Dance Vigilantes
Chapter 36: ...One Must Feel Like A Vigilante
May 22th, 2016. Friday, 12:35 PM
Safehouse F
JoJo's POV
"Holy shit! Brynn?!" I shouted. Everything happened so fast. First, Mackenzie shouted that she wanted to be a vigilante and then Brynn comes over and punches Kenzie in her stomach. Kenzie lay down on the floor, obviously in pain. She clutched her stomach that I'm sure has a bruise that shaped like a Brynn sized fist. Whatever Kenzie did, I ain't gonna be on it. I don't have rock hard abs to protect me!
Brynn goes for another punch but Kenzie rolls away and quickly stands up but didn't have time to avoid Brynn's jab to the side, making Kenzie go down on the floor again
"Mindy?! Dave?! Steph?! Jojo?! The fuck's going on?" I shouted at them. They just looked on to the fight, as if it were just a show.
"I hate Jojo's language but she's right! What's going on and why are you all just watching Kenzie be pummeled by Brynn?! She's acting rabid!" Sarah said, clutching me. Dave and Mindy looked at us with knowing looks and Mindy plastered her signature smirk on her face
"It's a test JoJo. Brynn's test and in extension, our test too" Mindy answered. I raise my eyebrow in confusion
"Test? What kind of test is this that includes punching Kenzie ugly?! By Brynn no less!" I questioned them
"Well, it's best to just watch the whole show. We promise, Kenzie will be fine. Sort of…" Dave answer as he watched on to Kenzie and Brynn. Kenzie kept standing up and running away but Brynn took her down on the floor again and started kicking her. How is this fine?!
"Jojo, Sarah, I know what you're thinking and no, don't interfere. This is something Kenzie has to face" Steph said with a grin on her face. Her siblings were with her, grinning as well. Who the hell are these people really?
I don't think I can stand this any longer. My mind is like a twisted bow right now!
Mackenzie's POV
Why?
That was the only question running through my mind. I only revealed my intention to join Fusion, then Brynn goes all gushy like the sweetheart she is and the next thing I knew, she was beating me to a pulp. She's been keeping at it the mote I ran from her.
She went for a kick in my ribs but I jump away sideways and trip, falling on the floor for the who knows how many times now. Brynn then started running towards me and readied herself to kick me but I anticipated this and rolled out of the way to dodge. I then stand up and catch my breath. Brynn calmly came forward, glaring at me with her blue eyes. The eyes that were usually filled with warmth, now replaced by an eerie coldness. Is this even Brynn anymore?
"What...the...FUCK?! The fuck did I do Brynn?!" I growled loudly at her. She didn't respond and instead, sprinted fast and sucker punched me in the jaw. I stumble but I manage to stay put. I place a hand on my jaw and rub it. It stings but it was bearable.
"Hurts doesn't it? Every punch? Every kick?" Brynn finally responded facing me. Now I was more confused than ever
"What are you saying? Brynn, you're scaring the fuck out of Sarah and JoJo and you're pissing me off!" I shout at her I look around and see that the rest were not as scared as JoJo and Sarah, who was clutching her cousin, Abby. In fact, some of Fusion seems to like the show, like Joshua and Megan. Why are they not stopping Brynn?
"Fusion won't help you on this one Kenzie. You wanted to be a vigilante? This is what being a vigilante feels like. Life of constant pain and alertness. A life where one foot is already on the grave for each of us. This is not a fucking game Kenzie. Now I ask you, do you still want to become a vigilante?" Brynn said coldly.
I look over at her nervously but then my mind started turning it's gears and a realization hit me as I smirk and laugh. It was Brynn's turn this time to look at me confused
"I don't know why the fuck you want to shit on me….if you really want me…." I said, flashing a grin to Brynn.
Without warning, I swept a foot over Brynn's legs and it was her turn to fall on the ground. I use this chance to put myself on top of her and punch her continuously. Punching my best friend however, felt like punching a brick wall. As I lay a punch to Brynn one more time, she grabs my hand and twists it. I scream in pain and she slams me on the ground but before I hit the ground, I use my flexibility to do a backflip and a handstand to get me back on the ground. Brynn then starts to run over me and I do a leap to jump over her. I'll admit, I was enjoying myself for some reason. Then I feel a pain in my neck and I sit on the ground, writhing. I hold my nape, which stung. I feel the front of my shirt tugged hard and I was lifted up. I see that Brynn was the one who grabbed me by the shirt and lifted me up on her eye level. God, how is she so strong? She also looks so menacing and her eyes are so cold
"So Ziegler...you still think this is a game?" Brynn growled at me
"As if I'd stop! You know I'm not one to bitch Brynn" I say back to her. She then shoves me to the ground and kneels on me
"Sorry, Brynn ain't here. It's only 's toughen things up, shall we?" Brynn said, preparing another punch towards me. I close my eyes, preparing for the pain.
