Future Legend

Chapter 2: President

He opened the door.

At first, it was a little hard to see in the dark shed. But Yung Penguin could make out a shadow, cowering in the back.

"Turn on the lights." Blonson suggested.

Curdis pulled the string, the lightbulbs blinding the kids for a second, just as the rapper felt something small hit his shoulder.

"Woah! The heck?"

Yung Penguin glanced over to the back of the shed where a little figure sat crouched, holding a slingshot.

"Aah! Do you see that?" Blonson asked, frantic.

"Yeah, I see."

Kneeling on the floor was a small boy with a few noticable features. Tall, furry ears, and... antlers. Deer antlers.

"It's a Hybrid." Blonson exclaimed quietly.

"Leave me alone!" The boy shouted.

Curdis' jaw dropped. "The sh**?"

"Stay back."

The boys couldn't believe it. "You talk."

"Who taught you?" Blonson questioned.

"My pubba did."

Yung Penguin really thought it would be funny if he had said "Yeezy taught me" like that one girl in the Kanye West track Blame Game featuring John Legend, but of course that wasn't it.

"Your papa?"

"My pubba." The boy corrected.

"Oh... Where is he now?"

The Hybrid hung his head.

Blonson and Curdis exchanged looks.

Penguin stepped forward. "I'm sorry-"

But the boy only held his rock-slingshot back up, causing Curdis to step back again.

"Leave me alone! I don't talk to bad men!"

"Woah, woah, woah." The rapper said, trying to process this. "We're not bad. We're... Hold up. Why are you in my shed anyway?"

The deer kid crouched back. "I was running away from bad men and I found this place and hid in here."

Curdis' eyes widened. "When?"

"Last night."

He turned to Blonson. "He's been in here all night."

Yung Penguin looked back at the boy with something many others earlier that day hadn't had with Pete Mackey. Compassion.

He bent down to the boy's level. "What's your name?"

"...Gus." The Hybrid replied, a little hesitantly.

"Ok. Hi, Gus. My name is Curdis. This is my friend Blonson."

"Dude, what are you doing?"

"Shhhh!" He hissed, still sounding gentle enough for Gus to not attack him. "You don't have to worry. I'm not gonna hurt you."

He held out his hand.

Gus looked at him, confused.

"It's called a handshake. Don't be scared."

Curdis inched closer to Gus, finally taking the small Hybrid's hand and squeezing it gently. He seemed to start to trust him more now, shaking back slowly.

"Those bad men, are they taking away kids like you?"

Gus shuddered. "I don't know. But they were chasing after me. They had these big sticks that made booms."