Author's Note: Okay, first things first! This is a ROLEPLAY co-written with Sgt. Kittens. It is written in RP-style format. If you're unfamiliar, that means one person posts with their characters, and the next person replies with a post of their own. The only way FF would allow us to differentiate between our sections was by the little .xxx.'s, so that's how you'll know the writer has changed (if you can't tell by the characters themselves yet).

Secondly, this is more of a massive nod to Assassin's Creed universe and the Brotherhood in general. We didn't start out with lots of plans other than a basic plot, and it has sort of blown up from there. We did not pull from any specific game. Edward Kenway is currently the only character we've incorporated. Otherwise it's a pile of OC's mucking about in assassinry. He does not make an appearance for quite some time, though, so you'll have to hop on for the ride first. We may add in Ezio and/or Altair in the future, but it hasn't been decided yet. We've also messed around with location and mix made-up places with real ones. Our universe is apparently a mismash of Europe and islands. However we haven't used any one location specifically, in case you wondered.

Thirdly, and we're sorry for such a long-ass author's note but all this does actually need to be said or you might not have a very fun time (and we don't want that!), because this story started out as just for fun and purely for Kittens and I, we...do what we want. No, really. There might be areas where things are unsaid because we know what happened and didn't write it down as it wasn't necessary for the RP. Characters developed more than we thought they would because they do what they want, too, and so there might be some inconsistencies early on. We've done some editing and tried to cut down on those but they might pop up at some point. You never know. This story also starts out a wee bit silly because again, we were just having a good time, and there are some inside jokes/references you may not get. Sorry in advance. It does get a bit more serious as time goes on. We aren't really looking for critique but feel free to point out typos if you spot them. And if you have questions, ask 'em! We like to talk. Clearly.

xXx - - NEW: Ezio is confirmed to be arriving, though not for a while. We've also been asked to shorten our chapters, but rather than chop up what we've already done, we'll just do that going forward for your convenience and easier reading pleasure. So chapters 1-4 you'll find rather long, and all those that follow after will be an easier mouthful. Thank you!

Last but not least, we've been asked to post this, so if you like it, please let us know. Otherwise there's no reason to keep uploading chapters since we can go back and re-read it ourselves at any point. This roleplay has been ongoing for months and has a lot pre-written so if you do like it and you do let us know, settle in for the long haul because there's plenty to come!

.xxx.

It was raining. Of course it would be raining. It was a funeral after all. A mother accompanied by her two young boys stood in the rain looking down at a pine box that held the body of their father-her husband. The younger boy clung to his mother's skirts, his shoulders shook as he gave a small hiccup of a sob every few heartbeats. The older boy lifted his chin and did his best to look strong for his mother and younger brother, but through the rain his tears were still there. Though he tried to be strong, he still leaned against his mother for support.

The priest finished the committal and bowed his head respectfully, offering the family his condolences. Their mother didn't respond. The priest nodded, understanding showing in his face. "If your family needs any assistance, you need only ask. The Church will help in any way it can. I will send the grave keepers to take care of him." With that said, he left the grieving family alone in the rain.

Jillian never spoke, never moved after the priest left. The older boy-DAMIR WE SHALL CALL HIM-had noticed his younger brother's shivering and looked up at his mother. "Mama," he said softly. She didn't respond. "Mama, we have to go home. He's not coming back. We have to go home." He took her hand and tugged gently. Jillian finally responded by looking down at him. Her eyes scared him. There wasn't anything there. No life. He looked quickly away and gave another gentle tug. His mother finally gave in to his gentle tugs and followed her child home, her youngest still clinging tightly to her skirts casting one last look back at the casket.

A month passed and their mother didn't fare much better than she had since the funeral. Her responses were sluggish and she never left their small home. Damir found more responsibilities piling up that he'd never known existed. Cleaning? What was cleaning? He'd tried to let things "clean" themselves like they use to in the past but… it never happened. He had the sneaking suspicion that their mother held that special ability. He dragged his younger brother, Angelius into the task. Angelius whined a lot. Damir whined right back at him. With chores came other realizations. Money seemed to be important. Money and food. Food started vanishing. Fast.

Three months passed and people weren't offering him as many jobs anymore. He needed the money to bring home food for his mother and brother. They could survive without other things for now… He'd already sold almost everything he had. Material things had lost their meaning to him when it came to survival.

At six months Damir made the decision that he hoped would probably keep his brother and good-for-nothing mother alive.

