WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

116. Life is Strange 2 Sean and Daniel 25

Running Away

Svenne14

Summary:

In this reimagining of Life Is Strange 2, Sean and Daniel live in Seattle with their abusive, alcoholic father. Sean's forcing himself to work every hour, of every day, trying to keep Daniel safe and happy. Meanwhile, Esteban abuses Sean both verbally, and physically. But Sean endures it. For one simple reason.

To make sure that it never, under any circumstances, happens to Daniel...

Notes:

Inspired by The Wild Ones by Pavan336

Trying out something new here. Expect more chapters, but shorter than I usually write them.

(See the end of the work for more notes and other works inspired by this one.)

Chapter 1: Consequences

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Seattle, late October – 2016…

Sean's exhausted. Another day, another lovely ten-hour shift at work. He hated every second of it. Some would say that working at a grocery store isn't that bad. Sean would not agree, to put it mildly. Customers screaming at him for reasons he doesn't even know, kids running wild, shit getting wrecked. Today, some old lady had even threatened to sue Sean because Z-mart refused to pay her parking ticket. Fucking hell…

Sean Diaz is sixteen years old and should be in school. He should be, but he isn't. Instead, Sean works his ass off every single day. Why does he do it? One could make a long list of reasons. It could be that his deadbeat drunk of a father hasn't had a job in five years, meaning they're close to being evicted. Maybe it's a way to escape the shitty life he's got? It could be anything like that, and to some extent, it probably is. But the real reason is much simpler than that.

Daniel.

His brother.

Sean quit school to be able to take care of his younger brother since their father's not doing it. Sean got himself a job, earning his own money, and spending them on things that his little brother needed. However, it came at a price. Sometimes, Daniel had to be home alone. With their father. When he was… drinking. Sean hated it. Daniel's now about the same age that Sean was when his father hit him for the first time. He still remembered it like yesterday…

It was back in the good old days when his mom still lived here. Sean had been too young to realize that Esteban was abusing her at the time. He just thought everything was normal.

But it wasn't.

After that day, nothing was ever normal in his life again. Sean had come home from school bursting with joy and excitement for reasons he doesn't even remember. He had screamed for his mom while running through the house looking for her. Then, someone had grabbed his arm.

Esteban, his father. His very drunk, very angry father.

"Shut the fuck UP, Sean!" Esteban had punched him right on the nose, breaking it. The rest of the night is just a blur to Sean. He doesn't remember any real details, but he knew two things. Mom had left them on that night, never to return. Meanwhile, a nine-year-old Sean had sat on the floor inside his room, holding his baby brother. The entire night. On that very night, he made a promise to his brother. He promised that no matter what happened, their father would never hurt Daniel.

It's a promise he's kept for seven years, and counting. But it hasn't always been… easy. Sean couldn't always be around to watch his brother's back. Luckily, he'd bought Daniel a cheap phone he could use for any emergencies. And there were a lot of emergencies. It had happened on more than one occasion that Sean's at a friend's house, and Daniel calls him. Sometimes he would whisper to avoid being heard, other times he would scream in pure horror. Every time, Sean had run home without hesitating. Every single time. He would literally take the beating, instead of his younger brother. Sean never fought back. His father scared the shit out of him. Besides, Sean's no fighter. He's a runner.

And right now, he's running late. Really fucking late. Sean's got a curfew from 5:00 pm. He's not sure why, it's not like his dad cares about him, his nose is messed up to this day. He's over an hour late. Shit. Sean runs. Best case, dad's already passed out. Worst case? He doesn't even want to think about it.

"Damn-it, Sean. You jackass! You can't leave your brother alone with… him. Get your shit together." When he's outside the house, Sean takes a minute to compose himself. He's completely out of breath. Not because he's out of shape though. Over the years, the countless amount of abuse he's received has taken its toll. Broken ribs make it difficult to breathe sometimes. Broken arm, and dislocated shoulder making his left arm useless. Three missing teeth, no explanation needed. Along with countless scars, all over his body. Some of them are old, some of them… not.

Sean takes a deep breath and opens the front door, as silent as possible. It's dark inside, and quiet. Phew! Sean draws a sigh of relief. Their father's not home, for whatever reason. Now, all he needs to do is check on Daniel and-

"Shit…" Sean whispers as the lights turn on and his father sits on a chair in the kitchen.

"Sean, what time are you supposed to be home?" His father's got that calm, near-psychotic tone to his voice. It's a rare occurrence, but when it happens, Sean knows he truly fucked up. Before he can answer, his father bangs his fist on the table, making Sean jump a bit.

"WHEN?" Sean doesn't move, like always. Even after seven years, it's just as horrible every time.

"Sit down, my son…" Esteban gestures for him to sit down on the chair facing him. He doesn't want to, but he's too afraid not to. Sean's now sitting eye-to-eye, facing his father. He can smell it. Hell, he could almost smell it from the door. Cheap beer, vodka, and god only know what else? Esteban leans forward, looking at Sean in disgust.

"I'm not gonna ask you again, Sean. What time… are you supposed… to be home?" Sean knew he had to be careful if he didn't want things to… escalate.

"5:00 pm s- sir." Sean stutters his way through a short sentence.

"And what time is it now…?" He hated this. He hated this so fucking much. The worst part was that, as always, Daniel's in his room hearing all of this. Poor kid.

"6:34 pm sir." Sean's entire body begins to shake, preparing itself for what's about to come.

"And what does that make you?" Sean just wants to tell him to fuck off, then take Daniel and run. Run away, never to return.

"Late, sir." Just… get it over with. Please.

"And what happens if you're late, Sean?" This eerie, calm tone. It's fucking scaring him. He would prefer it if his father was screaming instead.

"My- my actions… will have… consequences." Yeah… consequences.

"Correct, Sean. They will. But not today. It's late. You get away with it this time, Sean. But not the next…" Holy shit? He really must be wasted, pulling something like that.

"Y- yes sir." Sean gets up, moving to his room before Esteban changes his mind.

"Oh, and Sean?" He felt a hand on his shoulder, grabbing him so hard it hurt. He didn't want to turn around, because he knew what was coming. How stupid could he have been, expecting something else? But if he doesn't turn around, he might go after Daniel instead. And Sean swore…

"Yeah-" Sean felt a sharp pain, right above his eyes, and before he knew it, he was laying on the floor, Esteban looking down on him.

"You ungrateful little shit! How dare you? How FUCKING dare you?! I let you live in MY HOUSE, eating MY FOOD, for free! This… is how you repay me, huh? Breaking my rules, every chance you get? You're a fucking disgrace, Sean. You're nothing. Absolutely… nothing." Esteban grabbed a bottle of unknown origins and went into his room to continue his drinking binge. Sean passed out on the kitchen floor just as he felt a pair of small hands grab a hold of his feet, dragging him across the floor…

"Ow, holy-fucking, god-damn-shit!" Sean woke up to the smell of cleaning alcohol combined with even worse pain.

"I know what I'm doing, Sean. It's not my… first time. Just… try to relax, ok? I got you…" Sean both loved and hated these moments. He loved that his little brother's a kind, caring person. Not even all the shit he's been through stops him from wanting to just help people. However, Sean hates the fact that Daniel has to help… Sean. No nine-year-old should have to patch up their bloody, beaten, older brother. Daniel should be outside, playing with his friends. Not… this. It's just… wrong.

"Daniel? What- what happened? Are you ok?" Sean barely remembered anything. He probably got a concussion… again.

"He… busted your eyebrow, Sean. You've been bleeding… a lot. But I fixed you. Doctor Daniel fixed you up, right?" Sean could hear the despair in his little brother's voice. He slowly opened his eyes, looking at Daniel. His entire face was covered in tears.

"You damn right you did, doc." He gets a little smile out of Daniel. Then, Daniel lies down on the floor next to him, looking right into his eyes.

"Thanks, Enano." Like it or not, he's gotta give it to him. The kid's strong.

"I- I can't… do this anymore, Sean. I just… can't." From nowhere, Daniel breaks down completely, sobbing into Sean's chest.

"What- what do you mean, Daniel?" Sean's a bit concussed, so he's not sure what "this" is.

"Every time… it happens, I feel like I'm gonna lose you, Sean. Forever. I don't wanna lose you." Sean wraps his arms around his brother, doing his best to comfort him.

"I'm not going anywhere, Daniel. I would never leave you here. Not with him." Now that, he can be sure of.

"But I'm scared, Sean. Of… him. I don't… like him." Sean had no good answer. He just hugged his brother tighter.

"Don't worry, Daniel. As long as I'm here, he's not gonna hurt you. I won't let him, Enano." Sean's no fighter, that much is true. But he would rather die than have his father hurt Daniel.

"But… you can't stop him, Sean. You're scared too, I know you are." Fuck. Why did his kid-brother have to be smarter than Sean is?

"It's gonna be ok, Daniel. We'll… figure something out, I promise. Now, go to sleep… little cub…" As with every other night, Sean waited until Daniel's asleep before he went to sleep himself. Not like he would get any sleep tonight anyway. The throbbing pain is one reason. Then, there was also another thing. Something he's been thinking about for a very long time…

Running away. One brother with the other. One thing is certain. They need to get the hell out of this house before something terrible happens. The only question is, how? Sean lies with his eyes closed, trying to figure out a decent enough plan for their escape. But there's no point. He doesn't know anything… about… nothing. Sean lies for a couple of minutes, listening to the sound of Daniel breathing. He sounds so calm, peaceful, and safe. Daniel deserves a better life.

The question is…

Can his brother give it to him…?

Notes:

Ok, so this is kinda the introduction to this fic. A lot of people might have a hard time seeing Esteban this way, but I figured "fuck it, why not?"

Depending on how things go, this might be another really long fic. I got a rough plan for how I want the story to progress, so we'll see.

FYI: My usual fics are kinda dark. So when I say that this is a darkfic... it's bound to get dark...

Chapter 2: All Hope Is Lost

Summary:

Just another regular, boring day in the life of Daniel Diaz. The question is, how regular of a life is it, really?

Notes:

This chapter is mainly Daniel's POV, but also a little bit Sean.

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

Chapter Text

The next morning…

"Hey, Enano? It's time to wake up…" Daniel woke to the soothing voice of his older brother. Part of him wanted to stay in bed, but he knew he couldn't. He wants to get to school before dad wakes up. Sometimes he wonders if this is how the life of a child is supposed to be. Or if it's just his life that's fucked up.

"Mhm, Sean… just… a little longer. Please…?" Daniel groans to his brother, not opening his eyes. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, dude. But you have to get up. You know why…" Yes. Yes, he does. Daniel opens his eyes, looking at his brother's face. Oh, right. That happened. Shit.

"Are you ok, Daniel?" Sean must have noticed how he just froze. He couldn't stop staring at his brother's face. At the eyebrow. Stitched together by him, a nine-year-old boy, using do-it-yourself tutorials on YouTube. Yet another permanent scar on Sean. It may be caused by their father, but Daniel knows that Sean's doing it to protect him. He knows it, and he hates himself for it. Sean shouldn't have to take all that punishment for him. He's just… Daniel.

"I'm good, Sean. I'm used to it, I guess." Daniel sighed. He still remembered the first time he visited his friend Noah's house. Noah has an older brother, about Sean's age, and a single-father household. Daniel had been expecting things to be just like at his own house. Drinking, shouting, and violence. It turned out that Noah's dad was… super-nice. Daniel's entire world had been turned upside-down. He began to realize that maybe, just maybe, something is very wrong with his situation at home.

"Shit, Daniel. I wish we could just… leave this dump." Sean has said that a lot lately. Daniel just hopes that if his brother leaves, he can go with him. Staying here, alone? That would be a fate worse than death.

Daniel gets up, and quickly gets himself ready for school. Just like every other day, Sean's made him a sandwich to eat on the way. Less noise, and less time in this hell-hole. Then, the brothers walked to school together. Not because Daniel needed it, or felt unsafe. Just the opposite. This was the only time in the day where they both felt completely safe. One of the few times they could just be… brothers. When they were younger, the walk to school consisted of Sean teasing his little brother, or Daniel running around. Running, not from danger, but because he just wanted to. Lately, however, the long walks had developed into talking.

