Hiya. Sorry for those of you who hated the cliffie... I said I would update soon. So here it is.
I'm waking up. I feel it in my bones, enough to make my system blow. Welcome to the new age, to the new age, welcome to the new age, to the new age.. Whoa oh oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive.
-Imagine Dragons (radioactive)
...
I freeze, all my muscles tensing as I clench my jaw. The hand is still there on my shoulder, and my mind races, calculating what to do next.
Stupid! I mentally berate myself. You let yourself get caught. You should've been more aware.
I spin around, catching a glimpse of brown hair and fake ray-bans before I punch the person, right in the face, cracking the sunglasses and possibly his nose before I run, zigzagging and clutching the teddy to my body and swearing furiously at myself. I duck into a smallish alley, hoping to lose my pursuer- I glance behind me, and sure enough, there he is, with his trademark cracked ray-bans and dark hair.
"Hey!" He yells again. ""I don't wanna hurt ya! I just wanna talk!" He speaks like the people I fight speak- lazily, with a hidden dangerous undertone. He speaks like someone from the streets.
That's not good.
If he lives on the street, he'll be even more eager to turn me in or even rob me himself- it's almost guaranteed he has it rough with money, so if the police don't offer a good enough reward for the stolen goods, he'll just take them himself.
I need that money.
I quicken my pace, weeks of hunger and old scars making me breathe heavily. I glance down at my hand, which is stinging for some reason, and curse loudly as I see my knuckles pouring blood. They must've been cut-up when I socked the guy on the sunglasses. It's my right hand- my dominant punching hand. It will hurt like crazy if I hit anything- or anyone- else for a while. So knowing me, I'll be going through a lot of pain.
"Hey!" I'm surprised to hear the voice so close- I quicken my pace, but obviously not enough, as the guy reaches out again and snags my shoulder. I growl, and turn, assuming a fighting stance. He frowns, and opens his mouth.
"I don't wanna hurt ya," He repeats slowly. I glare, my arm still trapped in his grip.
"Let me go." I say dangerously through gritted teeth. His smile is condescending.
"Oh, y'know, I don't really feel like it anymore... I would be willing to do it for a price, hmmm?" I see red.
"Look, buddy." I growl. "I just stole freaking money and a teddy bear cause me and my nearly five-year-old brother are starving, and I lost all of my street fights, and I convinced myself that I'd given stealing up, but obviously I was lying, and then you show up, all 'I'm not gonna hurt ya' and 'I'll let you go for a price', and I could break your hand right now, and I'm this close to punching you in the face again and breaking your nose. So don't push it." I finish my speech with a deadly glare, then turn to go, shaking my arm from his grip.
"So you're homeless too?" I hear.
I turn curiously.
"No," I say. He gets a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"So what's your name?" He asks suddenly. I frown.
"It doesn't matter." I say. He shrugs.
"Mine's Ratchet." He says. It's quiet for a moment, and I turn to leave again, but he stops me.
"So you have a little brother?" He asks. I nod, trying to hide my embarrassment.
"I didn't mean to tell you that." I say shortly. "Just forget it." He smiles a little.
"Me too. Annoying little brat, but, y'know, I do what I gotta." A tiny sting in my heart stops me. I hesitate.
You can't save every adult and kid out there, I think to myself. But there's one nagging part of my brain telling me to help him... I could end up like him in a few years. Maybe then he would help me.
"Um... We have a spare room." I say slowly, still not sure if I'm making the right decision. "You guys could, maybe, stay there if you wanna." Ratchet's eyes brighten a little, and I can see him trying to conceal his grin.
"Awesome." He says without hesitation. He knows, like any other relatively smart street kid out there, not to refuse a good opportunity when you see one. "I'll go get Holden."
...
He arrives a few minutes later with a skinny little kid around ten years old. He has a long-sleeved shirt, even though it's not cold, and dull green eyes. He grimaces when he sees me, and gives a little wave. Something nags at me in the back of mind, and I frown. It's almost like I recognise him...
I shake my head and smile back.
"Hey," I say. "I'm Max."
Ok, so sorry it's a bit late and short. Hope you liked. The characters are gonna be a bit different, as you can see. Holden's a bit different. So, did you expect that? Tell me in reviews. :) And also, what do you think will happen next? Thanks. Bye!
