Wow, not one review for the first chapter/prologue thingey. Don't know if it was because it was so short, no one is in a reviewing mood, or no one likes the idea...
Here's chapter 2. Hope it does better! There is mention of rape. WARNING! Mention of rape!
Not a lot of Spike-ness yet, I'm laying ground work still. By the end of this chapter, groundwork should be laid!
Disclaimer : Same as usual. If it's cool it ain't mine. This includes Hot Pockets and Whoppers.
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There was a buzz of static and then the local news jingle sounded.
"Good evening. This afternoon the Zippy Mart on Jupiter Blvd. was robbed by three youths. The manager alleges that he was held up at gunpoint by their leader, a tall skinny youth with greenish hair. The other two boys appeared to be of oriental descent.
As the boys fled the store a personal protection dog was released. The dog was found dead of a stab wound two blocks away. The gang got away with over three hundred dollars in merchandise and five hundred dollars in cash. All members are considered armed and dangerous. If you have any information - "
A beer can flew through the air to hit the TV screen with a clang.
"Geeze Shin, turn that shit off." Spike cracked the top on another beer and lit a cigarette. Though the bite in his arm was painful, the beer was going a long way towards making it better. With a belly full of Hot Pockets, a full pack of smokes, and some hard cash, Spike was feeling pretty content. He belched loudly and staggered to the tiny ten inch television set, fitting the pliers on the dial. The tv was ancient and abused by many people before Spike had rescued it from the curb. Pliers were a necessity to change the station, as were two bent coat hangers for even fuzzy reception.
Surfing through the static prone channels he stopped as he saw the opening credits for Enter the Dragon. Setting down his beer he assumed a karate stance on the worn floor.
"Now this is good tv. Not only is it one of the greatest movies ever made, you can learn important things from it too. Like how to kick ass -" he punched the air at a make believe opponent - "And take names." Spike's left foot shot out towards Lin's head stopping a hairsbreadth from his nose.
"Aww, quit showing off Speigel! We're still learning!" Shin and Lin jumped up to show Spike their fledgling skills. Shin managed two fake punches before he tripped. Lin's feet flew out from under him at his first movement.
"Sure ya are. You two can keep playing. I'm going to bed." Gathering up a blanket and pillow Spike receeded to a corner. The last few months played over in his mind as he looked at the brothers. Had they only been together for six months? It seemed that he couldn't remember a time they were'nt there.
Before Shin and Lin, Spike had been on his own. He didn't remember having parents. Didn't remember a warm home, with hugs and kisses and homework and chores - normal things. There were only memories of being passed from one family to the next, each finding something unsatisfactory about him, each worse than the other. One family thought he slept too much. Another said his hair was too messy. The last family had an abusive father. He tried to slap Spike around - and got a broken arm for the attempt. That very night Spike ran - to anywhere but there.
After a few nights of sleeping on park benches blanketed with newspaper, Spike discovered this attic. Shabby and ramshackle, it wasn't anything special, but it was home. Moldy boxes of junk and debris filled most of the room. A small space was cleared out where he practiced jeet kun do and taught it to the boys. The ancient television set occupied a flipped over wooden crate with Co-ca Cola emblazoned on the side. Newspaper and cardboard could be seen through holes in the roof; a poor attempt at a patch job, but it kept him almost warm and almost dry most of the time.
Spike pulled his threadbare blanket closer and remembered the day he found Shin and Lin. One day Spike had come home with the ultimate treasure: a stolen Whopper, still hot. His mouth was honest to god watering in anticipation of all that beefy-tomatoey-ketchupy-goodness. The burger was actually in his mouth, teeth just beginning to sink in when a small sob followed by a shushing sound told him he was not alone. Silently cursing, he had placed the aromatic, dripping, charbroiled wonder of a burger - which was getting colder by the second - back on the wrapper and listened for the sound again.
Deciding that the sound came from under the only non-holey blanket, Spike investigated.
In other words, he ripped off the blanket and whipped his six inch switchblade from his pocket and flourished it at two very terrified boys, about twelve and ten years old.
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After Spike shared his Whopper with the brothers they told him their story. Their mother was a crack addict who verbally abused them. She was always telling them about their lousy drunk father and how he ran out on her. On really bad days she would scream and throw things, beating the boys if she could catch them, cursing the whole time. Lin would hide in the closet while Shin tried to protect him from their mother.
Their mother was a junkie who owed money all over town. Many's the time there were no groceries except half a glass of sour milk, but she had to have her fix. One day her dealer, Johnny K came to visit. He brought friends with him. Shin and Lin watched from under the stairs as they broke her legs and arms, disfigured her face, violated her body, and left her dead in a puddle of blood.
Knowing that if Johnny K found them they could be killed, tortured, sold as slaves on Pluto, or even pimped out, they fled the dingy apartment. Two weeks of living on the streets afraid of every shadow or loud noise found them in Spike's attic.
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As with most children in their situation, they had turned to crime.This afternoon had been their first attempt at an organized crime. Before this it had all been pickpocketing or beggin 'bus fare' from sympathetic tourists. All in all it had turned out well. Only Spike was hurt and minorly at that. He refused to think about the dead dog, pushing it to the back of his mind. They had lots of food, smokes, and beer. With a full belly and a Bruce Lee movie in the background, a contented Spike drifted off to sleep.
Not one of the three boys saw the grey haired boy peeking through a chink in the wall. Not one of them heard him radio a message.
"This is Victor. I have found them. Moving in for action now."
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Here it is, ch 2. Let me know what you think. Did no one review because it sucks? Is it a bit too dark? I usually write comedy type stuff...
Who is Victor? Gee, the grey hair isn't a giveaway... But why is he after the boys?
REVIEW if you want MORE! The real action is getting ready to begin!
Later!
DGBW