The orphaned hero (OPN)

[paper_stars]

The rain fell, its icy drops tickling the hot ground as the thunder storm hovered above the city of San Francisco. Few cars drove by as the yellow street lamps illuminated the roads and sidewalks. It was in the evening, perhaps around nine or ten at night. Few people were still out and about, the more popular roads were busy with traffic. Bars were filled to the brim and the music from clubs all across the city could be heard.

The storm above didn’t seem to be bothering anyone, or keeping them from going out and having a good time.

Ashley wasn’t really bothered by the rain either, she rather liked it.. even though it was a hot storm.. the rain drops were cool to the skin. She really liked being out in the storm, it was a form of relaxation for her.. but then again she was also smoking a well rolled blunt.

She didn’t care that she was smoking the weed in public, she could give a rats ass if someone tried to confront her.. police officer or other. It was her business and no one else’s..

However no one really bothered her as she walked down the quiet street alone. The hood of her faux leather jacket was pulled over her head to keep her hair from getting soaked. The front was zipped up also to keep her from getting wet. On her shoulders she carried a regular school backpack stuffed with some of her belongings.

Ashley was only about fifteen years old and besides her jacket she was wearing a pair of ratty stained jeans and a tee-shirt under her jacket. She was also wearing a pair of torn, dirty beat up black vans.

A typical rocker appeal.. but the kid also couldn’t afford clothes, so she basically wore what she had.. and if she needed to she would resort to stealing in the end.

The girl is one of those children that fell off the radar after running away from the foster care facility and child services..ya they might have looked for her when she first ran away, but they had only so many resources and it wasn’t uncommon for orphans to run away and never be found.

So she figured they didn’t look that hard, because it wasn’t like she tried her damndest to not be found… she was usually right in plain sight.

Ashley came to a street corner and paused momentarily.. she inhaled a deep breath of smoke from the blunt her eyes pausing on an older couple. She watched them as they laughed and clung to each other, both were dressed in a fancy attire.. probably coming from a dinner party.. or going to it. They looked like the type to have kids.. kids waiting at home for their parents, parents that didn’t care..Ashley almost started to chew on the end of her blunt in annoyance before the couple disappeared into a club.

However as she stood there almost hesitating to cross the street she saw something out the corner of her eye.. a shift in the darkness.. in the ally way.. “Huh.” She was suspicious but she wasn’t on guard..and she didn’t expect what was going to happen next…

The sound was something out of a war movie, the loud almost sound defining noise followed by that sudden sense of slow motion as everything quickly turned into utter chaos. The club the couple had walked into exploded into a fireball. Glass, and parts of the building shot out around a three mile wide vicinity. The buildings next the club lost their windows and maybe a wall or two.. Flames shout out toward the sky, and it was almost hard to tell if people were screaming inside the burning club.

[Kings Anointed]

The cold wet rain beat down on his tattered, torn and worn, buckle riddled, leather over-coat which concealed most of his clothing which included a black punk-goth fishnet shirt that clung to his semi muscular torso and arms, then his bullet belts adorning his waist and hips, his pants consisting of high impact resistant man made black leather, his coat made of the same material. As were the steel toed boots on his feet. His emerald green eyes widened momentarily as he watched the fire ball cross the street and erupt inside the club. Bits of glass from the surrounding store fronts landing on Leo's shoulder and boots, miraculously missing his eyes and face. The smoke of a cigarette ushering forth from his mouth, Leo stepped forth tossing the cig to the ground as he made his way across the street to the club glowing with white fire he would try to save some of the insects inside though they'd hate him for it eventually. There emotions feeding him all of terror and growing his energy. Suddenly an aura bolstered, flashed, and rippled around his body hot enough to burn away the falling rain around him and his coat. A couple ran out of the club in flames screaming in a panic. He saw more crowding for the door and crushing themselves against it to escape through the small opening.

