Waking up to a ceiling brings a new sensation. It just didn't make sense. I am inside, I am warm. What is this on my body? A large piece of cloth? I can make clothes out of it, I guess. A new pair of trousers from this fabric would be my most comfortable pants yet.
"Hey bro," a tired voice yawned. There she is, the girl who knocked me out. She yawned once again and stretched. It happened, this isn't a dream. What happened yesterday was real, she, indeed, kicked my ass.
"Can you stand?" She asked with her hand on my shoulder.
"I'd be surprised if I can." I replied, still in disbelief of my situation. I lifted my legs out from whatever I'm lying on and touched the floor.
"Sorry, we were out of room, but I hope we made you feel comfortable." She apologized as she helped me to my feet.
As I turned around, I saw that they had made a makeshift bed with their clothing on top of a stack of boxes. The entire room is cluttered with furniture and game machines. Sleeping on the furniture were the three other kids that I remembered: Mylo, Powder, and the buff kid that I haven't learned the name of yet.
"You all didn't have to do this for someone like me." I said before I built up the courage to look her in the eyes.
"Enough." She pulled me into a hug, which she didn't have to pull, I'm still dazed from her dynamite fists, and I weigh 10 pounds. "You are worth it."
"I'm about ready to pass out from all this physical contact. I can only handle so much brutality." I complained jokingly.
She glared at me skeptically, "Come on, I hit you like, three times."
"And I could have handled more of...." I did it again. Now I either have to tell her about my drugs or lie to her. My gut is telling me that lying to her about anything will not yield favorable results.
"Of what?" Violet probed as we walked upstairs towards the bar.
"It's one of the many problems that I have. If I have to tell you, then I need to tell all of you." I stated.
"Alright. I'm glad you're starting to trust us," she said. I can feel her beaming smile. I refuse to look at her.
"Can't say I didn't warn you all." There is no escape from her overwhelming compassion. I'm basically withering away from her insistence on appealing to the alleged good in me.
It was only when she led me to a booth that I could smell something thick with rich flavors that I could only dream of until now. Violet slides in next to me, basically trapping me.
"Okay, why are you so hard on yourself?" She placed one arm on the rail behind me and her other arm on the table.
"You've seen what I can do." I stated as I turned to face her.
She rotated her hands from side to side. "So-so. You move like a cat, that's for sure. We nearly lost you yesterday if it wasn't for Powder's eyes."
"Morning, you two." Vander stopped by with a big plate of food I've never seen before and placed it on the table. "Getting him used to waking up early, are you?"
"I'll tell you everything." I blurted out while ignoring the plate of food in front of me. Vander's face shifted slightly from carefree to serious. He put up a good front for everyone.
"Later, Owen. For now, just eat." He patted my back, then returned to the bar to prepare it for business.
"So, you made a lot of enemies." Violet stated as she pulled a strip of meat from the pile of whatever this lump of food is in front of me.
"Too many to count. For the most part, they are all afraid of me." I generalized as I built the courage to rip a piece of meat away and place it in my mouth.
"Any names in particular?" She asked as she pulled away a leg bone with a good amount of juicy meat on it.
"Their names are too stupid and confusing to remember. So to save time, all of them." I answered as I willed my mouth to ignore the sickening texture of the meat and chewed.
Violet snickered and wiped away grease from her mouth. "Aren't you the overachiever?"
Upon swallowing the meat, I silently prayed for a quick death: "I've earned all of my tomorrows."
"I have to use that sometime." Mylo said as he seemingly appeared across from me. He tore a chunk of meat away and chomped at it like a street rat. An extra mouth here filled me with hope, as I don't have to finish this abomination of breakfast mostly by myself.
"If you snuck like that more often, we'd have more coins to our name," Violet critiqued with a mouth full of food. I caught a blue blur in the corner of my eye, but I guess it was nothing.
"I have too much talent to work on to be a one-trick pony." Mylo the humble proclaimed.
