Gangster Child

Backstory

One year ago

        "Will? Can I go outside?"

        "No."

        "Please?" Will turned to glare at me, causing me to shrink back against the wall.

        "Why?" he snapped "So you can go run off to try and find Barnes? He's not going to come back, let alone care enough to remember you." I looked at the ground sadly and Will groaned audibly. "You can go outside for one hour." he conceded "If you're not back by then, I'm locking the door and letting you fend for yourself. Cover that bruise by the way. I don't need people knowing I'm hitting you." I sighed, but quickly took advantage of the opportunity to dart out of the warehouse in San Francisco we were staying at. As I did, I popped the collar of my jacket up to hide the bruise on my neck. My life was in no way perfect, but I was getting used to it.

30 minutes later

        I was lost. Everything looked so unfamiliar and I couldn't even remember which street to turn down.

        "Kiddo, are you lost?" I glanced up and saw a nice looking man watching me.

        "Yeah." I admitted "I'm new to the area. It's OK though. I don't really want to go back home though. My brother's mean." The man's gaze fell onto my neck where my collar had fallen to reveal my bruise from Will.

        "Alright." The man said "Well I'm Scott Lang. Um, do you need a place to stay away from your brother?" I nodded silently. I wasn't entirely sure why I was trusting this man, but I guess after Will, I figured no one could be as bad.

        "Thank you." I whispered, smiling at Scott.

        "No problem Kiddo. What's your name?"

        "Sadie. Sadie Holt."

Two months later

        "Cassie, you have got to stop feeding the giant ant. Now he's coming to me for scraps in the middle of the night!" Cassie giggled as I stuck my tongue out at her teasingly. Scott, Maggie (his ex-wife), and Paxton (Maggie's new husband) all laughed as Cassie and I made faces at each other. I had helped Scott, Hope, and Hank with their ant man problem, and now I was being offered a place to stay permanently.

        "Hey Sadie," Paxton said suddenly "I meant to tell you. I was telling my captain about you and your situation. He wants to find your brother and put him away." A huge smile broke out on my face as I looked up at him excitedly.

        "Really?" I asked, trying to disguise my happiness. Paxton nodded with a grin and I did a little happy dance.

        "Well as happy as this occasion is," Maggie teased "I think it is way past two certain girl's bedtime." Cassie and I moaned in complaint, but begrudgingly headed up stairs to our rooms.

        "Goodnight Care Bear." I whispered as I gave the small girl a hug and kissed her forehead. She smiled and hugged me back tightly before the two of us walked to our separate rooms. I sat on my bed for a little bit, reading my book, until Scott knocked on my open door with a small smile. "Hi." I said with a wave.

        "Hey Kiddo." he said, sitting down on my bed "Why are you still up?" I shrugged and held up my book wordlessly. Scott laughed and took it out of my hands, marking my place as he did. "You should stay sitting down." he said quietly "Because I have been sent in here to tell you that Paxton and Maggie want to adopt you. Apparently I'm the human sacrifice in case you got angry about this, but if you're not, then they'd be very happy to call you their daughter." My eyes widened and I looked at him in shock.

        "Are you serious right now?" I gasped, my emotions flying in a thousand places at once.

        "Would I joke about being a human sacrifice?" I squealed and gave him a hug before bolting out of my room and down to the kitchen where Paxton and Maggie were waiting nervously. They looked up as I ran in, but they smiled as I rammed into both of them in an over enthusiastic hug.

        "Thank you!" I cried as they gently hugged me back.

        "Anytime Sweetie." Maggie whispered "Anytime."

        "OK, so tomorrow we'll go down to the courthouse and make it official." Paxton said as he and Maggie walked me back up to my room. I smiled giddily and dove under the covers, anxious for tomorrow to come. Maggie tucked me in and kissed my forehead before following Paxton to their room.

        "Goodnight Sweetie." she whispered as she turned the light off.

        "Goodnight Mom."

        Something was wrong. I bolted upright and looked around my room nervously for anything that might have woken me up. Nothing seemed to jump out at me, so I was about to fall back asleep, when a hand clamped over my mouth and dragged me from my bed.

        "What the hell Sadie?" Will hissed, slapping me across the face "I've got the whole freaking army on my tail because you couldn't keep your fat mouth shut."

        "Why are you here?" I whimpered once he'd removed his hand from my mouth "I'm out of your life, you don't have me dragging you down anymore. Isn't that what you wanted?"

        "What I want is to not have to move the operation around every week because the cops are trying to bust me." he growled "As for why I'm here... well I wasn't just going to leave my best bargaining chip behind. Your life for the cops to stop chasing me. If that doesn't stop them, well I'm sure that little girl in the next room is a lot more priceless."

        "Leave Cassie alone! I'll go with you," I said "just let me leave a note first."

Dear Scott, Cassie, Maggie, and Paxton

        Don't come after me. Will's taken me back and has threatened my life and Cassie's if you do. Thank you so much for all that you have done for me these past few months. I feel like I've finally found my family in you guys. Tell Hope, Hank, Luis, Kurt, and Dave that I'll miss them. I'll miss you guys too. And Maggie and Paxton, for what it's worth, I think you guys would have been the best parents I could ever ask for.

-Love, Sadie Lang