Six years ago, Alko and Leah crouched low at the top of a hill, their eyes fixed on the small shop below. Jake, their gang leader, stood tall behind them, surveying the scene with a calculating eye.
"Two packs of Marlboro, four packs of Rookworst, duct tape, and a twelve-pack of Bavaria," Jake listed off, his voice authoritative and calm.
Alko's eyes lit up with excitement. "Ooh! Can I have a can?"
Jake sighed heavily. "You're 12, Alko."
Alko rolled his eyes, frustration clear in his tone. "Ugh! So?"
Jake gave him a stern look. "Also, we need to stop calling you that. What's your real name?"
Alko looked away, disinterest flickering across his face. "I don't know, I forgot."
Leah, her curiosity piqued, asked, "What's the duct tape for?"
Jake's response was curt, dismissive. "Business, Leah."
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them. "Now shoo! As usual, you'll get your reward later."
As Jake walked off, Alko and Leah exchanged a glance before sliding down the hill together, the thrill of the upcoming heist coursing through their veins.
The shop sat quiet, the only noise being the soft clink of coins and rustle of cash as the shopkeeper rearranged his till. In limped Leah, her stomach bloated under her t-shirt, playing the part of a pregnant woman. The shopkeeper watched, confused, as the twelve-year-old put on her act.
"Oh dear. When is this baby going to come out? It's been nine months already!" Leah exclaimed dramatically.
The shopkeeper shook his head with a warm smile. "She can't be serious."
Alko walked in, playing along with the charade. "Sorry about that, sir. I don't know what she finds fun in cosplaying pregnant women, but she always does it."
"It's pretty funny, though," the shopkeeper admitted, chuckling.
"Happy to know you find my pain humorous!" Leah retorted, waddling to the back of the store as Alko struck up a conversation with the shopkeeper.
Leah discreetly lifted her t-shirt, revealing a large sac containing a big balloon. She placed the balloon on the ground and began stuffing items into her bag. Meanwhile, Alko pointed to the Marlboro pack on the shelf behind the shopkeeper.
"Hey, can I see that Marlboro pack real quick?" he asked.
The shopkeeper looked at him skeptically. "Huh? You're like ten."
"I'm twelve, and I don't want to buy them, of course. I just wanna see. I've always wanted to hold a cigarette pack; they look cool."
"Oh yeah, so you can just run off with them, right? Not a chance, kid."
Alko sighed. "You're saying you can't outrun a twelve-year-old?"
The shopkeeper was taken aback by the comment, then chuckled and handed him the pack of cigarettes. "Here."
"Nice. So cool," Alko said, flipping the pack in the air as Leah returned with the same bloated stomach.
"Hubby, can we leave now? I think my water's breaking," Leah said, feigning distress.
"I don't even know what that means," Alko replied.
Suddenly, a pack of rookworst fell from under Leah's shirt. The shopkeeper's amused expression darkened as he realized what was happening. Leah stared at him with a guilty smile.
"Oops."
She pulled the sack of stolen items from under her t-shirt and darted out of the store.
"Hey!" the shopkeeper shouted, rounding the counter to chase after her.
As he ran past Alko, the cheeky kid stuck his foot out, tripping the shopkeeper. In the chaos, Alko quickly reached into the till, grabbed a wad of cash, and bolted after Leah, stomping on the shopkeeper's head on his way out.
Alko and Leah sprinted away, huge grins plastered on their faces as the shopkeeper struggled to his feet.
"Get back here, you punks!" the shopkeeper yelled after them, his voice echoing down the street.
The devious kids didn't look back, their laughter filling the air as they successfully made their getaway, leaving the bewildered shopkeeper in their wake.
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The kids strolled down an alleyway, the bag of stolen items swinging in Alko's grip.
"Hey, next time can I be the pregnant one?" Alko asked, grinning.
"That would be weird, Alko," Leah replied, shaking her head.
"Ah yes, because what we just did was completely normal."
Suddenly, their walk came to an abrupt halt. Alko dropped the bag to his side, their eyes widening in absolute fear.
"Huh…?" Alko muttered.
Ahead of them lay a bloody scene, familiar faces strewn about with dismembered bodies.
"A-Alko…" Leah stammered, her voice trembling.
Alko's eyes landed on the most familiar face of them all.
"J-Jake?" he whispered in disbelief.
Upon realizing the horror before her, Leah let out a deafening cry, her voice laced with stupefied terror.
