Chapter Text
Beep!… Beep!… BEEP!
The sound of a blaring alarm clock was something Mondo was not used to waking up to. In fact, he can say with the utmost confidence that he hated the fucking thing. The loud ringing always made him wake up with his heart racing and head spinning rather than the slight jostle he had initially expected when he first set it up. It never failed at making his first seconds of the day shitty ones.
But still, Taka said he would start his day better if he had gotten up at a reasonable time rather than sleeping in until he had to rush to get to class on time (which, in most cases, he didn’t, much to his friend’s chagrin).
“Just lying around won’t get anything done! Get up! Start the day right!” a voice that sounded suspiciously a lot like Taka’s played in his head.
…
It shouldn’t be as persuasive as it was.
So, with about as much grace as an elderly gorilla, Mondo leaned over to shut off that annoying as fuck alarm. He cursed Taka for convincing him to set the alarm for so early. Seriously, who the hell was up at 6 a.m?! He was now, apparently.
The silence that followed allowed Mondo to sit up and take a deep breath for once, rubbing any remaining sleep out of his eyes. He made no move to get out of bed. He just sat there and let his mind wander as the rising sun bled through the partially open blinds of his dorm.
“The first thing one should do after waking up is visualize the day! What are some things you are hoping to accomplish? Are there specific chores needing to be done? Specific people you need to meet with? You’ll never know unless you think about it first!” the voice came back to state. Mondo could always count on it to guide him.
He tried to follow the advice to the best of his abilities. What did he need to get today?
Well, school obviously. That’s why he was up so damn early in the first place. Getting ready for school was the first thing on his mental to-do list, right above having something quick and easy for breakfast.
Let’s see. He had a study date with Taka planned a couple hours after classes ended to prepare for that history exam at the end of the week. Mondo had always had trouble with that class, and those damn tests would always make or break his overall grade. Taka, always willing to help his dumbass out, didn’t hesitate to plan a study session when Mondo expressed his worries, all without judging him for not understanding the material. It must’ve been such a small gesture to Taka, but Mondo always appreciated it. Even if he sometimes had trouble expressing it.
Mondo shook his head as he got off track. At this rate, he’d still show up late to class, making his early waking pointless. Okay, what’s next? He thought about going to the weight room before the study session to at least get some exercise done and to let all of his pent up energy out after a long day of classes.
…
What else? He swore he had something else planned. Back in his still sleep-ridden mind was a faint reminder to do something today. If only he could just-
Right! He made a mental note to call Michi today and see how things were going with the gang. Yeah. Simple enough.
Still, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was forgetting something. He’s not meeting with Chihiro to exercise together, that wasn’t until tomorrow. He doesn’t remember there being an important test today; Taka would’ve made sure he didn’t forget. He was supposed to go to the woodworking classroom today and continue the long journey to maybe becoming a carpenter, but the teacher had to reschedule their session due to some upperclassmen needing the space for a project. That’s probably it, right? His brain must’ve just forgotten the session was canceled. Yeah, that’s it.
With that, his day was fully visualized. Which meant now he had to actually start it.
He hesitantly threw the blanket off of himself, instantly regretting it as the morning chill set itself on his legs and woke up those last parts of his mind. Still, he swung his legs to the edge of the bed and slowly got up to head toward the bathroom.
His mental schedule for the day came back to haunt him as he brushed his teeth and washed his face, nagging at him about forgetting something as he rinsed his mouth of toothpaste. Despite him clearly realizing what was off about it, there was still this strange feeling that came over him as he continued to think about it.
Was it some sort of occasion today?
He tried his hardest to rack his brain for any sign that today was some sort of special event as he dried his wet face with a towel.
It couldn’t have been a birthday. None of his classmates mentioned one.
His steps got a little heavier as he exited the bathroom and headed for the closet, giving in to Taka’s insistence and reaching for the school uniform instead of his normal tank top and baggy pants combo. He should be more frustrated at the fact that he was dressing the way he was (thinking about how the gang wouldn’t let him live it down if they caught him dressing like some sort of nerd), but it always got Taka to smile so nicely when he showed up to class in the right attire.
There was no mention of a school event. The next festival wasn’t until the end of the semester.
He continued to get increasingly frustrated as he went back to the bathroom mirror to start working on his hair. Yes, he could be swayed into wearing the school uniform, but there was no way he was gonna stop doing the pompadour. No matter how much Taka looks at him with those sad eyes.
