Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
She stood by the door “Um…that’s okay…you’re home safe now…”
He turned and his eyes hardened “I said, come in.” his voice was deep and serious.
She could have ran but for some reason decided to enter. She closed the door behind her but did not lock it. He quickly noticed and walked over to her. She inched back while he limped towards her. “What are you going to do?” fear in her voice.
He only smiled and leaned around her to lock the door “Never can be too sure.” He said shortly.
Kathy let out a sigh of relief as she looked around the dimmed apartment. “This is nice.” She commented. She looked at him strangely, it was the first time she saw him clearly. His hair was dyed a light brown color and when he took off his jean jacket, she shivered from the ferocious dragon tattooed on his arm. “I’m Kathy by the way.”
“Cute.” He snorted as he took a seat at his kitchen table.
“What should I call you?” she asked, trying to start conversation.
“Mel.” He turned up and saw her glancing around the apartment. “Can you help me?” he asked. Normally, it was not his style to ask for help but he was testing her. Kathy nodded eagerly, wanting to leave the tension. “Can you get the first aid kit in the bathroom?”
He nodded down the hallway and she rushed into it and easily found it behind the cabinet under the sink. She returned and he was sitting in the same place, his eyes digging into hers. He seemed to be looking for answers. Kathy sat down next to him “Must have been some fight you got into.” Still she had no idea who he was.
“Yeah…it’s amazing what a tiny argument can turn into.” He said sarcastically.
“Tell me about it. You call someone stupid and they try to punch you.” She recalled her Prom night.
Mel turned his head strangely, not understanding what she meant “Someone punched you?”
Kathy looked up with raised eyebrows “Oh…yeah, it was in high school. Some guys were picking on me and I called them stupid then he tried to punch me.”
“I hate guys that hit girls!!” he cried unexpectedly and slammed his fist against the table, startling Kathy.
“Actually, he didn’t hit me. My friend stopped him in time and he punched his face.” Kathy was almost fearful of this guy. He seemed to have a lot of authority and he was no nice guy.
“Good.” He said coldly. It was true that he hated men who beat up women. Despite his identity and lifestyle, it was almost strange if people knew how much he despised men that turned to domestic violence.
Kathy helped him bandage his arm “It’s cut pretty deep, are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”
Mel smiled crookedly “Do you want to live to see tomorrow?”
She shivered fearfully “Gosh, that’s a little harsh. Let me see your leg.”
“What are you a nurse?” he asked casually while propping his leg up on her chair while she cut out the pant legs. “No, I didn’t want to keep those pants.”
She instantly dropped the scissors “Sorry…I didn’t mean to…I just thought with all the blood on there…and there would be a cut….”
He laughed while she stumbled on about his pants “You’re cute.”
Kathy frowned “Thanks….I think.” She said hesitantly.
She wrapped up his leg and prepared to fix the cut on his forehead but he quickly pulled back “What are you doing?”
She was getting tired of his strange reactions “I’m going to kill you with this alcohol disinfectant cotton swab.” Her trademark sarcasm was taking over the conversation.
Mel smiled coolly “You know the last person that spoke to me like that ended up 7 feet under the ground.” Kathy froze after understanding what he meant. His smile did not fade “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you yet. You still have to fix my cut.” His eyes traveled up to his forehead where she was mending.
Kathy laughed nervously “You’ve got some dark sense of humor. Who are you anyways?” she asked casually, trying to shake off the fear so her hand would stop shivering.
“Mel from the Red Dragon gang.” He smiled when she moved away.
“Gang?” she stood up suddenly, the cotton swab still in her hand “Oh my God…” she muttered as she backed away. “I mean that’s not a bad thing…uh…I just remember…I have to go.”
Mel was intrigued by her reaction and decided to have a little fun with her. He quickly raced her to the door and easily beat her to it. Kathy backed up slowly as she gripped her bag wrapped around her shoulder. “Did you think I would let you off the hook that easily?” he growled as he charged towards her. She was surprised at how strong he was even with his injuries he was able to pin her down on his couch. “Tsk, tsk, tsk…poor little Katie…didn’t your mother ever teach you not to follow a stranger home?”
She struggled under his heavy body “Please Mel…I promise I won’t tell anyone…”
“Oh really?” he twisted her wrists over her head as he clamped it down with his right hand which was free of cuts. “You’re going to tell me that you’re not going to run back to Old Chuck and tell him where I live?”
Kathy frowned “Who’s Old Chuck?” she asked innocently.
“Don’t mess with me girl!!” he pushed down on her. “I know who your Dai Lou is.” He let out a loud laugh “I just can’t believe he would send a weak little girl to do his dirty work. Well, he’s going to have a fit once he finds you dead and lying naked down the street tomorrow morning.”
This time she really panicked as tears flowed down her scared face “I’m not who you think I am…I don’t know Old Chuck! Please…I’m just a student at the Toronto University…look in my bag…you’ll find my i.d.”
Mel smiled as he leaned in closer to her, his lips were so close to her neck that she can feel the heat coming from his mouth. He used his left hand as he dug into her bag. He pulled out her pepper spray “It looks just like you.” He said sarcastically.
Kathy found herself in a deeper hole than before. How would she ever get out of this mess? It was bad enough he thought she was from a rival gang but now he would think she was trying to spray him to death. “I…that’s…Oh God!!!” she cried in frustration.
“Oh don’t scream yet. You can call for God when I’m actually inside you.” Mel grinned evilly. She began to sob hysterically as she twist and turn under him. His vulgar language scared her even more. She began to scold herself for being so kind hearted. If she would have stopped moving long enough, she would have realized that he made no attempt to unbutton her jeans or his own. He raised his eyebrows when she squirmed like a madwoman attempting to get herself free. Soon a smile crossed his face, it was so funny to see her struggle like that. But he knew if he didn’t stop she would only faint.
