The Starry Maiden

Secret Tunnel

I stop at a point where I can still have a few minutes to prepare before the Abstergo agents get to me. I examine the tunnel's wall to find that they have not aged well... I look at the supports holding everything up and consider just bringing the whole thing down... But that could cause serious problems for the people above... And if I weren't fast enough, then I would likely have to fight as well, and after manipulating earth like that I'm usually left a little drained.

I opt to simply knock them all out, get to the end of the tunnel, then depending on what the end looks like I'll just bring it down there. It will likely also take less energy for me to collapse just the end of the tunnel rather than only one part in the middle. Also it will be less likely for my to straight up pass out from over doing it with my power.

I lean against the wall, the sounds of stomping getting closer and closer. I glance back down the tunnel. I hope they make out the other side. A shout announces their proximity.

Luckily for me, this tunnel isn't very wide. It should be fairly easy to keep them from getting past me, and it will also keep it so that I'm not fighting all of them at once. At once I can handle around seven fully trained people, but as soon as there are more it's harder. Because usually with fully trained people, like Abstergo's agents, they learn to switch in and out to keep each other from getting too exhausted, all while continually exhausting their opponent.

While this tactic takes longer with me... It would work eventually. And I would fall. Maybe not die, but in the case of Abstergo dying is often the more merciful choice.

I hear them come around the bend and they slow down once the leader has seen me leaning against the wall.

"Oh look. One of the Assassin rats is playing the noble hero act. Sacrificing themselves so their dirty rat friends can escape. You must be some kind of sacrificial lamb; they didn't even leave you those goggles they have to help you see in a dark place like this." A couple of the other agents chuckle in response.

"You know what's one thing I dislike about Abstergo?" I ask examining my nails, maybe revelling in my theatrics—just a little.

"As if I want to hear your dirty rat opini—"

"It was a rhetorical question—That means I wasn't really expecting or wanting you to answer—See, I was going to say, I dislike that Abstergo seems to always instill this sense of superiority in its... Sheep? Herd? Hmm... Oh, pups. Yeah, pups. When really, there are things that they don't even bother to explain to you that they know themselves." I step to the middle of the tunnel, "So you all go out into the world to bring the fight to the Assassins... When you don't even understand the tiniest portion of the big picture." I shrug, "But I suppose that puppies wouldn't understand the big picture anyway, they're just too obedient to care." I roll up the sleeves of my hoodie to reveal the hidden blade, "One more thing before I get started." I look at who appears to be leading the rest right in the eyes, "Does it look to you like I'm having trouble seeing in this dark tunnel?"

"Like I said, do I look like I care about your dirty rat—" I launch myself at him faster than he can react, "Opin—" I give him a Sparta kick right to the center of his chest.

I hear the protective equipment inside his protective get-up crack a bit as he careens fifteen feet into the guys behind him, knocking down at least five more of them on the way by and landing squarely on top of two of them.

"Feel free to run. I won't chase you..." I grin at the rest of them as they stare at the unconscious man they had been following.

Two of them, who are now on either side of me launch into a quick succession of attacks with short combat knives. I dip between the swipes and thrusts of the blades as they fail to coordinate with each other in a way that would injure me. Although, when a third guy from the group launches in with his knife he does succeed in making a small amount of contact with me just around my hip. The pain is negligible, but this minor success does cause them all to slow in a premature victory. The window opens for me to attack and I take all three of them down in quick succession with easy and efficient jabs.