-- VROOOM
-- VROOOM
-- VROOOM
...
With his perception skills active, Lohan picked up a total of six distinct engine noises approaching at high speed through the skies.
Looking in that direction, he saw the source of those noises.
Riding six white sports flying motorcycles, all painted with a design of a silver lotus flower with a bright pink outline against a blue sky, the six people dressed in silver jackets skillfully maneuvered the bikes into the narrow alley, passing by where Lohan was hiding and hovering around the group of men, pointing their headlights menacingly at them.
Seeing those bikes, the eyes of Frank beneath his protective mask and those of his men narrowed, adopting a defensive stance as they drew more vibro-knives from their waists, ready to engage at any moment.
But despite his obvious concern, Frank still stepped forward and spoke in a firm voice, looking at the bike in the center of the formation.
"Skye... you know my boss won’t be happy to hear that the Silver Lotus is roaming his territory." He said, completely ignoring the other motorcycles and staring at the one in the center.
Riding that bike was a slender female figure, with a slim, pale waist hugged by a tight light pink shirt, wearing silver pants and a jacket matching the flower on the bike, with long blonde hair spilling out from under her helmet.
Despite the bulky white helmet on her head, Lohan could clearly hear a sassy female voice laughing.
"Haha, what a funny joke, Frank. Do you really think we’re afraid of your boss? That filthy sewer rat doesn’t have the guts to leave his hole even to eat, let alone do anything about us!" The girl laughed, her voice echoing through the alley via the speakers in her helmet.
At her laughter, the other five people on the motorcycle laughed too, slightly relaxing the initially tense posture they’d held, and growing more at ease against the three large men.
"Now tell me, Frank, did you get tired of stealing pension money from the elderly and decide to steal school lunch money from kids?" The girl named Skye laughed again.
Lohan noticed Frank’s hand gripping the handle of his knife even tighter, but despite his anger, he didn’t react, clearly intimidated by the six people surrounding him.
Frank gripped the handle of the vibrating knife until the knuckles on his fingers turned white, while the hissing sound of the blade echoed off the damp, moldy walls of the alley.
His muscles were taut, ready for a lunge that logic told him would be suicidal. On the other side, Skye let go of the motorcycle’s handlebars and rested her elbows there, leaning forward as if watching a very interesting performance, leaving only the static hum of the flight stabilizers to fill the tense silence.
"The territory may belong to the rat you call your boss, Frank, but the air in the Lower Zone is still free... at least for now," Skye said, tilting her head so the visor of her helmet reflected the light coming from outside the alley. "And we don’t like the smell of cowardice you guys give off when you pick on someone who can’t fight back."
One of Frank’s men took a step back, intimidated by the powerful headlights that seemed to scan every flaw in their cheap armor.
Frank growled, his voice muffled by his protective mask.
He looked at the little boy and then at the Silver Lotus’s impeccable formation, feeling powerless.
"You’re making a mistake, Skye. The Silver Lotus won’t be able to fly so high when the Atlas Group comes to collect the protection money for this area..." Frank hissed, finally relaxing his thumb on the knife’s switch. He knew that starting a fight there would result in his team being slaughtered by the riders of those sport bikes before they even managed to cross the alley.
"Tell your boss that the kid’s lunch today is on the house." Skye sneered, revving the engine briefly, sending a wave of heat and sound crashing into the men on the ground.
Frank spat into the black mold of the alley, as a final, impotent display of contempt. "Let’s go. It’s not worth wasting battery power on this silver trash. But remember... the shadows of the Lower Zone are long and deep, Skye; you can’t be everywhere at once."
With a snort, he turned and began to walk out of the alley.
His two henchmen also quickly followed the man, not even looking back.
As they left, they passed where Lohan was hiding, but none of the three noticed the man camouflaged in the shadows of that spot, using [Umbral Mimicry].
When the trio finally left, Lohan saw the motorcycle belonging to the girl named Skye descending from the sky, slowly and gently, and landing beside Oliver.
Unlike when he faced Frank, Oliver showed no fear whatsoever toward this new gang; in fact, the expression he wore now looked more like shyness and embarrassment than fear!
As she touched the ground, Skye raised her fingers and touched the back of her helmet, causing the structure to retract into the nape of her neck, revealing a beautiful, delicate face covered only by a small breathing mask that covered her mouth.
With a flick of her hand, Skye shook out her long blonde hair and looked at Oliver with a concerned smile.
"Oliver, didn’t you promise me you’d stop working for the Asphyxia Gang? I was still waiting for you with Amy and Tommy in our territory..." she said in a gentle voice as she ruffled the little boy’s thick, greasy hair, not caring about the feeling it left on her hand.
Oliver looked away but answered firmly. "I can’t steal in Lotus’s territory... if I don’t steal, how am I going to buy food for them?"
Skye stopped ruffling his hair and looked at him with mixed feelings, wanting to scold him but also understanding the heavy responsibility this little 11-year-old boy had to carry.
With a sigh, she didn’t know what to say.
Suddenly, a breeze coming from the alleyway’s entrance carried a scent that made her freeze for a second, her blue eyes flashing with alertness.
"You know what? I hate being watched by someone hiding. How about you come out of your hiding spot voluntarily before my companions drag you out here not so voluntarily?" she asked aloud, her voice a mix of coldness and playfulness.
Hearing that, the five other riders perked up, turning their bikes toward the alley entrance, trying to see who Skye was talking to.
As soon as that was said, Lohan knew she was talking to him, so he was torn.
’Should I wait and see if this is a bluff? Or try to escape from here without anyone seeing me? Or do I go out voluntarily and avoid a conspicuous chase that would draw even more unnecessary attention to me?’
Weighing the pros and cons of these options, and realizing that the people in this gang didn’t seem as bad as Frank’s group, Lohan made a decision.
Confident in his own strength, at least he didn’t feel he would be helpless in front of that group.
[Skye Visual Representation in the Comments and at Discord.gg/NunuXD]