Wretched Aberrations

She was born to a Prostitute and well, whoever the father is.

According to the Orphanage, she was found by the bobbies in an alley and taken to the Orphanage.

Growing up there however, was a total nightmare.

As she grew up strangely aware of the world, could read and even know math without being taught, having been BORN with the knowledge, she remained quiet.

There were the good kind and bad kind of attention.

She was born beautiful and as she has no name, the Parish gave her the name Julia.

At first it was the ideal place to live in, but when she was seven, management changed and life took a turn for the worse.

Their daily meal which was bread with cheese and rice gruel became just oatmeal. Bland, tasteless oatmeal.

This was because the money given to the orphanage, was pocketed by the new management for themselves.

Not only that, they don't get clothes anymore. And they could care less if they got sick as that meant more money for them. And they were cruel to children. She even saw that sometimes, children were forced into a cramped carriage, never seeing them again. She noted that these kids, however malnourished, were as pretty as she. So she tends to hide out of sight.

Julia sent a letter to the police for subtle investigation and help. But no help came.

One way out.

She rallied the orphans and conspired to burn the Orphanage so they would all go to a new home while these people would be out of a job and excuse to pocket away money meant for the kids. So taking kerosene, she and the older kids poured it in the hallways where the adults have their rooms, the stairs, and then everywhere. They then washed their hands while they lit the orphanage up, and watched as the orange flames lit up and within minutes, could hear the screams for help from the adults upstairs, neighbors woke up and saw one hell of a bonfire.

By the time the authorities got there, it was too late, but the children safe. The management wasn't.

Julia spoke to the newspaper people what was happening in the orphanage since management changed and life under them was so horrible that when the fire happened, the children only bothered to save themselves and each other than save their corrupt abusers who were 'drunk stupid'. Why should they?

The fire was presumed to start from a neglected, leaking lamp that spread fast as the orphanage building was really old that it catching and spreading fire fast was pretty much the consensus of what happened.

So they were taken to another orphanage and due to the Newspaper Headlines, Orphanages are under scrutiny as declared by law while the older children were sent to the Workhouses to start learning how to make a living.

Life in the Workhouse was worse, if you're nine years old that Julia chose to leave with her fellow children than put up with another day in there.

Under her lead, they became a gang of pickpockets, attacking drunk or careless prey at night for their coin. All of them live in an apartment in the slums, 5 Shillings a week was the rent. But they were very wealthy...by poor people standards at least. They ate and dressed well because Julia was that good of a leader and her gang respected her as she dressed like a boy as one can't pickpocket in a skirt. She taught them how to write, read, and do maths on paper and pencil and how to cook when she cooks their dinner(though all they could do was look as she teaches them), but she has no idea how the money system works, they have to go to school to learn from a decent person, not a person who'd give them wrong information.

With money, they can afford to go to school by day...and thieve at night.

At school, they learn only three things, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. They came for the Math and Math in school, was about money so they wouldn't be cheated in life, and were taught how to use the abacus. Girls were taught how to sew, knit and embroider. School was the ONLY TIME the girls in the gang would wear a dress as girls dressing up like boys, were a big no-no but the orphans could care less. Convenience of life, was more important to them and survival.

In the slums, they were known as 'the wealthiest poor'. People there wondered how they were so successful that they could afford to have hot, delicious meals and even shoes to wear that actually fit them. And to avoid trouble, they help out in food by making a vast cookout every dinner.

Some of her gang voiced out about why they have to do this.

'Human beings are wretched things. Particularly the poor who almost have nothing.' Julia would tell her gang. 'They envy anyone who possess more than themselves, and despise those who have nothing. We are the former targeted by the resentment of those poorer than us, while the rich hate us because they have to donate to charity to look good to their peers despite how they truly feel about us, a waste of coin who should just die so they can keep their money to themselves. Just like what happened to us in the Orphanage we used to belong to when the people who actually cared about us, are replaced by corrupt, greedy people who starved us while they ate a lot in front of us and hit us when we wanted food.' she told them.

'So to prevent anyone attacking us just because we're well-off by poor standards, we have to do this. Throw in our lot. You don't like it, I don't like it either, but survival's on the line here. If we share, nobody will resent us and try to attack our apartment for our combined savings just to be able to fund this nightly cookout.'

