A/N: Everyone enjoy that last chapter? Let's have an F in the chat for our 'favourite' blue-haired Weil wannabe (AKA Albert), and ten points to Slytherin for Aile literally clothes-lining that overblown bastard. You go girl. I've no doubt P&P became her biggest fans once they heard about that XD

Sorry not sorry for the slow updates on this fic. I've been battling a changing job schedule, trying to find a new place to live (and then moving into the new place, which is a massive chore), an intense lack of motivation, and basically whatever else my life (and depression) decides to throw at me. Thankfully Miss-Grimm just uploaded a chapter of her Megaman ZX fic, "For the Glory for the Fame", so that's kicked me in the backside enough to get this done. You should check it out! In the meantime, thanks for being patient, and enjoy this holiday update!

PS: Thanks Wyran for an awesome comment! I'd love to know what that research is for…

As much as Aile was happy about her father finally saying that he loved her, she was not nearly as happy about the redoubled training he dumped on her.

Years eight through nine felt like they were the worst ever years of her life for her poor, abused body, Aile mused sourly. Year eight had been especially cursed for many reasons. Omega had taken the threat to Aile to heart and increased her training regime a hundredfold. (There were so many bruises. She was made of bruises. OW.) Her father made it very clear that he prided himself on being ruthless and harsh. She started to resent him and his methods at times, more than fed up with his relentless weapons rehearsals and his tough-love-or-else methodology that was nearly to the point of torture in her not-so-humble opinion. With the way his gaze occasionally wavered, or how he sometimes looked away suddenly whenever in her vicinity, it was clear that he had embarrassed himself by admitting that he loved her. Or maybe he was still struggling with the revelation. Perhaps he felt that he had to rescue his reputation, or was soothing his own bruised ego and frayed nerves at how close the call had been, and so was doing his best to act like it never happened. (Aile tried not to be hurt by it. She failed.) Because of this Omega doubled down, no, tripled, quadrupled down on the weapons practice and combat lessons. It got to the point she would only have a few hours a day to herself to have fun, but would usually be too tired for such activities anyways. Flopping bonelessly onto her bed and conking out near-instantly at the end of a long day became the norm. Even on her days off.

Aile only managed to get herself some small breaks because at one point the burnt-out brunette could only take so much and had downright collapsed. Omega lessened up a bit after that. He clearly felt a little guilty about it, but Aile understood that he was just doing it out of worry for her, and so forgave him easily.

For two whole months she didn't dare go to the surface except for food. It didn't help that, no matter how short or long the trip, even if she never left the caves, Omega never let her out of his sight. His old habit of trailing her had come back with a vengeance. Things like free time and rest weren't done out of mercy, but necessity. When she asked why, he insisted that it was time for her to act like a proper adult. That she should learn to act responsibly and stop playing around. On the few occasions she did feel energetic or spunky enough to explore, he firmly insisted that she remain underground. Besides, he explained, it was as good a time as any for her to learn more about their buried home and its complex tunnel system… the very same tunnel system she'd already explored thousands of times. Ugh. And he stalked her every damn excursion! Omega didn't stop tailing her for at least three months, damnit, though it was probably more like five. It's not like she could go up and check what day or month it was either, not when he blocked her progress and harshly scolded her every time she tried to sneak out. She could barely even go to the bathroom without him hovering nearby!

Aile would get her space back eventually, but the event that caused this was one of the more horrific ones she'd endured in recent history. The sacrifice she'd had to pay to earn her freedom had definitely not been worth it. But considering the circumstances and people involved, it'd been inevitable.

It was their first and only fight. A shouting match. Harsh words cut deeply, and throats became sore from yelling. Both her and her dad regretted it to this day, couldn't un-say some of the things said, and it felt like they'd remember the scars for the rest of their lives. They never let it happen again.

But that fight, painful as it was, was not even the worst thing that happened to Aile that year. At least the fight had revealed some weaknesses in her and her father's relationship and been a method for working things out. A lot of personal things were revealed to each other. Some long-hidden secrets and emotions had been brought to light as they'd viciously bared their hearts and hissed words meant to wound. Aile was very proud of her father when he genuinely opened up to her afterwards, communicating honestly as he made an adamant attempt to fix things. Hell, they even had a damn good cuddle afterwards. The pair of them had been embarrassingly cute about it. As much as it hurt them both, the fight had also been constructive. It was not the ugliest thing in the world to have occurred to their unusual little family; their bond had become stronger for it. The actual worst event to come out of year eight was, well, to put it simply… a normal bodily function.

On one sorry day Aile very quickly realized, after feeling some alarming and confusing pain in her gut and finding blood stains on her shorts, that getting your period sucked. Capital letters, bold text, shouting on a mountaintop from the depths of your gut, SUCKED. (Fuck you too, Mother Nature!) The cramps were debilitating and completely unnecessary in Aile's opinion. Her father couldn't have agreed more. At least Omega let up on her even more after that and allowed her to go into town again, even going so far as accompanying her a few times to help gather supplies. Which was a heartfelt gesture and all, and Aile loved him all the more for it because she knew how important it was to him to stay in the ruins, but gods damn it sometimes she just wanted her space too.