It wouldn't be big enough for all of them to get out at once. Leo sighed at these people but could feel their terror with each passing second as he stood outside of the burning club watching thinking and looking at the burning building. "Hmmm If only the door were bigger..." Leo then jumped back and issued an order. "YOU WHO WANT TO LIVE GET AWAY FROM THE WALL NOW!" Within seconds Leo raised his palms toward the exterior wall and produced two laser like beams he aimed them at the middle of the burning club. They began cutting through the brick and mortar and he carved out for helpless masses inside a larger hole to run from. This happening all within seconds. As Leo finished, the lower half of the outer wall crumbled and people within seconds came rushing out on fire rolling into the rain soaked street. Leo watched them as they paid him no mind he could feel their relief and agony at the burns. Leo went into the burning club to see who was left and couldn't bring themselves out. His aura gave him some protection from the flames, not the heat though, He saw someone squirming on the ground and he told them, "Stop moving it makes you hard to grab and save." He saw several other people helplessly fighitng to escape. Chandeliers had fallen on them. Leo lashed out two lines of energy to them and made sure they were secure and walked toward the exit dragging everyone he'd recovered out and into the street. When they were safely in the street he walked back across the street leaving them all squirming like burned maggots.

The smell of burnt flesh and hair from the injured was filling the air it nearly nauseated him. "If I'd thought the smell would've been this bad I'd have let them all burn..." He said under his breath and hunched over pressing himself against a wall of the street's opposing side. Leo out of the corner of his eye saw her the little punk rock looking girl smoking her blunt. He knew the smell of weed and smirked. "Ahh reefer, the brain destroying herb. You'll ruin yourself if you keep that up Ashley. Also we have it in the best of interests to get out of here before the police arrive..." Leo looked to her again in her eyes now his aura dieing down ther rain once again able to strike his coat and soak his long raven hair. He looked a bit like she did but didn't destroy his body as she did hers. "I'm like you, an outcast I run with a group of them for safety reasons for our enemies are many and have a wide reach. Uncle Sam is our primary pursuer and is seeking you as we speak. I can protect you if you want it, if not good luck." Leo laid it on the line for her a little thick but she could take it or leave it.

[paper_stars]

Ashley stood with the blunt still between her lips; a few pieces of glass had been embedded into her arms and scrapped across her face from the explosion. As the strange man appeared and started his act of heroism Ashley plucked the glass from her arms and dropped the pieces to the ground. It was a good thing she didn’t cross the street or she would have been caught right in the blast. The teenager didn’t do anything to help them, already in the distance you could hear sirens going off and besides that she wouldn’t know what to do anyway to help them. She let Mr. Hero do all the work while she checked herself over.

It seemed he made quick work with getting everyone out, what a man. Ashley sucked in the toxic smoke deeply into her lungs; she then held her breath for a few seconds before letting the smoke out. Once the people that were still somewhat alive had been brought outside the man went back across the street and started to talk. He said her name.. She turned her head a bit and eyed him. What the fuck did he know? Ruin herself? She almost laughed at that. Just to be ornery Ashley took another deep puff from the weed. Her nose wrinkled a bit as she blew the smoke out of her nostrils this time. “An outcast you say?” her head tipped to the side her face moist from the falling rain, her jeans nearly soaked all the way through. “You know you can’t really be an outcast if you have a group.” She declared continuing to smoke her blunt. “it means you’re not alone, if you were a real outcast.. you wouldn’t hang with no one. Because no one wants you.” She turned on her heels and started to walk back the way she came. “You can take your little outcast group and shove it up your ass.”

Ashley didn’t trust anyone, she didn’t have friends, she didn’t have family and she sure as hell wasn’t going to go with some random mutant that she didn’t know off to safety land. No fucking way. She’d rather take her chances by herself. Besides, he scolded her about smoking.. screw him, what did he know? He had no idea the affects it had on her.. and that the negative effects were never permanent.. in fact they usually wore off within the hour. Boy he probably would have really flipped a lid if he saw her shooting up with five different needles one right after the other.

