8:10am:
Roxas followed behind Hayner's mad dash through the alleyways.
"Come on boneheads!" Hayner called back. "Get a move on!"
"Roxas wait up!" He heard Olette call. He looked back, feeling bad for leaving her and Pence behind. He followed Hayner, maneuvering left and right passing garden gates with ragged latches, brick arches and overflowing garbage bins ready and ripe for pickup. The smell was so intense Roxas clamped his nose shut as he passed them. Hayner made another left into an archway, stopping to catch his breath. He stopped so suddenly Roxas almost ran into him.
"Hayner are you out of your mind?" Olette scowled when she finally caught up. She leaned against the wall and Pence's legs seem to give, he took a seat on the cool brick road.
"Chill out." He shot back. "You caught up right? Now listen up, we have to be discreet today." He playfully punched at Roxas.
"What's your point?" Roxas laughed dodging his fists.
"Stay cool, watch your backs and follow me. Now to the pancakes." Hayner stepped out into the light going down the hill on Main Street, passing the trolley going the other way, heading to the bakery below. Pence and Olette shook their heads as they watched him go, then more discreetly they followed behind in the shadows. Roxas stood hesitant, Main Street down to Station Heights and Tram Common was filled with people in the mornings. The trolley connecting them all was especially filled with commuters. People who knew him and the others all too well. Strangely the street was quiet today. Only a few people roamed about, but no one he would truly know. He followed behind, ducking behind the shaded street lamps along the path. This was starting to get pretty weird.
"Hayner wait!" Roxas whispered harshly.
"Roxas come on." Hayner signaled, stopping under the patio shade on the bakery deck to wait for Pence and Olette.
"We have enough right?" Pence asked nudging Hayner.
"I got the munny right here." He stopped to take his backpack off. He dug savagely until he hit something fat in the right side pocket. Hayner pulled out a sack, old and worn. It looked too full, like the munny would fall through at any time. Olette frowned at him, folding her arms.
"Are you serious?" She growled.
"Hayner look at the thing, it could bust at any minute!"
"Seriously Olette." He snapped back, putting the sack back in his bag.
"Take a fucking chill pill." Olette rolled her eyes at him as she entered the bakery.
"Roxas, let's go!" Pence shouted at the last street lamp in the corner. Roxas took a peek around the corners both ways. No one coming down the road, no one going up either. He shrugged to himself as he stood, then jogged across the street, following Pence into the bakery.
"Ow! Quit pushing! That really hurt y'know?"
"Quiet, Constable's coming."
"Both of you stop it!"
Seifer was caught between a rock and hard place, kneeling behind a garbage bin in the back alley. He waited, grinding his teeth at the infamous dynamic duo at each others throats behind the other bin. "Why now?" He asked himself. He should have brought Vivi along instead. There would be no complications then.
"Your fault!" Fujin sneered.
"How is this my fault?" Raijin retorted. "You decided to pinch me y'know?"
"You're an imbecile!"
"Hey, let's not start throwing mean words at each other y'know?" Fujin folded her arms, not even caring to look at him.
"Fine, later." She said simply.
"Hello!" They all jumped with panic at the unknown voice coming down the alleyway.
"Hello?" It said again. The footsteps grew louder as the stranger came forward. The tall man was cut and polished perfectly in his blue jacket and trousers. His leather black boots reached up to his knees, and his regal hat sat neatly atop his head. At his waist on a belt loop was the hilt of his sabre, gleaming a heavenly blue and gold in the raising sun. Seifer recognized the look all to well. Fujin was right, it was the constable making his everyday rounds about town to make sure all of the children were at school, all of them.
"If anybody is out there, speak now and I won't hurt you, much."
Seifer growled as he came even closer. He couldn't believe the constable followed them all the way here. He had to think of something quick before Raijin would blow their cover. Garbage, he needed garbage. No, that wasn't the solution, but what was?
"Constable!" Someone called. "Constable Jones!"
"Mary! Good to see you're doing well. How is your back?"
"Better now that I haven't had to climb that forsaken clock tower. Surgery went well, I feel right as rain."
"You should take up walking back and forth to sunset station through the tunnels now that we know your condition."
"That I shall do. Would you like some cake dear?" Seifer peeked from behind the bin, he rolled his eyes in annoyance as he spied on the constable and Mrs. Rolley. She was the fattest lady in town, but had a handsome charm and could bake home made treats to boot. Her long black hair was cloaked under a a red bandana. Sweat consumed her red shirt and jean shorts. They clung to her saggy skin. She had a shovel in her hand, most likely for tending to her vegetable garden. What a joke he thought. Going head over heels for the smart allec Constable who was smarter than he seemed. Mr. Rolley was rolling in his grave. Seifer was more than grateful to her though, getting Constable Jones distracted as he was. He waved to the others and in a crouch they creeped around the corner.
"That was way too close y'know?" Raijin huffed angrily.
"Your fault." Fujin scowled.
"Enough." Seifer intervened. "Look, we'll go though the Sandlot okay? He won't even know."
"Yeah, Seifer's got it all figured out y'know?" Seifer and Fujin rolled their eyes as they past Raijin heading for the back steps.
"Good-bye dear!" Mrs. Rolley crooned.
"See you around little lady. I will be back around at about two." Jones called back. As he rounded the corner Seifer broke into a run down the steps to the Sandlot below.