Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tory tapped her foot against the gray – tiled floor, glancing at the clock on the wall as she did so. Even back in Denver, before her attention span shrunk to that of a goldfish, she had found school insufferable and tragically boring.  

The only things that made it easier to endure now were Robby and dreams of graduating, then setting out to find Finney.  

While Tory does not belong in Denver, in that house with her mother’s laughter in the walls, with her very own cries echoing through the halls, that place belongs to Gwen, she does – and will always – love her brother. Until the end.  

Tory’s – not Gwen’s - thoughts were interrupted by the shrieking bell that she had come to associate with freedom and happiness: the end of the day.  

She ran over that evening’s plans in her head as she grabbed her bags, prepacked this morning with everything she would need. She would swing by the dojo and do a quick hour of training with Sam while Robby and Miguel had a family thing with their dad.  

Because as much as Miguel wouldn’t admit it, she knew that he saw Johnny Lawrence in the same way he would if their sensei had taught him to ride a bike or play catch after school. Everything overwhelmingly patriotic that she knew father and sons did, Johnny would have done with Miguel if he’d had the chance.  

Tory didn’t have anyone like that.  

After the dojo, she would drop home to make sure her mom and Brandon were okay before dropping him at the neighbor’s place, then going to work. Today’s shift was a sketchy – looking diner that was actually alright if you ignored the creepy old men staring at all the wrong places and the unpleasant cook who had a rather nasty habit of spitting in the food.  

But it was okay. It had to be okay.  

Sometimes, Tory mused as she climbed onto the bus, she missed Finney more than other days. Today happened to be one of those days. She missed his smile, his laugh. She missed the conversations the two would have on the way to and from school. She even, dare she say it, missed his comforting touch helping her get through the pain caused by their father. Tory would always love Finney, because while Robby had her heart, her and her brother shared a soul. A bond that went deeper than the usual sibling relationship. A kind of love so pure and beautiful that she wished she could go back in time. But then she would see Robby and guilt embedded itself into the very crevices of her stomach, her mind.  

How could she even think of going back to a time like that when she had a new family to worry about, when Finney had suffered so much during that time.  

Gwen had been the first one he’d confided in about his sexuality, about what would’ve been a crime in such a small, all – American town such as North Denver.  

‘ I’m bisexual,’, he’d said. ‘But I’m still the same Finney. You’ll just hear me talking about boys a little more.’  

God, Tory missed him so much it physically hurt to think about him. But Finney didn’t care about her anymore. Her brother had made that perfectly clear when he stopped calling, stopped writing, stopped any form of communication between the two. That hurt, too.  

She sighed, blinking back the tears that always seemed to appear when thinking about her wonderful, protective brother.  

The bus called for her stop, and she rang the bell with despair displayed in every nerve of her body. It felt like all those years ago, being moved to LA with no thought for her happiness, her wishes.  

Tory got up from her seat and disembarked, but not before shooting the driver a quick smile and a ‘thanks’. Sometimes all anyone needed was a smile, which may have been something out of character for Tory Nichols, Queen Cobra to say, but Gwen was a different person who would shine through in the strangest of times, usually when Tory was caught thinking about her past as a Blake.  

Gravel crunched beneath her feet as she walked down the road towards the dojo. The Miyagi Do’s place was admittedly beautiful, but in Tory's opinion it had nothing on the no–nonsense place that the Cobra Kai’s used to inhabit. It made them stronger, tougher in way, and Mr LaRusso's property looked a little too much like somewhere one might go for a massage and a manicure for her liking. That, and she was biased.  

It was... she checked her phone. 03:45 . That meant she was supposed to meet Sam in 20 minutes. Her friend (and wasn’t that a strange word to associate with Samantha LaRusso ) had offered her a ride but she had declined, enjoying the solitude that came with taking the bus and the extra few minutes that came with arriving early.  

Tory settled beneath a cherry blossom, her bag lying next to her.  

Sighing deeply, she rested her head against the bark and closed her eyes. It really had been a long few days and she was tired, the type of bone – deep exhaustion that came with working 2 jobs as well as looking after your sick brother and an 8-year-old kid.  

Maybe if she just drifted off for a few minutes... Sam would wake her up. Tory let herself drift away.  

When she woke up, she was in a room she decidedly did not recognise. And she wasn’t alone.  

Robby was sitting up next to her, and Sam and Miguel could be seen groggily waking up on her other side. She spotted Johnny and Daniel on the other side of the room and heard Devon and Kenny behind her.  

But the most surprising fact of all wasn’t the room, but who else was in it.  

Across the room, Tory could see a mop of curly brown hair, a blue shirt, brown doe eyes – so gentle with who they were staring at that that she almost forgot what they could do. She saw bronze, tanned skin and jet-black hair held back with a bandanna. She saw her brother and his... friend? Boyfriend? She had to hope they had realised their feelings on their own without Gwen’s help.  

She could feel Robby gently tugging on the sleeve of her jacket and was about to look away when those beautiful eyes, so like their mother’s, wandered closer to her muddier green ones - more like their father's -, probably sensing someone watching him and his companion.  

His eyes met Tory’s, and suddenly she felt like Gwen again.  

When Finney would collect her after school, their talks in front of the television, and the day he had emerged after 1 terrible week amid flashing lights and sirens and bodies, and he was alive. Finney was alive.  

Chapter Text

Tory was moving before her brain could even process what was happening. She wasn’t in a strange room surrounded by old and new family, she was 10 again, sprinting towards a brother she had refused to lose faith in, even as people around her claimed he was gone.  

“Finney!”  

And then he was running too, and they were together again, sinking to the floor in an embrace of tears and tangled limbs and whispered ‘ I’m sorry’ s.  

She could feel his arms, stronger and firmer now, wrapping around her and holding her supportively. She hoped, prayed, that he thought the same of her. Tory’s love and protection of Finney would never fade, no matter the years apart. What they’d done with their time together mattered more.  

“Gwen. I-I missed you. So much. God, I’m sorry for not calling. I’m so, so, so sorry!”  

Tory Gwen knew he meant it. She knew from the quiver in his voice, the wetness on her shoulder from tears of guilt and relief. But mostly, she knew because she knew Finney. How he always used to cry when watching the Harry Potter movies, because ‘ Dobby didn’t deserve that,’ , how he would blush tomato-red when talking about a certain Mexican.  

How he never lost hope for those he cared about. She hoped he knew that she never, never, lost hope in him coming home.  

“Finney, I missed you too! You’re my brother... and I don’t blame you – how could I?!”  

But what was that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, because she did blame him, just a tiny bit. Gwen hadn’t been the one to abandon her sibling with no-one. She could never do that to Finney.  

She hated the Grabber for doing this to them. He had taken Finney, and nothing had been the same since. How could it be? First he was missing then the two were separated because their dad ‘wasn’t fit for parenthood’. They hadn’t cared before.  

And still, she whispered reassurances into his ear, the taste of lying sour on her tongue until he lifted his head from her shoulder – now damp with the horrible saltiness of tears – and gave her a weak smile, studying her as he did so. Could he see the lost baby fat? The hardness in her eyes? The fight that would forever be in her heart?  

“What the fuck is going on?!”  

Tory rolled her eyes, rising from her uncomfortable space on the floor. She’d almost forgotten about the other occupants of the room.  

And- yeah, it was Sensei Lawrence. No surprise there. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Robby shoot her a concerned look. He already knew it was Finney – he had seen the pictures she still had.  

In response, she sent him a reassuring half-smile, and he nodded before turning to his dad and the others and trying to explain. She loved him for trying, but he didn’t even know the full story.  

Gwen looked behind Finney to see Robin smirking at them, the same kind of troublemaking smirk she had heard Finney gushing about many a time.  

“Arellano.”  

“Nice to see you, too, chica.”  

The name slipped off his tongue as if it was just yesterday that they were waiting together for Finney after school, who would often stay after class to talk to a teacher. While she claimed it was him purposefully being annoying, she knew he was – and always would be – a nerd at heart, something she could only laugh at him for.  

She pulled her ‘spare brother’ - a nickname she had so lovingly presented him with years ago – in for a hug.  

“You’ve grown,” He murmured into her hair.  

“You haven’t,”  

Gwen heard him huff a laugh, more than surprised to note that it sounded almost teary. The great Robin Arellano, tearing up over something as stupid as seeing Gwen? Unheard of. She voiced as much to which he quickly let go of her and pushed her away while snickering properly this time.  

Finney stepped forward and Robin wrapped an arm around his waist so casually it couldn’t have been a one-off.  

She raised an eyebrow at them, and they both blushed a little, bashfully staring at their shoes in Robin’s case (who was probably remembering the threats years before), while Finney – who had always been bolder with his sister - simply grinned like he was showing off, as if to say ‘Look - I got the guy!’  

She laughed at Robin’s misfortune of falling in love with a guy that had her as a little sister. There was no way she would ever let them live this down, and both probably knew it.  

But unfortunately, perfect moments such as these would never last forever – something all three of them were all too familiar with. So, Tory turned around and, beckoning to her brother and future brother-in-law, walked towards her new family with her old one.  

Robby – bless him – was looking more than a little overwhelmed as he, as the only one who seemed to have any idea of what was going on here, was being bombarded by questions from all sides, and she knew that he could only answer the basics before being totally lost.  

“Hey, everyone!”  

No one noticed her.  

“ HEY, DIPSHITS!”  

Everyone turned around at the volume and intensity that was her voice demanding attention.  

“I’m sure you all have questions, but I can’t be bothered to answer them all, so I’m just gonna give you the rundown.”  

They all nodded obediently, the sensei’s as well as Mrs LaRusso looking on in obvious interest.  

“I was adopted when I was 10, by the woman you all know as my mom. My name before that was Gwen – or Gwendoline – Blake, and no, there’s no way in hell that I’m telling why I was adopted. Before I was adopted, I lived in Denver, Colorado. And this complete moron next to me is my brother, Finney. And that’s Robin – he just kinda tags along sometimes – like a stray dog.”  

Both older boys deadpanned. Maybe they didn’t take being called a moron and a stray dog too well.  

And then everything went to shit.  

“Wait - you’re adopted?!”  

“Brother?!”  

“So what happened with your bio parents?”  

“Why were you separated?”  

“How did we not know about this?!”  

“Why didn’t you tell us?”  

Tory turned to Sensei Lawrence; a pleading look in her eyes. He nodded, but she could see the confusion clouding his vision nonetheless.  

“QUIET!”  

All the others immediately fell silent, but she could practically feel the two flinches coming from behind her. Tory knew from calls made years ago that the Grabber did a number on both Finney and Robin’s mental health, skewing their perceptions of older men. The two had things that would trigger them individually, but that particular one was bad for them both.  

“Tory, I hope you’re going to explain this more in the future,”  

She nodded at Mr LaRusso. That was fine with her – it was just that she hadn’t talked to her brother in years – seen him in even more time – and now just wasn’t the time, to be honest.  

Mrs LaRusso jumped in – ever the helpful and efficient woman – and suggested that everyone introduce themselves and say something that they liked.  

“And no karate, all of Daniel’s and Johnny’s students,” she told them sternly.  

Everyone nodded in response and Robby started them off.  

“Hey, I’m Robby. I like- uh – skateboarding.”  

“Miguel. I like... music.”  

“Hi! My name is Sam, and I like travelling!”  

“I’m Hawk. I like watching movies,”  

“His real name is Eli, and I’m Demitri. I love computers and engineering.”  

“Devon - and I like debates,”  

“I’m Amanda LaRusso, and I love hearing them not talk about karate for once!”  

“Johnny Lawrence. I like Rocky.”  

“My name is Daniel LaRusso – I like caring for bonsai trees.”  

“John Kreese. Teaching.”  

Finney nodded slowly, not realising he was next until Gwen elbowed him sharply in the ribs.  

“Ow- Gwen! Well, anyway, I’m Finney and I like space,”  

“Robin. I like Finn,”  

Gwen groaned, rolling her eyes;  

“Please tell me it’s not gonna be like this the whole time we’re here!”  

“ Fine! I like fighting. And being alive.”  

If anyone thought the last part of his introduction was strange, they didn’t comment on it, the statement only receiving a few blank looks and meagre chuckles in response. Tory simply bit her lip and didn’t comment on it.  

