Thank you for your comments on my previous chapter, they really give me the confidence that I am capable of writing character interactions. Have fun with this one and leave a comment once you're finished, they are greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: Dredd 3D belongs to Lionsgate, 2000 AD belongs to Rebellion Development
Flurry
She woke up without the familiar weight of her shield on her shoulders and wondered briefly, when was the last time she slept without it. Her body heavy with comfort, she contemplated, just for a moment, to stay in bed the whole day and shut out the world. Unfortunately that could hardly be done with her job and current habitation. With a groan, she crawled out of the bed and trudged to the living room, her shoulders slouched and hair a tangled mess.
Dredd was sitting in the same spot as yesterday, a half empty cup of coffee in his left. He glanced at her and motioned to the table. There stood another cup of coffee, a cup of instant noodles and bottle of painkillers, all ready for her.
„This," she pointed to the breakfast. „Is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." she fell silent for a moment. „Well that sounded a lot less pathetic in my head." she added and sat down to take her painkillers and eat.
One of the corner of his mouth lifted in a faint wry smile, but he didn't say anything.
„So, what's the plan for today?" she asked between slurps.
„Hospital called, they will get Ramirez up in the next few hours. We wait until then."
She nodded. „So, if we have the time, could I take it and clear the issue with my living?"
He shrugged. „Sure."
„Nice, I'll be going then." she smiled, downed the rest of her coffee and ran off to the bathroom to change back to her uniform.
„I left the clothes on the floor, hope that's okay." she said, as she returned, and received a nod in response. „ Just call me when they wake up Ramirez, or when you need me." she fell silent for a moment. „And thanks again."
„No problem." he muttered and sent her a small unsettling smile.
It took her less than 10 minutes to once again cross the atrium of the Hall of Justice and take the lift to the Administrative, the offices a lot more lively right now. She went to the familiar 3573 and smiled as she saw that Miles' desk was occupied by its rightful inhabitant. She waved at him, when she caught his gaze.
„Well, well, well..." he started, his familiar sneer plastered in his face. „What brings your pretty ass to my domain."
„What do you think?" she sneered right back.
„I was waiting for you yesterday, you know? Really missed you." he teased.
She rolled her eyes. „Sure you did. But let's leave the teary reunion for later. So, do I have a place to sleep tonight?"
A satisfied grin split his face. „Well, there's the nice warm spot in my bed. But besides that, I found you an apartment. And I even arranged some necessary deliveries in my spare time. Oh, you would be so lost without me Miss-I-can't-even-rent-an-apartment."
„Hey, I am perfectly capable of renting a place, I just prefer to let you handle it." she smirked at him. „So, what do I owe you for this one?"
„You could always..."
„Nope."
„In that case, Jenny from accounting didn't get her monthly dose of Ten-reasons-why-Miles-is-so-perfect-and-you-should-totally-date-him."
„You are an awful human being, you know that?" she groaned. „Also, poor Jenny."
He just laughed and handed her a large plastic bag, all her clothes stuffed in it. „46, Aurora Block, 12-14, you will see, it has everything you desire."
„As if it was hard to meet my living standards, all I require is hot water and a bed." she chuckled and threw him a mock-salute as she left the office.
Her new apartment was only 20 minutes ride from the Hall and serviceable, which was about as good as it got in the City. It was on 12th floor, which would make her next escape much easier, and while it was smaller than what she was used to, the one room it had was quite spacious and had a balcony from which she could see the highway. It sported a moderately comfortable fold-out couch, the cushions still smelling of chemical cleaning.
She dumped the bag with her clothes next to the couch and walked over to the kitchen to check the fridge. Miles really kept his word and the fridge was half-full of instant dishes, not that she was capable of cooking anything else. She was just about to grab a quick snack, when her com beeped.
„Hospital, now."
„On my way." she replied, grabbed her weapon and shield and jogged out of the apartment.
