It always happened during the sound of an incoming train. The high pitched screech of the arrival whistle perfectly masked the moments when coins were swiped from unguarded pockets and soft snickers of another successful pilferage escaped with a cheeky pickpocket. For the new arrivals within Strathaven's walls it was a common mistake to only be wary of jaded ruffians or shady miscreants that lurked along the city streets. In truth there was another force of villainy who preyed upon the unwitting denizens as they passed through the extravagant structure of Basel Station. They were the Rapscallions; menacing pint-sized masterminds who brazenly operated in the light of day.  Even though they only stood at half the size of the men they swindled and barely brushed the age when a boy's voice would start to crack, they were a force to be reckoned with. Two orphans undisputed in their territorial claims, who truly feared no adults and refused to conform or heed to the law.  Though it wasn't uncommon for newcomers to wander in unknowingly, trespassers would eventually learn the hard way they chose to trifle with the wrong territory.

The small boy cursed under his breath as he removed his hand from the fifth empty pocket that morning. He kicked at the ground as he disappeared back within the flow of new arrivals. He was quick to make himself scarce, knowing full well that when that last gentleman found his wallet gone he would surely call for the law, and Nino was already quite well-acquainted with the station guards.

Meanwhile, Chiz worked diligently on the other end of the station. A large high-backed bench that catered to businessmen and the like going about their travels allowed these gents to sit and read the paper or grab a quick shine of their shoes as they conversed before embarking upon the rest of their day. A row of boys all about the same age squatted at their feet, their rags and brushes working furiously as they earned their wage with the reflection produced from expensive shoes. Chiz looked up from his polish job as he heard the familiar sound of the shrill whistle echoing throughout the massive structure. His eyes scanned the rafters above until he caught sight of Nino. The boy's gray cap was tipped low to conceal his face, but Chiz recognized him easily from his scraggly attire as Nino perched atop of the arrivals signboard flailing his arms for attention. The crowd below seemed oblivious to raise any concern for his well-being as they continued about their day as though he didn't exist.

The hand signals were of their own device. Nino quickly made a series of furious gestures as he held upon the hanging chain of the sign to make sure he didn't fall off this time.

"Lookout... we have... a... shadow." Chiz spoke softly until the interrupting cough of his customer quickly dragged him back to the task at hand and he absentmindedly continued wiping at the shoe with his rag.

He turned back again, this time scanning the crowd as he checked for any suspicious behavior besides their own. He was definitely looking for something small, something almost insignificant, like the taking of a rather large man's wallet two platforms away. Chiz stood immediately, tossing down his rag and confusing his client who watched the boy whistle loudly in riposte and disappear into the massive sea of over-sized skirts and suits.

Hearing the call, Nino looked sharp for the blond haired pipsqueak and found him immediately. Chiz's small hand pointed with urgency in a general direction that Nino knew well and with his vantage point perched so high up he quickly found the little bastard that was working their stomping ground. Looking back to Chiz he gave another whistle, one last signal before he swooped down and was off in hot pursuit. He moved through the rush of bodies as though he were swimming against the tide. Pressing on regardless, his anger fueled him as he slipped between legs, and helped himself to a few loose coins on the way. He would have his revenge, and surely so would Chiz. A blind eye didn't hurt them every now and then, but this new fellow hadn't come to pay his respects and request some ground to play with, which meant he was fair game to the a full on Rapscallion welcome.

Chiz arrived as the runt had just slipped away, briefly taking notice of the rather large man who was by now likely picked clean yet oblivious as to what had just happened to him. Chiz passed by him casually, calling out slightly to see if he could catch the attention of the little riff raff disappearing into another group of arrivals, instead getting unintended attention.

"Excuse me boy, but I'll be taking my billfold back." A woman screamed close by, her words rambling on about a missing ring. The man that spoke reached out to grab him, gripping Chiz's shoulder quickly before he could get away with a vice-like hold that tightened as he glared menacingly at the child. "And my wife's wedding ring."

Chiz looked the man over once again. He was more than double the boy's size with a bulky stature that wasn't just all fat. The pudgy fingers upon his shoulder tightened even more with a crushing pressure that could easily break bone if given further reason. Another over emphatic scream from the woman quickly took his attention away from the scary gentleman as he finally took a brief look at the wife. Chiz winced, but not from the grip on his shoulder. "Are you sure you want the ring back? I mean, look at her..."

The man's anger boiled over from Chiz's words. His eyes bulged in their sockets and what little patience he may have had dissipated completely as his hand became a vice, and he made the boy cry out in pain. Struggling to be free, Chiz retaliated against the painful hold. "Let me go, dammit, that hurts!"

"Oh I'll let you go. Right into the station guard's care and there you can watch as I explain why snapping your shoulder in half was the only way to get my possessions back."

"I didn't take anything." Chiz continued to struggle, crying out again as the pain didn't ease in the slightest. It seemed the man was more than ready to hold his prey until the authorities arrived. Chiz looked around with a bit of desperation mixed with an uneasy feeling, where the hell was Nino?

"Oy!"

The man and Chiz both looked up from the sudden sound of a third voice. The blur of a child hurtling towards them from the top of the baggage rack feet first didn't give the man enough time to shield himself. Nino's feet planted firmly in the stranger's face, knocking him back and causing him to lose his balance, until his own weight worked against him and he quickly found himself a victim of gravity. Luckily the blow was enough to weaken the fat man's grip upon Chiz's shoulder, allowing the boy to slip free. The crowd observing took notice of the boys' impressive escape, but the pure absurdity of such an act left those who witnessed it stunned until the two boys had vanished.

