Imagine Stan had been used as Fordâs whipping boy growing up. Filbrick didnât want to punish Ford because Ford had potential. So instead, every mistake Ford made was taken out on Stan. Stan was always punished in Fordâs place, whether groundings, beatings, or withheld meals.
It wasnât a secret. Sometimes Filbrick made Ford watch Stan get punished in his place, just to drive in the lesson so Ford wouldnât make the same mistake again. When they were young, Stan would try to tough it out, telling Ford that it was okay, even as Ford apologized to him over and over once it was done.
But as they grew older, it created resentment between them. Stan didnât resent Ford himself, but he resented whenever his perfect brother made a mistake. He resented Fordâs failures. But even if given the option, Stan would choose to be punished in Fordâs place anyway, because he would never want to see Ford go through it.
Ford however, grows to resent Stan. Itâs misplaced resentment, but he canât help it. Ford canât handle his own crushing guilt and shame over whatâs been done to Stan for so many years. Ford hates himself. He hates every mistake he makes. He considers himself a failure because he could never be perfect enough to prevent Stan from being punished.
Ford becomes obsessed with perfection, joining every extracurricular club and spending long nights studying. But his own guilt and self loathing become so great he eventually turns it on his brother. Itâs easier to just blame it all on Stan than deal with it. He canât take his anger out on his father, the true culprit, so instead he resents his own twin for it.
That resentment festers between them and gets worse as they age. By the time theyâre near to graduating highschool, Ford secretly wants nothing to do with Stan anymore. His own shame makes him push Stan away. He just wants to leave and be on his own and not have to worry about his brother ever again.
The science fair incident still happens. Stan takes all the blame and this time Ford feels nothing when Stan is kicked out, because this time it was Stanâs fault. Stan deserves it. Fordâs hands are clean now and heâs relieved to be free.
Years pass and Ford tries not to think about Stan. He tries not to think about his family or childhood at all. He doesnât want to face the idea they were abused. He keeps all that guilt buried. But the self loathing remains.
Stan falls into horrible cycles on his own, finding people he thinks will be his friends, only to end up used and abused by them. But Stan doesnât resent them too much for it; thatâs how the world works. He knows he makes a good lackey, a good punching bag, a good distraction. Fists and anger is what he knows best. He deals with it, forever trying to make something of himself in hopes of being accepted by his brother again, of making up for what he did to Ford.
And Ford still calls for his help. When he gets in over his head, Stan is the only one he can think of reaching out to. He sends a post card.
Stan drops everything and goes to his brother. Itâs been so long since heâs seen him, and heâll do anything to help. If thereâs someone after his brother, someone trying to hurt his brother, then Stan will get in between them. Demon or human or monster, he will be his brotherâs shield.
Because Stan will always take the fall for Ford. Itâs what heâs been trained to do, after all.