-----------------------------------

Thanks for the reviews: ) It really does help me to write knowing there's someone who wants to read it. And yes, Max is a very happy camper.

-----------------------------------

Chapter Three

-----------------------------------

They settled in the living room, Max, Tyson, and Rei piled together on the couch. Kai, ever the gracious host, poured them drinks before he settled into the red leather armchair directly across from them. He liked to be in a position of power when he spoke to them seriously.

"So what's this all about, Kai?" Tyson asked, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.

"As you all know, we have a lot of disputes with the other gangs regarding land. It's nothing but a cause of useless fighting and people getting hurt for no reason. We're in another fight nearly every week. It's ridiculous!"

"So what's your plan?" Max was the one to ask.

"We have a meeting," he told them, standing. "All the gangs in the area. And we map out who gets what once and for all. The heads of each gang will decide. If anyone argues about it we'll put it to a vote. Unfortunately there are six gangs. If the vote should be tied it'll be decided by a one-on-one fight between two chosen members of the opposing parties."

Rei stood, crossing his arms in nearly the mirror image of Kai. "This sounds like it could get real violent real fast."

"I know that. But this was the best solution I could think of. You got something better?" There was a note of contempt in his voice. Kai did not like to be challenged.

"No."

"So when do you want to do this?" Tyson asked him.

"Saturday."

"What? That's only four days from now! We have to make sure we get in touch with everybody and that they'll be there."

"They'll be there if they want to keep their turf. This is going to be a binding contract."

"I can make flyers," Max suggested. "Or not," he said a moment later after the looks they'd all given him.

"No. Max, you talk to the Saint Sheilds, tell them all I've told you. Rei, you talk to the White Tigers. Tyson, you talk to Barthez Battalion. I'll speak to the Blade Sharks and to Tala myself. We'll do it this Saturday at eight at the warehouse on Central and Eighth. You can leave when you're done with your drinks."

"That's it? You're not even going to punish us for being late?" Tyson asked mischievously.

"I must be feeling generous tonight. Get your friend and get out of my house."

The three rose. "That was quick," Rei commented.

"Kai, do you want us to talk to them tomorrow?" Max asked.

"As soon as possible."

"Stupid! Stupid!" a voice chanted from the corner. Tyson stalked towards it with an exaggerated malice.

Kai had a bird. A fire red parrot. You usually couldn't enter the house without it greeting you but tonight it had been oddly quiet. Tyson had long had a score to settle with the bird since the first time he'd ever been to Kai's when the thing had bitten him when he'd stuck his fingers in the cage to pet it.

"You're the one that's stupid, you ugly bird," Tyson told it, giving it a dirty look. "You want a treat you stupid thing? I'll give you a treat."

"Kai! Kai!" it called.

"Tyson, leave Dranzer alone!"

"He's just a bird," he defended.

"Let's go back to my house, Tyson," Max suggested.

"What do we do with Zeo?"

"You better not leave him here," Kai warned.

"We could just take him to my house with us. I don't really want to be the one to take him home to his dad drunk, and I don't think you do, either."

"Yeah. That'd probably be best. It's still early, though. It's not even nine, yet."

"My grandfather should be home soon. I want you guys gone before he gets here."

"Bye," Rei called, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder and heading for the door.

Zeo way lying where Tyson had left him, eyes closed, head pressed against the wall.

"Zeo?"

Slowly he opened his eyes and rolled them in Tyson's direction. "Ready to play?" he asked, grinning.

"No. We're gonna go back to Max's. Do you wanna come or you wanna go back home?"

"Are you crazy? Of course I don't wanna go home. To Max's!"

"Well, come on." With a bit of effort he managed to return Zeo to a standing position, though the boy leaned on him heavily for support.

"I'm okay," he murmured to Tyson reassuringly, clutching him for balance. "I'm not gonna throw up again. Promise."

"Stop talking. Your breath stinks."

Kai bid them farewell with a quick wave as they left and a slammed door. The walk back seemed even longer than the one there, though it was actually shorter. Zeo could eventually walk without assistance, but kept stopping to open people's mailboxes or to turn on their hoses. "It's yard flooding time!"

Max's dad was passed out in front of the TV when they finally arrived. Beer bottle in hand and snoring peacefully away to reruns of Bonanza. Max covered him with a blanket before heading upstairs.

"He's still depressed my mom took off," he explained to Zeo, more for reassuring his own peace of mind than any question Zeo might've had.

"It was three years ago," Tyson said.

"I know." There was an edge to Max's tone that made Tyson wisely keep himself from further baiting him.

Zeo nodded, falling backwards on the bed. "Yeah. My dad's been pretty weird since Leon died (1). Are we all sleeping in here?"

"Yeah, I guess. But if you wanna sleep in Dad's room you can. I doubt he'd notice."

"Did he find a job yet?" Tyson asked him.

