Fallen
The wall of mist struck Robin causing his black cape to billow outward and cover the girl behind him from view. The moisture gathered in small droplets on the tips of his hair and on the ends of his eyelashes. The scream of the armored trains wheels as they scratched at the surface of the tracks burned his ears, but no indication of this was seen of his emotionless face. The disk within his chest held prisoner all the pains and joys behind its barricade of orange light. Slowly and almost painfully the large locomotive ground to a halt and the noise of the squealing tracks faded into nothing. Robin twisted behind him and was about to untie the girl from his back seat when another scream began to fade back in to Robins ears. It held all the anguish and rage that the screeching wheels had but this cry was growing louder. Robin looked skyward just in time to see a raging Torrent explode downward through the mist coming for him. Caught by surprise and unable to move quickly enough Robin was struck immediately. Torrent drove his heel into Robins face knocking him from the bike. Robin was flung from his mount as Torrent pushed off into the air and performed an aerial back flip. Torrent flew through the mist filled air, his knotted hair and torn clothes flapping in the wind. Then twisting his body like a falling cat he snapped himself around and landed nimbly upon all fours. Robin rose to both feet brushing dust from his black shirt, his left eye was bruised and blood was leaking from several small cuts on his left cheek. Torrent snarled unsmiling at the enemy that had stolen his Ann away from him. As metal scrapped across metal the large hulk of a train finally ground to a complete halt. An electronic door snapped open and three men wearing what looked like futuristic lab coats staggered hurriedly outward. Robin quickly glanced viciously toward them,
"Don't just stand there you fools grab the girl, I'll deal with the whelp." Torrent took full advantage of the lack of concentration Robin had displayed, and when the spiky haired boy turned back a blow from Torrents undamaged left arm sunk deep into his gut.
The air was squeezed violently from Robin's lungs and darkness creped in from the edges of his plain of vision. Torrent left him clutching his bruised ribcage and dashed toward the men attempting to untie Ann from the motorized bike. The first man let out a yelp of surprise as he was cast into the air by a charging Torrent. Another found his front teeth knocked in by a well paced left hook, the remaining scientist simply cowered backward away from the deranged animal that stood over him.
Torrent ripped free the final remains of the bonds restraining Ann; the effects of the drug still seemed to dominate her perception, for her eyes made no sign of opening as Torrent lifted her into his arms. He paused looking at her sleeping eyes, hoping for a glimmer of recognition. The lack of concentration cost Torrent, a flying kick into his lower spine caught him by surprise. He fell to the ground still clutching Ann tightly, cradling her from any harm. Torrent skidded across the rocky ground on his injured arm, gritting his teeth against the sharp pricks of agony. After the friction of his body against the earth had stopped him Torrent attempted to rise, Ann still in his arms. Another foot fell across his face knocking him once again to the ground. A hand reached down and attempted to wrench the girl in his arms away, the pain faded away in wake of Torrents protective instincts and he only tightened his grip. Robin placed his metal cased foot across Torrents face and heaved Ann out of his arms. Robin turned and tossed the young physic to the man still covering his face in fear next to his motorcycle.
"Take her I'm staying to have a chat with our socially challenged friend here." He gestured downward to Torrent, on whose face his foot was still planted. The man staggered to his feet and lifted the girl over one shoulder. Robin watched him go then returned his eyes to Torrent, who struggled to rise from under the metallic boot pressing on his neck. Robin smiled, "Now it's just you and me, and once the train is on its way I will show you the meaning of pain… of course its noting close to what they have in store for your little girlfriend."
Spit sprayed from Torrents mouth as he snarled upward at the fallen hero, his claws raked across the armored leg that held him down, and his legs pushed hard ageist the earth. Robin reached into his belt and withdrew a single bladed bird shaped dart; the sunlight glinted across its sharpened edge. Robin raised it to the sky preparing to plunge it into the heart of the suffocating boy under his heel. Torrents drove his foot into the soft back of Robin's knee joint, causing the boy to crumple to the ground under his own weight. Robin's cry of pain caused the man caring Ann glanced over his shoulder. Torrent rose to his feet, glaring with his glowing amber wolf's eyes at the last obstacle standing between him and Ann. The scientist made what could have been a whimper and dashed through the door of the train witch snapped shut after him. Torrent roared with irritation and anger toward the great metal beast that crawled along the metal tracks. As if in response steam screamed out from the sides of the train and the wheels slowly began to turn and draw the colossal mass down the steel path in the dirt. Torrent sprinted forward and leapt to snatch a bar placed on the side of one of the cars.
