(A/N: Unfortunately, I can't think of any witty headliners to open up my
new fic. Now now, I know you're disappointed, but try to compose yourself.
And read. And then review. Uh…yeah. Oh, and no, this is not the rudie
version of me! I AM VERY LUCKY! Just read and you'll understand)
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Freedom. That's how I'd describe it. Pure, unbridled, undistilled, freedom. You will never know the adrenaline rush that comes from skating. Unless you experience it for yourself.
Luckless. That's how I'd describe myself. You can call me Dreg. The clumsiest rudie that ever lived. Now, I'm not saying I suck. Well, at least I don't think I do. I can grind, wallride, tag. All those things that rudies do. But it seems that whenever I try to get into a gang, I choke. But hopefully, that would all change, when I challenged the Noise Tanks. I was to meet them at the abandoned train graveyard adjacent to Benten square. I leapt up onto the oddly placed pink and white concrete ramp, grinding up to the top and jumping off onto a rail. I rode it all the way to the green fence, and hopped onto the train tracks. Skating down them, I quickly changed sides to avoid an oncoming train, and soon saw the dim outlines of the dead locomotives. I stopped between two of them, glancing around me. This place was creepy…..didn't help that it was about 30 degrees, either.
"I see you showed up, Dreg." My head snapped around, looking up at the source. There stood the Noise Tank leader, Beta, looking down at me from atop a train skeleton. "And on time too. Well, are you ready to start?"
I nodded wordlessly, letting out a quiet sigh. Don't screw up, I told myself Don't you dare screw this up.
"Let's begin," was all he said. Leaping off the train, he grinded along the tracks, making his way towards where I had just come from. He practically dove off the steel bars, pulling a perfect last-second backflip and landing on the neon-lit rail and grinding toward the small octagonal platform. Easy, I thought. Until he jumped off of it and landed on the opposite rail, grinding down it towards the collapsible plastic sign. And when he hopped off of that and wallrode down to the pedestrian-strewn ground around him, I was feeling more than a bit nervous.
"Now," his voice crackled through the small device on my wrist, "see if you can match that."
I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I realized I was shaking. No way I could do that. But I had to. It was the only way.
"Hurry it up, Dreg. We aint got all night." One of the other Noise Tanks, Data, called down to me.
I took one more deep breath, before dashing forward and jumping, landing in an X grind on the tracks. Blue and green sparks flew as my skates dragged along the metal bars. I watched impatiently as I glided toward the fence door. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion.
Then, finally, it was right beside me. I leapt through the opening, landing a bit awkwardly on the lit-up rail ahead of me, Soul grinding toward the platform. With a quick hop, I had made it to the opposite rail. I was going to make it. I would finally be in a gang. This was it. All I had to do now was…
CRASH
I landed in a heap on the other side of the sign, pieces of plastic strewn around me. No. No, this wasn't real. I had….failed? How? How could I be so stupid? After all that, to crash through the damn sign?
"Heh," I recognized Beta's voice immediately as it came through my wrist comm., "Well, Dreg, it would appear that you have failed. You will not be a Noise Tank. Unless….."
I lifted my head, eyes suddenly brighter. "Unless…?"
"Get down here."
I hoisted myself off the ground, brushing shards of plastic from my clothes and hair. I hadn't totally lost my chance. I had one more opportunity. And this one I wouldn't screw up. I hope. As I made my way down, I saw that the three Noise Tanks were standing below, staring up at me.
"Well, are you ready for your final test?" Something about Beta's voice….
"Yes."
Something came up from behind their backs….painting arms….in each of them they held a can of spray paint. "Tag us." He said.
"I….I don't have any paint."
"That," Gamma said evilly, "is the point."
They started closing in on me, surrounding me, shaking their cans in unison. "Tag or be tagged, Dreg."
Then I felt it. A cool, wet breeze against my back. I had been tagged. I didn't wait for them to do it again. I took off, skates pounding against concrete as I fought to go harder, to use every ounce of speed I had. I would not be ten-tagged.
"Come back," I heard Data yell to me mockingly, "We won't hurt you that much!"
I jumped up, catching onto the huge ramp and grinding up it. They were right behind me. I winced as I felt another flash of wetness on my back. That was two.
Leaping, I caught the rail adjacent to the ramp, sailing toward the cracked entrance to the rooftops of Benten. One more small hop and my feet hit solid ground. I was dashing again, dashing for all I was worth, turning and twisting towards the residential district of Benten. Once again, I felt it. Three.
I began to feel fatigue setting in as I jumped one last time, crashing through another thin plastic sign. I was in. I ducked into a nearby alleyway, hiding behind a dumpster. I didn't hear them go past. All I could hear was the sound of my own breathing. I had failed. Again. And now I had the Benten-Cho Noise Tanks after me. My clothes were stained, I was sweating, and I was once again without a gang. I leaned back against the cold steel of the dumpster, closed my eyes, and drifted off into sleep…..
