WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

114. Life is Strange 2 Sean and Daniel 23

A Slippery Climb

Svenne14

Summary:

Two months after Beaver Creek, and Sean's found work and a place to stay. It all sounds good. But it isn't. Nothing's good anymore, not even Sean. Daniel's slowly losing, not only his hope, but so much more. And he's losing it to his worst enemy...

Notes:

Inspired by The Wild Ones by Pavan336

READ FIRST!
It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that you read parts 1 & 2 of these series before you read this.

That being said, read tags and enjoy!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: A New Low

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Eldorado National Forest — Placerville, California…

Two months after Beaver Creek…

Daniel woke up sweating like a pig. Another nightmare. Why can't he ever have a good night's sleep? Is it really that much to ask? So it would seem. Then again, everything was too much to ask nowadays. He sighs heavily as he turns over to his other side. Over to Sean.

"Hmm, Sean? Wake- wake up. I had a bad dream." Instead of landing on his big brother's soft shoulder, Daniel's hand lands on whatever material this shitty tent's made of.

"Damn-it, Sean." Not again. Please, not again. He can't stand it. Daniel gets up, exiting the tent silently. He sure as hell doesn't want to wake anybody up. Not here. Not these people.

Sean had managed to get them a job, making good money. Plus, it would give them a place to stay, along with food, a shower, and all you could ask for. That all sounded good on paper. Actually, scratch that. It sounded too good.

Which it was…

They expected a small apartment of sorts, not a small, moldy tent from the seventies. Sleeping bags? In your dreams! Shower? There's a thirty-minute walk to a lake, and that's that. At least there's food. Not good food, but still, food. But there was also one more thing they had an unlimited free supply of.

Alcohol.

At first, it made no sense to Daniel. Sure, he's nine, but even he knows that drinking on the job is a major no-no. Then, he saw it. His work-environment. Daniel stupidly believed that Sean would be the only one to work, but no, it wasn't meant to be. Daniel's forced to work twelve hours a day, barely getting a piss break. What does he do in these twelve hours? What industry could possibly have a nine-year-old child work twelve hours a day, seven days a week?

Cocaine.

It was a fucking drug lab. In the middle of the god-damn forest. Daniel had been given a five-minute introduction and was then put to work. He spends his days pouring cans of gasoline and battery acid over those fucking plants. How people consume this shit, he can't for his life understand. After five minutes he felt dizzy. One hour, he threw up. He still reeks of gasoline, hours after he got back. It never ends. But he endures. He has to be strong.

Why?

Because his brother, Sean, can not. Ever since that night on the train, Sean's been different. Daniel knew the next morning that he's been drinking, but it was more than that. Sean felt so cold, so empty. That poor, poor wolf. Daniel never questioned it. He rarely spoke with Sean anymore. There just wasn't any point. The promise of free alcohol had made Daniel beg his older brother to leave this place. But Sean just pretended like nothing was wrong. Like everything's fine. But it wasn't fine, nowhere close.

"Sean? Sean, are you there?" Daniel calls out after his brother, so silently he might as well be quiet. He walks towards the fireplace.

"Sean?" His brother sits on the ground, holding a bottle of beer. Around him lies copious amounts of empty cans. Daniel holds back his tears as he joins him.

"Sean, can- can you please come to bed?" Sean's acting like he's not here. He would do anything to be called "Enano" again.

"Please, Sean. I- I don't like it when you're like… this." Daniel's close to tears as Sean turns to him.

"When I'm like what, Daniel? Huh? Say it! Like what?" That voice, it wasn't his brother talking. His brother's kind, caring, and protective. The person beside him is just cold, menacing, selfish, and- and- drunk.

"Nothing, Sean. It's nothing." He wants to help, but he doesn't know what to do. Every time he tries to bring it up, the answer just hurts him.

"You hate me, don't you?" Sean slurs in his speech.

"What? No, Sean. I don't hate you. I love you." Does he, still?

"It doesn't matter. There's only one person you should hate, Daniel, one person. Yourself! It's your fault we're in this shit. All of it, your fault." Sean might be drunk, but Daniel can hear the anger behind every word. Feel it too. It hurt so much.

"Sean, don't say that. Please, don't-" No point arguing. After living in the house of Esteban Diaz, he should have known better.

"Shut up, shut the fuck up, you little shit! I wish I didn't have a brother, that you were dead. Everything- everything would be so much better if you were dead… Enano." And there it was. Sean completes his meltdown by collapsing into a fetal position, sobbing silently. Daniel does his best, not to cry over the horrible things Sean just told him.

"No, no, no. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Yeah, you're always sorry. You're sorry now, just like you were yesterday and the day before that. Daniel kneels next to him, putting his palm on Sean's forehead.

"It's ok, Sean. I- I forgive you." He says it almost every day, but it never gets any easier. It takes every fiber of his being, not to use his powers to make his brother fly ten feet in the air.

"You- you do?" Sean's so wasted he doesn't notice Daniel's tears. That, or he just doesn't care anymore. Could be both.

"Yes, Sean. Come on. Let's go to bed." Daniel helps his brother to his feet, and they move towards their tent. Sean can't even walk straight. He's using Daniel's shoulder as a cane, supporting himself along the way.

"I wish you wouldn't drink, Sean. It makes me sad." Fuck! Stupid, stupid, stupid! He shouldn't have said that. It just makes Sean angry. Right now, Sean's stopped walking and Daniel stands behind him, waiting.

"Daniel." He doesn't sound angry. Could that mean… progress?

"Yes, Sean?" Please.

"Don't ever speak to me like that again, do you hear me?" Fuck. How does he get through to him?

"Yes, Sean." Daniel sighs.

"I said, do you fucking hear me?!" Daniel turns his eyes downwards, but he can barely see because of all the tears.

"Yes, sir." Fuck you.

"Better. Now, let's sleep." Sean stumbles inside and passes out the very second he lies down. Daniel lies as far away from his older brother as possible. Back in the day, it was the opposite. The closer he was to Sean, the safer he felt. Now, nothing feels safe. Sean doesn't feel safe. Like most nights, Daniel cries as he wonders what's happening to his brother. Sean doesn't feel like Sean anymore. As much as he hates to admit it, Sean feels more and more like… dad.

"Oh, shit." The sudden realization puts Daniel in a state of shock. He crawls towards his brother, grabbing his arm as if his life depended on it.

"Please, Sean. Don't become him. I- I can't…" If that were to happen, Daniel would be better off dead. They both would be.

As he lies there in tears, Daniel can't help but wonder, was this how he felt? Sean never told him much about how it started in the first place, just that he was nine. Like Daniel. Is this how his brother felt, all those years ago? Small, alone, crying himself to sleep, night after night? Did he too, watch someone he loved, go from idol, to drunken asshole? Ok, the last part he can pretty much confirm to be true. Most important of all, what, if anything, did Sean do to help him? Whatever it was, it sure as hell didn't work.

Now, Sean's going down the same path. He feels so helpless. Daniel puts his palms together, closing his eyes.

"Please god, are you there? Help my brother. Do whatever you want with me, just… help Sean. Please." He regrets not paying attention to Claire now. With tearful eyes, he looks over to Sean. He could smell the booze from a mile away. Just like da- NO, STOP IT, ENOUGH! He's not helping.

But who will help Sean, if Daniel can not?

The next morning…

"Hey, Enano? Wake up." Ah, how he loves those first few minutes in the morning. The more tired he is, the better they are. Why? It's simple, really. It's all about those few minutes your brain needs to wake up. When it's fully awakened, Daniel remembers. Dad's drunken insanity, Brody cutting off his finger, Hank Stamper's dungeon of doom, and more recently, drunken Sean being an asshole. Everything comes back at once. From one second to the other.

"Mmm… mornin'… Sean." That would be the reason he greets Sean so happily, albeit tiredly.

"It's time for work, Daniel. You gotta get up, man. Sorry." Now, he remembers. Work, drunken Sean, all of it. His heart sinks to the lowest of lows, disintegrates into a million pieces, and then sinks some more. Why bother to continue? What's even the point?

"Whatever." Daniel felt hurt. However, he expected this to happen. Almost every time, the same thing played out. Sean gets wasted, acts like an asshole, and the next morning he's super-nice to him. But he never apologizes. Never.

"Woah. What's wrong with you, dude?" Sean looks surprised as Daniel pushes past him.

"Like you care." He can't do this anymore. It's too much. It always felt possible when Sean was at his side, but now? Now, everything feels like a slow march towards a painful death. Sometimes, that destination sounds a lot more tempting than he cares to admit.

"Fine, man. You wanna be a brat? Fine, be a brat. I tried, didn't I?" No, Sean. You did not.

"Anyway, Daniel, you're gonna have to work without me today." Uh, excuse me?

"What? Why, Sean?" He's never missed work before. Something's up.

"I just feel a little… sick. That's all." Fuck's sake, really? Daniel can't help himself. He puts his hands on Sean's shoulders, looking his brother in the eyes. Then before speaking, he digs up all of those repressed emotions, hoping Sean might listen this time.

"Sean. Please listen to me. You're not sick, big brother. You're hungover because you drank too much last night." For half a second, Daniel could see how Sean's mask just melted away. He saw his brother for whom he really was. Pain, suffering, self-loathing, despair, fear, anger, hate, and guilt. All of that and more, visible in the face of Sean Diaz.

For less than a second.

"Dude, come on. I drank like, one beer. Maybe two. It's not a hangover, I'm just a little sick." Yeah, Sean. You're sick. It's called denial.

"Whatever. I don't even know you anymore, Sean." Daniel turns around and heads for the truck that will take him to work.

Work not only sucked serious ass, but it was scary too. The entire compound was surrounded by a fence with barbed wire, security cameras, and last but sure as hell not least, Big Joe. Daniel had once seen a wrestler called "Andre The Giant" on television. Big Joe's basically Andre, reincarnated as a jackass drug dealer with a shotgun. Still, he's just a hired gun, a sicario. Big Joe's just as expendable as Daniel. Merrill on the other hand is not. Daniel needed a few days to realize that Merrill's not at the top of the food chain, but just the head of this operation.

However, that's more than enough. Jonathan Merrill isn't a man to be messed with. Daniel learned that on his second day, simply by observing the other workers. Daniel avoided the others as much as he could. They scared him. Addicts, mentally unstable, and god only knows what else. One person had been good to him though. His name was Jacob, but he preferred Jake. Merrill caught him high in the bathroom, on cocaine he stole from the compound. Big Joe had taken him to a small cabin nearby, and…

Nobody's seen him since then. Daniel's convinced that he's long gone. He died a painful death at the hands of Big Joe The Giant. Daniel's also seen, on more than one occasion, a worker getting a punch to the face for dropping something on the floor. Every day he's terrified. He feels that next time, he'll be the one who fucks up. Daniel's about to enter the compound when Merrill stops him.

"Hold up, kid. Where's your brother?" Merrill looks down at him, expecting him to explain everything. Wonderful…

"He's sick, Merrill. Sorry." Yeah, he believed it about as much as Daniel did.

"Cut the crap, kid. I don't give a shit if he's sick or not. If he can stand up, he's working. But since he decided to no-show…" Great. This only keeps getting better and better.

"Big Joe? Why don't you show… whateverthefuck here, just how important our work is?" Big Joe steps forward, looking Daniel dead in the eyes.

"I'd love to, boss. Kid, follow me!" The giant screams to his face before turning around to walk away. Daniel remains still, frozen in fear. Fuck.

"Kid! Get your ass over here, NOW!" Oh god, oh god, oh god.

"Where- where are we going?" This is where Daniel learned to never ask unnecessary questions.

"You do NOT speak unless spoken to! Do you understand?" Big Joe looks at him like he wants to rip him to pieces. Given the chance, he probably could too.

"Yes, sir." He wants to cry, needs to cry. But he can't. His pain is so deep that crying just isn't enough. After a short walk, Daniel's ordered to enter a cabin outside the compound. The same cabin Jake had entered before disappearing forever. Shit. Big Joe locks the door behind them and pulls down every curtain. Then, his entire demeanor changed.

"Sorry about that, kid. I didn't want to scare you." Uuh… what?

"Sit down. We have a lot to talk about." Seriously, what? Daniel's still too afraid to do anything else, so he does as he's told.

"I know who you are, Daniel Felipe Diaz. And I know who your brother, Sean Eduardo Diaz is." What the fuck is going on? Not only does he know exactly who they are, which is something they haven't told anyone here, but he looks… different. Almost nice. Like a cool dad? Shit, he's losing his mind.

"Who- who are you?" At this point, the question felt more than legitimate. Big Joe turned around to show a small safe, hidden behind a painting on the wall. Daniel always believed those things just existed in movies. He opens the safe and takes something out, putting it in front of Daniel. It's a card. He reads it.

"Special Agent Joseph Costello, Organized Crime Division, FBI?" Ok, what the actual mega-fuck? Daniel puts the card down, trying to understand what's happening.

"I can't tell you everything, Daniel. But we're trying to bring Merrill's organization down. If you help us, we can help you, and your brother." But, what about…

"Your- you're bluffing. I saw Jake go in here, and he never came back. You- you did something to him, didn't you?" Daniel's breaking down.

"Jake wanted out, and I helped him get out. He's far away now. But he's safe." He sounds honest. Either he's a superb shit-talker, or he's telling the truth.

"So, you're a… cop?" And he knows that they're wanted. Fuck.

"Kinda. I'm an undercover federal agent. Still, I can help you. Both of you." Can he? Either way, they're running out of options. Sean's losing himself, and Daniel's losing his will to live. This could be the salvation they've been waiting for.

"Ok. But you have to help my brother, it's all I care about. I- I don't want him to… drink all the time." Fuck. Saying it out loud was so much more painful.

"That's good. For now, just try to keep a low profile. Remember, Merrill thinks I just beat the shit out of you, so try to look sad." Yeah, that one comes naturally.

"Ok. Thanks, I think." This is seriously weird.

"Don't speak to anyone about what you saw in here, ok? If you do, we're both dead." Well… no shit? Daniel exits the cabin and goes back to work.

Many horrible hours later…

When Daniel got back, he could see Sean by the fireplace. He hesitated at first but then decided to sit down next to him.

