//------------------------------// // Though we didn't know what we were doing // Story: She's Gonna Kill Me! // by Echo 27 //------------------------------// Sunset and I found our little niche in the world and settled in relatively well, taking comfort in our solitude with one another. For the next couple weeks, we took it upon ourselves to find ways to deliberately avoid where the others in our school would go, seeking out the unique and interesting places that our city had to offer. A couple days after we went to the theatre, Sunset found mention of a dog show that’d be coming to the local expo center and nearly leapt out of her skin in excitement, so of course we went and took a look for a little while. It was rather embarrassing to be around her, as Sunset was positively giddy whenever a new breed would come walking across our area. “Uh, Sunset?” I asked hesitantly as yet another dog took the same parade route as every other breed before it- right in front of us. “Yeah?” she responded, making a silly, soft smile as the dog and its owner passed by. “Do you even know what breed of dog that is?” “Yeah, it’s a Tamaskan, they’re really rare,” she answered. “A what?- You made that up!” I spluttered. “Wha- no, I didn’t, they’re actually real, look them up!” Sunset insisted. “Don’t need to, they don’t exist,” I said confidently. “Oh yeah? Wanna bet on it?” Sunset challenged with a smirk. “Don’t waste your money,” I muttered, grabbing for my phone. “Here, let’s see… Tamaskan-” You can probably look up the results yourself and know that I was wrong and Sunset –as per usual- was right. Not a big deal, but I pulled a face to make her laugh and I promised to take her down to a nearby dessert place after we were done as a reward for winning. Like she’d needed a bet to make that happen, I would’ve done it for her simply because she asked. “Oh, that was so fun! That Labrador was so beautiful, he should have won over the Cocker Spaniel for Best In Show,” Sunset said to me as we left, clutching a cup of hot cocoa I had bought for her from a vendor as we had left. The temperatures were still brutally cold and it was getting to be mid-February, a time when our part of the country usually stopped feeling winter’s bane. “I guess,” I remarked lightly. “Lab’s definitely more of a man’s dog, so…” Sunset paused and gave me a scrutinizing look. “Were you bored?” I played with the case on my phone before answering, saying, “Eh… kinda. That sort of stuff really isn’t my style.” “Well why’d we go if you weren’t interested?” “Cause you were,” I answered. “Saw you liked the thought of going and I figured you’d probably enjoy yourself, so there we went. You’re better at that high-society, classy smart stuff than I am.” “What? No, that’s not fair,” Sunset protested. “You should have fun, too, it shouldn’t be about whatever I want. And besides, I want you to have a good time just as much.” I shrugged. “Not that big of a deal. Seeing you happy makes it worth the time.” “That’s sweet, but please, don’t keep doing that. There’s got to be something you want to do, right? Maybe next time we go out, we choose a place you’d want to go.” I thought about that for a bit. “Maybe, but if I’m totally honest, a lot of the stuff I like to do, I do alone. I don’t know if it’d be very fun for you.” “Like what, then?” Sunset challenged. “Maybe I should try it with you and see.” “Hmm…” I mulled the concept over in my head for a little while, judging the idea’s merit. Conceivably it could work, but a lot of the stuff I liked to do was fairly solitary. Sunset, however, was willing to push. “Come on, this relationship isn’t just a one-way street. I want both of us to have a good time,” she said gently. “What do you usually do with your time that makes you happy?” “Well… I work out. A lot,” I answered. “I go running, I box, I stay fit. I’d play video games a lot as well if I had any. But yeah, lots of working out and boxing.” “And that’s all?” “Well…” I felt rather embarrassed, as it sounded like I had a totally one-track mind. “I love coffee. Like to try out different places in town and see what they’ve got.” “That explains a few things,” Sunset muttered. “How many cups do you think you go through every day?” “Eh… I lose count after number five.” “Oh that has got to be unhealthy- wait a minute, I’m distracting myself,” Sunset cut through, shaking her head vigorously. “Here, I’ve got an idea, why don’t I come see you at your gym, you show me around and what you do? Give me the directions and I’ll drop by.” I stopped cold on that one, staring at her like I had never seen her before. “Wait, you didn’t just suggest that you come to the West End on your own, did you?” I asked. “Yeah, let me come by and see you train, meet your old coach. You’ve taken Rainbow Dash there, why not take me?” she replied. “Rainbow and I met at a specific place and then she went with me there to Manny’s Gym,” I answered. “I took every precaution I could think of to ensure her safety.” “I’d be in danger?” “Sunset, you don’t get it. The West End, it- it’s different. Unpredictable. Every major gang calls it home, including a very frightening, very dangerous one known as Wanyama. As I have made aware to you.” “So I wouldn’t be able to go there,” she assumed. “Not without protection. Not without me,” I said. “In fact, let me make this clear: No matter what, no matter what circumstance ever arises, you will never, ever go to the West End without me. If you are to come by my house, I will come get you, you will not come to me. I cannot emphasize this enough.” “OK, sure,” Sunset said. “Do you mind asking me why?” I hesitated, worrying the answer might frighten her. I knew the route she’d have to take to get to my house and the gym, and it wasn’t too far from a warehouse Wanyama used as an auction center for the people they sold, including young girls they’d kidnapped from the city. To even imagine such a thing ever happening to Sunset was beyond the realms of average terror. “You just need to trust me on this. If you’re gonna come by Manny’s, I’m gonna be with you at all times,” I said. “Now, you sure you wanna go?” Sunset thought it over for a bit, then looked right at me and gave an earnest nod. “Alright, then, we’ll head out after school tomorrow. Wait for me to take you, OK?” “Yeah, of course,” she said. “Come on, let’s get out of the cold and inside somewhere.” “What’s open right now? You