More Than a Battle, Less Than a War || tøp AU

2

I was led by the masked group for miles through the warm summer night. The sun is already peeking over the horizon.

This group was very talkative and rowdy. Everyone wore identical uniforms consisting of a black face mask and bulky black vests, a red chevron badge on their hearts. The odd thing I noticed about what this group is that they appear to have no weapons. The only person with a weapon was the one who told me to wake up.

It was hard picking up on their conversations, their dialogue was slightly muffled by the masks. Every once in a while I'd pick up on a word, the ones I deciphered so far were "academy", "outlaw", and "lure". What could this mean? Well, it could mean that I am an "outlaw" and these people are going to try to "lure" me into an "academy" to teach me their diabolical plan to destroy the world!

No, that's stupid.

Or, it could mean that these people are "outlaws" sent from the "academy" to "lure" me out of hiding. That sounds a lot better. Still, I can't come to any solid conclusions.

In the distance, I can see what looks like a small city. That's probably where these people are taking me. I shiver at the thought of the terrible things these people might do to me.

But what could they possibly want from me? All in all, I know nothing. I am not a good candidate for interrogation. They would get nothing out of me.

And back to the person who woke me up - the one who stood over me and held me at gunpoint, the one walking in front of the group, the only one with a weapon. How did that person know my name? I am almost certain that I haven't conversed with anyone for as long as I've been on the run. I wonder if I have always been unaware of my apparent fame. I will call this person The Leader until I find out who this person really is.

Mile by mile, step by step, foot by foot, inch by inch. We get closer to the small city with each passing moment.

All of a sudden, the whole group starts rushing towards the city, dragging me along with them. They all cheer out of excitement and uncontrollable adrenaline flow.

I can see it more clearly now. The city is centered around a single large building, houses and stores and such spreading outwards. The only things protecting the city is a tall electric fence with guards monitoring it up and down. And yet, the guards are not armed. So many questions, not enough answers.

The Leader halts the whole group in front of the only gate along the electric fence. After a second of exchanging glances with the guards, we were let into the city.

The Leader guides the whole group onto a sidewalk, citizens of the city bustling through the streets. The streets are fairly crowded, so someone tugs on the chain of my handcuffs to make sure I don't escape into the crowd. I am in awe as I gaze around the city, though the city citizens are giving me funny looks. Great, they know about me too?

I don't remember the last time I've seen a city that was actually alive, with people and lights and bustling streets. Whenever I pass by a restaurant, the smells coming from it make my mouth water and my stomach grumble. I never knew food could smell that good... and I never knew my appetite could be this strong.

Up ahead, the large building that the city is centered around is now less than half a mile away. The building is very modern, polished and clean cut. Absolutely nothing like the buildings outside the city.