The City Streets

"The one year anniversary of the Tower of Life appearing on Earth is soon approaching," a beautiful woman spoke on a TV screen in a display window of a store, "Since the tower appeared, estimates show over 100 million people have entered the tower, with a 75% mortality rate."

The woman on the television was a reporter. Her soft brown hair shone in the studio lights and her bright green eyes shone as she reported on information about the tower. She wore business attire and looked completely professional with a serious face as she continued her report.

"Most major world governments have begun to quarantine all teleport locations to the Tower. A new law was passed today and was presented by the President earlier this afternoon. The law states that until further investigation is done and the First Floor has been deemed safe for citizens, only military personnel and those with special clearance may enter the Tower of Life until further notice."

Across the street from the TV was a boy crouched in an alleyway. He wore a tattered shirt and jeans with a wool cloak for warmth. The hood of the cloak covered his long shaggy black hair that was tangled from lack of grooming.

The cloak looked highly out of place in the modern day, but it provided immense comfort for the orphan who didn't have a place to call home. He was keenly watching the news broadcast from his alleyway, straining his ears to hear the report from the TV store it was displayed in.

"Due to the Tower's healing capabilities upon entry special Medical permits are also being issued upon approval of applicants. Applicants must remain informed..."

"Well, well, well, boys, lookie here! I think we caught ourselves a rat." A menacing voice spoke from deeper in the alley way.

Kai was caught off guard due to his attention being focused on the news broadcast. He swore in his mind for being so careless. 'Damn it! I knew I shouldn't have been so far out in the open.' he thought as he turned to face the voice.

He was called a rat, but that didn't affect Kai in the slightest. He lived on the streets and did what he had to to survive, a simple insult was nothing to him. 'I can't fight this idiot right now, I need to get out of here.'

Kai took a step back as he turned back towards the street. Another person stepped into the entrance of the alley, so Kai was trapped.

'Of course he brought one of his minions with him... Why does he have to spend so much time hounding me?! How does he get anything done in his little gang if he's always chasing my ass around?' Kai was exasperated. He had to deal with this guy at least once a week.

"Go ahead and give me everything you've got with you, rat. You know I'm the boss around here and you never pay your due," the idiot spoke with a sneer on his ugly face. He was almost 6 feet tall and around 19 years old. He had a scraggly patchy goatee with a thin mustache on his narrow face. His bloodshot eyes spewed hatred towards Kai as he droned on.

"I'm about tired of you being in my town and I think it's time we take you out. Bones, grab the rat!" the 'boss' continued to monologue as Kai thought of a way out of this mess.

Kai scanned the alley for any way out as Bones stepped into the alleyway heading towards Kai's back. The alley was narrow, besides the idiot thug who demanded to be called "Boss" or "King", there was only a dumpster on the left side next to a door leading into the back of a store. The alley was clear for the next 20 feet until it hit a wall at an intersection with two other alleys.

Kai wasn't a bad fighter, but Boss and Bones weren't the worst brawlers either and were at least 5 years older than him, so he wanted to avoid a fight if possible. With his mind made up, he ran towards the boss at full speed.

Boss licked his lips as Kai ran towards him, prepared to catch the kid and pummel his brains out. He couldn't wait to hear the kid beg for mercy. A weird light entered his eyes as he sent a punch towards Kai.

Seeing the boss's eyes gleaming with a creepy air he couldn't help thinking this guy is definitely a sicko. Kai saw the punch coming and slid between Boss's outspread legs. As he slid on the slimy alley floor, slick with sewage and only God knows what else, he sent a punch straight to Boss's groin.

As Kai turned the corner to a connecting alley he heard howls of anguish from the Boss. 'What an idiot, like I'd actually fight them or let myself get caught,' Kai thought with a smirk on his face as he neared the exit to another street.

Another of the cronies came into Kai's sight just as he was about to set foot on the sidewalk. The guy was already swinging a pipe towards Kai's midsection.

Kai got hit by the blow and felt the ribs on his left side crack from the impact as he was hurled into the alley wall. A low groan finally escaped him as he tried to catch his breath.

"You thought we'd let you go that easy, kid?" A short man with a balding hairline and short wiry hair grinned maliciously at Kai. He wore a leather jacket and had ripped jeans and hiking boots on.

