Disclaimer: I don't own any of the official Digimon characters.
I do, however, own the characters Justin Tzumati, Todd Tzumati, and all forms of Voltmon and Sparkymon.
This fanfic was written in order to promote my anti-bullying campaign. It has a strong message, so read it carefully, yet still enjoy it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This fanfic contains coarse language. Read at your own discretion.
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PARIAHS
T.K. awoke to the sound of his alarm clock. As he got up to shut it off, he noticed that Justin was nowhere to be seen. 'How does he do it?' he thought as he ran a hand through his sandy blond hair. He got out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom. Somewhere along the way, he ran into Justin, who was in the kitchen reading the newspaper and eating a bowl of cereal.
"Morning, T.K.," said Justin, his crystal-blue eyes not leaving the paper.
"Morning, Justin," said T.K., groggily.
"You sound beat," said Justin, "Have some coffee."
"I'll brush my teeth, first," said T.K. before heading off to the bathroom.
****************************************
It was just another typical day at Odaiba Elementary/Junior High. Everything was as it was. Students were hanging around lockers talking or telling jokes or making out. A few were in the library studying. There was the occasional new student who would ask where the office was.
"So anyway," said Davis, "this guy says, 'So how'd it go?' And the other guys says, 'I don't know. I think I just asked her to marry me and bear my children.'" Kari, Yolei, and Cody groaned at Davis' joke.
"Bad joke, Davis," said Yolei.
"Even the cheap circus clowns can tell better jokes than that," said Cody.
"Hey guys," called Justin as he and T.K. arrived at school.
"Davis telling one of his jokes again?" asked T.K.
"I don't know whose jokes are worse," said Kari, "His or Veemon's?" Everyone except Davis broke out laughing.
"Very funny," said Davis, obviously not enjoying the moment. He immediately raised his binder to block his vision as T.K. leaned over to kiss Kari.
"So, we've still got five minutes before school start. Might as well get to class," said Justin, "Anyone care to join me?" T.K., Davis, and Kari followed him to class while Yolei and Cody went off to their own classes. Cody had to travel a little farther to get to the elementary section of the school.
****************************************
Davis, T.K., Kari, Justin, and the rest of their fellow classmates were sitting in social studies class wondering what was in store for them as the teacher handed out sheets of paper to all the students. When he was done, he want up to the front of the classroom and addressed the class.
"Everyone," he said, "I have an important announcement to make."
"Duh," muttered Davis.
"I have just handed out to each of you a sheet for a special project, "said the teacher, "You are to research and present any country of your choice, as long as it's not Japan. I want you to include descriptions of the culture, the population, the language and the alphabet, some customs and traditions, the climate, the government, and so on. You are to also include that country's flag, as well as a sample of that country's music and food."
"Did he say food?" asked Davis as he suddenly perked up.
"Yes," said T.K.
"Any questions?" asked the teacher.
Davis raised his hand. "Mr. Saki, how many people are allowed to work together?" he asked.
"You are allowed to work in a group of three people, maximum," said the teacher, "Any more?"
Justin's hand shot up. "When's this project due?" he asked.
"In about three weeks," said Mr. Saki, "Any more question? Well then, if that's all the questions, get into your groups so I can record them."
Davis immediately turned to ask Kari, but T.K. beat him to the punch. To his even further dismay, both T.K. and Kari asked Justin to be in their group, which he accepted.
"So guys, which country are we gonna do?" asked Justin.
"We're still deciding," said Kari.
"I've got an idea," said Justin, "He said any country as long as it's not Japan, right?"
"Yeah," said T.K.
"Well, who's the only person in the class who ISN'T from Japan?" asked Justin.
"You," replied T.K., "Wait a second. Are you suggesting that..."
"Yep," said Justin, "What better country to research than the country the exchange student is from?"
"Justin, you're a genius!" said Kari.
"Well then, let's get started," said Justin.
"So Justin, what languages do people in Canada speak?" asked Kari.
"Well, Canada has two official languages: English and French," said Justin, "I'll send my mom an e-mail tonight asking her to send over all of my social studies note from previous years."
"Since you type up all your notes, I guess you also keep them on your computer, don't you," said T.K.
"Yep," said Justin, "So, when's a good time for all three of us to get together and work on this? And I highly emphasize the 'all three' part, since T.K. and I can work on this anytime we want."
"We'll figure something out," said Kari.
Justin, Kari, and T.K. high-fived each other and shook on it.
****************************************
Lunch rolled around and the Digi-Destined all sat at their favorite table in the cafeteria.
"So, I hear that you three are working together to do a project on Canada," said Yolei.
"That can't be hard at all," said Cody, "Especially since you've got Justin on your team." He readjusted the phonebook he was sitting on and continued to eat his lunch.
(A/N: I know Cody's not THAT short, but it seems that way if he sits at a Junior High table. Besides, it adds a bit of humor.)
Davis looked up from inside his lunch bag just long enough to see a tall blond student wearing a leather jacket flanked by three other students walk into the cafeteria.
"Uh-oh," said Davis.
"What is it, Davis?" asked Cody as he turned to look, "Uh-oh."
"Who is that guy?" asked Justin, pointing to the big guy with the leather jacket who had just walked in.
"That's Graham Hunter," said T.K., "He thinks that everything should go his way."
"He thinks every girl he likes should be his alone," said Kari.
"Sounds worse than Davis," said Justin.
"Hey!" said Davis.
"Anything else?" asked Justin.
"NEVER call him a wimp," said Davis, "I found out the hard way a few years ago."
"He's practically the god of bullies," said Cody.
"He's coming this way," said Yolei.
"Hide me!" said Davis as he dove under the table. Justin gave Davis a strange look. "He's been known to hold a grudge," said Davis, still not moving from his curled-up fetal position.
"Hey, losers," said Graham, "Gogglehead still scared of the big bad wolf?" He and his gang laughed. Davis only curled up tighter. Graham's eyes then turned onto Justin.
"So, you're the kid from Canada," said Graham, "How do you get to school? On a dog sled?" Justin just ignored Graham, but the bully kept on pushing. "So, did you bring your pet beaver with you?"
'Oh boy,' thought T.K. Knowing how much Justin hated people judging him based on stereotype, T.K. knew what was coming.
"You're pretty quiet, aren't you, eh?" continued Graham.
'Okay, that does it!' thought Justin. "Go away," he said calmly.
"What'd you say?" asked Graham.
"I said go away," repeated Justin.
"You tellin' me what to do, you little punk?" said Graham.
"I'm not about to get pushed around by people like you," said Justin, still not losing his cool, although the same couldn't be said about Graham.
"You little punk! You've got to be taught a lesson in manners," said Graham as he stood back up.
"I think the one who could use that lesson is you," Justin shot back, still remaining as calm as ever.
Graham suddenly shoved Justin back, knocking him off his chair. "That should teach you, Canuck-boy," said Graham as he and his gang left.
Justin's crystal-blue eyes were suddenly filled with rage as he got back up. "Canuck-boy?!" he shouted, "Listen here, you jerk! I may be Canadian, but I will NOT tolerate comments like that! Especially from the likes of you!"
Students gasped as Graham turned towards Justin. "You're asking for it, Canuck-boy," said the bully.
"Correction: YOU'RE asking for it," said Justin as he glared at Graham without a bit of fear in his eyes.
"Now you're gonna get it, punk!" said Graham. He balled up his fist and ran towards Justin. He immediately struck out with his fist.
"JUSTIN!" shouted the Digi-Destined.
Justin blocked the punch. He quickly grabbed Graham by the sleeve and pulled him in, slamming his knee into the bully's stomach. He quickly whirled around and delivered and elbow-strike to Graham's back, knocking him down. Justin stood straight up, smoothed out his clothes, ran a hand through his hair, and look back at Graham.
"You bullies are all the same," he said, "You go around picking on those weaker than yourself, afraid to face those bigger and stronger than you. Behind each bully is another bully. And another. And another. You're nothing but a bunch of cowards! Next time, you'll think twice before attacking someone two-thirds your size." And with that, Justin returned to his seat where the other Digi-Destined were waiting, filled with awe.
"Boss, you okay?" asked one of Graham's gang members.
"Gotta get the boss outta here," said another gang member.
"RUN AWAY!" shouted all three of Graham's gang members. They picked up Graham and ran out of the cafeteria with him.
As soon as Graham and his gang were gone, the students erupted into cheers.
