Cerebella groaned as the morning sun shone into her eyes. "Ugh... Turn it off..." She grumbled, tightening her hold on her teddy bear. Wait... Since when did she sleep with a teddy bear?
Eyes opening in confusion, she looked over, and she smiled softly when she saw Harry sleeping soundly in her arms, lying atop her stomach as she laid on her back. Much to the young woman's amusement, he was using her breasts as his pillow. Cerebella smiled and wrapped her arms around the tiny boy and sighed contently. This was a moment that was absolute bliss. Nothing could ruin it...
"Hey! Cerebella!" Feng suddenly exclaimed, jumping up and scaring her roommate intentionally. The weight lifter screamed in surprise and lurched forward, accidentally burying Harry in the blankets. She heard his muffled yelp and pulled him free from his little prison, Then she shot Feng a tired glare and hugged the little boy close to her chest.
"We still have an hour before we have to get up, Feng. We're not all early birds y'know." Feng just snickered in response, much to Cerebella's chagrin.
"Well, if you want your breakfast to get cold, I guess that's your perogative." The petite girl replied with a shrug before walking out of the room.
"M...miss Cerebella?" Harry stammered, clearly terrified. "I didn't mean.. mean to sleep so long... please don't be mad..." Cerebella was saddened at his request. She stared down at the trembling boy with a deep frown. After a few moments, she managed to compose herself and gave Harry a loving kiss on the cheek.
"Harry, don't be sorry for sleeping, Feng just decided to give me a rude awakening, that's all. There's nothing to be scared of." Harry relaxed at that, and Cerebella rose to her feet, hugging him close to her bosom and walking downstairs to the dining room, where Feng was already digging into her stack of pancakes. Cerebella perked up at the sight of the breakfast. "Aw, now we're talkin'!" The greenette placed Harry down in his seat, pleased to see that Feng had already cut his pancakes for him, then dug into her own. Harry looked at the pancakes. Dudley had always boasted about how good these were, and now he had a chance to try them himself... He picked up a chunk of a pancake and looked at it curiously. Feng seemed to notice this and quickly poured some maple syrup on it with a grin. "Go on, kid! Eat up!" The juggler said with a smile. Harry nodded and obediently took a bite, and his eyes widened to the size of the plates Feng juggled as he felt the flavour wash over him like a tsunami.
Feng crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air pridefully. "Ha! Y'see that, Cerebella? You'll never be able to get a reaction like THAT with your cooking!"
"Uh...ExCUSE me?!" Exclaimed a very incensed weightlifter. "I could too! I just need to practice, that's all!" Feng didn't lose the smug grin.
"And practice. And practice. And when you're done practicing, practice some more. ...And also learn not to put chocolate sauce in clam sauce."
"Gimme a break! Putting together two tasty things must make it tastier, right?" Harry paid no attention to them, eating his pancakes slowly to savour the taste. As the two girls continued arguing, their voices getting louder, it suddenly occurred to them that Harry was unnaturally silent after how freaked he had been earlier. They turned and saw Harry still eating his pancakes. The sight of the tiny boy so lost in the flavour immediately made them stop fighting and give an 'Awww!' In unison. That did get Harry to snap out of his food trace and look at them with a tilted head. Cerebella smirked and patted his head. "Pay no attention to us, kid. Just keep on eating." She urged, prompting him to return to the meal with a small shrug. The group finished eating before going about the rest of their morning routines. Getting dressed, brushing their teeth, showering, the works. Cerebella, now wearing her favourite orange dress, carried Harry to the big top, ready to start her day. She was a bit on edge though... Beatrix was going to be there. Still, as long as she could keep an eye on Harry, he'd be safe. Cerebella decided, hoping Beatrix had learned her lesson after their previous encounter. As they walked towards the large tent where they'd be practicing, Harry was looking around at all the colours of the carnival now in the warm morning sun. Cerebella giggled at his expression and twirled around, holding Harry up in the air. "It's wonderful, is it?" She laughed. "People come from all over to witness the wonderful whimiscal world of Vitale Circus!" Harry giggled at the over the top grandiose way his caretaker described the circus to him, and she smiled at him. "Heh... I'll have to give ya a proper tour sometime... Maybe after we go shopping later..." She entered the tent and saw everyone sans Feng was already there. Cerebella never really understood just why Feng always took so long to get ready... Talliesin was fixing his puppets' strings. Hubrecht was flexing in front of a mirror. Regina was feeding her animals. And Beatrix was visibly scowling at her. Cerebella decided to ignore the magician as she Felt the eagerness to finally be able to perform in front of large audiences again. She then remembered the tiny boy in her arms and gave him a gentle squeeze. She looked around and then found a comfortable place for Harry to watch. "Alright Harry, you just relax here, we're gonna practice for a bit!" Cerebella grinned, patting Harry's head. Harry nodded her head and made himself comfy as Cerebella stepped down to greet the rest of her workers. She noticed Beatrix trying to approach Harry and stood in her way. "No. Stop. Stay away. You already made a bad impression, you're just gonna scare him again." The green haired girl said coldly to the magician, who scowled.
"Oh come on, moss head." Beatrix retorted, using the name Cerebella hated. "I'm not gonna hurt him. I just wanna talk to him, show him a few things."
"What? So you can wrap him in your cloak and run off with him? Not happening." Cerebella replied, showing no signs of stepping aside. Beatrix sighed and rubbed her face.
"Look." She began. "Whether you like me or not, that kid has power. Power he clearly doesn't understand. Power that could easily hurt someone if he doesn't get the proper training."
Cerebella looked thoughtful, before giving Beatrix a light smirk. "Yeah? Well, I'll bet you I can find someone else to teach him. Someone that won't drive him to a nervous breakdown with their temper tantrums and lack of social skills."
Beatrix sputtered indignantly before snarling in the darker skinned woman's face. "You...You are such...a damn...HUSSY, you big boobed bimbo!"
"My point exactly, Beatrix. Harry's scared of you already, and I don't wanna see him scared like that again. Just leave him alone, would ya? Besides, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you sound jealous." Cerebella added with a wicked smirk. Her comment left Beatrix in actual mute shock. Cerebella smiled defiantly, but was suddenly hit in the gut. The sudden attack caught her off guard and sent her doubling over, trying to catch her breath.
"Miss Cerebella!" Harry exclaimed, shocked at what he just saw. "Wh...why did you do that?!" Beatrix turned to face Harry, and immediately realized her mistake. Not only was her face one of complete anger, but he had just seen her hit Cerebella. The woman who he clearly deeply cared for.