Suddenly, a creature dropped behind the terrified kids. Alko turned and spotted a spider-like beast the size of a mini-coupe.
"Leah..." Alko tried to alert her.
Leah continued to scream, her voice piercing the air.
"Leah..." Alko repeated, more urgently.
The beast DASHED at them.
"Leah!" Alko shouted, quickly putting himself in front of Leah, attempting to shield her from the salivating creature.
But all of a sudden, GOLDEN ENERGY BULLETS blasted through the alleyway. Behind the beast stood Dove Officers, firing at it with vibration guns. The bullets tore the creature apart as Alko held Leah's head close to his chest in a protective manner.
"Beast put down, I repeat, beast put down," one officer spoke into a wired microphone.
As the creature finally fell, one of the Dove Officers rushed to the traumatized kids.
"Are you two okay?" the officer asked urgently.
Leah burst into tears, and Alko kept her close, his eyes widened in complete shock.
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The orange and purple hues stretched across the Dutch heavens as Leah, sitting with one knee up, stared into space with sorrowful eyes. Laid on his back next to her was Alko, a can of beer in his hand as he gazed at the dusk sky. Meanwhile, Volker stood at the roof's edge, staring into the horizon with his hands in his hoodie's pockets. The atmosphere stayed silent and still, the only sound being Alko sipping his beer.
Leah broke the silence.
"They were all I had left..."
Alko sipped his beer, leaving space for Leah's words to marinate.
"Me too. My grandpa just had to go last year, didn't he?" Alko replied.
"They took us in after my mum left three years ago. Genuinely saved me and Volker's lives," Leah continued.
Alko smiled. "Still grateful for what they did for me since his passing."
Silence ensued as they pondered each other's words. Suddenly, Leah's right hand balled up into a fist.
"Alko."
"Hm?" Alko responded.
"Let's become Dove Officers."
Alko looked over to Leah and noticed the determination through her tearful eyes. He smirked.
"You didn't think I'd just let the beasts get away with it, did you?"
Alko jumped to his feet and chucked his beer can over the roof.
"You in, Volker?"
Hands still in pockets, Volker turned to Alko with his usual unbothered expression.
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Sunlight filtered into the church through the stained glass as Alko and Leah knelt before a priest dressed in an elegant black and gold alb. The priest looked up at the ceiling, arms lifted.
"Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart, and give me right faith, certain hope, perfect charity, and wisdom and Lord, that I may carry out Your holy and true command. Amen," the priest intoned solemnly.
"Amen," Alko echoed, nudging Leah gently.
"A-amen," Leah added.
The priest continued, "The first step to becoming a Dove host is eligibility. I will start by examining your passion, as that is the most important aspect of being a host. Your passion cannot be one that goes against the teachings of the Good Book. Shall we begin, children?"
In unison, Alko and Leah responded, "Yes, Father."
The priest placed his hands on Alko and Leah's heads, closing his eyes. After a few seconds, his eyes snapped open, filled with shock that gradually darkened with subtle wrath.
"Why do you two want to become Dove hosts?" the priest asked, his voice calm but stern.
Alko glanced at Leah, whose eyes were filled with rage. "Revenge," she said flatly.
"Who do you plan to exact this revenge on?" the priest pressed.
"The beasts. I'm going to kill every single one of them. No matter what it takes," Leah declared, her voice unwavering.
The priest's eyes lingered on Leah, filled with disappointment. He then turned to Alko. "And you?" he asked.
"W-we're here for the same reason, sir," Alko stammered. "We were on our way back from running errands when we came back to all of our friends killed by a beast. Please make us Dove hosts, we have to make them pay."
The priest let out a deep sigh, then looked up to the ceiling with his arms raised once again. "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," he murmured.
Turning his attention back to the children, his eyes now darkened with cold fury, the priest spoke with finality, "I'm sorry, children. We cannot proceed."
Leah's head snapped up, her voice tinged with desperation. "Huh? Why not?"
The priest's eyes narrowed. "You two are... demons. Your passions are thievery, your desires filled with hatred and vengeance. That is not who a Dove host is. A Dove would never agree to live in such a demonic spirit." He turned his back on the kneeling children. "Please leave, and never come back, you Fiends."
The contrast in their reactions was stark. While Alko's eyes filled with sadness, Leah's blazed with unbridled rage. She leapt to her feet and bolted toward the priest.
"Make me a Dove host, you fucking piece of shit!" Leah screamed, pulling a pocket knife from her pocket and attempting to stab the priest.
