A/N: Hello! Decided to write another RA one-shot! I don't see much… in fact I don't see any AU stories for RA so I decided I might as well try to be one of the first few people to try an AU setting! :'D if you're up and open for a different style and setting, feel free to give this one-shot a read!

Warning: Slight violence and language

Illusions of Dreaming proudly presents:

An Old Debt

Running down the dark streets and alleys in the cold and frigid winter's night, Will for once, was thankful for his short and wiry figure that made slipping away from danger slightly easier.

He turned another quick corner into a dark street and plastered himself to the shadowed wall, holding his breath as several of his pursuers ran past the alley, missing his small form. He didn't dare breathe even as they ran off; for fear that his warm breath in the chilled air might act like a beacon signal to his capturers, pointing out his position. In his hand, clutched a round object that he held close to his chest, drawing comfort from the familiar item, the young teenager counted slowly to thirty. When he heard no returning footsteps, he cautiously stepped out from his hiding spot and slipped from the alley, his boots crunching softly on the snow.

He walked quickly but silently as he slipped from corner to corner, hoping to escape from this part of the city before his pursuers caught up. Just another corner and he'll arrive at the populated streets of the city where the gang won't dare hunt him under the scrutiny of society. Will felt relief rush over him as he quickened his steps, desperate to reach the crowded streets before the gang reaches him. However, his relief was short lived as someone caught hold of his collar and threw him back.

His back collided with the cold pavement painfully and he couldn't help the cry that escaped from his lips when he was sent flying to a wall from a well aimed kick. Even as the shadows began to grow around him, he struggled to get up, his precious item clutched painfully close to his chest.

"Well, well, looks like we've caught the rat."

Brown eyes whipped to the shadow of a tall male stepping forward, a wicked sneer on his ugly, marred face. Will found himself standing straighter, glaring with intense hatred for the leader of the gang, unwilling to back down despite the numbers being against him.

His head cracked painfully to the side and white exploded in his vision as the force of the male's slap knocked him down. Will tasted blood in his mouth as he staggered, but forced himself to meet the leader's gaze defiantly.

"Still as defiant as ever, little Willy." The bully sneered, using Will's hated nickname.

"Only to ugly brutes like you Alda." The brown haired boy whispered softly, his eyes flashing angrily as he forced on a mocking smile of his own.

He was ready for Alda's kick as he twisted away to avoid the painful blow aimed at his ribs and promptly launched himself at the older boy. Alda was not expecting Will to retaliate and was thrown back as Will's fist connected painfully with his face.

Will didn't even have time to relish in his success at punching Alda as he was knocked down again with punches and kicks raining down on him painfully. A foot connected with his stomach and the young boy was sent reeling on the ground, his dinner coming out and mixing with the bloodied snow beneath him. He wasn't given time to recover as the gang continuously kicked at him, intent on bruising and breaking as many bones they can.

"STOP!" Alda's furious command tore through the air and the torture stopped briefly.

Will was huddled into himself, curled with his arms wrapped around his head in a feeble attempt to protect his vital organs. Strong arms grabbed him and he was unfurled despite his painful protests and pinned to the wall, a slap to his face sent bells ringing in his head again as Alda spat at him.

"You little bastard." The pressure around his throat increased and Will choked on air as he clawed weakly at the hand around his throat. A fist connected with his battered stomach and Will choked on a cry as he curled painfully over his abused area.

"Haven't you learned that defying me would only result in broken bones?" the leader sneered at the broken, shivering figure.

Despite all the pain and dizziness, one brown eye cracked open painfully and met Alda's smug expression. Will took a shuddering breath and holding onto the hand around his neck, he glared at his offender and spat.

Alda released him with an angry howl, covering his offended eye and stumbling backwards into his companions' arms. Will was dropped like a sack of potatoes on the cold ground below, his eyes glinting with smug satisfaction at Alda's pathetic howls.

He barely blocked the kick aimed at him and was sent rolling across the snow covered street as another kick connected with his side. His arm grasped painfully at his side as he ignored his body's painful protests, struggling to get up before the gang neared him again. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught something glinting in the snow beside him and before he knew it, he was grasping a small dagger in his palm, facing his enemies.

In his current state, Will couldn't draw the strength to wonder why there would be a conveniently place dagger in the snow, all he could focus on was the annoying humming in his ears and the blood that's rushing to his face.

Someone lunged and Will stepped to the side, swinging his small dagger around and burying it in the side of the passing body. The boy fell to the ground with a painful shriek but Will couldn't care less about him as he dodged another thug and slashed at him. He buried the small knife in a thigh and ripped it out as the boy fell to the ground crying like a stuck pig. Panting with exhaustion and peeling his eyes away from the crimson liquid that pooled he faced the rest of the gang.