Ashley didn’t want protection, she was stubborn and a little demented.. but who could blame her on that? She was just a child, a child who had her life completely turned upside down and ruined by some stupid government asshole. In truth she didn’t know much about the whole situation and she really didn’t care either. All she knew was that she was freak.

[Kings Anointed]

"Your choice and you're loss love. Just so you know for the record, you are what you are and you're hated for it that's what makes us outcasts. Whether we're in a group or alone we are still shunned by the majority." At that point Leo heard the fire engines arriving first, followed by the police on all sides of the fire engine, and then the ambulances behind the fire engine. “Better get out of here before anyone notices me...”

He dashed silently along sidewalk toward her, thrusting himself forward with invisible energy and with within seconds he picked her up off her feet as he came along side her. When Leo grabbed out at her with his left arm tucked her under his large black coat blunt and all. The bullet resistant over-coat is large like a cloak so concealing things and people within it is really quite easy. “Don’t say a damn thing.” Leo ordered her in a gruff whisper as he dashed off with her. To dash along the pavement so quick and silently, Leo was using the stored emotional energy to push him-self further with each stride. The smoke from her blunt came up his nostrils in slow trails of smoke giving him a slight taste of the herb. Once they were clear of the commotion and all the gawkers, Leo dropped her onto her feet and continued walking without a word as the rain fell harder almost blinding. Leo stopped looked around and brought his right hand up to his brow and scanned there are making sure there wasn’t anyone lying in wait to capture the young pariah or ambush him. “Here you go, the way you like it, you’re on your own kid. Don’t complain about me grabbing you either, if the cops would have seen you you’d have been stopped as a witness, they’d smelt the marijuana on you and busted your ass right there on the street.”

Leo spoke to her in an aggravated tone not facing her. “I’ll be watching you. I have my orders from my boss not to let anything happen to you. If you like it or not I don’t care. And don’t bother going to your junkie dealers either, they’re gone… Anyone approaching you to deal you drugs is more likely a government agent trying to capture you. Don’t go to your usual spots either, they’ve been compromised. I know all about you. I am your only hope of getting out of this city without a military escort…” Leo looked to her. He knew by her tone from earlier she was an unappreciative little brat angry at the world for her predicament. From her hidden emotions which she let no one know he also saw she was scared and lost inside. With that, Leo left her vanishing in to the monsoon. She’d hear a sound of heavy wings beating, but it was his rain covered coat flapping in the brisk wind as he ascended to the roof of an abandoned building which he broke in to escape the damned rain.

[paper_stars]

She didn’t have much of a chance to say anything in the first place as he came up behind her and hoisted her up. What was she going to do? Struggle and scream? Yeah..sure. Ashley just waited to be put back down and adjusted her jacket when he did let her go. However his constant scolding was becoming rather annoying and Ashley wasn’t going to listen to any of it. “Yah. Whatever DAD” she rolled her eyes and dropped the blunt to the ground and stepped on it. It’s not like she wasn’t caught by the cops before..it’s not like she hasn’t been around the block with the hassle of it all.. and in truth she could care less if she got caught or not.

He was wrong in one way though, Ashley was leaving behind the places she normally hung out, she was leaving behind her dealers and her gang bosses. She was gonna get the hell out of town and find somewhere else to be.

So unknown to him, she had a stash of drugs in her bag to last her long enough until she got to where she wanted to be.
She waited a moment as he disappeared and started walking again, leaving behind the building that had exploded. She could give a fuck if he was watching her or not, if he was sent to make sure nothing would happen to her.. that she thought was pretty damn funny. What could happen to her? She’d get shot? Ooooo soooo scary. Or maybe she’d get hit by a car… that’d be cool.

“What an ass.” She muttered to herself as she shoved her hands into the pocket of her pants, he was risking his life doing what his boss wanted for her.. well that’s really dumb. She’s nearly indestructible. She can be put on fire, ran over, shot in the head, shot in the heart, stabbed, poisoned, suffocated and on and on it goes. She always bounces back like a piece of blubber.