"Hey, Sean." No beer cans around. At least that's good. Maybe he's sober?

"Hey, Enano. How- how did it go?" Oh, thank god! It's a good day. They were few and far between, but whenever they came, Daniel savored every moment. The reason for it was that he wasn't sure he would live long enough to see his brother be himself again.

"Ok, I guess." He has to tell him. But first, he just needs to see the real Sean again. It's been far too long. All he had to do was look at his older brother. This was a completely different person, compared to the one from last night. Sober, caring, smiling and loving.

This. This is the real Sean.

"Daniel? Is everything ok?" Daniel didn't even notice the tears in his eyes. He didn't care either. Just hearing Sean ask how he felt was enough. He doesn't even have time to respond before Sean wraps his arms around him, letting him cry out his pain. And there was a lot of pain. When Daniel's out of tears, he just stays in his brother's arms with his eyes closed.

"I think I know a way for us to get out of here, Sean." This is it. You can do it. Just… use the right words. Confidence is the key.

"What do you mean, Enano?" Sean asks curiously.

"I'll tell you later. But I know how we can get out of here, stop running, and be free forever." There. Perfect. He couldn't have said it any better. However, he's keeping his eyes closed in fear of Sean's reaction.

"That's great, Daniel." Wait…

"WHAT?! You- you mean it? You really mean it?!" Daniel opens his eyes, feeling excited for the first time in months. Sean trusts his plan. Sean trusts him-

"But I already know what we're going to do." What? No. All that excitement instantly vaporizes as Daniel falls back in his brother's arms.

"Oh. Well, where- where are we going, Sean?" Daniel could see he hit a nerve, somehow. Sean looks absolutely terrified of telling him this. Why? Daniel's his brother.

"Mom. We're going to find mom, Enano." Sean said with a look of shame on his face. Daniel's eyes widened in shock and rage. How could Sean do this to him? She left them. Betrayed them. Now, he wants to go to her for help? Without saying a word to his older brother, Daniel gets up and walks away, deep inside the forest. Eventually, he finds himself at the lake. Nobody ever comes out here, making him all alone with his dark thoughts.

"Maybe I should just… go for a really long swim?" Daniel says to himself as he looks out over the lake. It's too big for him to swim across. Doing it would be suicide, which he knows more than well.

"No, no, no…" He puts his palms to his face, slowly dragging his fingernails downwards. He could feel the pain, taste the blood, but nothing could take his mind away from her.

Karen.

The traitor.

Daniel collapses to his knees right next to the lake. He looks down at the water and the reflection of a boy looking right back at him. The boy looking at him has blood pouring from his face, tears pouring from his eyes, and-

For a millisecond, Daniel could have sworn that the boy's eyes went from a dark brown color to a fiery red. The rest was out of his control. He could see it happening, clear as day. But he couldn't control a thing. Daniel screamed his lungs out. Louder than he's ever screamed before in his life. In turn, his powers activated and proceeded to direct all of Daniel's rage at the very center of the lake. What followed looked horrifying. One massive wall of water. Rising and rising, getting higher, and higher. Daniel wanted to run, but he found himself unable to move. Then, he pushed it all away at the speed of near-light, pulverizing a large section of the forest on the other side of the lake.

Now, he finally had control over his body again. His power? That's an entirely different story it seems.

"What- what the fuck is wrong with me?" Daniel lies down in a fetal position, sobbing in despair. Alone, helpless, with nobody that understands him. He doesn't know what to do. But he does know one thing. If he ever sees Karen, someone's going to die. Either she dies by his hand, or he kills himself. Daniel Felipe Diaz would rather die than live with… her.

Notes:

This serves as Daniel's introduction for episode 3. It shows you, just how close to the abyss he really is. And Sean's no better off, but that's for the next chapter.

I decided to not do the "Once upon a time" recap since I find it incredibly difficult to write in a decent way. So I'm not doing it from now on. The idea with Big Joe being an undercover federal agent just popped into my head as I wrote the very sequence. It gives Daniel something to have a little hope for, only for Sean to ruin it by dropping a Karen-sized bomb on him later.

Sean having "good days" is a way to show that he's not "evil." He's still Sean. He's just so broken that he's fallen into an abyss he doesn't know how to get out of. Speaking of which...

The title "A Slippery Climb" feels fitting to episode 2's title "A Deep Abyss". Sean's fallen down the abyss, and getting back up is a slippery climb. Plus, it's the name of a Crash Bandicoot level... if you know, YOU. KNOW.

Sean and Daniel working in a cocaine lab? Well, I wanted their work to be something horrible. So, unless I plan on going way over the top, it still only leaves drugs as the only option. I went with meth lab first but wanted the stuff Daniel used while working to sound familiar.

Enter Wikipedia. And meth became coke.

So, chapter 1 is finished. Feel free to leave a comment down below. I always find episode 3 the hardest to write, especially now, considering what I've got planned for episode 4...

Enjoy!

K. S.
_

There is an ancient myth about two brothers.
Their mother, not present.
Their father, dead.
Legend has it that one brother will be forced to make a difficult choice.

Take the simple path in life, and follow in his father's footsteps.

Or

Climb out from the deep abyss in order to stand straight as a man of his own. Only to fall back down again.

However

The myth never tells the consequences of these choices. Neither does it reveal the brother in question. And most importantly:

What happens if the myth remains a myth?

Chapter 2: Turning Point?

Summary:

Sean Diaz has hit rock-bottom. He's an alcoholic, his brother hates him, and he hates himself. What the hell is he going to do?

Notes:

Happy new year!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

About a month ago…

Sean sat alone next to the campfire. He's freezing his ass off even when wearing his hoodie. His body hurt just about everywhere, his heart felt broken. His mind? He would never admit it to anyone, hell, he barely admits it to himself, but he's losing himself, bit by bit. What the hell was he thinking, bringing his nine-year-old brother to a coke-lab? He knows that the best thing to do would be to just take Daniel and go. Far away from this awful place, never to return. He knows that Daniel's safety should be his number one priority.

But it isn't.

All he can think about is that voice. Well, not a real voice, it's just his own demented mind. But it's a thought that carries so much weight, Sean can't focus on anything else.

"I'm becoming him."

"I'm becoming him."

"I'm becoming him."

"I am him."

Sean Diaz is now officially a drunken nobody. Just like his father. His worst fear comes to life. The only thing keeping Sean somewhat sane is the fact that he would never, under any circumstances, hurt Daniel. At this point, it's the one thing separating him from his father. He hates the person he's become. He swore it would never happen, but it did. Deep down, Sean wants nothing more than to just go back to the tent and apologize to his little brother. But he can't.

By apologizing, he would have to watch Daniel break down in front of him. Then, Sean would have to tell him why it's so difficult to talk about it, which would tear up wounds from a decade ago. Sean's not sure if he can handle that. Especially if, or when, Daniel rejects him. Honestly, Sean wouldn't blame him. He rarely remembered everything from a previous night, but usually, he could remember an exchange of words or two. All the horrible things he's said to Daniel. The kid deserves better. Sean, however, does not.

"I wish you were dead."

"It's all your fault."

"Freak."

Just a few of the many things he's screamed to the brother he loves so much. At least, he thinks he does. It's complicated. A lot of things are complicated nowadays. Had Daniel not messed everything up, they could still be in Beaver Creek. But he messed up, like always. Sean can't deny it. It's Daniel's fault. At the same time, he knows it's not fair to blame him for everything. But Sean feels so lost. He's supposed to look after Daniel, but who's going to look after Sean? He's only sixteen. Not an adult, sixteen!

The place they're in now, it terrifies him. Junkies, drug dealers, people disappearing. And here they are, right in the middle of it. It did, however, pay a decent amount of money. Sean had given it a lot of thought, and now he's decided. The wolfbrothers are going to find their mother. Daniel won't like it. But it's happening. They got nowhere to go. His plan does have one big problem.

He's got zero fucking clue where his mother might be. Claire refused to talk about it, and Stephen's dead. Where the hell do they start? Just the mere thought is too much. All the pressure he feels, combined with the longing to meet his mother, it's eating him up. So he began drinking. Just one beer at night, after Daniel had gone to bed. It helped him to relax a bit, and vent his frustrations in his loneliness. He only had one rule: One beer. Nothing more.

One beer became two.

Two beers became three.

Three beers became five.

Beer sometimes got mixed with stronger liquids. Things went south before Sean even knew what had happened. Every morning, Sean wakes up full of shame. He always looks over to his side, making sure Daniel's alright. Sometimes his little brother's got tears on his face after a whole night of crying. Sean knows that he's the one causing it. He knows it, and it makes him feel like the worst brother in the world. Perhaps it's true?

Right now, Sean's halfway through beer number four, or is it five? Fuck it, who gives a shit? Sean feels like nobody does anymore. If anyone did, to begin with. Alcohol seems to bring out the very worst of Sean Diaz. All of his demons make themselves known, bringing out the bitterness, the resentfulness, the jealousy, the hate, and… the anger. Usually, the other workers just stay away. This night, however, would be a rare exception to that rule.

"You're a fucking pathetic, drunken loser, Sean. Just like your dad. He was right. He was always right. You just didn't see it. Fuck. What am I going to do?" Sean looks into the fire, whispering curses directed at himself.

"Evening, Sean. Alright if I sit down?" Cassidy. Sure, she's nice, but he just wants to be left alone now.

"Huh? Yeah, sure." Dumbass…

"Listen, Sean…" Oh, god, not this shit again.

"I get it, Sean. You're going through a lot of… shit. But drinking all the time won't make it better. Not for you, and sure as hell not for your brother." Who the fuck does she think she is? She used to be a fucking crack addict, and she's lecturing him about alcohol? Come on…

"It's not your business. Stay out of it, Cass." Drunken Sean's got a fuse shorter than his father's sometimes.

"Fine, Sean. You're too wasted now anyways. But I'm telling you, Daniel's hurting. He's hurting a lot. And everyone can see it, except you." Cassidy gets up and walks away. She was wrong about one thing. Sean did see it. His brother hurting, that is. He saw it every day. Daniel had no joy anymore, he didn't have that spark that he used to. In fact, they barely spoke to each other anymore. Sean could feel it, the tension between them. The guilt in himself, and the hatred in his little brother.

So he remains seated where he is. Alone, drunk, miserable, afraid, and lost. He knows how the next morning will play out. He's going to feel ashamed, Daniel will know exactly what he's done, but neither brother will talk about it. They both play along as nothing happened. Also, Sean's going to work with a hangover. Again. Sometimes, life's not just a bitch, it's just… cruel.

Present-day…

Yesterday, Sean told him about the plan. Last night, he told Daniel that they're going to seek out their mother. He had been prepared for the worst of the worst. Sean had expected Daniel to freak out, scream, cry, or maybe break shit, both with and without his powers. He did neither of these. Daniel just got up and walked away. Not a word, not a sound. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Sean doesn't understand it. Then again, a fuckup like him rarely understands anything in life.

He hasn't seen Daniel since the conversation they had. The old Sean, the real Sean, would've gone out to look for him long ago. But now, he feels so conflicted. Why care for a kid that hates you? Why care about anything, when the only thing that kept you fighting decides to be a brat? Yeah, nobody cares about Sean, so why should Sean care?

However…

He had to admit it. He's curious about what Daniel said. "I think I know a way for us to get out of here, Sean." Just what exactly, has his little brother gotten himself into? The more he thinks about it, the more Sean's big brother sense awakens. Whatever it is, it's dangerous. No matter how fucked up things are now, he can't let Daniel do something stupid. It doesn't matter what Daniel's plan is. The wolfbrothers are going to see their mom, and that's final. Sean's waited almost a decade for it.

Today, Sean didn't go to work. He drank too much last night. It's happening more and more now. At first, he could just endure it. But now, every morning he feels like he wants to put a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger. Daniel once again had to go to work alone. Sean knows he's a terrible brother. But he doesn't know how to handle this any longer. Being on the run, all the trauma, a brother who hates him. Part of Sean almost hates Daniel too. However, he still misses his Enano.

Sean lies inside the tent, looking up at nothing at all. He puts his right arm where Daniel would be, sighing heavily as nobody's there. Why he expected something else, Sean doesn't know. Sean slowly sits up, cursing himself as the world spins around him.

"Uh, my fucking head…" He's got no right complaining. He did it to himself. As Sean carefully looks around in the tent, his eyes land on something he's never seen before. The upper half of a book, visible in Daniel's backpack. The kid's never been that much of a reader, so Sean's curious about what it is.

"What are you, anyway?" He picks up the book, noticing that it's not a book at all. Well, it kind of is…

It's a journal.

"No. No fucking way. I can't." He had no idea Daniel kept a journal. Granted, he's very curious about it, how far back it goes, all that shit. But his little brother deserves whatever small privacy he can get. Especially in the worst of times. Sean puts the book back where he found it.

"I'm not that kind of brother. I'm a shitty brother, but not that shitty." Then again, the journal might contain something that explains why Daniel hates him so much. Why he never talk to him. Maybe… if Daniel sees their father in him, or not?

"Fuck it…" Guess Sean's that kind of brother after all. He grabs the journal, opening it with great care.

"Holy… shit. Enano." This goes back a long way. Sean reads the first note.

"Today im 7 yers old! Dad tried to hit me. Sean saved me. Then he gave me ice cream! Yum!" He's had this for almost three years. He began with this as soon as he learned how to write. God. Sean's already crying. He continues to read.

"2014-06-06: I don't like it when schools closed for summer. It scares me. Dad… scares me. But I know my brother will protect me. He always does." Sean's full-on bawling.

"2015-11-23: nonono not anymore! I can't take this shit! had to stitch Sean up again. He shouldn't do this for me. I'm not worth it." Fuck. Daniel had been depressed long before they left Seattle. No wonder he's losing it now. Sean flips through some pages until he gets to the day of the incident in Seattle.

"2016-10-26: I killed dad. What the fuck am I?" This was the last note for a long time. Daniel seemed to have come back to his journal about a month ago.