know?” “Not sure, it’s getting to be kinda late.” She whipped out her phone and started typing away for a few seconds before saying, “There’s a place called ‘The Garage’ a block or so away, some restaurant of sorts. You ever heard of it?” “Can’t say that I have. You wanna give it a try?” “Sounds good enough. Come on.” It was the most interestingly designed restaurant I’d ever encountered: a former service garage converted into a small-time bar and restaurant. Through the garage door windows I could see people chatting at the bar and tables, though I was willing to bet the doors usually stayed open during the summer. Light with 50’s style neon, it was a defiantly old-school place, and –if I was willing to bet- a trendy place to eat. “OK, that’s kinda cool,” I remarked. “Ooh, I hope it’s warm in there,” Sunset said with a shiver, and the two of us walked inside to be greeted with a blast of hot air, thanks to a brick oven that could be seen in the kitchen. “Mmm… let’s stay here for the rest of the night, it feels great in here.” “Yeah,” I said distantly, staring at the bar. I eyed the draft to see the selection, trying not to drool over the dozens of beers and spirits behind the counter. “You know, I bet they don’t card here, I could totally get a Shinerbok-” “No,” Sunset said firmly. “Oh come on, I’ve been doing this since I was like fifteen,” I said. “I know my limit, I won’t do anything stupid.” “You’re not 21, so no,” Sunset said. “Besides, I’m keeping you out of trouble. Look.” I turned around and saw a pair of cops walk in, taking a break from their patrol to grab a bite to eat. One of them caught sight of me, scrutinized me for a bit, and then whispered something to his partner before getting a seat. “Water sound good?” Sunset asked playfully. “Don’t rub it in,” I said shortly, and we took to a small table near the window. A server came up a few minutes later, a hipster dressed in plaid pants with a nose ring large enough to hold a rope. “Anything I can get you to drink?” he asked. “Water for me, and… a Shinerbok for him,” Sunset said with a grin. “OK, sir, I’ll just need to see your ID,” the guy said, turning to me. “Only 18, she’s just messin’ with you. A water,” I growled unpleasantly as my girlfriend’s face split into a smile. I waited for him to leave before saying, “That is not playing fair, you know.” “Oh don’t be a poor sport and let me have a little fun with you,” she replied. “I don’t have to be a brainy intellectual all the time.” “Yeah, yeah,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Tell me something: why are you interested in seeing me train? I gotta think it wouldn’t be very fun for you, you’d just be watching me do everything.” Sunset’s eyes darted back and forth before she leaned over and said quietly, “You know how you’re always mentioning that you like to look at me?” “Yeah…” “Perhaps the feeling is mutual,” she said suggestively, giving me a rather tempting look. “I wanna see why you’ve got such a sexy body in person.” “Umm.” I dropped my gaze on that one, feeling my face flush a color red I wasn’t aware I could manage. I was used to being the one making comments about her attractiveness, not the other way around. Sunset laughed at my reaction, her face bright and cheery. “I’ve never seen you so uncomfortable in my life. What’s wrong?” “Uh, can’t say I’ve ever been described as ‘sexy’ before. I’ve never really bothered to think of myself as something…” Sunset studied me. “As what? Something attractive?” she guessed. “Puh-lease, ‘attractive’ doesn’t really do you justice, does it?” I was utterly flabbergasted by all of this. The playfulness, the suggestive comments, the confidence she was exhibiting. It was so unusual to see her like this, and I absolutely loved it. I started laughing right along with her, unable to think of a suitable reaction. “You… I have never seen you like this before,” I said. “Why aren’t you like this all the time? Just so… alive?” Sunset’s smile faltered just a little. “What do you mean?” “Well, it’s so easy for you to get down on yourself a lot,” I explained. “You never have anything good to say about yourself, and you just let it get to you, and you get sorta quiet and introverted- sometimes to a point where I can’t reach you. Why is that?” Sunset paused for a while, letting the server come back, drop off the drinks and get our orders. “I’m not sure, really,” she said quietly. “You and the girls are always trying to get me to stop beating myself up, and you’re right, it’s not something I should do, but- it’s just so easy to do. To believe that I am what everyone says I am.” “Why, though?” I asked, feeling confused. “Do you realize how much people could say about me? I beat the living hell out of people when I got into fights, I banged them up something bad. I sold drugs, I was a member of the worst gang in the city, and I don’t dare let anyone say crap about me- I just prove ‘em wrong. I ain’t got time to live with that stuff anymore. Why can’t you do the same?” Sunset stirred her drink with her straw, pondering for a moment before she could answer. “I don’t know who I am, I guess,” she said, her voice so small that I could barely hear her. “I’m trying to figure out just where I fit in this world, and now that I left my old life behind, it’s like I don’t know where to go anymore, and I just think… that all I am is what I don’t want to be. I don’t know, it doesn’t really make any sense.” “Yeah, it really doesn’t,” I said drily. “You mind listening to me for a bit?” “What are you gonna do?” she asked. “Just trust me. Give me your hand.” Sunset gave me an uncertain look but complied nonetheless, laying her hand across mine palms up. “Oh, man,” I said breathlessly. “Every time I feel your hand in mine, my heart goes crazy. I feel everything go a little faster, it’s like the world gets a little brighter. I never thought that, when I first met you, that you’d do so much to me. When we first became friends, I thought that was it- just a friendship. But the more I came to be with you, the more I wanted to be someone, someone who could possibly deserve someone as beautiful and wonderful as you- the girl who thought the world of everyone else and nothing of herself. So whenever I hear you start talking yourself down, I get a little angry inside, because I can’t stomach the thought of anyone saying that you aren’t the beautiful, compassionate, and loving soul