A/N: I had to kick my muse outta the bed for this one, she was oversleeping! Plus it looks like my longest chap yet! Anyway, I don't know if I'll update again before the beginning of the year, but if I don't, I think this is a good place to stop. Don't own Boondocks. Language, swearing. (So what else is new, eh?)
Riley stood at the base of the staircase banister watching the party goers pass by. The air in the main corridor was thick with blunt toke and everything smelled heavily of alcohol. The party only started an hour ago, but in that time, one could probably open their own mini-bar with all the alcohol that had been wasted on the floor.
The boy looked on without interruption, as he went unnoticed by the people there. Even though he was underneath people's visible perception due solely to his lack of height, Riley had made sure to dress inconspicuously while on his watch. He wore a light grey tall-tee with a matching hat at Thugnificent's suggestion because it would blend in with all the smoke that would be hanging in the air. Riley was thankful for the largeness of the shirt because it covered up for the most part the well fit of his denim cargo jeans. Ever since he became old enough to do it, he'd sag his pants whenever he could, and now that he lived with his grandfather, he would just buy his pants bigger than he needed.
But now that he was 'on duty', sagged jeans were highly impractical. Should he need to act, he couldn't tie up one hand holding on to his pants so they wouldn't fall as he maneuvered. No, it wasn't very 'gangsta' wearing properly sized jeans, but nether was unintentionally having your pants around your ankles.
On his feet was a pair of amber-colored Dickies steel-toed boots purchased by Thugnificent. Once again, the boy wasn't exactly stylin', but he was ready for action. In one of the left leg pockets was the Pilipino balisong Thugnificent promised him. In his right boot, a single shot hand gun whose sole purpose was to 'buy time'. While it was a fact that Riley was right-handed, Thugnificent had been training him to wield his balisong in his left hand to help throw right-handed enemies off. In addition, Riley also carried in his pockets a pair of brass knuckles. In the event of a problem, his 'instructor' wanted him to cause as much damage as possible.
As Riley surveyed the scene, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about knowing he could actually kill someone if he wanted to. Doing his best to push the thought away, a shadow had come over him and remained there. He looked up.
"Uh, ain't you a little young to be hangin' around a place like this?"
It was a woman dressed some barely-there red scrunchy thing. It was a strapless club dress whose bottom hem came down to just below the curve of her ass. She was already incredibly tall, but the black four inch strappy-lace heels practically turned her into a stilt-walker. And she wasn't any underwear; not that Riley wanted to look, but the disparity in their heights made it damn near impossible for him not to notice.
"Damn hoe, I know you horny an'I'm the right height'an shit, but you need'ta take that Kudzu patch somewhere else." Riley said pointing with his thumb behind him. The woman recoiled with a deep sneer, then let her face relax, offering a chuckle as she did.
"Alright bebe, you got it. I don't wanna get locked-up for enticin' a minor or nuthin', so I'll jus leave that one alone an'be on my way."
Riley rolled his eyes as the woman walked away. If he knew this was something he had to look forward to tonight, he'd just as well've burned his eyes out before the party.
Feeling as though his current position had been compromised, he decided to change his location.
Staying along the wall, he figured he comb the floor. As he rounded the free-standing wet-bar, he spotted a couple getting a little too friendly for his tastes. The sight of roaming hands and lustful stares nearly made his skin crawl. Feeling the noose of his immaturity tighten, he continued on his round. There was actually very little room to move despite the expanse of Thugnificent's living room corridor. As he wound through the forest of clothed and bare legs, he noticed Thugnificent chatting it up with some random white chick. Deciding to not approach him, Riley made his way towards the kitchen. Inside there were several people mingling around some sort of deli platter talking drunkenly about nothing—not even noticing the presence of an eight-year-old who otherwise should not have been there.
After making sure everything was clear, Riley continued into the backyard. On the far end of the pool area, Flownominal was nursing on a drink talking to a light-skinned girl in black. Off to the left, Macktastic was following suite with a brunette—nothing out of the ordinary.
Riley was preparing to return inside when he caught sight of something not found in Woodcrest, a rusted out Chevy Cutlass Supreme. While it was dark, and Riley couldn't well make it out, he was sure it was an 88'. And it seemed like Thugnificent's was the car's destination.
Huey looked to the clock on the toolbar of his computer.
11:42.
Just exactly how long was it going to be until his brother decided to cut the crap and come home? When he left Huey didn't try to stop him, but he did say that if he didn't come back in two hours he was going to call the police. When Huey said this, he was sure that Riley would throw the biggest fit he could, calling him 'lame' and possibly a 'bitch-ass snitch'. But no such thing happened. Huey gave him the ultimatum and the younger boy just looked at him for a second and left without saying a single word—or even giving so much as an indignant glare.
