It had been a few weeks since Thomas and Michael had arrived at the orphanage...although Michael and Chris insisted to Thomas to not call it that. It was...just a temporary settlement. They weren't going to be there long, just until their dad came back.
Michael played out this fantasy worse than any of the others. Chris, Thomas knew, felt guilty for leaving them here...but that excuse was wearing thin.
Chris visited less and less frequently, now caught up in some kind of crazy expedition to find their dad, it was like talking to him about the reality of their situation was a foreign concept.
Though it didn't really mean much...Chris not visiting that is. As it was, their visits were becoming more and more distant. Thomas generally found himself sitting there quietly, starring far too often up at the clock. Michael was the only one that made a conscious effort at conversation at this point. He would yammer on uncharacteristically about school work and how it wasn't so bad there. When Chris asked if they had made any new friends, Michael jumped in quickly to say he enjoyed spending more time with Thomas.
Hah. The kid was getting pretty good at lying through his teeth...which Thomas felt quite guilty for. The conversations between him and his younger brother were stale and unanimated. As soon as Chris would leave, Michael would allow his eyes to fall back into a trance of silence. As if the very life of him was drained out, leaving nothing more than a stagnant smile that answered any of Thomas's remarks. What...what kind of brother let his little brother fall so deep into...
They were too little to feel depressed. And...and Thomas knew he couldn't blame Chris for all that was happening. Chris himself had the burden of working late night shifts and some strange researching job during the day. As he was still a minor, he did get some time off-but that time off was generally spent sleeping or...
Or well Thomas wasn't really sure. He inwardly hoped Chris had some kind of hobby that made him feel better. At the same time though, a part of him wanted Chris to suffer with them. To get through it, without clinging so frivolously to the past. Their dad was dead. Dead and gone forever.
His stomach twisted at this harsh notion...Chris was still looking, but hope wasn't exactly Thomas's cup of tea.
Being around Michael was becoming tougher by the day. His younger brother was far more sullen than Thomas had ever seen him. It was unnatural, unreal. He...supposed he should be glad Michael was comfortable with Thomas to show his true face; yet a darker, weaker part of Thomas's mind wished Michael put up that front in front of him as well. It was damn well impossible for Thomas to say anything to his youngest brother now, he could already feel them drifting apart. Ridiculous! Thomas was almost as old as Chris...he should...be able to help out...some...somehow...
Rubbing his dry eyes awake, the young boy slung himself off his mattress onto the hardwood floor.
"It's not that the orphanage-yeah Chris, that's what I'm calling it, is really bad or anything...we get food and stuff here. I can duel a bunch of people..." Thomas melded away trying to think clearly. Michael was up early, as per usual, but was starring at Thomas.
Starring...as if waiting for him to get up-Thomas was about to yell at Michael for being creepy, when he realized the younger wasn't starring at him. He was just staring.
"...come on Michael. Let's get up..." Thomas suggested, wrenching up a makeshift smile. Michael glowered slightly in light of his brothers attempt at cheerfulness. He did not like it when Thomas cooked up a smile or a laugh just to get by. For some reason it really made him angry...and...well only ever so slightly want to wipe that fake smile off his face.
"Mmhmm" Michael nodded and went after his brother. It was still fairly early on, and it had been a while since Chris last visited...
Taking his older brothers hand, Michael silently went along with Thomas as he led the way outside to the courtyard. It was an early Saturday morning, mornings they used to spend sleeping in or watching cartoons...
Well, sleep was more of a foreign concept than anything else as of late. Michael found himself tearing up easily at the slightest thoughts, much to Thomas's disapproval. At first, Thomas wouldn't even hold Michaels hand, but eventually gave into his younger brothers persistence. For Thomas, it was a greater form of comfort than Michael could properly grasp. It allowed Thomas to feel like...feel like he was actually being a good brother. And the warmth of the others hand felt soothing and melded away at the soreness in his heart for a time.
"Is...Chris going to visit today?" Michael mumbled, trying to make light conversation. Unbeknownst to the younger, Thomas felt a twinge of spite at his words. Of course...he wanted Chris around...cause' Chris was so amazing...