In summary, year eight could go fuck itself. Aile was not happy with her life at age twelve.

Thankfully year nine, her first official year of being a teenager, was where Aile started to hit her stride. In her free time, bolstered by confidence in herself from her training (and straight up teenage rebellion as well, but not rebellion at daddy he'd kick my ass), the spunky thirteen year old got bolder, her attitude returning with a vengeance. Aile started messing with people in and around Area C, often in broad daylight, and sometimes in front of cameras on purpose. They'd had their break before while she'd trained, but now the Imp was back!

True, she was still subtle enough that the incidents didn't grab too much attention at first, and wily enough that if things did seem like they would get too hot, Aile would simply disappear for a time. But this didn't stop her streak of mischief and vandalism from once again terrorizing and inconveniencing the citizens of Cinq Ville. Wanted posters detailing her masked visage were renewed across the various billboards of Innerpeace. This caused various peacekeeping forces to resume their attempts to apprehend her, though Slither Inc's forces were as incompetent as ever, and the few Hunters she spotted tailing her treated the endeavour more like a sport than anything serious. A sport where she thoroughly humiliated them for the insult of not taking her seriously. One particularly annoying Hunter frustrated her so badly that she knocked him out with her staff, stripped him of everything but his underpants, and left him in an alley next to a main thoroughfare while she traded his gear for five boxes of chocolate and a pocket knife.

Not many Hunters bothered her after that.

That being said, a couple of particularly enthusiastic efforts by the Guardians to catch her nearly made her change her mind about her antics. It was more than a little worrisome to have a group of mercenary peacekeepers on your case, especially when they were so much more skilled than the local security forces. Aile almost fell for their tactics more than she wanted to admit to. The teen continued with her mischief despite this

Aile made a point to learn the streets and their dangers, determined to never let another maverick or anyone else get the best of her again. The brunette learned the ups and downs of interacting with people and took to heart the most obvious social cues she encountered, despite most other ones escaping her. Even if she did go out of her way to interact with someone, to figure out how they ticked, most of the residents of Area C were unnerved or afraid of her. This was a good thing, of course, because people should fear her! And it meant that the reputation she was carefully crafting for herself was taking hold! But it sometimes made it difficult when Aile wanted to socialize out of genuine curiosity.

Oh well. It was worth it in the end. Aile liked it when people were scared of her. It actually unnerved her when people weren't afraid of her, or if they approached her in too friendly a manner, because if and when that was the case, Aile knew something was up. People weren't that friendly for no reason. Her father had taught her that lesson very well indeed, and so had the Guardians when they tried to lure her into a trap more than once. If someone was being too friendly, then Aile knew they were plotting something. Just look at what had happened with Prometheus! She knew better than to trust a smile. Like that one time a police officer who, unlike many of her peers, laughed at Aile's graffiti when she saw it and tried to start up a friendly conversation. Or that one baker who kept trying to give her free samples, claiming that she looked underfed while shoving food towards her every single time he saw her as if he thought himself a paragon of charity. Creeps! Aile knew a dangerous situation when she saw it. Clearly, like Prometheus, they were just toying with her. She'd run away from each of them out of an intelligent sense of self-preservation. (Not fear. Never fear. They didn't make her anxious, clearly! She wasn't being paranoid, she was being smart.)

It was rare to find someone who she could interact with properly. People who weren't foolish, or hiding their manipulative natures, were few and far between. One such person worked at a pawn shop, the lady's establishment hidden around the corner near an alley always full of some sort of shady folk or another. Aile tended to avoid the alley, too many angles to have to defend herself from of course, but the shop was relatively safe ground. Especially with her staff always at hand.

Though most people looked at her weapon and huffed derisively thanks to the purposefully silly decorations she'd put on it, one or two distinguished eyes could pick up on the impeccable craftsmanship, the carefree yet skilled way she handled it, and knew to think twice about going after Aile. One or two idiots tried their luck anyways, and found themselves severely punished for it. Generally speaking though, people were smart enough to leave her alone. Aile, in turn, was smart enough not to stay out after dark. She'd only done that once in her life. Once was enough, teaching her the hard way that even the forest wasn't entirely safe. Drunken party-goers were rare, but not unheard of, especially not in the outskirts near the city or around campfires at night. Aile made a special effort to avoid anyone who seemed even slightly inebriated. One such man had gone after her a few months back. She thought she'd been sneaky when stealing his wallet, but she'd misjudged. The wide-eyed wretch hadn't stopped chasing her even when she yelled at him, dropped the wallet, ran away, or threatened his life. He hadn't stopped until she caved in his skull and left him for dead in the woods. That… had not been one of her better moments.

Daddy had gone out with her to burn the body the next day. The smell still sat in her mind. That night had been filled with old memories, nightmares, and other remnants of a time at a fiery amusement park that she'd rather forget.

