Chapter 11: Breathless
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Oh. My. God. I fail epic-ly. I know. Hate me. I give you permission to sick Griffin on me or jump me and beat me to a pulp in some alley. I took forever. SO SORRY! Onto reviews quick, so you can get onto the chapter…
AtlantisGirl12: Thank you! I'm so sorry it took so long. Please forgive me. I hope it ends up being worth the wait. I love this chapter. Haha.
Nothing is What it Seems: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love doing dialogue between characters, especially those two. I'm going to get more chances for other people coming up, but I'm not going to reveal anything just yet. I'm so sorry it took so long. I've been busy. You might get a little bit of story about Alejandra. I need to figure out how to incorporate that in… but I'm pretty sure I was planning to do that anyway.
ShadowWolfDagger: Sorry love. I fail at quick updates. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I know it took long enough, it'd better be good.
Rebell: Yay! A new reviewer! I'm glad you like it so far. His British accent is just so irresistible, you know. And David definitely deserves a good butt-kicking. I see you've quoted a little bit of Griffin's dialogue in one of your reviews. Lol. I'm so glad you like it. I tried to keep in character with him… Griffin deserves many glomps and fangirls drooling over him. He's unhappy to know that I am one of those people. Haha. Sorry the update took so long. I tell myself to do it faster and it hardly ever happens. Hope you like this chapter.
FlyingHampsterofDoom: Thank you! Another new reviewer! Wow, when you wait a long time to update, new people glomp you! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Sorry it took so long.
Mad-dog-13: Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter.
ConstantWriter: You're right, I do need to add David in. Gimme a couple chapters, m'kay? I've got him planned in soon enough. As for a disclaimer… oops. Haha. I'll get right on that. Thank you for the wonderful review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Secretmystery: Thank you! And yes, Griffin does = hottness. Sorry about the cliffys. I lurve them.
YagamiNeko: I'm glad I have yet another new reviewer! Thank you so much! Griffin doesn't believe in danger and throwing scissors over his shoulder? Bah, piece of cake. Paladins are sissies; of course they would love the color pink! Hope you enjoy.
And finally, chapter eleven!
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They appeared on the west side of Regent's Park, near the end of Baker street. The alley that they had jumped to was dark and damp, and right across the street from the local pub where the two Paladins they were hunting were supposed to be. Griffin cautiously led the way to the mouth of the alley, shifting his grip on his bat as they stepped onto the sidewalk.
"Any second now…" He muttered, blue eyes flicking around. London was so familiar to him. He'd grown up here for the first five years of his life, until his first jump, and then his parents had whisked him away to America. Years later he'd taken up karate lessons again, in a dojo a few miles south of Regent's Park, and he'd made a friend before having to break off ties. It was quite depressing, really.
He and Mercy tightened their grips on the bats, Griffin's wood and Mercy's metal. They only had to wait a heartbeat longer before the front of the bar exploded in a flurry of motion. One innocent bystander was thrown to the ground as two men leapt over him and started pelting towards Mercy and Griffin, dodging a car as they crossed the street.
Griffin twitched back a step. Something wasn't right. Something was very wrong, and he could sense it. He glanced to the right, just in time.
"Get down!" He yelled, dragging Mercy to the ground as cables shot by overhead and embedded themselves into the corner of the building that made up one side of the alley. Within one breath, Griffin had them both up and halfway down the block.
"What just happened?!"
"Backup, that's all. Only five Paladins, we can take those bloody arses." He grinned sickly and sank into a ready crouch, facing the five men running full tilt towards them. He was tense with excitement, trembling with an adrenaline rush.
"All five?!" Mercy asked hysterically, backing up a few steps.
"Sure, I've taken ten at a time and won. It's not that… hard. Crap." Griffin spun on his heels and grabbed Mercy by the wrist. "Run Mercy." They took off down the street at a breakneck pace, which was swarming with at least two dozen Paladins. Griffin had jumped here too much. They must have seen him, realized who he was, and set a trap. And with Mercy, inexperienced and new at the whole Paladin Hunter deal, he wasn't going to take any unnecessary risks.
"Why aren't we jumping, Griffin?!"
"Did you listen to a single bloody thing I said?! Think Mercy! Boxes! Teleportation! Jumpscars!"
"Oh shit!" She said, remembering some of the things she had learned from him through her panic.
