Two Shots
By Commentaholic
Chapter One: The Runner's Creed
There's a rule in the Runners: "Nobody gets left behind".
This rule wasn't created out of loyalty. It's about security. A single Runner captured could mean the destruction or capture of a large portion of our operation.
As such, each time a Runner gets captured or gets killed during a mission, a team is sent out to collect them, alive or dead.
It's a funny thing... I always thought this way of thinking was callous... that was before I joined, though. When I joined the Runners, it became all too clear to me why they took such precautions.
When they are dead, it is done out of respect. They were our friends. Our allies.
When they are alive, it's because they have information.
Because those left behind can be turned against us.
Because one that was left behind did turn against us.
Because that one that was left behind... killed my best friend last night.
-Sly's Journal, December 14th, 2038
My heart pounded in my chest as I sprinted along the rooftops of Grant Avenue. I skidded around the corner, Hops and Digit right behind me as we leapt down to the next building. My arms and legs were pumping as I climbed up towards the crane's controls.
My hands found the quick release that popped the door open. I quickly slid into the seat behind the controls. As quietly as I could manage with the heavy machinery, I swung the arm of the crane so that the tip was scant feet short of the building across the way. I heard my friends' feet clanging against the span's metal structure and I leapt up to follow them.
The enemy had Kreeg. This was not good news.
Faith would be pissed.
Beyond pissed.
And so we had to get him back. The Runner's Creed was absolute in this matter. Not just because he was Faith's friend. Not just because he was a fellow Runner.
No, those reasons were all too simple. They just made the case that much easier to render a verdict.
What really sealed the deal was the fact that Kreeg was the Communications Coordinator for every Hub to the east of CenComm. He was too valuable to lose.
That was why Digit, Hops and I were sent.
Faith couldn't make it. As much as we knew that she wanted to get involved, she was already tied up with another operation on the West side of The City.
And that was why I now found myself running along a wall, my red shoes (Don't ask me why. It's just part of the uniform to have red somewhere... As if nobody else in the world wears red...) sliding lower and lower while I reached out to grab a ledge that was just out of reach.
A hand darted out and caught my arm before I could fall too far. I looked up to see Hops' face grinning down at me. "You really should be more careful with those rookie mistakes, Sly."
"Oh hush," I said, "Just because you could make the jump..." I grumbled as I dusted myself off.
We regrouped inside a gutted AC cooling tower, not unlike the one that Merc's group of Runners had based itself out of in the old days, to go over the plan.
"Alright, so we are... here," Digit said, pulling out a map and indicating our location amid the outlines of buildings and the well-traversed Runner Routes marked in red. "Across the street from the old Pirandello/Kruger place."
After the events of five years previous, it had become obvious that, despite all of PK's bluster about 'Securing Your World', they hadn't even been capable of keeping out Faith, who had managed to take out countless members of their staff, even going so far as to infiltrate the same building that we were looking at now. PK had lost credibility, though it still owned the property and still kept up a sizeable defense force, which led us to believe that there was more going on in the building than just a failed security company.
"From what I hear, that place is locked up tight." Hops said, "Ain't nobody gettin' in there."
"Well, hopefully that's not the case." I said, grabbing the map and handing it back to Digit. "Because that's where we're going..."
I looked at the illuminated Doberman logo of the Pirandello/Kruger Company Offices.
"Right into the hornets' nest." I finished, setting a foot out of the AC cooling tower.
"Let's hope we don't get stung..." Hops mumbled as he stepped up next to me.
"You know that's right." I chuckled, hopping down onto an overhang, rolling as I landed.
A/N: I'm really having fun with this... can't you tell? Perhaps my favorite bit is the journals.