Memento Mori
A retelling of a legend
By
Indigo X
(Author Notes: This is a bit brazen on my part, trying to tackle a story I've read of but never seen. This is, in my own words, the brutal and somewhat tragic story of Tommy, Raven, and a girl named Beulah. I'm taking vast amounts of creative license, and, like I said, my sources are simply what I've read, so don't go in thinking I'm giving play-by-play of two and a half years. =P I hope you like this. I hope I get it finished. *hee*
Tommy Dreamer, Raven, and Beulah McGillicutty belong to the brilliant peoples who brought them to life. And, in spirit anyway, to the best fed that I never saw. Eee-See-Dub! Eee-See-Dub!)
Once upon a time, two men fought two and a half years. It was a battle over many things, but at its very core, traced all the way to its beginning, it was for the love of a woman... no, no, we need to start before that.
Once upon a time, three young boys, best of friends, got off of a bus. It was their first summer camp together, and... no. We need to start even before that.
It all starts in a hallway. After recess, at a consolidated New York middle school.
Part One:
"...fate, y'know?"
Tommy Dreamer, newly turned thirteen, had just moved to Yonkers from the city of Des Moines. It was about a fourth through the school year, and though he certainly wasn't happy about being uprooted, he managed to take it in stride. Tommy, after all, was an unusually easygoing kid. Ask anybody. The shaggy black haired, brown eyed, and slightly built kid was just that nice. Not many things could really cheese him off.
Of course, once one of those nerves was hit, all bets were off. Tommy could, and did, fight like a rabid bulldog. Gotten more than his share of detentions for it, too.
Little did Tommy know, as he walked the halls that particular Wednesday morning, looking for his classroom, that he would soon encounter something at his new school that would set one of those nerves right off, and it would eventually lead to events that would more or less define his adult life.
"...I said, back off, you bunch of degenerate neanderthals!"
Tommy blinked as he walked around the corner and heard the sharp, big-worded threat, and blinked again when he saw who it was coming from. The boy was scrawny, with a headful of shoulder-length chestnut and gold curls, very dark eyes, dressed in torn jeans and an old t-shirt, a ratty flannel slung around his waist. He was glaring at a group of about three older boys, all twice his size... yet he seemed unafraid. Tommy watched and waited to see what would happen.
What happened was that the three large boys pounced upon the scrawny ragamuffin kid, punching him without mercy... and the kid started laughing.
"Come on..." He spit a wad of blood in the biggest boy's face. "...you had more piss and vinegar in you yesterday, you simian de-evolution!"
Of course, that made the pummeling worse, and though the kid tried to fight back, the assault of the angered bullies was just too much.... and that's when Tommy's sense of schoolyard justice kicked in. Grabbing a mop from a nearby janitor's bucket and jumping into the hallway with a yell, Tommy swung the mop handle- CRACK!- and smacked one after another of the bullies off with it, and kept smacking them until the handle broke over the leader's head with a snap so loud it made everyone in the hallway cringe.
"Now..." Tommy drew himself up to his full height, which wasn't overly tall, but when you've just whipped three bullies' asses with a mop, you don't need to be tall to be intimidating. "...beat it!"
The bullies beat it. Tossing the broken mop aside, Tommy went to check on the bloodied kid, who did something Tommy wasn't expecting.
He glared coldly and smacked Tommy's helping hand away.
"Well, thank YOU, mister hero. I suppose you want me to be tripping over my feet to thank you, huh? Kiss your boots, maybe? Follow you loyally so the big bad bullies won't get me? I've got news for you." Those coal-like eyes seemed to pierce into Tommy's very soul, and they were NOT happy. "I am NOBODY'S flunky. Call me an ingrate, do what you will, but I don't follow in anyone's shadow, so you can take your mister hero act and shove it firmly up your..."
"WHOA!" Tommy backed off, and waved his hands in front of him in an 'easy, there' motion. "Chill out, man. I wasn't going to ask you to do any of those things. I just wanted to see if you were okay."
The kid blinked, seeming a little confused. "That's all?"
"That's all."
"Really?"
"Really."
