Bullets whizzed about as sirens blurred all around them. Their feet carrying them further and further through twists and turns that dominated the labyrinthine street layout of Night City. Beneath the cloudy sky hanging overhead the city, Civilians fled the open.
Hiding and cowering behind any gated shops, stores, restaurants and apartments they could find. Security screens rose and fell over the windows, protecting the occupants from stray bullets and ricochet in the nick of time as Dorio sprayed a ferocious salvo of fire at the pursuing Arasaka and pocketed NCPD cops.
Sasha and Maine dashed into an old abandoned warehouse as quickly as they could as with David hanging limply from one of Maine's gigantic arms.
His ears were ringing and the sounds he heard were muffled as all he could see was read. Red on his clothes, on his face, his arms and hands. He knew it was not his blood. After all, it was him who had struck the killing blow. With wide eyes, David stared at his hand, feeling the bits of human flesh not his own beneath his fingernails.
Maine let him go behind a long conveyor belt, firing his guns as Dorio retreated, blockaded the doors with anything she could get her hands on. Sets of heavy metallic rows fell across the doorway as Dorio leapt to Maine's side, while Sasha's burned with a golden hue.
Distantly, he felt large hands yank at the back of his clothes before he was shaken by an iron grip on his shoulders, staring into Maine's frantic grey eyes.
"Kid! Kid! How did you just do that shit back there!?" David blinked at Maine whose face creased into deep trenches as he shook David once more. "What implants do you have?! David, you have to tell me!"
"Leave it Maine! Kid has no implants and his fucking out of it! We need to keep moving now!"
At Dorio's shout Maine grimaced, cursing under his breath. Sasha jolted her head up as she turned to Maine reloading her pistols.
"I've caused some distractions for the gonkers outside, but we don't have long. There's more of 'em on the way!"
At Sasha's words Maine nodded before tossing David's stunned form to Sasha her face changing colours as she glared at the boy in her arms. The roof shook, and a deep rattling noise filled the entire warehouse as the four of them were on the move again.
"Ok change of plans. We're heading for Uptown Mall. Even Arasaka knows not to mess with the Security Guard!"
Maine jerked his head and took point with Dorio at his side.
"Dorio and I take point. Sasha you watch over David!"
The sharp hissing noise from erupting from Sasha's throat went unheard as the four rush through and out of the warehouse, with Dorio and Maine leading the way as Sasha dragged a stumbling David along with her.
Tall fences with barbed wire and boarded up windows greeted them where ever they looked.
Hidden within a narrow and dark alley, Dorio checked her weapons, casting a glance at the irate Sasha.
"Hey any word on Kiwi and Lucy yet?"
"On the way here with Falco and Becca, but the streets are swarming with Arasaka." She turned looking at David whose gaze was far off, droplets of blood still staining his face.
With a growl, she slapped him, letting her nails drag along his skin.
David blinked as he held cheek as he looked at Sasha, her hairs on end as she practically hissed at him. The back of her hand pressed against the other side of his face as she fixed him with a glare.
"We're gonna get you outta here to ya' daddy and once we do, you and I will have a lot of talkin' ta do. But 'til then pull yer' damn' head outta yer' ass!"
David nodded numbly, sirens and harsh voices blurted out of loudspeakers from seemingly everywhere as dark clouds rolled over their heads.
A thought was beginning to form in his confounded mind as he felt Sasha's hand linger against his cheek. Her hand felt soft, warm and, most disturbingly to David, familiar.
But before he could say anything, he saw Sasha's eyes widen, the golden hue vanishing in a blink as she pulled herself out of the net. Gazing at her hand, Sasha's face twisted, and she yanked her hand away with an indescribable grimace. Without another word, Sasha grabbed him by the hem of the shirt and pulled him along.
The air rumbled, and the wind picked up as the group hurried along black concrete streets, past the fences and boarded up windows.
David gulped heavily, scanning his surroundings quickly and carefully when he saw something from the corner of his eyes.
"Sasha, are you licking your nails?"
She quirked her eyebrow, her fingers to her lips as she stared at him and David's hand traced the cheek she had hit. Feeling the trails underneath his fingers. Wet blood brushing against his fingertips. With a shiver David turned away, glancing up and down the alley.
His heart hammered as he caught a glimpse of glinted steel. The length of a barrel turning around the corner, before the bullets flew again Dorio and Maine charging forth as they broke through a formation of NCPD cops Arasaka troopers on the high-ground beyond the butchered blue line, immediately taking shots at the group.
David felt icy fear as he stared the desperate face of Maine firing his arm cannon, the muzzle flash revealing something that David had seen only once. The familiar manic glint rippled within his grey eyes, and the edges of his grin were ever so sharp.