She figured, maybe she could go somewhere cold.. or how about even a foreign country. Maybe Australia or something like that.. yah… she’d just hitch a ride hahaha.

Ashley sighed lightly and continued on. However, being that this guy could feel..or rather feed of emotions. He’d defiantly be able to feel her turmoil, her pain and anger. She was an emotionally disturbed child, she was abandoned lost and broken, she had no one and she’s been used. That’s why she doesn’t trust anyone.

Ashley planned to head to san Francisco bay where all the cruise ships usually docked at. From there she planned to sneak on and just go away from here.

[Kings Anointed]

"Nice little dump isn't this?" Leo said rhetorically remarking on the abandoned building's plentiful size and spacious interior. He explored the dark rooms and used his energy to form a lantern like object before him. Leo used this as he walked so he'd not fall, run into, or step into anything that could potentially hurt him. One thing was for certain, he'd have to find a room with a bed or something to sleep there for the night, given the little sleeping he did get in per night. He'd much rather be in a penthouse somewhere but given his "hot" status given to him by the military he had to make do with what was available. If he could find a bed in this place he could bear it. As he walked through the halls of the building he'd watch rodents and other vermin scurry about. Their emotions feeding his energy also, which was good because he'd used a lot tonight and is still using it to make sure he didn't break his neck or something freak like that.

It was a funny thing being an empathic, he derives energy from the emotional output all beings, he sometimes also takes on those emotions. Whether they want to give it to you or not because everyone feels something and has emotions bottled up within. Even the so called, heart or "emotionless." Their emotion is one Leo detested most, it wasn't just one emotion but many things snowballed together either way it made did aid him at times of dire need because it always packed the bitterest and most powerful of punches. Leo truly felt sorry for Ashley but knew she was playing the "I've had a hard life, so fuck off I don't need anyone." card a bit thick. He could have played his life that way too, but he chose to rise above his adversity and was never too proud to ask someone for help. Nor was he ever too proud or too highly of himself or his time to offer help when he was capable. Finally Leo came to a room with a chair, night stand next to an unmade bed with nearly an inch thick layer of dust on it. It was clear no one had lived or slept in that bed for a long time. Hell, the top sheet was full of what looked like moth holes and badly deteriorated. The pillows stained in only God knows what, along with the mattress.

Leo leaned on the moth-eaten little single size bed and it wobbled unsteadily. Its legs soon gave out and the whole thing crashed to the ground, at his feet. A cloud of dust rose up quickly from under the fallen mattress. "Gahh Fuck!" Immediately Leo shut his eyes, cupped his right hand over his mouth and nose quickly to keep from inhaling the dust, and taking the edge of his coat and swept the rising dust away from the bed and him. Eventually, after a few minutes he opened his eyes to see that the air cleared enough for him to remove his hand from his nose and mouth. He continued waving his hand in front of his face though. "I suppose this'll do." Leo said to himself less than thrilled complete with a sigh and went over to the chair. Then, slowly removing his now dried large black over-coat, and revealing his mildly defined torso and biceps. His tight black net shirt clung to his upper body as if it were a second layer of skin when he stretched his tired arms and yawned. Saving those people and the brat druggie he was there to retrieve had taxed him more than he first realized.

Leo closed his eyes bringing his arms back down slowly relaxing them. Fortunately with his left hand was his massive over-coat, he then ran his hand into it clumsily, and began rummaging around within it. After a few aggravated moments he smiled with satisfaction, having found his half-empty pack of cigarettes and withdrew them from the pocket. Then habitually as looking at a naked woman, he smacked the pack against his shoulder, and stuck the pack back into his coat. Leo quickly drew one of the cancer causing cigarettes out of the pack and brought it to his lips. Finally, with his free index finger he lit the cancer stick with one spindly flame of energy.