“Well what do we do now?”  

God, that nap didn’t help at all.  

“Believe it or not, I had a dream about this a couple of nights ago. We’re meant to sit down in front of the screen and watch whatever comes on. Then we’ll be allowed to leave – I saw that too, Finney. Don’t worry.”  

Surprisingly enough, everyone accepted her statement with little to no complaints. Instead, everyone got settled in front of the TV and a couple of minutes were filled with low chatter and fidgeting before the sound of cheering filled the air, and everyone turned towards the screen in time to see words appear on the front.  

North Denver, 2020  

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: The Baseball Game  

Miguel stared at the screen mounted on the dark wall with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. He only recognised the name from what Tory had told him while they were dating.  

She hadn’t told him about her adoption or any of that – no, all she’d told him was that she used to live in a place called Denver, and a friend called Suzie was once mentioned in passing. But this? This was crazy. Insane. Mad. And yet he looked at his friend, staring at her eyes filled with an emotion he could only describe as fear, and wondered about what else she hadn’t told them.  

More cheering distracted him, however, and he turned back to the TV.  

We see a close-up of a beer being opened, then kids walking behind a chain-link fence - all wearing the same uniform.  

The camera zoomed out and a baseball field was shown.  

“Really? Baseball?”  

The sceptical voice of one Devon Lee filled the theatre room. Finney turned to her with a look of mock offense on his face.  

“Hey! Baseball’s great, I used to play all the time.”  

Robin quietly replied with a smirk which made Finney turn crimson, a slight smile resting on his features.  

Now Miguel himself wasn’t gay, but he could appreciate any kind of romance so pure when it presented itself – and it seemed that this was one of those types.  

He returned his attention back to the screen.  

We then see a young player walk up to the pitcher mound. It switched to a girl, slightly younger, sitting in the bleachers eating popcorn.  

Tory shifted slightly from her seat next to Sam and her brother, looking slightly embarrassed. Miguel would find out why in just a second – thanks to Finney.  

“Oh, look!!! Baby Gwenny! You were so cute when we were little kids, Gwen.”  

“Wait - that’s you?!”  

Incredulous voices rang out from all directions, before Tory spared a second from looking at the television to shooting them all glares, and they all fell silent after a second more of cooing.  

Gwen: Come on, Finney. Come on.  

Boy (O.S): Let's go, you got this.  

Once Finney made it to the mound, he started to dig his shoe in the dirt. He lifted his head; you could now see his face. The camera switched angles and you could now see a boy at home plate with a challenging smile.  

“Oh! It’s you!”  

“No shit,”  

Boy (O.S): You got this, Finney.  

Finney squinted his eyes in determination and threw the ball. The batter sung late and missed.   

Umpire: Strike!  

Miguel had never played baseball, but from the excited chitters from the others, he assumed that a ‘strike’ was a good thing.  

The girl in the bleachers was shown again.  

Gwen: Yes, Finney. Nice, Finney.  

He could practically feel everyone smiling with him at the younger Tory, and yes, she was absolutely adorable.  

It switched to the batter he had a small look of defeat on his face before he wiped it off.  

Boy (O.S): Let's go, Finney. Two more strikes.  

The ball was thrown back and Finney caught it with ease. Finney straightened his stance, and the batter held his bat high. Finney's teammates could be heard in the background.  

Boy (O.S): Swing, batter, batter. Swing, batter, batter.  

Finney threw the ball again and the batter missed.   

Umpire: Strike two!  

“Kid - you were pretty good!”  

Robin turned to Sensei Lawrence in shock.  

“Good?! Finn was the best. Well, maybe a close second to... another guy, but he was still amazing! He could’ve played for way longer if those asshats that adopted him had let him.”  

That’s when Mr LaRusso stepped in.  

“Language,”  

“Whatever, old man. I’ll say what I want.”  

While Finney and Robin seemed nice, Miguel privately kind of thought the first was a bit of a dick, to be honest. Who leaves their sister with a sick mom and 2-3 jobs without a care in the world?  

The girl in the bleachers cheered along with people around her. The batter's eyes narrowed as he glanced at Finney. Finney looked off into the bleachers, his eyes scanning the crowd. His eyebrows pinched slightly when they didn't find their mark. Finney straightened his posture and looked at the batter.  

“Finn? Were you looking for me? ‘Cause I promise I was there.”  

The guy ducked his head in an embarrassed nod, and his boyfriend (is that what they were??) smiled and drew him in closer.  

Man (O.S): Eyes open out there. Eyes open.  

The batter held the bat, giving it a slight wave as if to say, 'I'm ready now'. Finney took a deep breath and threw the ball. The batter swung the bat, hit the ball, and took off. The other team cheering was heard as Finney's eyes followed the ball as it flew above. The girl in the stands frowned as the watched.  

Gwen: Oh, no. Oh, no.  

“Go Bruce! Yeah!”  

Finney suddenly shouted out, surprising everyone watching.  
 

“Why are you cheering for the other team? Thought you wanted to win,”  

Finney stared at Miguel for a second, something knowing in his eyes, before explaining how Bruce was a great person and deserved the win more than he had. Miguel wondered idly for a second why Finney referred to the other kid in the past tense, but quickly dismissed it.  

Robin had said how Finney’s adoptive parents made him quit, maybe he just hadn’t seen this ‘Bruce’ after.  

A boy chased the ball until he reached the fence watching the ball fly over to the other side.  

Umpire: Home run!  

The girl in the stands sighed in disappointment with the crowd around her. Finney stood on the mound sighing in defeat, his teammates throwing their hats to the ground. The opposite team were jumping and cheering.  

Players (Chanting): Bruce! Bruce! Bruce!  

Tory, Finney and Robin all flinched deeply at the mention of the boy’s name. Again, Miguel only wondered for a second why the reaction had been so intense, and again, he ignored it.  

Finney turned his head and watched the batter, Bruce, continue his run to the home plate. Bruce tipped his helmet forward with a smile in a playful manner.  

Miguel thought that this Bruce guy seemed really nice, someone everyone liked and admired. Someone he may have been friends with, in another life.  

Then he saw the Denver kid’s expressions. Finney had a sad smile on his face as he watched Bruce run, while Robin was staring with haunted eyes and a dark cloud over his face.  

And Tory... was she a Denver kid? Yeah, that was where she grew up, but she had moved years ago and forced to never look back. Miguel decided to count her, and she had a dark, almost angry expression, with tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. But why?! Nothing about what was going on was sad at all, but Tory didn’t just cry often – least of all in front of other people – which meant there was something wrong here. He decided to pay closer attention.  

Players: Bruce! Bruce! Bruce!  

The boys were still chanting and celebrating as Finney started walking back to the dugout. Finney once again let his eyes wander the crowd trying to find a specific person only to frown when he couldn't.  

Miguel looked at Sam. She, too, looked puzzled, and was unsuccessfully trying to catch Tory’s eye. Their reactions had been noticed by others, then. He looked at the wider room.  

Hawk and Demitri looked enamoured by the screen, as if this was some sort of movie and not one of their best friend’s lives. All of the Sensei’s were watching with interested expressions (if, in Sensei Lawrence’s case, an interested expression meant looking around the room in interest and not paying attention at all). Devon looked worried and was sneaking glances at their friend in concern.  

 As for Robby... Robby was watching with brows furrowed and his mouth set into a confused line. Miguel had to admit; he felt bad for him. He could be interested in this breach of his girlfriend’s privacy or support her. As well as making sure she was alright with Finney knowing about them.  

The scene then changed to the two teams lined up wishing the other 'Good Game'.  

Bruce: Hey, dude.  

Finney stopped walking and was face to face with the opposing teams home runner.  

Bruce: Man, your arm is mint. You almost had me.  

A sharp intake of breath made everyone turn around. Finney was watching with wide eyes and a hand over his mouth, while Robin was staring at the ground with a deeply disturbed look in his eyes. They were both so confusing – why such the shocked looks. It was just a saying.  

Sure, it might have been a weird one, but that’s all it was – a slightly strange saying. Why did they have to be so confusing?  

The two boys smiled at each other.  

Finney: Good game.  

Bruce: Good game.  

The two boys went their separate ways to their own team's dugout. The song 'Free Ride' by The Edgar Winter group started playing. The scene changed to show Bruce, now in casual clothes, riding his bike in the street. He had a smile on his face as he waved at the mailman, who was, as said, delivering mail.   

A thought occurred to him suddenly, and for the first time he decided to voice it.  

“What’s with the old music?”  

Robin answered him in an uncomfortable voice;  

“Denver- it’s pretty old-fashioned. Like, the people, they see someone who’s different and they jump on ‘em. I think they’re just scared. For example, me and Finn are always looked down on for being gay – but with everything that happened... I don’t even know if I can blame them. So yeah, it’s old in the good and the bad ways. Everyone has one of those home phones that you pick up, kids ride bikes everywhere, there’s a drive-in.”  

“Sounds... weird?”  

“You don’t even know the half of it.”  

Music: The mountain is high.  

Two girls were walking along the street.  

Girls: Hi, Bruce.  

Music: The valley is low.  

He gave them a slight nod.  

Music: And you're confused on which way to go.  

He biked passed them but turned around to give them a last look over.  

“He seems so nice!”  

“He was.”  

“Was?”  

No-one answered Devon, instead just turning back to the screen.  

Music: So, I've come here to give you a hand.  

The two girls started to giggle at each other.  

Music: And lead you into   

The scene cut to the bottom of a rocket model.  

Music: The promise land, so  

It now showed Finney, in casual clothes, on the baseball field with the remote to the model in his hand.  

“You weren’t kidding about liking space, then.”  

Music: Come on and take a free ride.  

He connected the wire in his hand to the remote as he kept his eyes on the rocket.  

Music: Come on and sit here by my side.  

The camera zoomed out as Finney pushed the button and the rocket shot towards the air.  

Music: Come on and take a free ride.  

Finney watched the Rocket fly with a wide smile upon his face.      

Miguel heard a muffled mutter of ‘Nerd’ from Sensei Lawrence but chose to let it go. He did seem like a textbook nerd from this side, but he also decided to not comment.  

Switch back to Bruce still riding his bike, making his way home. An explosive pop was heard causing Bruce to turn his head. In the sky he could make out the rocket popping out a parachute as it made its way back down to the ground. He shook his head with a laugh as he continued his journey.   

“Did he know it was you?”  

“I’m not sure. I mean, I was definitely the only kid in middle school who would’ve actually made a rocket, but I can’t say much about the high schoolers.”  

The song started to fade out as Bruce's smile fell away from his face. A black van, with the word's abracadabra on the side, started making its way around the corner and slowly stop. The camera started to fade black.  

“No... no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...”  

Robin and Finney were both as pale as ghosts, embracing tightly as if they were desperately shielding the other from what was being shown. Curiosity was burning inside of him, but they both looked acutely distressed, so he said nothing.  

Tory was shaking her head, looking between her brother and the van in what looked like disbelief as her brother himself tried to calm Robin down, The Mexican seeming to be much more panicked than he. Robin now had tears rolling down his cheeks as he stared at something, someone that wasn’t there.  

Robby had put an arm around Tory and was trying to talk to her in a low voice, while everyone else was either shouting out questions – which just seemed insensitive – or watching confusedly on with concern.  

“No... The-The Grabber! Please, Finn, believe me, I don’t want to-”  

“I know, Rob, you know I know – and I would never blame you for something that was your fault. You know that.”  

“Y-yeah. You know... I love you so much Finney. So much.”  

Finney now had tears in his eyes, too, as Robin’s were clearing. He was watching the other with so much love and care that Miguel had to turn back and get a final look before he was shepherded away by Mr LaRusso, who was trying to give them a moment together and not surrounded on all sides by near-strangers.  

The television had mysteriously paused in the confusion, and Miguel couldn’t help but wonder; ‘ What the fuck happened?!’  

