Pov 3rd person

Vale city the capital of the kingdom of Vale at first glance many well-kept streets and general location give a relative sense of security . However, only those who have lived in the city long enough will understand that behind these everyday lively , clean and colorful streets are hidden those dark dirty and at first glance abandoned .

However, there is life on these deserted streets as well . Homeless , criminals and other people who have been forgotten and abandoned by the world . It doesn't sound very safe because it is, however, the same can be said about Vale as a whole. While during the day Vale is a relatively safe place , at night all the social cockroaches come out to feed .

Recently, however, the city has seen a new threat from tensions between gangs , criminal groups , mafias and syndicates . The biggest conflict, however, is between the Xiong, which is one of the largest and fast-growing mafia families in Vale, and the Spider Syndicate, which hails from another kingdom, but they have set their sights on Vale as the next place to expand and the Xiong as the competitions they must eliminate and replace.

However, far from the conflicts of the criminal world, in an industrial district on one of the abandoned streets lived a girl who has already had to cope with this world for eight years.Currently, due to the early hour, she sleeps peacefully on a mattress hidden behind a closet in a room whose door is locked by a chain with a padlock attached to it. Dressed in a white torn and dirty spring dress, she is covered by a thin black sheet whose function is to warm her emaciated and dirty body.

Suddenly this tranquility was interrupted by a strong blow on the door of the room which caused the chains to move . As if already prepared, the girl quickly opened her ruby eye with which she examined the situation .

" Open I know you are there and you are awake !!!"

Shouts a male voice further banging on the door .

"Are you out of your mind what are you doing to my door you stoned ram ? "

Girl Shouts back with her soft and sweet voice with the pugnacity of a cat as the knocks on the door intensified causing her to get up to see how the plaster slowly began to fall off the hinges. At the same time the old metal buckle to which the chain is attached is slowly being torn out from the door by the force .

" Someone robbed the spider people , they say that they saw a girl who took their bag with her and then she ran away . Syndicate people think this kid is one of us so all my people have problems until we find the bag."

" You are one child living in this area with the skills and courage to do it! So open the damn door and give me the bag !!!"

Pov ( ???)

' Spider? What is he talking about I don't steal on this street at all . It's been a month since I've been stealing here , I moved three blocks away with this . Besides, I'm not so stupid to take someone's whole bag knowing that they will see me . '

I think feeling surprised that someone actually did something so stupid .

"I have no idea what you're talking about ,I wasn't even there! Do you know how many homeless kids there are in Vale , why should I be the one to do it ?"

I say when with the next hit, the chain finally let go. With the next blow, the door was kicked in. Opening wide I could see Lotus and his two subordinates that stands in the door frame .

Lotus is an old faunus with two small horns on his forehead one of which is visibly shorter due to a break at the tip . His head besides many gray and dirty hairs on the sides of it is almost bald . His teeth are almost gone due to his years of addictions . His eyes do not betray any major intelligence except his current anger which he has directed fully at me .

On either side of him stand two of his homeless subordinates with a pipe and a baseball bat in their hands. Seeing Lotus I don't feel willing to risk talking to him after all I already did but he is probably too stupid to understand .

Eventually without another word I throw myself towards the window taking my sheet with me I know it will come in handy later . Going out of the window I step onto the fire stairs , perfectly at the moment when a hand wanted to grab me through the window to pull me inside . Avoiding capture I go down the ladder on the fire stairs getting into the alley below .

" Shes getting away, go after her!"

Shouts Lotus looking at me through the window from which I just escaped . Of course it caught the attention of all the homeless people in the alley.

'Lotos is a leader of group of homeless people. However, looking at their activities they are more of a weak gang for hire for other gangs. I am well aware that they carry drugs for gangs . As homeless people no one pays attention to them , not to mention that they know every alley like the back of their hands so it is easier for them than other couriers .'

Thinking about it I watch all the homeless people who are actually Lotus subordinates stop what they were doing and stare at me . Seeing that, I don't need anything else to run as much as my skinny body allows. My short black hair fly in the wind as a group of five homeless people ran after me .

