The Seven Wonders of the World

5. The Talk

As the Captain -- Great Hand Stobaru -- would be sitting in his righteous throne, the doors would be bursting as his son and his bodyguards would be panting.
“DAD!!!” yelled Yimeapo.
“What is it?” said Stobaru.
Yimeapo huffed and puffed once more. “I was assaulted!”
Stobaru looked at him, as Yimeapo spoke more, “He came up to me, and threw me like a teddy bear! Kill him, Dad! Have him executed infront of the whole town!”
Stobaru looked at Yimeapo more.
“Well? Are you gonna say something?!” said Yimeapo. “Is my dad becoming an old timer or something who can't even hear?”
“Enough!” said Stobaru. “You are a weak little thing, Yimeapo.”
Yimeapo looked at him dumb-foundly. “What? What are you saying, Dad?”
“I'm saying, you're a weak little boy who needs to toughen up!” said Stobaru. “Your bodyguards are always fighting for you, get some dirt and blood on them knuckles of yours for once!”
Yimeapo was too stunned to speak, as he glanced at his knuckles. “But... I don't know how to fight.”
Stobaru stared at Yimeapo for a few moments, before bursting out into a full on laugh. “Are you serious?! Twenty-one years of your life on this planet and you don't know how to fight someone? Give me a break!”
“It's not funny!” said Yimeapo.
“Oh, yes it is!” said Stobaru. “The Great Hand Stobaru, Captain of Army Unit #27, has a foolish son who is rotten, spoiled, and weak?! Give me a break! Maybe I should show you what a real kick feels like?”
Yimeapo stared at him, as Stobaru kicked him down the steps to his throne, as Yimeapo held his stomach in pain.
“Go to your room,” said Stobaru, “or it'll be a hell of alot worse where that came from.”
Yimeapo laid there for a few moments, before running out wiping his tears.
Stobaru turned to the bodyguards. “Get your troops,” said Stobaru, “And find that kid.”

Rater would be at Brody's house, as he would be taking a shower as Brody would be in the kitchen making tea.
As Brody put the teabag in the cup, he was murmuring to himself, going along the lines of, “That kid is crazy,” murmured Brody, “assaulting the kid of a Captain of an Army Unit? He is crazy.. if they find him, they'll put me in the ground too. And then i'll lose my diploma and then my house. And then—”
Rater walked in, with a bathrobe tied around him as he went to sit at the table. “Yo!” said Rater.
“Hello,” said Brody, as he was finished stirring the tea, before giving it to Rater.
Rater turned around as he looked at the living room. “Cool living room!”
“Thanks—” said Brody, before realizing something as his face dropped.
“Huh?” said Rater.
“YOUR HAIR!” said Brody. “It's connected to your spine!”
“Oh, that!” said Rater. “That was a side effect of when I drank the Luscious Phantom Liquid, it made my hair attach to my spine. It was weird at first but I got used to it!”
“Why's it there?” said Brody.
“Legends say that when you drink one of the Nine Phantom Liquids,” said Rater, “if there is a full-moon at night, you'll turn into a full-sized ape!”
“APE?!” said Brody.
Rater nodded, as he turned around and saw the tea for him at the table. “Tea?” said Rater.
“Yes, Tea,” said Brody, “it's good for you. Drink it.”
Rater shrugged, as he sipped the tea. “It feels okay.”
Brody chuckled. “How was the shower?”
“It was great!” said Rater. “This place is really organized, Brody.”
Brody chuckled again. “Hah, thank you, I live here by myself. It was supplied by the Army.”
“By the Army?” said Rater.
Brody nodded. “I'm apart of their youth system, which means that they supply me a house until i'm eighteen. I pay rent monthly, of course.”
“How long have you been living here?” said Rater.
“Three years, since I was fourteen,” said Brody, “ever since my parents had died, I was homeless and since I took the course to become a Soldier, they gifted me a house and gave me about two months to pay for the first loan of rent. Safe to say I did, and here we are today.”
Rater nodded. “You have my condolonces.”
“Thanks,” said Brody, “i appreciate that.”
Rater nodded. “I think i've made a decision!”
“Hm?” said Brody.
“Sora is going to join my crew,” said Rater, “wherever he likes it or not!”
Brody chuckled.
Rater ran upstairs. “I'm going to get changed, and when we come back down. We're going to get Sora! You got that?”
Brody smiled. “Yes, sir!”

Rater and Brody would go back to the empty yard, as Rater would try a second attempt to get Sora to join his crew.
As Rater was climbing up the brick wall, Brody exclaimed, “Look, Rater!”
“Huh?” said Rater, as he and Brody saw the Army Troops run out of the Tower that was guarding the Prison Yard. “What's happening?”
“Probably taking action on Yimeapo's assault,” said Brody, turning to Rater. “They're looking for you.”
“Eh, they won't stand a chance when it's me and Sora against them!” said Rater, then he jumped to the other side.
Rater approached Sora. “Hi, there!”
“You again?” said Sora. “How do you even get past security?”
“There's no security behind that wall,” said Rater, “it's a free area.”
Sora scoffed. “Pricks.”
“You tellin' me!” said Rater. “So, you gonna join my team?”
“I already said No!” said Sora. “I'm not becoming a Ranger, especially not with you!”
“Why not? I'm strong, and fast, I would be a good ally to you.”
“Strong? You, Strong?” said Sora. “Give me a break!” said Rater. “I'm stronger than anyone in that Tower! And probably the mansion too!”
“Even better than Stobaru himself?”
“Who?”
“Stobaru is the Captain of the Army Unit that patrol this town,” said Sora, “he has a giant hand that is made of metal and is said to seriously injure you if you are striked with it, probably hospitalized and on a one year recovery if you ask me.”
“One year recovery?!” said Rater.
Sora nodded. “That's why they call him the Great Hand, because that gigantic hand of his strikes fear into people, and makes them forget any foul language they spoke of him.
“Safe to say, though, I have ten more days in here. Then they will let me free. And then I can leave this place for good -- so no, I won't join your crew.”
“I could get you out right now!” said Rater.
“What?!” said Sora. “How?”
“You have dual-swords, right?” said Rater.
Sora nodded.
“I can find your swords in the mansion right now, bring them out here, and get you free!”
“Seriously?” said Sora.
Rater nodded.
“Alright,” said Sora, “do it, then. I like a little shortcut.”
“Alright,” said Rater, “be back in five!” He patted Sora as he ran off.
Sora watched Rater as he ran off. “What a clueless boy,” he said.
Then his face was filled with anxiety as he saw what was ahead of him.

The Soldiers of the Tower were running through the streets, holding all of their weapons -- shotguns, swords, you name it.
They loaded up the shotguns as they ran as the civilians ran out of their way. “We are the Army! You shan't disobey us and do what we say!” they said repeatedly.
As they stopped running, they surrounded Brody's house, aiming at the door as they stood there.
“The kid lives here with one of the youth products!” said the Soldier.
“Youth products?” said another soldier. “So he committed treason, eh? We shall have him executed aswell!”
“Indeed!” said the Soldier, as he poured gasoline over Brody's front door.
He lit the lighter. “Say goodbye.”

Six is soon!