The magician's eyes widened at the realization that she screwed up big time. "Um...I uh..." She stammered. By this point, Cerebella had regained her bearings. Beatrix found herself whirled around to face the stronger woman, and promptly received a taste of her own medicine in a strong punch to the gut. Cerebella's superior strength to her own was enough to send her tumbling back a bit, clutching her stomach with a wheeze. Cerebella stomped over and glared down at her, leaning down to whisper in her ear so Harry didn't hear her.
"I...am SICK...OF YOUR...SHIT! I swear. If you EVER come near Harry again. I will make you suffer." She spat, the threat in her voice incredibly clear. Letting go of the magician, she quickly scooped up Harry to make sure he was alright."She didn't hurt you, did she kiddo?" Cerebella asked, concerned.
"N...No." Harry stammered. "Why does she hate you so much?"
"She... she's just mean. That's all there is to it." Cerebella replied calmly. Beatrix was seething in rage at this point. Damn that woman, DAMN her! Who did she think she was?! All she wanted to do was talk to Harry! She was the one who got on her case! It was HER fault! She couldn't just sit by idly! She HAD to be Harry's teacher! The boy had potential! How could Cerebella just turn down her attempts to teach him?!
"Enough, Beatrix." Came Regina's stern voice. "You may have had your chance to interact with Harry if you hadn't antagonized Cerebella every time she tried to show you kindness in the past." The magician didn't say anything but stormed out of the tent, leaving the others in a stunned silence. Cerebella and Feng felt awful for how that went, Hubrecht was left in disgust of how Beatrix treated Cerebella (and Harry), Regina was just... disappointed, and even Taliesin was left without words, though this was mainly due to disappointment that Cerebella and Beatrix's fight didn't get more intense.
"M'sorry..." Harry mumbled, and Cerebella wrapped her arms around him tighter.
"Not your fault, kid... Not your fault..." She assured, giving the evil eye to the retreating Beatrix. Sighing softly, she rubbed his head. "Okay... Why don't I get you some cotton candy, and you can watch us practice, sound good?"
"Cotton...candy...?" Harry asked softly. Cerebella smirked before turning to Regna with an imploring look, prompting the beast tamer to nod.
"Please do be quick about it... And don't take too much. A certain someone has done a number on our supply." Regina shot Hubrecht a stern glance, causing the giant to look like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Cerebella nodded and carried the still somewhat trembling boy out of the tent.
"M'sorry..." Harry mumbled again. "This was all my fault."
"No it wasn't little guy, please don't believe it was." Cerebella said, trying her best to get the truth through to Harry. Sadly, it didn't seem to work.
"But she wants me for my freaky stuff, stuff you don't have... so it can't be your fault. It's all mine..." Cerebella stopped, simply held Harry up to eye level and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
"Harry, this ISN'T your fault." She said somewhat sternly, but also caringly. "I don't know what Beatrix is going on about, but don't think for a second it's your fault."
"I...I... I'm confused, Miss Bella... I... Everything's my fault... That's what everyone else told me... But now you're telling me it's not, and...and..."
Cerebella pressed her forehead against his. "Harry... The ones who told you that are sick. They're sick in the head. They're nasty, evil people that want to hurt you for no reason."
"But...But why me...? Why did they wanna hurt me...? They never hurt each other... It was always me... Why...? I don't understand why...Why did they hate me so much...?"
"I don't know." The weightlifter admitted sadly. "It...it shouldn't have happened, ever. I don't know how or why anyone could hate someone as adorable as you... and it hurts me to know someone would hurt someone like you... but I promise, all that pain and suffering is over." Harry looked with with wet eyes then timidly held his tiny arms towards her.
"Hug?" He asked hopefully, making the weightlifter giggle at the adorableness of his timidness.
"Hug." She replied as she tightened her hold on him and nuzzled the top of his head. "It's gonna be okay, Harry... The ones that hurt you are gonna pay."
"Y-You're gonna make them give you money?" Harry asked, confused, prompting Cerebella to smirk and shake her head in response to him.
"No, no, I'm thinking they should pay in beatings instead." To affirm this point, Vice-Versa beat its fists together with a visible glare on its face.
"D...Don't hurt anyone!" Harry exclaimed, frightened, as he tried to tighten his grip on Cerebella. The sudden exclaimation surprised the greenette.
"Hey, Hey... I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted you to know that I'll always protect you." Cerebella said as reassuringly as she could.
Harry buried his face into her chest and whimpered. "D-Does he have to get hurt?" Cerebella sighed softly and ruffled his hair, giving him a serious look.
"Harry, you know about bears, right?" She asked. Harry blinked, then nodded. "Well, mother bears are VERY protective of their young. When someone hurts a mother bear's cub, the mother bear will stop at nothing to pay them back tenfold. In this situation...I'm the mother bear, and you're the cub. Someone hurt you... And I have to get back at them somehow."
"Oh... okay." Harry timidly replied, somewhat understanding the analogy. Did this mean Miss Cerebella was his mama? No... no she was just kind, he dared not overstep his boundaries. He still wasn't sure if she was just acting nice and really was going to hurt him like everyone else. Whatever the case, Harry decided to enjoy the warmth she provided for now. Cerebella reached the cotton candy stand and got what she felt was a reasonable amount of the sticky pink treat before handing it to him.
"There ya go, that oughta cheer you up." She said with a wink. Harry thanked her, then took a tiny nibble, delighted at the sugary pink treat.
"It's yummy." He said softly, prompting a smirk from Cerebella.
"Only the best we could get our hands on!" Harry eagerly ate the sugary treat, his face lighting up once again. "Feel better little guy?" Cerebella asked, smiling down at the tiny boy in her arms.
"Mmhmm." Harry nodded, mouth full of cotton candy.
