Crossed Fates

Chapter 36: Runt of the Litter

The morning sky shines brightly. The fresh air of spring blows on everyone's nostrils, enveloping them in a sense of peace.

Luke: "Alright, I'm gonna go hunting for food! Let's make this camping experience more real and fun!"

Toby: "Hunting? I wanna go hunting!"

Luke: "Niceee! Any other takers?"

Luna: "I'll go."

Liv: "Me too!"

Jesse: "No thank you. I will stay here."

Tyler: "Same. I'm pretty tired."

Luna: "Of course you are... Let me guess, are you tired too, Tezuka?"

Tezuka: "Huh? Yeah. I am pretty tired, now that you mention it."

Liv: "Okay, whatever. Come on, let's leave these three alone! Time to hunt!"

Everyone else leaves, meaning Tyler, Tezuka and Jesse are all together.

Jesse: "Why are you two tired? Did you have a rough night?"

Tyler: "Rough night? N-No. What about you? Why did you stay behind"

Jesse: "Oh. I just stayed behind to read some of my books."

Tezuka: "You must love reading, Jess."

Jesse: "Reading? It is fun, I'm learning new things from the books... Oh, and camping has been a nice experience."

Tyler: "It's only really been a day, though."

Jesse: "Yes, but this is much better than sleeping in caves with leaves as my only source of comfort."

Tezuka: "Leaves, huh?"

Jesse: "Yes. I wish to never go back to those days. They pain me."

Tyler: "I get you. So, what're you reading now? Under the Stars still?"

Jesse: "I finished that on the walk here yesterday. I'm reading a new book now."

Tyler: "It's good you have a hobby. Saves you from being bored. I liked reading on my travels too. I still read a whole lot."

Jesse: "Really? Have you ever read something called Echoes of Elysium?"

Tyler: "Yeah! The one about those kids trying to prevent the world's destruction by bringing their parents back from the dead?"

Jesse: "Yes... That was my favourite book. I have a question to ask of you, though."

Tyler: "A question? About the book?"

Jesse: "Mhm. What is a parent? What are they like?"

Tyler: "Parent, huh? It's... pretty hard to explain."

Tezuka: "Evil. They're evil."

Tezuka's hair starts to spike up. She looks angry.

Jesse: "They're evil? But in the book, they're-"

Tezuka: "I had a parent. They were evil. I hate him. I fucking hate him."

Jesse: "Huh?"

Tyler: "Jesse, I don't think it's best to question it."

Jesse: "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset. I just wanted to know what having a parent was like."

Tezuka looks down. Tyler wraps an arm around Tezuka to comfort her.

Jesse: "I'm so-"

Tezuka: "Everyone has different experiences with parents. Some are born without them, some are born with only one. I... I had both."

Jesse stays silent. She puts down her book to listen to Tezuka.

Tezuka: "My mom was the sweetest person ever. I loved her so much. She was the only person I could trust."

She starts tearing up.

Tezuka: "I had brothers too. 7 of them. None of them liked me. They'd hit me, they'd call me names... All because I was a girl, and without my arms."

Jesse: "Oh..."

Tezuka rests her head on Tyler's shoulder.

Tezuka: "It all got so bad, I just ran away. Ran away and never looked back. I was homeless for a while, until I met someone in Cidade."

Jesse: "Cidade?"

Tezuka: "Yeah. Cidade dos Roedores. They taught me martial arts, and let me stay with them. They were kind of like my foster parent, but one day when I went out of town, I returned and everything was turned into rubble."

Jesse: "Oh no. What happened?"

Tezuka: "Apparently that Shadow Prince guy Matthew destroyed the town. Luckily the guy managed to get out of there alive. He told me 'Kit... Unfortunately with no Dojo, I cannot teach you anything more. You must find a squad now. That's your best hope.' I thanked him for everything as he left, though. I have his number somewhere... Anyways,  I was alone once again, until I met my favourite person ever."

Jesse: "You met your favourite person? Who?"

Tezuka nuzzles up to Tyler. He blushes and grins.

Tyler: "Uhh... That would be me."

Jesse: "Oh. Wait, back on your parents though, was it really that bad?"

Tezuka looks gloomy.

Tezuka: "It was horrible. Absolutely horrible."

12 years ago, in a smaller town...

Scarred Man: "You stupid fucking cow! What use is there in raising a damn child that's fucking useless?! She isn't going to be able to protect herself, and she's never going to find love!"

Beaten Woman: "She will! She is going to find love! You just-"

She's kicked onto the floor, she wails as she hits the floor with a large thud.