Suddenly, Kathy began to wheeze, her asthma taking over quickly. She turned a bright red and Mel was so afraid that he got off her “My…inhal…” she said through breaths.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” he’s never seen anyone have that bad case of asthma. He reached out to help her off the couch but to his shock, Kathy yanked the pepper spray from his hand and pulled herself off the couch. The pepper spray was pointed to his face, a smile across her face.
“Not so quick now huh!” she screamed at him with a grin.
Mel raised his hands in defense “Wooh…don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He coaxed.
Kathy pointed to him with the spray in a threatening manner “Don’t tell me what to do!! I’m in charge now.” She breathed heavily. She remembered the doctor telling her that her asthma would calm down if she lost the excess weight. Indeed, she has not had an attack for a long time. But suddenly she found herself breathing too hard. Soon, her chest was hurting so much that she had to drop the pepper spray to look for her inhaler.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked again.
She took a few inhales of the medicine and her lungs began to calm down. She kneeled down on the ground “You’ve never seen anyone with asthma?”
“I’ve never seen anyone so hysterical either.” He sat down on the couch with ease as he pulled out his lighter and a cigarette and lit it. He took a puff and blew it out, at the same time sighing.
“That’s not good for you.” She wrinkled her nose.
“What’s wrong? You’re not afraid anymore?” he crossed his legs coolly.
“No…if you wanted to rape me, you wouldn’t have cared if I had asthma. That was pretty cruel.” She observed.
Mel nodded with a smile “Cute and smart. I could use someone like you in the gang.”
Kathy got up from the ground and retied her tousled hair “No way…I don’t want to be found dead anywhere.”
He looked at her solemnly “If you’re under my watch, you won’t die as long as I’m alive.”
She shivered from his comment “As noble as that sounds…I’m going to have to pass. Can I go now?” she asked softly.
He was about to answer but his cell phone rang as he picked it up “Talk to me.” He answered roughly “Yes, I’m still alive and I’m surprised you damn shit heads cared enough to call!”
Kathy widened her eyes fearfully, he looked so scary when he was mad “I don’t want to disturb you…I’m just gonna go…” she whispered and waved to him.
“Hold on, Roach.” He pointed to Kathy “Sit.” He ordered pointing to a chair and Kathy sat down nervously. Mel returned to his phone call “So where the hell are you guys? Never mind where I am…Are you guys safe? Okay…meet me in the same place tomorrow. We’ll take care of those fuckheads once and for all.” With that he hung up.
Kathy was trying hard not to look like she was paying attention to his conversation “Everything okay now?”
Mel turned to her with a smile “You can say that.”
“Can I go now?” she pleaded this time. “I have class tomorrow.” He stuck the cigarette in his mouth and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a couple of hundred and threw it on her lap “Why do I feel like a prostitute?” she held up the bills “What’s this for?”
“You don’t look anything like a prostitute.” He winked at her with a sly grin “Prostitutes don’t give that kind of a fight. That is for helping me. I never let a help go unpaid.”
Kathy snickered as she placed the bills on the seat and stood up “Look, I helped you out of the kindness of my own heart. And I will definitely regret it when I get home. I don’t need your money, Mel.”
He finished the cigarette as he pushed it against the ashtray by his couch. Mel stood up and took the money she left behind as he folded it and placed it into her bag “No one says no to Mel.”
“I just did…twice.” Kathy reached in her bag and took out the money. “Although I’d like to forget the first one.” He chuckled lightly at her comment.
“Then I’m gonna owe you one.” He took the money and placed it in his pocket.
“Owe me?” she asked.
He nodded “I never have a favor unpaid. Since you don’t want my money, I’ll help you out when you need it.” Mel reached in his pocket and took a bill as he scribbled his name and number on it “Call me if you ever need any help.”
Kathy knew she would have to accept “Okay. Now can I go?” he nodded as he waved her away. She gladly left and returned home, she lived only a few blocks up north from where Mel lived. Although the neighborhood was a safe one, she found herself looking back and forth for any signs of the crazy gang man.
Mel stood from his window as he puffed another cigarette, his eyes glued to the beauty walking up the street. She looked like an overly nervous girl with her head flipping in all directions. She would jump at every sound that came up. A smile crossed his face, she was definitely different from all the girls he’s ever known. A flare of innocence yet she was tough. He wondered if she would ever become a good use to him. Surely she would need a make over.
He walked back to his room solemnly. There was more to worry about tomorrow when he had to meet up with his boys. Half of them laying dead somewhere in Toronto.
Mel was a big bro of the Red Dragon, which is located in Hong Kong. He’s been in it since he was 10. He recalled Dai Lou Joe recruiting him after he was beat up badly by a bunch of bullies. He took him in and taught how to be tough, but not ruthless. He had to be strong, but not cruel. Vicious but never evil. There was a thin line between all that, but he soon learned the hard way. Dai Lou Joe was murdered and left on the doorstep of his house when he turned 16 that very day. On his chest was carved ‘Happy Birthday Mel’. He soon found himself caving into the underground world of gangs. His parents eventually could not handle the pressures as they kicked him out of the house. Mel depended on his brothers to keep him sane and at the ripe age of 23 he had solved the murder mystery of his Dai Lou, finally.
He followed the trail to Canada and eventually settled down in Toronto, carefully spotting the hints that the killer left behind. The fight that very night almost cost him his life, but he didn’t care if he died. He had avenged his Dai Lou’s murder, he had found the guy and killed him with his bare hands. Mel guessed it would only be a matter of time when the cops traced him. As a gangster, he would have to keep moving around to keep the cops off his back. That was his life, the life he was so use to and probably would never change.