"Sean?" So many thoughts had been running wild in his mind lately. He barely knew where to begin.

"Yeah, Daniel?" Sean's just walking aimlessly. Everything hurts right now.

"Why is dad… like that?" Sean stopped dead in his tracks. He did not expect that one. They never really talked about it. Sure, they talked about it, but never really talked about it. This one… would not be easy.

Well, Daniel… he's- he's sick." Daniel looks at him like Sean's from another planet.

"I mean, he's sick… in here, Enano." Sean points to his head. Daniel seems to be catching on.

"So there's that, and he drinks… a lot." Both brothers immediately looked down, studying the very green grass. They both had flashbacks about all the drunken rage throughout the years. A very long, very awkward silence followed.

"Do you… drink, Sean?" Let's not… go there, ok?

"No. Absolutely not, Daniel. Never touched the stuff." Let's hope Daniel bought it.

"Seeeean…?" Ok, maybe not. He should stop underestimating his little brother.

"Ok, ok. I've been drunk once, ok. At a party. I had a lot of fun. The next day-" Fuck. This wasn't a pleasant memory.

"The next day… I just cried. I cried because I was convinced that I was turning into… dad. First and last time." Sean sighs. Shit. He hasn't been back to that moment in a long time.

"It's ok, Sean. You're nothing like him. You're… good. He's not. I- I don't know how to put it any other way." Daniel sometimes had difficulties expressing how he felt, but in this case, the message was more than clear.

"Thank you, Daniel. You're the best, you know that, right?" He doesn't give Daniel any time to respond.

"Now, come on. We don't want you to be late." Sean and Daniel parted ways on the school parking lot. As he watched his little brother from a distance, Sean wondered what future Daniel would have. He's a smart kid. Really smart, actually. Sean would never, under any circumstances admit it, but Daniel's definitely smarter than he is. When Daniel's inside the building, Sean walks towards his work.

Later that day…

School sucked, as usual. But it was a good way to distract himself from everything. Nobody here knew what was going on inside the Diaz household. Sean said that he's never told anybody, and neither has Daniel. Everything Esteban Diaz has done and will do is bound to stay secret. Daniel had thought about telling someone about it. Many, many times. Hell, one time he even told the whole class. Literally.

They had been forced to sit through one of those "informative movies" from the 80s. Daniel always hated them with a passion. Everything was so out of date, the people were weird, and nothing ever made any sense. Except for this time. While everyone else was half asleep, Daniel just saw himself and Sean on that monitor. Towards the end, a message came up on the screen "If you or someone you know is being abused, tell someone. Talk to your teacher, friend, priest…" Daniel never read further than that. He knew what to do. As soon as the teacher asked if anyone had any questions, Daniel raised his hand and stood up on wobbly legs.

"My- d- d- my dad… my- my dad beats my brother. My dad beats… Sean." As he said it, he focused on the floor the entire time. When the words were out, he closed his eyes. He felt so… great, so… relieved. So awesome. It felt amazing to finally say it out loud. With his eyes closed, he could see a thousand things happen at once. Cops dragged his dad to jail where he belonged. Sean and Daniel going to live with their mom. Sean living a normal life, instead of protecting him every second, every day. Everything… was great.

For about five seconds…

Some of his classmates had laughed, but most of them didn't give a shit. Not even Noah. The teacher told him to not lie about such horrible things. Imagine a ten-pound weight being instantly lifted from your chest. You finally get rid of it after carrying it around for so long. Only to then, get a hundred-pound weight in its place. Daniel just sat down again, staring emptily. Things didn't get better later that day. Apparently, his father got a call from his teacher, informing him about the matter. Daniel had cried for hours after he pulled Sean's shoulder back into its socket. That was the day he began to lose hope.

That was a long time ago. These days, he doesn't interact much with the other kids. He doesn't care about them, because they obviously don't care about him. Instead, he just walks home, slowly. Daniel always takes as many alleys and routes as possible. Anything he can, to make the road home longer. Granted, he wants to see his brother. But he never wants to get home. He's always scared that today… is the day.

On the slow walk towards misery, there's always a lot of thinking. He wonders if his mom's still alive, out there. He wonders if dad hates him and Sean. But most of all, he worries. So much. He worries that he'll be on the receiving end at some point. Or that Sean's dead when he gets home. It's a never-ending spiral of darkness inside his head. The rain pours down, soaking him completely as he looks up at the sky.

"I- I want a better life… please. Give me a better life. I WANT A BETTER LIFE, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" There is no god. If there was, Daniel would probably have been struck by lightning or something.

"I can't do this anymore. I- I just… can't." Daniel sighs, reaching for the doorknob. He can't deal with anything right now. Please. Please, just be passed-out-drunk already.

"Good evening, Hijo." Shit.

"Why don't you sit down, Daniel? I made dinner." Double-shit! This is bad, this is very bad. Esteban Diaz was an alcoholic, that much was true. However, he also had various psychiatric… issues, to put it mildly. One major warning sign was him being ridiculously nice, for no reason. Obviously, it felt good for a change. But in reality, he's more dangerous than ever. And he probably doesn't even know it himself. The only thing worse than his dad being angry and drunk is… his dad being sober and happy. How fucking ironic is that?

"Oh. Hi- hi dad. Y- Yeah, sure." Daniel sits down right next to Sean. The latter gives him a look that tells him all he needs to know.

Play along, no matter what he says.

"So, what have you kids been up to today?" God, this was so fucking creepy.

"Just… school, I guess," Daniel responds, giving as little details as possible. The smallest thing could trigger the sleeping beast.

"Ah, yes. School. Well, Daniel… you're a smart kid, so I'm sure you did great. What about you, Sean?" His older brother looks so… uncomfortable, hearing this gentle tone from their father.

"Nothing special, dad. I've just been working." FUCK. But it was too late.

"I'm sorry, Sean? Working? You're sixteen. Aren't you in school, son?" Daniel could almost see how his father's eyes went from nice and calm, to be angry, full of hatred beyond this world.

"Uh- no… I- I- what I meant was-" Again, too late.

"Sean, do NOT lie to me!" This is about to go downhill, they both knew it. Time to leave.

"Listen, dad… the food was great, but I'm kinda tired. I should help Daniel with his homework now, before-" Sean began to stand up as his father slammed his fist on the table. Daniel made a noise that gave Sean heartache.

"SIT DOWN!" Sean didn't move for a few seconds. He'd been in this position before. Sometimes he made it, sometimes not. He carefully looks at Daniel. His little brother looks back, nodding. Oh, shit. Here we go. One, two-

"NOW, Daniel!" Sean grabs his brother's hand, not letting go as they both run towards Daniel's room. The reason for it is simple. Daniel's room has a lock on the door, something that Sean's room does not.

"You little fucks! Get the fuck back here!" Esteban got up, chasing them through the house. Luckily, the brothers made it inside the room, locking the door behind them. As soon as they did, Esteban stood right outside, attempting to kick the door in. just like every other fucking time. Usually, when this happened, Sean would sit on the bed, holding Daniel in his arms, waiting for Esteban to just… give up. This time was no different.

"Shh, it's gonna be ok, Enano. It's gonna be ok. He can't hurt us in here, you know that." Sean wasn't sure if he believed it himself. Probably not.

"But- but… I'm scared, Sean. I- I can't do this… anymore. I just… can't." Daniel began to cry. More than he's ever cried before.

"He won't hurt you, Daniel. I'm here for you." But he couldn't always be, right?

"Sean, were you serious about what you said before? You know… about running away?" Wow. Once again, he underestimated the intelligence of Daniel Diaz.

"Uh… yeah. At least, I think so, yeah." To be honest, he's not entirely sure. Sean's the "more talk" and "less action" type of person. Could they really… run away?

"I hope so, Sean. Because if you are, then let's go. Let's fucking go, Sean. I hate it here, you hate it here, I hate dad, and you hate dad." Sean looked into his brother's eyes. This wasn't just some desperate, last-second plan, to avoid more… incidents. Daniel had given this a lot of thought.

"Are you… sure, Daniel?" Sean's barely putting any effort into the question he's asking. His mind was already made up.

"Yes, Sean. I am." Daniel's never been more sure about anything in his life.

"Ok, Enano. Try to get some rest, because tomorrow… we're getting the fuck out of this place. And we're never coming back." Daniel just smiles. For the first time in years, he feels… something. It's a very strange, unfamiliar feeling. Something he's not used to. Still, he does know what it is.

Hope.

Notes:

Ok, first of all: Holy god damn! After a very short first chapter, I got a couple of subscribers on it, along with all the kudos. Thank you all for that!

Now, that being said...

After two chapters, we got a decent picture of how an average day might look in the Diaz house. That means it's time for stuff to go down... see you in chapter three...

Chapter 3: Freedom Or Death

Summary:

The time has come for the wolfbrothers to leave their so-called home. Sean worries a lot about what might happen, should they get caught. But hopefully, they won't...

Notes:

Read Tags!

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

Chapter Text

Sean didn't get any sleep this night. Not even a little. He stayed awake, prepared to run like hell if his father were to burst through the door. However, that's nothing new. There was another reason for him being unable to sleep. He wonders if… this, is it? They're either going to leave this hell-hole or die trying. Literally.

Very literally…

Sean just hoped that if they… don't make it, Daniel's end would be quick and painless. Unfortunately, he very much doubted it. Instead of thinking of what his plan should be, Sean found himself spiraling down a dark abyss of chaotic scenarios. What would be the worst? Daniel having to watch him die, or the other way around?

Fuck!

How did it come to this? He's about to leave his home, taking a nine-year-old with him. Does he have any clue what he's doing? Where should they go? How do they get food, shelter, money, anything? Fuck it. Sean knows the answer to one of those questions already. Where should they go…?

Anywhere!

Just… fucking anywhere, but here.

It's early morning and everything seems quiet, peaceful almost. Their father has given up his futile attempt at the door long ago, and instead, drinking himself to sleep on the couch in the living room. How classy…

Sean carefully gets up, leaving his little brother's side. He picks up both of their backpacks while trying to make as little noise as he can. Sean freezes for a second as his father mumbles something incoherent in his sleep.

"Yeah, fuck you too… Esteban." It was a dumb risk to say it. But for reasons he didn't know himself, he had to say it. Maybe as a way to openly say that his dad… isn't his dad anymore to him. In Sean Diaz's mind, his father died years ago. This, however, was the first time he said it.

Then, Sean moves fast and silent. Water bottles, check. Sleeping bags, no check, because they're poor and don't own any. Money, about fifty bucks, nice. Food? If cookies counts, then… check. His mind starts to race. Sean has to be back before Daniel wakes up. He should have everything they need now, right? Probably. Sean takes one last look at the Diaz household, and his father, sleeping with an empty bottle of Gin on the floor next to him.

Take away that last part, and most people would probably just see a normal home. A bit run-down, sure. But still… normal. Sean, however, sees things differently. That crack in the bottom-left corner of the window? Sean's right shoulder had been dislocated on that day. Or was it night? He doesn't remember, really. Why? Sean was only ten years old. He didn't even know what he did wrong. That is if he even did anything wrong.

No matter where he looked, Sean's reminded of why they're leaving.

"Fuck…" Sean mumbles as he looks upon the kitchen knives. That had been the single worst night of his life. And Daniel's. Sean was thirteen at the time, making Daniel about six years old. Daniel had yet to realize the fact that their father's… unsalvageable. The kid had taken all of his booze and poured it out. When Sean got home, completely oblivious to what had happened, his father sat at the kitchen table. Holding a knife above Daniel's hand, threatening to cut off "a finger or two."

Sean had sat down, slowly attempting to persuade his father to not hurt Daniel. After what had felt like hours, he agreed. On the condition that Sean cut off one of his own fingers. Something he did not do.

He did, however, try to.

With Esteban's focus now on Sean, his little brother had run into his room. But Sean had been in a world of his own. To this day, he still can't understand why he tried to do it slowly. One does NOT cut off a finger slowly, dumbass. He still has the scar. Sean feels sick, just thinking about all the insanity that has been going on in this house.