"Mmmm that's one of life's little miracles, being able to smoke one's mind." He laughed taking a few puffs of his cigarette, Leo finally dropped the heavy black coat onto the chair. He pushed the smoke out through his mouth as he sighed when from his coat’s inner pocket fell out two cruise tickets. “Yeah… A cruise, fresh air, tourists, domo arugato, Mr. Nakatori…” Leo muttered taking in another inhale of smoke and picked up the two complementary tickets putting them back into his coat securely. From there he walked to the bed and threw off the moth eat en bedding and stained pillows, down on the dingy bed. He didn’t relax much, for whether he liked it or not, living beings constantly feel things and an empathic constantly draws on emotions with no shut off. Regardless, Leo did close his eyes once again to attempt to get a little sleep at least. Finishing the cigarette, he took it from his mouth and burned it up with a simple flame of energy.

[paper_stars]

Ashley had snuck her way past the gates of the docks were the cruise ship was docked in waiting for the morning when its bowls would be filled with tourists and a week’s worth of supplies. However at the moment everything was fairly much locked down and there was no way she’d be able to get inside until they started to load all of the cargo in the morning. So she found herself a nice little hiding spot nearby to wait for the morning and when the commotion would start. It would only be a few hours before the crew men would start to bustle about and start to prepare the ship.

But for now she would just wait. She removed her backpack and rummaged through it, she pulled out a capped needle filled with god knows what sort of liquid. She uncapped the needle, lightly pushed the end of the syringe to squirt out some of the liquid before she shoved the needle into her arm.

She injected herself with a highly dangerous and deadly drug, a drug that could possible kill a normal human being. Sadly, she wasn’t that lucky, but the drug sure did give her an extremely wonderful high and the high lasted for a couple hours. So… she couldn’t really complain.

When it did go through her system and its affects started almost instantly, her breathing slowed, her eyes closed and she leaned her head back. The docks lightly rocked with the soft shifting of the waters waves, an occasional bell would ring from the port of a boat and every so often there would be a flicker of light from the distant light house.

The hours would pass without incident, and the employees of the cruise ship would either emerge from the ship or arrive to the docks. The large supply truck with the food in its trailer would also arrive, and instantly like a bustling of worker ants the crew members would start to load the ship up.

Ashley woke with a light buzz from the drug she had taken earlier, the sounds of the truck and crew had woke her from her rather dull and dreamless sleep. She realized it was time for her to sneak on before the passengers would arrive.

So she abandoned her hiding place and made her way across the dock, it was utterly amazing how no one noticed her, and it was extremely easy to sneak into the ship when no one was looking. It was even easier to get further into the ship due to that most of the doors were open because there weren’t any passengers yet. So for the remaindered of that time she stayed hidden and out of everyones way.

[Kings Anointed]

The hours seemed to pass like an eternity for Leo and his sleepless tossing and turning on the dusty moth eaten mattress. He had visions of his friends, their near escapes and losses in battle. It was enough to drive one insane because of the shear lack of sleep Leo got coupled with all his other problems of emotional energy. Which rather he liked it or not was building up within him anyway as he tossed and turned trying to find some spot or position. In a moments notice he just floated up off the bed supported by his own energy so he was rising parallel to the mattress. This seemed to fit him perfectly, at least he wasn't laying on a dirty crappy uncomfortable mattress any longer. "Mmmm I'll have another Louis." Leo said in his broken R.EM. cycle of sleep. He'd been dreaming he was back at J. Nakatori's Chicago complex ordering another round of whiskey and he was indeed enjoying himself. In the dream Leo imagined sitting along side him were Sol, Mel, and Callie all drinking with him telling stories and what not." However, all this was interrupted abruptly when Leo's phone went off.

