"In the darkest times, that's where you'll find your greatest strength."

Shemar Thomas questioned that quote as he rubbed the red blood leaking from his cheek in his dark skin. The blowing wind of the New York City air mitigating his injuries while he offered a cat some of his leftover milk, looking fondly at what would be his last time at his Crown Heights neighborhood.

Only two days were of school, and his plans were all set: Franklin College had the college majors he was looking for, two decent friends who he could grow close with, all the ambition necessary to try and make it a new home for him and his brother. 

The last thing he needed to do was find a way to keep him safe while they were together. You couldn't exactly bring a eleven year old to a college campus.

Though their father wasn't a safer option either, he figured. At least since mom had passed.

"That's what you're thinking, isn't it," said Valeria Hidalgo, interrupting his internal monologue.

The bright red hair and stylish outfit elevated the glow of her tan skin in comparison to his dark body and baggy clothes. 

"Oh, hey amor " yawning.

"Flint stole money again, you covered up for him, and this time you ran out before he could fight you again. Seriously, don't you think you should call the services on him?"

"He's good at covering his tracks when child services could show up" Shemar rebutted. "The petroleum jelly Coach let me borrowed has come in handy a lot though."

"You shouldn't have to resort to that at all!"

"True, but he's slipped up enough times," showing her a document with links to voice recordings, and videos of his set up. "After tomorrow, I'll be sure Flint has a home before I have to leave. Maybe Franklin will here me out and let me ditch the summer program till he gets in," sharing the documents with her.

"How long have you been planning this?"

"Ever since I realized I'm not strong enough to take care of myself. Shonda took me in when I didn't even know who my parents were, and I promised I'd find that strength one day. But this is my way of showing that. If I can't keep my promise to her, then I don't deserve to be called a big brother." 

Shemar's face glared down at the shadows. Even they told the truth about the world, and the work he pretended to be doing on his phone had enough evidence.

"Okay, but tomorrow, make sure Flint doesn't do it again," as they were about to head into the school.

"He needs better food than Gerald wasting it on booze."

"No, I have a surprise for you dummy."

"Is it a birthday kiss," he teased.

"Boyfriend, remember?"

He sighed. "Second boyfriend in the future then?"

"Well, you'll never find a girl as amazing as me. But maybe you will at college."

"I doubt it amor," aware he wasn't exactly the most attractive type in the world. "I'm just happy we both some made it this far."

"Hey, you had that in the bag. It's me who needed most of the help."

"Well what kind of friend, slash future lover would I be if I didn't have your back. I wish you were coming with me at Franklin. It'd be nice to have a friend there with."

"Renaya will be there."

"But she's not the Virtuous Valeria I know and love."

"Look, just come early tomorrow near the park and bring Flint. And maybe you'll get that kiss gift."

"Alright," thinking about that throughout the whole day while recollecting the hardships that got him to this day. The extra hours volunteering and getting paid at the library, restless nights of assignments, and adjusting to doing online work was going to pay off.

Then he came home, to the sound of Gerald demanding he joined the table. Shemar sat down with the pale man in his young forties alongside the young eleven year blonde boy.

"Is there something you forgot to tell me?"

"No, gave you all the details, I just want you to please take it easy on Flint. After everything we've done for you, he deserves that."

"You may have a point," Gerald said, rising up with a beer bottle as the lights briefly flickered off.

When the lights came on, Shemar and Flint bore witness to a stack of cash.

"Why was this in his bag?"

" Gerald, I can explain, it was me again,I shouldn't have-"

"Liar!" Shemar barely ducked under from the thrown bottle that cracked, sending glass shards flying across the room. "You've been covering for him this whole time, haven't you?"

Flint's stomach gurgled.

"Look Gerald, you haven't been exactly great in the head recently, and Shonda needed you to step up, and you haven't done that great of a job."

The older man said nothing, but ran up and punched Shemar in the gut. He clutched his chest as the man slammed another bottle into his face.

"You don't ever use her name in vain! She made a mistake taking you in all those years ago and she died knowing it! Don't ever tell me how to raise my own son!"

