[4] The Ghost Town

[Kaden]

Damnit... damnit damnit damnit!

It was all Kaden could do to curse at himself. He had one job to do... one simple job. And now he and Piper were scrambling to make their way out of a building that was about to collapse on top of them. Some radar he turned out to be.

As he reached the closest door, Kaden tried the door knob to avail. Turning to Piper, the courier was about to ask what their next route should be. Instead, he found himself stepping backwards as Piper thrust her body into the door, knocking it clean off its hinges. Without wasting another moment, the medic dashed through the door, calling for Kaden to do the same.

Hurrying after his ally, Kaden tried to catch glimpses of Orion as they dashed past windows. There were several small explosions, and flashes of light, but the courier was unable to make out the one-eyed warrior. Turning his attention back to getting out of the building, Kaden was relieved to see Piper kick open another door, releaving a stairway.

Both humans bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time as the sound of cracking and crumbling wood chased them. A trapdoor at the top of the stairs opened up to reveale the flat-top roof of the hotel they had been hiding in. Immediately, Piper whirled about, trying to assess how much time they would have before the roof gave in.

Kaden, unlike his ally, hurried to the edge of the rooftop, hoping to gain a better vantage on Orion's last-known position. Unfortunately, the courier was unable to see anything before a deep laughter cut through his thoughts. Spinning in the direction of the voice, Kaden's body froze as he saw Balrog.

The muscle-bound man stood on the rooftop of the hotel's neighboring building. Even across the alley that seperated the two buildings, Kaden could hear the giant weapon on Balrog's shoulder whirr to life. It was the same weapon he had used to vaporize Szar and Dimitri and now it was trained on Kaden.

"Damnit..." was all Kaden could think to say.

Fortunately for the courier, his ally was much less absent-minded about combat situations. Before could so much as get out of the way, Piper was on the move. Sparks flashed from the weapon on Balrog's shoulder as the report of Piper's rifle rang out through the air. Kaden's head snapped from Balrog to the direction of the rifle, but Piper was already moving.

Dashing the last couple of feet to the edge of the building, Piper vaulted into the air. Both Kaden and Balrog watched as the medic soared over the ally as though it weren't even there. In mid-air, Piper flipped the rifle in her hand, gripping it as she might a baseball bat.

Realization slowly dawned on Balrog, but it was too late to do any good. With the full force of her leap behind her, Piper swung her rifle into Balrog's shoulder. With a grunt of pain, Kai's minion bent under the pressure of the blow. The butt of the rifle, to Kaden's surprise, shattered against the man's shoulder.

A flash of blue light lit up the roof-top as Balrog's weapon shot harmlessly into the air. Kaden watched as Piper continued her offensive. The woman dropped her ruined rifle onto the rooftop as she hopped into the air. With a quick spin Piper's foot slammed into the side of her opponent's head. The force of the blow sent Balrog stumbling backwards, dangerously close to the edge of the building.

Much to the amazement of both Piper and Kaden, Balrog managed to stay conscious and retain his grip on the giant weapon slung over his shoulder. With the surprise of Piper's assault over, the man looked more than ready to defend himself. With one arm gripping his weapon, Balrog pulled back the other and prepared to charge Piper. A charge that would never come.

Just as he began to move, a bolt of cerulean ki crashed into Balrog's chest. While the bolt didn't seem to do any direct damage, it pulled the musclebound minion's attention to the attack that was to follow.

Thrusting both arms forward, Kaden channeled a powerful wave of energy. The blast soared unerringly into Balrog's chest, striking in almost the same place as his previous attack. Balrog's eyes widened as the attack struck home, though he didn't seem as phased as the courier would have hoped.

Fortunately, direct damage wasn't Kaden's intent. The force of the attack pushed Balrog backwards several steps, sending him tumbling off the roof of the building. Relaxing for a moment as he watched Balrog fall from his sight, Kaden couldn't help but laugh. His elation wouldn't last long, though.

"What are you waiting for?" came Piper's voice.

Nodding, Kaden took a few steps away from the edge of the bruning hotel. He could hear the crackling of wood from behind him as he took several very deep breathes. Bracing himself, Kaden dashed towards the edge of the roof.

Thinking that he might actually be able to leap from rooftop to rooftop was probably one of the worst ideas Kaden had ever had. The ally wasn't particularly wide, and the building that Kaden was aiming for was several feet shorter than the one he was leaping from. Despite that, the courier still came up a little short.