"STOP THIS NOW!" We heard someone shout.
We turn to where the shout came from and we see a scared looking JoJo run towards. When she reached us, she went between me and Brynn and extended her arms towards us, doing a blocking gesture. Me and Brynn and looked at her confused. Jojo looked us at both of us in pleading looks
"Stop this now! Both of you are bestfriends! Why the fuck are you two fighting?! Best friends aren't supposed to fight! Brynn, just why? Why?!" Jojo screamed at us with a desperate look in her eyes. Something we have never seen before, until now.
"And you...why are all of you just standing there and look on like it's a fucking gladiator show?!" Jojo continued, looking around, talking to every member of Fusion. I felt something warm touch my chin. I touch it and it came out wet. I look over it and see blood. I trace the blood and found out that it came from my mouth
Normally, I find blood related things to be gross. But now seeing it come out from me, it makes me curious, fascinated by it even. I glance up at Brynn who looked like she was ready to scream and had the look of fear on me.
"Bow hair here's right. You can relax now Brynn"
I look over and see Mindy walking towards me. I look at Brynn again, who did relax but still had that weird expression in her face. I look back to Mindy and she has a stern look on her face. When she came close to me, she kneeled in front of me. Her cold gaze sending a chill up my spine
"The afternoon you told me your favor and denied it, I told Brynn about after you left. In secret of course. She was thinking the same thing as me about you but….she had some faith in you. That you might pull it off. So she did this to test you" Mindy explained to me. Now I was really confused
"Test her? By letting Brynn beat the shit out of me?!" I shouted, wiping the blood off my mouth
"And to the point of bleeding for that matter?!" JoJo added
"I did it to teach you….to show you how brutal the world of vigilantes can be. I appreciate what how you think of me Kenzie and on how you want to look out for me. Given that you can be a bitch, you can be sweet at times" Brynn said with a smile. I just laugh lightly on how she could smile like that considering she just beat the shit out of me
"But you should know full hand on what our world can be. It's not like ours back in showbiz, where half is only for show. This is the real deal. This is a world of pain, tragedy, of life and death. By becoming a vigilante, you place one foot to the grave. We aren't invincible Kenzie, that goes for you too Jojo, Sarah. No amount of training can teach you to be invincible. Not even Mindy's brutal ways"
"Watch your tongue there Brynn" Mindy hissed
"Oh don't act like it's not true! Anyway...some of us in Fusion already suffered a world of hurt. Some have felt great sorrow in being a vigilante. And some...were considered only as expendable weapons before joining in on Fusion. What I did to you was a taste of what it'll be like for you if you push through this but that's only child's play compared to the reality we face everyday. Now the question now is...are you still up for it Kenzie?" Brynn said. She came and knelt down in front of me but this time, her usual compassion in her eyes is back. She grabbed my hand and held it tight. Her eyes looked like they were pleading too. As if I would say no.
"It involves the chance of dying too. Think carefully…" Steph said, looking down on me. I close my eyes and think of my decision. Then laugh as I realize how stupid to still think about it
"A world of hurt..a world of death...a world of danger and constantly on the lookout...a world of always having a target on your back. Scary, I'll admit that. Then again, showbiz is almost the fucking same! I know with all of your help, I can take it on. I'm still saying yes, I want to become a vigilante. If pain is the sacrifice I have to endure, then let's get this roller coaster on the road" I say to them, with a smirk. Brynn and Jojo look at me wide eyed and Mindy and Steph just looked at me with smirks on their faces
"Kenzie, think about what you're saying! This ain't a game!" I heard Sarah shout as she came rushing in on me and standing besides Steph
"You know how stubborn I can be. I'm still going to do it" I resolved myself. Sarah pouted for a minute but then sighed
"I guess...I should join too" Sarah announces
"WHAT?!" We all said together and I swear I even heard Abby curse in the air
"Hey, some of you are younger as me. Why shouldn't I join? I have the skills" Sarah said with a smile
"No Sarah. I can't put you in that kind of danger. Aunt Christy would kill me! Plus, this involves murder! Everything you stand against!" Abby said, racing towards us
"Oh relax! I meant to help them in technical skills. I was able to hack your systems. Why not help out if the girls are gonna help out?" Sarah said with a hint of smug in her face
"Well, goody two shoes here has a point" I chuckled
"There is that...I think we need to talk later on about hacking us that one night" Marty said, smiling upon a grinning Sarah.