Huey sighed. He actually had no intention of calling the police, he would just assume drag his brother out by his trails of his cornrows if he had to, but he wanted to see Riley's reaction to the threat. And he didn't—that was what worried Huey.
The older Freeman boy paced a bit. He was hoping that he didn't have to go over there and collect his brother. He really wanted to believe that Riley would actually come home on his own, but something told Huey that that was an unlikely scenario. He just hoped there wouldn't be a scene when he went to go get him.
When Riley had returned to the main party area, he began to look for Thugnificent. It wasn't long before he spotted him near the front talking to a man who looked as much out of place there as Riley did.
Once again forgoing the idea to approach the gangasta-rapper while engaged in conversation, Riley hung back as he watched the two men walk towards the staircase leading upstairs. The expression on Thugnificent's face, from what Riley could see at least, was less than friendly. Riley watched as the two walked up the stairs to Thugnificent's room and closed the door behind them. Riley made one last glance around the room to see if anyone had seen what he saw. Once he was sure that everyone in the area was absorbed in their own indulges, he proceeded up the steps to the closed door. Riley paused as he reached it, not sure of what to do next, then figured the worst that could happen was Thugnificent chastising him for being there. Besides, it wasn't like he could hear anything through the door anyway. Gingerly grabbing the handle, Riley pulled down and pushed the door in slightly allowing himself to slip in.
Inside the strange man, turned around to see what had interrupted them. He was at least a foot shorter than Thugnificent. Dressed in pale green sweats and a hoody, he looked like something that just fell out of the wheel-well of a 747. Riley hadn't noticed it before, but the clothes the man wore were dirty, worn and faded. His skin had an inexplicable sheen was as black and greasy as an Exxon oil spill. His odor could be smelled halfway across the room.
Who da'hell dat is?" The man drawled slowly, not removing bloodshot eyes from the small intruder.
"Don't try'an change the subject ya'nasty-ass nigga. You need'ta be concerned wit whuts goin' down right in front'a yo'stank ass." Thugnificent said icily.
Riley felt his blood quicken at the threatening tone in Thugnificent's voice. What the hell were they talking about before he came?
Thugnificent grabbed a fist full of the man's clothes when he failed to face him again.
"I said whut are you here for? Cuz you shaw'll as hell not hollain' atcha boy." Thugnificent sneered viscously at the man in his grasp.
Riley's eyebrows furrowed in worried anticipation as he lowered himself into a open stance, left hand at his side ready to bring to bear the balisong hiding in the well-placed cell phone pocket.
"I'm jus tellin' you whut they told me! Now let go'a me…" The man said dangerously.
Thugnificent increased the grip he had on the man's clothes as he began to make him light on his feet.
It was almost too fast for Riley.
The shine of the blade arced like lightning as it raced towards the gangsta-rapper's face. As soon as the assailant's arm was extended, Thugnificent let go of the man's clothes, and with that same hand he had been holding him with, crushed the man's attacking wrist in a vice-like grip, snatching him downward, so that his chin would be in the direct line of his throttling fist. Too slow to realize that he was now free after Thugnificent released his arm, the man remained bent over as Thugnificent's left fist made a temporary home in the pliable cartilage of his nose. The man tumbled over backwards once after finally hitting the floor, then somehow began climbing to his feet.
Now it was time for Riley to act.
While the man was struggling to stand, Riley snatched his balisong from his leg pocket and flipped it open while in full sprint. Riley couldn't even feel his weighted feet touch the floor as he closed the distance between him and his target. It was almost in slow motion as Riley plunged the blade into the back of the man's thigh. Still in forward motion, Riley gave the blade a twist and continued to rake the ultra-sharp knife through cloth and flesh until the blade sprung free from the now screaming man.
Redirecting his momentum as if in a shuttle run to quickly face the assailer, Riley grabbed the heel of the man's right foot and pulled forward, causing him to hit the floor hard and completely flat on his back. Effectively stunned for the third time in thirty seconds, he didn't see as Riley brought up his Dickies steel-toed boot and promptly stomped it into the man's stomach. He jerked upwards and Riley raced around towards his head and pinned him like a high school wrestler with his right arm into a firm chokehold. With his left hand free, Riley brought the blade of his balisong up to the wildly flashing throat under his arm.
"Don't move nigga or I'll slice yo'shit wide open." The boy said to the man with devastating calmness.
