Legend of Volraith 1 - Going in Blind
Chapter one (prologue)
Going in Blind
Have you ever run for your life?
When you glanced over your shoulder - did you see death itself on your heels? When you looked ahead - how distant was freedom? How far did you have to run?
I hear nothing outside my own feet pounding back and forth through the stairwell and the frantic panting of my breath, hot across my face and scalding my throat. Everything else I drown out in my head, playing music through my head to urge myself on, mouthing the chorus at double-speed and screaming at myself just to run faster. To keep going without a clue of where I'm headed.
Time after time - I'm going in blind - I don't know which way I need to go.
I don't hear the footsteps behind me, but I feel them. The entire structure seems to shake and vibrate as we all charge up the stairs. Onwards and upwards. My fingers hover above the guardrail on my left, ready to clamp down should I fall or stumble. At the next corner where the stairs flatten out, I grab the rail tight, and swing around as fast as I can, launching myself up the next flight of steps, kicked by adrenaline.
"Cover the next stairwell! Don't let him escape!"
I throw a hiss over my shoulder as I round the next corner - but I turn ahead and dash on. No time for petty scorn or anger - this is life or death. Life ahead of me, death behind me, though, both seem to be moving forwards at the same speed as me. While I'm not falling into the embrace of the latter, I'm not making any ground on the former.
Fluorescent lighting rolls past over my head. Light by light, three on each flight blinking past at the top of my vision. It's so repetitive by now, I've stopped noticing it.
My heart leaps as I spot something ahead. A door. I have to make a decision. Keep going up or take the door? No - up. The higher the better. I can use height to my advantage. I speed past the doorway - glancing once more at it as I pass - and shooto around the next corner.
Crap! I stumble forwards and grab the guardrail, ralling to one knee. I plant a foot against the step in front of me and launch myself backwards onto the landing just as a thunder wave ripples through the stale air. It strikes right where I fell - missing me barely.
"Buzz!" The electabuzz throws its hefty frame down the steps in pursuit, charging another. They don't want to hurt me. They want to paralyze me. Keep my alive to dissect me later.
I run for the door again - thank god for it being there. Instead of using the knob, I take a faster approach and run straight into it, dropping my shoulder. The wood around the door's lock shatters as I smash into it, and its hinges rip free of the wood as I bowl through. I get about a millisecond to identify the room as an office floor - full of cubicles. I catch myself as I trip, and grab the falling door as I barge through, and I spin and throw it between us.
The door shields me from the next thunder wave, absorbing the impact.
Offensive now - I can't have him paralyze me and leave me helpless. I charge towards the door as it lands upright, and slowly begins falling towards him. I drop my shoulder again, and smash into it. the door - with a little help from my shoulder - smashes forwards into the incoming electabuzz. His arms come up to block his body, but I lift my arms and smash them down on the top of the door as it tilts, and smash the top down on his head.
As the Pokémon stumbles back and the door falls, I run at him again - ignoring the screaming office staff around me - charging a black lump of energy in my palm. Shadowy tendrils curl from my palm and coil around my fingers and hand, down to my wrist. Wavering, shadowy energy like tongues of corrupted, wraithlike flame. I land a solid shadow punch in the stomach, knocking him into a cubicle behind him.
Then - I spin and run as more Pokémon and men in black spill from the stairway behind me. I charge straight down the centre path between the cubicles, shooting towards the far wall. A giant, blue-tinted glass wall spanning the width of entire floor.
An unfortunate worker decides to dash across the path in front of me, clinging to an armful of paperwork. Perfect. I make a quick step forwards and intercept him, swinging my arm up under his armful as I shoot in front of him and knocking the entire pile into the air. The pages explode like a grenade, filling the air between me and my pursuers as the employee scrambles away to his destination with a yelp.
I plant my right foot on the ground ahead of me and turn against it, skidding to a stop and facing the shroud with a grimace. The paper floats and scatters about in the air as the air conditioning unit above irritates them, throwing them all around as they're trapped in an air pocket. The guy was carrying so much paper, I can't see anything through the mess. But that also means that they can't either.
