Son of The Monkey King

Chapter 29

After their couple of days at the hotel, Raymond and Lyra were seen in a clothing store. The half monkey had expressed his desire of new clothes. At first the girl protested, but agreed after he forced her to smell him.

The girl in question was standing outside a changing room. Despite her initial protest she has decided to get a new set of clothes as well. Her decision based soley on the fact that she stole the last set and that they didn't fit her very well.

She had her white hair tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing a black tank top, and a tight leather jacket. She was seen leaning back against the wall with her eyes closed. Raymond came out a moment later looking more less the same. Except he was also wearing a fedora.

"Let's roll." He told the girl. She couldn't help the sigh that came out of her mouth.

"What's with the fedora?" she asked.

"Trying to be inconspicuous." He answered.

"You look more conspicuous wearing that thing." Lyra told him.

"Exactly." He said with a wink. As the two exited the store the security alarm went off.

"You didn't pay did you." The white haired girl phrased as a statement. She already knew the answer. Raymond gave her an amused look. His golden eyes shimmering with mischief. "So you want to be inconspicuous, but yet you steal everything, bringing attention to yourself in the process." She said trying to understand her companion in any way.

"You get it." He answered. The girl just looked gobsmacked at him. She didn't get it at all!

"You're a weird man Raymond." She said in a dazed voice. Her new friend was going to cause her headaches she could feel it.

"I've been called worse." The half monkey said. Which was one hundred percent true. "Besides I'm already a wanted man for destruction of property, and murder. A few petty theft charges are nothing." He added. At his words she remembered the wanted poster she saw.

"It's bullshit right?" The white haired girl asked.

"Is what bullshit?" Raymond asked back.

"The murder. Doesn't seem like your style. Destruction of property has you written all over it, but not murder." She supplied.

"Yeah pretty much nailed it on the head. Given what you told me I guess our fake FBI agent was the cause of all that." Raymond told her. His golden eyes looked more serious than they usual do. Flashes of his dream, and his mother's words hit him like a freight train. Lyra noticed the serious look in his eyes, and the silence that followed it.

"You good Raymond?" Lyra asked with mild concern.

"Zhao Chen is alive." The half monkey told her. Lyra was clearly confused.

"How would you know? You didn't know about him until I told you, and I killed him. He was dead." The girl said.

"You just have to trust me he's alive, and we will see him." Raymond said with a seriousness that had Lyra worried. She wanted to contradict him, tell him he was wrong, but the conviction in his voice made her want to believe.

"If he's alive we'll deal with it when and if he shows up." The white haired girl said to placate him. "Right now we have to get to Law Vegas." She added.

"Right how do you want to get there?" He asked. She lead him to her bike parked in a lot near the edge of town.

"If you don't mind riding bitch this is how we're going to get there." Lyra said to her friend.

"You mean the person riding bitch has to wrap their arms around a pretty girl? Geez you know I think my ego will handle it." The half monkey answered playfully. The girl punched him in the arm hard.

"Shut up and get on." She said irritably. The two got on, and Lyra ignited the engine. As the two took off Raymond could be seen with both hands in the air.

"Woooooooo Journey to the West!" He yelled as their shared adventure began.

---------------------------------------------------------

A few hours on the road proved that Lyra was indeed correct. Her new companion had caused her many headaches. His general annoyance, his petty theft, and the nonstop chatter.

"Come on tell me." He said on the back of the bike. He had both hands on her waist. To Lyra's surprise his hands didn't wander, at least he was respectful in that regards.

"Raymond shut up." Was her short reply.

"But I want to know." The half monkey whined like a child.

Currently Raymond was trying to figure out the origin Lyra's white hair. It was a mystery, and she obviously didn't want to talk about. Which only made him want to know even more. Before he could ask again the girl fiddled with the radio on her bike. It was a tactic she learned early would distract her passenger. The opening chords of an acoustic guitar came out of the loud speaker.

"Ooo Oooo I love this song!" He yelled. After this outburst Raymond jumped to his feet on the back of the bike. With practiced ease the boy was perfectly balanced on the bike as they sped down the road. Raymond grabbed his tail, and held the tip towards his mouth.

"Well, I've got to run to keep from hiding

And I'm bound to keep on riding
And I've got one more silver dollar!" He sang loudly with the Allman Brothers. Tail in hand the golden eyed man used it as a pretend microphone.

"I don't own the clothes I'm wearing
And the road goes on forever
I've got one more silver dollar
But I'm not gon' let 'em catch me, no
Not gonna let 'em catch the midnight rider!" After that line in the song the sound of police sirens met there ears. Their journey west was obviously not going to be an easy one. Raymond sat back down and called out to Lyra.

"I never should have gotten rid of that fedora." Raymond said.