Arcadia: When the worlds collide

Chapter seven: For you, every time

 "Why... why are we going to the goddamn Siren?!" Benjamin called at Chris, who was running almost ten meters ahead of him.

"I have something that can take down S4Y!" Chris shouted back and ran through the door, waiting for the rest of the band and closed the blast doors behind them.

"We're safe... for now," Per said, after he checked the doors. "They won't get in this way."

"Yes," a voice from above them confirmed. "And you can't get out." Chris, Per and Benjamin turned around as one, just to see Aegis standing at the staircase above them, playing with something in his hand.

"It's fascinating, though," Aegis continued, jumping down. "The four- wait, three of you getting this far. Almost winning the game you chose to play. I mean, you didn't chose the smartest option, but it's not like there is a restart button for ya, is there." None of the rebels dared to move, all carefully watching Aegis walking around the room like nothing was going on.

"What are you talking about?! Do you think this is a game?!" But Chris' outburst only seemed to amuse Aegis, nothing more.

"Maybe," he answered with a grin, even though his facial expression was hidden under his mask. "Anyways, any last words?" With that, Aegis threw a smoke bomb between the rebels.

Per barely dodged Aegis, who has ran straight at them, like the smoke was no obstacle to him. But he didn't care about Per at all.

Chris was the one he was going after.

In the blink of an eye, Aegis caught Chris by the neck, and before anyone could even make a sound, he disappeared.

|...|

"What do you think you're doing?!" Izzy whispered towards Terri, trying to hold her back. "You can't play a hero, not now!" Terri turned around for a moment, and smiled at Izzy.

"Don't worry," she said simply and with that, she broke free from her friend's grip.

"Another one who thinks that they can face me?" Ghostis asked, sounding rather annoyed. "Don't tell me you believe that you can win. You are nothing against me."

Pretty sure I heard this from some bad guy in some generous anime, but whatever, Terri thought, but looked away, so she wouldn't have to face Ghostis.

"Stop..." she said again, this time sounding less confident. Ghostis reacted by just laughing.

After all, why wouldn't he? The person standing up against him was merely a child, and she didn't even have a weapon.

"Why should I? You know you can't force me to. One wrong move and you're dead, after all." Terri almost said some sort of insolent comment, but she stopped. She realized that Ghostis was right. That she should listen to her friend and not to jump in there without a plan.

"Just as I thought," Ghostis said. Before Terri knew it, a robot pushed her down to the ground, and aimed his gun at her.

"No!" Izzy screamed, but she just drew attention to herself by it. Two other robots dragged out as well, and forced her to kneel next to Terri.

"I'm-I'm sorry," Terri whispered quietly. "I fucked up."

"Don't worry," Izzy whispered back. "You may not have a plan B, but i-"

"So," Ghostis interrupted her. "Any last words, you two?" Terri was silent, accepting that her resistance has ended before it has even begun for her.

"Hell yeah," Izzy answered. "I would turn around if I were you. And cover your head, yeah, that could help ya. Just a tip for better life, though!" Terri laughed quietly, thinking that Izzy was just joking before death.

But she wasn't joking.

At least the drone hovering behind Ghostis, charging its shot, didn't look like much of a joke.

|...|

"Chris Adam. The second most important man in the resistance," Aegis said, immediately laughing, as if he said some sort of joke. "Even though... you are more of a leader now that your DJ leader is gone, eh?" Chris tried his best to get out from Aegis' grip, but the S4Y enforcer was surprisingly strong. Even for someone who was, most likely, professional soldier.

"Shut... up..." he managed to say barely those two words, with Aegis holding him as tightly as he did now.

"Almost forgot that some people can't admit defeat. How long it will take you to understand that you have lost? That no one will remember you in a few years... no, months. Maybe even weeks. People here have worse memory than Eli, and that's a lot to say."

"People here... you're... you're not an Arcadian... Are you?" Chris asked.

"Neither are you," Aegis answered. "Because traitors don't count as citizens, anyway. But if you mean I somehow got into this damn place and now I'm fucking around here... Yeah, I guess I don't count as an Arcadian when you take it that way." Chris was carefully watching Aegis, confused. This guy seemed more like a teenager who is bored with life than anything else. But the way he got him away from the rest so quickly told him that there's something special about him.

Maybe some sort of reality-bending ability, Chris thought. It doesn't matter now anyway.

|...|

"Take that!" Izzy shouted when the drone fired a laser towards Ghostis, almost cutting his left arm off. Terri was still in shock, kneeling on the ground, not moving. Izzy snatched the gun from robot's hands and pushed him away, so she could get Terri up.

"Stop them!" Ghostis shouted, but the two girls had already disappeared in the crowd. "Fine. You want to fight? Shoot anyone who gets in your way! Just get them!"

"Eli, stop! I don't want people to die because of us!" Terri screamed in fear, trying to stop her friend.

"They won't if they can't catch us," Izzy answered, pushing another Arcadian away. "I'll get you somewhere safe. I promise." Even though she tried to sound as if she was in control of the situation, but she was freaking out too. They both ran into an alleyway, which looked like it was going to get them closer to the borders of Arcadia, further from S4Y's reach.

"S-Stop!" Terri called when they ran for a next minute or two. "I-I can't... keep up." Izzy immediately stopped, turning away towards Terri.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I should have realized that you will get tired! Oh no, that sounded wrong... sorry! We'll hide somewhere and take a rest, fine? I'm so sorry!"

"Don't apologize," Terri said, when they found a place to hide in form of a few cardboard boxes stacked around a door. "You... you couldn't know."

"But I should," Izzy answered while she was searching her bag for a bottle of water. "Here... here you go... I guess you need it now."

"Thanks," Terri mumbled quietly, opened the bottle and took a sip. "Yep, the water here still tastes weird." Izzy just hummed something in response and leaned back against the door, hugging herself.

"I... I messed everything up," she whispered, feeling tears stream down her face. "It's my fault we're here. Everything is my fault."

"What are you- That isn't true! You haven't done anything wrong!" Terri screamed and caught her friend by the hand. She knew that Izzy was getting into these anxious states every once in a while, and nothing could help with it. Even the medication she was taking daily was only easing it, and Terri doubted that something like it even was in Arcadia. "S4Y are doing the wrong things, not you, got it?"

"G-Go... I'll handle this."

"No," Terri insisted. "I can't, and I won't, leave you here. We will get out of this damn game together, fine? I'll stay here with you as long as you need, and when you're ready to get yourself back up again, we'll go wherever you want us to, okay?"

"O-Okay," Izzy confirmed. "Thank you."

"For you, every time."