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hopefulvittori · 3 months

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Birds of Prey - Chapter 6

Stalker!Carlo/OC & Romeo (AU)

Reposting my novel from ao3. Enjoy!

A tragedy struck when the father of puppets suddenly died in an accident. While the whole city of Krat has been mourning the engineer, the son of Geppetto only felt the sweet smell of liberation. What is he going to do now that the source of his hatred is gone?

An AU series where the puppet frenzy didn't happen, Carlo and Romeo didn't perish from the petrification disease. This is the story of a hawk, a falcon and an eagle about finding their purpose while they're uncovering dark secrets behind the origins of Krat's prosperity.

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Chapter 6: Concealed secrets

Heavy machines' blaring echoed throughout the workshop. The noise of clanking steel and sizzling steam filled the air with clamour. It wasn't uncommon for the members of the Workshop Union to hear it on a daily basis. And it was never too early to start the work either. Ever since Krat's most famous inventor died, the workshop couldn't truly sleep. Even those who tended to avoid the industrial streets of the Union knew about the competition between guilds. The stench of smoke covered a good portion of the city. Some say they could hear the roar of the Fire Eater's ringing across Krat's underground parts. Its tireless arms and flames breath life into puppets, making technology bountiful. However after some time Giuseppe Geppetto perished, Fuoco started to act strangely. Its vigourous - almost cheerful - roars turned into pitiful yowls. It was quite audible, especially on work-filled mornings.

Vittoria heard it too. Her watchful eyes gazed at the huge puppet. Its ever lively fire now weakly flickered across the center of the works. A few members of the forgemaster guild surrounded it. Trying to rekindle its feeble flames was a fruitless endeavor. A heated conversation arose between the forgemasters and armourers. One which the youngest Durante didn't want to hear. She doubled her steps towards the entrance of Venigni Works.

The girl finished with her classes way earlier. She didn't expect it though. Her tutor said there was "some commotion among the puppeteer guild". They had to cancel the rest of the classes until the problem was solved. Despite that, nothing seemed out of order... none except the presence of Stalkers. A small group of Sweepers - and even alchemists - were roaming around the industrial boulevard. They were purposefully searching for something - or rather, someone. One of the mercenaries stopped her too. They looked for a Bastard, donning their uniform and a lion mask. Apparently they were responsible for a fire on Elysion Boulevard. The girl couldn't hear about the news nor recognize their Stalker-fugitive. It left the chaser quite frustrated and disappointed. The mercenary told her to get home as soon as possible. Then he left Vittoria alone in her pondering state.

However she wasn't in her obedient mood. She could only imagine how this piece of news could have shaken the whole Stalker community. As soon as she realized this fact, she turned tail and started pacing towards unknown parts. She reached a dead end next to Venigni Works. As everyone - men and puppets alike - has been busy with either their bustling business or looking for the fugitive, no one noticed how the young Durante started climbing on a ladder. She sighed deeply as she reached a rooftop next to the entrance of the main factory. She couldn't help but cough from the thick smoke covering the whole upper area. The sun was barely visible through the smothering clouds of smog.

The girl purposefully leapt towards a bronzened chimney. It was an old cloth-filled smokestack, seemingly out of commission. She picked up an iron bar stuck between the roof tiles and started hitting the chimmey's side. Sometimes she hit it faster, sometimes she stopped. Hoping that her message would reach its destination, Tori repeated this process a few times. She took a step backwards after a while. She took a purposive look down to the factory's building. Waiting for a reaction, her gaze shifted towards beyond Venigni Works. Hearing the Fire Eater's miserable sounds even from that distance made her quite heedless. It filled her with a tender sadness. Although it was a puppet - a simple machine -, was it remotely possible that something so lifeless could feel something?

The girl started to lose herself in her thoughts. She didn't even notice at first how a gloved hand shaken her shoulder from behind. It doesn't help that the stranger's steps were as light as a feather. Even with the quiet jarred sound of the weapon on his back couldn't reveal his presence to the young Stalker-to-be. Nonetheless, seeing her acquaintance made Vittoria smile.

"Greetings, Fratello." she said with a nonchalant handwave.

