Prehalia's Demons(Completed) I #Wattys2019

21 I A FRIENDSHIP

"Another boring day in the Dumps." Croaks out Troy Lex as he pushes aside the old curtains of his house to reveal the familiar landscape.

"Morning, boss." Price storms inside the room with a tray, having a hard time to balance the coffee cup and the toast on it. Lex smiles at the boy's stupid efforts which never cease to amaze him. The younger looks up and when he see the grin on his boss' face, he returns it, only wider and toothier.

He may be already fifteen, but that smile on his face always transformed him into the kid he was when they both first met a long time ago.

Troy is roaming around Traum in boredom when another childish fight erupts on the other side of the deserted street. He can hear boys, not older than twelve scream at something, more likely somebody, who's laying on the floor. Something inside Lex aches as he watches the body staying still in the dust. Troy may be a thief and a dummy, but he is no bastard.

Without giving it a second thought, he crosses on the other side and towers over the kids, trying to sneak a glance at the creature beneath. "You dead, boy-o?" He rasps out and consequentially puts all of the attention on his bulky frame.

The children are skinny and dirty faced but there's a flame that's continuously building up in their eyes, the smell of the incoming fight flying in the air, as even the older Rats take quick looks at them, in hope to get some entertainment in their sorry lives.

"What do you want, weirdo?" The only chubby kid comes to the front of the new formed gang and it's a no brainer to realize that it's the leader.

Troy laughs under his breath. Of course the fat dude is considered the scariest.

He scans the boy from the thin greasy hair on his head, to the angry blue eyes and to the torn shoes. Everything about this guy screams that he's from Traum. Lex can't help but have a little sympathy. He himself lost all of his lives when he was only about their age. He had been shot, he had been strangled, he had been stabbed and all of this to steal whatever money he had. At this point he doesn't even remember the times when he was in Pretorium. That's just a distant dream in his mind.
 
"Stop beating the boy and find yoself a job to do." Lex comes closer to the leader with no fear, and pats his already filthy hair with his callous palm. "If you wanna survive, that ain't the way to do it, kiddo."

The young boy slaps the hand from his head and his rage is evident even to Troy. Lex doesn't want to beat their asses but if he has to, he will.

There's a sudden movement and a moan from where the body stood still just a moment ago and it catches Lex's attention. That short second when he's not paying attention is enough for the chubby kid to strike. He punches him in the jaw with a meaty hand and Troy's head flies back. The throbbing is instant but the older tries to keep his composure.

"Come at me, stupid!" The youngling shouts, his fists already flying in the thick air that surrounds them.

Troy Lex sighs and scratches his neck. "Man, how much I didn't want to fight today."

In mere minutes the gang of boys is on the ground— coughing dust, whining, and cursing under their breaths. Lex shakes away the stiffness out of his arms and smiles at their leader whose face is gradually turning more and more purple. The fat kid doesn't dare to even look at Troy.

"Hey, bud, you alright?" He crouches next to the 'victim' of this gang only to see that the face and body of the boy aren't a nice picture to look at. He's covered in scratches and bruises, and he also seems to be deep in sleep. Troy can only hope it's just sleep.

"Let's go, kiddo." He says and throws the body over his broad shoulder, painfully aware of how limp the boy feels.

When he tosses him on his bed, there's a sharp moan that comes from the youngster's mouth. Lex lets go of a breath that he has been holding onto for the past minutes.

He smiles. The little duckling is definitely alive.

The boy sleeps away the next two days and then, just when Lex comes back from work in the nearby factory, the kid's eyes fly open and meet the hardwood ceiling of a really nice looking house. Way better looking than what he's used to.

Panic rushes through his body as he realizes that this is indeed not his hideout and he urges his beat up body to move, to get away from here. After living in Traum for a month, he already knows that there are no friendly faces around.

In the midst of him putting on his shoes, or what's left of them, someone touches his shoulder and the boy freezes in his place. "Please don't beat me." He starts to shake under the weight of the massive hand and his voice thins out further.

The other person sighs and slides his hand off the shoulder. "I have no intentions of doing so, my man."

The surprise is as sudden as the panic. The younger boy's head springs up and he locks eyes with Lex. He can't believe this. There is actually a man with a good heart in this godforsaken place.

"Mister, did you save me from those bullies?" The younger's expression is pure, innocent. It's so obvious that he isn't used to the horrors of Traum.

Ah, the joy of being a newcomer, Lex thinks and his own memories leave a sour taste in his mouth.

"I did. But-" He stops the boy before he speaks up by putting a finger in the air. "-don't thank me. I'm not a good guy."

That's the thing he's been repeating every time he saved another person, because it doesn't feel right for him to receive someone's genuine thankfulness. You don't get anything from being a good man, other than more enemies who think you're softhearted and easy to overtake.

Every other person up until now would just grab their stuff, if they have any, and leave once and for all but this boy's smile only grows wider.

He jumps from Lex's bed and grabs the older guy's hand that looks comically large compared to the boy's one. "Teach me."

"Teach you what?" Lex asks puzzled.

"Teach me how to become stronger." There's a glint of excitement and thrill in this young boy's eyes. "I don't want to ever be beaten up again."
 
Even though Lex refuses this request and the boy leaves the very next morning, he keeps coming back every other day, asking the same thing.

It takes Troy a few months, but one day when the youngster knocks on his door, he finally agrees.

They shake hands in front of his house and exchange names. Before long they become inseparable, the way they still are.

"Are you even listening to me, boss?" Price murmurs and crosses his arms in a gesture of annoyance. That boy he first met is nothing like what he has become. Now he is strong, his muscles show from beneath his skin and his facial features have been drastically changed by puberty.

"Sorry, little duckling. I was lost in thoughts." Lex answers but that familiar nickname sparks something. They both smirk at each other and that's more than enough for them.

"So, as I was saying-" Price restarts his speech, all annoyance forgotten after hearing his old nickname, "I think Jessica Samuels is coming tomorrow or the day after. Have you come up with a plan?"

The truth is, Lex hadn't thought about it much because he's best at acting in the moment. Also, he has a slight problem with procrastinating, but he would never admit this even to himself.

"I have no idea, honestly. But from all of my experience, I know that dealing with rich families is a pain in the ass." He plops back in bed and hides his eyes from the rising run. "The only way for us to actually sabotage the Samuels, would be to shut Jessica up."

"How do we-" Price's sudden realization horrifies him. "Boss, are the money enough for you to kidnap a person?"

"I told you once before already, Price." The tension that suddenly builds up suffocates both men. "I'm not a good guy."