With sharp cries, two Arasaka goons in suits fell, their assault and submachine guns falling from their limp, dead fingers. Blood splattered the sole survivor, a hand gripping his bleeding side.
Like a wolf smelling blood, Dorio leapt across the blockading NCPD cars, onto the veranda. Firing her dual pistols the entire time into the collapsing goon, destroying his chest and head under her furious barrage.
Arasaka military cars shot out of the turns behind them. Nipping at their heels as Dorio threw the captured weapons and munitions towards Maine as they ran north, only for large street barricades to shoot out of the street, blocking their way through Ferguson Street.
"To the right, to the right!" Maine roared as Sasha dragged David into the labyrinthine alleyways that led into Bradbury Street with a fierce look. Overhead sky-bridges, the walls and scenic view covered in advertisement glinted blue as the group ran past them, always a step ahead of them. Their pursuers hot on their heels.
"Where to Maine!?" Dorio shouted firing off shots over her shoulder and cursed loudly as another barrier with crossed bars emerged from the ground and Maine took a turn into a nook in the street leading them through a small market. Abandoned by people, the stands empty of wares as Maine barrelled through them without slowing down.
"Watson Bridge to Watson Bridge!" Maine roared, the lamps hanging from the ceiling swung wildly as the wind roared outside. David blinked as a blue flicker raced through the corridor market, the lights flashing as the flicker passed through them and a solid metal gate slammed into place just in front of Maine's nose.
"It'll put us out in the open, boss!" Sasha her pink blue eyes burning gold, her mouth twisted into a snarl. It was a look of anger that made David's heart skip a beat just looking at her.
"The bridge is a hive of its own, and it's our best shot. Now keep running!" Maine led them over criss-crossing staircases, past cell bars and barricades slamming into place all around them.
"If I ever find th' fucker whos' messin' with us I'll put 'em into a fuckin' furnace with the' rest of dis fuckin' city!" Sasha snarled viciously, and David shared her sentiment wholeheartedly.
They turned and turned, chasing their own tails without end, looking for the exit. Left, right, left, left; then right again only to meet another bar placed in front of their noses by some devious and twisted person.
Where ever they went that strange blue flicker arrived ahead of them and solid blockades, barriers and barred gates closed off their paths. Forcing them to brave the hailstorm of gunfire, climb over obstacles and squeeze through every nook and cranny their scampering feet could find.
"It's another dead end!" Sasha shouted anger and panic clear to hear as Maine looked about frantically for a way out.
'This place,' David thought with a chill going down his spine as Maine shot a hole into the wall next to them. Hands frantically digging, making it just large enough for them to squeeze through as the sound of their hunters echoed out from behind them.
Bullets whizzed past them and Dorio unleashed a ferocious retaliation, the barrels of her rifles glowing bright red as she fired away at their Arasaka pursuers.
"Through here!" Without hesitation, Sasha, David and Dorio followed Maine out, falling onto the street below. A gust of wind crashed into their faces, dark clouds hung over the city as David caught a glimpse of the street sign and felt a cold realization settled into his very bones.
He didn't need to turn around to hear the blaring sirens and speeding cars from the south rushing up Bellevue Street.
David dashed forward with Sasha close behind, hacking through a car security software and hijacked a large van.
"Maine, Dorio I got us a ride!"
"Great going kid!" As Maine jumped into the shotgun seat with Dorio gripping the wheel with white knuckles.
Sasha and David pressed themselves into the backseat as Dorio slammed her foot on the gas and the van burned forward with squealing tires.
Neon lights from tall skyscrapers shot past them as they blitzed up the street towards Charter street as the city fell into darkness. Dark clouds blotted out the sun and loud, window rattling thunder boomed across the sky.
"And now there is a fucking storm hitting the city fan-fucking-tastic." Maine grumbled wearily, his eyes watching the sky for any VTOL heading their way.
He didn't see what David did. The way the skyscrapers touched the clouds, bent and twisted like misshapen fingers. The bars, the barricades, the skybridges connecting the building in every possible way, even leading to dead ends. From dark and cramped alleyways to the busy streets lying in the valleys of the towering buildings and megatowers.
'This city, is a maze.' David realized, and he felt a bottomless pit open up within his gut. It was a deep and dark place where his heart fell into, dragged down by his new found knowledge. He felt himself fall deeper and deeper. Without end.
This chapter was a bit tough in regards to the ending, I was worried about the pacing, dialogue (mainly Maine and Dorio I hope I did them justice) and picking a balance between showing and telling.
I wanted to put some other stuff into this chapter but I think it would've just bloated it and made it far too long to be enjoyable :(.
What do you guys think? Was the action enjoyable? Since the cat is now out of the bag, did any of you guys catch anything interessting in this chapter ;) ?
Yes it is a Marathon crossover fanfic and I aim for it to be a full on fusion.