"2017-02-12: What the hell happened to you? You used to be my idol, my savior, my best friend. You used to be my… brother. Now, all you ever are is a drunk. Just like dad. I hate you for putting me through this, Sean. But I hate myself even more. You said that you wished I was dead. Well, you're not the only one, Sean." Fuck. Sean's worst possible scenario's just been confirmed. He looks at the bottom of the page and discovers a drawing made by Daniel. At first sight, all Sean could think was how damn of a good artist Daniel was. All the tiny details, perfectly crafted, using only a pencil.

Then, there's the drawing…

It depicted two hands, each holding one item. The hand on the left side, Sean immediately recognized as his brother's, due to it only having four fingers. Daniel's hand were holding a noose. The hand to the right was that of another person. However, not anybody Sean could recognize. Did it look… female? This hand held a cross. At the very bottom of the page, in a corner, Daniel had written: "The lesser of two evils?"

"What the fuck, Enano?" So many questions in the mind of Sean Diaz, however, his line of thought were put to an abrupt end.

"Hey, Sean-" Shit. Daniel had entered the tent, and Sean had been too preoccupied to notice him coming back.

"Daniel?! I- uh, I didn't-" Yeah, don't bother. The second Daniel saw what he's been doing, he ran off without a word. Sean could, however, hear his cries from a mile away. Fuck. He really did it now. Saying bad shit, that's one thing. Betraying someone's trust and invading their privacy? That's something else. He fucked up, and he did so in a spectacular fashion.

He must repair it. One way or the other. Sean exits the tent to look for his brother.

"Maybe- just to help me think straight, to make it easier." He takes a beer bottle from the kitchen area. Sean always hated the smell of beer, he still does. Now, it feels like it makes him calmer, more human. Just as he's about to drink, the words from Daniel's journal pops into his mind. "Now, all you ever are is a drunk. Just like dad." Sean freezes.

"Fuck…" It almost feels like a moment of clarity. He wants to stop drinking but feels like he… can't. Sean Diaz can't quit drinking, like his father before him.

"FUUUCK!" Sean throws the bottle with full force towards a rock, shattering it into a million pieces. For less than a second, Sean felt a massive wave of regret. But he knew he had made the right thing.

"Now, where are you, Daniel?"

It didn't take him long to figure out where Daniel would be hiding. He left no tracks behind him, but he is, after all, Sean's brother. He's watched that kid grow up. Sean knows how he thinks, at least most of the time. That is why Sean went towards the lake. As he closed in, Sean could hear someone sobbing silently. He couldn't help but have the slightest smile on his face, just for having right. As expected, Daniel stares across the lake and- wow. Sean couldn't help but notice a strange combination of a severely thinned-out forest on the other side, and the lake being unusually shallow.

"Hey, Daniel. Can I sit down?" His brother doesn't react.

"It's ok. I- I haven't been drinking." Sean felt so much shame, having to say that for his brother to even look at him.

"Ok." Daniel gives him a short answer, but still refused to look at him. Sean sits down next to his brother, the latter moving a little further away as he did.

"I'm sorry I read your journal, Daniel. I shouldn't have done that, and it won't happen again, I promise." Wow. That's probably the most basic apology he's ever told.

"Whatever. Go to hell, Sean." He sighs. What does he tell Daniel?

"Daniel, I- I-" Sean's stuttering. He's nervous, he's sweating, and has zero clue about what to say. He just knows one thing.

"I don't wanna become like dad, Enano." It wasn't what he planned on saying, and it sure as hell wasn't what he came here to say, but it got Daniel's attention.

"Huh?! What- what do you mean, Sean?" Daniel had now turned towards him.

"You know what I mean, Daniel. I- I read it. In your journal." Anybody watching this conversation would have a hard time telling which brother's most ashamed. Daniel felt ashamed for feeling that way about Sean and even worse for writing it down. Sean, in turn, felt unbearable shame for reading it.

"I don't want you to either, Sean." Daniel cries as he moves slightly closer towards him.

"I know that I've said some… bad shit, Daniel. I'm sorry. We'll talk about it when we've got the time. I just need you to do something for me now, before I can think of a reason not to do it." Daniel looks confused as he listens to Sean's desperate plea.

"What, Sean?" His brother sounded skeptical. Understandable. Sean turns his eyes forward, looking at the lake.

"Quit, Daniel. I want you to help me quit drinking. Help me do what our asshole of a father couldn't do-" Like someone had pressed a button, Daniel embraced his older brother, crying into his chest. For once, he cried tears of happiness, not sorrow. Sean's back. The real Sean.

"Yes, Sean! I'll do whatever it takes. I promise!" For what felt like hours, the wolfbrothers sat there. It felt like the good old days, or, the less-bad old days. Neither brother hated the other, nor was there any anger. Right now, all there ever was, was brotherhood.

"Thanks, Enano. I- I don't think I can do it on my own. We'll wait until I'm… good. Then, we'll go look for mom." Sean played dirty here, and he knew it. He knew very well that Daniel wouldn't want to ruin the moment by arguing about their mother. So Sean takes the opportunity to make it very clear what their plan is. He could feel Daniel's body in his arms becoming tenser and tenser. But he never said anything. Several minutes passed in silence. Daniel, still pushing back his anger. Sean, too afraid to say anything. As Daniel falls asleep, Sean's look falls back across the lake.

His little brother did that. And the lake… shit. Sean's putting the pieces together, understanding just how powerful Daniel is. Anybody with this amount of power is… dangerous. And right now, "anybody" happens to be his little brother. A brother that seems to both hate Sean, and love Sean. If Daniel loves Sean in the end, he's got nothing to worry about.

However…

What happens on the day Daniel sees him as an enemy?

The realization causes Sean to cry. No, not because he's afraid Daniel might kill him, but because of the first impulsive thought he got into his brain.

"He's asleep. Do it quickly, before he notices anything. The lake, drown him. DROWN HIM!" Sean can't trust himself with the most important thing in his life anymore. Fuck. Disgusted by his line of thought, he carefully gets up, carrying his sleeping brother back to camp.

Notes:

Happy 2022!

This chapter gives the reader an introduction to Sean's mind, and how much in a bad way he truly is. Also, the way Sean's conflicted about Daniel is an important part. He feels that it's Daniel's fault, but also doesn't feel like it's fair to blame him. Still, he blames him. So, contrary to the original story, each brother blames the other one here. While in the original, they always put the blame on themselves. Blaming each other's more of a recipe for disaster, so... yeah.

Daniel and his journal is an idea that I wished I'd thought of sooner. There's just so much you could do with that. I might use it again, who knows?

Anyway, I love comments.

Enjoy!

K. S.

Even with a guide, climbing during a thunderstorm will prove to be difficult.
The winds are strong.
The lightning bolts nearly blind you.
But the worst part is the rain.
Why?
Because rain makes it slippery.
Make one wrong move during your stormy ascent...
And you fall.
Only this time...
You won't get up.

Happy climbing Sean...

Chapter 3: Deep Talk

Summary:

Sean begged Daniel to help him. However, he's about to find out that help from Daniel Diaz, isn't always what you want it to be. The question is, does the kid even know what he's doing?

Notes:

Read new tags!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The next day…

He's only on day one of sobriety and already feels like absolute shit. But he took the first step. Sean had asked for help, and now, Daniel's helping him. At least Sean wants to believe that.

"Go on, Sean. You have to say it. Say it, and really mean it." The brothers sit across from each other in their tent. Sean looks like a ghost, while Daniel shows small signs of hope. It's the one thing keeping Sean going.

"I don't know, Daniel. It feels… weird. Like, we both know it's true already, why say it?" To be honest, Sean just didn't want to say it. Saying it makes it real. It makes it official.

"You wanted my help, Sean. This is me, helping you." God damn-it.

"Ok, Enano. Here- here it goes, ok?" Shit. This is so much harder than it has any right to be.

"My name is Sean Eduardo Diaz, and I'm an alcoholic, and an addict." Just like his father before him… fuck.

"Good, Sean. That's good. Now, why- why-" Daniel had seemed to be so confident. Suddenly, all of his confidence just evaporates into thin air. Sean stays quiet, giving him time to reassemble himself.

"Sean, why do you drink? Why do you use drugs?" What the hell? Since when did Daniel become a shrink?

"Wow, what's this, man? Are you my shrink now, or what?" Sean says, slightly insulted by Daniel's question. Deep down, he knows he's got no right to feel that way.

"Don't ask questions, Sean. Just answer them. It helps, trust me." Trust. Trust. All the trust Daniel had put in him, only for Sean to fuck things up. He needs to earn his brother's trust back. Guess this is a good place to start…

"I just- I- shit…" Sean takes a few deep breaths. He feels so ashamed of himself.

"The drugs kinda helped me to sleep, so that's why I took them. That's how it started anyway. I don't know why I didn't stop. I knew it didn't help me anymore, but I still took those fucking pills. I- I almost died." Sean could feel a small hand on his shoulder. Daniel did the same thing to Sean that Sean does to Daniel when he's sad. It actually helped a little.

"And the drinking, I don't fucking know. I just- I'm scared of the person I'm becoming, I guess. My single worst fear in life, do you know what that is, Daniel?" His younger brother stays silent but appears to write something down in his journal. Hell, give the kid a pair of glasses, and he'll even look like a legitimate shrink. "Dr. Daniel Diaz — Psychiatrist" Why not?

"It's not that something's gonna happen to you, Daniel. But that one's very close to the top. My worst fear is… that I will become like dad." Daniel remains silent while writing in his journal. When finished, he turns to Sean.

"Sean. You are not like dad." Right now, he's gonna need a bit more to know that for sure.

"Why, Daniel? I'm a drunk, just like him, aren't I?" Ok, perhaps use a different tone for the best results. Daniel looks at him like he's thinking "bitch, please."

"Dude, I'm nine years old. Nine. Until last year, I believed South America was its own country. And half of me is from South America, Sean." Yep. He's nine alright.

"Uhm, Daniel. Mexico's in North America, dude." Sean smiles for the first time in weeks. Or is it months?

"What, seriously? Whatever. My point is that I can't explain why you're not dad. You just… aren't. You're good, Sean. And he's not. Or… he wasn't." Is Sean good? Either way, hearing Daniel say it, brought warmth to his heart.

"Thanks, Enano. It means a lot to hear that." Daniel smiles back at him.

"Sure, Sean." He's been underestimating this kid the whole time. Sure, geography isn't his thing. But the human mind seems more like it might be. Speaking to Daniel made Sean feel a lot better, even if Sean did most of the talking.

"Hey, Daniel? I gotta ask since when are you like- like a shrink? Where did you learn that stuff?" Sure, he's always been kind and caring, but the talking part?

"I- uhm- I don't-" Shit. Nice going, Sean. You managed to hit a nerve, fucking it all up. Again.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Daniel," Sean says, desperately trying to save the situation.

"You, Sean." Say what now?

"Uh, what did you just say?" Sean must have heard wrong, right?

"I learned it from you, Sean. From my big brother." Seriously?

"Do you- do you really mean that, Daniel?" Sean's moved to tears by simply asking the question. Daniel's already crying, nodding in response.

"For as long as I can remember, every time dad was mean you always stayed Sean. You stayed with me because I was sad, afraid, and sometimes even angry. You always encouraged me to talk about everything. How painful it felt, how much I hated it, how scared I was. So I did it. And it helped, Sean. It really helped. I just… wanted to help you, the same way you helped me." Daniel looks away like he's ashamed. Sean won't allow him to feel ashamed over this. Not for a second. Sean pulls his little brother in for a tight hug.

"Enano. I don't even know what to say." It's true. He's speechless. Of course, Sean knew that Daniel looked up to him, big brother and all. But he never believed that he, that Sean, could put Daniel on a path that fits him so great. As the wolfbrothers break their embrace, Sean's eyes land on Daniel's journal.

"Daniel, I wanna ask you something." Daniel's face turned serious immediately.

"What's the deal with the journal?" Daniel goes from serious to just… sad. Very sad.

"I've had it since I was seven. I stole it from a teacher at school." Sean resists the impulse to lecture Daniel about stealing. Doing so would be a bit hypocritical, wouldn't it? After all, they live and work at a cocaine lab.

"Sometimes I draw, and sometimes I write. When I draw, I draw pretty much anything. Could be you, me, random people, sometimes… even dad. It's just, he's different when I draw him." Sean's not sure what he means by that. Daniel opens his journal, flipping through the pages. When he lands on a page, Sean's convinced that this was not the one he intended to show.

The drawing had no date on it. It depicted four people celebrating Christmas Eve. Daniel's there, why wouldn't he be? He's holding a huge Christmas present in his hands, smiling widely. Next to him on the couch, sits Sean. For reasons unknown to himself, the Sean in the drawing has a Santa hat on his head. He's just unwrapped the Blu-ray collectors edition of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. But that wasn't what got his attention…

In the background, stands Esteban Diaz. That would be their father. The same monster that threatened to cut off Daniel's fingers. Here, he looks different, as Daniel would put it. He looks like a dad. Esteban's definitely sober, and he's smiling. Sean had never seen him smile before. At least not like a normal person. He's even wearing one of those goofy Christmas shirts. Still, this wasn't what caught his attention…

Then what did?

In the kitchen stands the fourth person. A person Sean knows very well that his brother hasn't even seen in a photograph. Daniel only knows her appearance from all those times Sean had told him how she looked. That was before. Back when he didn't hate her.

In the kitchen stood Karen, their mother. She didn't do anything in particular, she just stood there, smiling happily in Sean and Daniel's direction. The bottom of the drawing had something written on it. "Wish you were here, mom."

Shit. So many questions. Daniel only left the page open for a few seconds, but it felt like hours. Should Sean say something? Daniel still cares about his mom, even if he doesn't want to admit it.

"Daniel, do you-" Nope.

"No! Don't look, Sean." Daniel panics and flips over the page. He should just have pretended like he didn't see it. Their mother is the only subject Daniel's never been comfortable talking to Sean about.

"Ok, man. I'm sorry. So, if I can ask… what did you write about earlier? You know, when you asked me those questions?" He could see Daniel's face turning red.

"Oh. Promise you won't… laugh?" The fuck? Why would he do that?

"I promise, Daniel, I won't laugh. Now, come on, show me…" Daniel seems really nervous. His hands are shaking more and more, every time he turns a page.

