Hurting for a Behemoth

The sound of grinding metal could be heard screeching through the cool night air as a lone rider travel the rooftops. It was just a little past mid-night and the moon was now high in the night sky lighting up the world in it soft glow. A light cold breeze could felt blowing softly against his face as he raced forward to a unknown destination. To say that the young man was lost would not be to far from the truth, but yet false all at once. If it was a matter of returning to his home or area he knew then he could easily find the way, but in the world of Ats, Stormrider, he was in unknown territory this night. Back in the days of being the leader of The Wicked they never spread to this area so his knowledge was quite limited on it teams and riders. He only hoped he wouldn’t find any of the more hostel one this night. For this night he had one particular rider in his cross arrows that he had been chasing for quite some time now. The infamous A-rank Behemoth. However the hunt had lead to only dead end after dead end as each lead only lead to people who claims they couldn’t remember what the person looked like or only said it was a very large powerful person. It wasn’t much but by pushing his informers a little harder he was able to get a rough area that the Behemoth had been know to ride in. With a grin to himself James hurried to the area as soon as darkness was beginning to fall over the night sky.

Like a flash of wind James moved through the area in almost blinding speed as he quickly moved from a grind to a wall ride before landing without a sound on the tallest building in the area. Taking the time to stretch a bit James would allow his body to rest for a short time as he looked around. He had been at it for a few hours now and still no sign of this so called Behemoth. ”Guess I should have dug a bit deeper into this before setting out so soon. But if I don’t get something soon the Bossman is going to skin me alive.” James would sigh deeply after his words as he remember his boss order for a new interview and it had to be a big one. It was time like this that he regretted going into the Stormrider section of the magazine. However this night the world of James was now gone and he was now York The Reaper, but he hardily looked the part of a reaper as he stood crouching on the edge of the building looking outward. This night he wore his old team outfit which what lead to his nickname. A dark blue trench coat sat on his shoulder, but this night he left the hood down as he wasn’t looking for a fight, with a plan white tank top underneath it. Blow that he wore a pair of dark blue jeans with look of many years of use. The most noticeable accessories would be his signature red bandana on a top of his head which almost hide his eye and held back his blonde hair.

However despite the sour attitude toward it all deep inside York was happy once more. As of lately he had been feeling little want in the need to ride since his team had fallen apart. It was good to be back in the sky just to ride, a feeling he had almost forgotten all about. ”Well then I guess I should be off… he said before falling forward off the building then just as quickly disappearing into the darkness. With a quick kick he had pushed off the side of the wall and landed on a power line to grind along it. After a few minutes of the ride York spotted what he been looking for all night sparks off in the distance. A sight that any real Stormrider would know, the spark of Ats. However it would seem he would once again be to late as he arrived to nothing but a empty roof top. ”Damn it. I know I saw something over this way…” he said to himself before getting a idea. With a grin he would take a deep breathe before yelling into the night. ”OHHHHH BEHEMOTH! COME OUT COME OUT FROM WHERE EVER YOU ARE.” Childish perhaps but then again it would work if used on York so he took a bet on it working on others.

Nika sure bagged a bounty this night. She never dared miss the special 23:30-24:30 sale in her favorite all night market. Not only did they have the best food around the area but they also have the best deals, especially for a moderate cheapskate like her. Honestly they might have actually made her buy far more food than she had intended. Her focus was grabbing some eggs since she had just run out but now she looked like a plastic bag holder. Her arms were lined with bags of food from chips to leeks to fresh vegetables and raw meat. It was quite a bounty and she knew it. Originally she had a list planned out that deducted her food expenses so she could make room to buy the new limited edition collector set of Blood Emblem Unlimited. She had fallen in love with the strategy role-playing elements of the previous game in the series. However with the amount she bought in food today, she will need to dig into her expenses if she was to be able to pay off her preorder.

As she stepped out from the market, a cool breeze passed over her and caused a tiny shiver from the body. It was the refreshing kind of shiver, similar to stretching one’s body out after waking up. She tugged at her hoodie a little but decided not to wear it for the sake of enjoying the weather. Now that she thought about it, tonight was pretty comfortable in comparison to other nights. It almost made her a bit regretful that she had left her AT back at her house. She wasn’t a diehard, dedicated, professional AT rider albeit the hobby was a lifestyle with the amount of effort she put forth in it. A major complaint might have been how heavy her four wheeled type AT was in comparison to the standard types. That might not have stopped her all that much if it wasn’t for the fact that they were not allowed in the store.

Out of sheer habit, she began to slide her sneakers a bit against the concrete walkway as if hoping to glide over it. Of course she didn’t but the motion felt so natural in comparison to just walking. This just meant she was truly regretting not properly equipping herself for the night. Talking about equipping oneself, she was travelling alone. Yes, this was how she was. Her only family member still alive in Japan was her grandmother, who can no longer take care of herself. So she had entered the world as a independent young woman in her prime. At least that was how it was supposed to be. Unfortunately due to whatever genetic, lifestyle, or so forth, her body didn’t appear nearly developed as she seemed. She did not appear as the responsible twenty year old woman that filed taxes like any other adult but a measly little fourteen year old at best. Her innocent and childlike features often lead to some hilarious situations especially when she restocked on alcohol or for tonight’s concern, the problem with punks.

Unbeknownst to her, a small group of AT riders had spotted her heading home with so many goods in her arms. They had decided to attempt to rob the young, frail looking, innocent little girl blind before she even knew it. The leader of such group was the infamous Behemoth so well known in the streets; at least that was what he called himself. He stood at a amazing height of 6’6”, his muscles rippling behind his stretched out white t-shirt. He had the facial structure of a golem, heavy pronounced features set in stone and a certain hostility about him that was even directed to his two goons. When he had spotted the girl, he couldn’t help but flash a predator like grin. This was going to be as easy as taking candy from a baby at least that was what he assumed.

“You boys ready for some fun tonight?” he asked, indicating with his index and middle fingers pointed towards Nika. His two goons weren’t nearly as threatening as he was but what they lacked in presence they made up in eager dedication. They had an almost snake like appearance to them, surrounding the man like a snake curling around something precious. They nodded and knew what they had to do.

“If she doesn’t have anything valuable, than just bring the whole girl along, I’m sure her parents will pay a pretty penny,” he grinned as he turned around to head towards their base of operation. The two goons quickly close distance between themselves and the girl. Nika was still hopelessly ignorant of their presence, far more concerned on what she should make for breakfast the following morning.

“Hey little girl, hand over all ya got or face the wrath of the Behemoth!” the slimier looking man threatened. At first she froze to stare at their face from absolute confusion. She thought she had dealt with anyone who had the nerves to threaten others like this. Plus, she wasn’t afraid of some Behemoth creature, in the end she’ll crush them with her own force. Then again she should have expected this. Gangs changed so regularly that it was difficult to keep track of who did what and so on. Before they even let reply the other man had snatched away one of her bags. Finding that it was full of useless eggs he progressed to stomp and smash every last one of them.

“Nooooooo!” Nika called out more from dismay than actual terror. These people were seriously planning to make the usually gentle woman angry. They will need good health insurance coverage unless someone else stepped up to deal with them.

Five, ten, fifteen minutes slowly pasted by as York stood a top the build waiting for any sign or reacting from someone… anyone. But yet there was nothing in the air this night. York would deeply sigh as he had seemly reached yet another dead end and began his run once more. Picking up the speed he hopped from roof top to the next as he deiced to take a break and head for a night market that he had heard about from one of the local when he first arrived. Feeling the growing growl deep within his stomach York cused himself for skipping dinner this night. Snack food are not a suitable substitute for dinner as he thought about what he had originally planned on cooking for the night. He could feel the drool beginning to build as he grinded alone a wall growing closer to the lights of the night market, however he would never reach his destination as he spotted something else that deserves his attention. A rather large man as he moved over the rooftops toward some unknown destination. ”Score!” he said to himself as he began to hurried toward the large man, stopped suddenly as he heard the shouts of others blow him.

Looking down he could easily spot two suspicious guys as they surround a young girl. Looking back between the girl and the large man York gritted his teeth as he knew he had found maybe his first real sighting of the so called Behemoth but knew he couldn’t just let these fools do as they please down below. Choosing to help the girl York quickly flipped his hood up and took a deep breath as he looked down. Feeling the wind beginning to pick up as it blew through and between the building he ready his Ats letting out a loud screech as he lunched from the rooftops as he bouncing from wall to wall before lunching off once more and flowing through the air, as if he had wings on his feet. York would land about ten yards from the fools and girl as he crossed his arm.

The sigh as he knew had just made a scene with that entrance but inside he enjoyed showing off like that from time to time. The entrance most certainly seemed to have caught the attention of the two snake like man as they turned toward him. ”Ok guys we can do this two ways. The easy way or the…” however York would be cut short as the man on the right would suddenly begin the yell at him “Who the hell you think you are? You looking to pick a fight?” and was soon followed by the one on the left “Yeah you little sh*t! We riding with the Behemoth. So you best watch yourself!” The two man would seem more pleased with themselves after their little speech. It was a clear sign that they had used this many times already and York was sure it must send many running. Sadly he didn’t have the luxury of doing that this night.