Had Michi mentioned some sort of gang fight or big trip when they last talked? He couldn’t have. The kid knows better than to do that shit while Mondo wasn’t around.
He finally had enough as he finished applying eyeliner and threw the makeup on the counter before stomping out of the bathroom once again. He headed for his nightstand and opened the drawer, digging around the scattered notebook papers and detention slips from months ago. It had to have been there somewhere. He hasn’t touched to the fucking thing since the beginning of the school year- Aha! He was not surprised to find the object he was looking for at the very bottom of the pile, pulling it out and flipping through the pages.
One of the things Hope’s Peak had supplied its students with at the beginning of each school year was a school calendar to keep them organized. It was something that most of his classmates had brushed off while others hung up to at least give the illusion of some order. He swears he sees Taka filling it out at the start of every week with anything and everything he may need to keep track of and crossing them out as the week went on, starting the whole process over again the following Monday.
Mondo himself didn’t even look at it last year let alone use it. He had tried using it at the beginning of the current year, noting any and all important dates when he had first gotten into his dorm room— birthdays, school breaks, final exams. The usual stuff. Still, he never was good at keeping up with management like that. He’d much rather stick to his mental schedules, even if they did sometimes fail him.
Like now. Which was why he was currently trying to find today’s date.
“If today was really that fucking important, I shoulda made a note of it,” he thought to himself as he flipped to the page with the current month. But before he had a chance to look for the date, time seemed to have stopped. The world reached a pause as Mondo looked down at the calendar.
Because, of course. It just had to be that.
Looking for today’s date took no time at all. It was actually very hard to miss due to the big shakily drawn circle Mondo drew around it in bright red. He couldn’t even feel stupid for forgetting what today was. He was too busy with the overwhelming fear, guilt, and despair making themselves comfortable at the bottom of his stomach all the while a low static started to play in his head.
He must’ve not seen it coming with how much he’s been focusing on school and his friends lately. That must’ve been why it all hit him so suddenly.
“What an interestin’ choice o’ words there, Mondo,” a voice in the back of his head told him in an angry yet mocking tone. He hadn’t heard that voice in a while. He hadn’t missed it one bit.
Of course, that voice never came alone. The calendar slipped out of Mondo’s hand as it all started coming back to him. The sound of motorcycle engines and a blaring truck horn. The blinding headlights. The smell of iron as blood flowed out of his brother’s body and onto the dark pavement of the streets, staining his pristine white uniform in the process. The pained screams he didn’t know he or his brother could produce until that very moment. The moment everything had changed for Mondo.
So, an anniversary. That’s what today was.
Mondo wished he had never set that goddamn alarm. Maybe he would’ve slept through today.
If he were really lucky, maybe he would’ve slept through the rest of time.
—————————————————————
The months leading up to the day of the accident were normal. As normal as they could be for someone in the top ranks of a notorious biker gang.
A then fourteen-year-old Mondo would normally skip classes in favor of doing fuck all with some of the members of the gang he was closest with. He fondly remembers normally finding a then thirteen-year-old Takemichi in some random back alley near his school before the two of them would hop on their bikes and wreak havoc amongst the unsuspecting townsfolk. It was nothing too dangerous, just riding around, making sure that their motorcycle engines were loud enough to blow out anyone's eardrums.
They never cared if anybody complained because that’s how simple life was to them back then. Not caring about what those pretentious rich bastards said because they’re heads are too far up their own asses to understand them, and non-verbally telling them where to shove it by roaring their engines as loud as they could. If they had anything to say, Mondo couldn’t hear it, the sound of the engine and wind hitting against him and his bike drowning everything else out.
While Mondo knew he could never go back to that, he missed those days like it was nobody’s business. Back before everything went wrong. Back before-
Fuck! Where was he going with this?
Some days, if Mondo was lucky, he’d get the chance to knock some sense into some asshole they saw being a nuisance in public. It was a good way to let out any pent up feelings that had been cultivating over the week. It was like how those old timey painters would express their emotions through their work. Mondo was the artist, his fists were his brushes, and the punk’s face was his canvas. He was truly a master of his craft. Of course, the receiving end would always be someone he thought had earned it. Mondo wasn’t a monster.
“Not yet, at least.”
“C´mon man, knock it off! We’re teachin´ the fucker a lesson, not killin´ him!” Michi yelled at him before yanking him back from the guy they spotted following a woman around. Mondo fell back on the pavement, staring at the numerous injuries he had left on the guy´s face, as Michi went forward and held the man down by stepping on the jacket he was wearing. It wasn’t like the guy could run away anyway. Mondo made sure of that. He looked back at Mondo, hazel eyes staring into his soul with what looked like concern, before redirecting themselves back to the man under his foot.
