A Chase Through a Shattered Building

The android was down, but there were still Heron and Dionysus, the guards and Vice, Caius and Haze. There was no way that they would be able to fight everyone off, but at the very least, perhaps they would be able to run. Rei knew that Atlas probably wouldn’t be able to fight, but as long as she was safe, that would be okay, even if it meant leaving her with Vice. But she still needed the information on the map of R’veno…

As for the room, there was the way she had come in from, and perhaps an exit on the other side. The elevator most likely didn’t work, what with the power being cut, and she wasn’t sure what the state of the club was right now. Were there any torches on outside of this room? She wasn’t sure, but if they left the way they came, they would have the open street before them, and would be free to run. But at the same time, they would have to get through all these people…

They might not be expecting them to break out the other way, though. Even if it would be dark with no clear way out, they would probably have a better chance of escaping.

And what then? What next? What of Haze, and whatever dastardly plan he held within his mind? Rei didn’t know. She couldn’t trust Fate to let her think that far. She could only think as she went along, make up new plans in new situations. There was not enough time or energy for her to be thinking so much tonight.

And there was no time left for her to stall. She couldn’t afford to let Haze monologue her night away, nor could she let herself be completely bound, and taken to whatever bridge and river they wanted to throw them into. There were too many…

Still, she had a feeling that Heron and Dionysus were only here because there was light, and probably wouldn’t care too much if she and Calix were to make their escape.

And Atlas, would it be safe to bring her along? Or would that be putting her in more danger? It seemed that she would be all right here, with the torches and everything, and they hadn’t tied her up and threatened her death. Maybe, maybe they could leave her here, but what if they held her hostage?

It depended on how much she trusted her own skills and abilities to keep Atlas safe versus how much she trusted this group not to kill her. She had enough information in her head that would make her extremely valuable, and Heron might be able to put in a good word…

Perhaps they should take out Haze? And then maybe Boston would stop listening to his orders. But that would be the end for both her and Calix…

Maybe it was better to just make her escape, and worry about this later. To trust that Atlas had a greater possibility of surviving here than if she took her with them…

And the map? What of the map? She had come all the way out here to ask her for a backup of the map, but now with Haze and Caius in the room, she couldn’t very well do that. But she felt Atlas slip something into her palm, and she closed her hand around what felt like a drive. Good. It didn’t seem like anyone had noticed.

She could make her escape now.

They seemed distracted, they all seemed distracted, talking about something or the other that had to do with her immediate future, or perhaps they were merely discussing something inconsequential, like the weather. Whatever the case, Rei pocketed the drive and sprung up, grabbing Calix’s arm and pulling him from the floor, and making a break for the door on her right, the one leading out to the ring below.

The others were too surprised to do anything in the spur of the moment. Rei felt something sharp prick her shoulder as they burst through the door, presumably from Heron’s fan, but she ignored it. Their footsteps echoed on the catwalk above the club hall, the floor below them covered in shattered glass from the chaos from before. Too high of a height to jump, too much of a waste of time to fight.

Calix overtook her and pulled her along, leaping onto a nearby catwalk and running in a different direction, towards several large windows. The glass was broken already, and through it Rei could see the buildings on the other side of the street, looking hauntingly empty and dark without their lights. If they were to jump…

Rei spared a glance behind them, and saw a couple of the guards coming after them, weapons swinging. Calix continued running, a determined gaze in his eyes, and Rei braced herself for whatever was about to happen next.

They stopped at the window, climbing through onto the ledge, and Calix ran along the side of the building, taking Rei with him. Rei could barely feel her shoulder anymore, but she told herself that she could take care of the needle later. Through the windows she could see the faint flicker of firelight on the other side of the building from where they came, and she wondered if Haze was looking at them right now, gaze locked right on her back. And a chill ran up her spine, because she felt for sure that it was so.

Their little maneuver through the window had slowed the guards somewhat, and when Rei looked down she saw that she hadn’t realized just how high up they were. Not high enough to be definitely life-threatening, but high enough to surely break a leg, or perhaps a neck, if at the right angle. Or if she went straight down…

They arrived at the corner of the building, and Calix stopped abruptly, and Rei bumped into him. “What is it?”

But then she saw the lights. Bright in the darkness, spread over the streets and spilling onto the sides of the buildings. Boston and his Sunset Eyes, looking up at them, bikes parked and lights running.

“So, are you going to jump and make my job a whole lot easier?” Boston shaded the eyes on his mask with a hand. “Or are you going to be like that red-haired sniper?”

Aries? What in the world had he done to Aries? Rei gripped Calix’s hand tightly, the drive a resting weight in her jacket pocket. If Boston had taken out Aries, who knew what he was going to do to them…

“We can’t go back,” she whispered, hearing the guards’ footsteps behind them.

“It’s okay,” Calix replied softly. Then, to Boston:

“You’re clogging up the street! Don’t you know the traffic laws? Oh, wait, you’ve broken the rules too much already, haven’t you? Like sharks, circling waters, waiting for prey to fall into your mouth… One day you’re going to find yourself beaten down by the law yourself, you hear me?”

“Oh, certainly,” Boston replied quite calmly. “But you’ll be gone as well, no? If the law takes me down, it shall take you down as well…”

“Oh, screw you!” Rei called down, trying to keep her legs from trembling. “If you don’t let us go now I’ll go back and kill Haze as soon as I can!”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, you don’t know what I wouldn’t dare to do!”

“If we jump, will you trust me?” Calix whispered, lips barely moving.

She didn’t respond, her shoulder numb and hand hurting, but she squeezed his hand tightly.

Boston whistled, tapping the edge of his mask. “Time’s running out, darlings. Make your choice quick.”

“Then our choice is this,” Calix replied. “Don’t bother getting ready.”