"Here, Sean. I didn't write anything, I made a drawing." Sean takes the journal with a confused look on his face. And holy shit, Daniel made a drawing alright. As they had been sitting face-to-face, Daniel had been drawing Sean, capturing every small detail in his face. He did, however, make a few modifications. This Sean had no scars from his father's countless beatings. All of his teeth remained in place, and he looked happy. Sean looked like a regular human being for once.

"Daniel, wow. This- this is amazing." Daniel's face lights up as Sean praises him.

"Do you really mean it, Sean?" Daniel asked him, sounding like he didn't want to hear the answer. Granted, Sean's been a shitty brother as of late. But he would never lie about these kinds of things. Doing so would just be evil.

"Of course, I do, man. You're an artist, Enano. An artist." Daniel Diaz — Psychiatrist & Artist? Well then…

Daniel didn't dare to thank Sean for all the praise. A satisfied smile would have to do. He almost felt like the smallest misstep would ruin everything. Apparently, Sean noticed something was up.

"Hey, Daniel. Tomorrow, you can stay here, and I'll go to work instead. Don't worry about that asshole Merrill, I'll manage. You just stay here. Get a good night's sleep, and rest, bro. Rest." He's back. The real Sean's back. Daniel felt so overwhelmed by emotions, he could barely respond.

"Thank you." It's all he managed to say. But right now, it was more than enough. Five minutes later, the younger Diaz was asleep.

When Daniel woke up, he wasn't in a tent. He- oh fuck, not this again. There are regular nightmares, there are nightmares caused by trauma, and there are Daniel's nightmares. He's standing on a chair in Sean's room in their old house in Seattle. In front of him stands Sean, and lately, grandma Claire as well. Daniel knew it wasn't real, that it was just a nightmare. But it sure as hell felt real. Quite literally too. He could feel the material in his hands. Yep, it's a rope. Again. Daniel didn't have to look to know what his hands were doing with said rope. He felt it. That, and he's been through it dozens of times before.

"Please, Sean. I- I don't wanna." Every time, he begs. But it never works. He knows it won't. But it feels just as bad every time, hearing it.

"Relax, Enano. You won't feel a thing." Sean tells him calmly as he puts the noose around his neck. Daniel starts to cry.

"Grandma? Help, please." Daniel turns to his grandmother, but it's pointless.

"There, there, little one. It will all be over soon. We will all have one less problem to deal with." Claire sounds relieved about the entire situation.

"But- but- I don't wanna die." He wants to scream. Daniel wants to scream his lungs out for help. But deep down, he knows that nobody will come for him. Why? Because he's not worth it. He never was.

"Too bad, Daniel. I want you to die. I never loved you, I never considered you my brother. You're just too dumb to realize it yourself." Sean's voice has a cold, creepy tone to it. Daniel knows what's about to come and tries to prepare himself.

"Goodbye, Enano." Sean kicks the chair Daniel's standing on, and now the true nightmare begins. Real or not, it felt fucking real. Sometimes his neck would snap immediately, killing him on the spot. Other times, it was very… painful. This was one of the latter times.

Daniel felt his throat almost breaking as the noose tightened its hold. As with every other time, he panics. His mouth fills up with blood, and he desperately tries to use his free hands to remove the noose around his neck. But nothing works. He can feel the strength leaving his body and the life leaving his mind. Daniel stops resisting, his arms drop, and his face starts to get a pale blue color. This is where Daniel Diaz dies in his nightmare.

Well, at least it used to be.

Why is he still awake? Or asleep, or- FUCK!

Daniel feels something inside him, about to boil over. His powers. Why the fuck didn't he think of that before? Daniel uses his powers to remove that cursed noose from his neck, making him drop to the floor. For reasons he can't even begin to understand, Sean rushed forward to help him.

"Shit. Daniel, are you ok, buddy?" FUCK. YOU.

"Get the FUCK away from me!" This is where Daniel lost all kinds of control. Courtesy of his powers, grandma Claire went flying out of a window. And Sean? He pushed his older brother through the wall, and into the kitchen. When he realized what just happened, he panicked.

"Shit. Sean? Sean?!" He finds his older brother on the kitchen floor. He's not moving. Sean's covered in blood from the waist and up, and his face- shit. His brother's left eye has been pierced by a kitchen knife, blinding him forever.

This is where Daniel Diaz wakes up.

"SEAN?!" Daniel wakes up, face and body covered by a combination of sweat and tears. Shit. He hates his fucking nightmares. He looks over to his side, noticing Sean's absence. Daniel does, however, notice a note, written by his older brother. It's not like he's getting any more sleep anyway, so he might as well get up.

"Goodmorning, Enano! I hope you slept well. If you're reading this, it means that I'm working (read: cooking coke). I know you have a lot of nightmares bad nights. If this was one of them, just remember this: I love you, and I'll never leave you. You're my Enano, Enano (yeah, I know). /Sean"

The old Sean really is back. The real Sean. It brought a tear to his face. Daniel exits the tent in hope of getting something to eat.

After a quick breakfast, Daniel realized something. He's alone here. Like, alone-alone. He's never been here on his own before. He checks his wristwatch, realizing that he's got about five hours until anybody gets here. This particular situation awakened a side of Daniel, not seen in a long time.

It awakened his curious side, his mischievous side. The side of him that just wants to explore shit, like any kid should be able to do. Without even knowing it, a large grin has formed on his face.

"Oooh, where should we go first?" He asks, knowing and hoping that nobody will answer. He looks around for an interesting place to explore, finally settling for an old tent, slightly outside of camp.

"I'm starting with you," Daniel announces firmly and sets off towards the tent.

While living on the streets, he'd sometimes be forced to break into places to steal shit. Sean had taught him the do's and don't s about sneaking into a place undetected. Do not leave any traces you can avoid leaving. Daniel takes off his muddy shoes. Leave everything the exact way it looked when you entered. Daniel makes a mental note as he enters the tent. The inside smells of old food and used needles lie scattered all over the place. Daniel could see a backpack. Carefully, he opens it.

Three things were inside. A journal, which he immediately opened.

"Tuesday: 'Em motherfuckas don't believe me, but im tellin' yall. I saw it. I saw a fucking you-eff-oh!" Ok, this would be Penny's tent. Two more things remained, one of them was a book.

"Reconnecting — How to rebuild a failed relationship" Well, guess that someone else got a fucked up family too. Daniel moves on to the third object in the backpack. It's a large plastic bag, of sorts. Heavy as fuck. Daniel can see right through it, and it contains a white powder- FUCK! Daniel puts everything back in the same spot. He ain't coming back here. Penny's stealing coke from Merrill. Next tent!

T he very second Daniel enters the next tent, he knows who it belongs to. It smells of weed, a guitar lies around, and a bunch of hippie-themed outfits. Cassidy. Daniel's not sure why, but he fucking hates her. She's never been mean to him or anything, it's just… she sucks. End of story. All he can find in there is a notebook and a photograph. In the photo is a girl about his age. Probably a young Cassidy. Next to her is a man. Daniel put the picture away at that point. He recognized the signs. Her father was a drunk. He felt her pain now. Then, the young wolf opened her notebook. A completely random page, and the first thing he reads?

"OMG, the new guy, Sean? He's so hot. I just wanna…." Yeah, Daniel's brain chose to blackout here.

"And he even got a brother. Usually, I hate kids. They're noisy, spoiled, annoying, bratty, and just fucking idiots in general. But this kid, Daniel? He's so sweet." Daniel could literally feel his face becoming red as he put the book down.

"Sweet. She thinks I'm… sweet?" He might have had a wide smile on his face, but he felt terrible. He's been a real asshole to her, and she thinks he's sweet. Wow…

By now, Daniel felt that his quota for exploring had been filled. At least for today. Certain that his tracks had been covered, he sat down, back leaning towards a tree. Then, he picked up his journal.

"Today, Sean returned. I hope he can make it. But I'm not sure if he can. I know that I should be happy for him. Well, I kinda am happy too. But I just get this feeling that… everything comes at a cost. The wolfbrothers paid a high price when choosing between freedom or death. What price will my big brother have to pay to stay sober? Or… do I have to pay?"

Daniel thinks back to the nightmare he had. Weird as it may sound, but Sean hanging him isn't a new concept in his nightmares. Daniel fighting back, however, is exactly that. Daniel makes a quick sketch of what he remembers from the nightmare. Sean on the floor, hoodie covered in blood. His face, even bloodier. His left eye, pierced by a kitchen knife. A handful of tears drips down on the sketch as Daniel writes at the very bottom.

"Is this his price, or his end?" To Sean, the younger Diaz appeared to be full of hope for the first time in months. This was only partly true. Daniel had renewed hope, yes. However, right now, he was more afraid than he's ever been in his entire life. But he couldn't show any weakness, not now. He must stay strong.

For Sean.

Notes:

Ok, so this became a chapter with a lot of dialogue and a lot of brotherly talks. Sean needed it because he's never really talked about things 100% openly with Daniel. And Daniel needed it because... well, Sean's a drunk. This chapter also has a fair share of hints and symbolism here and there. At this time, I obviously won't say more than that.

Remember, I love comments and will answer all of them.

Enjoy!

To give help is not always easy.
To accept it, even less so.
However...
To help a person you love...
One must possess three things.
A will of iron.
A heart of gold.
And knowing when to quit.
Of these three, one is rarely seen in any man.
The effects of it, tend to be dire.

Be careful, Daniel...
Gold melts much easier than iron...

Chapter 4: Breaking The Unbreakable

Summary:

Daniel still hasn't heard anything from Big Joe. When are they getting out of here? He can't stand it here. However, what appears to be just another day at work, turns into a life-changing experience for one of the wolfbrothers.

Notes:

Read tags for this one.
(Seriously!)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Whether his older brother remained sober or not, one thing never changed for the younger Diaz brother. Work still sucked. More so than ever. Merrill seemed to get more and more paranoid, suspecting everyone and everything. If Daniel didn't know what he did, he would call the man crazy. But, crazy or not, he's still scary. And the wolfbrothers still need to get out of here.

Daniel had avoided that subject over the last few days. Sean had been doing a great job and had remained clean. He didn't want to risk it. However, he sure as hell didn't want to go to her either. Sure, there used to be a time when he would've done anything to just have a picture of his mom. Those days have passed. She left, in search of a better life. Considering the type of person his father was, Daniel could understand that much. However, she could have taken them with her.

But no.

She left them in that house, knowing the horrors they would go through. They could've had a normal life. But thanks to her, nothing was ever normal. Not a damn thing. Every time Daniel thinks about his mother, all he can feel is rage. He used to feel all kinds of emotions about her. Sorrow, longing, depression, sadness. Now, all he can feel is pure rage. Sean's plan isn't an option. Even if they track her down, Daniel's confident that he'll end up killing her on the spot. This time, he would do so without losing control. It would be himself, in full control, avenging his and Sean's lost youth.

So, what is the option?

Big Joe would contact him when the time was right. Or at least so he said. Daniel hasn't heard a single word from him, and it's been weeks. WEEKS! It's not like he can just ask him either. Daniel's not stupid. He is, however, nervous and afraid. Why would that be? Easy…

It's because Sean doesn't know about any of this. To Sean, Big Joe's still just a hitman, here to keep an eye on them. Daniel wasn't sure if he should tell him or not. Sean might think it's too dangerous. Maybe it's better to wait until everything's ready? Wait until they can just… leave?

These thoughts roll back and forth in Daniel's mind, around the clock. Still, he's nowhere closer to making some kind of decision. He's so deep in his thoughts, he doesn't even realize that he's sitting at his workstation, just staring into a wall. Merrill didn't take kindly to laziness. Then again, he didn't take kindly to anything.

"ATTENTION!" A door's kicked in, and from it, comes Merrill. And he's royally pissed off, wielding a shotgun. Daniel's still in a world of his own, not noticing the imminent danger.

"I said… ATTENTION!" Merrill aims the shotgun towards the ceiling, shooting a giant hole in it. Daniel nearly jumped ten feet in the air.

"Shit! Sorry, Merrill- sorry, sir." He stands up but keeps his eyes on the floor. Not because he's ashamed, but because he's afraid. Sean's at the other end of the room and Daniel carefully looks at him. He looks even more scared than Daniel is. Not helping much.

"Everyone listen up…" Daniel not sure what's scarier. Merrill screaming his lungs out, or Merrill doing his cold, serial-killer voice? Either way, the latter one definitely got people to listen.

"I want two people in this room… to come inside my office." Usually, this is the part where he wants volunteers for some really shitty job. This time felt different. Like he wanted two specific individuals. Daniel hasn't done anything, that much he knows- FUCK!

What did you do, Sean? Please, you didn't?

"First up, you. Darren, David, or whateverthefuck your name is. My office, now." Merrill pointed the shotgun towards Daniel. Shit. What have you done, big brother? Daniel's seen many things, especially for someone so young. However, he's only been at gunpoint one time before in his life. One time.

His father on the day he died.

Daniel's instantly taken back to that moment. He could feel it happening all over again. The fear, the panic, and the tears. He wants to run. His brain tells him to run for his life, but his legs won't let him. Daniel's completely paralyzed by fear. Before he knew what had happened, he felt a sharp pain in his forehead and found himself on the floor.

"NO! Don't you fucking touch him!" Sean. His guardian angel tries to intervene but quickly calms down as the shotgun points in his direction.

"I'm not gonna ask you again, kid. Office, now." Daniel pushed through the pain, climbing up on wobbly legs.

"Ok. I'm- I'm sorry, sir." He hates it, having to call someone "sir." It just makes him think about all the times his father made Sean do the same thing. It's just so humiliating. However, one does not simply call Merrill "Merrill" unpunished.

"Good. Now for the second person…" He's gonna say Sean. Daniel knows it. It felt too good to be true, and it was. Sean had relapsed in the worst possible way and stolen coke from Merrill. They're dead. Both of them, dead.

"You, Frenchie!" Huh? Merrill points at Penny, the latter seems even more scared than Daniel. He does, however, get up to follow Merrill to his office. Daniel does the same, wondering what the hell is going on.

"Enano…" Sean whispers to him, crying heavily.

"It's ok, Sean. I'm- I'm fine." The biggest lie in his life. He's nowhere near fine. He's probably never even been fine, to begin with.

