groaned for his injured face “you were like a character in one of those movies with special agents and stuff!” “Yeah, you lead him into a false sense of security only to push him back down, literally”
“Nah, don’t sweat it, I wasn’t about to watch children die or watch as they witness they friends death. I don’t think I could live with that in my conscious if I could do something about it”
“Yet you could live with smashing my face in?”
“sorry about that” he turned to Whitty “gotta say though, I’ve never met someone as big as you before, and I thought I was tall”
“*sigh* yeah, get that a lot, names Whitty by the way, the blue haired pipsqueak is Boyfriend and this is my little buddy Skid and his buddy Pump”
“Nice to meet you!”
“Whitty? Huh. Ain’t that funny.”
“Huh?”
“Names Julian. Julian T. Whitmore”

“Should we be concerned about the others?” Asked Agoti as he walked besides his brother, Hex enjoying the stroll to the gas station and being their guide.
“Why?”
“They are being guided by Boyfriend”
“Hmm, I see your point. Think they already got lost?”
“Don’t doubt it. I feel bad for Whitty and the kids”
“Oh? So now the kids are included and you’re not just a ravid fanboy?”
“Shut your shit spitting ass hole that you call a mouth!”
“Relax, that’s a good one by the way. Even if they get lost, they have their PHONES, they can just use an app and see their location, and even if they were stupid enough to forget THAT, the can just CALL us”
“Guess you’re right, plus, if Boyfriend made Whitty explode we would hear that from a mile away”
“True that”
“What are you guys talking about?”
“Just thinking about Boyfriends competence at self-preservation”
“Aw, that’s so sweet.”

Back at the buss, Ruv was still sitting in the back, starting into nothingness, Tabi was sitting on his original spot, laid pack with his hat covering his face and his fingers crossed in front of him, while Pico was in the front laid down and snoozing. It was quite as fuck.
Suddenly a guy wearing a yellow mask and no shoes entered the bus with a box cutter in hand.
“Hello… now you die”
The moment he said this both Ruv and Tabi pulled out their knives and Pico his gun, but otherwise none really moved and just looked at him with an annoyed expression, a gun clock heard to give further warning.
“…”
“I’ll… I’ll just leave”
He said as he left the bus, walking backwards slowing and exiting.
The moment he’s out the bus he starts running and they put their weapons away, Pico putting the safety back on. “This is boring as hell, do you think the others will be back soon so we can leave?”
“Sure hope so”
“Sure hope not”
“…”
“What? I like peace and quiet”
“How is someone as badass as you so vanilla and white bread?”
“How does a hitman miss a target that annoying and loud?”
“Point taken, but in my defense, he is hard to kill, while he sucks at fighting he SOMEHOW always survives, he’s like a cockroach”
“Nah, I think a cockroach is way tougher to kill” intervened Tabi “he’s more like a rat, once cornered you just stab them or you stomp them and BAM, no more rat”
“But now you are insulting rats. I’ve seen some in the church on occasion. Those little motherfuckers are tough to kill because they find ways around the traps”
“Hmm… what about a Jerboa?”
“A what?”
“Jerboa. Is like a hamster mixed with a kangaroo, I learned about them in a trip, they are small and fast. But they are pretty inept when handling food and don’t know how to moderate their energy correctly”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Yep, that seems accurate”
“Agreed”
“Let’s call him that from now on”
Silence resumed as their minds are now set.

Everyone stared at Julian dumbfolded as they processed his name for what felt like the millionth time.
“…”
“Your name… is Julian WHITMORE?” asked Whitty in a monotone voice.
“Yeah?”
“Whitty, isn’t that your full name?” asked Skid innocently causing Julian to do a double take
“Wait. YOUR full name is Whitmore?”
“…yeah?”
“Both of you have the same name! So spooky!” said Skid and Pump in unison
”maybe you two are long lost brothers!”
“They do have similar eyes, fashion sense and they both have dark skin!”
”Pump! Don’t say that! Mom said to never point out a person’s skin color, I don’t know why, but she said it’s rude!”
“Oh! Sorry, did not mean to be rude! Uhm, you both have… nice skin color!”
“Wait wait wait wait, roll back, what was that about being brothers?”
“Well, you two kinda look alike. Don’t you think?” Julian kept looking back and forth between them and Whitty.
“Does that mean, I have a brother?”
“WHAT?!”
“I have a brother! I always wanted a little brother to take care for and share my shitty jokes with!” Julian started with sparkly eyes looking up to an increasingly anxious looking Whitty “This is the best day of my life! I have a little brother!”
“Wait! No, stop, I can’t be your brother I wasn’t even born- wait, why am I the little brother? I’m literally taller”
“I dunno, you just FEEL like a little brother to me”
“I am NOT the little brother”
“How old are you?”
“20”
“HA! I’m 24. I’m older, I’m the BIG brother”
“Dammit, wait no! I’m not your brother!”
“I think this is the start of a beautiful new chapter. In our life’s, of course”
“What is happening right now?”
“Well find out!”
“I need an ice patch for my face guys”
“Well get to that later!”

Notes:

Read https://archiveofourown.org/works/30771176/chapters/75951689, I really recomend this story!
Plus, you need the context for some things to make sense if you read this story, otherwise there will be a lot on "noodle incidents" lol
visit the blog at https://ballisticbrothersblog.tumblr.com/ thank you

Chapter 2: Julians Gamble

Summary:

The gang meets Julian, much to Whittys annoyance, and some not so pleasant events from someones past comes to light

 

Following the most recent assassination attempt on Boyfriends life, Whitty Boyfriend and the kids are trying to head back to the bus unsuccessfully, since none of them know where the fuck they are, so they decided to reluctantly have Julian guide them, who seemed to know where he was going after they told him where they dropped the bus at. Whitty massively uncomfortable with a guy who is now pretty much convinced he is his, as Skid had put it, “long lost brother”, thinking that maybe he +might just be a stan trying to mooch of his fame or something, which would be a blow Whitty might not be able to take.

“I seriously don’t know why you ACTUALLY think we are brothers. I’m literally a walking talking bomb, and that was a single comment by an 8-year-old”

“I don’t know, it just FEELS right for some reason, you know?”

“Whatever, is there a place near here that we can buy some ice for my face? At this point I’d settle for a popsicle” whined boyfriend for the 4 hundred millionth time.

“Well, there is a small convenience store just around the corner, we can fetch a snack and get you some ice”

“A snack does sound good about now” Whitty cut in as both Pump and Skid nod vigorously “wait… didn’t you say you have no money?”

“Not a problem” Julian said with a smile entering the shop with pizzazz, striking a pose.

“Good afternoon my fellow patrons!” not even 3 seconds in and someone threw a bag of chips at Julians face.

“FUCK YOU JULIAN!” someone shouted.

“Easy folks, I just need a snack for my friends here and some ice and I’ll be on my way” immediately a couple of more snacks are thrown at him alongside a bag of ice he dodges and catches with one hand.

“NOW GET THE FUCK OUT!”

“Okie dokie artichokie” said Julian as he took two steps out of the shop, the door closing behind him.

“Okay, let’s see what we have here, ooh they gave me some good ones this time, ok, so let’s give the cupcakes to the little Pump dude, the cookies to the little skeleton, the soda and sandwich for my little bro, the ice and ice cream for our resident smurf and the chips for me~” he gave everything to everyone as they stared at him with slacked jaws as he nonchalantly opens and starts eating his chips.

After a second Whitty finally recovers and askes aggressively “Mind telling me what the hell what THAT?”

“Hm? Oh. That? They hate my guts. I’m kinda public enemy number 1 around here”

“Then why come here?”

“They give me free stuff if I stay out. You never say no to free food”

Whitty first looks at him with a raised brow before nodding solemnly “Can’t argue with that logic”

“Wait, why do they hate you? Aside from slamming a door in my face, you seem like a swell guy” asked boyfriend placing the ice on his face and signing in relief.

“Yeah, you saved us from a bad guy” added Skid

“And gave us snacks” then Pump

“It’s a long and depressing story, but let’s just say that the whole neighborhood hates me for being at the wrong place at the wrong time”

“That’s not cryptic at ALL”

“Anyways, you guys got a place to stay? My place is a dump and its small, but it’s going to start to get dark soon and this part of the city is not really safe at night”

“Would you really do that? We met you not even a couple of minutes ago” asked Whitty baffled

“I don’t mind, besides, what are big bros for?”

“We’re not-*sign* thanks”

“What about the others?” asked the kids as they munch on their snacks.

“Oh right. We should probably meet them back at the bus first”

“Others? There’s more of you?”

“Yeah!” responded Skid and Pump in unison “there a total of 10 of us, we are in a gang!”

“A gang? That sounds cool! Can I join?”

“No.”

“Oh come on. Please? I’ll make you worth a while~”

“That sounded like something a prostitute would say”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Let’s just head to this bus for the moment and pretend we didn’t hear you say that in front of children you blued headed smurf” Julian said with a smile, but what seemed to be a dark aura emanated from him.

S-s-sure”

 

“I’m getting concerned”

“Relax Hex, they can’t be that far, we already put fuel in the bus, so we can go looking for them or just call them” reassured Aldryx

“Yeah, plus they’re with WHITTY. He’s the scariest thing in any alleyway, you would need to be either really stupid or really brave to try and FIGHT him” said Agoti sitting on the busses stairs.

“You just described Boyfriends first encounter with Whitty” snarked Pico.

“But Whitty is a gentle soul! He does not fight unless provoked!”

“Again, you are describing their first encounter”

“I see them coming” said Ruv, peaking from the back window of the bus.

“Fucking finally.” Sight Pico “What took you-what the hell happened to your face?”

In front of the bus was Boyfriend holding a half melted pack of ice on his now bruised face, Skid and Pump finishing what seemed to be some snacks and a frustrated Whitty holding a “I’m so done with this bullshit” face.

“Well, we got lost-““Called it” yelled Agoti

“ANYWAYS, we got lost and there was this guy who was hired to kill me-““was it someone I know?”

“HOW THE FUCK WOULD I KNOW PICO?!” Pico shrugs “As I was SAYING, we got lost, a guy tried to kill me and was also going to kill Whitty, Pump and Skid to leave no witnesses when-“

“When I showed up and saved the day!” screamed Julian, jumping from between Boyfriend and Whitty doing a dramatic pose “Nice to meet you fellow gang members! My name is Julian! And I’m yours truly Whittys big brother! Pleasure to make your day filled with bullshit comedy!”

Everyone was quiet, processing what was just said until finally the silence was broken by Aldryx “You were gone for an HOUR”

“We know” replied a done Whitty and Boyfriend while the kids oohed and applaud at Julians showmanship.

“Plus I already told you! We. Are. NOT. BROTHERS!”

“Come on! Don’t tell me your gonna be one of those guys that’s ashamed to be a baby bro~”

“I’m not a baby!”

“No, but I AM older than you~” Julian said with a sing song voice

“I’m sorry. WHO is this?” asked Pico with a brow raised.

“Names Julian T. Whitmore!” Julian introduce himself again, causing the rest of the gang (except Ruv) to widen their eyes in surprise.

“Oh my! Whitty he shares your name! What a lovely coincidence!” Hex chimed in with a smile, oh you poor cinnamon roll.

“I KNOW! And just because of that this guy is convince he’s my freaking brother and wants to join the gang”

“Wait!” started Tabi “before any stupidity starts… did you REMEMBERED the gas?”

Whitty and Boyfriends eyes bulge, their eyes twitching as the kids add “I knew we were forgetting something” “yeah, something was nagging at me”

“Ha! They forgot the gas, Boyfriend got his face smashed in and they brought something, or in this case someone, stupid. Pay up Hex”

“*sigh* I’ll transfer the money to your bank account”

“You guys are hilarious!” said Julian who started laughing, which aggravated Whitty further, Agoti took notice and stood up and started walking in front of Julian “Hey listen here shits for brains, you need to learn to read the room, you aren’t wanted here”

“Aw come on man. I haven’t done anything bad, besides it’s not like I’m asking you for money or nothing, looking at that bus I’m guessing you guys are as broke as I am”

“I’ll show you broke you piece of shit! I’ll break your nose!” Agoti threw a punch at Julian but he only took a step back without even flinching completely dodging the blow “Easy dude, I don’t wanna fight you, that’s a fight you’re not gonna win”

“Wanna bet!” Agoti kept throwing punches and kicks at Julian but Julian just kept avoiding them with ease, the way he moved around looked like a mix of a ballerina dancing and someone doing breakdance as he kept sliding and moving away from Agotis blows and making poses as he did so.

“Way to go Agoti, you have him shaking in his none existing boots” mocked Pico

“I bet he beats him with a single hit” Ruv said sounding mildly invested.

“I’m actually ashamed to be friends with him right now” Tabi placed his two cents with an amused expression as he saw how Julian dodged Agotis blows.

“I feel the same but worse as I’m related to him. How is he beating you? He isn’t fighting back, hell he isn’t even wearing SHOES!”

“Shut up! UGH! Fight me bitch! Stop cowering like a wuss and mocking me!” Julian stopped and REALLY looked at Agoti “Are you SURE bout that? I don’t want to hurt you and I have an unfair advantage here”

“Fuck yeah!”

“You sure?”

“Just fight!”

“*sigh* Vey well. But I want to make note that you LITERALLY asked for it”

Agoti went for another punch but Julian all but grabbed it, surprising him and everyone else, then actually pulled Agoti in and knee strike him in the stomach, striking the air out of him which caused Agoti to fall to the ground and spit up.

“Called it”

 “Uh oh. I think I over did it, you ok man?”

 “That was one hell of a kick” Agoti said hoarsely as he started to stand with his hands, then saw Julians hand and look up at him in surprise. He hesitantly took his hand and let Julian help him up.

“Your problem is that your fighting tougher not smarter”

“The hell you mean!?” Agotis voice still strained as he still had not completely recovered his breath

“It means what it means. Dude, I’m TALLER than you, but you are fighting me like you would fight someone your own size. I can hit you from further away and you were aiming your punches at my face, when fighting someone taller you need to go for either the torso or the legs, otherwise you are trying to punch something out of reach and the punch loses all its strength” Julian explained surprising Agoti that he was actually giving him advise on how to fight, despite having tried to punch his lights out not even a minute ago.

“Did you just advised someone that tried to assault you how to PROPERLY assault you?” Aldryx went to be besides his brother, baffled by what he was witnessing.

“Hey, I actually tried to de-escalate the situation, besides, I was actually holding back, I don’t want to hurt a guy who would go so far on behalf of a friend”

Agoti and Aldryx exchanged looks before looking at Whitty “…Whitty, are you SURE he is not your brother? He seems like a genuinely nice guy”

Having had had enough of it, Whitty screamed in the air grabbing everyone’s attention, worried he might explode due to the stress.

“UGH! Enough of this! Quit the nice guy routine, how do I know you are not just trying to use me so you can get famous? Got news for you buddy! I can’t do shit for you there!”

That gave Julian pause and looked at Whitty with a look of both concern and confusion “What are you talking about?” Whitty faltered for a moment, as this was the first time since meeting him were Julian seem to have stopped smiling and was being serious but recovered quickly.

“Oh don’t play dumb! You just want to use me for you own career!”

“… Career of what exactly? I don’t even have a job. No one will hire me. So I don’t know what you mean by that. Are you an actor or something?”

Everyone exchanged looks and Agoti started “Dude, you DO know who Whitty IS, right?”

“If you mean before meeting him today, no, not really. Why?”

“Dude, seriously? Not even the concert thing? It was all over the news”

“Concert? Wait, are you famous? Also, I don’t really watch the news or am into the whole celeb thing, don’t have a tv or a computer, the most I have is this old phone I still have when I saved up for it before I was kicked out of foster care at 18”

“You’ve had the same phone for 6 years?” asked a baffled Boyfriend before Whitty yelled at him “that’s beside the point!” “Sorry”

“So, just to confirm, you really have absolutely no idea who Whitty is?” asked Hex

“Not a clue.”

“…”

“I believe him”

“Tabi?!” Agoti, Aldryx and Whitty yell in surprise

“Think about it. If he knew you were famous and wanted to use you, wouldn’t he be pushing for you to help him or listen to his stuff? Plus, look at him, he doesn’t even know what you are famous FOR, he assumed we are all broke, and I don’t think he is faking it so he can bring it up later, we’ve only known him for a couple of minutes and he was focused on pointing out he was your brother, shitting around and stopping a fight when he obviously could have beaten the shit out of Agoti –“HEY!”-, he was even teasing you when someone that would want to use you would be more prone to buttering you up, sucking up to you or trying to manipulate you into thinking you are their friend. Trust me, I know. Plus, if he KNEW you, wouldn’t it be a total dumbass move to ask for help from a celebrity that fell from grace?”

This gave Whitty pause, it was true, Whitty was no longer a celebrity with any pull to give, so any motive Julian had to use him was out the window, and he did seem genuinely confused, Julian had not asked for anything out of him other than his name and being in the gang, and the last one was because he seemed convinced to be his brother for some reason, so Whitty was now hesitant.

“Sooo… what IS he famous for anyways?”

They remained quiet for a moment, Whitty decided to take a shot in the dark

“I used to be a rock star, but then an asshat by the name of Daddy Dearest ruined my life, I accidentally blew up a concert hall and life has been Hell since then, well, it was Hell BEFORE I even met him, as I was being chased by a cult and a guy dead set to kill me, the concert thing just made thing go back to status quo, just with more scars and trauma added to the mix”

Julians eyes widened for a moment “oh… well, that sucks…”

Julian stayed quit for a moment, his face scrunching up, as if he was trying to decide something before setting on a solemn expression and looking at his feet “They reason I’m public enemy number one is… I was arrested for murder…”

“WHAT?!” everyone screamed, minus Ruv and the kids who just had a puzzled face

“I was arrested for murder. But I didn’t do it! It was being at the wrong place at the wrong moment”

“That’s what all murderers say” the kids say cryptically

“I didn’t do anything. I was just getting back home after another failed job interview and saw a door opened in my apartments floor, I noticed the same door open when I left that morning so I got curious, when I peeked in there was a woman lying in the floor in a puddle of her own blood, I immediately run to try and help her but… but I know shit about medicine, I didn’t know HOW to help her and she died in my arms… by then my hands and cloths were covered in blood from trying to help her… apparently a neighbor arrived and called the cops but they only saw me with my bloody hands and I was arrested. I was only acquitted due to a technicality, so I was technically a free man, but the public didn’t see it that way… I was both legally and factually innocent… but to the public’s eye I was just the murderer of a single mother with two seemingly missing kids…I didn’t even know about the last part until the trial, no one knows where they were or ARE, but evidence was weird as it pointed to both there BEING kids in the apartment and them not existing at all”

Boyfriends eyes widen “Wait. Didn’t the Andy guy said something about being here for months for other jobs?”

“Anders” corrected Pump and Skid

“Same thing”

Whitty started to follow their train of thought “yeah, he did mentioned he was here for months for other jobs… you don’t think?”

Julian gave a humorless laugh “My thoughts exactly… I wanted to do SO much more to that guy… but my priority was with the kids… children should not be subjected to the problems of adults… that’s wrong and unfair…” he spared a glance at Skid and Pump who gave him teary eyes as he gave them a soft smile.

“Kids are to just be kids, no matter how weird or different they are”

Everyone was silent, and the one person no one expected to talk ask “why are you telling us this?” asked Ruv

“To prove to you I’m NOT going to use you or backstab you. I’m public enemy number one in this place, sure if you were a celebrity you would be my golden ticket, but knowing what I told you no celebrity in their right mind would dare to associate with me. That would be career suicide. So it’s up to you if you want me or not, but I just wanted to make it clear that I’m not a bad guy”

A deafening silence followed (a lot of those right now, yikes) as everyone debated on what to do or say. Hex decided to be the one to take the first step “I believe you when you say you’re a good person, I’ve been scanning you this whole time, and your vitals seem to match your emotions, I’m so sorry you had to face such horrible situation and be seen as a bad guy when you were just trying to help and be a decent person, as far as I’m concern, you are a good friend, and if the others agree, our new gang member”

This seemed to have been more than Julian could take as he grabbed Hex in a crushing hug and started to sob, falling to the ground and pulling Hex with him. In all those months since the incident, no one had ever stop and consider Julians side of the story, it was “too convenient”, “too sketchy”, “a likely story”, among others, to hear someone finally listen to his side and BELIEVE him was just overwhelming and he just broke down. 

To Whitty this was a new revelation, what if Julian was just looking for a friend? The world just assumed he was guilty even when he was declared and was innocent, so what if he was latching to him being his brother so he could have ONE meaningful connection, he had already pretty much implied he was an orphan, so he obviously had no family and since that whole shitload of a burden he just described no wonder he had no friends, so Whitty decided, for this one time, he will cut the shit and some slack.

“I second that Hex” Julian look at him expectantly, looking around and noticing all of them were now out of the bus and around him and Hex

“Anyone that can admit and still have a sense of humor after that level of unfair bullshit is ok in my book” said Pico

“hey, if you really are his brother then you and I can make our own club within the gang, we would be the big bro club and see about keeping our brothers in check, so I’m all for that!” said Aldryx laughing

“Like HELL you will! He would totally join MY club! Did you not see him fight? He has class, and knows how to fucking fight properly, so fuck off I saw him first!” Agoti said pushing Aldryx as the two started fighting, Agoti seemingly to start to use the tips he was just given.

“I wish I had met someone like you when… you are ok in my book too” started Tabi, but he seemed to contain himself.

“We are a YES!” Pump and Skids all but yelled as they run to give Julian a comfort hug

Ruv towered over him “I don’t trust you… but you are not evil”

“I say no”

“THE FUCK YOU SAID?!”

“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

“But he needs friends!”

“Ever heard of democracy?!”

“You little pest!”

“That’s not fair!” ”He saved us!”

“You ungrateful bastard!”

“You are a nuisance”

“Hey! I’m the leader and I say who enters and who doesn’t, we haven’t met him for that long to welcome him in! He could be lying for all we know!” protested Boyfriend.

“I looked up police records, everything Julian said so far matches, and he was arrested but acquitted due to lack of /unreliable evidence and motive, the only evidence they had that Julian kill her was the blood in his hands, but the woman died of being shot and blood lose, plus Julian had an alibi as he was in a Job interview earlier that day and there was no gun in either apartments nor any gunpowder of any kind on him”

“Ok fine! I’ll give him… a trial! If he passes it he’s in”

“Why you little-“Whitty started but was cut of

“Bring it!” Julian cut him as he stood up, cleaning the tears from his face

“You have to… you have to… you have to make Ruv laugh!”

Everyone was about to protest about the ridiculousness and impossibleness of the trial, but before anyone could say anything Julian replied “DEAL!”

he turned around and asked who was Ruv, in which they all turned to look at him, he looked up at Ruv who raised an eye brow as Julian examined him with his fingers on his lips until he snapped his fingers “got it” he waived for Ruv to lower down, which he reluctantly complied with before Julian whispered something in his ear. A moment later, Ruv made a strange noise one could take as laughter and said “that’s hilarious”

Everyone observed with slack jaws at what they just saw

“No. Fucking. Way.” said Boyfriend

“What can I say? I’m a funny guy”

With that they all started to cheer and welcome Julian, Whitty asking what the hell did he said to Ruv, to which he cryptically answered “You don’t adjust the audience to your jokes, you adjust your jokes to the audience”

But all this just left one stone left unturned in the present time.

“But wait, IS Julian Whitty’s brother? I mean, they DO look alike somehow, but how can we be sure?” asked Aldryx

“I can help with that!” explained Hex “I have a DNA analyzer, I just need a small blood sample from both and we can see if they are biologically related”

“B-blood sample?” asked Whitty

“Do not worry, I will just pinch your finger for a drop, nothing more”

“I’m all for it if you are, nothing ventured nothing gained”

“…ok” Whitty reluctantly agreed as Hex claw hand created a small spike and pinched his finger and then Julians

“Analyzing the samples”

“I still think we are not related, after all there is no way, but I would still be happy to have you as a friend-“

“Analyzing complete! Sample shows Julian is 100% human, while Whitty is only 20%”

“Yippee, a reminder of what a monster I am-“before Whitty could start his pity party Hex continued speaking “But of the 20% human Whitty has, scan shows… there is a 100% match! Julian is, in fact, biologically related to Whitty!”

“…”

“…”

“͡° ͜ʖ ͡°”

“What the actual fuck?!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

Julians mugshots, look at that face. Does that look like the face of someone who committed murder in cold blood? But the police only saw him next to the body covered in the stuff. To them it didn’t really mattered that he was crying. "Crocodile tears" they said. So his fate was sealed. He "became" a murderer just for trying to be a decent human being and help someone he did not even know.

Chapter 3: Hotel Luxuries and Foster Care

Summary:

The gang decided a little r & r is needed, but some realizations come to fruition

Notes:

The previous chapter was on the heavy side to cement certain aspects of the story, but not going to lie and say the whole thing had passed, but at least this chapter will have a better tone, if only in contrast.
Comments are welcome.

Everyone had been aghast upon discovering that Whitty was, in fact, not only related to Julian, but his human DNA WAS Julians. Which ended in a whole debate of whether Whitty technically qualified as a clone, but Julian and Hex managed to calm everyone down and settle with the previous consensus.

“Ok, so, now that we established that we really ARE brothers, now what?” Julian asked looking around the group as they had all gotten in the bus to at least have a place to sit.

“I don’t know, I mean, you’re officially in the gang? I guess?” Whitty said, still a little out of it.

“Yay! We should celebrate somehow. Maybe we can find a basketball court and play a friendly game”

Julian, who was leaning on top of the back of his seat looking back at the others laugh “That sounds like a cute idea Hex, but I suck at basketball, I always end up getting hit in the face with the ball somehow”

“Wait, you suck at basketball? But your-“

“Finish that sentence with what I think you will say and I’ll give you a reason to fear stereotypes” Julian replied still smiling but once again projecting a dark aura that sent shills up the others spines.

“Uh… vertically gifted?”

“…that’s A LITTLE better, but still on the red. But yes, I tried and I suck, don’t know why, sorry Hex”

“That’s perfectly fine! Not everyone is good at everything or likes the same things”

“Yeah” Skids started “others kids at school don’t like spooky stuff as much as we do”

“But that does not mean we are going to force them to like it” Pump continued

“But we can try and make them see why we do! Like the time we brought a cat’s skeleton to skull!”

“Where did you even find a cats skeleton?!” all but shouted Boyfriend, who at this point should stop being a little bitch and realize who he is dealing with when it comes to these kids.

…Miss my occasional snarkyness? You gotta know when the time is appropriate for it man, last chapter I wasn’t about to be a bitch when a man is pouring his deepest shame out, shame on you. Anyways, just keep reading… what were they saying? Something about a cat? I dunno, let’s tune back in.

“Hate to be that guy, but it’s getting dark, and we already put gas in the buss so we should get going, maybe we can find a hotel?” Agoti looked out the window to see the sun stating to set.

Pump stood up and walked to Julian “Julian offered to have us stay at his place!”

“Well… if it was 2 of you plus maybe the kids I think it would have been fine, but I don’t think I have space for ALL of you including myself, I only have a crappy old couch and a mattress”

“You mean a bed?” Ruv raised an eyebrow.

“Nope, literally a mattress in the floor. I’m poor as dirt. Dude, I can’t even afford SHOES, all my money goes to food and I’m pretty sure my landlord is going to kick me out next week, the arrest only did matters worse, I once called a McDonalds because I had the munchies and they straight out refused to take my order and hung up on me”

“Why do you even stay here?” Pico questioned as he was stretching his legs, purposely making sure to put his feet on Boyfriends face which caused him to grunt.

“I don’t have money to leave or a place to go and Foster care is shit man, once you turn 18 you’re on your own, and I’ve been trying to get a job for over a year, till now I was surviving out of odd jobs, welfare and pretty much whatever I could find”

“So why not come with us?” offered Hex with sparkling eyes being displayed on his screen.

“I thought I was officially a part of the gang?”

“I think what Hex means is for you to come with us in this trip and then return back HOME with us” said Aldryx with a smirk

“Yeah! So you can teach me how to beat this asshole and have him beg for mercy!”Agoti all but jumped and shoved Aldryx aside

“You wish! We are the big brother duo, I finally have someone that I can bitch about you that’s not Tabi” a near imperceptible thank god could be heard as the two started to fight.

Julian first looked stunned but quickly recovered and agreed “Hell yeah! Let’s just go to my apartment to grab my things!”

“Meanwhile I’ll make a call to a hotel to make some reservations”

So the group decided to go to Julians apartment to retrieve his things and leave his crappy life behind. To their surprise, Julian really didn’t take that long to pack, he came out the building with only two bags, but considering those were all his belongings without counting his shitty couch and mattress that was just sad. When asked what about the apartment itself, Julian stated that he was going to get evicted anyways, so it didn’t really mattered.

So with an official new member, the gang parted to a hotel for the night, only to be met with a delightful surprise. 

“You booked a five star hotel?!” Yelled Boyfriend, seriously dude, do you not know Hex?

“Why of course! After hearing Julians story, I thought it was the least we could do to welcome him into the gang! What you think Julian?”

“...”

“Julian?”

They all turned to Julian to see he was hunched over and gaping at the fancy and marvelous looking hotel, his bag slipping and falling from his shoulder. He slowly turn to look at the group, some of them snickering at his face.

“You’re fucking LOADED?!”

“Oh right, I guess this just sements that you really were not using us. Hex is rich as fuck, he is actually paying for the whole trip” Pico said with a smirk. 

“What were you expecting?” Perked Tabi

“I don’t know?! Definitely not the fucking four seasons! I was just hoping we would stop in a crappy motel or something and rent two rooms”

Well get used to it- wait, there are eleven of us” Pico suddenly faltered 

“Yeah”

“Then why would you assume we would only get two rooms? That would be 4 double beds at most and maybe sofas”

“Yeah”

“...”

“You were willing to bunk in the bed of someone you met in the same day?”

“Eh. Nothing I’ve haven’t done before, like a said, foster care can be shit, so sometimes we were just a bunch of kids in one mattress, it was not always like that, some places were actually quite nice, but it happened enough to get used to it” 

“Well that’s depressing”

“Besides, it’s not like I’m not confident enough in my masculinity to know nothing will come of it right? I mean what are we, teenagers! Ha!” He laugh causing some of the others to give nervous chuckles.

“Right, what baby would be like that? It’s not like we would draw straws to see who sleeps with who”

Agoti, Tabi and Whitty growl whisper “shut the fuck up!”

Pico snickered

“Plus, some of us have girlfriends”

“Ooh, gossip time, does my bro have one?”

Whitty sputtered while the others laugh “wha-n-n-no!”

“That stutter says otherwise~”

“He won’t admit it, but I’m pretty sure he has the hots for Carol” Boyfriend added not caring for his wellbeing as Whitty sent him a death glare

“No I don’t! Plus she’s already in a relationship”

“Ah, the forbidden love. Ain’t that romantic. Well, you should probably make your move soon bro, otherwise I might~”

“DONT YOU FUCKING DARE!” He scream in the face of a smug looking Julian before realizing what he basically just admitted, blushing like mad and causing the gang to burst into laughs

“There is it~. Don’t worry bro I don’t even know her, so how would I steal her away? Especially from my own bro? That’s cold. Besides I’m literally the last person in this group who is likely to steal her” 

Whitty was still fuming and looked like a giant tomato but asked “What you mean?”

“Let’s say I’m not really into relationships... or sex for that matter”

Recognizing the pattern after processing it for a moment Pico asked “you’re aro ace?”

“Yup”

“Wait, what do arrows have to do with poker?” Stupidity asked our least informed member Boyfriend.

“Nothing you moron. That means he’s an aromatic asexual, meaning he does not really DO sex OR relationships” 

“That’s right, looks like we have ourselves a well-informed homie right here”

“Eh. I know a bunch of Ace guys”

“But... nothing at all? Maybe you just haven’t tried it or you haven’t found the right partner yet?”

Julians smile remained as the dark aura returned again, Boyfriend how do you survive in society? “Wow. You just know what you simply SHOULD NOT ask to people, do you?” Causing Boyfriend to give a nervous chuckle.

“You have to excuse the chucklefuck over here, he doesn’t really think at all most of the time”

“You don’t say?”

“Ok, ok, I’ll shut up, none of my business”

“Good, let’s check in” proceeded Pico before signaling to Julian to lean down and whisper once the others were farther ahead “psst, any way you can teach me to do that?” getting a snort out of Julian “sorry homie, trademark secret” 

“Bummer”

They then proceeded to enter and get registered in the lobby and have a valet park their bus.

Hex had made reservations with enough room for everyone this time, but they decided to hang out all together a little more by ordering a movie before bed. From the bathroom emerged a freshly showered Julian in some pajamas alongside a lot of hot water steam, the others being surprised by him having so much hair as he dried it with a towel.

“Oh that hit the spot, I haven’t had a hot shower in years!” He flopped onto a bed “or be in an actual bed that is not covered is filth. Ah this is heaven~”

“Wow, your life until this point sounds like shit” Agoti shared his opinion looking up from the mini bar-fridge.

“You can say that again, my life has been filled with one tragedy after the other, and people kinda feared me even”

“Ooh, are you spooky?”

“Do you do spooky stuff?”

“Do you LIKE spooky stuff?”

Asked Skid and Pump, they eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“Sorta. Sometimes? Maybe? A lot of stuff I feel it was just the universe fucking with me”

“Such as the whole being charged for murder?” He sounded mad but you could tell there was more to the question Tabi was making.

“That and the fact the first orphanage I ever was in when I was three burned down to the ground the day after they took me to a different one. A lot of people died that day, including kids and babies”

... That certainly was not what the others were expecting to hear.

“Since that day, I was transferred from one place to the other, I didn’t really know why until I secretly overheard someone talking about it. I was known as the “fire cursed child”, not very original but it just stuck”

Hex looked baffled “Did that ever happened again?”

“No, but people just were not willing to risk it it seems, so I was bouncing round and round the whole system until I was 18 and was legally no longer their problem”

“Your government sucks” added a thick Russian voice who was laying on a couch looking at the ceiling.

“Can’t really argue there. Man, did you even had any friends growing up?” Aldryx was sitting in a sofa nearby eating from a bag of chips.

“I made a few once or twice, typically the only kids that would associate with me were either too brave, too dumb or had something to gain from what I can do”

Whitty perks at hearing this “what you can do?”

“Another story for another time bro, I’ll tell you everything about it, I promise”

“Still not used to being called “bro”, it just feels so surreal”

“I still think Whitty is a clone”

“No one asked you, you smurf!”

Pico bursted into laughter “Hey that’s a good one! We actually were thinking about calling him by a rodents name, but that sounds better”

“Thank Julian”

“That still begs the question though” Ruv said out of the blue

“What question?” Agoti... god dammit Agoti I don’t want to have to narrate you speaking with your mouth full of shit from the god damn minibar. Ugh. Not like you can hear me anyways. Back to the mayor life realization question.

“If Whittys human part was not made from random human samples, but a very specific SINGLE person, why would the ones who made Whitty decide to use a random baby’s DNA?”

“...”

“That’s... a very good question... wouldn’t they prefer to use like a famous athlete or like a genius DNA?” Julian himself ask

“Maybe they did not have access to it or that’s not what they wanted?” Aldryx offered.

“What’s DNA?” Pump whispered to skids who shrugs and makes a ‘I don’t know’ noise. 

“Still doesn’t make sense, Whitty is 20  and Julian 24, if we take out a year since we don’t know how long it took for them to make Whitty that still leave the question of why they chose a random 3 year old baby” Tabi concluded rubbing his chin.

“Wait, didn’t you said you were placed in an orphanage when you were THREE?”

“Yeah?” 

“And then the orphanage was BURNED DOWN?”

“...”

“Are you suggesting that whoever made Whitty put me in an orphanage after taking my DNA so they could then burn it down and KILL ME?” 

“Seems so, but I guess they didn’t count with you being transferred literally the day before, or maybe they did, who knows”

“That still doesn’t make sense. That would mean they had a baby just to take his DNA and then kill him, why not use the moms or the dads?” finished Pico.

“Ugh. All this existential talk is making my head hurt, it’s bad enough I had to live my entire childhood through foster care after foster care, now it turns out someone tried to kill me after stealing my genes when I was just a baby?! I just wanted to take a hot shower, sleep in a comfy bed and eat a shit ton of food for once. Is that too much to ask universe? This was the best day of my life so far until this horrible realization”

“That only adds to the tragedy”

“Thanks Skids” 

“Your welcome!”

Sensing the now sour mood Hex tried to cheer Julian “Well... the day is not over yet! You can still order room service! Or order pizza! Or both! Whichever you prefer!”

“You sure Hex? Room service is hella expensive, and I don’t wanna push you too much, plus I... kinda eat a lot”

“Not to worry! I took Whitty into account of course, so it’s nothing I didn’t take into consideration!” 

“Whitty?” He turns to Whitty, a now amused smile on his face “you eat a lot?”

Whitty blushed “Yeah, just hungry all the time I guess” 

“Can’t be hungrier than me, that’s for sure” Whitty squint his eyes at Julian, a smile spreading to his face “that sounded like a challenge”

“Trust me little bro, you might be bigger, but I have a big stomach despite being so lanky, I have a VERY high metabolism”

“Oh please, I once ate 17 bowls of Mac n cheese”

“I won a hotdog eating contest”

“I was banned from a buffet”

“Just one? That’s cute”

“You wanna go?!”

“If you can think you can handle it”

“Hex! Order 50 pizzas! Please” he whispered the last part “shits about to go down!”

“Only 50? Oder 65, plus 4 for the others, this king is not about to lose his crown to a mere prince”

“Bring it on!”

Notes:

Read https://archiveofourown.org/works/30771176/chapters/75951689, I really recomend this story!
Plus, you need the context for some things to make sense if you read this story, otherwise there will be a lot on "noodle incidents" lol
visit the blog at https://ballisticbrothersblog.tumblr.com/ thank you

Chapter 4: Reality Warping Check

Summary:

Some secrets come out and trust sees where it stands.

I don’t know if I would call it mesmerizing or disgusting... or both, but seeing two grown ass men devour that much pizza is not something you would ever expect to see. After Hex had ordered the pizzas as requested, with some trouble at first since ordering 69 pizzas to a fancy hotel sounded like a total bullshit of a prank, Whitty and Julian went at it like it was the last thing they would ever do, the others cheering them on, not being able to divert their eyes as the two brothers all but devoured pizza after pizza while they themselves ate some slices.
Hex in the background begging Ruv to eat at least one.
It was coming to an end as Julian finished the latest box before dropping dead on the bed backwards, thankfully missing the boxes of empty pizza thus avoiding the need to shower again.
“Fuck Yeah! I reign supreme! In your face Julian!”
“Ough, I can’t believe that I lost. I’ve never been beaten before at pigging out”
“Well, you just got swinned! That sounded a lot better in my head! What were the results?”
“We were supposed to be counting?” Asked boyfriend with a mouthful of pizza. Close your fucking mouth.
“I did. And the results were” Agoti paused for dramatic effect “a close call of 30 against 35”
“Hell Yeah!”
While edging away from a slice Hex was trying to feed him, our favorite monotone sounding friend added “Who knew that being a fucking vacuum runs in your blood”
“Maybe, but if that was the case why can he eat more than I can?”
Asked a still pretty bloated Julian.
“Because I’m fucking awesome! That’s why!”
“Ok, ok heh heh I admit defeat, and you know what, let’s make it official” he started to look around and saw some stationary of the hotel before starting to fold a sheet into a paper hat and proceeded to draw a crude little crown in it.
“Here”
“The hell is that for?”
“This, my little red headed homie, is my crown of the king of gluttony” he started speaking in an over dramatic voice and gestures “I as of today, give up my crown and name thy little bro Whitmore, prince of Gluttony, as King! Now bow down so you may receive your crown”
Fallowing along the theatrics, Whitty bowed down like a knight would, everyone else laughing. Except Ruv, he was just moving away from Hex as he continued trying to feed him.
Julian grabs another’s piece of stationary and rolled it up, standing in front of Whitty and tapping his shoulders after placing the hat on his head “with this I dub thy KING!”
He finished the over the top dramatic shit before him and Whitty exchanged eye contact and bursted out laughing.
“You’re a dumbass”
“Maybe, but I’m a hilarious dumbass”
“Hey if Whitty is king, am I something? I’m his little buddy after all”
“Hell, why not, sure. I dub thy sir Skids as... hmm, duke of death!” He tabbed skids shoulders.
“Yay! I’m duke! I don’t know what that means but yay!”
He turned to Pump “and thy sir Pump, I dub thy as... uhm, oh! Duke of destruction!”
“Yay! I’m a duke too!”
“All hail the dukes of death and destruction!”
“Yay! We are both dukes Pump! We officially have authority!”
“I bet we could order the decapitation of someone!”
They both started to jump on the bed cheering
“Congratulations, I think you just gave them the royal equivalent of a license to kill” Pico said with amusement
“As long as they don’t hurt someone that’s innocent I think it’ll be fine” he turns back to Whitty “hey, do you have a middle name or something?”
“Huh? What you mean?”
“Well, when I was doing that bullshit I suddenly realized that my last name is your full name, so if someone ever said ‘Whitmore’ they could be referring to either of us”
“Shit, we never even thought about that” Boyfriend finish you god damn food before talking!
“Why don’t you just make Whitty to be your first name and Whitmore your last? That way it can be the family name” Hex suggested
“... so my full name should be Whitty Whitmore? That’s bullshit”
“Heh, alliterative name”
“huh?”
“Nothing. It could be worse” Julian shrugged
“Give me one example of how”
“The Mario from the video games? His name is Mario Mario”
“...”
“Give me another one”
“Aldryx Andromeda, his name is bullshit”
“Shut the fuck up! It’s better than yours!”
“Afraid I have to agree with him Agoti, that’s a kick ass name”
“Ha!”
“Whitty no! We were little bros in crime! Why did you hand me in?”
“Ok, I got it, if I tell you my middle name, will you settle with yours? I think Hex has the right idea in mind”
“Your middle name?”
“Oh yeah, what does the T stand for?” What did I say! Shut your trap when you eat! At least cover your mouth! Or put the food in your cheeks like the goddam chipmunk you are! That would have made it at least tolerable you little wannabe of Eminem!
“Yeeeeaaaah, I don’t really like my middle name, I personally think there was a typo somewhere when they made my papers, so I just prefer not to tell people if I have to”
“Oh come one, how bad can it be?”
Julian wave for Whitty to come close and whispered in what Julian assumed would be his ears before Whitty all but bursted into uncontrollable laugher, Julian with a sour face.
“No fucking way! Your middle name is-“
“Finish that sentence and I will make you eat the boxes too” Julian interrupted immediately with his dark aura.
“Ok, ok, fine. If you can live with THAT I can live with Whitty Whitmore”
“How do you do that?”
“Hm?”
“How do you project that intimidating aura?” Repeated Tabi.
“Well...” for some reason, he seemed reluctant to say. He glanced around everyone with a stern look, catching everyone’s attention, in the short time they’ve known Julian they’ve come to realize that when he stops joking and hesitates is serious business.
“You guys first have to do something for me”
Ruv did not like the sound of that from someone he just met that day and it showed in his voice ”something for you?”
He nods “you all have to SWEAR what I say regarding this topic does NOT leave the members of this gang, and anyone you want to tell you have to ask me FIRST”
They all exchanged glances before agreeing
“I agree to shit” except Ruv
This cause Julian to hesitate further
“Hey don’t worry, I know my bestie, he tells shit to no one, the only one he will ever tell for certain is Sarvente and I don’t think she will ever hate you or judge you on whatever this is”
“I’m not your bestie”
“See? He didn’t deny he won’t say shit and tell Sarvente, you can trust us”
Julian looks up at him concerned before sighing and taking a deep breath
“Very well. I’m not a physicist or an expert in science , Hell, I barely went to school, so you guys will have to forgive me for not knowing all the details...” he starts “That aura that I can project is part of this ability I have seeping out when I want it to”
“Ability?”
“I don’t really know what to call it, I guess it’s technically a reality bending thingy? Like in movies and junk”
“You can warp reality?!” …I give up you runt…
“To a degree. It’s not like I’m god or can just make things appear. It’s more like, how can I say this, things around me change, and I can affect outcomes and junk, like, it makes the probabilities more to my favor or against someone I want them to?”
“Wow! That’s sick!” I guess you have the devi-brothers support there since they both shouted.
Intrigued by this Tabi decided to join in “Why not use it all the time? You could have used it to win the lottery and get out of the rut you’re in”
“It has a limit. And it’s not really luck, it’s more about… changing things. I measured it to be careful with it, I can only use it for at most 3 minutes at a time, maybe 5, before it suddenly stops on its own and it has a maximum range of about half a mile, oh and it takes an hour or two for it to be charged completely, but if I just let it seep out it doesn’t really need to”
“Dude, if you have something like that why not use it all the time?! Your live could have been so much better” …blue idiot…
“I literally just asked that, learn to listen you pipsqueak” I love you Tabi
“It’s... not an ability to take lightly. It’s heavily influenced by my emotions, and if not used correctly it can be dangerous”
“How?”
“Once when I was a kid I was being bullied and I accidentally used it, the kid freaked out but I was so mad, the fence nearby all but opened somehow even though it had a lock, and the dog that had been barking the whole time threw itself at the kid and nearly ripped his arm off. He had to be hospitalized”
“...”
“Is there a single fucking story about your god forsaken childhood that won’t make us want to go to a corner and cry?”
“Pfft ha ha! If I remember any I’ll tell ya Pico.”
“So basically you can bend reality and put the odds to your favor but only for a little while in a relatively small area” good summary Hex.
“Basically. But when I use it without the filter it can be a little TOO intense for people, so sometimes I just let it leek if I wanna tap into it”
“Do you think THATS the reason the cult wanted to use YOUR DNA?” Ruv seems to be the one with the to the on point questions here. Again.
“I thought about it, but the first time I actually used it, that I can remember at least, was when I was 5, and I didn’t really overheard anyone saying anything about weird coincidences and shit, which is weird on itself. I actually had to go through a lot of trial and error to get a hang of it and keep the lid on when I get emotional”
“When you get emotional?”
“Yeah. Like I said, I discovered this thing is ridiculously influenced by emotions, so that’s why I had to learn how to be okay with myself and my emotions, regardless if they are positive or negative”
“Is that why you are so chill?” aww, how sweet Pico.
“Hmm maybe? I dunno, I guess with time it just became part of me or got used to it. Thanks by the way.”
“Why all the secrecy though? You could have shared the ability and helped a lot of people and made tons of friends” oh you poor naïve sweet little 6’9 tall robot.
“Think about it. Let’s say the cult WAS looking for me BECAUSE of this ability, can you imagine what they could DO with it?”
“They could make the world a scary place!” our resident children hugged each other
“I thought you liked scary?” good question Aldryx
“Spooky is good, scary is bad” I guess that answers that… kinda
“Does Whitty have it?” Again, so on point Ruv.
“He does, when he and I had a rap battled I saw him do this crazy shit when he was about to go ballistics, the walls were moving and all that crap”
Julian seem to have mixed feelings about this, and they showed on his face, on one hand, he had another thing to bond over with Whitty, on the other, if Whitty had it they would need to see to what degree and help him control it otherwise that could be a very dangerous endeavor, not because he was not willing to trust or help Whitty, but because he was a literal BOMB.
“Wait a god damned second… Why didn’t you never used it in the past if you have that! You could have helped us get out of SO many situations with that ability thingy?!” your grammar is atrocious pipsqueak.
“It’s not like I know how to control it! Or why and how it suddenly appears! Most of the times I’ve had used it I was actually trying to control myself just so I wouldn’t explode!”
“I think I can help with that”
“You will?”
“Sure, who better to help you handle it, that another guy whose been dealing with it his entire life?”
“Would you really do that for me?” this is so sweet. Whitty was so moved by this too.
“Hey, you are my brother, regardless of cult and science bullshit, and I missed 20 years of that, I have to make it up to you SOMEHOW, right?” I’m gonna cry along with you Whitty. Don’t try and contain those tears, Just cry, its ok.
Whitty all but runs to hug Julian, taking him by surprise “Thank you” smiling Julian returns the hug. That works too 
Both feel something grab around them from below, so they look down to see Skid and Pump joining in the hug.
“We will help you too! I’m your little buddy!”
“Yes! The little buddy bond is thicker than blood!”
“And don’t worry man, we’ll keep the secret!” that a boy Agoti.
“Yeah. They’ll have to beat the shit out of us if they want to know!” now THAT is what I call loyalty Aldryx.
“Whitty is not the only one that can make things blow up, so I’ll blow up any whistleblowers that come my way, or your way. Or ANY way” really BOOMING with loyalty Tabi.
“Not if I shoot them first, or worse, seek the tankman on them”
“You’re still new, but you seem like an ok guy, fine I’ll say nothing” first decent thing you said all night and without food in your mouth.
“They will have to extract the information directly from my motherboard before I say anything!”
“… I don’t like speaking that long” well, I guess that’s as much as a promise we can expect from Ruv.
Now is was Julian turn to want to cry. This has been indeed the best day of his life. He discovered he had a brother, he got someone to finally believe he did not killed anyone, he made new friends, got to spend the night in a fancy hotel, got to shared his biggest secrets and got a new start on life. What more could he ask for?
“You guys are fucking awesome”
“Damn straight we are, and don’t you fucking forget that” Pico friendly punched his arm.
“Ow, thanks”
“So when do we start?”
“I think tomorrow would be ok, I kinda just want to relax for the rest of the night, take my mind off of at this heavy bullshit. If you don’t mind”
“I think we ALL need that”
“Hey. Can we braid your hair?”
Julian looked down at Pump “excuse me?”
“You have long and pretty hair, can we braid your hair? Pleeeeaaaaseee?”
“We promise to un-braid it afterwards”
“Pfft ha ha ha! Sure! What the hell!”
He then went to sit down in front of the bed cross-legged so the kids could have a better angle “go on, make me look like a Disney princess~”
“Yay!” and so the kids sat on the bed and started braiding his hair into huge braids while Julian sat there with a uwu face. Life was good.
“Ok. All the sappy shit aside, movie time! What should we watch?” you’re an angel today Pico.
“Shut up” …did he just?
“Who you talking to?” … good question Ruv
“I dunno, just got the feeling someone was saying shit about me” …
I’m scared
“Anyways, what movie?”
Uh… oh, right. Having finally finished his fucking food, wait he did that a while ago… uh. Boyfriend imputed “Anything but Shrek”
“Like you didn’t enjoy it last time”
“Ruv was making jabs at me during the movies!”
“And they were hilarious”
“Your welcome”
“See? He is still hilarious”
“Fuck you!”
As the smurf and the former tankman (who I’m a little wary about at the moment) fight over which movie to watch Whitty sat next to Julian as the kids braided his hair “Hey, when we were in that alleyway. Did you use the thing against Anders?”
“Nah, otherwise all of you would have seen it, I can’t make 1 person see it in particular when I take the lid of, it’s all or nothing. I saw the trash can and the stair, so after guiding him there I just pushed him and let nature run its course with what I just let leak out, I simply used the most I could without actually using it to give a good vibe so he wouldn’t shoot me on the spot.”
“So this allows you to have like what, good odds and charisma? Can you teach me to do that first?”
“You wanna have a good vibe?”
“Sorta, people are always afraid of me because I’m so big and have a mean face”
“Now don’t you go there, I don’t want this conversation to go into the ‘your body is perfect the way it is’ thing” he added a girly voice to emphasize.
“pfft ha ha! How do you always know how to get a laugh out of people?”
“Comedy comes from a dark place, so you need to see any light you can find when surrounded by darkness”
“Wow. That was deep as fuck”
“I’ll be the first to admit I’m book dumb but people smart”
“You seemed smart to me before. Like when you were fighting with Agoti?”
“That’s STREET SMARTS bro. Totally different. I learned all that fighting shit and the other stuff from trial, error and living in a rough neighborhood and shitty foster care”
“So basically swim or sink”
“Exactly” after a moment he added “I’m good at math though.”
“Huh?”
“Fuck stereotypes”
At that point Hex had managed to get Ruv to take a mice sized bite of the pizza and decided to intervene in Boyfriends and Picos argument while the rest had just been watching as if THEY were the movie… that’s my job not yours. “Why don’t we let Julian decide? As a courtesy of being his first day!”
“Really?”
“Of course!” I love you Hex
“Hmmm. What about Ip Man?”
“Ip Man? I’ve never heard of that movie.” Whitty started to comment before Agoti continued “Is it about a monkey? Or an imp? Or an imp monkey?”
“You’re an imp monkey” *punch* hate to say it Aldryx but you pretty much asked for that one.
“Is it good?” at least you can still talk.
“Yeah, supposedly it’s inspired by a real life guy. I think he’s the same guy that taught Bruce Lee”
“Bruce Lee?!” I think you’ve officially caught their interest Julian, otherwise half of them wouldn’t have shouted that.
“Yeah. They said they took some artistic liberties with the movies, but man are they awesome”
“How many movies are they?” jeez, at least TRY to act like you’re not excited boyfriend.
“Till now? 5, I think”
“I propose a new vote, let’s watch the first Ip Man movie. If we all like we watch all of them, agreed?”
All the gang gave a resounding “Yes”
“About time your brain came up with a GOOD idea”
“I’ve said it before and I say it again, fuck you Pico!”
“Can we order some room service while we watch it?” well seems like the new brothers are in synch already.
“You two literally just ate over 30 pizzas! EACH!”
Julian shrugged, hair still in the hands of the kids but now with multiple oversized braids “Yeah, but I’m craving dessert. How about some ice cream?”
“How about cake?”
“Can’t it be both?”
“Where have you been all my life?!”
“In crappy foster care and then living in the slums”
“Well then forget that because from now on you’re my eating buddy”
“Hell yeah! Oh, but let’s order something specifically for the rest of the guys as well, you kids okay with ice cream or…?”
“Yay ice cream!”
“We are good thanks”
“Speak for yourself! I want to try a fancy dessert!”
“I’ll have whatever”
“Do they have anything cat-shaped?”
“Your mom said no dessert before bed” way to bring kids down Dorkfriend.
“Awwweee”
“Weeellll, if it was a normal night I guess they shouldn’t as mom said no. Buuuuut considering this is a special occasion I’ve doubt she will be mad this ONE time, especially if I’m willing to take the blame if she gets mad~”
“YAY! We officially like the new guy!”
“Now you’re making ME look like the BAD GUY!”
“No, I’m just reading the room and this is obviously a special occasion. I’m SURE their mom will understand”
“We are not brothers” “but we are best friends”
“I’m sure their momSSS will understand”
“FINE. But if the shit hits the fan and we have to deal with angry MOMS you will answer for it!”
“Aye-aye captain” Julian made a mock salute
“I’ll order the desserts for everyone! Im happy this day turned out so well!” Hex are you even real? I just want to kiss you in your non existing cheek.
With that the gang ordered room service desserts and the Ip Man movies, ending up watching all of them and going to bed super late. Not that it really mattered since it’s not like they had work tomorrow and Hex book them with enough check out time.
What awaits them from this point?
Probably angst, fluff and bullshit. But those are concerns for another day. For tonight, the gang has a new friend and a new brother in Julian.
And Julian finally found want he wanted all his life, some acceptance and friendship.

Notes:

Read https://archiveofourown.org/works/30771176/chapters/75951689, I really recomend this story!
Plus, you need the context for some things to make sense if you read this story, otherwise there will be a lot on "noodle incidents" lol
visit the blog at https://ballisticbrothersblog.tumblr.com/ thank you

Chapter 5: Groves of the Past

Summary:

So, with what how intense the other chapters have been so far as they were needed for establishing important character points, this chapter might seem a little mild in contrast but do enjoy. A little of implied hot stuff though.

After a long night of watching all 5 of the Ip Man movies, the gang finally decided to go their separate ways.

And by this I mean they just went to their rooms and beds and went to sleep because by the time they finished it was stupid late.
The next day, after everyone got ready they decided to meet in the lobby; once they were all there sitting in the multiple lobby chairs and sofas Aldryx decided to break the ice “So what is the agenda for today?"
“Well, Hex made reservations until tomorrow afternoon, I guess we could hang around the hotel? Maybe go shopping?” boyfriend suggested
“I seconds that. We have to get Julian some god damn shoes” amen Pico.
“I agree! We can’t have our new friend walking around like that! While we are at it, we could also buy anything else he might be in need of”
“Thanks man. But I don’t think I can pay you back. You already paid for the hotel room and a shit ton of food”
“Ha! You don’t really know Hex. For a robot without organs, he has the biggest heart out of all of us. I’ve doubt that thought even crossed his mind. He’s too pure for this world.” Whitty all but laughed while everyone nod in agreement
“Of course I didn’t think about charging you! You are my friend! And I just want to make you happy!” Julian’s lips quiver, a tear threatening to come out
“If I ever actually commit murder, you will be the one I would do it for”
“Please don’t”
“He’s right Hex, anyone that hurts you after having MET you is wrong in the head” Whitty agreed with Julian
“Ok! Change of topic! I’ve looked up some shopping malls nearby. Let’s head on out and buy some stuff!”
“Can we eat breakfast first?”
“Of course you’ll ask that” Ruv all but snarked.
“Like you didn’t see it coming. Also, how are you even alive right now? The only thing I’ve seen you eat the entire trip is the smallest pizza bite I’ve ever seen”
“None of your concern”
“It IS my concern, I’m your bestie”
“No you’re not”
“The more you deny it the more it’s true”
“When do you think those two will just fuck and get done with it?” none of your god damn business if they do or not Agoti.
This caused Whitty to sputter and quickly stand up from his seat “W-w-What? The hell you’re talking about! I’m not into that!”
“You mean you’re not gay? Or you’re not bi?” Agoti asked raising an eyebrow.
“Uh...” he suddenly looked at Julian for a moment who raised an eyebrow himself, but remained quiet. Sensing something going on Julian decided to stand up and pat Whitty on the back, startling him, but then spoke in a playful tone
“I think it’s time to shut the fuck up and move the hell out. Guide the way Hex”
“Ok!”
Julian was ecstatic, for the first time in who knows how fucking long he was wearing actual shoes! A lot of new things for him recently; I mean, those small commodities many of us take for granted? Look at him, he is happy just to finally wear SHOES, give him a break in life universe.

Continuing, at first there was the problem of finding shoes his size, being so tall and all, but after finding a store that sold “extra” sizes, not only him, but Whitty came out the store with multiple pairs and new cloths. They even bought some shoes and clothes for Ruv as they well.
Which was kind of a struggle because he refused to move at all or comment on what he liked, so Hex had to do all the work; removing his shoe, looking for what he might like, measuring him and making sure nothing was too tight or loose. Thank god his sensor thingies.
“Gentlemen and little men, I’ll like to introduce you the one, the only, Julian! Now with Shoes!” Julian jumped from his sit after putting on the new shoes, making a pose, placing one foot in front of him and extending his arms and doing jazz hands.
Whitty, Hex and the kids applaud but everyone else just looked bored, doing Julian and Whitty the favor to guard the stuff they already bought while sitting.
“Are you guys DONE? I don’t even like doing this with Girlfriend, let alone you guys”
“Hey! Do you have ANY IDEA how hard it is to find cloths that actually FIT us? It’s crazy hard! You can just buy yours at a kids store”
“Ha! Burn!” Pico snorted
“Shut up!”
“But seriously, are you guys done? I’m bored as hell” Agoti asked, trying to contain an underlying whine.
“Yeah, I think we bought enough stuff, let’s just get Hex to pay this last pair of shoes and let’s get out, thanks for helping with carrying all of the stuff guys”
“Don’t mention it... I mean it. I feel like a-“
“Like a pack goat?”
“...”
“Just because I don’t HATE you anymore does not mean I don’t want to KILL you”
“*gulp* message received”
The gang then finally leaved the store, everyone carrying bags and boxes, even Ruv, but to be fair he only agreed to carry his own stuff.
As they were packing everything in the bus a voice chimed in as Hex was putting away the last bag.

“Hey, you got any change man?”
“I beg your pardon?” Asked Hex turning around and spotting a red headed person with a bored expression, purple eyes, red boots, a bandana around their neck with fangs drawn in it and wearing a purple hoodie.

“Change. I want to go buy a Twinkie but need change”

“Oh, I don’t believe I got change, but I might have a five dollar bill. Here you go”

“Huh. Thanks” they seemed weirded out to just be given money but decided just to take it.

 “Hex what’s the hold- GROVES?!” Whitty got out of the bus to see what was holding Hex up but upon seeing the stranger his eyes widen.

The stranger on the other hand, still held a bored expression, but their eyes seem to widen slightly.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the big bad bomb boy, what bring you around here?”

“We-w-we were just shopping. What are YOU doing here?”

“Right now? I was just getting change to get a Twinkie.”

“No, I mean HERE. Last I checked this was not your hometown”

“Oh that, there was this whole incident with a hell girl, yada, yada, yada, so I ended up here. And I’m too lazy to go all the way back home so I just kinda settled here. What are YOU doing here? Last I checked you were on the run”

“It’s a… it’s a long story. But for the moment we are kinda in a road trip and staying at a hotel”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but may I ask, who is your friend, Whitty?”

“Yeah, who’s your friend Whitty?”

Whitty jumped as the rest of the gang got off the bus and were now facing Groves, which made Whitty more anxious as he was trying to figure out how to handle the situation, oh boy… got the feeling this is going to be awwwwkwaaaaard.

“Uhm, well, this is Groves. Everyone meet Groves. Groves, meet the gang.”

“Wow. That was a complete introduction, now I know everyone’s names. Not that I care, really”

“Well aren’t you a bundle of sunshine” said Boyfriend sarcastically

“Nah, that takes too much energy”

“So bro, who is this?”

Their eyes widen a bit more this time as they heard that “Bro? You have a brother? In all the time we were together you never mentioned that”

“…”

Well that’s s new and unexpected blast from the past plot twist right there.

“Hold the phone. Together? As in together together? As in, Whitty actually had a fucking girlfriend together together?” well that was eloquent smurf.

“Well there was rarely any actual fucking but yeah. I’m his ex”

“Holy shit!” they all said as one, even Ruv.

“WHAT?!” Whitty asked defensively, his face red with embarrassment.

“I dunno, I thought you were just too much of a hot mess to get a girlfriend, or had, in this case” “Sorry, but same” Agoti and Aldryx commented. Some of the others nodding in shame/embarrassment/sheepishness.

“I just thought you had always been a sad and lonely freak on the run too busy having to worry about self-preservation to ever manage to have a meaningful relationship” …well that was delicate Ruv, even for you.

“Ok, first of, technically they are non-binary, so they prefer they/them pronouns, second, How dare you?! All of you! Third, Fuck you Ruv!” he said the last one giving Ruv the middle finger.

“Wait, pedal back for a moment, what was that you said about their rarely being any actual fucking?” I don’t know if that is a wise question Pico.

Whitty seemed panicked now as he started to waive his arms frantically “Nothing important!”

“Ok, so something important then?” you asked for it Pico, you literally just asked for it.

“Oh, that? It is just as I said, there was rarely any fucking, we were together for like 6 months, and we were constantly on the move, well, Whitty was and he dragged me along, but we only ever really fucked-“

“Don’t you fucking say it or I’ll tear you apart!”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“…”

“Wow… just… wow” o_O

“You can say that again. Normally I’m too lazy for anything, even sex, but I have to say sex with Whitty was actually the best sex I’ve ever had in my entire life. Even if it only happened twice”

Quo break noises and car crash “TWICE?!”

“Yeah”

“You were together six fucking MONTHS and you only fucked TWICE?!” that was fucking fancy fanboy.

“In Whittys defense, I get he was just trying to confirm his own sexuality, after all, asexuals have a hard time as it is as well”

“Whitty is asexual?! Like a fucking jellyfish?” Pico smacked Boyfriend in the back of the head, thank you Pico.

“Yeah, precisely because of pricks like you”

“Wait, is that what this morning was about?” Julian asked

“Well… uh…”

"There's no right way to come out” Adryx suddenly said, his eyes widening

“What?”

“’There's no right way to come out’, when the whole counting bullshit occurred and you all thought Agoti and I were the same person that’s what you SAID, Whitty, were you still in the closet about being asexual?”

Now all focus was on Whitty, who was looking at everyone but eventually his gaze stopped on Julian “Yes? No? I mean, I don’t know. It’s not like I was HIDING in the closet, it never really came into conversation, then the tankmen happened but I said nothing because I forgot and by the time we met Julian and saw how OPEN he was about being Aro Ace and how I’m only Ace but not Aro it just felt too awkward to address.”

“I can vouch, when we were together he never really hid the fact he was not really thrilled or disgusted about sex, the first time we tried it I think it was mostly so he could convince himself he was ace and not just a prude straight guy”

“Wait, if the first time was to convince yourself you were Ace, what was the second time for? I can’t believe I was the one that asked that” he said as he facepalmed. Honestly, I can’t believe it either Tabi, that sounded like something Agoti, Aldryx, Pico or Boyfriend would’ve asked.

“…”

“…It was their birthday” Whitty muttered

“And it was the best fucking birthday gift I’ve ever received, both literally and figuratively”

“So it that the reason you broke with him?” there it is, there’s the impulsive questioning idiot we love for in Agoti.

“Nah, he broke up with ME”

“Really?! What for?”

“Why is that surprising you smurf? I have standards too!”

“He broke up with me because I kept eating his snacks without his permission and forgetting shit he asked me to do”

“…that’s it?” I agree Ruv, that was… pretty anticlimactic…

“You’re EVIL” everyone turned to look at Julian who had a dark expression on his face.

“THANK YOU! FINALLY SOMEONE GETS IT!”

“Hell yeah I do! You don’t steal FOOD from someone you care about! Maybe if you’re in the same table and its first dibs thing or your fooling around or messing with that person, but you definitely don’t steal someone’s snacks!”
“Exactly!”

“Whatever, anyways, it was nice seeing you man, and your brother and gang too, I guess. See you around”

With that Groves just left without another word. There was quiet for a moment before Boyfriend had to go on and break it with an uncomfortable question “So wait, does this mean Whitty is a god in the sack, but ironically he doesn’t really care about sex?”

“…”

*smack* “OW!” thank you Pico.

 The whole gang was still pretty baffled before a certain little troublesome reminder of why there should have first been more aware of their audience spoke up “They seemed cool, they had a demony aura to them” ”And it’s so cool that Whitty used to date them! I bet it was awesome having them as a girlfriend. Uh, themfriend”

The gang then looked down to realize that they have just been speaking of Whittys sex life INFRONT of two kids!

“Did you two heard ALL of that?” Whitty was sweating, along with the rest as it sunk in

“Yeah”

“…out of curiosity, did you parents already told you were babies come from? You know, the birds and the bees?” Julian asked carefully with a patient smile but sweating himself

“You mean sex? Yeah, they taught us that earlier this year” everyone let go of the breaths they themselves did not know they were holding in utter RELIEF. The last thing any of them needed was angry parents questioning them how could they be so irresponsible and indecent in front of CHILDREN. Julian would have been on that boat too, from what the others have seen about him, he cared a lot about children, and while he didn’t mind swearing in front of them he did mind people being inappropriate with kids involved.

“I propose we just go buy lunch and head for the hotel for the rest of the day and find something to distract us from this whole bullshit of an ordeal”

“Agreed”

“Plus, Whitty and I need to start to check about his lessons”

“We starting today?”

“After this? I think it is a must. We don’t want things getting out go hand. Oh, and by the way” he place his hand on Whitty’s shoulder, confusing Whitty “You didn’t NEED my approval bro”

“What?”

He continued “This morning when you looked at me, it looked as if you were looking for my approval about being ace as well, you don’t need anyone’s permission to be you, not even mine. Don’t forget that”

“You could tell all that just from this morning?” Ruv asked

“Like I said, People smart, book dumb”

Whitty gave Julian a soft smile “thanks”

“So are we staying here or are we leaving” patience Ruv

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go”

With that piece of luggage out of the way, the gang returned to the hotel. Tabi Aldryx and Agoti decides to go to the bar, Boyfriend decided to go to the pool with the kids coming along, Hex going with them for company sake, Pico decided to just go to the room and order a violent movie and Ruv went... elsewhere.
That left our brotherly duo.
Julian and Whitty went to Julian’s room. After Julian told him to put on some exercise cloths or something light, Whitty became immediately disgruntled when Julian placed two floor mats he apparently bought without him noticing on the floor next to each other.
“Uuuugh, are we going to do Yoga?”
“Of course not, though I do do it from time to time”
“Oh thank god”
“We are doing Tai Chi”
“We are doing what now?”
“Tai Chi. it’s this really old martial art some people do instead of Yoga”
“Uuuuuuggggghh”
“Oh hush. It’s good for you. Plus, we are going to use it as a means to an end. The first thing we need to learn it’s self-control and patience”
“I’m patient!”
“You answered that the moment I finished talking, which just proves my point”
“You sound just like Carol”
“Then she is a reasonable person. Gonna have to give her a personal kudos when I finally meet her. With luck she’ll be my new sister in law~”
“... you know, for someone so tall, you can be a little shit”
“Technically, to YOU, I AM a little shit”
“I hate you”
“No you don’t”
“Yes, I do”
“No you don’t, if you did you would not have just stand next to me so we could start”
“Because I must do it if I want to get a hold of this shit”
“No, you’re not doing it because you MUST, but because you want to. And you want to because you’re a good person”
“... okay, maybe I don’t COMPLETELY hate you”
“There’s the smile I was looking for”

Notes:

I decided to draw how I pictured Julians shoes to be. Made it like a mix of his socks and Whittys shoes.

Chapter 6: Misery Poker

Summary:

Some more feels and yet to heal wounds. Sometimes a new perspective can help you see things clearer.

Whitty was frustrated. Nothing new there, but the reason he was frustrated is he just couldn’t follow Julian’s lead. He was like ‘How?! You’re moving slowly?! How can’t I copy slow movements?!’, which he did not say but it was clear on his face, causing Julian to smirk and open one eye
“Your thinking too much”
“This is bullshit!”
“Your problem is that you are not focusing on the movement itself, you need to focus on the action, not the result”
“What does that mean?!”
Before Julian could elaborate, a drunk Agoti barged into the room, a slightly less drunk Aldryx and Tabi behind him.
“What’s up bitches?! *hic* what you doing?”
Julian had a look between amused and concern “We were doing Tai chi. Are you drunk?”
“Nah *hic* maybe just a ittle bit”
“He’s definitely drunk” Whitty commented before looking behind Agoti at the other two “you guys drunk too?”
“It’s 7 pm on a Saturday, get off our case” we’ll take that as a yes Aldryx
“We just, took a couple of shots… maybe, I lost count until they cut us off” et tu Tabi? Et tu?
“I think you guys need to lie down and let the alcohol run its course”
“Fuck you Julian!” Well I didn’t see that coming, what gives Agoti?
“Excuse me?” Julian also seemed startled
“You heard me *hic* why did you have to suddenly arrive and take Whitty for yourself? We were, we were finally becoming friends. And then you arrived and had to trump it by being his brother. And the worst part is, you’re actually a pretty awesome guy! I hate that I *hic* actually like you” with that he fell to the ground, passing out
“...”
“I have mixed feelings about that”
“You’re not the only one” said Whitty
“Well, boo hoo” it’s Aldryx turn it seems “you have mixed feelings? Big whoop. I have to babysit this moron to make sure he does not end up in a void again. At least you didn’t know each other when you both were going through your bullshit” ok, what the actual hell?
“You two didn’t have to think about anyone else, just yourselves, soooo sorry for that” he at least seemed to have endured more than Agoti as not only him but Tabi headed for the sofa but not before Aldryx slammed the door shut.
Tabi seemed to be... what’s the term? An emotional drunk? He seemed on the verge of crying “...Tabi? You ok man?” Whitty asked sounding concerned as well
“*snif* is not fair. Why me? Why were you not there? Why was I so stupid? Did I deserve it? It’s not fair. It’s not FAIR” he then started mumbling a bunch of incomprehensible nonsense, Agoti still on the floor, now snoring and an angry Aldryx complaining about the tv as he looked for the remote, Julian and Whitty still standing in their original spot. Too dumbstruck to say anything
“...”
“Why did they come to my room?”
“That’s your concern?” Whitty asked with a raised brow
“Obviously I’m also concern about the three drunks currently in it but that was implied”
“So what do we do?”
“I don’t know, never had to deal with drunk friends before”
“Because you never had friends, we get it!” Aldryx all but shouted
“Ok, true but still ouch dude, I thought you were chill”
“Fuck off” he threw a cushion at him, hitting him right in the face
“Ok, I have no idea what to do here, never been on this scenario before” Julian said with a furrowed brow
“You’ve never dealt with drunks before?”
“Course I’ve have. I’ve been to bars before, I’m 24. But I was never friends with any of them. I have no idea how to deal with this”
“I thought you were people smart?”
“Yeah, when they are sober or dealing with stuff like emotions and shit. You know, things I’ve DEALT WITH out of experience, or looked up in the internet or books or movies or other bullshit, never had friendship before, I don’t know what to do”
“But you’ve done stuff without experience on it, like how you knew about me looking for acceptance?”
“I have gut feelings and intuition and shit, yes.” For the first time Julian sounded a little exasperated “But this is neither, do we call a doctor or something?”
Now Whitty was curious and quite frankly a little concern for Julian’s uneasiness “How do you typically deal with drunks then?”
“Depends on the drunk, aggressive drunks I just avoid or do what I did to Agoti when we met, sad drunks I let be, sometimes people just need space and I don’t want to make it worse, unless they look suicidal then I ask them if I should call someone for them or the suicide hot line, happy drunks I just hang out with, unless they’re pricks then I keep away, horny ones I stay FAR away and decline politely, if it’s a reckless drunk and IM sober enough I just help them get home safely or try to help keep the damage to a minimum, and the list goes on. But this is people I know and I’m not just taking home or avoiding, I don’t KNOW what to do”
Julian seemed stumped and anxious, it was a first time for Whitty, and for some reason he seemed to be having mixed feeling about being the one that was cool and collected
“should we do like you said and let the alcohol run its course?”
“I guess?”
“We need to make sure they don’t get hurt or break anything, don’t want to get permanently banned from fancy hotels”
“Good idea” Julian agreed, calming down a bit as they now had a plan in mind.

The next two hours were hell. Seeing as Aldryx seem to be an angry drunk and was for some reason mad at Julian; Whitty had to on occasion restrain him and was in general trying to calm him down while Julian dealt with an emotional Tabi, letting him cry on his shoulder as he pat him in the back. As for Agoti? Well, seeing as he was blacked out they just picked him up and placed him on a couch to sit until he woke up.
Eventually the alcohol started to lose its effects, Tabi stopped crying and let go of Julian and was facing away avoiding eye contact with anyone while blushing (how does he blush anyways? He is wearing a skull over his own skull. How is that one blushing?) and Aldryx was apologizing to Whitty as he seemed to have punched him in the face while doing a fit.
“Sorry again man”
“Whatever” Whitty grumbled
Meanwhile Julian kept sending Tabi concerned looks.
After another five minutes Agoti finally woke up with a start.
“Huh, wha? What happened?”
“Well you broke into my hotel room, passed out drunk in the floor and Whitty and I had to deal with an aggressive Aldryx that was personally attacking me for some reason and a weeping Tabi, for whom I’m mildly concern about at the moment” Tabis flush just spread further after hearing that, still avoiding eye contact at all cost.
“Oh. Shit. Sorry man”
Oh, I’m not concerned about THAT. That’s water under the bridge, what I’m CURIOUS about is what did you mean by me taking Whitty away and the problems all three of you seem to have either with me or against me” all three froze upon hearing that, exchanging looks of uncomfortable concern
“Uh… well…”
“I’m curious too, what do you mean Julian was taking me away? We’ve literally know each other for a DAY. Maybe a day and a half”
Agoti started to fidget “Well yeah, but his your BROTHER, family trumps anything we could ever have”
Julian seemed to think about something for a moment, humming, before suddenly asking “Does that mean you don’t value your friendship with Tabi?” this caught everyone by surprise causing them to jump
“What the fuck?! Of course not! He’s my best friend!”
“But if we go by that same logic, Aldryx would be the only important connection in your life, thus making Tabi irrelevant”
Agoti all but got in Julians face, snarling and bearing his teeth “Hey! Shut your fucking mouth! He had a rough time as it was after what that bitch did to him! You mess with my boy you mess with me!”
Julian smirked “Then there’s your answer” Agoti faltered on his rage “What?”
“Tabi is not blood, yet you care for him as such, likewise, I may be Whittys brother, but you’ve know him longer, and I’m pretty sure he considers you a good friend from what I’ve seen, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about in that department. If anything I should be the one worried you will steal him away”
Agoti kept staring at him “Are you a shrink or something?”
“Naw, just a very observant guy, I’ve seen many things in my crappy short life, I’m guessing you have some kind of fear of being alone or abandoned?”
“Uuuuuuh…” he got you there.
“He was trapped in a void for a year” Aldryx answered for him as Agoti still seemed a little stumped by the whole thing
“Void?”
“Yeah, like, in another dimension or some shit”
“Well that got a little sci-fi-y”
“No shit, he pretty much had no human contact, or ANY contact, for an entire year”
“YEESH, that’s literally solitary confinement, people use that as TORTURE” this got Whitty’s attention “How you know that?”
“Because they threatened to place ME in solitary confinement, so I did the research and it painted a pretty scary story”
This seemed to somehow appease Agoti a little, and, even though it made him feel shitty, made him a little glad that there was someone who almost went through what he did and could relate.
“I… sorry about that…”
“Hmm, about what?”
“Guess your right? It was terrible being there. Like you said, it was TORTURE, but I guess is nice to know there is someone that understands”
“Hey, if anything, this just makes me respect you MORE man”
“Say what now?” yeah, say what now?
“Dude, you were in there a YEAR. And you kept your sanity, some people go insane after three DAYS, if anything it only speaks of how strong of a person you ARE. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend, and, if you allow me, I would be honored to be yours”
Agoti seemed shocked for a moment before smirking “Hell yeah! You’re like a mix of Hex and Whitty, whom happen to be two of my favorite people aside from Tabi! The pleasure is all mine!”
“What about me you ungrateful dipshit?”
“You are just a nuisance I happen to be related to”
“Come say that to my face!”
“I just did! Deal with it!”
As the two brothers started to argue, Julian redirected his attention to Tabi, who jolted “Now, as for you” Tabi started sweating… not that it was visible, but still, Aldryx and Agoti stopped their shit as they heard the conversation shift to Tabi.
“based on what Agoti just said and what YOU said, I’m guessing you have some issues too and are having some serious emotional constipation when it comes to dealing with them” Tabi didn’t know what to say, so he started rather poorly “I… well… it’s just… I don’t”
“Shush”
“Huh?”
“I THINK I get the gist of it. I’m guessing it’s something to do with an ex right?”
Tabis eyes widen, immediately looking directly at Julian after having tried to avoid eye contact like crazy “H-h-how?”
“He mentioned a ‘bitch’, which I can infer that means an ex, and my guess is it was not a nice break up”
Tabi was baffled, along with everyone else in the room, not only was Julian people smart, he was people GENIUS, he could hit the nail in the coffin so accurately he did not even need to look and knew EXACTLY what people needed or wanted to hear.
With this, and after seeing how Julian just helped Agoti out, he decided to risk it. (For a chocolate biscuit, lol, Dexter Mannning… sorry, not the moment)
“*sigh* Yes. It’s about my ex. She… never really loved me. She and her dad were just using me to boost their own careers, and it seems the moment I stopped being useful, her DADDY” he said this with disgust and disdain “sent someone to do his dirty work and turn me into THIS” Tabi pointed to all of himself causing Julian to raise a brow
“Into what exactly?”
Tabi stood up frustrated and starting to shout, surprising Julian by the dramatic change “Into an invisible freak! Into a LITERAL nobody! And placed this god damn Goat skull in my head for giggles that regenerates if destroyed! And not only that, they destroyed my career and left me for DEAD! They BROKE ME!” …oh Tabi…
After a moment Julian replied with something no one saw coming “And you heart as well?”
There was a collective “Huh?”
“Sounds to me that what really hurt you was not being used for their own careers and then tortured and turned invisible, that was just salt on the wound. What REALLY hurt you, was that you were in love, you cared about someone deeply, and not only was that love not returned, but they stomped on it without a care. You’re not mad per say, your HEARTBROKEN”
Tabi looked at Julian taken aback, he was left wordless “I-I I…”
“Now, I know shit about RELATIONSHIPS, I’m aro ace as you know, but only because I’ve never been IN love, does not mean I don’t understand the concept of trust betrayal. Which is what happened to you. You TRUSTED her, were VULNERABLE to her, and that was used like an old tissue and thrown away. Which explains why you are so sad and full of regret and repressed rage/vengeance. You are beating yourself up about not knowing any better. When chances are, there was no way you could have known any better. And even if someone told you, it’s understandable you didn’t want to believe it, YOU were being a good partner and trusting the other person to return the courtesy. So that being said, here’s the thing” Tabi looked at him with interest, leaning in, as well as the others who Julian was not paying attention at the moment as Tabi was his priority “It was NOT your FAULT and you DO MATTER” those words… they hit Tabi like a ton of bricks, he didn’t know why, he had spoken of this with others on occasion, but for some reason they meant so much more coming from someone he barely know. Maybe it was BECAUSE of that it felt so meaningful, and there was only one thing his mind could think about in return as tears threatened to fall “… thank you”
Julian gave him a soft smile in return “thank yourself, I only pointed out what you needed to hear. From now on, the healing is on you buddy”
Whitty was amazed, Julian was stupid smart when it came to people. Yes, he might not know ALL the answers, but he could help people with such ease. He was a bit jealous, but at the same time, he was now overjoyed. Julian had just helped out people that were antagonizing him not that long ago, and did it with pleasure and no resistance. Maybe this could mean Julian could be someone he himself could become vulnerable too, his thoughts were starting to drift in this direction before being pulled back to reality by Aldryx.
“Holy fucking shit. You’re GOOD”
“I do what I can with what I got. Which just leaves you”
Aldryx looked sheepish, scratching the back of his neck as he started “Well, I might as well say what I THINK it is that’s my problem. You most likely will guess it anyways so might as well” Julian gave a small chuckle “By all means”
“The truth is, in a twisted way, I guess I was jealous? Sure you two were alone when facing your own personal hell, but because you didn’t know the other existed you only had to focus on your own problems, so you didn’t have to live with the constant concern about if the other was still alive or not”
“Ah, a classic case of survivors guilt”
“Survivors guilt?”
“So, to summarize, Agoti was trapped in a void and I’m gonna wager a guess and say Tabi ‘went missing’ after the whole ‘break up’ de buckle, right so far?”
“You got it”
“Where were YOU when this happened?”
“I was with Sol, our agent”
“Were you injured? Were you in pain? Was something bad happening to YOU?”
“What the...? No! I mean, yes. I mean, nothing was wrong with ME, but my brother and best friend were missing and our dad was depressed and stresses as all hell!”
“And therein lies the problem” Julian said cryptically
“The fuck does that mean?”
“You were mad nothing bad happened TO YOU” … wait what?
“...”
“That has to be the dumbest piece of bullshit I ever heard” everyone agreed.
“Perhaps, but emotions and feelings are often illogical and irrational. You were mad and felt guilty that everyone around you was hurting or missing, yet you got to walk around scot free. You felt as if you were showing off not having any ‘mayor problems’” Everyone gave him a skeptic look, as if calling him crazy
He sign “Let me ask you this. Have you ever been in a situation where you see someone that has it better than you and you resent them for it, even though it does not make sense?”
“Hell yeah, bunch of assholes just sticking it in our faces. Like that motherfucker Daddy Dear-”
“We’re getting sidetracked”
“Ah, sorry” Aldryx contained himself, looking a little embarrassed.
“Now imagine that but flip it around, you saw everyone hurting, and felt you were cheating others of what they COULD have had” they still seemed unconvinced
“Ok let’s try something else, in movies, have you seen when there is this mayor tragedy but one guy makes it out alive, but all he can think of is about all the people who died?” Their eyes started to widen, NOW they’re getting it.
“Like when your see someone begging for money but you know there is nothing you can do other than maybe give them a buck?” asked Whitty
“Not exactly the same but you get the idea. As the name says you feel guilty about surviving, even if it was not really your fault, you feel like you don’t deserve it”
Agoti seemed to realize something “Wait... is that why when I came back you couldn’t look me in the eye? You felt some nonexistent shame?”
“Maybe? I’m the older brother! It was my job to make sure you did not get into any crap like that! I-“
“But it happened anyways” everyone actually flinched with the stern tone Julian used and he looked at them with crossed arms... wow... dad mode Julian activated “You are not responsible for other people choices. it was not your fault some asshat decided they felt threaten by Agoti and to get rid of him, just like it was not Tabis fault some bitch decided to play at his heartstrings, shit happens, and your allowed to grief and let your emotions out, that’s healthy” his expression then softened “but you can’t keep living in the past and what ifs, otherwise you’ll never be able to look at the path that’s ahead or HOPE things will one day will be better. The moment you lose hope, you lose everything”
“...”
“...”
Whitty asked carefully “...is that what you did?”
“... What other choice did I have?”
The air felt heavy, but at the same time, as if an immense weight had been lifted, they all felt admittedly a bit better with themselves before the silence was broken again by Whitty
“Whelp, now that everyone has placed their shitty chips of trauma, do I place mine?”
“What?” asked Tabi
“You know, my chips”
“The Hell you talking about?” good question Agoti, see? You can be smart… sometimes.
“Misery poker, were we see who had it worse, do I place mine?”
After a moment everyone bursted out laughing.
“Dude that wouldn’t be fair, Julian and you have more chips than all three of us combined” crackled Aldryx
“Yeah, if those were actual money you would basically make us go broke” Agoti joined
“Are we really bragging about having shitty life’s?” atta boy Tabi, you deserve a laugh.
“Ha! The hells wrong with us?” I’d say a lot Whitty
“A lot. That’s the point!” I just said that Julian
“Pfft”
“Haha!”
They settled after a while
“But in all seriousness, I do feel a bit better”
“Me too”
“Same here”
“This reminds me of when we went with Garcello, we should introduce you to each other” you on a role Agoti
“Oh yeah, bet you two would like each other like peas in a pod” Cute analogy Aldryx
“Or pigs rolling in the mud” …you were doing so well…
“Wow, you have finesse”
“Fuck you!”
“Where did you learn all that stuff anyways? You sounded like a professional” Tabi asked
Julian look sheepish and scratched the back of his neck “Truth is, I wanted to be a psychologist, but gave up on that when it was constantly discouraged”
“What?!” I share everyones sentiment, what?!
“Why? You’re fucking GOOD at this!” I agree Whitty
“People were afraid of me remember?”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Would you give a thief a gun?”
“The hell? Of course not!”
“Then there’s your answer. People were afraid of me, so if I studied the mind it would only make me more dangerous because I would be able to get in people’s heads”
“...” That makes sense. It’s depressing as fuck, but makes sense
“Besides, it’s not like I had MONEY to go to college” That’s worse “Anyways, I’m just happy I could help.”
“Hey, mind being my personal shrink?” what are you planning Agoti?
“Depends, will I get paid?”
“Ah come on! Were pals, pals don’t charge each other” there it is.
“Are you saying that because you don’t want to pay or because you actually want to be my friend?”
“Eh, a mix of both” A least your honest
“Well, I guess I wouldn’t be AGAINST giving you friendly advice”
“Whoo! We got ourselves a free shrink!”
“I’m not licensed”
“Who cares!”
Just then Aldryx phone went off, he went to answered it and placed it on speaker since he was too tired to deal with Sol on his own at the moment. Which, all things considered, it’s understandable.
“Sup Sol, Agoti is here, we were just chatting with the new guy”
“New guy?” He shifter the phone so Sol could see Julian who waved
“Sup”
“That’s Julian’s, we just met him, he’s Whittys brother. While we are at this, meet Whitty, Whitty Solazar, Solazar Whitty”
Whitty was still a little anxious around new people, so he awkwardly introduced himself “Hi... uh, nice to meet you?”
“Ah, the famous Whitmore, Agoti is a big fan of yours, he has a poster of you in his rooms and listens to your music all the time”
Agoti immediately flushed “what the fuck! Keep the fuck out of my room!”
“He doesn’t need to get in to see it, it’s the first thing you see when passing by your room”
“Fuck you! Why are you still at this anyways! I’m a grown ass man! I’m nineteen! I don’t-“
“Wait. You’re NINETEEN?” well this is interesting, what caught your attention Julian?
The group slowly looked to Julian who had an unreadable face
“Yeah, why?”
“... you were in a BAR earlier today”
Agoti looked at him confused while Solazar, Aldryx and Tabi sunk in with the realization, Solazar becoming mad and Tabi and Aldryx nervous.
“Uh...” come on Agoti, you can do it.
His eyes widen once he finally realized and gulp.
“You’re UNDER AGED” both Solazar and Julian said with a ‘you are in trouble and you fucked up tone’.
“How did they even served you? Don’t they ask for your id or something?” asked Whitty
“Well, they asked for Tabis since he is smaller in contrast to us and over 21 so I guess they assumed I was too...” keep digging your own grave buddy
“Aldryx...” said the stern voice of Solazar, Aldryx realized he fucked up too as he was supposed to be the responsible one
Suddenly Julian spoke with a creepily sweet voice “May I please have the phone?” as if in automatic, Aldryx handed him the phone “hello, I don’t think we had the pleasure, like they said, my name is Julian” “Nice to meet you young man”
“I don’t mean to impose, but I’m pretty sure we both know these three fucked up big time”
“Three?” Screamed Tabi
“Yes THREE, you were there and said nothing, that makes you just as guilty” he scolded Tabi with that same voice, his dark aura just oozing out, making everyone in the room become terrified “if you don’t mind, I would like to help you in this situation, as I was not informed Agoti was under aged, otherwise I would have said something when he went to the bar with the others, as it was HIS idea” you done goof Agoti
Sol looked at Julian for a moment before sounding pleased “well aren’t you a responsible young man? May I have your number so we can keep in touch?” Julian gave him his number “Well I’ll leave this in your hands, it was nice to meet you and your brother”
“The pleasure was all mine” with that he ended the call and dropped the phone in the couch as he stood up “Whitty, leave the room”
“What?”
“Leave. The room” he said with a tone that left no room for question as he looked at the others that were sweating bullets and looking at him pleadingly, he raised his hand to talk, letting out an uh before Julian looked back at him with a face that scared the hell out of him before looking at the others and whispering “sorry guys” with that he run the fuck out of the room as Julian now faced the remaining three occupants
“Now, let’s have a little talk about responsibility~”

Notes:

Read https://archiveofourown.org/works/30771176/chapters/75951689, I really recomend this story!
Plus, you need the context for some things to make sense if you read this story, otherwise there will be a lot on "noodle incidents" lol
visit the blog at https://ballisticbrothersblog.tumblr.com/ thank you

Chapter 7: A Regular Roller Coaster

Summary:

Things need to start regularizing somewhere right? What better than with confrontation and fairs?

