Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2006 02:51:51 +0800
From: YoDawgs Bl.net <yodawgs.blnet@gmail.com>
Subject: Search for Conscience 19

Chapter 19, Conscience contradicted.

It's getting very near to the end now. This will be the third to second
last episode of this story. I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as
much as I have enjoyed typing it up in the wee hours of the
morning. Special thanks to Ivan Benson, who supplied me with plenty of food
for thought for this story. Please enjoy this longer-than-usual chapter. As
usual, I accept all types of email, so don't hesitate to send me your
comments. As always, Regards.

"So, what games do you have on this thing?" Sean gazed with disdain at the
Nintendo Gamecube that was carelessly thrown onto Seth's bed. It was nine
thirty at night, and Sebastian had managed to arouse Cody after everybody
had finished their food. They had then made their way upstairs to the
twins' bedroom.

"Super Smash Bros, but it's quite old." Sebastian replied. "Oh, and we have
The Legend of Zelda as well."

"Right. So, show us your skills then. Super Smash Bros indeed. I'll kick
all of your arses."

"Fine!" Sebastian huffed. "Me and Seth against you. Now. And then we'll see
whose arse is gonna be kicked."

"You said Gonna!"

"Yeah? So what?"

"It's not English."

"So? I'd rather speak American rather than your pretty little British
accent." Sebastian countered, red in the face. "Ooh... I'd rather like some
more tea, please. Yes, dear chap, so you shall." He mocked.

"Ha ha, funny."

"Yeah, you know it."

"I can be funny as well, you know? By the time I'm done with my little
joke, you'll be practically spent from laughing."

"Ha ha.  Not funny."

"Then why are you laughing?"

Saying that, Sean launched himself at the prone form of Sebastian, who was
leaning back against the bedpost, and started tickling him. Sebastian
gasped at first touch and tried to fend Sean off, but he was too late; he
was too busy laughing to even attempt a half-solid defence. He laughed
uncontrollably as Seth playfully joined in as well, pushing his hands up
his purple shirt, and tickling the bare body inside. Cody, who was still
dazed and drowsy after the little nap, simply lay on Sebastian's bed, idly
eyeing the tormented twin. Sebastian bucked and bucked, trying to escape
his doom.

"S-s-stop!" he gasped, between laughs. The two boys only became more
vicious, digging into his ribs and poking his armpits.

"I s-swear... I-I'm... Ahahaha! Gonna... pee all-ova-yah!" he cried out,
stringing the last three words together as his speech was severely retarded
by his laughing. The assault desisted immediately.

"God!" Sebastian groaned, panting, as Sean and Seth ceased their
attack. Three of them just lay on the white sheet of the bed, breathing in
and out after the exertion, pin-pricks of sweat dotting Seth's torso, as he
lay facedown on the bed.

"It's really humid now, you know." Sean's matter-of-fact words penetrated
the silence.

"No shit, Sherlock." One of the twins replied. Cody was certain it was
Seth.

"What?"

"Don't worry."

"Turn on the air conditioner, please."

"Dude, we don't have an air conditioner. Not worth it. How many nights are
like this?" Seth replied, voice muffled by the sheets. "Besides, it's gonna
get a lot cooler in the middle of the night, so why worry?"

"Whatever... Dude." Sean tried to imitate Seth's accent, but failed
miserably. He pulled his shirt over his head to the back, neglecting to
remove his arms from the sleeves. So, his torso was clearly visible, but
his shoulders were obscured by the sleeves of the shirt. He lay back on the
sheets, while Sebastian picked up the controller and tapped Seth on the
back, before handing him the controller. He glanced over at Cody, who was
looking half-awake; with a sleepy-eyed gaze and a half open mouth.

"Cody, you wanna play?"

"No, thank you, Sebastian. I'm rather tired now. Perhaps I'll take a nap
and join you later."

"Aww, we got the whole night left. It's only half past eight!"

"Mmmph..." he lay back on Sebastian's bed, relishing the silky texture of
the covers. He put his arms behind his head, and prepared for a cat nap. He
did not want to undo all the hard work that Sebastian had did, making up
his bed, so he lay on top of the covers, shivering slightly. Unlike the
double-decker bed in Sean's room, this bed was a queen-sized bed, with
enough space to fit two fully grown people. He suspected that Seth and
Sebastian used this bed instead of the other smaller bed, as the bed that
the trio were sitting on was more dusty, and had DVDs and various change in
pennies scattered all over the sheets.

