Chapter III: Street Thugs

AntiFiction

05-15-2012

(3)

The small apartment was actually quite lonesome when it was empty. Megumi lazily leaned on the couch, and he began to marvel at how strange it was to be alive. The concept of time was slowly making its way back to his blank mind, and miraculously, every living thing seemed to be governed indirectly by it. The body knew when to perform its daily functions for survival, the most mysterious of them being sleep. Megumi so desperately wished he could remember his nightmare, but all he had left was a lingering feeling of mistrust for Higashizawa. It was terrible, since he did nothing but save his life and help him live ever since. He hated being alone. He had been alone for most of his life. He wanted to be surrounded by people for once... like Michi. A deep-rooted anger flamed deep inside him, which almost reminded him of the exact reason he attempted suicide. Not wishing to re-live those horrible memories vividly, he decided it was a good idea to explore the city and distract his mind.

Counting traffic, Higashizawa would return at 15:30. That gave Megumi about eight hours to roam, though he wasn't sure if there was a risk he would return early. Quickly, he decided to write a note just in case of an emergency. The note read:

Higashizawa,

If you read this, I am currently somewhere in Dogenzaka, getting out to cool my head for a while. I haven't left permanently. I'll be back by sunset.

Thank you,

Megumi

Megumi posted the note to the interior of the front door, so if troublesome kids decided to vandalize, they wouldn't steal or defile it to alarm poor Higashizawa. He found a spare key in the drawer, so he locked the front door behind him on his way out, knowing that he could let himself in if he felt inclined to.

Dogenzaka was so quiet and peaceful in the morning... perhaps too quiet. The backstreets were long and empty, as if all the hardcore party animals slept in daylight. Megumi was the lone wanderer, scoping the still scenery for signs of life. He couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. Also for a moment, he wondered if he was moving anywhere at all, because the scenery stayed relatively static. He whistled nervously to himself. He usually wasn't the type to be scared of being alone, but something about Dogenzaka when it was dead seemed terrifying.

"Death is terrifying..." He thought. The great unknown that was the ultimate fate of an individual's life. He felt too alone, forced to face this huge obstacle by himself - the obstacle that was life. There seemed to be moving shadows on the walls. He wasn't quite sure what was real and what was imaginary anymore. He knew he would be forced to examine his life, since Higashizawa had forcefully intervened. Suddenly... Megumi wasn't sure if he was a friend or an enemy. "Why did you come into my life?" He whispered with resentment. "I used to have no regrets..."

"Megu-san ~ I'll find you."

"Shut up, Michi." Megumi grimaced.

"If I don't, somebody will."

"Not Higashizawa." Megumi said. "He better not betray me."

An unfamiliar figure approached him, taking on a terrifying spiritual form. A ghost, perhaps. A spirit, more likely. The grim reaper, to be precise. He was hovering above the ground, closing in on him. He reached out his hand for Megumi to take. Megumi physically responded by throwing himself to the ground and crouching into a fearful position. "DON'T KILL ME!" He shrieked in paranoia, holding on tightly to himself and breathing rapidly. His eyes were tightly shut. When nothing happened for a few moments, one eye opened and scanned the horizon. The coast was clear. Was that a vision?

Suddenly, the cool morning air was haunted by the sound that mimicked laughing hyenas when they were prepared to group together and maul their unsuspecting victim. Megumi stood still, goosebumps formed and a shiver went up his spine. The fight-or-flight mechanism took over, and he instantly bolted down the street to find shelter. He had mindlessly wandered while thinking, and ended up getting lost, so he had no idea how to return to Higashizawa's place. Behind him was the disturbing sound of multiple footsteps - something was chasing him, straight out of a nightmare. He was trying to not yelp in terror as he tore down the avenue. Around a corner he went, and silence followed. He hadn't made up his mind on whether that was a good or bad omen.

"GOTCHYA!" A gloved hand went over his mouth, and the other dragged him back by the long hair. He emitted a muffled shriek and stumbled backward, almost to the floor, because of how frail and malnourished he was.

