His Revenge

By: Riley

Summary – TumTum knows he isn't going to have as much time with his brothers as they used to. But that doesn't mean they have to ditch him at every turn. So he decides to play a little game with them for revenge.

TumTum smiled to himself as he walked into his house after a long bout of wrestling practice. Practically skipping, actually. It was the first time in a long time he had been that happy and it was all because he knew he was going to be spending more time with his brothers soon.

He was a man on a mission, so much so that he didn't even stop to get the snack his mother was offering him. No, instead he went straight to Colt's room, figuring that's where his brothers were. It's where they almost always were nowadays. He knew Rocky and Colt always had a special relationship with each other because they were the oldest. Just as he and Colt had a special one because they were the youngest—or rather Colt allowed him to tag along. He didn't get to tag along so much as they got older and got their own friends. Rocky and Colt's friend group mixed and mingled time and time again, making them all hang out more while TumTum, who had his own friends, was effectively left in the cold.

How many times had he tried to hang out with them and they'd be lounging around in Colt's room, laughing and joking about whatever and saying 'you wouldn't understand' when TumTum asked about it. Or 'it's kind of private' when he wanted to hang around? Was a few minutes out of their day to acknowledge their baby brother that hard? TumTum certainly didn't think so.

So he was going to make sure they knew he was still there, no matter how annoyed they would be with him. That was the perks of being the youngest, he was going to figure out as many ways as he could to get their attention even if it mean annoying them to death. But this wasn't annoying, it was a game. His sort of revenge, really, and at least someone was going to get entertainment out of it, even if it was him.

TumTum burst into Colt's room, accented with heavy uses of navy and black, finding Colt and Rocky sitting on the floor, legs outstretched with holds onto cards, the rest of the deck scattered along the ground. They looked up, abruptly ceasing conversation when he came in.

Colt shot him an irritable look. "How many times do I have to tell you to knock?"

"Sorry." But TumTum wasn't sorry. It was something they went through every day. He went over to Colt's bed, which Colt was resting his back against, and flopped down on it. "What are you doing?"

"We're just playing poker, Tum," Rocky explained patiently. Just as TumTum hoped, for Rocky to be in a good mood. He was the easiest to whittle down when the time came.

"Can I play?"

"No," Colt said quickly, gruffly. "You can't."

"How come?"

"Because we need to learn this for our Poker game with our friends this weekend."

"Gambling's illegal you know."

"We're not playing with real mo—"Colt cut himself off. He reached up and ran his hand through his hair, almost roughly. The same thing he always did when he was trying to keep his anger in check. Anything that would keep him from freaking out and snapping at him. Rocky gave him a pointed look and he let out a low, long breath. "We're not playing with any real money. It's for bragging rights. What do you want, Tum?"

TumTum ignored the frustration that Colt was obviously trying not to unleash on him. Any other day he would goad him a bit, to see how far he could take it until he snapped. Rocky got in on the fun every once in a while, using his own calm demeanor to irritate Colt further. "I was wondering if you guys wanted to play a game?" TumTum asked.

"We're already playing a game, Tum," Rocky said. But then his eyes shifted. "But what kind of game were you thinking."

"Don't encourage him," Colt said. "Remember the last time he wanted play a game? We ended up destroying a TV and had to pay dad back for that." He smirked over at his little brother. "And, I think it was the first time mom actually got mad at you."

"Shut up, spaz," TumTum shot back. It wasn't his fault he was clearly their mom's favorite. "Anyway, do you want to play 'The Floor is Lava'?" He got groans almost immediately. "What?"

"Only babies play that game," Colt explained.

"You used to play all the time."

Rocky snorted into laughter, making Colt shoot out his feet and kick Rocky in the shin. Rocky frowned and brought his leg up to rub the reddening skin. "That's because you wouldn't stop whining until we played. And it's such an old game."

"Well." TumTum paused. He knew he had to wait long enough to make them feel guilty. "We don't really do anything anymore and Rocky is going off to college soon, so I just thought it'd be fun." He got up from the bed and moved to the door. "I'll see you guys later."

"Wait." TumTum grinned to himself, hearing Rocky speak. He knew that guilt trip would get them. Wiping the smile from his face, TumTum turned to face his brother.

"Yeah, let's just get it over with," Colt said.

"It's the same rules as usual right?" Rocky asked. "You can't touch the ground?"

"Sort of," TumTum said quickly. "The rules changed so now it's a surprise. Whenever someone says 'The Floor is Lava' you only have five seconds before you have to get off the floor. No matter where you are. And if you don't do it within those five seconds you get a five star."

Colt winced.

A five star—a hard smack on the back, arm, or other exposed area of the skin, was already painful. But considering their ninja training, they knew the best way to get the maximum amount of pain out of a hit of their hand, not to mention weak spots on their bodies. Growing up they had managed to get five stars so bad Colt was admitted to the hospital at least once due to broke blood vessels in his arm and their mother and father had quickly banned them from ever doing it again.

