Disclaimer- I don't own The Mighty Ducks. Don't sue.
-Chapter 1-
Charlie was furious. Fulton had just told him that he was going back to the Ducks. BACK TO THE DUCKS! Back to that evil coach from down under, Coach Orion, too! How could he just abandon Charlie like that? Did he not care?!
"FINE! I don't need you anyway!" Charlie screamed as Fulton walked off. "I don't need any of you." he finished quietly as he held his face in his hands and propped his elbows on his knees. He was sitting on some stairs in an alley by himself.
The day had been perfect. Well, minus the throwing up in the trashcan part. That hadn't been too fun...but excluding that, Charlie's day had been fun and exciting. After quitting the team due to The Evil One's fetish with ruining Charlie's life and The Evil One's obsession with ripping the Ducks apart, Charlie and Fulton had a day of fun. They went to a Carnival, ate more than their stomachs could hold, and rode rides until they threw up...in the trashcan.
But Fulton ended up being just like the rest. Ready to abandon him and leave him alone. None of them cared about him. They would rather wait on The Evil One hand and foot then stick by him...some friends...
Charlie stood up and began walking aimlessly. He still had awhile until he had to be home and he wasn't too keen on the idea. His mom would blow a heart valve if she knew he had skipped school.
The teenage boy jammed his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans and looked around at his surroundings. The Carnival was still in full stride, bright lights flashing, trash littering the ground, and the smell of food wafting through the air.
He was still angry. And hurt. It seemed like they didn't need him anymore. They acted as if they were better off without him as their Captain.
If they were going to be that way, Charlie would do them a favor. He just wouldn't go back.
The boy felt a wad of money at the bottom of his pocket. He pulled it out and found several large bills. He didn't know how that had gotten there. He figured one of the people at the Carnival had handed him the wrong bills because Charlie Conway simply didn't have wads of cash lying around the house. Just like Adam Banks, a.k.a. The Traitor, had probably never done a load of his own laundry in his life. Yes, he was bitter. He knew it too. He just simply didn't care.
He saw a train in the process of loading passengers. He wasn't sure where it was going but he didn't care as long as it took him far away from where he was.
Charlie casually strolled over to the train. Suddenly, when no one was watching, he walked right on. The man who had been at the door, collecting tickets, had been busy helping someone pick up the scattered contents of a bag they had dropped.
Charlie knew what he was doing was clearly wrong and most likely illegal but he wasn't exactly thinking straight. If he were, he would have realized just how dumb it is to get on a strange train with an unknown destination without any food or clothes and little money.
He sat down in an empty seat by the window and watched as they train began pulling away. He saw a man running after the train, waving a ticket around in the air frantically. Charlie looked around seeing that there were no empty seats. He felt kind of bad that he had taken the man's seat but was relieved that the man was OUTSIDE of the train, not in. Otherwise everyone would have known he didn't have a ticket and didn't belong there. That would've gone GREAT with him skipping school.
After he had been on the train for roughly an hour, he began getting restless. He was fidgeting in his seat and kept sending nervous glances at the old woman next to him. She was watching him suspiciously and it was giving him the creeps.
He snuck a peek at the woman's expensive watch and saw that the Ducks would just be heading to practice right about that time. Fulton would be joining them.
Traitor.
After letting out the one-billionth sigh since he had boarded the train, Charlie propped his chin in his hands and looked out the window, a bored expression on his face.
"Will you quit sighing, boy? It's getting annoying!" the old lady snapped rudely.
Charlie turned his lazy expression to the woman sharing his seat. "Sorry. How long until we get...where we're going?" he asked, careful not to mention he didn't know WHERE he was going.
The elderly woman rolled her eyes. "You youngsters are so impatient these days! Why in my day, we would sit properly and patiently while on train rides! We would not slouch and sigh, complaining about the amount of time it was taking! We were RESPECTFUL!" she lectured, waving her arms animatedly as she complained about today's youth.
