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Description
Chick sat on the edge of the roof, looking down to the street below. He kicked his little feet against the gutter and recited a small nursery rhyme he had heard.

"Who are they,
Above our heads,
jumping over alleyways?
I'll tell you who,
I'll tell you why,
But listen do.
They are the human pigeons
The rats, the thieves
That live among the pigeons
and steal our well earned meals."

Chick smiled as he saw one of the roof rats coming his way, leaping the most daring of leaps with ease. He sighed, how he wished to be like that some day. The boy, for the roof rat was no older than twelve, landed on the balcony of the building chick sat on and pushed his dirty blond hair out of his face. Chick pulled his feet up and lay flat on the roof, trying to hear the conversation below.

"Hiya Snake." The boy said happily, "Kitty said you wanted to have a chat to me."

"I did," Snake said, he was an older man with slicked back red hair and a silky voice, "We have a new child, six or seven years old, we found him on the streets in the poor district."

"Finding something in the poor district, that's some feat." the boy said, "But why do you need me for this?"

"Haha." Snake replied in his deadpan voice, "He gravitates towards the roofs, the earlier he becomes a roof-runner the better."

"Ah." The boy said, "Surely one of the others could do this."

"They are busy."

"Bu-"

"No buts." Snake said, suddenly angry, "Do you follow me or not?"

The boy looked down, "I do."

"Good you will start now."

"The top of that tower is hardly the best starting point for the boy."

They looked up, straight into the guilty face of Chick. He felt so embarrassed, he shouldn't have let them see him. They motioned him to come down to the ground and he happily followed the direction. He reached the ground and looked happily up at the boy and Snake. Snake scared him all the time, but now he was starting to learn that the man might be alright.

"This is Pigeon." Snake said, "He's been on the roofs since he was your age."

Chick waved shyly murmuring a greeting.

"Hey little boy, what's your name."

"They call me Chick."

Snake grunted, "Pigeon go teach him."

The two boys just looked at each other as Snake walked off, muttering something about his next con. Pigeon chewed his lip and then motioned him down the street. They walked through the streets until they reached the poor sector. Then Pigeon pointed to a wall.

"Follow me up it." he said before scrambling up the sheer face.

Ckick just stood staring wide eyed at the wall, he had no idea how to even start. Pigeon looked down at him, slightly confused, and tried to encourage him. Chick attempted it once, but fell before he reached even a metre above the ground. Pigeon came down and then climbed again slower. Chick tried to follow again but failed, after the third try Pigeon gave up, coming quickly down and jumping the last few metres.

"Come on, maybe you'll do better at jumping the alleys."

He led Chick into a nearby building and they climbed a ladder to the roof. He then led Chick to the smallest alley, the buildings weren't far apart, Pigeon could almost step from one to the other. He backed up a bit, ran up and easily leaped the gap.

"Now you follow."

Chick ran up to the gap a few times, stopping short of the edge when he realised he wasn't going to make the jump. Finally he built up the courage to jump. He hit the gutter hard and began sliding. Pigeon dived and caught him by the hands, but he was struggling. Pigeon was not a big boy, and was wiry. Pigeon had just enough muscle to lift himself, and barely that, he survived on the roofs via acrobatics, not strength.

"Can you see something soft down there?" He said between grunts.

Chick looked down, "Next to the wall, that way."

"I will swing you..." Pigeon said, "Let go when you're above the soft thing."

Pigeon grunted with the effort needed to swing the young boy. Chick stared down, then, hoping it was right, let go. he landed with a soft thud and a dusting of feathers. Pigeon followed and then laughed.

"You're covered in chicken feathers little chick, from a mattress to cheap for duck." Pigeon smiled.

Pigeon walked him back to his new home in silence. Snake greeted them at the door, but seeing Pigeon's face quickly ushered Chick inside, so naturally Chick eavesdropped on the following conversation.

"He can't do it, he's got a good head for heights, but he's to bulky and not very athletic. I doubt our little Chicken will ever fly."

"Chicken?"

"He fell in a mattress filled with chicken feathers." Pigeon said with a laugh, "But also, he can't fly, he's not the right shape to fly, even if he has the right heart, like a chicken."

"Oh well, he's a cute boy, with those green eyes and the bright red hair, he'll make a good distraction for the pickpocket's victims."

"That he will."

Pigeon disappeared then, and for a while little Chicken would glimpse him off in the distance, but too soon Pigeon was but a memory for many in the city. Five years later Chicken found himself being the carer of all the young thieves, training them in some of the basics, when someone unknown to him entered the hideout. The dirty blond hair and lanky build seemed somehow familiar.

"Hi, I haven't been here for a while, Snake still about?" The newcomer said.

"No he's not." One of the two year olds tugged at his shirt.

"Mother Hen, who's that?" She said loudly.

"I told you not to call me that."

The newcomer laughed, "It can't be! Little Chicken! It's me Pigeon."

"We thought you were dead." Chicken said simply.

"Long story, almost was, did you ever get the hang of roof-running?" Pigeon asked.

"No, you were right."

"Hmph, I probably wasn't you know." Pigeon said. "I was a horrible teacher. But anyway, I want to explore the city before I leave again."

Chicken watched laughing as Pigeon ran out the door and scrambled up the side of a building. He was still the same energetic young boy Chicken remembered, unable to stand still for a minute.