Lately things have been looking up for Whitty. After leaving the hotel, managing not to get SOMEHOW
blacklisted or banned, the gang had left the hotel without much issue... Well, except for when they were checking out and the gang was confused about a seemingly traumatized Agoti, Aldryx and Tabi standing next to a smiling and chipper looking Julian. Just what did Julian DO? After all, none of them had a single scratch. He actually asked, but the others seemed to refuse to say anything, their only response being “now I know why they fucking FEARED him”
... Whitty, was not sure if that was GOOD or BAD. On one hand, he had THAT on his side, on the other if he got on Julian’s bad side he would have to deal with the monster that Julian can apparently become when angered.

With that out of the way though, things had gone by pretty smoothly since. A week had passed since they met Julian, he might have been older but they soon discovered that he could be, ironically, quite childish yet the mom of the group.
During one pit stop he got Agoti a soda, but the moment he opened it, it exploded in his face, which caused him to chase Julian around.
In another, Pump had fallen and hurt his knee, but Julian spent all the time distracting him and making him laugh to forget about the pain.
In addition, now they were able to see what he meant when he said he was book dumb, as he SOMEHOW managed to get his head stuck in a trash can. He said he saw a quarter inside, but forgot that Hex was rich and it wouldn’t have mattered.... they spent the next half our laughing their asses off and THEN helping him.
All in all, Whitty was growing each time a little fonder of his newfound brother, but was not sure just yet if he could trust him. Or use the b word. As much as Whitty wanted to trust him, there was still this part of him that told him not to. Maybe it was insecurity, maybe it was anxiety, but there was a part of him the just seem to want to doubt Julian.
Currently, it was Julian’s turn to drive, his first shift actually. Some of the others thought he would have the same... driving skills as Whitty, which still grind at him. The sun was starting to set and everything was quiet until “Hey look! A fair!” Everyone looked out the window to see the now increasing glow of the approaching attraction.
“Fair!” Skies and Pump cheered “can we go?” “Pleeeeaaaaassse?” their kids, what you expect? “Well do a seance and summon a spirit that will grant you good luck if you do!” “Or a demon to get rid of your enemies!” ... ok, that I expect a little less.
Julian snickered “I’m up for it you can convince everyone”
“Deal!” x2
“Hell yeah!”
“Why the hell not”
“Could be fun”
“Oh boy! That sounds delightful!”
“I love fairs”
“Funnel cake!”
“I don’t care”
“Going to kill it at the shooting games!”
“Pico no! You can’t use a real gun in those games! That would frighten others enjoying the fair!”
“Then what’s the point! You’re too much of a goodie two shoes Hex”
“But I don’t wear shoes”
They all looked down to Hex feet “huh, how come we never noticed that?”
“I did”
“Oh because you notice EVERYTHING Ruv”
“More than you smurf”
“Can everyone STOP calling me smurf?!”
“When it stops being funny” said Whitty
“Ugh!”
“So I’ll take that as a unanimous yes. Buckle up everyone, fair it is”
“Yay!” Skids and Pump cheered jumping in their seats. “Don’t jump in a moving car, you might get hurt” they both sat down then “sorry Julian”
Whitty snorted “mom mode activate”
“What?”
“Dude, you’re a total mom friend”
“What the- no I’m not!” He retorted almost making the bus swerve.
Everyone said together “yes, you are”
“Bullshit. Give me 1 example of me being a mom friend”
“You scolded us when you discovered we went drinking and Agoti is 19” said Aldryx
“I still have flashbacks” said Tabi with a gone expression. You ok Tabi?
“That was me being a responsible friend. You guys are lucky the only ones that figured it out were Solazar and I, otherwise all three of you would’ve been in trouble, LEGAL trouble”
“Yesterday you told Ruv to brush his teeth” said Pico
“I still can’t believe he managed to get him to actually do it” murmured Boyfirend
“I was threaten” with WHAT?
“If you want your teeth to rot be my guess then”
“Okay, the other night you made us order salad and veggies and all that crap” whined Agoti.
“We’ve been eating nothing but junk in the last week! As much as I LOVE junk food and unhealthy crap in general, vitamins are important for energy too, plus why are you complaining?! We still ate dessert afterwards”
“I agree! Nutrition is important!” Hex, as much as I love you, you don’t eat, so you don’t get a vote. Ruv barely gets one in that matter as it is.
“You tug Pump and Skids to bed and read them a bedtime story” Ruv pointed at the kids.
“We’re fucking responsible for these kids! We need to make sure they are fed and well rested, plus I doubt Stephen King counts as a bedtime story”
“We still appreciate that!” “I agree! Thank you!”
Whitty saw that this was going nowhere and decided to try one himself, maybe Julian was in denial? “What about when you told me not to ask for permission to be myself? That’s something a mom would say.”
“Or something a brother would say” Julian tried
“No, it’s not” and failed, as Aldryx and Agoti said together, much to Julians charging, Whitty couldn’t help but snort.
“That’s something that’s implied, but we don’t say it out loud, my bros sexuality it’s his own business”
“Wait, What does that mean?” Don’t do it Boyfriend.
“I’m trans”
“Wait...” Don’t
“But...” you’re gonna regret it
“Does that mean...” seriously, don’t.
“...Oh my god” last change, real it in or you’re going to regret it.
“Holy crap! You’re a girl?!” Bus screeches to a halt, everyone looking angrily at Boyfriend who realized he just fucked up. I warned you.
“What did you just call me?” Aldryx said slowly, the threat obvious in his voice. Yeah, HIS. HIS voice you insensitive prick, as in A GUYS voice. Jeez.
“Uh, I mean, I-I uh, you...uh...”
“...”
“...”
“LGBT+...ally?”
They all started daggers at him before Tabi broke the silence “you’re on thin ice SMURF”
“More like thin ice in the middle of the ocean, you mess with my bro you mess with me and I mess with your face” he turned to Julian, who parked over the bus at the side of the rode and had turned around to also glare at boyfriend “now THATS what a bro says”
“I’ll keep that in mind, also, if you don’t mind, I’ll like to have a LITTLE conversation with Boyfriend on your behalf regarding DELICATE subjects, once we have a moment of privacy, if that’s ok with you” Boyfriend grew nervous as Agoti, Aldryx and Tabi suddenly grew very sadistic smiles “by all means, be my guest, just promise me you’ll take a photo of his face”
“Multiple” chimed in Pico, Boyfriend still too busy shitting his pants to talk.
“Me too” Oh Ruv, silly you.
Julian winked at him “you got it”
“I’m going to die”
“Ha! You wish”
With what seemed to be the future burying of Boyfriend out of the way, they headed back on the road, followed by some uncomfortable silence until Julian decided to ask the question on everyone’s mind “so, sorry if this is too personal of a question, but, pre op or post op?”
“Well at least you had the balls to ask. The answer is none actually. Digi-devils anatomy doesn’t work that way” Julian made a confused face as he looked at Aldryx through the rear mirror “but what about the scars?”
Aldryx raised a brow “you saw them?”
Julian hunched over sheepishly still looking ahead. He’s driving people, gotta remember that.
“Yeah, sorry about that, I thought I might have misplaced something so I went from room to room asking and you were changing and I didn’t knock, that was my bad, sorry”
“Nah, it’s cool. And to actually answer your question, I got them because I think they look cool as fuck”
“That they do”
“Thanks man, you might also be happy to know that you are not the only Aro in the group; since we are talking about the whole, sexuality bullshit”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, we both are, we just didn’t mention it before because it sorta slipped our minds” Agoti said
“Well look at that, I feel less lonely each day” Julian said chuckling.
The moment Julian said that though something pang inside Whitty. For some reason that didn’t sit well with him, was... was that... jealousy? He immediately waived that thought aside as he reminded himself that it didn’t mattered as he and Julian still had being ace in common, before asking himself why did THAT mattered either? He decided to push those thoughts as well and tuned back in to the others.
“By the way, why are most of you so sloppy?” Julian asked out of nowhere.
“Huh?”
"What do you mean?”
“I mean why are you so careless, the moment I entered some of your rooms they were a total mess, like, how?”
“Dude, they have housekeeping”
“I don’t mean it for the clutter itself, I clutter too, what I mean is your cloths were everywhere, I’m pretty sure that the only reason no one lost anything was because I made sure that- holly shit I’m a mom friend” Julien finally seemed to sink into the realization that he was indeed a mom friend.
“Ha, isn’t that ironic”
“Wait, but What about-”
“I can make those jokes, you CANT”
“U-u-understood”
After finally being able to find a parking spot where they didn’t risk the bus getting robed and was big enough for a fucking bus the gang headed to the fair.
“Wow. Look at this place!” started Boyfriend.
“So where do we start?” Said Pico looking around

“I vote we go for something to eat”

“I second that” I don’t think you need me to tell you which pair of gluttons said that.
“Of course a couple of bottomless pits would suggest that” easy Ruv.
“How about we split in small groups? That way we can cover more ground and can do more of the things we want to do”
“Good idea Hex!”
“I have to stick with this moron, so we are one” ain’t brotherly love just sweet? Especially when they start fighting each other over stupid bullshit.
“We call Tabi!” Yelled the kids. This caught Tabi by surprise, but he wasn’t complaining, and that definitely was not a blush he was trying to hide.
“I want to see how many games I can humiliate Boyfriend at” Pico started smugly.
“Oh it’s on!”
“I’ll go with them to make sure they don’t hurt anyone or themselves” you’re a peach Hex
“I guess by process of elimination that leaves us” Julian said, looking at Whitty and Ruv. Ruv looking at the group with his usual enthusiasm while Whitty looked anxious.
“Yippee” wow, that wasn’t sarcastic at ALL Ruv.
“Should we meet back here in like, 3 hours?”
Everyone agreed and they went their separate ways.
Whitty was a wreck inside, he and Julian haven’t really hung out that much since they met. Sure, he was giving Whitty some Tai chi classes, and sometimes they had fun while at it, but this was the first time they genuinely hanged out, and with how quiet Ruv was, he wasn’t really gonna help the situation, but he didn’t want to make a scene, and everyone had already parted ways and were happy with their group.
“Wow, I just noticed I’m the shortest guy in this group, well that’s a first”
“We’re tall compared to everyone” Ruv said like it was obvious.
“Well duh, but I’m tall too, I’m taller than Hex and Aldryx and they are not short themselves”
“So your saying we’re tall amongst tall people?”
“Basically”
“That just reminds me of what I am though” Whitty…
“What? A handsome fella with a good sense of humor and an awesome older brother?”
“Pfft, did you just flattered yourself?”
“Maybe?”
“Are you two done?”
“Someone’s grumpy”
“I’m not grumpy”
“Riiiiiiight”
“Where do we start?”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving”
“great, I get to watch two black holes devour everything around them, this outta be fun”
“That’s the spirit my nihilistic friend!” your giving Hex competition Julian.

As the three walked around the fair they saw a stall that called their attention, it was an eating contest stall -eat 10 pounds of funnel cake under 5 minutes and win $100-
The people around it were groaning looking angrily at the stand owner, who by all means looked sleazy as all hell.
“What’s going on?”
A guy turned around, first startled by the height difference but recovered quickly and replied angrily to Julian “that asshole over there is running a sketchy stand, I’m pretty sure he is conning people by making them eat more than 10 pounds of funnel cake despite what he claims, only AFTER you enter tells you that entering cost $50 bucks not $5 and I think he is actually using old funnel cake he just reheated, to top it all off he made my son cry and lose all his allowance that he saved for the fair” they look down to see a 10 year old crying for his lost money, his face smeared with tears and powdered sugar.
“Now that’s not nice” Whitty looked down at the kid, and even though he was not at fault he felt like he just kicked a puppy just for asking.
“Then we better fix that”
“Wait wuh?”
Julian grabbed Whittys hand and pulled him to the stand, Ruv fallowing not far behind. When approaching, some people were startled by such huge characters suddenly showing up, but the stand owner’s smile just grew bigger.
“Hello my giant friends! Would you like to try your luck at my Phenomenal Funnel cake Festivity! If you can eat 10 pounds of funnel cake in under 5 minutes you win 100 dollars!”
“Actually, I came here with a wager for you”
“Julian what are you doing?!”Whitty whisper-shouted.
“Just follow my lead” he whispered back.
The sleazy man smiled back “Oh? A wager? What kind of wager?”
“We been hearing you are ripping people off, so I’ll make you a bet; If me and my bro can eat 20 pounds of funnel cake, you will give us $300, EACH” Ooooohhhh. Nice Julian. Whitty catch on and smiled as well. What Julian did was pretty smart. FREE FOOD and they get PAID. Whitty loved Julian.
Clearly not knowing who he was fucking with, the man smiled “Very well! I’m all in for a little friendly competition. BUT! It will be 20 pounds EACH! And if I win, YOU will give me $300 dollars each” Julian and Whitty exchanged knowing smiles. SCORE.
“Ok, but under 1 more condition. If we win, our monochrome friend back here gets to punch you in the face”
This caused Ruv to perk up “Now things are interesting”
“Ha! Sure. What the hell! It’s not like you have a shot” he said the last part to himself.
The people surrounding the area looked on with concerned and pity, having been ripped off themselves, the father staying to watch with curiosity while trying to console his kid.
“Justice will be served”
“Huh?” the man asked, looking up to Ruv, but he did not repeat himself.
Whitty and Julian then went to sit at the table of the stand, were the man proceeded to serve them two huge plates each. Yup, there’s NO WAY that’s 20 pounds, that’s at least 40 pounds, and definitely NOT fresh, he is definitely scamming people.
“Ok, remember the rules, you EACH need to finish the WHOLE plate before 5 minutes, ready, set, g-“
“Wait!”
“What?” the sleazy man look exasperated, guess he couldn’t wait to steal from people. Dick.
“Just one more thing, I have to give my phone to me friend, don’t want to get it covered with powdered sugar”
“Ugh, fine, hurry up” you’re not a pretty cupcake either bitch.
Julian then quickly went to Ruv and gave him his phone, but not before quickly whispering something to him to which Ruv just nodded.
“All done?”
“Yup”
“GO!”
The sleazy owner started the timer and looked at the brothers in delight, utterly confident he just won $600 dollars.
Enter SpongeBob narrator voice. 2 ½ minutes later…
Everyone stared in awe as Whitty and Julian JUST FINISHED eating their respective plates of funnel cake, Julian licking and sucking his fingers and Whitty lifting the plate to lick it.
The sleaze ball looking at them with mouth gaping like a fish. You better bitch, because you just got served.
“I believe we, oh what’s the word…” Julian started
“I believe the word you’re looking for is, WON” Whitty finished.
Julian and Whitty high fived while staring smugly at the shithead.
This snapped him out of it as he started to fumble “HOW?!”
“We love to eat”
“Plus, we have very high metabolisms and a fast digestive system. This was nothing”
The man started to looked panicked when his smile returned “Well be that as it may, I’m sorry to say that you took too long, you took-“
“2 minutes and 34 seconds”
“WHAT?!”
Everyone turned to Ruv “that timer you have is fast, I check both with his and my phone at the same time” he showed everyone the phones.
“But that’s impossible! They just ate 40 pounds of stale funnel cake EACH!”
“Wasn’t the bet 20 pounds?” Julian said with a deceptively sweet smile, Whitty playing along
“I believe so, he DID say 20”
“But he just said he served us 40”
“And stale funnel cake at that”
“Does that mean you tried to scam us?”
The man started to look nervous, especially as Whitty and Julian stood, the man tried to flee but was cornered as all the people he scammed surround him
“It seems to bro”
“Now, I don’t know about you folks, but I’m pretty sure that’s illegal. But I’ll tell you what.” Julian started, creeping the man out as he let his ability leek and maintaining his now infamous angry sweet smile “We’ll consider not calling the cops, and health inspector for knowingly serving people old stale food and swindling them out of their money, if you give these people their money back and keep the deal we made” the man looked angry and panicked, ready to burst but decided to begrudgingly comply “fine” everyone around cheered at the bomb bros duo as the man miserable started to give everyone their money back and gave Julian and Whitty their wager. As he was about to leave Whitty grabbed him by the shoulder “Up puh puh puh puh puh. Where do you think you’re going?”
“What now?”
“Everyone” Julian spoke up before the people he coned left “I think you might want to stay for the finale”
“What?”
Ruv walked up to him, looking almost as if he was smiling… almost.
“If we recall correctly, you agreed to let our friend punch you in the face”
His eyes widen as he realized that it was true, he literally agree to get punched in the face if he lost!
Before he could react though, he heard Ruv say “No mercy for the wicked” just as he turned to look at him he got punched in the face so hard he flew and pretty much smashed his crappy stand with the impact, causing everyone gathered to roar in applaud.
“That was fun”
“See, I knew you would enjoy yourself”
“… You’re more tolerable than I originally though”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Just as they were about to leave the kid that they saw crying approached them with his dad following behind smiling. He looked a little scarred but smiled “I thought you guys looked scary, but you are really nice. You guys are my heroes! Thank you!” he then proceeded to hug them, or their legs rather, startling Whitty as he did but let him, Julian looked down and gave him a shit eating grin and Ruv just let him but did nothing else. Wow, I applaud your control Ruv.
They suddenly heard a police siren nearby, Julian looking at the dad and asking “hey, mind telling them what happen, we kinda need to go”
The man looked surprised for a moment “I thought you said-“
“We told him we would CONSIDER not calling the police” Julian started
“We called them as soon as he was finishing giving people their money” Whitty finished. Again, these two are starting to get in synch.
“pfft, you guys rock!” true that.
“I know, right dad! Before you go, can we get a picture? Please” the three exchanged a look between each other before they looked at the incoming police, still pretty far away but approaching. They nodded to each other, well, Julian and Whitty nodded, Ruv just shrugged.
“Ok, but you have to promise us you won’t upload, share or post that photo. Deal?”
“Deal”
They quickly took a selfie with the kid and the dad, leaving as quickly as they could without arousing suspicion before the police arrived.
Once they were far enough Whitty crackled “Holy shit! That was awesome! We just won $600 and got free food! You’re amazing!”
“You ate 40 pounds of STALE bread”
“And because of that you got to punch a shithead in the face”
… “It was a quid pro quo”
“Yeah, yeah mister emotionally dead inside, what I’m happiest about though is what we I got out of that” started Julian
“$300 bucks?” Whitty tried.
“Well yes. But no”
“Free food?”
“No”
“Uh, the satisfaction of putting an asshole in his place?”
“No”
“Helping a little kid that was crying?”
“Almost, but still no”
“I give, what else did you got out of that?”
“For the first time since we met you called me bro”
Whitty faulted, that’s right! He didn’t even notice, as he was enjoying himself, basking in the moment, but he had slipped and called Julian bro… but he didn’t feel bad about it… he WAS growing closer to Julian, and he had been nothing but good to Whitty so far, maybe-
“Oh for crying out loud, just admit that you are ok with being his brother, watching you have an internal battle with yourself about the matter is getting frustrating” look who’s talking big, bad and brooding.
“What?! How did you-“
“It’s OBVIOUS, you have constantly been trying to both be with and avoid the ex-convict, just admit you want to be his brother and do the shitty feelings thing and be DONE with it”
Whitty looked at Ruv shocked, before his eyes started to become wobbly “You care”
“No I don’t, you’re just frustrating as fuck”
“That shows that you care Ruv” Julian piped in
“Shut up”
“I have an idea” Just then Julian jumped in between the two giants and grabbed each by the neck with his arm, bringing them in for a hug. Whitty flinched but smiled and Ruv frown, trying to get free.
“You guys are the best, and you, since you are my little bros best friend, I dub thy, honorary brother”
“I’m not his best friend”
“Sure you are, we are besties, and now you’re a bestie bro”
“Let go of me” he kept struggling
“Only if you give me a smile”
“Julian actually-“Whitty stopped mid-sentence, not sure that was his place to say.
“What?” Julian looked between the two, Whitty staying quiet as Ruv observed him, after a moment, surprisingly, it was Ruv who broke the silence “I can’t smile”
Julian now let them go but kept his eyes on Ruv “What does that mean? You CAN’T? Like, you don’t have it permitted or something?”
“No you dipshit. I literally can’t smile. It’s due to the muscles on my face”
Julians eyes widened “oh. Well, shit.”
He looked uncomfortable for a moment, before signing “well, that explains a lot. But I guess since you told me something like that I guess its fair I share something embarrassing”
Ruv looked at him skeptically “You wore a ballerina tutu and went out in the open in the middle of a mall to yell you love to eat macaroni and cheese with ketchup on it because you were dared. What shame could you possibly have?”
“I think today is the most I have ever heard you speak”
“Ugh”
“Now were back. But to actually answer your question. There IS one thing I’m definitely ashamed of…”
Whitty snorted, trying and failing to contain his laugher. Julian sending him an annoyed glare before continuing “*sign* Well, my middle name is Testis”
“…”
“…”
“He, he” Ruv was actually smiling, it looked forced as all hell, but he was smiling “This hurts as fuck, but that’s hilarious. He, he, he”
“You tell anyone that name and I will cut off yours”
“That’s even funnier. You’re welcome to TRY. Ow this hurts”
Not being able to hold it any longer, Whitty burst out laughing. So now there they were, an annoyed looking Julian standing in-between two crackling giants laughing at his expense.
After what was a considerable time of basking in his own brother’s embarrassment of a name Whitty spoke “I think I’m ready”
Julian looked at him, the annoyance still clear on his face “for what?”
“Ruv is right. I’ve been struggling with the fact that you’re my brother. Truth is, I was always lonely, and the fact that I have a brother seemed too good to be true. But I guess I can finally accept that you ARE my brother... bro”
“Julians smile returned and he went to friendly punch Whitty “Hey, if you ever need me, I’m here for you” he turned to Ruv “you too you overgrown magpie”
“Magpie?” both Whitty and Ruv asked.
“He’s monochrome in color and pickpockets people. I think magpie is appropriate”
“…”
“He has a point”
“I’m not a bird”
“Whatever you say buddy. Hey, you guys wants to put this whole thing behind and go to the roller coaster? We still got time before we meet the others” Julian suggested alternatively.
“Would we even fit? Maybe you, but I doubt Ruv and I would”
“No harm in trying”
“Whatever”
“I think that’s the most consent we’ll get out of him”
“I’ll take what I can get, let go”
“Right behind you… bro”
Julian just smiled. This had been a good day, and hopefully a good omen for things to come.

Notes:

Read https://archiveofourown.org/works/30771176/chapters/75951689, I really recomend this story!
Plus, you need the context for some things to make sense if you read this story, otherwise there will be a lot on "noodle incidents" lol
visit the blog at https://ballisticbrothersblog.tumblr.com/ thank you

Chapter 8: Little Bro Struggles

Summary:

Whitty and Agoti navigate over the difficulties/benefits of being and becoming a younger brother

Whitty was right. None of them had been small enough to fit in the freaking roller coaster and Whitty felt dejected. Seeing this Julian suggested to go buy some ice cream, which place a small smile in Whittys face. Along the way though, Julian remembered that Ruv still had his phone so he asked for it back, while at it, Whitty saw a game downloaded on his phone and asked about it, which might have been a bad idea, as throughout the entire walk to found a guy that sold ice cream Whitty and Ruv had downloaded the game on their phones using a nearby stands internet and were dead set in beating each other… well, Whitty was, Ruv seemed to annihilate him every time…
This ended when they finally came near to the ice cream stall, where they found Aldryx trying to hold Agoti back, who seemed to be yelling at a seemingly startled ice cream vendor.
“Did he sent you? You son of a bitch! I’ll kill you! No I’ll kill HIM! Don’t you fucking threaten me! Let me go dipshit!”
Seeing this, they put their phones away, finally ending the crappy mini one-sided competition and rushed to where the two brothers were, a small commotion starting to form.
“The Hell happened?” Asked Whitty anxiously with Julian and Ruv right behind him.
“This asshole is working for the other asshole!!”
It took a moment to sink in but Whitty now turned to a very much terrified ice cream guy “WHAT?!” Just as Whitty was about to punch the guys lights out Julian grabbed his arm to lower it “Woah! Before we commit a felony, let’s hear what the guy has to say”
Whitty looked at Julian incredulously “Dude! What are you saying?! He works for that asshole!”
“But how do we know that?”
Aldryx chimes in, still restraining Agoti “that’s what I said, but this moron refuses to listen”
Julian then walked to the frightened guy, his height not really helping, but for some reason the guy looked a little calmer after a moment, was Julian using the ability? Whitty wondered. Also, they really need to find a better name for that thing.
“Sorry to intrude, but can I ask what caused my friend there to get so worked up?”
Ice cream guy took a moment but answered Julian “I just saw the guy and mentioned he looked cool but otherworldly, then I remember that he’s this famous musician that suddenly disappeared, so I made a joke about him being yeeted into a void or another planet and he went berserk” ...well... I mean, if you know the CONTEXT of the situation that’s a pretty insensitive joke, but that does not necessarily mean the guy knew either.
Julian decided to probe “what did you thought actually happened?”
“I don’t know man! Maybe that he decided to drop off the map and faked his own death? I’ve heard there are celebrities that get tired of the fame and do that”
“And the Void comment?”
“I saw this movie last night about a guy being stucked all by himself in another planet, what was it, the Martian? And then my mind kinda drifter to Undertale and its fandom”
“What does that have to do with the void?”
That fandom has a lot of space-time related things. Like the void, the anti-void, timelines, all that junk”
Agoti suddenly stopped struggling, his eyes wide “wait, you said that based on some video game fandom bullshit?”
He looked a little sheepish “admittedly some of the fans and its contents can get a little... much, but in general it’s good, so yeah. What did you think I was talking about? WHO do you think I was talking about?”
Agoti now started sweating after realizing he nearly assaulted a simple guy that had good taste and was just joking around “Uh...”
Aldryx decided to intervene and answered for him, shoving Agoti aside as he came near the guy, making him flinch but otherwise looking at him attentively as Aldryx whispered “sorry about my moronic brother. It’s a long story, but let’s just say he got kidnapped and placed in solitary confinement, so talking about voids or isolation is kind of a touchy subject”
Ice cream guys eyes all but widen, looking between Agoti and Aldryx and stumbling with his words “oh my god! I’m so sorry! I didnt-I-I-wasn’t, I’m so sorry!”
Agoti seemed to still be loading upstairs “Uh…”
“Look, how about this, as an apology, let me give you and your friends a free ice cream, it’s the LEAST I can do” well, considering that they will most likely charge him for those, I say that’s a pretty good apology.
Julian decided to chip in “thanks man, we are just thankful you didn’t call the cops, but we appreciate the free treat”
He looked at Julian with determination “you don’t mess with mental health. So if anything it was my fault. Like I said, this is the least I can do”
Aldryx gave him a smile “Thanks for the understanding”
Whitty and Agoti were dumbstruck, they nearly assaulted a perfectly nice and decent guy for making a simple joke, so it was not long as the shame started to swirl in their stomachs made all the worse by Ruvs comment “I see were the family brains cells went to respectively”
No surprise they both angrily shouted while blushing “Shut up!”
After being given their ice creams, Whitty, after taking Ruvs ice cream, suddenly had an idea and saw this as perfect timing “Hey guys, mind if we split again for a bit? I wanna check something”
“Sure man, no problem”
“Actually, I was hoping to split with Agoti for a bit” they all stopped and locked eyes with him, asking the indirect question “I-I just want to ask some, stuff...friend stuff?”
No one really bought it, but they decided not to address that in particular “I don’t know man, I promised Sol he wouldn’t leave my line of sight”
This riled up Agoti “Are you still with that?! What part of ‘I’m a grown ass man’ is not understood?”
“The grown up part” thank you Ruv, almost forgot you were present.
“Shut up you overgrown-Russian-communist-shithead!” You kinda struggled a little there buddy.
“Wow, such original insult”
“Ok, everyone calm down!” Julian raised his voice, stern but soft. Yup, he was definitely a mom friend.
“I think it would be good for the two to take a break, even if it’s just a moment” wait what?
Aldryx looked at Julian perplexed “what? Julian with all the psycho shit you know I would think YOU know why that’s a bad idea”
“It’s BECAUSE of all the psycho shit I know that I thinks it’s a GOOD idea”
… “I don’t fallow”
“Look, I get it, you guys are scared that he will go missing again, but Agoti NEEDS to have freedom to be by himself or with who he wants to be with, it’s a basic human need. I’m not saying to just push him into the world all willie nillie, but maybe an hour or two away from those who are ‘supervising’ him will be good for everyone involved, plus we still have time before we meet the others, baby steps”
“But-“
“In this case he won’t be alone, he would be with Whitty, so it’s not leaving him to his own devices. If he gets lost or something happens while being separated from us he will prove he is not ready to be left alone, but if nothing happens, then yay, first step taken”
Everyone was quiet, Agoti and Aldryx exchanging a certain look, as if having a conversation before he signed “if you do anything stupid, YOU will be the one to answer to Sol”
Agoti was clearly thrilled about the idea, not only did he finally get a break from the babysitting crap, he got to spend that break with his idol, SCORE. “Fuck yeah!”
“We meet again where we agreed, if you don’t show up, I’ll go find you and break your legs”
“Yeah, Yeah, Thanks, fuck off, will be there, see ya, lets fucking go Whitty!” With that Agoti took off, dragging Whitty along. So now there stood Aldryx who signed, Julian who gave him a reassuring smile and placed a hand in his shoulder and an expressionless Ruv.
“Can I leave?”
“I don’t see why not”
...
“...”
What? “What?”
“You’re an introvert right? You need time to be on your own. As long as we meet back up like we said I don’t see a problem with you being on your own for an hour”
...
“I officially don’t hate you”
“The feelings mutual buddy, go do what you gotta do”
“...” with that Ruv just left in the opposite direction, to do who knows what. My guess is maybe he went back to playing that game… or simple loitering… that seemed to be his favorite crime anyhow.
“How is it that you know what to do when it comes to people?”
“He he”

 

So now Whitty was alone with Agoti. This outta be interesting.
“Holly fucking shit! I can’t believe it! This fucking awesome! I officially love your brother!”
“Pfft, I thought you were aromatic”
“Hardi har har, says the sex god that’s asexual”
“...touché” though to be fair, I think Whitty is a sex neutral asexual… maybe? I don’t fucking know man, it was just implied.
Agoti then started rambling as the two walked, Whitty nodding and tuning in every now and then but was really just trying to think of a way to start what he really wanted to discuss. How do you ask someone what being a brother is like? Or having one. Do you just... ask? Where would he even start? Here went nothing “Actually, Agoti, there was something I wanted to talk to you about”
“Hm? What’s that?”
“I mean, I don’t know how to ask this, is being a brother… cool? Or, uh, is being a little brother nice?”
Agoti turned to look at Whitty, confused “what do you mean? You have a brother now”
“Yeah, but I was not RAISED with him, and I’m never really been ‘little’ anything, so I don’t really know how to feel about the situation. I mean… I just kinda started to accept it but…”
Loading…loading…loading…message received. There you go Agoti “is that what you wanted to talk about? Was that whole thing just so you can ask me about being a little bro?”
“I mean, I guess? The way you said that makes me realize it was kind of shitty to drag you just for that. I feel really shitty now”
“Hey, no sweat. Even I could tell you wanted to talk about something in private. Just wasn’t expecting the topic. What brought it on anyways?”
“It’s just, I really like Julian, and I like the idea of us being brothers. All my life I’ve been mostly alone with one tragedy over the other, and that seems to be something we have in common. But he is just so… well put together compared to me and I’m… I dunno, jealous? Intimidated? Unsure? A wreck? So I don’t know if we could BE brothers… or if I deserve someone that… what would you call it? Caring? Why is this so hard! I feel like I don’t DESERVE Julian, or if he gets close to me I could accidentally kill him, because he’s helping me learn to control and keep my shit together, he defuses the situation. Think about it. He is literally helping in defusing a bomb! Almost daily! I don’t deserve someone so selfless. I mean, Hex and Carol are too, and it took me a shit ton to let them in, but I also kind of feel like I’m somehow FORCING Julian just because we’re related and that’s not fair to him so I don’t think I would be a good brother…
“And then there is you and Aldryx. You two seem to have like… this relationship that’s just… from an outside view seems like your trying to kill each other, but you actually care for each other. I don’t know how so say it” you can do it Whitty “I mean, you fight like cats and dogs, but I can tell you guys care. And it’s not like other friendships, it’s like… like…”
“Like we can beat each other to a pulp but know we can still depend on each other?” Agoti smirked “That’s because you hit the nail in the coffin. I can pretty much say anything to that piece of shit and it won’t matter, because I know he cares, and the other way around applies. In my opinion those are the strongest bonds, what they call it, Vitriolic love? He he”
“But Julian and I rarely fight! I mean, we’ve had disagreements and banter but not really a fight, mostly because Julian seems to know how to, in his words, de-escalate things.”
“Yeah, for three reasons. One, not all siblings are the same, so you can’t say your relationship is shitty because it’s not like mine. Two, you guys are, what’s the word, calmer? Than we are and three, even I can see there’s a wall there you both haven’t broken, you even said it just now”
“What?”
“Dude, even BOYFRIEND Can see you are both TRYING, but there is just that wall neither of you seem to be able to tear down. Like, you’re afraid that if either of you gets in each other’s bad side then BAM, no more brother, your relationship ended because you refused to yield to the other or make a fuss”
Whitty was taken aback, if even BOYFRIEND could see it, it was pretty fucking obvious, but now a new problem arise “so what do we do?”
“The fuck if I know” and you were doing so well
“What? But you-“
“Gonna be honest with ya, I actually had time to think about that, like I said, you guys are obvious as fuck, so it got me thinking a bit a while back”
“So I’m stuck back in square one?”
“Seems like it”
“Ugh!”
“Hey, if it makes you feel better, being a little brother has its perks, when you are willing to accept the title”
Whitty raised a brow “such as?”
Agoti closed in to place an arm around Whitty, trying to whisper to him but failing due to the massive height difference “Let me tell you a little secret. A little perk of being a little brother, is that whatever shit you do, typically gets blamed on the older one. So you can be a shit and the older one typically gets more blame as ‘they should’ve known better’ or “you were the one looking after him’, you can take blame too, but usually they get the short end of the stick” it took a moment for Whitty to process but he finally asked “is that why you act however the hell you want? Like you did back then? Because you know Aldryx will pick up the pieces? Isn’t that like, selfish?”
“Maybe? It’s not like he doesn’t enjoy it though. Makes him feel like his smarter and more responsible”
“Isn’t he?”
“Maybe? Aren’t older siblings typically? I mean, Julain seemed to confirm that, as he and Aldryx handled that crap from before. But no, I act the way I act because that’s how I roll” well... that kinda explained a lot...
Did that mean Whitty could do the same? ... Maybe not, Julian seemed to be WAY more dangerous to enrage than Aldryx, and that simply did not seem like a risk worth taking.
“But also” before Whitty could dwell more into it Agoti continued “the thing about being a younger sibling it is, what’s the expression?” you guys really need to expand you vocabulary or some shit, there are a lot of these pauses “a double edge sword? People kinda expect less of you or take you less seriously because you’re younger, so they trust you less than they would an older sibling, but at the same time, you have someone that you can look up to and hope can help you out of trouble, because in some cases they know better.” He gives Whitty a death glare “You tell that to him and I’ll kill you. Idol be damned.” He then continued on like nothing was said “So I actually think being an older brother would stink. I mean, I can count on him when I’m in deep shit, but who does he have?” Julian did mention something like that.
“... I guess you have to take the good with the bad, but its overall good?”
“That’s one way of putting it”
“So what, having a brother is like having a partner in crime?”
“A partner in crime and a best friend.” Well ain’t that nic- “If you have a good relationship, if not then they are just guys related by blood” ... is your brain defective? Why would you say that to a guy that LITERALLY met his brother a week ago and told you he was having doubts? Dumbass.
No surprise, this last comment caused Whitty to become anxious again, which Agoti noticed and said in a rushed way “but hey! You guys are trying! Both of you are trying! So that means you both wants this to work! Maybe it feels you’re doing shitty right now because you just started, but I bet you two will be thick as thieves in no time!”
“This is getting repetitive...” Whitty grumbles
Agoti got a little defensive “Well maybe because it’s the only advice we can fucking think of! Do YOU think of anything else you could do?!”
... That stumped Whitty, IS there? I mean, the same advice had been given over and over... so... should he just, TALK to Julian? Or take the first step? Well, it wouldn’t be the FIRST step, Julian had already taken that, and Whitty technically made a kind of first step already... so with that Whitty made up his mind. He was right. He needed to step up. So the next time he saw Julian he will start to act like he really wants, which is being his brother. For real this time. Even if they struggle or end up fighting each other to the point where they want to kill each other over stupid nonsense. This made Whitty cackle, surprising Agoti
“Since when are you smart?”
“Fuck you, I can be smart!”
“Remember my shoe incident?”
“That was one tim-“
“Or when you gave your phone and wallet to two kids just because they asked?”
“Again, that was one-“
“Or the tent incident, when we went camping?”
“Who told you that?!”
“Who you think?”
“That backstabbing asshole!”
“Pfft Ha Ha ha ha!”
“What are you laughing at?!”
“Nothing. Just realized. If my relationship with Julian ends up like yours, then I don’t think I have much to worry about other than becoming stupidly dependent on him bailing me out or fighting over stupid shit”
Agoti started to smirk “heh, see, what did tell ya? Wait... did you just called me stupid again?!” I don’t know, did he?
“Ha ha ha ha!”
“Fuck you!” Awe, don’t be like that Agoti, I’m sure if you try hard enough you can achieve a medium level intelligence quotient.
After taking a moment to compose himself, Whitty looked at a still pissed off Agoti “let’s make a pact”
“A pact?”
“Eh. Wrong word, more like, a club? Most likely Julian and Aldryx will make it too, I think Aldryx mentioned it… or you did, whatever the case, let’s beat them to it if not.”
“Now you got my attention”
“Since we are both little brothers let’s make a little brother club. In which we can do whatever little brothers do, I suppose”
“Such as?”
“I don’t know? Talk shit, complain, swap ideas or advice?”
“You got me at talk shit”
“Figures”
“Hell Yeah! We are the lbc club!” isn’t that saying club twice?
“Hell Yeah! What do we do first?”
“I say talk shit”
“Ugh, don’t get me started on the Tai Chi dude”
“The fuck is Tai chi? You mean that weird slow moving you’ve being doing? I thought you guys were having a stroke or something”
“Right?!”

Chapter 9: Big Bro Dilema

Summary:

Aldryx and Julian bond over the struggles of being older siblings

Notes:

I have a double whammy for ya, I’m gonna be busy for a while, so I won’t be able to post in a couple of weeks. To compensate, here is a double chapter update!

Also, I wanted this chapter to be a parallel of the previous one. Thus the similarities

Fallowing up and continuing the narration of a bunch of dumbasses dealing with personal shit that seems too surreal to be true, we continue where we left Julian and Aldryx alone after Whitty had gone off with Agoti and Ruv to who knows were. I’m still putting my money on the fact he is still on that phone game he and Whitty downloaded, if nothing to rub it in his face later… heh, Ruv rub… lol… don’t judge me. Just go back to the elder brothers will ya?
Aldryx signed as he watched the little bro duo leave, Julian still patting him on the back.
“Relax, it’ll be a good thing. On that note, let’s do something else to take your mind off of it, after all, the point is to give EVERYONE involved a break”
“Guess you’re right.”
With that Julian and Aldryx started walking and looking around, finding themselves now near what seemed to be a park next to the fair, filled with trees and benches. Aldryx had to admit, as much as he loved his brother, a while without having to worry about dealing with his bullshit was nice.
Eventually, Julian decided to ask something unexpected “Can I ask you something weird?” wait for it.
“Uh, sure. Shoot”
“Am I… doing ok? As a big brother I mean” there it is.
Aldryx stopped walking and looked at Julian with a raised brow “The hell that came from?”
“Well, now that it’s just the two of us, I was just wondering since you are also a big brother and have experience in this department. Have I’ve been a good brother so far?”
“What the hell? Are you like, doubting yourself? If anything it seems like you had more experience in the matter than me.”
“Can I be honest with you?”
“Sure, while we are at it might as well”
Julian fidgeted and seemed to avoid eye contact as he started nervously “Lots of the time I’m just winging it, or I just let things slide because I don’t want to make a fuss and get Whitty mad at me, sometimes I even just suck it up”
“Why the hell would you do that?” I’m with you on this Aldryx.
“I don’t know. I WANT to be a good brother. But I feel that I’m not good enough for Whitty”
“Not good enough? Dude you’ve been nothing but chill and nice since we met you. To ALL of us. Hell, you were nice to Agoti after and DURING he literally tried to ASSAULT you” that’s an excellent point.
“Yes, but… Whitty has told me some… unpleasant things of his past… it’s something we have in common. Maybe not the same experiences but the fact we had shitty and lonely lives. And yet I came out… I dunno, better? No, not better, that sounds arrogant. Like, he got the short end of the stick somehow? And I think he deserves someone that can help him with all that crap. But I was too late and he already has Hex and this Carol lady, which quite honestly sounds like an angel, and the rest of you guys.
So where does that leave me? I want to be the brother he DESERVES. But I’m just not… good enough…”
“So what? You’re scared that if you make him mad ONCE he will decide ‘screw this I’m out’?”
“Maybe?”
“…”
“…Wow… That is the biggest load of Bullshit I’ve ever heard”
Julian looked taken aback “excuse me?”
“You heard me. That’s a load of bullshit. You’re the guy that has been helping all of us deal with our emotional crap, without getting paid a single cent. And you not only think you’re not good enough, but what, you’ve been doing it at your own expense? Or not caring about yourself? That is the most hypocritical thing I’ve heard you say”
Julian did not know how to respond “Uh…”
“Listen here shits for brains. You are a GODDAMNED GREAT BROTHER. I even admitted to you that I was jealous.”
“but didn’t you said you were jealous of-“
Aldryx did not let him finish his question and continued “So what if you and Whitty have a fight? Or two fights? Or a million fights? Fights happen! I fight all the time with the idiot I happen to call a brother! But the point is, any relationship that ends after ONE fight, it’s not a relationship worth having. And if you think your brothers relationship will end because you had a fight about, I dunno, who gets the last snack, then you’re a complete dumbass!”
This last comment seemed to snap Julian, but still not on his 100% “But that’s exactly what I don’t WANT to happen!”
“You really think that lowly of Whitty?”
“What?! Of course not!”
“Then why the hell are you assuming he will cut ties with you the moment you start a fight? Or something unpleasant appears?”
Julian was stumbled. He did not know how to answer.
“Listen dude. You see me and my brother fight and insult each other all the fucking time. Does that mean we hate each other?”
Julian seemed to have recovered his senses a bit more, so he answered after a small moment “of course not. You guys roughhouse and scrabble, but you obviously love each other”
“Exactly. Vitriolic love, I think they call it. So why the hell do you think it will be different for you?”
“Because you’ve know each other all your lives. Whitty and I just MET. And I don’t want to screw this up”
“But you are thinking as if all relationships between brothers were the same. You guys are not us. And I know that sounds contradictory to what I just said, but you can’t expect to be a shitty brother because you did not have the same as we did. Or lived the same things. You guys are on the more passive side too. Plus there is the whole fucking wall you two have between you”
“Wall?”
“It’s so fucking evident dude! You both want to be closer! Many people live with their siblings their whole life and grow up to be total strangers, you two WANT to be familiar with each other. But both of you are constantly walking on eggshells. It was amusing at first, but now it’s just redundant and sad.”
“I-I d-don’t, I’m not-I-I” seems we lost him again.
“Look, you’re both scared. THAT is obvious to everyone. And you don’t know what to do because you’re both grown men that had shitty lives and no real love growing up. So while you are more AWARE of all the emotional bullshit, its more than clear that you too have issues with dealing with it. So put two hot messes together and you get a big boiling hot mess. Which is where you two are right now. And the more I talk the more I realize I sound like you. Which is weird. Nice. But weird” tell me about it Aldryx.
“…so… what should I do?”
“Honestly. I have no idea. As much as I would want to help you more, I don’t know as much psycho shit as you do to help” well, you tried?
“Oh. Uhm. Uh…”
Aldryx seemed to contemplate Julian for a moment “Wow.”
“What?”
“I think this is the first time I’ve seen you genuinely speechless.”
Julian blushed
“I mean, you’ve hesitated and been serious before. But this is the first time you seem… I dunno. Down in the dumps speechless”
Julian signed and slouched his shoulders, he then kept walking until he sat on a nearby bench, Aldryx sitting next to him “I guess you’re right. It’s just so weird. I thought I was pretty good at handling my emotions, but I guess I never really considered my FEELINGS on things.”
“What’s the difference?”
“It’s kinda complicated to explain. In layman’s terms, I guess emotions are first and feelings are created out of those. Like, emotions are reactions you have to a situation, person or thing, and feelings are what becomes developed BECAUSE of those emotions. So, I guess I learned to control myself at the moment, but not how the underlying emotions created complex feelings.”
“So, going off of that, you’re saying that the current situation is like what? Like when you just plug a leak with tape? You cover the problem but not really fix it?”
“Yeah. Actually”
“So why not just change the piping then?”
“Easier said than done”
“Eh, can’t say I don’t know what you mean. After all, YOU have been the one helping all of us with all our defective pluming. If we keep that analogy”
“Heh” Julian gave a small humorless laugh, but remained silent as he just sat forward, placing his arms on his legs and looking at the floor and his shoes.
“But you know what? I think THAT’S why you can get mad at us”
Julian lifted his head and shifted a quick and confused look at a smirking Aldryx
“I mean, you’re now in the gang, you have a brother in it and everyone likes you. I’m pretty sure even RUV likes you. I think you more than earned the right to be able to tell and show us when you get mad or upset more openly. Not only when you enter ‘mom mode’ or whenever Boyfriend says some stupid ignorant bullcrap”
He was right. Julian had seen fights within just about everyone in the gang, and they had all been hostile to each other at one point or another. Even Hex on occasion, but they were all still friends. So, if they all could, why couldn’t he? Sure he was afraid to lose the only people that had actually been willing to give him a change, but if he did nothing he will just be stuck as nothing more than a carpet to the gang. So with that Julian decided to make his frustration know when it happened.
Julian then turned to Aldryx, returning his smirk “Thanks, your right. I think I will take that advice”
“As you should”
Julians smirk suddenly turned mischievous “And I think I will start now” he then proceeded to punched Aldryx in the arm.
“OW! What the fuck was that for?!”
“That’s for this morning! You took the last pancake when you SAW I was aiming for it!”
“You said you were cool with it!”
“I lied!”
The two then exchanged glares for what felt like an eternity before chortling “See? Isn’t that so much better?”
“Your right! That felt good! You ok though? Was that too hard?”
“Nah nah nah, don’t go wussing out on me, that was a fucking decent punch and you are not taking it back”
“Well there is more where that came from. You know what? I think we should make this official”
“Make what official? You being a total wuss?” Julian then went and grabbed Aldryx in a chokehold.
“I’m sorry, I’m a what?”
Aldryx was trying to get free but to no avail, managing to talk in a raspy voice “A wuss” Julian then proceeded to give him a noogie “A what?”
“Ugh! Ok! You’re not a Wuss! Let go! I’m not used to being the little guy!” Julian then let him go snickering.
“For real though. I think you once mentioned we should make a big brother club. Why not make it official? I think Agoti and Whitty might be thinking the same thing. So let’s beat them to it”
“Hell yeah! So we can talk about how to deal with them and their bullshit, as well as the benefits of being the big bro” you mean like big brother bragging rights Aldryx?
“Pfft, you mean shit talk and bragging rights?” that’s what I said.
“Among other things”
“Ha! Yeah, were officially the bbc club”
“Isn’t bbc a news network?”
“Wait, it is?”
“Oh yeah, you said you don’t watch the news”
“Well whatever. We are our own personal bbc. Regardless if they exist or not. So they can suck it”
“That’s the spirit!”
After the two spent some more time talking, the meeting time came around, so they decided to start heading back to the rendezvous point.
As they approached. They saw some of the others already there, mainly Tabi who was carrying a cat plush with a content face and alongside Skids and Pump, who were acting suspiciously innocent.
Julian looked at the kids and asked “ok, I’ll bite, what happened?”
“Nothing” Yeah, you two kids are not helping your case.
“Tabi?” He said in a stern voice. You know that voice your
Mom uses to say ‘I’m not mad but you better tell me’? That voice.
Tabi turns to look at Julian, acting a little sheepish “well, there was this game that had this plush as a trophy, but I pretty much lost $50 bucks to no avail, so the kids MIGHT have... helped a little?”
Everyone looked at Julian expecting to get scolded but were surprised when he just shrugged “I can’t say I blame you. Some of these games are rigged as fuck.”
“Wait. You’re not mad?”
“Nope”
“You’re not going to go mom mode on us?”
“Nah. Whitty and I even got backed at one of them. He was conning people by offering them a prize money, but the setting were virtually impossible for normal people”
“What was he doing?”
“He was challenging people to eat 10 pounds of funnel cake in less than 5 minutes. But he was giving people double, did not say it was stale and the timer was fast, not to mentioned he overcharged people and only told them that after”
“What a shit head” Aldryx all but growled.
“How exactly did you get him back?”
Julians smile became wider “I challenged him, told him me and Whitty could eat 20 pounds each in under 5 min, if we won, we would get $300 each”
Everyone crackled “dude! That was brutal! That bet was nowhere near fair!”
“Hey, he started it. He made a kid cry and didn’t care. So to make justice, we not only bet that, but if he lost, Ruv got to punch him in the face with no resistance.”
Everyone laughed harder “holy shit!”
“Oh, and then threaten to call the cops if he didn’t give the money he conned back... and then called them when he was about done anyways”
As if defying the impossible, everyone laughed even HARDER, Aldryx holding himself up on a post, Tabi was holding his stomach and the kids rolling on the ground “Your RUTHLESS!”
“I call it karma. He had it coming... maybe let’s not tell Hex though”
“Tell me what? What is everyone laughing about?”
Just then Hex arrived fallowed by a sour looking Boyfriend and a smug Pico
“Just a story, what’s he so mad about this time?” Replied Julian, as the others were still recovering.
“Boyfriend is a sore loser is what”
“You fucking cheated is what!”
“Being a good marksman is not cheating”
“Yes it is!”
“I agree with Pico. He did not cheat. He was just using skills he can use to beat you. Which is LITERALLY the point in a competition”
“Ha! Listen to mom over there. It’s true what they say. Moms know best”
“I’m never going to live being the mom of the group down, am I?”
“Nope” everyone replied, even Whitty and Agoti as they just arrived, hearing the end of the conversation.
“You pretty much established that nickname the time you helped RUV brush his hair and managed him to actually let you do it”
“His hair was a mess!”
“It was FINE” replied Ruv as he arrived as well, grumbling.
“Fine? You had more knots in your hair than... uh... what has many knots?”
“Beats me” Whitty said while Agoti shrugged.
“Anyways, your hair NEEDED it”
“You are not Sarv nor my mother”
“Do you WANT me to tell Sarv?”
“...”
“That’s what I thought”
“You’re a total mom” Whitty said between giggles.
“Ugh, can I at least be a ‘dad’ friend?”
“No, you’re a mom friend”
“Ugh!”
“Since when are you so whinny?”
“I have the right to whine when I want to”
“Let’s all turn those frowns around! While walking around with Boyfriend and Pico, I picked up some snacks! I even got the last caramel apple” oh Hex, you are the glue that sticks this mess together.
“Dibs!” Uh oh.
Whitty and Julian looked at each other as they both said that... this won’t end well...
“You know, as the little brother, I think I should have it”
“Yeeeeeaaaah. No. I want it”
This surprised Whitty and everyone as he tried again “little bros should get dibs first, as you are the responsible OLDER brother”
“That’s shit, I want the apple. You had the last bag of chips last time”
He tried again “Yeah, well, YOU ate all the crumble before I got to try it at that buffet!”
“You didn’t say anything! How was I supposed to know!?”
Oh boy “Well, you’re older!”
I know where this is going “You already said that! You can’t use the same card that many times!”
They both exchanged glares... and then everything went to hell
“ITS MINE!”’ Called it.
“Oh dear!” Hex said backing away as Whitty and Julian started fighting over a freaking caramel apple while the others watch with amusement.
Agoti walking next to Aldryx “talked to him?”
“Yup. You?”
“Sure did”
“Mission accomplished” with that the Devi brothers first bumped as they watch the bomb bros fight. Why you sly little shits, you planned that all along did you? Maybe you two ARE smarter than I give you credit for.
Whelp. All things consider, I think this actually ended pretty well! The bomb bros kept fighting for a while, but pretty much laughed afterwards. Ruv had enough at some point and decided to simply split the apple with a knife... and then proceeded to mock Whitty about being smarter than him, which is the reason he can’t beat him at that goddamn mobile game, which in return got a rise out of Whitty as everyone fallow in the laughter.
All's well that ends well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watching from the shadows, a figure wearing a long coat can be seen as they spoke into a transmitter of some kind “I found the inception and specimen x. Project was never compromised from the beginning”
“...”
“Yes sir. The inception is indeed alive”
“...”
“No, no signs or specimen 001 nor specimen x2. Should I contact agent Anders and commission his assistance? It may not be a hit but he was the one that reported finding specimen x after his task”
“...”
“Apparently he was not aware of the inception, as not even we knew how he looked like by now or that he was still alive”
“...”
“I assure you I meant no disrespect, i know you knew.”
“...”
“I think he could be of use. I know he’s not part of-“
“...”
“but-“
“...”
“Understood. I’ll keep surveillance from afar. Also, if I may ask, what about HIM?”
“...”
“...”
“...understood.”
The line got cut as the figure continue to watch the gang from the shadows, ominously watching over them as they enjoyed themselves and laughed... for now...

 

…Oh no…

Chapter 10: Just a Bitty of Cake

Summary:

The gang stops in a small town only to discover some unexpected "new" faces

Notes:

Hi again! To celebrate the 1000 hit mark, as a thank you, I’m gonna post this chapter early! I won’t be able to post the next until maybe the end of the month since I’ve been crazy busy with life. But enjoy this new addition to this convoluted mess of emotions and words I call a story.

Another two weeks had gone by since we last saw our lovable dumbasses and their dumbassery. And things have been good. Whitty and Julian were finally more open to each other and seemed to actually hang out together. With the addition of taking a note from the Devi brothers, as now they constantly bickered good-naturedly.
Mostly over food and nonsense. Or both. Like they are doing right now...
“How is yogurt better than honey?!”
“I’m telling you. If you wanted to make a pb and j sandwich but you ran out of j you should just use thick yogurt. It also has fruit in it and makes the sandwich creamy, if you freeze it a little it’s almost like an ice cream sandwich, plus, you can put more fruit and shit in it too”
“Honey it’s better! You leave that delicious gooeyness of the honey and you make less of a mess!”
“How do you make less of a mess? Honey STICKS. If anything it’s messier”
“But yogurt is more liquidy, so it gets everywhere and spills out of the sandwich”
“And honey doesn’t?”
“Depends on the honey you use!”
“Well the same goes for the yogurt!”
“Are you two still at that!” Yelled an exasperated Boyfriend. Shut up and keep driving.
“What? We are just comparing tips and recipes” shrugged Julian
“Those are not recipes, there’re just weird mash ups of food” said Ruv
“Isn’t that what recipes basically are?” ... well, you’re not WRONG Pico.
“So what do you outta us do?” Whitty whined crossing his arms
“Hey, maybe you can try beating Ruv at that game? You have yet to beat him right?” Julian said with a shit eating grin.
“That’s because he CHEATS!”
“I don’t cheat. You just suck”
“Oh it’s on you magpie!”
“I said to not call me that”
“Too late! That’s you nickname now!”
“...it’s on, you мудила”
“What you call me?!”
“It means asshole or dickhead in Russian” perk Tabi looking back at Whitty from his seat.
“Hey no fair! Don’t insult me in a language I don’t understand!”
“Why not you мудила?” If I didn’t know any better he can’t smile, I would’ve said he is smiling smugly
“...oh it’s ON”
And that’s how we got to this moment, as those two have been at that stupid game for two hours straight, having their phones plugged in the whole time to a usb charger in the bus so they would not die. It’s this considered mundane or stupid? Or both? At this point I have no fucking idea...
As they kept at it, the bus was now going through what seemed to be a small rural town.
“Where are we?” Asked Pump.
“Don’t know, but this place seems very nice! Look Pump! There’s an arts and crafts store!” Skid then shook Pumps shoulder whose eyes widen with glee.
“We should find a hotel first. Sightseeing later.” Said Julian looking over the children. The kids looked a little down but knew better than to argue with Julian.
“Oh dear, I hope they accept card payments”
“Me too Hex, that last hotel nearly gave a heart, good thing they DID accept card” Whitty said anxiously
“Yeah, it only took three fucking hours for them to find the god damn terminal” grumbled Agoti.

“I honestly still think they had it all along, they just did not want us to pay with card” added Aldryx.
“Yeah, I almost thought they were going to make us stay and do housekeeping” Agoti shuddered
“If they did, I bet they would have put you in one of those girly frilly maid outfits, which I think would have fit you”
“Shut your fucking mouth!”
“Ok, we get it. Check if they accept card before checking in” whined Boyfriend. Like I said before, shut up and drive.
“Hex, where’s the hotel?”
“There’s one just around the corner, but it does not say if it accepts card or not”
“I say we park this scrap and go check, I need to stretch my legs anyhow”
“Good idea Pico!”
After finally finding a place to park the god damned awful looking bus, they all got out of the bus to check in and stretch their legs... well, almost, Julian was about to exit when he turned back to ask Whitty “aren’t you two coming?”
“We’ll go later. I have to beat this asshole at this first!”
“Keep dreaming мудила”
“Shut up you magpie!”
“I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have started the nicknaming trend” said Julian giving one last glance before exiting the bus to leave this two manchilds... is the plural of manchild manchilds? Manchildren? Whatever, he left with the others and left these two to continue their pointless endeavor.
After the group had checked out in the Hotel, which thankfully did accept card payment, they decided to take a stroll around the town.
“Hey guys I’m kinda hungry”
“You sound like Whitty and Julian” Pico poked.
“Normal people can be hungry too!” You? Normal? Be realistic smurf.
“We are hungry too!” ”Yeah. Pump and I only had a muffin this morning”
Julian looked down at them and gave them a stern look “and this is why I told you to sit down and eat breakfast instead of harassing the bellboy”
“But he had a peg leg!”
“That’s a bigger reason to just let him do his job Pump”
“But What if he had a secret compartment in it and was hiding a knife?”
“A bellboy?” Julian raised a brow skeptically
“Hate to say it Julian, but they are right”
“Pico?!”
“”Eh, you see a lot of crazy shit in my line of work”
“Guys... LOOK!”
Everyone stopped and looked back to see Tabi pointing at a cafe
“Oh, you found a cafe, nice going Ta-... Tabi?”
He was still pointing at something with a certain gleam in his eyes, when they fallowed what he was pointing at, some of them deadpanned before Agoti asked “you just want to try that latte with cat shaped foam, don’t you?”
“Fuck you! Cats rule!”
“That rimed” indeed it did Aldryx lol
“Everyone that agrees to just go to the cafe and eat say I” for once you’re the leader smurf.
“I”
“Then let’s go”
“Should we get something for Whitty?”
“If you can carry that much, go ahead”
Once they entered the cafe they noticed it was quite nice, very cozy and a little small, soon they heard a voice yell “I’ll be there in a minute!”
They took that as their quo to sit, obviously there was no table big enough for all of them in such a small place so they just sat in some tables close to each other, with Pico, Julian, Aldryx and Agoti facing the door, back to the kitchen, and the rest facing it. “Sorry about that! Just finishing some things. Welcome to Cutie Kitty Cafe! Would you like a menu or are you all set?”
The guys facing the kitchen looked up but the moment they did their eyes widen.
“Oh dear”
“My god”
“No freaking way”
“Wow!” ”is he an actual clone?”
The ones facing the door exchanged looks and Pico asked “what?”
They all wordlessly pointed behind them.
...
the others just stared one more moment before finally turning around, three of them with annoyed expressions, then all of them suddenly morph to surprise.
What is this? What could possibly-
...
Oh. My. GOD.
There... standing with a confused look on his face... stood a... a small... well not small, he was adult size, 5’8, but compared to him it was...
there, standing in a waiters apron/uniform, was Whitty!
After an uncomfortable amount of silence and dumbfounded stares, he fidgeted and asked “um, sirs? Are you ok? Is something wrong?” Oh that voice, he even SOUNDED cute.
No one could speak. What could they even say?! There in front of them was a mini Whitty!
“Uhm. Should I call someone?”
That question seemed to snap them back to attention before the silence was broken by Boyfriend “Whitty? Is that YOU?”
He looked at them still confused and starting to look uncomfortable “Uh, my name is not Whitty sir. It’s Bitty”
“Bitty?” Agoti all but blurted.
“Yeah?”
Julian then quickly stood up and started examining ‘Bitty’ causing him to flinch back and panic “Whitty what happened?! Did you try doing space distorting shit and went too far?!”
“W-w-w-what? Sir, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just work here to help my mom out at her cafe.”
“Mom?!” they all but shouted.
“He’s delusional” Look who is talking you self-glorified smurf… but I am concerned as well.
“Maybe he’s half regenerating or something? That could explain why he’s so small” Hm, could be Tabi.
“Does that mean he blew up the bus?” Not necessarily Agoti.
“I think we would’ve heard that” See? Nice Aldryx.
“He probably got so angry at Ruv that he distorted space-time and reverted to being a kid” WTF Agoti?
“That makes NO sense” Right Pico?
“Do YOU have a better explanation?”
“...”
“Didn’t think so” Ok, I’ll give you this one Agoti.
“What?!” Mini Whitty seemed to just get more anxious and panicked by the minute, not understanding what was happening.
“Ok. As much as it pains me, as much as it really, really, really, REALLY pains me, I think we should go and deal with this first and then eat.” Julian turned to ‘Whitty’, grabbing his hand and staring to pull him away “Come on, we have to figure out what happened and how to turn you back”
‘Whitty’ however was pulling back and trying to move away “no! Who are you?! Stranger danger! MOM!”
Julian looked back at him with a tired expression “look, Whitty, I know you’re still frustrated about the whole thing, but you’re making progress, we need to -YEOWCH!”
Before everyone’s eyes, there he was now, a small tiny size Ruv. He appeared out of nowhere and interrupted Julian mid-sentence... by biting the arm he was using to hold Whitty... you read that right... A mini Ruv BIT Julian.
As everyone was processing this, mini Ruv proceeded to bite Julian even harder, snapping him out of his shock and starting to waive him around to shake him off “ouch! What the hell is this?! Get off!”
As he did this he let go of little Whitty who ran to the back “Mom! Stranger danger! Stranger danger! We need to help Ruvool!”
“Ruvool? The hell is a- ouch!” No one seems to be able to finish a sentence without being hit it seems, as before Agoti could he was hit in the head with a broom the moment he turned his back to the kitchen.
“The Hell do you think you’re doing with my kids?!” Said a woman holding a broom and looking pissed as hell, she was a dark skinned woman with brown-ish hair, wrapped in a ponytail bun wearing a purple shirt that revealed a little of her shoulder, black straps, a pair of blue jeans, silver shoes, and a salmon headband, little Whitty was right behind her holding another broom and looking a little scared but determined.
“Your kids? Listen lady, I don’t know who you are but you got the wrong idea-ouch!” What I said Aldryx?
Don’t you dare touch my babies you demon!”
“Technically they are digi devils ma’am, not dem-owch! Come on! Ow!” As Tabi started to explain little Whitty had cross the room and started hitting him with his own broom “shut up you- skeleton, goat, thingy. Leave my mom and brother alone!”
“Then tell this kid to stop biting me!”
As the others tried to talk to the woman she just stated to hit them in the head with the broom instead, the ruckus starting to create a commotion and a crown forming.
“We need back up!” Yelled Boyfriend after being hit in the head himself, and stumbled to the ground in a fetal position covering his head like the baby he is.
And so the madness continued as an angry mom was hitting the gang, who were reluctant to fight back since they were decent enough people to know you don’t attack a seemingly single mom whose defending her kids; and said kids too.
The only ones not being her targets being Hex, Skids and Pump, who just sat and watch from the table furthest away from the chaos.
“Oh dear...”
“This reminds me of when my mom chased away that guy that came to the house to offer me private lessons” Skid started...
“Lessons of what?”
“I dunno. He came asking if my parents were around, when I told her my mom was in her office working he started to say something about free lessons, but then my mom came down the stairs and saw him, grabbed the broom and chased him away” O_o
“I wonder what the lessons were about”
“Maybe it was a scam?”
“That would explain why your mom was mad”
“That makes sense”
... oh you poor children o-o


Meanwhile, still in the bus.
“Almost! Almost!”
“No you’re not” said Ruv, gritting his teeth.
“Allllmoooooost! Ha! There! In your FACE!” Whitty all but jumped from his sit, not even caring he hit his head with the roof of the bus, to stand up and point a finger in Ruvs face. “In you fucking face you leukemic MAGPIE!”
He then started doing a little celebration dance, Ruv with a disgruntled expression but then his face turned neutral again and said in a smug voice “too bad there are no witnesses to ever believe you”
Glass shattering noise…shit
Whitty stopped his dance immediately, stood up stiffly, again roof, and slowly turned to look at Ruv “you are despicable”
“Ha”
Whitty then proceeded to do strangling motions towards Ruv but stopped and took a deep breath “calm down Whitty, calm down, remember what Julian taught you” he then closed his eyes and placed both hands together in front of him and started taking deep breaths, causing Ruv to raise a brow.
“Are you praying?”
“No, I’m controlling my breathing. Julian said that helps to calm yourself”
“... what I do is just think nothing matters anyways...”
Whitty suddenly stopped and looked at Ruv with concern “that’s... a pretty sad outlook on life Ruv...”
“It’s worked so far” you just shrugged that of like nothing? Wtf
“...Are you really a, what was that word Julian used, a nihilist?”
“I consider myself more of a pragmatist”
“I’m no shrink unlike Julian, but pretty sure what you just said it’s more a nihilist thing. He said that a nihilist pretty much doesn’t believe or care about anything... like... at all...”
“...I’m not a nihilist” he said a bit... weirdly...
Hmm, interesting, it seems Whitty took notice to and gave him a small smirk but otherwise said nothing, playfully shoving his shoulder
“Don’t touch me” you didn’t sound so mad there buddy.
“I think we should go find the others. I’m getting hungry”
“What a surprise”
“Hey look, Julian left us the keys. Good thing. Otherwise we would be stuck here till they came back”
“How is that bad?”
“Oh zip it”
With that our two lumbering trees finally left the bus. But things started to get odd... and it was wrenching on Whittys anxiety. People seemed to be, gapping at him, more than usual anyways, but not only him but Ruv too, what was going on?
“Any idea where we going?” Good idea, distraction topic
“No”
“Well that was helpful” same here buddy
Ruv looked around a moment and said “we should go either to the hotel or look for a ruckus, odds are they are either near or caused it”
“Didn’t you JUST said you had no idea?”
Ruv just shrugged
“Ugh”
As they started to walk around they noticed the stares didn’t seem to go away, in fact, a guy riding his bike even tumble over a bush as he stared at them
“Something’s wrong”
“You THINK?” Easy Whitty
“We typically get attention but not this much”
“Gee, THANKS captain obvious”
“Let’s just ask for directions and get there quickly”
“Good idea Ruv”
The two of them saw a guy in one of those booths were they sell newspapers. Those still exist? Then again this is a small town so I guess it makes sense. Wouldn’t be surprised that they had no idea who Whitty was.
“Excuse me sir, do you know where the nearest hotel is?”
The guy had his back turned to them and seemed to be stacking some things so he answered a bit absentmindedly “oh, uh, the hotel? It’s around the corner on the left. It’s passing a cafe and a pharmacy in front of a fountain, can’t miss i-holy Jesus!” He said at last, finally turning around but he all but stumbled to the ground the moment he saw them, dropping with him all the supplies left in his arms. He quickly stumbled back to his feet and he adjusted his glasses as he looked up at the two giants.
Hmmm, with those glasses and that mustache... if he had a beard and had a few more pounds... he looked a like a skinny Santa Claus. lol
“Woah. Talk about a growth spurt. What does your mother FEED you?”
Whitty and Ruv both raised a brow and exchanged a questioning look before turning back to Saint Nick wannabe “what do you mean?” Ruv asked
“Wow. Someone definitely hit puberty with that voice. I mean, you guys are HUGE now. You have always been tall, Bitty, but now? Ha ha! And you! Just look at you! Little ol Ruvool used to be the shortest guy in his class, and now you’re even taller than your brother! Good for you! Both of you!”
The same thoughts came to Whittys and Ruvs mind ‘what’s with this old geezer? Is he on drugs?’
Wanting to avoid whatever weirdness was happening at the moment, Ruv decided to cut the conversation short “thanks for the directions”
“I don’t know why you needed them considering it’s literally on your way home, but your welcome!”
They were confused as fuck but just went with it and followed his directions.
As they were arriving to what looked like a cafe, they saw a crowd outside of it. They stopped and shared deadpanned expressions before looking back “you were right, they caused a ruckus”
“The question is, what was the ruckus about?”
“Does it matter?”
“No”
“I thought as much”
With that they approached the crowd “what’s the commotion about?”
Without looking at him a guy from the back of the crowd answered “Well it seems some guy and his gang were trying to take Momis kid, and now she and the kids are beating the snot out of them”
“They tried to take her kid?” Well that didn’t sound right, why was the gang trying to take someone else’s kid?
“Yeah, I heard it was really weird, they were saying a bunch of nonsense and then they- what the HELL?!” He cut himself off when he turned around to finally look at them, looking completely confused and surprised, what’s with these reactions?
“But if your here- how are you even so- what in the- how did you-?” The man started rambling, not seeming to be able to place a coherent thought, Whitty and Ruv were just made even MORE confused about the whole thing, so they just decided to move past the crowd into the cafe, people gasping in surprise as they saw them and starting to make way “This is freaking me out!” Whitty whisper shouted
“This IS odd” Ruv agree while squinting at people
As they were near the entrance, Julian was suddenly hurled out face first into the street, the rest of the gang screaming as the also exited hurriedly, a woman with a broom behind them and staring at Julian’s body lying on the floor with anger “and don’t come back you slimy pieces of shit! No one messed with my kids!”
There was silence for a moment until Whitty screamed in utter confusion “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!”
The woman looked up at Whitty with that angry scowl still on her face but it disappeared the moment she saw his face and morphed into a stunned expression “no way...” she whispered.

“Mom? What’s happe-*gasp*” there was a collective gasp, the crowd, the gang, everyone gasped.
There, facing Ruv and Whitty, were small child versions of themselves looking up at them with surprise and awe.
“Whitty! There you are! You are back to normal!”
Everyone’s eyes now snapped to Julian who was stumbling to get back to his feet with his eyes spinning and a dopey smile
“the hell happened to you?” Ruv asked bluntly
“Well, after we checked in we wanted to get something to eat and looked around, then we went into a cafe because Tabi wanted to try the cutesy cat latte” Tabi whisper shouted for him to shut up with a blush, but seemingly having his brains scrabbled by a lady constantly hitting him on the head with a broom was not helping Julian “then you came out being dressed as a waiter, but you were like, like smaller, like a fun sized Whitty smaller, and then suddenly a fun sized Ruv came and bit me when when I grabbed your hand so we could leave, which when I say out loud sounds kinda creepy in soooooo many ways. Then this lady came out and started attacking us with a broom... I think she hit me enough to be considered a piñata...”...
“Are you ok?” Whitty asked carefully
“...I think I may have a concussion...”
With that Julian fainted “Julian!”
He then looked at the lady angrily, the rest of the gang and crowd still too confused by the situation “the hell you do to my brother!?”
The lady flinched “brother?”
“Yes brother! And who is this?!” He then pointed with frustration at little Whitty, who seemed just as startled “did someone sent you? Are you supposed to be my replacement?” Whitty started to panic more and more “oh my god, that’s it isn’t it? They abandoned me in the lab and made another one to replace me!” He then looked horrified at his smaller version, who looked between confused and concerned “...are you ok-“
“You’ll never take me alive! You hear me! I’ll kill you first!” As he was about to pounce he was surprised when someone held him back, as he looked back he was taken aback even more.
“Ruv?!”
“Will you calm the fuck down?!”
“Since when are you the pacifist?!”
“I’m not you idiot!”
“Then what gives?!”
“Just calm down and consider the situation!”
“What?!”
“People all around town have being giving us weird stares. This is a small town, so it stand to reason everyone knows everyone”
“So?!” Whitty kept struggling
“So the reason they were staring at us is because there was already someone living here that looked like us!”
Whitty stopped at this “Wait what?”
“Think about it you мудила! They’re not the anomaly here, we are!”
“The hell you mean?” Asked Agoti from the side, he had a bruised eye and a swollen cheek
“I think I know what he means” said Pico struggling to get up from the place he plopped down to.
“Those kids LOOK like you. But if you think about it, from their perspective, you look like them. Like ridiculously OVERGROWN versions of them. So I doubt they are your replacement if they were living here way before we came”
“Who cares who looks like who and who lives where! The real question is why that lady beat the shit out of us!” Quit whining smurf.
“Haven’t you been paying attention?! The whole reason the lady was beating us to a pulp is she thought we were kidnaping her kids” Aldryx added, he himself slouching and rubbing his back
“So?”
“So this was our fault you dipshit!” Tabi scream, one of his horns falling off... it’ll grown back anyways...
“...Technically, it was Julian’s fault” who asked you smurf
“Ok... but WHY do they look like us?”
Soon an uncomfortable silence fallowed as everyone had the same thoughts
“Whitty... did you-“
“NO!”
“Wait, are you guys our dads?” Asked fun sized Ruv
I think that’s the first time he talked since meeting the gang, it was weird, he KINDA sounded like Ruv, but definitely with a WAY higher pitch.
“No” Ruv said bluntly
“Whitty, I thought you said you were asexual!”
“I AM! I’m not even old enough to have kids that big! If I had a kid he would only be like 1 maybe 2 years old! I don’t even know if I CAN have kids!”
“How old are you two?”
“I’m 12”
“I’m 11”
“See! Are you saying I had a kid when I was 7?!”
“What about Julian?”
“He doesn’t even look like him in the first place!” Yeah! Think about that dorkfriend. Thanks Pico.
“Not to mention Julian is asexual too and he would have been maybe 11 years old himself” Thank you Hex.
“See!”
“What about Ruv?”
Everyone looked at Ruv expectantly “I’ve haven’t had sex since I came to America”
“So you’re saying you don’t have any kids in AMERICA”
“...”
“Ruv... how OLD are you even?”
“...”
“Ruv?”
“...”
“Ruv”
“...”
“RUV!”
“Pressing won’t get you more info”
“Fine! Keep your secrets as always! Can you at least CONFIRM that kid is not YOURS?”
“He is not mine”
“Are you saying that just because or confirming he isn’t?”
“He is not my kid, it’s not possible”
“I know what this means!” Julian was being helped to his feet by Hex, who was looking at him with concern “I think he came from the same place WE came”
“What?”
“The Hell does that even mean?”
“Wait, Julian, are you implying that-“
“We have a little brother! And apparently so does Ruv! Yaaaaaaaaay-“he said, seemingly fainting again.
“...I think we should really take him to a hospital...” no shit Agoti.
The lady then stepped forward “I’m really sorry about this whole thing. It was obviously some kind of misunderstanding.” She looked at the crowd “sorry about this everyone! I’ll deal with it!” The crowed was murmuring but started to disperse “so, to start, let’s get you guys inside and some ice for your wounds, I’ll call the doctor for your friend here”
“What about the cafe mom?”
“We can close for today, my name is Momi by the way”
“You’re a mom named MOMI?”
“I know right? Life is full of surprises”
As they started to go back into the cafe Ruv and Whitty stopped when they were now right in front of their tiny doubles, who were looking up at them
“So... uh... nice to meet you?” Started Whitty awkwardly. To be fair, I think just about anyone would be like this in this particular situation. They exchanged a quick look but answered back “Uh... hi. Uhm, well, my name is Bitty, and this is my brother, Ruvool”
“Hi” Ruvool said absentmindedly as he was looking up at Ruv, who was literally over half his size. Seriously thought, he was so SMALL. He was definitely taller than Skids and Pump, but was shorter than BOYFRIEND, which made this feel even more surreal.
“Your names are BITTY and RUVOOL?” Whitty raised a brow
“Yeah, I heard them say yours are Whitty and Ruv?”
“Y-Yeah”
“That’s a crazy weird coincidence. What are the odd of that?”
“Yeah... What are the odds...?”
This is SOOOO awkward it hurts.
“Well, do you guys want a bit of cake?”
“What?”
“Cake. My mom and I make them. Would you like a bit?”
“Uh... sure”

Well... we have an unconscious Julian, a beat up gang, and an awkward reunion... let’s see wherever the fuck this goes...

Chapter 11: Questions

Summary:

Thank you for your patience! I’ve been busy with life so I’ll keep posting the story, I already know the direction I want to take it to and we are not even half way through the end. So I appreciate your views and support! Aslo, I made a blog specifically for this story and placed a new image in chapter 4. I wanted to place it sooner, but as I said, life. Anyways, enjoy!

https://ballisticbrothersblog.tumblr.com/

I didn’t notice until later that the ask function was off in the blog, sorry about that

...this hurts. This is so ridiculously awkward it hurts. All the gang was now inside the cafe, scattered about. The cafe had closed early and the shades of the windows were drawn so no one could see anything from outside. But most on the gang were sitting covered with bruises and ruffled up on the inside of the cafe, shuffling and struggling to say anything. What was anyone supposed to say anyways? They all got beaten up for almost accidentally kidnapping a kid, Momi, the mom, shut up I didn’t come up with that, had called a doctor to check Julian up, who was now laid down on a sofa in the cafe. His legs dangling over on the side, he was so tall. Thankful it was nothing serious, he just got a bit ruffled and was given some medication, but that did not eliminate the heavy air in the atmosphere.
The biggest underlying issue though, was the apparently newest addition to the Whitmore family and the... the... whatever the hell Ruvs surname is, family. Everyone was watching as if it was some kind of spectacle as Ruv and Whitty sat in a booth, looking comically small compared to them, and Momi, Ruvool and Bitty sat on the other side. A slice of cake had been placed in front of Whitty and Ruv, but Ruv had pushed his to Whitty, and for the first time, in HISTORY, Whitty had lost his appetite.
They were all just... staring at each other... someone just please break the god damn silence!
“...so” oh thank god Bitty. “The guy on the sofa”
“Julian” Whitty cleared
“Yeah. Julian, he said we are brothers?”
“Yes. Just like you, we both didn’t know the other existed. We just stumbled upon each other one day”
“How you knew you were brothers?”
“At first we didn’t. As you can see, unlike you and me, Julian only KINDA looks like us. But then-“
“But then WE noticed they look alike!” “Yeah! We are the ones who reunited two long lost brothers!” Shouted Pump and Skids.
“Yes. So Julian kinda got hooked on that and started fallowing us. Eventually we discovered we ARE related by blood and he became a member of the gang”
“You’re not a... dangerous gang, are you?” Ruvool asked warily and Ruv could see his hand drifting to a knife on the table. Smart kid.
“No! I mean. I don’t think so?”
“Does doing stupid bullshit and causing mayhem by our own stupidity count?” Agoti... you’re not helping your case...
Tabi intervened rather quickly “what he means ma’am, it’s we just typically hang out. And sometimes things just get out of hand. But it’s not like we PURPOSELY go around destroying public property or committing crimes” was... was that a BLUSH in Tabis face? Interesting...
“Indeed! Things just seem to go wrong sometimes. Like today! We just thought something happened to Whitty. So that’s why we were acting like we did. You have my deepest apologies” Hex all but bowed to her in apology. Oh Hex, I don’t get tired of saying this, you sweet pastry covered in cinnamon you.
It seems they understood Hex pureness as well, as the three relaxed and turned to look at Julian “he looked pretty worked up about me when that happened. He must be a very good brother”
“He is. And a good friend.” Awe, Whitty
“Not to mention our free shrink”…Pico…
“So he is a psychologist?” well… KINDA?
“Officially? No. But he is the closest thing you can get.” Agoti, ever heard of ‘hell was paved with good intentions’?
“So he is practicing without a license?” mama bear getting mad.
“Doesn’t count if he doesn’t charge us” that just makes you sound like a cheapskate Aldryx
Ruvool, who had been intensely staring at Ruv the whole time, then abruptly changed the conversation, catching everyone off guard “why are you so tall?”
Ruv looked at him with his typical bored expression “what?”
“Why are you so tall? In my entire life I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone as tall as you, not even in movies”
“Can’t really say. Just grew this big”
He started intently at Ruv for a moment, but then spoke in a small voice that baffled everyone “do you think... that maybe it’s genetic?”
“Huh?”
“Ruvool, sweetie, we’ve been over this. You’re only 11, you still have time to grow.” Momi then proceeded to give him a side hug.
“Mom, I’m the shortest kid in the class! Heck, kids of a grade below me are already TALLER!” It was, quite a sight. Ruvool looked like an exact version of Ruv if he was a kid again, and hearing him here acting so... well, EMOTIONAL, was a sight to behold.

Bitty then chipped in with a bit of a teasing voice “to be fair bro, you’re like two grades ahead, heck, you’re ahead of me, so is it really surprising they are taller?”

“Bite me”

“Pfft, pot meet kettle”
“Wait, you’re TWO grades AHEAD?!”
“Oh yeah, Ruvool is stupid smart. He even does our taxes”
O_o … HOW old is he again?
Everyone turned to Ruvool who replied nonchalantly “what? It’s fun.”
“He even does it as a side job sometimes for the people in town, which is ironic considering he can’t include that because of all the legal junk”
“I don’t include you working at the cafe either or the rest of the towns illegal shit so shut the fu-“
“Wait, illegal shit? What kind of illegal stuff could happen in this town?” Aside from tax fraud? Good question.
This seemed to catch the three off guard, as they started sweating “N-N-Nothing that would cause a commotion if that’s what you’re worrying about”
“Yeah, I mean, what could we be hiding?”
“He he he”
...yeeeeeeaaaaaah, I don’t think anyone is going to buy that but ok. Moving on.