"Way to go, Justin! You stood up to him!" said T.K.
"When you stand up to a bully, they lose their power," said Justin, "Bullies get their power from fear. By spreading it, they increase their power. But once one person stands up to them, they snap like a delicate icicle in wintertime.
"Agreed," said T.K., "But you DO realize that Graham's now going to be coming back for you, right?"
"That's a risk I plan to take," said Justin.
****************************************
"Boss, you okay?" asked a gang member.
Graham and his gang were outside on a bench. The gang members looked at their boss, wondering if he would be alright.
"I'm going to kill that fucking shit!" said Graham, "No one makes an asshole out of Graham Hunter and gets away with it!"
"You go, boss," said one of the gang members.
"Yeah, you go," said another.
"Guys, shut the fuck up," said Graham, "C'mon, we gotta go." And with that, Graham and his gang left. "Let's see him take all four of the Hunters next time."
(A/N: Graham seems to be the type of bully with an overinflated ego, so I had his gang named after him.)
****************************************
"WATCH OUT!" shouted Ken.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" screamed Davis.
"I got him!" said Justin. Within a matter of seconds, he whipped out his blaster and shot the Keesemon that was about to land on Davis' shoulder.
"FIRE ROCKET!" shouted Flamedramon.
"DOUBLE STARS!" shouted Shurimon.
"GOLD RUSH!" shouted Digmon.
"STAR SHOWER!" shouted Pegasusmon.
"ROSETTA STONE!" shouted Nefertimon.
"SPIKING STRIKE!" shouted Stingmon.
"THUNDER BLADE!" shouted Bladramon.
Within a few short minutes, all the enemy Digimon had been vanquished.
"You know, after Justin stood up to Graham today, I feel a whole lot better," said Davis, "Hey Justin, did I ever mention how grateful I am of that?"
"About once a minute since lunch ended today," said Justin, "Anyway, we're done here. Anyone want to grabs something to eat?"
"I'm raring for a milkshake," said Davis.
"I was planning to head over to the Terminal. Anyone care to join me?" asked T.K. Everyone nodded. The Terminal was their favorite hangout.
"Well the, let's go," said Ken.
The Digi-Destined walked over to the nearest Digiport and went through back to the real world.
****************************************
The Terminal was alive with activity just like very night. Students from all over Odaiba gathered together at the Terminal. It had a small restaurant, a video arcade, a bowling alley, a dance floor, pool tables, and even a laser tag zone.
"Pizzas are here. Here you go ,guys, "said a server.
"Thanks, Steve," said T.K., "Here's ten yen for all your troubles." Steve took his tip from T.K., nodded, and pocketed the money before returning to work.
"Well, let's dig in!" said Davis and made a grab for a slice of pepperoni pizza.
"Pass the cheese pizza this way!" said T.K.
"Here you go," said Justin after taking a slice of Hawaiian.
"Justin, the way you kicked Graham's butt was so awesome!" said Davis.
"Davis, do you ever listen to yourself whenever you talk like that?" asked Justin.
"Not really. Why?" said Davis.
"Well you should. You're beginning to annoy me," said Justin.
"Okay," said Davis, quickly shutting up and returning to his pizza. After seeing what he did to Graham, Davis thought it was best to stay on Justin's good side.
"So, you guys got anything planned this weekend?" asked T.K. before taking another sip of his Pepsi.
"My team's got a soccer game against East Odaiba on Sunday," said Davis.
"I have a kendo tournament coming up in three weeks and I need to practice," said Cody.
"T.K., Kari, and I will be working on our project," said Justin.
"Justin, you've got three people in your group," said Davis, "Plus, you're all doing Canada, which you, Justin, should know about better than any of us."
"Speaking of Canada, I heard that is gets pretty cold during the wintertime," said Ken.
"You get used to it," said Justin.
"I don't think I ever will," said T.K.
"You better," said Justin, "Because as soon as I'm done here, you're going to have to come to Edmonton and stay at MY place."
"
I hardly ever get to travel," said T.K.
"Get used to it," said Justin, "My family travels quite a lot together. Todd and I have only been left at home once."
"Speaking of which, where were you born, anyway?" asked Yolei, curiously.
"I was born in Hamilton, Ontario. But I grew up in Toronto," said Justin, "Right now, I'm living in Edmonton, so you could say I've been on both sides of Canada.
"Parles-tu français?" asked Yolei.
"Absolutment," replied Justin, "C'est un de mes sujets favori dans école."
"Huh?" was Davis' only comment.
"Don't you ever pay attention in French class?" asked Kari.
"No," replied Davis, "The whole time, the teacher says nothing but French."
"Davis?" said Justin.
"Yeah?" said Davis.
"That's the idea," Justin reminded.
"Oh," said Davis.
"C'mon, guys," said Justin, "Whoever loses has to pay for the pizza." And with that, he took off for the laser tag zone with T.K., Davis, and Ken right behind him.
****************************************
The next day at school, T.K., Kari, and Justin, were given time to work on their projects along with the rest of the class.
"And here's what I got off the Internet," said T.K. as he handed Kari a bunch of papers.
"And here's all the stuff I can remember off the top of my head," said Justin as he handed over about five full pages of handwritten notes.
"I got a page in my atlas at home photocopied," said Kari holding up a photocopy of the map of Canada.
"What are we going to do for the food part?" asked T.K.
"I've got it covered," said Justin.
"Trust me. He's a good cook," said T.K., "By the way, Justin, you do realize that Graham's now gong to keep coming after you now that you've totally humiliated him in front of the whole school."
"He's just a bully," said Justin, "They tend to rely purely on brute force and lack the brains to come up with a decent plan."
"Let's just hope Graham and his gang don't know that," said T.K., "He practically rules the hallways and the field with an iron fist."
"Guys, chill," said Justin, "I know you guys are afraid of Graham, but this is ridiculous. You make him sound like the god of death."
"We're just lucky he can't transform into Voldemort and kill us all," said Davis as he passed by to sharpen his pencil.
"Let's just get back to work," said Justin brushing off the subject.
****************************************
Graham was at the Terminal with his gang, skipping classes as usual. The rest of his gang was off doing whatever, but Graham was seated at the juice bar muttering to himself over how he was going to get back at Justin. 'I swear he's going to get it," thought the bully.
****************************************
School had ended for the day and Justin and T.K. were at T.K.'s apartment. T.K. had gone down to the Inoue family convenience store while Justin was check his e-mail. Just then, Justin got a little something.
"Huh? Someone wants to talk to me on MSN?" said Justin, "Alright then." He logged in and began chatting with the mysterious person.
--------------------------------
ARCHANGEL: Hey there.
SILVER DRAGON: Hey, yourself.
ARCHANGEL: You seem like you're in the dumps.
SILVER DRAGON: lol. Yeah.
ARCHANGEL: Guess you've kinda dug yourself a hole in the ground.
SILVER DRAGON: Well, it's not getting any shallower. Every time I do something, the hole gets deeper.
ARCHANGEL: Heh. You seem to know a lot about holes.
SILVER DRAGON: Yeah. Assholes in particular.
Just then, Justin heard T.K. reenter the apartment.
SILVER DRAGON: g2g. Talk to you later?
ARCHANGEL: Sure.
--------------------------------
Justin logged off just as T.K. entered the room.
"What have you been up to?" asked T.K.
"Not much," said Justin as he got up to grab a snack from the kitchen.
'Something's up,' thought T.K.
Dinner that night was pretty silent. T.K.'s mother was working late at an interview and the Digimon had fallen asleep. T.K. and Justin had ordered pizza and were sitting at the table eating it.
"So Justin, what color do you think the poster should be?" asked T.K., trying to make conversation.
"I was thinking of making the poster look like the Canadian flag," said Justin before taking another bite from his slice of pizza.
That was the only conversation they had that night.
****************************************
The next day at school was still pretty much the same as ever.
"Hey Justin, you coming to lunch?" asked Davis.
"In a minute," said Justin, "I just gotta stuff something in my locker and I'll join up with you guys."
"Okay," said Davis and hurried off to join the others.
Justin turned around and began turning the knob on his lock when a hand suddenly slammed against his locker door. Justin didn't need to see whose arm it was. It was pretty obvious. The leather jacket was a dead giveaway.
"You ready for some payback, punk?" said Graham.
"Give it up, Graham," said Justin, "No one's afraid of you, anymore."
