The Penny Thief

"I know, he hits me, but it's okay. It's just another form of punishment, I'm strong, I can take it."

Harsh yellow eyes narrowed at this, Bronze felt his heart rate pick up on instinct. The man mirrored Silverflash's rage, highlighting their similarities to be crystal clear. Both men tower over Bronze; both demand perfection; both crave molding him into a shadow of themselves. One lacks concern for his physical well being, one casts aside his mental.

"Bronze." He stumbled back, ripped from his thoughts. The man was above him, standing as Silverflash would before a beating.

"Bronze, are you afraid right now?" His pride wanted him to answer the question with a strong, defiant no, but his trembling body betrayed him. He couldn't move a muscle. The past five years Bronze had to train himself to respond as such before being beaten to death.

"Answer me," he shut his eyes. No matter what he does or says, no matter how he begs, Silverflash will always beat him. This man won't be any different.

"This is what I mean, Bronze. If it's just another form of punishment to keep you in line, then why are you too afraid to answer me? Has it made you afraid?"

It felt like minutes passed in silence, Bronze had almost forgotten the question before he could bear to answer with a muffled: "I... I don't know."

"Should a punishment ever make a child shutdown with fear?"

"I'm not a child!" The words spat out like venom. Masked eyes slightly crinkled, the lunatic was smiling. The boy was wrong, he was a child - but the determination - the spirit! The man knew he could train Bronze, mold this abused soul into exactly what he wanted.

"How do you feel about an apprenticeship?"

* * *

This memory rolled over in Bronze's head as he lay in bed. He was disgusted himself by even thinking of it, the man was a murderer. Even so, it still felt he had a choice to make, a life-long one at that: Bronze, Silverflash's sidekick, hero of Hildburn, or Coppershot, a world-class assassin's protégé?