HOUNDS

*** "Sky! Grab my hand!" "It won't hold Zue." "It will! Just hold my hand!" He then smiled. "Always know I'm with you" "Sky! No! Sky!" Ropes break, metal bars falling, rain pouring hard. I should have known better. Future was never for us. *** "That's 20 rounds in 5 minutes" "Start again" "You're gonna strain yourself!" Mase, my trainer/sparring partner, called out speaking concerned but I was already tearing up half of the oval and I knew he started the time much to his dismay. "Okay still 5." "Not good enough" I huffed out and prepared to sprint again. "35 rounds" "That's better"  I stopped on my tracks and walked back to him. "You're not even breathless" He said moving his head side to side in disbelief as he wrote down my time and rounds on our papers. I huffed out a loud breath and drank from my bottle. One moment everything was clear, the lights of the oval were glimmering the dark place, stars were creeping out, the cool wind breezed through my face. Then next moment everything paused, the swaying branches of trees stopped halfway, my sweat stopped from dripping, I could still feel the wind but it is as if I'm enclosed by it, I can only hear my deep breathing. From the corner of my right eye, I can see something moving slow. My reflexes did their part, I duck down and slid my right leg to make the opponent off balance. And everything was on play, the branches continued swaying, sweat dripping, and wind blowing on my bare arms. Mase jumped back up and had his stance.  My first instinct, drop the bottle, but Mase lunged his fist for a right jab and everything was on pause again. My mind worked out every possibility of counter-attacks and anticipating Mase's attacks after. It is like a game-plan. Yellow trajectory lines from my hand to his face and then my leg to his sides. then everything was on play. I threw the bottle at his face but as expected, he caught it. Throwing the bottle away, his face was in sight again, my fist went for it and my leg went straight to his abdominal area. He caught my leg and twisted it making me twirl while jumping and falling face first. I jumped back up and aimed at hitting his chest with my palms, he gripped my wrists and threw my arms outwards making a clear strike. I ducked again just in time to miss his leg striking for a kick, I punched his left side and used my knee to hit his stomach. He bent down in pain and I finished it with a kick in the butt. He grunted while lying face down on the floor. "Still 5" I said imitating him a while ago. "That hurt! Thanks a lot!" Mase whined gripping his stomach. "And to think I was the one who ran 55 rounds" I grinned down at him. "Shut it! I'm still hurt!" He said still lying down and caressing his stomach. "Oh come on! Get up!" I said as I packed my things. "Not until you carry me home" He said and crossed his arms. "Dinner's on me" "Well then what are we waiting for?" He jumped up quicker than a wink. "Let's go Zue. No time to waste" Typical Mase. where the food is the topic, he is there. *~*~* "Who knew pizza's here are this good?" Mase said with mouth full of goods and lips smudged with hot sauce. And he says that to every food joint or every food that's free. "You disgust me" I took a bite of the pizza as well, silently admitting that the food was good. "Nah but you love me" He said smiling, revealing chewed dough and pepperoni. "I didn't know you were also a comedian"  "The best in Project 3" He said and continued eating. I just rolled my eyes at him and looked outside the glass windows. Project 3. My home for the next, I don't know, until we'll have to move again. I looked at the bright streets filled with homeless people laying out boxes and making tents out of their clothes. The buildings are ran down and are dangerous for occupancy. Food stalls have flies as customers, old songs are being played by one equipment store, babies crying, fire pits in one side and arguing men on the other. It is a pitiful world but in this place, nothing is more chaotic. What's more pitiful is that, they know they're going extinct yet they still live shitty lives and are being shitty themselves. "So, what'd you think?" Mase looked at me expecting to receive an answer. "What?" I said and c****d my head to the side? "There you go again" He said with a sigh and placed the slice of pizza down on his plate. Uh-oh this is serious. "Look I'm sorry" "What I was saying is that, I was thinking about the Projects-" "Wait, you here that?" I said cutting him off and c****d my head trying to listen. "Huh?" "Sshh" We both listened carefully, old song, baby crying, arguments, nonsense chatter, utensils clattering, flies buzzing, sirens. "Let's go." I really didn't have to tell Mase anything. He grabbed his metal pin from his vest and placed it on the table as our payment for the meal. "Mase that's-" "Let's go" He said and the funny Mase was replaced by Commander Jackson. We headed for the car and he was driving. The lights turned and engine roared. The homeless people moved right away. They knew who owns these kinds of cars. Black paint, four white lights on the hood, red lights on the doors, blue ones on the rims of the wheels and on the outline of the windows. Only a few people drove these cars, brilliant, skilled, talented people. In places and past times, they were called cops, soldiers, army, assassins, but here and now we were called Hounds. "It's 12 miles away. South" I listened carefully while Mase was driving fast through the homeless filled streets. "2 Females. 