Kai didn't think his day could get much worse. 'I can barely breathe without my side feeling like it's going to split open... What a shitty start to my day!'

Kai didn't have any friends or family, so he knew no one would miss a street rat like him when he died, so he didn't really lament his fate, but he'd be damned if he was going to roll over and die.

"Hey baldy, is that all you've got?" Kai taunted with a shit eating grin plastered on his pained and dirty face.

"You little shit, you're dead!" A fierce light shone in baldy's eyes as he rushed towards Kai with his lead pipe raised.

Kai knew he couldn't run back into the alleyway cause he knew, sure as day, Bones had to still be chasing him from that direction.

As the pipe came towards his head, he rolled to his left, under the pipe. As his side hit the ground, Kai nearly blacked out from a blinding pang of agony. Although he almost lost consciousness, he mustered his mind back into focus.

He had successfully dodged the strike and the lead pipe hit the wall. Kai kicked baldy in the balls as hard as he could with his tattered leather boots.

Baldy crumpled from the blow and Kai kicked him in the head for good measure.

'Fighting dirty is what I do best,' Kai thought.

His side was killing him and he saw Bones running directly towards him. Bones was practically just a lumbering oaf compared to Kai.

Kai didn't have the best clothes, he didn't eat often, and he had nowhere to call his own. But what he did have was a burning determination to survive at all costs. Living on the streets all his life had taught him how to be crafty and facing danger constantly had trained him to be quick.

He grabbed the lead pipe and threw it at Bones. His side felt as if it was hit by lightning, but he bit his cheek to keep himself focused. As soon as the pipe left his hands, he turned around and bolted.

Coming out of the alleyway, he had his eyes peeled for any more of the boss's goons that may be laying in wait. He saw one of the goons called Chomper about 5 feet to his left.

Kai wasted no time dashing to the right away from Chomper and towards the corner of the street. He ran across the street as soon as he saw an opening in the vehicles driving.

Cars honked as he ran full speed ahead without hesitation, he didn't spare a single moment thinking about his safety, he shot the gap as soon as he saw a chance.

Chomper wasn't able to cross due to the cars that had nearly crushed Kai, so he stood waiting for the traffic to thin so he could chase after him. After waiting for a prolonged period of time, he gave up and walked back to the alleyway to check on the other gang members.

Boss and the others were a street gang that Boss ran. Ever since Kai had ripped off one of their members and stole his money, Boss had a burning hatred for the kid. The hatred grew until it had become a passion and he spent many resources keeping tabs on Kai so he could finally kill him.

Kai didn't know how deeply Boss's hatred ran or why he even bothered him so much, Kai just found him annoying. Kai continued to flee across the city until he thought he was clear. He had no money at the moment or any real resources.

He pulled some rat jerky out of his pocket that he'd made a few days ago. Luckily he still had a few pieces left in his pocket, so at least he would survive hunger for the next few days. As he munched he mused, 'Why does that asshole spend so much time hassling me? I've ran into him 5 times this month alone! I don't remember killing his family, or even kicking his dog, so I don't know how he could possess such a grudge.'

Kai took off his cloak, backpack and shirt to get a look at his wounded side. His side was green and purple and it looked like he was bleeding internally.

'Ah, shit... This stings so bad with the adrenaline wearing off...' Kai tore his tattered shirt into strips. It was already held together by a thread, so it tore easily. He had heard somewhere that wrapping up a broken rib would help it mend in place and the pressure was good for the wound.

He carefully wrapped his chest tightly with each strip, biting onto a strap from his small backpack to hold back his own screams and gnashing teeth. After taking out his last shirt he owned from his pack and getting covered, he made a decision.

'That broadcast was going on about healing by entering the tower, so that's where I'm headed. This town has become such a drag. That gang won't leave me alone for any amount of time and I'm already living off of rat meat...'

Kai didn't know how his luck was so bad, but he decided that there was no way the Tower of Life could be worse than these streets. He didn't unclench his teeth the entire way to the teleporter. The broadcast said the law was signed today, so there's no way they could shut it down quick enough.

'At least I should be able to find some other type of critters to eat in there besides rat!' Kai actually chuckled to himself before wincing in pain again. Up ahead was the teleport station and he couldn't wait to get in there and get healed good as new before starting a new life in the Tower.