They celebrated her first kill later that week, of course. It was a quiet, sombre event.

Currently Aile was walking past a seedy looking motel as she reminisced about her life. She shook her head as she thought about her first kill, forcing the recollection from her mind as she moved on with her day. There were better things to think about. Like how much money she was going to get for a high-end watch she'd stolen just that morning! Score! Rich snobs could be laughably easy targets, she mused. Aile entered her favourite shop, the reedy female behind the counter eyeing her suspiciously as the brunette troublemaker coyly grinned and exclaimed, "Hellooooo there~!"

The exaggerated frown Aile received in return made her grin, "Oh. It's you. Well, hello back I guess, Imp. You know the rules. No stealing, or we won't buy." The woman slowly put down her magazine as the conversation began in earnest.

"Even though you guys are pretty much stealing from me all the time? I might not know a lot, but I know you guys are selling shit for a lot more than you buy it for," Aile teased. Hell, the evidence was there right in front of her: within the store's front counter, among other valuable bits of merchandise, was a jewelled bracelet that was marked for sale at ten times the price they'd paid Aile for it. She gave the item a significant glance that the lady didn't miss.

The woman just shrugged nonchalantly. "You find anyone else who'd buy from the Imp?" the woman asked in return, sneering a bit at Aile's offended look. "If you do, I'd pay to see that!" She laughed at the teenager's put-out face.

"As if," Aile sarcastically giggled in return, "you wouldn't pay for anything if you could help it!"

"Hah! True that!" The woman stood up and faced the teen with greed in her eyes, "So what have you got this time?"

They bargained and tittered, insulted each other, concluded their business, and let the discussion derail a bit once the nitty-gritty was done. The pair laughed at a few headlines in the gossip column the woman had been reading. People were so overdramatic! Aile good-naturedly grumbled about how she was being cheated. In response the lady marked the watch for triple the price she'd given Aile right in front of her face, so Aile pretended to be angry as she cussed the woman out and stomped out the door.

Once outside, Aile grinned to herself in satisfaction. A third of the sale price? Honestly, that was one of her better deals. The pawn shop owner probably got the hint when Aile had pointed out the bracelet. As much as Aile knew she was getting cheated, she also knew that the woman was right, and that no one really wanted to buy from the Imp of Cinq Ville. Hell, half the stores chased her out on sight! (True, maybe wearing her mask all the time was a bad idea, but hey. It was important to wear it, and she liked it.) Still, the woman got some dirt-cheap wares thanks to Aile, so pissing off one of her better sources of stock would have been a poor business decision. She got cheap goods and Aile got some spending money. All in all, things worked out.

It was as she was leaving the store that Aile noticed a group of nervous-looking kids stumble towards her. They were young teenagers like her, she figured, although one or two seemed a little older. This was more than a little unusual for Aile, and made her pause. She'd carefully crafted a brutal persona for a reason. Her father had recommended she do this, of course, because it was a smart idea; purposely make yourself so fearsome in reputation so that people won't dare think of messing with you, and most of your potential problems were nipped in the bud. Most of the time other youths, or even adults, knew all-too-well to be afraid of her and her vicious and unpredictable ways, and happily left her well enough alone.

Today would apparently be different. Aile stiffened as they approached. The half-dozen newcomers were clearly nervous, eyes darting between her and her weapon. Still, some at the back appeared to get their gumption and quietly egged themselves and the others on. Aile prepared for battle as one of them stuttered, "H-hey… you, uh…"

Another boy pushed aside the first speaker, "Forget chickenshit here, you! You're the Imp of Cinq Ville, right?"

Aile's eyes narrowed behind her mask at the potential threat. It was a male teenager, his body stocky and awkward. He was doubtlessly hopped up on his own testosterone and looking to prove himself. Aile chuffed at his immaturity, "Maybe. Who's asking? The Idiot of Cinq Ville? Or have you seen someone else with a mask like mine? Yes I'm the Imp! Dumbass!"

Some of his friends laughed at him. He blushed and sputtered but was interrupted when a tween girl in ripped up, stylized attire giggled, "Oops! Hee hee! Nope, no one else with that mask. It's pretty sweet actually, where can I buy one like that? I want one too!"

Aie knew she was being buttered up. Maybe they were trying to make her let down her guard? Regardless, she puffed up proudly at the compliment, "I made it! It's one of a kind, toots! And nope, before you ask, it's not for sale!"

"Aww, darn!" the girl pouted, kicking the pavement. She brought out a camera, "Could I take a picture, maybe? I want to make my own!" At Aile's suspicious glare she acquiesced, "Er, I mean, make one like it. Yeah."

