Authors: Jack Parker
Just as another shot rang out, Ray jumped, going over the side of the gorge. She began to fall, heading deep into the shadows of the overhanging rocks. She took the daggers and jammed them both into the side of the gorge, breaking the sand and rock wall. She continued to fall, her daggers leaving a trail as her descent slowly began to decrease. After a while, she wasn't moving at all.
Ray hung there by her daggers, looking up towards the mouth of the gorge. The two men were most likely up there. She could soon see their outlines, both of them seeming like nothing more than shadows.
"Do you think she's…?" questioned one of the men, his voice echoing all the way down the gorge.
"Probably," answered the second. "I don't think anyone could survive a fall like that, not even a knight."
"Still…we should probably explore it with our Genos." Ray froze at that statement.
"Yeah," agreed the second man, his voice fading as the two most likely left the mouth of the gorge. Ray knew she had to get out of the area and fast. She was strong when it came to physical combat, but not even she was crazy enough to take on a Geno barehanded.
She began to search around with her feet, looking for a steady rock to stand on. Luckily, she found a small jutting rock. It didn't provide her with much space to move around, but it was better than nothing. She carefully stepped onto it, praying that it would hold her. She then proceeded to get her daggers out of the wall.
As soon as she was done, she took a look around the area. She wasn't too far off from the bottom of the gorge. There were a few more rocks like the one she was currently on. She decided to take a risky move and jump to them. She leapt from her rock and landed on one that was a little lower. She kept going, eventually finding herself at the bottom of the gorge. The bottom was more or less flat with a few jutting rocks here and there.
"Perfect," she said to herself as she reached to her bag. She took it off of her back and opened it, pulling out what looked like roller blade wheels. There were four lined up in a row on a piece of metal shaped like the bottom of a shoe. She pressed a small button on each one and then placed it to the bottom of her boots. Electricity shot out of the metal as soon as she got it close enough. They then connected to her boots, snapping together like magnets.
Ray smiled as she stood up and swung her backpack around her shoulder, quickly putting it back on. She then took off, speeding down the gorge with precision and grace that matched that of a seasoned skater. She dodged each rock, picking up speed slowly. After a while, she knew she'd be coming up to a nearby city. She couldn't wait. From there she could get a ride back to the base and perhaps pick up something to eat along the way.
A roar echoed throughout the gorge, causing Ray to freeze in place. She slowly turned around, and her eyes fell on a massive black creature approaching from behind. It was shaped like a feline with huge claws and rows of teeth. It greatly resembled a leopard with its sleek body and long tail. However, it was made entirely of metals, minus the colored glass eyes.
Ray quickly ducked behind a boulder. The feline was about the size of a house. She knew exactly what it was. Everyone on the planet did. It was a Geno, a genetically enhanced nero operator. Nero was a simple word that the GRC used to refer to advanced machines, especially ones like this. A Geno was basically known as a living machine.
The Geno stopped and scanned the area. It apparently couldn't find what it was looking for, because it simply turned around and walked off. As soon as it was out of sight, Ray came out of hiding. She breathed a sigh of relief and continued on her way, wanting to place as much distance as she could between herself and the feline.
Suddenly, a few feet in front of her, something hit the ground. She stopped and shielded herself from the strong after winds of the explosion. A loud shriek soon echoed through the area. Ray spun around and looked up, dreading what she'd find. Soaring above the gorge was a large black bird, its wings spread, beating against the wind. Its yellow glass eyes were looking down at her, and she knew it would fire again.
Another bullet came towards Ray, but she leapt out of the way and took off, speeding through the gorge. She was thankful for her skates. No one could simply outrun a Geno, especially the two that were after her. The feline like one would be coming back soon; she was sure of it.
They must be the men who were chasing me earlier.
Another shot rang out, and she jumped to the side as it hit the ground.
Damn, they're persistent.
She picked up her speed, pushing her legs to their limit. One trip up and she was dead. Allowing herself to get distracted now was a definite no. However, when the ground began to shake a bit, she couldn't fight her curiosity. She glanced behind her, a loud thumping sound echoing through the canyon. Before she knew it, the feline Geno was barreling towards her.
Ray turned her attention back to the pathway. The gorge would end soon, and it would involve going uphill. With two Genos chasing her, it was risky to even attempt it. However, it's not like she had much of a choice in the matter. There was no turning back now.
When she reached the hill, she really began pushing herself, her wheels grinding against the hard, rocky ground. Every jutting rock she found she used to her advantage, taking hold and pulling herself further up. Both Genos began firing on her, so she had to swerve, cutting her speed. She kept her eyes focused as she continued the uphill climb, the two Genos getting closer and closer.
The gorge suddenly ended, and Ray found herself in the desert again, treading across a portion without sand, only a few yards from a city. She made a mad dash towards it, the flying Geno still pretty close by. She dodged fire from the two machines and soon crossed the border into the city. The Genos wouldn't be able to follow her, or the police would find them and open fire with their own Genos. After a long chase, she could finally relax. She was safe for now.
Ray quickly went to the nearest building, a restaurant, and ran into it, her skates still on. She closed the door instantly and began panting from her long trip. She just needed a moment to catch her breath.
"What a workout," she said to herself as she rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Hello Ray," greeted a man at the front counter. He was currently ringing up someone's bill. He was dressed nicely in a white dress shirt and black pants, which complimented his brown hair and eyes. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked her with a smile.
"Come on, Sam. You know the pleasure's always mine," she responded with a similar smile. She went over to the mirror he had near his counter and began to look over her disoriented self. She straightened her clothing and ran her fingers through her hair, making sure each piece fell back into place. The left side of her face was still shielded by her blue locks.