Chapter Text

The screen lit up again and city landscape was shown. It kept switching between different images. Telephone poles, a well-travelled highway, a small overpass bridge, an ice-cream tuck driving down the street, a telephone pole with a lost poster, a close up on a missing poster with a boy on it, a school bus dropping kids off at school, a water tower, a boy skateboarding down a sidewalk, a bike being ridden, a black van parked on the side of a road, a boy crying as he put a band aid on his scraped and bloody knee, someone wrapping their bleeding knuckles, a close up of a boy blinking slowly, another injured knee, a girl wiping her bloody mouth with her sleeve,   

Robin frowned from his place next to Finney. Not only was this stirring up old memories that – in his opinion – needed to stay buried, but it was making Denver out to be this ‘horror town of terrors’. He hated it, but it wasn’t scary – just an overall bad place to live. Okay, so maybe it was a little creepy, but it was only scary in a situation like he and Finn had been in.  

He was still trying to escape, in a way. And all of Gwenny’s friends were shooting him pitying glances out of the corner of their eyes. He hated the pity. As soon as he’d got out and gone back home, that was all he’d received from anyone.  

Sometimes it just got too much, and he hadn’t meant to fall apart in front of so many strangers, but that van... he squeezed Finney’s hand tighter.  

an open bottle with a red liquid in it draining onto some gravel, an abandoned box of band aids, a bloody bandanna left in some rocks, an empty swing moving slowly back and forth, a single sneaker lying in a patch of grass, an old house, a path outside, multiple images of more power lines, more close ups of missing posters,  posters on a sidewalk, flashing lights, sheets of paper falling through the air, a slit throat, then finally black ballons flying into the air and getting caught on some wires.  

Robin swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked back the burning in his eyes. At this point he was sure both he and Finn were white knuckling the others’ hand.  

A car drove passed a simple one-story house in a calm neighbourhood. Inside the house, beer bottles and cornflakes when shown on a kitchen counter with a person in the background pouring, what looks to be, a cup of coffee.  

“What was all that, though?”  

“Looked like a whole load of shit. Showin’ us stuff without explaining it – fuckin' pussies.”  

He knew without looking that that was the angry blond man, and the first voice was another teen. Tory answered the former’s question.  

“That-that was Denver. Back then, at least.”  

He leaves the counter and walks to the table where Finney is sitting picking at bowl a cereal. He looks up as the man, his father, sat across from him with a newspaper. Finney continues to eat his food as his father reads the paper. The man pulls the paper down, we finally get to see his face, as he watches Finney eat his food.  

Terrence: You think you can slurp that a little louder? I don't think they can hear you up in Boulder.  

Finney and Gwen tensed, and Robin glared at the man shown on screen. He hated their dad.  

“Who’s the asshole?”  

“My dad – Terrence Blake.”  

The guy – Eli? Hawk? - winced and dropped the topic.  

Finney looked down at his bowl while a person, Gwen, walking into the room behind him. She walks to the bread box and opens it, causing the lid to slam on the counter. Finney looks up from his bowl with wide eyes while Mr. Blake groans in annoyance/pain. Gwen squeezes her eyes shut and clenches her fists before looking over at the table.   

Gwen: Sorry, Daddy.  

“Oh yeah, definitely an asshole.”  

Robin noticed how the angry one (Johnny, he remembered) had gone strangely quiet, a stark contrast to the rather boisterous character that had been swearing at the screen mere minutes before. He didn’t comment on it, knowing how sensitive those types of topics were to Finn.  

He also saw how the other older man and the woman had leaned forward from their spaces next to each other and were warily eyeing the tv.  

Finney looked away from his sister and to his dad, worry in his eyes. No one said anything and Gwen took that as a sign to grab the bread. Finney looked back at Gwen, the worry had yet to leave his eyes. Gwen met his eyes and made a face causing him to smile.  

“Tory,”  

The woman spoke up with a voice trembling with barely contained rage, “He never hit you, right?”  

“Just keep watching.”  

Why did they care? Robin had often found his boyfriend angrily pacing, furiously talking about no one had cared before, and that now he was interesting, they had torn him away from Gwen – a subject he wholeheartedly agreed upon.  

But these people cared about Gwen – or Tory, whatever – so maybe she could trust them with this, in time. He noticed how the guy who had called blondie ‘dad’ was looking especially worried, and he couldn’t help but wonder if there was something going on between them. He’d talk to the guy with Finney later, intent on protecting his hermana.  

Gwen (OS): I don't know.  

The screen changed to the two of them walking along the sidewalk.   

Gwen: Everyone says Fonzie or Richie. Mille says Potsie, but I don't think anyone should ever trust anyone who wants to grow up and marry Potsie. I think I'll just stick with my current plan and marry Danny Bonaduce.  

“Aww!”  

“Tory that’s so cute!”  

“I was a kid, shut up!”  

Robin stole a look at Finn and found himself mesmerised. His Finn was smiling softly at a time long past, enjoying the sweet childhood conversation of 2 siblings getting through a bad situation together.  

Finn stopped and stared at the fence; his smile turned into a frown.   

Finney: It's new.  

Robin could feel his own smile sliding off his face. He knew exactly what he was talking about.  

“Huh?”  

Gwen stopped and turned to look at what her brother was referring to.   

Gwen: What?   

Finney: The flyer.   

Finney pointed at the fence where we could now see a missing flyer of Bruce Yamada.  

Finney: Mr. Yamada is putting them up again.  

“Shit!”  

“He’s missing? What the fuck happened!?”  

Robin averted his eyes from what lots of the others were staring at with mouths agape, not answering, but not arguing when Finn opened his mouth and said to the girl;  

“He was murdered. We called him the Grabber back home. He’s gone now, but in total he took six kids. Murdered four.”  

“What happened to the last two?”  

The man sounded almost out of breath, scared for the answer. Instead of giving it to him, Finney looked pointedly at the screen and let the question hang ominously in the air.  

Gwen gnawed on her lip and cast her eyes away from the poster. Finney noticed her reaction and hesitation.  

Finney: You don't think they're gonna find them, do you?  

She looked at her brother and once again hesitated.  

Gwen: Not how they want to.  

The room was silent, just the sound of shaking breaths coming from Finney while everyone else who didn’t already know what was going on waited with bated breath.  

The two stared at each other for a second before Gwen got uncomfortable and started walking.  

Gwen: Come on, let's go. We're going to be late.  

With one last glance at the poster, Finney followed her.  

Kids (Chanting): Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!  

“Finally, some action!”  

The siblings took off running to a crowd of kids surrounding two people.   

Moose (O.S): You think you're so tough, huh?  

The crowd of kids got bigger.  

Robin (O.S): Let's find out.  

“Oh, I remember this! Who was Moose shit talking about again?”  

“Well, first I think it was Billy Showalter – so rude, by the way, insulting a dead kid – and then it was me.”  

Finney and Gwen finally made it to the crowd and made their way to the front.  

Moose: I will pound you like a nail, you scrawny little beaner.  

Robin saw Miguel wince before the Johnny broke out into yet another string of curses. Honestly, he thought Gwen was bad, but this guy...  

Robin: Then do it.  

The crowd of kids started chuckling and mumbling amongst them.  

Robin: Unless you're scared.  

The group of new people followed suit to the kids on screen, murmuring and chattering at the prospect of a fight between Robin and an admittedly much bigger guy.  

The noises the crowd made got louder as Moose swung his arm forward in a punch only for Robin to duck at the last second and hit him in the gut.  While Moose folded into himself, Robin gave a roundhouse kick to his head, sending the taller boy into the street sign.   

“OH!”  

Moose growled in frustration and turned to swing again. Robin blocked his arm and sent another punch into his sternum. Finney and Gwen were shown, the latter smiling brightly as the former frowned.   

Gwen: Get him, Robin!  

“Damn, kid! You were good!”  

Robin scoffed, slightly offended at the insinuation that he had been but wasn’t anymore.  

“Still am. I never stopped training. Can’t be caught off guard, not again.”  

Finney squeezed his hand as the Daniel guy frowned, clearly catching the muttered last bit of his statement. Oh, well. He’d probably find out soon anyway – considering where this ‘movie’ was going. Robin missed the drive in.  

The crowd got louder as the two boys fought. Robin eventually got Moose around the neck and sends him to the ground.  Robin then crouches over the fallen boy and sends multiple punches to the boy's face as the crowd cheered him on.   

“Isn’t that a bit much? You should only fight when you need to.”  

The curly-haired girl spoke up – Sam? Was that her name?  

“Yeah, well, Moose was an asshole. Still is, in fact. And I needed to make a point – shit like that won’t be happening around me if I got anything to say ‘bout it. Disrespect of the dead and racist shit, I mean. Plus, you saw the crowd. I had to make an example.”  

She frowned, clearly disagreeing, but not saying anything as the guy who was obviously her dad smiled at her proudly before sending Robin a disapproving look. Robin decided he didn’t really like the father-daughter duo. Thet acted like they knew better than anyone about what they had to be fought for.  

Gwen watched in awe and Stevie started nudging her away.   

Finney: Come on.  

Gwen: Holy shit.  

Finney: Let's go. Let's go.  

Robin kept hitting the boy harder and harder, blood covering his knuckles and the boy's face. The Siblings were walking away as Gwen looked at him offended.  

“And of course you’re upset for missing the fight.”  

“It was exciting! Whenever Robin got into a fight he’d put ‘em on their asses.”  

He smirked. “Damn right I did. It’s what I do.”  

Gwen: What the hell? That was Moose.  

Finney shook his head.  

Finney: I don't care.  

Gwen: Moose is a giant asshole.  

He nodded.  

Finney: I know.  

Gwen: But last year when he made your nose bleed-  

Finney winced, and Robin totally got not wanting all of your secrets to be on display, especially when it was something as bad as the bullying he had received when they were kids.  

Finney: Gwen.  

Gwen: He had it coming.  

Finney gestured to the crowd behind them.   

Finney: No one has that coming.  

Gwen: Finney, he beat you up.  

Finney: I know, Gwen. I was there, remember? I... I just don't want to talk about it.  

“So you don’t agree with how he does things?”  

Finn flinched.  

“I didn’t. Things are... different, now. And yeah, Moose was not a nice guy. I can vouch for that, as you’ve already heard...”  

He gestured helplessly at the screen, clearly not enjoying the attention and the sympathetic glances.  

Gwen looked at her brother knowingly with a small smile.   

Gwen: Well, he was stupid to pick a fight with Robin Arellano. He's the toughest kid in school since The Grabber got Pinball Vance Hopper.  

Finney cringed.  

Real-life Finney cringed with him.  

Finney: I wish you wouldn't call him that.  

Gwen looked at him confused.   

Gwen: Everyone called him Pinball Vance.  

Finney: No, I mean...  

Gwen: I know who you mean, Jerk face. Even the papers call him The Grabber.  

“The Grabber? That’s the second time his name has come up. Who exactly is he? The one who’s taking the kids?”  

Robin nodded as Finney stared at his shoes.  

He looked at the younger girl with a soft expression.  

Finney: Just....I wish you wouldn't say his name.  

She laughed lightly and gave him a bewildered look.  

Gwen: You don't actually believe that story, do you?  

Finney: No.  

Despite what his on-screen version said, Finn nodded, and Robin knew he felt everything had just... gone bad for him around this time. Not that he was wrong, of course, but still.  

Gwen: Because he can't hear you. He doesn't really take kids that say it.  

Finney: I know that.  

Gwen: Finney.  

It had gone quiet again, and he knew it was because everyone was carefully watching, actually paying full attention instead of chatting and messing around or fidgeting.  

Finney: I said I know.  

Gwen: Then say it.  

Finney laughed.  

Finney: No.  

Gwen: Are you chicken?  

The smiled dropped from his face, all trace of laughter gone.  

“I still can’t believe you got offended by that .”  

“Yeah, pretty sad. I was being called way worse things – fag, uhm... Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Apart from the stuff they made up, they weren’t very creative insult-wise.”  

A few people laughed a little, and Finney looked rather pleased with himself. God, Robin loved him so much.  

Gwen: I didn't mean it.  

Finney nudged her lightly.  

Finney: I know.  

The two of the continued walking so they wouldn't be late for school. Behind them a black van, the same black van that was seen with Bruce, was driving down the street across from a group of kids.  

Robin sat straight up, realising how far ahead the Grabber had thought ahead. He’d been taken, and the creep already had his next victim chosen.  

