"Lone Wolf and Cub"
Chapter 2
"Outside the lion's den."
It was the sound of a car pulling over nearby, that set off the first alarm bells in Badd's head regarding the possibility of Miles being abused in the Von Karma household.
As upon hearing the tires crack on the road, Miles's eyes widened and he bolted away from him as if burned.
The seasoned Detective watched in silent shock as the small child furiously tried to get rid of all the evidence of his crying. Wiping wildly at his eyes and mouth with his sleeves, to eliminate the tear stains and snot.
He frowned as the engine that has been purring like a lazy tiger slowly quieted down, and he stood up to his full height.
The car was a black limousine long enough to fit in more than seven people. Clearly it was bought to show of the Von Karma's material status to everyone who has eyes, and not to accompany the needs of a large family considering that, as far as Badd is concerned, the only people living in the house were Manfred, his younger daughter Franziska and, most recently, young Miles.
Said boy was standing stiff as a board. Shoulders squared, both hands gripping the backpack handles so hard his knuckles were white, and silver haired head bowed submissively.
The air around got quiet and eerie. Filled with so much tension you could cut it with a knife.
A single "click" that could barely be heard and Tyrell could see the tiny boy flinch.
His own hands curled into fists, itching to punch whoever it is that Miles was afraid of.
To his surprise it wasn't Prosecutor Von Karma who stepped out of that car. It was, in fact, a younger looking man with black hair, a goatee and glasses wearing a standard butler suit.
He stood to his full height, half a head smaller than Tyrell himself, and looked impassively at the poor child before him.
"Young Master Miles." His voice was smooth and professionally detached. "Grandmaster Von Karma was not able to come get you today, but he did wish for me to inform you that he's deeply displeased with the grade you received for last week's mathematics test."
"B-But it was a 'B+'!" Miles managed to protest weakly, looking up at the man with distress written all over his face. "I… I didn't have time to study a-as much I was s-supposed to with four other exams coming up the same w-week."
Tyrell's eyes widened.
'Four exams?' Badd thought in mild horror. 'All in one week?!' He shook his head slowly.
'That's… that's crazy. How… how did the children even sleep?!'
"Regardless of the actual reason for your lackluster performance, Grandmaster Von Karma wished you to know that appropriate punishment will not miss you."
Miles looked like he wanted to argue but, just as quickly as that rebellious spark appeared in those dark eyes, it disappeared. Leaving behind nothing but terrified submission.
"Of course." He whispered to the ground. "I deserve nothing else for my mediocre grades. I am a disgrace to the Von Karma name."
It sounded like a practiced mantra. Something he's been repeating over and over again, so much so that it sounded as if he actually believed it.
"Very good, Young Master Miles." The butler nodded before stepping to the back seat. "Come along then. We still have to pick up Young Miss Franziska from her day-care in time for dinner." He then opened the car door, and motioned for Miles to get in. "Say goodbye to your friend and let's go."
The silver-haired boy swallowed thickly, his body shaking from how tense he was, and then turned to the Detective.
"It was… nice seeing you again, Mr. Badd." He whispered out, and Tyrell felt his heart clench at the formality in the boy's voice.
Gregory's eyes looked up at him, the dark gray orbs shining with exhaustion and resignation. Those eyes had no place on such a young face at the beginning of their journey on Earth. They should be sparkling with happiness and carefree joy, filled with wonder and curiosity not...
Not empty.
Miles looked up at him for only a few seconds but, when he looked away, it felt like an eternity.
Badd watched as the silver-haired boy slowly made his way towards the car, his steps measured and slow.
He was reluctant, fearful, and hesitant to go. It was obvious to everyone with functional eyes.
So, just as he was about to step into the car...
"I'm coming along." Tyrell spoke up before his brain had the chance to catch up with his mouth.
The butler looked at him, a dark eyebrow raised.
"Oh? And who might you be, Sir?"
"I'm the boy's uncle." They might not be related by blood, but Tyrell still considered Miles to be family.