"Is that so, Canuck-boy?" said Graham, "I'm not gonna take no shit from you." He grabbed Justin by the shoulder, shoved him against the locker, and held him up off the floor against the locker by the collar. "See this?" said Graham has he balled up his fist, "Well, you're about to find out just how much it's gonna hurt!"
"Before you do so, let me show you a little magic trick I learned," said Justin. He placed two fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly.
"What's that gonna do, huh?" said Graham.
"Graham Hunter!" said a voice. Justin, Graham, and the Hunters turned to see the vice principal standing in the hallways looking at them. "Mr. Hunter, I'd like to see you in my office NOW." Graham dropped Justin and gave him a death glare before following the vice-principal down to the office.
'Heh. Go, Mrs. Morton!' thought Justin. He stuffed his bag inside his locker and went to the cafeteria to join up with the others.
'That little piece of shit is really starting to get on my fucking bad side,' thought Graham as he was herded off towards the office.
****************************************
Once again, the Digi-Destined were in the Digital World after school.
"You're stressed, I can tell," said T.K.
"Gee, you can? Thanks, I hadn't noticed," said Justin.
"Sarcasm noted," said T.K.
"Davis would've taken that literally," said Justin.
Voltmon and T.K. were throwing rocks into the air while Justin shot them to pieces with his DigiBlaster.
"You're not planning to use that thing on Graham, are you?" asked T.K.
"I really don't see why not," said Justin, "But I can't since I can only use it here in the Digital World."
"We all know that Graham's just a bully, but you're not honestly thinking about shooting him are you?" asked T.K., exasperated.
"Not really," said Justin, "C'mon, we're all done here. Let's all get back home."
"Agreed," said Cody as he swung a wooden stick around.
The Digi-Destined walked over to the nearest Digiport and re-entered the real world. Since everyone had used their own home computers, they returned to their own respective apartments.
****************************************
"I'm going to take a shower before dinner," said T.K. as he headed off to the bathroom with his towel.
Justin sat down in T.K.'s desk chair and logged onto his computer. He looked at the taskbar and noticed that someone was IMing him. He clicked on it and looked up to see who it was.
--------------------------------
SILVER DRAGON: I didn't expect you to be on.
ARCHANGEL: I'm always on at the time.
SILVER DRAGON: a/s/l?
ARCHANGEL: older/same/somewhere
SILVER DRAGON: Not being very specific, are we?
ARCHANGEL: No.
ARCHANGEL: So, how's the hole?
SILVER DRAGON: Same as ever.
ARCHANGEL: You should always watch where you are running. Don't run too fast. It'll only bring you bad news. Once you start running and can't stop, you'll run into the wall. And running into the wall HURTS.
SILVER DRAGON: Ouch
ARCHANGEL: Yeah. Ouch.
SILVER DRAGON: Well maybe you should run slower.
ARCHANGEL: It still hurts.
SILVER DRAGON: But not as much.
ARCHANGEL: So, what's up?
SILVER DRAGON: Not much.
Just then, Justin heard T.K. come out of the bathroom.
SILVER DRAGON: g2g. Talk to you tomorrow.
ARCHANGEL: Okay.
--------------------------------
Justin logged off just as T.K. walked into the room drying his hair. "What were you doing?" asked the bearer of hope.
"Chatting with someone," replied Justin as he got up, "Someone who perhaps knows how I'm feeling. Anyway, I'm going down to Yolei's convenience store. Need anything?"
"Get some milk while you're out," said T.K., "We're almost out."
"Got it," said Justin as he laced up his sneakers. He stuffed his wallet into his pocket and headed out the door. He took the elevator downstairs and walked a few meters to the convenience store.
"Hey Justin," said Yolei.
"Hey," said Justin, "I'm just here to grab a few things." He went over to the fridge at the back of the store and grabbed a carton of milk. He grabbed some coffee and walked over the counter, where he took a pack of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and tossed them among various items he was purchasing.
"Is that it?" asked Yolei, "That comes to 25 yen."
Justin paid and left the store. Just as he stepped out and rounded a corner, he got jumped. He looked to see his attacker and found to his surprise that it was none other than Graham Hunter.
"Looks like it's just you and me now," said the bully. He balled up his fist and began driving it into Justin's body. After about a minute, he threw Justin to the ground and left. Fortunately, Yolei had seen everything. She brought Justin inside the store and sat him down on a chair.
"Justin, you okay?" asked Yolei, "Your nose is bleeding."
"Is it?" asked Justin. He touched is nostril and pulls back his hand. his fingers were covered with blood. "Yolei, give me the key to the bathroom."
Yolei handed Justin the key to the men's bathroom and Justin went in. He washed the blood of his face and stuffed a tissue from his pocket into the bleeding nostril. He leaned against the mirror and looked at his reflection. He looked into his own eyes and stared intently into them. It was at that moment that Justin did something that he vowed he would never do in public: he cried. Tears streamed from his eyes as he leaned his head against the mirror. Dark thoughts ran through his mind. Thoughts about Graham. Thoughts about himself. Thoughts about REVENGE.
****************************************
The next day, Justin kept turning his head back and forth, keeping a close eye out for Graham. Everywhere he went, he felt as though someone was watching him, even when he was in the bathroom.
"You're awfully cautious today," said T.K. as Justin entered the classroom.
"I got jumped by Graham last night," said Justin.
"Damnit! Doesn't that jerk ever give up?!" screamed Davis.
"Shut up!" a student yelled from across the room.
"Look Justin, Graham's nothing but an obnoxious jerk," said T.K., "All you have to do is stay out of his way."
"That's like trying to stop tomorrow from coming," said Justin, "Guys, he's after me."
"I'm not surprised. Especially after you made him look like an ass in front of the school," said Davis, "But then again, he IS an ass, so he deserved it."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Davis," said Justin.
"You're welcome," said Davis.
"It was sarcasm," said Justin.
"Oh, I get it," said Davis, smiling.
"Yeah right," muttered Justin.
"Yep!" said Davis, "Sarcasm, right?"
"Bingo," said Justin.
"So, did we get anything else for our project?" asked Kari.
"Yeah, I got these," said Justin. He pulled out his wallet and took out some Canadian coins.
"We can use these," said T.K. as he examined each one, "What's this gold and silver one?"
"It's a toonie," said Justin, "It's a two-dollar coin. And that gold one is a loonie; a one-dollar coin."
****************************************
"Why don't you just tell the principal?" asked T.K.
"Graham's got his thugs patrolling the hallways outside the office," replied Justin.
The two friends were in the school's weight room. The school day was already over, but the two of them decided to stay a bit since they hardly ever had time to get a good workout.
"Hey guys," said Davis as he walked in wearing his gym clothes with a towel around his neck.
"If you're here only to annoy me, then leave," said Justin as he continued his workout.
"I'm here to work out," said Davis as he set himself on the chest press, "Would someone mind setting this thing to 30 kilograms?"
Justin got off the machine he was using and set the weight for Davis before returning to his workout. "Satisfied?" he asked
"Thanks," said Davis as he tried to lift the weight. He didn't have much luck, however, and dropped the whole thing altogether.
"Anyway, what exactly ARE you planning to do about Graham?" T.K. asked from the bench press.
"Well, I've gotta think of something," said Justin, "Davis, what are you doing now?"
"Getting this next machine ready," replied the goggle boy as he placed a fifty-kilogram weight onto one end of another machine.
Justin sighed as he resumed his workout. "Honestly, T.K., I've been thinking about siccing Bladramon on Graham," he said.
"You have got to be kidding me," said T.K.
"I'm serious," said Justin, sternly.
"That's insane!" said Davis as he got the second weight on.
At the moment, T.K. didn't know whether or not to believe Justin.
****************************************
Justin stood alone in a dark room. A beam of dim moonlight leaked through the window and settled on the gun that lay in the center of the table that stood in front of Justin. The blond boy reached out and caressed the deadly weapon, feeling its cold metal surface. Slowly, he picked up the gun by the handle and gripped it in his hand. He then reached out for a small plastic container with his hand and picked it up. He turned the container over and emptied the contents into his hand. He closed his hand and brought it over the gun and emptied the bullets into the deadly weapon. 'Revenge,' thought Justin as he loaded the gun. He finished and snapped the firearm shut. He held up the deadly weapon and gripped the handle in his left hand. He then held it forward and took aim at his target: Graham's back. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead has he prepared to do the unthinkable.