"Why do you wear it like that?" asked Sam, not bothering to look at her as she continued with her ministrations.
"It's just my style," she answered.
"Isn't it hard seeing out of only one eye?" He gave her a quizzical glance, but she just shrugged.
"Not really," she responded as she finished her task. She stood up straight and looked to Sam. "Can you spare any food?" Sam just sighed as he walked back to the kitchen area.
"I swear…you're gonna put me in debt soon, Ray. It's the same thing every week," he complained. He came back with a bag containing lunch products. "If you weren't a knight, you know I wouldn't be doing this." She took the bag and smiled brightly.
"That's why I haven't quit yet," she told him. "How else would I get free meals?" She turned around and began to head to the door.
"Be careful, Ray," he warned her. "This city is crawling with gangs, some who work for your enemies."
"I'll be careful, I promise." And with that said, she skated out the door, letting it close softly behind her.
* * * *
Ray was sitting on a park bench, swinging her legs back and forth as she finished off her sandwich. She was humming to herself, completely ignoring the fact that she didn't have a way back to her base. It's not like she was in any hurry anyway. As soon as she got back, there was no doubt in her mind that General Gordan would lecture her. After all, she had just failed a rather important mission. She hadn't gotten nearly enough information yet.
A soft beeping sound suddenly started coming from the communicator on her wrist. She put the remainder of her food back in its bag and pressed a button on her watch. The lid flipped up to reveal a small screen.
"Ray, where are you?" asked General Gordan, an exhausted yet annoyed look on his face.
"Sorry," she said, giving him a sheepish smile. "I probably shoulda called earlier."
"Brian went out looking for you," he informed her. "When he said he found nothing in the desert, we began to worry. You should know better, Ray."
"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to lecture me," she said while leaning back on the bench. Gordan just sighed, running a hand through his brown hair.
"How is it that you can do some of the hardest tasks without breaking a sweat, yet when we send you on an observation mission, we have to send a squadron after you?" he asked her with a small glare.
Ray just smiled in response and stood up, stretching her arms over her head. She looked around, scanning the area for anyone or anything that could cause her trouble. Her eyes soon widened as she spotted two men walking through the park, apparently looking for something. She quickly dove behind some nearby bushes.
"What's going on?" asked Gordan.
"Keep it down," she said in a hiss. "The two guys from the desert are here. I think they're still looking for me."
"Ray, you need to get out of there and head back to the base." The two men began walking towards the bushes, keeping quiet.
"Don't you think I know that?" she hissed irritably. "I'll head back as soon as I can, alright? I'm gonna try to get outta here." Gordan nodded to her, and she turned off the communicator. She was going to start moving away when the bushes were suddenly parted. She spun around quickly and looked up into the faces of her stalkers.
"Hello little knight," said one, a smirk on his face. Ray scrambled to her feet and took off on her skates, but the two men gave chase.
Ray sped down the paths of the park, and luckily, there weren't many people on them. She dodged the few that were. She was hoping to lose the two men, but it wasn't working. She glanced back and noticed that one was pulling out a gun. She cursed and sped up, praying he wasn't stupid enough to fire it off in public. Her prayers weren't answered.
The man fired his gun, the bullet coming only inches away from hitting her. She sped up and swerved, trying to stay moving so that they couldn't shoot her. After a while, no more bullets were fired. She thought she was in the clear. However, a loud crack soon echoed through the unpopulated area of the park. Ray felt a white hot pain sear through her upper left leg, sending her to the ground. She bit her bottom lip, holding back the cry of pain that had pushed itself up her throat. She ignored the bullet wound and began to get back up. She couldn't let them catch her. She had to get away.
"What're you doing?" asked one of the men curiously, watching as she forced herself to her feet, blood running from the wound on her upper leg. She quickly reached to her side and drew one of her daggers. She tossed it at one of the men and lodged it in his shoulder. He cried out in pain and quickly pulled the dagger from his body.
"Stubborn one, aren't you?" he asked angrily. He took the hilt tightly and slashed out at her with the dagger. Ray tried to step back, but her bad leg wasn't able to support her. The dagger ripped her flesh, leaving a large gash across her stomach. The man then thrust the weapon forward, lodging it in her midriff. She gasped as the pain ran through her, making it hard to keep her mind focused.
She fell to the ground, crumpling under the agony. She looked like a rag doll as she just laid there, her hand over the hilt of the dagger still lodged in her stomach. She tried to pull it out, her hand shaking the whole time.
A cry of pain escaped her as she removed the dagger from her battered body. She watched as crimson liquid began leaking out of the hole. Her chest was burning; her leg felt like it had been shattered into hundreds of pieces. She couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, the darkness closing in around her vision. She fell into unconsciousness, no longer caring about her fate.
"Over here!" shouted a distant voice, drawing the attention of the two men. "I heard gunfire!" Both men cursed under their breath.
"Let's get outta here," suggested one of the men.
"What about her?" asked the other, steeling a glance at Ray.
"Just leave her. Let her bleed to death on the pavement." Both men turned and ran, leaving Ray lying on the park path. Coming down the path were a few police officers, followed by a teenage boy, most likely around the age of sixteen or so. His head was covered in dark blond hair, and his brown eyes seemed rather sharp, as if they never missed anything. He was dressed in a simple pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black jacket.
"Are you sure it was over here?" asked one of the officers.
"Positive," answered the boy as he looked around the area. "I know I heard gunfire." The officers and the boy began walking around the area. The boy was just following the path. When he turned the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a small trail of blood before him, and it lead to a young woman, her face hidden by her silvery blue hair.