Roy woke up to the sound of Phoebe humming.
Not a song he recognized—if it even was a song—but a stream of tuneless, meandering notes that zigzagged between melody and nonsense. He blinked, disoriented, then remembered: the mattress, the cracked ceiling, the mismatched girl who had offered him warmth like it cost nothing.
She was crouched by the door, lacing up one boot that didn't match the other.
"Morning, space traveler," she said, not looking up. "Sleep okay?"
Roy rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. Weirdly."
"Good. Weird's healthy." She stood, grabbed an oversized tote bag, and flung it over her shoulder. "Wanna commit a very minor crime?"
That got his attention.
"I'm listening," he said.
The "crime," as it turned out, was more of a stunt.
Roy had never stolen anything in his life. Or at least, he didn't think he had. The idea of taking something that wasn't his made his chest tighten. But when Phoebe grinned at him—her eyes gleaming with a mixture of mischief and warmth—he couldn't say no.
"Just follow my lead," she said, pulling him by the sleeve as they approached the comic book store. "This is how you survive the streets. You got to know where to get the money, and where to spend it."
The comic book store was tucked between a pawn shop and a laundromat, the kind of place that smelled like dusty paper and stale air, with flickering neon signs that buzzed louder than the few customers who wandered in. Phoebe and Roy lingered just down the street, tucked into the shadow of a graffiti-covered alley, watching.
"Are you sure about this?" Roy asked, still feeling a bit uncertain as he glanced at Phoebe. He didn't like the idea of stealing from anyone—especially a kid who was probably just as lost in this world as he was.
Phoebe flashed him a grin. "Trust me. It's easy. We just wait for the right moment."
Roy raised an eyebrow. "We're just... robbing a random kid?"
"Not just any kid," Phoebe said, scanning the entrance of the store. "A nerd with too many comic books and not enough street sense." She nudged him. "He's our target."
Roy shifted his weight, trying to look casual, but the tension in his stomach made that impossible. "I've never done anything like this before."( A/N : Yes, he's memory is foggy, but he trust his character)
Phoebe's eyes flickered with amusement. "Then you're in for a treat. We're not exactly stealing; we're... helping him realize the importance of sharing."
Roy didn't know whether to laugh or sigh at her logic, but he stayed quiet. Phoebe had a way of making it all seem so simple, like a game.
They waited, not saying much. The city noises filled the air—cars honking, people shouting, the occasional dog barking—but in their little corner of the world, it felt oddly quiet, like everything had slowed down to a crawl. Phoebe shifted her weight, checking her watch, then looking back at Roy with a twinkle in her eye.
"Here he comes," she whispered, her voice low and sharp with excitement.
A teenage boy came out of the comic book store, backpack slung over one shoulder, his hands full with a few plastic bags. His head was down, his earbuds in, totally unaware of the two figures lurking in the shadows nearby.
"Now, we move," Phoebe muttered.
Roy's heart hammered in his chest. This was it. His first real taste of this life.
Phoebe was already on the move, slipping into the alley and circling around the corner, her movements smooth and practiced. Roy followed, his steps awkward but quick, trying to keep his breathing steady.
The boy was about to pass them when Phoebe stepped into his path, blocking the sidewalk.
" Give me your money, punk!" said phoebe
The teenage boy froze, eyes wide . His comic book bags rustled as his arms instinctively pulled them closer to his chest. on that bag pack their is a sticker it says " Geology rocks"
"W-what?" he stammered, already looking for an escape route.
Roy stepped out of the shadows behind her, trying his best to look intimidating. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his oversized hoodie, trying to lean with attitude like he'd seen in movies.
"Yeah," Roy said, trying to deepen his voice. "Hand it over, or—uh—we'll rearrange your action figures, got it?"
Phoebe turned her head slightly, her expression barely holding back a laugh. Roy cleared his throat and tried again, puffing out his chest.
"I mean—we'll mess you up. Real bad. Like, you'll think your spine's a limited-edition collectible."
The boy blinked, looking between them like he couldn't decide whether to run or laugh.
Phoebe held her ground, expression stone cold. "You heard my partner. This is a mugging. Not a meet-cute."
The kid hesitated. "I—I don't want any trouble."
"Good," Phoebe said, stepping forward. "Then you won't be trouble."
The boy slowly pulled out his wallet and handed it over. Phoebe took it without hesitation, then gave him a firm nod.
"Now walk away. leave the backpack here."
The boy backed up, then turned and half-jogged down the street without looking back,
As soon as he was out of sight, Phoebe burst into laughter. "Rearrange your action figures? Really?"
