Vroom!
The wheels bounced off the ground, swerving uncontrollably, marking the street with its dark trail. Abruptly, the motorcycle straightened its course, ready to storm. Engine revved with his sadistic purr.
Instinctively, my shoulders shifted, feet pivoted. Fuck that. I was already on the run.
"You slept with his sister?! How does that even work?!" I shouted.
"Hell does that have to do with you!" He replied.
An image created itself in my mind, a fish and a cat in bed—Hell like I'm imagining that!
Hot blood shot through my limbs. Normally, my unathletic body would crumble even after a short sprint. But, right it's like I tapped into an energy reserve that's been hidden away.
Calluses on my feet scraped off against the road as I turned my head behind.
Cat guy stood on his motorcycle's seat with raised arms and a blazing katana in his grasp. Triple it's size now like it was about to split the red sea.
My thoughts shifted frantically, trying to construct a plan. I need to have one. Fast.
The roar of the engine grew closer, dangerously close. I scraped each curve of my brain, molding the ideas into thought, turning words into puzzle pieces.
The ground. The trees. The hill!
Surprise Quiz. Every Friday my preschool teacher would make us do quizzes that were unrelated to any school subject. Specific questions with specific answers. And one perfectly mirrored my situation.
"Where are we?!" I inquired Shikuko that continued to shuffle inside my pocket.
"What are you a tourist? We're in a highway near mount Vernon"
Mount Vernon. Recent landslides had been happening here. Each one shifting the terrain, making the trees drift places, and ground less solidified. But, ahead of us, where a metal stop sign stood. The missing piece of my plan poked out.
And if this goes right.
Then—a fucking health hazard was about to be my lifeline. Thank you, mother earth!
"Hey, Aquaman!" I called out, parched breaths between my words.
"I'm preoccupied right now, peasant! Stop interrupting!" He said. After that, a strange warmth boiled the skin where he resided.
"He-hey, don't cook my balls now!" I smacked him which stopped his culinary attempt.
"Argh!" He grunted, his head now outside of my pocket as he rubbed his forehead.
I glared at him, said, "Shut the fuck up," threw my arm forward with my finger pointed at the hillside. And commanded, "hurl your magic-slicy thing. On my signal!"
"What—" he wanted to protest.
"Just do as I say!" I barked.
A menacing feeling tingled my ears. The sharp sound of steel weaved across air.
"Three horizontal slashes!" The fish alarmed.
Without skipping a second, I purposely slid my left foot in front of the right one, making me tumble over my own momentum.
Green light flashed across my tightly braced eyes.
Swoosh!
Rocks dug under thin skin as I flopped like a barrel with the road kissing me lovingly. The inclined slope of the road killed the roll.
My eyes slowly cracked open with a splitting headache rattling my head as I groaned. But at least I dodged them, well two of them.
I clutched my left shoulder with a scrunched up face as it throbbed in pain. The slash not only tore my uniform apart but also chipped my shoulder.
The motorcycle's headlights glowed brighter and brighter, never blinking. I kept track of the distance. Not yet.
Cat guy paused, like he made a mistake. And in that moment, his motorcycle's handle tilted. He dropped to grab the handles.
Just the perfect spot.
I pointed at the enormous root that would decapitate a passing by driver. And whispered, "Aquaman, do the thing"
Shikuko jumped out of my pockets, floated mid-air. And with gritted teeth and a hardened gaze, he said, "Don't think you'll be able to order me around like this for long"
Dull red orbs sparked then condensed around his fin. They didn't look as bright as cat guy's green slashes, but it was brighter than the one he shot before.
"Just you watch, brat!"
The slash screeched towards the root, before—bang!
The earth groaned a low moan. Rocks glided against each other, roots snapped and tore. And from the shadows, brittle golden-brown ovals unveiled with a massive oaken trunk that held them.
The cat guy whipped his vision to us, sharp green pupils like knives. Sadly for this predator, mother nature was faster.
Crash.
My posture wobbled for a moment.
The oaken tree settled on the street, its trunk twisted with the splinters pointed upwards.
Gasp.
It worked...
It really worked!
My head raised up, looking at the sky that was still pink but was now littered with more stars. Why the hell is it pink? I laughed.
The fish guy crawled inside my pockets with gasping breaths that he was clearly trying to hide.
"Can you tell me now why the sky is pink? And more importantly what the hell are you?" I asked Shikuko that wiped his lips with his fin.
He didn't answer and so I asked, "And couldn't you like just fly away or something?"
"You're an idiot," he bluntly stated. "For one, my body is already bone-dry with no vital to replenish me. So it'd be stupid to try to pull off something like that again"
"Vital? Then again, it worked didn't it—"
"Secondly," his eyes sharpened, "Were not done yet"
What?
Boom!
The oaken tree combusted into green flames. And through those flames, revved a familiar engine.
"How the fuck—"
Shot out from the flames was the cat guy—on a smaller fucking motorcycle!
"Oh, come on!" I cried out.
His speed wasn't as fast as it was before. His blade went down on size but it wasn't any less threatening.
Before he could muster energy to his blade, I picked and dragged my body across the street.
"Argh!" I grunted, bit my tongue and pressed against my shoulder more.
"How the hell is he still fucking alive?!"
"He's a feline," Shikuko answered like it meant anything. "Brat, if you want to keep living then don't miss a word I say" he commanded. I didn't stop my pathetic drag but I focused on the his words.
"I didn't want to use this but... Stop walking" he said.
"What—?"
"Just listen!" He commanded with a tone that reminded me of old unfinished files.
Fear overtook hesitation as I stopped walking. What is this little guy planning?
"Fay!" Shikuko shouted at the cat.
They know each other?!
Fay twitched. The motorcycle stopped it's revving.
"You know the rules for worn down Daikos by Mr. Boss. So, give it here," Shikuko said.
"And what if I don't?" Fay's voice laced with savage intent. "I'm not even here to kill you. I'll just cut down your Life Clock, you damn bastard"
"And if you don't, then, your Life Clock will be cut down. Your's already has been chipped because of this human's shoulder," Shikuko said.
Fay's expression, though dark, was contemplative. Then, a smirk. He took something out and poured it on that ground. He threw it as it shone in moonlight before Shikuko caught it.
"Can't cry to Mr. Boss about loopholes, you lap dog" Fay said.
It was a glass tube that had a glowing clear liquid inside. It was barely filled which made Shikuko have a disdainful look.
"Are you two working with each other?!" I asked with an extra animated mouth. Have been just playing chase this whole time? They can't be serious.
"Stop asking questions, brat" he said, swirling the vital before chugging the contents. Red viscous slime seeped out of his scales, refreshing his look, making his eyes shine more vibrantly.
"What the fuck is happening!" I asked.
The motorcycle started to roar.
I looked back at the upcoming absurd sight where ash joined the sky. And in front of that fire was Fay, the blade across his face as he chanted something beneath his breaths.
"What's another number down on the Soul Count?!" He shouted.
"You of all Daikos should understand" Shikuko shouted back.
Shikuko popped out of my pocket, whipped his tail at me, and said, "Hold on, fucker"
His body slammed on the street which splattered red slimy mucus on it. Red light engulfed the area the slime covered, turning it into a liquefied state.
The hard street rippled like water.
Waved like the ocean.
Held and submerged me into it's depths.
"We're going swimming!"
Then—pop.
I was thrown up.
Did this fish just—turn the street into an ocean?!