"We have a name to fight for!" I shouted at the large crowd of criminals that we huddled to this base. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"
Everyone else was roaring in disagreement, most of them wondering why I was in charge of shutting it down, and the doubts swarming about me.
"I would rather do anything than give into him, joining his side with metal cuffs around my wrists." Some peoples expressions changed after I said that.
"But you wouldn't mind giving up the location of this base, huh?" A male shouted in the crowd, bringing back the uprising of voices. The same boy suggested that we run, moments after he had everyone's attention.
"Are you a fucking pussy?" Roco said with pure disgust, I held back a laugh because she almost sounded british. "We don't run from cops. We don't do that shit — no. That's not who we are!"
I noticed Kyarra in the corner, pulling her mask back down on her face, wrinkling her nose at someone or something.
"Fine then," She stepped out of her quiet corner and came to join me on top of the car I stood on. "Those who would like to flee; get the fuck out,"
I frowned at her, because people were quick to move.
"But. You will have to make up some sort of debt for this disobedience. Now, we can't get rid of him fully, but we can shake him for long enough, correct?" I nodded my head at her and she smiled.
It was embarrassing how many people had decided to leave. There was about 6 of us. Rocori, Kyarra, Jacob, and three other twats who knew what they were doing.
5 of them went to go get their stuff, and Roco came beside me as I rested my head on my forearm, now leaning against the cold stone wall. "Great, back to square one."
"So much for that. But at least the map works. Some good has come out of this." Roco shrugged her shoulders, previewing her pistol.
"How? What good is any of this? We're going 7v1 on a professional cop who Hunts criminals for a living." I snapped, furious.
She quietly ignored my outburst, "He's a bounty hunter?"
"Delicate way of putting it, yes."
"Whatever. We need to get ready. I want to blow his ass to fucking bits." Cracking her knuckles dramatically, I followed her to her car.
"Should I take the plane? Or is the car better for whatever battle we're going into."
She scanned me, thinking for a moment. "Plane. Although it's riskier in the skies we have better aerial attacks — one of which being me riding on top of it and shooting at him."
"That's a fucking dumb idea your head is going to get chopped off instantly." I slipped my gloves over my hands, tightening them to my liking.
"No they won't — go get them raised at the garage quickly." Roco mused, slipping on her tactical vest and knife holster, tightening it as I did my gloves.
"It's so expensive to do that." I groaned into my hands. "You have like... six-million dollars. That's a lot for a criminal. I hardly have a quarter of that." She reminded, tossing my car keys to me. She knows me so well.
"I'll be back in forty-five."
OFFICER STRIKER, K.
EASTERN ARCANA, 1:30AM.
I actually yawn. Arms stretched out behind my head, and I'm stargazing as well as I can. Arcana's light pollution has horribly increased over the years and it's much harder to see the stars than before.
What a shame, living right next to the ocean yet you cannot look at the sky.
My attention is brought back when a car begins to rip down the road in front of me. All too fast, I press my finger to my ear, ready to say the command to kick her out of the car — technology is so fascinating nowadays — but it's not her. It's some teenage-young adult wanting attention.
"Old electric speeding on Evergreen towards I-80. Just a heads up." I mumble into the radio, before quieting the station. Feeling antsy, I begin fidgeting with my switchblade. How long will it take for her to arrive?
I'm in no particular place, but where Timber's going to be picking up her plane. She wants aerial combat, if it comes down to it. Believing her plane is still broken, I believe, she will be coming here to pick up a spare for the time being.
She has a strong love for her cars, but it's obvious she finds comfort behind a thruster.
I pulled up the mini-map of Arcana — my location — and scanned the cop beacons scattered around. There were more of us out in the field today because of her.
People at the office know what my intention is right now, and what I've already set in motion.
I'm just waiting for... a little boom.
Finding their volcano base was so predictable, I thought she knew all cop cars had trackers on them. She's smarter than that.
I sigh quietly, reminding myself that she knew about the ones in the cuffs and disconnected it right away. Lucky shot. Bringing my head up from the map, I zoned in on a car in the distance. This one fortunately stood out because of the lack of glare it had.
Timber and Rocori's car designs were very complex. They replaced the outer material with something that didn't allow light to reflect off of it a certain way.
Even if one of those spotlights on the helicopter went on top of the car, it would just create a darker silhouette. I believe they have the same material on the windows.
I know this is her though. It's her car, without a doubt. Nobody around here has that unique of a blood-red and ombré black color chosen. Just to be safe, I pinpointed her location on the map and it flashed white repetitively while she drove closer.
As she got closer, I could see her face through the windshield. Strange. She's awfully determined, suddenly. I took note of the fact her eyes kept flickering down somewhere to her right.
Her radar, I lifted my brows, taking my mask off of my holster as she got closer. It's strange how often she seems to check it.
Paranoia?
She turns off all of the lights on her car — inside and out — and turned into the parking lot, slowing to a stop away from streetlights.
