i'll protect you .

This is designed as a prequel. It's from back when Vanessa was still with her old crew. I would've written her a journal for it, but I think it'd be better that you don't see everything from her perspective. I also wanted to hop on the bandwagon of everyone writing down fanfic stuff. Just because I wanted to. I may delete it. I just want to have something exciting for Nessa besides her adorable-ness.

" i'll protect you . "
p a r t o n e

The wind howled.

Even in the city, the buildings couldn't simply block it out. It tore through jackets ruthlessly and chilled pedestrians to the bone. There was no snow yet, but everybody could feel it in the air, all around them. There was no protection against the harsh air outside, and it forced many shoppers back into their homes or nearby stores. After all, it was the holiday season, and many were in a rush to get everything purchased in time. Those who were so greedy as to get the best buys were being punished, but what was her excuse? She obviously wasn't buying anything. She didn't look old enough to hold a job, yet alone have money for anything. She didn't seem like she was with any of the countless families that shuffled past in their vain attempts to rid themselves of the frigid December environment.

Amid this freezing industrial wonderland, she was lost.

And she looked a mess.

She pulled the fleece jacket in closer to her body, hoping it would warm her further than the three shirts she wore under it would. The knees to her skinny jeans were torn, revealing simply bare flesh below the clinging, dirty denim. Dark waves hung in a knotted mess past her shoulders, constantly at odds with the wind. Her gloves were splattered with mud. Her nose was red from overexposure to the cold, and her hands shook slightly as she shielded her eyes from the wind for a moment. Cracked, chapped lips were red with harsh temperatures. She was a frail little thing, and the confusion was evident in her eyes as she ducked into an alleyway, praying for more defense against the early winter.

It was there that she remained as the light leeched from the sky, and the darkness set in. While it wasn't as windy at night, the temperature dropped significantly. She found herself hugging her knees to her chest, attempting to keep the heat from her body in. Her face buried into her knees. She tried to stay still and take her mind off of the chill, but it was impossible. Every moment that she drifted off to sleep, she was abruptly awoken by nearby movement. It was a dangerous place to stay at that time, especially for one like her, but she tried to keep the worry at bay. There was no need for panic, not after she had come all this way. Home was miles away, and had promised her family that she could survive on her own.

It had been a mistake, she knew this, but she needed to find people like her.

She had been in this city for two months now, living off of whatever she could get. It was amazing how little she had been noticed, but she figured the police force was side-tracked with larger crimes and those superhero groups that were going around. She had managed to blend into the background in several places, almost invisible, despite the challenges the world threw at her. She was young, yes, but she could put up against the minor details. She had a jacket, what difference did the cold make? She could find food when she needed it, why should she pay attention to the gnawing feeling? It was not a pleasant life, she admitted, but it didn't need to be. She had hoped it would only be temporary.

That night, however, was the end to the homeless blur.

The temporary part of her life was coming to a close.

She was woken after only eight more minutes, her mind slow and disoriented. She blinked a few times, eyes barely opened, before her eyes began to focus on the figure who crouched before her. It was human, a boy, probably in his late teenage years. He looked scruffy, like he had braved the worse sections of town, and lived to tell the tale. Eyes still almost shut, she slowly realized that the boy had a hand placed on her forehead. He was smiling faintly as he glanced over his shoulder and called out.

"Hey, guys, this one's alive! Get over here!"

By the time that she realized that there were others in the alleyway, they had surrounded her. There were four in all. The tousled boy who had found her. A girl who looked like she could have easily won in a fight. A girl with long braids. A boy with long hair, who was quite a bit taller than the rest of the teenagers. If they introduced themselves, she was too tired to notice. They talked among themselves for a while longer, but she couldn't comprehend what the conversation was about. After a while, the tall boy bent down and scooped her into his arms as though she weighed nothing. He turned and began to walk off, still talking to the others, but she still couldn't understand what he was saying.

Within seconds, she was out cold yet again.

