Child

"Hey brat."

A man covered in shadows wearing a clown outfit could be seen.

"Remember. No matter what my brother says... Don't listen to him. And for sure don't listen to God..."

Age 1981...

At the edge of a small little mountain town known as Gladious...

"W... W... Who the hell are you!" A man yelled in fear.

In front of him rested the massive corpse of a giant black beast that had been ran through several times. A loan man stood on it, with messy gray and blonde hair, and a small beard. He was dressed in what looked like a mix between a heavy snow jacket, a military uniform, and a priests robes...

The man gave a small smile as his golden eyes almost seemed to light up.

"Who am I?" He asked calmly. From all around him several other people could all be seen dressed in the same outfit as him. They all had golden badges that looked like the kind of thing a police officer would have, all of which had a 'one' carved into the front of it. "I'm just an Enforcer. Nothing more... Nothing less-"

"Okami!" A loud voice cried out stopping the man from his cool monologue.

The man, as well as everyone else dressed in his strange outfits all, turned towards a snowy cliffside seeing a young six-year-old boy was standing at the top of the cliff glaring down at everyone at the bottom.

"Oi!" The man on the dead monster said suddenly alarmed at seeing the small boy. "Hero! What in God's name are you doing up there!" He shouted.

"I'm finally coming with you!" The boy who was apparently named Hero announced loudly. "You're taking me with you Okami!" He yelled pointing at the man.

The man sighed shaking his head and stomped on the dead beast out of frustration. "Damn it, Hero... I should have left your ass in that lab... Damn brat... Don't move!" He shouted towards the kid. "One of us will come up and get you down. It isn't safe up there!"

"You think I'm scared! You think I'm not ready! Haha! A hero is always ready!" The boy gave an obnoxious grin before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small pocket knife that he opened. "I'll show you! That I have the resolve to be a great hero! And an even better Enforcer than you!" He announced and shocking all the men at the bottom of the cliff he stabbed his hand with the knife. "...Ouch! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! Ouch!" The kid yelled before promptly slipping on the snow and falling off the side of the mountain.

Okami let out a small sigh before jumping into the air somehow jumping an impossible height as he easily caught the boy and crash-landed back on the ground unharmed.

"Ya damn idiot..." He muttered hitting the boy over the head. "Stupid stunts like that is why you'll never be an Enforcer. I swear Piero needs to raise you better. That damn clown father of yours goofs off way to much and he's the reason you do stupid shit like this..."

***

"Cheers!"

"Let's all drink up to another successful mission and to the brat's craziness!"

Inside of a large tavern all the men in the weird outfits could be seen. There was at least ten of them. They all had their weird jackets off now though leaving them only in what looked like black jumpsuits. The kinds of things you would see a prisoner wear but black instead of orange. The clothing the Enforcers wore under their heavy battle coats.

"Oh my..." A young woman said from behind the bar. She patted Hero's head giving him a gentle smile. She ruffled up the boy's snow white messy hair and smiled at him. "I heard you got hurt."

"Ha!" Hero said with tears flowing out of his ruby red eyes. "It didn't hurt one bit!" He announced holding up his bandaged left hand.

"Then why are you crying!" Okami yelled hitting the boy over the head again. "Dumb brats like you shouldn't do stupid stunts like that! If I knew you were gonna be this much of a hassle I would have left ya at that damn lab, if I was your father, ya damn brat!"

"I'm not afraid of pain! Or the giant monsters! A hero doesn't feel fear! So next time bring me out on a mission! I wanna be a famous Enforcer to!"

"Ha! You can't handle that lifestyle kid! You're a clown like your father!" Okami laughed hitting Hero over the head once again. "A twerp like you doesn't stand a chance. Besides. Everyone knows you need a Cursed Life Technique to become an Enforcer! And you don't have one yet! The chances of you finding an Equation Life are really rare!"

"Yes, I do!" Hero yelled. "I already have an Equation those men at the lab put in me!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! I just can't figure out how to use it yet! But when I do you'll be in trouble! Those men in the lab said I would be the greatest weapon in the world! Or at least that's what my dad says..."

"Well even if you do get a Cursed Life Technique you still need to be a great warrior to tryout. And you're shit outta luck kid." Okami laughed. "You're destined to be a clown not an Enforcer."

"I'm strong!" Hero announced. "I trained all day yesterday! My hero chop can cut through steel!" He announced making a karate chop.

"Steel... Wow... Really..."

"At least pretend to be impressed!"

"Hero don't be sad!" Some of the other men in the room announced.