He felt his blood boil and only distantly felt Finn tugging on his sleeve, murmuring reassurances in his ear, but he could tell when the love of his life was upset. Abruptly, he rose from his seat before leaning down and giving his boyfriend the biggest hug he could muster.  

Finney deserved the world, and Robin would be damned if he wouldn't be the one to give it to him.  

Chapter Text

A projector is shown on screen.  

Mr. Tyler: The inner core is solid. The outer core is molten.  

Groans echoed throughout the room, from all of the teenagers and Johnny, which made Daniel laugh quietly to himself. He and the other Sensei had long since made up and sworn to stop fighting, a real commitment if you took into account the long years spent despising each other.  

Now, however, the two were – astonishingly - friends. Until one of them would inevitably make a grievous mistake and the dojos would separate again, until they fought to get past their issues. Daniel wasn’t even sure he himself was joking anymore.  

But he was worried about these kids – specifically Tory, and her... brother? That was something he was not thinking about right now. 

It switches to the teacher before quickly switching to Finney.   

Mr. Tyler: The next level called the mantle, is mostly solid.  

“Ew. He sounds boring.”  

“Oh, he was. Just listen to him talk.”  

The image moved to Finney's hand which held a small rocket.   

Mr. Tyler: However, the thin outer zone of the mantle is partly molten.   

He pressed a button on the rocket which caused light to show underneath, it was a flashlight. He lifted off his journal causing the light to shine on the paper.  

“Gwen actually got that for me. Do you remember? That one Christmas – the last one we had with mom before she died. You wouldn’t stop talking about how she helped you pick it out and how proud you were.”  

Daniel watched the new kid with a smile. Him and his boyfriend seemed nice so far, if a little violent, but he couldn’t help but think there was more beneath the surface, that the two were hiding something big.  

And now, looking at Tory, he thought that maybe she could be hiding something too. He was well acquainted with the guilty looks directed towards the floor, the nervous fidgety way in which she was moving. He did have a teen daughter, after all.  

“Yeah, I remember. That was year I got the dollhouse, right?”  

Finney laughed.  

“You loved that dollhouse. I swear, you probably spent more time with it than you did with any of us, combined!”  

All the kids laughed at the joke before focusing on the screen again.  

Mr. Tyler: Next slide.  

The camera started to move back to Finney's face. He looked to the side and his eyes landed on a girl.  

Robin suddenly burst out laughing.  

“Oh my God – I forgot about Donna! She was such a perra .”  

At the confused looks given, he elaborated.  

“Her family was super religious – she'd found out that Finn’s mom could - uh - see things, and she called him a ‘child of the devil’. Also a super massive homophobe. She was the one that started the rumours of us being together. I mean, she wasn’t wrong, but we were... Finn, what’s the word for being left out, but like pushed away?”  

“Do you mean ostracized?”  

“Yeah! We were ostracized for it even though neither of us had officially come out yet.”  

Teacher: The surface layer is called the crust. It is solid and very thin. As the Earth separated into layers, it began to cool slowly, but the interior was still very hot.  

The girl turned to look at Finney and they locked eyes. She narrowed her eyes while Finney rolled his, and they both quickly looked away from each other.  

The school bell rang, and everyone started to stand while gathering their books. The camera was now in the hall, facing the classroom door as it opened. Finney quickly rushed out of the room, his eyes scanning the hallway. Finally, his eyes found who he was watching out for.  

Matty: Hey, Finney.  

Real-life Finney sighed and buried his face in his hands. Oh, were these guys bullies? It – as much as Daniel hated admitting it – made sense.  

The quiet, nerdy, gay kid in a small town that looked like it was from a time from when he was bullied? Poor kid was probably called names every day – maybe even beat up a couple of times, judging how violent Robin’s fight with ‘Moose’ had been.  

Finney quickly walked past him and his friends, but they followed behind him. He pushed his way through the crowd and into the boy's bathroom. Once he was in the room, he rushed to a stall and locked himself in. He placed his bag on the back of the toilet and place his feet on the seat so he could hide.   

Daniel saw his kids (because they were his kids, they were ) wince, but Tory simply clenched her fists, along with the violent Robin, who was glaring darkly at the boys on the TV. Not exactly pleasant.  

We can hear the door open and people walk in.  

Matty (O.S): Hey, Finney.  

It cuts to outside the stall and the three boys are shown.  

Matty: Come on out, dick weed.   

Kid 2: Not fooling anyone, Noid.  

“Fucking. Coños.”  

Finney's face was shown in the stall and his breathing was slightly off. The boys walked closer to the stall as Finney opened it and stepped out.  

Matty: What you doing in our bathroom? Huh?  

Kid 3: See the sign? It says "Boys."  

Kid 2: Yeah, boys, not fags.  

“Hey!”  

“That would not happen here. Those guys would get jumped .”  

“These kids are such assholes!”  

“No. They’re fucking pussies. When I was in high school, I always did shit like that in public – to show everyone I could beat ‘em. They just don’t wanna get embarrassed.”  

The door behind them opened causing all four sets of eyes to turn, and in walked the boy who was fighting. Everyone stood in place, annoyance clear on Robin's face.  

Robin: Dipshits, move.  

Daniel thought it was kind of sweet, how he stood up for his friend – they were just friends at this point, right?  

Finney, however, started laughing – breaking the tension in the room. Everyone turned to stare at him incredulously as he clutched his sides, tears of mirth rolling down his cheeks.  

“I-I’m sorry. I-it's just, they-they're bullying me for bei-for being gay, and then Ro-Robin walks in, a-and they-”  

He practically collapsed onto Robin in laughter, the other boy flushed as the others, too, started chuckling at the perfectly valid thought of how as soon as Robin walked in, the bullies shut up, but only because of how much they feared him.  

The three bullies stepped out of his walked forward to the sinking, giving Finney a nod on the way.  

Robin: Hey, Finn.  

He turned the sink on and was looking at him through the mirror.  

Robin: What's happening?  

Finney's eyes didn't move from the three kids by the door, he looked slightly more confident now that Robin was there.  

Finney: You know, just keeping on keeping on, I guess.  

“You don’t look scared anymore,”  

Amanda noted. Daniel could tell from the tightness in her shoulders that this was hard for her, too. Amanda had taken Tory under her wing after finding out about her mom – adoptive mom, apparently – and now felt a little responsible for her. He rubbed her arm soothingly.  

“Around Robin, I was safe.”  

“You still are. I promise Finn.”  

“I know.”  

Finney leaned more into Robin, and Daniel swore he felt some of his heart melt a little.  

Robin glanced at the three boys before returning to his hands.  

Robin: Uh-huh. Moose got some damn sharp teeth.  

It switched to a close up of Robin washing the blood off his hands. The three boys shared startled looks.  

Robin: Knuckles bled all first period.  

Daniel noticed how several of the younger members of the dojo shivered slightly. Robin was kind of intimidating for a 13-year-old.  

The boys started to walk out of the room as he was reaching for the paper towels.  

Robin: Wait.  

Robin stared at himself in the mirror as they stopped.  

Robin: Fuck with Finn again...   

He turned to them.  

Robin: I fuck with you.  

“Damn - they were really scared of you!”  

Devon sounded genuinely surprised, and Daniel had to remind himself that this had happened in a middle school bathroom.  

“You learn what to say after a while, y’know? My uncle taught me how to fight, and how to show it in the right situations. They were hurting someone I cared – that I still care – about. I think he knew I’d only use what he taught me in good ways, and I couldn’t let them hurt Finn any more than they already had. And I’ll fight anyone else who disagrees with me on that.”  

He looked pointedly around the room, as if daring anyone to fight him.  

“Ugh. Fine - I’ll fight you. Need some action around here, anyway.”  

Daniel jerked his head around to see Tory standing over a resigned-looking Robin.  

“You don’t do karate, right? Just street fighting?”  

“I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, but I’m going to let it slide, chica . ‘Street fighting’ is a mix of all styles, whatever works best for you, and you know I've been training since I was a kid –are you sure you wanna do this?”  

“Positive.”  

“Great, then let’s do it... over there.”  

He pointed to a section of the room no one was in at the moment, and the two walked over there, followed by a vaguely concerned Robby and Finney as well as a small crowd consisting of the other kids plus Johnny. Daniel followed with Amanda, humouring them for a minute – but not after double-checking to make sure the television was paused.  

Both got into fighting stances and Johnny explained tournament rules to Robin, who easily agreed with one condition: the match would be one round.  

“In real life you don’t get second chances when it comes to shit like this, so just keep going until one of us hits the floor”, he’d said, and Daniel hadn’t failed to notice Johnny’s slight grimace.  

“Ready... FIGHT!”  

Shouts of encouragement filled the air as Tory and Robin started to circle each other before – in true cobra fashion, Tory jumped forward with a punch to the ribs that was effortlessly blocked and Robin responded, fast as lightning, with a speedy roundhouse followed up immediately by a lower kick with his other leg, aimed at the girl’s midsection.  

This one caught her off guard and she staggered backwards before quickly recovering with a high jump kick, using the distance she’d made between them to her advantage. However, this powerful kick was dodged and just like that, Robin had Tory right where he wanted her.  

But instead of delivering a blow that would’ve put her down, he punched her in the shoulder with a strong arm, which disorientated her slightly from where she was spinning around, ready to perform another move. He jumped back just in time to avoid a flailing fist, then ducked, evading a kick.  

The kid was more than good, Daniel could admit that. Then Robin attacked.  

A flurry of punches and a few well-placed kicks left Tory reeling and Daniel - as well as those surrounding those fighting - gaping. Tory nearly fell, but recovered just in time to receive another punch to her shoulder, sending her tumbling to the ground.  

Daniel actually gasped, and he could hear the muttering and murmurs of the other teens around him, all clamouring to get a better look at Robin and Tory.  

But the fight was over, that much was clear. By following all their rules he’d probably never used before, Robin had put Tory – one of their strongest fighters – on the mat without even trying, if his easy smile and compliments to her style was anything to go by.  

“You did great, hermana. I mean it.”  

“I didn’t land a punch on you,” Tory grumbled in response, clearly disappointed by her own abilities.  

“Yeah, but neither can anyone else. Trust me, you’re not alone there. Least you sis better’n Moose.”  

He added jokingly, gesturing behind him. She simply huffed a laugh in response and walked away, being followed by Robby, as Robin frowned after her from where he was being ambushed by Finney’s fussing.  

After everyone was sitting and settled again, with awed glances being sent in Robin’s direction every few seconds, the video started to play again.  

Chapter Text

The bullies stood there looking everywhere but the two boys in front of them. Robin gestured to the door.  

Robin: You can leave now.  

They walked out as Finney stuffed his hands in his pockets, his feet shuffling.  

Finney: Thank you.  

Sam looked back to the two newcomers behind her. She didn’t trust them any more than she trusted Tory.  

Which was a lot more than it’d been when they had first met, but these two... They were hiding something. They were suspicious. So was Tory herself – after all, she’d hidden this key bit of information about her past for years, and it didn’t seem too bad so far.  

Sure, it was disorientating to learn at first, and Sam would never look at Tory the same, but they had still deserved to know what mattered – and in Sam’s book, this definitely mattered. More than Tory was letting on.  

So, in an effort to learn more, Sam paid closer attention to the video playing as she laced her fingers with Miguel’s.  

Robin folded a paper towel and wrapped it around his knuckles.  

Robin: You're gonna have to stand up for yourself one of these days.  

Finney looked at him with sad eyes.  

Finney: Yeah, I know.  

Internally, Sam scoffed. This ‘Finney’ guy seemed like a pushover, and Robin a vicious and uncontrollable thug, someone who would grow up to be a criminal. Then again... Robby had gotten over and moved on from his past, and Miguel had forgiven him after some time.  

Maybe she was judging them too harshly.  

Robin started to tape his hand but was struggling to do so. Finney walked forward and slowly reached for the tape, Robin looked at him with a slight smile and gave it to him.  

“Y’know, I could do it perfectly back then – didn't really need your help.”  

Sam saw the other boy frown in confusion, and did so herself, wondering why he would pretend to be struggling.  

“Then why did you-”  

“I just wanted you to take care of me.”  