The masked man stood before her with arms crossed. He didn't say anything but reciprocated the girl's gesture. The man tilted his head to one side while letting out a questioning "hmm?".

"Forgive me, I know you've been busy..." the girl continued with regret, "But I need your help."

Fratello let out a quiet "hmm" then curtly nodded. He flailed with his left hand as if he wanted to say: "go on".

"It's the Sweepers. They're looking for a Bastard with a lion mask. Do you know someone?" Tori asked with eyebrows furrowing then releasing. The man averted his unseeable gaze from his protégé and looked beyond the horizon. Tapping with his foot, he tried to remind himself of something. Seeing his distress, the girl continued, "Colorful tailcoat, fancy saber? Bastards are kind of haughty people, being nobles and all."

As an epiphany hit him, Fratello clasped his gloved hands together. He then muttered in a husky tone, "Hortensia's pupil."

"The Hortensia? The legendary Stalker?" Vittoria gasped in surprise.

The other Stalker grunted in affirmation. Relaxing his posture, he let out a shallow sigh. While his face was ever invisible to the gaping eyes, Tori knew about his source of suspiration. The man of few words was hit with a sense of nostalgia. It was a rare sight, seeing her friend like this. He wasn't known as someone who wore his heart in his sleeve after all.

"I didn't know that she had an apprentice." she said quietly.

Fratello spread out his arms, shaking his head. "Two." he added laconically.

"What happened to them?" the girl asked with raised eyebrows.

The air around the man suddenly shifted. As summer became autumn, his suddenly lifted spirits disappeared. He froze as the warm feeling of nostalgia turned into something sour. He shook his head yet again and replied, "One has met with a tragic end." When he heard the youth letting out a somber "oh", he added, "The other one didn't share the Peacock's ideals."

The youngest Durante had to face a cruel truth yet - that not everyone could have achieved their dreams by becoming Stalkers. Life was fleeting after all. Especially with the pandemic around. And it's not like everyone could have the same ideals either. It made her quite curious though. Is this why it was impossible to get tutoring from the veteran Stalkers outside of the Charity House? Even from those who lost their edge all over the years. Why was everyone so obsessed with their secrecy and lofty ideals?

Fratello saw the doubt oppressing her. Uncertainty was painted across her features. Tori's gaze started pacing between him and the rooftop beneath her feet. He looked at her with deep understanding. A huge responsibility weightened her and the next generation of Stalkers. It was their duty - their calling - to correct the mistakes of their predecessors. The man of few words silently watched her. Waiting for her protegé to regain her composure, the Stalker put a hand on her shoulder once again. Vittoria gave him a small appreciative smile. The masked man nodded then took both of her hands. Although she jumped in surprise, the youth didn't flinch back. His rough hands swept across the girl's bandages, starting to remove them.

Her delicate skin started to harden from the reddened and blistered burn marks. Although the swelling started to disappear, it still felt hot just by touching her hands. When he made her clench her fists, she slightly hissed. Fratello wrinkled his brows beneath his mask. As he let out a huff of displeasure, the girl abruptly looked at the man.

"I'm okay. Just.... give me more time." Vittoria muttered in desperation. Her hands slightly shook within the Stalker's grasp. The man of few words shook his head.

"I pushed you." he murmured, words drenched in guilt.

"No. Even if you did, I can't let this stop my training." she said, motioning at her hands. She sighed deeply through her nose, fighting off the flaring pain. As she pulled away to put the bandages back, Fratello let out a small "oh?" in genuine surprise. The girl looked into the mask's warm brown eyes with newfound determination and said, "After all, I want to partake in your way of life. Sharing those ideals with others doesn't seem so bad to me."

A warm feeling filled the man's chest. Pride blanketed over his being. While the sudden change of her behavior was a surprise, it was a pleasant feeling nonetheless. He nodded at her once again. She heard him smiling contently behind his animal mask. The Stalker coughed to excuse himself, saying, "Change your bandages sometime."

"Will do." Tori replied with a humm. Her simper disappeared as she reminded herself of her unresolved questions. Expressing her concern, she asked, "Do you know where this lion could be?"

