The Hunted

[Sage]

Life on the run had been surprisingly uneventful lately. If he was being honest with himself, Quinn would have to admit he'd actually been starting to feel restless. Usually for him, surviving required sleeping in a different place every night, moving from one city to the next without rest, keeping his head down at all times and searching for leads regarding where his sister might be whenever he got the chance. He was essentially a fugitive trying to avoid capture, and he rarely got the chance to stay in one place for a week without someone getting suspicious and asking questions, sometimes even calling the police on him. It felt strange- he was even staying in an actual apartment instead of squatting in an abandoned building or sleeping at a bus station, and the thoughts that bombarded him from every direction had started to become familiar. He could recognize the thoughts of the old woman who lived next door to him, could tell them apart from those of the man living a floor below him and those of the man's girlfriend, and the thoughts of everyone else in the building formed a collective, incessant roar in his mind as usual, but it was still pretty impressive. He hadn't been able to familiarize himself with anyone's thoughts and pick them out among all the other noise since- well, since before he'd run away from home. Since before his sister had been taking away. There was no way he'd start dwelling on that again; reliving the past and getting overemotional about it wouldn't help his sister in any way.

Quinn shook himself out of his thoughts, literally shaking his head in an attempt to dispel the memories his current train of thought was bringing up. The motion caused his heavy sound-blocking headphones to shift and almost fall off, and just as he readjusted them a thought hit him, one that wasn't his own. Can't believe we're taking in another freak. Second one we've had to deal with this month- I'd better be getting a raise for this. The thought just barely stood out among those of everyone else nearby, but he focused on it immediately, crossing his bedroom to look out the window at the crowded city street below as he tried to pick up more. The same person as before was now sending out a silent prayer that the "freak" he was about to help arrest wouldn't be violent, because he didn't want a struggle, he just wanted to get off work and head home. Even as he processed this, Quinn stared down at the street, muttering a curse at the sight of two police cars and an all too familiar large, armored vehicle. How had they found him? He'd known it was a bad idea to rent an apartment, but the landlord accepted cash and only took the briefest of glances at his fake ID, not even bothering to meet his gaze as he'd prepared contracts for Quinn to sign and then shown him to his rooms. It had seemed safe enough. Apparently it hadn't been, not if the police had somehow found him.

Uttering another curse- or several- as he strode towards the fire escape, he picked his backpack up off the floor, stuffing the few articles of clothing strewn about inside and taking out his pocketknife to hold onto while he climbed out the window and began descending the stairs of the fire escape. It wasn't as if Quinn really knew how to use a knife, as he'd barely had any experience with weapons or fighting at all, but he kept the pocketknife with him at all times anyways, and always held it close in emergency situations like this, hoping it would somehow prove useful if he needed to fight someone off. His scuffed up backpack over his shoulder, headphones still on, and knife clutched tightly in one hand, Quinn rushed down the flight of rusty metal stairs and tried to focus on the thoughts he was hearing despite how much harder it was to focus with panic flooding his senses. There were at least two police officers, he knew that, and based off of the thoughts of the first man he'd heard, they were accompanied by a trained government agent, presumably someone who had experience with cases like these. They were only on the second floor now, three floors below Quinn's apartment, and they were breaking down someone's door without even bothering to announce their presence first, and- wait. They were breaking into someone else's apartment, they might not even be looking for him. Frantic and in fight or flight mode, he tried to process this even as he hurried down the stairs, nearing an open window on the second floor.

 

[Rowlet]

"No matter what, run. Don't look back."

"I-I can't leave you, not like this! Just hold on, I'll-"

"Both of us will be caught by then! Listen to me Jazz, you need to run. Get out of here."

"You're my brother, I won't leave you!-"

"GO!"

She shot up with a gasp. "Kian!" she shouted. Jasmine sat there, panting. It took her a moment to recognize her surroundings. She was inside her old apartment, alone. It was a nightmare. A sigh escaped her lips. She removed her covers and slipped out of her bed. Jasmine padded towards her large packpack. She never unpacked since she moved here. She learned a long time ago it was best to always be prepared. She never stayed in a place for too long. After she was targetted, Jasmine was constantly on the run. Fortunately, she managed to lay low in this shabby apartment. It wasn't the best, but the landlord requested cash only and didn't ask questions. She stayed in this apartment for two weeks. It was the longest she gone without being discovered. Jasmine exited her bedroom and walked into her bathroom. Ten minutes later, she exited the room, showered and clothed. Jasmine entered her kitchenette and whipped up a small breakfast, consisting of a BLT. She never felt hungry during her nightmares, but it was crucial she maintained her strength. Once she assembled her sandwich, Jasmine munched on it and looked through her morning newspaper. Her eyes narrowed at the front headlines. Another government agent captured a superfreak. She threw the remainder half of her BLT in the trash, losing her appetite. Jasmine retrieved a bottle of water from her fridge and walked to her window. She peered out of the glass casually. Jasmine choked on her water. A few police cars and one armored vehicle was parked across the street. Jasmine swore underneath her breath. So much for civilization!

