Wraith

Tycoon Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Four minutes later alarms all around them started shrieking like souls in torment as Wraith cracked through the last bit of the wall. An instant later the Captain's third bar broke through next to her and masonry crumbled to leave a hole big enough to throw a ball through. Then it was just a matter of swiftly enlarging the hole until they had something big enough to allow Donner to squeeze out.

Aware of the approaching thunder of running feet as wardens converged from all over the Penitentiary, Wraith spun free of the rubble and crouched slightly with her arms outstretched. "Grab hold, quickly!" She ordered.

As if they had practiced the maneuver, Donner passed the Messenger to the Captain, grabbed Wraith's wrist in one hand and held onto the Captain's belt with the other. At the same time the Captain took her arm in one hand while with the other he cradled the Messenger safely to his body. Flare quickly took the other arm. Seeing Dojo's confusion, Wraith grabbed his hand in hers and launched them all skyward as the first of the wardens arrived.

Wraith took them on a fast tour of the city to throw off potential pursuit. Then, mindful of the unconscious Messenger grasped by the Captain, landed gently just inside the sewer entrance. The other Users released her immediately and moved further in to a beckoning Flayme.

"What happened?" She asked breathlessly. "We heard the alarms go off and were wondering if it was you, or if a bunch of Abusers used you as a distraction to break out."

"I thought you'd be as quiet leaving as you were entering." Tuttle grumbled. "Instead you made enough noise to tell the whole city that we're here."

"Tycoon already knew." The Captain answered shortly. "He was heading our way so we had a change of plan." He laid the Messenger gently down on the floor. It wasn't an ideal location to put an injured unconscious man, but there wasn't anyone else. "I can't find any wounds other than a broken arm and bruised ribs," he said worriedly. "But he's been unconscious since before we found him and a Messenger doesn't give up secrets that lightly."

"I can set the arm and wrap the ribs," Volcano volunteered. Then he glanced around. "Or at least I could if we had any supplies. But that's the limit of my first aid knowledge."

"And mine," replied the Captain as he opened one of his thigh pockets and pulled out a couple rolls of bandage. He handed one to Volcano and busied himself with the other. "Here, you do his arm and I'll see to the ribs." He glanced over at Dojo. "I don't know your city. Where can we take him for proper care?"

The old User pursed his lips. "He's not a User so any of the hospitals should be safe enough – so long as we get rid of these Abusers." He paused and looked momentarily uncertain. "I'm assuming you are willing to assist me – Flare has no offensive talents and I've already proven I can't take the two of them together."

The Captain smiled slightly. "Yes, we are planning to help. But if it makes you feel better we can treat it as a formal request of aid from one User to another."

Dojo nodded once, sharply, and despite his civilian clothes Wraith couldn't imagine him as a Normal. "Good. Then when we go to confront them Flare will take the Messenger to the nearest hospital and see that he is treated well. For the rest of us; Zephyr is a powerful manipulator of the air. Do any of you have that talent to oppose him?"

"Zephyr isn't as strong as you think." The Captain answered gently. "From how Flare described him when we were talking earlier he carries a talent amplifier on his belt. Remove or destroy that and he will be much less strong."

"Magnoss was still powerful without his amplifier," Wraith felt she had to point out. "I don't think Zephyr is as strong as Magnoss was, but he's probably still plenty powerful."