that I know you to be.” “Especially me?” “Especially you. I chose you over every girl I knew because I knew you- because you’re the best choice. The only choice I was ever gonna make.” Sunset’s eyes were glistening in the light, and it took me a moment to realize that she was crying. She wiped her face dry and gave me a smile that glowed like the dawn, looking positively radiant. “How did… I wish I… I don’t know what to say,” she hiccupped. “You’re making me look like a mess.” “You don’t have to say anything,” I said. “And trust me, you of all people could never look like a mess.” We sat there in silence for a moment, Sunset giving me her hand as we simply enjoyed each other’s company, every inch of her saying what words could never describe. She had the strangest smile, a joyous, yet somewhat grieved expression as she looked upon me with all the warmth of the noonday sun. “I wish I could’ve met you a lot sooner,” she said softly. “Maybe I would’ve left my old ways behind a lot sooner.” I shook my head. “I only would have made it worse,” I assured her. “I hope you never really find out what I left behind.” “What would I have found, if I went and looked?” Sunset asked. I stumbled over my words before simply settling and saying, “Then you would you know there are far worse monsters than you and me.” “So I can’t come this time round?” Rainbow Dash asked me at lunch, looking disappointed as she unwrapped her sack lunch. I shook my head, trying to stuff down Granny Smith’s most excellent chicken pot pie as quickly as I could. “Nah, Sunset’s coming with me today, gonna be our thing this visit. You good with that?” “Yeah, I get ya. I should probably just stop trying, anyway,” Ranbow admitted. “I’m starting to think boxing just really isn’t my thing.” “Praise the heavens, she finally admits it!” I cried. “Girlie, you have been coming to get your butt kicked for months now, it’s about time you realized you weren’t catching on. The best you could ever be was average, it’s just not the kind of sport your mind gets.” “Least she gave it a try, you tried soccer once and got trounced,” Applejack said with a snigger. “I know when I’m outclassed. There wasn’t a way I was going to win!” I protested. “Darlin’, everyone’s outclassed by Rainbow Dash. Why don’t you just admit that you hate it when someone makes you look bad and that’s why you stopped?” AJ suggested. “Don’t be ‘mom,’ I’ve already got one back at home,” I snapped. “Besides, that’s not true. I can lose.” “Yeah, you can lose. But you’re proud and you get mad the moment you look the fool,” Applejack replied. “Come on, get off yor high horse and just admit it, it ain’t gonna hurt ya.” “Never.” “Why do you even want to go, Sunset?” Fluttershy asked. “It doesn’t seem like it’d be a lot of fun for you to just come and watch.” Sunset shook her head. “No, really, I wanna go, it was my idea. Besides, look at that,” she said, indicating my arms and chest. “Please tell me I shouldn’t be interested in knowing where that comes from.” I’d kind of been expecting that sort of comment this time round. I blushed a little, but managed to grin and say, “Well, it’s not like it’s just you. No one can deny you’ve got quite the sexy figure- you know, one I wouldn’t mind seeing without her clothes on.” Out of all the things Sunset expected me to say, that wasn’t on the list. Her face gave a little “Eep!” of surprise and her faced turned a darker shade of red than her hair, though she gave me a rather suggestive smile that made me want to continue. Then there was Rainbow Dash, who let out an exasperated groan of agony. “Oh, jeez, you two are already crossing the threshold of lovey-dovey and going straight on into socially awkward PDA,” she said miserably, staring out through her fingers. “I can hardly imagine what you two are gonna be just a few months from now.” “I’d be more worried about what they’re gonna be on Sunday,” Applejack muttered just on the edge of my hearing, though I didn’t bother to see what she meant. I was more focused on the girl in front of me. “Rainbow Dash, how can you of all people be angry about such talk?” Rarity countered, yet again being one of the staunchest defenders of Sunset and I’s relationship. “Need I remind you of what you would confide to me about our friend?” I swear I felt the temperature drop like a rock right then and there, with Rainbow Dash looking color and looking like a pale rainbow. Slowly, like a decrepit corpse, she turned to Rarity and gave her such a look that she might just attack her fashion-minded friend. “What did you say to me?” she asked. “I’m gonna head to class,” I said suddenly, grabbing Sunset’s hand and the two of us rushed out of the lunchroom before the real storm began. I didn’t dare look back, but I was quite sure I heard the rest of our group get up and hurriedly leave as well. “Uh, got a question for you,” Sunset said to me as I led us through school, bobbing and weaving through the crowds of people. I did my best to ignore the stares and hisses that came our way, but I knew I’d eventually reach my limit. Sunset was better at it than me. “Yeah?” I asked distractedly. “You know you and I don’t have the same class this period, right?” “Yeah,” I said. “So… why are you taking me to your class?” Oops. I stopped right in front of… my next class, just as she had said. “Well, uh, not quite what I meant to do,” I said. “Sorry, I was a bit distracted.” “By what?” “Just thinking of what it’d take to get a goodbye kiss from the pretty young thing holding my hand,” I admitted. Sunset laughed, that bright cheerful laugh that I was always joyed to hear. “You’re always hoping for one, aren’t you?” “You’re beautiful. It’s gonna be a pretty constant thought.” She rolled her eyes before giving me a lingering kiss on the cheek, a little bit aways from what I was truly hoping for. “See you after school,” she called as she walked off. “Yeah,” I said distantly, watching her tempting figure as she walked off, astounded that someone that beautiful and perfect had come along in my life and found it in her to care for me. I was beyond grateful that I had come across her, and thankful that I had such a happiness to enjoy. She was practically perfect. “You two’re in a pretty good mood, ah see,” someone said behind me, and as I jumped I turned and saw AJ standing behind me, giving me the strangest look. “Heck was that for?” I demanded. “Suddenly feel the