The loud groaning of a metal door opening fills the night air. With one last squeak it's rusty hinges finally give in. Glass pops and crackles as a man dressed in a white and black combat suit, holding a pistol and flashlight walks into the club. "Looks clear." He says as a women dressed similarly with a battle worn assault rifle strapped to her back followed slowly behind him. She turns on her flashlight and looked around the ruined club. Bullet holes brandish the walls, tables and floor. Shattered glasses and bottles cover the ground. Windows were boarded up allowing thin streams of moonlight to fill the room.
She walked over the knocked over stools and bullet cartridges and towards the wooden stage. "Its been so long." She says cheerfully. Jumping onto the stage she walks towards a rusted silver microphone and picks it up. She dusts it off and stares at it ardently. "Remember the music we use to play here Cal?"
"Yeah, I remember." Cal replied. "But we aren't here to reminisce on the past. We need to find those files, and get out. There might be some Vultures in the area." Cal holsters his pistol and steps onto the stage. "It does bring back memories though Kit." Cal says as he knocks on a bullet riddled upright piano and heads into a room behind the stage. Kit stared around the club and clenched the microphone close to her chest.
"I just wish we could go back to how things were. Before they took over." Kit closed her eyes and remembered how the club once was.
Kit opened her eyes and saw that the entire club had been changed. The empty club was filled with people sitting at the bar drinking, smokers standing in the back by some windows, and others sitting at tables staring up at her. Kit's combat suit was replaced with a lustrous garnet dress that gleamed and sparkled when the spotlight shined on it. The entire club fell silent as a the melodic sounds of a piano began resonating through the air. Kit turned and saw Cal wearing a blue button-up shirt with it's sleeves rolled up and a khaki vest, playing the the upright piano. He looks up her and smiles, something Kit hardly ever sees anymore. She turns back to the crowd and steps up to the polished silver microphone begins to sing into the lustrous silver microphone.
Her voice rang through the room. Everyone stared in awe at the sheer amount of emotion and energy being played by only two people. Kit's voice seemed to float in the air with it's gentle and soothing tone. In combination with the energetic chords and melodies being played by Cal, they fill the club with their unique sound. Unfortunately, their performance was cut short by the sounds of screeching tires and shouting from outside.
Loud crashes could be heard as armed men in full white body armor and assault riffles burst through the windows and doors. "Shit! They've found us!" a man at the bar shouts as he and other people pull out a manner of guns, knives, and broken bottles. The last soldier to enter was a heavily built man with shoulder patches and a long silver revolver in his holster. He walked in front of the the other forces and yelled out in a booming voice.
"YOU ARE IN VIOLATION TO ACT 20-01: PLAYING UNVERIFIED MUSIC ILLEGALLY! I HERE BY PLACE ALL OF YOU REBELS UNDER ARREST! IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY!" He raised his left hand and a wave of clacks echoed through the club as all the armed forces raised their weapons took aim at everyone in the club. "WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO USE FORCE!" A shout from the side of the club rang out as a group of men from the bar pulled out pistols and opened fire. The armed forces leader lowered his hand. "KILL THEM ALL!"
The entire club erupted into an all out war. Metallic clinks of bullet cartridges hit the floor as the armed forces returned fire. Those in the direct line of fire immediately fell to the ground as others flipped over tables to give themselves cover for the assault. Cal tackles Kit to the floor and they crawl behind the piano. Cal peeks over the side as a bullet whizzed past his head.
"How'd they find us!? The hell happened to our scouts!?" Kit chanced a glimpse around the piano. It was as though everything was in slow motion. Bodies slump over the floors and tables, armed forces white armors stained red. Several men charge the forces with knives and chains only to get filled with a thousand holes and kicked back into the crowd. A mans blank lifeless eyes meet Kit's as he is sent flying through the air onto the floor. The blood of the fallen on both sides form rivers that eventually collect into the a crimson lake.
Tears begin stream down from Kit's eyes as she gets back behind the piano and sits in a fetal position covering her eyes. Cal shakes her to her senses. "We need to get out of here!" Checking over the piano he looks for an opening."Ready?" Kit nodded her head. "NOW!" Cal grabs Kit's arms and they leap off stage towards the metal door next to the stage. Kit looked back and sees more bodies of rebels lying lifeless on the floor, the crimson lake now forming a crimson ocean. Her eyes met with the leader of the armed forces who had just shot a rebel in the head. He pointed his revolver at her. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" He shouts as he takes aim, and fires.
BANG! The rusted silver microphone had fallen onto the hard wooden floor. Kit's eyes flew open as she woke with a start and clenched her throat with both hands. She fell to her knees gasping for breath and let out a terrified scream. Cal came dashing out from behind the stage aiming his pistol and flashlight around the ruined club.
"What's going on!?" He immediately drops both items at the sight of Kit on the stage dripping with sweat, struggling to breathe. "Kit snap out of it!" Kit's voice started to cut in and out and began to sound metallic and distorted as she screamed louder.
"I can't breath! I can't breath!" She clenches her throat even tighter, strangling herself as if trying to stop blood from flowing out. Cal embraces her holding her as tightly as he could.
"You're okay! You have not been shot! WAKE UP!" Kit's hands slumped to the ground as she broke free of her trance. She stared around the club and remembered where she was. "I'm sorry." Cal cried "I'm so sorry." Kit hugged Cal rested her head on his shoulder. She was still shaking from her vivid flashback.
She took a slow deep breath as she began to calm herself. "It's not your fault. You got us out of there. If you had hesitated we would've been killed." Cal released her from his grasp and quickly sat up and wiped his face immediately going back to his serious, and calm manner.
"Lets hurry and find those files so we ca-" He was cut off by the sound of metallic hisses and grunts from outside.
"Vultures." Kit growled. She picked he rifle up off the floor. "Sounds like only one or two of them. We can take 'em." She said confidently. Cal walked over he grabbed his pistol as pulled out a long knife. "Don't start crying an blubbering okay." Kit teased.
"Tch! Just focus on the enemy." Cal retorted. The hissing become louder as two tall figures in torn brown cloaks fell to ground. Their orange glowing eyes fixed onto Kit and Cal through the gaps between the wooden planks covering the window. "You ready?" Kit nodded her and cocked her rifle. The figures metal wings and claws gleamed in the moonlight as they sped forward and burst through the boarded window. Steam plumed from under their cloaks as they hissed and at Kit and Cal. "Now!"