Daniel and Penny follow Merrill to his office. Once the door closes behind them, a third person makes himself known.

"Hello there, sweeties…" Finn. Shit. This is bad, very bad. Big Joe might be Merrill's right-hand man, but he's still just a hired gun. And any hired gun is a replaceable gun. Then there's Finn. A man, rarely seen in the area, except for when certain unpleasant business needs to be taken care of. Daniel still hasn't figured his deal out. He didn't seem to work for Merrill, but he wasn't above him either. Either way, he sure as hell got a lot of insight into Merrill's organization. If the organization even belongs to Merrill…

"Why don't we all go downstairs? Follow me." That man didn't need a gun to sound scary. His calm voice gave Daniel the creeps. Finn proceeds to open up a hidden door, leading to a room in the basement. He gestures for them to follow.

"You know what to do, Finn. I'll wait up here." Merrill tells him, closing the door behind them. Daniel doesn't like where this is going. He's not given much time to consider this, however, after feeling a sharp pain in the back of his head. Daniel fell to the floor unconscious.

"Uh, Sean? My head hurts… Sean…?" Where is he? What the hell is all this- SHIT! Now he remembers. Does he even want to open his eyes? Probably not, but he does it anyway.

"Oh fuck…" The first thing Daniel sees is the wall of the basement. He's no expert, but yeah, no one can hear you scream in here. He's tied to a chair, and right next to him sits Penny, also tied up.

"Penny? Hey, Penny? We have to get out of here." Penny's crying, not responding to anything Daniel says. Still, why the actual fuck… are they here? It's just so random. Daniel and Penny? Why?

"So, you're finally awake, little guy?" Shit.

"Now I can finally ask you both this one simple question. Tell the truth, and you can walk away, like this never happened. Lie, and things will happen. Bad things." What. The. Fuck?

"A few associates of mine went through your little camp last week. I have them do it every once in a while, just in case…" Finn turns around and grabs something from a bag.

"Just in case they find something like this." OH. CRAP.

Now he gets it.

This is why they're here.

Finn shows them a large plastic bag, containing cocaine from this very house. It's the one Daniel found in Penny's tent.

"Now, this bag was found in the forest, just outside of camp. My associates, however, have a few ways to find what they're looking for. Two sets of fingerprints were found on this bag. One belongs to a child without a criminal record. But there's only one child here, so that's a no-brainer. The other belongs to…" Finn turns around again, picking up a piece of paper.

"It belongs to a- holy shit, no wonder you're called Penny. Dean Mickael Baptist?" He mocks Penny for his name, putting on a fake French accent while reading it.

"We all know Merrill doesn't like people stealing from him. So, I'm only going to ask you this once, fellas. Did you-" And then, everybody panicked.

"I ain't been stealin' any shit, man! Leave me the fuck alone! It's the kid, always the kid!" Penny trying to blame him makes Daniel panic.

"What? Fuck you asshole! I didn't do anything! I'm a fucking kid! Let me go!" His curiosity had definitely gotten the better of him this time.

"Jeez, calm down. No point in blaming one another. I know a way to find out who's telling the truth, and who's lying." That voice… fuck it. Finn lights a cigarette, blowing smoke in their direction. Daniel already knows the next step. Finn looks at him, Daniel looks back, biting down hard.

Finn burns him with the cigarette, in the middle of his forehead. Daniel made no sound. Neither did he flinch. He just kept staring at Finn the entire time, making the latter slightly… surprised.

"Well, look at you. A tough little man, are ya? I'll deal with you in time, you'll see…" Finn turned his focus over to Penny. Daniel didn't want to see, he didn't want to hear. He did all he could, trying to just shut down.

It didn't work.

Sure, he managed to ignore all the questions Finn kept asking Penny. But that's irrelevant. At least compared to the things he didn't manage to block out. Penny's gut-wrenching screams, cries, and even him pleading for mercy. Then there were the sounds.

Teeth ripped out with pliers.

The crunching sound of small bones, separating from the rest of the body.

The sound of something dripping, more and more…

Daniel couldn't think, he couldn't breathe. Is this how he will meet his maker? Defenseless, in a state of shock, without even a fight? He can't even use his powers, since doing so would jeopardize everything. He's fucked. Penny's not talking. Fucking idiot. If he doesn't talk, Daniel's done. He would be done, and Sean would never find out what happened to him.

"Ok, then. I think it's time we give Pennywise a little break, am I right?" Finn makes Daniel look at him. He's covered in blood, most likely Penny's. He gives Daniel a sinister smile, only a true psychopath could give.

"Tell me, little guy… do you enjoy pain?" Daniel's seen enough of this shit to know that his answer won't matter much.

"Fuck. You." Daniel spits in his face.

"Wow, someone's in a bad mood, aren't we?" Just… fuck you.

"FUCK YOU! Fuck you, fuck your dreads, fuck your creepy voice, fuck your clothes, fuck the shit you do for a living, and FUCK YOU AGAIN!" If he dies here, he's not dying silently.

"Well, aren't we a fighter? Good. I like fighters. That's why I'm gonna play nice with you, little guy." Finn goes to a table and grabs something.

"Just cus' you're a fighter and all, you get to make the first choice. This…" Finn reveals a scalpel in his left hand. Shit. He sure as hell doesn't want that. Nope.

"Or this…" Finn reveals a small pill in the palm of his right hand. Daniel's heart stopped. To most people, it looked like any pill. Hell, it could even be one of those really strong mint-flavored thingies. But Daniel knew that it wasn't. He recognized the color, the size, the small lettering on it. He could almost fucking smell it from here.

Benzodiazepines.

Drugs.

A.k.a. the same drug that killed his big brother, leaving Daniel alone for what felt like an eternity. The fact that Sean actually died for a short while, still haunts him. There is no chance in hell that Daniel Diaz will choose the drugs.

However…

Brody had him choose between his left hand or his right. Daniel said left, hoping that he would be able to keep his right. That didn't work out. Brody called his bluff. So, what the fuck will he say?

"Scalpel!" Daniel blurts out without really considering the consequences. Finn looks a bit surprised.

"Mhm… interesting choice, little dude. Thing is, this was more of a test, rather than a choice. You see, if I want to break someone- really break someone, it's easy. I'll just have a little fun, and things eventually work out. If I have to break a fighter, however, things are different. And you, kid… are a fighter." Shit, shit, shit!

"I can only break you, once I know all your greatest fears, and how to use them against you. Now, no six-year-old-" Excuse me?

"Hey, asshole! I'm nine! NINE!" Dickhead.

"Right. No kid would choose a scalpel over a harmless little pill. Nine years of age, or not." Wait…

"So, open up, kiddo! Time to take a pill." No. please, no. Anything but this. Anything. Daniel closes his mouth, knowing it won't do shit to help. Finn just pinches his nose so he can't breathe. Daniel's tied to the chair, so he can't do shit. Eventually, he's forced to open his mouth. Within a second he felt something small and round make its way down his throat. He remembered all those nights when Sean got high. Just thinking about it made him sick.

Actually, it literally made him sick. Daniel threw up on the floor. As shitty as he felt, it was an amazing feeling to have that shit out of his system.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, kid. There's no air in here, and you throw up? Not a gentleman this one. Well, this didn't work. But don't worry. I always got a plan B." Finn opens a small bag, taking out a needle. Shit. This is even worse.

"No! No, no, no, please don't! I didn't do anything, please! I'm just a kid. I'm just- just a stupid kid. Don't do it, please. Anything, just, not that." Daniel Felipe Diaz might be a fighter. But even the strongest of fighters can break.

"Well, it took me a while, but I think you're telling the truth now. I can see it in your eyes. I've finally broken you." Finn lowers the arm that holds the needle.

"Is- is it over? Can I go n- now?" Daniel sobs as he asked the desperate question.

"Sure, little man. You did good. You did very good. I'll let Merrill know you didn't do anything." He untied Daniel, who immediately collapsed to the floor in tears. Finn grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"There, there. You're fine. Now go on, beat it." Daniel freezes for a second. Less than a minute ago he had accepted the fact that inevitable death awaits. Now he's free to leave. Daniel turns around, beginning a slow walk up the stairs. Each step, shakier than the last. As he's about to reach for the doorknob, he feels a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, by the way…" A quick, very sharp, pain on the side of his throat, and Daniel falls backward. Finn gave him the drugs anyway.

"NOOO! You fucking asshole! WHYYY!" After screaming in anger and fear, Daniel Diaz succumbs to what his older brother secretly called "heaven."

Daniel Diaz Drug-fueled Dreamland — Location Unknown…

"Hey, Enano? Wake up. It's time for school." Uh. Daniel loves his older brother. But, can't he just disappear when it's morning?

"I don't wanna, Sean. My- my head hurts. Really bad." This time, he wasn't lying. Shit, did it hurt or what? Sean doesn't seem convinced.

"You mean like last week? You know, when you had the swine-flu?" Ok, that was a pretty bad lie. He'll admit to that.

"No, Sean. It- it really hurts." Especially… his forehead? Huh, weird.

"Ok, Enano. Wait a sec." Sean leaves him alone to go and talk to someone. A minute later, a different person comes into his room.

"Something wrong, Hijo?" Esteban Diaz, the greatest dad anyone could ever have. Whenever Daniel felt down, his father could always cheer him up. That is unless Sean hadn't already done it, of course.

"My head hurts, papito. I don't feel so good." His father kneels next to him, putting a hand on his forehead. For a millisecond, Daniel got an impulse he couldn't quite explain. It told him that the man next to him is dangerous. For him, and even more so, for Sean. It told him, he should run. Run away, and never come back. But Daniel ignored it, believing his feverish head is to blame.

"Hmmm…" His father looks at him very skeptically but eventually relents. As always. It's why Daniel loves him. Well, part of it.

"Well, you do have a bit of fever, Hijo. I think it's best if you stay at home today." Esteban smiles towards him, probably wondering why his son fakes being sick, just to get out of school.

"Thanks, Dad," Daniel says silently, but very genuinely. Daniel goes back to restless sleep, filled with horrible hallucinations. A man with a beard, cutting off one of his fingers, Sean jumping off a cliff…

"Danny? Danny, my son, wake up." Daniel almost jumps out of the bed. His vision feels slightly blurry, but after a minute or so, he can see the person who sits by his bedside.

Karen Diaz.

Mom.

"You were having a bad dream, Daniel. Everything ok?" He doesn't know why, but this feels so… strange. As in, literally strange. It makes no sense. In the Diaz household, no relationship is closer than that of the wolfbrothers. Then, there's a tie. Sean, the oldest brother, he's got a very close connection with their father. Both of them are runners, in more ways than one. They like to jog, sure. But they also tend to run away from their problems, creating new ones on the way.

Daniel? He's got a very deep connection with his mother, Karen. They have so much in common with each other. They both have an interest in art, talent for it too. Daniel's more often seen as "the smart one" of the two brothers, just like his mom were an intelligent child as well. Sean's more of a "grinder" like his dad. He's not stupid, but not super-smart either. He's just… Sean. Daniel does everything and shares everything with his mother. He's got almost a decade full of memories.

Then why does she feel like a complete stranger?

And why can he feel tears pouring down his face?

"Danny? What's wrong? Talk to me-" Yeah, he can't explain shit, right now.

"MOM!" Daniel jumped up and threw his arms around his mother. He didn't know why, but he got an impulse, telling him that he needs to do it. It felt like he's never done it before in his life.

"Daniel, what's going on? Why are you crying?" He can't answer that. He can't because he doesn't fucking know. But he does know one thing. Hugging his mom, having her comfort him? It feels good, it feels safe. He doesn't want this to end. Why, he can't tell. Mom will always be here, right?

"Danny, it's just the two of us here now. I- I have to tell you something." She looked sad. The type of sadness only possible among those who live a miserable life for decades. But that's not his mom… is it?

"First, I want you to have this, Daniel." Karen reaches into her pockets, taking something out. On a reflex, Daniel puts his palm out. Karen puts the object in his hand.

"I got this from my mother when I was about your age. She said it would guide me in life when I needed it the most. I don't think it helped me much. But I hope it can be of more use for you, Daniel." He looks down at his palm, revealing a large crucifix. It actually looks kind of cool. Beautiful even.

"It's awesome. Thanks, mom-" When Daniel looked up again, his mother was nowhere to be seen. Deep down, the realization began to settle. His mother was gone, never to return. The more he knew it to be true, the harder he squeezed the crucifix in his hand. More and more blood poured onto the floor.

"Don't go, mom. I- I love you…" The crying boy said to nobody at all. He stood all alone in a giant house in Seattle, with nobody caring for him.

"Daniel? Wake up, man!" Huh? That sounds like Sean. But the house is empty. Daniel turns around, only for his entire field of view to melt together into one giant clusterfuck.

"Uh, Sean?" The blue walls inside his room had the same textures as the lawn outside. He felt sick. Daniel threw up, but nothing came out of his mouth. Is this even… real?

"Daniel! Come on, hang in there!" A high-pitch sound, a blinding light and-

BANG!

Daniel Diaz's back to the real world.

"Ah- what- wh-" He can't even begin to make sense of the situation. He wakes up in the tent he shares with his brother. It wasn't real. He didn't meet a good version of his dad, and he definitely didn't meet his mom. Neither of them was real. But it felt so real.

"Shh, try not to talk, Daniel. Just- rest, bro. Rest. You- you almost didn't make it." So many questions now, but judging by his brother's tone, he's telling the truth. Daniel tries to calm down. Easier said than done, considering how his head hurts like a motherfucker, and- yep. That's why he didn't throw up in his dream. Great. Just great.

As he thought back to what happened back at Merrill's, Daniel comes to a startling realization. He would rather die than be drugged, if given that choice. Now, he's been drugged. When on drugs, he had a normal life. A perfect life. A great dad, a brother who loved him. A mom. Not only that but a great mom. Would he still have those things, if he were to, theoretically, get high again? His own thoughts scare him. But the worst part isn't what he thinks, but what he knows.

And Daniel Felipe Diaz knows…

If a chance were to appear, he would take it.

Without hesitation.

Like father…

Like brother…

Like little brother…

Notes:

Ok, this felt like something of a "filler" chapter. But this episode is kinda running towards its end now. I know exactly what to do there, so don't worry.

