Author's Note: Hey-ho! Well, here it is: my first, and possibly last Sin Kids fanfic. Better make this one count!

Special thanks to OddCombo for helping develop this particular story, as well as familiarizing me with the Sin Kids (or, at least, Patanu's interpretation of them)!

I'm Captain Dodge – thank you, and have a nice day!

(…)

The mighty Stegosaurus looked over the grasslands, and saw that it was good. "Yes…" he said, "…yes. This is a fertile land, and we will thrive. We shall rule over all this land, and we shall call it… 'This Land'."

The sneaky Allosaurus snuck up beside him. "I think we should call it 'Your Grave'!"

The Stegosaurus turned to face the Allosaurus. "Aaaah!" the Stegosaurus cried. "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"

"Ha, ha, ha!" the Allosaurus laughed. "Mine is an evil laugh! Now die!"

The Allosaurus pounced on the Stegosaurus and began mauling him, and the Stegosaurus screamed at the humanity of it all. "AAAAAHHHHH! OH, GOD! OH, DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN!"

"…Lizy?"

Lizy Loud looked up from her toy dinosaurs to see her big sister Leia standing over her. "Huh?"

"Sorry to interrupt… whatever that was, but have you seen Lemy?"

"Oh!" Lizy pointed at the garage. "He's in the garage, practicing his drumming!"

Leia looked over at the garage. "Oh, is that what that is? I'm sorry, I thought it was a whale having a heart attack."

Lizy shook her head. "No, silly! Whales live in the ocean!"

Leia smiled, patting Lizy's head. "They sure do, Little Liz! Good for you!" She held out her hand. "Now, come on – let's go get our big brother!"

Lizy took Leia's hand and stood up, walking with her from the backyard over to the garage, where Lemy Loud was pounding away at the drumset, banging his head enthusiastically. No beat or rhythm could be discerned.

Leia winced, covering her ears. "Lemy."

Lemy kept playing.

"Lemy!"

Lemy kept playing.

"Lemy!"

Lemy kept playing.

"LEMY!"

Lemy still kept playing.

Growling frustratedly, Leia picked up a paintbrush from the nearby table and threw it at Lemy's head. It bounced off his skull, and Lemy dropped his drumsticks and held his head, grimacing.

"Ow! What the –?" He looked up. "Oh, hey, guys! Sorry, didn't see you there – was too busy laying down some sick beats. What did you think?"

"I like the sounds the drums make!" Lizy said.

"Yeah, pretty cool, huh?"

Leia pursed her lips. "Mmm, no, Lemy. Not cool, really. The opposite of that, in fact. What's the word…?" She tapped her chin, then pointed at him. "Uncool, that's it! Very uncool."

Lemy sighed. Leia really never held back, even with him. "Well… what do you want, huh? I'm still practicing. 'Practice makes perfect', as they say…"

"Yeah, but 'they' never said how long it would take…"

Lemy folded his arms. "Was there something you came here for, or did you just come to mock me?" He thought about it, then added, "…Again?"

"What…? Oh, right! Right, right, right… Uh, Liena said dinner's just about ready!"

Lemy hopped out of his seat. "Oh, boy! Why didn't you just say so? I'm starved…"

"Of food too, or just talent?"

Lemy rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha, ha. Laugh it up, princess – I'm still more talented than you."

Leia snorted. "I doubt that…"

Lemy disregarded her – she was probably just jealous. "Well, anyways, come on, Liz! Aren't you hungry, too?"

Lizy bounced excitedly. "Yeah! Yeah! And Liena made dino-shaped chicken nuggies – my favorite!"

"Boy, sounds delicious! Let's go!"

Lemy took Lizy's hand, Lizy took Leia's hand, and together the three sibling-cousins headed across the yard and into the kitchen, where Liena was putting the finishing touches on this evening's dinner.

"Hey, Liena," Lemy said, "what's cooking?"

Liena turned to face him with a smile on her face. "It's who's cooking, Lemy. And the answer is: me! I made Dino Dee-Lite chicken nuggets for the appetizer, and Casa Loud Casserole for the entry!"

"Entrée," Lemy corrected.

"That's what I said – entry!"

Lemy shook his head – it was an inconsequential mistake, and just Liena being Liena besides. "Well, smells good! When are we eating?"

"Soon! Just gotta get everything ready. Could you help me set the table, Lemy? And Leia, be a dear and fetch everyone, would you?"

Leia groaned. "Aww, how come I get the hard job?"

Liena looked confused. "Doesn't sound that difficult to me…"

"Oh, Liena…" Lemy said. "Sweet, innocent Liena…"

Leia turned to Lemy with an air of blatantly affected sweetness around her. "Big bwother," she said, "will you twade jobs with me? Pwease?"

Normally, that would have been enough to convince Lemy, but not this time. "Hmm… You know, after what you said about my drumming, I'm not so sure…"

She broke out the doe eyes. "Pwetty pwease…?"

Lemy's lip quivered. She knew he couldn't resist the doe eyes. "Argh…! You little cheater… Ugh, fine!"

Leia hugged him. "Thanks, big bwother!"

Lemy gave her a one-armed hug in return. "Hrm, yeah, sure…"

Lizy raised her hand. "Ooh! Ooh! Can I help? Can I? Can I?"

Liena chuckled. "Why, sure you can, Lizy! You can help Leia with the plates!"

As Lizy cheered, and Leia began grabbing the plates, Lemy headed out through the dining room into the living room. He sighed, unable to believe that he had been played for a sucker by Leia again – especially after what she said to him earlier. The task ahead of him wasn't necessarily a difficult one, but it certainly wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

Since he was already downstairs, he figured he should get Dad and Aunt Leni first. The Louds had a system where the kids would alternately stay with their father at 1216 Franklin Avenue, Royal Woods, and with their mothers in the surrounding area. The Loud house, as it was called, was disturbingly quiet and empty some weeks and packed so full it was bursting at the seams in others. In turn, the kids' mothers would rotate between staying at home and staying at Dad's house. It was Aunt Lori's turn last week, so Loan came with her – Loan never got to stay at the house without her mother there with her. This week, it was Aunt Leni's turn, and along with Liena, there was Liby, Lacy, Lupa, and Leia. Lemy wished his mother could stay at the house, but she was on tour, and he knew how much her music meant to her. On the plus side, that meant he and Lyra could stay at the house 24/7. Lizy, too – Aunt Lana was off researching chimpanzees in Africa. That was nice, too – out of all Lemy's sisters, Lizy was one of his favorites.

Lemy came up to the master bedroom door. Inside, he could hear the bed creaking, and moans of "Ah!" and "Ooh!" and "Ahhn!" and "Linky!" Lemy shook his head. He didn't know how his dad kept it up. He knocked on the door.

"Dad?" he called.

"Come in!" came his father's voice from the other side.

Lemy sighed again, bracing himself for the sight he was about to see.