Charlie rolled his eyes and turned back to the window. "Just forget I asked..." he sighed unenthusiastically. He hoped the train stopped soon. He couldn't take much more from this woman!
"How rude! How dare you roll your eyes at me, young man! Are you listening, boy?!" the lady screeched when she realized Charlie had long since stopped listening.
Charlie turned back to her. "If I listen intently and take every word to heart, will you tell me where we're going and how long it will take to get there?" he asked as sweetly as he could muster, though his attempt at a smile appeared more as a grimace.
She paused for a moment. "I don't like cutting deals with you disrespectful youngsters but I guess I will make an exception. We are on a train ride to Toronto, Canada and we should arrive early tomorrow morning."
Charlie gaped at her. Canada? HE WAS GOING TO CANADA?!
His mind was swarming, trying to process the newly acquired information. This could be perfect! This could be just what he needed! Canada equaled a chance at a Junior Hockey League! He could just join and live off the money. He could pass as seventeen, right? Then he would use his first paycheck to buy whatever living quarters it would get him. This might not be so bad after all. He couldn't help but grin to himself at the brilliance of his plan. He didn't need anyone! He could live by himself.
Another brilliant thought enlightened him. He would be in another country so no one would ever find him. Now all he needed was a Visa...
The old woman had started talking again. She hadn't seemed to notice the wheels in Charlie's brain going over the details of his little escapade.
This could work...this could work out very nicely...
~~~*~~~
Charlie's head rattled slightly against the cold window as he snored softly. The boredom had overcome him and lured him into slumber. The sun was just beginning to rise as a shrill whistle cut through the silence.
Unfortunately, Charlie was not a morning person so this was not a pleasant moment in time.
He let out a groan as his eyes fluttered open. People were shuffling around, grabbing bags and piling off the confined space that was the train.
He blinked a few times, trying desperately to adjust his sleepy eyes to the ever-brightening light. Charlie then whimpered as someone pushed against him. It was too early to be dealing with these pushy...people...
Rubbing his eyes, he stood up and followed the crowd out the door. He still couldn't believe he had gotten a free ride without being noticed.
The boy's anger and resentment level towards the Ducks was beginning to subside, but the feel for excitement hit him head on. He was on his own. No more curfew, no more Evil Coaches Out For Your Blood, no more traitorous so- called friends, no more anything. Now it was Charlie who governed Charlie's life.
~~~*~~~
Charlie had spent the entire day wandering around, trying to get a feel for the place. It seemed nice and big so no one was paying attention to him.
The sun was setting and the air was chilling. Now Charlie wished he had stopped by the house to pick up a jacket or something. He was beginning to wonder where he would sleep UNTIL he managed to join a team.
Maybe he should've thought about that before.
Charlie let out a dejected sigh as he sat down on a bench placing his face in his hands. His bright and cheery day was seeping into a gloomy, not-so- cheery evening...
Boy did he feel stupid.
He let out another sigh and remembered WHAT caused this problem in the first place and felt the anger surge through his veins again. He wouldn't be stuck in Canada with no food, clothes and little money if he hadn't been angry. He wouldn't have been angry if Fulton hadn't abandoned him. Fulton wouldn't have HAD to abandon him if the Ducks would've stuck with him too. The Ducks would've stuck by him if their EVIL COACH weren't so freaking EVIL! They wouldn't have been STUCK with the aforementioned Evil Coach if Bombay hadn't ABANDONED HIM! Some father figure, leaving Charlie all alone to fend for himself against The Evil One!
So right then and there Charlie decided to blame it on his old coach, Gordon Bombay.
Ah, the logic of an angry teenage boy.
He stood up and stalked down the sidewalk, hands jammed into his pockets. He was in a sour mood again and began kicking an empty coke can down the sidewalk.