Tilting his head slightly to the side he would suddenly rise his right hand to flipped the two off. ”Look I don’t give a damn who you riding with! That don’t give you the right to pick on this kid. Or worst off waste food! For that reason alone I’m going to kick your ass and make you tell me where your so called Behemoth is hiding!” a wicked grin would be the only bit of his face which would be seen from the shadow of his hood. He would laugh to himself as his planed worked just like he thought as the gangster on the right suddenly lunched himself toward York ready to fight. Doing the same York would raced toward the man, but the different in their speed was painfully obvious. This matter little to York as he was not about to hold back against such a person as he prepared a trick, with a quick foot work York would suddenly disappeared from in front of the man and sudden appear behind him almost as if he teleported through the man. Using the element of surprised he would quickly spin around and rise his leg to send a downward kick to the back of the man head. And with that the man was down leaving only the other.

However York wouldn’t get the chance to fight the other as it seemed he had already given up. Looking back York had to control himself from laughing at the man as he was now on his knees. “T-that trick and s-speed. Y-you’re The Reaper ain’t you?!” he cried from the ground next to the girl. This was a good sign as it was much easier to talk to people when they more afraid of you then wanting to fight. Keeping up the act of the big bad Stormrider York slowly glided over to the man as he placed his hand in his pocket. ”Now before I get you to spill your guts about the Behemoth I believe you have something to say to this girl, do you not? After all business before pleasure.” he said as he waved a hand from the man toward the girl as if telling him to apologize.

Tricks used:

Nika was about to get over her shock and go into retaliation mode before she was stopped by the entrance of an untimely young man. He was no overly large authority figure like a policeman or the like but he did seem to go against the two punks that stood before her now. Out of sheer habit she began to wring her hands from being confused in the matter. This was perhaps one of the few times people actually came to help when she called out, although she didn’t mean to make it sound like a cry for aide. She was by no means unable to defend for herself when the need called for it. She was even taking care of the punks around the neighborhood all by herself lately.

At first she had quite a positive impression of the young man for coming to help. It actually touched her on the heart and perhaps prepared itself for dealing the greatest blow of the night. Oh he was nice alright, kind enough to tenderize her heart then grill it and eat it. All it took was one word and that being “kid”. It struck her at the heart, like a sharp bastard sword piercing into her chest. The next statement about wasting food was another jab at her head. Honestly with the amount of ingredients she purchased, there was no way that she would be able to use it all before they all rot. Being the sensitive person she was, it honestly pained her as she paralleled it with her life. It was like getting jabbed across the head with an arrow. Of course the comment wasn’t directed to her but she related it to. Great, now the girl had to force herself to eat all the ingredients before they go bad, gaining a few pounds in respect. Even if they might rot, she might still end up eating them just because of that statement about wasting food. The young man was so right! Next time she really needed to control her spending!

Although still a positive opinion of him, what got to her liking was the way he appeared. It was most definitely very flashy, unlike how she seems to pop up around the place. Her style of landing was equivalent to a beast pouncing onto a stage with such force. This is perhaps one of her main regrets for using the more bulky styled four wheeled AT. Many people have protested against her use of it, mainly strangers that remarked about how it doesn’t suit her style. They were right, at least generally speaking, as these ATs were made for people of far larger ilk than she ever dreamed to be. However behind the façade of an innocent young girl was the force needed to control the beast. She didn’t admit it to anyone but her AT is both easier and more difficult to control. At the very least her grandfather had started her out with using this type or she might still be crashing into walls and making dents.

The man that was now pinned down had an absolutely terrified look on his face. Here the Reaper was bearing down upon him and he correlated it to his soon to be lost life. He had joined the group for the profit but he wasn’t planning to risk her life for the meathead of a man. He understood why the Reaper wouldn’t be terrified considering he was a high level storm rider but he will be once Behemoth took him down. Besides they also had numbers on their side, there was no way for him to beat all of them by himself.

“Don’t…worry. The Behemoth will come for you regardless, you don’t mess with his prey,” he sputtered out, trying to hide how terrified he was of the situation. As for the girl, he didn’t give a hoot. She was nothing more than a sacrifice to that hulking man.

“He will flatten the town to get you for what you did today,” the young man continued to protest, reaching over to the ground and grabbed a glob of eggs which he then progressed to throw up at the girl. He used it as a distraction, not caring if it properly hit or not. He squirmed as he was pinned, perhaps so much so that he slipped out the hold enough to make a mad dash for their hideout. They are going to pay, both of them will feel the wrath.

Nika soon snapped out of her delusions to get splattered in the face with one of her own eggs. By this time she was already properly distressed and crying from the statement of wasting food and her being just a kid. It was the final straw as she started bawling her heart out. This probably didn’t help the Reaper’s opinion of her being a child. The only reason she soon stopped was thanks to her tiredness and hunger. She had not properly eaten dinner tonight. Many free nights she would have a snack then prepare to go out for AT. It was not unknown to her buddies that she had fun pulling all nighters preparing for games or just relaxing.

“I’m sorry for the trouble,” she sniffled for a start, her voice sounding far more even than before. Her face soon turned a deep red as a loud rumble escaped her stomach. She quickly regained control of herself and let out a cough as if to declare an all too clear intention.

“Umm please, for your troubles, will you have dinner with me?” she asked as she flashed her award winning smile (now with more eggs). As if to not totally hear any proper answer she simply assumed that he was and so began to weave her way through the streets to head back to her home. It wasn’t a long distance to her apartment complex, which was another reason she didn’t take her AT to midnight shopping trips.

Her place wasn’t the most luxurious or expensive ones but it served the basic needs plus some because she lived alone. Whenever the others gathered for a game, they would come over to her house to enjoy. She took out her trusty key and opened the doors to reveal her kingdom, the Kingdom of Messy Hobbies. The place was generally a mess outside the hobbies as well, the kitchen area lined up with unclean dishes, her futon unmade with the sheets somehow ending up in the kitchen as well and the pillows somehow below the actual futon. The floor was strewn over with cards, figurines, pieces of various board games, video games old and new alike. There was however a strange pathway around certain objects that she somehow managed to create where the floor was indeed visible. It was like an Otaku’s dream house as there were shelves upon shelves lined with high quality collector pieces, many unopened. However perhaps what stood out among the mess was the only physical sporting equipment, a pair of bulky looking AT rested on a close the ground circular dining table in the middle of the room.

It was the same as always when dealing with these type of people. When you show them that you not afraid of them or give into their threat they immediately tuck their tail between their leg and run for the hills. York had dealt with many of his kind when his team grew into the neighboring territories. So it was child play when it came to dealing with them. Just puff out your chest and talk a bigger game then them and odds are they would believe ever word. For York was no fool as he knew he had made a very big mistake here as he had attacked two of the Behemoth men. A flat-out declaration of war to him and his team. Now York was confidence in his own skills but even he was now skilled enough to take down a A-rank rider along with his team. But he wouldn’t let these worries appear on his face as he moved closer to the pinned man as he yelled at the Reaper. However his next action would draw York back into situation outside of his little staring contest. For it appeared the young girl was now crying to the side of them. Suddenly and surprisingly York attention would shift to the girl giving the man the opening he needed as he lunched a egg at the girl before dashing away into the night. York first instinct was the give chase to the man but a worst situation was growing as other people was beginning to be draw by the girl crying.

Panicking York glided over the girl as his arms began to swing around wildly as his mind race with what to do next. ”Hey now don’t cry now! Look the bad man all gone now!… Please stop people going to think I’m the one who made you cry!” his voice was in a panic. It was truly a odd site as his movement almost looked as if he was performed a weird dance. At last the crying would stop as she would at last spoke to him apologizing for the trouble. The scary face that he had shown the two many had faded as it was replace with a simple smile as he waved a hand as if saying it was nothing. But it seemed the girl wasn’t done as he suddenly asked him if he would joined her dinner before giving him a big smile with a bit of egg mixed in with it. Every fiber told him that he shouldn’t accept the offer, but he couldn’t just leave the girl alone. After all what if they came back for her, then what would happen? However he would have little time to think about it as the girl would suddenly just turn and begin to leave. ”H-hey wait a min… Well I guess I could used a bite to eat as well.” he called out but soon gave up as he slowly followed the girl.

It was a odd slight as he rode along the ground behind the girl as she seemed to not give a care in the world about that was going on. Feeling the eyes of the few people who was still on the street staring down on him York kept his hood up; giving the appearance of a reaper was following the girl. As he followed the girl to the apartment complex York would spot scratches on many of the surfaces around the area, much like the one he found on the rooftops. Reaching out he would rub his fingers over a few as he pasted them. He knew right away that they was the result of Ats; a Road if you wanted to call it anything. But there was something odd about these as there appear to be more wheels then normal; a four wheeler type! Maybe the Behemoth, but he wasn’t so sure as the cut in the walls and poles appeared different from how he had heard the beast rode. Theirs was indeed the wheel cutting of a breast as the edges was jagged, but yet their was a clear sign of grace and control. Perhaps their was another rider around here with such high skills. It would be something he would have to keep a eye open for.

The moment of truth soon came as he now stood before the girl apartment door. He didn’t quite feel right about this as she appeared as nothing more then a kid. But he trust in himself and beside he had a bad feeling about what that punk had said just before he ran away. As the door open York was almost dumbfounded at what he saw inside. The only words he come up with is it could have very well be a Otaku’s paradise! To put it in the nicest way he could: The place as a mess! But he found it quite interesting as everything was things he never seen before. Stopping at the door York would reach down as he switch his Ats off before removing as he knew how many people didn’t like them to be wore inside. Hanging the pair over his shoulder he would at last flipped his hood down reviling his face to the light as he walked around closing the door behind him. Well where he could walk around in.