The Stalker silently hummed then shook his head. Hearing his pupil's sigh of disappointment however reminded him of something. He grabbed his scrip hanging on his right side. The man of few words pulled out a smaller inflorescence of a flower than handed it over to Vittoria. It was a white chrysanthemum. A well known flower known as a symbol of optimism and joy all around Krat. In ancient times, people used these flowers as protection charms against God's anger and certain diseases. There were two public places where they planted these blossoms.

'The Cathedral and the Monad Charity House.' the girl hummed, immersed in her thoughts. Gaping her mouth open, she spinned her head towards the direction of the orphanage. Her hunch was acknowledged when Fratello murmured in agreement.

"I appreciate it." Tori said as she bowed her head in gratitude. She carefully slipped the inflorescence into her pocket. "Well then, I shall seek them out. If this Bastard is truly a troublesome fellow, Monad is going to be in danger." She wholly turned her attention to the destination in her mind. As she waved goodbye to the masked man, she was abruptly stopped by a firm pull. Her mentor drew her back by her coat. The girl jerked her head towards Fratello questionly.

"Stay away from the alchemists." he said firmly, almost with a guttural growl. Tilting his head downwards, the animal mask's eyes ominously gleamed in the half-sunlight. The air once again shifted around the Stalker. Even without seeing his features, his hands were trembling from seething hatred.

With her mouth falling open, Tori quietly asked, "Why?"

But the Stalker avoided giving her a proper answer. His fingers clutched the fabric of her reddened overcoat. His raspy snarl reminded her of a more dangerous beast than a man. It almost terrified the girl.

His hold over her clothes suddenly shifted. Fratello grabbed her by the shoulder and gently squeezed it. He let out a sharp sigh before looking into Vittoria's cerulean gaze once again.

"Just promise me, little one." he growled, fingers digging into her shoulderbone. "Do not talk to the Hand. Your brother's life depends on it."

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Krat Times Issue 1023 - Friday 26th October

On Thursday's evening, a sudden fire caused by unknown culprits burned down Theodore Books, Krat's most famous bookstore. While the general populace grieves the loss of the first wonder of our beloved city, some eyewitnesses saw how an automation dog (which normally guards the Petrification Quarantine Zone) risked its life to protect the shop owner's. Although this mechanical canine was destroyed in the fire, its ardent desire to defend someone in need won't be forgotten. As such, the Workshop Union decided to hold a commemoration for all those puppets which sacrificed their existences for the sake of our dear citizens. The event will be held on 31th of October at the basement of the Workshop Tower.

As compensation for the destruction of Theodore Books, the Monad Charity House offered up--

But before he could finish reading the article, Romeo angrily stuffed the newspaper into his pocket. A mix of fury and disgust ran across his features.

"Filthy liars." he grumbled under his nose, shaking his head in disbelief. The youth knew the truth. Two days ago he ran from this "heroic canine" to save his own skin. It absolutely baffled him how the Workshop shifted the blame just to save their reputation.

It was already past noon. The blond youth tapped impatiently with his legs, sitting on a bench before the Charity House. He hugged himself as he shivered from the cold autumn wind. Despite it being a sunny day, the chill seeped into his bones. He had already waited long enough for his friend's arrival. Not only Carlo didn't come back to the orphanage but he didn't show up for training either. He never skipped those sessions. Becoming Stalkers was the boys' lifelong dream after all. The worry almost overwhelmed Romeo. He started pacing around in nervousness, kicking some pebbles away in the meanwhile.

Luckily, his hopes weren't entirely misplaced. As the school's last ringing was heard, the mischievous teenager appeared. Despite the classes being over, he also donned his school uniform. Carlo made slow yet robust steps towards the tall boy. A relieved smile graced the blonde's lips... until he saw his friend's gaze. A scowl darkened his expression as he moved towards Romeo. He rubbed his temple, trying to ease the discomfort coming from his bruise.

"Oh, there you are." Romeo greeted him with a reserved smirk. "I hope you had fun with Lady Durante."

Although he said nothing, Carlo rolled his eyes.

