It was dark and the street lights had moths roaming around them. Beneath it was the skatepark, where some boys were still skateboarding, shouting, swearing and laughing.

Asselyum lay on the floor. She looked at the moon as she heard the voices of hard tyres and ball bearing--The scent of the grip tape and waxed floor beneath her reached her nose. She suddenly felt the light block; Riley stood beside her, under the streetlight.

"You're here again?" He asked. He had his board into his arms.
"I can't find Slaine. It's been three days already."
"I'm sure he's just chillin' somewhere. Why do you want to find him so badly?"

"Because I'm afraid it's too late..." She looked at the sky full of stars overhead, "I have been thinking a lot lately. Thinking only about the past."
Riley looked at the sky.

"I have clearly hurt him. So, I guess it makes sense he ran away."
"Alright, this is getting very annoying. Get up." Riley said.
"Why?"
"Let's just find that goddamn asshole. I'll help you find him." Riley got on his skateboard.

"Hey Denis! Give me your board!" He shouted at a guy and he pushed his board to his feet.
"Get on it." Riley commanded.
"But I can't skateboard." Asselyum said.

"Are you afraid of falling?"
"No."
"Then you'll be fine."

She stepped on the board and heard a creak.
"Is that gonna break?"
"Nope. Now just push a foot and you'll be moving forward"
She followed his instructions and landed on the road--Flat on her nose.

"Oh my God! Is my board okay?!" Denis ran towards them and Frank followed him.

"This feels nostalgic." Riley rubbed his nose, "I remember a ginger brat I taught, and he fell the same way."
"Ginger brat?" Asselyum got up and stood back on the board.
"You mean Slaine?" Denis asked.
"Slaine was originally ginger. He just dyed his hair to that really gay color." Frank said.

Asselyum looked at her board. Riley grabbed her hand, "I'll help you for a while." He pulled her and they went ahead.

Denis and Frank watched them leave. "I hope I get my board back in one piece." Denis seemed worried.
"I bet she's gonna snap it." Frank said.
"Can't you say something good?"
"Maybe someday you'll land a 900. Maybe."
"Fuck you."

Riley and Asselyum rolled down the streets, "Lean your body forward and bend your knees."
She followed him and it worked.
They passed from the gaming parlour to the central Park, to Manhatten bridge and 5th Avenue.

They encountered a construction zone with about a metre wide ditch. Asselyum expected Riley to slow down but he didn't.
"Aren't you gonna stop?" She asked.
"We're jumping over it."

"That is crazy."
"The best memories come from the craziest ideas." She looked at him, "If you never try, you'll never know."

He left her hand and went towards the ditch at full speed. He jumped over it and turned back. It was her chance next. She turned on her feet jet and grabbed her board, pretending to jump over the ditch.

"You're pretty good for a newbie."
"That was easy."
Riley went ahead and Asselyum followed him. They skated throughout the city, running into cranky old women or cops around corners. But they couldn't find Slaine.

Finally, they came back to the skatepark--It had been two hours since they left. Nobody was there anymore. Riley took the skateboard from her, "I'll return it to Daniel. See ya." He turned back to leave.

"Riley." She called out.
"Yeah?"
"Why are you helping me?"
"Well, Slaine might hate me but honestly, I don't. I'm not the type of person to keep grudges. You and I are cool, we seem to jam well too."
She looked into his eyes.

"It's pretty late. Do you want me to drop you home?" She asked.
He laughed, "I ain't got no shit of a respect as a man. Damn, you just roasted me like it's nothin'."
"I'm serious. It's dangerous outside."
"Thanks Asselyum. I'd love it if you drop me home --But you see, I haven't really got a place to call home. Thanks for the offer though. Much appreciated. Laters!" Riley skated away.

She came back home and went to charge herself.
"You're pretty late. Where were you?: Lucifer stood at her room's door.
"Searching for Slaine."
"You're wasting your time."
"I know, but I strongly want to convince myself that I'm not."

The next day, Asselyum went out to look for Slaine again. She reached the skatepark by the afternoon. It was crowded like usual. There were some scooter kids strolling here and there and getting in the way of everyone. Their moms sat on the benches outside the skatepark, ready to defend them from the big boys whenever needed.

She saw Riley drawing a graffiti on a ramp's wall and walked towards him but suddenly felt something on her leg. Evelyn stood on his skateboard and grabbed her leg.

"What?"
"Where's dad?" He asked.
"Why do you expect me to know it?"
"Because you're always with him!"

"Oh, hey Asselyum." Riley walked towards her with the bottle of spray paint.
"Why are you talking to this bad guy? You are bad!" He pointed his finger at Riley, defining his role.
"Jesus Christ, I hate kids." Riley yawned.

"Evelyn, you don't say that to people."
"You're not my dad!" Evelyn pouted and crossed his arms.
"That's right, mom." Riley teased.
"...I didn't know you have such a cringy side too."

Riley coughed, "Well, that went out of character, didn't it?"
"Yes. You shouldn't speak for a while. It'll help you get over it."
"You talk as if I'm into some trauma!"

"Where's dad, Asselyum?" Evelyn asked.
"We're looking for him too." Asselyum told him.
"I wanted to show something to him."
"Oh that's fine. Show it to us. I'm not as good as Slaine but I can judge you well." Riley offered.

Evelyn seemed reluctant at first but simply gave in later since he didn't have any other choice. Riley and Asseylum looked at him do the tricks Slaine had taught him.

"He has learned fast." Asselyum said.
"Yes. Can't believe Slaine taught him."
"Why?"
"Slaine goes more smooth and gracefully, this kid is like a power tornado though. Those are two completely different styles of skateboarding."

"I see."
"Though this kid might have one weakness. He seems too impatient and that is never good in skateboarding."

"Everyone has a weakness though."
"True. My biggest weakness might be that I forgive people too easily. What about you?"
"My biggest weakness is that I trust people too easily. I hope I won't regret trusting you."

"Do you think I'd ever hurt you?"
"You shouldn't."

Gotham brought out a map of the entire time machine. "It flies above here, we just need to shut down the engine and gravity will do its work next."

"Where is the time machine though?" Allianz asked.
"It's above the entire NYC. It covers the whole sky of the city."
"But we can't see it." Emmett said.
"It's covered with an isotopic indium sheath. Once we remove that, we will be able to see it."

"But wait-- If it falls, won't it land on the entire city?" Allianz asked.
"Doesn't that sound exciting? The entire New York will be crushed under the 4.2 mega tonnes metalwork like insects under a rock." Gotham smiled and looked into her eyes.

"You're gonna end a whole city?" Emmett was shocked.
"Lucifer ended an entire country. What I'm doing is very trivial. I am a bit hungry actually. Does anyone here want some flesh? Or to put it like Lucifer-- Doesn't any of you fancy some meat?"

'Lucifer. Yeah, he might help.'

-To be continued

Gotham
5500 Rebellion