"Not yet." Since his father had been fired from the assembly line for drinking on the job the month before, he'd quickly gone through his miniscule savings and was now racking up the credit cards just to pay the bills. Max often laid awake at night worrying about what might happen to him if they were thrown out of the house. But he never voiced his concerns to anyone, not even Tyson. It just seemed like he'd be fishing for pity if he did. "But…" he trailed off. Zeo was already sound asleep, spread across his bed. "I guess we're sleeping on the floor."

"I'll get blankets from the closet," Tyson volunteered.

After Tyson left the room he stripped down to his boxers and started clearing the messy floor for a spot for the pair of them to sleep. He'd let his room get to be such a mess. Max was always tidy, but the past couple months he'd hardly been home and had just let it all pile up. But it was in pristine condition compared to the way Tyson left his room, which made him feel the slightest bit better. He swiped the two pillows from his bed since Zeo wasn't using them, and helped Tyson spread the blankets out on the floor.

"What do you think about Kai's plan?" Max asked.

Tyson shrugged. "It makes sense, I guess. I just think it's gonna get ugly no matter what Kai says. If we could get rid of Tala we could have control of the whole areas. The Demolition Boys are nothing without him."

Max paused. "You're not talking about killing him, are you?"

"Don't be stupid," the dark haired boy laughed. "I'm just hoping a miracle will come along and make him drown in the river." He chuckled. "But if it came to that, what would you do, Max?"

"What? Murder?"

Tyson tilted his head to the side, thinking. "No. More like killing to not be killed. I hope it doesn't get to that point, but it might."

"I think I'd be out of it, then."

"Thought so." Tyson pulled one of the blankets on top of him. "'Night, Max."

"Cheery conversation to end tonight on," the blond commented, laying beside him.

"Don't I know it."

Max rested with his hands tucked behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. Wasn't much to look at. It'd been a long day. He'd gotten his first kiss. First make-out session, really. And he was going on his first date Saturday.

Saturday!

But he was going out with Miriam! She'd understand about the meeting. Hell, she'd probably be there. He'd talk to her tomorrow. Maybe they could go out Friday instead. Now that they had a date set did that make her his girlfriend? The thought pushed all doubts out of his head. He smiled, remembering the feel of her in his arms. Thinking about earlier that night in the bedroom, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

-----------------------------------

Tyson was awakened the next morning by curtains roughly parted, letting in the evil sunlight from outside. "What's the big idea?" he moaned.

"Get up, sleepyheads!" Zeo sang, jumping over their bodies on his way out the door.

"You're pretty hyper for someone who should be bedridden from a hangover."

Zeo smiled. "I feel great. Last night was fun. It's six o'clock now. I thought I should wake you guys up so you can get ready for school. Wake Max."

"Where are you going?"

He didn't answer. A moment later he heard the water turn on in the shower. "He doesn't even have to go to school and he jumps in the shower first," he whined. "Max, wake up," he shook the blond.

"What?"

"School. Can I borrow some clothes. I think mine smell like Zeo's vomit."

"Sure," he grunted, rolling over to have one last go at sleep.

"Up, Max." He nudged him in the back.

"I'm getting there."

Tyson helped himself to Max's closet. "We've got half an hour before we have to leave."

"Did we have any homework?"

"I think in English. Some reading assignment. We can just copy off of Kenny for the quiz."

Max finally sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Where's Zeo?"

"Taking a shower. I don't think either of us is gonna get the chance to take one."

After they finished dressing Tyson banged on the bathroom door. He had to pee and the toilet downstairs was broken.

"Wha-at!" Zeo sang.

"I have to piss!"

"You can come in. I don't mind."

Physical need overrode his not wanting to be alone with Zeo. He wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, he thought as he unzipped his pants.

"Want to join me?" Zeo asked, peeking out from the shower. There was no curtain, just a dingy liner that had once been white.

"No," he said, trying not to make eye contact. It had bothered him since last night. There was a moment in the bathroom at Kai's where he had thought Zeo was actually going to kiss him.

"I think I'll go to school with you guys," Zeo went on.

"But you're home schooled."

"I'll just tell the teachers I'm the new kid. It'll be fun."

"You just don't wanna go home."

"That, too."

Tyson ran his hands under the water in the sink and turned to open the door.

"Tyson."

He looked behind him. Zeo had pulled opened the curtain, exposing his naked body.

"Sure you don't want to join me?" he asked with a small smile.

"I'm sure." He practically ran out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Something wrong?" Max asked.

"No. It's nothing."

Zeo took his sweet time getting ready. After he'd finally dressed they left the house, Max calling out a bye to his dad who was in the same position snoring in front of the television he'd been in the night before. This time he was snoring to Get Smart.

-----------------------------------

Note Key

-----------------------------------

#1 In the manga Zeo was human and was actually named Leon. His older brother was Zeo who had died and Dr. Zagart was trying to get the bit beasts in order to resurrect him. Since I always think of him as Zeo, rather than Leon, I'm making it his brother who died who was named Leon. (Zeo's not a robot in this, by the way. : )