Some thing grabbed his feet and held them together and jerked him from the air. Torrent struck the ground, then rolled the best he could to avoid injury. After ripping the black rope tipped with small black weights from his ankles Torrent looked up to see a slightly limping Robin stepping toward him, holding his dark like a small dagger.
"Have you no honor dog? You run from your opponent like a cowardly worm!" Robin spoke the last word through clinched teeth.
"Keep your honor." Torrent struck Robin with a startlingly quick strike directly in the mouth. Robin's hand flew up to late to deflect the blow and he staggered backward.
Without so much as a second glance Torrent turned and began to run as fast as his legs could push him after the train, witch was now gaining speed at an alarming rate. Torrent could make out the tail end of the back cart through the smog trail that fell in the wake of the rumbling automation. Torrent ducked his head down and pushed his legs to push harder, the mussels screamed, his vision darkened, his ears buzzed, his lungs burned, and his heart thundered. The sweat coated his body like a second thin layer of skin over his own. Through the mist formed the guard rail that surrounded the door leading into the caboose. The speed of the train matched and past Torrent's and the train began to draw ahead. Torrent leapt forward in one final burst of speed with his hand outstretched, grasping blindly through the steam for a grip upon the guard rail.
His fingers found their mark and locked about the damp cold metal with all the might at their disposal. The sudden jerk of speed pulled at his shoulder violently, Torrent let loose a half snarl half scream of pain as his shoulder teetered on the brink of dislocation before sliding back into place. The pain in his shoulder intensified as he pulled himself upward and on the back of the now speeding train. Torrent took three seconds to let his heart slow and his lungs calm. The scenery became a blur as the bullet like train gathered its speed in the slight passage of time. He stared at the blank metal door imprinted on the wall in front of him, no handle, and no window; just blank and without clues to give passage under its archway. Then Torrent saw a small pain of glass set in the wall directly to the left of the plain door. He had seen anything like this before, a single questioning word was spelled out above a collection of numbers.
"Password?" Torrent knew nothing of access panels, he'd never seen any James Bond flick or any other spy male wet dream movie where the hero expertly hacks into the small hole in the wall to deactivate a turret or cause a large evil fortress to self destruct after a climactic count down. So he simply stared at the small flashing screen frustrated to be stopped here, so close to saving Ann.
His puzzlement did not last long however, after contemplating the panel for several moments it suddenly and unceremoniously exploded. Torrent's hands and upper arms where charred black and he was flung to his back. Glancing up at the smoldering hole in the wall Torrent saw the culprit that caused the sudden combustion. A red bladed dart imbedded in the cracked and blackened glass. The whine of a small motorized bike suddenly rose above the hammering of the trains engine and Torrent turn in time to see a black figure atop a red cycle fly toward him through the mist. With a flick of the riders hand three more glints of metal came slicing through the wind at Torrent. He sunk to a crouch to duck the oncoming projectiles, and all three missed their target, clanking harmlessly off the metallic door. One came close enough to remove several strands from Torrents mass of knotted hair but no flesh was torn. The bike's engine revved and Robin rocketed closer to the platform where Torrent crouched. Before he could raise to his feet Robin place a foot upon the seat of his bike and hurtled himself forward. The bike turned sharply and crashed into the tracks, causing a bright explosion backlighting Robin as he descended.
Torrent looked up only to be struck down again by the heel of a flying foot. The foot kicked off of his face and sent its owner over the lip of the wall and on to the roof of the speeding train. Sudden and undeniable anger filled Torrent as he wiped the blood that was no streaming from his nose. Snarling he leapt after the boy in the black and yellow cape. Robin stood waiting for him several feet away, his staff already drawn in an aggressive stance. Torrent paused for only a second, scanning the position of his foe. The wind whipped past the two enemies like a rush of water from a fall, the clothes on each boy was flattened against there bodies and flapped in the wind. Then his mind found the vendible point on witch to strike. He ran hell-bent forward toward Robin as if to charge carelessly forward with no regard toward his own injuries; Robin fell for the illusion of recklessness and swung his staff high as to strike at Torrents unguarded temple. Torrent took his chance that his gamble had given him, dropping to a crouch so that the staff would swing harmlessly above him then spinning his leg beneath Robins foreleg. The staff fell from his hands and clanked against the Trains armor once before bounding off into the winds beyond. Robin's right leg was swept out from under him, his stance had placed the majority of his weight on the single limb and with it gone he toppled helplessly downward.