"Ahhh shit!" Leo was shaken by the noise and lost his concentration and reminiscent dream as he landed on the bed under him kicking up another large cloud of dust into the dingy room. "Damnit of all the times to fucking call someone!" Leo ranted as he scrambled for his ringing phone inside his coat. When he reached his coat he plunged his hand within it's pockets and snatching the object of his scorn and rage. "J. You sorry son of a bitch..." Leo answered with. "Don't you know what fucking time it is? " The kicked up dust was blown away when Leo's energy aura consumed his body as he filled with rage. "Good morning to you too Leo, nice to hear you are alive and not a mind slave of the U.S. Government. What's the Status on Ashley is she with you?" Sighing and powering back down Leo sat up on his butt on the edge of he mattress. "Not exactly. But she's not in the military's hands either. I suppose since I'm oh wide awake, bright eyed and fucking bushy tailed I may as well pick up my bags and head to the cruise ship. Since you so graciously hinted at by sticking them in my coat pocket with out my notice. I hate that crap and cruise ships. I know you want me to learn control over my emotions but a fucking cruise ship? Are you g-damn crazy? " Leo leaned back gently stretching softly and yawned which turned into a coughing fit.

"Haha, relax Leo, you'll be fine and you aught to quit smoking, not good for you my friend, we've known this for 100 years now." Leo grunted in reply "People die quicker if I don't smoke J, either that or I become a damned junkie like the kid..." Getting up to his feet Leo stretched again and cracked his neck side to side as J spoke again, "Speaking of the girl, how do you know the military doesn't have her?" At this point Leo became once more irate. "J, I swear to fucking goodness, if you ask me that again I'm gonna sink that damn ship. I know she's alright, I can feel this sort of crap." There was a long pause before either spoke again, Leo could tell dawn was beginning because there was sun light coming in through the cracks in the boarded windows on the street side. "Very well Leo if you say she's alright I trust you. Don't miss the boat and good luck my friend, Nakatori out." "I'll out your ass..." Leo growled after J hung up. With one motion Leo grabbed his coat onto him and secured that he had all he needed and nothing was left behind. "Well off to what promises to be an exciting fuckin day and week..."

Heading out of the abandoned building Leo took the rusted outer stair way off the side of the building. He quickly made his way down to the street and to Docks. His walk was brisk until he made it to the docks, he made sure he was early to avoid having to meet people. Good thing J. had facilitated things to where Leo's luggage was already shipped to the loading bay for transport. "Sir may I see your ticket?" A small man who was obviously in charge of boarding detail asked him Leo took his ticket out keeping the extra in his pocket. With that and a quick look at Leo's passport, a fake of course which read "Leon Dawson", he was let on. "Have a nice trip Mr. Dawson." Leo nodded to him and returned the courtesy, ""Thanks you too buddy." and boarded. From the ticket he found his room it was one of the top of the line suits. "Nice Mr. First class." Some passerby said complementing Leo then giving a discriminating eye because of how he was dressed. "Jealous?" Leo grinned before unlocking his door slipping in before they could reply.

[paper_stars]

Of course Ashley had no idea that her encounter with Leo would soon turn into a much longer endeavor. Who knew it was planned for him to end up on the same ship as her, but either way she didn’t care.. actually at the moment her stomach was rumbling, giving her the signal that she’s hungry. Ash has never really been on a cruise ship, but she knows that they have the best buffets ever and that their open twenty for hours. This ride would be an easy cruise, it’ll be jammed pack with people and she’ll be able to sneak around unnoticed and just pretend her rich snobby parents were either bar hoping below deck or enjoying the sun and pool.

Ashley looked like your typical spoiled, emo punk teenager; though she was a tad dirty the look could just be considered a style and go unnoticed by most, especially by people who have emo kids of their own. It’s all the rage now anyhow.

Ash paid no mind to the people as she explored the ship, finding her way to the floor that would have thee buffet. Most of the workers didn’t pay her any mind either.. since most of them barely spoke any English. As she noticed, the only people that spoke coherently enough were the people that stood behind the informational desks and the officers of the ship but you didn’t see too many of them around right now.

Most of them were at the doors waiting to check in the passengers as they boarded, so she was pretty much in the clear for now.

When she did find the restaurant there was only a few passengers enjoying their food and coffee, mainly just a small group of old folks gazing out the window and waiting for the ship to start its journey.

Ashley casually walked the line of counters that held a large assortment of breakfast foods. It ranged from eggs, bacon and hash browns to the more exotic sorts of breakfast meals. The best part about it, it’s all you can eat.