"Gumbo! Whose birthday is it?" Powder asked as she reached over and plucked a handful of meat from the chimera of cooked flesh. Seeing her tiny fingers dig in to carry away so much greasy meat unsettled me for some reason.
"So that's what this flattering plate of juiciness is called." I acknowledged its proper term, but it's still an abomination to me.
"Did someone say gumbo?" The fat kid asked as he slid next to Mylo and ripped off two wings from the dead beast.
"Claggor, just in time." Vander came by with tall glasses of fruit juice for all of us. The last of the giants has graced me with his gluttonous wrath.
"I've been thinking of eating less and lifting more to slim down a bit. What do you think?" Claggor asked Vander as he miraculously finished his serving.
"Just lift harder, don't go too far on the calorie deficit." Vander advised.
"Sure thing, thanks." Claggor said as he leaned back.
Fuck you, Claggor.
"Eat up, Owen, you are going to need it. And see me when you're done, I have something new for you to wear," he said as he walked away.
Looking over to the pile of steaming meat, it hasn't decreased in size much since the others got here. Against my better judgment, I decided to dig in and consume as much as I can to satisfy Vander. While I greedily devoured the mutated heap of meat, I chose to ignore the eyes that were shifting between me and the breakfast. To be honest, I have eaten worse. Since this was made by a man that has basically taken me in the moment he laid eyes on me. The way he did it was sneaky, slowly drawing me in with offers that I had to fight for. Everything that I have eaten, worn, or built, I had to steal, maim, and kill. None of my deeds could be forgotten. Surely, I'm a monster to someone. By accepting their hospitality, I'm putting them in danger. Thankfully, it seems as if Vander and his kids aren't pushovers, and people respect them, more or less.
"Move over, Violet, I have to go see Vander now." I said directly.
"Just call me Vi," she offered as she moved onto the floor to let me out.
"Really? Sounds kinda lazy, short but lazy." I said as I stood next to her, just a few centimeters shorter than her.
"I could just start calling you Ow from now on." Vi teased as she gave me a suspicious glare.
"I'm not going to walk into that one, nice try though." I said as I walked over to Vander.
"Your pink-haired bouncer is scaring me." I said in a mock whining tone.
"That's what big sisters do," he said as he handed me a jumpsuit of practical and sturdy fabric. My eyes widen as I hold the jumpsuit. Running my thumb along the fabric gave me prophetic thoughts of how easily oils will slide off it. I bet it will hold up well against fire as well, before breaking down. The comfort, the versatility, the mobility, and all the days where I won't have to wash this in a stream, probably.
"Thank you, Vander." I hugged his leg while silently cursing my short self.
"You haven't seen anything yet, but you're welcome all the same." He embraced me with one giant hand. "Go ahead and change, my kids will show you the rest of your gifts."
"More gifts?" I said with genuine surprise. When will the generosity end? I will need to think of a way to pay them all back for their abundant support.
"Go on, head downstairs and change," he ordered. I ran downstairs and quickly slipped into the jumpsuit. As I suspected, it came with its pros and cons. It was indeed comfortable, but I'm freeballing, and my nipples are as sensitive as the naked eye. Looking around this mess of a place, I found wrappings and thought to myself, why not? After carefully rewrapping sensitive, treasured areas, this is my final critique. The tape separated my raw nipples from the rough fabric, preventing them from being struck like a match and catching fire. It was also a challenge to tape myself down there, but I managed.
"There you are." I mumbled to myself as I grabbed my backpack by the strap and looked through it. Everything is there. Since I'm staying here indefinitely, I might as well mark my territory. After dumping all of the scrap next to my bed, I made my way upstairs. Conversations shifted as I made it to the top floor.
"Ready to go?" A blond-haired kid asked me, "I'm Ekko, by the way."
As he reached his hand out, I slapped it, palm to palm, grabbed his fingers, curled them into a shake, and released it, ending the contact with a snap of my fingers. The best part of it was his dexterity. This Ekko somehow managed to keep up with the motions of my hands by mirroring my movements. Clever kid.
