***WARNING***
This chapter has kind of a dark story line, also mentions suicide. Please be advised that if violence is your trigger, DO NOT READ.
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Waans POV
He and Team reach the park, sitting under a tree to shield them from the hot sun. Team is restless becoming impatient, "Hey calm down, you will do good." He puts his hand on Teams shoulder and squeezes. He is also feeling a bit anxious about this meeting knowing that this may end in disaster, they have to be careful how they approach the subject, not wanting to cause more harm then good. He sees Rider walking towards them and nudges Team, he nods his head in the direction of the kid. He notices that the boy looks tired, almost defeated. This is not good. He motions for the boy to take a seat across them. "I already introduced myself but I'm Waan, Wins older brother and you know Team." The boy keeps his head down but acknowledges what he says. "Look at me when I speak to you kid." The boy raises his eyes and meets his. He feels Team kick him under the table, "Ouch, I'm just teaching him basic manners."
Team massages the bridge of his nose, maybe he should have come alone. These brothers are so direct, thankfully Wiew is the complete opposite. "I want you to know first that we are not attacking you here, this is a safe place and whatever you say here will not be spread." The boy nods his head looking in directly in Teams eyes, he looks almost soulless. "You know that we looked into your family right? That's how P'Waan got all the information on your mother, we are sorry about that but it couldn't be helped." The boys eyes widen, realization hitting him.
"P'Team... I... Did you... You know?" He ends on a whisper, his eyes filling with tears.
Waan studies the kid closely, shit his going to cry. "Uh, we didn't mean to make you cry or open old wounds. Team said that he saw something in your eyes, something happened to you and he wanted to know why you did the things you did. He said you didn't seem like a bad kid so against my better judgment I indulged him not thinking I would find what I did. Unfortunately that doesn't excuse your behavior, many people suffer but don't turn into little pricks."
"P'Waan! Maybe let me do the talking?" Team is exasperated at this point, seriously no filter. He looks at Rider who just nods in response. He sighs, "Let me tell you a story about 2 brothers." Team tells him the story of him and P'Ton, not leaving anything out. He explains the trauma he went through and still suffers with till this day. He watches the kids expressions, shock, sorrow, regret, shame. "I thought for the longest time that I had killed him. I only a few days ago forgave myself." He reaches over the table and grabs the kids hand and squeezes, "I can see it on your face that you regret everything, its not too late to turn your life around."
The boy lets out a shaky breath. How could he do this to Team? He didn't know any of this. He is so ashamed of himself because in a way its like he was doing this to himself. How ironic is Karma? He decides now is the time to let it all out, not caring if they use this against him. He feels like his life is over anyway, soon he will be labeled a predator once the news breaks that he sexually assaulted another man. "I was 12 years old the first time I had a crush on a boy, I didn't know that for so many people that was wrong. I was so stupid. We didn't have much back then, 6 of us living in a 2 bedroom house, eating instant noodles most nights. My parents weren't bad people either. Me and my 4 siblings shared a room, we were all very close. I was closest with my elder brother P'Force, he was my world. He was the best person, always smiling and happy even though we had nothing, he always had a positive attitude, making toys for us from other peoples garbage. He would wake up 2 hours earlier on bin day and go through peoples trash collecting bottles and cardboard, anything he could use to make us toys. He was 4 years older then I was. We were in the same school and I always got picked on the most because I was the smallest one, the bullying was so severe that I once got my hair chopped off because they said it smelled bad."
He wipes his tears and continues, "When P'Force learned about this, he protected me, he wouldn't let me go anywhere alone. Everyday after school he would come home and wash my clothes, sometimes stealing soap from the school bathrooms to ensure he had some everyday. But I messed up, I had a crush on a boy and confessed my feelings, I ended with giving him a kiss on the cheek in front of the whole school. I didn't know back then who he was or what kind of family he came from. I was just a child and didn't really think things through, I guess that didn't change. He also confessed his feelings to me, I was so happy, I couldn't wait to meet my brother to tell him the good news. Little did I know that the boy I confessed to was the son of a local drug dealer, his whole family were basically a mafia run household with strong beliefs and values. One of those was that being gay was unnatural, it was more of an embarrassment because everyone had seen us and began talking. The news got back to them within maybe an hour. After school when my siblings and I were going back home we were approached by the boy and his brothers, they asked him if I was the kid and he said yes. The look on his face was pure terror, my brother noticed this and told us all to run but we were not smart enough. They had us all caught and loaded us into the back of their pick up truck. They took us to a vehicle graveyard that they owned where we met his father. He was a bug burly man, scary as hell."
