The Champion's Brother / Running Man Animation / Fan-fiction

Leaving

Sean didn't look back as she marched out of her parents' home and into the dark streets. She didn't care if they tried to call her back, she wouldn't listen. In her arms she held her brother Liu. He was twelve already but so malnourished he was able to be carried by her, a fifteen year old.

He was asleep, fidgeting every once and a while as she strode along the road. Liu spent a lot of time sleeping, it seemed to be the only way for him to regain his energy. Whenever she came home he was resting. After all he hadn't been shown how to stay up past noon, late into the night working like many people in the Bug Tribe. But then again, his parents hadn't taught him anything. They'd only ever cared about her.

Sean had always had a knack for inventing. Her parents saw her ability, and the opportunity that came with it. She learned all she could from the other inventors in their area and taken lessons in fighting as a benefit for later. It had been worth it. She was in line to enter the Running Man Championship and compete against the other tribes. Maybe one day she'd even be Champion. And this could still happen, but her parents wouldn't be a part of it. 

Shortly after she started to learn from the other inventors her parents decided to forget about their son. They constantly left him alone and paid so little attention to him that he began to starve when they couldn't be bothered feeding him. But Liu barely ever complained, so it didn't get better.

So Sean would take Liu out to the fields when she wasn't training and they'd work. Planting, watering and harvesting crops. Sometimes she would secretly steal a few to give to Liu after dark, if he was still awake.

But tonight had been the last straw.