need to sneak silently and scare the piss outta me?” “Naw, wasn’t tryin’ to, jus’ watchin’ you two,” she remarked, her face still retaining its unusual expression. “Just wonderin, that’s all.” “About what?” I said. “Couldn’t have just come up and asked me about it?” She gave me her usual sardonic look. “Perhaps that’s what ah’m tryin’ to achieve here,” she said. “Ah just wanted to ask ya how y’all were doin’, since yor first week here was pretty rough.” Oh. “Doing pretty good, as you can see,” I said. “We’re doing a little better at ignoring the rest of the idiots around us, I just try to focus on her… it works pretty well. It’s an easy relationship.” AJ nodded thoughtfully, mulling it over silently. “Alright, that’s all ah was wantin,” she said. As she turned to walk away, she paused, looked back at me and said, “You know that it ain’t always easy, right?” I blanked. “Excuse me?” “She ain’t always gonna be as perfect as you think she is,” Applejack said. “And neither will you, if you can believe that. Ah care a lot about the both of ya, you especially since ah was your first friend here. Ah’ve always tried to look out for ya and help ya, so… just know that it’s not always gonna be happy or fun.” It was the strangest piece of advice she’d ever given me, and I wasn’t sure I quite understood what she was talking about. “Um, alright. Thanks, I guess.” “It’s worth it, just- you’ll just have to work at it sometimes, thas’all,” AJ added. “That’s what Granny Smith always told me.” “OK. Thanks, I guess.” I stared straight at her, and she at me. We knew each other well enough to know what the other was thinking. She was trying to convince me of something, but I wasn’t sure at all what had triggered it. It was such a strange thing to say and for the life of me I didn’t understand what had prompted her. She shuffled around on her feet for a minute, then said, “Well… see ya later,” then disappeared into the crowd for her next class, leaving me there utterly mystified. I pulled a face, then shrugged and headed off to class. At least I understood one girl around here. “I warned you we’d be walking a while! You should’ve bundled up more.” “Yeah, but I didn’t think for this long,” Sunset replied, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to generate warmth as we made our way through the cold. “Ooh, I hoped the bus would take us out further than it did.” “It used to. Stopped going all the way to Queen’s Station Lane about a year ago and they haven’t tried to have the end of the route start back up since.” “Why’d they kill it?” she asked. I pointed to the remnants of the bus stop shelter, which was heavily vandalized and covered in graffiti, the words “F*ck snitches, slay bitches” easily legible on what little remained. “There’s your first indicator of what can go on here,” I said. “And that’s tame. About six months before this stop closed, there was a big gangfight between Wanyama and another group formerly known as the Knuckleheads. It’s kinda what caused them to shut it down.” “What happened?” “The Knuckleheads stopped being a gang,” I said shortly. “Wanyama killed the ones that were at the bus station and sent others of us to go hunt down the rest. A lot of people died that night.” Sunset gave a small squeak of horror and brought her hands to her mouth, eyes wide. “That’s horrible- were, were you..?” I knew what she was going to say. “Was I involved? No, I wasn’t even a free man when it happened. I was in juvenile detention for starting a fight at San Marino.” “Oh.” We walked along in silence for a little while longer, Sunset quieted by my misdeeds, if only for a moment. “You got sent to juvi twice… right?” I nodded. “Yeah, first time was for proliferating drugs. Wanyama uses younger kids for jobs like that. Cops suspect them less, I think, so the young guys can get away with more. Second time was for fighting. Got a big one going, and I broke a kid’s nose.” “Was it easy for you?” she inquired. “To just… do stuff like that?” I thought it over for a bit, then nodded. “It was so natural. Like it was second nature. I think it’s something to do with this place, this part of the city. There’s just a sense of hopelessness out here.” “What do you mean?” I sighed, rubbing my fingers through my hair. “I dunno, it’s just… to us, the people here, a success story is when you hear about the old lady who finally gave up her crack addiction. About the dad who actually stuck around, about the kid who went off to college and managed to leave this place. But they’re so few and far between, it’s like they never exist. Life here means you always have to be careful of when and where you’re going, of who you make mad, sometimes of even how you’re gonna feed yourself. It’s so easy to believe that you’ll never make it out. That this is what life is.” “And that’s what happened to you,” Sunset said mournfully. “Yeah, that’s exactly what happened,” I said quietly, giving her a small, sad little smile. “I got sucked right in and wasn’t gonna make it out. Then I got sent to Canterlot High, I met AJ and the others- I met you. You probably saved my life, you know.” “I didn’t do a thing,” Sunset insisted. “I’m not that good myself- I turned into a raging she-demon and nearly took over the school.” Again with that she-demon thing, she’d mentioned it before. Still didn’t understand it, either. “Don’t start up the defeat again, please,” I said. “You can’t keep doing that to yourself. If you could see yourself for who you really are, you’d see someone beautiful.” “And ugly inside,” she said bitterly. “A monster, always ready to break out.” “Hey, enough,” I replied sharply. “I fought to legitimately hurt people at one point in my life- I did things that got me sent to prison. And now I’m not, I changed, I started wanting to be someone actually good. You know why that happened… right?” Sunset shook her head, staring at me in confusion. “Do you not see it yet?” I asked, feeling actually disappointed. “Do you not understand?” “No, I’m sorry, I really don’t,” she said. “I don’t know what you mean.” I felt genuinely hurt, perhaps the sole person who truly knew what had brought about such change. “Doesn’t matter, I guess,” I said dully. “Come on, let’s keep going.” For a while we walked along in silence, neither of us sure what to say to the other. My gaze kept darting to her every now and then, so frustrated and tired of seeing that defeated look on her