"Stupid coke can...stupid abandoning friends...stupid abandoning ex- coaches...stupid NON-abandoning Evil Coaches that should die...stupid teachers...stupid old ladies who bug you on the train...stupid weather...stupid sidewalk...stupid trains...stupid coke can...wait, didn't I already say that? Oh well...stupid-OW!" Charlie yelped as he tripped over a bench.
"Stupid bench..." he added as an afterthought, sitting up and rubbing his sore legs, arms, and face.
He heard a chuckle from above him.
He turned up to face a blonde girl. "What are you laughing at?" he snapped.
"Whoa, cool it tiger. What crawled up your butt and died?" she asked, her eyes still laughing slightly. She had shoulder-length, curly blonde hair and a curvy figure. She was rather short, though and seemed a few years older.
Charlie just glared at her, stood up, and brushed himself off, scoffing and continuing his angry trek down the sidewalk.
"Hey, wait one second kiddo, where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked, following him down the sidewalk with curiosity.
"Is stalking a hobby for you or am I just special? And don't you know stalking is illegal in all fifty states?" he snapped, quickening his pace.
"You're just special...and kid, we aren't IN the states." She pointed out as she matched her pace to his.
He rolled his eyes. This was just getting obnoxious. Couldn't he just be on his way without having to worry about this point-and-laugh-at-you-when-your- down weirdo following him? Not that he had anywhere in particular to go...
"Just leave me alone and STOP calling me KID!" he said, turning towards her, his face still angry.
"But you ARE a kid. How old are you? Fourteen? Fifteen?" she asked.
"Not that is any of your business, but I'm fourteen. How does that make me a kid?" he barked.
"Well, you're young compared to me." She reasoned, shrugging her shoulders and smiling.
"And how old are you?" he asked sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest.
She grinned at him. "I'm seventeen." She replied.
Charlie cocked an eyebrow. "Seventeen? Wow, you sure are ancient." He retorted sarcastically as he continued walking down the street.
She frowned and continued following him. "What is your problem? You're so grumpy. Why can't you just be nice, huh?" she asked.
"Why can't YOU just leave me alone?" he snapped back. He was in no mood for this.
She frowned and watched him stalk off. She rolled her eyes, let out a sigh, and decided he needed an attitude adjustment.
Charlie groaned and sat down on another bench, about twenty feet from the blonde. He was in a really bad mood and no matter how friendly the girl was, he simply chalked it up to sheer annoyance. He despised the world at the moment and nothing would drag him out of the mad-at-the-world vibe he was currently emitting.
He kept sending her warning glances that said 'take one step closer and die'. She just smiled, shrugged and walked the other way.
Charlie rolled his eyes, let out a deep, profound sigh and leaned back on the bench. He felt the slightest tinge of guilt for being so rude but the slightly older girl didn't seem too fazed.
The runaway boy closed his eyes for a moment before seeing the store across the street. It had clothes, bags, souvenirs and food.
He shrugged and got up. Might as well.
~~~*~~~
Charlie Conway stepped out of the store 25 dollars poorer. He had a backpack containing one pair of clothes, some snacks, and the 15 dollars that remained in his possession after his little 'shopping spree'.
He let out a content sigh. Life was looking a little better. Sure 15 dollars wasn't a whole lot to live on, but oh well. At least he had food and ONE pair of clothes. He'd spend the rest solely on food. Cheeeeeap food.
By the time he reached the sidewalk outside the store, stars were beginning to shine in the sky and the horizon was mixes of deep purple, pink, and orange fading into black as it traveled up the sky.
He let out a content sigh and smiled. He could do this. He didn't need anybody. No Bombay, no mother, no Ducks, and ESPECIALLY no Coach Orion.
Now he had to think of where he would sleep. He didn't exactly know much about Toronto so he wasn't sure if it would be safe to just go to sleep like the poor, homeless little child he was.
Charlie came to a park and chuckled to himself. Might as well...
Luckily it wasn't cold...
~~~*~~~
Charlie felt himself jolt against something hard and concrete scraping the back of his head. His eyes instantly shot open only to be covered again with a large pair of hands. He could feel someone roughly lift up his and shove something in his mouth before dropping his head on the concrete again.
