Toxic City

Chapter 4

The screeching of an old man alarms the street. Frustration burning his brow in rage as he hollers after Nicolai.

Already a good distance away, Nicolai admires the armful of fruit stolen from the vender. A wild smirk of pride on his face as he crouches on the roof.

"At it again?" A voice says, a hand reaching down and snagging one of the apples from the pile.

Nicolai glances up at Pete as he bites into it. A grin on his face as he watches his devious friend get away with crime.

"Food is food. Got to do what ya' got to do." Nicolai says, with the roll of his eyes.

"You seem back to your old self. It was weird to see you so...serious this morning. Almost like a different person. But, I can't blame you." Pete says, casting his gaze towards the street.

"My brother is a different story." Nicolai's voice darkens as he stands. Looking back at the old mans shop he stole from. "This is the life we live."

"Oh no...." Pete walks up beside the edge if the roof top, towards the center of the slum district. A grim look crossing his face.

"What?" Nicolai blinks, shifting in the direction Pete is looking.

In the center of town lays a man, curled up on the ground under a defense officers foot. Getting kicked and harassed keeps him down, bruises covering his face and body.

Nicolai's ears twitch with irritation. Rage boiling through his veins. Tossing the pile of fruit at his friend, he pounces to the next roof over.

"Hey!" Pete calls after him, clumsily catching the food off guard. "Where are you going?!"

"Be right back!" Nicolai hollers, racing towards the commotion.

"Damn Furrow! Just answer the question!" The defense officer gives a rough kick in the mans stomach.

The man groans, clenching his ribcage as he tries to weakly guard. "I told you..." he spits sorely, "I haven't seen any thieves recently."

A thud silences the officer as a apple knocks him from the back of his head. The crowd now gathered around the commotion all gasp, glancing in the direction it came from.

The officer curses, picking the apple off the ground when being deflected from his skull. He follows the crowds stares, his pride wounded.

"Hey there!" Nicolai greets with a cheery wave, only a house away. He slides off the metal roof, flipping onto the cobblestone street athletically. The girls in the crowd of course swoon.

"Brat, stay out of it!" The officer kicks the man on the ground once more, before facing Nicolai with aggression.

Not waiting a moments hesitation, Nicolai pulls a pipe from the back of his belt. Pressing a button on it, it extends the pipe out into a long staff, spinning it easily around his shoulders.

"Oo's" and "Ah's" come from the crowd as he shows off.

"Let the man go. If he doesn't know, then he doesn't know. We can all walk away from this unhurt." Nicolai offers with a smile.

"I should have assumed such idiocy from a Furrow." The man leers. He pulls out a air-pressure gun with a metal clank.

"Sh-!" Before Nicolai is able to finish his sentence, the officer shoots a bullet his way. Steam coming off the exhaust of the pressure plate in the gun after the release.