Shemar picked himself up, only to find Gerald holding up his iPad.

"The school had informed me you had some questionable content," showing all the video files he took of Gerald's abuse towards him and Flint. "After everything I did you for two, this is how you repay me!?"

He turned on the gas stove and Shemar could only gasp as the evidence went up in flames, while the fire expanded through the kitchen. "Something always warned me you'd try to screw me over one day!"

Flint could barely keep in the smoke, forcing Shemar to knock Gerald away from the boy.

"Flint, get everything and run, tell the neighbors!"

"But what about you?"

"Just go!"

Gerald tackled the young seventeen year old to the floor, pounding on his face. Shemar could see the shadows of his fists slamming towards Flint, a nightmare he'd dare never pass.

The flames reached the top of the ceiling, causing the light switch and tiles to start dropping one by one. Shemar wrestled Gerald, but rubble fell in front of Flint. The ceiling above him was next.

"Stop it!"

Shemar could feel his voice resonating with something far away. In the brief moment, his pleas for help resulted in a dark aura from below blowing Gerald off and the rubble away from Flint. The three members of the Thomas household watched their home of the past eight years be destroyed.

Shemar attempted to grab the iPad, but there was no time. He knocked Gerald in the head with a chair, and took Flint, rummaging through the house for as much money and food as he could store and were about to flee when his father caught Flint by the hand.

"Stop, or I'm taking him with me!"

Neither pre eighteen year could handle the smoke anymore and Shemar was all set to pass out. A feminine voice called out, asking if he needed a savior. All the young male could do was to reach for Flint as he said yes.

And he sprinted into a hole, sending her hurling away from his home, and his brother. 

I'm going to rewrite this because I don't feel like this was naturally all that strong and yeah, I can definitely see there are glaring issues with writing and programming. 

Chapter 1 Rewrite: Which one do you prefer?

In another world similar to Earth, a person in dark clothes flipped away from a serious of projectiles from the sky, while a feral creature with star outlines and colorless beige, chased them down.

"Just a little bit longer. The next heir is needed more than ever."

"In the darkest times, that's where you'll find your greatest strength."

Back on Earth, on Empire Academy, a group of teens raced through the hallway, chasing someone younger than them, and almost no one had stopped them. The boy eventually crashed into a young lady reaching adulthood, Valeria Hidalgo. She turned her back, demanding they stop.

"Seriously, school's almost over. Aren't you gonna be a senior next year?"

"We don't listen to Hispanic hoes. Go on Only/Fans on something!"

Valeria clenched her fist, seeing no teachers around. Then everyone started screaming.

A young man around her height was covered in red darker than her hair and black clothing dripping down face and clothes. Nearly everyone but Val freaked out with his head hanging down to the floor.

He raised his head, releasing a blood curdling scream that left most of them screaming in terror, and the bullies running away. As people yelled to get help, Valeria grabbed the two boys back into a classroom.

"Shemar...that...actually was pretty smart, but your clothes?"

"Ehh, it's gonna rain later, anyway," pointing to the gray, cloudy sky of their Crown Heights neighborhood. They gave their teacher the cliff notes, who just asked him, Shemar Thomas, to not get the floor messy as she left to calm the class outside.

"Ms. Kayner will understand. I hope," wiping off the paint off his face and unraveling the paper shaped like a knife.

"Well people always said you'd grow up to become a serial killer."

"Sometimes I don't mind playing the villain. Now, amor," leaning in. Care to be my partner in crime. Or a special gift."

She blocked his mouth. "Boyfriend, remember?"

The other kid introduced himself, a young sophomore, Kayden Moss. "Um, thank you both. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Shemar waved. "No sweat."

Val leaned in, spotting what Kayden was pointing out. A scar on his cheeks, leaking red blood off his dark skin. The light brown Latina was quick to patch him up with a bandage.

"Gerald, again? I get Flint needs to eat, but call child services."

"He's good at covering his tracks when they show up," he rebutted. "Still, coach's petroleum jelly tends to mitigate the wounds."

"You shouldn't have to resort to that at all!"

"Mr. Shemar, do you get hurt a lot," Kayden asked.

