My head filled with confusion and anger as Luna's words rang in my ears. My father, why would he have sent anyone to me for any reason...other than one. My eyes widened as the realization hit me, and I turned to Luna, my fist clenched.
“If he sent you to bring me to him, it isn’t going to go how you think it will”
Luna looked at me, then to the floor. “He told me you could help me. He said you were one of the best infiltrators he had ever trained, and after we find my friend he only asked to speak to you for-”
“You’re out of your mind for trusting him, and I’m not falling into the same trap you are.” I interrupted Luna’s frantic explanation, and her expression quickly grew sour. “I won’t help you. Keep your fabled money and find someone else to do your dirty work.” I walked to the door, and turned the handle. As the door swung open, I was met with my own reflection gleaming from the black goggles on the figure before me. I stumbled back, as the Seeker began to raise a stun baton. Before he could strike me, I ducked out of the way and dropped to the floor, sending my right foot directly into my attacker’s kneecap. The Seeker’s mask let out a distorted grunt, and he toppled over against the door frame. I quickly pulled myself backwards, pulling myself to my feet and sending a kick directly to the center of the seekers chest, knocking it backwards into the hallway.
“Luna!” I yelled, as Luna rushed to the door, swinging it closed and pressing her weight against it. She yanked the latch on the wall, locking the door behind her.
“What the hell do we do? We’re trapped 4 stories up” She questioned frantically. “We’re screwed”
I rushed to the chest on the floor under my desk, and pressed my thumb against the metal plate on the handle. The metal plate slid apart, revealing a small needle that quickly pricked the skin of my thumb, drawing a drop of blood. The case whirred as it analyzed the sample, and the two latches on the sides flung open as the case let out two light beeps. I lifted the top of the case, and the light pouring in from the window reflected off of the sharpened silver edge of the blade resting inside. The sword was old, but well maintained, and the sheathe next to it was sturdy, wrapped in strips of worn black cloth. I lifted the blade gently, gripping the leather leather wrapped handle and running my fingers along the sword's edge. The blade was straight and sturdy, with a slanted point and one single sharpened edge. I lifted the sheath from the box and slid the ninjato into it, slinging the weapon over my back
“Why the hell do you have a sword?” Luna asked, watching me with a wild look in her eyes.
“Same reason you had a gun in your pocket. Mine just isn’t as loud. I have another way out of here the seeker’s don’t know about. Just let me gather my stuff, I have a feeling I won't be back here for a while.”
“Just hurry, I’m sure more are coming.” she said as she peeked through the window to the streets below. I walked to the closet and pulled my black leather jacket from the rack, pulled it from the hanger, and put it on over the gray hooded shirt I had been lounging in. I pulled the hood over my messy dark hair, and pulled my mask from the back of the closet, and tied it around my neck. I pulled another hoodie from my closet and tossed it to Luna.
“Put this on, and keep the hood up. They likely know what you’re wearing so maybe we can throw them off. “
Luna pulled the hoodie over her jacket, and raised the hood as I suggested. Her dark hair peeking from behind the hood shimmered in the light, and he looked at me with a strange look in her eyes, seeming almost content in the new wardrobe. I reached to the closet once more and pulled my backpack from the back, draping it’s single strap over my left shoulder. I turned to Luna, and led her with me towards my office.
“Follow me, and be quiet.” I said as I reached up to the ceiling, pulling the handle on the trap door above my desk, revealing the light blue morning sky above my apartment building, I stood up on my office chair, gripped the frame of the trap door, and pulled myself upward onto the roof. As I stood and composed myself, I turned to see Luna following my lead. The view from the roof was one I’d seen a thousand times, but it never seemed to get old. The light of the freshly beginning day shimmered on my skin, as a cool breeze blew through the air of the busy city surrounding me. Despite the altercation I had escaped just before, the sight of the surrounding buildings against the peaceful sky rendered me helplessly calm. As I took in the sight before me, I turned to see Luna standing beside me, once again following my footsteps and admiring the city around us. I returned my gaze to the sky before us, and spoke softly.
“I’ll help you. I don’t have much of a choice at this point.”
