Walking down the deserted streets a pair of Zoner security officers made their way to the Empress' Legs pub, recently closed for the same reasons a few other bars in the area had been closed, inadequate security and no license for security personnel to have weaponry.
Tonight however, that wasn't why they were at the pub, residents had complained about noise from the bar. Strange considering the bar was closed. As the pair approached the pub they noticed the boards that had been installed over the windows to try to keep out the rift raft had been removed; probably local street urchins. Approaching the doors to the pub one of the officers produced a key card and held it to the door contact, unlocking the doors and walking in. After looking around the pair couldn't find anything that was making any noise. They reviewed the security footage from the camera system but found nothing, again.
Locking the place up and continuing their patrol the officers didn't look back, even as the pubs security cameras turned and followed them as they walked away.
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There was the jingle of keys and the steady tap of a holstered baton bouncing off a thigh as the two patrol officers passed the alleyway's darkened mouth. The nine children watched them pass, apprehensively. They weren't fond of the police, and as it happened, the police weren't too fond of them either.
They were sat clustered together like a colony of penguins to keep warm in the chilled night-time air. "Mam" had been on the fire water and kicked them all out of the shanty house as soon as they'd dropped the wood off, with the ominous warning that she had "guests" so they'd better not be around.
One of the younger ones sniffled to herself. "Jack, why we here again?" She mewled pitifully. There was a rustle as one of them shuffled around to look back at her, and gave her an oil rag to blow her nose on. She left a black smear across her face then gave it back.
"'Cos of that pub, remember?" There was silence for a few moments, save the shuffling of rags being reorganised into a more comfy shape. "Yeah, look. The coppers shut that place down, instant, right? Tha' means there's still food an' stuff in there. Ours for the taking. Jus' wait for the coppers to leave 'an we're good." They were all silent for a little while longer.
One of the other boys stood up, tripped over one of the others, then crawled over to Jack. "Jack, why'd Mam kick us out?" He whispered, so as to not let the others hear.
"Look, don' worry about it," he murmured back. Then he stood up. "C'mon you's lot. We're goin'." The little pack dragged itself, groaning to its feet. Tentatively, they skittered down the street for the second time, before reaching the pub's now unbarred door. They milled around aimlessly for a moment or two, before the boy with a crowbar forced his way to the front. He wedged the bar into the door frame just below and lock, and yanked. There was a loud crack, and the lock visibly shifted.
"Get'i from the other side," Jack muttered. Doing as he was told, the boy wriggled the crowbar into the space just above the lock and yanked it again, this time the lock cracked and the door juddering ajar. Jack pushed it open and looked inside. "Ok, we're good. Everyone in, then get th' door shut." The street urchins piled in, glad to have somewhere warm to spend the night.
Kiriko walked quickly back with home, carrying a bucket of soapy water kiriko had her Palmtop connected to her skirt, after giving the Clytemnestra a thorough cleaning she herself was now in need of a shower, the light had begun to fade as twilight set in around the spaceport, Kiri hastened down the street towards home, she came across the bar once again.
The water in the bucket sloshed around as she stopped -noticing the door ajar- and hearing the sounds of childrens voices, Kiriko stared at the door listening to the murmering voices from within, a shiver ran up her spine. Trying to be quiet Kiriko walked to the door, she put a hand onto the door and pushed it a little, it opend quietly since the place had just be renovated. Kiri looked into the room, there was a girl sat there at one of the tables, talking could be heard coming from behind the bar as the rest of the children looked for leftover food.
Kiri tried to make out features on the girls face but it was getting dark and there was almost no light inside the establishment, Kiriko's bucket thudded loudly against the door accidentally, the girl inside the room jumped looking over quickly at the person peering in the door, terrified she sat completely still not sure if she had been spotted yet.
"um..a..are you ok..?" Kiri uttered after a few seconds
"j...JAACK!" the girl wailed, the sound inside the kitchen grew instantly silent and then frantically rushed, a boy came running from the kitchen, the rest of the children followed, Kiriko stepped back panicing a little but still trying to be brave. The boy approach Kiriko noticing that she was actually a child herself and also much smaller than he was, he felt empowered.
Kiriko quivered infront of the rough and dirty looking boy in the darkness "I..I..gomenasai!" kiriko turned to run away but the boy grabbed her long hair tightly...
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Jack grabbed the girl before she could run away. "What you doing here? Why'd y'scare me sis'?" Content she wasn't going to be able to go shooting out and away down the street, he let go of her hair, grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt and pushed her inside. "Pete, get't door before the coppers see'i." One of the younger lads scurried across and closed it.
More of the children were emerging now. Three came clattering down the stairs, two boys and one girl. One of the boys had been going through Howard's room, and was now wearing a suit that trailed along the floor where it was several magnitudes too large. Trotting towards the Jack and the ensuring commotion, he tripped over one of the dragging trouser legs and fell on his face.
There was a round of snickering, before attention was turned back to Kiriko, who was now backed into a corner, surrounded by a semicircle of nine street urchins. One of them darted forward and snatched little computer that was clipped to her waist. Jack, standing several inches taller than his fellows folded his arms.