He took a breath and pushed the door open to his mother's room. It creaked as it always had and the sound reassured him. It was both reassuring and disheartening. He had never thought he would leave his home at such a young age. Then again, he had never thought his father would die either. He leaned against the door to shut it behind him. Jillian lay in her bed as she did most days. Unwashed, devoid of emotion, a husk of what she used to be. "Mama, I need to talk to you." Nothing. He sighed. "Mama, this is important. It's about Angelius." She blinked and looked at him. There it was, he knew exactly how to get at least some sort of reaction from her. "Mama, I'm leaving. You need to take care of Angel. There's not enough food for all of us. They're not giving me anymore work around town. You need to get up, you need to take care of your son." Nothing. Anger roared up inside him and before he knew it he was at her bedside and shaking her. "Mama, you have to get up! You can't leave him alone! He needs you! I'm not old enough for an apprenticeship! You have to take care of him!" He let go of her and stepped away, the rage abating. "If you don't…. I'll…" He looked down, his eyes searching as if he could find what he was looking for on the floor. "I'll send someone to come take him away." The words tasted bitter as he spat them at her. He hated the idea of anyone else taking care of his little brother but he had no other idea of what he could say that could convince her to take care of Angelius.

He turned to leave but before shutting the door behind him he looked back at her and said, "I'm leaving tonight, I hope you make the right decision."

.xxx.

Angelius decided right then and there: he hated rain. Rain was stupid. Rain ruined everything. It rained the day his father died. It rained the day they buried him. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had rained every day after that. Young as he was, he instinctively knew the funeral would be burned into his mind for the rest of his life. The way the water darkened the wood of the casket—the box holding the body of a man who, not long before, had been more than capable of hoisting Angelius into the air, laughing and telling the boys how soon, soon they'd be able to move someplace much nicer. The city, perhaps. Now it was gone. His big dreams, his laugh…everything. A single accident snatched it all away. Damir was all he had left. He knew this, because though Jillian once had paid him…well, some attention, she scarcely moved as time went on. Sometimes he had to check to be sure she still breathed. The children had been his responsibility and now that he was no more, so was she.

Damir roped him into cleaning. He didn't like it. Not because it wasn't fun (although it certainly was not), but because the tools were usually too large for his small hands. It was for the same reason, though he followed Damir to town every day in hopes of getting some sort of job—any job!—he was turned away. "Too little," they said, and sometimes laughed. "What good could you possibly do me here?" Of course, it was no help that the town was mostly full of farmers. Farmers who needed strong hands and legs to lift and move heavy bales of hay, or bulging bags of veggies. Angelius had exactly none of those things. Damir was older. Taller. Stronger. Better. And even he was having trouble. So he spent too much time at home, staring out the window or at Jillian, wishing for something to change.

He would quickly regret that wish.

The walls were thin…and he liked to eavesdrop. He was young but not (entirely) stupid—Damir was leaving. Damir had had enough. Damir couldn't take care of them both. He knew that much was true. His belly still clenched, complained and groaned about the meager dinner. At least they'd had dinner. What passed for it these days, anyway. Well, one thing was for gosh darn certain. Damir wasn't going to leave him here. Not alone, with the woman with the dead eyes he almost couldn't call mother anymore. Jillian wasn't a mother. Not without Father. So when his older brother thought he was sneaking out, he snuck right along with, mirroring him right down to the little stick and the tiny bag swinging at the end of it. Wasn't like he owned much anymore either. Only the knife their father had given him for his 8th birthday a year ago. How long ago that seemed, now. Too long. What would Jillian do without them? Be happy, he decided, because it was the only option he would allow himself to consider. If he thought about her, sitting alone, slowly wasting away…well. He would have had to stay. And Damir would be gone. Probably forever. He was a jerk like that.

So, he followed, doing his best to sneak along as quietly as possible. If Damir didn't notice, then by the time he did, it'd be too late to turn back! Oh yes, this was a masterful plan indeed. Creepin' creepin' creepin'… and then he heard it. The dreaded voice, the one thing he hoped not to hear for another ten minutes or so.

"Angelius? What are you doing?!"

Great. Now he was in for it.

"Coming with you," he said, angling his chin up and squaring his shoulders as if it would make his small body look…less small. "I can't stay with her. She forgets I'm there. You're the only one I have left now, Da…don't leave me behind." His voice trailed off into something of a pathetic plea, but he couldn't help it. He was just a bby, after all.

.xxx.

Damir stepped forward his hands held up as if to strangle his little brother. Instead… He hesitated, turned and shoved a… TABLE over. (Not tall enough to flip them yet!) The poor table and all of its contents fell over with a crash. Pots, baskets, crates, freaking farmers market all up in here, yo! Everything fell off and either broke, shattered, or rolled away. And it begins…

"Angel! You can't just! You! Mama! She can…" He straightened and glared down at his brother. "Angelius, go home. You can't come with me. You just… You just can't, okay? She won't forget you're there. I talked to her. She will take care of you… or…" He quickly stopped himself from saying what he'd warned his mother what he'd do if she didn't take care of Angelius. He looked down and away, shame in his eyes. "Go home, Angel."