She woke with the group still moving, but they were no longer simply walking. They were now in some sort of van, a taxi, perhaps. The tall boy was visible in the passenger seat, the two girls were in the middle row in front of her. The only one who remained next to her was the boy she had awoken to find. Despite the fact that he wasn't as tall as the other boy, and didn't look as tough as one of the girls, he still seemed to be in charge of the entire group. Snatches of conversation always involved him, but she was too exhausted to really pay any attention to what they were talking about. Once more, her eyes fluttered open and she peered groggily about her surroundings.

The boy noticed, and smiled.

"I'm Tommy," he said after a moment, his voice soft. She had a feeling that he was the type to shake somebody's hand, but in her state, she couldn't muster the strength to move. It was as if every obstacle had suddenly come back to work against her. She could barely find the strength to muster a faint smile to her face, and speak in return. Her words were loosely formed, faint, and obvious took quite an amount of effort to string together.

"I'm Vanessa. Are you a friend? Or will you do harm?"

The boy smiled once more in return.

"Yes, Vanessa. I'm a friend."

Her eyes closed once more and she began to drift back into a slumber. For the first time in a long time, she felt warm. She felt comfortable. There was something oddly reassuring about the strange group of teenagers she was with, something beyond sleep deprivation and hunger. Her head began to slip to the nearest surface, the shoulder of the boy named Tommy. Her breathing slowed and her mind began to fade into darkness. As she fell asleep, she heard the boy say something more.

"I'll protect you."

" i'll protect you . "
p a r t t w o

"Nessa, get up, I've got something I want to show you-!"

He sounded like an over-excited child, which was unusual for someone at his age and in his position. His tone was cheerful, and slightly loud. He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for her to react to his words. She was sprawled on a large couch, the cushions coming apart, as if asleep. However, it was obvious when she smiled and crinkled her nose that she had not been dozing off. He paid no mind, grabbing her hand and trying to pull her up into a sitting position as he frantically tried to contain his energy. The boy continued to speak, despite the fact that she wasn't talking back to him. He shook her hand slightly, making sure not to do any damage with his strength, and impatiently waited. "Come on, come on, get up, you lazy! It's important, Nessa!"

"Alright, alright. I'm up, you silly goose," she finally responded, giggling as she forced herself up and sent her legs around so her socked feet touched the floor. She opened her eyes and peered at him, her eyes adjusting in the dim lighting of the large room. She had only been here for two months, in this strange sort of safe-house, and she had already become close to the boy who had found her in the alleyway. It was Tommy who stood there, brimming with enthusiasm, which was quite out of character of the quiet, proud leader. He looked like a character with his shaggy mane even more messy than normal, the rings under his eyes darker than normal from lack of sleep. His tee-shirt was torn and stained, as were his jeans, but he still seemed to remain bright and cheery.

"You have to be quiet, though. Really quiet." Despite the fact that he was grinning and he still looked years younger than he was, there was something completely serious about his voice. He continued to hold her hand, staring as if including her in some sort of hidden pact. He bit his lip for a moment, before grinning once more. She was amazed at how unlike him he was acting, but she had to admit it was amusing. "You can't wake anybody else up. No one. Zero. Promise?"

She rolled her eyes. What was his problem? The sun hadn't even come up and he was already geared up for the day and more energetic than he should have been. "I promise." For a moment, they seemed like elementary school children, instead of teenagers. She rocked back slightly, shifting to place her hands in her lap. She looked up at Tommy, smiling. Her voice dipped down to a whisper in an exaggerated attempt to follow his orders. She held up a hand in a sort of scout's honor way. "I solemnly swear I won't be loud, Tommy."

"Good."

He pulled her up effortlessly, trying his hardest to gently tug her along without using much of the strength he possessed. Even though she was determined, she was still a frail little thing. He didn't understand how. She ate more than most of the kids who stayed there. She did very little physical activity. She could tolerate the cold like a wood frog. She could stand going without sleep like she had coffee running through her veins. And yet, she still didn't stand a chance against anybody in an arm-wrestling contest. He didn't want to crush her hand as he wove his way between cots and sleeping bags, dodging sleeping teenagers this way and that, and through the labyrinth of the safe haven.

