The Return

Vance turned towards the voice. He noticed the boy standing there in a defensive position. "Hoy. So you can talk eh?" He turned back to putting the cans away. "Well its good to see you're awake."

Maigo stood in the child's room with the door open. She listened to the conversation.
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The boy eased his stance and put his hands by his side. "Your name's Vance, right?" he said hesitantly. He nodded his head once, "Nice to meet you.."
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Wow, he learned some manners..

Vance turned back and put out his hand for a handshake. "You heard right then. I don't believe I caught your name yet, however." His ears pricked up, Maigo was listening in from the boy's room and he could hear it.

Maigo felt troubled as that question was asked.
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The boy ignored his hand, but again looked at the floor. "My name..? Don't have one." he said.
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Good enough reason for now...we're gonna have to give you a name if you can't remember your original one soon, though. You need to be called SOMETHING.

Vance thought for a moment and then remembered the tattoo on the boy's shoulder. "How about Spade, until you remember your real name of course."

Spade, eh? ...That's actually pretty good...
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The boy looked back up at Vance with a slightly brighter expression on his face. "Spade?" he said, thinking about it for a moment. "Cool!" he smiled at Vance, playfully punching him in the stomach.

"Gac... Hey!" Vance grabbed him and playfully picked him up. They scuffled in the kitchen fir a few minutes until Vance hit his head on the table. "Oww... well you better head back to Maigo and go to sleep." He sent Spade out of the room and then finished putting away the cans.

Maigo laughed softly as the boy made his way back into his room. "Have fun?" she asked. The boy scratched the back of his head, "Ah, y-yeah!" he replied.


"He wanted me to go to sleep, but I already slept.."
"Then don't sleep." she ruffled up his hair.
"Eh-heh. Oh, by the way!"
"Hm?"
"I got a new name! It's-"
"Spade."
"Eh? How'd you know?" he asked with a surprised look on his face.
"Lucky guess? And it's the tattoo on your shoulder." she smiled.
"Oh, right...so what now?"
"I don't know, explore the house a bit more if you don't want to sleep."
"Ah..alright Mom." the boy waved "goodbye" as he walked out of the room and walked throughout the house.

Maigo walked out of the room and, although she didn't follow him, she remained in the hall listening to his footsteps and any loud noises that he may cause. I'm in no position to be a mother! ..I'd like to be considered more of a sister! she thought, shaking her head.

"Damn, no sleep at all" He sighed, pressing his head against the pillow, those three were loud as ever... or was it just him. Either way his head was just being plunged into the darkness, his mind being stabbed at by so many emotions he could not count. "Can I... ever sleep" He mumbled.

Vance walked out into the hall and sat down in the hall chair. He wanted to catch his breath and clean up the wound, which had started to bleed a bit.

Maigo noticed Vance head into the hall and sit down in the hall chair.

"How's that wound?"

"Nothing I haven't sustained before, I'll just let it heal itself." He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.

Maigo nodded then looked back ahead of her as though staring into nothingness. The boy came walking back down the hall.

"I'm done." he said.
"Uh, alright. Keep it down though, Reks is sleeping."
"..alright.."

Both Maigo and Spade leaned against the wall with crossed arms, lost in there own thoughts being as though there wasn't much else to do. Maigo didn't sleep, and Spade had already slept.

"Restless eh?" He asked, eyes close. He put his hands behind his head.

"Yep..." Spade replied with a sigh.
"Mhm."

Vance stood up and walked towards the book room. "Well I'm gonna see what I can find in here."

Maigo watched Vance as he headed into the book room. A one-sided smile appeared over Maigo's face.

"Hey, Spade." she said to him as she held both her hands out.
"Huh?" he asked curiously.
"Show me what you've got."
"You mean..."
Maigo nodded.
"Alright..!" Spade said as he walked over in front of Maigo and started throwing punches into her hands. To her surprise, it actually hurt a little.

"Hey no fair, I was gonna teach him martial arts!" Vance walked back over to them, and watched Spade punching Maigo. She winced every now and then so the kid was obviously stronger than he appeared.

"Oh?" she placed her hands back by her side, but the kid threw another punch right into her stomach. She slammed into the wall behind her, holding her stomach. Unable to speak at the moment, Maigo gave a thumbs-up to the child, who was obviously mortified.

"S-sorry.."
"It's, fine..seriously..wow..hey Vance." she paused for a moment. "What kind of martial arts? Are they effective?"

He laughed and helped Maigo balance herself. " 'Is it effective?' Of course it is! I know tai chi, Judo, a lot of stuff."

Maigo glanced at the boy, who was looking quite eager by the expression on his face.

"Can I?" he asked eagerly.
Maigo laughed. "Yeah, sure, why not? Need to defend yourself somehow. You've definitely got the strength to!"
"Cool!!" he exclaimed, walking over to Vance. "Watcha got?"

Maigo shook her head, smiling.

Vance took up a defensive pose. "Alright then Spade, show me what you've got, and don't hold back!"

Spade took up a fighting stance. "Alright!!" he shouted as he lunged towards him holding an arm back then thrusting it forward towards the center of his chest.

Vance grabbed him at a lightning speed and spun him in a complete circle in the air. Spade fell back and charged at him again, then diving up and coming down at him. Vance side-stepped him and grabbed his arm, slamming him to the ground. "Alright then, now I know what I have to work with. I think you'll be great!" He helped Spade up, who was completely uninjured. "Now then, rest up at least a bit, so you'll have strength for tomorrow."

Nice endurance. she thought.

"W-wow, alright then...your GOOD!!" he exclaimed, heading back towards Maigo.
"Nice holding out, Spade." she commented. "Ready to go back to bed now?"
"Nope!"
Maigo chuckled, ruffling up his hair again. "What do you plan on doing, then?"
Without replying, Spade sat down then put his hands behind his head, laying against the wall with his eyes closed.
"Alright then." she said, laughing softly.