He clenched his hand tightly around the bag he held and fidgeted, hating himself for what he was going to tell his brother next, but he couldn't think of anything else. He couldn't have him coming with… there wasn't any reason for him to… Was there? No, there wasn't. He was too small and wouldn't be able to do any of the jobs where he was going. He tried, bless his little heart... but even the small farm jobs around town could be difficult. "I'll come back for you in a few months, okay? I just have to get some money. For you and Mama." He lied, not meeting his brother's eyes. "Can you wait that long?"

.xxx.

If he had been his older, slightly more sarcastic self, he would have laughed right in Damir's little face. Probably really loudly, too.

"You talked to mama? You know what happened?" Determined not to cry, he scrubbed his arm furiously across his eyes. "Nothing! You left and she didn't do nothing!" The grammar he'd fought so hard to learn faltered. "She just stayed in her bed and...and..." Angelius coughed and cleared his throat. "Just stared at the wall, you know how she is. I could die in the next room and she wouldn't notice, you know she wouldn't! Father was the only one who cared about us, and you know it, you know it!" Angelius somehow managed to keep from stomping his foot. The last time he had a tantrum, it ended at the broad hand of their father, and he refused to have another. Father wouldn't approve.

He knew he was repeating himself, but he couldn't help it. Damir had to understand. He had to. If he didn't...no. If he didn't, Angel would follow him anyway! He'd grab him by the ankle the way he used to when he was five and force him to drag him all the way to their destination.

The lie nearly broke his nine year old heart. He knew it wasn't true. Damir was a good liar, but Angelius knew. Something about his eyes just gave him away. At least to his brother. It might be harder for someone else to tell, but he knew.

"No you won't," he said, his voice beginning to crack with the weight of all the tears pressing against his eyes. "Da, if you go...no one will take me on, you know I've tried! Maybe Jillian," her name sounded strange and stilted on his lips. "Will be able to live without us!" He was too young to know what the words were to name the feeling he had. The feeling that Jillian had never wanted children.

"Just let me come with you," he said, and his voice bordered on begging. "You...you're all I have now." His hands trembled as he stared at his brother, willing him to give in. "Maybe I can find work somewhere else. Not here."

.xxx.

Damir hissed out a quick short breath as if he'd been kicked in the stomach. He could see the anguish in his little brother's eyes. The look thrust a knife in his heart and twisted. How could he leave him behind with their pathetic excuse for a mother? But then how could he take Angel with him? He didn't even know if he'd be able to find anything in the city for himself… It pained him to see how much weight Angelius had lost. He was too young to be fed so little… they both were.

He flinched when Angelius brought up their father and had to swallow the lump in his throat and blink past the tears in his own eyes. Why was it his responsibility to take care of it all? Why had their mother given up? Despair threatened to take him right then and there and the pack he held slipped from his fingers to the ground with a soft thud. He sniffed once and whispered, "Okay."

He dropped to his knees and hugged his brother tightly, keeping his head turned so that his brother wouldn't see the tears that fell. "Okay." He whispered again.

He swiped a hand over his eyes and could only thank the Gods and little fishies that it was dark so his brother hopefully wouldn't be able to tell that he'd been crying. He sniffled once before pulling away. "But you have to promise that you'll follow my rules. Every rule. Got it?" He reached down to pick up his… bag that holds who knows what in it. Some bread crumbs.

.xxx.

Angelius didn't understand just yet how the weight of responsibility crushed Damir. He would in time. All he knew now was that he wanted his brother, and Damir had taken care of everything since Father died. How could he stop now? All that mattered was that he said yes.

The tears escaped when he did, and Angelius promised himself he'd never cry again.

"I love you, Da," he managed to choke out. Saying those 3 words wasn't hard for him now, the way it tended to be for some folk. Their father had said them freely, and it rubbed off on Angelius. He hugged his brother with as much fierceness as his little body as he possibly could. Which wasn't much. Because he was a shrimp. But not shrimp scampi. Just shrimp. Still, he tried.

"Every rule," he vowed solemnly. "I promise!" It wouldn't be that hard. Surely. Right? At the moment, it didn't matter. He didn't care. He would have followed Damir into hell. Or over the mountains and through the woods. Anywhere. Literally. Even past a turned over table, which he stared at with awe in his eyes. He couldn't imagine being so strong! Damir was legit the Hulk.

.xxx.

