There were four places you could useally find Authur Fonzerilli...and if he wasn't at any of those places you knew there was a problem. Those places were Arnolds, The Cunninghams, his Garrage, and Insperation Point. Few dared to check for him at home (aka the Cunningham house) and even fewer dared to check for him at Insperation Point...so the two most obvious places to look for him were Arnolds and his Garrage.

In this case, he was at the later, buisly working on an engene that had given up the goast the week previously. He knew that he was capable of completly restoring the engene and even making it better then it had been before. It would be hard work...but he would be well-paid for it, and that would make it more then worthwhile. That, and the pure satisfaction of having done it.

Suddenly, the door to the garrage burst open. Through it walked a young man. His hair was medium brown and slicked back, he wore jeans, a T-shirt, and a half-open leather jackit. With a quick glance over his shoulder, the young man shut the door hurridly behind him and walked over...his face betraying worry and fear beyond comprhension.

"Fonz?" the young man greated. "You...you are the Fonz, right?"his voice betrayed the same panic made so evident on his face, and as he strode over, even his walk made his fear apparent.

"Yeah...that's me." Fonzie responded, looking up from the engene and trying to meet the young man's eyes. He couldn't, the kid wouldn't look up. "Who's asking?"

"Joal Parcek." the kid responded, his voice taking on a more confident tone. He half turned, revealing the back of his jackit, which said in large, golden-brown letters, LIONS "I'm a Lion."

Fonzie nodded, fighting the urdge to flinch. The Lions were about as well known as the Falcons had been in their day. How this scared little kid had gotten into their numbers didn't quite make sence, but now he had the Fonz on guard. It wasn't the first time he'd delt with a member of a new gennearation gang who wanted the falcons to come back into action and ither rumble with them or help them out in what they saw as an important rumble. "I noticed." he said simplly.

The kid bit his lip. "Look, Fonz, you really have no reason to help me...and I know that, but I'm in trouble. Lots of trouble."

"Do you mean you as in 'the lions are in trouble' or do you mean you as in you yourself are in trouble?"

"Me myself." the kid responded immidently, then he hessatated "But...the whole gang will be in trouble if you can't help me out."

Now the kid had Fonzie's full attation. However, the young lion was still not meeting Foznie's gaze. "Look at me." Fonzie ordered gently. The kid looked up, his wide, dark blue eyes shining with unshead tears. Whatever was happening, it was important. "Now...tell me what the problem is."

Taking a deep breath...the young man began his story.

"It all started about a week ago." Joal began. "The Lions and I were just hanging out, not doing much. Or at least, us Lions who still go to school. Not many of us."

Fonzie nodded, tempted to comment, but decided aginst it in favor of letting the young man finish his story.

Joal contunued. "Anyway, I was getting kinda nervous...I had Algebra next period, and there was a big test that day. Well...I'm the only Lion who really cares about grades and stuff...and they were trying to tell me to cut class but I didn't feel like staying after school for a make-up...ya know?." There was silence for a second, as if Joal was waiting for Fonzie to say something, but when he stayed silent the young man contunued. "Anyway...I started taking off for class when suddenly this guy, Don't know his name, he's in my Science class... and he's an Eagle..."

Fonzie's mind raced to remember what the Eagles were known for...the name deffently rang a bell for some reason. Joal contunued with his story. "Anyway...he told me to cut science class today...said that he was sick of us being grouped together 'cause we dress kinda the same...I said I was sick of it too and that if anybody was gonna cut science it'd be him...next thing I knew he'd shoved me and the entire gang was on him. They almost started to beat the tar outta him...would've too...if some do-gooder hadn't run off and told someone. I ended up the only one without detention...but I was still late for Algebra."

Fonzie smiled slightly, remembering all to well the times he'd suffered through a simmilar situation. Becoming the leader of the Falcons had ended most of those problems, and dropping out of school had temporally solved the rest. With a slight nod, he urdged Joal to keep talking. Joal did. "Anyway, I got back to the hangout that afternoon...found out we had a rumble sceguled with the Eagles."

