Happy in the Dark Chapter 1
Hello, everyone! Just a short two/three-shot here, but I'm warming up for a full-length AT story at some point in the future, so stay tuned for more.
Now… I got this idea whilst daydreaming about fight scenes in the aforementioned planned bigger fic. I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe because I recently read quite a few angsty fics or I saw that meme where Finn's a kid in a coma dreaming of Ooo. I should stop googling stuff….
I'm going to get on with it. See you at the bottom of the page!
The first few rays of grey, muted sunlight of the city day shone through the near eternal cover of clouds. They swept over a sprawling, amorphous urban mass, glinting off tattoo shop signs and ventilation shafts. Old brick buildings began to stir as their inhabitants awoke to the next day of their lives, to walk the streets, do their jobs, and keep their heads down.
Little more than half an hour later, the soft light of dawn shone onto crowded streets, where people shunted and grumbled and jostled with each other for space on the worn pavement. Every so often, a car would attempt to pass, and would eventually be allowed through, followed by a torrent of curses. Drunks stirred, stalls opened up, and the humdrum day-to-day of life in New Operoano, referred to as Ooo by its citizens, began.
There was very little happiness in this place. It was life stripped to the bare bones. Crime ran rampant, but in such a way that no one noticed. Gangs owned every inch of land, and no one even knew if the police existed anymore. In this city, you got by. Nothing more, nothing less. If you found a body in the gutter one morning, with initials of the local gang carved into its chest, hell, it wasn't your problem. Chuck it in the river and be done with it. They said that a place like this never really left you. Even the few who had bolstered their guts enough to leave the wretched place behind and found something more elsewhere never forgot it. Grey skies, grey buildings, grey morals. Endless. Inescapable.
Even the gang bosses hated it there. But it was all they had.
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At about nine, in a small terraced house on top of a little greasy spoon café, a crumpled baby-blue duvet shifted as its occupant began to wake up. A deep, sleepy groan emanated from the pile of fabric, and a light-skinned head poked out of the top, its face yawning and blinking away sleep.
It was not a particularly young face, no less than twenty-five, with a chiselled jaw and slight stubble, but yet strangely unburdened by life's grind, unlike practically everyone else in the city. Long blonde hair that would have fallen just below the shoulders was strewn all over the place, a messiness only matched by the room it occupied.
As he shook off sleep, the boyish-faced man sighed contentedly, and threw off the duvet with thin, yet strong and lithe arms. Kicking away a discarded pair of pants, his legs stepped down to the ground, and he stretched out his arms, yawning, then allowing them to fall to his knees. He blinked once or twice, then rubbed the sleep from his crystal blue eyes, almost fully awake now.
He glanced at his attire for the previous night, a simple pair of boxers and a once-white vest, and quickly sniffed his armpit. Contemplating for a moment, he shrugged, bundled a few scattered clothes together and made for the door.
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One quick shower later, the boy stepped out into the cramped landing, over a worn wooden floor and past two bedroom doors. He descended the stairs, his hair still a little wet, wearing a loose light blue t-shirt and grease-stained jeans. As he stepped down, a familiar melody wafted into his ears, accompanied by a delectable smell. A wide, childish grin broke out across his face, and he quickened his pace, jumping down the last few old steps onto a brown tiled floor.
He looked up, seeing the kitchen of the greasy spoon his brother ran. Across the counter, a few customers were already there, waiting with visible anticipation for their locally-famed breakfast. At the back of the kitchen, the chef leant against a table, stirring a big bowl of batter and humming a tune to himself. He stuck a finger in, tasting the mixture, and gave a small, satisfied smile. Perfect. He looked up, noticing the blue boy, and the smile broke out into a grin.
"Finally awake, eh, Finn?" Finn smiled back and shook his head.
"Nah, man. Still asleep. You're totally dreaming."
"Hah! Yeah, right."
"Yup, Jake's having a dream where the awesomest brother in the world comes down and talks to him for twenty seconds. Best dream ever, right dude?" Jake laughed, and put down the bowl of batter. He offered his fist, and Finn bumped it with his own.
They set about the kitchen, getting ingredients together for the breakfast rush, both for themselves and the customers. The tables began to fill, and the atmosphere got lighter. Jake looked over the counter at the assembled people, and felt a tiny flicker of happiness, something he rarely truly felt, as did many people in the city. Sure, they smiled and laughed with each other, but it was just a way of keeping afloat, really. He loved his job because he got to make people forget their problems for a second or two while they ate the greatest food ever conceived by man.
The two brothers worked in perfect sync, Finn frying bacon, Jake whisking up more batter. In next to no time, Finn rattled out a trolley and handed them out to hungry customers, amid much cheering.
"Thanks, Finn! Thanks Jake!"
"You guys rule!"
"Worth the wait. So worth the wait."