'I have always lived on this street so as a thief I have my escape routes. That's why I am not so worried about the people behind me. Only question is what after I escape them ? I have nothing more than that room I had to escape from now. '

Thinking about it I run out of the alley only to come out to the neglected main street where I pass homeless men . Fortunately, they are not nimble or agile enough to catch up with me at most they are close to catching my hair but it only takes one twist sideways to make the homeless man behind me collapse face down on the ground .

Gaining distance from them I run into another alley where I hide with my back behind a dumpster with wheels . Then by usinguse my best strength I push it down an alley that, thanks to a slight incline, allows the dumpster to get going. The dumpster with the help of gravity continues going faster only to hits the people chasing me .

The dumpster was heavy as it was full of trash which caused the impact to topple everyone including the dumpster which crashed into the wall throwing trash at the toppled homeless people . While one remained to help the two knocked down. But still two of them are after me in further pursuit .No longer looking back I use the time I just acquired and keep running .

'until dawn 5 minutes'

I think looking at the old damaged but still functional watch on my wrist as I running through one of the better-kept streets in which there is a very narrow alley or rather a gap between buildings leading to another alley . The gap is so narrow that no normal person would think of squeezing through it however I am skinny enough to easily squeeze inside thus leaving the pursuit behind me .

'But if I think this is the end, I would have died long time ago. They are homeless too . Not to mention that they are older than me so they know the streets even better than me . It won't take them long to find passage here . However, fatigue is already catching me I have no chance in further escape . '

I think coming out of the other side of the narrow passage which is now behind me . To my right is a long alley which in the distance turns to the side, so the only thing I can see at the end of it from my position is the brick wall of another building ,In front of me is a wall and on my left is the reason why I am here. At the end of the alley on the left is a fence on the other side of which is the roof of a two-story building . Next to the fence there are several dumpsters.

However what I am more interested in now is the water container located just below the rain gutter right next to me .Putting the sheet in the water I make sure it is well soaked .

' I can't just hide and wait . Lotus will check everything he will open every dumpster to see if I am there . But I also can't run anymore I have no strength left . The only solution is to give him the impression that I ran away and there is no point in looking for me anymore or simply make them believe that I continue to run from them which will bring them into further pointless pursuit when in fact I am hidden elsewhere . Fortunately, I have been prepared for this possibility for a very long time .'

I think while pulling the sheet out of the water .

"Now you won't run away"

Says a familiar voice to my right . Turning my head I see Lotus is standing there with a tired face as his two people look as if their soul has left their body. Fortunately besides them there is no one left which means that probably lotus ordered them to guard the narrow passage on my Left and exit behind them . Taking the chance that they are still far away , I retreat slowly with my back to the fence .

"Lotus"

I say with a scared face and a soft innocent tone which improved his confidence about this situation . However, seeing this I just smiled internally.

' As I thought he know the streets even better than me. Even if I managed to hide somewhere he would still find me . This whole neighborhood is his sphere of influence every homeless person here works for him so constant escape would also fail because I don't have the physical capabilities like them . Even now I can barely stand on my feet . '

Thinking, I leaned my back against the net of the fenc and curled into a ball with a terrified face. At this time sun slowly began to rise and illuminate the path ahead of the fence.

'This fence is perfectly directed which means my back is to the east'

I think looking at the Lotus who was slowly approaching me .

"Now we have a few options for you. Tell me where the bag is or I will give you back to spider syndicate "

Lotus said as my shadow slowly expand thanks to the sunlight behind me and blend with his shadow.

" Believe me its' not me !"

I says with a scared voice. It was the time when my shadow covered all three of them . Looking lotus in his eyes I am finishing my acting with the smile as I grabbed the sheet soaked with water tightly in my hands.

Lotus pov

Looking at the girl and her terrified face I feel a little bad about what I am about to do . The little nightmare has always been a bit of a thorn in my side but in the end she always gave a percentage of what she stole in exchange for protection .