"Yeah! Keep trying! I'm sure you'll get there one day! The Enforcer life is great! You get to go on so many quests visiting the entire Nation and saving people, fighting powerful monsters! And you get a license allowing you to use your power if you have one and you can basically get away with any crime! It's great!"

"Don't give him any more stupid ideas..." Okami sighed when he saw the look of excitement present on the child's face. "God knows what he'll do next..."

"Hey Captain what's wrong with taking him with us at least once? I mean we usually just deal with Baron level threats. Why not let the kid see us work up close. I'm sure he would enjoy it."

"Yeah!" Hero said with stars in his eyes.

"Out of the question." Okami shrugged. "A dumb brat like him would just slow us down."

"Hey!"

Okami laughed patting the boy's head. "Maybe wait a few more years. Give it ten. If you still wanna join at that then maybe I'll consider taking you out on a mission and showing ya the best damn squad around."

"Whatever..." Hero muttered turning away. "I'm gonna be an even better Enforcer than you ever were old man!"

"Old! I'm only thirty-two! These damn greys are just from stress ya hear! It ain't easy protecting the God damn world! I'll be around for a long while yet!"

"You should try and understand our Captain's feelings..." One of the men said patting Hero on the head. He pulled out an extremely long cigarette and began to smoke. The smoke morphed in the air taking on a wide variety of shapes and even colors. "He doesn't mock you because he doesn't care about you. Rather he mocks you because he cares so damn much about you. He more than anyone knows the hardship of the path we walk. I think he would truly be happy if he found out you would be a normal boy and get a normal job. This is a cold dark world, filled with black skies, icy lands, and vast monsters. No place for an innocent child. That's why we the Enforcers take it all in. We'll hold all the burden and make sure no kid has to suffer the way you did ever again." The man patted Hero on the top of the head as he smiled again. "And you can be sure that our Captain will do everything he can to keep this world safe. So idiots like you can carry on your dreams to the future."

Hero didn't say anything as he looked down at the ground.

Over with Okami, he was laughing as he talked to the woman who ran the bar.

"So..." Mary, the woman who runs this place asked. "How long do you think you're gonna stay?" She asked him.

"Not to sure honestly." Okami shrugged. "Our base was destroyed during that last attack on Oleander city, which is why we've been staying here. I'd say about a month or two more before it's finished being rebuilt and we can return home."

"He'll miss you... Hero will I mean... Ever since you guys arrived with him a year ago you've really lightened up this little town of ours and kept it safe. And during that time that little boys been doing a lot better. Hard to believe he used to be some quiet kid who woke up screaming and crying everyday... God what did those bastards do to him... I'm glad Piero found him but I think Piero has been a bad influence on him."

"Believe me. The kids been through more than enough for ten lifetimes... He could use a few years just living in this cozy little town as a clown with his dad. When Piero came to me with intel on some lab doing crazy experiments I never expected to see 'that' there. I'm glad Piero got the boy out of that lab and took him in. He needs a good dad-"

'Bang!'

The front door burst open as everyone in the bar went silent. Mary let out a quick intake when she saw the group of men who were entering.

"Those men... They're the criminals that have caused our town so much trouble..." She muttered quietly. "A gang..."

"So..." One of the men walked forward. He was taller than the rest at nearly nine feet tall and had a large metal club at his side. "These are Enforcers huh." He chuckled staring everyone in the bar down. "Funny. I thought you guys would be more impressive." He laughed.

No one said a word, but it was clear everyone became more alarmed as the man walked forward.

"We ain't here to cause any trouble." The man said. "Just wanna buy some Life energy. Our base ran out and we'll need it for the winter."

"Oh. I'm afraid we're out..." Mary laughed nervously backing up slightly. "They bought the last of our supplies."

"Sorry." Okami laughed. "My Squad needed it at the time. Life is a tasty drink that can even heal most mild wounds and we got banged up after our last mission. But here. I haven't touched my bottle yet and all my injuries will heal on their own so why don't you take it?" He asked handing a bottle of a pink glowing liquid over to the man.

The man eyed it for moment before shocking everyone as he slapped it out of Okami's hand sending glass and the liquid everywhere.

"Why did you go and do that?" Okami asked calmly. "You made a mess."

"Don't speak to me so casually Enforcer. You people are nothing. You think that just because you got some fancy supernatural ability that you're all high and mighty. Well, I'll tell ya what a good old fashion gun has put more of ya bastards down then I can count. We've killed your kind before so if I were you I would lose the attitude. Or else you'll-"

"Do you have a mop or something Mary?" Okami asked not bothering to hear the man. "I'll clean-"

Okami was stopped by a kick to the face which sent him into the counter cracking it. "Did ya not hear me you damn fool!" The man let out a growl as he raised his club up intending to bring it down but stopped when Okami looked up at him. The man was silent for a moment before turning around.