But no more. Now, the time has come. Sean goes towards his little brother's room.

Time to go.

As he gets back inside Daniel's room, he can see that his brother hasn't moved an inch. Good. He needed the rest for what's about to come. Sean tries to give himself a mental pep-talk before waking him up…

"Ok, dude. You got this! You have to! He needs you. From now, show no weakness, show no fear. Just, stay strong… for him. Stay strong, and everything's gonna be fine. Shit, here we go…" Pep-talk over, let's do this shit!

"Daniel? Hey, Daniel? It's time-" Usually, Daniel's a pain to wake up. Today, however, was different. He opens his eyes immediately, looking right at Sean.

"Finally, Sean." The kid sounds a bit tired. But Sean can hear the change in his voice. Hope, excitement, longing to be free. Daniel wants to leave, just as much as he does.

"Ok, Daniel. I already packed our bags with some food and other stuff. So we're good to go." He could see how Daniel's expression went from that of an adventurous kid to something similar to horror.

"You- you mean… you left me… alone, Sean?" Oh, shit. He didn't exactly plan on him finding out. Sean never leaves his brother alone during… those nights.

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I had to. But I would never have done it if I didn't believe it was safe. You know that, right?" Daniel's disappointed in him, that much is clear.

"Right. Just… don't do it again, ok?" Nice going, Sean. Haven't even left the room, and you've already fucked up. Great start…

"I promise you, Daniel, I won't leave you. Now, let's go. Far away from here, and never, ever return." Sean smiles as he gives Daniel his hand.

"Fuckin' a, big brother! Let's get the fuck out of this shitty fucking house, with our shitty fucking dad, and be fucking free!" Well, Sean's going to give this one a pass. Wouldn't want to ruin the moment. However, a talk is in the future… somewhere. Daniel takes his brother's hand, however, mostly symbolical. The windows had metal bars on them, meaning the only way out… was through the front door. Holding hands makes stealth a bit difficult…

"Ok, Daniel. This is it. Nice and easy, keep quiet and follow me, ok?" Sean has never been this nervous in his life. His brother, on the other hand, looks to be in full control.

"Got it, Sean. I'm ready… and I'm invisible." Sean's inner child died years ago. Seeing that Daniel can still be just a normal kid is just what he needs to force his mind into focusing on the task at hand.

"Ok. See you on the other side, Enano." Sean puts his hand on the doorknob and pulls it open. He can see their destination. Right there, at the front door, lies freedom for the Diaz brothers. Sean briefly scouts the perimeter, making sure that nobody lurks in the shadows. Then, he slowly makes his way towards the door, with Daniel right behind him. They're so close now, just a few more seconds, and then… freedom. Since Esteban's still out cold, Sean feels like he can speak without taking an unnecessary risk.

"We're gonna make it, Enano. It's happening. It's- it's really-" No. it really was not.

Sean, being the sloppy idiot he always was, had failed to notice how his father wasn't on the couch as they both came out. Esteban must have woken up right after Sean went back to wake Daniel up, and then waited inside his room for the right time.

And that time, was now.

Kicking the door with such force it nearly came off its hinges, Esteban Diaz now stood between the two brothers' path to freedom.

"Where… where the FUCK… are you two going?" Shit, fuck, hell, damn, son of a bitch, motherfucker! Of all the horrible scenarios Sean could have thought of, this was one of the worst. Tell the truth, and there's hell to be paid. He could lie and probably avoid any… permanent injuries. But would he get away with it?

"I'm just… taking Daniel to school, dad." Guess he'll find out.

"It's 6:00 am, Sean. Do you think I'm stupid? Do you, huh? Did you think I wouldn't notice it, Seanie-boy? The fridge being fucking emptied overnight, my money has gone missing, and you two… have backpacks. Backpacks filled with MY SHIT!" Shit. This isn't good. They have to go, now!

"We're leaving, dad. We're leaving this house, and most of all, we're leaving you." Damn. Why did he have to say that last part? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Now… I don't know what you are doing, Sean. But I can tell you… what you sure as hell won't be doing… and that, my son… is leaving. You see… you stole from me, Sean. Stealing… is a crime… a sin. And it needs to be punished." Fuck this. Sean's not afraid of him anymore.

"FUCK YOU! I'm not scared of you, anymore! You hear me, asshole! You can't beat me into fucking staying here, you're never hurting me again, you sick fuck!" On the inside, a sixteen-year-old Sean Diaz screamed out his repressed emotions. Screaming out loud that he's not afraid anymore, screaming as loud as any human could. In reality, however, the thought-to-be-dead Sean Diaz, the one that died only nine years old, came back to life. All that trauma, physical and mental, had taken its toll. Sean could barely talk back against his father. And when he did, he could barely be heard.

Still, it was enough to get a reaction from his father. But it wasn't one he was looking for. Far from it.

"Oh, Sean… When did I ever say that you would be the one to be punished?" Esteban had a sick smile on his demented face. How the actual fuck can they be related? Sean motions for Daniel to stand behind him.

"You do NOT touch him." It took every fiber of his being, but Sean managed to say it without breaking down. His father slowly walks towards them, but Sean's standing fast. He will not move. Daniel will not, under any circumstances, get hurt. Esteban sighs.

"Fine, Sean. If that's the way you want it, then have it YOUR fucking way then!" Esteban gave Sean a brutal punch, right on the side of his jaw. He could taste blood within a second. Sean went down on the floor immediately, still conscious, but a bit dizzy.

"Sean! No!" Somewhere in the distance, he could hear Daniel shouting his name. Sean could see his father standing above, looking down on him as he shook his head. Then, as he saw the all too familiar sight of Esteban Diaz lifting a foot in the air, preparing to kick him, something happened.

Someone… happened.

"NO! Don't hurt him! Don't you fucking hurt my brother!" Daniel ran towards his father, pushing him as hard as any nine-year-old could. Since he had a foot in the air, Esteban Diaz fell flat on his ass. The hangover probably contributed to it as well. As he realized the magnitude of his actions, Daniel froze. He could not move.

"You little shit. You've had your brother cover your ass for your entire lifetime! But not anymore, Danny-boy! You… are so fucking… dead!" Sean still can't get up. He must do something, anything!

"Daniel… Daniel! Enano… RUN!" He manages to scream at his brother. If Daniel gets away and Sean died here, he would still consider it a win.

But Daniel didn't run. All Sean could do, was watch as his father got closer and closer to his very little brother. Esteban grabbed Daniel by the shirt collar, nearly raising him in the air with his arm.

"No. Please… no. Dad don't- please… I- I love you." Daniel cried in sheer horror, rambling whatever words he could think of, trying to get out of this.

But there was no escape.

Not even for his sweet little Enano.

Esteban punched Daniel right in the face. His little brother let out a scream so horrible it would revisit Sean in his nightmares, for years to come. Then, still holding Daniel by the collar, he hit him again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

After five horrible punches, Esteban drops Daniel, letting him fall to the floor. As his brother's mangled body landed beside him, Sean saw what his father did to him. Daniel Felipe Diaz, a sweet, caring, innocent nine-year-old boy, had been rendered unrecognizable by their father. Sean had sworn many years ago, that no matter what, Esteban Diaz would never get his hand on his little brother. Today, Esteban Diaz did. And this was the result. A boy with a beaten, bloody, swollen face. Sean now realized that he's failed to protect his brother. He's failed at the one thing he truly cared about.

And that really pisses him off…

"You…" Sean slowly stands up on wobbly legs.

"I told you, Sean-" He's not listening. Enough!

"Shut the FUCK UP!" Sean runs straight towards his father, with only one thing on his mind.

Kill him.

Esteban's older, more out of shape, and currently hungover. Sean's young, and that's about the only thing he's got going for him. At this moment, he's probably slightly concussed. But even if he wasn't, his body is broken in more places and ways than he cared to remember.

Basically, he never had a chance. Esteban outmaneuvered him easily, and once again, Sean's on the receiving end of a punch. As he lied on the floor, he accepted his defeat. It was freedom or death, and it became death. Still, better than staying here.

"It's time to fucking end this. Should've done that as soon as that bitch left!" It's over. Sean can feel a slight breeze of air, coming from the small crack between the door and the floor. They were that close… to freedom. He's too beaten, physically, and mentally, to get up. Sean reaches with his hand, grabbing his brother's. He asked himself the question earlier, what would be worst? Him seeing Daniel die, or the other way around? Well, now he knows.

Daniel's dead. Nobody survives a beating like that. His sweet little brother isn't moving. His Enano is… dead. And it's horrible, painful, wrong, criminal, all the types of wrong possible. But it's still better than if Daniel were to watch Sean die first. Sean can see his father, loading a revolver. In just a few seconds, this will all be over. No more… pain.

Wait… is that-

Daniel's hand just squeezed Sean's, meaning… he's alive. At this point, Sean's not even sure if that's a good thing. Either Sean has to watch his little brother get shot, or die with the knowledge that Daniel might survive and grow up in that home.

"S- Sean…?" Daniel opened his eyes, slowly. He sounded like every word hurt to say.

"It's- it's ok, Enano. We're gonna be fine, just… fine. Close your eyes, ok? Just… close your eyes." There's nothing they could do. It's over. Sean fucked up, like always.

"Ok, let's get this shit over with!" Esteban stands over them, revolver in hand.

"You kids know what Russian roulette is, don't you?" You've got to be fucking kidding? He really is insane.

"One gun… three chambers empty, and three of them… not. Now, who gets to go first?" It's a lose-lose situation. But he's not going to make Daniel do it.

"Me! I'll go first," Sean says as he attempts to sit up.

"Stay the FUCK down, Hijo! I knew you would say that. Which is why Daniel's first." Fuck!

"No, you can't-" Sean began, but got silent as soon as he saw his brother's face. All the blood in his face, combined with the tears just pouring down.

"No- no, please, I- I don't wanna. Help me…" Daniel's begging for mercy, but to no avail. Esteban presses the cold metal barrel against the boy's forehead. Then, he pulls the trigger.

Nothing.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuck…" Sean mumbles to himself as Daniel just cries and cries.

"Looks like Daniel's the lucky one, today. Your turn, Sean…" Before he knew it, Sean felt ice-cold metal, soaked in his brother's blood, pressed hard against his forehead. He could feel Daniel grabbing onto his hand. Sean squeezed it as if his life depended on it. Esteban pulled the trigger.

Still nothing. God, this is too much.

"You got more luck than you deserve, Sean. Let's see if the same goes for… Daniel…" Fuck!

"Daddy, please! No!" Daniel's panicking, and Sean doesn't really blame him for it.

"Shut up! Shut the FUCK up!" Esteban screamed at him as he pressed the gun to his forehead. The nine-year-old sobbed silently, squeezing his brother's hand. A trigger was pulled.

And nothing happened.

They all knew what this meant. It meant that the next round, Sean Diaz would die.

"Well, you're a lucky little brat, aren't you? But don't worry. I'll deal with you… later. But first…" Esteban moved towards Sean.

"No, no, no! Don't hurt him, don't- don't-" Daniel's panicking, so badly he can't even form a complete sentence. Sean, however, just closed his eyes. He's starting to believe that it might not be that bad, after all… death. Once again, he felt the cold metal against his forehead.

"I'm sorry I failed you, Daniel. I love you, Enano." Fuck. Is he going to die, listening to his little brother crying? Esteban clears his throat, preparing for a final goodbye.

"You're a disgrace, Sean. You're filth. Goodbye!" His father pulled the trigger, firing a bullet that was meant to kill Sean instantly.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A near in-human roar came from his little brother, Daniel.

Sean was dead. He knew it. He was shot in the head, for fuck's sake. Then, why can he still feel pain? What in the holy hell is this ringing noise, that for some reason is all around him? And why… is his forehead hurting so badly? Sean takes a chance and opens his eyes.

This image stayed with him for the rest of his life. Right above him, bent down with a gun to his forehead, is his father. Esteban Diaz seems… unable to move. And that's not even the weird part, because holy shit, Sean just discovered why his forehead was hurting. The reason was that right in front of him, suspended in the air, was a bullet. The bullet. Before Sean moved, it had pierced his skin, before it just… stopped. What the fuck is this? Sean looks around, only to see various small objects levitating inside the room.

