Notes: Failing to figure out how to put author's notes in I'm forced to place them here, shows you how tech savvy I am. So random notes about this story. 1) It's my first published story. There is no about question whether I'm going to keep writing. The question is whether I'll keep updating. That of course depends on reviews. 2) This is a prequel obviously. If your favorite character isn't his usual evil self, worry not. I have a wicked and devious plan to make him evil. 3) About AU, OC etc. I'm trying very hard to stay in canon, there are of course no guarantees. I add A LOT of stuff. You can decide for yourself if this qualifies as AU. None of my original characters are safe. In fact I fully plan for only the main 3 to be left standing when I'm done.
Where: an unnamed city
When: 28 years before 200X
Three houses stood together, a few streets away from the center of the city. In the backyard amidst the dying grass, in the shade of an old tree two teenagers stood; dressed neatly having just come from the jobs they'd been lucky to get at the beginning of that summer.
"I swear, if she makes me organize that shelf again, I'm quitting. Why can't she pick a filing system and stick with it?"
"Could be worse Em'," Albert Wily said, disregarding the dirt that was sure to be getting on his one good pair of pants as he climbed to the lowest branch of the tree in the Stanton's backyard.
Emily sighed as she realized that it could be much worse. She could have to keep the death records of the mining company and record her own father's death, as Albert had yesterday, and come home from work fighting back tears.
"Who's was it today?" she asked quietly.
"My uncle's," Albert replied as he twisted around to hang upside down on the branch, "they were in the same crew."
"I'm sorry." She whispered, wishing they could go back to the time when they would scramble all over the tree bickering, not stand under it bemoaning each others misfortune.
"What about you, Tom?" Albert called out to the young man crossing the backyard now. "What lovely task did you get to do today? Any more parades honoring the dead to show our town's resilience or whatever the mayor's thought of now?" Thomas Light had been the most fortunate of the three friends, getting a job in the mayor's office. The previous week he had organized a parade at the mayor's request, to try and boost morale and honor the victims of the most recent mining accident. In Albert's mind however it looked more like disgracing the dead; dragging the broken bodies of his father's crew through the streets and not allowing the families to bury their loved ones in peace.
"No," Tom said in a low voice, releasing a pent up breath, "I filled out warrants for the arrest of people who are delinquent on their taxes."
Albert's teasing face immediately gave way to a very somber one. All of them had been scrambling last month to pick up extra shifts in an effort to keep their families out of such a predicament. They'd all made it, but just barely.
"Filing, death records and taxes," Emily observed, "aren't we a happy bunch."
"What we need is some fun," Albert said as he twisted around and sat on the branch again.
"And what do you suggest-" Tom began, but he didn't get much farther. A resounding boom echoed through the streets of the city, followed by a completely unnecessary siren wailing from overhead.
The blood drained from both Emily and Tom's faces. Both of their fathers were working in the mines at that moment. Albert dropped down from the tree and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
"They'll be fine." He said in a low croak, hoping that he was right, "they've got to be ok."
They stood there, completely silent for another second; then took off running for the mine.