face. It was like she had developed this mental block in regards to herself, where she was just unable to see herself as she really was. The past couple weeks had been a huge improvement, but there were just times that no one could reach her, not even me. It was absolutely infuriating- “Is that- no way, it IS! Hey Scales, hey!” “Oh shit,” I breathed, dread seizing my heart as I recognized the voice behind me. There was only one person on the planet who would ever call me that name… “Who is that-” Sunset began to say but I cut her off instantly, grabbing her and putting her behind me as quickly as I could. “Get behind me, be ready to move right when I say so,” I said, my body beginning to shiver ever so slightly as I instinctively prepared for a fight. This was a situation that could easily turn into a nightmare, as Suds, Vice, Tooth, and Claws cam shuffling up towards me, looking as ratty and filthy as ever. “Well, wassup, Scales, ‘sbeen a while,” Suds said mildly, coming up and stretching out for our usual handshake. I didn’t move a muscle, staring at him coldly in utter distate. I knew full well what his role in Wanyama was, something I could now no longer stomach. “Suds,” was all I could muster to utter. Suds froze where he was, his eyes darting to bore right into mine, completely at a loss as to why I wasn’t greeting him with the usual fervor. For a moment, I saw confusion, uncertainty in his gaze as he tried to regain control of the situation, something I was desperately trying to prevent. “Anyway, been a while, dawg, haven’t seen you much ‘round here,” Suds remarked, shuffling back and forth on a worn pair of black Jordans. I remembered helping him steal them last year. “Been a while since we talked, musta been… what, last year, right?” “October,” Vice grumbled, and my heart sank. If Vice was able to remember our last meeting that clearly, then the odds of this being a simple social call were about to go down the drain. “Yeah, it’s been since October,” Suds agreed, giving his friend a quick fist bump. “Yeah, that was Jester’s party you missed, I remember now. We had plenty of fine bitches there, dawg, loads of cocaine, crack, you name it we HAD it! We lit shit up that night, dawg! Was waitin’ for you there, but you never came, dawg. What happened, that old bitch of yours hold you up again? Catch your goods?” “I had other duties that night. I couldn’t go,” I replied succinctly. I hesitated to tell them that I had left Wanyama, uneasy about the repercussions of such an act. “Yeah, well,” Suds said, spitting used-up chew on the ground, barely missing my shoes- a bad sign of his actual mood. “No matter. Say, we been looking for you, dawg- just me and the old crew, you know. Haven’t seen you around much, ain’t heard nothing from you for a while. It’s almost like you don’t want nothin’ to do with us no more, dawg. So wassup, what hap-” Suds lost track of himself as he caught sight of Sunset, who was eyeing the greasy thug warily from behind cover, behind me. “Aw- AW, no WAY, dawg! No f-cking way, dawg! Scales got a piece! Scales got a piece!” he roared with laughter, jabbing the others with his elbows to incite them to mirth right alongside him. “And oowee, is she fine, I tell you what. What’s your name, baby?” “Don’t answer him,” I said sharply, knowing exactly what he was trying to do. It was his tactic as a hunter, to loosen girls up and get them to talk too much. That was when he would begin to make his move. “Hey, I ain’t talking to you, now let the honey start talking. Now come on, fine thing, come on out and say hey, no need to hide. I ain’t gonna hurt ya,” he added with a grin. It would’ve been comforting if it hadn’t given him the look of a snake. “Somehow, I get the feeling talking to you would be detrimental at best,” Sunset replied coldly. I winced, though behind it I felt a tinge of pride at her bravery. Her senses were sharp, she had to know what kind of person he was. “Ooh, come on now, you don’t need to be like that now, play nice,” Suds wheedled. “Save your breath. Now leave us alone,” Sunset replied. Suds recoiled and his face slid from his serpentine grin to a foul leer. “Why don’t you shut your mouth, bitch, and I’ll tell you when you can talk back to me.” Turning to me, he asked, “Don’t you keep your poontang on a leash? How about Claws and I come by and help tear that pussy wide open, and we muzzle that mouth of hers?” “Even attempt to lay a finger on her and I will personally break your neck,” I snarled. Suds froze, staring at me as if he had never seen me before in his life. “Excuse me? Did you just talk back to me- your boy, your dawg who looked after you after your old man got himself thrown in prison? Who the hell do you think you are-” “I am giving you this chance, get away and leave right now,” I seethed, my hands curling into fists as a pulsing sensation erupted in my left temple. “Leave us alone right now, or else-” “Or else what?” Suds demanded angrily, his cover beginning to blow as his fury mounted. “Bitch, I will f-cking destroy your ass, you don’t never talk to me like that, you hear me?” He rushed forward and came inches away from my face, his rage boiling the air between us. “Just cause you think you got some skeezy ho you think you can say and do whatever you want? You belong to Wanyama, bitch, to me-” “I belong to no man,” I growled, “especially to you.” “You what? Aw hell naw, you didn’t jus leave Wanyama-” “I left and I have the full right to it!” I replied. “You know the laws- I left silently, I have brought no harm to the body, I sent no word to anyone. I am immune by the creed.” “F-ck the creed, I say I beat your ass right now-” He was down in a matter of seconds, my string of punches knocking him senseless, with a final haymaker sending him to the ground. Vice and the others began to rush towards me- “Stand down! You know what I’m capable of!” I spat, every fiber of my being absolutely charged with rage. “If I’d wanted to kill him, I could have. I was an enforcer, you were hunters. Consider that.” Vice and the rest of them simply looked at each other, unsure of what their next move would be, too used to being ordered around by their brute of a leader. Suds got to his feet, blood trickling from his mouth. “I swear, I am gonna kill you, then take your bitch just because I can. You hear me?” “Don’t even act like you can match me, you never could-” “Don’t!” Sunset cut