"So, Auriga, what do you think?", asked Percy, as he was looking up at the sky. "The stars, they're beautiful, aren't they?".

They are, but we really should not be up here.

"Don't be a spoilsport. We don't have to listen to everything that doctor says. We can make our own choices. Let's be honest, alright? Have you ever seen the sky alone before?"

How could I? I'm stuck with you, Percy.

"You know what I mean, Auriga. Why do they keep telling us what to do? We're not slaves, and I've had enough. They won't leave us alone during the day, always monitoring us. The only time we're left alone is at night, and even then, we can't move around freely. I'm telling you, I think we did the right thing, sneaking up here at night. If we'd stayed in our room, they'd probably have locked us up for the night."

We better go back, before they find out that you sneaked out. We'll be in lots of trouble if they do.

"Whatever. I just got a brilliant idea."

Oh, no. I know what you are thinking, and I don't like it.

"Of course you don't. Trust me, it'll be fun. Besides, they won't find out. We'll probably be far out by the time those dopes find out. What do you say?".

All I can say is that its a really bad idea. We'll get into loads of trouble if they find out. But I do agree reluctantly. It's time we went and saw the world for ourselves.

"Now you're talking, Auriga. Let's go, and we won't come back until we feel like it."

Percy checked the time on his watch. It was standard issue, just like almost everything else he had. The white digital display read 11:30 pm.

We better leave. If you have any intention of leaving, now's the time. Time's not going to turn back, and every extra minute, is time wasted.

"Well said, Auriga," replied Percy. Getting to his feet, he dusted his white jacket, and zipped it up to his neck. He pulled on his hood as a cold breeze began to blow. The air had gotten chilly all of a sudden, and with a shudder, he reached into the right pocket of his jacket. His fingers closed around his bey, and a familiar warmth coursed up his arm.

With both his hands safely tucked in his jacket, Percy turned around, and took one last look at the building that had been his home for as long as he had known. He would never miss that cold, metallic facility, with the unfriendly doctors and scientists, but he felt a pang of sadness, to think that he was leaving behind his friends, especially Zamora.

Yes, he would really miss Zamora. He had been a very good friend;one of his only friends in that place.

So, where are we going?, asked Auriga, jolting Percy back into consciousness. For a second, he was silent, as he realized that he had no real plan. Then, he remembered.

"Zamora told me about a town or something, a few kilometres away. He'd overheard one of the doctors saying something about resources coming from there. That's where we're going now, I guess."

There was no turning back now. He had made his decision.

Walking to the edge of the roof, he peered over. It was a steep drop, but he'd been through worse in training. With that, he jumped off the edge, and plummeted towards the ground, a sheer rock-hard surface, 10 feet away. Just before he hit the ground, he swiftly went into a crouching position, and landed softly on the soles of his white shoes.

Breaking into a sprint, he set off through the woods, towards the town, and towards freedom.

"Another tip? Didn't I just give you one last night?", asked Jack.

"Well, its worn out now. It's not my fault that all your tips wear out like they're butter", retorted Kate.

"Here, pass me the bey," said Jack, and took Kate's bey as she handed to him. Turning it over gingerly, he glanced at the tip and sighed. Truly enough, it had been eroded so well that it shone like smooth water. It had been white when he'd given it to her. Now, it was a shade of grey. He turned to the shelf behind him, stacked fully with countless jars, holding parts of every kind. After rummaging about, he finally found the right jar, marked 'XF'. He picked out one, and after hesitating, passed it to Kate.

"Now, listen Kate. I don't have an unlimited supply of tips. You have to get that bey of yours under control, at least when you're practising. Seriously, at this rate, you'll drive me out of business in a week!" he advised.

Kate was barely listening though. She was changing the tip on her bey. After taking a cursory glance at the tip, she asked, "What should I do with this?".

"Give it to me. I might be able to pass it off as a new 'mirror tip'. People will buy anything shiny, I tell you", he said.

"No wonder, you're going out of business. You need to do more than just repair and sell parts. Hey, what's that noise?", she said, and turned towards the door of Jack's shop. There was a terrible commotion outside, with plenty of wailing and yelling.

Walking out from behind the counter, Jack headed for the door. Kate followed him with a dubious look on her face, as he pushed open the door and went out.