Again, what the actual fuck… is this?

Sean snaps out of it as he hears someone breathing.

"DANIEL?!" He turns around and sees his brother. Daniel lies on the floor, with his arm stretched out towards their father. The kid's breathing like he's just run a marathon.

"Daniel, Enano, are- are you ok?" Dumbass. No, he's not ok. Nobody here is ok.

"Sean… I- I can't stop it- I- I can't-" Sean doesn't remember much of what transpired after that point. Just something about a very bright light, a storm, and two people screaming. His little brother and father, to be precise. Daniel, screaming in anger and hatred. Esteban Diaz, for the first time in his life, screamed in fear, in horror. Only to then, beg for mercy as the monster he created wanted to set itself free. Judging by the screams, Esteban got about the same amount of mercy he'd shown his sons over the years.

Sean would be lying if he said he didn't have it coming. Hell, Sean's almost happy that he remembers that part. The screaming. It feels like… justice.

At least, that's what he thought before he woke up…

Notes:

So, this is where things start to really happen. I really hated having to write about Daniel getting beat up, but as far as the story goes, it fits there. Sean always sees himself as a failure, so therefore he "needs" to fail at the most important thing in his life. Protecting his brother.

Feel free to leave any feedback, enjoy!

Chapter 4: Straight To Hell & Space

Summary:

Sean had it all planned out. But their father caught them right in the act. Now, it all went to shit. The question is, how...?

Notes:

Read tags!

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

Chapter Text

Diaz household, hours later…

Sean awoke as he felt a slight breeze of air against his face. Damn it, if Daniel left the window open overnight again he's in big trouble. Then, Sean starts to remember. He remembers how he and Daniel were about to run away, forever. Only to fuck up at the finish line. Did they make it? The sharp pain in Sean's skull tells him that no, they did not. Something's off about this situation. Sean remembers losing consciousness inside the house, he remembers the gun to his face, and to Daniel's. Now, he can hear birds chirping and feel the wind on his face. Maybe he should open his eyes?

He pushes through the pain, managing to open his eyes. Strange. Sean's been knocked out on this floor many times, and he's pretty damn sure that the ceiling isn't blue. As he saw a bird fly high above him, Sean realized what's going on.

"What the fuck?!" He sits up way too fast for his own good, making him a bit dizzy. He looks around the kitchen, trying to make sense of everything.

Only that, he couldn't.

Sean immediately froze as he witnessed the surrounding destruction. The entire house had been demolished. It looked like a fucking tornado had been here, tearing down the walls leaving little left. And it really wasn't much left of this house, aside from pulverized walls, furniture, and-

"Oh, fuck!" Blood. Lots of it too. Sean's panicking. He slowly gazes across what used to be the living room, praying the blood won't be his little brother's.

He could not prepare for what he saw.

Far away in a corner, leaning against the remains of the fireplace, lied the corpse of his father. Sean knew as soon as he laid his eyes upon him, that he was dead. Very, very dead. But he had to see it up close and personal. Maybe it would give him some kind of closure? Sean would immediately regret this. It was an image he would never be able to erase from his head, no matter how hard he would try.

Esteban's hand still held the gun. At least, as good as one could do when missing all ten fingers. A knife covered in blood lied on the floor next to him. His arms and legs, bent in ways that Sean knew from experience meant they were broken. Esteban's left eye was missing. MISSING! The eye he still had? Sean could've sworn that it showed signs of a man scared for his life. Who the fuck did this? What did this? Sean wonders as he looks at his mangled father. He had waited for this day for years. Sean had sworn to himself that when Esteban died, Sean would go to his grave, laugh at him, and piss on his grave.

He should feel happy, free, like a survivor. Instead, he just feels empty. Sean could say whatever he wanted about his father. He could say that he was a drunk, a psychopath, and many other things. But it didn't change the fact that Esteban Diaz was still his father. And all Sean ever wanted from his dad was… love. Sean hates how he can feel a tear making its way down his face.

"No, dude. Don't cry for him. He's not fucking worth it." Sean keeps telling himself that, but it doesn't change anything.

However, Sean still doesn't understand. What happened here? Who, or what, did this? Sean didn't do it, he knows that much. But he kind of wished he did. His home and his dad. The two biggest sources for all of his trauma were completely wiped out. It would feel good to have done it. But he didn't, which leaves only-

"DANIEL?!" Sean turns around looking for his brother. Seriously, how fucking concussed is he? How in the blue hell can he just stand here and cry over their dead asshole of a father when Daniel needs him? Sean quickly scans the room, finding his little brother exactly where he was before everything went down.

Daniel was lying on his stomach, face down, and his right arm on the floor in front of him. Just like Sean, Daniel's beaten and bloody. Unlike Sean, however, Daniel laid on the only remaining parts of the floor. Actually, quite a few things near his younger brother didn't even have a scratch. How is that even possible?

That makes for a later problem.

"Daniel? Hey, Daniel?! Enano, wake up! We gotta go! Now!" His brother's not responding. Hell, Sean's not even sure if he's breathing. All he knows is that soon, cops will be here. One way or the other. And by that time, they need to be gone. Sean rolls Daniel over to his back, grimacing as he sees his brother's bloody face. He can hear sirens in the distance. Are they coming for him? Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps the right thing would be, not to run away, but stay put, explain everything?

Nope.

The panic sets in, and Sean does the first thing he can think of. He should have done this years ago. Sean picks up his little brother's broken body, using his own broken arms. Then, using his broken legs, he runs. Sean runs faster than ever before, with Daniel in his arms. He ignores the pain coming from just about everywhere in his body. Sean just runs. To where he's not sure. He doesn't have a plan, he never had. They were going to figure shit out, day by day. But now, it all went to hell.

Later that night…

Sean ran for hours before stopping in a back alley. He had to stop. What the fuck is he doing? What happened? He had it all figured all, most of it, at least. Then, something like this happens. How is it even possible for his shitty life to get any shittier?

"Uh, Sean?" Shit, Daniel's waking up. Sean carefully sets him down on the ground, leaning him up against a wall. Shit, his arms really hurt.

"Yeah, Enano? I'm here, Sean's here, ok?" He did his best, trying to sound reassuring.

"It- it hurts, Sean. Everything. It- it hurts so much. Please help, Sean." Daniel cries and leans into Sean's shoulder, before quickly pulling his head back. He couldn't even be comforted by his big brother without feeling incredible pain.

"Don't worry, Daniel. We're safe now, I'll figure something out. Promise." Shit. Now what? Sean could only think of one place they might be safe at. But just like everyone else, she doesn't know about… dad. And even if she did, she wouldn't get it. She's just too different. But they don't have a choice.

"Come on, Enano. I know a place we can go to." Daniel's too exhausted, and in too much pain to walk. Meaning Sean has to carry him again. Yay…

"Where- where are going, Sean?" Daniel asks as he tried, and failed, to spit out some blood. He accidentally spat on Sean's hoodie instead, but at this point, it was the least of his concern.

"To Lyla, Enano. We're going to Lyla." Sean sighs, knowing fully well what his brother thinks of it.

"Oh…" As expected, Daniel's not exactly thrilled. Sean had been his safety for almost ten years. Any new friend of Sean's automatically becomes an enemy of Daniel's. He's always been afraid that Sean one day would leave him. So when Lyla entered his life, she became a major no-no. To Sean, however, she became a rock. She became the closest thing he could have to an older sibling looking out for him. Sure, she didn't know shit about what went on at home. But Sean could still reach out to her during his low moments and just… talk.

She had once told Sean "If you ever need help or just a place to stay, I'm here for you, Sean. Always." Today, he would find out if that's true or not.

From where they had been, Lyla's house wasn't very far. After all these years, Sean's still amazed every time he gazes upon it. There's Sean and Daniel's house, and there are small houses. There are big houses, and there are really fucking big ones. Also, mansions exist. Then, you have Lyla's house.

A three-story house, with more rooms than Sean had been able to count. Well over twenty, before he lost count. Four different pools, two inside, and two outside. There are even five chefs, working shifts 24/7. Inside this monstrosity of a house, lives Lyla Park, with her father. A father she rarely sees, due to him always working. Something she's complained about over the years. Sean wouldn't mind it, had they just switched dads.

"Are you good to stand up, Daniel?" Daniel just nods carefully. Sean sets him down on the ground with great care, as one would do with a newborn baby. Daniel's feet had barely touched the ground before he grabbed Sean's hand, holding it with an iron fist.

"It's ok, Daniel. I know you don't… like her. But we'll be safe here. I promise." He could feel Daniel's hold soften a bit, but he wasn't letting go.

"Ok, Sean. I- I trust you." God, as if he wasn't under too much pressure already! Sean can feel his heart, beating faster and faster as they approach the front door. He takes a long, deep breath, and rings the doorbell. It felt like hours before he could hear someone on the other side of the door.

"Ok, who the fuck is it? I was-" Lyla comes to a complete stop. The mere sight of Sean, beaten and bloodied, was enough to leave her speechless.

"Sean?! What- what the fuck? What happened? Are- are you ok?" Now, once and for all, Sean knows how dumb that question truly is. He makes a mental note, not to ask Daniel if he's ok when he's obviously not.

"No, Lyla. We're not. We- we need help." Explanations are better left for later after Daniel's gotten some help.

"We? What do you mean we, Sean?" Sean turns around to his brother, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder. Daniel goes forward, standing next to his brother on wobbly legs.

"What. The. Fuck?! Is that Daniel?" Lyla had never really cared much for Daniel. But now, she's crying. But having a nine-year-old boy show up on your doorstep, beaten so badly he's almost unrecognizable? That might be enough to make most people cry.

"Yes, Lyla. Please, we need help." They didn't need to ask a third time.

"Inside, now." That's exactly the side of Lyla he had hoped for. As they got inside, the brothers follow Lyla into a room. The room contains one massive, king-size bed, the largest television Sean's ever seen, and some random furniture he doesn't care about. He's also pretty sure this room has its own bathroom. Daniel's hurting so badly he doesn't even care about the television. Instead, he just lies down on the bed, closing his eyes. Lyla pulls Sean to the side, looking at him like she's afraid of him.

"Sean! What the fuck is this?! Tell me, now!" Daniel first, that's the important part. It's why we're here.

"Help my brother first, Lyla. Please. He's in so much pain, and- he's only nine. Help him, and I'll tell you everything." Lyla looked pissed at first. But as she heard how desperate Sean was, her expression softened.

"Ok, you're- you're right, Sean. I'll help your brother." Neither person in the room was a doctor or a nurse. Luckily, there was a first aid kit and plenty of tutorials on YouTube. As Daniel got his wounds cleaned, Sean wanted to leave. He wanted to leave so badly. The painful, gut-wrenching screams of his brother as Lyla did her best to clean his wounds carefully. When finished, Daniel's looking a lot more like himself again. Still bad, but more like… Enano.

"There, Daniel. All done. How do you feel?" Lyla asked him, trying to keep a cheerful tone to her voice. Sean, however, could see how shocked she truly was.

"It still hurts." Daniel cries silently. Lyla gives him a pill from her purse.

"Here, Daniel. Take this. It will help you deal with the pain, trust me." Daniel takes it without question, and then lied down, closing his eyes. Shit. Did she just give Daniel morphine?

"Ok, Sean. Come on, let's talk." Her mood changed in a heartbeat. This would not be a fun conversation.

"Are you sure it's ok to give a nine-year-old morphine, Lyla?" Sean whispers, slightly worried.

"Relax, Sean. I know what I'm doing." Well, Lyla's the pill-pusher of them. She probably knows her stuff.

"Ok, Daniel, I'll be just outside. I'm gonna talk a little with Lyla. You gonna be ok, Enano?" Daniel's using his right arm like he's trying to find something to grab on to.

"Holy- holy shit, Sean! I'm- I'm flying, big brother. I'm fucking flying… in space. And what- OH MY GAWD! I'm upside down! Need to- need to hang on to something, Sean." Well, at least he's not thinking about the pain. Got to count for something, hallucinations or not. Sean follows Lyla outside.

