Sorry this one's a bit late... I have the next one planned out though, so it should be done by the end of the week.
Disclaimer on profile.
The shrill cry of Kari's whistle pierced the afternoon air with an unmistakable urgency that nearly made Tai wet his pants. He fumbled, trying to pass the soccer ball off to one of his teammates so that he could go see what was troubling his sister. The ball rolled across the freshly-cut grass, ten feet away from Tai's intended target, but he didn't give himself time to care about inconsequential things such as that. He shouldered his way through dozens of questioning peers, asking him why he was leaving—his team was winning the game; he couldn't leave now. It seemed as though none of them had heard the whistle's distressed cry, but Tai knew he hadn't imagined it. Kari was in trouble, and if helping her meant losing the game and putting up with people who didn't understand his priorities, then so be it.
He raced past the baseball diamond, or more accurately, through the baseball diamond, interrupting the game going on without a second glance. That particular shortcut, however, proved fruitless once Tai encountered the newly-erected fence standing between him and Kari. Could he climb it? It was pretty tall... but it was now or never, he concluded, latching on to the side of the fence and hauling himself up. His arms strained from the exertion, but adrenaline pushed him on, making Tai feel stronger than ever.
He swung his legs over the top of the fence and barely had time to think before he came crashing down on the other side, tumbling through the bushes and knocking the breath from his lungs. He laid there, dazed and disoriented, wondering to himself why he hadn't just climbed down like any sane person would have done, instead of leaping over like an incredibly foolish superhero lacking superpowers.
The answer came to him in the form of another desperate whistle, closer and louder than before. Tai's eyes snapped open, then he rolled over, sprang to his feet, and sprinted as if an army of Sora's were chasing after him.
The playground was usually filled with little pre-school kids and their parents around this time of day, making it a popular, safe place for older brothers to leave their younger sisters for a while. It appeared to be deserted now, save for a group of lanky, menacing-looking boys a few years older than Tai. A cold feeling of dread washed throughout Tai as he came to realize who was in the centre of the group of boys.
Kari, with her face blotchy and a silver whistle dangling from her mouth, covered in tears and spit. An anger-inducing sight, at least on Tai's part. He marched over to his sister, wheezing still from the fall he'd taken earlier. As he came closer, Kari noticed him and Tai could visibly see her shoulders relax and her whistle dropped from her mouth's hold; she was safe now, there was no need to worry.
Tai could only hope he'd live up to her expectations.
The bullies took note of him approaching, and snickered to themselves.
"Hey, look at that dweeb," the tallest one called out. "Think he's gonna try and save this cry baby?"
Their chuckles ignited the fury within Tai. No one called his sister a cry baby. (And he did not appreciated the dweeb comment, either.)
His back straightened, and he marched proudly towards his sister—twigs in his hair, scrapes and bruises covering his legs—intenton showing these bullies just who was the weak one around here.
"Hey!" he called out, "Let go of my sister!"
The scuffle that proceeded Tai's declaration lasted mere moments. His agility earned him a few hits, but in the end he was pinned to the ground, feeling rather helpless against his sister's tormentors. Kari was blowing her whistle again, warning him against the danger he faced. Tai tried to discreetly give her a thumbs up, but his arm was underneath someone's leg, and he could barely feel his fingers. He hoped she understood that he was doing this for her, and now that he had the dimwits distracted, she should be running back home on those short, chubby legs of hers.
One of them got right up in his face, blowing hot dog and onion breath right up his nose. Tai's nose crinkled in mild disgust and he mentally said, "Ewwwwww." Too bad the older boy didn't have telepathic powers though, as he opened his foul-smelling mouth to say, "Don't you dare come near this place again, got it little boy? Otherwise we're gonna make you cry, just like we made your sister cry."
"Uh, okay." Tai agreed, nodding his head. The bully paused, not used to having his victims agree with him right away.
"... Can you let go of me now?"
Tai was released, and he rubbed his hands to try and get some blood flow back into them. Looking for Kari, he noticed her crawling rapidfly towards her brother, as opposed to away, like she was supposed to. It was settled, then. Tai had to do something about this quick, or else Kari would get involved once more.
"Hey!" he yelled, waving his arms about to get their undivided attention. "Before I leave here and never come back, you should know that one day I'll make you pay for what you did to my sister. Remember that, dog-breath!"
And with that parting remark, Tai swung past the boys, snatched up Kari just as she was about to hit one of them with a stick, and then ran as fast as he could while carrying a small child in his arms. He didn't stop until they were back home, safely locked away from the outside world. The soccer match was forgotten, and all that mattered now was making sure Kari was okay. She had no bruises or cuts, but her face was still tear-stained and blotchy. Tai wet a cloth with warm water and wiped her face gently, erasing the evidence of the incident. As he stood back up to put the cloth away, Kari's arms reached out and held him there. Her soft breath was right in his ear and she smelled like sunshine from being outside all day long. Tai reciprocated the gesture, smiling widely and wondering whether Kari would react like this every time he saved her... if so, he was definitely going to have to brush up on his fighting skills.
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