Sebastian noticed his quivering and was at his side three seconds later,
having thrust the controller in Sean's hands, who tried in vain to battle
the superior Seth.

"Why're you laying on top of the covers like that? I can see that you're
cold." he said. "Get in."

Before Cody had time to argue, Sebastian had pulled the covers back, and
gripped his shoulders, while tugging him to the space provided by the gap
in the sheets.

"You know, suddenly I feel like I wanna take a nap as well." Sebastian
snuggled into the sheets, draping his arm around Cody's hip and cuddling
against him. After ten minutes, Seth looked up. He had been dominating Sean
in the game, defeating him more than eight times using Mario.

"Aww, c'mon, guys! We've barely had time to talk!" he complained. "It's
been sleep sleep sleep ever since we've gotten back." He paused, seeing his
brother and Sebastian peering owlishly at him from the bed. "Alright, let's
watch another DVD, and we can all make like Without A Paddle, okay?"

"Without A Paddle?"

"It's this movie where three guys are... nude... and they're trapped in the
wilderness, and it's cold. So the only way to survive is to share body heat
with each other. Therefore, they need to huddle together, and one guy says
`No way in hell!' or something like that, I can't precisely recall."
Sebastian replied, a hint of his wisdom showing in his voice.

Seth picked up a DVD.

"How about this?" He brandished the DVD. Cody vaguely read "Bad Boys II" on
the cover. He had not watched this particular movie, so he nodded his head.

"Go on, then." Sean said, as he leant against the bedpost, stretching
himself, ribs making their outline against his skin. Seth suddenly lashed
out with the back of his hand, catching Sean in his exposed stomach. Sean
gasped, but did not bother to return the favour to Seth, rubbing the
inflicted area instead.

"Bloody hell, you wanker." He said vindictively, while playing with his
navel.

Seth flashed a mischievous grin, and fed the DVD into the player that came
attached with the small television. He lay back on the bed, but immediately
lifted himself up, gazing at disgust at the mess that his bed. He thumped
the few steps across the room and dived into Sebastian's springy bed, lying
on top of the covers. Sean sighed and padded across the grey carpeted floor
before sitting on the edge of the bed, obscuring Sebastian and Cody's
views. They gave sighs of exasperation, and tugged him to a prone
position. The movie began, and they sat silently in the fading daylight.

Cody felt Sebastian's hand slowly caressing his stomach, but made no
comment about it. When he moved slightly, to readjust his position,
Sebastian immediately ceased all movement and let his hand limp. He could
feel Sebastian's hot breath against the back of his neck as he tried not to
blow his cover. After a few minutes, he felt Sebastian yet again brush his
fingers against his body, now at his chest. He turned around, and looked
Sebastian in the eye, their faces barely an inch from each other.

Sebastian's face was etched in fear. He mouthed words that never came, as
he still gripped Cody around the waist. Seth and Sean were still engrossed
in the movie, as Will Smith emerged from his car, holding a submachine gun.

Cody grinned, and gently rubbed his nose against Sebastian's. He was unsure
of what he was doing, but he had made up his mind that he would worry about
it later. Right now, he loved three of the boys in this room very dearly
indeed, and he was not going to let his tarnished conscience bother him
about it. He had had enough on his mind, anyway.

A look of relief slowly spread across Sebastian's face, as he relaxed. He
smiled at Cody, and nuzzled his head into Cody's neck, as he sometimes did
with Seth. Cody sighed, and stroked the twin's clothed back. Together, they
watched the movie till the end.

Seth yawned, as the credits began to roll. The rest of the troupe
immediately duplicated that action.

"Contagious." Sean said, while wiping tears out of his eyes.

"Huh?" Seth looked quizzically at him.

"Yawning is contagious, Seth. I would have thought you knew that."

Cody decided to call it a day and hit the sack. It was a Saturday tomorrow,
and Sean still had his swimming practice. He lay on his back, atop a
pillow, and tried to fall asleep. He wished Sebastian would take his shirt
off, but Sebastian appeared to have dropped off already, eyes closed with
shallow breathing. With disappointment, he closed his eyes again, while
Seth turned off the television and headed toward the light switch. Sean
realised he was still half-wearing the shirt, and removed it, flinging it
on Seth's bed, before reclining beside Cody, grabbing his hand and placing
it on his muscular chest.

