Disclaimer - If you recoginize it, then I don't own it.
Thank you to FlamesOfFury, Shadow Vampiress & wasurenaikana for reviewing.
A/N - An OC character will be introduced in this chapter. She will not have any involvement w/h Brooklyn other than being someone that he can relate too since she went through a similar situation & I needed someone his age to confide in. I needed her to push the plot forward so please don't hate me for adding her in.
Chapter Four - Rogue Bladers
Brooklyn was cold, wet and totally miserable. He was beginning to think that he had made a mistake. Maybe he shouldn't have left home. Should he have stayed with his siblings when he was miserable there too? What was the difference? He didn't really see any difference between the two situations.
He shivered violently as he stood under the canopy of a storefront and watched as people walked by him. He swore he saw the same girl pass by several times because he would be able to recoginize those piercing green eyes anywhere. "Hey kid," an older teen barked as he turned his head to a group of teens that approached, "I've never seen you around here before. Who are you?" "None of your business," he muttered as the bigger teen growled, "I'm not bothering you so why should you bother me?"
"Got a smart mouth, don't you?" he remarked as the group laughed, "you sure are a pretty one. What's your name, kid?" "That is definitely none of your business," Brooklyn replied as he shivered from the older teen brushing a hand against his cheek, "leave me alone." "I can't," he whispered, causing him to shake even more, "I can't let a delicate flower like you go. There are things I want to do with you."
When Brooklyn felt one of his hands on his thigh, he pulled away. There was a good thing about having Kai as an older brother. He had taught him a few moves to defend himself if he ever found himself in such a situation. A kick sent the teen backwards as he pushed through the others and ran for his life. The gang soon caught up to him since he didn't know the streets like they did. He was cornered in an alley with no place to go.
"You know I was going to be gentle with you," the leader remarked with a smirk, "but after that display, I'm going to make it rough." Brooklyn's eyes widened from the insinuation. There were five of them and only one of him. The odds were against him but he wasn't going down without a fight. He pulled out his launcher and Zeus, preparing to use his blade as a weapon like Kai had done.
Their eyes narrowed on the black blade as Brooklyn let his anger take control. He found that he had more power when he did that. "Do you believe that we are afraid of your little toy?" the gang leader growled as they each showed their own blade, "I don't think so." "Well, you should be," Brooklyn hissed as his eyes glowed a bright green for a moment, "You should be very afraid of Zeus." As he was about to shoot, the sound of another ripcord echoed throughout the alley.
"Let It Rip!" came a shout as two blades came out of the shadows above them. One was purple while the other was black like his own. "Carlos, I would back off if I was you," a female voice demanded, "you know what we are capable of and we are not afraid to use our power against you. Leave the boy alone." The gang backed away from the two spinning blades in fear.
It didn't take but a moment for them to make up their minds as they left. "Scurry away like the rats you are," a male voice called and laughed, "all of you are worthless." The two figures jumped down from the fire escape and landed in front of him. "You should not be out by yourself in this neighborhood," the first stated as Brooklyn got a look at one of his saviors, "the Blade Sharks are one of the most dangerous bey gangs around." The boy had red hair and green eyes and was so short that he barely came up to his chest.
"The name is Daichi," he introduced with a wide grin, "what in Gaia Dragoon's name are you doing out on a night like this?" "Thank you," Brooklyn replied with a smile and ignoring the question, "I don'tknow what would have happened if you hadn't come along." "You had better be glad that we did," his other savior remarked as she stepped into the light. She was shorter than he was and had blonde hair and green eyes. "The name is Akane," she introduced with a smile as she noticed his attire and what he was carrying, "but it is not wise for us to stay here. Do you have a place to go? I bet that you don't."
When he hesitated, the two knew that she was right. "Well, you are welcome to come with us," Akane offered, "you don't have to tell us anything unless you want too." Brooklyn knew that he didn't have a choice and nodded in agreement. He didn't have any place to go and since they had offered, he couldn't refuse. Besides for some odd reason, he trusted the two of them.
Looking at the girl was like looking at a reflection of himself for some odd reason. "Thank you for the offer," he replied with a sheepish smile, "I have to honest. I don't have a place to go. I didn't think about it when I left." "Follow us then," Daichi instructed as the two jumped onto the fire escape and Brooklyn followed.
He didn't know how long he walked as he followed the pair into a more run down part of the city. They went into an old and derelict building as he followed with unease. The only sounds in the dark halls was the sound of rats scurrying about that they easily ignored. "There are worse things than rats, dude," Daichi laughed as he jumped away from one, "a rat I can live with. It's people that you have to worry about."
"I guess you are right," Brooklyn chuckled as he followed them up the dark stairs to an upper floor. "It's not much but it's home," Daichi remarked as they went into an apartment that was furnished with old ratty furniture and that was dimly lit. "You are welcome to whatever we have," Akane added as she went to a fireplace to start a fire, "like Daichi said, we don't have much but at least it is dry and safe." After a few minutes, the wood was smoking and a fire had started, "this should warm you so sit close. Would you like some hot tea?"
