Chereads / The Dead Ranker / Chapter 2 - Chapter 1

Chapter 2 - Chapter 1

It's 9:30 on a Tuesday morning, at this time of day, Lucas would be getting ready for work but he still remains sleeping.

[Alarm clock going off]

"A little longer…" He tried pressing his phone's alarm but his hand refused to hit it accurately.

The alarm clock's ringing grew louder, Lucas became more infuriated and kept hitting his phone trying to stop it. It reaches a point where he jumps up from his bed and screams at his phone.

"Dammit!! Just shut up already!" He grabbed his phone,

"Huh?" He rubbed his eyes, he thought he saw the wrong time. 

"Niiinnnee-Nine thirty" he struggles to read the time as he fights his sleep deprived self.

"Nine thirty" he finally got it.

"SHIT! SHIT!! SHIT!!!" He jumps out of bed in a hurry, he runs into the bathroom and brushes his teeth. 'The manager will scream at me again and I'm not feeling for it today~' his 3 hour sleep time showed its failed results.

He proceeds to choke on his toothbrush, "Augh!!" He spits out the toothpaste, "Shit!" He shakes himself up, "I can't be late!".

15 minutes later Lucas rides down the street on his bicycle waving to his neighbors.

"RAAAAA!!!" He peddles at an overwhelming speed. 

"I!" He takes a deep breath, "AM! UNSTOPPA-  OH SHIT!!" He luckily managed to dodge a car, the car driver infuriated by his reckless riding beeps his horn continuously.

"I APOLOGIZE!!" He screams back to the car, 'Now is not the time!' He worries if he will be able to make it in time. 'I thought today was a holiday! I didn't even eat breakfast, I'm starving!'.

He arrives at the store's parking lot in the back. Without a second thought of chaining up his bicycle he drops it and takes off towards the back door. 

"Ah Lucas, Morning" a female co worker of Lucas waves at him, "Morning!" He speeds past her.

"He's late again, boss is gonna kill him" a man walked out behind her. "But still, it's good to see him try hard" she replies, "And fail" he adds on. "Late or absent he still does more work than you will in a week", she replied harshly, defending Lucas. "Tch!" He walks off.

'I'll make it! Please!!' He stretches out his hand with his card to hit the scanner. 

"Luuuucccaaassss~!!" his boss opens her door peeping at him and stares into his soul.

"Ah!" He is frightened but regains his balance. 'Forget it!' He comes to a halt and throws the card at an excessive speed towards the scanner.

"Huh!?" His boss looks at the card flying at her in shock and ducks down covering her head. 

[Beep]

The scanner goes off, Lucas made it on time.

"Congrats Rider! You finally made it on time!" A set of claps comes from behind him, "R-Rider?" Lucas asked him whilst in a haze trying to catch his breath. 

Lucas looks up and responds, "Ah! Neo! I didn't know you had a shift today?". "A mans gotta work to live in this world, with a thought like that I don't know where you came from but I don't mind living there Haha!" Neo responded, putting his hand around Lucas' neck. 

"You made it in time Lucas", another voice walks up behind him. "Charlotte!" Lucas pointed out, he then smiles, "I didn't think you would've been here either!".

"Hmm? It's Friday" she replies, 

"Huh, I thought it was Thursday" Lucas is puzzled, he doesn't remember information like the current date as he considers it irrelevant as they live in an age of smartphones and the Internet that allows anyone to search anything up.

"Are you guys still planning on hanging around here?" A stern voice shakes the three of them. "Mi-Miss Fay?" Lucas nervously turns his head, "Ah! Fay!" Neo joyfully responded.

Miss Fay wasn't the type of person you could make friends with easily so the fact that Neo called her by her name without the 'Miss' surprised everyone. Everyone working at the time peaked their heads out as they were also taken back from the words that Neo dared to release from his lips. Lucas and Charlotte look at Neo in utter disbelief.

"Neo..." she said calmly, resting her hand on his shoulder. 

"No pay for three days….", she stared into the man's soul with every demon behind her scared of what she'd do next. 

Neo, now sweating bullets, managed to keep his posture, "I apologize, Fay, my love!".

Lucas and Charlotte knew that one day Neo was gonna die from some stupid mistake he'd make in the near future, they never thought his death would've been this early.

"Everyone get back to work!" Miss Fay ordered, "Lucas, If you're late again I'll rip your head off" she looks at him with an annoyed face.

"Yes Mam!" He responded sternly, walking off with Charlotte. "Then, see ya Fay~!" Neo was about to walk off like nothing happened. 

"Neo, office, now!" 

"But Miss Fay~, if I go to your office, I won't be able to perform my best" he showed a determined face. "I don't care, my office, now" she ignores everything he throws at her. "Ok! My love!" Neo responds with courage burning within him.