I made Finn completely different since I don't like him in the game anyway, so why not? The way he tortures Daniel is more psychological. Find out what he fears, then use it. Daniel's drug-dream is a way to have Daniel get some understanding of why Sean took drugs, but also a way to see his deepest, most repressed emotions. Also, might be something else there, but what do I know...?

Anyway, please leave a comment below.

Enjoy!

K. S.

Tortured in spirit.
Tortured in body.
Tortured in mind.
The oldest wolf is almost at the top.
The little cub gives him a paw.
He offers him help.
But the oldest wolf feels conflicted.
Should he accept help from his little cub?
OR
Prove to him, that he can do it himself?

You're almost there, Sean.
A fair warning though...
It's dangerous at the top.
The air is thin.
And it's very slippery...
Be mindful of your next step.
Or else.
Your ascent.
Becomes a descent.

Myth.
OR
Reality.
The time is near.

Chapter 5: A Cubs Quest

Summary:

Enough is enough. Sean has made a decision. After the next payday, the wolfbrothers are leaving. They're going to find their mother. That's Sean's plan. Daniel, however, has other things in mind. Especially after an old friend has a little chat with him...

Notes:

Tags as usual.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The next day…

Yesterday had been the worst experience in Sean's life. His little brother had been taken away from him at gunpoint, leaving Sean clueless of his whereabouts. That on its own had been bad enough. Sean had been a wreck, not knowing what happened to his brother. He was so close, so fucking close to taking one little sip, just to help him calm down.

But he didn't. Call it progress, perhaps?

Either way, five minutes later he saw a sight he wished he could forget. Sean saw a truck drive through the camp, a door opened and Sean saw that asshole Finn throwing his little brother out of the car. Just like that. Like a piece of garbage. Still, the worst was yet to come. As he picked his brother up, Sean could see a burn mark on his forehead. But that didn't scare him. What scared him was the look in Daniel's eyes.

His eyes were red, and the pupils, smaller than the tip of a pin. Daniel had been drugged. Sean didn't know what to do. He carried his brother to his tent, and just sat there for hours, holding him. He felt so helpless. All he could do was wait, and hope. It wasn't easy, considering what Daniel cried out during those hours.

"Papito, please help me!"

"Mommy, don't go. I miss you!" Fuck. It hurt Sean, so much, hearing all of this. Daniel would never admit it, but he does miss his mother. When Daniel finally came to, Sean felt so relieved. He had been so worried. What Sean just went through, Daniel went through every single day, when they lived on the streets. As horrible of a realization it might have been, it did help Sean make a decision.

It's time to leave. Next payday, then it's off.

He just has to talk to his brother about it…

"Hey, Daniel? Can we talk?" Sean could see his brother sitting outside of camp, throwing pine cones at a tree. He still hasn't recovered. Sean can't blame him. Daniel barely reacts as he sits down next to him.

"After yesterday, I think it's time for us to leave, Enano." Daniel stops with his pine cones, his hand freezing mid-air for a second. His younger brother opens his mouth, attempting to speak, only to close it again.

Then he breaks.

Daniel burst into tears, leaning on his older brother's shoulder. Sean put an arm around him, and neither brother spoke for a long time. Daniel, because he couldn't. Sean, because he didn't know what to say. He can't say that everything will be alright when he knows that Daniel hates his plan. He's almost glad that Daniel's the one to break the silence.

"Sean, do you trust me?" What the- why would he even ask that?

"Daniel. I trust you with my life, Enano." Sean tells him in the calmest, caring tone possible. Daniel's expression remains the same. A face of fear.

"Then please, listen, Sean. I have a way out for us. A way for us to get help, real help. We can clear our names, and live normal lives. Just, trust me, big brother. Please. Trust me." Shit. Of course, he trusts Daniel. Sean didn't lie. However, Daniel's nine. And this is a dangerous situation. He can't trust him without knowing more. Not this time.

"Daniel. I do trust you. But you have to tell me, what are you talking about?" Sean immediately knew that he had failed. Daniel's face now looked like a kid that got robbed of all his candy on Halloween.

"I'm sorry, Sean. I- I can't. Not yet. Just remember that everything I do, is for the both of us, even if it looks dumb." Daniel got up and walked away. Sean could almost smell his depression. That poor kid. But he'll just have to hold on. Soon, the wolfbrothers will leave this awful place, never to return.

Payday…

Daniel could almost swear that gasoline used to smell a lot more. Also, a lot stronger. Maybe there's some truth to what they say, after all? "This shit will ruin your sense of smell, kid." Yeah, it kinda has. Daniel walked right past Cassidy this morning when she smoked a cigarette. He didn't smell a thing. Nothing, nada, ingenting. As if he doesn't have enough invisible scars.

Speaking of Daniel and invisible scars…

The door opens, and Daniel heard an eerily familiar voice.

"Sure thing, Merrill. I'll look into it. I just gotta take care of the mess downstairs." Finn. Shit. Daniel knows he should be working. But he can't control his body. He can't even move or breathe, or anything. Daniel thinks back to yesterday. The horrible screams from the bottom of Penny's lungs will haunt Daniel until the day he dies. At this point, he almost wouldn't mind.

"Well, well… look who we have here? It's our little ultimate fighter." Fuck. Please, go away. Please, please, please, just go! Daniel's entire body begins to shake, drops of sweat pour down his face. His eyes can see a monster walking towards him. His ears? All they hear is Penny's screaming.

"So… how are you doin' today, little man? A little hungover, perhaps?" Daniel doesn't answer. Finn broke him, using only the mere threat of drugging him. And then, after breaking him, he drugged him anyway. Just for the heck of it. Daniel looks down at the table, his hands grabbing a tight hold onto it.

"No, I don't think that's it. There's something else. Isn't it… little man?" Finn kneels next to him. He's so close, Daniel could feel his breath in his face.

"You're afraid, aren't you? Well, it's a wise decision, little one. To not fear a man like me, is not what I would call… wise." God. Please, can't this just be over?!

"I'll let you go back to your work now, little dude. But always remember one thing. I broke you. I tore you apart, piece by piece. And you will never be whole again. Now, get workin'." Daniel just sat there, in a dark world of his own. Unable to work, unable to think. He just felt broken. At least Finn's gone, so that's got to count for something. However, Daniel's not sure how much longer he can last.

"Hey, you! Kid!" Daniel almost jumps into a standing position as someone's calling for him. It's got to be him, right? He hasn't seen any other kids here. The person in question was Big Joe. Now, Daniel's mind became a thousand times sharper.

"You're cleaning my house. Come with me, NOW!" For someone who's actually kinda nice, Big Joe sure plays the bad guy role to perfection. Ok, dude. Be afraid, but not so afraid that you draw any unnecessary attention.

"O- ok, sir." Daniel stutters out and then follows Big Joe to his cabin.

It was the same routine this time. Close every window, pull down all the curtains, all that shit. After he's done, Big Joe sits down.

"How are you holding up, kid? I heard Finn did some… disturbing things to you." Yeah, that's putting it mildly.

"I'll live, I guess." He just doesn't want to talk about it. Like, ever again.

"Good. The increasing presence of Finn here, suggests that they're on to me. Or at least suspects a mole. Therefore, we've been forced to accelerate our plans." Daniel doesn't understand shit, so he just waits for Big Joe to elaborate.

"Today is payday. In a few hours, everyone will gather outside Merrill's office to collect their money. I will be there, so will Merrill, and most likely Finn as well. The only one who's never been allowed there, is you." Yeah, Daniel doesn't need that reminder. The whole "no kid during payout" rule, almost drove him insane. It felt humiliating. He works too.

"I know that, Joe. Why is that relevant? I- I wanna get out of here. I can't do this anymore." Hold it together, dude.

"It's relevant because nobody will notice if you're gone for a short while." Where's he going with this?

"In Merrill's private quarters, he's got a small office. Not like the one you've been to. Inside, lies a flash drive. On that drive, is everything we need to lock away both Merrill and Finn for a lifetime. Clients, account numbers, money laundering, everything." Ok…?

"So, that's good. But, what's that got to do with me?" Big Joe's expression turns sad as he looks at Daniel. Why does it feel like he won't like what he's about to hear?

"I need you to steal that flash drive, Daniel." FUCK. OFF.

"What? Me? No, no, no. I can't. No, no, no, no, no!" He couldn't breathe. Daniel felt the panic, spreading through his body.

"Calm down, kid." Big Joe puts a big hand on Daniel's small shoulder. He didn't expect to, but it made him calmer.

"Why- why me? I'm just… Daniel. Just Daniel. Why did it have to be me?" He's nine, for fuck's sake!

"The place has an alarm, and the only way to get through it is by going through the vent. You're the only one small enough to do it. I'm sorry." God damn-it. Why couldn't Daniel be a fat kid instead?

"Yeah. Me too." He's not looking forward to this one. But it's their ticket out of this mess. He's got no choice.

"Ok. I'm gonna go over the plan with you…" Big Joe spends the next two hours, going over every tiny detail Daniel has to know in order to enter and exit safely. Considering the fact that Daniel's got fucking superpowers, this might actually be doable. When Daniel feels confident about his mission, Big Joe leads him to a nearby room and tells him to get ready. Big Joe had told him to wash his face and hands, to avoid leaving any kinds of trace. Well, Daniel's learned that lesson. He won't protest.

Daniel turns on the faucet, realizing how long it's been since he had the luxury of hot water. Too bad he doesn't have the time for a shower, he seriously needs it. For now, a couple of splashes to the face would have to do. After he's cleaned up, Daniel looks at the clothes he's been given. Actually, he starts to look all over the room. Even the bathroom of this house had been covered with military memorabilia. Daniel's clothes were no different. Giving a nine-year-old boy green camo clothing might seem a bit over the top, but he did need to blend in. and this is a forest after all…

Daniel begins to change, taking off his old, smelly, dirty, bloody, sweaty, space mission T-shirt he loves so dearly. Then, he gets stuck. His eyes get stuck on something.

Something, being himself. He's looking into a mirror. Only, it doesn't feel like it. Daniel's always been a scrawny kid. Now, he looks like one of those children from the UNICEF commercials. And his face, god, his face. The cigarette burn mark on his forehead is there to stay. A permanent mark was left on him by Finn. One nasty scar on his cheek, courtesy of his father. A small scar on his eyebrow, that would be Chris the traitor. Fuck him.

"Dude… you've been through hell. Bad people have done bad things to you. But now, it ends. They are a disease, and you are the cure… Enano." Daniel tried giving himself a little pep-talk in the mirror. However, he's interrupted by a loud banging on the door.

"Hey, kid! Hurry up. We ain't got all day." Right. The mission.

"Almost ready." No, he's not. He's nowhere near ready, and he'll never be ready either.

"Shit, shit, shit…" Daniel looks around the room hoping to find an escape. He doesn't. But he does find something else. Out of all the random military stuff Big Joe could have lying around, he just happened to have some camouflage face paint in this very room. Being the artist that he is, Daniel couldn't help but smile at the opportunity. He takes the lid off the jar and stands in front of the mirror.

"What to do, Daniel… what to do?" Given enough time, he would've made two wolves. One big, under his right eye, and one small under his left. But it would take too long. After giving it some thought, Daniel's got a plan. He carefully dips the tip of his finger in the black paint and draws one horizontal line below his eyes. One of them is long, the other, short. Below the long line, Daniel writes "S. E. D." And then continues to write below the short line "D. F. D."

"There. Now you're with me, Sean. There's nothing we can't do, as long as we're together." Daniel spends a good minute, just looking at himself in the mirror. He looks like a weirdo, sort of. FUCK! He can't have any doubts now. Daniel picks up a bandana that Big Joe probably won't miss. He ties it around his head like a headband. Then he turns to the mirror.

"Perfect." Let's do this shit!

"It's showtime." Dressed for combat, the young wolf joined the gentle giant in the truck. He was now on his way towards a very dangerous mission. A mission that would have a much greater impact than he could fathom.

Notes:

This chapter is the beginning of the end, absolutely no pun intended (seriously). I decided to split it into two chapters, to avoid it becoming too long.

As we can see at the start of the chapter, both brothers are very close to the edge. Daniel getting drugged affected them both in a very negative way. Obviously, Daniel's affected even more. This shows in his interaction with Finn.

Daniel breaking into Merrill's is something I've had in mind for quite a while, so you know (be prepared). The whole scene with him getting ready for his mission is... well... I dunno. It might be a little off, I'm not sure. I just got the image of Daniel standing in front of a mirror, terrified of what he's about to do. Then, he takes some face paint, draws some stuff on his face, then he's all business.

Anyway, I like reading comments.

Enjoy!

K. S.
_

Which brother shall decide the path?
What path shall they walk upon?
The cross?
OR
The noose?

The cross vs The noose?
The noose vs The cross?
The cross vs The cross?
The noose vs The noose?
Throw the moose across?
A noose for the cross?

Who knows...?

Chapter 6: His Greatest Mistake

Summary:

It is time. In, grab flash drive, out. After this is done, the wolfbrothers can leave this awful place and live a normal life. But the thing is, life... is cruel...

Notes:

Very much tags!

Also, this marks the final chapter of episode 3.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Zero hour…

Daniel didn't say a word on the ride back. He wasn't, however, afraid anymore. Neither did he feel worried. No such emotions existed at this point. They couldn't. He can do this- no- he has to do this. In, grab flash drive, out. Ten minutes. Easy. After that, he and Sean would be free, living a normal life. He went through every single detail, over and over again, inside his head. He cannot fail. Failure is not an option today.

"Ok, kid. This is as close as I can get you. Be fast, silent, and get back here ASAP. And make sure nobody sees you, got it?" Duh…

"Don't worry. I'm invisible." Even if someone would see him, he'll just fly them a hundred feet into the air. But Big Joe doesn't need to know that. Maybe after today, that would end too? All the violence, all the killing? Somewhere deep inside, Daniel knows that it's not considered normal for a nine-year-old to do the things he's done. But what choice did he have?

Either way, it doesn't matter now. All that matters is his mission. Daniel steps out of the truck, watching Big Joe as he drives away. He hides behind a large tree, waiting for the right moment. Eventually, he could see Merrill come out from his private quarters and move towards the larger building. Sean and the others were waiting outside for their payday.

