The Runaway {Hunter} (WATTYS 2022)

Chapter 36

Cora groaned as she felt her bones crack. Her eyes felt heavy as she felt her hands being held together, tightly. Chains rattled around her as she lifted her gaze towards the sun, it's bright rays made her wince.

Panic filled her body.

Her eyes snapped open wide as she tried to move, her body tightly tied to the centre of the ruined city. She turned to her left and saw Hunter, still unconscious next to her. Next to him was Wrecker, then Echo, and to her right, Tech. They were all still unconscious.

She looked around and saw their gear in a pile, too far for her to even think of reaching for it. The Zygerrian guards looked towards her as she looked around her surroundings. They didn't seem to pay any mind to her as she glared to them.

The soft groans of the men around her broke her gaze as she turned to them. "Hunter." She sighed as he lifted his head.

They all groaned at the suns light as well, looking down to their surprise at becoming a prisoner.

"Ah." Echo groaned. "What happened?"

"It looks like we are prisoners." Tech hummed.

"Great." Wrecker grumbled.

Cora didn't say anything, she was too busy trying to find of a way out.

"Cora." Hunter broke her thoughts. "I'm uhh..."

"Don't." She turned to him, her gaze hard. "Let's just get out of here first."

Hunter's soft apologetic gaze turned hard as he nodded swiftly. It wasn't his fault they got caught, it wasn't any of their fault, but Cora was beating herself internally for not trying harder to get them to not take this job.

Cora could hear Wrecker groaning. The sound of chains moving made her turn towards his direction. He was trying to pry the collar off with his hands. The same one they all had, one which the Zygerrians used to shock their prisoners if they didn't obey them.

"It's getting looser." He groaned.

Before he could try again, the Zygerrian guard pushed a button and it zapped Wrecker. He groaned in pain as Cora closed her eyes, looking away.

"Do that one more time and you'll be—" Echo snarled but was shocked as well.

"Save your energy. We are going to need it." Tech grumbled.

"Don't even bother." Cora whispered to them. "The Zygerrian's aren't the forgiving type."

Suddenly the same brezak that caused them to be captured flew through the city and landed on the side of the tower that over looked them. Cora could see a figure standing in the tower looking down to them, his eyes focused on Cora. The brezak shrieked again as the small child started to whimper.

"Relax, Muchi." Wrecker leaned closer to the child and the few other civilians, "We're the cavalry."

"What are our odds out of this, Tech?" Hunter asked looking across to him.

"I am not certain." Tech shrugged.

"So much for being smart." Wrecker rolled his eyes.

Tech sighed and shook his head. "This is not a standard military operation, and seeing as how we're never been tasked with rescuing a child from slave traders before, there is no data I can compare it to." He snapped.

"Well I can help with that." Cora grumbled, everyone looking to her. "I got lucky when we escaped from the Zygerrian's before, so start praying to the marker because we aren't getting out of this."