They were adorable, and Sam could tell from the expressions on the others’ faces that they thought so, too.  

Finney: Hey, why'd you fight Moose?  

He began to tape the paper towel as Robin smirked.  

Robin: He was just shit-talking. Pretty sure he'd back down. Nope.  

The two started laughing at the situation.   

Robin: I was so surprised when he swung, to be honest.  

Finney finally finished wrapping his hand and gave him back the tape.  

Finney: I mean, did you have too?  

Finney stepped away to give them both some room as Robin frowned.  

Finney: Looked like you really hurt him.  

“What the fuck?!”  

“Yeah, didn’t Tory say he beat you up? Why did you care so much?”  

Finney shuffled awkwardly in his place as he paused from where he and Robin were caught exchanging a whispered conversation, both blushing furiously.  

“Well... I think I just wanted to be left alone. I know that’s not enough now, that I should’ve defended myself against them, but back then...”  

He trailed off, dropping the other’s hand and staring into the distance, lost in thought.  

“It was different, before. It felt like I couldn’t do anything to stop it but try and stay invisible.”  

Everyone nodded understandingly, but Sam, for whatever reason – maybe because she had never been properly bullied for an extended period of time, or so harshly – silently disagreed. He could’ve told someone, or asked for help in fighting back. Either way, this was years ago – apparently, so nothing could be done.  

Robin scoffed and moved over to the stall, leaning against it.  

Robin: I was just gonna knock his ass down. Whale on him a bit, but that wouldn't draw no blood.  

Finney turned around to look at him.  

Robin: In a situation like that, the more blood, the better. For the crowd, you know?  

He lifted his taped fist as if to make a point.   

Robin: It makes a stronger point.  

“Oh, yeah you talked about this earlier! Something about making an impression?”  

The Mexican simply nodded in agreement.  

Robin crossed his arms and smirked at the boy, giving him a soft look.  

Robin: Why are you even worried about it, Cariño? You know I'm always careful.  

Finney smiled and rolled his eyes.  

The entire room ‘Aww’ed at the younger version of the couple.  

Finney: First of all, you're my best friend. I don't want to see you get in trouble for something stupid like that.  

Robin smiled widely.  

Robin: Second, are you  ever  going to tell me what that word means?  

Robin cackled maniacally.  

“ Dios mío , you were so oblivious!”  

Dam laughed as Finney flushed crimson.  

“Well you could’ve told me what it meant!”  

Robin simply dissolved into more laughter, shaking his head.  

Robin shook his head with a laugh as Finney groaned in annoyance.  

Robin: You know the deal; you have to figure it out yourself.  

Finney: At least tell me how to spell it so I can look it up.  

Robin laughed loudly causing Finney to laugh with him.   

Robin: No way. That's not how that works.  

Johnny spoke up, gesturing to himself as he pointed out that even he knew what it meant, to which Finney buried his face in his hands in embarrassment.  

The two sobered up and Robin changed the subject.  

Robin: I've seen  Texas Chainsaw Massacre  Friday night. You seen it?  

Demitri groaned, clearly unimpressed with his movie choice.  

“Seriously? Texas Chainsaw Massacre?! That movie is so overrated! It’s just a bunch of gore and jumpscares!”  

Robin gasped, looking wholeheartedly offended.  

“Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the best fucking movie, like, ever! I mean, I knew it was gonna go south when they picked up that hitchhiker, but I didn’t expect it to go so badly so quickly. Tobe Hopper was a genius when directing that.”  

“Uhm, disagreed! As the president of a very proficient Facebook group that discusses different movies, I’m going to have to overrule this opinion. The best movie ever, accounting for budget and when it was made, is one hundred per cent Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban!”  

Robin jumped up, enraged. Finney sighed and rose with him, obviously used to experiencing this argument.  

To everyone’s surprise, however, he did not simply follow Robin, instead whispering in his ear something the rest of the group were clearly not privy to, with the way Tory turned around with her jaw hanging open and muttering ‘gross’ when she turned around.  

Robin allowed himself to be led back by the hand to their seat, where instead of simply sitting side by side, Robin moved to sit behind Finney. At the other boy’s questioning look, Robin pulled him back until his head was resting in his lap, where Robin started playing with his hair immediately. Finney simply smiled and closed his eyes.  

Finney: That movie's rated R. My dad would never take me to see that.  

Robin shrugged his shoulders.  

Robin: My uncle takes me to the drive-in. We see everything. But, man, that movie...  

Demitri scoffed quietly.  

He shook his head, his smile still wide on his face.  

Robin: It's the best ever.  

Finney nodded as if he didn't believe him.  

Finney: Better than  Enter the Dragon ?  

“So you’d seen Enter the Dragon but not Texas Chainsaw massacre? Also, what’s with all the old movies?”  

“I hadn’t seen it. Robin’d been talking ‘bout it the week before, all starry-eyed. As for the old movie thing... those were the only type of movies the old drive-in showed. It’s been replaced with a theatre by now, though. Has been for a few years.”  

Robin sniffed.  

“A complete loss, if you ask me.  

Robin threw his head back, his laughter mixed with Finney's filling the bathroom.  

Robin: Well, okay. Maybe second best.  

Finney looked at him, both of started to calm down.  

Finney: You know, I want to see a Bruce Lee movie one day. Like, um, maybe if my dad lets me, you know?  

Robin: Yeah. Yeah, you will. He will.  

Robin pushed off the stall and walked closer.  

Robin: Hey, um, you got time to stop by my house after school?  

Finney: Is it math again?  

Robin seemed to hesitate.   

Robin: No, actually...  

He stopped himself and shook his head which caused Finney to frown.  

Robin: Yeah. Mr. Johnson talks too fast. He doesn't explain it right. Not like you.  

Tory’s mouth fell open again, and she turned around to confront Robin – who she didn’t mind sitting so close to, Sam noticed.  

“Are you telling me that if you’d had the guts to ask him out then, I wouldn’t have had to endure years more of him ranting about you? Honestly, the number of times I wouldn’t have had to hear about ‘your hair’, and how ‘he’s so kind and sweet to me’, and ‘Gwen he’s so cute and hot and I wanna kiss him so bad’ ! I blame you for that, now. So thanks.”  

Robin smiled lightly.  

Robin: Can you walk me through it? If I get another "F," I'm suspended.  

Finney nodded his head.  

Finney: Yeah, sure. You know, it's weird though.  

Robin tilted his head in confusion.   

Finney: Math used to be your best subject, what happened?  

Robin's face turned red; he shook his head.  

Robin: I don't know what you mean.  

“Oh my God, was I really that clueless ?! How???!!!”  

They all laughed at his embarrassment of being so oblivious.  

Finney smirked and pointed at him accusingly.   

Finney: Something has you distracted in that class, doesn't it? Is it a person?  

His face turned even more red which caused Finney to smile brightly.  

Finney: It is! Who is it?  

More groans came from Finney’s form, still on the floor, while Robin was practically doubled over him laughing. Sam found herself giggling a little, too, the situation so hilariously absurd that she couldn’t help but find it funny.  

Robin looked down at his hand and started picking at the tape.   

Robin: No one. It's not a person, there is no person.  

Finney shook his head.   

Finney: I don't believe you.  

Robin didn't say anything, but Finney didn't care.  

Finney: Fine, don't tell me. I sit two seats away from you, I'll just have to see who you're staring at.  

“What, Finn? Were you going to spend all your math lessons looking into my eyes.”  

Finney’s reply came out muffled by his hands, so Sam couldn’t hear it, but Devon – who was sitting near them – laughed with Robin at what he said.  

Sam looked over to her mom and dad, who were both staring at the couple with soft smiles planted on their faces, and when she looked to Miguel, she found him shaking a little with barely contained laughter.  

Robin's face turned even more red as he shook his head.   

Robin: I have no idea what you're talking about, Finn.  

Finney: Sure, you don't.  

Suddenly Tory adopted a wicked grin, and Finney – after noticing her slowly turn her head to face him – paled significantly.  

“No, no, Gwen – please! What have I ever done to you? Please, Gwenny, I’m your brother, don’t-”  

Before anyone could ever ask what he was talking about, she started to explain.  

“But it gets so much worse because that night when we were walking home, before I left to go to Suzie’s, Finney was upset and I asked him about it and he said that Robin had a crush on someone else!”  

Everyone burst out into more laughter – even Demitri, who had up to that point simply turned his head away from them and refused to join in with the friendly banter, - and Hawk, who had clearly not wanted to trust the new group, like Sam. Or maybe he had simply been paying closer attention to them and would allow himself a break, like Sam.  

Gwen was shown on the screen, sitting in class taking notes.  

Teacher: So, when we subtract six from eleven, we find that the value of 'X' is five.  

Complaints were heard throughout the room as school was shown for the second time. Sam joined in a little, booing the teacher on screen.  

Someone walking in the room gaining the young girls attention. The screen cut to the principal's office with two men, detectives, waiting. Gwen walked in, her eyes scanning the room confused.   

Gwen: You wanted to see me?  

Principal: Gwendolyn Blake, this is Detective Wright and Detective Miller.  

“What the fuck did you do?”  

Sensei Lawrence turned to her with a raised eyebrow and an incredulous look in his eyes.  

“I mean, you were so small – what could you have even done?!”  

Tory sputtered, but Sam could see the fear in her eyes. Was this the thing she was hiding?  

“Like you said – I was a kid! I didn’t do anything!”  

Everyone simply stared at her, and she huffed before slouching right to lean on Robby, and he put an arm around her on instinct. Sam saw Finney give them a suspicious look of narrowed eyes, and she made a mental note to warn Robby if she had the chance.  

Wright: Miss Blake.  

He gestured to the chair across from the one he was standing in front of.   

Principal: They would like to talk to you about something.  

Gwen sat in the seat as the two men and woman sat in their seats.   

Wright: Is it...is it true you're friends with Amy Yamada?  

Sam recognised the name, and she voiced that thought.  

“Yamada... Why is that name familiar?”  

Tory spoke softly to answer.  

“She was Bruce’s sister. They weren’t particularly close – she used to complain about being dragged by their parents to his baseball matches – but it hurt her a lot when he went missing.”  

The room went quiet, solemn at the mention of the missing kid. Sam looked to see her parents’ faces were pinched, worried. She was too.  

Gwen: We have homeroom together.  

Her fingers started to pick at the arm of her chair.  

Gwen: Is she okay?  

Miller: She's fine. You know what this is about.  

The man leaned closed in his seat, trying to seem more intimidating but not threating.  

The whole group collectively rolled their eyes at him], irritated at his attempts to interrogate their friend as a child while Finney, Robin, and the adults looked on in concern and confusion.  

Wright: What did you say to Amy about her brother Bruce?  

Gwen shrugged her shoulders.  

Gwen: Just that I had a dream about him.  

Tory and Finney both sat up straight, and Sam searched their faces for answers, but all she found were carefully blank, yet almost fearful, expressions.  

Wright: What kind of a dream?  

Gwen: Just a weird one.  

Wright: What happened in your dream?  

Gwen: He was taken. That's all.  

Wright: By a man with black balloons in a van.  

Sam saw how both Robin and Finney flinched minutely at the mention of the black balloons.  

Gwen kept a straight face and calm composure.   

Gwen: Yes.  

Wright: What else can you tell us about your dream?  

Miller gave Wright a side eye as if asking why they wanted to hear about dreams.  

Gwen: Why? It was just a dream.  

"You have to admit it's weird though." Devon commented, "I mean, you had a dream that a boy was taken - but what do the balloons have to do with anything?"  

Gwen raised her voice slightly but wasn't yelling.  

Miller: Who else knows about the dream?  

Gwen shook her head and narrowed her eyes.  

Gwen: Nobody.  

Wright: We found two black balloons at the scene, Gwen.  

The room broke out into murmurs as Robby leaned in and asked Tory something quietly, to which she nodded slightly, staring right back at Sam – who was observing as she conversed with Miguel.  

The room was filled with silence. Gwen tightened her grip on the arms of her chair. crossed her ankles and took a deep breath.  

Gwen: Oh.  

Wright: We also found one black balloon at the scene of Griffin Stagg's abduction.  