Aile pondered a while before answering, "...Hmph. Fine. But you stay over there for the picture! And if you wear the mask, you'd better not make a fool of yourself! I've got a reputation to keep!" As Aile posed and some of the girl's friends made a marvel of her audacity, Aile had a thought. These kids… they'd approached her for a reason. Maybe they were trying to mess with her, or maybe, just maybe, they were smart and unafraid of things society deemed that they should have been scared of. Just like her. Sly and clever and tired of how scared and stupid the rest of the world was. She hummed, "Actually, come to think of it…" The others straightened up at her change of mind, worriedly looking at each other. Aile continued, "If you want to wear a mask like the Imp of Cinq Ville… maybe you should know how to act like the Imp of Cinq Ville! I'll tell you what," she offered, "I'm bored and have some time on my hands. You look like you're all up for a challenge. What would you say to having a little… fun?"

Aile watched them freeze up, then grinned as they looked at each other incredulously. Internally, she was elated. Maybe this could be the start of something truly awesome. Maybe, just maybe, she could finally have some friends just like herself! A whole group under her thumb! A clique, a club, a collective of people who weren't stupid, who could trust each other and work together under her rule! Hell yeah! Her own gang of miscreants! She'd never had a friend her age before. Or any at all, really. Aile wondered what it would be like.

"I heard you put a man in stitches!" One of them suddenly blurted out. His glasses were slightly askew as his friends stared at him in mild shock, "like, yeah, big stitches! A lot of them! A dozen or something!" he stuttered out. "I-is it true? Did you really do that?"

Aile hummed. She carelessly sauntered over to the boy and smiled a wicked smile as she leaned in, the boy sweating as she slowly answered, "Heh. Stitches? You, kid, are asking me if I put a man in a dozen stitches. Am I right?" He nodded slowly. She grinned wider, "Yup? Nope? Maybe? I dunno! Not sure I put a man in a dozen stitches, I don't bother following up with anyone who messes with me. I'm not a nanny. But I'm pretty sure I put stitches in at least a dozen men!" She laughed heartily as he gulped. She growled at him, "What, did you think this stick was for show?"

"Uh-uh, I didn't know-"

Aile sneered and slowly waved her weapon in his face, "Oh, it's showy alright. But I've cracked a few skulls with this for sure. Maybe broke some ribs. Definitely snapped an arm, once. Like I said, I dunno what really happens afterwards to everyone who gets a smack from my staff here. This is one of those situations where they, oh, what do they say?" She chortled as she took an insincere swipe at him and he yelped, ducking away from her, "Oh yeah! Fucked around and found out."

"Anyone who messes with the Imp of Cinq Ville deserves what they get!" the tween girl exclaimed. She was clearly a ringleader. The others nervously laughed along with her at the display.

Yep, Aile thought. Idiots. Impressionable dumbasses, and kind of cowardly to boot. But seeing as these people had been brave enough to approach her, she could definitely work with it. "So," she drawled slyly as the kids all looked towards her, "who's with me?"

Two hours later the three brats brave enough to say 'yes' were running out of a store, laughing and shrieking as they belted down the street. Aile watched from an alley with a grin.

Huh. So they actually could smarten up with a little teaching!

The kid in glasses was the first to reach her, panting, pink-faced, and clearly shocked with his own audacity. He was a scaredy-cat, but even Aile had to admit he'd pulled through and defied her expectations. He'd stuck to his guns. The kid had followed through on his determination to learn the Imp's ways, and now stood in front of her, flushed with victory and clutching a satchel of stolen books nervously in his hands. "We… here! We d-did it. Here they are, we did it!"

"Oh golly gosh," the girl crowed as she stumbled in behind him, "we are awesome. We are so awesome."

Tall something-to-prove guy brought up the back, clearly acting as the rearguard, while Aile took the spoils of war in her hands and surveyed the damage, "Awesome? Maybe. I'll! be the judge of that!" The oldest teen, maybe fifteen at most, looked a little insulted at her words. The masked brunette ignored him. She had been the one to direct this, after all, not him. Aile had organized the theft from the book store, told them a few tips and tricks and pumped up their resolve, before pointing her troops at the target. "Get me something useful!" She'd demanded as she sent them into battle, and now it was time to see what they had plundered. Clearly her plan to train and recruit them was working, their boldness and success egging them and their comrades on. As Aile looked through the titles, she hummed happily. Not a bad haul, all told, even if some of them were clearly just grabbed out of desperation instead of reading through titles.

At her contemplative silence, the eldest spoke up, "Well, there you are! Done! And it's a good job jobbed if I do say so myself!" The teen seemed a bit disgruntled despite his own forwardness, but utterly determined to inform her that they had, in fact, done a good job, whether she agreed with him or not. Like his opinion was all that mattered. Ugh. She rolled her eyes as he prattled, "Still, of all things. Not jewels or cool stuff, but books? Why steal something as dumb as books?"

"Believe it or not, I love books! But every bookstore employee or librarian in the damn city can identify me on sight by now. Oops I guess!" Aile admitted. "Besides, books are totally awesome. Lots of useful stuff can be hidden in them, and they look cool and sophisticated when you get enough on a bookcase." Aile waved him off idly, securing the satchel's strap around her shoulder, "Besides, jewels and other stuff are too well guarded and big ticket for some newbies like you. Gotta start easy, right?"