"Uncle?" The butler echoed questioningly. "Master Von Karma was not informed of any other relatives." He frowned. "We were under the impression that they were all dead."
Tyrell could see Miles stiffen in the corner of his eye, and immediately decided that he does not like this man.
"He's the son of one of my best friends." The Detective said through gritted teeth.
"Ah. That does not make him your family, Mr..."
"Badd. Tyrell Bad."
The other man blinked and then his eyes widened in realization.
"Ah, now I realize where I know you from. You're the Detective Grandmaster Von Karma works with during cases."
"Yes." He nodded, eyes still sharp. "And, as a representative of the law enforcement, as well as the boy's godfather-"
"Godfather?"
"-I demand to meet with his current guardian, as I am unhappy with the way he's been treated."
He saw Miles turning to him from the corner of his eye. Gray eyes wide and filled with fear, entire body shaking from the frantic beats of his heart.
The boy was scared, no, terrified of what will happen if the butler goes along with it and Badd actually meets up with Manfred Von Karma.
"I afraid I cannot comply with that reque-"
"If you won't take me along, I'll just drive behind you." Tyrell declared, eyes as hard as steel. "You won't get rid of me that easily."
The butler raised his eyebrow at him.
"You do not know when to give up, do you, Mr. Badd?"
"No." The seasoned Detective agreed nodding his head. "Not when it's something this serious."
Miles was still silently asking, no, begging him to quit, to stop before this ends up hurting the both of them, as the boy knew who regulated his salary payment.
What he was trying to force upon the butler, could have dire, long-term consequences that Tyrell might not be able to deal with at the given moment.
He might get his salary cut so much he wouldn't be able to afford his apartment anymore.
He might get relocated to another city, too far to watch over Gregory's boy in a form other than video calls and emails.
He might even get fired, if Von Karma gets angry enough.
But it didn't matter.
A life was in danger, one that was very dear to both him and the child's father, someone he respected very much.
Every sacrifice is worth keeping Miles away from living under the roof of a man that hated his father to an, almost obsessive, degree.
So he steeled his resolve, straightened his back and glared back at the butler.
Said man looked back at him, disinterested and looking almost bored by this situation, as they stared each other down for a little while.
Before the butler smiled and nodded his head.
"Very well, Mr. Badd." He said, gently pushing Miles into the car, and then motioning towards the empty seat next to the boy.
"It will be your funeral."
"Why are you doing this?" Miles asked once they were both inside the car and out of the butler's earshot.
"Hm?" Tyrell, looked down at the kid in surprise. "Why do I do, what?"
"All… this." Miles gestured to the car. "W-We're not family, Y-You don't owe me a-any favors, a-and I d-doubt f-father made you p-promise to l-look after me if… if something h-happens." The poor child wasn't even looking at him anymore, preferring to look at the, strangely clean, car floor. "I just… don't understand why you'd put your j-job at risk like t-this, Mr. Badd."
"Miles, kid, look at me okay?" When the boy refused to look up, he placed his finger under his chin and gently guided it upwards. "Firstly, it's uncle Badd, remember? Secondly, I meant what I said. You're as much a family member to me, as Byrne Faraday is. Thirdly, even if Gregory didn't tell me to look after you, I'd still do it and…" He paused, looking the boy deep into the tearful gray orbs. "... Miles where are those thoughts coming from?" The Detective asked, worry evident in his gruff tone.
"You were never… hell, your dad wouldn't just… walk away from from a situation like this. And you…" he swallowed. "You want to be like your dad... don't you?"
Miles actually looked away.
"I…" His hands gripped the edge of his sweater like a lifeline. "I'm... training to be a... Prosecutor... now."
Badd's eyes widened, a silent gasp escaping his lips.
"...what?" He managed to choke out.
The silver-haired boy flinched, and moved closer to the closed door to his left.
"Master Von Karma he… he said that..." He sniffed. "That he won't have any 'p-pathetic' Defense Attorneys… under his roof."
For a moment Badd didn't know what to say. What even could be said to something like that.
