They say time flies when you're having a good time, and I was having the best time of my life. Irvine, Van, and I grew into tight friends, and we had our fun. I wasn't a bad student, but I got home, did as much homework as I could, then went and worked a greenhouse for the rest of the day. I got home, finished the homework, and called up Van or Irvine. We sometimes did something, but time was at a precious premium we were running out of.
It was midwinter, and that meant semester finals. I was cramming as much as I could.
School wasn't the greatest for me. Mil wouldn't get off my case. I almost got in a fight with him. However, being suspended for the finals would not be the smartest thing I've ever done. It wasn't only time to take finals; it was time to tell my good friends my secret. I waited till the finals were actually over, and then I invited them over. They came, and I took a deep breath.
"Guys, I have something to tell you."
They both nodded, completely silent for once.
"My family... my family wasn't a normal one. We were master thieves, and my parents had been training me from ages 4 to 12."
Their eyes widened, but they still kept quiet. Good. I wasn't done.
"My parents... they uh... disappeared one day. I just came home and they were just gone. No one could find them. I stayed at an orphanage. I didn't really need to. I could perfectly take care of myself, a perk of being a thief. Well, I managed to get the government to let me go and give me a license last year. And now I'm here. I've been trying to find my parents. I haven't heard a whiff of anything of them since, so I think....I think their dead."
I looked at their faces. Van finally said,
"Well that explains a lot."
"Yeah, like the time you stole Mil's book from his locker."
"And got into the locked storage room."
"And-"
I held up my hands.
"Ok, I get it. I break into things a lot, but I never steal anything major."
Irvine's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Can you open the door with the credit card like in the movies?"
I leaned back.
"That has got to be the easiest thing in the world to do. But most locks prevent that now."
I looked carefully at both of them.
"You aren't going to be scared or accusing me for everything or something like that?"
Van laughed.
"You've been our friend for nearly four months now. I trust you. If you were going to pull something you would have a long time ago."
Irvine grinned, giving me friendly punch on the shoulder that rather smarted.
The break passed quickly after that. Van and Irvine were actually really interested in the art of thieving, and I taught them some stuff, like how to pick your basic lock. And for Irvine: how to use the credit card.
Life passed quickly again, and I noticed a cycle. Finals, more work in school, summer, more work in job. School started again. Cut back on Job. Finals. More school work. Then job. Then the other set of finals, more schoolwork. Summer again.
I went through this cycle three times. The day the adventure I'm telling about really kicked off was the day my friends and me graduated as seniors. We were all so proud, and excited. No more high school! And no more Mil. In my case I got a better job with my diploma. Less work. Yeah! We went through the most boring ceremony I've had in my entire life, and we were out!! Both Irvine and Van could drive now, and my Youko was an ancient sadly abused car. Irvine made it to the car first, so he got to drive. Spare keys had been made for it a long junior year. We threw our stuff in the back, and sped to my house.
My house was the preferred hangout. There were no parents, and I had all sorts of locks I taught them to pick, and dummy alarms I taught them to get through. I taught Irvine the credit card trick, I have no idea why he's so obsessed with that. We also worked out a lot, and we had so many mock fights I'm surprised none of us have gone to the hospital. Van and Irvine pitched in to pay for lessons together at a martial arts dojo, and when they learned a move they came back and taught me. Overall life was good.
Anyways, Youko lurched off and we got home. I jumped out, not being in the middle. I ran upstairs, and suddenly stopped. Van and Irvine both ran into me, and looked at the door, suddenly getting it as well.
I leave a tab in the door whenever I leave. It's a good habit to have, and lets me know when someone has been inside my house without permission. Only the best put a tab in a door back where they found it. And I had dyed it to match the door, so even the best could easily skip over it. Well, my tab was on the floor. Someone had opened the door. I give them their due honor, my locks were not the easiest to pick. I raised my hand, and tried to knob, then tensed. Either this person was a rookie, or they were still inside. You lock the door as you go out, it helps stall the person from noticing anything is gone. I opened the door, and threw it open. We all ran in with a yell, to find the entire apartment empty.
Irvine even checked under the bed and though my entire closet. Something did change however. There was a note on my table.
"Nice lock! And if you're wondering, I left the door open on purpose. Anyways, get some friends and get over to the old warehouse on Elm Street. It's the biggest one. There you will find what you will need to help your parents. They are still alive. Be there by 9 today, or the help will be gone. You can count on that."
I had read it out loud, and we were all looking at each other, confused. Van said,
"Up for checking it out?"