“Your father said you would be reluctant at first when you found out about his involvement.” Luna said, turning to face me.
“Yeah, I’m sure he did, and after we find your friend, you get to tell him I vanished. Gone. You have no idea where I went and that’s that. Deal?” I snapped back. Luna looked to the sky above us, then back at me.
“Deal. I promise I won’t tell him anything. I just need your help.” Luna agreed. She slowly crept to the edge of the roof, and looked down over the street. I walked behind her, looking over her shoulder to see the small group of seekers sitting outside of the door, gathered around an escort truck. No doubt meant to escort us to an NGO prison. I quickly ducked down, and slowly backed away from the edge.
“Okay. We can get to the shuttle depot east of here by rooftop. It’s how I usually avoid Seekers. Just follow my lead and stay-” As I approached the trap door leading into my apartment to close it, a loud crash filled the rooms of my apartment, and the front door slammed to the ground. Three Seekers charged into the room with rifles drawn, taking only moments before one spotted me watching the siege through the hatch, and his mask let out a rough electronic warning.
“They’re on the roof, I repeat, They’re on-” His call to action was cut short by a bullet flying through the center of his forehead, sending his lifeless body to the floor. Luna lowered her pistol and helped me close the hatch, pulling metal bars over the handle, locking the apartment’s access to the roof.
“Lead the way, fast.” Luna ordered as she adjusted her pistol to her belt. I stood and turned east, my walk turning to a run as I approached the edge of the building. As my foot reached the edge, I jumped forward, my body pushing off of the ledge and beginning to fall, wind blowing through my face. The sensation of freefalling was quickly ended as I landed on the rooftop next to the one Luna was watching me from. The jump wasn’t huge, a story at most, but the sheer height of the buildings alone seemed to be affecting her. After a slow breath, she began to run, then leaped. She flew through the air with a surprising amount of grace, landing with a quick roll and springing to her feet next to me. Luna looked at me and smiled.
“That was easier than I thought it would be.” she said, clearly confident in her accomplishment. I was impressed, sure, but that was nothing compared to what she was expecting of me. We began running along the rooftops, clearing the small gaps between the buildings that lined the city streets until the Shuttle Depot was in sight.
“Just ahead. The gap in the streets is too wide, we have to get down and cross” Luna said, inspecting the street below.
“No we don’t, just keep watch for Seekers,” I replied as I pulled my backpack from my back. Luna looked at me with a puzzled expression before pulling her pistol from her belt, and scanning the rooftop behind me.
“You’re pretty cocky, huh?” Luna said, turning to watch me pull my grappling hook from my bag.
“Yeah, sure am” I replied, unraveling the grappling hook and swinging it in a circular motion beside me. The metal hook flew forward toward the building across the street, wrapping itself around a metal antenna. I pulled the cable taut, and tied the loose end to the pipe next to me, pushing down on the cable to make sure it was sturdy. I pulled a small metal hook from my bag and hung it onto the cable, rehung the bag on my shoulder, and slid the hook to Luna. She caught the hook, and looked at me in understanding. She crept the the edge of the building, and slowly let her feet leave the roof beneath her. The cable pulled downward slightly, and she began to quickly zipline over to the other side. I attached my hook to the cable, and slid across the gap separating us. As we regrouped on the other side, I cut the cable we traveled on, and lead Luna to a doorway on the rooftop that would bring us into the building below.
“I’m cocky because I’m good. We’re already on top of the Shuttle Depot, thanks to my-” As I boasted to Luna, The door leading into the shuttle depot swung open, and a Seeker greeted me with a rifle drawn. This Seeker, though wearing the same armor and helmet as the other seekers we had encountered, had a strange difference. She did not wear a mask, showing a human face and dark brown eyes. A large, deep scar ran through the skin of the Seeker’s face, stretching from the cheekbone to the chin. As the rifle lowered slowly, a stern female voice came from behind the firearm.