"Call me Owen." I said. Judging by glancing into his eyes, he seems like a typical kid, with a sea of eternity carrying a curious mind with boundless energy.
"What was that?" he asked while looking between me and his hands.
"It's a handshake, only for us." I answered.
"Alright! Cool!" Ekko! he exclaimed with glee.
"You do those kinds of handshakes too, huh?" Claggor asked as he leaned against the wall of the entrance.
"Only way to keep people invested." I responded as I walked to the front of the counter bar.
"It isn't the ONLY way." Mylo said as he put his hands in his pockets.
"We'll talk all about that while we walk around." Vi announced as she walked outside. Powder followed closely after her. The rest of the kids fell in line.
"Looking like you belong to a family now." Vander's voice rumbled above me. I turned around to see a proud smile on his face.
"None of this felt real, but now I can't deny it. You've given me what I couldn't imagine, a family." I said as my eyes glazed over him into a reality that I can scarcely remember.
Vander's mouth quivered as he cleared his throat. "Go along now, your siblings are waiting for you."
I did as he requested and ran outside to my siblings. What a crazy thought—I have a family. My thoughts were difficult to gather as Ekko and Powder walked beside me, while the other three walked closely behind. They complimented how nimble I was last night. Thankfully, they avoided talking about the fight with Vi. They walked closely to my side, the skin of our arms connecting with every swing. Their voices were filled with life and joy, despite living in the slums.
"Because of our new guy," an arm fell over my shoulder, "no one would want to mess with us now."
It was Mylo. Of course he was incorrect on that assumption. It's because of me that they are all in more danger than they realize.
"What makes you think that?" I asked as I looked at Mylo from the side of my eye.
"Not to brag, but we're Vander's kids, and no one messes with us," he bragged.
Vi pulled him back by his collar and hissed, "Don't say that out loud. You think people won't test that?"
"But it's true." Mylo shrugged in an effort to justify his assumption.
"One of these days, it will be you who will jinx us." Claggor said as his gaze shifted over the crowd around us.
"If anything, you all need extra protection because of me." I stated.
"Where are you going to find them?" Powder asked innocently.
"Hold on, wait a minute." Vi broke through our formation and stood in front of me. "You're talking about weapons?"
"No, I was thinking of baskets of bread, cheeses, and fruits. Maybe flowers, but I don't know what they look like." I replied in all seriousness.
Vi raised a brow, clearly not understanding my superior brand of humor.
"I only ever read about them." I shrugged.
Vi stared even harder at me. Claggor made a strong attempt to withstand a fit of laughter.
"The weapons I've made were from simple scrap. Because of the infections from rust, no one ever liked my bag of tricks." I proclaimed while tugging on my bag and feeling it empty.
"So where do you find your scrap?" Ekko asked.
"Anywhere and everywhere. But all scrap is not equal. Some scrap is truly garbage." I explained as my eyes looked over the corners for piles of garbage that had metal, plastic, and rubber.
"So where are we going?" Vi asked.
"Weren't we following you?" Claggor asked.
Vi shrugged, "I was following little man."
"I was following Owen." Ekko admitted.
"Me too." Powder agreed.
"That's just perfect. To the junkyard." I announced as I continued walking towards the haven of junk that has kept me alive and armed for my entire life.
When we arrived, I took in the beautiful sight of trash. Numerous piles of trash were stacked high enough to be considered buildings. Zaun can't possibly sustain this much waste, so most of it is scheduled to be recycled. Sometimes, people from the top side nose through here to take what they believe is theirs. I'll teach them.
"Not the most structurally sound environment," Claggor admitted.
"I know what you mean, it looks like they'll fall over and crush us." Ekko said as his head looked to be stuck looking upward. Powder held onto his arm.