"What am I thinking...idiot." Thomas scolded himself, rubbing his forehead. It really was too early to be thinking of these kinds of things...he just needed some air or something. Maybe he and Michael could just sit around outside for a while. There weren't any classes or anything today...
"If it isn't the new kids" a gruff voice interrupted Thomas's train of thought. He turned around to see a teenage boy, just about Chris's age he thought, towering over the pair of brothers. Some annoying boy that had a tendency to look at Michael a bit more closely that Thomas approved of…
A better reason than any other to keep his brother close to him here.
Thomas knew when he was outmatched—though that usually never stopped him from getting in fights anyways. He may be smaller than these guys, but that was no reason to back down. Thomas wasn't some little boy—well, at least in his eyes, and if anyone challenged him he'd take them on no problem.
Well…maybe one problem.
Michael.
Michael was here, and Thomas knew with so many people around them, it would be next-near impossible for him to defend his younger brother. The last thing he wanted to do was just lay down in defeat…but he needed to think of his brothers welfare above all.
Holding closer to Michael's hand, Thomas made the move to walk around the bullies and just ignore them, but felt a great force thrusting him away from his brothers hand.
"Don't ignore me, kid!" The bully commanded—
Thomas hand even bothered to learn this chumps name, but was already feeling as if he wanted to make him cry.
"No…no just leave it…" he coaxed himself, getting up silently and turning back towards Michael. He kept his eyes steady and alert.
"Hey! Leave my big brother alone!" Michael demanded, his little heart jolting upon seeing the offset look in Thomas's eyes. No one was…no one was a loud to touch him.
Before Thomas could grumble an, "it's okay, Michael," Michael charged forth and swung his tiny fist at the massive figure before him. Easily grabbing the younger by the wrist, the bully held Michael down with relative ease.
This was not "alright" in the slightest.
Although he was rightly tiny in respect to the towering figures before him, Thomas did have something they did not.
That being something worth fighting for
His body surging with hot blood, Thomas sprung into the midst of the fight, not caring who he was hitting or how bad he was getting hit back. He couldn't feel his own pain, just his brothers struggling cries for—
For Chris.
Please. Chris wasn't there—
Chris was never there.
"I'm coming, Michael!" Thomas raged, thrashing ferociously against the tide of oncoming bodies. They had no faces, they had no names…families…
None of them. But Thomas…Thomas had Michael. And he wasn't ever going to let him go.
"Fuck you, kid!" The largest from the beginning chortled, pulling out what Thomas immediately recognized to be a switch blade. If they so much as fucking touched Michael—
No shit. He was coming at Thomas full throttle, ready to shank him in the stomach.
"Get—off—my—brother-!" Thomas choked out, now pinned down by two of the larger boys. The large boy paused and grinned at this. He leaned in close to Thomas and began carving under his eye—a small, simple cross. The blade digging into his flesh barely phased Thomas as his eyes, twitching from the pain, still focused solely on Michael.
"So? You only care about that one over there…" now that guys fucking voice was making Thomas want to throw up. If he just had his arms free—
What in the fuck…why in the fuck was he coming so close to Michael—
"Let me show you something you'll never forget." He leaned closer over his brother—but he wasn't…not with the knife—
Michael had no idea what was going on…but Thomas knew.
Fuck did he know
"DON'T YOU FUCKING TRY! FIGHT ME. LEAVE HIM ALONE, HE'S JUST A STUPID BRAT WHO CAN'T DEFEND HIMSELF. FIGHT ME!" Thomas taunted in hopes of luring the bully away. No…no he couldn't let—let that happen to Michael—
"I'll get to you when I'm finished here…" the others voice dripped with humor. Where was someone—anyone. It was early, sure—just. Where was their dad?
Thomas's eyes stinged with tears, he couldn't hold them back any longer. His pain meant nothing to him…he just wanted to have Michael close. What kind of brother was he, why couldn't he protect the only family he had left?!
