Alice in Borderland | Transmigration

Chapter 48

For a second nobody moved, heads swivelled left and right, trying to gouge the situation at hand. Kota looked scared shitless, and you – too – waited with bated breath to see what would break the moment.

The tension was broken by none other than the undeniable clanging of footsteps echoing throughout the power station. Heart rate picking up, you followed the others to peek over the edge, eyes immediately glueing onto the red illumination dancing in what would have been hypnotically, if not for the dread it brought you.

You currently know two things. One, they are on the lower floors and rapidly climbing their way up to you. Two, you had to flee – now. Your feet instinctively stepped towards one of the exits that would lead into the winding metal, the other's already flooding their way into the power station, but you stopped and looked behind to see Usagi giving Kota a pep talk. Urgency rose within you, and you shouted.

"There's no time! Run!"

Usagi's head snapped up, and her eyes met yours. Her look hardened and she gave you a nod. Your feet twisted, and you bolted straight into the unforgiving terrain. Kuina was silent beside you, but she had followed you into the maze of metal bridges, and you were grateful for her presence.

Your feet clashed loudly against the flooring. You had slowed into a light jog, not wanting to waste your energy unnecessarily. The lighting was horrible, it was dim – maybe that was the point, to have everyone glow obnoxiously against the dark backdrop. You could see the blue and red lights, flying back and forth but not quite meeting.

There was smoke emerging from the pipes, and you were slightly worried it was flammable – or worse – poisonous. Before you could delve deeper into the logistics of gas leaks, your eyes latched onto a red light, and it was nearing you two alarmingly fast.

"Kuina." You breathed out, voice so airy you wondered if she heard you.

"I see them."

You turned to her, fighting down the urge to just run. "We gotta split."

"What? No–"

"We'll only get in each other's way."

It's true. The metal railings that stopped you from plummeting to your death was also a source of headache. It was too narrow, boxing you in so that two people running side by side was near impossible, and don't even get you started on turning corners.

"Kuina," desperation seeped into your voice. She faltered, gnawing her lip. From the corner of your eye, you could see the red glow pause, as if just noticing the two of you, before starting towards you again at a much faster pace.

"We're splitting." Your foot stepped back, body twisting. "Stay safe. Love you!" And with that, you sprinted.

Your mind was surprisingly blank as you turned a corner, the space behind you empty as the opposing member decided to go after Kuina. Wrong choice, you mused. Your glee was cut short, however, as you stumbled to a stop at the scene before you.

The Queen stood above a seizing body, the red light casting shadows over her face as she eyed you critically. The male on the floor didn't seem to be having a fun time, and you were not going to end up like that anytime soon. Without wasting another second, you threw yourself backwards, almost tripping over your own feet in haste. You ran without looking back.

The wind was refreshing against your already sweaty face, a stark contrast to the ache in your thudding feet. You heard her steps behind you getting louder and louder, infinitely lighter and faster than yours. Panic clawed at you, and you rushed to turn and corner, again and again. It was the only way to gain time against the Queen.

You would have loved to have a long and moving story about how she chased across the entire plant station only to fail at the end, but as it is, she gripped the back of your vest and threw you against the railing. The breath was knocked out of you, adrenaline dulling the pain that erupted from your bullet wound at the harsh treatment. Panic still at an all time high, you recovered in no time and dashed to the side, only to be stopped by a knee to the gut.

Excruciating pain made you choke on a gasp as you doubled over, your wound screaming beneath the layers of bandaging, accompanied by an ache from the impact sure to bloom into a beautiful bruise. You panted, having half a mind to press your back against a nearby flat surface. It's not over until she presses the button, and you resolve to not let that happen.

Up until now, she still hasn't said a word. It's her calm, even breaths against your ragged ones. Her arm shot out, gripping your vest in an iron hold, and yanked. You made a noise, body stumbling forward before you thrashed backwards, back slamming into the wall as you once again hid your button. At this point, undeniable frustration made its way onto her features. Your face depicted your fear as she grabbed your vest with both hands, and flung you stomach-first into the rails, exposing your button.

A denial – plea – retched itself from your throat, lodging itself as a siren rang, signalling the end of the first round. 

You heard a 'tsk' from behind you, before footsteps hurried off.