Chapter 7: Thursday's Thunder
Pizza palace had been running full scale since yesterday, the Taku winds Wednesday brought had caused power outages across the city no major damages but the refrigerators were ruined which meant that all the food was ruined. Pizza Palace was the only Pizza Place that delivered 'good' pizzas. The new delivery boy they hired was right on time.
Rye and Souza had been running back and fourth across town all day delivering pizzas and various other menu items. As the two sat down at the end of the normal day's work shift they rested knowing that the worst of the day was over. Boss Migazu came out from the employee's room and went to sit with the boys.
"What's this, how did I get two no good AT riding bums on my payroll?"
Rye shouted at his boss in protest and offense,
"Damn, its not he even asked for the job or was even interested."
"Well if you hadn't fucked up all the orders maybe I wouldn't have had to hire a new delivery boy."
"HE WAS THE REASON WHY THE DELIVERIES WERE FUCKED UP! The only reason why people even took the pizzas was because he gave away twice as much for half the price, Don Wong's pizza SUCKS!"
Souza spoke up,
"He's right boss and Don Wong's does kind of suck."
Both Rye and Migazu looked Souza in the face and said,
"No Don Wong's DOES SUCK!"
All three began to laugh, as they threw their heads back the polyphonic ringtone from Rye's cellphone rang out. Looking at the caller Id Rye stood up and answered the call.
"Oushi were in the hell have you been man?"
"Well when I left Sunday night I headed the Kanto Region."
"Kanto in one night are you serious?"
"Yeah, I might not fly that much but my 'Wings' can carry me Rye. Anyway when I reached Kanto I stayed until Tuesday, then late last night I hopped a boat and now I'm in Shanghai."
"China, your in China, why in the hell are you there Oushi?"
"I'm following my orders I'm recruiting members there's a real special guy in Shanghai, and if I can catch him before he leaves town then we'll have our fifth guy."
"Wait how do you know we'll have five guys?"
"Rye, I know you, and your charisma makes it impossible for people to not like you, so what you need?"
"Ok however you're doing that creepy shit I don't want to know, but you need to know I've added another member, and I'm trying to find another. I know what he looks like but I don't know his name."
"Wait you've got a third already damn Rye I gotta step it up, but how to find someone, if he rides ATs then call him out on parts war."
"Parts War, I'd need a team for that."
"You know about the Parts War I'm talking about the website, that riders use to trade parts and set up matches, ask the third about it he'll tell you. I gotta go, but I'll be back in town tomorrow, I just found my guy."
The phone clicked and Rye hung up he turned to Souza who had grabbed a personal pizza and had begun to eat.
"Souza when you get done, show me the parts war website I wanna find somebody."
Souza slid the pizza to the side and dragged Rye back into the office to use the computer.
"Look Rye the site is easy as shit to use, what are you looking for?"
"A storm rider, I don't know his name all I know is he has blue hair and eyes, and he was fast really fast."
"Well that means we just have to use the right words."
Logging on the site and typing in a few words, Souza told Rye to check his work, reading aloud…
"I was on my run yesterday, I can't remember where but I saw this guy with dyed blue hair, and he was moving slower than my grandma."
Rye looked at Souza puzzled.
"Why would you say that?"
"Simple if you get on here and bad mouth a rider or a team the avid posters are going to make a fuss about it, since I don't know a name or a team, I insulted his appearance and since you said he was fast I insulted his strengths. Now before we can get a response from who we're looking for the guys here will give us a name and a team."
And sure enough it hadn't been fifteen minutes and there were multiple comments on Souza's post, some negative some really negative and a few crown Jewels.
"Rye, listen to this: I know your not talking about Tsumai Katsuto."
Rye walked over to the computer and read from the line Souza was pointing at, and then read a little further down.
"The only blue haired rider is ALL NATURAL, his name is Tsumai Katsuto, and he heads Asutarisuku Shinsei. WE GOT HIM!"
