White Death

Chapter 1

'Get back here rat!'

'Try and catch me old man!'

'Filthy streetrat come here! I'll show you...!'

He was much faster then the man chasing him. He made abrupt twists and rounded corners. Soon, the man chasing him was nowhere to be seen. The old man must have given up. Smiling he took a large bite of the bread he had stolen, munching contentedly. The man was never a challenge, no one was. He could steal anything he could get his hands on.

Not paying attention to where he was going he bumped into someone and before he knew it he was smashed into a wall. He growled and sarcastically called after the business man: 'Thank you!' He held the bread protective against his chest after taking another bite. He was heading for the park, where the rich people paid the poorer people to walk their dogs. But at least he knew he and his prize were safe there, with guards walking around trying to keep the homeless off the wooden benches. Ha, they weren't even good enough to sleep in a park where dogs took their dump!

With angry thought he fell down onto said bench and looked around at the dogwalkers. He smirked, one of them was a petite girl, trying to keep three Dobermans at bay. He could not determine who was walking who as the dogs pulled her across the field and then back again. At least she seemed to have fun, he laughter filled the cold damp morning air.

Despite the cold he took out his old and ragged raincoat, folded it and laid it beside him. Under it he wore descent clothing, they were filthy, but that could not be seen. A guards walked past him, giving him a fleeting look, taking him in, he just walked on, never noticing that he was just a homeless criminal like the man the guards was now throwing off another bench not far from Duo.

He looked to the side, surprised when someone came to sit next to him, puffing and panting. It was a beautiful woman, clad in a trainings suit, probably just finished her jog around the park to keep her body firm. She was rich, he could tell that by the glistening earrings and the diamond bracelet she apparently even wore while jogging. She had long blonde hair, held together in a ponytail and was leaning her head back, her eyes closed.

Smirking he hid the bread under his coat and turned a bit on the bench, so that he could better face her.

'Hello.'

She opened her eyes, looking at him with mild surprise, she obviously did not expect him to talk to her. Her eyes raked over him and caught a glimpse of his old coat that sat folded beside him. He knew he wasn't tough on the eyes, he was actually pretty good looking if he washed his hair and in clean clothes. But this woman was obviously not pleased with what she was seeing.

'I'm Duo, Duo Maxwell.' He said in his most charming voice. 'And you are?'

The woman snorted 'Out of your lead.' She stood up and walked away with a hastened pace.

He watched her go with an angry look in his eyes. Aw well, her loss, he thought, but he knew better. No one would want to make out with a dirty street rat. He raised his arm and sniffed. He really did reek. He frowned and then gasped as the woman, who sat next to him seconds ago, tapped on the broad shoulders of a guard. He knew she was ratting him out, she occasionally looked his way, her eyes gleaming with superiority.

'Bitch!' He called as the guards came jogging up to him, his hands already on his rubber bat, ready to beat the living crap out of him. She must have told the man he molested her or something! He quickly grabbed his stuff and made the hell out of there, walking across the field making his way through the many dog walkers. He looked back, something you should never do when running, when he heard the guard curse and yell. He smirked, if she had done it on purpose, he didn't now, but the guard got tangled in the leashes of the three Dobermans and had fallen to the ground. She was helping him to get up but before Duo turned his head to watch where he was going her face broke into a smile and she gave him a secret 'Thumbs up'.

He couldn't help but laugh.

'Shitty rain... shitty rain... shitty rain...' he said to himself again and again. He sat in a deserted alley holding a plastic bag over his head to try and stay down as the heavens threw all they had down to earth. What where they trying to do? Drown it?

The rain went on and on and to top it all, like the cherry on top of the ice cream, it started to thunder. The sky roared and lightening swords came rushing down to earth. Trying to pierce it. He looked up to the pitch black sky, there was no star to be seen, thick black clouds blocked his view. He couldn't even see the brightest star, the one he had dedicated to Solo.

He sneezed and crumbled. 'Great, just what I need... catch a cold...' He sneezed again and rubbed his red nose, now that he let go of one side of his 'umbrella' the water that was collected in it fell onto his lap, as if he wasn't wet enough already.

In frustration he screamed, he made a ball out of the plastic bag, he hit it a few times and then threw it away. It didn't came far, because it was so light, but the wind rolled it out of the alley onto the street. He felt somewhat satisfied as a truck ran over it, crushing it and plastering it to the asphalt.

'Stupid bag... stupid rain...' He looked back up at the sky again, closing his eyes a little to protect them from the falling drops. 'Do you think this is funny!' He screamed at the top of his lungs.

He walked through the streets, his hands deep in the pockets of his pants to keep them warm. He was hungry, but it was late and all the shops were closed and he didn't really like breaking and entering. The police got quicker everyday and the security of the simplest shops got more sophisticated. The supermarket even had bars and when someone broke in and would trigger the alarm, the bars would go down and seal off every window and door. A guy he knew was caught that way, hasn't seen him since.

'Fifty bucks and I'm yours...'

He looked up, stopping dead in his tracks. A young girl stood beside him, her clothing didn't cover much as she took of her trench coat to reveal herself to him, wearing only lingerie. He sighed and dug in his pockets, looking down at the ground, he came up fifty cent and an empty candy wrapping. He held them up, to show the girl that that was all he had. But she took it the wrong way, thinking that he was offering it to her in exchange.

'Forget it pal!' She tried to slap him, but he caught her hand before it could connect to his cheek. He thought about hitting, but her big frightened eyes stopped him and he let her go. She could be no older then sixteen, just a little girl... She didn't need him to make her life even worse.

She immediately ran off, her heels tapping on the wet stones that covered the street, he was surprised she didn't slip. It had rained today and now it was freezing, a layer of ice covered the already slippery stones.

As he walked on he noticed he must have entered some whore streets. The houses at the street had large windows, behind the windows sat lovely ladies, dressed sexy and inviting, sitting on a chair. The small room they sat in where mostly painted red, the colour of passion.

He couldn't stop himself from looking at each and everyone of them as he walked by. He should have been disgusted, especially when notes hung on the inside of the window saying things as: "The price is negotiable.", "Startingprice: fifty. More kink, more money." But he guessed he was used to this, a little too much and he was just a young man with needs. Needs that will never be fulfilled with someone other then a drugwhore or a drunken girl who had no idea what they were doing.'

He stopped, his eyes grew wide as he stared at one window in particularly. The girl sitting behind it looked surprised as well, but it soon transferred into embarrassment and she averted her eyes. He recognised her immediately. Red hair, green eyes, young but beautiful. He had seen her a week ago, in the dog park. She and her three Dobermans helped him out.

Dazed, he waved at her but she didn't respond. Only now noticing how uncomfortable she was with him staring, he walked on. He knew, when he saw her in the park, that she was no fancy lady, but this wasn't what he had been expecting.

'God really has no mercy. Somebody should go up there and...' He mumbled to himself in anger, he increased his pace. He tried to ignore it, but he couldn't. He walked further and further, around a few corner, through a few streets. Yes, he was right... he was being followed by three men...