Title: Brothers No Matter What
Summary: Ben and Monty as teenagers shortly after Monty's decommissioning.
Rating: K+ for mentions of child abuse.
Authors Note: I'm not very happy with this one and might just try another but I really wanted to share it and get your thoughts. I don't think its as good as my other one but hey maybe someone might like it.
His dad never remembered his name. After his personal decommissioning Montgomery Uno had barely any recognition of his second son. Sure, it was easy to remember Monty. He named his eldest son after him. That hurt Ben at least a little bit. It was Monty that Ben was concerned with the most though. Monty vaguely remembered his childhood. Not much of it, just a little bit here and there. Most of it came in dreams that he could only pass as a dream given how silly they were, according to him.
Then the funeral came. Grandma Clara had passed away just about a fortnight ago. Ben hadn't been able to fall asleep for days after she first died. He wasn't really close to his grandmother like Monty, but he dearly missed the elder woman. He would always remember her tell stories about her two sisters. The death of his grandmother clearly hurt his older brother. They were always off baking something in the kitchen or giving him extra lessons over his favorite subjects. Pappy would find them together in his room late at night up past either of their bedtimes. Just before she died Monty would tell her stuff that he remembered. Which is where Ben found Monty tonight.
Their rooms were right next to each other with only a bathroom between them. Monty's light still bright as it slowly filtered into the hall. Ben up and ready to sneak a snack and get himself a glass of water. His room was starting to get a little too hot for him tonight.
"Monty what are you still doing up?" asked Ben as his wandered into his teenage brother's bigger bedroom. It had to be close to two a.m. and everyone should be fast asleep. Monty lay in the middle of his king size bed looking through a photo album. Despite being upside down Ben could clearly tell that is was of their grandmother.
Monty looked up at him with a sad look on his face. Ben looked down to see a picture of their grandmother in a Victorian dress looking solemn. Her sisters next to her and their mother behind them. Other pictures included picnics and a rather scary looking family picture. Grandma would tell them about her older sister Amelia, who died in childbirth during the 1853 yellow fever of New Orleans. Then of her younger sister that didn't even live to 16 because she simply couldn't swim.
"Sometimes I wish we meet them," said Monty speaking up, his right hand on the picture of their great aunts. "Grandma always told me that we were the last of our family line. The bad thing is that I can't barely remember much to tell my kids. I feel horrible that I can't remember being a kid."
"I would too," mumbled Ben. He pulled open the bag of cookies he had for a late night snack and passed the bag to Monty. His brother's eyes lit up at the sight of his favorite snicker doodle cookies
There were times when you would comfort me. That you would try to help me get through whatever pappy did to me, thought Ben. Determination ran through him. Whatever it took Ben was going to pay Monty back. They were always going to be brothers no matter what.
His eyes strayed to the strands of black that started to form up his arms. They came and went every once in a while. He had no control over when it happened. Sometimes it would grow over his pants and sometimes it would start in his dark hair.
Monty clearly made his choice by denying his powers. It was his heritage, part of their family for generations on end. If pappy still had his memories he would have gotten very angry. Pappy had trained Monty for it nearly all his life. Now Ben was slowly gaining these powers and there was nothing he could do about it. He slowly picked away the darkness.
"I'm going to make a snack," said Ben after a second. "Want to come with me?"
Monty smiled at his brother before going with him. They just had cookies but who didn't want a little milk? Both boys tip toed passed their father's bedroom and into the kitchen. Ben knew it like the back of his hand from being in here so much. Monty only took in the smell of the kitchen.
Ben pulled out chips and Monty found the cheese to melt on top. Cheesy chips always hit the spot.