Redeemers

Chapter 7: the Cannon

Annora rolls to the pavement dazed, everything seeming to blur and spin around her. Blue and red flashing, metal clashing. A voice fills her head, but it is fuzzy and unfocused. She shakes her head lightly in an effort to clear her head, but it only serves to make the world continue to spin. She squeezes her eyes closed, pinning her hands over her ears in some attempt to get a coherent thought.

"Nora! Run!" A voice that is not her own fills her head. She knows it from somewhere, but she can't place it. The voice repeats the mantra in her head urging her to get up, to get up and run.

Annora finally regains control of her own limbs. She slowly teeters onto her feet, the world beyond her starting to become clearer, only to see a red shadow bearing down on her. In a flash, her instinct kick in, any throbbing in her body fades to a light echo, her eyes and mind sharpen, honing in for survival.

The shadow takes the shape of the red clad Axtin, the Redeemer-looking boy in a suit hunting her. At the last second, when anyone else would think that the red blur would catch her, she jumps to the side. Axtin rushes right past her and she runs in the opposite direction as fast as her bruised body can carry her. She can hear the clutter of all the Redeemer's voices in her head, the chaos of their words making her head feel like it is bursting open. A jumble of status reports and warnings blaring in her ear.

The madness becomes too much for Annora to handle. Before she can think better of it, she rips the communication device out of her ear. Suddenly, the only sounds that penetrate her ears are the rushing of the city around her, and the pounding of her feet beneath her. Familiar sounds, sounds that allow her to think. Her mind conjures up the nearest safe house based on the surrounding buildings, but the mere thought draws her to a stop. No more running. No more hiding.

She has a chance to find her brother and the answers he possesses. Thoughts of the Redeemers race through her head. Every time she had seen their colored shapes racing through the city, every mention of their presence in underground workings of Orsinon. She had never heard of an occurrence of the Redeemers doing anything classified as deplorable. They may have made mistakes, but they fight openly for the city around them. She may not be able to trust them, but she could certainly follow them.

Her mind shift focus, looking through the alley ways and roof tops for the bright colors of the Redeemers. She spots them nearly instantly all four, pink, yellow, blue, and green. She crouches, readying herself for the run back to them when she sees Axtin. Axtin and his army. Guards clad in black moving into position, surrounding the Redeemers on all sides. Geromes come up beside Axtin. The Redeemers are severely out numbered and outgunned. There is no way that Annora could make it to them safely. Not without a fight.

Annora looks down at the small beetle like device in her hand. She deliberates silently ultimately coming to a conclusion. Before she can change her mind, she shoves the listening device back in her ear.

"...Forensics! Get us out of here now!"

"I'm working on it, Fuch. There doesn't seem to be any other ways..."

"Where'd Nora go?"

Similar shouts echo through the channels of her ear, but this time she doesn't let the distractions get to her. She searches through the city for signs of what might be happening, when Axtin starts talking, "Redeemers! Surrender now or we will kill you where you stand."

Just then a small detail pokes out in Annora's mind. Something isn't right. The Redeemers may be surrounded, but their pursuers seem to be giving them far too much space for intimidation. Something else is going on. Then it hits her. They know that there is only one way to kill a Redeemer. They have no intentions of letting the Redeemers out alive.