With effortless precision, the priest disarmed her and pinned her to the ground, twisting her arm behind her back.
"Knew you were demonic," he smirked.
"Hey!" Alko shouted, charging to Leah's aid, his eyes filled with fury. But before he could reach her, he was tackled by surrounding Dove Officers.
The priest grinned and twisted Leah's arm further, prompting a deafening cry of pain from her.
"Let go of her, you fucking—" Alko yelled, frantically wriggling, desperately trying to free himself from the officers' grip.
Suddenly, Volker appeared behind the priest, his eyes full of focus.
"What the—" the priest started, but Volker SWUNG a rapid spinning kick. The priest blocked it with one hand, the other still pinning Leah to the ground.
"Hm, this child is impressive," the priest mused.
The other Dove Officers pounced on the ten-year-old, pinning him to the ground alongside his sister.
"Volk! Let go of him, you fucking—" Leah screamed, her voice thick with frustration and desperation.
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The waiting room sat still, an eerie aura emanating from the young criminals awaiting their trial. Parents sat beside their children, tension heavy in the air. Leah, her hood pulled low, covered half her face, while Alko reclined next to her, his face angled toward the ceiling.
Leah broke the silence. "What do you think they'll do with Volker?"
"Foster family," Alko replied, his voice devoid of emotion.
The two lapsed back into silence until two security guards, appearing to be in their mid-20s, approached them.
"Leah and Alko?" Security Guard #1 asked.
Alko looked up, but Leah remained still. "Yeah?"
"Told you it was them," Security Guard #2 scoffed.
"Are you the two kids that attacked the priest the other day?" Security Guard #1 continued.
"What about it?" Alko retorted.
"Responsible for multiple robberies as well. Heard you wanted to become Dove hosts. Hope you've given up on that dream," Security Guard #2 sneered.
"Yeah, I can't lie, kids like you would never be accepted into our world. God wouldn't want to bring shame onto Dovanity," Security Guard #1 added.
"Exactly, Dovanity isn't for everyone, especially not for you evil scrubs," Security Guard #2 chimed in.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the speakers in the corner of the room. "Would defendant number 6 and number 7 please make their way into the trial room, please?"
Alko nudged Leah. "Let's go, Leah."
The pair stood up and walked past the security guards.
"Have fun in juvie. Kids like you don't deserve freedom," Security Guard #1 taunted as they passed.
Leah kept walking, but Alko paused, glancing back at the guards.
"Freedom is for those who live by the Dove, not for devils like you," Security Guard #1 added.
Alko pondered over the guard's words as he watched Leah leave the room, then turned to follow her.
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Back at the bar, the air was filled with the soft murmur of conversations and the clinking of glasses. Alko continued his story, an attentive Udo listening with a beer bottle in hand.
"That was the last time I saw her," Alko said, his voice tinged with melancholy. "Our sentences were a year each. When I got out, I joined a Dove youth academy. I don't know where she went or how she got to this point, but yeah..."
Udo took a sip of his beer. "Damn..."
"Do you like it?" Alko asked.
"What, the beer?"
"Yeah."
"Nah," Udo replied, shaking his head.
Alko chuckled. "Seems like you're enjoying it, though."
"Yeah, I enjoy the fact that I hate it," Udo said with a smirk.
Alko cackled. "That's funny. But yeah, um, you can go ahead and tell everyone now. That was my big secret. Sorry I didn't say it earlier, just had a lot to process."
Udo raised his beer bottle again but paused midway, pondering Alko's words. He placed the bottle back on the table. "That's not for me to do."
Alko looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"
"It's a secret, Alko. The point isn't to go around telling everyone."
"But... she's a member of the Herd—"
"She's also your friend. And if you don't want to harm her, I understand."
"It's not that, it's just—"
"Listen," Udo interjected gently, "I've done enough damage to the people around me. I'm going to save Bowen, but not at the cost of those I care about."
Alko's eyes widened in shock.
"Besides, if you told me, that means you've probably made your decision on what you're gonna do. Right?"
Alko remained silent, staring down at the table, lost in thought.
"I won't touch her unless you tell me to," Udo said, his tone resolute.
Alko finally looked up, a mixture of gratitude and uncertainty in his eyes. "Thanks, Udo."
He got up from his seat, grabbed a beer, and downed it in one long gulp. He slammed the empty bottle on the table, a determined look in his eyes.
"But you're right," Alko said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I have made my decision."