He was crying again but I wouldn't comfort him. Showing any kind of affection would only make him weak. "Get up lil' bro," I ordered the sobbing toddler, tumultuous amber eyes hidden by opaque shades. He shook his head, burying his tearstained face in his hands instead. "Get up Dave!" I snapped. His wailing only got louder. A vein ticked on my forehead and I nearly snarled, furious, but I quickly forced myself back under control. No need to lose my cool. Striders never lose their cool. Sooner or later Dave would learn that lesson as well. Knights must remain composed at all times; my not-so-gentle training would ensure his poker face would be unbreakable.
My lips twisted into a slight grimace, barely detectable unless someone was looking closely at my expression. "Oh, so that's how it's going to be then?" The dangerous edge in my voice made Dave's head snap up in terror, but it was too late for him to repent. I flash stepped in front of the sobbing kid, grabbing him by the collar and dangling him over the edge of the apartment building, trademark grin firmly in place. Dave's wailing ceased immediately, his stubbornness evaporating as he realized his deadly predicament. "If you're going to be so disobedient, maybe I should just drop you right now. It'd be so much easier for me if you had a little… accident." Somehow our strifes always ended up this way. I hated it.
"Bro, no, please no!" he begged, sunglasses askew. My hand loosened on his collar and he shrieked, although it appeared he finally learned not to struggle. Good. Tears cut paths down beaten and bloodied cheeks and my heart ached, wanting nothing more than to heal his wounds and care for him like a real brother should, but such a thing was impossible.
I wore a sharp smile on my face as I held him in front of me, practically nose-to-nose with the sniffling toddler. "So you'll actually train now instead of acting like a pathetic baby?" I asked, my eyes narrowing in a calculating manor. He nodded frantically, his head moving so fast his shades fell of his face. Terrified crimson orbs reflected briefly on my shades before I flung him roughly to relative safety, watching with forced apathy as he hit the entrance to the stairwell with enough force to crack the plaster. Did I break his ribcage again? I really hoped not.
I hated the hand fate had dealt us. I really did. Who in their right mind would think beating a five-year-old boy to a bloody pulp every day would be beneficial to the kid's development? Apparently I did. My combat prowess was unmatched, sure, but there must've been someone out there who would've been a better guardian than I. But the future was laid out in neat little blocks for me, detailing everything I needed to beat into my little brother before his time ran out, and I knew I had no other choice. Tough love? No, love wasn't something that existed in our little household anymore; it had left three years prior and it would never come back. All I had left were a few precious memories and shirts I'd never be able to wash the blood out from, a constant reminder of my sins.
I strolled towards the small pile of concrete. He should be getting up any moment now. Sure enough, a small, bleeding hand emerged from the rubble, slowly followed by the rest of his body. The painful grin on my face was genuine this time, pride at his resilience dangerously mixing with my intense self-loathing. If he kept on like this he would certainly survive the trials of his teens. I despised the ominous knowledge that drove me to such extreme lengths, but what else could be done? I was never meant to be a decent guardian anyway, but the least I could do was prepare this poor kid for his bloody future.
Shaky hands covered in cuts and scars that didn't belong on the skin of a child clutched a sword that was far too big, far too dangerous. "I hate you, Bro!" he screamed, acknowledging his feelings for the first (and, as he would soon learn, last) time, lunging at me with an expression marred by confusion and anger, and all I could do was mask my pain with a cocky smirk and continue beating my little beloved brother into the burning concrete. Hopefully he'd be knocked long enough for me to at least apologize to his broken, unconscious form.
AN: Wow, another chapter posted in a little less than 24 hours? It's truly a miracle. Don't expect these kinds of updates to happen often, I just lucked out by having another scene that demanded to be written not long after I posted the first chapter.
Please ignore any strange errors you see for now, I typically go back and edit chapters after I sleep on it. I have no beta or whatever, so I have to reread these sections with fresh eyes the next day. Sorry to anybody who catches any errors before I'm able to fix them.
Leave a review on your way out if you feel so inclined, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for dropping by!
-Dismay