The memory makes him shiver, he looks up to see P'Waan and P'Team eyes him sorrowfully knowing what comes next, P'Waan is about to say something but he just puts his hand up, "Please sir, I need to finish." He watches and he just nods his head cautiously. He takes in a deep breath, "His father beat him so badly his eyes were shut, he then came to me and punched me in the face. My siblings couldn't help because they were being held down by the other people who were there. My brother said he was the one that confessed to the boy and it wasn't me, he took all the blame for me. He said the boy just wanted to protect him because he liked him that much. This angered the man even more because my brother was 4 years older then his son. He called him a rapist and a pedophile. He tied him to a pole and shot him 7 times in the genitals, he beat him so badly his jaw was broken, his ribs, his collar bone was shattered. They gathered us up and threw us on the side of the road, we were all beaten severely but still alive. We tried to get help but nobody stopped. Seeing us in the condition we were in, nobody wanted to risk themselves. Eventually my brother went unconscious and never woke up again, he had lost too much blood and died on the side of the road." He cant control himself anymore, he cries.
Waan wakes up and goes to kid, he puts his arms around him and just holds him. He and Team both crying with him, he didn't know that it was that bad. All the statement said was his brother bled out and he witnessed it. Killed by a local drug lord. His heart is hurting so bad, who even does this to children? No wonder the kid is so messed up. He squeezes him, "Its okay. You don't have to go on. Shhhh its okay." He rubs his hand up and down his back trying to calm him. "Team go get water." He watches as Team stumbles, no doubt his weak after what they just heard. He closes his eyes and tries to calm his breathing, knowing he needs to hold it together for the kid. What the fuck is happening right now. He takes the water from Team and forces the kid to drink it, "You're okay kid. You're safe. Its okay."
He finally manages to calm down a little bit, he pulls away from P'Waan, he takes another sip of water still shaking. "Please can I go on?" He watches P'Waan nod but he doesn't miss the tears he and P'Team shed with him. These people are too good he thinks to himself. Hating himself even more. "Eventually we were found and taken to the hospital. The boy was in the same hospital having been so badly beaten he needed to have his jaw wired shut. He came to see me one night in the hospital, I was so angry in that moment. I blamed him for what happened because he didn't tell me who he was, I blamed myself, I blamed everyone and everything. I didn't consider the life he lived and what he must have gone through too. Eventually it was too much for him after he found out what his people did to my brother. When I woke up the next morning I found a letter from him asking for forgiveness. He said in the letter he will ask my brother for forgiveness by himself. At first I didn't know what that meant but later found out the tried to commit suicide. He used his fathers gun and shot himself in the head. The thing is, he didn't die. He became a vegetable, till this day he is living off machines. His mother refusing to let him go. All the people who were involved were jailed. But it didn't bring back my brother."
He straightens in his seat, he turns and looks at P'Team, "That's when my parents became ruthless, they too died with P'Force. They started doing everything they could to get money because that's where the power was. My siblings and I grew apart, they blamed me for what happened and it was my fault. They haven't spoken a word to me since that day. I on the other hand became a monster. I gave into my dark thoughts, worked hard to change my image, made myself invincible in the eyes of people so nobody will mess with me. I became accustomed to the power I had once we became powerful. I took what I wanted and trampled over anyone who came in my way to get it. Somewhere along the lines I forgot where I came from and forgot all the lessons my brother taught me. When I saw the video of you P'Team and the look in your eyes, it was the same look my brother had before he died. A look of complete sorrow, heartache. It was the look of losing trust in people completely. I knew I fucked up watching that. I decided to find you and beg for forgiveness." He wakes up and gets on his knees in front of P'Team, he puts his hand together and begins begging for forgiveness.
Team is startled by the kid, "What are you doing? Stop. Stop right now." He bends down and grabs the boy who is constantly saying he is sorry. "Its okay I forgive you, stop." Team doesn't know how to react. He watched P'Waan take the kid in his arms and just hold him tight, soothing him. The boy cries, it breaks Team watching him go through this. He had known trauma but to go through something this painful and still be able to stand up straight was something Team was having a hard time understanding. It makes sense why he was so cold. He closes his eyes and starts rubbing his chest, trying to get rid of the pain he is feeling for this kid. He hears P'Waan speak.
