Chapter Text
Neil woke in fits and starts as he dragged himself out of his darkened mind and into the glaring light of the locker room. His ears were ringing slightly and he couldn't remember exactly what he had done to land himself on the ground. Slowly he sat up. He didn't seem to be harboring any injuries beyond his pounding headache and--one sharp inhale proved that something had hit him in the ribs. A memory of Riko's foot kicking him flashed in his mind. Right. But what had he been--
Andrew. Neil had been going after Andrew. He remembered it all now. How the gaps in their line up had the team chaffing against each other, how Riko had played dangerously rough against Penn to the point that he'd nearly been given a red card by their own referee, and how Riko had reacted when they turned the locker room television on.
"Well that was certainly a sight to see," the female reporter was saying when Grayson switched on the TV after the game, "The Edgar Allan Raven's scrambling for a win? I don't know about you John, but I'm shocked."
Neil ignored the drone of the commentators and glanced over at Andrew as he took off his jersey and armor. Andrew was stiff, clearly tired after playing a full game. Of course at practice Riko had forced Andrew to play for five hours at a time, but that didn't stop it from being exhausting. He wanted very badly to get Andrew to their room before Riko remembered they existed. Ever since Neil had gotten Kevin and Jean out, Riko had been ever harder to handle.
"No, I agree Jane. It was strange, and I think we have to tie it to the missing players. Jean and Kevin's absence was glaringly obvious."
"It was. Riko and Nathaniel are good, but they can't hold the striker and backliner's lines by themselves against a team like Penn."
John nodded his agreement, "We'll have to hope those freshman Riko was hinting at last week prove to be as good as he says. I'm not sure the Ravens would survive the Trojans with how they played today."
"In fact," Jane said, wincing, "I'm almost certain their perfect record would have been shattered if they played the Trojans today."
John reached his hand towards someone off screen and grabbed a small stack of papers. He nudged Jane and looked up at the cameras, "Well look at that. It looks like the only reason the Ravens managed to scrape by tonight was because of their junior year goalie Andrew Minyard."
Neil's gaze snapped to Andrew. He had frozen with his jersey half off his armor. Slowly Andrew continued to remove his jersey as if nothing had happened. Neil turned his gaze to the locker room. Most of Riko's team was minding their own business--likely trying to avoid Riko's ire--but Riko himself was standing nearly directly under the TV. His head was bent back to stare at the screen where it hung in the corner of the room.
Jane took the papers, "So it looks like Minyard blocked a record 127 attempts on the goal. He only let in 6 shots in the entire game he played. We may have criticized Tetsuji's decision to put Andrew on for a full game, but it has proved to be a monumentally good choice."
John put his hands out as if to emphasize the truth of Jane's statement, "And compared to Captain Riko's performance, the difference is stark. Riko was off his game today and I have to wonder if this is the beginning of the end for the senior. He has two more seasons with the Ravens, but if he's falling apart already I can't imagine he'll make Court again."
Jane laughed, "Now I wouldn't go quite that far, John, but its clear that Andrew is the true gem of the Ravens trove--"
Riko snatched the remote up and turned the TV off. He turned very slowly to look at Andrew who was removing his armor slowly and methodically. Neil inched his way toward Andrew, poised to jump in front of him. This was where Neil drew his line. Riko could hit him, cut him, or burn him as much as he wanted but Andrew was off limits. Neil made sure of it.
"Minyard," Riko breathed.
Andrew turned around, his face apathetic as it always was when he was off his drugs, "Moriyama."
Riko tilted his head to the side, "Who is in charge of this team?"
Andrew's expression did not change, "Tetsuji Moriyama."
"Oh, is he?" Riko laughed, "Are you sure?"
Andrew didn't respond.
Riko pointed at Grayson and Braydon and they moved without hesitation. They grabbed Andrew, holding him tightly between them. Neil moved to jump at them, a knife already slipping out of his arm band--
"Nathaniel if you move I will shoot him in the face," Riko said with ice cold calm. Riko had produced a handgun from somewhere in his locker and was holding it pointed at Andrew, "Minyard, remind me who is in control of this team now."
Andrew still did not respond.
Riko pointed the gun at Neil. He wouldn't shoot. He couldn't lose anyone else, especially not his best backliner, not the fastest player in the league. The Ravens would really be finished then, even with Riko's insane freshman. But Andrew would never risk it.
"You are," Andrew answered stiffly.
Riko smiled, "Yes, I am. I control all of you because I have given you everything. Without me you are all nothing-you're nothing! They don't know what they're talking about. They don't know who calls the shots here." Riko was raving now. He pressed the gun to the side of his own head and laughed, "The idiots in the media! They don't know. They don't know how good I am to all of you. The only reason we have Andrew in our goal is because of me. Because he trusts me! Am I right, Andrew?"
