A/N: I said I would update once or twice a week. I have the feeling that I had better clear things up a bit:
I intend to post one (1) or two (2) new parts of the interactive fan fiction 'Journey through Hell' each week. For the sake of everyone, let us decide here and now that a week ranges from Saturday to the following Saturday. It is possible that more than two (2) parts will be posted each week, but due to homework, job, a life, and various obligations as a student in my last year of high school, it is not very likely. The only reason why more than two (2) parts were posted this week, is because I for once had a free weekend.
We all clear? Eeeeeeeeeexcellent!
'...' Indicates telepathy
* * *
Chapter Five: With a little luck...
* * *
"It's empty, sir," a policewoman reported, and officer Jonathan Shane sighed.
He'd been certain that Cain told the truth, that this was indeed a mutie hide-out, but either the mutants were long gone, or Cain had lied.
It was probably the former - Shane was willing to bet that this place was just a meeting-place of some sort, a place to buy or sell...whatever the muties were smuggling.
Around him the rest of his unit were investigating the place, trying to find something - anything - that could lead them to the location of the mutant gang. A flicker of movement caught his eye, and he turned around. One of the younger officers hurried though the door, towards Shane, while waving with a piece of paper.
"Sir? We found a witness - one of the guards. He claim that the muties bribed his colleagues to destroy the surveillance tapes, but he says that he remembers the license plates of the muties' car," the young officer said.
"They probably bribed him, too," Shane mumbled, but dismissed the thought. They could deal with the corrupt guards later on. Right now they had some freaks to catch.
"Did you run a check on the car?" he asked. The young man - hardly more than a boy - nodded.
"Yes, sir. It belongs to some guy in Florida, but the interesting part is that the car's been seen at the same location at least four times - outside a supposedly abandoned warehouse, down by the harbor."
Shane smiled slowly.
Well, well. They might get to catch some mutants after all.
* * *
The silence in the two cars was so heavy that you could almost feel it - an uncomfortable blanket of sadness, disbelief, nervousness, and barely controlled anger.
The Guardians had split up in two cars, but had decided to travel together. That way they would had the advantage of both powers and numbers if it came to a confrontation with the humans. Hopefully Ryan's telepathic abilities would be able to get them safely through most things, but there was always the risk that something would go wrong.
Suzuka sat in the last of the cars, along with Jhonen and Kyle. She had grabbed the backseat in the hope that her teammates would get the hint and leave her alone. And so far they had, much to Suzuka's relief.
Because right now, she wasn't in the mood for pointless conversations or speculations of the future. This whole situation reminded her too much of the events that took place during the martial arts tournament in Baltimore almost two years ago. She'd run away then, too. Run away from the people who'd seen her powers emerge, the people who'd seen her almost kill her opponent. She hadn't meant to, hadn't even known what was happening, but...it hadn't mattered. One minutes she had been fighting, and the next...the next she had found herself staring at the near-lifeless body of her opponent, scarred by numerous, deep claw-marks.
So she ran. She left the town and lay low, and tried to make a living by taking on the occasional odd job.
But there was one major difference between then and the situation she now found herself in - back then, it had been her fault. This time - this time, they had done nothing wrong. They had tried to protect the people in their neighborhood, tried to protect the innocents from the mutants who preferred to use their powers for evil...and yet they still had to run like they were nothing but common criminals.
It was things like this that almost - *almost* - made her understand why the Shadow Alliance acted like they did. But just almost.
Suzuka sighed and closed her eyes. This was going to be a long trip.
* * *
Laetitia opened a bag and emptied it on her bad. Three or four small guns, extra ammunition, a couple of knives, a pair of binoculars, and a few holsters tumbled out and landed in a heap on the black sheet, and Laetitia spread them out to get a better look.
On the other side of the bed, Pheonix followed Laetitia's movements, the slightly suspicious look in her eyes hidden by the ever-present pair of blue sunglasses. Since her brother's death when she was fifteen, she had hated weapons, and never really trusted anyone who carried one.
"Pick one," Laetitia said coldly.
Pheonix glared at her.
"I don't like guns, Nike. I thought you knew that."
"Get over it," Laetitia ordered, and her voice had a harder edge this time. "Now pick one!"
"Why?" Pheonix asked defiantly. "I have the power to control water. I don't need a gun to defend myself."
"Because the moment we leave this place, you won't always have water nearby. Pick a weapon, little girl...*now*."
Pheonix' eyes flared at the 'little girl' comment, but she bit back her sarcastic retort. The rational part of her mind knew that Laetitia was right - they would pass through a lot of dry areas, and it wasn't wise to travel through the continent unarmed. On the other hand...on the other hand her brother had been killed by a gunshot. The kind of weapon Laetitia offered her now had brought her nothing but loss and suffering.
She couldn't betray her brother's memory this way. She couldn't...but she didn't have a choice. They had all been trained by Blade and Laetitia to use a gun...maybe it was time to finally use that training for something.
Pheonix reached out and took the smallest of the guns, and Laetitia send her a rare smile - or at least what could be called 'smiling' where the Greek assassin was concerned.
Pheonix smiled back, a weak, thin smile, and tried to ignore the whispered, accusing words of a long-gone brother.
* * *
Ryan should have known.
It had been too easy so far. They hadn't been stopped by anyone, they hadn't had any trouble whatsoever...of course they were overdue for some bad luck. The first hint had been the strong feeling of frustration, annoyance, and fear somewhere on the other side of the large hill they were driving on...namely at the point where three of the highways met and marked the beginning of the relatively new super-highway that lead to Chicago. Then he'd tried to pinpoint the cause of these emotions, only to regret it the moment he found his answer.
'Kyle', he sent to the driver of the other car.
'Yeah?' Kyle replied.
'Trouble ahead. A checkpoint.'
In the other car, Kyle frowned. A checkpoint?
'What's the problem? Can't you just convince the police to let us through?'
'I'm not sure, Kyle. I'm afraid the government means business.'
Kyle wanted to ask what on earth Ryan was talking about, but he didn't get around to doing that. At that moment they reached the top of the hill and had a clear view of the area ahead of them...and finally Kyle saw what had made Ryan so worried.
The Chicago super-highway was completely blocked - police-cars and roadblocks made sure that only humans were allowed to continue. Hundreds of cars filled the road, all waiting to be checked by the many government workers and police officers who all kept a close eye on things.
In the other car, Ryan felt a shiver down his spine.
Murphy's Law had struck again.
* * *
Blade tossed a heavy bag on the floor, then placed two shotguns on the table.
"Nike, Hal," he said, and the two nodded. Sniper rifles wouldn't be of much use in a gunfight, so they had to exchange them for something a little...heavier.
Blade looked at his six teammates.
"We all ready?"
A chorus of 'yes' followed his words, and Blade nodded.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen...let's leave this dump."
* * *
Outside the warehouse, at the front gate, a group of black-clad men appeared from the shadows. One of them made a signal with his hand, and one of the others placed a chunk of C-4 on the solid gate. With quick, precise movements, the man put a detonator on the explosives and activated it.
The group dived for cover and waited for ten seemingly endless seconds.
* * *
A blast tore though the air, and Blade spun around, instinctively reaching for his gun. Laetitia and Hal grabbed the shotguns on the table
"What the fuck is going on?" Pheonix demanded.
But before anyone could answer, the door was kicked in, and a large group of black-clad figures ran into the room.
"NYPD! Freeze!" someone yelled.
And suddenly all Hell broke loose.
* * *
I intend to post one (1) or two (2) new parts of the interactive fan fiction 'Journey through Hell' each week. For the sake of everyone, let us decide here and now that a week ranges from Saturday to the following Saturday. It is possible that more than two (2) parts will be posted each week, but due to homework, job, a life, and various obligations as a student in my last year of high school, it is not very likely. The only reason why more than two (2) parts were posted this week, is because I for once had a free weekend.
We all clear? Eeeeeeeeeexcellent!
'...' Indicates telepathy
* * *
Chapter Five: With a little luck...
* * *
"It's empty, sir," a policewoman reported, and officer Jonathan Shane sighed.
He'd been certain that Cain told the truth, that this was indeed a mutie hide-out, but either the mutants were long gone, or Cain had lied.
It was probably the former - Shane was willing to bet that this place was just a meeting-place of some sort, a place to buy or sell...whatever the muties were smuggling.
Around him the rest of his unit were investigating the place, trying to find something - anything - that could lead them to the location of the mutant gang. A flicker of movement caught his eye, and he turned around. One of the younger officers hurried though the door, towards Shane, while waving with a piece of paper.
"Sir? We found a witness - one of the guards. He claim that the muties bribed his colleagues to destroy the surveillance tapes, but he says that he remembers the license plates of the muties' car," the young officer said.
"They probably bribed him, too," Shane mumbled, but dismissed the thought. They could deal with the corrupt guards later on. Right now they had some freaks to catch.
"Did you run a check on the car?" he asked. The young man - hardly more than a boy - nodded.
"Yes, sir. It belongs to some guy in Florida, but the interesting part is that the car's been seen at the same location at least four times - outside a supposedly abandoned warehouse, down by the harbor."
Shane smiled slowly.
Well, well. They might get to catch some mutants after all.
* * *
The silence in the two cars was so heavy that you could almost feel it - an uncomfortable blanket of sadness, disbelief, nervousness, and barely controlled anger.
The Guardians had split up in two cars, but had decided to travel together. That way they would had the advantage of both powers and numbers if it came to a confrontation with the humans. Hopefully Ryan's telepathic abilities would be able to get them safely through most things, but there was always the risk that something would go wrong.
Suzuka sat in the last of the cars, along with Jhonen and Kyle. She had grabbed the backseat in the hope that her teammates would get the hint and leave her alone. And so far they had, much to Suzuka's relief.
Because right now, she wasn't in the mood for pointless conversations or speculations of the future. This whole situation reminded her too much of the events that took place during the martial arts tournament in Baltimore almost two years ago. She'd run away then, too. Run away from the people who'd seen her powers emerge, the people who'd seen her almost kill her opponent. She hadn't meant to, hadn't even known what was happening, but...it hadn't mattered. One minutes she had been fighting, and the next...the next she had found herself staring at the near-lifeless body of her opponent, scarred by numerous, deep claw-marks.
So she ran. She left the town and lay low, and tried to make a living by taking on the occasional odd job.
But there was one major difference between then and the situation she now found herself in - back then, it had been her fault. This time - this time, they had done nothing wrong. They had tried to protect the people in their neighborhood, tried to protect the innocents from the mutants who preferred to use their powers for evil...and yet they still had to run like they were nothing but common criminals.
It was things like this that almost - *almost* - made her understand why the Shadow Alliance acted like they did. But just almost.
Suzuka sighed and closed her eyes. This was going to be a long trip.
* * *
Laetitia opened a bag and emptied it on her bad. Three or four small guns, extra ammunition, a couple of knives, a pair of binoculars, and a few holsters tumbled out and landed in a heap on the black sheet, and Laetitia spread them out to get a better look.
On the other side of the bed, Pheonix followed Laetitia's movements, the slightly suspicious look in her eyes hidden by the ever-present pair of blue sunglasses. Since her brother's death when she was fifteen, she had hated weapons, and never really trusted anyone who carried one.
"Pick one," Laetitia said coldly.
Pheonix glared at her.
"I don't like guns, Nike. I thought you knew that."
"Get over it," Laetitia ordered, and her voice had a harder edge this time. "Now pick one!"
"Why?" Pheonix asked defiantly. "I have the power to control water. I don't need a gun to defend myself."
"Because the moment we leave this place, you won't always have water nearby. Pick a weapon, little girl...*now*."
Pheonix' eyes flared at the 'little girl' comment, but she bit back her sarcastic retort. The rational part of her mind knew that Laetitia was right - they would pass through a lot of dry areas, and it wasn't wise to travel through the continent unarmed. On the other hand...on the other hand her brother had been killed by a gunshot. The kind of weapon Laetitia offered her now had brought her nothing but loss and suffering.
She couldn't betray her brother's memory this way. She couldn't...but she didn't have a choice. They had all been trained by Blade and Laetitia to use a gun...maybe it was time to finally use that training for something.
Pheonix reached out and took the smallest of the guns, and Laetitia send her a rare smile - or at least what could be called 'smiling' where the Greek assassin was concerned.
Pheonix smiled back, a weak, thin smile, and tried to ignore the whispered, accusing words of a long-gone brother.
* * *
Ryan should have known.
It had been too easy so far. They hadn't been stopped by anyone, they hadn't had any trouble whatsoever...of course they were overdue for some bad luck. The first hint had been the strong feeling of frustration, annoyance, and fear somewhere on the other side of the large hill they were driving on...namely at the point where three of the highways met and marked the beginning of the relatively new super-highway that lead to Chicago. Then he'd tried to pinpoint the cause of these emotions, only to regret it the moment he found his answer.
'Kyle', he sent to the driver of the other car.
'Yeah?' Kyle replied.
'Trouble ahead. A checkpoint.'
In the other car, Kyle frowned. A checkpoint?
'What's the problem? Can't you just convince the police to let us through?'
'I'm not sure, Kyle. I'm afraid the government means business.'
Kyle wanted to ask what on earth Ryan was talking about, but he didn't get around to doing that. At that moment they reached the top of the hill and had a clear view of the area ahead of them...and finally Kyle saw what had made Ryan so worried.
The Chicago super-highway was completely blocked - police-cars and roadblocks made sure that only humans were allowed to continue. Hundreds of cars filled the road, all waiting to be checked by the many government workers and police officers who all kept a close eye on things.
In the other car, Ryan felt a shiver down his spine.
Murphy's Law had struck again.
* * *
Blade tossed a heavy bag on the floor, then placed two shotguns on the table.
"Nike, Hal," he said, and the two nodded. Sniper rifles wouldn't be of much use in a gunfight, so they had to exchange them for something a little...heavier.
Blade looked at his six teammates.
"We all ready?"
A chorus of 'yes' followed his words, and Blade nodded.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen...let's leave this dump."
* * *
Outside the warehouse, at the front gate, a group of black-clad men appeared from the shadows. One of them made a signal with his hand, and one of the others placed a chunk of C-4 on the solid gate. With quick, precise movements, the man put a detonator on the explosives and activated it.
The group dived for cover and waited for ten seemingly endless seconds.
* * *
A blast tore though the air, and Blade spun around, instinctively reaching for his gun. Laetitia and Hal grabbed the shotguns on the table
"What the fuck is going on?" Pheonix demanded.
But before anyone could answer, the door was kicked in, and a large group of black-clad figures ran into the room.
"NYPD! Freeze!" someone yelled.
And suddenly all Hell broke loose.
* * *