"Yeah, I love you too, Angel." Damir gave his brother a small smile then stopped and sighed. He gently turned Angelius around and guided him back to his own little sack he'd brought and pointed. "You forgot something. I guess the first rule will have to be don't forget your stuff, yeah?" What on Earth the little dude had in there he hadn't the slightest idea but… obviously he wanted it so… he bent and picked it up. Continuation of the obligatory good big brotherliness. Carry your little brother's things.

Then of course, as time goes on and as you both realize how freaking far the city is… allow your brother the customary piggy back ride no matter how much you want to lie down on the side of the road and whine about how this was probably one of the worst decisions of your life and you should turn around and go back. BUT… but… just as you start tripping over your feet and your brother starts weighing five thousand tons of bricks and begins snoring in your ear… at that exact moment… the sun peeks over the horizon.

Damir drew up short. Having grown up in the rural farm town, he'd never seen anything like it. It was like the roads and buildings were made of gold. The sun's rays painted the city in hues of red, gold, and orange. He'd never seen anything like it. He shifted to jostle Angelius awake, "Angel, you're going to blow my ears out and where did you find the food? You weigh more than I do. We're here. Wake up or I'll drop you." He loosened his grip ever so slightly to scare Angelius awake.

.xxx.

Oh right. Stuff. The knife. Angelius clutched it tight as they began to trudge on. Their father had promised to teach him how to throw it. Of course, that day never came. It was still too big for his hands, really, as most things were, but the big man promised he'd grow into the blade. He hugged it close to his chest and wondered if the whispering of the dagger was just his imagination.

He didn't even remember most of what followed. Nor the way his brother hauled him onto his back after he stalled in the middle of the road, swaying on his feet and eyes closing like he might just collapse right there. He might have, too. He wasn't as strong as Damir. Not yet.

Angelius did remember feeling like he was about to get dropped on his head. "Gack!" He yelped and struggled awake, blinking through bleary eyes at the sunrise-stricken city. "I can walk," he mumbled, wondering how on earth he got up there in the first place. Had they traveled through time? That would make the most sense. The buildings glittered and threatened to blind him as he wriggled to the ground. His knees wobbled and began to refuse standing, but he locked them and shook his head, sending curls flying about his face as he tried his best to shove the sleep from his brain. He always did have unruly hair.

"Pretty," he said, because he had the vocabulary of...well, a young boy. "Now what?" he asked, a note of eagerness entering his voice as he looked to Damir for direction. They were together, and with the city sparkling beneath them like spun gold, he suddenly felt like they could do anything. Become anything. Later, he would remember this moment with startling clarity-and wonder how Damir even managed to get them there. As it was, he hadn't even realized his brother had been awake all night, having no one to carry him down the long road to the city. But Damir was invincible. Clearly. Hulk + Superman = Damir.

.xxx.

Without the weight of Angelius on his back, Damir nearly fell flat on his face and fell asleep right there. Pretty city or no. He staggered, but managed to right himself quickly. "Um." He looked around and rubbed at the back of his neck. A sick feeling that had nothing to do with hunger settled in the pit of his stomach.

He closed his eyes and took a cleansing breath. "Okay. Okay. Um. Let's go see what we can find in…" He was going to say 'The Middle' but that sounded stupid and… can't sound stupid in front of little brothers. Right? Right. "Let's just go see if there's anything at the market." He waved his hands around his head as if warding off flies in frustration. Pfft! Whatever! That place! Where the market was, he had no clue. He saw some people heading into the city and decided, hey, they look like they know where they're going. Let's follow them. "C'mon." He beckoned to Angelius and with brother in tow, entered the city.

.xxx.

Angelius wouldn't have cared if he had said "the moon" or "that circley thing" or "that...round...blob in the middle." He just wanted to go, and go now! He practically bounded along behind Damir, suddenly infused with so much energy you would have seriously thought he slept a solid 8 hours on a full tummy, and then had a complete breakfast. With copious amounts of sugar. It was as if the sun paved the golden way for them, and as he stepped onto stone-real stone!-he felt something inside him change, and shift. This place was...well. Magical. The air tingled with shimmering dust motes and gradually began to fill with sound as the city came alive right before their eyes. Stalls were being erected for the market. Their wares already infused the air with flavor. The sharp, sweet smell of fresh apples, the sting of spices just picked from gardens...it was all surreal, almost dreamlike.

