Chapter one, since the prologue is really short. Enjoy.
Oh, before I forget...I tried to keep the characters recognizable and leave their personaltites from the anime intact, but I also had to change them a little to fit the time and plot, since although they are essentially the same, they're...reincarnated versions. So forgive me if a few liberties have been taken.
Another thing...I have up to chapter 5 already plotted out, so I'm hoping this story will go far. I believe it'll go further with your input, though...so don't hesitate to review! I'm not so much looking for comments that say 'oh this is good keep writing' as I am constructive criticism; hell, I'll even take straight, mean criticism as long as it's your true opinion and something that will help me in one way or another. I'm really looking for critique on this. Thanks!
Chapter One; Rain
Rain continued to fall from the sky in torrents, mixing with the city's dirt and grime to turn into a churning river of sludge in the gutters along the streets. The air may have been cleaner, but the earth had soaked up its fill of water and with nowhere else to go it collected in large, filthy puddles, making the saturated city seem even dirtier.
Most people stayed in their homes, nice and dry, unless circumstances required them to leave. The unusual nature of this particular storm was setting records, having kept the city soggy and under dark cloud-cover for the better part of two weeks, while forecasts called for even more. Some even went so far as to say it was the precursor to the end of the world itself.
Religious people will use anything as a reason to believe in doomsday.
Rainwater poured off the rooftops, but Kiba paid no attention to the assault as he made his way through the flooded back alleys of the city. On through the downpour we wandered, hands warm and relatively dry in his pockets, lost in his thoughts. He didn't seem to mind that his dark, unruly hair was drenched and plastered to his face, nor that his clothing and shoes were soaked through.
I don't know why, but something is calling me…
He had been on the trail of something for a few days now, though he didn't know quite what it was, why he was after it, or why he should even care. Letting his gut instinct lead him, he ended up here, though where here was he didn't know, either.
He stopped, facing the wall that was forcing him to make a left or right decision. "Defidently stronger here," he whispered to himself, looking up past the rooftops into the hazy sky. A large raindrop hit him in the nose and he raised his hand to wipe his face.
What's stronger? What am I so driven to find?
Opting to take the left path, Kiba continued his march. Momentarily his thoughts were diverted as his stomach growled, protesting lack of food. It had been over a day since he'd had anything decent to eat. He just as quickly ignored it, however, as the reason for his search took over his mind once again. His pace quickened as the strange feeling continued to grow, and hands that were moments ago warm and relaxed in pockets were now clenched in fists at his sides.
What is that voice? What does it want from me?
His brow furrowed and he continued to quicken his pace until, without knowing it, he broke into a run. All the alleyways looked the same; as with his whole journey so far, he let his feet guide him on. Right here, left, then another left…Don't these alleys lead anywhere? A quiet puddle erupted in a violent splash, soaking his shoe even further as he continued to run.
Paradise…
x-x-x
The black motorcycle's tires squealed as the driver brought it to an abrupt halt. Damn red lights. Eyes so hazel they almost appeared gold peered out of the black helmet, brow furrowed in a constant scowl against the world. His hand twitched on the throttle, anticipating the green light. A moment was spared to wipe the rainwater from his vision, and then he was off, tires screaming again as he accelerated and weaved effortlessly, albeit carelessly, in between the other cars. He rode as he lived: dangerously; just the way he liked it. It was boring, otherwise.
Shit, I'm late. He silently hoped that this job would be more interesting than the last one he had. Being someone's messenger wasn't exactly his cup of tea. Beggars can't be choosers, he thought bitterly. He still had rent to pay.
Taking a sudden right turn his tires squealed in protest for a third time, shooting a wave of gritty water into the air. The sound of an angry driver's car horn followed him into the alleyway.
He would have to watch his back now; this was the part of town where anyone could get shanked by anyone else for as much as -- or as little as -- a dollar. But if this was where his next potential job wanted to meet him, he had no objections; he knew this area like the back of his hand and felt more at home here than most other places.
