A/N: This scene came from when I was looking on the TLK 1 1/2 "Behind the Legend" extra, and there are pictures of Timon getting pushed around and preyed on by some nasty looking folk. So naturally I had to include the beginnings of that in my story. These guys ain't going away anytime soon...
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Four days now had gone by since the collapsed tunnel incident, and it was only now that Timon had even allowed himself to be seen in public. Despite all the urgings from his mother (Danso was constantly busy with rebuilding the collapsed tunnels), the kit couldn't bring himself to show his face now that he knew what everyone would call him. He had hidden in his nest all this time, since just a day after the accident, he could already feel stares and hear names behind him when he wasn't looking. Tunnel klutz, Digging Disaster, Hole Blower, and That One Kit With The Tunneling Problem, just to name a few. Unable to bear the guilt he had fled to the comforting arms of Meeca, who allowed him to stay home at the nest for a while. But eventually he had to go and make life normal for himself again, she had said. The moment the tunnels were fixed again, everyone would forget about it, she had assured him many times. This had cheered Timon some, and even convinced him to go out and test the waters, as it were, on the evening of the fourth day.
Unfortunately, he had neglected to remember that he still had about three and a half weeks of derision until the tunnels were finished being repaired, so everyone would have a face to connect to the wreck. He had been heading to the central annex, very anxious to see if he could find his friend Daren, who had been looking to see him after all these days. He was probably the only meerkat outside of Timon's family thattruly enjoyed being around him, what with his already rather firm reputation of being a goofball. This latest accident would probably only further that along. Timon was moving down the main lower transit tunnel that led to his home in the South Wing, when he suddenly found himself cornered by several meerkats he always wished to never see again when he was done "talking" to them. The first and foremost of this dastardly quintet was none other than Mosi's eldest son, Gamba. Fully a month older than Timon, he was a rather imposing figure with fiery red hair not unlike Timon's own, with an arrogant air about him. Even some of the young adult meerkats stayed away from him, if just to avoid his sharp tongue and nasty disposition for picking fights with those who displeased him. Mosi did some things to keep him in line (in public at least), but most everyone knew that the youngster was basically a favored brat of Danso's old enemy, and had been brought up with the very same hatred of Timon and his family that Mosi had been all too willing to pass on.
The second that came to match Gamba in size and strength was a nasty piece of work named Tupac. Fully three weeks older than Gamba, he was the designated "bodyguard" of sorts for the younger 'kat. He wasn't half as smart as Gamba for all his size, and hid this behind a taciturn demeanor and an even greater propensity towards engaging annoying people in wrestling matches than his smaller cohort. Considered something of a brute, it was the hope of Uncle Max that somebody would one day beat some sense into the poor boy so he could get away from following Gamba and go join the digging crew. Hopefully this would happen soon, but unfortunately for Timon, it was not today.
The third member of the little gang, and the third oldest, was Pili. He was Gamba's second brother and was destined to be part of somebody's retinue when he grew up. Thin and wiry, just a few weeks older than Timon, he didn't look particularly threatening, but he did what he was told and did it well. Making things worse for poor Timon (and why not?), today's chore happened to be, as described by Gamba, "Make the runt wish he never showed his face again."
Numbers four and five were Paki and Pupa, best of friends who had grown up alike. For one thing they both were at Gamba's mercy as well. Aside from that, they didn't look at all the same. Pupa was the youngest of the five, squat and scruffy, while Paki was about the same age as Pili, with a fairly well defined musculature for a meerkat of his age. He wasn't dumb, and didn't exactly enjoy following the orders of Gamba all the time. Poor Pupa only followedPili's lead, figuring if Paki did it, he should too. However they had both made the mistake of befriending the little sod Gamba at a very young age. When Tupac had joined up, there was very little incentive to offend their new "employer."
Timon had wanted to escape their merciless attentions, today especially, since it was his first out again (they had probably been just waiting for him). He shrank into the tunnel wall with a groan, but this only made it easier for the bullies to surround him.
"Well, would you look at this," sneered Gamba, smiling a smile that wasn't at all friendly. It was something very rarely seen on a meerkat's face, especially one so young… it was predatory. "It's Danso's little runt come to see if everyone's forgotten about him!"
"None too hard to do that," snapped Pili, quick to follow his brother's lead. "He's hardly even up to Tupac's chin!" Tupac grunted in assent, with the stony, stern look of a bouncer on him. Seeing the younger kit beginning to shake, Gamba put on a friendly face and clapped a paw to Timon's shoulder, making him jump.
