Hunted or Busted: A Side Story
Dusted 8: The Forked Path: Slow Start
Well here we go. Here's my attempt at constructing the shared life story of two characters that end up very different. Due to the fact that things need to change so drastically, at the moment this might be the longest short story I have planned. Which begs the question; at what point does a short story stop being a short story? Because to get through everything I have planned with their life is going to take some time. Now that I think about it...some of these stories are going to ask that question a lot.
Anyway, unlike the Minato story this won't be updated chapter after chapter. Because I should take some time to work on this properly. So instead get ready for some other prequel stories or some fun little AU ideas I came up with for shits and also giggles.
But here we go!
((((((((Hunted))))))))
Two sets of footprints were left behind in the dirt and gravel as the figures dashed across the field. Their legs carried them as quickly as possible and making them just blurs that weaved and danced between the trees. The two teens upped their speed as they approached the drop and leapt off the cliff with incredible power.
The two dressed in black hoods flew off the side of the cliff and fell freely over the space. The city landscape completely filled their view as they entered freefall, the bright lights illuminating the dark night until it almost felt like day again. Gravity started to take place again and the two figures were pulled down to the smaller buildings directly below them.
They landed on a slanted roof together and balanced themselves as they slid down the tiles. They slowly built up speed before reaching the end of the roof, placing their feet on the gutters and leaping off in one movement to not lose any speed.
The two separated in their leap off the roof and started traveling over different paths. They kept up with each other as they moved, one running quickly along the roofs as the other expertly swung off poles and slid along the walls before finding the proper footing again.
The one running across the roofs gave a loud, bellowing laugh before yelling at the top of his lungs with joy. When he reached the end of the roof, instead of leaping to the next one he ran off the end and plummeted down towards the street. He summoned his Aura and reinforced his body for the landing, rolling with the impact and jumping back up on his feet before sprinting through the street.
He ran without a care in the world - running past the slow cars and the people trying to move along the sidewalk. When someone was moving too slow and it looked like they would collide, he spun around them on the ball of his foot and kept moving as fast as he could. He slid over the hoods of cars and dove over some trashcans before grabbing onto a fire escape and climbing his way back up. Behind him there were several people yelling and calling him out for disrupting their nightly strolls. A few of them realized what he was and decided to throw slurs and insults his way instead.
Their jeering quickly faded as he climbed away and started running again.
The other one continued to move swiftly by leaping off poles and sliding down beams and girders. While they moved they looked down at all the people moving through the streets below them. They walked around without a care for the world, except for the few people sporting ears and tails and scales. They had to walk on the sidewalk and avoided making eye contact with any humans that crossed their path. Even then the humans went out of their way to stand in their path and make them twist and avoid their touch.
And even then the odd human would intentionally knock into them and cause a scene. They'd start complaining and yelling and demanding an apology from the 'animal'. A spark of anger or rebellion flashed in their eyes for only an instant before either instinct or common sense settled back in and they reeled back that desire to stand up for themselves. The Faunus bowed their head and begged for forgiveness while the initiator chuckled and laughed to themselves. Probably reveling in the inflated sense of superiority they felt getting someone to beg them for forgiveness.
The hooded figure turned away from the infuriating sight and continued to traverse the skyline of the lower part of the city.
After some time of running the figure came to a stop atop a lamppost and surveyed the area. Some people below noticed them and looked up in confusion and amazement. The hooded figure looked around; trying to find their friend at the point their routes would cross. If they were lagging behind because of something important then that'd be understandable, but the best guess was-
"Hey, get down from there!" The hooded figure looked down to see a man stepping up from a group of onlookers who didn't seem too pleased seeing him up there. The man in front stepped up a little further and growled irritably, "Oi, didn't you hear me you filthy mongrel?! I said get off there right now!"
The hooded figure ignored them, even if they did feel irritated by what the obnoxious human was saying.
"Oh, don't think you can just ignore me. Show some gratitude you little ingrate." The man yelled, "You think you would show some thanks to the humans for giving you freaks the rights you barely deserve!"
That was enough to illicit a response from the hooded figure, although it wasn't a verbal one. He finally regarded the misguided people calling out below him. Hard eyes poked out from underneath the shadow of the hood, and they slowly stood up to glare down at them.
This simple act seemed to be enough to trigger whatever restraint the lead man had. He snarled, baring his teeth and looking around his feet. He spotted a loose bit of cement and picked it out before tossing it in his hand. He looked up and yelled, "Teach you not to look at people like that you arrogant little-"
He reeled back and tossed the rock up as hard as he could at the hooded figure.
But a second person in a hood came flying through and caught the rock before it could reach its target. And before they landed, the hooded figure turned in the air and spiked the piece of concrete back where it came from. The rock slammed into the ignorant man's nose with a sickening crack and sharp cry of pain.
The two didn't wait to see what happened next as they continued their speedy trek through the cityscape. After a few more minutes the two hooded figures traversed up a wall and stopped atop the roof of a building; their regular hangout spot when they were finished with their running.
"Whoo! I win!" The front boy exclaimed happily while throwing up his arms, "I can't believe I made it! I took a detour and I still beat you!"
"Why'd you even take a detour?"
"Duh. Snacks." The hooded figure finally pulled down his hood to reveal a head of spiky brown hair and a strong jawline. The youth had a joyful smile on his face as he reached into his pockets and pulled out two apples, "I thought we could use a sweet treat after our training so I stopped by and grabbed these." He paused and showed a sheepish smile, "I mean that literally by the way because I didn't pay for these. Catch."
The other hood's hand shot up on reflex and caught the apple when it came flying. They pulled down their hood and showed the spiky black hair underneath it, as well as the droopy eyes that that looked down at the snack he had been given and a chin with an x-shaped scar on it. He took a bite and his small round ears flickered atop his head, "I was wondering what was taking you so long. I thought you had gotten lost or something."
"Nope." The brunette sat back against a piece of piping on the roof and relaxed against cocky, proud youth shrugged, "I had actually wanted to let you win a race for once but you got held up."
"And you swooped in at the last second." The sterner looking boy said as he stood across from his friend, "I'm certain you shattered that man's nose."
"I absolutely destroyed it. No harm though."
"I could have handled it myself."
"I know you could. But I wanted to help my friend, and I tried to do just that."
The raven-haired boy frowned before biting his apple, "You have to let me try and fend for myself at some point."
"Hehe, I'm sure you'll get the chance." A comfortable silence settled between the two boys before a faint ringing was heard. The brunette held his apple in his mouth and reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out a clunky square object and looked down at it as its small screen started to show a message. He sighed, "Damn."
"Is there another meeting?"
"Even worse, he's calling us in by name. Wants us to be there to 'help' apparently." The brunette grumbled and pocketed his device away, "Not like it will be of any help."
"Don't give up hope yet."
"I never had it considering humans aren't exactly jumping at the bit to work together." The taller brunette walked over to his friend and bit into his apple once more before tossing it off the roof, "Guess we're heading to the White Fang base."
"Guess so." The weasel Faunus responded to his monkey best friend before tossing away his remaining core too. The two young men stood in silence before the raven-haired teen smirked, "Race you there?"
"You're on."
((((((((Hunted))))))))
Done
As the name suggests - slow start. Not the most thrilling of beginnings, but give it some time to burn and we'll get something exciting. A lot of people were asking for this story, so I really hope I can reach your expectations.
ReadxReview
Thank You and Bye