A Blaziken bursts through the paper - arm up to cover his eyes from the sharp little sheets. I dash forwards with a silent roar and swing a brutal surprise uppercut into his chin before he can lower his arm and see me. As the Pokémon staggers back, I deliver a nasty kick below the belt, then another uppercut as he doubles over - knocking him flat on the ground.
As the next burst through - a Mightyena and a Raichu - I take them both out as they trip on the Blaziken. A hard kick to the Mighyena's gut incapacitates him for a moment, while a shadow uppercut to the face dispatches the Raichu.
I spin around and dash for the window again after that - the paper in beginning to settle and they can see me again. Need more distractions...
I lower myself a little as I sprint, and I drag my knuckles against the carpet. My hand bursts into flame, like a lit match - but a burning little pale. I clap my hands together, igniting both, then swing both outwards into the next two cubicles. They immediately burst into flame as I hit them - lighting up brightly and briefly disturbing the accuracy of my pursuers - which is evident as a Thundershock bolt strikes the fluorescent light over my head - way off target. I glance over my shoulder just to check it's spreading.
Oh, is it spreading. Fear, panic, confusion - they're all spreading. Smoke too - that's spreading. Its' not the fire I need to spread - it's everything else, seeing as the fire is actually an illusionary flame. A ghostly apparition of a flame, spewing a ghostly, hazy smoke into the air and nullifying the vision of those chasing me. In the panic, the office workers all charge across the centre path in their beeline for the fire exit - cutting off the Pokémon and men in black.
But I still need to escape - not just delay. I pick up a little speed as I charge for the window - I have to be moving fast for this to work - and I leap at it. As I hurtle towards the solid glass, I cling to that invincible "running feeling". That marvellous, wonderful feeling of air whipping past as you run. That amazing indestructible sense of momentum you get - like nothing can stop you. No obstacle can get in your path. You'll run, and keep running, and pass everything around you like it's standing still.
And that's how I perform my greatest feat. As my body makes contact with the window - I go pale. My body turns semi-transparent, my being suddenly becomes light as a feather, and I glide through the glass like it isn't even there. Phased. Which is good - because they'll have no idea where I am. Smoke blocking their vision, no damage in the window - they'll be stumped.
The world emerges around me as I soar out the window and into the urban skies. Skyscrapers all around, apartments, malls - I'm amidst it all, and just floating away from the building behind me as if I weight nothing.
But all good things come to an end. I gasp and clutch my stomach at about ten metres distance - feeling a massive draw on my energy levels. My body phases in again, and I begin falling.
I let it slip in my shock. "Vol!" Shit! Don't say that! I kick myself, suddenly more concerned about my speech than the ground approaching below me. Right! Ground! Shit... think... below me is a mall. Right in the centre, right below me I think, is a big glass roof. Underneath that, tiny specks of people hustle and bustle about like ants, up and down their escalators. That's my landing zone.
Glass roof and the floor beneath that. That's two impacts... Can I survive two impacts? I ask myself - but not as uncomfortably as I would have expected of myself. I can think of another solution. Even now I can feel my energy level regenerating rapidly. No problem.
Plan B. I draw both arms back to my sides, and I charge another black lump of energy between them. This time the lump isn't in contact with my. It hovers between my hands as it grows, forming to just over the size of a tennis ball. It doesn't have to be excessively strong - just enough will do.
I hurl the shadow ball down - accidentally uttering another "Vol!" as I fire. The ball shoots away quickly - being weightless - and straight for the fast-approaching roof. It strikes in the centre of the framing, where the four pieces of glass meet. The explosion is enough to shatter all four panes as the shockwave spreads across them, totally destroying them. Just seeing them shatter everywhere gives me a burst of strength. The beautiful, rich sound of an explosion rocking the air, then the sweet, melodious tinkle of shattering - it's rejuvenating.
I tilt my body so I'm falling head-first, and watch the approaching building very carefully, judging. This move takes a lot out of me so I have to time it precisely.
Now.
"Raith!" Protect! I clench my eyes shut.
