Chapter 5: From Streetfighter [01/03]

Only a few minutes after Gray was gifted with his first proper Brawler weapon, he, Cosmo, and Jupiter had their school supplies strapped to their backs in preparation for their journey. They were dressed casually and prepared to go out for their typical school day.

Meanwhile, Luna stood inside looking at her three siblings standing before her, with smiles plastered on their faces. She had her causal wear as well but had to stay home a bit more to prepare for her job.

While she knew they could handle themselves perfectly fine during their walk to school, she couldn't help but worry. Villa Gorgon wasn't exactly a safe haven, to begin with.

Not only do there always remain people trying to steal from them but there were also uncompleted Dungeons scattered around each corner as no Brawler would bother to take care of them since they'd reap no reward.

Even then, the death rate caused by Dungeon Crawlers in the area of the Holo Isles isn't that high. More than likely because monsters within the range of F-Rank and E-rank are viewed as more like simple pests than actual threats.

However, this didn't take away from the fact that there was a higher rate of crime in these locations than in "higher ranked" parts of the city. A small group of thugs and thieves could often roam the streets causing havoc for anyone unlucky enough not to be able to protect themselves and get away safely.

Luna sighed as her gaze turned towards her younger brother, who was currently holding onto one of Jupiter's hands while the other held Cosmo's. Gray never did seem too worried about this sort of thing or even cared that there was some risk.

He simply walked along the road with a relaxed demeanor. She always wondered how someone so close to adulthood was so absent-minded

Someone who was constantly pushed around like a sandbag due to his rank. She worried, like any sane older sister, if her younger brother's recklessness was going to lead to him getting in trouble sooner rather than later.

She knows that being a Brawler wasn't an easy feat to make it into at such an early age. Being a C or D-Rank was already considered a hard life for most people in general.

So being an F-Rank?

As an ordinary human, and as Gray's surrogate guardian, Luna felt incredibly guilty every time she saw her "baby brother" fight or return beaten and battered from a fight.

Even though Gray was capable of taking care of himself and was able to defend himself and his friends whenever they were around, that didn't change the fact that the idea of hurting himself in the process was still upsetting her.

The older sibling sighed again, before finally opening her mouth to say her goodbyes to the others.

"Alright boys and girls, I'll see you guys tonight for Gray's birthday party!"

She smiled brightly at her family pushing down her feeling of worry as she watched Gray accept hugs from Cosmo, Jupiter.

"Don't be late!"

"We won't!"

The two twins said in unison as they raised their hands to wave at Luna. Gray kept quiet as he looked to the side with an unsure grin.

"Gray...?"

The older girl pried her brother for the answer she wanted, which he gave reluctantly.

"Yeah, yeah... I promise to come home as early as I can... Though I make no promises that Theo won't keep me as a hostage for the remainder of the day... You know how he is after all..."

"I suppose you're right... Hmph... Well! I gotta get everything ready for work today! So shoo shoo! Go get your education!"

With that final statement, Luna waved at both of the brothers and her sister as the door to her apartment opened, allowing them to walk out. She smiled and waved one last time before closing the front door of her apartment.

Once the door was closed and locked, Luna took in a deep breath, preparing herself for what a hard day of work she was about to face today.

The three stooges walked around the poorly built and decrepit balcony. The only sound heard was the wind blowing and rustling trees below them.

The twins were talking about random childish topics while Gray walked with his hands in his Khaki pockets, occasionally looking down at his shoes and letting his eyes wander through the streets below him. A small smile made its way onto his face as his eyes landed back on his siblings walking next to each other happily.

The three of them walked around the building balcony that winded itself around and above the entire block until eventually reaching their destination, a long winding and spiral staircase leading down to the street.

"Hey Gray, let's go."

Cosmo called out as he stopped walking, making a gesture to Gray's surroundings and signaling for him to follow. The older boy merely hummed softly, giving his siblings a thumbs up.

"We can't be late again!"

"So c'mon, let's hurry up!"

Jupiter added as she tugged lightly at Gray's hand, urging him to hurry up and join them downstairs. The eldest brother huffed lightly, rolling his eyes in annoyance before finally following the girls' instructions. join the others.

"Alright, alright, jeez..."

"Wait..."

A sudden gruff male voice called out to the three, making them pause in their steps. A pair of brown eyes narrowed as he saw a familiar blond hair standing behind him. A man with a bushy mustache with a large scar on his left cheek stared down at him.