With the crowd pacified, Finn and Jake sat down in a few chairs behind the counter, smiling. Jake looked over to Finn, who looked out over the tables. They were a great team. True family. Maybe not biologically, but you would be hard pressed to find siblings closer than them. Jake had short black hair, dark, mixed-race skin and wide eyes, looking almost nothing like Finn, but anyone who spent at least a little while around them that that was only skin deep. A small photo frame of them as kids, with another brother and their parents hung on the wall, a reminder that they never needed, but others might. Through thick and thin, they were inseparable, even through everything that had gone on in their lives. That was still going on in their lives…
Jake shook his head, refusing to let the darkness ruin his euphoric moment. Times like this were what he lived for. Finn didn't need them. He was never down, perhaps the only one in the whole city to be like that. Ironic, given his job…
There they were again. And this time, he couldn't escape it Finn would be leaving for his real 'work' pretty soon. The gloom must have shown on his face, because Finn was suddenly shaking him by the shoulder.
"You okay, man? You look bummed."
"No, Finn, I'm fine." He lied. "Look, I'm just-" He stalled, unable to explain what he was thinking about to Finn. He wouldn't understand. Not understanding was what made him so useful to his employers…
A doorbell rang behind them. The delivery door. Jake jumped up, eager to escape the conversation, saying he'd get it.
He ran over, opening the door. Behind it was a small Asian girl with neon green hair and a delivery company uniform, holding a massive cardboard box. A small moped leant against the wall behind her. She smiled at him.
"Hey, Jake!" She said in a cutesy Korean accent.
"Hey, BMO!" He replied. "How's it going?" She handed him the box and leant against the wall, stretching out her arms. He put it on a nearby worktop and turned back to her.
"Pretty good. I got an apartment now. Thanks again for putting me up here for a while."
"No probs. How's Whatshisface… Er… Bubble?" BMO giggled.
"He's fine. I think he's working with NEPTR at the computer workshop at the moment. He says it's interesting."
"Cool. I-" Jake stopped as he heard the shop front door slam open. He turned, and BMO peered over his shoulder, looking at the source of the disturbance. All was suddenly very quiet in the café.
Standing in the doorway were three men, all in heavy studded leather jackets and spray tanned to a ridiculous extent. Across their fronts was emblazoned: "HOT DAWGZ". The leader looked around the room through dark sunglasses, smoothing back a greasy pompadour. He waltzed up to the counter, his two friends following, shoving a few people out of the way.
Jake turned back to BMO, his face suddenly serious. He'd seen enough of the city in his youth to know what was going to happen. She nodded and grabbed her moped, and Jake shut the door, returning to the counter, where Finn sat, looking blankly at the three intruders.
Three dozen pairs of eyes watched the three waltz up to the counter, as if they relished the attention. The leader leant on the counter, looking around the place. Jake scowled at him.
"Nice joint you got here." He said in a whining, nasal voice. He spat on the floor, and a trace of a frown began to form on Finn's face. Jake replied to the man.
"Yeah. It is. And you're ruining it." The man grinned, straightening up. He took a deep breath.
"You know why we're here. You're in Hotdog territory, pay up your protection money." Jake bristled.
"I don't pay that stuff. Never have, never will."
"Wrong. You start now. Pay up, or do we have to take it?" Jake leant over the counter, putting his face inches from his enemy's. He almost growled out the words.
"Does the name 'Jake the Ripper' mean anything to you?" The man continued smiling obnoxiously.
"That name hasn't meant anything to anyone for a long, time, old dog. You know you're not going back. You're just like this lot now." He waved a hand over his shoulder at the captivated audience. "So pay up, or we smash this place."
Jake looked into the sunglasses of his foe, and knew his bluff had been called. He was right. He wasn't going back to that life. Ever. Not now he had Lady and little Jake Jr on the way. He had to keep them safe. No matter what.
He was about to reach for the till, when Finn suddenly and violently stood up, his chair clattering to the tiled floor. His frown had grown now, still only at the level of annoyed, but anyone who really knew Finn knew that that was only the beginning.
"Guys, not cool. You can't just bust in here and take our loot. That's bad biz, man. Get out of here before I donk you all on the head." A raised eyebrow rose above the leader's sunglasses, then he laughed. A deep, mocking laugh. He looked to his cronies, who joined in. Finn watched them, his frown teetering on the edge of angry. Jake watched his brother in mute dread. This was not going to end well. The leader sobered up, and looked at Finn.
"You retarded or somethin', kid?"
"No." More laughing.
"Then why don't you let the grownups take care of this and go play in the corner?" More mocking laughter.
"'Cause you're trying to take our money." No more laughter.
Quick as a flash, the man had a knife to Finn's throat. Jake froze. Finn looked straight ahead, face impassive.
"Damn right we're taking your money. And you're gonna give it to us or I'm gonna gut you both."
Jake took on the role of peacemaker.
"Okay man, take it easy. I-"
"Shut up, Jake. I'm talking to your buddy here." Jake sighed and hung his head.
"I wasn't talking to you…" He mumbled.
Before he even saw it move, Finn had the man's knife-wielding hand in his. The man blinked and tried to push the knife towards Finn's neck, but it did not move. As if it were the easiest thing in the world, Finn moved the hand away, now over the counter. He began to squeeze.