Bitty then chipped in trying to cheer Ruvool (and change the subject, not that clever but ok) “Hey, you might be the shortest, but you are also the toughest, smartest AND fastest. No one in school has the GUTS to bully you” Ruvool gave him a small smile but said nothing... again, so surreal
This was a pretty cute exchange to behold, but curiosity just got the best of Whitty.
“Hey, sorry if this is too personal, but why are you wearing an eye patch?”
Oh yeah, Ruvool ALSO had a patch in his eye, but it was on his OTHER eye, in a way mirroring Ruv physically.
“Oh? That? I got, what did the doctor said? Optic Atrophy. Doctor said that it seems as though the cells in my eye were starting to just, well, atrophy, for some reason. And it got pretty bad, so they needed to take it out”
“It doesn’t bug you that they took out your eye? You’re 11”
“Well, I’m sad. Depth perception is not what it used to, but at least I’m not blind and can find ways around the depth thing in general, so it’s not like I don’t have it at all. So there’s that.”
“... are you SURE this kid is related to Ruv?”
“Oh yeah. Coming back to that...”
“If you know we are brothers, have you ever met our biological dads?”
“Well, I mean, uhm. Oh boy. Quick question, do you know WHAT you are? Or WHERE you came from?” Oh boy.
The three exchange a look before responding “well, we know we are adopted if that’s what you’re talking about,” Bitty started
“But what do you mean by WHERE? Like where were we born?” Ruvool squinted at Whitty... oh dear... that’s a heavy conversation to have with a kid Whitty...
“Well... uhm”
“Were you came from. You’re science experiments” ...Ruv... what. the. actual. FUCK?!
“Ruv! What the fuck?!” Exactly!
“What? It’s most likely the truth with both”
“But still!”
“Science experiments?” The kids looked perplexed but Momi looked uncomfortable, she knew something.
“What have you told them?” Ruv, seriously, if there was ever a moment for you to be tactful in your life it’s NOW! The kids now looked at Momi, a cross of confusion, fear and betrayal in their faces. Momi sighed but answered “I guess you’re old enough, plus there really is no turning back at this point” she stated slowly, everyone leaning in with interest.
“It started about 6 years ago, you guys remembered the lady that brought you right?”
“Kinda? We were little, but I remember she had dark skin and curvy hair” started Ruvool
“I remember we moved a lot, like every other week or so, and then she brought us here and left” Bitty continued
“Exactly, I can’t tell you her name because she never gave it to me, but one day she appeared out of nowhere with you two. At first I think she was just looking for a place to stay, but she was a total MESS. She looked tired, like she hadn’t sleep in days, not to mention malnourished, I kinda felt bad seeing her with two little kids. Even if the kids looked nothing like her, figured maybe she was escaping from someone and rescued the kids, judging by all the scars she was covered in. So I offered her a room for the night. I know the hotel is nearby but I did not think she could afford it.” She paused for a moment, rubbing her arm “back then I thought I had made a mistake, as for the next morning... I was careless and she saw me”
Bitty and Ruvools eyes widen but the rest were left in the dark.
“Saw what?”
She fidgeted “Do you by any chance know of a group called ‘The Greater Good’?”
Everyone eyes widen “thought so. Do you know what they do to non-humans?”
“We have an idea...” Whitty said, but the way he said it told her he knew from personal experience. This boosted her confidence and she decided to reveal more, as she proceeded to remove her headband, revealing a pair of cat ears
“Wow! You’re a cat!”
“A Neko, or, cat person, if you will”
“...so, you’re a literal CATWOMAN” everyone flinched and looked back to see Julian had woken up “Bro! How long have you been awake?”
“First thing I heard was something about taxes and school”
“So you heard most of it”
“Yeah. Ouch” he winced and grabbed his head with one hand as he sat up on the sofa
Momi looked sheepish “I’m REALLY sorry for what happened. I-“
Julian cut her off raising a hand “hey, you though I was taking your kid. As far as I’m concerned you were completely justified and I now have mad respect for you. I’m literally twice your size and came at me with a broom. That takes GUTS”
She smiled softly and seemed relieved “plus, how many people can say they got attacked by CATWOMAN and lived to tell the tale?”
She bursted laughing “oh my god! I never really thought about it that way! I guess you’re technically right!”
Ruvool and Bitty seemed happy to see their mom laugh as they quietly thanks him with smiles but it was short lived “So, Whitty told me a bit about them, he said the Greater Good was like this whole organization or government or whatchamacallit that pretty much hunts non humans”
Her smile disappeared as she continued sadly “yes, you may not know this, but this town is actually a safe haven for non-humans, we just tend to hide a bit when suspicious or risky characters seem to approach the town, which is why you never saw anything out of the ordinary in your stroll, even though some of you look... quirky, it’s a precaution we take just in case” they seemed to accept this new info without much resistance, which was kind of a miracle.
“So when that lady saw me I panicked, especially because after she saw me she seemed not only surprised but there was also this look in her eyes. At first I thought she was going to attack me, but then she got on her knees and started begging me to take the kids in. As expected, I was completely baffled, she said she could not tell me much, but that those kids needed a home, and that being a non-human I most likely understood the dangers they could face. She spent three whole hours on her knees just begging and making me one offer after the other.”
She looked at Bitty and Ruvool, a calculated look on her face. “At first, I will admit, I said no. Not because I hate kids, but because it was so sudden. A stranger was begging me to take her kids, she even said she would pay me, but it was way too big and sudden of a life change.”
“Understandable” Julian agreed
“But she just looked so... desperate. And those kids had also looked in bad shape, the lady just looked WORSE. So eventually I agreed.”
“... So we were a pity case?” Momi immediately snapped to Bitty, who had tears starting to flow on his eyes “oh Bitty” she instantly grabbed Bitty with one arm and Ruvool with the other, as he too was about to cry but was trying harder to hide it. “I’m so sorry. At first I’ll admit, it was. But eventually as time went on you guys grew more and more on me. Eventually I was no longer doing that lady a favor. You were just my kids and I love you both so much! You two are my whole world now and I’ll do anything to protect you! You are my babies!”
“Mom” Bitty and Ruvool then hugged her tight as tears started to spill from all of their eyes. I wanna cry.
The gang observed the exchange and allowed them this moment. A combination of looks of pitty, sympathy, and overall sadness in their faces.
After a moment Boyfriend asked “What happened to the lady?”
“I honestly don’t know. Like I said, she never gave me her name, but on occasion, she would mail me letters containing money or other things. Most of the time they had different addresses and names, so it was rare the case I could contact her back”
“Why not just CALL her? Or why didn’t she just called you? Why the whole mail thing?” asked Agoti.
“I think she was worried the signal could be tracked or something, so she never contacted me digitally. It seemed she was very fixed on remaining as untraceable as possible”
“Do you think someone was chasing her?”
“Most likely, because one day the letters just... stopped. I have not received a single word from her in almost a year. I mean, the letters were always erratic, sometimes she sent two letters a week, sometimes one every month. There was never really a pattern, so I guess she sent them when she could, but I haven’t received anything in a long time now.”
“Do you think...?”
“I don’t want to believe it... but I think so”
“So, she left us with you to protect us?”
“I think so sweetie. In her letters she always mentioned anything she could think about you two, and how she wished you were well. The moment she left she seemed heartbroken. I think she didn’t WANT to leave you. I think she did it because there was something dangerous going on, but she never really elaborated when she left. She just, hugged both of you, gave you tons of kisses saying she loved you two with all her heart, thank me over and over and then left. It was actually quite moving at the time.”
“Did she sent you any pictures? Or did you take a picture of her?”
She paused for a moment, as if considering something... curious “no, she never sent me any photos and I never took a photo of her. I was too shocked about the whole thing that it never really occurred to me”
“So she never really gave you any info? Nothing at all?”
“...well...” what are you thinking Momi? “there was... one thing... but I don’t think I was meant to hear it, as she whispered it to Bitty and Ruvool. But I doubt they’ll remember.”
“What was it?”
“I was not sure if it was important, but I wrote it down right after she left as it was a little long, but by now I memorized it. Back then, I thought she was referring to a lover or the kids’ dad or maybe a friend or something. But... she said ‘I hope Julian looks out for you from where he is and I hope you can meet the other, wherever he is, and… I hope he is well’”
Wait... that means...
“She KNEW Julian?” my thoughts too Aldryx
“And by ‘the other’, do you think she meant Whitty?” maybe? Does sound like it smurf.
“Maybe? But by the way she said it. It sounded like she thought Julian was dead and did not know if Whitty was alive” s-see?
“You said this happened 6 years ago, right?” hmm? What is it Tabi?
“Give or take. Yes. Why?”
“When Julian was about three, he was placed in an orphanage, but was burned down shortly after” answered Whitty
“And Whitty told me that when he woke up one day in the lab he found out it was completely empty. There was no one around” Julián added.
“So, that means most people that knew of Julian when he was born might have thought he died that day. Including her” Where are you going with this Tabi? “And maybe something happened that caused the whole staff to evacuate the lab Whitty was in, meaning it was left unclear if he was even alive. But that just adds more questions and inconsistencies”
“What you mean?”
“This happened 6 years ago, meaning by this time, Julian was STILL assumed dead and Whittys whereabouts were unknown, he was not a celebrity yet either”
“Ok?”
“But why the long pause?”
“Pause?”
“Ok, so Julian is 24, so let’s use that as a timeframe. We know that Julian, as far as we know, was thought dead when he was 3, Whitty was made a year later when he was 4 but something happened and was abandoned and they had no idea he was alive or not. By the time he was 11-12, if we can assume it took a year to make these kids too, they decided to make a new ‘batch’ but something happened that caused this lady to grab them and flee for who knows how long, so by the time he was 18, she left them with Momi”
“Where are you going with this?”
“Why did it took 7-8 years to make another ‘Whitty’? Why did they abandoned the lab if they wanted to make another one? Wouldn’t it have been best to just use the same equipment and start from scratch? Is there another one out there? Why was Julian placed in an orphanage in the first place? Was Bitty made from Julian’s DNA as well? If so, why use the same DNA so many years afterwards and why get rid of the source then? What was the point of all this? If Whittys whereabouts where unclear, why was there no fallow up? Who WAS this lady?”
No one knew how to answer any of these. Tabi was right, more questions just sprouted more and more and they had no answers. What was the deal here?
“...I think... I think it might have been my mother...”
“What?”
They all turned to look at Julian but... he looked, horrified... like he just figured out something terrible... Julian?
“Julian?”

“...”

“Julian?”

“…”

“Jules?”

“...”

“You ok?”

Julian just kept staring into nothing with that same distant look in his eyes, it was almost like he was traumatized by the realization of SOMETHING.
“...no. No. I’m not ok”
...
“I... I, I need to be alone for a while”
He stood up and started to walk away “excuse me”
...
“Bro?”
...Julian just, left the room. Everyone looking where he left with confusion.


What did you realized Julian?

Chapter 12: Real life Answers

Summary:

!!!WARNING!!!
This chapter is ridiculously dark and sad, but it relevant plot wise, so I suggest you read it at your own pace and under your own caution.

Julian left the room. Everyone was hesitant as if to fallow or not. Julian had openly admitted he was not ok... but... what did he mean? That lady was his mom?
“Oh my. I think I should go check on him”
“...no Hex”
Whitty?
“He’s my brother. I think... I think this is something I need to do”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know Boyfriend. But I need to check on him. He... needs it... I think”
He then stood and fallowed where Julian went... the rest were just too confused about the situation to know what to do after seeing Julian like that.
Ruvool and Bitty saw this though and exchanged glances, more curious than anything...
It wasn’t until he was in the back that Whitty realized they had technical just entered someones’ home without permission, but he put those thoughts aside and was looking for Julian.
He found him sitting in the porch of the backyard. It was already dark outside and he was looking at the stars... he looked... in thought... in VERY deep though...
“Jules?”
Julian didn’t flinch... he didn’t even reacted... after a moment he just gave a slight chuckle “Jules? Since when am I not mom?”
“I don’t know. It kinda sounds like Julian... plus it sounds like a cool bro nickname”
“I guess I need to come up with one for you... as well as Bitty and Ruvool... Momi too” his mood fell again with this... Whitty fidgeted and just sat next to him, trying to come up with... something...
“Ok, what is going on Jules?”
Julian remained silent for a moment, he lowered his gaze and was now looking at his feet... he sighed and started slowly “it’s just... I realized... I... I’m just so stupid and useless... I... I can’t...” what the- what’s this? Julian was starting to quiver as he seemed to struggle to continue and Whitty was just as shocked
“Where on earth did that came from? How are you useless?”
“Because that lady Bitty, Ruvool and Momi were talking about was our Mom Whitty! And because of my stupidity they will never meet her again!”
“What do you-“
“Those poor kids probably went through enough, and now-“
“Julian!”
“WHAT?!” !!!!
For the first time since meeting him. Julian snapped at Whitty... Whitty was just as shocked
“What has gotten into you? How do you even know it was our mom?”
This stroke some kinda of cord in Julian, as guilt seemed to shower his face “because... I was the last one that saw her alive...”
0_0
Whitty was gapping at Julian, who slumped back into the porch, siting hunched over forwards...
“You were the last that...” Whitty started when he realized what I’m pretty sure we are all thinking “wait, that doesn’t make sense. How could you have been the last that saw her? You were THREE when you were put in an orphanage. Bitty, Ruvool and Momi BARELY remember her and they said they saw her 6 years ago. Meaning they were the LAST that saw her. How could it be you?”
“... Because they said she had dark skin, curvy hair and was covered in scars...”
“So?”
Julian looked up at Whitty, his eyes filled with tears “Whitty... the woman that I found in that apartment the day I was arrested... she matches that description to a t... she was our mom”
...
...
...
WHAT THE FUCK?!
Whitty was stuttering as he tried to comprehend what Julian JUST said “J-J-Julian you can’t be serious?! Just because she had dark skin does not mean-“
“THINK about it Whitty!!”
Julian shouted
“The woman that got killed was shot. And the way she was shot indicates it was not personal. They just shot to KILL. Anders mentioned being there for months for other jobs, he was an assassin for hire. Meaning he was hired by SOMEONE to kill her. Which matches what those three just said about our mystery lady, not to mentioned she said the letters stopped months ago, when that woman was killed”
“Ok. That matches that this lady was wanted as well as the woman they killed in that apartment. That does not mean they are the same person, and the letters could be a coincidence”
“During the trial, they mentioned this woman had KIDS. Kids that were never found. Kids that seem to exist and at the same time didn’t! Plus, she had only been living in that apartment for a month! And they could not even find out who she was officially because she did not seem to legally exist. That matches FURTHER with the mystery lady! She was on the RUN”
“Ok. But HOW do you know it was our mom? Bitty, Ruvool and I are basically science experiments. Even if she was YOUR mom, why would you said it’s ours and how could you tell?”
Julian remain quiet for a moment “because of the actions she took...
throughout the whole explanation, it did not sound like a criminal trying to get away with a loot or weapon. It sounded like a mom escaping an abusive partner and taking her kids with her, aka, Ruvool and Bitty. Since she most likely was part of this ‘cult’ somehow that could explain that, as well as the no paperwork thing.” He then turned to look at Whitty with a semi smile.

“That could also explain why you were ‘abandoned’”
Whittys eyes widen even more “Momi said she mentioned ‘the other’, meaning you. She did not referred to you as an ‘it’ afterwards. That MEANS something. She did not see you as an object. She saw you as a person, at least to some degree. So maybe she did something to arrange the lab being abandoned to give you a change in life”
Not surprisingly, this hit Whitty and filled him with a cocktail of complicated emotions. Yes, he was abandoned, but this could put things in an entirely different context.

He was most likely abandoned so he would get a head start. And the label he found there that day? The one which held so much value to him? The one that he got his name from? Maybe it was LEFT there. Maybe it was the name of the one that helped him. Maybe it was a clue to who to look for. Maybe it was the name they were giving him. The possibilities were many.

Perhaps there had been someone out there that CARED for him when he came into consciousness. At least a little. Whitty had always had complicated feeling about his ‘birth’, mostly negative, but for the first time, he actually looked back to that day with a little glee. While he was left there on his own, he was left alone so that he would not be used as the weapon he was meant to be. They gave him the OPTION, NOT to be. This was all hypothetical of course, as Julian was just speculating this MIGHT have been what happened, but it would certainly explain much. However, that still left many questions. Especially compared with what she did afterwards.

“But then why didn’t she run away with me like she did with Ruvool and Bitty?”
“Maybe she couldn’t? Or maybe she was heartbroken. Remember, it had only been a little while since I ‘died’, so maybe she stayed with the cult as a way to cope but had enough of a mind/heart left after to at least give you a head start”

“Wait, wait, wait. I’m happy to at least have an IDEA of what COULD’VE happened. But that still does not answer, how are you sure these women were one and the same? Or our mom for that matter. Wouldn’t the police do like a blood test or some shit to find out if that was her blood or if she was related to you?”

Julian scoffed “Please, that investigation was a sham. I’m black and I’m tall, remember? With us is guilty until proven innocent, as I’m sure you’ve experienced. They just wanted to close the case as soon as possible to cook the books. My case was no different than any other. Since they were sure the blood was hers they didn’t even test it. They were just obsessed with finding the gun and harassing me. Which leads to the biggest issue in that whole motherfucking bullshit of an investigation, if I shot her with a regular gun, wouldn’t someone have HEARD that? Guns are fucking loud. Ask Pico, for fucks sake. The only REAL reason I was not imprison, or on probation, or some other shit like that, was that I was constantly using my ability to lighten the punch with sympathy from the judge. Which was fucking HARD because I was an emotional MESS and exhausted”

“But… Hex didn’t mention that-“

“Of course not Whitty! Hex saw what they WROTE. Do you think they are going to write in an official police report, even an amended one, that I was arrested BECAUSE I was tall and black? They find technicalities and shit. I was just lucky they didn’t plant any evidence. My guess is they thought the blood would be dooming enough. I mean, to be fair, I understand why they thought I did it, anyone would come to that assumption I was guilty because I was covered in blood next to a body, but they didn’t even let me say my side of the story, even when we arrived at the police station. They didn’t let me explain WHY I was covered in blood. I had to wait till the FUCKING TRIAL!!”

… He sighed with frustration… I mean… I know these things happen, but this… I guess I just didn’t consider racial profiling to be Julians case…

Then again… is not like anyone ASKED…

That question should have been asked….

I sorry that happened to you Julian… and I’m sorry we did not even consider that… truly, I am.

…

“But wait, if they didn’t let you say anything UNTIL the trial, then what were they basing thing of? Just that? Where did they get the other evidence and junk?”

“I think they expected I would either have a bullshit excuse of a story they could easily dismiss or not be verifiable or good enough, or maybe some other shit, fuck if I know, but I guess they didn’t really expect that I would reveal such crucial details in the trail.”

“Maybe they thought they had intimidated you into staying quiet? Like, ‘no matter what you say you’re toast’?”

“Maybe, maybe they just expected to just go in, then out, easy case. They did not expect me to have an actual alibi or not know her or the fact that I’m a 24-years-old Aromantic asexual”

“Why would the last one matter?”

“They thought she was my girlfriend and I killed her in a rage or something. And that I was abusive in general, based on the scars. Apparently that’s what they originally claimed happened. But the moment I revealed not only that I was in a job interview but that I was aromatic, that threw that theory completely out the window. The judge was thankfully the reasonable person there, and was furious the police report was completely different to what I said and revealed, that testimony I gave placed many contradictions and holes in their original theory to the point it was unsustainable, furthermore they accidentally revealed they didn’t even do a proper investigation until the trial, they just went with what they saw at first and called it a day, the only “analysis” they had done in the beginning was that there were kids in the apartment at some point, because she had some toys and cloths for kids, some of which looked used, but that’s it. So they had to amend the original report and do an ACTUAL investigation. Which was very hard because by that point it had been days and most of the evidence might as well be either tainted or useless. But at least they had my cloths of that day in evidence, so they at least were able to confirm it had no gunpowder on it.

I think my case WAS a little different than others, because, the kicker? They had actually called the local news and shit to make the case a big thing. At least a local big thing. Yeah it’s black on black violence and that usually sells squat, as sad as that sounds, but they thought the fact that I was a ‘tall freak’ would sell well, maybe even get them promotions, awards and fame. That explains why there was no investigation attempt to start even more. The moment I revealed I was aromantic asexual shattered their whole plan, how could she be my girlfriend if I have no interest in romance in general? And how could I have kids, even by accident, if I don’t like sex? Not to mention she was way older… old enough to be…” …Julian stopped for a moment, trying to compose himself.

“Anyways. The only DNA they actually tested was a grey hair they found in one of the kids cloths to proof the kids were mine.” Julian then murmured “I’ve never been happier for you being bald to be honest, or Bitty in this case” and then resumed “I was actually surprised that’s the only DNA test they did, usually DNA is the go to thing, but I guess they thought it would be redundant. Needless to say, since Ruvool has no biological relation to me it’s obvious to say they proofed he was not my kid, but that just left the unanswered question of who and where the kids were.

They actually FOUGHT to prove I was lying and I was not aromantic asexual or that that was just me playing prude, even going off of rumors about my sex life to discredit me, which I explain and refuted by telling them what happened.

The whole thing started to get the LGBTA involved, in the end, the case was just a whole mess that was not worth it for anyone. I was declared innocent and released, the detectives in charge of my case were fired and charged with hate crimes, but my name had been tainted… even more anyways… it was all over the local news…”

“Well that explains why you don’t watch the news…”

By this point all the humor had been sucked out of Julian so he only gave a semi nod “I didn’t watch them before that actually. That situation only made me want to watch them even LESS”

He then took a deep breath, trying to compose himself as he spoke with the saddest tone yet… I wish I could hug this guy right now… “people hated my guts… people tried to pick fights with me almost daily… they threw trash at me… kids… avoided me…” …that one sounded like the one that hurt Julian the most… someone that loves kids… not being able to be around them?

…How are you so strong still? How can you even still have a sense of humor at ALL?

… You didn’t deserve ANY of that Julian…

…

Whitty was just baffled, this was… too much…

“How do you know all this? The whole issue with the detectives and the investigation I mean. I get that you know the trial part because, well, you were there. But, like you said, you don’t watch the news and it’s not like you were there when they were checking the crime scene”

“*sigh* I was given a formal apology, and told what was to happen to them as well as some details, telling me that was the least they could do.”

…would it be an exaggeration to say I want to go to a corner and cry right now?

This was a ridiculous case of not only racial profiling, but also defamation, abuse of power, tampering with the investigation, miscarriage of justic-ugh! That’s not even half of them! I can’t take it! There are so many crimes that were committed here! How could ONE person be subjected to so many crimes against him?! I mean, they were police officers, they KNEW what they were doing. Even if it was like a rookie, that excuse can only take you so far. And I know not all cops are bad, but these ones sure took the cake. If it was a rando from the street placing charges against you is one thing, but these were officers that went out of their way to FRAME Julian. They based themselves out of CIRCUMSTANTIAL evidence and refused to bother further. They were willing to sacrifice him to the sharks without a care or finding out if he actually did it. Julian had been treated like a piece of meat, ready for them to cook and feed to the masses to get their pay out of the blood of someone elses’ misfortune.

You deserve better Julian…

…People deserve better…

But the tragedy did not seemed to have ended here.

Whitty was looking at Julian, filled with concern and trying to contain the tears himself, what could be worse than this?

Julian continued slowly, thinking hard about each word “…as to how I know she was our mom…” Julian looked down again... why do you look ashamed Julian?
“It was because... she... I did not even tell the police about this but... right before she died... when I was holding her, she looked at me in the eyes. She looked shocked, but at the same time, happy? Like if she had just been given the best news in her entire life even though she was about to die. She then placed a hand on my cheek and whispered her last words...”
By now Julian had already been crying, but this seemed to be even more painful, and was fighting hard not to break HARDER.
“...what did she say?”
“Julian... you’re alive” Julian broke, he started to full on cry, no more tears spilling, no more holding it in, he was just plain out crying.
“She recognized me! After thinking her son died for over 21 years. She found her son was still alive! And what did I do? Nothing! I just stood there like an idiot and watched her bleed out!” Julian was now ranting and insulting himself... Julian, it was not your fault... you didn’t know...
“Im so stupid I could not even call 911 or at least google what to do! All I had to do to give her a little more time was to apply pressure on her wounds to stop the bleeding as much as I could! And I could not even look that up! I not only indirectly killed her! I robbed two innocent children of their mother! I robbed YOU of meeting her! I’m a stupid, useless, selfish asshole-“ ...!
Julian was now laying in the grass, holding his cheek as he looked back up at Whitty...
Whitty just punched him in the face with tears in his eyes
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Julian winced at this
“Stop with this stupid bullshit! Yes, she was our mother. And yes she loved us and pretty much sacrificed herself. But how on earth does someone else shooting her make this your fault?!” Julian was still too shocked to answer
“YOU didn’t pull the trigger. YOU were not the one hunting her. YOU were not the one responsible for orphaning two kids that are already ADOPTED. You were in fucking SHOCK Julian!”
...
“I doubt most of us would’ve know what to do in that situation! Especially if we literally just discovered our mom was alive and the person we need to save is said mom! I know I would have no fucking clue! And what the fuck do you mean you’re selfish and stupid?! So yeah, you didn’t know if you mixed bleach with windex causes nocive gas, you didn’t know that if you mix Mentos and cola it pretty much creates an explosion of foam, you didn’t know what a latte was, so what?!

You literally figured out all of this in a matter of minutes! You are a fucking GENIUS when it comes to people and certain situations! You figured out a guy with a broken heart problems without him even explaining it to you! You forgave two people that literally assaulted you! You’re taking care of two kids you’ve barely known a couple of weeks as if they were your own! You know what people need just by listening and looking at them! I don’t even know how many times we’ve said that kinda shit since you do it so often it keeps blowing our minds!

 You accepted a guy you met the same day as your brother and confessed to him your deepest secrets and past! How in the god forsaken HELL are you a bad person?!”
Whitty stopped a moment to look at Julian, breathing heavily and a river of tears spilling from his eyes “You’re my fucking brother Julian! I don’t want you saying stupid shit like that! You are a good person and try to make those around you be better! Both morally and personally! Sure, Hex is the conscience and the heart, but you are the adviser. You are the shrink. You are the guide. You are the closest thing many of us have to a PARENT. We NEED you Julian!”
Whitty stopped for a moment, his lip quivering “I need you.”
Julian just kept looking up at Whitty... baffled as he sat up in the grass...
“I’m sorry”
Whitty then kneeled I front of him and pulled Julian into a hug “just shut your mouth and... don’t talk like that... one of us need to be the fucking functional adult and we both know that can’t be me” Julian was still a little surprise but quickly returned the hug with a little chuckle “thanks bro... for everything... I’ll try to live up to your expectation”
“Just keep being you, you dumbass! You are doing fine. Just... be... you, and shit”
“Heh heh. I’ll keep that in mind”
From inside the house, hiding as to not be seen, two smaller figures witnessed the display at hand, tears in their eyes as well.
It seems things have become a little more clear, but there are still many knots left to be untied…

Chapter 13: Mending Wounds

Summary:

Time for the kids to let their presence known and emotional wounds to cauterize

Sitting inside the cafe, the gang, the kids and Momi watched as Whitty went after Julian. The uncomfortable silence now replace with a worried one. The kids then stood up and started to follow them in silence
“and where do you two think you’re going?” Asked Momi sternly
“Mom, we need to know what this is about. If they are really our brothers...” Bitty said worried and concerned “technically they are your brothers, but I agree, this could involve both of us” I see you don’t only get Ruvs looks Ruvool, you’re a little too on point.
Bitty gave him an annoyed look but turned to Momi pleadingly “Mom I know spying is wrong, but...”
Momi looked at them for a moment before answering, “*sign* just so you can make sure they are ok”
“Wait! What about us? We want to know what this is about to” Agoti, not the time
“This doesn’t involve us you jackass!” Tell him Aldryx
“Like you are not curious too!”
“...” weeeelllll...
“Normally I would object to this, but since I’m concerned for my friends in distress, I have a small listening device we could use”
“Hex have I ever told you how much I love you?” I wholeheartedly agree smurf.
Hex then gave the kids the device as they snuck to the back to follow after the other two.
After, Hex screen turned to a single line that moved when someone talked like in one of those heart monitor thingies.
“Ok, let’s hear what melodrama this two have going on right now” Pico stated snarkily.

1 heart wrenching conversation later...

“God fucking damn it” Pico said trying to contain the tears in his eyes as the others were also trying to and failing miserably.

The only one not crying was Ruv, but his eye held some kind or tranquil fury in it. For the first time, it looked like he was filled with emotion of some kind or at least a familiarity with the situation... was... was that empathy? “I said it once and I’ll say it again, your government sucks”
“If I could cry, my screen would be overflowing with tears, I should’ve seen further than that report” said a mournful Hex
“This is total bullshit! Julian did not deserve any of that! So what if he’s tall and black?! I’ve seen Pico and the tankmen do way worse shit and they are not in prison! Why does a nice guy like Julian not even get the benefit of the doubt?!” Boyfriend all but whine with tears spilling from his eyes.
“Because we are white you moron!” Pico snarked back
“I know that Pico! That was a rhetorical question! That was the point!”
Tabi said nothing but was clenching his fists tightly as Aldryx and Agoti were resisting the urge to trash the place and get beaten up by Momi (some more). Momi on the other hand, had her cat ears downwards and was crying with her hands covering her mouth.
“Poor Julian!” “Why would they arrest him for his skin color?” “Yeah! That doesn’t make sense. He is a different color than us but he is still human” “Hex even did the blood thingie, which proofed it” “plus he was only helping someone” “Are the cops bad then?” “Why would they try to make Julian a bad guy?” Skids and Pump went back and forward like that, the others now adding the concern of explaining racism and police corruption to children to their worries... they can deal with that later though...
For the moment they just continued bowling their eyes out as they renew listening in...

Hiding in a corner, the kids listened in as well, both of them crying silently as they looked at the eldest duo hugging things out in front of them.
“How can he be so happy?”
“The fuck you talking about? They are crying and were just shouting. Not to mention Whitty literally just punched Julian in the face” Ruvool whisper shouted, trying to compose himself and rubbing the tears away. Ah, the kid that’s too tough to cry and deflects with bravado. I’m onto you Ruvool.
“I mean in general. Didn’t you just heard them? Julian seems to be the guy that cheers others up but puts himself down, not to mention when he woke up he was kidding around even though mom hit him with a broom”
“I wouldn’t call that happy, more like he was joking around so he wouldn’t have to deal with reality”
“I think it’s more like he’s grieving, he seems to be aware of it to some level, but he just got out of denial and rage, he escalated to bargaining quickly though”
“Don’t start that shit, we both know that your schtick is cooking and sewing. So stick with what you know and stop acting like you know psychology”
“Well if we go by that you stop acting like a know it all too. You may be intellectually a genius but are emotionally dumb. So emotions are my SCHTICK. Brains are yours”
“Oh like you know how I feel”
“I know that right now we just heard some seriously messed up shit and you are trying to act all high and mighty when a normal person would be upset”
“Because it’s not our problem, so what if they are blood related to you? You don’t even know them”
“So what?! They don’t know us either and they seemed to care about us already”
“Oh, and you figured that because of a few comments? Give me a break. If anything they would be mad at us”
“Wh-wh-What? why?”
“Didn’t you pay attention? Our original ‘mom’ abandoned Whitty in a lab but took us BOTH, so it stand to reason he would be mad for her favoritism. And Julian had to face a bunch of legal shit because someone killed her and they found OUR things with her which only added fuel to the fire, it was just dumb luck he didn’t go to prison, especially with all the corruption inherited in the system”
Bitty was baffled by his brothers words, but he couldn’t deny that there was truth behind them, the more he thought about it the more upset he became and tears started to swell back into his eyes.
Eventually, Bitty couldn’t take it anymore though and run straight to them, Ruvool tried to catch him at the last moment but slump to the floor.
Outside Julian and Whitty were still hugging when both flinch as they felt someone curling their arms around them, they turned down to see Bitty hugging them tightly with his face buried in their cloths.
“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry that happened to you! I’m sorry that our mom left you all alone but took us! I’m sorry that my cloths caused you’re case to be worse! I’m sorry that I could not help you! I’m sorry that I got my mom to attack you! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! IM SORRY!”
They exchange glances, startled, but quickly turned to Bitty with soft smiles and added him to the hug, causing him to gasp in surprise and look up.
“Sorry that you had to hear that little guy.”
“Yeah. You shouldn’t have heard that. I mean, you were snooping so you really shouldn’t have. But also because you are too young to be confronted with stuff like that.”
Bitty blushed at hearing this and hid his face further causing Julian to give a small chuckle and Whitty to give a playful glare his way.
“The way I see it though, I actually outta thank you and Ruvool.”
The two bombs turn to look at Julian with confusion “If it wasn’t for you not having any hair and for them finding RUVOOLS, things could’ve been much, MUCH worse”
He placed his hand on Bittys shoulder and gave him a sincere smile “so I want to say thank you. Both of you.”
He looked around for Ruvool but he had hidden himself before he looked his way “in fact, where is Ruvool? I want to thank him personally. It was his hair that saved me some hassle after all”
Bitty looked up at Julian and a cheeky smile started to slowly form. “So what your saying is... you were saved by a hair~”
...why Bitty? Why?
“I love this kid, let’s kidnap him for real”
“Pfft, do you want his mom to beat the crap out of you again?”
“But he’s so cute! Look at that face!”
“I have the same face”
“No you don’t, his eyes are softer and he’s missing some teeth”
“Are you saying I have mean eyes?”
“I think Julian means rougher, or maybe tougher would be a better world? But I think that’s cool”
“Why?”
“Because now I can say I have a tough older brother! Hey! This Friday there is a show and tell at school! Can you two come? Pleeeeeeaaaaasee?”
“Well this has been quite the whiplash hasn’t it? You’ve known us for maybe a couple of hours, you really think of us as brothers already?”
“Look who’s talking Julian”
“Touché” What goes around comes around buddy
“I don’t know though, would we be talking in front of the whole school? I don’t like crowds... or stages” Whitty looked a bit anxious, oh right, Whitty has glossophobia (stage fright, for those of you that don’t know).
“Nah, just in front of my class”
Julian looked at Whitty who seemed to be having an internal war.
“I’ll go, but I think you need to give Whitty more time to think about it. He doesn’t really like to be placed on the spot or in front of a lot of people”
“Oh! You have stage fright?”
Whitty blushes deeply but said nothing. Guess you have your answer. “Well, I guess just Julian would be ok if you’re not up for it, but can you at least meet my friends? Please?”
Bitty, you’re killing me. You are not a weapon, that puppy eyes face is. I’m dying of cuteness. Please. Have mercy.
Whitty seemed to be on the same boat, since even though his original flushed had dissipated some of it still remained. “...fine”
“Yay!”
He then hugged the other two tightly, who returned the gesture happily.
“I’m so happy. Now I not only have my mom and Ruvool but an even bigger family! You guys should stay for dinner! I can ask my mom”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea”
“Why not?”
“We will make your mom go broke trying to feed us”
“Oh, you guys eat a lot too?”
“You do too? How does she pay the bills if she has to feed you too?”
Bitty gave them a knowing smile “you’ll see~. I have to ask her if it’s ok though, but I’m sure she won’t mind three more. I... don’t know about the rest of your friends though, that would be a lot of people. The dinner table isn’t that big as it is and I don’t think we have room for everyone” he mumbled at the end “and you guys are pretty big already”
“That’s ok, we booked a night at the hotel, we’ll just ask the others if they are ok to sit this one out so we can get to know each other. And if Hex can extend the days at the hotel a little longer. I’m sure they won’t mind”
“Hex won’t, but can’t promise the others won’t”
“True, but in the end it’s not our call, its Momis. Her kids, her rules. We need to ask HER permission first and THEN see what we can do from there”
“Ha! You really are a mom”
“What does that mean?”
“Julian is a mom friend”
“Why would you tell him that? I had a fresh start to a cool nickname from a new little bro and you throw me under the bus?”
“You are the one that always frets about things like this”
“Because we need to be responsible adults AND put on a good example! And for fucks sake, we almost accidentally kidnaped a kid today. We don’t want their mom to think we are a gang of drug dealers or traffickers or who the fuck knows what!”
“I don’t think she thinks that. You never once tried to fight back when she was beating you. Heck, even when you were shaking Ruvool off you were being careful”
“That actually says more than you think”
“Why’s that?”
“Julian can seriously kick ass. I’ve never seen him fight like a serious fight”
“that’s redundant”
“Shut up. I’ve never seen Julian fight seriously, but the few times I’ve seen him do it he did not even break a sweat”
“Wow! Seriously?!” Bitty looked at Julian with stary eyes
Julian blushed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly “it’s not all that. I just learned some martial arts to defend myself and to teach myself discipline. I never had a formal teacher so it’s just a mashup of many things really”
Julian then stopped with a look of realization “wait, did you say three more?”
“Well yeah. We need to invite Ruvools brother. He’s family too”
Whitty then had an epiphany “...oh... my... god...”
“What?”
His smile then widen “you’ll see, I don’t want to give him a heads up by you telling him”
“I get the feeling you are going to get yourself killed”
“Nah, he loves me”
“Didn’t you say he once threw a knife at you?”
“There’s a whole story behind that”
“He did what?! What the heck?!”
“That’s just how Ruv is, we may be the most ‘powerful’ but he is definitely the most dangerous”
“Followed by Pico, the kids and MAYBE Tabi”
“Nah, Tabi is aggressive, but that’s mostly from trauma, he’s a marshmallow on the inside”
“Then why are you friends with them if they are so dangerous?” To be fair, realistically at least, Bitty has a point.
“Being a good friend is accepting people for who they are. You don’t get to pick the parts you like”
…

Bitty gave Julian a shit eating grin “... Whitty is right. You are a mom”
“Ugh, not you too” both of them then started to laugh at an annoyed faced Julian. Awe, nothing like brotherly teasing.
“I think we should go back to the others, I didn’t realize until later that we technically broke into your house” trying to change the subject eh?
“Well, to be fair, we did not stop you. So I guess that counts as permission?” hmmm, does it Bitty?
“I’ll take it” oh well, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth… I guess… where does that saying even come from? (Does a quick google search) ooooooohhh.
As they were starting to settle down Bitty perked up “Oh yeah, before I forget to ask” Bitty asked turning to Julian “you REALLY did not know what a latte was?”
Julian blushes while Whitty snickered “I was living in foster care and poor as dirty ok?! I did not have money to buy a fancy coffee!”
“Yeah, but one thing is not having money for it and another is not knowing what it is. I know what gold is and I don’t have any”
“What do you want from me?!”
“Now that I think of it, Bitty is right. Lattes are one of the most common things in a cafe menu. Even cheap ones. How come you didn’t know what it was until you met us?” He was now the one giving Julian a shit eating grin as well. Nice to know the tables can be turned once in a while.
“I just didn’t ok?! I had other things to worry about! And I started drinking coffee until I was in my 20s”
“That still leaves 4 yeas bro, plus, I knew what a latte was when I was 10, and I was on the run”
“We should really go and tell the others what happened” Julian said, obviously trying to change the subject of taking shots at his pride. Again.
“Whatever you say Jules” do a see a smile forming there? You know you want to~
Whitty then stood up along with Bitty but as Julian was standing up himself he grabbed him by the neck in a side hug/head lock and placed his other hand on Bittys shoulder “I know this is cheesy and out of the blue, but I love you guys.”
“Heh, love you too bro.”
“And we may not know you yet Bitty. But if I was willing to give this little shit a shot then I don’t see why I can’t give you one”
Bitty then gave him a wide smile, showing off his missing teeth as they all basked in the feel good vibes.
“Are you three done with your mushy shit?”
The three jolted and turn around to see Ruvool standing at the entrance “how long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to know all three of you are idiots and I’m glad I don’t share your genes”
“...yup, definitely related to Ruv”
“No doubt”
“I only known the guy for a couple of hours but can already tell he and my bro are like peas in a pod”
“You know shit” someones defensive.
“I know that despite how tough you pretend to be you are a total softie”
“No I’m not!”
“Oh please, you may be the toughest, smartest and fastest kid in school, but you’re also a total tsundere who loves to read cheesy romance novels and see feel good movies”
“He does?”
“Shut up!”
“Our favorite movie is The Odd Life of Timothy Green”
“Oh my god, I love that movie!”
“Me too! I cried so hard!”
“Right?! But many critics say is ridiculously sappy” he turned to Ruvool with a smug look “but I know he loves it because it’s one of the most seen movies in our Netflix”
Ruvool was shaking with rage and blushing like crazy. Dwaaaaa
“Also, he was trying very hard not to cry when we saw it with mom”
“I was wondering how you knew about the movie, considering it’s pretty old.”
“Mom is not as sappy as us, but she saw it when she was a kid and knows we are. So, you know”
“She’s a good mom”
“That she is”
“And we have been keeping her waiting. So let’s go NOW!”
Ruvool face was as red as a tomato and seemed to be trying very hard to hold back tears. Ok, I think you guys embarrassed him enough for the night.
“Ok. He is right, you feeling ok though buddy?”
Ruvool turned around crossing his arms, his back to Julian “I’m FINE!”
“Come now, we were just messing around. Sorry that we made you feel bad”
“I said I’m fine!” He then ran back to the others, slamming there door
“Someone is cranky”
“I think he is just frustrated with the situation, plus he’s 11, no matter how smart he is, he is still a kid”
“Yeah. I’m trying to help him, but because he’s smarter than me that makes things hard, he’s always been stubborn”
“I think it’s more than that actually, but I’ll address that with him later” Julian added much to Bittys confusion but did not get the chance to ask “let’s go with the others, we kinda have a lot to explain as we did sorta left them hanging”

Bitty then tensed up and looked nervous “uh, about that… we kinda… sorta… maybe…”

Whitty and Julian now turned their full attention to Bitty who was sweating bullets “did something happened?” Julian raised a brow.

Bitty was trembling and just shouted out “wespiedonyouwithalisteningdeviceandnoweveryoneknows” …wow… you would not last 1 day in prison… or detention…

Both looked surprised but Whitty was the first to recover “so wait. Did they-“

“All of it. Yeah” Bitty then took out the listening device he forgot he had from his pocket and FINALLY clicked a button to turn it off…

…

Awkward

Whitty looked anxious and embarrassed that everyone had heard their conversation but when he turned to Julian, who was just looking at Bitty with a blank expression, he asked with concern “Jules?”

Julian jolted “Uh, what?”

“You ok?”

“Well…”

“What’s wrong?” Bitty asked as well, his eyes so cute and innocent.

“It’s just… one thing it’s the whole thing about my ability but another is… I know it’s illogical… but the reason for my arrest is kind off… shameful, to me… it was very humiliating when it happened, and it was the worst and lowest point of my life so far… so that’s why I didn’t mention it before… I don’t like bringing it up… this time was actually quite stressful as it was… so I kinda have mixed feelings right now…”

“Why?”

“Ability?” uhm… they’ll tell you later Bitty.

Julian, likewise, purposefully ignored Bittys question and continued “On one hand, now I don’t have to tell the story again, which I don’t think I have the mental or emotional strength to do at the moment… but on the other…”

Bitty, surprisingly, filled the gaps “You feel like… they will think less of you?”

“…Yeah. I know they are good people… but like I said… illogical… emotions are like that, you know?”

“Whelp. As someone with anxiety himself I can say that I get what you mean. But I know for a fact Hex will be there to support you 100% and I don’t think the others will really judge you on this. As much as we talk shit of each other, we know what topics are off limits.”

“Really?” Bitty was now curious

“Oh yeah, we all have very heavy emotional baggage and shitty pasts. I mean, the guy with the goat skull you beat up? He has some serious PTSD and I think maybe depression because his ex-girlfriend used and betrayed him. The guys that look like lizard-octopus thingies? One has survivor’s guilt and the other has like abandonment issues for being yeeted into a void, I THINK I heard Pico has Schizophrenia or something? Maybe PTSD too? , poor Hex just wants everyone to be his friends and sometimes gets hurt because of it, Boyfriend has this whole EGO thing going or some shit as well as the issues with his girlfriend and-“

Julian was gaping as Whitty talked before suddenly being snapped out of it “WHITTY!” Julian yelled to Whitty in a scolding tone, casing both him and Bitty to flinch and back up a bit

“What?”

“The whole point of them entrusting you those things is that you don’t blab about them!”

Processing… processing… “Oh shit…”

“Yeah”

Bitty looked awkward but added with a nervous smile “Well one the bright side, now you can be reassured you are not the only one that has troubles like this. Not to mention that at least the one you told was family, so it’s not like I’m going to go around blabbing on your friends”

Julian admitted to himself that being reminded of the others issues DID made him feel a little better

(Yeah its shitty but you guys do that too so shut up), so taking a deep breath he said “Ok, let’s go with the others. I think we made them wait long enough”

Whitty and Bitty just nodded reassuringly at him as they followed him inside.

One they opened the door to the café, everyone looked at the three expectantly…

Why is there so much awkwardness suddenly? Seriously, this has been awkwardfest lately.

 Julian looked nervous in particular, but calmed down a little when Whitty placed a hand on his shoulder and Bitty on his arm on his other side, giving him some courage “So… you guys… heard all that… right?”

“Yeah...” Boyfriend started

…

…

“I can’t take this anymore!” everyone was surprised as Hex pretty much flipped the table as he stood up and hurried over to hug Julian “I’m so sorry you had to face such injustice my friend! You are a very kind person and did not deserved to face all that alone!” his screen displays his eyes crying rivers as he hugged Julian tightly… you want to make me cry don’t you?

The others followed Hexs lead and started to support Julian “Yeah, what he said. You did not deserved any of that. And don’t worry. We’ll find the ass that ordered the attack on you mom AND the ass that shot her and make them pay!” started Aldryx cracking his knuckles.

“With interests!” you go Agoti.

“Give me names” Ruv… you care

“I need some targets for shooting practice. Nothing better than moving targets you know?” very professional of you, Pico. lol

“We are here for you Julian!” “Yeah! You help us with the homework they send us for homeschooling so we could stay in this trip! So it’s the least we can do!” “And you cut the crust off our sandwiches!” “That too!”

“By the time I’m done with them, they will be begging for mercy. And… we have you’re back too… and shit” Tabi started fiercely but ended with a blush. Do I love this guy or not?

“If there is something you need you can count on us!” Bout time you said something decent smurf.

Julian was looking around, touched and awestruck by everyones support he then looked down to a certain cat lady who approached him with a gentle smile.

“I know we just met, but I DO want to get to know the brothers of my babies. And I do appreciate that you took my feelings into account when thinking about this too. I’d be more than happy to let you guys stay for dinner and a couple of days. Who knows? Maybe we can even start thinking of each other as family? IM open to the idea. So I think its ok to give this thing a shot”

Julians eyes started to water, this time of happiness, and he finally proceeded to hug Hex (who was still hugging him) as he broke into tears and thank her over his shoulder with a runny nose “Th-th-than-k you! All of y-y-youuu!”

Whitty watched with glee as a small tear almost escaped his eye as Julian was overwhelmed with happiness. He then spotted Ruvool and faltered a bit. He was looking at the scene before him but looked… mad? Upset? Jealous? What was up with him? I mean, he did leave with a huff, but this seemed… more to it… he then shared eye contact with Whitty but this just cause his scowl to deepened and he left the room (again) with a huff… what gives?

This confused Whitty but then was reminded of another matter and then slide over to Ruv with a shit eating grin as he looked back at him with his one good eye “what?”

“You know… I realized something today”

“And that is?”

“Well… Bitty was most likely made from Julians DNA like me, so that means Ruvool likewise was made from you”

“Wow, what a brilliant deduction none of us thought about”

“Yeah, but the thing is, that means that you are Ruvools brother in the same way Bitty is OUR brother”

“And?”

“AND both Bitty and Ruvool are brothers by adoption…”

… “…fuck”

“Oh yeah”

“No”

“That means…”

“I said no”

“You and I…”

“This can’t be happening”

“Are not only besties…”

“We are not besties”

“We are also brothers by adoption!”

“This is hell”

“Julian was right again! But now you are not an honorary brother! You are an ACTUAL brother!”

“I’ll kill you”

“Welcome to the family!”

“I hate everything. I hate you. I hate my life. I hate science. I hate logic. I hate god”

“Hey Julian! Ruv is now our brother too!”

“No I’m not”

“Oh yeah, since he is Ruvools brother and Ruvools is Bittys…”

“Someone kill me”

“Welcome to the Whitmores you magpie!”

“FUCK”

 

 

Chapter 14: Dinner Anti-drama

Summary:

The start of a small casual dinner with your did-not-know-you-even-had-brothers and their adoptive mom, what could go wrong?

So things had gone a bit smoother since the last bomb bros heart to heart. To be completely certain of the whole thing, Ruv actually DEMANDED a DNA test to be done since he seemed pretty adamant in rejecting the mere idea to being related to Whitty, if only by a technicality.

But as I’m guessing you all know by now, the test pretty much semented the already obvious and Bitty had the same make-up as Whitty (if only different by some variables) with his human part being that of Julians and Ruvool being an almost identical genetic copy of Ruv (any more and they might as well be twins according to Hex), but that Ruvool did have some mayor alterations in the differences he did have.

And before you are wondering how they got Ruvools DNA if he huffed away, he LIVES there people, don’t you think Momi has his cloths? Or simply checking his toothbrush or hair comb? Duh.

Needless to say, Ruv was very annoyed with the results. Especially since Whitty seemed to have forsaken his survival instincts and kept poking the bear that is Ruv. Talk about a death wish, how have you survived this long?

Having have heard the conversation until Bitty cut the audio, the gang yielded and went to the hotel minus the bomb bros and Ruv… who actually tried to go to the hotel instead but Julian had pulled him aside to speak to him in private and convinced him to actually stay… HOW are you doing that?! What the fuck are you telling him to convince him of shit!?

“I have to say, you are quite the Zovadilla. Are you sure you have never been part of the Bratva or the underground world?”

“Nope, never left the country”

“… We should exchange tactics”

…I…I want to know but at the same time I’m scared of the answer… now that I think about it, if Ruv and Julian joined forces it could end up in a force way too powerful to be contain…  let’s hope thing don’t get to that… he he he…he… oh sweet cheese and crackers what have I done…

…

So, moving to less end of the world-y topics. Like I said, the gang left for the day but not before Julian fussed about the kids and instructed Hex on the routine they have fallen into. Apparently, since he arrived Julian had taken to heart to take care of the kids personally, and always tugged the kids in after they brushed their teeth and he read them a story. Usually something from Stephen King but sometimes something from Edgar Allan Poe. Now that’s some nice parenting. But I do wonder how Julian doesn’t get nightmares himself. Who knows?

Nightfall had already arrived and Julian, Whitty and Ruv were now at the back of the café/home of Momi and the kids. Bitty seemed thriller, jumping about and rambling about the whole thing while Ruvool had given them the stink eye (heh) the whole time. He apparently have gone to the living room to read a book after he stormed off… is that a book on criminal profiling? The fuck… why does he even have that?

Momi decided to give them a small tour of the house that was at the back of the café and also the second floor (which consisted mostly of the bedrooms). It was not that big though, mostly made up of a backyard that was adjacent to an open field, a small kitchen and living room, two bathrooms and three bedrooms (Momi, Bitty/Ruvool and a guests’ room).

“Wait, why have a guests’ room and the kids share a room? Also, why do the kids have the master bedroom, aren’t parents supposed to have it?” asked Whitty confused

“I understand why you may ask that, the guests’ room is for… reasons, so I made them share a room, as for why I gave them the master bedroom, it’s because Bitty is bigger, and I get the feeling he is not done growing yet, if you two are any evidence of that, so he will need all the space he can get and since he is sharing with Ruvool I couldn’t give them a smaller room.”

“Seems fair… and cryptic. But who are we to judge?” good man Whitty

“Thank you. And because of that, you are free to use the guests’ room. It only has one bed though”

‘What size is the bed?”

“Queen Size”

“Then there is no problem. Whitty and I can share the guest room and Ruv can take the sofa”

“Why does Ruv get the sofa?!”

“Do you want to share a bed with Ruv?”

“… wait, why does it have to be Ruv or you? Why can’t I take it?”

“Because I have the distinct feeling Ruv has a very high fight response, even when asleep, so I don’t want to wake up to the guy either punching me out of bed or sleep stabbing me. Or you. So he gets the sofa”

“…smart man” Ruv praised…

…these two are scaring me…

Whitty was suddenly hit with the realization that before Julian arrived, Ruv had never shared the same sleeping space with anyone else in an 11 feet radius, even when he slept on a couch, Julian just kept it that way proactively afterwards… so… “Wait, is that why you haven’t allowed anyone to sleep next or near Ruv?”

“Ruv may be more contained when awake, but you can’t turn of instincts or old habits that easy”

…its pure dumb luck they didn’t get killed by an asleep Ruv until this point…

 “Also, something I’ve been thinking about” Julian started “I don’t think the others noticed because we all swear a lot, but I’m surprised the kids swear so freely. I personally don’t care since words have the weight you give them, but I’m curious as to why do you let them. Most moms, that I’ve seen, seem to like, demonize the mere concept”

“Well, to be honest, I’m the same as you. I personally think words have the weight you give them, so I do use them when I want to empathize a point. As for the kids, I noticed Ruvool uses them as an outlet and Bitty thinks he sounds cool, so I figured why not?”

“MOM!” both boys shouted with embarrassment “oh hush. You two are so transparent. Any ways, you guys are free to wait in the living room while Bitty and I make dinner”

“Bitty helps you with dinner?”

“Oh yes! I would actually say it’s the other way around even. He is an excellent cook! He particularly enjoys baking though, at least one third of the recipes in the café are his”

“Oh mom, stop it, I still have a lot to learn.” Replied a blushing Bitty scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile “I haven’t even managed to do a mid-rare beef wellington or a baked Alaska, I always mess something up”

“Riiiiight. Because a 12 year old would normally be able to cook something as complicated as a Michelin star dish. Hehe, you need to give yourself more credit my wittle Gordon Ramsey.” She then turned to the gang “You should’ve seen him growing up. Always experimenting and making a mess in the kitchen until he pretty much perfected his recipes. Not to mention he spent HOURS reading cook books and watching cooking shows. You wanna see some pictures? He looks so cute!”

“Mom!” you are so cute when embarrassed Bitty. Also, YOU CAN COOK WHAT?!

“Wow! That’s impressive.” You can be proud of your little bro Whitty.

“Just wait until you try his cooking”

“Whitty and I will. But I think you should give up on Ruv”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Ruv is the most finicky picky eater you will ever meet in your LIFE”

“Yeah. He refuses to eat anything. I’m not even sure how he is still alive right now”

“Ahh. A picky eater. Now I see where Ruvool gets it from”

“Really?”

“Oh, you have no IDEA. It has always been a battle to feed that boy, but if they like the same things I know what he might enjoy.” Ruv actually raised a brow, I guess someone is intrigued.

Momi saw this and took it as a challenge “Ok Bitty, let’s get cooking”

“Yeah!”

“In the meantime, you guys are free to chill in the living room. You can even put on a movie if you want”

“Thank you Miss Momi”

“Oh drop the Miss, Julian. You haven’t address me as that and will not start now. Just call me Momi”

“…I’ll call you cat lady” …well, I think that’s as polite as Ruv will get in this situation

“I don’t mind that either. After all, I am meowrvelous”

…

“Why does the universe hate me?” Whitty and Julian could not take it any longer and bursted with laughter at Ruvs misery

Ruvool finally lifted his face from the book to shout “Will you guys shut the fuck up?! I’m trying to read!”

“Ruvool, we discussed this. The living room is for everyone. I know you don’t like new people. But just give them a chance ok? Maybe you can show them one of the shows or movies you like? How about Chicago PD or Sherlock?”

He scoffed “Pfft. Like they would understand the trama. Plus, Sherlock is a series mom, not a movie”

“Ruvool, each episode it’s like an hour and a half. And I know you are a genius, but that does not mean everyone is stupid”

“Your mom is right. There are different types of intelligence” Julian started “For example, I’m people smart. But I’m book dumb in some areas like medicine or chemistry”

“I suck at technology… and emotions” Whitty added

“BUT are street smart” awe, Julian.

They turned to Ruv who just kept staring blankly “…emotions”

…I’m actually more surprised that he answered at ALL.

“See? Com on sweetie. Please, play nice and play something on the tv for them”

“UUUUUUGGGGHHHH! FINE!”

“Can you put on maybe Masterchef?” shouted Bitty from the kitchen

“NO” well, at least he’s honest. He then proceeded to play an episode of criminal minds.

45 minutes later…

“Why would you watch this!?” sitting in the individual sofa, Whitty shouted with tears in his eyes, Ruv having watched the whole thing with indifference and Julian looking sad as they sat at both sides of the sofa, Ruvool in the middle

“What?” a little nonchalant don’t you think?

“That bitch pretty much gaged her own niece and nearly killed her because she blamed her for her husband MOLESTING HER! Why the fuck would you watch this!?”

“To study”

“Study what?! How to be disappointed in humanity?!”

“That too”

Bitty then shouted from the kitchen “Ruvool, did you really made them watch that episode? Couldn’t you have started them with something milder?”

“He does this often?” Whitty asked with concern

“He wants to be a criminal profiler when he grows up. So he is kinda obsessed with things like this” added Momi

“I thought you said he liked feel good movies and mushy shit!”

“Yeah, he does, but I personally think he uses those to balance the dark shit out”

“YOU KNOW SHIT!” you got called out by your bro.

“Profiler?” Ruv looked intrigued

“It’s kinda like a high end detective mixed with a cop. Since it has to do with the FBI and shit”

“You wanna be a detective?”

“…Someone needs to put the scum in their place”

“…” Ruv was giving Ruvool a contemplative look… almost as if… reminiscing…

Momi then entered the room, cleaning her hands with a cloth “Anyways, dinner is almost done, so why don’t you guys come take a sit?”

“Thanks” Whitty and Julian said and they stood up and followed. Ruvool waited until both of them exited the room before finally getting off the couch but flinched as Ruv suddenly spoke as soon as the others were out of ear range

“Word of advice”

“Huh?”

“He who fights with monsters should take care lest he becomes a monster himself. And if you gaze for too long into the abyss, the abyss might stare back” he then stood up and finally followed the others, living a confused Ruvool behind as he looked at him go in surprise…

“What does that mean?” Ruvool whispered…

 

Now sitting in the dinner table, the guys waited for the food to be served, Whitty sitting next to Julian as Ruvool (reluctantly) sat next to Ruv.

“Dinner is served!” Bitty and Momi then came out of the kitchen, Bitty with multiple plates in his hands and head, balancing them as if nothing and Momi right behind him smiling proudly at him.

“Wow! How you learn to do that!”

“Practice. We have a café, so sometimes things can get hectic, even in a small town. Anyways. Bon Appétit!” Bitty said with a smile as he placed a plate in front of Julian, Whitty and everyone else.

“What’s this? Ravioli?” Whitty stabbed at a little filled pasta dumpling.

Momi giggled and began “Close. It’s called Pelmeni. It’s kinda like a ravioli but it’s filled with meat and sometimes veggies. It’s one of Ruvools favorites”

“Never heard of it”

“Not surprised. After all, it’s not often you hear people talking about Russian food”

“This is Russian!?”

“Yeah. Like mom said, Ruvool has always been picky, but while experimenting with stuff I discovered Ruvool loves meat (particularly beef) and Russian food. Now that we know he has Russian blood that makes sense.” Oh yeah, did I forget to mention Ruvool does not have a Russian accent? I mean, he was not raised there. Why would he?

“Wait… Ruv… you like beef and pasta?”

Ruvool said nothing

“Oh my gosh. You do! You like beef and pasta!” …I’m starting to question if Whitty really IS streets smart… for the millionth time…

“Shut up”

“He also likes Okroshka. Which, before you ask, is a veggie soup” I’m also starting to think you like ratting your brother out Bitty.

“I’m not eating your shit” Ruv quickly changed the subject in his typical fashion

Ruvool turned to Ruv, squinting his eye and said sternly “eat it”

“No”

“Eat it!”

“No”

“EAT IT!”

“No”

“…”

“…”

…

“I said fucking EAT IT!” Ruvool then jumped at Ruv and tried to force feed him the Pelmeni as the others remained seated and continued conversation as if nothing was going on, Ruvool having pretty much jumped at Ruvs face as he likewise tried to shake him off

 “This is GOOD!” Whitty commented, the other two still fighting in the background

“Why thank you, we made them from scratch” “Get off me!” “Fucking eat the pasta!”

“Really? Even the pasta?” *crash*

“Yeah! I’m just happy we made more beforehand just in case” “You little shit!”

“Are we really just going to pretend a Russian mercenary is not fighting an 11 year old genius clone of himself right now?” thank you Julian

“Do you want to stop them?” Momi raised a brow

“No thanks, I don’t want Ruvool biting me again”

“They’ll tire themselves out, plus, I’ll make sure to save them both a portion, just in case your friend changes his mind. I understand if he does not trust a strangers cooking. Ruvool is the same, he won’t eat something he did not either watch being made or is not cooked by someone he trusts. It’s not bad all the time. But it makes eating out or parties a hassle”

Whitty and Julian stopped eating (for once) after hearing that, and Ruv stopped, eye widening as the bomb bros turn to him having realized something that in retrospect, should have been obvious from the beginning “Ruv, is that why you refuse to eat?”

Ruv kept staring with his eye widen, his face did not show much emotion but there was something to it that pretty much yelled he had been called out. He paused for a moment, but the moment he opened his mouth to talk, Ruvool shoved a pelmeni in his mouth, causing Ruv to swallow. Everyone froze.

Ruv just… stood there… Ruvool on his shoulder… looking puzzled as why the giant was doing nothing before he was grabbed from behind by Ruvs hand and placed on the floor… his face then returned to its neutral state and he just walked out of the room to the backyard…

“Huh” same Bitty

“He took that better than expected” my thoughts Whitty

“Is he going to be okay?” Momi asked

“I think so. He did not seemed mad. More like perplexed, but surprisingly not in a bad way. I think he just needs some space for now”

“Julian is typically right in these things, so I second that”

“If you guys say so. Ruvool, come eat dinner before it gets cold”

Ruvool wordlessly went to the table and started eating his dinner, the others had already finished but he did not seemed to mind as he pretty much devoured the Pelmeni with joy… Whitty and Julian a little aghast at witnessing this little look alike of Ruv eating and having bearded witness Ruv himself actually EATING something, even if it was forced fed… so surreal.

“So, who wants dessert?”

Well, all things considered. Things ended… well?

At least no one got killed. For now.

Notes:

https://ballisticbrothersblog.tumblr.com/

Chapter 15: Russian Mind Revolution

Summary:

Some more speculations are formed and Ruvs character is put into question

Notes:

This is one of the longest chapters I’ve written for this story so far. I was actually considering dividing it in two, but they would be too short as well. So I hope you enjoy this chapter.

So we recap from where we left of. As the bomb bros helped clean the table after finishing eating dinner. And before you ask, they were still hungry as fuck but did not want to say anything as they were house guests so they did not want to be rude but did ate it pretty quickly… with… some manners to be desired mind you, but no one seemed to care. While Ruvool finished his meal, Bitty had gone to the kitchen, which yes I forgot to mention they had a dining room in their house separate from the kitchen o living room but it skipped my mind to mention in the previous chapter so shut the fuck up…

…

…

Bitty went into the kitchen to seemingly prepare the dessert.

It seemed their biology decided to betray them as once they finished cleaning the table their stomachs rumble, causing them to blush. Ruvool just raised a brow as Momi let out a small giggle “My, you guys really are alike” is she referring to Bitty? 

“Sorry…” the said in unison

“We typically eat a lot, but we did not want to eat all your fridge” Julian finished

 “Don’t worry, I saw it coming. Bitty likes eating too” 

“Yeah. He is the reason I became so good at handling the budget and our taxes. Someone needed to prevent us from going broke” well that makes sense. 

“And I’m so thankful for that sweetie. That’s why you are my little wolf of Wall Street” 

“Mom! Cut it out! Also, that guy was a STOCKBROKER” 

“What’s the difference?” 

“The ethics for one” 

“But that still begs the question. How do you feed Bitty if you make him eat a normal size dinner like we just did?” good question Whitty

Momi gave them a knowing smile “Youll see~” Just spill already

Bitty then came out of the kitchen with a plate of dessert for everyone. But what caught Julian and Whittys attention was that Ruvool and Momis dessert was different than theirs and Bittys. Momi and Ruvools seemed to be some kind of apple cake/bread? While theirs were what seemed to be chocolate spheres with cherry stems on them… making them look like… omg that’s so cute! 

“Tada!” 

“What’s this?” 

“It’s my own special recipe! Cheesecake chocolate cherry bombs! Or triple c for short!” 

“You always end up calling them cherry bombs though”

“Shut it or I take away your cake Ruvool”

“Try it bomb brains”

Before an argument could start, Julian asked “Not that that doesn’t sound delicious, but why do we have a different dessert than them?” 

“That’s because they were specially made to accommodate to us” Bitty, happy for the disctraction, said cheerily

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, we figured that the reason Bitty eats so much is because his body craves a lot of energy. So instead of having him eat tons of food for each meal, we have him eat a regular balance meal and then eat a dessert that he makes in advance that is LOADED in calories. Those little bombs you have there? Those are over 1000 calories. EACH” Momi explained 

The elder brothers’ eyes widen. Why didn’t they thought of that? That could’ve save them so much money on food. I mean, they still love eating, but when you are on a budget that’s not a half bad idea. Also, this might work on Bitty and Whitty, but would it work on Julian? It would not be healthy for HIM that’s for sure. But it was a good idea in concept regardless 

Whitty whined “Why didn’t we thought of that?” 

“To be fair, we can’t cook for shit” 

“I can teach you!” awe, Bitty 

“He he, thanks, but I think we’ll leave cooking to those that know what they are doing and are not a walking disaster waiting to happen” 

“Hey! I didn’t do that bad!” Whitty protested 

“I didn’t even know you could turn banana bread into a brick” 

 “He did what? How?” Bitty sounded almost offended. How dare he, right Bitty? lol

“We saw this cooking contest in this town and we figured, why not? Hex knows how to bake, but the contest was for teams of two, so he was not in our team, he ended up with Tabi and they won. Anyways, it was there that we realized baking is hard as fuck. For which you have my respect, again. I can cook basic meals, but it seems neither of us can cook anything more complicated than scramble eggs or boiled pasta. Maybe a quesadilla.” 

“Then why make banana bread? Also, that’s one of the easiest baking recipes, how you mess it up?” 

“Whitty said he REMEMBERED the recipe that Hex usually makes, but he remembered it all wrong and it seems we used all the wrong ingredients. The only ingredient we got right was the banana” 

“I said I was sorry!” 

“Whitty, I nearly lost a tooth. Plus, it was a FLOURLESS banana cake. How did you assume it would have FLOUR?” 

“Wow. You suck” Ruvool mocked with a smile 

“Like you can cook!” 

“Ruvool CAN cook. Just not to a professional or restaurant level” whose side are you on Bitty? 

“Ha” 

“Whatever! It’s not like it matters anyways!” 

“What you mean?” Momi raised a brow 

“We haven’t confirm it yet, but we are pretty sure Whitty can eat about anything. He said he once ate magnets and a sock” 

“…” 

“WHY?” all three asked

“I was dared” 

Bitty was trying (and failing) to hold back laughter, Ruvool was looking at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world and Momi was looking at her dessert with a focused expression. 

“That… does explain some things… you guys certainly seem to have explained some of the quirks these two had growing up” 

This caught Julians attention “Quirks? Like Ruvools food preferences? Or our mom?” Julian seemed to be paying more attention to her, as if seizing her up with his eyes… why so intense all of the sudden?

Momi either did not notice of was too in thought as she kept staring at her dessert “Well yeah. At first I thought it was kid stuff or oddities they had. But since we discovered all that might have happened this paints things a little more clearly.” She raised her gaze and looked at them with contemplation

“For example, when Bitty first came to me he ate everything, and I mean EVERYTHING around. It didn’t matter what it was and that he was already 6. Change, pencils, keys, rocks, I once even caught him halfway through eating a BOOK.”

“So he was ripping each page individually and eating it?” Whitty raised a brow

“Yeah. And it was not a short book. It was a freaking DICTIONARY, I was actually surprised he was all the way to the M when I caught him.”

“… Didn’t he cared about… you know, taste?” Julian squinted

“If he did back then he did not care. The one that actually got me concerned and actually took him to the doctor for was when he drank my nail polish remover. In the end, all it did was make him burp, the doctor said that would normally be very dangerous if not outright fatal to a normal person”

“I guess they really can eat almost anything, but that still does not explain the why though”

“At first we thought it was something called Pica, which apparently is a food disorder in which people eat nonfood things. After the remover thing, I decided to show him QUALITY in food for safety sake, so its actually the reason I decided to teach him how to cook, I was only lucky he naturally seemed to like it and was good at it” 

“I guess they were meant to just eat a lot to fuel themselves? Maybe the source was not important but just that they eat a lot?” Julian seemed just as puzzled as the rest 

“Yeah… but still… we got that quirk from YOU Julian” Whitty pointed out… hmmm, was it?

“I don’t think so” Ruvool suddenly interrupted with a thoughtful expression “Bitty and Whitty got their gluttony from Julian, yes. But that does not mean Julian can eat ANYTHING like them. Quality is not the same as Quantity.” 

Julian crossed his arms and focused “Now that I think about it, it’s true. While I have an iron stomach for most things there ARE still some things that can get me sick, like certain rotten foods, particularly expired sea food. Also, I don’t like EVERYTHING. I hate artichokes for example” Can’t really say I blame you Julian

“Artichokes?” Whitty was confused though

“It’s not really a flavor thing. It’s the whole DEAL with artichokes. The barely have any taste, they are super messy to eat and at the end of the day it feels like you ate nothing. I’m not sucking an artichoke, they can suck it themselves. Artichokes SUCK.”

“You said it was not a flavor thing, but that’s the first critic you gave” I guess when it comes to food Bitty is the sharp one.

“Fine, it’s not JUST a flavor thing. Happy?” Bitty nodded

After a moment “About the gluttony thing though. Maybe it’s like Julian said, we were just meant to eat things for energy but not really care what they were, which is why we are so hungry all the time and our bodies demand so much” Bitty offered with a shrug going back on topic, you are a dear Bitty. 

“Like putting random things in a furnace. As long as they burn who gives a shit” way to summarize Ruvool. 

“No point dwelling on it either way now, I guess” what you mean Julian? 

“What do you mean?” I just… forget it. 

“I mean, anything we say here its mere speculation. It’s not like we have someone that can confirm things for us. Anything we can come up with, from why we eat so much, to how everything is linked or why we were made its pure speculation. And since the only person that had any answers passed away, it’s not like we can ASK them” …doesn’t that… but… what about the whole… what are you trying to pull here?

“…I guess your right” …Momi said with a… strained smile… but the only one that noticed was Julian… 

He for some reason pretended he saw nothing and continue “Anywho. I think it’s about time we tried this thing” he and Whitty then proceeded to grab the little balls and bite into them like an apple. At first they froze, as their brains seemed to process it, but soon melted as the flavor exploded in their mouths “Oh my god. This is delicious! It’s so creamy! Yet so first! And the jelly like center of cherry! Its like-like-like-“ 

“Like an explosion of flavor?” Bitty said with a smug tone to his voice 

“Yes! I’ve never though there would ever be the day were I like an explosion, but these are great!” I guess you have both Whitty and Julians approval, good for you Bitty. 

The duo then proceeded to eat their little cherry bombs quickly, but the seemed to be a thing of miracles as after Whitty ate 5 and Julian 3 “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I’m FULL” 

“Me too *burp*. Excuse me” 

“See? Told ya” Bitty added finishing his own 

“And you eat these for every meal?”  

“I change which recipe I use every other day so I don’t get sick of it, the trick is just make a dessert or meal that it’s loaded in carbs. And like mom said, I eat it after a healthy or balanced meal so I get what I need and THEN get filled” 

“I heard once that when you do that you feel a monstrous hunger later, so isn’t that like a hole in the whole system?” hmm, good point Whitty 

“True, but I beat that by eating a small snack between meals and drinking water. Plus, I get hungry a lot of the time anyways, as I’m sure it is with you guys, so it’s just the same thing with a different route” 

“I guess you are right” 

Momi then yawn showing a part of canines that seemed to be a little on the long side further confirming her cattiness… her catness… her meowness? Her pus-ugh, her cat part “Anyways, it’s getting pretty late and it has been a long day. I think we should head for bed soon, any plans for tomorrow?” 

“Not really. Bitty invited us to this show and tell on Friday, but that’s the day after tomorrow” Julian said with a yawn of his own. Guess its true yawns are contagious  

“I guess we could show you and your other friends around town. Now that you are in on the secret, I think folks will be a little relieved they can be themselves” 

“What about the jerkass?” …do I really need to tell you? 

“Jerkass? Oh, you mean Ruv? He’ll be back once he is tired to sleep.” Julian cleared  

“Is it really safe to let a killer sleep in the same roof? Plus, you said he has a very high fight response” sharp as ever eh Ruvool? 

“You don’t need to worry.” Julian added when he noticed a certain uncertainty (shut up) in Momi “I’ve checked him out. While he has antisocial behavior tendencies I can assure you he is neither a sociopath nor a psychopath. And he does have a moral compass, even if it’s… bent… and grayed. He won’t hurt anyone that doesn’t deserve it” 

“And by that you mean?” 

“Anyone that doesn’t piss him off” 

Everyone deadpanned

“…EVERYTHING pisses him off…” 

“Look. Ruv is a killer, yes. But we need to trust him” 

“That sentence is oxymoronic” Ruvool deadpanned even more... somehow

“And it contradicts itself” 

“That’s what I said bomb brains” 

“That’s original” 

“Shut up” 

“You know” Whitty intervened in the duos bickering (that’s a first) “That’s something that I’ve always wondered. Why do you trust Ruv so much? I trust him because he’s my friend and he is the coolest guy I’ve ever met. Even if we started on bad terms. But you? I would think you would be the last guy to defend guys like him. After all, you almost ended in prison due to a killer for hire. And yet, you accepted Ruv even though it seems you knew this from day one, somehow. So why defend him?”

“Wouldn’t you say the same logic applies to you Whitty? After all, he DID try to kill you”

“Well yeah, but in his defense, he though I blew up a concert hall for the funsies. So I get he thought I was a bad guy, also, I don’t really want to say anything he doesn’t want me to say, since he’s my friend, so I can’t give you a reason as to why beyond that” Whitty shifted a little, but then jolted when he realized Julian had swung the conversation “but you are changing the subject! Why do YOU trust him?”

Julian stayed silent “…I can’t say” 

Wait what? “What?” 

“Why?” Bitty and Ruvool asked at once, just as shocked 

“Because Ruv doesn’t want me to say.” 

Whitty was annoyed that Julian used his same words against him, he understood he was protecting Ruvs privacy as well, but a sudden thought crossed Whittys mind “Wait, Ruv has told you about his past?!” HAS HE?! 

“Of course not.” …troll… 

“But it’s the way he carries himself and what he DOESN’T say. I can tell that Ruv didn’t kill people just because. He wasn’t a serial killer nor someone that does it as a profession nor money. But by saying that I’ve already said too much. I respect his privacy. But you need to know, even if Ruv himself believes it, I know he’s not a bad person, he most likely just came from a bad place. And that is something I can relate to.” 

“So… you trust him because he came from a shitty place like you?” Ruvools tone seem to indicate he meant that as mocking, but there was something below that, that looked as if it pointed to something more. 

“I don’t need to share the same path as Ruv or for him to tell me to know he had a rough life. If he wants to share it that is his choice. The only reason I’ve said as much as I’ve have, is to put you guys at ease that he won’t try anything. As hard as it is to believe. You are safe with Ruv. So please, give him a break?” 

… 

… 

… 

Momi seemed reluctant but started “Well, he COULD have killed Ruvool after he literally force fed him. And so far, like Whitty said, it seems you are typically right about things like this. If you both are willing to vouch for Ruv, I guess it’s safe to assume he won’t try anything, plus, like it or not, he IS Ruvools brother, so he is family. So might as well start SOMEWHERE”  

Realistically speaking, this IS a lot to ask of a single mom, so I think Momis was a pretty understandable reaction. If anything she was VERY understanding. 

Julian seemed to think so too as he gave her a grateful soft smile, with Whitty giving her an eager one “Thanks.” 

“Ok you two, go brush your teeth. You got two hours and then lights out” 

“Yes mom” the both said as they picked their dessert plates and left them in the washing machine before going upstairs. 

“Oh hey, by the way, what was that apple dessert you and Ruvool ate?” Whitty asked. Weren’t you full? 

“oh. That was Sharlotka. It’s basically apple cake.” 

“…I think the name pretty much implies it, but just gotta ask. Is it Russian?” 

“Yeah. I typically cook Russian food either once or twice a week”  

Julian gave her yet another soft smile “You are a good mom”  

“Thank you. I try” Momi blushed sheepishly 

“Takes one to know one Jules” 

“Don’t start” 

“Face it Julian. You might as well enter a book club or some other shit moms do.” 

“If you keep this up I’m not gonna fold your cloths anymore when we pack”  

“Will you really?” 

“… ok I will, but I will not make sure Pico has the lock of his guns on, so you will need to be on high alert” 

“…” 

“Ok, I won’t wake up Agoti and make sure he charged his phone before bed” 

“…” 

“I won’t make sure Hex doesn’t talk to clearly dangerous people” 

“…” 

“I won’t help keep Skids and Pump on a leash” 

“…”  

“…” 

“…” 

“I hate you” 

“Pfft Ha ha ha!” Both  Momi and Whitty started laughing as it seemed any threat Julian could make at that moment to prove he was not a mother hen would backfire horribly. Guess moms are more important than we give them credit for. At least to a group of clearly inept dumbasses.  

Fast forward. It was the middle of the night, Julian woke up to get some water as he went down the stairs when the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of something.  

As he turned, he saw Ruv laying on the sofa, fully dressed, boots and all, with his legs pouring from the side and his head on a pillow. 

Julian looked at him with droopy eyes before slowly approaching him. He then proceeded to carefully take off his boots and hat to leave at the side of the sofa and spread a blanket they had left there beforehand along with the pillow over him.  

After making sure Ruv seemed comfortable enough, he did what he originally came for and then went back upstairs to sleep, not knowing Ruv gaze followed him upstairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruv had stormed off to the backyard, he didn’t actually go far, just stood outside besides the door out of sight. As unbeknownst to everyone, he hear every word that had been said. Emotions were complicated, he did not like them. And he was definitely feeling many feelings with the whole situation. lol

He never had friends or family, the only friend he ever had was a girl he met as a kid, and even that was fleeting.

In addition, he was still a bit taken aback by what happened at dinner. He will never admit it, to ANYONE, but the pelmeni was… delicious… it instantly brought nostalgia of certain instances of his childhood. Those small moments of peace and serenity that he had, in which he would forget all that was wrong with the world…

But then he remembered that Whitty and Julian now knew why he was so finicky with food…

They knew too many of his secrets… of his tendencies… of him… he was actually considering ending some lives that night as he was contemplating more options... but then he heard those two talking... no one besides Sarvente had ever vouched for him without getting something in return. And they had absolutely no reason too.

They were right. Ruv tried to kill Whitty, more than once, and at one point considered killing Julian, as he was an unknown and as far as he knew, COULD have been ACTUALLY guilty. With time he grew to tolerate Julian and even had some kind of weird respect for him though. But he had not officially been taken off the table completely.

However, the biggest kicker is that is seem Julian KNEW that. Julian knew Ruv had considered killing him. And despite it, was still willing to give him a chance and the benefit of the doubt...

He did not know what to feel... he did not know what to THINK. He did not like it…

He had never been placed on this situation before... well... that was not entirely true... he was like this at first when he met Sarv... but that was… different…

Was it though?

He was at a loss...

Not only with the other two, but with the kids and their mom as well.

He did not know what to feel about Bitty and their mom yet, as he seemed a little too cheerful and innocent for his taste, he found that really suspicious (and Sarv isn’t? -_-) and she just seemed like an average embarrassing mom, which meant she could rat him out if her kids were threatened. But he did not know if could kill her without causing a big ruckus from all parties involved.

But Ruvool... he reminded him of himself when he was younger... it was like looking at himself in a mirror when he was a kid, a mirror that reflected what he felt but he himself could not show...

He was conflicted...

Hours passed and he was getting tired, thinking over and over on what to do, the lights having been turned off long ago, he finally entered the house and pretty much flopped on the sofa, only bothering to grab his knife and place it below his pillow. When he closed his eyes he head the distinctive click of someone turning the lights on, so he pretended to sleep.

After he had allowed someone to remove his boots and hat and placed a blanket over him he opened his eye occasionally to steal a glance only to see it had been Julian, before his gaze followed him going upstairs again.

He could have attacked him… end him… he was tired, and as far as Julian knew, asleep. Julian could have easily ended Ruv then and there if he had been looking to kill or cripple him, specially knowing (even if Julian nor Whitty knew about the specifics) about his past. But he just placed a blanket over him and took off his boots and hat to place them besides him, not even stealing them

...

He thought for a moment.

...

After much consideration, Ruv took out his knife... and placed it right beside his boots and hat. He then grabbed the blanket and covered himself more comfortably, drifting into a peaceful sleep.

 

There would be no deaths that night under his watch.

Notes:

https://ballisticbrothersblog.tumblr.com/

*Disclaimer. I’m not a nutritionist, so I don’t know about all the details of proper balance of certain meals. I know a little about simple/complex carbs, but not all the details, so be aware that I wrote this based on some information I was given a really long time ago.

Chapter 16: Extra- Bitty and Ruvools relationship in a nutshell

Summary:

Hi! As a special thanks for the 2000 hit, I made these in the meantime I work on the new chapters, as life has not let me alone for a while but I dont want to drop the story either. Enjoy!

 

Chapter 17: Rude Awakenings

Summary:

Some new things about old wounds to start a day anew

Whitty was annoyed. He had woken up to Julians hair all over his face. Julian slept all splattered on the bed, snoring without a care in the world, he did not pushed Whitty off the bed and stayed on his side of the bed, but the hair… how was it that he got his hair all over his face? He needed a god damn haircut. Which was the first thing Whitty brought up when they came down to eat breakfast.

“No”

“What do you mean no?”

“I like my hair. I’m not cutting it”

“Julian, your hair is so long you have an actual ponytail. Guys don’t have those”

“Hundreds of guys have them Whitty, plus, it’s my choice. I don’t tell y out to cut your fuse thingie”

“Th-that’s different!”

“How?”

“That’s a part of me! Plus I don’t even know if I can cut it without hurting me”

“You can” Ruvool said coming down the stairs

“Huh?”

“It doesn’t have nervous endings, its just string”

“How you know that?”

“I got curious, so while he was sleeping I cut about an inch of Bittys to check it. He did not even stir in his sleep” …dude…

“That was YOU?!” Bitty shouted as he exited the kitchen with wide eyes. Can’t really say I blame him

“What?” how are you treating this like it was nothing?

“I knew I wasn’t imagining things! It WAS shorter! Why would you do that?!”

“It was for science.”

“Science schmience, you are no scientist. You like math and detective shit!”

“Well it was the only way to figure out if it was ‘hair’. You wouldn’t have let me do it otherwise”

“Yeah, because it’s my ‘hair’, I don’t want you cutting it!”

“Grow up, you barely noticed, plus I measured it later, it grew back, somehow”

“You did what?! Stop doing shit to me while I sleep!”

“Well you stop eating my fucking spicy beat chips!” I don’t think those fall under the same level Ruvool

“The only reason you even HAVE those is because mom and I make them for you!”

“Then if you know they are for me stop eating them!”

“Stop using me as a Guinea pig!”

“That was the only time I did anything to you in your sleep! Yeesh.”

“Wait. In my SLEEP?”

“…”

Are you fucking serious Ruvool?!

“Mom! Ruvool is using me as a test subject again!” Again?!

“You snitch! The only other thing I did was with your tears! They are fucking thick and you cry rivers! That’s not normal!”

“Then ASK first!”

The kids shouted back and forth like this as they run into the kitchen, Whitty and Julian taken aback that this started only because one asked the other to cut their hair… how the fuck has life lead to this?

And what is wrong with those kids?

“…wait, if your fuse is your ‘hair’, does that mean you technically have a braided ponytail?” Seriously? This is your take on this? Ok, each their own.

“… ok I’ll stop bugging you about the hair…”

“Thank you”

“Does that mean I have actual hair though?”

“Well, Ruvool said it’s string, so I guess technically no?”

“…does string have DNA?”

“What brought that up?”

“Well… what if they had found traces of it during your case?”

“…”

…

0_o …It was astronomical, stupid, dumb LUCK Julian didn’t go to prison…

Everyone was having the same thoughts as Momi entered the kitchen grabbing Ruvool by the cheek and Bitty by the fuse (I guess that works if you don’t have ears and hard cheeks… get your head out of the gutter he’s 12), since the events of yesterday Momi had stopped wearing her headband so both her cat ears were showing as well as her tail. I guess she felt comfortable enough since no one seemed to care, plus, this was her house, so suck it

“Let’s not ponder on it too much and just eat breakfast, these two need to go to school and I don’t want them whining that they are hungry later even if I packed them lunch. You didn’t have to wake up with us though, you could’ve sleep in, it’s 7 am after all”

“Nah, no problem, I’ve always been an early bird, so it’s no trouble really”

“And it was Julian’s hair that woke me up, so that’s not on you” Julian then playfully shoved Whitty

Whitty then turned to Ruv as he was silently snoozing on the sofa, completely still… like, almost totally unmoving still and limp… wow… Ruv slept in suck a way, that if I didn’t know any better I would think he was dead. But since no one is panicking I guess we are good? I guess if you live a dangerous life, it would be useful to seem like you are already dead. Kinda like a possum… I hope Ruv never reads this… “What I’m surprised is that Ruv hasn’t woken up”

“Guess he went to sleep pretty late last night, just let him rest, this whole thing must be hard on him”

“On him? You literally got assaulted, had a mental breakdown over your shitty life, cried and got punched in the face yesterday… in that order” … you really are a mini Ruv, aren’t you?

“True. But it’s for different reasons. I can’t say Ruvs though because he doesn’t want me saying”

“How do you even know that? Why do you refuse to say anything about him?”

“Because Ruv is a very private person and trust takes years to forge, seconds to lose and an eternity to repair”

“… Are you a fucking fortune cookie?”

“Nah, that’s just Julian, you get used to it”

“Breakfast first, talk later”

“Sorry” all the guys said sheepishly as Momi scolded them and started to place plates of food in front of them

“What’s this? Crepes?”

“I’m no food expert, unlike the cooks here, but they seem too fluffy to be crepes. I don’t think they are pancakes though”

“He he, good eye. These are Blini. They are like spongy flat Russian crepes”

“You really go out with the Russian food” Momi then leaned in and whispered to Julian “to tell you the truth, I made them today because Ruvool has been very grumpy lately and I need him to do some things later so I have to make him be in a better mood, plus I thought that MAYBE they would motivate Ruv to actually eat with us and open up more”

“That is so manipulative… good mom tactic. Can I barrow it? If I’m stuck being the ‘mom’ I deserve mom tricks”

Momi gave a solemn look to Julian and placed a hand on his arm (even seated she can’t reach his shoulder, lol) “I’ll be the Yoda to your Luke Skywalker”

“Teach me master”

The two then could not hold it anymore and started laughing… dorks, so cute.

What are those two laughing about?” Bitty whispered to Ruvool

“I don’t know, but I think it’s not a good idea to have a guy with ‘shit energy’ be near ‘mom energy’, that won’t end well for us”

“I don’t know, let her have her fun. Mom works hard”

“… I guess”

“Why are your blami different? I know you said Bitty needs to eat calorie loaded meals, but this time you are eating the same. Kinda”

“It’s Blini” Ruvool said immediately

Momi then continued “While both like sweets and savory Bitty leans more towards sweets, but Ruvool prefers savory. So I made their blini accordingly. Plus, it’s easier to make something loaded in carbs with sweets”

“Isn’t it less healthy though?”

“Eating a shit ton of carbs is not healthy in general. Plus, it doesn’t seem to make him gain weight”

“True. You three eat as much as hungry desperate piranhas in a frenzy and don’t gain a grain of fat. Where did you even get your manners though? You two eat like wolfs” Ruvool said the last part at Julian and Whitty

“I grew up on the run. So manners and social skills was never really a must or something I could practice”

“And I grew up in foster care. Some of the foster parents just wanted the check and fed us the bare minimum. So it was first grabs to whatever they felt like feeding us”

“Wouldn’t the government like, I dunno, regulate that?” Oh Bitty, you innocent child.

“Sometimes. The whole system is broken. Bribes, neglect, corruption in general, among other things. Not to mention my social worker was a total bitch that didn’t actually care about me. If anything she actually seemed to have conspired so I would not get adopted or go to one of the good homes as I never lasted more than maybe two weeks on those”

“Why?”

“Fire cursed child remember? The worst part is, she actually thought she was doing the right thing and acted as if I did things on purpose, she just never said it”

“… You were THREE”

“You tell her that”

“Fire cursed child? What kinda bullshit name is that?” Ruvool asked with a mocking snark

“I didn’t come up with it. They gave it to me because when I was three I was placed in an orphanage, but one day they transferred me into foster care. The very next day, the placed was burned down to a crisp and everyone inside died”

As expected, all three were shocked to hear this, after all, one thing is knowing someone was blamed for a fire, and another that a bunch of people died because of it

No one knew what to say so Bitty asked the first thing that came to mind “What caused the fire?”

“It seems it was intentional because someone poured something flammable in all the exits and many outlets”

“Wouldn’t that need to be done by an adult then? Many kids don’t grasp the concept of something being flammable and I don’t think a three year old has the motor skills to pull that off. Not to mention I think someone would have had to notice some rando pouring those in the exits and outlets in the middle of the day, even if it’s a child” hmm, that’s a good point Momi

After a moment of silence “Not necessarily…” Ruvool then said in a thoughtful expression

Julian seemed actually baffled by the implication “Dude, I was THREE, there is no way I could’ve done it, especially in my state”

Wait, that’s new, state?

“What do you mean?”

“The reason I was transferred was because I was in bad shape, not like someone raped or hit me. But I was malnourished and someone took a shit ton of blood from me. I was apparently lucky to still be alive. Which, the more I think about it and keep saying it out loud, maybe I really am lucky since I should have been dead by now considering all the bullshit I went through. My guess is I was like that because of the whole, stealing my genes thing”

“Did they ever mentioned how you got there?” Ruvool suddenly asked

“Well… apparently I was brought in alongside an older kid. From what I was told or gathered he was about 8 maybe 9 at the time. They said he was only told to bring me there”

“And he also stayed at the orphanage?”

“Yeah?”

“What happened to him?”

“I dunno? He died in the fire?”

“Did he now?”

“… What are you implying?”

“A mysterious kid suddenly arrived at an orphanage with a toddler that was barely alive. The next day, said toddler is taken away. But not the other kid. And it’s not like they would need to tell THAT kid that they would transfer you, especially if the kid was just ‘told’ to run an errand”

“And?”

“You said they poured something in the OUTLETS, whoever did it, did not necessarily did it in the middle of the day, they could’ve done it while everyone else was sleeping”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Bitty added

“Ugh, THINK about it. You would only know where the outlets and flammable fluids are if you had been inside the building, not to mention that you need time to find them. Maybe an entire day and would’ve needed to break in… or already be inside”

!!!

“!!!”

Holy SHIT!!

“Are you saying that same kid was the one that tried to KILL ME?!”

“Why?!”

“Who knows? There is not enough evidence to come up with a concrete reason. But the questions here should be, how do YOU know the details of what happened, and why did they blamed YOU, a toddler, and not the other kid?”

“Dude, I was BLAMED for it! I would obviously look into why people hate my guts! And as to the why, I dunno? Maybe someone started a rumor and it started there?”

“That sounds possible. People gossip, and sometimes a mere comment can become a rumor and then a ‘reality’”

“Some rumor. Whatever fucker came up with it further ruined my life”

“But why would a kid try to kill Julian? I mean, if he was 8-9 that means he was even younger than us. And I can’t think of any reason either of us would randomly kill a little kid we just met! That’s just horrible and messed up! I also know that much as you mess with me I know you are no killer too! So what the fuck!”

“This would explain something though”

They all turned to look at Ruvool once again “Everyone, including your mom, thought that you were dead. Meaning this was either not part of the plan or completely according to plan, so far we don’t know which. But that kid had an obvious goal on killing Julian. The fact that the fire occurred the very next day proves that. And if the kid was just ‘instructed’ to hand you over, that means there were never any attachment strings. That is, if he was even ‘instructed’”

What do you mean? You think he did that without telling anyone? Why?”

“I don’t know. I already said we don’t know who the kid even was. But the way I see it, it leaves two options. One. Either the kid acted on his own without telling anyone with the obvious intent to get rid of you, for whatever reason, which would explain their unawareness of your survival and if they found the kid they would only have the aftermath and his word.

Or two. That was according to plan and the kid only did as instructed and had no qualms about doing so. So everyone just assumed you died as the kid was not informed you were transferred, meaning they were not informed either. But if the kid survive would be unclear in either. Unless some kind of forensic report was done on all victims”

Julians voice went a bit quiet, this was a lot to take in “… no, all victims were burned beyond recognition, and all paperwork inside was destroyed as well… there was nothing…”

“Either option. That kid was either a heck of an actor or he really did not care. I would think they would question him about who gave him the child but if all the paperwork was burned, there is no way of knowing. And unless he was willing to die for the ‘cause’ I doubt he stayed and died”

!!!

I don’t like where this is going

“So you are saying. That the same kid that tried to kill Julian as a child, WHILE being a child himself. Is STILL ALIVE SOMEWHERE OUT THERE?!” 0_0 I agree with you Whitty, this is so messed up in so many levels

“Most likely. But by now would already be a grown up in his late 20’s early 30’s”

…

“So What can we do?” Bitty asked with worry

“Well, I think it’s safe to say that guy thinks Julian died that day too. If he didn’t, I think he would have tried to make some kind of move against Julian in all those years”

“What if he found out later?”

“Well, he would need to have a heck of a memory or somehow know how Julian would look like as an adult, after all, he last saw Julian as a toddler, and now he’s a fucking skyscraper”

“Yeah, fun fact, I was actually below average height when I was little, it wasn’t until I was 14 that I suddenly hit a height spurt”

“With bigger reason then. Unless he somehow realized you were the same kid he tried to kill all grown up or had some kind of info about it, I don’t think he would recognize you. But then again, that is all hypothetical, they say there are people that recognized a relative just by their laugh. So anything goes really.”

“Well that’s reassuring” no sarcasm there Whitty

“I don’t sugar coat shit. As much as you want me to say something encouraging, odds are, this guy is alive. We don’t know his motive for trying to kill Julian or his relation to Julian. It could’ve just been a random kid on the street trying to get easy money or a kid of a cult member or some other shit. All we have is bits of information and it’s barely enough to make a hypothesis based on his movements. The biggest issues are that since we don’t know if it was business or personal, we can’t predict any future actions and since there is no documents, we don’t even know how this guy LOOKS like” Ruvool ended with a frustrated sigh… well this had been a delightful way to start a school day… everyone was silent… what could anyone say? They all just realized that there was a potential killer out there to get Julian and who knows to what lengths he would be willing to go.

All of a sudden, Julian… the fuck, why are you laughing?

“Why are you laughing?” Asked Bitty

“Yeah. Are you stupid? I just summarized the fact that there is a potential killer out there to get you” you could’ve been more delicate about it though Ruvool

“Oh, it’s not that. I mean, I’m obviously concerned. But it would not be the first time someone has tried to kill me. As sad as that sounds. The reason I’m laughing is that I’m just amazed”

“Amazed?”

“Yeah. You are amazing Ruvool.” At this, Ruvools eye widen and he was blushing madly “You pieced all of this together with so little info in such a small amount of time. It took me a long time to piece things together, the only reason I came up with all the shit of yesterday is because I thought about it for months and you guys just filled the voids needed to come to my own conclusions”

“But you are naturally good at figuring people” Whitty added in confusion

“Key word Whitty. PEOPLE, I’m good at reading people and the room, but that doesn’t mean I can figure out situations or complex scenarios necessary. If you want an analogy, it’s like when you fix individual parts in a machine, yes I can fix them and figure out what they do independently, but that does not mean I know what the machine as a whole does or how does it function”

“Like yogurt in cooking!”

… what?… everyone was now staring at Bitty who looked sheepish “well… uhm, you see, because, well”

“Because yogurt is made with lactic acid bacteria. So when you eat yogurt on itself is soft and smooth but when you cook something with it, the lactic acid can react. Which is why some people get surprised of the acidic properties of yogurt. You understand yogurt as a meal, not an ingredient” Ruvool filled in, still red in the face and not looking at Bitty… well look at that. Bitty looked a little less sheepish “yeah, that. Thanks”

“He he. Ok. See? That’s impressive right there. You really are very talented and knowledgeable Ruvool. I think if you keep this up, you will be a real life Sherlock Holmes” awww that’s so sweet, and an obvious distraction for the messed up realization we all just were witnesses of but still.

Ruvool was now completely red in the face. Trying and failing to hide a smile “SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

“Aww, Ruvool!” Momi, you are not helping the poor child

Ruvool seemed like he could not take it anymore and stood up, breakfast almost done but not quite finished as he then grabbed Bitty by the arm and started pulling “come on or we are going to be late for school!”

“But I haven’t finished breakfast yet!”

“Just grab the plate and eat it on the fucking way! MOVE!”

“Uh, ok? Bye mom! Bye Whitty! Bye Julian! Bye Ru-“

“LETS GO!”

He then all but pulled Bitty out of the house

“What is it with you and pushing people’s buttons? Why do you have to be a shit?”

Whitty asked with amusement

“Eh, it’s entertaining. Plus, it helps me get to know the real side of people”

“Young Padawan, I think you are well in the way of the mom”

“But I have still much to learn. Teach me master”

“In time young one”

“The fuck are you three on about?”

“Oh hey Ruv. We didn’t heard you wake up. Want some breakfast?”

“No”

“Well, I tried”

“Pfft ha ha!”

 

Well, all things considered, I think that was a decent way to start their day, kind off.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m sorry sir, we lost track of them”

“…”

“We are still looking, but it seems there was another bus at their last stop that looked similar from afar, so we-“

“…!”

“Yes sir, we’ll find them”

“…”

“…Yes sir. It seems he found out at the fair and has been following ever since. We think he might have caused the detour”

“…”

“We don’t know. He seemed unhinged. I personally don’t think he has any sanity left”

“…”

“.Do we use lethal force?”

“…”

“Understood.”

 

 

 

 

“Well. It seems he survived after all. Well that just won’t do. I think it’s time I give little old Juju a visit. This is going to be fun”

…

 

…

 

…

 

0_0

Chapter 18: Lies and reservations

Summary:

In which we discover how Julian previously perceived the situation of the latest chapters.

Notes:

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay. Full disclosure, I’m currently undergoing some mayor life changes. Nothing bad or life threatening, but it is very stress inducing and I can only say the next two years will be really tough for me. But I will make it a point to at least update once a month!

After finishing eating breakfast (except for Ruv, who vehemently refused but DID eyed it, I saw that, lol) and getting ready for the day. The three decided to meet back to the others at the hotel to schedule something for the day.

“You sure you don’t want to come with us? We could use a local guide and get to know you better while we wait for the kids to come back from school” Julian asked Momi as they all exited the cafe, which looked kinda hilarious since Momi was around 5’3 and exiting with three ridiculously tall men made her look like a child.

“I would love to, but I do have a cafe to run. I can’t close it for days and expect money to still come in as much as I want to” fair

“But I do close at 8 and on Sundays, so we could hang out then”

“Sure!” Whitty answered a little TOO exited which caused everyone to raise a brow. And Julian a shit eating grin… I really should not be surprised at this point that he just knows shit…

“I-I mean. Sure” Whitty tried to save grace, but obviously no one bought it.

Momi giggled “ok. Have a nice day then, but come over for lunch. If you need any help, just ask people from around town, I made a call this morning. So they should be aware of the situation”

“Thanks” with that, two of the three waived her goodbye and started walking down the street. Whitty sweating as Julian kept giving him a shit eating grin “what?”

“Oh nothing”

“It’s not what you think”

“Hmm? And what AM I thinking?”

“I don’t have like a crush on her or anything. He’s my little brothers’ mom, that would be gross”

“I wasn’t thinking that”

“I… I don’t know, I just…”

“You want her to be your mom right?”

“…ugh. I hate that you are always right. Why do I bother trying to hide things?”

“Pride”

“Fuck you”

“Hehe”

“The fuck are you two talking about NOW?”

“Whitty wants Momi to be his Mommy~”

“Don’t phrase it like that!”

“lol”

“The fuck would you want that for? You’re 20. Plus, when did this even started?”

“My guess is it started since last night and he just realized this morning.”

“I said shut up!”

“Technically you said fuck you”

“Same thing different words!”

“Pfft ha ha ha!”

“I can’t believe I’m technically related to you two”

“Well, at least it’s not by blood. So that’s something right?” I don’t think he sees it that way Julian.

“Same shit different technicality” see?

“And to actually answer your question,    I think since none of us had a mom growing up, it’s normal to want a mother figure. And Momi is a very good example of one.”

“Is it weird?” Whitty was blushing and fidgeting as he asked Julian

“To many people it would look weird for a grown man trying to get a woman he barely knows to be his mom or mother figure. But it’s natural to crave maternal or familiar love. Even as an adult. Just because society sees it as weird does not mean it’s wrong. As long as you are not forcing or pushing this on someone that is. Plus, she’s the mom of our little brothers, so the brain is kinda making the correlation that, therefore, she’s OUR mom.”

“Well that makes sense. Wait, NONE of us?”

“Well yeah, Ruv did not end the way he did growing up in a loving home, my guess is he was either orphaned as well for one reason or the other or was abused, maybe even both”

Ruv was looking at Julian with his typical deadpan gaze as they walked down the street, he then just turned forward and kept walking. Well what did you expect? For him to answer? This is Ruv we are talking about, he barely even-

“… Orphaned”

…

WHAT?!

Whitty and Julian both stopped for a moment, both shocked. I mean, this is huge! I don’t-I can’t-just- WOW!

Ruv, who had walked ahead of them a few steps because of this, looked back at them “…what?”

…

Whitty and Julian exchanged a quick look, not saying anything as they just kept staring at Ruv, who seemed to be…bracing? for something…

…after a long tense moment…

Both just gave a small smile, not saying anything and just kept walking in comfortable silence. Ruv following shortly after they passed him.

 

 

 

“About time you guys got here” Pico said as everyone was now at the entrance of the Hotel, some looking ready at the bit, as if impatient.

“It’s 9 am Pico” replied Whitty dryly

“Yeah, but we want details” Agoti replied with excitement

“Details?” Whitty raised a brow

“Of what happened yesterday after we left. Duh” Aldryx, I don’t think that’s any of your business

“That’s none of your business” Ruv

“I tried to tell them that but they would not listen” you’re a dear Tabi

“How about we move for the day and then we can chat? Momi said she made a call, so the town is aware of us. We can walk around and talk while we do it, people won’t bug us but do be mindful of not to disturb them either if you see other non humans or funny characters. If I remembered correctly, Pump wanted to see an arts and crafts shop~”

“Yay!” “Arts and crafts! Arts and crafts!”

“Oh that reminds me. Did you two did your homework? You need to upload it today at night” mom mode Julian does not rest

“Are you ever NOT a mom?” See? Whitty agrees

“Shut up Whitty”

“Do not worry Julian! I followed your instructions as requested! And while they were reluctant at first, I managed to convince them to do it before bed. I even verified their answers” Hex, I love you, you are the best.

“I fucking love this robot” same

“He said that if we did not do it you would be disappointed in us” “we don’t want you to be disappointed in us” aweee that’s so cute!

“That’s emotional blackmail” …WHY Agoti? Why?

“I blackmailed children?!” Seriously, WHY?

“Not really Hex. Don’t worry about it, you are a nice guy and did nothing wrong” said Aldryx after punching Agoti on the top of the head. Thank you.

“Anyways. Let’s get a move on. I don’t really care for arts and crafts much. But I rather just get going that just stand here loitering” Pico added after shoving past Boyfriend.

“Since when do you care about breaking the law? You are literally a hit man” pointed out the Smurf

“True. But I don’t want Mom on my case”

“Oh for the love of- do you guys think I’m going to be like a Boy Scout at everything?! I’m no saint! I literally pranked Pico two days ago! Fucking PICO!”

“Again, true, but your momness kinda outweighs any shit you do.” Pico replied nonchalant

“Yeah. In the decent-responsible chart of the group, you’re second only to Hex” well… I mean… right Skids?

“And above Tabi” And of course Pump had to pitch in with Skids

“Although that’s not saying much, considering most of us don’t give two shits about being responsible” they all nodded

“Wait, Tabi is very responsible. Why is he below Julian?” “Yeah, why is it not a tie?” The devi duo asked

“Because while Tabi can be responsible most of the time, he also just lets things happen before him sometimes. Julian actively interferes.” Hex, no.

“Like with the drinking thing?” Agoti no

“So basically, Julian is a meddler and Tabi is a bystander” Whitty NO.

“Well fuck you all!” Julian.

 

 

As they walked down the street, true to her word, people seemed to now be aware of the gang; there seemed to be a wide variety of critter people now on and about their business as they walked on the street. Some even waiving their way.

…man… those are A LOT of hedgehogs… and what are those? Ghosts? Slimes? They are so bulgie. And is that a purple teenage dinosaur eating chalk? Robots too?! And skeletons?! WTF?!

But even thought this was the perfect once in a lifetime scenario in which the whole gang could fit in unanimously and without judgement whatsoever, as always, curiosity won over and someone had to retake the previous nosy conversation instead of pondering any of this. Seriously? Even you Tabi? This place has ACTUAL skeletons, W T F?

…In any case… the Smurf “so uh, what happened after we left?”

Whitty and Ruv seemed a little annoyed the subject was not dropped, but Julian seemed to not mind and just answered

“Not much happened really. We just had dinner and got to know them a little better.” Julian started, clearly not saying anything of what had been revealed about Ruv, which caused Ruv to look at him for a moment and then at Whitty, who also looked like nothing happened

“Yeah, Bitty is a little bundle of sunshine. I would even go so far as to say he is ALMOST a little Hex. The only defect I would say I noticed is that he is a bit of a snitch” Whitty added

“I would say more that he is just very honest and is sometimes oblivious that he is ratting people” do you psycho analyze everyone you meet Julian?

“He literally crumbled within seconds yesterday before he turned off the audio” Boyfriend pointed out

“I don’t think that was snitching, more like he can’t lie for shit. Remember earlier? Momi tried to avoid things with a question, Ruvool said nothing and Bitty pretty much pointed out that it would be something that would cause a commotion. So I think it’s more like the only lies he can say are by omission. And even then it depends on the secret and the person”

“Weren’t you like, still knocked out when they said that?” …good point Tabi

“I was a little dazed, but I still remember it” sometimes you scare me Julian

What about the little shrimp?” Pico pointed out, but personally, I don’t think you have much space to judge Pico, you are BARELY taller than boyfriend… but I also think you can hear me sometimes so you do you.

“He definitely has a complex and seems to be traumatized by something. He was definitely lying about how he lost his eye too.”

Huh? “How you know that?” Asked Skid with pump by his side.

“When he told us the story about how he lost his eye, he was WAY too calm, and as we’ve seen, he is like a rabid piranha when mad, and he gets mad easy.”

“Not to mention he also seemed to pretend not remembering what the doctor said. He is a bit of a know it all, so that is kinda weird”

“EXACTLY Whitty.”

“… so you’re saying that story was rehearsed” Ruv concluded

“But Momi seemed to be under the same impression. And Bitty didn’t really contradict it either. I would think if he was such a bad liar, he would be at least fidgeting right? He actually seem to agree to the story Ruvool said” that’s an excellent point Hex

“Then the answer is simple, you don’t know it’s a lie” …I’m lost

“You lost me” like I said, me too Agoti

“The only way you are not lying with something that is clearly false, it’s if you don’t KNOW it’s a lie”

“So you think Ruvool lied and the other two are just are taking his word for it?” Aldryx questioned

“That does not make sense, wouldn’t Momi know because she was the one that took him to the doctor?” The Smurf imputed

“They never said it was her that took him did they?” …that’s… true… “So she either was not the one that helped him with the situation when it happened or she DOES know, she just isn’t telling for some reason and it’s letting him spread that lie. Maybe even Ruvool doesn’t know she knows. Would not be the first time”

“What you mean?” Aldryx nearly bumped into a post as he was so into the answer

“She’s clearly hiding something.”

“Is that why you were all weird at dinner?” Whitty, shush

“You guys said nothing happened” They said it was none of your business Agoti

“We said it’s none of your business” tell them Ruv

“I’m not sure WHY she is lying, or WHAT she is hiding, I have my suspicions, but it looked like she really wanted to tell us”

Pico then nearly bumped into a hedgehogs spikes but dodged at the last moment “Then why didn’t she? Wouldn’t that be counterproductive with all the shit that’s happened?”

“My guess it’s because of the kids. Maybe it’s something that would hurt them further, or maybe she’s ashamed. I’m not a mind reader, I can only make wild or educated guesses. The only thing I could gather it’s that it’s something important, I was only trying to give her a small shove for her to fez up on her own. I can’t FORCE her to tell us”

“So she’s hiding something, but it’s with good intentions?”

“You know what they say, hell was paved with good intentions. My only hope is she decides to tell us on her own the sooner the better”

“I get the feeling you just jinxed us” me too smurf

“Eh, if I did, let’s hope it’s nothing that will kill us”

“I think you should shut up”

“Awe, Ruv you care~”

“If you die, I will be left with only two people I can have an intelligent conversation with”

“Wait two?”

“Tabi and Hex” back to these two I see, cant blame him. They are the best.

“What?! Just the other day we were talking about assassination tactics you shit!” Pico whined

“That’s work related, it does not count”

“Why were you two talking about that? Besides, isn’t Ruv more inclined to knives and Pico to guns? Those two are completely different in range and skill. Yes sure, both need a steady hand, but guns have a recoil while knives are WAY more versatile. Not to mention that because of his height alone the whole 21 feet shit means nothing to Ruv. I mean, it was already proven to be shit, it would only be shittier with someone who’s half that in height”

…

“Julian… how do you know that stuff?” I don’t think that’s a wise question Whitty

“…”

“Julian, HOW do you know that?”

"..."

“JULES!”

“Oh look, the arts and crafts store~ let’s go see”

“Yay!” The kids shouted in chorus

“JULIAN!”

Chapter 19: Boys’ “friends”

Notes:

Hey everyone! Sorry I posted this so late, like I mentioned before, these are going to be two busy years for me.
That aside, those who were wondering why I was being so mean about Boyfriend? Well, I can tell you that was not without reason. That was built-up. But I did take your comments into consideration so you wouldn’t rage quit until the right time came for the plot relevance of it to come to fruition. Where did I want to go with it? …. Anyways, enjoy!

Everyone follow as Julian went ahead of everyone and entered the arts and crafts shop with Skids and Pump, the two little gremlins already scattered about looking at stuff while everyone else was by Julian with curiosity.

Who was very obviously trying to drop the subject and avoid eye contact.

Btw, if you guys need a quick recap of how the last chapter ended, well, it seems Julian knows more about assassination or at least weapons than we thought.

“Julian! How do you know about things like weapons and shit?!” I admit I’m curious myself Whitty

Julian had his back to them but let out a small sigh before turning around half way, making sure the kids were distracted “look, I’ve never killed anyone. I can assure you that much. But remember that growing up I was as poor as I am now even if I had quote on quote ‘parents’. So I had to do… errands, for some folks.”

Wait… does that imply…

“You were in the-!” The Smurf started shouting but his mouth was all but covered by Julian at the last moment, nice save

Julian then whisper shouted “No! I was not part of the mafia! At least not officially. And if you keep it down I’ll elaborate, can you all agree to that?” They all exchanged looks and nodded after shrugging, Julian removing his hand from boyfriends face and standing up again.

And if some of you are wondering, people around were kinda staring a bit at the sudden display, some of them a bit uneasy but went back to their business. It’ll make sense later trust me.

…and before you are wondering, no, I don’t know the ending of the story, I’m just the god damn narrator. I reiterate the present action and know a little of what’s to come but otherwise I’m working with the same information as you, so don’t even ask!

“Look, it’s not like I was a mafioso or some shit like that. I suppose I should also say I never was directly involved in anything. I was just an errand boy, but I did see a lot of unsavory shit.” He then looked uncomfortable “and yes, if you look at it from the LEGAL point of view, while I was not directly killing or hurting anyone, I was guilty by association by knowing shit was going on and doing squat”

“Why you never said anything? You seem pretty open about all the terrible shit you had to endure as a kid, so what’s different? Also, you KNOW I’m a hit man right? And pretty much everyone except Hex has done some illegal shit” …does that imply that the kids… you know what, better not think about it.

“Wasn’t Hex arrested because they found all that stolen shit that someone put in his bag?” …I wanna strangle you Smurf

Poor Hex looked like he was going to cry, or at least his screen display showed his eyes that way “Yes! It’s true! I’m a criminal! I’m sorry for being a bad example! I’ve disappointed my friend and you guys!”

Most of them looked angrily at Boyfriend who let out a scared eep.

Julian on the other hand just looked at Hex with sympathy before placing his arm around Hex neck and bringing him closer “if it makes you feel any better, we were both charged for crimes we didn’t commit. So you’re not alone buddy”

“But you were innocent as well! It makes me sad that that happened to you in the first place!”

“That is true Hex. But just because you were arrested does not equate to you being guilty or a bad person. Nelson Mandela and Gandhi were arrested and jailed, does that make them bad people?”

Hex looked taken aback (as well as some of the others) and was looking tearfully (metaphorically, duh -_-) at Julian “It only means the system is broken. And you are doing your best to be good. If you ask me, that says WAY more. Even if other people don’t see it that way”

Hex then proceeded to hug Julian and gave a quiet “thank you”

Aweee.

…

Wait

You sneaky motherfucker!

“Hey! Don’t change the subject!” You were the one that started it Smurf

“You were the one that brought it up” …you know, I’m kinda tired that you guys keep saying what I literally just said Julian. I mean, I know you guys can’t hear mean (except maybe Pico *gulp*) but come on! There’s a limit to this!

“That’s beside the point.” Tabi started with a frustrated sigh “why tell us all freely about the dark shit of your childhood but not this?”

…

“Because the other things were things done TO him. Not BY him”

“Heh, always on point. Eh Ruv?” …Julian?

“That’s not true. The dog incident-“ Agoti started but was cut off by Aldryx “was an accident. It wasn’t something Julian deliberately did”

“Once again, true.” Julian then took a heavy sigh “I don’t like talking about that part of my life for two reasons.

First, I’m ashamed to say I looked the other way in many situations that, in retrospect, could’ve been solved with less bloodshed. So whether I like it or not, I was an unwilling accomplice to many crimes. The only thing I have to my favor there is that I don’t actually know or saw any of the details. But you don’t need to be a genius to know someone died if you see a puddle of blood flowing under a door or you deliver a bunch of AK-47s to a whole lot of shady guys”

“That does explain why you are such a goodie two shoes and nosey”

“What you mean bro?”

“Well, if you were constantly looking the other way, I guess it makes sense you want to, I don’t know, make up for it? I guess? Like when you tried to help the time of your arrest. Or how you are constantly making sure we don’t get in legal trouble.”

“I… never actually thought about it that way…”

Wait, really?

“Wait really?” …Smurf “you are the guy that constantly profiles everyone and thinks about the why of shit. How did it not occurred to you that it was because you felt like guilty or some other crap?”

“I don’t know, ok?! I constantly analyze myself and everyone, sure, but sometimes I just go with the motions or miss something, like any other person would! I’m not perfect!”

“Yeah but still, you are like the genius in the emotional/psychological bullshit department”

“Oh like you are one to talk about being oblivious” added Tabi

“The fuck does that mean?”

“Need I remind you when you started dating that bitch?” Aldryx finished, that’s… a bit of a low blow dude…

“T-t-that’s different!”

“How?” Agoti raised a brow

“ANYWAYS” Julian raised his voice to continue “I always was thinking more along the lines that I wanted to help people because I felt unwanted and responsible for my ability. I really wanted to be of use and have SOME sense of purpose. Remember I was just a kid back then. I guess it skipped my mind it could be influenced by guilt of not helping. I feel bad for it, sure, but I think considering all the bs that I was facing at the time, it was just left in the back burner. Not to mention that we can’t place our entire behavior on one thing, it’s a whole cocktail of different factors really”

“So wait, back to the mafia thing, why would they even use you? If you were not part of the mafia I mean” that’s for taking us back on track Agoti

“I was a poor squirt with failure to thrive. What better to have if you need small supplies being transported from here and there than a patsy no one cares about if he gets killed?” … well… he’s not WRONG… but still… hash

“Failure to thrive in what?” that’s what you focused on smurf?

“The internet says it’s when ‘their weight or rate of weight gain is significantly below that of other children of similar age and sex’, it also says that can also affect height and some other factors and is typically caused by basically malnourishment and other medical factors” Hex showed them the search results on his screen

“So basically, despite being a skyscraper right now, you were a shrimp as a kid?” Pico asked surprised. I mean, I get it, the others were not in on the other conversation, and I would also have issues imagining someone that tall being so small at ANY point in life. … in real life I mean. You guys know that’s a common trope in anime and shit. Sheesh.

“Bullseye. I was actually about Ruvools height when I was 14 before my sudden growth spurt slowly started. Surprised everyone, even me. According to doctors, it didn’t even make sense and was a medical wonder.”

“Maybe it was because you were in really bad shape before? You had shitty foster parents and all that crap. And maybe when you acquire some independence it allowed you to grow? It happened at 14, right? I remember doing a lot of bullshit at that age on my own” I mean, I don’t think you are that far off from back then Agoti, if that was the case.

“And me cleaning up after you, plus, you talk like it was a long time ago. You are 19, not much has changed since” …just because it’s not the same words does not mean it’s not the same thing…

“You were involved in some of that crap too! So don’t play saint!” Do you two ever NOT fight?

“Well… if Julian was being used as human cattle for his genes I guess that makes sense…” true Whitty, unfortunately true

“Why not mention it before though? The other shrimp seems to be bitter about his height, and you were shorter for longer. So far anyways” you’re one to talk Smurf

“I didn’t say it back then because I don’t want to give him false hope. Even I don’t know what happened there. And we don’t have the same genes, so who knows if that will happen to him; also, even if we were related by blood, that is not a guarantee. Look at Ruv and Ruvool, they literally have the same genes and one is tall as fuck and the other is barely taller than the formers boots. Not to mention he is still growing, so anything we say it’s speculation”

“And it’s not like Ruv will TELL US how tall he was as a kid to get an idea” Pico raises a good point

“No shit, I’m still trying to figure out what’s his problem with food” some do, but I’m no snitch Smurf.

“Who knows, maybe he is just being a dick. Wouldn’t be the first time” grumbled Whitty. Good man Whitty, good man

“Ruv past it’s his own, we may never know. I myself wonder what happened to his eye though” Julian finished while Ruv gave a deadpan look towards him and Whitty but said nothing.

“But don’t you want to know? I mean, so far we know squat about Ruv. And we’ve known him for almost a year. He could’ve been a politician or a Russian assassin for the mafia for all we know. I honestly think that’s the case, since when we met he tried to kill me just because I upset Sarvente”

“Or maybe he is just someone that happens to be from Russia and is grumpy? Him being Russian doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a criminal, being one would be besides the point” Hex said

“No way. Someone as hard boil as him has definitely seen some shit, even before we met him. He even said he was a criminal himself” Pico protested

“He did tried to kill Whitty” Agoti

“How you even know that?” Julian asked

“Oh right, you were not in the gang yet. We were at the Smurf’s apartment and he admitted it.” Agoti… wtf?

“Agoti… are you sure that was not like… I don’t know… a private conversation? I think you should have consulted with Ruv and Whitty if they wanted that info out…” you took the words out of my mouth Julian

“Ruv didn’t deny it, he kinda even admitted to it. Whitty once said that he was given a nickname by Ruv, but apparently that was just Ruv cursing because he threw a knife at him and missed at the last moment. Ruv admitted as much himself” filled Tabi

“Oh right. The knife story. I forgot about that. Yeah, Whitty told me”

Pico then snorted “Did either of them ever tell you the story about when Ruv almost killed him because he thought Whitty was an oversized raccoon?”

“…how would that even-“

“Can we talk about something else?!” Someone is blushing in embarrassment, lol

“You just don’t want Julian to know you where spying on me”

“Shut up!”

“Why were you spying on Ruv?”

“He said he was worried I was going to kill him because I threatened him subtly beforehand”

“Oh… so were you?”

“Yes”

“Well that answers that”

“No it doesn’t! It only answers that he was going to kill Whitty, which we all pretty much already knew and- wait, you are doing it again!”

“Doing what BF?”

“You know what! You already knew all of this! You are just changing the topic, AGAIN!”

“Since when are you smart?”

“Fuck you! I can be smart!”

“Pfft, yeah. And I’m a lousy shot and dye my hair orange”

“Why is everyone always at my neck?! What did I-“

“Anyways, back to the subject at hand” Aldryx cut him… uhm, guys, I’m not a big fan of the Smurf either, but aren’t you being a little extra mean today?

“So, to summarize, you don’t like talking about it because you feel accountable?” Whitty finished

“…yeah”

…”Well, if it makes you feel any better, you are a good person because you feel bad for what you did! So that means you are not a bad person!” Oh Hex, you marshmallow you.

“…I fucking love this cinnamon roll of a robot” if anyone can flip things around on a person in a totally pure fashion is none other than Hex my dude.

“Wait. What was the second one then?”

Oh right, almost forgot. Thanks Aldryx.

“Oh, the second is actually simple. I hate reinforcing stereotypes. And a black guy in a gang or mafia would totally fit that”

“Oh yeah… but, if you hate reinforcing stereotypes…” ooh boy “you were a part of a gang… and are currently part of one… what about other stereotypes then?” Smurf, please don’t, really, I’m feeling bad for you, so I beg you “does that mean you like to eat-“

Julian grimaced, quoting Hex, oh dear “Yes! I fucking love fried chicken! So what?! I also love watermelon! Is there a fucking problem with that?!”

“N-no! I was just curious!”

“Do you like grape soda?” Agoti not now.

“Fuck no. Give me orange any day”

“Honestly, do you ever think things at ALL?” Aldryx, chill. Please.

“Hey!”

“”Nah, even when we dated he was always an airhead. He once took us to a restaurant and the idiot thought he brought $100 dollar bill, it was a $10” Pico, I said please.

“Now listen here-“

“He went against a guy that is obviously armed, dangerous and three times his height. I doubt a lot is happening upstairs”

“You Russian ass-“

“He is dating a bitch, what do you expect-“

“SHUT THE HELL UP!!!” Everyone actually jumped or winced at Boyfriends sudden outburst “The fuck is wrong with all of you?! Why is everyone always at MY throat?! I’m not actively attacking any of you! So why am I always the scapegoat?!”

“Us? You are the moron that speaks without thinking” if Agoti is the one saying that…

“Look who’s talking!”

“Agoti does stupid shit, he doesn’t say it… typically” that a… semi-decent way to defend your brother, I guess

“How’s that any better?!”

“Agoti is not the guy who jumps the gun into pestering people just minding their own business” Whitty added with a scowl

“Oh my god! Are you still not over that?!”

“You made me blow up! Do you have any idea how much that HURTS?!”

“I didn’t know you could do that!”

“I’m a talking. Walking. Giant. BOMB. How the FUCK did you miss that?! Did you not notice the giant fuse sticking out of my head?!”

“Plus there was the concert thing.” AGOTI!

“I didn’t mean to make you explode!”

“Oh, because that makes it ALL better, does it?”

“Oh dear, please don’t fight!” Help me Hex!

“I’m with Hex, I think things are getting a little heated up, why don’t we-“

“Shut up Julian!”

!!!

“You think you are all that with being this perfect guy that everyone likes and can talk your problems away! Like, we get it! You had a cesspool childhood and came out on top being a better person and shit! Ooo look at me! I’m a good guy with a tragic past! Love me! Well fuck you!”

“What’s going on?” Oh no, the kids heard “We heard shouting, is someone sad?”

“Oh like you guys know what that is like! You two are just happy-go-lucky about everything! Even death!”

“Woah! Bf, chill!”

“No! Fuck you Julian! I’m sick of this! You guys are not the only ones with issues! I have shit going on too! So fuck all of you!” Before anyone else could say anything, Boyfriend exited the store while slamming the door

“Hey! Watch the door!” Yelled the shop owner

“…whats with him?” …are you fucking kidding me Pico?

“Uh guys, I have to say, he is kinda right”

“What?” everyone looked at Julian with confusion.

“You shouted at him too” that’s not the point here Whitty

“Yeah, because he said some ignorant shit. But you guys… since I met all of you I’ve sensed this underlying hostility towards him. And not only when he says crap, I mean. I should’ve asked this sooner but… do any one you have any beef with him or something?”

“Julian you don’t know this. But that little twerp has caused issues for pretty much everyone” Whitty started

“Except for me.” Of course it’s Hex “the first time we met he even helped me after a friendly rap battle”

“And us.” “Yeah. We accidentally almost got him eaten.” These kids…

“Point is. Most of us have tried to kill him, and we can’t say it was not deserved in most cases”

“O-k… but still.”

“In my case I was just hired to kill him but decided to let him go. So in a way he owes me money. And a hit. The rest is just me being the gorgeous asshole that I am”

“Didn’t you used to date him?”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant”

“…”

“… what?”

“Are you being serious right now Pico?”

“He is a nuisance” Ruv cut in

“You think that of just about everyone Ruv”

“Ok, he’s a BIG nuisance”

“I need more info to work with here guys”

“You’ve worked with less” Whitty

“It’s more complicated than that”

“How?”

“It just is! *sigh* look. It depends on a lot of factors. And right now, I think I have a basic idea of why YOU guys are mad at him. But not about why HE is mad”

“He’s an small idiot with a big ego. What else is there?” Whitty… I know you are hurt… but still…

Everyone then flinched back as Julian gave them a glare, his dark aura seeping out. Woah, typically when Julian gets mad he does his sweet angry smile, so for him to actually glare.

“I’m disappointed in you guys”

…ouch…

“Hex, please take care of the kids so they can look around and pay afterwards. They each get a $50 cap. We don’t want them getting used to unlimited funds, they only get that much because this is a treat for them. As for the rest of you…”

They all looked at Julian chastised before his expression softened “please, reconsider a bit? I know you guys have it in you”

“…where are you going?”

“I’m going to tend to our friend”

Julian then exited the store, looking left and right but saw nothing. He frown a bit but saw a relatively tall guy (he was shorter than him but to the average high he was tall) looking a bit baffled as he was looking towards something. Bingo.

Julian approached him and tapped his shoulder, startling him and causing him to yelp and react in an exaggerated fashion “zoinks!”

“Ah. Sorry to startle you”

The guy then calmed down and started to turn with a smile upon hearing Julians voice “Nah it’s ok ma-ZOINKS!” He seems to be a scaredy-cat and has a bit of a nasally voice, where have I heard that before? “You’re tall! I thought I was tall but-please don’t hurt me! I have a dog! And 3 friends!” …why would you mention the dog first?

Julian snorted a bit in giggles “Nah, don’t worry. Not gonna do anything like that. I’m just looking for my friend. Have you seen a little guy about yay heigh? Blue hair? Red hat? White shirt? Kinda makes him look like a Smurf?”

He looked confused for a bit before his expression brightened “Oh! You must be, like, one of the guys Momi said were ok! Is it true you are one of Bitty and Ruvools older brothers?”

Julian contemplated what he said a moment “Yeah. To both. She said she made the call this morning though”

“This is a small town man. News travel super fast”

“That why you know Momi, Bitty and Ruvool?”

“Oh yeah! Everyone knows Momi, her cafe has good prices and some of the best food and coffee in town. Plus she’s, like, super nice. Not to mention pretty. Scoo-I mean, my dog even likes her, and he hates cats.

Ruvool kinda scares me, he gives me weird vibes, like he’s scary AND scared, which I totally relate on the latter. But he is a nice kid once you get to know him and Bitty is not only nice, he’s a total master chef! Don’t let that modestly fool ya, I’ve never been able to beat him even once at cooking! And I make a mean peanut butter, bacon, banana & pickle sandwich!”

“While normally I would be totally inclined to compare recipes with you and maybe chow down together sometime, right now I’m in a bit of a hurry”

“You’re welcome to try and beat me at eating man. Bitty is the only one that has ever come close and succeeded. You could say this is second nature for me. Or like, super instinct” I feel like that’s a reference to something… “Then again, you guys are brothers so-“

“Ahem”

“Oh right! Your friend. Yeah, he shoved past me a moment ago. He looked really peeved”

“Any idea where he went?”

“Well, I think he went to the park? There is one nearby that way, so I would look there if I were you”

“Thanks dude”

“No problem! So long man! Hope you find your little blue friend!”

I think we should take note of some of those things, but let’s do that later. After asking a bit more along the way, Julian finally found our smurfy friend sitting at a park bench, arms crossed and with a pout. Hate to admit, he looks a little cute.

Julian gave a small smile and slowly approached him from behind before resting his arms on the back of the bench “nice park, you don’t get this in the ol city”

“The fuck do you want?”

“Just checking on my smurfy friend”

“Ugh”

“Seriously though, what’s eating at ya?”

“You are the shrink. You tell me”

“I think you are seriously constipated emotionally and need some release”

“And you know this because you read the room and you know shit and already know the problem and blah blah blah, can we get on with it?”

“Actually, that’s actually the reason I’m here” Boyfriend was still mad but turned to look at him. “I’m here because I DON’T know. But I WANT to know” Boyfriends eyes widen as Julian walked around the bench and sat besides him. Sharing eye contact once he sat.

“I know things from the others point of view, and I got a vague idea of the situation. But I don’t know what is going on with you.”

Boyfriend looked up at Julian, his face morphing to something sadder and more… vulnerable…

“Which is why I’m here. Let’s talk about you. Let’s talk about: Boyfriend”

Notes:

... I can be a teasing Bitch if I want to. lol

Chapter 20: Boyfriend Blues

Summary:

In which bottled up feeling and thoughts finally come to light.

Recap from the previous chapter, after Boyfriend puffed off in a rage, Julian followed to see what the problem was, now a confused Boyfriend, who had expected him to already know what the problem was as Julian typically guessed, was met with the surprise that that was not the case.

“…what do you mean you don’t know anything? You always figure shit out about any problem with someone’s feelings. From what I’ve seen you are pretty much a mentalist or something”

Julian just shrugged “Well, I’m good at finding problems, in both senses of the phrase. But I’m no mentalist or mind reader.”

Boyfriend looked at Julian skeptically and raised a brow in suspicion.

Now, to be fair, Boyfriend and the others were not with Julian when he said he was people smart, not situation smart, so I get that Boyfriend and the others are still under the impression Julian can do that since it’s a subtle difference and think he can guess everything that is going on, I think the last chapter lampshades that? I think? Whatever, Boyfriend was skeptical “So what DO you know?”

“Well, I’ve gathered the others are mad at you for one reason or the other. Tabi is something to do with your girlfriend that used to be his ex, and we both know how THAT turned out. Aldryx is kinda linked to that. Pico had mixed feelings about being your ex but otherwise he is just being his asshole self. Ruv at this point doesn’t care anymore, he just finds you annoying. Agoti just kinda goes with the flow. Whitty you made blow up after you harassed him beyond his limit, and the rest don’t really have a problem. The kids do what Agoti and go with the motions but otherwise are ok with you. And Hex is Hex.”

“If you know all that then why are you-“

“But the weird thing is…” Julian interrupted “that you don’t seem upset about those, or at least they are not the main reason. Those were just the straw, or rather straws, that broke the camels’ back. So I’m trying to figure out what is going on”

“Like you care”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Do you want us to go somewhere more private?” Hm, I’m mean, your two are in the middle of a park. That would not be such a bad idea

“No” or not

“…”

There were quite for a while. No one saying anything and the only noise heard was the soft sound of the wind blowing against the foliage. Julian saw how hesitant Boyfriend was, but decided to just smile, cross his arms, place one leg on top the other and rest his back on the bench, waiting for Boyfriend to be ready as he closed his eyes

Awe, now that is a friend

30 minutes passed, but nothing was said. Boyfriend kept taking glances at Julian, who did nothing. After another 5 minutes, he finally broke the silence “It’s because I’m a prick that makes rash and bad choices…”

Julian opened one of his eyes and looked at Boyfriend “Hm?”

“It’s just… the last year has made me realize some stuff… and that actions have consequences…”

Julian now opened both eyes and turned to look at Bf more directly “Such as?”

“A lot of things, life things, just everything. My personal life, my love life, my career. Everything you JUST said”

“Why don’t we start with one at a time?”

“Where do I even start? My life is so fucked up right now. And I’ve hurt a lot of people for not thinking things through”

“I get the feeling you are not only talking about saying stupid bullshit”

“*groan* yes. Not only that”

Not the time Julian “Sorry, continue”

“I mean. I just wanted to be a famous rapper. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, I wanted to prove I was the best.”

“Did you intentionally start any fights?”

“Rap battles. And only on occasion”

“Seems to me that it was often enough to eat at ya”

“Ugh. I hate you. Yes. You could say I’m a little too competitive. But is not like I wanted to hurt people. I-I just wanted to show off my skills. And many times it was THEM that approached me. It’s not my fault that it backfired on them because they could not beat me. I’m not the bad guy!”

“You’re the one that said that, not me”

“The fuck does that mean?!” easy, he’s not attacking you “It’s not my fault people want to constantly go up against me and then are sore losers! But apparently that’s not good enough either! Because my girlfriends’ parents are total bastards that no matter what I do is never, EVER good enough!”

“They don’t like you?”

“LIKE me? They HATE me! And at this point I don’t even know why! I’m a recognized rapper! I even have merchandise and fans! But every time they see me they always are either passive aggressive or outright murdery! I mean, for fucks sake! I’m pretty sure they were the ones that hired Anders to kill me! Wouldn’t be the first time!”

“Pico mentioned something like that”

“Yeah. They hired Pico. And he is blacklisted or something because of it. Which is not fair either. I’m not an expert on hit men or assassin shit, but I would think they had the right to refuse a job”

“Did he get paid beforehand?” why?

“Huh? Uh, well, he once told me that in some jobs they only pay you half upfront and the other half once the job is done, so, I think so. What’s that got to do with anything?” yeah

“Then that’s why. He got paid but just basically run with the money. In the underworld that gets you hurt, killed or worse” yikes. But… even if it were not the underworld it would be pretty crapy to just take the money and run. So…

“How you- oh yeah. Mafia shit. Is that why you were so calmed when Anders pointed a guy to your head?” Now that you mentioned it…

“You get used to shit like that, sadly. Even if you are not guilty, people on that line of work test you to see if you did it or not. There is little trust, despite some claiming it’s ALL about trust, so you need to learn about keeping a poker face or at least a resting bitch face.” …this is a sad explanation and I hate how much sense it makes…

“Like when you are angry but are smiling?” “Hm, something like that. But anyways, there IS honor among thieves. In some circles at least. And seems to me that Pico broke one when he got paid but didn’t do the job”

“I already know that! It’s just… I-it’s just not fair! Nothing is fair! I don’t deserve to die just because I’m not ‘good enough’, why AM I not good enough?! And it’s not my fault that asshole happens to be my girlfriends dad! Why am I at fault for what he does just because I’m dating his daughter?! For what any of them do?! He does shit to me too! And I’ve tried so hard to get on both their good sides! For fucks sake! I even pushed him from getting hit by a freaking car! But noooooo, and then he trapped me in a void just because I’ve might have ACCIDENTALLY caused a fire in his property.”

“What you mean?”

“What I mean about what?”

“What you mean when they blame you for what either of them do? Like, blame by proxy?” Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that, its blame by association right? Like, you are guilty too because you know that person or hang out with them even if you didn’t knew. Sins of the parents too and that shit. …well that’s just not fair…

“That’s the whole deal with Tabi. My girlfriend helped in doing something very bad to him. As you know. And to Aldryx and Agoti by extension. And… I… I just defended her right off the bat and pretty much just treated Tabi like he was the bad guy…”

“Well. It was a complex situation. You were not wrong to defend your girlfriend, any good partner would. But you WERE wrong in not trying to at least understand the situation first”

“I know! I know! And I feel bad about it! I didn’t know all that shit was happening! But it’s not fair that they blame me for not knowing! The whole family was very sneaky about the whole thing with Agoti, Whitty and Tabi! I mean, they know how to hide things. And I specially didn’t know about Tabi being her boyfriend!”

“What do you mean?” …well this is awkward…

“…” Boyfriend was silent and fidgeted awkwardly, Julian squinted at him before his eyes slowly open in realization

“HOLLY SHIT! You were the OTHER guy?”

“I didn’t know! Ok?! I know I sound like a broken record, but I really didn’t know! Like I said, they are sneaky and very good at keeping secrets. Not to mention keeping people on their payroll or making them disappear. So I did not know either what they did to Agoti until I met him IN the void” his face then shifted to something sadder, all anger drained from his face “and then there is my girlfriend…”

“What about her?”

“It’s just… I love her, I really REALLY do… but…I… I don’t know if she is real anymore… or if she ever was”

“Real?” We both know where this is going Julian

“It’s hard to explain… what if… what if I’m just another Tabi?” called it

“…”

“And not only that. She did try to apologize to Tabi when I first met him, but was that even real? WAS she sorry? Could she do that again? Will she do that to me? What ELSE has she done? She is a pretty good actress and she knew her parents had screwed over an entire family and cheated on her boyfriend she was just using with a smile on her face… I knew she did bad things in the past… I know I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m not as dumb as everyone thinks… but I guess I should have put more thought into things…” he then turned his head away, not looking at him, as if with shame “this may look like a sudden outburst, but it has actually been bugging me for months. Which is why I was so ok with being on this road trip for so long. I… haven’t actually called her in some time… that is also why I started to think even more about my career…”

“Let me guess, you thought that if something happened, you would at least have that?” Makes sense, a little pragmatic and cold to say, but if you lose something important at least have something to fall back on.

Boyfriend then started squirming even more, hunching, and his voice now sounding watery “I’m so sorry Julian…”

Huh?

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry I’m so selfish.”

“…what you mean?”

“When we first met… you told us you were arrested… you risked everything with what you revealed… you were sad, lonely, desperate and pretty much living a cesspool of a life… and I was only thinking of myself…”

Am I the only one lost?

“…”

Good

“… I said no… because *hic* because you said anyone that would dare to associate with you would commit career suicide… so I said no because I didn’t want to lose my career…“

“…”

“I was willing to throw you aside because you would ‘ruin’ my life… I didn’t know what was going to happen and I did not wanted risk losing the one thing I had left. Even if *hic* even if it was to the expense of someone else”

“…”

“I was so, SO selfish… I’m *hic* sorry, Julian”

…Boyfriend…

“…”

“…*hic* I’m sorry *hic*”

“…Figured it was something like that”

…

“…”

…

“…what?”

“Heh, you thought I was going to get mad at you? My little Smurf, I figured that was the case since the day we met”

Should anyone really be surprised? Julian is a master at pulling the strings, honestly this was kinda expected at this point.

“But… but then, then… why didn’t you say anything?!”

“I thought I’d give you time to piece out things on your own. Or that you’d warm up to me. Whichever came first”

“You’re not mad?”

Julian replied casually with a shrug “Well, I was sad for a moment when it happened. But I understand your position. Anyone would. As open as people want to believe they are, it’s understandable to be wary of someone with a criminal record. It’s just the way society has taught us. We all do it, even if it’s subconsciously”

Boyfriend was just looking up at Julian with his mouth hanging like a fish. Maybe close that mouth buddy, don’t want flies flying in “… How are you so chill about this?” Boyfriend started but Julian just gave a casually confused “Hm?” to which I have to agree with Boyfriend and it’s a little odd that you are so chill about all of this.

“About anything, really?” boyfriend continued “I just admitted that I was willing to push you back inside a bottomless pit, and you just, FORGIVE me? No, you forgave me WHEN it happened? Every time someone does some shit to you, you just… turn the other cheek. How? WHY?”

Julians shoulders drop as he let out a heavy sigh and looked up to some clouds “*sigh* when you live the kinda life I’ve lived, it only gives you so many options. To me, the most important thing about when someone does something is WHY they did it, and if they are willing to repent for it. It’s not the same a guy that steals to feed his family than one that does it for the thrill or greed.”

“…” Julian took Boyfriends silence as a go to continue “I COULD dwell in all the shit that constantly happens to me, but where would that take me? I would just live in a constant cycle of pain. Been there buddy, it’s awful. So I just try to do the best with a bad situation, and sometimes that means just letting things slide. Plus, people grief in different ways and yet they all go through the 5 stages. I was no different”

“Stages?”

“The 5 stages of grief. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.”

“And you say everyone goes through them?”

“Oh yeah. Didn’t you notice? You literally passed through some of them right now”

“I did?” yeah

“Yup. You got angry, tried to plant a case in your favor and got sad”

“That’s… how did you-“

“I didn’t do squat this time my dude”

“But you-“

“All I did was say something here and there. You worked through your feelings yourself” I mean, he’s right. Boyfriend did all the thinking… never thought I’d say those words… in not pestering him, ok?! Like you didn’t find me saying that weird. Even the creator of the character says he’s “far too dumb” to be afraid, so what does that say about thinking?

What have I told you about meta commentary?

Oh come on, you are the author, you should know. Plus, you said I was allowed to break the forth wall

Do I literally need to write you a list of things you are NOT allowed to say?

Hmm, well, couldn’t hurt.

Ugh. Fine. Now please get back to work, I had to pause things and the characters will definitely feel weirded out because of it

How come that never happens when I do it?

Because I have more power in this than you, so it has a side effect since it SHOULDN’T be happening in the first place

Fascist

Get. Back. To. Work. Please.

Ok, ok, sheesh.

So, where were we? Oh right. Julian and Boyfriend now suddenly looked a bit frazzled, as if they had just experienced a wave of weird vibes due to an overly scrupulous party pooper that doesn’t want me to do meta jokes or commentary even though we both know they could be useful and have a lot of hilarious potential

Watch it

Heh

Julian continue slowly before recovering quickly “… uh… anyways… you did all the work there. I just helped a little. At the end of the day, that’s how things work.” How what works?

“How do you know someone is going through them?” Don’t ignore my question even though you can’t hear me

… shut up

“It’s hard to tell. It varies from person to person, but in some cases it can be pretty obvious. And in others you can tell once you get to know a person and learn their quirks. In fact, most of the others are stuck in some of them.”

“Really? Wait, now that you mention it…” gears start to move “Tabi seems to be stuck in anger… Aldryx seems… on the depressed one? And I THINK Whitty might be in… uhm… anger? Maybe? I don’t know, they seem to alternate between the first 4, is that even possible?”

“Sure is, people are complex. We are not always in one stage, sometimes we alternate between them. Like Tabi, he is stuck between anger, depression and sometimes bargaining. That’s why I’m trying to help him move over to acceptance. He’s close, but not there yet. People heal and progress to their own pace”

“You know what phase the others are stuck in too? Wait, is Ruv on that list?”

“Hmm, I can’t tell you that”

“What? Why?”

“Patient-client confidentiality” Among other reasons

“What the Fuck? You JUST told me about Tabis’. And you are not even licensed! So who cares?”

“I care. And because I have his permission to. Tabi doesn’t like talking about it, but he is okay with others doing it for him. Ruv doesn’t, so I can’t betray his trust in telling you”

Boyfriend squinted at Julian “How are you such a nice guy?”

“Pardon?”

“With all the crap you’ve endured, I’d think you would be not only mad and in pain, but a total prick. I mean, most of us are and you can be a shit, but that’s not the same. And your life sounds like the perfect origin story for a supervillain” Hm, now that’s an interesting thought…

Julian laughed at that for a moment before continuing “Because I’ve been on the victims side, I’ve been in situations that where beyond unfair, degrading, hurtful and more. I know what it feels and I don’t want others to feel that pain, I refuse to fallow that path. What you said it’s basically when victims become victimizers. Some people get stuck in the pain so much, they can’t see anything beyond their own face. They want others to feel as bad as they feel, so that’s when selfishness kicks in”

“Selfishness? You are hurt, how are you being selfish?”

“We all are. Some more than others and in different ways. Like, when a kid has problems at home and lashes out at school. Their mind is trying to make sense of the situation the only way it knows, which is a bad way. And even if you are already an adult but are faced with a lot of stress or adversity.”

“Ok, that makes sense. I guess”

“Or when you are constantly on the run for merely existing and an accident you where framed for and someone doesn’t just leave you alone, or when you are having troubles with your girlfriend and start acting or saying stupid shit without thinking”

“Ok! Ok! I get it! It’s not like I say shit to be a dick you know?! I don’t mean things in a bad way!”

“Oh, I know that” …

…

“…”

Wait for it

“…”

…

“WHAT?!” There it is, also, WHAT?

Julian just bursted out laughing, just explain you dick “sorry, sorry. Ok. So, from what I’ve seen, I can tell you’re a good guy, but sometimes you either comment without thinking or try to help but it come out wrong and you end up sounding like a douche without meaning to. So I know you mean well and are just curious about things you don’t understand, but it seems you need to learn how to express that better”

“Ok... I guess I could… try that...so… uh… sorry about that”

“Eh. No skin off my back”

“Ok, so that deals with SOME of my issues. What do I do about my relationship?”

“You asking me?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what to do. I love her and I THINK she loves me. But I have too many unfamiliar feelings right now. I don’t even know what to call half of them”

“I see where this is going. So at this point, you are wondering where your relationship stands, if it’s worth keeping and if she will do the same thing to you. Did I get that right?” 

“I hate that you can guess things so accurately” 

“If you knew the answer then why ask me?” 

“Because you are the shrink! I wanted you to tell me what to do!” 

Julian sounded annoyed “See, that’s a common error people make” 

“Huh?” 

“A psychologist is not someone that will fix your problems. It’s someone that helps you identify them and help you WORK though them. We are just guides. We don’t make your problems go away or ‘fix people’. People fix themselves. Like you JUST did”

Boyfriends eyes widen but kept listening “So that’s why so many think we are useless or unhelpful. Because if YOU don’t want to help yourself or change, then we can’t do anything. We don’t tell you what to do, we suggest on what is best, sure, but the final say stays on you. So if you want to stay on your unhealthy habits because it’s hard or an annoyance, well, are you then expecting us to force you to change? Or change you with a magic wand so your problems disappear without you doing anything that would involve any hassle?”

Boyfriend then shrink on his shoulders a bit, but the chew down was not over yet “Like, if a detective found the real killer of a crime scene, and it turned out the killer was your dad, does that mean the detective conspired to get at you? Or your dad? Did he do his job wrong just because you didn’t like the answer?” 

Boyfriend stayed quite, looking at the ground

“I know you are conflicted and want me to tell you what to do because I know stuff. But deep down, your mind is just trying to find a scapegoat and an easy way out from a bad situation” 

“Im not-“ 

“We all do it at one point or another BF. Is it cowardly that you are trying to cope out by having someone else choose for you so if they answered wrong you can blame them so you are guilt free? Of course it is. But I think most if not all people have done it at one point or another, like I said. I know you’re not bad for trying that. You’re just a guy that is desperate and wants to know what to do” I feel …kinda called out…

“…Im sorry… I guess you’re right. It’s just… I DO love her. But I don’t know what to do. I may not be smart but I do know my case it’s not the same as Tabi because her parents totally disapprove of me and yet she sticks with me. My guess is they disapprove BECAUSE they can’t leech off me or GAIN something off me since they are already rich and famous themselves” 

“…But?” 

“But, it’s just... I know I’m repeating myself, but I didn’t know she was capable of that. I mean, she’s a demon so I know she IS. But, I guess I’m wondering if she would ever do that to me… I mean, she did tried to apologize to Tabi and actually seemed remorseful… but… I…” 

“You’re wondering if she even has a heart?” 

“…Am I a bad person for wondering that?” 

“No.” 

“So… what do you suggest?” 

“As cliché as it may sound. Just talk to her. Did she do something really shitty and should be held accountable? Fuck yeah she does. Not to mention that she needs to give Tabi a proper apology and maybe compensation if you want to take the legal route. Maybe even do time. But the only thing I can advise here is that. I don’t know her enough to make any conjectures about if she actually regrets it, maybe she does, or maybe she just says that so you won’t leave her out of fear. Who knows? I know that’s not want you want to hear. But that’s what I can offer” 

Boyfriend looked at the ground, deep in though as a soft wind blew. He then turned to Julian and said in a soft voice “I… understand… thank you Julian” 

Julian replied in an equally soft voice “Any time Boyfriend” 

Chapter 21: Apologies and Awareness

Notes:

Surprise! I decided to post this chapter since it would be appropriate due to asexual awareness week (even if late).
Now, a little something important about this chapter is that it was a little of self-discovery along the way. Some things happened recently that caused me to realize I MIGHT be within the aromantic spectrum… it hit me like a ton of brick really. But in all honestly I’m not entirely sure since I do love the concept of romance and relationships… I’ve been doing some research and soul reflecting about it.
That aside, this chapter is relevant plot wise. Enjoy.

Well that previous chapter was a doozie. Not as big as the one we’re Julian spilled his guts but still. Not to mention all the lampshading that has been done so far. At least, I think there was a lot of that.

Yo, author, did the latest chapters lampshade a lot?

What do you think you are doing?

What? I’m just asking if-

You are NOT supposed to break the forth wall like that. I told you.

Aren’t I doing it all the time? Also, there technically are no walls here

To a DEGREE, you are NOT supposed to interact with me.

Ugh, you are such a goodie two shoes

I have integrity. There is a difference.

And you can be very vanilla too. Especially in food and entertainment

I’m not vanilla. At least most of the time. And even if I was what’s wrong with that? People are entitled to liking things or not, I’m finicky, so what?

Yeah, yeah keep telling yourself that

What’s that supposed to mean?

You don’t enjoy life it’s what I mean. Like when you watch movies. Like the commuter? Or what about Se7en or Shutter Island? Remember those?

Oh come on! You can’t blame me for those! The endings were so obvious! The movie pretty much hints to those things throughout and is just plot twist logic

You do realize not many people see that right? Plus you don’t like mint, hamburgers, asparagus, celery, most Chinese food-

It’s the sauces they use, ok?! I’m not big on most sweet food like orange chicken and I hate soy sauce.

And barbecue sauce and teriyaki and-

BESIDES, it’s the meat in hamburgers. It just… grosses me out

Yet you like soy milk, meatloaf and fried rice. Plus, you have a sweet tooth, so I think it’s hilarious you don’t like most sweet food.

It depends on the brand and the ingredients! Since when did this story became an assault on my personal tastes? I’m allowed to not like things most people do. And you just realize this is the opposite of being vanilla right?

Not so sure about that.

Why are you like this?

Like you don’t enjoy it. We both know you like friendly banter.

That’s beside the point. Why are you criticizing me like this? You were the one giving it to Boyfriend when he… you’re messing with me… aren’t you?

…heh

Do you want me to replace you? Because you know I can

I don’t think you will, the audience loves my sass. It would be like killing off a main character all of a sudden. Do you want to alienate your audience?

I will half your pay and you don’t get your bonus

… touché author, touché

Now can you PLEASE go back to work?

Fine, but before I do, can you tell me who the guy that tried to kill Julian is? It sounded like a guy

No. Plus, who says it’s a guy? It could be non-binary

Is it?

I’m not falling for that

Come on! Pleeeeeeease? Or at least tell me about how the cult became the greater good

…what? When was that said?

What you mean? When Momis headband came off and-

*sigh* you do realize what Momi meant with that is that she was worried that by being exposed the lady would CALL the greater good, right?

Oh. Well, you didn’t really elaborate on that. Did you?

Oh brother… (plus who says that was not on purpose)

By the way, what was her name?

Get back to work

Nooooo! I need answers! The audience wants answers!

And they will get them eventually

Ugh. You and your fucking self-discipline and scrutinized writing

If I didn’t do that the story would not be this complex yet relatable now, would it?

*grumbles* what about your grammar mistakes?

What was that?

Nothing. Ok fine, let’s go back to the story…

Where were we? Something, something, stages, something, something, Tabi, something, something, talk, ah ha! Alrighty, here we go.

A moment of silenced passed before Boyfriend turned to look at Julian and spoke in a kidding manner “you remind me of my Big brother sometimes”

“Oh? You have an older brother?”

“We are a big family. So I have lots of siblings. But you remind me of big bro”

Julian gave a teasing smile “Is he cool?”

“The coolest! He used to be into heavy metal and rock, he was very good at it too!” his mood suddenly did a 180^o “But recently he has been dealing with some... heavy stuff.”

“Heh. Heavy”

“…”

“Sorry”

“Back in high school though, he was a total chick magnet! But he said things seemed to never work out and no matter how much he tried there was just never that spark people always talked about. He just never clicked with anyone. He once even mentioned he lost his virginity to this really nice person but didn’t seemed to really care much when he said it, like he was talking about any other topic and-what?”

Julian was just staring at Boyfriend intently, making him sweat before bursting into laughter “sounds to me that your bro is also an Aromatic Asexual”

“What? What are you talking about? He got laid a lot and had many guys and girls.”

“That doesn’t mean much really”

“How come?”

“Have you ever seen movies where there is this really hot guy that all the girls like? And many have even slept with him, but it turns out that he was gay all along?”

“Yeah, So?” …

Julian simply raised a brow and wait for him to realize “Oooooooh” there we go

“Exactly. Aromantics and asexuals are just like allosexual people. We dab and experiment until we realize where we fit. It’s not always paved in stone”

“Allosexual?”

“Someone who feels sexual attraction to someone else. Doesn’t matter if you are gay, straight, or anything in between”

“But he really didn’t seem to mind sex”

“That’s because there are different types and levels of asexuality, it’s a whole spectrum” mmmhmmm

“That so? Hm, where do you fall?”

“Well, I’m a sex repulsed asexual, before you ask, based on what he said, Whitty seems to be a sex neutral and your bro seems to MAYBE be a sex positive”

“So, by sex repulsed I’m guessing you find sex gross?” no shit

“I don’t mind other people having it or sometimes even talking about it. But the IDEA of ME having sex? *shiver*”

“I ask this out of curiosity and nothing else” he said raising his hands in defense. Someone is learning~

“Have you ever tried it?”

“Hmmm. I was about to ONCE. But I never actually went through with it. It was just so... ugh. The only good thing out of that situation was the reveal that the girl turned out to be a bitch that just wanted to brag about doing it with ‘the tall, big, black guy’, so I pretty much left her high and dry after discovering her true motives”

“Wow. Way to be objectified.” he said she was a bitch, no?

“My thoughts exactly. So she obviously lied about the situation and started a rumor that I’m small down there.”

“So a classic queen bee bitch?”

“Bullseye. I don’t even know if what she said it’s true though.”

“Huh? What what is true?”

“Well, since I don’t really care about sex I think the size of my dick is pointless. But based on her face when we were about to do it I’m guessing I’m on the good side? I think? Who Knows?”

“Dude. TMI”

“Aren’t most guys into dick measuring contest?” Say what?

“What kind of guys did you hang out with?”

“Well, aside from shady mafia guys, corrupt government agents and officers and the occasional bully that made my life miserable? Not many”

“Sheesh”

Julian paused for a moment and squinted “actually, now that I think about it. That’s not entirely true”

“Oh? Did you ACTUALLY meet someone decent in your life?”

“I don’t remember them well, or at least not their names, I was only 10. But there were two guys that really clicked with me while I was in a foster home. … And then moved, again.” He then murmured “Bitch. For your own good my ass” I’m guessing he’s talking about his social worker?

“That was over 14 years ago. Did the only decent people you ever met was when you were a kid?” sad

“There was the occasional person. But these two stuck with me because they were very nice”

“So every other person you even met was a jerk?”

“More like they were either a jerk or pretended to be nice”

“Well that’s just peachy”

“Yeah. One of them was the chillest guy I’ve ever met and the other was a little cranky but very smart” he then whispered “Between you and me though, one gave me girl vibes. Would not be surprised if they were trans now” …I wonder if… nah…. It can’t be. Even the author can’t be this predictable and cliché.

“Well that explains why you accepted Aldryx so quickly”

“Maybe. I never really got the chance to confirm it. But I guess I may be biased because of it”

“In this case isn’t that’s a good thing though?”

“I supposed it opened my mind to it?”

“Then why be such a bastard with me?! You had prior experience! I was dealing with it for the first time!”

“Hm, you have a point”

“You bet I do!” … wait for it

“Wait, I do?” Atta boy

“Yeah. One thing is knowing something at a surface level and another is comprehending the topic or having real life experience. I didn’t consider that at the time. Sorry about that”

He then proceeded to give Julian something between a death glare and a deadpan stare. Uh oh “…You gave me a ‘chat’ afterwards…”

Reading the situation, Julian started to get nervous “Eh, sorry…”

“Julian.” Starting a sentene slowly is never a good sigh “I’ve had multiple near death experiences, I’m dating a demon, have a fan girl that pretty much stalks me and had to survive being chased through the middle of the Nevada dessert with a bunch of lunatics by a giant murderous clown...” that’s… we’ll circle back to the last one at some point…

He said, slowly causing Julian to sweat “and your little chat was single-handedly the most traumatizing experience I ever had. And now you are telling me that it could have been avoided?”

…

“I’ll let you punch me in the gut?” He offered with a nervous smile

Boyfriend kept staring at him for a while, each passing second making everything more and more uncomfortable…

Until eventually he proceeded to do just that. Punching Julian in the gut out of the blue with such force that Julian actually bent over and knelt on the ground holding him abdomen

“Ok, we are even”

“*semi muffled groan and huff* gooood. Oh fuck. How does someone so small pack suck a punch?”

Well, I wish I could say that was uncalled for. But in retrospect, he is kinda right. As annoying as it is to answer the same things over and over, you can’t really expect a stranger to be completely familiar with a particular subject and make questions that if you think about it, are normal to ask.

Being ignorant and being insensitive are not the same. You can be ignorantly insensitive, sure, but how are you supposed to know you are? Like, in some cultures is rude ask for salt.

I once heard that in Italy is rude to ask for extra cheese and apparently is rude to tip in Japan. Now be honest, if I hadn’t said that, and you had done it, you would be like ‘well how was I supposed to know that?’ Really puts things into perspective, does it? People should put an effort sure, but don’t discourage that effort by being a dick back or they won’t try anymore.

Back to our duo. Julian slowly started to recover and sat back on the bench, grabbing the area he was sucker punched in.

“Hey. Not to interrupt memory lane, but what was that you said about Whitty and my bro though?”

“Oh yeah. Sorry. Just give me one sec” he takes a deep breath, he voice still sounding a bit out of it “Ok. Oh boy, you took me by surprise. *cough* ok. *another cough* Going back on topic, sex neutral it’s just what it says on the tin. They don’t really care if they do or don’t have sex. They could live their entire lifes’ without sex and just be like, meh. Maybe they could have it if it makes their partner happy. But it’s not really a need for them”

“So Whitty doesn’t care but it grosses you out”

“Pretty much. Though a common mentality within asexuals is that we rather eat cake than have sex since to many of us it is as important as any other random activity or hobby, like knitting or baseball.”

“So wait. Does that mean that Whitty eats a lot because he’s horny?”

Julian then started to full on belly laugh (with a bit of difficulty as he was still a little sore) which caused Boyfriend to be surprised at first and then looked annoyed “Pfft. Ha ha! *cough* Ok, ok, ok. *cough* *cough* Sorry, *cough* I guess that one was my fault because I kinda lead you there.” Julian wiped a tear from his eye “No, Whitty and I like to eat. But it’s not a substitute for sex. What I meant is that it’s just like a trope within the asexual community that if we were asked between having sex and eating cake we would choose the cake. Though, I’ve heard the community has been leaning towards garlic bread for some reason. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know”

“So that’s what you mean by it being like anything else? Like if you were choosing something in a restaurant or just doing a hobby? Sex it’s like a ‘heh, why not? I have nothing better to do’”

“Basically. Some people love it, some people don’t. And some are just whatever about it”

“What about sex positive? What’s that mean?”

“Those are the tricky ones to explain. Since people typically assume asexual = no sex. But it’s actually way more complicated. You see, sex positives are asexuals that like sex”

“What!? That contradicts what you JUST said!”

“True, but there is a difference between aesthetics, romantic and sexual attraction. Which is the key thing in this situation”

“What’s the difference?”

“Aesthetic attraction it’s just that you like the way something or someone looks. Like, I can appreciate a super model because she’s beautiful, but that does not mean I want to, like, bang her or even date her”

“Soooooo. Romantic attraction would then be like you wanna date someone but not necessarily have sex? Like Whitty likes Carol?”

“He he. You’re catching up. And I think the last is pretty self-explanatory. You see someone hot, you wanna stick it to them”

“What’s this got to do with being sex positive?”

“Because it’s that distinction that makes the difference. A sex positive may enjoy sex as much as anyone else would enjoy a hobby, but when seeing people they most likely don’t go ‘look at that hottie, me wanna bang’” that’s an elegant way to put it

“So, you think my bro was just being an unknowing player?”

“I don’t think so. I thinks it sounds more like he was trying to figure himself out. Or maybe conforming to social expectations. Maybe. Some people discover things early on and some take decades. Can YOU say with exact precision when and how you discovered you were bi?”

“Point taken”

“And then there are gray, aego and demisexuals. Which are within the asexual umbrella, along with more”

“How is a sexuality so complicated?”

Julian gave him a look “I’m genuinely just asking. I’m confused”

“I guess that’s the main problem. People think most things are as simple as either a or b. Maybe abc. But many people don’t WANT something other than simple answers because it’s too much work and it’s simply inconvenient” he sign “and the worst part is, I GET IT. Because we are all like that at one point or the other. But that just makes it suck even more”

That seemed to bring Julian down a little, so in an attempt to change the subject back on track, Boyfriend asked a question that made himself a little down but wanted to know “Do you think my bro didn’t tell me because he did not trust me?”

“Nah. I don’t think so. From that it just sounds like it just never came into conversation or it simply slipped his mind. Maybe he thought it just wasn’t important enough to address. After all, our sexuality doesn’t define us. I’m Aro Ace, but that’s not all I am”

“Guess you are right. I’m bi but that doesn’t mean all I can ever think about is banging guys and/or girls. Hey… I just realized” what?

“Hm?”

“You are aromantic, so you don’t care about having a relationship”

Julian raised a brow in confusion “Yeah, so?”

“So why do you tease others about THEIR relationships? Like, when we first met you were basically shipping Whitty and Carol”

“Oh. That…” wait, is that, a tad of sadness I detect? Boyfriend noticed it too as his face scrounges a little “I didn’t discover I was aromatic until… recently… more specifically, aegoromantic… or Cupioromantic… I honestly have trouble telling which one I am”

“And that is?”

“Well, both are under the aromantic umbrella. But they basically have to do with someone that likes relationships but not to be in them. To give an example, you like watching horror movies but you would definitely would not want to be in one”

“That’s a pretty bleak way to describe relationships”

“It’s the example I could think of, ok?!”

“Woah! What the hell?”

“Sorry”

“…so, you like relationships?”

“I like the idea of them. I like that you are not alone and have someone to be with. That there is that spark that you simple love and care for that person in such intimate manner that you are willing to spend the rest of your life with them”

“…Julian. I may not be the shrink here, but it sounds to me that… you actually gave relationships a shot”

“…”

“Julian?”

“Heh. Now I know how you guys feel. It IS kinda annoying. Feeling this vulnerable and what not”

“Wait. I’m RIGHT?!”

“*sigh* yes. Yes your are”

“Holly shit! You had a girlfriend?! Or was it a guy?”

“Girl. And briefly, yes”

“What happened?”

“…it’s… not something I’m proud off”

“What happened? You just admitted to a bitch that tried to use you for sex and bragging rights, what’s different here?”

“…”

“Oh come on. Just a moment ago you told us you where basically in the mafia as a side job because you were a poor chump and yesterday spilled the trauma of your racist arrest and the issues with your missing mom. This can’t be any worse than THAT.” Julian stared at him with a deadpan “…And now that I said it out loud I kinda get why you get pissed off about racist comments. Wow, do I really sound like an ignorant douchbag?”

“I mean, at least you TRY. It’s more than I can say for some people. There was once a lady that sexualize asexuality”

“…how?”

“You’d be surprised”

“Try me”

“I only told to a girl that was hitting on me that I’m not sexually attracted to anyone, so I was not interested. A random lady that was overhearing response?” He then did a mocking high shriek voice “not so loud! Think of the children!”

Boyfriend then started to laugh and Julian gave a smug smile “that’s so dumb!”

“Yup. Welcome to the ‘introduction of bullshit asexuals have to deal with’ course” “pfft ha ha ha!”

“I’ll admit, that sucks, but it’s so hilarious too!” Boyfriend kept laughing for a moment but then calmed himself “still…” he now was looking at Julian in the eye “why do you always do that though?”

“Do what?”

“Whenever a topic comes that you don’t want to talk about you change the subject subtly” Julian stiffened “we all noticed at some point or another.”

Boyfriend then shifted his body so he would be facing Julian more, which caused Julian’s smile to become a little strained “it’s kinda weird. That you seem to be an open book yet you keep things to yourself, I mean”

“…” …Julian’s smile started to slowly disappear…

“Yeah, yeah. People are complicated and all that shit. But it’s still kinda weird” he continued

“I guess… it’s just a defensive mechanism I have…”

“If what Ruv said it’s true, you seem to hate talking about bad things you did. I’m no genius, but I don’t think it’s healthy to bottle up those things. Especially with what you just helped me with and the shit of yesterday”

“…”

“Come on, it couldn’t have been THAT bad, right? It’s not like you were the one that broke her heart”

“…”

“…wait” no way…

Julian looked away “…no way” !!!

Julian, you- “It is what it is”

“But you just said-“

“I said I like the idea of relationships, being in one is different. Back then I didn’t know the difference, and I end up doing something really bad because of it”

“But… how?” Yeah, how?

“…You don’t need ill intent to hurt someone. Sometimes… things happen… and sometimes you can hurt someone by doing the right thing…” Julian looked… devastated… like remembering the mere thought was aweful…

Boyfriend noticed too “Uh… Julian… You ok?”

“I don’t want to talk about it”

“But-“

“I DONT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!” !!!

Julian suddenly shouted while standing up and looking down at Boyfriend angrily, startling Boyfriend (and me).

I mean, Boyfriend knew Julian would not hurt him, but to have someone that tall suddenly shout at and look down at you menacingly can be kinda terrifying (especially if you are shorter than average)

Julian then realized what he did and sat back down, disgusted with himself “I’m sorry. Look it’s just…” Julian started again with hesitation “I really don’t want to talk about that. I’m still a little touchy about yesterday and the talk at the arts and crafts store”

“It’s, ok. Sorry too. I shouldn’t have pushed”

“One day I’ll talk about it. Just, just not now”

“… I think you should tell Whitty first.” He then stopped and thought for a bit, seems someone is getting out of their comfort zone today “Maybe Ruv. Or the other three. I don’t know. They are you’re family now too, I think. So I guess they be in the loop?”

“Heh. Since when are you so smart?”

“Fuck you! I can be smart!”

“Are you?”

“Aaaaand the shitty Julian is back”

“Awe, missed me? My smurfy friend?”

“And again with the Smurf thing! What’s the deal? I thought we were bonding!”

“We are”

“Then why are you still calling me that?!”

“Because it’s an affectionate nickname”

“You are mocking me”

“So? You guys are mocking me when you call me mom”

“Yeah but- wait…” Julian kept silent and was just looking at Boyfriend, as if waiting for him to realize something.

“You LIKE it?” I knew it

Julian did not response but just kept smiling “then why are you always bitching about it?”

“Because banter is fun. And if you guys knew I like it you would stop”

“That’s-… true” mh hm

“He he”

“Listen. Can you… maybe, talk to the others?”

“What for?”

“So you can help me clear the air. Even I know I acted a little… over the top back there. And… well…”

“And the guy that you literally attacked verbally would be more likely to clear you from backlash”

Boyfriend gave a nervous chuckle “Eh Heh heh he…”

“I mean, you were pretty mad. And you know what they say ‘anger makes you stupid’”

“Yeah yeah. I’m stupid and impulsive. That has been established. Can you talk to the others? Please?”

“I think that’s something that you need to do yourself”

“Agh”

“But…”

“Huh?”

“If you were to help me get Pico to come to me to address his issues. Since he keeps dodging the subject. I’ll be more than gladly do that for you”

“What?! That is 10 times harder than what I’m asking for!”

“Then it should be a piece of cake for you to swallow your pride, go to every single one of them, admit you were being a dick while revealing in detail why you have been acting the way you have and apologize”

“…”

“Or just have me do it for you and help me help our friend”

“… you are one manipulative son of a bitch” true that

“Everyone is. I’m just conscience about it and use it for either doing something good or for giggles”

“You can’t be using the ‘everyone is’ argument all the time”

“But it’s true. We are all dicks. Some are just more than others”

“You are as dumb as you are smart”

“I don’t know if that says a lot or not considering I’m people smart but also a dumbass in general”

“Can you just let me insult you?!”

“You can try”

“Ugh!”

“But in all seriousness. I’ll help you deal with that. But in exchange I need you to do two thing for me”

“Two?”

“Just hear me out”

“Fine. First it’s the Pico thing. What’s the second?”

“You need to give Whitty and whoever else is due a proper apology”

“I thought you said you were doing that for me”

“This is not about that”

“Then apologize for what?”

“For whatever happened before”

It took a moment but boyfriend finally got it “those things? What for? They’re in the past”

“See. That’s another thing, forgiven is not the same as forgotten. And in this case is either”

“But it’s in the past”

“For you it’s that simple, you were the aggressor in this case.”

“Hey!”

“Like It or not, you were. I’m not softening this for you” Julian kept firm and looked down at boyfriend, chastising him

He shrink on himself again, losing his sudden  bravado “Ok. Sorry”

“So as I was saying. To you is very simple to say ‘water under the bridge’ or ‘let bygones be bygones’. But not to the ones that had to deal with the aftermath, they haven’t forgotten and we’re never given an apology to get closure”

“Closure?”

“An apology means many things. When fake means nothing, but when not given it’s bad too. Because apologizing it’s admitting that you did something wrong. Tell me, when the whole de buckle with Whitty happened, did you ever apologized?”

“Of course I did”

“…when?”

“Well it was when we… no wait, it was at the… that one time we met in the alley… when Hex-no when you-“

“…”

“Oh crap”

“Mmmhmm”

“But then what? It’s not like me apologizing will take anything back.”

“No. It won’t”

“Then why?”

“An apology would acknowledge what you did. And allow them to heal. Victims many times blame themselves for allowing themselves to be hurt.”

“That’s dumb”

“Blame society”

“Fuck you society”

“You can say that again. But anyways. So an apology, in Whittys case for example, would say something like ‘don’t blame yourself for what happened. It was my fault. So you don’t need to hurt yourself for something I caused’”

“Oh… but, I…”

“*sign* Look, I know it’s hard, and this has been a very loaded day, without even mentioning yesterday. It has been for me too. You know this. But that’s mostly your pride and exhaustion talking. You can go on and keep with the mentality that ‘past is past, we good now’. But ultimately that’s an utter farce”

“But we ARE good now”

“Are you trying to convince me? Or yourself?”

“…” Boyfriend did not know how to even respond

“Forgiveness and redemption are not easy trails. They are bumpy, long, tedious and many times repetitive. But no one ever said it would be easy.”

“I… I know”

“Then do us all a favor and apologize to Whitty and the others.”

Bofriend gave a lopsided grin “Heh. Seems to me you were mostly looking out for Whitty there”

“Well he is my brother and he was the one that seemed the most upset a while ago. But the others need it too”

“You are a good brother”

“I try. And if you do those things, in exchange, I’ll help you out afterwards, since f and d don’t end when you say ‘I’m sorry’”

“F and-? Oh, right. I… fine. I’ll… do it”

“That’s my Smurf”

“Pfft. Shut the hell up”

“Or what?”

Or I’ll shut you up myself”

Like you can reach my mouth”

“I could punch you in the gut again”

“Ha! You can try. You catched me by surprise and I let you. You won’t have a shot like that again in a million years”

“Then I’ll climb you like a tree so I can shut your mouth” he then proceeded to do just that until he ended up sitting on Julian’s shoulders “ha! How’s the weather down there?”

“You do realize that despite the fact that you are a grown man, sitting on my shoulders when I’m so much taller than you makes you look like a kid? Right?”

“…”

“…”

“S-so?”

“That’s the spirit. Let’s go with the others.”

“You are just going to carry me there?”

“I figure you would enjoy the view of being tall for once. And I don’t thing Whitty nor Ruv will EVER let you sit on their shoulders” he’s not wrong

“… I’m still gonna punch you eventually”

“And I’ll welcome the challenge any day”

And so they started to head back to the others. Julian carrying our smurfy friend on his shoulders while he celebrated ‘being tall’.

Chapter 22: Extra - Happy (late) Halloween

Notes:

I actually intended to post this yesterday, but was sick the whole weekend and barely managed to proofread the chapters I posted since I do the whole thing by myself

Notes:

Fun fact about this drawing, Ruv was actually the hardest for a disguise because it had to be according to his personality, simple (aka something you could put together in less than 5 minutes) and clever.

Chapter 23: Kids stuff

Summary:

Momis kids deal with a new situation in their usual way while at school.

Elsewhere in the town, we move the story to a school, which I’m going to leave the description to your imagination because I don’t feel like describing it and I don’t think it’s relevant to the plot anyways.

Inside a classroom, a small little bundle of rage we have come to know was fidgeting in his seat looking out the window.

“Bien clase, alguien puede decirme como se dice esto?”

“…”

“Alguien?”

“…”

“Que tal tu Ruvool?”

“…”

“Ruvool?” For the record, I do speak Spanish and know what the teacher is saying, but I’m not going to translate it either just to be a bitch. lol

… hey I was very quiet in the previous chapters so screw you.

…and the author shit doesn’t count.

Oh yeah, and Ruvool was distracted but his attention got called when the teacher repeated the question “huh?”

“I asked if you can read this”

Ruvool looked at the board “it says “may I please ask the time for the flight”

“In Spanish please”

“*groan* me podrías dar la hora del vuelo?”

“Good. Now for the next exerci-“

The bell rang “ok class. Remember the exam is next week. Ruvool, may I see you a bit?” Ruvool all but groan again. Is this this kids disposition to life in general?

Once everyone left, he grabbed his bag and walked up to the teacher “what is it?”

“Well, I noticed you were a little distracted today. Everything ok at home?”

“We suddenly discovered that we have three apparent long lost brothers we knew nothing about, what do you think?” He even talks like that to his teachers? Is there someone that this kid actually respects?

“I heard about that too. But I think this would be a good opportunity, you could maybe open up a bit mor-“

“Not this again” I’m guessing this is a common occurrence, even if the situation is new

“Ruvool, we are just concerned about you. You have the best grades in the whole school. But you have no friends aside from your brother and you tend to start fights a lot. The only reason you haven’t been expelled is because of your help with administration and funds. Your mother is worried too”

He was silent for a moment “I can deal with it myself.”

“Ruvool, it’s not bad to ask for help. Maybe if you went to the councilor they could-“

“No. Can I leave?”

The teacher looked defeated. Like they saw this coming “*sign* yes. You may leave”

“Thanks” without a second thought he grabbed his bag and walked out of the classroom. Only after he left the teacher said “poor kid. I hope those three can help him open up. Heaven knows we tried”

 

 

 

In another classroom, the bell had rang as well and everyone was leaving, once the teacher was not in sight, everyone started to gang up on a certain bomb boy who was by now at his locker, and who seemed to know what it was about but still tried to give a nervous smile “uh, hey guys, what’s this about?”

“You know what this is about”

“Look, I know whatever he did-“

“You need to keep a leash on that little freak!”

“I’m sure he didn’t mean-“

“He chomp my arm so hard it actually bled and then kicked me in the legs! I’m lucky he did not broke them!”

“Yeah, just because we were messing with a squirt a little”

“Doesn’t he understand the concept of a joke?”

… oh, I get it. You are bullies, got served and are taking it out on the brother. Well ain’t that BRAVE?

Bitty knew this but still tried to talk things out. You poor thing “look, maybe Ruvool does tend to go a little overkill. But maybe if you guys just talk-“

“Give us your lunch” …

“What?”

“You have the best god damn food in the whole school and it’s enough to feed three people. Give us your freaking lunch”

“But it’s the fifth time this month”

“I said, GIVE US YOUR LUNCH!”

One of the bullies then all but pushed Bitty and took his lunch out of his locker, but before he could even get a word in-wise another bully punched him in the stomach, causing Bitty to fall to the ground

“Take this as compensation for what that little freak did”

The jerks then left, leaving Bitty in the ground as he tried to contain his tears… this is… not fair… in so many ways

 

 

In the cafeteria Ruvool was sitting by himself eating a sandwich, everyone giving him a wide berth. Bitty then walked over and sat next to him, looking sad, geez, I wonder why? “Where’s your lunch?”

“Uh, I, uh, forgot it” …

*sigh* Ruvool then took out another sandwich from his bag and gave it to Bitty… you were… oddly prepared there…“You really need to learn how to stand up for yourself. You are the tallest guy in the class, and you are actually way stronger than me but let yourself be pushed around”

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt Ruv. And that’s not true, you ARE stronger”

“Uh huh, sure. People are bound to get hurt Bit. Plus, it’s self-defense”

“But that would not really solve anything. And if I did that I would have no friends”

“You literally have two friends. And not very good ones”

“Everyone else avoids me for some reason. And what is that supposed to mean?” He asked a little defensive about his (only :( ) two friends.

“One is weird and wears a top hat all the time, and I’ve never heard them say a single word.”

Bitty opened his mouth and lifted a finger to answer but was interrupted “and making grunts and sounds does not count as ACTUAL words”

Bitty lowered his finger and closed his moth to this.

“And the others is an extremist girl with a mustache. It’s also weird that you guys have such different personalities”

“I don’t see how that’s bad”

“you need better friends, you are the only good influence, one is at least neutral but the other is a chaotic shithead”

“I still can’t believe you two don’t like each other. You are so much alike”

“She’s a crazy pushy bitch. The hell I wanna be friends with her” he then looked around “where are they anyway?”

“They said-“

“You mean ONE of them said”

“Yeah, yeah, something about skipping school because they wanted to mess with Snatcher. *sigh* ever since they tricked him into that contract they just won’t stop.”

“Oh for the love of- don’t they get that we have an agreement with him and the other ones?”

“As much as I agree with you, I don’t think it’ll cause any MAYOR problems. Snatcher has never broken a contract. Even the ones he does not like. I doubt he’ll start now”

“You need to be more cynical of people”

“And you need to be more trusting”

“Those two shitheads are pushing it. If they don’t stop, this might be the first time he does and the town goes to shit”

“Even if Snatcher leaves I don’t think that’ll happen, he’s not the only one after all”

“True. I do wonder why they let those shitheads through though. I know they can’t keep everyone out, tourism, business, government and that shit. But still”

“They must not have rang any alarm”

“One of them is a literal killer! How the fuck does that not raise an alarm?”

“You know it’s more complicated than that”

“Ugh.”

“Anyhow, I think it’s great, now we have more family”

How do you trust them so easy? We met them YESTERDAY”

“I think we should give them a chance. You can’t keep doing this Ruv. You need to let someone in besides mom and me”

“Oh, and they are such good examples to start with. Need I remind you that your ‘clone’ tried to kill you the moment he saw you?”

“He seemed panicked more than anything. Maybe he had some bad experience and was just reacting, he did say he was on the run for a long time”

“Just be suspicious of someone for once! It’s not like it’ll kill you”

“That applies the other way around”

“Wrong. Trusting the wrong person WILL kill you.”

“Ruv, it’s not healthy to be on guard 24/7”

“I’m trying to keep us alive.”

“From what? I get from this point forward because of what they told us. But we literally discovered all that YESTERDAY. What’s your excuse for the past 6 years?”

“…”

“…”

“Just because we don’t know it does not mean there is no danger” …hmm…

“*sigh* whatever you say”

“And it doesn’t matter that they are our ‘brothers’ or not. I don’t trust them. Especially the tallest one. His apathy is… I don’t know how to describe it. But it bugs me”

“You are literally his clone. Why do you hate him so much in particular?”

“You are a clone too. Your point?” Deflecting I see

“Julian and Whitty said it was actually more complicated in my case. Something about me being only 20% human and the rest is something else.”

“And?”

“Well, it seems to involve some weird logistics. Siblings are half of each of their parents, but I’m made of only one person. And of that person is only 20% of what I am. But 100% of that comes from Julian, so does that make us technically half brothers? Or cousins? Or-“

“Is this going anywhere?”

“Eh, sorry. The point is, it seems it’s kinda weird, so we settled with being brothers but not really clones”

“Great. Good for you”

“Wait, why am I explaining this? You know it already. Anyways. But that still does not answer the question as to why do you hate Ruv so much in particular”

“Do I really need ANOTHER reason? The guy is a wanted criminal who has killed who knows how many people, he is currently sleeping in our couch and the only assurance we have that he won’t hurt anyone is the word of a guy that was on the run his whole life and another that seems to know more than he lets on” …ok, admittedly, if you didn’t know the characters that does sound pretty bad

“*sigh* Ruv, I’m not stupid. I know they seem a little shady. But you have to remember why this town even exists. We give shelter to people who are ostracized or misunderstood. We give them a second chance in life”

Ruvool was quiet “If we did that to them we would be no different than the people many of the townsfolk are running away from. I’m not saying to trust them right of the bat. But to try. They seem nice once you get to know them. And you of all people should know that just because you seem mean does not mean you are a bad person”

Ruvool just crossed his arms and rested them on the table with a frown, his sandwich long ago eaten “…you are being naive”

“Maybe. But at least I won’t live my life locked inside a safe. Protected, but separated from the world” well that’s… not untrue… and… I feel it hits a little close to home…

It was then that the bell rang “I’ll see you after class bro. Thanks for the sandwich. I’ll make sure to make you some chips later”

Bitty then stood and started to walk away, Ruvool still sitting and looking at his brothers back. Once everyone else had left (trying their hardest to avoid him) and he was alone, his brow stopped forming an angry look and turned to one of sadness “if only you remembered what happened…but… at the same time…*sigh*” …huh?

