Chapter 1: Introductions
In a quiet city that was quite large in size the residing people slept peacefully, were at work, or were out taking in their own personal pleasures. This quiet atmosphere didn’t last too long before three loud explosions rang out, causing some panic from bystanders. From the huge cloud of spreading smoke rushed out a slim form draped in a dark red, almost black, fabric with its hood drawn. This figure sprinted with quick, light steps in brown combat boots which stopped at her knees, hiding inside them their pants legs. On the footwear’s front was orange copper metal plating for protection, on either side at the top was decorated with a small wing made from gears, and the toe of each boot was covered by strong silver metal.
Covering her legs was a jean like material mixed with some leather in places which added to its flexibility as she ran. Its color was a neutral tan and black mix pattern as further up she wore a gray under buster vest, its strap laced around behind her neck comfortably. Under this was a snugly fit tan colored, short sleeved shirt with a V neck collar which stopped at her collarbone. A final touch seeable under her hooded cloak was a dark colored jacket that came down to hang around her waist.
She kept up her fast pace, turning her head to look back with hazel eyes that looked almost orange with their tint. “What? That all you got?!” she shouted loudly behind her at an empty scene, taunting her following pursuers. The empty sight didn’t last as at least four military vehicles came into view and gaining ground to catch up. “Oh crap!” Gunfire erupted on her, forcing her to weave in a zigzag motion as well as to jump, duck, and use buildings for leverage in her attempt to not look like Swiss cheese.
The year was 2450 and the land was still recovering from a previous devastation to strike the world. Everything was destroyed leaving not much in its wake. What the “it” was continued to be debated. Some contributed the huge explosion to a force not man made as others had the theory it was due to the wide spread of war causing the planet itself to break, so to speak. Those who blame the outbreak of war claim the planet couldn’t handle the stress of so many explosions so, with violence, it opened the ground and caused destruction to spread everywhere imaginable. Whatever the cause was, by the time the land had quieted things looked bleak with some things left but not like it had been.
It was hard but they did rebuild and manage to get things going again in five huge cities. These five huge cities were actually the suggested idea of five people who each wore a fragment of a different mask, somewhere on their face. The five referred to themselves as the Owl’s Power and that they were there to help. What did the surviving people have to lose in trusting these new people? They had promised to help and they did. To the current time there were five huge cities, the largest cities in the world spread out with one Owl member at each location to govern it.
Dotting the land were smaller cities and towns ruled by either someone put in place by an Owl or someone taking up the place as leader, elected by those living in that location or not was at times debatable. The towns and cities of smaller size were able to support themselves but did rely some on supplies produced, and sent out from the main cities. Things were good but what was on the surface wasn’t always what was underneath it.
Starting out as fair and diplomatic it became evident to some there was only one type of ruling under the Owl’s: obey and be good or die in some fashion. Some people started to form groups to try and coordinate to take down the Owl’s, and get some fair leadership. This wasn’t so easy to do they found out. Rebels that got caught were taken away to the large palace like structure where the Owl leading that city resided. Only a few rare times had anyone been seen after being taken there and the stories they could tell, well most would not repeat what went on inside the metal, stone, and wooden walls. Those actions allowed behind closed doors was what the soldiers used to give justification for the military force they used to any excess, to take down those who wished to destroy the order set in place for so many years, by the Owl’s. It was justification to them since the damage done behind the palace walls was harsher than what they could do in public.
This woman running away from them was in her mid-twenties was part of one tiny group of rebels who, wanted to bring down the Owl’s. She currently ducked and dashed down a side street to try, and lose them while feeling the hot grazing of one bullet from their guns slide across her cheek. As was expected those in the military had the best technology and thus the best weapons with gear. Rebels or anyone else had to do with what they could get, be that finding parts and things in old junk or ordering them through a store. Most of the time anyone known to be a rebel would make do with what they could grab that was tossed out, or given to them by any willing to risk their neck to help in the shadows.
As she ran the vehicles drove by and, by order of a commanding officer, they spread out aiming to surround and catch her off guard. What they didn’t know was the sounds echoed in the side street for her to track them as she ran. Cursing quietly she was starting to get tired but couldn’t stop. “Come on legs, we gotta just lose these morons and we’ll be good.” She told herself in a small pep talk below her panting breath. There had to be an easier way to get decent supplies.
The sound of the engines roaring grew louder as she went, causing her hands under her cloak that flared open from time to time, to grab hold of a messenger bag slung over her side. Around her waist was a leather belt that held on it a holster housing a modified pistol, as on her other side and behind her back was sheathed two modified daggers. “One…two…” she began counting quietly as she saw the light ahead of her, signaling the end of the side street and the rejoining to one of many main streets. Nearing closer she saw a couple vehicles pull wildly into view. They stopped and gunfire opened on her. Taking a few bullets wounds she tried to dodge by zigzagging once more, running to a wall she ran up it then pushed off only to repeat this on the opposing wall.