'We have different definitions about what fun is.' he thought bitterly. He had to spend the last night at his old man's house. The boy didn't have any choice no matter how he hated the very idea. Everywhere he looked at the apartment, he only saw Geppetto's shade lurking around. It reminded him why he hated the puppet maker so much. Even though last night's experiences gave him a valid reason to doubt, his resentment got the best of him.

His head hung low, downcast expression held a mix of uncertainty and somberness. As he expected, Romeo didn't know anything yet. The older youth moved closer, holding out one hand to him.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his head tilted to one side.

"...Perfectly fine." Carlo mumbled, shaking his head in dismissal.

Blinking rapidly the blond boy asked, "Are you sure? You never skipped training..."

As Romeo looked at his friend in confusion, he stepped forward. The son of Geppetto immediately flinched back.

"I told you I'm okay. Thanks for your concern, Mom." he hissed dismissively once again.

"If you say so, man." The friend shrugged nonchalantly. "The apology went well, I assume?"

"Oh, it went real good." Carlo's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Putting his hands on his hips he continued, "I didn't expect to cross the Sweepers to save your confidant on the way though."

Romeo looked at him with dull eyes. Unable to say anything, he froze. He knew what was coming yet he couldn't face his companion. Not like this. Seeing his friend's eyes twitching with anger made him completely silent. Now it was Carlo's turn to step forward. Even with the height differences, Romeo felt so small before his best friend.

Carlo leant towards the tall boy, asking with a low hiss, "Stop beating around the bush. Just what are you two scheming?"

The orphan youth swallowed. Massaging his nose bridge, he asked with a shaky breath, "Is Leo okay?"

Although the shorter boy nodded, his expression got darker by the second. Feeling utterly exploited, Carlo couldn't help but look at his friend with such animosity. Knowing that he saved someone unworthy made him irritated. He thought he could finally hold onto his firm beliefs as a future Stalker... only to save a deserter. The boy unwittingly touched his right shoulder. The slight discomfort coming from his injury reminded him of his own mistake. On the other hand, Romeo sighed deeply from relief.

"Are you just gonna ignore my question, huh?" His best friend gazed at him expectantly.

"Well--"

"Hello guys."

A familiar girl's quiet yet assertive voice interrupted their potential argument. Carlo's dark expression slowly faded away when he turned around. He became quite tense when Vittoria looked at him then at Romeo with uncertainty. As his amber gaze met with her cerulean ones, she averted her eyes. After she swept a few long hair strands from her flushed face, she hid her hands within the pockets of her reddened overcoat.

"H-howdy..." he said quietly, scratching the back of his head.

"Good afternoon, milady." Romeo waved in a theatrical manner. "I heard you wanted to talk with me."

The girl rolled her eyes in slight annoyance, saying, "Really? You wanted to discuss something with me in the first place."

"Did I...?" he asked with fake surprise. His brown eyes shifted between Carlo and Tori.

"Yes, you..." But before she could finish her sentence, she noticed the brown haired youth's wavering half smile. Carlo scratched his neck in confusion, humming in puzzlement. Even though she didn't know him as much as his best friend, she could easily read between the lines. The girl raised an eyebrow at Romeo and asked, "Wait, why didn't you tell him?"

"Yeah, Romeo, why didn't you tell me?" Carlo repeated her question with a sarcastic grin. With amber eyes flickering menacingly, he gave his friend a knowing look.

The tall youth held his hands up in defeat. He shook his head in disbelief but couldn't hide the conceading smile spreading across his lips. Once again, these two were more upset at him than anything else. On the top of that, noticing how her presence made Carlo calmer filled Romeo with relief. He couldn't help but chuckle in surrender.

"Alright alright!"he said with a knowing smile. "Let us take this conversation to somewhere else, eh?"