Moving slowly now, he navigated his bike through the narrow alleys, keeping an eye out for a safe place to park where the likelihood of theft was at its least. He spotted a dumpster a block or two away from the proposed meeting place and hid the bike behind it. This bike was the only stable thing he had to rely on in his life, not to mention it was his only means of transportation. Unless he took a cab, of course, but he wasn't that kind of guy.
"Why do you care so much for that thing, Tsume? It's just a bike…and not even that nice of a bike."
"Because. When you have nothing, the one thing you do have becomes everything. A part of you."
He removed his helmet, placing it on the seat of his bike. He was pleased to see his parking spot was a good one -- the bike blended nicely into the shadows.
Despite his youth, his hair was almost completely grey, turning a darker shade now as the rain soaked it from above. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn black leather jacket and sighed. Rain was defidently not one of his favorite things. Although it matched his mood today, it only made him miserable and more irritable than usual. He didn't try to hide the fact, either; an angry scowl twisted his handsome, narrow face.
A few minutes of walking found him at his destination: a dark, dead-end alleyway behind a warehouse. The only ways out were the way he had come and a steel door into the building, which he could hardly see in the shadows.
"You Tsume?" came a voice from his right, the source still hidden.
"Depends."
A figure stepped into the dim light, though his face was still engulfed in shadow. "If you want the job, don't get smart with me. I don't have the time."
Tsume crossed his arms and raised his chin, looking at the other man squarely. "Neither do I. Get to it."
His demeanor had an obvious effect. "I heard you're the guy to call if you, uh…need something stolen," the other said, his previous confidence evaporating quickly.
Tsume raised a thin eyebrow and shifted his weight from one foot to the other but remained silent. This kid couldn't be more than 17, he figured, and he had just called him a thief, more or less. Hehated that.
Awkward in the silence, the kid continued. "Well, you see…my dad was convicted of a certain crime. I won't go into detail, but I'll give you $500 to steal the evidence and --"
Tsume couldn't contain himself any longer and tilted his head back, laughing loudly. Man was this kid ever naive! His mocking laughter filled the cramped alleyway for a good half minute before his face finally straightened and he once again made contact with the kid's unsure eyes. Then, in a voice no longer filled with mirth, he said, "No."
"What? Why not?" came the dejected reply.
Tsume shifted his weight again. This time he'd try to be civil. "First off, you called me a thief."
"No, I --"
"Yes, you did. I'm not some petty thief you can hire to steal you nice things and make your life better." The youth tried to interject again but Tsume waved his hand in a gesture of silence and continued. "Secondly, that isn't nearly enough money. I'm too good for that, and anyone else would ask at least triple that to risk their neck for a few files."
The kid's eyes fell and he stared at the ground absently. "But that's all I have."
"Too bad. You're wasting my time."
Desperate anger flashed across the young man's face. "You don't understand! If Dad is found guilty, I won't have anywhere to go! I'll be left with his debt and nothing else! You need to help me! I don't know --"
Very annoyed now, Tsume walked up to the kid and forced him against the cold brick wall, standing so close their faces were nearly touching. He couldn't help but notice the fear clearly evident in the young man's face. "Listen," he growled. "If your dad is found guilty, chances are he deserves it. Hey! Look at me!" He waited until the kid's eyes were on him again before continuing. "Don't ever rely on him, or anyone else. If you want to survive in this hellhole, you have to take care of yourself. Get a job, forget your loser dad, and whatever you do, don't ever, ever waste my time or anyone else's time on your little problems. Chances are they wont be as nice as I am." He stood there a moment longer making sure his words sunk in before releasing the young man and turning on his heel, storming out the way he came to leave him with his thoughts.
"Damn it, something told me this would be a waste of time!"
Frustration burned through his veins like fire. He kicked at a discarded trash can as he passed it, sending its lid flying. "Damn it!"
Blinded by anger, he didn't see the other person coming at him as he turned the corner; a loud smack accompanied a collision that sent both tumbling backwards. Tsume regained his balance quickly, though, and was already glaring down upon the dark-haired young man at his feet. "Sorry about that," came the voice from the ground, audibly shaken and trying to regain his composure.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? What kind of an idiot runs around like that?" Tsume snarled. He stepped back as the other got to his feet.
