9 Chapter 9 {Scarlet}

Alice and I walk slowly through the packed sidewalks. Everything is calm, to calm, it's like the calm before the storm. When the birds go silent and animals burrow into their dens. I see shop owners discreetly packing certain items up, many have stop shouting their merchandise out. It takes me a minute to register and process this, on the black market there is only one reason this happens. Constibles. My hand flies to the hilt of my sword, I quickly check my boot to see if the scroll is still there.

"Poppy!" I hissed, trying to get her attention.

She turns looking at me with her large doe eyes, filled with concern. I shove the bag of parts in her hand, looking around to see the situation. I see a group of constables holding up pieces of parchment paper asking forcefully questions. One stands on a turned over cart, yelling to into sound amplifier. The market has gone into chaos, everyone is yelling, running around, people stealing from others, everyone trying not to get arrested. I strain to I hear the man's voice over the screams.

"If anyone has seen, or has any information on this girl please come forward! She is a dangerous criminal, charged with theft from the government, murder, and the kidnapping of Lady Popington! Her name Scarlet Sparrow!" He keeps on repeating the message over the chaos.

We are trapped in a sea of people, the thunderous waves crashing up against us.

"Alice! I need you to do something for me! Take this scroll to the docks! Hopefully the Professor will be there, if you have to leave without me. Okay?" I yell.

"I won't leave you!" She screams back.

I shake my head and shove a scroll into her hand. I turn to see a constable staring right at us. I shove Alice and she starts to run, I know this is risky but I have to know who they sent to apprehend me. I wave, grinning at the contible and start to run in the other direction, I push people out of the way. I could escape and swiftly move through the crowd but I want to be followed. I run through stores, the patrons screaming as I rush through followed by a growing enotage of constables. I make my towards where I think the docks are. I turn right, and see the ships, large wooden ships with masts creaking, sails billowing in the wind. The large balloons keeping them afloat in the sky sway tethered to the boats. That's a relief, if I got lost that would've been extremely embarrassing. I turn to my followers, it consists of ten constables, and walking towards me a tall blond young man. Sir William Rogerson.

"Really, you?" I ask, "I thought they would send someone more experienced! I'm a bit insulted to be honest."

"Nevermind that, you're cornered! Even I could catch you!" He says triumphantly.

The constables close in one me, all ten at once, I all point they guns at my head ready to shoot at any second. I'm fast but I'm off my guard and they seem ready, I don't want to risk it. Yet. I slowly raise my hands holding them out to the constables in surrender.

"You know what you just insulted yourself?" I ask Sir William with a smirk. I feel my hands being cuffed behind my back as I'm roughly shoved to my knees.

"Your pretty cocky from someone who's just been arrested!"

"Have I?" I say smuggley.

William looks around for a second before turning back to me, he stands back to the ariships, his hands folded behind his back like a good little soldier boy.

"Uh, yes, yes you have." He says a bit confused. "Get the scro-"

Then he keals forward landing on his face. Alice stands behind him looking a bit guilty. She has a frying pan in one hand and the scroll clutched in the other.

"See! I haven't been arrested! The timing was just off!" I gloat.

Alice has the scroll clutched in one of her hands as if a lifeline. Her wide eyes scan the scene as if she's just registering what has happened. The constables look at eachother, confused about what to do with our their leader. Two move to their fallen knight and attempt to revive him, the rest seem like they are in some sort of daze.

The most beautiful sight comes before my eyes a ship floats up to the dock, gliding on the air slowly like a bird gliding to a landing. Suddenly the rest of them begin to move, as if they had just been woken up. Some of them lurched forward, to the ship or towards Alice I don't know. I'm not entirely sure they know either. I take the chance and twist roughly in the grasp of my captor, freeing myself. I quickly kick him in the stomach and with low grunt he crumples to the ground.

I turn to examine the scene, the majority of the remaining constables are converging on me, teeth bares like wild dogs, guns and sticks at the ready. I can't see what's happening to Alice through their large forms. I start to back up, my attacks advance, preditors ready to pounce on their prey. I can't do much with my hands behind my back. Spades!

"Where are the plans?" One of them demands of me. I look up at them feigning innocence.

"I haven't the slightest what you're talking about," I respond. His face flushes red with anger.

"You know! The plans! The papers you stolen!" He shouts at me, his spit flecking my face.

"Stole? How dare you accuse me of such a crime! I have never done such a thing in my life!" I retort indignantly, dropping the innocent face as a smirk spreads across my face as I continue. "Though if you are looking for a scroll that girl over there has some!"

They all turn to Alice who is still frozen on the spot. She stands dresses in light blue silky layers of fabric small and innocent like a little bird frozen until disturbed. Fly away little bird.

One constable who seems to have chosen he in charge, states "Diggory, McMillian, take Sparrow, the rest get the scroll!"

They rush off and Diggory and McMillan get into fighting stances ready to attack. I stand casually with a slight grin on my face.

"Alright, let me get this straight, which one of you is Diggory and which is McMillan?"

"Why do you need to know?" The taller of the two asks, he has a thick Scottish accent.

"I'm just trying to be polite, ain't I? Just because I'm a criminal doesn't mean that all of society should be thrown out the window!"

The shorter man, who is blonde and has a friendly face says "I'm Diggory, nice to meet you!"

"Thank you!" I say to Diggory, "See?" I say pointedly to McMillian, "manors."

Then I bring my hands forward, swinging them under my legs as I jump, then use my still cuffed hands to knock out McMillian. I turn to Diggory next, I see a glint of silver on his belt. The keys to my cuffs!

"So sorry about this" I knock him down too, then grab the keys.

I awkwardly put the key in the lock and twist it, freeing my hands. I grab my sword and advance on the rest of the constables. Alice has managed to fend them off with her frying pan, as they try to reason with her.

The game has changed, once the prey, I now stalk my former predators. I slowly advance, then pounce, I cut the muscles in the back of one constables legs. He falls and cries in pain. This attacks brings down the atmosphere of anticipation, and a full scale brawl breaks out. It is a blur as I take down two more constables, others have advanced on Alice. I make my way to her lazyly fending off constables as I go. Once I reach her I grab her hand, she makes eye contact with me and her eyes brightened.

I yell one word. "Run."

We do, towards the ship, it's getting closer and closer, what seems like a wave of constables charges after us. One reaches out grabbing Alice's arm, she screams. And he wraps his arm around her mouth, she bites down hard, and he releases her. She turns back hesitating, why? I motion for her to run toward me, she obliges.

As Alice approaches me I see the look of shame on her face.

"Scarlett! I lost the scroll! They took it, I have failed you!" She wails.

I grab the distraught girl's hand and started to run towards the my ship. I chuckle and she looks at me in bewilderment.

"Look do you really think I was going to give you the real scroll? I knew there was no way for us to get away without being intercepted at one point. I gave you a fake scroll, I let them catch me so they would look for it. I knew you would come to the rescue, showing off the scroll so they wouldn't think I had it." I mutter to her under my breath as we reach the edge, I see the Red Swan looming over us, and I grin.

"And that leaves us here, to our escape!"

"Won't they know that the scroll is a fake?" Alice asks.

"That is highly classified information they are not high up enough to read it, getting it back to London will take awhile, which will hopefully buy us some time," I grinn.

I love when my plans work out!

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