"Ok, Sean. Now, tell me exactly what the actual fuck happened with the two of you?" He had no choice and he knew it. Sean felt a large lump inside his chest, growing bigger and bigger, every second.

"We should sit down for this." Over the next two hours, Sean tells Lyla everything. Every gruesome detail, leaving nothing out. He shows every single one of his scars, telling Lyla how, and why he got them. He reveals to her, his main mission in life, the one he failed at. Protecting his brother. Sean tells her all about what went down during their attempt to run away. Lyla never spoke. When Sean's finished with his story, an awkward silence fills the room.

"Are- are you saying Esteban did that?" Lyla's voice is low as she points towards the room Daniel's in. Sean just nods.

"Holy fuck." Another minute of awkward silence before Lyla asks something Sean's been dreading.

"How did he die, Sean?" Fuck. He really doesn't want to talk about it.

"I don't know. I just know that it wasn't me." Lyla's still confused.

"But if it wasn't you, then it just leaves Daniel-" NO!

"No. He had nothing to do with it. He's nine, Lyla." Sean snaps at her. The reason for it is simple, he's almost convinced that Daniel had something to do with it. He doesn't want to admit it, but it's true.

"Ok, ok. I get it, Sean. You don't wanna talk. But what are you gonna do?" Good question. He wished that he had a good answer for it.

"I don't know. Figure shit out, I guess." Sean sighs as he realized how stupid it sounded. He could feel Lyla's hand on his shoulder.

"Hey? You guys can stay here tonight. You both need to rest, especially Daniel. Go to him, I'll be right there." Sean felt it coming from a mile away. He had sworn to not show any signs of weakness. But after going through all of his trauma in full detail with Lyla, it's just too much. He always believed that when the day came, he would collapse in a fetal position and scream until his vocal cords gave in. instead, all that came out was small, silent sobs. Barely audible. Still, every teardrop had a year's worth of trauma inside.

"Hey, hey, Sean? It's ok, you're gonna be ok." It took him ten seconds of crying before he instantly put his mask on again.

"I'm- I'm fine, Lyla. I'm just tired." He slowly pushed her hand away, got up, and moved towards his brother's room, wiping his tears on the way.

As he entered the room, Daniel was sleeping. Good. He needed it. He looks at his little brother's face. The swelling seems to have gotten better. Most likely nothing is broken. Thank god! Sean takes his brother's hand, placing it between both of his own.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel. I failed you. I said that I would protect you, but I didn't. I failed, and you paid the price. I'm so sorry, Enano." Sean could feel how Daniel's hand grabbed onto his own.

"No, Sean. You didn't. You saved me, big brother. Thank you." Sean's at a loss for words. This small kid, almost beaten to death, now just smiles at Sean, thanking him? He can't think of anything to say, so he settles for a smile in return. However, Daniel's expression changed quickly.

"Sean? There's something I have to tell you." Sean can admit it. The troubled look on his younger brother's face does give him a feeling that something's wrong. But then again, what isn't wrong today? Sean keeps his smile intact.

"Sure, Enano. What is it?" He could see how Daniel struggled to find his words. In times like these, all he could do was give him time.

"I- I- I think-" Daniel's not able to finish that sentence. The door's kicked in by Lyla, eyes screaming "PANIC!"

"You need to go! Both of you! NOW!" What the fuck?

"What the- you said we could stay, Lyla? What the fuck?" She didn't have to answer. Sean could hear them now.

Sirens.

Fuck, Sean. You really are stupid. You believe that you're about to be wanted for murder, and what do you do? He should have known better. A bloody Mexican kid carrying another bloody Mexican kid is bound to stand out in most neighborhoods. In Lyla's? Yeah…

"Go, Sean! I don't know how they found you, but it wasn't me. It wasn't me, Sean." He hates this. Sean fucking hates everything now. He gives Lyla a hug, probably the last time they'll ever see each other. Shit.

"I know, Lyla. Thank you." Once again, he has to carry his brother. Daniel might not be in as much pain anymore, but he's still coming off his morphine-high.

"Daniel, you take good care of your big brother now, ok?" Lyla told him, trying not to cry as she did.

"I will. Promise." Daniel already cried.

"Sean, you take really good care of him, promise me?" Like she had to ask?

"I will, Lyla. Goodbye." Sean ran out of the house through the backdoor, straight into the forest without any sense of direction. Leaving everything he's ever known behind.

"Sean? Sean? I have to tell you…" Not the best time, Daniel. The cops must be long gone now, but Sean's in no mood for small talk. Everything fucking hurts.

"Sean?" He ignores him.

"Please?" Ok, fuck it. Sean stops and sets Daniel down on the ground.

"Daniel, what the FUCK is it?" He regretted those words the same second. Daniel didn't seem to notice.

"I have to tell you-" Yeah, he's kinda noticed. Sean slowly drags his palm across his face.

"Ok, Daniel. Tell me what?" There's that look again. The look of trouble and bad things. What's so god-damn important? The answer to that question, would plague Sean forever, and beyond.

"I think I killed dad."

Notes:

I've been reading the comments I've gotten so far. I tried really freaking hard to use as few "..." as possible here. Honestly, I've been expecting someone to call me out on that for quite a while. Hopefully, it's a noticeable difference. Also, I really hope that the whole "who's got the power" seems a bit more clear now.

That being said... (Yeah, I went there.)

I kinda went back and forth here. At first, Daniel was supposed to kill Lyla. But I felt that the ending wouldn't carry as much weight if he did.

Daniel's morphine trip, which is now officially a thing, is 100% word-for-word, based on my own experience of morphine (I had shoulder surgery). It was... intense.

Now, the brothers are officially homeless. From here, shit will not get any happier. That's for sure.

Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Leap Of Faith

Summary:

Daniel explains what happened to their father, to the horror of his older brother...

Notes:

Somewhere in this chapter, lies word number 200 000 in my writing career. I published my first ever fic on 2021-06-13, and I was absolutely terrified of what the results would be. Fast forward five months?

200 000+ written words in total (and counting), 15 works (and counting), and 2 series (also, still counting).

200 000 words are a little bit more than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I guess I've come a long way since I wrote my first fic...

Ok, enough ego-boosting! (One-time thing, I swear...)

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

Chapter Text

"You did what?" Sean couldn't believe what he just heard. Why would Daniel even joke about that? Sure, the asshole had it coming, no arguments there. But it's just not something to be made fun of.

"I think I killed dad, Sean. I- I killed him." Daniel's not crying, neither does he look sad, or even upset. Just afraid. The question is, afraid of what?

"What- what do you mean, Daniel? You couldn't have killed him, you were out cold, just like me. And even if you weren't, you're… you're nine, Enano. Nine." The more Sean tried to convince Daniel, the more he managed to convince himself that it wasn't true. Sean remembered those screams as he drifted into unconsciousness. His father screaming in fear and pain. Serves him right, asshole. And Daniel, fucking hell. Sean remembered more every second.

"I- I don't know what happened, Sean. I saw it, but I couldn't stop it. I'm not even sure if I wanted to. Does that make me… bad, Sean?" Fuck, fuck, fuck! Sean wants to be wrong on this one, so badly.

"Daniel, you are not a bad person. You're a good kid, Enano. But you need to tell me exactly what happened." Sean looked into his little brother's eyes and realized to his horror, it was like looking in a mirror. Daniel had the same face now as Sean always had, whenever their father spoke to him.

A face of fear.

Whatever Daniel's about to tell him, it isn't good.

"Ok, Sean." Daniel takes a deep breath, turns his eyes downwards to the ground, and then he tells Sean everything he could remember.

Daniel never looked up at his older brother. Not even once. Too much fear and shame. Sean just sat in silence, and later, in shock. Hearing his nine-year-old brother, his Enano, tell him in detail about the murder of their father proved to be more than he could handle. And what a brutal murder it was…

The way Daniel told it, as soon as he reached out with his arm and screamed, he no longer had control over his actions. His mind was still present, meaning he could see and hear everything. But he couldn't control anything of what he did or said. Daniel told him, he lifted their father in the air "like the girl in Stranger Things." Then, he slowly ripped his eyeball out. Daniel could remember himself saying "I'm letting you keep your other eye. I want you to see what I do to you."

A kitchen knife had come flying from nowhere. Over the course of several minutes, Esteban Diaz had all of his fingers cut off. One by one. Very slowly. "Everything you did to Sean… I will do to you!" Daniel had screamed. His final actions had been to break Esteban's arms and legs, ripping out his teeth, and finally snapping his neck, killing him. Afterward, Daniel had passed out.

His little brother never cried, telling him all of this. But Sean did. What the actual fuck has happened to Daniel? What happened to the sweet, innocent little brother he's spent almost a decade protecting from the evils of this world? He fucked up. Sean really fucked up this time.

No!

No fucking way!

It's not Sean's fault. This- this isn't Daniel, it's… someone- something else. Right? RIGHT?!

"Sean?" Daniel whispers as he looks up at him for the first time since he told him. Sean looks into his brother's eyes. Daniel looks like he always has. But he doesn't feel like Daniel anymore. Not after… that. He can see how Daniel's eyes are just begging for comfort, for someone to tell him that he's not evil.

But Sean can't tell him.

He can't tell him, because he's not even sure himself. Without saying a word, Sean gets up and walks away. This is too much. He needs to be alone.

"Sean, no please don't! SEAN!" To hear Daniel screaming his name in tears would have broken him any other day. Except for today. Right now, he doesn't care. Sean sits down on a bench in a picnic area. Had things been normal he'd actually care enough to enjoy the beautiful view over the river down below. But things aren't normal, they never were.

"Fuck!" Everything was so perfectly planned. And it all went to shit. Now, Sean's wanted for a torture-murder, committed by his brother. His nine-year-old brother. What did he do to deserve this? And Daniel? He's a… killer. A murderer. Shit…

Sean gets up, walking dangerously close to the edge of the cliff, looking down below. The surface is mostly rocks, either way, it's a fall that would kill anyone instantly. Sean closes his eyes, having about half of his two feet over the edge. One small gust of wind is all it would take to make Sean Diaz a thing of the past. Whatever happens now, he'll let fate decide.

"Sean? What- what are you doing?" Fate, not Daniel. FATE! He could hear how his younger brother was crying, but he just didn't care. It's over.

"Stay away from me, Daniel," Sean says calmly, eyes still closed. He could hear how Daniel froze for a while, only to keep going towards him a bit slower.

"Don't come any closer, Daniel. Please!" Sean feels so confused. He doesn't want to die. But at the same time, it would feel so relieving.

"Sean, don't. Please." Daniel begged him to step back, not give up and take the easy way out. For his whole life, Sean's always taken the harder route, and look where that got him? Still, for reasons he cannot explain, Sean turns around and opens his eyes, looking right at Daniel.

"I- I can't, Daniel. Not with… this. I just don't know what to do anymore." The truth is, he still loves Daniel. More than anyone, or anything, in the entire world. But this shit, whatever it is, scared Sean. It scared him so much. He loves Daniel, but he's not sure if the Daniel he knows, is the real Daniel.

"Please, Sean. I- I need you." Yeah, Sean fucking needs someone too right about now.

"I don't know what's happening to me now, Sean. It- it scares me. I'm scared of… myself. What I might do. And I really-" Daniel breaks down completely, falling to his knees crying. Sean can see how much pain he's in, and he hates it. Even worse, he hates the fact that he doesn't see a way out of it. At least not for Daniel.

"And I really need my big brother now. To help me with whatever the FUCK THIS IS!" He's never seen Daniel like this. So afraid, so lost.

"I can't, Daniel. Not with… this." Sean looks behind him. Long fall, rocks only, right.

"But- but, Sean. You can't. You're my big brother. I love you." Daniel looked right into his eyes, meaning every word he said.

"I know. I love you too, Enano." One last smile and Sean Diaz let himself fall backward over the edge.

From there, everything moved in slow-motion. Daniel's eyes grew huge with fear as he watched his brother fall to his death. Sean could hear the heartbreaking howl, coming from his little brother. As he saw the edge of the cliff grow smaller and smaller, Sean Diaz knew. He knew that his time was up. Sean closed his eyes. Within seconds, he would be dead. Insane as it was, it felt good. No more pain, no more misery. Just whateverthefuck happens when you die.