The kid wiped his bloody lip and nose on the sleeve of his flannel (which was bloodstained already, Tommy saw), and stood up, leaning back against the wall. "You... you're new here, aren't you? Why would you be concerned? You don't even know me." Stretching himself out lately, he walked over to a large trash can and stuck his arm in, as if feeling around for something.
Tommy raised an eyebrow at this, but answered plainly. "Yeah, I'm new. No, I don't know you. But so? You were getting creamed. I don't wanna see anybody get creamed who dosen't deserve it."
"Hm. You're a good fella, unless you happen to be lying through your teeth." The kid frowned, and stood on tiptoe to peer into the trash can.
"I'm not. My name's Tommy. Tommy Dreamer. I just moved here."
"Nice. I'm called Raven. Just Raven... oh, come ON, they're gone, you can come out now, you ridiculous little thing!" Reaching way down into the can, Raven finally located what he was looking for, and with a little effort, pulled up another kid by the collar of his shirt, just about as skinny as Raven himself, with blue eyes and a sheepish grin, not to mention a peppering of bruises. Raven sighed and rolled his eyes. "And this is Stevie Richards. I have to look out for him. Nobody else will. Stevie, this is Tommy. He helped me out just now while you were busy cowering in a waste bin."
"Hi!" Stevie waved to Tommy, and then back to Raven with a frown. "I'm sorry, Raven, but they chucked me in there..."
"...and told you to stay down or they'd clobber you." Another sigh, another eyeroll. "Same thing every day. You need a backbone. And we need to get to class, lest the hall pass Gestapo burn us at the stake." Tugging Stevie by the hair in a manner that was somehow rough and playful at the same time, Raven glanced back over his shoulder and nodded once more to Tommy.
Tommy started down the other way, then stopped. "Hey, Raven...!"
Raven turned slightly. "Yes?"
"You wanna meet me after school? We could go to my place and play Super Mario or something."
Raven paused as if thinking this over, then nodded. "Alright. We'll meet right here." A smile split the odd youngster's face, and Tommy had a feeling that this was something rare indeed. "Tommy Dreamer. I have a feeling we were supposed to run into each other today... fate, y'know? I think we're going to be good friends."
"Hope so!" Tommy waved as he headed to class. "See you later!"
A retelling of a legend
By
Indigo X
(Author Notes: This is a bit brazen on my part, trying to tackle a story I've read of but never seen. This is, in my own words, the brutal and somewhat tragic story of Tommy, Raven, and a girl named Beulah. I'm taking vast amounts of creative license, and, like I said, my sources are simply what I've read, so don't go in thinking I'm giving play-by-play of two and a half years. =P I hope you like this. I hope I get it finished. *hee*
Tommy Dreamer, Raven, and Beulah McGillicutty belong to the brilliant peoples who brought them to life. And, in spirit anyway, to the best fed that I never saw. Eee-See-Dub! Eee-See-Dub!)
Once upon a time, two men fought two and a half years. It was a battle over many things, but at its very core, traced all the way to its beginning, it was for the love of a woman... no, no, we need to start before that.
Once upon a time, three young boys, best of friends, got off of a bus. It was their first summer camp together, and... no. We need to start even before that.
It all starts in a hallway. After recess, at a consolidated New York middle school.
Part One:
"...fate, y'know?"
Tommy Dreamer, newly turned thirteen, had just moved to Yonkers from the city of Des Moines. It was about a fourth through the school year, and though he certainly wasn't happy about being uprooted, he managed to take it in stride. Tommy, after all, was an unusually easygoing kid. Ask anybody. The shaggy black haired, brown eyed, and slightly built kid was just that nice. Not many things could really cheese him off.
Of course, once one of those nerves was hit, all bets were off. Tommy could, and did, fight like a rabid bulldog. Gotten more than his share of detentions for it, too.
Little did Tommy know, as he walked the halls that particular Wednesday morning, looking for his classroom, that he would soon encounter something at his new school that would set one of those nerves right off, and it would eventually lead to events that would more or less define his adult life.
"...I said, back off, you bunch of degenerate neanderthals!"
Tommy blinked as he walked around the corner and heard the sharp, big-worded threat, and blinked again when he saw who it was coming from. The boy was scrawny, with a headful of shoulder-length chestnut and gold curls, very dark eyes, dressed in torn jeans and an old t-shirt, a ratty flannel slung around his waist. He was glaring at a group of about three older boys, all twice his size... yet he seemed unafraid. Tommy watched and waited to see what would happen.
