The Metal Teen Chronicles.

Chapter 2: Burden, or Gift?

A cold sweat; awakened by the breeze whipping through my hair as I stood in stance. My fists at the ready as both me and Cloud began our daily sparring training.
"Ready?" Said Cloud, clenching his fists and shifting his left foot until it stood on its toes. I drew my last breathe before I lunged foreword at him, throwing a high-knee his way, and ending by extending my leg, missing him barely by an inch. Cloud was fast, really fast.
"Whoa, almost 'Toddy-Boy'!" He exclaimed in excitement as he drew back to his position, recovering from his near miss.
Cloud took two skips towards me and spun, throwing his foot into the air before extending his leg out in surprise. His bare foot hit me right in the side of the face, causing me to bite my tongue. Like a whiplash, his leg flew through the air and hardened moments before making contact with the side of my face. I was used to it, we'd be training like this for years, nothing was new.
"Ooo, got a good one in there now didn't I." He said in a cheeky grin, shuffling backwards.
I kinda fell to my knee a little dazed but otherwise, fine.
"Round 2, huh?" I said with a smile before returning to my feet.
I threw a left jab, followed by a right hook, and a spinning backhand.
Cloud, being the fastest. Managed to dodge every single blow. Right dodge, quick duck, then lunge backwards to avoid the backhand.
Luckily, he hadn't noticed my right foot preparing for a sweep.
He tripped, fell, and landed straight on his face.
I placed my hand out and picked him up as he reached for it.
"Guess we're even now, huh?" He said with a bit of dirt on his face.
Training in a dirty, lonesome alley way wasn't exactly sparring material, but it was quiet and plenty spacious, so it did just fine.
"You there, halt!" Bellowed a voice from behind myself.
Cloud turned as saw three men suited in the Empires Scout armor.
These guys usually wondered the city, searching for trouble makers or kids old enough to recruit for The Emperors Royal Army. T.E.R.A, they called themselves.
They wore light armor to easily move. Very agile, and discrete when being stealthy. That's why they're called scouts.
"By decree of his royal majesty, The Emperor, we order you to surrender.
Cloud and I stood upright facing our captors.
"And if we don't?" Replied Cloud placing his bag on his back.
I knew Cloud wasn't gonna go down without a fight, but these guys weren't just mercenary's or simple thugs.
Members of the T.E.R.A, had trained for years, merciless and overpowering in packs.
I looked at Cloud, and he smiled. A certain look in his eye that I wasn't too familiar with. But, I knew he had a plan of his own in his head.
"Come with us, or die." The scouts replied.
Within seconds of the words slipping from his tongue, Cloud reached for his back pouch and pulled a knife. He whiplashed his arm and threw the blade, striking one of the guards right in the throat.
He dropped to the ground, gasping for air as he drew his final breath. Blood protruded from the gash in his throat, drowning the wound in warm, ruby, liquid.
I had no idea Cloud could do that? Was i imagining things?
Things we quiet, dead quiet.
Now only 2 guards stood remaining. I could see the fear in their eyes, but they stood their ground.
Why?
It's just what they were trained to do, simply.
"You've committed crimes against the Emperor. You are here by sentenced; to death!" The remaining guards spoke before drawing their swords.
Cloud prepared for a deathly fight, but I had other plans in mind.
"Cloud, we can't win this barehanded, let's get out of here..."
I whispered quietly.
The guards began to run at us insanely fast.
I pulled Cloud back with me and began sprinting for our lives. The streets were lined with merchants, and storekeepers seeking a sucker to sell stolen trinkets too.
Thieves, merchants, and simple folk trotted around as we pushed our way through the crowds causing a huge fuss. Fellow groups of T.E.R.A laid in patches around the street, being around just to scare the simple folk. But it didn't matter. They couldn't stop us. They were fast, but even with light armor they still cant match both mine and Clouds speed.
The chase was heavy, and the more people shouted and yelled, the more attention we drew towards ourselves.
More and more guards had joined the chase for the murderous duo, more Cloud then myself.
"I still couldn't believe that Cloud had just killed another man like that...I mean, I get that he was a part of T.E.R.A, but he just killed him without hesitation. He made it look as if he'd of done it hundreds of times before. And after all these years; I thought I fully understood my brother..." I thought to myself as I gazed at Cloud while we escaped through a building decorated in rubble.
We stopped in the shadows and watched as the guards ran past in hopes of finding us.
"Idiots." Whispered Cloud.
"Okay, I think they've gone." He says before leaning his head out and carefully searching around for any sight of T.E.R.A enforcements.
"What the hell were you thinking, Cloud! You could have gotten us killed, that was reckless! Did you even stop to think about just running instead of killing someon-" He cut me off before I could finish my sentence.
"But we didn't die, did we, Todd. And yes I did think about my actions, but not about what would happen next. All I felt was anger when I saw them. What they've done to everyone we ever knew. What the Emperor did to Mom and Dad... I'll kill each and everyone of them if I have to."
I paused for a moment as I saw a tear stream down Cloud's face.
"C'mon, Cloud. Let's go home." I said before placing my hand on his head and then placing my arm around his shoulder.
"He's my brother, and we've always been there for each other. I'm not about to let this tear apart our bond...but for some reason, I couldn't help but feel curious."