A/N: Putting this up took a bit longer than I wanted it to. :/ I decided to just go ahead and edit it myself, considering that after a couple of days, I'm pretty much separated enough to be able to see my mistakes.
So I decided to merge the filler and main stories. =3=
Disclaimer: Blah, blah. XS isn't mine. Blah, blah. Warner Brothers and Christy Hui. Blah, BLAH- KIDD DEATH IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE EVER and he contributed a personal touch for Layla this time around, so we have a more collaborative chapter this time around? :3
Summary: In today's shot, we get to touch upon the consequences of not knowing your strength and how, sometimes, all you need is a stranger to understand.
~*Punches and Strangers*~
Clamoring back into the house to the golden backdrop of the slowly setting sun, decently dry from their pool excursions (but not without a few slips on the smooth tiles) Micky pulled Layla along, running past the kitchen and up the stairs. "MICHELLE! LAYLA!" Yaritza yelled out. "Eu juro if you're wet-"
"We're dry!" Micky promised before muttering aside, "-ish."
Grinning at each other, the girls reached the top, panting a bit. Closing her eyes tightly, Layla shook her hair out, sending droplets flying everywhere. "What's her deal?" she asked her sister, wringing the rest of the water out. "She's always on our butts." Micky shrugged as she opened the door into their room.
"I don't know." She grinned again. "I think she just likes to yell."
"For real!" Layla laughed, peeling off her surf-shirt. "Sometimes I think that's all she can do!" Micky laughed with her at the statement, drying herself off a little more completely. The two of them changed out of their bathing suits, hanging them to dry in the outside window.
"Hey, Lala?"
"Yeah? Wassup?"
"We should spar today," Micky declared, pulling on a loose pair of shorts. Layla looked over at her, seeming as if she were contemplating it. Micky only continued to grin at her, cracking her knuckles.
Finally, she pulled out her wraps and smirked back. "I don't mind some practice."
"Cool!" Micky grinned, pulled a t-shirt over her head, and allowed Layla to quickly change into some practice clothes before running down back outside. Her sister did the same, hopping over their earlier water puddles and trying to catch up happily. Micky ran ahead with a considerable lead, rushing for the training ring.
Layla called after her with a slight laugh, "I hope you're ready!"
"I was born ready!" she grinned, skipping into the air and round-offing to face her sister, fists up and confidence on the rise, waiting for Layla to catch up and get in proper position.
"We'll see about that!"
Quickly catching up, Layla smirked again and got into stance. They stood still for a few moments, each studying the other and figuring the best approach considering their different fighting styles. Micky's lips set in a thin line. Layla was a power-fighter. She was strong and fast enough - granted, Micky was definitely faster, but she couldn't hope to match her sister's raw strength. One punch could be all Layla would need to bring her down. Her fingers furled and unfurled cyclically with her thoughts, getting her mind into the right mood. Layla continued to stare her down as she finished wrapping her hands and feet. Micky was a wild fighter. She had a stronger ju-jitsu influence, but Layla knew better; Micky could be better described with a mixed-martial arts style. Not the kind that people fought on TV, but mixed in the truest sense of the world. Micky learned and adapted absolutely any and everything thrown her way and she was Layla's least favorite sort of fighter: evasive. They took a breath together and grinned. They knew exactly what the other was thinking.
However, being the less patient of the two, Micky was the first to move. She brashly rushed at Layla, who effectively stood her ground after loosening up, preparing to dodge whatever her sister would throw at her. Sliding to a near stop, Micky made a grab at her twin's abdomen. Layla dodged to the left, grinning at her sister's impatience before sending a swift knee in her direction. Micky pulled back and back-flipped away, aiming a kick to her chin as her body twisted. Layla reflexively threw her hands up to block the kick, not having enough to time to evade the attack entirely. Micky changed tactics in the same split-second, hooked her foot onto Layla's crossed arms, and forced all her weight into throwing it to the side to make Layla stumble.
"Crap!" Layla swore as she was knocked onto the ground, wincing when her hip struck the training mat. Taking advantage of the moment, Micky grappled her sister, making sure to entangle them in the best way she knew how. She grinned.
"You really suck today, Lala!" The other sister gritted her teeth and struggled against the grip, attempting to slip out of the hold and counter-attack. Micky's legs wrapped tighter around her waist in response. She changed tactics quickly, now trying to wrest her sister off with brute force.