However, it did take a fucking long time for him to do so.

Like, really long.

Maybe, he's already… dead? It's kind of difficult to know how it should feel. He opened his eyes, carefully.

"What the fuck?!" Not only is he "not dead" but Sean's suspended about five feet above the ground. He's able to move his body to some extent, but it isn't easy. Almost like an invisible force holds it down.

"SEAN! SEAN! NOOO! PLEASE, BE OK!" He could hear his brother, screaming his desperate pleas in the distance as he tried to find his way down. If this is real, Sean knew he would have to live with the fact that he caused that pain to his brother.

"Sean?! Where are you?! Sean-" As Daniel sees his older brother, hanging in the air, he comes to a complete stop.

"Wow…" Daniel slowly walks towards him.

"Daniel? Are- are you doing this, man?" Sean sounds equally impressed and shocked. Could this really be Daniel's work? Can his Enano do this? Sean can feel how his mind jumps back and forth between everything he's been through over the last twenty-four hours. First, his brother almost got killed, more than one time. Then, his brother killed. And it crushed Sean, knowing that he's been raising a psychopath. However, if Daniel saved him, maybe there's still hope?

"I- I don't know, Sean. I just tried to grab your hand but-" Daniel's too caught up to realize the magnitude of what happened moments ago. That Sean should be dead, wanted to be dead.

"Calm down, Daniel. Just… I don't know, do the same thing again?" How the fuck should Sean know?

"Ok, Sean. I'll try." Daniel raises his right arm towards Sean. At first, nothing happened. Then, a strange humming sound could be heard. It was unlike anything Sean's heard in his life. Plus, really goddamn annoying. He looks into his younger brother's eyes, and this time, it's not the face of an emotionless psychopath. Instead, it's the look of someone willing to do anything necessary to save his brother. Daniel's expression said it all.

Don't leave me.

I need you.

Please, never go away.

I love you.

The humming sound gets louder, and louder, until finally-

"Watch out, Sean!" Whatever hold Daniel had on him, was now broken, meaning Sean fell from five feet, landing right on his ass.

"OW, son of a bitch!" He wasn't expecting that. Damn, it hurt like hell.

"Sean! I'm so sorry, are you ok?!" Daniel rushed to his side, terrified that he might have hurt his brother.

"Yeah, Enano. I'm ok." Now, when everything's settled down, Daniel begins to realize what just happened. He takes a few steps back.

"Good… good." He turns around, standing with his back towards Sean. This is not going to be easy.

"I'm so sorry-" Nope. It's not.

"Don't…" Daniel only said one word. But Sean could hear all of his brother's emotions behind it. Pain, fear, being let down, feeling like a freak. What the fuck did he just do?

"Daniel- I just- whatever it takes to make up for this, I promise you, I will do it, Enano. No matter what." He sucks at this. Daniel turns around, looking at him. His face is covered in tears.

"You were just gonna leave me here, Sean. Starve to death in the forest. Me, your little brother?! You- YOU WERE GONNA FUCKING LEAVE ME!" Daniel's screaming at him, and Sean knows he deserves it. No amount of "I'm sorry" is enough here. He was leaving Daniel behind, and the worst part is that he was fine with it. Fucking hell, Sean's no better than… him.

His father.

"Would you FUCKING SAY SOMETHING?!" Daniel's losing it, and Sean can't blame him.

"I don't know what to say, Daniel. There's… no excuse." Sean could almost see the fire in his eyes. And it wasn't the good kind of fire.

"You fucking ASSHOLE! I hate you, I hate you, I fucking HATE YOU!" Daniel ran towards him, punching Sean in the face. The first punch had caught him so off guard, Daniel had managed to hit him with a second. His nose was bleeding, because of course, always with the damn nose.

"Daniel, it's ok. Come here…" Sean tries to wrap his arms around Daniel, while the latter kicks and screams like his life depended on it. Sean does his best to ignore the physical, and emotional pain. It's his fault. Because of him, Daniel's in this much pain. Never again. He swears it.

Eventually, the punching and kicking stopped. Daniel now cries into Sean's shoulder, whimpering hurtful words to him.

"You're- you're not my brother anymore. I'll never forgive you for this, Sean." All of that, Sean could live with. But there was one thing that managed to stick with him. And he sure as hell didn't like it.

"At least dad wanted me to die fast and painless, unlike you. Dad was better than you, Sean." It truly hurt him to hear Daniel say that. Why? Because during his entire life, two things have been Sean Diaz's greatest fears. One of them was that dad would hurt Daniel, which he did. Nobody knows about his other, much greater fear. Sean fears more than anything else that he will become just like his father.

That's why he never went to any parties, never touched alcohol or drugs. Sean's too afraid that even the slightest taste of that world will send him over an abyss he won't be able to get out of. But maybe it's already too late? They're already wanted criminals, well, he is.

"Sean…?" Daniel's voice says quietly between sobs.

"Yes, Daniel?" Not on Enano-basis yet.

"Did I just save your life?" Daniel breaks out of the hug and smiles at him.

"I- I guess you did." Sean smiles back. Daniel saved his life. He probably saved both of their lives.

"Thanks, Enano." Sean pulls him in for a hug.

"Yeah. I knew I had to save your ass someday." His face is a mess, covered in tears and snot, but he's back. Smart-ass Daniel's back.

"I really am sorry. You know that, right?" Fuck. He should just quit while he's ahead.

"I know, Sean. But I saved you. And I owe you that much for all those times… with dad." Shit. Sean doesn't want him to feel like he owes him anything.

"Daniel. You don't owe me anything, you hear me?" Daniel's face turns red.

"Well, I kinda… want you around too, Sean. Like, a lot." Sean's got no answer for that. He offers Daniel his hand, and the latter takes it.

"We should keep moving, Enano. I'm sure we can camp down by the river." And maybe eat something. Damn, he's hungry. The wolfbrothers move downwards, to the river.

A few hours later…

As far as camping goes, Sean's got much to learn. He did not pack much of what they needed. Just a pack of cookies and one blanket, along with a pair of empty water bottles. Wow, Sean. Nicely done. It's freezing outside, and Sean didn't even pack any clothes for his younger brother. Great job. A fire would have done wonders for them.

Would have…

If Sean had a lighter, or at least some fucking matches to light one. He's so useless. Maybe dad was right? Maybe he is a disgrace? Sean slaps his face a couple of times, trying to remove the thought from his head. He hated it, but it was always there. Especially now, when he saw Daniel. His little brother sat under a large rock, staring at the fireplace without fire.

He was so cold.

So very, very cold.

Sean sits down next to him. He can hear his shaky breathing. For god's sake, the kid's only wearing a T-shirt.

"Hey, Enano. How are you holding up?" Daniel turned to him, nearly struggling to speak.

"It's so cold, Sean. I'm so cold, it- it hurts. Help me, please." This is all Sean's fault. All of it. Daniel shouldn't have to go through this. Sean knows what he needs to do. He doesn't exactly like it, but he's going to suffer even more if he refuses to do it. Sean digs around in his backpack, taking out the blanket.

"Here, Daniel." Sean had put it down on the ground. Daniel proceeded to, without hesitating, lie down on it. Sean proceeded to wrap his little brother in the blanket like a huge burrito.

"Feeling better, Enano?" Sean lays down next to Daniel.

"Yeah, that feels sooo much better. Thank you, Sean." Daniel seems to be comfortable for the moment. Sean takes out the cookies. Better than nothing.

"Here, man. You should eat something." He expected Daniel to rip the bag out of his hands, and eat everything within ten minutes. Instead, Daniel took one cookie, slowly munching on it. Eventually, Daniel puts a half-eaten cookie down with a sigh.

"Sean, can I ask you something?" He knew this was coming. Might as well get it out of the way.

"Sure, Daniel. Go ahead." Sean tries to sound as calm as possible. However, it isn't an easy thing to do when you're panicking on the inside.

"And don't lie to me, Sean. Don't you dare." Shit.

"I promise you, Daniel. I won't lie." Hopefully, he won't have to. Daniel seems to be very nervous. Whatever the question is, it's something serious.

"Why do you want to die, Sean?" Fucking hell. That's one hell of a question for a nine-year-old boy to ask. That, and Sean doesn't want to answer it. Not even a little.

"Please, Daniel. Don't- don't make me answer that." Sean says silently, uncertain if his voice failed him or not.

"It's because of me, isn't it? Because of what I am?" Daniel spoke with so much confidence. But all it took was one glance at his face to know just how miserable he was. Sean couldn't let him believe that. He had to say something.

"No, Daniel. No way. You're what kept me alive for all these years, Enano. You gave me something to fight for, someone to fight for." Fuck this is hard. Daniel doesn't seem convinced.

"So, tell me why, Sean." Deep breath, dude. Deep breath.

"Everything. Mom leaving us behind. I still miss her, Daniel. Every day. And then there's all the shit with dad. All the lies, abuse, threats, all that shit. It's destroyed me, Daniel. I- I can't even scratch my own fucking back, because my shoulders are too messed up. I wanted nothing more than for him to die, and for us to leave that house. Now when it's happened, I realized something. Dad's dead, and it made me sad. And I fucking hate it. I hate it, Enano. I feel like I'm becoming him."

Daniel had made a face when Sean said that he missed their mom. Daniel never met her, except for when he was a baby. He's got no memory of her. Therefore, he doesn't remember why she left, unlike Sean. However, Daniel didn't dive into the bottomless pit of hate, reserved only for his mom. For now, he just listened to his brother.

"You're nothing like him, Sean. I know I said some bad things before, but I was angry and scared. I didn't mean it. You're just… awesome, brother." Every single word Sean had told him was true. However, there were some things Daniel did not need to know. Such as him revealing how he killed their dad had been the final straw that pushed him over the edge. Because he felt like he had lost the one thing he'd fought for. In hindsight, Daniel's still a good kid. But this new… ability of his? Whatever it is, they need to be careful. He obviously can't control it, meaning shit gets out of hand fast.

"Thanks, Enano." Who would have thought a nine-year-old wrapped like a burrito could carry such wisdom?

"Ok, Daniel. It's late, we should try to get some sleep. We've got a long walk tomorrow." Sean's freezing his ass off but does everything in his power not to show it. This is the life he chose years ago. A life of looking after his little brother. In the end, he failed to do just that at home. However, on the road… he will not fail. Anything it takes to keep Daniel safe.

"Oh, ok. My eyes won't stay… open. Sleep tight, big brother… I love you." Daniel falls asleep immediately, leaving Sean alone in the cold. As he realized that his younger brother's asleep, he instantly burst into tears, sobbing silently.

"What the fuck am I gonna do? What the fuck am I gonna do?" That's the question, isn't it?

What the fuck is Sean Diaz going to do…?

Notes:

This chapter got kinda "meh" as I got kinda uncertain about suicide attempt/or not, but I'm usually too lazy to re-write stuff, so yeah.

Anyway, from here things will get better. I got a rough plan for the rest of episode 1. Expect at least one chapter a week.

Remember, I like comments. Which is the main reason I've cut down a lot on "..."

...

...

Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Creep

Summary:

The wolfbrothers are exhausted after yesterday's events. A brief stop for some food should do them good...

Notes:

Some disturbing references are to be found here. Read tags!

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

Chapter Text

The next day…

Daniel Diaz was many things. He was homeless, a victim, wanted, injured, and he was a murderer. Also, Daniel Diaz was only nine years old. The last two days have been the worst of his life. He killed his father and feels no remorse about it either. On the contrary, he almost feels glad to have that asshole out of his life. He always believed that Sean, if anyone, would feel the same.

But he didn't.

Instead, his older brother tried to kill himself. Technically, he succeeded. But then, Daniel's ability made itself known again. He barely remembered doing it, but he'll never be able to forget the feeling. That feeling. Running towards the edge of the cliff, knowing at the back of his head that Sean's long gone. As soon as Daniel came to the very edge, he could feel Sean's hand, like it was holding his own. Yet, his brother was nowhere to be seen. Daniel believed he was dead.

But he wasn't.