His heart was beating wildly as he flailed his arms as best he could. One problem...
They were tied together...
His brain was screaming at him to react, but he was bound too tightly to attack. The boy was confused and he could feel his anxiety and fear skyrocket.
He heard his captor trip over something that sounded like a trash can.
Charlie then heard two voices conversing. He was nearly shaking, unsure of what to do. He could feel them putting a blindfold over his eyes as the hand removed itself.
He felt a sharp blow to the head and he let out a yelp from the back of his throat. His cry was muffled by whatever they had put in his mouth.
The terrified teen felt the weight of his backpack being lifted and he panicked. He struggled to kick them, but he couldn't see where they were.
One of his captors kicked him solidly in the side, provoking yet another yelp of pain. When he tried to lash out in self-defense he felt a solid punch connect with his jaw.
Charlie twisted to stand up and rammed up against one of them blindly, trying to figure out how to free himself. He was running on adrenaline and pure fear.
However, the guy he rammed didn't think that was the best idea. He grabbed Charlie by the neck and slammed his head into the brick wall of the alley they were in.
Charlie could feel tears stinging at his eyes, but he pressed on. An elbow crushed into his ribs before knocking the boy back onto the ground.
He thought he could hear them arguing about whether to leave or stay. The guy Charlie had slammed into the wall wanted to stay and finish the job while another thought they should leave.
When Charlie managed to stand back up, the captor who wanted to leave took out his gun and knocked Charlie unconscious with it.
Charlie's deadweight fell to the ground with a hollow thump. One captor gave Charlie one last hard, solid kick in the head before running after his fellow retreating muggers.
~~~*~~~
Beep...beep...beep...
Charlie's eyes slowly fluttered open. He saw an unfamiliar white ceiling. He could hear muffled, blurred voices speaking outside his door, but he didn't care...his head hurt way too much to think...
-Outside the Door-
"He has no records. No information, no anything. We have no name, address, no identification of any kind." The doctor told the woman.
She nodded. "It looks like he's awake. We should probably find out who his parents are so we can inform them." She said to the doctor.
He nodded and walked into the room, followed by the woman.
"Young man?" the doctor said, considering he had no name.
Charlie's unfocused gaze shifted to the man in the white coat. "My head hurts." He said randomly, still not fully awake.
"That happens when you get mugged." The doctor said matter-of-factly.
Charlie's gaze remained blank for a moment. "I got mugged?" Then his mind retraced the event. He could remember now... "Oh yeah..."
"Would you mind telling me your name?" the doctor asked nicely.
Charlie pursed his lips. Telling them wouldn't hurt. They would never think to check on an international level, would they? Nah...
"Charlie." He replied simply. He would tell them as little as possible. If they asked, he would answer as truthfully as he could without endangering getting sent back.
"I see. Well Charlie, would you mind telling me who your family is? They might want to know that you're okay." The doctor pried.
'Yeah right.' He thought bitterly, but chose not to say it aloud.
Instead he simply replied, "I don't have one."
"Are you an orphan?" the doctor asked.
"Something like that." Charlie lied.
"Are you staying at an orphanage?" the doctor asked.
"Nope." Charlie said back.
The doctor raised his eyebrows. "Where have you been staying?"
Charlie shrugged. "Nowhere I guess."
The doctor nodded and thanked Charlie for the information. The doctor then led the woman out of the room and closed the door behind him.
"Call Evelyn Ryan for me, would you? I need to ask her a favor." The doctor said as the woman nodded.
~~~*~~~
Charlie let out a sigh. He was depressed now that he had coherent thought. The room was so dreary.
Charlie wondered what they were going to do with him. He hoped they didn't find out where he was from. He wasn't ready to go back...his pride wouldn't allow it. He had gotten himself into this, and he would just have to deal.
He closed his eyes as he leaned his head back farther into the hard, thin, hospital pillow. What had he gotten himself into anyway?