Bringing my knee up and resting my elbow on it, I slid the mask over my face, taking out my gun. I watch the determination on her face cave in, quickly changing to fear. "Hey there."
Fear subsided to anger horribly quick. If only she knew what I had planned for her. What I could've done. I have to follow the law though, as disappointed as I am. Head Council is getting involved with this now.
That's why they called me. Because I met the qualifications for their request.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" She takes her gun off of her back, I hear her switch off the safety. "Doing you a favour, Alpharo." I say, standing up on two feet. A smile comes to my cheeks when she aims it at me finally. "Shoot me. I dare you."
Hesitantly, she put her finger over the trigger, and fired right into my shoulder. I felt it poke my skin, but nothing to do me severe harm because of the armor I wore underneath. "Ow?"
Timber actually snorted, holding it back down next to her side. "May I pick up my plane now, please? I'm not here to chat."
"Of course you're not. No idiot is foolish enough to drive all the way out here just to talk," I spit harshly. "Unless you're in love with them." I add, watching her face turn into a grotesque piece of rage.
She sits back on the hood of her car, looking at me for too long. "Could I ask you something?" I look back at her, away from the stars. "Go for it."
"Why are you hunting us? What's your... assignment?" Timber exaggerates, "Why aren't you arresting me right now?"
I squat down, resting on the balls of my feet. "So you want me to arrest you?" I brushed my hand through my hair. "It wouldn't be much of a challenge, presently."
"Right. Why are you hunting Kya, Roco,
and I?"
"You and Roco ask the same questions consistently..." I sigh rudely at her, spinning my gun in my hand. I heard her gasp quietly. "I'm only after Rocori and you. Kyarra's plans are already set in motion."
"Wait— how?—" She stammered. "I know Roco purposely left her earpiece on, that day. You really underestimate me, Alpharo."
"No. No I—"
"Oh come on now," I say lowly, laughing at her. "You think I'm stupid enough not to notice?"
Her fist goes white from gripping her gun too hard. "Shut up!" She flares and I pause, smiling so hard under my mask my cheeks are beginning to hurt. "My answer remains the same to both of you," I decide not to say her real name. "Don't think that because I'm fond of you, I'll give a different answer than I did to Rocori."
She let a quiet sigh out of her nose and I could hardly hear her footsteps as she approached the ladder to take the plane atop the building. I smiled to myself when the sound of her hands flicking the switches inside slowly grabbed my attention.
I snapped my fingers and in an instant, she screamed. I turned around to face her, a daring smile on my face. "Oh, Alpharo, I tried to tell you, you weren't getting the plane."
Timber huffed at me, arms hanging above her head because of the safety feature I manufactured. If someone touched the plane without my permission — or print — they're instantly binded to the headrest of the pilot's chair.
It was tempting to see how long before she would notice.
"What... the fuck, did you do?!" She shouted, struggling against the makeshift cuffs. I leant against the frame of the door to the pilots side. Climbing inside and shifting her over whilst she tried to kick at me, I put her in the passenger seat and 'buckled' her up.
"Where the fuck is my heli?!" I take her face in my hands, breathing quietly through the mask. "Your heli was never here." Sitting back in my seat, I started up the Blackhawk.
"Good-morning, Officer." My computer's voice called. She sounds too spirited to be my 'technological assistant'.
"Hello, Hazel." I smile up, feeling Timber's voice about to scream some explicit nonsense. "You said I have until dawn—"
"And I'm holding up my end of the deal. Be quiet." I overrule, lifting the plane into the air and deciding to pick her car up too, just to be nice.
Setting course for their base of operations, I still have another part of the plan I need to follow through with.
ROCORI LOUVREMONT
EASTERN ARCANA, 2:41AM.
Sighing contently to myself after counting the dozens of varieties of guns I own that I can bring into 'battle'. Moving over towards my car, staring at the clock while doing so, my insides turned. Gutting me out from the inside.
It shouldn't take her this long to pick up the plane. It's quarter-to-three. She's the only sick fuck making the poor employee on the graveyard-shift focus.
Taking a glance at the mini-map sprawled out on the table, I pinned down her location. She was on her way back, yeah, but not alone this time.
Why the fuck was Striker tagging along with her? Or vice versa?
I pinpointed her car next, maybe she was running from him and that's why they're so close.
Her car's last location was registered at the 'dealership'. If she was running from him, it'd be active. She wouldn't be so naive as to turn it off right?
Sprinting up the stairs and opening the trapdoor, I shoved through the tiny cluster of criminals and headed outside. Unsure of where Kya was, I made my own decisions. My current decision is to see what he wants, why he has Timber, and if so, what negotiations he's got to offer.
But right now, I'm aiming my pistol at the plane as it lowers down. The trees and grass around me are getting severe whiplash from his propellers. When he landed, he stepped outside with his hand dramatically swiping away from his forehead — is that a greeting?
He doesn't say anything as he goes around to the other side, opening the door to where Timber is sitting, arms hung above her head and head down, eyes shut.
