Human among Beastmen
Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait. I got distracted with writing another story that a crossover of 'BNA' and another anime called 'Ushio and Tora'. The crossover story is called 'Three Words Intertwin'. Anyways, here is the next chapter you have all been waiting for. I hope you all enjoy it.
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Chapter three: The end of normal days part 3
Shawn continued to run down the street in a blind anger. He turned down many alleys and streets before he finally slowed down to a walk. He walked for a while before coming to a small park where he took a seat on a wooden bench. Shawn leaned against the back of the bench as he tried to steady his breathing, while he thought over what happened. Shawn felt nothing but fury towards Blake and how his ex-friend viewed beastmen as nothing but monsters to kill.
'They aren't monsters,' thought Shawn firmly to himself. 'They're living beings who are able to think a feel just like us. Sure we're different, but that doesn't mean that we should be afraid of them.'
Shawn clenched his hands into fists as he sat on the bench for what felt hours. He glared down at the ground in front of him before older male voice suddenly spoke to him.
"Hey, kid."
Shawn blinked before he looked up to see three boys standing in front of him. They were much taller than Shawn, which indicated that they were two years older than him.
One of the boys was tall and lanky with wild red hair, dark green eyes, tan skin with a few freckles and buck-teeth. He wore a short green shirt with a yellow stripe on the front, brown pants and white sneakers.
The second boy was slightly chubby with black hair, fair skin and eyes that were squinted shut. He wore a short sleeved shirt that showed a little of his stomach, green shorts and grey sneakers.
The last one, probably the leader, was tall and slightly muscular. He had dark brown hair, dark brown eyes and dark tanned skin. He wore a blue short sleeved shirt underneath an open black jacket with the sleeves rolled up, blue jeans and white runners with black strips on the side.
Shawn glared at the three boys before the leader of the group spoke to him: "Hey, kid. What do you think you're doing here on our turf?"
"I was just resting here," answered Shawn in a guarded voice.
"Oh really?" questioned the leader with a smirk. "Then how about you get your butt off of our bench and head on home like a good little boy, huh?"
Shawn's expression hardened as he glared up at the leader that stood in front of him. He tried to keep his anger in check so as not to get into a fight with these guys. Shawn was already not in the mood to deal the leader and his two followers. He got ready to stand up from the bench when one of the older boys said something that really ticked Shawn off.
"Head back home to your mommy, little baby. I bet she has a bottle of milk waiting for you, while you're old man is probably drowning himself in alcohol for the shame of having a brat like you around."
Shawn's expression grew fierce when one of the boys spoke disrespectfully of his father. Shawn clenched his hands into fists before he spoke in a voice that had a sharp edge to it.
"You want to repeat that, you bastards?"
The leader's smirk changed to an angry frown as he glared down at Shawn in disgust before he spoke: "Are you're ears clogged or something? He said that you're father is a drunk!"
Shawn's fists tightened he lifted up his right arm and performed an upper-cut under the leader's bottom chin. The leader let out a yelp of surprise and pain at Shawn's sudden attack as he stumbled backwards towards his two cronies. He then glared at Shawn, who was also glaring back at him with his eyes burning bright with anger.
"Don't you dare insult my father," said Shawn in a harsh voice.
"You little brat," growled the leader as he glared at Shawn in anger.
The leader then looked at his two cronies as he gave them an order: "Pound him to a pulp!"
The skinny and fat boys' did what their leader told them as they took a step towards Shawn, who glared at them in defiance and anger. They only got about two steps when a deep male voice suddenly spoke up.
"What's going on here?"
Shawn and the three boys quickly turned their attention towards the person who had spoken. The three boys froze in fear when they saw a man walking towards them. The man was about six feet tall with dark brown eyes, tanned skin and black hair that was in a buzz cut. He wore a grey leather jack over top a black muscle shirt, brown khaki pants that were held up by a black leather belt and black boots. He looked to be about thirty years old, and Shawn could sense that he wasn't the type of person you should mess around with. The three boys shrunk back at the sight of the man as fear came over their faces.
"Oh crap, it's Kogi!" exclaimed the fat boy.
The man, now known as Kogi, stopped in front of the three boys with an angry expression upon his face. Kogi then spoke again in a voice that carried a dangerous tone to it.
"I suggest you three boys leave this kid alone and run along if you know what's good for you."