His expression showed nothing but anger and frustration, as the man gripped his scarf tightly with his gloved hands. The man wore thick clothing with pants, boots, gloves, and a hood covering part of his body.

"Mr. Landlord..."

"Gray..."

A low growl escaped the blond's throat. There was a hint of warning in his voice when he spoke to the older blonde, knowing all too well how much he resented being treated.

The two were exchanging harsh glances, neither willing to give up ground as they glared at one another. Cosmo and Jupiter standing in No Man's Land between the two. The two of them looked at the glaring contest with apprehension, wondering which of the two would break first.

"Happy birthday boyo!"

The older blonde male broke his stern glare, his once sharp features turning into a soft and friendly look. He extended his hand for the younger blonde to shake. His grip was firm yet gentle. Even the man's scowl softened slightly, as he offered the younger siblings a small smile.

"...Thanks.."

Gray replied shyly, returning the kind gesture. Cosmo and Jupiter sighed as the tense atmosphere from before dissipated instantly. Their shoulders visibly relaxed as they allowed themselves to relax a little.

"Already a legal adult, huh!?"

The landlord joked as he let go of Gray's hand and ruffled the teen's hair with a chuckle.

"Heh... yeah..."

Gray chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly in embarrassment. He'd never really grown accustomed to having people treat him so gently. He's usually either yelled at, threatened, or beaten to shit over something. So a change of pace from time to time was welcomed.

"Thinking of getting a drink soon?"

The blonde landlord asked, nudging Gray's shoulder with his own. Gray nodded in an attempt to lighten up the mood further. His smile widened.

"Nah... not really interested in drinking, you know?"

The landlord shook his head disapprovingly.

"Yer' missing out then! Kahaha!"

'Guess that's why Mr. Landlord smells like booze most of the time...'

The man laughed as he slapped Gray's back playfully. This made Gray stumble a bit forward and nearly trip over his feet. His siblings giggled at the sight of Gray struggling to catch his balance.

"Well... Thanks for the birthday greeting Mr. Landlord!"

Gray quickly regained his composure. The man nodded his head with a smile.

"Glad to have ya here Gray. But ya' should get goin' already! I'm sure yer' school friends are probably waitin' on ya'. Also, make sure teh get back early, yer sister planned out a party for you! Nadia and I are also invited so make sure teh get home early! "

"Right. Later Mr. Landlord, bye Mr. Landlord!! See ya!"

Both the landlord and Gray waved at one another before the teen walked down the barely stable stairs.

Cosmo and Jupiter followed suit with bright smiles plastered on both of their faces, leaving the owner of the property to sigh to himself as soft steps slowly approached from behind him. Soft wind blowing past his ear.

The steps finally stopped next to him, revealing a long-haired blond woman standing behind him. Her blue eyes filled with fondness and warmth as she walked up to the man and wrapped her arms around his midsection.

On her, she had a knee-length, cream-colored dress with white flowers on the hem and a wide white ribbon wrapping itself around her waist. Wearing light brown flip-flops. She had short black pigtails decorated with golden bangles. Her lips pulled up into a wide and soft smile.

The older man hugged her close as his hand rested on her lower back.

"Hey Nadia, ya' jus' missed Gray"

"Aw, what... Dad, I thought I told you to keep him here so I could wish him a happy birthday!"

The older man snickered softly.

"Heh, nope. That boy already went teh school! Sorry Nadia"

The young girl, who appeared to be around 19 to 20 years old, pouted and crossed her arms in slight disappointment at her father. However, a faint smile graced her lips. A sense of pride grew within her chest. The man turned his attention toward the stairway entrance.

"...Well, if it's any consolation, I believe he promised he'd try to get home as early as possible."

"Hum... Fine... Well anyway! We need to get back to work! So chop chop, Dad!"

The girl's attitude suddenly shifted from her calm and content smile to a more playful and mischievous smile. Her father rolled his eyes in response.

"Aw c'mon, hun... It's still too early to do heavy work... Remember that yer' pops isn't as spry as he used tah be..."

The man said as he fakely held his lower back, his thick accent making it harder to take his bad acting seriously. Nadia let out a hearty laugh and shook her head as she suddenly pinched his side.

"Don't give me yer' excuses! I don't wanna hear things like that from an Ex D-Rank Brawler!"

Nadia exclaimed with her fingers firmly pinching the man's upper side, her father's accent briefly coming through in her sentence. He let out a grunt of pain before pushing her away and holding his side.

