29: The Chase Scene

The store on Main and 5th was only a short jog from the phone booth, so Flurry went at a lazy walk, figuring she could reach it in under fifteen minutes. As she made her way up the street, she nearly missed a step, feeling a cold ripple run up her spine. Someone's keeping an eye on me. She gave no outward sign of noticing, only increasing her speed a little.

As she hurried down the street, she noted something out of the corner or her eye. Two figures, shadowing her. One was incredibly bulky, like he lived in a gym or something, and the other was smaller, lithe and wiry. Bet they think I'll be easy to mug. Teach them. She increased her speed again.

The electronics store appeared, and she bounded inside, suddenly worried sick about her prospective muggers. I'm gonna be carrying sensitive equipment! Blast it!

She was gazing silently out the huge glass window, wondering where the pair had disappeared to, when someone tapped on her shoulder. She jumped and spun around, balling her hands into fists. The young man held up his hands in a placating gesture and grinned at her.

"Hey, sorry. I was wondering if you needed any help." He tossed his head, swinging a lock of blond hair out of his eyes.

Flurry smiled wanly. "I'm sorry. Just a little -- jumpy."

"No prob," he replied, shrugging easily. "Now, uh, did you just hop in here to get out of the sun -- or did you need something?"

She looked uncertain for a moment, glancing him up and down. The name tag pinned to his shirt read, "Brandon," and it was a little crooked, marked on and peeling. He had an easy manner that made her a bit more comfortable, even in her situation. She glanced around the shop. It was small, and the paint was peeling a little on the walls. There was a counter in the corner with a cash register and a couple of chairs on the far wall. No electronics were displayed, and the posters on the walls listed prices.

"I was wondering if you had any -- um -- cable?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Any kind -- or did you have something specific in mind?"

Flurry burst into giggles and read off the half of the list that she had been given. Brandon stood there for a minute, trying to soak it all in. He shook his head.

"Let me get Nick out here -- he'll know all that better than me." He turned around and yelled at the back room. "Hey, Nick! We've got a customer out here -- needs some help!"

"Coming!" A moment later, another young man burst out of the back room, skidding to a halt as he saw Brandon. "What is it?"

"Read it off -- uh." He glanced at her.

"Flurry," she told him, and read the list off to Nick, who nodded every once in a while. "Um, do you have any of that?" she asked finally.

"Most of it," he informed her. "Everything except the last two, I think." With that said, he bounded off to the back room to collect the items she had named.

Brandon tapped his right temple. "Mind like a computer, man." Then he paused. "You memorized that whole list?" he asked.

"Actually, that's only half of it," she replied absently, not heeding her words. "My friend has the other -- uh, I mean --" She looked up at the young man, but he had already walked over to the cash register.

"We-e-ell. That's gonna be some cash total."

Flurry's eyes went wide. Of all the things to forget! "I don't have any money," she whispered, feeling like a fool.

Brandon looked up at her. "No money." He looked at her steadily. "Hey, Nick! Forget about that stuff!"

Flurry's face grew chagrined. "But -- I need that stuff! It's my only way home!"

"Look, man," Brandon said apologetically, "I'm sorry, but we can't just let you have over five -- six hundred dollars' worth of equipment. The manager would kill us."

Nick came out of the back room, bearing electronics devices of every shape and kind in his arms. Flurry glanced at him, back at Brandon.

"Look, can't you just bill us?"

"Bill you?"

"What's going on?" Nick asked.

"I don't think we can bill you," Brandon said.

"But --"

He shook his head, cutting her off. "Where are you staying?"

"I -- over at Dr. Light's?" she said to him.

He stared at her for a moment. "D-doc Light?" He shook his head. "Sorry -- I didn't realize! All right." He turned to Nick, who was still looking at them both in befuddlement. "Get the rest of the stuff." He grinned, tossing Flurry a thumbs-up. "No prob. The doc's an old customer. Rock comes by here all the time."

Flurry's mouth tilted in a faint smile. Nick had set the equipment carefully on the floor and darted back to the storeroom. Brandon looked thoughtfully at the huge pile.

"You know," he said, "I could probably load all that in my truck and drive it up to the lab." He looked up. "Won't cost any extra."

She frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded firmly. "That would probably be best. Um, can that be done today?"

"Yeah, sure. Soon as I get off shift." He leaned against the counter, grinning roguishly. "Shouldn't be too long."

Nick returned with the rest of the stuff, and he set it down with a heavy sigh. "You know, that total is going to be something else!" He flopped down in a rickety chair, yawning.

Brandon turned to him. "Nick, load that in the truck and give me a total. I'll deliver it and a bill as soon as Emily takes over for me."

Nick nodded, yawning again. "Five minutes."