Soon, however, he stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. The boy turned to her, looking like that mix between serious and childish once more. He relinquished his grip on her hand and crossed his arms, attempting to be stern through his excitement. "Close your eyes or I won't show you." The girl sighed before laughing. She placed a delicate hand over her eyes. "How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked. He held up three, she said two. He held up one, she said four. Once he had confirmed that she wasn't looking, he disappeared into the small storage room he had left her outside of.

"Okay, you can open them."

He dropped something small into the hand that wasn't covering her face, the metal cool to the touch. She paused a moment before her eyes flew open and her other hand fell to her side. She gasped. "Oh, Thomas, it's so pretty!" A bracelet, it certainly wasn't long enough to be a necklace, and had a very distinct jewelry look to it. It was a small silver braid, different glass beads along the length of it and weaved through different strands. She instantly looked over it to see every different color, from corals to lavenders. It was a charming little trinket, and there was certainly no way that it could have been cheap. She seemed excited, but there was something hesitant about it. She still was unsure why he was showing it to her.

Her answer came as his cheeks blazed red. He glanced down at the ground, his excitement suddenly capped as he shied away. "It's for you, Nessa. I want you to have it." He continued to look down, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, a pair of small arms pulled him into an embrace. A smile burst onto his face as he hugged her back.

The scene was picture-perfect until she finally asked the question.

"Tommy, where did you get this?" Her tone was serious, and she backed away from him slightly. Her head tilted to one side as she waited an answer, hoping that it wasn't what she thought it would be. Once more, there was no way the bracelet could have been cheap. Her smile faded significantly as he spoke. It had been stolen. There was no surprise there, it just wasn't an answer she wanted to hear. She didn't hesitate with her next sentence, cutting off his explanation. "I want you to take it back. You can't just steal things and give them to people, even if you want to. It's not right..."

"Nessa, we steal things all the time..."

He didn't finish the sentence, realizing the emotion she was projecting.

"I'm sorry. I'll take it back. Today. Right now, before everyone wakes up."

He slowly took the bracelet back and slid it into the pocket of his jeans. He wrapped his arms around the girl once more. She smiled faintly as she hugged him back. The remained still for several more moments, him forcing himself to pay attention to his strength and not to crush her, her hoping he would stick to his word. Another few moments, and he slowly began to pull away.

"I won't hurt you, I promise."

" i'll protect you . "
p a r t t h r e e

She never considered them criminals.

Just like she never considered them children, even though they all were.

For the first point, they never really did anything major. Every offence was a misdemeanor: petty theft, vandalism, trespassing, truancy. It wasn't as bad as murder. They didn't run around killing off citizens or waving guns above their heads. Had they gotten caught and put on trial, the worst of them wouldn't get much. They would probably be sent to a juvenile correction facility for a bit, before being taken back to their parents. She was certain the youngest of the bunch, who didn't really do anything, could probably have gotten away with just writing a letter of apology. They had fixed up the abandoned building they now called home, and it didn't look a mess anymore. Surely there was nothing wrong with that if it improved home values for the surrounding area.

As for the second, it was more difficult to explain. Sure, none of them were over the age of eighteen, but they were a family. Tommy was in charge of everything, like a father or elder brother in terms of the hierarchy. He was the one who decided what to do next. He came up with excuses when the youngest children missed the classes they were taking at a local charity service. He was the one who pursuaded the women at the center that they needed more food stamps. He always came to the rescue, and never fell through on his word. Everybody looked out for themselves, but also each other. When a new teenager came to the group, they were allowed to stay for two weeks before given the option to remain or leave. Even if they chose to leave, she noticed, they were allowed to come back at any time.

It was a dysfunctional family, sure, but it was a family.