He pulled the trigger.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Justin suddenly shot up in bed gasping for breath. He took in a few deep breaths and looked around the room for a moment. There was no table, no gun, no ammo, and no Graham. Justin sighed with relief. It had been a dream. He tried to go back to sleep, but it wasn't easy.
'What if that dream was a prophecy?' thought Justin.
****************************************
The weeks flew by fairly quickly. Justin, T.K., and Kari finished their project and presented it to the class and received an 85% on it. Everything seemed to go by smoothly.
At 3:02 p.m., the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. T.K. had basketball practice, so Justin decided to head back to T.K.'s apartment. But just as he was about to leave, a hand grabbed him roughly and spun him around. Justin gulped when he saw who the attacker was.
"I told you to stay outta my way, you little fucker," said Graham.
"Teach him a lesson, boss," said one of the Hunters.
"I think we will," said Graham as he cracked his knuckles.
Graham and the Hunters grabbed Justin and threw him into the boys' bathroom. Just crashed against the garbage can as he fell against the wall. Graham walked in and kicked Justin in the stomach.
"Hey boss, how 'bout we give it to him?" suggested one of Graham's gang members.
"Let's," said Graham.
Graham and one of his gang members grabbed Justin by the arms and the other two grabbed his legs. They took Justin into one of the stalls and pushed his head into the toilet. "Not so tough now, eh you fucking shit?" taunted Graham.
Justin tried to resist, but he was no match against the bully and his gang. Graham reached out with his foot and flushed the toilet while the gang member who had Justin's other arm pushed the toilet seat down on him. They pulled Justin out for a moment to see his face. The Canadian exchange student was gasping for breath as toilet water dripped down his face.
"Again," said Graham. And with that, he and the Hunters plunged Justin's head back into the toilet. This time, with more force. Again, Justin tried to resist, but couldn't.
After about five minutes, they pulled Justin out and leaned him against the wall of the stall. The Hunters left, but Graham stayed behind. "See what happens when you mess with me you little shit?" said the bully. When he didn't get a response, Graham drew back his fist and slammed right into Justin's left cheek with full force.
"Later, you little fucker," said Graham. He dropped Justin and walked away. The seventh grader fell to the floor of the stall. His face, hair, and collar were soaked with toilet water and his cheek throbbed. A couple of tears streamed down Justin's face as he recalled everything that had happened in the past five minutes.
But then his thought changed. This was the last straw. If he was going to put an end to Graham, he was going to do it now.
****************************************
Justin arrived at T.K.'s apartment in an extremely angry state. He was so mad that he kicked the watering can with all of his might as he passed it. He entered the apartment and headed straight for the computer. He looked and saw that Archangel was on.
--------------------------------
SILVER DRAGON: I'm going to kill that asshole!
ARCHANGEL: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Slow down there. Otherwise you'll end up hitting the wall.
SILVER DRAGON: Well it's gotta be better than this hole.
ARCHANGEL: No it isn't. I've been there. And it HURTS.
SILVER DRAGON: If I wait any longer, he's going to kill ME.
ARCHANGEL: But what will you do once you kill him?
SILVER DRAGON: I dunno. Maybe dance on his grave. j/k
ARCHANGEL: LOL
ARCHANGEL: Anyway, you can't just go up and kill him. Give it some time. I promise you that things will change.
SILVER DRAGON: Alright. One week.
ARCHANGEL: Okay then. well, later.
--------------------------------
Justin logged out and thought about what Archangel had said. 'One week,' he thought, 'That's it.'
****************************************
The days passed and still nothing changed. Justin did his best to try to ignore Graham and his threats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Graham was leaning against his gym locker trying to put up with his gang's stupid bickering. "Hey Slug, what's the time?" he asked. He didn't get a response since his whole gang was goofing off.
"HEY SLUG! What's the fucking time?!" shouted Graham.
"It's 1:02," answered one of the Hunters.
Graham got off his locker just as Justin entered the room. "Hey punk, that lesson still not enough for you?" said the bully, "Hey, I'm talking to you, you little fucker!" he grabbed Justin by the front of his shirt and pulled him close.
"Listen you little shit, you better not mess with me, 'cause you're going to regret it for the rest of your life," said the bully into Justin's face, "And judging from the way things are going, that ain't gonna be long."
"Too bad for you," said Justin.
Graham angrily shoved Justin against the locker and signaled for his gang to move out.
****************************************
Graham and the Hunters stood outside later that day waiting for Justin.
"What're we doing out here, boss?" asked one of the gang members.
"We're gonna jump that fucking piece of shit," said Graham, "Shh! He's coming."
True enough, Justin had come outside to take his usual shortcut to get to his next class. Suddenly, he was blocked by Graham. The rest of the gang was off to the side watching.
"Move aside. I've got a class to get to," said Justin.
"Don't give me that shit," said Graham.
"Look. No one's afraid of you anymore," said Justin. Justin was suddenly pushed against the wall. And before he knew it, Graham had pulled out a knife and held it in front of Justin's eyes. The young Canadian paled.
"Ha. Not so tough now, are you?" said Graham, "Any last words? Good." He drew back his arm.
Justin's life flashed before his eyes. In a few seconds, he was going to be dead. 'It's all over,' he thought, 'I lost.' He watched on as Graham brought the knife in.
Everything suddenly happened too quickly for Justin to take in. First a flash of silver knocked the knife from Graham's hand. then two of Graham's own gang members grabbed the bully and pulled him back while the third one helped Justin to his feet. Immediately after that, Davis, Yolei, Cody, T.K., and Kari made a dog pile on top of Graham along with the two gang members that held the bully down.
"You alright, Justin?" asked a familiar voice.
"Yeah," said Justin, "Thanks Bladramon."
"You're my partner. How can I ever let anything bad happen to you?" said Bladramon. They both looked down at the ground where Graham's knife now lay. The blade had been cut right off from the hilt.
"FUCK YOU, TZUMATI! FUCK YOU!" shouted Graham from underneath the pile of people.
****************************************
Lights flashed from the roof of the police car parked outside the school as an officer led an handcuffed Graham outside. Several other students followed to see what was going on. Right front and center of the group was Justin with Davis, Yolei, Cody, T.K., and Kari standing behind him.
"YOU LITTLE FUCKER!" shouted Graham, "I'LL GET YOU BACK!"
The officer that was leading Graham away from the school pushed him against the side of the car and frisked him for any other weapons that the bully might have been carrying. After a quick search, Graham was placed into the backseat of the car and the door was shut.
"It's all over now," said T.K., softly as they watched the police car drive off with Graham in the backseat.
'Finally,' thought Justin.
****************************************
Justin hurriedly got back to T.K.'s apartment and logged onto MSN.
--------------------------------
SILVER DRAGON: I did it! You were right! I gave it some time and it all worked for me in the end! I owe it all to you! Thanks!
--------------------------------
Justin waited for a response, but none came. He looked at the computer clock. 'That's odd. He's usually on at this time,' he thought.
After waiting for another five minutes, Justin logged off. He walked into the living room and switched on the TV. Thankfully, they had gotten satellite recently, so Justin could watch some of the programs back in North America. He stopped for a moment on CNN to catch up on the news.
"And in other news, Antonio 'Archangel' Pallotti, a prisoner in a federal penitentiary in Texas, was executed today at 12:01 this afternoon," said the newscaster. Justin froze when he heard the name.
'Archangel?' he asked himself mentally. He sat down and watched to the rest of the report.
"This afternoon, he was executed through lethal injection," continued the newscaster, "Pallotti was charged for first-degree murder after he shot a fellow schoolmate thirteen years ago..." Justin didn't pay any attention to the rest of the report as he thought about what he had just heard. It had all become clear to him now.
Justin turned off the TV and slumped down onto the couch. The person who had helped him had actually been someone who had gone through exactly what Justin had, but had taken the wrong path. The path that Justin had initially thought of taking. He just sat there on the couch for about an hour, shocked and horrified.
Just then, T.K. came in. "Hey Justi, what's up?" asked the blond-haired Japanese boy.
"It's...nothing," said Justin. He got up and left he apartment for a while. He needed some time alone to lament.
THE END
******************************************************************************
So what did you think? I was influenced to write this fic after I saw a movie my school MovieWorks made to promote one student's thoughts on bullying.
Graham Hunter is a completely fictional character, but he represents all the bullies in the world. Graham is actually named after a crocodile in the Australia Zoo.
Please tell me what you think about it. I need to know what your thoughts on this fanfic are.
