NotSoHero

“FINN!!! Where is that stray little genius jerking off once again. Hey guys, did anyone see him around? Is he still drooling taking care of the merchandise? Like he usually does?” 

“No, it’s more likely that he is stuffed with the princess again. Nowadays, he spends his free time around here, well, I can understand, she’s quite a cutie, and near his age for once. For him, who’s always crazy about girls like he was two times older. He must have taken a liking to her.”

“Is he? Good, at least he works diligently and maybe she can teach him a thing or two about a woman's heart, he is still a complete virgin despite his behavior. Hey, don’t you think it’s time to let him graduate? We should offer him some good time with one of the slaves. He may be a slacker as soon as he has free time, but he always does his job properly, unlike some of us.”

“Let him have a broken doll as his first? Do you want to make him a complete S? No thanks. Same for prostitutes or experienced girls, that would be a poisoned gift. No! A proper man should be in full control, and learn how to. At least, wait to find someone like the miss, a virgin with not that  great of a value, and offer her to him.” 

“As if, it would be a waste to kidnap someone just for this reason and there is no way the guys would let him pass first anyway. What about Anabelle? She is used to it but not worn or inexpressive, she still had a fresh and suave taste despite already having a daughter, and what’s more, she kept her reticence and shyness. It’s just like she had never done it yet.”

Laugh “I don’t think so, she acts like this because one of us is the father, and she knows we will be inclined to treat her kindly if she does so. She will eat him raw, and Finn will be traumatized.  You might as well ask Caty, I’m sure behind her cold personality, she has a thing for little boys.”

“Yes, I agree, but It wouldn't surprise me if she was a true virgin slayer. We go in circles, and do you realllly want to ask her if she’s in? Remember the last time someone touched her, he had his hand chopped off. Do you want to lose your tongue? No, better let him participate in our next training session. That could even be our little miss, if we finally choose to use her. Moreover, he will learn the need to share doing so and toughen up a little.”

“You’re the worst, sure, that could do the thing, but he will hold a grudge against you if you broke her too hard. By the way, any chance that he will make a move on her beforehand? That would be against his purpose.”

“Him? Doing something to her of his own volition? Not gonna happen, he is a clever boy, if not the smartest around there, he won’t, as he won’t betray us, he already loves girls and money too much to live a normal life and he’s too fearful. He would do nothing that could put him in danger. Anyway, PUPPY!!”

“Besides, it's unrelated but, where is Caty? I haven't seen her all day.”

“Dunno man, maybe she found a clue about what she’s looking for.”

...

I’m Finn, an apprentice robber, ex-guinea pig and would-be gangster. A bad boy in soul. I’m the only teenager around, still quite young. A lonely puppy, in the middle of a wolf pack… Well, I should be. I’m quite quick-witted and rather intelligent. In earnest, I know a lot of useful stuff.  So my recruitment in the band went smoothly. 

“What could a kid possibly do for us? Too bad for you but no one of us is into children, even less a boy.” 

“I know a lot of stuff, you kidnap people, steal and resell to make a living, no? Well, I can do the accounting and help manage your inventory, along with some labor.” “What’s more, I have some medical knowledge. I can look after the girls' bodies, who I’m sure, aren't left behind. And provide you some medicine and injury care.”

 “And why are you, little genius as you are supposedly, living in the street, without even a piece of hard bread to eat. Asking to join us? How so? How can you not be a fake?”

“Have you ever tried to sell yourself, as a former slave who was left behind after his masters’ deaths? A chimera resulting from some prohibited and banned experience on his mother, whose identity is still unknown and is likely dead? And who’s wanted on top of all? That’s a lot harder than you can imagine.”

“Wait! A chimer? Are you…” 

“Yup, I am from that place. The whole knight corp raided it two days ago and a public announcement has been made. You should’ve heard, they were making research on the mind and stuff, I’m one of the things they created. Still doubting? Take me on trial, I won't disappoint you.” 

“You’re my last hope, I can’t go to neither the guard, nor the officials. The emperor’s forces burned the place to the ground and neatly erased all traces. Furthermore as it was a joint action with the Church I can’t go to any orphanage anymore... I’m hungry, tired, and if I’m found, I’m worse than dead anyway. So why shouldn’t I just become a criminal? That is better and safer than a street boy who will eventually meet the same end if he didn’t die before.”

End of the interview. 