-Chapter 1-
Charlie was furious. Fulton had just told him that he was going back to the Ducks. BACK TO THE DUCKS! Back to that evil coach from down under, Coach Orion, too! How could he just abandon Charlie like that? Did he not care?!
"FINE! I don't need you anyway!" Charlie screamed as Fulton walked off. "I don't need any of you." he finished quietly as he held his face in his hands and propped his elbows on his knees. He was sitting on some stairs in an alley by himself.
The day had been perfect. Well, minus the throwing up in the trashcan part. That hadn't been too fun...but excluding that, Charlie's day had been fun and exciting. After quitting the team due to The Evil One's fetish with ruining Charlie's life and The Evil One's obsession with ripping the Ducks apart, Charlie and Fulton had a day of fun. They went to a Carnival, ate more than their stomachs could hold, and rode rides until they threw up...in the trashcan.
But Fulton ended up being just like the rest. Ready to abandon him and leave him alone. None of them cared about him. They would rather wait on The Evil One hand and foot then stick by him...some friends...
Charlie stood up and began walking aimlessly. He still had awhile until he had to be home and he wasn't too keen on the idea. His mom would blow a heart valve if she knew he had skipped school.
The teenage boy jammed his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans and looked around at his surroundings. The Carnival was still in full stride, bright lights flashing, trash littering the ground, and the smell of food wafting through the air.
He was still angry. And hurt. It seemed like they didn't need him anymore. They acted as if they were better off without him as their Captain.
If they were going to be that way, Charlie would do them a favor. He just wouldn't go back.
The boy felt a wad of money at the bottom of his pocket. He pulled it out and found several large bills. He didn't know how that had gotten there. He figured one of the people at the Carnival had handed him the wrong bills because Charlie Conway simply didn't have wads of cash lying around the house. Just like Adam Banks, a.k.a. The Traitor, had probably never done a load of his own laundry in his life. Yes, he was bitter. He knew it too. He just simply didn't care.
He saw a train in the process of loading passengers. He wasn't sure where it was going but he didn't care as long as it took him far away from where he was.
Charlie casually strolled over to the train. Suddenly, when no one was watching, he walked right on. The man who had been at the door, collecting tickets, had been busy helping someone pick up the scattered contents of a bag they had dropped.
Charlie knew what he was doing was clearly wrong and most likely illegal but he wasn't exactly thinking straight. If he were, he would have realized just how dumb it is to get on a strange train with an unknown destination without any food or clothes and little money.
He sat down in an empty seat by the window and watched as they train began pulling away. He saw a man running after the train, waving a ticket around in the air frantically. Charlie looked around seeing that there were no empty seats. He felt kind of bad that he had taken the man's seat but was relieved that the man was OUTSIDE of the train, not in. Otherwise everyone would have known he didn't have a ticket and didn't belong there. That would've gone GREAT with him skipping school.
After he had been on the train for roughly an hour, he began getting restless. He was fidgeting in his seat and kept sending nervous glances at the old woman next to him. She was watching him suspiciously and it was giving him the creeps.
He snuck a peek at the woman's expensive watch and saw that the Ducks would just be heading to practice right about that time. Fulton would be joining them.
Traitor.
After letting out the one-billionth sigh since he had boarded the train, Charlie propped his chin in his hands and looked out the window, a bored expression on his face.
"Will you quit sighing, boy? It's getting annoying!" the old lady snapped rudely.
Charlie turned his lazy expression to the woman sharing his seat. "Sorry. How long until we get...where we're going?" he asked, careful not to mention he didn't know WHERE he was going.
The elderly woman rolled her eyes. "You youngsters are so impatient these days! Why in my day, we would sit properly and patiently while on train rides! We would not slouch and sigh, complaining about the amount of time it was taking! We were RESPECTFUL!" she lectured, waving her arms animatedly as she complained about today's youth.