“Whaddaya think we should do with him?” he started “We can’t just leave him here, but turnin´ him into the cops would just get us into more trouble. Do we risk it?”
Mondo sat still for a few seconds before shrugging. Daiya normally called the shots in a situation like this. He would know what to do.
“Ya think we can turn him in if the chick he was followin´ testified what happened?”
Michi narrowed his eyes and looked around before shaking his head, “Ran off the first chance she got. Can’t exactly blame her.”
Mondo hid his face in his hands as he tried to think of a solution. They smelled like dirt, pavement, and blood. “Dude, don’t put that shit on yer face,” he heard Michi mutter under his breath. Mondo brought his head back up and leveled the other with a look. Well, if there was nothing else to do.
“I think I got an idea.”
///
He remembers Daiya almost spitting out the sip of water he was taking when the two recounted what happened to him later that day. He gulped it down, trying his best not to choke out of shock, before looking at the two younger boys like they had each just grown another head.
“Mondo, ya can’t just do THAT!” he finally yelled out, more exasperated than disappointed or angry. He set his glass down with a loud clunk, and Mondo hoped no one noticed his slight flinch at the noise. He sat up a little to cover it up.
“Well, what didya expect us to do!?” he yelled back.
“Almost anythin’ woulda been fine! Just don’t make it someone else’s problem!” Michi stood in silence in between the two brothers, focusing his attention on who was yelling as if he were watching a riveting tennis match. “And you!” The smallest of the three flinched back as Daiya turned toward him, “Why didn’t ya call him out on his bullshit plan?!”
“It ain’t like I didn’t try to! Dude’s as stubborn as a ton o’ bricks, an’ I didn’t know what else to do!” Michi yelled, being the only other member of their gang who had the balls to talk back to Daiya.
Oh, Michi did try to call out Mondo’s bullshit plan. “Well, I don’t see you comin’ up with somethin’ better,” was all he got back from Mondo as the two barged into a nearby fast food joint while Mondo held onto the perv to make sure he couldn’t make a break for it. The two promptly scared the shit out of the staff and patrons as they made their way toward the counter and basically threatened the teenager working there to call the cops.
“Tell ‘em someone brought him here, but DON’T TELL ‘EM IT WAS US!!!” Mondo’s voice raised in volume as his nerves got to him and slightly cracked towards the end.
The poor employee nodded and reached for a nearby phone with shakey hands while Michi tried to figure out what to do with their temporary captive. The shorter of the two tried smiling to the terrified patrons, but gave up after realizing they were way past trying to seem friendly. The sight of two dirty teenagers wearing gang signs and hauling around an unconscious and bloodied body wasn’t considered the epitome of safety to most. Still, the two booked it out of there when they made sure the kid was calling the cops and that the creep couldn’t get away, tying him to one of the tables. Mondo heard Michi yell out a quick apology as they were exiting the doors.
“Well, did you at least find out if the cops got the guy, or if the employee— hell, anyone— ratted you guys out?!” Daiya asked. Neither responded and instead looked anywhere else except the eldest. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ…” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
To say Mondo felt ashamed would be an understatement. He hung his head down and kept quiet, silently hoping that the ground underneath his feet would suddenly open up and swallow him whole. He would rather have that happen than know he had disappointed the one person he had looked up to the most. Sure, it wasn’t the first time he had done it, but it didn’t mean he didn’t feel like a total piece of shit every time he did.
“Word of advice,” he slowly brought his head back up when he heard Daiya break the silence, “Next time somethin’ like this happens, split up so that one of you deals with the punk while the other checks on the victim, that way they‘ll be able to testify for you guys when the cops come, WHO YOU WILL CALL YERSELVES. Ya understand?”
Mondo didn’t say anything and nodded silently, knowing better than to go against Daiya’s advice. God, he felt like a toddler getting yelled at by his mom.
“Glad we can come to an agreement,” was all Daiya said before walking into the kitchen.
Later, when the sun had set and the stars had come out from hiding, the two Owadas were finishing up cleaning what was left from their relatively small, relatively simple dinner. Daiya had offered Michi to stay the night, but the younger one turned him down. “Wouldn’t want whatever my folks got planned for me if I got home tomorrow mornin’,” he explained with a small smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. Daiya gave a silent look of understanding before letting Michi leave, leaving Mondo to fend for himself.
