In an Alley.
"Take this, you punk!"
A fist connected with a boy's face, snapping his head back. He stumbled but surged forward, thrusting his own fist into his attacker's nose with a satisfying crunch. The boy yelped and went down.
"Gotcha—" the boy's victory grunt was cut short as a boot flew from behind, colliding with his head.
Thwack!
He groaned, the world spinning as he fell face first to the grimy alley floor. Instinctively, he curled his body, shielding the small, cat like creature clutched to his chest.
"Zack, I told you this was a bad idea!!"
Falling to the floor by his side was a boy who had a brown short hair and this hairstyle was a low fade cut and light brown eyes as he had dirt on his face and having a short-pointed nose which fixed perfectly on his face and his skin complexion was light brown.
"Well, I couldn't just watch it die," the boy named Zack muttered through gritted teeth as multiple boots began to drum against his ribs and back. He turned his body into a cage, protecting the trembling creature within the circle of his arms.
Both boys absorbed the brutal kicks, arms wrapped around their heads, each impact a jarring lesson in pain.
"How do you like that, huh? Where's your fighting spirit now, you weaklings?!" The boy with the bleeding nose snarled, holding his face with a twisted expression. "Beat the crap out of them! He broke my nose!"
"Four against two… real fair, guys…" Alex wheezed from under a flurry of kicks.
Suddenly, a voice, cold and authoritative, cut through the alley. "Hey!! What are you boys doing?"
(A savior! Thank goodness!) Alex's heart leaped with desperate gratitude.
The attackers froze, then slowly turned. Their bravado evaporated, replaced by pure dread.
"It's… Mr. Sam!!" one blurted out, his voice trembling.
Standing at the alley's entrance was a man with short black hair and piercing grey eyes that held a glacial stare. His muscular frame was evident even through his clothes, the definition of his abs suggesting a power that went beyond mere strength. He was the neighborhood's unofficial sheriff, an Abilitan with a C-rank ability and a legendary zero tolerance policy for bullies.
The boys didn't need a second warning. They scrambled to their feet and fled down the opposite end of the alley, their earlier swagger replaced by the frantic patter of retreating footsteps.
"Finally… it's over," Zack exhaled, uncurling with a wince. He looked down at the creature in his arms. It blinked its light blue eyes and, with a soft purr, nuzzled its head against his bruised arm, a tiny, living thank you.
Zack had a jet black as dark as the night and blue eyes which held beauty in them, a short pointed nose of the right size and a perfect Jawline as his face was oval in shape almost barely close to a V-shape and he was fair skinned though currently smudged with alley filth. His clothes were stained and his hair a wild mess.
"I can't believe we went through all of that… for a cat!" Alex groaned, pushing himself up and brushing dirt off his jacket with theatrical dismay.
"Alex, chill," Zack said, a faint smile touching his lips as he continued to stroke the creature's pure white fur.
the creature had a pure white fur with stains of dirt and its ears stood straight up with hairs at the tip of its ear.
The creature was furry and had a short tail and light blue eyes, on the creatures fore head was a crescent shape which was blue in color.
"Hey, are you boys okay?" Mr. Sam walked over, his hands tucked in his pockets, surveying the damage.
"Yep! Just a few new sore spots to add to the collection. We're glad you showed up," Alex said, relief flooding his tone.
"So, how'd you end up in a four on two beatdown?" Mr. Sam asked, a single eyebrow raised.
"Well, if someone here didn't decide to play hero and save a cat!" Alex exclaimed, throwing his hands toward Zack as if presenting the prime piece of evidence.
"Zack, seriously? You both got pummeled for a cat?" Mr. Sam's stern expression cracked with mild surprise.
"Looking at the poor thing and doing nothing was unbearable, Mr. Sam," Zack replied softly. The creature purred louder, rubbing its head against his arm.
Mr. Sam leaned in. "This doesn't really look like any cat I've seen."
"Yep, it sure doesn't," Zack agreed, curiosity sparkling in his blue eyes despite the throbbing in his skull.
"Mr. Sam, I was just an innocent bystander, yet I got dragged into this!" Alex lamented, playing the wronged victim to the hilt.
"Well, I didn't force you to jump in," Zack shot back with a pained grin.
"Just you wait. Next time, I'm getting popcorn and watching from the sidelines," Alex vowed, pointing a stern finger.
"But aren't you two supposed to be on your way to the Awakening Ceremony?" Mr. Sam interjected.
The words hit them like a physical blow. They looked at each other, then down at their disheveled selves.
"Ah, SHIT!" they yelled in perfect, horrified unison.
"Mr. Sam, thank you! Seriously! But I gotta run back and drop this little guy with my sister!" Zack said, already shifting to move.
