The wail of multiple sirens echoed throughout the city. Three black cars tore through the streets at breakneck speeds, each trying to overtake the other while the rest of the world went about its day, oblivious.
A few blocks away, an elementary school was celebrating its final day of classes. Amidst the chaos of the hallways, a childish melody rose above the distant rumble of traffic:
— "...and through the streets with Lord Atreas as my shield, I shall walk with certaiiiinty!"
"Alright children, gather 'round! I want to take a photo of everyone," the teacher called out.
The children, clad in blue gowns and graduation caps, clutched their diplomas. They huddled together, forming a pyramid for the shot.
"Is everyone here? Is no one missing?"
"Teacher, Fen is missing!" a few kids shouted.
"Forget him, someone probably picked him up already," others muttered.
"Very well, children! Happy last day of school! May you find great success and fulfill your dreams. I hope you all come back to visit me as great astronauts, engineers, and researchers."
The courtyard erupted in laughter and the sound of hurried footsteps as the children spilled out onto the street.
At the school's entrance, a young boy in his graduation gown sat hunched over. He played with his diploma, slowly stirring a puddle with it while staring at his own reflection. The name tag on his gown read: "Fen."
"Dammit... I really wish at least someone had shown up for my graduation."
He opened his diploma. It was clear Fen was a bright student; he had passed with honors.
"To think these grades won't be good for anything."
He snapped it shut, annoyed.
"They're taking too long. This time, I won't let those two incompetents catch me so easily."
Suddenly, Fen heard a roar of sirens and horns. He watched in bewilderment as the three black cars screeched to a halt right in front of the school.
The doors of the middle car swung open. A tall man in a tuxedo stepped out, his tongue flickering with a distinct hiss. He stretched out a hand.
"Heeellooo, Fen... Are you ready to come with usssss?"
Out of nowhere, a sudden kick sent the man flying out of sight. In his place appeared an identical man, but this one wore a blindfold over his eyes and had long, flowing hair.
"Hello, Fen. We were sent by Lord Atreas to find you."
From the last car, a young man with wild hair climbed out, gasping for breath.
"Sorry for missing the ceremony... we completely forgot... Gosh! I thought I was going to die back there..." He leaned over, clutching his knees to catch his breath.
Fen backed away, but behind him, the snake-tongued man emerged from the boy's very own shadow.
"You think you can kick your ssssuperior like that?"
The man lunged at the blindfolded one in a sudden burst of violence. Meanwhile, the wild-haired youth approached Fen.
"Alright, what do you say, little buddy? Shall we go?"
Terrified, Fen splashed water from the puddle directly into the man's eyes.
"GAH?! HEY! WHY YOU LITTLE— MY SUIT!"
Fen seized the moment. He took off, scrambling up the side of a house and leaping agilely from roof to roof. The man wiped the mud from his face and barked at the others:
"Guys, he's getting away!"
The other two, still mid-brawl, turned in unison.
"Dammit!"
Without a second thought, the pursuit of little Fen began. The blindfolded man dashed back to the car, while the snake-tongued man melted into the shadows once more. The wild-haired youth took to the rooftops, tailing Fen closely.
As he ran, Fen's mind raced: Who are they? Are they really Lord Atreas's men? Either way, I'm not letting them catch me.
Suddenly, the scream of a police siren was followed by a loud honk. It was the black car speeding up a bridge. As the window rolled down, the blindfolded man could be seen at the wheel.
"Hey! Fen? That's you, right? Man, I assume it's you... Hey, stop right now!"
The man veered the car toward the house Fen was crossing, reaching out a hand through the window to grab him. Fen reacted instantly, darting in the opposite direction. The maneuver forced the car to swerve sharply off the bridge.
"I'll be back!" the driver yelled, trying to regain control, only to slam into another vehicle. "Hey! Watch it! Are you blind?!" the angry pedestrian shouted.
Meanwhile, a blonde young man in uniform, who was quietly reading a newspaper nearby, watched the entire spectacle unfold.
"Phew... lost him," Fen thought.
But something felt wrong. He turned around and saw the wild-haired man closing in at high speed.
"Stop right there, BRAT!"
"AH!"
Fen put on a burst of speed to maintain his lead, but his pursuer decided he'd had enough.
"Fine... if you won't stop, I'll just tell Atreas you tripped on the way."
The young man stopped and brought his hand to his face. A sphere of yellowish-orange light began to glow in his palm. It was fire!
"Perfect. This won't kill him, but it'll stop him... I'm sure of it!"
He hurled the fireball toward Fen.
The boy had to slam on the brakes. Right in front of him, emerging from the shadow of a water tank, the snake-tongued man appeared.
"Here you are! Now you can't escape sssfrom me!"
The man reached out to snatch him, but Fen leaped to dive past him.
"It'ssss useless..."
SMACK! The man took the fireball from his own partner straight to the face. The impact left him in shock long enough for Fen to keep running, finally losing sight of the strange trio.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" the man screamed, his face completely charred.
"I'M SORRY!"
Fen laughed as he leaped across the rooftops. He couldn't believe how easy this was.
"Finally! I lost them... Hahaha!"
But then, the sound of a gunshot—"PUM"—made his eyes snap wide open. He heard the roar, but saw no projectile. Mid-leap, his foot landed squarely on a banana peel. He slipped, falling heavily to the ground. There, the shadow-man and the wild-haired youth finally pinned him down.
"You've given us quite a headache, shrimp."
"Yesss... it'ssss time to go. We have to arrive early."
Behind them, a loud, obnoxious honk sounded. It was the blindfolded man in the wrecked car.
"Great! You got him. Get in, quick! We gotta move, get in, get in!"
They forced Fen into the car. The engine roared as the vehicle sped off toward its new destination.
The Shooter
Nearby, a fruit vendor stared in surprise at the blonde youth in uniform.
"Thanks for the banana, keep the change," the boy said, wiping the smoke from his pistol. "Truly delicious, yeah!"
On the shoulder of his uniform, a name could be read: "Kai."
"Those guys are so reckless. They made such a mess. Hmmm... I wonder where they're headed."
Kai watched the black car disappear into the distance. Suddenly, he remembered something.
"Oh, right! Today's the day the Rookie Academy starts. Mmmm... well, I'm going to be late."