"Tch. Sure. Whatever you say," he complained, "we should be doing some real stuff though, not playing silly games and nicking some stories!"

Aile snorted derisively. Clearly the single victory had already gone to the jerk's head. But maybe he had a point. Maybe they really were ready for something a bit more big time. "Welp! I'm convinced," she applauded, "A good enough heist. Maybe you are ready for some real stuff, as you said," she grinned, and her evil expression caught their attention. "So. Think you're up for the big boy stuff now?"

"Yeah!" The punk girl laughed and grinned, "We're totally ready!

"W-what she said! Do your worst!"

Aile snickered. Her 'worst' would be introducing them all to her dad. A hilarious thought, admittedly, but she wouldn't dare go quite that far yet. There was somewhere else she could take them though, somewhere still pretty bad even by her standards. "So ya wanna be rough and tough? Come on then," Aile teased, "follow me somewhere we can do some damage!"

As they got ready to go, Aile realized that she was proud of herself. She'd totally helped everyone out by teaching them the ways of the world. How generous of her! She wasn't entirely comfortable with it admittedly, unused to 'hanging out' with others, or showing her true self as much as she was, but they were clearly putting in some effort. And Aile would reward this by being strong and leading by example. She would put in some effort too. It was time she showed them what proper courage and power were. If true friends were that easy to make, they wouldn't be worth it. And so, tamping down her own terror and nervousness, Aile led them to the amusement park. She didn't tell them where they were going, though, and this resulted in the group becoming more and more nervous as they travelled. Evening light filtered in through the trees, each massive trunk as tall as the city's walls and imposing in their massive, unyielding size. Stark shadows moved with wild abandon as the leaves above were thrown about by a harsh wind. A security bot jumped them halfway through the forest. Aile ruthlessly smashed it and laughed at the startled look they all gave her. The glasses-boy yelped, "Isn't that a Slither Inc mechaniloid?"

"Hah! It was a Slither Inc mechaniloid. Now it's scrap!" Aile giggled. If she gave it a few more vicious smacks after it had already stopped twitching, well, no one would know that it was to blow off some of her mounting stress. No one except her.

As they neared their destination, its identity became more apparent to her followers. Aile couldn't stop the tension growing in her shoulders, but at least she wasn't the only one. Her head whipped around to look behind her when she heard a gasp of fear. "W-Wait!? Isn't that the abandoned amusement park?" The oldest teen gulped, as he stumbled over a root, eyes glued to the horizon and the dilapidated rides peeping out over the horizon of trees, "Isn't that place full of actual mavericks?"

"I heard it was haunted, from the attack years back…" the girl said with a spooky tone, as if trying to scare the others. Aile noticed that the tween punk herself wasn't too confident, constantly shuffling her feet. "I heard from someone that you can still hear the moans of the dead! That the angry and suffering will curse you from beyond the grave! No one survived that night, it was all over the news!"

That wasn't entirely a fib, Aile noted. She'd looked into it herself on some of her more nostalgic moments. No survivors had been found. People still used the attack on the amusement park as an example of maverick brutality to this day.

"Can we even get in? I thought it was locked away for people's safety," said glasses kid worriedly, but with a hint of relief in his tone. He'd realized that there was no way they were going to be able to go into the scary area.

Or so he thought.

He was wrong, of course. Aile led them to a hidden entrance, the very same one she'd used to slip her pursuers so many years ago. They all quailed at the sight of the empty rides and the colourful cobbled ground, suspiciously dark patches scattered in less obvious places. Logic told them that it could have been normal wear and tear, patches of dirt and oxidation, because blood would have not lasted that long. But the eerily quiet atmosphere, the knowledge of the location's dreadful past, brought to mind far more unnerving reasons for the rusty spots hidden amongst the overly cheerful colours of the park. The place was barren of life and conversation, and apparently hadn't been touched by anyone alive in far too many years.

The ripped-shirt girl whined. Aile didn't blame her. She was also nervous, throat dry and teeth clenched so hard it felt like they'd be sore for days. Her history was threatening to overtake her rational thoughts, and that was very the reason Aile knew she couldn't back down from the challenge ahead. The terror from her memories coming to the forefront of her mind was a weakness she wasn't going to stand for any longer. "Pretty scary, isn't it?" She ground out. The others wordlessly nodded, courage faltering when even the Imp seemed nervous. Aile gritted her teeth, "Well, if something is scary… you just have to make yourself scarier! Come get some, shitty mavericks! Raaagh!" Aile ran. She buried her fear in indignant anger, wielded her staff, and rushed into the fray.

There was no other way to say it. Aile went on a rampage. What began as a bluff, a show of force, became a twisted revenge against what the park had taken from her as she barreled into battle like a berserker. Stalls were smashed, awnings and flags ripped, the silence of the area destroyed by her deranged screeches. Aile let out screams of trauma and pain. These cries borne of her old wounds were forced into a demented laughter, her fear and regret sharpened to hatred. "Yeeeaaaggh! Come on! Come get some! Fucking pieces of shit! Screw you!" She smashed the joints of a fence to pieces, the ungainly thing falling at an awkward angle as she moved on to other victims. Her allies watched on in horror at her rampage. Cowards. They should be joining her! She whirled around to spite them, "What are you doing there just standing around like shitheads? Start wrecking shit!"