"Exactly."
Mercy gave a small scream as Paladins cut them off. Griffin deftly jumped the two of them a few yards past the blockade as some of the ECG's went off, and a few of the Paladins that had been tailing them screamed and yelled in pain. An evil smirk adorned his face as he turned a corner onto a different street and then again, into an alley. He cursed colorfully under his breath as he saw the dead end ahead of them. He then dragged Mercy with him to the darkest corner and stepped in front of her, pinning her there with his back to the opening. He felt so vulnerable, exposing his back like that, but his idea was their only chance to save themselves from jumping and gathering attention.
"What are you doing?!" She hissed, green eyes wide and panicked.
"Shh!" He growled back. "Don't move!"
"I am not—"
"Shut up!" He clapped a hand over her mouth as Paladins thundered past the mouth of the alley, some limping or clutching arms. A few stopped at the mouth of the alley, peering into the darkness.
Griffin mouthed silently the words, "Don't move," and Mercy nodded, wide eyed. They both stood completely still and tense, barely daring to breathe.
The Paladins moved on, unable to see anything of them in the darkest corner of the alley, and Griffin visibly relaxed. He glanced to Mercy as she spoke, sounding disbelieving.
"How the hell did they not see us?"
"Black leather jacket and dark pants plus shadowy corner equals invisibility." Griffin said matter-of-factly. "I learned that on one of my jobs in Berlin."
He backtracked to the alley opening and peeked out.
"Griffin, what are we going to do?"
He sank back into the alley and turned to face her, a small, tired smile on his face. It was really dark outside now, and the only reason she could see it was because he was facing the streetlight. "We're going to take a train."
"What?"
"We'll jump once we're a few miles away. Of course, that means finding an underground station first."
"Underground?"
"London subway, love. Keep up with me and stop acting so clueless-American." He said impatiently, waving a hand. "We're near Regent's Park, there's a station there, and they have trains that leave every five minutes. We'll have to walk the few blocks there, but it shouldn't take too long and it's not far at all."
Mercy nodded, and watched as Griffin peeked out the alley again. He was about to take a step before he dodged back in with a curse. He was becoming increasingly foul-mouthed tonight, Mercy noticed.
"What is it?" She asked warily.
"They're doubling back, doing a grid search. We can't head back the way we came because there are wounded but armed Paladins back there, I don't know how many, and even more perfectly functional Paladins the way we're supposed to be going." He was looking desperate. "We'll have to jump. At least ten different places, and we can't go together because that will leave a bigger jumpscar… unless…" There was a wild light in his eyes as he suddenly started pulling off her jacket. His motions were frantic, and he yanked it off within seconds.
"Griffin, what are you—"
He cut her off with a manic, "Shh!", and then took his own jacket off.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Griffin grabbed her shoulders, looking her squarely in the face. "Trust me."
"I trust you, but I don't see—"
She was cut off abruptly as he kissed her, and she tensed and backed up into the wall of the alley. The kiss grew more intense, and she could taste his panic. Her heart thudded and skipped in her chest, and even though she knew it was stupid and she was utterly bewildered, she started to kiss him back.
"Ugh. Teenagers."
"That's not—?"
"Can't be. He wasn't wearing that."
Mercy could barely hear footsteps over the pounding of her heart and her own ragged breathing. A small warning bell rang in the back of her mind. They were probably bargoers walking home from the pub. The other bargoers, the Paladins, would be there any second, and what the hell was she doing? Making out with Griffin of course. She reluctantly started to push Griffin away, and he broke off abruptly, panting. He glanced to the mouth of the alley, a wild light in his eyes.
Mercy was left leaning against the wall for support, wondering what had brought that on so suddenly, and wondering if he would kiss her again if they got out of this hellhole alive.
Griffin turned, saw her expression, and laughed breathlessly, picking up her jacket and handing it to her, picking up his at the same time.
She took it and watched as he pulled his on, her brows creasing in a frown. "What's so funny?" She asked, sliding her arm into one sleeve.
"Just you." He said, stepping watchfully out of the opening of the alley.
She followed him, glancing guardedly around the corner of the wall to see the receding backs of Paladins.
"And them." Griffin said with a dark chuckle.
As something clicked in Mercy's mind, and hurt, reproach, and outright fury started to build in her chest.