Throwing his arms forward, Kaden managed to catch the lip of the roof. His body swung into the side of the building with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs. Struggling to breath, Kaden was genuinely amazed that he had the presence of mind to keep his grip firm. Before he knew it, though, he could feel himself being pulled up onto the building.

The strength and agility that Piper had so far displayed would have made Kaden feel more than a little embarassed in any other situation. Running from burning goons with guns and leaping from burning buildings had a way of putting things in perspective, though. Brushing himself off, Kaden climbed to his feet and took a moment to catch this breath.

"Thanks," he said with a smile.

"No problem," came Piper's reply.

The medic looked down at the broken rifle with a frown. The plan of supporting Orion had gone out the proverbial window. If Kaden to choose any of the Hunters in Olde Town to make it on their own, though, it would definitely be Orion. For now, the courier was more concerned with figuring out a way to fend off Kai's thugs.

"We should probably get moving, huh?" Kaden asked his ally.

"It would probably be a good idea, yeah."

Piper scanned the rooftop for a second, nodding to Kaden when her eyes settled upon a trap door like the one they had just escaped through. As the medic pulled open the door, Kaden took a minute to invoke his second Sight. There didn't seem to be anyone in the building below them, but he was also troubled to see no signs of Balrog.

Kaden was the first to hop down the trapdoor, and making their way down to the ground floor of the building they were in brought no real surprises. Just as they were about to exit, though, Kaden stopped Piper with an outstretched arm. Someone was approaching the door they were about to leave through.

Motioning for Piper to remain silent, Kaden fixed his eyes on his target's light. Wisps of ki began to coalesce about his right hand as the courier raised an open palm to the door. Bracing his right arm with his left, Kaden took a deep breath and waited. As the doorknob turned, he unleashed a powerful blast of ki.

The blast crashed against the door, exploding outwards and enveloping the approaching rouge. Smoke from the explosion wafted into the night air, revealing Kaden's target. The man's chest was exposed through a large hole through his shirt and some kind of vest he had been wearing. Kaden grimaced at the sight of the man's charred flesh, but his eye's remained fixed on the sight. It was a couple of seconds before the man's chest began heaving with labored breathes.

Unbeknownest to him, Kaden had been holding his breath in anticipation. Lumps had formed in his stomach and throat and his mind had began preparing himself for the possibility that the man hadn't survived the blast. When it was clear that he had, the anxiety lifted from the courier in an instant; he couldn't help but smile.

As Kaden was worried for the life of a man who had probably intended to kill him, Piper had made her way through the opening in the wall where the door used to be. Kneeling down, the medic retrieved the ki rifle that had been thrown to the ground. As she stood up, Kaden moved to join her. With no real desitination planned, the two of them stood on the main street of Olde Town, trying to decide which way to go as quickly as possible. They weren't quite quick enough.

Walking out of the alley that Piper and Kaden had so recently leapt over came another thug. He was obviously surprised to see the two Hunters standing over an unconscious man with bits of door laying about the street. Piper was the first one to act, raising her newly-found rifle to her shoulder and pulling the trigger.

Nothing happened.

All three heads snapped to the rifle as Piper pulled the trigger once more. Realizing what happened, the thug leveled his own weapon at the two Hunters. Panicking, Kaden reacted as quickly as he could. The courier's hand snapped forward, hurling a bolt of ki towards his attacker. Kaden could only watch in horror as the blast sailed past the rifle, his intended target, and struck the man squarely in the face.

A sickening thud filled Kaden's ears as he watched the man crash to the ground. Several seconds past as Kaden watched, hoping to see some sign of life. Even as Piper pulled at his arm, the courier didn't move. His eyes were transfixed to the man's fallen body. It wasn't until Piper phsyically moved Kaden that he gained the presence of mind to move on his own.

His feet were moving on their own, Kaden had no idea where he was going. He was aware that Piper had a firm grip on his arm and was leading him somewhere. He was aware of the fact that she was saying something, though he had no idea what.

The image of that man falling backwards, his face concealed by a veil of smoke, continued to play in Kaden's mind. His eyes fell to his free hand, which was beginning to shake. The preaching, the righteousness, the moral soap-boxing speeches, all of it, replayed in Kaden's mind, an ironic and damning soundtrack. As Piper continued to tow Kaden along, a single question escaped his lips.

"What have I done?"