"B-but, wait, i-its dangerous here, what if-!"

"Eep! There! Over there!" The girl pointed, "A maverick!"

A small mechaniloid came, attracted by the noise. A mettaur. It seemed confused by Aile's actions, the fact she was even in the park, but its presence made the others yelp. "Is that a maverick? A real maverick?" The eldest yelled. He became furtive, all bravado disappearing as he prepared to flee.

No one moved. The girl blinked as the mettaur's tiny eyes blinked back at her. It made no motion to attack. This did not escape her notice, "Huh. It's not doing anything? …Actually, it's kind of cu-"

Aile dashed in, flipped it over with her staff, and brutally stabbed it. A gasp arose from the crowd, doubly so when she speared it again and it exploded in Aile's face. She yelped. The pain made her hyper aware however, brought everything laser focus. Her rampant emotions were brought to a deadly intent, years of her father's brutal practice solidifying in her mind. Because of this, because of how familiar this pain was and how it reminded her of her father and focused her attention, Aile wasn't caught by surprise when multiple tiny mettaurs popped out of the body of their dead predecessor. She simply roared in anger and batted at them like they were golf balls, their shards scattering over the barren ground. Once she'd determined there were no other mavericks in the area, she huffed in annoyance and glared at the others, "Seriously? You all just stood around and stared at it?" Aile grumbled at the resulting silence. Her companions merely looked at her, eyes wide.

Seeing as there were no more mavericks in the immediate area, Aile wasn't expecting much retribution after that. So when it came from her own allies, it caught her off guard. "You killed it! You murdered the cute little robot, how could you?!" The tween girl was aghast.

"Oh smarten up! I kill shit all the time. It wasn't even a person! Just a stupid mettaur!" Aile kicked the remnant of a smaller helmet away, "It's just some dumb mechaniloid, barely even a threat. And now it's a worthless corpse. See?"

That tirade brought the crowd to silence. They seemed unexpectedly fearful. The testosterone male spoke up, throat strained, "Not even a person? Does that mean that you've killed someone?"

Aile realized how bad this could go. But if they wanted to be tough like her, if they wanted to be smart and brave... They should have the truth. "Yeah. I have," she admitted. Lying wasn't going to get her anywhere at this point, so why bother? She wasn't really that good at it anyways

Glasses kid went white as a sheet. "S-so it's true? You kill people? You really are just a maverick?"

"You're not some cool rebel! You're just a murderer!" the older teen yelled, as if betrayed.

"You're just a bully, a thief, and a murderer!" The rip-shirt girl accused. The three kids rounded on Aile, angry and defensive and fearful as they ganged up on their former tutor.

"Don't be so naive!" Aile snapped, feeling backed into a corner. Why had they turned on her so suddenly?! "I just do what I have to in order to survive!"

"That's a load of bull!" The oldest growled. "Plenty of others survive without becoming monsters like you! Killing people just because you feel like it… this isn't some imaginary, pretend war! You're hurting actual people for your silly little games! You're nothing but a stupid, selfish maverick!"

What a load, Aile thought, enraged and insulted. Hormones were clearly back in force for the oldest, and apparently he figured he was gonna show off yet again by trying to put her down in front of the others. How pathetic and cruel. "It's not a game. It's life, real life," she lectured, "and your pretty little utopia where people don't get hurt because it's bad and mean will come falling down on your heads sooner rather than later!" If she had heard herself, Aile would have heard the high pitched panic and fury in her voice. But she didn't hear herself. The others, however, did. The kids were emboldened despite her harsh criticisms. They came together as a group, supporting each other and watching out for each other just as much as they glared at her with accusation in their eyes. Aile curled up and raised her staff at them in self-defense.

Though clearly nervous, the girl was the first to restart the insults, "Liar! You act like you're cool, but you're not cool at all!"

"Bully!" Shouted the four-eyes.

"Villain," finished the oldest teen. He drew himself to his full height, "That's all you are. A half-rate maverick. Come on everyone, we're leaving," the eldest stated. The group surveyed each other and the surrounding area, then began to leave hurriedly when they saw that Aile wasn't going to argue the point.

"Cowards! Babies! Fine! Go back to your stupid little lives and pull the wool over your own heads, why don't you!?" Aile screeched, confused and frantic and hurt. These kids were supposed to be better than this. Hadn't they wanted to be just like her? But now they were doing a complete 180! Why were they betraying her like this? She'd been trying to help them, hadn't she? She'd been honest with them! Aile had even went so far as to try teaching them her own ways! So why were they doing this? They didn't deserve her kindness nor mercy!