The slick surface of the trains roofing provided no friction for Robin to grasp and he slid across its slick metallic exterior without any hope of slowing his progression. Just before his fragile body was cast out into the empty air beyond a strong hand gripped him by the collar and held him at the brink of oblivion. Robin opened his clinched eyes after realizing that the horrific death that awaited him had not come as timely as he would have predicted. He saw a snarling vicious animal of a boy glaring back into the eyes of the boy he had just saved from death.
"Why did you…" The question was asked not in wonder but surprise at the obviously miscalculated maneuver.
"Quite! I did not save you to answer your pointless questions! Tell me how I save my Ann from the belly of this metallic contraption!" Robin only smiled back into the amber eyes burning down at him.
"Stupid animal, you can not enter an armored train of Hunters design unless he allows you to enter. Your Ann is our now, submit and we might let you have her back when we're finished." Torrent screamed and slapped Robin hard across the face, then gripped him about the throat and squeezed hard.
"You underestimate my rage child of evil! I will use your bones to pry that door open and your blood to grease its hinges." All that came as a response was a small gurgle from Robins open mouth. Torrent held the boy farther out from the edge and restated his question, "Tell me or your body is torn to shreds by the speeding earth below us." His hands loosened just enough to allow words to pass through.
"Kill me or let me die, I serve Hunter in life and death. Your Ann is ours!" In a sudden burst of aggregation Robin loosed an arm and struck down on Torrents now unarmored right arm and into the open wound.
Torrent screamed and toppled backward with Robin now atop him. With the speed and expertise gained through time Robin drew a pair of cuffs from his belt and strapped them over Torrent's wrists. Roaring with renewed rage Torrent struck upward with his knee into Robins chin, he flew off of Torrent; blood from a torn lip flying up into the air. Robin fell again to the trains roofing, but this time he rolled and gained his footing again before he reached the edge. Torrent snarled and strained against the thick cuffs gripping his hands together behind his back in vain. Robin laughed maliciously as his foe struggled, then in with a flick of his wrist sent a dart flying toward Torrent. Torrent expertly dodged the missile by falling to one knee. Watching it go past Torrent looked back to Robin, and was struck in the center of the chest with the metallic end of a steel tipped boot. Torrent fell to his back again and found the same shoe pressing hard down on the center of his ribcage.
"Your love for the key to our plans is most annoying, but it is your weakness none the less. You should have let me die Dog, for I will not hesitate to kill you." Robin struck down with his knee and pushed the breath from Torrents lungs. The lack of air dulled his senses but he held tightly to consciousness, nothing this demon could do to him would stay his vengeance. "But before you die, let me give you a taste the true suffering that awaits pagan devils like you." Robin spoke his malediction and struck downward with his bladed dart.
Torrents scream muffled out the roar of the wind past Robins ears, and he savored the sound. A single blade sunk into Torrents wound deep in his right arm. The sharp edge twisted and dug deeper, and Robin grinned into the snarling and screaming face under him. This torture would have gone on, gone until all the blood in Torrents body had leaked out onto the silver platting of the trains armor, but it ended then.
An iridescent green glow illuminated Robin giving his the look of a risen pit beast, his evil smile and glaring white eyes only accenting the image. Then the glow suddenly intensified and Robin was flung from the train, still clutching Torrent who was weakened from the pain. The two boys struck the rocky earth and tumbled painfully across its surface. Torrent slowed to a stop and remanded motionless for what could have been minutes, then he slowly pushed against the earth to stagger to his feet. A strange sight awaited his eyes when he stood. A red haired, green eyed young woman floated several inches above the defeated Robin who lie bleeding into the sand beneath her. On the aliens face was not a look of triumph or absolution but of lament. Before Torrent passed out from blood loss he heard her speak a single statement think with a mixture of regret and valor.
"You gave me no choice Robin… you had to be stopped." Her tear covered face was the last thing Torrent saw before the darkness took him and his body gave way to the embrace of sleep.