#this is probably the only AU where Spandam isn't an entirely terrible person

[galleylapresident]

AU where young Spandam, in a fit of uncharacteristic ethics, runs away with as many child recruits of CP9 as he can convince to follow him. The children in question—twelve-year-old Blueno, ten-year-old Lucci, seven-year-old Kalifa, and five-year-old Kaku—are initially unsure about following Spandam, but he convinces them to follow him with the paperwork authorizing him to do whatever it takes to obtain the plans. Having been trained to do whatever their commanding officers tell them, it doesn't take more.

Having acquired the children and getting to Water 7, Spandam finally realizes that there's no going back from what he's done. Yes, he was authorized to do whatever it took to get the plans, but kidnapping child recruits before their training(and brainwashing) is complete is definitely against the rules. He tells himself that it's because Tom takes children as apprentices, so the easiest way to get a hold of the Pluton plans is to use one of them to gain his trust, but really he found out that the CP9 trainers were about to send Blueno and Lucci (seas, he's not even teenager) off on their first missions. Spandine had put Spandam through hellish training but at least he'd waited until Spandam was fifteen. Whatever tiny bits of conscious and morals that survived Spandine couldn't allow him to let children kill people for a government he doesn't even believe in.

So he took them and ran to Water 7. Faked plans left behind said he was headed for the West Blue, but seas know he didn't have the funds to get that far. He sold his stolen government ship for scrap and meant to buy a new one but didn't have the funds, leaving them trapped in a dying city with limited options.

At least, his options are limited until a kindly fishman decided to take a chance on a clumsy single father with four clearly traumatized kids and brings him on as an older apprentice. Maybe the kids can keep Franky out of trouble and Franky can help teach them how to be kids again.