He flung the door open to find his father, Aunt Leni, and Lupa all naked. Dad, who was also Uncle Dad, was standing and plowing Aunt Leni, while simultaneously fingering Lupa. Both aunt and niece cried and writhed with pleasure.

Dad kept shaking his hips and thrusting his hand, disregarding modesty as usual. "Hey, son!" he said. "How's it going?"

Lemy wrinkled his nose. "Dinner's ready, Dad!" he said.

Dad looked up. "What?" he yelled.

"I said, dinner's ready!"

Dad held up the "O.K." gesture with his free hand. "Okay, son! Just give us a few more minutes, we're almost there!"

Lemy returned the gesture, then backed out of the room, pulling the door shut. He pressed his back against the door, letting himself slide down a little. He just didn't get it. None of his aunts or sisters wanted to do that with him. (Well, Loan did, but she kinda creeped Lemy out. When it came to Loan, beggars could be choosers.) What was different? He and his father both had good looks, great personalities, abnormally large penises – what did he have that Lemy didn't?

Lemy shook his head, putting aside such questions for after dinner. He started climbing the stairs, wondering who to talk to next. Arbitrarily, he chose Lyra, his full-blooded sister… who was also his cousin. Boy, did Lemy have a strange family.

The door to Liena and Lyra's shared room was open. Lemy brazenly barged in… then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Lyra kneeling beside her bed, praying. Lyra was a pious Catholic – the only one in her family. She had been introduced to the faith by a pen pal, and she embraced it wholeheartedly, claiming that her family needed spiritual fulfillment, even if they didn't want it. That said, Lyra was not a devout Catholic – she abetted the rampant incest in her family, even indulging in it from time to time with her father. According to her, without incest, she and all the others would not exist – so perhaps the strange love her father showed to his sisters and daughters was another manifestation of the love of God. All in all, Lyra's strain of Catholicism was a very unorthodox denomination indeed – but then, the same could be said for American Catholicism in general.

Lemy hesitated. He knew he had more leeway than their other siblings, but he also knew that Lyra still hated being interrupted while she was praying. After some thought, he decided to let her finish, and so stood there awkwardly.

After a few minutes, Lyra sighed, her head still bowed and her eyes still closed. "…If you've got something to say, Lemy, then say it."

Lemy rocked on his heels. "Um… dinner's ready."

Lyra smiled. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay."

Not wanting to push his luck any further, Lemy retreated, leaving Lyra alone to finish her prayers.

He decided on Liby next. Marching up to the door to her room, he flung it open.

"Hey, Lib –"

He was interrupted by a spring-loaded pie flinger flinging a pie at him, whereupon it splattered all over his face and dripped down his shirt. As the pie tin fell to the floor, Lemy slowly opened his eyes, a mildly annoyed look on his face.

"…Okay…" he said after a while, "…wasn't expecting that."

"Perhaps that will teach you to knock next time," Liby said, sitting up on her bed, a joke book in her hand. "How do you like my latest security system?"

Lemy licked some of the pie off his lips. Boysenberry. "It's… very tasty, I'll give you that…"

Liby nodded at him. "Ah-thank you."

Lemy wiped some pie out of his eye. "I shouldn't eat too much of your security system, though, or I'll ruin my appetite for dinner… which, by the way, is ready."

Liby stood up, clasping her hands together. "Ah, wonderful. I'm simply famished." She walked up next to Lemy. "Lemy, dear, be a lamb and tell Lacy that dinner is ready as well, would you?"

Lemy nodded. "Sure, Liby – as soon as I clean up first."

Liby walked out her room and down the stairs, and Lemy headed straight for the bathroom, washing the pie filling and crust out of his hair and off his face and taking a wet rag to his shirt. He did what he could, but the stain remained.

I hope this comes out in the wash, he thought, sighing.

Last but certainly not least, there was Lacy. Lemy came up to the door to the bedroom she shared with Lupa, but stopped as he grabbed the doorknob, remembering what had just happened. This time, he decided to knock.

Lemy lightly rapped the door three times. "Lacy, dinner's ready!" he called out.

There was no answer.

Lemy blinked. "Lacy?"

Still no answer.

Lemy started to worry. He tried the doorknob, disregarding the potential danger, but the door was locked. He knocked again. "Lacy, are you in there?"

"…Go away," came the answer from inside the room.

Lemy could tell right away from the tone of her voice that the normally sporty, peppy girl was hurting. "Lacy, what's the matter?" he asked.

"I said GO AWAY!" Lacy shouted.

Lemy was about to try again, but he thought about it, and he decided that he didn't want to press the issue. Slumping his shoulders, he turned away and reluctantly let her be. Maybe one of the others would be able to get through to her…?

As Lemy descended the stairs, his heart sank along with him. Like his dad always told him, being the only boy in a large family wasn't easy – and at times like these, it really showed. Sure, his dad was probably talking about satisfying your sisters' sexual appetites, but it could also apply to understanding your sisters and the problems they had.

He wished he wasn't so useless. He just wished he could help.

Lemy arrived at the dining room, where nearly everyone else was seated at the table. He took his seat at the near end of the table, with Liby on his left and an empty chair on his right, and waited for the ones he knew were coming.

Dad and Aunt Leni arrived first, practically glowing. "What a delicious looking dinner," Dad said, rubbing his hands together. "Liena, you are an angel." He kissed Liena's head.

"Thanks, Daddy!" Liena said, giggling.

Dad and Aunt Leni sat at the far end of the table, while Lupa took the empty seat next to Lemy. "…Well, Lyra?" Aunt Leni said after a while. "Aren't you going to say grace?"

"I would, Aunt Leni, but not everyone is here yet," Lyra replied.

Everyone looked at Lemy, as it was his responsibility to fetch everyone for dinner. Lemy rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, well, uh, I tried to get Lacy, but she told me to go away. Don't know what's gotten into her."

"Me either," Lupa said, lighting a cigarette. "She's been in a funk ever since we got home from school today."

"First of all," Dad said, "Lupa, no smoking at the dinner table. Second of all, Leni, why didn't you tell me about this?"

Aunt Leni looked embarrassed. "Um, well, see, I-I just thought, like… Lacy… didn't have much to talk about today, that's all…"

Dad sighed, preparing to stand up. "I'll go have a talk with her…"

But Liby stood up first. "No, Dad, I'll go. She'll be more open with me." She looked at Lupa. "You too, Lupa."

Lupa sighed. "And I just put out my cigarette…" she growled.

Lemy prepared to stand up. "I'll go, too –"

Liby shook her head. "No, Lemy. You'll just be a third wheel." She beckoned to Lupa. "Come on, Lupa."

Liby exited the dining room and headed up the stairs toward Lacy and Lupa's room, with Lupa trudging behind. Everyone watched them go.

"…So, if they don't come down, can we have seconds?" Leia asked.