In summary, I’m just a nobody, with no history, who just happened to know a thing or two, and took the easy path. In two words, I’m reliable…

I’m totally not an improper ex-genius, who couldn’t nurture his gift right due to the environment, and learned the wrong things. 

I’m not just some lost case, perverted to the bone. They think I’m still a virgin lol! I was initiated to sex shortly after entering the band, and practiced it regularly since I got there.

I keep hiding the fact, and wipe out the evidence. But I do it often, every then and now.

 I never was an innocent one, my old life taught me a lot, without differentiating good from bad. I was already accustomed to seeing my fellow, being used like objects. I had already seen and heard everything that was possible. Yet I was myself still free from stains.

 But when I was accepted and added to their gathering of criminals, I was given different works and responsibility in accordance with my skills. 

One was, to take care of the merchandise as they like to call their victims, perhaps to reassure themself that they are not human beings anymore. 

I had to make sure no one was sick, monitoring their state, taking action in case of pregnancy from early stage, managing their well being until they were sold. Medical knowledge was not my best, but it was vastly superior to what we could find nearby, it was more than enough.

Nothing surprising, then, if I, who was in constant contact with despair from birth, and switched from a victim to being a culprit. I, who had the appearance of an innocent child and to whom was given the task of maintaining their value by any means, keeping them in condition, up to their sanity. 

Nothing could be more normal, that I ended up self-interested in the object of all desires.

On the other hand, some girls approved of my diligent work, and started to see in me more than one of their wrongdoers, but an attendant or even a fellow victim. 

Some were permanent residents, slaves, or future ones the guys kept for themselves.  Eventually,  they learned about me, about my past, with just the right amount of detail to make assumptions. They had pity on me and took me for one of their own, the idea spread, and it didn't take long for the others to accept my presence easily as well, then my kindness. 

In return, I comforted them as much as I could, I attended to their every need, taking care of their pain and soreness. I shared what I could to reduce their burden, listening to their fear, their complaints. And while remaining silent to what I was unable to change, I always made sure to support them at the utmost of my capacity.

 Paying extra attention to them after a particularly hard time, or after their first one. Soothing them after an abortion, after their kidnapping, … or before their selling. 

I even helped by providing pain killers, muscle relaxing, and hard drugs. Mixture I made with what I could find in the nearby forest, or while visiting the city. Those were used by them to get through difficult times. 

For whichever was at the end of the rope and didn’t have any will to live anymore, I provided the few of them with poison to let them depart in peace without pain. 

I was a ray of light in their life, I had a soft touch, whereas others treated them brutally, my concerns were all well founded and my esteemed listening didn’t stay indifferent. I truly made more than I could to make their life even just a little more bearable.

Be cared by someone, and you will inevitably do the same in return. Applied to the task as I was, It didn’t take long before one suggested a stress relief act for both of us. To thank me, and to help her forget. 

Something I could have refused, if it was an isolated proposal… But as It was not the first time girls had made a move on me. I couldn’t discard their sincere feelings, and we had a rather good moment together in oblivion. 

But there again, the word spread, suggestions, or else requests, began to rain. At some point, some asked me to take their virginity beforehand, as It made them feel like they were in control for a last time, or as an act of rebellion. I was the one who was in charge to report about their V-marks condition, I could afford it.  

Since then, away from the gaze of other men, but as an established fact to all of the girls, I offered this service to anyone asking for it. 

All of this was permitted and advantaged by external factors, such as, when, seeing their finances soaring to the sky due to my diligent work, the band resolved itself to take into account my opinions much more seriously. 

Or when, seeing how the girls were less tense and reluctant to sleep with the men, or accepted more quickly and easily their doomed situation without making a fuss, they let me be in full charge of them.

 Well, better girls, in better physical and mental state, means better looks, better disposition and temper,  means even better in bed, even better sales. 

Over the years, we got pretty rich and they went from a trivial and unknown local group, to an even less known, just as simple, band. But they expanded their activities and manpower, they went from local to regional, nay, national presence, and their underground status and acknowledgment went up.

 I gave them opinions when needed, for difficult work, for difficult sales, on what’s dangerous and could be a trap, or on what’s promising. 