Flurry smiled gratefully, turning to go. She stopped, catching sight of the figure leaning lazily against the glass. It was the smaller of the two, but she saw the larger saunter past to the other side of the door. She trembled, unable to move or even think for a moment. Crap -- they're waiting for me. I'll never be able to get past them.

Brandon walked up beside her. "Those two friends of yours?" he asked doubtfully, and she shook her head wordlessly. "We've got a back door. You can leave that way."

She looked at him, nodding gratefully.

As they disappeared into the back room, Flurry heard the distinctive sound of shattering glass. She almost turned, fearing what she might see, but Brandon grabbed her arm and took off running, dragging her along.

"What about --"

"Nick can hold 'em off," he snapped. "We've gotta get you outside."

The door came into sight a bare two seconds later, and Brandon threw her toward it fiercely. "Get moving!" he shouted, hearing them come crashing into the back. "I'll think of something."

Flurry hesitated for a moment, but ran outside, trying to convince herself that she wasn't abandoning those two humans to their deaths. The thugs were after her, without a doubt, but how worried were they about --

She looked desperately both directions down the alley. Where do I go? She heard a crashing noise just behind her and scrambled in the direction that led back to Main Street. I've gotta find Zero. She pounded down the alley, dust kicking up in her footsteps. A shout from behind spun her around, whipping her hair into her face. As it dropped away, she saw the two figures take on a sudden glow.

"Robots!" she hissed.

They stepped out of the shadows, and she gasped. "What -- who -- !"

"Get her!" bellowed the big one.

Flurry scrambled insanely to the street and stopped, looking desperately at the racing traffic. Oh, why me! Hearing the two approaching fast behind her, she took a flying leap into the middle of the road. She landed on the hood of one of the cars with a crunch and immediately sprang to the next, making her way across a six-lane road in that fashion. She heard startled screams behind her as she landed on the other side.

Her pursuers were not nearly so agile. The big one wasn't, at least. The smaller was bounding across the car hoods more easily than she had, but the other was smashing fenders in a fierce attempt to push through traffic.

Flurry heaved a deep breath and ran off down the next alley. They were even closer than before now, and she doubled her speed out of sheer desperation, not really caring whether they knew she was a robot. Her next sensation was off something sizable and heavy slamming into her back and pitching her forward. She skidded in the dirt, clawing at the ground in an attempt to stop her motion, and slammed into the large metal object that had been thrown at her.

"Ow-w-w!" she moaned.

"Ha!" roared the big one. "I got her!"

The smaller one pawed at his arm in annoyance. "Not human! Forte was right!"

"Shuttup, Slash. I don't care if Forte was right!"

Slash growled at him. "Oh -- then tell that to him when we meet next, Gutsman!"

Flurry raised herself up on her arms, trembling with pain. She tucked her knees up against her chest and staggered to her feet, taking a threatening stance. Her hair fell over her shoulder as she rocked forward, ready to fight. The other two noticed her, and Slash jabbed his hand at her. Gutsman looked furious.

"That should've knocked her out!" he shouted. "Boy, I'm gonna slam her so hard --"

At that point, a curious murmur of music filled the air. Flurry glanced around, trying to discover its origin, and a blur of red and grey landed in front of her. She stumbled back, but the robot clearly wasn't paying any attention to her.

"You know," he was saying thoughtfully, "you boys ought to learn how to treat a lady."

Flurry glared. She was sick of being referred to as 'a lady.'

"What do you want?" Gutsman yelled. "We don't need your help, here!"

Slash tilted his head at the visitor. "What do you want? We have business to conduct, you understand."

"Sorry." The robot didn't sound sorry at all. "Your business with her is finished, got it? Now, you run back home to Doc Wily and tell him you're terribly sorry." The robot set the shield he had been carrying on the ground. "Or I can send you back. Your choice."

Gutsman glowered for a moment, and Slash chattered his teeth in annoyance, but they both turned and walked out of the alley, leaving Flurry alone with the strange intruder.

He turned around, allowing her to see his face -- or not see it. He wore a visor that covered his eyes, but not the sardonic grin on his face.

Flurry immediately sprang to attack him, yelling out a war cry, but he jumped aside, grin fading into a look of surprise. "Now that's some gratitude!" he remarked. "I'd really hate to be on your bad side."

Flurry blew her hair out of her face, gazing at him in annoyance. "Who are you?" she asked darkly.

The grin returned, and he picked up his shield. "Now we're getting somewhere. I'm Blues. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Flurry," she said calmly.

"Yeah. I knew that." He glanced around. "Well, I'd better make sure those two went home like I told them."

Without another word, he warped away, and Flurry could only stare at the spot where he'd been standing.