Shadows tore through the alleyways, warped by flickering lights and smoke curling from overturned crates. The aftermath of Kara's fall left the streets chaotic, voices shouting, orders barked, and the occasional gunshot splitting the air. I moved carefully, each step measured, calculating the probability of every trap and ambush.
thump… clatter… shouted command…
A sudden clang nearly knocked me off balance. Reflexively, I ducked, catching the edge of a beam before it could slide onto my head. Someone or something was closing in fast.
"Behind you!"
Elliot's voice cut through the din like a scalpel, precise and unwavering. Before I could even pivot, a figure struck from the shadows, a knife glinting briefly under the dim lights. Elliot's arm intercepted, blocking the blade, twisting the attacker to the ground with controlled force.
metallic scrape… grunt… boots on concrete…
I froze, letting him do the work, cataloging his movements the timing, the economy of motion, the precision. Unlike most allies, he didn't fumble or hesitate. Every strike and block had intent, and I recognized the difference immediately.
"You owe me one," I muttered, though the words were more acknowledgment than thanks.
Elliot didn't answer. Didn't need to. His eyes, calm but sharp, scanned the perimeter, reading threats before they fully existed. He guided me through the chaos without a single wasted movement, positioning us both into safer ground as if we were pieces on a board I hadn't noticed.
clang… debris shift… distant shout…
From above, the city's hum vibrated through the steel and concrete. I pressed a hand against the railing of a nearby catwalk, noting the structural weaknesses, the conduits that could be exploited, the escape routes. My mind raced through contingencies, but with Elliot's presence, a rare thought flitted through: relief. Dangerous, but notable.
He glanced at me briefly, a flicker of understanding. And then he was gone, fading back into the maze of alleys, leaving only the faint echo of his precision behind.
I allowed a small smirk to form. "Guess someone actually read the fine print on loyalty. Rarely, annoyingly effective."
The Veins below hummed with restless energy, sensing the chaos above. And somewhere in the midst of that, I realized the game had changed. Allies were costly, but occasionally, they were worth it. Even if only to remind me that not every hand in the shadows was out to stab me.
soft scrape… fading echo of boots…
I stepped forward, moving with the weight of calculated caution. The streets had shifted, the pieces were still in motion, but for once, the scales weren't entirely tipped against me. And if Elliot thought he could save me without commentary, he hadn't accounted for my kind of gratitude.
"Consider yourself noted," I muttered under my breath, letting the words hang in the smoke-thick air, sharp enough to cut through the chaos.