Dinner eventually proceeded without Liby, Lacy, and Lupa. No-one got seconds. Dad and Aunt Leni asked everyone about their day at school, and from there, the conversation proceeded to what the kids had been up to since. Lemy talked about his drumming practice, boasting that he would soon be the next Dave Growl or Ringo Scarr. Leia encouraged her dreams in front of their father… and then Lizy blurted out what Leia really thought of Lemy's music. This led to Leia giving Lizy an important piece of life advice: "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." Lemy then pointed out that Leia would do well to adhere to that lesson herself. This led to Leia giving Lizy another important piece of life advice: "Do as I say, not as I do."

As the sun began to dip down into the sky, dinner came to a close. Everyone took their dirty dishes to the sink, while Aunt Leni set aside three servings of Casa Loud Casserole for Liby, Lacy, and Lupa. After that, everyone went their own way. Lemy, satisfied with his meal, felt like having a good smoke to top it off, and headed outside. But when he reached into his pockets, he found his lighter… but not his cigarettes.

"Hm…?" Lemy patted himself down. "Where are my smokes…?"

Perhaps he had dropped them during dinner? Turning around and heading back inside, Lemy searched above and below the dinner table.

Lyra caught him looking around on his hands and knees. "Looking for something, Lemy?" she said.

Lemy looked up at her. "Ly, have you seen my smokes?" he asked.

Lyra frowned. "No, and even if I had, I wouldn't tell you. Those things are bad for you, and you know it."

Lemy stared at his full sister dryly. "Lyra, you sleep with our dad… who is also our uncle. Don't act all 'holier-than-thou' with me."

Lyra laughed at that. "But I am 'holier-than-thou', Lemy. I pray to God and read the Bible every day."

"Then you should know this little passage – judge not, lest ye be judged."

Lyra glared at her little brother, then stormed off, leaving him alone.

With that, Lemy resumed searching. Not finding his cigarettes in the dining room, he thought about it, and decided to retrace his steps. He searched the master bedroom, Liena and Lyra's room, Liby's room, the bathroom, and finally his own room for good measure, but the cigarettes never turned up.

Lemy growled frustratedly. He was starting to become really anxious for some nicotine, and he really didn't want to borrow from Lupa – she would ask for favors in return, and they were never pleasant for him to do.

"Damn it, where are my smokes?!" he said, thinking about where else they could possibly be… and then it happened upon him. "Oh! Maybe they're in the garage!"

Lemy headed back outside and to the garage, and quickly found his cigarettes laying on the floor, behind the drumset. They had fallen out of his pocket while he was jamming.

Lemy smiled, relieved. "There you are…" he said, picking up the pack and grabbing a cigarette. Disregarding hygiene, he put it in his mouth, fished out his lighter, sat down on the stool, and lit it up. He took a long draw, then slowly exhaled a long puff of smoke.

"Ah… that's the stuff…"

He sat quietly there for several minutes, savoring the cigarette. He wished he had something to listen to, to complete his sedate state.

In an unexpected way, his wish was granted.

Lemy was snapped back to alertness by the sound of the back door opening and shutting, and several people descending the steps. He got up and crept up to the side door, looking out. It was Liby, Lacy, and Lupa. Lacy looked just as depressed as she sounded earlier.

"Okay, Lace," Lupa said, "you've had your shoulder to cry on, and now we're somewhere really private. Now will you please tell us what's going on?"

Lacy hesitated, then sighed. "…Look, guys, you're the only ones I can trust with this. Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

Liby put her hands on Lacy's shoulders. "Of course, Lacy. Don't worry – there's no-one else here but us. Just go ahead."

Lemy felt like coming out and revealing himself, but that would only get him yelled at as an eavesdropper… which, admittedly, he was. Since he really wanted to know what was up with Lacy, he decided to stay quiet and out of sight, putting out his cigarette and listening in.

Lacy sighed again. "Well… okay. So, you know that guy I've been talking to you about?"

"Joey Damone?" Liby said.

"Middle school all-star, Joey Damone?" Lupa added. "How could we forget? You gush about him all the time."

Lacy cast her eyes downwards. "I… I did…"

"…What happened, Lacy?" Liby asked.

Lacy sniffled. "I… I-I finally got up the courage to ask him out on a date today… All-All I said was, 'maybe we could hang out sometime, see a movie or something?' And… and he said…" She whimpered – it sounded like she was about to cry again. "And, and in front of everyone, he said…" She took a halting breath, and said:

"'Sorry, but I don't date inbreds.'"

Recalling the heartbreaking, humiliating memory caused Lacy to break down, falling to her knees and crying. Liby knelt alongside her and held her head to her chest. "Shh… There, there, Lacy, there, there. Let it all out, it's all right."

Lupa remained standing. "Pssh… That's it?" she said.

Liby's head shot up. "Lupa! How can you be so insensitive?!"

Lupa shrugged, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. "Different day, same shit…"

Lacy choked back a sob. "I know… I know. But… I really liked him… I thought he was different…"

Liby stroked Lacy's hair. "See, Lupa? It stings harder if you're called that by someone you like. What if Dad called you an inbred?"

Lupa snorted. "Well, I'd tell him that he's the one responsible for that, so he should take some fucking responsibility…"

Liby sighed, shaking her head. "Ignore her, Lacy. We understand how you feel. And I'm sure Dad and Aunt Leni would, too. Why didn't you want to tell them about this?"

Lacy hesitated. "Be… Because…"

Liby hugged Lacy. "Go on, it's okay. We won't tell anyone else…"

Lacy fell silent for a while. Then, finally, she relented. "Okay…" She took a deep breath, then admitted, "…I wanted Joey Damone to be my first."

Lupa jolted. "Whoa…"

Liby was similarly surprised. "Wha – really?"

Lacy nodded, embarrassed. "Yeah… Y-You see, Dad was twelve when he lost his virginity, right? And-And I'm twelve now, so…" She hung her head, sighing. "…I wanted my first time to be with someone who cared about me – who loved me for who I am. I thought Joey Damone did. He seemed so nice… but… but…"

Lacy buried her face in Liby's chest, sobbing quietly. Liby consoled her as best she could, and Lupa finally knelt beside her. "Hey… it's okay, Lace," she said. "Fuck that douche. He doesn't know us – he doesn't know you. And hey, if that's your criteria for your first man – there's always Daddy!"

"O-Or Lemy!" Liby added hesitantly.

Lupa laughed at that. "Pfft, Lemy…" She drew on her cigarette. "Please. Lacy, listen to me: you can do a lot better than Lemy for your first time. Pencil dick bitch…"

"Oh, how would you know if he has a pencil dick or not?" Liby retorted. "You ever fucked him?"

"No, and I don't intend to – ever. Daddy's the only one who's man enough for me…"

Lupa laughed again, and Liby and even Lacy chuckled a little. It didn't really matter who it was – putting someone down was always a tried and true (if unhealthy) way to prop oneself up.