Cerebella chuckled, then carried him back to the big top. "Glad to hear it. Now, I really have to get back and practice... There shouldn't be any more problems, okay?" Harry nodded and bit into his treat once more, getting a grin from his caregiver as she entered the tent and set him down on the bleachers once more. She turned to see that Beatrix was there once again, sulking as she practiced her simpler tricks, no doubt dragged back to practice by Regina. Now Harry watched as Cerebella and Feng practiced a routine where they worked off of one another. Bella would lift Feng up with one hand and then toss her the plates she would juggle with the other. Feng in the other end would catch said plates, and do her best to keep upwards of four or five going at once. Beatrix, meanwhile, hadn't given up on trying to persuade Harry to see the potential his magic could offer. Upon seeing his arrival, she figured she would go all out. She performed several of her best, flashiest spells. Colourful magical sparks, teleportation, streams of actual flame, anything she could think of that a little boy would find cool. Grinning, she turned to see Harry's reaction... And her eye twitched when she saw he wasn't paying any attention to her whatsoever, focusing exclusively on Cerebella and Feng. Beatrix scowled and decided to try a new tactic. Very cautiously, she reached out with her magic to see what Harry's magical aura was like. She was surprised that upon first glance, it didn't seem to exist. The magician frowned deeply at that. Had she been wrong? But she could sense something. A tiny tingle of magic, and after a careful bit of prodding, Beatrix found herself in awe of what she found. The boy's magic was unbelievable! Harry noticed Beatrix staring at him, then winced and looked away. Beatrix groaned and rubbed her temples before looking at him once again. The more she looked at his magic reserves, the deepe and more vast they seemed. However, she then noticed something... Something less than pleasant... The scar on his forehead. There was some very dark magic radiating through it. No, not just dark magic... Pure evil magic. Magic that only true evil would use. But... this kid couldn't be evil. He was too small... too... innocent. Beatrix has to give a point to Cerebella that Harry was kinda cute, and it seemed clear now that he barely understood his powers. Had no one explained this to him? Or was his suprisession intentional?
"No." She mentally frowned, he didn't even know what his magic WAS. How could he understand suprisession? Unless... he was doing it out of fear.
She began to wonder about the boy's homelife. Could it be possible that he was raised by muggles? Muggles really did have a tendency to hate things they didn't understand...
Was it possible that the boy was abused by his own family? It certainly seemed so, judging by the way he reacted to everything. Her hard expression softened as a voice ran through her head...
'Keep at it! You're not leaving this room until you've made progress!'
'If you haven't mastered this spell by tonight, you'll be going to bed without dinner!'
'You've been at it for three hours and made no progress! Don't make me get the belt!'
'Second place?! Damn it, Beatrix, you're completely WORTHLESS! Why can't you do anything right?! You know I won't settle for anything less than the absolute best!'
Beatrix gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. 'I absolutely HATE you, dad... You deserved everything the Medici did to you...' Though she was well aware that the Medici were only using her for their own gain, killing her father was the best thing they had ever done... Even if it was just to get her on their side... She felt... guilty? No. Remorse? No, that wasn't it either... whatever it was, it didn't matter. If anything, this thought and potential revelation merely strengthened her resolve to make sure that Harry would be well taken care of, and under her training to become the powerful wizard she sensed in him.
Wait... Medici...
She let her magic dissipate as she began thinking about something else. Why did Vitale let Harry stay? Did he sense the magic too? Or maybe it was just to keep Cerebella happy. Yes, that was the more likely answer. But... Harry's magic... Beatrix groaned to herself. He would be far more useful to them under her care, and the best way to get them to see that was to speak with Vitale directly. However, one could not speak with the Medici higher ups without making a scheduled appointment. Getting an appointment often took quite a long time... And Vitale disliked her quite immensely ever since the test he had put her, Cerebella and Feng through. In hindsight, perhaps hurling knives at him wasn't the best idea... In her defence, it had been a good idea at the time..:
Beatrix shook her head, deciding to go back to practicing. The last thing she needed was Regina thinking she was slacking off. Or Cerebella noticing her looking at Harry. As much as she hated to admit it, that woman was strong. Over on the bleachers, Harry shrank back slightly. He had felt something... and he sort of knew what it was. He knew that when he felt that odd feeling, his freaky stuff was about to happen. And then he'd get hurt... He tried to fight the feeling off, but no matter how hard he tried, it just wouldn't go away. If anything, it rapidly grew stronger and stronger by the second...
"Hey, Feng, when did you dye your hair?" Harry tensed up when he heard Cerebella's voice. Looking over, he saw, much to his horror, that Feng's hair was green now.
"Huh? I never..." The juggler began to reply, confusion clear in her voice, but it quickly faded away as she saw that her hair was indeed now a bright green. Brighter than Cerebella's, almost neon in fact. Harry turned ghost-white when he realized what he had done. He shrank back as far as he could, deciding he needed to get out of here. NOW. He slipped and fell through the bleachers, landing on the grass, but he didn't cry out. He knew better. Instead, he picked himself up and made himself scarce, disappearing under the side of the tent. However, Beatrix noticed this, and saw it as an opportunity. As Cerebella and Feng tried to make sense of the situation, Beatrix snuck out to go and find Harry. When she got outside, she saw him trying to run...nowhere in particular, it seemed. He was just running without thinking about it. Quickly, the magician apparated in front of him.
Harry squeaked as he bumped into something and fell on his bottom. Looking up, he was scared when he saw Beatrix looking down at him. "So you run away to join the circus, only to run away from the circus. Doesn't make a lot of sense."
"G...Go away..." Harry whimpered, and Beatrix sensed a real sense of... brokenness in him. He seemed shattered mentally and somewhat physically. She felt somewhat sorry for the little guy...
"Harry, I know I scared you... and kinda got into a fight with Cerebella, but I just want to talk, okay?" The magician said, squatting down to try and seem less intimidating. She gave the kindest smile she could but sighed when she saw it didn't seem to have any effect of the terror coursing through Harry's body. She groaned and rubbed her temples, not sure how to deal with this. "Okay... Okay... Just calm down, and let me talk this out with you..."
Harry hesitated, then nodded his head slowly, willing to hear the magician out. "O...Okay..." He breathed out, his voice trembling and whispy.
"Okay... So you're afraid of your magic." Harry noticeably flinched at the word. "So I just wanna know... What's wrong with magic?"
"It...it...it..." Harry stammered. Normally, this would annoy Beatrix to the world's end, but she decided to hold her temper for now. "It's not normal... it's freaky... I'm... freaky..." Several wires seemed to connect in Beatrix's mind. She didn't have to look into his head or even ask to know why he thought that.
"Someone taught you that your magic makes you creepy. Didn't they?" The magician asked very slowly. Harry looked up to her, her tone seeming much more... calm, like Miss Cerebella's. He looked at her with a tilted head for several seconds before finally nodding in affirmation. Beatrix found herself understanding the boy. "Well...What if I told you...that I could help you get it under control? Harness it so that it doesn't happen when you don't want it to? Would you like that?"
Harry thought about it. Not accidentally doing the freaky stuff sounded nice, but... "But... But you wanna take me away from Miss Bella... I don't wanna be taken from Miss Bella..." Beatrix exhaled through her nose, listening to what the boy said. He was clearly attached to Cerebella, and well... it was clear now probably any chance she had of smoothing things over with the weight lifter (even for her own gain) was gone.
"I...I..." She sighed in exasperation. "Okay, I guess I don't have to take you from the big chested bimbo..." She noticed Harry pout at her words.
