Someone on Mark's Side
by Tie-B
Chapter I
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Disclaimer: None of the characters here are my property. This is a fanfic after all. Please don't sue.
This is my first Home Improvement Fanfic. I'm not going into any of the character's POV because I'm trying to improve my third person writing so you might catch me subconsciously crossing the line and hopping right back. Please Read and Review.
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Mark stomped into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. He was fuming mad. He was thirteen years old and still his older brothers won't stop picking on him.
He sat on his bed, clutching his jaw. The pain was so intense that it felt numb, but it was nothing compared to the pain from the verbal beating he took from his older brothers. He couldn't even recount what happened. All he remembered was going berserk after Brad and Randy wouldn't stop mocking him. Mark hit Randy square in the chest with a straight punch, sending him crippling down on the floor. It was definitely easy hitting someone smaller. Brad was harder though. The eldest of the Taylor boys was definitely well built and had the reflexes to boot. Out of five attempts, Mark only got in two hits, and Brad didn't even stagger. Before Mark even saw it, Brad caught him with an uppercut to the jaw and right about that time, Mom and Dad walked in and broke up the brawl.
Mark was pretty sure his parents were talking to his brothers right now. It won't be long until the come up to his room and talk to hi - "Mark?" Dad, "Tim the Toolman" Taylor was knocking on his door, "Mark, open the door. I just want to talk to you."
Mark decided to ignore his Dad. Of all the people in the world, the Toolman wasn't really one who would probably understand his situation right now. Brad and Randy practically inherited the torture chromosome, as Al Borland would call it, from the Toolman himself. As the pain in his jaw subsided, Mark started to open and close his mouth to check if anything was broken.
Outside, Tim was still trying to take things in. This definitely wasn't the first time Brad and Randy picked on Mark, in fact, he'd lost count at how many times that already happened. This was however the first where Mark actually used brute force on them. Maybe Brad and Randy finally crossed the line this time? Maybe. The only way to really know was to talk to Mark.
"Mark! Open the door or I'll go get the Binford 6100 Chainsaw!"
Mark found the joke more annoying than amusing. "Dad, the door's ope- OW!" Mark found out that talking made his jaw hurt. The hurting made Mark want to make Brad pay. When Tim opened the door, Mark heard his Mom, Jill reprimanding Brad and Randy. Mark thought it was only right; after all, they were the ones who started this whole mess. They always have to make fun of everything he thinks of, says and does.
Tim stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He sighed and just stood there for a moment looking at Mark, who was avoiding eye contact. Eventually, Tim sat down on the bed beside Mark, who just shifted in his seat to turn his back on Tim.
"Look, Mark," Tim started, speaking in a soft tone. "You know, your Mom and I didn't sign you up for karate for you to use what you've learned there on your brothers."
Mark sneered, "What would you have wanted me to do?! Run to you so we can get back at them like I used to when I was seven?! No thanks dad! I think I can handle them on my own now."
"Oh, so you call getting an uppercut in the jaw, being able to handle things?!"
"Why not?! You handle Tool Time perfectly despite all your trips to the hospital!"
"You're missing the point. You're supposed to be using karate to defend yourse-"
"I WAS defending myself back there! They're always making fun of me! They've been doing it for so much of my life that I've learned to hide how hurt I really am!" Mark interrupted defensively. Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes. "Heh. The only times Brad and Randy aren't picking on me are when they're going at each other like last week when Brad did that Hey Yo! article . . ." he added as an afterthought.
Mark's room was silent for a moment. There was a sniffle from Mark. He was trying not to cry. Tim drew closer and put his arm around his youngest son, who was trembling a little. Tim started to speak.
"I'm sorry, but your mom and I have decided to stop letting you take those karate lessons until she . . . err we feel you're more responsible . . . " Tim trailed off.
Mark's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?!" If there was a sharp pain through his jaw because of the sudden movement, he didn't seem to feel it. Mark began to protest, "No Dad! You can't! It's one of the few things I'm good at!" Mark couldn't hold back his tears anymore. They were running down his face.
"Yeah, you're good at it alright - Who knows how many of Randy's ribs you've broken with that punch! God, Mark you practically knocked him out back there! You're mom's calling the hospital right now to get him some x-rays! Randy has enough health problems as it is and you're not helping. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid your mom is right. You'll have to learn when to use your karate before we let you take more lessons."
The Toolman got up and headed for the door. Mark gave his pleading one more try, "Please dad, don't do this. I . . . I promise not to hit Brad or Randy again!" but it didn't work.
"I'm sorry Mark." Tim finally said before closing the door, leaving Mark alone inside to think of what he's done.
Mark collapsed on his bed crying. It didn't seem fair. He was the one who had been picked on for years. He was the one always being called a dork. He was the one always overshadowed by athletic Brad and smart and witty Randy. Now, here he was, for the first time standing up for himself and he gets punished for doing so.
"It's not fair," he said to himself. "Why isn't there anyone on MY side?"