"Well...I'll join too if Sarah and Kenzie's coming" Jojo said with a shy smile. That got me and Brynn wide mouthed. I can picture me and Jojo and maybe Sarah to an extent but not Jojo. She's way too crazy for any of this. But then again, everyone in Fusion is
"Jojo, I think you joining us is too much" Brynn said to her
"Yeah, you might not-" I added but Jojo cut me off by placing a hand in front of me
"First, shut it Kenzie. Just lay down there and rest. Brynn beat you up pretty good. Second, I understand the consequences and I think Kenzie's intentions are pure and she gets everything she's gonna face. I do too after what I saw just now. If Kenzie's out to look out for Brynn, then I'll look out for Kenzie. Seems fair, right. Besides, where's the fun if I ain't there?" Jojo said with her signature, childish smile but her eyes and voice had a seriousness we haven't seen in Jojo before. That is strangely disturbing for me in a way. I smile at Jojo and give her a thumbs up and Brynn also smiled as Jojo looked over her.
"Sounds fair. I cover Brynn's ass, you cover mine" I say to her
"Fine! But I ain't covering yours Kenzie" Brynn spat
"Oh, that's gonna be my job. Shut it, all of you" Sarah laughed and we laughed along
"Oh bloody hell. More nutjobs on the team" I heard Steph mumble. I look over at Mindy and Dave, who had a contemplating look towards us. She and Dave each looked at us deeply in the eyes and a deep silence enveloped us, as if they'll rip you apart if you do as much as breath
But then Mindy sighed, breaking the silence and wore a resolved looked on her face.
"We begin training after your dance competition. I'll let you guys focus on winning that for now so I won't feel guilty about the grueling training" Mindy said. That sent smiles on mine, Jojo's and Sarah's faces. Brynn was also smiling but looks nervous about what Mindy had said. I can't believe it..
"Thanks Mindy! We promise we'll do you proud!" I say to her. She smirks and looks at me for a few seconds long
"Let's see if you can still say that after what I have in store for you" Mindy said.
DM DM DM DM
"After being accepted in Fusion, everything went over so fast. First, Josh picked me up and then we went down the lower levels and the next thing I knew, we were in the medical center, where Josh left me there and laid me down on the hospital bed. I tried to stand but then a hand rested on my chest and gently pushed me back down
"No no sweetie, lie down for awhile. Brynn may have been easy on you but you'll still feel a bit sore" A gentle voice cooed. I squint my eyes from the bright lights as I check who said that to me. Upon looking closely, I see that it was Chloe's mom, Dr. Bennett, who was smiling towards me
"Dr...Bennett? You're Fusion too?" I asked her
"Well, yes Kenzie. Also known as Medic. You gotta be in Fusion if your daughter is in Fusion" Dr. Bennett chuckled
"What a weird day…" I sigh, describing everything that had happened today.
Dr. Bennett then checked all over my body for any bruises or damages that Brynn might have done. Judging from her smile, I can assume that nothing was wrong
"Okay Kenzie, looks like no serious damage is in order. You might feel a bit sore but some relaxant pads should do the trick" Dr. Bennett answered. I smile at her, glad that nothing serious happened, considering that the dance competition is only a week away.
"I'll let you rest here for a while. I'll go get your friends to check you out and stay with you" Dr. Bennett said
"Thank you Dr. Bennett. Really appreciate it" I answer her politely
"No problem Kenzie. And welcome to Fusion"
Dr. Bennett went on her way and I was left alone in the medical center. It was quite, aside from the usual hum of the safehouse and lights and machines around me. They sent a relaxing vibe on me.