How could he use her like that? She realized now why he had kissed her. They hadn't looked like Griffin and Mercy, notorious Jumpers-slash-Paladin-Hunters. They'd looked like a couple of drunk teens making out. He had on a white shirt under his leather jacket, and he'd taken both of their jackets off. For a moment, she'd actually thought she'd felt something. She'd started to think that she was beginning to really like him.
Of course, Griffin didn't know that, but he should have warned her first, so she would have known he was acting. So she could have been wary of it and not gotten caught up in her emotions. She would have been prepared and not been fooled.
"Now's our chance, while their backs are turned. We can make a break for it and—Mercy?"
Mercy was frozen in place, her thoughts in turmoil, and a sour expression crossing her face as she stared at the group of Paladins.
"Mercy, we have to go." Griffin said urgently. "Mercy, love, what's wrong?!"
She slowly turned to him, emerald eyes hardening.
"Oh crap. Not now, Mercy. Please not now. Hate me later, okay? Please…" His eyes flicked to the Paladins, panicked. They were about to come back for another sweep.
"There!"
Griffin took a step toward her, and she took a step back, into the wall of the alley and further from the approaching Paladins. Griffin's back was once again to them. He came up next to her and she retreated further into the alley, glaring at him reproachfully. His side was now exposed to the Paladins.
"Mercy," He pleaded. "Come on. We have to move!"
But it was already too late. The mouth of the alley was blocked off by a line of Paladins.
Griffin reacted quickly, pushing Mercy out of the way as a cable came flying at her. She fell to the ground with a small yelp, and the cables hit Griffin clean across the chest.
His shoulder and back slammed into the wall, the brackets puncturing the brick with ease and drawing the cables tight. He made a pained snarling sound as the electric current coursed through him, and he writhed in pain. Then he fell limp, panting heavily and shining with sweat.
"Griffin?" Mercy asked, sounding small and lost.
Still panting raggedly, Griffin looked up. "Go, Mercy." He rasped as the Paladin reloaded. His eyes flashed to the gun and then back to her. "Mercy, go!"
"N-no, Griffin, I can't leave y—"
"I SAID FUCKING GO!" He bellowed before twisting in pain again as another current flowed through him.
Mercy flinched away, disappearing right as a cable was shot at her. It hit the ground and slid away towards the dead end alley.
Dead end. Griffin thought. Exactly.
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Mercy jumped to as many places as she could remember from her old life. The park where she'd once walked her dog. The elementary school. Her old house. Her parent's house. Janet's house. Tyler's house. Her old apartment.
She stopped when she reached the forest by the second town she'd lived in, falling to her knees in a field of redwood trees and ferns. This had been her refuge. Her escape.
She choked back a sob. How could she have left him like that? Even if he was an asshole… he was her friend. The person she was beginning to think she'd maybe… possibly… fallen head over heels for. He'd get away. He had to. She knew it. With that thought in mind, she jumped back to the lair to wait.
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Griffin watched as they went through the procedure of opening a wormhole using the machine. Way too many Paladins to count went through, and he glimpsed at least two more machines. They'd brought the whole fucking cavalry. Why?
Griffin hoped beyond hope that she'd jumped more than three times. He didn't know why. It wouldn't help any.
It was thirteen and a half excruciatingly painful minutes of waiting. He knew because he counted the seconds. They were just ignoring him, focusing on getting her and leaving the trapped one for later. Then he heard a curse.
"Damn! Are you sure she's not there?!" More cursing ensued, and then Griffin glimpsed the last person on the planet he wanted to see in the vulnerable position he was in.
A snarl built in his throat as he tensed visibly, flickering slightly before he was shocked. And still there, still stuck. His blue gaze held one emotion. Not fear, nor regret. Nothing but pure, undiluted hatred.
"Griffin O'Connor."
"Roland."
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And there you have it! Amazing, suspenseful, cliff-hanger-y… I'm sorry it took me so long guys. I really hope you liked it. I can now give you another clue as to what shall be on the soundtrack. Believe by the Bravery shall be one of the songs. Try to guess who and what it's for. Plus, I'm still accepting soundtrack songs. I will be until I finish this fanfic, don't hesitate to send me a suggestion.
Meanwhile, I shall be working on the next chapter, which shall hopefully be up sooner, rather than later! Please review! I lurve them, and they motivate me.
-Wolfie