However through all the mess and odd things one thing spoke out to York the loudest as his eyes spotted the thing which sat atop the center table. A pair of rather large At, the like he himself had never seen before this day. He would place his own pair down on to the table next to mammoth pair. Compare to his own which hardly weighted a few pound he wonder just how anyone could ride such monsters. Could these thing really belong to this girl?

Walking to the kitchen he would at last called out to the girl. ”Oi by the way I’m York.” he said as he introduced himself as he looked around. What he saw almost horrified him as it appeared the kitchen seem very little used and when it did… well he question the skill the user might have had when using it. Looking into a pot of water on the stove he spotted what appeared to be a shoe, no it was a slipper! ”Was she trying to cook it?” he said to himself before turning back toward the girl. ”So mind if I ask for a name? Kinds of help talking to the person who home I’m in.” he said in a calm voice not meaning in a mocking way. ”By the way those Ats. Are they yours… or someone who living where with you?” he asked as he would open the door to the refrigerator only to be meet with only alcohol. The hell?! he thought to himself.

However his main attention since entering the kitchen had in fact been the garbage can which seemed to be over flowing with raman and other instant food product. If he had to guess maybe she wasn’t the best cook in the world, or maybe she couldn’t cook at all. He raised a eyebrow as he looked over it all ”You can’t really cook can you?” is said bluntly. It was just the kind of guy he was as he never meant any harm with it. Slowly he would remove his jacket as he laded a cross the back of a chair before suddenly place a apron on himself. ”Well guess it can’t be helped. If you like I’ll cook something up! I may not looked it but I’m pretty skilled at this.” he said with a large smile as he stood in the center of the kitchen.

Nika was so glad to be back into her personal sanctuary where her way goes let it be on the game table or the general house rules. Honestly she needed to be stricter about the trash upkeep and how she should dispose of them. Often times she would just throw it into her overly large trash can and then throw it out when it was too full. Maybe she should get a bigger one and have fewer trips out. Unfortunately for the garbage man, it often meant so much heavy lifting that they can’t believe it came from the one household where the only resident was a small child.

“I’m home!” she called out when she opened the door and slipped out of her tennis shoes. The times when she didn’t wear her AT, she preferred to be barefooted, which was the more naturalistic approach for her. The call wasn’t for any human beings, she lived alone in this sense but she kept company. A soft bark came from across the corner as a cream colored Akita dog pounded up towards her. His fur was longer than a common Akita and he was also more temperate than the others in his litter. As she bent down to embrace the little one, the dog hopped over her knees and lightly licked at her face.

“Glad you’ve been keeping the place guarded little one, his name is Schnitzel…I was really hungry when I named him,” she said, placing her hand up as if to redirect the sound towards York. She wanted to explain herself for the name but did not want the dog to learn of its origin. Then again, she noticed that her dog wasn’t the smartest person or animal in the wall. She was proved right as it seemed to get distracted by something behind it and ran backwards straight into the wall…twice before it finally wised up to go around the corner. At the very least it was sweet and always seemed to be by her side when nobody else was. They say that a dog is man’s best friend but he was her forever companion (until he dies of course but she didn’t think negative thoughts like that).

“Make yourself at home,” she beamed her voice light and excited from having a guest over. This was her first time inviting a random stranger into her home. It was probably incredibly foolish and stupid at the same time but she was trusting of the young man. For one thing he had stepped in to help, albeit she didn’t need his aid at all but that spoke words about his character. He was dangerous without a doubt, especially with his speed and obvious skill but they wouldn’t have any problems.

When he told her his name, her face suddenly became all flustered by the sudden realization that she had not introduced herself yet. There go her air headedness into effect so much so that she was embarrassed to no end. It felt like her head was going to pop off from her obvious mistake and bad manners. It was especially painful for her personally as she was raised better than this in terms of mannerism.

“My name is Nika, Nika Melody, it is a pleasure to meet you,” she bowed as an introduction before turning her face away. What did the man think about her bad manners? He probably thought she was too disrespectful and probably eager to leave. It made her head go into overdrive like an overheated processor of a computer that had a horrible ventilation system. It almost seemed as though there was smoke coming out of the top of her head. She was simply overthinking what others thought about her again but that was a natural reaction. In the midst of her panic she barely heard the question about the ATs on the table.

“Hum?” she blinked as the thoughts about her embarrassment washed away so that she could properly focus on responding to the man. She took a second and thought what the question was, not quite a response but the contents of the question. When she finally dragged it out of her subconscious she knew how to respond.

“Yeah those ATs are mine, I earned them from a shop a few years back, they’re big and clunky, not nearly as fast as yours, hard to control but they are mine!” she practically hummed proud by the origins of the ATs. She had worked hard for them, albeit she didn’t pay with actual money but they were her treasure. This was why she would avoid fighting in parts wars even though she was capable of handling herself in a fight.

“It doesn’t really matter too much though, they still let me fly,” she cheerfully continued, staring at her ATs with a sort of affection akin to that of Schnitzel. In many ways it was like a dog, she had to clean it, play with it and love it. All these factors mixed into something so much more than she could express in words. Without her ATs she doesn’t know where she would be in the world or doing with her life today. However there can be a statement that she might still be the game loving otaku but that might be the most that can be interpreted. Secretly speaking she placed Air Trekking higher than gaming but her buddies didn’t need to know that.

She followed the man into the kitchen, wary of his expressions. Her friends knew better than to enter the hellish portion of the home for good reasons. No, Nika could not cook anything that wasn’t boiled or instant in nature. Her dishes were absolute disaster and she found herself hacking up quite a bit of it. That was why she often just boiled the food on top of the instant food items. However she tried with such tenacity so much so that there were plenty to use for sauces and the like.

“No, I uhh can’t cook,” she admitted, beginning to feel tears well up. Her grandparents knew how to cook, both of them did actually. They never seemed to bother teaching her however and she was left in the dark. She twiddled her thumbs in honest embarrassment and was surprised by his offer to cook. She couldn’t ask him to cook! He was the guest but then he offered and honestly if he was good at cooking then he probably wasn’t lying. It was more likely his food will be more appetizing than her own.

“If you insist,” she answered gliding past him into the fridge to grab a drink. She grabbed a can of beer and cracked it open, chugging down about half the contents before letting out a refreshing crisp sigh of satisfaction. She didn’t particularly care for soft drinks but she had ran out of juices and forgot to restock again. Not once had she considered that he was below the legal drinking age out of sheer habit.

“If there any drink you’re particularly inclined to, I can at least pour a glass,” she said, shuffling through the contents. She was orderly in the sense to keep a gradation of alcohol contents. The lighter ones were on the left and moved higher up to the very right.

Hearing the answer he was waiting he grinned as he went to work in this so called kitchen. It would seem he had his work cut out for him. Much of the pot and pan within this kitchen looked as if they haven’t seen the light of day for a very long time. It was kind of a sad feeling York had in times like this. Not for any silly reason like for the kitchen itself but for the girl herself: for Nika as he would call herself. Everybody deserved a warm meal at least once a day. However this was going to be easier said then done as he looked over what he had to work with. Not much to work with but he would work his magic and make something happen. As he pulled out a few dishes here and there to prepared everything he would from time to time watch the Akita dog as it ran into a wall. He got a odd feeling the pet might had taken after it master in a bit of it ways. York would smiled at this thought as the kid didn’t seem like a bad person and this seem like a trap so he slowly began to relax.

“So Nika do you really ride those Ats? Ain’t they… well you know? A little big for you?” he asked the question most on his mind at the time. It true that there was all types of riders out there and each had their own way of riding, but still those thing on such a small person. He wonder just how much speed they could really do. To a speed type rider such as himself it seemed like a odd concept. Pushing the thoughts from his head the started to work as he placed the food out before him and began chopping here and there. His hand skillfully used the knife as he finished off a few potatoes and soon moved onto the onions. Out of the corner of his eyes he watched as Nika moved through the kitchen to the fridge and grabbed out of all things a can of beer. Stopping his work York simple stared at the girl as he watched her chugged the car in almost on go. In truth he didn’t know what to say to the girl for in his mind she seemed no more then in her teens.

“Hey! Should you really be drinking that?” asked as he tried to pick his word carefully as he lightly swung the knife back and fort. One of the most impotent lesson he had ever learn was that you never ask girls their age, no matter how old they are. It would never end good for anyone involved. Moving back to the cooking York was surprised to find that Nika did indeed have meat. With a wide grin he began to slice up the pork, but before he moved onto the last part he would turned back to Nika. “This might sound odd but do you have and Soya sauce and sugar? And I guess I might take you up on the offer alcohol. Give me two glass if you please! One for me and a quarter one for the food. Hope you like drunk pork!” he spoke with a big smile as he was beginning to enjoy himself with his little job.

The question about whether Nika truly rode the particular AT was odd to say the least and brought a deeper question into the light. If she honestly thought about it, well this was her first time doing so. It was probably because she could not afford to replace this set. No, that wasn’t an excuse; she could very easily sell or trade the ATs for a faster standard model. The fact was she had trouble coming up with an acceptable answer until she suddenly remembered her grandfather. He was so tranquil, his fingers barely able to point to her gift.

“I ride them; they are my only set after all. But you’re right, sometimes I do want to go faster but it doesn’t matter because they work. Strangely they fit me quite well,” she said pumping her fist to show how serious she was about her ride. She wasn’t about to spill her soul just yet but she was glad that she can answer the question of why she rides. Now that she about it, she still manage to beat a number of speedy storm riders in races. They didn’t suck but even though they were faster than she was, her control and jump had helped her through in the end.

