Warning Shot

[Avarcaness]

Hi, before you continue reading, please take the time to read this "Author's note", if you will. While I originally intended for this story to be based in the Warframe universe, I strayed from the original concept and started writing my own universe. This was the start of the first chapter

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Hex lay, paralyzed with fear, behind a large pile of rubble, shielded from the light emitting from the center of the blown-out room. Shadows streaked across the wall behind him, occasionally flickering and warping eerily as bulky shapes ambled past. When this happened, Hex found herself unable to move for fear of being discovered.

 

As a trio of troops walked nearby, off to the right, Hex wondered how she'd gotten herself into this mess. She didn't even remember anything prior to the blast. She had simply woken up and found herself, miraculously unharmed, in the midst of the rubble and destruction. Her thoughts wandered to what was happening elsewhere in the system. Throughout the night she'd heard screams and the odd explosion, but she had no way of finding out news from across The Grid, as her system was often referred as.

 

There is no doubt, though, that she was plainly and obviously terrified. Terrified of being caught, terrified of what would happen if she were caught, terrified of making any noise or movement at all. She hadn't even dared to shift her position for the whole night, even though a sharp shard of rubble was digging into her chest. Nonetheless, That isn't to say there hadn't been any close calls during the night. A few hours previously, Hex had to pin herself close to the rigid, stone wall to avoid being caught in the beam of a flashlight. After that, she wasn't taking any chances.

 

Once again, just as it had been all night, a loud, harsh voice blared over a loudspeaker;

 

Any survivors, please do not be frightened. We are few, but we are strong. Join us. Embrace us. Come out, and your shall be spared. Ignore this message, and you shall be hunted like an animal. Make your choice. You have one hour and fifteen minutes left.

 

Despite what the announcer said, Hex knew it not to be true. Hours earlier, she had heard a man coming out to the soldiers.The man's voice had seemed faintly familiar... but later, when she recalled the scene, she couldn't place him. The man was, to her horror, shot on the spot. The bulky soldiers promptly walked away, leaving the dying man on the ground, in a pool of his own blood.

 

Hex fingered a chain necklace that hung around her neck. The metal felt cold against her skin. Hooked at the bottom link was a small, tin lockbox. Engraved on the roof was a strange symbol. Although Hex had no idea what it meant, it felt special to her somehow, as if an inkling of her memories was reminding her that she had a past.

 

Hex's thoughts were disrupted by an exchange of grunting and snarling. Two soldiers had strode into the room to investigate. One soldier walked towards her hiding spot, sweeping their wide flashlight beam across the room. Shadows fled where the beam landed and illuminated charred walled and chunks of rubble scattered haphazardly across the floor. The soldier strayed dangerously close to Hex. Her first impulse was to run, but she knew that bullets were faster than she was. She lay where she was, flattened against the cold stone floor, and hoping against hope that she wouldn't be discovered.

 

Too late. Upon hearing something, the soldier turned flashed his light into the direction from whence it came. In doing so, Hex's body was caught in the light. The soldier lurched backward and shouted something over his shoulder. In rushed the other soldier. Hex rolled out of the way before they could reach her, pulling herself to her feet. She ducked under a blow from an outstretched arm and bolted for the door. The soldiers yelled yet more and followed in hot pursuit.

 

Hex stumbled out of the cracked door frame and into the hallway. The commotion had attracted attention, and soon more soldiers began to appear in the exits. They caught sight of Hex, silhouetted in the light of the other flashlights. She scrambled down the hallway and shoved her way through a dark door.

 

Finding herself on the stairs, she vaulted over the side railing and landed on the next level. Soldiers burst into the staircase above her, clamoring and shouting. Some went up, some went down. Hex didn't wait around much longer. She ran down the stairs, two more levels at least, and found herself at the bottom of the stairwell. She pushed through a door and bolted into the ruins of a lobby. She recognized the lobby. A faintly glowing fluorescent sign sat hanging on a hinge, suspended only by a single bent hook. The sign read;

 

"Comfort Hotel."

 

Hex didn't have time to ponder the subject. She heard footsteps pounding on the metal stairs. Soon she would have company. She clambered under a bent metal support beam and climbed out a shattered window onto a desolate street. Debris fluttered raggedly in the streets, bags and papers rolling along the cracked concrete road. An impenetrable cloud of dust hovered over The Grid, blocking light from above. Miniature dust devils swirled around the block, twisting and snaking around objects and finally coming to a rest.

 

Hex felt fatigued and tired. The explosion had dome more damage than she had thought, and staying up all night hadn't helped either. She didn't have the energy to run much longer, and there were soldiers close behind. She strayed too close to a wall, stumbled, and slammed into it. She fell and hit the ground, rolling off the curb and coming to rest leaning against the slightly warn wreckage of a car. She just wanted to forget her troubles... go to sleep... sleep.

 

Her vision started to fade. The last thing she remembered seeing was a soldier standing over her and whispering into her ear;

 

"Consider this a warning shot."

 

A cold, metal barrel pressed into her chest. A gloved hand clutched the trigger and squeezed.

 

Hex closed her eyes.

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Thanks for reading! If I ever finish the rest of it, I'll release it on FanFiction.Net. My account is called Avarcaness. Anyways, this story is highly incomplete. As you can plainly see, there are many flaws and unexplained events. I'll try to fix that in later versions. Once again, thanks!

Edited July 22, 2013 by Avarcaness

[EclipsedHusky]

Might want to add (Is a story) on the title name.