"Aww, wassa matter? Is the little ditz afraid? Hey, come on now, you don't really think we're just here to make fun of you again, do you? We've had a bit of trouble waiting so long for our little friend." Timon could only look up wide-eyed, petrified with fear and his already slim shoulders sagging from the hopelessness of his predicament. He gulped loudly, trying to answer Gamba. He could only shake his head, hoping beyond hope that the expression Gamba was wearing was sincere. The older meerkat waved a paw in the air between the two of them in a hurry up motion, not seeing the almost imperceptibly tiny motion of Timon agreeing.
"Come on, Timon. We're buds! Pals! Amigos! Surely you don't think that we'd go to all this trouble to find you just to put dirt in your fur and scrub your face into a wall like we did last time? Hmm? Don't got all day, Timon." The aforementioned kit made his head shaking more vigorous. Gamba smiled with what seemed to be great satisfaction.
"Well good," he drawled with a softness that was completely insincere, lending Timon a great deal of false hope. He began bending down to look Timon in the eyes. "We're not here to tease ya, Wally," he explained softly and nicely, using the shortened version of one of Timon's nicknames "Wall Whacker." It had appeared within hours of the reasons behind the great collapse a few days ago going public. Suddenly, Gamba's face turned into a scowl, and a quite dark one at that as he revealed their true intentions for hunting him down whilst he was still alone… alone and vulnerable.
"We're here to hurt you." Timon whimpered, his blood going cold and freezing in his veins. A vice clamped down on his heart as he tried to comprehend the finality of that statement. As if getting dirt dumped on his head and being labeled as a dumb ditty weren't bad enough. This was a whole new step up from the antics of two months ago after Timon's first few accidents. He was only three and a half months old! Surely they wouldn't do this? Couldn't they at least wait until he was a couple inches taller?
"You caused a lot of trouble for a lot of meerkats, Timon," explained Paki.
"My dad never liked cleaning up messes made by your folks," growled Gamba.
"I've already been put on reserve digging crew. First shift is next week!" said Tupac. He never had a disposition towards tunneling. He figured himself more of a sentry type of 'kat. This was more than enough affront to him to get angry. Gamba nodded sympathetically.
"They're right Timon. You aren't shaping up to be a very good little meerkat. Think a couple knocks over the head will straighten you out once and for all? Well, that's what we're here to find out."
Timon's mouth opened and closed like a fish, desperately seeking answers. What on Earth was he supposed to say? Would an apology help? Why did they have to do this to him? He looked up and down the tunnel, but knew no help was coming, not any time soon. This was normally a busy tunnel, but almost all the colony was working on repairs, and most of the females were busy handling the kits at the nursery and getting food and the like. Things were not looking good at all for Timon's immediate future.
"I'm… I'm sorry!" squeaked a hapless Timon, now close to tears with how terrified he was. "I didn't know what was gonna happen! I never do! I swear! It was an accident! You gotta believe me! I didn't mean any of this! Please!" He pressed himself against the wall as hard as he could, somehow hoping that he would melt into the dirt and get away. But there was no salvation there, and his begging only seemed to annoy them more. Gamba's grip fell away and he pointed down a redundant side tunnel, no longer used since its previous owner was killed by an eagle months ago, and had yet to be torn down.
"Over here," he said with a dead sort of surety. Timon tried to yell for help, but Tupac clamped his paw down on him and heaved him bodily. Timon grasped out for a paw hold, his claws leaving runs in the walls while he desperately sought a grip. But it was no use. Tupac was inexorable. Timon was thrown against the wall, hard. The wind was knocked out of him as he fell to the ground, immediately trying to scramble away before realizing it was futile. He could only go so far down the tunnel before it came to an end… and then they would be free to do what they wanted with him. Best stay here where somebody could still see inside the entrance when they came by, so whatever happened would be of less intensity. If they came by. Timon's young mind was practically insane was terror, all kinds of horrid things running through his mind. Visions of being found beaten to a bloody pulp days after this occurred in this forgotten little hole in the wall were most common, along with the group in front of him turning into monsters and tearing him to pieces before spitting out his barely conscious remains as the thoughts became worse, the darkness of the tunnel closing in on him. He couldn't believe how small and vulnerable he felt now, and only felt all the more ashamed for it.
"No… I didn't… I don't wanna… please!" he pleaded, but to no visible effect. Gamba, swept up in the adrenaline of the moment, knocked Timon on the side of the head, making him curl up into a whimpering, pathetic ball of fur.
"Quiet, runt, and this will go a lot quicker." Pupa looked a tad unsure.
"Uh… Gamba?" Timon could hear him say. "Is this really okay? I mean, we could just dump some dirt on him and… and stuff…" he trailed off quietly. Timon begged Gamba to listen in his mind. Yes, yes! Just throw dirt on me and call me names again! Smack me over the head like you always do! Just don't hurt me!