Thugnificent scowled has he put his hand to his face to wipe away the blood. He walked over to the subdued man and knelt down.
"See nigga, this is the kinda shit that happens when you fuck wit Nificent! Look at yo'nasty ass leakin' blood all over my fuckin' carpet! You know how hard it is ta'get blood outta any Goddamn thing??!" He screamed into his face. "Now you listen ta'me nigga. I want you ta'hobble yo' cripple ass back out ta'dat shitter of a ride you got an' tell'em NOBODY FUCKS WIT NIFICENT!" The gangsta-rapper then leapt to his feet then brought a heavy boot down on the man's right knee. At that point Riley wasn't sure which was louder, the man's shriek or the sound of the leg bones popping free of the cartilage housing within his knee.
"Suck it the fuck up, Nigga!" Riley spat as the man continued to whale his agony against his arm. The boy continued to hold Thugnificent's attacker fast as the gangsta-rapper walked over to his window and opened it. Looking down outside for a second, he came back to the man and grabbed the front of his hoody. Riley let go as he watched Thugnificent drag the injured man to the window.
"Ok, Mike…as the host uh'dis here social gatherin', it would be a bad on my part if I was ta'allow you to disturb my guests wit yo'blood, yo'ugly an'yo'stank. Now I do believe das yo ride out'derr, so I'm sure you won't mine leavin' thew'duh window. But don't worry; the sticker bushes out'derr'll break yo'fall. Sayonara nigga." And with that, out the window he went.
Riley could hear a few pained screams, then a lot of rustling. Finally, 'Mike' could be seen hobbling most horribly back to the car he arrived in. Given the injuries he sustained, it was a miracle he survived at all. The two watched as the man struggled into his car and drove away.
Thugnificent let out a satisfied snort before looking down at Riley.
"Good work lil nigga. Dat' was good shit."
Riley didn't say anything in response. He only looked down to his arm that still bore the sweat of the man's neck. He rubbed his arm off on the excess of his shirt.
"Uh, Thugnificent? I think I'll go home now, if-if I can."
The man looked down at the boy for a moment, then captured the brim of Riley's hat between his thumb and forefinger, lifting it off of his head. Riley closed his eyes and ducked a bit as Thugnificent's rose up his paw of a hand. To his surprise though, Thugnificent merely rubbed his palm into his cornrows for a second, then replaced the cap.
As the two headed downstairs, they both noticed at the same time that unmistakable swell of hair that belonged to Huey Freeman. Riley and Thugnificent stopped on the stairs as Huey walked up to them.
"Excuse me Thugnificent," he began. "While I have absolutely no desire to know what just went on in that room for you and my brother to be walking out of it alone, I want you to know that I don't appreciate you keeping my brother the way you do when you know he's just a child. It's after twelve in the morning and I have come to collect my brother. As I've told him before, I cannot control what you do sir, but I can direct the actions of my younger sibling."
Huey looked to Riley. "Come on. I'm taking you home."
Riley glanced up at Thugnificent, then began walking towards his brother without reservation. There was no further exchange of words until Riley had gotten closer to Huey.
"I respect that Mr. Freeman. As the good bible said, if you are not your brother's keeper, who is?"
Huey stared intently at the man as Riley walked passed him. Only when Huey felt that enough distance had been placed between his brother and the gangsta-rapper did he turn to follow Riley.
While crossing the street, Riley couldn't help but inquire.
"I guess its been more than two hours. Why didn't you call the police like you said?" Huey was quite before he answered.
"Don't be worried about the reason why Riley. I was just doing what I've should've done a long time ago." He said putting his hands in his pockets.
Riley looked ahead at their house. Even though he wouldn't openly admit it, Riley was glad Huey had come for him. Huey didn't know what was going on, and he probably wouldn't understand at first if he did, but Riley knew one thing: If nothing else, he could count on his brother; it was the reassurance Riley had unknowingly been searching for these few months passed.
In the dark of the night Huey wouldn't have been able to see the subtle smile that tugged on his younger brother's lips. Just then Riley had thought back to their time in Chicago when they were younger still. Riley remembered one winter evening when the two were crossing the street with their mother, and Huey had taken his hand. It made him feel safe.
For a moment that feeling returned to him and Riley silently thanked God for his brother. With what had just transpired mere minutes ago, he knew then he would be needing him more than ever when the time came.
A/N: I guess this could signify a small pause in the main story arc? I'll be changing it up next chapter, just so things don't get stale. It'll be a brief detour, but I think it'll make for a better story in the end. Watch and see what happens, I shalln't disappoint! Till next update.