"Oi, don't hurt me!"

"Then quit complainin' and help!"

The father and daughter duo continued teasing banter as they started working together to make the apartment complex more presentable.

===

The siblings now walked down the sidewalk, Gray having both his hands in his pockets as he walked with a slight skip to his step. Both Cosmo and Jupiter walked beside Gray silently, quietly enjoying the short walk they were having with their older brother.

They took a few more seconds to just enjoy each other's company and watch the passing pedestrians and car traffic around them.

Gray smiled warmly at his siblings as he reached the bus stop near the very edge of Villa Gorgon. The street went around in a circle as there were barely any asphalt rodes within the area.

The older teen sat on the small, graffiti-riddled bench as the kids waited in line for the bus. After waiting for approximately ten minutes, it finally arrived, pulling up to the bus stop about twenty meters away from the bench.

As the driver immediately drove off somewhere else as soon as the children stepped on board, the two siblings watched the bus drive away from the small rusted gate that separated Villa Gorgon from other areas within the city.

They walked down the aisle to plop themselves down near the end of the bus, a few other passengers watching as the twins fought for the seat next to the window.

Some chuckled at the antics, while others looked away with an eye roll or sigh.

"All right you two... simmer down, you're making too much noise for a 15-minute bus ride"

The teen reprimanded them with a smile as he placed a hand on each of their heads, ruffling their recently brushed hair as they complained in tandem.

Gray swiftly sat down, and the siblings resolved their tiny feud not soon after. Cosmo got the seat near the window as he wanted while Jupiter silently pouted as she clung to her big brother's arm.

The engine rumbled loudly as the road it rode slowly turned from the bumpy stones of Villa Gorgon's roads to the flat paved asphalt streets of the grandiose city of the Holo Isles.

Walls once dirty cracked and painted fully with graffiti now began to turn into a sea of iridescent buildings and screens hanging from said buildings.

The ashy black-haired Brawler stared out the window from the furthest point in his seat, seeing how the bus slowly turned a corner, heading into another road, which led him to his school's destination.

The world just outside the window passed by at such a slow, steady pace. Just an ordinary school day, nothing special about this scenery, except for the familiar white and blue buildings that seemed so close yet so far away at the same time.

His eyes focused on the large opening between the various buildings to glimpse at the centerpiece of his view. The massive structure in the distance, towering over everything like a soaring mountain. An imposing tower standing tall as a lone beacon above the other buildings, the morning sun a brilliant backdrop for its magnificence.

He wondered what kind of person would build such a gigantic monument for a single city as he breathed in the cool air that flew in from the slightly opened window near him.

Of course, he knew what purpose it was serving and what kind of significance it had.

'The Holo Isles's very own Eye of Sauron!'

Gray would recall how his friend would aptly and jokingly call it. Though Gray would much more preferably refer to it as it was indented. The main office of the CCA.

"Crowd Control Assosiation..."

The name would slip from his mouth with venomous resentment as he recalled how the building stood proudly over the entire city. How the people lived within its shadow, afraid to look towards its direction because of fear or perhaps even envy towards it.

The whole city was a hive of activity and life. But it was just as much of a cesspool of corruption and chaos. People who sought glory and money. People who seek power and fame. People who tried to push each other over the top in hopes of getting ahead, and making money.

All sorts of people live their lives beneath the ground like ants. It was a place where countless civilian lives came and went daily. Where no one would notice or care about how many people live under its overbearing shadow.

And of course, Gray was no different.

A man with his desires solely set on one thing, monetary gain. Even if he had to have his body broken down by a barbaric orc. Or slashed to itty bitty pieces by a manic goblin.

Gray found it necessary to push down his lust for adrenaline in exchange for the harsh reality of his circumstances.

"Gray..? Are you alright?"

Suddenly, Gray felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. Turning his head slowly, the young adult found his sister looking up at him with concern clear in her deep amber orbs. Her hands gently gripped his sleeve.

Gray's resentful face would shift into a mixture of caring and confusion. And, as if on cue by the gods, the bus had driven behind a building, blocking his hateful view of the previous building.

Gray would shake his head, his bangs of hair moving in sway as once he finished they rested on his forehead.

"Yeah, I'm all good Jupiter..."

Gray would say as he stared out the back window of the bus, the wide avenue that paved the way to the CCA building slowly being cast into darkness as the shadow of the building loomed over the city whilst the sun rose in the sky behind it.

"I'm all good..."