Uh oh.
"What did you do to her?" I instantly shout, beginning to walk closer to him after I assessed he doesn't seem like a current threat.
"Pardon me," He quickly turns to me and I stop moving. Mannequin challenge. "It's not exactly the shortest flight and someone couldn't keep quiet."
"Seriously? You couldn't have gagged her?" I huff at him. I feel awfully childish for arguing with a cop, for fucks sake. "Would you rather I had said 'she fell asleep looking at my dreamy face'?" Striker scoffed.
I looked him up and down mockingly. "You're wearing a mask."
"Exactly." He deadpanned, lifting her out of the plane with a small grunt. I took a quiet note on the fact he proceeds to always carry her bridal style. Is he trying to be a gentleman or what? Cops typically aren't supposed to care about that sort of thing.
"Watch your hands," I blurted out suddenly. I didn't even realize I said that until he paused, giving me a weird look from beneath the sleek, shady material he used to hide his face.
He started walking to the entrance of the base and I rushed to get in front of him, walking backwards. "You might not wanna go in there."
"I don't care what large — or miniature — criminal army you have inside," He says, slightly tossing her in his arms to readjust. "Her room is away from the centre of attention. I'll be in, and out."
"Everyone's radar will be going off the charts. They will know."
He leans forward to me and I wrinkle my nose at him in severe disgust. "I'll be in, and out."
Striker heads right through the entrance using Timber's access card, I'm following quickly beside him. Maybe I can sell an act to the other criminals that I'm not just letting him walk in here.
Although, I am.
Bringing out my gun and aiming it at him, watching as he keeps his eyes more focused on the girl in his arms' face than the dozens of guns that suddenly appeared behind him.
Kya gasped quietly to herself, holding her heart like she had a true heart attack from seeing the lanky boy. She only slightly calmed down after noticing me walking in behind him, pistol almost pressed to his back.
Striker set her down gently on the bed, not bothering to push her hair out of her face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Wonder if she'll wake up in time for dawn," He chuckles quietly to himself. "Shame. She's a strong player on the board."
I notice Kya reach for her rifle and I side-eye her, biting my lip and shaking my head as light as possible. She frowns at me while the man begins to head back down the ramp. I follow him quickly, waving my hand at the other criminals as a sign to back off.
Striker notices that and laughs at me. I cant tell if he's looking at the crowd or not, but either way. There is so much more fear in the group than there was before.
He knows that. He wants to improve his chances. He didn't care about Timber for any part of this, he just wanted to improve his chances of winning.
Well played, Officer. Well played.
He hopped back inside of his plane, where a loud creak and small thud sent a little vibration through the grass. "She might want this, as a thank you." He says.
I peek around the other side of the plane and notice her car. Such kindness.
"I'll be sure to relay the message for you." I say flatly, attentively watching how he flicks the switches a certain way. Did I seriously just consider highjacking his plane? Lord.
"4 hours, Louvremont," He decides to blurt through the loudspeaker, just loud enough so I can hear him. "I hope you're prepared."
I inhale deeply, feeling the cool breeze slide on my collarbone as he soars over the other side of the volcano. I find it mildly strange that he went that way, instead of back into the interior, but maybe he's just like us; using some stupid little facility as a makeshift base.
"What the fuck was he doing here?" Kya yelps, storming through the grass. "Why did he bring Timber's unconscious body in?"
I still looked off into the distance where he flew off. "He's playing by the rules. He's not doing anything until dawn," I observe, "He played his hand. He's waiting for us to play the next move."
"Oh not you too," Kya whispers in annoyance. "This isn't a game. It's our lives at stake here. He doesn't care about us! He's doing his job!"
I put my gun back in my pocket, grazing my hand over my switchblade. "I know. He ambushed her. He knew her next move, he predicted what she would do on the board, Kyarra," I finally turn to look at her. "We're predictable. That's the problem."
"I'm glad we know how predictable we are; like Timber meeting up with him and telling him the plan!" She shouts. "Why didn't you listen when I said to leave her in the dust?"
I stiffened, inhaling lightly to look at her again. "You and I both know damn well this," I point a finger between us repetitively, "Would fall apart. We feed off of her because she's a powerhouse. We're strung to her."
Kyarra flinches at my words, biting her lip in a guilty way.
"This base wouldn't even exist without her. It would've been some stupid, deconstruction site if she hadn't leased it." I step forward, but she steps closer and sets me back. "And guess what? This volcano is dormant, yeah, but when this blows because of her stupidity?
The blood is on your hands."
"Kyarra—" I groan, beginning to go after her when she starts walking away. "No. This is her last chance. I'm fed up with her shit." Kya mutters angrily, heading back inside and tying her hair on the way in.
I tilted my head back, fighting the anger flooding through me and trying to tell myself to save it for the fight.
Sighing shakily, I went back inside.
My only pray, is that she gets up soon, and that these next three hours go by slowly.