"Sit down Rider, Team. I have something to say to you kid. Before we left the university I had a small meeting with the board of directors, I convinced them not to expel you and give you a last chance."
"But sir, I still have a charge on my name. I cant accept this, please just let me bear the consequences.
"You don't have a charge, we were never going to charge you kid. It was mostly for your mother that we did that. I'm sorry, I didn't know you went through all this. If I had, I would have approached this situation very differently. I also will be completely responsible for you going forward, in regards to the university I mean. Its not like I'm adopting you or anything like that. I will pay your tuition, monitor your progress and your grades. This is how you pay us back for everything that you did."
Team stares at P'Waan, wearing the same expression as the kid.
"I am not in the business of killing anyone's future kid but you needed to learn a lesson and I think that you did, so I am giving you a second chance here. You will also go back to the swim club." Waan watches him intently, hoping he takes him up on his offer. He needs help. "I am also adding a clause in this arrangement, I want you to go to therapy, I will pay for this too." He needs him to see that he is serious about this.
"When you say pay my tuition, your family will?"
"No. I will personally from the money I make. What good is a deed if its done with something that's not yours?" He puts his hand around the kid, "Nobody should have gone through what you experienced and I am so sorry that you did, I need you to take responsibility though for your actions. Do this for me, for Team, for Win and Dean. Show us that you really are sorry by being the best person you can be from now on."
"Why? Why are you doing this? You arranged all this even before I told you my story so you aren't doing this out of pity."
"I don't pity you kid, even after what you just told me. If anything I admire you for surviving after such a trauma. I promise you if it was me, I wouldn't have survived. I did this because Team believed in you, he said from the start that you had gone through something and that's the reason you are this way. Before we even did any deep dive on you he saw it. I trusted him. Everyone deserves a chance to make things right, this is your chance." He squeezes the kids shoulder letting him know he is not alone. "I don't know what will happen in the future, whether you will fall again or go through something else that will take you right back to where you were before, but I want you to know that there are people who believe in you. First was Team and now I do too."
He begins to cry uncontrollably. All he ever did was wrong but somehow he was blessed to meet these people, he doesn't deserve this. He knows he doesn't deserve this. "I don't deserve your help. I am a stain, I am evil. Please don't just let me go to jail or punish me for my actions but this, this is not right."
Team sighs, "You know I want to be P'Waan when I grow up." They both turn and look in his direction. "If we had more people like Hia Win and P'Waan in this world, don't you think we can make it so that people like the ones who hurt you don't flourish in this society. The best way to make that happen is to work for it, go to school with me, make something of yourself with me, become a gold medal swimmer with me so that one day we can help someone the way P"Waan is helping you now." He looks at P'Waan who is smiling with gratitude, nodding his head. "Seriously P, you are my role model. P'Waan the role model. Dont you think that he should be yours too Rider? In this life there are bad people, you followed in their footsteps and look where it got you, how about coming and trying the other side now?"
He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand, "P'Waan the role model, I'll take it." He feels himself getting lighter, he knows in his soul that his brother sent these people to him to make him better, to heal him. He looks up to the sky and takes in a deep breath. "Thank you P." He turns and bows to P'Waan, "Thank you sir, I will not take this chance and destroy it." He turns to Team, "P'Team, if possible can I apologize to P'Dean and P'Win. Can you help me?"
"Sure kid, you owe me though. I can get through about 10 packs of chips a day. I also like popcorn, preferably the big bucket with 4 different flavors." He smiles at the boy, hoping to make him feel less tense.
Waan just laughs at his antics. Something's never change. He is glad this kid has Team, if it wasn't for him he would just disregarded this kid not knowing how broken and in need he actually was. He feels good knowing he actually did something good for this kid. He feels kind of bad for calling him a prick after all he just heard. "I'm sorry I called you a prick, even though you were totally one."
"You just called him a prick while apologizing for calling him a prick." Team shakes his head, "Never mind it, if you want to apologize you can take us to lunch, I'm starving. Crying literally is like a parasite sucking the life out of you. Come lets go. P'Waan is buying." He smiles widely.