"D-Don't call Miss Cerebella mean names like that, please..." He said softly. "She's really nice... She doesn't deserve mean insults..."
"That she doesn't." A familiar voice sounded out. Beatrix groaned as Cerebella stepped up, arms crossed under her bosom. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't call me a bimbo to the kid's face."
"Ugh... How long have you been listening in?"
"Long enough." The wheightlifter replied.
"How original." Beatrix snarked with a roll of her eyes. "So now what? Are you gonna beat me into the ground again?"
"As tempted as I am, I don't want Harry to see it." Cerebella replied rather bluntly, eyes narrowed. "But more importantly, I need you to give me a straight answer: why are you so damn interested in Harry?"
"Really? Were you just not listening the last ten times I told you? Magic! He has some of the most powerful magic I've ever seen! You saw what happened to Feng!"
Cerebella snorted. "Heh... Yeah, she's already babbling on about trying out other colours... Personally, I think she should just stick with the one she's got..."
"Focus!" Beatrix snapped. "HARRY did that! Accidentally, I might add! Most kids his age are lucky just to make stuff shift slightly! His power's been suppressed long enough! If no one teaches him how to use it, he might accidentally hurt someone, or even himself!" Cerebella was taken aback. She was used to Beatrix's outbursts, but it was what she said this time that hit her hard. Was Harry really capable of hurting someone? Let alone himself? No... he was too sweet and innocent... but, how could Feng's hair colour have changed?
"Okay, say I believe you." Cerebella sighed. "What can YOU do for Harry?"
"I can help him control it. I can teach him how to use it properly. He can be great. He can change the world if he learns his power. But he can't do that without the proper training." Cerebella sighed, then looked down at Harry, who was hugging her leg. Kneeling down, she picked him up and held him close to her chest.
"Beatrix... Your attitude these past couple days has really been getting under my skin. I can take your rude words and bad temper, but Harry can't. He's too shy and too sensitive. You made him have a nervous breakdown when you first met him, Beatrix." Beatrix groaned and rubbed her face, seeming more like how Cerebella knew her.
"Yes, That did happen... but for the longest time, I haven't met anyone with powers like myself. Let alone as powerful as his. I can make him into something amazing."
"He already is." Cerebella cut in, seeming like this matter was closed without a doubt.
Beatrix scowled. "Okay, yeah, sure, but I can make him even MORE amazing! C'mon, just give me a fair shot here! I'm not gonna hurt the kid!"
Cerebella looked at Beatrix critically. Then she looked at Harry. Then she sighed. "Rule one... Hurt him and I break your arm. Rule two... Yell at him, I throw you into the elephant waste. Rule three... Only if he's okay with it." Harry hesitated for a few moments. If he could control the freaky stuff, then... He reluctantly nodded his head.
"Alright then." Beatrix nodded in reply, her tone still rather cold but internally, she was somewhat excited. "I think he needs some comforting from you, he believes his magic is a curse... I'll talk with you two tomorrow." Beatrix walked away, back towards the tent, at the same time, the now neon green Feng came skidding to a stop.
"Is he okay?!" She gasped, clearly out of breath. Harry took one look at her and threatened to burst into tears.
"I'm...I'm sorry..." He whimpered. Feng blinked and tilted her head, a confused frown on her face. "For... For making your hair turn green..."
Feng gasped. "YOU did that?" Harry nodded slowly, fearing punishment, and he yelped when Feng grabbed him by the shoulders. "Can you do it again?! Just one more time?! I wanna try sky blue hair!" She said excitedly. Harry gave a terrified 'Eep!' And buried his face into Cerbella's bust, surprising the juggler. Cerebella set to trying to coax him out of his terrified state.
"Hey, Hey... she's not mad. It's okay." The wheightlifter cooed soothingly, before looking to her friend. "Feng, he's TERRIFIED of his powers. Please don't bring them up for now. I think Beatrix might be the only one who can help him..."
Feng blinked at that. "Seriously? Beatrix? Oooh, that's gotta be murder on your pride, eh, Cerebella?" The stronger woman rolled her eyes in response.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." She grumbled. "But y'know... Pride comes before a fall and all that... And...Well, Harry is not something I'm willing to risk suffering that fall." Feng nodded in agreement and tickled the tiny boy's chin playfully, earning a tiny smile from Harry. "Can you tell Regina I'll be taking the rest of the night off? I think I need to spend a little time with Harry, he needs some love right now..."
"Alright." Feng nodded as she began making her way back to practice. Cerebella sighed and smiled down at Harry sadly, noting that he still seemed rather frightened of something. She knew neither party was going to enjoy this, but she figured she needed to ask him about his 'Freaky Stuff'.
The greenette gave the boy a small smile and carried him back to her and Feng's living quarters. "Getting pretty close to lunch time anyway... I'll see if we have any leftovers." She entered the kitchen and searched for something she could feed the boy. She found that there was only stuff she'd have to cook, which she could not do. Sighing in exasperation, she turned to look at Harry. "We'll uh...head into town and get something in a bit. But first..." She sat down, holding him in her lap. "I need you to tell me about this...freaky stuff you were talking about." Harry whimpered and instinctively covered his face with his tiny arms, as if trying to protect it from a punch that he expected to be coming. After a few moments, he opened one eye, why wasn't he being hit? Cerebella slowly moved his arms away from his face and smiled sadly at him. "Hey, it's okay." She said reassuringly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to understand why your so terrified of... whatever you have."
Harry looked up at her with a hesitant expression before looking down at the floor sadly. "Um... Well, I...I..." Cerebella put a hand on his shoulder. "...I get hurt when I use it..."
Cerebella frowned sadly, having a gut feeling it wasn't the act of performing his talents that caused him pain. "You get hurt, huh? How do you get hurt?"
Harry opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find the words, before finally speaking. "My...My uncle... he... he really doesn't like it, and so he...He..." His voice began to quake as he struggled to fight back tears.