Jasmine bolted towards her bedroom. She was located on the second floor. Jasmine didn't know if there were other supers like her in this complex. She wasn't exactly social. She kept to herself, never interacing with her neighbors. Jasmine slipped on her trainers, pulled on her dark teal hoodie, and grabbed her large packpack. She rushed to her nightstand, retrieving her butterfly knife, wallet, and maze. Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about packing. Jasmine pulled up her hood and moved to her bedroom window. It was connected to her fire escape. She cracked it open since her room was overheated. Jasmine climbed out of her window, landing on top of a metal platform. She didn't notice a young man fleeing down the stairs above her. She was too focused on escaping. Jasmine hurried down the stairs, landing on top of the ground. She whipped her head to the side, peering through the alleyway. It was clear from policeman or agents. She didn't linger for long. She needed to leave. It was time to relocate. Jasmine turned left and sprinted, running down the dark alleyway.

 

[Sage]

At this point, it didn't matter who the police had come for- if they could find one superhuman, more commonly known by the police and the public as superfreaks or just "supers", then it would only be a matter of time before they found out there were more staying under one roof. Quinn was actually surprised that he hadn't realized anyone else in the apartment complex was hiding superhuman abilities; surely he would have picked up on some of their thoughts at one point or another, heard something strange and realized they were keeping a secret similar to his own. He didn't have time to ponder this now, though. He needed to be out of the city by the next morning, well ahead of any police officers or government agents who might be close to tracking him down.

Looking down at the second story window right below him, he saw a girl climb out onto the fire escape and rush down the stairs ahead of him, looking for all the world like she was making a quick escape just like he was, with a large backpack thrown over her shoulders and not a single glance behind her spared to see the boy moving in the same direction as her. It wasn't even a second after she'd exited the building through the window that Quinn was on the second story landing, turning to look into the open window just as the police broke down the door to what he assumed was the girl's apartment. The police officers along with the government agent were all clad in bulletproof vests and holding out guns as they scanned the room quickly, the agent catching sight of Quinn and not hesitating for a moment before shooting his gun in the direction of the boy. He threw himself further down the stairs, not the bullet he'd been expecting but what appeared to be a large tranquilizer dart flying past right behind him as he took the stairs in huge leaps, going down three steps at a time. Yelling could be heard behind him even with his headphones still on, demands that he freeze and put his hands up going largely ignored. In no time he'd reached the bottom of the stairs and he sprinted towards the back of the alley, knowing the police wouldn't be far behind him. He could distinguish the thoughts of the agent pursuing him as the man gave chase, and he dared a quick glance behind him to see how close they were, finding that they were just nearing the bottom of the stairs while he was more than halfway down the alley, which was blocked off by a tall chainlink fence but appeared to lead out into a crowded city street. Just as he was turning to face forward again, wanting to be prepared when he reached the end of the alley so he could climb over the fence as quickly as possible, he collided with the same girl he'd seen escaping a few minutes ago. He hit her with enough force that he stumbled and almost fell, but regained his footing at the last second, reaching out in an attempt to steady the stranger before she was knocked over because of him. "Uh..sorry." He muttered awkwardly, remembering his manners even though he was short on time and needed to keep moving immediately.

 

[Rowlet]

"Uh...sorry."

An unknown force barreled into her back, causing her to stagger. Due to her speed, she would of crashed on the ground, but a hand grasped her wrist, steadying her. Jasmine whipped her head back. Her eyes gleamed with fear. She expected it to be a cop, but realized it was a boy. He looked a few years younger. A frown marred her lips. "Watch it," she muttered. Jasmine didn't have time to converse. She needed to leave. She retracted her wrist, removed her backpack, and chucked it over the chain link fence. "Thanks," she grumbled. Jasmine scaled up the fence, having plenty of practice. She jumped over, landed on the ground, and picked up her backpack. Jasmine couldn't afford to be slowed down. However, he seemed to be on her same page. Is he a super? Jasmine inspected him. A frown marred her lips.

