Chapter 4: Training
"Training?..." Killer said with wide eyes, clearly surprised. The others looked just as confused, wondering why we needed to start training. I don't blame them though, I mean, who thinks about training when you're not even ten yet? "I get what you're saying about needing to defend ourselves, this forsaken town is full of criminals and gangsters--no this whole country is…But, is training really going to help us fight against grown-ups?"
"Hey, little bro, you don't have to worry about getting bullied. If anyone ever tries to lay a hand on you, just let me know. I'll take care of them" Kid reassured, his fists clenching as he spoke. His protective nature was evident in his words, and he wanted to ensure that his twin brother felt safe and secure under his watchful eye.
In a serious tone, I looked at Kid and expressed my concern, "You're overestimating yourself, Kid. I'm the one worrying here. I don't want you to get hurt when I'm not around." After a brief pause, I continued, "Anyway, as you said, this town is plagued by criminals and gangsters, that's why we should be ready to confront them…If we ever have to"
As I pondered the situation, a realization struck me. As long as we are on the streets, it was only a matter of time before we caught their attention, even if by mistake and the consequences could be dire. Therefore, it was imperative that we become strong enough to defend ourselves should the need arise.
I grinned as I explained more "Merely training won't suffice. From this point forward, we will no longer evade bullies, we will actively seek them out. After all, there is no better way to become stronger than by facing off against opponents who are stronger than us."
"Kai, I really like you're thinking…faffafffa! This sounds great!" exclaimed Killer with an enthusiastic laugh. "Let's go ahead and do it!"
"Count me in!" exclaimed Heat as he sprang up from his seat, his excitement palpable.
"Count me in too! However, I'm curious, who will be responsible for training us?" inquired Wire with enthusiasm.
Kid, with an angry demeanor and crossed arms, declared, "Do whatever you want!"
"Of course, it's me," I replied nonchalantly to Wire, then turned to my brother with a smirk and said, "But more importantly, we have a little chicken here, boys!"
Kid's eyes narrowed with anger as they posed the question, "Who's the chicken, you bastard?!" his tone seething with contempt as he awaited a response.
With a smirk, I attempted to coax Kid into joining by using a playful trick, saying "You sound like a chicken to me."
Kid directed a piercing stare at me momentarily before making up his mind. "Fine, go ahead and show me this supposed training. I am confident that I will beat you in it," he boasted.
"I'm looking forward to that," I said with a smile, but our conversation was cut short by the sound of laughter. We both turned to see four older kids looking in our direction.
Amidst laughter, one of them commented on Killer's amusement, remarking, "Hahaha! Did you hear that brat laugh? It's hilarious!" Another chimed in agreement before turning their attention to Killer's appearance, noting his sharp eyes and unusual lips. However, their commentary abruptly halted when they noticed our disapproving gaze.
In a simmering rage, Kid seethed through gritted teeth, "Those bastards..." His hostile and angry gaze bore down upon them. I, too, felt incensed by their attitude and quickly rose to my feet, accompanied by Killer, Heat, and Wire who trailed behind us as we approached the perpetrators.
"Hoi, Kid…" I said, my gaze fixed steadily upon them.
"I know, we'll beat them up until they can't laugh anymore" Kid growled through clenched teeth.
"Hey, what's your deal, you little brats?" sneered one of them, looking down on us. But without waiting for a response, both Kid and I lunged forward with our fists tightly clenched and struck him hard in the stomach. The blow was so powerful that he immediately began vomiting, spewing out all the food he had eaten.
The exclamation "You little shits!" prompted the other children to stand up, casting hostile glances in our direction. Suddenly, a foot lashed out and struck one of them in the face, causing the kid to stumble backwards. It was Killer who had sent the blow.
"Hey, kids, don't cause any trouble in my place. Get out of here if you want to fight" Mrs. Sato's voice rang out with frustration as she addressed the group of children before her.
As a group, we stepped out and locked eyes with our opponents before launching into action. Kid, Killer, and I took on each one of them in one on one, while Heat and Wire worked together to take down the remaining one.
In a relatively short amount of time, we were able to overcome our opponents, although not without incurring a few injuries and bruises along the way. Nonetheless, we succeeded in intimidating the older children and driving them away.
"That's what you get for trying to pick on us!" Wire shouted at the children as they were retreating.
"Killer, rest assured that no one will mock you in our presence," I stated calmly, observing that Killer appeared somewhat wounded by the remarks made by those children.