He noticed the oddest things. As they moved through the steadily growing crowd, he stuck close to Damir and watched, mouth hanging open. Till he caught a fly and remembered to close it, anyway. The rocks, slowly beginning to warm beneath his feet, made him acutely aware of how thin his shoes were. He hadn't ever noticed before. His gaze flitted from the gleaming windows to the sturdy leather shoes on the more well-to-do patrons already swarming the stalls. Angelius wanted those things. He wanted the fine clothes and the boots keeping the sure-to-be soft and squishy feet inside safe from the stone streets. The scents, the fine leather purses...all of it. Of course, once he grew he'd realize that strong smells actually were not an assassin's best friend, but at the moment, he wanted to smell like spice and soap and cinnamon. Not dirt, farm and more dirt. With a little extra dirt on the side. But more than he wanted these things for himself, he wanted them for Damir. Watching his brother from the corner of his eye, he envisioned Damir, dressed in the glorious robes of the elegant men, with a grin on his face and a twinkle (yes, he totally went there) in his eye. Under his… eyebrow. He ducked, just in case the eyebrow was coming back. You never know.

Maybe someday, he thought, fingers clenching tighter around the wrapped dagger in his hands. We'll have it all...and more. The smell of freshly baked bread assaulted his nostrils with its deliciousness, and his stomach growled. Knowing they didn't have money, he wisely kept his mouth shut. But his eye wandered to it as they inched by, and he wondered how easy it would be to swipe one if nobody was looking. But first, they needed a place to stay. And then...adventure! Or sleep for Damir. One of the two.

"Damir," he ventured. "Are you tired?" No, he just stayed up all night and carried you like a sack of potatoes to the city. Drinking Monsters all the way. He's good. A dark alley loomed (TROOOLLLLL IN THE DUNGEON) just ahead, and he nudged his older brother, feeling suddenly protective, like Damir had carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and it was his turn, now. Ow. Dang. World stuff is heavy.

.xxx.

The sights. The smells. The amazingness. It all was pretty legit to Damir as well… but he was just so darned tired. Sure, if he'd probably been a little older he would have been able to shake it off a little easier, but he hadn't planned on his brother coming along. He could have taken a break just outside of the city and slept or. Something. But. It hadn't turned out that way, obviously, and he was stuck with his decision. Hello there, adulthood. How ya doing? He looked down at Angelius and couldn't help but smile at the excitement emanating from his tiny little body.

Angel wasn't really a burden-challenge and responsibility he may be-but never a burden. Damir sighed and leaned against a nearby wall, out of the way of the people-traffic. He rested his cheek on the stones. "Yeah, Angel." He sighed, not bearing to lie to his brother again as he had earlier. The boy closed his eyes and started in surprise a moment later afraid that he'd fallen asleep, leaving his brother alone. Okay. That's not happening. He grabbed his brother by the wrist and led him to the alley they had seen earlier. (TROOOLLLLL IN THE DUNGEON!)

Damir put his back to the wall and slid down it until he was sitting with his knees tucked up against his chest. "Angelius, I need to sleep a little. Okay?" He looked up at his brother, hoping he understood. Fear of what might happen while he was asleep and his brother alone made him feel cold. He rubbed his arms. "I need you to stay right here next to me and if anyone comes, wake me up. Okay? You promise?" He searched his brother's eyes, willing him to obey him. The townspeople around their home had scared him into the danger of the city and the people that lived there. He wasn't going to take any chances and… No. Just no. If he had anything available he would have tied Angelius to his leg so nobody would take him while he slept.

.xxx.

"I'll watch over you," Angel said, and tried not to feel guilty about the lie. Of course, he would watch over his brother. In a minute. After he went to ...do something. That he was, in no way, going to tell Damir about beforehand. Despite his penchant for eavesdropping, he hadn't heard those stories about the city. What could possibly be so bad about it? Everything was beautiful. Glowing. Perfect. Right. This was where they were meant to be. While he'd never forget the father he loved so dearly, Jillian was already gone from his mind. Neener. Neener neener.

"Promise I'll wake you up if anyone comes," he hedged. He wasn't as good at lying as Damir was. Luckily for his little scheming body, Damir was so tired he probably would have just passed out right there in the shade. Angelius sat next to him for a long moment as his brother dropped off to sleep. It wouldn't hurt to wait a while. Maybe an hour. Possibly two. Not that telling time was the easiest thing here, as the high walls and homes blocked the sun and the rudimentary knowledge he had was already failing him. Still, Damir would be out for a while since he got god-modded off to sleep, and there was time. Even he dozed a little, leaning against Damir's sturdy shoulder.

But then! He snapped awake, jolted rudely from a dream about a lovely bunny and assassin doom by the snarling and rumbling of his belly, which was not happy at all about the long wait without food. His eyes shot to the sky. It was still clear as a blue diamond, but the shadows had grown longer as the sun meandered along its path. The market. It'd be near to ending now, wouldn't it? Glancing furtively at his brother, he tucked the dagger behind his back. Because a thief would totes go after that first. Yes. "I'll be back," he whispered, so quietly he almost didn't hear his own voice. Then he scurried away. He could do this. He could help. For once, he could help. Never mind that what he was about to do was oh so illegal. That small fact would have to be ignored. The market stalls were still crowded, but not like they had been earlier in the morning. A woman stood guard over the table heaped with bread. The freshest, nicest, prettiest loaves were long gone and those with less money stood haggling furiously with her over the remainder. He moved closer, adopting an air of curiosity. Not thievery. Because. That would be counterproductive. But how was he supposed to get a loaf off the table without anyone noticing? Fate must have been smiling on him, however, because a distraction provided itself as a dog began to bark furiously at a short woman whose bosom was, shall we say, ridiculously overstuffed. With tomatoes. And bread. And candy. Yup. It was actually almost frightening. But as everyone turned to look, Angelius darted forward with nerves of steel he hadn't known existed, snatched a fat loaf of bread, and disappeared into the crowd, back towards the alley where Damir slept.

He didn't notice the shadow.

Scurrying to Damir's side, he hoped his older brother had gotten enough sleep. Should he wake him now? Angel hesitated a moment, and then shook his shoulder gently, waving the bread under his nose. "Damir," he said excitedly. "Look!"

.xxx.

Damir mumbled something and turned away, waving his hand to push away Angelius's hand. "Don't, Angel. Not today. I'm too tired." It took him another moment before he started awake, "Angelius! Are you okay? What's going on?" With his abrupt motion to sit up, he bonked his nose on the bread. "Ow, what is that?" He pushed Angelius's hand further away so he could examine what was being waved in his face. He blinked and then his eyes widened. "Where did you get that?" He asked softly.

"Angelius, where did you get that? And, somebody didn't just come down here and drop it in your lap!" He stood up, looming over his little brother. "You promised me you wouldn't leave my side, Angel! You promised!" He snatched the bread from his brother's hand. "Where did you get it?" He growled, holding it in front of his brother's face, accusing. "You don't have any money, so where did you get it?"

.xxx.

It was...not the voice he was looking for. He could practically feel those steely nerves shrivel up into sad squishy little blobs, which then disappeared entirely. For a moment, he just looked between Damir and the bread, wondering what the best way to reply was. Found it? No, Damir might actually beat him with it if he lied now. And then the bread and his face would be sad. But why was he so mad, anyway? They didn't have money. They didn't have food. Damir had no way to get either of those things yet and he didn't know if there was anyone here who could use him. If the farmers couldn't, would the cityfolk? Angel felt his stomach sink. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. He'd been so concerned with what might happen to him if he stayed home and lost his brother forever that he hadn't even thought about what would happen if he couldn't get work here, either. And if Damir was going to get upset over the uh...unconventional ways to find food...well… The super hopeful happy bubble popped and he felt himself shrink. As if he could get smaller. Poor shrimpy.

"We needed food," he said, deciding to go with the truth because what the heck else is he gonna do? While the certainty from earlier didn't come back, he cleared his throat and tried to square his shoulders because well, he'd done it, and frankly, he didn't regret it. Okay, maybe a little, what with the way his brother was staring at him with the disapproval and...maybe disappointment? In his eyes. Stealing was wrong, he knew that. Against the rules. And usually, he liked following the rules. But when the choice came down to helping his brother, all bets were off! Besides, he so rarely deviated from the rulebook...couldn't he have an exception, just this once?"I don't know if anyone will hire me here," he added, hoping maybe some extra truth would sway Damir. "And I just...wanted to help and anyway it's not really fresh anymore, it probably would have gotten thrown away, I just...toook it," he said, drawing out the word as his sentence threatened to overflow into massive-run-on territory. "Before it could get there, that's all, really Damir no one even noticed and…"

Ah, famous last words indeed. The alleyway darkened further as four boys, all older, taller, and meaner-looking than guard dogs, came towards the two of them.

"No one noticed, huh?" The apparent leader spoke first, his lips twisted in a sneer that really did not look good on his already pretty ugly face. "You think we wouldn't notice you stealing, on our turf? You idiots must be new here." Harsh laughter set off an uneasy feeling in Angel's stomach. Oops. Darn. Dang. Hadn't thought of that. And now he'd gotten them both in trouble. He kept an eye on the wrapped dagger, still nestled where he'd left it.

"I'm sorry," he ventured, and the boys only cackled. Like. Little witches. Yup. "I didn't know," he added, because he hadn't yet realized it didn't matter what he said. These were street boys, and they were not very nice individuals. Nor productive parts of society. So.

"You will be," the tall kid said, and took a step forward. DUN DUN DUNNN.

.xxx.