They dove back into the fray of moving bodies to escape the messy situation, not forgetting they still had yet another that warranted their undivided attention. Nino led the way, pulling Chiz along roughly as they fought to catch up with the small thief causing unnecessary chaos within their midst. When they finally caught sight of the trespasser again he was rounding near the general benches, his destination was mostly likely the main entrance.

"I'm going around to the staff box, don't lose him," Nino explained as he split off from Chiz. Taking off towards the help counter for a more straightforward path, Nino left Chiz to show off his agility and quick thinking as the younger boy took the low road of choices. Chiz bounded off towards the benches, hurtling over the empty rows and finding himself lucky as he dodged errant baggage and a few people, allowing him to quickly catch up. His eyes focused on the small child a few yards ahead of him, finally able to peg him as a boy, but unable to recognize his face. The baggy clothes the stranger wore seemed to slow him down a bit as he ran and a few coins tinkled to the floor in his wake, but Chiz ignored them as he had his eyes on a bigger prize.

They both pushed past the incoming departures and slipped through the twisting rope way that made up the waiting line. Nino finally showed back up amidst screams from the help window girls as he took a shortcut through one on of their booths. He never could help himself copping a quick feel on his way through to show his appreciation for their fine service. He grinned as he escaped with one of the elder conductors chasing behind him, but he lost the old man easily as he bolted out the front doors of the station with Chiz close by his side.

"Why is he so damn fast?" Nino grumbled.

"Cause he's little..." Chiz looked over at Nino as they huffed down the stairs. "I'm sure you used to be that fast," he remarked with a smirk.

Nino took a slight offense to his words, daring a dangerous leap forward and past a few steps as he landed upon the cobblestone street below. While he continued to run, a soft smile spread on his face as he showed he was nowhere near getting too old to play games. The gap between Chiz and himself widened, as he refused to let Chiz have this one first. "Hey, come on!" Giving a bit of a wave, Nino ran out into the road and towards the alleyways that led further into the back end of the merchant's district.

"Wait up!" Chiz took the steps a little cautiously as he felt he had already tested his luck enough for the day. Nino disappeared down the street a ways, ducking into a split between the large buildings adjacent from the station. The hidden recesses of the backstreets and alleyways of Strathaven were always the best spots for immoral deeds and underhanded transactions to be conducted. Chiz slowed slightly as he entered the narrow alley, almost nervous as usually he and Nino would avoid the labyrinth of passages and travel by rooftop instead. The things they had witnessed as they grew up within this city were still nothing compared to the stories that these walls could tell. As Chiz approached Nino standing perfectly still and unmoving, he knew something was wrong.

Nino shot out an arm in protest of him coming any closer, stopping Chiz dead in his tracks as he never questioned a warning, verbal or not. Curious blue eyes gazed forward, looking around Nino and finding the source of vicious snarling that slowly began to build as his panted breaths subsided. Three ferocious dogs stood resolutely in their way, blocking them from going any further as they both caught sight of the small thief taking refuge around another passage. However, he was the least of their concerns now as the dogs continued to obstruct them, their low growls turning to sharp barks that pierced their ears. Black as coal and with yellow stained fangs dripping with drool, they were the perfect defense mechanism for a clean get away, as the echoes of small footsteps faded away with the thief.

"Walk backwards very slowly." Nino spoke softly, his eyes never leaving the beasts as another series of ear shattering ferocious barks sounded off from the dogs as his lips finished moving and his body began to gradually inch backwards. He had known many a guard dog in his day, and was well acquainted with the fact that he need not look the creatures anywhere else but their eyes. They stood watching him in return, hellish hounds ready to strip his flesh from bone without blinking, their bodies easing forward with the force of their growls. Chiz nodded in an unseen compliance to Nino's words, too afraid to speak as they both began to inch backwards.

"When I give the mark, turn and run." Nino's brain quickly tried to muster a real plan of escape other than just turning tail. Quickly recalling when he had entered the damp alleyway he drew up the memory of nearby rubbish bins that he had passed. The idea churned until he was sure of it being slightly successful; he couldn't stop the dogs but he could slow them down. He sensed Chiz was a few steps behind him still as he looked forward and began to speak once again. "Ready, set, MARK!"

The speed in which they both turned and took off in was lightning quick and the dog's reaction just as sharp as they immediately gave chase. Their hearts raced ahead of them nearly bursting from their chests as a mix of fear and adrenaline pushed them onward without a second though. Nino caught sight of the bins, a spare arm reached out and grabbed one up, letting it fly back behind him into a few others to spring a domino effect of refuse and confusion. He smiled at the sound of crashing bins and the whine of furious dogs slightly fading away, but neither boy stopped to inspect the handiwork. Both kept running regardless, not so easily fooled by an impression of safety finding them so easily.

Exiting out into the expanse of gray sky never felt so welcomed as they left the alleyway behind, not a second thought of intervention rang out in protest as they split off in opposite directions; their fear for individual safety sending them blindly apart. Yet the sight of their vicious attackers didn't follow after them, which was a mystery unto itself.

Both boys finally stopped about a half block down in opposite directions, chancing a look back and noticing immediately that they were no longer being pursued. Out of breath and winded they crept back towards the entrance way, youthful curiosity compelling them as they peered down and saw nothing within it except for the trail of garbage from their escape.

Chiz edged forward, disbelief in his voice and expression as he curiously wondered how the dogs had just vanished. "What in the name of..."

Another shrill whistle blew out into the day, this one directed right at them. They both turned to see a constable accompanied by a very large and angry man coming straight towards them.

Nino looked over at Chiz. "See you back at home?"

"I'll be a bit late," he smiled. "I gotta salvage some more pig grease for the polish. You know for the shine." He gave Nino a knowing wink before dropping into an incredulous look. "Some of us round here gotta make a honest living."