Daniel had saved him. How he did it, he's got no fucking clue about. The important thing is that Sean's alive. But Daniel's not sure if he can forgive his brother for trying to leave him behind. He doesn't have any other family he can go to. All he's got is his big brother.

These are just a few of the thoughts that plague the nine-year-old's mind as the brothers walk alongside a road, leading them nowhere. He's exhausted, hungry, and his body still hurts after his first- and last- encounter with his father. Sean walks in front of him, completely silent. Neither brother had said a word in hours. At least it felt like hours. Every few seconds, Daniel looks at his palms and wonders. At first, he was terrified of whatever this thing he can do is. But the more he thinks about it, the more curious he gets.

"I wonder how it works…" Daniel thinks to himself as he points his index finger at a small rock expecting a miracle to happen. Obviously, nothing did.

"Hey, Enano? I think I see a gas station up ahead. Maybe we can get some food, ok?" Sean did his best to keep a good spirit, but Daniel's no fool. His brother didn't expect to be alive today, and it's showing.

"Ok, Sean. I'm starving." He might be worried about his brother's health, but he's even more worried about the rumbling inside his stomach right now.

The wolfbrothers enters the gas station. It's nothing out of the ordinary. It's small, stacked with the same "'Murica" souvenirs as any other place in the area. Lucky for them, it's empty. Almost empty. Just some dude with a beard writing on his laptop.

"Ok, Daniel. I'm gonna have a look around. Don't go outside without me, ok?" He knows better than that. He's not a baby.

"Yeah, Sean. I knooow." Daniel complains and looks around on his own. A lot of the stuff in here would have been interesting to him on a normal day. On a normal day, he would do just about anything to escape the shitty reality of his own life. However, his reality just became so shitty he can't ever escape it. No matter what. He starts to browse through the shelves, looking for something to settle his stomach. There, Chock-O-Crisp!

Daniel thinks for a few seconds. He knows that they need to save money, and chocolate might not be the best way to spend it. However, the store is empty. The bearded guy is busy looking at… something on his laptop with his headphones on. The woman behind the register is busy semi-interrogating Sean. Also, he can't see any cameras.

Fuck it!

Daniel acts faster than the speed of light, shoving down chocolate bars wherever they might fit. Well, in his clothes of course. Then, he acts like everything's normal like he doesn't have fifty bucks worth of chocolate in his pockets.

"Hey, Daniel. Come here, man." Sean didn't need to ask twice, as he was holding two large burgers. Daniel almost ran over there, grabbing his burger and eating it before he even knew if it was good or not. It most likely was… probably.

"Man, Sean. That. Was. So. Good." Technically, he didn't know if it was. He just didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah, Enano. I think-" Sean burps loudly to the disgusted lady at the register.

"I think I agree with you on that one. I got us a map, let's sit outside and figure out our next move." Yeah, the quicker they get out of here, the better.

"You guys need a lift?" An unknown voice said behind them. Almost sounded friendly. Can people be that to them? Friendly?

Daniel turns around and sees the bearded guy. The dude smells like sweat, but he does seem genuinely nice.

"Oh. Uh, no, thanks. We're fine." Daniel grabs Sean's hand and proceeds to dig his fingernails into it, showing his disapproval of his brother's decision. Daniel's fucking sick of walking!

"Ok, dude. If you change your mind, my car is just around the corner." Bearded laptop-dude smiles at them, before walking towards his car. Daniel's not amused.

"What the hell, Sean? He wanted to give us a lift. Why couldn't we go with him?" He legitimately seemed like the nicest guy on the planet.

"I know it sucks, Daniel. But we're fugitives now. We have to be careful." Daniel surrenders, knowing Sean's right. He sighs as he feels a pat on the shoulder.

"We're gonna be ok, bro. Now, let's go." The brothers move towards the exit.

For now, only one of them would make it out…

Before they made it to the exit, the doors opened and a man entered. A large man in his sixties, with a gun in his hand.

"You're not going ANYWHERE! Hands up, kid!" Shit. How the fuck did this happen? He can't know, he just can't. Sean tries to calm the situation down.

"Excuse me, s- sir. But we haven't done anything. I'm sure this is all just a… misunderstanding." Sean slowly motioned for Daniel to stand behind him.

"Now you listen to me. I don't know who you are, or what you're doing so far from home, ése. You can get the fuck out of my store for all I care." What? He's not making any kind of sense now. Sean says nothing as he carefully grabs Daniel's hand and moves for the door.

"No! You're staying." The man grabbed Daniel by his wrist. Shit.

"Don't touch my brother, asshole! He didn't do anything!" The panic in Sean's voice was clear.

"Didn't do anything, huh? We'll see about THAT!" All he had to do was pull Daniel's arm, and countless chocolate bars fell on the floor. Never before has he felt so ashamed. He couldn't look Sean in the eyes.

"Daniel… you- you-" Sean didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry." God, was he ever?

"Too late for that now, boy. Get inside, NOW!" The man screamed as he pointed the gun at Daniel and a finger towards a door.

"Daniel, RUN! Just run, and I'll take- AH!" Sean did his best. But his broken body could only move so fast. He was knocked unconscious with ease by the old man. Now, Daniel's on his own.

"Now, boy… get the fuck inside my office."

Hours later…

Daniel didn't know how much time had passed. Neither did he know if it was day or night. The room they put him in had no windows. All it had was a cold concrete floor and equally cold concrete walls. He had been dragged down there, and eventually knocked unconscious due to him screaming too much. The first thing he noticed when he woke up, aside from the pain, was the thick steel around one of his ankles.

He had been chained to the floor. At first, he desperately tried to remove it, or break it, or anything. But it didn't work. At least the chain allowed him to move around a little. The room had a bed alone with one small light. However, as he turned the light on, Daniel got a very bad feeling about this room.

He's not the first person in it.

Far from it, actually. The more he looks around, the creepier it gets. The chains have bloodstains on them, varying in both age and amount. The concrete wall has something similar to- no. it can't be.

"Oh, fuck…" Daniel slowly puts his palm against the wall and drags his fingers downwards. His nine-year-old fingernails fit almost perfectly to the markings on the wall.

"Oh god, oh god, oh shit!" What the hell happened here? Does he even want to know? Either way, his gut tells him that he's about to find out. He hears the sound of a heavy door opening, then a brief pause before the entire room gets brighter than anything he's ever experienced before. It's almost blinding.

He can barely see anything, but he can hear. And right now, Daniel hears footsteps, slowly closing in on him.

"You can consider yourself lucky, kid." The old man says, sighing deeply.

"Why?" He's getting more and more used to the light, and he stares him right in the eyes. If looks could kill, someone would die here.

"You know, you're not the first boy down here. You're all so easily fooled. However, you actually did steal from me. I wasn't expecting that. But you're here now, and that's what matters. Now, the reason you're lucky is this. The kids I take down here… I sell them to some friends of mine. They make movies and rent them out, and it's good money. For Hank Stamper, that is." The man now introducing himself as Hank, gloated his gross ass off, to Daniel's horror.

"Usually, I'll have some… fun with the kids down here until my associates pick them up. However, my associates want shit to do with you since you're wanted." Yes! Or, wait- no, no no!

"Which means you're staying with me, kid. Down here. Until everything cools down…" Daniel could feel how he began to hyperventilate, turning his head around in panic, looking for an escape. But all he could see was more markings on the wall along with gross stains on the bed and-

"SEAN! SEAN! Help meee, pleeease! Heeelp me, somebody!" Daniel screams as his life depended on it, and to be fair, it probably did. Hank just stood there and laughed.

"He's not coming, boy. You'll never see him again. He's dead, I killed him." No.

"What…?" He's lying. It's not true.

"I killed your brother. He's dead in a ditch, and he is NEVER coming back for you." Daniel could feel a strange tickling sensation move through his entire body.

"No." From there, the small tickling sensation grew into a burning rage. A part of his mind, screaming the same four-letter word, over and over again.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill.

It felt like he's had these abilities his entire life. On just pure instinct, Daniel reached out with his right palm, tearing the chain from his ankle.

"What the- get the fuck back here!" Daniel wasn't planning on leaving… yet. He didn't know how much of his current actions were conscious, but he knew it didn't matter. Sean's dead. This asshole killed him. And now, he'll pay the price.

"You- you killed my brother. YOU KILLED SEAN!" Daniel lifts Hank, slowly wrapping the long chain around his body, so hard he can barely breathe.

The heavy soundproof door opens again, and someone runs into the room. However, Daniel's now in a world of his own.

"DANIEL?! No, don't! Don't do it, Enano- ow, son of a bitch!" Sean wasn't dead. He was here. He came back like he always does. Now, he tries to stop his little brother from committing another murder. Sean tried to grab his brother but ended up running into a brick wall. Like an invisible force-field of sorts.

"You killed my brother… why?" Daniel cries as he slowly tightens his hold on the chains. Sean can do nothing but watch and listen to the brutal, yet deserved, demise of Hank Stamper. Bones were broken, lungs collapsed, blood was everywhere.

Daniel dropped the corpse on the floor and fell to his knees. Sean saw his chance. They need to get the fuck out of here.

"Daniel?" Sean had barely said his name before Daniel ran towards him.

"SEAN! You're alive, you're alive! I- I thought you were dead. I- I was so scared. It was horrible, and I- I-" Daniel looks back at Hank's lifeless body, before sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shh, I know, Enano. I know. Listen to me. We need to get out of here, you understand that, right?" Daniel just nods. Too much is happening now.

"Just hold on to my hand, and we'll be fine, ok?" No, they won't. They'll never be fine again. Still, Daniel nods in agreement, and they take off running.

Daniel must have been in that hell-hole for hours. It's dark outside now. That, and it's raining. They can't see shit, and they're freezing. Sean seems to have a direction in mind. Daniel just hopes that it's not too far away.

Within a few minutes, they reach a parked car, standing alone next to the road. Somebody appears to be inside it, so Sean does the only logical thing he could think of.

"Help, please! Fucking help us!" He nearly smashed the windshield as he asked for help.

"What the hell, man? You scared the- wow. What's happened? Are you guys ok?" It's the guy from the gas station, the bearded guy who offered them a lift. Good. They know he's friendly.

"That asshole, at the gas station. He… kidnapped my little brother." Sean seems to be on the verge of a breakdown. Daniel steps forward.

"Please, sir. He- he was so scary. And he would do- bad things to me. Please help me. I wanna go home." The bearded guy probably would have believed them anyway…

"Ok, ok, say no more. I believe you, ok. Get in the car, we're getting out of here." The brothers get in the car, and can finally leave this place behind.

"Damn, Sean. That sounds horrible. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that." Their new friend Brody tells him after he's explained what went down at the gas station. Well, everything except the fate of Hank Stamper, that is.

"Yeah, thanks, Brody." Sean wasn't really up to talking about any of this.

"Brody, do you have any soda in here? I'm thirsty!" Seriously?

"Daniel! For fuck's sake, you don't talk like that to someone who just saved our asses, man." This kid, sometimes…

"Relax, Sean. I don't mind it. I'm just glad to have some company for a change. There's a cooler under the seat, kid. Grab one for you and Sean." Brody's like the nicest guy they ever met. Daniel takes out two sodas, handing one to Sean, and taking the other one for himself. Judging by how quickly he drank it, the taste was probably good. Sean, however, has always been a slow drinker, even if it's just soda. Still, it was pretty damn good.

"You sure you're ok to drive, Brody? I mean, it's kinda late." In the middle of the night, to be precise. Sean's kind of tired too, and Daniel's already passed out in the back.

"Yeah, Sean. I'm fine. This is my favorite time to drive." Guess he's used to it then.

"Oh, ok. Good to know, just in case-" Sean yawns. Damn. It has to be something with the softness of this car seat because he really felt tired now.

"You can take a nap if you want, Sean. I'm all good to drive. I've been doing this for many, many years." Sean trusts Brody. At this point, with his life. But he trusts nobody else with his brother's life. No matter what. He's not sleeping.

"Nah, I'm good, man. Thanks." Sean said with as much courtesy as possible. Brody just sighed deeply.

"Sean, Sean, Sean… you can't stop it, you know?" The fuck's he talking about?

