"Pride N' Unexpected Reunion"
*Age 770
Ah, my life. My mother was the best track racer in the universe. Her legs were worth a fortune—around $400,000. She trained her entire life to win every single race on our planet. When she had me, she never stopped. Once the race ended, she ran home to watch over me. My mother was everything. I turned five years old and began running around the living room, trying to be more like her. I wouldn't be more proud to have a mom like her. However, my father was another story. Before I was born, Mom had to deal with a man who knows no boundaries. He slept with lots of women and never remembered their names. One trip to Pound-Town and that was it. Went onto the next woman with a fine ass and silky skin, not like he cared about finding the perfect wife. He found Mom, dated her a few times, and proposed. It sounded like the best marriage Mom agreed to, but she was so wrong. And so was I. Every September, Mom sent me over to play at our neighbor's house, because Dad visited our house for a week. At night, I heard whip noises, Mom's squeals, and Dad's cussing behind the thick glass windows. Despite being shut, they weren't soundproof.
This continued for fifteen years, until I reached high school, where I signed up for their track-n-run club. The coach picked me over other candidates, after looking through my resume and hearing my lineage. Almost every student knew who my mom was. Everyone wanted to be my friend, but I had to choose wisely, otherwise I'd end up like my dad. Greedy, ungrateful, and petty. I was on top of the world until… until… M-Mom got shot. It occurred after her retirement announcement from track-n-run. With twenty consecutive wins and three championship belts, Mom thought quitting was the best option. After leaving the stage, a passing car pulled out a rifle gun, it fired and Mom's chest squirted crimson blood on the blacktop. The hospital wasn't far, but by the time the ambulance arrived, Mom was bleeding fast. The coach stopped practice, announced Mom's critical wounds to me, and I rushed right over. My heart pounded through the pace, but harder through the anxieties I felt towards Mom. I finally arrived, entered the room the doctors put Mom in, and saw the spreading blood stain in her bandages. Her eyes looked tired, almost fading. Even her hair was all messy and fluffed with madness. She told me never to cry over spilled milk or losses, but the biggest loss I wouldn't shake from was losing her. In fifteen to twenty minutes, Mom died from blood loss and a brutal hit to her heart.
We had a funeral at our house to admire the woman who spread courage, determination, and strength on every track runner. Not just on our planet, but across the cosmos. Our neighbors felt depressed in seeing the best celebrity leave so early and after her retirement announcement. After everyone left, me and Dad stood in the pouring rain. It drenched our black suits, but I didn't give a crap. Correction: I didn't give a damn of what Dad said about her. "That bitch deserved that shot. I thought she was the fastest hoe in existence, but she wasn't quick enough to dodge a bullet. Man, I married her of all the other bitches I banged with! What a shame!" A real pissed man would say, "Don't you dare speak about my mom like that, you sac of s***!," but I refused. I exited, never wanting to live on that planet with him. I'd heard a place where anyone can become a superhero. Netfiss and the Pride Troopers sounded like the best alternative from my hectic life. It soothed the tension I had with my dad, but the past still lingered. I don't know how many women he banged after I left. I don't even know if he remembers me. Well, I was wrong again! Dad called me one day and plans to visit me, along with a guest. Who was this guest Dad bought? It's a surprise but my previous thought about him screwing more ladies after Mom's death came true.
Pride Trooper Headquarters, Negotiation Room (Age 780)
{A chestnut-haired woman with purple eyes carried a rabbit cage}
"..."
"..." (So, this is… Dyspo's father?)
"What are you lookin' at, buff boy!? Haven't seen a talkin' purple bunny before!?"
"No, sir. I predicted you would take a humanoid appearance. Like your son?"
"Hell naw! Some money hungry bastards researched me. When I escaped from their grubby hands, I started f***in' women. It felt like the best stress reliever."
"Yeah, a stress reliever that resulted in me and Lauren!"
"Don't talk back, boy! I made your ass and I'll have Lauren take it away from you!"
"T-That won't be necessary."
"Your half-daughter is right, Mr—"
"Drop the damn mister s***, Pudge Man. I don't have a name, but the scientist called me Test Subject #444."
"Okay, 444. Like I said, there's no need for violence. You're obviously here to rekindle your relationship with Dyspo. Is that correct?"
"One, naw. Two, hell to the naw. And three, I'm here to make an important message to this scrawny excuse of a son."
"Ugh, alright. Bring on the message, Dad, because I don't want to hear it!"
"Aw, shut up! Ahem… My boy? I found a new wife and am leavin' Lauren under your watch."
"WHAT!?"
"What!?"
"..."
"Hm…"
"A-Are you serious!?"
"Naw, I ain't. Lauren agreed, so she'll drop her s*** at your quarters or whatever you call a condo in this bitch!"
"Wait, I haven't gotten to know Lauren, but why would she accept the decision?"
"Because she's a bottom bitch. The worst kind of bitch you can get! I expect your fat ass leader will assign her as a maid, so that she has somethin' to do around here! Right!?"
"Well, sir. I—"
"Cut the stupid s***ty denial, man! I'm leavin' her here and that's final!"
"Dad…"
"From here on, you aren't my son. I hope your hero s*** is worth it."