Charlie rolled his eyes and turned back to the window. "Just forget I asked..." he sighed unenthusiastically. He hoped the train stopped soon. He couldn't take much more from this woman!
"How rude! How dare you roll your eyes at me, young man! Are you listening, boy?!" the lady screeched when she realized Charlie had long since stopped listening.
Charlie turned back to her. "If I listen intently and take every word to heart, will you tell me where we're going and how long it will take to get there?" he asked as sweetly as he could muster, though his attempt at a smile appeared more as a grimace.
She paused for a moment. "I don't like cutting deals with you disrespectful youngsters but I guess I will make an exception. We are on a train ride to Toronto, Canada and we should arrive early tomorrow morning."
Charlie gaped at her. Canada? HE WAS GOING TO CANADA?!
His mind was swarming, trying to process the newly acquired information. This could be perfect! This could be just what he needed! Canada equaled a chance at a Junior Hockey League! He could just join and live off the money. He could pass as seventeen, right? Then he would use his first paycheck to buy whatever living quarters it would get him. This might not be so bad after all. He couldn't help but grin to himself at the brilliance of his plan. He didn't need anyone! He could live by himself.
Another brilliant thought enlightened him. He would be in another country so no one would ever find him. Now all he needed was a Visa...
The old woman had started talking again. She hadn't seemed to notice the wheels in Charlie's brain going over the details of his little escapade.
This could work...this could work out very nicely...
~~~*~~~
Charlie's head rattled slightly against the cold window as he snored softly. The boredom had overcome him and lured him into slumber. The sun was just beginning to rise as a shrill whistle cut through the silence.
Unfortunately, Charlie was not a morning person so this was not a pleasant moment in time.
He let out a groan as his eyes fluttered open. People were shuffling around, grabbing bags and piling off the confined space that was the train.
He blinked a few times, trying desperately to adjust his sleepy eyes to the ever-brightening light. Charlie then whimpered as someone pushed against him. It was too early to be dealing with these pushy...people...
Rubbing his eyes, he stood up and followed the crowd out the door. He still couldn't believe he had gotten a free ride without being noticed.
The boy's anger and resentment level towards the Ducks was beginning to subside, but the feel for excitement hit him head on. He was on his own. No more curfew, no more Evil Coaches Out For Your Blood, no more traitorous so- called friends, no more anything. Now it was Charlie who governed Charlie's life.
~~~*~~~
Charlie had spent the entire day wandering around, trying to get a feel for the place. It seemed nice and big so no one was paying attention to him.
The sun was setting and the air was chilling. Now Charlie wished he had stopped by the house to pick up a jacket or something. He was beginning to wonder where he would sleep UNTIL he managed to join a team.
Maybe he should've thought about that before.
Charlie let out a dejected sigh as he sat down on a bench placing his face in his hands. His bright and cheery day was seeping into a gloomy, not-so- cheery evening...
Boy did he feel stupid.
He let out another sigh and remembered WHAT caused this problem in the first place and felt the anger surge through his veins again. He wouldn't be stuck in Canada with no food, clothes and little money if he hadn't been angry. He wouldn't have been angry if Fulton hadn't abandoned him. Fulton wouldn't have HAD to abandon him if the Ducks would've stuck with him too. The Ducks would've stuck by him if their EVIL COACH weren't so freaking EVIL! They wouldn't have been STUCK with the aforementioned Evil Coach if Bombay hadn't ABANDONED HIM! Some father figure, leaving Charlie all alone to fend for himself against The Evil One!
So right then and there Charlie decided to blame it on his old coach, Gordon Bombay.
Ah, the logic of an angry teenage boy.
He stood up and stalked down the sidewalk, hands jammed into his pockets. He was in a sour mood again and began kicking an empty coke can down the sidewalk.
"Stupid coke can...stupid abandoning friends...stupid abandoning ex- coaches...stupid NON-abandoning Evil Coaches that should die...stupid teachers...stupid old ladies who bug you on the train...stupid weather...stupid sidewalk...stupid trains...stupid coke can...wait, didn't I already say that? Oh well...stupid-OW!" Charlie yelped as he tripped over a bench.