"Anywhere?" Rocky's eyebrows rose. TumTum could see the concern in his eyes. Rocky would never admit it, but he did care what people thought of him. Especially when he was around his friends. He had been tagged a 'showoff' by his peers enough times for it to really sink in to not stand out too much unless needed. "Tum, I don't—"

"What's the matter, Rock?" Colt asked. He gestured towards TumTum. "You don't want to play? I mean, it's like Tum said, you don't have much time left with him."

Rocky glared at him.

TumTum continued to hold his composure.

"Fine," Rocky muttered.

"Whatever you want," Colt agreed. He waved his hand. "Now can we go back to playing poker in peace?"

"Yeah, sure," TumTum agreed. He turned towards the door again.

"And you better not tell dad!"

"Okay."

TumTum all but laughed evilly as he walked to his own room. They were going to get payback for not wanting him around. Well, they were going to know he was around now whether they liked it or not.

The game started off slowly.

One day when Rocky, Colt, and TumTum were helping their father with yard work, TumTum casually called it out to Colt. For a moment, Colt blinked at him in confusion until TumTum started to count down. "5…4…3…" and Colt understood.

Dropping the bag of leaves he had been holding while TumTum raked them in, Colt's eyes darted around the front yard. There weren't many places to go. So he looked up and jumped upwards, grabbing onto the branch that dangled above his head. It bobbed under his weight but didn't break. And he grinned triumphantly down at TumTum, who gave him the thumbs up back.

"Cake," Colt declared, dropping to the ground. "You'll have to try harder than that."

TumTum just smiled and set his sights on Rocky. He didn't do it so close to Colt's turn, just so he wasn't expecting it. But TumTum said it again; the boys and their father Sam had been talking about what they were going to do with the paint when TumTum said, "Oh, Rocky, don't forget…the floor is lava."

Rocky and Sam both frowned. Geez, TumTum thought. No wonder dad named Rocky after him, they look exactly the same. "What are you doing, TumTum?" Sam asked.

But TumTum kept his eyes on Rocky, challenging him. It wasn't until Colt crossed his arms with a smirk that horror slowly dawned in Rocky's eyes. He didn't want to get five starred. "5…4…" He didn't get past '4' before Rocky sprinted across the front yard and carefully pulled himself into the open window of his truck. A low sigh escaped Rocky's lips, his shoulders visibly slumping.

Then, holding onto the top railing of the truck, he twisted around and smiled at TumTum, lifting his eyebrows as if to say 'game on'.

"What's this all about?" Sam demanded.

"Nothing," Colt said innocently."

"We're just playing a game," TumTum said. He smiled sweetly for added effect.

Sam looked at his three sons with an expression that was a mixture of confusion and frustration—they did need to finish the yard work, you know.

And that was the beginning.

But as time went on, TumTum started to become a little more sadistic with his brothers. One time he thought Colt was taking a little bit too long in the shower and he called through the door. Colt huffed in reply. "Are you kidding?"

"No," TumTum replied carelessly.

"I still have shampoo in my hair."

"5…4…3…2…"

And then Colt cursed him out while TumTum heard the sound of a shower curtain opening and hurried footsteps before a loud slam and an even louder curse. Risking it, TumTum cracked the door and poked his head in, finding Colt leaning on the counter with a towel draped across his lap, an eye closed as soap ran down his face, and the most wicked glare he had ever sent his brother. TumTum was 100% sure that's what people mean when they said 'if looks could kill'.

"I hate you," Colt growled.

TumTum just smiled and closed the door. The next time was when they were at dinner and he said it to Rocky, who practically flew from his dinner chair to run to the kitchen and leap onto the counter. The table wasn't an option as it was already filled with food. Their mother—Jessica, and father had grown so accustomed to the game as time passed that they didn't bat an eye.

Round and round went by.

Colt had to stop taking to his friends to suddenly leap on his best friend's back to say up. Rocky had been caught in the middle of class, when TumTum had gotten a hall pass and walked by the room, whispering it loud enough for him to hear. Rocky, red-faced, then climbed atop his desk to lamely explain he thought the sprinkler system in the ceiling was leaking. Colt stopped in the middle of soccer practice to shimmy up the soccer goal post, Rocky jumped onto a rack of chips in the middle of the store. Colt leapt into a trash can and Rocky flopped across the laps of random strangers as they sat on a park bench.

Then TumTum had gotten them while they were at work. He went to the pizza parlor to find Rocky and the owner working the counter. Rocky eyed him warily as he went to the counter. "What do you want?" He asked.

"I'm just picking up mom's order, relax," TumTum said. He crossed his arms, leaning on the counter and eyed the growing line at the register. "Work been hard?"