When Joal said that, Fonzie suddenly remembered what rang a bell in his mind about the Eagles. They were among the best and most ruthless fighters in Millwalkie, rarly going by anyone's rules but their own, and often they'd bring out blades in mid-rumble...even with a no weapons rule in place. A chill worked it's way up Fonzie's spine...he knew about the Eagles all too well...but he had to make sure.

"I think I see your problem." Fonzie finally spoke up. "Yeah...you Lions don't know what you're getting yourselves into. But I don't get it...how are you, individually, in trouble?"

One of the tears that sparkled in his eyes started creeping out and sliding down his left cheek. Hurridly wiping it away with the tips of his fingers, Joal responded with "Because that guy...he tried to call off the rumble. Wanted a one-on-one with me." Here, Joal paused, then said "We...we said we'd think on it...but I know they're not gonna agree." His eyes had gone from fearful to despreate. "Fonz...we're not in any shape to whip the Eagles...we...we havn't even had a real rumble in months."

Now, tears fell from Joal's eyes unhindered. "Please, Fonz...you've gotta stop them. They'll listen to you...please...the Eagles will kill us if you don't stop them..."

"Hey...kid..." Fonzie said, walking over to him and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't cry...please, don't cry."

Joal franticly wiped at the tears, gasping, trying to stop himself from crying. "I'll...I'm trying." he half-whispered. Finally, the tears stopped coming, and Joal looked at Fonzie with hope.

"I'm sorry." Fonzie began. "But...I can't stop the Eagles..."

Joal shook his head. "No...I wasn't talking about the eagles."

Fonzie looked at Joal, confused. "But...you said..."

"I ment I want you to stop us." Joal intrupted. "I want you to tell the Lions not to fight for me."

There were four places you could useally find Fonzie, three of them safe to look for him at. Richie Cunningham had already ruled out two, and was getting ready to stop at the third. If Fonzie wasn't at his garrage, Richie would give up looking for another couple hours. He really wasn't in the mood to get his head knocked off for intrupting Fonzie in the middle of a date.

He hadn't seen Fonzie all day, and when The Fonz was mssing from Arnolds for more then 18 hours, there was ither a problem, or he had an extra-long date and/or string of dates. Personally, Richie was hoping it was the later because, even though Fonzie could, and did, take care of himself Richie still felt protective occisionally when the older guy had a problem...because he just seemed so young and helpless in those situations.

Shaking his head to clear it, Richie pulled up at the curb and began walking over to the garrage. He was problly just parioniod, but he kept remembering how he'd helped build this place after the origional had been blown up in an attempt to kill Fonzie. Shaking his head agian, Richie murmered "Fonz would freak if he knew how clingy I'm acting...I need an excuse for why I'm looking for him...ummmm."

As he started to open the door, he heard Fonzie's voice saying "No way. I'm sorry, I'm not gonna let you do that."

"What do you mean?" an unfimmilar voice shot back.

"Just what I said." Fonzie responded. "You're gang's in no shape to fight the Eagles, and nither are you."

"I'm going in one-on-one." the unfimmilar voice shot back. "I can handle a guy one-on-one, even if he fights dirty."

"You know the Eagles cheat. No way it'll be a one-on-one. It'll problly end up a five-on-one."

"You have no way of knowing that!"

"Yeah, I do." was Fonzie's responce. "I've delt with gangs like the Eagles, and trust me, those kinds of rumbles are never cool. Even one-on-one."

"Fonz, all I'm asking is for you to stop the Lions for fighting my battles for me. That's all. I don't want you to help me, I want you to help my gang."

"Well, sorry kid." was Fonzie's responce. "I don't help gangs, I help people."

"Look, dozzens of people could die if you don't do something!"

"And I plan on doing something...just not what you want me to do."