through sharply, a tone of worry now evident in her voice. “Come on, we need to go. Now.” Suds now looked absolutely incensed, saying, “Say another word and I swear to f-cking god I will-” “I will personally ensure your lives come to an end,” concluded a much deeper voice, one so full of anger that Suds and the others cowered in utter terror. I didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Manny, accompanied by the sounds of a cocked shotgun. “Hey, Bestia, this ain’t your fight, beat it,” Suds said sulkingly. “Ain’t no one here that got a beef with you.” “And yet you threaten to kill mi ariete, and this beautiful creature,” Manny said, gently sliding the shotgun down until it was mere inches from Suds’ face, causing the greasy thug to freeze in terror. “Lay a hand on either of them, and Jester shall be the least of your worries. I know what occurred the last time one of his followers broke his laws.” Suds went pale, having been there that fateful day of which I had only heard rumors. “Come on, let’s beat it,” he grumbled. As the group of hoodlums began to walk away, he turned about to face me and said, “Laws or now laws- next time I see you, it’s on.” “If you only had the balls,” I sneered, and with that the foul bastard finally stalked off and out of sight. We watched and waited until we were certain they had really gone, all three of us holding our collective breaths as we wondered if they would come right back and try to fight. “I think they’re gone,” I said finally, my body beginning to shake as the adrenaline began to leave my system, leaving me wracked by nerves. “Dammit… I was afraid something would happen.” “It could’ve been far worse,” Manny said to us, beckoning for us to follow him into the gym. “You caught sight of it, too,” Sunset said anxiously, putting her arms around me. “Saw what? The heck you talking about?” I asked. “You said he was a hunter, correct?” Manny asked. “That was his role in Wanyama?” “All of them are,” I replied. “Not anymore, then, ariete,” Manny said. “The one you called Suds? He had a pistol underneath his shirt.” I went rigid with shock, my eyes widening till they were about the size of dinner plates. “But- Suds loved being a hunter- he was addicted to it-” “Hunters aren’t allowed to be armed, you know that,” Manny countered. I felt my legs begin to quiver and my stomach gave a strange swooping sensation as I realized I had been lucky to get away with my life intact. “Holy… holy…” “Come on, get inside,” Manny said, and we went in to find the gym relatively empty, with only Ricardo and Karina practicing sparring over in the corner ring. When they caught sight of us they immediately began to come on over, but Manny motioned for them to relax. “Into my office, you two.” Sunset and I collapsed into the office chairs the moment we entered, my body still shaking like mad. If Manny hadn’t come right then, it was pretty likely that I would’ve been killed, and Sunset… I didn’t like to even think of that. “You saw he had it, didn’t you?” I asked, turning to her. “Right before Manny showed up, you noticed he was armed.” Sunset nodded, her face still stricken with fright. “He had it tucked in his pants, on the right side. I saw the pistol grip sticking out from beneath his shirt.” “You were too focused on winning again, weren’t you?” Manny asked, looking at me with such anger that his gaze felt like a drill boring into my skull. “Uh…” Manny shook his head. “You do the same in the ring. It’s the same mistake you’ve been making ever since you came here. You get so focused on one little thing that you ignore anything else. Normally it just means you make yourself look like a fool, but right here- in this little incident? It nearly cost lives! Yours and hers!” “I didn’t know-” “We know you didn’t know!” Manny barked. “But your stupidity isn’t anything close to an excuse! Did you even think about what could happen- at all?” I didn’t even bother to say a word. What could I possibly say after something like this? I had very nearly caused disaster, and all because I didn’t have any common sense. “You are very, very lucky I saw it all unfolding from my office window, or else there would’ve been a pretty grisly murder outside my gym! Now I know full well what you’ve been through, and for the most part I’ve done the best I can to help you out and point you in the right direction, so all in all I’ve been more lenient with you than I have my other students. But do something like that again, risk someone’s life as you just did, and I will personally ensure you regret it for the rest of your life.” “Understood,” I said lowly. It was the best I could muster. With that, Manny relaxed somewhat, stroking his moustache as he looked down on us. “Neither of you are hurt, correct?” “We’re fine,” Sunset replied. Manny walked over to his mini-fridge and tossed us a couple of water bottles. “It’ll help you relax a little,” he said. “Now tell me… how were you planning to get her back home? By walking back?” When I nodded, he said, “Well, you obviously can’t do that anymore. Put money on them waiting for you just down the road. You’ll need to get a ride straight from here to wherever you need to go.” “Well, umm… neither of us have a car,” I said. “And Mom’s working late again. Has to stay over at the house overnight.” “Can her parents come pick her up?” Sunset flushed red and looked away. “It’s- it’s complicated.” Manny gave an inquisitive look but said nothing. I was willing to guess that he had already figured out Sunset’s home life with that answer alone. He understood people almost instantly. “So what’ll happen now that they know you left? Will they come looking for you?” I shook my head. “Jester made laws against pursuing those who leave. They’re complicated, but as long as I keep my mouth shut and don’t try to form a splinter group, I should be fine.” “And your mom?” “Hmm…” Thankfully Suds didn’t know where I lived, but I knew Jester did. If Suds ever asked him where that was, I’d be screwed. “Wanyama won’t go after her; Suds might.” “Does he know where you are?” “No.” “Then you need to keep it that way. You don’t walk here ever again. Take a cab, hitch a ride, buy a car if you can. But not on foot. Especially if she’s with you.” I nodded. I didn’t have a lot of money in my account, but I’d be able to look for a cheap vehicle somewhere. It was a start. “Well, if you’re all relaxed and ready to