Truth

Part One

Listening in on the Officer call lines, I found out where the Three Ts had stationed themselves today. I was ready. Speeding down the side of the red brick building I was perched atop, I jumped to the ground and kept skating, out of the alley I’d decided to hide my descent in and into the quotidian, day to day hubbub, gracefully weaving through the crowds with a blank mind. I took each turn as it came, speeding around stationary cars and onto the roads at points where the crowd was unmanageable. My hands remained buried in the pockets of my black hoodie, which also hid my face, my legs covered by baggy jeans, my feet enclosed in what I hoped to become my trademark skates. Fluoro green, with red straps and rainbow wheels, they added a splash of colour to an otherwise nondescript outfit.

There they were, stationed in the intersection, holding up all traffic. They called out and hollered with all their might, tried to relay the truths they had found.

They knew nothing.

Tristan Reaver projected his voice at the moment, begging the public to see sense. Their day to day lives were not in their control. Then Tilly Cravetti took over, calling out that nothing is secret about their lives, and everything was secret about the government which controlled them. It was so close to the truth, and yet so far from it. And then Tyler Yxqwez took his turn, screaming about the government being a monarchy. I cringed at the unadulterated belief in his words. I could see why the Governor had wanted them dead. If they believed so fully, other people may start believing. And they had. The Three Ts were a major movement.

I made my entrance, skating around the edges of the gridlocked intersection at as fast a speed which could be maintained. I then begun skating weightlessly over cars hoods and up the walls of surrounding buildings, finally flipping off the wall and landing in the dead centre of the intersection.

“Believe them!” My voice boomed, and I realised that the Three Ts had been silent ever since my entrance. “Why would Officers come after them with such ferocity, if they were not speaking truths that the government would rather keep secret?” Already, people were palpably mulling over this thought and agreeing. My words were making an impact. And then, as if in confirmation of what I had said, the sirens could be heard, and a helicopter hung overhead, an officer demanding us not to move. Instantly, the Three Ts were off in different directions. One was heading for a nearby alley, but I skated past them and grabbed their arms, lifting them from the ground and skating past their planned escape route. Officers cried out as I whizzed past the alleyway they had hidden in, and then again when I skated up the wall and placed Tyler on the ground.

“Wow sh*t! Dude!” Tyler exclaimed once his feet were on the ground. I remained silent and stony faced, even though he probably couldn’t see it. I hoped he could feel my demeanour, and see the straight line of my lips. I had planned that manoeuvre out, knowing at least one would try flee down that alley, as did the Officers. “Thanks.” He breathed, taking me in and weighing me up. Anyone could be an enemy, no matter what they had previously said or done. The Three Ts only trusted one another, and a few close members. “What you said…. What you did…. We could use someone like you.” I nodded. “We flee to Victory, if you wanna come.” I nodded once again, which Tyler returned.

“Do you want a piggy back?” I asked, knowing the trip would be much faster and easier if we were to avoid the ground and outpace the helicopter headed our way. He responded by walking around me and jumping onto my back. I took off straight away, leaping between gaps in the buildings and often skirting down the sides of the buildings when skating on the roof became too hazardous.

The great thing about the layout of the city was the amount of alleys. Sure, they were often used for cafes and little nook and cranny stores, but there was an equal number which were mostly empty, and used for more ‘scene’ happenings.

When I landed in the alley beside Victory, Tyler climbed from my back. He instructed me to enter via the front, and then disappeared into a side door. I did as I was told, slowly skimming through the sliding doors and through the rows of multi-coloured clothing, sports equipment and around customers and attendants. I was stopped by a young man, who inspected me with a wary eye and asked if he could be of any assistance.

“I was instructed to enter through the front.” I replied, not knowing what I was meant to say. Obviously that sufficed, as I was told to go to the shoes section upstairs.

I knew that the entire upstairs section was for shoes. This was my city, my world; I knew every small detail. That and, if necessary, I could access the information at anytime, anywhere.

I jumped the railing of the escalator and then jumped the upper railing of the floor, skating across the dark stained wooden floors towards a small group, seated on the couches and speaking in hushed tones. As soon as I was standing in their immediate vicinity, they stopped their chatter about whether or not I was to be trusted. Tilly was against, Tyler was for, and Tristan was neutral.

“Who are you?” Tristan demanded, standing directly before me.

“Double-ass In.” I replied. “Spelt 2 ex ass, with a capital A, followed by my last name: In.” The looks on their faces were priceless.

“The one and only?”

“Yes.”

I knew the power my adopted name held. I was the most wanted person in the world. Why?

I killed the Governor.