Chapter Forty-Two

If Steve doesn't know I'm alive, well, and presumably a dangerous and powerful meta-human by now, then he must be dead himself.

The Captain kept to his word, he spread my image everywhere, any place you looked had a flyer with my sketched face on it, the vast and decisive action by the Police on this matter is not something I at all expected, afterall, this was the Xoxia city police we were talking about.

Called in crime reports by victims of gang operations were usually the lightest things happening with them, the Police are much rather satisfied with their position as the Suppressor's thralls, hunting and kidnapping meta's in the guise of arrest is basically all they ever did in the city.

They were simply just another tool of the Suppressor's agenda and thirst for meta-human's, perhaps to keep a steady handle on the Mayor's only real threatening percentage of the population.

As of now I can't much make of the Captain, it comes down to a dilemma as he could either be a truly Righteous crime fighter within the rather corrupt police force as Austin implied, or he could very well be the man who just like the rest of the rotten force, see metas as a means to gain power within the city.

Years eating the breadcrumbs off of Steve's table have taught me something of judging one's intentions, a man like the Captain is clear to the plain eye as ambitious.

Whichever sort of man he is, I can't help but ironically clap as he pulls the Force together to put a curb on crime, even if that crime is me.

Unfortunately for me, all this means is that I most definitely have two relentless men breathing down my neck, Steve is not one to let go of loose ties, preferring to prune out the possible rats within his midsts rather than entertain them in anyway, even if it presents itself as being able to feed his enemies false information.

And the Captain is a Zealous glory, or justice seeker.

Even before coming to this realization I knew the moment Paige asked to leave the city, I knew it would be a fruitless task, a pointless effort, and yet I can't help but hope against hope that the lone star above Xoxia grants our wish and lets us out.

It takes three days for the stitches in my shoulder removed - apparently as a meta-human I have an accelerated healing factor - and within this time and two more days added, it takes Rey, pulling in a couple of favours, bribing people, a surprisingly amount of people to sort out a relatively reliable way out of the city.

Between my face being plastered on the walls of the city and the crossing gang wars, it's more of an inconvenience to move a person of interest out of the city.

Within the gangs of Xoxia I am already marked as a prize and rising in value everyday. Which simply means, sooner or later, some meta criminal is going to come after me as a way to prove might and superiority within the circle of gangs.

It happens all the time and is one of the main inciters of gang wars.

And within the Police I have a crazy man after me. It's an ironic position of comradery between the Police and the gangs. One that nonetheless, we have hurdled over.

Disgracefully, within the days of my healing, with my shoulder still being sore and stiff, I could not prevent Paige from investing herself within these circles. Meeting each and every contact of Rey's, following him around, as stubborn as a mewl despite our protests.

But in a way it gives me some hope for her still. Maybe if she exposes herself to the elements as training, she won't faint when they begin to go off. Maybe it can get her over her trauma.

It may be nought but a prayer to the lone star, but I have seen her complexion improve after each visit in the past days. Maybe my prayers are being answered.

Five days since she said it to me, five days since I became a fugitive, with all preparations being made and all bags packed and set to go, I stand out at a scene that quite doesn't make much sense to me.

"Wow, could you ever believe it?" Her breath comes as vapour as she marvels at the scene, just as I am. We're all dressed for the significant drop in temperature, our best coats on and double scarved, I even have some gloves on, black leather.

Xoxia, the city dusted in frost by some crazy powerful Supervillain, has always been rumoured to be coldest at its centre, a place that I fully expect to be frozen over in glacials.

Turns out the rumours are false. It is anything but cold and frozen over, it's warm, soft, the softest air I've ever had and fuzzy on my bare feet with grass I've never seen, smelled or felt. And most shockingly there's a lake.

The edge of the round, somewhat circular, body of water are real flowers, wafting a scent I've yet to adapt to.

The scene is, in fact, an unbelievable image.

"No, no I don't think I could." I say to Paige, marveling just as well.

The environment is such an unbelievable thing that it has of course been monetized, profits reaped off of the blowing chill spot for the rich of the city.

Paige and I dress as best as we can to fit the part but we still get some odd looks. Could either be because our clothes are subpar at best or because my arm is in a sling. I'm betting on the latter.

Still, we move undetected through lines until we get to the ticketer. And here I am handing the ticket to the man and not wrapping my head over the fact that I'm boarding a ship.

The journey on which we would cross the lake to the other side of the city, a part of the city where the cold persists but the overbearing presence of the Police and Suppressors are thin and worn out, where ironically, through the battlefield of the gang wars lay turns out to be the quickest and safest way to get to our last bus stop and finally out of Xoxia.

Rey's contact and our supposed guide through the movements of high society, likely paid a small fortune for the service, waits ahead, behind the man just in case he needs to step in and slip a few credits into his hand or turn us in to save his hide.

But nothing happens and we're both let through. A collective sigh of relief is shared and before long we find our cabin. Paige and I sit through ten more minutes of tension, both of us bearing some small worry that the Police will come running through and apprehend us.

But at the end a message comes through the PA system, the captain speaking something about condiments on the ship, after which the engine kicks in and we begin to move.

Sharing a look with her as we drift on the waters, I can tell she tingles as I do. In excitement at our possible freedom.

Now we only need to get through whatever's waiting on the other side.