"Ehh," yawning. "I guess. I just focus on finding ways to avoid or minimize the damage. We go through a lot of pain, we just have to be smart about handling it."

"I'll try that. Thank you again," nodding and leaving.

"No problem." When the door closed, Shemar bounced up and down with his giddy clothes. "He thought I was cool, amor!"

She sighed. "Well, you have your moments."

"But don't worry about Gerald, he's slipped up enough times," showing her his borrowed iPad that had voice recordings and videos from the tech room. "By tomorrow, I'll be sure Flint has a home before I go to Franklin College." He sighed again. "I just wish I could ditch the summer program till he gets a home," sharing the documents with her.

"How long have you been planning this?"

"Ever since I realized no one else can see past their nostalgia to give a damn he's not the same man he was before Iraq. Plus, Shonda took me in when I had no one, no memories and no home outside the center. I promised I'd find the strength to keep helping Flint, and I don't deserve to be called his big brother if I can't."

"I know, I just want you to be safe. Anyway, come to the park before 7am tomorrow and bring Flint with you."

"A birthday gift? A birthday kiss?"

She swung her head back and forth. Maybe. But we're not gonna see each other for a while."

"Come or transfer to Franklin! I could use a friend."

"You got Renaya. Besides, you've helped me get my grades up high enough to get to college. And hey, you might find a girl as amazing as me at college."

"Yeah, but they won't be the Valiant Valeria."

"I guess. Also, send me those files. I've got a bad feeling."

"Everything will work out," emailing her all of them. "If push comes to shove, there's gonna be someone who might take Flint in. Think you could be his brother in law when I become your second boyfriend?"

She snickered. "Sure. I'll hold you to that."

He got home later, using the rain to wash the paint away. After the extra hours volunteering at the library, restless nights and adjusting to online work was going to pay off.

When he came home, Gerald demanded he sat table. Shemar joined the young pale man in his forties and the young eleven year old blond boy.

"I'll be out of your sight soon enough," leaning his gaze to the bottle. "You brought Flint dinner for a change?"

Gerald sighed. "Ran out as usual."

"I'll get him something then. Should be getting paid tomorrow."

"Good." The lights flickered out. When it came out, he brought out a stack of cash. "Why was all this money in his bag?"

"I can explain, it was me, I just needed the money to-"

"Liar!" Shemar barely ducked from the bottle Gerald threw at him, which cracked into glass shards flying across. "You've been covering for him, haven't you!?"

Flint's stomach gurgled.

"Gerald, look, Shonda needed you to step up, and I barely ate. Flint needs something that's not alcohol to drink."

However, his guardian punched him in the gut, leaving him coughing on the floor.

"Don't ever say her name in vain! She made a mistake taking you in all those years ago! You both have a roof over my head because of me!"

By the time he got up, Gerald turned on the gas stove with his iPad taken from his bag. "You recorded me all those times, after everything I've done for you two?" He dropped it on the stove, letting it burn.

The fire expanded through the kitchen, quickly becoming smoke. Flint started coughing and Shemar slammed a chair down on Gerald, before grabbing his brother and trying to get the iPad. However, the flames were too much. He cobbled up the money in his bag and took Flint.

"Come, we have to go."

The two Thomas siblings watched their home they shared for eight years being destroyed.

"Are we gonna die?"

"No way in hell."

The two of them were about to run as the ceiling cracked and the fire spread throughout the room. Gathering some equipment and convenient store food from their couch bedroom, the two of them were about to run out the house when Gerald grabbed the elder brother by the foot, dragging him down.

'I won't see Shonda because of you, so I'll take you to hell with me. They were right about you being my downfall!"

Shemar tried kicking and biting him off, taking a kick to the face as he thrusted the bag to Flint. "Go!'

The ceiling above Flint started to crack, and Shemar's body and mind broke at what was above to happen.

"STOP IT!"

A massive burst of energy flowed out of him, blowing Gerald back into the flames. Too concerned to care, he hopped back to take Flint's hand in spite of his injuries. The brother's hand was about to reach when a ripple opened up in front of him.

Shemar screamed as the hole separated him from his brother.