The Metal Teen Chronicles.

Chapter 3: Sustainable Bond.

The walk home was slow, but full of entertainment.
"What's that word people used to use back in the 80s, and 90s, Todd?" Cloud asked.
"Oh, that word? Well, yes I know exactly what word you're talking about!" I replied being a smart-ass.
"Could you be more specific maybe?" I asked.
"That word they used to use to describe chaos. Y'know, it started with an 'A' I think? Punks used to say it all the time. Even the Sex Pistols used it in one of their songs." He replied.
"Anarchy, Cloud. The word you're look for is 'Anarchy'."
He pointed at me in excitement, his face looked so cheerful.
"That's it! That's that word! But what does it mean again?" He asked once more.
"How should I know? Do I look like a dictionary, moron?" I snapped back then laughed. Cloud joined in with the laughter then replied;
"Where do you expect me to find a dictionary in this city?"
Clouds timing could not have been more precise.
"Well, would you look at that." I grinned and pointed out to an old abandoned building sitting just beyond the concrete pavement, covered in mould and stones.
"No way! The town library is still standing?!" Whipped Cloud while rushing up to the doorway.
"Well, barely standing. I mean look at it. It's old and dull." I replied.
"Ha, nice to know some things never change, huh?" Added Cloud.
But he was right. The town library's been this way ever since we were little. Well, with less rubble, graffiti, and it was on less of a lean.
"It looks as if it's about to collapse, dude. Let's try and keep away fro-" Once again, Cloud had stopped me mid-sentence by bolting off inside the building. I continued to stand right where I was and tiled my head downwards. I whispered to myself;
"Why do I even bother..." Before venturing in myself.
The place reeked. Musty and stale wood surrounded me. Micro-sized mould spores filled the air and made it difficult to breathe. I removed my old, black headband from my head and wrapped it around the bottom of my face, just enough to cover my mouth and nose.
"Cloud!" I muffled.
"Dude, where the hell are you?"
I continued searching around spotting old, torn books and rotting tables and chairs. The air felt uneasy.
A slight chill ran down my back, causing me to spin around in a hurry.
"Cloud!" I shouted split-seconds before a response was given.
"What?" Replied Cloud standing right in front of me, causing only a minor heart-attack.
"Ah, you little fuck! Dammit Cloud!" I yelled.
His laughter was uncontrollable and I couldn't help but join in after my heart started beating again.
"Hey, look what I found!" Said Cloud, reaching out of his backpack and removing an old book.
"Hey, you found a dictionary, nice!"
I couldn't believe the pages were still intact? It's been a while since it's been opened.
"Alright, 'A' for 'anarchy'. Where are you..." Cloud says while searching the pages.
"Ha! Found it!" He read;
"Anarchy refers to a society without a publicly enforced government. Since its inception in the original Ancient Greek, anarchy has been used in the negative sense to imply political disorder or lawlessness within a society."
"Wow. So that's the actual meaning, huh?" Cloud says smiling at his latest discovery.
"Well, now that you've found it, can we go home now?"
Clouds stomach growled.
"Yeah, I agree. Let's get out of here."
Cloud threw his book back inside of his backpack and placed it on his back once more.
I hadn't noticed until now but Cloud didn't seem to be bothered by the mould in the air. He was breathing fine, and it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest.
Maybe I was just over reacting about my own breathing?
"Hey, just noticed you're wearing your headband on your face." Said cloud.
"Yeah, I was having trouble breathing when I first walked inside. It's just the mould in the air, I guess."
Cloud removed his headband and placed it over his mouth and nose, tying it at the back.
"It looks cool so, I'm gonna do that as well." He replied.
"We look like gangsters, but cooler!" I said while extending my arm out in front of me, then folding in two fingers and sticking my thumb out to make my hand look like a gun, then tilting it to the side.
"Ha, yeah. You're a gangster alright Todd." Cloud replied before smacking me against the back of my head.
My head tilted to one side for a second but I kept my balance. Cloud was gone before I had the chance to take a swing at him.
I could see him though, so I chased.
The mould and scum that surrounded was beginning to disorientate my eyesight. My eyes began to water a little too much, causing my vision to become blurry. Faint light could be seen from where the entrance lay.
"Finally!" I yelled pushing my way past old shelves and furniture.
The light beckoning, reflected off of broken windows.
I stood again at the doorway to the old library.
The light blinded me.
A sudden shock sent me into panic.
Close to 30 Royal Army Soldiers surrounded the broken building.
All types; Scouts, Officers, Berserkers, Heavy Guards, Royal Guards. All of them that I've ever seen before. Still, I'd never seen so many of them after Cloud and I. We'd been in trouble before and had a few stand over us, but never this many.
"You two, are here by ordered to stand down and surrender. Wanted; for the murder of an Imperial Scout. Disobeying this order will result in your death." Commanded the Officer.
Cloud stood at the foot of the steps. I walked down and stood next to him.
"Cloud, we can't make it out of this one..." I whispered.
Cloud lifted his arms and removed the headband from his neck, placing it back over his mouth once again.
"Still wanna be a gangster, Todd..." He replied, lifting the back of his shirt up.
I was shocked, I had no idea how he'd hidden it for so long but I'm actually glad he kept it on him.
Cloud stood tall holding an old Glock 9, a police fashioned handgun.
He stood tall and proud of himself and he flashed around his firearm.
"Cloud, where the fuck did you get that!?" I asked furiously still looking towards the crowd of guards before us.
"You know that old merchant that used to live near our hideout? Well, it's a long story but long story short, I had to kill a few guards for him to give this to me. Glad I did."
Shocked. I couldn't believe Cloud had actually killed before...
The guards shouted and raised their shields in the Tortoise formation. Protecting every angle in their battalion.
"Now's our chance, Todd. Run." He whispered.
Cloud fired 2 shots into the air, causing the guards to cower and close in on themselves even tighter.
By the time they had the guts to look back up again we had already split out of sight.
I heard one of the shouting; "Split up, search for them! I want them alive! With or without their legs, I want them alive!"
These guys were serious, we had really fucked up this time.
Cloud ran ahead into the corn fields that lay just beyond our hideout in hopes of losing the guards. I followed obviously, I wasn't about to lose Cloud. I had a bone to pick with him.