Gears | A Rainbow Quest Street Racing AU

Brothers

Thursday, September 20th - 3:46 pm - Present day

I nod to Mare and El as I exit the diner, then pause to look at the kid, Sabre. I had to admit, after he had some food, he was pretty chatty and relaxed. Also I couldn't help but notice he was staring at a record on the wall for a long time.

I walk back over to my car and think back over everything that was just mentioned. Rain was dead? His brother looks almost like a mini him before he dyed his hair? Mare was acting off? Not to mention Light looked like a wreck and was about to throw fists with Mare if he didn't get stopped by El. I open the driver door and sit inside, sighing.

"How'd it go?"

Max's voice breaks through my thoughts and I glance at him in the backseat to see he was scrolling through something on his phone.

"Eh, the usual. But-"

"Rain's dead."

"Huh? How'd you find out?"

I give my brother a double take as I glance at him through the rear view mirror, then mentally facepalm. He was a genius, of course he'd find out one way or another. Also social media was a big tell as well.

"His absence, how El didn't come here with him like usual, the way you reacted to what Mare said, then El telling you off in front of that kid. But while you were in the diner, there's an article that just released, Leon. It's not good."

I look back at Max, then notice he was furrowing his eyebrows at his phone. After a moment he looks up at me and hands me his phone.

"There was an accident involving the old highway bridge, and that part of the bridge support cracked and fell. They mentioned an unidentified death, but that's not the worst part... Later... Void identified the person who died."

My body goes stiff at the mention of the gang lord of the Darkness and I stare at the photo of the wreckage of the old bridge support with a blood stain under a corner. The piece that fell was huge, and to think that... Rain shoved his brother out of the way and let himself get crushed by that piece...

My respect for that guy increased tenfold.

"Leon? You're spacing out again."

Max breaks through my thoughts again and I hand his phone back to him, leaning back into my chair numbly.

"Max... Rain took that hit for his brother... He... He really would do anything for his brother. Damn..."

"Well, he may have been a jock and just getting off his immature phase, but he was smart. And dare I say it... He always has had my respect. Now... Respect and beyond. It's not easy to just die for your brother."

Max places his hand on my shoulder as I let out a sigh. I may have always given Rain a hard time, but it didn't mean he wasn't a friend.

"We heading home finally?"

"Yeah, there's nothing else I need to talk to Mare about anyways."

"Leon..."

"Yeah Professor?"

I look in the rear-view mirror to see Max roll his eyes and then pass his phone to me again.

"Ally just texted and says she has some information on Ray's disappearance. He didn't die like we thought."

I read over the text and bite my lip. This wasn't something Light wouldn't be able to chew right now, especially with having taken Rain's loss so hard. Damn.

"Aight, thanks Prof."

"Only call me that around the others, Leon. You know I'd rather you be calling me Max when we aren't around your gang members."

I nod and sigh, then start up my car. Max was always tense about the naming situation, but I never blamed him for it. Things could go to hell if your name was known by the wrong people.

"Yeah, sorry man. Let's get moving."