Chapter Two

Machi, who was perched on a tire, handed the male beside her the piece of lumber. The male, who you guessed was Uvo, grasped the object, and then took aim at you lot.

He grinned wildly, "Take this!"

"Uh-oh!" Sarasa hastily grabbed you with her free hand and lugged you with her to run away. You didn't protest at her actions, just as eager to make an escape before you could take the brunt of Uvo's retaliation.

"You're not going anywhere until I'm done beating you up!" The buff male roared, his voice echoing throughout the place.

As the two of you were running away, you noticed the light blond hadn't gone with you. You immediately glanced over your shoulder just in time to see the boy stick his tongue out at Uvo before getting hit in the face with the projectile.

You winced at the sight and asked your friend, "I think I just saw Shal get taken down. Will he be able to get himself out of there? Shouldn't we help?"

"And risk getting caught by Uvo?" She asked, before huffing out, "No way!"

"But..." You trailed off, worried about the fate of the blond boy in the hands of the towering male and his pink haired companion.

Sarasa looked at you from the corner of her eyes, noticing your unease from the situation.

As someone who'd known Shalnark longer than you have, she never really found herself worried every time the boy got himself into such messes. But it wasn't like she was heartless. No, far from it. It was just that Shalnark was one of those few special kids in the city that she knew could get themselves out of any kind of sticky situation.

You didn't know that though. So it was understandable you would be riled up from the situation.

"I wouldn't worry too much," She suddenly said to you. She then went on to explain, "Shal's like a cockroach that doesn't die unless you really get his head. By the time he gets away, he'll probably just be missing another tooth!"

Though enthusiastic, Sarasa's words offered no solace. You swallowed your nerves, thinking, 'That doesn't sound very fun.'

The pace at which the two of you ran easily led you to a safe distance. After Sarasa decided the gap was enough to ensure Uvo wouldn't be able to seek you out, the two of you finally stopped to catch your breaths.

You panted, breathless and exhausted from all the running away you've had to do within just a few hours. Sweat trickled down your forehead, running down to your nose and eventually your chin.

"Oh no!" Your friend suddenly groaned, making your head snap towards her in concern.

You worriedly asked, "Why? What's wrong?"

The girl's wide eyes glimmered with moisture. You could tell she was doing her best to hold herself back from crying, her enthusiasm reduced into a mix of regret and defeat.

"I-I..." She stuttered, "I think I forgot to bring the pretty dress I found!" Sarasa finally admitted, making your eyes widen at the revelation. You looked at everything she had brought with her, and noticed the lack of said clothing.

The two of you glanced back at the direction from which you came, a knowing look overcoming your faces.

You couldn't hear anything from this far, so you had no idea what was happening. Though if the two of you could take guess, it wasn't anything pretty.

Knowing this, Sarasa sighed, dispirited, "It's... fine, we'll just come back for it when Uvo leaves again."

"But," You started, looking down at the dress in your hand. "What if someone else gets to it before us?"

"Then, it's theirs." She replied, albeit still notably crestfallen by the turn of events. "It really sucks though since it's rare to find something pretty and not broken around here."

She looked back ahead and told you, "Let's get outta here."

Seeing how happy the girl was when she found the dress made you feel really bad, especially after the way she excitedly showed it to you.

This, combined with your lingering worries about Shal's situation, led you to an unexpected decision. Without thinking clearly, you suddenly turned and ran back toward Uvo's place.

You shouted to your friend, "Wait there!"

"Huh, what are you doing?!" Sarasa yelled, reaching out as she watched you leave.

You weren't even sure why you felt this way, but it was as if a powerful urge inside you was pushing you to act.

As you navigated past the familiar turns and uphills, and skirted around some kids who were lingering and planning to pass through, it wasn't long before you reached Uvo's turf once again.

"Huh?"

To your surprise, the area was deserted—neither Shalnark, Machi, nor Uvo were in sight. This left you worried about the light blond's safety, but all you could do was hope he was alright.

Swallowing your anxiety, you hurried to the spot where Sarasa had been crowing for items. Fortunately, you found the strawberry dress on top of the pile, still intact. "Ah, it's still here..."

Suddenly, a familiar booming voice echoed from behind you. "Another rat trespassing in my territory?" You spun around to see Machi and Uvo, the latter holding Shalnark by the back of his top.

"H-Huh?" The light blond looked at you, astonished. "Why did you come back? Where's Sarasa?"

Before you could respond, Uvo roared, "Shut up!"

"So it was you two and that tiny brat, huh?" Uvo growled, eyeing Shalnark and then you, who were clutching the dress and looking like a deer caught in headlights. "What did they take?"

"They were taking some clothes," Machi said, pointing at the dress in your hands. "And he grabbed some kind of toy."

You noticed she left out the books, tapes, and other items you had collected, and felt a wave of gratitude.

"You're telling me these kids trespassed in my territory just to get some clothes and a toy?" Uvo scowled before turning his anger on Shalnark. "You must want to die badly."

"I told you, I just wanted to take the toy apart," Shalnark said, nervously inching away from Uvo's menacing stare. "B-Besides, you don't even need this childish stuff, right? So can't you let us off this once, pleasee?"