The gang seemed to hesitate in its' advance, seeing the way the battered boy had felled three members with surprising speed and agility with the dagger in his hand. However, when Will staggered slightly, obviously weakened by the beating he took, they shrugged it off as luck and advanced again, determined to take him down once and for all.

Will watched with despair as the gang advanced again. He was already struggling to stand on his feet properly, his sight was blurring around the edges from blood loss and he had only one small dagger. Felling the three brutes was pure dumb luck and Will was convinced that whatever luck he was granted was about to drain out. He couldn't' possibly hold on much longer and as if his body was agreeing with him, he staggered again, nearly tripping on his own two feet and falling on his face.

The gang neared again and his hand clenched painfully around the small dagger, as he took a step back. Alda's gang echoed each pace he took as they forced him closer and closer to a dead end. An idea was wiggling at the back of his mind, nagging him as his back hit a wall.

Alda stepped forward facing him with an angry scowl, his face as red as a tomato. Will's grip tightened on the dagger.

"You can't run anymore thief."

The insult burned at the young boy as anger ignited within Will that was then fueled by his rising panic and fear.

"I didn't steal anything!" he growled, his voice cracking, brown eyes flashing dangerously as his voice dropped a few tones lower.

Alda's gang laughed at his statement mockingly, ignoring the furious glint in the boy's eyes.

"Lying is bad for you Treaty. The thing you stole is still clutched in your hand." Alda sneered, stepping forwards again, his small gang following behind.

"I only took back what YOU stole from me." Will hissed, his hand brought the locket closer to his body.

Alda shrugged nonchalantly, "Finder's keepers, Willy. Basic street rules." A wicked grin stretched itself across the boy's face as he sneered at Will.

"It's not my fault you dropped it."

Will snarled at the lie, knuckles turning white from clenching the dagger and the locket too tightly. He might forget things from time to time but the locket was something he would NEVER forget or lose accidentally. The day he 'lost' his precious item was the day someone rudely barreled into him while he was out grocery shopping. He fell and everything was scattered on the ground. By the time he stood back up the groceries were ruined and the locket was gone.

Alda stepped forwards again, his face drawn in a wide smile as he cornered the brown haired boy, his hand out and wanting.

"That locket is precious, it's casing is made with gold and I would like to have it back Willy."

"No." Will looked up and met Alda's gaze.

"No?" the bully enquired, his face pulling into a frown.

"It's mine." Will said with finality, his hand with the locket pulled closer to his chest. "And I'm not giving it to you."

Alda flinched at the sudden intensity of Will's glare and his smile broke, a dark shadow covering his face as he scowled at the stubborn boy.

"Fine, I was planning to let you off with just a beating. But I'm not feeling so merciful anymore." Alda whispered, his hands clenching into fists by his side.

Tense silence captured the area as the two boys glared at each other, the cold wind throwing powdered snow around them.

"Boys." Alda's voice broke the silence and it had lost it's smug tone.

"Kill him."

The command cut coldly and sharply through the crisp air, echoing through the area ominously, before the silence was once again broken as Alda's small gang lurched forward to carry out Alda's command.

Pressured with Alda's gang rushing towards him, Will felt despair, panic and fear crashing onto him all at once. His gut twisted sickeningly as adrenaline pounded through his vein, the roaring of his enemies grew louder by the second as their distance was reduced to several paces.

Thirty steps.

His heart pounded painfully, his grip slipping on the dagger as sweat coated his palms.

Is this it?

Twenty steps remains.

Something nags at him at the corner of his mind, the idea poking at him but his fingers refused to move, fear immobilizing his motions.

Fifteen.

Brown orbs searched desperately for any kind of miracle, wishing the pounding in his head to clear so he could concentrate on his dire situation. Something was bugging him. His fingers tightened sickeningly on the dagger and he licked his cracked lips. He would only have one chance.

A mere ten paces.

He must! The howls for his blood forced the boy to move, his arm drew back, his eyes locked on the target and he threw his only weapon with all his remaining strength and placed all his hope on it's flight. He had only a few seconds to brace himself as the angry gang reached him.

A blood curdling scream ripped through the air and the flying kicks and fists stopped, his enemies turning around to find Alda whimpering on the ground, clutching his left side.

The dagger had more or less found its' mark. He had aimed for Alda's chest but the dagger dropped lower than he thought and instead, sunk its' pointed tip below his diaphragm.

Not bad for a desperate first throw.