Damir's look softened-but only slightly-at Angelius's words. There was truth to them. He had thought of that possibility himself. Would Angelius be able to find any work? That had always been a possibility but Damir had assumed that he would be able to take on enough work to provide enough for the both of them, but would he truly be able to?

His thoughts were interrupted by the four boys entering the alleyway and killing their private conversation. Damir stepped in front of Angelius and pushed his brother further behind him. "He didn't know." He repeated Angelius's words in a louder more confident tone. The boys were definitely taller than both Angelius and Damir. A lot taller and had muscle. Barely a trace of the baby fat still lingered on both Damir and Angelius despite how much weight they had lost. "You can have it back." He stepped forward to meet the tallest kid halfway, offering the bread.

The kid laughed and knocked the bread from Damir's hand and gave him a shove. Damir stumbled backward and was able to angle himself just enough to miss Angelius. He fell and landed hard next to his brother. Gasping, he grabbed Angel by the shoulders and gave him a gentle shove in the opposite direction. "Angel, run!" He shouted, but one of the other boys grabbed at the younger boy and caught him around the midsection.

Damir's blood ran cold and he lunged at that guy's legs which brought him down hard. The other boys were on top of him and the fight began. Dun dun dun. Any and all dignity went out the window… but then of course Damir had never been taught how to fight. So there was biting and scratching and kicking. He pried the kid's hands away from his brother and continued urging Angel to run as the other boys kicked at him and kept reaching for the younger boy.

Someone's elbow flew back and clipped Damir in the chin. Stars swarmed his vision and he shook his head to try and rid himself of them. Then there was a sharp whistle… and he frsrs thought he had passed out because the fighting had stopped.

"What is the meaning of this?" A soft baritone said. Almost a whisper and yet it seemed to echo up and down the alleyway with power.

.xxx.

Things moved fast. Too fast, really. How was his brain supposed to process all of this? One second Damir was standing, and the next… he couldn't even think. There just wasn't time. Except for those obnoxious little thoughts that flitted through his head before he shut them down. Like "why wouldn't they want the bread back?" and "wtf is their issue?!" They were on him and Damir like black on pavement, and pretty soon he was well acquainted with the very hard ground beneath his head. It wasn't as if either of them knew how to fight, really. But Angelius had a knife. And even though Damir kept telling him to run, there was no way in hell he would leave his brother there with a dog pile determined to bury him in punches and elbows. So he dove for the dagger. For once, his size paid off as he easily wriggled out of the clutches of his would-be captor and flung aside the thin cloth wrapping concealing the blade. Holding it in both hands, he whipped back around toward the single boy following him. Being so small, it wasn't as if it would take more than one.

"Oooh, the angel has a knife," he taunted, fanning himself with one hand as though he was truly frightened. "Do you even know how to use that?" Angel looked past him to the scuffle with Damir, where his older brother actually wasn't doing too terribly, considering ¾ were piled on his face and possibly even trying to kill him.

"Get away," he said, and was surprised by the steadiness of his own voice. The boy, a startled look on his face, did take a step back-but the gratification Angel felt was immediately stifled by that cold, rolling-thunder voice. Oh. Shit. Naturally, he did what little brothers usually do best.

He told on them.

"I...took some bread from the marketplace," he admitted, first telling on himself so the towering man would (hopefully) not punch him right in the face for not telling the whole truth. It was less likely the pack of tards would have attacked them otherwise, anyway. The older boys began to untangle themselves from the pile, very slowly, as if this single adult could dismantle their bodies piece by piece before they could even hope to get away. Perhaps he could. Angel swallowed hard and continued. "And I didn't know it belonged to anyone—well, I mean, other than the lady," he amended, since he did know it had been stealing from her, at least. "I guess they didn't like it." He finished lamely, being too concerned about Damir to formulate a better story. "But Damir was going to give it back!" he added, because that was important. Truly, his brother hadn't done a bad job for being buried beneath three boys all older and stronger than he. One was nursing what was probably a broken nose, and the other two were already showing bruises. He felt a brief surge of pride for Damir, though it was quickly followed by guilt, as this was all his fault. "I'm sorry," he whispered, lowering the dagger as the realization hit him. Every rule. Tears welled up in his eyes and he fought them, not wishing to break his no-crying vow already. But it was gonna happen. Sadly. Which is why one should not make rules about these things!

.xxx.

Damir pushed himself to his feet and moved to keep himself between the man + jerktards and his brother once more. An ugly bruise was already forming along his jaw where he'd been clipped by someone's fat elbow which had resulted. Blood trickled from a split and swollen lip. Ugh. He hurt all over and wanted to sit back down on the ground and just… hurt some more. Instead, he lifted his chin and stared the man down. Even though… he couldn't really see his eyes through the shadows of the hood he wore... "My brother was hungry. You heard him, he's sorry." It hurt to speak with the nice the fresh wound to his mouth.

