CHAPTER FIVE: LEO

"It all started when I was very young, we had a happy family, everything was going well, then eventually my mother gave birth to Shane, and it was the happiest day of my life. I swore that protect the kid" I explained as a smile made it's way to my face as my thoughts went back to the day Shane was born I was so fucking happy

"I would be happy if I had that kid as my little brother. He is the best little brother ever," Austin commented as a smile made its way to his face

"Yeah, he is," I added, my voice heavy with emotion. "As I was saying, everything was going great until my father lost his job when I was ten, and that's when our picture-perfect family came crashing down."

"Damn," Austin cursed.

"My father began drinking to the point where he would pass out cold on the couch until the next day," I said, my hand clenched at my side as I remembered coming home from school and seeing him passed out on the couch. I took a long breath before continuing to talk. "My mother who would always give us the time of day even if she had to work several shifts at the hospital, just stopped talking to us entirely, it felt like she hated us"

"Leo" Austin said as a sad looked crossed his face

"You know, it's not as painful as it once was. She's gone now, but I still wish she loved us like she used to when everything was fine. Maybe our lives wouldn't be so fucked up."

"Leo, your life isn't fucked up" Austin commented, he still had the sad expression on his face

"You haven't heard the whole story Austin, when I said our lives were fucked up, it was really fucked up" I said with a pained smile on my face

"Go on" Austin replied, "Even if I know I won't like what I'm going to hear"

"She started ignoring everyone including my dad which pissed him off, I think because she had a job and he didn't made him very angry and when I say angry like getting beating everyday angry"

"Shit! That's messed up. I knew it, that asshole"

"That's not the worse part, keep listening" I said, "because Shane was still a kid, he took put his aggression out on me, they was a day that he hit me, that I almost died, if my mother hadn't come back early that day I would have died"

"Leo, if you don't want to continue, you can stop. You look like you want to have a panic attack," Austin said as he placed his hands on my shoulders. His concern was evident on his face

"I must be honest with you; I can't keep any more secrets," I confessed.

"Alright, just stay calm. Remember what the doctors said – you can't get stressed," Austin reminded me.

"I'll try my best," I said, as I tried to relax.

"Good, take it easy," Austin reassured me.

"He continued to physically abuse me, but I became used to it. Then, he came up with a new way to punish me. When I was twelve, he took me to an underground fighting ring called 'The Void' and placed a bet on me. Can you guess what the bet was about?"

"What? Something is telling me I won't like your answer. " Austin said

"He made a bet with the owner to see how long I would last in the ring with a professional fighter." I answered as my thoughts went back to that day, it was one of the worst days of my life

"You've got to be fucking with me"

"I'm definitely not joking with you, my father did that, fucking father of the year"

"What happened?"

"What do you think? I got my ass beaten to a pulp, but I managed to stay awake, so he won money, and that's how he kept taking me to fight, and I kept getting my ass beat. "

"He should have at least taught you how to fight."

"My father didn't care. So far he got his money, but along the line, I met Ripper, my brother and best friend, he taught me how to fight because and I quote 'he was tired of seeing those motherfuckers beat on a kid', he was one of the few good guys there"

"So I kept fighting at the void and with Ripper training me, I got better and climb up the rank till I was on the same level as Ripper and the other professionals, I started making bets behind my father back in case something happened and I had to run with Shane"

"Oh!"

"Yeah, I fought most nights, I didn't care who I hurt so afraid I got my money, I was exactly like my father" I said as I turned to look at Austin, he looked pissed, which made me wonder who he was pissed at, my parents for being shitty parents or me for continuing to fight at the void even though I knew it was wrong.

"You're stupid you know that right" Austin said and I stared at him in shock

"What?"

"Do you hit Shane?"

"No I would never do that, I would rather slit my own throat than lay a hand on him"

"Good, do you pass your aggression on him?"

"No"

"Have you ever found yourself drinking to the point where you pass out?" Austin inquired, leaving me perplexed about the direction of his questioning.

"No, I don't drink alcohol" I answered

"So why the fuck are you comparing yourself to that bastard you call a sorry excuse for a father" Austin said and I could sense the anger in his voice

"But-" i tried to say but he cut me off

"So what if you fought for money, that money was used to take care of yourself and Shane because your parents where incompetent fools, who shouldn't have been given the chance to be parents" Austin said as he glared at me

"I apologize," I stammered, unsure of what else to say.

"Yeah, you better be sorry," Austin retorted, his anger evident. "I should give you a good beating for what you just said. Consider yourself lucky you're already hurt."

"Austin, please, let me explain."

"Do you have any idea what I had to endure in jail just to survive? You don't even want to know; it's far worse than fighting in that illegal ring."

"But, Austin..."

"I'm not done talking, so hold it" Austin said as a frustrated sigh left his lips, "at least you didn't almost kill someone because you were forced too, so don't you ever compare to that man, you're a far better man than your father"

"They forced you to kill someone in prison?" I asked as a pained look crossed his face

"The big guys in prison thought it would be fun for us to play Russian roulette with a nail gun," Austin said. He had this haunted look in his eyes

"That's messed up, but how is it your fault? You weren’t the one who suggested you play the game, it was those demented fucks" I said, my anger evident in my tone as I stared at him.

"I feel like it was my fault because I chickened out and one of the guys shot the other guy in the chest and that round was loaded, the one they shot almost died of a pulmonary edema" Austin explained and I couldn't help but he angry, it wasn't his fault he chickened out, he was a young of course he would chicken out.

"Austin, whatever the fuck you're thinking is bullshit, it wasn't your fault, you were practically a kid then, so you had the right to be scared"

"But-"

"No buts, if you didn't chicken out, it would've been you on the verge of death, so I'm sorry I'm glad you chickened out, because if you didn't we won't have been able to meet you"

"You always have an answer to everything, it kind of annoying" Austin said as a sad smile formed on his face

"What happened to the kid?" I asked

"He survived thankfully" Austin answered

"Good"

"Leo?"

"Hmm"

"How did the little man lose his voice?" Austin asked

"The accident that killed my parents was what made him mute, my father was drunk and that were arguing like usual and they crashed" I explained

"Little man didn't deserve that"

"Yeah he didn't but what can we do now, the damage Is done,".

"He can't get his voice back?"

"That's what the doctor said though, we haven't asked for a second opinion, I guess we both accepted it because we were young"

I said

"We should ask for a second opinion," Austin commented

"I guess we can but I don't want to raise his hopes up".

"We can't know until we try"

"I guess you're right Austin" I answered

"I have one more question" Austin said

"Lay it on me"

Austin's curiosity burned in his eyes as he inquired, "What happened to Ripper?" Despite the painful memories, I had promised Austin no more secrets between us, so I had to answer his question

"He passed away, Austin. It was because of a guy named Mickey, who's the owner of the Void. I suspect he might be connected to the incident of me getting shot."