Run Through

Cyrus peeks through the cracked window, pressing himself against the wall as flashing red lights paint the streets. Officers move in pairs, sweeping the area, their voices sharp over crackling radios. A drone hums overhead, scanning the alleyways. "They're locking the place down." he mutters, glancing back at everyone. "We don't have much time."

Cyrus looked at Helaine, his gaze sharp. "Can you take the drones?"

Helaine shot him a look, a hint of impatience in her eyes. "Of course, I can. Just don't get in my way."

Her spider legs—black, sleek, and sharp—sprouted from her back with an almost violent snap, and she wasted no time. "Keep moving. I'll handle this."

What the hell? Thats freaky. Evryn stared in shock at Helaine.

Helaine's power was a reflection of her soul—silent, calculating, and deadly, yet she herself was anything but calm. Quick to anger and sharp with her words, she channeled that fire into her abilities, weaving Aether with the same intensity that fueled her frustration. Her connection to spiders wasn't just a passive one; it mirrored her own temperament—strategic, but also with a certain aggression, waiting to strike when the moment was right. Spiders spun webs with purpose, and so did she.

Without another word, Helaine took a running leap, using her spider legs to propel herself toward the nearest rooftop. Her body soared with unnatural agility. Once she reached the edge, she gathered Aether into her palms, her fingers weaving through the air as if spinning threads with a little extra force. The power coursed through her, and threads of shimmering, Aether-infused silk shot out, attaching themselves to the nearest drone.

Her power wasn't infinite. Each thread required careful manipulation and energy. Her Aether-infused silk was sticky and strong, perfect for trapping her enemies, but she had to keep her cool. Too many webs, and she'd tire quickly. That didn't stop her from rapidly firing off more threads, entangling drones one after another. The drones buzzed and jerked in mid-air as they struggled against the webs, their delicate wings fluttering frantically as they were snared and dragged to the ground.

"They'll notice," Cyrus muttered, eyes still fixed on the street below.

As the drones struggled to move, the lack of motion caught the attention of the officers. "Why aren't the drones responding?!" a voice crackled over their comms. "Where are they going?!"

Before the officers could react, the air crackled with blaster fire. Cyrus stepped out from the abandoned building, his gun already raised. He fired twice—each shot finding its mark in two officers, making quick work of them before they could alert anyone else.

"Take them down, Helaine!" Cyrus shouted, his voice rough with urgency.

Helaine yanked on the webs entangling the drones, forcing them to collide. Sparks erupted as they smashed into each other, crashing to the ground in a heap of shattered metal.

"Let's go, before they realize!" Cyrus shouted, sprinting into the streets. Razek and Evryn followed close behind, while Helaine leaped down from the rooftop, landing smoothly beside them.

The spider legs that had come from Helaine's back retracted and were no longer there. Evryn barely had time to process what he just saw. Those things… they moved like real limbs, like they were a part of her. It was unsettling, but at the same tome, efficient and deadly.

***

As they moved through the labyrinth of crumbling alleyways, the low hum of drones echoed above, their searchlights sweeping over the rooftops like predators. The city, a sea of broken neon and rusting structures, felt even colder in the dim light. Every step was calculated, every shadow checked for potential threats.

Cyrus led the way, his pace quick but steady, not a single glance wasted. "Keep moving, stay low," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper but with the weight of authority.

Evryn, his thoughts razor-sharp, scanned the surroundings as they cut through the streets, his instincts telling him to keep his head down. He noticed the subtle way the city shifted around them—the slight movements of hidden figures in alleyways, the distant hum of a small ship flying by, the flicker of lights from the higher districts. They weren't the only ones moving. The entire city felt alive with danger.

Behind them, Helaine let out an irritated breath, her fingers itching. "This is taking too long," she muttered under her breath, her eyes darting around, clearly frustrated. "Can't we just take the front roads? It'd be quicker."

Cyrus shot her a look, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yeah, great idea. Let's just waltz right into the middle of their goddamn roadblock and hand them a gift basket. You want a nice bow on top, too?"

Helaine scoffed but kept pace, clearly rolling her eyes. "Fine, keep crawling through these damn alleys. But I swear, if I end up covered in more grime, I'm starting a revolution."

Evryn chuckled quietly to himself, glancing back at her. Her words lightened the tension a little, but there was no time for jokes. He focused again on their route, eyes sharp, scanning for any signs of trouble.

Razek, ever the silent observer, kept close behind, his gaze locked ahead, a silent understanding between him and the others.

As they neared the edge of the district, the sounds of sirens became more pronounced. Even from their vantage point, the police forces had started mobilizing in greater numbers, their small ships darting through the air, looking for any sign of trouble.

"Don't stop for anything," Cyrus warned, his voice a low growl. They were close—so close—but not yet in the clear.

The city's grime-coated buildings seemed to close in around them as they ducked into another side street, bypassing a checkpoint up ahead. The few scattered citizens they passed barely acknowledged them, each of them too consumed with their own survival to care about anything else. Some walked with hunched shoulders, avoiding eye contact, while others hurried past, their faces cold and indifferent. The desperation in the air was palpable—people had learned long ago to ignore the chaos around them and focus only on staying alive.

A distant shout echoed from a nearby corner—more officers, more drones, and their hunt had intensified. The danger was becoming tangible.

Evryn's eyes flicked to the side, and for a brief moment, his mind wandered back to their objective. The shipyard. The next step. But there was no time to waste on thoughts of escape yet. Focus.

Ahead, a rusted metal gate loomed, leading into the less maintained areas of the city where they could make the final stretch to the shipyard. Their best shot at slipping through unnoticed.

"We're almost there," Cyrus murmured, barely audible over the whine of a small ship passing overhead.

Evryn kept his pace, pushing through the slight ache in his legs, his mind already a step ahead—strategizing their next move. No mistakes. This couldn't be rushed. They couldn't afford to get sloppy now.