"Wait, boss, I don't think this is..." Megumi looked up and realized he was surrounded by young troublemakers. They were probably either rebellious high schoolers or drop-outs struggling to survive on the streets. He couldn't figure out what they wanted. He couldn't help it that fear went rampant in his heart.

"It's not a woman..." Megumi blinked. Oh. So THAT'S what they were trying to do. Extremely outraged by being made a victim, he tore himself free from this so-called group leader.

"Oh!" The leader exclaimed a little too late; Megumi had already turned around, and stared him down, eye-to-eye. Before he could utter another word, he was punched hard in the face, causing him to stumble and fall backward. The group he was with tried to react, but Megumi was relentless - he struck so rapidly, blood began to splatter on the ground.

"'EY! 'EY!" Someone - probably the sidekick - yelled, and he tried breaking up the fight. He couldn't have a proper grip on Megumi's form-fitting black sweater. Oh wait, that was why he was confused for a woman. He forgot to change out of Michi's clothes and check to see if his laundry was ready yet. Of course, since he was very agile and impossible to catch, due to his slippery snake-like form. Five aggressive teenagers had to attempt pulling him down by the hair (The last resort was always the hair).

What stopped him wasn't the hair-tugging. He finally got exhausted and drained from so much beating - his hands were sore. They were also covered in blood - not his, but the thug leader's. He blankly stared and only then, after the entire defensive mechanism had its way, he realized what he had done. "Oh no..." He whispered. He could get in serious trouble.

"Guhhh..." The leader groaned on the pavement, probably from all the blood he lost.

"You okay, man?" One of his buddies asked.

"Errrr..." He rolled over, placing his gloved hands over his face. "One... Two... Threeeeeee... Fifteen..."

"YOU BROKE HIM!" A thug said, slamming skeletal Megumi against a wall. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

The leader moaned on the floor. "3.1415926535..."

"Never mind. He's okay." The same thug replied. "You're still gonna pay for messing with us."

"How old are you children anyway?" Megumi scoffed. "Thirteen?" This statement really angered them.

"Shut up for a second, at the very least." The gangster sat upright, his face covered in blood, and his eyes wide with murderlust desires. "First, you broke my face. Second, you dress like a girl. Third, we own Dogenzaka - the penalties for abusing authority are quite extreme."

"You're high schoolers." Megumi folded his arms. "You don't own anything, not even yourselves."

"You better take that back, girly man." The leader threatened. "Or I'll be the one smashing your face in."

"Go ahead and try." Megumi smiled. "I dare you."

He hesitated and faltered, his gloved hand still etching the injured lines of his once-perfect facial features. Just like a child would, he tried shaking off threats to make it seem as if he was winning some argument or bet. "I would, but I'm afraid you'll crumble, the skinny twig you are."

Megumi knew that the reason the entire gang didn't ambush him was because they were afraid he was some sort of martial arts professional. He had the looks and body for it, with sharp blunt joints and long limbs for great reach. All six of them seemed to be keeping their distance, including the ringleader. They didn't leave, because they didn't want this incident to show up in their reputation around the district - they wanted to be known as the fearsome locals that terrorized the nightlife scene of Dogenzaka. They stalled and hesitated, trying to find if there was some way to appear to be tough without fleeing.

"Sho, c'mon, let's go." The sidekick urged. "This loser's probably gonna drown when the rain comes back in. Doesn't look like he has a place to go, either."

The mastermind leader of the Dogenzaka Gang, Sho Minamimoto, hesitated to leave from this spot. He was deeply disturbed by Megumi's strength - he was still trying to wipe all the blood off his face. In all his life, he never received a beating. It was different this time, because they thought they were ganging up on a weak and defenseless woman. Granted, Megumi could be female and still physically destroy them, but in their foolish young minds, they tried exerting strength over who they perceived to be meek. "Oh no, please. Continue your foolishness. I'd love to set you in line." Megumi challenged.

"A'right." Sho stepped forward. "That's it, grandpa. No more."