Miller: And we never released those details, so...  

"How did you know about the balloons?" Hawk outright questioned, and Tory – while fiddling with the trademark spike bracelet she still insisted on wearing – muttered an indeterminable response that no one heard.  

Wright: So, the question is, where did you hear about the balloons?  

Gwen: I didn't.  

Miller: I'm going to ask again.  

The man sounded aggravated as he narrowed his eyes at the young girl who he believed was lying.  

Miller: How did you know about the balloons?  

Wright: What aren't you telling us, Gwen?  

Miller: Either there's a leak in the department, or...  

“Oh my- they aren’t asking what I think they are... Are they?!”  

Tory smirked at Robin before turning back to the scene, leaving him staring at her questioningly.  

Gwen leaned forward suddenly.  

Gwen: Or what? I'm The Grabber?  

Wright: No.  

Gwen: You think I kidnapped Vance Hopper last spring? Is that it? Vance got held back twice. I've seen him fight and trust me; he could kick the shit out of either of you blindfolded.  

Finney and Robin both started laughing as Tory flushed, insisting that it wasn’t funny, leaving Sam wondering just what this ‘Vance Hopper’ was like.  

Principal: Gwen, watch your language.   

Gwen didn't hear her. Her sole focus was one the two men in front of her.  

Gwen: Yeah, I took him down 'cause obviously I'm The Grabber, you dumb fucking fart knockers.  

Gasps and laughter were filling the room.  

“How could they ask that?” Robby wheezed out with a face red from laughing too hard, but Sensei Lawrence was laughing the hardest.  

With his hands on his knees and face almost purple, he looked a little insane, all of which was fair, Sam supposed – he'd probably never heard that insult even with all his years going to bars and getting blackout drunk, pissing people off to no end.  

The woman behind her desk stood up.  

Principal: Gwendolyn Blake!  

The room was silent for a few moments.  

Wright: Gwen. What aren't you telling us?  

Gwen suddenly became nervous again as she looked down and began fidgeting with her fingers.  

Gwen: That sometimes my dreams are right.  

"That's not possible.” Amanda immediately pointed out. “It was probably just dejá vu,” She added, dismissing younger Tory’s claims.  

Sam looked to her friend.  

“Tory...?”  

“I... I do. Have dreams, I mean. That’s how I know my adoptive mom’s gonna die. And do you remember the school fight? When I tried to stop it? Well, that was because I recognised the scene. I dreamt it, about Robby pushing Miguel, and about his injury. I’m just sorry I didn’t realise sooner.”  

She directed the last part to Miguel, who was completely still, along with most of the people there.  

Then Demitri made a noise of disbelief.  

“Yeah, real funny, Tory. Great joke. Now what really happened?”  

“Yeah, no way that’s true,” Hawk backed up his friend.  

Robby shook his head, defending his girlfriend.  

“It is true – she told me. That’s how she knew Silver paid off the referee at the last All-Valley. Tory said she saw it, and she wasn’t lying, only she left out that she saw it in a dream.”  

“Well - hypothetically,” Devon started, “Let's say we believed you. I’m not saying I don’t, I’m just confused. Where did you get these powers?”  

“I’m sure it’ll show it in a minute. I’ve just remembered what day it was.” Tory gestured miserably to the TV, as Sam’s dad turned to Finney, asking for his opinion.  

“I know it’s true,” He started, fiddling with his shoelaces, “because something like – not the same, only similar to – what Gwen gets has happened to me too. And don’t say we’re insane, or schizophrenic, because those allegations led our mom to suicide.”  

Silence.  The room was utterly, completely, silent. It was engulfing, suffocating, somehow worse than the shouts of ongoing arguments before. At least, until Johnny turned to Tory, softness and warmth in his usually frozen eyes.  

“Nichols, is that true?”  

She nodded. Then she shuffled to where Finney was, and lay her head on his shoulder. He wrapped both of his arms round her suddenly diminutive frame, small from years of putting up a big act to hide what was beneath. Sam wondered what else she had been through. 

Everyone sat in the same way, in more silence, for a few minutes before Tory lifted her head from her brother’s shoulder, thanking him, then going back to Robby. But Sam saw, how the sibling’s hands stayed firmly clasped together, and how Finney gave Robby a look that clearly said; ‘ do anything she doesn’t like, you’re dead’ .  

The two men looked at each other before the scene cut to Gwen walking along the sidewalk, running her hand along the fence with Finney walking beside her.  Gwen looked across the road and saw the three bullies that were bothering Finney earlier.  

“Why did you never tell me?” At Tory's tired but confused expression, he elaborated. ”About the Police. You never mentioned the interrogation.”  

She was quiet for a beat before explaining.  

“I was going to tell you the next day, when we were going to bed, but then...” she looked at Robin. “We got the call. And I didn’t want to add to your problems. You already knew about the dream, and the Police going to dad’s work, so I figured it wasn’t important.”  

He nodded in understanding, and they continued the video.  

Kid 2: There he is.  

The other two kids turned around to watch Finney and his sister walk away.  

Gwen: What was that?  

Finney shook his head with a sigh, not wanting to worry the girl.  

Finney: Nothing.   

Gwen gave him a look but decided not to push.  

Gwen: I'm staying over at Susie's tonight. It's Friday, so you know what that means.  

Finney: I’ll look after dad.  

Gwen started to walk on a separate sidewalk, away from her brother.  

Gwen: I'll be home in the morning. And you better not eat all the ice-cream.  

“Shit. Gwen, are you sure you want to-”  

“Yeah. It’s fine, Finney.”  

“Are you positive?”  

“I said it’s fine!” She raised her voice. “I’m sorry.”  

“It’d fine, Gwenny. You know it’s just ‘cause I love you, right?” She sighed after a beat.  

“Yeah, Finn. I know.”  

Finney laughed as they continued their separate way. It was now dark outside, and the Blake house was shown. Terrence Blake was sitting in his recliner next to the fireplace, asleep, with an empty bottle of beer in his hand, two more empty bottles on the side table next to him.   

“I don’t like him.”  

“You’re about to like him a lot less.”  

Finney walking into the room, slowly took the bottle from his hand, took the needle off the record, turned the lamp off, and quietly slipped out of the room. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed the ice-cream scoop off the counter.   

“I never did say sorry for eating that.”  

Tory laughed, properly.  

“You know I didn’t care about the ice cream.”  

It cut to Finney sitting on the floor watching a movie and eating ice-cream. He started to fidget with his rocket when it got to a part he didn't like. He placed his hand over his mouth in shock at something on the screen and quickly looked in the other room to make sure Terrence was still asleep.   

“I know I’m about to get laughed at for being scared of that, but I would just like to say that I’m the one who found my mom after she, uhm, y’know, in the bathtub. So...”  

Sam stared, aghast and horrified at the confession, and opened her mouth to say something – because what does someone say to that – but he’d already shifted his attention back to the screen. It was only after exchanging worried glimpses with Robby, Miguel and Devon – all three worried about their friend – that they all turned away.  

Finney was now laying on the floor asleep, his rocket in his hand, with the sun shining through the window. Yelling was heard in the other room, but it was faint. Finney quickly sat up when he heard the sound of a belt and Gwen screaming. Finney quickly stood up and ran to the kitchen doorway.  

“What’s going on?!”  

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”  

As shouts and screams of confusion reigned, Sam only had eyes for Tory. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest and a pained expression on her face, while Finney looked an alarming combination of guilty and torn between hiding and helping, being protected or protecting.  

Johnny’s fists were clenched, Daniel was gaping, and Amanda was glaring, while Hawk and Demetri were frozen in place and Devon was helping Robby try and talk to Tory, and Robin had an arm around Finney as the latter stared at the ground.  

Gwen: I'm sorry!  

Terrence brought the belt down on her again.  

Everyone flinched, winced, and cringed. No one wanted to see this happen, but the entire chamber had once more fallen completely silent, completely still as they drank in the scene before them.  

Finney: Dad, Stop!  

Terrence: Hey!  

He quickly pointed the belt in Finney's direction.  

Terrence: You stay out of this!   

Finney flinched back as the older man turned his attention to his whimpering daughter.  

Terrence: Gwenny. They came to my work. Why did the police come to my work?  

“Tory.”  

Sam looked away; she couldn't watch.  

He swung again.  

Gwen: I don't know! I'm sorry!  

Terrence: You need to tell me what you know about this investigation.   

Finney's lip started to wobble as he watched what was happening to his sister.  

The spell was broken as Devon cried out to Finney.  

“Why didn’t you help?! Why didn’t you do something – anything?!”  

He just stared at her as the space erupted into chaos, with Robin shouting at Devon in Spanish unintelligibly, defending Finney with an arm around him; Robby trying to get Tory to talk to him; Daniel trying to get to Tory and Finney as an adult; Amanda trying to stop him – claiming they needed their friends; Demetri and Hawk panickily trying to help Robby but making it worse, Johnny trying, and failing, to get everyone to be quiet; Miguel defending Devon furiously, also in Spanish; and Sam staring in disbelief at Tory.  

Then it happened.  

“SHUT. UP!”  

They did – everyone did.  

“Please. Just-just sit down. Just keep watching. There’s still more. Not for me, but there’s still more-”  

Quietly, they all went back to their seats. All but Johnny, who hovered uncertainly around Tory for a second before lowering himself to the ground right there, behind his son, his son’s girlfriend, and the 2 people who’d joined them in this hellhole.  

The video started again, and everyone flinched. Again  

Gwen: Nothing!  

He lifted his belt again.  

Terrence: Tell me what... What?  

Gwen: Nothing.  

Terrence: Huh!  

He lifted his belt higher.  

Gwen: Nothing!  

Terrence: What?!  

Gwen: Nothing!   

She pushed herself off the counter and grabbed his bottle of Vodka, stepping away from him.   

Gwen: Hit me again, and I'm dropping it!  

Terrence glared at her and lifted his belt above his head, hoping to send a message.  

Terrence: You drop that, and I will beat your ass twice as hard.  

She would drop it. Sam knew she would as surely as she knew her own bedroom. Tory was never one to back down from a challenge, as she had demonstrated time and time again both inside and outside the dojo, in ways both good and bad. But this...  

No wonder Sam’s friend was so volatile. It was what she had grown up with, what she’d lived with for years. Sam felt a pang of sympathy for the other girl, before feeling suddenly guilty.  

Tory had already been through so much – too much – by the time they’d met. And she’d just added to that pain and suffering. No. Sam quickly justified her actions by remembering how Tory had been the one to instigate the school fight, Tory had been the one to attack. It had always been Tory, regardless of her past.  

But not even her own reassurances couldn’t stifle the lingering doubt in the back in her mind.  

The two glared at each other for a second before he moved forward causing Gwen to drop the bottle. As the bottle shattered, Finney's face was shown on the screen his jaw dropped as what his sister had done.   

Terrence grabbed his daughter and placed her on the floor so he could continue hitting her.  

Finney: No, Dad!  

Terrence: That was an eight-dollar bottle of goddamn Vodka!  

He continued to hit her, sometimes missing and getting her lower back or upper thighs. Once he stopped, he allowed the sobbing girl to stand up.  

“He wasn’t always like that. He was kind. He was our dad. But then mom dies, and he changed so much... It was like he wasn’t even the same person anymore. I still have good memories, like after the funeral I wouldn’t eat because mom wasn’t there, and he helped. We’d say a good memory of her, then take a bite of food.”  

“Tory, that doesn’t excuse what he did.”  

“I know. I just like remembering him in a good way, because that’s what he helped us do with mom.”  

Terrence: Oh, now you listen to me. Listen to me.  

Gwen turned to face her father.  

Terrence: You are not your mother!  

Gwen: I know.  

He got closer to the girl as if trying to get his point across.  

Terrence: That means you do not hear things that are not there.  

Finney flinched away, further into Robin’s touch.  

She tried to back away, but he kept walking closer.  

Terrence: You do not see things that are not there!  

Gwen: Okay.  

Terrence: They're not there, Gwenny!  

"Yes, they were." She didn't care if the people in the room heard him or not, "Yes, they were."  

Gwen: Okay.  

Terrence: And your dreams...  

He tightened his hold on his belt.  