I thought about the changes that'll be happening my life. My life did get a big change back when I was a kid. When I was casted in Dance Moms along with Maddie and our friends. Then it took another big change after the scandal. Now, I'm gonna go on a third change. But this change is darker, more edgier. It will involve fame again, but it'll involve fighting, pain, and possible death. It all sent shivers down my spine but it also excited me in a way. Why did I decide to join Fusion anyway? So I can be with Brynn and look after her. But something told me that there was something else. Something hidden in my subconscious but always slips out of me when I try to get it.
I then heard the open and in came a frantic Jojo and Sarah and an unusually calm Brynn trailing behind. Jojo and Sarah each barraged me with a set of questions common for injury like if I'm okay, did I break some bones, tore open my cave of wonders too much -whatever Jojo means by that- and so on
"Guys! Guys! Slow down! I'm totally fine okay? Totally fine" I assured them with a light laugh
"Are you really sure? Maybe you just don't notice it because you got in the head too hard" Jojo said in a sort of tone where she slows every syllable
"The fuck are you talking about? Stop talking to me like I'm retarded!" I say to her
"And I didn't hit her in the head thank you very much!" Brynn called over, coming closer
"But you hit her on the jaw! Thrice!" Sarah said a matter of factly
"It's different!" Brynn defended
"The jaw, is still in the head!" Sarah countered
"Don't worry guys. It didn't hurt as much….I think" I say back to them
"If it means anything, I punched Brynn in the cheek for you" Jojo said and I couldn't help but laugh at that
"Yup. Really meant something nice. Satisfying even" I laughed
"Oh ha ha Ziegler. Anyway, you okay now Kenzieboo?" Brynn cooed as she traced her fingers from the bruises that she made on my face
"Never better! Considering by best friend tried to beat the shit out of me. You punch like a girl by the way" I say back to her
"Wait, but you ARE a girl" Jojo said, confused
"It's a form of expression Jo" Sarah said, shaking her head
"Don't stress about Sarah. This is Jojo after all" I laughed. Jojo still had the confused look on her face.
"Look...I'm sorry. For beating you up. Understand that this is the world we live in as vigilantes. Danger always looming over us and nights where injuries is all too common. That's why I had to beat you up. For you to understand. For all of you. I hope you all forgive me" Brynn said with a sincere tone. I look over Sarah and JoJo and gave me knowing looks and nods. I then look and slyly smile to Brynn who looked nervous all of a sudden
"You know, it's hard to forgive when you got beat up half to death…." I said with a sing song tone
"Kenzie I-" Brynn stammered
"Buuut….as my best friend, I forgive you. However….on one condition. " I interrupted. Brynn then had the face of annoyance and worry. The usual face when me and Jojo were about to do a shit ton of chaos for everyone.
"You know, you did worse in the past. What do I have to lose? Fire away!" Brynn declared
"Okay then! First, when training begins for us, I want to beat the living shit out of you. You think I don't want revenge after what you did?" I teased
"Well….that is fair. So fine but expect me to still fight back" Brynn warned but I just laughed it
"Deal! Second…." I began to say but I proceed to punch Brynn in the cheek. She staggered backwards a little but managed to steady herself. All of them looked at me in shock and confusion
"...I get first move" I said with a grin
"Very funny Ziegler. So am I forgiven?" Brynn asked
"Yeah! Sure, whatever!" I laughed as we hugged it out, then JoJo and Sarah join too
"Now that's over, there's also a certain elephant that needs to be addressed. Why the hell did you two decide to join in here as well?" I said, gesturing towards Sarah and JoJo
"Like I said, you cover Brynn's ass, and I'll cover yours" Plus, there is no way in hell I'll be left out of all this! This is so awesome!" JoJo said in a giddy tone
"For me, it's a chance to test my tech skills and learn more. I also want to impress Abby for this. Besides, who would cover JoJo's ass?" Sarah said and we laughed at that. Then a realization hit me and that got me frowning
"Wait! I get beat up as initiation but they don't?!" I bursted out to Brynn while gesturing to the others. Brynn then laughed and just shook her head
"Well Sarah's a kid and JoJo cries loudly annoying when punched. You on the other hand, are hilarious when complaining about shit happening to you. Also, they can understand the dangers when they're told and shown pictures of the action. You on the other hand, are stubborn and well...we had no choice. I did it with Hit Girl's blessing. You needed it anyway" Brynn laughed and so did the rest. Everything just had to be so humiliating today
"When I get better, I swear I'll get you Rumfallo!" I said, scowling at the still laughing maniacs