Her gang exchanged looks before grumbling unhappily. Because Julia was always right.

She was the smartest of them all, and never led them wrong.

Their daily meals were rice from the Oriental Quarter of East End, and the sacks of rice were worth a Guinea while a kilo of rice was worth a half-penny. They eat rice instead of bread as rice cannot be adulterated unlike flour, and Asians and Indians like their rice. They have connections to the Oriental Quarter of East End for rice and fish as its cheaper in the docks, and buy only fish with less troublesome bones while they buy everything else in the markets. They never buy meat, only vegetables, eggs and condiments.

Thus dinner at their area of East End, was filling. Very flavorful, delicious Rice Gruel with diced vegetables. While they provided food to a limited number of families as they're not THAT rich, they DO rotate groups to be fair every month. The group they feed have the chance to save up money for the month before their turn ends. Free feeding aside, they taught how to have it real cheap and more filling to save up on money.

In East End, Julia was known as the 'Brains of the Wretched'. And her gang the Wretched Aberrations.

This was because while they were poor, they were somehow well-off, very healthy - something impossible for the poor, educated, and hold Dinner Cookouts because they only appear at night.

However, this activity didn't stay hidden for long, when the more unsavory folk got wind of it and attacked one sunday by hooligans, and Julia's Gang viciously fought back, and it ended bloody. Death on the other side while Julia's gang had injuries.

For money and free treatment, they sold the bodies to hospitals for doctors to 'study on'. They got big money for the bodies, fifteen pounds per corpse, and they could afford hospital treatment for themselves for their injuries.

'Man that was nasty. Never thought doctors are actually gonna buy the bodies for training doctors!'

'At least we got good money for our troubles. Maybe we should make this a business?'

'Hell no, people will think we're killers who sell the bodies! You want the bobbies on us or worse, THOSE guys?!' Julia growled at her gang. 'If THEY are on the case, those involved tend to die!' she snapped at them as her injured gulped. 'We will NOT do this unless we have no choice in the matter! Are we clear?!'

'Y-Yes boss.'

'Good! Being pickpockets is far safer than that!'

'Them'.

Feared in East End.

The people known as the Queen's Watchdogs who keep an eye on the Underground and prevent them from leaking to 'good old society' or crimes the Yard cannot handle.

They're ruthlessly efficient, and deaths happen when they're active.

Pickpocketing drunk morons, was a far safer occupation. The law only gives a damn if you're caught.

xxx

Unknown to her gang, Julia was no ordinary girl.

Pretty, smart and capable aside, she was also a girl who possessed strange powers.

Things happens as she wants them to.

She often uses her powers to strike at night, and taking advantage of the crowd, Pounds and Shillings appear in her pouch. She takes two pounds each from noblemen who go out with their dates to theatres, operas, and where they socialize and she goes home, pouch heavy with money.

To her gang, she was the best thief.

They just don't know how easy she has it with little to no effort.

The Wretched Aberrations was a large gang of orphans in East End led by her.

Those who couldn't pickpocket and go to work has their own contribution to keep their place in the gang. They work as informants or do chores, and they remain well-fed and well-clothed. And the Aberrations are capable of writing, proper grammar, reading and math. It was why orphans want to join the gang to be able to find work someday after years of staying with the gang. A common thing in the gang is that the girls wear boys' clothes for efficiency's sake as the rule.

Their hideout contains old bookshelves of books on various subjects as well as famous novels. So those who know how to read, can read books and be more educated in their spare time. Their furniture were of course, old and worn-out discarded by the well-off and wealthy. They have several rooms for themselves in the apartment which served as their library, bedrooms, and kitchen.

End result was that too much infamy led to a visitation.

xxx

East End...

A certain pair headed for the territory of the gang which was near the docks.

'This should be the place.'

There were a lot of kids.

Clean and well-dressed for commoners in fact.

'Hey, you don't belong here rich boy, leave while you can.'

'Yeah, you'll be pig food if you leave our turf. Our turf is safe, others in East End isn't.'

'Go home.'

'We're here to meet your boss.' said the boy. 'Is the Brain home?'

'She is. This way.' They led the pair of man and child upstairs, to a room.

'Julia! Unusual Guests!' the kid knocked on the door.

'Come in!' Inside, was an office fit for an abandoned building. There was a teenage girl in her mid teens, dressed like a boy, her hair in a low ponytail.

