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The day the world exploded was the day everything went wrong.
Purpled still remembered it with absolute clarity and clearness.
His parents sending him and his brother forwards, out towards where the ships were waiting, yelling at them to run, to leave the planet on the evacuation ships.
He’d run as fast as he could through the burning and exploding rubble of his planet, his home to get to the ships, trying his hardest to keep pace with his older brother.
When they’d arrived at the evacuation decks he’d tried to climb into one of the last two-person ships only to be pushed out of the way by his brother.
He remembered looking at him confused. After all if they were going to get in the same ship why’d he have to push him out the way?
“Sorry Purp. Every man for himself.”
There had been no remorse, no hesitation, no tears on his face as he’d done this.
Then he’d called for one of his friends, ‘Older, more skilled, not a burden’ he thought he’d heard as his friend had rushed over and gotten into the ship.
They flew away.
He had hoped their last memory of him was the small 8 year old boy in a purple hoodie, ash smeared across his face, rips in his clothes, standing amongst the rubble of a burning planet, that they abandoned, that they left to die. He had hoped it haunted their minds forever.
“Hey kid! Get in!” A voice yelled over the screaming and booming.
He’d glanced around wildly before spotting someone wildly waving him over. So he sprinted, in hopes that, maybe, MAYBE, this time he’d have a chance at living.
With the rubble on the ground and rumbling in the ground he struggled to get the ship, despite how close it was.
He was exhausted, gasping for breath, but still pushed himself to run as fast as he could, when he tripped and fell.
He saw the person begin to get out of the ship.
“NO!” He screamed before dissolving into a fit of coughing.
“Don’t sacrifice yourself for me.”
But they were already here, and lifting him desperately, throwing him over their shoulder and running back to the ship.
Once inside, the elder of the two began furiously flicking switches and pressing buttons until they lifted off the ground and from there he steered their way out the ship.
He’d introduced himself as Scott Smajor, taken him in, adopted him when they got to the next planet, a planet called Petunia.
Him and Scott living there was peaceful.
Of course he continued to hold anger and resentment towards his brother, but who wouldn’t?
And he had used those feelings in the underground fight ring, forever imagining the words ‘Burden’ and ‘Every man for himself’ spewing out of his mouth, the nonchalant look as he left his brother, blood and bone to die.
But now he was here. Older, and ready to face him in the fight ring. Even if he hadn’t known he was going to be here.
The smug fuck still had the same white hoodie, but he was more than glad to see a scar entrenching itself in the skin under his eye and across his cheekbones.
“Hey Purp. I thought it was about time I come take you back again.”
Rage boiled beneath his skin, as they circled each other.
“Really Punz? You think 11 years is a good timeframe of no contact for that?”
“Of course. I mean it gives you plenty of time to recover from that little… mishap of mine.”
“Mishap? MISHAP? YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!”
And with that he lunged forward.
He grabbed him by the hoodie.
“MISHAP HUH? I SUPPOSE YOUR LITTLE DO-GOODER FRIEND YOU TOOK INSTEAD OF ME LEFT YOU TO DIE ON THE STREETS. IS THAT WHY YOU’RE HERE? TO GET SOME QUICK CASH?”
And like an Angel and Devil on his shoulders his coaches, his bosses, were whispering in his ears, Phil in one ear, Techno in the other, Phil in the right, Techno in the left, Phil legally in the right, but the rings were illegal anyways so did it really matter? Techno legally in the wrong, but God, his support felt so, so good.
“I know it’s illegal here anyways but Purpled you’ve never killed anyone, it may haunt you.” Phil whispered with years of wisdom and experience threaded throughout his voice.
“Fuck him up, or I will for you.” Technos monotone voice managed to trick many but not when you’ve worked for him for as many years as Purpled had. He could hear the rage and bloodlust towards the man he’d told countless stories of, before telling him the story of his betrayal.
“C’mon Purp, you seriously think you could beat me?”
He pulled him closer.
“Don’t you fucking dare call me that. I’ve had eleven years of training with masters of fighting and I’m more than ready to kick your ass. They’re encouraging it.”
“I’m not!” Phil chirped in his ear.
He rolled his eyes, before pulling back his fist and then letting loose, the green glow of his first home planet giving him extra strength, as he punched his ‘Brother’ in the nose.
Punz held his nose, that was now beginning to let blood pour out. His eyes were watering.
“Well you’ve gotten stronger I’ll give you that brother.”
He spun around, and whipped out the dagger that Scott had given him for his sixteenth birthday, before whipping back around in an attempt to stab the stupid fuck, only to be prevented by a his parry.
Punz smirked, “I taught you everything you know.”
“You taught me nothing.” He whispered between gritted teeth, sweat threatening to drop from his brow and into his eyes.
He slid his dagger downwards and ducked behind his opponent, freeing himself in a move Techno taught him.
He could hear him cheering in his ears from his mentors.
From the crowd too.
“Why do you refuse to accept me Purpled?”
“Why did you abandon me to die Punz?” He retaliated, as they continued to circle each other.
“You weren’t going to pull your weight, a burden. I had to. But now you’ve proven yourself worthy. Now you’ve proven to me that you can join me.”
“So you only want me now that I’m useful.”
Punz met his eyes.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“No what?”
“No I’m not going to come with you.”
“You don’t get a choice in this matter. I am your guardian.”
“Your lack of understanding of any aspect of my life now proves otherwise,” Purpled started before rushing forward again, using his brute strength to try and force his so called brother onto the ground.
And this time it worked.
A dagger to his neck, the man lay in the dirt of the pit.
“You are legally dead. Believed to die with our planet. I have a new guardian, who had designated guardians for me if anything happened to him. But I am a legal adult now. Now I make the decisions.”
Punz dropped the weapon.
The cheering of the crowds only became louder at his surrender.
“And I choose not to come with you.”
He sheathed his weapon and began to walk away to where Techno and Phil were waiting.
“WE ARE BLOOD! BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER!”
He paused.
“The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” He whispered, just loud enough for Punz to hear.
Then he turned.
And kept walking.