"What do you think you're going to do?" Megumi chuckled. "Kill me?"

"Precisely." Sho pulled out a loaded pistol from his back pocket. "Usually, these bullets are for special people, but seeing you're the first dude in the world who's ever tried jacking up my face, I'm gonna reserve a special one just for you."

Megumi was terrified, but inwardly, he felt this unusual passiveness. He knew if he died on the streets of Dogenzaka, he'd have to explain himself to Higashizawa - why he broke his promise and let himself get killed in a ridiculous, unusual fashion. "Hey, Higashizawa. I got into a brawl with some high school brats. They shot me. I hope that's cool with you." What was hilarious was that at that moment, his greatest concern was exactly that. He sighed, running a hand through his long black hair, saying, "That wouldn't be necessary. Apologize for jumping me, and I'll apologize for teaching you a lesson."

Sho cringed, tightening his grip on the trigger. "I don't say sorry."

"Pity." Megumi mused. "Your mother apparently didn't teach you any manners." He suddenly wondered if he was being idiotic by upsetting the kid with a gun.

Enraged, Sho didn't hesitate to fire a bullet. Thanks to Megumi's lightning-quick reflexes, it struck the side of a house, leaving a bullet hole in the drywall. "DAMMIT!" Sho growled, proceeding to empty the pistol's contents wherever it deemed necessary. The thugs stood back and tried their best to avoid the fury of death raining upon them. He panted heavily, murder written on his blood-stained face.

Megumi had a very peaceful, yet disturbed, expression on his face. He looked down at the skin-tight black sweater, and there it was. A bullet was lodged into his shoulder, the orifice trickling droplets of red liquid. Now Megumi had a vengeance, and he was keen on carrying it out. With a simple, swift movement, he reached out and dislocated Sho's wrist, causing him to drop the pistol. From there, he jabbed a knee into his ribcage and smashed his face into the pavement. "Usually, violence is not the answer, and I would agree with that." Megumi hummed. "However... You're obviously out for severe harm, perhaps to the point of robbing someone of their life. I am not okay with that. Punks like you have no right to tell people whether they can live or die. Let's hope that this was a misunderstanding, and that we never cross paths again. Do I make myself CLEAR?"

Sho's body was limp and lifeless. Curious, Megumi tried picking him up by the collar of his jacket, but his head lolled to the side. "Oh no... I killed him..." He whispered to himself. At this sight, the gang members dispersed into the side-streets and fled from the crime scene. "No. This is not okay. He can't be dead. Does he have a pulse?" Megumi desperately checked for any sign of life. He rolled the boy over onto his back; he wasn't breathing, and it was evident he lost a lot of blood. "Come on. I was angry at you, but you didn't have to die on me. Shooting me in the shoulder wasn't the death penalty. Please tell me you're kidding. Wake up." He lightly tapped his face - no response.

Megumi was afraid that any CPR he'd attempt would result in further damage of the body, making the situation increasingly hopeless. He frantically pressed his fingers against the boy's wrist for a pulse. Nothing. He then placed his fingers below the ear, where the jawline ended. There was a very faint rhythm. He was alive, but perhaps suffering a very serious concussion. Megumi didn't even realize he was incredibly strong. He couldn't just leave this poor injured teenager on the streets to die. He compromised to take him home to Higashizawa. Indeed, it would be awkward to explain the entire story, but he knew Higashizawa had a big heart and compassion towards others. He would probably allow Sho to stay temporarily. After he compromised it in his head, Megumi lifted Sho up into his arms, and wandered the somewhat familiar streets to find a way back to Higashizawa's place.

-15:30-

"I'm home..." Higashizawa softly announced as he lugged his heavy bag inside. He promptly shut the door and locked it, his back facing the living room. He curiously removed the note that Megumi attached to the interior of the door, and started to read it.

"Don't turn around." Megumi pleaded. Of course, this request made Higashizawa want to turn around immediately.

"Why...?" Higashizawa asked, desperately refraining from looking over his shoulder.

"Um... There's been an accident..." Megumi croaked, his voice weakened with fear of the giant's reaction.