Irvine nodded, and I did as well. It always nice to know your friends are willing to go barging into an unknown and probably dangerous situation with you.
"It couldn't hurt. Besides, you have your friends rounded up. We might get something cool!"
I nodded, and we all sprinted towards the car. It was 7:30, and it would take a while to drive to the city, and then we had to find Elm Street.
"Anyone know where Elm Street is," I asked.
"I do."
Van volunteered. He slid into the drivers seat, and I was about to jump in when a girl walked in. She was an odd one, with blonde hair and reddish eyes. I tried to remember her name... Fiona! She walked up to me and asked,
"May I come?"
Van stuck his head forward."
"Hiya Fiona. Why are you here?"
"A note was left on my table. It told me to come here by 7:30. Someone broke into my house."
"Same here," he responded. "Hey Boom! It must be the same guy whom did this to us. Wanna let her come?"
I nodded.
"Fiona, get in the cab. I'll stay in the bed."
I jumped the truck side, and Van lurched off. As the wind ruffled my head, I fell asleep.
The sudden stop made me wake up. I held onto the side, and knocked on the little window that could open. It slid open. "Trying to kill me?"
Van's voice came back.
"No, it's just I took a wrong turn."
"Van! Pay more attention!"
Irvine's amused voice came through.
"Want me to drive?"
"For the last time NO!"
"Are we there yet?" Fiona asked.
"NO!"
I started cracking up. I felt bad for Van, but it was pretty funny. He turned the car around, and sped to the right street, and then a new problem presented itself.
"Which one is the biggest?"
We finally decided on one, and I jumped out before Van stopped, running to the lock. It was 8:45, but I had no idea what kinds of alarms were set up. I started picking it without question; my little picks and other such things were always on me. Fiona was the first to the door. Behind me I could hear Van and Irvine wrestling over something, I think Van had gotten more than a little annoyed at Irvine's driving comments.
Fiona just watched me as I worked. This was a tough lock, but nothing I couldn't handle. I threw open the doors in five minutes, and looked around. I found the alarm switch, and made my way carefully. I turned around to see Fiona starting to take a step.
"NO DON'T! I can see the alarms. You'll set them off."
"Oh."
She stopped, and I kept on going. I pulled the alarm switch, and the lights after. It was pretty easy, along the wall and I got to climb the side of a platform to get to the alarm. What they lit amazed me. Fiona stared as well, and Van and Irvine stopped their fight. What was illuminated were three giant machines. They were modeled after animals, each one different.
They were Zoids.
It was midwinter, and that meant semester finals. I was cramming as much as I could.
School wasn't the greatest for me. Mil wouldn't get off my case. I almost got in a fight with him. However, being suspended for the finals would not be the smartest thing I've ever done. It wasn't only time to take finals; it was time to tell my good friends my secret. I waited till the finals were actually over, and then I invited them over. They came, and I took a deep breath.
"Guys, I have something to tell you."
They both nodded, completely silent for once.
"My family... my family wasn't a normal one. We were master thieves, and my parents had been training me from ages 4 to 12."
Their eyes widened, but they still kept quiet. Good. I wasn't done.
"My parents... they uh... disappeared one day. I just came home and they were just gone. No one could find them. I stayed at an orphanage. I didn't really need to. I could perfectly take care of myself, a perk of being a thief. Well, I managed to get the government to let me go and give me a license last year. And now I'm here. I've been trying to find my parents. I haven't heard a whiff of anything of them since, so I think....I think their dead."
I looked at their faces. Van finally said,
"Well that explains a lot."
"Yeah, like the time you stole Mil's book from his locker."
"And got into the locked storage room."
"And-"
I held up my hands.
"Ok, I get it. I break into things a lot, but I never steal anything major."
Irvine's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Can you open the door with the credit card like in the movies?"
I leaned back.
"That has got to be the easiest thing in the world to do. But most locks prevent that now."
I looked carefully at both of them.
"You aren't going to be scared or accusing me for everything or something like that?"
Van laughed.
"You've been our friend for nearly four months now. I trust you. If you were going to pull something you would have a long time ago."
Irvine grinned, giving me friendly punch on the shoulder that rather smarted.
The break passed quickly after that. Van and Irvine were actually really interested in the art of thieving, and I taught them some stuff, like how to pick your basic lock. And for Irvine: how to use the credit card.
Life passed quickly again, and I noticed a cycle. Finals, more work in school, summer, more work in job. School started again. Cut back on Job. Finals. More school work. Then job. Then the other set of finals, more schoolwork. Summer again.