So she grabbed herself a plate, picked out bits and pieces of different things to start with. She even got herself a nice hot cup of coffee to drink while she enjoyed her breakfast. Once she was satisfied with the fullness of her plate she went and sat down by the window in a small corner where she could be somewhat hard to see.

[Kings Anointed]

When he closed the door of his room Leo checked his bags which were laying on the bed. Leo knocked them down off the bed and onto the floor and began going through them. He made sure all his gear was there and that he had plenty of smokes.

However, he looked up and in two places within his first class cabin was printed, "No smoking in cabins." He wrinkled his nose. "You gotta be shitting me..." He shrugged and muttered as he goes through the rest of his things. Then dusting himself off Leo took the cabin keys and his passes with him out heading to the galley. He locked the doors and headed down the hall. Everyone happened to give him a curious eye he smiled at them reveling in their curiosity of what he was, a gay? a goth, both, a powered freak or all at once." Leo was able to tell a lot by their expressions and he gave them nothing but hunches to go on to all their assumptions save for the one. He kept his powers to himself.

Leo made his way down to the twenty-four hour eating area he was indeed starving but was good at ignoring his hunger. What he wanted now was some bacon. Yes the artery clogging goodness, of pork fat, grilled and sizzling on the side of an egg, with biscuits and gravy. The thought of it made his lips salivate. Before entering Leo pulled back his long raven locks into a pony tail with a couple bangs hanging forward. Shook the dust off his coat and then pushed his way in through the swinging doors.

The inside was truly a grand spread, Sushi, BBQ, Thai, Chinese, and good ol' American cuisines. Leo made his way to the breakfast area and got inline. The smells filled his nostrils and he practically ate off the vapors coming from the various foods. "Mmmmmm delicious..." The meats like sausages, hams, even chicken dishes. The line moved up and Leo grabbed his plate and soon came his turn to put as much food as he could eat or more on his plate. However, Leo when his turn came, put ten crispy but chewy pieces of bacon onto the right side of his plate, two buttered biscuits layered with gravy, and heap of scrambled eggs in the middle.

Having finished filling his plate Leo quickly snapped up a glass of orange juice and headed off toward the outside deck to get some sunlight to enjoy his breakfast. It looked to be the best one all week. "Mmm I'm gonna enjoy this." Just then from the corner of his eye he saw little miss druggie. Leo had just started chowing on the bacon and slicing the gravy logged biscuits with his fork too, he kept on doing so knowing if he did anything too brash it would bring up unwanted attention and ruin the cruise for them both. Fortuitously, he knew she probably hadn't obtained entry onto this boat legally so that was his one ace over her considering he had one extra-ticket.

[paper_stars]

It seemed that she hadn’t seen him when he went out on deck to enjoy his meal. She was far too busy looking over the view. Home, as she came to know it from the first time she was brought into this earth it was nothing but hell to her; now she was going to leave it all behind. There was a bit of regret, though she didn’t understand why.. she had no family here, no one loved her and she sure as hell didn’t have any friends either. She wasn’t scared of leaving; maybe she could start things over… This ship was headed to Alaska. That’d be a good place to start, no one would know her…maybe she could find a family there. “who are you kidding, what family would want you?” she muttered to herself as she turned her eyes away from the view and started to eat her breakfast. She’s never had a real mother of father before, she wished she did and there were times at night when she was alone she would cry out for help. But no one ever came for her.

Ashley only took a couple bites of the food before she was full, perhaps it was because of her emotions she couldn’t eat.. or maybe even because she was so used to going days without eating that she couldn’t clear her plate. She shoved the plate away and stood from the table, her appetite gone.

She decided to go outside and stand at the railing of the deck so she could watch the take off of the ship. Still the man she had encountered before would go unnoticed even though he was in plain view, perhaps she just didn’t want to see him and so she didn’t. Ashley leaned against the railing and glanced down at the dock, the ship was nearly five feet away from the dock itself so she could see the waves lightly splashing up against the ship.

