I was standing idly in the same alley as were my sister and lover had been murdered. Soft footsteps echoed through the alley way. I looked up from sharpening on of my throwing knives to find a young girl, about 12 years old, looking around slowly. She looked frightened. After locking eyes with me, she quickly walked over and held out a baggy of pocket change.

“Miss… I… I need… help… a bad man is after me…”

For a brief moment, I stared at her before looking back at the opening to the alley, “Who is this man, little one?”

“My… my uncle… and my daddy sometimes…”

Narrowing my eyes, I sheathed my knife and jumped off the boxes I was sitting on and knelt down in front of the little girl, “Do you know what I do?”

“Yes… you kill bad people… right?”

With a soft sigh I gently pressed the baggy into her chest, “This job is free. Along with your adoption,” I smiled gently, “They won’t hurt you anymore, I’ll protect you and teach you everything I know.”

The little girl nodded slowly and jumped as a rather loud, drunken man, stumbled into the alley way, “That's… that’s him…”

I narrowed my eyes and stood up, “Go hide now, I’ll make this quick,” I pulled out two of my longer knives from the sheaths on my thighs and walked to the front of the small wall, made out of cardboard boxes. I glared down the man as he got closer.

He stopped just a few feet from me, “You… where did… that little girl go…” his spear was slurred, confirming he was drunk, “About… yay high… blonde hair… bl… blue eyes..”

“I’m sorry, but she will be living with me from now on,” I said simply, “To hurt a young girl… scum like you need to be purged from this world.” I threw my knives at him. One became embedded I’m him chest while the other was embedded in his gut. Pulling out one more knife, I slowly walked over to him and squatted down next to his head, “People like you make me sick.”

I slit the man’s throat, insuring he died before pulling out the two knives. I stood up and walked back behind the small wall, “It’s done, little one. You can come out now,” I said gently, sheathing my knives.

The little girl peeked out from behind a few trash cans and crawled out of her hiding spot, “Thanks miss…”

I knelt down in front of her and held out my hand, “Do you want to come with me? I’ll keep you safe from the bad people.”

The little girl nodded a little and took my hand, “Yes… please…”

I smiled gently and stood up, “Come on, I’ll show you where I live.”