Foreigners of Rageanity

【≪ⅶ≫】There's Always Two Sides To A Story

Branch walked down the empty cloudy path, his emotions once again warring inside of him. He was fed up, and he was exhausted. Everyone had been fighting again, exactly like they had before they abandoned him. John Dory was yelling at Bruce, Clay was defending Bruce from John Dory, and then John Dory was getting mad at Clay because he felt like he was being teamed up on... and then it had been turned on Branch.

"You aren't even trying!" John had shouted, putting his desire to save Floyd into question because he hadn't wanted to put on a diaper and practice with them.

And Branch had charged heart-first into the argument, anger finally boiling over. "Fuck you!" He barked, his voice slicing through the chaos his brothers were creating.

Poppy gasped, even though nobody else knew what he had just said.

"I'm tired of this- I'm tired of all of this!" Branch's voice rose, raw and unyielding. "I agreed to come because I wanted to help Floyd! You- you think I would spare you even a second of my time if I didn't?! I probably could have found my girlfriend by now, if Floyd wasn't in danger! I wouldn't be dealing with all of you, trying to pretend you never did anything to me! I wouldn't be so angry all the time! I wouldn't be being judged by my 'family' for the color of my skin, for my choices, for my anger, for- for anything!"

His chest heaved as he glared at them all through stinging eyes, voice trembling. "So don't you dare accuse me of not trying! Don't you ever accuse me of not wanting to save my brother! If anything, I should be asking all of you that question! All you do is argue and fight, and you've abandoned a brother before to similar circumstances, so what's to stop you from doing it again? What makes this time so different?" Branch ranted, a scowl making itself home on his face as his brothers looked at him speechlessly.

John stepped forward, exasperated. "Branch, we've been over this-"

"Well, I'm not over this! I'll never be over this! I am the one this affected, not you apparently, so no! You don't get to decide when I'm 'over this'! I-!" Branch cut himself off, panting from the exertion of his anger, before throwing his hands up in defeat. "You know what, I'm just wasting my breath. You'll never get it, because it didn't happen to you."

Branch pulled an old piece of paper from his vest, and crumbled it up before dropping it on the floor. "Tiny Diamond, pull over."

"Don't be a baby, Branch." Bruce sighed.

Branch felt a familiar rage build in his chest... but he kept walking, biting his tongue to keep from falling into another rant that would ultimately lead to nowhere. He stormed silently to the door, but stopped as he opened it. "This time, I'm walking out on you." Was the last words he left them with before slamming the door and beginning the walk to Mount Rageous.

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Poppy and Tiny Diamond eventually caught up to him, and luckily, Poppy was silent as she followed him down the path.

And Tiny Diamond brought a tricycle, and a familiar sense of humor that he desperately missed. For a brief moment, Branch almost felt like he could breathe again.

... but... when they finally reached the dressing room, and found the rest of Branch's brothers captured, none of them were prepared for what they seen next.

The door creaked open, and in walked a figure that sent a jolt of pain straight through Branch's chest. It was a face he knew too well, a face that had once given him hope and comfort anytime she was near. But the sting of betrayal hit harder than any punch.

She wasn't here to help.

She was working for Velvet and Veneer.

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