"I see you've been out." Higashizawa finished reading the note. "Please tell me this doesn't involve death wishes."

Megumi hesitated, "Well... I found this injured boy on the road, and..." Sometimes, he hated how naturally he could lie. "...Can we keep him?"

Higashizawa was very quiet for several minutes. It was alarming that it took him minutes to think. The entire time, Megumi was bracing himself for being kicked out into the streets, or perhaps being personally thrown off the Miyashita Bridge by Higashizawa. He started jumping to childish, irrational conclusions, probably after the illogical hussle in Dogenzaka earlier. Being around younger people tended to lower Megumi's intellect, hence why he hated such interactions. "He can stay..." Higashizawa slightly nodded. "We have to nurse him back to health."

"Please don't panic when you turn around." Megumi pleaded. "He looks really bad."

Higashizawa inhaled, preparing for the worst. When he turned around, he saw that Megumi had lined the floor with towels and blankets. The boy looked to be around eighteen years old. He was breathing very slowly, his eyes shut tight, and he didn't move. There were tourniquets around his arms, and his head especially had several bandages and towels. The sight was overwhelming, but mysteriously, Higashizawa initially didn't have much of a reaction. "That is really bad..." He finally gaped.

"I know, I'm so sorry..." Megumi squeaked.

"You're injured, too!" Higashizawa noticed the blood on Megumi's shoulder was his. "What exactly HAPPENED while I was gone?" Exasperated, he plopped his heavy bag onto the couch with a thud. Next, he instinctively paced back-and-forth with his hands behind his back. He was getting himself worked up. "Is getting into life-and-death situations a daily occasion for you?" He placed two fingers on his temples and rubbed them in exhausted thought.

"No, I assure you that's not the case..." Megumi tried searching his mind for excuses. He considered either telling the truth, which might disgust Higashizawa to the point of violence, or using distracting stories that sound realistic enough to be believed for a temporary period of time. He finally decided to tell partial truths. "Okay. There was a shoot-out."

Higashizawa's eyes widened. "That explains all the blood... Where did you go in order to get caught up in something like that?"

"Actually, not far..." Megumi whispered. "I just went a few blocks from here, still in the borders of Dogenzaka."

Higashizawa stared momentarily, and then groaned, "The crime's getting worse around here, isn't it? Great. Just lovely. Were you jumped by those local kids? The jerks with the skull hats and fancy pants? Belt buckles, loose sleeves, and bling?"

"Yee... Yes." Megumi hesitated. "In fact, this is their leader." It was only after he blurted out the truth that he ended up wishing he held his tongue.

"What." Higashizawa said. "WHAT?" In an outburst, his muscles seemed to intimidatingly portrude and bulge before his sight. Megumi crawled back slightly in dismay. With an animalistic roar, he picked up the couch and threw it into the mini hallway, blocking the entrance to the kitchen. He huffed; his entire body swayed to his deep breath, and his muscles were so large, they nearly tore his clothes open.

"Please calm down..." Megumi said in a cold sweat. He didn't want to display any sort of fear. His heart was racing, as he knew there was some tension between Higashizawa and the neighborhood kids - he had no clue it was this bad. "I just saw some poor, injured kid, and thought I should help-"

"He's demonic." Higashizawa crossed his massive arms. Since he was staring at the upside-down couch, his back faced them once more. "Whatever happened to that kid, he deserved it. He had it coming. In fact, you should've let him die on the streets. That would've made the world a better place."

Megumi's jaw dropped, "I thought you were about kindness and compassion... After all, you saved me."

"You don't vandalize homes, harm innocent pedestrians, and dedicate your life to breaking the law." Higashizawa spoke in a low, deep voice, almost as if he embodied the law himself. "You're not a piece of garbage who's thrown his life away, and out of jealousy, tried throwing others' ambitions, passions, and dreams out the window yourself. You're not that incredibly selfish and moronic. Unfortunately, this lowlife is."