“You’re under arrest for harboring a fugitive of the NGO and the murder of multiple members of NGO Citizen Protection Services. Drop the weapon and surrender now!” She said sternly, her rifle pointed directly at me. I thought quickly, and slid my sword from the sheathe on my back, slowly beginning to lower it to the ground. The mysterious seeker trailed me with her rifle as I lowered my blade. Her eyes were locked to mine, then quickly darted to the silent Luna standing behind me. A critical mistake. I gripped the handle of my blade tightly, and swung it with as much force as I could muster at the unsuspecting Seeker’s ankle. The sharp blade sliced into the woman’s ankle, cutting her foot clean off, sending a shower of red to the ground, along with the groaning woman. She let out an angry cry, and squeezed the trigger of her rifle, sending three bullets into the air. I kicked the rifle from her hands, sending it skidding across the rooftop. The woman grasped at her leg, rolling to her side as blood poured onto the roof. The sight made me uneasy, my stomach flipping and turning as I turned from my attacker and returned my sword to it’s sheathe. Luna approached me with her pistol in hand, pointing it at the suffering seeker. My chest filled with guilt, and my hand pushed Luna’s pistol downward.
“Leave her. She can’t follow us” I said quietly. Luna nodded, concealed her pistol, and approached the door. I turned once more to see my fallen opponent, and her eyes met mine, as tears fell from her face. I had no choice, but I still felt like I had done something wrong. The confliction inside me held me in a momentary stasis, before my contemplation was broken by the sound of a light beeping. I looked around, and the seeker had managed to pull herself to the edge of the building, holding a beacon into the sky. I turned to Luna, as a loud hovercraft rose to level with the rooftop, allowing five Seekers to drop onto the roof. They pulled their injured commander onto the hovercraft, as the remaining Seekers began to open fire on me and Luna. We quickly dashed to the door and slammed it behind us, the bullets ricocheting off the thick metal door sending a ringing sound through the empty stairwell. I vaulted off of the handrail lining the staircase onto the flight of stairs below, setting a decent distance between me and the door. Luna leapt from the staircase, catching herself on the rail. As her feet met the staircase, her legs slipped from the concrete flooring, her feet dangling over the center of the spiral stairwell. I quickly grabbed at her forearms, helping her climb over the railing. As she regained her footing, she let out a sigh and a slight giggle. I couldn't help but smile a bit as we continued down the staircase towards the loading docks. As we approached the stairwell exit, I could hear armored figures approaching the door. I drew my blade, and held it upward with both hands. I looked to Luna, then to the door. As the doorknob began to jiggle, I kicked the center of the door with everything I could, sending it flying open. The force sent a Seeker stumbling backward, and I quickly swung my blade diagonally across the Seeker’s chest. The armor covering the lifeforms chest cracked and split as green began to ooze from the cut, and the seeker wheezed as it dropped to the ground. I raised my head to see another figure approaching with it’s rifle drawn, and stopped dead in its tracks as two bullets entered it’s chest. I sheathed my weapon and carefully stepped over the bodies, running through the dimly lit hallway until I approached a red set of double doors labeled “Loading Dock''. I gestured to Luna, and we walked through the double doors, quickly hiding behind a stack of boxes in the large room. Loud clangs filled the air as machinery moved crates onto shuttle platforms, loading the shuttle for departure.
I peeked from behind the crates and spotted two males, both in navy blue overall uniforms and hard hats, overseeing the operation. They weren’t seekers, but if they saw us sneak into the shuttle, they would alert the Seeker’s for sure. I waited until one of the workers was turned away, and I slowly crept out from behind the crates, making my way behind one of the shuttle cars. I reached to my belt, and pulled a small spike from a pouch fastened to it. I held the spike upside down in my fingers, and focused on a fire extinguisher attached to the wall of a hallway heading right out of the depot. I flicked my wrist, and released my fingers, watching the spike spin in an arc until it struck the extinguisher, the tip piercing it’s metal casing. The sudden sound of the extinguisher emptying into the hallway startled the workers, giving me and Luna a chance to slip into a shuttle car while they investigated the sudden disturbance. As we crept into our hiding spot, we ducked behind a stack of boxes that was prepared for transport inside the car. After about half an hour, the shuttle car doors slid shut, sending Luna and I on an express ride to the edge of Van Soren.