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Freedom. That's how I'd describe it. Pure, unbridled, undistilled, freedom. You will never know the adrenaline rush that comes from skating. Unless you experience it for yourself.
Luckless. That's how I'd describe myself. You can call me Dreg. The clumsiest rudie that ever lived. Now, I'm not saying I suck. Well, at least I don't think I do. I can grind, wallride, tag. All those things that rudies do. But it seems that whenever I try to get into a gang, I choke. But hopefully, that would all change, when I challenged the Noise Tanks. I was to meet them at the abandoned train graveyard adjacent to Benten square. I leapt up onto the oddly placed pink and white concrete ramp, grinding up to the top and jumping off onto a rail. I rode it all the way to the green fence, and hopped onto the train tracks. Skating down them, I quickly changed sides to avoid an oncoming train, and soon saw the dim outlines of the dead locomotives. I stopped between two of them, glancing around me. This place was creepy…..didn't help that it was about 30 degrees, either.
"I see you showed up, Dreg." My head snapped around, looking up at the source. There stood the Noise Tank leader, Beta, looking down at me from atop a train skeleton. "And on time too. Well, are you ready to start?"
I nodded wordlessly, letting out a quiet sigh. Don't screw up, I told myself Don't you dare screw this up.
"Let's begin," was all he said. Leaping off the train, he grinded along the tracks, making his way towards where I had just come from. He practically dove off the steel bars, pulling a perfect last-second backflip and landing on the neon-lit rail and grinding toward the small octagonal platform. Easy, I thought. Until he jumped off of it and landed on the opposite rail, grinding down it towards the collapsible plastic sign. And when he hopped off of that and wallrode down to the pedestrian-strewn ground around him, I was feeling more than a bit nervous.
"Now," his voice crackled through the small device on my wrist, "see if you can match that."
I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I realized I was shaking. No way I could do that. But I had to. It was the only way.
"Hurry it up, Dreg. We aint got all night." One of the other Noise Tanks, Data, called down to me.
I took one more deep breath, before dashing forward and jumping, landing in an X grind on the tracks. Blue and green sparks flew as my skates dragged along the metal bars. I watched impatiently as I glided toward the fence door. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion.
Then, finally, it was right beside me. I leapt through the opening, landing a bit awkwardly on the lit-up rail ahead of me, Soul grinding toward the platform. With a quick hop, I had made it to the opposite rail. I was going to make it. I would finally be in a gang. This was it. All I had to do now was…
CRASH
I landed in a heap on the other side of the sign, pieces of plastic strewn around me. No. No, this wasn't real. I had….failed? How? How could I be so stupid? After all that, to crash through the damn sign?
"Heh," I recognized Beta's voice immediately as it came through my wrist comm., "Well, Dreg, it would appear that you have failed. You will not be a Noise Tank. Unless….."
I lifted my head, eyes suddenly brighter. "Unless…?"
"Get down here."
I hoisted myself off the ground, brushing shards of plastic from my clothes and hair. I hadn't totally lost my chance. I had one more opportunity. And this one I wouldn't screw up. I hope. As I made my way down, I saw that the three Noise Tanks were standing below, staring up at me.
"Well, are you ready for your final test?" Something about Beta's voice….
"Yes."
Something came up from behind their backs….painting arms….in each of them they held a can of spray paint. "Tag us." He said.
"I….I don't have any paint."
"That," Gamma said evilly, "is the point."
They started closing in on me, surrounding me, shaking their cans in unison. "Tag or be tagged, Dreg."
Then I felt it. A cool, wet breeze against my back. I had been tagged. I didn't wait for them to do it again. I took off, skates pounding against concrete as I fought to go harder, to use every ounce of speed I had. I would not be ten-tagged.
"Come back," I heard Data yell to me mockingly, "We won't hurt you that much!"
I jumped up, catching onto the huge ramp and grinding up it. They were right behind me. I winced as I felt another flash of wetness on my back. That was two.
Leaping, I caught the rail adjacent to the ramp, sailing toward the cracked entrance to the rooftops of Benten. One more small hop and my feet hit solid ground. I was dashing again, dashing for all I was worth, turning and twisting towards the residential district of Benten. Once again, I felt it. Three.
I began to feel fatigue setting in as I jumped one last time, crashing through another thin plastic sign. I was in. I ducked into a nearby alleyway, hiding behind a dumpster. I didn't hear them go past. All I could hear was the sound of my own breathing. I had failed. Again. And now I had the Benten-Cho Noise Tanks after me. My clothes were stained, I was sweating, and I was once again without a gang. I leaned back against the cold steel of the dumpster, closed my eyes, and drifted off into sleep…..