Seth eventually flipped the light switch off, engulfing the room in
darkness. Cody suddenly realised that he was still wearing his school
trousers, and silently unbuckled and slid them down his legs. He threw them
on the floor, and lay still, clad in his boxers. Seth spotted the trousers
on the floor as he approached, and removed his as well, before climbing
into the bed. Sebastian was the only fully-clothed person on that warm
spring's night. One by one, the boys started dropping off to sleep, with
the exception of Cody. He was determined to see Sebastian's body, one way
or the other, and he had to see it tonight.

He waited until he was sure that Sebastian had fallen fully asleep; when
the soft shallow breaths echoed Seth's. Then, he very, very slowly lifted
his left hand, and rested it on Sebastian's stomach, above the shirt. He
held his breath for a few seconds, waiting for a reaction. None came.

A thrill shot through his body as he painstakingly pushed Sebastian's loose
shirt up with an agonising pace, with the strength of a feather, feeling
the muscular texture of the abdominal muscles. Half of Sebastian's muscular
stomach was now exposed to the twenty-two degree night. Cody tentatively
reached out with his shaking right hand, and rested it on Sebastian's
exposed stomach. Sebastian sniffed, and placed both hands behind his
head. Cody froze. Had he woken the sleeping twin and thus failed in his
mission?

A grunt from the twin told him otherwise.

He nearly sighed with relief. For a few minutes, he allowed his hand to
remain on the white stomach, occasionally plucking at the fine hairs that
grew there. It was somewhat relaxing to feel the rise and fall of the
stomach as Sebastian breathed in and out. He gently tickled the little stub
that was in the centre of the navel, and Sebastian let out a groan,
stopping him immediately.

He pushed up more of the shirt, thrills in his heart becoming more apparent
to him. Sebastian's solar plexus came into view, along with the lower ribs,
appearing and disappearing with each breath. Still he waited for a
reaction. None. He pushed up the shirt a few more inches, and in the
moonlight (The curtains were not drawn), he saw a faint pigmentation that
he knew was the start of Sebastian's areolas. He saw everything in grey,
but he was excited nonetheless.

He finally pushed the shirt up to Sebastian's neck, and removed his hands
to admire the view. Unlike Seth's slightly developed body, Sebastian was
extremely well-defined. His chest was shaped almost as if it had been
carved on body, and he had the developing of a six-pack, albeit
miniature. Bruises still marked his body, although by a much smaller
amount. His nipples were much bigger than the last time he saw them, which
was nearly two months ago, where they had a swim-meet, and the twins were
taking part.

The areolas had expanded by half a centimetre and the tits themselves had
grown larger. Cody felt himself melting at this point, just staring at the
snoozing boy lying beside him. He could not see Sebastian's shoulders, but,
as he touched them, they were extremely firm against his fingers.

With lust, he gently laid both of his hands on the twin's chest, revelling
in the warmth that emanated from it. Cody was of the opinion that the
texture of Sebastian's chest was a great deal more titillating than his
stomach, and spent a substantial amount of time caressing it. He lay his
head down on the muscular chest, and listened to the inner workings of
Sebastian's body. There were a couple of gurgling noises, which came from
his stomach, and there was the steady rhythm of the heart, doing its
incredibly boring job, to the oblivion of its owner.

He suddenly wondered if Sebastian had the disc-like lumps behinds his
nipples like Sean did. Time to confirm his suspicions, he thought. He
gently ran his thumbs over the pink protrusions, drawing out a long groan
from the sleeping boy. Sebastian's eyes were closed, but his mouth was
half-open, emitting moans of subconscious pleasure as Cody tried to find
the lumps.

He pressed alongside the nipples, just as he did with Sean, and to his very
great surprise, he discovered that right nipple had the same lump as Sean,
making it look slightly puffier, while the left nipple had a smaller, but
developing lump. The result was a difference in the look of Sebastian's
nipples, which explained to a significant degree, why he had been so
reluctant to remove his shirt. He did not want to be poked fun at, or
"teased something wicked", as Sean called it.