"Soon, big brother. Just hold on." Daniel whispers to himself, promising that they'll be able to leave as soon as this is over. After Merrill's entered the other building, it's time.

"Ok, Superwolf. Go, go, go." Daniel imagines Sean's voice in his head. He moves fast and silent. Now, he stands with his back towards the outer wall of the building. The very building he's supposed to break into.

Now to find that damn vent…

Daniel looks around, and at about the same height as his knees, there's a vent. It is, however, sealed with a ton of screws. This was kind of expected. Thing is, he only got a knife with him. How the fuck is he supposed to open this with a knife? Oh, right… the powers. He kneels to get a closer look at things. He could use his powers, but it's a risky move. If Daniel so much as blinks, he might accidentally tear the house down. But he's got to try.

"Ok. Here it goes…" Daniel extends his hand, carefully attempting to remove a screw. He could feel the cold steel against his fingers, but nothing happened.

"Shit." A whisper that might have been a little too loud. Daniel tries again.

"Come on, come on you motherf-" A low creaking sound could be heard as the metal bent itself to his will. Just not enough. Large beads of sweat pour down his face, but still, nothing happens.

"God damn it. God fucking damn it. Sean, please. Help me. I need help." Daniel closes his eyes and tries to imagine what his brother would say to him in a time like this.

"You got this, Enano. I believe in you. Now, give 'em hell, little cub." He opens his eyes, bearing a smile on his face.

"You damn right I do, Sean." Daniel extends his hand once again. At first, nothing happened. But then, every single screw went flying out of their place, landing below Daniel's feet. It sounded no more than someone opening a can of soda.

Gain entrance, check. Daniel imagines himself holding a walkie-talkie, confirming that the mission's proceeding as planned.

"Superwolf to gentle giant, Superwolf to gentle giant. I'm entering the enemy's HQ now, over and out." Ok, enough screwing around. This is his life at stake. Sean's too. From now on, it's all business.

Daniel had imagined that crawling through a vent wouldn't be too bad. Well, John Mcclane made it seem easy. That, and Daniel's got a thing or two to say about the fact that he's supposed to fit in here. This is the first time in his life that he actually felt fat. Daniel could barely move, he couldn't see shit, and the air blowing through the vent made his head hurt. The good thing is, at least nobody could hear him…

"Motherfucker. Son of a whore. Ow- shit! How the fuck-" He lost track of time. Minutes, hours, or days? Could be either of these. Daniel fought his way through a small vent, covered in asbestos, cutting himself multiple times along the way. It took him quite a while, but he manages to reach his destination.

"Fucking finally…" He thinks to himself as he sees Merrill's private office in front of him. Nobody seems to be there. So far, so good. Opening the vent went easier this time, thank god. He's officially halfway there.

Now…

Where's that fucking drive?

Merrill's computer would be a logical place to start. Daniel could see, however, that nothing was there. Something else did manage to catch his attention though. Merrill's still logged onto his computer. On the screen, a folder named "Employees" is opened. Daniel knows he shouldn't. There's just too much at stake. He decides against it.

"No. Remember what happened last time you peeked?" Yes, he does. He probably won't ever forget about it either. Daniel opens the drawers on Merrill's desk. There's a bunch of stuff he'd love to look through on any other day here. Fake IDs, journals, photographs, but no flash drive. Daniel can feel the panic, begging him to let it take over. Begging him to just… wreck this place, tear it down. However, his eyes land on something large in the far corner of the room. At that point, he felt glad that nobody was there to witness his embarrassment. What did he see?

A safe.

"Uh, Daniel, estúpido de mierda." He does know a little Spanish. Most of it is words you shouldn't use among people. Daniel walks up to the safe. The thing is huge. He could easily fit in there. Without a combination, this won't be silent. Back to the drawers, it is, then. As he searches for a combination, a quick glance at the computer screen puts him in a dilemma.

He sees two files. One named "Sean Diaz" and the other named "Daniel Diaz." Seriously, he should just let it go. But he can't help it. He could feel his inner child awakening. The curiosity, the lure for adventure, or at least for finding out more. He opens the one with his brother's name first.

"Full name: Sean Eduardo Diaz. Age: 16. A complete mess in every type of way. Unreliable, short-fused, selfish, addict, among other things. He's wanted for murder, making him a risk to have here. And I'm starting to believe that he's not worth that risk. At this rate, he'll drink himself to death within a few months." Daniel stopped reading after that.

"No. You're wrong. Sean's changed now. He's good. He's my big brother." Daniel continues to open the file with his own name.

"Full name: Daniel Felipe Diaz. Age: 7." Oh, for fuck's sake… really?

"Normally, I'm against child labor. But this kid works ten times as much as his brother. But he's got no choice. I can see it on him. The fear, the trauma. A part of me feels sorry for him. What did he see? What did he go through? With a brother like that, this child would be better off if he were to just… die." Something snapped in Daniel's head. Without realizing it, his powers activated, continuing to fry the computer.

"Fuck you. You're going to jail, asshole. Thanks to me." Daniel extends his hands towards the safe. The creaking sound almost makes his ears hurt. But with the anger he felt after reading Merrill's notes, cracking open a safe was nothing for him. Inside lies a shitload of cash, a briefcase labeled "Personal" and last, but not least, a flash drive. Bingo.

"There you are, you bastard." Daniel grabs it, putting it inside his shoe. Now, it's time to get the flying fuck out of here. Daniel goes back to the vent, kneeling to open it. As soon as he gets inside the vent, he's as good as home.

But he never got inside.

Daniel could hear the clicking sound of a gun, and feel cold metal pushed hard against the back of his neck.

"Don't move, lil' man," Finn said with a cold voice as he pointed the gun at the boy's neck. His mission had been a failure. Fuck.

FUUUCK!

A few hours earlier…

Sean's made up his mind. Enter, collect payday, leave. Find mom. How would they do that? He ain't got a clue in the world. But he does know one thing. Anything's better than them staying here. Sean's right on the edge, in more ways than one. And the worst part is, he's barely aware of it himself. He doesn't realize how close he is to falling back to his old habits of drinking until he passes out.

But that's not all.

He's felt something else too. And it worries him. Actually, scratch that. It fucking terrifies him. Every day, Sean feels like he's about to explode. All those emotions, created, and repressed, by years of abuse are making themselves known. Keeping himself under control is becoming more and more difficult. Sometimes he feels like all it takes is one poke at the wrong place and time. Then, a decade of trauma would be released upon whatever lies in front of him.

But that's only his reason. Daniel's even worse off while they're here. He's been tortured for fuck's sake. What kind of brother would he be if he forced Daniel to stay here? Then again, what kind of brother would he be if he forced Daniel to search for their mother? But Sean's out of options. Daniel, however, keeps saying that he's got a plan, and for Sean to trust him. Yeah, trust. The last time Sean asked Daniel to trust him, the kid screwed up so badly they had to leave Beaver Creek. And yes, he did. Sean had things under control. Why should Sean trust him if he doesn't return the favor?

Daniel did, however, help him sober up. All of these thoughts, drive Sean mad at times. It's Daniel's fault, so he blames Daniel, but feels like shit because of it. Rinse and repeat. The question on his mind now is, how does he tell Daniel that it's time to go? As in, go after their mom? How is he going to react? Sean's guess is "not good."

As he stands outside the building, awaiting his payday, Sean takes a look around the area. He's been making cocaine while staying here. Cocaine! Sean Diaz, making cocaine. A drug that later would be sold on the streets, ruining the lives of so many people. Killing fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. Children would be orphaned because of his work here. Sure, if Sean wasn't here, someone else would just have done it instead. But to him, that doesn't matter. Not even a little. Children will watch their parents die because of him. Children like… Daniel.

How can he live with this?

"Ok, Diaz! You're up!" Big Joe shouts his name, waking him up from his spiral of thought. Ok. Time to get paid. After that, time to leave.

Big Joe escorts him into Merrill's office, closing the door behind them. Merrill sits in a chair behind his desk while Big Joe remains standing behind Sean.

"Sean. I've told you before to clean yourself up, our get the fuck out." Yeah. That wasn't a pleasant conversation. He had the worst kind of hangover that day.

"Yes, s- sir." Keep it cool, Sean. Keep it cool.

"Well done. You've cleaned yourself up. You're sober, and it shows on your work." Drug dealer, he might be, but still, Merrill had already praised him more than his own father ever had. Sean couldn't help but let a little smile escape his lips.

"Thank you." Merrill's face quickly turns serious.

"Ok, enough. I'm not your fucking daddy. Let's get this over with." Merrill opens a drawer, takes out a large pile of cash, putting it on the table.

"Now, let's see how much-" They're interrupted, however, by a knock at the door. Sean didn't know why, but he got chills in his entire body.

"WHAT?! I'm fucking busy! Only come here if it's important, damn it!" Merrill's pissed after being interrupted. Less than a second later, the door opens. Sean turns around, curious about what could be so important.

"My most sincere apologies for bursting in like this, Merrill. But I think this needs a bit of attention. Especially-" Finn looks at Sean, then back at Merrill.

"Especially considering who's in this very room." In the corner of his eye, Sean could see Big Joe flinching.

"Ok, then. What is it?" Merrill sounds calmer.

"I found this one sneaking around in your private quarters." Behind Finn, eyes on the floor in shame and fear, face red from crying, was Daniel.

WHAT. THE. FUCK?!

"Daniel?! What the fuck-" Sean got so upset, he temporarily forgot where he was.

"QUIET!" As Merrill had raised his voice, the entire room got eerily quiet. The only thing one could hear was the drop of a pin and Daniel's crying.

"Now, explain." Merrill looked at Finn, demanding an explanation. Sean sure as hell wanted one too. If this kid fucked things up again…

"A little ninja, ain't he? Now, I dunno how he got in. might have crawled through the vent or something. Thing is, and don't ask me how, but he broke into your safe, Merrill." Finn sounds genuinely impressed. But seriously, Daniel. What did you do? Sean tries to get eye contact, but his little brother's so scared, he's almost in a world of his own. This is the kind of power Finn wields over him.

"Is he clean?" Fuck. Did he steal something? If he did, they're both dead.

"Yeah. Searched him plenty times. He ain't got nothin' on him." Ok, at least that's good.

"Why the fuck was he in there?" Finn scratches the back of his head, clearly not knowing the answer.

"I dunno… yet." Big Joe decides to step forward.

"And you won't find out either, you dumbass. Not the way you interrogate people. Sure, you might have broken the kid. Thing is, I could get him to admit to killing J. F. K. All I have to do… is punch him hard enough." Finn and Big Joe exchange looks with each other. Both sets of eyes were perfectly capable of killing one another.

"You got a better idea, Joseph?" Merrill asks him, clearly fed up with this.

"Yeah. Leave him to me. I'll get him to talk, don't you worry." Big Joe pushes Finn aside, standing between him and Daniel.

"Ok. Take the brat away. Sean and Finn can stay." Sean should stand up for his brother, defend him from these people. Not let them take him away like that. But all Sean feels at this moment is anger. How could he be so fucking stupid? He watches a crying Daniel leave with the massive Big Joe.

"Sean. Listen to me, and you listen good." Shit. This can't be good.

"You, and your brother, are fired. You have one day to get the fuck out of here, or Finn will make you get out of here. Do I make myself clear?" What? This- this can't be-

"But- but- payday?" Wrong move.

"The man asked you a question, sweetie. I'll advise you to answer it." Sean could feel a knife against his throat. Shit, shit, shit.

"Yes, s- s- sir." Sean manages to say. But every word hurts as the knife draws a few drops of blood from his throat.

"Good. Now, get the fuck out of my sight!" Merrill tells him, and Sean Diaz's forced to leave the room without a payday. All of it, thanks to his brother. Finn drives him back to camp. It was a silent ride. Nobody said a word. Sean's not sure if that's a good thing or not. The very second Finn stops the car he turns towards Sean.

"Get out of the car, honey. Get out of our camp, and don't ever come back. If you do, you're both dead. I'll start with your little bro. And you, Sean? You'll be watching, and listening. Now… run." Sean exited the car, but he didn't run. He watched Finn drive away, and as soon as the car had left his field of view, he collapsed to his knees. And then…

Sean screamed.

He screamed his lungs out, breathed in, and screamed some more. Anger, despair, loneliness, everything. He had no idea where Daniel was right now. Neither did he know what Big Joe was doing to him. Thing is, he wasn't even sure that he cared. He did everything for that kid, trying to give him a better life. What does he get in return? He gets… this.

"Daniel, why? WHY?! I had everything- we were gonna- why, Enano? Just, why?" Now, at his weakest moment, Sean's hit with a familiar feeling. It's something he's been having more and more over the last few days. However, due to seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, he's been able to resist it. Now, the tunnel has no light. Hell, it's not even a tunnel. Everything's just darkness. Never-ending darkness. Sean stands up.

"Fuck it…" He mumbles as he walks over to grab himself a drink.

Earlier at Merrill's…

He's so stupid. How could he forget about Finn? How could he forget about the man that has scarred him for life, in both mind, body, and soul? But then again, Daniel's just a kid. A very stupid, naive kid. This is it for him. He's going to die, and Sean probably will too. And everything will be his fault. Still, anything would be better than go looking for her.

"Get movin', kiddo." Finn points him in a direction, telling him to move. Daniel's so scared. He's sweating, his limbs are shaking, his breaths are uneven. God. Please. Not the basement. Please, not the basement.

Finn leads him to a door Daniel recognizes as Merrill's regular office. As Daniel enters the room, the first person he sees is Sean. He quickly turns away in shame. It only took him a second to know what Sean was thinking.

"Stupid child."

"You can't do anything right."

"Always getting us into trouble."

Maybe Sean's right? Daniel tried to do something for the wolfbrothers, but he failed. Then again, what has Sean done? Said that they're going to look after their mom? Daniel knows, just as well as Sean, nothing about her whereabouts. They might as well be looking for the Zodiac-killer. At least Daniel tried something.

Tried, and failed.

Fucking ironic, isn't it?

Daniel had to do this mission because of his small size. Basically, Daniel had to do it because he was a child. And being a child turned out to be the very thing that caused him to fail at the fucking finish line. His childish curiosity. Had Daniel not wasted precious time at the computer, he'd be gone by the time Finn entered the room.

