Against The Sun

Filing Feelings

It was a week and a half after the meeting with Cherri and Show Pony, and Gerard and Mikey were settling well into life in the underground. They had heard a few times from Cherri that plans to act against the BLI Draculoid program were being made based around the information that Gerard had managed to give them, and it felt comforting to know that he had stayed true to the promise he had made his father. It had been decided that Gerard and Mikey would continue living with the Juvie Halls in the underground for now at least, or until Better Living forced their hand. The risk of trying to get them through one of the regular escape routes was to high, but Cherri, who regularly smuggled people in and out of the city, promised to work out a plan for when they would need to leave. 

Gerard was trying not to think about how nervous that made him as he sat on the couch in his and Mikey's room, sorting through a huge folder of supply lists that he had promised Shannon he would help Nate organise. Nate, lacking even a single ounce of organizational ability in his entire body, had turned out to be more of a hindrance than a help, so Gerard had sent him away to be useful elsewhere. Gerard smiled at the memory of the slightly insulted look Nate had given him as Gerard pushed him forcefully out the door. Gerard smiled a lot when he thought about Nate.

He blinked his eyes tiredly as he stared down at yet another hastily scribbled list of contacts. He had been at this for a few hours already and decided that now was a good a time as any for a break. Deciding to try to find Mikey, Gerard opened the bedroom door and wandered down the hall. Not finding him plundering the kitchen for snacks, he decided his best bet would be to check the gym.

Gym was an optimistic term to use for what it actually was. The Juvie Halls had turned one end of one of the station platforms into a training area of sorts. They had managed to find some soft mats from somewhere and an old punching bag and along the wall was a table holding a few training weapons, but that about the extent of it. Mikey usually spent an hour or two in there every evening taking out his emotions on the poor punching bag. Mikey may have looked like he would be blown over in a stiff breeze but had been been a part of the BLI combat training course since he was six years old and had been good enough to receive extra training on top of that.

That was where he found Mikey now, his hands wrapped tightly, sweat pouring down his bare back as he repeatedly punched the bag in a series of efficient, heavy blows. Gerard took a moment to watch Mikey as he continued to pummel the bag before performing a spinning kick at head height that was possibly the most awesome thing Gerard had ever seen. It was at times like these that Gerard had a tough time remembering that Mikey was only twelve. Watching him now he radiated a deadly confidence that made him appear much older than he was, and much more competent at looking after himself than his older brother could ever be. But then Gerard would remember the scared, traumatized Mikey that still woke up every night screaming and looking so young and innocent it hurt, and Gerard knew that his little brother still needed him desperately. Gerard needed Mikey just as much.

"Can you teach me?" Gerard called over.

Mikey jumped, startled at the interruption. Realising it was just Gerard he took a calming breath. "To fight?" he asked his older brother.

"Yeah," Gerard nodded walking over casually. "Thought it might be a useful thing to know if BLI decide to arrest and or murder me."

Gerard let out a nervous laugh at the reality of that being an actual possibility. Mikey glared at him unamused.