The two of them agreed with this suggestion. It was safer to discuss the last few days' events in a more private place. Carlo suggested the garden behind the Charity House. There was a greenhouse at the corner of the Monad estate, surrounded by hedge walls. Surprisingly, almost no one visited the house in this season. They were mostly alone, safe for the old gardener and a few cats visiting the garden. On their way, Romeo showed the newspaper to the young Giuseppe. Even without knowing the truth, he found it baffling to heroize a dog puppet in such a manner. Although he didn't share his father's interests, he knew a few things about Geppetto's creations. They couldn't defy their masters' orders just because they felt a higher calling. Most of the puppets were programmed to do simple tasks. It was impossible for a pile of iron and gears to suddenly grow a heart. As he mentioned this statement, he noticed how his friend and the Durante girl fell into silence. They knowingly looked into each others' eyes then at Carlo. When he glanced at them in a questioning manner, Romeo only said "you will change your mind soon enough".

Warm air washed over them as they entered the greenhouse. The sun shone through the transparent glass. Its gentle gleam blanketed the house with tender warmth. The perfect silence was rarely interrupted with crickets' chirping. There was enough shadow beneath a huge tree in the middle of the greenhouse. As if someone knew they were paying a visit, they found a wooden table and chairs there. After they closed the distance to reach their destination, one by one, they sat down. Carlo took another look at the pair. Vittoria quietly gazed at the blond youth, scratching her bandaged hands. Romeo then curtly nodded and took a deep watery breath.

"Alright then. There was another reason for the news lying to everyone." he said, spreading his arms. The brown haired boy raised an eyebrow and muttered a quiet "go on". The taller youth then continued, "Two days ago, that puppet attacked me. If not for her, I would be as good as dead." He looked at the girl and gave her an appreciative smile.

"Are you serious?" Carlo asked flatly. Even though his words were harsh, his face told another story. A swirl of shock and worry piled up within the son of Geppetto. When Romeo hummed in affirmation, his amber brown eyes quickly settled on Vittoria. He then quietly implored, "Really?"

"My apologies, I had no choice." she said with a tint of guilt. She looked at Carlo with an almost pained expression. "I know these puppets are your father's last rem--"

"It's not worth one's salt. You saved Romeo's life." he interrupted her while shaking his head in denial. His eyebrows furrowed in subtle anger as a scowl surfaced on his features. While it wasn't directed towards her, the girl rubbed her hands together. Noticing this, the son of Geppetto tried to flash her a reassuring half-smile. Tori scratched her chin, still averting her gaze from the boys.

"In any case, the Workshop clearly tries to cover up the whole scandal." Romeo said, changing the topic. Rubbing the temple of his head, he let out a faint sigh

The girl hummed as an epiphany hit her. "My classes got cancelled at the last second. Apparently, there was a huge uproar within the Puppeteer Guild."

"Puppeteer Guild?" the blond youth asked curiously, tilting his head to one side.

"It's the Guild responsible for engraving the four laws onto puppets and organizing their purposes." she replied with a shrug.

Romeo huffed, broad forehead wrinkled in pensiveness. "My best guess is because of that dead puppet at the Quarantine Zone."

"That doesn't sound right." Carlo said, shaking his head in disagreement. "Why would they announce it two days after the incident?"

"It's the Quarantine Zone, man. The security is quite low on these days." the boy replied, sighing deeply through his nose. Remembering the sight of puppet corpses mangled up made him wince. It's not like Romeo didn't see decommissioned automatons before. The way the iron corpses were tangled in each other reminded him of the sheer brutality of a murderer's mind. It made him quite upset how the news tried to make a hero of the dog puppet - the source of the heartless carnage. Shaking off his thoughts through rapid blinking, he bitterly added, "It's not like anyone would care about a handful of moribund people anyway."

"It's true. There were only puppet guards to keep the area safe." Vittoria agreed, shaking her head with a troubled frown.

"In any case, they keep trying to shift the blame to someone else." Romeo continued. Gritting his teeth, he held back a frustrated growl.

"To Leo." Carlo said it out as flatly as possible. The two teenagers looked at him with silent shock. His stare lacked the warmth it usually emanated. Seeing the confused pair left him no choice but to explain last night's events. How after saying farewells to Durante, he accidentally met up with the injured Bastard. How the Sweepers set Krat's most famous bookstore in flames while looking for him. After swearing to himself to live up to his ideals, he bought some time for the man so he could escape his pursuers. As he went on with his story, Tori noticed how his gaze darkened while rubbing his right arm. His voice got lower and huskier the more he talked about the Lion and the two Hyenas. And while he didn't share any of his doubts to them, a reserved yet tired expression spread across his face.