She was building her speed the best she could while trying to be a harder target. When close enough and on one wall she kicked the ankles of her boots, triggering a hidden switch which gave a strong force with flames from the soles of her boots, giving temporary flight. It was good because she was able to land hard on the front of the transport and keep on the move, jumping with a front flip off the hood of the first vehicle she got over the front seats, landing low on the back where she jerked up and stepped back to dodge a blade that was swung at her. Each truck like vehicle carried up to six people and these six were normally two or three in the front, and the rest in the back to use their handheld or mounted firearms. One such weapon to use that was mounted was a powerful gun resembling something like a Gatling gun, but was a bit more on the dangerous side due to its modified bullets.
“Hey! That thing’s sharp you know. You could hurt someone.” The young woman stated, using her boots again as she jumped out of the way twisting her body so to land behind him with a stumble. A cold piece of metal pressed against her back ending her stumbling form, and bringing a weary smile to tug onto her face. “Oh wow, thanks for helping me out.” She said with a nervous laugh, this sound from her throat ended when she heard the click of a hammer from the gun being pulled back.
“Don’t try and play this off as nothing, Rebel. Give back what you stole and maybe his Lordship will allow you to be spared. I hear Lord Dragon can be so nice.” The soldier behind her said with a low chuckle vibrating out of his throat, an almost sarcastic tone toning his words.
“Give what back? I’m just your average citizen so no need to think I stole anything.” She tried to smooth over sweetly, wincing when he pushed the weapon into her back hard and another in the back to her side had their gun cocked, and ready to fire aimed at her head.
“Oh just take it from her!” shouted one of their commanders from the front of the vehicle at his three in the back. The one to her side she saw near closer and start reaching to get his hand inside her cloak to search her for the stolen items.
Carefully she shifted one hand behind her to quietly unlatch the blade from the sheath. “Don’t you know it’s impolite to touch a lady without permission? You are such a naughty boy. What would your mother say?” she scolded with a pout to her voice mixed with an offended tone. As he started reaching further into and around her cloak his movements froze, and he seemed to start shaking. She grinned slowly as he was being electrocuted. “Oh dear me, are you alright? You don’t look so good.” She faked her concern as blood started to drip from under her cloak.
Feeling a change in pressure to her back she couldn’t waste time. Quickly she shoved the man’s arm out from under her cloak, pulling her dagger out of his limb as she took possession of his gun, whipping it out of his hand and with this momentum swung once at the male’s head behind her. He ducked and pressed his pistol against her stomach, pulling the trigger just as she hit one heel of her boot against the others switch. Directing the flame out of the bottom at an angle, this quickly reversed her original spin on the ball of her resting foot so the fired bullet missed for the most part, as it hit her side a bit. With this new spin in motion she hit her boot against her leg, ending the flame and brought her foot around slamming the steel on the toe of her boot against his skull, bringing out a sick crack into the air.
As the second soldier fell with blood flying out of his cracked open head, the first man with the blade growled and yelled for the driver to spin out as he drew, cocked, and unloaded four bullets into the air at the rebel woman. Hearing this she looked over her shoulder while ducking low, falling to the side when the engine roared to life and the back of the truck jerked violently. “Crap!” she muttered with a grunt as she lost her hold on her dagger, seeing it slide to the thick right wall but she couldn’t let herself pause, hearing four more shots fired. Rolling towards the back then scrambling to get her form steady, she ignored the burning that struck one of her legs as she took aim at the first one, now on the ground thanks to the drivers rough handling and fired striking him at least twice before going for her blade.
Another violent turn sent her back onto her butt bringing out a yelp of surprise. “I think they need to retrain their drivers. This is no way at all to treat a lady. I didn’t even kill any of them yet. Geez,” she rolled her eyes after complaining under her breath as her hood had fallen off, displaying her dark blond hair with a pale red tint and icy blue tips that fell a couple inches past her shoulders. The machine was picking up speed and she could see the others were staying nearby, and taking aim. Weighing her options she figured it was best she took her leave, one way or another. Shakily she got her footing with blade in hand, looking at one of the others that were aiming their Gatling gun at her. “Sorry boys but, though I’m having a real blast, I really should be taking my leave so ta-ta.” Her cute voice did not impress the soldiers as the one opened fire, no regard or thought he could blow up the remaining occupants of the transport she stood on.
As the bullets were fired she stepped back once then twice and pushed off swiftly after lowering her body to leap backwards, landing briefly on the edge of the back of the truck before pushing off again to jump backwards, flipping in the air to strike another transport as the first exploded. Yells drew her eyes to look before her body moved to twist in a spin on the ball of one foot while switching to the other, to dodge the stab of a blade. They were not giving her a break to catch her breath or balance. Strains of her hair flew about her face, blocking her vision for split seconds while her body tried not to fall off the fast moving metal machine. “Just kill her like we did that blasted Lysin!” The one remaining commander roared in rage from one of the transports into the air.