Pale-skinned, black glossy hair and vivid, bright-amber eyes. 'Unusual alright. You're the kind that should be in Eton or Weston at your age.'

'You are well-informed of East End I hear.'

'Yep. Our gang looks after orphans and they work as informants in return for education, food and clothing.' said Julia. 'Those able-bodied, you can predict what we do to make a living to support a group this large. So what do you wish to know? Plenty happens here.'

'Jack the Ripper.'

'Ohhh, that one.' Julia chuckled. 'Nasty, that one. Poor Barry puked when he saw the body and called the Undertaker to make off with the body.' she said. 'However, the way the bodies are done...two madmen taking on the identity of one person did it.'

'What makes you think its two, not one?' the gentleman asked curiously.

'The front job was too clean, precise and trouble-free if you ask me.' Julia told them. 'The tool used is very sharp, something only the wealthy can afford. No kitchen knife can do that or a combat knife we stole from some drunk bobby. We bought one and tried it out on the skin of one of the dead bodies, it took longer than whatever they used, and not as good as results compared to the damages done.' Julia told them.

'If you work alone, the cuts on the body should be more messed up with a struggle as naturally, the victim would fight back. It would make sense that somebody is holding them from behind while the other did the butchering. While its possible to do it alone while still a clean job, there's no knock-out bruise that suggest otherwise and even then, the sheer pain would wake up an unconscious person right away.' she said. 'And its a long death of suffering after they cut her open, bleeding to death in agony. Her face screams it all.'

'However, the attacked place was always very specific.' Julia continued with a dark look on her face. 'Whores attacked, their wombs taken out. As if pulled out by a rough, brutal yank as we saw torn bits in there.'

'The womb?' the boy blinked.

'The womb is where babies are made after a man and a woman do lovey-dovey in the bedroom with pillow talk. We all came from there as babies, and one day you'll make a baby with your honey too.' Julia informed him with a naughty grin as the pair sputtered at her choice words before she went serious. 'We investigated the whores in question. They are those who just recently had abortions...in Royal London Hospital when we asked the Brothels they work in. You might wanna look into that as the trail goes cold from there. Those rude bastards kick us out unless we're paying patients.' she scowled.

'Any possible motive about these murders?' the boy asked again.

'Well, cross out jilted lovers as whores cheat on a daily basis, bedding different man each night, the culprit can be a pair who were bitter about being abandoned at birth, or a pair who can't have kids and want their own children so bad yet these whores who can have kids gladly abort their kids to maintain their profit margins its like a slap to their face.' she said. 'This is a serial murder of bitter spite. Check out the Hospital as we can't go in there, the rest is up to you...little puppy.' she said, giving the boy a meaningful, knowing look, knowing his identity but not his name. 'By the way, as we took risks every night trying to glimpse who these madmen could be but they're as slippery as darkness itself, I'll charge you 20 pounds. We do feed a lot of people here you know.'

'Very well.' the boy gestured to the man who paid Julia the amount requested.

'Pleasure doing business but a warning. They are aberrations of hatred with access to dangerous toys. We know that our clue to answer our next few questions is in that hospital. And they have those nice toys for surgery. Either they got access to such toys thrown away or they work there, or supplied our madmen out of sympathy, who knows?'

'Riiight...but what about your gang? Anyone bitter about abandonment?'

'Nope. We hate adults for the crap we put up with until we created this gang to survive, but we're not stupid enough to go on a killing spree to find who could be our mother and get your unwanted attention.' Julia scoffed. 'Any wrong-doer who gets your attention tend to disappear to who-knows-where so my subordinates know to behave. We don't smell like blood either don't we?'

'We'll take your word for that.' and they left.

xxx

'Wretched Aberrations, huh?' Ciel Phantomhive mused as they left East End back home for the townhouse in London.

'But still, we got more from her than Undertaker at least.' said Sebastian Michaelis. 'And our next destination is...'

'Royal London Hospital. The whores who go there die a grisly end.' Ciel muttered darkly. 'Investigate the gang before you go to the hospital.'

'Yes, my lord. But young master, about Julia...'

'Hm?'

'She's no ordinary human.' Sebastian smirked. 'Human in body but she possesses supernatural abilities black cults wish they have. I sensed her power.'

Ciel looked thoughtful at this.

'Is that so...?'