Septday, Rami 14th 067.M42
Everything I thought I knew was wrong.
I spent… I don't know how long… hidden there in that warehouse or whatever it was. I think I might have even managed to doze off at one point, I had nothing better to do, despite how terrified I was. I didn't want to waste my slate power using it constantly, and without a connection to a feed there wasn't much point anyway.
But after a few hours I woke up sometime in the night. I didn't think to check the time, but it seemed quiet and I decided to make a break for it. I figured if they knew vaguely where I might be, and I could sneak away then surely they wouldn't be able to have the whole level covered, and I'd be able to break my way up again on the magrail or one of the cargo lifters or something.
I should have known it wouldn't be as easy as that. They were watching and waiting. I didn't realise it at first, and I made my way from where I was back out to the side streets. I wasn't stupid enough to go straight out onto the main streets, and I'm glad I wasn't - every time I looked out there, I just saw more of the bald and robed priest-people. I tried to keep moving out of their sight, but they were already on me. They were just waiting their chance.
It was a stupid mistake. I was trying to stay off the main streets and out of their sight, and I blundered down a dead-end alley. Which must have been what they were waiting for. Four of them, huge and just… lumpy… It's the only way I can really describe them. They were hitched and… twisted in some way. Bald and dark-eyed and I swear one of them had three arms. Mutants or… something.
I don't remember much after that point. One of them opened his mouth, I remember his teeth were so sharp-looking, even in the darkness of the alley. He said something about the Emperor and giving myself and…
The next thing I remember is something small and dark just… grabbing me and dragging me back, throwing me against a wall. I didn't even realised I'd walked so far back down the alley toward the mutants. What happened next was insane even by the standards of a day that had gone completely mad. The black-clad figure just rinsed through these mutant men like… Like a knife through starch-loaf. They had knives and what looked like claws, talon hands. And this person just dodged and weaved and kicked and punched and stabbed like Dark Stalker. Except for real. I mean, I'm pretty sure this wasn't a cartoon.
And as suddenly as it started, it was done. The mutant guys were on the ground. I don't know if they were just knocked out or if they were actually dead, and frankly I don't care much at this point. At least with them down it meant I was safe for a moment. Though when that masked person turned to me, I have to admit that I wasn't sure if I was going to get out of that alley again.
That was until she spoke. And told me off for being an idiot and following trouble when she'd told me time and time again that I should leave it to the authorities to handle. I must have looked as confused as frak (which admittedly is because I was), because she just grabbed my hand and tried to drag me out of the alley. There would be more on the way, she said, they knew for sure where we were now, and we had to get to ground.
I wish I could say that I was smart then, and just followed without question. This woman had just saved me by kicking seven flavours of shit out of these guys, and she was insisting we should go. So I probably should have just followed. I mean, I've seen enough holodramas to know that the idiot who stands there going "But who are you?" is the one who cops a lasbolt next. But still I did it. As if what she'd said to me wasn't indication enough of who she was.
Thankfully Maddy's the forgiving sort. And much smarter than I. She didn't bother answering, just grabbed my hand and dragged me out of there. I wanted her to lead me toward the holorail station, I was praying she would. But I'm not so lucky. We had to go deeper in-hive. She said that her cell (?) were not there yet, they were still on the way, but that the cult had all of the transport hubs and lifters watched. They had enough people to do that now, she said. Which was not at all a reassuring sentiment.
We spent most of yesterday hopping from bolt-hole to bolt-hole. She has a safe house set up down here, but, well. Obviously it wouldn't be so safe if we just led them straight to it. But we finally managed to give them the slip and find our way down here. I had to thank the Saints that it wasn't just a cupboard in some abandoned building. At least there was a bed and a couch, and I was able to pass out.
When I woke up, Maddy was gone. She'd left a note saying that she'll be back soon, and when she is she'll explain everything. I'm still so confused.
I wish I'd never gotten involved with this. I wish I'd never gotten curious and nosy, that I'd just accepted that Daisy was gone and nobody knew where she'd gone and that was that. Maybe they would have left Arlean alone if I hadn't been prying, she'd seemed okay until I was stupid enough to start poking around these things. But something tells me that it was only a matter of time, I might have just escalated things.
I'm sorry Arlean.
