prototypezeus | Getting out of Dodge

Getting out of Dodge

Alex is nervous. He's been avoiding this day for a while, but he can't put it off any longer. His food supply is running short, and there's only one thing to do before it goes dry completely... he has to leave Manhattan.

He stands on the edge of the rooftop in the Red Zone, looking over the city that's grown far more quiet than the last time April was here, nearly a year ago. The sounds of gunfire and animal-like screams continue in the distance, but there are few normal city sounds left.

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April concentrates her powers, projecting out several mental images of Alex. Ones that are heading in different directions. Perhaps a little confusion would be the best right now...

Her tactic works. While they would normally be able to focus on him and drive him off, the appearance of multiple Zeuses has them confused and a little panicked. One is bad enough, but they didn't think he could duplicate himself.

Alex takes advantage of the confusion to consume dozens of soldiers. Then he stomps his feet solidly on the concrete, and sends out the extra mass that he's just gained through his feet, into the ground. Black spikes shoot up out of the concrete, tossing tanks in the air like toys, impaling soldiers and cracking the surface of the bridge.

The bridge is cracked. Tread quickly and carefully

"Let's get the hell out of here before more show up." He abandons the attack and sprints for the bridge, leaping over the enormous crack in the road surface.

"Shit... Zeus is headed for the mainland!" the commander in one of the tank shouts over the radio. "We need air support, now!"

They are going to send air support. I could create a few psychic images of you, and take you into the shadow-form

Alex thinks fast. "Do it. Then get us to the lower level of the bridge." They're on the upper level now, exposed to the incoming fighter jets and their ordnance. There's another road that crosses underneath, for traffic going the opposite direction, that's more shielded from any incoming fire. But if they choose to detonate the bridge to keep him from escaping, it might collapse on top of them.

She sends out a few more psychic images of Zeus, going in different directions to confuse the others. Then she takes him into shadow-form, travelling on the lower level of the bridge.

April can travel very fast in shadow-form. And she just hopes she can get them to the other side of the bridge in time.

Alex can hear the jets roaring in, and the hiss of missiles as they fire at the bridge. While some strikes go wild, aiming for the phantom versions of Alex, others slam into the bridge above them. The structure begins to buckle, and there's a beeping sound from the charges planted in the bridge supports.

They're going to detonate.

Just hang on... April increases her speed, moving as fast as she can.

There's a series of explosions behind them as the shaped charges go off, destroying the bridge supports, and the whole concrete and steel structure begins to collapse. April and Alex barely manage to get out of the collapse zone before it plummets into the water.

Though they're on the mainland now, the streets here are empty of civilians too, with only soldiers on patrol. The quarantine zone extends several miles out from Manhattan Island now, for 'safety.'

She continues to move them, in shadow-form, away from the collpase zone of the bridge. Until she finds an alleyway where they can come out of shadow-form.

They might believe you to be dead...

"No. They're smarter than that. They know I was next to the nuke when they set it off, and I'm still around." He looks over at her, uneasy in these new streets that he doesn't know. "What happened with the projections you made?"

Gone. I can only hold the mental link for a certain distance...

"So they'll be searching this side of the river for me." He expected as much. His best bet is to get completely out of the quarantine zone, blend in, and get as far away from the island as he can.

Some of them. Some of them are still trying to find traces of you... or the mental images of you

"They're going to figure out pretty soon that I'm not on the island anymore. I'm not exactly subtle." And that's something he's going to have trouble with wherever he goes... people are going to notice a man running seventy miles an hour and leaping up buildings. He might never be able to stay in one place for more than a day or two, ever again.

You will always be on the run... She feels bad this is not the escape that he had wanted.

It isn't, but at least he'll have a food supply. He didn't have another choice. "Maybe I'll get out of the country. Go somewhere else with big buildings and a population big enough to sustain me..." He doesn't know where that might be, but he's sure that New York isn't the only city like that.

April is a little unsettled, not feeling any peace in this situation. I can't help you to find your path...

"Dana's safe. That's what's important." He really means that. Even if he has to stay on the move for the rest of his life, however long that may be, it's worth it. "I may not be completely free, but they can't stop me from going where I want now."

April comes out of shadow-form, holding out her hand. "Give me your PINpoint. I will give you the coordinates for where Dana is. And you can come see her, when you are in a safer place."

Alex's chest ripples, the tendrils unfolding to reveal his PINpoint, and he grabs it before it can fall. He hands it over to her. "She's probably gonna ask how I am. Tell her I'm great."

"I will. She will be safe in my home dimension." April gives him the coordinates that will give him access to Lorne's bar. Then hands back the PINpoint to him.

"So that's where we were." He'd rather his sister be in the Nexus, where the anti-violence field can protect her, but April knows her home dimension better probably. So that seems all right to him.

He puts the PINpoint back in his chest and looks at her, a little awkwardly. "Got any advice?"

"I thought the Nexus would be a little overwhelming for her."

April considers for a moment. "Follow your heart."

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