At his questioning about her drinking beer, she really wasn’t sure how to answer. That did remind her of his strike to her heart. He probably still thought she was still a child. The thought reopened old wounds and she stared at the man for a few seconds in what looked like agitation. She responded by his questioning by gulping down the rest of the beer and flattening the can against her forehead. She did this quite a bit to save room in the trashcan as beer was a staple of her main drinks outside of juice and water.

“Yeah the soy sauce and sugar is up in the cabinets over there,” she pointed, her voice sounding a little bit pouty. The sauces were out of her reach since she doesn’t nearly practice cooking that much. The stepping chair was buried somewhere in the mess probably propping up something else. She then progressed to dig through the contents of the fridge and took out a can of beer for the man. She had to shift through many dishes before she found a proper cup to contain the other alcohol. She needed to remind herself to clean up later. Further adventuring through the fridge she poured out some heavy content of alcohol that would seem to go well with cooking.

“I don’t drink because I’m depressed mind you,” she stated as if chastising the man for having any thoughts of her being a drunkard. She then popped open another lid of beer can for herself and then walked over to sip at its contents. Before she forgot, she easily chucked the flattened can into the trashcan where it easily stayed in place. This was how she disposed of most of the trash, her control came into play and aided her quite a bit.

“If you want to find who those guys are working for I think I know where to start,” she called out, placing her drink on the dining table. She knew a number of punks around the streets, many of them behaved themselves better at least in front of her. This was the first direct challenge that was presented to her lately. If anyone knew who this Behemoth punk was, it would be people that were at least once similar to him.

“After we eat, we can solve your Behemoth problem, why you looking for this guy anyways?” she asked just curious and wanting to continue this discussion.

This girl was a odd one that was for sure. This would be his thought as the young man had quickly placed his finished work into a frying pan. Chopped potatoes with a bit of chopped onion laied atop bits of chopped poke within the frying pan. Slowly the room would begin to fill with the smell of cooking meat and veggies. It was a simple dish but yet a filling one and one that could easily feed two. To his side York continued to watch and talk with Nika. He would laugh at her response to his question about rather she should be drinking or not as her finished the rest of the can before crushing it against her head. With a grin he spoke to her “Careful! Doing things like could stunt your growth.” he said in a teasing manner.

York would moved the frying pan back and forth in front of himself as he would mix the content with a pair of chopstick with his right hand. He meant the joke as no harm, but couldn’t resist after hearing her voice about location of the two ingredients. Reaching he would remove the soy sauce and sugar from their homes as he placed them next to the shove. Taking a good witf of the food he would nod to himself as he knew the last part had come. He would turn off the shove and place the pan on empty spot and soon added two tablespoons of soya sauce and sugar to the mix. All that was left was to add the bit of alcohol to the meat which he pour in with each new stir of the food. “There, now we just let it sit for a bit and we have a nice dish of Nikujaga.” he said happily to himself as he turned back to Nika.

It seemed she might had thought his reasoning for asking about the beer and such was due to sadness which he simple smiled at as he pick up his own glass. He would nod at her before taking a slip of his own. Surprised at just how strong it really was. “No. After talking to you for a bit I can see your now a sad person. A little bit of a air head maybe, but nothing sad from what I can see. And as for your Ats.” he trailed off as he looked at them once more. “I’m guessing they have sentimental attachment to them which is why you haven’t upgraded to a newer pair. I get that at least. It’s the same reason I still ride on those outdated Nightshades over their.” he said as he pointed toward his own Ats. However his was no ordinary Ats and was far beyond that of there original design. This he knew and was the reason for his sudden rise in rank the past year. He offend wonder if he himself had truly grown at all or was it all thanks to this so called regalia.

Nika next question would bring him back to this world and a smile to his face as he took a small step forward away from the stove and toward the middle of the room. “You see I work for a magazine called the Highwind. It’s a magazine which force mainly on Ats and riders, maybe you heard of it before? I work in the Stormrider department and was asked to do more articles on riders themselves rather then just part wars. And so here I am!” his words would be filled with confident as he spoke about such things. “It took a long time to track this guy down but I been wanting to interview the so called Behemoth for quite sometime now. However… after attacking two of his teammates I’m not to sure if that’s even possible anymore. But you know that’s the part I don’t get.” he said as he turned back around began fixing the food at last to plates. “From every bit of info I could find on Behemoth it all say he rides alone. Never joining a team. Most curious indeed.” would his last words before turning back around with two plates in hand. He would place one of the plate on the table as he held his own. Turning toward Nika he would do a small bow like that of a butler before standing with a large smile. “Your dinner awaits Madam Nika.”

Nika stared at her AT, running her finger along the top as if examining it for any dust. It was about time to ride and she might end up pulling an all nighter. It was going to put a damper on her afternoon plans as she was instructed to be running a game tomorrow. Hopefully she doesn't fall asleep while the others were figuring out the problems with the orcs. The likability that it was going to happen was somewhere between slim to none and she was happy for that.

When the smell of the food drafted in, her mouth started to water and she let out a soft sheepish cry of excitement. It has been ages since she has been so close to food that smelled so delicious. Of course she passed many restaurants but she rarely go in because of the costs. She would much rather fund her hobbies than have good food, at least that was the core of her belief. It made for some periods of discomfort sure but in the end she had her fun.

As for the statement about the beer stunting her growth, she didn't buy it. At best it would stunt some growth if she was perhaps younger. The tone he used wasn't serious so he thought little of it. Deep inside however, she felt as though she might stop drinking so much. Than again she heard that if she drank more beer her breasts will get larger. She unconsciously looked down on her chest to examine the damage. If she was any flatter than she was then she would be considered concave. Finding that it was not time to show weakness she shook her head and focused in on the young man.

The longer she waited for the food the more impatient she became. However she controlled herself unlike Schnitzel as the little dog began to run around wildly from the scent of the delicious food. At first it lapped at Nika's face than darted into the kitchen to paw at the stranger and then return back to lick at her face some more. It was obvious the dog was just as hungry as she was. To take her mind off of the gnawing pain in her stomach, she put on her AT. They fit in nicely as always, looking a bit disproportionate to her size but at least her feet were snug. There was something odd however as she examined her feet. There was a sort of buzz going on with the AT as though it caught a whiff of something good. It felt as thought it wanted to devour something or someone.

"Now relax old friend, after my meal," she encouraged as she gently ran her fingers over the AT. As if it was sentient, the motors slowly died down to standby mode. By the time the food finally arrived, Nika had her face flattened to the ground and globs of drool escaping her mouth. She was so very hungry that she didn't mind eating some of the ingredients raw. As the food was placed in front of her she practically dove her face into it. It was delicious! That should have came to no surprise but she simply wasn't expecting it. Before she devoured the whole thing, she made sure to give some of the meat to her dog who happily devoured it in a gulp and curled up to sleep.

"That was great!" she called out finishing the rest of the meal. She had passed through the magazine the man had said he worked for many times in her walks through stores. However she wasn't a fanatic to the AT world like that. She simply enjoyed it, all of her tricks were done through experimentation or analyzing those she met. The title of being a storm rider made her shrug though. As far as she saw, a rider is a rider in the end but the street names were the source of distress.

"Best of luck to you, I don't know much about writing articles but maybe you just got the wrong information?" she asked, shrugging about the comment of the Behemoth riding by herself. For some reason that name always seemed to hover around the area and she can't quite tell why this person pops up as different entity every once in awhile. When she was done eating, she let out a long relaxed stretch before hopping up from her spot. The AT always helped her balance herself as compared with the more popular two wheeled standard ones, the weight was perhaps another reason as well.

"I don't have all night so let's got hunt down this Behemoth for some answers, he is going to get interviewed if he likes it or not," she exclaimed happily as she opened up the nearest window. Her apartment complex wasn't the tallest so she only had the second floor to jump from. With that in mind, she knew how to launch herself. One thing she was proud of besides her control was her ability to jump quite high even with her set of AT. They were slow but powerful like a lumbering beast.

"You'll probably catch up in no time but do try to stay behind me," she offered her piece of advice. Than again what she instructed to do was far simpler than it sounded. Unlike one dependent on speed, she traveled via control, weaving in and out streets, turning in almost ninety degrees at any moment. Control was what she had great jumps when she needed to power up her AT into wakefulness.

She moved suddenly, without any signs of notice. She hopped onto the window sill and pushed off, propelling her into the air with what seemed like an unnatural force. She was up high now, gliding on a draft of wind in which she easily flipped around to look for the man. This made her seem to appear as if she was moonwalking on air, her form delicate and precise with what any AT fanatic would be jealous of.

At long last their tummies would get what they had so patiently been waiting for as he leaned against the wall as he began to eat his food. It wasn’t that there was no chairs for him, but rather he was afraid of what might happen if he rested now. His body was already loosed from his ride earlier as well from that little fight so resting now could cause him to cramp up or worst off fall asleep. It was a embarrassing ability of his that with only a bit of comfort he could really nap just about anywhere. He would listen to Nika words as she spoke between the bites as she gave him her opinion on the Behemoth. “Yeah it true that I could have bad info. It seems no one every really seen this guy before, even though he beating so many of the gangs around here. I was willing to bet at first that it was even a good guy, but now I’m not sure about any of it anymore.” he sighed deeply as he felt he was once more back at the starting line of this race. However he was soon shocked at Nika words.