I know she didn't like it very much however in the end she did it to have peace and of course a few guys paying attention to the places she hangs around in case someone accosted her . She is a young lady, unlike me she is threatened by many more bad things .

But now the situation is different, the spider syndicate is getting on our ass because someone robbed them on the streets where my people hang out . They will kill everyone if I don't bring someone to them . I do not know if it is her however what should I do ?

Especially since they didn't give any description except the height and that the kid was fast , which agrees with her. She is practically the same height as they reported , she is fast , she is a thief and can recognize herself in the field . Besides her I don't know any other homeless children in this neighborhood .

Thinking about this whole situation I look at her terrified face as she sits curled up in a ball under the net and tears squeeze into her visible ruby eye . She is tired I know this however knowing her generally mean and vindictive nature I feel something is wrong .

I've known her for two years so I know what a good actress she is, but watching the tears squeeze into her eye I don't know if she's bluffing or if she really has no idea what to do now.

She has always been resourceful never talked about herself but I homeless well know how difficult it is to survive the winter and she survived two . This girl is a hidden genius unfortunately I am against the wall and have no other options left .

Thinking about it I notice the wet sheet she is holding in her hands feeling that something is wrong I look at her emaciated and dirty face so much like all of us . Despite this I see a gleam in her vivid ruby eye as she smiled slyly .

"What...?"

"fuc ....?"

The next thing I see is darkness when me and the boys got a wet sheet in the face. I hear the sound of climbing the net. I know this girl is ahead so without even removing the sheets, I push myself to the front.

Suddenly, a uper part of my body flies forward, and I hit my face on the fence . Then I hear the momentum of the impact on the roof tiles on the other side of the fence . Right after that I hear her running awey .

'she trick me'

I think while leaning my hands against the fence to get up. Pulling the sheets off my face I look at my legs only ty see three pale child hands that's are hideing in my shadow.

' Aura ? So that's how you stole all these wallets '

I think as I look up the net in the fence and see a faint shadow running across the roof.

"Boss, don't be afraid, we'll catch her"

One idiot is screaming as the other is climbing the net

" There's no need to"

I say knowing full well that we are unlikely to catch her certainly not in such terrain and now knowing that she has an aura I am not sure I even want to risk pursuing her .My heart can barely cope anymore , I'm going to have a heart attack before we catch her now at most I can tell people to look for her . Shaking my head I sit my ass down on the concrete to catch my breath .

'Well at least we will check her room and search everything within the building . If we don't find the bag we will start searching the whole street and then the industrial district .'

'If we don't find anything I will have to think about what to do next .

I think thinking about what a nasty day it is .

'Sorry little nightmare but such is our world .'

With one last thought I watch as a small blurry silhouette disappears into the distance .

Viewpoint (???)

As the lotus struggled with the sheet, I used my power and create clones from my shadow to confuse him that I walked over the fence. I also immediately created clones which are the very hands sticking out of his shadow to prevent him from moving .

'Of course they are not perfect one clone is just hands and the other is simply a dark shadowy matter in my shape but it was running against the sun so the lotus should not notice that something is wrong with it'

After creating a diversion I rolled sideways avoiding the falling Lotus . I wanted to laugh at this but having no time I passed the three of them to enter the garbage can right next to us. And the same time the the clone hit the roof on the other side of the fence, I closed the bin masking the sound .

' It took too much energy .

I think lying on the garbage .

' Lotus is furious it was a good decision to run away maybe we know each other but on the street don't trust anyone'

Pov 3rd person

Not hearing the conversation of Lotus and his people the nameless girl was lying on the garbage slowly falling asleep due to exhaustion . However, before her eyes closed her fringe covering her other eye fell to the side showing the reason why she believed she was abandoned as an infant.

The golden eye in which the pupil is replaced by a clock with roman numerals . In its own way, the beautiful eye along with its ruby twin were closed when the girl finally drifted off to sleep on a pile of trash .