The sounds of perusing mutants echoed behind them as the judges raced down the hall. They had no knowledge of the block's layout, taking random corners in an attempt to lose their pursuers. No weapons to defend themselves with, only their bare hands and whatever makeshift weapon they could conjure. No form of communication with the outside city. They were alone in the twisted game of the mutants, being hunted down like animals.
Dredd took another corner, followed closely by Anderson. They waited in the small gap of the side room. Dredd pushed Anderson toward the back of the room, out of the lights range. He pressed up against her, stepping out of the light. The footsteps of the mutants grew louder as they drew closer. Pants of growls were soon audible as they reached the side room. The mutants wasted no time in continuing down the hall, passing the hiding judges. They waited a few tense moments, waiting for the mutants to return or another pack to discover them. When the moments past, they finally dared to move.
Dredd moved toward the opening and risked a glance into the hall. "Clear, for now."
Anderson exhaled heavily. "They'll be back when they realized we lost them."
"I know. That won't take long." Dredd said, turning back to her. "Let's assess the situation. What do we know?"
"We're somewhere in the block. We have no weapons, no form of communication to Control. Numerous hostiles throughout the block, control by an unnamed assailant." Anderson replied.
Dredd nodded. "We'll double back and take another quadrant. We may find an info terminal or elevator."
"Given our limited resources, I recommend avoiding the use of the elevators." Anderson replied.
"I agree, but they can tell us which level we're on." Dredd said. He looked out into the hall. "Clear. Let's move."
They stepped out into the hall and headed back toward the entry point. The hall was quiet. Nothing audible beyond they footsteps.
"How many levels do you figure this game takes place on?" Dredd asked.
Anderson glanced over her shoulder. "Third of the levels, maybe?"
"Each level has its own hunting party." Dredd continued bitterly. He took the next corner.
"I counted ten behind us when we first ran." Anderson stated. "One hundred and thirty levels to forty-three."
"Ten men on each level is at least four hundred and thirty mutants hunting us down." Dredd replied. "And that's just the minimum. We kill any of them, they'll send the whole block after us. Five hundred to twenty-three thousand."
"Not the best odds." Anderson muttered.
"Nope. Let's stay ahead of the mutants." Dredd said.
They came to the entry point of the level. The immediate perimeter was clear of mutants. They ran across the open level toward the north quadrant. Holding to the walls at each corner, they carefully slipped into the next hall. The hall was the same state as the south, though Anderson estimated there were less body remains lining the hall. But the bodies were certainly fresher. Their boots stuck in the puddles of blood. Each step risked the mutants overhearing them in the hall.
Dredd slowed the pace. His head lifted, inspecting the massive hole in the roof of the level. Exposed wires hung overhead, giving off and occasional spark of life. Dredd moved toward the hole first. He hugged the wall where the hole was furthest and started to pass.
A flash of hunger, rage, and blood entered Anderson's mind. "Watch out!"
A mutant dropped through the hole onto Dredd, dragging him to the ground. The mutant pinned Dredd to the floor. He snapped his bloodied jaws at Dredd, trying to sink his teeth into the judge. Another three mutants dropped from above. All three converged on Anderson.
One was small, a child! wild grey hair surrounded the feral child's face. It hopped nervously around the floor, debating on when to attack. The second was a woman, heavily scared. The third was a large man, armored by what looked like reptile scales. The scared woman and reptile man lunged at Anderson. They pinned her against the wall. The child growled with excitement and charged. Anderson threw her legs up and kicked the child in the face. The child staggered backwards to the ground near Dredd. Anderson ripped her arm free from the woman and drove it into her throat. The woman choked on the air and dropped to her knees. Anderson drove her knee into the man, only to collide with the scales.
The man laughed darkly. "Nice try, bitch." He lifted Anderson into the air by her arm. "My turn." He hurled her threw the air, into the far wall.
Anderson cried out as she hit and slumped to the floor. She winced, trying to rise. The man's foot came down on top of her chest, pinning her to the ground. His weight pressed against her chest, inhibiting her attempts to breathe.
