The S.H.A.N.E. Game (editing)

Chapter 27: The Fall of Four (and the rise of the rest)

Chapter dedication to @AlmaAtun for voting on every chapter of my story! Thank you so much; it means a lot! :)

|| Hana ||

Nikki aims her gun at Jason, but he reaches her first and launches himself at her, knocking them both off their feet. Her sniper clatters a good three yards out of reach.

Erin seems rooted to the spot, unable to move and attack the boy in front of her. Who, I can only guess, is Theo. So with a running start, I sweep him off his feet (look, not figuratively like when the guy picks the girl and gives her some stereotyped twirl; I meant it literally) with a kick from my leg and he grunts as his side hits the ground painfully.

But I'd forgotten Bag Guy #3, who I'd left standing where I'd left him. It's only when I feel a stinging pain on my forearm do I look and see him jab a long needle into my skin, leaving it there before turning to take care of Erin.

With a yelp, I pull it out, but it's too late. I feel a slow oil seeping into my veins, and I know this feeling only too well. "...Poison." This last part I utter too softly, as I drop to my knees and look for some sort of tourniquet to tie around my arm before I die.

"Hana!" Nikki calls. Through my blurry vision, I see her on top of Jason, rolling him onto his stomach and pinning his arm agonizingly across his back. She throws something at me, and I catch it, unable to see what exactly it is until I hold it close to my eyes. A ten-inch-long velchro from who-knows-where. But I don't actually have the time to ponder on that.

I quickly tie a hard, tight knot over the spot right above my elbow and leave it there. I have one arm down. That leaves the other arm, both legs, and my head.

I catch the gaze of the guy who poisoned me, and make a beeline for him. He swifty dodges my round house kick and grabs it, pulling me down. I think about how disappointed my sensei would think of my loss of balance at such a time as now.

But then in my peripheral vision, Jason throws Nikki off him and stumbles to his feet. "Motorcycles! Now!"

My assaulter leaves me on the ground and dashes after his comrades, running out of the alley. Erin picks me up anxiously and Nikki points at the retreating figures. "Erin, you and I have to follow them! Hana, stay here. You can't drive a cycle with only one arm."

I'm set back down gently, leaning against the wall, and watch as my friends leap onto their motorcycles and burn rubber after the criminals.

**

|| Erin ||

Leaving Hana alone at the crime scene wasn't exactly the cheeriest thought on my mind, but I'd had worse. (Like finding out that the only guy I'd ever had a true crush on was in fact a wanted criminal and murderer.)

"Sara!" I yell into my earpiece. "Hana needs immediate medical attention. I'll pinpoint the location to you via the motorcycle e-map, and you can take it from there using your tracker."

"Aye," she replies anxiously. I let my eyes leave the road for a split second as I tap 'West Harston' > 'Vista Avenue' on the screen on my motorcycle. "There"--I look up to find a car headed right my way and swerve to narrowly dodge it--"you go. I really got to go now"--out of the corner of my eye, I see Nikki and our three criminals turning into a smaller street--"Bye!!"

I foot the accelerator and appear by Nikki's side just as she's drawing out her gun. "Try to block their exit. I'll take them from here."

"Right," I say, pulling away and slipping into a side street that, according to my e-map, should merge right into the road Nikki and the others are on. Block them, huh?