"Wait, you're going back home?" Alex stared, stupefied.
"Yep."
"Arghh! Why, you—!" Alex grabbed two fistfuls of his own hair in exaggerated frustration.
"Then you can forget about seeing Sora ever again," Zack said, his face suddenly deadly serious.
Alex's anger vanished. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Zack's leg. "Bro! Please, noooo!!!"
"Then follow me home!"
"Alright, I will!" Alex agreed, his resolve crumbling instantly.
Mr. Sam watched the entire dramatic exchange, utterly speechless.
"We gotta run, Mr. Sam!" Zack called, already sprinting for the alley exit with Alex hot on his heels.
"Zack! Say hello to your mom for me!" Sam shouted after them.
"Sure thing!" Zack's voice echoed back as they burst onto the sunlit street.
"If Mr. Sam hadn't shown up, we'd be part of the alley pavement right now," Alex panted as they ran.
"Yeah. Zero tolerance is no joke. And on top of that, he's a C-rank Abilitan. Looks like he's taking a break from gate duty," Zack replied, cradling the creature carefully as he ran.
"I guess so, but this is all you fault in the first place. If you had quit the hero act, we wouldn't have gotten beaten up" Alex was still annoyed.
"Do you still want to see Sora?" Zack asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"...Yes," Alex grumbled, definitively piped down.
They raced through their neighborhood a decent, average class area with cobblestone like streets and lamp posts. The architecture was a symphony of futuristic curves and sleek lines, buildings reaching ten or fifteen floors high. Holographic billboards advertised everything from Nexus Cola to the latest hoverboard models. Above them, sleek, silent aircrafts glided between buildings, a sight that would have been pure fantasy five centuries ago.
A teenage girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail sat at a table, her beautiful blue eyes narrowed in concentration. A bead of sweat traced a path down her temple as her pen hovered over a notepad. She was stuck.
"I can barely think of what to write next," Sora lamented to the empty room.
She had a Black hair which was long but she tied it in a pony tail style currently and a pair of beautiful blue eyes which sparkled like a gem of untamed beauty, a pair of eyes one would stop to look at and she had a small nose with peach lips which looked so soft and tender and an oval shaped face.
Her beauty was heaven on earth and cuteness fused with beauty, a beauty crafted by the creator with care and time. Even her blossoms were perfect in size, she wore a button up shirt and she folded the sleeves of the shirt to her arms, the shirt holding her melons in place and she wore a tight blue trouser which the outline of her curves were visible.
The entrance to the balcony behind her was open as the glass slider was pushed aside. Letting the cool breeze to flood in.
A sudden, loud STOMP on the balcony behind her made her jump. The pen flew from her hand.
"Hey, little sis!" Zack landed smoothly, Alex tumbling after him.
A visible vein throbbed on Sora's forehead. "For Christ's sake, brother! Can't you use the damn door for once?!" she yelled, her voice a mix of fury and shock.
"Hi, Sora!" Alex greeted, instantly transforming, his voice softening, a shy smile plastered on his face.
"And you just murdered the idea that was finally coming to me! Do you have any idea how grueling this project on The Descent is?!" She pointed an accusing finger at both of them.
"But Sora, I'm innocent!" Alex pleaded, casting a sidelong 'this is all his fault' look at Zack.
"Hmph. I don't care," she retorted, folding her arms. Alex's shoulders slumped in theatrical defeat.
"And now I hav—"
"Well, look what I got for you!" Zack cheerfully cut her off, presenting the creature like a prized offering.
Sora's anger evaporated. Her eyes widened, filling with sparkling glee. "Awwhhh, it's so cute!" She rushed over, gently patting the creature's head. It nuzzled her hand immediately.
"Well, that was fast," Zack remarked, surprised by the instant bond.
"Where did you find him?" Sora asked, completely enthralled.
"He was about to be kicked to death. I stepped in. We got beaten up. Mr. Sam saved us. The usual," Zack summarized.
"Sora, even I was beaten!" Alex jumped in, striking a heroic pose. "I stood bravely beside Zack and even shielded the cat from a deadly blow that would have ended its nine lives—er, its life!"
Sora's expression softened into touched admiration. "Really? That's so great of both of you!" She looked at their dirty faces and messy hair with newfound respect.
"______"
Zack and the cat like creature shared an identical look of pure, unadulterated disbelief at Alex's tall tale.
"Anyway, he's in your care now," Zack said, gently transferring the purring bundle to his sister's arms. It snuggled contentedly against her.
"He doesn't really look like a cat," Sora observed, studying the blue crescent mark.
"Yeah, he doesn't. We'll figure it out later. For now, let's focus on his recovery," Zack said, running a hand through his already ruffled hair.