Sebastian groaned a little louder as Cody continued to poke and prod at his
nipples, arching his body slightly upwards. Cody decided not to push it any
further, and removed his hands from Sebastian's chest, substituting them
with his head, as he used the chest as a pillow. He felt at peace, moving
slowly with the rise and fall of the torso, along with the intermittent
thumps that were emitted from the body. He nuzzled his face into the boy's
bare torso, inhaling the scent that every teenager gave off. Musk, his
mother used to call it, as she sniffed his father's neck.

Sebastian shifted a little, and jerked slightly. Cody was sure he was
awake. Dread began to fill him as he realised the position he had put
himself in. He tried to nonchalantly roll his head off Sebastian's torso,
but warm hands suddenly prevented him from achieving the
objective. Sebastian tugged the shirt over his head and threw it over the
two other sleeping boys, before lying back down and nursing Cody's head. He
played with Cody's hair, giving him a sensation of relief and peace. Cody
could not resist a sigh, as Sebastian ran his fingers over his smooth,
blonde, hair. Sebastian whispered something so softly that Cody could
barely catch it.

"My brother."

He smiled, and dropped off to sleep.

The morning light streamed in the window, yellow slivers of dust being
caught in its gaze. The four boys were bathed in the golden light particles
that reflected and refracted around the room. Sebastian was the first to
awaken, dazed by a patch of light that had somehow found his face. He
blinked his eyes a few times, trying to get used to the light. There was a
weight on his torso, restricting his breathing very slightly. He glanced
down, and discovered a sleeping Cody lying on his chest. In his sleep, the
blonde boy had moved forward so much that his chest now rested on
Sebastian's stomach, and his head on the twin's sinewy chest.

He gently shook Cody, arousing him from his slumber. Cody yawned widely,
and stretched, right hand nearly whipping Sebastian across the face. A
series of satisfying cracks were heard as Cody groaned and groaned with
relief, gas being released from his spine. He stared up into Sebastian's
sleepy faced expression and grinned. He had never seen the twins after they
were awoken. He knew that Sean would absolutely refuse to budge, groaning
"Five minutes... Five more minutes, please..." every time he tried to wake
him. Sebastian, however, opened his eyes and looked around, trying to
overcome his brain's request for more unneeded sleep. He dug his fingers
into Sebastian's ribs, and the boy bucked, a wheeze bursting out of his
mouth as he was surprised.

"Stop, stop..." he begged in a subdued voice, too feeble to fend Cody
off. Cody stopped, perched atop Sebastian's bare torso. Sebastian realised
the Cody had an unobstructed view of his body, and covered his chest with
his hands.

"What are you doing, Sebastian?"

"Stop looking, it's embarrassing."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to kill you by staring at you."

Sebastian reluctantly lowered his hands, and placed them behind his head as
he watched Cody admire his body. He groaned softly with pain as Cody
pressed into a deep bruise on his right breast. Seth stirred.

"Ow... now you know why I don't take off my shirt anymore."

"It's not the bruises, is it, Sebastian?" the twin shifted
uncomfortably. "No, I think you're worried about something else."

He ran his finger over Sebastian's left breast, pressing on the lump that
had formed under the nipple. Sebastian gasped, and arched his back
upwards. Cody laughed softly.

"Hmm... this little tit looks much bigger than the left, don't you think?"

"Oww, it hurts when you press it like that."

"Sorry. It hurts when it's cold as well, doesn't it?" Sebastian went red
and squirmed slightly.

"Cody..."

"Don't worry, I won't tell. It's normal, you know. Don't tell him I told
you, but Sean had that little problem a couple of months ago. Your other
one's just waiting to form, but it'll go down in a few years."

"Promise?"

"I read a medical report on the internet, so you'll have to take the good
doctor's word for it." Sebastian sighed with relief, just like Sean had.

"Uhh..." Seth groaned, opening his eyes to slits and levering himself up
with his elbows. His abdomen rippled, and a miniature six-pack could be
seen.

"Morning, sleepyhead." Sebastian greeted his twin. Seth yawned, and
stretched himself, arching his back forward.

"Morning." He smiled sleepily at his brother and nodded his head at
Cody. His eyes widened when he spotted the bruise on Sebastian's chest. He
gasped, and scuttled over to them, all fatigue wiped from his memory,
rubbing the bruise with his thumb.

"Arghh... It hurts, Seth." He groaned with protest, as he tried to push his
brother's hands away.