"Yeah! Kai is right, I will beat up anyone who dares to do that!" Kid exclaimed, as he tightly clenched his fists.
Killer responded with an innocent smile, expressing gratitude, "I see...Thank you, guys."
Afterward, we departed from that section of the town and made our way towards an uninhabited location nearby.
…
As I watched Kid, and the others playing, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The world was a dangerous place, and even at the tender age of five, I knew that we needed to be able to protect ourselves. That's why I decided to take matters into my own hands and train my brother and our friends.
"Okay, listen up," I said, gathering the group around me. "We need to learn how to defend ourselves. The world out there is not a safe place, and we can't rely on others to protect us."
Kid and Killer exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of my sudden seriousness. Heat and Wire looked up at me expectantly, eager to learn.
"What do we need to do?" Wire asked.
"First, we need to learn how to fight," I replied. "I'm going to teach you some basic moves that will help you fend off attackers."
We spent the next few hours practicing punches, kicks, and dodges. I taught them how to aim for weak spots and how to use their body weight to their advantage.
As the sun began to set, we took a break and sat down to catch our breath. All of us were sweating profusely, but we had a look of determination on our faces.
"Huff…Huff…You guys did really well," I said, proud of their progress. "But we need to keep practicing if we want to be able to defend ourselves."
"This---Don't tell me we're going to do this everyday?...Huff…" Killer gasped out between heavy breaths.
"Huff…You sure this going to help us? Or do you just want to torture us?" Kid gasped as he lay beside me, his breathing labored "If this doesn't work, we'll do it my way, do you hear me?!".
"It will trust me, Kiddo…" I spoke in a nonchalant tone, as I gazed up at the sky.
"Don't give me weird nicknames"
I couldn't resist a smirk as I playfully teased him, "You know what, kiddo? This nickname really suits you."
"No, it doesn't, stop calling me that!" Kid exclaimed in annoyance.
"I won't"
"Yes, you will!"
Killer chuckled in amusement as he watched the twins' interaction and exclaimed, "Faffaffa! You guys are hilarious! I never imagined that twins wouldn't get along!"
"Shut up Killer…"
…
…
…
Upon completing their training, the Eustass twins bid farewell to Killer and the rest of their friends. They proceeded to head back to the orphanage as the daylight was dwindling.
Upon their arrival, the boys lingered in the yard for a brief period until the orphanage director, Mrs. Jenkins, beckoned them to follow her inside. "Come with me for a moment" she called out before turning around and making her way indoors.
Kid furrowed his brow inquisitively as he turned to his sibling and posed the question, "what is happening?"
"I'm not sure," Kai replied calmly, sensing that something was amiss. They trailed behind her into her office, where she sat behind her desk with a stern expression etched on her face.
"Boys, I'm afraid I have some bad news," she said. "The orphanage is closing down."
"What does that mean?" Kai asked, his red eyes wide with confusion.
"It means that we can't afford to take care of all of you anymore," Mrs. Jenkins explained. "We have to find new homes for all of you."
Kid looked up at her in shock. "But this is our home," he said. "Where will we go?"
"We'll do our best to find you new homes," Mrs. Jenkins promised. "But in the meantime, we need you to pack your things. You'll be leaving tomorrow."
Kid and Kai trudged wearily back to their room, their emotions in turmoil as if their world had been completely upended. However, Kai had anticipated such a turn of events at some point, and was not completely taken aback. Sitting on their respective beds, they surveyed the familiar surroundings of the room that they had shared for so long.
"Damn it! They're just going to kick us out like this!" Kid exclaimed, his frustration palpable. As his anger dissipated, he turned to his brother Kai and asked, his voice trembling with anxiety, "What are we going to do now?"
Kai's voice was tinged with anger as he spoke, "Living on the streets isn't a choice we wanted to make, but it's our reality now." Despite the bleak circumstances, Kai remained optimistic, suggesting, "Anyway, we could find Killer, Heat and Wire and stick with them…It's our best chance for survival"
"What about what she said?...about finding us a new home?" Kid asked.
"That's clearly some bullshit, even if that's true it wouldn't be any better than this one…This country is simply a mess" Kai expressed disbelief, dismissing the notion as utter nonsense. Even if it were true, it wouldn't offer any improvement over the current situation.
The two of them spent the rest of the night packing their few belongings into small backpacks. They didn't have much, just a few changes of clothes and some toys of Kid that he made from scrap metal.
"Let's leave early in the morning"
"Okay…"
…
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Five years Later…
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone