Chapter 62

"Couldn't you just teleport us there?" Digger asked Angel quietly over what was the Atmosian equivalent of Chilli Cheese Fries.

"I don't think that's a bright idea, considering I don't know where we'll end up" she replied, fully aware of how home sick the Blizzarian was becoming.

It had been three days since their conversation in the hotel room and they had managed to acquire a map of the Atmos within that time. Whenever they stopped, they asked the locals with all serious nature for any information they may have had about their allusive friend, claiming that they were doing a piece for study purposes. Sometimes they were laughed away, sometimes they weren't, but all the while they made their way to the edge of the Atmos hoping for that one answer that would provide success.

"I had a strange dream last night though, if you wanna hear about that?" she said. She took the tilt of his head as an equivalent of a shrug, and so continued on in a whisper.
"I dreamed last night that I was back on Cyclonia, but it was different to what I remember. There was a lab and a man. He was…a bit…too colourful by Cyclonian standards and he asked me why I called him. Then…everything faded out and I woke up this morning"

Digger shrugged this time, his mouth full with their food choice. He swallowed before saying anything.
"It was probably nothing. You know how some dreams can be"

Unlike Digger, Angel had the perfect view to see the cook staring out at them from the kitchen.
Trying to make them less conspicuous as she received an odd look from the waitress that passed them by, she reached across the table, taking Diggers hand in what would be considered an affectionate way and turned an innocent smile towards the waitress as she passed back the other way.
Whether or not Digger picked up on her wanting to be inconspicuous, it didn't matter as he curled his own fingers around hers and brought her hand to his lips to gently kiss it.
She blinked, staring at him and his actions, but didn't say anything against them.

She let her eyes turn back to another waitress behind the bar standing at the register. The look she was sending them was something between disgust and borderline rage.

"I think we should leave" she told him quietly as she noticed other customers giving them the same look. "Now" she pressed.

Sensing her alertness, he swallowed the last of the fries and got up from the table, leaving the money and a tip on the edge of the table for the waitress to pick up, following Angel out of the diner towards their ride.
For fear of being followed, Digger had eventually relented and traded in his beloved Ice Grinder for something similar to Aerrow's Air Skimmer III.

They halted when someone called out from behind them.
"Oi! Don't be coming around here again!"

Digger saw Angel flinch and gently guided her towards the ride again, that was until he heard another voice saying "Hey, that's that girl those guys were looking for"
He only just had time to react when he heard the familiar crackle of crystal powered weapons being activated.
He figured the best thing to do was run and so, grabbing Angel by the arm, he pushed her into a run, kicking the new engine into gear as soon as they were both on. They were, however, cut off as a few of their pursuers friends skidded to a stop in front of them, weapons at the ready, the rest surround them from behind.
Angel heard Digger growling lowly as he eyed off a few particular goons. She kicked away one that got too close only to be pulled backwards by her hair off the vehicle by another of them.

She barely registered the pain, Diggers attempt to retrieve her or the colourful bird circling above their heads. Things were happening too quickly for her stressed and confused mind.
She saw Digger fall into dirt as he received a solid blow to the face. She watched him spit blood as she called for him. The one she'd kicked was suddenly standing over her, leering at her.

"You think that was smart? I don't think so" she squealed as the hilt of his weapon made contact with her face.
As he raised his arm again to give another blow she was swiftly pulled out of his range, the one holding her being thrown, screaming, over his friends heads. Then, in the blink of an eye, her attacker had a hand to his throat.

"You think that was smart? I don't think so" the colourful man from her dreams mimicked mockingly.