In another half an hour she entered the Campbell's Hospital. After she mentioned Ramirez' name, a sour-faced receptionist directed her to the burn ward. She arrived at the door of Ramirez' room at the same time as Dredd.
He nodded to her and she returned it with a smile.
Ramirez was laying motionless on the hospital bed, a web of wires and IV's spreading from his chest. Every exposed bit of his body was wrapped in moist synthetic skin and his breath was coming out in raspy shallow wheezes. The room was permeated by the sharp stench of disinfectant with a hint of necrosis underneath. He stirred when he saw the two approaching Judges, a wave of revulsion and even fear extending from, as his gaze settled on Anderson.
„Dredd," he wheezed. „Thanks for saving me." He coughed up a bloody clot and turned to Anderson. -Witch!-screamed his mind, but he mustered a stiff nod. „'Bout yesterday?"
„Yes." Dredd nodded. „Do you know where were they taking you? Any detail."
Ramirez took a few seconds to contemplate. „Factory, 175, 64." he uttered with great strain, the new layer of skin around his mouth ripping in few places as he spoke.
„The numbers, your idea what do they mean?" Dredd asked.
Ramirez vehemently shook his head.
„Nothing else?" Anderson stepped in. „About the guys maybe."
He glared at her. „All freaks." he snapped. -Just like you.-added his mind. „Nothing else."
She rolled her eyes and instead of trying to continue any kind of conversation with Ramirez, briefly and discreetly checked his mind. Unfortunately what he said was true, there was very little information and not only because Ramirez wasn't exactly a highly perceptive fellow.
Dredd asked a few more yes-or-no questions before standing up to leave, Anderson trailing behind. „He doesn't like you." he remarked quietly as they left the room.
„He's just afraid. I have the effect on people." she shrugged.
He didn't respond but a small amused sound escaped him.
She cocked an eyebrow at him. „What? Can't you see me striking fear in the hearts of men?" she said and grinned, when she saw him suppres a small smile. „No need to answer, I know you do. So, 175, 64 and factory, let's go for it. There are no factories in the 64 so i guess the 175 could mean the sector. As for the 64, any ideas?"
„Yes."
„Care to enlighten me?"
„No."
She rolled her eyes. „Oh, you're such a treat to work with."
The 175 was an industrial sector, definitely not a shortage of factories there, but Dredd really seemed to have a plan. He steered them to the western part of the sector, the surroundings steadily getting more run-down and deserted. He stopped in front of the entrance of an old robotics factory. The facility seemed abandoned for years, perhaps decades, its windows trashed and the thick chain securing the door covered in rust. And yet the lock on the chain was new and shiny and there were fresh tire tracks coming from the entrance.
„How did you know about this place?" Anderson asked.
„Some perps were trafficking mutants to this area some ten years back." sounded the answer.
„Why 64?"
„Codename. The windows were broken in the shape." Dredd explained. „Is someone inside?"
She checked and shook her head. „No, don't think so, but with their mental barriers I could be wrong. We should proceed with caution."
He acknowledged it with a curt nod and placed a bunch of shots into the lock. The armour-piercing ammunition ripped it apart and the chains rattled loudly as they fell to the ground..
„Or, of course, we could just do that." she shrugged and readied her weapon as Dredd tore open the metal door.
„Who's there?!" A shotgun blast rang in the vast empty montage hall. „Come out you fuckers, I will feed you lead."
Anderson took cover next to the open door. „Well, I did warn you." she grinned and readied her Lawgiver.
He just scoffed. „Cover me." he said and set his firing mode to stun.
She switched to rapid fire and leaned out of her cover, opening the suppressing fire right away. A muffled -Fuck- sounded from inside and another shot rang. Anderson kept her gun steadily pointed to the far back of the hall, the recoil sending small jolts up her arm. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Dredd hastily make his way along the walls.
Another couple of shots echoed and the hall filled with a flurry of pellets and tremendous noise. Dredd, unfazed, somersaulted sideways and sent two stun shots into the direction of the perp's cover. A high-pitched shriek pierced the air.
