Deus Ex Human Revolution: Shadow's Showdown

Chapter 14: The light in the darkness.

Detroit.

Jensen left the office later than intending. He was distracted after today's events. He felt as if he had allowed himself for too much, that he should be more mindful of his emotions. When he left the company, he lit a cigarette and nimbly ran down the stairs. At first, he wanted to go home through the main streets or even take the subway but eventually decided to shorten his way through side streets. The neighborhood was mostly dark, disturbed by a dim light of street lamps only in a few places. He had to watch out for overturned buckets and garbage bags scattered all over the place. There was also a broken bottle, stinking vomit, and vulgar drawings on the wall, which was nothing unusual. Adam tossed his cigarette butt on the ground and stubbed it out with his shoe. It was then that he noticed Laura's backpack lying on the ground. Jensen took it with a thought that it seemed strange to him that she had lost it right here. After few more steps further he found her jacket. It was torn into shreds. Suddenly, images flashed right before his eyes which awoke a dormant detective mind. Instantly, he began to piece together the clues. The broken bottle might not have been a coincidence, and the shoe marks looked as if someone was sliding on the ground during a likely chase. Jensen's quick step turned into a run. He searched for more clues with concentration, catching smells and sounds. If it's too late, if something happened to her, he won't forgive himself for the rest of his life.

Laura screamed in pain as the attacker bit into her neck. Although not so long ago she wanted to die, now reason came into play. The man's left hand roamed chaotically over her body. She could not predict where it would be in a moment, which drove her insane. The fingers of his right hand wriggled unbearably between her legs. Shrill despair ripped from her lungs with another scream. The one that was heard by Adam.

Unfortunately, her life had never been a fairy tale and never would be. The man finished playing with her and went straight to the point. Laura squirmed, trying to escape with her hips but he pushed against her firmly. Then there were only aggressive thrusts. The first, the second, the third. Even the pain became indifferent to her. She has already come to terms with her fate, and a whole fucked up life flashed before the girl's eyes. Laura closed her eyes tight.

"Leave her alone, motherfucker!" he roared with rage.

She thought she heard a voice, that well-known husky voice of Adam. An irrational sense of relief filled her mind. After all, he's not here, it's just a projection of her sick imagination. The Chief of Security pulled the attacker back by his hair and punched him in the face with the fist. The sudden cold made her realized that tormentor had stopped moving and wasn't panting into her ear. Laura did not open her eyes; she allowed herself to continue dreaming. She settled on the ground and waited. If it's not him? If it's another guy desiring to rape her?

Driven by primal aggression, Jensen banged the rapist's head against the wall until he felt he had enough. His eyes burned with fury. Adam was completely out of control because of Laura, he was like a machine programmed to destroy the enemy and defend the target. Finally, he threw the man into a pile of garbage and kicked him several times in the ribs. After making sure he would not get up, he returned to Laura, who was now huddled against the wall of the building.

"Laura?! Can you hear me?!" his voice changed instantly, now it was a mixture of fear and uncertainty. "You're safe now, I'm here." He tried to reassure her. "Look at me."

The girl slowly raised her head, opened one eye, and through her tears, she saw the blurry face of Adam.

"Did he rape you?" He didn't want to ask that question, after all, he knew and had seen, but he needed to be sure. The words seemed to burn his throat.

The girl wanted to deny it, to lie to him to spare Jensen trouble. It's her burden, her alone. In Laura's sad eyes was a request, a begging: „Please stay out of this. It's not your concern. I beg you, Adam, just leave." But he didn't want to listen.