go, I assume you came here to train,” Manny said. “Come on, get your gear on. What she here for?” “I just wanted to watch,” Sunset replied. Manny looked at her, and then at me. “This the one you were talking about?” He turned back to Sunset and added, “Flubber here’s been pining for you for months, so you know.” “It’s not a bad thing,” I remarked, which made her blush even more, though she smiled before she told me to shut up. I was glad to see some of the nervousness leaving her. Training was a typical regimen that began with simple stretches and exercises: pushups and situps were what Manny usually had me start out with to get the muscles hot and ready for actual work. Then we’d typically move on to some jump rope and burpees before moving on to shadow boxing, which was where Manny usually put people through the most grueling workouts, constantly critiquing form, technique and waiting for you to make a mistake. If I ever screwed something up, training instantly stopped and I had to give ten burpees. “Doesn’t that wear you out, though?” Sunset asked after I slipped on a puddle of my own sweat and was forced to give my third set of burpees that session. “That’s… the point,” I said with a shake of my head, trying to rid myself of sweat. “Reminds you to keep form… trust me, it… helps a lot. Makes ya strong.” After that came some running, just some simple drills that Manny had constructed to work the muscles in the legs for quick movement. Since he’d done MMA and UFC training during his boxing career, he knew that a lot of workouts were transferable for each and made great regimens. “Alright, it’s your choice what you want to finish out with. Pick your poison: heavy bag, sparring, or weight training?” I was particularly good with weight training, but I had an audience and I wanted Sunset to stay interested, as she’d been asking questions of me, Manny and the others during the entire time we’d been here. I figured sparring would be the most entertaining. “Alright. Ricardo! Get up here and help him out,” Manny barked, and the wiry islander wormed his way into the ring to face me, his usual friendly demeanor now energized by the prospect of a good sparring match. In terms of size, I had a huge advantage over him, having a few inches and around twenty pounds of extra weight, but I knew better than to believe I was at an advantage. Ricardo had a far greater reach than I did, and was far faster due to his lighter frame. He was an excellent combatant. Thankfully, neither of us were in for a real fight, so we simply settled for practicing good technique, Ricardo offering me counseling and tips as we went along. He’d been a touring fighter a few years back before retiring here due to a leg injury, so he had a good deal of experience under his belt, and his giving nature made him an excellent teacher. As Ricardo and I bobbed and weaved around the ring, I could see out of the corner of my eye that Sunset had drifted over to the conversation between Karina and Manny. “It’s the third time this year we’ve been forced to try a peace settlement. It’s going to have to give eventually if they can’t reach a settlement,” Karina said. “Define ‘gives,’” Manny said. “Look at it like this: the Crystal Empire’s hated this country for decades, they always have. It’s why the weapons development program kicked in, it’s why the military is so aggressive. The Empire never really recovered their pride after they lost the Falkans way back.” “So you think they’ll try something,” Manny said. “We must think they will. The military’s been performing a lot of large-scale exercises and their recruiting efforts have skyrocketed lately,” Sunset remarked. Manny gave a look of surprise and said, “So you think there’s gonna be war?” “I guess it just means that the government’s scared the Empire will. It could just be all showing off, but we’ve been reacting to the Empire’s movements overseas, so…” The weather-beaten fight gave a barking laugh and said, “She’s got it pegged, Flubber! She’s smart, you should try to keep this one!” I grinned, enjoying the sight of Sunset looking embarrassed yet again- and paid for my momentary distraction with a lobo punch to the face, knocking me senseless and effectively ending the training for the day. “I promise, it could be worse,” I told Sunset as I exited the locker room, her face an expression of horror as she saw the monstrous black eye I had received. “Hey Manny, remember the time you popped my arm out of its socket when I got all pissed against Dominique a few years ago?” “Because you were being an idiot,” Manny replied. “Only problem is that you’re still an idiot.” Despite our desires to head out and grab some food, Manny forbade us from going home on our own, so we had to wait for the gym to close, with Manny shutting the place down early that evening. “Won’t you lose money by closing early?” Sunset asked. He shook his head. “Save money, if anything. No one else is going to come by today, I know who uses my gym.” Sunset and I helped Manny, Ricardo and Karina tidy up before switching off the lights, and the three of us piled into his used F-150 and began to head out of the West End towards better scenery, Manny and I deciding it was better to look after Sunset’s safety before anything else. I flipped on the radio to a rap station I liked, but Manny immediately switched it over to a news station, declaring that my taste in music was somewhere below the sewers. As we were passing Queen’s Station, Sunset was staring out at the scenery when she suddenly sat straight up and gave a small gasp of fright. “What, what is it?” I ask. “Look right behind the stop, next to the lightpost,” she said. I squint out into the darkness and my stomach drops instantly- Claws, Tooth, Vice, and Suds are all standing there in the shadows, watching us pass by. They had been waiting for us to come back and take the bus, lingering just out of sight for those who’d be walking by on the sidewalk- which would’ve been us. They would’ve crept out and- Suds caught sight of me in the car and glared daggers at me, simply making a pistol with his fingers before pointing it straight at my head and firing. I decided to stay over at Sunset’s apartment that night, worried that Suds would try to follow and find where we were. More than once during out trip of out the West End I found myself looking back at cars behind us, wondering if one of them was a