1 adult, 1 child" I told him and went back to listening and visualizing the place they're in. "Corth building, top floor. 4 Nads" "4?! f**k!" "Yeah nearing" We were now a block away. White and blue lights flickered on the building, a signal some troops were already in. "I bet they can't handle it. Jump or Climb?" He asked. "Is that even a question?" I said and as soon as we were near enough, I pushed the button on my seat and it sent me flying 8 stories up, I shot a hook to the 8th floor and as I was falling down I swayed for the broken windows of the 7th floor, leaving 2 floors from where the chaos is. I climbed up the walls of the building using the balconies and window panes. As soon as I got in the top floor I saw the victims crying and there were no troops to be seen, everything was on pause. 2 female Gouds were crying on the far right corner, 2 Nads are disgustingly closer to them, and 1 Nad on my left. Yellow lines appeared and ending it with dead Nads on the floor. It was all on play. I threw a knife on the Nad on my left and it went straight to his brain, if ever it had one, and it fell down on the floor instantly. I drew out 2 guns for the 2 Nads, they heard me and turned their head 180 degrees and faced me with their body turning after. They shouted in anger with slime dripping from their mouths. They stood up straight almost hitting the roof and letting out 2 other arms as if the original arms weren't hideous enough. "Really? 8 arms?" I guess they don't like small talks, they ran towards me while shouting and leaving slimes as footprints. Pause, yellow lines from my guns to their heads, but they are fast--really fast, in case of misses, slide down to the victims and hit them from their backs. Play. I triggered fast and one Nad fell down, the other was faster, he climbed up the ceiling as I slid down using their slimes and shot him from below and it fell down splashing slime everywhere. Easy. And I see the victims crying in joy but Mase was still nowhere in sight. "You're safe. I suggest you look for another place where there is light and clean yourself up. Goud dirt are more fragrant when not cleaned." The child screamed and looked at me with fear. I guess she doesn't like cleaning up. Then a shot was fired. I looked back and a Nad was standing in front of me with its slime dripping like a waterfall, then it fell like a log. Mase was standing behind it with his gun in his hand. "4" He said as he blew the smoke out of his gun. "Oh so now you show up" "Sorry, Jessie was down" "Oh please" I said as I rolled my eyes at him and faced the victims. "Hi there! I suggest you look for another place-" "I already told them that" "Sorry your Highness" He smiled smugly "Get them down" I said and we walked towards the broken window I used to enter and I grabbed the child and carried her in my arms. "Wait what? Can we just use the stairs?" Mase said. "See ya down there" "I'm scared" the child said and started to cry. I hate crying just because of petty fears, I hate people crying, I hate crying, I hate tears. "Close your eyes" I said keeping my patience and focused on the matter. I was surprised she followed. I looked down and saw the white and blue lights on the streets. "Come on Mase" I jumped while shooting a hook on the next building. When we were near enough, I let go of the rope and landed on my feet with a thud. I quickly gave the child to the medics and checked my guns. Mase also landed but had an annoyed face. "Thank you! Thank you so much sir!" The lady kept hugging and kissing Mase on the face. "It's fine ma'am. That's what we do" He said and stepped away but the Goud lady kept hugging him tight with her long blue arms. I saw him mouth 'help'. "Not my area of expertise, Mase" "Commander Roberts" Not again. "Commander General Cera" I said as I looked back and placed my guns on my vest. "That was fast. Were you in the vicinity during the call?" "Yes we were" "Comd Cera! We were eating dinner when we heard the sirens 12 --" I elbowed Mase before he gets his ego big. "A mile away. See that joint?" "Well, Corth troops thank you for you service and we were lucky enough you were near. I heard there were 2 Nads" "4" Mase again with his ego. "Four?! These things keep on coming" "Yes. but they're never stronger than before" I said before Mase can say anything. "Good. have you told the victims-" "To move and clean-up? Yes we did" Really Mase? "Good. See you tomorrow at HQ." Comd Cera said rather sullen. "Good night Comd Gen Cera" Mase and I salute to Project 3's commander and leader. "You just have to, didn't you?" I asked Mase while wiping slimes off of my pants and vest. "I suggest you to move and clean up" He stated as if talking to a victim. "Shut up and drive me home" "Not in my car! You have slime!" "Shut it Jackson!" "Mase!" I didn't have to turn to look at who it was. That voice only belongs to- "Jessie!" Mase said and had a wide smile. "Guess see ya at home" I said and hopped in one of the parked motorcycles. They resemble Ducattis but they are way faster and multipurpose. And hey, I'll return it. When I don't need it anymore. "Time to clean myself up" I muttered to myself and drove down the street, away from the scene, away from the noise and away from anybody else.