Description
Chick sat on the edge of the roof, looking down to the street below. He kicked his little feet against the gutter and recited a small nursery rhyme he had heard.

"Who are they,
Above our heads,
jumping over alleyways?
I'll tell you who,
I'll tell you why,
But listen do.
They are the human pigeons
The rats, the thieves
That live among the pigeons
and steal our well earned meals."

Chick smiled as he saw one of the roof rats coming his way, leaping the most daring of leaps with ease. He sighed, how he wished to be like that some day. The boy, for the roof rat was no older than twelve, landed on the balcony of the building chick sat on and pushed his dirty blond hair out of his face. Chick pulled his feet up and lay flat on the roof, trying to hear the conversation below.

"Hiya Snake." The boy said happily, "Kitty said you wanted to have a chat to me."

"I did," Snake said, he was an older man with slicked back red hair and a silky voice, "We have a new child, six or seven years old, we found him on the streets in the poor district."

"Finding something in the poor district, that's some feat." the boy said, "But why do you need me for this?"

"Haha." Snake replied in his deadpan voice, "He gravitates towards the roofs, the earlier he becomes a roof-runner the better."

"Ah." The boy said, "Surely one of the others could do this."

"They are busy."

"Bu-"

"No buts." Snake said, suddenly angry, "Do you follow me or not?"

The boy looked down, "I do."

"Good you will start now."

"The top of that tower is hardly the best starting point for the boy."

They looked up, straight into the guilty face of Chick. He felt so embarrassed, he shouldn't have let them see him. They motioned him to come down to the ground and he happily followed the direction. He reached the ground and looked happily up at the boy and Snake. Snake scared him all the time, but now he was starting to learn that the man might be alright.

"This is Pigeon." Snake said, "He's been on the roofs since he was your age."

Chick waved shyly murmuring a greeting.

"Hey little boy, what's your name."

"They call me Chick."

Snake grunted, "Pigeon go teach him."

The two boys just looked at each other as Snake walked off, muttering something about his next con. Pigeon chewed his lip and then motioned him down the street. They walked through the streets until they reached the poor sector. Then Pigeon pointed to a wall.

"Follow me up it." he said before scrambling up the sheer face.

Ckick just stood staring wide eyed at the wall, he had no idea how to even start. Pigeon looked down at him, slightly confused, and tried to encourage him. Chick attempted it once, but fell before he reached even a metre above the ground. Pigeon came down and then climbed again slower. Chick tried to follow again but failed, after the third try Pigeon gave up, coming quickly down and jumping the last few metres.

"Come on, maybe you'll do better at jumping the alleys."

He led Chick into a nearby building and they climbed a ladder to the roof. He then led Chick to the smallest alley, the buildings weren't far apart, Pigeon could almost step from one to the other. He backed up a bit, ran up and easily leaped the gap.

"Now you follow."

Chick ran up to the gap a few times, stopping short of the edge when he realised he wasn't going to make the jump. Finally he built up the courage to jump. He hit the gutter hard and began sliding. Pigeon dived and caught him by the hands, but he was struggling. Pigeon was not a big boy, and was wiry. Pigeon had just enough muscle to lift himself, and barely that, he survived on the roofs via acrobatics, not strength.

"Can you see something soft down there?" He said between grunts.

Chick looked down, "Next to the wall, that way."

"I will swing you..." Pigeon said, "Let go when you're above the soft thing."

Pigeon grunted with the effort needed to swing the young boy. Chick stared down, then, hoping it was right, let go. he landed with a soft thud and a dusting of feathers. Pigeon followed and then laughed.

"You're covered in chicken feathers little chick, from a mattress to cheap for duck." Pigeon smiled.

Pigeon walked him back to his new home in silence. Snake greeted them at the door, but seeing Pigeon's face quickly ushered Chick inside, so naturally Chick eavesdropped on the following conversation.

"He can't do it, he's got a good head for heights, but he's to bulky and not very athletic. I doubt our little Chicken will ever fly."

"Chicken?"

"He fell in a mattress filled with chicken feathers." Pigeon said with a laugh, "But also, he can't fly, he's not the right shape to fly, even if he has the right heart, like a chicken."

"Oh well, he's a cute boy, with those green eyes and the bright red hair, he'll make a good distraction for the pickpocket's victims."

"That he will."

Pigeon disappeared then, and for a while little Chicken would glimpse him off in the distance, but too soon Pigeon was but a memory for many in the city. Five years later Chicken found himself being the carer of all the young thieves, training them in some of the basics, when someone unknown to him entered the hideout. The dirty blond hair and lanky build seemed somehow familiar.

"Hi, I haven't been here for a while, Snake still about?" The newcomer said.

"No he's not." One of the two year olds tugged at his shirt.

"Mother Hen, who's that?" She said loudly.

"I told you not to call me that."

The newcomer laughed, "It can't be! Little Chicken! It's me Pigeon."

"We thought you were dead." Chicken said simply.

"Long story, almost was, did you ever get the hang of roof-running?" Pigeon asked.

"No, you were right."

"Hmph, I probably wasn't you know." Pigeon said. "I was a horrible teacher. But anyway, I want to explore the city before I leave again."

Chicken watched laughing as Pigeon ran out the door and scrambled up the side of a building. He was still the same energetic young boy Chicken remembered, unable to stand still for a minute.