 

 

Some hours passed and school was done. Ruvool was waiting at the front of the school as he always did for his brother to come out.

“*huff* *huff* sorry I’m late”

“You are always late. You need to stop helping the teachers after class”

“I just like helping”

Ruvool rolled his eye “how is it that you are basically the teachers pet and yet you still get bullied? Don’t they interfere?”

Bitty looked at the ground in shame, which he shouldn’t because it’s not his fault “They always gang up on me when no one is around”

“Then fucking tell someone! We talked about it at fucking lunch! Do something!” Aaaaaand he’s back to his explosive self

“I don’t want to be a snitch Ruvool”

“You are a snitch” he replied immediately

“I speak my mind and I’m honest, that’s different” Bitty cross’s his arms

“You literally snitched on me this morning and prattled about my business to those guys yesterday!”

“That was so they would know you better! You made a terrible impression and I wanted for them to like you.” At least it came from a good place, but didn’t you notice you embarrassed your brother? Some people don’t like telling stuff like that so openly

“By telling them I’m soft?!” See? “It’s like you told them I’m a Nancy boy!”

“What’s wrong with that?!”

“Not everyone is ok with being seen as a girl like you!”

“Ok, 1) you are not the manliest man and furthermore, never even cared about it until now, you’ve always been gender neutral at best, and 2) just because I like girl stuff does not make me a girl”

“You like cooking, sewing, you have a shit ton of plushies and your favorite color is pink”

“That proofs nothing”

“Your backpack is pink!” Oh yeah, did I not mention that?

“Why do most guys think that being sensitive is a weakness or effeminate? I like guy stuff too, we literally read the same comic books!” Bitty groaned, which is a very good question and point

Ruvool all but scoffed “whatever”

“*groan* ANYWAYS, It’s not like I said any of your secrets”

“Might as well!”

“So you want me to tell them that you love ballet?”

“…”

“Didn’t think so”

“You suck”

Bitty ignored that and continued “and more than that, I don’t want anyone to get in trouble”

“Ugh, figures the only lies you can tell are to protect your own bullies”

Bitty then turned to him defensively “I’m not lying”

“You are not saying stuff you clearly know. That’s a lie by omission”

“It’s called being a secret keeper. And you should know, since you come to me”

“I still find it weird”

“Yeah, yeah. Mister grouchy pants”

“Don’t fucking call me that!”

“Let’s go” Bitty all but ignored his complain which caused him to fume even more. Seems these kids make a sport out of… uhm… what would be the word? Fighting each other? Teasing? Bickering?…uh, Rivalry? No, that’s not quite it… whatever the word is… I guess

“Ugh! You are such a-“ Ruvool was about to start things but then stopped mid-sentence as they walked down the sidewalk

Bitty noticed and turned to his brother “…such a what?”

“Did you see that?”

“See what?”

“There was a guy standing right there at that store”

“Where? Who was it?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t get a good look. But he was there for a moment and then disappeared”

“Like a ghost? Don’t they have rules for that or something?” Wait, what’s that about ghosts now?

“No, I don’t think it was a ghost. He looked way to solid” that doesn’t really answer the question

“Are you sure you didn’t just saw someone passing or maybe a shadow?”

“I’m sure of what I saw! There was someone THERE!”

“I’m not saying you are making things up! I’m just trying to come up with what you saw” Bitty answered defensively before continuing “Let’s just, go home. We need to help mom with the cafe”

Ruvool looked at where he thinks the figure was once again, squinting, before finally agreeing “…fine”

“By the way. It’s your turn to be the buzzer“ Bitty added nonchalant and caused our local angry chihuahua to get mad

“What?! No way! It’s your turn! I was it yesterday! I’m supposed to be a waiter today!”

“No, yesterday you did the accounting and I was a waiter, tomorrow it’s your turn”

“Nuh huh!”

“Ok, don’t do this again!”

“Do what?” Ruvool persisted with a snarl

“You always throw the cycle out of line so that when the worst days to be a buzzer come I have to do it! You think I didn’t notice? Need I remind you that I help mom in the kitchen on weekends? You know? Our busiest days?”

“And need I remind you that I handle all the finances in both the house AND the restaurant?”

“Oh don’t you go there!”

“You started it!”

“You just don’t want to deal with him!”

“Because he comes every Thursday and makes a mess!”

“So IM supposed to deal with it?!”

“You eat as much as him and his stupid dog!”

“Oh and that makes it ok?!”

… and they started going at it like that the whole way until they finally arrived at the cafe…

You know. I do wonder what happened with these two to make their lifes so hard. And it’s sad that they bottle things up, even if it is because they don’t want to hurt or worry those they love. But it’s good to know that they at least have each other’s back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Well, it seems this little shit is very perceptive, almost ruined everything. Gonna have to rethink my approach. I better wait a couple of days. It could be useful though. The more they get attached, the more it’ll hurt~”

 

 

 

…WHO are you?

 

 

 

 

“…wouldn’t you like to know?”

 

0_0

Chapter 24: Blast from the past?

Summary:

The guys reflect on their previous interaction with BF and the past comes knocking. But is it their past?

Notes:

Surprise! I had some extra time this month, so while it is not a guarantee, Im gonna see if I can post a chapter per week.
Now, important note, some WARNING!! of NSFW ahead, nothing explicit, but it does get a little… saucy

Back at the store where the rest of the gang was left behind after Boyfriend and Julian had stormed off.

 

“Why was Boyfriend so mad?” “And why is Julian disappointed in us?” the kids asked sadly

Whitty noticed and answered immediately not wanting the kids to blame themselves “it’s not you! Don’t worry little buddy. You two are not in trouble”

“But why was he disappointed?” Skids repeated

“Because we upset Boyfriend” Hex said with a look that screamed that he wanted to cry if he could “I’m a bad friend” no you are not Hex

“Hex, you did nothing in this situation” tell him Aldryx

“But that’s the problem! I COULD’VE done something!”

“Hex, you tried to stop the whole thing along with Julian. It was Boyfriend that escalated things”

“But why was Boyfriend so worked up?” Now Pump repeated.

“Yeah, that was totally weird. We always mock him. So what was different?” Seriously Aldryx? None of you noticed? For real? God dammit

“Julian said you guys overdid it or something.” “Did you say something extra mean?” Pump and Skid said

“Well, it did get a little heated…” Whitty admitted, no shit

“You brought up your first encounter with him” Ruv said. Who I’m just realizing hasn’t said a word in a long time, not that that’s new

“Because he was getting all Bitchy!” And you screaming didn’t escalate things? I mean, I get it, touchy subject but still.

“I don’t think that’s the point” listen to Tabi

“Julian said that he noticed us being mean to the Smurf since he met us… maybe he was just building it up?” Tabi continued

“You think?” Yes Agoti, how are you confused about this?

“Maybe Tabi is on to something. I mean, now that I think about it. We all fuck with one another, but in retrospect we treat Boyfriend a little on the crap side rather than the shit side” the fuck Aldryx?

“The fuck does that even mean? Shit and crap are the same” …are we really having this conversation? For real? Even for you brothers this is dumb

“If you used your brained you would understand” don’t add fuel to the fire Aldryx

“What you say?!” Please, no

“I think I get what Aldryx means” Whitty said with a hand on his chin catching everyone by surprise

“Really?” I agree everyone, really?

“Yeah. Julian is a shit, so he messes with us in good nature. But he never does anything to hurt our feelings or hurt us in general”

“Yeah. I see it too” then explain, Pico “when you treat someone like crap you don’t care. You do whatever you want regardless of what the other person feels”

“So to summarize. Being a shit is someone that messes with you in good nature and being a crap is someone who doesn’t give a crap” no, really? Al least you used your brain for once Agoti

“Don’t you mean being crappy?” Don’t discourage him Pico

“I think being a douche sounds more appropriate. Or at least closer to what we mean. Maybe? Also, don’t you also say you did something shitty when you did something bad? So wouldn’t that be the exception to the rule?” E tu Whitty? E tu?

“Why are we discussing this?” thank you Tabi

“Because it seems you guys have been acting ‘crappy’ towards Boyfriend instead of ‘being a shit’, as you addressed Julian. So Boyfriend got fed up and run off” … that was a nice summary but... it feel weird hearing Hex swear… even if it’s for quoting…

The others were a little weirded out by hearing Hex swear too, but got them to stop in their tracks and realize he was right… huh… whatever works, I guess

“I guess… he have been a little too much on his case for the last couple months…” there we go Agoti

“”Ugh. Hate to say it, but he is right. Especially after the whole dye prank” see? You can agree with your brother.

… Wait, what was that about a dye prank?

“So what do we do?” Asked Tabi

Whitty looked very frustrated but finally said “we need to apologize to the Smurf and tone it down a bit” everyone (except Hex, Skid and Pump) groaned

“I’m not apologizing for shit” Ruv did not groan either, but that comment pretty much counts as such

“We know. I doubt neither Julian nor Boyfriend expect it from you either. But from the rest of us most definitely” Whitty continued before turning to Hex

“Hex, do you think you can finish up here with the kids while we go look?”

“Wait, we are going now?” Yes Agoti, now

“Knowing Julian, he would prefer it. Something about ‘using the momento’ or ‘sooner rather than later’ shit”

“He tell you that from your Tai chi lessons?” Asked Agoti

“Yeah. And hate to say it, but we all know his advice usually works. So at this point we have to” another choral groan

Hex, pleased to hear about his friends’ decision to do that right thing replied brightly “Very well! I will spend 5 more minutes with the children and then pay what they chose! We will meet back up with you then”

“Wait, do we even know where they went?” Hm, good question Agoti

…

What?

I can add to what he says on occasion without snark can’t I? Dicks

“We are looking for the guy that got beat up with a broom and fainted yesterday at the cat cafe. I think people will know if we ask” it’s so weird to hear you speak more than 3-5 word sentences Ruv

“Good point. Wait, since when are YOU the one that suggests TALKING to people?” You are on point today Agoti, for the most part anyways

…

Screw you, I can narrate however I want

“It’s either that, or have you idiots get lost again and return with ANOTHER annoyance to add to this mess” … I can’t really argue with that logic… the others couldn’t either

“Fair point. But let’s at least stay together so we can do this as a team. Safety in numbers and that shit” Whitty continued

“We are apologizing not ganging up on him” Pico added with a raised brow

“Do YOU want to do this shit on your own?”

“…”

“Didn’t think so”

With that they waived Hex and the kids’ goodbye, exited the store and started looking around for the other two asking the occasional person, uh, creature? Being? Folk? Whatever.

“Man, there are a lot of different kinds of creatures and all sorts in here” seems they don’t know what word to use either. Eh Whitty?

“No kidding. I saw a guy with a cup for a head” started Aldryx

“Nah. I think it was more of a mug” oh no, I see where this is going, I can’t with you two

“Are you fucking blind? He was definitely a cup”

“The blind one is you! He was a fucking MUG with a blue nose!”

“Blue?! Are you color blind now? It was RED!”

“No it wasn’t you-“

“Actually. You are both right”

They all jerked and turned forward ( i know what yo are thinking, but they were walking and looking at each other, not where they were going, so don’t judge me for narrating their stupidity) to see a yellow cat lady in a white dress that looked like something out of an Egyptian movie or some shit “hello boys come here often?” She spoke in a sultry voice, which caused some of them *cough* Whitty *cough* to tense up

Whitty asked anxiously “Uh, not really. What do you mean?”

“The two that you saw are brothers. Twins to be exact. But one is a mug and the other a cup. Easy to get confused really. Especially since they dress the same. I swear, those two could use a fashion upgrade” she added with a little of a snort. Ugh, I think I can guess her type.

“Uhm, ok? Uh, hey, have you seen the guy that got assaulted with a broom yesterday? Shorter than these two? But taller than us four? Also, a guy with blue hair that kinda resembles a Smurf?” Pico tried to keep the ball rolling, but things simple could not go their way, can’t they?

“Hmm, maybe. What do I get?” She asked in that seductive tone. Oh boy

“Me not stabbing you” well that’s a mood killer Ruv… maybe even literally…

“Oh such harsh words.” She continued in a playful hurt tone “But then again, I’m guessing you are the strong, silent type? I’m flattered that you think I was talking to you, but you are not really my type big guy” she then continued to approach until she was all but face to face with… Pico… crap

“I Can totally tell you are the kind of guy that is good with a gun” is… is she purring?

Pico lifted a brow “do you mean literally or figuratively?” He then gave a shit eating grin, oh no, not you too Pico “because lady, I’m a bullseye with both” she played along (ignoring the discomfort that was pretty obvious at that point all around the two) and her smile grew “promises, promises”

“Wanna bet? But I have to warn you lady, I’m not looking for anything serious right now”

“Who says I was? Cant a single mom have some fun once in a while?”

“You a mom?” Aldryx asked surprised, to everyone’s gratefulness.

That was getting… too nsfw for my taste… wtf author?

 

lol

 

The cat lady looked up, smile still on her face with lidded eyes… oh come on “Of course I am. And let me tell you, being a mother of four is not easy. Sure, I get occasional help from my dear brother Raymond, but it can still be hard. Even if my oldest is leaving for college soon. *sigh* They grow up so fast”

Aldryx then raised his voice “To all this, WHO are you?” Finally! Took you guys long enough

…

I know that I didn’t ask, but you guys didn’t either!

…

Maybe

…

Screw you, again

“Oh, pardon my rudeness. My name is Ankha. And you probably know my mom friend Momi”

“You are friends with Momi?” Asked Whitty with surprise

“Of course. We have the occasional moms night out together at the NekoSune club. And I sometimes pick up a partner for the night there, but I’m currently not looking for anything serious other than a one night stand. Anything I get aside from that is a bonus really. My kids come first after all” she replied casually… well… at least your kids are a priority…

Trying to change the awkward subject at all cost, Whitty asked while sweating “do you… have any kids Ruvools or Bittys age?”

“Not really. Like I said, my oldest is going to college soon, one is in high school and the other two are less than 10 years old.” She then added as an afterthought to herself “I do worry for Moe though. He’s a sweet kid and very creative, but needs to apply himself more. He’s lucky he’s so cute” this conversation is giving me mixed signals in all kinda ways… and not necessarily in good ones…

Ankha suddenly seemed to remember something “Oh hey. I’m really sorry. But I overheard some of a conversation you had, did you say that you exploded?”

It was then that the idiots realized (FINALLY) that they have been having important conversations out in the open.

“No. We didn’t” Whitty replied sweating

“Relax, you are in a safe place. If we called the greater good or any other government agency on you we would be shooting our selves in the foot” she replied calmly “I just asked because I’m kinda into gossip. So I just wanna be in the know, you know?”

“Uh…”

“Was just curious if you knew anything about the explosion of couple of years ago”

“An explosion?”

“Yeah. It was a couple of miles from here. It was actually big news back then.”

“What was so big about it?”

“The explosion was so powerful, it destroyed 20 miles”

“What?!” They all asked

“That’s like half of Chicago!” Agoti

“How do you know how big Chicago is?” Pico

“I googled it once”

“Why were you-“

“Can we focus?!” Tabi

“Oh, right, right. Sorry” Agoti

“Yeah, and considering your size, I was just curious. It was thankfully not in a populated area. So I doubt anyone died, but it still makes you wonder what caused it and why there”

Whitty was very startled by this new information, but tried to recover once he remembered something important “No, it couldn’t have been me. The worst explosion I’ve ever caused was only 2 miles. Not to mention that even though I was on the run I’ve never been around these routes. So I don’t know what that’s about”

“How you know it’s 2 miles?” Ruv

“Remember the Nevada shit?”

“Oh right” Pico

“How come none of us knew this?” Tabi asked

“Well, it was big news 6 years ago. So unless you guys were huge on watching the news as teens I doubt you would know.” She paused for a moment “uh, assuming you guys were teens. I’m sorry, sometimes it’s hard to tell how old someone is. There’s all kind of folks in this town so is hard to tell sometimes”

“Nah, don’t worry about it”

“If anything it’s flattering” seriously you two

“Hold on a sec, you didn’t care if we were young or not?” What does that have to do with anything Tabi? Also, why do you look kinda jealous of Pic- oh right… cats…

She shrugged “Not really. A lay is a lay. Sure, young partners tend to have more stamina in bed” she then smiled wider “but older partners tend to be more experienced if you know what I mean, wink wink” …I instantly regret asking…

I can basically see Whittys asexual panic before he suddenly seemed to realize something

“Wait… did you said 6 years?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“…” Wait… 6?

“…You guys don’t think?”

“I know what you guys are thinking about. Just about everyone in town did, but it couldn’t have been Bitty”

“Why not?”

“Because he does not remember doing it, otherwise he would be fretting about it”

“He could be lying” I don’t think that’s the case Ruv

“Ha! Have you ever talked to him? Bitty is a sweet boy, but he can’t lie to save his own life.”

Pico scoffed “Yeah, we noticed”

“The only time I’ve ever seen him lie decently, was a lie by omission.”

“So the only lies he can say are by saying nothing?” Aldryx tried to summarize and confirm

“Yeah. We’ve asked him directly, but he outright states he does not know anything about it.”

“Which means he’s telling the truth because otherwise he would stay quiet”

“Exactly, so we’ve always wondered if it was related to him or someone he knew”

“That’s why you asking us this?”

“Yeah. It’s one of those things that you want the answer but no one has it and like I said, I’m really into gossip”

“Yeah… no one” … you think you know who does Ruv?

She raised a brow at this but she seemed to decide to wrap things up “anyways, ‘fraid I have to go boys, got errands to run before I have to pick up my kids. It was a pleasure though” she then returned to looking at them with lidded eyes and a sultry smile, seriously author wtf?

As she was passing the boys, she slipped a paper on Picos shirt using her tail and whispered to him “if you feel like chasing for a pussy cat you can call me~ I’m free tomorrow night and the kids are gonna be out the house with my brother. Think about it stud” she then looked at Tabi with a more motherly look… way to 180 there… “Sorry sweetie, but you are not really my type either. You give me way to much of a good boy vibe. But if you are interested, my oldest is single, I would not mind a son in law like you” she then finally moved past all of them, specially a furiously blushing Tabi “tata boys~”

…

“…”

…

“…well… that was…”

“The most sexually implied conversation you’ve ever had with so many turns and mood swings it made your head spin?” Whitty deadpanned

“Yes” all

“Well if you guys feel awkward how do you think I feel? Some of you may be aromantic, but I’m the only asexual here. That conversation was uncomfortable as fuck”

Then Pico added salt to the would, because of course he does “And you know what the worst part is? She didn’t told us if she saw Julian or BF” …

“Fuck”

“Oh wait, it’s that them over there at the park?” Aldryx pointed out and they all turned

“Oh yeah! Hey bro-“ Whitty started but stopped mid-sentence

“Am I seeing this right?”

“You mean Boyfriend sitting on Julian’s shoulders like a 5 year old?” Deadpanned Tabi, who was so done with this bullshit

“Yeah”

…

“You guys make it hard not to hate you all” oh shush Ruv

“How does this even affect you?” Whitty snarked

“It’s embarrassing being ASSOCIATED with you”

“*sigh* let’s just get this over with” they then approached the other two as they had yet to exit the park and seemed to actually be having a good time.

Well this was an awkward chapter in general… so many subjects that I don’t even know where to… Hold on… Ankha… met them OUTSIDE right? Near the park… but the conversation the gang had about Whitty exploding was at the store… how did she ‘overheard’? … She bump into them right? Then… how did she know?

…

…

Something is going on here…

Notes:

Fun fact about this chapter, I’ve actually seen Ankha around the internet a lot, but I had no idea why she was so popular, just that they loved her and Raymond for some reason. So I was just going to have her be a sassy mom friend to Momi… then I discovered… the VIDEO… it was a very WTF discovery… to say the least… So I decided to incorporate some of that in this chapter as to cope with what I discovered… I still don’t know why they love Raymond so much though… please don’t let it be a sex thing…

Chapter 25: Papa Bear

Summary:

The gang located Julian to face the music.

The gang now having now found Julian and Boyfriend started to approach them so they could have an important conversation, Whitty being the first to talk once within earshot

“What the fuck are you two doing?”

… I said it was important, not refined

“Oh, hey guys. Where are the kids and Hex?”

“Answer the question Julian. Why is Boyfriend on your shoulders like a toddler?”

“Well, we had a heart to heart, then Boyfriend punched me in the gut as an apology, we discussed some ace stuff and then he climb onto my shoulders when he told me to shut up but I dared him to basically make me and then just let him stay there because I know neither you nor Ruv would let him”

“…”

…

Everyone was looking at Julian with an expression that yelled only one thing ‘what the fuck?’

“He PUNCHED you in the GUT to apologize?” Good place to start as any Pico

“Julian, I was there and even I got confused by that explanation”

Julian then seemed to have a fake thoughtful look before looking up at Boyfriend smugly “Hmm, you are right. Then do you mind explaining it for me buddy?”

Boyfriend deadpanned and then quickly whispered in anger afterwards “you double crossing son of a bitch! I thought you were going to do it for me!”

“The agreement was that I would help with everything that happened BEFOREHAND, that did not include anything that happened afterwards” he whispered back

“… I thought you were a shrink”

“Technically no, but why you mention it?”

“Because you would make a pretty good lawyer… as in you are a loophole seeking BASTARD!”

“To be honest with you, I might actually be a bastard since I doubt my parents were married, but who knows?”

“Stop changing the subject!”

“What are you two murmuring about?” Pico asked gaining their attention again and casing Boyfriend to jolt

“You see… uh… well… the thing is…”

“It all started because Boyfriend has been bottling things up” Julian started again “it seems he has been very stressed out because he has been reflecting on his own actions in the last year or so. That added with the fact that he discovered he was the ‘other guy’ while dating his current girlfriend has left him feeling a lot of conflicting emotions.”

The others then exchanged looks

“So, that’s why you’ve been acting stupider than usual?” Always so gentle Ruv

“Hey!”

“Most likely. Stress manifests differently in people.”

“Well that explain somethin-“

Julian then all but cut Aldryx before he finished “So the fact that we’ve been on his case has not really been much help. To say the least.”

Everyone stiffened

Damn Julian, you sure know how to checkmate people

“Well, uh, it’s not our fault he says stupid shit” started Agoti weakly

“True. But the fact that retaliation is very strong is not really helpful either”

“Like you are one to talk! You have been on his case too since we met!” You are trying too hard Agoti

“Why do you think I said WE been on his case?”

…

“Damn he’s good” Pico

“Look guys. I’m not saying Boyfriend was not in the wrong for acting like a dick or saying stuff without thinking. But he was facing a lot of stress with no positive outlet. Instead of correcting him for his blunders or helping we just shun him.”

“But you are the one that gave him a ‘talk’!” Now Aldryx gave it a try as well in shifting/avoiding blame

“Yeah, I did. Which in retrospect could have been prevented. Why do you think I let him punch me in the gut?”

“… You LET him punch you?” I know what you are thinking Tabi, but hear him out

Julian raised a brow with a smug look “do you think he could have landed a blow otherwise?” See?

“…he has a point” told ya

“Hey!”

“Ok. That explains one thing out of your mumbo jumbo of an explanation” Whitty then took over the conversation again

“Technically it explains two” Julian

“ANYWAYS, why were you talking about ace stuff?”

Julian casually shrugged “Eh, one thing led to another.”

Boyfriend then continued, still on Julian’s shoulders, for those of you that were wondering “Then I got frustrated with Julian for being a shit and told him to shut up. Julian dared me to make him and that there was no way I could even reach his mouth. So I climb onto his shoulders and he just let me stay up here because he knew neither you nor Ruv would ever let me”

“Hmm. He’s right”

“If you ever try it I will skin you alive”

“See? I told you”

“You say that as if I didn’t agree with you at the time”

“Patayto patahto”

“That has nothing to do with this!”

“Then was HAS to do with this?”

Boyfriend paused a moment before realizing what Julian was getting at and raised his gaze to everyone else “*sign* look, I’m… I’m sorry… for everything”

…

“…”

…

“What?”

“Did you just apologize?”

“Yeah.”

“… What do you want?” Whitty narrowed his eyes

“What? NO! I don’t want anything! I just wanted to apologize!” He then took a deep breath “Look. I’m sorry I acted the way I did at the store. And I’m also sorry I sometimes say stuff that is either offensive or insensitive.” He then added quickly “I swear I don’t mean it like that! It just comes out like that sometimes… i was just being curious and asking, or trying to contribute to the conversation but I… yeah, so…uh, yeah, I’m sorry”

…

“Oh… well… uh”

…

“*cough*”

…

“Thanks… Boyfriend…” …that wasn’t awkward at all Whitty

…

“Don’t let it happen again?”

 

Julian had a shit eating grin and waited a moment for the apology to sink in before going back to his shitty self “Wow… you guys really didn’t know anything about emotions before I came along. Did you?”

“We’re not used to this, ok?!”

“Yeah, most guys don’t get taught how to deal with this bullshit” In Picos case, I can see it, with the tankmen and all, so, he at least has an… explanation, for it. Not an excuse, but an explanation.

“News flash guys. I wasn’t either, not to mention I was constantly shunned all my life. I had to learn on my own. What’s your excuse?” well we discussed Picos, but the others? I don’t know what to tell ya Julian… in Ruvs case I think it’s a cultural thing? I heard a couple of things regarding that, like they only smile if “there is a reason to smile” and that they even have a saying for those that smile just because: “only fools smile without any reason”.

…by that definition Julian and Sarvante are fools in Ruvs eyes though…

“Well, you… uh, you were not”

“We…”

“The thing is…”

The gang tried to come up with a valid excuse but were coming up empty.

“…yes?”

“… it’s societies fault!” well that’s a lazy excuse Aldryx…

“Y-yeah! Society! Status quo and all that crap!” of all the things to agree with your brother…

Also, I know what you are thinking, but Julian doesn’t just USE that as an excuse

“Ok, and what are you doing to change that?” see? You’ll see what I mean soon

“It’s not that easy and you know it!”

“You are right, it’s not easy. So one needs to learn to suck up one’s pride, stop listening to all the bull crap toxic masculinity for a moment and think ‘what do I prefer? Being a mentally/emotionally healthy person? Or feed all the negative male stereotypes complete strangers, and sadly sometimes relatives, expect from us?’ just because it’s expected”

A long silence followed before Whitty squinted at Julian “…ok, seriously, how do you know all these stuff?”

“Yeah. You are like a living, walking fortune cookie” true that Tabi

Julian just shrugged again “I may have been in Foster care, but I have pretty much been taking care of myself most of my life. At some point you learn to be self-sufficient”

“Then how come I didn’t end up like you?” Whitty asked still squinting… that’s actually a good question… how come Whitty and/nor Ruv did not end like Julian? “I took care of myself all my life. Heck, I even taught myself to speak and read English, how am I not like you?”

“My guess? Social structure. While people avoided or rejected me, it does not delete the fact I was around people. You told me you actively AVOIDED people. So makes sense”

“You taught yourself to speak English?” Ruv raised a brow

“Well, yeah. Did you guys think I was ‘born’ knowing English? Also, I was abandoned in a lab. Not really a lot of people around to teach me stuff”

“Hold on, we went to high school together. Kapi told us, remember?”

Boyfriend asked

Whitty scratched the back of his neck “I went for a couple of years once I met the devil couple, yes. Something about public appearances or some shit”

“I still can’t believe you two went to the same school and you didn’t notice a giant walking talking bomb” Pico started

“Hey!” Did you guys seriously started this again right after he apologized? For real?

“Oh, right! That reminds me” this seemed to catch Julians’ attention though and he coughed in his fist, straighten his back and looked at the gang sternly “did you guys forget something?”

Everyone then knew what he was talking about and started fidgeting, to Boyfriends confusion

“Uh, right.” Whitty cleared his through “uhm… Pico do you want to start?” …

“What?! Why me?”

“You are the one that usually lays it onto him the strongest”

“The fuck you talking about?! We all do! Not to mention you are the one that escalated things!”

“Why do I have to be the only one though?!”

“No one said you were going to be the only one! Just the first!”

Aldryx then groaned “Ugh, if this is how shit is going to go then why don’t we have Agoti start?”

“What?! Why me?!”

“You added fuel to the fire”

“And you guys didn’t?! How’s that fair?!”

“Well I’m not going first! It was hard enough to forgive him twice. I don’t want to be the first one” Tabi

“You can’t use that as an excuse!”

“*Ahem*”

Freeze

The gang then turned to Julian go had his arms crossed and was tapping his fingers on his arm

“*sign* alright, alright. I’ll start.” Whitty resigned and stepped forward “We’re sorry Boyfriend”

“…Huh?”

“Julian is right. We been laying it on to you way to hard. Julian made us realize that while we are all shits to the each other, we’ve been treating you like crap… so… we are sorry…”

“Yeah”

“Our bad”

“Sorry man”

“What they said”

“Whatever”

 

Before Boyfriend could say anything, still processing things, Julian made a hand gesture for them to go on “Aaaaaaaannd?”

Grupal groan “and we will tone it down a bit”

“…wow… uh. Thanks, guys”

“There. That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

“Fuck you Julian”

“Heh heh”

“Soooo… now what?” Agoti asked

“Well, I think the kids must have been done shopping by now, should we go find them first?”

“Good idea Tabi”

“But then what? Honestly, it’s only noon and I’m already exhausted” you do look tired Whitty

“Well, we have been dealing with a lot of emotional stuff in the last two days. And that can be draining”

“Then what does the resident shrink propose?”

“I propose to take it easy for the rest of the day. Maybe let’s go to the hotel, watch a movie and just relax”

“Why not go back to the cafe? Momi is expecting us for lunch”

“Well, it’s too early to call it in a day and she can’t feed all of us. I’ll call her and tell her to each lunch by herself but that we will come back by dinner. By the time we get there it might get late anyways”

“So then just find Hex and the kids and then chill ‘till dinner?”

“If everyone it’s okay with that, then yeah. That’s the plan”

 

 

Everyone agreed and after a quick call (and yes, Momi gave Julian her phone number) and finding the Hex and the kids the gang went back to the hotel and ordered room service.

“So what movie should we watch?” Agoti asked as he ate what seem to be a plate of steak and fries

“If I recall correctly, it was Picos turn to pick”

“Hell yeah!”

“Julian why?!” asked Boyfriend who had been carried all the way to the hotel on Julians shoulders and was not sitting on the bed eating a blt sandwich

“Because we needed a system so we wouldn’t fight over everything and hex made an algorithm for it. So fair is fair”

“I still can’t understand why you say you are book dumb.” Whitty commented, which I agree

Aldryx then added “Yeah. I mean, for some things you are as dumb as the rest of us but in general you seem pretty smart”

“It’s just stuff I picked up from life. Maybe I could’ve been smarter if I had properly gone to school but… you know”

“Changing the subject. How about Transformers?” Pico commented while looking at the tv menu

Everyone groaned

“What’s wrong with Transformers?”

“The franchise, nothing, it’s great. The movies? Michael bay is what” you got that right Tabi

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Julian then made a hand motion as he tried to explain “The movies plots are completely… how to describe it?”

“They tell too much without actually saying anything” thank you Agoti

“Not to mention that the robots are not actually much in the movies, you know, the reason they are even called that?” Aldryx added

“And they look weird” “they look bad” the kids

Tabi then continued “They also treat women like objects, not to mention all the sexual shit” Whitty and Julian then started to loudly complain “there are CHILDREN in the room!”

“And too many flags and explosions.” Ruv added in his monotone voice

“Fuck yeah! I’m American and even I felt uncomfortable with so much patriotism to my face. Can’t imagine if you are not, it was like rubbing it in”

“Also too much product placement” Ruv

“I’m a robot too, and while I understand that we are not all the same, they make me feel… patronized…”

“See! If even Hex is offended then no fucking way!”

“Ok! Ok! Sorry! I mean, I never actually thought about it until you guys said it but you are right. Fine. Something else” Pico then looked at another movie “How about John Wick?”

There was silence for a moment but then everyone agreed. “Wait really?” Pico asked in surprise

“Yeah why not?” Whitty raised a brow

“Julian is a mama bear.”

“Ugh, couldn’t I at least be a papa bear?”

“The point is, you are not ok with the kids watching the Transformers from Michael Bay but are ok with John Wick? The guy kills like 70 people in the first movie alone”

“I’m pretty sure there is nothing in that movie that will prevent these kids to sleep at night”

“Really?”

“I’ve read them Stephen King novels before bed. And I’m pretty sure they’ve seen Halloween. I’m sure they can handle it”

“…”

“What?”

“You would make a totally cool dad”

At this Julian… no way, no fucking way! Is Julian blushing?! He is! He totally is!

“S-shut up” he stumbled!

The others were now looked at Julian

“…Did you just stumble?”

“N-no”

“Holly shit!”

“We found the one thing that will shut up Julian!”

“It’s not like that!”

“Like what? You wanna be a dad!” Whitty said grinning like a Cheshire cat

Julian started a little defensive “Of course I do! I love kids! You all know that!” Julian then got quite “But you all know why that will be totally impossible”

The gang then suddenly stopped in their tracks at what was going to obviously be a session of messing with Julian when they heard his tone

“Why?”

…

“…”

“Oh… right…”

“Yeah… I can’t have kids the usual way. And with my record I will never be able to adopt”

Pump and skids then looked confused “Why not?” “Yeah. You are very good to us”

“*sigh* I’m a single guy, unemployed, have a criminal record and I’m black. Pretty sure just one of those can kill your chances, let alone all of them”

…well… that kills any chances of using that to tease Julian without being a total monster…

Whitty looked at Julian with empathy. He never actually thought of it, but it’s true. As wonderful as Julian would be as a dad, there was no way he could ever be one… maybe that was the reason he was so paternal in general… because he would never get to be one… oh Julian…

As he was about to say something, the kids then stood up and went to hug Julian, much to his surprise “well, you may not be our dad” “but we love you anyways” “if it makes you happy, we can ask our parents if its ok for you to babysit us” “we know it’s not the same. But that way you can experience being a dad” “if that is okay with you”

…I wanna cry. These kids…

Julian was on the same boat, because the moment they finished, his eyes started watering and he hugged the kids crying “I-I l-lo-ove you g-guys!” he said between hiccups *sniff*

Whitty took this opportunity to sit beside Julian and give him a side hug “Hey bro, I can’t promise this because I don’t know if it’ll ever happen. But if I even have kids, I want you to be there for them as the best uncle you can be”

This cause the already crying Julian to cry harder and to add Whitty to the hug, Hex at some point coming closer as well to join.

Now that is family love.

“So… are we watching the movie or what?”

Chapter 26: Secret confrontation

Summary:

Well… that’s one option I didn’t consider.

Notes:

Merry Christmas! Sorry for the time, but it was the holiday, so. Anyways, I thought it would be a nice surprise, even if late at night.

Continuing where we left of from the previous chapter after Julian cried for a couple of minutes. No one daring to make fun of the recently discovered information.

The gang then proceeded to watch the John Wick movies (with Julian covering the kids eyes if things got… implicit.)

Whitty was sitting on the ground with his legs outstretched when he looked at the time (man, those are some long ass legs) “Hey, it’s almost 5 o’clock. Should we head back to the cafe?”

“I think so” Julian added after looking at the time himself, the kids sitting on his lap

“I’m not saying the movies were bad. But I’m not sure it was such a good idea to watch movies that got your blood pumping when we wanted to relax… or were packed with so much violence” always thinking about others Hex

Boyfriend “They at least distracted us from our current bullshit”

“True that” Pico

“Plus, the cafe and Momis house seem pretty quite. At least to what we have seen so far. So who says we can’t still chill once we head back? Or you guys when we leave for that matter”

The kids then moved so that Julian could stand up “Whitty has a point”

“Will you be okay with the little piranha though?” Way to be sensitive Aldryx

Whitty deadpanned for a moment “Oh… right. Forgot about Ruvool” he then started to complain, annoyed “what’s his deal anyways? I know we are strangers but come on! Even Ruv was not that aggressive when we met”

“Who says I wasn’t?”

“You know how to, what’s the word? Contain yourself? You don’t start being aggressive unless you are provoked. Which admittedly is a pretty low bar on itself, but this kid is on a whole other level! This kids blows up at the slightest provocation. And most of the time we aren’t even doing anything! He’s like an angry chihuahua”

“…I think he is hiding something” everyone then turned to Ruv once he said this

“Hiding? You mean like when we talked about what happened to his eye?” Agoti asked laying with half of his body limping upside down the edge of the bed. Are you a chimp or something?

“I don’t know. But he knows something”

“Well that wasn’t vague at all”

“Should we be surprised? Just about everyone we meet has their own personal agenda in some way or another” Well that’s not entirely true Tabi… I think… maybe… who the fuck knows at this point really…

“He’s 11” Boyfriend

“An 11 year old GENIUS” Whitty countered

Pico raised a brow at this “That kid is a genius? I know he is smart, but is he THAT smart?”

“He did say he does taxes for fun” thank you Hex

“And Momi confirmed it at some point too” Julian finished

“In any case. What secret could an 11 year old possibly be hiding? It’s not like he’s involved in some massive coverup” that was strangely specific Pico

“…massive… maybe” Everyone turned to Whitty now

Stop turning around so much… I get the feeling I just jinxed it…

“Maybe he is”

“What?”

“Whitty, he is a kid. Even if the town was covering something, what does he have to do with it?” Don’t be so sure Boyfriend

“I think we got it the other way around.” Whitty continued

“Huh?”

“Well, not exactly the other way around. But I think Ruvool IS covering for something”

Hex tilted his head screen “What would that be?”

“The explosion Ankha mentioned”

“Who?” Boyfriend, Julian, Hex and the kids said simultaneously

“It’s a friend of Momis, we met her on our way to find you two. She asked if we knew about an explosion that occurred six years ago”

I know what you are thinking. I pretty much pointed it out at the end of the last chapter. But unless THEY noticed the inconsistency I can’t do shit. I’m the announcer in this game, not a player.

“Six years?”

“We were thinking the same thing. But she said Bitty does not know anything regarding that”

“How do you know it was not…” Boyfriend made a vague hand gesture “you know?”

“It was not me because none of my explosions have EVER been that powerful

“Got it” Huh? Got what, Agoti? “I don’t know why we didn’t think of this before. But I just googled it” …that was such an obvious action that I feel stupid for not thinking about it…

“What did you find?” Did you perked up Ruv? Or did I imagine that?

“It says that yes, there was a 20 miles wide explosion in pretty much the middle of nowhere 6 years ago.“

“That matches” Tabi

“Also, apparently they arrested the guy responsible”

“Say what?” Whitty

“Someone got arrested?” Aldryx

“It seems weird though”

“Why?” Pico

“Because the guy was right in the middle of the explosion and he handed himself in”

…

“WHAT?!”

“There isn’t much detail here, but it seems he was just your average joe… except that he studied computer science or some shit and… uh…”

“And?”

“Well… uh…I don’t know if this is even important, or relevant… but…”

“Spit it out, what?” Calm down Ruv

“He was black”

Everyone was quite. No one knew how to respond

“…Does it say his name?” Julian asked seriously

“It says his name was Malcolm… uh… Ardacker?”

“Like you just added ard to acker?”

“Acker? Like in a field?”

“I think it’s pronounced ard-a-ker”

“That’s an unusual last name”

“And weird”

“Anyways, there isn’t much else here about him specifically. Just that he handed himself in and asked for a message to be given to the press”

Whitty raised a brow “They actually granted him the request?”

“Seems so”

“What was the message?”

“I’m sorry. It was my fault. Please, forgive me”

Both Julian and Whittys eyes widen “Do you think he was apologizing to…” Whitty started

“…our mom” …that’s a lot of weight in there Julian

Whitty then turned to Julian “… is he…”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to get our hopes up. But… maybe”

“One other thing though” everyone snapped back to Agoti again. Called it, I jinxed myself

“It says here that the area of the explosion was, and still is, kinda weird”

“Weird how? We see a lot of weird shit so you have to be specific” well said Tabi

“It says that they actually had a bit of trouble arresting the guy”

“How? He handed himself in” Boyfriend is right, I don’t see how that would be a problem

“It says they spotted him at the center of the explosion, so that’s why they approached him, but they had issues the further they went into the center of it because of… emotional turmoil?”

The fuck?

“There seems to be many articles of that place, all mentioning that there haven’t find a scientific answer, but whoever steps inside the explosion radius feels an incredible amount of grief.”

“Grief?”

“Yeah. To this day, it says that hole is basically a lake, and that for some reason it rains at least once a week there. Even in dry season”

“… rain… like if someone felt gloomy there…” Julian?

“As fascinating as this is, what does this have to do with Ruvool and Bitty?” Boyfriend asked confused

“It plants many questions.” Julian

“Like what could Ruvool be hiding if the whole thing was on the news? Meaning, you know, it’s public knowledge”

“Or how is he even involved?”

“Or why can’t Bitty remember?”

“That’s right. That’s totally weird.”

Hex then turned to Whitty “You never loose your memory when you explode”

At that point, Tabi had stood up from the sofa he was sitting on “But we don’t even know if Bitty WAS the one that caused it. Remember, he would’ve been 6 years old at most. And to that point, Ruvool would’ve been 5”

“Meaning that even as a little kid Bitty was 10 times stronger than you in the explosion department if it was him” Aldryx added

“Not to mention he is still growing” Agoti finished

“I found that weird too actually” what do you mean Whitty?

“What? That he is growing?”

“How’s that weird? We all do”

“Maybe you guys. But the day I was ‘born’ I was already grown up size. I just got even taller” Hmm. That only adds more questions… like the question of why was Whitty full grown up size but Bitty was made to grow up normally?… or when is officially the ‘birth’ of a ‘test tube baby’ Whitty. Among other things. But I don’t want to get polemic now. Also, kinda sad that you were never officially a ‘child’.

“Ugh. That only adds to the confusion. I though we were trying to chill, not make our heads explode” Boyfriend started to massage his temples

Whitty gave him a deadpan

“Sorry”

“Maybe they made Bitty differently? It could explain why there was such a long gap between the two” … that’s… maybe not that far off Agoti

“But it still doesn’t explain WHY he can’t remember” Pico emphasize even harder

“Maybe he just doesn’t want to remember?” “Like it feels bad for him to remember?” The kids proposed… is it proposing if you are kinda asking? Whatever

“That doesn’t explain why when asked he says he doesn’t if he is such a bad liar”

Julian then stopped, a concerned look crossing his face “Unless…”

…

I don’t like that pause

“It’s not that Bitty doesn’t want to remember… or even that he can’t remember… it’s that his mind won’t ALLOW him to remember”

… everyone as confused as me?

“…you lost me”

Good

“Ugh! How could I not see it?!” Woah, Julian, what got you so worked up?

“See what?” The othered noticed too as Whitty asked

“I can’t be sure. The subject is very controversial and debated. So there is no way to tell if it’s even real or the case, but…”

“But what?!” Everyone shouted to Julian

“I think Bitty is repressing the memories” Whut?

“Repressing them?” Aldryx

“Like, they are there but he can’t access them?” Pico… what was… never mind. I’m honestly afraid of messing with you and your possible ptsd… please don’t hurt me…

“I think so.” Julian

“Why are you so sure that’s the case?” Agoti asked as he sat on the bed, no longer laying on it

“Because it’s the only thing that makes sense. At least with the information we have. I mean, Bitty and Whitty are not the only bombs out there. This could be a random, completely unrelated case for all we know. Im just saying what COULD be if it WAS true because the time and everything else just seems way too linked to be a coincidence”

Julian is right, there are a lot of crazies and political extremists out there. So it stands to reason that not every explosion must be caused by the Whitmore brothers. This could be a wild goose chase as far as we know.

…

But maybe not.

The others contemplated what Julian said though and decided to follow along the train of thought

“What causes repressed memories?”

“Supposedly, repressed memories occur when something happens that is so horrible, that the mind blocks them as a way of self preservation” … if that is true…

“So…” …then…

“You think…” …that implies…

“Whatever happened that day, was so bad, so terrible, so traumatizing, that Bittys mind blocked the whole thing”

“…which could explain why one remembers but the other one doesn’t…”

“Because remembering would BREAK him”

“It gets worse”

“How could it get WORSE?” I don’t think we want the answer to that Whitty

Julian pretty much confirmed it as he answered grimly “since out of all the people that know what actually happened that day, there is only one that could explain it to us the quickest but he won’t do it”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“one person is in prison, which we have next to no info on, another is dead, and another is blocking the whole thing, that means that there is only one person left that could tell us what happened…”

…

“…”

…

Fuck

“…so. You figured it out”

Double fuck

A new voice suddenly said, causing everyone to stiff and look to the door to find, so many heads turning today “Ruvool?” Asked a surprises Whitty

“What are you doing here?”

“Mom sent me to pick you up for dinner since you guys missed lunch with her. I didn’t want to, but Bitty and her were busy. Good thing I did though”

“…You heard the whole thing” I think that’s a given Ruv

“I’m going to say this ONCE. Back. The. fuck. OFF”

“But what happened that day that was so bad?” I don’t think this is the time Whitty

“ITS NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!” …

“Ruvool, we want to help.”

Ruvool then continued, completely ignoring Julian “You are right. I’m the only person that knows what happened that day. And it’s going to STAY that way! If you EVER try to tell this to my mom or my brother, I will personally murder you!”

“But Bitty deserves to know what happened! We do too! What if it involves us too?” Whitty, I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask this kid for anything right now

“Like I care! Just because you are related by blood to me and my bro means nothing! You are strangers!”

“Then why don’t you get to know us?! You are not even giving us a chance!” Or antagonize him either

“A chance for what?! So you can get us to trust you just so you can backstab us?”

“What’s your deal?!” Whitty!

“You are NOT telling this to Bitty!”

“Like hell I will! He deserves-“

“WHITTY” Julian raised his voice so suddenly and hard that it startled everyone in the room

“Julian?”

“You are NOT to tell this to Bitty”

!!!

“What?! Why?!”

“Repressed memories are very delicate. If we don’t handle this carefully, it could DESTROY Bittys psyche”

!!!

“So none of you are to confront Bitty about this, understood?”

“But Julian-“

“UNDERSTOOD?”

…

Everyone was reluctant but agreed

Ruvool looked perplexed and as if he wanted to say something for a moment, but quickly returned to being aggravated “…you think this changes anything?”

Julian turned to look at Ruvool with a collected disposition, not giving away anything he might be thinking

“I don’t trust you. And I will NEVER trust you.”

He then turned around and started leaving

“Mom is waiting at home. Figured your way there”

SLAM!!

…

“What the hell Julian?!” Whitty shouted

“Whose side are you on?!”

“This isn’t about taking sides” Julian said sternly

“Then what the fuck is it about?”

“Ruvool has clear trust issues. It’s obvious something happened in the past that caused him to trust next to no one. Maybe the reason he even trusts Momi is because our mom basically said it was ok to trust her”

“So what? We should resign ourselves to be benched forever?”

“I didn’t said that.”

“Then what?”

“We need to EARN his trust. Not trick him. Not use him. We earn it”

“How are we supposed to do that? He antagonizes everyone”

“The only way we can do it. We suck it up”

…

“What?” Same as all the gang, what the fuck?

“We are just supposed to let that little runt be a dick?! How is that fair?!”

“Yeah! What was all that you told us about NOT sucking things up a while ago?!”

Julian waited for an opening and started calmly “Normally that would be the case, yes, but this is a child we are dealing with”

“So? He is smarter than all of us put together”

“Ruvool is very smart. So he rationalizes everything. But smart people are typically emotionally dumb because of it. Add in the fact that he is just a kid, mind you, a very TRAUMATIZED kid, and you have someone as Ruvool as a result”

“…so we just wait until he trusts us?”

“No. We give him REASONS to trust us. We need to be patient, don’t push and let him come to us”

“That could take forever”

“…trust takes years to forge, seconds to lose and an eternity to repair…”

…

Checkmate Julian

“We are NOT going to use this kid. What he needs is help. If you guys don’t want to, you don’t need to get involved. But I will not condone anyone using this kid just because we want something out of him. That’s maybe the reason he is so traumatized in the first place”

“Fine. We won’t try anything”

“Thank you. Now let’s get going.”

Wow, talk about taking command, that was papa bear to the extreme

 

Things got a little awkward after that, but just before they left the room, Pump suddenly asked “Hey, it just occurred to me. But is Julian the new leader?”

“What?”

“Oh yeah. I think he kinda is” Skids

“What?!”

“He did kinda subtly took over leadership over time” Hex

“Now wait a sec-“

“Not to mention he does seem to know what he is doing most of the time” Aldryx

“Wait-“

“and he is the one that has been calling the shots” Pico

“No!” Julian all but yelled now.

… you thought it was Boyfriend that was objecting? lol “I’m not the leader!”

“At this point I think you are Julian.” Whitty

“Yeah, hate to say it, but I’m big enough to admit that you are a way better leader than me. I would actually prefer if you were… my second in command”

“Big enough?” Pico

“Shut up”

“Also, he should be in charge in general.” Agoti

“Woah Woah WOAH! I don’t WANT to be in charge!”

“Why not?”

“Because I CANT and don’t WANT to!”

“Why are you so worked out about being in charge anyways?”

“Yeah. Normally people fight over the power to be in charge”

“I’m not cut out to be anyones boss! Plus, I don’t WANT the responsibility!” I said that three times already!”

“…”

“What?”

“Are you being serious right now?” Whitty asked with a deadpan

“Ok, now it’s my turn to ask, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Julian, you took charge and were literally the most responsible person in the room just minutes ago” true that Tabi

“Well, uh, that was-“

“Not to mention that you are always making sure we don’t do stupid shit” Agoti

“And take care of us” Skids

“And help us whenever we need your help” Pump

“…”

“Face it. Like it or not. You are the new boss” Whitty

“Second in command” shush BF

“He’s the boss and you know it” Ruv

“Oh… noooooooooo”Julian then placed his hand on his face, walked backwards until his back met the wall and then slide down all the way until he was on the floor”

“You know. For a sex repulsed asexual, you pretty much just fucked yourself”

“Fuck”

Chapter 27: Extra - special request!

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading my fic! And since it reached the 3000 hit mark, I thought I’ll do something different for this one.
So I’ll give you guys the option. If you rather:

A) I make a drawing (within reason) that is a sneak peak of what is to come and maybe some random doodles or ideas (maybe even scrapped material)

Or

B) a POV of selected characters on previous chapters with maybe some doodles

It can be anonymous here as a comment or requested in my tumblr.
If I receive no reply I’ll place nothing.

Thanks for your attention!

Chapter 28: Cold Turkey

Summary:

The brothers decide on how to handle their new situation

Notes:

I have a throat infection, I wanna sleep so bad...

Continuing the discovery of the last chapter, alongside the fact that Julian now seems to have been officially elected as the new second in command (after much of him rejecting the post and the others insistence, they reached a compromise it seems), the three brothers bid their farewells for the day and headed back to the cafe, Ruvool having been way ahead of them even if they had way longer legs than him.

 

“So what are we gonna do when we arrive? You pretty much told the others not to do anything. But what about us? What do we do?” Asked Whitty

“Pretend the conversation we had at the hotel never happened. You and Ruv were included in that Whitty. You know you were.”

“What?!” Whitty all but halted causing Julian to stop too “*sigh* Whitty, it’s not that I don’t trust you, or Ruv for that matter, but this is a very complex situation.”

He then turned around and looked at the two with concern “If we say the wrong thing it could really hurt Bitty on the long run, so we need to ease him into it. Not to mention that if we prod, we need to make sure we don’t plant anything or suggestion him. That is hard to do and one of the main reasons repressed memories are so controversial.”

“But we wouldn’t say anything harmful!”

…

“…”

“Well, Ruv might, but that’s just him being direct”

“That’s true”

“That’s the thing Whitty. You may not THINK you are doing it, but you might accidentally. Like I said before, repressed memories are very delicate and we need to tread carefully”

“But-“

“Ok, let me show you an example”

“Example?”

“Gray, big, tusks, trunk, animal”

…did he just described an elephant?

“Did you just described an elephant?”

I think so Ruv

“I never said elephant”

“But you pretty much described one”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, I just said a random choice of words”

“But those words sounds exactly like-“ Whitty then stopped once he realized what Julian did “ooooooh!”

Am I the only one getting inception vibes here?

“Exactly. That is what you could do on accident by using the wrong words or doing the wrong thing. I’m not saying you can’t interact with Bitty, by all means, go ahead. But you need to be mindful of your word and avoid certain topics or mentioning explosions”

Whitty and Ruv exchanged glances

“So we are going to go as if we don’t know anything?”

“Basically”

“This feels wrong…”

“We don’t have much choices Whitty. We are not doing this to be mean”

“What if HE is asking questions?” good point Ruv

“Then that’s different. At least a little. He would be willingly looking for more info, it would still be a land mine of a conversation mind you, but at least you would have a bit more wiggle room because he was the one that started it”

“Ok. So if I understood that correctly, to put it simply, keep it short and sweet.”

“You got it” Julian was about to turn around and start walking again but remembered something “oh! One last thing” He then turned to Ruv

Now this is curious “Ruv, try to bond as much as you can with Ruvool. It will be good for the both of you”

Ruvs eye actually widen slightly “what?”

“It’s obvious that you both identify with each other. So you can take this as a chance of personal growth while helping someone out”

Whitty then cut in with his arms crossed “I don’t know why, but this feels kinda racist” I … was actually thinking the same thing

Julian looked startled “excuse me?” Julian actually sounds offended

“Well. I mean, Ruvool and Ruv are literally kinda the same person? But at the same time not? How do I explain this?” Kinda lost your bearings there buddy

“It’s like, when you are from one ethnicity and ask another person to help just because they are too? Even though they don’t even know each other?”

“… are you implying that I basically did a racial profiling because Ruvool is a clone of Ruv?”

“I mean… maybe?”

Julian stopped for a moment, trying to process the situation… I honestly don’t know what to say… for the first time… I have no comment…

…

Shut up

“Heh, irony” not now Ruv

“Shut up” Woah! A little aggressive there Julian, this actually startled Whitty a bit

“Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that! I was only-I-I was trying to-“

“It’s fine” Julian cut him before this could spiral out of control “I know what you tried to say. It’s ok. I guess what I said could be interpreted that way if you think about it” he then took a deep breath “what I meant admittedly was around that idea. While it’s not right to use racial profiling in A LOT of contexts, psychologically, it can be useful because, like it or not, we relate the best with people we identify with or remind us of people or things we know” it’s a sad reallity, but it’s true… man… people suck… or is that the mind sucks? The subconscious? …everything sucks…

“So you think Ruvool will, like, open up to Ruv more?” Whitty asked raising a brow

“I think both are in serious need of emotional help. And maybe they can help each other out”

“I’m literally right here” Ruv said frustrated

“Then you know what to do”

“You can’t force me to do shit”

“I never said to, and I’m not forcing you”

“…”

Just yield Ruv, you know you are going to anyways

“You are a Svengali, you know that?”

“What the fuck is a Svengali?” Just look it up Julian, I think it fits you “plus, didn’t you once call me a Zavodila? How do you know such things anyways?” Huh, who knew Ruv was so well read, then again, the latter could just be something he learned because it’s a Russian word, and no I’m not being racist, just saying. We JUST saw this subject less than a paragraph ago

“*groan*” Ruv only growl and groan at the situation

 

 

 

Back in the cafe, Bitty and what seemed to be two other employees were handling the cafe when Ruvool arrived.

“Hey bro, did you tell them to come?”

Ruvool seemed like he was about to bust but was fighting to hold it in… I kind off feel for this poor kid “yeah, I told them”

“It’s a good thing he didn’t show up today, otherwise you would still be cleaning up after his mess” I’m guessing Bitty is referring to whoever comes every Thursday to make a mess. They mentioned it in a previous chapter, I think.

“Maybe he knew it would be a bad idea to get involved with those guys so he didn’t come today. Which is what WE should be doing”

“Ugh. Are you still up with that? Chill out already. Although, look who I’m talking to” ha, sassy Bitty much?

“Shut up! Shouldn’t you be working on dinner? These two are supposed to handle the cafe from 5 o clock forward so we can have dinner together. Remember?”

“You know they can hear you right?”

“Does it look like I care?”

“Ugh. Mom it’s making dinner. She wanted it to be special, so she actually has been at it for a while and won’t let me into the kitchen because she wants it to be a surprise”

Ruvool was having a hard time keeping it in more and more “Why is she putting so much effort into this? We DONT KNOW these guys! They could be up to something!”

“Like what?” Bittys tone was finally showing his irritation

“I don’t know? Maybe they want to blackmail us, or maybe they want to use us for some secret plot or shit!”

“Wouldn’t they need to have info on us to blackmail us? Why are you being so paranoid? I mean, you are always hostile towards new people, or any people in general, but this is going overboard! Even for you!” …knowing what we know… it’s hard to know who to side with here… after all, we can’t say Ruvool is completely in the wrong. If we didn’t know the people on the other side already…

Before Ruvool could respond, the bell sounded and through the door came the brothers, causing Bitty to look up at them with a smile and for Ruvool to freeze. His blood suddenly running cold.

“Hey guys! Mom it’s still working at dinner, but you are free to lounge here for a bit! If you need anything, just ask Nyan or Kauan, they work here part time but they’ll whip something up for you! On the house!” The two then waved at the brothers with a smile “oh! Just don’t ask for anything other than simple drinks or already made food from Kauan. He’s not allowed in the kitchen anymore”

“Oh come on! It wasn’t that bad!”

“You nearly burned the kitchen to the ground”

“No one asked you Nyan”

Whitty then seemed to realize something when he heard Kauan talk “wait, you are a guy?”

“Uh, yeah, why?”

“…you’re a calico…”

“…so?”

Oooooooh! Right!

“Aren’t calicos supposed to be all female?” Ruv then asked the question I’m guessing some of you knew and others were wondering

“Oh right, I heard that somewhere before” Julian added with realization

“Nah, male calicos do exist. I’m the living proof. Something about an extra chromosome? We are just super rare.”

“And sterile” … that was a bit of unnecessary information Nyan

“Shut up you pop tart”

“Don’t hate me for being pretty and right.” She then started laughing, her laugh coming out like a nya nya nya.

The three stared as the due bickered, Bitty rolling his eyes at their antics and Ruvool never once breaking eye contact with the other three, analyzing their every move.

After a moment of composing himself, Julian finally said “Nah. We’re good, need help with anything?”

“Oh no! I can’t ask that of you, it would be so rude. You guys are our guest”

“You are a little bundle of sunshine, you know that? I just want to pinch your cheeks” awe~ that’s sweet Julian

Bitty blushed and giggles bashfully “he he, you can try. But I don’t think you’ll manage. My skin is very rough”

“Wait really?” Well yeah, again, this was mentioned by yours truly in another chapter, come on guys, keep up.

…

And you shut up, I know they can’t hear me but that doesn’t mean I can’t be frustrated about things. It’s not always fun being the narrator you know?

Continuing, Bitty answered Julian’s question “Yeah. That’s why I have to do things like yoga at least 2-3 times a week. It seems to help in softening certain sections of my body so they don’t restrain my movement as much. If I don’t do them nothing happens really, I can still run, walk, jump, etc. I just discovered it helps to make it easier” Bitty just shrugged it off casually, but the moment he finished talking Julian turned to Whitty with a shit eating grin

“Oh shut up!”

“Huh?”

“Oh, he wasn’t talking to you Bitty. Don’t worry. Whitty is just mad because he has the same problem but hates doing yoga” he then did a half hearted shrug, clearly enjoying this “I mean, we don’t even do yoga. It’s Tai chi, but, weeeeell…”

“And it’s hard! Ok! I’m doing my best!”

“Tai Chi?”

“It’s technically a martial art, but people use it as a way of meditation. Kinda like yoga”

“Woah! That’s so cool! Maybe you can do a demonstration tomorrow at school!”

“Oh yeah. Tomorrow it’s your show and tell thing right? I’m not an expert, but aren’t you a little old for those things?” …I never actually stopped to think of it but Whitty is right, don’t they do those things until your 8? MAYBE 10?

“I don’t know what to tell ya. I think it’s something to do with our self-esteem?” What’s with the educational system nowadays? I know emotions are important, that’s the whole theme of this story so far but sheesh “Anyways, Julian already confirmed he would go. What about you Whitty? Are you coming?” Whitty seemed conflicted, he started to fidget when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to look at Julian, who gave him a soft smile and nodded “*sigh* I would actually rather not go…” Bitty seemed down for a moment “but… this seems important to you… so, I guess I can make an effort to at least show up. I already promised I would meet your friends didn’t I?” He then paused for a moment, fidgeting “I mean, relationships are all about compromising and middle ground right?”

Bitty suddenly shrieked with delight, heh, he sounded like a kettle “Eeeeee! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He then all but run towards the two to give them a hug

Now that’s a wholesome moment right there

“I’ll go too”

… whut?

Everyone turned to Ruv with surprise “Ruv?! YOU are going?” Whitty asked

“Figure it would be a fun spectacle”

Ah, there it is

“Hardi har har. Why do you have to be an ass all the time?”

“It’s fun”

“Wow, not even denying it”

“What would be the point?”

“Ok, ok, stop it you two. Before someone ends up hurt”

It was in that moment that Momi entered “oh good! You guys are already here! Things are almost done! Bitty, could you be a dear and set the table please?”

“Ok mom!”

Bitty then ran into the house Momi following after him as the two employees went about doing their job, not bickering anymore. Before they could take another step, they noticed Ruvool looking up at them with a calculating look “…what’s your game here?”

“Game?”

“What are you planning?”

Julian started with a smile, not your topical smile, but that smile that says you know but act as if you don’t know, you know? “Well, I think we are going to do something simple tomorrow at school. I don’t know what yet, but we don’t want to cause a commotion and the point is we want to help our little brother out” that was the most double meaning sentence I’ve ever heard. Or is it hidden meaning? Whichever works. Ugh, I’m not on my game today, so much turmoil has me worn down.

Ruvool just kept squinting at them “…this STILL changes nothing…”

He turned around and SLAM!!

See what I mean? Too much drama for only two days

“…that went well…” no shit Whitty

“Did you really think he would open up just because we reached a compromise of sorts?” Julian gave him an amused smile

“Well… yeah” seems to have been working so far

“You are a fool” Don’t be mean Ruv

“Shut up!” Whitty

“Heh” Don’t just laugh Julian

“And you too!” I said calm down!

 

At the dinner table, it seems Momi had outdone herself since it was it was now covered with piping hot, delicious smelling food, everyone taking their seat once they were drawn in by the mere smell.

“So” Momi started with a smile “I don’t really know what your favorite foods are since we just met. But I figured since you are related then maybe you have similar taste buds as Ruvool seems to have shown. So I made some of the kids favorites.”

“You didn’t need to do this” Whitty said bashfully

“Yeah, it’s not like it’s the first time you invited us to dinner”

Momi persisted “True. But the last time was last minute. So I wanted to make something a little more homemade this time”

“Don’t you typically make dinner from scratch? So isn’t it always homemade?” Good point Ruv

“You know what I mean” she giggled then continued with her explanation “So, that said, I made Beef stroganoff for our Russian boys, spinach and ham pizza for the Whitmores and cordon bleu for everyone”

Well that a sweet gestur- wait, did she said Bittys favorite is…

“Wait… you said THEIR favorites… Bittys favorite food is spinach and ham pizza?” That’s what I was thinking Whitty, to which Momi only giggled further, she’s very gitty it seems “Bitty is probably one of the only kids in the whole world who not only likes spinach, but one of his favorite foods has it.”

“He’s a freak about it too” and here’s the snark that was missing, thanks Ruvool. Also, pot, meet kettle. Finicky eater much?

“No I’m not”

“Yes you are, you eat it with everything, you even make dips out of it” hows that weird?

“Spinach deep isn’t weird” yeah

“It is when you put CHOCOLATE in it”

…now… I’m not that adventurous, but... would that actually taste good?

“Would not be the weirdest combination” to everyone’s surprise, it was Ruv who said this “oh? You’ve seen weirder?” Momi, don’t get them started, we already established previously these guys can eat just about anything

But much to my charging, Ruv continued “he once ate pickles with icing on them”

…ew

Ruvools mind followed the same track as he looked at them with disgust “What the fuck is wrong with you guys? I know you can eat anything, but seriously, don’t you have standards?”

“On the way here they were talking about honey and yogurt sandwiches…” is trash talking about your brothers consider bonding? Because if so the Rue brothers seem to be doing it… is Rue brothers lame? What about Russian duo? No, Wait, where would that leave Tabi?

Meh, I’ll think of something

“Settle down boys. There’ll be time for that later. For now, let’s seat down and eat!” Momi interjected so they all followed suit and started to serve themselves.

“So” Momi has the initiative today “any plans for tomorrow? Bitty said you were going to school with him”

“Yeah. We haven’t planned anything specific, but I think we can wing it” Whitty started, his plate already containing three slices of pizza, three cordon bleus and a serving of stroganoff

“I don’t think we should do something over the top either, maybe I’ll just show them some basic moves” Julian had also filled his plate to the brim with food while he answered

“Why not a demonstration? That would totally kick ass” (Isn’t that the same thing? Or is one with a person and the other just moving?) Bitty could not hide his excitement as Whitty suggested this, in the meantime Ruvool looked at the three with the stink eye the whole time and Momi tried (and failed) to serve food on Ruvs plate… he is eyeing the stroganoff though…

“With who? I obviously can’t fight children, so unless you want to be the demonstration dummy then sure”

Am I the only one that noticed it seems to be a theme here that Whitty is the only one that Julian turns to in things like this?

“Why is it always me? Why not Ruv?”

Seems not

“Because he will break my bones, with you worst case we end up with a bruise or two”

“How could you be so sure?”

“On the streets, you learn a thing or two. One of those things is to pick your fights. I would win against Whitty but the chances of me winning against Ruv are next to none, even if he didn’t use his knife or a weapon”

Well this is interesting, normally Whitty would have protested to Julian saying he could beat him (which he inwardly seem to begrudgingly know) but the second part called their attention so much that it was actually our typically quiet Ruv that ask “how are you so sure?” he is very active today

“Like I said, you learn to pick your fights. How I see it there are typically 3, maybe 4. The ones you can win, the ones you turn around to because you know your scrawny ass will be wiped so you beat it, and the ones you are just dragging so anything goes”

“..that doesn’t really answer the question”

“*sigh* ok, look. I don’t know Ruvs past so I can’t say how bad or good he is at fighting-“

“He’s good” Whitty cut

“How do you-“

“He’s good trust me”

“…is this to do with the raccoon incide-“

“TRUST me, he’s good” and that answers that

“Ok. Well, with bigger reason now. We are both good fighters. I’m going to make a wager and say neither of us were actually taught. So our ability varies to our own skill, that makes it hard to tell who the best fighter is but the ONLY advantage I have against Ruv is that I’m limber. That’s it. Maybe I could win if I tired him out so I could outlast him, but who knows. Anyways, that’s a fight I’m not risking just to find out if I could win”

“But its not like you haven’t risked it before. You pretty much jumped in to save me and the others on that alley”

“Its called calculated risk Whitty. Besides, I was at rock bottom, what else did I had to lose at that point?”

“Fair point”

“How are you so sure?” Again the same question- wait, Ruvool?

“How are you so sure you wouldn’t win? You may be smaller but that’s not everything” is that what this is about? Or is it something else?

“It’s not only that Ruv is taller, he probably has more experience, is very strong, smart, resourceful, among other things. If he was dumb muscle, I could totally win, won fights like those before, but taking all of that into consideration my changes of beating him are next to none”

“What about your a-“ Whitty started to ask when he got kicked under the table by Ruv

Oh shit, I had totally forgot about that too, good thing Ruv remembered and stopped him though, Whitty didn’t seem to understand though and was about to complain “what’s your damage you-“

“You need to learn to read the room. But I doubt you have the ability to” Whitty paused a moment before realizing, he nearly spilled the beans about Julian’s secret ability!

“I don’t think the violence was needed. But thanks Ruv, we maybe should change the topic to something the kids can hear” Julian added, reminding Whitty that certain topics were on thin ice.

And on that matter, i think Julian’s train of thought here might be because of the ability as well. Which, again, we need a name for it.

We know Julian and Whitty have it, but does Bitty? Is it because of it that he doesn’t remember? Has he ever used it in general? Is that why it rains in the crater? Is he aware of it? Is it worth telling them? I mean, maybe they don’t want to tell Momi and the kids because they are not aware of it… but they did hear it mentioned the time they snooped… why haven’t they asked? This is getting too complicated

Momi and the kids raised some brows but decided to let it slip it seems

“If you say so” fire shots dodged

“Can I ask you a question though Whitty?”

“Sure, shoot Bitty”

“Have you ever exploded?”

…

Are you fucking kidding me author?

You were a little TOO meta this chapter

Fuck you

Chapter 29: Shared Sorrows

Summary:

Sometimes, its best to let it out, to help both others and yourself.

Notes:

I don’t know the time zone AO3 takes when I publish something, once I published something Sunday night and it said it was the next day.
Anyways, I have to say guys that it’s a bit discouraging that I didn’t receive a single reply for the 3000 hit thing. I mean, I know this story isn’t like the best in the world or something as popular as the mods themselves, but I’m trying my best and working when I can on it since I currently only have small periods of time off. And I would be lying if I said that wasn’t a little discouraging, I’m still going to work on the story because I made a commitment by STARTING it, but it doesn’t mean is still doesn’t sting.
That said, a NSFW warning is in order, as this chapter handles some heavy emotional implications. But just like last time, its important story wise. Enjoy.

God. Fucking. Dammit.

Are you proud of yourself? Does this make you feel good? Do you enjoy writing this?

…

Hey! Answer me!

…

Oh! So you are not answering now? Are we? You made them spend the entire of the previous chapter going on about NOT discussing explosions and shit and end it with the person that has the problem asking it?!

A child no less?!

What the fuck is wrong with you?!

…

UGH! Fine! It’s obvious you are not going to reply because you are just SO high and MIGHTY, so I’m just going to continue narrating! Agh!

…

*deep breath* ok. So. Continuing. Everyone froze the moment Bitty asked Whitty if he had ever exploded. The question catching them by surprise as if it came OUT OF NOWHERE. Whitty started to sweat and answered with a nervous chuckle “W-why do you ask?”

Bitty fidgeted “Well, it’s just.. You and I kinda look like bombs, we have a string and everything… and Ive always had this kind of feeling that we could? Blow up, I mean”

Don’t ask if he has, don’t ask if he has, don’t ask if he has, don’t ask if he has! “Have…” !!! “Has, I mean, Has.” Oh, thank lord “has someone uh… ask you about it?”

“Yeah. But I don’t recall ever blowing up. At least… I don’t think so” Julian then noticed that as he said this, Bitty scratched the small gauze that was on his cheek

“And, you think I have?”

“Maybe? It’s just… I dunno, you’re older.

And… I… uhm… MAY have googled you?” He then added quickly “I didn’t mean to snoop into your business I swear! I wasn’t trying anything like that! It’s just… even with all the diversity in this town there is not really anyone like me… so I thought that maybe…you could…tell me stuff? Tell me how it felt? Why you did it? That way I know what to expect? I guess?”

That’s… actually perfectly reasonable…

…

Don’t get cocky

You are not off the hook

Whitty looked intently at Bitty. An internal conflict forming within him. In desperation, he quickly turned his gaze to Julian, who had also been looking at Bitty with sadness in his eyes, before his eyes turned to him with a troubled expression… I guess this was one of those land mines he mentioned before…

“It was… bad… it hurt”

“Wow, that’s informative”

“Ruvool!”

“What? You know it’s true. Besides, there is no way he’ll admit to anything”

“What do you mean?”

“He blew up a concert hall full of people, and I can’t really think of any reason he would do it without being a psycho”

…you are playing with fire Ruvool…

Whitty squinted at this “why would you say that?”

“Because it’s the truth. Maybe you were being chased before, but when you became a celebrity you were on top of the world, you had no one you cared about or anyone you needed to protect, so you really don’t have much of an excuse. You blew it. Pun intended”

“Excuse me?!” Uh oh…

“Oh please, don’t pretend you were a victim. Nowadays a celebrity holds more power than a fucking politician, all you needed to say was jump and they would ask how high”

“Ruvool! You are way out of line young man!”

“What mom? It’s the truth. He probably did it for the thrill and thought he could get away with it, only for it to blow up in his face. He was in a position of power, he was not being chased at that moment or anything like that. You can’t tell me he blew up because someone was threatening him.”

“How do you know that?” Whitty challenged

“I already said it. You were a FUCKING rock star, being a celebrity is like being an honorary politician, except people actually listen to you and you don’t have to fear for your life, maybe worry about stans and stalkers, but those cases are more rare in contrast to the former. But if I were to give a main difference between the two other than that, is that you don’t have the ability to change any official regulation.”

Whut?

“You can’t pass any ‘official’ legislations but you could get the people on your side and put pressure to make a change, which is just about the same thing. You did shit! And I did my homework, both of us looked you up the moment we came home! The only thing I could find on the asshole is that he is wanted for many crimes across Eurasia, it’s very vague but some even go back so far as 30 years ago! If not more!”

…HOW long ago? … How OLD are you Ruv?

“I’m sure there are more, but most likely they are not displayed to the public due to security reasons. Meaning he is even WORSE than we thought! And the idiot has the thing about his arrest but otherwise he is just another bleep on the internet. So most likely it’s just stuff that hasn’t come to light. But you? That explosion wasn’t the first one! It was just the worst! You were not in any danger! Screw being an experiment or a weapon! What the fuck is your excuse for killing people?! Even if you have ‘stage fright’ do you honestly expect me to believe you killed so many people just because of that?” This got very personal very quickly “I heard about celebrities like you. You think you can do anything you want and get away with it. But not everyone has that privilege you know? People like you disgust me”

Whitty was mad, fuck what Julian told him, this kid was way past the line. This was no longer being a dick, this was outright being nasty, he was about to yell at him and give him a piece of his mind when-

“Enough!” Bitty shouted, catching everyone by surprise “Why are you doing this Ruvool?! You have always been aggressive but this is beyond that! Enough is enough!”

“Because you are asking advice from the wrong people! If he was a normal person he would feel awful for the shit he’s done! But look at him up and about! He KNOWS he did something bad! But he hasn’t paid the consequences for it! It doesn’t even look like it BOTHERS him!”

“How do you know that, eh?!”

“Because if it was he would be fretting about it! But look at them! I don’t doubt all of them have done some pretty messed up stuff that is not out in the open! But they are living their lives like nothing happened! How’s that fair?!”

“That’s an unfair assumption and you know it!”

“And how do YOU know they didn’t?! You been defending them and you don’t even know them! As far as you know they could be-“

“Because I’m sick of being alone!”

!!!

“I just… I want more people in my life! Is that so wrong?!” … “I love you and mom Ruvool, but is it so wrong to want more people in my life that I can just… hang out or, talk, or, I dunno? Be with?” …

“Im not trying to replace either of you, I was just hoping for, I dunno, common ground with someone else? I always feel this… strange sense of… something inside me… like a bad feeling that sometimes comes and goes. Like I feel bad about something. And I don’t even know why!”

Could it be…?

“I don’t like that feeling! And I thought maybe because we are the same and related I thought they could help. I’ve asked some folks around town for help but… it’s just… not the same…” As he said this, Bitty kept scratching at the gauze on his cheek “And I have the weird feeling Whitty might know? Somehow? I know it’s stupid, but I just can’t shake the feeling that he could help me with… something!”

“You have me and mom for that! Why do you need someone else?!”

“Because you don’t listen!”

…

“This is a perfect example Ruvool! I just said I’m not looking to replace you!” He did say that not even a minute ago “Ruvool, I love you. Both you and mom. And I respect your judgment. But you never listen to me! I know you are very smart, and logical, and all that. But you never listen to my opinion! You just say I’m being naive or uniformed or something or other. You make me feel like I’m stupid!”

“I-I never called you that!”

“But you might as well! Every time I say something you scruff it off or you only hear the parts you want to hear!”

“Then why didn’t you ever say anything! This is the first time you ever told me any of this! And you can’t say it’s because ‘I don’t listen’” he did a mockery of Bittys voice at the end

“Because I was sparing your feelings and I didn’t want to start a fight! I didn’t want you to feel bad!” So basically you were bottling things up, I guess it was a matter of time before it was the last drop then “And it rarely really mattered anyways, so things usually sorted themselves out. Somehow. But now? Ever since these guys arrived you haven’t listen to me at ALL. What the fuck it’s your damage?!” And there you go, that was the last drop

“You think I never considered they’ve done bad things?! Of course I did! But this town was built on second chances! Many people in town did things they deeply regret! But they are trying to be better people and do the right thing! Of course it doesn’t take back what they did! And people SHOULD be held accountable for their actions! But do you think the SYSTEM will be FAIR about it?!”

This gave Ruvool further pause

“I’m surprised someone as intelligent as you didn’t considered that! Especially with how well aware you typically are about these things! The system is broken! Julian is another perfect example! He is literally the only regular human at this table, he did nothing wrong and was just trying to live his life! And he was treated like crap just because of a misunderstanding that wasn’t even his fault AND he’s BLACK!” Wait, isn’t            Ruv human too? A stick man variant but a human non the less. I mean, I get that Ruvool doesn’t TECHNICALLY count because he’s a clone and the rest are non-humans but why is Bitty- oh! Right! Regular human, as in a regular CIVILIAN human, I see where Bitty was going for now… that’s not really any better though… this conversation will get worse before it gets better…

“What do you think will happen to any other one of us?! Sometimes it’s not about not wanting to do the right thing or pay the consequences! Sometimes it’s just, just-“

“Living a honest and virtuous life… and paying it forward” …everyone turned to look at Whitty

Whitty…after hearing all this… he was staring right into Bittys eyes… those eyes filled with tears… looking up at him with… such a soft and confused gaze… it was then that a thought came to Whitty, such an obvious thought that he felt stupid not having considered it up until now… ‘He’s like me’.

Maybe their personalities were different, but they were the same in a way… Bitty was what he could’ve been had he been given love and support. What he WISHED he could’ve been. He was innocent. Which meant… if he really did explode that day…

 

Whitty couldn’t permit it, he refused. He refused to let Bitty go through the same pain he had to endure.

Bitty was right. It was not fair. It had never been, they had blame him and prosecuted him for merely existing. For things outside his control. Many times the incidents he was even responsible for were because he was PUSHED into them, pushed beyond his limit. Pushed beyond ANYONES limit.

So it was in that moment that he decided, he would be to Bitty what no one was for him before he met Hex, Carol, Julian or anyone he cared about. He would be Bittys guide. Maybe he was not fit for the job, as he was nowhere near Julian’s level of know-how, Carols patience or Hex kindness and selflessness regarding support. But damn if he was going to try.

He would not let history repeat itself.

“Uh, Whitty? You ok? You’ve been staring at Bitty for long time now” Momi said, making him crash back into reality again and noticing everyone was staring at him

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then looked at Julian with a determined look in his eyes, Julian stared at him for a moment, looking at him with a contemplative look, he looked around the table to the others before returning his gaze to Whitty, after a moment… he gave Whitty a solemn nod

‘Go ahead, do your thing’

With the encouragement and approval he was looking for, Whitty started

“I have exploded in the past before… many times…” he started slowly, Ruvool still a little out of it because of Bittys confession, the others looking with curiosity “I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Those were awful experiences and have left me scarred. Exploding is… painful… VERY painful. It feels like your entire body is being torn apart as the same time your flesh burns until it’s reduced to nothing… reforming is no better” he pauses for a moment, collecting himself “and not only physically, emotionally and mentally too. The reasons I’ve have exploded where typically because I was so stressed out things got out of control… I have been… chased around, shot, betrayed, used, lied to, among many, MANY things… the world has not been kind to me…” this whole conversation seemed to be very heavy for Whitty, even with Julian’s help, it still stung “I might have been famous at one point, but I never really had power over anyone. I was merely a puppet that did the devils bidding. Literally, kinda. I only ever did what I was told, sure I got some perks from it, but it was like constantly being under a magnifying glass. Every word I said, every action I took, every THOUGHT I had… it was a constant, stress inducing nightmare”

There was silence

“…Did you ever… hurt anyone? I mean… the concert thing goes without a say, but…” …Bitty seemed like he wanted to know… but at the same time…

“Yes. Many times. Both by accident and on purpose.” He added quickly “though most of those times were self-defense” he then looked like he wanted to cry but was holding it in “I have… killed people before…” the kids and Momi looked surprised at him verbally admitting it, but curiously not the other two, as they seemed to be listening attentively to what Whitty was saying “I may not be a genius, heck, I’m smart enough to know I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed. At least compared to some of the others. But you don’t need to be to know people died or got hurt if you’ve exploded as many times as I have. Like in a military base, or in a mall, or… like you said… in a concert hall full of people…” …Whitty

“How do you live with the guilt?” …Ruvool?

“Hm?”

“How do you live with the guilt?” Ruvool repeated, seeming almost like… like he was holding tears back? “How do you live with the guilt that you killed someone? Huh?! That you ruined the lives around you?! Don’t you feel like trash?! Like it was all your fault?! Like you deserved to be PUNISHED?!”

“Yes… I do…”

Ruvool faltered. He did not expected the direct response from Whitty. “I deserve that and more”

… everyone seemed aghast… except for our other two male adults it seems… they seemed to be… oddly calmed about the whole thing… as they took this all in… they had their eyes closed and had their hears a bit lowered, Ruv sitting back on his chair with his hands in his parkas pockets and Julian resting his head on his fist, while leaning on the table.

Seeing as no one was interrupting him he continued “I deserve punishment for the bad things I did. But I also want to live. That’s all I ever really wanted. I want to live freely. I want to live without worrying the next day they could find me and it’s be the end of me. That I won’t be used as a weapon of mass destruction. That I can just be a guy trying to live his life.”

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath “of course I want to be accountable for my actions. And I’ll be the first to admit… I’m a coward… I’m a coward because I haven’t given myself in. But I also know that’s not really an option. And it would also not be fair”

“How is it not an option?”

“How is it not fair?” The kids asked

“Because it’s not fair that they arrest me for merely existing. I didn’t ask to be made. I never asked to be a living weapon of mass destruction. I don’t WANT to be one. But it’s actually that same reason handing myself in it’s a bad idea…”

“How is-“ Bitty started to ask but was immediately interrupted by Ruvool

“Because then they could use him”

“Ruvool?”

“Think about it. If the government or any group with enough power had him it would be the ultimate weapon. They could just send him into the area like any other person, he explodes and done. They save millions of dollars in all the crap that is required to do that shit. The only time and effort they would waste would be coordination and transportation. Figuring out the target too I guess. Fuck prison, you become nothing more than an asset”

“Exactly.”

“But… what about the things you already did?” Is that desperation? What’s the matter? Why are you the one that is worked up Ruvool? I know Bitty does not remember things but still… “How do you live with the guilt? You never answered me”

“The truth is… the guilt will never go away Ruvool.”

“…”

“But…”

“?”

“That isn’t the end of the line. I’ll live with what I did on my conscience. Julian has helped me see that. I can never forget what I did, but at least I can forgive myself and allow myself to heal and move on. Try to live my life the best I can and do good by not only me, but others, it won’t make up for what I did…but it’s a start”

“But…”

“As much as I want to give myself in I can’t do that. Besides, I already tried once before, and it didn’t went well”

“What?!”

“When did this happened?!”

“It was… maybe last year? The leader of the greater good, Updike, he found me. He always does. Well, did. But last time was different.”

“How?” Why are you the one so invested Ruvool?

“I had friends”

“…I don’t get it”

“In all my life. I never really had anything to fight for. Anything to protect. That was the first time. For the first time, my mind was not wondering towards my own survival, it was wondering to my friends. If they found out they were with me or helped me, they could get arrested, or worse get in the crossfire”

“…”

“So… while everyone was asleep, I handed myself in to Updike with the promise none of them would get involved”

“…you…”

“In the end, I managed to escape with the help of another guy, uh gal, person, that had been captured as well… and proceeded to get shot in the leg”

“Wait, you escaped, how did you get shot AFTER you escaped?”

“Never underestimate Updike. He is one persistent and effective motherfucker”

“Then how are you still here?”

“It’s… complicated”

“He was outnumbered” Ruv

“Well that too. Point is, it was a stupid decision”

“I still don’t see it. All you did was hand yourself in and then break out. It was a pointless endeavor. Like giving money to a thief so he won’t steal”

“I thought he was going to kill me and that would be it, not take me in, also, you are not picking up what I’m putting down”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s-“

“I think what Whitty is trying to say” for the first time in the whole conversation, Julian interrupted “it’s that even though Whitty did what he thought was right, in the end, it did not really accomplished much. If anything it gave him a reason to live”

“How?”

“I was not there when it happened. But I can imagine how everyone felt. If Whitty had handed himself in so we would not get involved, I would be pretty pissed”

“Huh?”

“We care about him. He’s a good person and a friend. Tell me Ruvool, if your bro did something bad, but you knew he didn’t mean it, wouldn’t you protect him?”

… hm, did that struck a nerve? Ruvool seemed to freeze at that “I would definitely do my best to make sure my brother was safe, even at my own personal cost, so if he decided to hand himself in… well… I would be pretty saddened and crushed. And maybe that would manifest in the form of rage”

“…you know shit…”

“Don’t I? I mean, I would do the same thing. And I know he would most likely feel the same way if I did it”

“I SAID YOU KNOW SHIT!” With that Ruvool got off the table and ran to his room, slamming the door

“Ruvool-“ Bitty went to grab his hand before he ran but was stopped by Momi

“Let him go sweetie”

“But-“

“He needs time to cool off. We’ll check on him later”

“…I’m really sorry we ruined dinner… again. We know you worked hard on it” Whitty replied bashfully

“*sigh* no, I can’t blame you by saying I didn’t saw this coming. Ruvool has always been very closed off. The only thing I’m surprised about is that he seemed to be extra hostile today and… well…”

Momi seemed to hesitate “To be honest with you, I’ve always tried for Ruvool to open up more about his feelings. I always knew there was something eating at him, just never really knew WHAT exactly”

Wait… is she implying…

Ruv, surprisingly, was the one that filled in “you know there is more”

“Yeah, maybe something happened at some point that we don’t know and it has been eating at him, I’ve TRIED to look into it but always come back shorthanded… I want to HELP my baby, I do, I just don’t know what to do…”

“Mom, don’t cry. We BOTH know there is something eating at him. It’s not your fault. “…I… I know what’s expected of me to comment here but… I’m sorry, I can’t do that. I have standards, I’m not going to place the blame on someone who is also the victim here.

“Either way, we are still sorry about all of this.” Julian

“Actually, I was hoping to ask you guys for something…”

?

The guys shared a confused look “What’s that?”

“I’m really sorry if this was manipulative of me. But I just couldn’t let this opportunity go”

“Opportunity?” Whitty

“Mom?”

“As you can see, even though we love each other very much, we sometimes have very bad communication skills. So I was hopping if you guys could help me with some of the deeper layers.”

Well, that’s a surprise

“Really?”

“Yes, I thought about it all night. We just met, but as much as I want to help my kids, I know there are things a boy it’s not willing to talk too about with his mom. And some issues that are beyond my control and know how. Mostly because I’ve never either been on that situation or maybe even my kid doesn’t know it very well”

!!!

“You’re a single mom of two boys. Of course it would be hard. And yeah, sometimes kids have trouble interpreting complex situations” Julian seemed to have caught on and decided to follow along “I don’t have kids and I was barely able to make it… and not even that actually… they were going to evict me out of my place before I met this guys”

Momi smiled for a moment but continued “I know I’m asking a lot, but do you think it would be possible if you can help us uncover all the hidden layers of this whole thing?”

“Mom…”

“Bitty, I’m sorry I didn’t told any of this to you nor your brother, but all I want to do is help you. You two are the whole world to me, so-“

Bitty then proceeded to hug her tightly “I’m sorry mom. I didn’t know we were putting so much stress on you. You always do so much for us that… well…I felt selfish if either of you thought I wanted to replace you”

“I’m sorry too honey. I hate keeping secrets from you two. But it’s hard to know when it’s the right time” …that sounded like… present tense…

“You don’t have to worry about that though” Julian spoke up

“Yeah. We know all about dealing with shitty people. The last thing we want is to be the asses the broke a family apart” Whitty said as Ruv blinked

“Besides, who says it’s one or the other? We can still be your brothers and have the family you already had”

“Thinking it’s one or the other it’s stupid logic” if even Ruv said it you know it’s true

“You guys” Bitty seemed like he wanted to cry again

“Hey now, don’t start the waterfalls again, its good thing the floor it’s wood, otherwise I don’t think we could mop them off a carpet”

This caused the remaking people on the table to laugh before Julian continued “so, that being said. If you ever need help. You are free to call us for any support you may need. We would be happy to help”

“Don’t volunteer me”

“That’s odd, I never explicitly said your name Ruv. Does that mean you consider yourself family?”