Without really noticing it Nika seemed to have equipped her Ats and was ready to ride. Must to York disapproval. Placing his plate on the table he wanted to protest this idea as it wasn’t safe for a simple rider to go off after a group of Stormriders. Where do you think your going is what he wanted to say between her words but could never form them in time. With almost no sign of movement York watched in almost amazement as she hopped onto the window sill and disappear out the window. It would seemed he wouldn’t get to say his peace as he quickly hurried to put on his own Ats to catch up with the girl. As he stood at the window he watched as Nika seemed to almost ride backward across the wind toward the neighboring buildings. It would appeared York might have jumped the gun a bit on judging this one.

With a almost wicked grin once more he would toss on his jacket before powering up his Ats, but unlike Nika he didn’t have to worry about a powerful take off. Silently he would lunched from the window into the night quickly entering into a few flips to gain some speed and height. Watching from behind he could immediately tell that when it came to speed he was the one on top, but in everything each. Well lets just say it been a long time since York had felt jealousy toward another in the world of Ats. Control, power, movement she seemed to have it all despite riding on such overly large Ats for herself. Perhaps this was what they meant when you watching someone ride with skills. York could only smile at himself as he would joined he in the air once more riding the invisible road of wind. For when it came to riding the wind he would lose to no one.

With a small twist to his body York would spin through the air landing on the side of a wall, riding it along side Nika. “Ok I admit it. Your pretty damn good. Maybe your be helpful after all.” he yelled to Nika over the sound of grinding metal and wind. However York couldn’t help feeling a odd feeling of joy as he rode closely behind the girl. As he had almost forgotten what it was like to ride with others and not alone. For the night sky was always so much bigger when you flew with others. “So you seemed to have a idea of some sort. Care to fill me in? Or should I start playing the guessing game.” he joke once more feeling a bit light spirited.

Nika glided through the air, the powerful motors growled and crackled perhaps from eagerness, hoping to find the prey it so longed for. The sound only seemed to empower the young girl as her bright red eyes seem to engulf itself. This was the thrill of the hunt, an adrenaline inducing, heart pounding activity. Sometimes she wondered if this was the real reason for dealing with the gangs in the area. She hoped that it wasn't though, she was afraid of the implications if that was her reason for doing what she did. It would antagonize her personality but most importantly of all, make her seem like a bloodthirsty fiend.

It didn't take long for York to respond and even less for him to catch up. She giggled at his speed, that was to be expected from a storm rider right? Maybe that was a reason she felt detached from others due to her lack of speed to keep up in a straight line. The giggle was soon stifled by a cough to get his attention before she backward, a serene smile upon her face as she fell towards the ground. Her eyes were closed as though she was asleep but by no means was that the plan.

As she fell between the corners of two buildings, her eyes suddenly flicked open, an intent look upon her face as she twisted her body to face downwards on the ground. Her leg then suddenly stroke against the side of the building as the force then propelled her to the other wall. It was a sudden approach but she easily brought her other leg forward to strike again this time she slid against the wall for a second. Now that she had a momentum between the corners she managed to half skate the buildings and hop between the walls.

When a sharp corner suddenly came, she easily turned and propelled herself in an almost ninety degree angle. Even when there was immediately a wall straight out of a turn, she easily flipped backwards to run upward on against. She practically appear to be running up on the wall. This was a real thrill and often caused a number of those who chose to race her and let her make a course to crash. This also includes times when others tried to chase or pursue her for whatever reasons. Of course she wasn't trying to hurt York at all, this has just become a habit of her's. The man was skilled and she trusted him to be able to handle it especially when she wasn't actively trying.

She had decided to leave the man guessing though. It was a simple plan in the end. She wasn't a big scary mastermind who plotted things out accordingly. It was far more spontaneous in nature but she knew the basic idea. Her darting between the buildings had far more purpose than showing off. Honestly she wasn't trying to show off but instead looking for someone. With all those she had taken down a few of them tolerated to the point that she considered them friendly enough. They probably knew who this Behemoth guy was doing around her area.

The one she was looking for was as nocturnal as she was. She had to be careful though, he tended to like surprising others who entered his area. Of course as those thoughts escaped her mind, she clattered against a building and did a back flip from a wall, narrowly dodging a strike from his AT. It was tall lanky man, his expression stuck between confusion and a tinge of uncertainty, It took him a second to snap into an almost feline smile with obvious sense of caution.

"What you want? I haven't done anything," he asked, his voice a sort of musical tone to it but confused nonetheless. She returned his greeting with an angelic smile on her face turned his face to disgust and horror. It was never good when she smiled like that...

"I was wondering if you knew where the Behemoth is Mr. Kitty!" she answered, her voice childish and almost pleading. Kittyman let out a laugh at the question. The Behemoth? She was standing in front of him. He wanted to answer the question in a smartalec tone but he had no intention of dying tonight. Plus that nickname of hers always irritated the hell out of him,

"Why you want to know?" he asked curious for himself in the detail. He knew of another Behemoth in the area that had taken the name for its fearsome influence. Actually this was what he assumed she meant. There was no way that the girl didn't know her own reputation...right?

To say the least York was highly surprised at what he saw before him as he watched the girl movement. From her form to her balance to the very control of her Ats was not that of someone who rode them for fun during the day. No their was grace to each of her movement that you could only find in one place: in a rider from the Kingdom of Night. In other words a Stormrider! Though de didn’t have any evidences to this claim his gut told him she was most likely was one, and his gut was right nine out of ten times. But York would push all this thoughts of who she really was and riders out of his head for the short time being as he simple let the wind surround him. Feeling his body become lighter and lighter with each hop, with each jump. It was almost as if the wind themselves was holding him up with their own arms. This was the true reason he choose to ride: for Freedom.

York would watched closely was Nika darted between the building with control he never knew Ats could have, or at least Ats of those size. It was a truly learning experience for him as a Ats rider, but as a Stormrider his soul couldn’t help but take it as anything but a challenge. After all he was The Reaper the leader of Tokyo once biggest team in it north side: The Wickeds. With that the young man would quicken his pace in this little game of follow the leader. He followed her through the corner of two building as he watched her expressions of joy cover face. However he would move so in his own form as his Ats wheel touched the wall grinding as he slide across them maintaining his height. His feet would be bent slightly outward to allow himself balance while at the same time adding enough friction to hold him to the wall. Only a fool would followed another rider along a road they themselves couldn’t pull off.

This was a hard lesson he had learned at a younger age and it seemed it was at last paying off. With every new three feet or so York would hop from wall to wall as he grinded along. It wasn’t the prettest run, but it made following others much easier and it seemed this girl didn’t have much of a clue of where she was heading. It was clear that she was looking for something, or someone, but was unsure of just where it something would be. He felt the need to ask just what they was looking for but stop as he watched her lunch a rather sudden flip off a wall. It would seemed it was to dodge a surprised attack from a tall skinny man and with a flash of his own he was off his wall and into the air. York would twist and turn in the air as he propelled himself forward allowing himself a much longer jump. It would result in landing just a mere meter behind the cat like man, however thanks to his shift movement he landed without a sound.

With his hood now once more up he was once more The Reaper, but yet he held his tongue this time around. It seemed the two knew each other somehow, rather good or bad he was unsure. Crossing his arm he let Nika handler the talking. Unlike in the north side of this city York name held little power here however he could still help where he could as the made sure the cat man could feel his intense spirit. However it seemed Nika question somewhat confused the man as she asked about the where about of the Behemoth. And at his returned question York decided to speak up for the first time from behind the man. “Because I’m looking for him! So I suggest you be a good boy and tall the gi- Lady what she asked.” His voice would be low and intimidating, the exact opposite of Nika but yet with the same meaning behind it. Try playing games with us and you won’t be walking away from here.

Catman was surprised by the sudden appearance of another man. The Behemoth was riding with someone else? This man wasn't an easy pickings either, he recognized him enough to be the so called Reaper. Unconsciously he took a step back out of caution but knew better than to run. He might have been able to outrun the Behemoth but the Reaper was another matter all together. He wasn't capable of facing off the strength of both of them. Now if these two honestly were part of a team then their power would be more than anybody he knew can handle. Of course when pressured like this all he can do was act cool and collected, as though he wasn't nearly as troubled as he was.

"I thought you rode alone," he stated, his voice sounding far more smooth than he honestly felt. He could feel the saliva in his mouth simply drying up from the heated tension of the situation. He could feel his hand sweating and a sort of shaking in his knees that he managed to force down within a second. In some ways Nika was as blind as a Behemoth can be. She cannot see the nervousness in the man, as unconcerned as a hulking monstrous creature that just happened to be passing by.

"I do, I'm just helping a friend out, I owe him that much!" she replied cheerfully taking a small step forwards. The man put his arms up as if in defense but didn't dare move any further. He had no intention of dying tonight be either of their hands. A small sly smile spread over his face. He knew all he had to do was tell her where this Behemoth wannabee was at and he was going to get out scotch free. As he thought back, he knew exactly who the man was, enough so that he a close friend of his was a buddy of the man. That meant the fake Behemoth deserved a real warning after he sent these guys after him.

"I know where he likes to hangout, an old abandoned building down south thataway. Not too far either," he pointed with his fingers. Nika looked over at the direction and knew exactly where he was talking about. It was the building she used as practice and now it was some base for hooligans? Now she can't have that. She was willing to share the place with other riders but she didn't want it to be the center of operation for gangs and other illegal activity. Now she had even more reason to hunt him down.

"Thanks Mr. Kitty, I'll be going then," he announced before boosting up her AT and bouncing away against the walls and into the late night sky. The young man soon made a dash out of there, taking out his phone and texting his friend to warn the fake Behemoth that the real one was coming. Of course it was well known among the gang members to never talk about her appearance with one another. So it was only natural to just give the bare minimum.