"Honestly," he said, brushing off his jeans in a hopeless effort to remove grime, "I don't know. I just felt like running, I guess. Are you okay? 'Cause I --"
"I'm fine! Get lost!"
Brilliant blue eyes met intense gold ones and for a moment neither said a word. The glance alone said a million, and in that instant both knew what the other was capable of.
"Actually," Kiba broke the silence, eyes still riveted on Tsume, "I am. Think you could help me out?" It was more of a statement than a question.
Tsume's eyes narrowed, but never broke the standoff. "You don't say," he said slowly, an edge to his voice. Finally he pointed down the alley to his left. "Go that way." His tone was unfriendly. A hollow smile followed a thank you, and their eyes remained fixated on each other until Kiba rounded the corner.
x-x-x
The rain continued to pour as Toboe made his way home from school, trying his best to keep his books as dry as possible. Today had been a very wet day for him, the kids at school having stolen his umbrella and throwing it on a roof. Why they were so mean to him, Toboe would never understand. As far as he knew he hadn't done anything to deserve being bullied so much. He was usually pretty quiet and shy at school, keeping to himself, although it wasn't his true nature. He enjoyed talking to people, even if he didn't know them, and he couldn't help but trust and have faith in them, which made it all the more painful at school.
But he went anyway, to make his parents proud. He liked seeing them pleased, and wanted that more than anything, especially from his mother.
He turned onto Main Street, usually his favorite part of his walks to and from school. He loved window-shopping, and every once in a while he would buy something nice for his parents. He even tried to get a house-warming gift for their new neighbor with the motorcycle, but that hadn't gone over too well.
The street was surprisingly busy for such a rainy day, the sidewalks being so crowded in places that Toboe was pushed under the waterfalls made by the cracked gutters on the store roofs. Yes, today was a miserable day for him; so miserable, in fact, that he didn't go out of his way to say hi to anyone at all. Disgruntled and sopping wet, he tried to quicken his pace and get past the crowds when a large man backed into him, sending him sprawling to the ground, his books scattered around him. The man didn't even notice and kept walking, chit-chatting on a cell phone.
Toboe desperately tried to gather his things as quickly as he could, but with the people continuing to walk past him the threat of getting a hand stepped on was very high. At his wit's end and near tears now, he was ready to give up, curl into a ball, and wait for everyone to go home. It wasn't like he could get much wetter, anyway.
Suddenly, a shadow was over him, and a pang of fear ran through his body as he prayed the kids hadn't caught up to him from school. He tried to control his panic as a pair of hands reached out for his books.
"Here," said the shadow. "It was looking like you could use some help. I'm Hige, by the way."
Toboe was silent for a moment, trying to find his voive. "Oh," he managed. "Thanks." He grabbed his remaining possessions and scrambled to his feet.
"No problem. You should be more careful. Man, you're soaked! A kid like you should have an umbrella. What's your name?" Hige asked, handing over the books.
"It was…stolen. I'm almost home, anyway. I'm, uh…I'm Toboe," he replied with a smile he wasn't feeling.
"Stolen? You gotta stick up for yourself, kid. Hey, I'm late for work. I'll see you around!" Hige ruffled Toboe's hair as he passed him. "Take care of yourself."
Toboe watched over his shoulder as the kind stranger walked down the street, eventually waving down a girl with wild, dark hair, and he couldn't help but feel very alone, standing there in the rain with this now soggy books. Sighing, he continued his trek home. Almost there.
He decided at the last minute to take the back way home. It was longer, but at least it was less busy and he wouldn't be in the rain as much.
It felt like an ungodly long walk by the time Toboe arrived at the apartment complex. He looked up only long enough to see that his neighbor had just parked his bike, and sensing someone else's presence had turned to look at Toboe with his typical scowl. Toboe had been trying as hard as he could to befriend him and usually would follow him around asking how his day was, among other things, but not today. Instead he quickly dropped his head and continued up the stone stairs in silence.
Tsume's face softened slightly as he followed Toboe with his eyes, wondering where the pesky kid was going without bugging him with all the usual questions.