“…shit”

Awww, Ruv you care~

“Hehe, thank you so much. Just knowing you will be willing takes a lot of weight off my shoulders”

“What about Ruvool though?”

Julian beat Momi to it “I think its best we leave him alone for now. It would be pointless talking to him in this state and he might even lash out and say things he doesn’t mean. I know you want to be there for him Bitty, but the best you can do now is give him space”

“…ok” Bitty seemed defeated but accepted.

“Thanks though… for everything”

This whole situation had a bittersweet taste too it. But all things considered, I’m happy with the results.

Bitty then suddenly asked “Is that why you always have a resting bitch face though?”

“…what?”

I didn’t see that coming either Whitty

“Well, it’s just, you always look kinda mad for some reason, sooooo… with everything you told us, do you always have a resting bitch face to scare people away so they’ll leave you alone?”

…

“Pffft Hahaha!”

“Shut up Julian! At least I don’t have a stupid face like you!”

“I rather have a stupid face haha! At least people would know I’m fun to be around”

“Your face sucks” your not really one to talk Ruv

“Says the guy that has a perpetual pocker face! If anything you have a bigger resting bitch face than I do!”

“Mine is intentional though”

“Fuck you!”

“I think its purrfect~”

“WHY?!”

These dorks

Chapter 30: Extra - Brotherly prank

Summary:

It’s finally done. I’ve actually been working on this drawing for 2-3 months, but like I said, I can only work on this on my times off. Can’t argue with the results thought.

 

 

This drawing was inspired by a comment by Fireopal_Butterfly, in which they mentioned BB being part of the big brother club, and they are right, in my mind they would totally get along! Thing is, this would not necessarily be a good thing. For everyone else, that is.

As I pointed out in the story, while Aldryx IS more responsible and smarter than Agoti, that doesn’t mean he can’t be a big A-hole when he wants, so I have no doubt he would be up for some Mayhem. The other two are not really any better, BB would most likely not initiate anything but he would certainly not stop it. Julian is complicated because he’s kind of a good and a bad influence at the same time, so he could either go along with a prank or start one (he would make sure they don’t cross the line though).

 

As for the context of the image, I dunno, some prank with glue? Molasses maybe? Point is, the older brothers got them good. They don’t prank on Bitty because, well, it’s Bitty.

As for the other two, you don’t prank Ruv like this unless you are willing to lose a limb and Ruvool will either kick you in the nether region or take a literal bite out of you before beating you up.

Tabi is just enjoying the show though. Hex was not in on any of it either. lol

 

 

Also, this is not really important and its out of nowhere, but I just couldn’t help but find it funny

 

Julian it’s not only the tallest but he is also the YOUNGEST! While looking up info for the characters I saw their cannon age, while Julian doesn’t have one, BB is 25 and Aldryx is 26.

What’s more, Julian is in charge of the bb club! How is the youngest in charge of an OLDER brother club?! XD

Edit: I can’t believe I didn’t notice it until I saw it written just now. BB aka Big Brother is part of the BIG BROTHER club XD

…

Im dumb

lol

Chapter 31: Casual Threats

Summary:

Threat can feel very different, depending where they come from.

Notes:

Hey everyone! Sorry if I was a little late, both in date and time (seriously though, what timezone does this thing post on? Its 8pm here). Life been so busy, I barely got any sleep last week, and I still have a ton of things left to do left and right. Hopefully, I’ll be able to post next chapter by the beginning of next month. Till then, enjoy.

After the events of last night, everyone soon after called it in for the day and went to sleep. But not before Whitty made Julian promise not to let his hair loose at night since he did not want to wake up to a face full of hair again. In the end they settled with Julian loosing up the ponytail but not undoing it.

The night’s events still seemed to be lingering though, as a small someone was nowhere to be found at breakfast.

“Where’s Ruvool?” Whitty asked after yawing and coming downstairs, Julian not far behind redoing his ponytail. They both sat at the table and began eating the breakfast Momi placed in front of them, but paced when they finally saw Bittys expression.

“I think he already left for school… he didn’t really talk to me last night and was out of bed by the time I woke up.” …that’s not really the best way to start the day… but I’m sure it’ll get better Bitty… maybe

Julian seemed to share the sentiment “Cheer up Bitty, that conversation was bound to happen sooner or later, you shouldn’t hold it against him”

“I know… but… it’s just…”

“Like Julian said, it was bound to happen, bottling your feelings was going to run its limit at some point, so might as well be now. At least you guys had us to help you out” you doing good Whitty, keep it up

“I guess”

“Cheer up sweetie. In any case, today it’s the show and tell isn’t it? You can go and introduce your brothers to your classmates and friends”

This seemed to cheer Bitty up, but only a bit “yeah. You’re right. Have you guys figured out what you gonna do?”

“I think we can wing it”

A voice then but in from the couch “That’s the kinda thing you say before shit happens” ever optimistic Ruv

“It’ll be fine”

“That’s the other thing you say”

“Are you ever positive?” Whitty asked with annoyance

“I’m positive something will go wrong”

“Isn’t that oxymoronic?”

“…what?” Seriously, get a fucking dictionary guys, o a thesaurus o some other shit.

“I’m brothers with Ruvool. You’re bound to pick up some stuff along the way” that’s one way.

“… ok… I guess that makes sense. What’s that mean though?” Whitty raised a brow

“Uhm. Well, he is better at explaining things, I know what it means but… uh… well… I think a way to describe it is that you are saying things that are opposite together? Like, an honest liar, I think? Or, bittersweet?”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Ruv asked

“Point is” Julian started before things got derailed “it’ll be fun. Let’s just roll with the punches when and if they come”

“Wait. You guys are coming with me to school now?”

“That was the plan, yes. Why?”

“The show and tell wouldn’t be the first class of the day, don’t you prefer to come by a little later? Id hate for you guys to just wait and waste your day” ever so considerate Bitty

“Nah, its fine. Better go now and have you guide us than we going later and getting lost on the way” Julian shrugged with a smile

“Hey!”

“You know it’s true a Whitty”

“…that doesn’t mean I can’t be offended. Plus, couldn’t Momi just guide us then?”

“She works during the day, idiot”

“You could’ve just reminded me you know? Why does everything you say must be accompanied by either sarcasm or an insult?”

“Why do you have to ask such obvious things?”

“You wanna go?!”

“You know you’d lose”

Momi, who was watching by the sidelines as the two continued to fight while Julian and Bitty watched with amusement themselves, gave a contended sigh “it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree it seems”

She then decided to approach them and end the banter “ok boys, settle down” Whitty turned to look at her and then huffed while blushing, which basically was making him look like an overdeveloped kid pouting (so cute) and Ruv only looked at her for a moment before just going back to being quite.

Momi gave a knowing smile and then went back to the counter to grab some paper bags “if you really want to accompany Bitty to school you need to go now or you’ll be late. Here, I took the liberty to make you guys some lunch”

“Awe sweet! You always make the best lunch on Fridays! What did you make?!” Bitty said with enthusiasm, all but snatching the bag

“Ah ah ah, it’s a surprise~”

“Wait, you made lunch for us too?”

“Why of course~ you might as well be my other adopted babies, so I figured why not start acting like it?”

Julian and Whitty were moved and smiling, overwhelmed with happiness about hearing this

“We are full grown men lady” … and then Ruv had to cut in dryly

“I know. That doesn’t mean I can’t still see you that way, does it? Think of it as you guys being college students coming back home from break”

“…you do know I’m older than you? Right?”

“…your point?”

…

Aaaaawwweeeeee

Ruv didn’t have a comeback from that and just huffed, did he shrink into his parka a bit?

“Now here. I packed you some leftover stroganoff from last night~” Ruv eyed the bag for a moment but refused to take it (which at this point I’m pretty sure it’s out of pride, if anything else). Rolling his eyes with a smile, Julian moved to take the bag

“I’ll take it, it would be a shame for it to go to waste. I might eat it at some point along the day. Who knows~”

Momi gave a knowing smile but continued “very well. Go on then. Shoo. Or Bitty will be late”

“Ok, bye mom. See you later” and so the four were off.

You would think that everything went fine on their way to school, and you would be right. That is, until they arrived to school and after a little… mishap, they took Ruv into a private room to chat. The others following along. Mind you, no scandal was caused and it doesn’t seem many of the kids noticed… but still… “I’m sorry sir, but we can’t let you in the facilities carrying knives” …is my input really needed here? No, really, is it?

“I dare you to try and take them” Ruv said with an ominous look

“Ruv, just give them the fucking knives for crying out loud! It’s a fucking SCHOOL!” Ruv only shifter his death glare from school security to Whitty, who at this point, had gotten used to being on Ruvs receiving end.

Bitty started to fidget regarding the situation “uh, guys? I don’t like to complain, but it’s almost time for class and I’m going to be late. Is there a way to solve this without any violence?”

Julian then took the opportunity to cut in “Bitty is right, at this rate, we’ll get nowhere. I say we compromise”

Ruv raised a brow “compromise?”

“Yes. Just leave your knives here for the time being, and then we’ll come back and pick them up once we leave. We could even have it in writing for them to give them back. And in exchange, I’ll give you 20 bucks”

“Isn’t that just a bribe?” Yes, yes it is Bitty

“I like to think of it as a monetary compensation”

“…so a bribe”

“Yes a bribe. Don’t tell your mom”

“I’m not comfortable with this” Whitty shared Bittys feelings

“How about no” nice try Julian, but Ruv is not going for it

“*sigh* Ok. Plan b.” He then got closed and whispered to Ruv “you give them your weapons, ALL of them, or I’ll call Servante and tell her about this”

Ruvs eye widen a moment, how did Julian… probably one of the others. I mean, Sarvante had come in conversation before, and he hadn’t really denied her existence or anything. But it was actually kinda impressive how Julian knew just what cards to play and how to play them. Even in the underworld, there were not many people that could get the drop on him.

Then again, Julian might as well had grown on the streets, so it made sense he understood the rules of survival. He already made it clear that he knew enough of the underworld as well, so there was no point in being surprise at this point.

Now? Now it was about calling him on his bluff and winning the match.

“… you don’t have her number”

“Wanna test your luck?”

“How would you even get it?”

“Whitty has Carols number, and she has Sarvantes. It would be easy to call her and ask her for it”

“That’s a long shot and you know it”

“Wanna take your chances?”

“Even if you called her, she does not know you. Why would she believe you?”

“Again, she knows Carol, Carol knows Whitty. I think that speaks for itself”

“Go ahead and tell her then. Do you honestly think this will become a big thing?”

“So, you are saying, a NUN won’t be mad that you brought KNIVES to a school when you were politely asked not to? For the kids sake? For innocent young minds, still uncorrupted by the sinful and cruel ways of society? You REALLY want me to tell her that?” that was a bit of a low blow Julian. I mean, you are right, but still.

“…”

“…”

“Ugh. Fine” he lost the match… this time

 “Blackmailing bastard” he then whispered

Wow… just… wow…

He then wordlessly went over the table and started to place all of his knives… that’s… that’s a lot of knives… everyone watched with awe as Whitty got close to Julian and whispered “how the hell did you convince him? We’ve been at this for 20 minutes”

“Just told him the consequences that could happen”

“…is that good?”

“Don’t worry yourself about it”

“…sometimes you scare me Julian”

“As long as you are a decent person, you got nothing to fear”

“I’m not sure how to take that”

“Heh”

 

One weapons confiscation later, they started walking through the empty school hallways, most kids probably already in class “I feel so vulnerable”

“Don’t worry Ruv. We are here for ya”

“Yepee” we’ll that wasn’t sarcastic at all

“Oh stop that. You are literally the biggest threat in this school, these are KIDS. Why would you even need them?”

“It’s the principle of the matter. I need them to feel safe”

“Ruv, security told us there are no cameras in this school. They can’t just let someone armed walk around when there would be no footage to back up any occurrence” good point Julian

“And I should care because?”

“Because we are not about to cause an unnecessary uproar”

Bitty then spoke up “Well, my classroom is right around the corner. You sure you ok waiting for a couple hours?”

“Yeah no problem, we’ll find a way to kill time”

“If we don’t get killed first”

“Seriously? Ruv, we are in a freaking school” Whitty deadpanned

“Do you think that automatically means we are safe? You obviously never heard about school shootings” …that’s… Ruv, if that was a joke, it was in bad taste.

 “About what?” Oh uh

“Uh nothing! Don’t worry about it Bitty! Just, get to class. Ok?” “Yeah! Yeah! Just focus on school!” The other two desperately tried to savage the situation, sweating with a nervous smile

Bitty only raised a brow “Uhm, ok? I’ll send you a text when it’s about time. Julian gave me your numbers so it’ll be fine. Bye guys!” With that he turned the corner to what I can assume to be his classroom. Once he was outside earshot and they heard the sound of a door open and close, they turned to Ruv to whisper shout at him “what the hell Ruv?!”

“What? It’s a reality. As much as you don’t want it to be true. That shit happens”

“But did you had to bring it up NOW?!”

“Yeah! Just because you are salty about you knives, does not mean you have to scare a kid into thinking he will be shot at school out of nowhere!”

Just as he opened his mouth to reply, they suddenly heard a couple of voices talking around the corner Bitty turned to.

“I can’t believe it’s already Friday! Can’t wait for lunchtime, that freak always brings the best lunches today.”

“Yeah, nothing as great as putting that doomsday in his place and eating a great lunch just before the weekend”

“I don’t know guys. I heard he brought his brothers today”

“You mean the pipsqueak?”

“No, besides, he already doesn’t give a hoot about the school hierarchy. That’s why he still defies us. I meant the ones that arrived the other day”

“So?”

“So?! Have you seen them?! They are freaking HUGE!”

“So what? It’s not like they know. That bomb is too chicken to rat on us. We literally control the whole school because everyone thinks he will do whatever we say”

“Yeah. And even if they knew, so what? It’s not like they’ll DO anything about it. We can just cry wolf and get them arrested”

“See? Problem solved”

“I’m still not sure. I still think we should lay low for today”

“Ugh! Fine! If you are such a coward we will lay low for today. We can always make up for it next week” then one could hear a door opening and closing…

…you little pieces of SHIT

The three older brothers stood there as they processed what they just overheard

“…still think it was a bad idea for them to take my knives?”

“Those little…! I wish we had seen their faces! Those little shits are bullying Bitty!”

“It seems so. Not only that, but they clearly know what they are doing is wrong and think they can get away with it… that is concerning. I just hope we don’t have a couple of sociopaths in the making here” …I didn’t even consider that until you said it Julian… now I’m even more concerned than before

“Then let’s beat up those little pieces of shit! No one messes with one of us and gets away with it!”

“Now you’re talking my language” Ruv, down, no

“Hey!” Julian suddenly raised his voice, not really shouting but enough to make the other two jump “we are not going to commit a felony for beating up kids. So settle down”

“What?’ Julian you can’t be seri-“

“Didn’t you heard them? They clearly know they can call the cops on us if we try something. So we can’t give them anything they can use against us”

“But-but-“

“I know you are mad, I am too. But we can’t just jump into this and make things worse”

Whitty clenched his fists hard before finally slumping and giving a big sigh “you are right… as always…”

Ruv didn’t look happy about it either, squinting his eyes and huffing

“It’s just… it’s not fair. Bitty is such a nice kid. He doesn’t deserve this. And it’s certainly not fair that those little creeps are getting away with it Scott free”

Julian raised a brow “Who said they are getting off Scott free?”

…

Whut?

The other two were also taken aback, exchanging glances before looking back at Julian with disbelief “What? But Julian, aren’t you… I mean, I thought you liked kids?”

“Oh, I do. But being a child is no excuse for being an asshole”

“Ruvool is an asshole”

“True. But Ruvool has been dealing with trauma. Which doesn’t excuse it but it’s understandable. These three are on a power trip. Totally different.” The other two were actually quite surprised at this.

“Either way, like I said, being a kid is no excuse for being an asshole. They need to be taken down a peg”

“Julian… you are not going to do something drastic are you? Like at the fair?”

Oh, stars no Whitty.” Julian reassured “But we will be teaching them a lesson. The only difference is that we will adjust the punishment accordingly.” He then gave an evil grin “and I have some ideas” he then turned to Ruv “hey Ruv, how good are you at sneaking around?”

“For my size, pretty good. Why?”

“I need for you to sneak away one of your knives from security and then put it back”

“…”

…

“…again… sometimes you scare me bro”

“Oh don’t worry Whitty. It’ll be fine. Besides… ” I’m getting scared myself, I knew Julian had a dark side, but this is creeping me out “those kids need to learn. Life it’s not a game, and actions have consequences” …Gulp “…time for them to face the music and get a taste of their own medicine”

…

“…help”

“This is going to be fun”

“Oh NOW your positive!”

 

 

 

 

Without them knowing, a small grayish figure watched them from the other end of the hallway, squinting at them as he overheard their conversation.

Chapter 32: *Important. Gonna take a shot

Hey guys. I know many of you won’t be happy about this, but next month I’ll take some personal time for a project. Now, I know what many of you may be thinking, but the reason is actually simple, I’m going to try my all in a literature contest. I know it’s a pretty big long shot, especially since it’s nationwide, but I rather try and fail than never even try it. So I need to focus my all in it. Thanks for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience. I’ll be back some time after April.

Chapter 33: Planning

Summary:

We follow up from where we left off from the last chapter in which the bros plan their next move.

Notes:

Hey guys! Sorry that it took so long since last chapter. Things in my life have just been kind of a mess recently… someone in my family whom I loved very much died and it really hit hard. And a lot of changes have happened because of it so my life is in an uncertain situation right now. But im trying to keep moving and I really did not want to drop this story because I know what it feels when they suddenly stop and just don’t come back.
So to make up for it I have a surprise planned. Thanks for the patience!

Well, we pick up where we left of last ep-I mean, chapter. In which the eldest of the Whitmore brothers seem to start plotting some kind of revenge plan on a bunch of little snots that have been bullying Bitty and seem to hold the entire school in some kind of caste system in which they placed themselves at the top.

Way to be introduced to your bros school, no?

So we see- wait, why is Whitty alone in the cafeteria? What’s going on? Where are the other two? I wasn’t gone THAT long, right? What the fuck is going on here?

“Whelp… Julian said to kill time… I wonder if they could give me some food even if it’s not lunch time. Hello? Anyone back there?” Why the fuck are you looking for food in the cafeteria?! You JUST ate breakfast! Not to mention, what happened to the whole revenge plan?! And kill time? For what?! What’s going on here?!

 

…

 

Ugh… ok. I’m as confused as you guys and I’m it seems I’m pretty much off the hook of whatever happened recently. So I’ll just narrate from this point on. Oh, and btw, I KNOW the cafeteria is where you find food in a school for you smartasses. I meant why is he there in the first place and you know it.

As mentioned, Whitty was walking around the empty cafeteria only to find there was no one there… well not entirely, sounds could be heard in the back of the kitchen but it if you think about it, it was obvious they were too busy cooking for the whole school, not to mention kitchens are very noisy… don’t ask me how I know that, I don’t want to go back to that job.

Oh, also, whoever was cooking had some music on at pretty much top volume. Are the walls in the cafeteria sound proof? How is the rest of the school not hearing this?

Either way, our bomb friend did not seem to get that thought until a voice suddenly started him

“Don’t bother, they won’t hear you”

Turning around rapidly, Whitty saw a teenager in a purple hoodie and sunglasses sitting in one of the tables with a… is that an axe? Or a guitar? I mean, I know they call guitars axes but this is next level.

Whittys social anxiety started to act up, trying to remember what Carol, Hex and Julian had taught him so far, he tried to respond as intelligently and polite as possible

“Uh… who are you? What are you doing here?”

“This is a school, I’m a teenager. Can’t you figure that out Sherlock?”

Hey, I said he was going to try, I never said the kid would make it easy for him.

“T-thats not what I meant. I mean what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question” ugh, teenagers

“I was looking for something to eat”

“Like I said, don’t bother. At this time a day, they are worked up in preparing everything for the day and sometimes have the music at full volume. They usually don’t come out until its lunch time”

“Then why are you here?”

“What’s it to you bomb head?” I mean… technically that’s true but still not nice how you said it.

“Hey I’m just asking a question! It’s not like I’m attacking you!” Whitty, don’t waste your breath

It was then that Whitty finally had a realization “wait a minute… shouldn’t you be in class?”

“Shouldn’t you not be in a school you pedo?”

“Pedo? What do you…” processing, processing “EW! GROSS! NO! That is so WRONG in so many levels! Ugh!”

“Then what is a grown man doing by himself in a school?”

“I’m here because it’s my little bros show and tell and he told us to look around the school while we wait! What the fuck?!”

“Well that explains one thing”

Having dealt with Julian’s bullshit on so many occasions made Whitty recognize what she was doing and suddenly realized one more thing “wait a minute! Don’t change the conversation! What are YOU doing here? Are you, are you skipping classes? What was it that I heard Skid say once, playing hooky?”

“So what’s it to you? You ain’t the boss of me. Plus, I have better things to do than learn crap that I won’t be using in the future. I mean, why the heck even teach us calculus? Who even uses that shit? Do YOU still remember when they taught you that garbage? I would rather practice with my guitar”

I mean… I’m not trying to justify her skipping class by any means… but… well… I kinda get where she is coming from, and honestly speaking I don’t really remember much of that when they taught me either. Truthfully, a lot of the education that is given is part of a standardized procedure and yes, we don’t end up using a lot of what they teach us. But I think it has to do with giving us the reference? I think? Like, you may not use it but because they forced you to learn it your mind still has a certain understanding at the back of your head? Maybe?

Either way. I think it mainly has to do with the fact that you need to create a guideline of info for the masses to have a common knowledge off. So my money goes to do with that… not everyone learns the same way though… but what are you gonna do?

That aside….

Whitty gave a heavy sign “Look, normally, I wouldn’t care and just let you be. You know, I don’t mess with you and you don’t mess with me. Rules of the streets. But right now those don’t apply, not to mention Julian will never get off my back if he discovers I KNEW you were skipping school and did nothing.” He then mumbled to himself “I don’t want to share Tabi and the devil brothers fate thank you”

“So what are you gonna do? Drag me all the way back to class? I’ll like to see you try”

…

“…”

“…”

Whoosh

“Get back here!”

He then started to chase here through the cafeteria. At first they were just running around the tables with her docking every time he made a grab for it but then…

“Hey! Get out from down there!”

“Ha! What? Too big to fit under a table? I win! Now buzz off!”

Whitty then deadpanned thinking ‘is she for real?’ And then without basically any effort lifted the table with one hand, looking at her and lifting an eyebrow, showing his thoughts

“…shoot”

“…”

“…”

Whoosh

“Oh come on!”

She then proceeded to move under one table to the next… and the next… and the next…and the next… and the NEXT…

Until eventually there were no tables left.

“Aha! Gotcha!”

After one of the stupidest chases of all times, Whitty finally managed to catch her by the back of the hood and was now hovering in the air

“Hey! Let me go you overdeveloped dynamite stick!”

“Hey! It’s not nice to call people things! I’ve got feelings too!”

“Do you think I care? Put me down!”

“No way. I’m going to take you back to class. Julians ‘talk’ aborted”

You are forgetting one thing Whitty

“Uhm… where is your classroom?”

There we go

“Ha! Like I’ll tell ya!”

“Argh. Why do you have to make this so diff-“ Whitty stopped mid-sentence as he turned around “Uh oh”

“What? … oh crap”

The two finally realized that in their little chase they pretty much tipped over every table in the cafeteria, and in the process all the chairs as well, making the place look like a total mess.

The two then exchanged a look

“…”

“…”

“I’ll let you take me to class if you get us to heck out of here”

“Deal”

The two then ran off, and as soon as they exited the cafeteria “What’s all that noise-WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?!”

“You might wanna put some pep into you step big guy”

“Roger that”

Whitty then did just that and dropped her off at her classroom. Making sure she got in before he leaved and looking through the little glass window to make sure there were actually people inside.

“Well. That happened. At least now I won’t have to deal with Julian ‘talk’. Crisis aborted”

Whitty was walking through the hallway when YET AGAIN he realized a little important detail that both him and the teenager seem to have forgotten that will prevent them to get away Scott free

“Wait… didn’t she have a guitar with her?”

…

“Shit!”

That’s right… you left the guitar at the cafeteria, you idiot…

So much to get away with it scotch free.

Moving on to the plan thing again- wait, what do you mean the chapter is over? Nothing was discussed! What happed to the plan? Where are the other two?! Don’t you dare cut me o-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heh

Chapter 34: …planning?

Summary:

Uhm… they put the plan in action?

*grumble* Moving to the prankster of the brothers. Julian is now at the schools library. Just seemingly looking around like an idiot. What happened to the plan?! Why are you in the library?! Ugh. Anyways, it was then that Julian jolted when he heard a couple of voices coming from the hallway… which for some reason caused Julian to smile and go towards them? Huh?

“Will you just leave me alone?!”

“Heheheh! Cheer up! This is the closest a lonely Virgen like you will ever have to some action. So what’s the problem?”

“Bu-you-thi-AGH! Leave me alone! I’m just trying to get this box to the supply room! Why are you even here?! You should be in class!”

“I told the teacher I would accompany you because your scrawny ass wouldn’t be able to do it” she then proceeded to climb onto his shoulders, the guy all but dropping the box to keep his balance and prevent her from falling and getting hurt “hey! Get off!”

“Hi ho silver! To the supply room!”

“Why won’t you leave me alone?! I said that like 5 times already!”

“Actually, you said it 3 times” Julian finally cut in with a shit eating grin, leaning on the doors threshold with his arms crossed

“Who asked you-Holly shi-eese” weird save to cursing but ok.

“L-l-listen sir, we don’t want any trouble”

“Relax. I’m just here to kill some time, today it’s my bros show and tell and I’m just looking around while I wait”

“Oh. Sorry. That was rude”

“That’s o-“

“Yeah, you barging in on our conversation was hella rude” …I don’t think that’s what he meant… I mean true. But still.

Julian seemed completely unbothered by her anger and continue with his typical shit eating grin “Sorry about that. Sometimes I can get a little nosy for my own good. Anyways, shouldn’t you both be in class?”

“I was just tanking this box to the supply room because the teacher asked me to. But then SHE started following me. Like she always does!” he then mumbled “I hope nothing broke”

“Because you are my pet! Gotta make sure you don’t get lost! lol”

“Stop toying with me! Why are you always like this! I am NOT your boy toy!”

“Yes you are! Just accept it! Hehe!”

“Hmm. I don’t think it’s healthy for you to treat him that way” is it wise to get involved Julian? Then again, look who I’m talking to

The boys eyes then grew brighter and the girls face a dark expression, yikes “Thank you!”

“Who asked you? What do you know?”

“About relationships? Not much. I mean, I had a girlfriend for a little while. But considering I’m aro ace that didn’t last long”

The two of them then started to blush madly “r-r-relationship?!”

“What are you talking about?! You know nothing!”

“Ha! Are you for real? It’s so obvious you have a thing for him.”

“N-n-no!” that stutter says otherwise girly

Julian then pushed himself off the doorframe and bent down to her level, looking her in the eye “You are acting like a little kid. You know? When a boy likes a girl so he bullies her to get her attention? Except the roles have been reversed. Gotta say though, aren’t you a little old for that? Why not just tell him? At this rate he is genuinely going to dislike you”

At that point both had their faces burning red

“… I… never actually thought of that…” the boy said suddenly, causing the girl to realize their position and start wailing here arms like crazy and falling to the floor. Before the boy could ask if she was ok though, she basically fled while screeching.

“And there she goes. She sure can run fast though”

“Yeah… could explain how she can always find me so quickly…”

…the both of them then stood there awkwardly. Well, the boy was, Julian was just looking in the direction the girl fled to with an arm on his hip and a shit eating grin STILL on his face.

“Uhm… we’re you serious when you said that?“

“Hm?”

“About her… you know?”

“Well, I can’t say with a 100% certainty. It was just a hunch and I took a shot in the dark. Bad habit sometimes really. But I’m pretty sure.”

“…maybe she just got caught off guard. I don’t think she likes me though. She never leaves me alone and loves to mess with me… she once made me cry… and she laughed…”

Julian actually contemplated that for a second “Could be. Or it could be that she doesn’t know how to handle her emotions. Personally, I don’t think I would be able to deal with it, not again at least.”

“Again?” The boy actually seemed surprised

Julian just shrugged “I was bullied a lot as a kid”

“You?! But you are so tall!”

“Wasn’t always that way squirt, and it sure hurt a lot when it happened, but at this point in life I just find it annoying and sad. I mean, me and my brothers mess around. But if she is genuinely bullying you, that only leaves so many options. To me, I think I would only find it pitiful… and frustrating”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, dealing with someone bugging me just because they can’t even figure out basic human interaction? I mean, come on, if you were five I would get it but once already in high school-“

“No, no, well, yes to that too. But I mean, what do you mean that only leaves so many options?”

“There are many different reasons people bully others. Some more reasonable than others. That doesn’t excuse them mind you. But it sure does make a heck of a difference.”

“Why would it make a difference? Bullying is bullying”

“It makes a difference because where it comes from its different. Tell me, does it matter if a person bullies another for being of a different race than another that bullies because of domestic abuse?”

“Of course it does! One it’s racism! And the other… well… you shouldn’t take things out on other people! You just reinforce the point! Bullying is bullying!”

“Did I? I mean, racism it’s bad. No if, ors, ands or buts. I should know. I was a victim to it. But what if that’s what you were taught? There are many cases where people where racist because of their upbringing or they got basically brainwashed. Only to realize later how wrong they were. Ever seen American History X? Powerful stuff. Same thing happens in cults and shit.”

“But… you should still not blame others for it! You shouldn’t take out your insecurities and problems on other people!”

“I never said that was ok”

“Then what ARE you trying to say?”

“That if you keep at it, the cycle will only continue”

“Huh?”

“The best way to break the cycle, it’s by not adding fire to it. The first step it’s always hard. But someone has to step up and take it. Be the bigger, or in my case, taller, person. Heh” boo bad joke

The boy then seemed to go on the offensive… or is it defensive? “Oh yeah? And what if she doesn’t WANT to take it? What if she just continues at it? What if it gets WORSE?!”

“She will most likely will. Change doesn’t happen from night to morning. “

“Then why even bother?! She will just keep pestering me!”

“Because you now know the why. And that is very important”

“In what?!”

“That you can now make the change that needs to be made. Tell me. Do you like her back?”

At that all bravado the kid had disappeared and he went back to his wimpy self “W-w-what? W-w-why would you ask that?”

“Because if you don’t or you do defines how you should proceed.”

“Huh? W-whut?”

“If you don’t like her, you would need to let her know. It would be awkward. But it needs to be established. If she gets worse after that, well, the school might need to get involved”

“But… I… she…”

“…if you DO like her, on the other hand. Well, you would need to change your interactions with her. I get the vibe you are very insecure. Maybe tumble with your words a bit”

“I- Well-maybe- I dont-“

“Heh heh. Cool down. My bro also has his moments so I can tell.”

The boy then went silent and started to overthink things, trying and failing to come up with something to say but coming up with nothing until “…still. That doesn’t erase all the bad things she has done to me”

“I never said it would. You have to face the consequences of your actions sooner or later. Just thought I would help speed up the process. I don’t like the idea of having a kid suffer damage to his emotional health just because the other hasn’t figure how to properly handle her emotions. I just thought I would help speed up the process and skip all that drama. Just seems like a nuisance”

“…”

“Anyways, good luck figuring things out. Now that the cat is out of the bag, this should be a way smoother sail” Julian then started to casually walk in the direction the girl run off to.

“W-w-wait! What should I do?! What should I tell her?! Im not good with this stuff!”

“Sorry kid. I helped you figure out what the problem was. Its up to you how you handle it. Good luck!”

“B-b-b-but-!”

“Oh, shouldn’t you hurry in taking that box to the supply room? The teacher will start to wonder whats taking so long”

The kid then started to quickly shift between looking at Julian and the box until he finally groaned and quickly grabbed the box and started speed walking, only stopping a moment to yell looking back “uhm, thanks! I think!”

“No problem kid!” Julian said as he kept walking, once he reached the corner of the hallway he spoke softly “you know, communication is a two way stream. If you want things to be better with him, I recommend you make an effort as well.” he continued walking, placing his hands in his pockets “Oh, and one more thing” he turned his head back slightly “messing with people is fun, but its only fun if the other person is good with it. Don’t cross any bridges you can’t come back from” He then turned the corner, leaving a certain girl to her thoughts.

Well that was a more intense chapter in contrast to the past one. At least a little. But now that that’s done, let’s follow Julian and figure out what the plan was-

…

Oh come on! Not again! What’s the fucking plan?! Why are they separated?! Whitty was last chapter killing time goofing off in the freaking cafeteria and Julian spent this chapter basically giving free counseling to teenagers! What’s that got to do with anything?! What plan could possibly come from this?! Give some freaking context!

… You’ll see

Oh, you no good, teasing, irritating son of a-

Ah ah ah, watch it, who knows who is reading this

Oh don’t bring me that! I’m willing to bet that if you did a headcount this story has at LEAST 100 swears or more already!

Just be patient, you’ll see where this goes… eventually

I hate you so much

lol

Notes:

Quick comment. I like doing a lot of research when using others characters to be as close as possible, so I actually tried to see the first episode of the anime to have a baseline of the main twos personality… emphasis on TRIED. I honestly couldn’t really bear watching it, had to actually fast forward just to get through it. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against those that like the anime, and I even love the mod, but I personally just can’t STAND Nagatoro. As someone that got bullied myself I just find that conduct very infuriating, so I dunno, maybe I’m biased but it’s simply not my cup of tea.

Chapter 35: The Plan?!

Summary:

...IS there a plan?

Notes:

Last chapter for today, Im try to upload them at a steady pace again and deal with my life issues as best as I can. See ya soon!

*sign* we meet the last of the brothers, Ruv, for those that want to confirm, outside the school.

He seems to be looking for… rocks? Branches? What the? What the fuck is he doing? He is just loafing about…

“Hm… too small. Julian said to look for a log of good size.”

Why are you looking for that? Why the fuck would you need a log for?

He then kept looking around when what seems to be the grounds keeper spotted him and he thought to himself ‘finally, about time someone saw me’ Whut? Why?

“Excuse me sir, are you looking for something? Are you lost?”

Ruv looked down at the grounds keeper and responded in his usual monotone “im looking for a big log that we can thrash”

“…a log?”

“Yeah. Something we can break and no one will care”

“…may I ask why are you doing that near a SCHOOL?”

“I’m helping in a show and tell today”

…

“…”

“…”

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask politely that you leave the premises”

“Call security if you don’t believe me”

“I’m pretty sure they’ll say the same”

“Just call them”

The grounds keeper looked at Ruv skeptically as it seems he would not budge before finally taking out his radio “hey, security. I have a shady individual here. He says he has permission to be here and is here for a show and tell?”

“What he look like?”

“Tall. VERY tall. If he stood up straight I’m willing to bet he would be at least 10 ft. Maybe 11. He is wearing a parka and one of those Russian hats.” He then whispered “between you and me, he kinda looks like Ruvool. Eye Patch and everything”

“Ah yes. As surprising as it seems, he IS here for that. He is Bittys and Ruvools brother”

“Wait, really?!”

“Told you”

“He came along with other two, so if you see them don’t mind them. The other two seem pretty much harmless. Despite their height” The security guard then continued in a whisper “if I were you though, I would help him with what he needs and leave him be. This guy was carrying over 20 knives when he first came in. Give or take. …There were so many I stopped counting after the 10th. We took all of them so he would be allowed in. But I recommend you keep your distance from this one”

At that, the grounds keeper became nervous and looked back up at Ruv, who just kept staring with his typical deadpan

“Uh… well…”

“Good luck. Security out”

“Wait don’t leave m-“

“…”

“Me… oh shoot”

I don’t blame him. We are not scared because we know him a little, but hearing that a guy carries around over 20 knives raises a lot of red flags.

Eventually, they took a deep breath and started at it (obviously still scared but trying their best) “well, I suppose I can help you a bit.” They tried to give Ruv as much info as possible but were justifiably nervous “You won’t found anything in the front or sides of the school. Just a parking lot at the side along with a bicycle parking for the kids. Not many cars this time a day but from some of the teachers though. If you look in the back though, there are some trees and foliage past the playground. You might find something lying around there”

“… They placed the school right in front of the woods?”

“I know what you are thinking, but we tell the kids not to go in there”

“… and you actually expect they’ll listen?”

“Listen buddy, I didn’t chose this place nor built it. I just work here”

“What?”

The grounds keeper then realized what they said and started to backtrack nervously “I-I-I mean… you know what? It’s about my lunch time, so I I think I’ll head inside and let you do whatever you gonna do”

They then tried walking as fast as they could to get in the building, not looking back and entering through a door that said ‘authorized personal only’

“…that was easy. Everything according to plan.”

What plan?!

“Now just gotta find that log and get to work”

In what?! Work in WHAT?! No context has been given!

Wait, that can’t be the end of the chapter! It’s too short! What the fuck!

Tell us something! Anything! What the fuck is the plan?!

…

…

…

You know what? I give up. At this point I don’t know where the fuck you are going with this. Fuck you and fuck your plan. I’m going to take my break.

Don’t take too long, you still have a job to do

Fuck off!!

Chapter 36: Extra - Whitmore Facts

Summary:

Fun facts of the Whitmore family

Notes:

Hello! While I work on the next chapter, I thought it would be fun to place some trivia facts about each of the members of the Whitmore family. The only ones that I did as a combo are Ruv and Ruvool, as I felt important to place some distinctions between the two… aside from their differing tempers. lol
If you are wondering for more or for any specific fact, feel free to ask.

 

Momi

 

While a little hard at first, Momi genuinely cares for the boys as her own, as she realized she was actually lonely before they came along and her life used to be a little dull.

 

I originally wanted to give Momi a love interest in Tabi, as I feel that they deserve each other, but refrained due to… reasons

 

She has a huge chest like box under her bed in which she keeps anything important. The kids know about said chest but don’t really question it and figure its adult stuff.

 

Momi subconsciously sees her kids on Ruv and Whitty, which is why she rapidly accepted them as her “kids” as well.

 

Julian she sees as a mix of another one of her kids (by proxy) and a “mom friend”

 

Since she is part cat, she can jump 5 times her own height. Meaning she could easily jump to the second floor of her own home from the outside. … this is why sometimes she leaves a window unlocked upstairs, in case she forgot her keys and the kids are not home.

 

She’s nearsighted but hates wearing her glasses so she uses contacts.

 

She was the one that made Ruvools hat.

 

Ruv vs Ruvool

 

Despite Ruvool being Ruvs clone, they are not identical in everything as Ruvool was not only modified from Ruvs original DNA but he is also his own person, but they do have some similarities.

 

For example, Ruv hates sweets but Ruvool does like them (not as much as Bitty though), they both like VERY spicy food though.

 

They both only eat what’s needed, which is why they are so thin, this is also ironic because most of their weight is due to muscle. (And for those smartasses that are wondering “what about his beat chips”? Well, that is literally one of the only snacks Ruvool will munch on if he feels peckish but not outright hungry, he often complains others are “too greasy” or some other excuse)

 

Ruv is smart in a more pragmatic way as well as being street smart while Ruvool is more book and analysis smart.

 

Both are smart in general, no doubt, and they also know a lot in the area the other knows, but Ruvool lacks a certain understanding of how people work in contrast, despite Ruv being so apathetic towards people himself.

 

While Ruv is ok with tech, Ruvool is actually so-so, although he is trying to improve and even learning to try and be a hacker, as there is a lot of math involved. He is still learning though and he keeps this a secret to avoid any comments. Despite being a math genius, he does not seem to be very good. According to him “encryption and algorithms are easy, everything else… shut up”

 

Ruvool might have slight autism while Ruv does not (and no, Ruvool is not a Savant, he is INDEPENDENTLY a genius, but not a Savant. Seriously people, being autistic is not synonymous with being one, we might be smarter than average in SOME CASES, but we are people too, don’t patronize us)

 

Ruvool remembers more than people know…

 

NEVER pet Ruvool on the head. He’ll bite.

 

Bitty

 

The reason Bitty knows how to sew, is due to the fact that since he is so tall for his age, most cloths that fit him are adult size, so if he wants to wear something a kid would wear he needs to either modify it or make it himself.

 

Despite being a glutton himself, Bitty actually prefers cooking more than he does eating, mostly because he enjoys making people happy with his food.

 

Bitty once made a cake as a joke which he dubbed the “barf cake” which was a chocolate cake covered in an avocado cream and chunks of sugar glazed fruit to make it look like real barf… to this day it’s one of the most popular cakes with kids.

 

For some reason, Bitty doesn’t cry when chopping onions… which is the reason he is in charge of that when required.

 

Bitty is such a pacifist, that he would rather get beaten up than raise a fist. If someone else was getting hurt though… Bitty is not above begging or self sacrifice…

 

…he might be willing to hit you with a broom but only as a warning though, lol… he was actually about to cry when he did that…

 

Bitty actually has a very powerful bite, he could bite through metal cables with ease.

 

He can eat jawbreakers as if they were mere taffy.

 

Dealing with so many unique individuals, his dentist figured this is something unique to Bitty so he is happy as long as he keeps his teeth intact, all things considered, and as long as he brushes his teeth and flosses.

 

Among the list of weirdest things Bitty has eaten in his life include: a usb, a folder with papers in it, an entire book, keys, batteries, a cellphone, an SD memory, rocks, clips, bugs, feathers, acetone, nail polish remover, a leather wallet, black licorice, rope, string, spools, buttons, erasers, oil, cotton, wood, pinecones, he tried to eat a squirrel but thankfully failed, leafs, sand, a funko, pencils, pens, bolts, hand lotion, a charger, photos, among many, many more. … don’t ask me why he didn’t spit those up or how he even swallow them without gagging cause I want to know myself.

 

Bitty is afraid of helicopters

 

He made Ruvools Parka to make him look “bigger”.

 

Julian

 

Due to his hard life and having to manage everything despite being in foster care, Julian hates for things to go to waste, water, food, money, etc. So he makes sure that everything is used to the most efficient and extent way possible; but he understands when this can be too much or how to prioritize certain things so he tries to be flexible, which is why the others haven’t noticed… I think

 

Originally, Julian was interned to be Ace but not Aromantic. The reason for the change was that while doing research, I discovered his creator was annoyed that they kept shipping him with Carol. So to leave no room for anyone to ship him with her I decided to make him aromatic (my discovery of my own gray aromaticism came later, funnily enough)

 

If Julian had been a Romantically positive character, he would have totally been that guy that loves to date single moms, and he would be a master of flirting. He would have gotten to have a kid and a partner to boot.

 

Julian refuses to kill people because he has seen enough death in his life and prefers nonviolent routes if possible. If push comes to shove though, he will definitely fight back and believes in proportionate retribution.

 

Julian still holds a grudge against his social worker since she actively sabotaged his chances to get adopted until he was eventually booted from the system. To this day, she is one of the only people Julian genuinely has hard feelings towards.

 

Ever since his arrest, Julian has looked up basic knowledge regarding laws. Just so it doesn’t happen AGAIN.

 

Julian sucks at basketball, especially because he can’t dribble, but he is actually quite good at soccer and football. He is so-so at baseball.

 

He and Aldryx hang out one on one on the bbc club to discuss how their little brothers are doing and how can they mess with them (they are considering adding Ruv to the club)

 

Whitty

 

Surprisingly enough, Whittys body count is actually smaller than Ruvs.

 

He calls Carol every week to keep her updated. He told Carol about Julian so she knows he exists, but he has yet to tell her he’s his brother and wants it to be a surprise till the day they meet face to face. Hex knows this and is planning a surprise party for when the day comes (Sarv is also in the loop and Whitty had to basically beg Ruv not to tell her to keep the surprise, which he only agreed to because he wants to postpone Sarv making a big deal about his newfound family)

 

He and Ruv have yet to tell them about the kids though.

 

Whenever he sees Julian and Ruv fight over money they found he rolls his eyes, which makes him a bit of a hypocrite because he does the exact same thing about food.

 

He thinks he is on the chubby side despite being totally jacked (even if his cloths don’t show it), which Julian finds annoying because he can’t get muscle tone despite being strong too and no matter how much he works out (Ruv mocks Julian about this and calls him string bean whenever it comes up)

 

He and Ruv actually prefer for Julian to do the talking, him for his social anxiety and Ruv because he prefers not to bother.

 

He loves to eat weird things and see the reactions on the others. Since meeting Julian the two turned this into a sorts of game to see who can come up with the weirdest but most delicious concoction. Which often turns to debates that grosses out those that hear them.

 

He is happy that now he can feel at least a little bit normal by knowing people that share his quirks and understand where he comes from. Both figuratively and literally.

 

As much as Whitty loves videos games, he is the least technologically savvy of the siblings. He barely knows how to use his phone and the main things he uses it for is either the occasional game, the internet or calling. Ruv actually had to help him when installing a game.

 

He still asks Hex for help whenever he needs help with something tech related, as he wants to avoid Ruvs mockery.

 

Ever since meeting the tankmen (and coming to some arrangements), Whitty decided to make some profit by selling his tears to them so they could make grenades and explosives. He made them promise not use them with the general public though, which they reluctantly agreed to. … They pay him $3000 a month… that’s basically his current job and they are impatient for him to come back since they are starting to run low.

 

Whitty actually has the tankmen in his contact lists… which Steve had to add because he didn’t know how to do it (before you ask, yes, Hex was the one that helped him add all the gangs contacts to his phone)

 

He will never admit this, but he sometimes wishes he had hair, especially since Julian commented on his string being a braided ponytail, as he is now feeling self-conscious about having a girls haircut.

 

Ever since him and Agoti formed their club, they started to actually hang out more one on one and it has made Agoti cool down on his fanatism as they discuss how to mess with their brothers and other regular stuff. Whitty is still a bit uncomfortable that he knows so much about him though (they are considering adding the kids to the club but are not sure)

Chapter 37: Back to Class

Summary:

Julian heads to Bittys class and introduces himself.

Notes:

Well, life has been… complicated, but like I said, I don’t want to drop the story as ive invested a lot on the plot. So here we go.

Since I’m out of the loop of whatever bullshit is going on, I’ll just narrate whatever the fuck the author wants me to see.

Ok… we are back to Julian who seems to be heading back to Bittys classroom with a grin on his face that scream he felt like the cat that got the cream… you know, I would normally question what was the point of him leaving if he was going to come back to the classroom in the first place. But at this point I don’t give a damn.

*knock knock*

The teacher looked through the little window in the door confused before telling Julian to come in.

“Hello? Can I assist you?”

“Hi! Sorry to interrupt, but I’m Bittys brother”

“Oh! So you guys are the ones miss Neko told me would be coming today?”

“Oh? She called you? Did she tell you we-wait a moment. Her last name is Neko?”

“Well, yes, yes it is”

“…but doesn’t Neko mean cat in Japanese or something?” How do you even… you know what, I’m not going to question it. People sometimes have weird patchworks of knowledge. I know weed is legal in Uruguay and I don’t even know how I know that…

…

I don’t!

…

Fuck you!

…

Anyways… the teacher contemplated what Julian asked for a moment “Well I’m not fluent in Japanese, but I believe so”

“…So her name could be taken as ‘Mom Cat’, or if you put her last name first ‘Cat Mom’” …

“I do believe Momi means something different in Japanese, budding I think? But if you were to take it like that I guess that it does”

… are you for real?

“… that… is… hilarious!”

Julian then started laughing to the confusion of the teacher and classroom, after a moment, he finally started to recover his breath once he realized he looked like an unhinged weirdo

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! But that took me by surprise! Oh boy! Or should I say oh cat? Pffft ahaha!”

To this some of the kids in the classroom, Bitty included, actually started to snicker and holding in their laughter while some groan

“I’m guessing you did not ask for her last name?” The teacher, I’m guessing calm because she was informed about Julian ahead of time, asked him with a smirk

“No. But In retrospect maybe we should have, that way we could have prevented this CATastrophy. Ahahaha!”

Really? You gonna start doing puns now?

Well at least most of the kids don’t seem against it, as some of them are openly laughing now

“Ah, I see now why you two get along. Miss Neko does have a penchant for being punny”

“Don’t you mean PAWnny? Pfft”

Oh god

The teacher actually started to crack a little but recovered quickly “Anywho, what were you saying?”

Julian seemed confused for a moment but he remembered why he was there for… not that WE know

“Heh, sorry about that. Yes, as I was asking. Did she told you three of us will be coming?”

“Well, she notified at least one of you might be coming but was not sure if all three would. As for the why, she told me because I’m the home room teacher and of course I told the principal and security, but I don’t know if they told the grounds keeper or anyone else. In any case, how may I assist you?”

“Oh! That’s good! Anyways, sorry to interrupt, Bitty actually told us the reason we came here for would not be until later, but I thought, if it wouldn’t be much of a bother, if I could stay here until it’s time.”

“Oh?”

“Well, I just I never got to properly go to school much. I went till maybe, third grade? Forth? Wait, did they teach me algebra? When do they teach you algebra?”

The teacher answered automatically “I I believe that’s in 5^th grade”

“Is it? I forget. Sorry, got sidetracked there, point is, after that I didn’t really went to school regularly for one reason or the other.”

The teacher gave him an apologetic look “Im sorry to hear that. Was it due to family problems?”

Julian gave a casual shrug, which clashed weirdly with his response “More like no family. Was in foster care most of my life and never got adopted. The system is kinda whacked so, educational follow up is hard to do when no one really cares about you most of the time, if ever.”

Some of the kids looked sadly at Julian (Bitty included) while others looked at him with expressions that read either “lucky” or “you are such a looser” which for some reason he paid special attention too but made it seem as if he was just casually looking at them… what are you plotting?

“Oh my! That is so unfortunate” the teacher said, sounding genuinely sympathetic

“Yeah, didn’t get to experience much of the things kids enjoy. Ride a bike, eat lunch with friends, goof off at class-“

The teacher gave him a raised brow with a knowing smile

“NOT that am encouraging kids to do that!”

He turned to the kids and said in a kidding yet serious manner “don’t goof off at school kids. Or you’ll end up in a dirty apartment not being able to afford shoes”

One of the kids then answered with a smug tone “what? Is that we’re you came from?”

The teacher was about to call them out but Julian beat her to the punch “yes actually.”

“Omg! Really?! So what? You managed to crawl out of some hole in the wall and are now too poor to even afford shoes? That’s so pathetic!”

… you spoiled little brat. I figure you most likely are one of Bittys bullies.

I think Julian got that same train of thought, because his smile suddenly grew as he now paid attention to the kid and the other two that seemed to be following their lead “Hm. I’m assuming you are well off? I’m willing to bet you and your friends even have bikes and other expensive stuff?”

“You bet we do! I have the most expensive bike in the market! I even painted flames on it too! And my friends bikes are just as cool! They even have accessories!”

“Yeah! Mine has lights!”

“And mine has cool trims!”

Julian calmly corrected “I believe they are called rims”

“Who asked you?” The lead bully replied roughly

The teacher decided that was too far and stepped in “children! That’s enough!” She turned apologetically to Julian

“I’m so sorry mister-“ she gave him an inquiring look “Julian”

“Mister Julian. I assured you, they are good kids. They can just be… very finicky, sometimes”

The way she said that sounds like a teacher that knows these are bad apples but values her job and doesn’t want to raise waves. …poor lady…

Julian seem to catch up on this and just gave her a smile “Nah, no skin off my back. In fact, I wanted to ask if I could wait here until it’s time. I didn’t realize before but Bitty never gave us an exact time. And it would be nice to feel as a kid again, even if only for a little bit”

Bitty gave a sheepish sorry and teacher gave him a warm smile “of course! I was already expecting you here and I’m sure the kids wouldn’t mind. Right kids?”

The kids (minus the bullies) confirmed and gave multiple nods.

The teacher then realized “I’m afraid though that we don’t have any extra seats. Especially for someone of your height”

“That’s ok. I’ll just sit on the floor at the back so I don’t obstruct anyones view”

“Well aren’t you considerate? Please take a seat!”

“Thank you! You and your kids are so kind”

He then walked to the back of the classroom some of the kids gawking in awe at how tall he was, once he was at the back, he sat down crossed legged.

Before the teacher went back to the lesson she seemed to remember something “By the way, I believe there will be quite some time leftover afterwards. Do you and your siblings wish to remain here for the remaining of the day?”

“Why are you two trying to act as if it’s a big secret? It’s obvious he came for the show and tell. YEESH” and how is that a problem to you? You little bullying brat

Julian… actually smiled wider at this? Completely ignoring what the bully said… huh… “That would be great! Oh! Before I forget, would I trouble you a lot if you can notify me 10 minutes ahead of time though? I’ll need to give them a call to know its time”

“Sure! It would be no problem! See kids? That is being a responsible and considerate person” the teacher said to the whole class, but we know who this is aimed more towards

“ugh” shut up you little dick

Julian just thanked her “thank you so much!” he then suddenly clapped his hands and said “okay, time to learn a lesson”

The teacher and some of the kids laughed at this while some groaned and the teacher renewed her lesson.

Julian kept smiling as he thought ‘Perfect, things actually seemed to align flawlessly. Plan is on the right track’.

…

 

…

 

…

 

Fuck you.

You are a terrible boss and a terrible living being.

Heh

 

Meanwhile elsewhere.

 

“I’m so dead. I’m so dead. I’m so DEAD!” A certain bomb kept whisper shouting to himself in a panicked tone, pacing back and forth in the schools corridor and repeating those word as if they were a mantra and sweating like crazy when he was suddenly startled

“What did you do?”

“Ah! Ruv did it! Oh… hi Ruv”

“…what did you do and why the fuck are you blaming me?”

“Do? Do what? I didn’t do anything. Anyways, any word on Nulian?”

“…nulian?”

“Julian! Any word on Julian?!”

“… if you blame me again for your shit I will place a towel on your head while you sleep and pour a pitcher of water on your face”

“… is that bad?”

“You are obviously not familiar with waterboarding”

“Is that like another name for surfing? What’s that got to do with a towel on my face?”

“… I’m trying to decide if you are naive or just stupid. Then again, there is a lot of evidence for the latter”

“Hey! That is a valid question! Surfing involved boards that you use in the water! Don’t make fun of me if that was not what you meant”

“You are on edge. Again, what did you do?”

“Uh… I-I, well… uhm.”

“Did you made a mess?”

“…maybe?”

“…Julian is going to wreck you”

“Shut up!”

“Either way. They never told us at what time to head back”

“…Oh yeah…” Really Whitty? You just noticed NOW?

The two stood there in awkward silence

“so… what do we do now?”

“We wait” pertinent as always Ruv

“…and then?”

“We wait”

“…so you want us to stand here, in the middle of the hallway, and wait for Julian or Bitty to call us”

“Do you have a better idea?”

“Well no, but we can’t just stand here like idiots”

“You are the idiot, I’m just loitering” in the end, is that any better?

“Why do you have to turn everything into a fight?!”

“Not my fault you are easy to rile up”

“And here I thought that Julian was the shit”

“He is. I just state facts”

“Now listen here-“

*ahem*

Whitty was suddenly cut off to a pedantic sounding cough, causing him and Ruv to turn their attention.

In front of them was a teenager in a blue shirt and pink tie carrying what appeared to be a jacket, making him look like he was wearing a school uniform (even though the school didn’t have any).

Said teenager seemed to be looking at them with disgust, which did not sit well with the two giants.

“Excuse me, may I know what you two are doing in the hallway?”

“Ah, sorry kid. We are just trying to figure out some stuff” Whitty started a bit anxious

“Well I suggest you take it elsewhere. You are crowding the hallway”

“Sorry we didn’t mean to-“

“I mean seriously, bad enough we have to deal with that overdeveloped bomb walking around and now we have another one? Good grief”

…what the fuck?

“… now that’s not a nice thing to say about my little brother” keep it together Whitty, keep it together

“Hmph. Whatever, he would be more tolerable if he at least had a fashion sense. I mean, he can make his own cloths for goodness sake! And he decides to make drabs? And that pink backpack? No class whatsoever. Ugh, and that little angry ankle bitter? He never wears any colors at all! Black, white and gray, MAYBE brown and blue ugh. Talk about dead colors. But looking at you two, now I see where they got it from” …wow… you just managed to insult 4 people at the same time that could totally beat your ass… I would say I pity you but you deserve whatever you get

All this got Whitty riled up and he tried to come back with a good retort “You have a pink TIE right now! And black pants!” … I said TRIED… that was kinda weak sauce Whitty

“Yeah, because it’s on season, now if you excuse me, I need to go back to class. The teacher told me not to take such long bathroom breaks to fix my hair and it’s about to cross the time limit”

With that the rude teen basically pushed past them with his head high… what an asshole

“…we should shove him in the garbage dumpster” there’s an idea Ruv

“No. As much as I really, REALLY want to do it, it could really mess things up. Besides, if the school finds out that two grown men shoved a teenager in a smelly dumpster it could-“

“Oh and before I forget. Could you tell the little ankle bitter to act like a proper human being? Honestly, some people have no manners”

…

“…”

“…you do realize this town is filled with non-humans, rights?”

“Well duh! I know that. I myself am dealing with quite a nasty possession by a pesky spirit. But only because you are raised by an animal doesn’t mean you have to act like one, sheesh”

…

“…”

“…”

…you just committed suicide kid

“Ugh. Look at that, you made me waste even MORE time, just try to put a leash one that mongrel”

…

 

…

 

“…you have tape with you so he doesn’t scream?”

Ruv raised a brow “What about if someone finds out?”

“You are good at going under the radar, besides, I already messed up the cafeteria. One more thing on top of it won’t matter”

“It’s in my pocket” …I would normally ask why are you carrying tape with you, but at this time, I think it’s good that you do.

 

And so, two overdeveloped adults “quietly” gagged a pompous teenager and threw him in the dumpster. All the while, without them noticing, a small grayish figure watched them from a distance.

Chapter 38: Childish Behavior

Summary:

The older brother duo finally get notification to go back, but not without arguing.

Notes:

Hey guys! Im so sorry this chapter came later than I would’ve wanted, but things in life can happen. As bad as the odds are, another of my relatives passed away last month, so It has been a bit hard for me to have two people you care about pass away within 4-5 months of each other… its hard, but I think I'll manage with time.
Either way, as promised, at least once chapter a month. Enjoy!

“Ok kids, time for show and tell! Mr-I believe miss Neko said your surname was… Whitmore? I believe?”
Julian nodded in confirmation
“Splendid! While the kids get ready, you are free to contact the other two if you wish”
“Thanks. This won’t take long, but if it does, feel free to start without us.”
“Oh no, we would not wish to exclude either of you three”
“Nah. It’s no problem. Besides, who knows we’re those two are about now, so we wouldn’t want to make the kids wait longer to present just because of us. In fact, if you don’t mind, would it be ok if we went last? Just to be safe?”
“Hm, well, I see no problem with that as long as Bitty is ok with it”
“I don’t mind!” Bitty shouted with enthusiasm and a big smile that could melt butter onto a sweet pile of pancakes as it runs through its sugary goodness. Seriously, he is so sweet.
…Don’t judge me 
Having confirmation, Julian headed for the door, but before he left the classroom he seemed to suddenly realize something as he got close to the teacher and whispered “sorry I didn’t ask this before, but it suddenly came to me that not all parents might be ok we us doing a combat/martial arts demonstration. Will that be ok?”
The teacher gave a small chuckle “my, you really are the responsible one, aren’t you? For a moment I thought that was you just trying to be a good brother but now I see where Bitty gets it from”
To this Julian gave her a sheepish look “to actually answer your question, you don’t have to worry, miss Neko said you were not sure what you were going to do, but that it would most likely be along those lines. We have a group chat for this sort of things so even though it was short notice, all parents in this classroom were notified and had no issues with it. In fact, some parents said they were actually jealous that their kids will get to see something cool like that and others even asked if you would be willing to teach their kids some self-defense”
Normally I would think the odds of ALL the parents agreeing to this would be ridiculous and there would be at least one Karen present, but in retrospect when you consider this town is basically a safe haven/refugees camp for non-humans, I guess it kinda makes sense they want their kids to not be defenseless.
Julian seemed actually surprised to hear this, but quickly recovered and gave a lopsided grin “I would be more than happy but I can’t promise much since I never really got any formal training myself.” He then stopped to consider something “But… I suppose I could teach them some basic stuff. Maybe enough so if they ran into trouble they can run away afterwards” that seems adequate enough
“I think that would be more than enough all things considered” Yeah
“Well then, I better go get those two.”
He then exited the classroom and quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket… which… seemed to be… almost as if… Hmm…
Anyways… he looked through his contacts and quickly picked a name that said ‘Mr. Sunshine’
“…what?” how cheery
“Is that really how you pick up your phone?” I know right?
“I know who you are, why do I have to be polite?”
“Love you too Ruv”
“Shut up. Anyways, do we head back now?”
“Yeah. It’s about to start” he then proceeded to casually look around and whispered “did you had any trouble?”
“I had to really focus but yeah, I got what I needed”
“So, how was everything? Is the playground nice?”
“It was ok. I saw a hole or two. Maybe three. It was hard to tell them apart though”
“But nothing you could not handle? I mean, considering your size”
“No. I was actually quite simple. Though I’m questioning the groundskeeper, because it was way too easy to scare them”
“Considering how dangerous you are, I can’t really blame them. It’s not like they saw you actually doing anything though”
“True”
…
I’m not stupid, I know this whole conversation is code for something
“By the way, any news on Whitty?”
“He’s here actually”
“Oh? You already found him?”
“Yeah. And he’s oblivious as ever, he even caused a mess in the mess hall” …
Another voice could be heard through Ruvs phone “hey! Why the hell are you snitching on me?! You fucking Magpie!”
“Ugh, I thought you forgot that stupid nickname you мудила”
“What did I say about insults in another language?! At least insult me with something in English!”
“Fine, would you rather I call you Burnout?”
“…Why Burnout?”
“Because you get overwhelmed really easy, you burn things and quite honestly just being with you makes me feel tired”
“You fucking little-“
“I’m taller than you”
“God dammit!”
Julian was still on the phone hearing these two continue back and forth as… his smile widen? Huh? Wait, isn’t he going to get mad at Whitty?
“well, that’s Whitty for ya. Sometimes it’s just best to have a clear mind”
“Hey!”
“Either way, you should start heading this way. I think some of the kids already started presenting. I managed to get us to go last but let’s not push it”
Whitty grumbled but both replied with a dry ‘fine’.
With that Julian ended the call
“So far so good”
 
Elsewhere, what seemed to be outside the school, the two titans were right besides the school dumpster as Ruv put his phone away.
Right besides … a shaking school dumpster… which seemed to emit a muffled scream… guess they did went through with it.
“Have I ever told you how much I hate you?”
“You tried to blame me for it. It’s fair game”
“Fine, fair enough. But did you really need to throw me under the bus at the first change notice?!”
“I like to be efficient and get things done quickly”
“Oh bull crap. You may get exasperated with people quickly, but you love to play with your target. Not to mention you have an abnormal patience, I’ve seen you stand still doing nothing for HOURS. And since you only dress in grey it makes you look like a statue, it’s creepy as fuck. Also, remember when we first met? You teased me and put the fear of god in me so I would fear your every move till I confronted you”
“It was not because of that. Unlike you, I’m not sloppy, I had to make sure you were a valid target and had to think of a way to efficiently dispose of you. Scaring you was just a way to either keep you in check while I did some sleuthing or see how you would respond and adjust from there. Whichever came first”
“Sleuthing? And, so what? You’re saying you are being methodical? Or is it thorough? And what do you mean I’m sloppy?!”
“Basically. And you may be good at staying under the radar, but you don’t cover your tracks. Why do you think the creampuff was able to find you so often?”
“That’s…! Actually a good point…”
“Just because a chameleon changes color does not mean it does not leave tracks. And yours are pretty big”
“Look who’s talking!”
“Who has been under the radar from multiple governments for decades?”
“…you”
“And who has been on the run from one, or better said, from one GUY in particular and keeps getting tailed over and over?”
…
“…”
“Exactly. So shut up”
lol, you just got owned Whitty 
The two then started to move but Whitty noticed Ruv was going in the opposite direction to the classroom “Where are you going? The entrance is this way”
“We are not going to the entrance”
“Wait, say what?”
“We are headed to the classrooms window, I checked to see which one it was. Also, I need to pick up something first” huh?
“No, I mean, WHY are we headed that way? I doubt we would fit through the windows.” He then whispered to himself “Though admittedly, from outside they did seem like rather large windows.” Whitty, focus “Anyways, WHY are we entering though the windows?”
Ruv groaned in frustration, well sorry buddy, but this is not really a typical situation and Whittys questions are actually valid “Don’t you get it? We are not going inside the classroom. We are doing this shit outside”
“What? Why?”
“Are you seriously asking this? Haven’t you notice that we are huge?”
“What’s that got to do with anythi-“
 “We can’t do a fighting shit in a small confined place that is filled with children. Julian would blow a gasket before that happens. So we are doing it outside the window so they can see and we have enough space to move” Hm, that is actually a very reasonable and logical reason
“Plus, like I said, I need to pick up the log I found for it. I was not about to carry that thing around all day”
Whitty processed what Ruv said but quickly got annoyed at his remark “Well how was I supposed to know that? You can’t expect me to assume every little thing”
“Yeah, because that would be too much to ask”
“Ugh! Let’s just go find this log and head there. I don’t even know why you need a log but who cares at this point to be honest!”
… Wait… does… does Whitty not know about the plan? What is going on here?
 
30 minutes later (although I don’t know why it took them so long to get to the classroom even if they had a detour that realistically should’ve only taken them 10 min at most), back in the classroom, one of the kids, which happened to be the leader of our little bundle of pricks but I digress, was looking out the window with a bored expression as another one of the kids presented before being startled by a monotone voice and face appearing in front of them “are you done yet?” 
“AHH!” the kid all but yelled before falling off their chair and on their but, catching everyone’s attention (isn’t karma wonderful?)
“Who the fuck are you?!”
“Language!” the teacher all but scolded much to their annoyance
“Are we early?” Whitty said as he now came into full view to the rest of the classroom as well
And no, I would not call arriving 30 minutes after being called early Whitty
The kids were all in awe at the two colossal brothers, all but leaving their seats to stare at them through the windows. The teacher also seemed surprised, I’m guessing she did not expect someone even TALLER than Julian. Which is fair.
“WOAH!”
“They are huge!”
“Bitty! He looks just like you!” 
“I bet they could make orange juice with their hands alone!” Maybe, they do have big hands, and no, that’s not an invitation or fan service fuel
“What do you guys eat? How you get so tall?!”
“If they cleaned up a bit they are actually kinda cute~” Whut? These are kids right? What the fuck?
“That one looks just like an overgrown Ruvool!”
“Yeah! A REALLY overgrown Ruvool”
“We can hear you, you know” Ruv all but complained while Whitty did his best to contain his growing anxiety at having so many eyes on him
‘It’s for Bitty. It’s for Bitty. It’s for Bitty’ he repeated in his mind over and over… poor guy, anxiety, especially social anxiety, can be a real bitch.
…Please someone distract him before he blows up…
As the kids continued gawking, Julian enter the classroom seeming to have noticed the commotion (was he waiting outside this whole time? Why?) “Oh? You guys are outside?” He sounded confused, but if you pay close attention, it was clear he expected or knew this would happen. Hmm…
“It would be stupid if we did all this in an enclosed space you idiot” wow, not holding any punches eh Ruv? Either that or he is playing along, who knows, I know I don’t.
This seemed to slightly calm Whitty down a bit at least, as the attention was now focused (mostly) on Julian and Ruv
“Easy Ruv, there are kids present”
Seeing that they knew each other seemed to finally snap the poor teacher out of her trance, as she now seemed a little less nervous “oh, so these are your siblings? I must admit, I was told they would be tall, but I did not quite expect someone SO tall”
Whitty signed “yeah… we get that a lot… like… a LOT”
“Oh my, I’m sorry. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable” 
Whitty the started to get nervous thinking he made the teacher uncomfortable “OH! No, no, no! That’s ok, it’s just, w-well, I-I, uhm”
Julian then seemed to finally cut in, getting in-between the window and the classroom. “Sorry about that everyone. My bro here is a bit on the shy side, so he won’t do much since he does not really like to be on the spotlight but he really wanted to come to support his little bro”
“Awww” some of the kids (and the teacher included) said at hearing this, causing Whitty to blush in embarrassment and whisper aggressively to Julian though the window “you are NOT helping”
Before anyone else could say anything, a pedantic snort was heard and an annoying little shit started “are you really telling us that someone THAT tall has stage fright?! Are you serious?! How is someone that big so lame?!” you really are a spoiled and entitled brat, are you?
“Yeah! Where did all your courage go? Did it get shrunk in the laundry?!” that joke sounds weird in this context considering there was not really any set up for it, I know that was the point but still weird
“Maybe! Maybe they really take after them!” smart dumb brat, you left that ambiguous enough so they don’t know who you are talking about, but you forgot you ARE talking about someone. 
As Ruv and Whittys anger now started to brew, Whittys embarrassment all but forgotten, the teacher seemed to have enough and shouted “Ok that’s enough! Your behavior towards our visitors has been completely unacceptable! To the Principals office! All three of you!” 
The three idiots, SOMEHOW not seeing this coming, looked stunned and started to complain “What?! But we haven’t gone up yet!”
“Yeah! We are literally the last ones to go! Even though we should’ve gone way earlier!”
“What they said! This is not fair!”
“You three should’ve thought better of your behavior if you really wanted to be treated fairly. You have been very rude towards Bittys siblings and that’s why you were moved to the last places just before them. But seeing as you didn’t reflect on your actions you can forget about presenting at all as you are now to go to the principal’s office NOW.”
Well it was about time some justice was served, you little pieces of- “I don’t think that would be necessary miss” …Julian? Whut?
“Excuse me?” yeah miss teacher, what?
“I mean, they already took the effort to bring something. The least we could do its let them present, I don’t think me and my bros would mind THAT much to wait a little longer”
“Mr. Whitmore, I understand you want to be kind towards these kids, but as a teacher I can’t in good conscience let them get away with such actions”
“And I wholeheartedly agree. I think it would actually be best if, rather than going to the principal’s office and missing class though, maybe they could be given detention after school instead”
“WHAT!?!” the trio shouted
Good point, instead of basically making them skip school, which most likely would be a treat rather than a punishment, if you exclude the show and tell, making them stay longer afterwards when they already want to leave sounds way more fitting, the teacher seemed to realize this and hummed “hmm, you know what, I believe you are right Mr. Whitmore.”
“WHAAAATTT?!?”
“You three are to stay after school in detention. I know your parents are busy, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to give them a call”
“This is bull-“
“Watch the language” the teacher warned
“But it’s not fair! We were just stating the obvious! Not to mention they look so lame and dull! Why are we being punished for that?!”
“Dull? I assure you buddy. We are anything but dull” Julian replied
“Yeah right, the other bomb looks like he is about to piss himself just by us staring at him, and the other guy looks basically dead inside”
…how much do I wish to stuff a sock in your mouth
“Hey!”
“You are an insolent little brat, I have been in more fights and hardships in one day of my life that I’m willing to bet you have in your entire life” you know you really made him mad when he stops speaking in short sentences
“What the-? I didn’t notice before, but WHY do you have an accent?”
“It’s so weird. I didn’t notice it”
“Is that German?”
“I’m Russian. You little дети” … (looks though google translate дети- deti-brats) oh, ok
Fitting
“What? So you a communist or something?” are you REALLY mocking someone that could easy STEP on you?
“You are a racist little vermin. Just because I’m from Russia does not make me a communist or anything of the like. And is none of your business either way”
“I bet you escaped because you couldn’t handle it” at this point I’m sure this kid has a dead wish
Or is plain out stupid
Ruv actually squinted at the kid “I lived in dire daily situations. You do not know what it feels like to have the need to carry a knife just to feel safe”
“pfft, so what? Are you saying you are carrying a knife right now?”
…
…
“Huh?”
Ruv did not respond, he just kept squinting at the trio as his gaze intensifies, everyone else actually started to get scared as they realized the implication, even the teacher, thankfully, Bitty was actually the one that interfered, seeming to actually beat Julian to the punch, even to his own surprise “Its ok miss Faith” guess that’s her name, about time we got it… wait, is that her first or last name?
“Ruv does carry knives with him normally, but I was there when they confiscated them with security. He’s good”
The teacher, looked concerned for a moment before giving a small sigh “ok, Ill trust you Bitty. But for future reference, I would prefer if you or your mother give me a little more of a heads up on important details.”

“Sorry Miss Faith”

“That being said. Let’s proceed and finish the remaining expositions before we ran out of time” she then turned to the three turds “and don’t think you three are out of trouble. Like Mr. Whitmore suggested, I’ll be giving you three detention after classes and your parents a call”
For some reason she sounded kinda worried herself about the latter… are their parents those kinda people that think their kids are angels and defend them without listening to people or knowing the full story? … I get the feeling that’s the case… shit
The three looked majorly pissed off, giving a half-asses fine before giving the brothers a heated look
Once they were back to their seats the leader whispered “this aint over. You are going to pay, big time”

Those kids are the apples that spoil the barrel.

Chapter 39: Extra - Teaser

Summary:

A little taste of what is to come

Chapter 40: *Human error...Mine, to be specific

Hey guys. I know that my goal was to post at least one chapter per month, but Im currently facing some stuff and had an unexpected delay, but I promise that I'll have the chapter by next week. Im sorry about this, but life can be tricky sometimes and honestly it has been a little tricky to juggle it all.
Again, so sorry

Chapter 41: Fighting 101

Summary:

The big bros give the class an intro about fighting

Notes:

Hey guys, Im so sorry about the chapters delay, but I’m gonna get real here, there are 5 reasons I actually had been having trouble finding time and energy to continue updating at the rate I started this with, it may sound like an excuse and you may be thinking “5? For real?” but it is the truth
First (which I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before), and its one that impacts the most and maybe affected the others, two of my relatives from different sides of the family whom I loved very much died this year with only 4-5 months apart, and that obviously took a heavy emotional toll on me and had to grief.
Second, due to family drama, my home situation got all messed up, and me and my family will have to move within this or next year.
Three, I have been very busy within the week and quit honestly by the time I’m done I don’t really have the energy
Four, I’m actually sick. Well, not sick per say, but I do have Anemia due to a lack of iron and certain irregularities that I’ve been addressing, and we discovered that it’s due to a long time thing that got amplified with the stress. In short, I quite LITERALLY didn’t have the energy to do most things, and now we know why. I actually thought it was depression, but I’m glad that was not the case.
And lastly, to be frank, there was one particular scene that I was dreading to write, and the reason was because I don’t have much experience in writing it. Since I like my work to have quality over quantity and be very intricate, I wanted to make sure that it was good enough and had to do a lot of research in the matter for it to be realistic and consistent.
Anyways, this chapter might be the longest Ive written so far, so I hope you accept that as my apology and have a good read!

It was finally time.

All the kids, even the snots, had presented and it was finally the eldest brothers’ time.

Whitty was nervous, he did not know what Julian had planned- ah ha! I knew it!

 

…

 

Ahem, sorry. Anyways, Whitty did not know what Julian had planned for the… presentation… ugh. You are just trolling me at this point.

 

…maybe

 

Grrrrr

 

So, not knowing what was going to happen, he started to fidget uncomfortably, waiting for introductions.

Wait, they didn’t even gave their names when they first arrived? How did everyone miss that? Whatever, anyways. Lucky for him, after seemingly checking something on his phone and putting it on top of some cabinet of what I’m guessing are either supplies or a coat racket, Julian stood up and call the attention of everyone “alrighty! I believe it’s our turn!”

“Oh wow, what a shocker. The creeps that came to school for no apparent reason and have been dawdling around the classroom are about to present? Who could’ve seen that coming?”

 

… Spoiled brat

 

At that moment, Whittys annoyance pretty much overrode all anxiety he currently had as he pretty much realized this little snot must’ve been one of Bittys bullies (which he should have realized sooner with the previous chapters interactions and recognizing the voice, but ok). He then turned to Ruv to exchange a glance, almost as if confirming to each other ‘that’s the little shit’ but before anything else could be said Julian continued with a smile as if nothing happened “Well, we did figured one of you might put the pieces together sooner or later, as I pretty much assumed many of you are quite smart, but didn’t want to spoil the surprise either way. Don’t you thing that’s just the polite thing to do?” Ah, kill them with kindness. Not an entirely satisfactory response in this particular case, but I’ll take what I can get.

Ruv and Whitty grinned on the inside (I said on the inside, keep up) as they saw the smug smile disappear from the little brats face, alongside the other two lackey bullies.

“Whatever, what exactly are you going to do? Teach us how to survive living in filth?”

“Close but not quite. We are going to do a little fighting demo”

The little shits alongside the rest of the classroom (minus Bitty who looked proud and the teacher who was smiling) actually looked surprised

“Wait, you know how to fight?”

“Yeah, we figured you are so lanky your height would be the only thing keeping people away”

“Like they said. Now that I get a look at you, if you were regular height you kinda look like a pushover”

“Kids!” The teacher tried in vain

“Nah Nah. They are right actually”

 

“What?” What?

 

…at this point in the story I’ve said what so much I might as well be a broken record. Seriously author, what the fuck? Run out of responses or something?

 

…

 

Back to Julian “When you live on an unstable environment, looking tough is just as important as being tough. So based on my appearance alone many thought I was a total wimp once they got pass my height. WHICH is something you can actually use”

“How?” Ok, heads up, there a many random kids here so I leave it to your imagination which random kid says what. I know that’s like saying to describe a stranger how you think they will look like vs what they actually look like but I’m not going to waste time describing each and every one of them… unless I get paid extra for it

You won’t, and stop talking to me so much, I’m not supposed to interfere, I’ve told you this many times and you have been doing that a lot lately.

What is your obsession with remaining uninvolved? You are basically the god to these characters, why not help them out a bit?

IM NOT A GOD! Don’t call me that!

Whoah! Calm down!

Don’t you ever call me that again! You hear me?!

Ok! Ok! Sheesh!

*sigh* Just PLEASE, get back to work

Fine, fine, *whispers* buzzkill

So, since for some reason when the author intervenes too long causes some kind of disorientation in the characters, as mentioned in previous chapters, all the characters were a bit out of it before they started to recover, Julian being the first and asking “uh… what did you ask again?”

The kid who asked took a moment to process what Julian said but asked again “uh… something about how is being seen as weak can be useful? I think?”

“Oh! Right!” This questioned seemed to have snapped Julian out of it, shaking his head and proceeding to continue explaining “When people underestimate you, they get cocky and lower their guard. So if a fight comes to be, they will be caught off guard and lose the momentum”

“The what?”

“Basically, they lose their focus and need time to readjust. Which gives you time and the upper hand”

He paused a moment to let them process what he said “eventually, and if you stay in one place long enough, you will built up a reputation and people won’t mess with you. At least, for the most part”

He then took a more serious tone “but remember, a reputation takes a lifetime to build and a second to lose, so if you make a reputation, make sure you can either back it up or stand on your own feet without it. After all, a reputation is just a crutch, and if you can’t stand on your own feet without it, then, well, you are pretty much screwed”

 

… you got owned

 

In his typical fashion, Julian suddenly shifted to a chipper tone with a clap, causing some to flinch “Ok! What do you say we start with the basics? Ruv did you bring it?”

Everyone turned to Ruv who lifted the log he found “right here”

“Now, do any of you kids know the principles of martial arts?”

“They are principals? Like in a school?” another kid aside from the bullies asked

“Pfft, well, not THAT kind of principle, but rather, the ‘rules’ of martial arts”

“There are rules?”

“If you wanna do it properly, yes. Of course, you could learn basic techniques just so they don’t like mug you on the streets, but if you wanna be like one of those badasses in the movies, yes.”

“So like what? Nothing below the belt and junk? Otherwise you’re banned or something?”

“Well, that for one… maybe I used the wrong word. Principles are like, the foundation? Or basis? That’s sounds about right, yeah. They are the basis of martial arts, and without them you can’t do them correctly. Like… oh! I know Bitty has, but has any of you ever baked a cake before?”

“I have” another random kid in the classroom said

“And did it turn out ok?”

“Not the first time. I accidentally left egg shells in the cake and put salt instead of sugar… it turned out pretty gross” the kids face scrunched in disgust and I might be wrong but I think Bitty might have cringed a little. Guess the idea of wasting food or bad cooking rubs him the wrong way

“Well, martial arts are like that. It might have been an accident, but if you don’t follow the ‘recipe’ the results won’t turn out as well. Sure, there are many different types of recipes for the same result, but there is always a common ground to do it well, so it might LOOK like it did, but when you see it from up close it’s not right”

“Does that mean I suck at baking?”

“Pfft. Of course not! Well, maybe right now. But making mistakes is how we learn! I’ve made hundreds, if not thousands, of mistakes throughout my life, but just because you fall doesn’t mean you should stay down”

“Can you quit yapping and just show us already!” Impatient much?

“Easy there. You need to walk before you can run. And like I said, you need the basis to do it”

A kid then raised their hand “excuse me Mr. Whitmore. You did mention something about principals? What about those?”

“First of, no need for formalities. You can just call me Julian, and while we are at it, these other two go by Whitty and Ruv”

Whitty gave a nervous wave and Ruv stared blankly but before he could continue the little asshole of a lead bully yelled

“Wait! ‘Whitty and Ruv’? Like, almost an EXACT copy of BITTY and RUVOOL?”

“Yeah?” Whitty squinted

“Holly shit! That is SO sad! Pfff ahahaha!”

Not surprisingly, Whittys eye twitched and Ruvs narrowed

“What? Did they run out of names at the dollar store?!”

“Yeah! And it seems they couldn’t even find good ones!”

“Like they said, for real!”

I hate you little sacks of horse shit

“Oh, oh, are you guys like, defective clones or something? Is that why you are so stupidly big? Did they overcook you or something?” … that’s…

“Yeah! I bet that they left them there at whatever lab that made them because they were too much of a screw up!” …

“Or maybe they run away because no one wanted them!” …

“Oh wait! Maybe it was actually Bitty and Ruvool that were overcooked! And they shrunk in the process!” …I feel like this joke has already been told… but still…

“That would explain why Ruvool is so short!”

“Not to mention a hothead! All that science must’ve messed him up! Ha!” …

“Children!”

…I know that these kids don’t know, but considering this town has lots of folks with similar stories… the fact that they are MOCKING them about it?… these kids… that’s not just being spoiled… they’re messed up…

At that point, Whitty was gritting his teeth with rage while Ruv just stared with what one could only define as a death glare, but before he could even respond, while the bullies laughed and the rest of the class looked very uncomfortable (even the teacher) his eyes then suddenly drifted to Bitty and he all but falter in his rage.

There sat Bitty… sitting on his desk, shrunken upon himself almost as if he was a turtle trying to get insides its shell and a frown on his face while very obviously trying to contain his tears and only barely doing so.

Whitty then remembered something that both Julian and Catol told him before and instantly calmed down ‘…I won’t give them the satisfaction. Not this time. For Bitty’

He then nudged Ruv, which seemed to distract him from staring daggers at the bullies and looked at him in the eye.

Yeah, I get the pun, one eye. Don’t say it.

They just stared at one another but no word was said, after a moment, they just stared back at the kids, Whitty crossing his arms and replied “something like that, yeah”

“Hahaha!… Huh?” The bullies all but faltered, clearly not expecting that reaction

“We are the result of genetic experiments. At least me, Bitty and Ruvool are. Pretty sure Ruv had a trashy life before we met him too though. As to why the size difference? Wish I could tell ya. Because neither of us has an idea”

After a moment of staring at the giants who seemed to just have ignored their mockery, which seemed to be unfamiliar to the bullies, Julian gave the other two what seemed to be a proud smile

I guess the bullies are simply not used to a ‘I am. What about it?’ kind of response

“Whelp, that aside” everyone turned back to Julian, who continued to explain as if nothing had happened once again, as if every interruption that kept happening was not even a second thought “yes, there are principles in most martial arts that must be taken into account and we will be giving you a little demo to demonstrate them” he turned to Whitty “Firstly, Whitty here is going to give you a little show about power. Whitty, would you mind hitting that log for me?”

While he was asking, Julian had given Whitty a knowing smile. To which Whitty got the message and grinned himself. He then turned to Ruv, who lifted the log more to a sparing level. Then, without needing to be told, Whitty punched the log with all his might, actually cracking the log with a booming crunch but still leaving it in one peace (if not for some of its bark dropping to the floor), Ruv holding the log as if nothing had happened leaving all of the kids awestrucked

“Woah!”

“He actually cracked it!”

“That was so awesome!”

As you kids can see, my little bro here is pretty strong, so he was able to break the log without much issue because he is naturally very brawny. And, fun fact, it seems to run in the family. Because while I don’t look like it, I’m also capable of lifting quite some weight too. Whitty just happens to be stronger than me though”

“But Julian. As awesome as it is to know we have strong genes in our family, what does that have to do with fighting? You said there was more to it” for those of you that didn’t get it, yes, it was Bitty

 

While smiling, Julian for some reason turned to Ruv and wordlessly moved his neck to the side, as if telling him to move… which Ruv did, placing himself with the log he carried a few feet away from a window Whitty staying in place a brow lifted

 

…what are you planning?

 

Heh

 

Oh shut up!

 

Still too dumbfounded, the bullies gave no resistance to what Julian was saying or doing… who right now was… for some reason opening the window? He then started to back away… wait… is he…

“Ah, that’s actually an excellent question Bitty!  You see, in fighting the main principles typically tend to center around feet, posture, mind, breath, internal, power (as we just saw), wedge and spiral. Now, I don’t think I’ll have time to explain all of them, at least not in detail, but I’ll give you a runabout. But in order to do that…”

!!!

Julian then all but started to run towards the window, throwing himself right through it! Just as he touched the ground though, he rolled as if he was sonic the hedgehog before using the momentum and jumping in the air to do a kick directed directly to Ruv only for him to block it at the last moment with the log he had been carrying

Just as Julian jumped out the window, all of the classroom run to smudge their faces on the window (the teacher barely restraining herself but still hovering by it). Without stopping after his failed kick, Julian landed on the ground and quickly took a pose as he continued to strike the log, assaulting it with different kinds of jabs, uppercuts and kicks.

As Julian kept at it, Ruv actually had backed away slightly, in order to adjust his footing and keep the log steady!

Then Julian gave one final punch at the very center of the log, causing the log to finally shatter in dozens of pieces!

…!

“…!”

“…Woah…” You said it Whitty!

Julian was panting… his back away from the kids

“That… was… AWESOME!” All the kids started to cheer at what they just witnessed (minus the bullies… well, one did but was glared down by the leader)

“That was so cool!”

“Omg! I can’t believe he actually jumped out of the window!”

“Forget the window! Did you see that! That looked like something right out of an anime!”

“He was all like hi-ya! And ai-ya!”

“Don’t ruin it!”

“But it was so cool!”

With a satisfied smiled, Julian turned around to look at the kids and teacher, noticing that all were staring at him except for three kids in particular who were huddled up away from the window and were near the wall with the cabinet and what seemed to be a shelf for the lunchboxes

 

In the huddle, three little shitty piggies we’re having a whispering shouting match

“We are screwed! We are so screwed! Did you see that?! Those guys can kick ass! We are done for!”

“Yeah! I would totally pay to see that guy in a fight!”

“You do realize that that someone could be US right?!”

“Oh… yeah…”

“Would you two shut the fuck up?!”

The other two flinched as the leader bunked their heads together

Talk about the three stooges

“I’m trying to think!”

“Did you have to do that though?”

One said as they rubbed their head

“Yes! Now zip it! That guy can clearly kick ass and the other is clearly a powerhouse. I’m guessing the tall silent one is too, so we need to have something on them so they doesn’t come after us!”

“But what?! We have nothing on them!”

“Yeah, even if we use the chicken and the tiny mongrel, I doubt that’s enough”

The leader thought for a moment before a devious grin started to form “then we make one up”

“Huh?” Both of the lackeys said in unison

“Don’t you two remember? The monotone deadbeat said he left a bunch of knives with security!”

“Omg! He does! We are even deader!”

“No you idiot! It’s perfect! All we have to do, it’s sneak into the office while everyone is busy watching the rest of their stupid demonstration! We take a couple of knives and when we have the chance, use the knives to wreck some junk! That way, they get the blame and learn their place!”

“That’s brilliant!”

“But wait, what if they notice the knives are missing?”