I went through this cycle three times. The day the adventure I'm telling about really kicked off was the day my friends and me graduated as seniors. We were all so proud, and excited. No more high school! And no more Mil. In my case I got a better job with my diploma. Less work. Yeah! We went through the most boring ceremony I've had in my entire life, and we were out!! Both Irvine and Van could drive now, and my Youko was an ancient sadly abused car. Irvine made it to the car first, so he got to drive. Spare keys had been made for it a long junior year. We threw our stuff in the back, and sped to my house.
My house was the preferred hangout. There were no parents, and I had all sorts of locks I taught them to pick, and dummy alarms I taught them to get through. I taught Irvine the credit card trick, I have no idea why he's so obsessed with that. We also worked out a lot, and we had so many mock fights I'm surprised none of us have gone to the hospital. Van and Irvine pitched in to pay for lessons together at a martial arts dojo, and when they learned a move they came back and taught me. Overall life was good.
Anyways, Youko lurched off and we got home. I jumped out, not being in the middle. I ran upstairs, and suddenly stopped. Van and Irvine both ran into me, and looked at the door, suddenly getting it as well.
I leave a tab in the door whenever I leave. It's a good habit to have, and lets me know when someone has been inside my house without permission. Only the best put a tab in a door back where they found it. And I had dyed it to match the door, so even the best could easily skip over it. Well, my tab was on the floor. Someone had opened the door. I give them their due honor, my locks were not the easiest to pick. I raised my hand, and tried to knob, then tensed. Either this person was a rookie, or they were still inside. You lock the door as you go out, it helps stall the person from noticing anything is gone. I opened the door, and threw it open. We all ran in with a yell, to find the entire apartment empty.
Irvine even checked under the bed and though my entire closet. Something did change however. There was a note on my table.
"Nice lock! And if you're wondering, I left the door open on purpose. Anyways, get some friends and get over to the old warehouse on Elm Street. It's the biggest one. There you will find what you will need to help your parents. They are still alive. Be there by 9 today, or the help will be gone. You can count on that."
I had read it out loud, and we were all looking at each other, confused. Van said,
"Up for checking it out?"
Irvine nodded, and I did as well. It always nice to know your friends are willing to go barging into an unknown and probably dangerous situation with you.
"It couldn't hurt. Besides, you have your friends rounded up. We might get something cool!"
I nodded, and we all sprinted towards the car. It was 7:30, and it would take a while to drive to the city, and then we had to find Elm Street.
"Anyone know where Elm Street is," I asked.
"I do."
Van volunteered. He slid into the drivers seat, and I was about to jump in when a girl walked in. She was an odd one, with blonde hair and reddish eyes. I tried to remember her name... Fiona! She walked up to me and asked,
"May I come?"
Van stuck his head forward."
"Hiya Fiona. Why are you here?"
"A note was left on my table. It told me to come here by 7:30. Someone broke into my house."
"Same here," he responded. "Hey Boom! It must be the same guy whom did this to us. Wanna let her come?"
I nodded.
"Fiona, get in the cab. I'll stay in the bed."
I jumped the truck side, and Van lurched off. As the wind ruffled my head, I fell asleep.
The sudden stop made me wake up. I held onto the side, and knocked on the little window that could open. It slid open. "Trying to kill me?"
Van's voice came back.
"No, it's just I took a wrong turn."
"Van! Pay more attention!"
Irvine's amused voice came through.
"Want me to drive?"
"For the last time NO!"
"Are we there yet?" Fiona asked.
"NO!"
I started cracking up. I felt bad for Van, but it was pretty funny. He turned the car around, and sped to the right street, and then a new problem presented itself.
"Which one is the biggest?"
We finally decided on one, and I jumped out before Van stopped, running to the lock. It was 8:45, but I had no idea what kinds of alarms were set up. I started picking it without question; my little picks and other such things were always on me. Fiona was the first to the door. Behind me I could hear Van and Irvine wrestling over something, I think Van had gotten more than a little annoyed at Irvine's driving comments.
Fiona just watched me as I worked. This was a tough lock, but nothing I couldn't handle. I threw open the doors in five minutes, and looked around. I found the alarm switch, and made my way carefully. I turned around to see Fiona starting to take a step.
"NO DON'T! I can see the alarms. You'll set them off."
"Oh."
She stopped, and I kept on going. I pulled the alarm switch, and the lights after. It was pretty easy, along the wall and I got to climb the side of a platform to get to the alarm. What they lit amazed me. Fiona stared as well, and Van and Irvine stopped their fight. What was illuminated were three giant machines. They were modeled after animals, each one different.
They were Zoids.