Alas, Gamba was in no mood to be bossed about by the smallest of their gang. He sighed and looked back at Pupa, an exasperated edge in his voice. "Shut up, Pupa, I wanna get this done before mom gets home with lunch."
"Well… I mean…" insisted Pupa, shuffling his footpaws. Gamba groaned and shook his head.
"Fine, fine, we'll only give him afewgood whacksand then we can mess him up and go home. You can just stand there and watch. Okay? You happy?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned back to Timon, pounding a fist into his paw. Tupac and the rest seemed equally eager to get it on, with no mercy in their frighteningly young eyes. Too young to be taking orders and venting frustrations on one so much younger than they. Timon began openly crying now as he accepted his fate. He curled up as tightly as he could, protectively covering his head with his little paws, deciding just to hide his face through the ordeal. If he didn't have to look at them, they wouldn't be there to haunt him in his nightmares tonight… but he wouldn't even be afforded that small mercy. Gamba motioned to his comrades.
"Get him up! Can't hit anyone proper like this." Timon struggled with all his might, but he was suddenly standing, exposed and against the wall, his arms pinned by the might of Tupac. He gritted his teeth, and scrunched his eyes shut as tightly as they could go. It made the slight pounding in his temple where had been struck throb all the worse.
"Don't worry kid," he heard Pili say. "We aren't going to let anything happen… nothing permanent anyway."
"Heh. Better make sure he can't talk for a while after this at least," mentioned Tupac as they all closed in for the kill.
"No…" was the last terrified whisper Timon could force out before he could feel the first blow being prepared…
"GAMBA!" shouted a young, strong voice from the entrance to the tunnel, causing all assembled to freeze with shock. The bullies gasped and spun around, dropping their victim instantly. Timon looked up, his eyes wider than they had ever been before in his life. He could recognize that voice anywhere! And lo, his guess was correct. Striding down the tunnel with purpose was his one real friend in the entire world, Daren. He was flanked by several other meerkats, all around his age and one younger. His face was scrunched up in a fierce scowl. He had never liked Mosi's family, nor the little gang Gamba had had the nerve to set up and disrupt the peacefulness of the nursery, and the entire colony. Oji had been sure to inform Shakina and Daren about all of Mosi's vanity and faint disdain for anyone below his station. Daren was in fact about half a month younger than Gamba, but he was already a force to be reckoned with. He was looked on with respect by the older ones who met him, and was growing up to be a fine example of a meerkat. He was loyal, obedient, and smart, commanding the respect and affection of almost all the younger meerkats, along with several of the adults that liked his "proper" behavior. He was virtually the child every meerkat couple longed to have, and Oji and Shakina never stopped praising him when they were meeting with friends. Even Tupac wouldn't deliberately pick a fight with him under almost every circumstance. It had taken him a bit longer than most to stop crawling and start walking, to stop babbling and start talking, but once he had, he had proven that a good future was something nothing short of a hyena was going to take from him.
To Timon though, there was only one outstanding feature that made him better than every meerkat he knew (except for dear old mom and dad). He was Timon's friend. And right now he was shoving his face right up against Gamba's.
"I think you'd better step down Gamba," he said quietly. The other meerkat glowered at him darkly, but began stepping back slightly when he observed the fierceness in Daren's eyes, surprising everyone with his submissiveness.
"You're pathetic, you know that Daren?" he said suddenly, trying to salvage his pride with verbal abuse. "He's practically useless, almost killed a few meerkats with his idiocy, and you stick up for what's worthless!" he proclaimed, in reference to Timon, who had curled up on the floor again, only hoping that this didn't end badly.
"I stick up for what's right, Gamba. If you're smart you'll do the same! Now go away before I tell Shombay about this!" said Daren with firm conviction. Gamba snorted in quick return.
"Whatever. Shombay doesn't scare me, or my dad. You know this'll be beneath him anyway." He glanced back briefly at Timon. "And that's definitely beneath him too."
"Just shut up and beat it, you twerps," came another voice, female, yet strong and rather intense for its age. This was Sauda, a meerkat around a week older than Daren that liked to come off as rough, tough, and hard to bluff. And she wasn't hiding any heart of gold under that fearsome visage either. Her attitude came from her toughened father, her mother having died of disease a week after she was born. She sported blonde head fur and striking hazel eyes.
The bullies knew that it would be stupid to get into a fight with a whole group of other meerkat youngsters. That would draw all kinds of attention they didn't want or need. Muttering darkly to themselves, they passed out into the tunnel beyond. Gamba sent back one last dirty look before disappearing himself. Daren watched them go and sighed. "Whew… that went better than I thought it would."