Rocky pulled his baseball cap up off his head and wiped his forehead with his forearm. "As hard as it can be? We're in the lunch rush right now."

"Oh, that's a shame."

Rocky paused in his movements. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"

TumTum stood up straight preening like a peacock. "Because the floor is lava."

"Tum," Rocky protested.

"5."

"I'm at work!"

"4."

"Son of a bitch," Rocky whispered under his breath. He almost never cursed unless under special duress. He was that tightly wound. TumTum's face nearly split in two he was grinning so hard.

"3."

Rocky turned around to find a place to leap up and sighed heavily. There was no space behind him; there were plenty of pizzas being assembled that he couldn't step on or risk stepping on. That would bring too much bad publicity and broken health codes to the restaurant.

"2."

"I'm so sorry for this," Rocky apologized to his boss and the waiting customers.

"1."

Rocky brushed aside the money that was sitting on the counter and quickly leapt atop it. He pulled off his cap and held it over his face as his boss and the customers all stared at him strangely and TumTum cackled.

Then he got Colt with the ultimate one. He had been at work at the auto repair shop when TumTum dropped by on his bike. "What do you want, squirt?" Colt asked, looking up from the part he had been cleaning. "I've got a lot of stuff to do."

"I know." TumTum dismounted his bike and pulled his backpack around to his front. "You forgot your lunch, mom wanted me to bring it to you." He reached inside and pulled out the paper sack. "It's leftover brisket."

"Awesome!" Colt had been at the age where he was embarrassed to be seen with his parents for too long for a while, but even he couldn't resist his mother's home cooking. His eyes even lit up as he took it. "Thanks, Tum."

"You're welcome." TumTum walked his bike a little closer to the Mustang Colt had been working on. It was very nice, very expensive. He could tell just by looking at it. "So what's up with this one?"

Colt wiped smeared grease off his cheek and flicked his head. "Some rich guy wants to make sure it goes as fast as it can. Even though as much as he open this thing up it'll be back in the shop within the next week." He shrugged. "Whatever, more money for us."

"Wow." TumTum noddd in approval. It was a nice car. Too bad it had to be messed up. "Do you ever get a chance to drive them?"

"I wish. This baby would be awesome to take out on the road."

"Yeah, but it would suck…you know…since the floor is lava."

"Damn it!" Colt cried. TumTum started to count down and Colt zipped back and forth along the garage, looking for something that would hold his weight. Finally, he turned and slid onto the hood of the Mustang. Both boys cringed as his added weight pushed in the hood. "Damn it!" Colt cried again, this time for the extra work he had to do. "TumTum!"

"Gotta go!" TumTum ran to his bike and grabbed it. He slung his leg over the seat and peddled away as fast as he could go.

He may have taken it a little bit too far.

The game had been going on for a while.

TumTum should've seen it coming.

Rocky and Colt were going to get back at him for what he had been doing to them and it was going to come when he least expected it. Of course it would. TumTum had been talking to his classmate Sally Baxter. But she wasn't just his classmate; she was someone that he had his eye on for a long while, hoping to ask out soon. But he wasn't sure how she felt about him.

The school day had just ended and TumTum was waiting for his brothers so they could go home together. He had been talking to Sally about, maybe, going to a movie together that weekend. He was making her laugh, had her enraptured in his stories of the school day—of the classes she wasn't in—that was a good sign.

"So, Sally, what are you doing this weekend? I was thinking…" He trailed off, noticing a shadow fall over him and Sally's eyes shift to the side. TumTum glanced over his shoulder, finding Rocky and Colt standing behind him, arms crossed and sharing identical grins. "Oh, hey guys. Listen, can you wait a minute?"

"The floor is lava," Colt interrupted. A wicked gleam came to his eye.

TumTum's heart sank. "I'm in the middle of—"

"5," Rocky started to count.

"Can it please wait?"

"4."

"Just a second?"

"3."

"Ugh!" TumTum turned and took a few long strides, using the momentum to launch himself onto the bushes beside them. He stayed up for a few seconds before the branches gave way and he fell to the ground. A few seconds later, TumTum emerged from the bush, crawling on his hands and knees. He spat leaves from his mouth and pulled some from his hair as he stood up.

Rocky and Colt clapped, TumTum brushed leaves off him, scanning the area for Sally. He sighed, shoulders slumping when he found her climbing into her mother's car. Then he turned back to his brothers. "Good one," he muttered.

But he couldn't stay mad.

He had started the game as a way to spend more time with his brothers. Having them do crazy things at the worst times. They had been smart to use his logic back against him, to embarrass him in front the girl he liked.

It was the most fun he had with them in a long time.

Well played.

THE END

A/N: I saw the viral video of this and thought of how it would work and immediately got this idea for 3 Ninjas and some other fandoms. I hope you guys liked it.

Cheers,

-Riles