DOWN

The wind whipped at their faces as Will, Remy, and Becca darted down the main street. Remy's head was on a swivel, scanning frantically. Now out of the safety of the side alleys, they were horribly exposed. Noise surged from ahead and behind—the commotion escalating, metal footsteps pounding closer. The two groups were closing in, ready to box them in. It was a toss-up as to which group would reach them first.

"Do you see a way out?" Remy asked, his voice strained.

Will's gaze darted past the edge of the main street and down at the passing rooftops of the level below. Among the chaotic sprawl of crumbling structures, one stood out. "The yellow roof by the refinery. From there, we can jump to the shack next to it."

"I see it," Remy said grimly.

Just as they were about to move, shouts came from ahead, and the glint of chrome bodies of their pursuers came into view. The cyborgs moved with inhuman speed, their mechanical limbs driving them powerfully across the terrain.

Remy moved before Will could blink, guarding him as a bullet pinged off his field.

"Come on!" Will yelled.

The trio sprinted to the edge of their current platform and leapt off, their cloaks billowing behind them. The drop was steep, the wind rushing past their ears.

Will landed hard on the yellow rooftop, rolling to absorb the impact. Remy and Becca landed beside him, their breaths coming in short, ragged gasps.

Gunfire followed them as they leapt to the next roof. Will glanced over his shoulder and found the cyborgs hot on their heels. They had no hesitation following them onto the next level, relentless in their pursuit. The two groups of pursuers had merged, forming a single, unyielding force. Their heavy footfalls rang out, metal on metal, as they closed the distance.

"Remy!" Will gasped.

"I know!" Remy barked back, his head swiveling as he scanned for an egress point. The deeper they went down the levels, the narrower and rougher the tenements became. What had once been sprawling thirty-foot separations between levels were now mere ten-foot gaps, the architecture growing more cramped and chaotic.

"There!" Remy pointed to a shack precariously perched on the next tier down.

Will's eyes narrowed as he assessed the old, rickety building. The gap was considerable. If they missed, they'd plummet into the depths below. Gritting his teeth, he didn't hesitate. He sprinted forward and leapt.

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The wind howled in his ears as he soared through the air. The roof came at him fast, and he barely caught himself at the edge of the rundown shack, the impact sending a shudder through the structure. For a moment, he thought the entire roof would collapse beneath him. But it held, albeit precariously.

Shouts erupted from above as the cyborgs reached the edge, with every intention of leaping down. So dogged was their pursuit that the half-automatons were unwilling to let their prey go at any cost.

"Come on! It's not over yet!" Will urged as they ran across the roof, the thin metal sheets groaning with every step. Will had one eye fixed on the cyborgs above; the timing had to be just right.

"Three… two… one—jump!"

The trio sent their fields to their feet, pushing off the roof and leaping. The wave of psions from the field crashed into the metal roofing, cracking it as their feet left the shack.

Will held his breath as he soared toward the next building. A second later, a deafening crash came from behind. Mid-leap, he glanced back to see the cyborgs disappear into the collapsed shack behind them. The entire structure had gone down the moment their feet left the building.

Remy gave a breathless whoop, flipping the cyborgs the bird as they landed on the next roof.

"Don't celebrate too early," Will warned. "We're not out yet."

"Yeah," Remy panted, catching his breath. He examined his smoking pistol and grimaced. The barrel had warped from the heat, rendering the weapon useless.

"Let's go," said Will, his voice strained. His shirt clung to his sweat-drenched skin, and every breath felt like fire in his lungs.

The trio continued their frantic descent down the levels. The buildings grew smaller, the gaps narrower. A minute later, below them, the sounds of chanting and marching grew louder. The protest procession was close.

"Here we go," Remy panted, his voice tight. "Damn, I'm so tired."

He looked it too. Panting hard, he leaned on Will for support. Becca was no better, her field flickering weakly under the strain of deflecting so many shots.

"Just a bit more," said Will hoarsely, leaping toward another roof. His lungs burned with every breath, and his legs felt like lead, but he forced himself to keep moving.

In the distance, they spotted the crowd making their way toward a military barricade. The trio redoubled their efforts, rushing toward the procession until they were right above it. One more jump, and they would be within the crowd.

Will gasped, his heart hammering in his chest. A faint tingling came from his leg as the yellow signature stirred, pulsating as it sent tendrils outward. He ruthlessly suppressed it, forcing it down, but the unease lingered.

As the tendrils faded, still reaching out, something passed over him. A chill swept through him, and he realized something was very wrong.

"What is this? Where..." he muttered as he felt the direction the tendrils were reaching toward. It didn't point above toward the cyborgs chasing them but ahead.

A tall cyborg blocked their path. The cyborg leader rose to his full height, eyes blazing red. He had been waiting, anticipating their route, knowing the protest was the only place they could run toward.

Will watched as a gun flashed between the cyborg's chrome fingers, aiming directly at him.

"Down!" Will shouted, shoving Remy and Becca aside just as the cyborg fired.

The bullet struck Will, shattering his shield and throwing him backward. Pain exploded through his body as he fell, the world spinning around him. His vision blurred as he tumbled through the air, plummeting toward the crowd below.

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