Most the people had been boarded by now and they started to remove the ramp from the ship and close all the doors; all the supplies have been loaded and the dock was being cleared besides the personnel that were supposed to be there. The huge ropes undone and the ship pulled up its massive anchor. The captain chimed onto the speaker to wish everyone a happy voyage as the engines jiggered on and the ship lightly vibrated as it started to move.

[Kings Anointed]

Enjoying his scrumptious breakfast of artery clogging goodness and orange juice as the morning sun peeked over the clouds burning away the last shreds of night, Leo overheard hob-nob snobs raveling in their latest matters of fortune and income or who they slept with. He always seemed to enjoy their gossip and tales of wild nights. However one conversation hit close to home for him for it was of last night's events at the club. "There was this tall goth man who saved everyone in there. The man is a hero but he used strange powers to save those people. So the police are probably looking to award him with a pair of linked bracelets and a one way trip to a military camp for his kind." Leo stifled a laugh as he heard that then grimaced knowing they couldn't be more right. "Yeah you're right Blanch those pariah people are hunted like animals yet they are doing us good so much good. Well some of them." Leo sighed to himself and finished eating his breakfast. He felt the boat shake as it shifted into gear and began departing from shore. "Oh how I just loooove boats..." He spoke under his breath.

Leo was guzzling down the last of his orange juice as he noticed Ashley moving back in doors and he waited a few minutes before taking his plate back in possibly for seconds but a server took his dirty plate and requested he take a clean plate and fill it instead if he was wanting more food. "Uhhh sure thanks babe." He chuckled and checked her out with his peripheral vision. "Nice ass ma'am." Leo thought to himself. Clearly he was having a "Solomon" moment. Leo did go for seconds but instead filled his plate with fruits such as sliced apple, red and green, sliced oranges, grapes, a banana, kiwi, and peaches. These were his favorite to eat and always have been even as a kid. He was still keeping an eye on Ashley and Leo sat down at an unoccupied sitting bar. Leo picked up piece after piece of fruit gently putting it to his mouth then eating it as though he had manners a few times then just devoured it at others until it was all gone. "Mmmm happy belly indeed you are." He other than the fact of being on "a workation" aka a working vacation was in a rather good mood. He got to hear second and third hand stories of his exploits from the previous night and not have to be ducking for cover from the cops.

[paper_stars]

The remarks the people spoke wouldn’t be the only thing they muttered under their breaths. Some of them, the ones she passed by to make her way up to the higher deck to watch the shop sail said things about her. “How can a mother allow their child to dress in such a horrid way?” “Where are her parents, that’s all we need children running around the ship unsupervised. That’s so annoying.” “She looks like she hasn’t showered in days, oh god you can even smell it. What neglectful parents she must have.” “I can’t believe these middle class children dress like that as a style. She looks like a drug addict.” “Her parents probably are. Ha. Ha.”

Ashley didn’t pay then even a glance, though she heard what they were saying and it indeed touched a nerve several times. Bastards. They deserved to have their tongues ripped out. They had no fucking idea what they were talking about, they think they know everything. Those assholes wouldn’t be able to last three minutes in her shoes. She walked to a bench that no one bothered to sit on, just a level above the buffet; she placed her backpack down and sat on her knees so she could look over the side. She wondered as she looked down at the dark water, the cool wind catching her hair as the ship picked up speed.

She wonder though.. if she jumped into that water and drowned would she really die? Or would she just sink deeper into the water and suffer an endless death. It was tempting.. to jump, to see what would happen. Sometimes she hated feeling that way, trying to find ways to suffer or die. She leaned against the back of the bench as she rested her chin against her arms.

Though she thought she was safe, that no one would suspect her of being a stow away.. it wouldn’t take long at all for people to start looking. News of a stowaway started to hit the air and the security was now on the lookout for a child. It really wasn’t unusually for them to find stowaways, bums mostly tried to sneak aboard due to how easily the food could be accessed.