"Hurry! They're escaping!"

Jasmine cursed. She peered at the young man. "Hurry up, kid! If you don't jump over now, you'll be caught!" she pointed out. Jasmine couldn't afford to be slowed down. However, she refused to let another officer capture an innocent. Her mind reeled at her last minute decision. She didn't have time to think. Running was all she cared about right now. Run, run, run. Never look back. That was what her brother taught her. She was alone in this world. Jasmine contemplated what route she should take. A bus? A train? Jasmine ruled out the airport. She couldn't afford going through security. There was a chance the bus station and train station would be monitored by police offers. How would she be able to sneak in? Jasmine wasn't an expert about hijacking a car. That would be her last option. She was a survivor. In order to protect herself, Jasmine couldn't afford focusing on morals. She learned a long time ago that not everyone should be trusted. If a non-super discovered her ability, they would call the police. It was protocol nowadays.

 

[Sage]

Quinn grimaced apologetically at the girl as she spun to face him, the fear in her eyes making it evident that for a moment she'd mistaken him for a cop. Before he could instinctively offer yet another apology, this time for scaring her, she had pulled her wrist out of his grasp and started moving again, throwing her backpack over the fence and then climbing over with apparent ease. The voice of the agent, who had thankfully stopped to shout at the two much slower police officers, had him quickly follower in the stranger's direction. He was surprised to find that as he grasped at the top of the chain link fence and began to pull himself up, the girl remained standing on the other side, urging him to hurry instead of just rushing to get away immediately herself. He tried to listen to her thoughts, focusing in search of them among the thoughts of the police officers, the government agent and nearby strangers on the streets but couldn't find the sound of her mind among the noise anywhere. It had him frowning, puzzled, before he shook his head and forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand- escaping was more important than listening in on the thoughts of some girl, even if she too was a super.

As he straddled the top of the fence and then jumped over it his headphones were dislodged, sliding off and then crashing to the concrete sidewalk next to him. He cursed as he fell to his knees to pick them up, looking up at the girl beside him. "You should take a left now, then turn right onto Main street. There are more cops heading here from the other direction." He advised, hurriedly fumbling with the headphones. Chances were they were broken now anyways, but he wasn't about to just leave them behind, shoving them over his head and letting them rest around his neck as he stood back up. Despite all of the delays he'd faced so far, he planned to go towards Main street just as he'd advised the girl before him to do, where he'd hopefully make it onto the subway without being caught. He had to make it; if he was caught by the police and taken to a cell or a lab somewhere, there wouldn't be anyone to get his sister out of the very same situation.

 

[Rowlet]

"You should take a left now, then turn right onto Main street."

Jasmine watched the scene in front of her. Based from his clumsy movements, he wasn't use to scaling fences. She learned to be quick and agile, keeping everything secure. However, everyone was different. Her eyes shifted to his fallen headphones. Based from his reaction, they were precious to him. After he landed on the ground, Jasmine turned around. "Come on, kid. I can help you sneak into the subway," she declared. Jasmine secured her hood and bolted, expecting the younger boy to follow. She turned left, merging with a large crowd. Jasmine shoved citizens out of her way, ignoring the consequences. She didn't have time to be courteous. Escaping with her life was more important. She couldn't be caught. Jasmine refused to submit. Fight, fight, fight. Never give up. That was what her brother taught her. He was her role model during their years of running. Since he was gone, she would use his words of wisdom. A part of her wondered if he was still alive. All she heard was shouting and a gunshot. Jasmine never looked back to see who was shot. She inevitably listened to her brother. When he urged her to run, she escaped. Jasmine regretted her decision. Unfortunately, he was correct. If she tried to save him, she would of been captured as well. Ten minutes later, Jasmine arrived at the entrance towards the substation. Her eyes scanned the crowd. It was clear, for now. If she wanted to slip in, now was her chance. Jasmine whipped her head back and peered through the bystanders, seeing if the boy followed. She promised she would help him sneak inside. She was a woman of her word. Jasmine didn't care much about the boy. Once she helped him inside, they would most likely part ways. Even if they took the same train, it doesn't mean they were thinking of the same destination. Jasmine contemplated on her next location. Where should she go? Her options are limited. She didn't have any family she could trust. She been traveling south for the past few months. It would be appropriate if she changed directions. What path should she take? North? East? Jasmine was running out of places to drift. She was tired of constantly running. Jasmine wondered if there was a safe haven for supers like her. Does that place exist? She doubted that theory. This was real life, not a comic book.