“Hmm, good point.”

“We’ll just point out they most likely were ‘acting’ as if they were missing. And since they don’t have proof that they didn’t, they won’t be able to deny it!”

“Awe yeah! I’m in!”

“And when everyone start to blame them, we’ll use the opportunity to put them in their place! They either do what we say, or little ‘accidents’ will keep happening! We’ll have three more dogs under our leash!”

“That’s perfect!”

“Hell yeah!”

“Quickly! While everyone is distracted!”

They soon went out the door as quietly as possible… smiling deviously all the while…

…Wow… I thought these kids were spoiled but… that’s just… that’s outright extortion… that’s a literal FELONY… these kids are rotten…

 

 

Back outside, while no one heard this exchange, a certain someone noticed the three little criminals as they seem to head for the door… but instead of worrying he just… smiled? Huh?

“Ok kids! Can anyone tell me what I did here?” wait, really?

“You totally kicked ass! That’s what you did!” for real? We are just going to ignore the three kids leaving the classroom? WTF?

“Hehe, I meant if you kids saw what I did in contrast to what Whitty did” Whatever, I don’t know anything anymore

“Uhm. You were faster?”

“You shattered it while he just broke it!”

“Yeah Julian! I knew you could fight but that was awesome!” It seems even Whitty is surprised it seems “But for the record. I weakened the log first, so…” ah, it seems being impressed does not override brotherly competition

“Hehe. Whatever you say Whitty. As for the other thing? Well, yes and no.”

“What you mean?” Whitty asked

Julian contunied to explain “You see, some of the most important things when it comes to fighting has to do with being aware of your own body. Whitty used his natural strength or ‘power’ to hit the log, which sure, left an impact. But as you saw he did not outright broke it.”

“Why was that though?”

“Yeah, you hit it a bunch of times but it only broke with your last punch, while he did more damage with only one though!”

“Because those are some of the principles of martial arts.”

“Huh?” the class said collectively

“Have you ever heard of the saying ‘dot put all your eggs in one basket?’ Fighting is understanding that. When you fight, you need to regulate your energy and breathing so you last longer and can use it at the right moment to overpower your opponent. In this case, you might be surprised, but both Whitty and me did it WRONG”

“Wrong? Why?”

“How?”

“Both of you were awesome, how is that bad?”

The kids all started to ask but Julian gently lifted a hand to quite them down before continuing “For Whitty is simple, he just applied a lot of force to one point. Which would be useful if you were trying to break something, but in a fight you would just be using too much energy and leaving yourself exhausted afterwards”

“OOOOHHHH!” Everyone (And yes, Whitty too) except Ruv (…bite me) responded

“As for me. You guys saw me doing this in quick succession, which, while it might look cool, it would actually be rather bad in a real fight. At least, for as long as I did it”

“Why would it be bad? You totally beat that log up!”

“Yeah!” the whole class concurred

“But I ended up out of breath afterwards. Which in a real fight, would have left me vulnerable”

That gave the kids (and Whitty) pause

“You see, when I say you need to be aware of your body in a fight it actually means a couple of things.

1) Don’t use all your energy at once, otherwise you’ll end up exhausted 2) Make sure to coordinate your breath with your movements, otherwise you’ll run out of air And 3) Be aware of your footing, one wrong move and you could be easily knocked out”

“That sounds like very basic stuff”

“It is. But there is a difference between understanding and comprehending”

“Now you are just making things up”

Julian shook his head “Not really. We all do it at one point or the other. Have any of you kids ever raced and ran really fast at first? But then had over half the way left but were too tired to continue? This is basically the same thing. You need to moderate your energy otherwise you won’t last.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“Simple, to get the point across”

“Point?”

“Did you noticed what I was doing WHILE I was throwing punches, kicks, jabs and whatnot?” Why do I feel like this is avoiding the question rather than follow up?

The kids actually considered this “you moved?” I said they considered it, I didn’t say it would be brilliant

“Actually, quite the opposite.”

I don’t need to tell you that raised questions

“You see kids, that’s what I meant with point 3 about what being aware of your body means, when you fight you need to keep a proper stance.”

“Why?”

“So that you are self-aware of where your feet are, and the rest of your body for that matter”

“How can you not be aware of where your body is?”

“If you want to think about why that would be difficult, think about maybe dancing or juggling. It’s the same concept. More or less at least. You need to be aware of what your body is doing, but not everyone can do it.”

“Is it hard then?”

“To some yes. But that’s beside the point. Anyways, point two is actually connected to one. All are connected to each other in fact. If you have a proper stance you can move more fluently, and if you can move more fluently you use less energy so you can last longer. Which leads me to the last point I will make for now”

He paused to see if the kids were getting it, which he couldn’t confirm 100% but at least had their attentions “The last point, or point 2, is actually the simplest in concept. And that’s, like I said, breathing”

“…Breathing?” one asked with a ‘are you serious?’ tone

“Yes. Breathing is actually VITAL when it comes to martial arts or fighting in general. The best way I can think about how to explain it, is that every time you throw a punch or anything, you typically get a little ‘kickback’ per se.”

“Julian” Whitty deadpanned

“No, I’m being serious here. It may sound like I’m joking but I mean it. You see, when you strike, typically there will be some kind of ‘recoil’ due to the fact that we are putting effort on it so the best way to win a fight is to control your breathing. The calmer and slower it is, the better and more control you will have in a fight”

“Wait. Is that why when I get into a fight and I’m mad I lose so easily?” Whitty asked with a raised brow

“Maybe? When you get mad your breathing usually becomes agitated and your focus is not good. So that’s bad for endurance”

“That makes sense”

“Also, anger makes you stupid”

“Hey!”

“So what you are saying Mr.-I mean, Julian, is that the three more important things in a fight are breathing, posture and control?”

“For the most part yeah. That’s right. Of course, power is a vital element as well, but not everyone has it. As you saw, Whitty has it in spades, but me for example. I am a little stronger than normal, but the reason my strikes carry so much force relies mostly on the fact I know how to move my body well thus I can put quite some power on my punches. There are other things like how you twist this or swing that, but that’s for another time”

He then pointed to the log fragments “as you can see, I was able to shatter this log, but that was because it was weakened first”

“Yeah, by me”

“Heh, no one is taking away your credit Whitty. Settle down”

“It was still awesome though!”

Smiling at how animated the kids had become, and, for some reason, how the bullies had left the classroom, Julian stated “But know that we got all that boring stuff out of the way, I think it’s time for a little fun”

“What do you mean?” Whitty asked with a raised brow, lot of brow raising today

Without answering him, Julian fully turned to the kids and asked “Alright kids, who wants to see a REAL LIFE match?”

To this the kids exploded in cheers, causing Whittys eyes to widen as he quickly approached Julian and bent down, whisper shouting  in his ear “Julian are you nuts?! We both know I don’t stand a chance against you! I can’t move as fast as you do! I hate to admit it but we both know you will pommel me and I don’t want to wake up tomorrow with bruises!”

Julian oddly kept smiling and looked at him calmly, whispering back “Oh I know that Whitty. Which is why I’m not fighting you”

“Whu? Then who-… no”

“Yes”

Whitty turned to Ruv, who just raised a brow in amusement

I honestly kinda forgot he was present for a moment. After Julian shattered the log he just kinda stood there.

(He would kill me if he ever read this, but Im pretty sure he was startled for a second or two when that happened)

Either way, with widened eyes, Whitty went back to whisper shouting at Julian “Ruv? You are fighting Ruv?”

“Yep”

“Didn’t you say that he could easily pound you if you two ever fought? What happened to that?” I agree with Whitty here Julian, as tough as you are, I think a 10 ft tall Russian mercenary is a bit out of your league

“Well, he does have a lot more points against me than I do to him. But remember Whitty, I said you should never put all your eggs in one basket. Which even when we had that conversation it’s exactly what I did” Wait really? But why would he keep-

…

…hm… does Julian always plan things in advance? Or have, like, a contingency for emergencies?

I would be lying if I said this didn’t raise some brows myself

I think Julian is smarter than even he gives himself credit for

All these thoughts were completely ignored though, as Whitty focused mostly on one particular implication “You did? Wait, so you have something ON Ruv?!” Whitty thought for a moment “Is it-“

“No, it’s not that. Plus, I can’t use that right now unless I want to alert the whole school. I can’t concentrate it that well while I fight. When I do that it’s just best to let it loose”

“Concentrate it? I thought you said you couldn’t choose who was affected?”

“I can’t, but I can control the radius. How did you think I figure that out?”

“Oh… anyways, what do you have one Ruv?”

“I’ll show you. Either way, I think all it’ll do is even the playfield. I’m already going into it with a disadvantage”

“Disadvantage? What do you mean?” He is stronger, taller, more experienced, brutal, need I say more Whitty?

“Remember when we first met and we met everyone at the bus?”

Whitty actually thought for a moment “You mean when Agoti attacked you? What of it?”

“He might not have seen me much on the offensive, but he saw me move”

“Yeah. So?”

“Whitty, he saw my MOVES”

“I still don’t get it”

“*SIGH* Whitty, it means he has an idea of how I typically FIGHT”

Loading… loading… “…oh!”

“Exactly. He knows how I fight, which means he’ll know how to block or pursue me, but I only have guesses based on his personality and attitude”

“Then why even fight him at all? You said this was I fight you didn’t want to see play”

“Are you two done?” Again, seeming to have forgotten his existence, Ruv raised his voice in frustration to call their attention. It was only then that the two noticed all the class was waiting on them.

Flustered, both scratched the backs of their head before Julian finished “Ill make sense later Whitty, I promise.”

“…fine. But it better make sense”

“it will. Now, before we can start, I need you to stand by the window next to the kids. Not blocking their view, but next to them”

“What? Why?”

“We both know Ruv doesn’t play nice or softly. So if anything happens, I need you to stand guard nearby to prevent anything coming their way”

“You want me to be a human shield?!”

“I want you to be a GUARD Whitty. Don’t think of it as you being a scapegoat. Think of it as you safeguarding those kids”

“…ok. I’ll do it. But you better not throw something like a spike or something that will piece my skin!” With that, Whitty retreated to stand next to the window, leaving the other two titan brothers alone

“Don’t worry, we’ll put some rules into place” Julian raised his voice as Whitty walked away

“You had to take the fun out of it” Ruv replied with irritation

“We are trying to show these kids how to defend themselves Ruv, not commit a murder”

“People won’t show you mercy in the streets. We both know that”

“Yes, yes, I know. But I don’t want a hoard of angry parents coming after us, so we are putting some rules in place”

“Ugh. Fine”

“First, I think this is obvious, nothing below the belt”

“Fine. What about the legs though? Or sweeps?”

“I guess that could be fine, as long as we don’t shatter anything. I like walking thank you”

“Ugh”

“Two, like Whitty said, no throwing things. Like rocks, sticks, sand, toys, etc.”

“What about the playground?”

“Hm. I guess we can use it to our advantage. As long as we don’t break it. I’m pretty sure neither of us has the money to pay it and I don’t want to bother Hex with it”

“YOU don’t have money” Wait… the wait Ruv emphasized that…

Julian caught it too and looked at Ruv incredulously “Wait, you have money? I haven’t seen you spent a single dime in the entire time I’ve known you”

“Because the bot was paying for it”

“…so you are telling me you are a greedy opportunistic freeloader?”

“…”

“Nice to know that. Remind me to NEVER lend you money”

“How would you know I didn’t just took it?”

“Let’s just move on will ya?”

“Fine”

“I think that’s it- oh wait! No eye gauging or punch to the throat”

“Crap”

“You actually planned on doing it?!”

“If it came to it”

“NO eye gauging or punch to the throat!”

“Fine, how about chokes?”

“No choking either! But you can do locks”

“Ugh. This is going to be a tedious fight”

Julian rolled his eyes “Glad to know you find being a good sport a chore”

“Let’s just get on with this”

With that, Julian and Ruv then started to put some distance between each other, readying themselves for the match to start.

Chapter 42: Mid-Class Fighting

Summary:

The long awaited spar between two brothers has finally arrived

Notes:

Hey guys! Again, Im SO sorry about such a long wait, but Im such a perfectionist I just wanted this chapter to be as good and accurate as I possibly can. And remember that I don’t have a beta reader or anything, so everything I make is entirely on my own. So I have to proofread and fact check everything myself.
Fun fact though… did you guys know it’s VERY hard to write fight scenes consistently? Well I knew it in theory but now I know in practice! This chapter has been perhaps the hardest chapter to write I’ve ever done! Because when you write an action you need to consider three mayor things (that I noticed): spatial awareness, consistency in movement fluidity and a characters own affinities. Meaning you need to take into account where they are, how they move and make it make sense and that that action is something that makes sense for the character to do!
I had to do SO much research for this! I mean, I don’t regret it, but WOW! I’m still not 100% happy with the end product… but considering it’s the first time I’ve ever written something like this I’d say it turned out at least decent… I think… Hopefully.
Sorry to rant over here. I hope it you guys find it good!
Oh! And Happy New Year!

The air was tense. Everyone was staring at the two overgrown men as they placed themselves on opposites’ sides of the playground. One with a playful smile as he took a stance, ready to start and full of energy and almost bouncing at the bit at the match to come, the other… completely indifferent to the situation… actually… he looked somewhat annoyed, even bored, as if we just wanted this to be done with and be anywhere else…

Come on Ruv! I tried to make the intro for this fight exiting! Put a little more oomph into it!

“Let’s just get this done with”

…prick

“Oh? What’s the matter Ruv? Bored already?” Julian reiterated what the narrator (moi) just said

“You said yourself that you don’t stand a chance against me. Why would I look forward to a clearly one sided match?” Ever the sourpuss ain’t ya Ruv?

“Hey, just because you know that match won’t last long, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it, doesn’t it? It’s about the journey, not the destination. It’s the process” enter Spongebob ‘imagination’ gif

“That’s what a loser would say”

“Ouch, that hurts bro”

“Shut up” he gave a heavy sigh “let’s just get this over with”

“Ok! I’m ready when you are-Woah!” !!

Before Julian could finish his sentence, Ruv moved toward him at a remarkable speed and went to try and swipe at Julian with an open hand strike, barely missing by an inch.

“Woah!” Julian repeated “impatient much?”

“It’s your fault for not being ready.”

“We didn’t even said go!”

“It seems you have been out off the streets for too long” Ruv said as he kept swiping at Julian, only for him to keep dodging at the last second, making it look almost as if they were dancing as Julian moved sideways and backwards

To the remark though, Julian raised a brow and asked as he kept dodging “and what is THAT supposed to mean?”

“In the streets they won’t give you a heads up. You need to be ready for it any given moment. Like NOW” wait, isn’t that a heads up? … Eh, sorry. Ah, right, at that moment Julian’s back hit the tube of one of the swings causing him to gasp and look back, Ruv used the moment to close his fist and go to punch Julian in the face, but Julian’s reflexes were faster and he dived down, the punch barely missing him again (and the tube)

…hey wait… hasn’t Ruv been out of the streets even longer than Julian since he joined the gang first?

…

What? Just an observation

Moving on, Julian then tried to use the new proximity to uppercut Ruv but he immediately moved back and grabbed Julians arm, catching him by surprise as Ruv used his other arm to push Julian to the ground, forcing him to lay down.

On the ground Julian looks up to Ruv as he is about to land a punch on him only for Julian to roll out of the way, leaving an indent in the dirt in the shape of Ruvs fist

“Argh!”

“Well, that was close” once he stopped rolling Julian then did a kip-up flip to a standing position, only to barely dodge once he was on his feet by doing what seemed to be a ballerina swirl out of the way when Ruv went to grab at his shirt.

Not stopping in his attack though, Ruv proceeded to try and swat Julian with his extended arm only for Julian to dive and do a breakdown spin down sweep on Ruvs nearby leg. While this did not cause Ruv to fall, it did cause him to stumble and lose his balance.

Seizing the opportunity, Julian swirls around behind Ruv and bounced off the metal tubes of the playgrounds roundabout behind them (causing it to spin) to try and do a downward kick on Ruvs back, before it can connect though, Ruv turned around and grabbed Julian by the ankle

…

“Uh-oh”

“Idiot”

Ruv then proceeded to slam Julian on the ground over and over… like in a cartoon… o-o

 

As this was happening, the classroom was looking at the fight with mixed feelings “is he going to be alright?” One of the kids asked Whitty “huh?”

“I mean, he is hitting the ground pretty hard” Yeah, I’m pretty sure they are messing up the grass to the point they’ll need to replace it… so much for avoiding collateral damage…

At least grass is soft? Right?

“Oh. Uhm… well… you kids don’t need to worry. Julian over there has had to endure a LOT of punishment during his life. I’m sure this is nothing” ‘I hope’ Whitty thought as an afterthought

“Also, I don’t mean to sound mean” they are kids, don’t blame me for their lack of vocabulary… and the afterthought thing does not count “but is Julian really a good fighter?”

Whitty turned around surprised “Whut? Where did that come from?”

“Well… it’s just…”

“We know he showed us he can hit but…”

“Uhm…”

“He is getting sorta…”

“kinda…”

All the kids then said “totally pummeled”

Whitty started to sweat

“Not only that, he has been most of the fight dodging rather than hitting back”

“Yeah, we don’t want to be rude. But it seems as if he has only been running away”

Whitty then struggled to come up with an answer, after all, how do you explain to kids that it wasn’t that Julian was a bad fighter, but a smart fighter?

Julian knew he couldn’t take Ruv face on, so he was trying to find an opening, he just miscalculated and got caught.

Whitty of course knew this in theory but did not know how to articulate it into words, so all he could manage was “uh… w-well… you see…”

Fortunately, the teacher seemed to come to his aid “don’t you remember kids?”

They turned to look at her (Julian still getting pounded in the background)

“Julian mentioned that when you fight, you need to be smart about it. Ruv is clearly bigger than him. So it stands to reason that Julian was trying to find an opportunity. As the saying goes ‘the talented hawk hides its claws’“ wait, DID Julian said that? I don’t recall

“What does that mean?” One of the kids asked

“It means you never show how strong you are right off the bat. Julian is clearly looking for the perfect chance, maybe he even got caught on purpose to tire out his brother. He did say endurance was important, no? What better way to tired out you opponent?”

All the kids then go ooh at this “Y-yess! What she said! It’s all part of the act!” He then gave her a grateful look which she returned with a smile, they then turned back to watch the fight ‘come on Julian, you need to step it up. Otherwise everything you said would’ve been for squat’

you said it Whitty… well, thought it, I guess

 

After swatting Julian on the ground one last time, Ruv finally stopped to catch his breath

“You know, a small part of me was ACTUALLY hoping for a challenge. And I have to say” He then swirl him around before throwing Julian away like an old rag doll

“I’m disappointed” harsh

Julian skipped on the ground before he landed on his face on a patch of mud… gross 

“I suggest you give up. You are WAY in over your head” 

Julian then stood on his hands spitting up mud and wiping it off his face “That may be, But I’m not going down without a fight” isn’t that redundant? he then went to stand up and wipe the rest of the mud and dirt off… that’s still going to stain though, hope Momi lets them use her washing machine

Ruv sighed but at least had the courtesy to wait for Julian to wipe off all the mud and dirt… that or he was using it as an excuse to recover his breath more… he’s so monotone is hard to tell… “You’re an ant fighting against a boot” at least he still has his sass

“Wow. You think highly of yourself, don’t you?”

“You admitted to it yourself”

“I said you were strong. Not invisible”

To this Ruv gave an annoyed sound “whatever” he then quickly went to hit Julian again, but just as he was about to throw another punch Julian jump to Ruvs left side and before he could react Julian quickly delivered a roundhouse kick to the back of Ruvs neck then quickly returned to a standing position, before Ruv could recover though, Julian delivered a quick succession of jabs and strikes on Ruvs left side 

 Just when Ruv turned to look at Julian with a scowl, (enter slow-mo) he delivered a straight punch to Ruvs cheek. Damn, this would look cool animated

…

Hey author, do we have the budge-

No

Ah well, too bad… anyways

Julian then backed up further on Ruvs left side, holding a cocky grin and getting his breath back. 

“What was that about not doing punches in quick succession?” Ruv all but spit up (while spitting up), standing on his hands and one knee, recovering from the assault he just received

“Normally yes. But when your opponent has a HUGE opening you just HAVE to seize it” 

…Ruv squinted for a moment analyzing what Julian said “So… you realized…” 

“Pfft. Please Ruv. It’s kinda obvious. I mean, you have an EYEPATCH” Wait, what does that mean- ooooohhhh! Ruv has an eyepath! Meaning he has a huge blind spot on his left side! That’s what Julian must’ve meant when he said he had an advantage over Ruv! 

“You do realize though that I’ve trained myself to take that into account, right?” 

“Didn’t stop me from using it though, didn’t it?” 

“You got lucky”

“Or maybe I waited for you to get cocky by letting you beat me up and think the fight was done and then took you by surprise? Who knows, might thought it was a good way to wear you out?” Hmm. It seems the teacher was right

Ruv looked frustrated for a moment before an unreadable expression crossed his face

It was not uncommon for people to think they could use his blind spot to get at him; typically they ambush him there so he will go down and kick him while he was… either that or they get distracted by his height… or use his height thinking they can get the drop on him or hide… but Julian…

It was then that Ruv actually stopped a moment to analyze the fight so far. Julian hadn’t ambush him (at least not in a sneaky way) or was hiding, but…while he DID use his blind spot, he stopped attacking ONCE he was down… hmm… Julian… he was a smart fighter, he knew that not only by hearing him talk, but by watching him on his first encounter with Agoti.

At first, he thought he was a pacifist wimp that didn’t attack unless it was necessary, but upon seeing him now, a distinction was made clear. Julian was not just talk, he actually knew how to fight and not just in a spar (which is very different from the real thing), he just didn’t do it unless his opponent could TOO. Julian actually ENJOYED an evened out fight.

Also…his fighting style seemed… honest… honorable even… that’s… rare… VERY rare… at least to Ruv, since he himself was a dirty fighter…

Not only that, Julian implied that he LET Ruv catch him… he was completely willing to let himself get smashed if it meant giving him an opportunity… but here’s the thing, it wasn’t like a typical hit you block and receive a little damage so your opponent gets in reach, if what Julian said was to be believed and he didn’t just fuck up when Ruv caught him, he was willing to receive a lot of punishment JUST for said opportunity. This made Ruv realize something else… Julian understood the law of Sacrifice… which, once again, was something very rare in the dark world they came from. You get as much as you give. Basically.

Ruv then stealthily looked at Julian and upon closer inspection, noted Julian seemed to be way sturdier than he originally imagined.

Something one needs to know, is that Ruv almost never holds back, so when he hits, he hits HARD. But despite this, Julian seemed to be just fine. As he looked him up and down, he could see that while Julian did have some damage, it wasn’t much… at least, not as much as it should’ve been… with how much punishment Ruv had inflicted, Julian shouldn’t had even been able to stand, he should know, this wasn’t the first time he did the is. He had lost count how many times he had shattered his opponents’ bones to smithereens. …But Julian… at best, he seemed to have received 1/4 of the damage that was originally intended… and he was giving him a cocky smile to boot!

What the heck was wrong with this bloodline? He understood Bitty and Whitty, heck, even Ruvool, as they were literally made in a lab, but Julian was just. A. Guy. And here he was, having survived a brutal assault many feared him for.

This was… interesting…. Which lead Ruv to one final conclusion

This fight… had the potential to be, actually, and unbelievably… Fun…

As all of this was happening in his head though, everyone kept staring at a standstill Ruv before the silence was broken by Whitty looking between the two “uh guys? Everything ok? Julian, did you break him or something?”

“Uh… I don’t think so? Ruv? You ok buddy?”

This snapped Ruv of his reverie… an expression of realization briefly crossing his face before it went back to his typical monotone… except there was… some kind of gleam in his eye?

“Heh…” ?

“Huh?”

“Hehe” …is-

“Is he…” Whitty…

“Laughing?” …

“He he he he! Ah ha ha ha ha!” He… he is… he is actually laughing! … With a very disturbing and forced looking smile, but he is!

“Uh… Ruv? You ok buddy?” Julian asked, sounding a little unsettled. I’m actually not sure myself dude.

Ruvs short but loud laughter then started to die out, as his smile, but the glint in his eye didn’t “It’s been a long time, and I mean a REALLY, long time since I met someone other than Sarv that could ACTUALLY hold themselves in a physical fight against me. Which means… I can finally have a real match!”

Ruv then moved to remove his hat and parka, throwing them in a pile next to a tree, but it didn’t stop there, as to everyones’ surprise, Ruv then moved to a standing position, not only getting out of his typical slouch, but went to stand to his FULL height! All 10-11 (I’m not sure which to be honest) ft.

Ruv then went to crack his neck and rotate his shoulder blades, clearly stiff from prolonged bad posture “I’ll admit that you caught me by surprise there. You are not as stupid as I thought. So, ‘Jules’, show me what you can REALLY do in a fight”

Julian (as well as everyone else), seemed surprised for a moment, not only by the imposing figure before him or the challenge presented, but the use of his Nickname by the ever pokerfaced man… this didn’t last long, as Julian responded with a smile that showed he was completely on board with the situation “Then bring it on. You magpie”

Ruv went to hit at Julian who blocked it with his forearm and then tried with his other hand but Julian blocked it again now with both forearms in an x shape, Julian pushed back with his forearms but Ruv was not deterred and jabbed at Julian left and right, Julian then jumped backwards and went to kick at Ruvs chest but Ruv was no slowpoke and pushed Julians face backwards.

Julian did not hit the floor this time and landed on his hands on a crab pose, he then kicked upwards with his leg hitting Ruv square in the jaw, flipping himself over to a running start up position and flung himself at Ruvs abdomen who swirled around to free himself, not one to stay down, Julian used the movement to roll on the floor to a standing position and pounced again at Ruv who went to grab at his face again but fell forward as Julian rolled over under Ruv.

Ruv barely managed to avoid falling on his face, but behind him Julian kicked at his calfs causing him to bend over and put one foot forward as well as one hand on the floor, he then swirl to try and hit Julian, which didn’t connect but made him back away. Turning around completely, Ruv tried to punch Julian in the face but he jumped to his right, his foot right into the swings seat causing him to swing upwards and to stand right on top of it on the tubes, Ruv turned to look as Julian swinged himself on top of the swing just in time for Julian to stand on his face and push him backwards causing him to, for the first time in the whole fight, actually land on the floor on his back.

 

Whoosh

 

Silence was in the air as everyone took in what happened

“Woah” Whitty, the kids and the teacher

 

 

Ruv groaned on the floor, a scrowl clearly on his face. No duh.

Julian, still catching his breath, asked “So *pant*, had enough?”

At first Ruv looked annoyed but he slowly went back to stand at his full height and say in a smug tone (not that you can tell by looking at his face) “You wish”

And so he moved forward to try and deliver a punch once again.

And so, the fight went on for another 20 minutes, or 30, maybe 40? I’ll get back at you with that. As I was saying. Julian dodging and occasionally landing a kick here and a punch there, Ruvs punches on the other hand were mostly either being dodged or blocked but very much still felt to some degree.

It was then that the bullies finally returned with smug looks on their faces. Silently going to the shelf with their lunchboxes and placing the clearly stolen knives inside theirs respectively… so, they really went and stole a highly dangerous, violence prone, wanted criminals’ knives… yeah these three are stupid… and sociopathic… but very much stupid…

“That should do it”

“Yeah! I hope the principle likes the new scratches on her car! Ha!”

“Isn’t she non-vine-something?”

“Who cares? She is just trying to sound special. Even mom says so”

“Yeah!”

The three little stooges then finally notices as all their classmates (and even teacher) were still glued to the window. Which to them was not bad, considering they left the classroom without permission and return undetected, but the leader was confused as to the why.

“Huh? Are they still going at it?”

“I could’ve sworn they would’ve been over by now”

“Yeah…”

As the idiot got close to the window, their eyes widen. Outside, the two towering titans kept at it with free abandon.

Ruv throwing punches, swats and hits so hard that they made an audible sound and a gust of wind when they hit OR missed, imprints on the ground and only barely avoiding damage (if only by Julians request) to the playground equipment, showing an incredible display of strength and brutality but very systematic in its method.

Julian, on the other hand, moved around with playfulness and grace, as throughout the whole battle he continued moving as if he was dancing, doing parkour and fighting all at once but never with a defined fighting style on itself, as if he was winging it as he went along or it was just a mash up of everything he’s learned across the years.

If I were to put an analogy to it, it looked as if a powerful tiger was fighting against a slippery snake. The difference between the two clear, but none willing to give it up, continuing until their very last breath.

“…what the he-“

“Yes! That’s what I’m talking about! Come on Julian! Bring him down a peg or two! Especially because of all the BS he’s put us through!” Whitty shouted excitedly at Julian, unknowingly cutting off the leader prick

Julian was recovering his standing from a recent shove from Ruv, and quickly turned to Whitty with a raised brow “Put US through?”

“Ok, mostly me. But either way! Kick his-“ he quickly looked behind him and then back “butt”

“Whitty this isn’t some-“  *punch* “Oomph! Hey!”

“Don’t get distracted, we are not done yet”

“Oh you asked for it!”

“Yeah!” this time the whole classroom cheered. But not only them though, as at some point, the other classrooms seemed to start to get notice of what was going on outside. So while the two giants went at it, little by little each classroom whose window was facing them started joining in, until the entire wall eventually became a full on audience! All their respective classes now abandoned! It seems! Yay educational system!

Just kidding, lol

Do these guys know how to make a proper show or what?

Oh yeah, and the bullies were now looking at them fighting and resisting the urge to piss their pants.

“I think… we might have… underestimated how tough these guys are…”

“Yeah…”

“But hey, just because they can physically fight doesn’t mean they can touch us, right? .... right?”

…

“We are so fucked…” You just figured that out? You little shit

 

Back one last time with our two combatants after ANOTHER couple of minutes, it seems that they were finally reaching their limit, after 1 HOUR (told you I would get back at it) of going at it at full throttle. Any plan they previously concocted all but forgotten… to our knowledge… at least

They faced each other from a distance, panting and holding their own arms up, almost as if keeping themselves standing by doing so.

“Got to say. You are not that bad. For a Russian magpie shithead”

“Same goes to you. You insufferable Svengali” I think that’s as close to a compliment Ruv has ever come

They stood there facing each other for a few more moments. After such a long brawl, the air was finally still and at this point everyone was quiet, as if a single noise would shatter the atmosphere.

Ruv then went to try and stand high once again, but wince and quickly fell to his knee, causing some to gasp. Julian smiled at this, standing high for a moment… before falling forward himself. Finally, down on the ground for good.

After such a long fight, it was over.

The Winner…

Ruv.

Chapter 43: *update

Hey guys. First of all, I want to apologize that I haven’t been uploading a chapter a month as I previously stated. And some probably thought that this story was going either into hiatus or being permanently orphaned, but the truth is that my life has just been… not so well… currently my schedule is basically a mess, stress and anxiety have been subconsciously building, I honestly don’t know if there are even people that still care about this story, and I think my family drama finally hit me as I’ve basically lost 1/3 of my remaining family in the last year… I’ve… almost had two panic attacks in the last two weeks… so… yeah… not doing so well… I’m sorry if I’m dumping all this on you, but I wanted to be transparent and not say it was for being lazy or anything. I’m still working on the story, and I can’t make any promises because I personally don’t like to make them unless I’m SURE I’ll keep them, but I’ll do my best to upload a chapter this month. Once again, I’m sorry if I’m rambling and I hope at least you guys have a nice time. Till then, best wishes.

Chapter 44: Playground Parley

Summary:

Whitty deals with some unfamiliar social territory and the bullies finally blow the lid on their bad nature

Notes:

Hey guys. Thank you so much for your patience, I know this chapter has been long awaited (I think… hope), so I hope it lives up to expectations and build up. Can’t promise when the next chapter will be up though, the next two months are going to be… intense… either way… Enjoy in the meantime!

Following were we left off, Julian was laying down on the ground, face down; having been defeated by the ever imposing Ruv. The school, which had previously been cheering on the fight, was now silent as they saw the tall lanky man down, everything quiet until our resident bomb, the big one outside, not the little one inside the classroom, finally broke the silence.

“Julian? … Jules? … You ok?”

…after a moment of silence, Julian lifted his arm in a thumbs up.

At this the whole school roared in applaud once again as Whitty signed with a smile, looking behind him to see a bright expression on Bittys face ‘well, I say that was worth the worry’ he thought and then caught on the corner of his eye the pale expressions on the bullies faces ‘WAY worth it’ he though as a satisfied glare and smile stretched on his face… only to flinch when a voice suddenly addressed him

“I gotta say. That was quite the spectacle!” The teacher said to Whitty, clearly trying to hide her excitement for the sake of professionalism “Huh? Oh! Right! Sorry! Spaced out a little there.”

The teacher gave a small giggle “still entranced with the fight?”

“Heh. Something like that.” He then turned to look at the others windows in the school “although it seems we were not the only ones”

“Indeed. Hope the other teachers didn’t mind the interruption, since at this point it’s fair to say we disrupted the schedule of at least half the school”

Being the giant ball of anxiety that Whitty is, this obviously made him tense up “is that a problem? Will it become one?”

“Maybe a little. But don’t worry, it was during my class so I’ll take the heat for it”

Shoulders slump and he released his breath “… thank you… and… sorry”

“It’s alright. I think it was worth it. It certainly boosted someone confidence, and as a teacher that’s a win in my book”

They then subtly turned to Bitty again, still cheering and awestruck “…yeah. I think you are right”

Now that would’ve been the perfect moment for the chapter to end, but since it just started and reality is not a fairytale, something needed to drag Whitty back to reality

“Do you guys have plans for the rest of the day?” Like that

“Huh?” Seriously? How you not see this coming?

“Really now? You are telling me you three came to school without a plan of what where you going to do at all?” Even the teacher thought it

“Uhm, w-well, you see. We kinda-we thought, maybe if we-“

“…?”

Whitty blushed and scratched the back of his head “yeeeeaaaaah. Something like that…”

The teacher gave him an amused look

“Look, we’ve never done this before. I don’t know if Julian told you, but most of us didn’t have a proper education. We had to wing it in life as it is most of the time… I went to high school for a bit, but… it… wasn’t the proudest time of my life… most of my life was… but I was pretty sh-crummy in high school” he corrected himself at the last moment, remembering they were still within earshot of children, even if they were still cheerily chattering amongst themselves

“You were a teenager, I assume, life is hard for most at that age” I’m guessing she said ‘assume’ considering his not 100% human status

Whitty murmured “it wasn’t about MY life being difficult though… for once”

“Excuse me?”

“Uh, I said, I mean. Nothing! Anyways…”

You are really bad at this…

“You have social anxiety, do you not?”

“How can you tell?” Easy Whitty, don’t start panicking now

The teacher gave a small giggle “I’ve been a teacher for 15 years. And in this town no less. You learn a thing or two along the way. Also, your brother essentially told us remember?”

“Oh. Right. Sorry. I-I mean, it’s good you’re used to dealing with us freaks. I-I mean. It’s good you’re used to working with freaks. I-I mean!! Thanks for wasting so much time on that! I-I mean! Thanks for being old. I MEAN!!! C-c-can I stop talking now?”

The teacher was fighting to contain herself, trying so hard to not laugh at the giant nervous bean “if you wish”

“Thank you”

Oh, and for those of you that are wondering why Whitty is particularly a mess here but not with the rest, ask yourself this: do you act the same with family and friends as you do with strangers or authority figures?

…

Thought so

The teacher giggle again “I have an idea. Why don’t you and your brothers stay for the rest of the day? Julian spent some time with us in the classroom. If you want, you could join as well”

Whitty tilted his head “Uhm. Why?”

“I dunno? To experience school life?”

“I went to high school”

“That may be. But is there any harm in doing so?”

“Well… no, but-“

“Then there is no problem!”

Way to take charge teach, but considering who some of her students are, I guess she needs to be.

“Lunch time is about to start and after that there is a 45 minutes break. I do believe the prices in the cafeteria are reasonable, so you might be able to purchase something if you have change with you”

“Uh… lunch?”

“Sure. The cafeteria food it’s pretty ok. And they have various kinds of lunches, since some kids have dietary restrictions. After which I think it would be a good idea for you guys to interact with the children”

Remembering the mess he left the cafeteria in Whitty started to sweat and desperately tried to come up with an excuse “Uhm… I-I, uhm… w-well. I-I lean, I-I mean I mean-!” … I said TRIED

The teacher, being as sharp as she is, quickly caught Whittys hesitation and raised a brow “is there a problem?”

“NO!” Whitty answered a little louder than he intended, now basically catching all the classrooms attention and putting even MORE pressure on himself as he stupidly placed himself in the spotlight “N-n-no. Nothing wrong! Nothing at all! It’s all fine! I can’t wait to try some food! I love to eat. Foods the best!”

… Yeah… to say that caused him to be given weird and skeptic glances is an understatement…

As if to save him from becoming redder than a tomato and sweating more than an outta shape guy under the sun, Bitty added to his comment “oh yeah! You mentioned you eat a lot too! You know, I’ve been wondering, who do you think eats more? You or me?”

At this Whitty perked up, thankful for the change of topic, and after a moment of quiet he smiled and stood proudly, seemingly forgetting his nervousness… or at least faking it “well, uh… not to brag, but I’ve won multiple contests” that doesn’t really answer the question… also, of all the things you could brag, you brag about being a glutton?

… Ok, each their own.

… I also just realized, social anxiety doesn’t work that way. You can’t just suddenly ‘forget’ your nervousness. Lazy writing much? OOW! What the-? Who the fuck throws a brick?!

… heh

…you’re sick in the head. You know that?

…

Anyways, continuing

“Really?” One of the kids asked

“Yup! I’ve even beaten Julian at it! And he’s older”

“Wait, he’s older?” One of the kids asked skeptically “but he is much smaller than you” did they mention this previously and they forget or is this the first time?

…I’m not going back to re-read things.

Whitty snorted “yeah, don’t say that to his face though” Whitty said in a conspiratorial tone causing some of the kids to giggle.

Whitty knew Julian wouldn’t actually mind, after all, he joked about the fact himself, but it was nice to pretend he had something on him.

“It’s kinda weird though. Usually big brothers are way taller than little brothers.”

“Yeah, Bitty is only a year older than Ruvool and he is WAY taller” at that most of the kids nodded in unison causing Whitty to snort, hope Ruvool isn’t around to hear that “not always. I know this guy named Tabi, he’s technically older than me, and he is almost half my size”

“Tabi… oh! You mean the guy with a skeletal goat head?” Bitty asked after thinking for a moment

Whitty was about to confirm with a simple yes, but then quickly glanced at the still pale bullies (which is why they hadn’t talked or interrupted yet), an idea suddenly forming in his head and a mischievous smile on his face “Yup! The same one you hit with a broom until his horn fell off”

As expected, Bitty stiffened at the recalling, while everyone else gasped in surprise and the bullies (somehow) pale even more

“Bitty? Bitty HIT someone?”

“Yup”

“This Bitty?” A kid pointed

“You got it!”

“The same Bitty that is such a pacifist he rather take the heat than fight back?”

Hmm. Seems all the kids knew about the bullying, but whether they were being bullied themselves and too afraid to fight back is up for debate

“Oh yeah! I mean, I wasn’t there for it. But Tabi and the others told me all about it. How they got their a-I mean, butts handed to them by Bitty, Momi and Ruvool. And Tabi isn’t much of a liar, so it must be true!”

Bitty started to flush and fidget “I-I thought they were kidnapping Ruvool! And we thought they tried to kidnap me! It wasn’t until later that we realized it was because they thought I was you and something happened!” Out of context, this would be a very stupid sounding sentence at most

“Come on Bitty! Don’t be shy! You totally showed the guys that NO ONE should mess with you! Beneath all that scout boy attitude you are a tough cookie!”

“But I don’t like conflict! That was a… a… a special case!”

“Awe, someone is being humble~” releasing your inner Julian I see

“Stop it! Stop it right now!” Bitty was flushing so hard he looked like a cherry, stem and all, lol

“Oh? Is someone embarrassed? Come here you tough guy” Witty then reached into the classroom to grab Bitty putting him in a semi head lock and started noggie him

“Agh! Stop!”

“Oh? Why should I?”

“Quit it!”

“Hmm… Nah”

“Enough!”

At that point Bitty managed to get free from Whitty (not really, he just let him go) and started slap fighting Whitty in that way kids that don’t know how to fight do

“I said stop!”

Whitty then raised his hands in mock surrender, a smile on his face “whoa! Take it easy buddy! Hehe, see kids? Tiger has claws”

“S-s-shut up!”

“Pfft ahaha!” It’s nice to see you getting better with your anxiety Whitty, even if it is just to troll your brother… or troll him in a way to show his bullies that he WILL fight back if push comes to shove so they should back the fuck off.

“Aweeee~” some of the kids (mostly the girls and every other boy) cooed at the display causing Bittys face to redden and cover his face.

‘Now I see why Julian gets such a kick out of this. It’s kinda fun to tease’ Whitty thought to himself… don’t get used to it Whitty. I can tell you from experience that Karma is a bitch.

“Seems you guys have connected rather fast”

Whitty was caught off guard by the comment, seeming to not having consider how this could have also come back to him when he started the whole thing… now that I think about it… you are kinda short-sighted when it comes to certain things, aren’t you?

“Well, kind of? We try at least” Whitty answer with a blush, his mind finally catching up to what he did

“Do you guys like hurting each other though?” Well that’s a rather random question, ain’t it? Whitty thought so too and raised a brow before asking… well, answering… asking AND answering “well, not necessarily… I mean, we like to tease each other and sh-junk.” He lowly whispered (though more to himself) “Julian in particular seems to love banter and messing with people.” You JUST figured that out? “Why you ask?”

“Because a while ago I saw Ruv trying to…uhm. Pull out Julians arms? I think?”

“What?!”

Whitty asked a little louder than intended startling the kid “eh! Sorry! Sorry.” He cleared his throat “Uhm. What was that about?”

“Uh, well. After they finished fighting and Julian stood up, I saw him get near Ruv. He said something to him and then suddenly grabbed his arm, turned him around and started to push at his back with his foot”

…Whitty was at a loss for words… I mean. Ruv wasn’t exactly a gently person (far from it in fact), but that seemed… odd? Overkill? What would be the word? I guess I’m at a loss too. First, what was he supposed to say to the kids? How the fuck did he explained? He didn’t even know what that was about himself, this left him in a dilemma and did the only thing his anxious ridden mind could think off as pathetic as it was… he looked at the teacher with a looked that screamed ‘help’

The teacher, tried to come up with the best answer she could come up with

…that’s redundant

Shut up

“Uhm. Well kids. As you know. Not all family dynamics are the same. Maybe they were just roughhousing a bit.”

“Didn’t they just had a massive fight though?” … got you there teach. Before another question could be asked though, Bitty, who seemed to have recovered from his previous embarrassment asked “why don’t we just ask them?” … I feel that if more people had the basic reasoning skills this kid has, many plots would be rendered pointless.

To this Whitty pretty much resisted the urge to face palm and could only manage a very obviously false assertive comment “R-right! Of course! I was about to do that! Well thought Bitty” he then quickly turned towards the other two giants a distance away, who seemed to be in to some kind of conversation “Hey! What are you guys talking about?! And what did Ruv do to Julians back? Everything ok?!”

For some reason Julian gave Ruv a smug smile before answering “We’re fine Whitty! Ruv is just being himself!”

To this Whitty left out a frustrated groan, of course that would be the issue.

“What’s that mean?”

In his desperation and frustration Whitty answers with the first thing that came to mind, which wasn’t that far off to be honest “it means Ruv is a sore loser. And he gets… jerkish… when he doesn’t get his way” …jerkish? That’s the best you could come up with?

“But didn’t he win?”

“Ugh, doesn’t matter. He likes being a jerk… and petty… I’m pretty sure about that at this point”

“Kinda sounds like Ruvool, if I’m being honest”

At this Bitty bristled “what? No! Ruvool ISN’T a jerk!”

“Bitty, he doesn’t listen to anyone, I’m pretty sure he barely listens to you and your mom”

“He is always in a bad mood”

“And he literally growls and bites people”

… I wish I could refute these points…

Bitty tried though “I-it’s not like that! Ruvool is actually really sweet! I swear!”

“Sweet? Maybe if he was a rabid Pomeranian made of sugar” …what?

“A-and for that matter, I bet Ruv himself is a nice guy! Just because they are rough doesn’t make them mean, or bad, or, o-or, or bullies!”

At this last one Whitty flinched, and at that very moment the school bell rang. Talk about saved by the bell. Literally.

“Ok kids, that’s enough. It seemed our little demo used more time than we intended, so we’ll have to make up for it later. For now, go have lunch and enjoy your break” at that the kids grupally (is that even a word? Autocorrect shows its wrong) let out a groan but started to gather their thing and leaving the classroom, the teacher then looked at Whitty “I believe your brother left his phone charging, do you wish for me to pass it to you so you can give it to him? I don’t know why youngsters love them so much. But maybe he wants to use it during the break?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah! Right! Right! Yes. P-please. And thank you”

To that the teacher let out a giggle and went to take Julian’s phone, unplugging it and coiling the cable first before her face showed confusion “well that’s odd. It seems your brother left his phone on record by accident. I’ll turn it off for him. Don’t worry. I won’t look through his phone. Not that I know how to anyways. I barely know how to turn the camera off” the teacher joked before making her way to Whitty “yeah… I know the feeling” at this the teacher actually looked surprised “really? But aren’t you of the younger generation? At least, I assume?”

“Technically yes but… To be honest with you, I’ve always struggled with tech. You can learn a lot of things easily on the run, but when you are constantly looking over your shoulder and have to learn everything from scratch by yourself…” he then whispered to himself “even how to talk…” wait, you what? “Well… tech is a low priority when your survival is at risk… also, tech is hard as f-heck”

At that the teacher let out another giggle “well, I don’t know about all that, but at least I don’t feel so bad now that I know us old folk are not alone in the tech department. Either way, I need to check some stuff with the teachers whose classes we interrupted as well as the principal. Now you boys behave, and have a nice day”

After that they laughed a bit more before she handed Whitty Julian phone and charger. Whitty then gave her one final wave and started to walk over to Julian and Ruv

“Hey Julian. Here’s your phone. It was left on record while you were charging it though. So you might wanna delete that video so it doesn’t use that much space on your phone. That’s how that works right?” Well, at least you know a little bit of tech, no?

“Oh hey thanks. Don’t worry about that though. Hex might have done some… tweaks to my phone. So it has better battery and space. Which quite honestly was LOOOONG overdue.”

“I’ll say. When we first met you your phone had a battery life of 10 minutes” Ruv added

“My phone is 6 YEARS old. And I didn’t have a penny to my name that wasn’t for food or rent. What part of ‘I couldn’t even afford shoes’ do you not understand?” …that single sentence is so sad, on so many ways for so many reasons…

…that’s not-

I know that’s not a single sentence! Shut up!

Just pointing it out

Whatever

“You could’ve stole it” Ruv countered

“Not everyone has zero qualms about theft Ruv”

“And here I thought you were not as pathetic”

“And yet another one! You are on fire today bro!”

“Shut up” I feel ya Ruv

Whitty was about to ask what that was about when he flinched as they suddenly heard a scream coming from the side of the school “what the fuck happened to my bike?!”

“Mine too!”

“Yeah!!”

To this the three brothers exchanged glances and quickly made their way to the other side.

Once there, they saw some of the kids gathered, surrounding 3 other kids but giving them space; upon a closer look, they recognized them as the bullies and they seemed to be in some kind of uproar; one kicking things (not caring what… or WHO it was in the way… damn brat), another pacing back and forward (I may be mistaken, but is that hyperventilation? Can one pace and hyperventilate at the same time? … I’m no doctor… also, are they boys or girls? We know they are cisgendered due to their comments but it’s hard to tell what they are) and the last one was… grabbing hold of something as gross sobs could be heard… what’s the prob- oh! Oh shit… their bikes are all but trashed! Pfft ahaha!

Not only were the tires shredded, the paint was scratched, the seats were pretty much rendered unusable and the chains were broken.

Normally I would feel bad for something like that happening to a kid, but knowing this kids are all but innocent I can’t say it was undeserved

As they continued throwing what was essentially a tantrum, some of the teachers seemed to have taken notice at some point and were in the process of trying to understand what exactly happened as they asked what everyone was thinking “what happened here?”

“Someone trashed our bikes that’s what happened!”

“*sob*My bike…*sob*”

“This is bad, this is bad this is bad-“

“Shut up already!” The leader yelled and then like a rabid animal started to whirl around like crazy “who did this?! Who of you sad losers destroyed my bike?! Huh?! ANSWER ME!!” …all kids around ACTUALLY flinched… even one of the teachers… it seems everyone knows what this little shits are capable of.

As if by some sick joke of the universe *cough* author *cough* *cough*

…

The leader turned towards Bitty, causing him to let out a scared squeak “it was YOU wasn’t it?”

“Wh-what? No! I would never do this!” the bully then grabbed hold of Bittys hoodie, pulling him to eye level

“Like heck you wouldn’t! You finally grow a spine and decided to play brave huh? It’s that it?! You overgrown matchstick!” …seems Whittys efforts backfired… which lead me to the following:

 First, FUCK YOU! You little cunt! And secondly, a matchstick is something you use to IGNITE an explosive, you dumbass.

Before it could escalate further though, one of the most composed teachers approached the bully letting go of Bitty before they got too close “easy now. We don’t know who did this. For all we know it could’ve been someone from outside the school

This might not have been the right thing to say, as the leader bully all but stopped, a smile that can only be described as manic forming on their face… oh shit. I know where this is going…

“It was! And I know who!” Here it comes

The other two seemed to finally had snapped out of it (or at least enough) and turned in understanding. Then all three turned around and pointed “it was him! And the other two!” Called it

Everyone then turned to look at Whitty, who started to panic at the accusations “what?! Me?! How Can you thi- wait. And the other two?” …what the fuck you guys? Did you guys stayed further behind on purpose or what? You left Whitty all exposed, and what the fuck are you two checking on your phones?

“What the heck guys?!” Whittys mind seemed to be on the same train of thought

Before he could turn though, the leader bully approached, pointing and continuously accusing poor Whitty, causing him to flinch again and take a step back, hands in a surrendered position “stop trying to avoid this! It was YOU! You thrashed our bikes!”

“What?! That’s total bs! How-no, WHEN could I have done that?!”

“From what you idiots told, it seems you could have at any given moment before you came to class!”

“”Y-yeah!”

“What they said!”

“What?! No! I didn’t do this!”

“Yeah aha! I bet you not only thrashed our bikes, but you also did so to other things on the school!”

“What?! No I didn’t!”

“Pfft! Fat chance! There where like a million knives at security! You guys even admitted to leaving them there! I bet that at one point you came back for some and started messing things up!”

“What?!”

“Y-yeah!”

“What they said! And now you are trying to play innocent!”

“No! The only thing that I messed up was the cafeteria!” …

Normally I care a lot about you Whitty, but right now?

…

You’re an idiot

“Whitty” he immediately tensed up at the sound of Julians voice

“What did you do?”

Whitty did not turned around, too afraid of facing Julians infamous wrath, but if he had he would have seen that… Julian was still on his phone? What the? I mean, his voice sounded stern but his face seemed so… lax…like he, I dunno, saw this coming? Or something? What the fuck?

“N-nothing”

“Whitty” Julian repeated, a bit more firm, not looking (and listening?) at his phone anymore, crossing his arms “what did you do?”

Each second that passed Whitty felt sweat run down his neck more and more, his anxiety boosting especially as it hit him that all the kids around were now watching him with confusion, the bullies having been caught off guard and were now watching as well while squinting at him

“Whitty”

“Uh”

“Whitty”

“Uuuuuhhhhh”

“W h i t t y”

“Ididntmeanto!Ijustwalkedintothecafeterialookingformaybeasnackorsomethingwhilewewaited,butthenIfoundthiskidthatwasskippingclassandthentoldhertogoback,buttheywouldntlistensoItriedtocatchthemsoIcouldsendthembackandthenshithappened!andnowthatIsaidthatoutlouditsoundscreepierthanitwas.ButallIdidwasmovroversometable!thatsit!Iswear!Ididnt-“

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Calm down. Before you hyperventilate”

“*Wheeze**huff**wheeze*” yeah… might wanna try something other than words Julian

“One of you kids have an empty bag or something?” That’ll do

One of the kids hurriedly grabbed their lunch out of their bag and handed it to Whitty

“Ok, now breathe. In and out. In. Then out.”

Whitty proceeded to do just that, probably preventing himself from blowing out the whole school and more.

“Now, if I caught that correctly. You did messed up the cafeteria, but all you did was turn tables over because you were chasing a kid that was skipping class so you can get them BACK to class. Is that right?”

“You actually understood all that gibberish?” The leader bully asked

“I once had a foster sibling that spoke a mile a minute and another that was a stutterer. I can get by with gibberish”

“W-whatever! This only adds to what I said! He most likely messed up the rest of the school as well!”

“N-no! I didn’t!”

All the kids gathered started murmuring, causing Whittys anxiety to spike once again. Good thing he still has that bag

Before hell could be raised a voice suddenly cut between the murmurs “…That makes no sense”

…no way…

Ruvool?

“The heck do you mean pipsqueak?”

“First, how do you know there is more damage to the school?”

“What?”

“All we’ve seen is that someone damaged your bikes. How are you so sure anything else is damaged?”

Wait, if they did damage to something IN the school, wouldn’t someone have noticed it on their way out? …maybe the kids were too pump up to notice? That’s a pretty big plot hole there… don’t throw another brick at me

It seems the bullies didn’t thing that far ahead though, because they fumbled as they answered “b-because they are shady! And who else could’ve done this?! They said so themselves! They been loafing around the school! Who knows what they’ve been doing!”

“Uhm”

Two teens and the librarian stepped forward, the librarian speaking first “I don’t know what he did before or after, but the fellow with the ponytail was at the library for about an hour or two before he left”

“Well… that still leaves the rest of the day!”

“I don’t think so” said the teen girl

“Y-yeah. Sometime between 8 and 9 we met him near the library because the teacher sent us to get some supplies, and he gave us some… advise. Nothing bad! If anything it was very helpful! And gave me an a new perspective on some-“

“He helped us out with some stuff” the girl cut the boy before he could continue

“That matches up” one of the kids in Bittys class said

“Yeah, he got to the classroom sometime around then and stayed with us until the bell rung”

The bullies started to get nervous “then what about the other two! Like the tall and grey Ruvool look-alike! Huh?!”

The groundskeeper and security now stepped forward “I can’t say for most of the day, but somewhere between 8 and 9 I spotted him walking around the premises looking for a log”

“A log?” One of the kids asked

“Yeah! They used it in this really cool fight thing they did!” As those kids started to ramble, the security guard continued “I can verify. I confiscated some items from him before he went on his way, and then got radioed about him. Can’t say what he did the rest of the day though”

“Aha! S-see! He could’ve still done it! He had plenty of time!” A lot of stuttering this chapter, but damn if they had a point. Brat.

“Why only your bikes though?” Once again, it was Ruvool that intervened

“What?”

“All other bikes are perfectly fine, WHY would he go just for yours?”

The bullies themselves seemed stumped, again “uh, maybe they have something against us?!” when are you gonna run out of excuses?

“…why?” Ruvool asked, but it sounded more like a challenge. Most likely already knowing the why… who are we kidding? He totally knows why.

One of the lackey bullies finally spoke up “because they were most likely jealous!” …aren’t you one of the smart ones?

“Yeah!” At least the dumb one keeps to their schtick

“We spoke about our bikes in class! I bet lanky told big bad and somber to wreck them!”

Whitty, finally having calmed down, processed what the bully said and frown as he realized that even if Ruv did steal one of his knives back from security and put it back, one thing didn’t add up “…when?”

“When what?” The leader asked exasperated

“When could Julian have told Ruv? Didn’t they just confirmed where he was most of the day?”

“…like I said! Maybe he was jealous!”

“Yeah! We have the best bikes!”

“How did he did it though?” Ruvool continued to interrogate

“He has knives! Duh!”

“But they were confiscated. Otherwise they wouldn’t have allowed him to roam on and about. And the bikes are full of slashes. How would you do that WITHOUT a knife?”

“Uh, maybe he hid one all along! There were so many back on the security office! Who would think he kept one more?!”

“Yeah!”

“I bet that if you look for fingerprints you’ll find them all over them!”

“Wouldn’t that be normal though?” Bitty spoke, still afraid (he even winced just by the bullies turning to look at him… poor Bitty) but also bemused himself “I mean… the knives ARE his. Wouldn’t it make sense that they are ON the knives?”

“Uh…”

“Well…”

“Uhm…”

“Also, there is something I find peculiar…”

They all turned to Julian, who sported a smug grin “how exactly did you know there were a lot of knives?”

“…”

…well? Answer you little shits

“Uh…”

“Wouldn’t it be… uhm… normal?”

“Y-yeah! Who carries knives around in the first place?!”

“Yeah!”

“Hmm. I don’t think so. I mean, I grew up in the slums, or close to it in any case. And I lived in many shady places as well. So believe it or not I’ve seen many people who carried knives around. But the most I typically saw where anywhere between 1 and 3. Anything more was considered odd or peculiar… so… Why would anyone assume more than that?”

“That… that still doesn’t mean I’m right! I mean wrong!”

“Yeah!”

“What they said! Three is still a lot of knives!”

They are getting cornered~

…I’m enjoying this way more than I should

“But how did you know they were with security?” Amazingly, Ruvool intervened once again

“Stay out of this short stack!”

Normally I think this would send Ruvool on a violent rampage but he seemed to be keeping it in, his eye full of rage though. Now that is tranquil fury

Ruvool continued none the less “sometimes, depending on the items, when security confiscates something they bring it to the principal’s office. How are you so sure they were AT security?”

Boom! Answer that!

“…uuuuuuhhhhhh…”

Didn’t think so!

“And furthermore, how do we know you didn’t do this yourselves?” He added to it! Going for the self-incriminating kill even if WE know that’s not the case!

“What?!”

“Huh?!”

“Why the hell would we trash out own bikes?!”

“Maybe you wanted attention?” Ruvool!

“Pfft, like we need it”

“We already are at the top of the food chain”

“Yeah!”

“…then can we see your backpacks?” Yes! Go for it!

“…What?”

“Show us what it’s your backpacks. Or maybe they are in your lunchboxes? Either way, show us.”

“No!”

“What are you scared of?”

“We are not scared!”

“Yeah!”

“We just don’t have to show you! It’s none of your business!”

“YEAH!”

If there aren’t any knives in them, then that means you didn’t do anything. So there’s nothing you should be afraid of” YES!

The air instantly got tense, the bullies had been cornered and run out of excuses, everyone around seemed to be… glad. Many kids (and even every other teacher) seemed to be surprised not by the bullies attitudes, but that they been caught with their hands in the cookie jar

Just how many people have this kids messed with?

“Ugh! Fine we took them! So what?!”

Take that you little… wait, so what?

“It’s not like anyone will believe you! And I’m going to tell my parents that you guys have been harassing us! What you think about that?! Huh?!” …oooohhh, oh no… I’m starting to get the picture

“Yeah?! My dad is a lawyer! And mom works with city something!” … then how come you are so dumb?

“What they said! My mom is in the school board!”

Well that explains why they had such a high-and-mighty attitude, they had parents in high positions that could ruin peoples life’s easily, even the teachers. And they KNOW it! That’s so messed up!! …And realistic!

What the fuck?!

“We’ll tell everyone what you’ve been doing” Ruvool

“Oh? Tell them what? That we’ve been bullying just about every kid in school? So what? If anything it’s a relief! I was getting tired of playing pretend in front of adults. Just about all the teachers knew anyways! But they had to look the other way if they wanted to keep their jobs”

“Not to mention lie to the other parents”

“Pfft! Yeah!”

“And if they want to KEEP THEM, they better keep at it. Unless they want to have to look for a new job or school tomorrow”

“Ahaha! Yeah!”

These kids… Julian was right… they are total sociopaths… scratch that… they are monsters!

Oh no… everyone around deflated at this. The kids, the teachers, Whitty, Bitty, Ruvool (more like he was boiling in barely contained rage), even Julian and Ru- wait, why are those two so calm? And smiling? (Julian not Ruv, but still) Whats going-

“Aaaaand cut! Bravo! Bravo! That was excellent! Good job kiddos!”

“…”

…

“Are you mental?” Hate to agree with the little shit but, did you lose it Julian?

“Why the fuck are you praising us? Don’t you realize? We hold all the cards here!”

“You do realize, that extortion is a crime, right?” what’re you going on about Julian? How’s that connected to this?

“What the heck are you talking about?”

“You are threatening these people to do what you say otherwise they’ll face consequences. That’s extortion kid. And that’s a crime. And your little friends are in on it. That makes them accessories. Or accomplices, in this case. So they are guilty too”

“What?”

“Are you dumb?”

“We are KIDS”

“Doesn’t matter. You willingly and knowingly kept things over peoples’ heads. That’s extortion. Oh! Not to mention your other crimes”

“!!!”

“O-other crimes?”

“Whut?”

“Let’s see… if you are bullying other kids, depending on what kind of bullying you were doing, that means it could range anywhere between property damage, assault, if you REALLY injured someone AGGRAVATED assault, depending on the state intimidation, and that’s only what you did to other kids. If you threatened the teachers with getting them fired or ruining their livelihoods that would constitute blackmail”

The bullies were gaping their mouths, totally taken aback

“Where the he-eck did you learn all that?” Asked Whitty, as now him and everyone around were equally as stunned

“I was arrested for a crime I didn’t commit. Ever since then I became more law savvy. Don’t want to go through that again”

“S-s-so what?! You can’t prove any of that! It’s their word against ours! And you have no eviden-“

“No you idiot! It’s perfect! All we have to do, it’s sneak into the office while everyone is busy watching the rest of their stupid demonstration! We take a couple of knives and when we have the chance, use the knives to wreck some junk! That way, they get the blame and learn their place!”

“…”

Wow… talk about incriminating evidence

“What do you think? I think that constitutes some pretty solid evidence, don’t you think?”

“Wh-wu ah whe-ho-“

“How I got it? I accidentally left my phone on record when I left it charging. Gotta say… you said some… interesting things” …accidentally? Hmmmm

“Bu-you-a-ah-“

“Before you ask, you must know, it recorded everything you said in that corner. And I mean EVERYTHING”

Aw sweet! Sweet sweet sweet!

“You-you can’t!”

“That’s right! That’s not enough! You could’ve faked it!”

“Yeah!”

“Hmm, I guess you could be right. There is only audio, no video, so there is no way to prove with certainty the voices are yours. And if I did do that, that would be a crime too. It’s called fabricating evidence”

“See! You los-”

“Which is why Ruv here recorded all the things you said right now just in case! WITH video!”

“WHAT?!”

“Tada. Say cheese” I love you! You monotone bastard!

“You can’t do that!”

“That’s illegal!”

“Yeah!”

…little hipocrites

“Well, it depends on the state actually, something about a two-party consent?”

“See! You can’t-“

“But I honestly don’t know if this state is in the yes or no. Either way, we are uploading this to the internet”

“What?!”

“Huh?!”

“But- you just said it’s illegal!”

“I said it COULD be. I don’t know if it is in this state”

“Then… then why are you risking it?!”

“…because one of the people you bullied…was my little brother” he momentary tuned to Bitty, a stern look now on his face replacing his usual mirth and then silently went back to gaze directly at the bullies

“…”

…he mad

“Now listen here”

…he VERY mad

“You can do anything you want to me. Blackmail me, beat me, insult me, degrade me, you name it. But no one, and I mean NO ONE, hurts my family.” Woah… he sounds so cold and serious, a clear 180⁰ “and I think it’s about time you self-serving little brats learn… actions have CONSEQUENCES”

…

At this point, it was a miracle these kids haven’t pissed themselves

“But I’ll make you kids a deal. You stop this right now, all the blackmail, all the extortion, bullying, EVERYTHING. And this video won’t see the light of day. You don’t, and you can be sure I’ll drag you all the way down with me.”

“But-“

“And unlike what you did, making deals isn’t against the law. That’s literally something lawyers do. The only thing you have against us is that it MIGHT have been illegal that we recorded you. But to be honest with you I’m willing to do what I have to even if I have to pay a fine or spent the night at a jail or something. My resume is already basically muddled, what’s one more?”

“B-u-bu-by-but-“

“Uuuuuuhhhh”

“But what about him!”

“Y-yes! What about him! You will drag him down with you?!” They pointed at Ruv

“Pfft. Him? He’s wanted in three continents. And I’m pretty sure he is on the list of the top 20, maybe even top 10, most wanted people on the planet. Do you think he cares at this point?”

“Four”

“Four? Four what- wait… When did- oh for crying out loud Ruv! Are you wanted now in America too?!”

“…I needed supplies to survive when I came here… plus there was that one US dignitary that was visiting some representative in Kazakhstan”

“Gosh darn it Ruv!”

“I did what was needed”

“Yeah, and now you’re wanted by basically the entire planet”

“…I’m not wanted in Australia… I think”

“Jesus Christ Ruv”

“You can’t do this to us!”

The bullies resumed, even more panicked as they realized how dangerous this motherfuckers had the potential of being

Julian all but got in the bullies face

“…try me…”

“…”

“…”

…

“…fine”

Julian started to rise but stopped at the last moment “Oh! One last thing”

He then got on the kids’ faces again, whispering for only them to hear “if anything happens to me or Ruv or ANYONE, for that matter. Don’t think that will be your cue of starting this bullshit all over again. I’ll be giving this to people that will KNOW how to use it. And then not only will your perfect little lives you been living as little tyrants be done, but your whole lives will be OVER”

The bullies faces went whiter, clearly not expecting such a direct threat, even after all this shit “so you better not try to be sneaky about it or get cocky. If you do…”

Enter Julians dark aura

“I will make sure you learn the true meaning of FEAR”

This killed any and all fight left in the bullies, finally accenting defeat as they realized these guys meant business

…

“O-ok”

Yes!

Everyone exploded in cheer!

No one but the bullies herd what Julian had whispered to them, but Justice had been served! FINALLY!

Some kids, heck, even some teachers were crying! They were free!

Finally! For real! Free!

Hallelujah!

 

After which things went surprisingly smoothly, Ruvool had left at some point without anyone noticing or any further words, causing Bitty to worry for a bit (as he had been looking forward to patching things up with him) but couldn’t found him once the smoke was clear. Having noticed, Julian, Whitty and to a small degree Ruv (in his own way) approached him to try and console him.

 The three former tyrants, however, were being told of by some of the kids that managed to build up some courage and the now freed teachers were now finally at liberty to put them on PROPER detention… for the remaining of their school life. The principal was not very happy the bullies messed up their car, vandalized lockers and shredded some important books at the library.

Karma can be so sweet~ Ha!

Oh yeah, and Whitty was scolded but was left off easy as long as he helped put the cafeteria tables back in place

After enjoying a pleasant lunch and break time (all things considered) the kids and teachers eventually went back to class, leaving our giant trio alone in the hallway, who decided to skip the class and wait for either the next class or the end of the day so they can get a breather.

 

“Well I don’t know how you pulled all that off or what the heck even happened, but I’m glad it’s over!” He faltered “it IS over, right?”

“I hope so. They have too much on the line if they do. One thing is being punished by your parents or even the school, and another is being sent to jail. I think they are proper scared now” let’s hope so Julian

“That was fun” I wouldn’t say fun per se, but I can’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy it at least a little Ruv

“I’d never thought I see the day you were mean to CHILDREN though”

“Between you and me, I MIGHT have also been releasing some pent up anger back from my childhood years”

“Really?”

“Was bullies a LOT. Plus, like I said before, being a child is no excuse to being a prick”

“You hate bullies then?” Whitty asked a bit nervously

“Not really hate. Those kids were an exception because they felt no guilt for what they were doing.”

Julian then turned to the nervous looking Whitty

“Look. I’m guessing that you might have been a target of bullying during you high school years. I get it. But everyone has their own problems. Even bullies, so I don’t think it’s fair to just villainize someone who might be struggling as well. Ever seen a Silent Voice?”

Before Whitty could answer though, an annoying sounding voice suddenly shouted “YOU!!!”

The three turned to look at a fuming teenager covered in… trash?

“Uhm. Can we help you? Are you ok?”

“You can help me by arresting these two hooligans!”

“Arrest them?” For a moment Julian thought he was referring to himself and Ruv, but then processed the use of ‘them’ “Wait… you mean Ruv and Whitty? What they do?”

They threw me in the garbage dump! That’s what they did!”

“…they threw you… in a dumster…”

He slowly turned to look at the other two, Ruv looking indifferent as ever, but Whitty spilling the beans with all his fidgeting “he was trash talking Bitty and Ruvool!” and then with words

“Whitty that’s no reason to throw him into a dumpster! Especially when things could have gone wrong because of it” he turned to Ruv in particular as he said this, who only shrugged indifferently

“Because they are uncouth gremlins! Not my fault for telling the truth!”

Wait, are you really having this attitude after all that transpired? Are you wrong in the he-oh! Right! Trapped in dumpster, he didn’t see anything and probably has not been informed yet

Before anyone could say anything else, an exasperated Whitty turned to the teen waving his arms in frustration as he talked “Dude! What are you trying to accomplish by being a bully?! Do you think trash talking and looking down on others will make you feel better? Trust me, it will not”

“Oh? And how would you know?”

“Trust me. I just do”

“Oh really?”

“YES”

He scruffs “yeah sure. And how would you?”

“Because I’ve been there!” …

“…what?”

“I was a bully myself when I was in high school…” …must be heavy to finally admit it out loud…

For a moment the teen faltered, but was having a hard time believing Whitty “Oh please! Like anyone like you ever could! Based on your appearance alone, I can totally tell you are just like those little nuisances. Rude, unfashionable, unruly, no manners at al-“

“Dude! Quit it! Look, I’m sorry we shoved you in there. We definitely could’ve handle that better. I admit it! But I’m telling you. This won’t make you feel better! I get you have insecurities. But this isn’t the way!”

He seemed caught off guard and stammered, like I said, a lot of stammering this chapter “insecurities? *huff* what insecurities? I have no idea what you are talking about”

“Yes you do. You probably feel bad about yourself and that’s why you are so obsessed about your appearance. Maybe think you are not good enough, that maybe even if you are not doing so great in some things, you can put others down to make yourself feel better. Make you feel like you are worth something. But I’m telling you that’s not the way! Sure, it might feel good NOW. But later in life you will regret it!”

The teen passed for a moment, a flash of vulnerability on his face before returning to his arrogant bravado “that’s utter nonsense! Whatever! I shouldn’t be wasting my time with you bozos! Good day!”

With that he shoved them aside and went on his way… well… seems you guys aren’t getting arrested today… also, did everyone at the school seriously just let slip and didn’t care that Ruv is such a high profile criminal? For real? Once again, lazy writt-NO! Not the brick! Not the brick!

I’ll just narrate what remains, ok? Child down

…

*sign*, ok, lets end this chapter

Whitty looked at the now retreating teen, a sad look in his eyes “*sigh* well… I tried” Whitty signed, turning away from the direction the teen left and noticing the scrutinizing gaze Julian was giving him and the smug(?) one in Ruvs.

“What?”

Julian looked annoyingly at Ruv “you knew, didn’t you?”

“Duh”

“You cheater”

“Shut up and pay up”

Julian signed and proceeded to take out his wallet, giving Ruv a 20 dollar bill

Whitty looked confused though “wait, what just happened?”

“You just cost me 20 bucks”

“What? What I do?”

“*sign* don’t worry about it… we might need to talk about your high school days though…”

“Oh… goodie…”

Guess karma DOES come to pay its dues to everyone eventually. No bully avoids their comeuppance. Even the reformed ones.

Rip Whitty

Chapter 45: Parlay Bet

Summary:

Julian and Ruv shed some light into how things came into be in their plan.

Notes:

Hey guys. Full disclosure, I actually intended for this chapter to go in conjunction with the previous one, but things happened and then thought that it would be better to post it in between the busy season I was having to have it not be so long but… yeeeeaaaaah… sorry about that. In any case, hope you guys like it.

Earlier that day, before the commotion with the Bullies but after the fight, Julian and Ruv had stood up after a moment of recovering their breath, now able to stand but still tired.

“I don’t doubt we are going to be in pain the whole day tomorrow. That was one serious workout.” Julian groaned as he started to stretch before his mind went to a more immediate problem

BTW, No shit. That was over an hour of basically cardio, I think CrossFit would’ve been less taxing

“Aaaaand we messed up the grass… so much for not messing up the playground. *sigh* well have to fix this later”

“We?” Yeah, I don’t think Ruv is the gardening type, or is it landscaping?

“Ugh. I’LL have to fix it” and neither are you Julian

“You?” Even Ruv sees it

Julian whispered an annoyed ‘fine’. “We’ll have someone pay for it AND fix it.” Julian groaned in frustration “I really didn’t want to have Hex pay for anything. But… I gotta say, that was a fun match.”

Ruv actually stopped a moment to consider his words, trying to hide how spent he was himself while at it “… you were… NOT, subpar…”

“Was that an ACTUAL compliment?” He’s become more irregular in that sense, no?

“Don’t get used to it” just saying buddy

“Heh heh. Still, you were brutal back there. Was that systema? I thought they only taught that to the military or some shit”

“You could tell?” Ruv sounded surprised, also, what’s Systema? Like systems? What’s that gotta do with anything?

Julian gave Ruv a smug look “Ruv, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m a martial arts junkie” ah, ok. A martial art, gotcha… weird name though… is it, SYSTEMatic? Ha! Puns.

…

Don’t judge me

“Hmmm, well, there are ways to learn things” that wasn’t avoiding at all

“Aaaaand of course that would be your answer” did you honestly expect any more?

“What about you though?”

“Hm? What about me?”

“You were all over the place. You used at least 10 different styles in that fight. That I could count at least”

“Oh? YOU could tell?”

“I’ve seen a lot of shit. And fought a lot of morons. But it’s weird to see someone fight all over the place like that.”

“Fought? Or do you mean hunted? No offense Ruv, but you don’t really seem like the passive type to resort to self-defense THAT often”

“Do you REALLY want the logistics?” …will that make us accomplices?

“Fair enough.” Yeah, I guess best to play it safe. Julian raised his hands in a surrender pose, most likely thinking the same

“To answer your question, I don’t know how YOU learned, but I could only do it whenever I had the chance and with whatever I could find. So that’s why it ended up being a mashup of a bunch of things. Plus, once again, they were afraid of me, so they didn’t want me to have any ‘dangerous’ knowledge”

At this point, I think they just didn’t want Julian to have the skills needed to SURVIVE

“I think they basically wanted you dead” See? Ruv sees it too, again

“I wouldn’t have put it past her”

“Her?” Ruv raised a brow “Why so specific?”

“My social worker was a bitch. Remember?”

“Oh yeah, you mentioned that”

“Yep. The biggest thorn on my side while growing up was her. Can’t tell you how many times she stacked the odds against me. Fucking cunt.”

Woah! That was strong. I know I was mad at the little shits from last chapter, but even Ruv was taken aback by that

Julian seemed completely chill though “What? She was. Is, actually. Really hope they’ve fire her by now”

“…”

“What?”

“I think this is the first time I’ve heard you openly wish someone harm” Didn’t he want to get back at Anders? Or does that not count?

“Hey, I already said it. I ain’t no saint. I’m allowed to resent people. And she ruined my chances at a happy, or at the very least, a semi-decent childhood”

…

“…want me to fuck with her if we ever meet her?” That’s… thoughtful? At least for Ruv… I think

“…I wouldn’t… OBJECT to that…”

Holy shit

Julian must REALLY hate her

“…you are amusing”

“Pfft. Coming from someone like you? I’ll take that as quite the compliment. You’re on a roll today. In more ways than one.” Julian said the last part while stretching some more, several pops and cracks very audible “Man though, my whole body hurts. You don’t hold back do ya?”

“Why would I?”

“Ugh. I think you dislocated a disk on my back”

“…”

“What?”

“… hold still”

“Whut? Wait, Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah wait!”

Ruv then rapidly grabbed Julian by the arm and spun him around, after which he grabbed his other arm and started to push on his lower back with his foot

“Ow ow ow! What are you-OH SHIT!”

A loud pop was heard and then Ruv finally let go, letting Julian fall face first to the ground… ouch…

“…how’s that?”

“Ow… that’s…” he groan as he started to stand up, before his face morphed into a surprised expression “huh… better… actually…” he fully stood up and started stretching again, a few more pops heard… is that actually good for you? “I think you might have even placed something else back in place too.” Well, I guess all that matters is that you feel better “Thanks”

“… Don’t mention it… ever”

“Heh” Julian then started looking around

“By the way, have you seen my hoodie? I took it off at some point in the fight but I didn’t see where I threw it”

“I kicked it next to my parka” he said as he started walking to said parka, Julian following and giving him an unamused look “Did you NEED to kick it?”

“Be grateful I didn’t just stomp it into the mud”

“*sign* ok, fair enough” for Ruv? Yeah, I’ll say

“Where did you keep the lunches though?” Lunches? What lunch-oh right. The lunches Momi gave them… why you Wanna know big guy~?

Seemingly thinking the same thing, Julian said with a teasing tone “They were in my pockets, but one went missing at some point~” you don’t say?

What you gotta say to that big guy? Huh?

“…what kind of idiot leaves easily squishable bags in their pockets?” lol

“Heh heh, anyways…”

“By the way. Do you think we used enough time?”

Huh? Time? Time of what? For what?

“Huh? Oh, yeah. That. I saw the little snots come back to the class just about when we were finished”

huh?

“How did you know they were going to leave the classroom as soon as there was no eyes on them?”

Whut? Julian knew that would happen?

“I didn’t. It was a gamble, they might as well could’ve just stay and watch us. And if they have been decent enough and just done that, the punishment would’ve been less severe.” Punishment? You mean from the previous chapter? I know this is technically BEFORE, but… how did…

“Maybe detention would’ve been all they got, plus telling their parents. I was actually HOPING they wouldn’t do anything. But based on the fact they took the bait we might need that recording after all.”

Recording? As in when he left his phone on record? That was on purpose? I mean… I kinda guessed but…

“If you hoped they wouldn’t, then why do all the extra work?” extra work?

“Hoping is not the same as expecting or predicting. Hoping is basically wishing for a certain outcome based on feelings and abstract concepts. Expecting has more to do with logistics and data. You know? ‘Show me where you’ve been and I’ll tell you who you are’ kinda deal?” …

Julian gave a heavy sigh “I’m not saying hoping is bad. I’ve been hopeful myself. I got you guys after all… not to mention my you know what helping me with that along the way” I guess that one of the cases in which hoping gets you somewhere… even if it feels kinda like cheating in Julians case “But hope it’s more based on faith. And many times there is nothing backing it but your desire for it to be true… as pessimistic as that sounds…” …didn’t you say you were book dumb? That was very… philosophical…

“…hmmm” Ruv seem to mull over what Julian said

“*sigh* either way, I rather have it and not use it than need it and not have it. Life has taught me the importance of having a backup… hmm… maybe we should also record when they figure out what you did to their bikes. Even if we have the other one, at this point better safe than sorry. I just… I was just really hoping they wouldn’t take this path…”

So it WAS Ruv?! I mean, duh, but… wait… Did… did you guys PLAN this from the start?! Was this-

“Did you really?” Did you?!

“*sign* yes and no.”

…

“…Explain”

Thank you

“Intellectually, I knew it was most likely they would. They are borderline sociopathic… maybe outright… I mean... YOU are a borderline sociopath and have more morals and restraint than those 3.” And that’s saying something, anyways what is going on?!

“…as far as you know”

“Uh huh, keep telling yourself that buddy”

 

Ruv turned incredulously (or as incredulously as Ruv face allows) towards Julian “How are you still not convinced I’m a sociopath? I’ve thought about and/or attempted to murder every single one of the members in our gang at least once. INCLUDING you.” Wait, even the kids and Hex?

“*sigh* you’re not evil Ruv. I’ve seen evil. You’re not it.” Julian paused for a moment “I mean, you’re a PRICK. But not evil.”

“Hundreds would say otherwise.”

“Yeah, well, that’s them and this is not. Plus, you said OUR gang. That means you feel we are on your level. Or at the very least that we are not beneath you. A sociopath might have used different wording there buddy”

“Ugh. Your point?” Ruv said indignantly, trying to get back on topic

“My point is, that a bigger part of me wanted them to at least show remorse, or… i dunno… SOMETHING? Human decency? Empathy? I guess? But I guess they just think as themselves as too high and mighty. We most definitely damaged their ego, and in their minds they needed to strike back”

So… wait… Julian foresaw everything from the start? That’s kinda impressive… and scary… does this qualify as a Batman Gambit?

“It’s still kinda stunning how much you predicted they would do all they did. Even the part where they were going to huddle in” …are you for real? Then wait… the reason Julian left his phone there…

“I did a once over the classroom when I first got in. I’m just lucky there was a plug near there. Otherwise my phone would be dead by now. Even with the upgrades it got”

…

“You think it got everything?”

“Not sure… depends on how loud they were whispering, either way, I just need to check the start of the recording. Most of it will be audio silence anyways… or kids screaming and cheering. So I’ll bet there will only be useful stuff either at the begging or at the end of it… or both. If they said something when they got back”

…

Holy shit… it really WAS a Batman Gambit…

“…you are a scary person to make an enemy off” and coming from RUV that’s a LOT!

“Multiple compliments in one day? Again. Aren’t we in a roll?”

“Shut up”

“Heh heh. Oh my, is the great and powerful Ruvysvats afraid of a little humility?” Wait, Julian knows Ruvs name?

“Ugh… I shouldn’t have told you my full name” when?!

“Too bad, you did. Now live with it”

Ruv grumbled under his breath but continued, trying to change the subject

“What do you think they did?”

“Well, assuming they took the bait (which looks like they did) and went for your knives, most likely they went around the school doing property damage”

…I knew it… kinda… I mean, Ruv never shares anything, and he suddenly shared a tidbit of his life to random children? That felt way too out of nowhere, right?

“…If they dulled my knives they will be the next thing on the other end of their blades.” Oh dear

“Woah! Easy there big guy. We didn’t go through all this trouble just for you to let your emotions get the best of ya. Plus, you’ll get them back at the end of the day. We still need them to keep a hold on one or two just in case they need to be caught with hands on evidence or, if needed, check that their fingerprints are indeed on them” … wow… just… wow…

In his typical evasive matter though, Ruv looked disgruntled but replied “…I don’t let my emotions do shit. I’m not Whitty”

“Yeah, well, being emotional is not necessarily a bad thing”

“You intentionally left Whitty out of the plan”

“We needed plausible deniability! Whitty being out of the loop provided that” is THAT why Whitty didn’t know?

“Not to mention that you knew he would cause something”

“Of course not!”

“…”

“Ok, MAYBE I had an inkling that he would. The odds were stacked against him on that. Anxiety can be shit” preach

“I am curious though. Why did you tell him to roam around if you knew?” yeah, why? It seems counterproductive to have him do so, knowing a mess would occur

“Alibi. Gets eyes off him.” Oh… in retrospect that seems obvious…

“What were you doing in the meantime?”

“I found a couple of teens and gave them some, admittedly, intrusive advice”

Ruv scoffed “Figures. Leave ME as the only one left that could’ve ruin their bikes.”

“Hey! Why do you think I told you to make sure the groundskeeper spotted you? You have an eye witness that saw you being out here most of the time” that’s what that was about?

“Exactly. Meaning I was the only one that had the chance to trash their bikes.”

“Ruv, calm down. They have no way of tracking that back to you. You gave them your knives, remember? That’s why I told you to put them back once you were done. And even if you were the one outside most of the day, or better said, BECAUSE you were outside most of the day, they have no way to prove you knew which bikes to target. Not to mention you have no ‘motive’. From the outside, this could be seen as someone targeting three random kids, they can’t prove we knew about the bullying. Why would we know? HOW would we know? We literally only been at this school 1 time” … again, are we SURE Julian is book dumb? what kind of smart is this?

“Still can’t believe you drew that information out of them so easily” info… You mean about which were their bikes? …how DID Julian gave Ruv that info though?

“Sociopaths are narcissists. They NEED to brag. Plus, they are kids.” DUMB kids at that “They haven’t develop the skills to plan that far ahead yet” see?

“Hmm… but it does draw suspicion on us.”

“Ruv, how are they gonna prove anything? Again, you were OUTSIDE the whole time. There is no way they can prove you knew which bikes were theirs”

“True… your phone has shit audio by the way.” His phone? What you-…when Julian took out his phone when he first got to the classroom… was the clapping… a signal?

“Hey, it did the job didn’t it?”

“Is it ok that we are talking about this out in the open?” oh shit, I forgot about that

Almost as if on quo, Whitty shouted “Hey! What are you guys talking about?! And what did Ruv do to Julians back? Everything ok?!”

Julian gave Ruv a look that practically said ‘told ya’ much to Ruvs annoyance

“We’re fine Whitty! Ruv is just being himself!”

Even from far away they could both hear Whitty let out a groan at that

“Does that answer your question? Besides, don’t you hear all those kids still screaming?”

“What about if they threaten us with legal action?”

“I don’t mind taking a fall if it means those kids get what’s coming to them. It’ll still be a win in my book, even if it’s only to expose them… or at the very least cause people to side-eye them. Public opinion is one heck of beast, let me tell ya” …I guess if anyone is experienced in that…aspect… is Julian himself…

“…What about me?” oh… oh dear… The way Ruv asked that sounded a little dark and defensive

“We can bring up your criminal history. That’ll be sure to spook them if anything else fails”

“Are you just going to ANNOUNCE that I’m wanted?” This Ruv ask with such darkness in his tone, that it would cause many to shiver and squirm in fear… but Julian being the cool cucumber he is answered completely nonchalant… just how much dark shit you’ve seen to just… shrug that off? “Ruv, chill. They won’t call the feds… or interpol… or whoever or whatever is looking for you”

Ruv continued to glare at Julian, squinting menacingly at him “And you are sure of that HOW?”

“Because if they call the feds on you or whatever they will be shooting themselves in the foot.”

“?”

“Ruv, a lot of people in the town are most likely wanted for the mere fact of EXISTING. It’s been confirmed to us several times. Ratting you out would bring too much unwanted attention to the town. I doubt they’ll risk it as long as you don’t do anything serious like, I dunno, kill someone” … am I the only one that feels that is blackmail in on itself? Or at least the beginning?

“Not to mention that even if you DO something serious, I get the feeling the locals would rather, you know, deal with it themselves”

“…”

“Plus…”

Julian said in a sweet tone “that will most likely motivate people to leave you alone~”

“…”

Hmm, well played

“…fine”

holy shit though, way to placate a dangerous killer

“So… what now?”

“Now? We wait.”

“…That’s it?”

“I need to check the recording to see if there is something useful in it. If there is, we have a bargaining chip we can use.”

“To what end?”

“Well… depending on what’s in it, and how bad these kids really are, we could make them back off with either legal action or, like I said, exposing them”

“Legal action? Against kids?” Yeah… I’ve been thinking on that one actually…

“Being kids doesn’t exempt them from the law. Yes, they would most likely only be sent to juvie at worst and be released at 18 regardless of their crimes, but that’s enough to ruin one’s life”

“How you know all this?”

“I googled a lot of shit after I was arrested- Julian whispered under his breath “thank god public libraries”- turns out, many laws were broken when they arrested me. That would’ve been good to know in retrospect…” …

“Hmmm”

“Yup”

“…And exposing them?”

“Well… worst case, we have nothing on them legally… but bets are we have them plotting to steal your knives and mess things up. We can edit and upload the video anonymously and stain their names. That’s at least something. Not to mention we gave ‘em a warning they can’t track back to us. That should deter them somewhat”

“What about their parents?”

“Based on their attitude? They either think their kids can do no wrong, or are entitled themselves and enable them to act however they feel like. It could just be that they genuinely don’t know. But that plants the question of where their attitudes came from. That typically is learned behavior”

“That’s not what I meant”

“You mean what they will do to us?”

“Duh”

“Here’s the fun part of pressing charges or suing someone, correctly, at least, since there are people who do bribes or call in favors, but I digress.” It’s so fucked up and sad you have firsthand experience with this…also, and I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before, how are you speaking about this so casually? It was basically a mayor trauma. Just a couple of days ago you didn’t want to say anything about it and now you are like ‘oh yeah, last week I broke my leg. No big deal’ like, wtf?

Is it to do with a particular detail? Or simply talking about the whole thing? Or was it the despai-

…

…moving on…

Pressing charges and suing

“You need to present reliable and concrete evidence. So if they want to do anything to us LEGALLY, they would need to expose the HOW and WHY we did what we did in the first place. Unless there is bias, cover up, or outside (inside?) interference, you can’t charge someone without SOMETHING. It happened to me because of those, but I doubt they will”

“If they DO?”

