The streets of Water Seven were crowded and narrow. Stalls with fruit, noodles, and fish were everywhere. People screamed and jumped out of the way as Noah and Emma ran past.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" an old man yelled, swinging a broom.
"No time!" Emma shouted, ducking under a hanging sign.
Noah stumbled over a crate, almost falling into a barrel of fish. Emma yanked him up by the arm.
"Seriously, Noah," she said, dodging a man waving a stick.
The mob wasn't slowing down. Civilians kept joining in. Some people even threw fruit. A tomato smashed against Noah's arm.
"Ugh! Gross!" Noah yelped, wiping it off.
Emma laughed. "I think that's supposed to be intimidation!"
Noah groaned. "It's not working. I'm just sticky now."
They turned a corner and ran along a narrow canal.
"Careful!" Emma shouted.
"I see it!" Noah said, skidding to a stop. He held out his hand, catching Emma before she tumbled into the water.
"You need to pay more attention," she said, brushing her hair back.
"I… okay, fine," Noah replied.
The mob was still behind them, yelling and waving sticks, brooms, and weapons.
Emma peered ahead. "We need a way to slow them down."
Noah's eyes scanned the surroundings. "Maybe if we make a little chaos of our own…"
"Explain," Emma said, raising an eyebrow.
He smirked. "I think I've got an idea."
Noah crouched quickly, touching the ground. He focused, feeling the vectors of the objects around him — crates, barrels, and loose stones.
"Vector Manipulation," he whispered.
A small tremor ran through the street. Barrels tipped over, crates tumbled, and a couple of fruit stalls collapsed behind them. People screamed as bananas, tomatoes, and fish went flying. The crowd scattered, slipping and sliding in the mess.
Emma grinned. "I like this plan."
Noah gave her a brief nod. "Keep moving."
They ran through a maze of alleys, hopping over boxes, dodging signs, and ducking under hanging laundry.
"I don't know if this is heroic or just messy," Emma said, laughing.
"Messy is fine," Noah replied, tossing a small crate sideways to block another pursuer.
They reached a small plaza. A fountain bubbled in the center, tourists milling around. Noah spotted a stack of barrels near the edge of the plaza.
"Hold on," he said, crouching and pointing.
Emma raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
Noah focused again, using vector manipulation to make the barrels roll forward. They smashed into several people chasing them.
"Now!" he shouted.
They dashed past the plaza, jumping over the fountain's edge and landing on a lower street. The mob was slowed down, confused and slipping in the mess Noah created.
Emma gasped, laughing and panting. "This… is insane."
Noah smiled. "Thank you."
The two ducked into a small alley, catching their breath. Emma leaned against the wall, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"You're reckless," she said.
"No," Noah replied. "I'm… creative."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Sure, let's go with that."
The alley opened up into a larger street. They could hear more shouts from behind. The mob hadn't given up.
"Time for the next step," Noah said. He crouched, focusing his power. The air above them seemed to warp slightly as he manipulated the vectors in the objects around them.
Emma tilted her head. "Are you really going to do what I think you're doing?"
"Maybe," Noah replied, a grin spreading across his face.
With a flick of his hand, the street itself seemed to lift slightly. Loose crates, barrels, and small carts floated, spinning and tumbling down the street in a controlled chaos. People ran screaming, tripping over floating obstacles.
Emma laughed, holding onto her bag. "You're terrifying when you're happy!"
Noah glanced back. "I call it efficient."
They ran into a small market. Stalls were tightly packed, making the mob slow down. Emma grabbed a melon and tossed it at a pursuer, hitting him in the chest.
"Nice throw!" Noah said.
"Thanks! You distracted them with your… chaos thing!"
Finally, they reached a wide canal. people crossing the bridges above. Noah paused.
"We need to get across," he said.
Emma looked down. "I swim fine… you?"
Noah shook his head. "Not a chance."
"Then we improvise," she said, scanning the canal. She grabbed a wooden crate and jumped on it, floating toward the opposite side.
Noah rubbed his chin. "Improvise… right."
He focused, lifting another crate with vector manipulation and setting it gently in the water. Emma hopped on and held out a hand.
Noah jumped… and slipped. The crate tilted, nearly tossing him into the water.
"Careful!" Emma yelled, grabbing him just in time.
"No need to remind me!" Noah grumbled, finally balancing on the floating crate.
Together, they made it across the canal, laughing nervously. Behind them, the mob was still trying to navigate the chaos but now moved slower, slipping and falling over debris and crates.
Noah wiped sweat from his forehead. "That… was exhausting."
Emma smirked. "And fun! You're sticky, by the way. Fish, tomato… I think you're part salad now."
Noah groaned. "I hate you."
Emma laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Let's keep moving before they catch up again."