"No, let me see." Seth said sternly. Sebastian gave up, and placed his
hands on his brother's shoulder, as he always did when Seth tended to his
bruises.

After a few seconds of rubbing and loud groaning from Sebastian, Seth
looked at his brother fiercely.

"Why didn't you tell me, Basti?"

"I was afraid..."

"Afraid of what?!"

"Afraid that you'd tell mom and dad, and that I'd go back to that hateful,
hateful place!"

Cody knew he was referring to the hospital, where Sebastian underwent
chemotherapy. He had taken the liberty to read up on that, and found out
that the side effects included nausea, diarrhoea or constipation, and
finally, hair loss, which Sebastian did not suffer from.

"You know it's good for you."

"Good?! How can it be good?!" Sebastian shot back. "Look at me! I can't
even do five push-ups! Have you any idea how it feels? To be so
weak... and..." he sank into a forlorn mood, avoiding his brother's
eyes. Seth looked at him sadly. He suffered indirectly every time Sebastian
was unhappy or was in considerable physical distress.

"You're gonna tell them, aren't you?"

"No, Basti."

"Huh?" the shock was evident in Sebastian's face. "W-why not?" he
sputtered.

"You don't need any more of that pain. Besides, you've nearly
recovered. You've even beaten me sometimes, when we wrestle."

"You didn't let me win?"

"No." Seth smiled at his double.

"Oh..." Sebastian loosened the tension in his limbs, and settled down
again. "Thanks, Seth."

"For what?"

"For not telling."

"Don't worry." Seth replied. "I don't like to see you sad. It makes me
sad. And I don't like being sad."

He smiled, patting Sebastian on the shoulder.

"So that's why you've been such an Egyptian nomad."

"Huh?"

"You know how those Egyptians dress? They like dress in those big, big
robes, and we can't even see their hands. I've always wondered why they're
that stupid. Maybe it's because..."

"Okay, I've got the point." Sebastian snapped, smacking Seth in the
stomach, and making him gasp slightly. Cody, who had crawled over to Sean
and rested his head on his hands on Sean's rising and falling freckled,
half-developed chest watched, bemused.

He suddenly wondered what the time was, and grabbed for Sean's left wrist,
which had the G-Shock strapped to it. Nine-twenty five. Plenty of time for
Sean's swimming practice. He watched the twins exchange words, occasionally
sniggering as either one cracked a joke, or spoke of something humorous. He
enjoyed the rise and fall of Sean's torso, along with the warm,
smooth-but-sticky texture of the skin.

"So." Seth looked up. "What do you wanna do today?"

"I'm not too sure. What do you usually do during the weekends?"

"Well, I always wake up at ten o clock, but whenever I do, Basti wakes as
well. And then he always tells me to feel him up."

Sebastian glared at him. Seth grinned sheepishly, and began caressing
Sebastian's chest.

"And then he sleeps till ten o clock, while I brush my teeth and take a
shower. And then I wake him up. If he doesn't wanna get up, I'll rub
toothpaste in his belly button and tits." Seth began chuckling
uncontrollably as Sebastian gazed with mock-outrage at his twin.

Cody started laughing a little as well, shaking Sean's torso with his
peals. The brown haired adolescent groaned, and stretched himself. Cody
felt a sudden hardening of Sean's swimmer's body as he stretched. He
scratched Sean's exposed stomach, and with a quick moan, Sean's hands shot
down to push Cody's hands away, in vain.

"Rrrrghtsshh... Unngh..." he groaned.

"What?" Cody asked.

"Fiive mmminutess..."

"It's always five minutes for you."

"Unghh..." Sean shoved Cody off, and flipped over onto his stomach,
shielding his face from the sun with a pillow. Seth began laughing.

"He's always like that when he wakes, I don't know why."

Cody dug his fingers into Sean's sinewy back and was rewarded with a deep

"Urrghh... more, more please."

"Alright, Sean. But you have to get up once I'm done."

No response.

"Ow, ow! Alright! Alright!" Seth had leant over and pinched him on his
"love handles".

After a few minutes, Sean was sufficiently awake to engage in logical
conversation. Seth jumped off the bed and rushed to the bathroom, Sebastian
in hot pursuit. Sean stared at Cody, green eyes slowly blinking.

"Do you want to join me for swimming practise, Cody?"