"Gedoff!" she snapped, trying to pull her arm out of the hold. Micky's teeth gritted as she held on.
"No!"
Shinki called out from his place on the roof, "You're doing the hold wrong, Micky! Let go before you hurt her spine or something!" She blanched at that statement, jerking back.
"See?! Now let me go!" Layla shouted before trying to bite at Micky's arms. Micky pulled back fully now, releasing her and stumbling a bit as she scrambled to reorient herself and stand up. Layla stood up, wobbling with her, and backed away, rubbing at her neck before she leveled a scowl and got ready again.
From his place on the roof, Shinki leaned back in his place as he observed the twins, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Micky circled Layla, breathing in and out to try to curb her hyper-enthusiasm. Layla mirrored her, growing more frustrated by the second after her impromptu subduing. "I'm gonna stop going easy on you!" she proclaimed.
"Do it!" her twin challenged hotly, pulling her fists up.
"Then get at me!" Layla taunted, "Get some!" Micky gave her sister a dirty look and pulled out of stance to expose herself, beating at her chest. Layla gasped. She wasn't about to-
"HERE! FREE SHOT!" she screamed out. "'CAUSE YOU SUCK!"
She did not! Micky's insult hitting home and pushing her temper onto a tipping point, she growled and impulsively rushed at her with a levied punch before she suddenly remembered who she was fighting, stopping her fist halfway, and going for a grab instead as to not hurt her sister. Micky effortlessly evaded. She side-wheeled away, grinning as she provoked her sister's temper. Layla grit her teeth as she rebounded from her missed attack, pulling back to make sure to not leave her back exposed. Micky bounced around, starting to get over-confident.
Shinki muttered as he swung over them, gently moved by the light wind, "She's going to get you right in the stomach if you do that, Mick. You're starting to let your confidence make you sloppy."
"Shouldn't you be doing something?" Gabriel shot at him, ripping at the old rain gutter.
"In a second, Pai," Shinki dismissed, his gaze never leaving the ring. "I don't get to see the twins practice together much. The shingles and their glue can wait." Practiced eyes followed as Layla rushed at Micky again, jabbing at her with lefts and rights alike. Micky evaded some more, moving rhythmically to keep up with the pace of the jabs, grinning as she turned it into a sorts of dance.
"Nice, solid punches, Layla," Shinki mused. Gabriel found something more interesting in the spar and decided that a break wouldn't be so bad, joining his son in his observations.
"Her stance is great," he agreed. "She's really taken to her training."
"Layla is doing exceptionally well in this situation. Micky is a little impatient, but she knows she can't get in too close to go for a grab when it comes to Layla. She's agile and knows that one punch from her sister and she's d- Oh that's gotta hurt," he winced as his prediction came true and one of Layla's fists slammed into Micky's solar plexus, effectively stealing her wind. Layla immediately transitioned into moving in for a grab, tired, frustrated, and annoyed by her sister's floaty movements. "Layla!" Shinki called out, breaking her concentration before she could go through with her movements. "Calm down and check to see if she's okay! You hit her in a really sensitive spot!"
Micky cradled her abdomen, wincing in pain as she held back her tears. Layla stopped, tripping a little as inertia caught up, blowing out her frustrations in a single heaving sigh before dropping her stance and furrowing her brows to clear her thoughts. Soon enough, her brother's words dawned, suddenly making her feel extremely terrible. She dropped down beside her sister's huddled figure, putting a hand on her back. "Micky?" she questioned, her worries growing. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to hurt ya, sis."
"I'm... Fine," Micky winced breathlessly. "I was asking for that one."
"You sure?" she pressed, still worried. Shinki and Gabriel got down from their places, hurrying over to make sure Micky hadn't been seriously injured. Micky silently nodded her affirmation, her forehead rubbing on the surface of the ring as tears started to stream along the contours of her face into her hair.
Layla's eyebrows shot up in panic, looking up to the adults running for her and Micky. "I really didn't mean to! It was an accident!" she explained urgently to her father, brother, and sister, who was currently silently sobbing, her shoulders shaking as she tried to brace the pain.
Gabriel assured her, squeezing her shoulder, "I know you didn't mean to, Layla. Accidents happen." Kneeling down, Shinki lifted Micky into his arms, cradling her gently as he soothed her with hushes.
