The Bubble Popper

Chapter 13

The taxi had now become a ticking time bomb to Sud. He needed to get rid of it fast, but he couldn't just leave it at the pump. It would attract attention too fast, and he needed time to get as far away as possible.

He drove the taxi and parked it next to the remains of the taxi driver. Then he got his backpack with his treasure and walked to the next intersection. He needed to start heading outward towards the next bridge and find a way to cross it. He had already wasted too much time. He couldn't continue going around the ring. When they discovered the taxi, they would guess the direction he was heading.

Unfortunately, the natural light of the day was almost gone, and he didn't know the neighborhood. Sud walked for as long as he could with the remaining light and then looked for a semi-hidden spot to spend the night.

Fortunately, for Sud, the houses in Cloud City's third ring were not fenced. The crime rate in the third ring was very low. Some houses had ponds in their yards or small streams that eventually met up with the rest of the rivers that ended up in the waterfall in the center of the city. Those houses had small bridges, which made things easier for Sud to get from one place to the other. From that layout, Sud inferred that he had already entered the middle of the third ring.

Sud found a bench behind a house and decided to rest there for the night. It was hidden from view by shrubs. He would not be seen easily if someone walked by. He would wake up early to continue on his way. He was so tired he even forgot he hadn't eaten anything during the day.

****
"Ahhh! Who are you!?" A scream woke up Sud from his slumber.

He looked around and realized he had overslept. It was early, but someone had awakened earlier than him.

A female bubble who was standing a few feet away from him kept screaming annoyingly.

"Shut up!" Sud shouted at the bubble.

Sud got up, and the movement startled the female.

"Ahh!! Stay away. Don't come any closer."

She's crazy. When did she see I was trying to get close? Thought Sud.

He got his backpack and was ready to be on his way. He didn't want to be around the female any longer.

To get back onto the road, Sud had to pass by the female. As he got closer, she kept screaming. So much yelling in the morning was giving him a headache. That, together with the bad sleep he had, made his mood sour. If you pop her, she'll stop screaming.

The screams from the female had attracted some early-rising neighbors. Sud noticed them and hurriedly walked past the female. Her panicking screams increased as he walked past. Just pop her!

"What's wrong, Bublina?" Sud heard someone ask but didn't bother to look back and see who it was. All he wanted was to get as far away from there before he did something he regretted.

"He-, he's the Bubble Popper that was on the news last night!" Sud heard the female loudly whisper.

He turned his head and saw the bubbles that had come out when the female screamed, staring at him.

It was all in a matter of seconds when Sud realized someone had recognized him and chose to run.

He ran as fast as he could, not caring what path he took. He just wanted to get as far away as possible from the bubbles.

"Catch him! Someone call the police!" Was all that Sud heard as he sprinted away from there.

Sud held on tight to his backpack that contained his treasure as he weaved in and out of properties. He looked back only to see the bubbles giving chase and almost catching up to him. The slight advantage he had gained at the beginning was almost gone. Stupid bubbles, couldn't they mind their own business?

He was running out of breath as he ran past and around a house. Out of breath, he came to a halt as he realized there was no way past there. The way was blocked by a pond.

He was about to turn around and find a way around when a force struck him from behind.

Sud struggled and tried to push off the bubble that had hit him from behind. He kicked and pushed to no avail. He reached for his bag and tried to open it, but he couldn't open it with one hand.

A male bubble appeared and grabbed his arms. Then he pushed Sud's face to the ground and his arms behind his back. He struggled to shake him off, but the other bubble was stronger than him.

"Stop struggling, you bastard. The police are on their way. You're going to pay for what you did!" Yelled the bubble, restraining Sud.

Sud couldn't answer. His face was squished down into the floor. All he could do was wriggle and kick his feet, hoping to set himself free. He couldn't be arrested. What would happen to his treasure?

He bucked and kicked. Just when he was about to give up, he hit the other bubble in the face, causing the other bubble to lose its hold.

Sud took the opportunity, and as fast as he could, he got up and sprinted away from the bubble.

Sud looked back to see a robust bubble chasing him while holding his face. Besides him, there were also a few other bubbles, which Sud did not bother to properly look at, joining the chase. He chose not to distract himself with them, he concentrated on avoiding obstacles and choosing a route.

He ran across bridges and around cars. The dangerous parts were turning sharp corners where he had to hold on and not slip.

Sud could hear the steps from those chasing getting closer and closer, but he didn't want to turn back and waste energy. He was concentrating on moving forward.

Suddenly Sud felt his foot get stuck for a second, and the next thing he knew, his body was crashing into the ground. As he fell, he turned to the side and caught sight of an old female bubble retrieving her walking cane to her side.

"I caught him!" She yelled as Sud hit the floor.

He tried to get up but was knocked down again by a force that hit him from behind.

For a moment, Sud felt he was back at the orphanage, suffering one of the many beatings. He could have sworn he could hear the murmurs of his fellow orphans. If it weren't for the fact that after the initial contact, there were no more hits, he could have sworn he was back to that place.

Sud tried to move and fight for his freedom again, but his arms had been restrained behind his back, and someone was holding him against the floor again.

After what seemed like an eternity in the same position, Sud heard sirens approaching, then footsteps approaching him. Not long after, the weight on his back was lifted. Sud's body was numb. He couldn't move.

"Someone explain what is happening." Sud heard a deep, strange voice ask from behind him.

"Officer, this is the bubble, the one in the news. The Bubble Popper." An all too familiar, annoying female voice said.

There was silence, followed by someone lifting Sud off the floor. Being restrained for a while, his body was in pain and couldn't stand properly. Whoever was restraining his arms hadn't let go yet.

"Name?" The police officer asked.

Sud didn't answer. He wasn't about to help the bubbles who wanted to harm him and take away his treasure. He looked up to see if there was a way to escape but gave up the idea when he saw that not only two police officers were blocking the way, but there was also a growing crowd of bubbles surrounding him.

"Why don't you let him go free?" Asked the officer to whoever was holding onto Sud's arms.

"He already escaped from us once. We're not letting that happen again."

"Don't worry, we won't let that happen. Let him go." After being persuaded, they finally released Sud's arms.

"What's your name?" The officer again asked Sud, but he continued in silence as he rubbed his aching arms.

"If you're not going to cooperate, you're going to be taken into custody." The officer warned.

Sud continued in silence. He was going to be taken whether he cooperated or not.

Seeing that he wasn't going to cooperate, the officer handcuffed Sud and dragged him to the police car.

"Get in," said the officer. After closing the door of the car, he headed back to talk to the bubbles.

Sud silently observed what was happening outside. One officer was talking to the bubbles that had attacked him, and another one was going through his backpack.

His treasure!! Sud panicked, his calm demeanor gone. It was replaced by guilt. He hadn't noticed when his backpack was pulled off of him. Sud hung his head in shame. He had failed his treasure. Why was life so unfair to him?

The door to the car opened.

"You are under arrest for trespassing and illegal possession of a weapon. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you. You have the right to a lawyer."
***
POV Police

Officer Bead came running to Detective Fizz as he was receiving updates from other officers. "Detective Fizz, we received a call from the local third-ring police. They made an arrest, and they identified him as the Bubble Popper. They want us to head over and confirm his identity."

"Where are they?" Hurriedly asked the detective.

"They're local police, almost halfway through the ring. They are heading back to their local station." Explain Officer Bead.

"Let's hurry and head over then."