"Huh? But..." he was uncertain of how to respond. On one hand, he wanted to
accompany Sean just like a responsible brother would, but he was dreadfully
embarrassed of his body, no matter what anyone told him. Sean grinned.

"No, no... you don't take your clothes off. Just watch me from the
sidelines. Come on." He urged, seeing a look of tentativeness on Cody's
face.

"Sure." Cody replied, after a few seconds.

"And by the way..." Sean blushed.

"What?"

"You're so beautiful that it hurts just to look at you." He uttered those
words, deliberately looking down and avoiding Cody's eyes. "It's a shame
that you don't want to show more of your body. You never wear Speedos, even
though we've bought some for you."

Cody shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry." He said, simply.

"Don't be. There's nothing to be sorry about. You don't need to keep using
that word." Sean's hands caressed his stomach, pressing into the muscles,
and intermittently crossing the navel. Cody sat perched on Sean's body,
breathing deeply.

After lunch, the fatherly figure of Scott kindly escorted them to the West
London Academy Sports Centre in Ealing, bidding them farewell for now, as
he drove off in his Vauxhall. Sean had not bothered to bring a shirt; he
was clad only in a loud pair of board shorts, concealing his Speedo within,
and was grasping goggles in his right hand. His left clutched a black
Speedo swim cap, rubber giving off a metallic sheen.

The twins were dressed in matching white wife-beaters/tank-tops with the
brand "Quiksilver" painted on the left shoulder area, along with the same
black trousers they always adorned. Their over-zealous habit of matching
each other always exasperated Samantha. ("I wanna wear what He's wearing!"
she had heard over and over again, as one of her blonde sons resented
having to dress differently from his peer and brother.)

They entered the building, shoes clicking on the floor with the exception
of Sean, who had arrived barefoot. He led them to the pool area and left
them, with a warning of "Stay here, or you'll pay!" to the changing
room. They watched boys of various sizes diving into the pool with a
precision and expertise that chilled. Cody felt belittled by the swimmers'
bodies they possessed, thin at the hips, broad at the chest and muscular at
the stomach.

"Oi, look! Wot we got `ere?" Cody was startled by a youth clad in a grey
jacket, hood pulled over his head. A baseball cap hung loosely over the
hood. He had a snivelling look and not a very pleasant one indeed. His nose
stuck out of his face, eyes thin slits. Cody was unpleasantly reminded of a
snake. He was a chav, one of the degenerate subcultures of
Britain. Adorning "hoodies", with baseball caps, along with white sneakers,
these people patrolled the streets of the United Kingdom, seeking a lonely
soul to beat up.

Two other youths, dressed in similar fashion, stood adjacent to
"Snake-boy".

"Oi there, you twins, wot's your name?" the youth leered
brazenly. Sebastian and Seth started, and looked the other way. The youth
strode to the front of them and kicked their feet violently.

"I was talking to you, you lil' pricks! Where're your fucking manners?"
Cody looked around, trying to find a way to escape this.

"Charlie, stop." Sean's voice echoed through the hall. He stood three feet
away from them, clad in his Speedos. The youth slowly faced him.

"Yeah? Well, wot you gonna do? It's a free country, mate."

"I'm going to report you, if you don't stop."

"Yeh? Well fuck you, twat." The youth walked off, closely followed by his
ponchos, who gave threatening glares at the troupe.

"Sean, what was that about?" Cody asked. The twins were shuddering
slightly, although from fear or anger he could not tell. Sean sighed.

"He's one of my... mortal enemies, if you want to call it." He replied. "I
don't really know what's wrong with him. He always has a bone to pick with
me. He doesn't do it in school, because the teachers will do something
about it. But over here, there's very little supervision. Only lifeguards."

"What year is he in?"

"He's in the year above."

"Oh."

"Anyway, I'm going to join my team. Watch out for that arsehole, yeah?"

"Sure." Sean ran off to the edge of the pool and dived in, creating a small
splash.

"Where's that prat? I'm gonna teach him a lesson!" Seth was seething with
rage. "He kicked Sebastian on the shin!"

"He's gone, Seth. Don't worry about him anymore."