Lemy, meanwhile, burned with rage – but not from Lupa's insults.

…Okay, not just from Lupa's insults. As he listened to Lacy's story, he felt the anger rise in him until he could barely contain himself. Lacy – sweet, earnest Lacy – had bared her soul to this… "Joey Damone"; she had trusted him to be as nice and civil as he appeared. And he repaid her with unwarranted cruelty, belittling her in front of their peers for circumstances that hardly defined who she was as an individual, and which she had no control over besides.

Lemy clenched his hands into fists. No-one talked to Lacy that way.

No-one.

Lemy waited until the girls went back inside (as Liby decided that some food in Lacy's belly might lift her spirits), then waited half an hour longer before going around the house and coming in through the front door.

Liby, Lacy, Lupa, and Leia were sitting on the couch, watching TV. "Where have you been?" Liby asked.

"I lost my smokes, so I went out and bought a new pack," Lemy said.

"What kind of store sells cigarettes to an 11-year-old?" Leia asked.

Thinking fast, Lemy smiled slyly at Leia. "Ooh, does the princess want to pick up her big brother's smoking habits? Hmm?"

Leia started, taken aback. "Wha –?! No, I –!"

"Now, Leia, listen to your big brother: smoking is bad. Don't smoke."

Leia scoffed. "Well, look who's talking!"

Lemy tapped his chin. "Hmm… what was it you said at dinner, Leia?" Lemy said. "'Do as I say, not as I do'? You'd do well to follow that rule yourself…"

As Liby, Lacy, and Lupa laughed, and Leia sputtered, Lemy headed upstairs to his room, where he opened up his laptop and looked up Joey Damone on Placebook. He scrolled through his posts, hoping to find something that might tell him where he could find him. Between all the boasts of athletic prowess, the pictures that proved them, and the dank memes, he found something. There were a recurring number of posts centering around Gus' Games and Grub, mostly concerning Joey boasting about beating his friends at one arcade game or getting the high score on another. And every one of them was posted on a Friday.

Today was Friday – Lemy thought, if today was Friday, then maybe Joey Damone was at Gus' Games and Grub. It was getting late, though – if he wanted to catch him there, then he had to hurry.

Lemy hurried out into the hallway and down the stairs – and as he opened the door, Leia spotted him again.

"Going out again?" she said. "What, did you lose the pack you just bought?"

Lemy gave a devil-may-care grin. "Nope – I'm off to defend a fair maiden's honor!"

Leia and the others stared at him blankly. Then, Leia rolled her eyes. "Whatever, weirdo…"

With that, the girls returned to their scheduled programming, and Lemy marched out of the house to the garage, grabbing his bike and pedaling towards downtown, fiery determination in his eyes.

Joey Damone, he thought, I'm coming for you…

(…)

As the sun began to set on Royal Woods, Lemy arrived at Gus' Games and Grub. As he pulled into the lot, he smiled, admiring the location. If anything, Joey Damone sure knew how to pick a good hangout – Gus' Games and Grub had had great pizza, great games, and a great atmosphere as far back as when Lemy's dad was his age. (The Pizza Dungeon had better pizza, but, well… it was The Pizza Dungeon.)

Lemy parked and chained his bike, and peered in through the window, looking for Joey Damone. He found him sitting at a booth with three of his friends. Lemy sized up his enemy. It certainly showed that Joey Damone played sports – he didn't yet have the broad shoulders to support a thick musculature, but what muscles Lemy could see were toned, compact. The more Lemy looked at Joey, the more he realized what he had suspected from the beginning: that he had absolutely no chance of beating him in a straight-up fight.

But he didn't care.

He made Lacy cry. And Lemy could not let that slide.

Lemy, having never had any reservations about doing this, entered the establishment, overhearing the closing statement of an argument between Joey and one of his friends.

"…man, we agreed on this. I beat you at Warfrogs, so I get the last slice of pizza!" Joey said. He claimed his prize as Lemy sauntered up to him. He eyed Joey and his three cohorts with his hands behind his back and a neutral expression on his face as Joey sprinkled parmesan cheese on his pizza slice. A white boy, an Asian boy, a black boy, and a Latino boy. Another good thing about Joey – at least he wasn't a racist.

"…Can we help you?" one of Joey's friends said.

Lemy looked at Joey. "Pardon me," he said, "but are you Joey Damone?"

Joey put the parmesan back in its place on the table. "Who's asking?"

Lemy took a deep breath. He decided that he should at least try to be civil – there was no need to resort to violence just yet. "Please excuse me, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Lemy Loud. I believe you know my sister, Lacy?"

"Ohhh…" went Joey's friends. They had seen what had happened with Lacy earlier that day, and now they knew that ish was about to go down. Realizing what this was about, Joey chuckled, turning in his seat to face Lemy.

"Yeah, I know her. What of it?"

Lemy cleared his throat. "Well, it has recently come to my knowledge that she asked you out on a date today."

Joey sneered. "Heh. Yeah, that's right. And I bet you're here because of what I said, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am. By all accounts, Joey, you should have been flattered by her proposal. Any normal, sane boy would have accepted. But I have to know…" Lemy shook his head. "Just… why would you turn down a girl like Lacy? She's quite easy on the eyes, both in terms of facial complexion and physique; she shares your interest in sports, and excels at them; not to mention that underneath that tough, energetic exterior is a kind, loving heart…" He smiled. "She's quite a catch, if I do say so myself."

Joey shared a chuckle with his friends, glancing at them. "Yeah, she is…" He looked Lemy straight in the eyes.

"…Too bad she's a fucking inbred."

Joey's friends howled with laughter, one of them slapping the table. Joey grinned, basking in the adulation. Though Lemy was tempted to punch him in his smug face right then and there, he restrained himself.

"…I don't see what that has to do with anything," he said.

Joey snorted contemptuously. "Yeah, you wouldn't. You Louds are all degenerate perverts – just like your whore moms, and your scumbag dad."

Lemy's lips thinned amidst another wave of laughter. "…That wasn't very nice, Joey."

This time, Joey laughed alongside his friends. "Heh, heh, heh… Yeah?" He leaned in. "…What are you going to do about it?"

With impressive self-control, Lemy shrugged calmly. "I'll tell you what you're going to do about it," he said. "You're not only going to apologize to me, you're going to come with me, back to my house, and apologize to my dad, my aunt, and all of my sisters – especially Lacy."

Joey and his friends laughed again. Joey picked up his slice of pizza. "…And what if I don't?"

Lemy didn't say a word. Instead, right as Joey was about to take a bite, he snatched the pizza slice out of his hand… and took a big bite out of it.

A chorus of "Oooooh"s rang out from Joey's friends, as Lemy stared straight at Joey as he chewed, while Joey glared right back. Joey's friends then gaped silently as Lemy took Joey's soda and washed down his bite of pizza with a big sip.