Terrence: They're just fucking dreams. Do you understand me?  

Finney watched from the sideline, lip no longer wobbling, as he glared at the man.  

Everyone followed on screen-Finney's example. They glared at him for causing so much pain in their friend’s, their student’s, their girlfriend’s their sister’s life. And Tory, she glared for the loss of her childhood. She glared for Finney.  

Gwen: Yes!  

Terrence: Do you understand me?!  

Gwen: Yes!  

Terrence: Say it. I want to hear you say it.  

Gwen: My dreams are just dreams.  

Terrence: Say it again!  

Gwen: My dreams are just dreams!  

Sam got up and finally ran across the room, giving Tory a hug that would rival that of a bear’s. Tory gave a watery laugh, and Sam buried her face in the other’s shoulder.  

“I’m so sorry this happened to you, Tory.”  

“Sam - Sam. You don’t have to worry. I haven’t seen him in years – plus, like I said, there’s more bad to come. Worse, in fact. But that’s Finney’s. This is the worst scene you’ll see of me. Promise.”  

“...Okay.”  

Terrence: Say it again.  

Gwen tightened her jaw and glared hard.  

Gwen: My dreams are just dreams!  

He kept his belt hand above his head, and she whimpered slightly, scared at what he was going to do next. He put his hand down and turned away.  

Terrence: Go watch some television or something.  

Gwen started to limp away.  

Finney: And no ice on that bottom, young lady. I want you to think about what you did.  

Gwen walked through the doorway as Finney stood there, staring at his dad. Terrence took a drink from his cup, finally noticing the boy was still there.  

Terrence: Did you know anything about this?  

Finney shook his head.  

Terrence: You have any psychic dreams you wanna tell me about?  

Tory snorted. “Psychic dreams? That’s what he called them? They’re more of a curse, really.” She laughed again.  

Finney shook his head.  

Finney: I don't have dreams like that.  

His voice was low, hardly audible.   

Terrence: What was that!  

Finney: I don't have dreams like that!  

“I don’t, just something way more disturbing.”  

“Will you just tell us what you can do?!” Hawk was almost pleading with Finney now, and Sam understood – the curiosity in her was rearing its head, but Finney only smirked, shaking his head.  

“Nope.” The room groaned in frustration as the boyfriends laughed at them.  

Terrence nodded his head, sipping his drink once more.  

Terrence: Keep it that way. You got that?  

Finney stared at him.  

Terrence: You got that?!  

Finney still stared.  

Terrence: Now, get out.  

Finney walked back into the living room and sat next to the younger girl. Both sitting in silence, watching the T.V. Gwen brought her knees to her chest and laid her head on Finney's shoulder as he stared hard to the T.V.  

Robin was now shown, walking behind a store.  

The boy himself gasped softly and started breathing more heavily, eyes locked, not on himself – but on on-screen Robin’s surroundings. Finney immediately took the other’s head in his hands, and from her new position, Sam could hear their conversation.  

“Is that-”  

“Yeah. Finn, mi vida, I don’t-I don’t wanna watch this anymore.”  

“I know, Rob. I don’t want to see this either. I love you.”  

“Hmm? Yeah, I-I love you too, Finn.”  

He turned a corner and, a couple yards away, was a parked black van with the driver's door opening.  

The group all narrowed their eyes, recognising the van. It was the same one Robin and Finney had both reacted so strangely to earlier. Yeah, it was a creepy van, but why did it matter so much? After all, it was just a van – right?  

Chapter Text

It was dark now and a phone was ringing. It was shown being lifted off the hook before the scene quickly changed to a fire truck driving down the street and dramatic music playing in the background. It was shown that Finney and Gwen were watching a TV show. It cut to Terrence talking on the phone.

Terrence: I understand. Thank you for calling.

Devon frowned at the screen. She might have been one of the youngest of the group, but she was far from dumb and loved Tory like a sister. And something about this... Wasn’t right. Not only was it incredibly invasive, but something was going on and she couldn’t understand what.

That guy – Robin, she remembered – had hated to see that van, feared it. Finney had also seemed shaken at the sight of the black vehicle, and maybe she was reading into it a little because she didn’t trust them, but both of them seemed to have some sort of trauma surrounding it.

From the looks of things, she’d probably find out what it was soon.

He hangs up the phone and takes a deep breath before walking into the living room where the kids were. He watched the kids for a moment, not knowing what to do.

Terrence: Finney.

The two kids turn away from the TV to look at their guardian.

Finney: Yeah?

Terrence wasn't looking at them, almost like he didn't want to see their reactions to what he was about to say.

Terrence: Do you know a kid named Robin Are... A-Ar... Ar...

Finney: Arellano?

“It’s really not a difficult name; I got no idea why he made it sound so difficult.” Finney sounded genuinely confused, as if the man wasn’t slurring his words or staggering around. She pointed this out and he shrugged, as if to say, ‘I guess’.

Robin snorted before pulling Finney into his lap again. Devon quickly looked away – if they were going to start making out, she really didn’t want to stare or seem weird.

Terrence nodded and looked at his son.

Terrence: Yeah, that's it.

Finney nodded his head, his eyebrows bunched in confusion.

Finney: He's a friend from school. Why?

Terrence looked at his son sadly before walking away. The two kids looked at each other confused.

“What happened? He looks so sad.”

Daniel’s question went unnoticed as Robin asked Tory and Finney a question.

“Por qué didn’t he tell you guys? I mean, I get that he might not want you to know but he knew you knew me, Finn. He should’ve told you. I would’ve wanted you to be two of the first to know, not him.”

Devon was past the point of confused. This was crazy. What were they talking about?! Had something happened to Robin? Did it have something to do with the van?

Shit. She suddenly had a most terrible thought. A horrible, scary, terrible thought.

They knew there were kids going missing, right? And Tory had already confirmed it was by a guy in a black van. The last they saw of him... She gasped quietly, her mind going a mile a minute as she turned to the two guys. Finney just looked at her sadly while the other was bent over him, hiding his face. Hiding from... the truth.

Finally, it dawned on her. Robin... Robin had been kidnapped. By the guy in the black van. With black balloons. Who had already kidnapped 4 other boys – it was four, wasn’t it?

“I think he wanted to protect us. Like, if he didn’t tell us, it wouldn’t be true. It’s dumb – it would’ve happened either way – but...” Tory nodded at him, but Devon wasn’t listening anymore, too enveloped in her own thoughts to hear.

“Like you said, he wanted to protect us. And just like you didn’t say, he was drunk. Was every night at that point, but still.”

Devon tuned in again just in time to hear the sounds of agreeable noises echoing around the room.

The scene switched to cop cars and people crowded along the dark road. Everyone had flashlights and started to walk in collective groups and into the trees. Back to Finney, he had his arms folded on the window seal as he stared outside.

Devon was luckily close enough to hear the couple’s whispers.

“I should’ve been out there with everyone. I wanted to look – but dad wouldn’t let me. I’m so, so sorry, Robin. Maybe if I’d tried more, then you-” Robin cut him off with a firm but unmistakeably loving and gentle argument.

“No, Finn. Don’t blame yourself, please. For me. I love you and it wouldn’t have made any difference, one kid with a bunch of adults – and I don’t blame you. I never could.

“If I ever blamed you for anything, it would be for something dumb, like stealing my clothes or eating all the orange skittles. But if I’m going to be honest, I don’t really mind about that stuff anyway. I love you, Finn. I love you more than words in any language can say. And nothing will ever change that, I swear.”

She looked over to see Tory smiling softly at the couple, and wondered for a second how long her friend had waited to see her brother so unapologetically happy with someone. Yes, they might have problems, but at least they could face those problems together.

The door opened behind him and Gwen walking in.

Gwen: I'm really sorry, Finney. I know he was your friend.

While shaking his head, Finney moved away from the window and sat down in bed and got under the blanket.

Finney: Don't say "was." He is my friend.

He laid down as his sister stayed in the doorway.

Devon could practically feel the stares that weren’t even directed at her, mutters echoing around the room as people started to figure out what was going on. The LaRusso’s in particular were staring with ashen faces at the scene playing, as if they had only just realised exactly what was going on. Johnny was, as always, oblivious and kicking Demitri in the back, blaming it on Miguel who was vehemently denying their Sensei’s claims.

Gwen: Sorry.

Finney clutched his blanket, his eyes filled with uncertain.

Finney: Gwen. Can you do that dream thing?

Devon gawked almost incredulously at the screen. Okay, maybe she was biased, but how could Finney even think of asking his little sister that? After seeing what their dad had done to her, why would he ask her of that? Some older brother.

“I’m so, so sorry Gwenny. It was unfair to ever ask that of you – you were just a kid. You didn’t need my burdens and I... I hate myself for giving them to you. You didn’t deserve that...” He broke off, staring at the ground in something that could only be described as shame, doe eyes glassy with unshed tears.

A hand reached out from Tory, taking his slightly trembling one in hers. No words were said. No words were needed. The silent promise of constant support and love was enough.

She shook her head with an apologetic look.

Gwen: It doesn't work that way.

Finney: Have you tried?

She nodded her head.

Gwen: Of course, I have.

Finney closed his eyes for a second, not willing to cry in front of the girl.

Finney: Well, try again. Please.

His voice broke on the last word.

Maybe Devon had been too harsh – the kid’s best friend had just gone missing, and here she was calling him selfish for trying to find a way to get him back. And it was looking like Tory really did have a dream about where to find Robin, because he was right there. She was just overreacting.

She stared at him for a moment, not knowing what to say before she sighed and left, closing his bedroom door causing Finney to close his eyes and sleep. Gwen was now in her room as she sat on the floor in front of her dollhouse, slowly opening it. In the house wasn't toys but a bible, a cross, a photo of Mother Mary, a wooden fish with the name Jesus, and a rosary. She lined everything up on the floor in front of her and held the small cross in her hands and looked up.

“You were religious?”

Robby’s quiet voice, his muttered question, was still loud enough for everyone to hear it – judging by the way even those in the farthest corner shifted slightly towards the pair to hear them better.

She laughed awkwardly at the sudden subtle attention on her, looking to Finney, as if to ask him if it was okay if she answered the question.

Devon supposed that religion was a private thing that siblings so young often shared due to parents raising them a certain way. Maybe their mum had taken them to church? In any case, Terrence didn’t seem like one to apologise to God for his sins any time soon.

“Uhm yeah... still am, really. Like, I won’t go to church but I do pray every so often and I still have everything I got from mom – the stuff on screen.”

Everyone nodded along, slightly shocked at the admission that Tory Nichols – Queen Cobra – still prayed to a God. Devon wasn’t really sure why she was so surprised, as there were obviously lots of things she didn’t know about the other girl (considering her name was completely different from what she’d thought it was) but Tory just... didn’t seem the type to answer to anyone, really.

Gwen: Jesus, I know you know what I'm going to ask you, but I'm going to ask you anyway. My brother, he needs his friend. I know you don’t... really like, what they have – at least according to Dad, and I know you can't just let him go, because you don't interfere or whatever.

She shrugged her shoulders.

Gwen: I don't know the rules. But if you could help me have a dream or two and just see something that could help the police or me or anyone find him, I will follow you forever.

“You asked God to... help find me?” Robin’s voice cracked at the end of his question, and Devon found herself once again feeling overwhelming pity and sympathy for the older boy. He’d only been a kid, after all, and who knew what had happened in the basement.

She wished that last thought away before it could go any further, but with the feeling of dread and foreboding hanging over the group in thick, heavy clouds, she couldn’t help but think that this ‘Grabber’ had a type. Young boys, all from the same area – or at least, she assumed so.

“Duh - how could I not! Finney wouldn’t shut up about you, and I thought you were alright. I wouldn’t just let you die. I’d never forgive myself if that was the case.”

A light switched on in the hallway surprising Gwen. She quickly rushed to throw everything back in the dollhouse and rushed to bed. She jumped back out of bed, picked up the cross, and quickly looked up.

Gwen: Amen.

Hawk spoke up, his voice confused yet clear.

“Were you not allowed that shit? Why’re you hiding it?” Tory played with Robby’s fingers as she answered in a resigned tone.

