AFAIK we never got to see the Steel knuckle squad as kids. What were they like when they were little?
That's true! Their origin stories all began a bit later in their lives, so we didn't get to look into their childhoods the way we did with most of the other FGG.
I do have an illustration of a young Javaan and his mother here, but no artwork of the other SKS guys as kids yet.
Linde was a typical snotty rich girl, with one key difference...she didn't have a lot of friends. She was actually quite lonely, since her parents sent her to private school and forbade her from going out very much. They were worried about her safety due to her albinism, as people in their region are very superstitious and have ignorant beliefs about albino people.
As a child, Linde spent too much time alone, consuming media that made her feel bad about herself. She was terribly self-critical and insecure from a young age. When I imagine Linde as a child, I see an agitated, demanding, and unpleasant little girl. Despite her family's wealth, I don't think she was very happy back then.
As for Balthazaar, he claims he had a normal, happy childhood. Though he lived in a crowded house and his family was far from rich, they all loved and supported eachother. I think Balthazaar's biggest problem in his youth was his impulsivity. He was bad-tempered and quick to throw punches, and ultimately this got him into huge trouble as an adult. I think Balthazaar's parents were stretched thin with their jobs and too many kids, so maybe Balthazaar didn't get as much attention as he needed. He meant well, but he was kind of a troublemaker.
Skel speaks fondly of his life with the Barhatian royal family. Though he was technically a slave, the family never treated him like one. Instead, the king and queen treated him like one of their own children. He lived a charmed life, or so he thought. Maybe he was a little spoiled, but overall he was a happy and carefree boy...very much a contrast to the bitter, neurotic man he grew up to be! In his youth he was known for being sweet, mischievious, and romantic. It's a shame that life beat these qualities out of him later on.
I don't think Javaan ever really got to be a kid. From the day he was born, he learned that the world was harsh and unfair, and there was no time for games. His mother taught him empathy. She told him that a loveless, degenerate existence is not worth surviving for; It's love that makes life worth living. Javaan really took that to heart, so even in his most desperate moments, he tried to show mercy and kindness to others. I imagine Javaan was a good-hearted boy who was forced to commit bad behaviors by his circumstances, but ultimately that's what motivated him to seek a better life as an adult.