Lemy made a big show of gulping, then grinned at Joey. Joey suddenly sprang to his feet, and his friends stood up as well. Despite being shorter than Joey, Lemy stood his ground, staring him down.

Lemy tossed the pizza slice back into the box on the table, then jerked his head at the door. "…Wanna take this outside?"

Joey smiled down at him. He gestured towards the door. "Ladies first."

Lemy smirked. "Aren't you a gentleman." He started walking towards the door, and Joey gave him a little shove to help him along. He and his four chuckling friends followed him.

Lemy and the others exited the building and circled around to the back, out of sight. Lemy flexed his fingers, bracing himself for what was about to go down.

Joey turned to his Asian friend. "Hey, Henry," he said, "do you mind recording this? You know, for… posterity?"

Henry took out his phone and began recording a video, and Joey and his friends chuckled. "Even someone like you should know that it's rude to take someone else's food," Joey said. He snapped his fingers. "Tyler, Ernie: teach this inbred freak a lesson in manners."

Joey's black and Latino friends stepped up, circling around Lemy. Ernie, the Latino, faced Lemy head-on, while Tyler, the black one, crept up behind him.

Lemy showed no fear. "My beef is with Joey, not you," he said. "Step aside, and let us settle this ourselves."

Tyler and Ernie laughed. "Yeah?" Ernie said. "Make us."

Lemy shook his head. "My beef is with Joey," he repeated. "I'm not fighting you."

Ernie laughed again. "Good – that'll make this easier."

Tyler grabbed Lemy from behind and put him in a full nelson, immobilizing his arms. Ernie then rushed in, delivering three punches to Lemy's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As Lemy's knees buckled, Ernie then followed up with three hooks to his face.

Tyler released Lemy and spun him around, then hit him with a right hook. Lemy reeled from the blow, right towards Ernie, who hit him with a vicious uppercut. Lemy stumbled back towards Tyler, who hit him with two lefts and a hard right, knocking him to the ground.

Lemy struggled to push himself up, but Tyler and Ernie kicked him back down. He didn't get another chance, as both of them began kicking, stomping, and pounding on him while he was down, and all he could do was curl up into a defensive ball.

Eventually, Lemy was left splayed out on the ground, aching all over, with Joey and his friends' laughter ringing in his ears – along with another kind of ringing. Ordinarily, that would have been it for him – he would have been down for the count after a combo like that. But he couldn't give up that easily – not this time.

He rolled onto his stomach and looked up at Joey, who was sneering down at him. "…What's the matter, Joey?" he said. "Too much of a pussy to fight me one-on-one?"

Joey's friends ooohed at Lemy's big words. Joey himself snickered to hide his anger. "…You know what?" he said. "Freak's got a point. Guys, step aside. This fight's mine."

As Lemy got back on his feet, Joey cracked his knuckles, rolling his head from side to side. "Now, before we do this, I just want to give you fair warning, even if you don't deserve it – do you know who I am?"

Lemy knew, but he didn't feel like saying so. "You're the asshole who broke my sister's heart," he replied. "That's all I need to know."

Joey rolled his eyes. "Come on, it wasn't just me! You wanna get revenge for your sister, you're gonna have to pick a fight with half of Royal Woods Middle School." He started chuckling. "Oh, man… you should've heard them laughing when I called her an inbred…"

Lemy wiped the blood from his split lip, glaring at Joey. "…Then I'll take them all on – starting with you."

"Please. You couldn't even take on the girls…"

Lemy nodded. "Hm… you may have a point." He smirked. "They're probably tougher than you are."

Another round of ooohs came from Joey's friends. Joey smirked, but his eyes told Lemy how he was really feeling. "Okay, freak…" he said. "You talk a lot of trash, but can you back it up?" He put his hands behind his back, sticking out his chin. "Go on. Hit me. I'll give you one free shot. Show me how tough you are."

Lemy steadied himself, cracking his knuckles. He still knew that he couldn't win, but hey – he could at least get a few good licks in. Joey stood where he was, waiting patiently. Lemy took a deep breath, wound up, summoned all his strength…

…and threw the punch. It connected, knocking Joey back a step, while Lemy was left shaking his hand, hopping and wincing.

"Ah! Oh! OUCH!" Lemy cried. That really hurt! How did the others make it look so easy and painless?

Joey's friends laughed at Lemy, while Joey rubbed his chin. The blow smarted, but not much. "Heh… That the best you can do, freak?" he said. He stopped Lemy's hopping by grabbing him by the shirt.

"My turn."

Joey began with three quick right jabs to Lemy's face, then followed up with a mean hook. Lemy reeled, but with Joey still gripping his shirt, there was nowhere for him to go. As Joey punched him in the stomach repeatedly, knocking the wind out of him again, Lemy clenched his hands into fists, knowing that his only choice was to fight back – no matter how much hitting the other guy hurt.

He hammered the sides of Joey's head a few times, forcing Joey to release him. Lemy staggered, gaining his balance, then threw another punch. It went wide, and Joey grabbed the outstretched arm and pulled Lemy forward – his fist meeting Lemy's face halfway. Lemy stumbled backwards, and just as he regained his bearings, Joey hit him with one haymaker, then another, and the ground rushed up to meet Lemy again.

His ears were singing, and his mouth was filling with blood, but Lemy could still hear Joey's friends laughing their heads off. Joey walked up to him, put one foot on his chest, and looked at him scornfully.

"Heh. 'Lemy'?" Joey said. He spat on Lemy's face. "More like 'Lame-y'." He stepped off and turned away. "Let's go, fellas!"

Every instinct in Lemy's mind told him to just lie there and accept defeat – to allow humiliation to come if it meant sparing him from further pain. But instead, Lemy forced himself up off the ground and stood on his two shaky legs, looking up to see Joey and his friends leaving, chuckling and chatting about the fight ("fight" being used in the loosest sense).

"…Guess it's my win, then!" Lemy called out.

Joey's group stopped, turning around to look at Lemy incredulously. Joey laughed – this he had to hear. "Oh, really?" he called back. "How so?"

Lemy took one hesitant step forward. "I never admitted defeat," he explained. He took another step forward. "That means the fight's still going." Another step forward. "And you're walking away. Ergo…" Another step, then no further. "…you forfeit. Ergo: I win."

Joey nodded sarcastically. "Riiiight…"

Lemy beckoned Joey with a "bring it" gesture. "Come on, Joey – finish what you started." He smirked condescendingly. "Unless you're too scared. Unless you're just a big, blubbering bitch…"

Joey glowered at Lemy amidst the amusement of his friends. This inbred freak was starting to test his patience. Shrugging, he stepped forwards. Meanwhile, Henry started recording again. "…All right," Joey said. "If that's the way you wanna play, then fine." He grabbed Lemy by the shirt again and raised his fist. "I'm not gonna let up until I pound you into the dirt, freak – not even when you start begging for mercy."