"No!" Uvo barked, "If I let you off, you twerps will start running around here like you own the place, just like that brat Phinks and his little sidekick Feitan."

You didn't know who Phinks or Feitan were, but from his tone, you gathered they were likely repeat trespassers.

"We won't do that!" you blurted out, causing surprise to flash across the faces of the three.

"What was that?" Uvo roared, his brows furrowing in anger while you flinched at the volume.

"You can choose to believe me or not," you began, "but really, we only took what we needed—nothing more."

That was meant to be the end of it, but you couldn't shake the feeling you were being too compliant. You recalled Sarasa's words about how claiming turf was pointless since everyone lived there. Why should Uvo have the right to chase you away?

Before you could stop yourself, more words spilled out.

"Even if that weren't the case," you said, glaring at Uvo with a growing sense of displeasure at his blatant threats, "the stuff here doesn't belong to anyone! It belongs to everyone!"

A moment of silence followed as you spoke firmly.

You were aware it must have sounded absurd coming from someone who'd only spent a single night in Meteor City. Shalnark seemed to think so, his eyes shifting nervously from you to Uvo.

You tensed, ready to flee and drag Shalnark with you should things escalate.

Uvo remained silent, and Machi looked on with wary eyes, shifting her gaze between you and the male beside her.

After a pause, Uvo finally spoke. "What the hell... you sound just like that bastard Franklin." A frown appeared on his face as he studied you.

He regarded your defensive stance with an unreadable expression before releasing his grip on Shalnark's top, letting the light blond slump to the ground with an 'Oof!'

You exhaled in relief and rushed to help Shalnark up, but were stopped when Uvo's booming voice called out.

"Hey, brat, come here," Uvo gestured for you to approach. You blinked, glancing back at Shalnark, who also looked puzzled by the command. "Come on."

Realizing you had no choice, you slowly walked toward Uvo.

Once close enough, he suddenly brought his hand down the top of your head, and promptly, although you should've expected it, squeezed it. You yelped at the suddenness, suddenly regretting not booking it and hightailing out of there with Shal when you had the chance.

"Ouch!" You yelped, feeling the heavy hands clamp down your crown.

"What's your name, new kid?" Uvo asked. You scowled before providing your name.

"You friends with that rat?" he asked, pointing at Shalnark, who grimaced at being called a rat. You swallowed your nerves and nodded.

"Alright," Uvo said, repeating your name. "Since you're new, I'll ignore what happened today. That's a good attitude to have for someone just starting out. Get some fighting lessons, and you'll fit in just fine."

His words, coming from someone with more experience, made you brighten a bit. However, you quickly reconsidered when he roughly placed his hand on your head. "But if you pull anything like that again on my turf, I'll make sure you get a good beating, you hear?"

"I don't care if you can't fight, and I don't care about things like everyone owning everything. I'm always going to do my own thing," Uvo declared with a stern look. You shivered at his seriousness, silently thanking whatever luck helped you avoid his anger.

"O-Okay," you affirmed, nodding and inwardly hoping the worst was finally over.

He lifted his hand off your head and pointed towards Shalnark who was watching everything that went down with a curious expression, "Now get outta here! Don't let me catch you rats again or I'll kill you!"

You nodded and made sure to retrieve the item you had come back for, sighing in relief. Afterward, you helped the light-blond boy to his feet.

The two of you began walking out, passing a couple of kids who looked at you with newfound confidence after seeing you emerge unscathed. You didn't bother warning them as they rushed inside.

Moments later, you heard only the echoes of Uvo's mighty roars as he chased the new intruders away.

After a period of walking in silence, Shalnark finally decided to break it himself.

"I'm not gonna lie, seeing you come back for the dress and not for me was kind of a letdown," Shalnark said, causing your face to scrunch up.

"But, I didn't," you replied, making the boy blink. "I mean, I didn't just come back for that. I was planning to get you out with Sarasa's dress; it just happened that I couldn't find you when I got there."

"Really?" Shalnark asked, sounding skeptical. He had expected that you wouldn't help him out, given his reputation for handling such situations on his own. Hearing the opposite from you made him feel unexpectedly pleased.

"Yeah," you said before adding, "Sorry I didn't get back sooner."

He didn't understand why you were apologizing for something that seemed minor compared to the fact that you had considered coming back for him.

"Haha, it's fine!" Shalnark suddenly beamed. "Just hearing you talk back to Uvo was cool, and you even managed to get me out with the toy I wanted!"

"How does your face feel? Does it hurt?" you asked worriedly, recalling the block of wood he took to the face. "Did he knock a tooth out?"

For a moment, Shalnark looked down at the mention of his teeth, but then he shook his head. "Nah, Uvo doesn't take anyone more seriously than he does Franklin, the guy he said you sounded like."

On that note, he added, "By the way, that was a pretty good speech. How did you come up with it?"

You tilted your head. "The 'it belongs to everyone' part?" Shalnark nodded.

"Well, I just remembered what Sarasa said earlier. If all of us were thrown away here with these things, wouldn't that mean these things are ours too?" You explained, looking around.