"Stupid bench..." he added as an afterthought, sitting up and rubbing his sore legs, arms, and face.
He heard a chuckle from above him.
He turned up to face a blonde girl. "What are you laughing at?" he snapped.
"Whoa, cool it tiger. What crawled up your butt and died?" she asked, her eyes still laughing slightly. She had shoulder-length, curly blonde hair and a curvy figure. She was rather short, though and seemed a few years older.
Charlie just glared at her, stood up, and brushed himself off, scoffing and continuing his angry trek down the sidewalk.
"Hey, wait one second kiddo, where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked, following him down the sidewalk with curiosity.
"Is stalking a hobby for you or am I just special? And don't you know stalking is illegal in all fifty states?" he snapped, quickening his pace.
"You're just special...and kid, we aren't IN the states." She pointed out as she matched her pace to his.
He rolled his eyes. This was just getting obnoxious. Couldn't he just be on his way without having to worry about this point-and-laugh-at-you-when-your- down weirdo following him? Not that he had anywhere in particular to go...
"Just leave me alone and STOP calling me KID!" he said, turning towards her, his face still angry.
"But you ARE a kid. How old are you? Fourteen? Fifteen?" she asked.
"Not that is any of your business, but I'm fourteen. How does that make me a kid?" he barked.
"Well, you're young compared to me." She reasoned, shrugging her shoulders and smiling.
"And how old are you?" he asked sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest.
She grinned at him. "I'm seventeen." She replied.
Charlie cocked an eyebrow. "Seventeen? Wow, you sure are ancient." He retorted sarcastically as he continued walking down the street.
She frowned and continued following him. "What is your problem? You're so grumpy. Why can't you just be nice, huh?" she asked.
"Why can't YOU just leave me alone?" he snapped back. He was in no mood for this.
She frowned and watched him stalk off. She rolled her eyes, let out a sigh, and decided he needed an attitude adjustment.
Charlie groaned and sat down on another bench, about twenty feet from the blonde. He was in a really bad mood and no matter how friendly the girl was, he simply chalked it up to sheer annoyance. He despised the world at the moment and nothing would drag him out of the mad-at-the-world vibe he was currently emitting.
He kept sending her warning glances that said 'take one step closer and die'. She just smiled, shrugged and walked the other way.
Charlie rolled his eyes, let out a deep, profound sigh and leaned back on the bench. He felt the slightest tinge of guilt for being so rude but the slightly older girl didn't seem too fazed.
The runaway boy closed his eyes for a moment before seeing the store across the street. It had clothes, bags, souvenirs and food.
He shrugged and got up. Might as well.
~~~*~~~
Charlie Conway stepped out of the store 25 dollars poorer. He had a backpack containing one pair of clothes, some snacks, and the 15 dollars that remained in his possession after his little 'shopping spree'.
He let out a content sigh. Life was looking a little better. Sure 15 dollars wasn't a whole lot to live on, but oh well. At least he had food and ONE pair of clothes. He'd spend the rest solely on food. Cheeeeeap food.
By the time he reached the sidewalk outside the store, stars were beginning to shine in the sky and the horizon was mixes of deep purple, pink, and orange fading into black as it traveled up the sky.
He let out a content sigh and smiled. He could do this. He didn't need anybody. No Bombay, no mother, no Ducks, and ESPECIALLY no Coach Orion.
Now he had to think of where he would sleep. He didn't exactly know much about Toronto so he wasn't sure if it would be safe to just go to sleep like the poor, homeless little child he was.
Charlie came to a park and chuckled to himself. Might as well...
Luckily it wasn't cold...
~~~*~~~
Charlie felt himself jolt against something hard and concrete scraping the back of his head. His eyes instantly shot open only to be covered again with a large pair of hands. He could feel someone roughly lift up his and shove something in his mouth before dropping his head on the concrete again.