"Shh, it's alright, Micky," he assured her, moving wet hair out of her face. "Pai and me are here." Micky sniveled and leaned into her brother, trying her best to stop crying.
"I-I'm fine," she insisted, more worried about her sister than her current pains. "Tell Lala I'm fine. It-it doesn't even hurt that bad."
"She knows," Gabriel told Micky, taking her from Shinki. "Let's get you inside and get some ice for you."
As he handed her off, Shinki stopped for a moment and looked down at Layla. "Layla, do you mind walking Ban in the meantime?"
She looked up at him, knowing what he was doing and making a face before giving him a small shrug and a defeated sigh, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "Okay... I guess." Shinki squeezed her hand in thanks before turning around again. Layla watched as they carried her twin inside, still worried about what'd transpired, building guilt eating at her conscience. She sighed and put her fingers to her lips as she walked over to the spot where they kept the dogs' stuff. Letting out a clear, ringing whistle, Layla mindlessly untangled the leashes as she waited for the hyperactive pup to get to her. She pulled on a pair of flip-flops after cleaning off her feet. I hurt her. Really badly, she thought to herself as the pups planted themselves before her, tails wagging eagerly. She apologized to Luna as Bandido stood on his hind legs, pawing at the air before her in his excitement. Layla numbed herself as she hooked the leash onto his collar and sent Luna back into the house.
Pushing the iron-wrought gate open, she walked down the block, fighting the growing anxieties. What if I crushed her stomach? She looked like she was in a lot of pain, the girl mulled over in her head. What if I hurt her so bad that she'll hate me? What if dad hates me now because I made her cry? Her lip quivered as she continued to walk the dog, her thoughts still rambling on. What if she can't eat anymore because I crushed her stomach? What if she has to eat out of a tube for the rest of her life? What if she dies because she can't eat anymore and the tube doesn't work!? Layla started to hyperventilate at the thought, Bandido stopping to look at her, curious as to why they suddenly stopped. She groaned and started to walk again, bouncing back as she ran right into a metal pole. "OW!"
A bright, glaring yellow road sign stood in her path, diamond-shaped, with the clear warning emblazoned: Blind Child. As she rebounded off of the pole, instinctively holding her nose with her free hand, she snapped out, "Watch where you're goin', stupid..." Layla eyed it. "Pole..." She huffed, clenching her fists. Bandido trotted over to the sign and lifted his leg, promptly tinkling on the base before kicking dirt over it. Her eyes shifted down to the dog, who had just finished his business, and she couldn't help but grin. "Heh, that's right. Good dog." Bandido's tail wagged as he looked up at her before he caught a scent and started to bark at an olive-skinned boy with sunglasses sitting on his porch with a moderately-sized Border Collie at his exposed legs. The collie looked at the smaller dog, generally unamused.
She looked around. "What're you barking at? Huh?" she muttered to the dog before quickly finding the source of his ills, her eyes trailing to the boy on the porch. Of course. She called out, "Don't worry about him!"
He called back, "He was barking at me?"
"I think he was barking at your dog!"
"Oh! Okay!" After a moment where she looked in his direction and he looked kind of off, the boy suddenly laughed. "Why are we even yelling?!"
"'Cause you're all the way over there?!"
In response, he stood and walked over to his gate, his dog at his legs, curling and circling around him protectively. "It's alright, Walter," he told the dog. "I know where the gate ends." Bandido pulled Layla towards the two, curious about the other dog.
She sighed, being pulled along by the Westie. "Hold on - don't pull me! We'll check 'em out!"
The stranger tilted his head slightly. "What kind of dog do you have?"
"He's a Westie! What about you?" she asked as they got closer, noting that he was taller than her by quite a bit and was definitely older, probably a teenager already. The sunglasses were an oddity considering the dying sunlight, but who was she to judge? He grinned in her general direction.
"Border Collie. His name's Walter."
"This is Bandido; he's not as mean as he tries to be with all the barking and stuff." Bandido and Walter sniffed at each other through the gate. The boy smiled at her description.
"What does that mean?"
She shrugged, starting to grin with him. "It means he barks too much."
"I mean his name," he chuckled, leaning against the gate. "It's not English."
"Oh! Duh! His name means Bandit. It's Portuguese," she explained while laughing at herself.