"That's extraordinarily judgmental for somebody like you..." Megumi said softly. "You painted yourself a portrait that was so different. I had no idea. I'm so disappointe-"

"Don't say that..." Higashizawa's voice broke. His confident, erect posture transformed into a depressed, hunched-over stance. It seemed as if he was holding back tears by the way he sounded. "Please, Mr. Kitaniji, I have limits... I can only take so much..."

"Is it that much to ask just to help this kid recover?" Megumi frowned. "It might take just a few days..."

"Try months." Higashizawa corrected. "With all that blood he lost, I'm surprised he's not dead. In fact..." Suddenly, his mood brightened. "Maybe he's so horribly injured, he will die!"

Megumi blinked. "Whatever happened to human life being sacred?"

"Exceptions, exceptions..." Higashizawa chuckled maniacally under his breath. "Okay. He stays, as promised earlier. If he lives, he can return to running rampant on the streets, and destroying this peaceful neighborhood. If he dies, I'll consider that as justice."

"Oh... Kay..." Megumi said, surprised to hear such words from this giant - he didn't seem to be the type to enjoy the misfortune of others. Perhaps he had been personally wounded by this kid, and unable to find the time or effort to seek vengence, he had been hoping something horrible would happen to him. Megumi gulped at the thought.

"Nnnn..." Sho murmured. Higashizawa growled in exasperation and went to his room to not view what would upset him.

"Shush." Megumi said. "Preserve your voice." He wasn't particularly good at being nurturing. He placed a towel in a bowl of warm water, and began using it to wipe off the blood.

"But I see everything..." Sho insisted, though his eyes remained shut. "I can finally see everything now..."

"You're having a dream." Megumi guessed. "Now please, don't bother me. I'm trying to clean your wounds."

"No, no, like... Everything." Sho persisted. "I can see infinity. I know what it's like. I've been there."

"I... see." Megumi mused, surprised that the boy wasn't flinching in pain whenever he tended to the bleeding regions.

"I think you've knocked sense into me." Sho said drearily. His eyes flew open and he looked impressed. "You're God."

"No, I'm not." Megumi dropped a towel over Sho's eyes, specifically because it was overflowing with warm water. He didn't move at all. Megumi was expecting some painful reaction, but there was none.

"Ever since then, I've been able to see things in numbers..." Sho continued. "This vast, linear plane of existence, and how we're all quickly approaching our limits."

"Sounds like calculus." Megumi commented passively - like he cared.

"Yeah!" Sho described. "I'm a high school drop-out. Honestly, I was too awesome to learn anything. I was born already knowing everything. Sooo... It was a huge waste of time and I left. Ever since then, I've been able to figure out exactly how this world works. All that was missing was the numbers. Somehow, after you hit me... Now I can see the world of numbers."

Megumi became concerned. "I'm convinced I gave you a massive concussion, and now you're delusional."

"Nuh..." Sho's words slurred. "Now I'm a genius."

"You're uneducated." Megumi folded his arms. "How can you be a genius?"

"A mathematical genius..." Sho grinned, the towel still blocking his eyesight. "So now life's beautiful..."

"Congratulations." Megumi said insincerely. He wished he hadn't knocked common sense out of his head.

"You're welcome..." Sho dozed off almost instantly. The snoring was quite loud.

"Yup, brain damage." Megumi commented.

-Author's Notes-

It was a struggle to figure out how to introduce Sho Minamimoto (the most popular Reaper amongst the fans, apparently) into the plot, while trying to remain original, keep him in character, and portray him in a way that would be surprising but somehow expected. I've always pictured him being a very rebellious teenager, perhaps even a gang leader, who would stir trouble everywhere he went. The twist is that although he had always been a genius, had he not crossed paths with Megumi, he probably wouldn't have his knack for mathematics and fine arts. Also, his insanity probably came from the brain damage delivered by such an encounter. It would take something like that to produce such a brilliant character, in my opinion. It was a risk to take in writing this chapter. Nonetheless, reviews would be nice, since the story is still in its infancy and my portrayal of characters might be slightly off at the start. Much appreciated!