Lavender

Brothers.

SLIGHT TRIGGER WARNING FOR ABUSE. TLDR AT THE BOTTOM.

Percy grabs my arms and Kellen grabs my legs. "You know what, Link?" Dad towers over me.

"You always were dispensable. I don't need you. You have nothing to offer me."

Kellen looks at Percy. Leo looks at Percy. I look at Percy. Jack and Mario look at Percy. There's something weird about brothers. I heard they stand up for each other. Mine never did. Mine watched me get beat for years. They hold me down when I squirm and sometimes they join in. But I guess there's a whisper of instinct. Because everyone looks at Percy, the oldest. He looks down at me, and for a split second, he looks like he did when I was seven. He looks like the brother I had for a year and a half. The brother that read me stories at night. The one that hugged our mom before going to work. The one that bought me treats when I tagged along with him to the mall. The one that told Kellen that crying is okay. The one that held Jack when he went through his first breakup. The one that, when we were kids and to this day, buys snacks for Mario at the gas station. The one that was the only one in the room when Leo took his first steps. The one that told everyone that I was their brother and I was to be treated as such. In that moment, we are 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 19. And we all look to our big brother.

Percy nods.

All at once, Percy and Kellen let go. They grab Dad, an arm each. They pull him away and shove him against a wall. Jack pulls me to my feet. Mario watches us go. They all shout things over Dad's screams.

Mario. "Get out and stay out!"

Jack. "Don't come back!"

Kellen. "Go fast, and go far!"

Percy. "We... We love you! Now, fuck off!"

Leo and I run as fast as we can. We make it to the next town over and stop. "How did we do this before?" I ask while panting.

"I have no fucking clue. Let's just walk."

We walk slowly towards Diversion Mansion. "Did our brothers... do a good thing?" Leo asks.

"I... I think so."

"And Percy said we were doomed. Ha! There's some of Mom's genes in us after all."

I wipe sweat and blood off of my forehead. "Yeah, I guess. I think it was because Dad would never kill one of us before. The escalation was so slow, and it was never life or death."

"It started changing faster after you left. Got worse and worse. Then today it was life or death, and I guess they still... love us."

"Yeah, about that. Did you hear what Percy said or am I going crazy?"

He laughs and winces at the pain, putting a hand on his ribs. "He loves us. He was a good brother when we were kids. He watched us all grow up. Didn't want to watch his baby brother die, I guess."

"You think there's hope for them?" I ask after a few seconds of silence.

He thinks for a long time. "No. One moment of clarity doesn't forgive everything they've done."

"True. Maybe one day. After a lot of more moments."

We arrive on the steps of the mansion. We see Adam, Max, Luther, and Casper sitting on the steps. They all have normal eyes and bouncing legs.

But the weird thing was the mansion. "Do you see what I see?" Leo whispers.

"Looks like... an actual mansion."

Diversion mansion had spiraling columns and white walls. The windows and doors were all in the same places, but I could have sworn it looked super run down before. Right now, it looked like paradise. Like home. No longer brick, foreboding, and abandoned. "Diversion Mansion... it looks different depending on what you need, I think. I've heard stories of people thinking it's a motel, or a hotel, or even an abandoned house. Never thought much about it, but the name finally makes sense."

Leo looks at Casper. "It is absolutely what I need."

TLDR: Two of the brothers help their dad hurt Link, until their Dad is about to kill him. All the brothers then work together to get Link and Leo out of the house, shouting at them supportive and even loving statements. Leo and Link return to the mansion after agreeing the brothers are still bad people, but they're incredibly thankful for their moment of clarity.