What happened was that the three large boys pounced upon the scrawny ragamuffin kid, punching him without mercy... and the kid started laughing.
"Come on..." He spit a wad of blood in the biggest boy's face. "...you had more piss and vinegar in you yesterday, you simian de-evolution!"
Of course, that made the pummeling worse, and though the kid tried to fight back, the assault of the angered bullies was just too much.... and that's when Tommy's sense of schoolyard justice kicked in. Grabbing a mop from a nearby janitor's bucket and jumping into the hallway with a yell, Tommy swung the mop handle- CRACK!- and smacked one after another of the bullies off with it, and kept smacking them until the handle broke over the leader's head with a snap so loud it made everyone in the hallway cringe.
"Now..." Tommy drew himself up to his full height, which wasn't overly tall, but when you've just whipped three bullies' asses with a mop, you don't need to be tall to be intimidating. "...beat it!"
The bullies beat it. Tossing the broken mop aside, Tommy went to check on the bloodied kid, who did something Tommy wasn't expecting.
He glared coldly and smacked Tommy's helping hand away.
"Well, thank YOU, mister hero. I suppose you want me to be tripping over my feet to thank you, huh? Kiss your boots, maybe? Follow you loyally so the big bad bullies won't get me? I've got news for you." Those coal-like eyes seemed to pierce into Tommy's very soul, and they were NOT happy. "I am NOBODY'S flunky. Call me an ingrate, do what you will, but I don't follow in anyone's shadow, so you can take your mister hero act and shove it firmly up your..."
"WHOA!" Tommy backed off, and waved his hands in front of him in an 'easy, there' motion. "Chill out, man. I wasn't going to ask you to do any of those things. I just wanted to see if you were okay."
The kid blinked, seeming a little confused. "That's all?"
"That's all."
"Really?"
"Really."
The kid wiped his bloody lip and nose on the sleeve of his flannel (which was bloodstained already, Tommy saw), and stood up, leaning back against the wall. "You... you're new here, aren't you? Why would you be concerned? You don't even know me." Stretching himself out lately, he walked over to a large trash can and stuck his arm in, as if feeling around for something.
Tommy raised an eyebrow at this, but answered plainly. "Yeah, I'm new. No, I don't know you. But so? You were getting creamed. I don't wanna see anybody get creamed who dosen't deserve it."
"Hm. You're a good fella, unless you happen to be lying through your teeth." The kid frowned, and stood on tiptoe to peer into the trash can.
"I'm not. My name's Tommy. Tommy Dreamer. I just moved here."
"Nice. I'm called Raven. Just Raven... oh, come ON, they're gone, you can come out now, you ridiculous little thing!" Reaching way down into the can, Raven finally located what he was looking for, and with a little effort, pulled up another kid by the collar of his shirt, just about as skinny as Raven himself, with blue eyes and a sheepish grin, not to mention a peppering of bruises. Raven sighed and rolled his eyes. "And this is Stevie Richards. I have to look out for him. Nobody else will. Stevie, this is Tommy. He helped me out just now while you were busy cowering in a waste bin."
"Hi!" Stevie waved to Tommy, and then back to Raven with a frown. "I'm sorry, Raven, but they chucked me in there..."
"...and told you to stay down or they'd clobber you." Another sigh, another eyeroll. "Same thing every day. You need a backbone. And we need to get to class, lest the hall pass Gestapo burn us at the stake." Tugging Stevie by the hair in a manner that was somehow rough and playful at the same time, Raven glanced back over his shoulder and nodded once more to Tommy.
Tommy started down the other way, then stopped. "Hey, Raven...!"
Raven turned slightly. "Yes?"
"You wanna meet me after school? We could go to my place and play Super Mario or something."
Raven paused as if thinking this over, then nodded. "Alright. We'll meet right here." A smile split the odd youngster's face, and Tommy had a feeling that this was something rare indeed. "Tommy Dreamer. I have a feeling we were supposed to run into each other today... fate, y'know? I think we're going to be good friends."
"Hope so!" Tommy waved as he headed to class. "See you later!"