"That should've been obvious. He must be a pretty big trouble-maker then." The curly-haired boy grinned, his long, dark, and smooth curls all over the place. They shifted a little, feeling a bit of awkwardness hanging in the air. He finally restarted their conversation after a rather pregnant silence. "Well... We know each others' dog's names. What's yours?"
"Well, my name's Layla."
"That's a nice name," he complimented, pushing his hair back as he reached down and rubbed at Walter's ears absentmindedly when the dog started to growl at Bandido for his attempts to invade his personal space.
Layla grinned, lightly tugging at Bandido's leash to discourage him from being rude. "Thanks, What's yours?"
"Leon."
"Nice to meet ya, Leon." The girl looked around, curiosity biting at her. She didn't meet many new people in this neighborhood, considering that she knew just about everyone. "What're you doing out here for?"
"Fresh air," he replied offhandedly. "Heard it's good for you and all."
"Well yeah..." Layla commented, scratching at the back of her head. "I guess it is... I've just never seen ya around before ya' know? Did you move here?"
He grinned again, shaking his head in response. "My parents like to keep me inside. They worry a lot but since I got Walter, they haven't been as bad."
"Good thing for you, huh?"
"Definitely," he nodded. "It smells a lot nicer out here than in my house. My mom uses these weird air-fresheners that make my head hurt a lot when I'm inside."
"I feel ya," she quipped. "I don't like fruity smelling stuff either."
He laughed. "I thought girls were supposed to like those kinds of things?"
"I'm not that kind of girl," she proudly stated, hands on her hips and her chest puffed out. Leon smiled a bit and tilted his head curiously.
"What kind of girl are you, then?"
She shrugged before beaming and pumping her fist out in the imitation of a punch. "I dunno - I like monster trucks and fighting!" Leon burst into laughter at that.
"You're a weird girl if I've ever met one!"
Layla's face twisted into an angry scowl at his comment. "Well what about you, huh?!" she snapped, irritated by his nerve. "I bet you're not so cool!"
"No, no, no," he gasped as he caught his breath. "Don't get me wrong, Layla. I like weird. Weird is cool."
Her temper sizzled a little before she calmed down again. "... Oh. Okay..."
"But honestly, I can't stand monster trucks. They're way too loud," he answered, scrunching up his nose. "And smelly."
She gave him an odd look. What kind of guy doesn't like monster trucks? Monster trucks are totally amazing! The smell and the noise are the best part! But she conceded and said instead, "That's cool. So what do you like?"
He shrugged lightly. "Music. Movies and plays." Leon smiled as Walter's nose nudged at his hand. "I like dogs too."
"Okay." She paused and grinned. "You're alright, Leon, for being super boring."
"You're alright too, Layla," he responded with a bigger grin as he started to tease her. "For a weird little girl."
Layla scowled and stuck her tongue out at him. "Neh! Very funny!"
Leon waved a hand over her head. "How old are you anyway?" he inquired, frowning just the slightest bit. She noted that he seemed like he was looking for something. "I can't tell."
"I'm nine," she told him in a matter-of-fact tone, her hands finding her hips again as Bandido yawned and took to laying down since he figured they wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. "How old are you? You're, like, mad tall."
"You're a baby!" he crackled before he gave his answer. "I'm thirteen."
"I'm not a baby, yo!" the girl protested profusely, pulling up a fist to his face. "You're just older than me, you... you butt-face!" Ignoring her retort, he reached out again, curiously, his fingers carefully feeling about, groping around for her head. One of his fingers brushed the crown of her head and he laid his hand atop it.
"You're way short," he decided.
Why is this boy's hand- What the heck? "What're you doing?" she demanded, furrowing her eyebrows.
In an instant, he flinched and yanked his hand back, frowning softly as his brows knitted together in worry. "Sorry - I was checking to see how tall you were. I didn't mean to be rude."
Weirdo. Layla fixed her hair, running her hands through the sandy strands. "Nah... I guess it's cool, but why'd you have to do all that?" He shifted uncomfortably, his smile fading a bit. What's up with him? she wondered as she waited for his answer.
"I'm kind of blind," Leon finally admitted.
She looked at him in genuine surprise. "Really?! No foolin'? For real?" Layla's face grew focused and amazed as she waved her hand in front of his face, trying to see if it was some kind of joke.
"I can feel a breeze going over my face," he deadpanned, not amused by her very typical response. "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean that I don't know what's going on right in front of me."