"I hope he comes back. Nobody hurts my brother!" he huffed. They sat on the
bench, idly watching the swim team complete laps after laps. Finally, the
coach summoned all the swimmers to the side of the pool, and leant over,
briefing them. Then, he hefted a duffel bag, and walked out of the leisure
centre. The rest of the boys began hoisting themselves out of the
pool. There was a rippling of the water, and Sean suddenly appeared at the
corner closest to the boys. He looked exhausted, as he tried to boost
himself out of the pool with his arms. He failed thrice, before Cody lent a
hand to him. He lay on the floor, panting, as a pool of water collected
around his body.

Eventually, he raised himself up, and went to sit next to the twins, still
breathing deeply. The hall was practically empty now, with only a few
cleaners vacuuming the floor. Cody looked down at him. He had not even
bothered to bring a towel, so his body shone with the reflection of the
lights that hung down from the tall ceiling.

"Oi, they're still `ere." A voice shouted. Cody looked to his right at the
entrance, and three of the youths were idly leaning on the walls of the
passage leading back to the main entrance. Snake-boy stepped forward.

"There's no one `ere now, mate." He went over to Cody this time, who
instantly jumped to his feet. The chav narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"Wot!?" he spat, looking at Cody lasciviously. He clenched his right hand
into a fist, and pulled back his eyebrows, an action that Cody noticed. He
waited for the youth's next move, not unlike someone who was playing chess.

"I'm going to report you. Right now." Sean leapt to his feet and walked
briskly toward the entrance, but one of the youth's "escorts", a pudgy
faced teen with a hooked nose, dealt a very hard haymaker into Sean's
stomach.

"Unnngh!" Sean grunted with pain. He dropped to his knees, clutching his
abdomen, retching. The other youth lashed out with his foot in a clumsy
kick, and caught Sean in the stomach again below the navel, making him gasp
loudly and fall slowly to the ground on his side, breathing heavily from
the pain, unable to speak. Seth leapt to his feet angrily, and charged at
the two youths, but as he punched one in the face, the other kicked him in
the groin, causing him to groan and sink to the ground. Sebastian, who was
helpless in this situation, could only run to his brother and hold
him. Both of the youths cackled with black mirth, and began kicking the
twins. The snake-faced boy smiled.

"Well, wot you gonna do now? You gonna fight me?"

"Please stop. What did we ever do to you?" Snake-boy laughed.

"Like I said, mate. It's a free world. Am I bovvered? No!" he suddenly
threw a punch at Cody, who leant back in time for it to graze harmlessly
upon his chest.

"You little prick! Come here!" the youth growled, as he threw punch after
punch, which was duly evaded by Cody, who saw the careless transfer of
energy and the projection of the aggression. For a fleeting instant, Cody
spotted Sean's prone torso being stamped upon by the pudgy sidekick. He was
in a dilemma. What was he to do? He had never been in a fight in his entire
life outside of his martial arts training. His father strictly despised
fighting, and had always informed him of the consequences. His heart beat
wildly in his chest, as he blocked and dodged each inexpertly thrown punch
and the occasional off-balance kick. Would he fight? Would he not?

Then, suddenly, a light bulb flashed on in his head. Was this fight
necessary? As he looked at Sean's abused body, and the twins' cowering form
on the floor, he knew that he had made the right decision, as he
intercepted a right hook from Snake-boy, with his right hand. He channeled
his rage into the anti-clockwise spin he made, driving his left elbow into
the youth's rage-contorted face. The chav stepped back, bleeding from the
nose.

"You little prick!" he charged at Cody, who neatly sidestepped him, and
delivered a sidekick to his neck, causing him to stumble, and nearly
collide with the wall, as he stopped himself with his palms. Cody stopped
for a moment. Was he doing the right thing? What would his father think of
this? The thoughts were interrupted when he heard the pattering of
footsteps behind him. He lashed out blindly in a back kick, catching the
pudgy boy on the kneecap, and nearly shattering it.

As the pudgy youth nursed his knee, Cody turned and faced the other tall,
thin teenager. He realised that this was going to be necessary. He sprang
into the basic "Kata" form of Karate, and advanced rapidly. As the teenager
tried to throw a punch, the back of Cody's hand had already found his
throat in a whipping snap. He choked, and tried to complete the punch. Cody
took the weakened punch in his chest, before waiting for the teenager to
turn his eyes on him. Then, he spun in a clockwise motion, and whipped out
his right leg in a spinning kick, all which happened in under half a
second. The teenager took Cody's heel in his temple, and dropped,
semi-conscious. Cody turned and faced the pudgy youth, who had gotten to
his feet.