“Dad didn’t like stuff that reminded him of mom. Used to call her a hippie, a cultist – but he also used to call her a dirty whore, and he was the only person she ever slept with, so...” She shrugged. “Not much truth in any of that.”

Devon stared in something akin to horror. She had no idea Tory had gone through that – and what kind of friend did that make her? How could she not know about the abuse Tory, someone she saw as an idol, a sister, had faced.

She put the cross back down and jumped into her bed. She pulled the blanket over herself just as her dad stood at her door.

Terrence: Don't think I don't know what's going on in here. No playing after lights-out.

Gwen: Sorry, Daddy.

Terrence: Go to sleep. I love you.

Gwen: Love you, too, Daddy.

He walked away from her door as she closed her eyes and sighed in relief.

“God, you were so scared.” Robby muttered to Tory, sounding taken aback and almost scared himself. Devon could only guess that he wasn’t used to his girlfriend sounding so weak, so utterly helpless. She wasn’t used to it, either. And it scared her more than she cared to admit.

The sun was now shining, and Detectives Wright and Miller stood on the porch and knocked causing Terrence to open the door.

Terrence: God damn it, Gwenny. What the hell did she do now?

The two detectives look at each other.

Wright: We're sorry, Mr. Blake. Your daughter hasn't done anything.

Miller: But is there any way we can speak to her?

It cut to the Blake's living room. Gwen sat on the couch, Wright on her right and Miller on her left, Terrence stood off to the side with his hands on his hips. Wright's mouth was moving but no noise was heard on the screen. Gwen answered his unheard question by shaking her head slowly. Miller started talking but, once again, no noise was heard. Gwen shook her head again.

“They were asking about Gwen’s dreams – I was listening from my bedroom. I think they thought she had some kind of inside source but decided to humour her because that was the only way to get information. I don’t know if that makes sense, but basically they were pretending to believe Gwen about the dreams.”

Everyone around him nodded and Robin whispered something in his ear which made the other boy flush pink. Devon only smirked at them, which made the Mexican laugh and Finney just blush harder.

It switched to a missing child's poster on a fence with Robin's school picture. Finney was running down the sidewalk with his three bullies following him. Matty grabbed Finney and threw him to the ground. Matty started punching Finney in the face as the other boys started kicking him from behind.

“What the fuck?!” Johnny, as well as Miguel, Sam, and Hawk, were gaping at the screen as Robin simply sighed and rested his head on Finney’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around the others’ waist.

“Can we not do this, please? Just- please leave it. I don’t wanna talk about it. And that includes questions,” he hastily added on, catching Hawk right before he was about to open his mouth.

“But you can’t just tell us this and expect us to-” Sam argued against Robin until Finney cut across her with a hardness in his voice Devon hadn’t heard before.

“He said no questions. And, just for the record, we aren’t telling you this. We don’t want to be here, telling all of you strangers about our lives. So would you just shut up and leave us alone already? Please?”

The only response he received was a mumbled apology and a silent nod, but he seemed satisfied with that and wrapped his arms around Robin tighter than before, as if to shield him from the pitying and curious glances.

Gwen quickly picked up a large rock and started running to the small group of boys.

Gwen: Fucking cocksucking cowards!

Devon felt that would be something she would usually laugh at, but given the seriousness of the situation – with Robin going missing and Finney getting beaten up – she decided to stay quiet. A no – brainer, really.

She pushed the boys that were kicking Finney away, raised the rock, and smacked Matty across the face sending him to the floor.

“OH!!!”

“Holy shit!”

The room erupted into whispered and not-so-whispered conversation/

“He was out of school for two weeks with a concussion and had to get thirteen stitches at the hospital,” Tory proudly announced to the chamber.

Devon immediately turned to Mr LaRusso to see his reaction, something many of the others Johnny had taught also did. He opened his mouth, presumably to start a lecture on fighting, before closing his mouth, tilting his head as if considering it, and finally turning to talk to Amanda instead. Sniggers were soon heard from all around and Johnny proudly grinned at his students.

Gwen: Fuck you, too, ugly ass face.

She threw the rock at one of the boys, but he ducked out of the way. That didn't stop her, she ran forward but he quickly threw her over his shoulder causing her to lose her breath. Matty leaned back against the fence, blood pouring from his temple. The third boy walked forward but the second one held his arm out, stopping him and he proceeded to kick the girl in the face.

Finney: Gwen!

“Were you okay?!” Robby turned to his girlfriend with horror in his voice, and she turned to him, away from where she was absent-mindedly picking at her nails.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, I was fine. You know I’ve had way worse.”

Once they were finished with her, they moved back to Finney and started to kick him again. She crawled away, blood dripping from her lip, and sat next to Matty against the fence, the two breathing heavily as they watched the three boys in front of them. Finney was grunting in pain as he folded in on himself, trying to protect his head and stomach with his arms.

Mr. Tyler: All right, class.

It switched to a dead frog laying in a dissection tray.

Mr. Tyler: It is the day you've been dreading all semester. Frog dissection day.

“C’mon! I already did all my school stuff! Why do I have to see more of it!?”

Devon didn’t even have to recognise the voice to know who it was that said that. As great as Sensei Lawrence was – both on and off the mat – sometimes he did say things that made her question what she was doing with most of her free time.

It showed the science classroom, with Finney sitting at his desk looking bored.

Mr. Tyler: Uh, pick a partner.

Everyone started to quickly stand up and find their friends.

Mr. Tyler: Remember, you will be paired with this partner for the rest of the year.

Finney slowly stood as he watched his previous partner stand up and greet a friend. He started to look around the room, but everyone was already finding someone except for one.

Donna: Looks like we're stuck with each other.

“Wow, that’s unfortunate,” Miguel commented.

“Well, no one wanted to be friends with the kid with a dead crazy mom. They thought it could be hereditary. Plus, they didn’t wanna mess with the ‘Matty Gang’. Don’t really blame them if I’m gonna be honest.” The room, once again, fell silent at the admission.

Finney glared at the girl despite his slightly swollen eye.

Finney: I'd rather do this, and every project after, myself.

Donna sat down, not listening to what he was saying, which caused Finney to follow her action.

Donna: It's not like we have a choice. Everyone else is taken.

Finney: Well, then I'd rather fail.

“Oh my God, you were being so rude!” Someone (Devon wasn’t sure who) exclaimed – and Tory blew up.

“You can’t just expect him to be okay! His best friend had just gone missing, life was pretty shit in general, and he was obviously in a bad mood from getting jumped that morning! If I was him, I’d be doing way more than telling a girl who all but bullied me that I didn’t want to work with her.”

She huffed and grabbed Robby’s hand almost violently before locking their fingers together and averting her eyes from everyone.

Donna rolled her eyes, but Finney didn't move his from the font of the room.

Donna: I do have to admire your sister's bravery though.

“Bitch,” And that was all that was said.

Finney: What do you mean?

Donna: The fact that she saved your ass from Matty and the boys.

She chuckled lightly.

Donna: Kind of pathetic though, your little sister had to save you.

Suddenly the boy in question burst out laughing.

“Oh God, I wonder what she was thinking later on – you know, when I...”

Robin and Tory started chuckling too, some sort of inside joke Devon couldn’t even begin to understand. At least it sounded like she would later.

Finney quickly turned to her; his eyes squinted in a harsh glare.

Finney: She didn't save me, she got hurt as well. What makes you think anything about what happened this morning was okay?

“Wow, I actually hate her,” Devon decided to note out loud, and sounds of agreement quickly followed her statement.

The teacher stopped Finney before he could say anymore.

Mr. Tyler: Eyes up here. All right, let's cut open a frog.

The siblings were now walking down the street after school.

Gwen: Why does she have to be such a bitch?

Finney chuckled at her.

Finney: Thanks for always having my back, Gwen.

She smiled up at him.

Gwen: ’Course. You’re my brother, and I'd beat up anyone for you – truly!

They both laughed again, and Gwen started to make her way down a separate sidewalk.

Devon found herself smiling at the pair presented on screen. They were just so cute – and had such a good relationship for kids so young, she almost couldn’t believe they really grew up together.

Finney frowned.

Finney: Where are you going?

Gwen: I'm staying over at Susie's tonight. It's Friday, so...

Finney nodded his head at her words.

Finney: I'll look after Dad.

Gwen: See you, kid.

The two walked in separate directions, Gwen skipping as she went. Finney walked home, people passing him as they went until he was alone. He turned a corner and continued his walk, not paying any mind to the black van parked in front of him.

Devon heard a deep sigh behind her, and turned to see Finney staring at the van like a deer in headlights, a similar reaction to the one Robin had before.

Wait- did that mean...?

A man walked around to the back and tripped, dropping his groceries with a curse and laugh.

Grabber: You goof.

He started laughing as he crouched down to pick up his things.

Grabber: Well, isn't that just peachy keen?

Finney watched the action confused as he slowly walked forward.

"What are you doing?" Amanda spoke to the screen, "Just keep walking. Just keep walking, Finney."

Finney: You need some help?

"No." Demetri shook his head, "don't be nice. Just go, it'll be fine."

The room itself seemed to be holding its’ breath in anticipation for what was to come.

The man laughed as he picked up a busted egg.

Grabber: You see that?

Finney nodded and the man laughed as he threw the egg to the side.

Grabber: Would you hand me my hat?

Finney leaned down and picked it up.

It seemed like everyone forgot Finney was in the room, that this had already happened and that he was safely tucked away in Robin's arms.

"Don't do it."

"Walk in the other direction."

"Run, just run. What are you doing, run."

All Devon could do was stare, heart thumping against her chest and palms sweating, frozen in place.

Grabber: Yes, sir.

He handed the item to the older man. He stood up and place the hat on his head.

Grabber: I am a part-time magician. Would you like to see a magic trick?

“Finn, you’re too nice to strangers.” His answer was small and mirthless, without life.

“Yeah, Rob, I know.”

Finney smiled slightly as the man shook a spray can.

Finney: Yeah.

Grabber: Yeah?

"No!"

"What are you doing!"

"Just walk away, Finney!"

Somewhere in the depths of her mind, Devon wondered how everyone had already gotten so attached. Then she remembered dully that everyone always rooted for the hero. Unless the villain was hot and not too problematic, or in the grey area, like Loki or Bucky.

Finney walked forward to get a closer look at the van. He frowned as he spotted something in the windows.

Finney: Are those black balloons in there?

“No...”

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”

Devon’s fingers tightened around the hem of her shirt as she swore lightly to herself. This... this went beyond any sort of horror movie she’d watched. This was scary. She was used to there being a line between the non-fiction and fantasy, truth and lies, and horror movies – for her – were always firmly on the not-real side.

But this? This was real. This was horrifying, and the two victims in the room with her made it all the more terrifying.

Grabber: Yeah.

The man walked to the back of the van and stood next to Finney. He opened the door, grabbed the balloons with one hand and Finney with the other. Finney started to yell as he tried to fight back.

Screams filled the room.

"No!"

"Let him go you bastard!"

"What the fuck!"

"Oh, my God!"

Devon turned to Finney, eyes screaming, to instead see him with his face burrowed deep into Robin’s shirt with Tory holding his hand, squeezing it so hard her scarred knuckles were white.

The man, The Grabber, yelled in pain as Stevie brought his hand up and dug the tip of his rocket into his arm and pulled down, causing a large cut to form.

"Get him Finney!"

"Take that you stupid bitch!"

"Get out of there!"

"Cut and run, Finney, cut and run!"

Devon let out a small scream of terror, completely enraptured by the scene playing out before them.

Finney continued to scream in fear giving The Grabber easy access to spray something into his mouth. They continued to struggle before the older man got the upper-hand and thew the teen in the back of his vehicle. He took the balloons, let them go, and slammed the door closed causing the screen to go black.

Sobs mixed with the shouting and screaming, filling the air with a cacophony of noise that only seemed to heighten Devon’s senses. She could practically taste the fear.

Instead of shouting like the rest of the group – minus Tory and Robby – she turned again to the back, only to see Finney in near tears and Robin sitting with dead eyes. She twisted back around, and her eyes met Hawk’s - wide and fearful.

She joined the screaming; at whatever had brought them together, at the situation, at the man that had hurt Tory’s brother and, by extension, her.