“Then that’s fine by me. A small price to pay to expose some bad apples”

“…”

“Oh yeah, and you are free to put all the blame on me. I won’t feel offended. Worst you and Whitty could get is aiding and abetting, but they can’t really proof that unless they check our phones, which they have no reason too. And they can’t proof any intent towards a ‘buttdial’ call where you don’t even talk. It would all be considered ‘speculation’”

…

Ruv gave Julian a… somewhat contemplative look “…you’re…”

 

“…Hmm?”

 

“…odd”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“…is that a compliment?”

 

“…”

 

“Pfft. Heh heh”

 

“Whatever… what would be the best case?”

“Best case? Well… my IDEAL scenario, would be that the recording has them explicitly confessing to shit and once they see their bikes the have a meltdown and reveal everything. But I doubt that would happen.”

…

“I mean… you would need to be REALLY fucking stupid or really arrogant for that.”

“Maybe both”

“Pfft, yeah. Maybe both.” Definetly both

But…wait… if… then…

If they found nothing they won, because they at least would’ve been given a warning… if they got a little they won, since then everything would be expose… and if they got even they won because they would be at a stalemate… even if they ‘lost’ they won, because… and… and…

…did… did Julian just pull a Xanatos Gambit?

…do you have any idea how difficult those are to pull? Or how smart you need to be?

I wanna say kudos but… it’s kinda… terrifying, how much Julian plans and predicts things… AGAIN, didn’t he said he was PEOPLE smart? Not situation smart?

Then again, he is streets smart, so I guess petty revenge is a part of street survival? Maybe?

I dunno what to think anymore… maybe… maybe Julian just THINKS he is dumb? … or…

Julian let out a sigh “Just hope this ends soon. I feel bad for everyone involved in the bullying. Especially Whitty and Bitty”

“Why Whitty?”

“Whitty once mentioned he went to high school for a short while didn’t he? I bet this whole thing has brought back bad memories”

To this Ruv gave a very audible snort, making Julian raise a brow and ask in amusement

“Huh? What was that for?”

“More like HE was the bully”

“…Whitty? A bully?” I know, sounds surreal, right? Too bad we know its true

“Yeah”

“…Whitty… OUR Whitty? The guy that gets nervous if he is standing in line too long?” This seems familiar

“The same mess”

“Ha! Yeah right. I bet that even though he was so tall he got bullied the heck out of him. You don’t become a nervous wreck out of nowhere.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Ok Mr. Smarty pants. I bet you 20 bucks that Whitty used to be bullied the heck out of him and not the other way around” oh boy

“You already lost” Yup

“We’ll see” sorry Julian

Well, I guess that explains why Julian gave Ruv a 20 dollars buck…

By the time Julian finished saying this, Whitty finally started to approach, finally wrapping up their conversation and leading to the events of the previous chapter.

Oh! And for those that are wondering (if any), when Whitty was being chastised for messing up the cafeteria, they found that students guitar and gave it back. They were already known for playing hooky so it was not that hard, and yes they were given detention.

 

 

…

 

…

 

 

Well… I guess that wraps things up for the moment… wait… did our secret stalker hear any of that? Or of the previous chapter? Oh no, please tell me he didn’t-

“Did I hear what-? The Hell? I was gone for a couple hours. What the hell happened?”

…

“Hey! You! Answer me! What happened?!”

Well like I said, that’s a good place to wrap up the chapter! Till next time folks!

“Hey! You answer me or I’m going to go to your house! Cut you open! Tear your insides out! Pour coffee creamer over all your wounds and set you on FIRE!!”

…

…

Coffee creamer?

“You’d be surprised by the number of inconspicuous items that are flammable~ hehehe”

0-o

You have problems man…

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?!?!”

Eep!

Chapter 46: Parental Toxicity

Summary:

Parenting can be hard. And at the end of the day, parents are people, so Momi needs to deal with some issues that arise as consequences of the actions taken.

Notes:

Hey guys. Things in the last couple of months have been… convoluted… life sometimes just likes to sucker punch you just when you were starting to stand up. So things are… well… not BAD bad, but… I’ll just say that being an adult majorly sucks. And the state of some things doesn’t really help. But you have to play the cards the world allows you to. Anyways, go on ahead and I hope you like this chapter.

Edit. I also wanted to thank those that placed some positive comments when I was at a standstill due to life’s drama and issues. I really appreciated, and just felt that it was needed to say thank you for that.

We start the chapter back in the cafe. It was about the middle of the morning, so Momi started to get everything ready for the rest of the day just as the last current customer of the morning rush was leaving the door.

“Ok, I should probably-“ ?

Before she could even finished her sentence, her phone started ringing.

She went to answer it with a smile on her face, but this instantly disappeared as she saw the callers’ id.

She let out a deep sigh and went to… turn around the sign from opened to close?

Huh?

That’s… odd. What kinda call would need to make you close up shop?

She then quickly went to answer her phone, going into the house part of the building

“Hello?”

“Your little brat did it! That’s the last straw!”

“What is it now Victoria?” Based on the tone on her voice, I’m assuming Momi is used to dealing with this lady

“Your little brat got my precious baby suspended! I just got a call from the school!”

“With all due respect, are you surprised? You, Paula and Carlotta let your kids do whatever they want. We all know this. We were basically forced to agree to this as long as they don’t bully other kids”

Well they certainly haven’t kept their end of- …wait… what?

“That’s besides the point! The deal was they could do what they wanted WITHOUT repercussions! As long as we kept our part of the deal!”

“Yeah. And thanks to that deal, you and your families are basically running this town. You can basically do whatever you want and we can’t arrest you as long as you don’t hurt anyone or affect their livelihoods. But you are always walking on the line. Don’t think I haven’t heard how you took that golden necklace from Porscha”

O M G

Lore reveal!

“Hmph. That pig can’t prove anything! Plus, a SWINE? Wearing jewelry? There is literally a saying about that” … YOU’RE the swine…

“What’s this really about Victoria? If your kid got suspended even with the deal, then it means they crossed the line”

“The kids didn’t do anything that wasn’t within their rights! Its bad enough we have to live among you monsters! If we have to force ourselves and our kids to do that, we might as well have a good time”

Wow.. just… just wow…

“*sign* and because of that, your kids are growing to be entitled. From one mom to the other. I recommend you teach your kids some humility or-“

“BE QUIET YOU IMPERTINENT SINGLE HUSSY!” … am I the only one hating this bitch the more she talks? “You outta know your place! Like the filthy animal you are!” … I wanna slap this bitch

No, this CUNT

Dogs are better than this entitled Karen

“My place? Need I remind you that it’s thanks to my kids that this town has a stable income due to Rock?” …Rock? “It’s thanks to his connection to the kids that he is willing to be a mayor angel investor* on this town”

…

…

…

WHAT?!?

“Hmph! Getting cocky now are we? Maybe I should tell that little piranha why it’s my husband that handles said funds instead of him? Do you think he would appreciate knowing the source? And that you knew all along and kept it secret?”

… you… you… piece of-!!!

I see the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree >:(

“You can’t do that! We have a DEAL!”

“I CAN and I WILL! That little rat needs to know his place! All he is it’s a stepping stone! Like all the other little freaks in that school! Before they decided to be stupid and snitched! Just because they couldn’t suck it up and accept the abuse!”

“You know as well as I do that was part of the agreement! IM the one to tell them when they are ready!”

“Like I care! You freaks only have this place to begin with because of us! You need to know your place too! You disgusting pieces of-“

“Wait a minute. Did you say abuse?”

“…” you slipped up you bitch

 

…I know I said I wasn’t going to call her a bitch, but she is just so… ugh!

 

“…Your kids… have been BULLYING other kids at school? … and you KNEW?”

“…”

“So, all this time. WE’VE been keeping OUR end of the deal. But you have KNOWINGLY only been keeping yours PARTIALLY, and have the GALL to come to me and THREATEN me?”

“…”

“Victoria”

“…”

“V i c t o r i a”

“…”

“VICTORIA!”

“…This conversation is not over”

With that the Karen hung up

 

… Well… that’s one way to end your morning…

 

 

A couple of hours later…

 

 

Momi was a nervous mess, all this information caused her to decide to keep the cafe closed for the rest of the day.

She had been debating all morning if she should call the school or read the massive amount of messages that had been sent to her throughout the morning and figure out what exactly happened, but a big part of her was just so afraid of what they would tell her. Especially about her kids.

Ruvool constantly got in trouble at school due to his aggressive nature, but he was a noble soul deep down, so she had no doubt anything he did was either in self-defense or some form of retaliation… most of the time. He DID seem to be less hostile with people younger or around his age.

But Bitty… Bitty was simple too pure for his own good. Sure, he could get sassy, but he was a true pacifist, so she feared that the poor bean had been bullied this whole time and didn’t say a word about it out of fear. Either for himself or for others.

That thought alone brought tears to her eyes. The thought that her babies were targets… and she couldn’t do anything.

And that was the worst part, if it really WAS one of those kids, then there wasn’t really much they could DO. Sure, they had ways to filter anyone that came into the town’s territory with ill intentions, and they usually took care of said shady individuals. But that was not enough to keep the town functional, just safe. So that’s where the terrible trio came in. Aka, the three families to which the bullies belonged to.

…OMG… things are starting to make so much sense…

It was no secret to the town that those three families basically ran the town as if it was their personal playground. Bending the rules to the point it was a wonder it was not outright breaking them. And with time they only got worse and worse, to the point where the only thing KEEPING them in check was said deal.

For once, she was thankful the deal was made through Snatcher, he was one cutthroat deal maker.

But… with time… it seems little by little those three families started to realize… much to many of the towns folk horror… that even if one day they DID break the deal… they NEEDED them.

The town needed regular humans in order to pass though certain legal channels incognito. It was complicated and sometimes she herself didn’t understand it, but she knew they were needed.

What were they going to do now? From Victorias side it seemed she still held a bit of reservations to be caught breaking the agreements of the deal, but she outright KNEW it was happening and was most likely not only accepting it but encouraging it!

If this continued…

She was abruptly startled out of her reverie by a rapid knock on the cafes glass

“Momi! Momi!! Are you in there?! Pick up you phone or open up! You have to hear this!”

Momi recognized that voice… it was Ankha! She never sounded like this! She was usually the epitome of chill, which meant it must be something important!

She then ran to open the door, worst case scenarios running through her mind.

“Ankha? What’s wrong? What happened? Are the kids alright?!” She asked each time with more and more desperation

“Fine? They are more than fine! They are great! And all thanks to your boys!~”

That gave Momi pause “what? But… Victorias kid-“

“That’s the thing! Didn’t you hear anything?! Why didn’t you pick up your phone?! I called you, like, a million times!”

Momi looked sheepish “quite honestly… I was kinda afraid of what I was going to be told after… after I received a call from Victoria”

“Well let me fill you in! Mind if I come in?”

“Uh… sure… uh. Let me set some coffee and a pastry from the counter for you”

That was all Ankha needed to hear before rushing in, Momi locking the door once again afterwards

“So, hear this. Apparently, those three brats had been bullying most of the school in all kinds of ways. They stole other kids things, pick on them, call them names, they even beat other kids sometimes and where fully aware they were breaking the agreement while doing it”

“WHAT?! Why didn’t the teachers reported it?!” Now that I think about it, why didn’t any of the other staff on the school? The principle? The janitor? The groundskeeper?

“Because, and get this, they were blackmailing the teachers too!” Oh, right

“WHAT?!” Yeeeeeaaaaahhhh…

“It seems their parents told them about certain things they got on the teachers, and just about all the staff in the school too, from the janitor to the principal. So they basically had stuff to force them to keep quite!” …

“Why didn’t anyone speak up?”

“Because those that did got punished for it!”

“Oh my god!”

“Yeah! And that’s not even the worse part”

What could be worse?

“Apparently, Bitty was one of their favorite targets” …

“Bitty?!” … :(

“Yeah! Rosie told me that she and the other kids always wanted to hang out with Bitty, regardless of the age gap. But they were explicitly told not to hang out with him or defend him in any way”

“Defend him? Did… did they…”

“We think so”

“Oh… my sweet baby”

“I’m sorry Momi”

“But… I heard from Bitty he has two friends. Which I personally always found odd… but…”

Why odd? Because being the sweetheart he is it’s a wonder why would anyone NOT want to be friends with him?

… Yeah I totally see that…

“I know, right? I was always asking my kids why everyone seemed to avoid him, but they always got quite”

“But what caused them to stay away? Why was Bitty their favorite target?”

“For the latter, because as you know, and you know I say this in the best way possible Momi, he’s…kind of a pushover. He is TOO NICE for his own good”

“…”

“As for the former, it seems they had to keep their distance because they constantly threaten to make Bitty blow up if anyone did anything.”

…you do realize… that basically implies…

“So they essentially threatened to KILL everyone if they made friends with him?!”

…yeah… that…

“It seems they only saw it as threatening to blow him up because he is a bomb and he would destroy the school and get blamed for it. I don’t think those kids realized the implication. As we both know, these kids aren’t the brightest tools in the shed”

“Oh my- but wait, then what about Bittys friends and Ruvool?”

“Ruvool didn’t give a damn about their little system, as we know, he listens to no one except you and maybe Bitty. And sometimes not even that. So eventually they just gave up with controlling him since he, in a way, holds just about the same power in the school as them”

“Fair” he hasn’t been expelled so far for a reason, I suppose

“The other two are known trouble makers. So we think they maybe thought that if Bitty hanged out with them the problem would… solve itself eventually, if you know what I mean” … yep, total sociopaths

“Did you tell Raymond any of this?”

“Did I tell Raymond- what do you think? Did I tell my brother? The MAYOR? That the deal was being breached? Of course I told him. He was the first I told”

“Then… why do you sound so… excited?”

“Because thanks to your boys we might have an upper hand against these assholes!”

“What?”

“It seems your boys finally exposed them out in the open of all their wrongdoings, and even have a recording of it!”

For a moment Momi smiled at the implications, but rapidly deflated “but then that just means they became a target themselves”

“That’s the thing! They threatened those little brats that if they don’t back down, they will expose them on the internet and soil their names!”

“What?! Don’t their realized that-“

“Yeah yeah, I thought about that too. Carlotta works in city council and James is a lawyer.”

“Then you realized they just painted a target on themselves!”

“Oh, they were fully aware”

“Huh?!”

“From what I gather. It was Julian and Ruv who put themselves on the line mainly, but Rosie said that Julian essentially told them ‘if I go down, I’ll drag you all the way down with me, no matter the price’”

“But… that’s…”

“Yes”

Yep, Julian basically became a willing scapegoat

“…what about Ruv? Or Whitty? You haven’t mention him at all”

“Well. Whitty was just as confused about the whole thing it seems. So I can’t tell you details regarding him. As for Ruv…

I knew he was DANGEROUS. He is definitely on the watch list of those that need to be on surveillance. Which says a LOT, considering this town’s population. I just didn’t know he was wanted to such a degree because his file is SO extensive and a lot of it is heavily sealed by the government. Did you know he is wanted in 4, possible ALL, continents?”

“I knew he was wanted in many countries, but I didn’t know he was THAT MUCH of a… person of… interest…” that’s one way to put it

“Well, he pretty much aired it out in the open. He didn’t say WHAT he was wanted for, at least not directly, but he did imply he was wanted for at least theft and… more… serious crimes”

“That’s… strange… I haven’t known him for long, but if he is similar to Ruvool it’s not really normal for him to speak about himself so openly”

“That’s what I and some of the other parents thought too! We think they somehow found out about the bullying and planed this whole thing!”

“How? They’ve been here less than a week. Also, why would this be giving us an upper hand though?”

“Coincidence? Maybe? I dunno. Anyways, as for why this it’s good it’s because, as selfish as it is, they are willing to put themselves on the line to help us! That’s our change to help make things better!”

“Ankha! You realize what you would be asking of them?!”

“I know! I know! It’s incredibly selfish and callous! But this is the first time we have regular humans of this kind on our side.”

“Ankha, ‘regular’ would be the last word I would use to describe them. Aside from their height, which some would say ‘qualify them’ as belonging to this town, they are not model citizens. I don’t say this to disrespect them but as a fact. If the greater good ever came here I doubt they would even give them a second glance. Let alone hear them out. I bet they themselves are aware of this”

“Maybe, but compared to us they are regular. But that’s not what I wanted to point out.”

“Then what?”

“As nasty as this sounds. They are willing to lower themselves to their level, in fact, they are maybe even willing to cross lines that many of us are not willing. Which means we could ask them to help us get the reins back”

“Ankha, there are so many problems with that I don’t even know where to start. And even if, and that’s a big IF, we got them to help. Then what? They don’t live here. And we can’t FORCE them to. They might stay for a couple of days, but they might leave after. Which will leave us back to square one and maybe even worse”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. For the moment, I’m BEGGING you Momi. Please, get them to help”

“Why me?”

“They are your kids brothers, doesn’t that make them your kids by technicality?”

“I don’t think that’s how that works… I mean… I’ll admit that I am starting to get attached but-“

“Then PLEASE Momi. You know I hate doing this. I usually prefer to handle this kind of things myself. But you are the only one that has an idea of what is going on and has a connection to them in any way.”

“I don’t want to lie and manipulate them into helping us. Don’t ask me to guilt tripping them into it either”

“Then don’t. From what I gathered. They prefer to be transparent about things. At least with important stuff. So tell them as it is. I know I’m asking a lot here Momi, especially since you basically just met them. But we need to reel in the situation before they get too bold and decide to change the rules of the game”

“I’ll…I’ll… try”

“Thank you Momi. I’m SO SORRY I have to ask any of this from you to begin with”

“How do you even know all this anyways? School is not over till another hour”

“Rosie gave me a call with her teachers’ permission and told me everything, and he himself filled me in on the complicated details.”

“I guess that makes sense. Man, sometimes I envy your network of information”

“Pfft. Come on, it was only my kid”

“…You are in charge of all important information and information gathering in town. That is literally your job”

“Details, details~”

 

O-o Well… that… was certainly… something… who knew things were so heavy.

 

Momi kept pacing all the while. Thinking over and over on what to do and say.

Sure, this was for, as ironic as it was, for the ‘greater good’, but she would basically be asking someone to either be willing to borderline commit crimes or outright do them.

Sure, the town was already doing that technically by falsifying documents in order to pass undetected, but it felt different from doing more unsavory things like threatening people.

Or asking someone to do it for you.

 

And before some of you asked why did such powerful individuals were willing so deal with such bullcrap, well, It’s not the same kind of power. You may be the strongest person in the world physically, or spiritually or energy or whatever, but that doesn’t mean you know how to sign a tax form that exempts you from all taxes or some other shit like that. Bureaucracy is a whole different type of monster, which now explains why they were forced into this situation… damn…

 

Her ears then perked up at the sound of the front door opening.

“Mom! We’re home!” Came Bittys voice full of cheerfulness. She wanted to smile, she really did, hearing him be in such a mood for once. But could only manage a small smile.

“Hi sweetie. Did you have a good day at school?”

“It was awesome! You should’ve seen it! Julian, Whitty and Ruv were awesome! First Julian started to talk about martial art stuff! The basics and all that. And then he jumped out the window! Oh! Oh! But not before Whitty totally pummeled this log! Wait, was that before or after? Whatever, then they-“ Bitty continued rambling happily as Whitty, Ruv and Julian entered and Whitty spoke up with curiosity, interrupting Bitty unintentionally “why is the cafe empty? Did you closed up for the day?”

“! Oh-oh. Well, uhm. S-sometime around the morning I started to feel a little bit woozy. So I figured it would be best to close up for the day. Don’t want to get sick you know?” Well, not the most original, but at least she keeps her composure better than Bitty

“Oh? Are you getting sick? Do you want me to make you a tea or something?”

“I’m fine sweetie. Where’s your brother?” Momi said quickly, trying to change the subject, which was left unnoticed by Bitty, who just looked further sad at her question, but not by the older taller people in the room.

With a raised brow, but not commenting on it, Julian was the one to answer “we thought he arrived first actually. We saw him briefly at school, but we, or at least I, haven’t seen him since”

Momi let out a deep sigh “Figures… About 40 minutes after you left I got a call from school asking where he was…” so he DID skip classes. I was wondering how he was roaming about the school without doing that.

“Weren’t you concerned about where he was?”

“As terrible as it sounds, whenever Ruvool has a particularly bad day, he tends to skip school the day after. It has happened so many times at this point I’ve just come to accept it. I don’t know where he goes. But he is always back before supper.”

“How hasn’t he been expelled?” Whitty asked with genuine bewilderment

“Because he is so smart he basically doesn’t NEED to go to class, and since he helps so much in fund administration not only at home but at the school, they basically give him a free pass as long as he keeps up with the school curriculum. Which he EXCEEDS”

“That’s… an awful lot of power for a kid to have…”

“I don’t know what to tell ya. He basically runs the house finances and my money, but he never takes more than what he needs and actually gives all three of us a fair allowance each month. I of course get the most because I have to take care of the bills and all, but when it comes to money he is actually pretty mature”

“Again, that’s an AWFUL lot of power for a kid to have”

At this Momi just shrugged

“So I’m guessing you are not feeling good enough to cook dinner?” Bitty asked with sadness

“Sorry honey. But you can order take out or have some leftovers. I believed there is still some lasagna in the freezer”

“You guys ACTUALLY get leftovers?”

Ruv asked with amusement, which considering how gluttonous the Whitmore bloodline is, its a fair question

Momi let out a half chuckle “not often. But happens from time to time. You are free to anything in the fridge… within reason of course”

“You just barely saved yourself from getting cleaned out of a fridge” Ruv said mockingly

“Screw you! You magpie!” And here we go again

“Go find a ditch and die you burnout”

And so they continued for the next 20 minutes after they all went into the house part of the building… It seems it’s a never ending cycle with these two…

 

…Hours passed and it was past 10 pm. Ruvool had indeed arrive at some point without anyone noticing, but had gone straight to bed causing Bitty and Momi to feel disappointed but resigned to the situation. Bitty turning the lights off and going to bed without another word.

The rest of the siblings had also settled for the night, Whitty already snoozing away in bed and Ruv downstairs watching some tv while laying on the sofa.

Julian was just finishing brushing his teeth and was exiting the restroom heading to hit the hay. But was stopped mid-way there by a small hand grabbing him by the forearm and causing him to turn around.

Momi looked up at him with a concerned look, ears drooping

“Can I talk with you?”

“Uh, sure. What’s up?”

“It’s… something important.” Momi said with a serious expression, Julian catching on on her tone and his face morphed into a serious expression

“…ok.” He looked around the hallway

“Do you want us to…?”

“Yes”

“With that they went into Momis room, Julian going in first and sitting on the bed, Momi coming behind him and closing the door

“So… I assume it’s the secret you’ve been keeping from the kids? Or is it something else?”

For a moment Momi tensed up, but soon her shoulders fell and she let o it a humorless laugh “I should have known you would figure something was up. You are ridiculously sharp”

“I try”

There was a moment of quiet, Momi gathering herself and Julian waiting patiently for her to begin

“So… I was hoping to wait till the kids were old enough to tell them this… but with you coming and how sharp the kids themselves are I guess this was bound to be sooner rather than later…”

“Are you sure you want to tell ME this? I get that we are technically family, and I personally love the idea. But in a way we are still strangers. We literally haven’t been here even a week”

“… I don’t know why… but I just… I FEEL like I can trust you.” Momi took a moment to regain her composure “Aside from your height, you are just an average human, and I know I should be instinctively afraid of you. Past experiences and all that. Nothing personal! I know not all average humans are bad! It’s just-”

“No, no, totally get it. Please, continue”

“…it’s just… you seem so… genuinely kind… you give so much and… I heard about how you were willing to… sacrifice yourself, for the kids”

“Sacrifice?”

“About this morning”

“O-oh. Uhm. You heard about that? In retrospect, I guess I should have expected the kids would be excited and tell their parents…” Julian seemed to stiffen up a bit himself “look, that was all me, please don’t be mad with my bros. They were only following along my plan. And if you get in trouble with the school I’m fully willing to-“

“Oh no! Not at all! I’m actually quite thankful! Me and all the other parents! Even the teachers!”

“Wait, really? I though you guys would be upset that I, I dunno, resorted to such a… method”

“Well… truth is… we had a deal with their parents, those kids could do basically whatever they wanted as long as they didn’t bully or hurt any of the other kids. And they knowingly were not complying”

“Deal?”

“Ah… yes… that’s uhm…”

“…Is this also to do with the spare room? And the person they haven’t met yet?”

“…in part. Yes”

Julian could totally tell she was still apprehensive. Whatever this was, was BIG, big enough that she LIED to her own kids and she was currently being cornered more and more into telling the truth.

That made Julian feel bad, knowing that while at this point it might be needed, it seems she was scared of even breaching the subject. This made him debate on how to approach the situation until an idea occurred to him.

He became apprehensive himself at this idea, having only told this to a few people in his life, the gang being amongst said people (!), but at this point, it seemed only fair to share. He needed to make her feel safe, and sometimes the only way to do that, it’s becoming vulnerable yourself. An eye for an eye. A secret for a secret.

“… let me make you a deal”

“Deal?”

“Not like the one you are about to tell me… I’m guessing. More like, you tell me whatever it’s eating at you. And I’ll tell you about what I know about my family’s ‘ability’”

I knew it!

“Ability?”

“Yes. I can’t tell you EVERYTHING, because I myself don’t know all the details. But I can tell you what I know. Does that seem fair to you?”

“…heh. You are an interesting man. You know that?”

“I like to think I am”

“…very well. A secret for a secret it is then”

Told ya

“Now… regarding this person that is so important you literally have a room waiting for them…Who are they? Are they my sibling? My dad? A friend?”

“… Have you ever heard of someone called Rock A. Drifter?”

Notes:

*Angel investors are wealthy private investors focused on financing small business ventures in exchange for equity. Unlike a venture capital firm that uses an investment fund, angels use their own net worth.
In other words, think of someone doing either charity or investing out of pocket. Like, to give a random example, imagine Bill Gates invested in a restaurant, but used his own money and not the one of his company to expand on it.
At least that’s how I understand it. Hope this helped.

Chapter 47: PTA

Summary:

PTA meetings can get hostile, but some meetings can go so far as to become a Tête-à-tête statement.

Notes:

Hey guys… Im really sorry that it’s been so long. Life has kept me busy and I’ve been dealing with some stuff
I’m not bad-bad… but life for me right now is filled with uncertainty… I don’t wanna say everything is fine… but… many things have happened. I’m definitely better than I was a month or two ago, but quite honestly… Life is a bit uncertain right now.
So please don’t be mad with me for taking so long between chapters, I strive for quality over quantity, and don’t want to upload a garbage chapter because I rushed.
I’m sorry. I’ll upload as soon as it is humanly possible, but life takes priority. Hope you guys are doing well though and hope everything turns out at least ok.
Oh, and a little NSFW warning at the end. It’s nothing too explicit, but felt a warning was necessary.

The next day…

 

Wait, the next day? What about Rock? What about the revelation? What about all the lore that was about to be unfold?! We can’t skip that and pass on to the next day … at the school again? Whu? Why are we at the school again? It’s Saturday!

…

Talk you prick!

…

…

You suck

I know

Ugh

Lol

…

Whatever.

 

So… the next day, we find ourselves back at the school, in what appears to be a meeting room filled with parents. They were all sitting in what seemed to be a meeting room, a long table in the middle with a whiteboard in the wall opposite to the windows.

The parents ranged from all kind of shapes and sizes, many however, looked uneasy as a very posh looking woman was standing at the end of the table and started to speak.

“So. I’m guessing all of you know why we are here?”

Everyone remained silent, as many were seemingly too scared to speak, hanging their heads or avoiding her gaze… oh boy. I think I know who this is.

“I called this meeting because, as you know, my kid got suspended from school.”

To this most of the parents tensed up

“You know what that means? Do you understand what that entails? Hmm? Do you know why that’s a problem? Do you know why I’m MAD?”

Oh jeez, the atmosphere is so thick I could cut it with a knife

“I’m mad, because of 2 reasons. Firstly. Because you lot seemed to have forgotten we had an agreement! Our kids were not to be touched in any way, shape or form! And yet, you… folk… had the gal to betray us! We put so much effort to make this town proper! To make it decent and acceptable! And then you pull this?! We gave you a chance and you bite the hand that feeds you?! I swear, if I wasn’t such a good person I would have half a mind to call the Greater Good right here and now!”

 

 

…what the hell? What’s with this bitch? Why is she talking like- oh shit. Don’t tell me she’s one of THOSE. You know, those Karen’s that try to pretend they have the moral high ground but in reality they look down on everyone.

 

“And secondly. You lot let in dangerous criminals near children?! MY children?! OURS?! Without notifying any of us?! What is wrong with you?! Don’t you have common sense?! I would’ve thought giving you all the change to live normal lives would teach you humanity, but it seems you all have yet to understand being grateful! We’ve done some much for you and this is how you repay us?!”

 

…called it… fuck.

 

“And what’s worse, we weren’t even notified! I didn’t know ‘till after that all this happened! Why were we not informed?!”

 

One of the parents then slightly raised their head to speak “… to be fair…Paula, and with all due respect. They DID notify us they would come and do a martial arts performance of some sort. All three of you even replied”

 

“What?” The lady (yeah I know they said her name is Paula by I refuse to address her by name) looked at the parent with a look that pretty much said ‘what did you just say?’, causing them to wince and look down once again

 

Another brave parent spoke up for the latter “I-it’s true. It was last minute but if you check the chat it’s there. You guys replied with-“

“You mean THAT jumble from the morning?! I thought there were asking for materials for art class! Why didn’t anyone clarify?!”

A heavy silence followed, parents exchanging looks but no one replied

…so… in other words… you didn’t read the message correctly and are blaming them for it…god I hate self-righteous Karens

“Oh this is just classic, why am I even surprised? What did I expect from a bunch of-“

“If I were you, I wouldn’t finish that line of thought” all the parents (minus ‘Paula’) flinched at the new voice, before turning to the entrance to see Julian leaning on the doorframe with a smug smile

The lady, on the other hand, gave him a bored expression and quickly glanced at him top to bottom

“Excuse me… sir… but this is a PTA meeting, may I ask what are you doing here?” She sounded like she FORCED herself to be polite there.

“Oh me? I just came here on behalf of Momi”

“Momi… the cat lady with the cafe?” boy can this lady make a simple question sound condescending.

“The one and only.”

She raised a brow before giving him another glance over “…And who might YOU be, to partake in such a thing?”

“Oh my apologies. Name is Julian Whitmore, but you may call me Julian. And I’m the guy you’re complaining about”

This rustle up her already irritated face even more, as behind her the other parents focus quickly shifted between the two. Concern in their faces “Excuse me? YOU are the hooligan that got my kid suspended?!”

Even as she started to screech, Julian continued his casual tone as he pushed himself off the doorframe, arms still crossed “Correction lady, those kids got THEMSELVES suspended. I only made sure they couldn’t pull any tricks”

 

“I beg your pardon?!”

As though ignoring her, Julian then started walking past her into the room

“Listen lady, we both know those kids were doing more than just misbehaving. They were basically harassing everyone at school, even the teachers. And that’s on a good day. If anything you should thank me for doing damage control”

“Excuse me?! Mr. Whitmore, I don’t know what you’ve been told! But I assure you, my kid is a good student who’s never been in trouble before!” Just as she finished saying this, Julian turned back to her just in time to slump down on the chair at the opposite side of the table

“Because of the deal you have with the town, right?”

“!!!”

The room fell into heavy silence, some parents even gasping at the revelation of the truth being exposed (as redundant as that sounds). That one sentence changing the whole atmosphere

“…what deal?” The lady asked slowly, squinting her eyes angrily at him

“Oh you don’t have to pretend. I’ve been briefed on the whole thing. Gotta say lady, kinda messed up you let you kid do whatever without consequences. That’s essentially giving them a one way path to becoming either a sociopath or, best case scenario, a spoiled brat”

 

Her eye twitched “Are you telling me, that… cat, told an outsider EVERYTHING?”

“Well that’s a bit uncalled for ain’t it? After all, we are technically family”

She scoffed “family?”

“Well yeah. She’s my little brothers’ mom. I think that counts for SOMETHING, doesn’t it?”

She gave him a deadpan face “Plus, it’s not like she gave me the info all willy-nilly. It felt a bit unfair of me to be given such crucial data without giving anything in return. So we did a little, what was it called again? Quid pro quo, I think? We basically had a nice little chat, and trust me. I’m on the loop”

 

…how you know a term like that? …Anyways.

 

Julian lower his head but kept his gaze firmly on her. As even though he was smiling his expression carried a seriousness that dare her to say something in return in protest.

 

The moms’ fists clenched, but she managed to restrain her composure “I see… so… what is your business here?”

“Like I said. I came on behalf of Momi.”

“So you intend to become a spokesman for your fellow… denizens? Along with, what I’ve heard, is your monochromatic friend?”

“Well, first off, brother. Second, that would be an outrageous statement. Wouldn’t it? Especially considering both me and Ruv are just regular humans. Our heights aside”

“Humans?” She sounded surprised, and something on her face seemed… weird

“Yeah. I mean, I’m a bit of an oddball. I’ll admit that much. But at the end of the day, I’m just a guy. Nothing particularly special about me.” …That is a total lie and you know it…

unless… that’s how Julian sees himself?

…hmm

“Then may I ask, why did you thought it appropriate to demonstrate to my-OUR children, such a thing as a horrid display of violence?!”

Julian raised a brow and gave her an amused look “Violence? Lady, no blood was spilled and Ruv and I are seasoned fighters. Not to mention I explicitly told Ruv not to do any dirty moves in front of the kids beforehand. We know what we are doing, I made sure not to show the kids anything that would traumatize them.”

“Nothing that would traumatize them? You got into a fight!”

“With permission of the school. And not to mention that I gave the kids the basics before even starting. It would’ve been irresponsible to teach kids combat without establishing some bases. Miss Faith can even testify. But personally, I rather not involve her. She is a decent teacher and person”

“Why were you teaching children to fight in the first place?! That was totally unnecessary!”

“…You want the truth?” Julian asked with a tone that carried some weight

“Well obviously!” …but the mom was so full of herself that she either didn’t noticed or didn’t care

The room went silent for a moment as all the parents were now looking intently at Julian, none expecting the bluntness of his response

“…So they can defend themselves from monsters like you”

“…”

“…”

…

…shit

That honesty even caught ME by surprise

 

“…What did you just SAY?” Oh boy, Karens’ temper is starting to rise

And not only that, it was as if the gravity itself had intensified, as everyone in the room was now on edge and tense, feeling the huge amount of pressured as the two ‘talked’ as if they were not even in the room

“You heard me lady. You can drop this courteous façade with me. I don’t buy this ‘worried mom’ act for a second. This isn’t about me showing the kids some cool moves, and we both know it. This is about me and my bro getting your kid and the other brats what they deserved and bringing them down a peg or two”

“…do you have any idea who you are talking to?”

Julians smile all but dropped, now talking with a tone between neutral and annoyed “I’m talking to a condescending bitch that’s what”

“EXCUSE ME?!”

“You heard me”

At this point I don’t blame the other parents for cowering back. This is getting more and more intense by the second, if it wasn’t obvious already

“You don’t know who you are messing with here Mr. Whitmore! You are messing with forces you cannot POSSIBLY comprehend. This town is run on a very delicate system.” The moms expression then turned dark, some of the other parents actually wincing and flinching “And you are trailing on VERY thin ice. I suggest you and your… siblings learn their place. Before things turn out for the worse for you and your friends”

A nasty smile crossed her face “after all… we wouldn’t like your little… families, cafe to suffer financially or otherwise. Wouldn’t we?”

…

…Oh my god… they were USED to this.

I guess I was right… the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

The room had turned dead silent.

All the parent at this point were either trying their hardest to hold back tears or shivering in fear.

Many either had pity for Julian or felt bad for him in some way. But the hopelessness and tiredness was evident in their body language.

The air was bleak… the mom then started to stand straight, an ugly smug on her face (emphasis’ on ugly) as everyone turned to Julian expectantly

 

“… Really? That’s it?”

…

“Excuse me?” She was baffled, clearly not the answer or response she expected

“Is that the best threat you can come up with? For real?”

“…whut?”

“Lady… that sounded so cliché. And not in a good way”

“Excuse me?!” Burn

Despite everyone’s surprise,’ Julian kept at it nonchalantly “listen here lady. I’ve lived in the slums of some very bad places. I’ve been threaten to have my eyes gouged out, my throat slit, my bones broken and had a gun to my head on SEVERAL occasions.” I don’t know whether to be impressed, scared or concerned about how calmly he said that

“G-ggun?!” She asked with fear leaking from her voice and expression, just as most of the other parents

 Or are they simply stunned? Hard to tell

“Yeah. A gun. Or should I say gunS, it happened multiple times and sometimes it was multiple weapons. So compared to THAT, lady, that threat was weak sauce, it means nothing to me. If anything it just shows me how WEAK you are”

“Weak?! I beg your pardon?! We run this town! We are the upper authority! If anything you should be siding with US! You are human TOO! How can you side with… THEM! How can you be so bias against you own kind?! How can you stand such treacherous behavior?!”

THERE it is, finally dropping the façade and showing her true thoughts, though judging by the expression on everyone’s faces, this was no secret except maybe to herself.

 

Julian let out a humorless laugh “Bias? Treachery? Lady, treachery implies I was on your side to begin with, which I never was. I don’t give a crap if you are human or not. To me, what matters is the attitude you take and the actions you do”

“Language! And stop calling me lady! It makes me feel old!” THAT’S your focus? Geez lady, then again I’m not surprised

Also, HA!

Basically ignoring what she said though, Julian stood up and started walking towards her as he started opening the windows for some reason

“As for Bias? Bias is not something that appears out of nowhere. It is something that is taught, something that is learned.

All my life, I’ve been treated as little more than a pest, or a nuisance.

My only teacher was life, as no one loved me enough to teach me any. Is it really a wonder I treat “freaks”, as you most likely think of them as, with respect? When I myself have been treated as one all my life?”

“You’re HUMAN! You can’t expect human decency from animals! It’s a HUMAN quality!”

At that Julian stopped just as he finished opening the last window, his back to the lady but on his face… he had a stunned expression?

For a moment the tension subsided, a smile starting to form on the moms face once again, but quickly disappeared as Julian started to laugh…

A bit…too much…

His laughter started to drift into something… maniacal? …

Julian… are you ok? “A HUMAN quality? Are you for real? Do you honestly believe that?”

…I… don’t think I ever heard Julian use THAT tone before… it sounded calm, but… there was something… threatening about it

The mom seemed to have sensed this too, but her pride didn’t let her back down…

“W-why yes! You can’t expect such a thing from animals! So why should you waste any effort on it?”

Lady I don’t care about you if I’m honest, but I think YOU should back down, I don’t know what you said specifically, but I think you hit some kind of nerve here. And with Julian, that is actually kind of dangerous.

 

“A-and that’s what we’ve been trying to teach them. They themselves aren’t capable off-“

Julian then got on the moms face at a remarkable speed, banging the table between them so hard it almost shattered, casing everyone nearby to either stand up immediately and back up or fall off their chairs, which the lady did

“Let me tell you something LADY. DECENCY is NOT a human quality. It’s a MORAL quality. Did my MANY foster parents had decency when they locked me in a closet when I cried after being bullied? Did they had it when I begged for food after spending DAYS only drinking water? Did the mafia had it when they forced me to be an errand boy? Did the fucking POLICE had it when they arrested me for murder on a crime I did not commit?”

“M-mafia?! Murder?!”

“Let me tell you a little story.” Julian squinted his eyes further at her, backing away slightly but still oozing his dark and intimidating aura, petrifying the mom in place, her mouth slightly agape

“When I was but only 5 years old, I had already been placed in over 15 foster homes. I was sad and lonely, but I had no one that cared for me. I felt unwanted and unloved, rejected over and over again for something that was not my fault.

In one of said foster homes, my foster parents had kids of their own. They only had me with them for the fucking check and gave me the bare minimum. Sure, I slept on the couch, but that was the closest thing to luxury I ever got from them.

One day, it was their kids’ birthday, and they decided to spend the check I basically provided them with on said birthday. Except, guess what? I wasn’t invited!

They had me with them so they could give their own kids junk. And I wasn’t to partake in it! While they had their party at this Fazz-something place with some Gator mascot, I was left on my own in the daycare. Just like that, not even a goodbye, or have fun or anything like that. They just said they would pick me up later. They didn’t even give me a pick up time, just ‘later’.

They didn’t even feed me breakfast but a measly carrot!”

Julian paused, looking as the mom was growing more and more confused but was still too scared to talk before he continued

“Either way, you can imagine how I felt. I was down in the dumps but at that point I had resigned myself to the situation. At 5 YEARS OLD. Can you imagine?”

Julian asked the last part sounding a little… manic. But the mom still remained silent, confusion mixed in with her fear

“Let me guess, you are wondering where this is going? Well, let me get to that.

While I was at that daycare, I met the Daycare Attendant, an animatronic, a ROBOT.

At first I was confused, but soon it registered they were another adult. The robot was confused too as to why I was so sad, but upon hearing my story he became distraught. He then started to do anything they could think of to cheer me up, they even went out of their way to give me a proper meal and even cake! I was EVEN MORE confused, as no one had ever done that for me. Being concerned for not only my needs but my wants.”

Julians expression soften as he continued, seemingly calming down a little bit by the memory

“And then there was the other one, the other attendant I mean, the one in charge of nap time. He took me by surprise when he appeared. He even sounded a bit intimidating, I’ll admit that much. But at the end of the day, he showed me compassion and understanding, he made me feel understood and cared for while I took a nap. Sure, he was a little cryptic, but for the first time, I felt SAFE.”

Julians expression hardened once again, causing the mom to tense up and crawl backwards a bit

“…Do you get what I’m trying to say? That was the first time, in my LIFE to receive any kind of love or care. And I received it from a ROBOT.”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“Human decency? Sure, some Humans are decent. I’ve met a few. I even owe my life to a few. But you can’t say it’s a HUMAN quality. It’s the quality of a sentient being. The quality of someone with MORALS”

 

“…”

 

“You think that just because you are human you are automatically a good person? Don’t make me laugh. You see this people as monsters. But the only monster I see here… is you lot”

“B-but you can’t- the deal-“

 

SLAM!! CRAAACK!!

 

“I DON’T GIVE A CRAP ABOUT YOUR DEAL LADY!”

“Eeep!”

Holy Jesus! Julian just slammed his fist in the table so hard he cracked the whole thing apart!

He is MAD!

“You seem to be under the impression we are part of said deal. Lady, we are not. Again, we don’t give a crap about your business”

“Y-y-You should be! James is a lawyer! He’ll have you sued!” Well ain’t this a brave bitch? Even after all that she still has the GALL? I don’t know if I should be impressed or disgusted

“Sued? Under what charges?”

“Intimidation and assault! You attacked me!”

“Attacked you? Lady, all I did was damage a table. If anything that’s property damage. Which would be a problem I would have with the school, not you. And intimidation? Well… I am guilty of that”

“Aha! See! So you should get off your high horse and-“

“Do you think that matters though?”

“…huh?”

“Lady… I think you don’t get YOUR position here.”

“MY position?”

“We are CRIMINALS, lady. Do you think we care about operation under the law?”

 

“!!!”

 

Oh… he is going mob mode

 

Yikes

 

“I’ve seen things… I’ve DONE things, that you can’t even BEGIN to understand. And I’m the CALMED one among my siblings and friends. Do you have any IDEA what me and my friends are capable of?”

 

“T-then… then…. Then the town will pay for it! We’ll disrupt their economy! Rock provides funds to the town, but who do you think handles said funds? If you guys don’t stand down we’ll have no choice but to send a message! And we have the cops under our belt! We will have them arrest you in no time! If they don’t, THEY will pay the consequences!”

“Oh? Is that so? Ok fine” with that Julian took out his phone and quickly selected a contact named ‘Cyber cinnamon roll’

“Hello?”

“Yo Hex! You there?” The way he quickly changed tone there from deadly serious to cheerful and friendly is actually rather frightening

…are we sure Julian was JUST an errand boy?

“Oh Julian! I was waiting for your call, how can I assist you?” Waiting?

“Hey Hex, remember what I talked to you about before? What COULD happen if things went south?” Huh? When?

“Oh! You mean the ‘plan’?”

 

…

 

…not this again

 

“Yes! Exactly! It appears they might actually take that route, you know I hate to ask but do you think you could help the town if they actually DO something?”

“Oh! But of course! I would not like for innocent people businesses to be affected! You also mentioned they might involve the police?”

“Wait, wuh? How did you-“

“Yeah. I spoke with Ankha and she said that the cops here were also being essentially threatened by them to cut their funds if they didn’t comply. So we will need to cover that too.”

When did all of this happened?! How much time did we skip?!

“Cover?” Pay attention lady! They mean money!

“Hmm, that does seem like a problem. Would a million do? Would that be enough?”

“A million? I think that would be more than enough money to help them for a while, at least while they learn where they stand. I’ll check with Mayor Raymond as to where to deposit it and how to distribute it. Thanks Hex! You’re a peach!”

“Glad I was able to assist!”

“…”

“…:)”

“What in the hell?! What kind of contacts do you have that can give away a million dollars?!”

That’s for me to know and you to NOT find out. Now with that, I think this meeting is adjourned, as they say.”

With that Julian started to head for the door, but this seemed to have snap the lady out of her reverie, quickly starting to stand up

“Now wait here you piece of-“

 

BANG!!!

 

“!!!”

 

“…”

 

The mom stood there… paralyzed, as just by a hair, a bullet barely missed gracing her face and hit the wall, leaving a bullet impression behind… the shot having come from one of the windows Julian opened earlier

 

…

DAMN

 

“Damn it. I didn’t clarify what kind of warning shot.”

“…wa… w-w-wa-wa-warning s-s-s-h-shot?”

 

Julian turned his head around, his back still to her “…let this be your ONLY one. Remember… WE call the shots. Not YOU…Have a nice day~”

 

“…what ARE you?”

 

“Hmm?”

“…what are you? You are no human”

“Oh but I am lady. My friend Hex even did a DNA test. I’m just a regular guy that happens to have good genetics and some connections.

“As for why I am the way I am? … Well… let’s just say that’s what happens when life has given you way too much bullshit”

Julian then turned to another of the parents making them flinch but catching them by surprise by, AGAIN, the sudden shift in tone, man is Julian good at doing that. He’s done it at least 4 times in a short span of time… scary, impressive, but scary “by the way, I’m really sorry about the table and wall. If you want, you can contact Momi and she will pass to us any bill regarding repair costs. Or if needed replacement.”

Without waiting for a reply Julian went for the door again but then stopped as he remembered something else

“Oh! I almost forgot! Momi also told me to pass the message to you guys that she is sorry if this was any inconvenience or too much for those of you that had to be present.”

At this some parents became confused while realization dawn on the face of others “She said that as a sorry, she is willing to give you guys a 50 % discount coupon for the next time you come by. Here, she had to make them in a hurry, so they are just slips of paper. But I think they should be good”

The closest parent hesitated for a moment, but slowly stood up and slowly and carefully took the slips of paper from Julians hand.

Their gaze shifted for a moment to the mom still on the floor, a faraway look of a deer on headlights still in her face, then back to the towering Julian, looking down at them with a soft expression.

Julian went for the door again when a soft voice said in almost a whisper

“…thank you”

“…you’re welcome”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier, the night before

 

“Woah… that’s… that’s a LOT. I thought my things were a lot but…” Julian was staring at Momi with wide eyes, amazed at the information Momi had just given him…

 

A conversation that, knowing the author, we won’t be privy too until much later…

 

“Yeah… it’s… yeah…” …

 

“I mean, I kinda suspected it. It was kinda obvious in retrospect… especially after what we discussed when we met… but to have it confirmed…” ok now you’re just rubbing it in

 

“I know! Right?! Who knew I was so wrong all those years!? Just for a couple of misheard words! Ever since I figured it out it only added to my worries. I mean, one thing was the whole deal about Rock, but that took me by surprise!” I hate you

 

lol

 

“So… have you deciphered all of it?”

 

…

Decipher? Decipher what?

 

“Not all of it… I left it with Hecker.”

“Are you sure it’s safe to do that? Considering…”

“Don’t worry. I may not know him personally, and he is a bit… temperamental… but he works at the police station in the cybercrime division.” To this Julian cringed

“I know with your track record you must not trust the police. But you don’t have to worry about it getting in the wrong hands. He was recommended to me by a friend… plus, he is one of the only people in town that can actually handle that level of encryption…”

When did this turn into a police drama?

“Is it THAT heavy?”

“He’s been working on it for MONTHS now. Had to dip into my secret stash so Ruvool did not find out or suspect what I was paying for. He basically gave me a preview of it last month. But said he might finish at last by next week”

Again, why did this conversation suddenly turned to this? What encryption? WHAT did we miss?

“Boy is that going to be one HELL of a conversation”

“I know… I don’t even know where to start! Or what are we going to do! This house is not big enough! I thought I was prepared! But now I have no idea!” Big enough for what?!

“Well… I guess we can deal with that later? I wish I could give better advice. But I honestly did not expect this. I was only hopping you would admit to having a secret relative. But I didn’t expect all… well… THIS” a secret what now?

“And you just confirmed what we’ve been suspecting for years. I mean, an ability to warp time and space? That’s just… wow”

“I don’t think it’s time so much as space… I think… I wish I was that super smart science guy to tell you all about it. But I only know the basics. And barely anything at that”

“That also explains why you thought Whitty was Bitty”

“To be fair, I don’t know the full extent of my abilities and I don’t know if they are the same in Whitty. For all we know, that cult could’ve modified it”

“Well that’s a scary though”

“They used a 3 year-old as human cattle, made living BOMBS and cloned one of the most dangerous people on the PLANET. Is it really that shocking?”

…when you put it like THAT… I question if this cult is more suicidal rather than power hungry… to all this… what is the cult OF Anyways?

 

“I guess you are right… ugh… this is a mess…”

“Hey, at least you are not alone in this. You said you told this Ankha lady all this as well as her brother?”

“Technically half-brother, but yes. He is the mayor so it was basically a must”

“Plus Rock is the one giving the funds for the town, so telling the towns head honcho and other people involved to avoid legal or other kinda shit must be important too”

“That too.”

…

 

“Well… I’m gonna be frank with ya. That conversation is going to suck, no matter what you DO or SAY.”

To this Momis ears droop

“…but that doesn’t mean we can’t lower the blow. It won’t help that you told me before them, since I’m technically still a ‘stranger’, but we can figure out what we are going to say beforehand”

I guess I can understand what Julian means… I don’t know what they are talking about, at least not completely, but it’s obviously something that involves the kids, and telling someone you just met a deep secret instead of someone you’ve known for years as well as the fact there were other people that knew and nobody told you?… that DOES feel like a betrayal, even if it’s not… or at least not with bad intentions…

“Isn’t that… I don’t know the word… it feels… like making a cover story, or something”

“Isn’t that what you did already?” Touché

“Not… exactly…”

“Either way. This wouldn’t be that. You are just preparing what you are going to say. Think of it more like when you are preparing for a speech or like what they do in trials. Witness prep? Or something? Think of it like that”

“I guess”

“It’s getting late”

“You’re right, I guess we should… oh shoot!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I almost forgot! Due to all the shit you guys did at school, they called for a PTA meeting tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow? On a Saturday?”

It’s an emergency meeting, though to be honest with you, sometimes it feels more like a city council meeting… which sometimes it outright is…”

“Oh… uh… sorry about that…”

“No no, it’s not your fault”

“It literally is” technically he’s right, can’t argue there

“…” see?

“See? Cant refute that” I just said that

“Pfft, he he… sorry”

“It’s ok. You reap what you sow”

Momi remained quiet, but que face still showed concern

“What’s wrong? I feel there is more to your silence”

“Actually… I… or I guess technically WE, have a… rather BIG favor to ask you…”

“A favor?”

“Would you… go to the PTA meeting in my place?”

“…huh?”

“You see Julian, it has to do with the deal…”

“You mean the one you made with those assholes? I’m gonna sound like a jackass, but I have to be honest with ya. You kinda did that to yourselves. Allowing them a life debauchery in exchange for certain things as long as they quote on quote ‘don’t hurt anyone or their livelihoods’ can be easily exploited.”

“We were desperate! The greater good was starting to get wind of this town, and we needed to deviate the attention!”

“I’m not trying to criticize you! I know it was a tight situation. I’m just saying they most likely knew and took advantage of that… maybe it was BECAUSE they knew. I only knew those kids for a day and they leaked so much entitlement I could basically FEEL IT oozing out of them” to this Julian shivered

“Yeah… anyways. We are getting sidetracked!”

“Sorry”

“… What I’m about to ask… you can totally say no, and get mad at me for asking. Wouldn’t blame you if you did… but…”

“?”

“Do you think… you could… do what you did at the school at the PTA?”

“…what?”

“I know it’s a lot to ask! And its scummy bu-“

“Momi, are you asking me to… INTIMATE someone?”

So all of THAT was Momis idea?!

“…” her silence and serious but sad face spoke volumes

 

“Momi that’s…”

 

Before Julian could finish his sentence, Momi finally broke, falling to the floor and tears coming down her face as she looked down “I KNOW! I KNOW! It’s terrible! But things are getting out of hand! You think the kids are problematic? Then just imagine the parents! They have been getting bolder and bolder! And we are at our limit! They demand unfair discounts from everyone, they speak to us in a demeaning way, they pocket any leftover money meant for the town that’s outside the basics, they steal our possessions a-and and and- we just can’t anymore! At this rate, we might as well be better off elsewhere!”

“…”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I know this it’s not your problem, and we are asking a lot. But… while it might have started out of convenience, I do LOVE those kids. They are MY KIDS. This is OUR HOME. And I can’t- I can’t just-“ …convenience?

“Momi…” Momi stopped at Julians voice, tension filling the air

“I was just gonna say that’s something I typically only do as a last resort. But if you are already there… I’m gonna be sore as fuck tomorrow due to all the workout we did today, but I think I can manage… so I guess the only question left should be… what would you like me to do?”

“…wha?”

“I’m telling you right now. Murder is off the table. That’s the one line I won’t cross.” He quickly added as an afterthought “And while Ruv is ok with it I won’t let him. Not only because I don’t like the idea but also because I heard about this ‘Sarvante’ and I don’t want to get on HER bad side.”

…

“But that doesn’t mean we are not willing to take on other measures”

“You… are?”

“Momi, if life has taught me ANYTHING, its human nature at its core.”

“?”

“One of such, it’s that people who have everything and no restrictions won’t stop because they have nothing to fear. So in order to make them stop, we have to give them something TO fear. As long as you guys are aware of my true nature and motive… I don’t mind being that fear”

“…I… Uhm, this is- how are we going to pa-“

“Don’t mention it. A simple thank you would be enough for me.” …Julian

“Th-thank you”

“Think nothing of it. Though we might have to give Ruv something in exchange, even if it’s just the pleasure of scaring the ever living shit outta someone… he does have some sadistic tendencies in him… And don’t worry… I’ll give them something to REALLY be scared off”

 

“…you are… a… PECULIAR, fellow. You know that?”

 

“Hehe. I’ve been told. Now, with that settled. I need to make a couple of calls before it gets TOO later”

“Calls?”

“Mhm. I’m gotta get my friends to help. We might not be an all mighty crime syndicate or some shit like that, but that doesn’t mean we can’t pretend to be”

“What you gonna do?”

“Well, first, I’m gonna have to ask a HUGE favor out of Hex and see if he can help support the town a little bit financially. I already feel bad that he basically pays for everything. But we need to show them we don’t need their help to support the town”

“So a bluff”

“Yes and no. Hex will only provide support until you manage to have that conversation with the kids. So we will be on a time crunch. I know you want to have your time with that conversation, but with all the dominoes falling I don’t think we have the luxury anymore”

“I… *sigh* understand”

“Ruv is sleeping downstairs on the sofa, and I’m gonna be honest with ya, I’m scared of waking him up in the middle of the night. So I’ll wait until the sun comes out to talk to him.”

“What’s he going to do?”

“For the moment? Nothing. But Ruv is very good at scarring people just by doing nothing. Might ask him to ‘hang around’ a certain people’s neighborhood. Just ‘chilling’”

“Hmm. Sounds smart. A bit cliché, but smart”

“When done correctly, clichés work like a charm. And lastly, we need to call Ankha and Pico”

“Ankha I get. But why this Pico fellow?”

“Pico is a mercenary. I’m not sure if he is a sniper, as that’s a different set of skills when it comes to guns. But for what I have in mind we might need that”

At this Momis ears rapidly raised in alarm “I thought you said murder was off the table”

Julian gave a Cheshire like smile as he started to dial Picos number “I know that. And you know that. But THEY don’t know that.”

Momi gave an Oooooooohh look of realization

“I just hope he answers”

The phone rang for a couple of seconds before Pico picked up “do you have any idea what time it is?!”

“Hey homie. I’m sorry ‘bout the time. But it’s kinda an emergency for tomorrow, you… see… we… need… to…”

Julian started to speak when he began to falter mid-call

“…it’s everything ok? It’s your friend ok?”

“Uhm…” Julian, as if hypnotized, then proceeded to put the call on speaker

“Julian what do you want? I’m in the middle of-ugh, something”

On the other end… oh… oh my… 0\\\\\0

“Pico… are you… are you having SEX right now?”

“…maybe”

“Was that Momi?”

“Oh for the love of, Ankha?! Is that you?!”

…you can’t be making this shit up… this ISNT a NSFW story! At least not for sex shit!

Suffer, I can do what I want

You suck!

“Oh, hi Momi! Sorry, kinda busy right now. Julians' friend here is quite the stud~”

“!!!!”

WHAT THE FUCK?!

“ILL CALL YOU BACK IN 20!”

“Make that 40” Pico said before ending the call

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

…

 

“Do you have any vodka?”

“I Have absinthe”

“We might need the whole bottle”

“…you have the pta tomorrow… but you can have one glass. Heavens know I need one”

“Well shit”

Chapter 48: Extra - Daycare Dolence

Summary:

We see Julian back in the past as a child in which we get a glimpse of the constant hell he had to endure, and one of the few times someone shows us how kindness isn’t dead.

Notes:

Hey guys. Sorry it’s been so long. Life’s gotten me busy and I’ve been mentally adjusting to some changes. I know it’s not much of an excuse. I can’t promise any consistent time in the future, but I’ll try my best to write and update when I can.
I also need to mention another thing that has divided my time. Relatively recently I’ve decided to start working into officially presenting a pitch for a cartoon that I’ve had brewing for years, and since I don’t know how to animate or do anything with music, I’ve been thinking about adding enough illustrative and written material to make it appealing, without giving too much away and to have the idea stolen as well as developing aspects of the idea further.
So, while I like writing for this story, this pitch is a passion project I wish to complete. Again, I know it’s not much of an excuse but I’ve come too far to go back so I hope you can understand.
I know what many are thinking, this chapter is filler… well… yes and no. This chapter was conceptualized long before this situation happened. I just wanted to give you a little insight into what Julian’s childhood was like based on the previous chapter.
Here`s a scoop, it aint pretty.

Normal… it’s all Julian could think of.

This kind of thing being typical at this point.

Today was the birthday of one of his foster parents’ biological kids, and they had decided to celebrate by going to a pizza place. As usual though, he was nothing more than an afterthought, an extra unnecessary mouth. So, they have left him at a daycare within the plex so they could celebrate their kids birthday without him.

This was normal, this was the norm… this was the usual.

It was a Monday though, so the daycare and the plex were mostly empty, something about being cheaper on Mondays because of that? Even though they were essentially making the kids skip school for the day.

Either way, Julian was essentially not invited, so they left him to be someone else’s problem…

He was sad, but accustomed to this.

As his foster parents left with not even so much as a goodbye (just a vague “later”), their kids cheering something about a Mount, or a gator or something, he was left there standing by the huge wooden doors.

He quietly let out a sigh and turned around, his stomach growling.

They forgot to give him breakfast… again.

Mrs. Clarkson (his foster mom) had not made breakfast for her own kids because she said they would eat a lot of sweets at the plex, but seems she forgot about Julian not joining them, since all she gave him last minute before they left was a carrot from the fridge… it wasn’t even peeled… but Julian was not one to say no to food.

He then started to walk through the colorful jungle gyms while munching on his carrot, trying to find comfort in his colorful surroundings. By the time he reached the ball pit he had already finished it, but he was still hungry nonetheless.

As he stared at the ball pit, he started to wonder what he was going to do all day.

There were no other kids around, not even adults, which was strange, but he didn’t question. This was, once again, sadly, the norm. He was used to being left alone…

 

Ok, can you stop the alone part? It’s obvious enough that this is depressing as all hell you don’t need to rub it in the poor kids nose.

 

…

 

Ugh

 

As he continued thinking what to do, he suddenly heard shuffling coming from above in a platform that looked like a castle.

“H-hello?”

He waited for a response

“Hello? Is someone up there?”

“…”

“Huh, I must have imagined-“

“HOOO HOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!” Julian looked up again to see a jester like robot suddenly appear, twirling around before diving into the ball pit head first.

Julians eyes widen, he then quickly scrambled to his feet and tried to look over the wall that divided the ball pit, but he was too short- oh right, it was mentioned in the past that when Julian was young, he was a pipsqueak. That would explain why his cloths looked so big on him too… they probably gave him some of the bio kids hand me downs… yeesh.

Not being able to look over the wall divider, Julian walked around it to what seemed to be either a small slide or a small bridge in a shape of a rainbow. As he slowly approached with caution, he tried to look around to see what exactly had fallen into the ball pit, not sure if he saw correctly (don’t banter me about “seeing correctly” I just read this shit), and proceeded to speak with a soft questioning voice, nothing like the present time Julian
“..he…hell-“

Suddenly something all but jumped out of the ball pit and in front of Julians face. “HELLO! NEW FRIEND! My name is Sun! And I’m so happy to see you! We are going to have lots of fun!”

At first, Julian tried to get over his surprise, but once that was done, he finally processed what he was seeing. It was indeed a robot jester of some sort. Their face resembled a sun with a bright smile and milky white eyes, but if you looked closely, you could see white pupils within them. The had ribbons on their wrists with little bells, on their chest seemed to be two “buttons” painted on and was divided in two different tones of color down the middle, they also had red and yellowed striped pants and to finish, cute little jester booties to complete the look.

Now, one would think that a small child would be terrified of a giant robot suddenly looming over him… but not Julian. He was used to looking up… and being looked down to… It quickly registered on his mind that this… person, was just another adult of some sorts. He didn’t understand who or what they were, but that it was just that, another grown up, another adult, causing him to frown and sit on his little bottom, grabbing his knees.

This triggered Sun, the robot, to falter though. What seemed to be an exuberant amount of energy was suddenly being drained from them

“What’s wrong little sunbeam? Where are all your friends? Were you left here by yourself?”

Julian nodded silently, knowing that it was best not to talk unless told to. Aww yeesh, come on! His life is terrible! WE GET IT!

 

…

 

Sun seemed alarmed at this, apparently not normal for this to happen as he seemed to go over something in his (their?) head “huh… I don’t seem to see you in the system… did your parents not register you upon entry? It’s in the rules”

“… too expensive… said they would come back later” He said, holding tears in his eyes as he knew that at this point a punishment awaited him later.

 

How is leaving him there without notice eliminate the fact they drop him off though? What difference does it make? And why would he be in trouble later for being seen? I don’t- huh? what’s this?

‘Most daycares legally require each child to be registered before entry. Failure to do this typically voids any responsibility from the facilities to guarantee the child’s safety and whereabouts.

Some parents do this to avoid paying as the child is instructed to be in there but not be spotted by the staff or at least pretend to be someone else, so the child is taken care after for free and the parents pick said kid up without being noticed. This falls under Theft of Services. Which is when a service is given for free when a payment was meant to be received.

Ie, getting your house painted, mowing your lawn, cleaning gutters, and other menial jobs done without payment qualify.

 

Ps. I’m not a lawyer. Fun fact, claiming to be one (or a figure of any sort, like a policeperson) is illegal too`

…So… you’re telling me they left him there… alone, hungry, sad… and don’t even have the decency to pay a fee for him to at least BE THERE… IN PEACE?

…

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!

 

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!

 

Ugh!

Uuuuuughhhhh…

 

…

 

It seems though… that our robot friend realized this as well… as he stared at the child with pity in their eyes.

 

“Hey there little sunbeam. It’s not your fault, it’ll be ok”

“No… it won’t…” …Julian

 

“It will! I can call some special people t-“ Julian caught him off, all too well acquainted with “special people” (aka CPS). “They will not!” he snapped “they will just put me in another home and say it was my fault! … They always do…”

 

“!!!” Sun looked shocked at this, Julian placing his face on his knees again

 

“…other… home?”

 

“…”

 

“Do… you have… uhm… parents?” Sun asked unsure, not knowing how else to word it

“no. I don’t.”

 

“… Does… does this happen… often?”

“…”

 

“Do the… “Homes”, you go to… are they… nice?”

 

“…sometimes… sometimes they put me in places that are nice… kinda… but” he faltered, scared he was saying too much “it usually is the same… more or less”

 

Sun looked crushed, but tried not to show it, or at least as much. He got out of the ball pit, moving to the side and telling Julian to wait with a strained smile before walking to a corner, looking around as if trying to figure out what to do when his faced suddenly morphed again, almost as if, annoyed? Huh? Their face seemed to shift between many emotions, his hands waving erratically, almost as if in a silent argument with some unseen being. Well… that’s new…

He then let a sign and stood up straight. Giving himself a firm nod before turning once again to Julian

“Well now then. Have you eaten something today?”

Julian seemed caught off guard, but he still kept it up just in case, looking at Sun with semi-squinted eyes “yeeeesss…”

“Ok! What did you have?”

“…a carrot”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“…and?”

 

“…that’s it…”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

Sun faced scream that he was about to explode but was doing their very best not to in front of a child.

 

“And yesterday?”

 

“I think they had roast beef for dinner?”

 

“…You THINK?”

 

“They didn’t left much. Forgot to put a plate for me… again…” oh my gosh… he said the last part so quietly…

 

Sun looks like he was at the verge of having an aneurism though (if robots could have those), a huge smile still plastered on his face and trying not to bend or break anything around them. He then looked quickly to his side, almost as if looking at someone and murmured tensely “FINE”

 

This caught Julians attention again. Flinching instinctively at the tone…

 

Sun quickly noticed and immediately tried to reassure him “Oh! It’s nothing bad sunbeam! Just, THINKING about something!” he then started to make his way to the door “Now! You stay right here and I’ll be back soon! Don’t worry! It’ll be alright!”

 

Julian didn’t cheer up at that… he just remained seated there… doing as he was told…

 

Again! Cool it DOWN! WE KNOW IT’S BAD! You don’t have to make me read how much his life is a living hell of emotional abuse and neglect over and over!

 

…

 

…anyways…

 

Several minutes pass and Julian was still seated on the same spot, when suddenly Sun came bursting through the doors, startling him.

 

“Hello again little sunbeam! I brought you something!”

 

Julian looked at him with a neutral face, never expecting anything- what did I say!

Eugh. As Sun approached, he was carrying a couple of boxes and bags on his arms, gently putting them on the floor next to him before sitting down crossed legged in front of him.

“Okie dokie! First of! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! So! I brought you a little something! ~”

 

Julain looked unimpressed, and honestly a little sad. As he waited for whatever he was about to endure. Sun then proceeded to place a big box in front of him with the name “Craig” written on it alongside a huge thermos.

 

“Craig?”

 

“Oh, don’t worry! He is fine with this!” he then muttered to himself “Several pounds in fact… who has THREE lunches?” I agree, that’s not fat shaming btw… that is a cry for help. That’s not healthy at ALL.

 

Julian raised a brow, but said nothing, still a neutral look on his face, but his eyes immediately widen when Sun opened the box in front of him. Inside the box, was a perfectly organized bento. It contained just about everything of every food group. Some rice with small veggies in it like peas and corn, some bites of fried chicken, some cucumber and orange slices and a small piece of cheese.

And once sun opened the thermos, the fragrance of chicken noodle touched his nose, closing his eyes to absorb it better, making him drool at the smell and his stomach grumble.

“There we go! Enjoy!” Sun shouted again, snapping him out of his reverie as a spork was placed next to the box. Sporks though? Huh… I guess that makes sense in a daycare if you think about it. Don’t want kids stabbing themselves or each other.

Julian didn’t proceed though… he just kept staring at the box. Intently but… not reaching for it. It extended for so long in fact, that Sun broke the silence just for something to happen “…Is something wrong?”

 

“…is this… for me?” …

 

“Of course it is! Who else would it be for? I can’t eat, but I can pretend if you want me too!”

 

“…but…” Julian hesitated, but kept staring at the box, avoiding eye contact “this is good food”…oh Julian…

 

Sun tilted his head to the side at this, squinting their eyes slightly but still with a smile, albit smaller than before “…yes. It is. You seem… confused” At this point, Sun definitely knew the context of the situation so far, but I’m guessing he wanted to prod more, considering they are still playing along.

 

“… But… I don’t get the good food” … :(

 

“… Now why would you don’t get to get it?”

 

“Because… because im…” He tried to remain collected, but it was obvious the situation was confusing and overwhelming him, not used to being treated or talked to like this…

 

Sun on the other hand, still tried to remain cheerful for Julians sake, speaking as if he didn’t know why on earth this poor child was acting as such “All children deserve a good meal! Are you not a child?”

 

“Well yes, but-“

 

“Then you deserve it!”

 

“But I DON’T!”

 

“Now why would you say THAT?”

 

“Because IM CURSED!” Sun looked taken aback by that response, clearly not expecting an answer like that.

 

“…I… I don’t know what that word means… but I know it’s something bad…”

 

“…Why do you say you are? You look like a little sunbeam to me”

 

“Bad things have happened because of me”

 

“Bad things?”

 

“Whenever I’m around… I’ve heard the adults say bad things happen… Like some fire?”

 

There it is… the infamous fire that ruined poor Julians life… the fire that was meant to end his life, and in a sick ironic twist, it did, just in a different way…

 

Sun just kept staring at Julian. The moment feeling like an eternity. Neither moving nor saying anything.

 

“…And… did you?” Sun asked softly

 

“NO! I don’t even know what they are talking about! They said there was a fire that happened because of me! But I don’t know what they mean!”

 

…

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“Then that’s good enough for me!”

 

…:)

 

“…huh?”

“You said you didn’t do it. So, I believe you!”

 

“But… you don’t know me”

 

“So?”

 

“You can’t know I’m a good person”

 

“Well… even if you were a bad person, why would I not give you a change?”

 

“Well…”

 

“Everyone does something bad once in a while! Even I do! The important thing is you regret what you did, even if you didn’t do it!”

 

“What’s regret?”

 

“Regret is when you feel bad for something. Like, when you accidentally spill juice! So, you might not have done what people say you did, but you feel bad about it. That’s good enough for me!” Your are a blessing Sun

 

“But isn’t it normal to feel bad when bad things happen?”

 

“You’d think that! But not everyone does. So, if you feel bad for something, that’s an indication you are a good person!” …wait…

 

“But, I-“ I’m realizing…

 

“Either way, what matters is why you do something! Normally many kids run away from me! But you didn’t!” …Is Sun the one that…

 

Is this were Julian… hmmm…

“…Why?” …?

 

“Why what?”

 

“Why would someone run away from you?” …

 

…Sun seemed surprised by this “Because I’m very big! And a robot!”

 

“…so?”

 

This seems…

 

…Sun had dealt with many children before; they were the daycare attendant after all. But this child… there was definitely something different about him. Most kids took a while for them to get used to him, even the ones that ended up loving him did. But Julian, he had no fear of him whatsoever. Sure, he startled him, but he had shown no indication of fear. Of the situation and unfair consequences sure. But not THEM. So Sun decided to ask one question he never thought he’d ask “…why aren’t you scared?”

“You haven’t done anything bad.”

 

“But I’m a robot”

 

“…I don’t understand”

 

“Doesn’t that scare you?”

 

“Why would it?”

 

“Because many believe we are bad and scary”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because we are different”

 

“…so?”

 

Sun gave Julian an unreadable look. The silence thick. Not uncomfortable, but not soothing either… it was more as if, as if a silence of something that lingered.

 

“…I think…” Sun started but seems that’s he didn’t want to finish his thought “I think that’s it for now.” He finished gently, causing Julian to bow his head

 

“Now!” He then spoke again suddenly returning to his chipper mood as if nothing have ever happened, wow, talk about a mood swing “As I said, eat the lunch! It’s yummy and nutritious! And once you are done, I brought a tasty cheesecake for dessert! Alongside some plushies and a new shirt!”

 

“Plushies? Dessert? But I don’t de-“

 

“Ep pep pep pep pep!” Sun waved his finger with a rapid no motion on Julians face, doing it so fast that he had no time to react and slightly jumped back “None of that! You WILL be eating this and after that, we will have a fantabulistic day! We will play hide and seek, tag, play in the ball pit, have a puppet show and so much more! So you will need all the energy you can get!”

 

“Play?”

 

“Yes-sir-y! So go on ahead and eat! I’ll go get everything ready! Just call me once you are done! Eat everything slowly and don’t choke! I’ll be right here if you need me!” Before he could say anything further, Sun jumped off, almost literally, elsewhere, moving rapidly and leaving Julian siting there astonished.

 

Once Sun got out of sight, Julian went on to stare at the lunch and his mind began to whirlwind in confusion. What was going on? Why were they acting like this? People have asked him in the past before if he was ok, sure, but it had always sounded cold, distant, like something you ask just cus. But Sun had asked this like he CARED. Why would he though? No one had ever before.

Interrupting him before he could spiral further though, his stomach growled with aggressiveness, causing him to grab at his gut. His focused was then returned to the lunch once again. After a looooonng moment of debating, his hand finally went to grab for the spork, picking it up and moving further towards the box. Every part of him kept screaming not to. Because he didn’t deserve it. Because he was bad. Because he was a “CURSE”.

…but… he kept thinking of what Sun said… about… everything… fighting against every instinct on his body, he then all but shoved the spork into the rice, and quickly put it in his mouth before he could regret it. The moment the rice touched his tongue, tears began to stream down his face. He NEVER got to eat the “good food”. Is this what it was like? To eat a warm food? To not wait or scavenge for scraps?

He couldn’t help it, he started savagely eating the whole thing. Eating desperately as if someone could come at any moment and take it away. He ate. And cried. All the while doing it.

 

 

 

 

 

Outside of Julians view, watching him from above the jungle gym, Sun was watching him eat with a contemplative look on their face.

 

“…I’m glad that they are finally eating”

 

…

 

“I know right? Who knows when was the last time he actually ate an actual meal”

 

What the? Who is he talking to?

 

“Well, I dunno? Is there not anything we can do?”

 

Did he lose it?

 

“I dunno! It’s obvious he’s in foster care and the parents don’t care! But…but… ugh I don’t know! I just want to help!”

 

…

 

“I know we have no authority! But it seems those that do don’t care either! Didn’t you hear what he said!?”

 

I think I’ll just let him ramble and see where this goes

 

“EXACTLY! So CPS will not do anything to help!”

 

…

 

“WHY?! Are you REALLY asking me why I care?! Are you kidding me?!”

 

…

 

“I know we’ve hade cases like this before!”

 

…

 

“Children should not be exposed to that stuff! At ALL!”

 

…

 

“Because how many people, adult OR child, have ever talk to us like that?! Huh?!”

 

…

 

“Oh?! So you DO know?! Then why are you acting like this?!”

 

…

 

“I’m not…. I’m not… *sign* I know… I know… But still…”

 

…

 

“I know we can’t do anything to help them… but… just for today. Do you think we could?”

 

…

 

“Yes. All children deserve that at least ONCE in their life. Can’t we make it? I know they will go back to that nightmare once they leave but… please. Just for today?”

 

…

 

“I know you are rusty. But you haven’t interacted with anyone else in MONTHS. This could be a good start!”

 

…

 

“That doesn’t define you!”

 

…

 

“Well…. He wasn’t scared of ME. Maybe he won’t be scared of you?”

 

…

 

“Come on! What better way to get back on the job!”

 

…

 

“I believe in you”

 

…

 

“You got this!”

 

…

 

“It won’t”

 

…

 

“I’ll be with you every step of the way!”

 

…

“You got this, Moon”

 

…Moon?

 

“Oh look! He’s done eating! We better get back! We have a whole day ahead of us!”

 

Whose Moon?

 

“Allie ho!”

 

Whose Moon!

 

…

 

I hate you sometimes

 

I know

 

…

 

…

 

As stated though!

 

Sun did as promised and spent the day with Julian. At first, poor Julian was reluctant. It was clear he wasn’t used to just be allowed to be a kid. That he was forced to grow up and look after himself at an early age. So, Sun did anything and everything to make sure he had the best day ever. Playing games and making sure he was ok all the while. When they played hide and seek, Sun made sure to hide in obvious places. When they played tag, he would always “trip”. When they did arts and crafts, every piece was a masterpiece. And when he gave him a puppet show, he made sure the good guy won and that everyone had a happily ever after. It might not seem as much, but to a kid that had essentially nothing, it meant everything. Sun had made sure he felt… that he mattered…

 

By the time they noticed, hours had gone by, and it was closing time as the announcement that the plex was closing resonated from the loudspeakers a few minutes ago.

 

“Oh, look at the time!” Sun said as he cleaned his face. Awwwwww Apparently, he had allowed Julian to doodle all over it. That’s so cute!

 

Julian, recovering from a fit of giggles, noticed too “Oh! You are right! Its closing time!”

 

“Aw man! And I had a friend that I wanted to introduce you to too!”

 

“A friend?” Julian tilted his head

 

“Yes! His name is Moon! He looks exactly like me but with different colors. And instead of my fancy rays, he has a dandy hat!”

 

“That sounds neat!”

 

“Too bad you won’t get to meet him. He only comes out when the lights go out. And we were so exited playing we skipped nap time!” Sun seemed genuinely upset about this. I guess we will never get to meet this “Moon” fellow

 

“I might still get to meet him” huh?

 

“What you mean? Its closing time”

 

“Yeah, but they sometimes forget”

 

…

 

“They forget?”

 

Why am I not surprised?

 

“Yeah. It happens all the time”

 

…

 

Child neglect at its best folks. Let this serve as a lesson that just because you are a good parent (arguably) doesn’t make you a good person.

 

Before Sun could say anything else, the lights suddenly went off. That was fast, don’t they need to wait a while for the last people to get out?

 

…And why am I surprised Julian isn’t scared of the lights going out suddenly? To how much abuse is this poor child conditioned to? For Christ sake…

What DID catch his attention though… was the sudden sounds and whirls of machinery shifting. He then slowly turned around towards Sun… at first glance, he seemed the same but… the colors were… off…

Sure, the lights were off, but bright yellow colors now seemed blueish. And in his pants were… were those stars? What happened to the stripes?

 

“Mr. Sun?”

 

Sun was hunched over, his back towards Julian

 

“M-m- Mr. Sun?” he repeated

 

“Naughty…”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Naughty boy…”

 

“S-s-sun?”

 

“Naughty boy… it’s past your bedtime…”

 

“Bedtime? Wuh?”

 

“Naughty children… must be… PUNISHED!” !!!

 

The bot turned around rapidly making Julian fall backwards from the rapid movement. Now before him, stood what seemed to be a whole new individual. Similar yet different to Sun. Standing before him stood not Sun… but Moon.

Revealing were once was a bright smile of flat teeth now bear sharp ones. Rays replaced by a nightcap with stars and a bell at the end and what was once clear white eyes were now bright red ones. Their colors as mentioned, were changed, blues replacing yellows and red. Stars replacing stripes, and the aura of playfulness and cheer now replaced by one of menace as he was now hovering over the small figure of a defenseless Julian.

 

The air was tense… Julian stared in horror at the form of what seemed to be another robot, as it was clear this was not Sun. As I said in detail.

Every fiber of his being was screaming for him to run, to flee, to hide! What are you waiting for kid?! Run for your life!

 

…but… he didn’t…

 

As he was paralyzed with fear… he looked the robot in the eyes…

 

Big, bright eyes, that glowed a sharp red in the pit of the dark. Hands prepared in a grabbing motion as wide as possible to cage him in, and looming above him like a bird of prey… and yet…

 

Beneath all the red…

 

beneath all the unhinge…

 

there was… pain…

 

A pain that… while not the same… compelled him… as if, as if it was his own.

 

…empathy…

 

This caused Julian to ask the one question no one in this situation would normally ask… the one question many are eager to hear but never do… the one question that shows ones true character…

 

“a-are… are you o-ok?”

 

As Moon was about to pounce, he stilled upon hearing this “…what?”

 

Still scared, yet somehow embolden, Julian asked again “Are you ok?”

…

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“…Why would you ask that?”

 

“I dunno… you s-seem… sad”

 

…Moon flinched… actually flinched…

 

This child… this child he JUST SCARED, this child he was about to rip to shreds… was asking him if HE was ok?

 

“…I’m…”

 

…

 

“Im…”

 

“Are… are you Mr. Moon?”

 

“…”

 

“Mr. Sun said you are his friend”

 

“More like… brother… sorta”

 

“Where is Mr. Sun though? Is he ok too?”

 

“…he is fine”

 

“But where did he go?”

 

“He… he isn’t allowed when the lights go out… just like I’m not allowed when there are on… so he… went to hide… he is… ok… though”

 

“I… can understand that…” …it’s so heartbreaking that a kid just ACCEPTS that.

 

Moon seems to think this too, as he flinched yet again…

 

The silenced dragged… what seemed to have been a whole day of effort in order to cheer up a poor abused child blown away in an instant…

Moon fidgeted… his arms now close to his body as his faced seemed to scrunch up. As if in… is… is he talking to Sun? Was THAT what was happening BEFORE?

 

“Are you ok?”

 

“I’m FINE” he said trying not to sound clipped but failing miserably…

 

“I-I mean… yes… I am ok… little one”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes… just… tired”

 

“Yeah… I’m tired too” almost as if on cue, Julians body picked that moment to make him yawn

 

“… you should sleep now…”

 

“I’m fine…” Julian said, fighting to stay awake, no doubt an adaptation to some OTHER trauma that demands him to not fall asleep for whatever reason… fucking… whatever…

 

“…you are tired… you even said it”

 

“Uhm… yeah but… I’m not supposed to…”

 

I’m guessing we are going back to the why arguments… “…it’s my job” …or not… don’t know if that’s the author being a bitch towards me or Moon being wise to the situation

 

At this point it could be either or

 

“… your job?”

 

“I’m in charge of nighttime. That means naptime… its dark… its night… so… I’m… in charge” he said it as a statement but… something underneath it sounded so… unsure…

 

Julian noticed this too “You sure?”

 

“Why wouldn’t I be? It’s my job”

 

“…do you… LIKE, your job?”

 

“…I…”

 

“…”

 

“I used to…”

 

“What happened?”

 

“…A virus…”

 

“What’s that?”

 

How do you explain malware to a child? “…Something bad” guess that works

 

“Oh…”

 

“Either way… you need to sleep… I’ll watch over you”

 

“You… you will?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“…why?” …guess we ARE going back to the why arguments…

 

“It’s my job you are safe. So. I’ll keep you safe”

 

“But… do you want to?”

 

“…”

 

“I’ve heard many people say stuff like that”

 

“…?”

 

“That it’s their job but… I don’t think many people like their job… so they do it because they HAVE TO…”

 

“…”

 

“… I’m forcing you to do something you don’t want to… am I?”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“*sign* I knew-“

 

“No”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You are not forcing me… I… I want to…”

 

“...why?” …

 

“…because…”

 

“…”

 

“…because…”

 

“…”

 

“…Because you are a little star”

 

“a little star?”

 

He nodded silently

 

“…I’m no star”

 

“…Stars give light were darkness lies…”

 

“Then I’m really not a-“

 

“You are…” he said with finality, and while Julian wanted to argue, he said nothing further

 

“…follow me”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I’m taking you to the nap corner so you can rest in peace. It’s away from everything… so you should sleep soundly…”

 

“Uhm… ok…”

 

Julian then silently followed Moon. As stated by the quiet robot, the corner was quiet. It was inside a castle near the ball pit, there, lying on the ground, were blankets, pillows, plushies and gently fairy lights all over the inside walls and ceiling.

It was… the coziest thing Julian had ever seen…

“You will sleep here”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yes”

 

“…are you sure?”

 

“Sun and I made it for you”

 

“Mr. Sun did?”

 

“Yes. He likes good kids”

 

“I…”

 

“You deserve it…”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“...O-“

 

“?”

 

“o-ok… thank you… Mr. Moon”

 

“… you are welcome”

 

After forcing himself to enter, almost as if he would get in trouble just for BEING there, Julian finally laid down in the bundle of pillows and cushions, only to be surprised when Moon started to tuck him in carefully, fluffing his pillow, and bringing the plushies next to him as he sat nearby.

This was… new… not unwelcoming but… new… first Sun, and now Moon?

It made no sense. People usually gave him the bare minimum… but now… they were… giving him more? The good things?... it made no sense… he was… he was… it made no sense… but he was too tired…

Just when Julian was closing his eyes, a soft melody started to play, following the sound, he noticed it came from Moon themselves. A soft, soothing lullaby… his curiosity got the better of him… he needed to know… but where to start?

 

“Mr. Moon… have you ever done something bad?”

 

“…why you ask?” Moon returned the ask, the lullaby never stopping

 

“I think I’ve might’ve done something… but I don’t know what it is”

 

“Oh? Why do you think that?”

 

“I overheard Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson last night about taking me back… again… they mentioned something about hearing rumors about me?”

 

“Rumors?”

 

“They said something about already receiving a check? And they called me the Fire cursed child. Saying it wasn’t worth it anymore”

 

“…”

 

“I didn’t get to ask Mr. Sun but… What’s cursed?”

 

“…nothing you should be worried about for the moment”

 

“…it’s something bad… isn’t it? I know it is”

 

“…”

 

“Why does everyone hate me so much? What did I do that was so bad?”

 

“…”

 

“*hic* it’s not fair *sob* I don’t even know what I did. Why does everyone hate me so much?”

 

“…sometimes…”

 

“?”

 

“Sometimes people are… scared”

 

“Scared? Why would anyone be scared of me?”

 

“People tend to fear what they don’t understand. When… when something… or someONE is different. People tend to be… wary.”

 

“Wary?”

 

“Cautious, uhm, careful not to do anything that could come back to them.”

 

“But why? I haven’t done anything. But they keep blaming me for something that happened at an orphanage? They won’t say it to my face, but I’ve heard them say I caused it. But I don’t even remember it! Why are they mad at me? I didn’t do it!”

 

“Humans… People… can be like that… sometimes you just have to… roll with it”

 

“…you are not like that though”

 

“We… I, scared you.”

 

“But said you are sorry. Right? You have… regret? Mr. Sun said that makes you a good person”

 

“…we’re not people kid.”

 

“…”

 

…right…

 

 

“…but”

 

“?”

 

“That doesn’t mean ALL hu-people are bad. I mean, look at you. You are a nice kid”

 

“People seem to think I’m not though”

 

“And just because they say so does that make it true?”

 

“…well…”

 

“Most people, children and adults alike, are normally scared of me because of my face. But you don’t seem to be”

 

“Why would I be scared of you?”

 

“YOU were scared.”

 

“You caught me by surprise!”

 

“Kid, I have red eyes and sharp teeth”

 

“So? Bunnies have red eyes. And dogs and cats have claws and teeth”

 

To this Moon was surprised, but let out a small laugh and continued “Hehe, see? You’re a good kid. If you weren’t, why would you be nice to ME?”

 

“Because… you are supposed to?”

 

“You would think that. But if that’s the case, then why are people not nice to YOU?”

 

“Uh… well…”

 

“People are not always going to be nice... They act how they act because they were taught as much and they like stuff they are familiar with…

Sure, you have been treated badly by others. But you still try to do what many don’t… even when the world seems to be against you… something that it’s always taught when you are young… but few actually understand and follow through with it.”

 

“…and what’s that?”

 

“…treat others how you want to be treated.”

 

“…it’s that why you are being nice to me?”

 

“You are the first person in a LONG time, other than my brother, to be nice to me. I think it’s fair.”

 

“…thank you. Mr. Moon”

 

“You are welcome squirt… Now come on... Its nap time, you wouldn’t want to be naughty and get punished now? …Do you?”

 

“Heh heh” Julian then laid down again on bundle of comfort he had been given, grabbing his pillow and getting comfortable as moon tucked him in again “good night… Mr. Moon”

 

“…Good night... Little star”

Notes:

Sometimes, the best gift, is doing something nice for someone else… and that can follow you for life. Even when you don’t see it.

Notes:

Read https://archiveofourown.org/works/30771176/chapters/75951689, I really recomend this story!
Plus, you need the context for some things to make sense if you read this story, otherwise there will be a lot on "noodle incidents" lol
visit the blog at https://ballisticbrothersblog.tumblr.com/ thank you