I do, however, own the characters Justin Tzumati, Todd Tzumati, and all forms of Voltmon and Sparkymon.
This fanfic was written in order to promote my anti-bullying campaign. It has a strong message, so read it carefully, yet still enjoy it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This fanfic contains coarse language. Read at your own discretion.
******************************************************************************
PARIAHS
T.K. awoke to the sound of his alarm clock. As he got up to shut it off, he noticed that Justin was nowhere to be seen. 'How does he do it?' he thought as he ran a hand through his sandy blond hair. He got out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom. Somewhere along the way, he ran into Justin, who was in the kitchen reading the newspaper and eating a bowl of cereal.
"Morning, T.K.," said Justin, his crystal-blue eyes not leaving the paper.
"Morning, Justin," said T.K., groggily.
"You sound beat," said Justin, "Have some coffee."
"I'll brush my teeth, first," said T.K. before heading off to the bathroom.
****************************************
It was just another typical day at Odaiba Elementary/Junior High. Everything was as it was. Students were hanging around lockers talking or telling jokes or making out. A few were in the library studying. There was the occasional new student who would ask where the office was.
"So anyway," said Davis, "this guy says, 'So how'd it go?' And the other guys says, 'I don't know. I think I just asked her to marry me and bear my children.'" Kari, Yolei, and Cody groaned at Davis' joke.
"Bad joke, Davis," said Yolei.
"Even the cheap circus clowns can tell better jokes than that," said Cody.
"Hey guys," called Justin as he and T.K. arrived at school.
"Davis telling one of his jokes again?" asked T.K.
"I don't know whose jokes are worse," said Kari, "His or Veemon's?" Everyone except Davis broke out laughing.
"Very funny," said Davis, obviously not enjoying the moment. He immediately raised his binder to block his vision as T.K. leaned over to kiss Kari.
"So, we've still got five minutes before school start. Might as well get to class," said Justin, "Anyone care to join me?" T.K., Davis, and Kari followed him to class while Yolei and Cody went off to their own classes. Cody had to travel a little farther to get to the elementary section of the school.
****************************************
Davis, T.K., Kari, Justin, and the rest of their fellow classmates were sitting in social studies class wondering what was in store for them as the teacher handed out sheets of paper to all the students. When he was done, he want up to the front of the classroom and addressed the class.
"Everyone," he said, "I have an important announcement to make."
"Duh," muttered Davis.
"I have just handed out to each of you a sheet for a special project, "said the teacher, "You are to research and present any country of your choice, as long as it's not Japan. I want you to include descriptions of the culture, the population, the language and the alphabet, some customs and traditions, the climate, the government, and so on. You are to also include that country's flag, as well as a sample of that country's music and food."
"Did he say food?" asked Davis as he suddenly perked up.
"Yes," said T.K.
"Any questions?" asked the teacher.
Davis raised his hand. "Mr. Saki, how many people are allowed to work together?" he asked.
"You are allowed to work in a group of three people, maximum," said the teacher, "Any more?"
Justin's hand shot up. "When's this project due?" he asked.
"In about three weeks," said Mr. Saki, "Any more question? Well then, if that's all the questions, get into your groups so I can record them."
Davis immediately turned to ask Kari, but T.K. beat him to the punch. To his even further dismay, both T.K. and Kari asked Justin to be in their group, which he accepted.
"So guys, which country are we gonna do?" asked Justin.
"We're still deciding," said Kari.
"I've got an idea," said Justin, "He said any country as long as it's not Japan, right?"
"Yeah," said T.K.
"Well, who's the only person in the class who ISN'T from Japan?" asked Justin.
"You," replied T.K., "Wait a second. Are you suggesting that..."
"Yep," said Justin, "What better country to research than the country the exchange student is from?"
"Justin, you're a genius!" said Kari.
"Well then, let's get started," said Justin.
"So Justin, what languages do people in Canada speak?" asked Kari.
"Well, Canada has two official languages: English and French," said Justin, "I'll send my mom an e-mail tonight asking her to send over all of my social studies note from previous years."
"Since you type up all your notes, I guess you also keep them on your computer, don't you," said T.K.
"Yep," said Justin, "So, when's a good time for all three of us to get together and work on this? And I highly emphasize the 'all three' part, since T.K. and I can work on this anytime we want."
"We'll figure something out," said Kari.
Justin, Kari, and T.K. high-fived each other and shook on it.
****************************************
Lunch rolled around and the Digi-Destined all sat at their favorite table in the cafeteria.
"So, I hear that you three are working together to do a project on Canada," said Yolei.
"That can't be hard at all," said Cody, "Especially since you've got Justin on your team." He readjusted the phonebook he was sitting on and continued to eat his lunch.
(A/N: I know Cody's not THAT short, but it seems that way if he sits at a Junior High table. Besides, it adds a bit of humor.)
Davis looked up from inside his lunch bag just long enough to see a tall blond student wearing a leather jacket flanked by three other students walk into the cafeteria.
"Uh-oh," said Davis.
"What is it, Davis?" asked Cody as he turned to look, "Uh-oh."
"Who is that guy?" asked Justin, pointing to the big guy with the leather jacket who had just walked in.
"That's Graham Hunter," said T.K., "He thinks that everything should go his way."
"He thinks every girl he likes should be his alone," said Kari.
"Sounds worse than Davis," said Justin.
"Hey!" said Davis.
"Anything else?" asked Justin.
"NEVER call him a wimp," said Davis, "I found out the hard way a few years ago."
"He's practically the god of bullies," said Cody.
"He's coming this way," said Yolei.
"Hide me!" said Davis as he dove under the table. Justin gave Davis a strange look. "He's been known to hold a grudge," said Davis, still not moving from his curled-up fetal position.
"Hey, losers," said Graham, "Gogglehead still scared of the big bad wolf?" He and his gang laughed. Davis only curled up tighter. Graham's eyes then turned onto Justin.
"So, you're the kid from Canada," said Graham, "How do you get to school? On a dog sled?" Justin just ignored Graham, but the bully kept on pushing. "So, did you bring your pet beaver with you?"
'Oh boy,' thought T.K. Knowing how much Justin hated people judging him based on stereotype, T.K. knew what was coming.
"You're pretty quiet, aren't you, eh?" continued Graham.
'Okay, that does it!' thought Justin. "Go away," he said calmly.
"What'd you say?" asked Graham.
"I said go away," repeated Justin.
"You tellin' me what to do, you little punk?" said Graham.
"I'm not about to get pushed around by people like you," said Justin, still not losing his cool, although the same couldn't be said about Graham.
"You little punk! You've got to be taught a lesson in manners," said Graham as he stood back up.
"I think the one who could use that lesson is you," Justin shot back, still remaining as calm as ever.
Graham suddenly shoved Justin back, knocking him off his chair. "That should teach you, Canuck-boy," said Graham as he and his gang left.
Justin's crystal-blue eyes were suddenly filled with rage as he got back up. "Canuck-boy?!" he shouted, "Listen here, you jerk! I may be Canadian, but I will NOT tolerate comments like that! Especially from the likes of you!"
Students gasped as Graham turned towards Justin. "You're asking for it, Canuck-boy," said the bully.
"Correction: YOU'RE asking for it," said Justin as he glared at Graham without a bit of fear in his eyes.
"Now you're gonna get it, punk!" said Graham. He balled up his fist and ran towards Justin. He immediately struck out with his fist.
"JUSTIN!" shouted the Digi-Destined.
Justin blocked the punch. He quickly grabbed Graham by the sleeve and pulled him in, slamming his knee into the bully's stomach. He quickly whirled around and delivered and elbow-strike to Graham's back, knocking him down. Justin stood straight up, smoothed out his clothes, ran a hand through his hair, and look back at Graham.
"You bullies are all the same," he said, "You go around picking on those weaker than yourself, afraid to face those bigger and stronger than you. Behind each bully is another bully. And another. And another. You're nothing but a bunch of cowards! Next time, you'll think twice before attacking someone two-thirds your size." And with that, Justin returned to his seat where the other Digi-Destined were waiting, filled with awe.
"Boss, you okay?" asked one of Graham's gang members.
"Gotta get the boss outta here," said another gang member.
"RUN AWAY!" shouted all three of Graham's gang members. They picked up Graham and ran out of the cafeteria with him.
As soon as Graham and his gang were gone, the students erupted into cheers.