Dyspo's Quarters (Twenty Minutes Later)
"Wow, your quarters is… very disorganized. May I clean it for you?" I can't believe my dad would ditch another one of his children just to sleep with his new wife. I haven't met her, but by the many, many women he banged, this one's probably the thirtieth. Lauren unpacked her luggage, while bringing up how lazy I am in cleaning after myself. She isn't wrong, as I hate cleaning every Tuesday, but Kasheral demanded we do. "There's nothing wrong about it. Top said you can sleep with me, until he picks a job, but for now, just relax. I'm sure our dad must have stressed you—" A slam from the suitcase disturbed the moment. It practically paused the surrounding environment, as Lauren gazed her trembling purple eyes at me. Those violet pupils signalled something sinister. She speed-walked to the bathroom, shut the door, and locked it. Meanwhile, I reset the pause button, motioned over to Lauren's baggage, and recognized some photos.
A picture showed a woman who looked like Lauren, but with a larger bust and no anxieties hidden. Her smile brimmed excitement. I guessed the woman was Lauren's mom, yet it wasn't a complete educational guess. The woman held a rabbit cage with Dad inside. That bastard of a father! Why would he pick a woman as his wife, f*** her, have Lauren for a few years, and ditch them again? Maybe it was the alcohol messing his brain up, but I don't want to dig deeper into his rabbit hole. Then, a screech erupted behind the bathroom door. "Lauren? Is something wrong? If you see a magazine with bikini-wearing girls, ignore them. Well, Kunshi and I were skimming through it during one of our casual Tuesday leisure times, b-but don't look at them." There were glass breaking, random crashes, and Lauren screaming like a banshee. I ran near the door, punched it through, unlocked the doorknob, and rammed inside.
Lauren had a piece of mirror shard in her hand, which dripped tiny streaks of scarlet blood. Small puddles of blood spread on the carpet rugs and tiles, as Lauren's right arm bore a gigantic scar. Her head wobbled back and forth; the body temperature increased to an abnormal level, which caused her to pass out. "Oh, crap! Lauren!" I carried her, rushed as fast as I could to the nurse's office, and told the nurse to patch Lauren's wound. While she and her crew heal Lauren, I ran back to my quarters to tidy up the mess. I also made sure Lauren's belongings were on my bed before leaving again. A few minutes later, Lauren fluttered her eyes open. She stared at me, realizing the mistake she did. Fortunately, she doesn't keep a secret for long, as she opened her mouth. "When I hear Dad's name or his sadistic demands, I… I harm myself to please him. He only viewed me as a failure with a stupid ability to slow down time. My slow-motion skill never got used for anything important. I used my hands and body for wiping, dusting, mopping, and sweeping dirt. Dad saw me as a maid with no price tag. I was free and had nothing else to do, other than to serve him. To relieve the pain, I placed more pain on myself. The scars I have on my arms and legs remind me of how horrible I am. My life is a disappointment."
Man, Dad really pushed Lauren to her limit. With him running the shots, Lauren became not only his bottom bitch, but a servant with no free will. He wouldn't do that to me, when I was young, but he never tried to be a real father either. Even though I wouldn't see what he did to Mom, those sound effects were enough to conclude domestic abuse. Or is it spousal abuse? I wasn't sure, but both terms sounded official. I patted Lauren's shoulder, gave my best smirk, and said these words. "You're not a failure, Lauren. Dad won't tell you what to do. He's gone, I'm here, and you have a special power. I mean, slow-motion? That means you can stop crooks by slowing their movements. It kind of reminds me of when I go mach-5 and see dozens of people walking at a snail's pace. Lauren? I promise our dad won't lay a finger on you. Alright?" Lauren didn't respond. Her eyes watered, turned itchy red around the corners, and streamed down her cheeks. Her arms wrapped around my chest and upper arms, sobbing over my back. It looked awkward from the nurse's viewpoint, but to me, it's wholesome. I might not be the best brother, as I haven't known Lauren's full backstory, yet from the photo of her mother, I can tell that she had one good parent in her childhood.
Four Days Later
{Kunshi, Dyspo, and Lauren eat around a circular table at the cafe area}
"So, Lauren's a nurse?"
"Yes. The nurses were so astonished by my medical knowledge that they asked me to become one of them."
"With Lauren as a nurse, she can use her slow-motion powers to prolong bleeding, thus making surgery a breeze at a park."
"'A breeze at a park?' That's the comparison you thought of?"
"What? You don't like it, Kunshi?"
"No, it just that you speak the weirdest comparisons."
"If you don't like my dialogue, that's your thing. Lauren?"
"Yes, Brother?"
"Uh… Nevermind that you called me brother."
"Aw, am I seeing a blush on your cheek?"
"S-Shut up, Kunshi! Anyway, Top wants the nursing crew to tag along with us to our next mission. I'm stating this now, be careful. There are rabies-infested creatures we have to exterminate."
"I'll be fine, Dyspo. After all, I'm my person now."
"You sure are."
"Ugh, great! Now, we have two Dyspos!"
"One, Lauren's not too cocky. Two, if you keep bringing up our relationship, I'll fling you so hard you won't recover from it."
"I like to see you try, 'Big Brother.'"
"Ngh!"
"Forget about him. At least we got each other."
"Yeah, you're right." (I hope Dad's wallowing in shame and his current wife realizes his nasty side. Me and Lauren are living the good life.)