Roy rubbed the back of his neck, a bit red in the face but grinning anyway. "I panicked, okay? You try sounding threatening with a face like this."
"You looked like you were about to offer him a lemonade stand."
"Hey," Roy said, holding up the wallet with a sense of pride. "But we got it, didn't we?"
Phoebe nodded, her eyes gleaming. "You're getting the hang of it, rookie."
They ducked back into the alley, adrenaline still buzzing in their veins.
For the first time since waking up in this new life, Roy didn't feel like he was drowning. He was scared, sure, but he was also... alive. Figuring it out. Making it work.
And with Phoebe laughing beside him, it didn't feel quite so terrible.
KID(ROSS)POV :
I can't believe that just happened.
They took it. Not just my wallet—Science Boy. The only printed copy. Twenty-six pages of plot, character arcs, hand-drawn diagrams of photon packs and dimension loops... gone.
I should've fought back. Or at least run. But she looked so sure of herself, and the other kid—he didn't even look mean, just... weird. Like he was pretending to be someone he wasn't.
Why didn't I copied it? I always back stuff up. But I was in a rush and—ugh, stupid. Stupid!
Do they even know what they took? Probably not. To them it's just some dumb sketchbook in a plastic sleeve. But to me...
That comic was me. It was everything I wish I could be—brave, smart, useful. A kid who mattered.
Now it's in some alley, or worse, a trash can.
***************************************************
They were sitting on the edge of an old rooftop, legs dangling over the side, the city stretched out before them like a rusted-out playground. The sky was a mess of orange and purple, like it couldn't decide whether to call it a day.
Phoebe passed Roy a half-eaten bag of chips she'd "borrowed" from a corner store. He took one without a word, eyes squinting into the distance.
"You ever think about flying?" she asked, crunching a chip loudly.
Roy glanced at her. "Flying?"
"Yeah. Just... jumping and never hitting the ground. You'd just keep going up. Past the buildings. Past the clouds."
He smirked. "Sounds like a weird way to escape."
"Not escape. Just... change perspectives."
They sat in silence for a while after that, letting the city buzz and hum beneath them.
"I don't remember much about my old life," Roy said eventually. "But this—being with you—it feels... real. Like I'm supposed to be here."
Phoebe's expression softened. "You are here. That's what matters."
He nodded slowly. "You're the only one who's made this bearable."
Phoebe shrugged, but her smile was genuine. "Well, I figured you'd fall apart without me."
"True. I'd be out there confusing 'tough guy' with 'awkward librarian.'"
She laughed, tossing a chip at his head. "Don't make me regret this friendship."
But her eyes lingered on him a moment longer than usual. Something about the way she looked away—too fast, too quiet—told Roy there was something unspoken.
Months Later:
Roy stood at the edge of the same rooftop, the wind a little colder, the sunset a little dimmer. Below, a black car idled by the curb. The couple who had found him, taken him in, wanted to adopt him. They were kind, stable, strange in their own way—but warm.
Phoebe stood beside him, her hands shoved deep in her oversized hoodie. She didn't say anything for a while.
"So, she's like... your mom's old friend?" Phoebe finally asked.
Roy nodded. "Yeah. Says she promised my mom she'd look out for me if anything ever happened."
Phoebe's jaw clenched. "Guess that's better than nothing"
"They are nice. Got this quiet apartment and a bookstore. Tea that smells like flowers. Feels weird."
"Sounds like the opposite of here."
He smiled faintly. "Exactly."
Silence fell again, stretched thin over the buzz of the city below.
"I don't want to leave you," Roy said, his voice low. "But... I think I need to do this."
Phoebe tilted her head, as if listening to something only she could hear. "Yeah. You do. You were always kinda temporary. a balloon with too much air."
He blinked. "A balloon?"
She nodded. "One of those shiny ones. Everyone stares and goes 'oooh,' and then—" She made a whooshing sound and lifted her hand into the sky. "Poof."
Roy stepped closer. "Phoebe—"
She looked at him finally, her face serious in that lopsided, Phoebe kind of way. "I'm not mad, okay? I just hate that good things always feel like they're leaving. And I really, really liked having someone who didn't look at me like I was broken furniture."
He didn't know what to say to that. He didn't know how to fix it.
"I'll come back," he said.
She gave a half-laugh, half-sigh. "Just don't come back boring. Or, like, one of those people who wears socks to bed on purpose."
He smiled, and she bumped her shoulder into his, softer this time.
"And if you ever get too sad," she added, "pretend your shoes are tiny boats. That always helps."
A/N: If you think phoebe is out of character just think she also kid here, just two year old then mc. if you have suggestions feel free to mention them . I will try my best to meet your expectations.