Graffiti chapter 6: Rulebreakers: by blackdragonflower

Through alleys Josh led Matt and Mello past years of graffiti, fading and covered in dirt and grime. It was silent except for a few quiet directions from the boy leading. Josh slid into a burned down apartment building then poked his head out. "Are you coming or what?!"

"Yeah we're coming!" Matt followed dragging Mello with. "Hey relax Mells. You'll be fine."

"Sure..."

But even with those words from Matt, Mello was anxious. His heart pounded in his ears. They would know who he was, someone would have to know he was the son of the former leader of Angel's Lies.

They climbed down a set of dark stairs and knocked on a heavy wooden door at the bottom (it was heavy enough to discourage eavesdropping). A slit in the door opened and eyes peered out. "Who is it?"

"Josh."

"Who's the other two?" This question was asked because Matt and Mello were standing further back in the shadows where they couldn't be distinguished.

"One's Matt… the other's a… friend of his."

"Matt's with you?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Come on in." The heavy wooden door was opened. "Come in." Matt's face brightened and he lunged at the young man in front of him with a lollipop in his mouth.

"Stripes!"

"Hey Matt… Glad to see you back, get your butt in here." The man, Stripes, patted Matt's head and looked to Mello. He nodded with a slight smile. "Hey. You must be the friend."

Instant recognition.

"Hey. Got a problem with it?"

"No. Not at all. If you're cool with Matt you're cool with me. Hurry up in already." Mello kept a neutral pose and walked through the door. Josh was smirking.

"Hey Matt c'mon! Aren't you supposed to show me around!?" Mello asked taking in as much as he could in a short amount of time, the people staring at him, the objects lying around, the smells.

"Who's this kid?" A boy with almond eyes questioned taking a drag of a cigarette. He didn't look a day over sixteen.

"Name's Mello." Matt grinned glomping Mello in a hug around the neck. Mello quickly shook Matt off with a glare. The redhead just grinned sheepishly.

"Hey... bout time you got back... We were starting to worry that you squealed on us."

"I wouldn't do that Ari..." Matt rubbed his arm. The older boy looked at the other questioningly then dropped whatever his thought was to take another inhale of nicotine smoke. Mello's eyes couldn't keep still. He was searching for a way out in case something went wrong. He didn't like it here, not one bit. "Hey where's Jack?"

"Running errands..."

Josh walked over to where another young man mid-twenties was sitting cross-legged eyes closed, and whispered in his ear about Mello's story. The eyelids opened and the eyes were gray, stormy weather just turned foul. "Is that so Josh?"

"Yes Moska." Moska stood and walked over to Mello peering down.

"Mello. I knew the name sounded familiar. I surprised you didn't catch it Stripes..." Stripes just raised his left eyebrow. A strong fist met a young boy's jaw and he went flying into the nearby wall. Mello coughed. He could feel the hot crimson blood start to spill from his nose and wiped it on his sleeve. "Mello... son of Michael the leader of Angel's Lies... excuse me, heh, former leader of Angel's Lies." Moska sneered. Mello's fists curled in anger. His eyebrows slanted into an icy cold glare. Piercing blue penetrating eyes, ones that would in time tell others to run for their lives, or die in their feeble attempts.

"What was that for?!" Matt yelled running for Mello but Stripes caught him by the arm shaking his head.

"He's your enemy Matt. Are you with us or not?!" Josh yelled. Yes, play the guilt card and put the pressure on.

Matt was silent. Mello wasn't his enemy, they were friends, weren't they?

"This is wrong..." The redhead replied.

"Don't stick up for me..." Mello stood with an almost unnoticeable tremble, his bangs hiding his eyes.

"Mello..."

"Don't stick up for me Matt. This guy's not so tough. Hell he has to fight a kid? Some guy. This gang's got no damn class."

"Why you..." Moska grabbed Mello by the collar and hoisted the boy into the air, then slammed him into a wall. The second in command pulled out a pocketknife. Matt lunged but Stripes held him firmly.

"Stripes let me go! Let me go! Don't hurt him Moska!" Matt cried out.

Moska twirled the knife around then began to trace a thin line up Mello's leg. Instinct made Mello kick which dragged it up further, and deeper, into his thigh. Scarlet blood blossomed forth from the cut beginning to stain the dark fabric of the black jeans. The eleven year old couldn't hold in his scream of pain. Moska dropped the child to the floor then knelt down. Mello tried to fight him away but it was no match. The elder pinned Mello to the floor and began to carve a line from the hollow in his ear to underneath his hairline.

"Stop! I'll do anything Moska! Just stop hurting him!"

"Moska... this is too much. Don't bleed him slowly to death." Stripes reasoned. "Killing him doesn't bring anything to the gang."

Matt was in tears, a few trickling down his face. The other members just watched morbidly amused, a tad frightened, curious, or a combination of the three. "Please just stop! ...Please."

Mello's vision was beginning to get blurry. His head hurt, bad. He blinked. Matt was getting fuzzy around the edges. "...Matt... Don't..." His face was shoved into the floor.

"Alright Matt... I'll stop, but you have to come back to the gang. No more leaving."

"Fine! Just stop! I'll do whatever you want... Just don't hurt Mello anymore..." Moska stood leaving the bleeding Mello on the floor. "Ari!"

"Yeah?" A drag of a cancer stick.

"Go dump the body somewhere."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Ari sighed but stood grumbling. "I'm wearing all white... Jesus... " He hoisted Mello onto his shoulders and stumbled his way out the door. Matt was teary eyed and roughly wiped the salty drops away from his face. Stripes gave him a hug and ruffled his hair.

"I'm sorry Matt... He'll be okay..."

Matt just stood there in the embrace coldly. Any respect he had for Rulebreakers was gone, tarnished, and he was stuck with them from now on. Moska wiped his pocketknife on his pant leg then flipped it shut. "Stripes, find out where Matt's been and so on since he went missing. Jack will want to know when he gets back."

"Yeah yeah..." There was a loud crack, the sound of a lollipop shattering. "C'mon Matt..." Matt was like a zombie, going wherever he was led. Stripes put a hand on his shoulder and navigated him to the 'dorms' of the hideout. "Don't worry Matt he'll be just fine. He's tough."

"Sure..." Matt whispered not allowing himself to believe Stripes. 'I'm sorry Mello it's all my fault for making you come...'

"God he's so heavy!" Ari whined to himself. "Ah, this should be good enough." The multi-colored haired boy dropped Mello to the ground. The blond gave a groan his eyes halfway open. "Later kid." Ari pulled a pack of cigarettes from his white gothic trip pants and put a fresh stick in his mouth.

'Matt... Where the hell did he take me? ... God it fucking hurts!'

It was then a blond little girl from Wammy's named Linda happened around the corner and saw the bloodied, beat up Mello nearly unconscious in the alley...

Scream.