Eight makes one crew

Origins

Fair warning:this one is a little more gruesome and has mentions of people being killed, tortured and also mentions of blood, skin, guts and decapitated bodies

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"What could have possibly happened that is so bad?" Seongwha wondered, staring at Hongjoong. The smaller man took a deep breath and Seongwha knew this was going to be a long story so he better prepare himself.

"Have you heard of the Black Swan?" Hongjoong started. Seongwha's face fell. Well shit, he wasn't expecting that.

"The captain was my father" Hongjoong added. Seongwha had been standing but he sat down and then emptied the contents of his stomach on the floor. Hongjoong let him be for a moment. It was quite expected, that kind of reaction. Seongwha may be a sheltered prince but even he knew of the horrors that followed the crew of the Black Swan like a storm cloud.

"He kicked me out when I was eleven, after I met Wooyoung" Hongjoong kept going, spilling everything to his friend.

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Hongjoong had always known his future. It was written in stone from the moment that he was six and he picked up a sword for the first time. Now less than five years later, he was beginning to wonder if it wasn't possible to change his future. To be something different than what he was meant to be. He had seen the way his dad's crew was treated and he hated it. If he was going to be Captain, he was going to be a better one than his dad and grandfather and all the captains that came before him.

The final straw came in the form of a small child, face covered in dirt and traces of blood. He was thin and small and he looked at Hongjoong with curiosity. And Hongjoong knew right away that he could not let this child grow up under the harsh ruling fist of his father, Captain Kim. When Hongjoong offered a piece of bread, in his defense it was from Hongjoong's own lunch but that didn't matter, it was knocked from his hand and ruined by touching the dirty decks of the Black Swan. Hongjoong glared at whoever had kicked his hand until he saw that it was his dad and the glare slipped instantly.

"What do you think you are doing, boy?!" The man demanded to know.

"He is too small and underfed" Hongjoong stated, his voice sounding meek and small.

"Well then it's his own fault! He should follow orders, that's what a good crewmate does!" The man roared.

"He's ten!" Hongjoong stood up, hiding the child behind his body. Captain Kim stared down at his son with hatred.

"They all learn young" He insisted. Hongjoong couldn't believe what his dad was saying. Here he was, not even twelve and already a better Captain than his dad.

"I won't stand by and let you treat my future crew like this! You are doing nothing but hurting them and making them hate you! What do you think will happen if you are in danger? Do you think these people will try to save you?! I wouldn't, seeing the way you treat them! I would let you die" Hongjoong couldn't even believe his own words but he found that they were true, the more he thought about it.

SLAP!

The child behind Hongjoong jumped, one hand instinctively clutching onto Hongjoong's white shirt. Hongjoong balled his fist into his shirt, keeping from letting his hand fly up to his face where his father had hit him.

"If you think you are so smart and capable then go! Find your own crew! If that child wants to go with you then he will or he'll die here! That's a lot less than he deserves for his disregard of the rules" Captain Kim yelled, bringing attention to him and his errant son. Hongjoong stood there for a moment before turning and picking up the small child, which was somewhat easy despite the two only being a year apart, and carried him below deck.