Re: JR’s Characters

[JR19759]

Finishing off the Renegade Chronicles with a group shot

Chapter 10

The generator room was dark, just what I needed for my plan. I hid behind one of the gas tanks, making sure I had a clear view of the door. I didn’t have to wait long before Zane turned up. He and his stupid hair came through the door almost silently, like a bat. He had his gun drawn and raised, ready to shoot.
“Where are you, Renegade?” He hissed. His words echoed round the room, bouncing off the walls and tankers.
“I’m here somewhere Zane. You’ll just have to come and get me.” I taunted. I slid across behind the neighboring tanker. Zane started looking around the tankers. Every so often he would stop and sniff the air. It was as if he was trying to smell me out. I grabbed a loose bolt from my tanker and threw it across the room. As it landed, Zane wiped round and blasted it before it had bounced. He didn’t even wait to see what it was before turning back to his search. I edged round until I had a better view of what he was doing. He was gliding between the generators on the other side of the room.
I checked the time on my transmitter. The 10 minutes were nearly up. I highly doubted Sparrow would go through with the plan, so I found one of the bombs that they had already planted. The remote detonator was still active, which was helpful. I set it for 2 minutes. If Sparrow didn’t press the button, the place would still go up anyway.
Whilst I was preoccupied by the detonator, I didn’t notice the shadow descending over me. I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head and I feel forward. I rolled over to see Zane standing over me with his gun pointed in my face.
“Renegade scum!” He spat on the floor next to me and grabbed me by the collar, hoisting me into the air. His strength was impressive, seeing as he wasn’t built much different to me and I’m not exactly Mr. Muscleman in any respect. “What were you expecting to accomplish by this?”
He holstered his gun and ripped the detonator from the bomb, raising it to my face as if to show me how foolish I had been.
“Well, I was hoping that you would show me how to do the splits with explosive assistance,” I said as nonchalantly as I could. “But I guess you’re busy at the moment. Shall I come back later?”
Zane dropped me, as if in disgust. As I tried to get up he booted me, so I sprawled head over heels back onto the floor. I couldn’t help wondering what Sparrow was doing. He was cutting it very fine if he was going to do it and if he wasn’t, Venus and I would both die for no reason.
Zane knelt down beside me. He looked quizzical, as if something was puzzling him and had been for some time.
“Why do you fight?” He asked me. I was taken completely off guard; it wasn’t exactly the question I was expecting.
“It’s the system” I replied. “The system is the problem.”
“The system is perfect,” Zane retorted haughtily, getting to his feet and drawing his gun.
“The system is wrong,” I countered.
Just then, a sweet sound reached my ears. The beep of a detonator count-down. I acted fast. I jumped up and grabbed Zane in a bear hug. I felt the blaster round hit me in the chest, but I didn’t care. I just held on for dear life. I just needed a few seconds, just a few seconds before the blackness could take me in its arms. Then, it happened. I saw them all. Venus, Doc Dread, Crash, the lot. All my friends standing before me, smiling. And I saw Zane’s face, terrified as the blinding light grew around us, enveloping us in its warm embrace. I wasn’t afraid. I had never felt so calm. And as the light clouded my vision, I did something I hadn’t done in years. I laughed.

Epilogue

The sun was rising over Jago. It brought sharp relief over the last night’s events. The EYE center lay in rubble on the spot where it had once stood, imposing, over the city. There were no signs of life. None except the three Renegades, standing, motionless amongst the ruins. Scout Sparrow, Night Streamer and Ruby-Star. They stood among the shell of the building which had, in some aspect or another, claimed so many of their friends. They were so wrapped up in memories, the failed to notice the lone figure walking towards them through the destruction.
“Well done” Arcade Angel’s words cut through the silence like a knife. “You have done well.”
None of them looked up at her. She came closer, but still the three Renegades did not move.
“We need to go,” She said in a quiet, calm voice. “Faceless will be all over this place in an hour.”
Sparrow looked up, before striding towards his fellow Renegade.
“You killed them.” His voice shook with barely controlled rage. His hand was wavering very close to his holster. “You sent them on a suicide mission.”
Arcade Angel did not recoil or step back. Her face was solemn but not uncaring. Her eyes glistened with tears in the morning sunlight.
“I am sorry,” She said as the first tear crawled down her cheek. “I truly am. If it could have been done any other way, it would have. I know you probably want to get out your blaster right now and shoot me down, but that won’t bring them back.”
She looked at the somber faces in front of her and felt a wave of pity for those three. Those three who had given so much and lost so much without answers.
“Come with me,” She said. “We can make sure that none of your friends have died in vein. Come with me and I can explain everything.”
As she walked away, the others followed.
The night was over.
A new day had dawned.

Any critiques are welcome, especially this time on the story that has accompanied the characters.