Waan just shakes his head, a million things going through his mind. One last good deed and he will have filled his quota for life. He needs his dads approval though. He wakes up and lets the boys know to follow him, whenever his in town he is the cash cow for Win and Team. He loves it though, taking care of his brothers. He wonders if the kids brother really did send him to help him. He doesn't get involved in these situations but he felt so compelled this time. He also looks to the sky and send a silent prayer to the boy known as Force, "Dont worry kid, I got you."
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After much convincing his father finally agreed saying it was a good business move on his part. He pulls up to the mansion and gets out, seeing nobody in sight. He rings the doorbell a few times before someone finally comes. Its a young girl looking at him suspiciously, he asks to see her mother noticing she looks just like Rider, must be the sister. The woman walks to the door but stills when she sees him, not expecting that he would show up at her door. She invites him in, her attitude is completely different this time around, she is meek and reserved. They sit at the table, "Before I left the university today I arranged for Rider to remain in school and the swim club, I also know that due to your current financial status you will not be able to afford it so I will personally take care of his fees from now on." She looks at him like he grew a second head, "I also met with him and explained all this to him, he agreed. He also told me about happened when he was 12."
She gasps loudly, her eyes growing wide and filling with tears. Her expression change to cold as ice. "We don't need your sympathy, we don't need anything from you. You come here because you feel bad after hearing a sob story. You ruined our lives you piece of shit. Get out!" She screams at him.
"No lady, I'm not here to pity you. I know it must have been hard going through that and yes I did ruin your life but you deserved that, acting the way you did. What gave you the right to play chess with peoples lives? You are the parent, you should know better then to indulge your children's behavior making them monsters. Grow up. I cant imagine what you went through as a parent in that situation but I can promise you what you are doing is hurting them more. I am not judging you because I cant say that I wouldn't have done the same thing if I was you but now you have a chance to change that. You of all people should know the pain of being walked over by powerful people and yet you turn around and do the same thing to other parents."
"If you want me to beg for forgiveness I can do that. You don't have to tell me what a bad parent and person I am because I already know that. You want to insult me more? Go ahead. Nothing you do or say will hurt me." She looks at him defiantly, "I thank you for trying to help my son but I decline your offer. I don't need charity. I took care of them all this time, I will do it again."
He nods his head, "I told you I am not here to judge, I admit I did feel regretful after hearing what your family went through but I also feel like your son sent me here." He watches her eyes widen, "I never do anything like this but for some reason I had such a strong feeling that I needed to handle this Win situation. I didn't know what I was walking into but im glad I did. Your son needs help, let me help him. Let me help you too." He takes her hand in his changing his approach. "You did something illegal and wrong, ruining the lives of many people but as you know I'm a business man, a very powerful one at that. I have been in contact with all the people you stole from, they agreed to not file lawsuits against you if you honor the agreement that you had originally and sign the patents over to them. Your restaurant chain will still be yours but with their menus, you will still get paid for the name but you will be paying the patent owners what they deserve, including all the back pay for using their recipes."
She sobs, "I have nothing left, how will I even keep them open after I repay the tax and back pay them. I will be bankrupt."
"No you wont. We will move them into our hotels." She goes still, "Look lady, this is your only option here. We will give you exclusive right to our hotels and resorts in the towns and cities where you have businesses open and we will also pay the tax up to date as a partner to your business, that will be our buy in. Unfortunately you will have to do some jail time because you have to take responsibility for your actions but if you pay all the money back, I'm sure a lawyer can get you a lighter sentence."
"Why are you doing this?" She whispers to him.
"A brother said I'm his role model today, it was the best feeling in the world knowing he thinks I'm that great. It made me want to be that great. We all go through some event that changes us, makes us think and act differently. I want to be better, don't you?" He softens his gaze, "What happened to you changed you for the worst, I'm giving you an opportunity now to turn that around so when you eventually meet your son again, you can meet his eyes without feeling ashamed of everything you did in his name. Show your kids that change is possible and that there are people in this world who are powerful but still good." He wakes up and leaves the papers in front of her as well as his contact number. "Think about this Mrs. Anant, have a look and get back to me. I will be waiting." He turns and leaves.
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She wakes up and walks over to the window, watching him while crying uncontrollably. She feels someone beside her and turns to see her daughters face, she too is crying.
"Mama, he said P'Force sent him. I believe him. A few weeks ago I prayed to my brother, I asked him to heal us, we are always so sad and unhappy, I begged him mama and look, he sent an angel."
She drops to her knees pulling her baby girl in for a hug, "Yes baby, an angel indeed."
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