Once they found out the name, the rest was easy, they posted a few bad mouthing comments on several forums, and within thirty minutes the entire site was a buzz with this mysterious bad mouthing bandit. Then it happened one of the team members posted…
"I dare you punks to come to our turf Akihabara and do half of the shit your talking and see if you get out unharmed like you came in!"
The two punched out early and headed over to the electric district of Tokyo, on the way they posted that they were headed that way. As they got off the bus, they rode into the electric district and waited by the power-plant, as the two of them looked around they saw the massive amount of emblems posted around them.
The emblem's shape was an asterisk inside of a blazing sun. The two waited all of about three minutes before they were surrounded by a massive amount of storm riders. They had no way out, but they knew that long before they came here, Rye was on the look out for his target. A rider flashed from the roof of the power-plant and he could tell that he was the leader, the crowd thinned as he approached. His glide was smooth and so was his stop, he wore a deep blue skin tight body suit, with silver accents streaking up the sides and the front, his hair was deep blue and so were his eyes. His cheeks were hollow and his cheekbones were more pronounced giving his face a sharp appeal to it. Rye knew that the leader was who he was looking for, Tsumai Katsuto. As their eyes met they recognized each other and immediately Tsumai turned around.
"So you're the ones who've been bad mouthing me and my team, haha you two are a joke what's the meaning of this?"
Rye spoke out.
"It's really simple; I wanted to find you, really ever since I first stole your ATs…"
Rye was interrupted my the murmurs and rumbles of the crowd at large,
"This punk stole; the boss's ATs and took him on a run?"
Tsumai raised his hand and the crowd fell silent, Rye continued to speak,
"I wanted to apologize about that, and now that things in my life have taken the route they have now, I really need to ask you a favor."
"You need a favor from me, what?"
"Help me and my AT team take down the Storm Chasers."
"Help you, and why on earth would I do that?"
"Because the Storm Chasers cause you just as much trouble as anyone else; and they won't stop until someone stops them, that'll be us."
Tsumai turned and began to ride away; Rye glided forward being blocked by his team. Rye shouted after him in anger,
"WHAT THE HELL'S THE MATTER WITH YOU DON'T YOU VALUE THE RUN!"
Tsumai turned around and his face had the same look it did back then that sharpness that could cut lightning, his next words were charged with anger and electric rage.
"I don't value the, run,
"NO RYE YOU DON'T VALUE THE RUN! YOUR ATs TELL ME EVERTHING, YOU MAY TAKE CARE OF THE WHEELS AND THE SCREWS BUT THE MOTOR SPEAKS, THE ELECTRIC ENERGY IN IT TELLS ME SIMPLY THAT YOU RUN WITH THE SKILL LEVEL OF A CHILD! You seem to think the way that you run is right, pushing the limits always in search of the sky, but you fail to realize that you couldn't get there with out those ATs and they couldn't get you there with out the motor. By abusing the power of the AT you abuse the AT and by abusing the AT you DON'T VALUE THE RUN RYE! You don't focus on anything but the ride and not the tools that allow riding."
Rye's face is contorted in anger, he mumbles to himself and they steadily become louder and louder.
"I don't value the run… or respect my ATs… FINE THEN IF MY RUN IS SUCH A PROBLEM FOR YOU THEN TAKE IT FROM ME."
Tsumai stopped in his tracks; he turned and looked Rye full in the face.
"How would I do that?"
"Easy, we race, I challenge you, since were on your turf you make the rules, if I lose you take my ATs and I'll never ride a pair again."
"Oh really and how can you assure that?"
"There's a sport related injury that only an AT rider can get, and the results mean that I can never ride again."
This time Souza spoke it was the first time since they had arrived,
"RYE NO, YOU'RE NOT TAKING A MOONDROP FALL!"