Richie, feeling guilty for evesdroping, started to turn and leave. He knew where Fonzie was now, and didn't want to intrupt. Whoever this kid was, he was in trouble and didn't want to get out of it. The verry fact that Fonzie wasn't already pounding sence into him made Richie more then a little proud of his friend for the progress he'd made in controling his temper.

Talking to Fonzie could wait, whoever this kid was, his problem couldn't.

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Fonzie could hardly beleave what this kid was saying. Turning away, Fonzie took a deep breath and counted to ten in his head. It was a trick he'd learned to prevent himself from getting violent. After pausing, he said "Look, when you walked in that door, you told me you were a Lion. That means that your fight is their fight, no questions asked."

"It also means that I have to take a dive for them sometimes." Joal responded.

"You know." Fonzie began "For someone who's asking for my help you really seem to be bent on argueing with me."

"That's only because you're not listining to me!" Joal shot back. His blue eyes, so frightened and hopeless only moments ago now blazed with anger. "You know what? Forget it." With that, Joal turned on his heal and headed for the door. "I guess you just don't understand loyalty anymore, Fonz."

Richie was only a few steps away from his car when he saw a thin kid with jet black hair hurry out of the garrage. At first, he seemed to be just walking quickly, or joging, but when Fonzie's unmestakable voice called after him..."Joel!" the kid broke into a full-fledged run.

Richie turned. The kid, Joel, Fonzie had called him, was running straight at him. Bracing himself, Richie reached out to grab the kid when he got withen arms reach. He didn't know what was going on...but from what he'd overheard, running away from Fonzie wasn't this kid's smartest move.

Richie reached out when Joel hurried by, his large hand curling arround the boy's thin arm. He reached out to grasp Joel's shoulder too...but the small boy reached up, rotating his arm and twisting Richie's hand arround in the process. A quick jerk from a long step sent a jolt of pain up the older guy's arm...and the kid took off agian, running like the devil himself was chacing him.

Wincing in pain, Richie had pulled his suddenly injured arm in towards him, and was holding it gently with his other arm by the time Fonzie got to him. "Richie." Foznie greated, his voice sounding slightly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Richie didn't even bother to make anything up. "Well...I havn't seen you arround for a while and...I was just..."

"I get it." Fonzie cut off Richie's explanation. "Hey...what's wrong with your arm?" At Richie's startled, yet blank, expression, Fonzie caught on. "How much of that conversation did you hear?"

"Just something about the Eagles...I didn't quite catch all of it, but it sounded important."

"Important enough that you tried to grab him while he was running by?" Fonzie asked.

Richie nodded. "He sounded like he was in trouble...and like he wasn't letting you help him."

"Nah...he wants me to help him." Fonzie responded. "But I can't do it." At Richie's startled expression, Fonzie explaned "He wants me to let him put himself in danger to protect his gang."

"Oh." Richie responded, fegining understanding. "So...can you do anything?"

"Maybe." Fonzie answered. "I've got a couple possibilities. I'm not to sure about ither of them though."

"Oh." Richie echoed his previous statement. "You want to talk about it?" His typical good-boy helpfulness forced the question out...even though he knew what the answer would be.

"Nah..." Fonzie answred. "I can handle this one. But thanks anyway, Red."

"Uh...you welcome." Richie responded. "So...you gonna come by Arnold's later? People are wondering where you are."

"Yeah." Fonzie answered. "I think I might drop by in a coupple hours. But I've got some work to finish up here first."

"Alright." Richie said as he climbed into his car, still favoring his arm. "See ya arround."

"Yep." Fonzie responded, smacking the hood with the palm of his hand. Richie tried not to flinch as he silently prayed Fonzie's touch wouldn't do anything to his car. It didn't. Fonzie started walking away, and Richie started the car.

An instant later, Fonzie whirled arround, and Richie paused before switching into drive. "Oh...and Red..."

"Yeah Fonz?"

"Next time you try to stop someone, don't reach out to grab them...stand in front of them. It'll work better."

Grinning shyly, Richie said "Thanks, Fonz." as he stepped on the gas pedal and drove slowly away.