"That would be nice," he replied as he settled in front of the fire and enjoyed the warmth. The flames brought him back to life and flooded his body with a warmth that he hadn't felt in over a week. "Here you go," Akane replied, thrusting a cup into his hand and taking a seat on the rundown sofa as he sat down in a chair and sipped his tea. It was his one of his favorites; green tea with just a hint of mint. He smiled at Akane as Daichi disappeared into another room.
"So who are you running from?" she inquired after a few moments of silence. "How do you know I am running from someone?" Brooklyn ask as his eyes narrowed, "I could have been out for a walk." "I can tell by the way you look," she informed as a smirk graced her lips, "I would recoginize it anywhere since I was once in the same situation. I was confronted by a gang and saved by another in the same manner you were. I believe our situations are similar."
Brooklyn decided to take a closer look at this mysterious girl. Her blonde hair was short and framed her face. Her eyes were a darker shade of green than his own but spoke volumes about her. She looked about the same age as he did but her eyes had a haunted look about them; like they had seen way too much for someone of their tender years. She was wearing dark blue cargo pants with black boots, a long sleeved pink shirt with the picture of a pegasus on the front and black gloves graced her hands.
"Like what you see," she teased as he blushed, "sorry but I have a girlfriend." "I have a boyfriend," he replied with a slight smile, "I was just trying to get a read on you." "So what is your name?" she ask with interest, "I told you mine so how about you tell me yours?" "Brooklyn," he whispered, "and I'm fifteen." "I'm sixteen," she replied, not asking for a surname, "see that wasn't hard now, was it? Let me guess the answer to my question, are you running from abusive parents or does it have something to do with your boyfriend?"
Brooklyn's mouth shut tightly as he thought about Kai and Hiro. "If you don't want to talk about it, that is fine," she reassured, "it's none of my business and I know how you feel. I don't like to talk about my own family." "Are you and Daichi related?" Brooklyn ask with interest. "No," she replied with a laugh, "we met each other on the streets or rather Rick found him when he was being threatened by the Blade Sharks. The others should be returning soon. They had a match tonight so if we are lucky, we will get to eat."
Brooklyn was about to ask who when they heard voices outside of the door before it was opened to admit three new figures. Two of them were holding bags as Daichi reappeared and ran to them. "Sushi," he moaned with happiness, "and ramen, you must have won if we get to eat this well." "Who is this?" the tallest of the three ask. Brooklyn shrank back in fear from the older teen.
He was tall with dark brown skin and white hair. He was wearing loose white pants, a tight red muscle shirt with a vest over it. He had an earring in his left ear like he did and his stance was threatening. "His name is Brooklyn," Akane informed, "Carlos and his gang were threatening him so we came to his rescue." "Is he still at it?" Rick questioned with a growl, "I am going to have to teach that punk a lesson one of these days that he will learn." He cracked his knuckles and looked menacing but his features softened when he approached.
"I'm Rick," he introduced, "and the leader of this motley crew. We are the Rogue Bladers." Brooklyn mouthed the words and looked at them with confusion. "We are a group of bladers who do not play by the BBA's rules," Daichi informed with a smirk, "so we blade in the underground and illegal circuits of the city." Brooklyn remembered Kai talking about the underground league especially when a friend of his named Wyatt had gotten hurt because of an illegal beyblade and an artificial bit beast. The BBA had tried everything in their power to shut them down but apparently their methods were not working.
"Seems like you have heard of us," the girl smiled as he got a good look at the other two. They were twins since their features were similar but they had different hair colors. "I'm Julia," the girl introduced, "and this is my younger brother, Raul. Our speciality is tag team matches." Raul nodded at him as he sat down next to Akane on the sofa.
"You are welcome to stay for as long as you want," Rick added, "but you have to earn your keep. Do you beyblade?" "Yes, I do," Brooklyn replied as he pulled out Zeus, "and I have never lost." "Oh really," Rick remarked with a raised eyebrow, "you look familiar. Were you on a professional team?"
"No," he defended, replying too quickly for Rick as his eyebrow raised, "I was going to compete on a team with my friends but that was ruined when I got into a fight." Rick had his hand on his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment but did not pursue the matter any further. Everyone was hungry and more concerned with their dinner than Brooklyn's past so the subject was dropped. During the meal, Brooklyn discovered more about his new friends. Daichi had been orphaned at an early age and sent to the mainland to a distant relative. When that situation had not worked out, he had ran away from home.
Rick had come to Japan after being orphaned on the streets of New York since the underground league was more well-known and established here than in the States. Raul and Julia's parents had died in a circus accident and they had been adopted by the rest of the circus performers. One day, their manager had been replaced and a new one was hired. He had raped Julia and beat Raul so the two ran away. When the twins had arrived, they had met Rick at an underground match, then Akane and had been a family since. They had been together two years and couldn't think of anywhere else they would want to be. Brooklyn wished that he had friends like them.