"n..no! ..Cly!...g..give her back!" Kiriko reached out yelling in despair as they took her computer away.
The lead child pushed her back into the corner, Kiriko tried not to look the biggest boy in the eye's, he stepped forwards a little and folded his arms, "Again, what you doing here?" he said with an insolent tone, Kiriko looked away for a moment she looked across the people infront of her, *they are all stronger than me, I want to be stong too.. I have to get Cly back, I dont have long before my medicine runs out* she though to herself.. "w..w.what are you all...d..doing here..you shouldnt..b..be in here" Kiriko's eyes fixed on her computer for a moment, the boy holding it realised she wanted it back and pulled his tongue out waving the computer infront of himself triumphantly, some of the smaller children were trying to see the computer.
Kiriko looked at the boy with Cly in his hands with repressed anger, trying not to be too angry incase they did somthing bad to it. "hey!..you doin here?! I wont ask again" the lead boy shouted for a moment, Kiriko jumped and looked flustered trying to remember, she was quivering trying not to show how scared she was *im a police officer.. i can handle this... i can!* she thought, on the contrary dealing with things face to face was much more difficult than she had ever thought, "I..I.was..j..just washing Cly's body... a.and was g..going home" her words came out broken in bits as she tried to remain calm. "d..daddy will be worried.. oka-sama too..p.please let us go.." she said frightened in a very quiet tone.
After delivering some supply's to Port Jackson, Liam decided to escort the supply's since their were ordered by a client , and while he was walking, past he noticed, a relatively new building with the name "Empress legs". He chuckled and as he was about to push the door he saw a piece of paper on the door. As he read his mouth dropped . Then after checking the coast is clear, he was just about to put his foot in the establishment when he heard some one scream. He then walked quickly through the window, and towards the corner. Seeing the scuffle that was happening, Liam decided to try to break it up. "What is going on here then" Liam shouted with a calm voice. Both the girl and the group of children turned their heads to see where that voice came from. All they saw was dark shape, of a man was standing their with his hand on his hips.
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[font=Agency FB]One year previously.
The eldest child, Jack, pushed the Kusari-looking girl that was stood in front of him. "Ooooh, daddy is goin't be worried is he?" He snatched the little computer from Derek, the child that was currently trying to turn it on. "Ya should have thought about that before ya came in here then, shouldn't ya!" He watched her terrified stare intently following the little computer's movements. "So y'want your toy back do ya?" He held it above his head, menacingly. "You better make it worth my while t'give it back, or it's gettin' smashed. How much cash you got?"
The sun had set, leaving the room in a gloomy twilight. The door creaked open, spilling the dull orange light from the outside street lights onto the group. "What is going on here then!" a bold voice called out. Jack snapped to face the newcomer. All he could see was a large silhouette of a fully grown man. The other children froze, panicking. "It's the fuzz! Leg it!" Jack immediately drew back his hand, and hurled the computer at the intruder. Kiriko shrieked in horror as the little machine arced through the air.
The children began to move before Cly even left Jack's hand: pouring for the front door and back exits in a desperate attempt to flee.
"Cly!!" Kiriko screamed, her hand outstretched towards Jack as he threw the computer across the room, It clattered loudly to the floor following an enraged exlamation from the man in the door as it struck him from the darkness. Kiriko cried quietly in frustration still stood in the corner as all the children scattered to escape. Being too scared and tired to do much else, she crouched down in the corner not knowing what she should do, covering her head as a kind of protection barrier while there were sounds of footsteps everywhere from the escaping children.
Jack turned and bolted, volting over the counter into the kitchen slamming the door behind him darting out of the back door. one of the children stumbled and fell on their face, still waring a suit many years too big for him, running was not on the cards. Like a living pile of clothes the child repeatedly tried to stand and make a run for it, but the sheer length of the trouser legs made it impossible.
Kiriko cried still in the corner, feeling cold, lost, and helpless.
"What in the name of all things decent was that" Liam growled rubbing his forehead. After being hit in the head with what seemed to be a small electronically device. Liam quickly strode across the pub walking around the tables that had been strewn across the floor as result of the fleeing street urchins stopping where the blubbering mass of clothes was.
Putting his size 10 industrial steel toecap boots on the edge of the three piece suit stopping the pile crawling along the floor. "Who the hell are you and why are you in here" Liam bellowed at the quivering mass of clothes. Sending saliva showering down around the boy.
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Jacob had tried to run when the others had. The man had sounded angry, and now he was stood on his coat-tails. He knew stealing the suit had been a bad idea. Jack had told him, 'never wear nothing you can't run in', but he'd done it anyway. It'd just looked so neat, and posh as it was hanging there in the wardrobe. He'd felt like a proper gentleman when he put it on, going off to the ball with a political Councilwoman on his arm. There was some neat padding on the inside that felt really soft too.
He writhed for a few more seconds, trying to squirm his way out from under the tall man's boot. After a while he screwed up his eyes and bawled at the top of his voice, "you let me go! You let me go!" Realising he wasn't going to be let loose any time soon, he curled up into a tight ball, burying his face in his knees in a timeless symbol of childish petulance. From the depths of the bundle of suit, came a muffled grizzling. "You lemme go or Jack'll come back an' get you..."