The Phantom
Introduction
"Get back here brat." Wheezed out a male's voice, followed by the sound of several feet thundering down the same back alleyway as a small petite girl. Her heart pounded into her ears as she clutched a piece of stale bread to her flat chest. Brown eyes glue to the road in front of her as she ran away from the thugs she had stolen from, who ruled the underground city or at least the area that she lived in. She never wanted to resort to stealing but when her mother never returned from one of her clients two years ago, she had feared the worst and began to steal in order to survive. Turning a quick corner, she hid behind several Crates crouched down as she watched four of the seven thugs ran past her hiding spot, taking in a deep breath to slow her panting she pressed one hand against her mouth to keep from being too loud the bread she had stolen held tighter to her breast as she watched the three thugs before her begin to search the current area.
"She's got to be here somewhere, a brat that small can't have just disappeared like that." Grumbled one of the thugs from the other side of the alleyway.
"Hey man what if she o-one of them g-ghost kids?" Asked another thug though he sounded much younger pausing to look at the others over his shoulder to see the other three.
"Tch, aint no such thin' punk no' keep a lookin." Growled out the one that originally caught the rest of the group's attention.
The Ghost kids, weren't normal from what the young girl had heard about, they were all led by someone called Phantom, a dangerous person that terrified even the local thugs. Rumor had begun to spread about them years ago, saying that any orphan that had nowhere else to go could always seek the Phantom's help and he would graciously give anyone help. The girl looked down at the piece of bread wondering if the Phantom was real, she could really use his help right about now. All of this over a piece of stale bread, her stomach turned at the thought of what the thugs would do to her if they found her, leaving a bile taste in her mouth and no appetite for the stolen food.
"There ya are ya brat." A voice called out ripping the girl from her thoughts when she heard another girl yelp out in pain her head snapped to the right brown eyes widening in fright when the older of the thugs pulled out a girl that looked just like her only, she didn't steal the bread. "Thought ya could get away huh, already ate the food ya stole too. Such a pig." Growled the older man as he threw the girl to the ground rather roughly then kicked her in the stomach. This caused the thief to slap a hand over her mouth once again as she watched the other three begin to beat upon the young girl, she waited to say something but knew her fate would be the same. She watched through blurry vision as the younger girl cried out in pain trying to tell the thugs that she didn't take anything. The young thief watched in sorrow as she looked down at the bread 'all this pain because I stole this piece of bread.' She thought as she looked up her brown eyes meeting the younger girls' brown eyes. The thief didn't know if the other girl was actually looking at her but at that moment it didn't matter for whatever reason anger began to bubble in her as she stood up from her spot, eyes moving from the young girl to the thugs beating on the young girl. Pulling back, she threw the bread she had stolen at the older thug causing him to pause mid-kick to look towards the young thief with confusion.
"I'm the one that stole the bread, you monster!" The young thief shouted as the older man's face became consumed with anger, kicking the young girl once more without a care for the street rat he stalked towards the now frozen thief like a wolf to a sheep. Picking the girl up by her matted brown hair causing the thief to cry out in pain before losing her breath to being slammed into the wall that she had hidden next.
"Ya thought ya could get away with it huh brat, we gonna have so much fun." Hissed the older man as he harshly yanked the young thief's hair making her squeak out. This made the older man laugh as he looked over his shoulders only to frown when one of his hitch men was missing. "Lukis where's Marshal?" Hissed the older man.
"Wha ya talkin about boss he's right here." The middle-aged thug, Lukis, said pointing to the empty space a frown forming on his face when he found no one standing next to him, not even drag marks, letting out a "huh" Lukis looked around once more as he began to search for the younger of the thugs. The leader turned his head, he failed to see a shadow reach out hitting Lukis in the throat to prevent him from calling out then pulled him behind a couple of crates knocking him out and laying on the ground.
"Ya gonna pay for wasting mine and the boy's time once I'm done with you, I'll sale you for a pretty penny." The leader said, pushing the young thief against the wall once more as fresh tears fell down her face, she tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but she couldn't.
"Please let me go, I won't steal again I swear." The young thief whimpered out her voice was soft causing the older man to laugh out as he licked his lips. As he reached for his belt with one hand the young girl's eyes widened in fright at the very thought of what he was planning to do, hit her like a brick wall. "Help!" She screamed out wincing when her hair was pulled once more.
"That it girl cry louder, no one will save you." The older man laughed as a shadow crept behind him.
"No one will save you." A voice echoed behind the older man, making the leader pause as he looked over his shoulder only to smirk at the short, cloaked figure that stood before him, he let out a laugh when he heard the cloaked figure let out a soft growl.
"And just what are ya gonna do boy?" Asked the leader before he could finish his last word, the short figure punched the man in the balls causing him to cry out letting the young girl go, but she didn't run instead she shriveled up against the wall pulling her knees to her chest as she sobbed out. The man clasped onto his knees cupping his balls, as he turned his head with a glare towards the boy, he was about to say something up the cloaked figure flipped around hiking their leg up and slamming the bridge of their foot into the man's face sending him to the side a couple of feet to the right unconscious. With the others dispatched already, the cloaked figure turned their attention to the young girl who was beaten in the middle of the alleyway, leaving the sobbing girl behind.
