Nevertell: III

Nevertell: III - Morning Stroll

The golden sun crept up on the city, bringing in a new day. The morning light shined through a young girl's window, illuminating her rather messy room. Andrea's eyes creakily opened with the incoming sunshine. With a moan, she rolled over in bed, reluctant to get up. As we all know, most children, and especially teenagers, greatly dislike waking up for school. Andrea was hardly an exception.

As she snuggled into her velvet blanket, her mind drifted to yesterday's events. She wished they didn't happen. Meeting those two strange siblings was something she'd rather forget. Especially the brother, she grimaced. The immature freak. She hoped him and his sister could just be another dream. Would that make it a dream within a dream? She wondered lazily, letting out a great yawn. In any case, she was going to forget them as quickly as possible. She just hoped that she never met them again.

Going with her plan of forgetting yesterday, Andrea stretched out of bed and began to prepare for school.

About half an hour later, Andrea was stepping down the stairs. No one was in the kitchen to tell her "Good morning!" or "Well, look who got out of bed!" as she got her breakfast. But that was nothing new. Both of her parents worked at this hour. She had no siblings or mooching relatives to speak of either. So, her mornings were usually in peace and solitude, which didn't bother Andrea at all. Quiet time was always a necessity to her. No one was there to bother her, tease her about getting up late, or nag her about the messy bed in her room. She could enjoy her cereal and orange juice in peace.

The poor girl should have cherished that moment of breakfast delight, because she wouldn't be enjoying anything else in peace for the rest of the day.


The walk to school being nearly forty minutes long, Andrea chose to ride her bike instead. It was a russet red, and she had it for a fairly long time, ever since she was thirteen. Her parents have offered to buy her a new bike before, but this one has held up well over the past four years, so Andrea kept it. As she rode her bike to school, she passed along the roads of Nevertell City's more peaceful and well-off residents. The houses were all two-story high and antique with a Victorian style. The grass was green as emerald and the trees vibrant with the autumn colors of red, orange, and gold. Some of her neighbors were out tending to their greener-than-the-other-side front yards, others rushing to their cars for work. On her way, some of them would smile and wave, bidding her a good morning; her returning the favor.

Andrea really did enjoy these bike rides in the morning. The gentle wind blowing though her hair, the rhythmic clicking sound of her bike's wheels turning, watching the puffy clouds stroll across the sky… they were simple things, but it's the simple things in life that should be cherished. The thoughts of last night began to slip away like a dream as Andrea continued her ride to school. The ambience of the morning neighborhood drowned out all thoughts; her mind shifting to autopilot.

It was all gone now. No bomb going off in a manor, no knife to the throat, and especially no pair of psychotic siblings to threaten her or creep her out. None of it happened. Not a single moment of it. All her troubles floated into the air, passed the clouds, and into the stratosphere. It was just her, the bike, and the wind.

That is, until it became her, the bike, the wind, and a police car speeding by right in front of her.

"YIKES!!" Andrea backpedaled right before the car could skim her front tire. Her heart fluctuated in her chest, thudding painfully at the near-death experience. Her hands were clutching the handlebars of her bike tightly, trying to grip what just happened. "What the hell…?" She rasped under her breath. The police car sped down the street. More specifically, the police force of Nevertell was known as Nevermore. Nevermore was known by the city and cities beyond as a strict, powerful authority, and the main reason why Nevertell was one of the safest places in existence. For them to be forced to a chase…many city dwellers, including Andrea, gazed at the zooming vehicle in confusion and worry. After shaking off her state of shock, she did what any other curious teenager would do: She ignored the fact that school was only half an hour from starting, put her feet back on the pedals, and followed the car's blazing trail.

Following a Nevermore car in full pursuit was going to be quite the challenge though. Luckily for Andrea, she knew a few good shortcuts around the city. Goes to show what you can learn from sneaking out of the house often. It only took a glance at where the car was heading, a sudden news report on a nearby TV window display, and a couple of alleyways for Andrea to catch up. Soon enough, she found herself in downtown. Her house actually wasn't far from downtown. Only twenty minutes away by car. Ten minutes by bike with all the shortcuts she knew.