"He hurt you. Didn't he?" Cerebella asked sadly, feeling tears of her own beginning to form in her eyes as well. She pulled Harry into a comforting hug and began rocking him in her arms. "And you ran away because you were scared, and then I found you." Harry just began to cry into Cerebella's chest, unable to give an answer, but Cerebella knew that the answer was 'yes'. It broke her heart knowing that Harry not only was so hurt physically, but the mental ramifications that inevitably would have on the poor boy's mind. She looked down at the little boy and wiped her tears away. Now was not the time for her to break down crying. She needed to stay strong. For Harry..."It's okay, Harry... It's gonna be okay now... As long as I'm by your side, I won't let anyone hurt you like that again... Ever..." She said softly. Harry's sobs slowly grew louder. He had cried with Cerebella before... But this... This was his true breaking point. Where before he had cried softly and tried his hardest to pull himself together, he was now fully letting out his pain and suffering, his sobs loud and audible. Cerebella seated herself on the ground and simply let the tiny bundle in her arms cry himself out. It was clear he needed this so badly... And Cerebella wasn't going to stop him. She desperately wanted him to be the happy, giggling little boy she knew he was deep down, the one who played with her and Feng on the couch, but she knew that Harry was, for lack of a better term, broken. Yes, she had rescued him, and he was going to get over this, but the fact that he needed to get over this in the first place was a major issue. Added to that the fact that the wounds (physical and mental) were still very fresh. Cerebella couldn't imagine what kind of monster could do this... But she did know one thing. She was going to keep Harry safe, and happy, and above all, loved. She looked down at the crying little boy in her arms, and she found herself hugging him tighter against her bosom, gently rubbing the back of his head. "That's it, buddy, that's it... You just get all that pain out of your system... Miss Bella's right here for ya... You're gonna be okay... I'm gonna get you through this..." Cerebella's words worked wonders for making the boy slowly calm down. After forty five minutes, his sobs finally died completely, and he was left a trembling ball in the tightrope walker's arms, letting out the occasional whimper. Cerebella felt a warmth in her chest. It was clear that Harry was attached to her, and she had to admit she was very attached to this tiny boy. Cerebella began gently running her fingers through the shaggy mess of hair that Harry had, a sad small smile on her face. 'Yeah... that settles it. I'm keeping him.' Cerebella thought. As for Harry, after unbottling all his years of pent up fear and distress, he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off both his chest and shoulders. He felt...at peace... As for Miss Cerebella? He had broken down completely, and she had just held him. No anger, no orders to stop, she just let him cry his heart out... Cerebella now had his complete and total trust. Snuggling in closer to her, he felt safe. Safer than he ever had in his cupboard... Slowly, he looked up at his new caregiver with a look of pure adoration.
"Mo-Miss Cerebella?" Harry timidly asked, catching himself and correcting himself, hoping Cerebella didn't hear. The weight lifter heard something, but assumed he had misspoken through a sob.
"Yes buddy?" She asked with a kind smile.
"W...what's gonna happen to me now? What if my family finds me? What if I hurt you?! What if-" Cerebella silenced him by putting a finger to his lips and giving him a reassuring smirk. Then, she flexed a bicep in a half-joking manner.
"Anyone tries to lay a finger on you, they're getting the business end of Vice-Versa here!" As if on cue, the hat atop her head flexed its muscles. Harry gave a small smile, feeling reassured. While he didn't want anyone to get hurt, he felt safe knowing that Miss Cerebella wouldn't let anyone hurt him. He snuggled into her embrace, trying to show his appreciation for all she had done for him. Cerebella smiled and tightened her hold on him, rubbing his back gently. "So, ya feel better now that you got it all out of your system?" The greenette asked.
"Mm-hmm... Thank you Miss Bella..." Harry mumbled into her tummy, getting a chuckle from the acrobat as she rose to her feet and held him up to eye level.
"No problem, kiddo." She said fondly as she put her nose to his. "Now c'mon... What say we head out into town, get a bite to eat, and then get you a few things, yeah?"
"But...But I have all I need." Harry replied innocently, making Cerebella laugh gently.
"Buddy, all you have is this tattered rag of a shirt." She said, playfully poking his nose. "You deserve so much better,"
"But this is what I deserve, right?"
Cerebella shook her head. "Nope." She replied, popping the P sound at the end. "Hence why I told ya you deserve more." She poked his nose.
"Oh... Okay, I... I guess that makes sense..." Harry mumbled softly, burying his face into the woman's tummy, prompting her to sigh softly.
"And once we get you some real clothes, those rotten old rags are going straight in the trash, right where they belong." She said, giving the shirt a distasteful frown. Harry decided not to argue. Miss Cerebella was smart, so she probably knew what was best for him, and while he didn't want to say it, the promise of clean clothes was very tempting, as he was used to wearing dirty, worn-out clothes all his life. Besides, his stomach was grumbling... He really wanted to eat something, not that he'd ever admit it. The acrobat carried him out the door after leaving a note for Feng, and they set out for town.
The city was bustling, as always, with people going about their day and getting their errands done. Harry looked around curiously at all the sights. The city was far more welcoming while Miss Bella was here... Cerebella smiled down at him, remembering a time long ago when she was as young as he was, and having the same childish wonder sparkle in her eyes as she was taken about the city, then eventually to her home, the circus. She knew there were a number of things she'd need to get Harry, but she decided the most important thing would be some new clothes. Even if all she got was a big hoodie that would cover him, that would be good enough. As she made her way down the street, however, she found herself bumping into somebody due to being distracted by Harry. "Whoops, sorry about that." The figure turned to acknowledge her with a tilted head. She was a slim woman, wearing a trench coat and a fedora, both of which she had snagged off a Medici thug.
Nadia Fortune had managed to climb out of the ocean after the Life Gem revived her. Unfortunately for her, she had ended up in the middle of enemy territory... The woman looked over Cerebella with wide eyes. 'What's this nya-ow? Oh... Craaaap... Circus getup, low-cut dress... She's gotta be one of Vitale's guys... Okay, Nadia, play it cool... She doesn't know who you are yet, just get an opportunity to- Ah geez, is that her kid? The Medici lifestyle'll eat that little guy alive... '
"Uh...Why're you staring at me like that?" Nadia Fortune was pulled from her musing by Cerebella's voice.
"Oh, heh... Sorry, you just caught me off guard there... Yeah, no worries, lady." Then she looked down at Harry. "Sooo... This your kit?" She leaned down slightly and gave Harry a light scratch under his chin, much like one would do for a kitten. Cerebella, despite feeling a bit hesitant at the woman's silence, adopted a sad smile as she looked down at Harry.
"Well, I've been taking care of him, so I guess you could say he is? But... I'm more like a babysitter for him than anything." Cerebella couldn't hear it, but Harry let out a tiny whimper. Was that all Cerebella was? Some just watching him for the time being? He really thought of her as-
His thoughts were stopped when he felt the woman scratch his chin. It felt nice, it felt oddly soothing, and he closed his eyes with a content smile, leaning into the contact somewhat. Nadia smirked at that and let out a chuckle. "Better be careful. When ya got a cute little guy like this, someone might decide they wanna steal him."