"You'll only be getting something from me…" a ghostly, almost unnatural voice broke the tension in the air. It was course and unyielding—something that Thomas hated to admit, sent chills down the back of his neck.
"Wha—" the boy turned to face the tall, lurching figure of their eldest brother. Chris's eyes held a maddening kind of fury that truly terrified Thomas. He didn't look—sane. It appeared as if a demon had taken over Chris's body and—
Wait there were still so many people. Chris was older…but he was still pretty small and skinny.
"Just get Michael out of here!" Thomas demanded, trying to reason with his brother. Chris barely registered Thomas's voice, eyes coldly meeting the blood stained face of his younger brother.
Without warning, Chris tore Michael from his tormenter, and swung the large boy hard on the pavement. His eyes still carrying that unforgiving, inhumane malice, Chris easily stomped down on the boys ribs. The feeling of the hard white bones crunch underneath his feet gave Chris a sense of belonging.
This fucker needed to pay.
The other boys simply gawked as Chris just kept stomping and tearing at the boys flesh. Chris's boots were muddled in blood, and had deep gashes in them from the pointed ribs digging into them at every other angle.
"T-that's enough!" Michael choked out, unable to stop hiccupping from the continuous flow of tears streaking down his face. Chris paused for a moment, his brothers voice finally reaching his ears, and looked up at the boys still surrounding Thomas.
The y fled. They did more than flee, they tore away in every other direction, seeking refuge from the terrifying figure that had mutilated their leader.
"Come on." Chris commanded, his voice still low and unforgiving. He swept over Thomas and Michael, and somehow managed to life the two of them together. Michael buried his face into Chris's shoulder, unable to form any more words.
Thomas…Thomas was afraid of getting any blood on his brothers jacket, so attempted to numbly hold on.
Chris kept silent, and inwardly thanked Thomas for stroking Michael's hair while he rushed them to the infirmary. The nurse was being informed by one of the boys from earlier of their fallen comrade, but froze upon seeing Chris come into view. The eldest barely noticed, and look matters into his hands. Lowering his brothers onto the sterile bed, Chris turned around and began shuffling around for first aid supplies. It seemed the nurse had gone to see what exactly had happened to the injured boy in the courtyard, but this was hardly of any concern to Chris right now.
"…just hold still" he informed Thomas, dabbing away at his brothers open wound.
Okay, now it stung.
Cringing back, Thomas held back a curse as Chris attempted to clean and patch up his eye. Michael feebly placed his hand on his brothers shoulder, making a small attempt at comfort; though he himself was unable to quell his oncoming barade of tears.
"I…I…sorr…I wish…dad…was…." This was the first time Michael had openly stated what they were all thinking…what was plaguing their dreams, filling their days, and festering in the eyes of those they loved.
"Just shut up, Michael!" Thomas cringed, shoving his brothers away from him. He didn't need to hear it. He just didn't. Michael wailed even harder at this, guilt consuming him over causing his brothers so much grief. He knew they were suffering…he just…
Thomas flinched, knowing Chris was going to scold him for yelling at Michael, but—
"I'll find him…I'll…find him…" Chris vowed, leaning down over the two young boys, he pulled them close into what he was hoping to be a comforting embrace. Michael shivered and clung to Chris's arm, whilst Thomas let his eyes cloud over with emptiness.
No one wanted to face reality. No one was going to just say dad was dead, and it was time to move on…
It was an early Friday afternoon, and Michael was just finishing off "Island of the Dolphins" for the third time this week. It was feeling rather slow and boring lately, he never thought he'd be as adjusted here as he currently was. It had been pouring pretty hard out, so his frequent trips to the local library had to be put at a halt for a time. Books were nice. Books were constant at least, and dulled away at the lulling boredom of the institution he found himself.
It wasn't necessarily that he was alone here, it was just that he preferred not to be in the company of some…people.
After the incident with Chris all those years ago, it was even rarer for him to visit. Even when he was around, Thomas usually made some excuse not to show up and it ended up being the two of them awkwardly stumbling through the most menial of dialogue. It was funny though.