His hands curled in fists.
He knew Von Karma was a perfectionist who took wining and the possession of a perfect score, to an almost unhealthy degree.
He knew the penalty Gregory served him on his last case, was the reason Manfred hates Defense Attorneys so much.
But even Tyrell didn't think he'd go so far as to insult a recently-orphaned boy's father right in his face, while also destroying said innocent child's dream.
Miles didn't do anything to Manfred.
He never even met the man before his father died.
But he's Gregory's child.
And, since Edgeworth the elder is dead, that fact alone was enough to make him suffer.
"Miles that's… God I don't know what to say."
"It's… okay, uncle Badd." The small boy rubbed his arm. "It… was to be expected." He shrugged, desperately trying to seem nonchalant. "Master Von Karma isn't very… fond of Defense Attorneys." His head lowered even more. "E-Especially… father."
'So he did insult Gregory in front of his grieving son.' Tyrell's, already large dislike for the German Prosecutor, grew tenfold. 'Tasteful, Manfred, very tasteful.' He thought with disdain. 'Clearly, you are the best guardian for this traumatized child.'
"That doesn't mean you should just… give up your dream." The large detective placed his hand on the red-clad shoulder, inwardly wincing at how clearly he could feel the bone under the cloth.
"I just... thought it would be… for the best." The nine-year-old said quietly, scratching his arm. "He's my mas-guardian… from now on, and I… I should be t-thankful to h-him f-for even l-letting m-me stay. I-If he w-wants me to be a p-prosecutor, t-then… I s-should h-honor that w-wish." Miles whispers softly, and Tyrell got hit with a realization so hard, he nearly lost his breath.
"Miles…" he whispered breathlessly. "Miles I'm going to ask you a very important question, and I need you to look at me when you answer it."
The Detective saw the silver-haired boy bite his lower lip, hesitant to do as asked. But, with a gentle encouraging squeeze to the shoulder, he eventually looked up at the bigger man.
"Did… did you really think neither me nor Faraday would do anything about this?" He whispered, looking deep into Miles's eyes. "That we'd just… leave you with him?"
Gregory's child just blinked sadly at him.
"I didn't." He shook his head a bit. "But… e-eventually I… I just… stopped... hoping."
Tyrell had nothing to say to that, just pulled the child into a knowledge that he unknowingly failed Gregory's son, hurting more than any bullet taken in the line of duty.
The car stopped at a large, expensive facility exactly twenty minutes later, startling the detective into looking out the window.
The nameless butler got out of the car and walked up to the building in quick and measured steps, before disappearing behind the large mahogany doors.
Minutes later he walked out carrying a small, periwinkle-blue haired girl of about two years of age, who was obviously Von Karma's younger daughter.
Tyrell couldn't remember the name of the child, despite distinctly remembering Manfred bragging about her not too long ago, but, if there was one thing he could say about her, it's that she looked almost exactly like Von Karma's wife, Verona.
The front passenger seat opened and the butler's irritated voice could be heard.
"Young Miss Franziska, please stop hitting me with your rattle. It is unbecoming of a lady of your stature to act so… violently."
The Detective raised his eyebrow at the poor dark-haired man as he struggled to fasten the toddler to her baby seat, while the girl whacked his head with her little light-blue, butterfly-shaped toy.
A small giggle could be heard to his right.
"Franziska is a-always a bit of a h-handful." Miles explained when Badd looked at him questioningly. "She never lets just a-anyone fasten her s-seatbelts. It's usually… Lady Verona o-or Grandmaster Von Karma." The boy chuckled a bit more. "Jerome c-can't seem to be able to get on her good side, d-despite interacting w-with her more than a-anyone."
"Ah…" Tyrell nodded, turning his head back to the front of the vehicle at the sound of one door closing and another opening. "That explains the tantrum."
The rest of the drive went on without further adventures, and sooner than he expected, Detective Tyrell Badd found himself in front of the Von Karma mansion.
Right outside the lion's den.