"W-what a-are y-you gonna d-do?" Asked the sobbing girl as she looked towards the cloaked figure who kneeled down picking the unconscious child up bridal style before finally turning to look towards the young thief.
"Taking you two to the Ghost kids." That was all the cloaked hero said, as they began to walk away, leaving the young thief to wonder who this cloaked person was, when they didn't hear the young thief following caused the cloaked person to pause at the end of the alleyway. "Unless you'd rather wait for the thugs to wake up, I suggest that you follow. The Phantom isn't exactly a patient person, let's go kid." They said waiting for the young thief to slowly stand up, chancing one last look towards the thug that had threatened to rape her all over a piece of bread. A shiver ran through the young thief's back as she jogged quickly to catch up with the cloaked savior. When the cloaked savior was sure that the young thief would continue to follow, they started to walk once again currying the child in their arms as if it was nothing though the child did seem to weigh almost nothing in their arms.
The young thief paused in walking with the cloaked figure to stare at the boarded-up warehouse, in the darker parts of the Underground city, she watched as the cloaked figure disappeared into the building as if it was the most natural thing to do. Though the red flags started to flare up in the back of the young girl's mind her savior gave no pause nor reason that they would cause the girl any harm. Even if it was illegal to be in an abandoned structure, a rule that was set in place mostly by the local thugs, something that she had noticed was the lack of thugs that had appeared in the area, instead of sitting on top of the buildings rather lacking were other cloaked people. Hidden eye ever watching as they moved closer to this building and even though the area before her was now clear of anyone, she could still sense the stares of a thousand eyes upon her as she stared at the building wondering if she should truly enter. Her mother had told her to never trust anyone in the Underground city and yet she had followed this person who she didn't even know the name of on the promise of seeking shelter by the Ghost kids. Wiping her sweaty hands, she took in a deep breath before entering the building into the unknown, blindly following someone she had never met until now.
Her faith was not misplaced as the young child was taken up the stairs towards the outside world, hidden from the thugs and military police that would keep everyone down here. She was told to make no sound as someone carried the Crate, she hid in, watching through a small hole as they moved past everyone as if it was the most natural thing in the world for them and no one gave a second glance. After a month of entering the building that she and once given pause to, she later called home, after meeting the old man that everyone called Grandfather and to the rest of the underground called Phantom, he asked only one question.
"Do you want a family?" An old raspy voice asked the young thief as she stood behind her saviors' legs shying from the stranger that sat in a wooden carved chair, he wore a dark blue robe, that caused his grey beard as well as his long grey hair to stand out. Though what surprised the young thief was that the man that asked her that question was in fact blind. She had looked towards her savior who only continued to look at Grandfather, standing as if she had become a statue to the rest of the world. It wasn't until another cloaked figure had entered the room an older boy with red hair and green eyes that everyone would come to call Brother. The older man had asked the question once more to which the young girl had replied with a small weak 'yes.' This answer caused Grandfather to smile as he lifted his thin arms out as if he was about to hug the girl. "Then from this day forth, we will find you a family one which will love you no matter what." Grandfather's voice boomed with youth catching the young girl off guard.
From that day forward she was kept in the building given food and water and a place to lay her head, until one day she was told to enter a Crate. She was hesitant at first until she noticed the girl that she had let take her punishment months ago was also climbing into a Crate along with a couple of other children she hadn't learned their names of. Taking the leap of faith once more she climbed in waiting for wherever she was to be taken to. She heard her breath when she heard the sound of a chirping and wind blowing, as well as a strange light that had begun to shine through the cracks. When she looked through her hole once more, she held back a gasp, everything was bright, she watched as the other Ghost kids Crates were loaded onto a cart along with her.
Once everyone was secure the cart began to move, they had traveled no-stop even when the sky turned black only to shine a beautiful blue, she had only ever dreamed of, the cart had stopped within the early hours of the morning her Crate was picked up and moved towards a wooden door gently set down the man knocked twice pausing for three seconds before knocking twice again. The door opened and an exchange of words was given before the child's Crate was moved inside, once the door closed the Crate was opened from the top causing the girl's heart to race as she shields her eyes from the harsh light. There was a soft gasp from a woman as the young girl, before she could open her eyes, felt two strong hands grasp under her arms as she was lifted up. Once she did, she was met with a torn face of a grown man with brown hair and hazel eyes, turning to her left she saw the face of a woman with brown hair as well but with brown eyes. The woman sat down resting on her knees as she opened her arms to the child, though the young girl remained in her spot.
"You may call me momma." The older woman said with a bright smile this caused the girl to pause eyes widening before tears began to form, Grandfather had given what she asked the Phantom had given her a family. A sob racked her body as she quickly jumped into her new mothers' arms crying tears of joy. She felt strong arms wrap around her as she looked towards the man that had pulled her out, she knew then that this man was to be her father. She was home thanks to taking a leap of faith, though she would forget the horrors of the Underground city she would never forget the cloaked figure nor Grandfather that gave her a second chance at life, and it was all possible because she had stolen a piece of bread.
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Much love from your Author Jackie