Chereads / Empty Pockets / Chapter 15 - The Few That Remain

Chapter 15 - The Few That Remain

Arnold starts running away. Everybody starts chasing him. He runs down a block and sees an alley way. He runs in as someone tries jumping him. As he runs through the smelly and kind of narrow alley way, he runs passed a trash can but someone throws a punch behind him. He flips the bin lid open and dodges to the side. He punches the guy and grabs him. He throws him in the bin and closes it. As the others approach him, Arnold notices a ladder on the side of the building. He jumps up, grabs onto the ladder and climbs it. He goes up the building and reaches the top. Arnold looks up.

Arnold: "Beautiful day. Now I can just wait up h-"

Sarah: "Not so fast. Now hand the card and make this simpler for yourself."

Sarah: "Snuck a knife did we?!"

Sarah: "Five..."

Arnold: "Lovely weather right?"

Sarah: "Four..."

Arnold: "Don't make me do this."

Sarah: "Three..."

Arnold: "No point in arguing."

Arnold stretches down and flips forward on his hands, kicking the knife out of Sarah's hand. He catches it as he stands up.

Arnold: "Ever seen a man fly before?"

Sarah: "Huh?"

Arnold steps back towards the edge of the building.

Arnold: "They say you can fly if you believe."

Arnold takes a step back and falls off the building.

Sarah: "What the hell! Is he nuts?!"

Arnold lands on a balcony of the building and the knife drops out of his pocket. He enters it and Sarah runs to the edge. She jumps down onto the balcony and picks up her knife.

Sarah: "Track and hunt. My favorite game."

Arnold starts running down some stairs.

Arnold (in head): "Just a bit longer. He'll be here any minute now."

In the Cleft, the man is on the phone.

Man: "Nobody picked up the card at the Museum so cancel that card I guess. How's everything on your side? Have you prepared their places? That's good. How about their accounts? Excellent. I'll be their in a bit. Make sure the preparations are ready."

He hangs up the phone. The man starts adjusting his outfit.

Man: "Just a while longer. Our first winners will be here soon. Gotta look professional."

Arriving in the center of the city, Kassius and Bonnie are moving at full speed.

Bonnie: "Wooooooooo!"

Kassius: "We're almost there! Get ready. Not too far to go."

Bonnie: "We got about half an hour left! We gotta hurry!"

In the building, Arnold reaches a wide floor that's completely empty.

Arnold (in head): "Can't stay here. It's too open. Need something to cover me."

Person 1: "I heard something moving upstairs."

Arnold looks around and sees an open window hole. Two people reach Arnold's floor.

Person 1: "Spread out. We search this floor and the next."

They start looking around the floor and find nothing. A person walks over to the window hole and looks down. He doesn't see anything and walks away.

Person 1: "Did you find him?"

Person 2: "Nope."

Person 1: "Dammit! Search harder! We need that card."

They run to the stairs and leave the floor. Arnold, who was overhead hanging upside down, flips back into the floor from the window. He starts running towards the stairs.

Arnold (in head): "There isn't enough space. I gotta get outta here. If I reach one of the lower floors..."

Arnold gets to the stairs. He looks up to two teams coming down the stairs.

Person 3: "Hey, there he is!"

Person 4: "Yeah that's him!"

Arnold runs down the stairs and reaches the second floor to a hall with a door that's labeled 'exit'.

Arnold: "Finally."

Arnold opens it and it's stairs that lead to the ground floor of the building. Arnold slides down the railing and reaches the ground floor. He opens the exit door.

Arnold (in head): "Finally out! Now I got-"

Sarah kicks Arnold in the side and hits him to the floor.

Sarah: "Seems you aren't as hard to hit as they say."

Arnold: "Looks like you win. Here's the card. But can I ask something... is your leg metallic?"

Sarah: "Haha! I'll be taki-"

Arnold pulls the card back.

Arnold: "I'll be leaving now."

The two teams barge through the door.

Person 4: "Where is he?!"

Sarah looks in shock as they rush outside. She jumps out of the way as they fall onto the ground.

Sarah: "Dammit! He's getting away."

Arnold starts running back towards the cleft.

Jinsoku: "I'm here!"

Arnold looks forward towards the cleft and sees Jinsoku standing at the entrance.

Arnold: "Do you..."

Jinsoku lifts the card up.

Arnold: "Nice."

Arnold throws the card on the floor and runs towards Jinsoku. A little girl picks up the card.

Girl: "Oh. So pretty."

Person 1: "Hey Little girl. I'll be taking that."

He yanks it from her. She starts crying and starts hitting his leg. Arnold looks back and sees person 1 kicking her off. Arnold stops running.

Arnold: "Why?! You scumbag! I'll-"

Kassius: "Watch out! I've lost control!"

Bonnie jumps off the bike as Kassius crashes into person 1.

Kassius: "Ugh. Damn, my head hurts. Oh my bad. Did I hit you?"

Person 2: "You almost killed him!"

Kassius: "He's fine. The past is the past. Yo Arnold!"

Arnold smiles and turns around. He starts running towards Jinsoku and raises his hand, putting a thumbs up. Arnold reaches Jinsoku.

Jinsoku: "You ready?"

Arnold: "More or less."

Jinsoku slides the card in the door slot and it opens. They both enter and the door shuts instantly.

Kassius: "Bonnie! Get to the door."

Kassius starts running towards the cleft with a group of people chasing behind him. As he's running towards the cleft he trips and falls.

Person 2: "Give me that card!"

As person 2 tries to jump on Kassius, Bonnie jumps in and kicks him to the side.

Bonnie: "This isn't the time to be sleeping Kas."

Kassius: "I know."

Bonnie starts running towards the building and Kassius follows behind. They both reach the entrance and slide in the card. Kassius and Bonnie enter and the door shuts.

Bonnie: "Did we..."

Kassius: "Yes. Yes we did."

Bonnie: "Woohoo!"

Kassius: "Seems like we're in an elevator. How high are we going?"

The elevator stops moving. The doors open and they reach the room where the man is standing in with Jinsoku and Arnold.

Man: "So the second team has arrived. Good."

Kassius and Bonnie walk up to Arnold and Jinsoku.

Bonnie: "We've passed right?"

Jinsoku: "Yes."

Bonnie: "Good."

Arnold: "How far did you go?"

Kassius: "To the South."

Arnold: "Vagis? Wow that's crazy. Didn't you go to Jento Memorial Jinsoku?"

Jinsoku: "Mhm."

Arnold: "Jento sounds way too cool to be real."

Jinsoku: "You wouldn't believ-"

The elevator dings.

Man: "The test time has ended. So this must be the last team from Furantur."

The elevator opens.

Bonnie: "You gotta be kidding me."

Marcus and Sarah walk out of the elevator.

Sarah: "What the hell is this place?"

Marcus: "How'd I know... Looks like we aren't the only ones here."

Bonnie and Arnold stare down Sarah. Kassius and Jinsoku stare down Marcus.

Man: "Alright. Looks like out of the two hundred announced at the start, you are the few that remain. This year's exams end with six passes from Furantur... and two selections from Jikan. Follow me."

They start walking towards a door in the back of the room.

Kassius (in head): "Jikan?"

The door is opened and sun light shines through the room. They exit the room and walk onto a platform with a helicopter.

Arnold: "Whoa!"

Bonnie: "Are we on the roof?!"

Man: "It's time to get a move on."