Of course, I never participated nor helped on their actual deed. All I managed was the aftermath. I was not devoid of conscience, and point blank refused to help them for anything upstream. In exchange, I got them to agree on the use of non-lethal drugs on the girl, to help them, and even made them allocate a budget for it along with other things to keep them in always better condition, better food, better sleeping, nothing extravagant or fancy, but still appreciated.

Everything lasted for years, from my early childhood to my early teenage moment. Until they kidnapped someone they couldn’t afford. Until they made a mistake and got their hand and something they couldn’t manage. 

A noble girl, a young teen, apparently of very, very high status, which they didn’t have any knowledge of.

Well they eventually learn about it afterward. But it was too late, and at their own expense, when multiple cities went into an uproar, when the guard, then the army was dispatched to look after her.  People hadn't seen anything like it since the raid of the magic lab. 

The culprit took several days to bring her back to the base using drugs, my only mistake by the way, as they diverted it for their own end.

Himself was not aware of it at all, and that’s only upon his arrival, that we all learned of the situation. They then proceeded to throw the princess in a single cell, concealing her from the sight of the other girls.

 Soon after, they started to argue among themselves, well, those who were present at least, the topic? The procedure to follow. Some wanted to make her disappear and erase every trace of evidence without delay, even disposing of the kidnapper, some wanted to take advantage of her and use her body in the long term, making her a permanent slave, as she was promising and already had ‘great assets’. Others wanted either to ransom her generously, or to search for a potential interested rich private buyer.

It’s only on the next day, still not agreeing on what to do,  that they called for me and let me know. Asking me to take care of her after my duty. They did ask for my opinion tho, but it had not much weight in the balance, not when their life was at risk. 

I advised them to let her go, she was drugged all the time and didn’t see anyone's face, or even our current lair’s location, moreover, nothing had been done to her. It was better to drug her again, then drop her where she was kidnapped.

 Higher up tends to let things flow when immediate danger is dismissed. And criminals who respected noble blood, were criminals that could be tolerated, or be useful, so goes the world. 

But it was denied by the majority who wanted to make a profit… or simply lusted after her. Well, I could understand, from all the girls I had seen so far, she was the most beautiful one,  she had perfect skin, body ratio, and a really cute face. Although still quite childish,  she was sadly old enough and quite developed in certain areas, so that it didn’t bother the men, and did not spare her from their lust. 

Anyway, when I saw her, in her hopeless condition, left alone yet coveted by all.  I made a promise to myself, a promise to my soul. I wouldn’t let them dispose of her as they intended. I would save this girl, I would do what I couldn't do for all the one I let slip by. 

My subconscious had discarded the sad tomorrow and tragique future since forever, and even there I couldn’t help myself from worries and regrets. But a murder? Or a life-long destiny of despair next to me, when she was not even older than myself? 

There was something in her that, unlike other girls, finally made me face reality, and prevented me from ignoring it any longer as I had previously done. That wasn’t love or lust, or anything close to it. Her smooth and immaculate skin was not even noticeable, as she was absolutely dirty and in pitiful condition. 

Maybe it was her face, completely devoid of any trace of incomprehension. Despite her appearance and what had happened, she understood the situation clearly without needing any explanation.

 Or her total lack of distrust towards me and my words. Or even perhaps simply her will, the way she accepted my touch, my gazes, forcing herself to suppress her reflexes to the bare minimum that her body was willing to accept. Only shaking slightly where others would’ve cried while trembling with fear.  

In anycase, leaving her to fate wasn’t something I could let happen. I had grown enough, the time I gave myself to be forgotten, to tame my own fear, to be able to live all by myself and part with this group of hoodlums, was enough. It has to. 

When her frightened eyes met my line of sight, I knew I would save her, or I wouldn’t be able to save myself ever again. 

When she gave me a smile, as if I was her savior, like the other girl did only after knowing me for many days and weeks. 

I knew I would let her return as white as snow, to finally deserve these thousands of bitter and regretful smiles, yet filled with gratitude, that was painted over every single farewell face. Even if it means giving up my life for it, I would put an end to this dog’s life.

“Yes comrade? You asked for me? Sorry, I was taking care of the girl. Still no change in your divergent opinions I presume? You should come to an agreement soon, or else the situation is likely to turn sour.”

My own predicament no longer weighs heavy enough to remain unaffected, compared to their misery, and their meaningless future. I will be what I couldn’t be until the end for all the other girls l send to their demise. I would be her white knight on a white horse. She was predestined for me, as I was for her.