Life is an odd thing, wouldn't you say? One moment you are walking along, planning to knock over a store that sells custom Dust crystals because you think to yourself, 'this will be the one that finally gives that big blast radius I have been looking for in the bomb I am making'. The next you are wondering why the glass on the front of the window is broken and why two kids appear to be tossing aside the crystals you were planning to steal to bust open a register.
A boy and girl, one of them had fiery red hair and for his age appeared to be quite well built. Next to him a girl, small and rather weak looking with long black hair. Both of them had the looks of people who hadn't eaten in days and had seen more of life then they should have by those days. "Hey," I called out to them.
The boy turned toward me, dark red eyes staring me down from behind the counter. In the blink of an eye, he had jumped over it, a makeshift knife in his hand and an evil feeling aura surrounding him. His attacks were powerful and quick, packing a surprising amount of energy for one so young. The battle only lasted for about a minute before a good bash with my cane sent him down to the ground. The girl quickly scampered in front of him, raising her arms wide in a defensive stance.
Her hair was messy and long, it had obviously been awhile since someone had taken a pair of scissors to it. "P..please don't hurt Adam; he was only trying to protect me." I looked at the girl a bit closer and noticed something that had slipped my attention. Two fuzzy black cat like ears stood atop her head, barely peeking out from the collection of dark hair.
"Your a Fauna aren't you?" I realized now why the two of them were without a home. Most of the Faunus were seen as second class citizens at best, animals at worst. I shuddered to think where the girl had escaped from that made the streets of Vale's lower district hold any level of appeal.
Her eyes widened at my question and she began to shake. "P…please don't hurt us, I am sorry it is just… the circus was so mean, people would throw things at me and laugh and…"
I knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder. "Shhh quiet down now, I don't plan on hurting you at all" I reached into my coat and pulled out a lollipop, something I always kept on my person to quiet down children. Her eyes looked at the candy with desperate hunger, and when I handed it to her it only took a few moments for it to find a place in her mouth. "Now then, it is not safe here in the least, I want you to come with me" I picked up the boy next to her and put him over my shoulder.
The girl looked at me, suspicion causing her beautiful cat like eyes to narrow. "You aren't going to hurt us are you?"
I smiled. "I am a gentlemen, and a gentleman does not raise his hand toward a lady- it is just common sense." I took off my hat and put it on her head.
She nodded, holding the hat so it didn't fall over her face. "Where are we going?" she asked curiously.
"Someplace safe" I walked out of the store, looking back at the broken custom crystals I had so wanted to make my own. At the same time, this boy seemed to have a very powerful aura about him, and manifesting it this earlier in life was rare. This might not be a total waste after all.
So I took the two of them to one of my personal houses, a rather simple two story affair where I slept when I decided it was an option. Occasionally, it would see some of my more trusted members staying the night, and sometimes the Witch herself granted me the pleasure of sharing a space with her. About halfway there. the young girl had passed out, and I was forced to carry her over my shoulder as well. When I entered my 'home' I found the Witch drinking coffee. There was always something that felt wrong when I saw her doing things that seemed so…human. Especially knowing who she was and what she was capable of, watching her drinking a cup of joe just seemed off.
She watched as I brought in the two children over my arms and leaned against a wall, taking a sip from her cup and giving me a questioning stare.
"Don't give me that look," I told her with a sneer. "Call in one of my personal doctors and tell him to be here quick; both of these kids probably haven't eaten in weeks, and I would rather not have two dead kids." I paused. "Oh, and tell him one of them is a Fauna."
The Witch rolled her eyes and nodded, giving me conformation that she would get on it. Most likely after the cup of coffee.
I carried the two upstairs, depositing the girl on my personal bed, getting a nice mixture of dirt and street filth on the expensive sheets. I closed the door and took the boy to a small room at the end of the hallway, where I would interrogate people if the need for something like that arose. I made quick work of cuffing his hands and legs to a chair which had been crafted with an aura absorbing dust in it.
It took another fifteen minutes for him to wake up, and when he did he instantly shouted out. "Blake!" his eyes began to shoot around the room, his limbs pulling against his bonds. "Blake where are you!"
"Calm down, she is safe and is currently being looked over by a doctor." I pulled up my own chair and sat in it, looking at the boy.
He seemed to calm down. Either he believed me or he realized that he couldn't break out of the chair. "What do you want?"
"Want?" I asked looking at him curiously. "Why ever should I want something?"
He sneered. "Don't joke with me, I might not be an adult yet but even I know that people don't just do stuff like this, so what do you want?"
This kid was wise beyond his years, which both annoyed me and endeared me to the brat. "Well there is one thing I might want."
He tensed a bit, but nodded. "Fine, do whatever you want."
I curled my lip in distaste. "If you are expecting something like that I must inform you that you aren't my type."
His eyes widened and he snarled. "Don't you dare touch her!"
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Please shut up for a second." I looked at him for a moment before speaking again. "You possess talent, talent I wish you use in my little group; agree to be trained by me and I will see to it that you and your friend don't need to worry about how you will live ever again."
The boy looked at me and frowned. "What's the catch?"
I leaned forward. "You will have to kill people when you grow up."
He looked at me for a moment before nodding. "I am fine with that, but I want to make a request."
I raised my eyebrow. "A request?"
"Whatever training you give me, give it to Blake too, I want her to be able to protect herself," the boy clenched his fist. "If you do that then anything you want is yours."
I thought on that for a moment before nodding. "Deal, now then, I am sure you want to see your friend." I undid his bonds and he followed me into the girls room. The doctor got up from her bed and came over to me, shaking my hand and telling me that despite her weakened state, she would be fine after a few days of rest and food.
I paid the man and watched as the boy went over to the girls bed, holding her hand in his and looking down at her. "What's your name?" he asked me.
"Roman Torchwick" I answered. "And yours?"
"Adam" he stated.
"No last name?" I asked with a frown.
"I don't have use of one"
I shrugged. "Very well, I will have food brought in for you, after that, we will find you a room and start your training tomorrow." I walked toward the door, giving one final glance back at the two before exiting, only to find the Witch waiting for me. "What?"
She inclined her head toward the room and then looked at me with an arched eyebrow.
"The boy had an aura so strong it manifested without any training, and he held up in a fight with me for a full minute."
She let out a low whistle her eyes shining with realization.
"Yes, he is going to make a fine enforcer, don't you think?" I walked past her.
"Soft," she said under her breath.
"When it suits me," I answered.