"There's no safer place to be. Who would come to a junkyard? Except for me, of course." I walked to an abandoned casual vehicle and slipped onto the driver's seat. The machine was a system of suspended cylinder motors that relied more on physics to keep itself running than on combustion fuel. A circle within a circle, powered by more circles of various materials. If only I had a mind that relied solely on circular logic.
"Oh wait! I remember this place!" Powder exclaimed as she crossed a spot that she remembered. "This is where I found that bag of nails. And this is where I found a cradle with all of those toys!"
Watching her scamper from one side of a pile of trash to another made my heart flutter. Hopefully, she's interested in making dangerous things to keep dangerous people afraid.
"And when was this?" Vi asked as she leaned against an icebox.
Powder froze in her tracks. "Oh, uh, some time ago. I don't remember."
Vi snickered, "As long as you weren't alone, but don't keep all the fun to yourself."
Powder giggled as she walked over to Vi and showed her all the things she gathered. This vehicle still has all of its important circuitry. It amazes me how quickly people throw away such valuable material. Piltovers don't know how good they have it until their toys are used against them. I carefully pulled all of the wires out without damaging the circuit boards.
"So, this kid you beat." Mylo began as I focused on removing the circuit boards.
"He has friends, and I'm sure they aren't too forgiving." I replied as I almost separated the circuit board from the foundation.
"What about the other people you've killed?" Mylo asked casually. I could hear a soft slap that might have been Vi facepalming.
Finally managing to claim my new circuit board, I sit up straight.
"Honestly, I haven't seen most of them in quite some time. Maybe a few around corners and hiding in abandoned houses, but other than that," I paused to think for a moment and shook my head, "no, they're plotting something. But for the record, I didn't directly kill anyone. It was their lack of basic first aid knowledge that killed them."
Mylo's jaw slowly hit the floor. "What?"
"The smart ones didn't die. That's all I'm saying." I protested.
Vi strolls over with a weight on her shoulders, this talk will be fun.
"Look," she gave a warning glare at Mylo, in response, he backed off to look for scrap. "You've got to come clean with me."
She placed her hand on the roof of the vehicle and bore her eyes into mine. Might as well.
"Mostly, it was the drug addicts and the desperate that no one would miss." I confessed. Looking into her eyes, I saw the effort not to view me harshly. "Then there were the street brats that went looking for trouble. Most of them were homeless, like me, causing trouble, typical punks." Her eyes slowly shrank into a soft glare, but she caught herself and put on a gentler face. "Then, the upstart gangsters. They were all small-time. When their leader had an accident, their second would take their place, or they would disband altogether."
Vi took a deep breath, making sure to maintain eye contact.
"Promise me you won't go too far," she requested with a hint of fear in her voice.
Sliding out of the seat, I stood in front of her. "I'll do what I can to protect the family."
Vi went silent, her focused glare burning through me.
"I know this is asking a lot, but I need you to understand," she began, softening her eyes. "We cannot afford to be attached to murder, okay? No more killing."
I nodded.
"No, I need you to say it." She inched closer to me and grabbed my arms.
Remaining calm, I responded. "You mean never, as in...never? No more, never? That's pretty permanent."
Vi's face didn't move.
"The bad ones cause enough trouble as it is. To stop altogether will only embolden them." I reasoned further.
Vi closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.
"Granted, life is not black and white, so I see your point." I continued.
"Owen, don't make me beg," she said with a slight chuckle.
"I can't beg life to make killing obsolete. I was rarely given the choice not to." I pressed on.
"Please." Vi whispered. What is she doing? Was that another plea? Oh no, don't do this, not this.
"Vi, it's not something that I can turn off. It's survival, you know that." I reasoned.
"Please, Owen," she begged as she shook me slightly. Hearing Vi beg like this admittedly lessened her valor in my eyes. As much as it pains me to acknowledge this, she disappoints me. But who am I? In her eyes, I'm probably just a tamed, empty-hearted animal that needs to be beaten down into submission.
"You will regret asking this of me." I promised her as my shoulders deflated.
Her expression changed instantly. "So, no more killing?"