Seemingly stuck in a world of his own, Daniel paid no attention to the conversation in the room. Daniel already knew the result. He and Sean would go outside, dig their own graves, stand above them, and be shot in the back of their heads. He did it to them. Daniel did it. The little cub killed the wolfbrothers.

As he felt a hand on his shoulder, he knew the time was near. This was Sean, comforting him before… it happens. Then, he felt a large palm slap him in the face lightly.

"Hey, kid, wake up!" It's Big Joe. Wow, how out of it was he?

"Huh?!" Daniel looks around, trying to get a sense of where he is. And it didn't take him long to find out.

"Sorry I had to take you here, but it's the only nearby place we can talk safely." Yeah, safely. Once again, Daniel's down in the torture basement. The same basement Finn had broken him in. the same basement Penny had been tortured to death.

"I- I-" Without any kind of warning, Daniel threw up right where he was standing. His legs could barely hold him, making him drop to a sitting position on the floor.

"This- this place-" Penny's screams. They haunt him every hour of every day.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But I have to know, kid. Did you get it?" The mountain of a man looked down on the boy who sat on the floor in shock. Daniel needed a minute to realize what he meant. He slips his hand down his left shoe, taking up the flash drive.

"Here." He hands it to Big Joe, the latter helping him to his feet.

"You actually did it." He sounds surprised. Dickhead.

"So, what happens now?" Get. Us. Out. Of. Here.

"I'll make some calls, and within a day, cops are gonna storm the place. You and your brother better be ready for a quick pick-up." So, it's over?

"Is that… good?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer. However, Big Joe proved him wrong as he smiled at him.

"Yes, Daniel. It's good. It's over. You and your brother are going to live normal lives, two days from now. You did great." A sense of relief and pride grows in Daniel's chest.

"It's really over?" He just wanted to confirm it. There have been so many lies.

"Yes, it's over." Daniel could feel the tears about to come, but he pushes them back.

"Can I see Sean now?" Big Joe nods and proceeds to escort him out of the building.

Daniel had to walk back to camp, due to Big Joe being stuck, telling Merrill a made-up story about why Daniel had been inside his office. It's a long walk, meaning it sucked. But it did give him a lot of time to think. The more he thought about it, the better he felt. Sure, earlier today he felt stupid and pathetic. But it still worked out. Now, he'll just go back to camp, tell Sean everything, and things will be fine again. Sean would be an idiot to not go with his plan here. Sean's plan feels like a fate worse than death to Daniel. That, and they're still going to be fugitives. Daniel's plan? It makes them free.

Free.

'Nuff said…

Without even realizing it, Daniel starts to run. He runs because he can barely contain his excitement any longer, he runs because he wants to- screw it- he can hug his brother and tell him, things will be alright now. Why? He can because it's true. Daniel's already thinking about the first thing they should do once they're free. Buy a ton of Chock-O-Crisp.

"SEAN?!" He calls out the very second he gets back to camp. Nobody answers.

"Sean, where are you?" No answer, nothing. Maybe in the tent?

"Sean?" No, not the tent. However, a familiar figure sits by the campfire. Is he deaf or what? Daniel runs over.

"Sean, Sean, I gotta tell you something-" Daniel stops mid-sentence.

No.

Sean, you didn't?

Why?

Not now.

Please, not now!

As Daniel closed in on his older brother, his eyes landed on an eerily familiar sight. His brother's staring emptily into the fire. Around him, lie countless beer cans. Daniel already knows it, but he begs for it, not to be true.

"Please, Sean. Don't do this to yourself, you're better than that. Don't do this to me, I need you. And don't do this to… us. The wolfbrothers." Daniel begs, knowing it is of no use. He carefully approaches his brother.

"S- Sean?" No reaction.

"Sean. I- I wanna tell you now. How we can get out of here. We'll both be free-" Yeah, Sean's way past the talking point.

"Why, Daniel? I had everything planned. One more minute and I would've gotten paid. We'd have enough money to get out of here. But no. Something happened, Daniel. You… happened. Again. Why, Daniel? Why do you always fuck things up?" This time, there were no tears. It did, however, hurt. Daniel could feel all that previous excitement and joy just evaporate.

"I didn't. I got us a way out of here, Sean." Whatever happens, don't argue. It only makes it worse.

"Oh, you got us a way out of here, alright." Sean gets up, almost falling over his own legs.

"We got less than a day to leave this shithole before they kill us. Is that your way out, huh? Is it, Enano?!" Relax. This isn't him, this isn't Sean. This is just drunk Sean. And drunk Sean's an asshole.

"No, Sean. Just, let me explain-" Nope.

"Explain what? How they're gonna kill us? I'm not sure about YOU, but I've never died before! And now, I'm gonna die because of you, Daniel. YOU!" Random, nonsensical insults he could take, painful as it was. This? This was different. It struck a nerve.

"That's BULLSHIT, Sean, and you know it! You tried to kill yourself, not giving a shit if I starved to death in the forest. But you lived. Why? Because I saved you. Then, you became a junkie. You forced me to beg for money, just so you could do more drugs! And then-" Daniel freezes for a moment as he thinks back to that day.

"And then, the drugs killed you. For just a minute, Sean. But they killed you. My brother. But you still fucking made it! Again, because I saved your lousy junkie ass. Just like here. If it wasn't for me, you would end up just like-" No. Daniel feels horrible, saying all of this. But most of it is way overdue. The last one, however, is a line he won't cross.

"Go on, Daniel. Say it. Just like…" Sean walks closer to Daniel, looking at him with eyes that are difficult to decipher.

"No. No, I won't, Sean." Daniel cries. Please, just be a bad dream. Sean had done so well, staying sober. Daniel had barely time to react before Sean had grabbed the collar of his shirt, pushing him up against a massive redwood tree. Sean lifted him in the air, so their heads were at almost the same height. An almost inhuman show of strength for Sean. For Daniel, it only meant pain and difficulty breathing.

"Say. It." Sean hissed at him. They were so close, Daniel could smell that foul beer stench. It made him want to throw up. But even more…

It made him angry.

"Fuck you, Sean. Fuck you. You fucking alcoholic lowlife junkie piece-of-shit. What you've become, it disgusts me, and I hope you fucking die." Did Daniel mean all those hurtful words? A part of him did, at the very least. But he still refused to out loud tell Sean that he's just like their father.

For Sean, this created a strange scenario. It felt like time froze, and his vision split into two black and white pieces. He has to make a choice.

In his heart, Sean knows that the one true road he should choose here is whatever road Daniel's got for them. He knows that he just fucked up in a big way. Sean should just hug his little brother, tell him that he's sorry, and listen to his plan. That is after he'd sobered up of course.

That's what Sean should do.

But Sean's blinded.

He's worked so hard to put together something that might be called a plan, only for Daniel to ruin it at the end. It pisses him off. It makes him furious. Hell, it almost makes him insane. All that anger, bottled up for a decade, now reaches a point where it cannot be contained any longer. Sean's mind, blinded by rage and alcohol, makes a choice. A choice with catastrophic consequences.

Now it's confirmed. Sean Diaz was never meant to be a man of his own after climbing out of a deep abyss. Sean Diaz is exactly like his father.

He saw it happening in slow-motion. His left hand, holding Daniel's collar. His right hand, closing into a fist. He could feel himself slowly bending his arm backward. Sean could stop this if he wanted to. But he didn't. It's long overdue. It's a fucking miracle he hasn't done it already.

Sean sees his right fist, closing in on his little brother's face. Daniel's eyes go from being full of anger to sheer terror. Sean watches as the boy he swore to protect with his life, receives a punch from the one person he thought he could trust. Daniel fell back, hitting the ground hard. Sean remained standing, showing no emotion.

"Ah- S- Sean?! You- you-" Daniel can't even begin to make sense of the situation. He did say a lot of bad things, yes. But he never said that Sean's just as bad as their father. That's because he never believed this could happen. Not in a million years. His nose has a steady stream of blood pouring out of it, but his expression still told more than any injuries could.

Hurt.

Let down.

Failure.

But still, brother…

"You ungrateful little shit. I did everything for you. Ten years, Daniel. Ten years, all I've done is kept you safe. You wish me dead? Fine. So be it." Sean kneels next to his bloody brother. Daniel tries to get away, but he's too slow. Sean pushes him down towards the cold hard ground, and he punches him.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Daniel cries in pain as the young boy's face turns into a crimson mask. Sean prepares for another punch.

"Sean, don't. I- I love you…" For less than a second, Sean hesitated. But in the end, it didn't matter. Another punch struck Daniel, causing him incredible pain. His big brother cannot be saved. He's lost. Just like-

Just like dad.

As Daniel sees the fist of his older brother flying towards his face once again, all he could think about was… he cannot be saved. Then, Sean's fist stopped mid-air.

Daniel had been so hurt emotionally, he completely forgot about his powers. Now, things would be… different.

"You…" Daniel winces as he slowly rises to a standing position. Sean could do nothing but watch as Daniel held him steady, unable to move an inch.

"You're my brother, Sean! I- I loved you! I would- I would die for you!" Daniel's face gets covered in a sticky mess of tears and blood.

"I looked up to you, I felt safe with you. You were someone I could fucking trust!" Daniel cries out his emotional and physical pain. He then proceeds to lift Sean with his powers, levitating him in front of him. Then, he applies pressure to the ribs. Daniel's taken care of his older brother enough times to know exactly where he's vulnerable.

Fuck.

This is wrong.

This was supposed to end.

Daniel feels a pang of guilt his him. What the fuck is he doing? He looks down at the ground. Daniel could see blood, lots of it too. And, is that- yep. A tooth. Sean knocked out one of his teeth. Daniel takes a finger, feeling around inside his mouth. When he finds the empty gap, he screams in pain. Up until now, adrenaline had prevented him from feeling the full amount of pain. Now, when he's calmed down, he felt it.

And yeah… he felt it.

It started a chain reaction in his body. The rage he'd pushed aside came back, begging to be released. And it was. He grabbed Sean with his powers, holding him in front of him, looking into his eyes. Sean showed no fear. Daniel slowly began to bend his ribs inwards, to his internal organs.

"Why, Sean?" With tears in his eyes, Daniel continues with his torture, unable to stop.

"E- E- Enano… don't. Please… don't." Everything around them froze. The brothers looked into one another. Sean, looking at a creature he was terrified of. Daniel, looking at, just for a second, the old Sean. The real Sean. Time stood still.

Then Daniel screamed, and everything went dark for the wolfbrothers.

In the middle of a forest lied a camp. The camp had two wolfbrothers. One of them big, one of them small. The brothers had clashed with one another. They clashed in a bad, bad way. Were they still alive? Perhaps yes, perhaps, no. Nobody was there to tell.

However…

If one had been there and told others what he'd seen, the person in question would be declared a madman. Dozens of massive redwood trees, reduced to sawdust. An entire lake, now nothing but steam. The remains of a nearby drug lab, completely vaporized. And at ground zero, lies two people…

One teenager.

One small boy.

Both of their bodies, covered in blood. However, whose blood remains unclear. One thing stands out between the two children, though.

They both have bodies covered in old scars and blood. And yes, both of them are on the verge of death.

But…

The small boy was a tragic sight to behold.

The blood on his face, very likely to be his own.

So many scars, physical, and mental.

However…

Nothing could compare to the sight of the knife…

Impaled in his left eye…

Notes:

Well, how about that? It's called darkfic for a reason, ain't it? I'm glad to have episode three done since it's usually the one I have a difficult time writing. I think the result was ok, at least. The end of this episode, Sean getting drunk and Beating up Daniel, is something I decided on early in episode 2. This is one of the reasons I've built the whole "just like his father" thing.

Now, I'm gonna do a brief explanation on some of my post-chapter "analogies" or whatever it's called. Anyone not mentioned below, I can't reveal yet...

There is an ancient myth about two brothers.
Their mother, not present.
Their father, dead.
Legend has it that one brother will be forced to make a difficult choice.

Take the simple path in life, and follow in his father's footsteps.

Or

Climb out from the deep abyss in order to stand straight as a man of his own. Only to fall back down again.

This was the first one I wrote myself from scratch. The brother in question is Sean. The choice is whether he should continue to be a deadbeat drunk like his dad, or sober up (something he'll fail at). It also includes his choice at the end of this chapter. Beat up/don't beat up Daniel. Since that's the final thing that separates Sean from his father.

Even with a guide, climbing during a thunderstorm will prove to be difficult.
The winds are strong.
The lightning bolts nearly blind you.
But the worst part is the rain.
Why?
Because rain makes it slippery.
Make one wrong move during your stormy ascent...
And you fall.
Only this time...
You won't get up.

Happy climbing Sean...

This is just a metaphor for Sean's attempt at getting sober. Although I'm really pleased with it.

To give help is not always easy.
To accept it, even less so.
However...
To help a person you love...
One must possess three things.
A will of iron.
A heart of gold.
And knowing when to quit.
Of these three, one is rarely seen in any man.
The effects of it, tend to be dire.

Be careful, Daniel...
Gold melts much easier than iron...

Same as the last one, just with Daniel. I really like this one too.

Tortured in spirit.
Tortured in body.
Tortured in mind.
The oldest wolf is almost at the top.
The little cub gives him a paw.
He offers him help.
But the oldest wolf feels conflicted.
Should he accept help from his little cub?
OR
Prove to him, that he can do it himself?

You're almost there, Sean.
A fair warning though...
It's dangerous at the top.
The air is thin.
And it's very slippery...
Be mindful of your next step.
Or else.
Your ascent.
Becomes a descent.

This one got a little more meaning to it. Daniel offers Sean help in the last chapter. What does he do? He wants to do it himself. He wasn't mindful of his steps, and it all went to hell.

Anyway, I like reading comments.

Enjoy!

K. S.

Notes:

There is but one and only one,
Whose love will fail you never.
One who lives from sun to sun,
With constant fond endeavor.

There is but one and only one
On earth there is no other.
In heaven a noble work was done
When God gave us a Mother.

See you in episode 4...

2022-01-11: Episode 4 "The Sinner & The Saint" Out now!