Reese and A.J. kept barrelling through the city, taking the paths of least resistance and fewest people whenever possible. They did their best to follow Seethe's second-by-second relays of Pharzu's direction, having to backtrack once already to get back onto an approximate collision course with the traitor. More than once, A.J. argued with Reese on the best route to take, stressing that she knew Reajh much better than he did, and lost precious seconds because of it.
However, in this particular back alley when they stopped momentarily to argue once again, something struck both of them from behind simultaneously, knocking the two to the ground. And, pinning them down by the backs of their necks, was Neseraph.
"I got one question to ask you gents," said Neseraph, while A.J. scoffed insultedly at being called a 'gent', "Why were you tryin' to wave down that guy just before he got shot?"
Reese managed to turn his head around and see who assaulted and questioned them, "What the -- Neseraph??"
He blinked, taken aback. "Reese?"
"The fuck you doin' here man??" the dark man asked, almost as incredulous as Neseraph was at the moment.
"Well, that depends," he replied with a grin.
Ayria rolled her eyes and managed to turn her head and look at Reese, not too surprised that Reese knew their assailant, "Are you two done kissing?"
"Almost, blondie," then, to Reese, Neseraph asked again after increasing the downward pressure on their necks, "So, wanna tell me what the Hellsend's doin' here? And how you apparently knew about the attack? Or were you and your girlfriend smoochin' and just so happened to be good samaritans?"
A.J. looked supremely wronged as Reese, with time hot on his mind, was quick to answer, "We were fuckin' betrayed! Pharzu, one of our own, sold out to some broad called Mother. He shot that guy, and we're trying to catch his ass so we can fry 'em so let us go!"
Neseraph felt like he just walked onto some railway tracks and got hit by an invisible train; it made sense somehow, but he completely did not see it coming at all. "Well, shit, which way did he go?"
"You gonna help?? I thought you were rogue??" Reese asked quickly.
"Let's just say me and some friends got beef with Mother too. Well, let's go!!" He effortlessly picked both of the Hellsends up and planted them back on their feet, starting after them as they led the way according to the everchanging instructions. Neseraph hoped the others would be able to get the sword, and figured he help throw a monkey wrench into Mother's plans by taking down this Phazru character. He also wondered how Insera was doing, back there in the chaos.
Elial managed to open his eyes and survey his surroundings: Telarn's body was a several feet to his left, as was the destroyed diner, and the mangled bodyguards were plastered up against the front of shop to his right. He was in the epicenter of the chaos; for at least fourty feet all around him, every soul had deserted the area. He was out there, alone and in the middle of the stage.
And just as he tried to stand, Mother spoke again in his mind, and her very words forced him back down to one knee. But, again, it was not him she spoke to:
Alexian, I am very disappointed...
You should be, Mother. Your 'grand symphony' is falling apart.
No, Alexian... not yet. Norriden has taken the most important player out of the spotlight, and you will get her back for me.
Never.
Look, Elial, and show her what lies behind you...
The Archangel slowly managed to turn his head around and look behind himself. Some distance away was the line between the no-man's-land and the edge of crowd. Some finally stopped to watch how things would play out, but most were still trying to get further away lest things get worse. Among them he spotted Mariam and Tesri towards the edge.
There, that building to your right, Elial, by the innocents. Do you see it too, Alexian? That building will be reduced to rubble too, just as this diner was, and some hundred innocents will surely perish along with it. However, it does not have to be that way, Alexian... not if you get my daughter back to this location.
You - sick - MONSTER!! HOW DARE YOU!? Alexian roared in Elial's mind, infuriated and distraught at the same time.
It is no longer my decision to make... it is your's, Alexian. You can choose to steal my daughter away from her destiny and let a score of innocents die for that... or you can simply return my daughter, now. Will you let them become disposable tools for you, Alexian, as you have so many others? Make haste... you have less than a minute's time.
Do not do this, Mother! DO NOT DO THIS!
But there was no reply. Her presence left Elial, as he could hear the sounds of the world return to him and feel his strength soundly return. The Archangel wasted no time, and began running at full speed toward the dangerous building, praying he had the speed to make it in time. He simply could not allow all of those innocent people to die over this, and if he had to sacrifice his already lost life in their defense, then so be it.
Mariam yelped in mild surprise as she was pulled back up from the masses, but quickly realized it was a friend. She looked around frantically, then explained loudly over the commotion, "I don't know! We got seperated, but he has to be close! Help me find him!" She started to push her way into the crowd, calling out as she went, "Leon! Leon! Where are you!? We're coming for you!"
She didn't notice Elial, still far off, running in her general direction.
Good. Vivante was putting some of that ridiculous agility of his to good use, and went straight up into the window in question. Insera figured that there might be a back door, and with Vivante chasing the mystery assailant from behind, they could both close in and trap him.
When Insera finally slipped into the alley along the side of the building, she hurried down the path with her handgun up and in front of her. The weapon led the way around the corner as well when she whipped around it-
And saw a hooded man there in all black clothing, holding some kind of device just after the explosion went off! There were no coincidences.
"Here!" Insera shouted in the hopes of getting Vivante's attention from inside the house. Just as Kael looked up and saw he might be compromised, he bolted down the back door alley away from her. She squeezed off a few shots to chase after him, but he was too quick and managed to disappear around another corner, heading toward a calmer street in the city.
"You there! Stop!"
Insera looked down the alley from where she came, and saw two Connlaothian guardsmen there, pointing their rifles at her. As luck would have it, they only saw her firing off rounds and assumed her to be hostile. The last thing she needed right now was to be on the law of the land's bad side, but there it was, and chances were that they'd try and summon more of their comrades. The only choice was to try and lose them.
"Oh, bloody hell!" She hissed to herself as she took off, half in pursuit of the hooded man, half running from the Reajh guardsmen chasing after her. She also had no idea how Vivante would work into this tricky situation.
Once the green light was given by Morrigan, Zekial wasted no time. Since he was loathe to try and cross the open area around Telarn's body, and because the alley they were in was an eventually dead end, the Blood Angel quickly scaled the wall and got onto the roof. It would probably be quicker this way too, simply jumping from rooftop to rooftop instead of trying to navigate the now panicked traffic on the streets below. But, before he started running to complete his first jump, he noticed Elial down below, seemingly sprinting toward the crowd.
"What's he-?" But Zekial didn't finish his sentence, once he assumed that the Archangel might just be going to where they once were in the alleyway, or toward Mariam and Tesri. He must have had a good reason.
The Blood Angel resigned to leave Elial to his own devices, and made the first jump across the gap between structures. The sword was still approximately straight ahead, and that's where he was heading, in an attempt to make up for lost time.
As Norriden was flying, the voice of Alexian rang in his head. She sounded frustrated, worried, rushed, angry, nervous, and concerned all at the same time:
Norriden, we have no time so listen well! There is another bomb in the city, and Mother is threatening to use it to kill many, many innocent people if the girl you have taken is not returned to where she was this instant. This is not negotiable Norriden, so please, I implore you to turn back now, or I will have to take the matter into my own hands.
Taylor wanted to scream, but she was too deathly afraid. Only faint whispers escaped her mouth. Her skin was cold, clamly, and pale, and she shivered slightly in his arms.