"That's true," he agreed, his grin softening into a slight smile. He appreciated the sentiment and was impressed that you managed to relay it, especially to someone like Uvo, who was strong-headed about his belief.

"You sounded really philosopha—uh, smart!" he commented, grinning. "Just like our friend Chrollo. I'm sure you two would get along well."

Chrollo. That name seemed to come up frequently in conversations. Both Sarasa and Shalnark held him in high regard, calling him smart and admirable. You hoped you could get along with him, as he seemed like such a remarkable person.

"Hey!" Sarasa's voice called out, snapping you from your thoughts. You looked up to see her running towards you with what appeared to be an angry expression, though you weren't entirely sure.

She stopped in front of you, clearly upset. "Why would you do that? What if Uvo had been in a bad mood and decided to knock out one of your teeth too? That was dangerous!"

At this, Shalnark huffed, "Honestly, what's with everyone picking on my missing tooth?" He managed to elicit a suppressed laugh from you. Seeing this, Shalnark smiled before turning his attention to Sarasa.

"And you!" Sarasa began, making Shalnark raise his arms in a gesture of surrender as the small girl scolded him. "Why didn't you just run away? Do you enjoy getting your face beaten by Uvo?"

"What? No!" Shalnark protested. Instead of continuing the argument, he said, "Anyway, you're worrying for nothing. What you should know is that Uvo wouldn't have let me off without our friend here!"

You flushed slightly at being called their friend, still not quite accustomed to the term, as well being put under the spotlight.

"...Really?" Sarasa stopped her fussing and tilted her head, scanning you for any visible signs of struggle. Finding none, she asked, "How did you manage to get him to let you go?"

"I just told him that the stuff didn't belong to anyone but to everyone," you simplified. "He said he'd let me off because I'm new. He also mentioned that I was thinking in the right direction and should keep it up."

"Told him? You practically yelled it at him!" Shalnark corrected, causing Sarasa's eyes to widen with awe. "That's probably one of the reasons why he let you off. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have cared and would have continued picking a fight."

"Uvo's such an idiot, thinking he can decide who deserves what," Sarasa commented, before giving you a grin and a thumbs-up. "Anyway, good job dealing with that big guy!"

Suddenly, you remembered the reason for all this commotion and reached for the strawberry dress. You handed it to Sarasa, saying with a smile, "Here!"

"What?!"

"You got it back for me?!" Sarasa exclaimed, her eyes shining with tears of joy. She was overwhelmed with gratitude as she said, "I really, really wanted this dress. Thank you for getting it back!"

She enveloped you in a warm hug, and you both savored the moment before she pulled away and handed you a bundle of items. It was a collection of books and clothes that Sarasa had managed to recover from Uvo's place, and they were in surprisingly good condition, which thrilled you.

Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment as she confessed, "These were supposed to be my welcome gift for you. I wanted to find a box to put them in first, but I guess it would be better to just give them now."

You looked at the assortment of items and beamed. "Thank you, Sarasa!"

"Hey, hey! We're doing welcome gifts now?" Shalnark interrupted with a grin, pointing to the box he had handed you. "You should open mine now too!"

You nodded and began peeling off the used tape on the top of the box. As you opened it, you were pleasantly surprised to find a wristwatch inside. It was mostly clean and free from the grime of the wasteland. Moreover, it was still working, something that most devices found in the dumps usually didn't possess.

You took the watch out and placed it on your wrist, your eyes widening in awe. Shalnark helped fasten it, and remarked that you might still need to check if it was synced with the actual time. Once done, he stepped back to watch you marvel at the accessory.

"Sometimes, when you look hard enough, you can find some pretty cool stuff around here."

"I've been eyeing that box since the last time I went to Uvo's place," he continued. "When I noticed it was still there, I knew I had to get it. So, welcome to Meteor City!"

You grinned and said, "It's so pretty. Thank you, Shal! And thank you both!"

Unable to contain your happiness, you pulled both of them into a tight hug, relishing the warmth of their welcome. Shalnark let out a huff of laughter, while Sarasa giggled.

Once you parted, Sarasa said, "Now that we're done with Uvo's turf, let's head to the church next to find someone who can fix your dress. And then we can see what's inside this tape!"

You and Sarasa began walking away, but had to pause when you noticed Shalnark still standing.

"You guys go ahead without me," Shalnark said with a grin. "I've already given my welcome gift and helped out. I think I'm going to go back and take care of my own stuff."

"Is that so?" Sarasa said, while you nodded in understanding. You couldn't hold him back from doing what he wanted after all he'd been through.

"Yup," he confirmed with a cheerful tone, "But if you need anything, just look for me."

With that, Shalnark turned in the opposite direction, waving goodbye as he yelled, "Bye-bye!"

"Later!" you and Sarasa called back.

After watching the light blond boy leave, Sarasa looked at you, and you nodded in agreement.

The two of you continued on to your next destination, the church.

Young Uvogin (art by me)

Status : Unedited

can you guys tell I'm struggling to think of how children talk 😭 cuz all these kids around me only  speak brainrot