Chapter Text
Kaz watched from the shadows as a ten year old boy knelt on the ground and rifled through a satchel that was no doubt stolen. The child pulled out different pieces of paper and skimmed through them as if to memorize and understand the contents. After seeming to find what he was looking for, the boy pocketed one of the papers and closed the satchel back up. He then stood and started walking off, so Kaz followed him from a distance.
Kaz had recently started looking for a new spider. Roeder was good, but his ambition to prove himself made him clumsy sometimes, and that was something Kaz could not afford in a spider. Roeder also had to learn from the very beginning; the boy wasn’t naturally stealthy, which Kaz was starting to realize was more important than he had originally thought. He could train anyone to be silent, but dang if it didn’t help for the child to already have the natural ability. Like Inej, he thought.
The boy unknowingly led Kaz through different roads until they came across someone who Kaz recognized as the Black Tips’ spider who was busy conversing with an older man Kaz identified as a lieutenant for the Black Tips. Kaz noticed with interest that the spider was wearing a satchel exactly like the one the boy had been rifling through only minutes earlier. Kaz watched as the boy started running at the two but hid the bag under his arm in a way that neither of the Black Tips would see until they were up close. Kaz watched as two other children- a boy and a girl- started running after him. The first boy glanced behind him, and even from this distance Kaz saw the satisfied gleam in his eyes. Pretending as if he wasn’t watching where he was going, the boy barreled straight into the spider, knocking them both to the ground. If he didn’t know what to look for, Kaz would have missed the boy switching the satchels.
“Watch it,” the spider snapped as the two disentangled.
“Sorry!” the boy replied as he got up and started running again.
The boy and girl who had been running after the first boy shouted, “Stop him!”
But, of course, no one did. Kaz left the shadows where he had been watching and ghosted around the place where the two Black Tips were continuing their conversation. Kaz knew where the boy was going, so he headed off in that direction to intercept him. He was very curious as to whether or not his gut feeling was right. At first glance it would seem as if the boy had taken something of importance from the other two children chasing him, but after seeing the gleam in the boy’s eyes, Kaz was beginning to wonder whether it was an act designed to make the Black Tips’ spider unaware that he had just been robbed. It wasn’t hard to put together that somehow the boy had swapped satchels earlier and had just replaced the fake with the original satchel which was now missing an important document.
Just as Kaz suspected, the boy ran up to an abandoned house and quickly scaled the side of the house before disappearing inside. He watched as the boy and girl followed their ‘prey’ inside. Kaz decided to investigate, so he slipped across the road and within seconds picked the old lock on the door and walked inside. Despite his limp, Kaz was still able to be silent when needed, and he walked up the stairs without a sound. It took three flights of stairs before he heard three voices conversing.
“Did you get it?” one voice asked.
“Of course I got it. It wasn’t hard to find. He was very specific,” another replied.
Kaz heard a shuffle before the third voice said, “Why are we even doing this job? The pay is terrible, and we are risking our necks for some third-rate wannabe gang.”
Kaz could almost feel the eyeroll from one of the other children. “Because we have to start somewhere. Plus, they aren’t making us take their stupid tattoo yet or even sign a contract, which makes it easy to leave their stupid gang and try for one of the bigger gangs. I’m assuming we are all in agreement as to which gang we want, right?”
“Of course, but it’s going to take a lot more than stealing some documents to be able to convince Dirtyhands to let all three of us join the Dregs,” the girl said with a sigh.
“True. Can we all agree to stick together even if only one of us gets in? Because I won’t be in a gang that you two won’t be in. We’ve been a team for a while now, and I’d rather stick with you two doing small jobs than join a big gang without you two,” one of the boys said.
Kaz was now able to see the three through a crack in the wall. The other two children nodded in agreement, and Kaz smiled grimly. If they were willing to stick together rather than abandon each other just to get into his gang… Your gang was your family, and you don’t leave your family behind. Having heard enough, Kaz quietly picked the lock to the door then quickly pushed it open and stood there, surveying the three children, who all drew their knives- which Kaz noticed were dull from age- and faced the door. But they froze when they saw who had broken in.
“Dirtyhands,” one boy said warily.
Kaz raised an eyebrow. “Are you planning to attack me with three dull knives?”
The three children looked at each other briefly but didn’t put down their weapons. The girl finally spoke, “Maybe.”
“Smart,” Kaz said, cold eyes looking between the three of them. The girl had black hair, vibrant blue eyes, and light brown skin. The boy who had stolen the satchel had light-blonde hair, emerald green eyes, and skin that was pale, although not quite as pale as Kaz’s. The third boy had light brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a dark tan that would probably fade after another couple months without sun since the Barrel was always surrounded with a thick fog. “I have a proposition for you three.”
“And that is?”
“It seems I’m in need of a new spider, but the way I saw the three of you work together, I’m willing to make an exception and say that I’m in need of three new spiders.”
The first boy hesitated, but Kaz could see the want and desire in his eyes. “You mean that you would hire all three of us to work for you?”
“If you like.”
“Why us?”
In all honesty, Kaz wasn’t sure the answer to that question, but he said anyway, “Because I just saw a somewhat decent plan to steal some documents from one of the bigger gangs in Ketterdam. With some training, I believe you could be very useful to me and by association the Dregs. The Wraith has chosen a new path, so I’m left to try to replace her.”
“You’d really take all three?” the girl asked hopefully.
“You three work well as a team. And like you said, Daymond, none of you have pledged yourself to a gang yet, which means you are free to work for whoever you choose. However, once you take the crow and cup tattoo, you are part of the Dregs and will never be able to change gangs. If you try to, you will forfeit your life.”
There was no more hesitation seen. One last glance between the three, and they all nodded. “We’re in.”
“Good. Now why don’t you show me that document you have in your pocket, McKinnon.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you know our names,” the girl said ruefully.
Kaz nodded. “No, Maelin, you should not.” He took the paper from McKinnon and glanced over it then frowned. It looked like a simple sheet of accounting. “What group were you supposed to get this for?”
“Charcoal,” Daymond said.
“First thing they need to fix is their name,” Kaz said, rolling his eyes. “That doesn’t exactly have the potential to strike fear into the hearts of the criminals of Ketterdam.”
McKinnon snickered. “We sure weren’t gonna say anything.”
“Did they give any hints as to why only this document was needed?”
“They’ve sent us on a few missions to get certain documents like this. None of us can read what they say, though. We weren’t taught how to read any language, really.”
Kaz rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The two Black Tips seemed to be very invested in whatever their conversation had been about. Was there a shipment that was planned to come in? The words and numbers on this paper didn’t seem to be of any significance, but maybe if he had the rest of the documents… “I need to think. Come back to the Crow Club and we can sort something out. I also want to write up a contract for all of you.”
The three kids grinned at each other. “Sure.”
“Being part of a gang is not an easy thing,” Kaz warned them. “And being a spider for the Dregs has more dangers than if you worked for a small gang. However, if you three get good enough, I may even be able to keep you off the radar. To do that, you won’t come in through the main door. You’ll have to climb, so I hope you’re prepared.”
“We are,” Daymond said confidently.
“Good. Let’s go.” With that, Kaz turned on his heels and walked down the stairs, this time allowing himself the use of his cane.