In response, Lemy spat blood in his eye, for all his friends (and the camera) to see. "Do your worst," he dared. "See if I beg."

Joey wiped the bloody spit out of his eye, cursing. Hearing Lemy's taunts, he started laughing, raising his fist again. "You asked for it…"

He pulled back his fist, then unleashed a vicious straight right… which Lemy blocked with his crossed arms. Lemy figured that if he was going to take a pounding, then he should at least make an effort at defense. Even then, the force of the blow still knocked Lemy's arms into his face. Joey threw another punch, then another, but Lemy kept his guard up.

Suddenly, Joey changed tactics, stomping on Lemy's toes before driving his knee into his stomach. Lemy bent in half and gasped for air, caught off guard, and Joey took advantage by hitting him in the face, knocking him back up straight, then headbutting him.

Lemy's head lolled back from the blow, but Joey grabbed it and yanked it down into his rising knee. Lemy staggered backwards, his head swimming, but Joey did not relent, hitting him first with a left haymaker, then a right to the gut. When Lemy doubled over again, Joey held him in place as he kneed him in the face again before dropping his elbow on the back of his neck. Lemy went down hard.

As Joey's friends laughed, Joey beckoned to Lemy. "Come on," he said, "get up…"

Lemy struggled back to his feet, then faced Joey, swaying. "Just so you know," he said, "you passed up a chance to have sex with a girl when you rejected my sister."

Joey and his friends were amused by that bit of information. "Is that right?" Joey said. "Well, I wouldn't want to have sex with a girl like her, anyways. Maybe she should just go fuck your dad. Hell, maybe you should go fuck your dad – that's the only sex you'll ever have, anyways!"

As Joey and his friends laughed, Lemy stumbled towards him. He threw one punch, then another. Neither connected. Joey hit him with a left, then a right, then an uppercut, knocking Lemy over once again.

Joey stood over Lemy, grinning victoriously. "Had enough?" he asked.

Lemy slowly got back up again, to Joey's amusement. "Guess not…"

The fight resumed. Lemy threw a weak punch, but Joey caught his fist, twisting his arm and leaving his face vulnerable to another series of blows. Joey swung his fist back and forth, knocking Lemy's head with one hammer fist after another, until Lemy was left kneeling on the ground. Joey kneed him in the face a couple times, then let him fall.

But still Lemy planted both his palms flat against the ground, pushing himself upright. Joey couldn't help but be impressed by his opponent's tenacity, though he didn't show it.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" he said.

Lemy stayed on his knees for a few moments, then found the strength to stand back up again. "…And you just don't know how to apologize, do you?" he retorted.

Joey scoffed. "Tch! 'Apologize'… I've got your apology right here!"

Before Lemy could even react, Joey hit him with three left jabs, then a one-two punch. Before Lemy could topple over again, Joey grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him forwards, headbutting him in the mouth. He left Lemy standing there in a daze, backed up… then kicked him in the face, aweing his friends.

Joey kneeled down next to Lemy. "How's that for an apology?"

Lemy groaned in response, making Joey laugh. "What a wimp."

Joey stood up, giving him one last kick before walking away, satisfied. As Lemy lay on the ground, wallowing in pain, a voice inside him told him, He's right, Lemy. You never had any business coming here and picking a fight with him. Now just stay down and don't make this any worse for yourself. But as he watched Joey walk away, another voice spoke up, increasing in volume. Yes, Lemy, it said, he's right – you ARE a wimp. A wimp who's fighting for his family. So get up, you wimp.

As Lemy lifted himself up, he shifted his jaw – and felt something come loose. Reaching inside, he grabbed one of his molars, pulled it out, and looked at it. Oh, well, he thought, Aunt Lisa can replace it. …Maybe… Putting the tooth in his pocket, he forced himself back onto his feet.

Tyler pointed out Lemy's recovery to Joey, who turned back around. "You know, Joey…" Lemy said, "…I never said I wasn't a wimp. So… I guess I am a wimp."

Joey and his friends looked at him, perplexed. "But hey…" Lemy continued, "…at least I own it. You…?" He pointed a shaky finger at Joey. "…I thought you were supposed to be tough."

Joey rolled his eyes, figuring Lemy was just blowing hot air again. But then, Lemy said:

"But how tough can you be… if you can't even put a wimp like me down?"

Joey's friends started murmuring amongst themselves, while Joey fumed. This wimpy, inbred freak was starting to make him look bad. He started back towards Lemy, rubbing his knuckles.

"…That's 'cause I haven't really been trying, freak," he said.

"Oh… I see… So, all that was just a… what, a warmup?" Lemy snickered. "All right, then. It's getting late, isn't it? And we've got plans for tomorrow, I'll bet. So go on, then. Put me down." He held out his arms. "Hit me."

Joey faced off against Lemy. Lemy didn't move, silently daring Joey to hit him. Indignation boiled in Joey's veins, until finally he wound up and threw a powerful punch with a snarl on his face.

Lemy made no attempt to block or dodge the blow. He took it right on the nose, stumbling backwards, but not falling. He smirked – the pain was starting to even out, lose its impact. He walked back up to Joey casually.

"Are you kidding me?" he said. "I said 'hit me.'"

Flabbergasted, Joey wound up a hook and threw it with all his might. This time, Lemy stayed standing where he was. "Come on! Hit me harder!"

Joey hit him with another strong hook. "Harder!"

Another strike, this one even more powerful than the last. "HARDER, I SAID!"

Joey grabbed Lemy by the shirt and hit him as hard as he could three times in quick succession. Afterwards, he shook his hand, grimacing. His fingernails were bleeding, and his knuckles were really starting to hurt.

Lemy started laughing. He figured that if he couldn't hurt Joey's body, then at least he could hurt his pride. "My sister Leia can hit harder than you!" he said.

Joey did not take kindly to this, hammering Lemy on the left ear twice. Despite this, Lemy kept laughing.

"And that's nothing compared to Lacy!" he continued. "Heh, heh… No wonder you were scared to date her – she's stronger than you'll ever be!"

Implying that he was afraid of anything, let alone Lacy, enraged Joey to the point where he ignored the pain in his knuckles and started punching Lemy in the mouth in an effort to shut him up.

It failed. As soon as Joey eased up, Lemy said, "…Or maybe… you turned her down because you don't like girls at all…?"

Joey's friends gasped, while Joey's eyes widened in utter disbelief. "…What did you say?"

"Heh… 'Joey'?" Lemy made a circle with his hand, then pumped it at his open mouth. "…More like 'Blow-ey'."

Joey's face contorted with rage. The fact that his friends were impressed by Lemy's appropriation of an earlier diss did not help matters. Growling furiously, he grabbed Lemy's hand and started forcing Lemy to hit himself with it. Dissatisfied with the amount of damage this was doing, he got in close and kneed Lemy in the crotch.