“Ya gotta understand that I’m not mad at you for what happened.” Daiya broke the tension-filled silence between the two as he set the last washed plate on the drying rack. “I just… Ya hafta use what’s left in that head o’ yers more before you go around doin’ shit that’ll get you in trouble. I don’t really care about the cops takin’ you in. Worst case scenario: you stay in a cell for a little while before I come along to bail you out. Ya handled that more times that I can count.”
“Not the compliment ya think it is Dai,” Mondo interrupted from where he was seated at the counter. Daiya smacked his shoulder with a stern “Watch it,” as if to say, “Don’t start talkin’ ‘til I’m done.”
“What I’m really scared of is you gettin’ hurt. I know you’ve been through gang fights and hold yer own pretty good. But knowing that yer out there doin’ hell knows what… It scares me. I know ya don’t like thinking about it, but you could get seriously hurt, or somethin’ could happen to the gang, and the idea of me not bein’ there-“ he cut himself off by putting his fist on the sink. He took a deep breath and let his shoulders sag.
“Nevermind. Ya got the gist, right?” Ya just have to start thinkin’ more if yer gonna…” Daiya stopped talking and let the sentence drop, almost like he realized he didn’t want to say what he was saying. Mondo noticed this and looked up from his chair, hearing a faint “Dammit” coming from his brother.
“If I’m gonna what?” he asked. Daiya stayed silent and continued to look at the empty sink in front of him instead of Mondo. Oh, there’s no way he’s getting away that easily. “Daiya, what the hell are ya talkin’ about?” Mondo stood up from the chair and walked up to his brother, hoping that the shorter distance between them would pressure his big brother into spilling the beans.
Daiya sighed and turned to face Mondo, eyes open and earnest. He must’ve thought that the look would ease Mondo, but it only succeeded in making him more nervous.
“Ya gotta promise that what I’m about to say won’t leave this room. Ya can’t even tell Michi. Promise on your HONOR AS A MAN-”
“OKAY! I get it! Promise!” Geez, Daiya was really freakin’ him out. Why was he always so overdramatic?
Mondo watched as his older brother closed his eyes and took a deep breath before, “... I’ve been thinkin’ about this for a while now and… I think it’s time that I step down as leader of the Crazy Diamonds.”
Oh.
Oh okay.
…
What the fuck?!
“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Mondo yelled out, causing Daiya to flinch back for once due to the small gap in between them. “Yer serious?! Retirement?! Steppin’ down?!”
“Yes, I’m serious,” Daiya answered, shutting Mondo up, “I’m not exactly as young as I was when the gang first started and I think I’m ready to start movin’ on from it. I’ve done what I could to run the gang, but it’s time to start pursuin’ other things.” Mondo didn’t speak again. He just stared at his brother, trying to make sense of all this.
“If things all go to plan, I should be retirin’ in the next few months. Just gotta get the gang prepared to move on without me… and make sure my replacement is ready for the task ahead of ‘em.”
“R-Replacement?” Mondo spoke up again, still reeling a bit. He was about to ask who the hell this replacement was going to be before Daiya gave him that look. It was the same look that he gave Mondo when they first got their dog, Chuck, and Daiya wanted to tell his young brother that the tiny furball was going to be his responsibility without outright saying it.
“No fuckin’ way,” Mondo said, voice so quiet it would’ve been easy to miss. Daiya just smiled in return.
“Hey, ‘Leader of the Crazy Diamonds’ would really suit ya, wouldn’t it?”
“Ya sure ya heard what happened at the fast-food place? Is yer hearin’ alright?”
Daiya gently shoved the other away with a lighthearted chuckle, “I’m sure. Today was a… mess, but I’m sure ya can be a great leader. Ya have all the skills, we just need to sharpen ‘em up a bit. We can work on that for the next few months, and you’ll be ready to lead the guys in no time. I’m more than sure of it.” He slung an arm around Mondo’s shoulders and looked at him excitedly. “Whaddaya say? Ya ready to lead? I gotta say, ya got some pretty big shoes to fill.”
Mondo looked back at his brother as two voices shouted at each other in his head. One was excited at the potential of being in charge of one of the biggest biker gangs in the country, of making his big brother proud. The other was wondering how the earlier feeling of shame would feel if it was multiplied by a thousand.
No, ten thousand.
“Yeah, don’t I know it,” he answered.