"Who would have known how bitter-sweet this would taste?"
{London 1852}
London was indeed a great city, a city full of crime...
It was in the season of summer by that time, the hot sun shone upon the whole nation of England higher than the usual. All of the female residents were in colorful summer outfits and flower hats, and most of the children, rich or poor, are outside playing in the sun, some are running across the cobbled streets, some are playing a hoop, and some are just wandering around.
But there is this one specific girl - no child - a one specific child with a different attire and business. That child was not like the other kids, she wore a gothic dress paired with gothic boots and a black ribbon crowned on her head. She had thick bangs that covers half of her eyes, which makes her more mysterious. Her head was always low, her hands inside her pockets, and she would cast side looks on the people who stare at her.
Valerie del Cano, better known as The Villainess, was the mysterious child described in the previous paragraph. Her clothes was not all black though, her clothes and accessories has the colors and hue of purple as well. But those were the only colors she wore; black and purple.
"Qué gracioso es cuando otras chicas me lanzan miradas." Valerie muttered to the blonde boy next to her while taking a stroll in the streets of London.
"Huh?" Sam Locks, the boy beside her, shot her a questioning look with his brow raised.
"I said 'How funny it is when other girls cast me stares'!" Valerie replied, slightly irritated, "I've been friends with ya since I'm seven an' you still don't know any Spanish words." Valerie added , followed by a playful smirk.
"I ain't Spanish an' yer the on'y Spaniard in the gang." Sam replied. Valerie didn't answer nor react to Sam's usual alibi, instead, she looked at a wanted poster that is posted on a bakery's wall.
"It seems that The Artful Dodger's still nat caught an' is still wanted." Smirked Valerie as she looked at the wanted poster from top to bottom. It had a picture of The Artful Dodger, she knew that Dodger, but had never met him personally. Sometimes, Valerie wished that The Artful Dodger was part of their gang, but she presumed it is too impossible to ever happen.
"Bill Sykes, the most feared man in this whole city, is their gang leader, and I think recruiting The Artful Dodger ain't egzactly (exactly) a very good idea." Said Valerie, slowly shaking her head in disagreement. Valerie, or The Villainess, was in the same rank as The Artful Dodger. Both smart, both cunning, both mysterious, and both good pick-pockets, hence the nicknames that is given to them.
"It is REALLY not a good idea. Yanno that Bill Sykes is enemies with our gang leader, so we're enemies with that Dodger and their other members as well." Sam said, looking directly to Valerie.
Valerie knew that, she isn't supposed to have interest in that Dodger, she's supposed to be rivals with him, but sometimes she felt that she wanted to join Bill Sykes' gang.
"Valerie, I know wot yer thinking, if you're plannin' to join Sykes' gang, I'm telling ya not to." Said Sam as he noticed the expression of daydream on the countenance of Valerie as she looked at the wanted poster, "You know that Wyn our gang leader is enemies with Sykes, an' ya never know, that Dodger might be a crook."
"I know dat Sam Locks!" Valerie snapped after Sam interrupting her thoughts, "I know that The Artful Dodger and his gang are our rivals." Valerie said firmly looking straight into Sam's eyes with certainty.
"Valerie, look behind you." Sam smirked out of the topic.
"¿Cómo?"
"I said look behind ye." Sam repeated, using his lips to point that something behind Valerie. Valerie obeyed and looked behind her, there she saw with her two eyes, The Artful Dodger and Charley Bates, two of Fagin and Bill's gang members. A sly smile slowly etched on Valerie's face as she saw the two other boys trying to pick-pocket an older man.
"Let's do it." Valerie whispered to Sam.
"Stealing from The Artful Dodger an' Charley Bates? Tha's the last thing that I myself would recommend." Sam whispered cautiously whilst shaking his head in a fearful manner. Valerie didn't opened her ears to Sam's cautious advice. Robbing a top thief was not exactly the best move to do.
The Villainess slyly walked behind the two boys, she supposed that they are too careless to even notice that she was behind them. Without thinking clearly, she swiftly slipped her light fingers on The Artful Dodger's pocket. When she felt a leather material, that she presumed was a wallet, she gets ahold of it and slowly pulls it out of the Dodger's pocket. The Villainess felt the sweetness of victory when the leather wallet was gone from Dodger's pocket and she transferred it to her own pocket.
She grinned in satisfaction and looked at Sam who was also in great disbelief! But that victory was not long lasting,
"I've felt dat." The Artful Dodger muttered, looking over his right shoulder to see a half view of Valerie who's smile faded in an instant.