Joey's friends winced and covered their privates as Joey nailed Lemy in the groin again and again. When Lemy fell to his knees, Joey kneed him in the face three times. He grabbed Lemy by the collar and hauled him up close.

"The only faggot around here is YOU!" Joey shouted. He then threw Lemy to the ground, stomping on his head once for good measure. He waited to make sure that Lemy wasn't making any attempt to get up again, then turned around and walked away, frustrated. This whole exercise had turned out to not be nearly as satisfying as he thought it would be. His friends were all staring at him, stunned.

"What?" he said. "What the fuck are you all staring at?!" He glared at each of them, expecting an answer.

But as he saw their eyes… he realized that they weren't staring at him.

"You know…" a voice behind him said, "…I don't think it's enough to apologize to me and my family anymore…"

Joey turned around incredulously, to see Lemy standing there, yet again. Lemy grinned, flashing his bleeding gums at Joey and his gang. He knew this was a low blow, but it was the only thing he could think of to keep the fight going. "Now…" He pointed at Joey. "…you've gotta go home… and apologize to your mother, for being born, and ruining her LIFE!"

Joey's entire crew gaped. "Oh, shit…" Ernie whispered.

Lemy watched Joey's face turn from a mixture of shock and sadness to pure, unbridled rage. Clearly, he had struck a nerve. He waved dismissively. "Yeah… go on. Run on home, you little accident…"

Joey gritted his teeth, clenching his hands into fists at his side. "Dude, shut up…" Tyler warned.

"You owe your entire pathetic existence to a broken condom!"

Veins started bulging in Joey's neck. "Dude, seriously, shut up!" Henry said.

"Who the hell are you to talk down to us for being inbred? Yeah, our parents might be related, but at least they wanted us!"

"SHUT UP!" Joey roared. "You shut the FUCK up! You have NO fucking idea what you're talking about, so SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!"

Lemy laughed. "Or what?" This time, it was his turn to sneer at Joey. "You gonna come over here and shut it for me?"

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Joey charged at Lemy like a bull seeing red. Lemy just planted his feet in the ground and held his hands out from side to side, as if saying: Come at me, bro.

And he did – Joey plowed into Lemy, tackling him to the ground. Without wasting any time, he got up and started stomping on Lemy's crotch, chest, and stomach, even going so far as to jump on Lemy's chest, breaking a few ribs.

Lemy screamed in pain, but Joey did not relent. He kicked Lemy's head, shoulders, sides, and legs, stomping on his left ankle several times. He grabbed Lemy's right arm and picked it up, holding it between his legs and grabbing his wrist and forearm with both hands.

"TAKE IT BACK!" Joey yelled. "Take it back RIGHT NOW!"

Even despite the maelstrom of pain he was gripped in, Lemy still did not give in. "Make me!" he shouted defiantly.

Sputtering incoherently, Joey took Lemy's arm and slammed it across his thigh, hard and repeatedly, until he heard the bones snap. Lemy howled in agony, but Joey shut him up by stomping on his face, then kicked and stomped on him some more until he had to catch his breath, utterly exhausted. He looked at Lemy, lying broken on the ground, then gave him one last kick before walking away.

Joey returned to his friends, who all stared at him, horrified. "Don't fucking look at me like that!" he snapped. "You heard what he said! You know he wouldn't shut up! You know he's the one who refused to stay down!" He started walking away, and as his cohorts reluctantly followed him, he started chuckling cruelly. "…I'd like to see him get up after that –"

He was interrupted by Lemy running up behind him and tackling him to the ground. Joey's friends jumped back.

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me!" Ernie shouted.

Lemy was most certainly not kidding. Enraged by the pain, his anger enabled him to ignore it as he grabbed Joey's head and started bouncing it like a basketball. He did this for as long as he could until the pain overrode his anger, then flipped Joey over and started punching him in the face. Gritting his teeth, tears in his eyes, Lemy held Joey's collar with his right hand while pounding on his face with his left.

Then, to everyone's surprise… he stopped.

Lemy wiped the tears out of his eyes, looking at Joey. He was dazed, taken completely by surprise. By all means, Lemy should have pressed the attack. And yet… he didn't. This didn't feel right. He had the advantage… but he had attacked Joey in the back to get it.

And that simply would not do.

Lemy threw Joey to the ground, then stood up. "Get up!" he shouted, pointing at Joey. "Get up and fight me, you pussy! What's the matter, can't take what you dish out? Come on! I said STAND UP!"

Joey slowly got to his feet. "Oh, I can take it, freak…" He pounced on Lemy, knocking him to the ground.

"…and I can give it BACK!"

He clasped his hands together and brought them both down on Lemy's face, pounding it harder than ever before. Joey had gotten his second wind, and he was fully prepared to use it. He hit Lemy with hook after hook, left by right and back again… then put his thumbs to Lemy's eyes and started gouging.

Lemy shut his eyes, screaming, trying to fight the pressure any way he could. It was at this point that one of Joey's friends finally decided to intervene.

Tyler ran up to Joey, putting one hand on his shoulder. "Dude, that's enough!" he said.

Joey shook his hand off. He took his thumbs away from Lemy's eyes and grabbed him by the ears, standing up and dragging him over to the wall. Grabbing a fistful of Lemy's hair, Joey started grinding his face against the wall.

Appalled, Tyler wrapped his arms around Joey's waist and started tugging. "Joey, that's enough!"

"Shut up!" Joey said, jerking his head back and headbutting Tyler. When Tyler recoiled, Joey kicked him away. He then started slamming Lemy's head into the wall as hard as he could, until the wall was painted red. Joey pulled Lemy back, surveying the damage, then returned the favor from earlier, bouncing his head against the pavement.

Finally, Joey stopped his brutal assault, completely spent. He bent over, heaving. Tyler cradled his bleeding nose, quietly swearing. Ernie and Henry alternated between watching Joey warily and looking at Lemy lying on the ground, afraid that he would not get up ever again. Henry was still recording.

Joey looked at Lemy, admiring his handiwork. Surely, that had to have done the trick.

That was what he thought. Then Lemy started getting up again.

Joey sighed in utter exasperation. He had to put an end to this, now. He kicked Lemy back down to the ground.

"…Hey," he said. "Hey, freak. Hey. Can you still hear me?"

Lemy turned his gaze towards Joey, raised his left hand… and flipped him off.

"…I'll take that as a 'yes'." Joey grabbed Lemy's finger and broke it. Lemy grunted – as horrible as it was to say, the pain from that was nothing compared to everything else.

Joey reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocketknife, which he unfolded before Lemy's eyes. "You see this?" he said. "You know what this is?"

Lemy uttered a wet, bloody chuckle. "N… Nice… butter knife…"

"'Butter knife'. Yeah. That's funny." Joey swiped at Lemy's cheek, drawing blood. "Now listen to me, freak. We've both had our fun, alright? But it's getting late, I'm getting tired, and this is getting really fucking old. I don't want to have to use this on you, but I will if you make me. So do yourself a big, fat favor, and don't get up!"