"Way to go, Justin! You stood up to him!" said T.K.
"When you stand up to a bully, they lose their power," said Justin, "Bullies get their power from fear. By spreading it, they increase their power. But once one person stands up to them, they snap like a delicate icicle in wintertime.
"Agreed," said T.K., "But you DO realize that Graham's now going to be coming back for you, right?"
"That's a risk I plan to take," said Justin.
****************************************
"Boss, you okay?" asked a gang member.
Graham and his gang were outside on a bench. The gang members looked at their boss, wondering if he would be alright.
"I'm going to kill that fucking shit!" said Graham, "No one makes an asshole out of Graham Hunter and gets away with it!"
"You go, boss," said one of the gang members.
"Yeah, you go," said another.
"Guys, shut the fuck up," said Graham, "C'mon, we gotta go." And with that, Graham and his gang left. "Let's see him take all four of the Hunters next time."
(A/N: Graham seems to be the type of bully with an overinflated ego, so I had his gang named after him.)
****************************************
"WATCH OUT!" shouted Ken.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" screamed Davis.
"I got him!" said Justin. Within a matter of seconds, he whipped out his blaster and shot the Keesemon that was about to land on Davis' shoulder.
"FIRE ROCKET!" shouted Flamedramon.
"DOUBLE STARS!" shouted Shurimon.
"GOLD RUSH!" shouted Digmon.
"STAR SHOWER!" shouted Pegasusmon.
"ROSETTA STONE!" shouted Nefertimon.
"SPIKING STRIKE!" shouted Stingmon.
"THUNDER BLADE!" shouted Bladramon.
Within a few short minutes, all the enemy Digimon had been vanquished.
"You know, after Justin stood up to Graham today, I feel a whole lot better," said Davis, "Hey Justin, did I ever mention how grateful I am of that?"
"About once a minute since lunch ended today," said Justin, "Anyway, we're done here. Anyone want to grabs something to eat?"
"I'm raring for a milkshake," said Davis.
"I was planning to head over to the Terminal. Anyone care to join me?" asked T.K. Everyone nodded. The Terminal was their favorite hangout.
"Well the, let's go," said Ken.
The Digi-Destined walked over to the nearest Digiport and went through back to the real world.
****************************************
The Terminal was alive with activity just like very night. Students from all over Odaiba gathered together at the Terminal. It had a small restaurant, a video arcade, a bowling alley, a dance floor, pool tables, and even a laser tag zone.
"Pizzas are here. Here you go ,guys, "said a server.
"Thanks, Steve," said T.K., "Here's ten yen for all your troubles." Steve took his tip from T.K., nodded, and pocketed the money before returning to work.
"Well, let's dig in!" said Davis and made a grab for a slice of pepperoni pizza.
"Pass the cheese pizza this way!" said T.K.
"Here you go," said Justin after taking a slice of Hawaiian.
"Justin, the way you kicked Graham's butt was so awesome!" said Davis.
"Davis, do you ever listen to yourself whenever you talk like that?" asked Justin.
"Not really. Why?" said Davis.
"Well you should. You're beginning to annoy me," said Justin.
"Okay," said Davis, quickly shutting up and returning to his pizza. After seeing what he did to Graham, Davis thought it was best to stay on Justin's good side.
"So, you guys got anything planned this weekend?" asked T.K. before taking another sip of his Pepsi.
"My team's got a soccer game against East Odaiba on Sunday," said Davis.
"I have a kendo tournament coming up in three weeks and I need to practice," said Cody.
"T.K., Kari, and I will be working on our project," said Justin.
"Justin, you've got three people in your group," said Davis, "Plus, you're all doing Canada, which you, Justin, should know about better than any of us."
"Speaking of Canada, I heard that is gets pretty cold during the wintertime," said Ken.
"You get used to it," said Justin.
"I don't think I ever will," said T.K.
"You better," said Justin, "Because as soon as I'm done here, you're going to have to come to Edmonton and stay at MY place."
"
I hardly ever get to travel," said T.K.
"Get used to it," said Justin, "My family travels quite a lot together. Todd and I have only been left at home once."
"Speaking of which, where were you born, anyway?" asked Yolei, curiously.
"I was born in Hamilton, Ontario. But I grew up in Toronto," said Justin, "Right now, I'm living in Edmonton, so you could say I've been on both sides of Canada.
"Parles-tu français?" asked Yolei.
"Absolutment," replied Justin, "C'est un de mes sujets favori dans école."
"Huh?" was Davis' only comment.
"Don't you ever pay attention in French class?" asked Kari.
"No," replied Davis, "The whole time, the teacher says nothing but French."
"Davis?" said Justin.
"Yeah?" said Davis.
"That's the idea," Justin reminded.
"Oh," said Davis.
"C'mon, guys," said Justin, "Whoever loses has to pay for the pizza." And with that, he took off for the laser tag zone with T.K., Davis, and Ken right behind him.
****************************************
The next day at school, T.K., Kari, and Justin, were given time to work on their projects along with the rest of the class.
"And here's what I got off the Internet," said T.K. as he handed Kari a bunch of papers.
"And here's all the stuff I can remember off the top of my head," said Justin as he handed over about five full pages of handwritten notes.
"I got a page in my atlas at home photocopied," said Kari holding up a photocopy of the map of Canada.
"What are we going to do for the food part?" asked T.K.
"I've got it covered," said Justin.
"Trust me. He's a good cook," said T.K., "By the way, Justin, you do realize that Graham's now gong to keep coming after you now that you've totally humiliated him in front of the whole school."
"He's just a bully," said Justin, "They tend to rely purely on brute force and lack the brains to come up with a decent plan."
"Let's just hope Graham and his gang don't know that," said T.K., "He practically rules the hallways and the field with an iron fist."
"Guys, chill," said Justin, "I know you guys are afraid of Graham, but this is ridiculous. You make him sound like the god of death."
"We're just lucky he can't transform into Voldemort and kill us all," said Davis as he passed by to sharpen his pencil.
"Let's just get back to work," said Justin brushing off the subject.
****************************************
Graham was at the Terminal with his gang, skipping classes as usual. The rest of his gang was off doing whatever, but Graham was seated at the juice bar muttering to himself over how he was going to get back at Justin. 'I swear he's going to get it," thought the bully.
****************************************
School had ended for the day and Justin and T.K. were at T.K.'s apartment. T.K. had gone down to the Inoue family convenience store while Justin was check his e-mail. Just then, Justin got a little something.
"Huh? Someone wants to talk to me on MSN?" said Justin, "Alright then." He logged in and began chatting with the mysterious person.
--------------------------------
ARCHANGEL: Hey there.
SILVER DRAGON: Hey, yourself.
ARCHANGEL: You seem like you're in the dumps.
SILVER DRAGON: lol. Yeah.
ARCHANGEL: Guess you've kinda dug yourself a hole in the ground.
SILVER DRAGON: Well, it's not getting any shallower. Every time I do something, the hole gets deeper.
ARCHANGEL: Heh. You seem to know a lot about holes.
SILVER DRAGON: Yeah. Assholes in particular.
Just then, Justin heard T.K. reenter the apartment.
SILVER DRAGON: g2g. Talk to you later?
ARCHANGEL: Sure.
--------------------------------
Justin logged off just as T.K. entered the room.
"What have you been up to?" asked T.K.
"Not much," said Justin as he got up to grab a snack from the kitchen.
'Something's up,' thought T.K.
Dinner that night was pretty silent. T.K.'s mother was working late at an interview and the Digimon had fallen asleep. T.K. and Justin had ordered pizza and were sitting at the table eating it.
"So Justin, what color do you think the poster should be?" asked T.K., trying to make conversation.
"I was thinking of making the poster look like the Canadian flag," said Justin before taking another bite from his slice of pizza.
That was the only conversation they had that night.
****************************************
The next day at school was still pretty much the same as ever.
"Hey Justin, you coming to lunch?" asked Davis.
"In a minute," said Justin, "I just gotta stuff something in my locker and I'll join up with you guys."
"Okay," said Davis and hurried off to join the others.
Justin turned around and began turning the knob on his lock when a hand suddenly slammed against his locker door. Justin didn't need to see whose arm it was. It was pretty obvious. The leather jacket was a dead giveaway.
"You ready for some payback, punk?" said Graham.
"Give it up, Graham," said Justin, "No one's afraid of you, anymore."
