May was a stage performer who danced and sing at night pubs. She mostly travelled within the Steam houses and rarely ever made it to the city. Some days she felt like she sold her freedom, she got to eat and drink more, but she didn't really get paid, maybe because the company was already spending on her, so she didn't let it bother, she got to eat, drink and travel. She felt it was much better than wallowing away with her boring miserable life. May was a free bird in a huge cage, enough to have her wings spread up, but not enough to fly freely; she knew the way out, but she refused to leave in fear of what might happen to her.
Ash was walking quietly when Lynx spoke.
" Is she your mother?"
" No. She just helped raising me and helping my dad when I was younger. You see how he is," Ash answered his voice low and trailing. There was a shift in his emotions and Lynx could tell, but didn't know what to say.
Ash was deep in thought as he walked. All he ever thought about was getting his father from the miserable life, but what about the people who helped him in life? Would he have to repay them? Growing up was disastrous and cruel, you couldn't show too much weakness or kindness. But either so he got help once or twice before. He hadn't thought about anyone other from his father for a while, but seeing May now he remembers how she used to take care of him and not once had he thought about her or to repay her, he had almost forgotten her kindness.
Days passed and so did the first week of break. Ash and Lynx kept at the restaurant and remained home mostly, sometimes going for walks for exercise. It was another morning and Ash and Lynx were going over to the restaurant along with Wester. They stood at the door while Wester unlocked it and then coming from around the corner Ash saw some familiar faces. He scoffed feeling bothered already.
" If it isn't our best friend Ash," The boy at the front said stopping before Ash. Ash answered rolling his eyes.
" Oh the runner boys," Wester chuckled turning around. The teens were called the runner boys despite having a female member.
The Runner Boys was the name given to the teens who parkour around town. Their game were mostly played in the summer once in a while at first, but with passing generations it was something that they did every summer. It was mainly the young boys who played and soon girls started joining in too, but the title remained the same. It was fun to watch them at times, but at the same time bothersome as they leaped from building to building and caused destruction, even delaying traffic. Polices tried catching them a few times but always failed. The Runner boys knew every bend and turn, up and down over the entire city, from the widest gap to the tightest air space.
It had been a while since the Runner Boys were seen in action, but for this school break they would be and the entire city was their play ground.
" Oh Mr. Wester. Nice seeing you too again. It's been years," the boy smiled kindly.
" Seems like you kids plan to spice up the holiday,"
" Yes so we came to get our friend Ash"
" Ash has friends?" Lynx said who was silent the entire time.
" Oh and who's this?"
" None of your business," Ash said finally speaking.
" Protective aren't we," the boys chuckled. " Anyways let's cut to the chase I don't got all day. We'll have a race to P tower and because you got a new friend we'll spice up the game with some changes,"
" They're eight of us now, but we'll pick up Rim and Jim on the way. We'll start at two different points each adjacent to the other, then we'll all head to the tower. Each group with five and their partner will be on the opposite side. If you come in first you get ten points all the way to last place that will get one and then your point along with your teammates points will give you the final score," the boy explained with finger gestures.
Ash had played the game a lot growing up, but hadn't since the last three years as he put all his time into studies. And he wasn't really interested now either as he only planned on helping his father.
" You explaining like I agreed to play," Ash responded.
" I know you will," the boy said with a sly smirk. "Mr. Wester Ash gonna play with us for a bit," the boy shouted over Ash's shoulder as Wester was in the restaurant.
" No problem," Wester answered pleased. " Lynx you should go too,". Lynx was also inside with Wester and was already wearing his apron.
" I should?" Lynx questioned.
" Yeah you should come," the boy invited from the outside with a smile.
" Oh ok," Lynx said untying the apron.
" We don't got a mask," Ash said hoping it would get him out of the race.
" Already got you covered," R-jay laughed.
"Tchh," Ash frowned wishing R-jay hadn't.
Ash didn't want to play but agreed, if he didn't play they might stay and would be around everyday. He thought it was best to give them a thrill worthy race so they wouldn't have to bother him again. The terrain had changed over the years, due to people moving and coming and the upgrades, so he couldn't take his usual route and besides he wasn't the only person with a disadvantage there either. R-jay had moved five years ago and the place had changed a lot since then, three of his friends weren't from there so they too were behind and then there was Lynx who didn't know the place so much.
