AN: Hello there! So, i was going to write a full story about this one. But it wouldn't be majorly different to the stand alone story on Hope. More just filling in some gaps and telling the story of her alter ego, Blackout.

But, there were also a couple more stories I wanted to write that were just going to be one-offs or short. So, I've decided to make this collection for any filler stories, one shots and short stories. I hope you enjoy it!

Note: This is a filler for - s/13706545/1/The-Rules-according-to-Hope-Crimson - If you enjoy this, i recommend reading the full Hope Story.

Blackout Vol 1: The Origin Story: Young Hope is a Gilnean girl, living in the slums. When a wealthy businessman offers her a seemingly one off job, that could save her future, she takes it.

Blackout Vol 1: The Origin story

Death doesn't scare me. If it's myself well.. I always figured, when it came, it came. No changing it. If it's to others, I like to believe they had it coming. Im not a fan of killing the innocent.

Before my accident, i found even so much as borrowing a pen for too long, would begin to make me anxious. As if this wave of guilt would come crashing down at me at the slightest of worry concerning others.

But after my stumble through the window, I find that some emotions seem.. Locked. Being Worried, Scared, Guilty.. They don't come easy. Infact, for a large portion of my youth, all emotions seemed.. Hard to express. It was like i was locked in a constant state of being a gargoyle.

I suppose that made me tough in a way. I could do whatever I wanted, or was told to do, without the risk of guilt or worry making me slip up. You might say I had a clear head in those sorts of situations.

After the accident, being a thief was easy. I didn't feel bad for what I took. It really seemed like a them problem. A lot of people didn't expect me to have the guts or the wit to do a lot of the.. Bigger thefts. As far as they were concerned, the accident made me the village idiot.

I learned at an early age, playing dumb willl get you far, but you must know who to wise up to.

What i wasn't aware of, was that it made me great for others.. Less desirable jobs. That's when I found myself being snached off the side of the street and into Lord Smiths Office. Completely against my own will, i might add.

I knew of the smiths, and I did meet his daughter, Mia, from time to time. She is.. Not important to this story at this time.

The thing about the smiths, is their ritch. So damn ritch. One week of there pay, could pay my whole street for a year. The main problem with their money is it's dirty. Gotten from illegal jobs, and business.

The Smiths run a very clever pyramid scheme. They, the higher class, pay a bunch of middle classes. Who then pays a bunch of lower classes to do dirty work. And each person generates money that goes back up to the smiths.

But it's never the smiths that get hurt. It's always the little people, People like me. What rarely happens, is that they approach a 'thug', as they call us, directly. Expecilly not an eleven year old thug.

"Antoniette.. Toni, may I call you Toni?" The tall slender man, with deep chestnut brown hair and piercing black eyes asked. He looked daunting in his black suit.. Surrounded by the dark expensive wood of his office, that paired nicely with the deep crimson red around the room. There is little light in gilneas anyway, but the light that did shine through, made him into nothing but a towering silhouette. A Good three Hopes tall.

"It's 'ope, actually. With an Ach" i correct him, a bold move on my part. He seems to like this, looking down on me with a greasy smile that lacked any charm.

"Miss Hope. I've gotten word of your.. Sleight of hand. And i must say, im impressed that someone so young has perfected it." He sat down on the edge of his desk, well, more like.. Leaned than I really sat.

I sank back into my chair before replying. "Me father always said, ya gotta do wot ya gotta dos. And that be wot i gotta do, sir" I say it with as much confidence as i can muster.

With a smirk he says "I'm not berating you, Miss Hope. Infact, I'd like to offer you a job."

My first thought was that he might need a dealer in cards? Or maybe something stealing off someone. I didnt expect his next words to be murder.

"I need someone being disposed of in a timely manner, without being caught."

My mothers words about work ran through my mind as clear as day. "If you're ever unsure about work, Ask yourself these three questions. Is the pay good? Does it make you nervous? And most importantly. Will it kill you?"

The second one was easy. No the prospect of murder didnt make me.. Nervous.. It was a first, so i was warry, but not nervous.

"Payment?" I asked. Not sure if i wanted it to be good or bad. I didn't know if i actually wanted to do the murder job.. Or if i just wanted to go home..

"The Job is, work as a busboy for an evening of one of my parties, Slip some.. Poison into one of my.. Friends.. Drinks" He stopped and sighed before continuing. "To work the night, I'll pay you.. Twenty Five silver."

My mouth went dry, he said it like it was dirt under his boot.. Truth be told, that would pay my mom's rent for two months.

"It's a little below minimum wage for my parties, but given your age" He shrugged. Almost like he had to justify why it was so.. Low. "Should, you do the deed, and succeed. I'll raise that to one gold."

I heard an audible gasp, it took me a moment to realise it was from me. I'd never even seen a gold coin before!

So, that was two.. Out of three questions answered.

The third one mind.. Will it kill me?

Honestly, there was a high probability. I know what people like the smiths do, to people like me, if we mess up, or are no longer useful. It's called disposing of evidence.

By the sounds of it, he was going to pay me whether I succeeded or not. Perhaps this is a test, To see how far i go. To see if it was useful or not. As i knew it right now, just by telling me his plans, I was in this.

I decided to accept.

At the time, i didn't realise how far into the deep end i would go. This would be the start of something dangerous.. The start of the blackout.

As you may have noticed, it does say Vol One. So, there will be more one shots of various missions and significant moments of this character's life. The next one i want to be the party mentioned in this one.

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