"They always do for you, Daren," exclaimed Trip, a meerkat that was nearly six months old, but still good friends with Daren. His own younger brother, Dinari, was there with him. He was around Timon's age, but rarely spoke at all. To compensate he always had a smile on his face.
Timon however had anything but that, though. He was sitting with his chin on his knees, a tear running down the side of his face and already drying. Things may go fine and dandy for the other meerkats, but for him? Ha! It was as though fate was playing some great joke on him. Hardly halfway to adulthood and he was already the butt of almost all the colony's jokes, given his track record with the last four times he had tried to dig without proper supervision. Daren sighed and sat down next to him, but the little kit still somehow did not feel the bubble of isolation pierced. Not this time. Not after he had come so close to coming home with a black eye, which would in turn only make his parents worry more and the fighting worse, which would inevitably lead to more black eyes until somebody settled the confrontations... violently. Sauda made a noise that sounded like a disgusted snort at the look on Timon's face and turned away, while Trip and Dinari looked on sympathetically.
"Timon, come on. Those idiots aren't going to bother you anymore." Timon only grunted and slowly stood up, wiping off his snout with a sniffle.
"I hate being this useless," he said. "I'm the only one here anybody bothers to pick on. And now they wanna… well, you know."
"Lay you out cold?" offered Trip.
"Why would they do that?" said Timon, confused. "They weren't threatening to wet me down and leave me outside ya weirdo, they were trying to beat me!"
Trip blinked and oh'd understandingly. "Of course, I… don't know what I was thinking."
"Yeah, obviously," said Timon as he rubbed his cheek where the first blow had landed. "So, anyway, I'm pretty bummed at the moment," he continued when nobody seemed interested in continuing the conversation, which made his heart sink lower than it already had been. Daren put a comforting paw on his friend's shoulder, only daring to imagine how his smaller companion must have been feeling.
"Well, obviously you aren't going to be going anywhere alone, then, for now at least," he said with confidence. "Don't worry. Nobody's calling you a klutz while we're around. Right?" he said expectantly, turning back to his comrades. Dinari and Trip nodded agreement, but Sauda seemed less enthusiastic.
"Despite the fact it's true?" she said with an amused smile on her face. Timon looked down in what appeared to be shame. Daren only stared hard at her until she rolled her eyes and threw up her paws.
"Fine, fine, I won't let anybody touch precious little Timmy."
"Sauda…" warned Daren, but she was already heading off down the tunnel again. Daren sighed heavily, but knew she would keep her word. Well, do her best to keep her word. And her best usually only meant if Timon wasn't around she didn't have to do anything about it. But it was enough, from her at any rate. Timon only hung his head.
"Oh, forget her, she's always like that," piped up Dinari, which was answered by an indignant sniff from somewhere around the corner. "I am not!" said Sauda loudly. Trip nodded sadly.
"Unfortunately, yes, she is, as we all know too well. Meanwhile… I think we should forget those lunatics and go have some fun." Daren shook his head.
"I'll catch up in a moment. Somebody's got to hear about what Gamba did. Mosi probably put him up to it too." Timon shivered at hearing that name. Even a kit didn't need to be particularly insightful to know about the conflict that went on between Mosi and Danso, and the implications of some of it.Timon knew his father despised the other meerkat, but he didn't know why they had to continue their feud on to the next generation! Especially when Timon was always outnumbered five to one. He spoke up before Daren could leave.
"Hold up, Daren. Don't bother... mom and dad don't need to see this, they got enough problems already." Daren put his paws on his hips.
"Timon, they were ready to hurt you! I'm not going to stand for that, and when your parents know, they won't either." Timon just scratched the back of his neck and nodded.
"Yeah... that'll be a good thing, I guess." Sure, have mother come running again like she always did. Let dad know how he had to have little perfect Daren swoop in and chase off his oppressors. Even at his age he had to wonder if getting his parents into this mess to stand in his place was a good idea. Daren turned back to the others, and they headed off. Out of view for the moment, Timon put his paw back onto his throbbing temple and drew himself up proudly. He wasn't going to take this sort of thing. Next chance he got, he was going to show those creeps what he was really made of! He wasn't just some weakling to push around, somebody that wouldn't need rescuing at the last moment. This near disaster had shown him how truly fragile he was, and he wasn't going to stand for it! Striding off after his friends, Timon felt a bit of bluster come into his chest. Yeah... those guys wouldn't know what hit them if they tried to mess with Great Timon again.
Well... once he put on another inch or two anyway.