"Y-yes sir!" shouted the three boys at once.
Then the three of them quickly turned and ran out of the park as fast as their legs could carry them. Shawn watched them until they were out of sight before he turned to look at the man again. Kogi stood still for a moment before he turned his gaze on Shawn. The man looked him over for a moment before he spoke in a calmer voice.
"You sure have guts to stand up to those who are bigger than you kid," said Kogi with a raised eyebrow. "But let me give you a word of advice. You should pick your battles carefully before you get into a fight."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Shawn in a low voice.
Kogi stared down at Shawn and saw a large bruise on his forehead, along with a slash mark on his left cheek: "Something tells me that you had already got yourself into a fight way before you met those boys."
"Yeah," answered Shawn as he wiped off the dried blood from his cheek. "You could say that."
"I see," spoke Kogi in a thoughtful voice. "And who exactly did you wind up fighting kid?"
Shawn hesitated for a moment before answering the man's question with a frown: "Someone who I thought was my friend."
Kogi scoffed as he walked passed Shawn and calmly took a seat down at the bench: "You must have had some brawl with that guy to sustain injuries like those. What exactly did he do to make you want to fight him?"
Shawn once again hesitated in answering Kogi's question. Shawn wasn't sure if Kogi was one of the people who disliked beastman or not, but he decided to play it safe.
"He..." Shawn paused as the memory of what happened to Roxie came into his head for a moment before he spoke again. "He killed an innocent child right in front of my eyes."
A frown appeared upon Kogi's face at what Shawn had said before he spoke: "I'm guessing that he killed a beastman's child, right?"
Shawn tensed up in surprise before nodding, while casting his eyes downwards in anger. Kogi let out a scoff of anger before surprising Shawn once again at what he said next.
"Why am I not surprised? There seems to be more and more of those beastmen hating fools running around these days."
Shawn looked up at Kogi in astonishment before speaking to him in a even voice: "You...aren't one of those people who hate beastmen?"
"Nah," responded Kogi with a wave of his hand. "Though I can't say that I don't like them either, but I don't mess around with beastmen who ain't looking for a fight. I prefer to keep myself and only fight those who piss me off when I'm not in a good mood."
Shawn frowned slightly but decided not to argue with Kogi. He knew that this man wasn't someone that he should pick a fight with, not after his fight with Blake. Kogi turned his gaze on Shawn again as his eyes hardened slight before speaking to the boy in a steady voice.
"And what about you, kid? Are you one of those people who like beastmen?"
Shawn glared at Kogi before he answered the man's question: "So what if I am?"
Kogi smirked at Shawn before replying in a humorous voice: "If you are a beastman lover, then you'll wind up getting yourself into a whole mess of trouble kid."
"I don't care!" exclaimed Shawn fiercely as he clenched his hands into fists. "Beastmen deserve to live just as much as we humans do! And what Blake is doing right now is wrong! Not only is he killing beastmen just for pleasure, but he's also killing beast-children just so he can sell off their skins!"
Shawn turned to glare down at the ground before speaking again: "The thought of what he's doing just makes me sick. I can't stand people who think they're better or higher than others. I especially hate people who look down on others and treat them like dirt."
Kogi was quiet as he stared at Shawn for a moment before he spoke in a low voice: "If you had a chance to face your friend again, what would you do?"
Shawn looked up at Kogi in confusion then frowned in thought. He mulled over the man's question for a moment before answering in an unsure voice.
"I don't really know, but what I do know is that I want to become stronger. I want to be able to help people and beastmen who aren't able to defend themselves against those who want to hurt them."
"So you don't really want to get revenge on your ex-friend?" questioned Kogi in an even voice.
Shawn shook his head: "Revenge only causes nothing but pain."
Kogi stared at Shawn for a moment before a smirk appeared on his face: "If you want to get strong to protect people then I guess there's no helping it."
Shawn blinked at what Kogi said as he watched the man stand up from the bench. Kogi turned to look at Shawn as man shoved his hands into pockets of his jacket.
"I'm the owner of a dojo that's stationed a few blocks from here," said Kogi with a smile upon his face. "I basically teach my students street fighting when it comes to defending themselves against street punks that try to jump them. If you're interested, I'll teach you how to defend yourself. But what you do after that is completely up to you kid."
Shawn stared up at Kogi in surprise before the man pulled his right hand out from his pocket. He then handed Shawn a card that had the phone number and address of Kogi's dojo.