„Clear." Dredd yelled as the pained howl died down.
She rushed to his side and found Dredd restraining the perp, his knee pressed in between the other man's shoulder-blades. She crouched next to the perp, her fingers pressing against his jugular, and turned to Dredd after a while. „There's a hidden entrance to the underground tunnels somewhere here. With a built-in DNA scanner, that's why no one found it before. He," she motioned to the other man. „Is authorized to open it."
Dredd nodded grimly and hauled the perp up by the shoulder, basically dragging him to the back, where Anderson led them. She crouched by the wall and ran her fingers across the smooth cold surface until she felt a faint regular pattern in the metal. „Here. Blood sample should do it."
Now the perp started to struggle. One of his knees came up against her thigh in an attempt to shatter or at least dislocate her hip-bone, but his angle was inconvenient and it ended up ramming into her hamstrings. She recovered quickly and returned the favor with a well-placed kick to the knee, while Dredd slammed the perp's face into the wall. Blood splashed onto the metal, spilling on the DNA scanner as well.
A low metallic whir resonated in the wall and a metal plate opened inwards, revealing hidden passage steeply descending into darkness.
„That was easy." Dredd commented, just a hint of contempt in his voice.
„Yeah, pretty shabby defense. You think it's a trap?" she asked and peered into the darkness. The draft from the tunnel brought the faint smell of decay and sewer, clearly it would not be a pleasant walk if, or rather when they went down.
„Maybe. Is this the only entrance?"
She shrugged. „He thinks so. I don't."
„And what do you think?"
„I think this is just a side entrance, or one of them, easily cut off from the main body and sacrificed. I'm pretty sure if we tried to open the door any other way than with his DNA sample, this whole place would blow up and collapse the tunnel. Am I right?" she turned to the perp at the last sentence.
He flashed his teeth in a pointless act of defiance. „I tell you nothing, bitch."
„Well, isn't it nice then, that you don't need to." she growled and touched him again. He put up a little struggle as she picked apart his mind, leaving him trembling and on the verge of tears.
„Fuck this gang." she uttered an exasperated groan. „Their hierarchy is so tight and secretive, even reading the member is absolutely worthless."
„So, he's of no use?" Dredd asked coldly.
„Absolutely none. He knows about seven other gang members, none of them even the least bit important."
„His crimes?"
She delved into the perp's mind again. „Thefts, kidnaps, participated in few murders. He's a very weak mind-reader, barely enough to even be called a mutant. That's the reason he is stationed here as cannon fodder."
„Hey," the perp whined. „I'm no cannon fodder."
„Sure you are."Dredd scoffed and executed him with a single shot to the head.
„So, what now?" she asked. „The tunnel system will be massive, we could use some help."
He nodded curtly. „They can collapse the entrance at any time now. I'll call the Hall to send back-up, we go in while they come." he said and immediately contacted the dispatching.
„Okay, then." she hummed and took the first steps down the corridor. The daylight slowly died out and she and Dredd were left to walk in pitch black darkness. She fumbled at her belt and pulled out a small flashlight. Dredd did the same and two thin cones of light pierced the darkness, illuminating the thick layer of mold and rodent carcasses. Their steps produced a soft crunching sound as they went and hot moisture condensed on their uniforms. The stench of decay, unpleasant before and downright unbearable now, permeated the air around them, forcing Anderson to cover her nose and mouth in a futile attempt to alleviate the awful feeling of nausea.
„Fucking shit." she gagged and stepped over a clean-picked corpse right into a pool of larvae.
„Shut up." Dredd growled and tapped the side of his helmet.
She froze instantly and listened. At first all she heard was her own breathing but after a while she started to pick up faint hissing.
„Give me your shield." Dredd whispered.
„Why?"
„Do it." he snapped with a hint of impatience entering his tone.
She unstrapped the shield and handed it to him. „I'm not going to see it again, am I?" she asked hopelessly.
He took it and strapped it to his forearm. „I'll owe you. Get down." he said and leaped forward, just as Anderson threw herself onto the floor.