The Nevermore car was still in pursuit, but not as fast as before. They must have been gaining on whoever they were hunting. Andrea pedaled faster, knowing how close she was to the core of the crime scene. Some other city dwellers were running away screaming, or standing in horrific awe. Others were as curious as Andrea, following the action at their own pace. Like a moth to flame, Andrea and the other followers didn't think about the dangers of their own little chase. Their focus was on following the car and nothing more.

But a sudden explosion changed Andrea's focus immediately. A blast of red and orange sparks flew into the air, and then it turned into a colorful puff of smoke. Being so close to the scene of the chase, she decided it was best to go on foot instead of wheels. Her bike skidded to a halt. She carried the metal contraption to a nearby alleyway and hid it behind some trash cans. The bike should be just fine there. She could get a new one anyway. With a swerve of her heel, Andrea went back to pursuing her mission. She went back to following the chase, turning back into a moth to the flame. A few other moths were buzzing to the flame as well, one way or another. No one could really blame the moths though. It was certainly a captivating roaring flame.

_

A familiar young man dashed down the boulevard. His long legs carried him along the pavement at an inhuman speed. The dangerous speed he was going at didn't bother his little sister though, who was on her brother's back and enjoying a piggy back ride. His joyful laughter and her crazy giggles echoed into the streets and mingled with the wails of the Nevermore sirens.

"We're winning, big brothur, we're winning!" The little girl squealed, letting the wind blow her hair bangs and braid every which way.

He snickered at his darling sister's enthusiasm. Her happiness was his happiness and would always be so. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed another bomb to Kin. "Alright, doll, remember to throw it reeeeal high, okay?"

"Okie-dokieeee~" Using both hands, she tossed the bomb up into the air. It came plummeting down, but exploded before it could make impact with the Nevermore car. The bomb released a colorful and huge puff of smoke right in front of the vehicle.

The driving Nevermore cop cursed out loud as he slammed on his brakes. The car skidded into the cloud of rainbow smoke. Both the driving cop and his fellow partner were hacking and wheezing for a good moment until the smoke cleared up. Once the last streams of the rainbow cloud evaporated into the air, the Nevermore cops found the strange siblings nowhere to be seen.

The passenger cop stood motionless and agape for a moment, his eyes searching the area. "Where did they go?!"

"I…I guess they got away…" His partner said incredulously, easing his back into his seat.

"Probably…" The other muttered, his eyes still scanning the area for even the slightest hint of movement.

Both Nevermore cops went quiet for a moment, waiting for any sudden movement. After a couple of minutes, still nothing. There were a few people staring at them in awe, and just as confused. The crowd's confusion only furthered the Nevermore cops' confusion. If the crowd was wondering where the two criminals went, then the crowd didn't see them run away as the Nevermore cops were distracted by the rainbow smoke. So where could those siblings be now?

After a moment more, the driving cop figured any further thought or investigation would be fruitless. If those two delinquents were gone, they were gone. It was greatly disappointing to fail a task, but….well, what could you do? Besides, if those two were to be a real threat, Nevermore would meet them again soon enough. He placed his foot to the gas pedal. "Guess we can go back now-"

Then both siblings popped up from the back seat, where the arrested were stowed, pressing their faces to the grate in front of them, the biggest of smiles on their faces. "HIYA!"

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" Both of the cops shrieked in sheer terror. In a split second, the driving cop stepped on the gas, the car speeding off.

"Weee~!"

After the two men of Nevermore had their initial freak-out, the driving cop gathered his senses and focused. Turning the steering wheel quickly, the car made a skidding U-turn.

"Where are you going?!" His partner yelled.

"Back to the station! We already got them!"