Shawn took the card before Kogi spoke to him again: "Give me a call whenever you feel ready to take up my offer."
Kogi then turned and walked away from Shawn. Shawn watched the older man for a moment before he looked down at the card in his hand. After a moment of staring down at the card, Shawn tucked it away into the back of his pant's pocket. He then started to head back home, while thinking about what had just happened to him that day. It didn't take long for Shawn to make it back home before supper, and when he did his mother almost had a panic attack when she saw his wounds. She quickly had him sit down at the kitchen table and grabbed the first aid kit. The two were quiet as Shawn's mother carefully cleaned his wounds before she asked him what had happened. Shawn told his mother about his encounter with Blake after he visited Roxie's family. She listened intently to his story as she bandaged up her son's wounds. Shawn then came to end of his story by telling his mother about Kogi and his offer to teach him street fighting. Shawn's mother took on a thoughtful expression before speaking in a gently voice.
"Shawn...are you sure you want to take up fighting classes?"
Shawn looked at his mother for a moment before glancing down at the kitchen floor: "I'm...not really sure. I still haven't really decided if I want to take up Kogi's class or not."
Shawn's mother nodded her head in understanding before speaking again: "Well whatever you decide, I'll support you no matter what."
"Thanks mom," said Shawn with a soft smile.
No more was said after that and things settled down within the household. It was only after supper that night fell and Shawn had gone up to his room to get ready for bed. We find him sitting at his bedroom desk while looking down at the card he held between his hands. Shawn stared down at the card for a while as he thought over Kogi's offer. It sounded like a good way to get stronger, but was it really the right thing to do? He let out a sigh before he turned his gaze towards his father's picture.
"Things have been pretty hectic for me dad," spoke Shawn in a low voice. "I thought that I would live a normal life here with my friends, but now things have suddenly changed. Turns out Blake is one of the anti-beastmen people who enjoys killing innocent beastmen just for pleasure. He even killed an innocent beast-child without even a second thought. Then I meet this man name Kogi who has offered to teach me street fighting to become stronger."
Shawn turned his eyes back down towards the card in his hands again. A frown was etched upon his face as he thought about what had happened to him before sighing.
"I really wish you were here dad," muttered Shawn sadly. "You would probably know what to do in this kind of situation."
Shawn laid the card down on the table before he got up to get ready for bed. As he was about to pick out his sleeping wear, a thought popped up within Shawn's head. He quickly placed his pajamas down on the bed and grabbed his smartphone from the bedroom table. Shawn sat down on his bed and opened his contact page before taping on Michiru's number. He then began to type down a text message, while hoping that Michiru was still up.
Shawn: Hey Michiru. I was wondering if you would like to hang out at the park tomorrow.
He then pressed send and waited for a moment before a text message from Michiru appeared.
Michiru: Sure. What time do you want to meet up?
Shawn: How about at around one O-clock after lunch?
Michiru: Sounds good.
Shawn: Okay then. See you tomorrow Chi.
Michiru: See ya!
Shawn smiled as he looked down at the screen of his phone for a moment before he placed it where it had been before. He hoped to talk to Michiru tomorrow and see if she could give him some advice on what he should do. Shawn soon changed into his pajamas, then turned off the lights and crawled into bed. He laid awake underneath the covers for a moment as he let his thoughts wander for a bit. But the one thought that Shawn kept coming back to was the one he wish he had the answer to. When had his life started twisting out of control?
That afternoon, Shawn met up with Michiru at the park. Michiru was wearing a red short sleeved t-shirt, blue jean shorts and her white sneakers with red soles. Resting near the bench was Michiru's basketball carrier, which leaned up against one of the bench's legs They were sitting together on the bench as Shawn told Michiru what had happened to him yesterday. So say that Michiru was surprised was an understatement.
"I can't believe that Blake would do something like this!" exclaimed Michiru angrily as she stood up from the bench.
"I know," murmured Shawn with a deep frown upon his face. "But now I'm stuck with the decision of whether or not I should take up Kogi's offer."
Michiru sadly gazed down at Shawn before she sat beside him again: "Well...what do you think you should do?"
"I don't know," grumbled Shawn as he brought his hands up to grab the sides of his head. "It's true that I want to become stronger to protect both humans and beastmen from oppression. But is taking up street fighting classes really the best choice to go?"