And yet, despite their pathetic and treacherous natures and clear weakness in showing their backs to her so easily, Aile still had her own code to follow. She let the brats go free. The young fighter stood in silence and raged internally long after they left. Cowards. Cowards. She was furious at their weakness. She was desolate at how easily they'd abandoned her once she began to show her true self, and felt humiliated for having trusted them. Aile was upset. Freaked out. Jittery. Nervous. And so, with no one there to stop her, nor any mavericks present to slaughter for her own comfort, she ran. She ran all the way back home as the sun finally set, weaved through the dark tunnels and caves she'd long ago memorized, and ran, ran, ran to a room she had promised herself she was never going to visit ever again.

Aile went to Vent's tomb.

This was her worst day in a long time, she thought to herself, her back sliding against a rock wall as she caught her breath hitching in her throat. It was full of betrayal and misery. Aile had no idea why she was making it worse on herself by visiting this dilapidated corner of her life. Yet here she was. She grabbed her dead brother's ruined backpack, sat on the ground, and let the tears fall. As she wept openly, Aile very sorely denied how much it hurt her that no one liked her for who she truly was. She mourned that she had no comrades. But who needed friends, anyway! Aile sat deep in the cave and cradled Vent's old satchel. She berated herself and tried to convince herself that she was better off this way. After all, what kind of loser even wanted to hang out with other kids when those other kids were just stupid, scaredy-cat idiots with no idea how harsh and cruel the world really was? Who needed cohorts when you had the best ever dad, or once had a brother who loved to play with you no matter the time of day, rain or shine? Why did she think she wanted any of that? What sort of weakling needed friends when they had memories?

Memories long ago faded by time.

Aile was so deeply mired in her own misery that she didn't notice when soft footsteps approached from behind. Her sorrow made her so cold and numb that the warmth of a body pressing gently into her side didn't register for a good, long while. It took time for her to finally become aware of the heavy, intimidating, yet comforting presence of her parent. With a wisdom born of experience, he glanced at her, sympathy in his eyes. "Do you need to talk?" he asked simply.

Aile bit her lip. One part of her felt embarrassed and wanted to push him away. She was a big girl, a young lady, the adopted yet beloved child of a paragon of power and violence… yet here she was with tears streaming down her face like some snotty brat who was scared of their own shadow. The other part of her keenly desired this contact, the wordless and unwavering support of someone she respected. The second part won out. Aile leaned into him and sniffled. The dam of emotions broke once more, but after a few gasps and sobs, she finally managed to force out a response, "Y-yeah…" Her arms wrapped around her father's chest as she buried her face into his clavicle. His hand lightly pulled her in. Omega's long hair tickled her back, his heartbeat serenaded her ears, and his deep breaths were a comforting rumble that shook her throughout her lean form. It took a small while for Aile to build up to her confession, "I was… I tried to make some friends today."

Omega stiffened. Then a heavy arm fell around her shoulders. He took a moment to let out a heavy sigh, drawing her in a little closer, "I take it things didn't work out."

"I tried really hard!" Aile snapped, incredibly angry all of a sudden, "I talked to them, and showed them how to rob a book store, and took them to the amusement park-"

"You went to the park?!"

"Yeah!" Aile nodded, "I went to the park! I was gonna teach them how to be strong and be unafraid, and I knew I had to practice what I preached, so I took them to the park and wrecked some mavericks!" She explained. She wiped more tears from her eyes as she continued, "It sucked and I was freaking out, I know, and maybe I screamed at a stupid mettaur a bit too loudly, but I didn't think I was that bad! They were scared, so I was just showing them that if something was scary, then you just have to be scarier than it! But they were so stupid!" She ranted, her hands in fists as she trembled with rage. "Those dumb, fucking, ugh, those absolute weenies! They called me names when they got freaked out, then the cowards just up and ran away! How could they do that? I was just trying to help!"

Omega seemed very solemn at this revelation. He looked away for a moment, contemplating his response. He tightened his one-armed hug in a brief squeeze, before he pushed her away far enough that he could look her in the eye, "Aile. I'm proud of you."

Aile's heart stopped dead. What?

Her father continued, "Regardless of how juvenile the others were, you went to the amusement park today without anyone forcing you to do so. I know what that place means to you, yet you overcame your fears anyways, in front of an audience no less. I am proud of you. That's not a thing a lot of people can do." Aile teared up even more as her and her father exchanged a prolonged gaze. The words made her heart swell. He gave her a small smile, then looked away with a derisive snort, "Unlike the others, you have no illusions about how brutal the world can be. It's not your fault that they're naive and sheltered. You tried to help them, but they couldn't handle the truth. There's no point making friends out of fools like that."

Aile's heart fell a bit when she thought about his words, and she hugged herself anxiously, "Was I stupid for trying to befriend them, then? Was I just as much of an idiot?"

Omega frowned in concern, his eyebrows scrunched up in concentration for a moment, "...Perhaps. What you did may have been a bit naive, but… you're still young. You tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, tried to let them prove themselves, because it seemed like they might be a bit better than most others. They looked like they could smarten up when they robbed the store, but it turned out to be false bravado. A big act. And their act fell to pieces when push came to shove. It's not your fault."