I feel nothing after the impact. That's the idea of protect - to feel nothing. An ultimate failsafe. Though - I close my eyes too so I see nothing. That's so I don't crap myself - thinking I'm about to splatter across the ground after falling hundreds of metres.
After six seconds - which I deem safe - I release the field encasing my body. It's a weird feeling since I can't actually feel gravity even while encased. My body goes rigid and I can't move or hear. I could see if I left my eyes open - but I'd probably get dizzy.
I slide back onto my knees as I find myself on my stomach. I cringe as shattered glass digs into my knees and palms, but I have more to worry about than a little blood. It'll take more than that to kill me.
Everyone's staring at me. The shoppers have retreated away from me to a safe distance and gape at me, whispering frantically to one another. Pointing at the "freak" as I hear from a few.
I try to ignore them, and I stand up so I'm not kneeling on glass. The escalator is smashed to hell. In the centre there's one huge dent where I must have landed, and all along the glass sides are smashed and shattered. I see one man sitting at the bottom of it. his head's covered in blood, but he's still alive. Unlucky enough to be on the escalator when I hit, but lucky enough not to be right under my point of impact.
I grin stupidly as I glance around - realising what I've just done. I've escaped the feds. I've fought them, outwitted them, and escaped! I'm legendary!
"Is there..." I raise one hand, wheezing to a stop as my breath runs dry. I tilt my head back, and revel in a long, sweet breath of fresh air. "Is there a doctor in the house...?" I raise my hands, still grinning, and I show them all my bloody palms.
"Oh yes."
The voice. Way too confident to be a random shopper. I turn to the man with a sudden sinking feeling.
"We have lots of doctors where we are going." His glasses glint darkly in the sun streaming through the roof. "I'm sure they'll love to meet you." More men in black fan out from behind him, all releasing Pokémon as they go. I spin around quickly and search for another way out - but there are more behind me too. They have every exit sealed off and guarded.
Aside from being scared shitless, furious as hell and severely depressed that I haven't been as successful as I hoped - I fell pretty flattered. So many guys all dedicated to capturing me. Wow.
But mostly I'm scared shitless and furious - which is not a good mind-set to be in when facing the feds.
"Volraith..." I growl and back into the middle of the circle they've made around me. My fists burst open at my sides, pouring more energy into shadow balls - ready to fire.
"Don't make this more difficult than it has to be, Mr Chase." The man sighs and shakes his head as his men's Pokémon charge their various attacks, pointing at me. "Come along quietly and we won't hurt you. I promise."
"You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe you." I manage, a little more comprehensively than my previous reply. Still shaky, still on edge - I have to get out before I do something crazy...
"Tane, you're coming with us the easy way or the hard way." He states, quite definitely. "That choice is yours. You have ten seconds to decide - or we'll decide for you. Ten..."
Shit! I glance about as panic begins rising. "Nine..." Shit! I can't beat all of them... But then again - I could maybe kill one or two. "Eight..." Take some of them out in spite? No... that's ridiculous. What would that achieve? "Seven..." Could I escape? But where would I go? I'm vaguely aware of a rising sound somewhere in the background. "Six..." They'd chase me home - they know where I live... run away? "Five..." But they'd hassle my family for my location... "Four..." The noise is getting louder. Could I get protection? From who? No one would help me, would they? "Three..." Shit, shit, shit! Why me? Why does this happen tome? This isn't my fault! "Two..." The noise is suddenly loud now - coming from somewhere above. The lead agent glances up at the hole in the glass roof, but still counts. "One. Looks like we're-"
A shadow passes across us as the sun is blocked out. The agent stops mid-sentence and we all glance up at the ceiling. A helicopter. A black helicopter hovers over the hole I made in the ceiling, and slowly lowers. Hanging from a ladder underneath it is a single person. Red hair, black overcoat, and an exceptionally serious expression.
A small grin passes my face as I recognize the person. A similar grin passes over the agent's face too - and we both say it at the near-same time.
"Lance."
"Lance."
The other agents glance about - greatly perplexed by our pleasure. It's probably a mystery to them why we're both grinning.