Charlotte and Neo commented, "You think he'll get fired?" Lucas asked, "I don't think Miss Fay would go that far, a warning or some sort of suspension, don't ya think?" Charlotte responded optimistic, "He'll get fired for sure" he responded with a blank expression. "Ehh?"

All Lucas has to do is clean up tables and wash plates after their use, most of the time he works with Charlotte when it comes to cleaning up the tables and Neo when he has to wash them. 

"Lucas, I'll help you wash the plates" Charlotte offered,

"Are you finished with the cleaning?" He asked,

"Yeah, there wasn't much to clean", 

"Then sure you can help"

She put on a pair of gloves and started washing the items in the sink. They talked for a while till Neo walked in, he sighed at the entrance. Lucas and Charlotte notice him.

"Last day of work ain't it?" Lucas states without a doubt,

"Nope, she gave me two options" Neo responded.

"Hm?" Charlotte was interested in hearing the options, he raised one finger on his left hand and said, "The first option, 3 days suspension without pay", he raised another finger, "Second option, one work day that doesn't get counted for my monthly salary".

"Tch, he got lucky!" Lucas expresses his thoughts about his options, "If it was me I'd get fired, but still, I like working here though". 

"That's because you're late most of the time," Neo said. "Which one did you pick?" Charlotte asked, "The second one of course, at least I'd still see her charming personality of hers" he says with no shame.

"Get to work!". Miss Fay's voice could be heard from the entrance, "Yes miss Fay~" Neo responded.

The day went pass in a flash and in a blink of an eye, Lucas' shift was over. "Ahhh~ it's over!" Charlotte stretched her arms. "Good work everyone! Enjoy your weekends" Miss Fay gets ready to leave, ["In the latest news"], "Hm?", Miss Fay looks at the television on the wall, ["The Warriors Guild has successfully managed to clear the 30th floor of the tower, the president and vice president of the Warriors Guild have already claimed the award money for clearing the 30th floor, 5 million dollars to be exact, with this amount of money the guild will now be able to expand-"]. 

Miss Fay sighed, "I wish I had 5 million dollars in my bank account", "Well they are fighting with their lives on the line" Charlotte responded, "Yeah while I am wasting mine working here" she replied back. "I'm clocking out!" Lucas exclaimed, "Ok!" Miss Fay responded, 

[Beep]

The scanner goes off, Neo notices something, "Lucas" he called, "Yeah", he responded. "That card throw you did this morning, it was pretty cool" he commented, "Tch, It almost cut off my head if I hadn't ducked down in time" Miss Fay added on to his statement, "I apologize! Miss Fay!" Lucas bowed his head, "Dont worry about it, It was impressive though I have to agree, but still you shouldn't throw objects like that". "Yes, thank you for the warning".

"How did you know it was gonna hit the scanner and at that on the correct side for it to go off?" Charlotte asked. "It was luck I guess" he rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah but that speed though! You planning on being a hunter anytime soon?" Neo asked with excitement. 

"You think I should?" Lucas asked, "Heck yeah!" Neo responded immediately, "You're young, do what you want" Miss Fay commented, "That'd be cool but you should be careful" Charlotte tells him. "It sounds interesting I'll think about it but what will my name be?" Lucas asked ,"Ryder with an y or Ryker sounds pretty cool" Neo said, "And you can use first h in your last name Hunter to make Ryhder to give it an accent!" Charlotte commented, "Hm?" Lucas didn't understand what she meant, "I'll write it out" she offered.

On a piece of paper she wrote the word "Ryhder" on it. "Ah your right it does kinda have an accent" Lucas comments on the name, "Then Ryhder it is, what about the clothes? You can't just wear regular pants and a shirt" Neo asked, "Hmmm…" Lucas thinks a bit, "I can buy a regular jacket and put strong enough metal plates in it…. For the pants….". "Where the heck are ya gonna get metal plates from?" Neo asked, "I think the Hunter's shop sells beginner clothes at a good price" Charlotte offered, "It would be a lot safer to use that instead".

"Yeah I think it's best if you buy it instead" Miss Fay agreed with Charlotte's choice. "And then you could add cool drawings to it!" Neo commented.

"Then, I guess we can head there tomorrow" Lucus said, "I got work tomorrow and plus, a boss shopping with their employees is kinda weird" Miss Fay gets ready to leave. "Fay my love~ don't go!" Neo called, "Quiet" she replied.

"We can meet at the store at around ten o'clock, is that good?" Charlotte suggested, Lucas and Neo agreed. They walked out the back, Miss Fas locked the door and hopped in her car and drove off. "Charlotte and I are taking the bus, see ya tomorrow Lucas", Lucas gets on his bicycle, "See you guys tomorrow!" He waves at them, they wave back. 

He rides down the road on his way home. "A hunter, I never thought I'd become one, but will I be strong enough?" He temporarily doubts himself, "Either way, I still have to train to become stronger! I will become one of the strongest hunters!" He rode off into the distance making a promise to himself.