Now at the abandoned building, the hulking man soon got a message on his phone. Two of his comrades laid beaten up by his hands. He had no tolerance for failures especially when the target was just a little girl. Even if their excuse was quite good about this Reaper appearing, he didn't take it well. When he flipped open his phone an ominous message was placed before his face,"The Behemoth is coming with the Reaper." This was enough to startle any man and he knew this as a good buddy. It was no joke, the man never joked. So that only meant the message was telling the truth.

"Shit, everyone, prepare for battle!" he called out as five other members appeared from the shadows. It was only two people, how bad could it be? He was big himself but he knew the real Behemoth was far larger. If anything they should see him coming a mile away. As for the Reaper, well if they can separate the two and attack them individually it should be a possible win. Their fame will rise if they can manage it. Of course what he didn't consider was the fact that the little Behemoth was the true monster he awakened. How truly bad can the situation become? He had set up with everyone on the top of the building waiting for the two to appear.

The events of this evening was growing more and more curious with each new encounter of the riders of this area. York was impressed with how easy Nika was able to obtain the needed info from the man. He was afraid they was going to have to ask a little harder, but was please with the outcome. As she gave her thanks and jump back into the sky York would flip out his phone and scan the now running catman. A habit of his as you never know when the info could come in use in the future. He would soon do the same as his little leader and power up his Ats and jump back up into the sky to follow suit. Once more it would take little time to catch up, but this time his eyes was on this phone as he looked over the info. The man they had just let go wasn’t the best fighter or all that strong, but York was surprised at his speed level. Even for himself it would had been a tough chase if he had ran. Then a idea popped into his head as he watched Nika ahead of himself. Rising his phone he would scan her, but would soon be shocked at what he say. “What the hell! Ni…” would all he have time to say before the surprise attack.

While preoccupied with his reading while doing the simplest moves to followed Nika York would not noticed that they was quickly coming up on their destination. This must have also made him appeared as a easy target as suddenly two pair of Ats would come flying at him from opposites side. They would rush over York in a cross like attack., howeverYork body would quickly dropped backward just seconds before the attack landed causing it to miss him by mere inches. If it was for the fact that he had felt the changed in the wind around himself there would be the strong possibility that he would now be laying knocked out on the rooftops. Or worst dead on the streets below. His body would enter into a series of back flips before landing on the a roof of a building just across from their target abandoned building. He would be slightly elevated from the a crossed building. “Well well looks like we found the place and look! There even a welcome party.” he said with a wide grin.

The game had took a very different turn from what he had originally thought. He had at first believed this girl to be nothing more then a skilled rider, but the R.E.A.D. told him so much more. Hell in truth he was a little aggravated at what he saw. But he no longer was worried about having to protect the girl, with a BL(Battle Level) of 150 she the one that should be protecting him. He couldn’t help but grin deeply at finding such a found. His grin would quickly die away as he watched as two more rider would soon joined the three on the roof across from him. “So it was you two that attacked me just then? Yes or no!? Answer it carefully.” he said with a very serious. Which the two must have found fun as they started to laugh. “Yeah we the one who attacked you. You might be the big bad Reaper back in your turf but we’re the big dogs here.” the bigger of the two would shout out at York. But he only smiled back as his first targets was now picked.

It was clear that his smiled was pissing the two off as it came the smaller of the two turn to yelled. “Some attitude you got there punk. Our boss the Behemoth he going to…” would be the last word for the young man as a arm would suddenly come slamming across his throat and the bigger one. In a flash York had lunched himself across to their building clotheslining both of them into the wall behind him. The other three and the Behemoth would jump in shocked as they did not know what had happen till the sound of bone against stone filled the air. With a wicked smiled he turned back to the four as was about to speak, but would suddenly dropped to the ground on his hand and begin the spin his body. The reason for this was it seemed his attacked had knocked the smaller man out but not the larger one of the two. He had quickly regain his footing and sent a strong kick toward York head. But once more it was two slow as he spun around, like a break dancer, on his hand and counter with his own kick at the man leg still on the ground. His ankle to be precise.

This time a bloody scream would filled the air as the attack now laid on the ground holding his foot. “This was two easy” York said to himself his smile now gone. He didn’t like attacking the weak, even if they was slime like these fools. With a deep sigh he would suddenly disappear from his spot and lunch himself high in the air. Landing on the small shack like roof of the main rooftop entrance he would cross his arm as he once more pulled his phone out and scan the people below him. “Hmm let’s see here. First the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.” he said as he pointed it at them. “Hmm nothing but D rank is see. No wonder they was so weak. Now for the rest you.” he was a bit happier with the next scar as the other three thugs’ was C rank with the biggest one being a B rank like himself. From below the man on the ground would called out to York. “You b-bastard. Just what the hell are you!?” he yell through the pain. This would bring a smile back to his face as he looked over them all. “Didn’t you tell you? I’m the Reaper of you soul!.” his voice serious intimidating.

However his attitude would quickly make a 180 as he spun in place before making a bird like prose. “But you all can call be the Sky King baby! Cause my wings are strong and I can go all night long!” in a instant had turned from a intimidating monster into a complete fool, but this was the real York. After a burst of laugher York would point at the leader of the gang. “So you must be the Behemoth or should I say the fake Behemoth.” this must have hit a nerve as the blood vessels would soon begin to bulge from what he could only guess to be anger. “What the hell would you know fool. Coming into someone each territory can acting like some hotshot. Look at these.” and with that the monster of the man would began to flex muscle which indeed made him into a Behemoth. But York already knew the truth now. Crouching down he would act amazed as he clapped his hands. “Oh wow you are a behemoth. But I’m willing to bet your not The Behemoth! So much so that I’m willing to bet this!” he said as he suddenly retrieved a small metal object from inside his jacket.

It was none other then his very own team emblem. “You know what this is right? I bet my team emblem that my Behemoth can beat your Behemoth!” his voice would be cocky as he grinned through he words. The mountain of a man would only laugh at this challenge as he open his arms wide to accept it. “You really are a dumb ass then. Fine where is this monster of yours. I’ll destroy him and then eat what left.” he spoke with a thunderous voice. With only a smug look York would point at no one other then Nika which would erupt into a sea of laughter from below. “This really is a dumb ass!” “How can that little kid beat the boss!” the other man would shout through the laughter but York only smiled. He knew what he saw on that R.E.A.D. there no where that she was just a ordinary rider. So much so he was willing to beat it all on her. “So that’s the deal! Behemoth Vs. Behemoth and to ensure a far fight.” voice would echo through the night as he once more disappeared and reappeared between the three men. “I’ll be your three opponent.” said with a almost child like smile and voice.

Nika was glad for the information, knowing exactly what she had to do. She was a territorial person no matter how much she wanted to deny it. She especially hated it when others disrespect it by being cocky punks. Of course she wasn’t too angry at the time considering she did not see the full extent of their brutality. It was more or less the same sort of annoyance as those that came before the so called Behemoth.

Glancing back towards her friend, she saw him looking at his phone. This was no time to be playing games or calling friends. She was just about to ask when he spoke up first seemingly confused by something. Before he even finishes asking his question, they were ambushed by the very same people they were heading towards. How could they have known the two were approaching? She didn’t even consider the fact that perhaps Mr. Kitty had known them more than just a simple gang passerby. It was her inherent trust in people’s character but she might have been sorely mistaken to do so. She often ends up hurt in the end, more physical than emotional though, so it wasn’t too bad of a loss.

She watched a bit helplessly as York was attacked by two people ganging up on one man. This was to be expected on the streets, quantity sometimes have to overcome quality. York managed to dodge it quite well, perhaps actually expecting the attack to some extent. What was Nika’s excuse for walking straight into a trap? She was never good at paying attention, it often led to bumping into other people and objects. This was very true for the same situation; her mind was preoccupied on getting some form of payback for all the woe the group had caused (mainly to her and also for that interview with the Behemoth).

“York!” she called out as she easily turned to head towards him. Unlike the speedier types, it was extremely easy to descend quickly onto the ground. All it required was the force of gravity to take into effect. Even with the speed and helpful backflips the man used, she still managed to land onto the top of the building with a solid thump and light jolt before he did. The gang members didn’t seem to have any particular interest in her however, focusing their main forces onto the Reaper.

It almost seemed like a sacred challenge between men, a duel in a way. It naturally caused her body to freeze up and unable to intervene between them. She didn’t want to hurt her new friend’s feeling if she stepped in without any need. It meant that she thought he was weak, and then he’ll probably hate him for that. On the other hand she felt she had to step in so that no bodily harm can come to the young man which was more important than feelings. This was her indecisive nature coming into play as she struggled to decide what she could and should do in this situation.

Her fears appeared to be unfounded as York easily took down two of the punks. By easy, she meant how easily she performed those tricks of his. It almost made her slightly envious to see someone with such skills doing what she did in her past time. Of course the punks were surprised by his skills and retaliated in their own way. She on the other hand took the news excitedly by clapping together for his flashy tricks. Even another rider passed her buy to join the fray but she stood there more as a cheerleader than any actual help.

“You’re doing great York!” she called out, giving him a positive thumb up in response. It earned her a little bit of irritation from the gang but they ignored the seemingly weak little girl. They didn’t want to lose their life just because the Reaper had a cheerleader on his side. This was what the mighty little creature seemed to be demoted down into until York stated his proposal.