The two sat quietly on the bench for a moment before Michiru gently touched Shawn's shoulder. Shawn let out a tired sigh before he dropped his hands down and looked up at Michiru again.
"Sometimes I wish my dad was still alive," said Shawn in a wistful voice. "He would know that to do."
Michiru gave Shawn a sympathetic smile before she spoke: "Well...if your dad was here, he would say that you should decided what you'd think is best."
Shawn looked at Michiru for a moment before he thought about her words. He then thought over on what his mother told him about his dad making tough decisions when he was in the marine coalition. Though it took a while, Shawn finally understood that sometimes you need to make your own choices to find the right solution. Shawn then smiled as he met Michiru's gaze once again.
"Yeah...you're probably right," said Shawn with more confidence in his voice.
Michiru smiled before she playfully punched Shawn in the shoulder. Shawn chuckled at the action before he gazed at Michiru with a look of appreciation upon his face.
"Thanks for listening Chi," said Shawn once again. "I'm glad that you're always here to hear what I have to say."
"That's what friends are for," spoke Michiru with a wink. "We always look out for one another."
Shawn smiled before the two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence with each other. After a moment, Michiru spoke up as a light frown appeared on her face.
"So...do you think we should tell Nazuna about what happened between you and Blake?"
Shawn's smile was replaced with a frown as he thought over Michiru's question. On one hand, it might be best to tell Nazuna about Blake being an anti-beastman hunter. But on the other hand, he felt like involving her might not be such a good idea. Shawn had a gut feeling that something bad would happen if Nazuna and Blake ever encountered each other. She might say something that could wind up getting her into trouble...or worse. So, after much thinking, Shawn finally came up with an answer to Michiru's question.
"I don't think we should," said Shawn as he looked up at his friend. "At least not right now."
Michiru looked at Shawn in surprise and confusion before he started to speak again: "I know keeping this secret from her isn't right, but my gut instinct is telling me that we should tread carefully on revealing this secret to her. I don't want to put her in danger if she and Blake cross paths with each other. Whether it's in or outside of school."
Michiru's face took on a serious look before she nodded her head in agreement. Even though she didn't like keeping secrets from her best friend, Michiru didn't want Nazuna to get into trouble either. Shawn sadly smiled back at Michiru with a look of understanding upon his face. He also didn't like to keep secrets from Nazuna either. But it was best that they didn't make her one of Blake's targets.
Shawn let out a sigh as he sat back before speaking: "Well...now that we got that off of our chests', what do you think you want to do today?"
Michiru smiled before she answered: "How about we head over to the basketball court? I've been meaning to get in some practice before my big basketball tournament next month. I could use a practice partner to help me with some new moves that I'm working on."
"You're so on," said Shawn with a smirk.
With that, the two friends stood up from the bench and headed towards the basketball court with Michiru's basketball carrier in hand. As they walked, Shawn couldn't help feeling glad that he had Michiru around. He couldn't imagine life without her around and Shawn never wanted to either. They hung out at the basketball court as Michiru and Shawn played a little one-on-one with each other. Shawn would always get caught off guard whenever Michiru pulls out a few new moves and tricks. Yet he also surprised Michiru by pulling out a few tricks of his own. They continued like this until it was time for the two of them to go home.
"See you at school tomorrow Michiru," said Shawn as he bid his friend goodbye.
"Not if I see you first," replied Michiru with a chuckle.
The two then went their separate ways as they headed back to their respective homes and families. As Shawn walked back, he thought about the conversation he had with Michiru. She was one of the best people to talk with whenever he felt down or needed cheering up. That was one of things he liked about Michiru, she was easy to talk to and she had a calming aura that draws people to her. A smile spread out across his face as he finally decided on what he was going to do. Once he had gotten back home, Shawn told his mother what his decision was. Nancy was a little surprised by what he had told her, but soon smiled and told Shawn that she will support him on his decision. So, after supper that night, Shawn went to his room and sat at his desk before dialing in the Kogi's number on his smartphone. He waited for about two rings before Kogi finally picked up.
"Mr. Kogi...it's me, Shawn Joseph. Yes, I've come to my decision...I want to try out your street fighting class."
To be continued
And here you go. I know it's a little short, but I promise to try and make the next chapter a little bit longer. Leave a review and tell me what you think.
White Hunter, howling out to you and creativity!