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by Tie-B
Chapter I
---
Disclaimer: None of the characters here are my property. This is a fanfic after all. Please don't sue.
This is my first Home Improvement Fanfic. I'm not going into any of the character's POV because I'm trying to improve my third person writing so you might catch me subconsciously crossing the line and hopping right back. Please Read and Review.
---
Mark stomped into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. He was fuming mad. He was thirteen years old and still his older brothers won't stop picking on him.
He sat on his bed, clutching his jaw. The pain was so intense that it felt numb, but it was nothing compared to the pain from the verbal beating he took from his older brothers. He couldn't even recount what happened. All he remembered was going berserk after Brad and Randy wouldn't stop mocking him. Mark hit Randy square in the chest with a straight punch, sending him crippling down on the floor. It was definitely easy hitting someone smaller. Brad was harder though. The eldest of the Taylor boys was definitely well built and had the reflexes to boot. Out of five attempts, Mark only got in two hits, and Brad didn't even stagger. Before Mark even saw it, Brad caught him with an uppercut to the jaw and right about that time, Mom and Dad walked in and broke up the brawl.
Mark was pretty sure his parents were talking to his brothers right now. It won't be long until the come up to his room and talk to hi - "Mark?" Dad, "Tim the Toolman" Taylor was knocking on his door, "Mark, open the door. I just want to talk to you."
Mark decided to ignore his Dad. Of all the people in the world, the Toolman wasn't really one who would probably understand his situation right now. Brad and Randy practically inherited the torture chromosome, as Al Borland would call it, from the Toolman himself. As the pain in his jaw subsided, Mark started to open and close his mouth to check if anything was broken.
Outside, Tim was still trying to take things in. This definitely wasn't the first time Brad and Randy picked on Mark, in fact, he'd lost count at how many times that already happened. This was however the first where Mark actually used brute force on them. Maybe Brad and Randy finally crossed the line this time? Maybe. The only way to really know was to talk to Mark.
"Mark! Open the door or I'll go get the Binford 6100 Chainsaw!"
Mark found the joke more annoying than amusing. "Dad, the door's ope- OW!" Mark found out that talking made his jaw hurt. The hurting made Mark want to make Brad pay. When Tim opened the door, Mark heard his Mom, Jill reprimanding Brad and Randy. Mark thought it was only right; after all, they were the ones who started this whole mess. They always have to make fun of everything he thinks of, says and does.
Tim stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He sighed and just stood there for a moment looking at Mark, who was avoiding eye contact. Eventually, Tim sat down on the bed beside Mark, who just shifted in his seat to turn his back on Tim.
"Look, Mark," Tim started, speaking in a soft tone. "You know, your Mom and I didn't sign you up for karate for you to use what you've learned there on your brothers."
Mark sneered, "What would you have wanted me to do?! Run to you so we can get back at them like I used to when I was seven?! No thanks dad! I think I can handle them on my own now."
"Oh, so you call getting an uppercut in the jaw, being able to handle things?!"
"Why not?! You handle Tool Time perfectly despite all your trips to the hospital!"
"You're missing the point. You're supposed to be using karate to defend yourse-"
"I WAS defending myself back there! They're always making fun of me! They've been doing it for so much of my life that I've learned to hide how hurt I really am!" Mark interrupted defensively. Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes. "Heh. The only times Brad and Randy aren't picking on me are when they're going at each other like last week when Brad did that Hey Yo! article . . ." he added as an afterthought.
Mark's room was silent for a moment. There was a sniffle from Mark. He was trying not to cry. Tim drew closer and put his arm around his youngest son, who was trembling a little. Tim started to speak.
"I'm sorry, but your mom and I have decided to stop letting you take those karate lessons until she . . . err we feel you're more responsible . . . " Tim trailed off.
Mark's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?!" If there was a sharp pain through his jaw because of the sudden movement, he didn't seem to feel it. Mark began to protest, "No Dad! You can't! It's one of the few things I'm good at!" Mark couldn't hold back his tears anymore. They were running down his face.
"Yeah, you're good at it alright - Who knows how many of Randy's ribs you've broken with that punch! God, Mark you practically knocked him out back there! You're mom's calling the hospital right now to get him some x-rays! Randy has enough health problems as it is and you're not helping. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid your mom is right. You'll have to learn when to use your karate before we let you take more lessons."
The Toolman got up and headed for the door. Mark gave his pleading one more try, "Please dad, don't do this. I . . . I promise not to hit Brad or Randy again!" but it didn't work.
"I'm sorry Mark." Tim finally said before closing the door, leaving Mark alone inside to think of what he's done.
Mark collapsed on his bed crying. It didn't seem fair. He was the one who had been picked on for years. He was the one always being called a dork. He was the one always overshadowed by athletic Brad and smart and witty Randy. Now, here he was, for the first time standing up for himself and he gets punished for doing so.
"It's not fair," he said to himself. "Why isn't there anyone on MY side?"
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