No one spoke up about what Chris had done. All the boys were too terrified to testify against him, and the administrators found themselves at a loss when the bully himself couldn't speak out of fear of the three Arclight brothers. It did however make life for Thomas and Michael a fair bit easier. No one would dare mess with them, and why would they want to?
Michael was a textbook case of anti-social nerd. He preffered his books over everything, and rarely spoke a word to anyone. He wasn't teased or bothered, and this suited him just fine. Thomas on the other hand was frankly the polar opposite of his younger brother. He thrived on the compliments and adoration his peers showered upon him. They were terrified of him, yes, but more in awe with his charismatic attitude than anything else.
It was one of those little things in life that made Michael just want to hurtle his fist into his brothers face.
Surrounded by crowds of fakes and liers, Thomas put on a show for all of them. He twisted his face into a pleasant smile to show off for them. He dueled superbly and winked at the camera. That's all they wanted anyways, and he gave it to them. Michael just…just couldn't be around that. He could never stand his brother blatently lying and faking like that.
This was the main reason Michael and Thomas had drifted apart during their older years. After the incident, Thomas didn't want to be known just as Chris's younger brother. So he made a name for himself…made a mask for himself. Shaking off these thoughts, Michael tried to focus on the positive.
It was finally nice enough to get out and go to the library. He could just pore over books for the rest of the afternoon, without having to worry ditching his school work. He could just…just be away from here for a while, and not have to think too much about Thomas…about…everyone.
Stretching out and heading into the hall, Michael's eye brows raised slightly upon being called upon.
"Hey! Freak!" an old, but unforgettable voice called.
"Ah…" Michael acknowledged, turning to face an old crowd of faces. The boys from when he was younger were now, once again, towering over him. It seemed he had finally recovered from Chris's assasult, or maybe he had finally grown the balls to confront Michael.
"Now that you're not hiding behind your brothers, we can take it real slow" he grinned, walking closer to Michael.
Now Michael knew a thing or two about himself that were quite obvious. Of course he was quite small, even for his age. He still wasn't as physically strong as Thomas was, or even that violent of an individual. He was just a quiet, simple boy who enjoyed a good read.
"That's…exactly what I was thinking." Michael smiled gently, wasting no time and jamming his fist into the mans temple. Having put all of his weight into the punch, Michael grinned carelessly as the other fell hard to the ground. He couldn't help it—it was just fun. The grin was stretching far across his face, and he wasn't able to surpress a giggle.
"You—little—shit." The man tried to curse, but found his words silenced by a heavy force pressing down against his throat. Michael grinned malevolently down at the other, enjoying every gasp and gurgle coming out of his mouth.
"This is for my brothers face…" he grinded out, staring right back into the bulging eyes of his previous tormenter. The other boys were cowards. Straight terrified of how easily Michael was manipulating the situation.
The gurgles were becoming less fluid, and soon the mans eyes dulled out into a lost canvas. This bothered Michael ever so slightly…
He wanted the boy to suffer more—having him die so suddenly was terribly boring…anti-climatic. If he was writing this, it would be more dynamic. The boys mouth would be gushing with blood, and the blood would mix with his tears—
"You were always such a kind child." A light, airy voice interrupted Michael's train of thought. He removed his foot from the others throat, not caring much if he was caught, and turned to the petite figure of a masked boy before him.
Although…he really didn't seem like a boy, a boy as in a child. He looked like one…but something about him felt…
Familiar
This strange feeling caused Michael to hardly recognize the four dully coloured orbs that floated halfhasserdly in the boys palm. The boy gestured Michael to follow him, and Michael couldn't help but follow. There was something inticing about the boys demenour…something that made Michael want to see what he was up to.
Strolling into an empty classroom after the boy, Michael couldn't hide his shock at what he found inside. Standing casually aloof in the classroom, his two older brothers waited silently as the boy shut the door behind them.
They did not look pleased in the slightest, but determined if nothing else.
"Chris…Thomas…what is this all about?" Michael started, looking down at the masked boy.
"I found dad." Was all Chris gave, looking down at the boy.
He…found dad.