The tunnel set ablaze, a torrent of fire spilling out of the nearby wall and engulfing Dredd completely. Anderson hissed in pain as the flames scorched her forehead and pressed her face into the mold on the floor, trying not to breathe in the searing air, since without the rebreather in the Judge helmet her lungs would burn up in a moment. Heat levels rose to unbearable and she covered her head with her forearms, feeling the strengthened fibres of her uniform getting charred. And then a single blow from a Lawgiver sounded and the flames died out.
She jumped up and looked over the situation. Her night vision temporarily gone, she could not make out anything, but she ran forward until she reached a familiar shape. Dredd was bracing himself against the wall, frantically fumbling for his knife, his face contorted into a mask of pain. The shield was still strapped to his arm, charred and twisted, the super-hardened composite practically sizzling with heat.
„You have a fucking death wish, don't you?" she muttered under her breath as she pulled out her own knife and cut the straps. A weight settled on her shoulder as the shield fell down and when she looked, Dredd's forehead was pressed against her shoulder, the invincible Judge panting with relief.
His shield-arm was badly hurt, the uniform burnt off in most places, showing raw mangled flesh underneath. „Fuck, can you even move it?"
He clenched his teeth and nodded curtly, straightening himself out. „Move on, we're done here."
She smiled and wordlessly handed him few analgesic pills, before taking one herself.
They walked for what seemed like hours undisturbed, the tunnel opening into another wide corridor, this one with a sewer line in the middle. The river of human waste roared, filling the tunnel with booming echoes and stench that brought tears to the eyes. The two Judges walked side by side, guns always at the ready, their pace efficient but swift. Another bend in the corridor was nearing them.
Just as they reached the turn, a large group, perhaps 15 people, emerged from behind it. There was a split second when both groups stared at each other in surprise, but that moment was gone in a flash. Anderson and Dredd were faster with the weapons and their joint fire brought down several of the perps. But their opponents were wearing protective gear and apparently also had a strategy. Step by step they forced the Judges apart from each other.
Anderson's Lawgiver spat fire, shattering bone and ripping flesh. She took down another perp with a precise shot to his head. She somersaulted to the side, preparing to shoot again, when a piercing flash of pain erupted in her right arm and it fell limp to her side, her Lawgiver dropping to the floor. A perp wielding a long steel pipe stood in front of her preparing to strike again.
„Fuck." she cursed and ripped out her knife. She slammed her shoulder into the perp, throwing him of balance, but also hurting her already bruised arm even more. She stabbed the knife into his abdomen and yanked it upwards, eviscerating him. She jerked the knife out, pale loops of intestines pooling around her feet, rolled and stabbed another perp into the thigh. A wet crunch and a scream could be heard, and the knife firmly embedded itself into the perp's femur.
She cursed again and reluctantly let go of her last weapon. She staggered backwards, trying to get back her gun but it was kicked somewhere away in the confusion. She dodged a blow directed at her head and smashed someone's throat in with her elbow. A punch connected with her ribs and she backed off even further, her back pressing against the wall.
A trio of perps charged her and she threw herself sideways at the last second. She jumped up and held onto the pipes. She swung at one of the perps and, using her momentum, rammed him against the wall, pulverizing his ribcage. Another grabbed her ankles and she kicked him in the face as a response. He fell, but his weight was enough to break her one-handed hold on the pipes and she plumeted down. She landed on her back and arms and her mind went black for a moment, because if the arm wasn't broken before, it certainly was now. Agonized, she struggled and rolled back onto her stomach, biting back a scream.
And then a noose fell around her neck. She lunged at the perp strangling her, but he struck her down. She struggled, pointlessly wasting the precious oxygen, her vision flickering on and off. Then a flurry of blows and kicks descended onto her body and her mind went blank.
I'm sorry, so, so, so, so sorry. I hate cliffhangers and now I'm the one subjecting you to one. I promise I will not do this to you again (at least I hope so).