*A Moondrop Fall, is a storm rider injury, the phrase comes from Takeuchi Sora and the injury he sustained that took his legs from him. It is aptly named as such because when the injury occurred Sora was the Wind King in possession of the Wind Regalia: Moonstruck Drop Bagram. He was attempting the Moonstruck Numberless Grappler when he fell and shattered his legs; riders then coined the fraise Moondrop Fall signifying his fall from the moon's grace.
"Yes, Souza I am, if I loose this run."
Tsumai had turned fully around now and was looking at Rye fully,
"What guarantee do I have you'll take the plunge?"
"You ride the Rising Road paralyze my legs as I fall, then you'll know for sure."
"No deal, I'm not dropping anyone of a building."
"Oh, yeah…"
With a flash and a blur of movement Rye had broken through the barricade of people and was right on top of Tsumai, repaying him the favor of dropping him on his head, Rye flipped him and grabbed firmly on his ATs.
"Remember what you told me all that time ago?"
Anger flowed into Tsumai's face like charged electricity and he spoke few words next,
"Oh, I'm going to kill you… deal!"
The two lined up and crouched into racing positions, the rules were set, a one-on-one match with no team interference.
"We're doing an E-Class Hurdle, from here in Akihabara to the Kisyoucho Building there are plenty of buildings to climb, there's no set route but you do have to climb a minimum of ten buildings before you can touch the weather vane at the top. Don't be confused the Kisyoucho Building isn't the tenth building you have to climb ten buildings before you can climb that one. Members from each team are going to ride along in the shadows and monitor the number of buildings you climb."
The AT wheels burned etching their marks into the ground the twilight sky slowly darkened as a thick gray storm cloud rolled over the setting sun. They revved their wheels neither one moving, each one had one team member who they chose to ride behind them, Tsumai had his second in command, and Rye had Souza. As the storm cloud rolled in farther the thunder clapped and with that the race was on. The two burned off the start, their lieutenants not far behind. As Tsumai raged down the street at the speed of striking lightning Rye took the time out to climb his first building rising into the air early on and marking his first hurdle. When he finally did land Tsumai was a full three blocks ahead of him, seeing the gap Rye took the time out to climb two other buildings. As Souza marked down Rye's three to the scorecard he took the time to question Rye on his tactics.
"Rye what's up man, you can keep up with this guy, I've seen your speed you've got him why are you jumping hurdles so early?"
"Souza, Tsumai isn't riding a run, he's only focused on winning he's just a robot going from point a, to point b."
With that Rye jumped his next hurdle marking his fourth. As he landed he was up four hurdles and behind six blocks. Tsumai sped up the streets reading towards his mark, his only focus, he was six blocks ahead with only fourteen left to go. Over the next four blocks Rye had fallen even further behind but had succeeded in jumping his ten mandatory hurdles, with a ten block gap between him and his target, and only ten blocks left for Tsumai to cross Souza saw thiss battle as a loss, and in his mind's eye he saw Rye taking that fall.
As his final ten blocks approached Tsumai began to climb his first hurdle, a relatively short building and not those skyscrapers Rye had decided to climb. The wind blew strong against Tsumai and his lieutenant, he jumped another building another block down and he knew that he had won this race.
"Haha, that fool cursed himself, why would he climb the first ten buildings he sees and ruin himself?"
His lieutenant, Tyosho Agamii spoke out
"He's foolish; he doesn't know what it means to ride ATs."
The two hopped another hurdle leaving only seven, the thunder clapped and a stray bolt of lightning ignited the sky. As the two continued block by block hurdle by hurdle the storm over their heads erupted. On Tsumai's seventh hurdle Tyosho turned around he couldn't believe what he saw… A storm began to open behind them and shooting out in front of it gaining block by block was Ryoku Hashigaki and his lieutenant.
"Tsumai, dude their right behind us three blocks and gaining!"
Rising over his hurdle Tsumai turned to see Rye and Souza flashing up the streets as the lightning streaked the sky.
