The Band of Rotten: A Sanders Sides Story

Prologue

"Where is he?" The man stood over the row of maids, towering over their hunched figures. He slammed the wooden table behind him with force, startling the maids. His voice was dangerously calm as he said, "I ask you one more time, where is he?"

"I—we do not know where he went. He only—"

"Ah, what did I give you lot a job for?! You were supposed to take care of him!"

"We are very sorry, Master. He only told us he was going on a walk with her. She returned alone, sir."

"Fine. Get Mr. Vissente and leave us."

The maids scurried out, racing to get as far away from the furious master. A young man stood by the door calmly, aware of what has transpired inside the room for the last twenty minutes. He wore a thin, dark maroon shirt with a heavy jacket wrapping around his shoulders. The fit of his pants made him appear taller. One of the four maids nodded her head towards the heavy door, and he gave her a nod in return. Stepping inside the room, the soles of his dark shoes tapped on the sleek wooden floor with satisfying clicks.

The big boss was standing on the side of the room, looking solemnly at the gigantic world map that had been posted on the wall. It was so big it resembled a wallpaper. He cleared his throat, announcing his presence in the room.

"No need to do that, Vissente. I know you're there."

"So, you know where he is?" He stepped closer, following the master's eyes. He pondered what the master had in mind. His eyes searched the map for anything interesting and found nothing. "Sir?"

"No, but I have an idea of where he might be heading. I have a simple plan."

"That is?"

"Let him believe he escaped," the master said with his deep, velvety voice. He moved away from the wall, sitting on his leather chair by the heavy desk. He looked at Vissente with a stern gaze. "Let him believe he's gone far and so, we wait."

"Wait? How are we supposed to do that?"

"What I meant is, you must wait at the place he is currently heading towards."

"Does this mean you know where he is going?"

"Yes." The Master, still holding his intense gaze, smirked. His eyes glinted with something akin to danger. Looking back over to the map, he pointed at an unexpected place. "He's talked a lot about the New World. That's where he is going."

Vissente locked his gaze on the map. The New World? That must not be an easy journey. He gave a curt nod, more to reassure himself. The Master has associates in the New World, so it will not be difficult for him to journey there. But for the Young Master, the journey might be a different story. He glanced at the Master, seeing he was entirely serious. 'Ah, of course. No time for jokes.'

"You are the youngest of our crew. He doesn't know who you are, so sending you is the safest option we have, Vissente. Find him and bring him back."

"Yes, Master. I will not disappoint."

"You better not, boy."

Vissente walked towards the door, giving a last nod to the Master before stepping outside. The day was still young. The garden of the mansion was brightly lit, flowers visible from the clear windows along the hallway. It is time to leave.

**********

Welcome!

This story is written because I never really see this kind of AU (Alternate Universe). Most of the AUs I see are highschool AUs, Coffee shop AUs and all those good stuff. I thought it would be fun to have an Adventure AU once in a while instead of the traditional Fantasy AU.

I hope you enjoy the story, because it is going to be a lot of fun.