Will managed a small smirk before falling to the ground, barely conscious as his wounds began to take it's toll on his small structure, shaking as he began to lapse into the first stages of shock.

The gang was stunned and shocked that their leader had fallen. Some ran over to help Alda immediately as the boy cursed loudly and howled for their blood for reacting so slowly.

"HE KILLED ME! HE KILLED ME!" Alda howled pathetically, spitting and snotting all over the place. The gang began to back away, scared and confused now that their leader had fallen, they began to flee but a few stayed behind, unsure of what to make of the boy who managed to take down their support.

"We should kill him before he g-gets to us next!"

"Bullshit! He's half dead already! Alda's howlings' gonna wake the whole town up, we better flee!"

"No! Half dead is not the same as dead! He took down Alda today! He'll cause more trouble!"

"Do it quickly then!"

Will felt someone pull him up by his hair and something cold was pressed on his pulse point. Barely clinging onto consciousness, the boy couldn't do anything to prevent his fate, his swollen eyes closed and he waited for the cruel slip of knife that'll create a wound that'll eventually bleed him out.

"Back off boys."

A new voice bled into the background. Soft but dangerous as it cut clearly through the chaos, chilling in it's tone. Silence fell over the area like a ton of bricks, suffocating the area, broken only by the whining of Alda. Will felt the cold pressure drop from his neck, the weapon clattering on the ground as his enemies shivered in their spots.

Painfully cracking his eyes open the weakened boy peered at the alley, barely registering the dark figure at the end. The new comer wasn't tall, dressed in black he seemed to blend into the night scenery easily, making it hard to focus on his figure.

But perhaps that's just because he's feeling a bit nauseated and dizzy at the moment.

"Who the hell are you?!" one of the boy hissed as the figure stepped forwards, approaching the small gang.

The mysterious figure moved silently, his feet gliding over the blood splattered snow lightly as he closed the distance with ease. His silent movement, his lack of response and the heavy, dangerous aura he carried caused the bullies to hesitate, unwilling to attack the intruder for fear of awakening whatever monster that lay dormant under his skin.

He approached the boys holding Will and nervously the boy closest to him struck out to only find his fists stopped by a calloused hand and another that descended on his neck knocking him out.

Without giving time for the other boy to register the threat, one hand closed painfully around the arm that held onto Will's hair.

"Who I am is none of your business. Your business is with your pathetic, whimpering excuse of a leader behind…" the pressure increased on the boy's arm and the boy whimpered with fright, dropping his hold on Will's hair.

"Get out of my sight." The mysterious hooded man commanded, his voice soft but tightly lined with fury.

Whimpering, the boy nodded and once the short mysterious man released his arm, he quickly scampered towards the rest of the gang and fled with their injured leader.

Will dropped to the ground in exhaustion, his swollen eyes closing as sleep begged for his attention. Warm hands wrapped around him and he faintly felt himself being lifted, the cold wind no longer touching him. With a tired sigh, the broken boy turned to the warmth and nuzzled closer, letting the darkness drag him down.

"You're safe now."

x x x

That beeping sound was annoying. Will groaned as he turned on his bed to only find that his body wouldn't cooperate without feeling like he was being ripped apart. The previous night's events flooded into his mind and he startled awake, sitting up quickly to only be forced down again as two strong arms caged him.

"Lie down, you're not well enough yet."

Will swallowed, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light. He recognized the gruff voice, it lacked its previous cold fury but no doubt it belonged to the same mysterious man on the street.

"W-where?" his voice cracked as he turned his head to the voice, watching the blurry mass move around.

"Drink." The low voice commanded and something cold was pressed against his lips, water trickling down his jaw. Will took light sips as his vision cleared, slowly taking in the features of his savior.

He had a weathered face with an angled jaw, a poorly managed beard –that looked oddly hacked- surrounding thinly pressed lips. Two calculating grey eyes that spoke volumes and two thick eyebrows that were pulled together in a frown. A nose that looked like it had been broken once or twice was set on the middle of his face and bronze colored hair that were graying. If he weren't frowning so much, he might even look handsome, Will thought.

"Admiring the view?" one eyebrow was pulled upwards in a pointed glare as the glass was drawn from Will's lips.

"W-where?" the boy tried again, groaning as his chest burned with pain.

"On a bed."

If only Will could turn his head, he would show this mysterious man just how much he appreciated his obvious comments through his glare. Will licked his lips and tried a different approach.

"Who are you?"

There was a pregnant pause before the gruff man replied slowly.

"A friend of your father."