"I just feel so stupid," Aile mourned, "I thought I was being super patient and awesome and helping them, but they failed miserably. I feel dumb because I wanted them to be okay, I wanted them to be like me, and for them to like me as well, even though I know no one really does other than you. I feel really stupid because I should have seen this coming when they were such scaredy-cats in the first place, and I feel like the biggest ever idiot for the fact that that I even wanted friends like them, and that even after all of that I'm still thinking about Vent and how much I miss him even though I can't even remember him-!"

"Shush," Omega growled. Aile shushed. Her father straightened his posture as he talked, "There's no point in being patient with others who fail so miserably. No point coddling those who can't handle it when they have to confront the truth for the first time. Who chicken out at the tiniest hint of blood. You wanted friends, comrades. That's normal for someone your age… I think." Omega looked away slightly, "There's nothing wrong with being nostalgic on occasion either. Vent was very dear to you. But don't get absorbed by the past. Memories fade for a reason," he explained even though, for some reason, he felt like a hypocrite for saying so.

Aile couldn't help think of this too, but she kept it to herself. "I miss them," Aile whispered. "The old days, when I was young," she clarified, "when it was all just happy times and playing with toys. When I had a brother and I was an idiot kid who didn't know or worry about shit-all. Which is silly because I barely remember those times at all. Being an idiot kid is bad, anyways, and I don't want that. So I don't know why I miss that."

"It's okay to miss things," Omega offered gently, "parts of our lives come and go as we age, and it can hurt to lose them." He sighed as he mumbled in introspection, "I never claimed to know how to raise a child properly. To the same standards as everyone else. But," and here he looked over at her fondly, "if the normal standards result in idiots like those you tried to befriend, as harsh as it may seem, I can't regret it. Even if it does make you sad on occasion, though I wish it wouldn't…" he admitted. "Regardless. I'd rather have you smart and safe then happy and vulnerable."

"I'm glad I'm not some stupid normal kid either," Aile agreed, sniffling. "They're dumb, and yellow-bellied!" She finally smiled a little, leaning over to hug her father once more, "I don't need stupid friends like that anyways. You're my dad and my bestest friend ever. Screw 'em!" she yelled into the cave, her voice echoing in the silent depths, "Screw those idiots! I don't need them! I still got some books out of it. And even more important, I got you." She gave him a bear hug.

Omega huffed and tousled her hair, barely even flinching at Aile's best attempts to strangle him with affection, "Yeah. Screw them. They'd probably be dead in a week if they tried even half of what you can do."

"Heh. They're gonna be soooo grounded when their mammas find out that they tried to hang out with me."

Omega laughed, "I'd pay to see that!" He chuffed as he turned to her with a mockingly innocent expression, "Do you think I could buy a ticket? Maybe that shady store owner you told me about could sell me one?"

Now it was Aile's turn to laugh, "The only person you'd be paying is a mortician! You'd scare half the city to death just by being within a kilometre of them!"

"Hmm. We'll have to split the bill then,' he mused, "after all, the other half will die of embarrassment once they realize how much more awesome you are compared to them."

"Daaaaad!" she growled playfully and shoved him, "shut up!"

"Love you too, you little gremlin," Omega chuckled as he stood up. He made to leave the room but paused at the entrance, looking back at her with a somber tone, "...Still. You sure you're okay now?"

"I'll get over it," Aile reassured him. And she meant it too, unable to stop herself from smirking despite the moisture still on her cheeks, "Go back to sleep you old geezer."

"My own daughter, disrespecting me like this? Whatever has the world come to?" Omega sarcastically rolled his eyes as he left the room. "Fine then. I can see when I'm not wanted. Ugh! Teenagers," he pouted, play-stomping out of the area. He didn't even notice his own slip up. Or maybe he slipped up on purpose.

My own daughter.

Aile started to cry again, but not from sadness this time. He'd said it himself. His own daughter. His daughter. One of the worst days of her life completely flipped around and suddenly turned into being one of the best. Aile was not just someone he loved, but someone he loved enough to consider his own family. Her dad, the God of Destruction, an apathetic murderer of millions who was as tough-love as you could get and liked to hide or mock so-called mushy weaknesses like love and compassion, had just, perhaps unwittingly, confessed how he truly felt about her. This was the sort of thing he hated to admit to anyone, especially himself. But now he'd done so, and out loud at that! It was the best day of her whole goddamn life.

Aile was never letting him live this one down.

And so the last years of Aile's childhood slowly and inevitably drew to a close. Nearly a decade had passed since he'd first taken her in, and Omega's efforts, as she figured, had truly borne fruit. Despite a few bumps and bruises and wrenches in the works, she was proud of what she had become. She loved her dad, her massive underground home, and herself. Aile loved her life.

Unfortunately for her, the existence she so coveted was about to change forevermore… because year ten would soon be upon her. And that would be the year when she would regain something she thought she'd lost long, long ago…