Scarred Man: "What?! I underestimate her?! Of course I'm going to underestimate that stupid fucking cripple! What the hell is she ever going to do in her life? Just be someone's toy? There's no way a useless child such as her is MY kid!"

Beaten Woman: "Well, she is! Just accept it, you asshole!"

The man scoffs at her.

Scarred Man: "Eleanor. Mark my words, you are going to regret ever trying to justify that child's existence, and you are going to die one day because of her."

Eleanor: "Malcolm, mark my words, you're going to-"

She's met with a boot to the face, she clutches onto her bleeding nose.

Malcolm: "Fucking bitch. Don't talk back to me."

Eleanor starts gently crying on the floor. Little footsteps quickly run towards her.

Eleanor: "Tezuka... I'm so sorry."

Tezuka: "Mommy..? Is dad being mean again?"

Eleanor: "Y-yeah. He is."

Tezuka: "Why is everyone so mean to me and you, Mommy? Is it because we're girls?"

Eleanor: "Because they don't know better, honey."

She wipes off the blood coming from her nose. She wraps her arms around Tezuka.

Eleanor: "I don't care about what they say about you. Did you know that, Tezuka?"

Tezuka nuzzles against her mother.

Eleanor: "You're such a gorgeous girl. You have been ever since you were born, honey."

She sniffs. She brushes Tezuka's face with her palm. 

Eleanor: "Your beautiful eyes, your soft skin... Your gentle heartbeat as I held you close to me... Your slow, soft breaths brushing against my ear..."

Tezuka looks up towards her mother. Her mother looks at her with a kind, gentle smile.

Eleanor: "Ever since I gave birth to you, you've been a perfect, sweet little girl. You've done absolutely nothing wrong."

Tezuka: "Daddy says I'm a mistake all of the time, though. So does Adrian, Ethan, Lucas, Hiroki, Lars, Kaito and Ren."

Eleanor: "You are not a mistake, honey. I promise you that with every fibre of my being. You were just born with a defect. It wasn't your fault."

Tezuka: "But... why does nobody else have one, Mommy? Why do they have to bully me all of the time?"

Eleanor: "That is just God's way of challenging us, my dear. He's given you a hard challenge, because you're strong, honey."

Malcolm: "ELEANOR!!! YOU BETTER NOT BE TELLING SHIT TO THAT STUPID FUCKING CHILD AGAIN!"

Malcolm stomps into the room again. Eleanor shields Tezuka in her arms.

Eleanor: "She's not stupid! She's smart, Malcolm! You'd know that if you actually decided to pay attention to her!"

Malcolm: "Why would I pay attention to that freak when I can pay attention to an actual competent kid like Adrian? He's gonna grow up and have several wives! He's going to be the strongest fire element in history, with his brothers just behind him! Tezuka? She's going to stay useless forever!"

Eleanor: "You don't know that! You have to give her a chance! Please-"

Malcolm boots her in the stomach.

Malcolm: "It's always, ALWAYS 'Give her a chance! Please!' No! She is an abomination, and I-"

Eleanor: "Shut up! SHUT UP! You are not the man I fell in love with! You are a heartless cruel monster! I've had enough!"

She gently places Tezuka on the floor.

Eleanor: "I... want a divorce! I hate you-"

Malcolm: "No you don't. You're going to die on the streets without me, Eleanor."

Eleanor: "That's not true... I-"

Malcolm: "You're just going to keep doing this? Every time that I try and knock some sense into you? You're always going to protect this... runt?"

Eleanor: "I'd rather DIE than let you hurt Tezuka again!"

Malcolm: "You'd die for a cripple? Are you seriously that pathetic?"

Eleanor: "I'm not pathetic, I just have a heart!"

Malcolm: "Eleanor, Eleanor... You don't have a heart. You're just completely stupid."

Eleanor: "Fuck you! You're the stupid one!"

Malcolm: "Real mature."

Eleanor: "Says the fucking child abuser! Get out! I've had enough!"

Malcolm: "Hah. Sure, maybe then I'll go and see Sofia."

Eleanor: "Sofia..? M-My sister Sofia?"

Malcolm: "That's right. She's been good company lately."

Eleanor clenches her fists.

Eleanor: "Fuck you! Fuck you and her!"

She grabs his neck, and she tries choking him, he manages to get her off of him, and she's met with a right hook to the face, she falls sideways onto the wall.

Tezuka: "Mommy!"

Malcolm: "Stupid fucking bitch! Don't ever try and put your hands on me!"