The man looked at the other boys and they seemed to shrink under his look. "Is this true?"

The tallest boy started to answer but the man backhanded him and all the other boys scattered except for the tallest boy who stumbled back, but found his balance after a moment or two. The man don't take no crap nor answers from them apparently. "You know the rules. If I see you acting like this again I will kill you myself, Terrence."

He watched Terrence skitter away with a cold statuesque… aura about him because you know. Can't really see his face. At all. He pulled his hood back when he turned to look at the two remaining boys. He had rough features and dark blonde hair. There were a few long scars that adorned his face and an especially ugly one that ran from the bridge of his nose to his jaw. He stared the boys down.

Damir swallowed and took a half step back, holding a hand out in front of Angelius as if that would further shield his brother. The man lunged forward and seized Damir by the front of his… shirt? Smock? Clothing that covered his torso! Damir yelped and reached for the man's wrist. He struggled to push the man away but he just wasn't quite strong enough. "Let me go!"

The man gave Damir a once-over holding him there and letting the boy struggle then gave a fraction of a nod before letting go. Just because it's fun to scare little boys and he hadn't had his fill with the other boys. Or something.

"Look at me."

Damir glared up at him, "Why?" Not realizing that he had just obeyed the man.

He studied the boy. It surprised him how long it took for Damir to avert his eyes in discomfort. He studied the younger boy in much the same fashion and, though he averted his eyes a few seconds sooner than the older boy had, he had the same challenging look. The hooded man circled the boys slowly.

"What are you doing?" Damir finally demanded, tired of the man prowling around them like some predator.

"Observing." The man replied simply. "Your style is sloppy. Have you been trained?"

"Trained to what?" Damir asked as if the man were stupid.

"To fight." The man said in much the same tone.

"No," he replied.

That drew an eyebrow to… well not quite the moon and back to Shang Li's butt. Not quite. "Would you like to be trained?"

Damir hesitated and looked back at Angelius. What use would it be to learn how to fight? That wouldn't bring them any food or money. Maybe some protection if they did pick up the life of crime that Angelius seemed to have brought down upon them. "No." He said quietly.

"Why?" The man asked, surprised.

"Because… that won't get me and my brother anywhere except in more trouble."

"What if I told you I would provide you with a home. Clothes. Food." He had already noticed how thin both boys were and guessed that they were probably orphans. And duh. The younger one had stolen bread most likely to try and feed the both of them. Hint, hint. He patiently waited for an answer as the eldest of the brothers looked down at the younger, an air of distrust about him. Admittedly, he wouldn't trust him either.

.xxx.

Hell. Yes. Their attackers ran like little scared mice and Angel couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Even though he had absolutely nothing to do with it. But when that man turned toward them... Angel suppressed a shiver. So the bread was his? What have I done? He asked the sky, and wished he could reverse time and put the stupid bread right back on the stupid table with the other stupid loaves of tempting yeasty goodness. Anything to go back and take away the terrible trouble he had put them in. No, he corrected himself, that he'd put Damir in. The wish only echoed louder in his mind as the man hoisted Damir by his torso-covering. He knew he wouldn't stand a chance if he rushed the adult, for he didn't seem like the kind of person who would be easily caught by surprise. Angel edged closer instead, fingers tightening on the knife and silently swearing to sink it into the man's friggin pinky toe if that's what it would take to get him to put Damir down.

However, pinky toe stabs were thankfully unnecessary as he lowered Angel's brother to the ground again. As he locked eyes with the scarred man, he couldn't help but feel as if he were staring down a dangerous animal. A tiger, perhaps. And wasn't that supposed to be a bad thing? He drew closer to Damir as the guy began to circle them in a needlessly creepy fashion. The conversation held his full focus. Trained to fight? And given food and clothes? He thought about the nasty boys and wondered what it might have felt like to defend himself. To not worry, knowing his skills or Damir's would be plenty enough to handle the situation. But when Damir looked at him that way, he felt ashamed all over again. He had done a bad thing. And it wasn't so much that he had taken the bread, but that he had disobeyed his brother and left him alone. Possibly even vulnerable. He considered what might have happened if the boys had stumbled upon Damir first.

The thought shook him down to the deepest parts of his soul. He suddenly wished with all his might for the skills the man was offering.

"We... I wouldn't have to steal, "he suggested helpfully, totally contributing to this epic convo."We could protect each other." He meant it, too, although sometimes he wondered if he would ever grow out of the tiny body that put him at such a disadvantage. Turning hopeful eyes on Damir, he waited anxiously for a decision.