However, something came with that family that she hadn't been expecting within that first few weeks. It was almost like a sort of family business. The oldest of the group would be contacted by anonymous sources and recruited to help with various things. As stated, they weren't illegal activities, and if they were, it wasn't anything major. They would arrange transportation and some form of payment, and the family would go out to do what they were hired to do. It was often busywork in which only a few people could help. They often were hired to lift crates onto cargo ships. Sometimes, it was as a bodyguard when a CEO was visiting. They were even hired once because some rich man's daughter needed an escort while she was passing through. With the group growing, there was always some way they could contribute and recieve payment. They never really questioned the missions, as they called them, as it brought some form of income in and provided a way for the family to remain afloat.

She was surprised when she was invited in to the most recent meeting. She had been with the group for close to a year by this point, but it still seemed strange. She knew that she had established herself in the family as a position of power, and a maternal figure for the youngest of the clan. Still, she wasn't a real leader. She wasn’t like Tommy, no matter how close they were. The thought of her being some sort of leader was nerve-wracking, and frightened her. Nor was she some sort of all-powerful member. Her abilities could come in handy, but not for very many practical uses. Alas, it was never good to deny the invitation, so she had followed them as they went to meet with their most recent employer.

The mission seemed simple, really. Several shipments of cargo would be landing in Jump City. A select team of Supers would go through and make sure the shipments arrived, then make sure they were loaded into the correct spaces. It was at night, yes, but that wasn’t a problem. Tommy had said so, gesturing to the lilac-eyed boy who was seated next to him. There shouldn't have been any sort of attack on the cargo, they were assured, it was treated with the utmost secrecy. The girl seated on the other side of Tommy than the boy with purple eyes could have easily probed the man's mind to figure out what it was, but a single glance from the leader told her not to. In fact, she could have also seen if the man was lying about attacks, but she knew better than to disobey orders. Still, the man in charge ensured them that they would have quite a handsome reward.

A handsome reward?

She found it a very strange descriptor for money.

Upon leaving, the small assembly remained silent until they had packed themselves into a taxi-like van and given the driver instructions. He would have been paid more to make sure that none of the conversation left his mouth, but the boy in the passenger seat was prepared to wipe the man's memories. As soon as the doors were shut, conversation broke out. Who was that man? He had never introduced himself. What was being shipped? Not even the girl who could read minds could answer. It was exciting; there was an air of mystery that previous jobs as hired help had never acquired. Nobody was going to be able to keep the strange meeting from the younger members of the family. It was easily predicted that within half an hour of their return, the entire area would be buzzing with adrenaline, despite the fact that only eight of them would be on the mission.

She frowned slightly, her brow creasing as she tried to keep her mind focused on the energy of the van's occupants. He noticed, and shifted closer in the seat to her. "What's wrong, Nessa?" She hadn't spoken a word since before the meeting, and it was obvious that she was rather unnerved about it. He had easily been able to pick up on the mood; after all, she was the happy one. She very rarely frowned, and when she did, it was only temporary. The van turned a bend before she tore her gaze from the window and to his face. He seemed cheerful, like the rest of the teenagers, but there was something hesitant about his smile. It wasn't the same as her discomfort, but it was still evident. He didn't like to see her upset, especially not when she was one of the few who was actually helpful around the house.

"It worries me," she replied. Unlike her peers, she didn't appear happy. Her words reflected her anxiety about the situation. Maybe it was the fact that she had never been one of the communicators before? Maybe it was the fact that the man never revealed his identity? She vaguely wondered why Tommy hadn't allowed the mind-reader to use her abilities. After all, wouldn't that have made it easier to understand what exactly this mission encompassed? Perhaps it was security, he didn't want to have to explain knowing too much. Or perhaps it was the fact that it gave the mission more of an identity that could have gotten in the way of the procedure.

"I know it seems bad. I don't really like this idea, either." He smiled once more, his voice soft, as usual. He slipped his hand around one of hers, catching her gaze. She had always been the cautious one of the bunch, he realized, but this was different. She wasn't fretting over the next meal everyone could eat. Her fear was written all over her face. "It will be okay, I swear. Nothing is going to go wrong with this, so don’t worry about it, okay?"

She nodded, slowly.

He made yet another promise, like he had so many times before.

Like he would so many times in the future.

"If anything does go wrong, I'll protect you. I won't hurt you, Nessa."