Andrew glanced quickly at Neil before nodding once at Riko.
Riko waved the gun in Neil's direction, "Stop looking at him! Why do you always do that? Do you think I'll hurt you Andrew? You think Nathaniel can save you because he has lunch with my brother? I am the real Moriyama here! Not him--not that copy cat. This family is mine. You are mine."
Riko darted right up to Andrew, holding the gun under his chin. Neil was vibrating with the urge to move, but he couldn't not with Riko like this. He could do anything when he got in these moods. Neil still remembered that little girl. The one who had sneaked into the common room after a game. Neil had to scrub her blood off his fucking face. Neil had to kill her parents, to make it look like some horrible accident. He wouldn't do it with Andrews body. Anyone but Andrew.
"I hear you talking to him," Riko was seething in Andrews face, "I hear how you call him Neil like a name will change what he is. Nathaniel is a butcher, nothing more and nothing less. He does as he's told. Not me, though. I am a cultivator. I brought you here, didn't I?"
Grayson and Braydon tightened their grips on Andrew, twisting his arms. Andrew's jaw tightened and Neil saw him flex his right hand. Neil spoke before he could think, "Let him go, brother."
Riko release Andrew's chin and whirled on Neil, "Brother? Brother, Nathaniel? You took our family from me. You sent Kevin and Jean away--"
"They wanted to go--"
"Do not lie to me!" Riko shouted. He pointed the gun at Neil and cocked it, "Jean would never have left. Never. He would have rather died at my feet."
Neil needed Riko to leave Andrew alone. He needed Riko to be mad at him and him alone. Neil was his brother, his family. There was only so far he could go. "Jean saw reason when you nearly ended his career. Kevin was dying to leave. He practically did it on his own."
Riko pressed the weapon against Neil's forehead. Yes, come on, "You poisoned them, Butcher. You took them away from me."
"They're people, Riko, not toys. I know you're family has treated you like a toy your whole life, but it's time to grow up and stop using them as an excuse to act like a psycho."
Riko shifted the gun to the left an inch and fire once. The sound was deafening and Neil compulsively ducked and slammed his hands over his ringing ears. The rest of the room sucked in sharp breaths and covered their ears. Not Riko though he merely--
Too quickly for Neil to fully grasp what was happening, something slammed into Riko. The gun fell to the ground and fired again into the wall. Andrew grabbed Riko and threw him against the lockers. No. No, no, no, no. He couldn't do that. Attacking Riko was strictly forbidden. But Andrew just stood over him with a look of disinterest on his face. He didn't even go for the gun. Neil would have at least gone for the gun.
Riko looked up at Andrew in shock, but it was just for a moment. Soon Grayson and Braydon had Andrew again. Grayson slammed his foot into Andrew's knee and shoved him to the ground. Braydon pulled his head back by his hair at an unnatural angle. Neil moved to stop them, but someone grabbed him.
"It's not worth it," Zane whispered in his ear, "let him get this out of his system. He can't kill Minyard, he's the best player we have."
Neil thrashed against Zane, but he couldn't get any momentum. And then Riko began to laugh again. The sound was uncomfortably similar to Andrew when Riko forced him to take his medication, but instead of the emptiness lingering underneath it there was nothing but malice. Riko stood up and then knelt in front of Andrew. One on one Andrew would floor Riko in a heartbeat, but Grayson and Braydon were the biggest guys on the team. Andrew couldn't escape their grasps without the element of shock or surprise. Riko punched Andrew in the stomach so hard Andrew wheezed. Riko did it again and Neil saw Andrews eyes water. He opened his mouth to gasp for stolen air, but Riko used the opportunity to shove his fingers into Andrews mouth and grab his jaw.
Riko leaned in close and said, "Remember what you were, Minyard. Before your bastard brother found you you were nothing. Just some little whore who wasn't strong enough to fight back. Do you remember being that whore? Do you need a reminder?"
Neil thrashed against Zane, "No. Riko, no."
Riko looked unsympathetically at Neil, "You have been given to far a leash, Nathaniel. You seem to have forgotten that everyone on this team is mine. I will do with them what I please. Maybe you need a reminder as much as Minyard does." Riko stood, "Grayson, Braydon. Take him to his room and wait for me. Don't do anything until I'm there. The rest of you. Finish cleaning up and go to your rooms."
