Pursuit and Arrival

Soundtrack: Muse- Knights Of Cydonia
Pink Floyd- Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part 1)

Below Haven City, Resurrection day

The trio pounded down the steel corridor, desperate to lose the fast approaching darkness. The lights behind them went off one by one, and the sound of shoes hitting the maintenance shaft’s single sheet steel was magnified by a thousand. Daring himself, Artemis stole a fleeting glance over his shoulder. Nothing could be seen. Nothing could possibly exist in such raw blackness, could it? Unfortunately, the three of them now knew otherwise.
Holly was leading the way, followed closely by Seth. On her face, the calm that descended on her in a crisis had descended; intermingled were traces of determination and pure, unconditional terror. Seth was breathing heavily and clasping a blood-soaked jacket sleeve. He was not betraying any outer emotion aside from sheer physical exhaustion and alcohol intoxication. Amazingly, he was still holding onto three quarters of a bottle of whisky while he ran for his life.
Artemis continued fleeing in horror for a while, trying desperately to keep up with the others. ‘Holly I can understand.’ He thought ‘But that cretin? How can he possibly keep running like that? Better yet, how can he even run in a straight line?’ By now Artemis had a gnawing stitch and burning calves, face and body streaked with sweat. Once again, his self-hated lack of fitness was to be his downfall. Yet still, he could tell they were getting away. The oncoming gloom behind them had slowed and they gained ground. Something at the back of Artemis’ mind told him that this was too easy, that they were being allowed to get away. He slammed the door on that something, surely there was no-
‘Artemis! Arty!’ Holly was shouting from ahead. ‘We’re losing them now, we need to get them past us! She shouted this over her shoulder, then turned around to face the two of them. Her cheeks were rosy from the effort, her entire body streaked with soot. Holly stopped completely now, facing the direction from which they were running. Artemis came o meet her, stumbling and wheezing as he did.
‘Are they… Is it-’ Artemis’ words came out incoherently as he struggled to compose himself. Looking down the length of the metallic duct, they appeared to have lost their opaque pursuers down one of the many corners.
‘No.’ It was Seth who spoke now. ‘We’ve ditched ‘em, but they’ll be back.’ The words were blunt and marginally slurred. His face was riddled with a mass of cuts and scars, all encrusted with dirt, and his head tilted to one side; dreadlocks spread in all directions. Seth wobbled precariously, in a worse state than Holly or Artemis, but for different reasons. Holly sighed and addressed Artemis;
‘He’s right, there’s a stock room up ahead that we can hide out in for cover. Basically we just need to ride this- Oh gods, Arty!’ Artemis had taken a tumble and was now staring at Holly’s feet. He got to his feet cautiously and tried to smile.
‘I’m fine, I just have never needed to run like that before.’ He finished, and their eyes met. Humor was found there.
‘You said you’d been using the treadmill, you said Butler had you doing weights!’
‘Later.’ Artemis said, grinning as he did.
‘Yes, later.’ Seth was calling from further up the corridor. ‘If you don’ts mind, I’d like to survive this, so shall we?’ He gestured roughly towards the open stock room, and at the key pad on the door. ‘Tha’ll do, by the way.’ He spoke grimly, like a retired boxer. ‘I’ve sorted it.’
The three of them sat down in the cell, Seth closing the door as they did.
‘You sure you can open that again? And no-one can get in?’ Holly asked, pointing at the small console to the door. The drunk nodded.
‘Aye, encrypted from the outside. Not a bad job for fifteen seconds…’ He trailed off, raising the bottle of Jim Beam for another swig. Holly snatched it from him, at the same time snapping;
‘That’s the last thing you need. What happened to your arm?’ She gestured at the bloody mess of his left wrist.
‘Shrapnel after the blast.’ Seth replied, ‘Just got nicked by it. I’d give the ponce a look over, by the way, doesn’t seem too good to me.’ He nodded towards Artemis who was huddled in a corner, staring at the floor.
Holly walked over and sat in front of the crouched figure. She gently clasped one of his hands in hers and whispered softly;
‘Arty? Arty are you okay? It’s me.’ Artemis raised his head to meet her gaze, then with red rimmed eyes and pale complexion, he smiled. His hair was disheveled , his shirt was marginally charred and he had taken a beating from the run. But yet, when he smiled like that, Holly knew this wasn’t just Artemis trying to look intelligent or sly or cute. He was smiling in the way that gave Holly the biggest rush of all. He was smiling because she was there. Because he wanted, no, needed her to be there and she was. His eyes shone with the tears that had been brimming, and the light in Artemis shone outwards. For one glorious moment, Holly thought he could do it. She believed that the fire inside him that would finally let him express himself. The things he kept under lock and key in his heart, shielded by that wall of intellect and constructed behavior, brought forth in his eyes just for a second.
But the fire went out, the courage to say and do what he wanted receded. There sat Artemis once more. The walls of Jericho stood fast.
‘I’m alright, really. Just shellshock. Are you hurt?’ said Artemis, his voice polite and concerned. Holly sighed and looked him over.
‘No, but you are. That face is a mess.’ she grinned, ‘No offense.’ Holly placed her hands on his head and closed her eyes. ‘Heal.’ She breathed, and immediately sparks danced around both hands and face. They jolted to sew up the cuts and other maladies that were strewn across the teenager’s face, burrowing deep and doing good. When the job was done, Artemis breathed heavily.
‘That sensation takes some getting used to.’ He gulped, ‘I was unconscious the last time you-’ Artemis broke off, remembering Holly’s actions. She did the same, and quiet descended. Seth eventually muttered something from the corner, completely oblivious.
‘Do you mind if I-’ Before he was even halfway finished, the lights went out. None of them had time to react. There was a split-second of confusion and panic before an ungodly boom and roar were heard from outside. There was a flash in the dark, a smell of smoke and then light. The single fluorescent lightbulb returned to provide a dim glow, and Seth was already stumbling towards the console, the source of the flash and smell. It was charred and still sparking. Seth made a two-second check before turning to face the dumbstruck crowd that was Artemis and Holly.
‘That’s it.’ He said simply. ‘The door’s gone.’ Artemis’ breath shuddered as he spoke.
‘You- you mean,’
‘Yep.’ Seth spat distastefully on the floor. ‘Locked in.’

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