"Come on, then." He sneered. "Danny was weak. It ain't gonna happen to me."

His right hand shot out in a jab, trying to find Cody's face. Cody jerked
his body to the side, while blocking the punch from above with his left
hand. He delivered two wing-chun punches to the teenager's exposed stomach,
with his right, before pushing the winded youth back, and executing a front
snap kick to his jaw. This was raw fighting, and exhibited none of the
fancy moves in martial arts movies. He advanced forward again, and
decimated the youth on the side of the head with a powerful elbow
strike. He caught the chav as he fell, not wanting to be liable for any
suits that might be filed against him by the youth's parents.

Snake-boy was on his feet, but Sean was still curled up in a ball of agony,
clutching his stomach and chest, letting out gasps of pain. The twins were
trying to comfort him, Sebastian with a black-eye, and Seth walking
slightly strangely. Rage sparked in Cody at that instant. Real rage. The
chav reached into his pocked, obviously trying to draw his concealed
weapon. If he was faced with a knife, Cody was at an extreme
disadvantage. He could not allow that to happen. He leapt the three metres
to the youth, karate-chopping him in the throat with his left hand, while
his right hand slammed down on the chav's right. Cody's right hand was
crossed over his body as he gripped the right hand of the chav, preventing
him from drawing the weapon. He pulled the youth's hand forward as he
choked, and a kitchen knife was visible in its clutches.

Reflexively, Cody pushed the clenched hand back toward the wrist, knowing
that the tendons would crush one another, unless the youth dropped the
knife. Sure enough, the chav yelped and released the blade, which clanged
onto the ground. Cody kicked the knife away as he twisted the right wrist
in an anti-clockwise motion, effectively joint-locking the squealing
chav. The youth sank to his knees as Cody applied pressure. He tried to
punch Cody with a left hook, but Cody only increased the pressure, and the
punch impacted harmlessly upon his thigh. He looked down at the chav's
face, contorted with pain, and spitting obscenities.

"Now, I can either let you go, on the grounds that you and your mates leave
us alone from now on, or I can break it, and let you go afterwards."

"Fuck you!" the chav spat.

"Three months is a long time. Especially when you're sitting with a nice
little cast around your dominant hand." Cody said calmly. "Oh, and I'll
break your elbow as well just for the fun of it."

The youth's eyes widened with fear as Cody pulled his thumb back, while
raising his own elbow.

"Alright! Just don't hurt me anymore!" the change in behaviour was
phenomenal. Cody released the chav, and used his shirt to pick up the knife
that was lying on the ground.

"I don't think you need this anymore." He threw the knife into the pool,
where he knew that the cleaners would find it after they drained the
water. "Now, get your little friends, and leave us. Now."

Snake-boy and his "little friends" vacated the area in a hurry. Cody
exhaled. The fight had taken great deal out of him, psychologically. He
strode slowly to the three people he loved. Sean had been lifted by the two
twins, and carried to the bench where they had sat. He lay there panting as
the twins rubbed his stomach and caressed his hair to comfort him. He sat
beside them, with a far-fetched look in his eyes.

"I wasn't supposed to fight."

"What?" Sebastian perked up.

"My father told me never to fight with anyone, but I did." Seth's face
fell. "But I know what I did was right. I couldn't just stand there and let
them destroy you. I don't feel any better that I've disobeyed my
father. I'm not proud of what I did."

"But I am." Sean leant forward and hugged him tightly, as the twins
caressed his back. "Thank you so much, Cody. You've taught me so many
things since you've been with me. And now, you've just stood up for me. I
have to pay you back somehow."

He leant back against the chair, wincing as he did. Cody noticed with a
flash of anger that there were bruises all over Sean's beautiful torso,
including an extremely dark patch on his stomach, directly above the navel,
where the chav had punched him. He turned Sean over, and saw many more
bruises on Sean's back.

"Oh, Sean, I'm so sorry." He rested his head on Sean's torso, listening to
the steady heartbeat. The twins nursed their own injuries, Sebastian
wincing as Seth ran a hand under his tank-top. And together, they waited
for Scott to arrive, and heard his gasps of shock as he discovered their
injuries. And off they went in the SUV, Sean and the twins fast asleep,
Cody ever-vigilant as their guardian, their saviour.