Harry looked nervous at that and Cerebella let out an amused snicker at what the woman was insinuating. "Anyone tries...Well, I can always just make a pretzel. I think we're-" Then, quite suddenly, a blur rushed past her, and Harry was no longer in her arms. She gasped, then turned to find Nadia giving her a large catlike grin as she held Harry.
"Purrrsonally, I think you should be more on guard. There's trouble all around ya in a place like this. Even in the last place you'd expect. If you're not careful... He could get seriously hurt."
Cerebella's eyes narrowed as she stepped forward. "That supposed to be a threat, kitty?! You better give him back right now, or I'll squash you like a grape!"
Nadia whistled. "Touchy." She handed Harry back, and Cerebella snatched him away. "To answer your question, though... I'm not threatening you. I'm givin' ya a friendly warning. For the kid's sake, you'd better be careful who you associate yourself with." Cerebella was about to respond angrily, but the woman had somehow disappeared practically into thin air, merging with the crowd and becoming unrecognizable. Cerebella was torn from her angered thoughts by soft whimpers in her arms. She snapped back to reality and held Harry close, trying to soothe the terrified boy.
"Hey... hey it's okay sweetie... it's okay." She cooed, rocking him back and forth.
Nadia looked down on the pair from a rooftop, immensely grateful that her days as a thief had taught her a few handy escape tactics. "Phew... Now THAT could have gotten ugly..." She looked down at Cerebella with a small frown. "Seriously, though... You really do need to get that little guy away from those bastards in the Medicis..." Shaking her head, the Feral turned and hopped down from the building. Somehow, she got the feeling this wouldn't be the last she saw of Cerebella.
Cerebella sighed and bit her lip. She didn't get it, what was she talking about? Who was she aligned with?! The Cirques de Cartes? No... they weren't bad people. They cared for everyone... they cared about the people they entertained... But if she wasn't referring to the Cirques de Cartes, then... She donned a frustrated expression. Seriously, why did people hate the Medicis so much?! They were good people! They willingly took her in when her parents died and gave her a place to stay! They let Harry come and stay with her! So why...? Why did people hate them? They only hurt people who provoked them... Right? She looked at Harry and gave him a small smile. "Don't worry. No one's taking you away from me." Harry smiled back up at her, seeming to believe her words, and finding great comfort in them.
"Thank you." He said, albeit somewhat timidly, but genuine nonetheless.
"C'mon, lets get you out of these rags." Cerebella grinned as she continued walking towards a nearby store, Harry happily snuggled in her arms. She stepped into the clothing store, entered the children's isle, and looked around with a frown. "Huh... Looks like a lot of this stuff's too big for you..."
Harry looked ashamed of himself, visibly wincing in his caregiver's arms. "I'm sorry they're too big for me,.." He said sadly, looking at the floor.
Cerebella grabbed his chin and had him look up at her smiling face. "Don't worry, it just means you'll have to grow into 'em a bit."
"Oh. Okay..." Harry nodded, feeling reassured by Cerebella's smile. The weight lifter sighed and began lifting shirts off the racks again and holding them up to Harry to see what he thought. She hummed and hawed at them, making a small pile of the ones she thought would look good on him. Carrying Harry and the clothes to the dressing room, she sat Harry on the small bench and picked up a shirt.
Then she grabbed a small pair of jeans and held them out to him. "All right, go and try these on in the changing room, okay, little guy?" Harry nodded, obediently taking the clothes and stepping into the changing room. Cerebella waited patiently, sitting with one leg crossed over the other. "Almost done in there?" She called out.
"D-Don't come in, please..." Came Harry's timid response. When he stepped out, Cerebella smiled.
"All right, lookin' good, kid!" Harry looked down, not sure if he felt the same excitement Cerebella did, but he looked up at her with a smile.
"You really think so?" He asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.
"Yup!" Cerebella gave a closed-eyed smile. "You look great!" He felt happy when he heard those words. "How do they feel?" Cerebella asked. "Do they fit comfortably enough for ya?" Harry nodded.
"They're really nice clothes... I like them..." He said with a small smile. Cerebella smirked and messed up his hair playfully, causing him to giggle.
"That's good to hear, kiddo! Now go and try on these ones..." She passed him another set of clothes, and he obediently went and tried them on. This went on for several minutes. Cerebella smiled, applauded, and hugged the tiny boy as he tried on the different outfits. It was clear he was trying to make her happy, and Cerebella found it to be adorable. After about twenty minutes Cerebella decided she had seen enough and picked up Harry. "Okie-dokie then." She grinned. "I think we have enough."
"But... I don't have any money to pay for them..." Harry said sadly.
Cerebella frowned and tilted her head. "Well, of course you don't, little guy. That's what I'm here for." Harry's eyes widened as he looked at her.
"You're... You're gonna buy all these clothes for me...? You're...You're..." He sniffled. "You're really gonna...gonna...waste your money on..." Sensing he was about to cry again, Cerebella hurriedly scooped him up and carried him into the changing room so they could have some privacy.
It wasn't the broken sobbing boy she had seen at the room, but it was still heart wrenching. Harry was crying more in confusion than anything, and Cerebella hated it. "Wh..why are you so nice to me?!" Harry finally managed to get out.
The greenette gently wiped his tears away and gave him a smile. "I'm nice to you because I care about you, Harry. You're a good kid... You didn't deserve the rotten treatment you got."
"I...I..." He buried his face into her chest and began crying some more, and Cerebella carefully tightened her hold on the little boy, patting his back gently.
"It's okay, buddy... It's okay... I gotcha..." She whispered softly into his ear. Though it pained her to witness his breakdowns... She was glad she could help him through them. She sighed slightly and settled herself down on the seat to comfort the tiny boy. After a few minutes he calmed himself to a slight whimper, but even that died down as he leaned closer to Cerebella, feeling a sense of warmth and protection.
"M-Miss Bella...?" Harry said softly, prompting the greenette to let out a grunt of curious acknowledgement. "I'm...I'm sorry... I cry too much..."
Cerebella leaned down and kissed his temple. "Harry, you do not cry too much... At all... Honestly, I'm surprised you don't cry more after what you've been through." Leaning down, she pressed her forehead against his. "I want you to understand that I'm here for you, Harry... If you wanna cry, then I'm happy to be the one to hold you while you do it."
"Thank you... for not hating me..." Harry replied in a soft voice.
"I don't think I ever could honey." The weightlifter smiled. The two enjoyed a tender moment until Harry's stomach audibly growled. Harry seemed a bit shocked, but Cerebella just giggled. "Aww, you getting hungry again?" She asked playfully. Harry blushed and nodded slowly. Cerebella chuckled. "Well, c'mon, little guy, let's go get this stuff paid for and then we can grab something to eat." After making the trip to the front counter [and getting the woman there to stop cooing over Harry and focus], Cerebella found a fast food restaurant. "Well, it's nothing fancy, but hey... Food's food, am I right?" The tanned woman said with a shrug as she sat Harry down opposite her. "Any idea what you want to eat?" She asked, smiling down at the tiny boy. She wanted him to know that everything was going to be okay, so she figured trying to be a friendly and comforting presence was a good start.