He gave Lemy a solid kick in the broken rib, then walked away.

Lemy lay there, in unimaginable agony, and pondered Joey's words. Maybe he was bluffing. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe doing all this was a mistake – maybe Lemy should have just left well enough alone. Maybe if he pushed this any further, he would die.

All this… because he insulted Lacy?

Joey gathered his group back together. All his friends stared at him, horrified. He scowled at all of them.

"Don't you fucking look at me like that. He started this. He continued this. And I had to end it – for his sake . Believe me… I did him a favor."

He started walking away. His friends didn't follow him. Joey turned back to them. "Well, come the fuck on. What are you waiting for?"

Tyler, Ernie, and Henry all looked at each other uneasily. They thought Joey would never hurt them, but…

…But then, he was only angry at Lemy, now wasn't he?

Shoulders slumped a little, they all started following Joey. Smirking, Joey started leading them away from the scene. "Hey, you think Gus' is still open?" he said.

"U-Uh…" Henry said. "W-Well… it doesn't close until 9, and… it's 8:50, now."

"Then we've still got time. Come on, guys – that worked up an appetite. One last pizza for the road, on me!"

"…Hey."

A voice made everyone stop dead in their tracks. Turning around slowly, Joey Damone and co. saw, to their complete astonishment, Lemy Loud slowly getting to his feet.

"…I still haven't heard that apology."

Joey and his friends were utterly dumbfounded. By all accounts, Lemy shouldn't even be conscious, let alone standing. Henry secretly began recording again. "Wh – Bu – I – Y-You –" Joey stammered. "D… Did you hear what I just said?!"

Between his broken finger and his broken arm, Lemy had to gingerly push himself upright. "…I heard you."

Joey reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocketknife. "I'm serious, man! I am NOT fucking around!"

Lemy got on his feet, trying not to put weight on his left ankle. "…Neither am I."

Joey hesitated. This was getting out of control. As Lemy turned to face him, he steeled his resolve. Glaring at Lemy, he unfolded the pocketknife and brandished it at him.

"Back off. Last warning."

Lemy turned to face him, uttering a low, quiet chuckle that unnerved everyone who heard it. Raising his right arm, he jabbed a thumb at himself.

"…That's my line, asshole."

He started approaching Joey, but stumbled. His head was all foggy and light, and his foot and balls really hurt. Seeing how uneasy Lemy was on his feet made Joey laugh. "Look at you," he said. "You look pathetic. Your entire body's fucked the fuck up. What can you do to me?"

Lemy limped closer and closer, practically dragging himself along. Head bowed low, he whispered:

"This."

With surprising speed and force, Lemy lashed out, striking Joey's right eye with the heel of his palm. Joey stumbled backwards, raising his hands to his face… but forgetting that he still had the knife in his hands. He cut himself on his eyebrow, sliding upwards, narrowly missing his eye.

Joey hopped up and down, shouting expletives. His friends couldn't help but find this funny. Lemy laughed along with them, punch drunk. As he heard Lemy's laughter, a volcano erupted inside Joey.

This wimpy, annoying, inbred freak had humiliated him for the last time.

Henry was the first to stop laughing, as he saw what Joey was about to do. "Don't…!" he shouted. "Don't –!"

But it was too little, too late. Joey rushed at Lemy…

…and knifed him.

The blade sank into Lemy's stomach, just above the navel. He, Tyler, and Ernie all stopped laughing. Joey grabbed his shoulder and thrusted, pushing the knife in deeper, then left it sticking there. He backed away, clearly pleased with himself.

"Y-You… You…" Henry stuttered. "You… You did it…! You actually fucking DID IT!"

Tyler, Ernie, and Henry all started freaking out, while Lemy stared blankly at the knife lodged in his belly, feebly grasping the handle.

"Shut up!" Joey shouted. "Everyone shut up!"

"Jesus Christ, man," Ernie said, "do you have any idea what you've just done?!"

"Don't fucking lecture me." Joey pointed at Lemy decisively. "That'll teach you to fuck with me, you ugly, pathetic, shit-for-brains inbr–"

Lemy pulled out the knife, studying it. Smiling tiredly, he looked at Joey from beneath his brows.

"Heh… That the best you can do, punk?"

He tossed the knife at Joey's feet.

"MY turn."

Slowly, he started advancing on Joey. Joey and his friends all backed away, intimidated.

"Y-Y-You know what?" Joey said. "Th-This isn't worth it anymore. C-Come on, guys, l-let's get out of here!"

He and the others promptly turned tail and fled, with Joey throwing an ineffectual parting shot of "So long, freak!" over his shoulder.

"I'll be waiting for that apology!" Lemy shouted back. As he heard their footsteps retreat into the distance, he grinned triumphantly. He had done it. He'd defended his family honor. He won.

…So why didn't it feel like a victory?

Lemy looked down at his stomach, where a red blot on his shirt was steadily spreading outwards. Oh, yeah… that might have something to do with it. That, and the broken finger, the broken arm, the broken ribs, the bruised testicles, the possibly broken ankle…

Pressing his left hand against the wound, his right arm hanging limply from his side, Lemy started limping around the Gus' Games and Grub building and across the parking lot towards the street. It was slow progress, painfully slow… but he got there.

A passerby out on a late stroll happened upon him as he started approaching the street. He was quite unsure what to make of the sight of the heavily injured boy gimping towards him. "Uh… kid?" the man said. "You alright?"

Lemy chuckled. "Just gotta… walk this off…"

He just had to get to the hospital… or home. Whichever was closer. Wait, didn't he have a bike? Yeah, he distinctly remembered coming here by bike. It was probably chained up near the building. Of course, he only remembered that after he had made it all the way to the sidewalk. Lemy turned around, started walking back towards Gus' Games and Grub…

…and fell like a tree.

"Kid!"

The pavement might have been hard, but it was still awfully comfy. Lemy was really disappointed that the man turned him over – he was perfectly cozy where he was.

"Oh, jeez! Oh, fuck! Oh, God! Oh, man…" The passerby fished out his cellphone and dialed 9-1-1. "H-Hello? 9-1-1? I – Th-There's a kid here, he's all bloody, and…" He lifted up Lemy's shirt. "Oh, God, I-I think he's been stabbed! Please, send help!"

Lemy stared up at the sky. The night sky in Royal Woods was always so beautiful. The stars seemed so close… That reminded him – it was close to bedtime…

The man put pressure on Lemy's wound. "O-Okay, kid, okay, don't worry! Th-The ambulance is on the way! J-Just stay with me!"

Lemy didn't want to stay awake. He had quite a headache, and he was starting to feel warm and fuzzy…

"K-Kid? Kid, stay with me! Kid! Kid…!"

Lemy closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.