"Is that so, Canuck-boy?" said Graham, "I'm not gonna take no shit from you." He grabbed Justin by the shoulder, shoved him against the locker, and held him up off the floor against the locker by the collar. "See this?" said Graham has he balled up his fist, "Well, you're about to find out just how much it's gonna hurt!"
"Before you do so, let me show you a little magic trick I learned," said Justin. He placed two fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly.
"What's that gonna do, huh?" said Graham.
"Graham Hunter!" said a voice. Justin, Graham, and the Hunters turned to see the vice principal standing in the hallways looking at them. "Mr. Hunter, I'd like to see you in my office NOW." Graham dropped Justin and gave him a death glare before following the vice-principal down to the office.
'Heh. Go, Mrs. Morton!' thought Justin. He stuffed his bag inside his locker and went to the cafeteria to join up with the others.
'That little piece of shit is really starting to get on my fucking bad side,' thought Graham as he was herded off towards the office.
****************************************
Once again, the Digi-Destined were in the Digital World after school.
"You're stressed, I can tell," said T.K.
"Gee, you can? Thanks, I hadn't noticed," said Justin.
"Sarcasm noted," said T.K.
"Davis would've taken that literally," said Justin.
Voltmon and T.K. were throwing rocks into the air while Justin shot them to pieces with his DigiBlaster.
"You're not planning to use that thing on Graham, are you?" asked T.K.
"I really don't see why not," said Justin, "But I can't since I can only use it here in the Digital World."
"We all know that Graham's just a bully, but you're not honestly thinking about shooting him are you?" asked T.K., exasperated.
"Not really," said Justin, "C'mon, we're all done here. Let's all get back home."
"Agreed," said Cody as he swung a wooden stick around.
The Digi-Destined walked over to the nearest Digiport and re-entered the real world. Since everyone had used their own home computers, they returned to their own respective apartments.
****************************************
"I'm going to take a shower before dinner," said T.K. as he headed off to the bathroom with his towel.
Justin sat down in T.K.'s desk chair and logged onto his computer. He looked at the taskbar and noticed that someone was IMing him. He clicked on it and looked up to see who it was.
--------------------------------
SILVER DRAGON: I didn't expect you to be on.
ARCHANGEL: I'm always on at the time.
SILVER DRAGON: a/s/l?
ARCHANGEL: older/same/somewhere
SILVER DRAGON: Not being very specific, are we?
ARCHANGEL: No.
ARCHANGEL: So, how's the hole?
SILVER DRAGON: Same as ever.
ARCHANGEL: You should always watch where you are running. Don't run too fast. It'll only bring you bad news. Once you start running and can't stop, you'll run into the wall. And running into the wall HURTS.
SILVER DRAGON: Ouch
ARCHANGEL: Yeah. Ouch.
SILVER DRAGON: Well maybe you should run slower.
ARCHANGEL: It still hurts.
SILVER DRAGON: But not as much.
ARCHANGEL: So, what's up?
SILVER DRAGON: Not much.
Just then, Justin heard T.K. come out of the bathroom.
SILVER DRAGON: g2g. Talk to you tomorrow.
ARCHANGEL: Okay.
--------------------------------
Justin logged off just as T.K. walked into the room drying his hair. "What were you doing?" asked the bearer of hope.
"Chatting with someone," replied Justin as he got up, "Someone who perhaps knows how I'm feeling. Anyway, I'm going down to Yolei's convenience store. Need anything?"
"Get some milk while you're out," said T.K., "We're almost out."
"Got it," said Justin as he laced up his sneakers. He stuffed his wallet into his pocket and headed out the door. He took the elevator downstairs and walked a few meters to the convenience store.
"Hey Justin," said Yolei.
"Hey," said Justin, "I'm just here to grab a few things." He went over to the fridge at the back of the store and grabbed a carton of milk. He grabbed some coffee and walked over the counter, where he took a pack of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and tossed them among various items he was purchasing.
"Is that it?" asked Yolei, "That comes to 25 yen."
Justin paid and left the store. Just as he stepped out and rounded a corner, he got jumped. He looked to see his attacker and found to his surprise that it was none other than Graham Hunter.
"Looks like it's just you and me now," said the bully. He balled up his fist and began driving it into Justin's body. After about a minute, he threw Justin to the ground and left. Fortunately, Yolei had seen everything. She brought Justin inside the store and sat him down on a chair.
"Justin, you okay?" asked Yolei, "Your nose is bleeding."
"Is it?" asked Justin. He touched is nostril and pulls back his hand. his fingers were covered with blood. "Yolei, give me the key to the bathroom."
Yolei handed Justin the key to the men's bathroom and Justin went in. He washed the blood of his face and stuffed a tissue from his pocket into the bleeding nostril. He leaned against the mirror and looked at his reflection. He looked into his own eyes and stared intently into them. It was at that moment that Justin did something that he vowed he would never do in public: he cried. Tears streamed from his eyes as he leaned his head against the mirror. Dark thoughts ran through his mind. Thoughts about Graham. Thoughts about himself. Thoughts about REVENGE.
****************************************
The next day, Justin kept turning his head back and forth, keeping a close eye out for Graham. Everywhere he went, he felt as though someone was watching him, even when he was in the bathroom.
"You're awfully cautious today," said T.K. as Justin entered the classroom.
"I got jumped by Graham last night," said Justin.
"Damnit! Doesn't that jerk ever give up?!" screamed Davis.
"Shut up!" a student yelled from across the room.
"Look Justin, Graham's nothing but an obnoxious jerk," said T.K., "All you have to do is stay out of his way."
"That's like trying to stop tomorrow from coming," said Justin, "Guys, he's after me."
"I'm not surprised. Especially after you made him look like an ass in front of the school," said Davis, "But then again, he IS an ass, so he deserved it."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Davis," said Justin.
"You're welcome," said Davis.
"It was sarcasm," said Justin.
"Oh, I get it," said Davis, smiling.
"Yeah right," muttered Justin.
"Yep!" said Davis, "Sarcasm, right?"
"Bingo," said Justin.
"So, did we get anything else for our project?" asked Kari.
"Yeah, I got these," said Justin. He pulled out his wallet and took out some Canadian coins.
"We can use these," said T.K. as he examined each one, "What's this gold and silver one?"
"It's a toonie," said Justin, "It's a two-dollar coin. And that gold one is a loonie; a one-dollar coin."
****************************************
"Why don't you just tell the principal?" asked T.K.
"Graham's got his thugs patrolling the hallways outside the office," replied Justin.
The two friends were in the school's weight room. The school day was already over, but the two of them decided to stay a bit since they hardly ever had time to get a good workout.
"Hey guys," said Davis as he walked in wearing his gym clothes with a towel around his neck.
"If you're here only to annoy me, then leave," said Justin as he continued his workout.
"I'm here to work out," said Davis as he set himself on the chest press, "Would someone mind setting this thing to 30 kilograms?"
Justin got off the machine he was using and set the weight for Davis before returning to his workout. "Satisfied?" he asked
"Thanks," said Davis as he tried to lift the weight. He didn't have much luck, however, and dropped the whole thing altogether.
"Anyway, what exactly ARE you planning to do about Graham?" T.K. asked from the bench press.
"Well, I've gotta think of something," said Justin, "Davis, what are you doing now?"
"Getting this next machine ready," replied the goggle boy as he placed a fifty-kilogram weight onto one end of another machine.
Justin sighed as he resumed his workout. "Honestly, T.K., I've been thinking about siccing Bladramon on Graham," he said.
"You have got to be kidding me," said T.K.
"I'm serious," said Justin, sternly.
"That's insane!" said Davis as he got the second weight on.
At the moment, T.K. didn't know whether or not to believe Justin.
****************************************
Justin stood alone in a dark room. A beam of dim moonlight leaked through the window and settled on the gun that lay in the center of the table that stood in front of Justin. The blond boy reached out and caressed the deadly weapon, feeling its cold metal surface. Slowly, he picked up the gun by the handle and gripped it in his hand. He then reached out for a small plastic container with his hand and picked it up. He turned the container over and emptied the contents into his hand. He closed his hand and brought it over the gun and emptied the bullets into the deadly weapon. 'Revenge,' thought Justin as he loaded the gun. He finished and snapped the firearm shut. He held up the deadly weapon and gripped the handle in his left hand. He then held it forward and took aim at his target: Graham's back. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead has he prepared to do the unthinkable.