 

[Sage]

The surprise was evident on Quinn's face when the stranger offered to help him get to the subway, though she wouldn't have seen it; she had turned and begun to run in the direction he'd suggested immediately after speaking to him, moving too quickly for him to even protest her use of the word "kid" to refer to him. He took off at a sprint after her, not wanting to be left behind and inevitably found by the fast approaching agent, the two police officers following close behind him. He might not have been the most graceful or agile person, his limbs too awkward and gangly for that, but he was used to running by now and could move rather quickly, and soon he was following right behind the girl as she turned onto the busy sidewalk of Main street, hastily pushing her way through the crowds of people. Several people grumbled their annoyance at being bumped into and he heard the irritated thoughts running through their minds as he passed them, invading his own mind and making it impossible to focus on his own thoughts. He settled for concentrating all his attention on the girl in front of him, keeping pace with her as he weaved and ducked his way through the crowd in an attempt to avoid getting in anybody's way.

He finally slowed as he reached the entrance to the subway, coming to a halt next to the stranger who had led him here. The area was still empty for now, and he'd found it was easy enough to sneak onto the subway when a crowd of people got off of one of the cars, at which point he'd push past them and get on for the next ride, wherever it was going. Right now it didn't matter to Quinn where he went; he didn't have a single lead as to where his sister might be at the moment, so all he could do was make his way to the next major city and search for more information about where the majority of supers in the area were being kept. Most regions had holding cells specifically designed to contain anyone with a superhuman ability, but people were only kept there for short periods of time, at which point they were transported to larger government facilities. So far he hadn't found out where any of these facilities were. Hopefully if he took the next subway car wherever it was going, walked to the nearest bus station and bought a ticket for the soonest bus ride out of town, he'd end up somewhere he could safely stay for awhile. If he was especially lucky, he'd find information that could help him continue on his search for his sister; it wasn't like there was anything more he could do. With this plan- or lack thereof- in mind, he looked over at the girl beside him. "Ready to try to get in there?" He nodded down the stairway in the direction of the subways.

 

[Rowlet]

"Ready to try to get in there?"

He made it. Good. For a moment, Jasmine wondered if she was too fast. She didn't want to lose the boy in the crowd, but she couldn't afford to slow down. She only had one shot of helping in in the subway station. It wouldn't be easy, not with the police closing in. Jasmine nodded in response to the boy's remark. "Stand close to the entrance. I'll be right back," Jasmine announced. Her eyes scanned the crowd. Her only option was creating a distraction. She noticed a sketchy man walking through the crowd. A smirk plastered on her face. A plan formulated inside her mind. She weaved through the crowd, sneaking behind him. She mustered up all her strength and shoved him, forcing him to the ground. Before he could react, she disappeared through the crowd, grateful for her short height. He whipped his head back and glowered at the first person behind him, a young businessman. His face twisted with a scowl. He rose from his spot and grasped the front of his suit.

"You think that was funny, punk? Are you looking for a fight?" he growled.

The businessman stiffened. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. It wasn't me!" he protested.

A scoff escaped his lips. "Keh, like hell!" he snapped. He wound his fist back and punched the man in the face.

A grin crept on her face. Her anticipated reaction worked. A brawl in front of the station would attract various bystanders, leaving the entrance unattended. Jasmine returned to the boy's side. "Let's go," she whispered. She grasped his wrist and merged with the crowd, entering the crowded subway station. Hopefully, her diversion will give them enough time to pay for the fare. She pushed through the crowd, rushing down the steps. Her grip on the boy's wrist tightened. Her eyes darted from left to right. "So far, no sight of them," she thought. Jasmine continued her mission, determined to keep her promise. She may never see him again, but it would be nice helping another super. Hopefully, her efforts wouldn't erupt in flames. The last thing she needed on her mind was being the cause of another person's capture. Her mind was plagued with dark memories. She didn't need another incident to scar her. Jasmine contemplated on her next move. Where should she go? What direction should she take? "If only this was the X-Men. A Professor X would be nice right now," she added. Jasmine snapped out her thoughts and focused on trudging through the crowd. Unfortunately, it was rush hour. Her eyes averted towards the young man that accompanied her. "This crowd will provide us some cover," she declared softly.