"You lot aren't even worth the trouble." He snarled as him and his gang quickly left. "What a pathetic bunch..."

"Are you okay!" Mary asked worriedly as soon as the man left.

Laughter immediately filled the room as all of the Enforcers began to laugh. "Boy. He got you pretty good there Captain huh!"

"I think he broke my nose!" Okami laughed rubbing at the droplets of blood that flowed out of his nose. "Oww."

"W... W... Why didn't you fight back!" Hero yelled. "He kicked you in your face and no one did anything! You're just laughing it off!"

"What's the use of worrying about it now." Okami shrugged. "What's done is done."

"You coward!"

Okami let out another laugh as Hero began to march up the steps to the tavern up to where his room was.

***

"I thought Okami was supposed to be a cool guy..." Hero pouted.

He was lying in bed with Mary who patted his head gently slowly soothing him to sleep like she always did. It was one of the few ways he could actually get to sleep.

"Okami is a cool guy," Mary said softly in an attempt to cheer up the six-year-old. "It takes a brave man to laugh off a threat to his life, and a smart man to know when to avoid an unnecessary battle."

"Not Brave! Cowardly! He should have fought back!" Hero whined. "That's what being strong is about! You should never let anyone walk all over you. Even for a joke." He announced. "Piero would have never let that happen."

"Piero's and idiot..."

The woman shushed him gently as he began to get louder making him pout.

"It's getting late. And you have a lot of work tomorrow. You should get to sleep." She said softly.

Hero made a face for a second as he thought back to the attack. "Who were those guys..." He asked casually.

"They're just some thugs. They moved into an old castle a few miles outside of our village. They rarely bother us and usually just cause mild trouble. But ever since the Enforcers got here they left us alone until today. I'm a bit worried on what they might do when they leave..."

Hero got a thoughtful scheming look on his face that spelled trouble for the six-year-old. It quickly became clear that the child was planning something.

Mary gently shut her eyes allowing the sleep to overtake her. She was so exhausted she barely registered the fact that something in the bed was moving. Or the quiet clicking sound as the door opened. And she definitely didn't hear the sounds of quiet feet on the hard wooden floor. A part of her brain processed it for a few seconds but she didn't bother moving for some time. She didn't know how long she kept her eyes closed for but when she did finally open she came to a cold halt when she saw Hero was no longer in his bed and the door to their room was open.

"H... Hero?"

***

"C... C... Cold..." Hero muttered shivering slightly.

Our young protagonist found himself standing outside of a large stone castle out in the middle of the black night. It was always dark out past the cities, since there was no artificial lights or heaters out here, but it was especially dark in the woods, where this castle resided.

A person with common sense would think twice about running out into the freezing cold in only their pajamas.

After all if a Bestia Macht didn't get you, chances were you would freeze to death in this ice cold forest...

"A... Alright..." Hero said through chattering teeth. His skin was beginning to feel ice cold as he stared up at the walls of the ominous castle. "I... I... I'm gonna show these guys that you don't mess with my home."

Up at the top of the castle standing on a large stone wall two guards could be seen both staring down at the odd little boy who was yelling at their base. Hero didn't appear to notice them though as the two men looked back at each other than back at the small boy.

"Uh... Should we do something about this?" One of the men asked.

"Nah. Let the dumbass freeze to death. Serves him right."

"Hmm... Well... Now that I'm getting a good look at the child he looks familiar... That's the brat who was in the Tavern our boss went to? He was complaining about all those assholes in the building for hours... I bet he'd like to get his hands on a brat like that..."

"Good point... You know how the boss is. He'd wanna 'play' with this new toy himself."

***

"HeroismissingI'msuchabadmother!"

Several of the Enforcers all jumped as the door to their bedroom was practically kicked down by a distraught Mary. They had all been on the verge of sleep themselves so the last thing any of them had been expecting was for their landlady to come running in.

The poor woman was looking around wildly all over the place and looked worried sick. It was hard to understand a word she was saying as she spoke so fats and wildly. It was nearly impossible to make out a word she was saying.

"IjustwasramblingandnotthinkingbecauseIwastiredandIfellasleepandIheardsomethingbutIwasjustsotiredIdidn'tbotherlookingandthenwhenIdecidedIshouldatleastcheckitouttomakesureitwassafeIopenedmyeyesandhewasgone!"

"Slow down Mary," Okami said standing up and placing a hand on the young woman's shoulders. "Now... Say that again. But slower."

"Hero's in trouble."