Her eyes seem to furrow down in confusion when he said that this Behemoth was a fake and he had another Behemoth to bet on. Perhaps she didn’t give the guy enough credit. Obviously even before they were ambushed he had figured out a plan. It all made sense that he had to take out his phone; he did it to contact the real Behemoth. He must have deduced the identity of the real beast and it was probably someone he knew for starters. Honestly Nika was a little proud that he had figured it out, a smug on her face and her right hand resting on her chin in the form of an L shape. That was what she thought until he pointed in her direction. She immediately saw the finger and flicked her head to the side beyond her. There was nobody there! Her hand soon reached above her eyes as she tried to scour the area for the Behemoth but found that nobody was coming to their aide.

That wasn’t until the others burst out laughing about a little kid beating their boss did she realize the full extent of his challenge. She was the Behemoth he was betting on not some mysterious entity that she had first assumed. Her face flushed a deep red, not from the comments but the trust that was placed on her shoulder. This was the first time she was referred to as large of any sort (definitely not her breast). It was a definite step up from shortie. York then progressed to block off access between the other riders so that she can face the boss alone.

“I was warned that another Behemoth was coming but to think he would ditch you and have a little kid fend for his title,” the bossman laughed, obviously misinterpreting the situation as a whole. Nika didn’t fare any better and noted to herself to have a nice long talk with the real Behemoth when the fight ended as well as York. Unlike York who scanned his opponents with his phone for battle prowess, she did it through her natural eyes. By no means was it accurate but she could tell from the rippling muscles that a solid punch from him can very well mean being flung along with a few broken bones.

“I’m not scared of you!” she called out in protest, smacking a small fist against her hand to show she was serious. The sound effect was less than impressive to say the least and her childlike determined face didn’t help her case much. It only evoked more laughter from the oversized leader. The more he laughed, the more she was irritated, puffing out her cheeks in anger and crossing her arms in irritation.

“I hate picking on the weak,” he lied and knew it. His voice told it all though and part of her anger seemed to shift to a colder form. She let her arms fall to her side before picking up her right one and indicating with her fingers to come at her. This of course didn’t settle well with the brute, not used to the amount resistance from anyone, especially not a little kid. With a roar that would have made a lion shake in fear he charged at her with an amazing amount of speed.

“I’ll tear you apart little girl!” he called out, bringing his leg out to strike her down. Was Nika afraid of the brute? Of course she was but another emotion had overtaken her. It was anger and conviction, one that refused to let her retreat. Of course she wasn’t stupid either to take on a full on attack so soon in the battle. In response, her right leg moved upwards to hit along the side of his leg as it came down. She used his force against him, allowing her to twist her body enough to bring in her other leg for a strike at his head. He was far taller than she was but it was also an advantage for the little girl.

The attack had far more kick than the man had expected but he had brought up his arm in defense. He was thankful for it though, as the kick managed to knock him a few back the way he came. Even with all his muscles he still felt the sting of the attack. What the hell was this girl? She hadn’t felt this sort of pain in a long time. Of course he wouldn’t acknowledge her strength just yet. He wasn’t the brightest person either, finding himself charging into the airspace above the girl to crush her under his weight and power. Luckily for Nika she was prepared in her own space, allowing room for her to take the full brunt of the force.

The attack went down hard and he knew it. He felt his mighty kick landing a perfect blow on the girl’s body but he soon realized that there was something off. The force of the kick sending her downward in a diagonal direction but she didn’t crash. Actually the girl was mostly fine, her body only taking a few minor scratches at best. He was astonished that someone could take such a hit practically unscathed. What form of magic was she using?

“My turn,” she said with a confident voice and a smirk that now began to concern the boss.

All that York wanted to do was to simple sit on the edge of one of the many building surrounding the Stage for the battle of the Behemoths. Sadly however that would seem to be impossible he thought as he felt to cold brick floor of the roof top on his back as he looked up at the night sky. All around him he could hear the snickering and laughter of the three riders who had knocked him to the ground. It would have seem York had greatly underestimated the true skills of these three. Unlike the other two in which he himself took down with ease, these three was the real deal. True Stormriders. Although they was below his rank they made up for it by putting all their skilled together in each of their attacks. Rising back to his feet York could feel the drips of blood as it escaped from the corner of his mouth and his nose. He had gotten luckily and managed to dodge the main attack, being two power kicks aimed at his body, but ended up taking a punch to the face. The annoyance was very clear on his face as he wrapped the blood away with the back of his hand. “You see! We’re not like those other two you took out!” one of he man said as they all moved in circles around York. Like beast circling their pry before they move in for the kill.

So this was how it is then, I see. York thought to himself. These guys wasn’t just another simple gang of fools on Ats. They was a real group of Stormriders and their skills was the real deal. Looking out a crossed the rooftops he could spot Nika and the giant of a man still fighting in the distance. In a way this made him happy as he wouldn’t know what to do if she happen to finish with her fight before his own. “Damn guess I can’t keep playing around with you guys then.” he said his grin returning. “To tell you the truth I’m happy. I’m happy that you lot are not just another weak little gang. Makes what I’m about to do less of a ass thing to do.” he called out to the gang as his voice began to mix with laughter. Spreading his feet apart he would feel the energy from his feet began to rise higher and higher. York couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. “Let me show you what it means to be a candidate to be King! Now rise up Ikaros! It time to fly down the Wing Road!” he yelled out as if talking to himself, but soon a screeching sound would rip through the air to answer his call.

The source of this sound would be none other then his very own Ats, his Regalia. A dim blue light would engulf both of York feet as his Ats seemed to changed before their very eyes. This was the proof that York was had earn over his years racing, fighting, winning. The Sub-Regalia of the Wind Road, Wings of Ikaros. The look upon of the men faces was that of shock and a hint of horror. As to most the story of Ats with the ability was nothing more then that, just Story. But before them now was on such from the stories a real regalia. “C-calm down guys! Remember we still out number him. We can still win.” he called out to his scared teammates. This time York let the man finish his little speech before lunching his attack. With a high pitch screech a blue glow would escape from his regalia as he lunched forward a crossed the rooftop stop just leg length from the man. York extended right leg would rest nicely parallel on the man stomach with his wheels hardly touching. “Let me so you my power!” he spoke in a low voice before activating his regalia sending wind flying all around himself and the man. With a quick bent on York leg followed with a kick the thug would be sent flying all the way to a neighboring building.

The other two thugs watched with fear as they saw their friend be sent flying away like a rag doll. However one of the two, the one York had guessed to be the power rider, fought off his fear long enough to rush York to wrap his arms around him. However this would prove to have little effect as York would counter with a burst of wind that seemed to escape from his very body. Letting a short yell of this own York would blow the thugs away with the Impact Wind trick before following quickly. With in a flash he would appear above the man that he sent flying where he would proceed to hop off the man belly. Resulting with his body being nicely slammed full body wise into the roof. “And then there was one.” he said in a low voice to add flavor to the words. It might have been true that he didn’t need to go as far using his regalia in his fight, but it was more of a lesson then anything each. Simple put mess with him or his friends and I will F-you up!

With only himself left now the man seemed to be confused as to what he should do; should he try fighting or should try to run for it? Both of which would end in the same way. “I think it time we ended this. Don‘t you?!” York said now with a more friendly voice. “I’ll show you on of my secret moves! It’s one I don’t show to everyone so be happy.” his smile told it all as one looked upon it. It was not going to end good for the thug. Fear now fully taking over the man turned to run away but York was already one step ahead. His Ats powering up as he lunched himself at the thug at full speed. “Here it is! SUPER MEGA ULTIMATE LASER…PUNCCCHHHHH!” he yelled right as he, yes did nothing more then a simple punch at high speed, punch the man in the face sending him slamming to the ground. “you b-bastard… t-that was just a p-punch.” the thug said just before passing out. York would only laugh at the man word as he dashed away back toward he real fight. Landing on the rooftop across form Nika and the Behemoth he would soon follow suit as she did for him when the fight first started. Standing the he would begin to cheer her on. “OI NIKA-CHAN! KICK THAT PIG ASS! Show him who the real Behemoth is!”

The fake Behemoth could not process the idea that the little girl had taken so little damage from his attack. He just thought that perhaps he had simply missed, that was all. It was a fluke, he probably overshot it and the girl went twisting from the force. There was no way that such a petite creature can handle his force. Yet, deep inside his mind he felt as though something was off. It disturbed him enough that he began to tense up his muscle in anticipation.

On the other hand Nika was confident enough to face the man head on without any trouble. She knew she can survive and better yet, crush this monster of a man. A grin flashed over her face as the rumbling coming from her AT began to intensify. It was a playful one at least, she was yet to be completely serious of the fight. It wasn't a match of survival but to smash down her enemy where he stood. Perhaps that is why he dodged out of the way when she attacked.

Of course when she boosted off the solid ground, the speed was hardly impressive. Honestly the fake Behemoth was able to go faster and quicker than she could at the time. It was one of the negative aspects of her style. By the man's attitude, he had made it seem as though he would happily show the difference in strength and take the blow wholeheartedly. She did not expect him to dodge any of her attacks as she narrowly passed him by.

"That isn't fair! I thought you were big and tough! Afraid of a little girl's kick?" she taunted with little success as she only earned a scowl from the him. Before she could continue, he began to charge at her, of which she was slowly rising into the air. Unlike other ATs that would follow the wind, she depended on gathering resistance. At the very least when she had missed, her body managed to twist and save the gathered strength for later. The more she charged her power the stronger she was in the end.