"Haha, it's too late I'm at the mark."
Reaching down and placing his hands around his ATs two batteries like charger boxes lit up and electricity flowed around his ATs.
A huge dragon with massive wings, appeared behind Tsumai roaring with the thunder he rides behind his master, Tsumai's massive shadow.
The electricity from the charge boxes rises up his body and as he lands at the foot of victory he rises into the air flowing with the electricity in the air. After a minute Souza rides up along side Tyosho and stops to watch as his captain rises up into the air with the wind. Then suddenly the wind dissipates as the electricity in the air reaches its peak, sparking the beginning of a storm. Tsumai looks down to see Rye losing altitude with the disappearing wind,
"Rye there's no wind so you have no lift, the air is thick with electrostatic energy giving me rise and you fall, don't worry you'll see the top of this building though."
Just as Tsumai rose over the building directly below the Kisyoucho building the stream of positively charged energy reached the storm and it responded with a negatively charged bolt of lightning, it struck at his AT's and rolled up his entire body.
Down below him Rye saw this and somehow manages to rise into the sky, the lightning strike lasted a split second and within that time Rye was within yards of him, the two met eyes and Rye continued to rise upward. Down below the two lieutenants looked on in horror.
"DAMN IT your leader just has to reach the mark doesn't he, why can't he save Tsumai, there's no wind so I can't help him."
Looking down Tyosho sees the vents on the sides of Souza's ATs,
"You ride the Over Road; you can make wind we can save them."
"Nope, I can't we can't interfere, we swore to it on our runs and the two of them would never forgive us if we did."
Looking back to the sky, they manage to catch Rye grabbing the weather vane, he grabs and holds on to it and places his ATs on the pole as he spins them the friction begins to build up and sparks begin to fly, then his AT motors discharge a burst of energy, the storm picks it up and sends another lightning bolt out of the sky, Rye spins and rides the weather vane to the top just as the lightning strikes the vane. As it passes down the pole to be dispersed through the building the jolt charges Rye's ATs and propels him into the sky. The electricity in the air widens out to him and he appears to ride the electrostatic energy in the atmosphere. With the speed of lightning Rye reaches Tsumai and the two glide towards the side of the nearest building, with metal against metal and electricity everywhere Rye and Tsumai create a lightning bolt between the buildings as it strikes Tsumai charges both him and Rye and the two ride the lightning, then spiraling out of control due to the jolt of energy Rye and Tsumai began to fall down towards the hard earth. Then Souza revved his ATs the wind erupted out of the vents on his ATs it blew upwards and a wall of air was created, then an avian man appeared behind him with the headdress of an eagle and wings, and a man's arms body, Souza's shadow stroked its wings generating an even more powerful gust. As the two fell into the cusp of the wind, their fall was cushioned and the two landed safely. As Rye and Tsumai, stood up the rain began to fall showering them with fresh water. Tyosho charged at Rye, and tried to tackle him and missed as Rye moved to the side. Tsumai spoke out to his lieutenant,
"Don't Tyosho he touched the mark first I lost to him."
Rye and Souza walked over to Tsumai, Rye looked at Souza with a puzzled expression
"Souza, that avian creature that was behind you, was it your shadow?"
"Yeah, so you could see it?"
"Uh huh, why didn't I see it last time we ran against each other?"
"I didn't have it the last time we ran Rye; I got it because of you."
The two reached Tsumai and as he faced Rye he faced up to his end of the bargain,
"Rye I lost fair and square, you touched the mark first even though I was close."
Souza checked the R.E.A.D levels
"Actually Tsumai according to the R.E.A.D you only leapt nine hurdles so even if you made the mark you wouldn't have won."
"HAHAHA I went through all of that I still wouldn't have won. Damn, well I am a man of my word Rye, you risked your run just to get me to help, and I am a man of my word so… from this day forth I am no longer the leader of Asutarisuku Shinsei.