Meanwhile, the younger sibling of the criminal pair was calmly sitting in her seat, humming a little tune. Her big brother, lounging right next to her, looked down at her with a curious smile. "What do you think, sis?"

"Mm…" The little girl looked around at the confines of the Nevermore car, her legs swinging back and forth listlessly. "I don't know big brothur. It's pretty uncon- uncomfer- uncomfortable in here. And I don't like the bar thingies in front of us…" she mused with a pout, staring at the rusty, thin-wired grate before them.

His smile softened into one of reassurance as he petted his little sister's head. "So we'll make sure to neeever get arrested for real, right?"  

She nodded like a bobble head. "Right!" She then smiled up at her brother. "Can I drive the car now?"

The elder sibling chuckled under his breath. "Sure thing, doll." He then leaned forward and tapped the grate, catching the attention of the Nevermore men. "Hey, mister, my sis wants to take the wheel!"      

The driving policeman looked up at the rearview mirror in shock. "What? N…No!"

The little girl was clearly not pleased to hear this. She pouted, "…I wanna drive." Then her tiny hand shot out, straight through the grate.

"AAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!"

As the passenger cop cowered as far away as possible from Kin's hand, he pointed at it in terror. "That's not normal! THAT'S NOT NORMAL!!"    

The young girl lifted the grate and put it aside. She then leaned over and took the wheel. "Weee~!"  

"This is NOT what I signed up for!"

"Let's bail!"

Both Nevermore men jumped out of the car for their lives, as ironic as that sounds. As the two cops abandoned their car, another policeman was driving right behind them. "Good thing we got those two delin-" And then he watched the two cowards tumble and roll by along the road.

Meanwhile, the elder brother of the fugitives was lounging back in his seat, completely at ease. "Hey, sis, how about going the other direction? Y'know, away from the station?"

"Okay~!" She chimed, making the care do a U-turn and speeding off.

The surrounding Nevermore cars followed the siblings. All of them swerved along the road, practically leaving fire in their tracks. But the elder sibling was still lounging in the back seat as his sister drove like a speed demon. He even sang quietly to the music on the radio. His sister just smiled in a chipper manner as she continued to lead the wild chase, making the passing civilians gawk or scream as they tried to get out of the chase's crossfire.     
Letting out a lion-like yawn, the elder sibling looked back and saw the Nevermore cars were beginning to gain on them. "Uh-oh." He turned his head back to his little sister. "Time's up, doll."

"Awww, already?!"

"I know, I know. But we can't keep the car forever."

"But…" she pouted.

He then leaned over and patted her shoulder. Giving her a calm yet stern look, reminding her who was in charge. "Come on, sis. Let's give Mr. Policeman his car back, okay?"

She let out a little whimper, wanting to continue playing with her new toy, but nodded. "Okay…" Suddenly, she reached down and slammed her small black sneaker on the breaks. The car screeched and skidded into a stop right in the middle of the road as the siblings quickly jumped out.

"Holy shi-!!" The Nevermore driving the leading car cursed as he, too, slammed on the brakes before he could smash into the car. Luckily, he only bumped into the abandoned vehicle, and the Nevermore behind him came to a skidding halt as well. "The hell…?" He stepped out of his car and looked into the police car the fugitives were in. "They're not here!!"

The cop next to him followed as he heard this strange news. "Where could they have gone?!"

"I don't know! Maybe they- OW!" The most random of things hit the officer's head: an apple. He looked to the source and saw the juvenile delinquents giggling and standing on top of a fruit vendor's tent. They then hopped high onto the rooftop of the building the fruit stand was in front of and scurried off. The officer then saw all of the other officers stare in disbelief. "D-Don't just gawk at them! FOLLOW THEM!!"

"B-But sir, how?" One of them stepped forward. "They're all the way up there."    

"It's called a ladder, you idiot!" He scolded, shoving his peer. "Go use the fire escape! Half of you go. The other half stay and stand your ground! GET MOVING!!" All the Nevermore followed his order, half of them trying to climb the fire escape as quickly as possible.