Nika could not run forever as the beast caught up with her. He had pounced at her, trying to smash her down onto the ground. The full force bearing down upon her even made her unsure if she can properly defend. There was no time for doubt however as she once again began to twisting her body. This time it was different as she shot out waves into the air. It was more like vibrations, set in front and below her. She created these as a cushion. Her enemy saw it as a sign of weakness. He thought the girl had lost control of her AT and was tumbling down carelessly. When his own AT made contact with the shield, it caused him to strain his leg as she easily slid away. This in turn made him crash down onto the ground with a heavy thump.

She had her award winning smirk of satisfaction on her face now as she once again began to ascend upwards into the sky. She even glanced over at her watch, noting that it was almost time for sunrise. It has been a long night out, trekking from neighborhood to neighborhood. She even glanced over at York who had finished up the mess on his side. She waved over at him, still a little peeved that he had put her on the spot.

"Yo York, you have a lot of explaining to do!" she hollered back at the man before glancing down to check on her fight. The man was angry now, seeing how relaxed this girl was in the fight. However what she saw out of the corner of her eye made his anger rise far higher in comparison. The two men that had harassed her seem to crawl out into the battlefield. They were obviously far more beaten up than what York had left them. This man didn't even value his own lackeys. He didn't deserve to be here, on this earth in her book.

Her eyes glared down upon the man and her Regalia responded in turn. The bulky AT seemed to awaken from its slumber as the scales began to rise, the front wheels twisting into claws and the back wheels beginning to loosen into three segments. The growl it produced turned into a heart pounding roar and the horror that flashed over the man's eyes seem to feed its hunger. Nika didn't need to make full contact against the man to win. He tried to dodge the attack but she caught him, lightly making contact on his left shoulder. When he thought he got away a sudden force caused him to crash straight down back onto the ground. He laid there on his stomach as the real brunt of the force rippled through his body.

The pain was evenly spread out as though a giant being had slammed its paw down onto his body. It rippled through his muscles and bones, causing havoc as the vibrations tried to escape. He couldn't even scream out in pain before he lost conscious.

"Don't you ever show your face around here again," she said, her voice steady and cold. With that done, she hopped off the man and pointed at the two that had tried to mug to take him away. Her Regalia now satisfied by the violence, returned to its original state. She glared over at the other perpetrators, the other members. It was enough to tell that they were not welcome. The ones who can gathered their allies and made a mad dash out of there. It almost seemed as though the little girl before them were aflame from the color of the sunrise set behind her.

"I hope they learn their lesson," she said under her breath, letting out a sigh at the end.

And just like that the battle of giants was over with the end result just how he had predicted. It was times like this that York could truly say that he enjoy the feel of fighting. Times when you was put to battle such fools who believed that they could used Ats as weapons over those who have yet to use their wings. The very idea of this sickness him to the core. Sadly it seemed more and more of these types of gangs was beginning to pop up in the world of Ats. Not that Stormriders was ever good guys to begin with at least there was a code that was followed, but these people didn’t care about the code or anything other then lining their pockets. However the thoughts of this gang had long since lefted York mind as he watched the last bit of the fight. It would seemed that once more this girl would surprise him this night, or should he say morning.

He only grinning wildly at Nika words as he knew what she was talking about as he had indeed put her on the spot with pretty much forcing her into that fight. But he had to know if that reading was true or not, beside if it had proven to be false he would have stepped in long before she got hurt. In the end it would seem his luck was still as strong as ever.

Watching as the few of the punks that they left alive(awake) quickly carried off the wounded and knocked out he couldn’t help but laugh a bit. With the battle over and in their victory his attention would return to his main goal of the night: The Behemoth. The real Behemoth. Rolling slowly forward toward the edge of the building York would quickly speed up as he lunched himself high into the air. His jump would be unnaturally high even for the best modded Ats and with a few spins he would cross the grasp between building with ease. He would land on one of the corner of the rooftop with little more then a tap before rolling forward toward Nika, his Ats still glowing slighting in the twilights of the morning. However the hum and glow of his Ats would soon die down before completely disappearing as they changed back to their original shape. “So you have a pair as well?! A Regalia!” He spoke with a fox smile.

Crouching down and hugging his knees York would continue to roll slowly around Nika as he looked at her Ats. To the naked eyes they appeared as nothing more then a pair of overgrown Ats, but knew what he had seen. Stopping right in front of Nika he would look up at her “I might have some explaining to do, but so do yourself Nika-chan! Why didn’t you tell me you was such a big shot. Aside from being the real Behemoth you even have a Regalia too.” he said as he stood back to full height. “So what Road do you ride on?” he asked a simple question. Not knowing how confusing his words must have sounded to his friend.

Nika was glad that the others had left without any struggle; she was getting exhausted from all the fighting. Of course her body was willing to push it through but that would have been a rather large crash. Once she was sure she didn’t need to put up her strong woman front, her body suddenly gave way and she fell down onto her butt. Her body felt like a wreck, not coming out completely unscathed from the fight. The fake Behemoth didn’t miss, she took the attack full on but so that the damage was spread throughout her body. If she had taken the force of the attack without spreading, she would be curling up in pain from a few broken bones right now.

She glanced up at York as he approached and wondered what she should ask first. Perhaps she should start with why he had pushed this situation on her. He could have at least told her of his plan even though he was ambushed. It was no excuse for being rude and thrusting so much responsibility on her like this. Unfortunately she might have ended up getting involved anyways, although she expected York to want the interview first before the fight.

When York asked about some Re…gal thingy, she was awfully confused, so much so that it was obvious just by her facial expressions. She didn’t understand the word at all. She never had proper table manners in the long run, often resorting to just finishing her food as pleasantly as possible. She would never be mistaken for a noble or anything regal for that matter. She honestly didn’t think her appearance counted either, she hardly had a good body for any form of royalty plus York doesn’t scream it either.

So all York got at first was a very confused and blank stare from the little pipsqueak as a response. Her eyes began to widen in further confusion when he mentioned her being a big shot. She wasn’t big nor did she actively try to make herself seem important. She was too self-conscious to be a big shot of any sort. She was the Behemoth? No, that didn’t seem right, it was absolutely wrong. She was no Behemoth or anything large for that matter. Then there was the question about the Road she rode on. She looked around the sky as if trying to see some imaginary road or something like that but found only air. What was the man talking about?

Her confused look began to turn to something of a worried look, like she was staring at someone insane. It was probably all her fault however for never paying attention to the terminology of the Air Trekking sport. She never had the need to study it, considering the entire rulebook and information she had to study for her other games, these terminologies seemed more of a waste of time. Now she was paying for it now, so all she can do was throw back her own series of questions.

“What are Regalia? Is that like a title? I thought you found the Behemoth and was calling him from your phone. Also what are you talking about with roads?” she asked, her arms began to flail about in panic. She had a very distressed look upon her face as though her whole world was crumbling. It wasn’t all that different considering she had absolutely no idea what he was asking.

Could this really be real? Could there really be someone who could have ascended to the height of A Class and truly be unaware of the Rules of Trophaeum? Honestly for a few second he believed it to be true that Nika was once more perhaps playing dumb. But the look of confused blank stare made it painfully obvious. She really didn’t have a single clue as to anything he was asking. Looking down at the girl as she sat on the ground and began to panic and squirm about he slowly began to question his own eyes. This cute girl was really the Behemoth? A statement that would have made him a laughingstock of any group he told this too, but he couldn’t denied what was before him. Feeling his shoulder slump as a deep sigh escaped his lips for the first time he would feel the all nighter hit him.

Rubbing the back of his head he thought about the best way to go about this as her word flowed through his head. She didn’t know what Regalia was, which he could have understood if it wasn’t for the fact she was wearing a pair. At least to the best of his knowledge that must have been what they was. Reaching up he would remove his hood before crouching down before the girl, trying to reach her eye-level but failing. “Do you really not know any of this? I mean you’re a A Class rider.” he said this but quickly though about what each she had said. Could it really be possible for her not to even know her own class. Well it was plausible, since he had never heard of any rumors of the Behemoth ever riding in a team. Which mean she was A-rank in name alone.

Watching her begin to lose it as her arms flail about in the confusion made York realized why people offend picked on people like this: they was just so cute when they had no clue. Fighting the urge of patting Nika on the head York would soon retrieve his phone from his pocket. “Ok I guess we’re start with this. I wasn’t calling anybody with my Phone I was doing a R.E.A.D…. You don’t know what a Read is do you?” he asked but already knew the answer. Quickly he would press a few buttons before flipping the phone around for Nika to see. “This is how I knew you had to be the real Behemoth. A Read allows people to see all the data on a rider by scanning the memory card that all Ats have. Everything from max speed to your longest jump even all the tricks you have done. And last by putting all that together you get a BL, a Battle Level. I was very shocked to see your was hundred and fifty. That’s higher then mine.” he spoke as if he was a school teacher as he flipped the info on his phone around showing Nika her own stats and then showing her the stats of himself and the other they met tonight.

It had been a long time since York had to teach somebody these things, since most of the people he met now a days was all high ranked. But inside he had to admit he was a little jealous of her as it seemed she only rode purely for the enjoyment of it, unlike many others who hunger for battle. Flipping his phone shut he would then at last sit down fully on the ground to rest at last. Wrapping away a bit of sweat from his forehead he would get ready for the next part. “Gezz it’s been awhile since I met someone as clueless as you, but I guess it fits you rather nicely. Now I guess I can continue our lesson. Which would you like to hear about the Regalia or Roads?” A simple questions with no so simple answers and he knew it far to well.