Hearing this brought her eyes to narrow and sharpen with anger before discharging the rest of the enemy’s gun into the blade user. She discarded the metal tool then drew her second dagger with some slight hesitation, taking some hits but did her best to pay them no mind. She could just get treated later and recover back at the base. Charging forwards now straight into the pistol fire of one soldier she swung the blade slicing open his throat, and used the blast from one boot to push her-self quickly at the other that now swung his bladed weapon to her body. She stabbed her blade into his chest, pressing a trigger to start electrocuting him as one from the seats crawled out into the back. Pushing twisting her body around and curling up with her feet on his collapsing form she pushed, activating her boots which added burn marks to his skin as she went to quickly take out the Gatling user.
“Sir! We need reinforcements!” One soldier shouted in fear from the third transporter, trying to get a steady aim on her as she had leapt to make her way onto the hood of the third vehicle, not slowing down her slaying them with her two daggers.
“No we don’t! Just shoot her you idiots!” the commander in the fourth vehicle shouted with his face going red from his anger and frustration towards his troops. They were getting on his nerves as he saw three more soldiers fall in the third transport, their total down now was thirteen. Taking in this order she heard she stood on the roof of the third transporter, sticking her tongue out mockingly at the soldiers in the fourth vehicle. When they opened fire she lowered down into a crouching position, leaping off at the last moment to the second vehicle she listened to its tires squeal before it exploded in a crash, and she repeated this after landing on the second she jumped off it at the last moment to come and rest on the fourth. The second went off course as its driver died and the hunk of metal crashed, catching fire as well. She had switched quickly from blade to gun as she left the hood to come onto the roof, releasing a bullet into the Gatling user’s head.
They were down now by nineteen people and the remaining commander was not happy, narrowing his eyes and drew his riffle as he got into the back. Taking aim at her body that had been standing on edge of the fourth’s back and released his fire. The driver called in for reinforcements as he listened to the gunshots. These bullets striking her left arm did not bring any joy to her narrowed eyes, as her body twisted around with the force of the blast. Her right arm swung back after another soldier had come at her side stabbing her in the back with his blade, his reward was her own blade to find and slice into the flesh of his arm until it hit bone. She turned and pulled the trigger to start shocking the man before kicking him over the edge of the transport, watching his body bounce and twist painfully on the hard ground.
Two were dead on the fourth vehicle leaving now just the commander, one other in the back, and two in the front. Her boots slammed hard into the side of the truck as she jumped off, using her boots blast to get over to the fifth vehicle in a rush as it came into view. Her cloaked form dashed low to slice one soldier in the stomach as the other she rose and knocked in the head with a rounding kick. She drew her gun and fired hitting the third, looking over as she heard a mechanical noise her attention turned to the commander as he fired another round of bullets at her, this time from the Gatling gun.
Things were getting harder to focus but she refused to let her body slow down. Taking hits to her shoulders and around her collarbone causing a burning feeling to surge through her body, she made a short run and pushed off to return to the fourth transport, listening to the fifth get taken down from the storm of projectiles hitting it. She had to leave but she decided no one was going to talk about a man she held in high regard, speak his name when they were lowly trash in her eyes. She took more hits forcing her arms to move to raise one of her daggers as she landed, racing at the commander. “You don’t have the right to speak his name!” she screamed, stabbing the dagger into his chest. She twisted it hard as she pulled the trigger on the handle, electrocuting him while she started to pull it downwards, slicing through his chest as the fourth transport picked up more speed.
More projectiles from another vehicle fired off at her, striking her back. It was time to go, now. After she had taken in enough pleasure of torturing the dying corpse, she yanked her weapon out of his body. As the hunk of metal on wheels turned a sharp corner quickly she side stepped with a stumble, turning around to look at the assaulters and waved before her body fell limply over the back of the vehicle, slamming hard into the stone and blacktopped street where it bounced before moving into a roll. The roaring engines were leaving, this pleased her greatly. The first three were scrap as was the first reinforcement. The remaining two continued on their way deciding it best to regroup, or perhaps they assumed she would die from her injuries.
Lying motionless in the street she listened to the crackling fires from the exploded vehicles in the distance behind her. Carefully she started to get to her feet, groaning and hissing in pain as she did. That could have gone smoother. The young woman stumbled with her head down, catching her breath. She also was trying to get her vision to clear as well, starting to walk then run off into another side street. After a few blocks she looked up a few steps away, seeing a manhole cover and slowed her pace as she approached. Kicking the metal over she sat, grabbing the heavy steel and pulled it over to fall back into place while her body fell into the darkness.