The young girl peered over the ledge and glanced at the officers. "Big brother, they look like monkeys!" She giggled.

"They do, don't they?" He chuckled. An idea then sparked in his twisted mind. He knelt down to his sibling's height. "Hey, sis, let's play another game."

She perked up. "Another game~?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Freeze tag."

His little sister's smile grew as her eyes began to widen and glint. "Does this mean we get to use our new toys?!"

He laughed lightly at her enthusiasm, ruffling her raven hair. "Yes, we get to-" He was cut short as he saw the Nevermore were very near the top of the fire escape. "Game starts now!" Bolting like a bullet, his sister followed right behind.

The small group of officers finally reached the rooftop, but the siblings were once again nowhere to be seen. As they assembled onto the top of the building, they looked around, mumbling in confusion and annoyance.

"Gone again?"

"Where are they?"

"I can't believe this."

"Jeez, they move fast."

"This is ridiculous."

"Tag, you're it~!" A chipper voice rang from above. Then small dark blue bombs fell from above. When they made impact with some of the officers, the bombs exploded into an icy blue film of smoke. Once the cold mist cleared, only three of Nevermore's men remained. The rest were literally frozen in their tracks in big chunks of ice.

The elder sibling then jumped off the small shed he and his sister were standing on. He dashed right past the officers, the younger sibling following right behind them. He jumped over onto the ledge of the next rooftop that was seven feet away. "Hurry, sis!" He held out his arms for her. Without hesitation she leaped into her brother's arms, the both of them running off as soon as she did.

"Son of a BITCH!" The leading Nevermore yelled, his two comrades following him in his pursuit. Swiftly as can be they used a board from the shed to carefully cross to the next rooftop.

Hopping from rooftop to rooftop, the siblings continued to run along, the cops scrambling to keep up with them. As the little sister leaped into her brother's arms once more, she lets out a mall yawn. "Big brothur, I don't wanna play anymore. Can we go home now?"

He chuckled. "Of course, doll." As he still held her, he bent down a bit to rub his nose against hers. "Let's just finish these meanieheads off, okay?" He cooed with a wide smile.

She giggled at his Eskimo kiss, smiling tiredly, but still chipper. "Okie-dokie~!"

Suddenly, both of them scurried down the fire escape that was right below them. The Nevermore officers were taken aback for a moment, but they soon followed as fast as they could. Once on ground, they see the siblings running just around the corner of the alley and continue to follow them.  

The siblings then ran down the street. They spotted a few more Nevermore cars, but they did not skid to a halt or quickly turn into another alley. No, they started running straight for the cars head on.

If they weren't going to stop, the leading Nevermore car was. It skidded to a halt, the car behind crashing into it. The driver of the lead car stuck his head out a bit and cursed at the driver of the car behind. As soon as he turned his head forward again, he saw that the young criminals had hopped on the hood of his car. All the while, the cops that were chasing on foot continued to run towards the siblings.

A wide grin stretched across the troublemakers' faces. They pulled out small but lethal looking bombs from their pockets. They threw them into the air, the bombs quickly falling down. The sight made every single Nevermore's blood run cold; the officers free from the restraints of seatbelts were running around helplessly.

They continued to run when the bombs hit the ground. They continued to scream when the bombs set off an exploding set of harmless yet loud rainbow puffs of smoke and sparks. The disjointed song of chaos then ended on a chilling note as the siblings' mixture of childish giggles and insane laughter haunts the air in their escape.

In the leading Nevermore car, the driving cop kept coughing as he tried to fan the smoke away from him. His partner in the seat next to him was doing the same. As the smoke clears and he looked around, the young criminals are nowhere to be found. "Man…I guess…I guess they really are gone now…

"Yeah…" His face paled. He then turned his head to his partner. "You know what this means, right?"

"…What?"

"We have to tell-"

Then a sudden voice on the police radio cooed, "Any problemsss~?"