to ashes and blood

Bonding

"Here, eat up," Jayce set a plate with a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich with some fruit on the side in front of powder as she was looking at his books.

"Are these all yours?" Powder grabbed the sandwich to eat, she started to look more like her age with each bite, relieved from the feeling of hunger and now being warm again.

"Most, not all, I borrowed a few from the university," Jayce nodded as she opened a book to start reading more.

"How's the food? I've never been known for being a great cook," he leaned against the desk watching her smile with warm a hot meal.

"It's delicious! Thank you," powder spoke with her mouth full and took another bite while reading about machinery.

"You're welcome," Jayce chuckled.

"Unfortunately I don't think your done though powder, the council will want to have you on trial, they.. we, want to know more about the intentions about the other day, and there's other things to work out," he pursed his lips and she stopped eating.

"Can't I just talk to you about it?" Powder asked swallowing her food.

"If you'd like too, but there will be a trial still," he explained and she looked down at her lap while picking at her nails.

"We were just coming to take stuff, little man told us about you, we wanted to get a haul and sell it, it was suppose to be quiet and quick, it was my first time coming along... but it obviously didn't go as planned," powder spilled, trusting the adult that's been showing her kindness.

"We?" Jayce asked.

"Milo, claggor and my sister violet," she took a piece of fruit to eat.

"Where are they now?" He frowned, and how was she the one that's been blamed.

"I don't know, my sister left me, I couldn't find Milo and claggor, Milo hates me anyways, I'm always ruining things, I'm their jinx," powder rasped but she didn't cry anymore. She didn't think she could cry anymore, her eyes were swollen and dry.

"I don't know why I ruin everything," she bit her lip.

"Why did your sister leave you? Was it after you guys came up here?" Jayce pushed himself off the desk and knelt down in front of her with wide eyes.

"N-no it was last night, it was after my monkey bomb, I thought I was helping, I only wanted to help but I think I hurt someone, she hit me, she hit me in the face, she's never hit me like that," her voice began to shake again, picking her nails till they started to bleed.

"She said Milo was right, I'm just a jinx, she lied to me, she's a liar, and I ran and ran and ran till those enforcers grabbed me and threw me away," powder started to tremble and blink rapidly, not realizing she was bleeding from picking.

Jayce set his hands over hers to pull them away, rubbing small circles on the tops of her hands like his mother use to do to him as a child.

"It's okay, it's going to be okay powder, I'm sorry," Jayce whispered as powder disassociated thinking about the last 24 hours. She barely could see what was behind vi last night from the fire and smoke and rubble.

Vi was gone, vi is gone, gone gone gone gone gone, she didn't have a sister anymore, she was gone gone gone-

"Hey kiddo," a warm hand touched the top of her head snapping her out of her thoughts.

"You wanna know why I took you out of that cell and brought you here?" Jayce asked softly as his hand touched her shoulder now.

"Because I think your special, I know you have potential, I see so much for your future, your incredibly smart and bright, let me help you and in return... I could use an assistant maybe," he smiled up at her, powder was taken back by him.