Romeo saw how the boy became more quiet... stoic even. The taller youth found himself struggling to find the right words to say. He knew how confusing this situation must have been for his friend. And even though Carlo tried to shrug it off, he was still processing the death of his father. Scratching his neck in uncertainty, Romeo tried to gather his thoughts.

"The Sweepers and the alchemists looked for him at the Workshop this morning." Vittoria said quietly, clasping her hands together before her chest. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Do you know where he is hiding?"

But before Carlo could open his mouth, Romeo interrupted him. He asked with a guttural voice, "Why do you ask?"

"If the alchemists are looking for him, then he's a potential threat to all of us." she answered in a matter-of-fact way. "The Bastards and them are collaborators after all."

"All of us?" Romeo repeated her sentence, raised an eyebrow questionly.

Rubbing her nose bridge, the girl tried to gather her thoughts. "Leo has ties to the Charity House. If trouble rears its head, who do you think they're going to hold responsible?"

The youth fell silent. His eyebrows knitted in concern while averting his gaze from Durante. Gritting his teeth, he clenched a fist on the table. Carlo noticed this. He turned his head towards his best friend then at the girl. Feeling unsure whether it was a good idea or not, he shrugged and said, "He went to the Cathedral."

Like a primal urge, Romeo abruptly got up from his chair. Both of his hands were shaking. He swallowed a shaky breath as he tried to move away from Carlo and Vittoria. The son of Geppetto however saw where his sudden spur of action was coming from. He quickly grabbed the blond boy's hand to keep him from leaving. While Romeo tried to free his wrist, Carlo didn't let him go. Tori gaped her mouth open, feeling frozen in her chair.

"Let me go, Carlo." The tall boy said with a guttural growl.

"No." Carlo shook his head and continued, "Not until you explain what is going on."

"I thought you didn't care less about my - our - schemings." Romeo chuckled in a deep voice. Even though he tried to free himself once again, he wasn't as forceful as before. Seeing his friend's reaction made the blond boy a bit hesitant. It was subtle yet noticeable for him. The face of a young boy, trying to hold back his tears. He puffed his cheeks in stubborn defiance, shaking off the anguish to no avail. The orphan youth only saw this on that certain painting made by that famous artist. It was a sour reminder how Geppetto's absence made his friend's life the most bitter. Seeing the same look made Romeo halt. While his features lacked tears, the mischievous boy's eyes pleaded with him to stay.

"I didn't say that," Carlo declared with a thoughtful expression. With hands folded in his lap, he continued, "But that just means you don't trust any of us here."

"Please, Romeo." Vittoria said pleadingly, placing one hand on his.

Uncomfortable silence has set around them. Although the shorter boy's plea managed to convince Romeo to stay, he couldn't muster his strength to confess. It was all true. He couldn't trust them - or anyone, save for Leo. How could he expect understanding from them? Despite this, both the boy and the girl looked at him with expectations in their hearts. One was his true friend, the second saved his life. The debt he owned was too much.

He swallowed the bile in his throat and made his confession, "The Lion has leaked out information regarding the Sweepers and the alchemists. He broke his Stalker vow to bring the whole community together."

"At what end?" The girl asked with narrowed eyes.

The question made the blond boy chuckle in almost a menacing way. Both Carlo and Tori looked at their friend with confusion. A smirk graced his lips as he gazed into the girl's cerulean eyes. With a deep watery sigh he answered, "To rule all over Krat."

I added worldbuilding on purpose. I feel there were a lot of details about the game's lore that left much to be desired. Understandable, it's mostly because of its setting. I hope the DLC is going to show us more of Krat in its glorious era though (through memories or some other way)! In any case, I tried to add a multiple layer to the Workshop Union as a working organization. The Guild system is mostly based on irl guilds so every 'faction' has its important role within the Union. Oh, and the Legendary Stalker was mentioned by 'Fratello'. I named her Hortensia (The Peacock) for the sake of symbolism. Her story will shed some light to the Stalkers' true nature. Thank you for reading, stay tuned for the next chapter!

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