He pulled the trigger.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Justin suddenly shot up in bed gasping for breath. He took in a few deep breaths and looked around the room for a moment. There was no table, no gun, no ammo, and no Graham. Justin sighed with relief. It had been a dream. He tried to go back to sleep, but it wasn't easy.
'What if that dream was a prophecy?' thought Justin.
****************************************
The weeks flew by fairly quickly. Justin, T.K., and Kari finished their project and presented it to the class and received an 85% on it. Everything seemed to go by smoothly.
At 3:02 p.m., the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. T.K. had basketball practice, so Justin decided to head back to T.K.'s apartment. But just as he was about to leave, a hand grabbed him roughly and spun him around. Justin gulped when he saw who the attacker was.
"I told you to stay outta my way, you little fucker," said Graham.
"Teach him a lesson, boss," said one of the Hunters.
"I think we will," said Graham as he cracked his knuckles.
Graham and the Hunters grabbed Justin and threw him into the boys' bathroom. Just crashed against the garbage can as he fell against the wall. Graham walked in and kicked Justin in the stomach.
"Hey boss, how 'bout we give it to him?" suggested one of Graham's gang members.
"Let's," said Graham.
Graham and one of his gang members grabbed Justin by the arms and the other two grabbed his legs. They took Justin into one of the stalls and pushed his head into the toilet. "Not so tough now, eh you fucking shit?" taunted Graham.
Justin tried to resist, but he was no match against the bully and his gang. Graham reached out with his foot and flushed the toilet while the gang member who had Justin's other arm pushed the toilet seat down on him. They pulled Justin out for a moment to see his face. The Canadian exchange student was gasping for breath as toilet water dripped down his face.
"Again," said Graham. And with that, he and the Hunters plunged Justin's head back into the toilet. This time, with more force. Again, Justin tried to resist, but couldn't.
After about five minutes, they pulled Justin out and leaned him against the wall of the stall. The Hunters left, but Graham stayed behind. "See what happens when you mess with me you little shit?" said the bully. When he didn't get a response, Graham drew back his fist and slammed right into Justin's left cheek with full force.
"Later, you little fucker," said Graham. He dropped Justin and walked away. The seventh grader fell to the floor of the stall. His face, hair, and collar were soaked with toilet water and his cheek throbbed. A couple of tears streamed down Justin's face as he recalled everything that had happened in the past five minutes.
But then his thought changed. This was the last straw. If he was going to put an end to Graham, he was going to do it now.
****************************************
Justin arrived at T.K.'s apartment in an extremely angry state. He was so mad that he kicked the watering can with all of his might as he passed it. He entered the apartment and headed straight for the computer. He looked and saw that Archangel was on.
--------------------------------
SILVER DRAGON: I'm going to kill that asshole!
ARCHANGEL: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Slow down there. Otherwise you'll end up hitting the wall.
SILVER DRAGON: Well it's gotta be better than this hole.
ARCHANGEL: No it isn't. I've been there. And it HURTS.
SILVER DRAGON: If I wait any longer, he's going to kill ME.
ARCHANGEL: But what will you do once you kill him?
SILVER DRAGON: I dunno. Maybe dance on his grave. j/k
ARCHANGEL: LOL
ARCHANGEL: Anyway, you can't just go up and kill him. Give it some time. I promise you that things will change.
SILVER DRAGON: Alright. One week.
ARCHANGEL: Okay then. well, later.
--------------------------------
Justin logged out and thought about what Archangel had said. 'One week,' he thought, 'That's it.'
****************************************
The days passed and still nothing changed. Justin did his best to try to ignore Graham and his threats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Graham was leaning against his gym locker trying to put up with his gang's stupid bickering. "Hey Slug, what's the time?" he asked. He didn't get a response since his whole gang was goofing off.
"HEY SLUG! What's the fucking time?!" shouted Graham.
"It's 1:02," answered one of the Hunters.
Graham got off his locker just as Justin entered the room. "Hey punk, that lesson still not enough for you?" said the bully, "Hey, I'm talking to you, you little fucker!" he grabbed Justin by the front of his shirt and pulled him close.
"Listen you little shit, you better not mess with me, 'cause you're going to regret it for the rest of your life," said the bully into Justin's face, "And judging from the way things are going, that ain't gonna be long."
"Too bad for you," said Justin.
Graham angrily shoved Justin against the locker and signaled for his gang to move out.
****************************************
Graham and the Hunters stood outside later that day waiting for Justin.
"What're we doing out here, boss?" asked one of the gang members.
"We're gonna jump that fucking piece of shit," said Graham, "Shh! He's coming."
True enough, Justin had come outside to take his usual shortcut to get to his next class. Suddenly, he was blocked by Graham. The rest of the gang was off to the side watching.
"Move aside. I've got a class to get to," said Justin.
"Don't give me that shit," said Graham.
"Look. No one's afraid of you anymore," said Justin. Justin was suddenly pushed against the wall. And before he knew it, Graham had pulled out a knife and held it in front of Justin's eyes. The young Canadian paled.
"Ha. Not so tough now, are you?" said Graham, "Any last words? Good." He drew back his arm.
Justin's life flashed before his eyes. In a few seconds, he was going to be dead. 'It's all over,' he thought, 'I lost.' He watched on as Graham brought the knife in.
Everything suddenly happened too quickly for Justin to take in. First a flash of silver knocked the knife from Graham's hand. then two of Graham's own gang members grabbed the bully and pulled him back while the third one helped Justin to his feet. Immediately after that, Davis, Yolei, Cody, T.K., and Kari made a dog pile on top of Graham along with the two gang members that held the bully down.
"You alright, Justin?" asked a familiar voice.
"Yeah," said Justin, "Thanks Bladramon."
"You're my partner. How can I ever let anything bad happen to you?" said Bladramon. They both looked down at the ground where Graham's knife now lay. The blade had been cut right off from the hilt.
"FUCK YOU, TZUMATI! FUCK YOU!" shouted Graham from underneath the pile of people.
****************************************
Lights flashed from the roof of the police car parked outside the school as an officer led an handcuffed Graham outside. Several other students followed to see what was going on. Right front and center of the group was Justin with Davis, Yolei, Cody, T.K., and Kari standing behind him.
"YOU LITTLE FUCKER!" shouted Graham, "I'LL GET YOU BACK!"
The officer that was leading Graham away from the school pushed him against the side of the car and frisked him for any other weapons that the bully might have been carrying. After a quick search, Graham was placed into the backseat of the car and the door was shut.
"It's all over now," said T.K., softly as they watched the police car drive off with Graham in the backseat.
'Finally,' thought Justin.
****************************************
Justin hurriedly got back to T.K.'s apartment and logged onto MSN.
--------------------------------
SILVER DRAGON: I did it! You were right! I gave it some time and it all worked for me in the end! I owe it all to you! Thanks!
--------------------------------
Justin waited for a response, but none came. He looked at the computer clock. 'That's odd. He's usually on at this time,' he thought.
After waiting for another five minutes, Justin logged off. He walked into the living room and switched on the TV. Thankfully, they had gotten satellite recently, so Justin could watch some of the programs back in North America. He stopped for a moment on CNN to catch up on the news.
"And in other news, Antonio 'Archangel' Pallotti, a prisoner in a federal penitentiary in Texas, was executed today at 12:01 this afternoon," said the newscaster. Justin froze when he heard the name.
'Archangel?' he asked himself mentally. He sat down and watched to the rest of the report.
"This afternoon, he was executed through lethal injection," continued the newscaster, "Pallotti was charged for first-degree murder after he shot a fellow schoolmate thirteen years ago..." Justin didn't pay any attention to the rest of the report as he thought about what he had just heard. It had all become clear to him now.
Justin turned off the TV and slumped down onto the couch. The person who had helped him had actually been someone who had gone through exactly what Justin had, but had taken the wrong path. The path that Justin had initially thought of taking. He just sat there on the couch for about an hour, shocked and horrified.
Just then, T.K. came in. "Hey Justi, what's up?" asked the blond-haired Japanese boy.
"It's...nothing," said Justin. He got up and left he apartment for a while. He needed some time alone to lament.
THE END
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So what did you think? I was influenced to write this fic after I saw a movie my school MovieWorks made to promote one student's thoughts on bullying.
Graham Hunter is a completely fictional character, but he represents all the bullies in the world. Graham is actually named after a crocodile in the Australia Zoo.
Please tell me what you think about it. I need to know what your thoughts on this fanfic are.