"No more." I responded with dissatisfaction seeping from every pore on my body. Vi then pulled me into a hug, and in that moment, I felt something pop in my back and sternum.
"I'll be a vegetable if you keep this up." I was forced out.
She released me. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."
"Of course not, you would do most of the protecting." I assumed.
Vi snickered, "What?"
"You'll burn yourself out looking after us. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's why you're as built as you are now. It's your way of dealing with the stress of being the protector."
Vi shrank away slightly. "Um, you're only ten? How are you able to think like this?"
"How are you more formidable than most adults?" I countered.
She was at a loss for words. It seems as if she knows that her abilities are rather unusual for someone her age. Also, being a girl that is capable of crippling grown men is unheard of without enhancements or magic.
"I never skip a meal. I work really hard. Vander trained me to box..." Vi used her fingers to list all of the steps to defy anatomy and human development. I made the conscious decision to ignore her and observe everyone else. Mylo and Claggor seemed to be in deep conversation over steel plates and springs. Ekko and Powder were on top of a garbage pile 20 feet from the ground. It's nice to see people taking a keen interest in...wait a minute.
"How the hell did you two get up there?" I yelled louder than I meant to.
Vi's face twisted into a confused frown until she followed my gaze.
"Powder! Ekko! Are you two serious!? Get down!" Vi screamed rather forcefully, causing my left ear to ring.
"Look what we found!" Powder held up a bag full of scrap. No way. Looking back towards the vehicle, my bag was absent. That bubble-headed, blue-haired scarecrow snatched my bag and filled it with, to what I hoped, precious scrap. On one hand I have an excuse to be furious, but I can't help but feel thankful, strangely. Powder dropped the bag to the ground.
"Never a dull moment with Powder around." Mylo said as he stood next to Vi, crossing his arms.
"Mylo, not now." Vi responded while trying to maintain her composure.
"You have to admit, it's pretty impressive they managed to get up there." Claggor insisted.
"This is a kind of behavior that should not be admired or encouraged, in any shape or form." Mother Vi hissed as she bore her eyes into Powder.
"You hear that? You two are in trouble now." I teased.
"You're right along with them." Vi snapped at me.
"Seriously? Let me guess, guilty by association." I guess with my hand on my chin.
"Sounds about right." Claggor affirmed.
"You three run as thick as thieves." Mylo chimed in.
"We aren't at that point yet, but thanks for the suggestion." I said as I considered the prospect of utilizing Ekko's curiosity and Powder's ingenuity.
"Just help me get them down." Vi wheezed as she held herself up with her hands on her knees.
"Oh, that's simple." Claggor claimed, "Jump down and I'll catch you."
"Really?" Ekko called down.
"That's such a bad idea." Vi lamented.
Mylo shrugged, "Claggor can handle it."
"Someone believes in me." Claggor said as he braced himself to catch two adventurous kids.
"It's not that I don't believe—" Vi was cut off by Ekko plopping in Claggor's arms.
"Good thing you don't eat like me. That would have been a problem," he assumed.
"Just wait, I'm going to get big and strong like you." Ekko proudly proclaimed.
"Hm, that could actually solve most of my problems." I muttered to myself.
"Alright, I'm coming down." Powder called out.
"Be careful, for goodness' sake." Vi wailed.
Powder looked over the edge in an effort to calculate the force necessary to land in Claggor's arms. Ekko did it so casually, it couldn't be that difficult. As Powder made the effort to jump forward, there was a growling sound that the tower of scrap made.
"Uh oh." Without missing another beat, Powder jumped from the pile and landed in Claggor's arms. No one needed to order a retreat, it was self-explanatory. By the time the pile of scrap tilted over and crashed against another pile of scrap, causing a domino effect of destruction, we were already halfway home. We stopped under the big tree, near the entrance to the underground mining pit. Mylo dropped my bag next to me. In thanks, I slapped his hand. When we finally caught our breath, we lost it again as we laughed the entire event off.