"You're right. He needs it." Sora nodded, her attention fully on the creature's minor wounds.
"I gotta change this jacket. Be right back, Alex," Zack said, heading for his room.
"Don't worry, bro! Take your time!" Alex replied, his smile a little too bright, his posture a little too casual.
Zack stopped. He slowly turned, squinting his eyes with deep suspicion. "Are you the one saying that right now?"
Alex froze, his innocent facade cracking.
"I've got my eyes on you," Zack said, pointing two fingers from his own eyes to Alex's as he began walking backward down the hallway.
Alex was left speechless.
Zack's head suddenly popped back around the corner. He repeated the gesture. "I've got my eyes on you." Then he disappeared.
Alex let out a long, weary sigh he'd been holding for hours.
"Phew, finally, he's gone." He turned to Sora, who was cooing at the creature. "Ahem… So, Sora, what's this project about, exactly?"
Zack found his red cyberpunk style jacket and checked his phone. His eyes bulged.
"CRAP!!"
He dashed back out. Alex was now casually reading Sora's notes.
"Woah, this is one hell of a project," Alex said, impressed.
"It is, and it's actually fun studying five hundred year old history… until you two barbarians barged in," she said, though a smile played on her lips.
"ALEX! We have 25 minutes to get to school for the Awakening!" Zack yelled, skidding to a halt.
"WHAT?!"
"You both need to hurry!" Sora urged.
"Yeah, we will!" Alex said, scratching the back of his head, making no move to leave.
Zack, already poised on the balcony railing, looked back. His friend was still chatting. A single, twitching vein appeared on Zack's forehead.
"This bastard…" he muttered.
"Don't worry, we'll get to…" Alex began.
Zack swooped in, locking Alex in a headlock from behind and dragging him toward the balcony. "To hell with the words, bro!"
"I haven't finished my sentence!" Alex complained, flailing.
"See you later, Sora! Tell Mom I stopped by!" Zack called. In one smooth motion, he tossed a protesting Alex off the balcony and then leapt after him.
Sora rushed to the railing. "Alright! Wish you both an outstanding Awakening!" she shouted after the two figures now racing across the rooftop skyline.
Their journey was a masterpiece of chaotic parkour. They leapt from air conditioner units, bounded over ventilation systems, twisted over railings, and startled residents.
"Oi! You brats, not my balcony!" a middle aged woman, Aunty Mei, yelled as her napping cats scattered in alarm.
"Sorry, Aunty Mei!" Zack called back, already in mid air to the next building.
"I can't believe you've gotten better than me, and I'm the one who taught you parkour!" Alex grunted, landing hard beside him.
"Well, what do you expect?" Zack flashed a smug grin.
"Whatever. So, how in God's name do we plan on getting to the ceremony on time?"
"We hitch a ride."
"Hey, don't tell me…"
"Yep. We take the train."
"You've gone nuts! We don't have a single credit! How do you expect to board?"
"Who said anything about boarding?" A wild, daring smirk curved on Zack's lips.
Alex's face paled. "Wait a minute… Don't tell me we're doing that!"
"Yep. We're doing it!"
The blast of a train horn sounded in the distance. They poured on the speed, becoming blurs of motion across the rooftops. A man on his balcony sipping tea did a spectacular spit take as they vaulted over his hedges.
They reached the train station perimeter just as the final horn blew.
"Zack, it's leaving!"
"Head for the tracks!"
They sprinted alongside the sleek, futuristic train that seemed to float on its magnetic tracks. Ahead was a short overhead bridge.
"There!" Zack pointed.
They scrambled onto the bridge, chests heaving. The train advanced toward them, a silent, neon colored bullet.
"So… what now?" Alex asked, dread and excitement warring in his voice.
"We wait."
The train slid beneath them. The moment its nose passed the bridge, Zack's eyes locked onto the roof.
"Now!"
In unison, they leapt. For a heart stopping second, they were airborne. Then,
thud-thud,
they landed on the roof of the moving train, stumbling but upright.
"Zack… I am never listening to you again. Your plans are clinically insane!" Alex gasped, collapsing onto his back as the wind whipped around them.
"Well, we made it, right?" Zack grinned, sitting down and letting the rushing air cool his face.
"Having hoverboards would've been much better…"
"Those things cost a kidney, Alex."
"Yep. You're right."
The train accelerated, carrying them toward the city center and their destiny. Their hair fluttered wildly as they soared above a breathtaking futuristic utopia a vast, endless city of glittering skyscrapers, holographic spires, and soaring aircrafts. It was a world rebuilt from catastrophe, a testament to human resilience. a futuristic city utopia only a mere fantasy and fiction five hundred years ago.
And high above it all, an eagle wreathed in gentle flames rode the thermal currents, a silent guardian of the new world.