Tales Of City 17
Escape
The Rebels said "Yeah. What city are you from?"
Reginald 1 said the only City he knew still existed. "I come from City 17"
"You mean what used to be City 17" He pointed at the distant wreck of the Citadel.
"What the..."
"Yeah. That's one of the first things that they say. Followed by cursing. Here. Take a weapon. What's your name?"
"Reginald"
"Reginald what?"
"Just Reginald."
Before the man could continue, A pod, flanked by Gunships crash landed near their camp, and Reginald and the Rebels had to run.
"We're real close to White Forest, a base where we can take cover."
"But... Somebody I know might still be in there.
"You were the only one in the whole train. The computers must have been malfunctioning. Another train went through, and all the people in that one are already at White Forest. Come on, before the Hunters arrive."
He was too late, because a series of flechettes thudded into the Rebel leader and exploded him into a pulp.
A hunter pounced on a rebel and knocked his head once.
Reginald stumbled away, still sluggish from his days of sleep, but when a Hunter got a man to his right, he was filled with a burst of adrenaline, and stumbled into a building, still running.
He saw a man in an Orange suit launch an RPG at the Hunter behind him, and the synthetic beast went down.
Gordon Freeman
Anticitizen One
The sound of a Strider charging its gun interrupted his reverie, and he stumbled out of the building.
The building splintered behind him, and he was knocked to the ground. He rolled as a Strider stabbed the ground next to him, then fired an Energy Ball from Pulse Rifle at the soft under belly of the Strider.
The Strider fell, and once again Reginald had to stumble to his feet, but now there was no danger.
The Intercom said something about all the Striders being eliminated, and the remaining rebels started walking back to the antennae in the distance.
He followed them, staying back from the main group. He didn't know any of them, but a few already knew his name.
"Good work, Reggie my man!"
"Taking down a Strider single handedly? Without a suit? Respect..."
And so the compliments continued, until Reginald was in the refugee sector.
"Sarah?", He yelled, again and again, until he gave up and headed towards the Fighters barracks.
When he was there he settled down in his cot and looked towards the roof.
All that...
For nothing? Are you kidding me?
Why should I care about a bunch of rebels. All they did was wake me up-
From a train headed to Nova Prospekt? You were going to be turned into a Stalker, idiot.
Well. I guess it was for something, then.
These Rebels are on the right track. You should join their train.
Okay, Okay.
"Reginald?"
It was Alpha/Sarah's voice.
"Sarah?"
Reginald knew from then on that he would be okay.