The mutant over Dredd snapped viciously, trying to sink his teeth into Dredd's flesh. Dredd managed to avoid most of the attempts, but the mutant still had him pinned against the ground. He caught the motion of the child as Anderson kicked it to the ground. The child growled in anger and turned to Dredd. He groaned internally. He did not have time for this. The mutant above him took another bite just as the child moved in to do the same. While the mutant had his weight offset, Dredd managed to knock his arms from the ground, straight into the path of the child's serrated lined jaw. The child clamped down on the mutants arms. Its teeth sunk into the skin and muscles. Not two seconds later, a distinct 'crunch' was heard from the child. Another second later, the mutant pinning Dredd screamed in agony. He released Dredd from the ground and turned to the child, who was in the middle of devouring his arm without a care for who it had caught.
Dredd rolled from the mutant and stood up. He turned toward Anderson, pinned beneath the larger mutant, and found himself facing down the woman. She charged him viciously. Dredd caught her hand and slammed his helmet into her skull. He heard a distinct crack that seemed to reverberate off the walls of the hall. He released the woman's arm and watched her crumble to the floor dead. He looked up to find the three mutants watching him, eyes full of vengeance.
The child released her victim and charged. Dredd side stepped the child and grabbed the chin. Executing someone younger than fourteen was rare, only enforced in the most dire of assignments if no hope of re-assimilation. The state of the child was all Dredd needed to pass sentencing. He took hold of the back of the child's head and twisted. The child's head snapped to one side. It's growls and jerks ceased instantly as it crumpled to the floor lifeless. The second attacked within the moments following the child's death. He swung his claws at Dredd's head, only to have Dredd catch his arm. Dredd slammed his fist into the mutants face, stunning him. He grabbed the man by the throat and threw him into the wall, caving in his skull.
"Dredd!" Anderson warned.
Dredd turned quickly, just as the reptile mutant's fist slammed into his face. The force threw Dredd back, into the wall. Dredd grunted painfully on impact. The mutant grabbed Dredd by the throat and lifted him off the ground. His grasp tightened around Dredd's throat, cutting off his oxygen supply. Dredd tried to free himself from the man's grasp, but it was too strong for him.
Anderson struggled to her knees. She watched inn horror as the mutant strangled Dredd. She focused her mind and dove into the mutants. She didn't know what she was doing, or how it could effect her own mental safety, but Dredd was in trouble and physical attacks wouldn't suffice against this mutant. She dug deep, past the memories, past the emotions, deeper than she'd ever dared to go into a mind. She kept plunging deeper, faintly hearing the screams of the mutant around her. Still she kept going. She could feel Dredd's throat in the mutants hands. She pulled at his mind, loosening his grasp. She pulled hard, pulling him off Dredd. The screams grew louder, yet seemed just as distant from Anderson. She could feel herself slipping away, growing weaker with ever passing moment. But she couldn't stop, not while Dredd was still in his grasp. She pulled harder, feeling a strange sensation. She felt his grip on Dredd release, the screams stop, even her grasp on the mutants mind vanished. Without the mutants mind to latch onto, Anderson felt herself falling. Into what, she didn't know, but she did know that she was falling.
"Anderson!"
She barely caught the sound of someone calling to her.
"Come on Anderson!"
She tried to find the voice, only to find her own body unresponsive to her commands.
"Cassandra!"
Her body shook violently, effectively ripping her from whatever state she was in. Anderson gasped for air. Her vision returned her to the floor of the hall. She was lying on her back with Dredd hovering over her. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. "D-d-d-r-e-ed-d-d?"
"Shit, Anderson." he muttered, not bothering to hide the concern in his gruff voice.
"Well played, Judged. It would seem we have underestimated your skills."
Dredd and Anderson scanned the room for the source.
"I wouldn't remain much longer, if I were you. Anderson's impressive display of psychic power has done more than saved you from these four mutants." he continued.
"He's right." Dredd said, pulling an unprepared Anderson to her feet. He took her weight against him, holding her up. "The pack on this level heard everything and are probably on their way now. We need to move levels."
"How?" Anderson asked.
"Same way they did." he answered. He momentarily released Anderson and adjusted his grasped around her legs. Taking her weight onto his shoulder, Dredd lifted Anderson up toward the hole in the level. "Go!"
Anderson grabbed the edges of the hole and pulled. Her body was still weak, but she managed to drag herself up onto the floor of the next level. Dredd used the wall and leverage and pulled himself up after her. He rose to his knees and grabbed Anderson's arm, pulling it over his shoulder. He stood up, bringing Anderson up with him. With Dredd taking lead and pulling Anderson alongside, they ran down the south quadrant.
judges: 1 mutants: 0
so I know what Anderson did isn't really in her abilities...it just sounded really cool. that will be explained in the next chapter. hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :) I certainly did.