Chapter 2 Strange Powers
"Damn! This town is like a maze!" Zolo yelled. He stood in a dark alley, floor damp with dew. Then a sudden movement to his right caught his attention. Looking down, he saw a dirty window, which led to a bar of some sort. But before he could react, the window opened and out popped a hand. "What the…" Zolo muttered as he poked at the hand. All of a sudden, it tightened around his ankle and pulled him down and through the window.
Zolo landed with a thump on a creaky wooden floor. "Ouch…" Zolo winced as he stood up, his hand on his backside (that he landed on). In front of him were a group of drunkards. "Hey! Have a drink with us!" one of them yelled. Zolo ignored him and started towards the stairs that he assumed led to the door. But as he walked by, he saw a cloaked figure standing next to a guy with a mask. Whipping his head around, he caught a glimpse of a huge bag passing from the cloaked to the masked. "Hey you!" Zolo yelled. The cloaked figure turned towards his voice, startled. Zolo made his way to him, shoving aside chairs and tables. This time, the figure didn't attempt to escape. Zolo lifted him up by his collar and growled, "Where's the loot you stole?" Zolo could now see his face clearly, revealing a boy around 17. Dark green hair bordered his face, reaching his shoulders. He had dark brown eyes, barely visible in the dim tavern. "I gave it to him," the figure said, cocking his head at the man with the mask, who gave a start. "So if you want it back, get it from him."
"Zolo?" Nami's voice exclaimed from the door of the bar. Zolo stiffened. The figure must've seen this, for he smirked and release Zolo's hand from his collar. "Need help?" he smirked. Then without waiting for a response, he pointed a finger at the two girls, Robin and Nami who just came in. Zolo watched in shock as the scene seem to rewind, and Robin and Nami disappeared back up the stairs. "Hurry, you have 10 seconds," the figure said. Zolo nodded, and then turned towards the masked figure. "Give the loot here, or else…"
Zolo and the boy raced out of the bar, passing Nami and Robin, who were just entering. They didn't notice though, since the boy had given Zolo the cloak. Once they were a safe distance away, they stopped and collapsed onto the row of houses beside them. Panting and sweating, both sat in silence. Until, "Hey, who the heck are you?" Zolo asked.