His heart was beating wildly as he flailed his arms as best he could. One problem...
They were tied together...
His brain was screaming at him to react, but he was bound too tightly to attack. The boy was confused and he could feel his anxiety and fear skyrocket.
He heard his captor trip over something that sounded like a trash can.
Charlie then heard two voices conversing. He was nearly shaking, unsure of what to do. He could feel them putting a blindfold over his eyes as the hand removed itself.
He felt a sharp blow to the head and he let out a yelp from the back of his throat. His cry was muffled by whatever they had put in his mouth.
The terrified teen felt the weight of his backpack being lifted and he panicked. He struggled to kick them, but he couldn't see where they were.
One of his captors kicked him solidly in the side, provoking yet another yelp of pain. When he tried to lash out in self-defense he felt a solid punch connect with his jaw.
Charlie twisted to stand up and rammed up against one of them blindly, trying to figure out how to free himself. He was running on adrenaline and pure fear.
However, the guy he rammed didn't think that was the best idea. He grabbed Charlie by the neck and slammed his head into the brick wall of the alley they were in.
Charlie could feel tears stinging at his eyes, but he pressed on. An elbow crushed into his ribs before knocking the boy back onto the ground.
He thought he could hear them arguing about whether to leave or stay. The guy Charlie had slammed into the wall wanted to stay and finish the job while another thought they should leave.
When Charlie managed to stand back up, the captor who wanted to leave took out his gun and knocked Charlie unconscious with it.
Charlie's deadweight fell to the ground with a hollow thump. One captor gave Charlie one last hard, solid kick in the head before running after his fellow retreating muggers.
~~~*~~~
Beep...beep...beep...
Charlie's eyes slowly fluttered open. He saw an unfamiliar white ceiling. He could hear muffled, blurred voices speaking outside his door, but he didn't care...his head hurt way too much to think...
-Outside the Door-
"He has no records. No information, no anything. We have no name, address, no identification of any kind." The doctor told the woman.
She nodded. "It looks like he's awake. We should probably find out who his parents are so we can inform them." She said to the doctor.
He nodded and walked into the room, followed by the woman.
"Young man?" the doctor said, considering he had no name.
Charlie's unfocused gaze shifted to the man in the white coat. "My head hurts." He said randomly, still not fully awake.
"That happens when you get mugged." The doctor said matter-of-factly.
Charlie's gaze remained blank for a moment. "I got mugged?" Then his mind retraced the event. He could remember now... "Oh yeah..."
"Would you mind telling me your name?" the doctor asked nicely.
Charlie pursed his lips. Telling them wouldn't hurt. They would never think to check on an international level, would they? Nah...
"Charlie." He replied simply. He would tell them as little as possible. If they asked, he would answer as truthfully as he could without endangering getting sent back.
"I see. Well Charlie, would you mind telling me who your family is? They might want to know that you're okay." The doctor pried.
'Yeah right.' He thought bitterly, but chose not to say it aloud.
Instead he simply replied, "I don't have one."
"Are you an orphan?" the doctor asked.
"Something like that." Charlie lied.
"Are you staying at an orphanage?" the doctor asked.
"Nope." Charlie said back.
The doctor raised his eyebrows. "Where have you been staying?"
Charlie shrugged. "Nowhere I guess."
The doctor nodded and thanked Charlie for the information. The doctor then led the woman out of the room and closed the door behind him.
"Call Evelyn Ryan for me, would you? I need to ask her a favor." The doctor said as the woman nodded.
~~~*~~~
Charlie let out a sigh. He was depressed now that he had coherent thought. The room was so dreary.
Charlie wondered what they were going to do with him. He hoped they didn't find out where he was from. He wasn't ready to go back...his pride wouldn't allow it. He had gotten himself into this, and he would just have to deal.
He closed his eyes as he leaned his head back farther into the hard, thin, hospital pillow. What had he gotten himself into anyway?