"Uh, stop what, Brody?" Sean's having a difficult time focusing right now.

"Benzodiazepines are a beautiful thing when you think about it. Lethal if the dose is too high. But if you put the exact dose in a couple of soda cans… then, Sean. Then, it's only a matter of time before someone will drink it." Brody's entire voice had changed, along with his facial expression. No longer a happy smile, but instead a sinister look. Every word he spoke was cold, completely devoid of any human emotion. Sean panicked.

"NO! Daniel! Wake up, Enano! Wake up… wake… up… wake…" Sean Diaz, along with his brother Daniel Diaz had now been drugged. Both of them passed out in an unknown car, driven by an unknown man, towards an unknown place.

"Sleep tight, Sean and Daniel. Tomorrow… we'll have some fun…"

Notes:

This chapter felt pretty straightforward for me. I knew what I wanted and how to get there. Hank Stamper's dungeon of doom is an idea that just... freaks me out. That, and he's kinda "that" type of person in "The Wild Ones".

The reason Brody became "BRODY" is because the first time I played the game, I legit thought "please, don't wake up in a sex dungeon." Which is why he's kidnapping them now. However, NOT to a sex dungeon!

As always, I love all the comments I get.

Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Heaven & Hell

Summary:

Drugged and kidnapped by someone they thought they could trust, the wolfbrothers are trapped. Like rats in a maze. A horrible, horrible maze...

Notes:

Lots of unpleasant stuff, read tags!

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

Chapter Text

Unknown location…

Sean had no clue what happened, but he knew one thing. He was in heaven. It was fucking wonderful. Sean Eduardo Diaz was in heaven, created by Brody and his Benzo cocktail. Why did he stay away from drugs in the first place? This was the best thing he's ever experienced. No pain, no sorrow, no worries. All of that, gone. No wonder his father became an addict. Had Sean known it felt this wonderful, he'd probably join him.

"Sean… wake up…" Strange. That voice. It sounds familiar. But nobody's around. Sean slowly starts to descend back to reality as the effect of the drug begins to wear off.

"Please, Sean. Wake up." There it is again. Who is that? And why do his shoulders hurt so much?

WAIT!

"Sean! Wake the fuck up, you fucking idiot! I don't wanna die in here! Wake up, wake up, wake up!" After Daniel had screamed at him for hours, Sean finally opened his eyes. He wasn't prepared for what he saw.

Sean was hanging from the ceiling in a pair of chains. Guess that explained why his shoulders hurt so fucking much. Brody had done the same thing with Daniel. They were inside what looked like an old warehouse. All the windows had been sealed, and there seemed to be only one way out. In here, nobody could hear you scream. Below them, the floor is covered in blood, and it's not theirs. Someone else had been hanging here. Recently, by the looks of it. The rest of the warehouse was empty, save for some furniture and toolboxes. What tools are inside, Sean's not sure that he wants to know.

"Daniel? What the fuck- are you ok?" That's probably the dumbest question he's asked in quite a while.

"No, Sean. I'm scared. What's happening? I- I just woke up like this. Why can't I remember anything, Sean?" Daniel's a brave kid, he had to be, to survive at home. This, however, has him more terrified than Sean's ever seen him before, which could only mean bad things.

"Don't worry, Enano. We're gonna get out of here. I'm gonna try to get these chains- AAH!" Just by moving slightly, the chains around his wrists caused incredible pain to his arms. It wasn't going to happen. Shit. Then, a sound can be heard. The sound of a door opening and closing, followed by a pair of footsteps. Slow, haunting footsteps as a dark figure closes in on the brothers.

Brody.

That fat fuck.

That fat, hipster-looking, Seth Rogen wannabe!

"Hello, Sean, Daniel. You're still here I see." Brody states the obvious as he places a toolbox on a table in front of them.

"Please, let us go!" Daniel's starting to panic, begging for mercy. Sean, however, can tell that Brody's not the type to show mercy.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, little one. Over the last twenty years, many have entered my little playhouse. Nobody has ever made it out alive. Nobody… but me. I don't intend for that to change tonight." Brody sounded almost proud as he pretty much admitted to being a serial killer for over two decades. Daniel fell silent.

"Don't you fucking touch him!" Sean's anger gets the better of him. In order to get out of this, he has to remain calm.

"Sean, Sean, Sean. Always so… angry." Brody grabs something from his toolbox but keeps it hidden from Sean.

"Tell me something, Sean… are you left, or right-handed?" Sean's been in enough similar situations with his father to know where this is going.

"Fuck… you!" Sean says loud and clear and spits Brody in the face. Brody barely reacted to it. No emotion whatsoever.

"Sean. Left-" Brody points a scalpel to the left side of Sean's throat.

"Or right?" He turns the scalpel to Sean's right side. The blade is so sharp it causes him to bleed. He can hear Daniel sobbing.

"I said, fuck… you!" Brody finally removes the scalpel, allowing him to breathe again.

"Well then. Since you won't play nice, Sean. There's no reason for me to play nice either." Brody turns his attention to Daniel.

"How about you, little guy? Left, or right?" Daniel completely froze in fear. Sean knew he fucked up badly.

"No, no, no! I'm left-handed, left, left, left! Ok?!" Technically, he's not. But he'd rather keep his right hand intact.

"Oh? Look who decided to be nice again? Well, if you say so…" Brody takes out a pair of pliers, moving in Sean's direction with a sadistic smile on his face. He places one of Sean's fingers between the pliers. It's the same one he once tried to cut off himself to save Daniel from dad. Sean's not sure if that's good or bad.

"I'm sorry, Sean." Daniel cries to him. The poor kid has lost all hope.

"It's ok, Daniel. It's not your fault, it never was." Sean prepares himself for what's about to come, closing his eyes as he bites down hard.

"You know what, Sean? You can keep it." Sean had been so focused that he needed a few seconds to realize what he just heard. Then, he opened his eyes.

Just in time to see it happen.

He would never forgive, he would never forget.

"YOU, on the other hand, can NOT!" Sean had opened his eyes just as Brody placed Daniel's right middle finger between the pliers, and pressed down with all of his weight. A crunching sound was heard, followed by a brief snap. And blood. Lots and lots of blood. And his little brother's screams. He would never forget that sound. A horrifying scream, capable of breaking both hearts and eardrums.

"You see, Sean? This is the price you pay for being rude. Consider that a warning." Fuck. This.

"You sick fuck! You're dead! You hear me?! DEAD! Nobody hurts my brother, NOBODY!" Brody was so close to him, Sean could feel his breath in his face.

"Except me." He gives Sean another one of his sick smiles and turns back to Daniel.

"So, how are we feeling, kid?" He takes Daniel's bloody hand, studying it.

"I- I think I'm gonna be-" Daniel threw up, almost hitting Brody in the process. Too bad he didn't.

"Well, I think you're ready for the next phase." Brody takes out the scalpel again, pressing it against Daniel's face. He completely ignores Sean screaming at him.

"Now, which eye should we take out first, hm?" The look on his little brother's face said it all. Running away from home was a mistake. Anything is better than this, even dad.

"Well, if you won't choose, then I'll choose for you." Brody moves the scalpel towards the left eye of Daniel Felipe Diaz.

The scalpel managed to touch Daniel's eyelids. It never got any closer than that.

"What the hell?" To Brody, it felt like he tried to cut through a concrete wall. Then, multiple things happened at once.

As Daniel screamed, Brody went flying to the corner of the room. The chains keeping the wolfbrothers locked in this horrific cage were pulverized. Daniel passed out on the floor. And finally, a large piece of the ceiling fell and landed right where Brody had been.

They were free. Time to get the fuck out of here. Wherever "here" is.

"Daniel? Come on, we gotta go! NOW!" Daniel's unconscious, and he's missing a finger. Sean tries not to look at the finger on the floor next to his little brother. It takes every fiber of his being to ignore the pain in his body, and pick up his brother's body. Slowly, he walks towards the exit.

Suddenly, Sean comes to a stop. Brody. He's still alive. Sean knows that the smart thing, the right thing, would be to just keep walking. But he can't. He carefully puts his brother down on the floor. Sean takes a hammer out of Brody's toolbox and slowly walks to him.

The fat man's alive but injured. He could see Sean coming but showed no fear.

"Hello, Sean." He's got nothing to say to this asshole. He should just… walk away. Sean feels like his vision's split into two pieces. Two, black and white pieces. One reads "Avenge Daniel" and the other "Walk away". He knows what he should do, he knows what he wants to do.

Sean goes with the latter.

"I told you… nobody hurts my Enano." Then, he hits Brody's skull with the hammer. Again, and again, and again. He hits him until there's barely anything left to hit.

"Fuck…" Ok, now they really need to go. Sean looks around for the exit, but his eyes land on something else. Something he swore to never, under any circumstances, take.

A bottle labeled "Benzodiazepines".

Drugs.

He knows he shouldn't. But then again, he's not like their dad. Esteban Diaz wanted to kill Daniel, and Sean's killed for Daniel. Plus, one small trip to heaven every once in a while could be just what he needs to deal with this shit. He puts the bottle in his pocket.

As they got outside, Sean realized they were actually in a small town. He expected to come out in the middle of the forest or something. Before anyone could see him, he runs down a back alley, Daniel in his arms.

He couldn't run very far, due to the pain in his arms. In the back alley, a small crowd of homeless people had made a small fire. They probably wouldn't judge him. Sean sits down, and as expected, nobody cared. Everyone's busy being high or getting high. Wonderful…

"Hey, Daniel? Enano?" He tries to wake his brother up. Shit, his finger. It's still bleeding.

"It hurts, Sean. It- it hurts so much. Please, help me. Do something." Daniel pleaded to him. Sean couldn't do shit. He sure as hell wasn't going to drug his nine-year-old brother.

"Shh, Enano. We're safe now. Everything's fine. You're gonna be fine, just… hang in there, little cub. Be brave." Sean cried. He cried because, in 48 hours, he's managed to cause more pain to Daniel than their father did in nine years. Sean cried because this entire situation has gone straight to hell. But most of all, Sean cried because he knows every word he just told Daniel was complete and utter bullshit.

They're not safe, nothing's fine, Daniel's not going to be fine by just "hanging in there". What they need, is a plan. A long-term plan. Sean had already thought about it a lot. To him, it was a perfect idea. Daniel, however, would likely not agree.

Sean was thinking that they could go and find their mother.

Yeah, Daniel definitely won't like it. But there's no other alternative.

The real problem is, Sean's got zero fucking clue as to her whereabouts. However, he remembered that his grandparents live in some town called Beaver Creek. Maybe that's a good place to start? He's never met his grandparents though. They weren't exactly thrilled by her husband. Sean doesn't exactly blame them.

Beaver Creek it is, then.

Sean looks down at his brother. Daniel's out cold due to pain and loss of blood. He takes advantage of this situation and tears a piece of fabric from his T-shirt. Then, Sean wraps it around Daniel's bleeding finger as tears are pouring down his face.

"Don't be afraid, little cub. I know what to do now. Your brother's got a plan. Nothing can stop the wolfbrothers. There's nothing we can't do, as long as we're together." Sean lied down next to his little brother. He hesitated. He shouldn't.

Fuck it. Just this… one time.

Sean takes out the bottle of pills in his pocket. He didn't bother to count. Did he take two pills? Three? Ten? He didn't know, and he didn't care. He just wanted the pain to go away for a short while.

Thirty seconds later, Sean Eduardo Diaz was in heaven again.

If he only knew the devastating effect it would have on him…

Notes:

Ok, so how does everyone like the new Brody?

On a more serious note:

This marks the end of episode 1 in what is now a series called "Life Is Cruel". Episode 2 will be published as a new fic, so make sure to check the "Life Is Cruel" series.

When I began writing this fic, I had a lot of doubts. I wasn't sure if people really wanted something dark, and I wasn't sure I was up for it either. I guess that... I am?

This fic has the most subscribers out of all my fics. And 2nd most hits, beaten only by the Anthology series. So I want to say thank you for all the support!

I hope to see you all again in episode 2...

K.S.

Notes:

Episode 2 "A Deep Abyss" out now!