"Umm... I dunno." Harry mumbled, looking away slightly.
"Oh, you've probably never been to a place like this, have you?" Cerebella frowned, mentally noting that she had found him in a trash can eating garbage, so she shouldn't have expected much else... Harry nodded his affirmation at that and Cerebella patted his head gently. "My...My cousin ate food from these kinds of places a lot, but I never got anything..."
Cerebella frowned softly at hearing of this very blatant favoritism against her little guy. "Well... Why don't we just start you out with the kid's meal, yeah?"
"Okay... That sounds good." Harry said with a nod and a small smile. Cerebella smiled, taking one of his tiny hands in her own, not noticing the waitress that had walked up to their table.
"Awww, he's so adorable." The woman smiled down at Harry making the tiny boy blush, the newcomer snapping Cerebella out of her focus on Harry.
The greenette turned to face the waitress and grinned, shrugging her shoulders. "Heh... Yeah, the little guy is pretty adorable, isn't he?"
Harry squeaked in embarrassment and ducked down, trying to make himself seem as small as possible. The waitress giggled. "Okay, what are you two having?" Cerebella settled on the chicken wings for herself, and the kids meal she promised Harry. The waitress wrote their orders down, smiled at Harry once again, giving a friendly wave, then left.
As they waited for their food to arrive, Cerebella looked over at Harry. "So yeah, me and Feng usually come to this place when she doesn't feel like cooking. Food's pretty great. You'll like it."
"Okay, Miss Bella. Thank you." Harry said softly. Vice-Versa reached over and patted the boy's head as Cerebella smiled warmly at him.
Soon enough, their food arrived. Harry perked up when he smelled his burger and fries. "Heh... Dig in, kiddo." The greenette said as she paid the waitress. Harry seemed a bit hesitant, but then his hunger overtook his precautions and he took a bite of his burger, his face almost immediately lighting up.
"It's so good!" He said after he swallowed, almost in amazement that something could taste that good.
Cerebella snickered and reached over to wipe his face. "Got a little ketchup on your lip." She said in amusement, prompting Harry to blush slightly.
"Oops... I'm um...sorry..." He mumbled softly. Cerebella chuckled at his response and shook her head in amusement. He really was a silly boy. Harry looked up at Cerebella, a tiny smile forming on his face.
"Um, Miss Cerebella?" Harry began.
"What is it kid?"
"What is it you do?"
"Excuse me?" Cerebella asked, confused by the question.
"Um... you and Miss Feng, What were you two doing back at the circus?"
Cerebella blinked, then smiled at him. "Aaah, well, y'see, we all have our roles to play there. Beatrix is the magician, Hubrecht's the strong man, Regina does animal shows, Talliesin does puppet shows..."
"Okay, um... But I thought you'd be the strong man...or um...woman... Because Vice Versa's so strong and all..." Vice Versa beamed and flexed proudly.
"Weeell, I'm kind of in-between. I'm a strong woman, a lot like Hubrecht, but I'm also an acrobat, like Feng."
"Oh, okay." Harry nodded, seeming to understand what Cerebella was getting at. "I think you'd be good at it."
"Aww, you're too precious for your own good." Cerebella cooed, gently pinching Harry's cheek, making the tiny boy giggle. A sound she loved to hear. The pair finished their food, and Cerebella let out a sigh of content. "Now that hit the spot!" She said with a grin before looking over at Harry. "How ya feeling, kiddo? Your tummy nice and full?"
Harry nodded his head with a bright smile. "Yes, Miss Bella. Thank you for buying me food." Chuckling, the acrobat picked the boy up and hugged him.
"My pleasure, little guy. Anything to get a smile out of ya." Harry giggled and smiled up at her. The acrobat smiling as the two left the restraint. Cerebella pondered what to do next, she had clothes, she had fed him... well, what was Harry going to do during practices? Hm... maybe she should get him some books and toys. Cerebella decided the best route to get to the toy store would be through an alleyway. "All right, little guy, we're just gonna head on over-" She turned her head just in time to avoid a swing from a knife, instinctively covering up Harry the best she could.
Turning, she saw a group of men, all armed to the teeth, standing before her. "Well, well, you're quite the looker, aren'tcha, hot stuff?" The acrobat simply scowled in response.
"Think I'm scared of a bunch of nameless thugs like you? Please! You have NO IDEA who you're dealing with! Now, unless you wanna get hurt, step out of my way!" Harry was frightened as Vice-Versa suddenly grabbed him and set him to the side, trying to keep him out of harms way. Cerebella currently was taking the thugs down a notch, hitting one square in the jaw, kicking another in the chest, ducking and weaving under the blades they thought could hurt her. Cerebella cared more about keeping them away from Harry right now.
"Don't move or the kid'll get hurt!" She suddenly heard.
The young woman tensed up when she heard that, and she turned to see one of the larger goons, holding back Vice-Versa's arm and holding Harry in one arm, a knife to his throat. Harry was looking at her with a scared expression. "M-Miss Bella...?" He whimpered.
"You Medicis think you're top of the world! Completely indestructible! But guess what? Now you're as helpless as a newborn baby!" The man taunted
"Get your damn hands off of him!" Cerebella roared, stomping forward, only to freeze, as the moment she took a step, the man held the knife closer to the boy's throat, causing him to whimper. "You..." She snarled.
What they didn't know was that another man had been walking by... This man was massive, with a large trenchcoat covering up his bulky body. Ben Birdland was his name, but he also went by his codename: Big Band. He had returned to the city after a near death experience for a trip down memory lane. ...And maybe to bust some Medici heads if the opportunity presented itself. However, as he stepped by a nearby alley, he heard a sound that brought out the instinct to deliver justice he had picked up during his time as a detective.
"All right, gorgeous... We'll let your precious baby boy go... But first...We're gonna have ya do some...favours for us, if ya catch my drift." Cerebella was now being restrained by the rest of the thugs while the big one held Harry at knifepoint.
"Rrrgh..." Cerebella was furious. She knew she could take this wimp down... But if she tried, he would... Scowling, she knew what she had to do... "God damn it... Fine, whatever, just let Harry go!"
"Ah ah ah, can't do that just yet! If we let him go now, you'll take the opportunity to fight back. You gotta finish up first-hey, did it just get darker out? What, nighttime al-"
CRACK!
