<How dare you! My driving instructor was a box of oatmeal, you bastard!>
Hard right! Ram that bitch!
You try to ram his car again but he manages to accelerate and turn right fast enough to get out of the way.
<You call that ramming?! Bugs going splat on my windshield can hit harder than you!> comes the voice from the car that is now in front of you.
The two police cars come at you, trying to force you to stop. You manage to evade one, leaving it behind you, but the other hits you from the left. You turn left while the police car turns right, each of you trying to force the other off the road and to the sidewalk. Despite the police car's superior technical characteristics compared to yours, you manage to handle your car better and push the other car onto the sidewalk, causing it to loose control and ram the corner of a house.
Well, that's going to leave a mark.
"This reminds me of that time on the school bus. Ah."
>Look at that guy who's being a flagrant traffic violator. See if the police are about to do anything, maybe? Point at the fucker if they don't seem to be getting it. Try not to get hit too badly.
If evasive driving fails, assume direct control and utilize superior abilities to avoid death and injury.
<How dare you! My driving instructor was a box of oatmeal, you bastard!> Ike hears a voice coming from his Interface. He gets the feeling the voice is coming from the offending car.
Your host manages to evade the attack coming at him by accelerating and maneuvering out of the way. He manages to get in front of the offending car.
<You call that ramming?! Bugs going splat on my windshield can hit harder than you!>Your host watches from his rear view mirror as the offending car evades the efforts of one police car to force it off the road and causes another one to crash. Useless. Looks like you're going to have to take care of it yourself. Your host reaches for his machine pistols.
Relent! Relent! Relent!
Awena stepped back and checked the subdued man before
"Let her go! Don't hurt her! Speak!"
Let him speak, give Awena the option of full control. Do not withdraw unless asked.
Also identify the man for any markings or such to indicate organization.
Oh goodness...my head...ugh, sorry Awena!
The men bear no identifying marks. If it weren't for their guns and behavior, they'd look like regular people you could find anywhere in this city. The only thing they have in common are their dark clothing.
They could be common criminals. Or they could be something worse. Mercenaries. Government agents. Or members of some other kind of organization.
Awena doesn't ask you to regain control. You aren't really sure if she even can at this state. Still, it might be better to relinquish control. Maintaining control is making you fell more and more tired. You don't think you can hold on much longer.
{Irine}
That seems to have worked. Not really my style but still quite efficient.
continue to grow the wall of fire, but don't have it advance anymore, instead forming a ring around the area that encompasses Zoe, Awena, Amelia, the vehicles, etc. blocking anyone from leaving and anyone from coming to interfere but without getting the flames dangerously close to anyone involved.
Through Interface, to Theri <You might want to let Awena know that I'm here and that the fires are mine. I think possessing her like that is going to desynchronize you. I spent some time earlier separating my flames from Zoe, I can keep this up all day, but I'm not talking to Zoe or messing with her head any. I don't think Zoe even knows I'm here.>
I wonder how Zoe is going to handle the negotiations. I hope she stays focused like this, and doesn't let my flames mess her up any.
A thin line of fire begins extending from your firewall. It isn't enough to block the area you wanted it to block, but it's enough to cover its south side. Zoe is worried about it but it isn't her primary concern right now.
Your Interface starts beeping every other second. Looks like even at this state, this is somehow causing her to reject you. Still, it isn't that worrying. You've done a good work separating your mind from hers. You could probably keep this up for an hour before you get desynchronized.
Zoe retrieves the unconscious guard's firearm. She points it at the men carrying Amelia and starts walking towards them.
The men look at her and the fire in fear.
"...doing it?"
"No, she's sedated. And she can't do things like that. I think it's them."You catch a glimpse of their whispering before they stop talking. Zoe bends over Amelia and checks her vitals. Unconscious. Weak pulse. She looks pale, famished, bruised in places. She has an IV drip going in her arm.
"Let her go! Don't hurt her! Speak!" Theri orders the men.
"Hurt her? We don't want to hurt her."
Zoe inspects Amelia's arm, her newly found weapon still pointing at the two men. There are multiple needle marks on it and they look red in places. Collapsed veins. Phlebitis. Like the arms of IV drug addicts. The situation is the same with her other arm.
"Yes, we want to help her. That's what they told us. Keep her sedated and-""Help her?! You call this helping?" Zoe asks, waving the gun at the two men, anger clear in her voice.
"Why did you took her?""I don't know. We were told to keep her safe and not let her wake up because it would be dangerous. We have no idea-""You're lying! Why did you do this? She wouldn't hurt anyone!" Zoe closes her eyes. You can feel the tears running in her cheeks.
Who knows what else is wrong with her. How much they have hurt her. Can't know without more thorough examination. Has she been sedated since the time they took her? Should the needle be removed or will that cause more damage?
Zoe leans and whispers to Amelia's ear.
"Don't worry. I'm here now. Everything is going to be all right again.""Who do you work for? Who are 'they'?" asks Theri while Zoe continues checking Amelia, her worry increasing by the second.
"We don't know. We're mercenaries. We were contracted for this job. We never met our employer." More lies.
One of the men groans and starts speaking.
"Look, we need to get out of here. We just got information that the government is sending people here. There's an abandoned warehouse at the-""Duuude! What are you doing?"
"-the edge of the residential district. There's people there that can help her. Scientists. Medical equipment. I promise that after we get there and do whatever we can to help her, we'll let her go."Zoe paces, thinking, unsure of what to do. These men hurt her. But what if they're right. She needs medical attention, that much is clear. But they're the ones that hurt her like that in the first place. What other option is there?
"Look, I can see that you care about her, but things are much more complicated then you realize. If you don't let us help her, she will die. If the government takes her, she'll be locked up in a godforsaken lab and you'll never see her again. We have to go now."
Bryan
<No I am not certain that he isn't doing good in this world. I also know that I couldn't give him an ordinary life. Yet, it is hard to believe that this is good for him. I'm sure that the correct decision will be clear in hindsight. Also, sorry about this mess, I'm sure I could have handled it better.>
If I see any grenades, use telekinesis to move them away from me, making it look like a bad throw or bounce.
Faron
Whatever Faron thinks is best.
<Unfortunately, that is true. Everything looks clear in hindsight. If only things could be different...
My only suggestion is that you use the full range of your powers. Why limit yourself, when you could do more to help?>True enough, you see a hand throwing a grenade up the stairs... and you send it back down again. Your host doesn't wait to see the outcome. By the time you hear the explosion, he's already reached the other side of the building. He exits through a broken window there, hangs from the ledge and breaks through another window to the ground floor, all in one swift motion.
Three men turn to face him. He manages to take out two of them but the third one manages to shoot your host at the lower left abdomen before your host puts a bullet between his eyes.
Your host listens for a few moments. His ears aren't ringing from the noise of the battle. Another sign he isn't entirely human. He hears nothing. The church looks empty. The bodies of them men you killed are lying on the rotten pews, among the material they were packing or burning in small pyres.
He looks down at his wound. He's bleeding. But he isn't concerned. The bullet went right through.
He searches the church. There is indeed a boockase in the sanctuary. There's a portable computer behind it.
Your host connects his cell phone to it and waits as the screen flashes.