Instantly, the leader screamed. There was a terrible cracking sound as the bones in his hand buckled, and he started screaming mercy. Finn looked at him impassively, his head tilted sideways, as if curious at the man wriggling like a fish on a line before him. The two thugs behind him stared in shock, then took out and brandished weapons of their own. Jake shook Finn by the shoulder, begging him to let go. Finn glanced to Jake, oblivious to his victim's suffering, and let him go.
He collapsed to the floor, cradling his mangled and bloodied hand. He carried on screaming, now less in pain, more in anger.
"Sick 'im, boys!" He yelped, and they did just that.
One, the burlier of the two, grabbed Finn by the scruff of his neck and yanked him over the counter, while the other lunged with a knife. Finn's face barely changed, shoving the grabber in the chest and batting the other's knife-hand away, following it up with a swift punch to the face. Most of the customers had thrown money on the table and left by that point, so the tables were empty. The burly one fell onto one, knocking it over, while the knife-wielder just reeled, a little blood dripping from his nose. He swung again, and Finn caught him by the wrist, bending it away and uppercutting him in the gut. He dropped the knife and doubled over, and Finn brought a knee up in his face, sending him sprawling onto the floor like his leader.
The bigger one groaned, propping himself up on his arms, before Finn jumped on him, knocking him back down. Straddling the man's leather-bound chest, Finn brought his fist up, grabbing his leather collar, and began to beat his assailant senseless. By the time Jake made it over the counter, the man's face was a babbling mush.
"Finn! Stop!" He called out urgently, trying to pull his brother away. Finn stopped for a moment and looked up confusedly.
"But they were gonna mess us up! That means I can donk 'em up good. PB said it's self-defence or something." PB. Princess Bubblegum. Bonnibel Bubblegum. One of the biggest crime lords in the city. The name certainly turned heads. The writhing man suddenly looked up, his sunglasses fallen away to reveal pure, naked fear.
"Shit, guys! We're playing with real fire here, come on, up and out!"
He tried to get to his feet, but was stopped when Jake planted a foot on his stomach. He looked up at the man before him. When he walked in, he had just looked like a greasy thirty-something manual worker in a stained old apron. One of the masses. Ordinary. Intimidatable. But now, he seemed to grow in size, dominating his view and blocking out all light. Suddenly, he believed the legends of Jake the Ripper. Finn got off his target.
"Don't ever… Let me see you, or anyone like you, here… Ever again." Jake growled out. The orange coward nodded furiously and was released. He scrambled to his feet, followed by his friends, one hunched over, the other holding his nose and glancing back at the two. They left, and for a second, all was silent.
Jake sighed, and started righting the tables and chairs, dropping the leftover money into his apron pocket. The few remaining customers mumbled apologies and handed him a few reconciliatory notes, hurriedly walking out the door as well. Jake sighed again. They'd be back in a few days. Probably. Hopefully Finn would bring in enough to tide them over for the next week or so.
He turned back to Finn, who was smiling his indelible smile. It always made Jake feel a little better, even when he was acutely aware of all the garbage around him. Even after seeing what Finn had just done to the three men. Even when he knew that Finn did much, much worse things every day. The smile was a little ray of happiness and sunshine, probably the only real one in the whole goddamn city. It was why their little café had gotten so popular. 'The Treehouse' was one of the best little places to get a breakfast in Ooo because it gave people a feeling that they couldn't get anywhere else.
"We got those guys pretty good, didn't we?" Said Finn. Jake smiled at him wearily. So much can-do and enthusiasm it was almost infectious. If there were just a few more people like Finn in this world…
"Yeah. We did. Yay. Come on, help me clean up."
They set about work again in the deserted café, mopping up spilt bacon pancakes and jars of syrup. The morning shift was ending, and with it was Jake's daily time with Finn. He'd have to go to work soon. Lady would come over, sure, but he could never quite shake off his worry for Finn. He could handle himself, definitely. And he wasn't working for the worst in the business. But still. There was only so much a kid like Finn could take.
Kid. Heh. He was freaking twenty-five. But still acted like a kid. Even when he was crushing a guy's hand like it was made of tissue paper and twigs. That was what made him so useful to his employer. It was probably also the reason either of them were still alive. A quick, strong fighter that didn't ask questions or think about what he was doing. And a great morale booster to boot.
Jake swore to Lady he wasn't involved in his old life before. And he was telling the truth. But he still had to look out for Finn. If he got signed over to the wrong crowd, started doing a little too well in his 'missions'… He could get hurt. And Jake wouldn't let that happen.
Twenty minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Finn had to go. He picked up a green rucksack, and walked out the door, waving goodbye to Jake. He waved back, smiling sadly. He wondered if Finn would ever really grow up. Maybe get a thought about the morality of his job into his thick skull and break it off. Get a girl. Climb the tiers. Jake sniggered a little. That was probably taking it a bit far.
As he watched Finn disappear into the crowd, he felt the little ray of sunshine wink out, and the darkness of the city flow back in.
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Always remember to review guys! Follow if you liked it so far, and if you didn't, then I understand. I thought it would have come out better. But then again, maybe that's my inherent British self-hatred talking.
I've got patchy internet at the moment, but I'll hopefully have the next one up soon. Please check out my other stuff if you're a fan of what they're about, and I'll see you all later!