The man's knife fell to the ground with a clatter as he stared in disbelief at his now shattered arm. Cerebella seized the opportunity almost immediately, moving her arms so that the men holding her down would go flying, then she rushed over, Vice-Versa delivering a right hook that staggered the man just enough for her to snag Harry away. Hugging the scared boy close to her chest, she turned to get a look at her saviour, who was glowering down at the large thug. "So, Mr. Big Shot..." A deep, low voice sounded out. "You think you're a big man?" The thug roared to his feet and went for a haymaker with his good arm...only to shatter his hand on impact. The pain finally catching up to him, he yelled in agony. "Real low, goin' for a young mom and her kid. I think it's high time someone put you in your place."
The rest of the group all yelled and charged the large man and Cerebella. Before Cerebella could react, the large man brought down a fist that seemed to be made of musical instruments, he smashed it onto the top of one thug's head, making him almost cartoonishly spin for a moment, then fall face-first into the ground. He turned and backhanded another thug into a brick wall, or more accurately, through the brick wall. Cerebella grabbed one of the attackers by the arm, and swung him around like she did with her training bags, letting him go and sending him careening towards the end of the alley, crashing into the garbage cans that were stacked down there, causing them to all fall out of their inexplicably pyramid shaped tower, and come crashing down onto the attacker.
Harry closed his eyes and whimpered as the fight happened around him. The thug that had held him at knifepoint was now trembling as he realized how screwed he really was. Without warning, Vice-Versa had slugged him right in the eye, causing him to see stars. Vice-Versa grabbed him again and twirled it's arm around clockwise at blinding speeds, causing the man to scream as his world became a blur of colour. Eventually, Vice-Versa let go, and the man was sent flying through several brick walls before finally coming to a stop when he smashed into a lamppost. Cerebella winced. "Ooogh... Didn't mean to throw him THAT hard... Hope the buildings and lamppost are okay. Heh..." She turned her attention to the little boy in her arms. "Oh my gosh, Harry... Are you okay? He didn't knick you or anything, did he?!" She frantically inspected his neck for any sign of cuts.
Big Band watched the scene with interest. She was with the Medicis, no doubt about that... The outfit was a dead giveaway... But she was certainly not like the others. She clearly had genuine care for this kid... No doubt she was being strung along by that Medici trash... How best to approach this...? He had a feeling outright telling her her 'family' was trash would end badly...
"You two okay?" He finally began, asking what was probably the most important question. Cerebella was still looking Harry over, terrified that he may have been injured.
"Yeah...Yeah, I think we're okay..." She mumbled before hugging Harry tightly. "Oh God... I didn't mean to put you in danger..." The boy was clearly in shock from the situation, snuggling into the woman's embrace with a blank, unreadable expression on his face. Ben felt bad for the little guy.
"Yeah, these allies are full of crooks. Crime's high in this city, that's for sure." Big Band said with a nod. Cerebella turned to him with a small, shaky smile.
"Seriously, big guy, thanks a HEAP for helping us out of that mess... Who knows what they would have done to Harry if you hadn't shown up... And seriously, does it get any cooler than fighting that well with musical instruments? Awesome stuff!"
"Heh, don't mention it." Ben smirked, seeing that the kid was still clearly shocked beyond words. "Listen, it ain't none of my business, but keep the kid close to ya. The city ain't always as nice as it may seem. Those who claim to be your friends may not be what they seem." Cerebella was a bit confused by what she was told, but nodded nonetheless. The large man approached. "I know it's outta nowhere, kid... But trust me, I know all too well what the dark side of town's like. I used to be a detective. One of the best in the field. The things I saw still haunt me to this day..."
"Wow... Is it really that bad here?" Cerebella asked. She had been out on the town many times... But she never knew how bad the crime could get...
"In a town run by the mob...anything can happen, and not a lot of it's good. Just always think clearly about things. Think critically about everyone you meet. Sometimes you'll find something about them that'll change your entire outlook on 'em... For better, or for worse." He then reached into his pocket. "Here... This is my number." Cerebella blinked.
"Uh... Look, you're a really cool guy and all, but..." Ben chuckled.
"Nah, just consider it an emergency number. If ya need help, gimme a call and I'll see if there's anything I can do to help ya out."
"Thanks." Cerebella nodded as the large man began walking away. Harry looked up from where he had hidden himself in Cerebella's chest and mumbled.
"Thank you..." Cerebella wasn't sure if the man heard it or not, but she smiled down at Harry, kissing the top of his head reassuringly.
"It's okay now, little guy... Those nasty jerks are gone now, and they are NEVER GONNA MESS WITH US AGAIN UNLESS THEY WANNA SPEND THE REST OF THEIR MISERABLE EXISTENCE ON LIFE SUPPORT." She turned to the few conscious goons with a snarl, and they winced.
"Y-Yes ma'am..." One of them whimpered. Cerebella took great satisfaction in seeing that many of the thugs had wet themselves at some point during the scuffle. Cerebella sighed and quickly made her way through what was left of the alley. Harry had buried his face into her shoulder again and let the weightlifter rub his back to comfort him.
"Don't worry, you're safe." She cooed. Harry mumbled something into her chest, and she gave him a sad smile. "Heh... You're welcome, little guy... Think I'll get ya a little something extra to make up for getting you in trouble."
Harry looked up at her with a small frown on his face. "You... You don't have to..." Cerebella put a finger to his lips and gave him a friendly smirk.
"Yeah, I know I don't HAVE to. Buuut I'm gonna do it anyway. And you wanna know why?" She kissed his cheek. "Because I WANT to." Harry didn't reply, deciding not to argue with Cerebella. She was the kindest woman he had ever met, and he didn't want to upset her. She had also just been in a fight, and he didn't want her to worry more about him. He simply tried to hug her neck to show his appreciation. Cerebella chuckled at his display of affection and rubbed the back of his head. "Heh... I'll take that as a thank you." She said, giving the boy a wink.
"Y-Yes, Miss Bella... That's what it is..." Harry said softly. The tan woman rested her cheek atop his head and nuzzled him gently, causing him to let out a content coo. Cerebella laughed gently as they stepped out of the alleyway, back into the street, where the sun was shining and showing everything ahead of them. Cerebella continued on her way towards the store, but would cast a glance over her shoulder rather frequently, keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious looking.
Meanwhile, Big Band watched from a corner, looking up from his newpaper he was trying to hide behind as the two walked by. "Poor kid..." he muttered. "No idea what the hell he's gotten himself into... still. That girl. She's different... maybe things'll turn out alright for him."