tail. The drive seemed to last an eternity, each vehicle that came behind us wracking more nerves than the last. It was a relief to get inside, a place where I could lock doors, shutter windows and disappear from the eyes of others. Sunset and I were exhausted simply from the anxiety, and for a while we simply collapsed on the couch, too tired to bother moving. “Well,” I said finally, “I think… I think today could’ve gone better.” “Probably a little,” Sunset replied. “I wanna know something, though… is it alright if I ask?” “Ask away.” “That boy we ran into today,” she said, pushing herself off the couch and looking at me. “How… how long did you know him?” I hesitated in answering. “Since I was… I’m not sure, maybe around four to five years ago.” “You called him a hunter. That meant something to you and Manny…” “Yeah, it’s one of the roles in Wanyama, one of the five,” I said. “He and I started out as merchants before I became an enforcer and he a hunter.” “What’s it mean, though? What did he do?” I felt a hole gnawing in my stomach as I remembered all the times I had found Suds performing his duties. “It… he helped kidnap people for the slave trade. Suds specialized in kidnapping women for sex trades.” We hadn’t really bothered to turn the lights on, but even in the darkness I could see a change come over Sunset. “There was a warehouse not far from where we ran into them,” she said hoarsely. “That’s where they-” I nodded. “The auctions happen twice a night. Wanyama averages $500,000 every auction. It’s their biggest source of income.” She didn’t say a word, simply sitting there in silence as I felt an overwhelming sense of shame. I may have told her what he did, but I didn’t tell her of all the times I had seen him do it. Or when I’d helped him do it. Every girl I’d ever been with, once they had left me, had always become a target, Suds ‘helping out a brother’ as he would put it, and getting me some revenge. The moment he had caught sight of Sunset, it must’ve seemed like the usual business. “Every time I look back at all the times I could’ve left, I always remember being sucked back in,” I said. “Whether it was the… the drugs or the violence or all my old pals, I never could get away, I never…” Sunset placed her hand gently upon mine, such a simple gesture but one that meant more than words could describe to me. I felt my heart slow as the soft, soothing gesture of her fingers in my own brought a sense of peace that I never thought could come in such circumstances. The two of us simply sat there for a time. “Hey, you’ve… you’ve got a spare change of clothes in your bag, right?” Sunset asked. “Why don’t you go take a shower, you must feel kinda gross after working out.” “Yeah. Yeah, thanks,” I said. As I got up, I grabbed my wallet and threw down my credit card and a couple of dollars. “Order something, it’s on me. I don’t really care what.” I had to go through Sunset’s bedroom to reach her shower, so I closed the door to undress and threw my bag on her bed- kicking up a small pile of letters that I hadn’t seen. I glanced at them for just a moment and was about to dismiss them as bills or other such boring items when I saw the handwriting on one of them and recognized it as Octavia’s. I knew what it was before I even picked it up. I knew Octavia well enough to make an educated guess, and when I began to read her neat handwriting, sure enough: “You’re a dirty whore. Don’t think we don’t see you with your ‘friends’ and pretending to be all nice. You’re a filthy liar and everyone knows what a bitch you are. No one in the world could possibly care about you, not now or ever. Kill yourself.” I looked over the pile of letters, most coming from Octavia though a few others I didn’t recognize. Some were simple taunts, while others detailed all the horrible things Sunset had done to remind her “what a complete and total piece of shit you are” said one. It was obvious she’d been receiving these for weeks. She’d been hiding this from me, I realized as I started the shower and stepped in the warm water. She’d been pretending to get better, but instead… instead she’d been letting the abuse take its toll in another form, a way that I wasn’t supposed to know about. No wonder Octavia and the others had seemed so subdued. They’d found a way to break her behind my back. I found Sunset in the kitchen, cleaning a couple dirty dishes she’d used for breakfast that morning. She’d taken off her jacket and was now wearing only her usual purple t-shirt. Though she wasn’t aware of it, I was scanning her arms for anything, any sign of abuse. I could still see the marks where Brad and his band of fools had sliced her flesh into ribbons, marks that would never fully heal or fade away. She’d carry them for the rest of her life, reminders of what she had once been… And that I couldn’t protect her. Sunset must have noticed I was there, for she turned around from her work and gave me her usual small smile. “Hey, I ordered some pizza, hope that’s alright. I figured something real simple would probably be best-” her words faltered as she caught sight of me and her expression changed to one of concern. “Hey, you alright?” I simply looked at her, drinking her in: she was so beautiful. A neat, petite figure, long flowing hair, and her eyes… her bright blue eyes that deserved to be so full of hope and happiness that the world couldn’t possibly contain it, but were burdened down by fear and shame and a sadness that I couldn’t break, and all of it was more than I could stand to bear. She was so perfect- and so impossibly hurt. “What’s wrong? Look, I know you’re shook up about today, but it’s alright, I promise,” Sunset said, abandoning her work and coming to stand before me, gazing up at me with concern. “You wanna talk about it? Anything I can do to help?” I threw my arms around her and held her close, every squeeze, every caress saying more than mere words ever could, because everything I could ever hope to say would never be enough. I felt her give an “Oh!” of surprise, but she put her arms around my neck and buried herself in my shoulder. We fell to our knees, weighed down with more than we could possibly imagine and hope to understand, and I felt my heart break as she shook, the pains of her soul able to hold back no more. We simple lay there on that dirty kitchen floor in a dingy apartment in a broken city, unable to bear our burdens any further.