The teens picked up the other two. Before they separated R-jay handed them their digital mask, their were few of them who already had there's though. The mask was a small circular flat gadget that they would stick on one side of there temple, then tapped twice to activate. A screen would like pixilate over there face and would display funny looking expressions. Some had X's or weird shapes for eyes and mouth.
Lynx mask showed two X's that represented his eyes and a wide smile connecting them. Ash found it creepy, it was the opposite of Lynx's usual expression. Ash's mask had one X for an eye and an upside-down semi-circle for a mouth. R-jay's mask was similar to Lynx's, but instead of X for eyes her had small over turned semi-circles.
They all then separated into two groups. When they were all at their post they used a 9:00 clock alarm that often blurted to start them off. When they heard the noise they were off. They all started giving each other space as they made their way to the finish line. Ash climbed up and over buildings going as fast as he could. He took a short cut he was familiar with but got stopped with a dead end, he cursed leaping from building to building then over them.
It wasn't too long when the police port received numerous phone ins that some kids were jumping on their roof. The police who answered the line knew exactly what was happening.
" The runner boys," he said within his throat. The head of the police didn't want to waste time trying to catch the teens as it was almost impossible, but despite that he sent out a team of five cops.
Lynx was with the opposite group and was also performing stuns of his own, he didn't know the terrain, but he remembered Ash's words saying all he needed to do was to keep his eye on the tower and follow it and he was to avoid downfall district. If he ended up on downfall district he should run from the tower and not towards it as in downfall district it created an illusion turning images on opposite sides.
Lynx was passing over downfall district when he felt a push from behind. Lynx reacted with fast reflexes and used his hands standing to balance himself then pushed up swinging his body around and then he used one of his foot hooking it into a space between the buildings.
" New guys got skills," R-jay chuckled taking a quick glance over his shoulder and then he spotted one of the cops to the left.
"Better not get caught," R-jay said to himself and then perform a stunt of his own. He was near the edge of a building, he then flicked over on his hand dropping to the streets and dived into a building.
Finally after about fifteen minutes the race was over. R-jay had came in first, Lynx in second and Ash in third, but Ash and Lynx won the over all match as R-jay's teammate came in fifth place. All the teens were gathered at the tower. No one got caught by the cops.
" I can't believe I came first. New guy here almost beat me," R-jay laughed, he didn't care he lost the overall match, he was happy knowing he bested Ash ."Let's head back to Ash's dad restaurant for something to eat"
They all went back to the restaurant engrossed in the conversation about the race.
" Oh by the way Ash I heard you got into Robotic High. Congrats" R-jay said as he stuffed his face and the others nodded in agreement.
" Yeah thanks. Words around that you got into Renx High," Ash commented putting a plate on the table. Renx High was a school in the city while it couldn't be compare to Robotic High it was still a good school for normal people.
" Yeah,"
" Oh and how did you manage to come first in the race?" Ash asked. There was no way R-jay could have come first, it had been like five years and his favorite route was blocked and he's sure other routes had been cut off too.
" I scouted which route I wanted to take few days ago," R-jay responded with ease stuffing his face again and laughed.
Ash already knew it must have been something like that. That was just how R-jay was he was always thinking ahead , he was competitive and smart. He carries an intense presence around him, but he was actually an easy going guy. He might come off intimidating but he was always good at heart, sometimes.
Ash thought R-jay's personality was a puzzling one and with deeper thinking Ash noticed he knew others with puzzling personalities. There was his father, Lynx, Quil, the guy who got them in trouble on the trip and master of all puzzlement Zen.
" By the way who's that?" A boy asked pointing at Lynx.
" Oh I wanted to ask that too,"
" He's a good runner and very flexible. It's like he knows the place more than us," one of them praised.
" I pushed him into downfall district and he didn't even get lost," the commented while admitting her act, as she did so she scratched her head feeling awkward and shy.
" He's Lynx," Ash answered.
" He's not from around here that's for sure. If he some long lost family?" one of the boy's asked and they all looked Lynx up and down before staring at Ash for answers.
" No, it's a long story," Ash answered almost stuttering as their gaze felt heavy
" Ahhh," they all said together.
"Anyways," R-jay started and then went on introducing everyone so that they all could have a sense of familiarity. Wester gave them free food and they thanked him with a group hug. R-jay pulled Ash into the hug before he could dodge them and Lynx too was squeezed in. They continued on taking of their lives, school, future plans and old memories.
The night ended with all of them sleeping on the floor. The remaining holiday went by, the day before their break was over Ash and Lynx travel back to school.