Introduction

Thump

A boy that seems to be about eight just bumped into a man from behind. The man appears to be about seventy, but you wouldn't be able to tell this about him if you didn't see his face. The man carries himself with confidence and purpose, that just by watching his walk you could tell he was well trained. The man was dressed in a beige coat, a grey shirt and khaki trousers. He turned and looked to the boy.

"Sorry" the boy apologised before quickly walking off. The man just stared at the boys back as he walked and turned a corner. The man walks in the same direction as the boy a little curious as to why a boy that young is out without supervision and also because he was walking that way before he was bumped into.

The man turned the same corner as the boy but he didn't see him. "That kids stealthy". He walks along the street keeping an eye out for the kid when he sees a small figure ducked behind a trash can in an alley. The man begins to walk over as he hears the figure counting and some coins chatter.

"Ten, fifteen, sixteen and about three in change"

The man closes in on the alley but the figure peers out of the alley after hearing the man's footsteps. The man sees the face of the child while it may be shadowed by the alley walls there was something the man saw that was crystal clear, the boys eyes.

His eyes shone with a red hue, but while that was extremely abnormal the child's eyes also seemed to have a pattern of some sort. But before the burly man could get a grasp on the pattern in the child's eyes the kid quickly turned an ran as the man was in thought.

The man quickly gave chase as he wanted to investigate the child and his eyes. While they ran through the alley the child displayed his unfamiliarity with the area as he would hesitate to go left or right in the few forks in the alleyways that he came across trying to lose the man. While neither of them knew the area well, the boy kept running at speeds unprecedented for his age or size and that is also while maneuvering around obstacles like trash cans, glass bottles and any other unsavory things that are hidden from the light in the alleys. Though the man was also abnormal, capable of easily keep the kid in his sights despite the shadow looming over both of them.

While the boy only realized when it was too late that he backed himself into a corner, he reached a dead end, all sides except the one he was coming from were towering brick walls over three meters high.

The boy slowed down near the end and turned around, the man came to a stop a few meters from the child. They both panted heavily.

"Hey kid wha…"

The man started talking but was interrupted by the little brat closing the distance and going for a punch to the burly man's stomach. While the kid was quick the man was still able to react and grab the child's wrist before the collision. The boy was surprised as well as scared he has never met someone who could fight let alone block after chasing him.

"Okay, okay I'll give your wallet back, just let me go." The boy pleaded because of the man's grip and imposing stoicism.

"What you talking about brat I was just gonna ask you some questions. When the hell did you take my wallet?"

The man uses his free hand to pat down his pockets only now realising he didn't have his wallet.

"Huh? What do you mean? I thought that was why you were chasing me, to get you wallet back."

"Just hand me my wallet kid."

The man held out his free hand for the return of his wallet. The boy stared at his hand for a moment before gradually reaching for his pocket, he retrieved the wallet and placed it in the man's hand.

"Now let me go" the boy instructed. But the man didn't loosen his grip, instead he raised the boy's arm as he stared intently at the boy's face.

"I told you didn't I? I want to ask you some questions."

"Fine, fine just get it over with and let me go old man."

"Your kinda rude ain't you. Okay, first, what's your name?"

"Why do you wanna know you creepy old man?"

The boy said in an accusatory way while he leaned his head back further away from the man.

"I'm just curious that all."

"Well not like it will help you much." The boy said with both reluctance and acceptance."Well old man, my name's…"