From a young age… because of my size…
People always said I looked far too grown for my age.
So grown that they piled their ideals onto me.
Their expectations.
Their assumptions.
You have to be strong.
Life must be easy for you.
If something upset me and I was about to cry, people would stare — shocked, confused — like I was breaking some unspoken rule.
When I got angry, they looked at me like I was dangerous.
Like violence was the only thing someone my size could be capable of.
Why do I have to be this big?
We're not even a tall family.
Everyone's average height.
Yet somehow… I'm the odd one out.
From a young age, I had to lift the heaviest things — because I was the biggest.
Do the hardest labour — because I looked like I could.
When I told people I enjoyed cooking, they laughed it off.
You'd be a good fighter.
Don't waste a body like that.
Well then—
What good was this body…
When Mum and Dad died?
Gage's thoughts spiralled violently as his body fell, the world around him slowing — stretching — as if time itself hesitated.
His mind snapped back to that day.
To when he was much younger.
To the knock at the door.
Two men stood on the doorstep.
The Current Watchers.
Their presence oozed pressure — serious, heavy — nothing like the frightened boy standing before them.
Gage swallowed.
"Excuse me…?" he said quietly. "Mum and Dad aren't in."
"We know," they said.
The words caught Gage completely off guard.
"You… know?" Gage replied.
His heart dropped. The realization hit him all at once. His parents were thieves. And standing in front of him were the Current Watchers—the government's law enforcers.
Panic surged through his body.
Without thinking, Gage tried to slam the door shut.
The door exploded inward.
The Current Watchers booted it down, the impact sending Gage flying backward across the floor.
"Why did you react like that?" one of them said coldly. "Don't tell me your parents raised their children as thieves too?"
"WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" Gage shouted, forcing himself back to his feet. "MY MUM AND DAD RAISED US THE RIGHT WAY! THEY FED US, THEY LOOKED AFTER US!"
"Good," the Watcher replied calmly. "Then I'm hoping they didn't teach you to lie as well."
"What do you mean?" Gage asked, his voice shaking.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Their expressions went completely cold.
"Where is the weapon?"
"Weapon?" Gage echoed, utterly confused.
"So they did teach you how to lie," the Watcher said flatly.
"They're not liars!" Gage snapped. "And what weapon are you even talking about?!"
One of the Watchers stomped their foot hard against the floor, the loud bang echoing through the house.
Footsteps followed.
"Is that Mum and Dad?" his youngest sister called out sleepily from upstairs.
Gage froze.
Both he and the Watchers slowly looked up toward the ceiling. The Watchers exchanged smirks.
"Maybe we should ask her," one of them said.
They began moving toward the stairs.
Gage stepped in front of them, blocking their path.
"What are you doing?!" he yelled. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"You're lying," the Watcher said. "I know for a fact parents like yours train their kids to lie in moments like this. Especially when they're famous thieves."
"Famous?" Gage muttered.
"Jinx and Saint," the Watcher continued. "Two of the most wanted thieves there are. We just never knew what they looked like. Until tonight."
"Huh?" Gage's breath hitched. "They got caught?"
The Watchers' eyes widened.
"Ah-ha," one of them shouted. "So you are aware!"
Heavy footsteps rushed down the stairs.
Gage's siblings stood there, frightened and confused.
"What's going on, bro?" his younger brother asked, standing in front of his sisters protectively.
Gage turned to them.
For a split second, his face was twisted with stress and fear.
Then he smiled.
"Richy," Gage said softly, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder, "just for tonight… you're the man of the house."
His siblings stared at him.
"I'll be back."
Richy read the situation immediately. He looked at his little sisters, who were frozen in fear, then nodded to himself. Taking control, he stood firm as he watched his brother Gage being escorted outside.
Not long after, Gage was brought into the Current Watchers' headquarters.
The building was massive. Uniformed adults filled the halls, their presence overwhelming. Gage kept his head moving, eyes darting everywhere.
"How unlucky," one of them said coldly, "to have the blood of thieves running through your veins."
Gage gritted his teeth, anger boiling inside him.
"Tell me about it," another added mockingly. "Wouldn't you rather your parents be murderers than thieves? Everyone hates a thief."
"What?!" Gage snapped, turning his head. "You'd rather be raised by killers?!"
"You're damn right," the man replied without hesitation. "Taking something that isn't yours… the nerve. Do you know how hard people work for the things in their lives? Then thieves come along and take it all."
"That's why I always say the sentence for thieves should be increased."
"You idiots!" Gage shouted. "That's the same as murder! You're still taking another person's life!"
The two guards escorting Gage shot him deadly looks.
"Do you have any idea how much your parents took from us?" one of them growled. "From people who worked their whole lives. It never belonged to you. It never did. It was never yours."
His voice lowered, venom dripping from every word.
"You don't deserve to exist. You're a filthy abomination to this world."
Gage's body trembled.
He was terrified.
Tears burned at the corners of his eyes as he fought with everything he had not to cry.
"What did we do?" Gage muttered. "This much anger… this much hatred… just for stealing?"
They heard him.
"YES!" one of them snapped. "DO YOU KNOW HOW SERIOUS STEALING IS?!"
"And your parents didn't just steal weapons," another added. "They attempted to steal a Mafteahk."
"A Mafteahk?" Gage repeated.
"Hush. You speak too much."
"Tch… sorry," one of them scoffed. "Just thinking about it boils my blood. The nerve they had."
Weapons? A Mafteahk?What the hell is that? What are they talking about?
I thought the only weapons were our bodies… Chi-Lungs… Flexing…
The guards finally stopped.
Gage froze.
Ahead of him was a prison cell.
Inside it—his parents.
The moment they saw him, their eyes widened in horror as they rushed to the bars, chains rattling loudly.
"MUM! DAD!"
Gage broke.
The tears came flooding out as he ran forward, pressing his hands against the bars, trying to reach them.
His parents tried to embrace him through the iron, their shackles clinking as they moved.
That's when Gage noticed it.
The bruises.
The blood.
The way both of them struggled just to stand.
His head snapped toward the guards.
"YOU DID THIS TO MY PARENTS?!" he shouted, fury exploding across his face.
"It's okay, son," his father cut in quickly, forcing a calm smile. "We're still breathing. Still standing."
Then his father lifted his head and locked eyes with the guards, a devilish glare burning through them.
"You thought it was funny," he said coldly, "to bring my son here? To step foot in our home?"
"Gage!" his mother cried out suddenly. "Your brother and sisters—are they alone?! Who's looking after them?!"
"They're fine," Gage said quickly. "Richy's with them. He's the man of the house tonight."
At that, his father let out a breath he'd been holding. He smiled at Gage, pride filling his battered face.
"I'm so proud of you, son. You're going to be a fine man."