"Don't smile kid." The agent suggests as Lance drops from his ladder. "You might have stood a chance of escaping earlier - but you're stuck now. Lance is the best." He lands the impact like it's nothing at the top of the escalator, and grabs a pokéball from his waist. He stops right at the top - and freezes.
"The fuck?" He growls. He grabs the pokéball from his waist and releases his Dragonite beside him as he hurries down the escalator. The Dragonite bears down on me with a hard stare for a moment - but then he recognises me.
"Nite?" He lifts himself off the top floor and glides to the bottom, landing alongside Lance. The circle of agents part for him, and they nod respectfully.
"Cancel your attacks." He growls as he stops between me and the outside of the circle.
"We already tried." The agent growls. "He won't list-"
"Not him!" Lance barks. "You and your men."
The agent stares for a moment - like he's been hit by lightning. "...Us?"
"You heard me." Lance nods. They both stare for a moment, but Lance's presence is overwhelming. The agent sighs, and raises his hand. On his command his men's Pokémon dispel their charged attacks, and lower their arms with confused mutters.
"He'll escape..." The agent protests.
"He won't." Lance strides towards me, sighing deeply. He stops in front of me and buries his forehead in one hand. "Tane... just... what...?"
"Idunno..." I whimper, shrugging miserably. My shadow balls fizzle out, and my arms hang limp at my sides. I'm not angry anymore - but I'm still a little scared. Still... what's going to happen...?
I jerk a little as I feel something touch me. Lance steps into me, and he wraps his arms around my back, pulling my head into his shoulder. "It'll be alright..." He whispers. "I'll take care of this."
"Kay." I sniff, nodding weakly.
He holds me for a few seconds, then takes his arms away and turns back to the lead agent. As I can see again, I note the looks of shock and confusion of the agents.
"He's coming with me." Lance states. My god, he's authoritive...
"But we're-"
"He's my brother." He growls and advances on the agent. "You are not taking my brother into custody. I've seen how you fools work and I've seen your methods and I'll be damned if you're doing that to him." I note the lead agent's face falling in shock and embarrassment.
Lance turns back to me. "Tane. You're coming with me. You're going to tell me exactly what's going on here, and how this happened."
*
They say that Arceus is the forefather of everything. He created it all. His creations - Dialga and Palkia - then created existence. Time and space. Once time began to move and space filled the void, there were more. With space present - by unwritten law - matter was required. This matter took form as Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza. They created the earth. Land appeared in space, seas flowed from the bowels of this lump of rock, land rose from the seas, and an atmosphere surrounded the earth, and enclosed it. Mew, the father of the genome, then created more Pokémon. Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf - we assume they were created by Mew, especially with something unique - gave them personalities, and taught them emotions. That accounts for the universe, how it flows, the earth and Pokémon - but that leaves one major factor still to be accounted for. One factor that we still cannot understand...
Us.
/01R4!TH]-[N0!TU10/3-R
*
Author's notes: (Skip if you don't give a crap. I won't hold it against you - it's just me droning on.)
I've taken on board a lot of information recently. Firstly - I sat for an hour and listened to a writer talking about writing. He said some things which I've heard often - so I've gone along with what he said. Writing from personal experience - because we write best what we know and feel.
Second - a website I visited. Turns out (apparently) writing in first-person perspective is a useful learning tool. Third person apparently removes any restrictions, but first person is the learning tool which improves your writing. Which is apparent if you take a look at Greg. Writing one series in third person. Just take a look at how quickly he's improved.
I also googled something I've always been bad with. Starts. The starts to my stories are often ridiculously boring. Originally chapter two was going to open - but I decided a chase scene would be an awesome, action-packed, explosive way to start things. I'm happy I chose this direction.
Anyway - I'd appreciate any feedback. Whether you have something good to say, any suggestions, criticism or improvements I could make, any questions, or if you have the urge to shout something random like I often get. Fav if you're along for the ride.
( My trivector now is
1)-Lethal Vector.
2)-Original Into The Inferno (ITI).
And
3)-Legend of Volraith (LoV). )