The Runners

The Storm

"Mist take the wheel!" Ries shouts as he yanks his pistol out of its holster. I throw myself into the seat and attempt to keep the car straight. Soon a motorcycle zooms by and slows down to match our pace, the one on the bike starts shooting at me.

I duck and pull out my handgun, firing potshots at them. Luckily one of the shots hits their target and the bike spins out and crashes, slamming into a car following us.

driving for a bit, I have to dodge gunfire as much as I can. Soon Sovetsky comes up. "We need you back there, ill take over." He urges.

He hands me his rifle and I rush to the back window. Taking shot after shot at the oncoming rush of military personnel.  A fair bit of bickering  coming from Ren and Ries is stopped suddenly"Catch this and throw it!" Ren shouts, reluctance in his voice. I turn quickly and grab the object and chuck it at our pursuers. 

The object dinks off the hood of the nearest car and flys into the air, the way it rolls in the air could almost be described as beautiful I think as I stare at it. Then suddenly, the object explodes. The blast is so violent that the blast wave hits me and I fall face down.

I slowly rise to my feet and look out the window to the side of me. I can barely realize what I'm staring at until its too late. A truck coming straight for us, rearing up to T-bone us. I attempt to warn the others, but the most I say is "Ge-" And the truck hits us.

My vision is slowed, the Rv moves, and I stay stationary. That is until i collide with the walls of the Rv. 

We driving along a cliff, and they just rammed us off of it. 

We start rolling down it, it seems like it was hours but in truth, it was mere seconds. Soon the Rv lands and I fall out of one of the windows, and land onto the hot dirt.

My vision is blurry, and I feel sick. my body is telling me to lay down and sleep, but my brain is telling me to get and keep fighting. I follow the latter's instructions and crawl out of the crevice I'm stuck in.

I clear the raised bit of ground and climb to my feet. Cars surround me and the Rv, and soldiers begin leaving their vehicles. I think to play into their belief that I'm indisposed and unable to fight. 

One of them gets closer, pointing a pistol at me. "Little bit closer," I tell myself. As soon as they get close enough I reach out and grab their wrist holding the pistol and push it out of the way, and grab their knife and shove it into their ribs. 

I reach back and pull out the Cane and slam it upwards into their jaw, causing them to stumble back and collapse. 

I stand and stare at each one of them, counting the foes I'll have to fight. Way too many, not like i haven't had to deal with a surplus of enemies, but doing so was harder. Even more, so that I don't have the element of surprise.

I settle my breathing, no use getting worked up. I'll just lose my calm that way. As I'm thinking, one of them rushes me. I smash the Cane down on them quickly, knocking them out instantly.

I hear them bickering, discussing their plan. I would use this to my advantage but the ringing in my ears is deafening. However their disregard for my perceived threat, I can use that though.

I think of my options, running through each quickly. Which ones will fail, and which one may fail. At this point nothing is assured, my best bet is holding them off until the others wake up. That is if they survived the fall. And with the shape of myself and the Rv is in, their survival isn't certain.

I was trained for this though, all those years of training. They can't just be forgotten, Eve would kill me if I did that. 

I notice I was zoning out, that's not good. I must've taken a hit on the head. the soldiers begin circling me, forcing me to move around to keep an eye on each of them. Before I have time to react one of them grab me. 

I stab over my neck and into theirs and stumble to the ground. They all move in. I scramble on the ground, attacking each one like a rabid animal. I'm certain I killed a few, but they pin me down. One of them produces a needle and injects me with it. my vision goes dark.

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

Nothing, the blackness is all around me. I look down, the floor is covered in a thin layer of water. My reflection stares back at me. I blink and it changes, blood covers its face, its eyes, teaming with rage watch mine. A predator sizing up its prey. 

It raises its hand into the water and begins rising out of it. it stretches until it's fully out of the liquid. It stares at me, the rageful eyes now dulled to a judgemental look. 

"What are you?" I stammer. The judgemental look grows stronger. "What do you think?" the way he speaks is more eloquent than me, calmer and less stressed. Almost instinctually I reach into my shirt pocket, my fingers brushing against cloth instead of leather and metal.

"Looking for this?" A smile creeps upon his face as he produces My flask from his pocket. "Look at yourself, frantic over a piece of metal with a bit of leather stretched over it." He pops the cap and stares at me. "Or is it what's inside that's got you worried?" He says, playing dumb.

I attempt to move, and grab at the flask. But it's for naught, my body won't move. He says nothing as he tips the flask over and starts pouring it out, the stream of liquid falling through a hole in the ground, into a void.

Whispers start from around me. "Failure, coward, traitor." All these coming from voices that sound all too close to my own. I'm able to move again, but all i do is fall to my knees and clutch my ears tightly shut. 

I begin screaming, attempting to drown out the chorus of insults. I see the other me look into the void and wave off in the distance, the voices getting quieter and quieter until it's gone completely.

He walks closer to me and sits down, cupping water from the group and washing his face of the blood. "Dont mind them, it's just your subconscious trying to torture you." he empathized. 

I catch my breath and try to get more comfortable, "wouldn't that mean you're also a part of my subconscious?" 

He ponders for a second, "yes, I guess it does." I look at him, a look of slight anger on my face. "Why were you being such a dick before, why are you now being nice?" I ask. 

He sighs, I didn't see them before but they're bags under his eyes. "I am a part of you, and you are kind of a dick as well, at least to yourself. But I just decided not to right now, or I guess you did." He answers.

I stare out into the void. "I like to torture myself I guess." I sigh. He merely nods. "What do I do, you heard the voices. To an extent their right, I am a coward, a failure too." I add

"And most importantly a traitor. " I finish. 

He looks intrigued, "Since when did you betray them?" He rises to his feet, "Was it not them who killed dawn, and tried to play it off like a good thing. Since when did you ever owe them anything!" He shouts. 

"Your right. But it doesn't matter, we were just caught. there's no way we're escaping with our life, He won't let us." I sigh

"We can't die now, we have too much to do! Let's kick the bastard off his ivory thrown and then go to Germany! What do ya say?" He laughs as he extends a hand to me. 

I look at it, a fire wells up inside me. 'Yeah, your right. We've come too far to die now. Let's do it." I take his hand and he pulls me up.

He gestures towards the void and a white doorway opens, an energy begins pulling lightly on me, towards the door.

"Now get the fuck outta here, finish this shit. We have a job to do." He smiles.

I turn to the door and walkthrough. The light is blinding and the air is freezing, but the fire in my heart will keep me warm.