She grimaced and moved her hand away from his face. "My bad... I was just trying to make sure you weren't being a liar."
"I don't see why I would lie about something like that..."
"People lie."
Leon sighed and rested his chin on his arms, visibly deflated now. "What's a little girl doing out here on her own anyway?"
"I'm not little!" she reminded him hotly. Layla paused and crossed her arms, looking at Leon, somehow feeling a pressure in her chest that needed to be released. "I'm walking my dog... I got sent out of the house too," she admitted. He frowned, lifting his head a little bit.
"Why?"
"Well... I kind of hit my sister really hard," she blurted after some difficulty, looking down at the ground. "And I think I crushed her stomach."
He laughed at that. "You can't crush people's stomachs just by punching them, Layla."
"She was crying a lot, okay?!" she protested, gripping onto the leash and making Bandido anxiously circle her, feeling her energy. "We were only pretending and I hit her really hard because she was making me mad." She sniffled, holding back tears. "She kept dodging me and making me miss and..." Her voice wavered. Leon unlocked the gate, pushing Walter back with his foot, before locking it again and hugging her tightly. Bandido jumped and barked at him.
"Shh," he begged the dog. "I promise I'm not hurting her." The Westie gave a gruff huff and turned away. Walter stood on his hind legs, propping a paw on the gate as he wondered what his owner was doing.
Layla looked up at him, appalled. No one hugged her. Even Micky rarely hugged her. Her own family didn't dare touch her. Her eyes brimmed up with tears. She felt stupid. Here she was, getting all upset in front of a complete and total stranger and he was hugging her. She should be punching his lights out, but her arms wouldn't move. Instead, she started to shake. "You really are strong," he said softly as he knelt before her, hugging her tightly.
"How would you know?" she choked out.
She felt him smile, his cheeks pushing out as he removed his sunglasses, holding them in his hands. "Because I can feel your muscles. I don't think I'd be calling you little if I could see you, if this is how you feel." He sighed and hugged her a little tighter, his voice pained. "And it takes a lot to tell other people when you're wrong and admit it when you're scared. I know what it's like to hurt people you love when you don't mean to."
Layla wavered and hugged him back, just as tightly, burying her face in his shoulder as she gripped onto the back of his shirt. Tears threatened, but never fell. Instead, she closed her eyes and, for once, put enough trust in a stranger to support her, even if she wasn't entirely sure about it. Leon stopped talking and hugged her until she was ready to let go. She trembled, a thousand thoughts rushing in her little head a second. She knew it wasn't really her fault that she'd hurt Micky so badly. It was a mistake, she admitted to herself. And those happen. She's still my sister and they promised she'd be fine. They promised...
Leon took in a deep breath and pulled back, giving her a full view of his pale blue eyes and his filmed-over lens. He really wasn't lying. "We aren't the worst thing we've ever done," he told her firmly, as if reciting it from a recent memory. "Good people do bad things, but it doesn't make them bad."
"I know," she answered, barely audible.
He smiled at her, holding onto her shoulders. "Your sister isn't going to hate you; she's your sister and families forgive." Layla broke out in a small smile.
"Thanks. You really are alright."
"So are you," the boy assured her with a decent sized smile. He stood up again, slipping on his shades. "I think you should get going. It's starting to get cold, so I'm guessing the sun's setting." She nodded and turned away, hesitating for a second.
"I'll see ya?"
"Maybe." He smiled a bit wryly, making her think for a second he was older than a mere thirteen. "I can't tell you when, but I get the feeling we'll see each other again." Normally, ambiguity like his pissed her off, but she thought about it and nodded.
"I'll see you when I see you, bro!" She grinned and ran off, chased by her dog.
"I hope it's soon," he told Walter.
A/N: Let's play, guys. :D Humor me and fill out a mini-questionnaire since this is honestly my first true long-term and ambitious story and I seriously adore feedback and people who are nice and do me this favor get something nice. :3
1) What are your personal feelings about my OC's so far? Why? (If I get individual critiques, you get a double surprise!)
2) How's my pacing? Too fast? Too slow?
3) How do you think I represent the canon cast? If you could offer pointers, I can appreciate those. :3
4) What are your current assumptions about the direction of the story?
5) Is there a side-character (a.k.a. anyone except for Kimiko, or any of the older Pedrosas for the moment) that you'd like to see get a good and decent spotlight?