Will's hand clenched by his side before his sluggish mind registered shock and horror, the heart monitor by the side picked up speed reflecting his growing panic.

"Will?!" the face of the mysterious man entered his vision again, this time worry lined his face. "What is it?"

His hand clenched painfully around nothingness, panic flooding his senses at the missing object. Grey eyes turned to his hands and understanding filled the eyes as two warm hands placed themselves by the sides of his face.

"Calm down. It's not lost."

Something cold was pressed against his clenched hand. Will instantly opened his hand and the object dropped into his open palm. The familiar cold feeling, the roundness of the itme and the interesting dent by the side reassured the stressed male that this was indeed his precious locket. The heart monitor slowly calmed down and slowed to a regular pace, his consciousness starting to fade as a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

"Thank you." He managed to slur.

He caught the surprise that flashed through the cloudy eyes before he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

x x x

"When are you going to tell me where I am?"

The grim faced male turned around, one eyebrow cocked at Will's annoyed and frustrated expression.

"When you're ready." The man replied smoothly before turning back to attend to his coffee grinder.

"When am I ready?" Will huffed, irritation flashing through his eyes at the man whose name he still haven't heard.

"When you stop asking stupid questions and learn to be patient." The man grunted, stirring his cup of steaming drink.

"Can I at least have your name?" Will gritted out, his hands fisting in the bed sheets.

The grim faced man seemed to consider his request as he slowly sipped from his drink.

"I'll tell you if you answer one of my questions."

Will pressed his lips together and glared at the bearded man who seemed unaffected by the intensity of his glare.

"Fine."

"I'm Halt."

"Halt what?"

"That's another question."

Will groaned and immediately regretted it as his chest hurt from the vibration. Not that he was about to show weakness in front of 'Halt', knowing how protective and sensitive he can be about his wounds.

"What's that locket?"

Will glanced at Halt then at the gold locket clutched in his hand.

"This?"

"Is the question too difficult?"

Will had to bite back his own retort as he opted to glare at the stoic faced man instead.

"It's my most precious possession." His thumb gently rubbed over it's yellow surface, memorizing the interesting bumps of it's cover as he flipped it over.

"The only thing I have left of my… father." If Will hadn't been so focused on the locket, he would've caught the brief flicker of recognition past Halt's face before it was quickly masked again.

Will's thoughts were drawn back to the past, the memories of the accident still clear in his mind like, branded painfully raw and fresh. The fire that seemed so accidental that changed his life forever.

The clink of glass being set down on a table drew Will away from his silent musing as Halt finished his cup of coffee. Brown eyes watched curiously as the man seemed to glide as his walked, silent as a breeze as each movement seemed to flow from one into another. He'd noticed during his time in Halt's care that he rarely made a sound; his movements were always controlled, swift and silent. Will had the suspicions that the clink of glass was made deliberately, right at the moment when he was about to sink into depression.

The boy felt a flicker of warmth as he watched his savior's gentle movements that betrayed nothing of its owner's thoughts or emotions.

His thoughts veered back to the night he was saved by Halt as questions rushed through his mind. Why was Halt there? Why didn't the others notice his approach? Why did he stop Alda and the boys? Did the dagger belong to him? Does he really know his father? Why did he know his name?

"Go to sleep, you're still healing."

Will blinked and stifled a yawn that bubbled to the surface.

"Why did you save me that night Halt?" the boy murmured quietly as he laid down on the bed, knowing that arguing with Halt would only result with him bringing out weapons and strapping him on the bed forcefully. His eyes were drooping and Will struggled to stay focused.

It took a while before Halt spoke up again, his voice barely above a whisper.

"To repay an old debt."

"S'that so?" Will slurred sleepily as his weakened body begged for rest.

The grim faced man didn't reply as he turned to walk to the sink as silent as ever.

"How do you do that?" Will sighed, his head nodding and dipping as he forced himself to stay awake for a few more seconds.

"Practice. Lots and lots of practice."

He barely caught Halt's reply as he slowly lost his grip on consciousness. But just before sleep dragged him under, he mumbled softly.

"I'd like to learn that too."

The small smile that stretched itself across Halt's face was lost to the young boy as he fell soundly asleep.

END

And there's the AU one-shot!

There's probably some holes and unanswered questions, but when I first thought of this scenario, this is where it left off so... -shrugs-

This one-shot was just to test the waters xD to see how people would adapt to AU setting in RA

It's not really AU though :B because I didn't really concentrate much on the description of this 'universe'. still. slightly AU maybe? -shot-

comments are loved :'D

if it seems like the general community is fine with AUs then I guess I'll be writing more xD

thanks for reading!

~IOD