As soon as she knew she was awake she listened. The sound of the rustling leaves above her was slightly relaxing, but that wasn't what she needed to hear. Turning her thoughts to the other noises bombarding her ears, she froze as a familiar noise rattled her bones, sending her mind into terror. Violently shoving herself up from the pile of leaves she had been sleeping in, she forced her bare feet to pound over the frozen ground. The sun hadn't even come up yet, but she managed not to fall as she stumbled over the hill. The sea's mist covered her tracks, but her heavy breathing was amplified and her nervousness.
A tree branch snapped behind her. A fresh wave of terror gave her cut and bruised feet an extra boost of speed, and she peered through the mist, trying to find a place where she could finally lay down and rest, without worrying about her pursuer. Exhaustion pulled her down towards the ground, but the urgency to escape was stronger.
You're going to have to fight sometime, a voice in her head taunted as she slipped on a rock and tumbled the rest of the way down the hill. The roar of the sea deafened her thoughts for a moment, but she pushed herself up, wrapping her thin and shredded jacket around her shoulders. Her stomach cramped, reminding her that she hadn't eaten for a few days.
Reaching the town, she noticed a large mountain in the distance. I'll fight it there. No sooner, no later. But that's where I must draw the line. I can't keep running forever. As her weakened body went from a fast sprint to a jog through the town, thoughts and fragments of sentences floated in her head, and her vision began to grow hazy. This is it. I've run for so long hiding from this…thing, and now I'm finally giving up. Painful memories stabbed her mind, and she choked back a sob. "Keep going!" She panted to herself, her unused voice whispery and dry from lack of water. The mountain grew closer and closer, and finally, as she felt the last bit of her energy give out, she was there.
Stumbling, she fell hard on her side, and lay trembling in the cold mist. It took at least ten minutes for her to calm down enough to breathe normally. A darker gray silhouette appeared in front of her, and her terror threatened to drown her again. "No…" She croaked, raising her hands and trying to focus, but terror drowned her out again and she wound up scuttling backwards. A hand reached forward to grab her, and she felt herself shiver and freeze, heart slamming in her chest. Closing her eyes, she whispered a prayer as the figure grew closer and closer.
Suddenly, a wind whipped through the forest. A dark red airship flashed through the sky, and the thing was distracted, letting out a strange wailing sound. With one final push of energy, she threw herself backwards in one last attempt to get away from her mysterious hunter. Landing against something solid, she gasped as it gave and she fell into darkness, crashing into a hard surface and her head felt as if it exploded in sudden pain.
There were screams. The fires raged through the landscape in her mind, and she tried desperately to escape them. The metal sounded loudly under her pounding feet, and she tripped, the grated metal floor cutting deeply into her hands and knees. Something knocked the wind out of her and she rolled, gravity pulling her body downwards and over the edge of the catwalk. Biting her lip, she dug her bloodied hands into the side, trying with all her might to pull herself up, but a booted foot crunched down and she pulled her hands away, eyes widening as the searing liquid enveloped her, the hot acid burning her eyes, hands and lungs.
Her eyes flew open, as a thunderous metallic roar overwhelmed her. It seemed as if the noise was bouncing off everywhere and she couldn't place it. Whimpering with fear, she wondered if her pursuer could really be so close behind. Curling herself into a ball with her heart pounding, she waited until the sound lessened and slowly disappeared.
Unfurling herself, she shivered and rolled as quietly as possible into a crouched position and began to push herself forward. Her breath was disturbingly loud in the quiet space. She paused for a moment, wondering why she was still moving. The answer came to her a few paces later and she paused for a moment, feeling the cool metal beneath her hands. Her stomach cramped and she gasped, forcing her jaws Just because you have a safe place from…it doesn't mean that food will magically appear before you, and you really can't save you from yourself.
It was nearly pitch-black, and she froze as a soft breeze washed over her face, bringing voices and smells. A laugh bounced towards her, and she finally realized what she was in as the metal under her bruised hands gave slightly. I'm in a ventilation shaft? I can't believe I fit! Wait…why is there one in the side of a mountain? She frowned, but kept moving, the bruises in her side complaining loudly.
Putting her hand out, she gasped as it plunged into empty air, her elbow smashing into the side of the shaft. She immediately dropped herself to the floor of the shaft, a soft thump echoing through the system. Peering over the edge of the ledge, she saw a huge dark-haired teen standing right below her. He spun, his face split by the lateral lines of the shaft's screen. "Did you hear that?" He asked, peering around whatever room he was in.
A yawn responded. "Conner, it's nothing. You're tired. Now go get some sleep." A girl's voice soothed the disgruntled boy below her. He sighed and shot a look right at where she was hiding. Sucking in a small breath, she ducked before they could meet eyes.
Footsteps faded away from the shaft which told her it was okay to move, and she slowly let out her breath, and stretched herself over the gap and continued her wiggling slithering movements. More tired voices bid goodbye and what sounded like a jet engine started and stopped, with a mechanical voice saying, "Robin identified. Kid Flash, identified. Aqualad, identified. Artemis, identified."
She shook her head, exhaustion making comprehension impossible. For the first time in a while, she paused, thinking, what time is it? Shrugging, she continued crawling toward some unknown goal. When the small tunnel began to warm up, she felt sleepy.
Thinking it would be a good place to stop, she found the hot air led her further up. Lowering herself on shaking arms to the warm metal beneath her, she sighed.
When was the last time I could breathe? She wondered, but the hunted sensation was still there, and she was too tense to relax fully. At the same time, she felt strangely at peace for the first time since she had been running. The fan rumbled gently somewhere in the maze, and before she knew it she was asleep.