He was close to Garland and Mystel but not in the way that they were. He envied their relationship and wished that he was that close to his own siblings. They spent the rest of the night acting like normal teens playing a board game together that he won. They didn't ask anymore questions or pry into his personal life. They treated him like one of them and it was a nice relief from the hell he had suffered through the past week.
Brooklyn soon found himself lying comfortably on a mattress. The building these teens were living in did not have any heat but it was warm. Well, at least warmer than it was outside as he heard the rain pound on the shattered glass and boarded up window. The storm was getting more violent as the night progressed and it began to thunder. The lightning illuminating the dark shadows of the room as he turned over uncomfortably.
He didn't want to think about what lived on the mattress he was currently sleeping on but he guessed that anything was better than the streets. He couldn't get comfortable as he rose and decided to go back into the living room. The last embers of the fire were still burning as he sat down on the couch and pulled a razor from his pocket. He pressed his thumb against the sharp metal as he pushed up his sleeves to reveal crisscrossing scars all over his wrists and forearms. He pondered if it was worth the effort of multilating his skin even further.
"Nice razor," a voice remarked as he saw Akane standing near the couch, her green eyes watching him intently. She was wearing a long sleeved black t-shirt and black boxer shorts. He thought she would try to deter him like Bryan had or snatch the razor out of his grasp but she did neither. "I have one as well," she explained as she sat down beside of him and pulled out a razor from the pocket in her shorts. It was similar to the one he used as she rubbed a thumb over the blades.
"No one understands why you do it," she continued, her eyes focused on him, "am I right? They think you want to mutilate your skin but it's all about the pain that is inside that you want to get out and can't find a release for. They don't understand the fascination of watching the blood seep from the flesh and run down your arm. Cutting is like creating a masterpiece in its own unique way but on yourself instead of a canvas." In the dim light, she rolled up her sleeves to reveal arms that looked very much like his own.
Thin white scars were all over the pale skin as she brushed the razor lightly against it but did not leave a mark. There were fresh cuts in some places that had just recently scabbed over. "Why do you-" he began to ask. "Cut," she finished and looked thoughtful, "it relieves the pain I guess. It makes me feel something again." Brooklyn understood as he nodded.
He had never met anyone who could sympathize with him like this. Sure, Bryan had done the same thing but here was someone his age, who understood why he did it. "Julia hates it when I leave scars," she added, confirming what he had figured out earlier that the two girls were a couple, "she has never told me to stop; although I have seen the pain it causes her. My parents were the ones responsible for making me like this. When they discovered that I was bi-sexual, they threw me out of the house. They called me a freak of nature, impure, evil, tainted, cursed because of my attraction to the same sex but it wasn't my fault. My uncle was the one who molested me when I was young and turned me against the opposite sex."
"My grandfather abused me," Brooklyn whispered, "he beat me when I was eight. It was shortly after my father's death. I was never good enough at anything for him. He's the one who made me meet it." The black demon sprang into his thoughts as he clutched his head in agony and pushed the memory back into the farthest recesses of his mind. Akane didn't ask any questions or try to offer any comfort. She just looked at him and all the reassurance that he needed was in her eyes.
"My father beat me too," she mused with a slight smile, "he thought hitting me would get rid of my sexual preference but it just made me dig my heels in and reinforce my beliefs that males were evil. Rick made me see that all of you are not. I don't know what is wrong with our parents and relatives. Why don't they even make an attempt to understand us?" Brooklyn smiled slightly from her observation and had to agree with her.
The moment was interrupted by the sound of footsteps as Julia appeared in the doorway and looked at the two of them. She was wearing a sports bra with low riding boxers as well. "What are the two of you doing up?" she ask but went silent when she saw what they were both holding, "I see." Brooklyn saw what Akane had meant by the look in Julia's eyes. "I was just getting something to drink," Akane offered, "I'll be back in a minute." Akane disappeared into the kitchen leaving Brooklyn with Julia, who was uncomfortable with the girl.
"So you cut too?" she ask as he nodded, "listen, I don't fully understand why you feel the need to do it but I'm not going to think less of you or will I judge you. It's not my place. We all had horrid childhoods and we each express our pain and anger differently." Brooklyn nodded and slightly smiled as Akane returned. Julia wrapped an arm around the other girl's back as the two disappeared back to their room, leaving him with his thoughts.
He sat there in the dimming light with the razor in his hand. For once he didn't listen to the voice inside of his head that told him to do it as he pocketed the razor again. He did want to feel but what he wanted was something entirely different. He wanted to be loved and the only way to get that was to find Hiro. His boyfriend was well worth the wait. At least he had found himself among peers that understood him and for once in the past week, he found himself smiling at his fortune.
Astera Snape
R & R