Pulling hand out of Andrews mouth Riko turned to Neil without ceremony and punched him in the head. Zane, surprised, let Neil go and Neil slammed into the bench beside him. His head smacked on the concrete floor. The world went fuzzy and Neil remembered trying to get up, but Riko stomped on his chest. After that there was nothing. How long had he been lying on the floor? He sat up quickly and checked his watch. 01:43. He'd been here for three hours. Three fucking hours he was just lying here while Andrew--
Neil scrambled to his feet, ignoring his throbbing head and stumbled to the door. The hallways outside the locker room was dead quiet. No one was sneaking around, they wouldn't risk it during such a bad night for Riko. Using the wall for support, Neil made his way down the hall. The elevator was far to slow in taking him to the Nest. All he could think was Andrew, Andrew, Andrew.
The elevator doors opened to another dark, empty hall. All of the doors were dark, all except the one at the end. Light spilled out of the crack under Andrew and Neil's door. Neil didn't even stop to think about what he would do to Riko in there. He knew he would kill him. He threw the door open.
Riko was nowhere to be seen. Grayson and Braydon were too absent. The only person in the room was Andrew, still and bloodied on the floor. Neil collapsed and crawled across the blood soaked carpet to Andrews side. He was too late. He was too late. He was--
Andrew wheezed. He opened his eyes and hazel met blue. Neil nearly fainted with relief.
"Fuck, Andrew, fuck," Neil said, his hands hovering uselessly over Andrew. He wasn't wearing any clothes. Neil was going to kill Riko--no, Neil was going to hold him by the throat while Andrew gutted him. It was just a matter of time. "What the fuck did he do?"
Where was the blood coming from? Andrew was on his side, half curled around himself, his back to the wall. Neil rose up on his knees to glimpse Andrew's back and nearly puked. Andrew's back was in ribbons. The flesh torn apart. Neil felt Andrew grasp weakly for his arm. He needed something real to hold on to. Neil found his hand and clasped it tightly.
"The belt," Andrew grimaced, his voice hoarse, "I wouldn't... comply."
There was so much blood. There would be nerve damage, massive scarring. Andrew needed help, a doctor, a real doctor, or he would die. He would bleed out and Neil wouldn't be able to do anything. Neil needed something to do. Some way to save him. He needed a miracle.
He had to do it now. It would risk everything, but Andrew was everything. Neil had nothing without him, Neil wasn't Neil without him. Neil squeezed his hand once, "Andrew. I'm getting us out of here."
Andrew made a sound of protest, but he didn't argue. Neil realized it wasn't because he agreed, it was because he was too busy fighting for consciousness to argue. Neil let go of his hand and dashed to his own bed. He slid underneath it and found the little section of mattress he'd cut between the supports. He peeled it back and fumbled for the phone he kept there. It was labeled with the Japanese word for miracle. Neil turned it on and speed dialed the only number in the phone.
It rang once and then, "Nathaniel?"
Ichirou didn't sound asleep. Good, Neil wanted him in a good mood.
"Hello, brother," Neil said quietly. He stood and closed their bedroom door quietly. He hoped Riko had tired himself out enough to sleep until morning, "it's time. I'm calling in my favor."
Ichirou nearly laughed with shock, "Nathaniel, this is a surprise. I thought you were determined to save my life debt."
"I did save it," Neil said calmly, "I need it now."
Neil returned to Andrew and held his hand. Andrew's grip was weaker, but still there.
"Why, if I may ask?" Ichirou sounded amused.
"You're brother has gone too far. Riko is unstable--more unstable. If we don't leave now, I'll fucking kill him."
Ichirou sighed, "He finally got to your goal keeper then? Is he still alive. Sorry, he must be. If he wasn't you wouldn't have called me. You would have killed Riko."
Neil pressed on, "I need to get him out now. I need to get him to a doctor and I need full assurance that Riko wont be able to force us back into his fucking Nest."
"It's not that simple Nathaniel. I can't just waltz into Edgar Allan and take you. I fear that would make Riko lost to me entirely." Ichirou said wistfully.
"I know," Neil gritted out, "I have a car, I can get him out. All I need it a place to go and a doctor."
Neil heard a rustling like Ichirou was sitting up, "I will do my best, Nathaniel, but Riko will come after you. He loves his revenge."
It was true and Neil knew it. He had spent only a few months on the run in his youth, but he wouldn't do that to Andrew. They had spoke of leaving before, but Andrew's condition was always his family. He wouldn't leave if he couldn't be with them. He'd come to Edgar Allan with them, so he wouldn't leave unless he knew they'd be safe. Ichirou owed Neil one favor for saving him from the assassin two years ago, but that was it. Just one. Neil needed to make a deal along with it.
"For your favor," Neil said carefully, "I want a doctor and I want Andrew and I transferred to Palmeto State. For the rest of it... I have a deal for you."
"A transfer? Riko wont be happy about this," Ichirou laughed, "Tell me the rest, Nathaniel. I am dying to know."
"The Ravens are falling apart and Riko is going to go down with the ship. I want to offer you a better investment. You will forbid Riko from coming after us at PSU and in exchange I will turn the Foxes into champions. With me, Kevin and Andrew we can turn them around. I'll also promise you half of all three of our future incomes. Any money we make with the pros will be half yours too. You'll have a new team to skim profits from. Everyone loves an underdog."
Andrew shuttered once. Neil squeezed his hand harder, "The buzz will already by crazy when three Ravens turn Fox. Now imagine when the Foxes beat the Ravens in the championship."
Ichirou hummed contemplatively, "You make a convincing argument, Nathaniel."
Andrew groaned and Neil felt his soul rotting, "I'm fucking desperate. Please, Ichirou, if we were ever real friends. Riko will kill Andrew and I, it's only a matter of time."
"My brother wont kill you, Nathaniel. You're family. The goalie almost certainly, but not you."
"Killing Andrew is killing me." It was a simple truth. Neil wasn't sure exactly when it became true, but two years of rooftops, midnights and kisses had made it so.
"Ordering around someone like me doesn't usually get you far, Nathaniel. Even if you are family."
Neil closed his eyes, "I'm not ordering you to do anything, Master. I'm begging for mercy."
Ichirou sighed, "Alright, fine."
Neil nearly sobbed with relief, but Ichirou wasn't done, "But Neil. I have a few conditions of my own."
"Anything."
"You win the championships this year. Its too risky an investment otherwise. And I need my Butcher back."
Neil went cold. The Butcher. His fathers persona. The man he never wanted to be. But Neil knew this was coming, ever since his father was arrested. The Moriyama's would not want to go long without someone to do their dirty work.
Neil looked down at Andrew, swollen features. His blood covered back. His vulnerable form. He said, "I'll do it."
ichirou sounded delighted, "We have a deal then, Butcher. Get your goalie out of there and I'll have a doctor meet you at the Motel 6. You'll have to bring him with you--don't worry he's quite good on the go--and you should take him to... hold on the address is loading. The internet never wants to work, does it? Ah ha. 772 Angel Bell Drive. That's the address of the Palmetto Foxes team nurse. Kevin tells me she's quite discreet. I'll have him meet you there."
Neil wanted to thank Ichirou, but that made him ill. He would be in debt to Ichirou for the rest of his life for this. He would live at his whims. But Andrew would be there and he would be safe. Neil had no other option and if he had to be at the mercy of one Moriyama brother, he was glad it wasn't Riko any longer.
"Thank you," Neil breathed.
"Get going, Butcher," Ichirou said with a laugh. He hung up.
Neil snapped the phone shut and grabbed his black duffle. As quick as possible he threw in handfuls of his and Andrews shared wardrobe. He grabbed Andrew's favorite book and his blood soaked armbands. Finally he pocketed the maserati keys and his wallet. He returned to Andrew.
"Andrew, we have to move," he spoke quietly in German. He learned the language from his mothers rare lessons and from Andrew and it had always been their language, "If I help you can you stand?"
Andrew blinked hard twice and nodded. Neil could tell all his focus was on keeping himself conscious. Carefully Neil grabbed his biceps and pulled him to sit upright. Andrew opened his mouth to scream but all that came out was a choked gag. Andrew shoved his face into Neils shoulder and bit him hard. Neil didn't care. He barely felt it. Whatever Andrew needed to do to get up and stay quiet was enough for him. Neil let him breathe for a few heartbeats before whispering German in his ear quietly and rising. He helped Andrew all the way up to his feet and supported him while he fought against passing out. When Andrew was ready he nodded sharply and Neil led him to the dresser. Andrew used it to keep himself upright, but mostly he just folded over the top of it and breathed. Neil carefully pulled sweated on Andrew who helped as best as he could. Neil used to moment to get a better look at his ravaged back, but he couldn't see the wounds properly in the rooms shitty light.
Neil whispered distractions to Andrew as he again pulled him to standing. Doing his best to avoid Andrews back, he let Andrew lean nearly all his weight on him and took a careful step toward the door. Andrew stumbled along more than he walked, but it was something. At the door Neil paused, "We have to be silent now, Andrew. Do you need something to bite on?"
Andrew closed his eyes and shook his head. Neil nodded and slowly opened the door. The hallway was still quiet. There was no evidence that anyone had woken up. Neil waited a full minute for the sound of someone so much as shifting in their bed, but heard none. Carefully, they began to inch their way down the hallway. It seemed impossibly longer than it had been minutes ago. They passed Grayson's door, and then Braydon's. No one stirred. Finally, they passed Riko's. No one burst into the hallway to stop them. Neil glanced down at Andrew. His face was twisted in agony, his jaw grit tight, his eyes foggy. They needed to get out of this godforsaken building. Neil felt like the walls were watching them.
The elevator opened silently and Neil got on quickly. He held his breath until the doors shut. Andrew left Neil and grabbed blindly at the elevators support handle. He fell to his knees and pressed his forehead into the cool metal. Neil watched him anxiously as he breathed raggedly against the wall. He needed space, he needed the cool metal to bring him back to himself, but Neil couldn't stop himself from wanting to hold him, to support him. He would not. He would never dare. Andrew's boundaries were sacred things and he would not cross them ever, but most importantly he wouldn't do it now.
The floors beeped by until they reached the Lobby. The doors opened to an empty room and Neil knelt beside Andrew, careful not to touch him.
"Yes or no, Andrew?" Neil whispered, "We need to go."
Andrew sucked in another breath and Neil couldn't help but stare at the blood steadily dripping onto the ground. The wounds were clotting, but not enough and not fast enough. Neil needed to stop moving him, but they needed to get in the car first.
Andrew breathed out a hoarse, "Yes."
Neil pulled Andrew's arm back over his shoulders and pulled them up. An involuntary whine escaped Andrew's throat, but he swallowed it back down. Neil shuttered inside and they began their slow progress across the stadiums Lobby. Neil wished they could leave through the front doors, but it was too exposed and the maserati was in the private lot. Slowly, they inched closer to the back lot exit. It took them three times the time it normally would and it was pure luck that no security guard stumbled upon them. It was only a matter of time before one spotted the blood, though. Neil could not stop thinking about how they needed to get out of the stadium quicker.
Finally, Neil pushed open the back lot exit door. He spotted the maz front and center and unlocked it--
"What are you doing?"
Neil froze. To the right, on top of the new Chevy truck hood, was Zane. He was smoking. A habit Neil had given the kid.
"Go back to bed, Zane," Neil said roughly, "I don't want to hurt you, but I will."
Zane sat up and tossed his cigarette onto the ground. He spotted Andrew and his eyes widened, "Holy shit, is he dead?"
"No," Neil growled.
"Well he will be. Nathaniel, Riko will kill you both for this."
"Go. To. Bed."
Zane looked between Neil, Andrew and the door. Neil rested his hand inside the unzipped duffel. His aim was uncanny with a knife. If Zane even looked like he was going to shout, a knife was going in his throat. But Zane did not shout.
"Fuck it," Zane said. He dropped down from his truck and opened the maz's backseat door. The Neil didn't understand for a moment but then he head Zane laying the seats down. He was clearing room for Andrew to lie down. Neil silently thanked whatever being was watching over them that night and pressed a closed lip kiss to Andrew's head.
Zane crawled out of the car and opened the trunk, "It'll be easier to get him in back here."
Neil and Andrew stumbled that way and Andrew let them pull him ungracefully into the car. The moment he was securely laying on his stomach, Neil saw all the fight vanish from Andrew's form. Neil and Zane got out of the car and closed the back door. Neil turned to Zane and clasped his shoulder, "Thank you."
Zane looked anxiously over Neil's shoulder and whispered, "Get out of here, Nathaniel."
"Zane--"
"Just... just get out of here. For those of us that wish we could." For a moment Neil thought Zane would go right back inside, but he didn't he said, "Tell Jean... fuck. Tell Jean I'm sorry."
Neil didn't know what he was talking about, but he nodded. It was the least he could do, "I will. I'm sorry I can't bring you."
Zane shrugged, "Wouldn't make it out there. I was barely making it before Riko."
Neil wished he could do more. Wished he could convince Zane that he could live. That he was a human being and not just a Raven like Riko wanted all of them to believe. But he didn't have the time. Zane would learn it on his own, or he wouldn't. That was the way of things. Neil watched Zane slip back inside and then he threw himself into the drivers seat of the maz and put the key in the ignition. He closed his eyes and hoped before twisting the key. The engine roared to life. It was impossibly loud. Neil wasted no time pulling out of their spot and racing much to fast for the exit gate. He tore his keycard from his wallet and slid it into the reader. The loading screen appeared. One breath, two, three. Finally it turned green and the gate opened. Neil pressed the gas all the way down and weaved his way across campus until he reached the main road and left the Edgar Allan sign in his rear view mirror.